Issue 49, March 15th, 2018 - Grand Valley Lanthorn

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A L L E N D A L E & G R A N D R A P I DS , M I C H I G A N ST U D E N T- R U N P U B L I C A T 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

T H U R S D A Y, M A R C H 1 5 , 2 0 1 8 // VO L . 52 N O. 49

POLICING

DeHaan promoted to director of public safety

BY DEVIN DELY DDELY@LANTHORN.COM

After serving Grand Valley State University for more than 30 years, Capt. Brandon DeHaan of the GVSU Police Department is embracing a new role as director of public safety. The promotion is effective immediately and is a logical next step for DeHaan, who assumed the role of acting director and chief in October of last year.

“I’m very excited to help lead the department into the next decade,” DeHaan said. “We have great people working here, and I’m very proud and honored to have been given this opportunity.”

DeHaan has worked for the GVPD since 1982, when he started out working part time as a student. DeHaan’s roles have changed over the years.

After starting out as an officer, he was promoted to sergeant in 1997. From there, he accepted a role as assistant director of public safety and was later promoted to captain.

“My tenure here is lengthy,” he said.

“I think several things have changed since I started working. First off, the size and scope of the university have become much larger. The other thing that’s changed is that perhaps back in those earlier years, the law enforcement was geared more towards a strictly security focus. While that is still a concern, the landscape is changing. Our community engagement is a really strong component now, and we also have to address some of the threats in the world today.”

Less than two weeks into his new role, DeHaan is already leading the department into new territory.

“We’ve updated the graphics on our patrol vehicles to reflect an update we’ve got coming later on this year,” he said. “The police department is going to have a presence at the Pew Campus.

SEE DEHAAN | A2

HOPEFUL: Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks during a town hall event at GVSU on Wednesday, March 14, organized by the GVSU College Democrats. At the event, El-Sayed shared his platform on topics such as education, organized labor, health care and more with GVSU students. GVL | EMILY FRYE

Abdul El-Sayed speaks at GV Democratic gubernatorial candidate shares policy with students, community members

BY ARPAN LOBO NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

As November’s gubernatorial election looms, the campaign season has begun to heat up.

On Wednesday, March 14, one Democratic dark horse spoke at Grand Valley State University.

Hosted by the GVSU College Democrats, candidate Abdul ElSayed spoke in front of GVSU students for a little more than an hour in the Kirkhof Center Grand River Room. During the town hall, El-Sayed addressed revitalizing Michigan’s economy, investing in public education, addressing corporations in politics and more.

“I am done waiting; we are done waiting,” he said. El-Sayed’s platform can be viewed as rather progressive. He would be the first Muslim-American to serve as governor in the U.S., but he has previously spoken about not wanting to be looked as a Muslim but as an American. While he has drawn parallels to former President Barack Obama, a more apt comparison would be former Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders.

El-Sayed, 33, served as the executive director of the Detroit Health Department from 2015 to 2017. He received an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan

and was a Rhodes Scholar from Oxford. He fulfilled his M.D. at Columbia University. During the town hall, he shared his desire to remove corporate backers in politics.

“Our politics are a show,” he said, comparing them to professional wrestling. El-Sayed explained that while citizens may see politicians engage in heated debates on television, they are often taking money from the same multinational corporations in the same way wrestlers portray fabricated heated rivals.

“The same old politicians play the same old game,” he said. “We’ve got to be honest about what is broken, and we’ve got to be honest about to fix it.”

El-Sayed was introduced by

GVSU College Democrats president Andrew Nurmi. Nurmi called El-Sayed a “champion of progressive affairs” in Michigan.

Nurmi also claimed that the turnout for the El-Sayed town hall drew the largest crowd among College Democrats events.

El-Sayed also addressed issues pertaining to the opioid crisis in Michigan, immigration and gun reform. He called U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ recent interview on “60 Minutes” a “hot mess,” saying that DeVos’ preferred method of charter schools has no place in American education.

SEE EL-SAYED | A2

GOVERNANCE

Head of facilities planning announces retirement

BY JAMES KILBORN JKILBORN@LANTHORN.COM

SAYING GOODBYE: James Moyer speaks at a Board of Trustees meeting on April 29, 2016. Moyer, associate vice president for facilities planning at GVSU, announced his intention to retire from GVSU effective Saturday, March 31. GVL | LUKE HOLMES

James Moyer, Grand Valley State University’s associate vice president for facilities planning, will be retiring at the end of this month after 22 years with the university. Since starting in 1996, Moyer has witnessed GVSU change from a small institution serving the Grand Rapids area to a large regional university that attracts students from all over the world.

“From my perspective, one of the bigger changes has been the student body itself,” Moyer said via email. “The students transformed the institution from a small Midwestern school to a regional entity, a regional entity that has become the envy of many other institutions.”

An architect by profession, Moyer was crucial in the university’s push to create a more sustainable campus environment by encouraging the construction of LEED-certified buildings that reduce energy consumption and waste. Some examples of these buildings on campus are the P. Douglas Kindschi Hall of Science and the Mary Idema Pew Library, the first platinum-certified LEED library in the state of Michigan.

Moyer, who also served as a member of GVSU President Thomas Haas’ cabinet, emphasized how the collective efforts of students and faculty created a mindset of conservation and environmental

sustainability on GVSU’s campus.

“Grand Valley, its students and its employees recognized that they were having an impact on the region and the local environment,” Moyer said.

“We began to purchase more local services, support the regional transportation system, support local merchants, support and grow recycling efforts of all types. Students began to practice their education, and overall the institution began to make better choices.

“We chose to construct better buildings, reduce our energy consumption in those buildings and operate those buildings in a more environmentally friendly fashion. LEED-certification became the ribbon on a good dessert.”

Being a part of GVSU for 22 years has allowed Moyer to see a variety of buildings be constructed or undergo renovations as the university has grown and changed. While GVSU is a relatively young university compared to other Michigan institutions, each building has a unique history behind it, and even buildings deemed garish or ugly often serve an important role on campus.

“Architecture represents the time in which the building was constructed,” Moyer said. “Take for example Grand Valley Apartments, constructed by a developer to give students a lowercost alternative than university-owned housing. The structures represent the economic decision made at that time.

It has been in operation for more than SEE MOYER | A2

MARCH 15, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A2 | NEWS

DEHAAN

NEWS BRIEFS

CONTINUED FROM A1

STUDENT STRUCK BY CAR IN CROSSWALK

On the evening of Monday, March 12, a Grand Valley State University student was struck by a vehicle while crossing Campus Drive. According to Director of Public Safety and GVSU Police Department Capt. Brandon DeHaan, the student was crossing the street in the crosswalk when the crash occurred.

DeHaan said the vehicle struck the pedestrian’s leg with the front bumper. He cited the injury as non-lifethreatening and limited to a leg. Following the incident, DeHaan said the pedestrian was transported to the hospital; the driver of the vehicle told officers they were distracted while operating the vehicle and was found at fault for the crash and cited for failing to yield.

MAJORS FAIR TAKING PLACE NEXT WEEK

Grand Valley State University students in need of help deciding which major they should choose are in luck. On Tuesday, March 20, a majors fair will take place from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Henry Hall Atrium. The event is sponsored by the GVSU Student Academic Success Center.

Free food and drink will be provided to those in attendance. For more information, email premajor@gvsu.edu.

PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL FAIR TAKING PLACE THURSDAY, MARCH 15

On Thursday, March 15, the Grand Valley State University Pro-Professional Council, student senate, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Academic Advising Center and the Vice Provost for Health will sponsor a professional school fair for GVSU students in fields related to health-care professions.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the second floor of the Kirkhof Center. At the event, admissions representatives from over 50 different graduate and professional schools will be in attendance.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING LECTURE TAKING PLACE

Tonisha Jones, an assistant professor in Grand Valley State University’s School of Criminal Justice, will lead a discussion on human trafficking in the state of Michigan on Thursday, March 15, at 6 p.m. in the DeVos Center, Room 138E, located on GVSU’s Pew Campus.

The lecture, titled “Human Trafficking in the State of Michigan: What You Should Know and What You Can Do,” is both LIB 100- and 201-approved. Jones will lead attendees on how to identify signs of sex trafficking, as well as share her research.

GRAND RAPIDS ASSISTANT PLANNING DIRECTOR TO SPEAK AT GV On Monday, March 19, Jay Steffen, assistant planning director for the city of Grand Rapids, will speak at Grand Valley State University for an event titled “Grand River Corridor Planning.” The event will take place at 7 p.m. in Mackinac Hall, Room B-1-118. The GVSU Urban Planning Association is sponsoring the event, which is LIB 100-approved.

Steffen will discuss the projects Grand Rapids is currently undertaking. For more information, email the UPA at upa@mail.gvsu.edu.

GV ALUMNA TO SPEAK ON BREAKING THE USA GYMNASTICS STORY

On Monday, March 26, Marisa Kwiatkowski, a graduate of Grand Valley State University’s journalism program, will speak to a crowd of people about breaking the Larry Nassar/USA Gymnastics story.

The talk, titled “Local Reporting, National Impact: Marisa Kwiatkowski on Breaking the USA Gymnastics Story,” serves as the School of Communications’ first annual Robert Mayberry Comm-Unity Series. The event is co-sponsored by the GVSU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, The Center for Women in Transition, the Gayle R. Davis Center for Women and Gender Equity, the GVSU Department of Public Safety, and the Division of Inclusion and Equity.

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NO. 49

CAMPUS LAW: Capt. DeHaan greets one of the Patriot Guard Riders on Sept. 20, 2017. DeHaan was just promoted to director of public safety, continuing his work at the university. GVL | DYLAN MCINTYRE

In its completion, we will have five officers who are designated on the Pew Campus, and we anticipate having staff available for the fall semester.”

The new graphics on the police cars are blue graphics that fade into black, easily distinguishable from previous designs. According to DeHaan, the change is intended to help individuals clearly recognize patrol vehicles and tell them apart from other similar vehicles.

DeHaan’s long-term investment in the safety of GVSU will continue to impact the campus, and as he prepares to lead the university’s public safety department through the coming years, it is apparent that he is grateful for his time here.

“I don’t know that anyone starts out their law enforcement career saying they want to remain in campus law enforcement,” he said. “However, as time progressed, it became clear to me that this environment was very unique and really fit what I wanted to do. I’ve had an opportunity to see a tremendous amount of growth within the university. And then I think of someone like Lynn Blue (vice president for enrollment development), who’s been here since 1968; she’s had the opportunity to work here for 50 years.

Think of what that means.”

EL-SAYED CONTINUED FROM A1

“Not everyone in Michigan can say that (they have a right to an education),” ElSayed said. He broke down his plan for education in Michigan, saying that money needs to be invested in both teachers and students in an equitable manner.

He cited the gap between educational funding for students in Oakland County, the richest county in Michigan, and students in Detroit.

“The work that we have to do is building a Michigan in which every kid has a shot,” he said.

After his speech, El-Sayed fielded questions from audience members related to education, women’s empowerment, labor organization and fighting gentrification in Detroit.

With November drawing closer, El-Sayed is hopeful he can earn the Democratic

TALK: Michigan gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks at the GVSU town hall on Wednesday, March 14. El-Sayed is hopeful to secure the Democratic nomination and governorship. GVL | EMILY FRYE

nomination and eventually the governorship. In a poll conducted in January, ElSayed trailed Republican frontrunner and Michi-

gan Attorney General Bill Schuette by four points in a hypothetical head-to-head.

In that same poll, Gretchen Whitmer led Schuette by

seven points.

GVSU College Democrats meet every Monday at 9 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center, Rooms 2215/16.

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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 twice-weekly by Grand Valley State University students 62 times a year. One copy of this newspaper is available free of charge to any member of the GVSU community. For additional copies, at $1 each, please contact our business offices.

COMMUNITY: An attendee of the town hall on Wednesday, March 14, asks a question. In a poll conducted in January, El-Sayed trailed the Republican frontrunner and Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette by four points in a hypothetical head-to-head. GVL | EMILY FRYE

MOYER

CONTINUED FROM A1 The Lanthorn is published on recycled paper and is printed with soy bean ink.

This means that our newspaper is entirely compostable. Help us do our part to be kind to the environment by recycling or composting this newspaper after you enjoy reading it.

POSTMASTER: Please send form 3579 to: Grand Valley Lanthorn 0051 Kirkhof Center Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI 49401

30 years, and this year we undertake a significant upgrade of the buildings. You can find examples of those develop er-constr ucted buildings near many campuses. It is not bad architecture; it is functional and provides an alternative for the students.”

Moyer leaves GVSU in good company, as longtime facilities planning project manager and team leader Karen Ingle will fill his position. He leaves her with the advice that facilities planning is important in all aspects of the university and that the collaboration between facilities and various happenings on campus is important.

“I would recommend that

she keep her interest in every aspect of the university,” Moyer said. “Things which are not directly related to facilities have a significant impact on the use of our limited space resources.”

As Moyer prepares for retirement, he leaves a university that has changed drastically over the past 22 years. Although the university has grown, Moyer’s

efforts to encourage environmentally friendly development have placed GVSU as one of the greenest campuses in the U.S., making the Sierra Club’s list of coolest campuses in 2017.

Moyer’s career will be celebrated at the Alumni House on Wednesday, March 28, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. as GVSU thanks him and wishes him a happy retirement.

MARCH 15, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

NEWS | A3

ISSUES

Asian Student Union hosting R.I.C.E. Conference

BY ITA TSAI ITSAI@LANTHORN.COM

The 2018 R.I.C.E. (Realizing and addressing Issues in our Culture and Education) Conference, hosted by the Asian Student Union at Grand Valley State University, will take place once again Saturday, March 17, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the DeVos Center Loosemore Auditorium.

The goal of the conference is to bring awareness to difficulties that the Asian-American community faces today.

This year, the conference’s theme will be “Breaking Barriers in Education and Employment.” Controversial topics within the Asian-American community will be presented through an all-day professional conference. This event will include keynote guest speakers Eliot Chang and Calvin Sun, paired with student- and faculty-led workshops.

“Some of the topics that will be covered include microaggressions, inequalities in education and traditional expectations,” said Jason Chen, a co-organizer for the conference, via email. “This year’s theme, ‘Breaking Barriers in Education and Employment,’ hopes to address these inequalities that Asian-Americans face because these inequalities can be harmful to their career.

“After the conference, the attendees will be able to expand their cultural knowledge and have a greater understanding of the Asian-American society.”

The R.I.C.E Conference, which began 18 years ago as a senior thesis project, Chen said, is an integral part of the ASU.

ADDRESSING ISSUES: Members of the Asian Student Union and others pose during the R.I.C.E. Conference in 2016. On Saturday, March 17, the ASU will once again hold the annual R.I.C.E. Conference from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center Grand River Room to promote understanding of issues facing Asian-Americans. COURTESY | AUSTIN NGO

“It has provided our members and other students with the opportunity to connect professionally with professors,” he said. “The purpose of the R.I.C.E. Conference has remained unchanged since it first started, and it continues to greatly influence many people year after year.”

Chen hopes all those who attend the R.I.C.E. Conference will gain a new understanding of issues facing Asian-Americans.

“Students who have at-

tended our conference in the past (have) spoken about how much knowledge they have gained about Asian culture and society, and they have become more aware of many issues that Asian-Americans face that are often unheard of,” he said. “The guest speakers and workshops has also changed the perspectives towards these issues of many of the people who attended.”

The guest speakers will be sharing their personal experiences growing up as Asian-

Americans and will try to make people more conscious of ways that minorities have been receiving unfair treatment throughout the years.

Chang is a comedian and YouTube star with more than 100,000 subscribers to his channel. He has starred in Comedy Central halfhour specials, E!’s “Chelsea Lately” and Showtime. The comedian is from New York City and is currently based in Los Angeles. He studied improv in New York at the

Upright Citizens Brigade and with Armando Diaz at the Magnet Theater. Every year, Eliot tours the U.S., and he has performed at more than 400 colleges and dozens of comedy clubs.

Sun is a TED speaker, an emergency medicine physician and an entrepreneur. He received his B.A. from Columbia University in 2008 and his M.D. from SUNY Downstate College of Medicine in 2014.

His work in the media has also been quite notable, as he has

been a host on MTV’s show “The Freshmen” for four years.

In 2010, Sun also founded an international travel company, The Monsoon Diaries.

The event is free and open to the public, and lunch will be provided. Registration prior to the event, available through the ASU’s Facebook page, is required. The event is sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the department of East Asian studies, and will be LIB 100and 201- approved.

DISCOVERY

CMB students to share research at symposium

BY DREW SCHERTZER DSCHERTZER@LANTHORN.COM

At Grand Valley State University, cell and molecular biology (CMB) senior students have been preparing for months, some for years, on researching innovative initiatives in the field.

These students have worked with each other as well as professors to create solutions to complex issues.

These students will showcase their research on Friday, March 23, and Saturday, March 24, at the P. Douglas Kindschi Hall of Science, Room 1101.

“Research at an undergraduate level is a great opportunity,” said Michael Michalski, a CMB major at GVSU. “There is always new information to be found and new systems to be researched.”

Michalski will be among the students presenting. He will give a presentation about the effects of intercropping white clover on soil in small-scale market gardens. The clover absorbs nutrients after being planted in between other plants. Then, after the growing season, it decomposes, returning the nutrients to the soil and improving its quality.

The purpose of this is to

establish a more sustainable agriculture system, Michalski said. He explained that globally, the current system relies on fossil fuels, and people want to move in a direction that will foster a sustainable, natural ecosystem. Still, Michalski said this process won’t happen overnight and is very complicated, but the future will be a lot more sustainable.

Michalski’s presentation will be one of 24 taking place over the two-day span. The first session of presentations will begin Friday, March 23, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and will highlight plants and microbes. The following day, session two will go from 9 a.m. to noon and will cover topics pertaining to human health and disease. Lastly, session three will cover animal models from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. that same Saturday.

“I can tell you all of the topics are very interesting from a scientific standpoint, whether you are broadly interested in cancer, human disease or antibiotic resistance,” said Agnieszka Szarecka, an associate professor of CMB at GVSU. “It’s a great advantage for students wondering what it would be like to be involved in research and to hear from other students.”

For example, GVSU stu-

dents are researching ways to prevent bacteria from becoming resistant to antibiotics, allowing medicine to work a lot more effectively.

Other research was done to help doctors diagnose certain things that are hard to predict, such as the progression rate of Parkinson’s disease. It’s hard to tell on a case-by-case basis if the disease will progress quickly or slowly, and students are looking into certain symptoms to help diagnose this, Szarecka said.

The presentations will cover a wide array of subjects.

Participants will be given a lot of background information about the problems being addressed by the research and what the students have done to try to fix them. Topics such as cancer and chemotherapy, how crops respond to light, and microorganisms will be covered in the presentations, Szarecka said.

Presentations will be 15 minutes long with five minutes given afterward for questions from the audience. Brief coffee breaks will be given every four presentations, and a free lunch will be provided from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 24.

To register, email Szarecka at szarecka@gvsu.edu.

grand

valley

Open Auditions For: Grand Valley 2018 Shakespeare Festival’s 25th Anniversary presenting

King Lear And our touring Bard To Go Where: Haas Center for Performing Arts, Room 1721 When:

Mon. April 9

Tues. April 10

5:00pm to 7:00pm 5:00pm to 7:00pm

Call Backs: TBA Performance Dates:

September 28 - October 7, 2018

Roles for males and females Opportunities for backstage duties Casting open to all students regardless of major or minor Academic credit available for cast and crew positions Rehearsals to be held on weekday evenings and weekends depending on schedule Seven public performances

1. Attend audtions by signing up at Louis Armstrong Theatre box office in person, call 616-331-2300 or email lanejack@gvsu.edu 2. Please prepare a 1 minute monologue and 16 lines of a Shakespeare play, preferred.

3. Attend final casting “callbacks” on TBA, if notified

KNOWLEDGE: Carly Anderson presents her research at the Undergraduate Research Fair on Oct. 3, 2017. The CMB department is holding a research symposium next weekend. GVL | HANNAH HILL

A4 | OPINION EDITORIAL

“N

ever be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world ... would do this, it would change the earth.”

The quote above, famously said by American writer William Faulkner, perfectly symbolizes the events that occurred Wednesday, March 14, as thousands of students walked out of their classrooms in a protest movement over gun violence. This demonstration came after the shooting in Parkland, Florida, where a gunman killed 17 people at a high school.

According to The New York Times, these protests—occurring at hundreds of schools nationwide—spanned just 17 minutes. Per the same source, the first large wave of students left their classrooms at 10 a.m. Eastern

time. All across the country, other students walked out at 10 a.m. in their local time zones.

The walkouts, intended to pressure Congress to approve gun control legislation, served as a powerful way of communicating a big message. Likewise, the fact that the majority of the protesters who walked out yesterday were students should be encouraging to anyone, regardless of political position. Here was the next generation of voters and leaders exercising their First Amendment rights and engaging civically. This is something we should always encourage, regardless of our personal political positions.

Nevertheless, many school districts responded to the nationwide demonstrations on Wednesday by threatening to punish students with citations for cutting class or even suspensions, among other

MARCH 15, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

In support of the school walkouts punitive measures. While the majority of students who walked out obtained permission slips from their parents, the effort of school districts to intimidate students into not protesting is inherently flawed.

There was a lot of debate leading up to the walkouts about how schools should respond. While it is understandable that schools should have some control in overseeing students’ activities during school hours, the timing, in this case, was integral to the message. It is also not unreasonable for students to

BY SHAE SLAUGHTER SENIOR ENGLISH MAJOR EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

When it comes to graduating and establishing a career, prior experience is becoming more and more important. It seems that even entry-level jobs with entry-level pay are looking for candidates with one to two years of work experience. Fortunately, internships are a great way to acquire some of the experience that employers are looking for.

Some majors and minors even require one or more internships to complete your degree.

By Natalie Schunk

Editor-in-Chief Associate editor News editor Sports editor Laker Life editor A&E editor

WHAT IS A LANTHORN? Lant • horn, n. [Old English] A lanthorn is a lantern that was used in mid-to-late 16th-century Europe. It was constructed of leather and a single lens made from a thin

piece of ox or steer horn. It was used for illumination and as a beacon.

The Grand Valley Lanthorn slogan is “Give light and the people will find their own way.”

GVL OPINION POLICY 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.

The Wednesday walkouts should serve as an example of how to protest for a cause in an impactful and appropriate way.

As a community, we need to strive to be more openminded and supportive of all types of engagement so long as they are peaceful.

If anything, we should be encouraged to see the next generation of voters, activists and adult citizens so engaged in their communities and civic activities.

Letters 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:

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

WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM? HAVE A PROBLEM THAT YOU NEED HELP SOLVING? SEND US AN EMAIL. EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

The only problem with that is that some of these internships are unpaid.

People always say that experience is invaluable, but that isn’t exactly true when an internship has to take the place of a paying job. Of course, furthering your education is important, but students still have bills, including the ones going toward tuition. For students from low-income backgrounds in particular, working without pay simply isn’t an option. It is downright exploitative to require experience that you can only get if you work for free.

Recently, the U.S. Labor Department passed new guidelines that relax the requirements for employers to pay their interns. In a country that prides itself on being economically advanced, it is ironic that we so publicly encourage unpaid labor.

An internship is a learning experience, but it is also a job.

After all, the whole point is

“on-the-job experience.” So, why does minimum wage not apply?

These newly passed regulations state that interns don’t need to be paid if the work they’re doing is more beneficial to them than it is to the company. This seems like an odd divider for an activity that was created for the betterment of the intern in the first place. To me, it also sounds like something that is hard to define or prove. For example, sorting mail and delivering coffee are rather menial tasks that many companies could positively spin as being for the betterment of their interns when in reality they are still just free labor.

Of course, students could refuse unpaid internships, but sometimes there is no other option. If an internship is required to graduate or to get hired after college, how can students really say no? Ideally, every student would be able to find an on-the-job experi-

ence that pays, but if we don’t require that pay, there is really no guarantee.

One of the biggest disadvantages of unpaid internships is their end result. Though students feel obligated to accept them, the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that an unpaid internship gave little-to-no advantage when entering the workforce.

That means that the free labor students are performing now might not even help them out later in life, making it even more unfair.

Learning outside of the classroom is vital to being successful, but we already pay for our education. We shouldn’t also pay to work. Interns help companies expand and become more profitable, so they shouldn’t be shouldering the cost of giving away their valuable time for free. Internships only have value when they can actually help students grow and succeed.

Why you should be following the 80/20 eating rule

GV L E DITO R IAL BOA RD EMILY DORAN JENNA FRACASSI ARPAN LOBO ROBBIE TRIANO TY KONELL ANNE MARIE SMIT

tion, schools can approach this moment as an opportunity for learning about civic action,” the statement read.

Students who made the choice to participate in the walkouts did not do so with the intent of disrupting their educational experience. The demonstration did not require students to be absent from an entire day of school, so the severe punishments threatened by various school districts are extreme and seemingly part of an effort to stymie a particular message from being communicated.

We need to rethink unpaid internships

GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON

editorial@lanthorn.com

want to protest something as serious as gun violence by taking 17 minutes away from class time. Until students stop being shot en masse at their places of education, they should be able to protest in short but visually powerful ways such as this.

In a statement, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called on school leaders nationwide to welcome the protests and not discipline students.

“Rather than seeking to silence students’ political engagement and quashing their desire for conversa-

BY AMY MCNEEL SOPHOMORE COM. & WRITING MAJOR EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

My mom always told me that a good diet is all about balance; it’s okay to eat junk food as long as you balance it with healthy food. Through the years, this was an idea that I stood by, tinkered with and am still trying to perfect. As I got

more interested in nutrition, I tried clean eating, cutting out sweets and giving myself one cheat meal a week, but from these attempts I found that trying to cut out treats entirely is completely unsustainable.

Today, I try to follow the 80/20 rule, an idea that is more of a healthy lifestyle than a diet.

The basic concept of the 80/20 rule is that you should dedicate 80 percent of your food intake to nutritious food, leaving yourself wiggle room to indulge with the remaining 20 percent. This is a great dietary plan because you don’t have to cut out any foods or restrict your eating. Instead, the 80/20 rule provides a healthful, manageable balance.

Moderation is also a very important part of the 80/20

rule. If the 20 percent of unhealthy food is over the top, it won’t balance out with the rest of the food for the day.

While completely indulging is perfectly okay every once in a while, the 80/20 rule should be followed with balance and moderation to promote the healthiest lifestyle.

One challenge that comes with the 80/20 rule is that there is no one way to determine the proportions of 80 percent healthy and 20 percent indulgence. The rule could be applied by eating healthfully all week but having one cheat day, having four cheat meals throughout the week if you eat a regular three meals a day or eating healthfully every meal with a dessert every night. While the proportions

can be difficult to map out, it can ultimately be shaped to each person’s lifestyle, which makes the rule even easier to follow. Mapping out the week’s meals—including desserts, snacks, and eating out—can help make the 80/20 rule easier to implement and follow.

Overall, a good diet really is all about balance. It can be easy to overindulge, but it can also be easy to attempt unsustainable diets that restrict indulgence over and over again. The 80/20 rule is the perfect compromise.

It doesn’t restrict any foods, but instead allows you to eat both nutritious and junk foods in a balanced, effective way. In the end, my mom was right: Balance is the key to a healthy diet and lifestyle.

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QUESTION OF THE ISSUE

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DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE GOVERNOR RACE IN YOUR STATE?

JESSIE CARLE

ALLISON BOURELLE

“Nope.”

“No, I don’t either.”

YEAR: Senior MAJOR: Natural resource management HOMETOWN: Flushing, Michigan

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KELCIE MCGOWEN

EDDIE COLAIANNI

“No.”

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YEAR: Senior MAJOR: Biomedical sciences HOMETOWN: Portage, Michigan

YEAR: Sophomore MAJOR: Biomedical sciences HOMETOWN: Warren, Michigan

MARCH 15, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

NEWS | A5

DIVERSITY

Intercultural Festival returning to campus

BY ANNIE GIFFELS AGIFFELS@LANTHORN.COM

Coming to campus is the annual Intercultural Festival, a three-day-long celebration of the diversity and many different cultures represented here at Grand Valley State University.

Hosted by Laker Traditions, this festival began in 2005 but has established roots going all the way back to 1963, just after GVSU was founded. The event was first called the Ethnic Festival, but its name was changed to the Intercultural Festival in 2005 to include more topics of diversity, as opposed to focusing solely on ethnicity. This year’s event is taking place from Tuesday, March 20, through Thursday, March 22, in the Kirkhof Center.

The event will focus heavily on the different ethnicities and cultural traditions that can be seen here on campus, but it will also dive into other sources of diversity, such as various religions and sexual orientations. In short, the Intercultural Festival seeks

to celebrate diversity in the broadest sense of the word.

“The Intercultural Festival recognizes that culture represents a spectrum of traits in people that are not only confined in ethnicity,” said Hailey Merritt, one of the organizers for the event, via email. “We hope that this event will aid people in recognizing how we all belong to a culture and that we should celebrate what makes us who we are.”

Students and staff alike are encouraged by the Laker Traditions team to go and learn something new, whether it be about their own culture or the culture of someone else. In addition to diversity, the festival will also focus on inclusivity.

During the festival, a wide array of events are planned to help attendees learn and take in pride in the many different types of cultures, religions and ethnicities that the GVSU community is home to.

Students and faculty are invited to expand their knowledge of the many topics that go hand in hand with diversity. With events

like the Transgender Day of Visibility Keynote, Conversations of Color, inclusion workshops and many other activities scheduled, the coordinators of this festival are confident that attendees will find no time to be bored.

“We have events at different times during the day so that there is something for someone to attend at any time,” Merritt said.

Merrit teamed up with fellow student Kadison Klausing to lead this event.

The pair’s planning will be crucial in ensuring that attendees feel welcome and at home, no matter their race, religion or sexual orientation, among other things.

“Together, Kadison and I are both making sure that everything goes grand and that our planning will create an inclusive atmosphere for Grand Valley students to engage in new experiences,” Merrit said. “We want those who will be engaged with the festival to enjoy good seminars, dancing, displays and to walk away learning something new about a culture different from their own.”

SHOWCASE: Sexy Accent Night was held in the Grand River Room on March 21, 2017. The event is again part of Intercultural Festival 2018, taking place at GVSU from March 20 to March 23. GVL | LUKE HOLMES

LEADERSHIP

Author to lecture on purposeful life at GV

BY SARAH HOLLIS SHOLLIS@LANTHORN.COM

PROFILE: Victor Strecher, the author of ‘Life on Purpose: How Living for What Matters Most Changes Everything.’ He will speak at GVSU on Wednesday, March 21, at 6 p.m. COURTESY | GOODREADS.COM

The Bonnie Wesorick Center for Health Care Transformation, part of Grand Valley State University’s Kirkhof College of Nursing, is hosting the fifth annual Wesorick Distinguished Lectureship on Wednesday, March 21, at 6 p.m. in the DeVos Center Loosemore Auditorium.

Founded in 2014, the Wesorick Center was created to honor Bonnie Wesorick, a nurse from West Michigan who dedicated her life to patient-centered care, honoring patient stories, and providing the best places to give and receive care.

“Each year, the center hosts the distinguished lectureship to offer exceptional high-impact opportunities to learn from individuals who are making contributions to the transformation of health care,” said Evelyn Clingerman, executive director of the Wesorick Center. “The lectureship is always provided for students, faculty and staff at GVSU, and everyone in our community.”

The Wesorick Center also offers continuing education units (CEU) for nurses. The presentation is LIB 100-approved for GVSU students.

The lecturer for this year’s Wesorick Distinguished Lectureship is Victor Strecher. The lecture will be based on his book, which will be available for purchase at the event.

Strecher is an author, researcher, professor and the director of innovation and social entrepreneurship at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. His book is titled “Life on Purpose: How Living for What Matters Most Changes Everything.” The lecture shares the same title.

“I’ve listened to Dr. Strecher’s story previously, and it is extremely moving,” Clingerman said. “I don’t want to spoil the event, but his tremendous life— changing events around the loss of his daughter, Julia, a nursing student—will touch the hearts and lives of all who hear his lifetransforming journey.

“He will share his story, explore the incredible connection between purposeful living and the latest scientific evidence on

quality and longevity of life. He offers the audience an elegant strategy for improving energy, will power, long-term happiness and well-being.”

After the lecture, attendees will have an opportunity to meet Strecher and ask any questions they have, as well as purchase his book and have him sign it. In addition to a novel, Strecher also has an app that helps users track the principles he believes are important contributors to leading a purposeful life.

The app is called Jool, and it is currently available on both the Apple and Android app stores. The app is based on Strecher’s sailboat metaphor for a purposeful life— personally, within family and within the community.

Those interested in attending the lecture will need to register online at www.gvsu. edu/wesorick, as there is limited seating in the auditorium.

There will be a registration link on the banner of the web page.

Those who need assistance registering, or who have more questions, can call the Wesorick Center at 616-331-5767.

Free parking for the event will be available in the Seward Lot.

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

Rebecca Traister lectures on women’s empowerment in 20th century

BY RACHEL MATUSZEWSKI RMATUSZEWSKI@LANTHORN.COM

The Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies hosted its 13th annual Community Reading Project, inviting author Rebecca Traister to speak about the history of single women and her book, “All the Single Ladies.” The event was also part of Women’s History Month at Grand Valley State University. Attendees were able to ask questions and have books signed after the presentation. “(The Community Reading Project) has always been based in the idea that a good book (leads to) a good conversation, and a good conversation leads to the start of changing the world,” said Jen Jameslyn, director of the Office of Integrative Learning and Advising for Brooks College.

Traister spoke on the history of single women in the U.S. and how women challenging social norms paved the way for today’s single women.

“I hope (students) learn to think about their own personal decisions and relationships as existing within a bigger political and social

structure and think about how their lives, even though they may seem individual, personal and intimate, are shaped by bigger cultural messages, political realities, and legal and legislative realities,” Traister said. “(I hope) they begin to see the connection between our individual experiences and the broader forces in the country we live in.”

As a successful journalist and award-winning author, Traister recalled how people in her life finally relaxed when they found out she was getting married. She had been on her own for over a decade, and she lived in a New York City apartment with friends she had shared many life experiences with.

“I’d been single from my 20s and into my 30s,” Traister said. “When I was 35, I fell in love and decided to get married. I noticed in this personal and individual way, the people in my life began to treat me (differently). A lot of people in my life, when I decided I was going to get married, were so happy they seemed to indicate to me that now my life was really starting.”

Traister described the sig-

nificant years-long effort it took for women to break down the separation of men and women into the public and private spheres, respectively.

“All of this activism, the labor movement, the suffrage movement, culminates the beginning of the 20th century,” Traister said. “Through this measure, the abolition, suffrage, temperance and repeal of temperance, you are looking at social movements in the United States that profoundly changed who had power and who could participate politically and professionally, development of new educational opportunities and new professional opportunities where entire populations of Americans who had previously been cut off from these opportunities.

“A lot of it was spearheaded by women who had the ability to devote their energies to this in part because they were not devoting their energy to their husbands and children.”

At this point, women were still being pressured to get married and reproduce, especially once the government promoted the baby boom. Traister said women were stuffed back

into their domestic roles.

Yet, Traister said, during the mid-1900s, rebellious, disruptive, insurgent movements began to rise, challenging the new norm. “(What stuck out to me was) Traister’s statistical

data throughout American history,” said GVSU student Hannah Remington. “Traister explained the historical proof of oppression to all women. Her evidence was very moving and showed America’s general gains

toward an equal society. I (learned) you don’t have to be a man to be successful.

“Traister proved that women can lead social reform and empower other minority groups to have a voice.”

ISSUES: Rebecca Traister, author of ‘All the Single Ladies,’ speaks at the Community Reading Project event on Tuesday, March 13. The event was part of Women’s History Month. GVL | SHEILA BABBITT

A6 | MONEY MATTERS

MARCH 15, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

TIPS TO SAVE MONEY AS A COLLEGE STUDENT 1. Take advantage of the library cational, but there are also quite a eating in becomes the clear choice sure you get the best deal in the end.

Whether they’re public or on campus, libraries offer many useful, free resources to students. One way to save money in college is to borrow required books from the library. Rather than dishing out a hefty fee to pay for books you’ll only use for one semester, check the nearby libraries to see if it’s possible to check out the required text instead. Another cool resource libraries offer is DVD lending so you can watch movies or TV shows for free. This is a good option for students who don’t have access to services like Netflix or Hulu, or for anyone looking to watch something new at no cost.

2. Get your caffeine fix without breaking the bank

Coffee is a necessary part of many students’ daily routines and, as a result, something that frequently uses up extra money. However, there are some options available to save a little coin when you need your caffeine fix. For one, all Grand Valley State University campus dining locations offer $1 coffee refills to students. That’s quite a deal when you consider what it costs for just a cup at most places. Even better, at Starbucks, you can grab a free refill on basic coffees and teas in the same store visit (meaning you’ll want to hang out for a bit and get your study on).

3. Go to free campus events

GVSU hosts tons of events that are completely free to students. These events occur regularly and can be easily sifted through by looking at the events calendar on GVSU’s website. Many of these events are edu-

few events geared toward entertaining students, such as comedy shows.

Another really great way to have fun without breaking the bank is to head over to the Big Screen Theater inside the Kirkhof Center. Showtimes are offered every day at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. The featured movie changes every few weeks, so pay attention to the movie schedule (which you can access online under Spotlight Productions).

4. Hit up the dollar store

The dollar store is a great option for students looking to stock up on supplies or change up their room decor.

Offering items at a much cheaper price, the dollar store has notebooks, pens, pencils, dishes, candles, cleaning supplies and more. Many times, too, dollar stores offer coupons that are accessible online. Cutting coupons (though tedious) is never a bad idea, especially when it has the potential to save you even more money.

For students interested in shopping cheaper, there is a Dollar General located a little over a mile away from GVSU’s Allendale Campus.

5. Eat out selectively

This can be a hard rule to follow, especially for students who go straight from work to school and vice versa. The day can feel super short with so much going on, and cooking a meal at home becomes a luxury many students cannot afford. Not only are groceries expensive, but finding the time to make a meal that isn’t ramen is challenging for the best of us. However, considering how much of your money is going toward eating meals out,

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for saving extra dough. One good way to save yourself both time and money is to meal prep, or make meals in advance and refrigerate them to eat throughout the week.

Many restaurants and retail shops offer a student discount, too, in addition to online services like Amazon. com, iTunes, Spotify and Hulu, so be sure to take advantage of it.

6. Save your change

8. Utilize the bus system

This can be a hard rule to follow, especially for students who go straight from work to school and vice versa. The day can feel super short with so much going on, and cooking a meal at home becomes a luxury many students cannot afford. Not only are groceries expensive, but finding the time to make a meal that isn’t ramen is challenging for the best of us. However, considering how much of your money is going toward eating meals out, eating in becomes the clear choice for saving extra dough. One good way to save yourself both time and money is to meal prep, or make meals in advance and refrigerate them to eat throughout the week.

7. Always ask about a student discount

So many places offer a reduced rate to students, and many don’t outwardly advertise it. For this reason, always be sure to inquire about student prices. This can make a big difference in saving money, whether it be a few dollars here and there or a lot all at once. In addition, always be sure to do some research beforehand; if you’re looking to buy something like a laptop, be sure to look at which store offers a better student discount and compare the final numbers. Looking at products and services comparatively will always en-

GVSU has a great bus system for students, which not only is convenient, but it also saves you from putting miles and wear and tear on your car.

With gas prices always rising, it’s a good idea to conserve what’s in your tank any chance you can. With a service like The Rapid, GVSU students can get to both the Allendale and Pew campuses for free. Not only that, but when the bus is headed to one of GVSU’s campuses, it can get you closer to your class than driving and parking would. That saves students time and a little extra walking—a big deal considering Michigan’s still-cold temperatures this time of year.

9. Learn to budget

GVSU has a great bus system for students, which not only is convenient, but it also saves you from putting miles and wear and tear on your car.

With gas prices always rising, it’s a good idea to conserve what’s in your tank any chance you can. With a service like The Rapid, GVSU students can get to both the Allendale and Pew campuses for free. Not only that, but when the bus is headed to one of GVSU’s campuses, it can get you closer to your class than driving and parking would. That saves students time and a little extra walking—a big deal considering Michigan’s still-cold temperatures this time of year.

MONEY MATTERS | A7

MARCH 15, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR SUMMER FINANCIALLY As the winter semester starts to wind down, now is the perfect time for students to start thinking about how to make the most of their summers financially. From August through April, students deal with the huge financial strain of paying for tuition, room and board, and textbooks, so the four-month-long summer vacation that Grand Valley State University students enjoy is an opportunity to save up money working a summer job and to take advantage of other financial opportunities and shortcuts.

First things first, if you don’t have a summer job secured yet, check out the Student Employment Office, which houses the LakerJobs database and provides information about job fairs, work study and other resources. On LakerJobs, you can look for different on-campus opportunities and tailor your search to receive email alerts any time a new job that fits your criteria is available. Off-campus employers also provide information about position openings on this site, so you can search beyond the Allendale and Pew campuses as well.

The Career Center is another great resource for students who are conducting a job search. The website includes information about how to construct a compelling resume and cover letter, how to go about looking for a job or internship, how to prepare for an interview and more. In addition, students can also make one-on-one appointments with Career Center advisers to review resumes and cover letters or conduct mock intervie ws to practice for the real deal. Students can also visit the Career Center for its walk-in 10-minute consultations to review a resume and ask questions.

If you’re going to continue living in the area over the summer for work and/or school and need a place to stay, consider subleasing from another student in one of the local apartment complexes. As the semester nears its end, it becomes more urgent for students who plan to leave for the summer to find someone to sublease their space so they aren’t paying for an empty apartment. As a result, you can often negotiate the cost of rent, utilities and even the security deposit to get the most bang for your buck.

If you’re worried you might have to stay at school an extra semester or two to fulfill missing credit requirements, consider taking summer classes so you can avoid paying for tuition for another full-blown fall or winter semester. You can also apply for summer financial aid through the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to make paying for summer classes easier.

Finally, to get a little extra pocket cash as the summer starts, consider selling any textbooks you have that you likely won’t ever open again. You can sell back books at the Laker Store and Brian’s Books, or you can try selling them independently through Amazon.com or one of the social media pages run by GVSU students designed specifically for buying and selling books.

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A8 | LAKER LIFE

MARCH 15, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE

EVENTS

ARTS AT A GLANCE NETWORKING EVENT SET FOR FRIDAY, MARCH 16 The Nonprofit Graduate Student Organization at Grand Valley State University is set to kick off the season with the Networking Over Dinner event on Friday, March 16, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the DeVos Center’s University Club (Room 107C).

Speaker Carlos Martinez of the GVSU Career Center, as well as a panel of five professionals in the nonprofit sector, will be facilitating a panel discussion about the importance of networking within the nonprofit industry as not only a means for job acquisition, but also as a means of personal growth. A buffet dinner will be offered as a model of a typical networking event.

For more information, contact Iryna Bilan at 616-520-8310.

STUDY-ABROAD FUNDING WORKSHOP TO BE HELD FRIDAY, MARCH 16

The Grand Valley State University Padnos International Center is set to host a study-abroad funding workshop for GVSU students interested in studying overseas on Friday, March 16, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in Lake Ontario Hall, Room 130.

In this workshop, students who attend will learn about various sources of funding for their studies, including scholarships, loans, grants, private fundraising and more options. Students will also be informed of the most cost-effective locations to study abroad.

For more information, contact Meaghann MyersSmith at 616-331-3898.

NEW EXHIBIT WORKS TO END VICTIM BLAMING

The Grand Valley State University organization It’s on Us as Lakers has given it own recreation of the traveling “What were you wearing?” exhibit, which began at the University of Arkansas. The exhibit opened Monday, March 12, and will be open publicly until Sunday, April 1, in the Mary Idema Pew Library’s Exhibition Space.

The exhibit comes after It’s on Us as Lakers has collected quotes and statistics for the exhibit, which aims to convey that what someone is wearing does not matter when one is sexually assaulted in order to bring an end to victim blaming.

For more information, contact Maddie Vervaeke at vervaekm@mail.gvsu.edu.

Comedian Drew Lynch dazzles at LaughFest

BY TASMAN MATTOX TMATTOX@LANTHORN.COM

“If there’s one thing that slays a dragon, it’s a stern talking-to,” said comedian Drew Lynch, pointing a finger toward the cackling audience before breaking into a sheepish smile himself.

The 26-year-old comedian visited Grand Rapids on Tuesday, March 13, to deliver a free stand-up performance hosted

by LaughFest and Grand Valley State University’s Spotlight Productions. Lynch had the crowd of more than 100 people laughing from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m.

Lynch grew up acting, and after high school, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue film. While on a softball team, he sustained an injury to his throat that left him with a severe stutter.

“The long and short of it is that when the people who rep-

resented me decided they didn’t want to represent me anymore because of my speech, I started to do comedy to re-establish an outlet I could have to make me feel something again,” he said.

Lynch’s comedy took him to America’s Got Talent (season 10), where he finished in second place. His time on the show garnered him many new fans, and he now has a YouTube channel with upwards of 1.3 million subscribers.

“I’ve been following Drew since his America’s Got Talent audition and have been an avid follower ever since,” said Capriana Calvachi, a GVSU freshman who attended the Tuesday event. “I watch his dog vlogs on a daily basis.”

Lynch views performing in front of a crowd as a way to express himself.

“In the day to day of our lives, when I’m talking to somebody, I never feel like I get to say what I actually want

to say,” he said. “On stage, it’s all you. You take sole responsibility and credit for what happens on stage. If something does go well, that’s due to your work. If it doesn’t, you’re also responsible. It’s a very independent art form.”

Lynch’s dedication to his comedy is clear to those who watch him perform.

“I love his quirky style of comedy and how real he is with his audience,” Calvachi said.

“He may not be loud, but his control of the room is fantastic.”

Lynch’s story can also be inspiring to those who attend his shows and follow his work.

“The fact that he has been able to accomplish so much in the stand-up world despite his severe stutter affirms my belief that anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it,” Calvachi said.

Despite his talent, Lynch faced adversity when he tried to break into comedy.

“I was highly influenced by other people’s opinions and what they saw,” he said. “There are lots of people that have a lot of doubts about what you can do, and that always has more to do with what they can’t do.

I had a lot of people say, ‘You can’t do it.’ I never found a greater motivator than someone saying I can’t do something because I’m too stubborn to let them be right about that.”

Lynch encourages young creators to ignore doubts and take action.

“I would just try to implore anybody who is trying to do anything to just do something before they think about it,” Lynch said. “If you think about it for too long, you’re gonna talk yourself out of doing it.

Many times, I’ve created projects, shows, jokes and routines where I somehow tricked my body into doing it before my mind told me I couldn’t.”

GENDER ROLES ABROAD EVENT BEING HELD WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21

The Grand Valley State University Padnos International Center is set to host an event about navigating gender roles while overseas on Wednesday, March 21, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Mary Idema Pew Library’s Multipurpose Room.

Gender roles and expectations differ in every country, and learning how to understand those gender roles is important for students going to another country for a summer program, semester program or the entire academic year.

At the event, there will be a panel comprised of returned Peace Corps volunteers, study-abroad alumni as well as faculty and staff, who will give their opinions on dealing with gender roles abroad. Food and drinks will be served.

For more information, contact the Padnos International Center at 616-331-3898.

FUNNY: Comedian Drew Lynch performed for more than 100 people at LaughFest on Tuesday, March 13. Lynch, known for his quirky style of humor, competed on America’s Got Talent in season 10 of the television series and was named the first runner-up. GVL | SARA CARTE

AWARENESS

Opioid panel to discuss experiences, effects of drugs

BY TAYLOR CROWLEY TCROWLEY@LANTHORN.COM

Opioid addiction is not a discriminatory disease. It crops up in both cities and suburbs, oblivious to the different demographics of its victims. Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) is hosting a panel to discuss stigmas and the opioid epidemic at 6 p.m. in the DeVos Center Loosemore Auditorium on Thursday, March 22.

Lindsey LeQuia and Haley Sullivan, executive board members of UAEM, will lead the discussion during the Opioid Public Health Crisis Panel to educate people in the Grand Rapids area.

LeQuia and Sullivan were inspired to host the panel after attending a UAEM con-

ference in Atlanta, Georgia, where they listened to a panel about raising awareness about medicinal access in the U.S. and around the world.

The panel was more targeted toward the stigma of opioids. Sullivan said that now, a year later, she believes the stigma has lessened but that it is still very present; the bigger issue is allegedly the inaction of professionals who are aware of the problem.

The two have been thinking about putting this panel together for over a year now but said they have gotten very serious about it since January.

LeQuia and Sullivan took an integrative approach and invited people from different backgrounds to discuss their experience with opioid users

and their recovery process. In total, they invited five panelists: a biomedical ethics professor, a lieutenant from the Grand Rapids Police Department, a physician’s assistant in pain management, an emergency medicine physician, and a clinical psychologist who specializes in alcohol and drug use recovery counseling.

The panelists will discuss their experiences working with opioid users.

The diversity of the panelists is intended to show how opioids are impacting not just one specific demographic, but people from all kinds of backgrounds.

“Talking to the professionals makes the conversation less nerve-wracking,” Sullivan said. “Although they are super well-versed in this stuff, they

ENTERTAINMENT

PILLS: Universities Allied for Essential Medicines is set to host a panel about opioid addiction Thursday, March 22, at 6 p.m. in the DeVos Center Loosemore Auditorium in Grand Rapids. GVL | SARA CARTE

make you feel very comfortable because they want to get their point across.”

LeQuia and Sullivan are expecting local undergraduate students to attend the panel and encourage people of all majors to join.

“We work in a hospital downtown, and we deal with a large patient population,”

LeQuia said. “I’ve dealt with patients that have been withdrawing from heroin. When you see the other side of it, you have a certain source of empathy for them.”

Being a part of the medical field, LeQuia and Sullivan want to push medical students to keep educating themselves on how to treat addiction. They believe that if there were more

education on how a variety of professional fields could contribute to treatment, the number of opioid users could decrease over time.

LeQuia and Sullivan want to encourage interested individuals to come to the panel and bring any questions they have. They will be available for a Q&A session after the panel concludes.

Tricks of the trade

GV senior writes book detailing her stripping experience

BY TY KONELL LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Lady V., a GVSU graduating senior who stripped in a Detroit strip club for 65 days, wrote and self-published a memoir-style book about her dancing experience. COURTESY | LADY V.

The saying goes that desperate times call for desperate measures, and for university students facing tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt, “desperate times” often go hand in hand with commencement.

For one Grand Valley State University senior (who wished to remain anonymous), facing desperate financial times meant taking up a profession mired in controversy: stripping. Facing the possibility of not being able to afford returning to GVSU to finish her degree,

the behavioral neuroscience major got proactive and started dancing in one of Detroit’s strip clubs while school was not in session.

Now back at GVSU and out of the stripping profession, she has written and self-published a memoir about her 65-day experience. The book, called “Tricks: A Breakdown of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Aspects of My Sixty-Five Night Ordeal Dancing in Detroit’s Most Prestigious Strip Club,” is written under her pen name, Lady V., inspired by her stage name, Violet.

While most people may think that strippers are being exploited, Lady V. believes both parties—dancers and

customers—are being exploited equally.

“Part of me was like ‘f*** yeah, you’re giving me money and all I’m doing is dancing on a pole,’” she said.

“There was a definite sense of empowerment and entitlement in that sense.

“But there was this thing the club did called review.

We were literally put on display. That was always the point of the night where I felt like I was being herded like cattle, and so it’s definitely a fine line. But both parties are being exploited.”

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SPORTS| A9

MARCH 15, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

QUICK HITS

W. BASKETBALL

GV SOFTBALL’S ALLISON LIPOVSKY NAMED LOUISVILLE SLUGGER/ NFCA NATIONAL PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Grand Valley State’s Allison Lipovsky was named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Pitcher of the Week for the week of Monday, March 5, through Sunday, March 11, per a release from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) the morning of Wednesday, March 14.

The junior righty posted a 4-0 record with wins over Notre Dame (Ohio), Cedarville, No. 14 Southern Indiana and IllinoisSpringfield during the Lakers’ week in Clermont, Florida, over spring break. Against Notre Dame (Ohio), Lipovsky tossed the first perfect game of her Laker career and just the fifth in program history and the first since 2003. She tallied 14 strikeouts in the outing and obviously didn’t allow a single baserunner in her seven innings of work.

On the week, Lipovsky tallied 47 strikeouts to just one single walk in 28 innings of work, while holding opponents to a .097 BA and posting a 0.25 ERA.

GV BASEBALL’S JACOB GLEASON NAMED GLIAC BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

After an efficient showing during the Grand Valley State baseball team’s spring break trip to Florida, junior right fielder Jacob Gleason was named Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Baseball Player of the Week on Monday, March 12.

During the Lakers’ nine games in Florida, Gleason totaled 17 hits off 34 at bats for a .500 batting average, along with a 13 RBI, 11 runs scored, four doubles and a home run. Gleason also walked six times and was 1-1 in stolen bases. He tallied a slugging percentage of .706 and an on-base percentage of .585. Gleason was 5-for-6 with six RBI in a win over Cedarville, while also recording a 4-for-4 effort versus Rockhurst and a 3-for-3 outing versus defending National Champion and currently 13th-ranked West Chester. Gleason currently leads the GLIAC in hits (27) and RBIs (20), while ranking second in batting average (.482).

The Lakers will return to action at Lewis on Friday, March 16, through Sunday, March 18, for a four-game series. First pitch on Friday is set for 4 p.m.

GV BASKETBALL’S CASSIDY BOENSCH NAMED TO ALL-MIDWEST REGIONAL TOURNAMENT TEAM

Although the Grand Valley State women’s basketball team had its season come to a close in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 10, sophomore center Cassidy Boensch is still receiving accolades after a dominant end to her season.

Boensch was named to the 2018 All-Midwest Regional Tournament Team for her performances against No. 24 Michigan Tech and No. 1 Ashland in this year’s national postseason tournament.

Throughout the season, Boensch earned four GLIAC Player of the Week Awards and was named to the All-GLIAC Defensive Team as well as the GLIAC All-Tournament Team.

Against the 24th-ranked Huskies, Boensch dropped 32 points to tie her career high while also bringing down 10 rebounds for her sixth doubledouble of the season and the fifth in her last seven games.

Boensch shot 14-of-20 from the floor and 4-for-5 from the charity stripe. The 6-foot-4-inch center also tallied a game-high four blocks to go along with two steals and an assist.

Once again, Boensch was the main source of offense for the Lakers against No. 1 Ashland, as she supplied 27 points to go along with nine rebounds, two blocks, two steals and two assists on 12-of-14 from the field.

Overall, the young Laker averaged 29.5 points on a blazing 76.5 percent from the field and 9.5 rebounds to go along with six blocks, four steals and three assists in the tournament. Boensch also currently ranks third in the entire NCAA Division II in fieldgoal percentage, shooting 66.0 percent on the season.

Season in review: GV women’s basketball BETTER THAN EXPECTED: GVSU senior center Korynn Hincka tosses up a layup against a reaching Wayne State defender on Thursday, Feb. 8, at the DeltaPlex Arena downtown. Although the Lakers came into the 2017-18 with an inexperienced roster, they finished the season with more wins than the year before. GVL | EMILY FRYE

BY BRADY MCATAMNEY ASSISTANTSPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

Usually, when a team brings back zero starters and loses even more rotation players to graduation from one season to another, the outlook is not particularly bright for the upcoming campaign.

Such was the case with the transition from the 2016-17 Grand Valley State women’s basketball team to the 2017-18 team. At that point, there was not exactly a championship vibe floating around Allendale.

“I don’t get too wrapped up in what other people think,” said head coach Mike Williams. “We’ve got to worry about us, but it was a bit of an unknown. Graduating five starters and seven really good seniors, you take that. …

“We knew we had some talent.

It’s not like the roster was bare. You just never know with people in new roles what they’re going to do.”

With new faces aplenty and old ones adjusting to new, heavier roles, the Lakers opened the non-conference season with a bang, rattling off four consecutive victories (three of which were by double digits) and five wins in six games.

That would be all the Lakers needed to find their chemistry and get to playing standout basketball.

“I definitely think, especially during the summer, we didn’t know how we were going to do because we did have so many new players,” said guard Jenn DeBoer.

“We had a lot of players who didn’t play a lot or at all, so once this team was built and we got a couple of games under our belt, I think we all kind of felt that we had potential to be pretty good.

“But as the season went on and we kept winning and being

successful, I think that everything started to click.”

The only two seniors on the team—forwards Taylor Parmley and Korynn Hincka—adapted seamlessly to their newfound leadership roles. Not only did they serve as leaders, but they were the only two returning players who played double-digit minutes last season.

As leaders, they helped their teammates grow as athletes and people, both of which were vital in the surprising success of GVSU. “We had two excellent leaders, and they were excellent because they both experienced adversity in their careers with injury redshirts, and I think they led our youngsters and everybody kind of followed,” Williams said. “You talk about team chemistry being a big part of success, and I think that showed. I think we had that (through the whole team). I think we had good team chemistry.”

Once the conference season began, only two teams were able to beat the Lakers: Michigan Tech and Ashland. Both teams were nationally ranked throughout the season, with Ashland checking in at No. 1 all year long as they continued to extend their record-setting win streak.

That streak was extended in what was perhaps the closest game of the entire run when they visited the Fieldhouse Arena in Allendale for a road matchup with the Lakers. GVSU took Ashland into overtime in what was an electric environment before losing by only 5 points. In that game, Parmley went down with a torn ACL. GVSU beat every single team in the conference except for the Huskies and the Eagles as they managed a 16-4 record in the

I definitely think, especially during the summer, we didn’t know how we were going to do because we did have so many new players. ... But as the season went on and we kept winning, ... I think that everything started to click.”

JENN DEBOER GVSU POINT GUARD GLIAC, good for third in the league come tournament time.

The run throughout the Midwest was fueled by a host of different contributors. Returning from last year’s team, Parmley, Hincka, DeBoer and center Cassidy Boensch stood out from the pack.

Before going down with her season-ending injury in February, Parmley averaged 11.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, both good for third highest on the team. Boensch was able to step into her role after the injury and simply dominate, winning three consecutive GLIAC Player of the Week honors while averaging team highs in points per game, rebounds per game and field-goal percentage at 13.1, 7.1 and 60 percent, respectively.

DeBoer stepped into her role as a battery on the offensive end, scoring 12.3 points per game and grabbing 4.1 rebounds, but she also handed out three assists per game and shot 36.1 percent from 3-point range.

Then there was the newcomer: transfer guard Natalie Koenig.

She started all 33 games the Lakers played and sparked the offense while doing so, scoring 11.5 points per game on 37.3-percent shooting from deep while averaging 3.6 assists per game.

“Obviously, Natalie coming in as a transfer (was big),” DeBoer said. “She was definitely a key role for us because she had experience, especially at guard. I think that she did a lot. Then Korynn and Parm as seniors, they lent a lot of leadership for us on and off the court.

“And then Maddie (Dailey), she didn’t play very much last year, either, and she kind of stepped in along with (Victoria Hademark), so I think a lot of people had, not breakout years, but there were a lot of us who didn’t play a lot last year who had to step up this year. Then, obviously, Cassidy when Parm went down, she really stepped up.”

Once conference tournament season rolled around, the Lakers found themselves as the No. 3 seed behind the only two teams that could beat them. They made it through Northern Michigan and Ferris State, beating both teams for the third time that season. Ashland awaited them in the championship game, where GVSU was once again unable to take down the queens of the conference.

Fortunately, the Lakers were still given an at-large bid into the Division II National Tournament as a five seed. Their first round opponent? Michigan Tech.

LEADER ON OFFENSE: GVSU sophomore point guard Jenn DeBoer scans over her defender to find an open person during the Lakers’ overtime loss to No. 1 ranked Ashland on Thursday, Feb. 15, at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. The Lakers finished their season with a 26-7 overall record (16-4 GLIAC). GVL | DYLAN MCINTYRE

MARCH 15, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A10 | SPORTS SOFTBALL

GV softball picks up 10 more wins over spring break

BY KELLEN VOSS KVOSS@LANTHORN.COM

The week off for spring break was more than eventful for the Grand Valley State softball team, as they went 10-2 in their road trip to Clermont, Florida. With the wins, the Lakers improved their overall record to 13-5 as they are in the midst of a five-game winning streak.

The phenomenal pitching all week was the main ingredient in GVSU’s successful recipe, as they only gave up three runs or fewer in 11 of the 12 games.

The elite pitching was highlighted by five shutouts and two no-hitters, one from Allie Grys against Urbana and a perfect game from Allison Lipovsky against Notre Dame College of Ohio.

Coach Dana Callihan was very impressed with the team’s hot start and didn’t see many things her team needed to improve.

“We really started meshing pretty well over the break,” Callihan said. “I thought our bats were a little sluggish at the start, but for the most part, we were doing what we needed to do, and I’m really happy with how our team played.”

Any baseball or softball fan knows that perfect games aren’t a common thing, so it’s quite impressive when they happen.

This was exactly the case Monday, March 5, when Lipovsky threw 14 strikeouts over seven spectacular innings to throw a

BASE COACH: One of the GVSU softball base coaches talks to Tanner Kiessel after she hits a single during the Lakers’ road contest against Lewis University on March 28, 2017.

During their recent trip to Kissimmee, Florida, the Lakers won 10 of 12 games to improve their overall record to 13-5 early on before even playing at home. GVL | KEVIN SIELAFF

perfect game for the Lakers.

“The atmosphere was fantastic, and I couldn’t ask for more from my teammates,” Lipovsky said. “Everybody was cheering me on. We made adjustments as a team, and lots of communication on and off the field with my teammates played a key role.”

Every superstitious fan knows that when a pitcher is having a dominate per-

formance like this, it is not talked about during the game to allow the pitcher to relax and stay calm.

“You don’t do anything to mess with her mentality, so we just let her be alone, and we didn’t even talk about it after the game with the team,” Callihan said. “Our goal is always just to get the win, and if there is a perfect game, so be it, but as long as we get the

win, that’s all we care about.”

When asked about the game, Callihan also brought up the fact that this perfect game was a team effort.

“We knew (Lipovsky) was throwing well, but at the same time, she was throwing well all week, so we didn’t even realize just how good she was playing,” Callihan said. “We did a great job throwing the ball down there, but our catchers

BACKSTOP: GVSU catcher Jessica Ramos waits for the pitch to cross the plate during the Lakers’ contest against Lewis University on March 28, 2017. The Lakers will next face Ferris State in their home opener Wednesday, March 21, at the GVSU softball field. GVL | KEVIN SIELAFF

UP H C T A C

K C A TR N O Y A • ST

also called great games, the defense worked well behind the mound and we got the bats going when we needed it. So, it was a true team effort.”

Throughout the game, Lipovsky was so locked in that she didn’t even realize which inning they were in as the game continued on.

“I get myself in the mental state I need to be in, and we go out there; the only things I know are the batter I’m facing and what number in the order they are,” Lipovsky said. “I didn’t know I threw a perfect game until coach told me after the game. I don’t focus on how well I’m doing; I just try to get the job done.”

Long road trips like this one are a great way to form bonds and create chemistry among a team, and Callihan thought her already-close team only got closer on the trip.

“Going on the road together, we spent so much time with each other, and we’re getting to know each other a little better,” Callihan said. “We’ve been together for literally six months already, but our good team chemistry got even better in Florida.”

Lipovsky also believes the team has great chemistry, as evidenced by the fact that her favorite memory from the trip was playing music and dancing in the dugout with her teammates before their games.

“The chemistry we have this year is a lot different than what we’ve had in years past,” Lipovsky said. “Everyone gets along and understands

their position, where they need to be and their role on the team, and that’s huge.”

After a solid stretch like this one, it’s safe to say this team is heading into the season with high expectations, but Callihan is not letting this team get distracted, as their mindset is simply to take things day to day.

“We try not to focus on the big picture too much. We take every pitch one at a time, and that’s what we’re focusing on,” Callihan said. “We know what we’re capable of, and we got a bit of a target on our back in the conference, so we got to be ready for that every pitch.”

Despite this mindset, there is no shortage of confidence among the players on this team. When it comes to looking toward the future, Lipovsky believes it will be very bright.

“This is one of the best teams I’ve ever played on, and I think as long as we don’t beat ourselves, we can go all the way,” Lipovsky said. “Our staff is one of the best in the country, we have some of the most disciplined hitters and we work really hard on defense. When we play the game as best as we can play, there’s no team better than us.”

After the spring break trip, the Lakers improve to 13-5 and currently sit behind only Davenport for second place in the GLIAC. They open conference play with a doubleheader against Ferris State on Wednesday, March 21, at the GVSU softball field. The games are at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

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SPORTS | A11

M. GOLF

W. GOLF

GV men’s golf finishes third at Las Vegas Desert Classic

BY D’ANGELO STARKS DSTARKS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State men’s golf team kicked off its spring season at the Las Vegas Desert Classic over the spring break period.

It was a strong performance for the Lakers as they finished third collectively as a team. The team shot 886 (+23) for the weekend, one shot away from tying second-place Oklahoma Christian University. West Florida, the No. 1 ranked program in Division II, finished in first, shooting -6 under par as a team.

The Lakers had two golfers finish in the top 10: seniors Domenic Mancinelli and Alex Scott. Mancinelli turned in a great performance, finishing fourth with a three-round total of 213. Alex Scott finished tied for eighth with a three-round total of 219.

“It was a pretty positive experience. We played well enough to have a pretty good showing, and we managed to beat some ranked teams by a lot,” said head coach Gary Bissell.

“It also kind of exposed us. We played with the No. 1 team in the country the last two days, and it gave

us a bird’s eye view of what we need to work on.”

The Lakers did come into the event with a bit of a disadvantage. Having to deal with Michigan winters, the team has to spend the majority of its time between the fall season and the spring season practicing indoors.

So, facing off against teams who are located mostly in the South made it a little more difficult for the Lakers, who hadn’t golfed outdoors all winter, instead spending their time practicing at the Kelly Family Sports Center.

“You can’t simulate golf 100 percent, but luckily we have access to some great facilities,” Bissell said. “We mostly tried to work on skill stuff and enhancing skills. We can do nearly everything you can do on a golf course except for actually play. We work on trajectory, shot shaping and distance control. The main goal was to have everyone get a little better than they were in the fall.”

The team is led by three captains, who also happen to be the top three golfers.

Mancinelli, Scott and Mitchell White have proven themselves to Bissell as the three players he can rely on to post strong scores consistently.

However, Bissell knows that if the players want to reach their goals, they will need to get production out of the fourth and fifth golfers on the team. Bissell believes they can get that type of production out of their fourth golfer, freshman Eric Nunn. “(Nunn is) mega-skilled, and he’s got a lot of great physical tools,” Bissell said.

“For a freshman, he’s about as good as it gets at this level.

He’s got some things to clean up, which we worked on over the winter. The physical stuff is there. It just comes down to him growing mentally a little bit and getting the intangibles down.”

The Lakers are poised to have a strong spring season, and they have high expectations to match.

“Our main goal is to get better every day, and the culmination of that is we are always looking to the postseason,” Bissell said. “We want to win the Conference Championship, win our Super Regional and win Nationals.”

The team hopes to get back outside and golf by the end of this month for practice. Until then, the Lakers will be traveling to Lexington, Kentucky, this weekend to play in the SVSU Spring Invitational.

FOLLOW-THROUGH: GVSU women’s golfer Abbey Pierce holds her follow-through after teeing off a shot during a team practice at the Meadows Golf Course on Sept. 20, 2017. GVL | EMILY FRYE

LINING UP: GVSU women’s golfer Samantha Moss looks down the course before hitting a drive during one of their team practices at the Meadows Golf Course on Sept. 20, 2017. GVL | EMILY FRYE

Season preview: GV women’s golf entering spring season ‘mentally tough’

BY LOUIS RICARD LRICARD@LANTHORN.COM

STRUTTING: GVSU men’s golfer Brent Marshall walks around the course after hitting a long drive during the team’s fall practice at the Meadows Golf Course on Sept. 19, 2017. GVL | MATT READ

CHIPPING: Members of the GVSU men’s golf team practice their short game during a practice on Sept. 19, 2017. The Lakers placed third during their first tournament of the spring. GVL | MATT READ

The Grand Valley State Kelly Family Sports Center is used to welcoming big track meets, lively and hard-fought lacrosse games, or even intense intramural plays. But today seems different.

There is no sound. No loud and angry father arguing with the referee. No uproar from the crowd to compliment a good play. There is just silence. Silence everywhere, as if it took the building hostage.

On the turf stand seven members of the GVSU women’s golf team holding golf clubs as if they were about to swing, looking at the ball, immobile. The coaches and trainers are nearby, observing what’s taking place. One of the trainers tosses a golf ball in the direction of one of the golfers, hoping to get a reaction. Nothing.

This offseason has been quite unorthodox for the women of the Laker golf team.

According to head coach Rebecca Mailloux, mental strength became a focal point of the women’s training.

“Every Monday we had a different theme: confidence, course management and playing under pressure,” Mailloux said. “Everybody can work on their swings and perfect some aspect of the game, but those who spend time deep diving

into what their weaknesses are mentally and changing some behaviors and patterns is really the difference maker.”

The goal of this unique way of training is to get ready for any scenario that can take place during a tournament. According to Mailloux, it’s easy to get into one’s head as a tournament unfolds. The negative self-talk is one of the major aspects Mailloux has tried to teach her golfers to get away from.

“They are all very competitive, and when they have this idealistic round in their mind and when it doesn’t go that way, they get beat up a little bit, and the negative talk gets out of control,” she explained.

The mental training is one aspect of the women’s routine, but there is still an 18-hole course to be conquered at the end of the day.

According to senior Samantha Moss, strength became an asset for both herself and most of her teammates.

The golfers practiced five to six days a week while hitting the gym at least three times a week. “(Jacob Meissner), our strength and conditioning intern, he has really helped us get stronger, and a lot of girls have been getting more distance with all their clubs,” Moss said.

Over spring break, GVSU had the chance to showcase their power in a tournament down in Wesley Chapel,

Florida. The team won the tournament, but sophomore Maria Sol Pose lost in a playoff round to win the individual trophy.

“The first two days, nobody played their best,” Moss said. “Our expectations weren’t too crazy, but I think a lot of the girls handled themselves pretty well out there.”

GVSU lost several players this past season, and Moss did not think this year would go the way it has so far. Being the only senior of the team, Moss had to become a leader both on and off the course, and she’s accepted that responsibility with open arms. However, one thing is missing to complete her trophy case.

“I definitely want to win a collegiate tournament,” Moss said. “I haven’t been able to do that yet, but I am on the right track to make it happen this year.”

Her ambitions go beyond a single tournament for her team, and both Moss and Mailloux are excited to see what this team could do on the national stage.

“They determine their course of success as the year goes on, how hard do they want to work and do they believe that they can do it,” Mailloux said. “’Cause ultimately they have the talent to do it. We’ve seen the best competition in Division II, and I put this team against anybody in Division II.”

MARCH 15, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

SPORTS | A12

ATHLETIC DEPT.

STUDENT SECTION: GVSU wide receiver Brandon Bean sits with the GVSU student section after the Lakers defeated the Tiffin Dragons during the football team’s Senior Day at Lubbers Stadium Nov. 11, 2017. On Tuesday, March 13, the GVSU athletic department sent out a survey to all current GVSU students in order to better understand the student body and how to improve GVSU home games. GVL | EMILY FRYE

GV Athletics releases survey to enhance game-time atmosphere

BY ROBBIE TRIANO SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

In a recent effort to enhance game-time operations and atmosphere, Grand Valley State Athletics sent out a survey to every current GVSU students’ email address on Tuesday, March 13.

The survey doesn’t focus on the overall student engagement at athletic events, but rather aims to acquire more information about the overall lifestyle of GVSU students. According to Doug Lipinski, GVSU deputy director of athletics and external relations, the survey was created to better understand

the entire GVSU student body and how to cater to students’ needs at events.

“As we prepare for next year and the 2018 football season, we want to engage our students on their lifestyle,” Lipinski said. “We don’t want to scold our students for not going to games.

We just want to know about how the average student lives their lives.”

Questions range from how students use transportation, involvement of clubs/ organizations around campus, food options, the most efficient way to be notified about athletic events, which GVSU sports students prefer

to watch and more.

Less than 24 hours after being sent out, the survey had accumulated around 1,200 respondents.

A few of the questions revolve around the idea of possibly implementing beer and alcohol sales during football games at Lubbers Stadium.

After many major Division I programs started selling beer at football games—including the University of Texas, University of Minnesota and 32 other schools—the idea of joining the bandwagon is one that Athletics is seriously considering.

GVSU also has a liquor license.

“Now that there’s a large number of schools doing it

and that the tailgating scene continues to grow, we want to collect as much data as possible to see if our students would be open to the idea,” Lipinski said. “Research shows that if there is a controlled environment and licensed vendors distributing alcohol at sporting events, there’s a trend of less binge drinking prior to the event.”

After the survey closes, the athletic department will take the data recorded and share the results with student focus groups, football season ticket holders and the donors of the GVSU Irwin Club, the primary funding arm of the athletic department. The plan is that this

L A K E R E XC H A N G E

will be the first of many surveys sent to the GVSU student body by the athletic department.

“We wanted this survey to be pretty general, basic and easy for students to use and obtain the most information about our student body,” Lipinski said. “Once we begin to notice certain trends in the data, we’ll be asking more in-depth questions about those topics.”

Lipinski—and the rest of GVSU Athletics—has been attempting to solve a downward trend of student school spirit and overall participation when it comes to events and games.

During the football team’s final home game against Tiffin, a message appeared on the

Lubbers Stadium scoreboard— the largest in all of Division II—that read, “Don’t be a fair weather fan. Stay and cheer until the game is over!”

This school year alone, the department has released “Laker Nation,” a mobile application to inform users about event dates and times, as well as a benefit program that rewards students who attend events with coupons and free prizes to local restaurants and businesses.

“We have a good idea of what our hurdles are as a department,” Lipinski said. “It all starts with knowing our student body and how they live at Grand Valley.”

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Looking for female to sublease 12 month lease at Meadows for 2018-2019.

Contact me for more detail at dudaal@mail.gvsu.edu

Sublease needed for 1 bedroom apartment at Enclave for May 2018 thru August 2018. Apartment is conveniently located next to gym, pool, community center, grills, and fire pit.

Contact sarah for more d e t a i l s a t cartesar@mail.gvsu.edu.