Grand Valley Lanthorn vol. 55 no. 16

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

Small town, big dreams Holland’s Nancy Drew makes her debut

Female cadets in Grand Rapids ROTC appointed to leadership positions LEADERSHIP | A3

CAB reimagines Winter Carnival as Winterfest EVENTS | A10

M O N D A Y, F E B R U A RY 1 , 2 02 1 // VO L . 5 5 N O. 1 6

@ GV L A N T H O R N

LANTHORN.COM

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

The GVSU community has had a cumulative total of 2,223 COVID-19 cases since Aug. 1. The university’s update for this brief was from Friday, Jan. 29.

Through testing results this past week, GVSU’s Virus Action team have so far reported 45 current active cases including 1 faculty member case, 5 staff members, 6 on-campus students, 22 “off-campus Ottawa” students, 10 “off-campus Kent” students and 1 “off-campus other” student with active COVID-19 cases.

“Current active cases” is the count of positive cases reported to the Virus Action Team over the past ten 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.

Testing and Incidence: GVSU’s own testing program has performed 41,936 tests overall since August 21, for a cumulative positivity rate of 1.92% from the latest update as of last week.

“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.

TWO UNIVERSITY FACULTY MEMBERS ANNOUNCE JUNE RETIREMENT

Vice President for University Development Karen Loth and University Counsel Tom Butcher are set to retire this June. Both members of faculty have been with GVSU for decades, throughout the growth and development of the university.

Loth joined the GVSU community in 2000 and was promoted to her current position in 2012. Her June retirement will cap off her over 20 years or work with GVSU. She also serves as an executive director for the Grand Valley University Foundation. During her time on campus, she is credited to helping raise over $350 million for students. She has also worked in a leadership position for The Laker Effect Campaign, raising a record-setting amount of funds.

Butcher has been with the GVSU community for almost four decades, joining in 1982.

He started working for GVSU as the personnel officer and legal affairs assistant, later becoming the first in-house general counsel in 1989. Along with his years of providing legal advice and assistance to the GVSU community, he is also a Fulbright Fellow and has lead the university through many important legal transactions, such as real estate transactions for the Health Campus.

Patricia Smith, current Associate Vice President and Deputy General Council, will be stepping into the general council position following Butcher’s retirement. GVSU will be conducting a national search to fill Loth’s position.

FEBRUARY 1, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

GRADUATE

GV cancels master’s program in applied linguistics

BY ZSOLT PALMER NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

The pandemic has put a squeeze on Grand Valley State University’s budget, which has tightened recently and caused the cancellation of various programs around the university.

One such program to be cut was the master’s program in applied linguistics.

After struggling to gain enrollment for some time and hosting a relatively small student body of only a few dozen, the program was sunset last semester. Students in the program found out about the cancellation in an email sent out by the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, where they were assured they would still be able to graduate, but no new applications to the graduate program would be accepted.

It was not long after this news that the certification of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) was denied approval by the Provost’s office. The TESOL certification was a faculty project of the master’s program having begun two years ago and would have been an extra accreditation to students within the applied linguistics graduate program.

“I understand the reasons for canceling the master’s program,” said Douglas R Mooney, a graduate student in the applied linguistics program. “What is more concerning to me is that they denied the proposal to issue a TESOL certificate. The Applied Linguistics Department had been working on this proposal for two years, and had gotten it to the Provost’s desk’s, where it was then denied.”

The TESOL certificate is an extra accredita-

ALTERATIONS: GVSU has chosen to end its TESOL certification program amidst low enrollment, which helped students learn techniques to teach English to non-English speakers. COURTESY | GVSU

tion that graduate students can earn on top of their diplomas, with little extra work involved.

It has the potential to improve employability to many employers and boost resumes, as many graduate students in the applied linguistics graduate program go on to become teachers around the world.

“A supplement to our degree is this TESOL certificate, which allows us better employment opportunities both abroad and domestically,” Mooney said. “I’ve heard from faculty that this certificate can stand alone. It is not separate from the degree, but the proposal was to embed this certificate into the coursework.”

Some students and faculty agree that the certificate proposal has a range of applications,

warranting approval based on the amount of internal support it had.

“The university should approve it,” said Shinian Wu, a professor of English at GVSU. “Anyone who graduates with the MA degree would automatically receive such a certificate, but the university nevertheless denied it, despite the fact that the TESOL certificate proposal has passed all faculty governance committees.”

Attempts by faculty and graduate students to appeal the decision of the Provost have so LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

POLICE

GV campus death ruled accidental

BY OLIVIA FELLOWS & ADAM TROMBLEY ASSOCIATE@LANTHORN.COM

SAFETY: GVPD Captain Jeff Stoll said that there is no danger to students at GVSU following a student death in December. COURTESY | GVSU

On Thursday, Jan. 28th, Grand Valley State University President Philomena Mantella released a message informing the campus community that the death of freshman Taylor DeRosa, which was first reported Dec. 12, has been ruled by the county coroner as an ‘accidental death.’

DeRosa’s body was originally found near the intramural athletic fields, south of West Campus Drive, Saturday morning, kicking off a multi-department investigation into the incident.

The Grand Valley Police Department has been in contact with local law enforcement in the investigation into DeRosa’s death and has been waiting for several reports to come back before making any definitive statements regarding the incident.

GVPD Captain Jeffrey Stoll said that as of right now, there are no suspects in DeRosa’s death and that they will be sharing new information if they get any in the future.

Stoll also clarified that when investigations

classify deaths, they are labeled as unknown, accidental, homicide or suicide.

“Accidental highlights the fact that there was no other person directly involved in her passing,” Stoll said. “Accidental means there were circumstances outside of the body that contributed to the death. The accidental death ruling came directly from the medical examiner.”

Stoll said that the investigation into DeRosa’s death was extensive and that the department had over 50 witnesses they connected with. The investigation leaders included a GVPD detective and two other primary detectives from the Ottawa County Sheriff ’s Office.

The lengthiness of the investigation was due in part to the number of people that GVPD needed to interview for additional information, as well as the time it took for toxicology reports to come back. Stoll said that although many were skeptical about how long the report took, the timing of the report’s release was normal to any other investigation.

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FEBRUARY 1, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

CONTENTS

A3 | NEWS NURSING

GRADUATE

| A2

Coke named acting dean of KCON

EDITORIAL

| A4

BY MACKENZIE KELLER NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

HEALTH

| A5

Following the resignation of Dean Cynthia McCurren, the Kirkhof College of Nursing (KCON) was in the process of looking for a replacement. The search for a full-time dean has not started yet, but until that position is filled, Provost Maria Cimitile has asked Interim Associate Dean for Practice, Lola Coke, to step in as acting dean.

Starting her role as acting dean on Feb. 27, Coke is humbled and honored to have been chosen for this position. Even though she has only been a faculty member at Grand Valley State University since August 2019, she has plenty of experience to qualify for her new role.

Coke spent 17 years at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago before retiring and becoming an associate professor emeritus. After moving back to Michigan, she worked for a year at Johns Hopkins University in the School of Nursing to help develop one of their graduate programs. Then she joined the staff at GVSU. “I bring a lot of experience, even though I’m newer to Grand Valley,” Coke said. “I certainly bring a lot of leadership experience from my prior work, and my other workplaces as well as my National Professional organizational work.”

Having been in nursing for 40 years, Coke has a lot of experience to offer. At Johns Hopkins, Coke was the Director of the Clinical Nurse Specialist and Doctor of Nurse Practice program. At Rush University, she served as the assistant dean for the Masters in Nurs-

TELEVISION

| A6&7

FINANCE

| A8

EDUCATION

| A9

EVENT

| A10

BASKETBALL

| A11

SOCCER

| A12

VOL. 5 5

NO. 26

Lan thorn EDITORIAL STAFF

Layout Editor VIVIANA RUBIO

Editor-in-Chief NICK MORAN Associate Editor OLIVIA FELLOWS

Layout Designer KHOI TRAN PROMOTIONS

Associate Editor XAVIER GOLDEN News Editor MARY RACETTE

Promotions Manager ALEX DAGOSTINO ADVERTISING STAFF Advertising Manager SHANE MCATAMNEY

Sports Editor ZACK GOODROW Laker Life Editor YSABELA GOLDEN

BUSINESS STAFF

A&E Editor MARY DUPUIS

Business Manager RACHEL MCDOWELL

Image Editor MEGHAN LANDGREN

Asst. Business Manager DAYTON HAMMON

ing Program.

She has also served as President and Treasurer for the Preventative Cardiovascular Nursing Association. She has served on the National Honor Society for Nursing (Sigma Theta Tau) as Vice President and Treasurer of different chapters. In addition to these experiences, she has a position on the board of directors for many national organizations including Faith and Practice, American Heart Association, and the Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Nazareth College in Kalamazoo. A Laker for a lifetime, Coke earned her master’s degree at GVSU. Her doctorate is from Rush University, where she then taught for 17 years.

Coke said she loves teaching nursing. Of her 40 years of experience in the nursing field, 35 of those have been teaching. She has taught nursing at all levels, from undergraduate to graduate.

Her favorite courses to teach at KCON have been Research and Evidence-Based Practice, and Project Development. She serves as DNP advisor for two students as well.

Coke would like everyone to know that she plans to have an open-door policy as acting dean.

“It’s my hope that students would feel comfortable contacting me (obviously we’re in a remote world) via email to dialogue and to share any ideas that they have,” Coke said. “I want to make sure that student nurses know that I’m open to them coming to me should there be issues or good things to share.”

LEADERSHIP

Female cadets in Grand Rapids ROTC appointed to leadership positions

BY LAUREN FORMOSA NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

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.

The Lanthorn is published on recycled paper and is printed with soy bean ink. This means that our newspaper is entirely compostable. Help us do our part to be kind to the environment by recycling or composting this newspaper after you enjoy reading it.

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

FIGUREHEAD: Lola Coke said she has a lot of new plans and ideas as she steps in to lead GVSU’s KCON program. COURTESY | GVNEXT

GIRL POWER: Four new female cadets have been designated to leadership roles in the ROTC program in Grand Rapids. COURTESY | GVSU

This year is looking to be a promising one for cadets participating in the Grand Rapids ROTC, but even more for female cadets in the program. There are currently four women holding leadership positions within the ROTC, which is a rare, yet exciting occurrence in the program.

“This year is really important for us,” said C. Company Commander and Grand Valley State University student Molly Gonzalez. “We have a battalion commander (the highest position any cadet can hold) that is a female, Hannah Jessup. Two of the three company commanders in the entire program are females, myself and Akua Adu. My executive officer at C. Company is also a female, Alexis Brown.”

The ROTC program, which includes many GVSU students, is cadet-led and focuses primarily on building leadership skills as well as providing numerous opportunities to those in

the program. Gonzalez and her fellow female commanders are responsible for planning training and events as well as teaching the younger cadets, which will prepare them for their future careers in the U.S. Army.

Gonzalez’s journey to get to this position in the ROTC has been filled with personal growth and development.

“I came into this program and lacked confidence,” Gonzalez said. “I was someone who was capable but was too embarrassed to struggle through things sometimes. Over the years I’ve grown to be more confident. I have learned a lot about myself and my leadership style.”

Each woman was selected for their roles by those who were able to see their individual leadership abilities grow and develop over the years.

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A4 | OPINION GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON

FEBRUARY 1, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

By Katie Cussans

EDITORIAL

Reddit, Wall Street turmoil demystifies, defies market

I

2/1/21

editorial@lanthorn.com

Flash marks the end of an internet era

BY FABIAN SEGURA SENIOR FILM & VIDEO, MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

After 25 years of its existence, Flash Player is gone from the web. Having started out under the company FutureSplash in 1992, who went on to be bought

by Macromedia in 1997 and subsequently Adobe in 2005, Flash has been around for nearly the entire lifespan of the internet.

It gave artists animators and programmers the ability to share games in a compact size. Businesses used it as an interface for their webpages. YouTube got its start using Flash Player to stream video to people. Most people born in the late 90s growing up in school can probably remember going to sites like Cool Math Games. Yet today, Flash has gone out mostly quiet.

The downfall of Flash can be traced back to 2010 with a letter from the late Steve Jobs denouncing the technology as unreliable and unsuited for mobile phone use. The iPhone had come out a few years prior with its App Store that did not rely on the web and the smartphone market was just about to take off.

While Flash could be ported over to mobile, by 2011, Adobe gave up on the venture. The web was changing to using more standard features such as HTML5 while Flash, with its myriad of increasing security holes, was becoming less relied upon.

The end of 2020 marked a year of turbulence, and with it, the end of Flash’s support. Adobe had made the message clear that they would no longer publicly support Flash months prior, and when Dec. 31 passed, the mass uninstallation of Flash began. Pop ups were sent from Adobe, Microsoft disabled installing Flash through a Windows update and Google Chrome was updated to remove it’s builtin Flash.

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www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

Ranking 2020’s top five flicks

BY SIMON WAGNER SENIOR MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

Well, the time has come. Now that we are firmly set in a new year, I have decided to take a look back at some of the best

films I saw in 2020. I’ve done my best to condense the overwhelming amount of great pictures I watched into my top five films of the year. These are, in my eyes, the best of the best. #5 - “Shirley” Anchored by two of the best performances from 2020, Josephine Decker’s spellbinding drama is one of the best all-around films of the year. Based loosely on the famous author Shirley Jackson, this story follows a young couple who board the famous author’s home, eventually leading to a relationship between the writer and young wife.

Elisabeth Moss and Odessa Young put on a masterclass of back and forth acting, as each of them give career-defining works of art. Everyone involved in this film deserves a shoutout, especially cinematog-

rapher Sturla Brandth Grøvlen, composer Tamar-kali and writer Sarah Gubbins.

This film is damn near perfect in my eyes. #4 - “Sound of Metal” With the best soundscape of the year, this film tells the story of a heavy-metal drummer who rapidly loses his sense of hearing and must cope with the fallout.

What really makes this movie so special — besides the incredible performance from Riz Ahmed — is the touching sincerity it offers towards the deaf community. It’s a straightforward story about human life, and what it means to find beauty when the odds are stacked against you.

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n the 2021 twist none of us expected, hedge fund managers on Wall Street have been bamboozled by Reddit, casual investment apps and Gamestop. It’s making some young investors filthy rich, some analysts shake their heads and a range of spectators confused as to what shorting a stock actually is.

The crux of the battle is between hedge fund managers and the WallStreetBets subreddit community.

While hedge funds betted that Gamestop’s stock price would go down utilizing a shortsell (which makes a fund money by turning a stock on its head and pocketing the difference), Redditors instead bought a wave of stocks to shoot the price up, forcing a reversed outcome that would benefit investors and hurt hedge funds.

WallStreetBets founder Jaime Rogozinski said on CNN that Redditors are betting on the odds of the market and simultaneously are affecting the outcome. The combination of unprecedented access to trading through apps and widespread organization creates the perfect storm to combat larger investors.

At its peak, Gamestop hit $325 on Friday, rising 400% in a week. Stocks like Nokia, AMC and Blockbuster also saw significant growth from the frenzy. This raised outrage when the app, along with many others, limited trading on stocks like Gamestop, and even sold shares for some users.

There are commentators calling this a David versus Goliath moment, and there are others who are calling it the start of a movement. But these Redditors aren’t marching in the streets, but rather engaging in financial trade.

However, the movement is not without critique. Infamous trader Jordan Belfort nodded to the significance of the Redditors, encouraging them to act like a collective mutual fund but to pick stronger stocks. He also sided with brokerage apps like Robinhood, which had to tamper trading as a liability measure.

Rogozinski also noted that while many are assuming this is a stock “bubble” that will pop as the price dies down, he said Reddit investors will continue to make money on the downturn as they trade option stocks.

This combination of access, seizing opportunities and challenging established figures on Wall Street seems to be something that will stick – and it should. It will inevitably result in lawsuits and changed policy, but we need people pushing against these norms to create impactful change that both lasts and becomes more inclusive.

While it’s a fun (and often confusing) ride to watch companies like Gamestop and AMC rise and fall, we’re seeing a battle fought on a front we didn’t expect was possible.

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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.

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 500650 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

FEBRUARY 1, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A5 | NEWS

HEALTH

Let’s talk about sex with GV Recreation and Wellness

BY KYLIE ELWELL NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University’s Recreation and Wellness (RecWell) Department announced a new sexual education series. The topics will include condoms, safer sex practices, hookup culture, pleasure, foreplay, pain during sexual intercourse, LGBTQIA+ sexual health, pornography and more.

According to the 2018 National College Health Assessment data, 74% of GVSU students are sexually active, slightly higher than the national average of 67.5%.

Regardless of if individuals are sexually active or not, prioritizing sexual health alongside mental, physical and emotional health is important and beneficial.

This initiative is run by GVSU students who work for RecWell. These individuals are a part of the Wellness Information Team (WIT) and are trained to discuss health and wellness issues.

The sexual education series is meant to create open conversations with the campus community to provide more information about sexual health and promote sex-positive messages in order to create a more educated student body.

“Our goal is to choose topics that are important for and related to students of all identities, including genders and sexual orientations,” said Katie Jourdan, the Student Health Promotions Coordinator with Recreation and Wellness.

Jourdan hopes that the series’ blog will be able to address concerns and help break down the stigma around sexual

health. By opening up these conversations to the student body, RecWell hopes to create a comprehensive sexual education for students.

In order to create an open discussion, students can raise questions to the WIT team. “(GVSU RecWell) also offers a new service called Ask WIT where students can submit a question anonymously to the WIT Peer Educators and it will be posted with an answer within 3-5 days,” Jourdan said.

Each Wednesday, the WIT team will upload a new post for the series. The sexual health series’ posts will be on the RecWell blog at www.gvsu.edu/rec/blog.

Additionally, RecWell is providing other sexual health initiatives across campus. For instance, students can request WIT Peer Educator presentations through the student wellness website on a variety of sexual health topics.

“Condom Palooza” is an upcoming Zoom event hosted on Feb. 16 at 7 p.m.

This event celebrates National Condom Day and will discuss all things condoms along with a condom care package. To RSVP or receive more information, visit GVSU’s Recreation and Wellness website.

RecWell also emphasizes the importance of openness with healthcare providers along with educational resources.

Within the conversations, people are able to further address topics like pleasure and discomfort during sexual activities, consent, STIs, contraceptives and menstrual hygiene through a professional.

EDUCATING: RecWell will be posting new information weekly on sex ed topics like STDs and different kinds of protection. The initiative also emphasizes open discussion on topics. COURTESY | GVSU

SAFE SEX: RecWell is encouraging people to utilize safe sex practices through hosting their new sex education initiative for GVSU students looking to understand more on the topic. COURTESY | GVSU

A6&7 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FEBRUARY 1, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS

West Michigan native stars in “Nancy Drew”

BY MARY DUPUIS ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

Kennedy McMann, an actress and singer currently starring as Nancy Drew in The CW’s television rendition of the infamous book series, was born and raised in the little city of Holland, Michigan, just 30 minutes from Grand Valley State University’s Allendale campus.

McMann grew up in Holland until mid-elementary school when she, her brother and her parents moved to Arizona. It was here that she became involved in community theatre and from then on, it was history.

McMann said she had dreamed of becoming a famous actress since she was nine, and throughout high school, her drama teacher, Travia Steward, only fanned the flame.

“The fire she lit in me led me to audition for college conservatory acting programs in hopes of training for a career, and I ended up choosing to attend the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in Pittsburgh,” said McMann.

Following her graduation, McMann moved to New York where she began auditioning for acting roles. Since then, she has made appearances in “Law & Order SVU” and “Gone.” But, her most recent and acclaimed role is as Nancy Drew on The CW. Season one of “Nancy Drew” aired on Oct. 9, 2019 and season two just recently premiered on Jan. 20, 2021.

McMann said being from a smaller town has only made achieving her big dreams all the more riveting.

“It’s a very humbling and exciting feeling,” McMann said. “I always had big

SIGNATURE SLEUTH: Kennedy McMann stars as Nancy Drew, a young amateur detective from River Heights. The character originated from a mystery book series. COURTESY | NANCY DREW WIKI - FANDOM

dreams, but you’re sort of under the impression that you need to be from a big city to really go somewhere, which you most definitely don’t.”

However, working her way up to the top was no easy feat.

“I mean this may be obvious, but it’s so much work,” McMann said. “It’s really low lows and grinding and being vulnerable. It’s only worth it if you really love it, and thankfully, I really love it.”

She said her favorite part of her career has been to connect with people who watch and love “Nancy Drew.”

“All I’ve ever wanted was to impact someone the way other actors and their characters have impacted me,” said McMann.

Although she made it big, McMann’s heart for Holland has never changed.

“I miss the Tulip Time Festival,” McMann said. “I have so many wonderful

memories of going in my early childhood. I also miss the streets of downtown Holland when everyone is out performing for tips and sharing their talents.”

McMann said despite being away from her roots, there are things about West Michigan she tries to incorporate into her everyday life and her career.

“I think growing up in Holland really instilled a sense of community in me, which I hope to find or cultivate in all the environments I find myself in now,” said McMann.

She said she hopes to inspire others from smaller areas not to let the size of their city limit the size of their potential.

“I would encourage them to embrace that they are just as capable of doing whatever they want to do as anyone else from anywhere else,” McMann said. “Everyone’s path is unique — find yours, and don’t limit yourself.”

WEST MICHIGAN TO HOLLYWOOD: A Holland, Michigan native, Kennedy McMann said she misses the Tulip Time Festival and a slew of other hometown memories. COURTESY | TELL-TALE TV

THE NEW DREW: Kennedy McMann will continue to star as Nancy Drew as season two kicks off on The CW. She has also acted on shows like “Law & Order SVU” and “Gone. COURTESY | SIOUX CITY JOURNAL

FEBUARY 1, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A8 | NEWS FINANCE

Kirkhof College of Nursing moves forward amid budget reduction, structural changes

BY TREVOR HUBERT NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

The Kirkhof College of Nursing (KCON) is one of many colleges at GVSU that has faced budget reductions during the 2020-21 school year. Funds allocated from the university to the college stand at around $8.4 million, the lowest number since 2016 following years of steady increases.

The college believes that even with this drop, there should be no major cause for concern. The college made several temporary cuts due to COVID-19, as well as long-term cuts that show signs of the college becoming more efficient and self-sustainable.

Temporary budget cuts for the college include reducing the travel fund due to academic conferences being canceled or held virtually, as well as a lowering of funds for professional development and adjunct teaching. The college also saved a significant amount due to retirements.

The long-term cuts are possible because the college is receiving significant funding from other places. KCON has received $9.8 million in grant money since 2018. Donors include major organizations such as the National Institute of Health, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and the Helene Fuld Health Trust, among others.

“KCON has gained tremendous efficiencies this fiscal year which are reflected in

their budget reductions,” said Associate Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Bonnie Bowen, who responded on behalf of KCON and Provost Maria Cimitile. “The grant funds have enabled KCON faculty to provide exceptional research, educational and practice opportunities that have also optimized community and practice partnerships in a shared commitment to transform health and well-being.”

Bowen also stated that the pandemic has not impacted enrollment and KCON is still seeing a high volume of applications for the program, which only adds 80 new students per semester. The need for nurses has given the college an opportunity to help fight COVID-19 in West Michigan.

“The pandemic initially caused disruption in traditional clinical learning rotations, but as PPE and safety protocols were perfected, the greater Grand Rapids practice community has been able to work closely with KCON to ensure ongoing experiential direct care experiences,” Bowen said. “As an example, this includes using nursing students and faculty to assist in COVID-19 testing and with vaccine administration clinics, working with public health officials.”

Outside of the traditional nursing program, enrollment for KCON’s Second Degree Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) program has increased to 24 additional students per year. The BSN program allows stu-

UPDATES: New changes to the KCON budget include reducing travel funds, lowering cost for professional development and restructuring monetarily for sustainable success. COURTESY | MI TECH NEWS

dents who are already Registered Nurses to focus on specific areas that they are interested in. The graduate nursing program has seen recent changes to its curriculum along with growth in enrollment.

Despite experiencing a major budget cut on the surface, KCON appears to be set up for continued success in the near and longterm future.

“KCON has a strong reputation for strategic thinking, relational partnerships with practice, a focus on co-design and reciprocity in practice relationships, and persistence in attaining strategic goals,” said Former KCON Dean Cynthia McCurren.

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LAKER EFFECT

Students work to promote menstrual health on campus

BY AUDREY WHITAKER AWHITAKER@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University student Alex Hicks was curious about how access to menstrual health products impacted higher education students. Because there was very little information available, they conducted their own

research at GVSU. The Menstrual Health Task Force worked to develop a list of tiered recommendations to the GVSU Dean of Students office. Chaired

by Katie Jordan, student health promotions coordinator, the task force used research conducted by Hicks to develop solutions that would help GVSU students.

MAKING AN IMPACT: Alex Hicks’ work on providing campus menstruation products has expanded to include several buildings on campus and includes a range of products. GVL | KATHERINE VASILE

“We did quite a bit of research,” Jordan said.

“We definitely used a lot of Alex’s report for Grand Valley-specific information, but we also did a lot of research around the surrounding schools and what other programs are doing.”

The cost of implementation was a major factor in the development of the recommendations due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jordan said.

“We went in knowing that the university is having some budget constraints being in the pandemic, but also realizing students are seeing those constraints as well and the need for menstrual hygiene products has gone up,” Jordan said. “We want to increase access as much as possible so we gave a wide array of potential options.”

These recommendations included increasing awareness about resources at GVSU, providing products in gender-neutral and women’s restrooms for free, and switching to a brand that offers more comfort and aligns with GVSU’s values.

The task force received support from the Division of Student Affairs, the Center for Women and Gender Equity and Student Senate for the first year of their effort. Hicks said that the

funding will be used to provide free menstrual products in one bathroom per building across the Allendale and Grand Rapids campuses.

Now that the recommendations have been made, the Basic Needs Task Force will begin working with students to put them into action, said Student Support Manager Emily First.

“We recommended that students be heavily involved in that process,” Jordan said. “Our recommendation was that the Basic Needs Taskforce pull a group of students together to suggest the most highly visible or highly access bathroom per building.”

They also received support to partner with Mission Menstruation, a nonprofit that works with universities to provide menstrual health support and products to students.

Throughout the process, GVSU administration and facilities have been supportive, First and Hicks said.

“I think everything I heard in response to this was it was positive,” First said. “That to me shows a willingness to advocate on our behalf to help us make the goal come true.”

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FEBRUARY 1, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS

ARTS AT A GLANCE THE GRAND RAPIDS CIVIC THEATRE ANNOUNCES THEIR SPRING RETURN The Grand Rapids Civic Theatre announced on Jan. 26 that they will be returning this spring with a theatre festival and playwrighting competition crafted to highlight West Michigan playwrights.

Titled the “Ten for All Festival,” Civic Theatre is set to be taking original 10-minute play submissions from playwrights across West Michigan to be featured in the competition from now until Feb. 26. Submissions must fall into one of four categories: comedy, drama, youth, and wildcard.

From these submissions, 12 semi-finalists (three from each category) will have their plays featured in Zoom readings and scored by celebrity judges from around the West Michigan community from March 18-21.

The top-scoring play in each category will then move on to the finals and be publicly performed on stage at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre as one hour-long program at the Meijer Majestic Theatre from April 9-11.

Audience members will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite piece, and one play will receive the honor of Audience Choice. Cash prizes are also being offered for the Audience Choice winner, finalists and semifinalists.

GV ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO “TREAT PEOPLE WITH KINDNESS”

The Campus Activities Board (CAB) is tugging on the heartstrings of Harry Styles fans throughout the student body asking them to take after his song and, “Treat People With Kindness.”

CAB said the week will be filled with “sweet words and sweet treats” to encourage the student body to spread kindness to one another.

The first event of the week will be held on Zoom on Feb. 1 and test students on their Harry Styles trivia. Students are asked to RSVP on Lakerlink before attending and stay tuned to their Instagram (@gvsucab) for more event information throughout the week.

A9 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDUCATION

VMA Department professors seek to perfect virtual experience

BY ALLISON RAFFERTY ARAFFERTY@LANTHORN.COM

Since COVID-19 began, Grand Valley State University’s Visual Media Arts Department has had to make significant alterations to most of their courses.

Professors have had to stretch themselves to be innovative and creative in order to accommodate virtual learning, as classes of the arts are typically made for a more hands-on experience. With almost two full semesters of adjusting to this new way of teaching, professors are finally finding their niche.

Associate Professor of Drawing Tim Fisher said that while adjusting his classes from being entirely in-person to fully online has been successful, it has also been labor-intensive.

Fisher said that the people who trained him for virtual teaching this past summer have been huge contributors to his success. He has found that in his drawing classes, going more lowtech has actually proved to work well for him and his students.

In order to help his students get the most out of their class, Fisher made a low-tech helmet that can record two screens at once.

This helmet allows students to see exactly how Fisher views various drawing styles, while simultaneously allowing him to better explain things on a different screen.

Fisher said this new way of teaching drawing is an opportunity that wouldn’t have been

possible in a typical classroom.

“They get an exact experience that isn’t possible in a normal demonstration,” said Fisher.

Associate Professor of Film and Video Production Suzanne Zack said that she has spent a lot of her time designing exercises and activities that help students engage with the material and step away from their computers for a while.

In Zack’s Media Production One class, students are challenged to film something in whatever location they are in and upload the

shot. The class then looks at what they filmed and discusses it together.

Throughout the process of online learning, Zack said she has found that teaching students how to edit has proved to be more effective when taught virtually.

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LAKER EFFECT

GV writing professor publishes third book, “Life of the Terranauts”

PARKER LEARMAN-BLAAUW ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

ICE SKATING IN GRAND RAPIDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FEBRUARY The Rosa Parks Circle has been a hub of socially-distanced frozen fun in Grand Rapids and will continue to be so throughout the month of February.

Until Feb. 21 everyone is welcome to come and skate daily for $2 per person (admission price includes skate rental). All visitors are required to wear a face mask and maintain social distancing.

In order to avoid overcrowding and long wait times, all skate times need to be reserved in advance online anytime or over the phone during normal business hours (Mon. through Fri. from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).

You can now book your skate two weeks in advance.

There is a maximum of 25 skaters allowed on the ice at a time. All check-in and skate rental activities will still be taking place outside under tents and skating equipment will be sanitized after each use.

GOING ONLINE: Visual Media Arts professors have had to adapt largely in-person subjects to fit hybrid learning. Many are finding the best ways to teach their courses. GVL | JONATHAN LANTIEGNE

BOOK: Professor Caitlin Horrocks was always a bookworm. COURTESY | GHOST CODE STUDIOS

Caitlin Horrocks, an associate professor in the Department of Writing at Grand Valley State University, has always had a flair for the imaginative.

“As a kid, I was a bookworm,” Horrocks said.

“I always loved reading, I always loved writing.

If there was a creative option on an assignment, I would always take it.”

Unfortunately, she didn’t always know writing was an option.

As a child, the idea of writing professionally was vexing for Horrocks. She said she knew it was her favorite hobby and would continue to write for years to come, but it was understood that at some point, adulthood would swing in to ruin her fun.

“As far as I knew, there was no such thing,” Horrocks said. “I was gonna have to grow up, get serious, and stop.”

Luckily for the rest of the world, she never did.

Currently celebrating the release of her third book, “Life Among the Terranauts,” on Jan. 12., Horrocks said one of her main joys in writing is the ability to reflect real-world ideas in more dynamic, fictional stories.

While mostly written before any sort of quarantine had started in the United States, “Life Among the Terranauts” explores the significance of community and others, apropos for a time when staying in touch is more important than ever.

“With the stories here I wanted to explore how people live with each other,” said Horrocks.

Horrocks’ previous works have landed on year-end top ten lists and editor’s choice sections in major publications such as the “Wall Street Journal” and “The New York Times.”

In order to fully appreciate Horrocks’ current success, it is important to note her dedication to creating the writing career that got her here.

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A10 | LAKER LIFE ARTS AT A GLANCE OMA KICKS OFF BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT GV

Grand Valley State University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs is once again taking February to celebrate the history, culture, traditions and contributions of African Americans.

A full schedule of the month’s events can be found on their website at www.gvsu. edu/oma. The celebration kicks off with two events this week, as well as a few contributions from GV offices outside the OMA.

DISCUSSION FOCUSES ON RESILIENCE OF BLACK AMERICANS

On Tuesday, Feb. 2, the OMA will be hosting Cle Jackson, the President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), for a discussion on the racial divide in the United States. The conversation will focus on strategies that everyone can employ in order to create a more equitable society.

The virtual presentation will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. over Zoom. Those interested in attending can get the Zoom link by registering for the event on the OMA’s website.

MEMORIES FROM HISTORIC WOODLAND PARK

When “family vacations” became popular in the early twentieth century, segregation kept Black families from the same hotels, restaurants and resorts as white Americans. In response, Black entrepreneurs created their own resort communities, including right here in West Michigan.

The Kutsche Office of Local History is inviting author and historian Dianna Cross Toran to give a presentation on the generational stories of one very central resort community, Woodland Park in Newaygo County. The webinar will take place from 2-3 p.m. over Zoom on Wednesday, Feb. 3.

Those interested can RSVP on their website at www.gvsu.edu/kutsche.

CONVERSATIONS FOCUS ON BLACK STUDENT EXPERIENCE The OMA will be centering the conversation about Black history on Grand Valley State University itself on Friday, Feb. 5, during a discussion on how prejudice impacts Black students in GVSU classrooms. The event will be held virtually over Zoom from 1-2 p.m., and those interested in attending can register ahead of time on the OMA’s website.

FEBRUARY 1, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE

EVENT

CAB reimagines Winter Carnival as Winterfest

BY AUTUMN PITCHURE LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

Searching for fun activities for their students during the COVID-19 pandemic, Grand Valley State University will be hosting their first-ever Winterfest. Sydney Brzezinski, Campus Activity Board’s Director for Winterfest, said GVSU had done something similar in the 60s, 70s and 80s, calling it “Winter Carnival.” For 2021, CAB decided to bring the tradition back with a fresh spin, featuring events like ice skating, ice carving, and several food trucks.

Winterfest is a festival that gives GVSU students a chance to get outdoors and be active on their campus but also to warm up with friends by downing hot chocolate.

The planned activities will be held from Feb. 5-14 on GVSU’s Allendale campus. Most of the events will be held at the Cook Carillon Tower outside of the Kirkhof Center.

During all events and festivities, The Whale Radio will keep the week lively with some jams.

“We will be having live ice carvers for our grand opening,” Brzezinski said. “They have a lot of experience and have even made ice sculptures for the Super Bowl before.”

The ice carvers will be out on GVSU’s library sidewalk carving an outline of Michigan. It will be a four-by-four-foot sculpture During the first week of February, GVSU typically hosts its annual President’s Ball. How-

WINTER WONDERLAND: This year’s Winterfest event is based off of Winter Carnival, a GVSU staple event that dated back as early as the 60s. Winterfest will be held from Feb. 5-14. COURTESY | GVSU

ever, due to the pandemic and prioritizing students’ safety, it will not take place this year.

“Winterfest is not directly replacing the President’s Ball, but it is a fun activity to get people out of their rooms that is COVID-friendly and outside,” Brzezinski said. “We want people to have a bit of normalcy in their lives.”

There will be several other winter festivities for students to enjoy such as bonfires, crafts, outdoor lawn games, and a hot choc-

olate bar with hot chocolate bombs and cupcake decorating. All of the supplies are readily available at no cost to students.

“Some of the crafts happening will be succulent pot decorating, hot chocolate spoons, mask decorating, and canvas painting,” said Brzezinski.

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COMMUNITY

Cook Leadership Academy looks for new candidates YSABELA GOLDEN LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University’s Peter C. Cook Leadership Academy was first introduced in 2005. Over the last sixteen years, the academy has grown from five students talking about leadership over lunch, to a cohort of over sixty fellow candidates training together across a number of disciplines.

“The Cook Leadership Academy has really overall benefited my student experience,” said Jenia Thompson, a senior in

LEAD: Fellows are paired with mentors for guidance. COURTESY | COOK LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

her second year at the academy. “I’ve been able to have serious conversations about professionalism and leadership with both my peers and mentors, and really develop more confidence in my public speaking.”

All fellow candidates have a mentor, who are community leaders from a variety of different backgrounds that give career and education advice and support to their students.

“The mentorship experience is really what you make of it,” Thompson said. “For me personally, I need a lot of professional advice, since I don’t have someone in my family who’s been a lawyer. I’ve had conversations that are pointed at, like ‘Hey, I’ve heard that the law profession has been sexist, has that been your experience?’

Those kinds of conversations can be really informative, and Grace always tries to pair everyone up with someone in their field that they’d mesh really well with. ” Fellow candidates are paired with one mentor for an academic year by Program Manager Grace Tummel.

“I’m on my second mentor right now,”

Thompson said. “I wanted two because I wanted to explore different professional options, like advocacy groups. There’s plenty of fellow candidates who stick with one mentor, but there’s also plenty who explore.”

Mentorship is a one-on-one experience, but the Cook Leadership cohort also goes through training together.

“I am both a fellow candidate and a lead fellow,” Thompson said. “The lead fellows work alongside our program manager and create the curriculum for our fellow candidates.”

The six “competencies” centered in the curriculum created by the lead fellows of the 2020-2021 school year were enhancing self-understanding, cultivating productive relationships, managing conflict resolution, developing a vision for the future, responding to ambiguity and unpredictable situations, and working towards social justice.

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A11 | SPORTS

FEBRUARY 1, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

QUICK HITS MEN’S BASKETBALL SERIES AGAINST WAYNE STATE CANCELLED

Roster issues caused last weekend’s series against Wayne State to be cancelled.

Wayne State was supposed to come to the Fieldhouse Arena in Allendale. Before the weekend, there was an issue with Wayne State in their COVID-19 testing and contact tracing. The GVSU men’s basketball team will face Ferris State next weekend.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BEATS WAYNE STATE IN COMEBACK VICTORY On Saturday Jan. 30, the GVSU women’s basketball team (7-1) had a comeback victory against Wayne State (4-4) with a final score of 66-57. GVSU outscored Wayne State 3920 after trailing by ten points to begin the second half for the victory. Sophomore guard Emily Spitzley led the team with 17 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Sophomore Hannah Kulas scored 16 points, had four steals and five five rebounds. Senior guard Qay Stanton also added 11 points. The Lakers defense was the key to their victory, as they had 15 steals and forced Wayne State to commit 23 turnovers.

SWIMMING AND DIVING SPLITS WEEKEND MEETS

The GVSU swimming and diving team had a busy weekend. First, on Friday Jan. 29, they took on Calvin University. The men’s team won their match 156-86. Keegan Hawkins won the 200 IM (1:49.62) and the 100 fly (49.62). Oscar Saura-Armengol also won two events. He took first place in the 50 freestyle (20.42) and the 100 freestyle (45.13). He made the NCAA B cut in both events. Chris Kelly continued his dominance on the diving board, finishing first in the 1 meter with 291.75 points.

The women’s team also won their matchup against Calvin with a final score of 181-59.

Melina De Cort won two events in the 200 freestyle (1:54.16) and in the 100 backstroke (56.25). She made the NCAA B cut in the latter event. Kelly Peasley also won two events in the 50 freestyle (23.96) and the 100 freestyle (52.11). Neta Shiff made the NCAA B cut in the 500 freestyle (4:58.90). Delaney Wihebrink also had an NCAA B cut performance in 100 breaststroke (1:03.01).

The next day, Saturday Jan. 30, both the men’s and women’s team were defeated by Oakland University. The men’s team lost 135.5-165.5. Some notable performance came from Jesse Goodyear in the 1000 freestyle (9:28.88), Roger Miret Sala in the 100 backstroke (48.78) and the 200 backstroke (1:47.83), and from Hawkins in the 100 breaststroke (54.89). The women’s team lost 98-202. The women took home 11 NCAA marks from the event.

Sara Puscas finished first in the 200 fly (2:04.90).

BASKETBALL

After 19 years, GV’s second Plitzuweit will take the court

BY HOLLY BIHLMAN HBIHLMAN@LANTHORN.COM

For the 2021-22 women’s basketball season, coach Mike Williams announced seven new recruits, one of which is a familiar face to some long-time Grand Valley State University staff members. Lexi Plitzuweit, a senior at Vermillion High School in South Dakota right now, plans to attend GVSU next year, coming back to some of her first memories in the world of basketball.

From 2002-07, Lexi’s mom, better known as coach Dawn Plitzuweit, took the women’s basketball team at GVSU to the NCAA Championships four out of the five years at the school. She led the Lakers to taking home the trophy in the 2005-06 season. While Lexi plans to finish out her high school season in South Dakota, her mom is currently head coach for the Division I South Dakota Coyotes, going on her fifth year there.

For Lexi, moving halfway across the country to play college basketball isn’t that big of a leap, especially with all the people her mom has kept in contact with all these years. As the daughter of a coaching mom, Lexi is used to moving around here and there, so she’s excited to be coming back.

“I was in the GVSU gym my third day alive, so that’s kind of funny to think about,” Lexi said. “I love the people at GVSU, and that’s why I picked it. I have a lot of people who will look out for me and know what’s best for me.”

Having Williams coach her as a long-time family friend certainly makes the Plitzuweit family more comfortable sending Lexi so far from home. When they were touring schools for Lexi, Dawn found that there were more than a few familiar faces around campus at GVSU. The tight-knit community, especially in the athletic department, is what Lexi and her mom really loved about our school.

“Lexi wanted to go to their elite camp, so when we travelled to Michigan, what was neat about that opportunity is that there’s so many people,” Dawn said. “This is how you know GVSU is special. There’s so many people that are the same position that they were at back in the early 2000’s like coaches, administrators, individuals on campus, the janitorial staff. When it’s a home like that for so many wonderful people, we felt really confident that Lexi was going to have that same experience.”

Aside from all the obvious advantages for Lexi to commit to being a Laker, she really wanted to pick a school where she knew she could continue her love for the sport. Having a mom as a college basketball coach was definitely influential on Lexi’s knack for the sport, but coming from an athletic family allows for more opportunities to learn and

COACH: Dawn Plitzuweit led the Lakers to four Championships. COURTESY | ARGUS LEADER

LINEAGE: Lexi Plitzuweit will join the Laker ranks next year. COURTESY | ARGUS LEADER

play all kinds of sports. Lexi played varsity soccer and ran cross country in high school like her older brother, but both of them decided to take the basketball route.

“I think my love for basketball really did come from being around it all the time with my mom and going to her practices when I was little,” Lexi said. “I used to always grab a ball at Northern Kentucky and Michigan, and I would do ball handling on the letters of the baseline and I thought it was so cool. I also think the love of basketball I have is my own. It’s not forced by my parents, which is awesome because it’s good to have a connection with them through something that we both love.”

From Lexi’s memory, she knows that basketball has always been something her family has bonded over, whether it’s watching it on TV or playing two-on-two. In her mom’s memory, it’s something Lexi grew up with because they didn’t have anyone to babysit for them when they moved to Michigan. Dawn said that Lexi and her brother would play cars or color on the sidelines at practices, but eventually they picked up on the sport, and the rest is history.

One of the lesser-known side effects of having a mom for a coach is what Lexi calls, “momming like a coach”.

“Now in terms of ‘moming like a coach,’ or something like that, that one’s a little bit more challenging for me,” Dawn said.

“When Lexi explained to me what she meant by it – that I wasn’t easy on her – I said, ‘Okay, I can agree with that.’”

While having a coaching mom may be tough at times, it’s also brought Lexi may lessons in determination and adversity.

“I feel like the most important lessons I’ve learned from her in life have come from her being a coach and I honestly think it carries

over,” Lexi said. “Things that my mom instilled in me would just be that I’m a super competitive person and she’s a super competitive person. I think it helps me get through things in life just by working hard. Finding a way to get things done, that’s her saying. Even if it’s not easy, just find a way.”

Dawn’s coaching has evolved as she’s had kids and started a family. She’s more in-tune with what her student athletes are experiencing and learning, especially through a pandemic.

Her success on the scoreboard shows, but what she cares most about in coaching is something that her favorite basketball player taught her when she was a kid.

“Magic Johnson was my favorite player when I was growing up,” Dawn said. “What I loved about him was that he was highly competitive, but he had fun while he was playing.

He played with a smile on his face. That’s what I want out of our student athletes.”

While Lexi prepares for her transition from high school to college and from South Dakota to Michigan, her mom will be rooting for her from a different court. In the meantime, with one kid already away at college, they’ll spend as much time as they can watching and talking about basketball. As the time grows closer to Lexi’s arrival at GVSU, she and her mom may get even more competitive with each other.

Regardless of Lexi’s background and family, she’s coming to GVSU with her own story to tell and her own love for the game. Her family couldn’t be more proud to back her up. She’s already making friends with her roommates and teammates for the next year. She’s also excited to be coached by Williams. As a five-year letter winner and three-time MVP for Vermillion High School, she’s bound to do great things when she joins the Lakers next fall.

FEBRUARY 1, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A12 | SPORTS SOCCER

GV soccer set to play for first time since 2019 ZACK GOODROW SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

It’s been over a year since the girls soccer team at Grand Valley State University has taken the field. Fall sports for 2020 were cancelled last semester and the soccer team was forced to continue practicing and training. Luckily, their schedule got shifted to the winter semester and they now have a plan to start playing games once again.

“It was amazing when the schedule was released,” said senior forward Ava Cook. “Technically the last time we played was in 2019 and we’re now in 2021. Just to see something on paper or a screen, gives us a feeling that it’s official and it means that we’ll have a shot to play some games. It was definitely good news.”

It was obviously a disappointment for the team to not play during the fall. It was also stressful not knowing if they could even play during the winter semester at GV. There are downsides to not playing competitive games for that long of a period. On a positive note, it gave the girls on the team a chance to get to know each other’s style of play.

“Obviously the restrictions have been rough,” said sophomore midfielder Lexi Morello. “It was a positive however to have all of fall to get incorporated with each other. As a transfer or freshman, you’re kind of thrown into a group and expected to play in a few weeks with great chemistry. I’m glad we had the fall to play on the ground, not just doing kicking and running drills. Soccer’s way prettier that way.”

A fall without a season may have been a

good time for the team to develop together, but their practices weren’t without issues.

Understandably, it’s a difficult task to maintain motivation for a season that may or may not happen in the spring.

“During the fall it was hard to keep our motivation,” Morello said. “At that point, we hadn’t played in over a year. Without games, it was difficult to see everything come together and to see all that work in training pay off.

We were really excited to hear that we will be on the field again. March 19 will be a day that’s very memorable for us.”

Motivation was preached by coach Jeff Hosler and the upperclassmen on the team during the fall. They aimed to have high energy at every practice and training session. They may have had down days as a team, but they always were able to pick themselves back up.

“I’ll be honest, there were days that were harder than others,” Cook said. “That’s definitely something that we’re proud of as a team.

These low tempo days were very few and far between. If someone’s having a rough day at practice, we hold each other accountable and make sure we stay focused. We’ve done a very good job of this and we’re still continuing to maintain it.”

COVID-19 brought many restrictions to GVSU athletic teams. The pandemic not only caused the girls soccer fall season to be cancelled, but it also limited the amount of time they were able to spend in contact with one another. Freshman and transfer students had a unique way to get to know their new teammates. Even with the chal-

THE RETURN: Grand Valley State University’s soccer team is poised to return to the pitch after a long hiatus. The team has been practicing throughout the fall semester. COURTESY | GVSU ATHLETICS

lenges of getting acclimated, the team still found a way and has good chemistry.

As a transfer student and being new, I’ve had a really nice experience meeting the coaches and my teammates,” Morello said.

“I’m really excited and happy that I made the decision to come here. To start with, I was on Facetime a lot with Jeff. With the girls, I had played with a lot of them before so it was an easier transition.”

Even for veterans on the team, it was difficult to get quality social time with their teammates. Much like most students on campus

at GVSU, players have had to get creative in order to spend time with their fellow players.

“Honestly, it has been tough,” Cook said.

“I’m very thankful that I live with some of my teammates and we have had to get very creative to be social with each other. We’ll go out and socially distance from each other and have conversations together.”

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