Inside A3
Inside A2 Opinion: Americans don’t appreciate the privilege of living in a first world country
Sports: Softball wins two games against Findlay, splits the two games against Cedarville
Monday, March 28, 2022
Vol. 54 No. 23
Saginaw Valley State University’s student newspaper
thevalleyvanguard.com
Relay for Life returns to in-person fundraising events POLICE BRIEFS Rebekah Williams
R
Vanguard Reporter
elay for Life of Saginaw Valley State University hosted its annual week of events to raise money towards its goal. Over the course of 2022, the goal is to raise $25,000. However, for the members, it’s not just about the funds. Communication and literature major Lizzy Simon and Eboard member of Relay for Life explained: “Relay For Life of SVSU and Sag-
inaw County’s goal is to raise both funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society,” she said. “We hope to raise awareness about cancer and show a strong, supportive group to anyone in the campus community that may be affected by cancer.” Most of the fundraising comes from different events. “[The] events are where most of our fundraising comes from,” she said.“We’ve been prepping and planning for this week all year, hoping that our fundraising goal would be met by the end of this week.”
Relay for Life sells items in a garage sale to raise money and show support from students for the American Cancer Society. Vanguard Photographer | Audrey Bergey
The week kicked off with a 5k with over 50 participants. Simon was excited to have in person fundraising before she graduates. “I’ve been planning Relays since 2019, and this is my first in-person Relay. It feels great to be celebrating and raising funds in-person,” she said. Rehabilitation medicine major Meghan Stange, an eboard member said choosing a favorite event from the week was hard but the 3v3 basketball tournament brought her the most excitement. “We have had many faculty members sign up and I am so grateful that the SVSU faculty and staff are so involved in campus life,” she said. “I think that we are going to have so much fun watching them compete.” In addition to a 5k and a basketball tournament, they hosted an RSO garage sale, trivia night, and Friday night blow-out, which was an event filled with prizes and crafts. Rehabilitation medicine major Katelyn Haskins said the RSO garage sale was her favorite event from the week. “It was great working with various organizations on campus to ask if they had any merch or t-shirts they
would like to donate for us to sell and raise money for the American Cancer Society,” Haskins said. “We had a line of students waiting to get into the event and it was amazing to see everyone so excited to buy gear and also donate money for a great cause.” On Monday, they hosted their Relay for Life Coffee House which is an event they normally host every month during the school year. At the event, they featured a glow-stick ceremony for those that have struggled with cancer. “The Glowstick Ceremony was a demonstration that showed how each individual person had been affected by cancer, and by the end of the ceremony, everyone’s glowstick was lit, which signifies that everyone in the room was affected by cancer in one way or another,” Simon said. “It was a beautiful demonstration that showed that no one is alone and we are fighting cancer together.” These events are a great way for students to be involved in supporting the Relay for Life cause, organizers said “Students were able to stop by at each of our events to get involved and raise money for the American Cancer Society,” Stange said.
Cans for Cards allow students to pay parking tickets with donations Trinity Sullivan Vanguard Reporter
The SVSU campus police has partnered with the Cardinal Food Pantry the past two weeks to help address food scarcity within the campus community. The “Cans for Cards” Initiative was hosted March 14-25, and allowed students with campus parking tickets to pay eligible fines through donations to the Cardinal Food Pantry, with $15 and $25 citations being considered paid with $5 and $10 equivalent donations, respectively. Cody Roy, SVSU Parking Services coordinator, commented on
the intentions of the program, and how he hoped it would impact police relations. “We are always looking for ways to reach our fellow Cardinals in positive ways and help each other in any way we can.” Roy said. “Positivity among our Cardinal nest is most beneficial and leads to great partnerships. The other side of this is to open lines of communication for all of us here at SVSU … We want everyone to know they can reach out for assistance at any time and we are always here to help in any way we can.” This isn’t the SVSU police department’s first time running the Cans for Cards program, and giv-
en its impact on the community, they plan to continue and expand on it in the future. “We launched this program for the first time in November of 2021 and it was a success.” he said. “We feel with more consistent and frequent promotion, this program can really be a much larger benefit to the community and bring awareness to all the good things University Police and the Cardinal Food Pantry do for SVSU.” Roy went further with this statement, and alluded to the department’s views for future projects. “We plan to carry out this program once per fall and winter se-
mester as long as it remains beneficial and viable,” Roy said. “We feel it is a great program to help all cardinals in need. We are always looking for new ideas and ways to better serve our community. We feel we are moving in the right direction to make parking more of a positive on campus, leaving folks with a good feel about SVSU and our University Police and Parking Department.” The Cardinal Food Pantry is located in the Student Life Center, which operates Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The pantry is open for use by all current SVSU students, and welcomes donations to the food pantry.
Fire On March 20 at 11:28 a.m., officers responded to an active fire in Panda Express inside the Cardinal Café. Officers arrived on scene and located the fire which came from a failed gas line attached to the rice cooker. The fire was extinguished and no one was injured during this incident.
Assault and battery On March 21 at 11:32 p.m., officers were dispatched by University Police Dispatch to Living Center Southwest reference an assault and battery. The suspects were located and interviewed. This case is still under investigation.
Breaking and entering On March 24 at 10:55 a.m., officers took a breaking and entering report from the SVSU Grounds department. The Grounds employee stated the large storage barn on North Michigan Road had been broken into and gasoline may have been stolen out of two of the golf carts inside. This case is under investigation.
Larceny On March 24 at 11:41 a.m., officers took a larceny from automobile report from a female resident. The student stated her vehicle had been broken into in Pine Grove and $60-$80 cash had been stolen out of her center console.
Car accident On March 18 at 1:49 p.m., officers responded to University Village West lot for a two car accident. Neither driver was injured.
SVSU holds 2022 spring job fair Valley Nights hosts RuPaul contestant Alexis Michelle Trinity Sullivan Vanguard Reporter
Friday marked the Spring job fair for SVSU students. The event, which took place 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. in Curtiss Hall, offered SVSU students the opportunity to engage with employers and learn about the nuances of today’s job market. Robbie Morford, who attended representing Eagle Village, an organization which helps at-risk youth through therapy, foster and adoption services, residential programs and group retreats, gave insight to the recruiting process. “We are looking for specific majors, like those that involve social work,” Morford said “We’re looking for someone who’s a few years out of high school, someone who shows a little more maturity given the nature of what we do.” As much as students have a role to fill for potential employers, recruiters have to connect with their candidates too. Morford elaborated on how he prepared to network at the event. “It’s my first time recruiting, but I tried to learn about Gen Z, and what’s important to them,” he said “I learned that they think very globally in comparison to other generations, partially because of how interconnected they
are with social media. I’ve been trying to connect with them on that.” The event had tables hosted from employers ranging from Falcon, which specializes in asphalt repair equipment, to the Ascension Medical Group, and was open to students of all class standings. Matthew Loucks, a computer science sophomore, shared his intentions in attending the event. “(I’m looking forward to) getting my resume out and connecting with different employers,” Loucks said. “I already have a job, but I’d like to make some more connections.” Sheril Tarrant, a member of SVSU’s Career Services team, also noted the event’s size and success. “We have well over 100 employers registered and over 200 students,” Tarrant said. “We’re thrilled with the turnout- employers are bringing in energy and hiring students, so we’re excited to connect our students with the opportunities.” Tarrant also mentioned how beneficial job fairs are, even for those who aren’t students. “I have a lot of experience with job fairs,” Tarrant said. “(They’re) a great opportunity to meet employers I had no idea were here, practice sales pitches and network with employers in the area.”
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Connor Rousseau Vanguard Reporter
Alexis Michelle is a well-known drag queen who has competed in “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Michelle came to SVSU to perform for hundreds of students in the Curtiss banquet halls. Valley Nights helped organize the event and Conference Center employees catered with drinks and desserts. Haley Carnaghi is a graphic design junior who works as the graphic design and special events coordinator for Valley Nights. She was the driving force behind the planning and execution of the Drag Queen Bingo event. “I contracted, organized, purchased materials and communicated with all parties involved,” Carnaghi said. She said she would measure the event’s success by the amount of interaction between the performer and the audience. The two-hour event also included over $400 in prizes given to Bingo winners, including an iced coffee maker, cornhole and gift cards. Hannah Ducolon is an early childhood education senior who attended the event with her friends. She never
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attended a drag show before, but she is a big fan of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Ducolon said the event was everything she hoped it would be and more with music, jokes and prizes for Bingo winners. “This Bingo isn’t your grandma’s bingo; Michelle provides comedy, musical theatrical fabulousness and a memorable Wednesday night,” Ducolon said. “I was surprised by how many people turned out; it made me so happy to see so many people in person after Covid.” Ducolon said that she was tremendously proud of the work Valley Nights poured into the event. “I have a few friends who are in Valley Nights who are very passionate about providing memorable and
fun events for Cardinal students, and that passion was shown in how enjoyable of an event they gave SVSU,” Ducolon said. Abbie Rosiak is a biology senior who attended the event with friends. She had never attended a drag show before and said she did not know what to expect walking into the banquet hall, but she knew it would be something she would enjoy. She said she was surprised by how interactive the event was and how engaged the audience was with Michelle. “It was super fun and not what I typically associate with Bingo,” she said. “It has something for everyone to enjoy: music, games and good company,”
Alexis Michelle ends a number with a split. Vanguard Photographer| Sarah Brege
Opinion...................A2 Sports.......................A3
Opinion
Page A2 | Monday, March 28, 2022 | thevalleyvanguard.com | The Valley Vanguard
All citizens of the United States have American privilege Connor Rousseau Reporter Secondary Education crousse@svsu.edu
What does it mean to possess privilege as a human being? Who defines it? Who measures it? Should it be considered when we go to vote? Can we assign an individual a score that determines the extent of their privilege? If so, how do we determine the extent of the numerous kinds of privilege many have attempted to portray? How do we determine racial privilege? Socioeconomic privilege? Religious privilege? Gender privilege? What about the privilege of having a particular sexual identity? The truth is we will never agree on how much privilege one possesses. Moreover, assigning fixed quantitative values to privilege would only serve as an
insult to the complexities and diversities of the human condition. There is, however, a privilege we all possess: the privilege of being a citizen of the United States. Some may scoff at this statement. America has many faults and millions live in poverty. There’s racism and political polarization. There’s hunger, famine, malnutrition, violence, hatred and homelessness. Unfortunately, such troubles have existed since humans came into existence and before great nations were formed and governments established. So let’s narrow it down. What is American privilege for the average middle-class American citizen? It’s being upset by rising gas prices rather than being upset that a bomb was dropped onto our home. It’s getting angry that someone cut us off in traffic instead of angry that we’ve been drafted into a foreign war. It’s loudly complaining that the
politician we voted for didn’t win an election instead of surreptitiously whispering about how unfair it is that we don’t have a right to vote. It’s screaming about football instead of screaming at a military invading our country and bombing our children. Too often we Americans take for granted the simple blessings of living in a first-world nation. We have running water and so much food that we eat it while we walk and drive. We have phones to call on and television to watch and video games to play and movies to see and we can all do so with safety and security because an American flag flies above us. We have cars and doctors, medications and grocery stores with shelves stocked full of our every need and desire. While there will be those who find a way to falsely claim I am idolizing America as a faultless nation, it is important for all Americans to recognize the privilege they possess, even in a
nation with many flaws. It may not be the same privilege as other Americans, but it’s a privilege nonetheless and should be recognized as such. The sooner more average Americans realize how little our concerns stack up against citizens from other nations, the sooner we can become more mindful, courteous, humble, and appreciative of the blessings we have. Life is short, and living a life of ungratefulness, envy, lust, greed and closed-mindedness will only hurt us. Am I saying that we have no right to complain or be upset about things because someone somewhere has it worse than us? Absolutely not; I never would. We have every right to complain and be upset about things. Human beings are built that way. But it is worth realizing our privilege as Americans, for it will make us more knowledgeable and understanding of ourselves and our fellow human beings.
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Sports
The Valley Vanguard | thevalleyvanguard.com | Monday, March 28, 2022 | Page A3
Kameron Marnon warms up between innings playing against Madonna on Monday, March 21, 2022 (left). Tucker Roe rounds first base against Madonna at home (right). Vanguard Photographer | Justin Kruskie
Baseball falls to Madonna at home, sweeps Purdue Sadie Shepherd
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Vanguard Sports Editor
he SVSU baseball team fell to Madonna University, 5-2, at home on March 21 while sweeping a doubleheader on Friday at Purdue Northwest. Monday’s game against Madonna saw JJ Arbini pitch for four innings, allowing two hits, two runs and striking out one. Kameron Marnon took the loss on the mound after relieving Arbini. A single by Todd Paperd in the first scored Hayden Jatczak to put the Cardinals on the board. Madonna scored runs in the second and
fourth innings, giving the Crusaders a 2-1 lead. The fifth inning brought further success for the opposing team with three runs taking Madonna to a 5-1 lead over the Cardinals. A fielder’s choice allowed for Martin Money to score Reed Raymond in the fifth, but it was not enough to catch up to the Crusaders’ lead. Friday’s doubleheader began with Kendall Anthes pitching 3.2 innings in game one, allowing three runs and striking out one. Anthes was relieved by Hunter Merillat, who pitched 2.1 innings with two strikeouts to earn the win on the mound. After two runs by Purdue in the first, a single by Tucker Roe scored Paperd to get things started for the Cardinals.
Connor McClennen slides safe into first base against Madonna. Vanguard Photographer | Justin Kruskie
An RBI single from Purdue in the third extended its lead to 3-1, but SVSU answered with a single down the left field line by Jaccar Watkins to score Roe and Austin Schweiger, tying the game. An error by Purdue in the top of the fifth allowed for Jatczak to score, putting the Cardinals in the lead. The Pride came back to take a 5-4 lead following runs in the fifth and sixth innings. In the seventh, Money doubled to score Jatczak and later continued home after an RBI groundout by Roe. Raymond closed the game on the mound, earning his second save of the season and ensuring a 6-5 Cardinal victory. Friday’s second game was suspended in the third due to inclement weather, but that did not deter the Cardinals from taking the win once the game resumed. Arbini started on the mound for 2.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and striking out two. Steven Hecht earned the win in relief, allowing nine hits, seven runs and striking out six. SVSU started off strong in the third, earning five runs in quick succession. Paperd scored McClennan, a sacrifice fly by Roe scored Jatczak and Jeffrey Reseigh singled to score Money. A single by Andrew Burke scored Paperd and an error by Purdue allowed Raymond to score Reseigh. The bottom of the inning brought three runs by Purdue, taking it to 5-3 SVSU. In the fourth, a triple by Roe scored Paperd and Money while a sacrifice fly by Schweiger scored Roe, extending the Cardinals’ lead to
8-4. Purdue scored an unearned run in the fourth bringing it to 8-4 SVSU. In the fifth, a single by Paperd scored Jatczak, a Purdue error allowed Roe to score Money, and Schweiger scored Paperd on another unearned run. The Cardinals added two runs to their lead in the sixth when Jatczak scored Burke and was later scored by Money, taking it to 13-4 SVSU. Purdue made an impressive comeback in the seventh with three singles and two doubles totaling in six runs to trail the Cardinals 13-11. A fielder’s choice in the eighth allowed for Purdue to score another run leaving them just behind SVSU at 13-12. The Cardinals shut out any chance of a Purdue victory in the ninth. A fielder’s choice allowed Raymond to score Roe, a triple by McClennan scored Sweiger and a triple by Jatczak scored McClennan, taking the final score to 17-12, SVSU. The Cardinals faced Purdue once again on Saturday, but the game was halted in the seventh inning. At the time of writing, the game had not resumed, and the score stood at 13-1, SVSU. Following the conclusion to Saturday’s game, the Cardinals faced the Pride once more at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, a game for which results had not been published at the time of writing. The team will host three games this week, competing against Findlay tomorrow at 3:05 p.m., then facing Parkside at 3:05 p.m. on Friday and again on Saturday at 12:35 p.m.
Softball wins two at Findlay, splits at Cedarville Women’s golf finishes eighth at tournament Sadie Shepherd Vanguard Sports Editor
The SVSU softball team found victory in three out of four games this week, including a doubleheader sweep against Findlay. The Cardinals faced the Oilers on March 20, taking game one, 6-2, and game two, 10-1. In game one, Emily Depew earned the win in the circle, pitching for the entirety of the game, allowing four hits, two runs and striking out 13. Senior Meagan VerVaecke hit a gamewinning grand slam in the eighth to seal the victory for the Cardinals. After Findlay scored on a home run in the first inning, the board remained clear until Julia Salisbury started things off in the fourth with a home run to score Cam Coonan. The 1-1 tie was quickly broken by a Findlay home run later in the inning, putting SVSU down by one. In the sixth, Sarah Gersch scored Coonan in a home run to tie things up once again at 2-2. An uneventful seventh inning led to a needed eighth to break the tie. That is when VerVaecke hit her game-changing grand slam to score Gersch, Coonan and Blasia Moyler and take the game. Game two at Findlay saw Alyssa Muench pitch for 5.0 innings, striking out four while allowing one run and five hits. Muench earned the win, bringing her to 2-1 this season. In the first, a single by Coonan scored Leah Denome and a sacrifice fly by Gersch made it possible for Sara Moos to score. The Cardinals lead advanced quickly in the second with a two-run single by Moos, scoring Jackie Popko and Maddle Campagna, bringing it to 4-0, SVSU. The team doubled its lead once more in the third after a sacrifice fly by Paige
Kolinski scored Salisbury and a three-run home run by Campagna scored Gersch and VerVaecke taking it to 8-0, Cardinals. The fourth saw SVSU solidify its final score as Alexis Gills hit a home run and Coonan scored on an error by Findlay. While the Oilers managed a home run in the fifth, they could not come back from the Cardinals’ dominating lead. On March 21, the Cardinals split a doubleheader against Cedarville University, losing game one, 1-0, while winning game two, 4-1, putting the team at 14-8 overall. In game one, Depew was in the circle for six innings, taking the loss with nine strikeouts and allowing one unearned run on four hits. Coonan managed to hit a double during the game but could not bring it back to home. The 1-0 game saw the Yellow Jackets cinch the win in the bottom of the first, with a double by Casey Bertke as the only run of the game. In game two, Julia Mundy pitched for the Cardinals, allowing one run on six hits while striking out three to earn the win. Salisbury shined for the offense with two hits and two runs scored. A two-run home run by VerVaecke in the third brought home Popko to put SVSU on the board. In the fourth, a double to center by Gersch scored Salisbury, taking it to 3-0, SVSU. The team solidified its lead in the sixth after a single by Campagna scored Salisbury, bringing it to 4-0. The Yellow Jackets made a run later in the inning, but it was not enough to catch up to SVSU’s lead. Next up, the Cardinals will host their home-opener in a doubleheader against Northwood on Tuesday starting at 2:30 p.m. before traveling to Parkside for two games on Saturday.
Rebekah Williams Vanguard Reporter
SVSU’s women’s golf team finished eighth at a two-day tournament on March 21 and 22. The team competed in Lexington at the Findlay Spring Invite at UK Big Blue Golf Course. The Cardinals total score was 964 after playing three rounds. Wayne State scored 957, placing them just above SVSU, while Ferris State scored 968, placing them right behind the Cardinals.
Tying for 19th place was Amanda Ehrlich, scoring 231. In 34th place was Emily O’Brien with 238. Megan Kozlowski scored 241, tying her for 47th place. Andie Martin rounded up the team with 253, placing 69th. Megan Thiravong and Brook Herbstreit also competed for the Cardinals. Thiravong tied for 66th with 251 and Herbstreit tied for 75th with 256. Next, the team will prepare to compete at The Cavalier Classic in Canton, Ohio from April 11 -12.
Track and field performs well at outdoor meet Sadie Shepherd Vanguard Sports Editor
The outdoor season for SVSU’s track and field team began with away competition at the Raleigh Relays held at North Carolina State University from Thursday through Saturday. The meet produced several men’s and women’s highlights for the Cardinals. For the men, a school record was broken in the 1500-meter run by freshman Corey Bowers, who ended with a time of 3:46.29. The 800-meter run also brought success for Bowers, who ran 1:54.16 in the event. Senior CarLee Stimpfel also set a new school record in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 29:08.96. Brendan Nesbitt performed well in the
800 and 1500-meter races, posting times of 1:53.41 and 3:54.01. Ryan Talbott and Dominic Suliman also shined in the 1500-meter run. Suliman posted a time of 3:53.34 while Talbott finished with a time of 3:52.32 in the event. For the women, Jenna Picard finished with a time of 2:13.83 in the 800-meter run while teammate Lauren Buckner finished just behind, at 2:15.00. Buckner also had a successful run in the 1500-meter event with a time of 4:35.34. Alexa Kaiser posted a time of 4:31.02 in the event. In the 10,000-meter run event, Arianna Wegienka posted a time of 35:53.93. The team will compete next in Lansing at the MSU Spartan Invitational.
The Valley Vanguard Sports Editor Sadie Shepherd | E-mail sshephe1@svsu.edu | Office 989-964-4482 | Instagram @TheValleyVanguard 110A Curtiss Hall
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Visit Zahnow Library between April 4 and April 8 for free giveaways and a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift card!
Don't judge a book by it's cover MONDAY, APRIL 11 ZAHNOW LIBRARY 5PM - 8PM
WHAT IS THE HUMAN LIBRARY? www.humanlibrary.org At the Human Library, readers are invited to sit down and have a conversation with a human "book." The Human Library aims to contribute to greater tolerance and understanding between people. It is a method to create dialogue between different individuals who would not otherwise have had an opportunity to talk together. This event is open to the entire SVSU community.
Questions? Contact mastrasz@svsu.edu
Sponsored by: OFFICE OF MULTICULTURAL STUDENT AFFAIRS
SVSU will provide reasonable accommodations for those persons with disabilities. Individuals who wish accommodations should contact the Office of Student Life at 989-964-6081 at least three days prior to the event. SVSU does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical impairment, disability or Veteran status in the provision of education, employment and other services.
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