Issue 40, February 1, 2015 - Grand Valley Lanthorn

Page 1

Lanthorn G R A N D VA L L EY

SAGINAW VALLEY, HILLSDALE EXTEND GV LOSING STREAK SEE A7

ST U D E NT- R U N P U B L I C AT I O N S / / P R I N T . O N L I N E . M O B I L E / / L A N T H O R N . C O M

VO L. 49

MONDAY, FEBRUA RY 2

NO. 40

Celebrating siblings LAKER TRACK TEAMS DOMINATE AT WEEKEND MEET

Sibs N Kids Weekend provides superhero entertainment

SEE A7

SUPERHERO AUTOGRAPHS:

A GVSU student volunteer talks with a participant during the annual Sibs N Kids Weekend. Events included an exotic zoo, superhero transformation room, bounce house and laser tag, among other activities.

FIRST COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP EVENT DISPLAYS PROJECTS SEE A3

GVL EMILY FRYE

BY CONSTANCE TURNBULL NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

n Jan. 30 and 31, children and siblings of Grand Valley State University faculty, staff and students came to the Allendale Campus to celebrate GVSU’s annual Sibs N

O

TRINO THE MAGICIAN TO PERFORM AT GV SEE A6

Kids Weekend. Sibs N Kids Weekend is one of the university’s most treasured traditions, and it gives family members of students a chance to experience the Allendale Campus. This year, participants were able to enjoy a variety of events and activities centered around a super-

hero theme. GVSU student Sean O’Melia, the program chair, said he was excited for this year’s event. “What kid doesn’t want to be a superhero,” he said. “Children will be able to don a cape, meet superheroes and feel special about being on campus.”

The superheroes that were roaming around campus were students who volunteered to dress up. The participants themselves were given capes to wear throughout the activities. These capes were cut and designed by student volunteers. SEE SIBLINGS ON A2

Student guide to the FAFSA

COURTESY

| NEWS AND INFORMATION SERVICES

BY DREW HOWARD ASSISTANTNEWS@LANTHORN.COM

LAKER LEADERSHIP: Former GVSU student Natalie Cleary accepts an award from Dean of Students Bart Merkle during a past award ceremony.

This year’s Kenneth R. Venderbush leadership awards are now open. Awards will be handed out on April 16, and anyone can nominate a senior.

Venderbush nominations now open BY ALLISON RIBICK ARIBICK@LANTHORN.COM

he Kenneth R. Venderbush student leadership award nominations close on 5 p.m. this Friday. Any student, faculty or staff member can nominate a GVSU senior for this top leadership award. Dr. Kenneth R. Venderbush was the Vice President for Student Affairs at Grand Valley State University from 1969 to 1973. He was an advocate for student leadership and participation, seeing these as learning opportunities for students. All finalists will be invited to the Annual Awards Celebration, and the winner will be presented with the award by the dean of students. “We are often faced with having a number of very deserving nominees that we have to make some really tough decisions about,” said Bart Merkle, vice provost for student affairs and dean of students. “It is very gratifying to know that we have so many outstanding students here at Grand Valley. It’s always a pleasure to give these awards to the recipients.”

T

The Annual Awards Celebration includes the presentations of other awards like the Academic Excellence awards for outstanding undergraduate and graduate students in each program at GVSU, the Glenn A. Neimeyer “I think there are awards for undergraduate and definitely a lot of graduate students great leaders on and faculty members for their outcampus and in standing academa lot of different ic achievements and the Thomas organizations...” M. Seykora award for outstanding DANIELLE MEIROW contributions to GVSU ALUMNA student life. The Annual Awards Celebration will take place on Monday, April 16 in the Eberhard Center on the Pew Campus in downtown Grand Rapids. “I think it helps those students as they transition into careers and go onto graduate and

#LANTHORN

professional school,” Merkle said. “Those kinds of recognitions underscore their potential and abilities. When you see that somebody has received a top award, that says something.” Danielle Meirow won the Kenneth R. Venderbush award in 2014. She graduated from GVSU with majors in Biomedical Sciences and Women and Gender Studies and a minor in Chemistry. Meirow was a resident assistant for three years, a member of Student Senate for three years and vice president of Senate Resources her senior year, a Women’s Center Ambassador, a tutor in the cadaver lab and a site leader for Alternative Breaks. She was also a member of the honor societies Sigma Alpha Lambda and Triota. “I think there are definitely a lot of great leaders on campus and in a lot of different organizations that don’t always get the recognition,” Meirow said. “If more students would nominate (other students), we’d have a wider pool and greater spectrum of students that are

VIEW & share your perspective with the Grand Valley Community

SEE VENDERBUSH ON A2

or new and returning Grand Valley State University students trying to figure out how to pay for everyday expenses such as books, rent and college courses, the term “FAFSA” has probably been thrown around more than once. If this term is still a bit confusing, look below for a quick guide to what the FAFSA is, why it’s important and helpful tips for filling it out.

F

WHAT IS THE FAFSA?

FAFSA stands for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The application is a form that assesses a student’s eligibility for financial aid. If a student qualifies for aid, the FAFSA form opens up a new range of programs and scholarships that can help a student in pursuing a college education. Jenna Poll, associate director of financial aid, described the FAFSA as “an application to all the financial opportunities out there.” WHO QUALIFIES FOR FINANCIAL AID?

Everyone who fills out the FAFSA is eligible for a federal loan from the government. A federal loan is technically financial aid, but since it is a loan, it needs to be paid back. Eligibility for financial aid that does not need to be paid back is based on a variety of factors such as income, parent dependency, type of student, age, tax returns, size of family and more. There’s not a simple answer to who receives financial aid because the FAFSA takes in a wide assortment of information to fit each student individually. While there are clear indiSEE FAFSA ON A2


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.