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Smoke responsibly GV launches Respect Our Campus campaign BY CARLY SIMPSON ASSOCIATE@LANTHORN.COM
rand Valley State University is working to create awareness about the university’s smoking policy through the “Respect Our Campus” campaign. Going until Nov. 24, the campaign includes a Respect Our Campus competition. GVSU students, faculty and staff can guess the number of littered cigarette butts that were picked up off the ground near Kleiner, between Manitou and Mackinac halls and by the Mackinac bus stop during September and October. The improperly disposed cigarettes are on display at the 20/20 desk in the Kirkhof Center. Participants can write down their guess at the desk or tweet it at #respectourcampus. “It’s more of a recognition of, ‘okay you can still smoke on campus, you have a right to do that, but to try and be mindful of where the cigarette butts are going and to recognize that they’re not biodegradable,’” said Lindsey DesArmo, the health and wellness specialist. “Another main goal of the campaign is to make sure people do have access to resources if they do want to quit (smoking).” According to GVSU’s smoking policy, all university owned buildings are designated as smoke free, and smoking is prohibited in all indoor spaces and within
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THROWING IT AWAY: A Grand Valley State University student disposes of their cigarette. Smoking is
allowed on campus if smokers are 25 feet away from buildings, bus stops and the Little Mac Bridge.
25 feet of all buildings, bus stops and the Little Mac bridge. The 25-feet rule was established in 2008, DesArmo said. GVSU is in the minority though when it comes to smoking on campus. Over half of Michigan’s public
universities have a smoke free or tobacco free policy. Central Michigan University, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan University and Western Michigan University are tobacco free campuses. Oakland
University, Saginaw Valley State University and the University of Michigan, UM-Flint and UMDearborn are smoke free. In winter 2014, GVSU’s Student SEE RESPECT ON A2
GV sisters create literacy nonprofit BY STEPHANIE BRZEZINSKI ASSISTANTNEWS@LANTHORN.COM
r. Seuss once said, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Believing in this idea that knowledge is power, Grand Valley State University sisters Elizabeth and Rebecca Williams started Books IV Bonding, a nonprofit organization focused on the literacy of high school students abroad and in the U.S. Their goal is to promote international communication and foster understanding of the similarities between different nations. “We want to give students reading materials so they can identify with characters and blog on our website,” said Elizabeth, a junior majoring in advertising and public relations. “We wanted to promote literacy for high school students and provide cross-cultural literature.” Scholastic invited the sisters to
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THINKING BIG: GVSU students Rebecca and Elizabeth Williams are
recognized as ambassadors for Usher’s New Look Foundation.
the “Bigger Than Words” webcast in New York City on Nov. 6, where they received 2,000 books for their nonprofit. The girls are internationally certified ambassadors for Usher’s New Look Foundation, which collaborated with Scholastic at the event. Elizabeth said these books will benefit 9th through 12th grade students in Kibera, Kenya, who will read and discuss books with students from Detroit Public Schools.
This is their first initiative. “Kibera is the slums of Kenya, where there is a dire need for food, water and housing,” she said. “Surprisingly, they have technology, but no books. They long to have books, but they don’t have access to them.” Rebecca, a GVSU senior majoring in public administration, said the idea for Books IV Bonding came from her 2011 trip to Kenya, where Usher’s New Look estab-
lished a chapter. While there, she built close-knit relationships with the students and saw that they face similar social issues to children in the U.S. She knew books could be part of the solution. “When you help broaden someone’s perspective, you shift their world, their possibility, their creativity,” she said. “You can also ignite their passion for something they never knew existed. Knowledge is one of the greatest treasures that you can never take away from anyone.” She added that the goal is for Books IV Bonding to become a global nonprofit that will allow youth to reflect on their personal experiences, find commonalities with other students and develop new perspectives. “This will help create a band of leaders who learn how to be conscious global citizens,” Rebecca said. “They will have a better understanding of their global community. Young people can open a world of possibilities at a young age.” The Williams sisters are plan-
ning a trip to Kenya within the next two years to work directly with their connections in the country. “It saddens me to be in a place of abundance when my peers in Kibera, Kenya don’t have the same privilege,” Elizabeth said. “In America, it’s an abundance of books and libraries, but in a place of despair, there’s a dire need for reading and education when there’s a lack of books.” According to the United States Agency for International Development, 40 percent of school-age children in Africa do not attend school. Forty-six million African children have never set foot in a classroom. Most African children who attend school have never owned a book of their own. In many classrooms, 10 to 20 students share one textbook. For more information about Books IV Bonding, visit www.facebook.com/pages/Books-IV-Bonding/1494936344123899. For more information about Usher’s New Look, visit www.ushersnewlook.org. To watch the full webcast, visit www. usherwebcast.scholastic.com.
SVSU wins BOTV fundraiser for 7th year in a row BY ALYSSA RETTELLE ARETTELLE@LANTHORN.COM
rand Valley State University lost the battle against Saginaw Valley State University this past weekend during the 12th annual Battle of the Valleys fundraising competition. GVSU ended up raising $7,000 for the Grand Valley Children’s Fund, while SVSU raised $32,000 for the Cory Rivard, Jr. Promise Foundation. GVSU hasn’t beaten SVSU at fundraising since 2007, when they raised $31,382 for the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. Since the Battle of the Valleys began in 2003, the universities
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have raised over $350,000 for local and national charities that benefit children such as United Way, Make a Wish Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, Special Olympics and S.P.O.R.T.S (Students Providing Opportunities and Recreation Through Sports). The Grand Valley Children’s Fund was established to assist students and local non-profits who work with children. Donations will continue to go into this non-profit fund throughout the year, and charities can apply for a mini-grant that can be used to fund programs, projects or operational costs for their organization.
LANTHORN.
Andrew Plague, the president of Student Senate, said the Children’s Fund was created as a way to institutionalize the Battle of the Valleys giving. The Children’s Fund Board is made up of the Student Senate executive vice president, students, staff and faculty. “Instead of choosing a charity each year and donating what we raise to that, we will raise money for this fund,” Plague said. “The Children’s Fund really allows for greater learning and engagement, both for the students making the funding decisions and for the students potentially applying for funding.” SVSU raised money for the Cory
Rivard, Jr. Promise Foundation, which seeks to educate college students about depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses by working directly with college campuses to increase suicide awareness and prevention. Cory Rivard, Jr., committed suicide in January 2011 and had attended GVSU. From Nov. 9 through Nov. 15, there were events ranging from bingo to scavenger hunts, auctions to bake sales, all of which helped raise money for the event. After a week of fundraising, Battle of the Valleys ended with GVSU’s final football game of the season vs. SVSU. The GVSU football team went on to win the game 21 to 3.
“Instead of choosing a charity each year...we will raise money for this fund.” ANDREW PLAGUE STUDENT SENATE PRESIDENT
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