Members of the U.S. Senate voted 62 to 37 on Nov. 16 to advance a bill known as the Respect for Marriage Act that would seek to codify interracial and same-sex marriage into law.
While the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings in Obergefell v. Hodges and Loving v. Virginia currently allow for same-sex marriage and interracial marriage to be recognized nationwide, such are not protected by any federal law.
Following the Court’s decision in June to overturn judicial precedent and rescind the nationwide right to abortion established in a previous ruling, advocates have signaled alarm over other rights like same-sex and interracial marriage currently guaranteed through Court decisions and not existing law.
The vote saw 12 Republicans vote with all Senate Democrats in pushing the bill forward. While the chamber has yet to put the bill to a final vote, the initial number of senators voting to limit debate on the legislation signals that it will likely have the support it needs to pass.
If passed by the Senate, the amended version will return to the House of Representatives for a floor vote and, if approved there, will move on to President Joe Biden’s desk for a final signature to be enacted into law.
West Michigan and the Grand Rapids area near Grand Valley State University was inundated with heavy snowfall last week and through the weekend as travel for the Thanksgiving holiday approaches.
According to WOOD TV8 reporting, almost two feet of snow had fallen in some areas of Grand Rapids since Thursday, Nov. 17, setting multiple daily records for early-season snowfall.
In addition, other areas in the Great Lakes region received several feet of snowfall in this same time period that has proven to be both immense and lethal.
On the east side of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, as much as six feet of snow was dropped on areas around Buffalo, New York. There have been at least two reported deaths in that area due to cardiac complications from shoveling snow.
Grand Valley State University will soon offer a new dining option for faculty and staff.
The new location, known as the Laker Club, will be located on the upper level of the Commons.
According to GVNext, a complementary buffet will be offered to faculty and staff on Nov. 21 and 22 to mark the opening of the location. Regular operations will begin on Nov. 28.
Amidst a surge in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) nationwide, staff at Grand Valley State University have sought to sustain efforts to fight against the spread of such infections.
According to the CDC, in recent years, young people, like those on college campuses, have accounted for nearly half of new STIs.
When considering the two most-common sexually transmitted infections, gonorrhea and chlamydia, many infected patients go untreated due to a lack of symptoms. When left untreated, sexually transmitted infections can lead to detrimental long-term reproductive consequences for both men and women.
Young adults between the ages of 1524, account for the most gonorrhea and chlamydia cases each year, according to the CDC. Although chlamydia appears to be on the decline for the time being, potentially due to its often-asymptomatic nature, new cases of gonorrhea are up 45%.
Most notably, the CDC also report-
TALKed a drastic rise in syphilis cases in 2020, after its near eradication from the United States in the early 2000s.
Experts suggest that this may be a result of a newly adopted laissez-faire attitude of young people surrounding barrier-based contraceptive methods. Consequently, studies performed by National Health Statistics Report found that only 19% of men and 14.8% of women between the ages of 15-44 reported using a condom every time they had sex during the last 12 months.
The rise in STIs could potentially be a result of the popularity of hormone-based birth control for women. Although this is effective in preventing pregnancy, it does not prevent against sexually transmitted diseases and infections.
GVSU’s Assistant Director of Student Wellness Katie Jourdan said that the university has been attempting to prevent such misconceptions from forming among students regarding birth control and contraceptive measures.
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On Nov. 15, Grand Valley State University hosted a Talk Back Tuesday event in the university’s Kirkhof Center, with speakers Shayna Akanke Marie and Mariah Arnold leading discussions about intersectional feminism.
The event welcomed people of all genders and backgrounds to join the conversation, and each person was encouraged to share their experiences.
The speakers began the discussion
by introducing themselves and sharing information about their experiences. They also introduced their podcast, “You Reachin,” to the group.
Marie explained her background and the oppression she has experienced while introducing the idea of intersectionality.
“Intersectionality is all about the compounding ways in which our marginalized identities show up,” Marie said.
According to Dictionary.com, intersectional feminism can be described as “a movement recognizing that barriers to gender equality vary according to other aspects of a woman’s identity, including age, race, ethnicity, class and religion, and striving to address a diverse spectrum of women’s issues.”
One facet of the topic Marie and Arnold explained was the importance of understanding the difference between dialogue and debate.
standing someone else’s perspective.
“For many people, debate goes in one ear and out the other,” Marie said.
When engaging in important conversations that can educate people on intersectional women’s issues, it is important to create healthy communication. Engaging in debate is often less effective than creating discussion, and it’s important to understand the difference between the two.
Marie shared a poem with the group, “A Woman Speaks” by Audre Lorde, a Black, lesbian poet who writes about finding the strength in her identities and what it means to be a woman and a feminist.
Marie said that Lourde and her poetry inspired her and spoke to her regarding feminism.
SHARING: GVSU hosted Talk Back Tuesday to guide conversations about intersectional feminism. Students were encouraged to share their own stories. GVL | SYDNEY LIM
Debate, they said, is something that people use to be correct in an argument or to prove a point, whereas dialogue is about listening for the sake of under-
Later in the discussion, Arnold asked the question, “Has anyone ever been called a feminist?”
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BY PAYTON BRAZZIL NEWS@LANTHORN.COMFollowing the results of the Nov. 8 midterm elections, politically focused student organizations at Grand Valley State University, including the GVSU College Republicans and the GVSU College Democrats, are beginning to lay out their plans going forward, hoping to incorporate more opportunities to find common ground amongst the student body.
After college students turned out in large numbers to vote in the midterm election this year, democrats swept statewide offices, holding the governorship and gaining majorities in the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate. This democratic control in Lansing has not been seen since 1982, according to MLive.
College Democrats’ President, Jacob Welch, said he was satisfied with these results.
“For the most part, we won everything on the ballot which was perfect,” Welch said. “Since the election is over, I feel like there’s a lot of tension that has dissipated.”
Revived after the pandemic, the College Democrats work to connect democratic students with each other, campaigns, candidates and county and state parties.
Before the midterm elections, the
organization worked closely with democratic candidates such as Hillary Scholten and David LaGrand. The group also held multiple rallies, including pro-choice rallies and, during the election, informed students as to what would be on their ballots.
Now that the election has ended, Welch said the group hopes to do a weekly entertainment night and to work for increased collaboration with the College Republicans.
“We’ve been thinking of doing a weekly TV night, where we watch a political show, either The West Wing or Veep... and we’re in talks with College Republicans on how best to combine our clubs to have events,” Welch said. “We want to try and bridge the gap, because I know partisanship can take a toll on our community, so I’ve been trying to work on that.”
Welch said these potential events with College Republicans would be a discussion about perspective and common ground.
“College Republicans and College Democrats are like two sides of the same coin. We share a lot of similar beliefs, but there are beliefs we don’t share, and I think we can get divided really easily,” Welch said. “But it’s just navigating those beliefs that we do share and respectfully discussing the beliefs we don’t share… since we’re all going to be influencing the
world we graduate into.”
College Republicans’ Vice Chair, Zachary Schmidt, agreed that the two organizations may collaborate next semester.
“We are in talks and want to hold a joint event and the point of that would be to show that two sides can still get along, even though we have our disagreements,” Schmidt said. “So, that is a very real possibility and it’s something that we’re trying to figure out right now, and hopefully, we’ll be able to do that next semester.”
In preparation for the midterms, College Republicans had multiple republican candidates speak to the group and facilitated opportunities to volunteer for different campaigns.
After disappointing results, the College Republicans plan to have more social activities and look forward to attending the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
“Coming off of election season, obviously it was a tense election and it didn’t really go the way that a lot of our club members wanted it to go, which is how democracy works, so that’s okay,” Schmidt said.
“But, we’re kind of looking to take a step back and do more social events.
Following a string of violence on college campuses around the country, students have faced the harsh reality of the lack of safety and security in places that typically are thought to be secure.
The true extent of the problem is going right under our noses and there's a fear that these acts of violence may be more commonplace than we expect.
lence can come quickly and randomly.
This has been seen here at Grand Valley State University in the surrounding areas of campus. The recent acts of violence both in the cases of the stabbing at 48 West apartment complex and shootings that took place at The Alpine and Canvas apartment complexes were not committed by GVSU students.
editorial@lanthorn.com 11/21/22
Column: The three important concepts I’ve learned since being in therapy
hefty serving of new responsibilities and an unshakeable feeling of regret all convened on my conscious and produced a rather dark shadow.
For the second time in my life, I knew I needed to talk to a professional about my mental difficulties.
BY MALIK HARVEY SENIOR MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COMAt the beginning of this school year, I was in a rut. Stress began to weigh on me like a heavy book bag.
Being away from home, a
My first time starting therapy ended after two sessions due to COVID-19. Two years later, now seven sessions in, I feel equipped with tools and concepts to help manage my day.
I share these three concepts in hopes at least one person uses them in their own life and is empowered to change or seek help.
The first concept is “Being your own Best Friend.”
Times where I’ve felt I didn’t say enough, said too much or didn’t say anything at all play like reruns on a small screen in my head. My therapist advised me to close my eyes and picture the younger me who made these mistakes; thinking of the advice or comfort I needed from someone at that time. Once the words and emotions came to me, I was to verbalize them.
After a few deep inhales and even deeper exhales, I opened my eyes to what felt like a new room.
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Column: Remaining vigilant on Twitter as platform devolves
status in Twitter became official.
Social media has never been perfect and there are always efforts to keep the online environment safe and fun, but Twitter recently seems to have lost all control of this.
owned by the individual or group running it. The mark helped prevent the impersonation of public figures, and other users could trust the tweets were really coming from that person or organization.
According to CBS News, there seems to be an increase in instances across the board, “As violent crime surges in cities big and small across the country, it is encroaching on what many have considered safe havens — college campuses, which are having to step up safety protocols in response.”
The proposed solutions vary from increased policing to more proactive measures. The effectiveness of these proposed measures is hard to gauge, however, as acts of vio -
However, acting on the warning signs from students within the campus communities instead of ignoring them could potentially curb the violence that ensues.
On Nov. 14, a student at the University of Virginia and former member of the school's football program shot and killed three football players that were on the team, while injuring two others, as a group of students were returning from a field trip.
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or staff.
BY SAM NOWOTNIK JUNIOR BUSINESS MANAGMENT EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COMIn recent weeks, Twitter hasn’t been able to keep out of the headlines. Whether it's new regulations, safety issues, large amounts of staff being laid off, or talk about the new Chief Executive of Twitter, Elon Musk, it's everywhere.
After months of talk and uncertainty, the acquisition of Twitter finally came to an end when Musk's
Restrictions on Twitter have never been looser, with old accounts that were banned being allowed to join the platform again and the majority of selective censorship being removed. This causes concern for anyone on the platform and is the reason why certain videos and pictures that should never be circulating on the internet are found on Twitter and not on any other platforms.
Another new addition to Twitter that caused an uproar of opinions was the new blue check verification plan.
The blue checkmark on Twitter indicates there have been additional steps to verify the account is
Now, anyone is able to purchase a blue check mark through a subscription to "Twitter Blue."
Fake accounts are at an alltime high and only increasing. The messages being posted by these fake accounts are deceptive, as people see the blue check mark and assume they are legit. The messages range from funny to deeply problematic, and have already had a real-world impact.
To me, this was reminiscent of phishing emails sent to college students.
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On Nov. 16, Grand Valley State University continued its Democracy 101 series with an event focused on political preparation for the holidays.
Lisa Perhamus, the director of GVSU’s Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse and associate professor of literacy, educational foundations and technology, gave a presentation titled “When Polarization Becomes Personal: Family Feuds and Friendship-Splits,” that equipped students with skills to navigate holiday season discussions.
For some, the holiday season is stressful. Oftentimes, generational differences between families can cause disputes. Times have changed rapidly, and some individuals may retain outdated ways of thinking that may be seen as less socially acceptable these days.
Throughout the holiday season, these differing points of view can clash during family gatherings.
Acknowledging this reality, Perhamus looked to provide tools for students to handle difficult situations and conversations with tact and grace.
Guidelines of civil discourse can be applied to many different areas; not
only in academic scenarios, but also in informal situations such as a family meal. Conversations with family members and close friends are often more challenging than conversations with strangers due to the deep histories and emotional investments that are inherent to the interaction.
However, Perhamus urged students to investigate why people hold the beliefs they do. Asking why someone thinks the way they do is less hostile, Perhamus said, and it provokes empathy. Rather than reciting statistics and news headlines, delving into what she described as the “tree-root level” of perspectives leads to more meaningful and empathetic conversations.
“Most conversations happen at the treebranch level, which is where your opinions lay,” Perhamus said. “This is where people throw statistics back and forth. The treeroot level, however, is really about the experiences you’ve had in your life that give shape to the opinions you have.”
Tapping into this deeper understanding of why someone thinks the way they do, she explained, helps family members and friends to view conflicting ideas through a more accepting lens.
When dealing with that one family member who always seems to have a dis-
senting opinion from yours, Perhamus recommended a few strategies to keep in mind.
“Resist conversation bait and decide when you want to engage,” Perhamus said. “Also, knowing when you need to exit a conversation is vital. Not every conversation is safe and productive, and it is completely acceptable to gracefully leave. Do not try to change a family member. You can only change yourself.”
Civil discourse is not about changing people’s opinions; it’s about hearing
and acknowledging their points of view and reflecting on it thoughtfully even though either party may not be persuaded to another school of thought.
“People’s beliefs are often wrapped up in their core identities, and when their identity is challenged, they feel threatened,” Perhamus said.
Following the results of the November midterm election in Michigan, a millage to fund the Patmos Library in Jamestown has been rejected a second time due to controversy around LGBTQ reading material in its collection.
The Patmos Library, located just 12 minutes from Grand Valley State University, has received national attention over its struggle to keep its doors open.
Conflict arose after library staff refused to remove LGBTQ literature from the library at patrons’ requests. Some community members feel books containing ‘non-traditional’ relationships should not be on shelves in the library, calling them offensive and inappropriate for library patrons.
The first tax levy, proposed in the August primary elections, resulted in the library losing nearly 85% of funding.
Patmos Library staff held firm, continuing to keep the LGBTQ books available for checkout. Some books, such as Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer: A Mem-
oir,” were relocated behind a counter and only available upon request.
In hope that more residents would vote to support the library, the millage was again put onto the ballot this November.
According to the Ottawa County Clerk’s Office, nearly 56% of voters in Jamestown voted against the renewal, with a final vote of 3,060 to 2,427.
The rejection of this levy has removed
key funding for the Patmos library, meaning the only library in the city of Jamestown will likely have to close its doors.
Once government funding falls away, the library will be required to sustain itself from private donations.
Kyra Fitzpatrick, a senior studying nursing, recently received her certification and said she felt pulled to the program for a variety of reasons.
“My nursing background is a big part of it,” Fitzpatrick said. “My mom works in the mental health field, so I’ve kind of gotten that from her, but it’s basically my nursing background. I think that the pandemic has taken a really big toll on all of us - especially our community specifically as we’ve had several people struggle and some losses on our campus as well, which is devastating for us all.”
Fitzpatrick said she had originally struggled with a fear of overstepping and asking the wrong questions when concerned about someone’s mental health. One of the professionals leading the session helped her to overcome this by stressing the importance of boldness in what some might see as delicate situations.
“She was like, ‘What’s the worst they’re going to say?’” Fitzpatrick said. “They’re either going to say, ‘Yes (I am struggling),’ and you can get them resources, or they’re going to say, ‘No, what are you talking about?’ For me, it’s better to have somebody mad at you than lose someone, you know? At the end of the day, it’s a harsh reality, but I think those were the biggest takeaways.”
Fitzpatrick said one of her favorite things to do following her training was helping the UCC run a mental health screening day. During the event, Fitzpatrick would encourage students to take the short screening survey to receive their results and then speak with a counselor.
“ Everyone was really, really receptive to it,” Fitzpatrick said. “They were very, very appreciative and of course, we were very appreciative of them, too, because that’s how we start the conversation. Even if people didn’t want to take the screenings, we just handed them a sheet that we give out with all the resources and they were very thankful for that, too.”
Zachary Nitz, another mental health ambassador, is a transfer student studying computer engineering and psychology. He is also a student veteran, having served five years in the Navy.
Nitz said his interest in the program came from his experience in mental health training in the military and his desire to see what resources the UCC offered for students.
“I thought it was a fantastic program that should be looked into and invested into more,” Nitz said. “I think preparing other students to be aware of (mental health) and speak about it and make themselves known as ambassadors or just someone to talk to (is important). Whether it be just to let off some stress or a reference point to get into other mental health programs the university provides is an extremely beneficial thing and gets young adults more empathetic towards each other.”
As the program develops, Padgen said the UCC is always working to improve it based on student feedback. This is received through follow-ups sent to students at the end of the program and a few months following its completion.
Padgen said the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The counseling center will be adding more interactive activities to the program as well as time for the students to connect with one another throughout the training based on constructive feedback received.
“I love Grand Valley,” Padgen said. “I love Grand Valley students. I have such a heart for students and their experience as a Laker and I think this is one way that I can do my part in making sure that every student’s experience on our campus is a good one.”
The next program will take place in the Kirkhof Center on Jan. 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On Nov. 14, Grand Valley State University announced the appointment of Patricia Thomas as dean of its Kirkhof College of Nursing (KCON).
Thomas, who has worked extensively with GVSU in the past and is currently the associate dean for faculty affairs at Wayne State University, will begin her new role on Jan. 6.
Thomas said she is excited to return to GVSU and continue working with students to help them in their educational pursuits.
“The one thing I am looking forward to the most is the commitment to educating exceptional nurses,” Thomas said. “I am excited about the possibilities that lie before us. There’s plenty of opportunity in our partnership with Corwell Health that helps us build support around transitioning nurses. For me, it is the ability to lead this incredible team of faculty and staff and to extend and expand our partnerships in the community for both the benefit of our students and the development of our first-class workforce.”
Thomas, who was previously employed with KCON from 2016 to 2019, looks back on her time with GVSU fondly.
“I came in as assistant dean for practice in KCON,” Thomas said. “In 2018, I was promoted to associate dean for practice in the college. The college has always been committed to developing practice partnerships and making connections to the community to really understand the health needs of people in the hospital setting. We forged new partnerships in the community so that our students would have great clinical experiences. I am most proud of that, followed by the partnerships that allowed our faculty to practice and participate in health systems as clinicians and experts.”
She was also quick to point out the circumstances of her departure due to family obligations. She considers herself lucky that things worked out – both for her family and in her educational pursuits with the students of GVSU.
“When I left in 2019, my daughter and son-in-law had a very high-risk pregnancy,” Thomas said. “Today, my two three-year-old granddaughters are doing great. When I left, it was to support them and to be available to my family. My family needed me, and we didn’t have any family that could help them.”
When it comes to research and new learning opportunities for nursing students, Thomas is looking forward to picking up where she left off with KCON.
“The college has been successful in research and grant funding the last several years,” Thomas said. “We will continue to expand that work and that
focus we have had on both the education of nurses in the undergrad, graduate and doctoral level, but also the expanding workforce. Those things will continue and have been ongoing. I will continue to do that work as we go forward, and we hope to engage students in this work and give them some different experiences about how nursing is perceived and how we do work in nursing that really transcends location.”
The goals of GVSU have always been meaningful to Thomas, who expressed her gratitude at having another opportunity to work with the faculty and students at the college.
“My reason for coming back to GVSU is that the mission and the vision and the commitment that GVSU has made in their day-to-day work is inspiring to me,” Thomas said. “It aligns with my personal and professional goals. It is who I am as a nurse and a leader, and I am looking forward to the possibilities.”
Helping students develop their skills in their chosen profession of nursing, Thomas said, has always been the most important thing to her during her time in academia.
“I think my favorite part about working with students is their energy and enthusiasm to learn and knowing they are leaning into their dream of becoming a nurse,” Thomas said. “When you see them catch on and realize they’re actually doing those things that they came to learn, that is incredible.”
As far as Thomas’ own choice to go into nursing, she cites family friends as inspiration for her decision to choose a job that would help better her community.
Over spring break this year Alternative Breaks is sending students on five service trips.
These are low-cost trips, ranging from $150 to $250 total including food, travel and housing.
Students that attend will be able to get 40 hours of community service done in one week. The trips are on environmental or social topics, and their goal is to help students get information to bring back to their home communities.
The information meeting is Monday, Nov. 21 from noon to 3 p.m. Those who attend the meeting can get free stickers and candy, and there will be t-shirts available for $1.
The meeting will be at the clocktower and is the last information session of the semester.
For questions before or after the event, students are welcome to email ab.gv.president@gmail.com or ab.gv. finance@gmail.com.
On Monday there will be an information session for students interested in studying abroad in Australia. The session will start at noon and run until 1 p.m.
Students that attend will get information about life in Australia as well as the GVSU’s partner universities, those being University Sunshine Coast or Macquarie University in Sydney.
For more information, students are encouraged to email studyabroad@ gvsu.edu.
On Monday, Nov. 21, students can participate in yoga to help target stress and burnout.
This is a collaborative event with the Counseling Center and Recreation and Wellness.
The session will emphasize mind and body connectedness targeting postures, movement and meditation. It will also focus on enhancing psychological wellbeing to encourage concentration and mental clarity, increased emotional stability and reduced stress and anxiety.
This is being held in the Fieldhouse dance studio, room 160 and is reoccurring. It will start back up again on the Monday after Thanksgiving break.
The last yoga class for the fall semester will be Dec. 19.
On Monday, GVSU students can get a Thanksgiving meal at the Dish in Kleiner. Food will be served from 4-8 p.m.
There will be another chance to have a Thanksgiving meal on campus on Tuesday Nov. 22. Food will be served at the DeVos campus in the Plaza Cafe from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
All of the menus will be posted on the Laker Food Co. Instagram page @GVSUFood.
In an effort to raise awareness on the invasion of exotic species into the Great Lakes, a geology class at Grand Valley State University held a Creative Project Day where students used their creativity to make a project based on an invasive species of their choosing.
At the multi-purpose room in the Mary Idema Pew Library more than 80 creative projects were displayed, including posters, poems, presentations, songs, sculptures and dioramas.
The project topics centered on a problem the students chose from a book titled “Pandora’s Locks” written by Jeff Alexander. The book discusses the St. Andrews Seaway, a network of locks, canals and channels that enable ships to move from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, taking invasive species with them.
“I had students develop a creative project that is focused on educating the general public about a particular topic,” said Peter Riemersma, the geology professor who assigned the projects.
Riemersma said he wanted his students to communicate their knowledge visually and creatively. Although this is Riemers-
ma’s eighth time teaching geography 105, he said every time he teaches it he’s surprised by his students’ new ideas.
“Developing material to teach somebody else requires a different approach and a deeper understanding of the content than just writing a paper on the topic,” Riemersma said.
Many students involved were surprised by their findings when researching.
“I didn’t know the extent of the damage that invasive species caused, and I didn’t really know the severity of them and all of the different types of things they impacted,” said student Charlotte Schuerman. “Not just the water specifically but things like buildings also.”
Schuerman created a presentation about the lifecycle of a zebra mussel, one of the most problematic invasive species discussed in the book.
The Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia virus, known as the fish equivalent of the Ebola virus due to its fatality, was the subject of student Melissa Ramirez’s project. She said when fish acquire this virus, they develop red blotches on their bodies, and their eyes start to bleed.
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A group of students has been conducting a research project about opossums alongside chemistry professor Marshall Werner for the past six years.
Werner was interested in researching how two proteins from an opossum were able to resist even the strongest snake venom. His father being a veterinarian, Werner knew about the resistance that opossums possessed at an early age.
“The goal of this research is to understand the mechanism of how these proteins that 0possums make provide resistance to pit vipers,” Werner said.
In order to understand this, Werner and his students have studied opossums all the way down to their genetic makeup.
The goal of the research is to discover a way to make better treatments for snakebites.
“So what we’ve done is we’ve taken the gene out of the opossum and put it into bacteria so that we can then express the protein or make lots of it, and then we purify it, and then that allows us to study it in the lab,” Werner said.
Despite the inevitability of problems arising, Werner and the students have con-
tinued their research.
“Problems always come up and research, research is mostly about persistence and overcoming challenges that come up,” Werner said. “I have a saying for my students in the lab that if 50% of your experiments are working, you’re doing really good.”
Werner said it’s best to look at challenges as an opportunity to discover something new instead of just a setback.
“Research is an excellent way to learn about critical thinking, addressing problems and figuring out how to answer those questions and problems,” Werner said. “That can be applied to any kind of discipline or profession.”
Werner said the group hopes to continue to build upon their research as they learn more.
“What we want to do now is actually determine the three-dimensional structure of that protein so that we can help understand the mechanism of exactly how these proteins are providing resistance to the opossum,” Werner said. “We might learn something that would be useful, maybe form a smaller peptide or other therapies that could be used after a snake bite that might help a patient.”
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Students work alongside professor to discover new treatments for snakebites
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, “The Hip Hop Nutcracker” is touring across the nation and will be stopping in Grand Rapids to perform. “The Hip Hop Nutcracker” is a performance that reimagines the ballet “The Nutcracker” into a modern setting and tells the story through Hip Hop dance.
This rendition uses Tchaikovsky’s original score and storyline while changing and adding in additional elements such as digital graffiti and visuals and changing the setting to contemporary New York City.
The performance will take place Nov. 27 at the DeVos Performance Hall at 7 p.m. Ticket prices vary and more information can be found on the DeVos Performance Hall website.
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre began performances of their production “Mary Poppins” on Nov. 18 and will run until Dec. 18.
The performance tells the story of Mary Poppins. Originally told in the books created by P.L. Travers and in the Walt Disney movie, the story is set in 1910 England and follows Mary Poppins’ while she is the nanny for Jane and Michael. The story takes the characters through “magical” adventures while Poppins teaches both children and adults lessons.
Additionally, the Nov. 26 performance will feature American Sign Language interpreters and audio descriptions to create a more accessible performance.
More information and ticket prices are available on the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre Website.
The Comedy Project, a comedy and cocktail theater near downtown Grand Rapids, will be hosting a performance of “Battle BotsImprov Comedy Show” on Nov. 25 at 10 p.m.
The performance will feature the humans of their “A.I. cast.”
The Comedy Project describes the event as “fast-paced” and “high-energy.”
The Comedy Project puts on a variety of improv, sketch and comedy variety shows. Additionally, the organization has a comedy training center program that offers workshops for people to improve their comedy acting and improv, communication skills and comedy writing skills.
Tickets for “Battle Bots- Improv Comedy Show” can be purchased online for $12. There is a “no refund” policy.
Grand Valley State University’s Theatre program premiered their performance of “Gloria,” a contemporary play originally written by award-winning playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins on Nov. 8.
“Gloria” originally debuted off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre in May 2015. The story is a dramatic comedy that follows the lives of working Americans after a sudden tragedy. It explores dynamics in the workplace and aims to provide a more expressive take on societal conflict.
The director, Diane Machin, said Jacob-Jenkins’ writing in the play is inspired by his own experiences and elaborated on throughout the play.
“Before (Jacob-Jenkins’) journey of becoming a playwright, he worked in an editorial office, where the first act of the play takes place,” Machin said.
Machin said she chose “Gloria” for the GVSU Theatre Program because of the play’s commentary, as it’s centered around young adults and college students.
“Last year, the faculty asked what types of plays would you love to direct with the students and I said that I’ve really been wanting to do a play specifically with young people,” Machin said. “The first act takes place in the editorial office with young workers who have way more ambi-
tion for their lives than just working in the office. Then a big event happens.”
The action of the plot drastically shifts when there is a shooting at the office the play is set in within the first act that leaves two people dead. To lessen the surprise and minimize triggers for the audience, Machin and other faculty members made sure to notify viewers and participants about this content. The rest of the play pertains to how the characters handle the aftermath of the traumatic event.
“The way that they deal with it is not what we would assume and is in toxic, uncomfortable and backwards ways,” Machin said. “Jacobs-Jenkins is able to write for very different character backgrounds in
“Designed: State of Mind” is an art exhibition that showcases the work of 12 graduating Graphic Design majors from the Grand Valley State University’s Department of Visual and Media Arts.
This exhibit gives a space to display the work made by students for the BFA Student Design Exhibition. Students were able to explore topics or ideas they were passionate about through their own individual works that include websites, apps, packaging, magazines, stained glass and other design projects.
Emily Hahn, one of the graduating seniors, used this opportunity to begin developing a website that she expressed is “a work in progress.” She stated that her piece is inspired by her own experiences with discrimination.
“I am gay and have realized that many people in the Grand Rapids area who are LGBTQ+ do not have resources, such as housing, safe jobs, events and so on,” Hahn said. “I wanted to make a website that would have resources for them to look through.”
Additionally, Hahn designed a
really nuanced and specific ways.”
During the rehearsal process, fight director Timothy Acker came in to choreograph a shooting sequence in the play and teach students safe ways to execute it. There was an emphasis on the importance of getting the performers and audiences ready to interact with challenging material.
“When this play is done in larger metropolitan areas, I think that people who go to see a play like this have an understanding and expectation on what is shocking,” Machin said.
poster to advertise the website and made different free items, such as stickers and buttons aimed to support the LGBTQ community.
“There are some nerves though,” Hahn said. “I feel like a lot of people at GV are LGBTQ+ friendly, but I still worry that my work will be judged harshly because it has to do with the LGBTQ+ material.”
Overall, Hahn said she feels the opportunity to have her work presented in an exhibit not allows people to view her own work, but to see “what kind of terrific things are going on in the art department.”
Another student in the exhibit, Hannah Barton, created an educational app that teaches programming to adult women.
“My target audience is actually middle-aged women because they didn’t necessarily get the opportunities to learn when they were our age,” Barton said. “Kids today have access to so many resources, but that wasn’t always the case.”
Grand Valley State University’s DI men’s hockey club are now 16-4 on the season after two dominating matches against Eastern Michigan University this past weekend.
The Nov. 18-19 matches were split between a home (12-1) and an away battle (14-0) that finished in an offensive landslide.
GVSU will continue their season in a double-header against Concordia University - Ann Arbor on Dec. 3-4, the latter being played at the Griff’s Georgetown Ice Arena with a 2:30 p.m. puck drop.
With an undefeated regular-season record (11-0), GVSU football was recognized through individual awards and honorable mentions.
First and foremost, junior quarterback Cade Peterson was named Offensive Back of the Year as he was a catalyst for the team’s stellar performance thus far. Peterson accumulated 2,076 yards (led GLIAC with 230.2 yards per game), 16-total touchdowns (456 rushing yards; seven touchdowns) while throwing 135-221 passes.
Peterson was also named the GLIAC Player of the Week twice this season (five total in career).
Senior offensive tackle Quinton Barrow, a top lineman in the country, was named Offensive Lineman of the Year and is a pillar for the o-line that leads the GLIAC in total first downs (256) and a rushing offense that averages 241.1 yards per game (466.7 yards total).
All-American candidate Junior Abe Swanson was named Defensive Back of the Year as he racked up 73 tackles (29 individual, 44 assisted), 7 tackles for a loss of 25 yards in total, and 2.5 sacks. On top of these stats, Swanson was also recognized as the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week twice this season (five total in career).
Additionally, All-American candidate Christian McCarroll was named Defensive Lineman of the Year as his contribution to the secondary unit was a huge disruption in each match. McCarroll recorded 29 tackles (13 solo, 16 assisted) with 11.5 tackles for a loss of 54-total yards (four sacks).
Last but not least, an onslaught of Lakers were named All-GLIAC First and Second Team in addition to honorable mentions:
First Team Offense: Peterson, juniors Tariq Reid, Jordan Davis and Garrett Carroll, sophomore Jahdae Walker, Barrow
First Team Defense: McCarroll, Swanson, senior Damon Wesley, sophomore Nyzier Fourqurean, redshirt freshman Trace Hrgich
Second Team Offense: senior Jayk Slager, sophomores Jaylon Tillmon and Gabe Brown
Second Team Defense: junior Colton Hyble, sophomore Jack Gilchrist, redshirt freshman Terez Reid
Honorable Mention: seniors Antonio Strong, Jack Provencher and Nate Umlor, juniors Seth Hoonhorst and Joel Linden
BY BRIAN BLOOM SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM
Grand Valley State University’s men’s and women’s cross country competed in the 2022 NCAA Midwest Regional Championship as both sides finished first overall to secure the title.
The men’s team captured its 20th-consecutive regional championship in dominating fashion with a final score of 58 points in the Men’s 10k - the second closest team being Saginaw Valley State with a score of 113. The women’s team won its 21st-consecutive regional championship by a sizable margin as well (31 points) as the second-place finisher, Cedarville University tallied a score of 73.
“We ran smart and controlled,” said assistant coach Alan Peterson. “Tanner (Chada) and Caleb (Futter) got out in front early and led the pack (for the men’s). On the women’s side, the three runners going top-three was very impressive. They looked really strong and controlled the pace.”
In the men’s race, five of the top-20 finishes were occupied by GVSU runners. Leading the group was Chada (senior), who placed second-overall
individually with a time of 30:48.
“It was a good race,” Chada said. “We try to take regionals a little conservative (in order) to use this meet to prepare for the national championship.”
Futter (sophomore) was not far behind Chada, finishing third with a time of 30:53 as sophomore Sam Martens crossed the finish line in 14th with a running time of 31:34.
Rounding out the top-20 runners were redshirt freshman Brock Wooderson (19th) and sophomore Daniel Lambert (20th) as Lam -
Grand Valley State University women’s basketball had another big scoring weekend as they played two games at home against Tiffin University and the University of Findlay with final scores of 78-50 and 83-45 respectively.
The Lakers played against Tiffin on Nov. 18 and opened up the game by taking a 9-2 lead as the game clock read 4:23 remaining in the first quarter. Just as it seemed the Dragons would knot up the score after a 2-7 scoring run 11-9), a good three-pointer by senior guard Emily Spitzley ignited an 11-4 surge by GVSU to build a 22-13 lead heading into the second period.
Redshirt freshman guard Nicole Kamin would be the first player to score in the second as a converted three-pointer was one of six field goals made by GVSU. The 10-minute period saw just 25-total points from both sides combined as a 1510 scoring advantage by the Lakers put the team ahead 37-23 at the sound of the halftime buzzer.
Spitzely’s three-pointer and a true layup by redshirt sophomore center Joslyn Brennan put the Lakers up by 17 points (42-25) with
bert would finish a hair behind his teammate with times of 31:44 and 31:45, respectively.
The Women’s 6k saw a trio of Lakers claim the top spots in the individual leaderboards as junior Klaudia O’Malley (21:19), freshman Lauren Kiley (21:28) and junior Natalie Graber (21:29) made a strong push to lead their team to the regional title.
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THE FULL ARTICLE7:38 remaining in the third.
GVSU’s strong defensive efforts have been a testament to their overall potential early in the season as they allowed the Dragons to score their highest amount of points in a quarter at just 14 total. The team would end the third with a 60-37 lead after a three-point conversion by redshirt sophomore guard Hadley Miller with just five seconds left on the clock and sending GVSU into the final period with nothing short of confidence.
More defensive stops and the team’s second-highest scoring percentage in a quarter (41.2% FG) put the game to bed as the Lakers amassed an 18-13 scoring period as the final score would read 78-50.
Three Lakers scored in double figures as Spitzley led the team with 17 points (game-high) with two steals and a block in 23 minutes.
Kamin and redshirt sophomore guard Ellie Droste tied for 13 points apiece as 10 other players added to the scoring numbers as well.
The team held Tiffin University to a poor 39.2% overall as 30 bench points and 24 second-chance points allowed GVSU to dominate their opponent.
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BY MADELEINE SMITH AND ANTHONY CLARK JR. SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM
Grand Valley State University’s women’s soccer faced off against Ferris State University in the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship that resulted in an upsetting penalty kick shootout in favor of the Bulldogs, 1-3.
“I am incredibly proud of this team,” first-year head coach Katie Hultin said. “It is so hard to end your season on PKs, but it’s part of the sport.”
The upsetting loss comes after an illustrious season for the Lakers, which managed to clinch the GLIAC regular season title (12-2-4 record), the 2022 GLIAC Tournament title and saw three Lakers secure Offensive Player of the Year (junior Taylor Reid), Defensive Player of the Year (senior Cate Brown) and Goalkeeper of the Year (sophomore Kendall Robertson).
GVSU saw a huge victory at home against Ferris State (3-0) in the second round of the GLIAC tournament on Nov. 4 that ultimately led to their conference title victory over Northern Michigan.
However, the Bulldogs would get the best of the Lakers in a redemption match that took place in Bemidji, MN on Nov. 18.
The first 45 minutes of regular time saw both sides of the pitch fire off several shots (GVSU seven, FSU five) as the Bulldogs’ keeper prevented three-total looks by the Lakers while the opponent couldn’t get a shot attempted that required Robertson to make a save.
Although GVSU continued to control the offensive attack in the second half with an 8-7 shot advantage, Ferris State made four more huge saves while Robertson saw just one save total - and 90 minutes of scoreless action eventually led to the first overtime period.
“Our team possessed the ball for the majority of the game, but both teams were very competitive and had many scoring opportunities,” said freshman midfielder CeCe McCarthy.
The inability to capitalize on offensive looks would be the ultimate demise of the Lakers as the team would have three more looks at the goal in the first half of the overtime bout, two of which were saved once more by the Bulldogs. On top of which, GVSU held their opponent to zero shot attempts in the 20 minutes of overtime.
Immense pressure, anxiety and onetoo-many close calls for either side finally came down to a do-or-die situation as the teams went into five rounds
Grand Valley State University’s men’s basketball played their last of a three-game road stretch this past week where the Lakers slipped past the University of Findlay 73-65.
A slow start for the Oilers saw GVSU take advantage to build a 16-6 lead just inside the first six minutes of the first half (14:05). However, the lead wouldn’t last as a one-of-four shooting slump by the Lakers allowed the opponent to climb their way back into the game and cut the deficit to just two points (18-16).
Just under seven minutes later (7:07), the Oilers finally inched their way back to an even score to tie it at 25-25. A 7-7 scoring run by the teams finally saw Findlay take the first lead of the game with three minutes remaining in the half, 32-35 after a true three-pointer was made by the opponent.
The Lakers wouldn’t let up, however, as they continued to respond to the buckets made by the Oilers and ultimately took the first half scoring lead at the sound of the buzzer after a made jumper by junior forward Marius Grazulis and a three by freshman guard Harris Britain pushed the scoreboard to 42-37.
A jumper inside the painted area by graduate student forward Chinedu
of penalty kicks. However, an exhausted Laker unit saw nine of its 13 players play all 110 minutes of the match.
GVSU was given the first penalty kick opportunity as senior forward Kennedy Bearden, the second leading-scorer for the Lakers all season (13 goals) lined up and successfully converted her attempt to put the team up 1-0.
However, the Bulldogs would respond immediately after to knot the score at 1-1 and begin the painful end to the Laker season.
Three-straight misses by GVSU and two more scores by the Bulldogs led to the final whistle as Ferris State took the regional title and advanced to the next round.
“(The) team is pretty upset with the loss against Ferris,” McCarthy said. “Especially because it ended in PKs and we were able to beat them in GLIAC (Tournament) a couple weeks ago.
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Kingsley Okanu opened up the second half box score, and six and a half minutes later, two successful free throws by senior guard Luke Toliver extended the lead to 11 points (57-46) - the largest lead created by the Lakers the entire game.
However, another scoring run by the Oilers over the next nine minutes would cut the deficit to 67-62 as GVSU called a timeout to regroup with 4:25 remaining.
The break in the action proved effective as the Lakers slowed down the momentum shift and held strong in the remainder of the game, allowing just three more points to be scored by the Oilers while adding six more to their lead and closing out the game with a win.
Grazulis led the team with 15 points on six of 11 shooting while grabbing three rebounds. Okanu followed up his teammate with 13 points (6-8 FG) alongside four rebounds and an assist. Toliver and redshirt freshman guard Trevor Smith would also score in double figures as they contributed 11 and 10 points respectively.
The Lakers first half scoring percentages were some of the best of the season thus far (57.1% overall) while shooting 5-10 from behind the arc and converting 83% of their free throws (5-6).
However, the scoring slump in the second half reflected in the box score as the team’s numbers dropped across the board: 45.8% overall (11-24), 1-5 from three and a much-needed eight of 14 from the charity stripe to keep themselves afloat.
GVSU’s paint presence was also a factor as 30 points were accumulated from inside the box, 35 bench points of the total 73 and solid 14 points scored off turnovers.
The team’s defense also held the opponent to poor numbers all around as the Oilers recorded 41.1% overall, eight of 29 from three (27.6%) but converting their free scoring attempts at the free throw line with 11-13 converted.
Head coach Cornell Mann and the players were unable to be reached for comment.
After hosting their home opener on Nov. 20, the Lakers will head back on the road in a two-game stretch against Missouri - St. Louis on Nov. 22 and Maryville University on Nov. 23.
These games will start a three-game week for GVSU as the team will round out the weekend with a home game against the University of Michigan-Dearborn on Nov. 26 with tip off at 7 p.m.