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GV FOOTBALL TO FACE FSU, TIPPING POINT FOR THE SEASON SEE A7
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FALL SORORITY RECRUITMENT KICKS OFF THIS WEEKEND SEE A6
Preparing for fall flu season KCON offers flu vaccines to GV community BY STEPHANIE BRZEZINSKI ASSISTANTNEWS@LANTHORN.COM
he Grand Valley State University Kirkhof College of Nursing is providing influenza vaccinations for students, faculty, staff and other community members. The clinic will have hours Monday through Wednesday of next week. Ann Sheehan, Kirkhof College of Nursing assistant dean for practice, said the GVSU Family Health Center nurses, GVSU College of Nursing faculty and nursing students administer the shots every year. Although Sheehan encourages everyone to get the flu shot, she said college students may be more highly susceptible to the virus. “College students are at high risk for contracting this disease because they live in close proximity to other students,” she said. “They may share food or drinks and touch others’ cell phones or computers that are contaminated.” Another problem that college students may face is getting so sick that they need to miss class or work. Sheehan added that students who have respi-
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AUSTRALIAN PLAYER MAKES TRANSITION TO COLLEGE TENNIS SEE A9
VAC CINES A DMI NIST ER ED BY T H E FH C
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VAC CI N ES A D M I N IST E R E D TO T HE P U BLC VAC CI N ES A D M I N IST E R E D TO GV ST U D E N TS
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: RESPONSES TO STUDENT SAFETY SEE A5
ROSS TANNER
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FLU SH OTS: W H E RE & WHE N
MONDAY, SEPT. 22 GVSU FAMILY HEALTH CENTER GRAND RAPIDS 4:30p - 7p
TUESDAY, SEPT. 23 DEVOS CENTER GRAND RAPIDS 4p - 6p
GV teams up to combat hunger Hunger Action Week educates on food issues
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24 KIRKHOF CENTER ALLENDALE 11a - 1p
MAREC aids solar panel partnership BY ALYSSA RETELLE ARETELLE@LANTHORN.COM
he Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center at Grand Valley State University has partnered up with Chart House Energy, LLC, to build the largest non-utility solar project in West Michigan at Agritek Industries, a manufacturing company in Holland. Chart House Energy is a company that’s focused on developing commercial scale solar installations. They’ve entered in agreement with Agritek, who will be installing a large solar collection array on their property as early as this fall or early next spring. It will generate 500kW of solar energy, which equates to roughly one-third of Agritek’s total annual power usage. According to Arnold Boezaart, the director of MAREC, their role is to provide contacts for businesses and start-up companies to facilitate collaboration with various parties involved. “We can also get a lot of exposure and visibility to help companies develop traction with their business activity,” he said. “And, we can provide a variety of support services to start-up companies, whether it be individual business consultations or connecting them with funding, resources or experts. “There are a lot of small solar projects around West Michigan, but this one is much larger and aims at offsetting the regular energy expenses. As there continues to be an effort to increase reliance on solar energy, a project like this one really moves that effort forward and provides a great example of how business and industry can benefit.” Robert Rafson, founder of Chart House Energy, believes this project is very important. “This project will be the second largest non-utility project in Michigan
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HUNGER HURTS:
The Women’s Center teams up with Access West Michigan, Spectrum Health and other organizations to raise awareness on food-related issues. EMILY FRYE GVL
BY DUANE EMERY DEMERY@LANTHORN.COM
t is easy to take for granted that most people can easily fill their stomachs, but some do not have it so easy. For many Grand Valley State University students, difficulties come from unhealthy eating choices, while others have trouble getting enough to eat at all. To help combat this, the Women’s Center at GVSU teamed up with Access of West Michigan, Spectrum Health and other organizations for Hunger Action Week. This campaign aims to raise awareness on hunger and other foodrelated issues including poverty, obesity and health. This year, GVSU participated by presenting part of a documentary, as well as hosting a panel discussion. The film shown was part of the HBO documentary “The Weight of the Nation.” This
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documentary covers obesity and night,” Dernberger said. how it affects the health and lives Another misconception Hunof Americans. The panel featured ger Action Week hopes to educate Brittany Dernberger, the assistant people on is the relationship bedirector at the Women’s Center at tween income and obesity. DernGVSU, Emma Garberger said people cia from Access of who only have acWest Michigan and “We want people cess to certain foods Amy VanFossen, a need to be aware of to really be nutritionist at Specthe health aspects trum Health. of those foods. The thinking about “We want people documentary exthe dynamics to really be thinking plained how cheap about the dynamics junk foods can be a of hunger and of hunger and povercause of obesity, with poverty.” ty,” Dernberger said. the panel offering According to their reflections on BRITTANY Dernberger, there how to combat this. DERNBERGER are many misconcep“People who can’t ASSISTANT tions about hunger, afford healthier choicDIRECTOR including the bees often end up eating lief that people who foods that have a lot of make it to college can afford food, health impacts,” Dernberger said. but this is not always the case. These can include higher “We know it’s really tough to weight gain, heart disease, diabepay attention in class if you worry tes and other intangibles that afabout being able to eat dinner that fect how one feels. She also said
improper eating habits can lead to long term health problems. She said one goal of the panel, as well as Hunger Action Week, is to inform people on these issues to work toward solutions. “How can we work toward food justice where everyone has access to good, healthy food? People want to get the most for their money, so how do we make those healthier options,” Dernberger said. According to Natalie Depyper, the food justice intern at the Women’s Center, nutrition can be an issue on campus for students who are in too big of a hurry to eat properly. It can also be an issue for those who cannot afford healthier choices but are too embarrassed to seek assistance or are unaware that it exists. “A lot of times, people look at it as a third world or inner city problem,” Depyper said. “But food security can be a problem for anyone.”
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