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M. HOCKEY CLUB DEFEATS CENTRAL MICHIGAN 7-2
M. BASKETBALL SNAPS FOUR–GAME LOSING STREAK
W. BASKETBALL FALLS TO MICHIGAN TECH IN 69-48 DECISION
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COE special ed. program moves to local schools BY ANYA ZENTMEYER GVL MANAGING EDITOR
Grand Valley State University’s special education program is moving graduate students into the real world, partnering with local lancaster schools in mutuallybeneficial coursework that puts graduate students in the classroom to do one-on-one work with students who have disabilities. In the College of Education’s “Colleagues” magazine for winter/ spring semester, a newsletter written by Elaine Collins, dean of the COE at GVSU, said the college is in the process of embedding the special education program entirely within a local school system. “Our expectation is that students will not only learn the latest research but also learn through clinical application,” Collins wrote. “In turn, the school system will have the support of a team of adults to assist in their district.” Paula Lancaster, associate professor in the special education department and leader of the initiative, said there is currently a total of five graduate courses already are offered in Wyoming Public Schools — both the high school and elementary school — and Grandville Public Schools. Next fall, the special education program will begin gradually moving the undergraduate assessment classes into local schools as well, with the goal of helping students to learn about the specific assessments during class time and then apply the new knowledge to assist school personnel in assessing children in the schools. The plan is for the method courses to follow. In the existing courses, graduate students’ courses are held in the schools, with two hours dedicated to traditional instruction with a professor and the third hour spent in the classroom, working with the children to apply the new methods. “So our students, the graduate students, learn various theories and interventions and practices related to those topical areas,” Lancaster said. “Then, when the children come in, they implement those things.” Mostly, the courses focus on early reading skills, oral language development and math. “So, it offers them an opportunity to give some of their children who are struggling the most, it offers them an opportunity to give those kids some very intense support that they otherwise wont get,” Lancaster said. “The schools that we work with have given us nothing but positive feedback, so it has been consistently positive. They go out of their way to make these things work, primarily because they know that they’re giving the kids something that they otherwise might not be able to give.” For more information about COE programs, visit www.gvsu.edu/coe. managingeditor@lanthorn.com
GVL Archive
Ready to serve and protect: Cruisers sit in a line outside of the Grand Valley Police Department, which has announced that the two students who falsely reported two separate assault incidents last semester will not be charged. The cases will be handled through the GVSU Dean of Students’ Office.
Students in false assault cases will not be charged By Chelsea Lane GVL Staff Writer
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wo Grand Valley State University students who reported to police last semester that they had been victims of separate assaults and later recanted their stories will not face criminal charges for their actions.
Instead, the students’ cases have been referred to the Dean of Students’ Office as part of the academic judiciary process. In November, two female students came forward on separate occasions and told police they had been assaulted by an unknown male while crossing the Little Mac Bridge.
In a briefing that first ran in the Lanthorn on Nov. 10, a female student reported to police that while she was crossing the Little Mac bridge at night, a male suspect emerged, grabbed her arm and refused to let go. The student said a male student riding a bicycle, who possibly had blonde hair, stopped to
intervene. In the Lanthorn briefing, police requested that the Good Samaritan come forward to assist in the investigation of the incident and possibly offer additional leads. In the early morning on Nov. SEE ASSAULT, A3
WINTER IS HERE GVPD stresses caution, attentiveness as snow affects driving conditions By Chelsea Lane GVL Staff Writer
GVL / Bo Anderson
Whiteout: GVSU junior Colin Kammeraad scrapes off the ice of his vehicle in the parking lot after returning from class. The recent snow has caused a spike in accidents.
Students who bemoaned a “green Christmas” over Winter Break were welcomed back to Grand Valley State University with more seasonally-appropriate weather as snow finally began accumulating on GVSU’s campus over the past two weeks. But with the snow’s arrival comes slick, sloppy roads and more hazardous driving conditions, and the Grand Valley Police Department is advising students to be cautious as they drive. Capt. Brandon DeHaan, assistant director of GVPD, said while overall accident rates are down this school year due to the relatively mild winter weather so far, there has been a spike in the number of reported accidents on campus and on nearby Lake Michigan Drive in the past two weeks as snowfall increases. Officer Paul Weaver, who
handles many of the oncampus parking and traffic issues, said winter accidents are typically one-car incidents where students slide off the road or get stuck in the snow. Weaver said the most common cause of winter accidents is students not taking weather conditions into account when they drive. He advised that cautious, attentive driving is key to avoid accidents on icy and snowy roads. “Drive according to the weather conditions, which means drive slowly,” he said. DeHaan added that another common problem that contributes to wintertime accidents is improper snow removal on car windshields and windows. Oftentimes, he said, students in a rush to get to class simply clear off a hole on the driver’s side that they can look through but leave the rest of their car covered in ice and snow, obscuring their vision. SEE SNOW, A3