The Valley Vanguard Vol. 55 No. 3

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News: The Cardinal Closet opens to students

Opinion: How to gain confidence on your own

Sports: Cross country dominates at meet

Monday, Sept. 19, 2022

Vol. 55 No. 3

thevalleyvanguard.com

Saginaw Valley State University’s student newspaper

Native art exhibit unveiled at museum

(Above) Dan Taulapapa McMullin uses clouds to symbolize “the erasure of peoples as well as their environment” in “Te Mau Ata: Clouds, 2021.” (Below) Jane Benale symbolizes unsafe living conditions after miners return home with toxic yellow dust from uranium mines in her weavings titled “When They Came Home, 2017. “ Vanguard Photographer | Sarah Brege

“A Warning Ahead, 2017” by Jerrel Singer shows “the dangers of uranium mines on The navajo reservation.” The piece is part of the “Exposure: Native Art and Political Ecology” exhibit seen at MFSM. Vanguard Photographer | Sarah Brege

Samuel Chauvette

S

Vanguard Reporter

aginaw Valley State University’s Marshall Fredericks Sculpture Museum unveiled its “Exposure: Native Art and Political Ecology” showcase on Sept. 10. This exhibit documents international Indigenous artists and their personal response to the impacts of nuclear testing on Native people. The artists used their voice to talk about the long-term effects of the disasters on Indigenous communities not only in the United States but around the world. The musems’s Curator of Education Andrea Ondish explained about the artists. “They use art to tell their stories about colonialism and the effects of uranium mining and nuclear testing,” Ondish said From photography, to film and paintings, the exhibit has much to express. One painting named Outside was explained by Ondish. “This is a self-portrait of an Inuit woman who is holding her stomach which is a symbol of reproduction,” she said. In that painting, the artist has a horse head masking her own as warning for the biological defects of radiation poi-

soning on future generations. The Marshall Fredericks Sculpture Museum is a free museum consisting of a sculpture garden and 200 original sculptures by Marshall Fredericks. Fredericks was a known artist in the area who had a 70-year career. He is known both nationally and internationally. His sculptures include memorials, fountains, portraits and medals. The museum claims its goal is to “celebrate the artistic legacy of Marshall Fredericks through collecting, preserving, presenting, and interpreting his life’s work for the educational and cultural enrichment of Saginaw Valley State University.” The museum is also putting on another exhibit as well: “Rethinking Monuments: American Sculpture in its Time 1850-2000.” The exhibit frames history from 1850 to 2000. It explores the reception of American sculpture and looks at it through a contemporary debate. The exhibit was originally opened at the Krasl Art Center in May 2022. It’s planned to stop at the Grand Rapids Art Museum in January 2023. The museum is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free but donations are always welcome.

SVSU earns veteran-friendly status for eighth year in a row Connor Rousseau Vanguard Reporter

SVSU has been distinguished with veteran-friendly status for the eighth consecutive year. To maintain this status, the university must keep a healthy and involved relationship with its veterans and the services the university provides for them. Bethany Alford has been the director of Military Student Affairs since May of 2017 and said it is vital for veterans to have the services and resources they need at SVSU, which is why a veteran-friendly university status is integral to SVSU’s success and reputation. “Navigating VA benefits can be daunting and overwhelming,” she said. “The transition from the military to the civilian sector can also be challenging. Add navigating higher education to that transition and you have the perfect storm. By maintaining our veteran-friendly status, we demonstrate our commitment to student veterans and their academic success.” Alford explained the benefits that Military Student Affairs offers to veterans: Send news tips and press releases to: Email: vanguard@svsu.edu Call: 989-964-4482

“We support students from their initial interest in SVSU all the way through graduation and beyond,” she said. “This office is responsible for the timely certification of VA education benefits, processing of Federal Tuition Assistance and resource referrals (both on and off campus). We also host many programs throughout the year to bring awareness and show appreciation to this population.” Alford also said that the designation of being a military-friendly university is made possible by staff and colleagues around campus, and that it is a group effort and supportive environment she is very appreciative of. “I am most proud of the support this office receives from leadership and all [the] offices around campus,” she said. “Again, it isn’t just a label to be veteran or military friendly, it is action, and these are the actions that SVSU does to show our deep appreciation for all these students have sacrificed.” Jake Kokowicz graduated from SVSU last May with a bachelor’s degree in social work. He is currently in the SVSU graduate program and works in the Military Student Affairs (MSA) office at SVSU, a position he has held for four years. “I believe it is essential for SVSU to uphold its veteran-friendly status because it will bring future military-conAdvertising inquiries: Call: 989-9264-4482 Email: valleyvanguardadvertising@gmail.com

nected students to SVSU for their education,” he said. “Transitioning from active duty to college life is complex, and the MSA office assists with that process phenomenally. Actively reserving military students also experience occasional hardship, which the MSA office helps greatly.” A veteran himself, Kokowicz understands the value of a university that supports its students who serve their country. “Veterans have chosen to give their lives to protect this country from foreign and domestic enemies,” he said. “I believe that colleges that support their decision to protect us can be a small way of paying them back for their sacrifice.” Kokowicz also expressed the pride he feels in SVSU’s commitment to veteran services. “I am most proud of the assistance offered to military-connected students, the experience within the office, and the unique military atmosphere that all veterans struggle to find outside of active duty,” he said. “If it wasn’t for SVSU’s Military Student Affairs office, I would not be where I am today with the GPA I have. I owe a lot of my accomplishments to this office and am honored to be able to call myself an SVSU alum.”

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