December 3, 2018 - Grand Valley Lanthorn

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POLICE

GVPD sees spike in weather-related collisions near campus

BY LAUREEN HORAN ASSOCIATE1@LANTHORN.COM

Members of the Grand Valley State University community spent the last week scraping off their cars, bundling up with gloves and scarves, and trudging through ice and snow to get to classes on time.

Winter weather is here to stay, and Grand Valley Police Department reminds students and staff alike to drive responsibly this season.

“Compared to the last month, we’ve seen more accidents the last couple weeks on roadways and in parking lots. We’ve have 16 crash reports for the month of November so far,” said GVPD Captain Jeff Stoll.

Though Michigan weather can be severe and unpredictable, it’s the responsibility of drivers to adjust their driving habits in accordance with the weather. According to Stoll, this means giving yourself extra time before you hit the road.

“Visibility is a big thing we want people to be aware of. No one likes to clean their windshield or maybe you don’t have a brush, but you legally have to provide yourself enough vision and clarity to see out of all of your windows,” Stoll said.

Only clearing a small space on the windshield isn’t going to cut it. All of the windows need to be cleared off, as well as headlights, tail lights, license plate and rearview mirrors. Allowing an obstructed view while driving is illegal and could end in a ticket or a collision.

“Clearing off headlights is crucial, though some people don’t always think to do this. If you are driving and snow is frozen to the front, people may be able to see your lights but the lights won’t project as far and that can affect your visibility,” Stoll said.

Properly preparing the vehicle is only one part of safe winter travel, though. The rest is up to the driver.

SEE SNOW | A2

FLYING FINNERTY: Running past defenders, former Grand Valley State quarterback Cullen Finnerty carries the ball during his senior year in a game against North Dakota. A lawsuit involving Finnerty’s head-injury-related death is being revisited due to a new, similar lawsuit recently filed against the NCAA. GVL | ARCHIVES

Late GV quarterback lawsuit against NCAA revisited

BY NICK MORAN & KELLEN VOSS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM & SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

T

he National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is on the defensive end of a lawsuit citing the organization’s preference of personal branding and profits over the protection of its athletes.

Filed by attorney Vincent Circelli representing a variety of former NCAA athletes — with the majority of athletes being former football players — the lawsuit could result in damages worth

hundreds of millions of dollars.

The latest lawsuit is eerily similar to one filed in August by the widow of the late Grand Valley State University quarterback Cullen Finnerty. Jennifer Finnerty, represented by attorney Rob Dassow, cited the NCAA’s “reckless disregard for (Cullen’s) health” resulting in the ultimate death of her husband in 2013, according to the lawsuit.

During Finnerty’s time as an athlete at the University of Toledo and GVSU, the lawsuit claims that he “relied upon the NCAA’s authority and guidance” in prevent-

(Cullen Finnerty) relied upon the NCAA’s authority and guidance (in preventing various) head-related injuries.”

Rob Dassow via Finnerty Lawsuit Attorney

ing various “head-related injuries” that lead to long-term health issues later in his life. The lawsuit also states that Finnerty’s death is a result of the NCAA being in “a superior position to know of and mitigate the risks” of his various injuries, especially those to his head.

Finnerty is best known for his time as a quarterback at GVSU, where he posted a career record of 51-4, making him the winningest quarterback in college football history at the time, regardless of division.

SEE LAWSUIT | A2

FINANCE

How state funding, construction boom affect tuition

BY MCKENNA PEARISO ASSOCIATE@LANTHORN.COM

BEYOND BUILDING: Grand Valley State University’s Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall sits mid-construction in Grand Rapids before its grand opening in spring 2018. Following GVSU’s “construction boom,” students may see lower tuition costs. GVL | JOSH VISSERS

Currently, Grand Valley State University has the fourth lowest tuition rate and third lowest housing rate in the State of Michigan. Several factors contribute to how the university sets these rates including state funding, administrative costs and university bonds. GVSU’s spanning construction boom may be coming to an end soon, which could impact tuition prices.

“Now that more than likely the big building boom is over, I think there is potential for (lowering tuition),” said Vice President for Finance Greg Sanial.

Of course, there can be no certainties for potential tuition changes, as state funding remains one of the biggest influences of tuition rates. The university currently receives $72 million in state funding which works out to about $3,151 per student for a full academic year.

GVSU’s state funding is relatively low for a Michigan institution. Michigan State University’s funding doubles that of GVSU’s at an approximate $6,231 per full year student. Tuition rates and state funding are essentially a balancing act that provide in-

come to the university.

“To run a university, we need revenue,” Sanial said. “There’s only two ways we can get revenue: tuition and state appropriation. And one has to make up for the other essentially in order to run the university.”

The state appropriation process that distributes funding to universities is actually a political process that is tied up in Lansing. Michigan collects taxes and determines how much should be allocated to higher education, only then do they determine how much funding is distributed to each public university. The state has a fixed amount of the money, so any reallocation of funds would have to take from one to give to another.

GVSU’s rapid growth in the past decade has resulted in state funding covering less for the increased number of students.

“As Grand Valley has grown, the appropriation never was adjusted to reflect that growth,” Sanial said. “If you were to reapportion the appropriation and make some adjustments, some universities would be better off and others would be worse off and that’s where the politics come into play.”

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SEE TUITION | A2

DECEMBER 3, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A2 | NEWS

LAWSUIT

NEWS BRIEFS STUDENT SENATE SYLLABUS RESOLUTION

Student Senate recently voted to approve a resolution to post all curriculum syllabi online for student viewing prior to registering for classes. The resolution, which only saw one opposing vote, was approved by Student Senate on Nov. 29. It is based off GVSU’s psychology department which has been posting all of its syllabi online for the past three years.

This resolution is a form of recommendation that will be sent to all university departments urging them to publish syllabi online for each course. Senate hopes that this will assist students during class registration so they know what each course entails. An individual site that would house all course syllabi is currently in the research and planning stage.

GVSU, MERCY HEALTH AND MCC TO OPEN NURSEMANAGED HEALTH CENTER

On Nov. 27 a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to honor the new Muskegon Community College Health and Wellness Center. Located on MCC’s campus, the center holds a health simulation lab, classrooms, a fitness center and gymnasium and a nurse-managed primary care center.

This collaborated facility is a 10-year project between GVSU, Mercy Health and MCC. With eight exam rooms, a treatment room and a lab, the wellness center will provide Grand Valley nursing students with opportunities for clinical experiences. The center will be open to the public in January and will offer primary care services administered by a nursemanaged staff.

CONTINUED FROM A1

Finnerty was the first Division II quarterback to rush for more than 10,000 yards (10,905 through four years) and run for more than 2,000 yards (2,370).

The smashmouth quarterback from Brighton helped lead the Lakers to three national championships in his time at the helm, and was posthumously inducted into the GVSU Hall of Fame in October 2015.

In the NCAA’s official response to the complaint pleading filed, the defendant’s response to sections 20-23 (which included the

accusation of the NCAA’s lack of action resulting in the death of Finnerty) stated that the “NCAA denies each and every allegation.”

Additionally, the Finnerty lawsuit accuses the NCAA of being ignorant of the scientific research proving the long-term health effects of collisions to the head. In its filed response, the NCAA claimed that it “lacks the knowledge and information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of these allegations,” therefore denying them.

Dassow was unable to answer the Lanthorn’s answers regarding the lawsuit due to the developing nature of the legal proceedings.

The NCAA did not respond to the Lanthorn’s request for comment.

The NCAA has denied wrongdoing in response to the rest of the allegations made against it by the Fullerty lawsuit. Court proceedings are still unfolding under the jurisdiction of Judge Heather Welch.

The Finnerty lawsuit follows the settlement of similar lawsuit filed against the NCAA in June, claiming the organization responsible for brain injuries resulting in the death of former University of Texas defensive lineman Greg Ploetz. The Associated Press reports that the settlement included a 70 million dollar medical monitoring program for athletes and a 5 million

dollar fund to research potential health threats to athletes.

The Finnerty and Ploetz lawsuits are being revisited due to their uncanny similarities with the newest lawsuit in their accusations against the NCAA. Similarities in the accusations include the NCAA’s responsibility to protect it athletes and the long-term health risks of letting athletes suffer injuries to the head.

The results of the new lawsuit as well as the Fullerty lawsuit could have potential to all NCAA athletes, including those at GVSU. While the fallout of both ongoing lawsuits are still indeterminable, both are being critically spectated because of their impact on collegiate athletics.

GVSU FOUNDER DIES AT 91

Grand Valley State University founder and long-time supporter, Richard Kaufman, died Nov. 27. The GVSU community mourns the death of Kaufman who passed at age 91.

Kaufman and his wife, Sylvia, promoted diversity and interfaith acceptance at the university and helped support the Kaufman Interfaith Institute, established in 2007. The institute houses GVSU’s campus interfaith resources that supports and celebrates religious, secular and spiritual diversity on campus. It was Richard and Sylvia’s vision and over two decades of work that helped shape campus interfaith program values to be understanding and accepting.

The Kaufman Interfaith Institute offers a variety of dialogue and interfaith resources and hosts many events and lectures to bring the university’s community together. It also houses the inter-institutional interfaith cohort which brings students from Hope College, Aquinas College, Calvin College and GVSU together in cooperation to improve interfaith relationships in west Michigan. This cohort also helps facilitate the Made In Michigan Interfaith Lab each year.

Kaufman’s work with interfaith also span beyond GVSU as he spent his lifetime actively supporting engagement and connection among different religions and beliefs. He served in a leadership position on the Shalom Hartman Institute board in Israel which promotes strengthening Jewish identity and pluralism. He was also active in national nonprofit organization, the Interfaith Youth Core.

“Dick was a great friend to Grand Valley from the very beginning, working with Bill Seidman to help launch our university,” said GVSU President Thomas J. Haas. “As a lifelong learner and champion of inclusion and equity, he became a role model for our students and our community. He will be deeply missed.”

SLIPPERY STREETS: Driving past a Laker Village stop sign, drivers face hazardous driving conditions following a snow storm. The Grand Valley Police Department encourages drivers to keep more distance between their car and those around them during the winter. GVL | BEN HUNT

SNOW

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NO. 16

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“You need to provide more distance between yourself and the cars around you.

The responsibility is on you as a driver is to put yourself in a position where you can stop safely. We respond to a lot of collisions because people are following too closely too fast,” Stoll said.

TUITION CONTINUED FROM A1

Regardless of GVSU’s moderate state funding, the university still has some of the lowest housing and tuition rates in Michigan. One reason for these low costs has to do with the university’s administrative expenses that fall much lower than the state average. The current state average is three thousand dollars for administrative costs which is about one thousand more than GVSU’s, but research universities

According to Michigan Statute Code 257.627: “A person shall not operate a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than that which will permit a stop within the assured, clear distance ahead” Accidents do happen regardless, and students who end up stuck or in a collision are recommended to call 911 for the quickest

dispatch options.

“If you bump into someone and you are able to move the cars, you are required to get off the road into a parking lot if you’re able to so a report can be completed. Staying on the road can cause other accidents to build up as people attempt to slow down and swerve to miss the first accident,” Stoll said.

In case of a dead bat-

tery, collision or getting stuck in a ditch, GVPD recommends that people keep some “winter survival” items in their vehicles, including a shovel, ice scraper and brush, and portable phone charger to ensure safety while waiting for help.

“Honestly things like this would make great Christmas presents for people.”

can see up to five thousand in expenses for administration.

“From a tuition standpoint Grand Valley State is a very lean operation,” Sanial said. “That is the big reason why we can provide a quality education with a relatively low tuition rate compared to our peers.”

GVSU also supplies students with low housing rates compared to other state universities. This is attributed to whether or not freshmen are required to live on campus their first year. Freshmen at GVSU are not required to live on campus their first year of

schooling, which puts the university in competition with off campus housing over quality, price and location. This competition results in the third lowest room and board rate for a Michigan public university.

Whether or not GVSU’s construction boom of the last several years will impact tuition rates is still uncertain, but possible. The most recent scheduled construction project is the new health sciences building on Grand Rapids’ Medical Mile is projected to cost about $70 million. Roughly $29 million of funding is being facilitated

from the state, with the remaining amount being provided by donors and loans. Once the university begins winding down its construction efforts there is potential for money in the university’s general fund to be redistributed from construction to financial aid or to ease tuition price. However, the decisions on funding allocation falls on GVSU’s Finance and Administrative Division.

“Its kind of complicated,” Sanial said. “I don’t think we will see immediate relief in any respect to next year because we still have the bond obligations.”

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DECEMBER 3, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

NEWS | A3

SAFETY

STROLLING SAFELY: Walking below lights, strudents travel around campus. Grand Valley State University received the largest grant from the State of Michigan to better protect students on campus from sexual assault.

The funds from the grant, which amount to $248,039, will be used to upgrade security cameras around campus and to create new sexual assault prevention programs build on educating students. GVL | BEN HUNT

GV receives largest portion of sexual assault program funds SHILOH REYNOLDS SREYNOLDS@LANTHORN.COM

First introduced by First Lady of Michigan Sue Snyder in 2015, the State of Michigan has been allocating annual funding to universities to combat sexual assault through Michigan’s Campus Sexual Assault Grant Program. This year, the state granted a total of one million dollars to 22 Michigan universities, with Grand Valley State University receiving $248,039—the largest proportion of funds given out to any school.

GVSU’s Assistant Director of Public Safety and

Captain Kourosh Khatir said that while it is unknown why GVSU received the largest amount, the campus’ police department is thankful for the large monetary award.

“We (at the Grand Valley Police Department) are humbled and very grateful for the award,” Khatir said.

“Grand Valley State University has always been a good steward of the state’s money, and we have a demonstrated track record of putting student safety and student success, as our focus and goal.”

The majority of the grant money will be used to implement additional security features on campus, such as

upgrading current cameras.

Khatir said that the goal of the camera upgrades is to “create a comprehensive system across the university’s campuses that will provide coverage to open public areas and expand the use of technologies to better identify suspects and witnesses.” The camera project is scheduled to be completed between one to two years.

The remaining $50,983 of the grant will go toward prevention programs. GVSU Victim Advocate Krystal Diel said this money will help continue P.E.P. Talks. Led by student facilitators, P.E.P. Talks focus on bystander intervention skills.

“Research shows that

peers educating peers on bystander intervention is (the) best practice (for bystanders to learn how to combat sexual assault),” Diel said. “This grant will be able to continue this important work and continue to pay our students who engage in this work.”

In addition to P.E.P. Talks, the grant money will also help implement a new program in GVSU’s Center of Women and Gender Equity that will focus on helping men learn violence prevention skills.

Freshman Kaitlyn Sundling said that she wished the state could also allocate funding to increase security around the local community,

such as off-campus apartments. In regards to how safe she felt on GVSU’s campus, Sundling said that she feels much more comfortable on campus than off.

“On campus, it’s pretty good,” Sundling said. “Not a lot of stuff happens on campus. It’s usually off-campus because everyone is driven to leave because of policies (relating to alcohol), and that’s where assaults happen.”

At the beginning of Michigan’s Campus Sexual Assault Grant Program in 2015, GVSU had eight counts of sexual offenses that occurred on the Allendale Campus, according to data issued by the university’s

annual security report. In 2017, the number of offenses had shrunk in half. While it is hard to gauge changes in criminal activity over a short time frame, Khatir said that GVPD has noted “an increase in reporting.”

“I think the university’s collective efforts with regard to combating sexual assault has resulted in victim/survivors being more willing to come forward and report,” Khatir said.

Other local university recipients of this year’s grant include Ferris State University with $39,675, Wayne State University with $17,585 and the University of Michigan with $21,091.

PRESENTATION

Design thinking workshops help encourage creative problem solving ALLISON RAFFERTY ARAFFERTY@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University invited Ela Ben-Ur, assistant professor of design at Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Mass. to speak at both the Allendale Campus and Pew Campus on Nov. 27 and 28. Students and faculty alike were able to learn about a new design thinking process, The Innovator’s Compass, through her interactive workshops and presentations.

The Innovator’s Compass is a five-step design thinking process that helps people

move forward in any given challenge. Alex Priebe, who was in charge of the promotional aspects of Ben-Ur’s design thinking events, said that the “Innovators’ Compass is a fun, easy tool that supports creative problem solving.”

Ben-Ur’s first presentation was from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Mary Idema Pew Library Multipurpose Room on Tuesday, Nov. 27. The presentation, which was open to GVSU community members, was an introduction to the Innovator’s Compass.

Those in attendance at the “Design Thinking & You”

presentation learned not only about the new design thinking process, but how to use it efficiently as well.

“The first (presentation) was really kind of an introduction to design thinking particularly from (Ben-Ur’s) perspective of using the Innovator’s Compass,” said Director of GVSU’s Design Thinking Academy David Coffey.

“The other thing that we appreciated about the way that she spoke about her presentation in that it was going to be very interactive. There was a lot of people talking together, and they identified a challenge

that they wanted to work on.

They then worked using the Compass as a framework to work through that challenge.”

On Wednesday, Nov. 28, Ben-Ur conducted two interactive workshops. The first, “Design Thinking in Life or School,” was held in the Holton-Hooker multipurpose room from 9:30-11:30 a.m.

“The Wednesday time was a little longer and it was intended to be a little more focused on people finding some common problems, not just individual problems, that they worked on related to life or school,” Coffey said.

Coffey described the event as highly collaborative. He added that Ben-Ur was willing to meet the participants at what-

ever they wanted to work on.

The second workshop, “Designing Better Experiences in Education and Healthcare,” was held at the Seidman Forum on the Pew Campus from 1-3 p.m. Coffey stated that that the downtown campus was the perfect location for a healthcentered workshop.

“The Wednesday afternoon session was particularly focused on areas of improving health care and education,” Coffey said. “We did that downtown because that’s where our healthcare and health service and education colleges are situated.”

Coffey stated that he and the Design Thinking Academy were thrilled with the results of the workshop. He

went on to explain that there were a few people in attendance at all three events.

“I actually had a chance to interact with one of them after the last event.”

Coffey asked the participant if the events were too similar, and she ensured him they were not and learned a lot of different information from all three.

“I’ve had at least half a dozen mostly faculty either come up to me afterwards or email me unsolicited and say, ‘Look!

I used the Compass to design a project!’” Coffey said.

“Its been really nice to hear people from across the university who found it useful enough that they were immediately using it.”

TACKLING TRIBULATIONS: Professor Ela Ben-Ur visited Grand Valley State University to present on a new design thinking process, which uses creative thinking to solve many problems. COURTESY | DIRK AHLGRIM

A4 | OPINION EDITORIAL

DECEMBER 3, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON

By Juliette Elton

Profits over protection: NCAA inaction puts players’ health on the line

T

he recent announcement of a new lawsuit accusing the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) of being “in favor of profits and selfpromotion” over the safety of its players may sound like a large claim to some, but it rings as a repetitive headline to many. The new lawsuit sounds eerily similar to an accusation filed in August that hits close to home: a lawsuit filed by the widow of the late Grand Valley State quarterback Cullen Finnerty.

Finnerty, who had a historic career not only at GVSU but set records throughout all of the NCAA, died at the age of 30 during a fishing trip as a result of a fit of paranoia mixed with a reaction to medication he was taking. Both causes were related to his multiple head injuries during his time as an athlete, the lawsuit said.

Prior to the Finnerty lawsuit, an attorney representing the late University of Texas defensive lineman Greg Ploetz filled a similar complaint in June, citing brain damage as the main cause of Ploetz’s early death. The lawsuit circles around to Ploetz’s prowess as a college athlete and accused the NCAA of inaction before settling.

Without a doubt, it’s concerning to see three individual lawsuits accuse the NCAA of nearly the same thing: widely avoiding taking proactive measures to preserve the health of its players. The Ploetz lawsuit was settled, the Finnerty lawsuit is ongoing and the newest lawsuit announced included a handful of col-

lege athletes, many of whom, but not all, played college football.

Now, once again, all eyes are on the NCAA who have historically denied being responsible for these injuries and have claimed to be ignorant of science that proves their long-term risk to athletes.

As students, we see the faces of our athletes on the screen at Lubbers Stadium or in our classes, only seats away from us.

These are students who are working toward bright futures, only to have their dreams curbed by preventable injuries.

While football lends itself to rigorous contact, there are measures that can be taken — and measures have been taken by various universities and organization on their own — to protect athletes. Regardless of how this issue is approached, there is one step that precedes it: understanding that there is an issue and pledging to enact policies to solve it.

The science is out there, and it’s been cited in each of the three current lawsuits against the NCAA. There isn’t time for the NCAA to create its own research center to look into this as the Ploetz settlement required. Each day the NCAA decides to take its time or willfully play ignorant, there are more collisions, more injuries and more deaths.

Current action will not save the athletes who have already put their bodies on the line, but it will protect the athletes we’ve seen this season and in ones to come from suffering the same fate.

December 3, 2018

Why staying informed is so important

BY YSABELA GOLDEN SOPHOMORE UNDECLARED EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

Though it’s too late for the side salads of countless Thanksgiving dinners, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is finally rolling back some of their warnings about E. coli in romaine lettuce.

Whether “you should be fine as long as you don’t eat any from California” will be enough to reassure consumers about romaine’s safety remains to be seen; I for one will certainly be side-eyeing the options at the salad bar for the foreseeable future. If one thing

Editor-In-Chief Associate editor Associate editor News editor Sports editor Laker Life editor A&E editor

WHAT IS A LANTHORN? Lant • horn, n. [Old English] A lanthorn is a lantern that was used in mid-to-late 16th-century Europe. It was constructed of leather and a single lens made from a thin

piece of ox or steer horn. It was used for illumination and as a beacon.

The Grand Valley Lanthorn slogan is “Give light, and the people will find their own way.”

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The Lanthorn strives to be a safe vehicle for community discussion. With this in mind, the Lanthorn will not publish or entertain any forms of hate speech, but neither will it discriminate against any other views, opinions or beliefs.

The content, information and views expressed are not approved by—nor do they necessarily represent those of—the university or its Board of Trustees, officers, faculty or staff.

Letters to the editor should include the author’s full name, relevant title and a headshot, along with a valid email address and phone number for confirming the identity of the author. Letters should be approximately 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.

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can be sure, it’s that much like November, December is going to be a great month to own an iceberg lettuce farm.

Unfortunately, mass food producers in general have seemed to be having a rough time lately. News organizations like the Chicago Tribune were already calling this year an alarming rise in food contamination all the way back in mid-June, which has concerning implications for where we are now in early December.

At the time the scare was outbreaks of salmonella, most alarming of which was the recall of over half a billion eggs after more than one thousand people fell ill. Thankfully far fewer have been found with an E. coli infection — 43 in the United States, 22 in Canada - though that’s less reassuring than it could be considering how much more dangerous of an infection is is than salmonella.

The FDA has reassured consumers that the increase in outbreaks isn’t necessarily due to food being “less safe”

now than it has been in the past, but due to their and the Center for Disease Control’s increased ability to track down outbreaks of human illness and trace them back to a common pathogen.

While the advancement in technology is certainly good news, it’s still clear that there’s an unhealthy high level of contamination in our current system. When food is produced and shipped on a grand scale, any small problem in an individual farm or plant can become a catastrophe as infected products come in contact with the rest of the food supply, resulting in mass recalls like that we’ve experienced for eggs and romaine.

While proposed solutions like the FDA’s plan to have companies label products like romaine with the exact date and regions of their harvest should certainly help with tracking pathogens and lower the amount of stock that has to be recalled, they don’t do much to attack the problem

of food being frequently contaminated in the first place.

In a system where any small problems can have dangerous and far-reaching consequences, it’s important to have strong regulations preventing those problems from happening. Though legislation to ensure such regulation has been attempted in the past, such as the 2010 Food Safety Bill stalling from senators and protests in defense of “small farms” have prevented real change from happening.

It isn’t small farms that would need to be regulated by such legislature. If a batch of eggs from a local organic farm turns out to be dangerous, its a minor problem that can be solved relatively quickly. If a batch of eggs from a farm that produces millions of eggs a day turns out to be dangerous, it’s a public health hazard that can hospitalize people across the country. Refusing to regulate the latter out of claims that it could hurt the former is more than just foolish — it’s irresponsible.

Leave your ‘cancel culture’ out of my Christmas

GV L EDI TORI AL B OA R D BRADY MCATAMNEY MCKENNA PEARISO LAUREEN HORAN NICK MORAN KELLEN VOSS AMY MCNEEL JENNY ADKINS

editorial@lanthorn.com

BY MCKENNA PEARISO SENIOR MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM ASSOCIATE@LANTHORN.COM

As time goes by, revelations on society’s failures and injustices become more and more common. We see how different ethnic groups have been wronged for generations. We can identify harmful beliefs and ideals that silence minorities and promote poor behavior. We realize the racist, homophobic and sexist undertones that were once appropriate for daytime television and entertainment.

And I am a full supporter of calling out society’s faults in an attempt to improve the lives of everyone. But could we please stop trying to find offenses in anything and everything thats enjoyable?

Recently, beloved christmas classic ‘Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer’ was cited to be bigoted, racist, sexist and “seriously problematic” by HuffPost and critics on social media across the nation. Just to recap, let’s recall that red-nosed Rudolph is bullied by his peers for his bright nose, only to eventually save the day and be celebrated by said peers, thanks to that same bright, red nose. Some critic’s concerns stem from the bullying scenes in Rudolph and his seclusion from partaking in any of the “reindeer games.”

While I can see how promoting bullying in cartoons isn’t the message we want to send to our kids, I still have to wonder what good it does to nitpick every instance of tele-

vised wrongdoing. Considering how prominent sexist and racist tones were in American media in the 60s (I’m looking at you, ‘My Fair Lady’). Searching for small, politically incorrect errors is not going to solve societal issues, and it doesn’t ensure that kids are learning right from wrong either.

In fact, I feel the biggest takeaway from Rudolph is how he is able to overcome his insecurities and bullies in order to save Christmas. It’s a message to kids that there will always be bullies and people who try to bring them down, but learning to embrace their flaws makes them the better person. Attempting to shelter children from seeing bullying in one holiday classic is not going to stop them from being exposed to it in movies and in real life.

Social justice warriors on social media also noted the lack of diversity at the movie’s North Pole to be a racism issue. Representation contin-

ues to be an important aspect of creating entertainment to ensure characters are accurate and relevant. The need for representation is quite lost on a movie like Rudolph though, since its slew of characters include a red-nosed reindeer, a snowman and a band of misfit toys. Rudolph’s North Pole is not meant to represent the world’s cultures and ethnicities, it’s meant to be a goofy take on a Christmas town.

With each passing day more pieces of history and entertainment are “cancelled” by social media critics for various minuscule complaints. Working towards creating content that promotes equality and positive messages doesn’t lie in looking back on our mistakes, it’s about improving what we do now. Perhaps its time we stop picking out every politically incorrect flaw of the past, and channel that energy into creating positive, diverse content for the future.

VALLEY VOTE

THIS ISSUE’S QUESTION

QUOTE

Do you feel the winter weather effects your mental wellness?

Are you more stressed about final projects or final exams?

Don’t be afraid of fear. Because it sharpens you, it challenges you, it makes you stronger; and when you run away from fear, you also run away from the opportunity to be your best possible self.

—Ed Helms

Yes No Unsure

57% 29% 14%

QUESTION OF THE ISSUE

LOG ON & VOTE www.lanthorn.com

ARE YOU MORE STRESSED ABOUT FINAL PROJECTS OR FINAL EXAMS?

BRIANNA CLARK

IAN SNYDER

“Projects.”

“Projects.”

YEAR: Junior MAJOR: Recreational Therapy HOMETOWN: Alpena, Mich.

YEAR: Junior MAJOR: Public and Non-profit Administration HOMETOWN: Spring Lake, Mich.

DYLAN NELSON

LAUREN HUBBOCH

“Projects.”

“Exams.”

YEAR: Junior MAJOR: Photography HOMETOWN: South Haven, Mich.

YEAR: Freshman MAJOR: Group Social Studies and Education HOMETOWN: Algonquin, Ill.

DECEMBER 3, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

NEWS | A5

HEALTH

Various departments team up, educate on World AIDS Day ALEXANDRA LOYD ALOYD@LANTHORN.COM

In honor of World AIDS Day, Grand Valley State University’s Student Services and Inclusion and Equity Departments teamed together to put on several events throughout the week for the local community to create and spread awareness on Saturday, Dec. 1.

Director of the Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center Jen Hsu-Bishop said that with the help of Campus Recreation and the University Counseling Center, the World AIDS Day Planning Committee (consisting of Campus Interfaith Resources, Disability Support resources, the Gayle R. Davis Center for Women and Gender Equality, Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center and the Office of Multicultural Affairs of the Division and Inclusion and Equity) is able to organize annual events to better educate students and the community on HIV and AIDS. The biggest event of the week was the showing of parts of the NAMES Project Foundation AIDS Memorial Quilt, both on the Allendale and Pew campuses. The quilt was established in 1987 and has become a traveling memorial to more than 96,000 people who have died because of AIDS complications. The entire quilt is composed of more than 49,000 three-by-nine panels, each commemorating the life of someone who died an AIDS-related illness.

“This year, the commit-

tee organized to bring the NAMES Project Foundation AIDS Memorial Quilt back to GVSU,” Hsu-Bishop said.

“The AIDS Memorial Quilt is a powerful reminder of the many lives lost to HIV and AIDS, especially during a time when little support, research and care was afforded to those diagnosed with HIV. The quilt continues to serve as a connection to the past, and we’re glad to host a panel of the quilt that was made in Grand Rapids.”

The university also hosted a free screening of the documentary “The Last One,” which goes further in detail on the history and making of the quilt. The showing was paired with a discussion led by associate professor and Director of the School of Social Work Scott Berlin afterward.

Hsu-Bishop said that on Thursday, Nov. 29, the committee also coordinated two additional events.

On Thursday the Kent County Health Department provided free HIV testing for anyone interested. Additionally, the committee encouraged students to wear red all week in honor of World AIDS Day. “As a committee, we hope that students and community members continue to seek out education about HIV and AIDS, and support those living with HIV,” Hsu-Bishop said. “Individuals can also volunteer with organizations like the Grand Rapids Red Project and support our local health departments that provide education, testing and services for those living with HIV.”

PRESENTING PANELS: Hanging in the Holton-Hooker Living and Learning Center, a portion of the NAMES Project Foundation AIDS Memorial Quilt welcomes viewers. The main quilt consists of over 49,000 three-by-nine panels, eight of which were shown at GVSU. GVL | EMILY MODLOFF

EDUCATION

Colombian National Police officers take English courses through GV ELS program OLIVIA FELLOWS OFELLOWS@LANTHORN.COM

Many people across the globe dream of learning English, but don’t always get the chance. This semester, a handful of police officers from Colombia got the opportunity to do so, through a program provided by Grand Valley State University.

GVSU’s English Language Studies program is hosting 15 high-ranking members of the Colombian National Police (CNP) until Dec. 7, teaching them English language skills to improve their police work in Colombia. Guests within the CNP include one colonel, three lieutenant colonels, ten majors and one captain. The officers will be studying a total of four weeks and have been living in the on-campus apartments during their studies.

This collaboration between GVSU and CNP is the first of its kind at the university and the course work is tailored to fulfill the CNP’s academic goals. The program incorporates general English language classes as well as classes devoted to English terminology for law enforcement.

The officers have been taking some of their general ELS Language Center classes with current GVSU students. ELS Language Center Director at GVSU Lisa Wooning believes that the program will help the officers interact with travelers who visit Colombia.

“Learning criminal justice vocabulary along with the regular English classes will help them in their interactions with English-speaking tourists and be more comfortable conversing in English in their field,” Wooning said.

The program’s first step

was assessing group members’ English-speaking abilities through tests, scheduling CNP members various classes based on their proficiency. The program’s regimen is intense and demanding; the officers spend eight hours in classes every day, taking five hours of general English classes and three hours of specialized policing English classes.

The program also included interactive visits to local law enforcement and government sites around Grand Rapids, including the Ottawa County Jail, the Grand Valley Police Department and the Grand Rapids Fire Department.

One of the CNP’s studying members, Jaider Benavides, a 40-year-old major in the CNP, explained that the immersive program was important to the CNP’s decision to partner with GVSU in their English studies.

“We all see learning Eng-

OFFICERS ON CAMPUS: Standing with their ELS teachers, members of Colombia National Police pose for a photo in a classroom dedicated to learning police-specific English vocabulary. GVL | OLIVIA FELLOWS

lish grammar, listening, speaking (and) police vocabulary as important because it allows us to practice the English language within our profession,” Benavides said. “I think we

have been very fortunate because we have felt at home, the teachers and students have welcomed us very well on campus and it feels great to live the academic environment at this prestigious university.”

Benavides said that the CNP wants to strengthen its bilingualism program by immersion through visiting the countries that speak the languages. The CNP does peace missions with the United Nations in various parts of the world and are supporting training processes through English study in other countries to strengthen their capabilities.

There are a total of 30 CNP officers in the United States studying English, with 15 officers at GVSU and 15 who are currently studying in DeKalb, Ill.. Benavides says the intense, level-based curriculum has been helpful in the officers’ learning and the rigorous study has helped the officers to learn as much as they can during their short four-week visit.

“An increasingly globalized world where crime does not stop and is parallel to these advances requires international cooperation between police

and the importance of learning a second language like English provides many opportunities,” Benavides said.

GVSU’s ELS program is an inclusive one, providing English-learning programs for nearly every profession.

The goal of ELS programs is connecting people from different parts of the world through the English language and helping individuals grow their passions through their knowledge of the language.

Wooning said she has seen the impact that each new group has on the university’s students and the effect that visiting GVSU has on the members of the CNP group.

She knows the officers’ visit has had an especially significant influence on GVSU. “It’s been a great opportunity for our Colombian students to learn about English and American culture and, for them especially, the United States criminal justice system,” Wooning said. “International interaction between students is important in helping us learn about new cultures, where people come from in the world, and different world views.”

DECEMBER 3, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A6 | NEWS CAMPUS

HAAS HANDSHAKE: Handing a diploma over to class of 2017 graduate Alexis Mencotti, Grand Valley State University President Thomas Haas celebrates student achievements during the Dec. 2017 commencement ceremony. A plethora of students will walk across the stage at Van Andel Arena and join Mencotti as a graduate and Laker for a Lifetime during this year’s winter commencement ceremony on Dec. 8. GVL |

GV celebrates graduate achievements at during 25th winter commencement

BY JAMES KILBORN JKILBORN@LANTHORN.COM

GRINNING GRADUATE: Carrying her diploma, a graduate looks out toward the crowd. GVL | ARCHIVES

On Saturday Dec. 8, students graduating from Grand Valley State University will gather to celebrate their achievements during the university’s winter commencement ceremony. The event will stand as a finale for many students as they transition from the classroom into established careers within their fields. The event will begin at 10 a.m. at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids.

Student Senate President Rachel Jenkin notes that this commencement will be unique, as it will be the first GVSU commencement to feature student speakers.

“This will be the first time we have a student speaker and I think it is a huge testament to Grand Valley’s dedication of being student-centered and how much we value students,” Jenkin said. “As what I said to the provost and the president, being in a crowd and seeing someone speak who was maybe your lab partner, lived in your freshman dorm (or) was in a club with you builds off of that community that Grand Valley is so well known for.”

Following this commencement ceremony, Jenkin said that there will be a student speaker at every commencement moving forward. While the formal kinks are still being explored, Jenkin said that the

PRIDE: Two faculty members share a moment on last year’s winter commencement stage. The commencement only included faculty speeches, which will change as Student Senate President Rachel Jenkin will address her peers as the first student speaker. GVL | ARCHIVES

opportunity to have student speakers increases the already strong feeling of community at commencement.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for students to share their GVSU experiences and student impact, for peers to be proud of one another and for faculty and staff to see quite tangibly how we live up to our mission and are truly student centered on all levels of our work,” Jenkin said.

Jenkin said that the feeling in the room will be one of pride, with many students being lucky to share the same experiences, challenges and memories. By having a student voice speak to the crowd of graduating students, she said in reinforces the idea that despite graduating, the students are united as lakers.

“It creates a sense of representation, and since this will be happening for every commencement from here on out, I think having the student senate president speak at convocation and then a student speak during commencement shows students that from the beginning to the end and everywhere in between, Grand Valley puts students first.”

Graduating student Danielle Mallory views commencement as a bittersweet event. While graduation represents the culmination of years of hard work, she says she’ll miss the friends and faculty she’s connected with during her time at GVSU. “Graduating feels both exciting and overwhelming,” Mallory said. “It’s exciting to be starting this new chapter of my life, but that also means I have a lot of decisions to make.

I know a few people who are also graduating and the general consensus is excitement for what lies ahead.”

The tradition of GVSU’s commencement ceremonies spans the university’s almost 60-year history.

Early graduation ceremonies took place at the Civic Auditorium in Grand Rapids until the Fieldhouse Arena was constructed in 1969. Increasing class sizes at GVSU during the 1990s coupled with the construction of Van Andel Arena in 1996 resulted in graduation ceremonies moving back to Grand Rapids in 1997. This semester’s commencement also represents the 25th winter commencement in the university’s history.

Jenkin states that the

Graduating feels both exciting and overwhelming. It’s exciting to be starting this new chapter in my life, but that also means I have a lot of decisions to make... The general consensus is excitement for what lies ahead.”

Danielle Mallory Graduating student event is a celebration of not only academic achievements but of the relationships made both inside and outside of the classroom.

“I think commencement is a huge celebration of accomplishment no matter how long you’ve been at Grand Valley,” Jenkin said.

“I also think it is essential that students get to hear from not only faculty and administrators, but from one of their own who has undergone the same challenges, hardships, triumphs and memories, regardless if they’ve been here for one semester, six years, or any other time frame.”

In celebrating these academic achievements, graduates must also leave behind the student’s life of studying, going to class and being around peers on a daily basis. Mallory said that through her time at GVSU, she’s developed a connection that will be difficult to part with.

“Personally, I have spent about half of my undergraduate studies at Grand Valley, but I am still sad to be leaving,” Mallory said. “I’ve only lived in Grand Rapids for about three to four years, but it already feels like home to me. I’m also going to miss the friends I’ve made that aren’t graduating.”

Students, faculty, friends and families will gather Saturday to celebrate the achievements of this graduating class. While the event represents completing the requirements of a collegiate degree, crossing the stage and receiving a degree illustrates the hard work and sacrifices made to achieve the degree.

GRADUATES| A7

DECEMBER 3, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

Christopher Alan Bergmooser

Sarah Alnaji

Congratulations Christopher!

Dear Sarah,

We are so very proud of your accom-

We are so proud of you and your

plishments and look forward to all the

achievements. We are confident that

years ahead! You will make the nurs-

you will continue with more success.

ing profession even better.

Good luck to the next adventure.

Love,

Congratulations on your graduations!

Mom, Dad, Jenna, Alyssa, and Dallas

Jessica Barnes

Maria Bianchini

Congratulations Jessica!!!

Congratulations Maria!

We are so proud of the young

We are so proud of you! Chase

woman you’ve become. You

your dreams and set your goals. e ieve that o can

have such an amazing heart that helping someone in need comes

We love you,

naturally to you.

Mom & Dad We Love You!!

Joshua Boggia

Marissa Buehler

Joshua Brennan, To say “we are proud of you” would be an understatement.

You are an amazing young man with a remarkable future ahead of you. Enjoy the journey that God has prepared for you. NEVER forget how deeply you are loved and always remember that- no matter what“We Got You”.

Jeremiah 29:11

Marissa, The time between Kindergarten & Graduation from e e has o n . We have a a s een ro d o and o r man accom ishments thro ho t o r o r dedication and hard or have aid o . Wishin a the essin s o a ri ht t re or o and ic . ovin

With all our love, Mom, Dad and Taylor

Mason Bialik Congratulations Mason on your success and achievement! Keep up the great work. We are so proud of you.

Love, Dad, Mom and Audra.

Ethan Cortazzo Ethan, Your dedication, work ethic, and heart have paid off. You are the greatest person I know and I can’t wait to see how you will change the world.

I love you, Lindsey

o

ad and

colo i e. o

om

Tyler Bozynski Congratulations Tyler, We are so proud of the man you have become. Keep setting your sights as high as you wish and keep reaching all of your goals and dreams.

We love you!! The Fam!!

Kathryn (Katie) Coash We are incredibly proud of your dedication to your Nursing journey at GVSU. Go out into the world and be fabulous!

We love you to the moon, Your Coash Family.

A8 | GRADUATES

sevoort

DECEMBER 3, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

Courtney Curtis Be bold enough to use your voice, brave enough to listen to your heart, and strong enough to live the life you’ve always imagined.

Love, Mom, Nana, Papa

Ebonè Cotton Congratulations Ebonè!

We are so proud of you. You have worked so hard and have persevered to accomplish your goals. Trust God in all that you do and he will continue to direct your paths.

Love always, Chase & Family.

Ciara Michele Cox Congratulations!

Mom, Dad, David, Alexandra and Ryan are extremely proud and honored to say, "beautiful job, well done" graduating from Nursing School! You accomplished a goal, a dream that you set out to do in 2014. You preserved and finished fabulously! Your reward now comes in helping others.

We know with your strength, compassion and intellect that you will be one of the finest in your field. We love you our Sweet Ciara!

We are so proud of you!

E’Nyia Delt-Jones Christina Elsholz Congratulations, Christina!!

We are so proud of you. We love you!

Mom, Dad, and Jennifer!

It took courage and through the hard times, YOU pushed through. You worked hard and didn't give up! You did it in 3.5 yrs. You should be insanely proud of your accomplishments, because I am.

As you grace the next chapter of your life, don't foget this day. Remember to keep turning your can'ts into cans, and your dreams into plans. YOUR POTENTIAL SELF IS INFINITE! This is one of many beginnings to great things to come. Momma Loves You beyond words, E'Nyiad.

Congratulations on your graduation, Lil 1!

Hailey Ferguson

Jessica Harsevoort

Hailey Katherine Ferguson,

Jessica,

Congratulations on accomplishing

We are so very proud of you! You

your MSA!

worked hard, were dedicated to

We are so very proud of you!

your work and proved yourself!

You Go Girl!

Love, Mom, Dad, and Will

Love, Mom and Dad

GRADUATES| A9

DECEMBER 3, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

Sean Hiles

Marlee Kiander

Dear Sean,

We are so very proud of you today

Remember, “If you want something

and everyday. Your drive and tenac-

you’ve never had, you must be will-

ity of spirit have again pushed you to

ing to do something you’ve never

reach your goal. Masters!

done.” - Thomas Jefferson So proud of you.

Love you Mom and Dad

Love Mom & Robert

Brianna Larabell Congratulations Brianna, Your hard work and dedication have made us so proud. Keep following your dreams.

Love, Mom, Dad, Alec & Jake

Cali Hubbard Cali,

Cortney Klimkowski

Growing up we wouldn’t even let you ride your bike around

Cortney you have accomplished

our small block. Flash to freshman year of college mov-

so much; double major, honors

ing you 181 miles away from home, the tears rolled down

college, and graduating early!

our checks. Thinking we just left you... You have shown

Your hard work really paid off. We

us your strength and determination. We could not be more

are so proud of you!

proud and are excited to see what’s next.

Love, Mom, Dad, and Megan

Ryan Nink

Runyararo Mupepi

Congrats on your graduation! You’ve

Congratulations Runyararo! We are

overcome a lot of challenges to get

so proud of your dedication and hard

where you are today. I am so proud

work! May god bless and guide you

of you.

as you follow your heart. Continue shining!

Love you, Dad

Love, Mom, Dad, Kuda, Tatenda

Jacob O’Donnell

Samantha Postmus

From then till’ now, We have always been so very proud

Congratulations Samantha!

We are so proud of you.

The languages you have learned and the success you have had in the pool will take you on a new journey. So pull up your anchor and set sail, for your next adventure awaits.

of you! Congratulations Jake O’Donnell. GVSU Class Of 2018!

We love you, Mom & Dad

Love Dad, Mom, and Victoria

A10 | GRADUATES

DECEMBER 3, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

Jennifer Rebecca Rubelman Congratulations

Jennifer!

Very

proud of you. Your hard work will make you a great nurse.

Love you, Brianna, Mom, and Dad

Taylor Marie Pierson Congratulations Taylor, We are all so very proud of who you have become and of your excellent achievements in your educational field.

It is so exciting to see you so enthusiastic about teaching children. All of your student ambassador and study abroad travels will be an enrichment for your future students.

Erica Schmitz

Your loving family, Mom, Dad, Jason, Maggie, Ralphie, Finley & Family

lady you have become.

Erica, After all of your hard work we are proud of the independent, beautiful, intelligent and determined young

Love, Mom, Dad and Steven

Martin Sison Congratulations MARTY! We are so very proud of you and all your accomplishments.

You future journey holds adventures, opportunities in every challenge and limitless possibilities. Keep it up and continue to strive. We will be here to love and support you!

Our Love Always, Dad, Mom, Mio, Armaan, Grandpa & Grandma

Kevin Smith Kevin, You did it! We are so proud of you, Kevin! Your hard work, dedication, and perseverance have paid off. You are a great example for Kingston and Abigail.

We love you so much!

Corey Smykowski

Rachel Share

Congratulations, Corey!

YOU DID IT! We are so proud of you and the way you handle change and obstacles. Remember, you can’t win a race you don’t run, and “Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it.”

Congratulations Rachel!

We know that you’ve worked long and hard for this moment and we couldn’t be more proud of you!

Love,

We love you, Mom, Dad, and Anna

Mom, Dad, and Ben Jeremiah 29:11

GRADUATES| A11

DECEMBER 3, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

Collin Spagnuolo

Megan Sun

Congratulations Collin,

Megan,

We are very proud of you son

We are all so proud of you. The

and can’t wait to see what the

bright future is ahead of you.

next chapter in your life will

Enjoy.

bring. Always believe in yourself and never give up.

Love, Mom, Mike, Helen, Sean

Evan C. Voshel Evan, Congratulations! We are so proud of you. With love and pride today and always.

Love, Mom, Dad, and Casey

Jonathon Thomas Vinsko “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord.

“Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11 Jonathon, we are so proud of the man you have become and are so excited for your amazing future!

With much love, Mom, Dad & Luke

Austin Willis Congratulations, Austin! We are so proud of you. Your tenacity and perseverance has paid off.

Keep your eyes on the prize.

Much Success.

Love, Dad, Mom and Kalon

s n o i t a l u t a r g n Co tes e t a u d Gra

2018

Joshua Woolard Josh, we could not be more proud of you. We watched you grow immensely the last 4 years. Your dedication, hard work, tenacity and leadership have been amazing to witness. We are also in awe of your ability to always "Do the Right Thing!"

No matter what the challenge or strength of the headwinds, you stay true to your values and find a way to accomplish your goal. It has been a privilege, an honor and a joy to have you in our lives.

We love you!

Mom and Dad

A12 | LAKER LIFE ARTS AT A GLANCE

DECEMBER 3, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE

EVENT

GV INTRODUCES NEW MINORS ON-CAMPUS POLICY

A new policy has been implemented for minors on Grand Valley State University campuses.

The new policy includes an online registration system, a signed release form and a focus on authorized adults.

The aim of the new policy is to ensure the safety of those under the age of 18 on campus.

30 minute Informational sessions for the new policy are set to take place on Monday, Dec. 3, Wednesday, Dec. 5 and Thursday, Dec. 6. Details about the locations and times of the meetings are available at www.gvsu. edu/gvnow.

RECORD AND CD SHOW SET FOR SATURDAY, DEC. 8

Need a break from studying? On Saturday, Dec. 8 the Grand Rapids Record & CD Show is being held at the Westgate Bowl Center in Comstock Park.

The event will cater a wide range of music dealers and collectors from all around the Midwest. New and vintage records will be for sale, including 45s, LPs, 78s and CDs, as well as movies and books. With such a wide range of vendors and products, there will be available music for each individual musical taste. The show will also include a large private collection that is being offered to the public for the first time.

The show will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is free.

COMMUNITY: The Uptown Shop Hop is an event that connects the Grand Rapids community to the small buisnesses located in Uptown.

This event is an opportunity to explore what Uptown has to offer, as well as get in the holiday spirit. COURTESY | UPTOWN GRAND RAPIDS

Exploring downtown Grand Rapids through Uptown Holiday Shop Hop

GET IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT AT “WALKER WINTER”

ELYSE GREENWOOD EGREENWOOD@LANTHORN.COM

On Thursday, Dec. 6 the Walker Ice and Fitness Center is hosting their annual “Walker Winter,” a free event taking place from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

The event is a fun opportunity to connect with the community and experience some Christmas splendor.

The event will have live reindeer, holiday crafts, caricature drawings, hot cocoa and cookies and pictures with Santa. The first 300 guests will also receive free ice skating and skate rental. A tree lighting ceremony will start at 7 p.m. and will include words from City of Walker Mayor Mark Huizenga.

Located about 20 minutes from downtown Grand Rapids is the Grand Valley State University Allendale Campus. GVSU has long involved itself in the Grand Rapids community, even creating a downtown campus less than 20 years after its founding.

The 21st annual Uptown Holiday Shop Hop is a perfect time for students from all GVSU campuses to be a part of the downtown Grand Rapids community, which has supported GVSU since its beginning. This event, which will occur on Dec. 6 from 4 to 10 p.m., spans the four business districts of East Fulton, East Hills, Eastown and Wealthy Street. More than 70 businesses are involved in this event which will feature special deals, Christmas carolers, holiday treats and more.

“It is a day that we encour-

LAST WEEK TO APPLY FOR MCNAIR SCHOLARS PROGRAM

This Friday, Dec. 7 is the deadline to apply for the McNair Scholars Program.

The program is designed to encourage students who are lower income and whose parents do not have a four-year college degree or who are a part of an ethnic group that is underrepresented at the doctoral level. All students accepted into the program receive $4,000 stipend to participate in a 12 week summer experience. The program includes housing, assistance with the graduate school application process and pays for travel to graduate school visits.

To apply for the McNair Scholars Program, go to https://www.gvsu.edu/ours/mcnair.

age the community, shoppers and audience members to come in, interact with our stores, and shop local for the holiday season and to just experience Uptown with friends and family,” said Collin Bailey Jonkman, the marketing and events manager for Uptown.

For students who have yet to truly explore the downtown area and the quaint shops, this is a perfect opportunity to appreciate the city in all of its holiday splendor.

“Uptown is a short bus ride from Allendale,” Jonkman said.

“You take the 50 downtown and then you get on the 6. There are really cute curated shops like Outdoor Coffee Co. that has their geodomes out. I think that if students have never been to Uptown, Shop Hop is a perfect way to experience it. We have shuttle buses between each district, the shops will be lit up and full of life and restaurants and bars will have specials. It’s just a really great time to see all that

Uptown has to offer.”

While many shoppers look forward to this special event every year to check some gifts off of their Christmas list, the local Grand Rapids businesses also love seeing the support from their community.

“Shop Hop is definitely one of our favorite times of the season,” said Geniene Hourigan-Culp, a Grand Valley alumna and lead designer of New Design Floral in East Hills, a suburb of Grand Rapids. “The sense of community in our neighborhood that comes out with Shop Hop and the ways in which we support each other tops my list.”

Another participating business, Le Bon Macaron in East Hills, is adding their own spin to this year’s Shop Hop. While they will still be offering specials on their macaroons, they are also emphasizing the giving aspect of the holiday season.

“We have something

very special and fun happening during Shop Hop,” said owner Kelly Toland.

“My three-year-old daughter, Charlotte, is hosting her first fundraiser (selling homemade holiday cookies) to support Wyatt, the Red Panda at the John Ball Zoo, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. She loves Wyatt and loves her little bakery stand and wanted the opportunity to serve customers, as you can imagine she is always wanting to help at the shop, and support her favorite animal at the zoo.

She’s very excited!”

Even businesses that do not have a product to sell are involved in the event. Businesses of this kind will be opening up their doors for pop-up shops, treats and drinks, truly making this a community event.

“It is an event for people to come together and spend time together for the holiday season and engage in our community,” Jonkman said.

CAMPUS

GVSU senior shares ideas to combat sexual assault AMY MCNEEL LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

The Barbara H. Padnos

STUDY ABROAD SCHOLARSHIP

$15,000

Apply by

February 15

APPLY NOW: www.gvsu.edu/myscholarships PLEASE NOTE: Students must Study Abroad for two semesters or more Average scholarship ranges from $5,000 - $15,000 6 - 8 awards per year

www.gvsu.edu/studyabroad

Sexual assault has been a hot topic this semester at Grand Valley State University with at least one sexual assault being reported to the Grand Valley Police Department each week since the beginning of the semester. With this in mind, GVSU senior Justin Robinson decided to attend a Student Senate meeting on Thursday, Nov. 15 to share his ideas on how to curb sexual assaults on and around campus.

At the meeting, Robinson presented three ideas, which include a volunteer patrol group, weekly marketing of self-defense classes and a pepper spray fundraiser.

Robinson said that the pa-

KICKED TO THE CURB: Senior Justin Robinson has ideas to halt sexual assaults on and near campus. COURTESY | JUSTIN ROBINSON

trol group would watch over the GVSU campus and surrounding areas on the weekends from 12 to 1 a.m. This patrol group would help to look over women and make them feel safer. He also wants to do a fundraiser that would raise money for pepper spray for the

GVPD to hand out to students for free. Lastly, Robinson said that while self-defense classes are available at GVSU, they are severely under marketed.

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

STUDENT LIFE

GVSU to host Exam Cram AMANDA ROGERS AROGERS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University students are starting their preparation for their final weeks of the fall semester. With the stress of finals week approaching, this time of the year usually means students have little to no time for relaxation.

Exam Cram was created in order for the campus to express their awareness of the stress that finals bring students and takes place the weeks before and during finals.

Throughout these two weeks, campus partners recognize the stress put upon students during finals and collaborate to support students by offering a variety of programming.

This semester Exam Cram will take place from Monday, Dec. 3 through Wednesday, Dec. 12.

Exam Cram is hosted by a variety of campus departments, including Campus Dining, Campus Recreation, Counseling Center, Health and Wellness, Student Life, University Libraries and more.

Assistant Director of Marketing for Campus Recreation Kayla Cupples said Exam

Cram really reflects GVSU’s student-centered mission. She also said she really loves hearing from students who say the activities brighten their day.

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

STRESS RELIEF: As finals week approaches, students will have plenty of opportunities to wind down. COURTESY | STUDENT LIFE

SPORTS | A13

DECEMBER 3, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

QUICK HITS

CROSS COUNTRY

GVSU MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING FINISH STRONG AT 2018 CALVIN INVITE

The 11th-ranked Grand Valley State women’s swimming and diving team finished first at the 2018 Calvin Invite with 1,662 points, while the seventh ranked men’s team finished second behind Northern Michigan with 1,910 points.

For the women’s team, Melina Goebel earned a first place finish in the 500 free (5:00.31), while Mercedes Martinez hit the wall first in the 100 Fly (56.02).

Samantha Laurich also finished first in the 200 Breast (2:17.97).

The men’s team had four first place finishes, as Harry Shalamon finished first in both the 200 back (1:43.86) and the 200 IM (1:48.34). Gabriel Souza touched the wall first in the 100 fly (47.38), while a team of Souza, Ben Walling, Oscar Armengol Saura and JD Ham placed first in the 400 free relay (3:00.38).

The GVSU men and women won’t be in action again until Saturday, Jan. 5, as they have a home duel with GLIAC rival Wayne State.

STACI BROWER EARNS AVCA HONORABLE MENTION ALL-AMERICAN HONORS

Grand Valley State senior middle blocker Staci Brower was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II honorable mention All-American team for her performance in the 2018 season.

Brower, who was also named to the AVCA AllMidwest Region team, became the first Laker in program history to be a four-time AllGLIAC First Team honoree following the 2018 season.

This is the Byron Center native’s first All-American honor.

Brower was the main cog in the Lakers plans, tallying a team-best 330 kills and 3.30 kills per set. 18 times in GVSU’s 28 matches this season, Brower was the leading attacker and 22 times she tallied at least 10 kills.

She was not only the Lakers’ most consistent source of offense this season, but Brower also led the team in all blocking categories for the third season in a row.

FORMER GVSU FOOTBALL STAR MATTHEW JUDON RECORDS IMPRESSIVE STAT VS RAIDERS

WITH THE VICTOR COME THE SPOILS: The Grand Valley State women’s cross country team stands in celebration, as they cheer proudly to encapsulate all of their accomplishments. They weren’t the only GVSU team to win a national title Saturday, as the men’s team also captured the victory. COURTESY | GVSU ATHLETICS

GVSU men’s and women’s cross country teams win national titles

BY JEROD FATTAL SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

T

he Grand Valley State men’s and women’s cross country teams both won national titles at the 2018 NCAA Division II Championships in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Dec. 1. The national title was the first in program history for the men, and the women’s squad continued to add to their dynasty with their sixth national title since 2010. The Lakers became only the third Division II program to ever win both titles in the same year.

Both of the teams came into Saturday’s race ranked outside of the top spots in the FloXC team rankings. However, while other teams struggled to handle the constant

rain showers (most notably during the Women’s 6K race), frigid temperatures and the muddy course, the GVSU runners showed their grit and performed in the poor conditions.

“It was soupy (on the course),” said head coach Jerry Baltes. “You had to stay out of trouble and watch where you were stepping. We had a race plan to put us in a position to handle that stuff and for the most part we executed it very, very well.”

Senior Zach Panning started the day off right for the Lakers by crossing the Men’s 10K Race finish line in second place with a time of 31:53.6 seconds. It was his second runner-up finish in the past two years.

“Zach took a tumble about 300 meters into the race and was stepped on before bouncing up” Baltes said.

“Luckily he wasn’t trampled but he lost about 20-30 spots. He did an incredible job handling that situation, bouncing back up and racing tough to put himself in a good position to finish second and nearly win it all.”

Other key racers were sophomore Enael Woldemichael’s sixth place finish in 32:26.4 seconds, and freshman Tanner Chada’s 21st place finish with a time of 32:59.9.

Both earned All-American honors.

Senior Josh Steible and freshman Ben Zaremba also scored points for the Lakers, finishing in 28th and 45th place with times of 33:11.8 and 33:38.6, respectively.

Although only the top five runners score points for your team, schools are allowed to enter seven runners into the race. Despite not finishing in the top five, Jacob

Domagalski (59th) and Brian Masayesva (244th) also helped steal points away from opposing teams with finishes in 33:56.6 and 37:20.6.

“Other than Zach and Enael, none of our other runners had run in a national meet in cross country or track,” Baltes said. “It was phenomenal.”

The Lakers finally got over the hump this year after finishing runner-up to Adams State in four of the past five years.

The squad finished with 89 total points, 10 ahead of the next closest team, Colorado Mines.

“It was great to finally knock down the door, especially since we were so close the last two years,” Baltes said.

Following the men’s victory, Baltes said he spent about five minutes celSEE XC | A14

W. SOCCER

Former Grand Valley State football player and current Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Matthew Judon had sacks on three consecutive plays against the Oakland Raiders last week, becoming the first player to pull off the feat since Brad Scioli of Indianapolis against Houston in 2002.

The sequence occurred after Baltimore went up by 17 points in the fourth quarter. They went on to beat the Raiders “You knew they were throwing, so Matt could cut it loose just a little bit more,”said Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. “Of course, you’re not planning for three sacks in a row.”

Judon has 4.5 sacks in his last three games after getting only 1.5 in his first eight. Now in his third season out of GVSU, as of Dec. 1, he’s two sacks short of matching his career high.

CELEBRATE SUCCESS: The Grand Valley State soccer team celebrates after one of the many goals scored in the 2018 season. Despite winning 25 games and making it to the final four, the Lakers came up short, losing for the first time in 2018 in the National Championship game to Bridgeport, 1-0. COURTESY | GVSU ATHLETICS

VARSITY SCHEDULE MEN’S BASKETBALL Thursday, 8:00 p.m. vs Ashland Saturday, 8:00 p.m. vs Wayne State WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Thursday, 6:00 p.m. vs Ashland Thursday, 6:00 p.m. vs Wayne State

GVSU soccer falls in final

BY KADY VOLMERING SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

After beating Lee 3-0 on Thursday, Nov. 29, the undefeated Grand Valley State women’s soccer team fell in the national title game 1-0 to Bridgeport on Saturday, Dec. 1 to finish the season as national runner-ups in Pittsburgh, Penn.

“We’re a family,” said senior Tara Lierman. “It took a lot of buying in from day one, but they bought in and they came along and that was just special, and this

team is really special. Whether we got the result we wanted today or not, it was a phenomenal season and I’m really proud of our team.”

The Lakers were able to get a few shots off in the first 15 minutes of Thursday’s game against Lee. In the 18th minute of the game, sophomore Caitie Baron was able to score the first goal for the Lakers, breaking through defenders to finish the assist from sophomore Sydney O’Donnell.

With their momentum on an upswing, the Lakers quickly found advance the score in the

The Lakers’ undefeated season came to an end with loss to Bridgeport

21st minute. Sophomore Ava Cook nailed the Lakers’ second, her 24th goal of the season to give the Lakers a 2-0 halftime lead.

GVSU was able to pull through with a shutout win over the Flames, scoring three goals to take the win and advance their record to 25-0-1. The Flames ended their season with a 17-7-1 record.

Saturday’s match against the Purple Knights was their second matchup of the 2018 season. The Lakers had previously won over Bridgeport 6-0. Their tournament game proved

much more competitive.

Communication had been a focus for GVSU all season long, and All-GLIAC defender Ces Steinwascher wanted that to still be a focus in the title game.

“Communication is really key,” Steinwascher said. “As the season went on, we got better at listening to what each other was saying and trusting that it was the right thing.”

The matchup between the Laker offense and Purple Knight defense SEE SOCCER | A14

DECEMBER 3, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A14 | SPORTS

A game to remember

BY ELI ONG SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

When you entered Fieldhouse Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 27, there was a buzz in the air; a certain amount of electricity that most sports fans are familiar with this time of year.

With Grand Valley State cheerleaders on one baseline and the GVSU dance team on the other, warm-up music blared over the sound system as Special Olympics basketball players from Area 5 at Ferris State and Area 12 at GVSU went through their warm up routines.

As seats were taken, the dedication ceremony commenced where athletes on both teams were highlighted; capped by a speech from Area 12 basketball player Tiffany Neely.

“Special Olympics basketball has meant everything to me,” Neely said.

“Every day when I got out of school, I always had that to look forward to.”

From the opening tip, it was clear this meant a lot to the community as well. There were roars of anticipation for every shot put up and dribble move made, howls of excitement with every shot that sang the nylon song and steal snagged on defense.

The energy from the crowd never receded from the very first shot to the final buzzer.

“The players are warming up and the music’s pumping,” said Bryce Mullers, a member of the facility and event management class at GVSU that organized the event. “It feels just like a real college basketball game, and I already have the jitters.”

Looking around you

could see representation from GVSU and local area students from across the entire spectrum. Not only were the dance team and cheerleaders there, GVSU and Cornerstone’s men’s and women’s basketball teams were in attendance, two of which, junior guard Chris Pearl and freshman forward Luke Hyde from GVSU, participated in a halftime dunk competition that kept the

It was electric, it was a lot of fun.

The crowd and the community really came out and got into it, cheering for both teams and I think the athletes will go home and remember this for a lifetime.”

ZAK SPRYSZAK EVENT EMCEE crowd buzzing until the start of the third quarter.

Members of GVSU’s Greek Life were also in attendance and helped put on the event. Sigma Pi and Alpha Sigma Alpha brought out the largest number of members from their respective fraternal and sorority communities. Alpha Tau Omega members Brendan Brown and Nico Gonzalez

helped referee and organize the event as well.

“It was electric, it was a lot of fun,” said Zak Spryszak, who emceed the event. “The crowd and the community really came out and got into it, cheering for both teams and I think the athletes will go home and remember this for a life time.”

On top of the atmosphere, the players from Area 5 and Area 12 did not disappoint when play began.

Going back and forth in the first quarter, GVSU used a team-wide effort to put the ball in the basket, as they came away with a 6-4 lead at the end of the first quarter.

As the game progressed toward halftime, FSU leaned heavily on center Kim Kenyon as he used his superior size to crash the glass and take GVSU players to the post. At halftime, the score was tied 10-10 with Kenyon accounting for eight points and six rebounds.

In the third quarter, Ferris State continued to put their foot on the gas as doit-all swingman Nick Borders went on an individual 10-0 run in the third quarter. Borders, who hit two three-pointers and a pair of driving floaters in the lane, also helped Ferris State stifle GVSU on defense as they held the Lakers scoreless for the entire third quarter.

GVSU was not done however, as backcourt duo Tyler Kohley and Jeremy McNaughton helped the Lakers mount a furious comeback with time dwindling down in the fourth.

In a yin-yang-like effort, Kohley supplied the Lakers

Rally with the Rapids gives special olympians once-in-a-lifetime experience

JUMP FOR JOY: A slew of Area 12 special olympians execute layup lines and get excited to prepare for the epic matchup against Area 5 olympians at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. GVL | DAN PACHECO

with a handful of key steals and a block in the fourth that allowed McNaughton to hit a pair of easy threes in transition as a part of an 8-0 run that gave the Lakers a

BIG TIME MONEY MOVES: Through Rally with the Rapids, special olympians and supporters of the Grand Valley State Lakers and Ferris State Bulldogs were able to raise more than $3,000 for charity in an epic basketball game at Fieldhouse Arena. GVL | DAN PACHECHO

XC

CONTINUED FROM A13

ebrating with the guys and the fans but then had to leave the party to go coach the women at 12:15 p.m.

They did not disappoint.

Leading the way was 2018 Individual National Champion, senior Sarah Berger, who crossed the line in 22:07.7 seconds.

“She had to gut out the last 600 meters and I’m pretty sure she started to see some funny things before she finished,” Baltes said “It was just an incredible effort,” Berger was not the alone in her dominance. The team finished the day scoring a meet low 41 points, 42 points ahead of the runnerup, Mary (North Dakota.)

It was the largest margin of victory for a national title winner in over 13 years.

The team finished with all five of their top runners in the top 26 places, earning All-American honors.

Three of them were top

SOCCER

CONTINUED FROM A13

proved to be a fair one, as Bridgeport failed to score during the first half as well.

Going into the second half, the Purple Knights’

ten finishes by Allie Ludge (fifth place), Hanna Groeber (sixth) and Gina Patterson (ninth), finishing with times of 22:39.7, 22:40.6 and 22:53.3 respectfully.

Madison Goen rounded out the top five with a time of

23:18.2, earning 26th place.

Other runners for Grand Valley included Stacey Metzger (108th place) and Jessica Gockley (195th place), who crossed the line in 24:29.1 and 25:39.5 seconds.

“All of us stepped up and put

in an amazing performance, definitely more than people thought we could,” Berger said.

“But we knew we could do it.”

Following the victory, the team was filled with emotions.

“We were all sitting there in the chairs after the race

fighting chance as the game came down to the wire.

With the game at 20-18 in favor of Ferris State with 53 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, FSU guard Rachel Young scored a key basket on a layup with 44 seconds remaining to push the deficit to 22-18.

A steal and a layup on an inbound pass with ten seconds remaining by Laker guard Eric Marlink brought the score to 22-20, but the Lakers were unable to gain possession again as the Bulldogs ran out the clock for a well deserved victory.

After the game both teams exchanged high fives and the GVSU dance and cheer team then gathered around for a medal ceremony that celebrated both teams’ accomplishments out on the court.

After the players received their medals, the students behind the organization of the event presented the teams with a donation check of $3,262.79

going toward Area 5 and 12 Special Olympics.

When asked about what allowed the event to be so successful, Professor Jon Coles, in charge of the Sports Management 376 class, gave all the credit to his students.

“Putting a smile on those athletes faces was priority number one for the class and that’s why they got an A,” Coles said. “They created an event with such heart warming energy that those special olympians will remember that for the rest of their life.”

When asked if Rally with the Rapids would be an annual event every fall semester at GVSU, Coles seemed enthusiastic that it would return.

“I hope so,” Coles said.

“I’ll ask my students for feedback on the event, I hope they will be all for it, but after I get some feedback on the positives and negatives that will help me make the final decision if this will happen again (next year).”

and when we found out that we won we all freaked out,” Berger said. “It was just an amazing feeling. Definitely something I will never forget.”

Following the clean sweep, both teams loaded the bus and headed home for Allen-

dale with a pair of trophies to accompany them on the long nine hour bus ride home.

“We are going to share this one with our alumni, administration, and our entire team,” Baltes said. “We’re going to savor it greatly.”

HOLDERS OF THE HARDWARE: The Grand Valley State men’s cross country team captured a national title this past weekend in Pittsburgh, Penn. This is the first national championship victory for the program, joining the women’s team who also secured their sixth national championship this past weekend. COURTESY | GVSU ATHLETICS

intensity overpowered GVSU’s, though neither team was able to get to the net very early. As the game ticked into the last 20 minutes, the Lakers flipped a switch and began to build up their momentum, attacking the field at a higher energy level.

Despite the increased effort, the Purple Knights were able sneak in a goal off the crossbar in the 78th minute of the match.

The Lakers faced a situation they rarely found themselves in during the season, fighting to stay in

the game and coming back from behind. With only ten minutes remaining in the match, the pressure was on GVSU to earn back the goal.

In the final minutes, the Lakers had a free shot at the goal but were unable to score. The Purple Knights

ended the game with a 1-0 win over GVSU. While the 2018 season didn’t end the way the team would have wanted, it’s safe to say that they made some bonds that will continue off the field.

“I’m really proud of our kids and the season we’ve

had,” Hosler said. “Obviously, it’s hard to have your first loss be the last match of the year, we reflect back and think about all that we’ve been able to do with this group, I can’t tell you how proud I am.”

The Lakers end the season at 25-1-1.

DECEMBER 3, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSP0RTS

SPORTS | A15

M. BASKETBALL

GVSU basketball uses solid defense to open GLIAC play undefeated

BY KELLEN VOSS SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

SLOW DOWN AND RELAX: Grand Valley State guard Hunter Hale dribbles at midcourt and tries to settle the Laker offense down to run a play at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. GVL | DAN PACHECO

The Grand Valley State men’s basketball played lockdown defense to win their first two GLIAC matchups this season.

They traveled to the other side of Lake Michigan on Thursday, Nov. 29 to beat Wisconsin-Parkside 88-77 before traveling again on Saturday, Dec. 1 to defeat Purdue Northwest 79-62.

The old cliché in football also reigns true for basketball: defense wins championships, or perhaps conference championships.

Head coach Ric Wesley has loved the defensive improvement as he attributes it to the team’s hot start in conference play.

“I really think our defense has gotten better recently,” Wesley said. “We held Purdue Northwest, who’s one of the top scoring teams in the GLIAC to 62 points, so that’s really encouraging.

Our defense is slowly but surely getting a little bit better, which will be real key as we head into the thick of conference play.”

The defensive intensity was on display throughout the week for the Lakers, using communication and quick feet to beat each foe by

a double-digit margin.

On the other side of the court, GVSU was able to establish a quality offensive flow to open the floodgates and out-shoot both opponents. Jake Van Tubbergen led the team each night, with 25 points against Wisconsin-Parkside and 23 against Purdue Northwest to go along with 19 total rebounds.

Wesley was proud of the way the sophomore played and hopes to see that consistency in more conference games.

“He’s the type of player that’s going to have more nights like that,” Wesley said. “Our entire team had a solid couple games, but Jake in particular had a really good week.”

Van Tubbergen was far from the only Laker to play consistently well in each game, with Hunter Hale scoring 36 total points on the weekend, as well as Jeremiah Ferguson’s 29 total points.

A solid scoring output from multiple players along with holding each team to a field goal percentage of under 50 percent (45.5 percent for Parkside, 32.8 percent for Purdue Northwest) made the road to victory easy to travel upon for the Lakers.

“If you look at the scores the other night, there were

several upsets, and very few games that weren’t right down to the wire, so it’s obvious there’s tremendous parity within our conference,” Wesley said. “Anytime we get a win we’re happy, but to do it on the road is like an added bonus.”

After these two wins, GVSU improves to an overall record of 6-1 on the year with a 2-0 start to GLIAC season to go along with that. Despite this early success, Wesley and the rest of the Lakers are more focused on the upcoming week, with two home conference match ups to GLIAC teams on the horizon.

“This is a challenging week for us, since Ashland was the pick to win the conference, and has probably separated themselves from the rest of the pack,” Wesley said. “It will come down to our ability to matchup with their physicality, and Saturday we play a Wayne State team that is always physical, so it’s going to be two really tough games.”

GVSU looks to improve upon their hot start this week, as they face Ashland at home on Thursday, Dec. 6 before playing Wayne State on Saturday, Dec. 8.

Both games are set to tip off at 8 p.m.

W. BASKETBALL

COOL, CALM AND COLLECTED: Grand Valley State senior guard Natalie Koenig takes a deep breath and looks at the back of the rim as she focueses on making a free throw in a game from earlier this year at GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. Koenig and the Lakers were able to pick up two more wins last week, beating both Wisconsin-Parkside and Purdue Northwest on their road trip. GVL | DAN PACHECO

Sluggish starts don’t stop GVSU women’s hoops from 2-0 weekend

BY BRADY MCATAMNEY EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

The No. 16 ranked Grand Valley State women’s basketball team trailed both Wisconsin-Parkside and Purdue-Northwest after the first quarters of their games on Thursday, Nov. 29 and Saturday, Dec. 1. They won both games by a combined 43 points, beating the UWP Rangers 67-50 and the PUN Pride 75-49 over the weekend.

“I thought (the weekend) was pretty good,” said head coach Mike Williams. “Both

teams really attack the rim and attack threes. You’ve really got to be on red alert all the time. You’ve got to be on point because they have the ability to get tough shots off and make tough shots.”

On Thursday in Kenosha, Wis., the Lakers only scored nine points in the first quarter and 12 in the second, finding themselves down 2621 at halftime to the Rangers.

The second half would look much different, though, as GVSU more than doubled their score in the third quarter with a 24-10 outburst and added to their newfound lead with a 22-14 fourth.

“We did a great job the second half,” Williams said. “We were much better with the ball. Shots fell, we got better shots, we got shots we wanted. I think we finished out the game. It was a 30-point swing, we were down about 10 or 11 and ended up going up by 20 from the end of that second quarter. We need to start a little better, but it’ll come.”

Cassidy Boensch scored 17 points and brought down 13 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season.

Jenn DeBeor added 14 points while Maddie Dailey and Natalie Koenig each contributed nine apiece.

As part of the itinerary, the Lakers made the long trek back to Allendale after the game, returning home at 3 a.m. on Friday morning before hosting a noon practice, attending classes and hitting the road again on Saturday morning for Hammond, Ind. Once again, GVSU came out flat against the Pride as they were outscored 17-13 in the opening quarter, though this time, they would turn it around sooner. The Lakers would outscore PUN by a combined 28 points in the second and third to run away with their sixth win of the season.

“We just picked up the

intensity and focused on our defense and took care of the ball on the low block,” Boensch said. “I think we rotated really well and talked to each other, we worked well together. That worked out well.”

Boensch dominated once again, netting 20 points with 16 rebounds. Koenig added 11 points and Taya Andrews scored nine.

The Rangers and Pride shot a combined 36 for 127 from the field and 17 for 57 from three-point range in the two games, indicating that the Lakers’ defense was smothering. The opposing teams turned the

ball over 30 times, had 12 shots blocked and managed only 19 offensive rebounds on their 91 misses.

“Outside of that first quarter, we did a really good job of getting into the space of those shooters,” Williams said. “Our rotations were good and we rebounded really well; we didn’t give a lot of second chances.”

Now at 6-1 (2-0 GLIAC), the Lakers will return home for conference battles with Ashland (7-0, 2-0) on Thursday, Dec. 6 and Wayne State (3-4, 1-1) on Saturday, Dec. 8. Both games are scheduled to tip-off at 6 p.m. from Fieldhouse Arena.

DECEMBER 3, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A16 | SPORTS M. GOLF

GREENER PASTURES: The Grand Valley State men’s and women’s golf teams both frequently practice at The Meadows golf course, located on campus near Meadows Crossing apartments. The men’s golf team added four new golfers for the 2019-20 season, as incoming freshmen Drew Coble, Charles DeLong, Alex Jordan and Nick Krueger will be practicing on this very course soon. GVL | KATHERINE VASILE

GVSU Men’s Golf adds four new recruits

BY D’ANGELO STARKS DSTARKS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State men’s golf team recently signed four new golfers for the 201920 season. Drew Coble, Charles DeLong, Alex Jordan and Nick Krueger are all golfers who have racked up accomplishments in their high school careers.

With the graduation of one of the team’s best senior classes ever, the four recruits will be coming into next season with

expectations to contribute right away, as head coach Gary Bissell reflects on how good it is, and how good it can be.

“At the end of the day if you can play golf, that’s the most attractive thing,” Bissell said. “I’m trying to win championships here and the thing this class has is, on paper, it’s the best class we’ve ever signed by a landslide in terms of national ranking and high school success. On paper they look really good, but they don’t just look good on paper.”

Each recruit brings something different to the table and each has a different skill set that will be beneficial to the team, allowing them to perform at an elite level.

“Charlie DeLong and Nick Krueger are both ranked in the top 100 in the country in their class and there is a reason for that. They are ultra competitive kids, they live golf and they remind me of some of the best players in school history,” Bissell said.

“Drew Coble, he’s got a

great pedigree. His dad is a former golf pro and he is a very smart player and the trait that I think is most attractive about him is he plays well in big events. Alex Jordan is also a hyper-competitive kid and he’s also a tremendous athlete. He’s a really good basketball and soccer player and we are excited to watch him grow because he just recently made golf his main sport.”

Bissell knows that this class of golfers is an important one

because, after this season, the team loses key contributors Mitchell White, Bryce Messner and arguably the program’s best golfer, Alex Scott. The team will be losing members that have been major players in the program for years, and in order to compete the way Bissell would like to, these recruits will have play well right away.

“We are graduating the best class we’ve ever had. I’m not ever going to say that this is a class that is very replaceable, but I think we may have

done it with this one,” Bissell said. “Like I said, they are great on paper, and we aren’t sure yet how their game will translate to this level. Based on everything I have seen I think it will translate well. I think for us to be successful I think at least a couple of them will have to contribute right away.”

While the GVSU men’s golf team is done with their fall season, they will look to train to sustain their success come the spring season.

LET IT SNOW: While it may be fairly cold and annoying to drive through, it’s always a pretty sight to see when GVSU’s Allendale Campus is covered in snow, bringing in a ‘Winter Wonderland’ feel as students all over campus stress over final exams and projects.

KATHERINE VASILE GVL

L A K E R E XC H A N G E Announcements

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