The Valley Vanguard Vol. 55 No. 23

Womxn’s leadership luncheon panel inspires SVSU students and faculty

SVSU earns Military Friendly silver status

Ally Walker Vanguard Reporter

SVSU has been recognized for its commitment to and support of military-affiliated students. The school has earned a silver status for 202324.

In order to achieve this recognition, schools are assessed on their ability to meet thresholds for retention, graduation, job placement, repayment, persistence and loan default rates for all students and specifically, for student veterans.

Of over 1,800 schools that participated in 2023-24, 530 were recognized and received the Military Friendly designation from the media company VIQTORY.

Since the Military Friendly rating system was established in 2003, SVSU has been recognized 12 times.

The Military Student Affairs Office at SVSU is a fundamental part of providing resources for military students. The office offers admission counseling, academic advising, Department of Defense and VA benefit advising and certification, transition assistance, peer support group and veterans resource referrals.

Thanks to this recognition, SVSU will be featured in April Guide to Military Friendly® Schools from VIQTORY.

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FEME holds annual bra drive to benefit local shelter

In honor of Women’s History Month, one of Saginaw Valley State University’s (SVSU’s) registered student organizations (RSOs) is holding a bra drive throughout the month of March.

FEME stands for Femxle Empowerment and Multicultural Education. It is an organization to empower female and female-leaning persons on campus and in the surrounding community.

The goal of FEME is to provide academic support, professional development, multicultural education, and mentorship for such individuals.

This year marks FEME’s fourth annual bra drive during Women’s History Month.

McKenzie Van Slambrook is

a fourth-year social work major. She is also the philanthropy chair of FEME, meaning she coordinates service events for the RSO.

“In the past, the most bras FEME has collected during a drive was close to 300,” Van Slambrook said. “We take pride in the consistent levels of engagement we receive from the SVSU community.”

FEME’s goal for this year’s bra drive is to collect at least 300 bras.

Collected bras will be donated to Mustard Seed Women’s Shelter, located in Saginaw.

The bra drive was originally developed by Jessica Davis, who is currently vice president of FEME.

She chose to support Mustard Seed Women’s Shelter during the first bra drive, and FEME has

continued its partnership with the shelter since then.

“We appreciate and fully support [Mustard Seed Women’s Shelter’s] mission of sustaining women who experience homelessness and poverty,” Van Slambrook said.

SVSU students can participate in the bra drive by donating new or gently-used bras at one of several drop-off locations until March 31. All sizes and styles of bras are accepted.

Donation boxes are marked with bright FEME fliers and can be found outside of Zahnow Library, inside Student Life, at the entrance of the Ryder Center, on the second floor of Brown Hall, at the front desks of Living Center South, Living Center Southwest and MJB, and the laundry rooms of University Village and Pine Grove. These numerous

locations around campus were chosen to make the drive accessible to as many students as possible.

FEME encourages SVSU students and staff to reach out to friends and family members who may be willing or interested in donating. The organization appreciates anything that anyone is willing to give and is immensely grateful for SVSU’s support of the bra drive.

“We greatly appreciate the support that the SVSU community has continuously shown the bra drive every year,” Van Slambrook said.

If students have questions, concerns, or want more information, they can visit FEME’s Engage page, email them at womenoffeme@gmail.com, or contact Van Slambrook directly at mvanslam@svsu.edu.

- Interact with the community

- Have a chance to be featured in the newspaper

- Participate in polls

- Keep up with new issues and

Caroline Helmstadt Vanguard Reporter

Attendees enjoyed lunch while hearing from local women leaders about their experiences and advice they have for others.VanguardPhotographer | RyanPelletier

To commemorate Women’s History Month, four female leaders led a panel discussion over lunch attended by both students and faculty. VanguardPhotographer| RyanPelletier

Each panel member had a unique point of view.VanguardPhotographer| RyanPelletier Students also presented at the luncheon.VanguardPhotographer | RyanPelletier

“Simology Club” launches for gaming fans at SVSU

Simolgy Club is a new RSO on campus. It is focused on The Sims 4 but will provide students with a relaxed environment to play any games.

The club is currently still getting started and will not be fully operational until next school year.

The club has its first official event scheduled for April 13th.

Issy Cole, SVSU sophomore and social work major, is the media manager for the club.

“Simology Club is about creating a relaxed and welcoming environment for students to play video games together” she said. “The club is more geared toward Sims, but we highly encourage people to join whether they play Sims or not.”

Maddie Swiger, junior psychology major, is the president and founder.

She explained the focus of the club:

“Sims 4 isn’t the sole focus - some individuals have expressed interest in joining but playing different games like Minecraft and Stardew Valley which is fine! We have talked more about Sims 4 simply because it is free to download so the accessibility is high for everyone.”

Jordan Kryscynski, sophomore psychology major, is the executive coordinator. She talked about the club’s current focus.

“For now, we are focusing on hosting our first official event. On April 13th, in the Alumni Lounge, 8:00-9:30 PM we are hosting a Video Game Bingo Night.”

She aslo said that other plasn were in the works.

“Afterward, we will be placing our focus on preparing for the next academic school year. We have some ideas for fundraising and events ideas that we cannot wait to share.” she

said “Additionally, we are currently working with Student Life to see if the e-sports room would be available for us to use for meetings and/or events.”

Allison Hummel, sophomore supply chain management major, is the finance manager for simology club.

“We won’t have regular meetings until the fall, but we will try to choose a time that works best for our members,” Hummel said.

Cole also commented about meetings.

“Most of our future plans will be for the fall semester since this academic year is coming to a close,” she said. “We hope to build up the club and then curate the meeting times to fit the schedules of those interested in the club.”

They are currently planning a second informational meeting.

“We want the second info night to be

more focused on planning events and fundraising opportunitie’s.” Hummel said. “It would also be another chance for more people to meet us if they couldn’t attend the first one.”

“This meeting will be for those who were unable to make it to the first, and will welcome any newcomers who have just learned of Simology Club,” Kryscynski commented. ”We hope to have more finalized meeting information or ideas for events and fundraising.”

Swiger gave details about the event which the RSO has planned for the 13th.

“We will be charging $1 per every extra Bingo board one wishes to use to raise money for our club. We have video game-themed prizes to giveaway and will be playing until all prizes are won.”

More information about Simology Club can be found on its Instagram @ simologyclubsvsu

Photo Story: OMSA hosts Loteria Night for St.Patricks day

Schedule of upcoming events, March 20-26

20

• Build-A-Bag, Session OneMonday, March 20, 12-1:30 p.m

Marketplace tables. Student Association hosts mental health goodie bag event

• Build-A-Bag, Session TwoMonday, March 20, 7-8:30p.m

Marketplace tables. Student Association hosts mental health goodie bag event

• Criminal Justice Society: SelfDefense Class- Monday, March 20, 4-6:30 p.m. TSAR CJ Society and SVSU Police host free womens self-defense class.

• Mental Health Bingo- Monday, March 20, 7-9:30 p.m. TSAR. Active Minds, Mental Health Center, and other RSO’s collaborate for Bingo.

• Homework and HangoutrTuesday, March 21, 1-3 p.m. Study Suites HHS. Student Social Work Organization hosts weekly study session

• Pinterest Night- Tuesday March 21, 6-8 p.m. Programming Room. Join Program board in free crafts.

• Self Love Bingo- Tuesday, March 21, 5-6 p.m. Alumni Lounge. Student Association hostsBINGO.

• Destress Art- Wednesday, March 22, 12-2 p.m. Student Life Center. Student association hosts art event.

• Yoga with Tina OwenWednesday, March 22, 6-7 p.m. Alumni Lounge. Student Association hosts Tina Owen for free yoga event.

• Forever Red X Biology Club

Thankful Thursday Table SitThursday, March 23, 1-4 p.m. Zanhow Library 1st floor. Forever Red and Biology Club host table sit for the planet.

• Beautiful in Braids- Thursday, March 23 , 6-9 p.m. Alumni Lounge. OMSA and Student Association hold textured hair event.

• Mini Zen Garden- Friday, March 24, 4-6 p.m. Student Life Center. Student Association holds zengarden building event.

• Dancing with Jordan WilliamsFriday, March 24, 6:30-8:30p.m. Auxillary Gym.

• Swing Saginaw Character DanceSaturday, March 25, 7-10 p.m. TSAR. Swing Saginaw holds costume dance for all students.

• Bi-weekly Smash Bros Tournament- Sunday, March 26, 12:30-7 p.m. TSAR. Press Start holds bi-weekly Super Smash Bros gaming tournament.

• St. John Paul II Catholic Ministries Sunday Mass- Sunday, March 26, 6 p.m. Founders Hall. Mass open to all SVSU students.

• ASA Eboard Meeting- Sunday, March 26, 5-6 p.m. SE 223. Alpha Sigma Alpha Eboard Meeting.

• Alpha Phi Omega General Meeting- Sunday, March 26, 5-7 p.m. P 242. Alpha Phi Omega holds meeting for members

Senior Evangeline Cruze introducing OSMA’s St. Patrick’s Loteria night. Vanguard

Photographer | Evan Turk

Gaias Energy hosts dance workout session with Jordan Williams.

Ally Walker Vanguard Reporter

SVSU students are participating in Office of Multicultural Affairs Loteria night. Vanguard Photographer | Evan Turk

Students taking part in OSMA’s Loteria night. VanguardPhotographer | Evan Turk

Students deserve higher-quality toilet paper

supplies, it’s easy to see why toilet paper might not be at the top of the list. Additionally, universities often have to balance the needs and wants of a large student body, which can make it difficult to please everyone.

When it comes to university amenities, one aspect that often goes overlooked is the quality of toilet paper provided in campus bathrooms.

Unfortunately, it’s no secret that university toilet paper is typically subpar, leaving many students feeling uncomfortable and dissatisfied. In this article, we’ll explore why university toilet paper is bad and why it’s time for universities to invest in higherquality options.

First and foremost, it’s important to understand that university budgets are limited, and toilet paper is likely not a top priority for most institutions.

With so many expenses to cover, including faculty salaries, maintenance costs, and classroom

That being said, the quality of toilet paper provided in campus bathrooms can have a significant impact on students’ experiences. After all, using low-quality toilet paper can lead to discomfort, irritation, and even health issues.

For example, rough toilet paper can cause irritation and chafing, which can be especially problematic for individuals with sensitive skin. Additionally, if the toilet paper is not absorbent enough, it can lead to more extensive wiping, which can further irritate the skin and increase the risk of infection. Another factor to consider is the sheer amount of toilet paper that students use. With thousands of students using campus bathrooms every day, it’s no surprise that toilet paper is a high-demand item.

Unfortunately, this means that

were the makeover game ads.

When I was young, a makeover game started with a girl with a plain, average face, and ended when you colored her lips and eyelids, maybe going so far as to add a dress and hair too.

universities often have to purchase large quantities of toilet paper at a low cost, which can lead to lowerquality options being chosen. In some cases, universities may even opt for recycled or low-grade toilet paper in an effort to save money.

Of course, it’s not just the quality of the toilet paper that can be an issue. In many cases, universities simply do not provide enough toilet paper in campus bathrooms, which can be frustrating and inconvenient for students.

This is especially true in busy areas of campus, such as libraries, where students may be studying for extended periods of time and need to use the restroom frequently.

All of these factors can contribute to a negative experience for students, which is particularly frustrating given the high cost of attending university. With tuition prices on the rise, many students feel that they should be getting more for their money, including higher-quality toilet paper in campus bathrooms.

So, what can universities do to

to raise her children as confident, intelligent, happy children.

The electronics they use always have “kids mode” turned on, and she checks in on whats kinds of apps they have downloaded.

improve the situation? One option is to invest in higher-quality toilet paper that is softer, more absorbent, and less likely to cause irritation or discomfort. While this may come with a higher price tag, it can ultimately lead to happier and healthier students, which can have long-term benefits for the university as a whole.

Another option is to provide more toilet paper in campus bathrooms, particularly in high-traffic areas. This can help to alleviate the frustration and inconvenience that many students experience when they find themselves running out of toilet paper.

Ultimately, it’s up to universities to prioritize the needs of their students and invest in amenities that can make a difference in their daily lives. While toilet paper may seem like a small issue, it can have a significant impact on students’ comfort and well-being.

By taking steps to improve the quality and quantity of toilet paper provided in campus bathrooms, universities can help to ensure that students have a more positive experience during their time at school.

The insecurities that these ads are teaching them is something that they will carry and struggle with for the rest of their lives, and I don’t think it’s fair to them to sit idle and take away their chances of confidence.

I was watching my niece and nephew play some games on a tablet recently, and something really stood out to me.

The game ads they were getting weren’t exactly appropriate, my niece’s more than my nephew’s.

While my nephew got ads for games where your little stick man beats up another stick man, or where you have to collect the most marbles in a cup, my niece was getting rather strange beauty ads.

I wanted to see how far this went, so I downloaded a few games targeted to little kids, making sure to keep an eye out for anything pink.

The ads that started popping up on them were disgusting, disturbing, and deplorable.

On these apps, marketed to young girls, there were ads for fad diet and weight loss apps.

There were ads for games where the sole purpose was to make a girl pretty enough that her husband wouldn’t cheat on her.

There were a surprising number of ads that for some reason had an adultery-divorce-child custody battle story line.

In my opinion, though, the worst

When it comes to music, I almost always dig something that is complex. I was involved in band during my secondary school years, so I understand the meaning of balance and layering in the composition of a song. Unfortunately, I find most mainstream music today falls short of that. Much of it involves simple, crowd pleasing notes blared on repeat and shallow lyrics.

As a result, I find myself listening to bands who have achieved real musical quality and have a distinct feel and energy to it’s sound.

One such group is a band located right here in mid-Michigan.

Loud Thoughts is an alternative rock quartet in Saginaw.

It is are composed of brothers Chase Singer on guitar and Clayton Singer as

The ads for these games now start with someone purposefully made to look like a swamp hag, and include things like lip injections, dieting, plastic surgery, liposuction, and botox.

These ads are shown in games marketed to 5-year-old girls.

It’s been no debate that social media has a horrible effect on the mental health and body image of children, teens, and adults who use it, but somehow, all of the effort to levy this is focused on the 15-17 year old crowd.

You can tell your teen that Instagram is photoshopp-ed and fake, post your affirmations, and make trigger warnings for certain types of content, but that won’t be enough when they’ve been seeing these types of predatory advertisements since they were 6.

Children are spending an increasing amount of time online these days, and the content they’re being given is increasingly worse for their mental health.

Ads for things such as tobacco cannot be published on children’s content platforms, but dieting, divorce, and plastic surgery can.

The responsibility of filtering ad content should not, and cannot fall onto the parent’s shoulders.

My sister does everything she can

vocals. Cade Lambert plays bass and his cousin David Hansen is on drums.

I had the pleasure of seeing Loud Thoughts perform at Hamilton Street Pub in Saginaw awhile back. I was immediately struck by the band’s groovy and rich sound; it was impossible to not tap with the music.

Not one layer of the band overwhelmed the other; there was strong harmony and balance between all parts, which is essential in music.

I was also intrigued by the name of the band; it offers many implications to the meaning behind their music. On our ride home that night, my friends and I mulled over the significance of such a band name, its overall scene, and the quality of itss music.

The band members seemed quite down to earth, which was something else my friends and I discussed.

I remember, after their performance at that concert, seeing them casually socializing with members of the crowd.

That is huge, especially considering any group’s desire to form a strong and connective fan base. You have to allow your audience to see you as a person, and the band mingling after the concert

They know about Internet safety, and they make good choices, but the ads they get are not in their control.

It is my opinion that there should be tighter legislation as to the types of advertisements that can be shown to children.

After seeing the ads that are run on children’s games, it doesn’t surprise me that negative self image is on the rise.

Ideas of not being good enough, thin enough, pretty enough all have to be introduced to a child somehow, we weren’t born with our insecurities.

Children are impressionable, that’s why we celebrate them so much. Your cousin is no Picasso with their macaroni art, but that won’t stop you from telling them how amazing it is because we want to nurture them and build them up.

We can’t build them up, however, when we let predatory game ads drag them down.

No child should be taught that they need liposuction, micro blading, and some dude’s approval to be beautiful.

No child should ever be introduced to the newest craze diet, or be told that thinner is better. No child should ever have to doubt themselves just because they wanted to play some dumb coloring game.

testifies to that.

The music of Loud Thoughts can be found on several platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. The band has clearly spent considerable time when it comes to recording their music, as the quality of their albums maintains the same balance and full sound as when they played live.

If you pay attention to a lot of mainstream music, you will notice that some kind of singular, monotonous beat is played over and over across all sections of the band.

This is certainly not the case with Loud Thoughts–coupled with dynamics, its music has several interesting working parts, meaning each sound follows a unique rhythm that is built around each other.

Its first album, “Headspace”, was released in 2019. Its second, ”Nomad”, was released early in 2022.

Some of my favorite tracks from the group include “Escape,” “Where Am I Going,” and “War.” These songs exemplify the musical quality of the group that I have mentioned, such as their balance and overall “grooviness.”

I also appreciate the message behind

So pay attention to the ads you get, pay attention to the ads that your nieces and nephews and little cousins get.

Screenshot the ones that are unacceptable, and send them to your local politicians, start a petition, complain to Google, delete any and all apps that show them, and most importantly, talk to the kids and parents in your life about it.

We need to raise more awareness about this issue before it goes even further. We need to make noise and to let people know that it is unacceptable to show this content to little kids.

More and more children are on the internet these days, and even more will be as time goes on.

It is our job and our responsibility, as the adults of this world to put our foot down and make sure that all parts of the world are safe for it’s children.

We need to give the next generation more than we were given, and we need to use all of the things we have learned to do that.

What the world is today was not up to us, and what the world will be tomorrow is largely out of our hands already, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to change everything we can.

much of the music of Loud Thoughts, some of which are demonstrated through the above-mentioned songs.

The theme of its music feels very social, focusing on time, identity, and relationships with others.

While these ideas may seem common on the surface, Loud Thoughts draws you into a special space to consider yourself and challenge norms in a unique way.

According to their Instagram page, Loud Thoughts is working on new tunes as well; I’m certainly looking forward to seeing what else it produces.

I strongly encourage anyone to check out this local hit of a band. Its musical quality exceeds that of many popular and mainstream artists.

Considering that music is an art, this is something that we need to see. The overall energy and message of Loud Thoughts is also an important one that is worth meditating on and deriving your own interpretation of.

Loud Thoughts has a few shows coming up in April according to it’s website, including a performance on April 30 in Bay City.

Softball splits in double header against Findlay

Alyssa McMillan Vanguard Editor-in-Chief

On March 16, SVSU’s softball team took on the University of Findlay in a double header. SVSU took home the win in game one with a score of 5-2.

Junior Alexis Gills and junior Paige Kolinski kicked off the game by batting three hits. Freshman Katelyn Pnacek, junior Cam Coonan, and junior Sara Moos each had two hits. Moos also had four RBI.

Senior Sarah Gersch hit a single which led to loaded bases. Moos had a double to left center that allowed Gersch, senior Jacki Popko, and Gills to score. This brought the score to 3-2 for SVSU.

Coonan hit a single to right center right after to score freshman Emily Beckas and Kolinski.

This brought SVSU’s lead up to five, where it would stay the remainder of the game.

Findlay got a runner on third base but a fly out secured the win for SVSU.

Game two saw a loss for SVSU against Findlay. They fell with a score of 9-6.

Moos started off the first inning by hitting a sacrifice fly to center field. SVSU had a 1-0 lead after that.

Findlay came back with three runs in the bottom half of the first inning. They also had four more runs in the second. This brought them up to a 7-1 lead.

Popko walked with loaded bases. This brought Coonan home and brought SVSU up to a score of two.

Kolinski got a home run in the fifth inning which score Moos. SVSU now had a score of three. Findlay extended their lead even more with a run in the bottom of the fifth.

SVSU got a run in the seventh. Right after, junior Leah Denome got an RBI on a ground. SVSU was only three runs away but they couldn’t manage it.

The team will play again on March 20. against Ohio Dominican. This will be another double header for SVSU.

Baseball wins against CMU with a 7-4 score

Alyssa McMillan Vanguard Editor-in-Chief

On March 15, SVSU traveled to Mount Pleasant to take on Central Michigan University. SVSU came out with a 7-4 win after having all its home games for the week canceled. SVSU led for almost the entire game.

The team started off with junior Hunter Merillat pitching. He pitched two innings, striking out two of the six batters. The third inning saw the team get on the board. Junior Jaccar Watkins singled, stole second, and moved to third on a passed ball. Senior Tucker Roe followed with a single that scored Watkins, making the score

1-0 for SVSU.

Sophomore JJ Arbini stepped up to the mound in the bottom half of the inning. He pitched three more innings which saw two unearned runs on one hit and a walk. Arbini managed to strike out four batters. The two runs were in the bottom of the fourth and were because of an error. CMU walked out of this with its only lead of the night at 2-1.

Watkins walked in the next half of the inning and moved to second by an error. Junior Colin Cornwell managed one to the left field and doubled home Watkins. This tied the game.

Watkins was able to get on base three separate times, scoring with each one. Cornwell led the team with a total of

three RBI. He improved his hitting streak to 11 games.

Junior Nick Bastian pitched in the sixth inning. He saw four batters, one of which he allowed to walk. However, it was scoreless inning and the game remained tied.

In the seventh inning, junior Connor McClennen stepped up and singled. Watkins moved him on a sacrifice bunt.

Senior Martin Money then singled home McClennen to make the score 3-2 for SVSU. Ryan Palmblad took over as pitcher for CMU after that.

Senior Nolan Raymond started off the seventh inning by pitching. He hit two batters and reached on an error. CMU had loaded the bases.

CMU managed another walk to tie the game again. Junior Chase Gruno then took over pitching. Gruno stuck out the first and got a ground ball at the end of the inning.

Junior Jeffrey Reseigh started the next inning off with a single. McClennen managed to reach first and move Reseigh to third.

Watkins came out with a ball four skip in the dirt. Reseigh made it home and gave SVSU the lead.

Roe hit another RBI single, pushing the lea to two. Cornwell had an error that led to both Watkins and Roe scoring. A fourth spot in the eight gave SVSU the 7-3 win. The team will head to Toledo Ohio on March 21 to take on Ohio Dominican.

Tennis loses both matches over the weekend

Danielle Carlisi Vanguard Sports Editor

SVSU women’s tennis lost both of its matches over the weekend.

On March 17, the team traveled to Pur-

due. Freshmen Amelia Dickinson and Johanna Michahelles were the only players to win their double match against Purdue Northwest at 6-1.

Sophomore Adriana Barrio Garcia De Leaniz and junior Tara Erler lost their

double match at 6-4.

Sophomore Irene Latorre Barreiro with sophomore Elizabeth Stuart lost at 7-6. As for single results, both players, Adriana Barrio Garcia De Leaniz and Johanna Michahelles, lost their matches.

The final result of the game was 4-1. On March 18., the only point scored came from the single matches. Adriana Barrio Garcia De Leaniz won 6-0.

The final score was 4-1 for Davenport.

Schedule of upcoming sporting events March 20-March 25

March 21

-Women’s Golf

-Baseball

2 p.m. away against Ohio Dominican

March 24

-Women’s Tennis

1 p.m. home against GVSU

-Baseball

1 p.m. and 4 p.m. home against Purdue

March 25

-Track & Field Away

-Softball

1 p.m. and 3 p.m. home against Ferris State