Issue 59, April 19th, 2018 - Grand Valley Lanthorn

GRAND VALLEY

Finals Survival Guide SEE PAGE A6

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, A P R I L 1 9, 2 0 1 8 // VO L . 52 N O. 5 9

TRADITIONS

2018 Pres.

Ball costs total over $130K

Student senate sets 2018-19 budget Club sports again receive largest increase in allocations

BY JENNA FRACASSI AND ARPAN LOBO ASSOCIATE@LANTHORN.COM

February’s Presidents’ Ball ran a deficit for the third consecutive year for a combined total of around $30,000, according to an analysis of documentation provided to the Grand Valley Lanthorn by the Grand Valley State University Office of Student Life (OSL).

This year’s Presidents’ Ball general budget, which is not yet final, shows a loss of about $9,000. This is after the event generated $87,701 in ticket revenue and received $40,000 in allocation from the Student Life Fund. Expenses totaled $136,485.82.

The expenses’ total is slightly smaller than what was spent for the event in 2017. In 2017, Presidents’ Ball expenses came out to $138,790.74. However, the Student Life Fund allocated $45,000 to Presidents’ Ball in 2017.

The deficit can be attributed to cost increases for traditional Presidents’ Ball expenses, as well as a decrease in allocation money. For example, SMG Grand Rapids, the management firm tasked with managing DeVos Place, received a payment of $23,683 to cover both the deposit and reservation fee from the OSL. This is more than $2,000 more than the 2017 expense of $21,477.25. Captus Creative, the company tasked with designing the lighting and entertainment for the event, also received more than $1,000 more in 2018 than in the previous year.

Another line item that could be reduced: the online ticketing service that cost $7,807 for the 2018 ball.

LeaAnn Tibbe, associate director of student life, explained that the online transaction fees are absorbed into the Presidents’ Ball budget, as event organizers didn’t want to charge students the fees (these prices ranged from $2 to $3 extra per ticket).

SEE BALL | A2

BY ARPAN LOBO NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

G

rand Valley State University’s student senate has set the university’s 201819 Student Life Fund. The fund jumps from $1.07 million for fiscal year (FY) 2017-18 to just below $1.1 million for FY 2018-19.

Club sports once again received the largest increase in allocations for the coming academic year, increasing from $425,000 to $440,000.

Senate finance chair Carly Aller explained that the bump in allocations is meant to benefit students who participate in club sports at GVSU. An increase in the amount of money senate dispenses to club sports means less money has to be paid in dues by club athletes. This money is typically spent on equipment and leases for off-campus venues where certain sports take place.

This increase is similar to the one that took place in 2017, when senate increased club sports’ allocation

from $396,000 to $425,000.

Other increases include the reinsertion of the Greek Life Council. The council, which had been folded into senate after the 201516 school year, was reinserted for 2018-19 with an allocation of $14,500. Its purpose is to coordinate Greek life activities at GVSU, such as Greek Week and Lipsync.

The student media budget at GVSU, which funds the Grand Valley Lanthorn, Grand Valley Television (GVTV) and WCKS

The Whale increased from $80,000 to $89,200.

The travel fund designated for student organizations increased from $79,500 to $85,300. Aller explained that “the volume of travel requests has been increasing for years.”

Councils and subgroups receive increases or decreases in funding based on the amount of money used during a fiscal year. If one category of SEE BUDGET | A2

FINANCES

HEALTH

GV tentatively approved for bump in state funding

GV Wellness looking for student support of smoking ban

Increased allocation would move university closer to lower-tuition goal

BY DEVIN DELY DDELY@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University may be a little closer to reaching its goal for state funding.

In March, GVSU President Thomas Haas and members of student senate took the fight to Lansing, where they spoke in front of Michigan State Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker’s Appropriations Subcommittee for Higher Education. The funding on the table for higher education in Michigan as a whole was $17 million more than what Gov. Rick Snyder had originally proposed, increasing from $28.6 million to $45.6 million. GVSU will receive 3.7 percent of the $45.6 million. Last week, student senators learned that the committee had approved this request.

“We’re super excited,” said Cameron Jones, student senate vice president-elect for external relations. “This is what we’ve been working towards all year. It’s progress. I was told when I started this

project to expect no progress, but the fact that we did get a budget increase this year is huge. It means that we could hit that target a lot sooner to get that drop in tuition.”

The drop in tuition Jones mentioned is in reference to a promise

by Haas to lower tuition by $2,000 if GVSU is able to obtain a state average in university funding, which amounts to about $5,000 per student.

According to Julian VanDaele, a student senator on the external relations committee who worked on the state funding project, the 3.7-percent of increase “will not take us there, but it’ll get us closer (to our goal).”

Money from this proposal will be divided up for different uses, including campus security and sexual assault prevention, mental health initiatives, and university operations. Western Michigan University will get the smallest share of the $45.6 million at 2.6 percent.

However, the decision is not final yet; Michigan’s Senate and House must vote on the proposed increase separately before it can be finalized. VanDaele thinks it

will pass, though, citing Schuitmaker’s advocacy for the funding as well as GVSU and Oakland University’s joint letter-drive efforts as reasons for his confidence.

“We gathered about 400 letters, and we’re going to send them out to state reps within the next week,”

VanDaele said. “So, they’re going to get an influx of letters to put more money in the higher education budget, specifically for Grand Valley, so that gives this even more of a chance to be put on.”

SEE TUITION | A2

LOOK AHEAD: Student senate holds a meeting Thursday, April 5. GVSU expects to receive additional state funding from Lansing. GVL | SHEILA BABBITT

BY ARPAN LOBO NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University is just one of two public institutions in Michigan that has yet to go tobacco-free.

In late March, GVSU student senate voted against supporting a proposal that would implement a tobacco ban on the university’s campuses. The proposed ban wasn’t just limited to traditional cigarettes: Vaporizers and e-cigarettes also fell under the proposal.

Despite the proposal falling short at senate, representatives from Campus Recreation and other GVSU departments are still pushing to make GVSU a smoke-free campus. Their goal: not to punish smokers, but to push healthier lifestyles for students, faculty and staff.

Amy Campbell, associate director of Campus Recreation, and Lindsey DesArmo, health and wellness manager for Human Resources, spoke to senate about the proposal. Despite the SEE SMOKING | A2

APRIL 19, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A2 | NEWS

BALL

NEWS BRIEFS

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EXAM CRAM STUDY BREAK OFFERS STUDENTS TIME TO RELAX

It’s no secret that finals week is stressful. For those struggling to cope with the crushing amount of work on their shoulders heading into the home stretch, the Grand Valley State University Office of Multicultural Affairs is hosting its winter semester Exam Cram Study Break from Monday, April 16, to Friday, April 20.

Here, students will have the opportunity to decorate their graduation caps and gowns, color, listen to music, dance, munch on snacks and receive massages (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday only). The Exam Cram will take place in the Kirkhof Center, Room 1240, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

FIRST-EVER LAKERPALOOZA BRINGING EXCITEMENT TO GV

Laker Traditions, Whale Radio and Spotlight Productions are teaming up to host the first-ever Lakerpalooza on Friday, April 20. The event will be packed with live music, games, inflatables and food.

The event is scheduled to run from noon to 4 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center.

‘CIVICIZE ME’ TO MAKE COMMUNITY VOICES HEARD Grand Valley State University’s student senate, in association with the Community Service Learning Center and Michigan Voice, is hosting a LIB 100- and 201-approved event called “Civicize Me” at the DeVos Center on Saturday, April 21, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The free event is intended to give Lakers and community members the ability to make their voices heard in their school, city and state. It is intended to focus on different levels of local government and their functions and give attendees useful tools to make an impact.

Tibbe believes the shift to online ticketing is worth it.

She said it’s much more convenient for students, especially those located downtown, to not have to go to the 2020 Information Desk located in the Kirkhof Center. The change to online ticketing happened because it’s easier for 2020 to administer, according to Tibbe. Selling physical tickets meant that a lot of money was collected at the 2020 Desk, and the staff was not trained to handle that, she said.

This year’s Presidents’ Ball saw a decrease in charges for online ticketing. In 2017, the OSL spent $11,694.30 for online ticketing services, around $4,000 less. In 2016, the last year before sales went exclusively online, tickets cost $1,818.88.

One area that did see an increase in cost, however, was

DETROIT COUPLE PROVIDES SCHOLARSHIP BOOST TO GV STUDENTS

Detroit natives Bob and Ellen Thompson have committed themselves to changing the lives of Grand Valley State University students—even if they may never meet them. The Thompsons, who recently sold their asphalt company (the largest in Michigan) after 40 years in business, are providing 100 incoming first-year students and 25 Michigan college transfer students with $5,000 from their foundation, the Thompson Working Family Scholarship Foundation.

The money is intended to go to hard-working families who cannot afford to pay for their students’ education.

LAKERS PREPARE TO SHOW OFF ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

Not everybody has what it takes to be an engineer.

Students from Grand Valley State University will have the chance to showcase their skills at GVSU Project Day on Thursday, April 19, from 10 a.m. to noon. The event will take place at the Kennedy Hall of Engineering and Keller Engineering Labs on the GVSU Pew Campus.

For more information, visit www.gvsu.edu/pcec/.

VOL . 52

NO. 59

Lan thorn EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief EMILY DORAN Associate Editor JENNA FRACASSI

PROMOTIONS Promotions Manager SHAYNA KOZKOWSKI ADVERTISING STAFF Advertising Manager

News Editor ARPAN LOBO

IAN BORTHWICK

Sports Editor ROBBIE TRIANO

KATARINA ZOMER

Laker Life Editor TY KONELL A&E Editor ANNE MARIE SMIT Image Editor

Campus Accounts Manager

Account Executive RACHEL MOORE Ad Designer LIAM CARTER BUSINESS STAFF

EMILY FRYE

Business Manager SHELBY CARTER

Digital Editor MATT READ

Asst. Business Manager ALEXIS LAMB

Layout Editor RACHEL SPRING

Distribution Manager MEGHAN FITZGERALD

Layout Designer MAX GELDHOF WEB TEAM

DAP-UP: GVSU President Haas on Feb. 2. GVL | EMILY FRYE

BUDGET CONTINUED FROM A1

student life is requesting additional funding for projects, while another is not using its total allocation, money can be shifted accordingly. Senate also has a reserve fund if groups use up their total allocation.

Notable decreases in funding include the Laker Traditions allocation dropping from $40,000 to $33,000. The drop in allocations can be attributed to Battle of the Valleys, the university’s annual charity competition with rival Saginaw Valley State University, being shifted from a collaboration between Laker Traditions and student senate to a solely senate-operated promotion.

According to Aller, this resulted in the student sen-

TUITION CONTINUED FROM A1

According to VanDaele, this project has opened the door for a lot more university collaboration on various issues.

“Because of this initiative, now we (all the universities) are having ideas on how to partner on a

Web Manager JUSTIN GREEN

SMOKING CONTINUED FROM A1

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vote falling short at senate, they still hope to garner more student support in the upcoming academic year.

“It was a risk we took,” Campbell said. “But at least we got the conversation going, and I think it’s a good thing that students are talking about it.”

The early draft of Campbell and DesArmo’s policy earned support from GVSU Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Maria Cimitile, Acting Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Stephen Glass, the athletic department, Admissions Office, Housing and Residence Life, the University Counseling Center, the College of Health Professions and the GVSU Police Department.

The GVSU Wellness Task Force, which consists of 19 different GVSU and GVSUaffiliated departments, supported the early draft as well.

With strong support from various departments, Campbell

the 2018 Presidents’ Ball promotional video. The video’s production cost $7,100 in 2018, whereas in 2017, the video team received a payment of just $5,570 for the production. The video is done every year through the Promotions Office video team.

Tibbe explained why she believes using an in-house production team is beneficial.

“I’ve never gone outside (OSL) because it’s just like we use our promotions team,” she said. “It’s paying a student who is getting paid a wage plus getting a great experience. … I’ve never priced it elsewhere because, I mean, I just know the cost of video.”

Tibbe was not optimistic about the prospect of contracting with a company outside of the university to make the video more cheaply. Sill, she is open to the idea of other student or professional organizations outside of the OSL filming the promo video in the future.

“It might be something that we want to look at next year, is to have a couple different people say, ‘Here’s how much we charge, and here’s how much the quote would be,’” she said.

Len O’Kelly, current adviser of GVTV, said via email that “the organization would likely be willing to help in the future.” He added that there is a number of GVTV members who work/have worked for the video team, so there would be a familiarity with the process.

Despite Tibbe’s studentdriven intentions, not all GVSU students see the value in spending around $7,000 on a promotional video. Nate Dreyer, a GVSU student who did not attend this year’s Presidents’ Ball, said the video is not essential to

ate internal operating budget being increased from $20,000 to $22,000.

Spotlight Productions, the organization responsible for events like the spring concert, saw its budget decrease from $170,000 to $160,000. However, Aller said that the organization has a reserve of $50,000 stemming from the cancellation of the 2017 spring concert.

Senate president-elect Rachel Jenkin believes the budget reflects the time and effort of Aller and the finance committee. “(The) decisions that were made were based on use or the lack of requests coming from certain organizations in their field,” Jenkin said. “It’s all really based on the usage from these organizations.

the event’s promotion.

“I honestly have never seen the video. I had no clue it existed,” Dreyer said.

“It wouldn’t have done anything to make me want to go to Presidents’ Ball.”

An OSL survey appeared to confirm Dreyer’s assessment.

The survey was sent to all students who purchased dance tickets. Just 11, or five percent, out of the 202 respondents listed the video as influencing them to buy their ticket. By contrast, 153 students, or more than 75 percent, responded as being influenced by friends who were going to the ball. An additional 49 students, or about 25 percent, answered that word of mouth played a role in their decision. (This survey question in particular allowed respondents to answer multiple choices. Other choices included social media, an email sent out by GVSU President Thomas Haas, posters and a newsletter.)

Cutting the promotional video and online ticketing expenses could change the event from running a deficit to making a small profit. Making other changes, too, could lead to the ball requiring less money from the student-funded Student Life Fund that could then go to other causes.

There is no policy for venue price comparison, either, according to Tibbe. Without competitive pricing, the payment to SMG could continue to increase going forward, as the increased charge by SMG inflated expenses this year. Nonetheless, Tibbe doesn’t believe there is another venue suitable to host Presidents’ Ball.

“I really have to go there (DeVos Place) because I don’t have another venue big enough

in Grand Rapids for 4,500 people,” Tibbe said. “And the location is great because the buses; … that’s a huge plus for us. And again, we did this for students. … Then you’re downtown, you know, and when you’re done, you can go down to any of the venues downtown.”

The 2019 Presidents’ Ball could be headed toward deficit once again, as this will be Haas’ last ball—a momentous celebration in the eyes of both organizers and attendees. Haas’ presence at the event is felt throughout the evening, and even more so at 10 p.m. when he makes his way on stage for a special performance.

“When Haas comes out at 10 o’clock, oh my gosh, (students) go crazy,” Tibbe said.

“So, yeah, we’ll sell out this year because it’s his last year.”

The event is capped at 4,500 people or tickets sold—500 for the dinner/dance and 4,000 for the dance only. Haas’ final Presidents’ Ball is expected to be a grand display for both himself and the university. The Student Life Fund has voted to return Presidents’ Ball’s allocation to $45,000 for 2019. Whether or not the event continues to run a deficit remains to be seen.

“I think it’s excessive to have that large of a budget for an event that only around 20 percent of the student body attends, not to mention that it goes over budget frequently,” said GVSU student Becky Oppman, who has attended Presidents’ Ball in past years. “There are a lot of organizations and clubs around GVSU that could really benefit from receiving a healthier budget, so I think some numbers need to be reconsidered in future years.”

SMILE: GVPD Officer Minh Lien during CLN on Sept. 5, 2017. Senate recently passed its budget for the 2018-19 year. GVL | EMILY FRYE

“Carly lives, breathes, and eats finance and the allocation of these monies. There’s definitely countless hours put into making up the budget. (She) and her committee did a great job really taking into account all the

requests from this past year.

Not just this year, but really looking at things holistically and from years past.”

Aller will be replaced by Amanda Crawford as vice president of finance for the 2018-19 school year.

whole bunch of issues,” he said. “This year, with the state funding project, it really was about laying the groundwork. Now that we have the partnership with a lot of other universities that we didn’t have beforehand, we can have a lot more minds on this project. I’m excited to see what happens in these next few years.”

Haas and student senate

will continue to fight for performance-based funding and partner with other schools in the coming years to continue the fight for higher-education funding in the state of Michigan.

“Hopefully, we’re no longer going to be the second-lowest funded,” Jones said. “But it’s going to be an issue until the state begins to fund us the way that we

deserve. All the numbers are there to say that Grand Valley is one of the top schools in the state, and we’re still being funded like we’re a small little college from the 1980s. We’ve doubled our size in the last 20 years; that’s something that no other school in the state has done, and it deserves to be rewarded.”

and DesArmo thought of presenting their proposal directly to university administration.

Yet, student support remains a vital part of the proposal.

“We wanted to make sure to have (student) representation,” DesArmo said. “I feel like having more of that engagement will make a more successful delivery of this.”

“I think we could have presented to administration,” Campbell said. “And that was a decision we made, that we wanted to have student senate support first. It’s important to us, and we value the students.”

Student senate president Jonathan Bowman cited a lack of time to properly discuss the proposal as reasoning for its failure to pass through senate.

Senate president-elect Rachel Jenkin spoke of working toward a solution together.

“We’re obviously willing to work with any administration on any issue,” Jenkin said.

“But we also want to make sure that we’re not just dropping into saying that we want a policy just because it sounds good. We want to make sure

if we’re going to have a policy that it’s something that students are going to follow.”

Jenkin also alluded to providing resources for students who do smoke and use tobacco products on campus. The proposal has a timeline for implementation that would allow a buffer year before the ban would take place. In that time, the university would offer resources and information on quitting smoking.

DesArmo and Campbell’s proposal to senate listed Aug. 1, 2019, as an implementation date. Had the proposal passed, the bulk of the 201819 academic year would have been spent educating students on the proposed changes.

Campbell and DesArmo even administered a survey of GVSU students, which received more than 1,400 respondents. In the survey, 80 percent said they had never used cigarettes, while another 74 percent said they had never used e-cigarettes.

E-cigs and vaping are newer trends for smoking.

They, too, would be prohib-

ited under the ban. DesArmo explained that vapes still pose a public health risk, even if they are not as stigmatized as traditional cigarettes.

“There are chemicals.

There’s nicotine in (vapes),” she said. “We don’t know everything that’s in it because they can put whatever, which would be concerning to me, as I’m taking this in to my body, like I don’t know what’s in it.”

The survey also found that GVSU students are using e-cigs at a rate 10-percent higher than the national average.

As Campbell, DesArmo and the rest of the GVSU Wellness Task Force continue to look for solutions to the issue, they maintain that student involvement and support is vital to the cause.

“We need that voice,” DesArmo said.

Campbell hopes students can get involved so that when the proposal is taken back to student senate, the case will be even stronger. Those interested in working with GVSU Wellness can reach Campbell at campbamy@gvsu.edu.

APRIL 19, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

NEWS | A3

GRADUATION

Class of 2018 celebrates Toast with T. Haas

RAISE A GLASS: GVSU President Thomas Haas toasts the graduating class of 2018 during the annual Toast with T. Haas. The event was organized by Laker for a Lifetime. Haas spoke of the graduating students’ ability to promote the university in their careers and represent their alma mater well in their communities. This was the first Toast with T. Haas since Haas announced his retirement in February. GVL | EMILY FRYE

BY RACHEL MATUSZEWSKI RMATUSZEWSKI@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University’s class of 2018 piled into the Richard M. DeVos Center on Wednesday, April 18, for the annual Toast with T. Haas celebration. Seniors celebrated their pending graduation by toasting with GVSU President Thomas Haas and catching up with friends. The Laker for a Lifetime program has been hosting the event since 2013.

“I think it’s special because it’s their last celebration as stu-

dents,” said Megan Ellinger, head of Laker for a Lifetime.

Student senate president Jonathan Bowman spoke to students about their final days at GVSU and introduced Haas.

“Toast (with) T. Haas is an annual tradition, and it’s fantastic to be able to do this with President Haas for one of the last (times) he will (speak) as president,” Bowman said.

Haas’ speech congratulated multiple professions within the university and invited graduating seniors to become GVSU alumni and Lakers for a Lifetime.

Haas encouraged students on the brink of becoming alumni to promote GVSU in their careers and represent their alma mater well.

He also acknowledged each individual as an extension of his own family.

“Ladies and gentlemen, to the future doctors, lawyers and business people,” Haas said. “To the politicians and the poets, to academics and to athletes. To our brave servicemen and dedicated educators. To our never-ending dedication to one another, to hope and to strength. To

surpass expectations, to success. To you. To those that are with us, steadfast and true. To the black, white and blue, and to the finest class, the grand class of 2018.”

Seniors enjoyed the dessert bar, non-alcoholic drinks and champagne for the toast. Raffle prizes were also awarded to students. The recipients were given prizes that included tickets to GVSU Night at Comerica Park to see a Detroit Tigers game on July 31. Students also stood in line for their last selfie with the president.

“He really has a celebrity

status on campus, so it’s a great opportunity for them to have one last hoorah with him,” Ellinger said. “He’s so personable, and he’s willing to stand and take hundreds of selfies in one night. He’s the kind of guy who genuinely wants to know the students.”

With so many seniors celebrating their graduation, some students near the end of the line were not given a champagne flute with which to toast. To accomodate these students, an announcement was made that graduating seniors who had not received a

commemorative glass could email lakerforalifetime@ gvsu.edu to receive one.

“It’s really exciting to be graduating; it’s (been) a long time coming,” said GVSU student Sara Barber. “I thought the event could have been organized a little better. We waited outside forever, and then they ran out of champagne and wine glasses.”

However, students also enjoyed the celebration.

“I thought it was a cool way to celebrate the four years and hard work we’ve put in,” said GVSU senior Lauren Blatnik.

‘Ditch the Bed’ AMENITIES

Local salon provides safe alternative to tanning beds, campaigns for change

BY JENNA FRACASSI ASSOCIATE@LANTHORN.COM

With no end in sight to Michigan’s winter weather, many people find themselves reminiscing on warmer days and missing their suntanned skin. This desire to look tan is particularly prevalent among college-aged women, many of whom turn to tanning beds to achieve that bronzy glow.

However common tanning may be, there are many proven negative effects associated with using tanning beds.

According to skincancer. org, people who first use a tanning bed before age 35 increase their risk for melanoma—the deadliest form of skin cancer—by 75 percent. And with

so many tanning salons in and around the Allendale area, Grand Valley State University students are frequently targeted as customers.

Tanning is also one of the biggest amenities promoted by off-campus living complexes, with around nine of them offering free tanning to students. “(Complexes offering tanning) are just trying to grab attention, and I guess for me the frustrating thing is they don’t really care what is being done and what’s hurting people in the meantime,” said Lauren Gregory, GVSU alumna and owner of Grand City Tanning and the Laker Babe Cave. “They just want the attention of the amenity versus caring about the

health of the student.”

Gregory’s salons, located in Grand Rapids and Allendale, respectively, offer an alternative to tanning beds in the form of spray tanning, or sunless tanning, where a fine mist is sprayed onto the body. This provides a temporary effect, generally lasting up to seven days, and is safe for your skin.

“When I actually went to Grand Valley, there was a tanning salon on campus, oddly,” Gregory said. “There was an actual tanning-bed tanning salon, and I unfortunately went all the time because I just didn’t understand the complete risks that were being done to me by going into a tanning bed. I just loved the effect of it.”

SEE ANSWERS | A10

After receiving a “bomb” custom spray tan during a visit to New York, Gregory knew she wanted to bring this service back home to West Michigan. This has since ignited her passion for ending tanning-bed tanning completely and has pushed her to get the message out about the dangers of tanning beds, particularly to students.

“We have a campaign called ‘Ditch the Bed,’ so at Campus Life Night last year I think we had like 130 students sign a pledge to not use tanning beds anymore,” Gregory said. “We’re going to keep doing things like that across campus just to get that information across and to kind of reintroduce spray tanning.”

Gregory also spoke to Andy Beachnau, associate vice provost for student services and director of housing and health services at GVSU, who supported her initiative. However, because the complexes that offer free tanning to students are off campus, Beachnau said he can only influence their decisions “like a neighbor can in-

fluence a neighbor.”

“I don’t disagree with (Lauren’s) assessment (on traditional tanning), and I had agreed to encourage like I would a neighbor that maybe (traditional tanning) isn’t something we should be offering students,” Beachnau said. “Now, they’re off campus, they can do whatever they want, but I thought Lauren’s service or store was a good alternative.

“So, I had agreed to kind of remind my neighbors, partners, landlords that maybe this isn’t the best amenity to offer our students. … My overall goal is that students are safe, and if there’s any chance that this kind of tanning could cause students problems down the line, I think we should avoid it.”

Several off-campus apartment complexes could not be reached for comment in time for publication.

Beachnau believes that healthy behavior should be both taught and modeled on campus, and off-campus units should do the same if they can. Still, one of the hindrances in getting tan-

ning removed as an amenity is finding something equally appealing to replace it.

“I think students are interested in amenities that are technology-based, so if I was advising off campus, I would look at things like WiFi and access to technology as a good replacement (for tanning),” Beachnau said.

Gregory said she has reached out to at least five different GVSU organizations to get this issue more prominently featured on campus but has received either no response back or one email and nothing more.

Moving forward, she is hoping to work on getting more student backing before going before the off-campus housing groups to have a “strong discussion on the matter.”

“I have a goal to try to figure out what I can do to make a change with (off-campus housing offering tanning),” she said.

“Honestly, it’s the equivalent of handing three cigarettes out.”

GO TO: WWW.SKINSMARTCAMPUS.ORG/ SITE/ FOR MORE INFORMATION

AT WORK: Madi Krenn works at the front desk of the Laker Babe Cave on Wednesday, March 21. Laker Babe Cave was founded by GVSU alumna Lauren Gregory as a tanning alternative. GVL | EMILY FRYE

A4 | OPINION EDITORIAL

APRIL 19, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON

By Kayleigh Van Overen

Off-campus housing should stop offering tanning

F

ew feelings are better than lying out to tan and enjoying the warmth of the sun, especially considering the distinct lack of sunlight in Allendale lately. To remedy this lack of warmth, many people find themselves resorting to tanning beds to get that bronzy glow. However, because of the dangers associated with the radiation brought on by tanning beds, as well as other negative side effects, frequent tanners are putting themselves at serious risk.

With nearly one dozen locations scattered near Grand Valley State University for students to utilize for tanning, it’s easier than ever for young adults to open themselves up to the risk of developing cancer at an early age as a result of frequenting tanning beds.

Not to mention, many off-campus housing complexes in Allendale offer tanning services to their residents, meaning these cancer crates are as accessible as ever. While GVSU cannot force these apartments to shut down their beds since they are indeed off campus, they, along with everybody else with a strong opinion on the matter, can and should make their voices heard and encourage them to be shut down.

While not everybody who steps into a tanning bed will necessarily develop some form of skin cancer, there are less fatal but nevertheless undesirable

effects associated with this method of skin-bronzing.

According to skincancer. org, the cumulative damage caused by UV radiation can lead to premature skin aging, such as wrinkles, lax skin, brown spots and more. And these are only the non-deadly side effects.

Many people figure they can make a one-time trip to the salon for a skin touch-up, but according to a 2017 study conducted by researchers at Georgetown University, 20 percent of women who tan show signs of a developed dependency on the process. This means that, similar to alcohol or nicotine, tanning can arguably become addictive.

Tanning beds are, in a word, dangerous. Luckily for those who wish to tan their skin for the summer, there are alternatives available, such as spray tans, that are far safer than the UV-ray exposure offered by several off-campus housing complexes. Although spray tans may only last for a week or so, they are much safer than tanning beds.

It is understandable that off-campus housing complexes are looking for amenities to set themselves about from the competition and attract residents to fill their apartments, but surely there are other amenities they could offer. Offcampus housing complexes should switch to offering free cable packages or other perks that draw in potential leasers without jeopardizing their health.

editorial@lanthorn.com

Guest column: Let’s talk about stress

BY KYRA LANSKY, SETH BURTON, OPHÉLIE VÍCO, JORDAN SHEATZLEY AND MAGGIE BUSHEY GVSU STUDENTS EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

Our senior year of college is one that, by design, causes us to reflect. We reflect on the times we’ve had through a series of “lasts,” and we critically analyze the work we’ve done in our capstones—the culminating point of our undergraduate careers. In our communications capstone, we’ve worked with the combined knowledge and experience of the class to fully analyze community and the significance of that definition in our lives.

Furthermore, as a small group, we, the authors of this piece, have worked to identify key issues within two communities with which we are familiar. And

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.

as seniors getting ready to graduate, we thought it fitting to take the time to review our last few years as members of these two groups: Grand Valley State University students, and Grand Valley State University students with parttime jobs.

It didn’t take a thorough analysis to notice a shared and glaring problem within each community: our stress levels. Between 15 hours of class, 30 hours of homework, work, and more every week, students are burning out. Collectively, our last few weeks of college have included tears, coffeestained final essays, library naps and more unhealthy behaviors that have caused us to question just how things have gotten this bad.

And we get it—we’re millennials. We’re almost guaranteed to be met with

eye rolls and declarations of “you think you can have everything handed to you” at the mere slight suggestion that maybe, just maybe, our stress levels are a problem.

But with the mental, physical and emotional health problems we see in college students, especially those with part-time jobs, we couldn’t help but think that there’s a better way.

Do we know exactly what that better way is?

Nope. And some may use that to entirely discredit our argument. But we see things this way: Stress levels of students, or, really, Americans in general, are becoming an epidemic. We glorify busy because busy equals success, and success equals happiness. We are told that anything is accomplishable with some grit and passion, and that if we fail, it’s a reflection of a lack of effort.

We want to challenge that mindset. While we don’t think we can singlehandedly solve the problem of stress that faces our two communities, or the world, we believe that a dialogue must be started. We need to open a conversation, nationally, about the way we glorify “busy.” We need to be more open in speaking of the effects of stress and be honest with ourselves and others when we are at our limits.

While this needs to happen on a large scale, we think we can start with our two communities. So, GVSU students and GVSU students with part-time jobs: We want to hear you.

We understand that classes can’t suddenly be canceled and that many of us still rely on our jobs. However, an important first step in changing this stress epidemic is to start talking about it.

Cynthia Nixon a refreshing choice for governor

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

4/19/18

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

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BY SHAE SLAUGHTER SENIOR ENGLISH MAJOR EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

Politics have long been considered a field that is predominantly filled with old, white men. This assumption isn’t surprising considering that even today, less than 20 percent of congressional positions are filled with either a woman and/ or a minority. However, this year’s election cycle has recorded a record number of women running for office, which is, in

my opinion, a change for the better. One of those women is Cynthia Nixon, and she is a great example of the refreshing change that is starting to show in politics.

Nixon may be better known for her role as Miranda in the hit sitcom “Sex and the City,” but nowadays, she is a strong advocate for LGBTQ rights, women’s health care and better schooling. Perhaps most importantly, she has turned her advocacy into a more active pursuit and is currently running for governor of New York against fellow party member and incumbent Andrew Cuomo.

There is no doubt that Nixon has experienced a lot of success in her life. In some ways, she even seems to be unattainable to average people, but she wasn’t always a hit actress. On her campaign website, she explains that she “grew up in a one-bedroom

fifth floor walk-up” with her mom, and that she started acting to pay for college. She also explains that when she was younger, she believed anything was possible, and she wants to restore that feeling to the youth of New York.

To me, this is a very relatable experience, and I can respect her ability to work hard for her success. Building oneself up from the ground floor is not something frequently seen in politics, at least not historically. That’s why we see dynasties like the Kennedys’ or the Clintons’. What I really appreciate about Nixon is that she is not a classic politician.

She has had a good career in her own right and is now looking to make a difference for her home state.

Nixon represents a lot of what I would like to see in politics moving forward. For one, she is diverse because she is an openly gay woman who has

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QUESTION OF THE ISSUE

had a vast and varied career.

Secondly, she is focusing her campaign on important issues, such as eliminating inequalities that exist within New York, which is a problem that could use fixing throughout the whole country. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, she seems like a real person who is not afraid to be herself, talk to a supporter or tweet a joke.

Ideally, this trend will continue because diversity in politics isn’t even really a matter of diversity—it is a matter of normalcy. Our country is not 80 percent white men, so why should our government be? There is plenty of room for change and growth in politics, and I believe that we’ve seen some progress as recently as the last few months. I look forward to seeing what Nixon does in her campaign but also to seeing these skewed demographics change over time.

DO YOU THINK TANNING SHOULD BE OFFERED AS AN AMENITY IN OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING?

CHENE GOLASZEWSKI

GABI LOCHE

“I think it’s kind of redundant. It’s not something when I go to sign a lease I think about.”

“It doesn’t bother me because it’s not really something I’m interested in.”

YEAR: Junior MAJOR: Computer science systems HOMETOWN: Ludington, Michigan

YEAR: Freshman MAJOR: Psychology, German HOMETOWN: Rochester Hills, Michigan

JAVIER RAMIREZ

MADISSEN KOZEL

“I mean, I’ve heard they’re bad for you, but I don’t really know if there’s any actual proof that it’s bad for you. I mean, people should have that choice.”

“I can see where it would be a selling point. It’s not something I’m really into personally, so it really wouldn’t affect my decision on housing.”

YEAR: Junior MAJOR: Computer science sytems HOMETOWN: Cádiz, Spain

YEAR: Sophomore MAJOR: Music education HOMETOWN: Bangor, Michigan

APRIL 19, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A5 | NEWS COMPARISON

Kent County Animal Shelter euthanasia rate among highest in state

BY DREW SCHERTZER DSCHERTZER@LANTHORN.COM

The Kent County Animal Shelter (KCAS) euthanized 2,002 animals in 2017. That number constitutes one of the highest euthanasia rates in Michigan. Year after year, KCAS’s euthanasia rate continues to be two to three times higher than the Michigan state average, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The number of euthanized animals was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request sent to KCAS. A long debate has existed about whether animal shelters should euthanize animals or not. Some shelters, like the KCAS, believe that adoption and euthanasia are the left and right arms of keeping animal populations in control.

“We have to take in all types of dogs and cats, and the main reason is that the owner has requested the euthanasia of their animal because it was hit by a car or too sick,” said a Kent County Animal Shelter clerk, who asked to remain anonymous. “If an animal is too aggressive, it also has to be euthanized if it is at risk for biting someone.”

KCAS believes that euthanasia is justifiably for the greater good and for aggressive animals. However, Chris Walter, admissions counselor for the Animal Behavior College, expressed a different opinion.

“In my training, I’ve seen the psychology of how dogs think, learn and their needs,” Walter said. “When a dog has aggressive behavioral issues, it isn’t usually an issue with the dog—it is an issue of humans understanding the dog.”

Gerald Byrne, deputy managing director of operations for the Kent County Road Commission, explained that animals being hit by cars isn’t extremely common, either.

“Animals occasionally are hit by cars,” Byrne said. “For people’s pets, the number is low enough to where we don’t keep count.”

While euthanizing animals and the reasons for it are controversial, adoption seems to be a common middle ground.

KCAS handles predominantly dogs and cats. This is how most shelters and humane societies function, specializing in dogs, cats or both. Some, like the KCAS, have room for a few other small animals, such as birds or ferrets.

The policy in place for the KCAS is that the shelter must take in every dog that comes there, the KCAS clerk said. She explained that there are laws for dogs but not for cats. Regardless, according to the clerk, the shelter takes in mainly stray cats.

Carly Luttmann, program supervisor for the KCAS, declined to comment about euthanasia rates. However, in a 2012 interview with The Rapidian, she expressed her opinion of adoption being key

Source: Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

GRAPH: The line graph displays that Kent County Animal Shelter euthanizes more than twice as many animals as the average shelter in Michigan. In 2017, Kent County Animal Shelter euthanized 2,002 animals, one of the highest rates in the state. GVL | DREW SCHERTZER

to lowering rates.

The adoption process begins with applicants having to fill out paperwork. They then have to provide verification that animals are allowed in their homes. The adoption fee is $130 for any dog. Kittens under four months old are $40, and any cats that are older are $5. Animals are required to be spayed and neutered to help lower population by law as well.

Austin Fry, a Grand Valley State University student, adopted a pit bull named Bella from

the KCAS. He believes the process is simple and easy.

“I went there once, and all the dogs were barking except Bella; she was just sitting there,” Fry said. “She’s a child to me, and I can’t imagine not having my dog.”

The KCAS clerk said the shelter can hold around 350 animals at any given time.

Adoption fees are decided by the KCAS to cover the cost of keeping animals in the shelter prior to adoption, transfer, reclamation and euthanasia.

Despite what Fry calls an

easy adoption process, the KCAS had twice as many animals euthanized as animals adopted in 2017.

Critics of kill shelters, like the No Kill Advocacy Center, believe there are alternative routes that don’t involve euthanasia. They list several factors to end kill shelters, including volunteers, behavioral prevention, public involvement and more.

A program in Michigan, the Michigan Pet Fund Alliance, is working toward ending kill shelters across Michigan.

The organization offers ideas similar to those of the No Kill Advocacy Center, as well as rewards for shelters that cut down their euthanasia rates.

There are still many debates about euthanizing animals in Michigan. Many programs are set in place to decrease the number of animals that are euthanized every year. The Michigan state average for euthanasia rates dropped to 14 percent in 2016, but the KCAS currently has a euthanasia rate three times the state average.

ALCOHOL

New study finds that ‘moderate’ drinking isn’t well-defined

BY JAMES KILBORN JKILBORN@LANTHORN.COM

A recent study by The Lancet has found that moderate drinking doesn’t carry the health-related benefits many once thought it did, and many are calling for the guidelines that constitute moderate drinking to be revisited.

The study highlighted the consumption of alcohol in grams per week and found that moderate drinking still carried negative health effects. As many universities across the country work to curb negative alcoholrelated issues that affect student health and performance, the study works to illustrate how the line between “moderate” and “extreme” drinking can sometimes be ambiguous.

Grand Valley State University is no exception to this and has taken efforts to reduce alcohol abuse on campus. Sgt.

Jeff Stoll of the GVSU Police Department stated that the department’s amnesty program in reporting alcohol-related issues increases police responses to potentially dangerous events due to alcohol consumption.

“One of the benefits we’ve had is our medical amnesty law change, where people call for alcohol intoxication and medical-related issues and are encouraged to do so and are granted immunity as a result of that,” Stoll said.

“We’ve gotten more calls for alcohol-related overdoses, which is good because we’re getting treatment to the people who need it, and people are still encouraged to call.”

While the university works to reduce potentially dangerous alcohol-related events, Stoll states that a recent law change passed by the Michigan State Senate allowing minors in possession to receive only a civil infraction may have unforeseen

LIQUOR: A bottle of Pinnacle Vodka. A recent study found that moderate drinking is not clearly defined. GVL | SARA CARTE

consequences and may even cause crimes as a result of alcohol consumption increasing.

“I would say we’re at a very interesting crossroads right now because of the transition from misdemeanor back to civil infraction, so the perception of the law violation is now completely different,” Stoll said.

“I would say one of our concerns is that the diminished punishment could lead to other crimes. If more people are drinking because they view the punishment as less, that would statistically increase the amount of drunk driving, would increase the general amount of fights that happen, property damage, things like that, so you would have a trickle-down criminal effect.

“You might not have as many alcohol arrests. You will have other arrests because people are drinking alcohol.”

Another factor in drinking on campus is weather, as sunny skies and pleasant temperatures tend to draw students outside, where walking from party to party on campus becomes more appealing. Stoll said dreary weather during the winter tends to reduce alcoholrelated enforcement calls, as students tend to stay inside doing other activities.

“I would say we look at alcohol with some concern because of the amounts some people do consume,” Stoll said. “It’s hard to give a grand speculation because we have some weeks where it’s really bad and some weeks were it’s not so bad. We generally get more activity on football game days in the fall; weather is a big dictation of general activity because when the weather’s good, people are out doing things.”

In comparison to other

universities, however, GVSU is fortunate to have fewer alcoholrelated fatalities, with the only one within the past few years occurring off campus. Stoll credits GVSU students for being active participants and encourages them to continue to look out for others who may be having too much to drink.

“To the student body’s credit, we have had no on-campus fatalities related to alcohol over the past several years,” Stoll said. “To the students’ credit, we have not dealt with even one fatality related to alcohol, where some colleges will deal with one or two per year. We rely on people to be active bystanders.

That’s part of our training that our clubs and Greek life go through, that when they see an issue, they are contacting police to try and get it right.”

Stoll explained that every university deals with different issues. For example, there aren’t many bars in the nearby area

around GVSU, with the exception of Mully’s.

“We don’t have to deal with bars here,” he said.

“We have one, Mully’s, versus somewhere like University of Michigan or Western Michigan where their campuses are built more within an urban area, so they have a lot more students who are going to drink off campus, then come back.

“Drunk driving for us isn’t nearly as big of a deal since our campus is so tight. Each campus has different issues they have to deal with specifically.”

As studies show moderate drinking can have a large influence on long-term health, so too can the effects of concentrated binge-drinking in campus environments. It’s important for students to remain watchful for the signs of alcohol overdoses and to contact the authorities in the event of alcohol abuse.

SEE ANSWERS | A10

A6 | FINALS SURVIVAL GUIDE

Finals Week Study Tips

APRIL 19, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

Finals week is finally upon us, and with that, so is the end of the winter semester. Thinking about summer temperatures (hopefully) soon approaching can be exciting, but the promise of free time and sunshine can also be incredibly distracting. Below is a list of tips to keep your mind on track to knock out finals this upcoming week and finish your semester strong.

1 Study

4 Exercise

This may seem like an obvious tip, but that doesn’t make it any less important to follow. Studying is crucial before you go to take an exam; you never want to find yourself unprepared, especially for finals that tend to be worth a significant chunk of your course grade. Helpful study methods include making yourself a study guide, creating flashcards, reviewing old assignments and/or studying with a group. Always start your studying early, too, to allow yourself time to ask questions and get through more challenging material.

Exercising can be extremely helpful when it comes to exam preparation. Not only does physical activity increase your overall awareness, but it also releases endorphins in your body that reduce stress. Who doesn’t need a bit of stress reduction during finals week? You may choose to exercise right before an exam to stimulate your mind or toward the end of a long day to get a good night’s sleep.

2 Sleep

5 Minimize Distractions

This sounds a little too good to be true. Who has time for sleep during finals week? Well, studies have proven that sleep is largely beneficial when it comes to memory retention and learning. In other words, don’t try to cram all of your studying into an allnighter session or you’ll regret it. If you are at all sleep-deprived at the time of a test, you’ll be less likely to recall information as your mental stamina is low. Catch some Z’s so you can get that A.

You don’t need to hide away to study, but be smart about where you choose to get your work done. Hanging out with a group of friends who don’t have the same task list as you can prove detrimental to your study plans. Heading somewhere like the library to study is a good option; there, you can find a quiet spot to crank out work with few distractions. Not to mention, the library also offers extended hours during exam week to accommodate students’ finals needs.

3 Eat Right

6 Take Breaks

What you eat can have a huge impact on how you perform on your exams. If you are feeding your brain, you need to feed your body, too, and that means eating right. As you’ve probably heard many times, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is also, however, the easiest meal to skip. During exam week, make sure you prioritize your morning food intake; eating protein-rich foods like eggs or yogurt can keep you feeling full longer. Also be sure to drink lots of water to stay hydrated and alert.

Nonstop studying for an entire week (or perhaps even longer) can be both mentally and physically exhausting. Tacking on exams to an already jam-packed schedule full of work and other things is not easy for any student. This is why it is so important to take breaks during finals week. It does, however, require a little bit of scheduling in advance to ensure that all of your work gets done on time. Schedule in a break every few hours to enjoy some peace and unwind in whatever way you so choose.

Exam Cram Schedule of Events Courtesy of GVSU University Libraries

Once again, University Libraries at Grand Valley State University is partnering with other departments to host Exam Cram, which includes destressing events and extended hours at the Kirkhof Center, Mary Idema Pew and Steelcase libraries, and Argo Tea. Grab your student ID and take a study break with one of these free events.

Thursday, April 19

Monday, April 23

Tropical getaway: 11am-1pm, DeVos Center C

Chair massages: 11am-2pm, Mary Idema Pew Library lower level

Lakerpalooza: 12-4pm, Kirkhof Center lawn

Color Me Stressed: 2-4pm, Center for Women and Gender Equity

Chair massages: 3-5pm, Mary Idema Pew Library lower level

Color Me Stressed: 6-11pm, Mary Idema Pew Library Knowledge Market

West Michigan Therapy Dogs: 5-7pm, Mary Idema Pew Library

Encouragement from Our Littlest Lakers: 11-11:30am, Mary Idema

Color Me Stressed: 6-11pm, Mary Idema Pew Library Knowledge Market Spin & yoga: 6:15pm, Campus Recreation Instructional Fitness Studio

Pew Library lobby

West Michigan Therapy Dogs: 6-8pm, Mary Idema Pew Library

Zumba: 6:30pm, Recreation Center Dance Studio Game night: 6:30-8:30pm, Kirkhof Center Area 51 Yoga: 7pm, Kelly Turf Building Multipurpose Room HIIT (high-intensity interval training): 7:30pm, Recreation Center Dance Studio

Hypnotist show:

9pm, Kirkhof Center Grand River Room

Tuesday, April 24 Chair massages: 1-3pm, Center for Women and Gender Equity Color Me Stressed: 6-11pm, Mary Idema Pew Library Knowledge Market

Friday, April 20

Wednesday, April 25

Chair massages: 12-2pm, Mary Idema Pew Library lower level

Board Games: 1-2pm, Center for Women and Gender Equity

Laker showcase: 7-9pm, Kirkhof Center Lounge

Color Me Stressed: 6-11pm, Mary Idema Pew Library Knowledge Market

Sunday, April 22

Throughout Exam Cram

Color Me Stressed: 6-11pm, Mary Idema Pew Knowledge Market

Free book exchange: April 16-25, Mary Idema Pew Library lobby Stress-relieving destruction room: April 18-26, Mary Idema Pew

For a full list of events, including times and locations for free coffee and reserved Kirkhof Center study/de-stressing rooms, visit www.gvsu.edu/library/exam-cram-13.htm

Library Exhibition Space

A8 | LAKER LIFE

APRIL 19, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE

SHOWCASE

ARTS AT A GLANCE

GV Dance Company to perform spring concert

MICHIGAN SAXOPHONE SUMMIT SET FOR SUNDAY, APRIL 22

This year, the Grand Valley State University Saxophone Studio is set to launch the annual Michigan Saxophone Summit. The summit this year is set to take place on Sunday, April 22, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts.

The summit invites saxophonists from GVSU and around the state to come perform and teach saxophone players on campus. This year, GVSU saxophone professor Dan Graser, as well as University of Michigan saxophone professors Timothy McAllsiter and Andrew Bishop, will be performing and offering master classes to high school and GVSU students.

For more information, contact Graser at graserd@ gvsu.edu.

BY TAYLOR CROWLEY TCROWLEY@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State University Dance Company and the Freshman Dance Company are preparing their performances for their spring dance concert this upcoming weekend. The concert, which will be held at the Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts, is set for Saturday, April 21, at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

The dancers have been devoting the past two weeks to exhausting rehearsals for nearly four hours each day.

Despite this, the dancers are eager to show the GVSU community what they have been working on.

The concert will feature many different styles of ballet, including pointe, contemporary, modern and styles brought in from guest artists.

One of the pieces will even feature technology in the performance: A student will film the dancer so the audience members can watch them live on the large screen that will be placed

ENGLISH CAPSTONE CONFERENCE TO BE HELD FRIDAY, APRIL 20

Grand Valley State University seniors taking their English capstone will be able to showcase their semester projects at the English capstone conference being held Friday, April 20, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center.

The conference will have seven sessions organized by themes, each session offering works done by students.

There will also be faculty facilitators and several panels throughout the day. The themes of the paper presentations vary from the effect rap has on gender to the different fictional constructions of vampires.

For more information, contact the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at 616-331-2495.

JAPANESE SPRING FESTIVAL BEING HOSTED FRIDAY, APRIL 20

The Grand Valley State University Japanese Cultural Association is setting up to host the Japanese Spring Festival on Friday, April 20, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Holton-Hooker Learning and Living Center Multipurpose Room (121A).

The purpose of the event is to allow GVSU students to celebrate and honor the culture of Japan. The festival will offer activities, games and crafts like origami and calligraphy, as well as Japanese board games. Japanese food will be offered at 7 p.m. but is expected to go quickly, so early arrival is encouraged.

in front of them. This type of technology incorporation has not been done during any previous dance concert.

The Freshman Dance Company is split into two groups for this performance.

Isa Wishart, freshman dancer, auditioned with her peers and was chosen to be invited into one of the groups.

“We were chosen into the group and were asked to write down, on a piece of paper, what our passions were,” Wishart said.

Based on the passions the dancers wrote down, they were asked to choreograph a solo that would be featured in the group dance. The title of this piece came to be “Breaking Silence” to show the audience a passion through movement.

Wishart at first chose to focus on her passion for the respect of other people, starting small and ending with bigger issues.

“I wanted to show respect as being even just saying ‘hi’ to your classmate, but also can be on a much bigger scale, like preventing gun violence or

PRACTICE: Dance seniors rehearse for their concert Nov. 30, 2017.

The 2018 concert will be Saturday, April 21. GVL | EMILY FRYE

racial attacks,” Wishart said.

“This was a good thought, but it was hard to portray this through movement.”

Wishart ended up further developing her solo piece to portray the lack of respect for mental illness in today’s society.

She explained that emotions can be very well understood by body language, and the audience can typically pick up the themes of the performance.

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PERFORMANCE

Piano majors set to showcase skills at recital

WOMEN’S COMMUNITY COLLABORATIVE SHOWCASE SET FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 26

The women, gender and sexuality studies (WGS) department is set to host the annual breakfast and showcase for its students enrolled in WGS 492, Women’s Community Collaborative, on Thursday, April 26, starting at 8:30 a.m. in the Kirkhof Center, Room 2270.

The showcase will center on the students and allow them to share their experiences with the various nonprofits they worked with over the semester. For more information, contact the WGS department at 616-331-8025.

BY TY KONELL LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University is continuing its trend of allowing students to showcase their talents in the

WHERE

FRESH & FAST MEET ®

upcoming piano major studio recital being held Saturday, April 21. The event will feature upper-level GVSU students majoring in piano and will allow each student to demonstrate their musical capabilities.

The event is set to start at 3 p.m. in the Sherman Van Solkema Recital Hall in the Thomas. J and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts.

The students’ instructor, Helen Marlais, who is an associate professor of music and director of piano pedagogy at GVSU, said each of the performing students will be playing beautiful and virtuosic pieces.

One of the performing students, Reese Rehkopf, said piano playing has been a hobby of his since he was young and that his relationship with the instrument began because he wanted to hang out with a childhood friend.

“I started playing piano when I was eight,” Rehkopf said. “I grew up in church and was good buddies with the church pianist’s son.

When my parents asked me what instrument I would want to play given the option, I said, ‘Piano!’ Not because I was particularly fond of the instrument, but because I knew if I took lessons

from the church pianist, I would get to hang with my buddy more often.”

With a wide variety of musical interests, Rehkopf said he enjoys listening to and playing any genre that has soul. “(I like to play) a kaleidoscope of different genres and styles,” Rehkopf said. “I enjoy playing contemporary classical and supporting living composers. I love late romantic works, especially Rachmaninov. I love R&B, funk, rap, rock, you name it; anything that’s heartfelt and has a good groove to it.”

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VOCALISTS

GV student musicians perform choral concert

BY TASMAN MATTOX TMATTOX@LANTHORN.COM

The harmonies were easy to find and easier to enjoy at the choral concert Monday, April 16. The performance, featuring the GVSU Cantate Chamber Ensemble, the University Arts Chorale and a variety of pieces, was given to a sizable audience at the Cook-DeWitt Center.

The University Arts Chorale is a 35-member ensemble, and the Cantate Chamber Ensemble features 12 members. Both groups are conducted by Ellen Pool, an assistant professor who coordinates Grand Valley State University’s choral program.

Pool said the journey to

the concert is labor-intensive but exciting.

“It begins with the selection of the music and then working in segments to prepare,” she explained. “The process is long and goes in various steps, and then hopefully we end in an honest presentation in terms of what was composed.”

The music featured in this concert included Silvestri, Rommereim and other composers. It ended with the traditional and spiritual “Ain’t No Grave Can Hold My Body Down.”

“This music was selected because I try to show a variety of music for each concert so that students will learn to adapt to various types of

music,” Pool said. “I often pick because of the text.”

The music selection was well-enjoyed by the audience, too.

“I really liked the uniqueness of each piece performed,” said Waverly Eubank, a GVSU freshman who attended the event. “It really showed the range of the groups and how well they could work together to create different types of music. It made the concert very interesting to watch.”

The students learn a lot from being involved in the community.

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WE DELIVER! VISIT JIMMYJOHNS.COM TO FIND A LOCATION NEAR YOU ENSEMBLE: The University Arts Chorale and GVSU Cantate Chamber Ensemble perform a selection of musical pieces on Monday, April 16, under the direction of professor Ellen Pool. GVL | SHEILA BABBITT

SPORTS | A9

APRIL 19, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

QUICK HITS

SOFTBALL

GV WOMEN’S GOLF WINS ASHLAND INVITATIONAL

If there were ever a time to find their winning groove, the Grand Valley State women’s golf team found the perfect time to do so right before the GLIAC Championships.

After earning a first-place finish at the NC4K Classic on Tuesday, April 10, the Lakers repeated success with another victory, this time at the Ashland Invitational on Saturday, April 14, to close out the regular season.

The final day of competition was canceled due to rain.

GVSU shot a day-one total of 293 (+5) before day two was canceled. The Lakers’ 293 strokes put them ahead of second-place Tiffin (312, +24) by 19 strokes.

For the second straight week, sophomore Katie Chipman finished as the top individual with a 73 (+1) finish. Chipman was tied in first with teammates Mackenzie Blomberg and Samantha Moss, but won the playoff to earn the victory.

Maria Sol Pose was just behind her teammates with a 74 (+2) to finish tied for fifth place.

Olivia Reed, the fifth Laker on GVSU’s team score, finished tied for 20th with an 80 (+8). Both Abbey Pierce and Morgan JankeWolff participated as individuals, and they tied for 13th place after carding rounds of 79 (+7).

The Lakers will next head to Nashport, Ohio, to compete in the GLIAC Championship on Friday, April 20, through Sunday, April 22.

GV FOOTBALL’S NICK KEIZER, COLLIN SCHLOSSER HONORED

BY NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION

As a final acknowledgment of their time with the Grand Valley State football program, senior tight end Nick Keizer and linebacker Collin Schlosser have been named to the 2018 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society.

The Hampshire Honor Society is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who have earned a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their collegiate careers as starters.

Keizer led all GLIAC tight ends in receptions (29), receiving yards (504) and TD catches (9), while leading the nation in yards per catch (17.4) for tight ends. Twenty-two of his receptions resulted in a first down. Among all receivers in the GLIAC, Keizer ranked second in TD catches and 10th in total receptions. Keizer finished his career with 45 catches for 734 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Schlosser ranked second on the team in tackles with 80, while also turning in 8.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 QB sacks during a senior campaign in which he moved into the No. 10 spot in career tackles with 290. The Ada native also recorded 27.5 tackles for loss and 11.0 QB sacks during his career.

CAUGHT STEALING: GVSU junior catcher Kaylie Rhynard gathers the ball and looks to throw to third during the Lakers’ victories over Walsh held in Allendale on April 23, 2016. Rhynard is currently leading the Lakers in most hitting categories this year, including hits (43) and batting average (.438). GVL | KEVIN SIELAFF

Know your Lakers: GV catcher Kaylie Rhynard delivering at the plate

BY KELLEN VOSS KVOSS@LANTHORN.COM

T

he Grand Valley State softball team is exceeding already-high expectations this season, as the Lakers’ current record is 29-5. They remain undefeated in the GLIAC with a 16-0 record, holding sole possession of first place in the conference while being in the midst of a 21-game winning streak.

There have been many reasons for this team’s success, including the high performance and consis-

tency from the catcher position.

Redshirt junior Kaylie Rhynard is the reason for that consistency.

Rhynard has been the emotional leader, using her experience and winning mentality to help her fellow teammates succeed. She has also been a statistical leader this season, posting a team-high .438 batting average and 43 hits, while also adding 15 RBIs to her resume.

Rhynard’s success can be credited to her active childhood, as she was once a young girl who wanted to compete with her brothers in as

many sports as she could.

“Growing up, catcher was always my favorite position because that’s what my brothers played,” Rhynard said. “I played hockey for five years growing up, as well as cross country, track, volleyball, basketball and soccer. But I always loved softball.”

The catcher has been contributing to the Lakers for a while, appearing in an impressive 45 games as a true freshman, before starting every game in her sophomore season.

Rhynard started off the 2017 year strong before going down with a sea-

son-ending knee injury after only appearing in 10 games. In her time out, Rhynard spent time improving herself as not only a softball player, but also as a student and a person.

“Tearing my ACL was definitely the best and worst thing that has happened to me as a softball player,” Rhynard said. “The recovery process was grueling, but I already feel mentally and physical stronger than I did a few years ago, so it definitely helped SEE RHYNARD | A10

CLUB GYMNASTICS

GV BASKETBALL SIGNS CHICAGO-NATIVE POINT GUARD DRAVON CLAYBORN

To add even more depth to the point guard position, the Grand Valley State basketball program and head coach Ric Wesley announce the signing of incoming freshman guard Dravon Clayborn for the 2018-19 season.

In just two years of leading the Niles North High School basketball program in the Chicago area, Clayborn scored more than 1,000 points, earning honorable mention All-State honors his junior year and second team in his final senior season. Both seasons, Clayborn earned team MVP honors and was named team captain.

With the graduation of point guards Myles Miller and Chris Dorsey, expect Clayborn to fill the shoes of those two players next season. Incoming transfer Demetrius Lake, who averaged 17.6 points per game at Schoolcraft College, will also likely see significant minutes in the GVSU backcourt.

CHAMPS: The entire GVSU club gymnastics team poses together in Texas after capturing the first NAIGC National Championship trophy in program and school history. GVSU won the championship with a team total score of 108.95, edging out the University of Colorado by .025 points. COURTESY | GVSU CLUB GYMNASTICS

GV club gymnastics captures NAIGC National Championship

BY D’ANGELO STARKS DSTARKS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State club gymnastics team traveled to Fort Worth, Texas, last week to participate in the NAIGC National Championship.

This is the first time in program and school history that the team has qualified for Nationals as a team. In their first National Championship final appearance, they managed to leave Texas as the NAIGC National Champions.

The team went into Nationals as they do every season and participated in the preliminary

rounds in order to try to qualify for the final round. The team had a strong season leading up to the National Championship, and they were feeling great going in to the preliminaries, but they didn’t feel great after finishing their routines. The Lakers knew their execution could have been better, and they didn’t expect to go any further than that.

Although their confidence never wavered, the team was still surprised to see that they qualified that Friday night. GVSU was the last team of four to qualify in their preliminary division.

GVSU finished with a score of 106.9, trailing behind only Boulder Gymnastics at the University of Colorado, NAIGC Alumni and the University of Texas, which narrowly eliminated Bowling Green State, which scored 106.15.

President of the GVSU gymnastics club, Emma Powers, talked about the team’s mindset after making it to finals.

“We told the team, ‘We’ve got to do it; we have to go out there and do the best we could,’ and we did,” Powers said. “We went out there and we hit all of our routines, and we had the meet of our lives.”

In the end, GVSU finished on top to win the National Championship, but it did not come easy.

The second-place team, Boulder Gymnastics at the University of Colorado, finished with a team score of 108.925, and GVSU finished with a score of 108.95. The team won by .025 to take home the National Championship.

Sophomore Melissa Mattson was the top individual performer for the team. She finished third in the country in the vault and brought home a bronze medal.

SEE GYMNASTICS | A10

APRIL 19, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A10 | SPORTS BASEBALL

Conversation: GV pitcher Tate Brawley discusses two stints on ESPN’s SportsCenter

BY BRADY MCATAMNEY ASSISTANTSPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State senior baseball pitcher Tate Brawley has secured his moment of fame not once but twice in the past week with two appearances on ESPN’s flagship highlight show, SportsCenter Top 10 Plays.

Each time, he made nolook catches from the mound on screaming-line drives hit back up the middle behind his back. His first play was credited as the No. 7 play of the day on Tuesday, April 10, and the second was credited at No. 3 on Friday, April 13.

Brawley sat down with Grand Valley Lanthorn Assistant Sports Editor Brady McAtamney for a conversation about his highlights.

Brady McAtamney: When you made that first play that got you at No. 7, what was your reaction to it?

Tate Brawley: Well, I’ve actually done that before, so when the ball was hit back up the middle and I caught it behind my back, I was like, ‘All right, just gotta make the throw,’ and I almost threw it over my first baseman’s head.

So, the next time I got the play, I made sure to hit my first baseman in the chest.

BM: When you got back to the dugout, what did your teammates say to you after that first play?

TB: When the pitch was thrown, ball hit back up the middle and I caught it behind my back, I immediately heard the dugout. All my teammates go crazy, so I was like, ‘All right, here we go, gotta make the throw,’ and I did it, and they all just kind of ran up to the field and were like, ‘Oh my god!’ and all that stuff. So, they were more excited than I was I think.

BM: Playing it cool?

TB: Yeah, gotta play it cool.

WEB GEMS: GVSU pitcher Tate Brawley (22) and catcher Connor Glick fist bump at the mound after closing out an inning during the game versus Ashland on April 12, 2017.

After two jaw-dropping defensive plays, Brawley talked with Lanthorn editor Brady McAtamney about his appearances on SportsCenter’s Top Ten Plays. GVL | KEVIN SIELAFF

BM: What was your personal reaction when it happened again?

BM: Yeah, being on SportsCenter twice, and he’s yet to be on there!

TB: When it happened again, the only thing I was thinking was to hit my first baseman in the chest. I was wondering if it was going to be on SportsCenter Top 10 Plays again, and eventually it was, so that was pretty cool.

TB: Exactly, exactly!

BM: What were the guys saying when it happened a second time?

TB: The second time, they were all making fun of me, but I just tried to rub it in their faces a little bit, especially my second baseman Josh Smith. I’m always messing around with him, saying I’m a better fielder than him, and now I definitely have the upper hand.

BM: I know they were both pretty similar plays, but did one of them feel more exciting for you? Was one of them harder?

Or were they mostly the same?

TB: Honestly, I think the second one felt better for me because, first of all, the second ball was hit harder, so it just felt better when it hit my glove. Then, I just had a little bit of extra time to look down the hitter a little bit and just make sure he knew that I made the play and then threw it down to first.

BM: When you saw yourself on SportsCenter the first time, what was your reac-

tion? That’s not something that happens to everybody.

TB: Actually, I never saw it on TV. I saw it through Twitter and people sending me videos of it, so it was kind of surreal, I guess. Then, the second time, I actually saw myself on TV, so that was even better.

BM: When you saw it on TV, did you know that you were going to be on there? Or were you just watching and it came up?

TB: I was hanging out with a bunch of my teammates, and one of my previous coaches texted me and said, ‘Hey, I just saw you on SportsCenter.’ And I thought he was talking about a few days before when it happened, and I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, thanks, I appreciate it.’ And he said, ‘No, you’re on there again,’ and I was like, ‘No way.’ I was

RHYNARD CONTINUED FROM A9

CALLING THE GAME: GVSU junior catcher Kaylie Rhynard catches for pitcher Ellie Balbach during the Lakers’ victory over Walsh in both games held in Allendale on April 23, 2016. GVL | KEVIN SIELAFF

GYMNASTICS CONTINUED FROM A9

Powers said it was exciting to hear their names called as champions.

“We were sitting in awards, and they called third with a score of 107-something, and then we are like, ‘Okay, maybe we will get second,’” she said.

“Then, they announced the next score, and it was only .025 behind us. And then we knew we won, and we got to go up and get our banner, which was really exciting.”

The gymnastics club is a little different from other clubs because generally clubs have a coach who do most of the organizing and orchestrating, but in this club, most of that is done by

the president and the members of the board. As the president, Powers is in charge of meet registration, coordination with other club teams around the state, staying in contact with club sports in order to make sure the team is being run properly and making sure practices are run smoothly. This has been Powers’ job for two years, and in those two years under

me develop as a player and made me appreciate the game more.”

A true embodiment of a student athlete, Rhynard has been selected to the GLIAC All-Academic Excellence team in 2016 and 2017, and should appear on the team again in 2018. Academics were arguably the main reason for her arrival at GVSU, since she fell in love with the teaching program here.

“I played travel ball out of Grand Rapids, so I knew the area very well,” Rhynard said. “I wanted to go into education, and GV has a great program for that. I wanted to be close to home, but not too close, so I felt like GVSU was the perfect distance away at an hour and 45 minutes.”

Rhynard pairs great performance in the classroom with great work at the plate, posting a career batting average of .313 at GVSU as well as starting in 108 of the 111 games she has appeared in. As of Tuesday, April 17, she has totaled 157 hits, 15 doubles and 51 RBIs in just 145 games.

The success just keeps rolling for Rhynard this season, and she credits the indi-

the same board, the club has seen immense growth.

“When I joined the team as a freshman, there was seven of us; we were just a scrappy little team from Grand Valley,” she said. “Over the past two years, Kaylee Lorentzen (vice president), Morgan Ryder (treasurer), Jessie Perry (secretary), Nicole Lasecki (fundraising) and myself all really worked

with a bunch of teammates, so we turned on a TV and we all watched it together.

BM: So, what was the reaction in the room when you all saw it?

TB: It was very exciting. Very energetic reaction.

BM: Being No. 7, that’s pretty impressive, but No. 3? That’s not bad at all.

TB: Yeah, definitely not mad about that.

BM: If you had to make another play that was going to be on SportsCenter, what would you want to do?

TB: I’d probably try to go between the legs next time.

Instead of behind the back, I’d try to catch it between

the legs. That’d probably look a little cooler.

BM: Has there been anyone in any of your practices trying to copy you and do the same play?

TB: Oh, yeah. Today at practice we were all trying to do it, and it was a lot harder to do in practice than in a game.

BM: Anything else you want to add? Any shout-outs?

TB: I would like if you could put in there about my second baseman—me being a better fielder.

Brawley is 4-1 on the season in 47 innings pitched across eight appearances with a 4.60 earned run average for the 21-15 Lakers.

vidual and team success to a change in mindset since her redshirt season last year.

“Mentally, I’m a lot more confident,” Rhynard said. “I can now point out things in the field (from the batter’s box) that I couldn’t last year, and I’m not as worried about the outcomes this year. I’ve been through a lot mentally, and I’m still working out the kinks, but I’m still trying to just focus less on the outcomes and more on the process and staying in the moment.”

When discussing her growth as a player and as a person these past few years, Rhynard proved to be selfless, as she only mentioned other people’s names when talking about her growth as a human being who just loves to play softball.

“It’s definitely been a great experience here, and I’m surrounded by so many awesome players and coaches,” Rhynard said. “They’ve really helped me grow and impacted me beyond softball.”

Like the rest of her teammates, Rhynard has high expectations for this team, but she truly believes they have all the pieces and the mindset to make a postseason run that lasts more than a couple rounds. She doesn’t feel as if this is a oneyear thing, either, as she sees this Laker team being just as successful next season.

“I think we can make a deep

run,” she said. “I’d like to go to the World Series, and there’s no reason we can’t compete for a national title. And next year, we have a lot of returners and awesome players coming in, so we’re just going to keep growing on this success.”

After Rhynard puts away her bats and hangs up her cleats for good, she’s not going to remember any of the games she played in, she said.

Instead, she’s going to remember the relationships she built with the people around her and how happy she felt being surrounded by a great group of young women.

“This is an awesome team with many personalities and experiences,” Rhynard said. “After it is all said and done, you don’t remember the wins or the losses or the hits, but you do remember all the memories and how all your people around you made you feel. That’s definitely what I will take away from this experience.”

Rhynard and GVSU look to continue the success they’ve seen this season this weekend.

They stay home for a doubleheader with Ashland on Saturday, April 21, and a doubleheader with Tiffin on Sunday, April 22. Saturday’s games are set to start at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., and the games on Sunday will start at noon and 2 p.m.

our butts off to make it possible.

Last year, we had our first men’s team, and we had 20 girls on our team, too.”

This season will be the last for Powers and the rest of the board, as two are graduating and the rest are stepping away from gymnastics. The club is holding elections for new board members on Thursday, April 19. Powers feels confident

that the club is going to be in good hands.

“We have a really good group of girls that are going to be juniors,” Powers said. “Luckily, we are only juniors, so we can stick around to help guide them through the process and work together to keep up the momentum we’ve created over the past couple years.”

APRIL 19, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

SPORTS | A11

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A12 | SPORTS COLUMN

France native Louis Ricard reflects on GV, rugby career

BY LOUIS RICARD LRICARD@LANTHORN.COM

A lot has happened in my 22 years, but I never imagined I’d actually be writing a column about my college experience here at Grand Valley State University. From Paris to southern France to Troy and, eventually, to Allendale.

Not the ideal location, but the ideal school.

When I came back to France after my exchangestudent year as a senior in Troy, Michigan, I realized that my American dream had only been momentarily interrupted. I needed to find a way back to the U.S., where I truly belonged.

I applied to one school: GVSU. I didn’t hesitate one second, knowing I was meant to be a Laker (with a name like mine, how could I not?). After a long wait, I finally heard back from GVSU in the form of an acceptance letter for the fall of 2014.

A few student loans and a visa application later, I eventually came back “home.”

Like most first-year students, anxiety kicked in when it was time for me to move into my closet-sized dorm in the Robinson Living Center.

Knowing only a few former Troy students attending GVSU, I anticipated my first couple of

weeks would be rough, but the school had other plans for me.

After my first week on campus, GVSU club rugby reached out to me and showed me what it meant to be a college student in this country.

The guys never left each other’s side, always hanging out with each other on and off the field. We never lacked things to do between practices, games and social events.

Within the first two weeks, not only had I met more than 30 people, but I had created 30 new friendships that are still strong to this day.

As a freshman, I went with my brothers to Virginia in our first Sweet Sixteen appearance on the national stage. We lost but kept our heads high and came back home knowing this was only the beginning.

The next year, we reached the same stage of the competition, this time facing No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth in a foot of snow in Des Moines, Iowa. Not only did it take me, a French man, time to adjust to the snow in Michigan, but it took me even more time to appreciate playing in it (still working on that, by the way).

We lost, not only the match, but also a lot of our teammates who graduated and moved on to bigger things than Division II rugby, their memories of the

TOUGHNESS: GVSU senior Louis Ricard poses proudly on the rugby field on Dec. 1, 2015. Ricard reflects on his journey from France to GVSU, joining and playing for the rugby team, writing for the Lanthorn sports section, and now preparing to graduate. GVL | LUKE HOLMES

game they loved still intact.

It was not until my senior year that GVSU rugby established itself as the team to watch. We didn’t have the gear that most schools did, often showing up with Hawaiian shirts to warmups, but our will to succeed became obvious throughout the year.

We knew we had to make it count because for most of us, this was it. We won game after game, handing out team blowout losses like candy. In the rain, in the snow and even once on a sunny day, we never let our

guard down, taking the fight to our opponent and qualifying for a third national stage appearance in the Sweet Sixteen.

No losing this time.

We came into the game with no intentions of going home, and after a tightly contested 80 minutes, which marked the end of the regulation time, our prop Dorian Haney scored in the final seconds, pushing us to the Elite Eight of the national tournament for the first time in our program’s history.

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road, but for now I will be sailing down to Chicago to begin my graduate career at Northwestern University. It will be a healthy balance trying to represent both Laker blue and the Wildcat purple.

From Paris to southern France to Troy to Allendale to Chicago, and who knows where to next.

What I know is that the places I come from all taught me something about myself, but none taught me how to be my true self like GVSU.

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I remember looking at my roommates, covered head-to-toe in mud, beat down, but with a smile from ear to ear. We hugged, jumped, yelled, realizing that no one had ever done what we accomplished wearing the Laker blue.

Four years go by quickly, and if you don’t pay attention, you might miss out on the best memories of your long life. Cliché, but true.

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