Issue 15, November 18, 2019 - Grand Valley Lanthorn

Baker’s Dozen

GVSU soccer captures 13th consecutive GLIAC tournament title

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

GV kicks off fifth chapter of its history with presidential inauguration SEE LEADERSHIP | A2

GV conducts sixth Campus Climate survey SEE ENVIROMENT | A6

M O N D A Y, N OV E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 9 // VO L . 5 4 N O. 1 5

@ GV L A N T H O R N

LANTHORN.COM

A2 | NEWS NEWS BRIEFS ONE INJURED IN OFF-CAMPUS CAR ACCIDENT

A two-car accident in the intersection of 48th Ave. and West Campus Drive sent one driver to the hospital the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 13. The other driver was uninjured.

The accident occurred when one car, traveling south on 48th Ave., collided with the car on West Campus Drive, said Assistant Director of Public Safety Jeff Stoll. The ejected driver was not wearing a seatbelt, and the driver’s dog, who was in the car at the time of the accident, jumped out after the impact and was hit by third car. The driver of the third car was uninjured but the dog did not survive the collision.

The ejected driver, who is not a GVSU student, was sent to the hospital for their injuries. That driver is expected to recover fully.

Ottawa County police are investigating the crash to determine factors that caused it, including analyzing skid marks, point of impact and debris. It is unsure which car had the right of way, Stoll said.

ALUMNI CHOSEN FOR INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM Two recent Grand Valley State University alumni were selected for the prestigious Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX YPP), where they traveled to Germany to study abroad for a full year.

CBYX selects 75 German and 75 American students to participate each year. The program has three phases, including an eight-week intensive language training period, one semester at a German university and a semester-long internship at a German organization.

2019 graduate Alan Carter, who majored in advertising and public relations and marketing with an international business minor, said the experience was challenging, but fun. Carter will complete his internship at a local organization and continue his language studies.

Cullin Flynn, a 2017 graduate in applied linguistics, Spanish and natural resource management, completed his internship at a bicycle production facility as a sales associate.

He has since earned a position at an energy logistics firm.

The 2020-21 applications for the program are open until Dec. 1 and are open to students between 18 and 24.

LEADERSHIP

GV kicks off fifth chapter of its history with presidential inauguration

BY NICK MORAN EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

After making the President’s Office in Zumberge Hall her home over the summer, Grand Valley State University President Philomena Mantella made everything official during her inauguration ceremony Friday, Nov. 15. The university hosted a series of events in the days leading up to the ceremony before calling together the campus community to make the presidency official.

Mantella is GVSU’s fifth president following president emeritus Thomas Haas’ retirement last year. Serving as GVSU’s first female president, Mantella previously hails from Northeastern University, where she served for 18 years as senior vice president of Enrollment and Student Life and the chief executive officer of the Lifelong Learning Network.

At the event, Mantella outlined her vision for the university, announcing two new tools to establish GVSU as a “breakout university”: The Laker Lifetime Learning Account and the establishment of a network for creating and supporting local talent, both through a physical and digital space.

“Grand Valley will build a talent epicenter which will attract companies, nonprofits, entrepreneurs and students — all who are eager to build and nurture explosive ideas and cultivate the talent to make dynamic growth possible,” Mantella said during her address.

The Laker Lifetime Learning Account

RICH HISTORY: Mantella unveiled her plan for the university moving forward to establish GVSU as a “breakout university,” and former president Thomas Haas addressed the audience. GVL | NICK MORAN

aims to support Laker graduates in obtaining certifications and badges of all kinds at GVSU. The account will begin in May 2020.

The ceremonial baton was passed to Mantella after Haas addressed the audience, representing himself and the university presidents before him. Using the metaphor of a growing oak tree, Haas said he was proud to be a part of a tree that has finally started to

grow branches by which people could use for shade and swings. He also said that Mantella’s inauguration was representative of chapter five in the university’s story, which will heavily involve GVSU as sharing the fruits of its labor with the nation.

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GRAND RAPIDS

GV alumna becomes first Latina city commissioner

BY AMY MCNEEL ASSOCIATE@LANTHORN.COM

MANTELLA CELEBRATED DURING INAUGURATION WEEK EVENTS

To celebrate the inauguration of President Philomena Mantella, events were held throughout the week of Nov. 11-15 leading up to the investiture.

Throughout the week, student celebrations were held on both Allendale and Pew campuses to give students the opportunity to meet with Mantella. These receptions allowed attendees to speak with Mantella one-on-one.

In addition, 30 students were given the opportunity to present their research conducted with faculty members Nov. 15, and the Universities Libraries and the Special Collections/University Archives organized an exhibition highlighting GVSU’s history.

Mantella spoke at an alumni breakfast Nov. 14.

After the inauguration, a campus highlights event emphasized GVSU’s accomplishments, including videos of Allendale and Pew campuses, an art gallery in the Haas Center for Performing Arts and an exhibition showcasing presidential inaugurations throughout GVSU’s history.

NOVEMBER 18, 2019 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

CONNECTION: Ysasi aims to focus on land use, mobility and police and fire services as a city commissioner. COURTESY | MILINDA YSASI

On Tuesday, Nov. 5 Milinda Ysasi defeated Wendy Falb to become Grand Rapids’ newest city commissioner for the Second Ward. Ysasi won by around 1,500 votes, making the election close to a 60/40 split.

The city of Grand Rapids is divided into three geographic areas, or wards, that each have two city commissioners.

While the roles of the commissioners are vast, Ysasi said there is an emphasis on providing oversight for issues surrounding land use, mobility and police and fire services. Along with these roles, Ysasi hopes to be a bridge between constituents and the city.

“To me, the number one thing is to be that connection to constituents who live in our ward, to listen to what their concerns are, to be able to solve problems and to address the concerns they might have living in the city,” Ysasi said. “In a lot of ways, different city commissions do different things or have different roles

— these are part-time positions but they are really important roles.”

As a newly appointed commissioner, Ysasi is excited to start working on her three focus areas: business employment opportunities, safe and accessible public safety services, and effective infrastructure and presence across the city.

Along with the excitement of winning the election, Ysasi also made history by being the first Latina city commissioner in Grand Rapids.

“Throughout the whole race and once I decided (to run), I knew that we were making history, not only by even winning but just by announcing (that I was running),” Ysasi said. “I don’t think there has ever even been a Latino candidate that’s run, so we knew that we were making early history.”

Throughout the race, Ysasi said she thought of a quote from U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley: “None of us ran to make history. We ran to make change... and change is on the way.’’

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NOVEMBER 18, 2019 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

CONTENTS LEADERSHIP

| A2

EDITORIAL

| A4

IMPACT

| A6

LOCAL

| A7

SOCCER

| A8-9

FOOTBALL

| A12

M. BASKETBALL

| A13

W. BASKETBALL

| A14

SWIMMING

| A16

VOL. 5 4

NO. 15

Lan thorn EDITORIAL STAFF

Layout Editor VIVIANA RUBIO

Editor-in-Chief NICK MORAN Associate Editor BRIANNE KERR

Layout Designer KHOI TRAN PROMOTIONS

Associate Editor AMY MCNEEL News Editor SARAH EDGECOMB

Promotions Manager HOLLIE PICKELMAN ADVERTISING STAFF

Sports Editor KELLEN VOSS Laker Life Editor YSABELA GOLDEN

Advertising Manager JESSE BECKER BUSINESS STAFF

A&E Editor MARY RACETTE Image Editor BENJAMIN HUNT

Business Manager RACHEL RUTGERS Asst. Business Manager NEHEMIAH HUDGINS-LOPEZ

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.

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A3 | NEWS GOVERNANCE

Student Senate readdresses Pledge of Allegiance, removes it from agenda

BY NICK MORAN EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University’s Student Senate once again voted on whether to include the Pledge of Allegiance in their weekly agendas during their Nov. 14 general assembly. The vote included 22 for, 10 against and 10 abstentions in a motion to remove the pledge from the agenda, overturning an earlier decision to reinstate the pledge in October.

The pledge had been removed earlier this year following a cabinet vote, but was added back to the agenda in October after its absence was noted. The most recent vote removes both the Pledge of Allegiance and the State of Michigan Motto from the agenda, leaving the newly-added Student Senate Creed in its place.

During both votes in October and November, public comment was filled with passionate community members from both sides of the argument. During the Nov. 14 public comment, students and faculty alike shared their thoughts, with the majority of this meeting’s comments being pro-pledge.

“You have the liberty to abstain from the Pledge of Allegiance,” said GVSU student Adam Prielipp, who spoke at public comment. “If you feel that you are being pressured by your peers to take part in the pledge, don’t feel that pressure. You’re Senators here. You’re leaders. You’re representing the people of Grand Valley and the people of Grand Valley are strong.”

However, there were members of the gallery that still had strong feelings to keep the Pledge of Allegiance off of the agenda.

“I am a student who no longer feels supported or represented by this elected governing body,” said GVSU student Maddie Clare, who also spoke at public comment. “Personally and professionally, the Pledge of Allegiance is something which I almost always opt out of… I have no allegiance to pledge to the federal government as someone who feels entirely unsupported by its figure heads.”

Following public comment, which included 12 speakers total, student senators shared their thoughts, with strong proponents for and against the pledge.

Student senator Dorian Thompson, who initially spearheaded the return of the Pledge of Allegiance to the agenda following its removal, took the floor early, noting that Student Senate’s actions at the meeting would be seen throughout the community. Thompson noted several reasons to continue to say the pledge, such as to honor veterans like his great grandfather and to note the federal funding provided to the university, all while supporting the values outlined in the Pledge of Allegiance.

“I’ve had members of Congress ask why they want to work with this institution,” Thompson said. “If we have students here (at public comment) saying

they won’t feel represented… We’ve got students who feel very strongly about the pledge and we have to represent them.”

Opposition also came out during the discussion, such as comments from student senator Alex Hicks, who said that GVSU’s Student Senate was in the minority among other public universities’ student governments for reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at meetings. Even on GVSU’s campus, some governing bodies abstain from reciting it.

“What other department of our university says the Pledge of Allegiance before a meeting?” Hicks said. “No other department says it.”

Other senators abstained from the matter, with some citing that Student Senate’s efforts were best focused on other projects. Senators like Richard DeBerry expressed concern that attention is not being given to other projects the body is working on, but is being wasted on discussing the pledge.

“At this point, we’re not working for the student body,” DeBerry said. “This does not directly or indirectly affect the student body.”

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CONTROVERSY: Student Senate’s decision to remove the Pledge from meetings has drawn attention to the university. GVL | MARC GREEN

SPEAK YOUR TRUTH! Now through Nov. 24, 2019

Check your email for a link to the survey Complete the survey for a chance to win a $1,000-$2,000 award

gvsu.edu/mygvsu

A4 | OPINION EDITORIAL

I pledge allegiance, to this controversy

G

rand Valley State University has found itself at the heart of local controversy with the Student Senate’s decision to remove the Pledge of Allegiance from their general assembly meetings.

In the past two days, nine different local media sources have covered this development, and these stories have brought in a rampage of public attention. On Fox 17’s Facebook page, the story has garnered over 2,000 comments and over 4,400 reactions.

This number is incredibly high for the outlet’s Facebook, even when only looking at important stories. In comparison, a story on Governor Whitmer’s plan to address the opioid crisis, posted the day before, drew in only 197 comments and 133 reactions.

In some ways, this makes sense. The debate over the Pledge of Allegiance’s place in America goes far beyond GVSU. Some point to the controversial history of the pledge itself as a reason to move on.

Others who want to keep it look past the history and see it as a way of honoring veterans and a sign of respect towards GVSU’s position as a federally-funded school.

Both sides of the issue present compelling arguments, but at the end of the day, we’ve got bigger fish to fry than whether or not Student Senate says the Pledge at the beginning of their meetings.

According to various members of Student Senate, no student governing body at

Michigan’s other state schools say the Pledge of Allegiance at their meetings. The meetings themselves consist mostly of the senators themselves and a handful of witnessing students, so the ritual — its presence or lack thereof — has no effect on the student body at large. If it had been absent from the meetings from the beginning, it is unlikely anyone would take notice.

Instead of putting so much attention on a small, internal detail of Student Senate, maybe we should be focusing on the important projects they are working on. In the past month, senate has passed resolutions to create a prayer room on GVSU’s health campus and to formally oppose the Grand River Waterway Project, they have created a Sustainability Subcommittee and they have also put effort into creating transparency at Board of Trustees meetings.

One thing that both sides seem to have in common in their arguments is a sense of civic duty to the community.

For some, that means verbalizing our nations principles, and for others that means removing something that could be offensive or alienating. But to both sides, we have to ask: isn’t there more to civic duty than this singular issue?

Everyone seems to focus on things they disagree with, rather than the things Student Senate is actually doing. And for what? This discussion has gone on for far too long. It’s time for people move on.

GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON

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 ALLENDALE, MI 49401 616-826-8276

By Katie Cussans

11/18/19

editorial@lanthorn.com

Column: Kaepernick workout too little, too late for NFL

BY KELLEN VOSS JUNIOR MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

Sports articles are often not read by average newspaper readers, due to a specific vocabulary and a bombastic vernacular that could be misunderstood by someone who doesn’t follow sports as closely as we die-hards do. Because of

this, let me help put this Colin Kaepernick workout in simpler terms to provide non-sports fans context to make sense of the bizarre Saturday workout.

Halloween just passed two weeks ago. Put yourself in the shoes of the parent with a snot-nosed 10-year-old kid dressed in a Batman costume for the holiday. Imagine that you didn’t let your child go from door to door and trick-or-treat when so many kids across America are reluctantly donning coats over their costumes in an effort to get the literal sweet relief they crave.

This isn’t the first time you haven’t let your kid trick-or-treat. In fact, you haven’t let your little pipsqueak trick-ortreat for the past three Halloweens, all because he refuses to fold his hands and pray at the dinner table. He questions

why he needs to salute a higher being that has done a lot of bad things to a lot of good kids everywhere, and because of that questioning, he has been shamed by the rest of the family.

This is essentially what has been happening to former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick over the past few seasons. Even though he was seen as the next great dual-threat quarterback after leading the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance in 2012, Kaepernick’s name has been dragged through the mud due to him choosing to kneel for the national anthem before a preseason game in 2016.

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What happened in Bolivia was a coup, and the US is responsible

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.

NOVEMBER 18, 2019 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

BY DYLAN GROSSER JUNIOR MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

It was Oct. 21, 2019 when the first indigenous president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, had been elected to a fourth term. About 3 weeks later, on Nov. 10, the leftist president fled Bolivia on a plane to Mexico, fearing for his life.

It started with accusations from his detractors of “election irregular-

ities” which ultimately cast doubt on Morales’ victory. The claims got the attention of the Organization of American States (OAS), a dubious regional organization based in the Western Hemisphere that was founded in 1948. The OAS agreed to audit the election and, after just 10 days, the OAS prematurely announced that it had indeed confirmed the existence of “election irregularities” with no independently verified data provided.

Despite the unsubstantiated claim, it was enough to set the already volatile country into complete meltdown. The military head of Bolivia asked Morales to resign.

The police force defending the president had already abandoned him, joining violent anti-government protesters in the streets.

Morales was on his way to Mexico when his entire cabinet had resigned. Later in the day, police arrested 38 members of an independent election commission.

Morales’ home was raided and ransacked, reportedly, along with his sister’s.

The violent protests that occurred in Bolivia so far have been carried out by far-right extremists, intolerant of Morales’ gains on social issues such as discrimination and poverty. Anti-indigenous sentiment runs deep in opponents of Morales, with many of them originating from the affluent Santa Cruz area that opposes Morales social programs that have raised taxes.

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NOVEMBER 18, 2019 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A5 | NEWS

ELECTION

Nathan Bocks sworn in as new mayor of Holland

BY NATHAN SLAUER NSLAUER@LANTHORN.COM

On Nov. 11, Holland’s new mayor Nathan Bocks was sworn into office. Bocks, a first-time elected official, defeated incumbent Nancy DeBoer by a vote of 3,839 to 3,349. The tight race turned negative when an outside group circulated mail and robocalls depicting Bocks as a socialist.

Bocks said he feels proud that Holland residents rejected the influence of dark money. He hopes to move past the incident and focus on three campaign priorities: housing, waterfront development and creating an inviting environment for all Holland residents.

“I want more people to feel welcome and belong in Holland than anywhere else,” Bocks said.

Bocks’ political ambitions began when he attended the West Coast Chamber leadership program. Program graduates set goals for how they want to make an impact, and Bocks made a commitment to one day become the mayor of Holland.

The campaign needed to wait. As a 32-yearold with two young children, Bocks decided to focus on raising his family.

Originally from Mount Pleasant, Bocks moved to Holland to attend Hope College, where he met his wife. Upon earning his law degree at Marquette University

PASSING THE TORCH: Nathan Bocks was elected mayor after Nancy DeBoer’s term. Bocks is focusing on housing in Ottawa County as more people move to the Holland area. GVL | NATHAN SLAUER

in Wisconsin, Bocks returned to Holland and opened a real estate law practice.

To get involved with his community, Bocks served on several nonprofit and municipal committees, including the Holland Board of Appeals, Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity Board and Tulip Time Board. As chair of the Civic Center board, Bocks launched a fundraising campaign and partnered with Holland’s city

council to fund the Civic Center.

In 2018, Bocks felt confident that his experience serving in leadership positions had prepared him to follow through on his promise to run for office, and he announced his candidacy for mayor.

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ENVIRONMENT

Student Senate outlines sustainability goals LUCAS SWARTZENDRUBER LSWARTZENDRUBER@LANTHORN.COM

BRIGHT FUTURE: Senate has plans to eradicate single-use plastic on campus and use electric buses within 10 years. GVL | MARC GREEN

Student Senator Gavin Marlowe presented a proposal during Student Senate’s Oct. 17 general assembly meeting. He sought to reinstate the Sustainability Subcommittee while sharing sustainability goals for Grand Valley State University to pursue in upcoming years.

“I really started the Sustainability Subcommittee because there was an interest in sustainability for Student Senate to focus on that as one of our pillars,” Marlowe said.

At the beginning of fall 2019, Student Senate conducted strategic planning meetings to discuss ways to change campus, with sustainability as one of four themes. Sustainability goals were brainstormed during these sessions and the ideas from the meetings were condensed for the Sustainability Subcommittee.

The subcommittee was present to Student Senate last year. However, the previous senator who led it did not return this year. Once the

Sustainability Subcommittee was reinstated by Marlowe, he and Student Senator McKenzie Gamage became co-chairs in the body.

Gamage said the subcommittee meets bi-weekly, describing it as a cross-committee collaboration since student senators from other committees can join. Here, members engage in sustainability projects.

Gamage said she is organizing a summit that will spread the sustainability conversation across GVSU next semester, with the goal to bring together ideas of how different organizations handle sustainability.

Marlowe said the Office of Sustainability Practices and student-run organizations would be helpful at the summit.

“I am so excited that they have this new subcommittee,” said Office of Sustainability Practices Director Yumiko Jakobcic.

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NOVEMBER 18, 2019 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A6 | NEWS IMPACT

GV opens outreach center in Battle Creek

BY AUDREY WHITAKER AWHITAKER@LANTHORN.COM

The path to college and careers most often begins in high school, at a time when many students and families may feel overwhelmed by the application process, expectation of financial burden or career choices they face. But now, students and community members in Battle Creek have a place to turn to for help with exploring career paths, college and scholarship applications.

The GVSU Battle Creek Outreach Center, which opened Nov. 4, aims to help students of all ages, said Matthew Bozzo, a career navigator at the outreach center and former college adviser at Battle Creek Central High School.

“The vision of the center is a centralized hub for community members, students or just even adults who maybe want to have a job change or are interested in pursuing higher education,” Bozzo said.

“The center’s mission is to be a central hub to get any kind of access to educational resources to support students pursuing college, wherever they’re going.”

Bozzo said that the center will focus on three main services: career exploration, college advising and scholarship and financial aid exploration. Bozzo said the center is also looking into hosting free events in the Battle Creek community.

“We’re looking towards potentially hosting and facilitating different events throughout the community, relating to financial aid, college advising and career exploration,” Bozzo said.

Deborah Nuzzi, Director of Secondary Education for Battle Creek Public Schools (BCPS), said that she was impressed by the approach GVSU took to working with the needs of the community.

“GVSU has been such an amazing partner because they came to us asking, ‘What do you need?’ ‘How can we use our resources to meet the needs of your high school and your community?’” Nuzzi said. “It’s not a one-stop-shop, here it is.

They’re open to continuing to partner with us to see what it needs to become.”

BCPS Communications Manager Nathan Hunt said that services offered by the outreach center will help to support their Career Academy program and goal of making sure each student graduating from BCPS is career, college and community ready.

“High school students are learning about career opportunities and they’re focused on career exploration,” Hunt said. “During year two, they’re starting to go out and get experience in some of the workplaces first hand. Throughout the rest of their high school career, they develop a career pathway and they’re focused on that.”

Nuzzi said BCPS is excited that the out-

PARTNERSHIP: The outreach center will provide students with easy access to the university and its programs, which ties into GVSU’s partnership with Battle Creek Public Schools. COURTESY | GVSU

reach center will offer services and opportunities to members of the community who may not have access to them otherwise.

“For us, this is about equity,” Nuzzi said.

“This is providing opportunities and experiences in every possible way that we can.”

Both Nuzzi and Bozzo said it is important for students as well as their fam-

ilies to learn and become familiar with options available after high school and how to achieve them.

“It’s really important that we plant that seed early and making sure that students and families are aware of all the different kinds of opportunities and the importance of college and higher education,” Bozzo said.

LAKER EFFECT

GV conducts sixth Campus Climate survey OLIVIA FELLOWS OFELLOWS@LANTHORN.COM

IMPROVEMENTS: The Campus Climate survey will be used to improve GVSU through feedback.

It closes Nov. 24. GVL | MEGHAN LANDGREN

Grand Valley State University’s faculty and staff take student comfort, happiness and success seriously, and they strive to create a welcoming and inclusive campus for all students. To see continued improvement, GVSU began conducting its sixth all-grades, faculty and staff Campus Climate Survey for 2019.

The survey, which was sent out last week, aims to gather information from students and staff about their experiences at the university and use the information to further improve GVSU’s social and educational climate. The campus climate survey usually takes participants about 10-15 minutes to complete. Students, faculty and staff members should have received an email with a link to the online, anonymous survey on Nov. 14.

GVSU has been conducting climate surveys through the Office of Inclusion and Equity since 1994, and they are usually done every four or five years. The past five climate surveys have resulted in positive changes for GVSU, including adding lighting around campus to foster more

safety, increasing the numbers of international students and faculty members, and in 2015, establishing the position of student “ombuds,” or advocates, who help students resolve conflicts and make referrals to campus services when necessary.

Vice President for Inclusion and Equity Jesse Bernal said more participation from students, staff and faculty is important to have a better idea of how the university can help its student body feel more welcome.

Bernal also said it’s especially important for graduate students to take the survey because that student population’s overall result response was the lowest in 2015, the last time the surveys were conducted.

“This survey presents a snapshot of what it’s like to live, learn and work at Grand Valley,” Bernal said. “Results from the survey help support the goal of providing an environment that attracts, retains and supports a diverse community.”

Each year they are conducted, the organizers of the surveys always hope for 100 percent participation from students and staff. They have even incorporated an incentive to increase engagement by providing a choice to be put into a drawing for awards of up to $2,000 to use for pro-

fessional development for students who complete the survey. More than 40 percent of the campus community responded to the 2015 survey. Results showed that 87 percent of all respondents were “comfortable” or “very comfortable” with the overall campus climate.

Associate Vice President for Equity, Policy & Compliance Kathleen VanderVeen spearheaded this year’s surveys and said that the results are used to help the university decide on changes they want to make in the near future.

“Committees are organized based on the results of the survey, to recommend changes based on feedback,” VanderVeen said. “The results and feedback we receive from the survey help support the goal of providing an environment that attracts, retains and supports a diverse community.”

There are initiatives that have come from past surveys that reflect student concerns. The Division of Inclusion and Equity encourages all members of the Laker family to take the survey and be a part of improving GVSU for current and future students, staff and faculty. The survey only takes a handful of minutes, and will help the university for years to come.

NOVEMBER 18, 2019 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A7 | NEWS

LOCAL

Ottawa County loses farmland, promotes preservation program NATHAN SLAUER NSLAUER@LANTHORN.COM

Third-generation dairy farmer Michael Raterink loves getting to know his cows. Each cow displays personality traits ranging from playful to grumpy.

Raterink would know. Every morning, he wakes up at 4 a.m. to milk the cows, and he returns for a second session at 4 p.m. A single cow produces 80 pounds of

milk or more.

In between milking sessions, Raterink fills troughs with cow feed, cleans the barn and works on chores. The remainder of his 14-hour work day is spent in the field tending to corn, soybeans and alfalfa.

Raterink Farm, which has remained in operation in Zeeland, Michigan since the 1950s, cares for 200 cattle. The farm remains profitable, although it faces steep

SUSTAINABLE: Ottawa County has been grappling with dwindling farmland being sold for development. Officials are working to combat this issue as the county grows. COURTESY | SMARTGROWTH.ORG

competition from larger farms in Ottawa County and throughout Michigan.

“It’s been a struggle for farms this size,” Raterink said.

Although agriculture remains a thriving part of Ottawa County’s economy, mid-size farmers like the Raterinks grapple with urban sprawl, a labor shortage and financial instability. As the county loses farm acres, Ottawa County officials seek to preserve land for the purpose of food production.

Michigan follows only California in terms of agricultural diversity. The state’s rich micro-climates enable farmers to grow a wide range of crops.

Ottawa County ranks third in Michigan in terms of total agricultural output, producing over $506 million in 2017.

Over 171,000 acres of farmland spans more than half of Ottawa County’s landmass, with 1,130 farms producing crops such as blueberries, corn, soybeans, hay, celery, apples and nursery stock. Popular livestock includes turkeys, poultry, hogs and cattle.

Despite the expansive reach of farmland in Ottawa County, Ottawa County officials remain concerned by the loss

of 8 percent of farmed acreage and 17 percent of farms in Ottawa County from 2012 to 2017.

“Ottawa County is not in the worst situation, but we never want to be in the worst situation,” said Becky Huttenga, Ottawa County Economic Development Coordinator. “At the end of the day, we need ground to grow our food on. We want to act now.”

Ottawa County is the eighth most populous county in Michigan, and it has the fastest growing population in the state. As newcomers flock to the county, developers are building new homes and businesses at a rapid pace.

Growing residential and commercial areas turn farms into islands. Lacking access to groundwater and infrastructure, farmers might decide to sell their valuable land to developers.

“We need to be thoughtful and plan for rural preservation, so we’re not burning through farmland,” Huttenga said. “Once you develop it, you can’t put it back.”

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ENGAGEMENT

GV earns Silver Seal in campus voting

BY KYLIE ELWELL KELWELL@LANTHORN.COM

On campus, voting is always a very popular topic that is advertised and talked about within the student body. Attending voter registration drives is a great way for students to get involved within the community. Voting as a college student brings a sense of involvement.

GVSU has been acknowledged by the All In Campus Democracy Challenge with a Silver Seal for the campus voting rate in 2018. GVSU was represented at the Washington, D.C. awards ceremony on Nov. 12 by student Jane Johnston, who also serves as the Campus Vote Project democracy fellow and Community Service Learning Center (CSLC) Civic Engagement Associate.

GVSU continues to hold voter registration drives for students, with the most recent held Nov. 13, hosted by the CSLC on Pew Campus in the DeVos Center with a large turnout of students in attendance.

“GVSU students have a unique opportu-

nity to impact change in our community,” Johnston said. “Since Grand Valley is publicly funded, our votes could get more money for all the things that GVSU students want to see changed — busing, student wages, food options, tuition.”

Johnston became very involved within the student voter community from having such a big interest in politics, civic engagement and democracy. She began working for the CSLC as a Democracy Fellow last year during the midterm elections.

“I read recently that our representatives won’t listen to us unless we take it upon ourselves to make our issues heard,” Johnston said. “Voting is one incredibly important way for students to impact change on our campus.”

The next two Voter Registration drives are coming up. The first will be held Wednesday, Nov. 20 from noon to 2 p.m. in DeVos C on Pew Campus. The second will be held Thursday, Nov. 21 from 7-8 p.m. in VanSteeland Living Center on Allendale Campus.

CIVIC DUTY: The Silver Seal was rewarded to GVSU for a 30 to 39 percent of students voting in 2018.

GVSU holds registration drives to increase this percentage leading into 2020. GVL | CALEB WORPEL

NOVEMBER 18, 2019 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

Baker’s Dozen: GVSU soccer captures 13th consecutive GLIAC Tournament title

BY ELI ONG EONG@LANTHORN.COM

The No. 2 Grand Valley State University women’s soccer team captured their 13th straight Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament championship with a 3-0 victory over the Ferris State Bulldogs Friday, Nov. 15 and a 4-1 victory over the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals Sunday, Nov. 17.

The Lakers advanced to the GLIAC Tournament championship match with a 3-0 semifinal win over the Ferris State Bulldogs Friday evening at the GVSU Soccer Field.

The Lakers improved to 18-1 on the season, claiming their 16th shutout of the year.

Ferris State got off to a fast start by consistently controlling the ball on GVSU’s half of the field for the first 18 minutes of the game, which allowed them to launch 3 shots and two on goal. Both shots-on-goal were stopped by goalkeeper Jessica Radice.

“We had to play a lot harder from the opening whistle than we did,” said GVSU coach Jeff Hosler. “Ferris is out there fighting, trying to extend their season and we didn’t match their energy early on.”

The Lakers settled things down with the go-ahead goal in the 21st minute when junior forward Ava Cook centered a ball for senior midfielder Riko Sagara, who played it through for freshman forward Chantel Carranza to put the ball into the back of the net for the lead.

“My teammates have been doing a great job all year of setting me up in good situations and spots on the field,” Carranza said. “Playing with some of the best players in the country has constantly helped me improve and it shows with every goal out there.”

Next, Sagara provided a brilliant cross in the 30th minute to set up Carranza for her second goal of the night and the Lakers took a 2-0 lead into halftime.

“We knew when Chantel committed to us that we had a special player on our hands,” Hosler said. “Once she settled in, she’s been on a tear. She’s got a real good feel for the game and knows how to put herself in dangerous situations.”

Late in the second half, junior midfielder Darline Radamaker lofted a ball over the Bulldogs back line and Greta DeLoach took advantage, hammering home the dagger to complete the scoring for the Lakers.

“Before I shoot, I pick out a spot and try to place it there with some pace and hope that it goes in,” said DeLoach. “It was a great ball in by Dar’ and I was able to finish it.”

The stage was set. The weather was standard for November in West Michigan, and GVSU came away with a 4-1 win to earn their 13th straight GLIAC Tournament championship, even though the Lakers got off to a start that was about as cold as the weather outside.

Shortly after the opening kick, Saginaw Valley State blitzed GVSU with a goal in the first minute, a rocket from SVSU junior forward Sakura Bals that came on an assist from senior defender Jennifer Muana. Bals beat her defender easily, then blasted the ball home to give SVSU the early edge, 1-0.

“It was the third game in a row we haven’t been sharp from the kick,” Hosler said. “Sometimes it comes down to talent, sometimes it comes down to execution, and then there are times like today where it came down to some heart and some courage and Saginaw showed that in the first half and we didn’t.”

The scoring ended there and the rest of the half was marred by sloppy ball possession and physical play on defense, as both teams dug in and went back and forth until the halftime buzzer sounded.

GVSU came out of the locker room in the second half like a shark who smelled blood.

“It was special coming out into the second half,” said junior forward Ava Cook. “We had never been in that position before this year and that just shows where special teams can grow.”

If being down going into halftime had any negative effect on GVSU, it did not show once the second half kicked off. Senior forward and tournament MVP Riko Sagara took the corner and placed the ball on a line in front of the far post where Cook dove and pushed a header past SVSU goalkeeper Allison Watts to tie up the score, 1-1, in the 48th minute.

“Our set pieces have been an area of focus for us to improve lately and obviously any goal in that type of situation is going to get us pumped up,” Cook said. “Riko placed the ball well and I kind of just made a courageous dive at it and it went in and then I ran to the bench to celebrate.”

GVSU’s next goal came seven minutes later, courtesy of DeLoach, when she tipped the ball up and over Watts before colliding with the goalkeeper on a runaway 1-v-1 to permanently give the Lakers the lead in the 55th minute.

Feeling the energy rise, GVSU continued to capitalize. Sagara got in on the scoring action thanks to an assist combo from Carranza and Lauren Ross that gave Sagara the opportunity to punch the ball into the upper left hand corner of the net to move the score to 3-1 in favor of the Lakers.

“Riko is very smooth on the ball, which makes it very hard to defend her because you never know where she’s gonna go with the ball,” Cook said. “She’s also kind of a silent killer. She’s not going to give you the ra-ra but she is going to get people hyped up through her play.”

Sagara put the icing on the cake in the 70th minute when she blasted home a rebound off of a shot from Ava Cook. The ball landed neatly in front of Sagara, who collected, and sliced the ball into the left-hand side of the net past Watts for GVSU’s fourth and final goal of the day.

GVSU will find out their first round opponent in the NCAA Tournament during the NCAA selection show that airs Monday, Nov. 18 at 6 p.m.

A8&9 | SPORTS

GETTING A HEAD UP ON THE COMPETITION: GVSU junior forward Ava Cook rises above a few SVSU defenders in an effort to head in a goal at the GVSU Soccer Stadium. Cook, who leads the team with 20 scored goals in the regular season, helped lead the squad to their 13th straight GLIAC Tournament title. GVL | CALEB WORPEL

PUMPED UP KICKS: GVSU junior forward Caitie Baron boots a ball forward during the GLIAC Final at the GVSU Soccer Stadium. GVL | CALEB WORPEL

SPRINTING TO THE BALL: GVSU Freshman forward Kennedy Bearden beats a Ferris State defender to the ball as she pursues towards the goal at the GVSU Soccer Stadium. GVL | KATHERINE VASILE

NOVEMBER 18, 2019 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE

A10 | LAKER LIFE LAKER LIFE BRIEFS TAKE THE MYGVSU CAMPUS CLIMATE SURVEY Grand Valley’s Division of Inclusion and Equity believes that the external climate of a college campus can have a profound effect — for better or worse — on the experiences of its students, faculty and staff. That’s why this month, the division is holding the sixth campus climate survey in Grand Valley State University’s history, reaching out to the campus community for a snapshot of what our university is doing well and where there’s room for improvement.

The survey will be available from now until Nov. 24. Those who complete it will have the chance to win $1,000$2,000 in grants. If you’re interested in sharing your perspective, look for the survey link sent by Vice President Jesse Bernal at mygvsu@gvsu.edu on GVSU email accounts. This is your chance to share what it’s like to learn, live and work on campus.

TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE KEYNOTE 20 years ago in 1999, transgender activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith memorialized Rita Hester, a woman who lost her life to transphobic violence, with a day of remembrance and recognition for her identity and struggle. Ever since, the day has been observed as a remembrance of all those like Hester lost to similar acts of hate.

Those interested in honoring this tradition can join the Milton E. Ford LGBT Center for a talk led by Professor Jian Chen on “The Times of Trans Death and Trans Vibrancy.” The event, which is LIB 100/201 approved, will take place from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19 in the Pere Marquette room of Kirkhof Center.

ENVIRONMENT

GV explores the reality of climate change

BY AUTUMN BABAS LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University is hosting a 24 Hours of Climate Reality Event (CRE) Wednesday, Nov. 20, joining on conversations on climate change that will occur all around the globe Nov. 20-21. The day will feature a presentation put on by Laiyin Zhu, Assistant Professor of Geography at Western Michigan University, who will discuss the variations of tropical cyclones under climate change and possible mitigation techniques.

Everyone is encouraged to come, learn and participate as this directly impacts all members of the community.

The CRE is sponsored by GVSU’s Geography and Sustainable Planning Department, who is holding the event as part of their Geography Awareness Week focusing on climate change. Professor and Geography Chair Elena Lioubimtseva will also speak at CRE and give an overview of climate change curriculum in Geography and Sustainable Planning.

“Our department is the first in Michigan and one of the first in the U.S. to offer an emphasis in Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Resiliency Planning in Geography B.S.,” Lioubimtseva said.

CRE will bring together several local organizations working on climate action including the GVSU Climate Change Education Solutions Network, Grand Rapids Climate Action, Grand Rapids Chapter of Citizens

Climate Lobby and West Michigan Chapter of Climate Reality. It will be held from 6-8:30 p.m. in the Henry Hall Atrium, with Zhu’s presentation lasting from 6:30-7:30 p.m..

Zhu’s presentation, titled “Tropical Cyclone and Climate Change: from Nature to Society,” will display his research on tropical cyclone precipitation reconstruction and modeling, urban flooding, hurricane power outages modeling and agent-based modeling of people’s mitigation behavior in repeated

hurricane disasters.

“Global warming will increase the sea surface temperature and it will possibly intensify hurricanes and tropical cyclones in the future,” Zhu said. “We want to increase the public’s knowledge and understanding of important impacts of climate change and what they can do.”

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EDUCATION

Teach-In 2019 makes new steps in discussion of inclusion, equity and diversity

BY KATHERINE ARNOLD LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS FROM GV STUDENTS Discussions of the potential consequences of climate change can paint a fairly depressing picture of the future of our planet. Though having those conversations about what we’re doing to the environment is important, it’s just as vital to talk about what we can do to create a better future ourselves.

That’s the purpose of Grand Valley State University’s fall 2019 Sustainability Showcase, a day dedicated to presenting the work of GVSU students on this very important issue. Join the Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program anytime from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22 for class presentations, individual student posters, activities and snacks in the Pere Marquette room of Kirkhof Center.

FROM NATURE TO SOCIETY: Zhu will be visiting from Western Michigan University to give a presentation on tropical cyclones and other consequences of climate change. COURTESY | LAIYIN ZHU

AN URGENT NEED: Presenters at the Teach-In approach difficult topics necessary for creating an inclusive campus climate. COURTESY | GVSU

Each year since 2014, Grand Valley State University has endeavored to bring students together through discussion of difficult topics like systems of oppression, discrimination and social justice at their annual Teach-In. This year’s event saw many students, faculty and staff joining together in order to welcome new subject matter into their discussions, alongside popular themes returning from years prior.

Unlike previous Teach-Ins, which lasted one day, this year’s program ran for two. On Nov. 6, presenters and attendees gathered in the Seidman College of Business, followed by more session on Nov. 7 in the Kirkhof Center. The additional time and space allowed the program to expand and give the individuals attending more ways to participate than they would have had otherwise.

Professor Shawn Bultsma is a regular presenter at the annual Teach-In who

also serves as a moderator for the presentations of others. He believes strongly in the positive impact of not only this year’s Teach-In on the GVSU community, but that of every one prior.

“Grand Valley is not immune from the systemic racism that permeates US society,” Bultsma said. “Consequently, it is no surprise that both explicit and implicit biases influence our comments and interactions as we interact with each other. These realities underscore the urgent need for staff and faculty to work tirelessly toward a more equitable and inclusive environment where all feel valued.”

Over 40 sessions contributed to the empowerment that many feel after witnessing people come together every year during an event that never ceases to be a source of inspiration and motivation for those who attend.

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NOVEMBER 18, 2019 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE

A11 | LAKER LIFE

CLUB

Learn about Vietnamese culture with the Grand Valley VCA

BY YSABELA GOLDEN LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

Have you ever heard of Lễ Vu Lan, the “Hungry Ghost Festival” inspired by the story of a Buddhist monk who brought his mother back from Hell, celebrated by making offerings of food and drink to dead relatives? What about Li Xi, a monetary gift given for good fortune in red envelopes (or, more likely in 2019, over the internet) for celebrations like weddings, births and anniversaries? Did you know yam is one of the ten most popular fillings for mooncakes, the favorite pastry of Tết Trung Thu, the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival?

If any of that piqued your interest, or you’re one of those people who really likes yam mooncakes, you might want to check out Grand Valley State University’s Vietnamese Cultural Association (VCA).

“VCA is a new group that was developed last year in the fall,” said member April Nunn. “I joined last winter semester because I liked their events and their meetings and socials. I got voted in as one of the co-outreach chairs of this year’s VCA, and it’s been a really good experience helping volunteer and organizing events.”

The VCA discussed Lễ Vu Lan, Li Xi and Tết Trung Thu in a meeting earlier this fall about Vietnamese festivals, games and traditions.

“Another thing we talked about was the lunar calendar, which is based on the rotation of the moon around the earth instead of the earth’s rotation around the sun,” Nunn said. “There’s still twelve months, but all the months have thirty days instead. There are a lot of traditions that come with the Lunar New Year — Tết Nguyên Đán — like how you’re not supposed to sweep during Tết, because you might sweep away good luck.”

The VCA has meetings like this every other Tuesday, with the alternating Tuesdays reserved for socials. They talk about Vietnamese traditions, eat Vietnamese food and plan events celebrating Vietnamese culture. One event held last October was their “Un-PHỞ-gettable Night,” a bring-your-ownbowl dinner where the group served phở, a broth soup with meat, rice noodles and herbs.

“Phở night is our annual fundraising event to raise money for our organization and to give people an opportunity to enjoy this food we made ourselves,” Nunn said.

“We use different broths, soy beans, onions, limes — we like to add a little texture to it.

We’re planning another phở night, and we’re going to crack it up a notch next time — performances for people to watch while they eat, expanding the menu, maybe some karaoke.

And we’ll have the phở challenge we always

FOOD, TRADITION, PHILANTHROPY: The members of the Vietnamese Cultural Association host a number of events, from dinners to social celebrations to blood drives for charity. COURTESY | VCA

have, where you have to eat a bowl within five minutes. Winners get a ‘Phở King’ shirt, though we’re thinking of turning the prize into a championship belt.”

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EVENT

CAB, NBC pairs comedy, diversity

BY MARY DUPUIS ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

MAKE ‘EM LAUGH: Students enjoyed StandUp NBC’s much-needed comedic relief as tension builds for finals. GVL | ALEXIS VALAZQUEZ

On Friday, Nov. 15, the students of Grand Valley State University and the Campus Activities Board (CAB) welcomed Vincent Bryant and Sohrab Forouzesh, two comedians who were 2018 finalists in NBC’s program, StandUp NBC. The free event took place in the Grand River Room in the Kirkhof Center at 8 p.m. and was a night filled with fun times and finger foods.

Both comedians came from humble beginnings, Forouzesh with a single, immigrant mother and Bryant growing up in poverty. But, the two found their way into the comedy world through their continuous love to make others laugh and StandUp NBC. “I’ve been a comedian all my life,” Bryant said. “It was a coping mechanism at first, you try to make friends with it.

Then, you realize, that’s your way in. So I was like, ‘How can I get paid to do this?’”

StandUp NBC, formerly known as NBC’s STANDUP for DIVERSITY, is a program created by NBC in 2003 to

search the nation for stand-up comedians of diverse backgrounds. This allows comedians from across the United States to showcase themselves for opportunities at NBCUniversal and throughout the comedy industry.

“My experience with StandUp NBC was great, we had a good time,” Bryant said. “A lot of times it’s comedians’ first introduction to people in the industry. So, people that could potentially change your life see you perform and envision what they need from you. It’s just a good network.”

Forouzesh agrees and feels that this program was the reason his feet hit the ground running into the world of comedy. “(StandUp NBC) were great,” Forouzesh said. “They gave me a lot of opportunities, introduced me to a lot of people, got my foot in the door. I would say if it wasn’t for them I probably wouldn’t be able to do it full time. I would probably still be working a day job. It helped me find representation and start getting into colleges to perform and I eventually got a writing credit; which not only let me make enough money to where I could live off of it, but got me a first credit.”

CAB Director of Comedy Jennastasia Chapa found the two comedians in February through the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) and decided to book them right away, scheduling some laughs in as the semester is in its final stretch.

“I am in charge of coming up with and coordinating a few comedy acts a semester and I thought the GV population would enjoy comedians from NBC and free food,” Chapa said. “We’re all at the point in the semester where we need a break and some time to just laugh.”

Free food was not the only thing that the students received. Prior to the performances, students were given time to brainstorm their best jokes, as CAB set up a friendly competition between the audience. Anyone was able to come up to the stage to tell their funniest joke, being judged by the comedians themselves.

Following this, the best three jokesters were given a small prize from CAB to congratulate their wittiness.

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A12 | SPORTS QUICK HITS

NOVEMBER 18, 2019 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

FOOTBALL

VAN TUBBERGEN NAMED GLIAC SOUTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Grand Valley State junior Jake Van Tubbergen was named GLIAC South Player of the Week for the opening week of the 2019-20 college basketball season. Van Tubbergen, a preseason All-GLIAC selection, earns his first career conference weekly honors.

Van Tubbergen was dominant in the Lakers 2-0 opening week, as the Lakers defeated regional foes Alderson Broaddus and Davis & Elkins. Van Tubbergen opened the season with a double-double, scoring 21 points – 16 in the first half – and snagged a career-best 16 rebounds as the Lakers defeated the Battlers 69-56 Saturday, Nov. 9.

His solid performances rolled into this past week, as in Thursday’s win against Truman State, Van Tubbergen scored a career-high 32 points to go along with nine rebounds to help lead their team to victory.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF MOST DOMINANT TEAMS OF THE DECADE

For the sixth time this decade, the Grand Valley State women’s cross country team is living out their title of National Champions. In an earlier post by the NCAA last week, the Lakers were named one of the five most dominating fall teams in all of college athletics in the past 10 years.

Having claimed championships in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2018, GVSU is the only women’s cross country team with six national titles since 2010. The Lakers have won 19 consecutive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) and NCAA Division II Regional titles to add to their resume.

In his 21st year at the helm of both programs, Jerry Baltes owns six national titles on the women’s side and one with the men. In 2013, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) opted to name the Women’s Program of the Year Award after Baltes to honor his continued dominance.

VARSITY SCHEDULE SOCCER

Friday, Nov. 22, TBD, NCAA Region Quarters Sunday, Nov. 24, TBD, NCAA Region Semifinals (If they qualify)

VOLLEYBALL

Wednesday, Nov. 20, TBD, @ Michigan Tech Saturday, Nov. 23, TBD, GLIAC Semi-finals (If they qualify) Sunday, Nov. 24, TBD, GLIAC Finals (If they qualify)

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Friday, Nov. 22, 7:45 p.m., @ Cedarville (Don Callan Classic) Saturday, Nov. 23, 3 p.m., playing Ohio Dominican @ Cedarville (Don Callan Classic)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Friday, Nov. 22, 6 p.m., Home vs Hillsdale College Sunday, Nov. 24, 1 p.m., Home vs University of Findlay

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Saturday, Nov. 23, 1 p.m., NCAA National Championships

STREAKING DOWN THE SIDELINE: GVSU running back Bryce Young-Walls sprints down the sideline and attempts to outrun a Wayne State defender in pursuit in a game on Saturday, Nov. 16. GVSU lost this game against the Warriors, 31-17, to end the season with an 8-3 overall record. GVL | MARC GREEN

GVSU football falls to 8-3 after loss to Wayne State on senior day

BY KELLEN VOSS SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

At this time two weeks ago, the 19thranked Grand Valley State football team looked primed for a playoff spot, as with an 8-1 overall record and being one Hail Mary away from being 6-0 in the GLIAC, it was a very reasonable assumption that the Lakers had a chance at hosting a playoff game.

With two big losses in the past two weeks, GVSU has pretty much kissed their playoff hopes goodbye, losing 21-16 at No. 2 Ferris State on Saturday, Nov. 9, before losing again at the hands of the unranked Wayne State Warriors, 31-17. After these two losses, the football team ends the regular season with an 8-3 overall record to go with a 5-3 conference record, which is good for fourth place in the conference.

“It was a disappointing way for our seniors to be sent out,” said GVSU coach Matt Mitchell. “In the second half, we couldn’t get any first downs offensively, and we couldn’t stop the run effectively enough. Give credit to Wayne State, they ran the ball much better than Grand Valley did.”

Mitchell hit the nail on the head when describing Wayne State’s path to victory, as the Lakers gave up 170 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. 159 of those yards and one of those scores went to sixth-year senior Deiontae Nicholas. While the GVSU run defense started out the first half in their usual stout fashion, that all changed when the Warriors started to get creative.

“In the first half we were doing a good job limiting their run game,” Mitchell said.

“I think the thing that hurt us the most was some screens. They used tailback screens and wide receiver screens and we didn’t do a good job with their screen game. Down the stretch we weren’t physical enough, and there were way to many yards after contact.”

It wasn’t much better for GVSU on the offensive end. Their offense didn’t show a lot

GET OFF ME!: GVSU wide receiver Brandon Wadley uses the truck stick to knock down a Wayne State defender following a catch at Lubbers Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16. GVL | SHEILA BABBITT

of versatility, as despite rushing for 159 yards and two scores of their own, the Lakers could never get it going in the passing game.

Before leaving the game in the third quarter with an undisclosed upper body injury, junior quarterback Cole Kotopka only completed four of his 13 passes for 105 yards. In fact, if you take out a 63-yard catch from Brandon Wadley that looked like an interception until the very end, Kotopka only threw three catches for 42 yards with a 25 percent completion percentage. While .250 may be an alright batting average, it is a pitiful number in the context of passing footballs.

Those putrid statistics are not his fault alone, as he was sacked six times and lacked any time to get his footing in the pocket.

“They brought a lot of pressure, and I think the thing we were trying to avoid is finding ourselves in a lot of third downs, and

we did not avoid third downs,” Mitchell said.

“They t’ed off on us and got after us. Some of the routes took a little bit of time to develop for the quarterbacks. We didn’t protect the quarterback well at all.”

While many college students struggle to do homework on the weekends thanks to hangovers, a similar thing may have happened to the GVSU football team, as Mitchell felt the team couldn’t bounce back from last week’s loss in the Anchor Bone classic.

“I think we struggled to get over the Ferris State loss,” Mitchell said. “We were pushing and fighting and scratching and clawing all throughout the course of the week, we didn’t come out in attack mode from the get-go. We weren’t aggressive enough.”

Barring a surprise decision from the DII football playoff committee, this will be only the second time in five years that the GVSU football team fails to earn a postseason game.

NOVEMBER 18, 2019 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A13 | SPORTS

MEN’S BASKETBALL

FAKE A PASS, MAKE A PASS: GVSU junior Jake Van Tubbergen puts the ball above his head, surveys the court and looks for a teammate in a game from 2018 at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. GVL | ARCHIVE

GVSU basketball improves to 3-0 following

ca r e e r n i g ht fro m Van T u bbergen

BY KELLEN VOSS SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

It was looking like the GVSU men’s basketball team would be handed their first loss of the season last Thursday against Truman State, as with 1:48 remaining, down 73-72, senior Jeremiah Ferguson missed a contested layup before senior Ben Lubitz missed the putback. If the Bulldogs had gotten the rebound with all their momentum, they could have started shooting free throws to ice the game.

The Bulldogs were denied that chance, however, as junior Jake Van Tubbergen used every inch of his 6’7” frame to rise above a few Truman State defenders to gather a rebound and put in a right-handed layup, giving GVSU a 74-73 advantage. The Lakers did not

trail the remainder of the game.

That clutch layup from Van Tubbergen was far from his only impact on the game, as he put up a career-high 32 points to go along with eight rebounds to help lead GVSU to victory. In his third season donning the Laker Blue, Van Tubbergen has never felt more confident when the ball leaves his fingertips.

“These guys (on my team) do a great job of getting me in the right spots,” Van Tubbergen said. “They do a good job of having confidence in me when I shoot it. There’s been a lot of time put in the gym for that.”

While the Lakers were worried about covering Truman State’s star player Brodric Thomas, they were able to contain him when it mattered most. While the senior did pour in 23 points, he was held without a made field goal in the final four minutes of the contest.

“I tried to get everybody to focus on where he was at,” said GVSU coach Ric Wesley. “He’s a handful for any one guy, and he made some threes. We just tried to surround him whenever we could, and in the last few minutes, he wasn’t sure where to pick his spots in our zone.”

Even though he sat on the bench for a lot of the game while dealing with foul trouble, Van Tubbergen spoke highly of his front court teammate in Christian Negron, who put up 11 points and seven rebounds, with a few of those coming in the waning moments of the ball game.

“Christian is a big dude and he is awesome on the defensive glass,” Van Tubbergen said. “We always talk about defensive finishes and he’s always been the best on our team with that.

He somehow manages to get every rebound. You think he’s not going to get

it and then he just reaches up and grabs it out of nowhere.”

Negron is one of 11 Laker basketball players who wasn’t on the roster last season. While it usually takes guys who haven’t played together much a long time to get used to one another, Wesley has loved how fast this squad has jelled.

“You always want more, and we played well at times but we made some questionable decisions offensively,” Wesley said. “You got to let the game find yourself, but I’m happy to be where we’re at, but it’s easy to form good chemistry when you keep winning.”

The GVSU men’s basketball team will look to keep winning this week as they travel to Cedarville, Ohio, for the Don Callan classic. They face host-school Cedarville University Friday, Nov. 22, at 7:45 p.m. before tipping off the following day with Ohio Dominican at 3 p.m.

NOVEMBER 18, 2019 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A14 | SPORTS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

GVSU senior center Cassidy Boensch makes name for herself by dominating competition

BY SEAN CAUVET SCAUVET@LANTHORN.COM

Senior Center Cassidy Boensch, from Au Gres, Michigan, has continued to impress in her fourth and final year at Grand Valley State University.

Coach Mike Williams struggled to find words to describe the feeling, but he says his star player just gets it.

“She gets everything and she doesn’t have a lot of holes in her game,” Williams said.

“There was a learning curve for her in different aspects. From an athletic standpoint, it was probably a learning curve but other than that she always had it.”

As she’s grown up in her four years under Williams, he says that Boensch has gotten stronger, more balanced and more aggressive.

Although they’ve had some talented players at GVSU in the past, Boensch is a new animal. She is the closest thing the school has ever had to Hakeem Olajuwon, physically dominating her competition while also having the second-highest fieldgoal percentage in school history.

“She’s pretty good,” Williams said. “We’ve had some pretty good players here. We have had players that were All-Americans and

Cassidy is definitely in that boat.”

Boensch isn’t just talented, but she has also become a leader on the GVSU Women’s Basketball team.

“One of the things that she’s done, and the whole senior class has done is become tremendous leaders,” Boensch said. “I think you have to have that to be a good team and it doesn’t always happen. She’s become a great leader and mentor to our younger players.”

Although she is a talented player now, as a young girl, Boensch remembers where it all started for her.

“The first memory I have of playing basketball is when I was 6 years old and my brother set up stations in the kitchen,” Boensch said. “He had me dribble around a bunch of chairs and coached me through it.”

Boensch said she still remembers the people that got her excited about the sport. She admired their intensity and love for the game.

“We were just talking about that there was a group of girls that were way older than me back when I was in high school that first got me into sports, with how intense they took it and how competitive they were,” Boensch said. “However, when it came to professional players, I always liked Brianna Stewart when she was at the University of Connecticut.”

As a senior, when Boensch looked back on her career at GVSU, she remembers a game against Ashland from last year.

“Coming out of timeout for that final possession and Natalie (Koenig) scoring a left-hand layup to the rim and then came down and got a defensive stop,” Boensch said. “That whole segment is a video that’s posted on Twitter all the time and it’s probably my favorite thing to watch.”

Williams helped Boensch with her mindset to be successful. He helped her realize that just because you aren’t playing a perfect game, doesn’t mean you aren’t playing a good game.

“The coaches have helped me get better at staying with plays,” Boensch said. “Accepting that if you’re shooting 50 percent from the field, that’s a pretty good field goal percentage and you’re going to miss half of the shots that you’re taking. If you can get that next play, you can put it back in and same thing on defense. Somebody might get a shot off on you but you have to focus on the next thing which may be getting the rebound because they’re going to miss half of their shots too.”

Boensch said that although she committed to a different coach when she decided on GVSU, she is glad Williams ended up being at the school. She knew after one phone call that he was going to be a great coach and mentor for her over her four years.

“I am so grateful that I will have four years of playing under coach Williams,” Boensch said. “He pushes you to be your best at things and reframes things in a way that makes it doable. It’s hard to describe how good of a coach he is but he’s made me more resilient, tougher, pushed

LOOKING FOR A LAYUP: GVSU’s Cassidy Boensch shoots a contested lay-up at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena during a 2018 game against the Northern Michigan Wildcats. GVL | KATHERINE VASILE

me to be my best and showed me that I can always improve.”

Moving forward, Boensch, like some seniors, is unsure where her next chapter will lead her and is trying to keep her options open.

“My long-term goal is med school,” Boensch said. “That’s what I’ve been studying at GVSU but I’m not sure where this year will take me. I wouldn’t mind the opportunity to play basketball after this year.

It’s really hitting me that in a few months I could be done playing this sport and I don’t know if I’m ready to give it up.”

Now that she is moving on at the end of the season and leaving the team to the younger generation, Boensch is optimistic that her senior class affected the team in a positive way, just like the seniors did for her when she was new to the team.

“I feel like the seniors that were here our freshman year did a great job of establishing

a great culture at Grand Valley,” Boensch said. “However, we feel like we’ve really impacted that culture as well and created an environment where everybody on this team wants to be competitive, win championships. We feel confident that we are doing everything we can to push that forward. We stayed late in the summer and put in extra work and we’re proud about that.”

As she moves on to the next chapter of her life when the season ends after the GLIAC Championships in March, Boensch is going to miss the people more than anything.

“Grand Valley and all of the people here are what I’m going to miss the most,” Boensch said. “My teammates are the same people I’ve lived with since freshman year and it’s really hard to imagine that we’re going to be in different corners of the world in a few months so I’m going to miss them the most.”

NOVEMBER 18, 2019 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A15 | SPORTS

VOLLEYBALL

GVSU Volleyball drops final matches of regular season play

BY ROSEMARY BOOHER RBOOHER@LANTHORN.COM

This weekend, the Grand Valley State volleyball team went on the road for their last regular season matches of the season.

The Lakers took on the Ashland Eagles Friday, Nov. 15 and the Wayne State Warriors on Saturday, Nov. 16. GVSU lost both matches, pushing them to a 6th-place rank in the conference with an overall record of 13-14 and a GLIAC record of 8-8.

The Lakers battled against the Eagles in a tight matchup, each set ending with both teams within five points of one another. Although sophomore Ali Thompson had 11 kills and 20 digs, recording a double-double, GVSU was unable to win the match. The first two sets ended with Ashland winning by two, 25-23. The Lakers took their only win of the match in the third set, 25-23 The Eagles finished off the match in their fourth set, 25-20.

“We played consistently against Ashland and competed with energy and effort the entire match,” said GVSU coach Deanne Scanlon.

The Lakers set out against the Wayne State Warriors the next day in their last regulation match of the season. The two

teams went into five sets with the Warriors ending up victorious, even though GVSU led in both blocks and aces. Ali Thompson led the team with 15 kills in this match, Kendal Yerkes led with 19 digs and setter Rachel Jacquay had 45 assists.

The first two sets were close, ending with the Lakers winning both 25-21 and 29-27 in the second. The Warriors would gain momentum soon after and take the last three sets to win the match. In the third and fourth set the Warriors held the Lakers to only 15 points, 25-15 in the third and 25-15 again in the fourth. The Lakers were only able to score 9 points in their final set before the Warriors finished off the match 15-9.

“The GLIAC is a very deep talented conference with competitive matches every night,” Scanlon said.

With the Lakers being seated 6th in the conference, they officially have qualified to complete in the GLIAC tournament next week. The team is confident and excited to start their post season journey.

“We have battled all season to position ourselves to qualify for postseason play,” Scanlon said. “We feel confident and are ready to make a statement in the conference tournament”.

The young GVSU team have worked

SOLID SPIKE: GVSU redshirt freshman Emma Clines shifts her momentum forward and spikes a ball into the head of a defender in a 2019 match at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. GVL | ALEXIS VELAZQUEZ

hard this season and are ready to show how much they have improved. The Lakers will have their nine freshman take on their first postseason tournament in hopes to reach a championship.

“I feel like we are competing at a high level and have made steady gains through the season,” Scanlon said. “I am excited

for these nine freshmen to experience playoff intensity and what it takes to win Championships.”

The Lakers will take on the Michigan Tech Huskies Wednesday, Nov. 20 for the first round of the tournament and hopefully get a successful start to their post season play.

FEATURE

Cross country runner Dennis Mbuta on nationals, teammates, love for running

BY HOLLY BIHLMAN HBIHLMAN@LANTHORN.COM

RUNNING WITH A PURPOSE: GVSU’s Dennis Mbuta paces himself as he gains a gap on the pack in a 2019 race. COURTESY | AL STEBILE

Dennis Mbuta is a junior at Grand Valley State University this year and joined the cross country team his freshman year to try out his abilities on the long courses. Just this year, he decided to take his skills to the scoreboard and is now running every meet as well. His first two years he ran for the fun of it, and now this year he is running to win.

Mbuta is always running around campus, either practicing for the weekend meets or clearing his head to relieve the stress of classes.

He said he has loved running since high school, but his forte is track and field. Running is like an escape for Mbuta and he loves to be a part of the cross country team at GVSU. “I started off in track sophomore year of high school and switched to cross country senior year,” Mbuta said. “Trackand-field is my main focus, so I want to

look for a team after graduation.”

Mbuta said his experience with running has been really positive thus far, and his favorite part about the cross country team at GVSU is the friendships he has made, and getting to share moments of successes and failures with his teammates.

“Its a fun experience, just like living with everyone on the team and practicing with them,” Mbuta said. “It’s a fun environment to be in, and has helped me socially outside of school. It’s something I can focus on and take the stress away.”

Mbuta is recovering from an injury this week but plans on racing this upcoming weekend at nationals. His personal goals for this season are to finish on the podium, setting the team up in the top four in the country. With all the new recruits this season, Mbuta said it will be really exciting if they can pull it off again

this year after their first national championship win last year.

“My favorite race this season was conference,” Mbuta said. “Everyone had a good race, we all set personal records across the field. None of us went under 25 minutes except for Tanner Chada, and that was a great moment for the team.”

The sense of family on the cross country team has really helped Mbuta find his place at GVSU and he’s excited for next season. He loves improving and helping each other out, and sharing the moments like the conference race together.

And with every new season comes new recruits and incoming freshman, who Mbuta has some advice for.

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

NOVEMBER 18, 2019 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A16 | SPORTS SWIMMING & DIVING

GVSU Swimming & Diving edges Ball State

BY ZACK GOODROW ZGOODROW@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State University swimming and diving team (10-1) competed against Ball State University (2-1) on Nov. 16 in Indiana. The Lakers men’s team beat Ball State with a final score of 187.5-122.5 to continue their undefeated season. The women’s team for GVSU lost for the first time this year, 197-103.

Junior swimmer Oscar Saura-Armengol had a very impressive performance for the men’s team. His victories in the 200-meter freestyle (1:44.65), 100 freestyle (47.07) and the 100 butterfly (51.64) were keys to the Lakers victory. His performance in the 200-meter medley relay helped the team place first in the event with a time of 1:34.45.

Sophomore Jesse Goodyear’s impressive performance at the meet extended his already remarkable season. He placed first in the 1,000-meter freestyle event with a time of 9:38.69 and also won the 500-meter freestyle posting a time of 4:45.33.

“I was a little bit tired due to the past few weeks of intensive training to get us prepared for our mid-season meet in a few weeks,” Goodyear said. “Despite not having great times I was pleased that I could still hold up and keep myself going.”

Other impressive performances from the men’s team included senior Harry Shalamon, who finished first in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 52.89. He also won the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 1:52.42.

Senior Ahmed Nabih won both breaststroke events for the Lakers. In the 100-meter he finished first with a time of 57.58, and won the 200 with 2:07.06. Freshman Roger Miret Sala won the 200-meter butterfly posting a time of 1:54.81. Freshman Austin Cabel won the

400-meter IM for the first time this season for GVSU, swimming with a time of 4:17.70.

It was a tough loss for the women’s team against Ball State. Even though this was their first loss of the season, freshman Neta Shiff extended on her superb season so far by winning all of her events.

She placed first in the 1,000-meter freestyle event with a time of 10:28.89. She also won the 500-meter freestyle event with a time of 5:10.41.

She placed first in the 400 IM posting a time of 4:38.27. Sophomore Melina De Cort finished first in the 200-meter freestyle, winning the event with a time of 1:57.07.

In the three-meter diving event for both the women’s and men’s teams, GVSU took first place. Junior Chris Kelly secured the top spot for the Lakers again this season, scoring 276.23 points for the team. For the first time this season, junior Nicole Taormina won the event for the lady Lakers. She scored 264.45 points with her extraordinary high diving skills in the event.

Taormina and the rest of the women’s team had a strong performance. However, it wasn’t enough to beat a strong team representing Ball State. While it is their first loss of the season, the women and the rest of the team will continue to practice hard and prepare for the Calvin college invitational in the upcoming weeks.

“Our focus is the midseason meet now,” said head GVSU swimming and diving coach Andy Boyce. “We’re looking to go into that meet a little bit rested and see what we can do there.

We’re hoping to get some national cuts, swim fast and to see great diving.”

The Lakers’ next event is at Calvin College, for the mid-season invitational.

During the three-day event from Dec. 5-7, the Lakers will compete hard and hope to make cuts for as many swimmers as possible for the upcoming GLIAC playoffs.

DIVING AND THRIVING: A few Grand Valley State swimmers enter the pool looking to compete against GLIAC rival Northern Michigan at the GVSU Fieldhouse Pool. GVL | KATHERINE VASILE

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Announcements

Grand V alley's president was inaugurated this past week! Welcome, President Philly.

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