Grand Valley Lanthorn vol. 56 no. 18

Grand Rapids

Heavyweight Fights G R A N D VA L L E Y L A N T H O R N

Martin navigates family and work to MMA cage

Reaching even higher: GV strategic plan seeks endorsement once more MLK Day of Service and Solidarity goes virtual this year

PLAN | A2

REMEMBRANCE | A9

Courtesy of Brett Martin M O N D A Y, J A N U A RY 1 8 , 2 02 2 // VO L . 5 6 N O. 1 8

@ GV L A N T H O R N

LANTHORN.COM

A2 | NEWS NEWS BRIEFS GV COVID-19 CAMPUS DATA UPDATE

The Grand Valley State University community has had a cumulative total of 6,042 cases since Aug. 1, 2020. The university’s update for this brief was from Friday, Jan. 14.

Through testing results this past week, GVSU’s Virus Action team have so far reported 1,050 current active cases including 38 faculty members, 76 staff members, 162 on-campus students, 452 “off-campus Ottawa” students, 253 “off-campus Kent” students and 69 “off-campus other” students with active COVID-19 cases.

“Current active cases” is the count of positive cases reported to the Virus Action Team over the past 10 days. This is an estimate of those currently in isolation, assuming a ten-day symptomatic period following the reporting of a positive test result. Actual periods of isolation are specific to the individual and determined by the county health department.

VACCINATION

GVSU encourages all students, faculty and staff to receive the COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible. All students, faculty and staff are required to be fully vaccinated, barring a medical or religious exemption or postponement. According to the COVID-19 data dashboard, an 80% vaccination rate in the GVSU community is required to reach herd immunity and minimal virus transmission.

Currently, approximately 82% of students report being fully vaccinated, while approximately 93% of faculty and staff reports being fully vaccinated.

There are currently 2,382 students and 148 faculty/staff with approved vaccination exemptions.

TESTING AND INCIDENCE

GVSU’s own testing program has performed 118,301 tests overall since Aug. 1, 2020, for a cumulative positivity rate of 11.92% from the latest update as of last week. A total of 2,533 tests were performed over the last seven days.

“GV Surveillance” includes the GV/ Spectrum administered programs of randomized testing, regular testing of high-risk groups, and invited testing of individuals connected to potential clusters. A calendar is available. “GV Total” includes surveillance testing plus all symptomatic/exposure tests administered

by Spectrum.

LENA MEIJER, PHILANTHROPIST AND POPULAR FIGURE IN WEST MICHIGAN, DIES AT 102

Lena Meijer’s family has confirmed that she died on Jan. 15 at the age of 102.

Philanthropist and wife to Frederik Meijer, Lena is remembered by her family as a beloved mother and grandmother.

Her community remembers her for her support of the Meijer Inc. retail business, the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, and local public schools.

JANUARY 18, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

PLAN

Reaching higher: GV strategic plan seeks endorsements once more

BY JOSHUA ALBURTUS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

STUDENT SENATE: The Reach Higher 2025 Steering Committee presented the newest draft of the plan to the Grand Valley Student Senate. The Senate did endorse the plan. GVL | LAUREN SEYMOUR

After falling short last semester, Grand Valley State University officials are attempting once more to secure key endorsements for their five-year strategic plan, Reach Higher 2025.

Appearing before the university’s Student Senate on Jan. 13, representatives from the Reach Higher 2025 Steering Committee presented their newest draft of the plan in

hopes of both informing and securing the Senate’s endorsement.

Co-Lead of the Reach Higher Steering Committee, Mark Schaub, said the draft embodies the university and what it hopes to stand for.

“This is a document for all of us and a public statement for the world,” Schaub said.

“This is what GVSU is and what we value.”

Last September the senate endorsed the initial draft of Reach Higher 2025. However, the proposed plan came under scrutiny when presented to university faculty.

GVSU associate professor, Len O’Kelly, said faculty felt that the original draft of the plan seemed to be reaching a bit too high.

“The faculty felt excluded,” O’Kelly said. “The feeling that many people had was that the original Reach Higher document was making promises we couldn’t possibly deliver.”

While not a sitting member of the UAS, O’Kelly’s position as chair of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Faculty Council put him in conversation with multiple faculty senators who opposed the endorsement.

“The original document talked about individualizing study plans and making your dreams come true and all this stuff,” O’Kelly said. “And we all kind of looked at each other like, ‘We are not going to have 25,000 different majors at this university. That’s not sustainable.’”

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POLICE

Family of murdered GV student turns to Supreme Court for review of case

BY GILLIAN HANTON NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

After several attempts to hold officers from the Ottawa County Police Department and Grand Valley Police Department accountable for their alleged negligence in the 2016 murder of 21-year-old Grand Valley State University nursing student, Rosemarie Reilly, her family is taking their case to the U.S. Supreme Court for review.

On Nov. 6, 2016, Reilly was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, Jeremy Kelley.

In the months leading up to her death, the Reilly family made it known to Ottawa County PD they felt Kelley was a danger to their daughter’s safety.

Reilly herself filed a personal protective order against Kelley, who allegedly broke her nose, stalked her and threatened to kill her and himself when contacting her over the phone and through email (despite court orders). Reilly also

JUSTICE: in 2016 Rosemarie Reilly was murdered. Today, her family seeks justice. GVL | SYDNEY LIM

took part in generating two warrants for Kelley’s arrest on domestic violence charges, which were emailed to him prior to the murder.

Despite these efforts by Reilly and her family, Ottawa County PD and GVPD were unsuccessful in arresting Kelley before he found Reilly staying at a friend’s house in Grand Rapids, proceeding to shoot and kill her and then kill himself.

Reilly’s family believes Ottawa County

PD and GVPD didn’t do enough to preserve their daughter’s safety due to Kelley’s connection with Michigan police.

At the time Reilly reported her ex-boyfriends concerning behavior, Kelley’s father was working as a police officer on the east side of the state.

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A3 | NEWS

JANUARY 18, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

CONTENTS PLAN

| A2

OPINION

| A4

VIDEO

| A5

SPREAD

| A6&7

ADMINISTRATION

| A8

REMEMBRANCE

| A9

SHOWCASE

| A10

HOCKEY

| A11

ADVERTISEMENT

| A12

VOL. 5 6

NO. 18

Lan thorn EDITORIAL STAFF

Videographer KATE KIRBY

Editor-in-Chief ZACK GOODROW

Layout Editor KHOI TRAN

Associate Editor AUDREY WHITAKER Associate Editor XAVIER GOLDEN News Editor MARY DUPUIS Sports Editor HOLLY BIHLMAN

Layout Designer DONOVAN LOPEZ PROMOTIONS Promotions Manager GRACE O’BRIEN ADVERTISING STAFF

GV prepares for icy winter

BY ELIZABETH SCHANZ NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

When Grand Valley State University students returned to campus after winter break, they were met with piles of treacherous snow and ice covering the parking lots and sidewalks.

GVSU staff attribute the extensive ice and snow on the grounds to both how the weather came in, as well as staffing issues that have led to attempts to “re-prioritize” how the school handles snow removal.

This leaves the question of how the winter weather will be managed for the remainder of the season.

Steve Snell is currently in charge of snow removal operations at GVSU. He said the iced-over parking lots and sidewalks during the second week of January were “perfect for ice build-up.”

“We received 14 inches of snow, nonstop from Wednesday through Friday with temperatures below freezing,” Snell said. “ Friday night we salted everything, putting out 30 tons of salt. With the slight warm-up Saturday, then plunging temperatures that same day, all that salt we put out just sat there.”

When temperatures are below freezing the salt doesn’t work as efficiently as it does around 30 degrees Fahrenheit, thus leading to difficult ongoing ice problems.

Additionally, Snell said this year GVSU has contracted an outside operator, different

COLD: With winter storms gripping the west side of the state GVSU students have had to face the beginnings of a bitter winter, complete with icy parking lots and snowy sidewalks. GVL | SYDNEY LIM

from previous years, to clear parking lots and help supplement staffing shortages. The contractor comes in during the night and plows faculty, commuter and residence lots.

Even when plowing occurs during the night there are still problems with completely clearing lots for the next day.

“It becomes a big challenge for them when there are illegally parked cars there overnight,” Snell said. “They maintain a certain distance from those cars, so as not to damage them, which in turn, leaves a decent

Advertising Manager JORDAN GREEN

Laker Life Editor JACOB DEWEERD A&E Editor

SNOW

BUSINESS STAFF

SABRINA EDWARDS

Image Editor MEGHAN LANGREN Multimedia Editor-

Business Manager MORGAN JOHNSTON Asst. Business Manager LUKE KREGER

HAILIEGH HUBER

At the Lanthorn, we strive to bring you the most accurate news possible. If we make a mistake, we want to make it right. If you find any errors in fact in the Lanthorn, let us know by calling 616-331-2464 or by emailing editorial@lanthorn.com.

The Grand Valley Lanthorn is published weekly by Grand Valley State University students 31 times a year. One copy of this newspaper is available free of charge to any member of the Grand Valley Community. For additional copies, at $1 each, please contact our business offices.

amount of snow left behind.”

For residence lots, however, warmer temperatures are needed for proper snow removal due to sitting cars leading to compacted snow and ice. When it’s warmer, those parked in residence lots will receive an email from housing about when and where to move their cars to allow plowing to take place.

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SUCCESS

GrandPR takes third place in international competition

BY PAYTON BRAZZIL NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University’s student-run public relations firm, GrandPR, recently placed third in the international Digital Marketing Competition. This was the first time GrandPR or any GVSU school of communications team has placed in the finals in this competition.

This time around, the Digital Marketing Competition (DMC) hosted 158 teams from five different continents.

For the competition, teams were tasked with creating a campaign to resolve problems for a real client, Wondr Health, a digital weight management program based in Dallas, Texas.

DMC gave each team an explanation vid-

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eo, a brand guidelines packet and other resources providing information on the brand.

Wondr Health also laid out what demographics they wanted the campaign to reach.

After completing their own research, the teams developed a survey that they distributed to people in the demographic via social media and word of mouth. With the survey and research done, the team pinpointed what strategies they wanted to use and submitted a PowerPoint video.

The finalists were judged by members of Wondr Health’s management team, as well as multiple marketing professionals. Teams were judged on their research, owned strategy, paid strategy and media and evaluation. Winners of the competition received a monetary prize and a trophy.

The GrandPR team took a creative approach to their social media strategy which led them to also earn the “What’s Trending” award.

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PUBLIC RELATIONS: GVSU’s student-run public relations firm, GrandPR, recently participated in the international Digital Marketing Competition and won third place for their work. COURTESY | GRANDPR

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A4 | OPINIONS GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON

JANUARY 18, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLEDITORIAL

By Athena Jasman

EDITORIAL

Winter semester COVID-19 policy creates cause for concern

M

01/18/22

editorial@lanthorn.com

Column: The Weeknd explores the afterlife with “Dawn FM” of sorts. It plays like an adult contemporary radio station, referred to as “103.5 Dawn FM,” being played during a traffic jam in a tunnel. Only the tunnel is an experience that symbolizes purgatory with the light at the end of tunnel being death. One of the most memorable aspects of this concept is the station’s DJ, who is none other than fellow Ontario native and Tesfaye’s real-life neighbor, Jim Carrey. CarBY AYRON RUTAN rey graces the album with excellent SENIOR MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM narration, including a provocaEDITORIALS@LANTHORN.COM tive spoken word piece about the meaning of life on the album’s outComing off possibly the most ro “Phantom Regret by Jim.” The track listing is extremesuccessful full-length release of ly introspective, almost serving as 2020 with “After Hours,” Abel Testhe “life flashing before your eyes” faye - AKA The Weeknd - is back phenomenon that many believe we and as good as ever with his brand experience before we die. Possibly new LP “Dawn FM.” This new rethe most introspective and percord is groovy, deep, conceptual, sonal track “A Tale By Quincy,” a and a great listen for anyone who spoken-word piece by famed music enjoys great vocal performances, infectious grooves, and provoca- producer Quincy Jones. The interlude features Jones reflecting on his tive messages.

The second album in a self-pro- troubled upbringing growing up claimed trilogy from Tesfaye, without a mother and how it affect“Dawn FM” expands and intensi- ed his relationships with women in fies many of the sounds and styles the future, which relates nicely to heard on 202’s “After Hours.” The the overall themes of the album.

These introspective themes of 80’s synthpop and dance influences life and what happens when we pass that were flirted with on tracks like are extremely present on “Gasoline,” “Blinding Lights” and “Save Your where Tesfaye utters the line “It’s Tears” are laid on thick in “Dawn 5 a.m./I’m nihilist/I know there’s FM.” Tesfaye’s love of artists like nothing after this.”

In this line, TesDaft Punk and Depeche Mode refaye is reflecting on his personal ally shines through on songs like views on the afterlife, challenging “Gasoline,” “Sacrifice” and the album’s lead single “Take My Breath.” the very concept of the record.

“Dawn FM” also includes strong “Dawn FM” is a concept album

features from Tyler the Creator and Lil Wayne on the songs “Here We Go… Again” and “I Heard You’re Married,” with Tyler’s verse being the strongest. On “Here We Go… Again,” Tyler and Tesfaye relay a cautionary tale about the dark side of love and how its undeniable beauty makes it nearly impossible to avoid. Tyler’s verse communicates his disdain for the traditional ordinances of love and marriage: “Forever is too long for me/We don’t need the government involved because we like to touch/ We don’t need no damn religion tellin’ us that we in love.”

The most ambitious project in The Weeknd’s discography in both sound and subject material, “Dawn FM” has a lot to unpack. From the provocative messages, to the complex rhythms and the sprawling track listing, it takes the listener on a journey through purgatory as they look back on the choices they made and struggle to uncover the true meaning of life.

It ultimately tells that the true meaning of life is making the most of your time here, and that the real heaven is on earth. As Carrey recites on “Phantom Regret by Jim,” “Heaven’s not that, it’s this/It’s the depth of this moment, we don’t reach for bliss/God knows life is chaos, but He made one thing true/ You gotta unwind your mind, train your soul to align/And dance ‘til you find that divine boogaloo/In other words, you gotta be Heaven to see Heaven.”

onday, Jan. 17 was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and GVSU is commemorating Dr. King this week with a series of events, presentations and workshops, many of which will be remotely accessible.

While King advocated for large-scale, profound change in United States politics, his ideas are often diluted into overly simple, vacuous messages. King wanted more for the U.S. than for Americans to “not see color” or to have a general awareness that racism is bad.

On MLK Day and throughout the rest of the year, many voices in U.S. politics misappropriate King’s message. Some of the more concerning instances twist or re-contextualize his words to advocate for colorblind or “not-racist” policies and legislation. In the area of election reform, colorblind rhetoric often disguises targeted, discriminatory laws.

One of the most important messages in Ibram X. Kendi’s “How to Be an Anti-racist” is the idea that simply “not being racist” is, ultimately, impossible.

According to Kendi, there are policies that actively or passively reinforce racism in institutions, and there are policies that actively undermines or challenges racism in institutions, with no

in-between.

In “Framing Voting Restrictions,” David J. Barney and Jesse H. Rhodes identify colorblind rhetoric as one of the multiple frameworks policymakers use to deflect accusations that these bills perpetuate racial injustice.

As Barney and Rhodes describe it, color blindness “avoids explicitly discussing the racial factors that play an important role in determining both elite and mass support for restrictive policies, providing audiences with an alternative, attractive and ostensibly non-racialized reason to support these measures.”

After the 2020 election, during which former president Donald Trump and many other conservative leaders pushed a false narrative of massive voter fraud, a wave of restrictive voting legislation swept the country. Many of these election reform laws limit access to the polls for people of color.

This new wave of election reform targets absentee voting, which enables people who’re required to attend work or school on election day to cast their votes, and even keeps volunteers from providing water to people waiting long hours in line to vote.

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GVL OPINION POLICY

Letter 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:

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.

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A5 | NEWS

JANUARY 18, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS VIDEO

GV professors say the hospitality industry is growing

BY JAMIE WILSON NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Hotel management, state park preservation, city tour guidance and restaurant ownership are just a few of the career paths Grand Valley State University’s Hospitality and Tourism Management Team (HTM) highlighted in their newest promotional video.

GVSU’s Dr. Kristen Jack and Dr. Patty Janes, alongside the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Detroit), used their experience in and passion for the industry to create a video they call “There’s No Better Time.”

The two professors said the video is meant to entice students towards the hospitality industry by showing them the diverse possibilities it has to offer.

In 2021 the industry sky-rocketed in interest and profits, but companies are still struggling to manage this influx with the limited resources and employees that COVID-19 left businesses with.

“The big issue right now is the hiring of staff as a result of COVID-19,” Jack said.

“This leads to service issues or an inability to use the space a venue or restaurant allows for because there aren’t enough people to manage or clean them. This is where the idea for the video took off. We want to recruit students to major in HTM, but we also want to help the demolished industry recoup.”

Janes and Jack wanted to find a way to combat this problem by drawing more stu-

dents towards the field.

“In January of 2021, we created a focus group with the staff of Visit Detroit over Zoom,” Janes said. “The difficult conversation of staffing came up. It was hard to see their faces. They had already been through the biggest struggle in their career, and they knew the traditional ways of recruiting people were no longer working.”

A traditional way of recruiting staff in past years had been to host a job fair, but in the current circumstances, the team knew this wasn’t going to hit the mark.

Janes and Jack said they saw this as an opportunity to create something that could be used long term and have a lasting impact on viewers.

“With staff at GVSU and Visit Detroit, we went all over the state and captured 18 different aspects of our industry,” Janes said.

“People either don’t know or forget how dynamic and diverse this industry really is.”

The people in the video aren’t actors, but real working employees who chose what they wanted to say, creating an authentic display of their careers for viewers.

“The demand is there, the jobs are there,” Janes said. “We call the video ‘There’s No Better Time’ because it’s true. There is no better time to be in our industry. There are so many exciting jobs, and everyone is looking to recruit.”

What began as a department of four faculty members at GVSU has tripled in recent years and expanded into a diverse pool of majors and emphases for students of many

INTEREST: GVSU Hospitality and Tourism Management professors created a video highlighting the diversity of the industry to spark student interest in the major program. GVL | ANNABELLE ROBINSON

interests. Jack and Janes hoped to reflect this range in their video.

“There’s No Better Time” can be ac-

cessed here.

More information on the HTM program at GVSU can be found on their website.

JOBS

Working students sacrifice winter break for paychecks

BY EMMA ARMIJO NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

College students across the U.S. work to help pay for expenses such as rent, groceries, textbooks and tuition. Grand Valley State University students are no exception.

As the holiday season rolls around ev-

WORK: Many Grand Valley students working at off campus jobs had to cut their breaks short to return to work. COURTESY | USA RESTAURANTS

ery year, students are given a break from school to return to their hometown and enjoy some time off. Many literally cannot afford this luxury.

Due to the expectations held by their off-campus employment or their own financial needs, for many students, winter break is not truly a break.

An increasing employee shortage around the Allendale area this year meant that students with off-campus jobs had to cut their breaks short and return early to campus, or scramble to find a replacement.

Junior Isabel Aubin works with children as a swim instructor at Goldfish Swim School in Grand Rapids and had to return to campus from her home on the east-side of the state a week early to return to work.

She said that while she preferred having an uninterrupted break, she knew that her responsibility to her job needed to take precedence.

“Because I am working with children and seeing the same kids weekly it is very important that I am there consistently,” Aubin said. “It is hard because I would love nothing more than to have three full

weeks off and relax, but I also understood what I was signing up for when I decided to work off-campus.”

Goldfish Swim School was closed for the Christmas and New Year holidays, but Aubin said all other shifts were expected to be covered.

Much of the difficulty that comes with having an off-campus job lies in trying to get time off or finding a replacement, as co-workers are often also college students unwilling to give up their own free time – especially around the holidays.

Aubin said being understaffed plays a large role in the ability to get time off.

“Trying to get days off in the first place is always very stressful and lots of the time my coworkers aren’t really willing to pick up shifts,” Aubin said. “In my case it doesn’t help since there are so few people that I can ask to sub for a shift.”

However, breaks aren’t always cut short just because of a lack of a replacement. In many cases, students can’t afford to take such long periods of time off at once.

Junior Madison Elya said she knew that she would have to work through a portion of her winter break when she

took the job at the local Tropical Smoothie Café. However, she still felt that she was left with no other choice.

“Tropical Smoothie was offering wages that (on campus jobs at) GVSU were not even coming close to,” Elya said. “It was hard leaving my family and friends at home just to come back to work, but I guess that’s just the reality of being a broke college student.”

Elya said while she was confident in her ability to get additional time off if needed, her break came at the cost of her bills.

“I wish I had the opportunity to take the time off that I wanted, but that’s just not the reality of the situation,” Elya said.

“Whether or not I could’ve gotten the time off, I just financially couldn’t support it.”

While working an on-campus job at GVSU could help to relieve the stress of working through the break, it doesn’t eliminate the financial strain students face when not working for an extended period of time.

For many students the reality is that work is work, bills are bills and break is not a break.

A6&7 | SPORTS

JANUARY 18, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

MMA to UFC: Grand Rapids fighter Brett Martin

BY JAMES HERRICK NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Local Grand Rapids fighter Brett Martin started his MMA career back in 2015. Ever since, he’s been forced to balance his pursuit of the UFC with the need to provide for his family, all while dealing with the crazy world of regional MMA. For many MMA fighters, becoming a UFC fighter is a dream; unfortunately, the path to the top is a rocky road that athletes like Martin have to attempt to navigate.

When Martin started fighting, the UFC was always in the back of his mind. Throughout his life, Martin excelled in any sport he put his mind to. This culminated in a tremendous wrestling career where he was a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Wrestling All-American at Muskegon Community College in 2014 and a DIV state champion in 2014 at Hesperia High School.

Martin transitioned to MMA shortly after his time at MCC and his goal was to be the best fighter he could be. For him, this means making it to the UFC. “I’d say right away the goal was always to be in the UFC, just so that I’m making money,” Martin said. “I’m not just beating my brain cells up and beating my body up for no reason.”

Despite being an elite-level athlete with the goal of becoming a UFC fighter, Martin still wakes up in the morning and heads to work. He does this to ensure he can provide for his pregnant wife Kelli and their newborn-child.

Martin is employed by the City of Coopersville where he works in the department of public works. He works a seven to three shift where he’s a handyman, doing any job the city needs done. This includes maintaining parks, plowing in the winter, mowing lawns in the summer, landscaping, masonry, plumbing and much more.

This job has become crucial to Martin’s life as he receives a pension and benefits for his entire family. This allows him to ensure his family is taken care of, both now and in the future, which to him, is more important than being a professional fighter. “(I’ll keep fighting) as long as my life allows (fighting) and it does not affect my family or my day job that I worked very hard to get,” Martin said. “I am sitting really good at my day job and it’s the benefits for my family.”

Thankfully for Martin, he has mastered the ability of balancing his day job with his training. With the job running from seven

to three it gives him time to see his family in the afternoon before heading to train in the evening. Martin also said that his employers are understanding and he rarely has to work overtime.

Being a heavyweight plays into his favor since the level of cardio needed to be successful is less than it is in lighter weight classes. This is a sentiment that Martin expressed and other heavyweights in similar situations have proven this to be true. This has allowed Martin to acknowledge the fact that he will always be able to work and fight at the same time.

The chase of a UFC contract is more common today than ever. The sport of MMA has recently peaked in popularity as Endeavor, the UFC’s parent company, announced the best first-half financial performance in UFC history. As the UFC grows, the rest of the MMA world grows with it, starting with the regional scene.

This growth has been occurring in Grand Rapids especially. In 2015, Michigan had 14 events. This climbed to 20 in 2016, 22 in 2017, 28 in 2018 and 31 in 2019, providing steady growth every year. Since the emergence of COVID-19, promoters have been limited in their ability to host events—this dropped the number of regional MMA events to two in 2020 and one in 2021.

As this growth in Michigan took place, Grand Rapids saw a burst in the MMA scene. In 2015, Grand Rapids didn’t hold a single event. However, in 2016 Grand Rapids was the host of four events and from 2017 to 2019 Grand Rapids had six events each year. In the midst of the pandemic, Grand Rapids hosted one of the two events in 2020 and both of the 2021 events.

Grand Rapids isn’t just hosting events though, there have been a handful of fighters to see success outside the city. One of the most successful is Jamahal Hill, a longtime friend of Martin.

Hill started his career in Grand Rapids, where he fought all six of his regional MMA fights. After this stretch, he earned a UFC contract after a win on the UFC TV show, “Dana White’s Contender Series” in 2019. Since then, Hill has gone 3-1, 1 N.C. and worked his way to number 12 in the UFC rankings. Hill is living proof that fighters from Grand Rapids can make the UFC roster.

The growth of regional MMA in Grand Rapids has resulted in the city being home to many regional MMA fighters that are working to make the UFC. One of the best of the bunch is Martin himself. Martin has amassed a profes-

sional record of 10-1-0, 1 NC and an amateur record of 7-1. His most notable victory came when he defeated current UFC fighter, Josh Parisian, with a first-round submission victory.

Martin is widely considered one of the best fighters at the regional level, and Tapology currently has Martin ranked fifth in the Michigan pound for pound rankings and fourth in the United States pro men’s heavyweight rankings.

“I’m a little country kid,” Martin said. “I’ll probably always work and fight, regardless of how big I get.”

In the current state of regional MMA, working a day job has become unavoidable.

There are a limited number of fighters on the regional scene that get paid enough to do otherwise. In a study done by Bloody Elbow, it was discovered that fighters outside of the UFC and Bellator were receiving fight purses that rarely elevated above $10,000. In fact, 36.3% of fighters made less than $1,000 per fight while 51.7%of fighters made between $1,000 and $10,000. This means 88% of regional MMA fighters made less than $10,000 per fight.

“Regional fighters don’t make the craziest amounts of money,” Martin said. “You can’t support your family that you are trying to build as a 28-year-old man, fighting regionally.”

To pair with the poor wages that fighters earn on the regional scene, almost all of the contracts between the athlete and the promoter are one-fight contracts. This means that promoters do not have to pay the athletes for fights that get canceled.

Fight cancellations are incredibly common in MMA. Prior to UFC 269 on Dec. 11, 2021, there were a total of five fight cancellations. These cancellations stem from injuries and weight-cut issues.

The issue the UFC has with fight cancellations is mirrored in regional MMA as well.

Martin, for example, has had four fights canceled since the start of 2020. However, in regional MMA when a fight gets canceled both fighters are left without pay. This makes an already small payday unreliable as well, adding another reason for regional fighters to work a day job.

“That (fights getting canceled) is kind of why I like having my actual job,” Martin said.

“Just for the fact of, if guys pull out my bills are at least paid for, but if you bank on having money, it’s a tough one.”

The main reason why these financial issues occur is because regional MMA organizations struggle to make a profit. The Xtreme

Fighting Championship (XFC) is one of the few MMA organizations that is publicly traded. The XFC noted in their 2020 10-K that the company has accumulated a deficit of $35 million. When regional MMA organizations have this level of debt it prevents them from improving wages or making contacts guaranteed, regardless of how this debt was accumulated.

For a regional MMA fighter, the escape from the hectic world of regional MMA is the UFC. In the UFC not only do they make significantly more money but they have the opportunity to achieve a lifelong goal of reaching the pinnacle of MMA. However, to make it to the UFC, fighters must do more than win fights. Winning is required, but so are connections and a little luck.

“There’s a lot of politics in the game,” Martin said. “If you’re not with the management company that they want you with, or if you are not there at the right time, or for the right people, you’re just not going to get the call.

It’s a very weird thing.”

Many fighters are left waiting for their management to get that special call from the UFC. Until then, they will continue to work during the day and train at night. However, it’s not always the time that is put in that hurts the worst, it’s the time you miss out on. “(The hardest part) is just losing the time with my family,” Martin said. “It’s the hardest thing in the world; to walk out of your house when your wife and your dog and all them are sitting there and they just want to hang out with you.”

BALANCE: In addition to fighting, Martin works for the city of Coopersville. COURTESY | BRETT MARTIN

SUCCESS: Martin is ranked fourth in the U.S. pro men’s heavy-weight rankings, but says regardless of his success, he will continue to work. COURTESY | BRETT MARTIN

CAREER: Martin’s career began at Muskegon Community College, where he took home championship titles for wrestling in 2014 before transitioning to the MMA soon after. COURTESY | BRETT MARTIN

GRAND RAPIDS: Since 2015, Grand Rapids has become a hot spot in the MMA scene, hosting six events each year between 2017 and 2019, as well as one of two events hosted in 2020 in 2021 after the pandemic impacted MMA events. Now, the sport is thriving in GR and Martin is taking part in its popularity. COURTESY | BRETT MARTIN

A8 | NEWS

JANUARY 18, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

ADMINISTRATION

GV appoints Susan Proctor as director of alumni relations

BY LAUREN FORMOSA NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Vice Provost for the Office of Graduate and Lifetime Learning at Grand Valley State University, Kara Van Dam, announced last week that Susan Proctor would be taking over as the next Director of Alumni Relations.

Proctor has recently assumed her duties as director and moved into the Alumni Relations Department in the Alumni House and Visitor’s Center. She will be taking over for Chris Barbee, GVSU’s Director of Alumni Relations for the past 20 years.

“Chris left big shoes to fill,” Proctor said.

“He is a beloved personality amongst our alumni community, so I hope I can live up to those expectations of our alumni and the level of service that they’re used to having from Grand Valley.”

The university’s search for a new director attracted a wide variety of competitive candidates. During the hiring process, Van Dam said she was looking for someone who was passionate about understanding the needs of GVSU alumni and finding new ways to engage them in the community.

“When we did the search, Susan emerged as a great future director,” Van Dam said.

“We had a lot of strong candidates, but at the end of the day, I think she really had that

combination of all the characteristics we were looking for.”

Proctor, a GVSU alumna herself, started working for the university as the Assistant Alumni Director for roughly four years before transitioning to the Career Center in 2011.

During her time in employer relations, she worked to connect businesses and nonprofits with GVSU students for potential new hires. She also worked with alumni through the Career Center, helping them find internships and job opportunities for students.

Proctor’s colleagues, including Van Dam, have spoken highly of her and the skills she brings to the table, many of which they say go beyond her connections in professional development.

“I was really impressed with her deep experience in diversity, equity and inclusivity,” Van Dam said. “She also thinks a lot about how data can be used to help us make decisions and inform the decisions we’re making.

We have over 130,000 alumni and I think that data-driven approach is something we definitely need.”

Now that Proctor has transitioned back to alumni relations, she said she is focusing on new ways to service the GVSU alumni community.

Proctor said some of her goals as the Di-

rector of Alumni Relations include reengaging underserved or inactive alumni such as veterans, non-traditional or adult alumni, alumni of color and alumni outside of West Michigan, as well as offering career guidance and programming to alumni.

In addition to this, Proctor said she is dedicated to making sure all alumni, especially recent graduates, feel supported by GVSU in their endeavors after graduation. She is hopeful to continue building relationships with the alumni community following graduation and aid them in navigating their paths.

“My mission is to say, ‘It’s not what you can do to give back to GVSU, but how we can continue to be here for you as you grow into your life and your career,’” Proctor said. “Our recent graduates have experienced a unique new world, and we want to make sure that transition is smooth and that they feel supported by the university to take that next step.”

Proctor is looking forward to working closely not only with alumni, but also with the greater GVSU community. She hopes to continue the legacy of helping alumni connect with current students and share their experiences with the Laker community.

“Our alumni are unique in that they really care about our institution, and they really care about our students,” Proctor said. “We have so many great alumni and I’m so excited

ALUMNA: Susan Proctor, who is a Grand Valley alumna herself, has been appointed as the new Director of Alumni Relations. COURTESY | GVSU

to hear their stories, to tell their stories and to reconnect them back to help the next generation of students to have that same Laker effect and continue to build the reputation and connections that Grand Valley has provided for me and so many others.”

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MEMORIAL

GV remembers Dr. Glenn A. Niemeyer

BY GRACE SMITH NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University mourns the death of the university’s first provost, Dr. Glenn A. Niemeyer, on Dec. 30 at the age of 87.

When Niemeyer arrived at Grand Valley State College in its inaugural year, 1963, the campus consisted of a few sparsely populat-

PROVOST: The Grand Valley State University community mourns the loss of its first provost, Dr. Glenn A. Niemeyer. GVL | RACHEL SLOMBA

ed buildings and a total of 224 students.

Starting his journey with GVSU as an associate professor, Niemeyer quickly moved through the ranks as a professor, department chair, the Dean of Arts and Sciences and finally the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, which was later renamed provost.

During his 38 years of service to the university, Niemeyer worked to build GVSU into the institution it is today. When he retired from his position as GVSU’s first provost in 2001, the student body had risen greatly in numbers with an enrollment of more than 18,500 students.

Honors College President, Roger Gilles, said he credits much of GVSU’s success to Niemeyer.

“There’s no question that he and (former) President Don Lubbers teamed up to transform Grand Valley from the ‘school in a cornfield’ of the 1960s into the widely recognized, highly successful regional university it became by the early 2000s,” Gilles said.

Niemeyer was a West Michigan native,

growing up in Muskegon and attending Western Michigan Christian High School.

He went on to receive his bachelor’s degree from Calvin College and his master’s and PhD from Michigan State University.

In the mid-1970s, Niemeyer was instrumental in establishing the Honors College at GVSU. Its main housing center, the Glenn A. Niemeyer Living and Learning Center, was named after him to commemorate his support of the program.

In 2000, Lubbers established the Glenn A. Niemeyer award to honor academically outstanding performances and exceptional faculty members. Furthermore, the GVSU history department honored its roots by establishing the Glenn A. and Betty J. Niemeyer Scholarship which is awarded annually to history majors.

Lubbers said Niemeyer was an integral part of creating the university as we know it today.

“He was especially good at putting in place the building blocks necessary to turn vision for the future into reality to-

day,” Lubbers said. “He is a special person, whose special career was as important as any for shaping Grand Valley, for laying the academic foundation that has catapulted our university into the first rank of regional state universities.”

Niemeyer received the Arend D. Lubbers Award in 2007 at the Grand Valley Foundation Enrichment Dinner. This award is only presented to those who have demonstrated outstanding service to the community and the university.

Niemeyer is survived by Betty, his wife of 66 years, as well as his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. His funeral was held Friday, Jan. 14 at Hillcrest Reformed Christian Church, at which he was an elder and member of the Ministry Council.

The Niemeyer family requests that gifts in remembrance be given to Unity Christian High School, Hudsonville Christian School and GVSU. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

A9 | LAKER LIFE

JANUARY 18, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE

A LOOK AT LIFESTYLE LEARN TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS FROM SASC

The Student Academic Success Center is hosting a workshop on time management on Tuesday Jan. 18. The workshop, which will run from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., will cover time management strategies and how they can continue to academic success. This event is interactive, so attendees are urged to bring their schedules and other resources they use to manage their time.

COOK LEADERSHIP ACADEMY HOLDING VIRTUAL INFO SESSION On Tuesday Jan. 18, the Cook Leadership Academy (CLA) is holding an information session on what the organization is all about.

CLA urges students looking to develop their leadership skills to attend. The organization is open to students of all majors, and members will receive one-on-one mentorship from leaders in the GVSU community. Membership candidates must have high academic achievement, be involved in the campus community and show dedication to public good and a passion to lead. Applications for the organization are open until Feb. 28.

DISCOVER THE THREE B’S OF ALCOHOL USE The Alcohol and Other Drugs Services Office is back with the latest installment of their 3 B’s (Be Safe, Be Smart, Be Responsible) presentation series. The series is focused on myths surrounding substance abuse and educating students on how to stay safe around these substances GVSU. This week’s presentation will cover alcohol usage, including drinking culture, safe drinking techniques, and demystifying myths about alcohol.

GET INFORMAL CONSULTING WITH MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS

The University Counseling Center is hosting free “Let’s Talk” mental health and wellbeing consultations for currently-enrolled GVSU students on Wednesday Jan. 19. These consultations are great options for students who’re new to counseling or may not need formal counseling, but still stand to benefit from one-on-one support. Let’s Talk sessions are hosted biweekly throughout the semester. Students with more urgent concerns or mental health emergencies should refer to the University Counseling Center’s Emergency Services page.

GET TRAINED ON THE BASICS OF IMPORTING

REMEMBRANCE

MLK Day of Service and Solidarity goes virtual this year

BY MELIA WILLIAMS LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

The Community Service Learning Center (CSLC) provides co-curricular community service opportunities for Grand Valley State University students in an effort to give everyone an opportunity to become active in the campus community through service. The CLSC’s mission is to empower students to be active global citizens on both community and democratic levels.

Every year, the CSLC partners with the MLK committee for the final event of the GVSU commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr: the MLK Jr. Day of Service and Solidarity.

In a normal year, the CSLC works with community partners throughout West Michigan to provide volunteer opportunities for students and participants are typically sent out on buses to work on different projects in the surrounding communities.

“This year since we are at alert level three, we decided not to put students on buses,” said Associate Director of Student Life Melissa Baker-Boosamra.

The alternative for this year is that there are a number of workshops and service ac-

tivities that are taking place on GVSU’s campus. This year’s projects are all what the CSLC calls hosted projects.

Hosted projects are small things that they can do in-house that will then be given to people that need it said Civic Engagement Associate Abigail Caswell.

The CSLC has a wide variety of different projects that could benefit members of the community. Past examples of hosted projects that could make a return this year include decorating bagged sack dinners, making

bracelets for kids going through the court system and writing thank you letters to active service members.

In addition to allowing students to connect with one another and learn about Dr. King, the MLK Day of Service gives students the opportunity to actually do something for the greater good of the community.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

CAMPUS LIFE

Presidents’ Ball canceled for second year in a row

BY CLEMENCE DANIERE LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

COVID-19 has cancelled many Grand Valley State University campus activities and events have been canceled or postponed to ensure the safety of any and all potential attendees. This year, as COVID-19 cases continue to surge, GVSU has cancelled Presidents’ Ball.

The Presidents’ Ball, a long-standing tradition at GVSU, is meant to be a space where students can let go, have fun and celebrate

The Van Andel Global Trade Center is offering a full-day training session that will provide attendees a detailed understanding of how to import goods. The event is open to GVSU alumni, faculty, staff, students, and the broader community. Some of the topics covered will include: • • • •

EMPOWERMENT: Even with the services going Online, the meaning was still there. The CSLC worked to spread messages of community empowerment and activism while still being safe. GVL | GVSU

Understanding Import Transaction Structures History of Customs & Mod Act Record-Keeping Requirements Duty Drawback & Foreign-Trade Zones FORMAL: For the second year GVSU’s Presidents’ Ball has now been canceled due to COVID-19 cases. GVL | CAMPUS ACTIVITIES BOARD

the new semester with their peers. The evening is usually filled with engaging activities, dinner and lots of dancing.

In an article highlighting the 2020 Presidents’ ball, the GVSU Promotions Office described the event as “an elegant experience” and a night that “will certainly be one to be remembered.”

This social event has indeed been one to remember in the past years at GVSU. Students from all stages of their education have looked forward to this night every year to spend well-deserved downtime with their friends away from the work the new semester is demanding from them.

Unfortunately, dressing up and dancing the night away will not be possible for students and staff because the Presidents’ Ball has been canceled for the second year in a row. This decision has been made due to an increased number of COVID-19 cases in the GVSU community.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, GVSU has implemented alert levels which indicate the potential COVID-19 risk members of the community face at any given time. As of Jan. 14, GVSU has increased its

COVID-19 alert level to a modified level three, indicating “High Alert”, which means that some school operations are limited in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the GVSU community.

This decision, although disappointing to students and staff across campus, doesn’t come as a complete surprise. It has been carried out due to the abundance of safety GVSU keeps in mind for students and staff.

However, the Office of Student Life, Campus Activities Board and Student Senate, all of which are responsible for the planning of the Presidents’ Ball, are hoping for the event to return in full swing in 2023.

In the meantime, students are encouraged to participate in safe, socially-distanced campus activities that are being held in person or virtually. Although the university has increased the alert level to “High Alert” and campus activities are significantly reduced, there’s still an abundance of activity options for students at GVSU. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

A10 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ARTS AT A GLANCE AUDITION FOR “VARIETY VALLEY”

STAGE, Grand Valley State University’s student-led theatre program is holding auditions for their upcoming variety and talent show titled “Variety Valley.”

This is a community-wide talent show meaning anyone can audition, even if they haven’t been active in a theatre before.

STAGE welcomes all acts from singing, dancing, comedy, magic or any other special skill. Acts can be 15 seconds up to three minutes, exceptions can be made if there are group performances. Auditions are open to single acts, groups and classrooms as well. STAGE isn’t requiring acts to be perfect upon auditioning, however, there will be a mandatory tech rehearsal on Feb. 3.

Those who are interested can audition on Jan. 18 from 5:30 to 6 p.m and Jan. 21 from 2 to 3 p.m. At the audition, acts will be required to fill out an audition form before performing. STAGE is asking those who are interested to sign up via Sign Up Genius, which is available on LakerLink, to secure a 15 minute audition time. The show will take place Feb. 4 and Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m.

DANCE WITH GRAND VALLEY ELITE DANCE

On Friday Jan. 21 and Saturday Jan. 22 from 5 to 8 p.m. GVSU Elite Dance will be holding tryouts to join their team. This will be held in the Field House Dance Studio, room FH 160. In order to register please email gvsuelitedance@gmail.com, the information that needs to be included is a full name, graduation date and phone number. Those who audition should be prepared to learn three short combinations of jazz, lyrical/contemporary and turns. There will also be time to show off dancers’ personal special skills as well as floor drills to show their technique.

The first day will consist of a technique evaluation, learning the combinations and a round of cuts. The second day all of the dancers will perform the combinations and then have a short interview.

EXPERIENCE MORE OF WORLD OF WINTER

With all of the sculptures out, World of Winter is now able to be fully explored.

Outside of the Grand Rapids Public Museum is the Crank Zappa Jellyfish, spectators can view the jellyfish made out of recycled materials and learn about plastic waste at the same time. Another unique experience to World of Winter is ice portraits. Artist Liz Sweet is making ice portraits daily. These are composed of seeds and other materials encased in ice slabs.

Local artist Andrea Zelenak has an interactive sculpture located at the DeVos Place. The Kindness Machine will be there until March to help spread kindness and positivity. Zelenak’s hope is that one act of kindness can spread throughout the community like a butterfly effect, which is why the machine has butterflies on it.

JANUARY 18, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS

SHOWCASE

GV Professor powers through grief in metalsmith exhibition

BY AYRON RUTAN ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

Grief is a universal emotion. It’s felt and experienced by every living person at some point in their lifetime. To explore this incredibly complex idea is the mission of Grand Valley State University professor Renee Zettle-Sterling and company with their upcoming metalsmith exhibition “Sorrow/Fullness: A Reflection on Mourning,” which will be showcased Thursday at the Haas Center for Performing Arts Gallery.

With the help of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania professor Sue Amendalara and studio artist Adrienne Grafton, “Sorrow/ Fullness” will feature metalsmithing works that are meant to represent and celebrate the lives of loved ones who have passed on.

This collaboration was born out of a 20-plus-year friendship between the three artists, as Zettle-Sterling studied under the tutelage of Amendalara while attending graduate school at EU, where Grafton was an undergraduate student at the time.

All three artists have dealt with loss and grief over the past 20 years and have developed work surrounding the difficult emotion during their careers. In order to come together to create something even more meaningful, the three metalsmiths decided to join forces for “Sorrow/Fullness.”

“We realized we were making simi-

HEALING: GVSU professor and two other artists worked on their joint healing through the art of metal-smithing, all of them showcased their grief and healing through their work. GVL | RACHEL SLOMBA

lar work and decided to make a proposal for an exhibition at the Erie Art Museum,” Zettle-Sterling said. “It’s about our own personal losses and it speaks universally. We’re all coming from different perspectives and different stages of grief.”

After a brief conversation with Nathan Kemler and Joel Zwart of the GVSU Art Gallery Team, the exhibition was on its way to Allendale.

Grief is a very personal and meaningful topic to Zettle-Sterling, who lost her brother, Tommy, in 2002 in an unfortunate hunting

accident. Since then, loss has been an important inspiration for her work.

“After Tommy died it took a couple years for me to process it and then I started making work about it,” Zettle-Sterling said. “I started to use his clothes by making quilts out of them for my family and when I saw that it brought them comfort I realized that this was really powerful.”

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

SPEAKER

Peter Jacobs on passion at the GRAM

BY COLLEEN GARCIA ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

Peter Jacobs, the creator of design firm Peter Jacobs Kind Creative, explained how he found his passion for furniture making as a part of the Grand Rapids Art Museum’s Visionnaire Series on Jan. 13, 2022.

When he was little, Jacobs played with Legos and drew diagrams. These hobbies he enjoyed as a kid set him on a path that would take him to the Kendall College of Arts and Design (KCAD).

PASSION: Peter Jacobs held a discussion at the GRAM, speaking on his business and finding passion within ones own life. GVL | MAX RITCHIE

When entering the workforce and creating his company, Jacobs described how difficult it is to ask for help from young entrepreneurs.

“I’m a perfectionist, and I like to learn how to do things perfectly for myself,” Jacobs said. “Instead of showing people that I have imperfections or that I have gaps or that I can’t do things.”

This makes reaching out for help difficult for Jacobs, but he explained how pride always gets in the way of asking for help. Through his experience with internships and studying at KCAD, he learned that asking for help from better and more experienced people is essential to improving oneself.

“Reach out to someone who is much better than you in a category and make them your hero,” Jacobs said. “Eventually you’ll teach yourself some skills from them.”

Jacobs designs throughout all of his companies. He is creating innovative furniture and developing innovative strategies for his co-company Michigan house, The Cakabakery.

“If you see a process of behavior that is not working, you should change that process, and design will get you there,” Jacobs said.

He explains that design flows throughout his company and helps ensure that each company works coherently and uses different forms of innovation to find the problems within the company.

“Design is the way to get you there because you have to work around all of that bad stuff,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs said that being an entrepreneur is complex and doesn’t come without its share of struggles and hardships. According to Jacobs if it was too easy, then everyone would do it.

“Struggle is essential,” Jacobs said. “Good kind of difficulties have you struggling towards something you believe in and not against your best interest.”

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

A11 | SPORTS

JANUARY 18, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

QUICK HITS MEN’S BASKETBALL SPLITS WEEKEND GAMES

With a few issues coming back from winter break with COVID-19, the Grand Valley State University men’s basketball team (10-3) was able to play both of their opponents this past weekend on Jan. 13 and 15. Facing off against Ferris State University (12-3) on Thursday, the Lakers were unable to secure a win against their rival team, losing 76-83, followed by a win against Lake Superior State (9-4) 82-59 on Saturday.

These were the first DII matchups for GVSU since Dec. 20, moving their record in the GLIAC up to 4-2.

On Thursday, the Bulldogs got off to a fast start going up 13-8 in the first half.

The Lakers caught up on a 12-3 run to tie the score after a made jumper from senior Jake Van Tubbergen halfway through the first. Both teams exchanged buckets for GVSU to gain their first lead of the night thanks to a three-point make by senior Deleon Brown, making the score 29-28.

Going into the second half, both teams would go back-and-forth trading baskets.

Ferris State opened its lead to seven, with 18:14 left in the game. GVSU went on an 8-2 run to tie the game again, taking a two-point lead 49-51 after a made jumper from senior Jordan Harris.

The game came down to the wire as it remained within five points until a barrage of three-point makes from the Bulldogs put the game out of reach, giving Ferris State the 83-76 victory.

Saturday’s game was a much different story, as the Lakers would take an impressive 82-59 win over Lake Superior State.

The Lakers found themselves up early 17-16 in the opening half.

Lake Superior State went on a 12-4 run after a three-point make from Malek Adams to close out the half. Adams made a long-jumper and cut the Laker lead 3835 going into the break.

With 9:39 left in the second half, Van Tubbergen made a jumper to put GVSU up 13, making the score 61-48. Lake Superior State was unable to come back from the point deficit, resulting in a win for GVSU 82-59, bringing their overall record up to 10-3.

The Lakers will continue their season with two away games this week on Jan. 20 and 22 against Michigan Tech University and Northern Michigan University.

HOCKEY

Men’s DI club hockey goes 2-1 over busy weekend

BY HOLLY BIHLMAN SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

After a few days off during winter break, the men’s DI club hockey team has gotten back on the ice to resume their regular season play. This past weekend, the team has run into scheduling issues that seem to be finding every sports team across the state of Michigan, but the Grand Valley State University team has been fortunate in finding replacement games on the fly.

With a cancellation from Calvin University and then Adrian College, GVSU found themselves competing against Western Michigan University this weekend.

The teams faced off Friday night, Jan. 14, with GVSU taking the win 3-1, followed by Saturday night’s game tripling their points with a final score of 9-1.

Coming off the win from Friday night, the team looked to have some of their momentum roll over into Saturday’s game, scoring two early goals within the first two minutes of play.

“We really didn’t make any adjustments,” said junior wing Shane Haggerty.

“I think their goalie stood on their head yesterday and today we got a couple early.

We really didn’t change anything because we had them yesterday.”

Coming in with a goal 30 seconds into play, freshman wing Josh Suzio scored with an assist from his teammates Sam Lechel

and Zach Borchardt. Less than 30 seconds after that, junior wing Borchardt sent another puck into the back of the net with an assist from Bryan Clahassey and Suzio, starting off their early lead 2-0.

“Last night I thought we played a really good hockey game,” said coach Carl Trosien. “It was a 3-1 game, and then tonight was one of those games where, yeah, a couple pucks find the back of the net early and

then you’re off and running.”

Halfway through the first period, the Stallions were able to find a goal to avoid a shutout game, but that would be their last of the night.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

TRACK AND FIELD

Track and field making provisional marks for conference

BY JOSH CARLSON SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State University men’s and women’s track and field teams have started their indoor season on the right foot with strong showings from both sides of the team, building off the success the team had

GV ESPORTS CLUB HOSTS GRAND OPENING COMPETITION

This Tuesday, Jan. 18, the Grand Valley State University Esports club will host Davenport University for an exhibition Rocket League competition in the brand new Laker Esports Center. Equipped with Alienware gaming technology, televisions outside the room on the first floor of Kirkhof for viewing, and first year head coach Chris Bilski, the event is setting up to be an exciting unveiling of the Esports club’s skills.

CATCHING UP: After a series of postponed and canceled games due to COVID-19, the Lakers were able to find the Stallions for two games and Adrian for a third on Sunday. GVL | LAUREN SEYMOUR

STRONG START: GVSU athletes qualifying early in the 2022 season. GVL | LAUREN SEYMOUR

in 2020.

The team started on Dec. 3 with the Holiday Open, proving that they didn’t skip a beat with 22 NCAA DII provisional marks as a team (13 men’s, 9 women’s) and having two athletes, senior Isaac Harding and junior Tanner Chada, with record-breaking times in the men’s 5000 meter.

The record was set by Zach Panning in 2019 (13:46.87). Harding finished in third place with a time of 13:41.87, while Chada followed right behind his teammate coming in at 13:45.19, both receiving their provisional marks on the day.

For men’s fields events, sophomore Eli Kosiba took first place in the men’s high jump, leaping 2.07m, gaining his provisional mark. Kosiba was joined by sophomore Myles Kerner and freshman Matt Thomas who also gained their provisional marks in the shot put.

For the women’s side, they had success in the distance events with five provisional marks made. Sophomore Klaudia O’Malley, senior Allie Ludge, and senior Hannah Becker all earned their marks in the 3000m.

Sophomore Sarah May and sophomore

Kayce Rympa each got their marks as well in the women’s 5000m.

In the women’s field events, junior Judith Essemiah won the weight throw event gaining her provisional mark while sophomore Alaina Omonode finished fourth. “(We) just have to stay focused on the day-to-day process of controlling what you can control,” said coach Jerry Baltes. “(We have to continue) doing the right things inside of practice, outside of practice, and keep making steady progress. Coming off the holiday break we will start with taking a bit of a step back and then start to move forward and build some momentum as we move from meet-to-meet.”

After winter break, the Lakers hosted and competed in the Bob Eubanks Open on Saturday, Jan. 14. The athletes were able to take a bit of a break from competing since they’ve seen so much early success in the season. Building on that initial success is going to be key for the team leading into the rest of the season and all the way to the conference meets starting in February.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

A12 | SPORTS

JANUARY 18, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS