GRAND VALLEY
STUDENT SENATE ELECTIONS 2018
Have You
VOTED?! VOTING IS MARCH 26 - APRIL 1 gvsu.edu/studentsenate/elections
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 Student Senate Election Guide inside
M O N D A Y, M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 8 // VO L . 52 N O. 52
‘Enough is enough’ gvsu.edu/studentsenate/elections
DEMANDING ACTION: Student leaders from Forest Hills Northern High School walk during the ‘March for Our Lives’ in Grand Rapids on Saturday, March 24. The march corresponded with others held across the country, each demanding gun-control reform. The marches were organized in response to the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14. GVL | EMILY FRYE
Thousands march for gun reform in Grand Rapids BY EMILY DORAN EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM
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n conjunction with marches held nationwide, thousands of demonstrators gathered at Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids on Saturday, March 24, to express support for victims of gun violence and demand more gun-control legislation. Grand Rapids’ “March for Our Lives,” which featured fiery speeches, a table where participants could register to vote and a visually powerful walk through the city’s most populated streets, was organized entirely by West Michigan high school students. “We hope … to have our voices heard and to have legislators act on sensible gun-control laws,” said Emily Dieffenbach, a sophomore at Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids who helped organize the event. “We’re going to demand action from our legislators until there’s change.” Prior to the march, the organizers held a rally at noon in Rosa Parks Circle that featured performances from the Grand Rapids Justice Choir and speeches from students and other individuals who demanded guncontrol reform at the congressional level.
Several speakers even threatened to vote “inactive” politicians out of office in November, prompting the crowd to erupt into chants of “Vote them out” at several points throughout the rally and subsequent march. As part of the event, the speakers and organizers offered concrete opportunities for participants to make a difference and continue their support of gun-control reform even after the conclusion of the march. “We’re encouraging people to participate through civic action by writing letters to their state legislators,” said Kathleen Fallon, a senior at Forest Hills Northern who was manning a table with letter-writing materials, sample wording and the addresses of state legislators and representatives. A sophomore student from Forest Hills Northern offered a raw and emotional plea for gun-control reform from the podium, describing the fear she and other students experienced going to school. “As high school students, it is so damn hard to process that kids our age and younger were killed,” she said. “How are we supposed to live our lives knowing that we could be gunned down at any minute? … We have normalized mass shootings. … We
have normalized active-shooter drills.” The sophomore vehemently condemned naysayers who doubted the effectiveness of teenagers participating in the “March for Our Lives” movement. “Politicians and pundits on TV are trying to discredit us by saying that nobody will ever listen to a bunch of teenagers,” she said. “That the Parkland students are too emotional to enact change. That this organic, student-led movement will never work because we are only teenagers. We’re too emotional, too stupid, too young, … too occupied with social media on our phones to do anything. “So what? We are emotional. We are angry. We are disgusted with our (representatives). They claim to care about our lives, but we all know they care more about money and their jobs.” Many demonstrators carried signs condemning assault rifles, the push to arm teachers in their classrooms and the National Rifle Association itself. Statements such as “Enough is enough,” “My thoughts and prayers include laws and change,” “Fear has no place in school” and “Protect lives, not guns” were plastered over cardboard signs and held high throughout the day. A science teacher from Rockford High
School offered his perspective on arming teachers, a potential solution to mass shootings in schools that has been proposed by some politicians, including President Donald Trump. “I’m a teacher, and my classroom is a sacred place,” he said. “It is a place to learn, to grow, to feel safe. It is not a place to bring a weapon. … (My classroom) is the antithesis of everything a gun represents.” Participants at the march also addressed the potential concerns of locals who own guns and might be wary of the changes being demanded. “National legislation affects all of us, obviously,” Fallon said. “And especially here in Grand Rapids, I know plenty of people who love to go hunting. That’s like a big thing, and I think the big push and pull here is with the people who love that recreational activity and those of us who see gun control less of taking that right away but helping kids within our communities stay safer.” Dieffenbach offered another way to localize the national movement to West Michigan. “Parkland is no different than the school I go to,” she said. SEE MARCH | A2
ADMINISTRATION
Search for new dean of students down to four BY SARAH HOLLIS SHOLLIS@LANTHORN.COM
As the end of the 2017-18 academic year approaches, the Grand Valley State University student senate continues to work on finishing projects and preparing for the transition to a new body. The general assembly on Thursday, March 22, had an agenda full of important information. The most notable announcement during the general assembly was that the search for the new vice provost for student affairs and dean of students is nearing completion. While the names of the final four candidates are still confidential, the dates and times of when they will be giving presentations at GVSU have been released. Each candidate will come to GVSU on their own day, give a presentation about themselves and why they should have the position, and meet the faculty and staff they could potentially be working with. The dates are Friday, March 30; Tuesday, April 3; Thursday, April 5; and Friday, April 6. All the presentations will be from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
“This position sits on the provost cabinet, which oversees all of academics,” said student senate president Jonathan Bowman. “So, it’s a really important position to be able to be connected with students, to know what students are going through, to have a good relationship with students, and so obviously we want whoever is in that position to be student-centered, student-focused and have student concerns in mind when making decisions.” More progress has also been made regarding the possibility of a fall break at GVSU. Nothing can be confirmed yet, but recommendations from the fall break task force were brought to the executive committee of the senate (ECS) on Friday, March 23. “Really, it’s still all up in the air, unfortunately,” Bowman said. “ECS discussions will happen (Friday), and then it’ll go, hopefully, to the University Academic Senate, to their general body. Then they’ll make a firm decision. I hope that we’ll have a good result after the next couple weeks.” SEE SENATE | A2
POLICY: GVSU student senate president Jonathan Bowman (center) and vice president Dan Ziegenfelder during the general assembly Thursday, March 15. On Thursday, March 22, senate discussed the search for a new vice provost. GVL | HANNAH HILL