Grand Valley Lanthorn vol. 56 no. 5

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

Laker Community Connects and Competes at ArtPrize GVSU faculty and students showcase their work at festival

GV Beekeepers Club hosts education extraction event CLUBS | A8

Young GVSU club hockey team competes in first DI games HOCKEY | A11

M O N D A Y, S E P T E M B E R 2 7, 2 02 1 // VO L . 5 6 N O. 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 3,714 cases since Aug. 1, 2020. The university’s update for this brief was from Friday, Sept. 24.

Through testing results this past week, GVSU’s Virus Action team have so far reported 107 current active cases including two faculty members, eight staff members, 15 on-campus students, 43 “off-campus Ottawa” students, 33 “off-campus Kent” students and six “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 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 96,005 tests overall since August 1, 2020, for a cumulative positivity rate of 1.38% from the latest update as of last week. A total of 1,693 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.

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 by Sept.30, barring a medical or religious exemption or postponement. According to the COVID-19 data dashboard, 80% vaccination rate in the GVSU community is required to reach herd immunity and minimal virus transmission.

Currently, approximately 70% of students report being fully vaccinated, while approximately 85% of faculty and staff reports being fully vaccinated.

GV SIGNS SECOND AGREEMENT WITH HBCU

Grand Valley State University signed an agreement with Saint Augustine’s University, a Historically Black College/ University in South Carolina, to provide SAU students with opportunities to earn master’s degrees in advanced computing or engineering fields in as little as five years.

GVSU signed a similar agreement last April with Fort Valley State University in Georgia. GVSU’s goal is not to compete with HBCUs, but to provide students from SAU or similar universities with opportunities not offered elsewhere.

SAU students can enroll at Grand Valley beginning in the Fall 2022 semester. There are six FVSU students currently enrolled at GVSU, according to a GVNext article.

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

GOVERNMENT

Student senators investigate GV’s latest tuition hike

BY JOSH ALBURTUS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Representatives of Grand Valley State University’s administration appeared before the university’s Student Senate on Sept. 23 to offer reasoning and clarity behind its decision to raise student tuition by 2.4% for the 2021-22 academic year.

The increase, costing students an additional $158 per semester, continues the series of steady increases in student tuition each year.

University officials presenting at the Senate meeting placed responsibility for the tuition hike on the state government.

“The systematic underinvestment by the state makes tuition need to be the bigger contribution to make this university what it is today,” Vice President for Finance and Administration Greg Sanial said.

The representatives characterized what they saw as state negligence as a major component of why the campus experience needed to be shouldered by student tuition.

“If we want to have the Grand Valley that we know and love, tuition is the other piece,” Sanial said. “That’s what’s happening, it’s the underinvestment of the state.”

Although the tuition hike represents the university’s lowest annual hike in 17 years and comes as the university announced an

SENATE: GVSU’s tuition raised 2.4% for the 2021-22 school year, the lowest hike in tuition since in 17 years. Financial aid was also given a boost of an additional $5.4 million this year. GVL | SYDNEY LIM

additional $5.4 million in financial aid to students this past summer, senators were intent on getting clear rationale from the university.

One senator in the meeting took aim at the representatives’ language surrounding “free printing” that, due to printing credit being charged as part of students’ tuition, the senator considered misleading. Senators voiced other personal concerns as well.

“As someone who’s paying for their own college out of pocket, I think more needs to be done, whether that is offering more financial aid or making budget cuts,” said Student Sena-

tor Teagan Byers.

When asked if the university’s increase in financial aid was enough to balance out the tuition hike, Byers remained skeptical.

“It’s almost like a Catch-22,” Byers said.

“It’s benefiting some people but at the same time it’s like, ‘Oh, my tuition’s raised,’ so the uprise in financial aid didn’t really do much for some students.”

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

SAFETY

GV’s Face Covering Toolkit provides faculty, staff with information

BY PAYTON BRAZZIL NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Since Fall 2020, masks have been a fact of life for the Grand Valley State University community. While on campus, students, faculty and staff are required to wear face coverings indoors, with some exceptions.

But what happens if someone does not fol-

TAKING PRECAUTIONS: A “toolkit” for handing COVID-19 related procedures has been outlined by the Office of the Provost GVL | SYDNEY LIM

low these guidelines?

To help educate the community, the Office of the Provost and the Virus Action Team created a “toolkit” on the face-covering policy.

The webpage provides information and guidance for faculty and staff, especially pertaining to classroom procedures.

According to the toolkit, GVSU must take a proactive approach to the classrooms in order to ensure safety and wellness. The virus spreads through the air, often from other infected individuals, so face coverings are crucial in minimizing the spread.

The mask policy is tied to GVSU’s alert level, which is currently on Alert Level 2: Medium Alert. The level calls for masks are required indoors unless you are quickly drinking or eating.

The toolkit includes in-depth information, articles, videos and frequently asked questions. If a faculty member is looking for a procedure, when a student does not comply with the policy, there are multiple steps to follow.

The Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and a member of the Virus Action Team Ed Aboufadel said that there are certain steps a faculty member should take.

“It often starts off with reminding the student to put a mask on that covers their nose. If they didn’t bring one we have disposable masks available,” Aboufadel said.

“However, if it starts to get difficult, a faculty member could ask the student to leave the class and ultimately public safety could be called to remove the student.”

Aboufadel said that luckily, over the past year and a half, security has not once been called for this reason.

Aboufadel said that the community has been excellent when it comes to following the mask policy. Most students, faculty and staff comply with the face-covering guidelines.

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

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

CONTENTS GOVERNMENT

| A2

EDITORIAL

| A4

HEALTH

| A5

SPREAD

| A6&7

CLUBS

| A8

PREDJUDICE

| A9

PRESENCE

| A10

FOOTBALL

| A11

VOLLEYBALL

| A12

VOL. 56

NO. 22

Lan thorn Layout Editor VIVIANA RUBIO

EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief ZACK GOODROW Associate Editor MARY RACETTE

Layout Designer KHOI TRAN PROMOTIONS

Associate Editor XAVIER GOLDEN

Promotions Manager ALEX DAGOSTINO

News Editor ADVERTISING STAFF AUDREY WHITAKEN Advertising Manager Sports Editor JOSH HENGTGEN HOLLY BIHLMAN Laker Life Editor BUSINESS STAFF SABRINA EDWARDS Business Manager A&E Editor RACHEL MCSOWELL MARY DUPUIS Image Editor MEGHAN LANGREN

Asst. Business Manager DAYTON HAMMON

A3 | NEWS DINING

GV Replenish assists students facing food insecurity

BY ELIZABETH SCHANZ NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Replenish is a food pantry at Grand Valley State University that works to combat food insecurity and help feed GVSU students. Due to many factors including the recent closures of many Campus Dining locations across the GVSU campus and the aftermath of economic struggles during COVID-19, Replenish has seen a spike in student use of the group’s food resources.

Food insecurity is a common issue for college students. When students are unable to fulfill their basic needs such as eating, this missing component creates many problems in the lives of students from academic performance to everyday life.

GVSU Replenish aims to help students avoid this struggle by providing them with a variety of food. They offer produce, canned goods and other substantial items.

“Being food insecure is a status that fluctuates, recognizing that financial hardships come and go, we are here to serve anyone who is facing long or short-term food insecurity,” Graduate assistant at the Center for Women and Gender Equity and Replenish, Kyle Holcomb said.

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.

Replenish encourages individuals who are still able to access and afford resources to assess their own needs when using the center due to limited resources. Within a normal year Replenish expects to see anywhere between 90-120 visitors per month, Holcomb said.

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

Community Service Learning Center celebrates National Voter Registration Day Although 2021 is not an election year, the importance of this free practice is still recognized in the Grand ValleyState University community and beyond.

Sept. 28 marks National Voter Registration Day, a testament to democracy in the United States.

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

Additionally, many students whose daily meals come from dining on campus and lack the resources to obtain additional food have begun to face new challenges with the closure of many dining options on campus.

“While we are not a replacement for dining halls, we will gladly help students whose access to food has been negatively impacted by the closures, especially if a student would go hungry otherwise,” Holcomb said.

ELECTION

BY GILLIAN HANTON 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.

RESOURCES: Campus dining closures lead to an increase in food insecurity for college students. Replenish food pantry aims help students fulfill their daily meals. COURTESY | BERNADINE CAREY TUCKER

VOTE: Community Service Learning Center seeks change on campus for the new civic holiday, National Voter Registration Day. GVL | ARCHIVES

Even though many Americans see voting as a civic responsibility, it is estimated that one in four eligible people are still not registered to vote, according to the National Voter Registration Day website. This massive discrepancy between citizens and voters is due to a lack of proper registration availability and education. People are often not informed of convenient opportunities in which they can register or believe their vote will not make any impact in major elections.

The new civic holiday, National Voter Registration Day, seeks to change this ideology. With the help of social media platforms, volunteer efforts, and the support of various communities, participating institutions around the country register hundreds of thousands of people to vote yearly. Since its beginning in 2012, approximately 4.5 million people have been registered on this day alone.

For the GVSU Community Service Learning Center (CSLC), this holiday hits close to home. The organization places an emphasis on being engaged in the commu-

nity, exercising democratic rights to their fullest extent, and learning how to be an active citizen.

“The CSLC values mutual respect, reciprocity, asset-based thinking, inclusion, social justice, and intersectionality,” said CSLC staff member Abigail Caswell. “Our goal is to help students build connections to the community with these values in mind, while also building relationships that positively impact students.”

The CSLC is bringing National Voter Registration Day to life on campus, participating in the national effort to assist citizens in getting registered. From 11 am-4 pm on Sept. 28, a CSLC member, along with the Ottawa County Clerk and representatives from the Michigan Secretary of State, will be available in Kirkhof Center to talk to students about the voting process and how they can register themselves to vote for the next election.

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

A4 | OPINION GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

By Xavier Golden

EDITORIAL

Lanthorn Editorial Board urges students to celebrate National Voter Registration Day, reflect on Eastman memo

I

09/27/21

editorial@lanthorn.com

A fantastic dynamic is formed in “A Beginners Mind”

BY SABRINA EDWARDS JUNIOR MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

As the weather becomes colder, many Grand Valley State University students are packing up their summer clothes and cozying up with a movie. This is something Sufjan Steven’s did while writing his latest album, “A Beginners Mind.”

While you may have heard his music, many don’t recognize his name.

Stevens partnered with Angelo De Augustine to release his twelfth studio album, “A Beginners Mind.” This album was fueled by a month-long stay at a friend’s cabin in Upstate New York.

The majority of people probably heard Stevens for the first time while watching “Call Me By Your Name.”

The artist has three prominent songs featured on the soundtrack. However, while most artists took a break during the pandemic, Stevens was continuously making music, releasing four albums since March 2020.

Stevens, a 46-year-old Detroit native, has major ties to West Michigan. He graduated from Hope College

in 1998. While the artist planned an extremely daunting task of creating an album for each U.S. state, Stevens only got through Michigan and Illinois before moving on to other projects.

While Stevens does collaborate frequently, he still has the majority of creative control. There is a difference in listening to the album and it’s obvious because it’s completely equal between him and De Augustine. Stevens stepped back and the two wrote the entire album together in their monthlong exile.

The two bonded over the film, watching a plethora of different films during their stay. Thus they found inspiration from these movies and one can see it in the music.

Movies like “Return to Oz,” inspired the track “Back To Oz.” The pair were inspired by “Night of the Dead,” “Point Break,” “She’s Gotta Have It” and many more. However, the movie that inspired them the most was “Silence of the Lambs,” so the duo decided to dedicate the album to director Jonathan Demme.

The combination of Stevens singing the lower pitch notes and De Augustine taking the higher range gives the album a call-and-answer feeling. The impact of this style only grows as the tracklist continues.

The breathy stripped-back nature of the music makes it feel nostalgic when it’s new. When listening to the album it’s apparent that the duo is comfortable with each other. When Stevens pulls De Augustine gives, and vice versa.

While the majority of the songs are

a slower tempo, the few faster-paced songs give the album listenability.

This call and response is apparent in “Murder And Crime,” De Augustine asks “Where does everything go when everything’s gone?” Stevens follows with “For my heart cannot break much more,” ending the track.

There are tempo changes and they aren’t jarring. “Back To Oz,” a psychedelic pop track, leads into “The Pillars Of Souls,” a more melodic song with haunting undertones. This dichotomy emphasizes what Stevens and De Augustine can do. Their range can go from garage pop to a choral song about death.

What makes this album so good is the relatability between Stevens, De Augustine and the listeners. “Cimmerian Shade,” their ode to “Silence of the Lambs,” features a need for self-acceptance and acceptance in general. “I just want you to love me/ I just wanted to love myself/ Fix it all, Jonathan Demme,” pleads in the chorus.

When artists collaborate, it’s easy to lose who they are within a group.

However, Stevens and De Augustine do the complete opposite.

The duo stumbles upon a beautiful masterpiece of vocal and instrumental combinations. Will this be to their detriment if they can’t produce music of this quality on their own? Only time will be able to tell. However, both artists are extremely powerful on their own and have produced amazing tracks before their collaboration. Like “Silence of the Lambs,” as long as the lambs keep screaming, musicians will continue to create.

n the time leading up to Jan. 6th, then-President Trump’s supporters were gearing up to attend a protest that would escalate into violence and disrupt the joint session where Congress was counting ballots. Concurrently, Trump and his crew were formulating their own plan to undermine democracy.

John Eastman, one of Trump’s lawyers, drafted a six-step plan in a memo that detailed a possible strategy to employ on Jan. 6, which would overturn the results of the election and “re-elect” Donald Trump.

This week, CNN published Eastman’s memo, revealing Trump and Eastman’s plan.

Essentially, on Jan. 6, during the joint session of Congress, Mike Pence would throw out the electors from seven states. The total number of appointed electors would be lowered to 454, and Trump would have the majority of those votes.

However, Trump and Eastman failed to get Pence on board with their plan, and they never attempted it.

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 orbeliefs. 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.

Teri Kanefield and Jamelle Bouie, columnists from the Washington Post and the New York Times have speculated that the plan if implemented, would have inevitably failed. But they also emphasized that the memo reflects dangerous attitudes that are on the rise in the United States.

These warnings are backed up by data from a NORC pilot survey from earlier this year that suggested an alarming number of Americans hold insurrectionist sentiments, months after the riots at the capitol in January, which were ignited by Trump, who was trying to launch his own seditious scheme behind the scenes.

While the Eastman memo is arguably just a relic from a previous administration, the shrewd planning and the willingness to undermine democracy are qualities of conservative elected officials that are still in power.

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

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: 0051 KIRKHOF CENTER GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ALLENDALE, MI 49401 616-826-8276

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A5 | NEWS HEALTH

GV offers flu shot clinics

Independent Living | Assisted Living | Memory Care

Change lives for the better, starting with yours.

Join our team!

American House Jenison has rewarding positions available starting at $14.50 per hour with a $500 signing bonus.

No experience necessary, we will train you!

SHOTS: As cold and flu season approaches, the GVSU Family Health Center is encouraging everyone in the Laker community to receive a flu shot as COVID-19 still spreads. GVL | JONATHAN LANTIEGNE

BY EMMA ARMIJO NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Nearing the end of Sept. at Grand Valley State University, students are approaching cold and flu season as cooler temperatures arrive. As students return to face-to-face classes and activities, some for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, simple symptoms can be a cause for alarm.

Receiving an annual dose of the flu shot is one solution, and experts say it would be more important than ever this year.

Practice Manager of the GVSU Family Health Center, Tamara Vankampen, said she encourages the GVSU community to get a flu shot this year.

Due to the added strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vankampen said it is important not only that vulnerable populations receive the flu shot, but that everyone, including students, get their flu shot this season.

“If people get their flu shot, it obviously is going to reduce their chances of getting the flu or getting really sick if they do get it,” Vankampen said. “This helps to reduce hospitalizations, and ultimately could reduce the current strain on our health systems.”

Vankampen said the COVID-19 has shown students how important it is to take care of their health through simple steps like receiving a vaccine.

“With students being back on campus, they need to understand that they’re not invincible and can be vulnerable to a virus, which COVID has shown us,” Vakampen said. “I think it will cause more students to

get the flu shot this year.”

Besides flooding hospitals and health centers, COVID has also created a more aware and generally more health-conscious society.

Some students have already taken the incentive to get the flu shot.

GVSU student Alexis Carpenter said she didn’t question another shot after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, especially because it was free.

“I got the Covid vaccine and I was like, well, what will another shot do?” Carpenter said. “I definitely felt more motivated (to get the flu shot) because of the COVID shot.”

Carpenter said that along with the COVID-19 vaccination, she felt the flu shot was an important way to keep herself, friends, family and her community safe.

Vankampen said that GVSU has seen a steady increase in the number of students on campus receiving the flu shot each year.

“I have a feeling that we will be giving more flu shots than we have in years past,” Vankampen said.

GVSU students can receive the flu shot through the university beginning on Oct. 5 this year at both the Allendale and Grand Rapids campuses.

“We run a flu vaccine clinic every year, and our first one is starting October 5th,” Vankampen said. “We will be going to different places on both the Grand Rapids and Allendale campuses, so students, faculty and staff can sign up.”

For more information and ways to get in touch, visit the website at www.gvsu.edu/fhc, or email gvsufhc@gvsu.edu directly.

RESIDENT ASSISTANT Assist seniors with daily living MEDICAL TECHNICIAN Assist seniors with daily living and medications CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT Assist seniors with daily living and medications To apply, email your resume to bsall@AmericanHouse.com.

Our residents have great stories to tell…be part of one!

Your story.

To be continued.

AmericanHouse.com 21-JN-6555

A6&7 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS

ANIMATE: Film Professor Suzanne Zack edits for a team of animators for their ArtPrize installation which reflects emotions from the pandemic. GVL | MEGHAN LANDGREN

BY MARY RACETTE ASSOCIATE@LANTHORN.COM

PAINTING: GVSU student Amelia Wagenschutz is displaying her wall hangings this year at ArtPrize. COURTESY | ARTPRIZE

Grand Rapids’ ArtPrize has returned with a range of artists from all over the world after a two-year hiatus.

There is a strong Laker presence at ArtPrize this year. Three faculty members, one current student and numerous alumni are participating in the competition are among the hundreds of artists who are competing in this year’s ArtPrize.

Since 2009, ArtPrize has offered an opportunity for the Grand Rapids community to engage with art of all mediums. Art is made accessible to the public in various venues throughout the city from Sept. 16 to Oct. 3.

During these 18 days, the public is given the voice to support their favorite pieces by voting online.

Some of these GVSU artists happen to have their work displayed at the same venue, The Water Colors Aquarium Gallery.

ArtPrize Artist Amelia Wagenschutz is a GVSU senior with a graphic design major and an advertising and public relations minor. Not only is it the first time she has entered into ArtPrize, but this is one of the first times her work has been shown in a gallery setting.

Wagenschutz’s piece “Nature in a Modern World” consists of three separate wall hangings.

She used acrylic paints on fabric, and then embroidered over it to create a visual depiction of the balance between natural and manmade elements.

In the early stages of her creative process, the centerpiece of the series was the only component. This summer she added two other pieces to expand the size and impact of the message.

“The whole idea of it was to create a piece that touched on environmental concerns such

as single-use plastic and overconsumption,” Wagenschutz said.

Even though Wagenschutz is majoring in graphic design, she said she has always been more passionate about traditional art. She said multiple professors at GVSU including Brett Colley, Vinicius Lima and Tim Fisher helped her grow as an artist as they encouraged her to think outside the box.

“I feel like in a lot of my classes at GVSU I have had a lot of freedom to make stuff that I am passionate about,” Wagenschutz said.

As someone who has enjoyed attending ArtPrize as an observer, she found that it was easier than she expected to enter as an artist.

“Nature in a Modern World” can be found at The Water Colors Aquarium Gallery.

Another piece by members of the GVSU community that can be found in the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery is called “Time Passing: Passing Time.”

GVSU Film and Video Professor Suzanne Zack was the editor for the project, created by animators Jim Middleton, Gretchen Vinnedge and GVSU Professor Emeritus Deanna Morse.

This project grew out of the attempts of the team of animators to stay connected during the pandemic. They continued to create together through this era of isolation by choosing themes to prompt their animations.

Once they realized this project could be turned into something much bigger, Zack was hired as their editor to add structure to the animations.

“We realized that throughout the time period of the pandemic, the works that they were creating, while the theme was not overtly about the pandemic, they were expressing the feelings of it,” Zack said.

As the animators were creating in isolation, they emotionally expressed what was happen-

ing in certain stages of the pandemic through the visual themes. This resulted in a project that documented the pandemic in an artistic way.

Collaborating with this group of animators was one of Zack’s favorite parts about working on this project. She said she loves collaborating with other artists because it expands her understanding of many different things.

The animators chose to embrace the fish theme since they are located in an aquarium.

They were able to arrange to have the video play behind a fish tank.

The creative positioning of this installation exemplifies the element of ArtPrize which calls upon artists to figure out the best way to display their work that is engaging for the audience.

Employees at the aquarium even noticed that there was one fish that would even position itself just to watch the video.

“It’s just really interesting to see not only the people interacting with it, but the fish in the tank interacting with it,” Zack said.

Zack said so far the event has been an incredible learning experience for herself, prompting her to bring the same excitement to her classroom in coming weeks.

“Just talking to the artists and seeing such a variety of art and hearing the conversations about art was so enlivening and gave me new energy and ideas to come back into the classroom with,” Zack said.

In addition to Zack and Morse, photography professor Stafford Smith is also featured in ArtPrize with his video installation “Unstable Orbit.” His entry can be found at The Harris Building.

Work by the GVSU community can be seen strolling the streets of downtown Grand Rapids during ArtPrize among many other talented artists from around the world.

SEPTEMBER 27 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A8 | NEWS CLUBS

GV Beekeepers Club hosts annual honey extraction event

BY SARA COLLINS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State Univerity’s Beekeeper club hosted their annual honey extraction event this past Friday afternoon in the communal area of the Frederick Meijer’s honor college. The event was led by the club’s officers and attended by several members of the club, both new and returning.

The event takes place once a year in an effort to ensure the honey from GVSU’s six hives is separated and stored properly. After this process is completed, the bee club bottles up the honey to then sell in November and December.

The extraction process begins when the hives are brought over from the Sustainable Agriculture Project farm on south campus where GV’s six beehives are located. From there, hot knives are used to shave the wax layer off of the trays to reach the honey underneath. Then, extractor slots shake the honey out, leaving any leftover wax behind. The process is done with caution to preserve the hives, so the bees can reinhabit them after.

Wyatt Thorandill, a first-year member of the club, further explained the exact process that was taking place during the event.

“We’re removing the wax caps from the trays that go in the hives, taking all the wax and honey that came with it and streaming it through to

BUZZ: The Beekeeper Club on campus educates the community of the honey extraction process.

GVSU currently has six hives from which they extract honey from for bottling. GVL | SARA COLLINS

save all of the honey that came off with the wax caps, taking all the wax and putting it in a bucket that will then be bottled up,” said Thorandill.

In addition to selling the honey, the club hopes to make products like chapsticks and candles, said Thorandill. Thorandrill is a new member this year who said he is excited to learn through the club activities.

“I joined the bee club for the social aspect and to learn more about the bees because they’re an important pollinator,” Thorandrill said. “Plus, I love honey. I would like to know more about where that comes from.”

He also touched on the importance of the club holding an event like this one, saying, “the club gets people involved in the process of their

food’s production. Food is our most direct connection to nature. So, I think it’s important we know where it comes from.”

Also in attendance was the club’s Vice President, Brianna Zuhl, who also gave her insight on the importance of the club. “It’s important to make sure we’re participating in this so GV continues to have the bees. Plus it’s an awesome learning experience for the kids in the ENS 311 class to actually physically collect the honeycombs,” said Zuhl.

The club also has gone through a drastic rise in members after GV’s campus life night.

In addition to new members, the club’s Instagram rose from 150 followers to 400 in a short amount of time, said Emma Jones, the club’s social media representative.

Jones shares hopes of the club being a space where students can learn how to take care of bees in the wild, what they can continue to do to preserve nature and exactly what the extraction process looks like. The club provides students with information, as well as real practical information. It’s about educating, says Jones.

Jones stressed the importance of educating the GVSU community about bees. She says if the bees are gone, we are all gone.

The club will meet again soon to properly bottle up the newly extracted honey with the objective to sell jars on campus in later months.

Another meeting will take place to create products like candles and chapstick.

THEFT

GV alum happy to see ArtPrize work returned

BY JAMIE WILSON NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Kenn Vidro, an artist and GVSU alumni featured in ArtPrize this year, is happy to have one of his pieces back on display in good condition after it went missing for 24 hours.

The painting, called “Pop Goes GR,” is a collection of five four-by-four canvases covered with what Vidro refers to as “Fan art.” Vidro said that the familiar characters in his work are pictured invading the city of Grand Rapids.

The heroines in one painting are posing in front of the Gerald Ford Museum, while characters from the Avengers, as well as Batman and Spiderman, take over the Calder Plaza on the next canvas. The alien creatures of another painting are spotted invading the Van Andel Arena, while video game characters like Mario and Pokémon pop up in front of the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum. A miscellaneous group of characters, rang-

ing from Scooby-Doo to Rick and Morty, are painted on the outskirts of the city.

While each piece is a creative world of its own, they are all very important pieces of the creative story being told in the collection, Vidro said. The familiar characters from everyone’s childhood are strategically placed in some of Grand Rapid’s most valued places, allowing the viewers to personally connect with the art. This cute invasion, with its popping colors and intricate details, lights up the faces of those who experience it.

Vidro said it’s important to him that his work is big, bright and bold because he believes the color of the paintings alone can be inspirational.

When Vidro arrived at Artprize on Saturday morning he was surprised to see one of his middle pieces missing. The piece pictured Alien Life Forms (ALF), E.T., Yoda, and other fantastical creatures.

“I assumed aliens had beamed it up to an unknown location,” Vidro said.

Fortunately for Earth, the abduction was not alien, but rather, partiers. Vidro said he was approached by a GR police officer at his venue Sunday afternoon with news of a lead. A party host reported a missing painting to GRPD that morning, claiming he awoke to see the painting in his residence without any knowledge of it being there previously.

He described his art as a “Whimsical view of pop culture,” taking characters of which he’s a fan and creating his own unique version of them. In order to develop each character fully and give them life, Vidro researches each character to highlight their individual quirks.

The GR police officer and Vidro went together to the residence to verify the painting was the missing piece of “Pop Goes GR.” “When I arrived with (the) officer I was happy to be reunited,” Vidro said.

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

MYSTERY: GVSU alum’s art returns after it is reported missing for 24 hours. The piece came back in good condition. COURTESY | ARTPRIZE

A9 | LAKER LIFE

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE

ARTS AT A GLANCE BATTLE OF THE VALLEY’S FUNDRAISING EVENTS Student Senate is hosting multiple events for the fundraising of Battle of the Valley’s.

All proceeds benefit the I Understand-Love Heals charity and mental health awareness.

The first being a yoga event on Tuesday Sept.

28 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. There is a minimum $5 donation to attend the event, however, students can give more if they are able. This event is in collaboration with the Recreation and Wellness center. The event will take place at the North Library Lawn.

On Sept. 29 there will be a tie dye event from 5 to 7 p.m. In order to attend students will have to pay $3 if they’re bringing their own shirts or $5 if they are provided one. This event will take place on North Library Lawn.

Later in that night there will be a trivia night from 7 to 9 p.m. Those who want to attend will have to pay $5 for donations.

The event will take place at the Cook DeWitt center. On Sept. 30 there will be a Friendly Feud from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Those who want to participate can gather a team of four to five friends. There will be prizes available, those include GVSU merchandise, home decor and apparel. In order to attend, students are asked to pay $5 per individual or $15 for their team. All donations will be made cashless and students can donate more than required minimum amount if they are able to.

PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVES HOSTING A SUMMIT

The group is hosting a two day summit starting on Oct. 1. There will be only one speaker on the first day. The keynote speaker will be Jane Coaston, Coaston will be speaking on the importance of a goodfaithed debate.

On Oct. 2 the events will take place for the entire day. Starting at 9 a.m. there will be breakfast and registration. Following that there will be a keynote speaker at 10. David French will be speaking on what’s next for conservatism. That will lead into the panel at 11:45 during which they will be talking on the shifting of demographics and how that could potentially impact future elections.

During this attendees will look over the 2020 Census and discuss the election.

There will be a luncheon facilitated by Brian Bowdle and Lisa Perhamus. At 2:30 there will be another keynote speaker, Matthew Yglesias, who will speak about what’s next for progressivism. At 4:15 there will be another panel discussion and a public networking reception at 5:30 p.m. There will be a final keynote speaker at 7 p.m. Coaston, French and Yglesias will join together to speak on finding a common ground.

Students can RSVP for this event online.

PREJUDICE

The bias behind student evaluations

BY YSABELA GOLDEN, LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

Contrary to many popular assumptions among students, taking the time to fill out your end-of-the-semester faculty evaluations does have a tangible effect on your professors. Far from being ignored, student evaluations can cross the desks of a faculty member’s colleagues, their department head, even the dean of their college.

“Different units, departments and colleges may have different practices,” said Ed Aboufadel, Grand Valley State University’s Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs. “But ultimately, the evaluation of faculty involves student evals, and faculty evaluates faculty.

So, colleagues have to have access to your student evaluations— they become a part of your tenure portfolio and contract renewals.”

Student feedback, in accordance with GVSU’s faculty handbook, makes up onethird of the evaluation of teaching (alongside peer and self-evaluation). At its ideal, the inclusion of student impressions of faculty teaching as a factor when making important performance review decisions like granting tenure prioritizes student needs, reinforcing GVSU’s focus on teaching. On the downside, however, students can be fallible: especially when it comes to potential bias in their evaluations.

In the article “Evaluating Student EvaluCONVERSATION

FACING PARTIALITY: GVSU evaluations finds that students may hold biases that impact the way they review their professors at the end of the semester. GVL | GVSU PROMOTIONS OFFICE FOR LIFT

ations of Teaching,” a review of the scholarly literature on equity bias in SETs, Krietzer et al described a number of ways in which an instructor’s gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation had been found to influence the results of their evaluations. In one 2005 study, researchers found that female instructors received average ratings that were one-half standard deviation lower than men’s ratings.

In 2011, researchers found that Black and other non-White faculty received the lowest mean scores across 26 different evaluation items. Experimental evidence from Anderson et al suggests that LGBT faculty may be

Campus Activities Board is hosting a mason jar decorating event. The event will take place Oct. 1 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. This will take place in room 2266 in Kirkhof. This is being limited to 60 students so it’s first come first serve.

ALUMNI ADVICE: GVSU alumni gathered to discuss leadership in work. GVL | RACHEL SLOMBA

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

Alumni discuss the importance of leading at the intersection

BY CLÉMENCE DANIERE LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

DECORATE JARS IN KIRKHOF

seen as more politically biased and motivated than their straight, cisgender colleagues.

Another kind of biased comment the review found in student evaluations were those targeting faculty with perceived “foreign” accents, usually with the criticism that they were impossible to understand. Paul Plotkowski, Dean of the Padnos College of Engineering and Computing, has observed this type of bias in SETs firsthand.

At the first Wheelhouse Talk of the school year, on Sept. 24, three Grand Valley State University Alumni were invited back to campus to discuss the importance of working at the intersection between people and work.

The discussion opened with Abby Sachs who introduced the idea that “It is vital to understand that who we are and what we do meet at (that) intersection.”

This event, moderated by DeMario Bell, invited back Danielle Harris, who graduated in 2011, Coral Reiss, who graduated in 2014 and Lawrence Williams, who graduated in 2017.

The exchange focused on adding important qualities, such as inclusivity and compassion, to leaders and mentors. Everyone has identities that they carry around with themselves at all times and leaders need to appreciate and embrace them in order to positively lead at the intersection of them.

Bell, an alumnus from the Peter C. Cook Leadership Academy, set the tone of the conversation by asking the invitees what they felt it meant to be an inclusive leader.

“It’s showing up knowing you and also ap-

preciating the fact that other people have other identities and accepting that,” Harris said.

People are three-dimensional and have many identities that they carry at all times. Harris concluded her argument by expressing that before anything else, we’re human. Reiss agreed with Harris’s ideas echoing the sentiments of being a team.

“When we come together (as a team), I think we have to be intentional about it, listen, and even delve into ourselves,” Reiss said.

Essentially adding on the idea that people are ever-changing and need to be honest with themselves in order to be a good leader and mentor to the ones around them.

This idea of ever-changing individuals was one of the central focuses of this discussion and addressed the issue of competition between leaders. Williams related it to his feelings, mentioning that in the workplace people need to trust and empower others, allowing them to take the reins even when one might be qualified as well. This to him is an essential part of being a team leader.

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

A10 | ARTS & ENTERTANMENT

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS

ARTS AT A GLANCE

PRESENCE

CONFLUENCE FESTIVAL COMES TO ARTPRIZE 2021

Grand Rapids Art Museum raises awareness of disabled community through ArtPrize exhibition

Confluence is a free, multi-day festival that was brought to ArtPrize 2021 to explore the conversion of art, music, science and technology.

The free, multisensory festival took place on Sept. 24 and 25 at the Calder Plaza in downtown Grand Rapids.

The goal of the festival was to explore current issues the country is facing (energy, employment, transportation, equity, healthcare, etc.) and the way the region’s largest corporations and startup communities are focused on tackling them.

The festival offered a “Music Showcase” presented by Founders Brewing Co., and a “Thought Series” focused around healthcare and wellness in collaboration with technology and innovation.

An “Innovation Showcase” was also held, with high-tech startups from traditionally under-represented communities. A “Maker Expo” showcased the area’s DIY community, and a “Future Innovators Zone” offered STEM-based projects for kids.

On top of all of this, there was a 360 degree multisensory “Art Takeover.”

DOWNTOWN GRAND RAPIDS HOLDS GLOBAL WATER FEST Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. recently held the city’s first-ever Global Water Fest, a family-friendly event taking place on the Grand River and in Canal Park.

The free festival took place on Sept. 25 and featured Dragon Boat Races, free paddle boarding lessons, professional water jet demonstrations, and a globally themed variety of artisan booths, live music, food vendors, and entertainment.

The events continued from 10:00 a.m. through 11:00 p.m. and celebrated water in all capacities, whether it be to support the community, fill our lakes and rivers, or facilitate fun.

BY MARY DUPUIS, ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) has collaborated with artist Oaklee Thiele and the Grand Rapids based Disability Arts organization, DisArt, to bring the “My Dearest Friends Project” to Grand Rapids for ArtPrize 2021.

From Sept. 16 through Oct. 31, the exhibition will be displayed on all four sides of GRAM’s exterior in large-scale hand-sewn banners and panels.

Communications Manager at GRAM, Elizabeth Payne, said the exhibition is meant to bring the presence and struggles of the disabled community to the forefront of the city’s mind.

“This outdoor presentation brings the personal and political presence of the disability community to the heart of the city, visible from Ottawa Avenue, Monroe Avenue, Louis Street, and Monroe Center Street,” Payne said.

Thiele, who is currently in her second year of art school earning a BFA from the Cooper Union Advancement of Science and Art, described herself as “a protest artist whose work calls attention to the inaccessible structures embedded within our society and addresses the ableist institutions built to keep disabled bodies out.”

She said with her artwork she works to explore the intersectional nature of disability, more specifically its relation to sexuality.

“My work serves as a very real testimony to my own disabled experience,” Thiele said. “As

FREDERIK MEIJER GARDENS HOSTS GLOWING FALL GARDEN

AUTHENTICITY: Thiele turns experience of disabled community into art. GVL | RACHEL SLOMBA

there have been over 400 submissions to Thiele from around the world. She responded to each submission by creating a black and white image. Some images incorporate the respondents’ own words into the artwork.

For ArtPrize 2021 at GRAM, a selection of the illustrations Thiele created have been transformed into the enormous banners and panels displayed on the museum’s exterior.

In selecting which illustrations to enlarge for ArtPrize, Thiele said they tried to stick with pieces that best portrayed the main themes of the submissions.

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

OUTDOORS

Grand Rapids Public Museum celebrates return of ArtPrize

The Frederik Meijer Gardens have taken their Gwen Frostic Woodland Shade Garden and created an Autumn Glow Garden for guests to enjoy.

On Sept. 28 and Oct. 5 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. the public is invited to view artfully carved pumpkin displays by Grand Rapids printmaker Alynn Guerra. In addition to the pumpkins, there are decorative lanterns, glowing trees, and log lights.

Fees to visit the garden are included with admission.

If guests are interested in similar displays, they can be found at Michigan’s Farm Garden during Tuesdays at the Farm.

BY ALLISON RAFFERTY ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

DOWNTOWN GRAND RAPIDS INC. MURAL WINS ARTPRIZE AWARD Brian Whitfield, a Lansing-based artist, recently finished his new mural titled, “Planted by the Sacred Streams of Grace” at 1020 Monroe Ave. NW. The project was organized by Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (DGRI) in partnership with the Monroe Community Church in Grand Rapids and made a possibility by the “Activate This Place” placemaking grant.

Due in part to the mural, the church is launching a three-week ArtPrize sermon series: Meet the (a)Artist to learn from artists and their perspective on their artwork.

Whitfield recently won the Contemporary Black Artist Award for ArtPrize 2021.

my disability continues to progress I am forced to adapt my way of creating.”

Thiele’s “My Dearest Friends” began at the peak of the pandemic in March 2020, when she said she felt very frustrated with the response to the effects the pandemic was having on the disabled community.

“Family and friends kept saying, ‘It’s only the disabled and chronically ill who will die from this pandemic,’” Thiele said. “They were ready and willing to completely disregard disabled life as if my own life had no value. I cope through art. So, I wrote a poem alone in my studio titled ‘My Dearest Friends.’”

Thiele’s poem went as follows: “My Dearest Friends/We mustn’t let this be forgotten/The time the world gained/Perspective on a small portion/Of our struggles. We must/Make sure that this moment/Goes down in history so/ That we can build a better world/A more accessible world/A world for everyone/A world for us.”

When the co-founders of DisArt, Jill Vyn and Chris Smit, saw Thiele’s poem on her social media, they reached out to collaborate.

The poem was then shared on more social media platforms by Thiele and DisArt asking disabled and chronically ill individuals to send in their stories in the same format as Thiele’s poem, starting with the phrase “My Dearest Friends…”

Participants were asked to write about their experiences with disability, and sign off with their first name.

Since the original post was made,

SCULPTURES: The Grand Rapids Public Museum is displaying over 22 pieces of artwork for their ArtPrize exhibition. GVL | JONATHAN LANTIEGNE

ArtPrize’s long-awaited return to the city of Grand Rapids has finally arrived following its cancellation last year due to COVID-19.

With the return of the art festival comes the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s (GRPM) ArtPrize exhibition.

This unique experience put together by the museum features 22 pieces of artwork, varying from sculptures to portraits.

GRPM Marketing Manager Alee’a Cherry said that the museum is proud to continue its decade-long tradition of having an outdoor ArtPrize exhibition and bringing light into the community -- especially after last year’s cancellation.

Cherry said that ArtPrize fosters a positive and engaging atmosphere for the entire city through its unique outdoor art installations.

The bi-annual art festival is unique to West

Michigan, and while it brings in tourists from all over the world, it also brings the Grand Rapids community together.

“It is a phenomenal event that brings the city together in all capacities,” Cherry said. “It’s great to see new and returning faces around the city, breathing life into the streets of Downtown Grand Rapids, but it is also amazing to see how the event creates a wonderful connection between visitors and local businesses.”

Not only do ArtPrize goers get to see a variety of unique, outdoor art installations, but some lucky attendees get a chance to interact with the artists and learn more about their pieces.

One piece of featured artwork atGRPM includes a three-dimensional sculpture by artist Ted Lott, entitled “Nomadic Domiciles.”

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

A11 | SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

QUICK HITS WOMEN’S GOLF DOMINATES GILDA’S CLUB LAKER INVITE

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, the Grand Valley State University women’s golf team hosted the 12th Annual Gilda’s Club Laker Invite, winning first place overall with two Lakers taking first and second individually. Dressed in all pink, the team played on the Meadows Golf Course certainly working to their advantage during the weekend, as the team scored 300 in both first and second rounds, holding on to their lead throughout the entire day. With a final score of 600 (+24), followed by the University of Findlay in second with 611 (+35) and Wayne State University in third at 635 (+59).

On top of their first place win, all of the Lakers finished in the top 15 with freshmen Paula Badino in first and Julia Sanchez in second. With a score of +5 (149), Badino totaled 6 birdies during the day, and Sanchez hit 4 birdies with the lowest score in the second round.

The Lakers continue their play into Monday, Sept. 27 at the Bulldog Fall Invite hosted by Ferris State University.

WOMEN’S SOFTBALL WELCOMES BACK RYAN SCHALK AS ASSISTANT COACH

Grand Valley State University alumnus, Ryan Schalk, returns for the 2022 season as a part-time assistant coach alongside head coach Rebecca Mailloux. Schalk graduated from GVSU in 2004 with a bachelor’s in physical education, continuing on to get his master’s at the University of Toledo. With 12 years of college softball coaching experience, he began at Muskegon Community College in 2009 as an assistant coach, moving up to head coach in 2014. In 2017, Schalk rejoined the Lakers to coach, and since then he has worked at the University of Toledo for three years and was the head coach at Alverno College for one season.

The Lakers are excited to be welcoming him back to the team for this upcoming season as they finish up their fall games.

FOOTBALL

GV wins first road game of the year, continuing 2021 campaign undefeated

BY SHAWN ROBINSON SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

No. 9 ranked Grand Valley State University opened their first road game of the season with a big win against Michigan Tech on Saturday, Sept. 25 at Kearly Stadium. This is the first matchup between the two teams during the 2021 campaign before they meetup again Oct. 30.

The first quarter started off fairly slow for both teams, as neither were able to drive far down the field. On MTU’s first offensive possession, GVSU was able to get pressure on the quarterback and junior defensive end, Brendann Brown, recorded his first sack of the season. With no choice but to punt the ball, redshirt freshman wide reciever, Kyle Nott, blocked Michigan Tech’s punt to put the GVSU offense in great field position on MTU’s 30-yard line.

The GVSU offense would march 30-yards down the field to record the first score of the game after sophomore running back, Tariq Reid, ran in 3-yards to score for the Lakers and taking an early 7-0 lead.

The Lakers then came out on their next offensive drive and looked to extend their lead. The offense was poised to score another touchdown but would settle for a field goal after sophomore quarterback, Cade Peterson, rushed for loss. Sophomore kicker, Josh Gorball, would attempt a 41-yard field goal and convert, putting the Lakers up 10-0.

The second quarter was opposite from the first, as GVSU would score after a 48-yard rush by junior running back, Aryuan Cain-Veasey.

The two-play, 54-yard drive would put the Lakers in complete control of the game, 17-0.

After another quick three-and-out from MTU, GVSU’s offense looked poised to keep their foot on the gas pedal and extend their lead even further. During the drive, Peterson got sacked for a big loss of 11 yards, but it was offset after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on MTU. As a result of the play, Peterson

would bounce back and get into MTU territory after a 19-yard rush. It was only a matter of time before GVSU got into the end zone for the third time in the second quarter, as Peterson would find open field and rush for 12-yards for another Laker touchdown, putting them up 23-0 with a little less than four minutes left in the first half.

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

CLUB HOCKEY

Men’s club hockey competes in first back-to-back games as a Division I team

LAKERS FILL UP THE GLIAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK BOARDS

Last week, Sept. 19-25, 6 Grand Valley State University student-athletes received the GLIAC Player of the Week honors. Starting with offensive player of the week, sophomore quarterback, Cade Peterson has helped lead his team to their undefeated record of 3-0.

South division player of the week was junior Abby Graham on the women’s volleyball team as her second GLIAC player of the week honors of this season. The GVSU cost country team has two Lakers on the list this week; juniors Hannah Becker and Tanner Chada.

Chada took first place overall in the Spartan Invite up against Division I runners with a time of 24.20.6 in the 8k, and Becker took sixth overall with a time of 22.06.4 in the 6k.

On the GVSU women’s soccer team, freshman goalkeeper, Callie Rich was GLIAC defensive player of the week in her first season on the Laker’s team. Finally, the GLIAC golfer of the week was taken by none other than redshirt freshman, Charles DeLong, who has already seen two GLIAC player of the week honors, as well as All-GLIAC First Team and GLIAC Freshman of the Year last season, and GLIAC All-Academic Excellence this year.

PERFECT SEASON: At GVSU football’s first away game of the season, the Lakers brought home their third consecutive win, defeating the Michigan Tech Huskies 44-21. GVL | LAUREN SEYMOUR

BY HOLLY BIHLMAN SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

SEASON OPENER: The newly upgraded Division I men’s club hockey team opened their season last weekend. COURTESY | BRIANNA SLAGER

As the 2021-22 hockey season finally unfolds, the Grand Valley State University men’s club hockey team took to the ice for the first time in two years, flaunting their new Division I status. The Lakers played at the University of Michigan-Dearborn’s rink the first night, and then at the Walker Ice and Fitness arena in back-to-back games during the weekend on Sept. 24-25, coming home to a packed house on Saturday.

This season’s team is presented with several unusual challenges, one of them being their young roster. With 14 freshmen on the team, seven sophomores who haven’t seen any game experience yet, only seven veteran players, and 0 seniors, their first couple of games are expected to be a show of their game time performance.

With two losses after the weekend, coach Carl Trosien is more focused on their posi-

tives than their negatives.

“Last night (Friday, Sept. 24) we were nervous, we’re young, obviously, so I think that kind of got to us in that atmosphere down there,” Trosien said. “It’s Michigan with the helmets and the jerseys, and I think it takes some time to realize you belong out there, and tonight (Saturday, Sept. 25) I think we were more prepared for that. We still got some things we have to clean up but for the most part, it was encouraging.”

The Lakers lost their first game 3-7 with their first goal of the season scored in the first period by freshman wing, Josh Suzio, while UM Dearborn scored two goals. In the second period, UM put another two goals in the back of the net, and junior wing, Shane Haggerty, scored for the Lakers.

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

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A12 | SPORTS VOLLEYBALL

Rivalry renewed: Women’s Volleyball faces Ferris State and Davenport during the weekend BYJUSTICE STEINER SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

One of the most anticipated match-ups of the Grand Valley State University volleyball season came on Sept. 23, as the Lakers traveled to Big Rapids to take on rival team Ferris State.

It was the first time the two teams have competed head-to-head on the court since Oct. 11, 2019, when the Bulldogs defeated the Lakers 3-1. The two teams did not match up in the 2020 season due to the pandemic resulting in a condensed season.

GVSU came into the match on an impressive five match winning streak with player of the week in the GLIAC South from the week prior, Abby Graham.

With a lot at stake in a hostile environment, the Lakers started the match strong winning the first set 27-25, dropping the second set 2520, before regaining control of the match after a 29-27 victory.

“We struggled to find a flow or a rhythm in the match against Ferris,” said coach, Jason Johnson. “That even started in the first set. Even though we won the set, we never really were in a good place.”

Holding a 2-1 lead and only needing to take one more set to win the match, the Lakers couldn’t get it done. The Bulldogs took the fourth and fifth sets with scores of 25-18 and 15-10 to defeat the Lakers 3-2.

Leading the way for the Lakers was junior

ONE WIN, ONE LOSS: The GVSU women’s volleyball team played two back-to-back games against Ferris State and Davenport, bringing their overall record to 7-5 this season. GVL | ARCHIVES

Ali Thompson, who finished the match with 17 kills, 17 digs, and a team-high hitting percentage of .224%. Sophomore Sarah Wight added 14 kills and three digs. Graham chipped in with 11 kills and 15 digs, while sophomore Erin O’Leary finished with 28 digs respectively.

“As the match wore on, the environment kind of took a toll and the noise created some communication issues for our kids,” Johnson said. “As I said, Ferris was able to get in a little

bit better of a rhythm than we were and able to really push us into an uncomfortable situation in sets four and five.”

The Bulldogs are now at 6-4 on the season overall and 1-2 in the GLIAC following the victory over the Lakers. Prior to the match with GVSU, FSU had lost four of their last six matches. Two of those losses came to Michigan Tech University and Northern Michigan University, two teams the Lakers defeated earlier this sea-

son.

After the emotions of losing to our rival team, the Lakers had less than 24 hours to turn their attention to Davenport, as they traveled across town to take on the Panthers the following day.

“We had to work past the game [against Ferris State],” said sophomore setter, Rachel Jacquay. “Take it as it was one day, it was one game, it’s over, so we had to move onto the next one.”

Jacquay and the Lakers found themselves in a familiar spot against the Panthers, as they were leading the match 2-1 after three sets.

Set four became a set of runs for the two teams. After trailing 18-12, the Lakers went on a 14-3 run, putting them up 24-21 and just one point away from closing out the match. However, the Panthers went on a mini-run of their own, scoring four consecutive points in a row and looking to force a fifth set as they took a slim 25-24 lead.

The comeback effort wasn’t enough for the Panthers, as the Lakers overcame the adversity, scoring three points in a row and winning the fourth and final set 27-25, winning the match 3-1.

“Sets three and four kind of got away from us, but I thought in sets one and two we were in a really good place,” Johnson said.

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

TENNIS

GV Men’s Tennis hosts ITA Regionals

BY JAMES HERRICK SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State University men’s tennis team hosted the 2021 ITA Division II Midwest Regional Championship last weekend, Sept. 24-26.

The tournament is highlighted by a 64man, a draw singles tournament, and a doubles tournament that consists of 32 pairings. This was the first time the event has been held since 2019 after last year’s event was canceled due to COVID-19. For GVSU tennis, this meant that just getting the opportunity to compete in this tournament was a positive.

“We didn’t get to play in this tournament last fall so I think we were just excited to have the chance to come and compete and see what the rest of the region is like,” said coach Samantha Schall.

The Lakers saw positive results on the court as well. On Friday, senior Sebastian Arce won two matches to reach the round

of 16. Both of these wins were sweeps that finished with a score of two sets to zero. But in the second match, Arce had to fight back from being down five to four in the second set to prevent going to the tiebreaker.

“I think the mental part was the key part in the match,” Arce said. “I was able to stay focused. The guy was a really good player, so definitely the mental part helped me a lot to get through this match.”

Arce walked into the ITA Regionals with the goal of putting his best into every point. On Friday, he showed that he is able to do that.

“Every time I walk in the court my expectations are to play every point the best as I can,” Arce said. “The fighting I was able to pull out, no matter if I wasn’t feeling good tennis-wise, I was able to keep running, bring every ball back, and give it my best every point.”

Arce wasn’t the only player on the team that saw success. Schall was happy with the results she saw from the whole team.

“We have two guys already through to the

round of 16, in the A draw at least, and that’s a good outcome,” Shcall said. “I don’t know what our expectations were going in, but I think we have had some good results today, so we are pleased with day one.”

Graduate student, Josep Canyadell, was the second Laker to advance to the round of 16, alongside Arce. The remainder of the team playing in the A draw also saw successes.

“Every one of our guys, at least here at the A site, won at least one match today, so that’s positive,” Schall said.

We had two guys split and two guys win two, so that’s a pretty good ratio for performance today.”

Senior Jack Dausman picked up a win in the opening round of the tournament while senior Martin Matov won his first match of consolation. As ITA Regionals continue, the level of competition will rise.

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

HOME COURTS: The ITA DII tournament took place on the home courts for the Lakers for the first time since 2019. GVL | AUBREE WAGNER