Inside A2
Inside A3
Inside A4
A&E: Jazz combo performs
Opinion: Should we keep Daylight Saving Time?
Sports: Women’s basketball moves to 2-0
Monday, Nov. 15, 2021
Vol. 54 No. 11
Saginaw Valley State University’s student newspaper
thevalleyvanguard.com
POLICE BRIEFS Suspicious situation On Nov. 4 at 4:35 p.m., dispatch received a report of a person walking around resident buildings knocking on doors and talking to residents. The person was located on camera in both Mary Jo Brandimore and Living Center South. The person was later identified as a commuter student. The incident was turned over to the Student Code of Conduct.
Contest Winners; Minney-Gratz (left) third place, Cruz (center) first place and Harris (right) second place. Vanguard Photo Editor | Brooke Elward
Contest encourages students to speak up Sadie Shepherd
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Vanguard Reporter
urtiss Hall welcomed students from all walks of life on Friday Nov. 5, to showcase their prowess in competitive speech. The 32nd Annual Sims Public Speaking Contest encouraged students to speak on issues they are passionate about in the hopes of walking away with the first-place title. Nysir Minney-Gratz, a communications senior, claimed third place with his speech on the benefits of having a mentor. He decided to participate to show what his major has taught him. “I wanted to utilize the skill and
knowledge I had learned throughout the years and incorporate them into this project,” he said. “I believe the competition helped me to build confidence moving forward in the real world after college.” The second-place finisher, Claire Harris, a communication fifth year, chose to speak about toxic messages found in children’s literature. “I know many of us grow up hearing the same classic children’s stories over and over but as times change, sometimes it is important to take a step back and look at what these books are really teaching the nation’s youth,” Harris said. Harris is familiar with participating in competitive speech competitions “I grew up doing quite a bit of
public speaking and this is a great way to further that hobby,” she said. First place winner, communications junior Evangeline Cruz, also brought her past experience into this year’s competition. The SVSU Competitive Speech Team member placed second in last year’s virtual competition. “This year was my first time competing in person,” Cruz said. “Therefore, I was also super excited to have that aspect brought back and being able to face that new experience.” Cruz dedicated her speech to recent bills that have been passed forcing transgender athletes to compete on sports teams that match their biological sex. The subject hits close to home for Cruz.
“Being part of the Trans community myself, I will always use my voice to persuade others into making a positive impact and fight for the rights of those who have been overlooked too long,” she said. Cruz said the event made her proud of her major. “I am so proud to be part of such a spectacular community,” she said. “The communication department definitely cares about the students and they provide a safe valuable experience for everyone.” Harris reiterated these statements. “Everyone is always so supportive which is very helpful especially when being so nervous to speak,” she said. “I hope more people sign up and are able to get involved in the future.”
Seminar teaches Board approves funding for students self-care student housing projects Emily Burke Vanguard Reporter
On Tues. Nov 9, the Mental Health and Wellness Center hosted a SelfCare and Coping workshop. The event was a part of a mental health workshop series. Graduate interns, Chad Pocock an SVSU alumni, and Libby Black, organized the events for the SVSU community. “Right now is a good time to do self-care because I feel like this time of the school year a lot is going on, so we felt students could benefit from this,” Black said. At the workshop, there was a variety of activities: coloring, gratitude journals, word search race with prizes, playdough to bring home, puzzles, and a medication corner. “This event was not what I expected, in a good way,” Nicole Eh-
rhart, a psychology junior, said. “It was really nice to talk to people and have calming things to do.” Rather than being held like a seminar, the workshop consisted of stations that people could participate in however they pleased. Ashlyn Plesuk, a nursing freshman, said that her favorite activity was coloring and socializing with new people. “It was fun and relaxing; a really nice break from school work,” Plesuk said. The Mental Health and Wellness Center plans to continue to do these workshops next semester. “We are going to do self-care again,” Pocock said. “We want to do a lot more of these workshops next semester, and we are asking for suggestions as the participants leave.” Each station had items for participants to take home, as well as goodie bags they could take as they left.
Freshman Beck Karpovich (left) and junior Nicole Earhart (right) color on the cover of self-care journals. Vanguard Photo Editor | Brooke Elward
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Alyssa McMillan Vanguard News Editor
During a meeting held on Oct. 25, the SVSU Board of Control voted to approve $9.5 million for student housing projects. This was in addition to $4.6 million that was approved previously. Executive vice president for administration and business affairs Jim Muladore explained where the money would be going. “The funding supports renovations of several campus student residential facilities,” he said. “[Including] Living Center South, University Village and the First Year Suites. Other residential facilities such as Living Center North-MJ Brandimore have recently been renovated. Pine Grove Apartments and Living Center Southwest are scheduled for future work.” The University Village renovations are scheduled to take place in four phases with the first phase starting summer of 2022 and the second the summer of 2023. The last two phases don’t currently have a set date. First Year Suites will be completed over the summer of 2023 as well. Also, during the meeting, board members voted on changes for the support staff contracts. Executive director of university communications J.J. Boehm explained what the changes were.
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“Members of the SVSU Support Staff Association will receive onetime payments of $800 each for the current fiscal year, as well wage increases of 2% in the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years,” he said. “The deal also includes increases in the university’s contributions toward members’ health insurance premiums and offering health insurance through MESSA to members of the Association.” The changes were negotiated by the school and Support Staff Association after the previous contract had ended in June. “The previous contract had a three-year term that expired on June 30, 2021,” Boehm said. “Renegotiating and maintaining a current collective bargaining agreement creates workforce stability and predictability that benefits both the employees, the employer and all who interact with the University.” Boehm noted the past two years have been difficult for everyone but also the people involved in these changes. “The past two years have been extraordinarily challenging for all SVSU faculty and staff, including those represented by the Support Staff Association,” he said. “We appreciate their dedication to serving our students and continuing university operations, and that is demonstrated through the compensation increases included in the contract.”
A&E.....................A2 Opinion..............A3 Sports.................A4
On Nov. 6 at 10:15 p.m., a 20-year-old female resident saw a suspicious brown van in the area of Pine Grove. There was not a plate on the vehicle. The vehicle appeared to be following her. It was gone when officers checked the area.
Property damage On Nov. 7 at 12:39 p.m., a SVSU custodian found the Fine Arts Service Drive dumpster had black spray paint on the side. He was taking the trash out and noticed the black sprayed graffiti looked like letters and a spaceship on the dumpster. The spray paint that was used came from the dumpster, police said. There are no suspects at this time. On Nov. 9 at 2:23 p.m., an 18-year-old female student was turning into a parking space when her vehicle struck another vehicle on the passenger side in lot J-3. A report was filed with the police department. On Nov. 10 at 2:43 p.m., officers responded to a two-car accident in University Village East. As a 20-year-old female driver was trying to park her car, she struck another vehicle. A report was filed with the police department.
Larceny On Nov. 9 at 12:35 p.m., a 20-year-old female left her vehicle unlocked in University Village East on the night of Oct. 31. When she returned to her car on the morning of Nov. 1, she noticed her wallet was missing. The incident is under investigation.
Hit and run On Nov. 9 at 9:37 a.m., an 18-year-old male student was hit by a car while running on Collings Drive. He was side swiped by the vehicle, causing him to fall. He was complaining of pain in a shoulder. Police said the driver of the vehicle was identified. The incident is under investigation. On Nov. 5 at 2:50 p.m., officers responded to a hit and run in Pine Grove. A 20-year-old female resident advised she had minor damage to her vehicle’s bumper.
A&E
Page A2 | Monday, Nov. 15, 2021 | thevalleyvanguard.com | The Valley Vanguard
Jazz Combo performs concert with new director Audrey Bergey
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Vanguard Photographer
azz music returned to the Rhea Miller Recital Hall on Tuesday night featuring the SVSU Jazz Combo. Colin Wood, director of jazz studies, played with the ensemble. Featured music students were Alessandra Dronchi on trumpet and tenor saxophone, Quinton Larion on trumpet, Ryan Davidson on piano, Erik Gillette on bass and Connor Woolf on drum kit. Music education freshman Connor Woolf performed with the jazz combo for the first time as a college student. “With COVID taking my senior year of high school, I hadn’t played a jazz concert in person in almost two years,” Woolf said. “I was very grateful to have an audience that enjoyed the music. [I] can’t wait to play again with more musicians on campus.” The program featured music by Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner, Nat Adderley, John Lewis, Kenny Dorham and Irving Mills. “One of my main objectives in the course is to give the students the tools to learn and understand jazz repertoire, style
and language,” Wood said. “Jazz, along with popular music, is primarily an aural tradition, so we chose some of the songs to learn by ear instead of using written music.” The Jazz Combo had to adjust and take on the challenges Wood had to successfully explore and understand a variety of jazz styles and improve on jazz improvisation. “We accomplished these goals by playing songs from different periods of jazz history and studying concepts of improvisation as they relate to each tune,” Wood said. Throughout the semester, the group learned what it was really like to play as a small ensemble compared to a big band. “Any new musical group needs time to learn how to communicate and interact with each other,” Wood said. “This is especially true with a smaller ensemble like a jazz combo, as each individual student has a huge impact on the sounds of the group. I think this group has done a great job coming together this semester and forming a cohesive ensemble.” Wood became a new faculty member of the SVSU Music Department over the summer.
Jazz Combo I performed with new jazz director Colin Wood. Vanguard Photographer | Audrey Bergey As the jazz director, Wood learned more about the students within combo alone. “I have worked with ensembles at many different ages, experience and ability levels before, but what I appreciated most about this group is their enthusiasm to try new
things and support each other on the way,” Wood said. “The ensemble is a mix of older and younger students, but they all approach rehearsals as an opportunity to learn and move forward as a group.”
Music department hosts guest pianist Wan-Chin Chang
Music department hosts guest artist for Piano Day event. Vanguard Photo Editor | Brooke Elward
Connor Rousseau Vanguard Reporter
Chia-Ying Chan is an SVSU professor who hosted Piano Day for students and the public last Saturday. The day began with lunch where people had the opportunity to meet SVSU faculty and musicians. Following lunch was a masterclass, which offered those who registered an opportunity to get their hands on a piano itself and learn from the professionals.
“Participants who attended the masterclass performed on stage and the master teachers offered feedback,” Chan said. “Through the masterclass, young pianists had the chance to perform on stage, and to learn from each other. More importantly, we all witnessed the moment of transformation in young pianists.” Chan said that the intention behind Piano Day was to connect with the community and inspire young pianists. After the masterclass, a lecture was given by Dr. Wan-Chin Chang, a guest artist and pianist from Taiwan.
Her lecture was called: Inspiration: musical inspirations and influences. Dr. Chang is the piano department chair at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan. In addition, she is a faculty member at Soka University and MiraCosta College in California. Piano Day concluded with a recital in the Rhea Miller Recital Hall. “Half of our program consisted of works composed by underrepresented composers,” Chan said. “We believe they deserve more attention and would like to share them with the audience. Even though they faced restrictions and the difficulties at their time, they followed their passion inspired and influenced people around them.” Chan said that she thought the audience would appreciate the recital more once they knew more about the background of the composers. The recital itself consisted of several compositions, many containing multiple movements. The concert began with Ballade, Op. 6 by Amy Beach, and was followed by Widmung by German composer Robert Schumann and Hungarian composer Franz Liszt. Chan then performed Piano Sonata in G Minor by Clara Schumann and Harpsichord Sonata in G Major by Marianna Martines. The final piece of the evening was Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K.448 by the renowned Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
This piece was unique in that Chan performed alongside Dr. Wan-Chin Chang. Seth Bearden, a music performance junior, attended the recital. He is a vocal performer as well as a piano and percussion instrumentalist who is also a member of the marching band. Bearden said his favorite piece was Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major by Mozart, the piece which concluded the recital. “I felt that the concert was a wonderful experience overall,” he said. “It was very easy to get lost in the music, to the point where you forgot you were even listening.” Bearden said it was a wonderful opportunity to see such incredible talent on display at SVSU during Piano Day. “Both artists are some of the best at what they do, and it is a rare opportunity to see such a performance,” he said. Dylan Messenheimer, a music education sophomore, said he shared the same favorite piece as Bearden: Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major by Mozart. Messenheimer said that the recital was difficult to describe to someone who didn’t actually attend. “Oh man, you had to be there,” he said. “These concerts are always a guarantee for a good time, as well as good music. There really isn’t much else to say about it. Overall, it was just a great experience.”
SVSU hosts week of events for International Education Week Rebekah Williams Vanguard Reporter
SVSU hosted its International Education Week with events ranging from a food festival, door decorating, scavenger hunts and more. The coordinator of the event was Craig Abraham, the graduate assistant for the Office of International and Advanced Studies. “International Education Week (IEW), November 15-19, 2021, is an opportunity
to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide,” he said. “But our office is celebrating IEW early, so we can fit the Food festival into the IEW events.” The theme for this year tied into the hardships many have faced during the pandemic. “The theme for this year is ‘Finding a way,’” he said. “Many of us have gone through a tough time in the last two years
and the theme is to express the resilience of our Cardinals in always finding a way.” Abraham discussed how COVID-19 has impacted the event and his excitement to get back to in person events this year. “We have done IEW since 2010, so a little over 10 years now,” he said. “This is the first-time we are celebrating with in-person events since COVID. Because of COVID, last year, we did a virtual IEW. Now we are able to blend in-person activities with virtual
sessions.” In person they offered cultural immersion tables outside the marketplace on Tuesday and online they offered virtual booking for a class on making Indian fish cutlets. On Tuesday, SVSU’s dining hall was filled with dishes from across the world for the 23rd International Food Festival. The winners from the Scavenger hunt on Wednesday were provided a gift basket with prizes along with the supplies for cooking Indian fish cutlets.
Plants for a Purpose event honors local veterans Sadie Shepherd Vanguard Reporter
In honor of Veteran’s Day, Military Student Affairs and Pine Grove Residential Life Staff held an event encouraging students to thank former members of the military. Plants for a Purpose was held on Nov. 9, in the Student Life Rotunda. Students could write thank you cards to veterans in exchange for potted succulent plants. Held annually since 2019, the event produced over 100 letters from students to veterans last year. Director of Military Student Affairs, Bethany Alford, anticipated a similar turnout this year. “We hope this event draws in at least 100 students,” Alford said prior to the event. Senior marketing major Morgan Jensen, lead coordinator of the event for Pine Grove, said the number of students that participated exceeded expectations. “We had about 110 students in attendance [at] the event,” Jensen said. “It was great to see students take the time to go out of
their way whether they [were] on their way to class or to the marketplace, some even taking a break from their jobs, to sit down and thank a veteran for the freedoms and service that they have provided.” Jensen decided to bring back the event this year in part because of the effects of COVID. “Especially now, during the unprecedented times of the pandemic, we wanted to be sure that our veterans are not just celebrated one day out of the year, but every day for their service to our country,” she said. A wide array of students made their way to the Rotunda to write thank you to a veteran on Tuesday. “Students felt moved by the purpose of the event,” Jensen said. “It was especially moving to see international students participate in this event and express their appreciation for United States veterans as well. Students from all over campus attended and enjoyed an evening of letter writing and socialization with their friends in addition to a slideshow provided my Military Student Affairs.” The cards were delivered to the Saginaw
Education senior Chris Tyrrel writes a letter to a local veteran. Vanguard Photographer | Ryan Pelletier Veterans Affairs Department just in time for the official holiday on Thursday Nov. 11. Beyond the Veterans Day celebrations, Alford said there are still ways for students to help those who have served in the military. “Students can get involved and show
support to student veterans at SVSU by joining Student Veterans of America SVSU chapter,” she said. “Many think that this RSO is just for student veterans but it is actually for anyone who is an advocate of military-connected students.”
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Opinion
The Valley Vanguard | thevalleyvanguard.com | Monday, Nov. 15, 2021 | Page A3
Should we keep Daylight Saving Time? Yes, it is beneficial Connor Rousseau Reporter Elementary Education csrousse@svsu.edu
Daylight Saving Time is one of the most misunderstood practices in the world. It is implemented in 70 countries, and while nobody likes springing forward an hour in March, Daylight Saving Time has several benefits that must be acknowledged. Firstly, it is worth mentioning that the earth’s axis and rotation are unique in that, as the new year progresses, the sun continues to shine a minute or two later each night (at least for us here in Michigan). After the summer solstice in June, the days slowly but surely get shorter. These minutes add up as the months progress. Therefore, regardless of whether or not Daylight Saving Time is being practiced, our days and nights will be affected by these uncontrollable factors. The original intention of Daylight Saving Time was to provide additional light later into the night to save money on candles and oil for lamps in the evening. In the United States, this was proposed by Benjamin Franklin, but it was not until 1966 that Daylight Saving Time became federal law. So, what is it that makes Daylight Saving Time so beneficial for Americans? The statistics speak for themselves. According to American Home Shield (AHS), there is a correlation between Daylight Saving Time and lower crime rates. During the extra sunlight Americans enjoy during this time, there is a 27% drop in the number of robberies that occur, which are typically done under cover of darkness. Additionally, thanks to Daylight Saving Time, the amount of artificial light that is consumed by American households is less since the natural light from the sun stays around later into the evening. This saved energy adds up and contributes to lower consumer bills during the Daylight Saving period. Daylight Saving Time can also be
thanked for an improved economy. With the sun staying out later from March through early November, people are more willing to stay out later into the night. When the sun sets at 6:00 in the evening, people are psychologically wired to view this as the end of the day, so they are less likely to want to be outside of their house after sunset, whether or not it’s only 6:00 in the evening. With more people out later, more economic activity occurs and keeps our country’s gears turning. In addition to the benefits of lower consumer costs, energy consumption, overall crime, and a boost to our economy, overall health is improved thanks to Daylight Saving Time as well. Weather patterns and the amount of light throughout the day have a noticeable effect on people’s mental health and overall well-being. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), for example, kicks in for many people when Daylight Saving Time ends in November and the amount of darkness during most people’s waking hours is increased. Finally, traffic incidents are more common during dusk and nighttime, which we have already established comes earlier in the day when Daylight Saving Time is not in effect. According to Science Direct, fatal motor vehicle crashes decrease by 1 percent during the Daylight Saving Time period. To put this in perspective, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety states that Michigan alone saw nearly 1,000 motor vehicle fatalities in 2019. We do not always recognize or appreciate the benefits Daylight Saving Time has to offer, but it is quite literally a matter of life and death for many Americans. It’s fascinating the impact the sun has on our lives, whether or not we are aware of it. While most countries around the world do not practice Daylight Saving Time, the benefits speak for themselves and offer a greater sense of well-being for everyone. When we first began to practice Daylight Saving Time in the United States, it didn’t take long for Americans to realize the benefits were night and day.
No, it is damaging Brooke Elward Photo Editor Marketing baelward@svsu.edu
Daylight Saving should be abolished. Springing forward and falling back does not only mess up our sleep schedules at least two days every year, but also mentally drains us. When we spring forward, we change our clocks from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. and miss an hour of the night. This can make it difficult for us to feel well rested on this one night, and make it nearly impossible to fall asleep at the correct time for the following week or month. The amount of sunlight we receive each day is the most powerful regulator of our circadian rhythm. Having less of this sunlight in the morning makes it more difficult for our bodies to wake up. Having more sunlight at night makes it more difficult for our bodies to fall asleep. This spring forward leads to less overall sleep and sleep deprivation. Anyone who has been sleep deprived may recognize that feeling of slowed thinking, reduced attention span, worsened memory, risky decision making, lack of energy and mood changes. A medical report in MDPI Clinical Medicine Volume 8 Issue 3 states that people have a high risk of heart attack after both time changes. It is true that falling back gives you a chance to catch up on lost sleep for one night, but that is the only good thing. Falling back causes the sunrise and sunset to be an hour earlier than normal. During the winter, the sun already sets later every day that passes. By falling back, we, as a society, are encouraging less daylight during the day. Having less daylight during the hours we are awake is asking for more crimes to happen. Crimes such as murder, break-ins and robberies are more likely to occur when it
is dark outside. The decrease in daylight can also lead to seasonal depression for many people. With the pandemic still happening, people are spending more time indoors and getting less Vitamin D in their bodies. Low levels of Vitamin D are linked to bad moods, poor attitudes, depression, as well as fatigue, muscle pain and weakened bones. These emotional states in one person can influence the emotional states in others when hanging out, texting, or communicating in any way. There are people who may be affected that are not you. People who have diagnosed or undiagnosed depression are likely to be hit hard, come time for the dark. College students who have inperson classes at night are not going to concentrate the same as before—when the sun was in sky. Even the poor workers who have the night shift on daylight savings have an extra hour thrown into their shift, but the clock looks as if nothing happened. But why was Daylight Saving Time started in the first place? It was originally started in the German Empire in 1916 to conserve coal during wartime. Daylight Saving Time was then replicated and widely adopted by America in the 1970s because of the 1970s energy crisis. By springing forward, households were using less lighting. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Americans shaved off about one percent of electricity each day in the summer of 1975. As an example, Indiana was one of the states which refused to change until 2005. The government estimated that the state would save over seven million dollars with the time change. Instead, the state spent more than eight million dollars more compared to the year prior. Daylight Saving is no longer saving us sunlight or money, so I ask you: why are we still doing it?
Music education curriculum needs jazz courses Shelby Mott Editor-in-Chief Music Education smmott@svsu.edu
Music education programs need to add a jazz methods course to their curriculums. The majority of college music ed programs are focused on classical training, and either don’t offer any jazz course at all or they offer a few but it’s up to the student’s derogative if they want to participate. Take SVSU’s music program. While we don’t have a jazz degree, there are still quite a few courses offered like jazz ensemble, jazz combo, and so on. The problem here, however, is that these courses are not mandatory for students, and there is not a jazz methods course that is required for music ed students. This is not just the case at SVSU, it’s a problem in music ed programs all around. By not requiring music ed students to partake in any jazz courses, even if it’s just being in a jazz ensemble, we are doing a disservice to the future students that they’re going to teach.
These educators are being sent out not knowing how to teach one of the most important types of music. My own experience in high school was an example of that. I was in our ‘jazz’ band where we played pop tunes, and not true jazz repertoire. So, when I got to college and joined jazz ensemble, I was, 1) way behind, and 2) had misconceptions about what jazz even was. I didn’t know any of the major composers or major artists from jazz. Instead, I was used to playing “Call Me Maybe” or “Dynamite.” I didn’t know anything about reading chord changes or improvising in general. I didn’t even know what a jazz standard was. I didn’t know what made up the core concepts of jazz, and that was because my director didn’t know how to teach it. How many other high school programs with a jazz band are like this? And why is that something we’re so willing to allow? There’s always big talk about sending music educators out as well-rounded musicians, who are knowledgeable in everything. Different instruments, different styles, etc. For example, instrumentalists have to take choral methods, and vocalists have to take the different instrumental method courses.
So, why doesn’t jazz apply to being a wellrounded musician? How can we say that we are sending out well-rounded educators, when I’ve heard other students say that they have no interest in learning jazz, or that they don’t think it’s up to the same standards as classical music. So many of the students who are trained classically look down on jazz and lack respect for it. How are students like those, who’ve never taken a jazz course in their life, supposed to go out and teach impressionable students, to give them the jazz education they deserve. Maybe some of the other methods courses briefly touch on jazz, or maybe in music history you had a few lectures that touched on jazz history. Still, that’s not enough. How are you supposed to go out and teach something when you haven’t even had enough time to understand it yourself? Why should we even worry about teaching jazz in high schools in the first place? There’s so much that students can take away from a proper jazz education. First off, jazz is America’s music. It’s rooted here. Jazz history mirrors American history. By having students learn jazz, they’re learning important aspects of American
history too. Along with this, students are learning important musical concepts. There’s so much to jazz that requires active listening and critical thinking. You’re helping to develop a student’s ear and their ability to listen to music and understand what they’re hearing. By teaching students to improvise, you’re helping them gain self-confidence, selfexpression, and to be brave. To try out new things even if they aren’t comfortable with it at first. You’re teaching students how to work together, and to form connections with other musicians, even connections with the listeners. So much of jazz is about how everyone interacts, it’s about the conversation that’s being held through music. Students should leave high school prepared to go and play at college. Just like we want well-rounded music educators, we want well-rounded high school musicians. Jazz education is important, and undergraduate music education programs are doing a disservice to both students and their future students by not requiring some form of a jazz methods course.
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Sports
Page A4 | Monday, Nov. 15, 2021 | thevalleyvanguard.com | The Valley Vanguard
Women’s basketball starts 2-0 Denver Milam Vanguard Sports Editor
Senior point guard Maddie Maloney scored 19 points in leading the Cardinals to a Saturday home win over Findlay 8352, bringing their season record to 2-0. Jenny Pruett, SVSU women’s basketball head coach, is looking forward to games with a full capacity of Saginaw Valley fans. “We enjoy being able to play in front of a really good college basketball environment,” Pruett said. “Following our exhibition at Central Michigan you can tell our players’ energy is a little higher going into games with fans.” During the home opener on Nov. 12, SVSU was able to treat its fans to a 81-65 win over Hillsdale. Saginaw Valley never trailed in the contest as they were able to start the game on an 8-0 and never looked back. SVSU led 38-29 at the half and used a 23-point this quarter to put Hillsdale in the rearview mirror. Junior guard Tyler Scheid did a little bit of everything for the Cardinals throughout the game, ending with; eight rebounds, four assists and a block. Senior guard Maddie Barrie and junior forward Tori DePerry each had 19 points for Saginaw Valley helping them to its win. In its second match of the week it looked like SVSU could have too much on its plate against Findlay. Following a tough first quarter, the
Cardinals outscored the Oilers 24-9 in the second quarter to take a 38-22 lead into the break. Maloney owned the third quarter, scoring eight of her 19 points to help Saginaw Valley increase its lead. Saginaw scored 25 points in the final quarter to cap off the 83-52 win, improving their record to 2-0 this season. Four players for SVSU reached double digit points in the match; junior guard Jessica Massey (10), senior guard Ashley Buchholz (15), Barrie (14) and Maloney (19). Pruett acknowledged the level of experience the team has coming into this season. “Maloney is our starting point guard,” Pruett said. “She earned second-team allconference last year and was named to the tournament team. Kaitlyn Zarycki was a freshman of the year recipient and ended up first-team all-conference last year. When you add Maddie Barrie into that we have a very experienced backcourt.” Pruett also looks for the team’s post-play will be a significant feature this season. “Tori DePerry and Tyler Scheid both make a significant impact in the paint, then you have Kyndall Spires and Victoria Stafford who have been on point this offseason.” Saginaw Valley will continue its season on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at Ohio Dominican followed by a game Thursday, Nov. 18 at Tiffin before returning home for a matchup Saturday, Nov. 20 with Southern Indiana.
Nov. 12: SVSU 81, Hillsdale 65 Nov. 13: SVSU 83, Findlay 52
Senior point guard Maddie Maloney makes a basket. Maloney scored 19 points in helping lead the team to a win over Findlay on Saturday, Nov. 13. Vanguard Photo Editor | Brooke Elward
Volleyball seeded 6th in GLIAC tournament Denver Milam Vanguard Sports Editor
Senior outside hitter Maria Vukaj serves for SVSU during its Nov. 13 win against Northern Michigan. Vukaj had the second most kills with 14. Vanguard Photo Editor | Brooke Elward
Nov. 12: Michigan Tech 3, SVSU 0 Nov. 13: SVSU 3, Northern Michigan 1
SVSU went 1-1 this week against two opponents from the Upper Peninsula. On Saturday, the Cardinals posted a 3-1 win over Northern Michigan. Then, on Friday, Michigan Tech defeated the Cardinals 3-0. Will Stanton, head coach of the volleyball team, knew it would be tough to face a strong GLIAC opponent. “We were a little overwhelmed coming into our first matches of GLIAC play following our success in pre-season against non-conference teams,” Stanton said. “Those first few losses really set us back mentally, we lost a lot of momentum and it was hard for us to develop our conference momentum which has led to a really up-and-down season.” Michigan Tech proved why they are the top team in the conference, never letting SVSU take the lead and eventually winning the match 3-0 after sweeping the Cardinals 25-18, 25-14, 25-17. Saginaw Valley struggled to gain any momentum as they were out-attacked by the Huskies during the match. Sophomore hitter Rylee Zimmer led the Cardinals with seven kills while also leading the team in digs with 13.
Stanton verbalized the importance of his team staying focused coming into their match with Northern Michigan. “The first time we played Northern I thought we were the better team,” Stanton said. “We just lost our focus toward the end and we couldn’t overcome their momentum.” Less than 24-hours after the loss to Michigan Tech, Saginaw Valley hosted its final home game which was also Senior Day. After suffering the tough loss the night before, SVSU started slow and dropped the first match by a score of 25-23. In the second set the Cardinals again fell behind until its blocking got back on track. Stanton praised the team’s blocking prior to the match. “If you look at the conference stats we have the top three,” Stanton said. “That is what has been keeping us in matches.” Once the Cardinals blocking began to find success, the team was able to pull out a 28-26 win in the second set. Saginaw Valley won the final two sets 25-14 and 25-21 while holding the Wildcats to 14 kills total in those final two sets after allowing 32 in the first two. Senior outside hitter Maria Vukaj ended the match with 14 kills and seven digs for the Cardinals.
Football loses finale 21-20 Soccer out after semi-final Denver Milam Vanguard Sports Editor
Michigan Tech ended SVSU’s football season with a 21-20 victory in Houghton. Early in the game it looked like Saginaw Valley was going to have a big day; the defense forced a punt after a three-and-out on the first drive. On the ensuing Cardinal possession, the team was able to take the lead after a 27-yard field goal from junior kicker Connor Luksic. Ryan Brady, head coach of the SVSU football team, has been thankful to have such a reliable kicker this season. “Points are points,” Brady said. “We have the ability to drive the football, but it is always a good safety net when your kicker can punch them in there, he had 15 points last week and he’s leading the league.” Following two touchdowns by the Huskies, redshirt freshman quarterback Colby Newburg was able to rush for a 4-yard touchdown to close the gap before halftime. Brady says the team moved to a run-first approach this season. “We have a lot of designed quarterback runs,” Brady said. “Colby [Newburg] has a good set of legs on him and so does Mike [O’Horo], our offensive line has been blocking great and these plays allow us an extra blocker.” Saginaw Valley headed into the halftime break trailing 14-10. Brady shared that he believes the defense has been the strength of the team this season.
“We’re number one in the nation in takeaways right now and in four or five other categories we are top 20,” Brady said. “We have a very solid defense that is good at stopping the run which helps us steal the momentum.” For the Cardinals, its defense stepped up and did all that it could to keep the Huskies off of the scoreboard. Junior defensive back Cameron Mitchell intercepted a pass and also forced a fumble that was recovered by senior linebacker Victor Abraham. Senior running back Tommy Scott Jr. scored a touchdown in the third quarter giving SVSU the lead. Michigan Tech regained the lead on its next possession and led by four with 10 minutes remaining in the game. After a field goal by Luksic and a stop by the Cardinals defense, SVSU had a chance to win the game as it got the ball down by a point with 2:10 left. A turnover on downs ended the season for Saginaw Valley as Michigan Tech was able to ice the game on its final possession of the game. Brady wanted to thank the student section for their contribution this year. “I want to thank the student section for how amazing they are,” Brady said. “The coaching staff and the players are very grateful for their energy and enthusiasm for SVSU football.” Saginaw Valley ended its season with a record of 7-4 while going 4-3 in its conference matchups.
Denver Milam Vanguard Sports Editor
SVSU fell 1-0 to Ferris State in the GLIAC semifinal match on Nov. 12 despite 11 saves by senior goalkeeper Olivia Argeros. Saginaw Valley had defeated Northwood University 1-0 in its quarter-final match on Nov. 9 to set up the meeting with the Bulldogs. Senior midfielder Kylie Lukowski was the hero against Northwood as she scored in the 92nd minute after a pass from freshman forward Reegan Kingpavong. Saginaw Valley was able to put nine shots on goal to pressure Andrea Everett of Northwood to make saves. During the semi-final match with the Bulldogs, SVSU was outplayed in every way from the opening whistle until the final seconds ticked off of the clock.
Over the course of the match the Cardinals were able to get two shots on goal, making it an easy day for Ferris State’s defense. Argeros on the other hand had to face 12 shots during the 90 minutes of play, although the first 11 were saved. Lindsay Cole was able to score in the 84th minute of the match. SVSU only took one corner kick during the entire match compared to the four taken by Ferris State. Ferris was also able to outshoot SVSU by a total of 17-9 over the course of the match, making the Cardinals offense a non-factor. Saginaw Valley finished its season with a record of 13-5-2 while going 9-4-1 in GLIAC matchups. On Nov. 15, SVSU will learn if they have qualified for the NCAA DII Women’s Soccer Tournament, lasting from Nov. 19 until Dec. 12.
The Valley Vanguard Sports Editor Denver Milam | E-mail dtmilam@svsu.edu | Office 989-964-4482 | Instagram @TheValleyVanguard 110A Curtiss Hall
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