Grand Valley Lanthorn vol. 56 no. 22

G R A N D VA L L E Y L A N T H O R N

Talk Nerdy to Me GV educates on sexual health

GV student hit by car, GVPD urges driver and pedestrian awareness

ACCIDENT | A3

Office of Multicultural Affairs hosts discussion on disparities in missing Black women cases DIVERSITY | A11

M O N D A Y, F E B R U A RY 1 4 , 2 02 2 // VO L . 5 6 N O. 2 2

@ GV L A N T H O R N

LANTHORN.COM

A2 | NEWS NEWS BRIEFS GV COVID-19 CAMPUS DATA UPDATE

The Grand Valley State University community has had a cumulative total of 7,170 cases since Aug. 1, 2020. The university’s update for this brief was from Friday, Feb. 11.

Through testing results this past week, GVSU’s Virus Action team have so far reported 244 current active cases including 21 faculty members, 43 staff members, 28 on-campus students, 78 “off-campus Ottawa” students, 54 “off-campus Kent” students and 20 “off-campus other” students with active COVID-19 cases.

“Current active cases” is the count of positive cases reported to the Virus Action Team over the past 10 days. This is an estimate of those currently in isolation, assuming a ten-day symptomatic period following the reporting of a positive test result. Actual periods of isolation are specific to the individual and determined by the county health department.

Vaccination: GVSU encourages all students, faculty and staff to receive the COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible.

All students, faculty and staff are required to be fully vaccinated, barring a medical or religious exemption or postponement.

According to the COVID-19 data dashboard, an 80% vaccination rate in the GVSU community is required to reach herd immunity and minimal virus transmission.

Currently, approximately 86% of students report being fully vaccinated, while approximately 93% of faculty and staff reports being fully vaccinated.

There are currently 2,216 students and 141 faculty/staff with approved vaccination exemptions.

Testing and Incidence: GVSU’s own testing program has performed 125,205 tests overall since Aug. 1, 2020, for a cumulative positivity rate of 2.39% from the latest update as of last week. A total of 1,379 tests were performed over the last seven days.

“GV Surveillance” includes the GV/ Spectrum administered programs of randomized testing, regular testing of high-risk groups, and invited testing of individuals connected to potential clusters.

A calendar is available. “GV Total” includes surveillance testing plus all symptomatic/ exposure tests administered by Spectrum.

GV HOLDS VIGIL FOR BRENDAN SANTO The Grand Valley State University community recently held a vigil to honor the memory of Brendan Santo.

Santo was a freshman at GVSU and was reported missing on Oct. 29, 2021 while visiting friends at Michigan State University.

After months of searching Santo’s body was recovered on Jan. 21, 2022 in the Red Cedar River.

On Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. GVSU community members gathered around the Cook-Carillon clock tower on the Allendale campus to mourn the loss of Santo and comfort those around them through this challenging time.

There was an area where students could share a memory they had with Santo or write a note, which was given to his parents.

FEBRUARY 14, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

TICKETS

GV parking enforcement sparks conversation amongst students

BY JOSHUA ALBURTUS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Concerns from Grand Valley State University students surrounding parking services have pushed the department’s ticketing procedures into conversations on campus.

The circumstances for ticketing at the university have long maintained the same general concepts.

In order to park on GVSU’s campus without the risk of a ticket, parking permits must be purchased by students for each semester on Grand Valley’s Parking Services website.

There are a variety of passes are offered on both the Allendale and Pew campuses. The different types of passes include an on-campus living pass for $210 for a semester, a commuter pass for $240 and the Lot J commuter pass for $105.

Pew Campus residents also have passes available for $210 per semester and commuters can purchase the Seward Ramp pass for $105.

If a vehicle is found in violation of the university parking policies, parking services will issue a ticket for the vehicle, accompanied by a fine the driver must pay.

According to parking services, there are four different types of tickets issued by the department that result in different monetary fines.

CARS: Grand Valley State University students have recently been discussing parking services and what kinds of offenses constitute the four different tickets being distributed. GVL | RACHEL SLOMBA

Parking in fire lanes, handicap spaces or on sidewalks will cost $100. Parking without a valid permit will cost $35. Parking improperly, such as parking outside the yellow lines or not paying for a pay-to-park lot, will cost $30. Parking in a lot with an improper permit will cost a violator $25.

However, concerns over ticketing prices and methods have become a topic of discussion among the GVSU community in recent days, with student claims

of “price gouging.”

Other concerns are more specific to the current campus climate, given the persistent presence of the COVID-19 virus.

While trying to keep the campus community safe and healthy, students like Elle Briske are discouraged by their transportation options.

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CRIME

Off-campus vehicle break-ins cause concern

BY GILLIAN HANTON NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

ROBBERY: A recent slew of vehicle break-ins have become a point of concern for students living in off-campus housing. GVL | MAX RITCHIE

The winter semester has been a period of adjustment for Grand Valley State University students.

However, one adjustment students weren’t expecting to make was protecting their vehicles from robbery. For the past several weeks, students’ cars parked at off-campus housing lots have been broken into and damaged.

Since the majority of students at GVSU live at off-campus apartments or choose to commute to school, the breakins have become a pressing issue for the entire community.

Senior Caitlyn Webber was one of the first students to report a vehicle break-in at the 48 West apartment complex. After witnessing multiple break-ins in the same night, Webber posted on Facebook to warn other residents.

“They broke into two of my neighbor’s cars and stole everything, then attempted a car right in front of our house,” Webber said.

These off-campus incidents in Allendale are reflective of a larger trend in the greater Grand Rapids Area, which began two years ago.

In addition to car break-ins, the Grand Rapids Police Department has been struggling to keep auto thefts under control.

From 2019 to 2020, the number of auto thefts in the city rose from 298 to 803. In 2021, the number fell to 792.

In this span of time, GRPD has gone from responding to an average of less than one auto theft per day, to over two.

Since the beginning of 2022, there have been 114 reports of vehicle break-ins and thefts, as well as 80 additional reports of motor vehicle thefts in Grand Rapids.

In order to prevent thefts of this capacity from starting in Allendale, students must take action, but also prioritize their own safety.

Grand Valley police officer Leah Heaton said keeping students informed is the key to limiting these break-ins, damages and other illegal activities.

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A3 | NEWS

FEBRUARY 14, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

CONTENTS TICKETS

| A2

OPINION

| A4

COVID-19

| A5

SEX ED WEEK

| A6&7

VOLUNTEER

| A8

DIVERSITY

| A9

GALLERY

| A10

SWIMMING

| A11

BASKETBALL

| A12

VOL. 56

NO. 22

Lanthorn Videographer KATE KIRBY

EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief ZACK GOODROW

Layout Editor KHOI TRAN

Associate Editor AUDREY WHITAKER Associate Editor XAVIER GOLDEN

Layout Designer DONOVAN LOPEZ PROMOTIONS

News Editor MARY DUPUIS Sports Editor HOLLY BIHLMAN Laker Life Editor JACOB DEWEERD A&E Editor

Promotions Manager GRACE O’BRIEN ADVERTISING STAFF Advertising Manager JORDAN GREEN BUSINESS STAFF

SABRINA EDWARDS

Image Editor MEGHAN LANGREN Multimedia EditorHAILIEGH HUBER

Business Manager MORGAN JOHNSTON Asst. Business Manager LUKE KREGER Distribution Manager DAYTON HAMMON

At the Lanthorn, we strive to bring you the most accurate news possible. If we make a mistake, we want to make it right. If you find any errors in fact in the Lanthorn, let us know by calling 616-331-2464 or by emailing editorial@lanthorn.com.

The Grand Valley Lanthorn is published weekly by Grand Valley State University students 31 times a year. One copy of this newspaper is available free of charge to any member of the Grand Valley Community. For additional copies, at $1 each, please contact our business offices.

ACCIDENT

GV student hit by car, GVPD urges driver and pedestrian awareness

BY EMMA ARMIJO NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

A Grand Valley State University student was hit by oncoming traffic when crossing the street on Wednesday, Feb. 7.

The student was leaving Lot H walking towards Laker Village Apartments at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday night when an oncoming car didn’t yield to the pedestrian’s right of way and hit them in the crosswalk.

GVSU Police Department Captain Jeffrey Stoll, said there were minimal injuries sustained in the collision for both the student in the crosswalk and the driver, though the student did have a brief stay in the hospital that night.

“It’s what’s known as vehicle versus pedestrian,” Stoll said. “The pedestrian was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and is now doing okay.”

The driver is at fault for causing the accident, receiving a citation for “failing to yield to a pedestrian at a crosswalk.”

The case has been turned over to the District Court, where it will be examined further.

The driver is being charged with a Civil Infraction and is being fined. According to Stoll there was no evidence of distracted driving in the investigation.

With the high pedestrian activity on campus, drivers and pedestrians need to be aware of their surroundings.

Stoll urged the importance of staying focused and alert when driving around campus, especially during high activity moments when there are lots of students walking.

“We highlight that our campus is very pedestrian friendly, so we want to be fully engaged when we’re driving,” Stoll said.

“Unlike other places you drive around the area, this is a high population area and at certain peak times there’s a lot of pedestrians, so it’s important to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings.”

Students should also practice high awareness and stay vigilant when crossing the streets on campus.

Many students feel they’ve had close calls as pedestrians on campus, especially around Laker Village Dr. and in parking lots around the university.

Meghan Seelye, a freshman in GVSU’s Honors College, said she spends lots of time walking around campus and in her experience, drivers seem to be a little less aware.

“I’d say a lot of my traffic experiences are me questioning whether or not the driver has seen me,” Seelye said.

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NEEDS

GV offers free menstrual products through Basic Needs Task Force

BY PAYTON BRAZZIL NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Almost two years ago, following a successful trial run, Grand Valley State University’s Student Senate unanimously passed a resolution that would provide free menstrual products to students.

Student Senate collaborated with the Center for Women and Gender Equity

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ATTENTION: A GVSU student was recently hit by a car while walking towards Laker Village Apartments. GVPD emphasized the importance of driver and pedestrian awareness. GVL | RACHEL SLOMBA

AVAILABLE: GVSU’s Student Senate and the Center for Women and Gender Equity provides free menstrual products. GVL | LAUREN SEYMOUR

and provided menstrual hygiene products in five bathrooms to begin their trial.

Former Student Senator, Alex Hicks, said they received overwhelmingly positive feedback.

“We saw huge success,” Hicks said.

“Not only did we see these products being used regularly, showing students needed them, but we also saw an outpour of gratitude from the student body.”

Riding this momentum, the resolution called for GVSU to create a task force charged with researching the impact of menstrual hygiene product accessibility on students.

Through the Basic Needs Task Force, the university has started providing these products on campus and removed the payment option on most of the dispensers.

Center for Women and Gender Equity’s former associate director, Sharalle Arnold, worked with Hicks on providing these products across campus.

“During a conversation with Alex, who wanted to get more products in different places, we began to move that in-

formation to the basic needs agenda and the people serving on the committee, along with facilities, agreed it was a basic need for students,” Arnold said.

When Hicks proposed the resolution in Feb. 2020. It included strong evidence that menstrual hygiene products are a basic need, especially for students.

“This is a huge thing that could make such a big difference in the lives of their students,” Hicks said. “I discovered that over 90% of (menstruating) students believe that menstruation has been a barrier to their education. Not having access to menstruation products whether you can’t afford one or just don’t have one on you that day can be really difficult if you’re in class.”

In addition to this, Hicks and Arnold both mentioned that GVSU is now a cashless campus, so it would be unlikely that people are carrying a quarter for a tampon.

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A4 | OPINIONS GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON

FEBRUARY 14, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN

By Athena Jasman

EDITORIAL

Amidst Super Bowl excitement, Brian Flores lawsuit prompts interrogation of the NFL

F

02/14/22

editorial@lanthorn.com

Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame announces most diverse nominee list yet in 2022

BY AYRON RUTAN FRESHMAN ARTS@LANTHORN.COM JOURNALISM

With 2022 just getting started, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH has released their

nominees for this year’s inducting class, which looks to be their most diverse yet. This year’s nominees include Beck, Pat Benatar, Kate Bush, DEVO, Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics, Judas Priest, Fela Kuti, MC5, New York Dolls, Dolly Parton, Rage Against The Machine, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, A Tribe Called Quest and Donnie Warwick.

The nominees list features artists from a number of different genres and backgrounds spanning the musical spectrum. While many praise this aspect, it’s something that rock fans have held against the Hall for a number of years. Why

would the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induct non-rock artists?

The answer to this question is simple: rock and roll has not only taken influence from other genres but birthed others, as well. Due to the genre’s massive reach, many artists who may not fit within rock’s traditional standards still earn entry into the Hall of Fame.

This is particularly true with this year’s list, as it features artists rooted in Hip-Hop, Country, Pop and even Techno.

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NBA player empowerment has gone too far

BY ZACK GOODROW SENIOR JOURNALISM EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

For many NBA fans, one of the most exciting periods in the season has come and gone: the NBA trade deadline. For weeks before the deadline, analysts and fans debated and discussed rumors about which players and draft picks would be moved.

After James Harden informally forced the Brooklyn Nets to trade him to the Philadelphia 76ers in the biggest move of the season, fans have been discussing whether player empowerment has gone too far.

The age of the “superteam” started in 2009 when the Boston Celtics assembled a star-studded roster by trading for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to complement All-Star Paul Pierce. In the following years, stars like LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and James Harden (again) have used their star status to demand trades to desirable teams and team up with other stars in free agency.

Overall, the player empowerment movement in the NBA has been positive for players. Those who want out of a bad situation should have the

ability to ask for a trade and play on a contending team. Fans don’t seem to mind, either; for most labor-related issues, they tend to side with players having the right to choose where they want to play.

However, this trade deadline has shown that this has gone too far.

Harden yet again demanded a trade and got his way – just like last season with the Houston Rockets. Whether it’s due to the injury-riddled roster, Irving’s refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine or the fact that Harden doesn’t want to play with Durant and Irving is unknown. All that matters is that Harden was again unhappy and gave up on his team.

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eb. 13 marked the 56th Super Bowl.

It’s a longstanding American tradition. On Feb. 1 however, former National Football League coach Brian Flores filed suit against the NFL which outlined another long standing institution in this country.

Flores accused the league— and three individual teams— of discriminating against Black coaches and prospective hires.

Flores cites communications with general manager and coach of the New England Patriots, Bill Belicheck, and owner of the Miami Dolphins Stephen Ross.

Over text, Belicheck accidentally informed Flores that the NFL had decided on hiring Brian Daboll as head coach of the New York Giants— days before Flores was supposed to interview for the position.

Ross allegedly asked Flores— when he was coaching the Dolphins— to tank the season so they would be in a better position for the draft. Flores led the team through a successful season, and was promptly fired.

Flores also alleges that when he was in contention for the head coaching position with the Denver Broncos, he was met with

unprofessionalism.

Flores’ lawsuit also cites the racially segregated hierarchy of the NFL, with the majority of players being people of color and the majority of leadership positions being filled by white coaches, managers and owners.

Currently, there are only two Black head coaches in the NFL: Mike Tomlin and Lovie Smith.

For generations, NFL teams have been owned by rich, white families. Change starts from the top and the NFL even introduced the Rooney Rule which requires teams to interview at least two minority candidates for head coaching and general manager positions. Flore’s lawsuit outlines exactly what the Rooney Rule is: not a mechanism to give minority candidates legitimate chances to earn a head coaching position, but a filter to shield the way the NFL has been operating for decades.

Many fans on social media have criticized Flores, saying his lawsuit is just because he wasn’t able to land another head coaching position – even after three successful seasons with the Miami Dolphins.

GVL OPINION POLICY

Letter to the editor should include the author’s full name, relevant title and a headshot, along with a valid email address and phone number for confirming the identity of the author. Letters should be approximately 500-650 words in length, and they are not edited by the Lanthorn staff except to fix technical errors or to clarify. Reader submissions on the opinion page appear as space permits.

To make a submission, email editorial@lanthorn.com or drop your submission off in person at:

The goal of the Grand Valley Lanthorn’s opinion page is to act as a forum for public discussion, comment and criticism in the Grand Valley State University community. Student and columnist opinions published here do not necessarily reflect those of the paper as an entity.

The Lanthorn strives to be a safe vehicle for community discussion. With this in mind, the Lanthorn will not publish or entertain any forms of hate speech, but neither will it discriminate against any other views, opinions or beliefs.

The content, information and views expressed are not approved by-nor do they necessarily represent those of-the university or its Board of Trustees, officers, faculty or staff.

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0051 KIRKHOF CENTER GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ALLENDALE, MI 49401 616-826-8276

A5 | NEWS

FEBRUARY 14, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS COVID-19

Virus Action Team shortens quarantine

period and changes booster policy

BY ELIZABETH SCHANZ NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University’s Virus Action Team (VAT) recently issued many announcements regarding changing COVID-19 policies.

Two major developments include requiring students to receive the COVID-19 booster shot in order to stay out of quarantine and the shortened quarantine periods from 10 to five days in some cases.

The announcement came after a large decrease in reported COVID-19 cases from the beginning of the winter 2022 semester where there were almost 1,000 cases on-campus at some points in time.

The shifting policies, however, follow the changing guidelines issued by the CDC concerning what it means to be “up-to-date” with the COVID-19 vaccines.

Those who’re not considered up-to-date include people who’re not yet vaccinated, are partially vaccinated or are eligible for a booster shot but haven’t received it.

GVSU had previously stated at the beginning of January that the university recommended but didn’t require that students receive the booster shot.

However, the university officially announced through email on Feb. 3 that the booster was necessary to avoid quarantine periods. The email also stated that this policy would apply beginning on Feb. 11, just over a week later.

“Students should have a bit more of a heads up,” said GVSU junior Emily Kwekel.

“Weeks’ notice to get healthcare access in the middle of the pandemic feels moderately unethical, as we have school, work and other external obligations to attend to, and it takes time to plan and make appointments.”

However, there’s one exception to the booster requirement to avoid quarantine.

“If someone had a positive (COVID-19) test in the past 90 days, they will not have to quarantine if they are exposed,” said vice-president of the VAT Greg Sanial.

“However, the test either needed to be reported at the time of illness or they need to upload proof of a positive test via the GVSU Self-Assessment.”

Additionally, quarantine periods are taking a new form.

For those who test positive for COVID-19, the 10-day isolation may instead become five days if the individual

UPDATE: Grand Valley State University’s Virus Action Team has updated its protocol by shortening the quarantine period and changing the policy surrounding the COVID-19 booster. GVL | BRI CONWAY

meets certain criteria.

An individual must meet at least one of the criteria, which include having mild illness or no symptoms, an improvement of symptoms while being fever free within a 24-hour period or a negative COVID test on day six from either GVSU symp-

tomatic test site or a certified lab.

Furthermore, individuals are required to wear a mask when around others up until day 10.

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ANALYSIS

GV presents 2022 Health Check

BY AUDREY WHITAKER NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

ECONOMICS: Grand Valley’s annual health check provides information from researchers on West Michigan’s health industry. GVL | MAX RITCHIE

The 2022 Health Check: Analyzing Health in West Michigan report was presented virtually on Feb. 3.

Commissioned by Grand Valley State University, the Health Check is an annual report focused on health-related trends, costs and employment projections in West Michigan. It’s conducted annually

by GVSU economics faculty and complemented by a panel of health experts, according to the Health Check website.

This year’s event featured presentations from GVSU Professor of Economics Gary Simmons, Erkmen Aslim and Dan Montanera, both assistant professors of economics at GVSU. Presentations were followed by a Q&A session where questions submitted by the audience during the webinar were answered.

Next, healthcare panelists including Elizabeth Hertel, Director of Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Matt Biersack, President and Chief Medical Officer of Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, Darryl Elmouchi, President, BHSH Spectrum Health West Michigan

and Ronald G. Grifka Chief Medical Officer of Metro Health-University of Michigan Health, shared presentations and responded to questions in a Q&A session.

Aslim, who has worked on each heath check report since 2020, said that the report offers real-time data and analysis of the current situation in West Michigan healthcare.

In the 2022 Health Check, this meant a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic and disparities among residents of Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon and Allegan (KOMA) counties.

In addition to analyzing the data behind burnout in medical professions and healthcare recovery spending in the 2022 report, Aslim said there were two key takeaways regarding disparities in this year’s Health Check.

“First, we found that non-white individuals have limited access to health insurance and care, in KOMA,” Aslim said. “The second takeaway was that we observed an increase in risky health behaviors among nonwhite individuals in KOMA.” “Risky behaviors” include things like cigarette and e-cigarette consumption, alcohol consumption, drug use and poor diet, Aslim said.

The study also found that women in

KOMA have more leftover prescription pain medications than men. Aslim said that while this isn’t a positive finding to report, it means there could be potential change to combat issues like opioid misuse and accidental poisoning in the future.

“When we look at individuals in general, what do they do with their leftover medications? They keep it at home,” Aslim said.

“I was able to talk about policies that could increase awareness about proper ways of disposing of these pain medications or promote drug take-back events.”

Aslim said that this potential to effect change is one reason the annual Health Check report is important to him and to GVSU. “We really care about our community, and we really want to inform policymakers if things are going wrong, we want to be able to say ‘look, we analyze the data and here are the results,’” Aslim said. “Then we can also propose certain policies that could potentially mitigate the negative effects.”

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A6&7 | LAKER LIFE

FEBRUARY 14, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE

GV hosts first-ever Sex Ed Week

PRIZES: Students could win sex ed-themed prizes at events like Condompalooza. GVL | SYDNEY LIM

COLLABORATION: Sex Ed Week events were brainstormed by members from multiple GVSU departments. GVL | SYDNEY LIM

BY JACOB DEWEERD LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University held its first-ever Sex Ed Week series of events last week. The event was a joint collaboration between the Recreation and Wellness (RecWell) Department, the Center for Women and Gender Equity (CWGE) and the Ottawa County Department of Public Health.

As universities around the country have adopted an increased focus on sexual-health education in recent years, Sex Ed Week is the culmination of smaller events that were once GVSU’s sex ed programming. As inspiration for the weeklong series of 13 events, the planning committee looked at programs at other universities to see what they were doing differently.

“I went to a conference down in New Orleans and Tulane University has an entire sex ed week,” said Student Health Promotions Coordinator Katie Jourdan. “We met with their peer educators and I was like, you know what, we could do that.”

Sex Ed Week included both serious and lighthearted events to ensure students had opportunities to learn a lot about sexual education and could have fun doing so. Events like “LGBTQ+ Sexual Health”, “What We Wish Sex Ed Taught Us” and “Reclaiming Consent” focused on vital sexual education topics. On the other side of the spectrum, “Condompalooza”, “Find Your Feel Good Yoga” and “Are you Smarter than a Sex Educator?” were sex-themed games to play and prizes to earn.

Deciding what information to include in Sex Ed Week was a challenge for the committee for multiple reasons. They had to consider what levels of sexual education GVSU students already had and choose topics that would be good starting points for discussions on sexual health. The starting points were especially important due to Allendale being a historically conservative area.

“We just started basic with conversations that any human would need around sexual health,” Jourdan said. “The fact of the matter is we have data from the National College Health Assessment and up-

wards of 74% of students are engaging in sexual activity, so they should be able to take on their own sexual health.”

The committee wanted to emphasize that students should be able to make choices for themselves regarding their sexual health without stigma or shame.

Not being afraid to talk about sexual practices, consent and even violence opens the door to many helpful opportunities around those topics.

“Most students at Grand Valley report wishing their sex education classes were more informative and that they didn’t feel adequately prepared for real life situations concerning sexual health issues,” said student and wellness information team peer educator Beck Lukins. “This displays a need for this kind of material to be taught, both at the college level and earlier for the betterment of holistic student wellness.”

Even though the vast majority of college students engage in sexual activity, talking about those topics in public is still taboo at many campuses across the country. For that reason, events dedicated to sexual education typically have low-turnout numbers compared to other on-campus events.

“Coming with a bunch of strangers to talk about sex can be a bit awkward,” Jourdan said. “For us, it was about creating a culture of seeing the image of something that says sex ed and seeing different things on the events calendar.”

To help combat the awkwardness and to stay safe in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, some Sex Ed Week events were held virtually or in a hybrid format so attendees could join from the comfort of their home. For sensitive topics like violence prevention and sexual consent, being able to learn in a comfortable environment can make a huge difference in the number of students that attend those discussions.

“If you’re a survivor of any form of gender-based violence, being able to attend workshops with information that could potentially be triggering in the comfort of your own home, where you can care for yourself has just opened the door for accessibility on so many levels,” said CWGE Violence Prevention and Education Coor-

dinator Leah Short.

Overall, Sex Ed Week was very successful in terms of turnout numbers and how smoothly each event ran. Some were even more popular than expected; one of the STI testing events ran out of supplies, which Alberda said almost never happens.

“It was all great,” Jourdan said. “I think for a first year and kick off, I think everyone deserves lots of snaps and lots of good pats on the backs.”

Student feedback so far has been stellar. While the official feedback surveys have not been sent out yet, Jourdan said talking with students after various events yielded positive reactions.

“They were saying everything was great and that they didn’t know about it before this week,” Jourdan said. “Someone said if this was around when they took out INT 100, they would have gone to all of the events. Someone also asked why more people weren’t here.”

In the future, the planning committee wants to do more to advertise in as many areas as possible and to incorporate more student organizations. While turnout numbers were solid this year, Alberta said the committee knows there is still room for improvement.

“We want to collaborate with more of the professors that came through,” said Ottawa County Department of Public Health Sexuality Educator Heather Alberda. “We want to do a better job of reaching some of those majors and minors that would benefit from this, and reaching out to Greek life and having them encourage their people to come.”

Even though Sex Ed Week is over, GVSU students can keep up with sexual education events by visiting the Student Wellness section of the RecWell website. The website contains links to sexual health facts and other resources like monthly STI testing and ways to get free condoms through the mail. More information about future events and ways to become sexually educated can be found at www.gvsu.edu/studentwellness.

A8 | NEWS

FEBRUARY 14, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

EVENT

Roger That! conference to celebrate women in space

BY GRACE SMITH NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University, in conjunction with the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM), is hosting this year’s “Roger That!” conference from Friday, Feb. 18 to Saturday, Feb. 19. “Roger That!” will celebrate women in space, featuring talks with feminist icon and astronaut, Eileen Collins.

Collins was the first woman to pilot a United States Spacecraft on the Discovery shuttle flight in 1995.

In 1999, Collins made history for a second time as the commander of the Columbia, becoming the first woman to command a space shuttle mission.

“I believe that space exploration is hugely inspirational to people of all ages, but in particular to young people,” Collins said.

“It is my hope that the excitement of space will inspire our youngsters to study math, science, engineering and technology. The future of our country depends on the strong education of our diverse population.”

Throughout the conference Collins will speak about her journey with NASA as well as her path to becoming a leading figure in space exploration.

On Feb. 18 Collins will deliver a lecture titled “Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars” at GVSU’s Loosemore Auditorium on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus at 6:30 p.m.

GVSU will be live streaming this event for community members and students who

wish to attend virtually.

Collins will also be delivering her lecture the following day, Feb. 19, at the Grand Rapids Public Museum at 11:00 a.m.

Tickets for both of these events are available for free through GVSU’s Roger That!

Website or grpm.org.

The conference will also be chronicling the life of Grand Rapids native, Roger B. Chaffee, who died alongside Gus Grissom and Ed White during the Apollo 1 pre-test flight due to a fire in the cockpit.

Collins will be speaking on Chaffee’s legacy in addition to her own journey, as she said he was an inspiration to many, including herself.

“I wrote my book, “Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars,” to inform and inspire young people to consider careers in the military and in space,” Collins said. “In addition, Roger Chaffee was one of my heroes and I believe it is important for people to understand his life and his motivation in the choices he made.”

Another event in the conference will be the “Design That!” challenge for fourth through eighth grade students.

Here, GRPM and GVSU are having students work in teams to solve issues surrounding humans, technology, communities and equal opportunities in space.

The participants will have an opportunity to win prizes such as a class pizza party or museum pass bundles based on their pre-

INSPIRE: Eileen Collins, feminist icon and astronaut, will give lectures at the Roger That! conference to inspire listeners with her journey and honor Roger B. Chaffee’s legacy. GVL | MEGHAN LANDGREN

sentation, originality and reflection on the issues they’re presenting.

GRPM and GVSU will also have extra space related activities set up around the museum and the Pew Grand Rapids Campus for event attendees.

At GRPM there will be planetarium showings highlighting the life and contributions of Roger B. Chaffee.

GVSU’s physics and engineering depart-

ment will also have tables set up throughout the museum showcasing various fields of study available within the respective departments and related hands-on activities for participants to enjoy.

For those unable to attend the “Roger That!” conference in person there will be recorded lectures from previous years available for viewing.

GRADUATION

GV alumna uses gap year for self-exploration

BY JAMIE WILSON NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

DISCOVER: Grand Valley State University alumna, Angela Balice, graduated in the spring of 2021 and decided to take a gap year to further explore academic interests, develop new hobbies and travel the country. GVL | JAMIE WILSON

Angela Balice graduated from Grand Valley State University in the spring of 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science.

Balice said her time at GVSU shaped her into the person she is today.

“My classes, being on my own for the first time and forcing myself out of my shell were all challenges I was faced with in undergrad, but I learned and grew so much from that,” Balice said.

While her initial goal was to attend medical school once she finished her time at GVSU, her journey took a turn when she realized she wanted to take a gap year to experience the world beyond the classroom.

Since graduating, Balice has been using her time off to explore other hobbies.

“Now that I’m out of school, I have time to pursue things beyond medicine that I’m interested in and good at,” Balice said.

One pursuit has been her love and natural talent for cooking.

Balice said she spends time learning from

and cooking with her uncle, who’s famous in her family for his homemade recipes and barbecuing techniques.

However, she hasn’t been spending all of her time in the kitchen.

“My major wasn’t as focused on the human body as I wanted and initially expected,” Balice said. “It helped me see that chemistry was not a part of the field I could see myself being immersed in.”

Balice said she has explored the field of psychology, which combines her love for helping people and problem solving, with the knowledge she gained from her undergraduate degree.

In addition to entertaining alternative interests, Balice has begun to travel. The first place she went was Los Angeles, California.

“One of the reasons I chose to go to California was because I was interested in living there,” Balice said. “There were so many amazing things I had never done and was able to try, but I also really enjoyed the little things, like wandering the city and trying to imagine myself there or going to comedy clubs and new restaurants.”

Balice said favorite experience there was skydiving over Lake Elsinore in Southern California.

“Before jumping, the instructors didn’t explain what to do if something happened to them or the parachute, which forced me to completely release control,” Balice said. “Free falling was the moment in my life when I had the least amount of control, but it was also the moment in my life when I felt the freest.”

Shortly after returning from the west coast, Balice went to Texas where she got a taste of the south in saloons and cowboy dance halls.

Balice said she advocates for taking a “gap year” in-between undergraduate and graduate school, and that it can be necessary for students to recharge their batteries and feel more secure in their future plans.

“When I graduated, I finally gave myself permission to experience new things and not worry so much about what other people thought,” Balice said. “In exploring different careers and experiencing other parts of the country, I’m figuring out what I’m good at and what makes me happy.”

A9 | LAKER LIFE

FEBRUARY 14, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE

A LOOK AT LIFESTYLE GRAB A VALENTINE’S DAY STUFFED ANIMAL AT STUFF-A-STUFF Looking for a last minute gift for that special someone? Check out Stuff-a-Stuff. Campus Activities Board is hosting the event on Monday, Feb. 14, where students can create their own Valentine’s Day-themed stuffed animals. Stuff-a-Stuff will take place in the Kirkhof Lobby and is open to all students. Only 100 stuffed animals are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

PICK UP BAKED GOODS AND CARNATIONS FOR GOOD CAUSES On Monday, Feb. 14, multiple organizations will be selling Valentine’s Day goodies to raise money for helpful causes. The GVSU Dance Marathon is selling baked goods and proceeds will be donated to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. Gamma Phi Beta is selling carnations to raise money for local nonprofit Girls on the Run. Sales by both organizations are being held in the Kirkhof lobby.

LEARN TO COMMUNICATE CONFIDENTLY On Tuesday, Feb. 15 Seidman College of Business Associate Dean Joy Gianakura will lead a discussion on confident communication. The event will cover the differences between being nice and honest, how to communicate in a clear, timely and honest fashion and how effective communication can make one a better colleague and leader. The event will take place in Seidman 1008B.

DIVERSITY

Office of Multicultural Affairs hosts discussion on disparities in missing Black women cases

BY MELIA WILLIAMS LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

On Feb. 8, the Black History Month series of events hosted by the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) and the Center for Women and Gender Equity (CWGE) held a virtual event titled “Who is Worthy?: The Invisibility of Black Women.” This presentation discussed the disparities in the number of missing Black women and potential solutions for a nationwide problem.

OMA Assistant Director Juanita Davis began the event by introducing the panelists. First introduced were the CWGE’s Violence Prevention Educator Tiarrah Judkins and Violence Prevention and Education Coordinator Leah Short. Other panelists included students Laresha Lee, Selena Cade and Nieya Thompson, who’re all interns in various roles at the center.

The first facts shared as part of the presentation were various alarming statistics about missing Black women from recent years. In 2020, nearly 100,000 Black women went missing.

“We are looking at how the Black women are missing in real life, in the media and how the law enforcement responds to missing cases of Black women,” Short said. “Nearly 40% of missing persons are persons of color, yet African Americans only make up 13% of the population. This should be eye-opening for many individuals.”

The presentation also covered Missing White Woman Syndrome (MWWS), which is the media’s extensive and obsessive cov-

DE-STRESS WITH SLIME MAKING

PANEL: Panelists at the discussion included student interns and faculty representatives from the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Center for Women and Gender Equity. GVL | ANNABELLE ROBINSON

erage of white, upper-middle-class women and girls who have gone missing.

“White women’s disappearances have had disproportionate coverage,” Short said.

“The Gabby Petito case is very sad, but it is a perfect example of it.”

Panelists discussed disparities in coverage between white women and women of other races. As an example, they shared that the press is four times more likely to report when a white woman goes missing compared to someone who is Black.

“The Gabby Petito story went viral, but we find out about a lot of missing Black

women through social media like The Shade Room or Instagram,” Judkins said. “We never see that many missing Black women in the news.”

The discussion moved to past examples of how white women have been valued more than Black women by the rest of society. Judkins said that the most common reason for public lynchings used to be the perception that white women needed to be protected from Black men.

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ORGANIZATIONS

The Kaufman Interfaith Institute is hosting a slime-making event on Thursday, Feb. 17. The event will focus on relaxation and providing a way for attendees to de-stress amid a hectic semester. Snacks and slime-making supplies will be available and a guest speaker will make an appearance. The event is being held in Kirkhof 2270 and is open to all students, faculty and staff.

Student Sustainability Association discusses the importance of sustainability in business

BY CLEMENCE DANIERE LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

LEARN TO LOVE FAILURE IN RESEARCH

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarships is hosting a discussion on how to learn to appreciate failure when researching.

Professor Kristy Dean will talk about the psychology of failure in research, then panelists Michael Santana, Paul Cook and Anna Hammersmith will share their own research experiences.

This event is open to all students and is being held on Zoom on Wednesday, Feb. 16.

BUSINESS: Seidman Sustainability Association analyzes sustainability in marketing, economics, and finance industries. GVL | RACHEL SLOMBA

On Feb. 9, Grand Valley State University’s Seidman Sustainability Association (SSA) welcomed Professor Vivek Dalela to speak about the importance of sustainability in marketing.

This meeting is a part of the establishment of Sustainability Month, during which SSA will hold a meeting the first two weeks of February and March.

Each meeting will feature a professor from the finance, marketing, economics or management department to share their insights on a sustainable future within the business world.

“Lately, the Seidman Sustainability Association has talked about sustainability in different areas of business with a focus on B Corporations,” SSA Vice President Delaney Blanchard said.

B Corporations are companies that have been analyzed by a certification board, which looks carefully at their positive or negative impact on society in conjunction with the en-

vironment. In order for a corporation to be a certified B Corporation, the company has to earn a certain amount of points in consideration of sustainability.

The SSA strives to reach students who’re interested in sustainability, specifically pertaining to business practices.

“Our philosophy is that we don’t talk about the environment because we like hugging trees,” SSA President Nevin Schuring. “We talk about the environment because that’s what actually matters.”

As part of the discussion, Schuring said that the way people treat the environment is critical to how they build businesses. Dalela said sustainability is the environment, economy and society combined. All three of those elements need to work together as one in order to create a sustainable future in the world of business.

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A10 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ARTS AT A GLANCE GET THE VAN GOGH EXPERIENCE An immersive art exhibit will be coming to Grand Rapids that features the work of Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh. This will feature more than 300 pieces of Van Gogh’s art. The exhibit uses large-scale projectors to surround the viewer in the artwork. Casting it onto the walls, floor and ceilings of the room. These projections create swirls that are reminiscent of the brush strokes in Van Gogh’s oil paintings. As of now, the cost of the event and the location are not listed on the event page, vangoghgrandrapids.com. There currently is a sign-up period, those who are interested can sign up there to receive more information once it’s released. This will be the second time this exhibit has been in Michigan, the first being last June through Oct. in Detroit at the TCF Center.

CHECK OUT WORLD OF WINTER EVENTS On Feb. 14 from 6 to 8 p.m., couples can get their photo taken in front of a Valentine-themed ice sculpture.

There will be an ice wall with a heart engraved into it, those who attend can also get their names carved into the ice. The sculpture will be outside of Kilwin’s near Rosa Parks Circle. The photo op is free to all.

This week there will be more musical performances available for the public to attend. On Feb. 16 there will be a group drumming circle. This will be led by Josh Dunigan. Some drums will be provided for those who are interested. The drumming circle will be interactive, getting all who attend involved. This event will take place at 555 Monroe Ave.

FEBRUARY 14, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS

GALLERY

GV to showcase student art with “A Reluctant Adornment”

BY AYRON RUTAN ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

A face covering has become a necessary thing in every student and professor life at Grand Valley State University. Since March of 2020, many have adapted to a lifestyle where masks are a common sight in public.

The mask has become a political statement, a fashion accessory and a medium for self-expression.

With the help of GV Professor of Jewelry, Metalsmithing and Foundations Renee Zettle-Sterling and Visiting Assistant Professor of Jewelry, Metalsmithing and Three-Dimensional Design Laurel Fulton, GVSU will be featuring “The Mask: A Reluctant Adornment”. This new exhibition is a part of the “Call For Entry” series, where students are asked to submit works of their own to be displayed as a part of a particular exhibition. “A Reluctant Adornment” will be on display in the Padnos Student Art Gallery in the Calder Art Center from Feb. 28 - March 25.

This new exhibition takes a look at the mask as an artistic medium, and asks students to create art pieces that express their feeling about the mask, the current COVID-19 situation or that reflect on its impact in their own lives. Zettle-Sterling said that the idea for the exhibition ultimately stemmed from a desire to encourage students to think more deeply about the world around them.

“The COVD-19 mask is one of the most effective ways of slowing the spread of the virus, but it’s also so much more than a tool,” Zettle-Sterling said. “It has become a space

DISPLAYED: Grand Valley is hosting a new gallery featuring art from students this will be focused on masks and the political messages behind the masks made by students. GVL | MEGHAN LANDGREN

for controversy, a battleground for political beliefs or a simple expression of your interests—a canvas for expression. The mask has become a necessary but reluctant form of adornment and a powerful expression of our times. I am curating this show with my colleague Laurel Fulton. As Jewelry and Metalsmithing professors who teach students to think about the power of adornment, the mask is a fascinating and charged object and is worthy of introspection.”

An exhibition like “A Reluctant Adornment” has great significance to not only the curating professors and participating students but the entire GVSU community as a whole. Both professors said that the event creates a place where a hard topic can be shared and discussed freely and easily.

“It’s significant because it gives a space for expression regarding an object and topic that is far from being easy on both a personal

and collective level,” Fulton and Zettle-Sterling said. “Whether you are agreeable to wearing a mask or not we can all agree it’s a very real and necessary struggle. This is important to us because we want to create a space that is open, reflects on our current situation and its impact on our world.”

One of the most notable aspects of “A Reluctant Adornment” is the fact that it relies on student participation. In fact, the exhibition is open to anyone who’s a member of the Laker community.

“All students, faculty, staff and administration are welcome to exhibit artwork, any material, in the exhibition as long as the work doesn’t hurt anyone or debase the sanctity of life,” Zettle-Sterling said.

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CONCERT

GV Professor performs in tuba recital

HELP LIONS AND RABBITS FUNDRAISE

BY COLLEEN GARCIA ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

Lions and Rabbits Center for the Arts is partnering with Rosebud LLC to put on a fundraiser Saturday, Feb. 19. “Modelo Meltdown” will help raise money for public art campaigns this year. There will be live entertainment, an artist market, games, food and drinks. This event is a celebration of art in Grand Rapids and local artists. The fundraiser will take place at GR Chicks Way behind Garage Bar. Those interested can attend for free.

The fundraiser will start at noon and last until 5 p.m.

MOVIES ON THE PIAZZA

Studio Park will be showing two movies outdoors. “Cool Runnings” will be starting at 1 p.m. and will run until 3 p.m.

This film is rated PG. The second film that will be shown is “I, Tonya,” which will start at 4 p.m. This movie is rated R. Both movies are free, those who want to attend have to just provide their own seating.

RECITAL: Grand Valley professor Paul Carlson performed this in a tuba recital featuring pieces from alumni. GVL | ANNABELLE ROBINSON

On Feb. 9, Grand Valley State University professor Paul Carlson performed a recital in the Sherman Van Solkema Recital Hall.

The concert featured works from GVSU composer alumni Frank Nawrot, Niko Schroder and GVSU professor Bill Ryan.

The concert featured tuba music mixed with electronics. Carlson explains that the mix is created through computer playback.

“What makes these pieces interesting is how intertwined the tuba as a solo voice is with the tracks,” Carlson said. “The tuba blends with the tracks in ways that create new sounds and colors of sounds that the tracks or tuba would not have been able to do on their own.”

Carlson began his journey with a passion for music when he was a kid, as he started to study tuba at the age of 11.

“I joined a band, I liked playing music and that made me like listening to it even more,” Carlson said. “Then I studied it, and it got even cooler.”

Since the pandemic, sharing music has

been difficult for many performers and artists, Carlson said.

“As an active artist, it was strange not to share music with my students and the university community in ways that I was used to,” Carlson said. “I still did a recital last academic year, which was streamed only. I think many artists have found new ways to share their work. I’m also very much looking forward to things improving and more live concerts happening with audiences.”

Carlson has traveled throughout the world, studying and performing music.

Through his travels, he has discovered much about music.

“Traveling and performing has taught me that you need to be flexible and ready to make changes,” Carlson said. “It has also taught me to remember my musical priorities on the stage.”

Before the concert, Carlson said that he had prior contact with composer alumni and had an excellent experience working with them.

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A11 | SPORTS

FEBRUARY 14, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

QUICK HITS TRACK AND FIELD HOSTS BIG MEET FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

Just one more tune-up away from the GLIAC Championship competition, the Grand Valley State University men’s and women’s track and field teams continued their success this season, including another broken record.

The highlight of the events was the distance medley relay races on both teams, starting with the women’s finish earning them first place in the nation. Senior Hannah Becker, sophomore Cameron Cleveland, freshman Taryn Chapko and sophomore Klaudia O’Malley stole the show on their team with a time of 11:31.14. The men’s team’s junior John Groendyk, senior Jackson Blanchard, senior Dennis Mbuta and sophomore Caleb Futter stole their own show, breaking the record with a first-place finish at 9:43.69, which is a repeat record for Mbuta and Groendyk who set it last year at 9:46.51.

Among the field athletes, sophomore Corrina Courser took first in the women’s 60m hurdles with a time of 8.87 with a few more second, third and fourth place finishes for teammates on both the men’s and women’s teams.

This week, GVSU will host one final meet before the GLIAC Championships on Feb. 26-27 and then the NCAA DII National Championships March 11-12 in Pittsburgh, Kansas.

GV TENNIS DEFEATS HILLSDALE ON BOTH MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TEAMS

Starting their season back up, the women’s tennis team is on a threegame win streak since the beginning of February. This past weekend, the Grand Valley State University (3-2) women defeated Hillsdale College (32) 5-2 on Feb. 12 after a shutout win against Indiana Wesleyan University (24-1) 7-0 and a near shutout 6-1 over the University of Findlay (3-3) two weeks ago on Feb. 6.

The Lakers swept the doubles matches, highlighted by senior duo Marily Canellopoulos and Marija Leko with a 7-6 win, sophomore Vasileia Griva and senior Vera Griva with a 6-1 win and freshman Estefania Hernandez and junior Taylor Barrett with 6-3.

Leko, Vasileia Griva, Barrett and Hernandez all took single wins while Vera Griva dropped hers with scores of 6-4, 6-7 and 8-10.

On the men’s team, the Lakers won all three doubles as well led by grad student Joseph Canyadell and senior Sebastian Arce with a 6-2 win, senior Martin Matov and junior Sean Miller with 6-3 and sophomore Freddy Cossio and grad student Thomas Oliveira with a shutout 6-0 win.

For singles, Canyadell, Miller, Oliveira, Matov, Cossio and senior Jack Dausman all earned wins for the overall 7-0 shutout for GVSU.

SWIMMING

GV Swimming and Diving teams place high in GLIAC Championships

BY SHAWN ROBINSON SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State University swim and dive teams competed in the 2022 GLIAC Swimming and Diving Championship this past weekend, Feb. 4-7. GVSU won a total of 16 GLIAC event titles and made 38 NCAA B-cuts. The men’s team claimed their eighth consecutive GLIAC championship with a four-day total of 973 points, outdistancing the runner up Wayne State University (577) by 396 points. The women’s team finished third with a total of 765 points, which was 81.5 points behind first place Northern Michigan University (846.5).

“It was a great conference championship” said coach Andy Boyce. “Both the men’s and women’s teams stepped up and went the distance. The men’s team got the job done and won it and women came in third.”

The GLIAC’s Men’s Swimmer of the Year senior Keegan Hawkins finished second and hit the NCAA B-cut in the 200 breast (1:59.99), one second higher than his top time. Sophomore Matthew Lane placed seventh (2:05.28), junior Evan Dies, eighth (2:09.78) and junior Austin Cabel, 14th (2:08.20) in the 200 breaststroke.

Sophomore Eric Hieber dominated with his first-place finish in the 1650 freestyle (15:26.31), which qualified him for the NCAA B-cut. The win also marked the sec-

SUCCESS: With several swimmers and divers on both the men’s and women’s teams earning individual first place titles, the men’s team won first place for the eighth year in a row. GVL | SYDNEY LIM

ond straight year that Hieber took first and swept the distance events (500, 1000, 1650).

GLIAC Freshman of the Year Jon Kantezenbach hit the NCAA B-cut and placed third in the 1650 freestyle (15:42.26), while Lane placed fourth and also hit the NCAA B-cut (15:49.29). Senior Daniel Mullen finished 11th with 16:26.61.

In the 100-meter freestyle, freshman Matt Bosch received second and hit the NCAA

B-cut in the 100 m freestyle with 44.50 and freshman Austin Millard finished seventh with 46.48. Freshman Travis Black placed eighth with 46.77 while fellow freshman Aaron Dies hit 10th at 45.96 and senior Cade Vruggink, 14th with 46.53.

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BASKETBALL

Sturdy defense leads Women’s Basketball in two home victories

BY JUSTICE STEINER SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State University (21-1) women’s basketball team hosted Michigan Technological University (13-9) on Feb. 12 for their annual Sawyers Day game. The Lakers came out on top behind an impressive defensive showing, defeating the Huskies 61-45.

Despite the double-digit victory, the Lakers had their struggles early in the contest, falling behind the Huskies by as much as

ON FIRE: The women’s basketball team won their 20th game in a row for an overall record of 21-1 this season. GVL | DOMINIC STANKIEWICZ

seven points in the middle of the second quarter. GVSU started to find their groove late in the quarter, as sophomore guard Ellie Droste hit a three-point shot to cut the Husky lead back down to four.

Heading into halftime, the Lakers trailed 26-29 but had built some momentum heading into the break “We came into halftime and we talked about a couple of things, made a couple of minor adjustments,” said coach Mike Williams. “Offensively we talked about trying to get more stuff going on the glass.”

The second half was completely dominated by the Lakers and their defensive effort, only allowing nine points in the third quarter and seven in the fourth. It was evident that the Lakers were looking to force their way inside, only attempting four threepoint attempts in the entire second half.

Droste continued to come through in a big way for her team when they needed her, converting an and-one attempt with 31 seconds remaining in the third quarter to give the Lakers a six-point lead.

“Once we got in the huddle, after the and-one layup, I told (GVSU) ‘we need to get a stop on defense,’ because we would either foul or get back cut,” Droste said. “It

was like, anytime we would make progress they would come back down and score a layup or get something too easy.”

Once again on the ensuing Laker possession, Droste attacked the paint and made another layup to expand the GVSU lead to seven heading into the final quarter of play.

Sophomore forward Rylie Bisballe took over the fourth quarter, out-scoring the entire MTU team 8-7. The Lakers as a team outscored MTU 35-16 in the second half of play.

“We talked all along that we thought we were a solid team and we wanted to become a really good team, especially on the defensive end,” Williams said. “We can do all the drills we want, all the halftime speeches, but until they make the decision that they want to be great, or really good on the defensive end, it isn’t going to happen. I think they made that decision at halftime so that was good to see and I hope that can continue.”

Droste finished with a game-high 19 points while adding four rebounds, two assists and a block. Bisballe filled the stat sheet, ending with 17 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals.

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FEBRUARY 14, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A12 | SPORTS BASKETBALL

Men’s Basketball battles through tough stretch of games, losing to Huskies

BY HOLLY BIHLMAN SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State University (149) men’s basketball team played the Michigan Tech University Huskies (17-5) on Feb. 12 coming back from a three-game losing streak after their loss against the Wildcats on Feb. 10. The team’s commemorative Sawyers Day uniforms remembered the 1965 choice year for the school’s mascot, while the packed house lit up with energy to support their teams.

Earlier this season, the Lakers beat the Huskies 80-74, while their luck wasn’t quite panning out for the Lakers this time around.

The Huskies now seven-game win-streak wrapped up this weekend’s events with the Laker’s loss, 67-75.

“This was kind of a heck of a game — kind of a tale of two halves,” said coach Ric Wesley. “I’ve got to give them (MTU) credit-- they shot lights out in the first half, it seemed like they hit us from every different angle, so we could’ve easily folded, but I’m really proud of the effort our team gave in the second half. We probably played as hard in the second half as we’ve played all year.”

While the Huskies came out of the gates on fire with shooting, the Lakers were unable to gain the lead at any point in the first

half. Senior forwards Jake Van Tubbergen and Christian Negron finished the first half with eight and 12 points with the help of senior guard Jordan Harris’ five, for a total of 25 points compared to MTU’s 44.

Perhaps as a preview of the second half, Negron dunked the ball just before time ran out in the first, setting the Fieldhouse Arena up for a raging second half.

“In the first half they (MTU) were making a ton, so we kind of got out of rhythm,” Negron said. “In the second half, I think we just kind of did the same thing we were doing and just trusted our shots.”

Coming in with new momentum and energy in the second half, Van Tubbergen kicked off the scoring with a few made jumpers and rebounds.

The Lakers slowly started chipping away at the deficit in the second half to get the crowd going with a made layup by junior guard Ja’Kavien Lewis from an offensive rebound by Harris, putting the score at 44-55.

Another made three-pointer by senior guard Issac Gassman put a few points up on the board with the rest of his team cutting the deficit down to just six points with 6:09 left in regulation.

“We’ve had a couple tough weeks,” Wesley said. “Our team has stayed together and they certainly came out today and

showed that we’re still a team that can be reckoned with.”

With the end of the game so close for the Lakers, a few fouls and good free throws on both teams put the Lakers back into a rut.

Two timeouts in the last minute of play weren’t enough to pick back up where the second half started, and the Huskies took the game 67-75.

“We didn’t exactly play how we wanted to play in the first half but, obviously, we didn’t quit,” Negron said. “We’ll go through stretches where we’re playing really well and stretches where we’re not playing really well, so we just kind of have to carry that momentum of having that mindset of playing a full 40-minute game the rest of the way. That’s what it’s going to take since the league is so competitive and our margin for error is so little.”

Despite the fact that the Lakers were unable to recover from their losing streak, they still have four more games left in the regular season before the GLIAC Conference Championships begin in March. They didn’t walk away from this week with all bad news, either.

“Guys were talking to each other a lot today,” Negron said. “Talking on defense, talking on the bench; (what matters is) just that communication and that deci-

ALMOST: Men’s basketball had a hard-fought game against MTU, ultimately losing after a comeback in the second. GVL | SYDNEY LIM

siveness and trusting each other at this point. It’s us against the world, so we just have to keep pushing.”

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LACROSSE

Women’s Lacrosse coming back with a new momentum in 2022 spring season

BY JAMES HERRICK SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

At the break of the 2022 spring season, the women’s lacrosse team is getting ready for a fresh start, with the latest surge of COVID-19 finally easing up. The Grand Valley State University lacrosse team is hoping to leave behind all the obstacles they faced, and with an experienced and talented roster, they’re looking to come back swinging as repeat-GLIAC champions and push

for a national championship.

Coach Mackenzie Lawler is coming on her fourth season with the Lakers, hoping for the same for all her players. Throughout her tenure, Lawler has changed the culture at GVSU, establishing a winning mentality peaking this season.

“Most of the players who are on the roster were recruited by our staff or have stayed through the changes in our coaching staff and have really bought into our new standards and what we expect of the team,” Law-

NEW BEGINNINGS: After two foiled seasons for the women’s lacrosse team, they’re hopeful and motivated to make the most of this season with a new powerful roster. GVL | ANNABELLE ROBINSON

ler said.

Under Lawler’s watch, GVSU has been successful; however, every time they have gained momentum, COVID-19 has prevented them from seeing their season all the way through. In 2020, GVSU was off to a 3-1 start that included a win over a respected Lindenwood team. Shortly after, the pandemic began and the remainder of their season was canceled.

In 2021, GVSU had a similar start. They were able to play a full regular-season schedule, which ended for them as GLIAC champions with an overall 12-2 record and a perfect GLIAC record of 8-0. Unfortunately, COVID-19 struck again. The NCAA national championship tournament consists of 16 teams and GVSU was scheduled to be a four seed, but when the field was cut to 12 teams, GVSU and the other four-seeds were removed from the tournament.

“I think that was a very special season to me,” Lawler said. “Despite the COVID bubble our team had to play in, everything (the team) sacrificed in order to continue playing the sport, to come out undefeated in the regular season for the GLIAC and winning the GLIAC Championship in the tourna-

ment was something that hasn’t been done for a couple of years here at Grand Valley, so it was nice to get back on track and finish the season strong.”

The roster for the 2022 season will be headed by a pair of graduate students. Attacker Sophie Conroy and midfielder Olivia Esposito will be returning for their fifth year after receiving an extra year of eligibility. The pair started in all 14 games of the 2021 season, Conroy receiving First Team All-GLIAC honors as she scored 43 goals with 18 assists. Meanwhile, Esposito received Second Team All-GLIAC honors with 31 goals.

“I think this team has a lot of potential for a lot of success,” Esposito said. “I wanted to finish out on that. I didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity for success with the team, so I came back.”

Along with Conroy and Esposito, the rest of the team are all bought in on their goals for success this season.

“We’re such a fast team this year,” Conroy said.

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