GRAND VALLEY
A L L E N D A L E & G R A N D R A P I DS , M I C H I G A N ST U D E N T- R U N P U B L I C A T I O N S // P R I N T · O N L I N E · M O B I L E // L A N T H O R N . C O M
M O N D A Y, J A N U A RY 1 4 , 2 0 1 9 // VO L . 5 3 N O. 1 9
TRENDS
MEMORIAL
Health Care Economic Forecast presents local findings BY ALLISON RAFFERTY ARAFFERTY@LANTHORN.COM
On Friday, Jan. 11, researchers from Grand Valley State University and Tulane University teamed up with Blue Cross Blue Shield to present healthcare-related trends and costs at the 10th Annual West Michigan Health Care Economic Forecast at the Eberhard Center on GVSU’s Pew Grand Rapids Campus. The discussion had an approximate total attendance of 500, with another 100 people viewing the event via online video streaming. The event took place from 8 to 9:45 a.m. and was sponsored by GVSU’s Office of the Vice Provost for Health. The overall goal of the event was “to monitor trends in health care use and expenditures and to target areas where focused effort could improve the health of the population,” said Assistant Professor of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane Kevin Callison. A multitude of health trends were discussed and predicted at the event, three of which were smoking rates, obesity and alcohol consumption across both the west Michigan region and the Detroit region. “Focusing on the smoking rates, we find that the smoking rate in the Detroit region has remained fairly constant and above the national average, but that there has been a positive downward trend in the smoking rate within the west Michigan region,” said Sebastian Linde, an economics faculty member from GVSU’s Seidman College of Business. In terms of obesity, Callison said that about 30 percent of adults in the Grand Rapids area are obese, compared to roughly 33 percent in the Detroit area. Linde and Callison presented the Health Check, an analysis of health care access, risk factors and demographic data from Kent, Ottawa, Allegan and Muskegan counties. SEE HEALTH | A2
WELL-SERVED STORIES: Posing for a group photo, members of the Mully’s Bar and Grill Funeral bar crawl share drinks in honor of the closing of GVSU’s “college bar.” The bar crawl carried the group between four bars on Saturday, stopping at each to share their own memories from visits to Mully’s. GVL | BENJAMIN HUNT
GVSU students pour one out for their dear friend Mully’s BY MCKENNA PEARISO ASSOCIATE@LANTHORN.COM
There are several bars and restaurants near Grand Valley State University’s Allendale campus, but none quite live up to the reputation of Mully’s Bar and Grill. Located in Meadows Crossing Retail Shoppes with a head-on view of the Cook Carillon Tower, Mully’s was essentially GVSU’s “college bar.” However, at the beginning of winter break Mully’s Bar and Grill closed its doors for good with no notice to its employees and the community of students it primarily served. “The way we were informed of the closure was honesty hurtful,” said Brittany D’Avignon, who had been serving at Mully’s since April. “We
had some idea that it was coming, but we had no solid proof or words from our bosses. We were told two days after what would be our last day open. We were not told in person, but through text.” A majority of Mully’s employees were GVSU students, who now had to start the new semester looking for new jobs. D’Avignon believes her fellow Mully’s employees will easily find new jobs but will dearly miss the family that had formed at the bar. “My former coworkers are people I will be friends with for life,” D’Avignon said. “As cheesy as it sounds, we are actually a family and we will continue to be close.” This feeling of family was common among student patrons as well, who knew they could always find a
familiar face at Mully’s. The bar was most popular on Thursday evenings and, at early points in the semester, it would be packed to the brim with students. Often resembling a large reunion, the likelihood of running into a friend was most fitting at Mully’s. “Thursday’s were our biggest night of the week, and it was filled with students,” D’Avignon said. “I never really felt like I had to go into professional server mode because the bar was full of friends. It was a place where people could come and always have a good time, and there would always be a friendly face if you needed one.” Over the years, Mully’s became the staple for students to gather and enjoy each other’s company, which is likely what made it stand
out from the other bars in the area. Although, Mully’s popularity on Thursdays would often bring more than of-age students coming together, it even fostered in the worst bar customers: minors. Just since 2015, Mully’s has received over five violations for serving minors or intoxicated persons as well as not keeping up with their licensing. Some of these violations even resulted in short closures of the bar, but it always seemed to bounce back. This time, however, is much different and the bar will not be making a comeback this time around. Mully’s Bar and Grill did not respond to comment. SEE R.I.P. | A2
POLICY
Student protest set to denounce proposed Title IX changes BY SHILOH REYNOLDS SREYNOLDS@LANTHORN.COM
SAFETY: Gathering in a crowd and clasping their hands in solidarity, students denounce sexual violence. Title IX will bring students together on Wednesday, Jan. 16 as they protest recent Department of Education changes to Title IX. COURTESY | GVSU
In response to recent proposals from the Department of Education to make changes to Title IX, a student protest is currently scheduled to take place near Grand Valley State University’s Cook Carillon Tower on Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 4:30 p.m. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ proposals to Title IX changes include decreasing a university’s liability in the case of off-campus assaults, narrowing the definition of sexual harassment and requiring live hearings with cross-examination. Senior Maddie Vervaeke originally came up with the idea to hold the protest. She said that after first learning of the proposed changes, she initially tried to keep an unbiased opinion, but after looking further into the changes, she became critical. “I don’t like to initially let my political views surface, and I hoped that (DeVos) had good intentions, but then I started doing my own research and my opinions changed,” Vervaeke said.
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Vervaeke currently serves as President of Its On Us, a student organization intended to educate others on consent, bystander intervention and sexual assault. She approached GVSU’s Student Senate shortly before winter break with the idea of holding a protest. She said that she was met by strong support from the group. “I thought it was a great idea,” Student Senate President Rachel Jenkin said. “Actions speak louder than words, and holding a peaceful protest is a way for campus to recognize how important this is.” In early December 2018, Jenkin sponsored the passage of a Senate resolution that aims to “show strong dissent towards the proposed Title IX changes... due to the emotional tax placed on survivors that creates an unwelcoming and potentially unsafe environment on campuses further prohibiting students’ abilities to focus and succeed in their education.” SEE PROTEST | A2
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