Grand Valley Lanthorn vol. 57 no. 16

The Grand Valley Lanthorn’s

Semester in Review

GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

Shooting, stabbing at GV area apartment complexes continue semester-long violent crime trend

BY EMMA ARMIJO NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Following a string of violent criminal activity at apartment complexes in the Allendale area, students and residents encountered another incident in the early hours of Sunday morning, Oct. 29.

Around 2:45 a.m., reports of a stabbing at 48 West Apartments came through to which Ottawa County deputies responded while on patrol.

The victim of the stabbing was not on the scene at the time of law enforcement’s arrival, but many vehicles were seen exiting the apartment complex.

News Channel 3 reported the male victim arriving at a local hospital with non-fatal stab wounds shortly after. The victim is in stable condition.

No arrests have been made in the case, which is still under investigation.

48 West Apartments is largely populated by GVSU students. They cater mostly to the commuter student population on campus, many of whom are feeling concerned after the events of the weekend.

48 West addressed residents in an email following the incident, in which the complex alleged the suspect involved in the stabbing incident has been arrested. There has been no news coverage or announcement from Ottawa Police to corroborate that, however.

The email acknowledged the stabbing as a “police response to an assault” that occurred on the premises. 48 West stated the incident did not involve residents of the

NOV. 7

complex and extended a request for local law enforcement to visit the complex community more frequently.

A property manager of 48 West, who requested to remain anonymous, said the email was sent to residents within a 24-hour window of the events that took place the previous morning. He was hopeful that the 48 West community reaching out to residents would provide some closure and additionally some preventative structure for further events of the like.

“We did already have (the security system) enhanced or upgraded, and a security presence that allows more control, more people walking around,” the manager said. “We’re also looking into a couple of other things, but nothing is set in stone.”

The manager said the complex takes safety very seriously, explaining 48 West is taking the necessary steps to make sure the events are not repeated, especially following a string of similar events happening in the area.

Bella Roselli, a GVSU student and 48 West resident, said she feels scared to walk around after dark following the events of the weekend.

“It’s getting freaky around here, and I don’t want to walk to my car across the lot after 10 p.m., let alone go to a party by myself,” Roselli said.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com

Local, state, national Dems rally at Pew Campus ahead of Election Day

BY JOSH ALBURTUS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Local and statewide Democratic candidates and their supporters converged on Grand Valley State University’s Pew Campus in downtown Grand Rapids on Nov. 6 in an effort to encourage voter turnout and energize a key voting base in the state ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections.

The Grand Rapids region, once known as a reliable Republican bastion, has become a critical battleground for both parties in recent elections as the region has trended increasingly toward the Democratic party.

In 2018, Governor Gretchen Whitmer carried the county with 50.5% of the vote, followed by President Biden’s 51.9% in 2020, making him only the second Democratic presidential nominee to carry the county in over 50 years.

State Representative Carol Glanville, D-Walker, testified to the region’s ideological shift on Sunday night, citing her recent flipping of a Republican seat in a special election earlier this year.

“I currently serve the 74th House District here in the Grand Rapids area which is Grandville, Walker and north Kent County,” Glanville said. “That district had been a Republican stronghold for 40 years until May of 2022.”

Democrats like Glanville are hoping to repeat their recent success in the region in Tuesday’s elections. With newly drawn legislative districts following the 2020 Cen-

sus, Democrats have expressed optimism in their ability to flip seats and aim for majorities in the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate.

“It is this energy, it is this attitude here in West Michigan where people are ready to come together and do the hard work and get it done that got me over the finish line with a 52% win,” Glanville said. “We are going to do it again on Nov. 8. We’re going to hold my seat, we’re going to collect up the rest of these House seats and we are going to send a majority to help Gretchen Whitmer do the good work that needs to be done here in the state of Michigan.”

Local Democrats were joined by members of Michigan’s congressional delegation, including the state’s two Democratic U.S. Senators, Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow.

The senators, neither of whom are up for reelection during this election cycle, promoted the candidacy of instate Democrats while also focusing on narratives pushed by the national party. Such included their concerns over what they see as an American democracy in peril as well as the accomplishments of a unified Democratic Washington.

“We took on the drug companies, we took on Big Oil, we took on the gun lobby, we took on corporations who don’t pay their taxes and we won,” Stabenow said.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR

EVENTS: Democrats rallied in the courtyard of GV’S Pew Campus in an effort to encourage youth and college voters that have become crucial to the party. GVL | JOSH ALBURTUS

APARTMENTS: Multiple instances of violent crime were reported this semester at off-campus apartments. GVL | BRI CONWAY

At the Lanthorn, we strive to bring you the most accurate news possible. If we make a mistake, we want to make it right. If you find any errors in fact in the Lanthorn, let us know by calling 616-3312464 or by emailing editorial@lanthorn.com.

The Grand Valley Lanthorn is published weekly by Grand Valley State University students 31 times a year. One copy of this newspaper is available free of charge to any member of the Grand Valley Community. For additional copies, at $1 each, please contact our business offices.

The Lanthorn is published on recycled paper and is printed with soy bean ink. This means that our newspaper is entirely compostable. Help us do our part to be kind to the environment by recycling or composting this newspaper after you enjoy reading it.

POSTMASTER:

Please send form 3579 to:

Grand Valley Lanthorn 0051 Kirkhof Center

Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI 49401

Midwest gas prices rise rapidly amid regional, global oil supply shocks

BY JOSEPH POULOS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Gas prices in West Michigan are on the rise again this month, due in part to multiple factors on the regional and national levels.

In the Midwest, the explosion of a British Petroleum (BP) refinery in Ohio on Sept. 20 has begun to constrict local oil supplies. The refinery, which has the capacity to produce 160,000 barrels per day, suffered a subsequent fire that left two employees dead and caused a full evacuation of the staff.

“Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of these two individuals,” BP America said in a statement released the following day. “All other staff is accounted for and our employee assistance team is on-site in Toledo to support our employees impacted by this tragedy.”

This recent incident adds to the reversal of fortunes for local gas prices after they had started trending back into a lower direction.

According to the American Automobile Association, last month, Michigan’s average regular unleaded stood at $3.83 per gallon. As of Oct. 6, this average now

NOV. 28

stands at $4.34 per gallon.

However, the factors causing gas prices to return to higher rates are complex, as international politics play a role.

The international Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) controls much of the world’s known oil supply and has large sway over global oil price control. During the first week of October, OPEC announced its decision to cut oil production significantly by 2 million barrels per day.

Polly Diven, a political science professor at Grand Valley State University and the director of its international relations

program, emphasized OPEC’s massive influence on the global oil market.

“OPEC is an intergovernmental organization consisting of the leadership of 14 of the largest petroleum exporters,” Diven said.

“Together they produce about 40% of the world’s crude petroleum.

In the past year, OPEC has affected fuel prices by constricting or expanding their supply of petroleum on the world market.”

GV Student Senate passes legislation to restructure, raise student wages

BY PAYTON BRAZZIL NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

After calls for reform from members of the Grand Valley State University community, the university’s Student Senate passed a proposal with the intent of it being shared with the Vice President for student affairs and University Academic Senate on Nov. 17 aiming to usher in a restructuring of the pay scale that determines on-campus student wages.

In the bill, the Student Senate re-

solved that student employees are being paid below local market values, finding that some students being compensated at a 33% lower hourly rate than students working off campus.

Larbi Al Moutaa, Student Senate’s Vice President of Diversity Affairs and sponsor of the bill, said that students’ frustration was impossible not to notice.

“We received a lot of messages on our social media, complaining about it,” Al Moutaa said. “It was definitely something we needed to address, so we underlined the problem and we researched what was causing this general frustration.”

During their research, Al Moutaa said the Student Senate first noticed what they saw as imperfections in the student wage chart, which is currently split into seven classifications to determine wages based on each job’s duties, required experience, skill level and supervision required. The on-campus wage chart is designed for employers and supervisors to review the wages in order to pay their employees.

Al Moutaa said they determined the

chart to be too broad and that it does not acclimate to the local market value.

“For one of the characteristics of the student wage chart, they say, ‘for more moderately difficult tasks, or something like high level or related skills,’ that is really broad and it doesn’t give a proper description to every single position, it’s just a gradient,” Al Moutaa said. “We also noticed that it doesn’t accommodate small local market value, in a way where every single student position has a different local market value based on that specific position, and that chart just puts everything in one.”

Along with research on student wage rates, the Student Senate also met with multiple stakeholders and came to the conclusion that student employment contradicts itself when telling employers how to follow the student wage chart.

FUEL: Fuel prices at local stations rose quickly early in the semester. GVL | SYDNEY LIM

MI ballot initiative sparks new abortion debate at GV

BY GRACE SMITH NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

This summer the Grand Valley State University community watched the abortion access saga unfold in Michigan.

From the initial ruling of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to the brief hours of Aug. 19 when county prosecutors in Michigan were able to pursue abortion cases before an injunction was issued, the state’s legal position on the issue has remained unstable.

Although abortion access is protected in Michigan for the foreseeable future, activist groups on the GVSU campus are now preparing for the next phase in the fight over the statewide legality of the procedure: the Michigan Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative.

Through social media campaigns and tabling events in the university’s Kirkhof Center, GVSU’s Students for Choice club has promoted pre-election ballot signing with the goal of getting the initiative on the ballot in the upcoming November midterm elections. If the initiative was to pass, reproductive rights would be codified in Michigan’s state constitution.

At GVSU’s Gayle R. Davis Center for Women and Gender Equity, Violence Prevention and Education Coordinator and Faculty of Director of Students for Choice, Leah Short, detailed what she sees as the necessity of her club’s efforts to get the measure on the ballot.

“I see a lot of demonstrations with coat hangers and blood, which perpetuates the idea that abortion is unsafe, when we know it’s not,” Short said. “Leav -

ing people without access is unsafe.”

After Students for Choice and other activists submitted over 750,000 signatures from across the state, far surpassing the 425,000 needed to be added to the ballot, the measure is now poised to cause a fresh wave of debate on the issue as it comes closer to appearing on the ballot.

Following a recommendation from the Michigan Bureau of Elections that concluded 596,000 valid signatures to have been submitted, the Board of State Canvassers has until September 9 to certify the measure and allow it to appear on the ballot.

Protect Life at GVSU has sought to steer the campus community away from supporting the measure. In a statement, Protect Life at GVSU President Sarah McNamara said that the initiative would have dangerous consequences should it pass.

“In Michigan, there will be a referendum on the ballot this November that, if passed, will amend the state constitution by creating a right to abortion and basically deregulating it completely,” McNamara said. “This amendment is poorly written and is painted as ‘protecting reproductive rights’ which is incredibly misleading. It would even get rid of things like informed consent for women, parental consent for minors [and] health and safety regulations for abortion facilities.”

To promote their political opinions this fall, McNamara said that Protect Live at GVSU will be focusing on educating the community about the consequences of the constitutional amendment. She plans to continue to have progressive and educational conversations about abortion access

and working to connect women with resources and local pregnancy support centers such as Positive Options.

McNamara also said that they invite everyone to come and share their opinions.

The debate surrounding abortion has led to dialogue on GVSU’s campus in the past, with demonstrations at the Cook-Carillon Tower and the cancellation of the debate between GVSU’s Students for Choice and Protect Life at GVSU.

The university has not released an official statement on the matter.

GV officials address Student Senate on student enrollment, diversity

BY CHLOE SCHRAM NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

At their Nov. 10 general assembly, Grand Valley State University’s Student Senate welcomed university Vice President for Enrollment Development and Educational Outreach B. Donta Truss and Associate Vice President of Admissions and Recruitment Daniel C. Vélez to speak to senators.

Truss said this year GVSU brought in more student diversity than ever before. In aiming to provide equity in students’ opportunities and resources, GVSU has created a strategic enrollment management plan to help potential students in the admissions process.

“We are always looking for new, innovative approaches to recruiting students to GVSU and are open to suggestions,” Truss said.

Holistic admissions, the admissions method used by GVSU, was adopted by the university during the COVID-19 pandemic. This method makes the process of admitting students more equitable by considering factors outside of a student’s academic performance in their application.

“Students who fall in a certain (grade point average) range can be reviewed, and their neighborhood and lived experiences are also considered in the admissions process,” Vélez said. “We look at more than just GPA and test scores.”

Vélez said GVSU also looks to drive enrollment through partnerships with various organizations and programs. This includes getting input from the Student Senate and

pairing with over 80 charter schools throughout Michigan.

He said GVSU also provides international students with visitation programs and restructured admissions among other services. International students can submit applications for GVSU and join the large community of learners in West Michigan.

GVSU also takes transfer students into consideration when attempting to attract applicants. Transferring schools can be intimidating, so the university wants to make the process possible and accessible for everyone.

“We are pushing to create access to different students interested in transferring to GVSU,” Truss said.

The Be a Laker, Bring a Laker program also helps recruit students of different interests and backgrounds to the university, in which alumni, parents, students and faculty members connect with prospective students and encourage them to apply to GVSU.

“We want to walk alongside those students and are working on collecting that data to help these communities,” Vélez said.

Truss and Vélez seemed to indicate in the meeting that GVSU will continue to attempt to find new ways to bring student diversity to GVSU and make admissions more considerate for students with different backgrounds and life experiences.

OFFICIALS: Vice President of Admissions and Recruitment Daniel Velez was one of the officials to address the university’s Student Senate on Nov. 10. GVL | BETHANN LONG

HEALTHCARE: Abortion was seen as an issue of healthcare by advocates ahead of the midterms. GVL | MEGHAN TRIPP

By Donovan Lopez

Column: Stop making excuses for Kanye West’s antisemitism

As Kanye West’s recent and past antisemitic comments are gaining attention across the internet, a conversation about antisemitism is happening nationwide.

About two weeks ago, Kanye posted to Twitter saying, “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” along with an offensive comment about a Jewish “agenda.”

His antisemitic comments are not just being posted on his twitter, though. Kanye’s hateful and disgusting remarks have been spreading over various media platforms for years.

ti-Jewish crimes (FBI, 2019). That means over half of religious hate crimes in total for that year were against Jewish people.

Too often, we see people ignoring these statistics and excusing antisemitic hate like that of which has been spread by Kanye.

“He’s mentally ill, he doesn’t really mean that,” or “He’s a great music artist, he just says some bad things,” people say in regards to his prejudice and offensive comments.

These are just some of many remarks I have heard from not only several of my peers, but even a professor at GVSU.

ideology just because their favorite celebrity said it, especially when they have no place to do so.

Over the past few years, we saw a nationwide increase in antisemitic crimes. There was a 34% increase from 2020 to 2021 in these disgusting occurrences, including shootings at synagogues, harassment of Jewish individuals, antisemitic graffiti and more.

BY CHLOE SCHRAM SOPHOMORE DANCE EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

“Kanye is right about the Jews,” read a large banner hung above a popular highway in Los Angeles, California, earlier this week. The people standing by the banner do none other than the nazi saltue.

Interviews and social media posts from “Ye” have given neo-nazis another excuse to show their true colors, for example drawing swastikas, committing hateful crimes and hanging banners like the one spotted in Los Angeles.

This kind of hate is constantly undermined and ignored by non-Jews, despite how common these occurrences are.

The FBI reported that in 2018, 57.8 percent of religious hate crimes were an -

While it’s important to acknowledge Kanye’s mental health, it’s also important to understand that it’s not something we can use to excuse hateful behavior. Mental health is just as valid and consequential as physical health, and it should be taken seriously, but it should never allow discrimination and hate to be spread with no consequences.

It is exhausting hearing non-Jews forgiving something as serious as Hitler’s

In December 2021, four people were held hostage inside Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. The gunman interrupted a religious service at the synagogue with a gun and held these four innocent people, including a rabbi, hostage. Finally, over 10 hours later, the FBI stormed in to take action and free the citizens.

Kanye’s recent actions have made people angry, but why is the public not exasperated by so many other incidents?

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com

Column: Awareness of world events matters as protests erupt in Iran

The women’s rights movement in Iran has surged to a whole new level since the death of Mahsa Amini.

22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini was arrested by morality police and sent to a “reeducation center” after wearing “inappropriate” attire on Sept. 13. The circumstances for her “inappropriate” attire was too much hair protruding from her hijab. Amini died in a hospital in Tehran on Sept. 16.

Police said that she collapsed from a heart attack while in custody; however, Amini’s family, witnesses and injuries report evidence that she was beaten.

try has required all women to wear hijab since 1983. This came following the 1979 Islamic Revolution when the new conservative ruler, Ayatollah Khomeini, made it compulsory in order to follow the teachings of the Quran. Even when it was first decreed, women took to the streets in protest and were met with violence.

It’s important to note that this issue is not with Muslim culture or religious beliefs. This is about a woman’s right to govern their own bodies and practice their beliefs freely. The goal of the protests is to bring attention to the atrocities being committed against women under the Iranian regime.

BY HOPE LEINEN JUNIOR

These sorts of targeted injustices have been prevalent in Iran for decades. Though the rules have changed over time, now allowing women’s hair to be visible, the coun-

These women, who are protesting for rights that we take for granted every day in the U.S, are being arrested or murdered for their dissent against the Iranian government. Mahsa Amini wasn’t the first and certainly wasn’t the last to become a victim of this regime, as over 200 protestors have been killed since protests erupted in September. The women of Iran are fighting for something that we all desire and deserve: bodily autonomy.

These injustices have gone on for years and now the women of Iran are tired of it. They are fighting back through protests of varying degrees. They are cutting their hair, photographing themselves degrading pictures of Supreme Leaders, taking off their hijabs and protesting in the streets.

LAKER LIFE

GV highlights mental health awareness

BY MELIA WILLIAMS LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

Members of multiple organizations at Grand Valley State University took part in special events to promote students’ mental health with Mental Health Awareness Week.

From Monday Sept. 12 to Friday Sept. 16, this student-led event focused on a different topic every day in order to spread awareness of mental health. Monday began the week with ‘Mindfulness Monday.’

“We are encouraging students to come and take resources, we have a little ‘braincation’ QR code that takes you to University Counseling Center, meditations and mindfulness practices,” said Isabella Griesmaier, who was handing out information at the event. “We’re also inviting students to go into the LGBTQ Resource Center to relax, spend some time in their probably busy day and look over some of these tips we have.”

The QR code that was available for students to scan had a video definition of what mindfulness is and a number of videos on meditation. Multiple online and audio tools are still available on the website to help students with whatever they are struggling with whether that is anger, anxiety,

self-confidence or grief.

“I think that you can never be too adamant about advocating for people’s wellness,” Griesmaier said. “It’s really easy to forget, especially with the semester already being underway. We really wanted to just make an effort in the beginning of the school year.”

The week carried on with ‘SelfCare Tuesday,’ where over 300 mental health stickers were handed out.

“Students were happy to be seen and heard,” said Cameron Lindsay, organizer of Mental Health Awareness Week.

Students were excited to see the therapy dogs at the event along with the numerous journal prompts that were offered. This event gave students a chance to voice their feelings to their peers. Lindsay said it was encouraging to see how many students were using the tools they provided to check in on one another.

On Wednesday Lindsay and her peers, Maddie Olsen and Megan Hieronymus, were back at the clocktower welcoming students with music, stickers and more fliers to approach the table as part of the Community Resource Fair.

“The goal for today was to get as many people as possible to show the most amount of care for the students as possible,” Lindsay said.

Lindsay said it’s important that organizations on campus such as the LGBT Center, the University Counseling Center, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and RecWell are all implementing mental health and holistic health practices so that students know that they are supported in each of these areas.

A large part of the community resource fair was to help students find options on what to do and who to go to if they feel like their mental health

isn’t in the best place.

“(The community resource fair) also gives you the resources and the knowledge to equip yourself so that if your mental health is in a challenging state, and you’re looking at it and you’re thinking to yourself, ‘maybe I need some more help,’ you know who to go to and who to ask,” Lindsay said.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com

GV food gets rebrand with Laker Food Co.

BY LEA GAETTO LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

Laker Food Co., formerly Campus Dining, has recently been re-established as the brand new food service at Grand Valley State University.

Despite there being numerous bumps in the road with this corporation over the past two years such as poor feedback from students or the COVID-19 outbreak, the company has made efforts to turn it into a positive experience.

“Like most businesses, supply chain issues, labor shortages and reduced populations made for challenging operations,” said Deb Rambadt, Marketing Director of Laker Food Co. at GVSU.

When GVSU students returned to campus in the fall of 2021, campus life as students and staff knew pre-pandemic was not attainable. Many classes were hybrid, but most were fully on a Zoom call at home or in the dorm.

This left Campus Dining struggling to maintain employees and satisfy company and customer needs. As collateral damage, dining options

were limited.

To combat these issues the corporation offered several incentives for people to join the team such as a sign-on bonus, though this stimulus was not enough to save the business needs. They remained understaffed and as a result they could not reopen fan-favorite restaurants until fall 2022.

Despite these setbacks, Laker Food Co. took monumental steps to enhance its image after two years and was able to fully open all dining resources on campus for the first fall season in years.

“Laker Food Co. continues to hire to meet staffing needs,” Rambadt said. “We continue to see some supply chain issues as vendors and distributors manage their own staffing issues, though other areas of pandemic concern have reduced.”

The pandemic alone presented enough issues for Laker Food Co. to address, but it also brought light to significant and necessary changes that needed to be made.

Rambadt has been with the university for 26 years. During her time here, she said that she has had the opportunity to witness remarkable amounts of

change within the facility in the form of restaurant expansions, new menus, food-related technology and services.

“Changes and additions are driven by student feedback, suggestions and food trends,” Rambadt said. “The campus community response has been very positive.”

Last year, students raised concerns regarding Campus Dining’s contract with food service company Aramark. While the GVSU continues to contract food service from the company, significant changes have been made to dining operations on campus.

Many students agree with Rambadt’s statement and are thrilled to see the campus dining hall up and running again. Senior student at GVSU, Alana Appel, spoke highly of Campus Dining before the pandemic.

“When I first started at GVSU, I always loved to go to the dining hall to buy food, hang out with my friends and feel like I was embracing the college experience,” Appel said.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com

RESOURCES: GVSU brought awareness to mental health this semester by giving students difftent resources to get help in ways that work for them individually. GVL | MELIA WILLIAMS

DINING: Grand Valley opened more on campus dining selections this semester under Laker Food Co.

| ANNABELLE ROBINSON

Abigail Paige Morden

We are so proud of your determination and hard work towards earning your bachelors in human resources and marketing.

Love, Your Family

Abby Johnson

Abby-

We are so proud of you for working so hard to accomplish your goals! Looking forward to seeing what your future holds! Congratulations!

Love Mom, Clint, Colin, Trevor & Shane

Aranza Agoytia

Congratulations on your graduation Aranza, we are so proud of you for your accomplishments and achievements and most of all, for the person you’ve become. Wishing you success and happiness always.

LU

Caroline Emery

Caroline ~ We are so proud of you! Wishing you adventure, happiness & success in the next chapter of your journey!

All our love, Momma & Marky Mark Anna & Lainey

Cody Sumerix

Congratulations, Cody! We are so proud of all of your success.

Love, Mom & Dad, Ashley, Kyle, Levi, Myles, Brooke, Justin, Paige & Chris.

Esabella Powers

Esabella, We’re so, so proud of you, graduate! Absolutely our #1 daughter! We celebrate your individualism. Make your mark on the world.

Love, Mom and Dad

Ethan Morgan

Congratulations, Ethan. We are so proud of you. We know this is just the first of many great accomplishments to come!

Love always, Mom, Dad, Sargum, Taylor and Shelton

Isayana Gallegos

Congratulations Isayana!

We are incredibly proud of you. Your perseverance in the face of adversity is admirable. You will make a difference in the lives of children.

We love you!

Joshua Alburtus

CONGRATULATIONS JOSHUA ALBURTUS!

Fight for the things that you care about, and you will win, in your fierce, kind, & honest way.

Love - Mom, Dad, Jessica, Jacob

Karley Lambert

Congratulations Karley, Remember always we love you and these words as you continue your journey. Before you, all your dreams. Within you, all you need.

Love Dad and Mom

Katarina Post

Katarina, Congratulations on your graduation! We couldn’t be more proud of you! You will always have our unconditional love and support.

Love, Mom, Dad, Nik and Zoe

Kellie Hope

Congratulations Kellie, It’s been exciting to see the hard work, dedication and passion that you have shown. Can’t wait to see what’s next!!

Love, Mom & Dad

Kayla Oliver

Kayla, I’m extraordinarily proud of you.You accepted the challenge, persevered, and won. This accomplishment is the beginning of what God has for you. Continue to never give up. I’m proud to be your mom.

Love You

Kirsten Kneller

Kirsten, As you enjoy the benefits of your hard work, I wish you great success in everything you set out to do. Today and always, congratulations and happy graduation.

Love,

Mom & Dad

Mackenzie Yowtz

We love you and could not be more proud!

Don’t try to lessen yourself for the world; let the world catch up to you.” - Beyoncé

Madison Barton

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. Congratulations on your graduation!

With love and pride today and always, Mom and Dad

Meryl Luoma-Mannisto

Meryl - we are so proud of all that you have accomplished at GVSU! Look out world - here you come.

Love you, Gracie, Dad, Mom, Charlie, Yahoo & Family.

Nicholas Hart

Congratulations on graduating , we are so proud of you . We can’t wait for you to begin your next chapter.

Love Mom , Grandma Kerry, and Bruno .

Rachael Marie Anderson

Congratulations Rachael on this special day. We are so proud of the hard working, passionate woman you have become. We know your journey will be amazing.

Love,

Mom, Dad, Nicholas, Sevrin

Rachel Dandurand

Congratulations! -Mom & Tom

Shanique Alicia Blyden

To our daughter / granddaughter, We are very proud of your accomplishments you have made. Congratulations, you have made it by the help of God.

Grandma Gloria Trotman & Mom Eunice LaGrone

Joshua Alburtus

Josh Alburtus started off as a news reporter for the Lanthorn in August of 2021. His dedication to truth and ethics immediately strengthened the organization, providing straightforward coverage of local, state and university politics, holding elected officials accountable and always advocating for impartiality. He would go on to become the News Editor in August of 2022. Naturally, Josh managed his team with excellence, often contributing longer, well-researched pieces while always keeping the success of his staff at the forefront. In the chaotic lead-up to the midterm elections, his passion for highquality journalism was on full display. His election coverage was consistently ahead of mainstream publications, and he landed an interview with Governor Gretchen Whitmer, too. In the office, his bright attitude and laughter were contagious, proving that in addition to being a great reporter, he was a great person, a valued friend and an incredible asset to any team you could put him on. Josh’s contributions to the Lanthorn cannot be overstated.

RachelYou’re destined to do great things in the future, but as you make your way in the world, never lose sight of the things that matter most!

Love,

GV Renaissance Festival brings students to the past

BY CLEMENCE DANIERE LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

This past weekend, Grand Valley State University held its yearly, and much anticipated, renaissance fair. The grassy area around the clock tower was overrun by tents and people who share their love for the event.

Merchants, entertainers and visitors gathered to immerse themselves in the renaissance era for just a few days. This event, which was held by the GVSU Renaissance Festival Club, was the 26th annual festival.

Throughout the club’s time, it has shrunk in size some years and grown in

others, but the tradition of the festival has continued on despite attendance levels. This year, the club has about 20 active members, which allowed them to set up a sizable festival.

Members of the club, merchants, entertainers and other event-goers were dressed up in renaissance clothing for the occasion. People sported armor, classic renaissance era dresses and corsets. Dressing the part is a big aspect of the renaissance festival and allows everyone to express themselves in a way they don’t usually get to on a day-to-day basis.

“I am looking forward to the experience of being able to take on a different persona and put on a costume,” said Aaron Kumpula, a GVSU student and mem-

ber of the Renaissance Festival Club. “It’s a cool way to immerse yourself in a different time period and it feels like you’re a part of something bigger.”

The merchant director of the club created a space for vendors to set up tents and sell merchandise related to the festival’s theme. Anything from clothing, to jewelry, to chainmail and leather goods were available for purchase.

A museum was also set up which featured information about warriors from different time periods and locations around the world. Artifacts, such as swords and sickles, were put on display to educate visitors and emulate the weaponry that was used throughout the time periods.

A merchandise tent, Oma’s Costume Closet, provided event-goers with clothing that fit in with the renaissance theme. Corsets, skirts, dresses and other accessories were available for purchase.

Dark Goddess Leather Pleasures, a leatherworking and clothing merchant tent, was run by Diane Kowalski, a GVSU Alumni. Before her time as a merchant, she was involved in the Renaissance Festival Club from 1999 to 2003 as a student. After being involved in 23 fairs over the years, she has made her mark on the renaissance festival

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

GV rallies to support veterans on campus this Veteran’s Day

BY ISABELLE ENGLAND LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

Each year, Grand Valley State University rallies together to celebrate Veteran’s Day and show support for student veterans on campus. GVSU prides itself on being a safe and inclusive place for veterans and active military members to continue their education after or during service.

This year the Campus Activities Board (CAB) held a banner signing event for students to help construct a banner thanking local veterans for their service. Donuts and cider were provided and students sat talking with one another. They shared their own stories or stories of family members in the service and celebrated the dedicated service veterans provide to the United States.

Later in the week, GVSU hosted Vice Admiral Sandra Stosz for their 12th annual Veteran’s Day Breakfast and a later scheduled keynote presentation.

“This Veterans Day, to pay tribute

to all the men and women in uniform, past and present, the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, Grand Valley State University’s Office of the President and Grand Valley State University’s Peter Secchia Military and Veteran Resource Center are proud to welcome retired Coast Guard Vice Admiral Sandra Stosz,” said Brent Holmes, Acting Director of The Hauenstein Center at Grand Valley State University.

On Veteran’s day, U.S. service members, veterans and veteran-affiliated guests were invited to GVSU’s 12th annual Veterans Day Breakfast. The breakfast was held at the alumni house and aimed to celebrate those in attendance and their service.

Stosz was the first woman to command an icebreaker ship on the Great Lakes and to lead a U.S. armed forces service academy. Stosz served 12 years at sea, commanded two ships and led a large Coast Guard organization during times of crisis. Ending her 40-year career, she was the first woman assigned

deputy commandant for mission support. Newsweek’s The Daily Beast named Stosz on their “List of 150 Women who Shake the World” in 2012.

Stosz’s Keynote was held later in the day, at the Loosemore Auditorium. The speech moved the room as she recounted important events and accomplishments in her 40-year-long career in the service.

“The MVRC’s mission is to build a powerful military-connected community that supports student veterans and their families in realizing their fullest potential,” said Jill Hinton Wolfe, Director of GVSU Military and Veterans Resource Center. “This means we do whatever we can to help them reach their goal of getting a degree. It’s important that we as a campus meet student veterans where they are, but also encourage them to connect with other elements – clubs, academics, sports — of the campus community.”

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR

COMMUNITY: This past Veteran’s Day, GVSU held different events on campus to show thanks to veterans. GVL | MACAYLA CRAMER

IMMERSION: Grand Valley hosted their annual Renaissance Festival this past October, creating an immersive experience for students and community members. GVL | ANNABELLE ROBINSON

CAB hosts first fall concert

BY ELIZABETH SCHANZ ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

This past week Campus Activities Board (CAB) held its fall concert with a performance from Indie-Pop band lovelytheband. The event took place in downtown Grand Rapids at GLC live at 20 Monroe, with an estimated turnout of about 700 people after only one week of ticket sales. This was CAB’s first official fall concert outside of previously putting on various homecoming events in past years. The last concert CAB hosted was the spring concert in April 2022 with a performance from Yung Gravy, which took place at the fieldhouse on the Grand Valley State University Allendale campus.

lovelytheband was originally formed in 2016 and consists of three members: lead singer Mitchy Collins, drummer Sam Price and guitarist Jordan Greenwald. The group had its first hit in 2018 with their song “broken” topping the Billboard Alternative Songs hart for seven consecutive weeks and the Billboard Rock Airplay chart for nine consecutive weeks.

Originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan, Collins said during the set that he was excited to be back in Michigan. Throughout the set, he connected with the audience

about his time in Michigan, noting that during his time in Grand Rapids he went to the Woodland Mall in Kentwood and asked the crowd for bar recommendations in Grand Rapids. Collins also took a BeReal post for an audience member.

The band’s performance consisted of songs from previous and newer albums. They opened with their song “loneliness for love” and continued with “these are my friends,” a cover of The Killer’s “Mr. Brightside” and wrapped up the night with “broken.”

CAB director of headliners Erin Gallaher said CAB’s choice of bringing lovelytheband was to bring in artists that have a least a couple of songs that the “vast majority” of students are familiar with in order to appeal to the student body.

“We wanted a band that would bring a good show and good energy at a time in the year when there is not a lot going on,” Gallaher said. “Our events are to lift students’ spirits and lovelytheband has a set list that felt appropriate for that goal.”

CAB announced the artist only about a week prior to the event. Leading up to this announcement the organization dropped hints on its Instagram including graphics of a pool, the venue “The Roxy” and an image of three members. Students were able to comment their guesses of who the group was, and those who guessed correctly had

the chance to receive free tickets. After the concert was announced, CAB held a raffle for a meet and greet with the band.

GVSU senior Rory Jones won the meet and greet and was excited, as she is a longtime lovelytheband fan, previously seeing the band a couple of years before the COVID-19 pandemic in Detroit.

“I was in the library studying because I had an exam, then I got a DM on Instagram from CAB saying ‘Hey you won a meet and greet,’” Jones said. “I freaked out a little bit and I was really excited.”

Jones said she started listening to lovelytheband in high school at the time they released their first album. She said that their music has gotten her through difficult times. This was a message that the band shared with the audience during their performance advocating for mental health and support.

Jones said the band was very friendly, sociable and seemed just as excited to see her and her friends as Jones was to see them.

Along with the meet and greet, Jones said one of her favorite moments of the concert was Collins’ interaction with the audience, jumping into the crowd, singing and dancing with attendees.

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

Professional dance company performs and teaches at GV

ALLISON BAIR ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

As a part of the Grand Valley State University Arts Celebration, South Chicago Dance Theatre (SCDT), a professional dance company, performed their show titled “Energy | Power | Grace” at the Haas Center for Performing Arts. In addition to her company’s performance, Executive Artistic Director of SCDT Kia Smith taught classes for the

GVSU dance program students and hosted an audition for spots in her company.

Smith began her dance career at age 16, later than most professionals do. She said ever since she was a kid, she was drawn to dance and knew she wanted to have a dance company.

Smith pursued her dance journey and attended Western Michigan University where she obtained her BFA in dance. Later, Smith founded her dance company in 2017 while working towards her Master’s degree.

“I knew I wanted to call my company ‘South Chicago Dance Theatre’ for a long time because my company has a long history on the south side (of Chicago),” Smith said. “My family came to the south side of Chicago during the Great Migration, so my family has been here for a long time so I just feel very tied to it.”

SCDT is in their 6th season as a company and Smith emphasizes that she has barely “scratched the surface” of where they hope to go and what the future holds for the company.

Smith said SCDT is very diverse and that she looks to find the best dancers she can get. She values each dancer’s professional artistic freedom rather than having all over her dancers look the same in both appearance and dance style.

SCDT’s work emphasizes community both within company and the surrounding area. The company aims to build relationships and uplift one another.

“We do work locally and internationally and I think it’s kind of the same thing,” Smith said. “We worked in different countries, and yes, we go there to dance, but we really go to build community with people and to get to know people and spend time with them and to just bring light wherever we go.”

SCDT brought 12 dancers to perform at GVSU on Monday, Nov. 7. The performance consisted of one contemporary ballet piece, one contemporary piece and two jazz pieces.

“The company had not only an incredible

performance, but a very versatile one as well,” said senior dance major Megan Vernier.

Additionally, Smith taught six different classes during her time at GVSU including ballet, modern and choreography. Smith also held her company auditions on Friday, and approximately 50 dance students auditioned.

The GVSU dance curriculum coordinator, professor and event coordinator Carrie Brueck Morris wanted to bring Smith in to work with students and chose to reach out to Smith after attending a concert in which SCDT performed. Smith accepted the invitation to come to GVSU almost immediately.

“I think it’s important for our dancers to see professional companies and really consider both what it takes to be at that caliber and also the opportunities that are out there in the professional concert dance world,” Morris said.

Morris said that Smith brought new energy to the classroom. She emphasized that this offered a “refreshing” change of pace for students.

“Kia’s class was incredibly fast-paced and kept us moving the whole time,” Vernier said. “Class was a breath of fresh air and included some things I have never done or have not done in a while.”

Junior dance major Hannah Kunkel was in four of the six classes Smith taught.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com

AUDIENCE: GVSU students gathered at 20 Monroe for the performance. The downtown venue was spacious, sold concessions and there was a merchandise table. GVL | ELIZABETH SCHANZ

ATHLETICISM : South Chicago Dance Theatre combines artistry, strength and composition in their pieces. This creates a visual experience. COURTESY | GVSU DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC, THEATRE AND DANCE

GV art gallery curates the campuses

BY OMARI SEABERRY ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University Art Gallery’s collection consists of over 25,000 unique works of art, making it the second largest art collection in the state of Michigan. The gallery staff works to create a cohesive display of artwork throughout all GVSU campuses – both in and outside of the buildings.

According to the gallery’s website, the gallery team’s main goal is to “empower our community to engage with visual narratives that align with university values.” They incorporate this way of thinking into planning exhibits, learning events and choosing art pieces. Art pieces in the GVSU collection include various topics, artists and mediums to reflect GVSU’s values of a liberal education.

Project Manager and Curator of Public Spaces, Alison Christensen, said there is a process behind the placement of artwork on campus. During the curation process, the team looks at what educational departments are in each building and places art that reflects what programs will be in that space.

“We display everything with museum quality standards so that the presentation of everything allows each work of art to be special on its own,” Christensen said.

Christensen also meets with deans and directors to talk about objectives for programs in order to get a better grasp on what art should be displayed. This

process helps Christensen learn more about what happens within the buildings and gauge what type of art a department is looking for. After that, she sends a digital set of pieces from the database of GVSU’s art collection to the leadership of the departments to vote on.

“We want to make sure that whenever our work is shown in a space, the faculty will utilize it within their classroom in some way,” Christensen said.

Additionally, the Art Gallery team hosts exhibits and learning events across all campuses to help further engage students. This exposure hopes to enhance learning experiences beyond the traditional structure of the classroom. GVSU Director of Galleries and Collections, Nathan Kemler, said that the art has an impact on the viewer and can develop new ideas.

“We believe that art has the power to move people, to bridge gaps in understanding, to spark our collective imagination toward building a better, more equitable world,” Kemler said.

Work for these exhibits is done collaboratively by more than just the Art Gallery team. Artwork can be submitted by whoever is interested, including alumni, faculty, the community, current students and even international artists.

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

AUG. 1

ArtPrize cultivates competition and world records

BY STEVEN LAWRENCE ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

In a little over a month both Grand Rapids, Michigan and the Grand Valley State University community will conclude the summer with the city’s newly annual ArtPrize competition. This contest brings artists from all over the world to Grand Rapids where they get to present their artistic passions in whatever medium they choose.

The artists use painting, design, sculptures, interactive pieces and whatever else they wish to do to display their passions. Many artists take this as a chance to tell a story or display their views of the world around them, while some artists take it as an opportunity to push boundaries.

One such artist is Christina Hindley.

Hindley, Canadian native and current Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) student is working on a paper quilling project in which she will display almost 14,000 paper-quilled hearts at Art Prize in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most paper quilled hearts on display.

To execute the art of paper quilling, artists use a needle that resembles a knitting needle to fold and wrap colored paper strips into different shapes and sizes. Originally, Hindley said she was planning on making flowers but she soon decided against it due to time constraints.

“My first project was flowers, but it was going to take too long, so I changed it to my current project,” Hindley said. “If I would have kept with flowers, I would have never been able to finish the project in time.”

Hindley decided to start this task last year and reached out to Guinness World Records. She soon learned that a record like this had not been created yet, so she wanted to start her own.

After almost three months of waiting on a response from Guinness she finally heard back and they accepted her challenge.

The guidelines that Guinness sent to Hindley said that she would have a few months to create as many paper-quilled hearts as she could and that she would have to display them for a minimum of five minutes.

Hindley realized that ArtPrize was

a perfect chance for her to display her project. On Dec. 22, 2021, Hindley began the task of creating the paper quilled hearts until she finally concluded the project about seven months later on July 15.

“The work could be very tedious and give you lots of paper cuts, but I have always been a fan of Guinness World Records since I was a kid, and I enjoy paper quilling, so it was worth it,” Hindley said.

Since the last time she counted, Hindley has created 14,114 paper quilled hearts. She plans to display them all on five by eight foot poster boards. Her art will be on display outside of Park Church located near the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum during ArtPrize.

Hindley said Park Church, a known pro-LGBTQ+ church, reached out to Hindley because they loved her concept and work and asked if she would like to use their venue as a display location.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com

OBSERVE: With many different art pieces across the campus, students and visitors can experience various art pieces in hallways, walkways and other public spaces. Some of the pieces include photography, paintings, statues, pottery in addition to many other mediums and techniques. GVL | BRI CONWAY

CREATE: Hindley’s art piece showcases texture and various colors. The quilted hearts blend together into one. COURTESY | CHRISTINA HINDLEY

Women’s volleyball finds momentum in three-game week

BY MADELEINE SMITH SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

In another competitive week of close-scoring matches, the Grand Valley State University women’s volleyball team took on three conference opponents that finished 2-1 overall.

The Lakers played on Oct. 25 (Davenport University), Oct. 28 (Ferris State) and Oct. 29 (Lake Superior State), all of which resulted 3-1, 1-3 and 3-1 respectively.

GVSU mustered a 3-1 redemption match against the crosstown rival Davenport as the previous matchup was dropped 1-3 at home. This time around, the Lakers found themselves on the offensive attack and the defensive blocks as the only set loss was by three points.

The first set started well as the Lakers came out hot and created an 8-4 lead early. However, the Panthers would respond as the set continued to be a back-andforth battle up to the 20-16 mark.

Going on a 1-4 run, the Panthers looked as if they might come from behind and steal the set, but the Lakers didn’t fold and eventually took the first set, 25-20.

The second set looked as if Davenport would tie up the match as they maintained a lead for the most part. That was until GVSU was down 18-20 and made a commanding 7-1 run to stun their op-

ponent and take a 2-0 lead.

Facing a 3-0 sweep at home, the Panthers managed to make a resurgence and ultimately take the third set 22-25 to redeem themselves and extend the match to another set.

However, the set loss didn’t phase the Lakers as they would go on to close out the opponent in another close set win, 25-21.

Freshman setter Jordyn Gates did an exceptional job of leading her team in the match, totaling 15 kills, 27 assists, 16 digs and four blocks. Freshman Kendall Stover also added 14 kills and five digs while junior Sara Wight and freshman Meghan O’Sullivan added nine kills each.

“We have this little thing where we play for someone else on the team and the idea of not playing for just yourself but for your teammates as well and being there for each other,” Wight said. “I think that’s a big part of our success.”

Unable to defeat the Bulldogs at home earlier this season (1-3), the Lakers traveled to Big Rapids in an attempt to redeem themselves in this match as well.

However, the No. 1 ranked opponent proved why they have positioned themselves comfortably at the top of the GLIAC leaderboards as they managed to overtake the Lakers’ 8-3 lead and finish out the first set 20-25 in their favor.

GVSU rebounded in the second tremendously, taking a 12-5 lead at one

point and not allowing the Bulldogs to bring their deficit back within four points as they took the set 25-18.

This would be the first and only set the Lakers managed to take but still managed to put up a solid fight against the tough opponent. The third set was another dog fight as GVSU mounted a 4-11 deficit and took two separate leads (16-15, 17-16) but would eventually finish 23-25 in favor of Ferris State.

Facing a 1-2 match deficit and the potential of being sent home with a season sweep, the Lakers did their best to capitalize on their three leads at different points of the set (6-4, 10-8, 28-27) but the valiant effort to push to a fifth set ended in heartbreak as the Bulldogs closed the set and the match, 28-30.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com

Late touchdown lifts GV football over Ferris on the road

BY BRIAN BLOOM SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

The now 7-0 Grand Valley State University football team defeated the defending NCAA DII National Champions in Ferris State University in the annual Anchor-Bone Classic to end the regular season six-game losing streak against the opponent.

With the win, the Lakers were able to avenge two losses from the previous season and dealt the Bulldogs its first regular season loss since 2017.

“(The games left a) very bad taste in our mouth,” junior linebacker Abe Swanson said. “We went a whole season thinking about the playoff game and how much that loss hurt us, and it gave us fuel going into this one. There’s still a lot of season left, but it was so satisfying to get that win.”

GVSU started the game flawlessly, as junior quarterback Cade Peterson led the offense 60 yards in six plays on the opening drive, capped off by an 18-yard touchdown connection from Peterson to senior running back Jack Provencher to put the Lakers up a touchdown, 7-0.

left to play in the first quarter.

On the ensuing GVSU possession, the offense alternated between their run game and short passes to go on a six-minute drive that saw the team run 16 plays for 63 yards. However, the drive would ultimately stall out and led to junior kicker Josh Gorball sending a kick through the uprights from 35 yards away to give the lead back to GVSU, 10-7 with plenty of time in the first half.

Ferris once again didn’t hesitate to respond as Taylor hit paydirt on a 31yard run for his second touchdown of the day, putting the lid on a four-play, 73-yard drive to make the score 10-14 in favor of the defending champs.

A few drives later, the Laker defense forced a punt and Peterson again led the offense down the field, setting up a first down and goal just eight yards from the endzone. A run for no gain by junior running back Tariq Reid, followed by an incomplete pass intended for sophomore wide receiver Jahdae Walker, put the offense in a third-and-goal situation.

With bragging rights on the line, the offense stayed on the field, but to no avail, as Peterson’s pass intended for senior tight end Scott Cooper fell to the turf, giving the ball back to FSU and taking a four-point deficit into the locker room as the game clock trickled down to zeros, signaling the halftime break.

The second half began as a defensive stalemate. Both offenses struggled to move the ball and as a result, no points were scored until the 1:20 mark in the third quarter as FSU’s redshirt quarterback Carson Gulker powered his way across the pylon, making the score 10-21.

Head coach Matt Mitchell understood that facing an 11-point deficit against a team like Ferris is not an easy feat to overcome, but the veteran coach kept the team in line.

NAIL-BITER: The win was not only secured by a last-minute touchdown, but this was the first matchup GVSU managed to defeat their long-time rival since their meeting in the 2016 season.

COURTESY | GVSU ATHLETICS

Ferris State responded three drives later, as quarterback Mylik Mitchell found running back Marcus Taylor who scampered 31 yards for a score to knot the score at seven points each with 5:54

Peterson found sophomore tight end Drew Peterson for five yards that left the offense facing a fourth-and-goal situation at the three-yard line and a crucial decision to make; go for it and face the potential of no points, or play it cautiously and elect for a field goal.

“(I told the team to) rely on what we’ve done,” Mitchell said. “We didn’t fracture and continued to run the ball. I told the team at halftime that they played a really good half and that we needed to continue to run the ball and be physical, and then continue to shut them down defensively.”

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com

TRIALS: An up-and-down affair was the story the Lakers’ season since its start back in August as they maintained a 16-11 record after their Oct. 25-29 matches. GVL | MACAYLA CRAMER

Women’s soccer achieves conference title and GLIAC honors heading into national tournament

BY ANTHONY CLARK JR SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

After two shutout performances and a tough championship match, Grand Valley State University women’s soccer are the 2022 GLIAC Champions.

As the No. 1 seed in the conference, GVSU hosted all three battles on their home pitch and used it to their advantage.

GVSU’s first match on Nov. 1 was against Purdue Northwest (7-0), an opponent they managed to also shutout in both regular-season matchups (8-0, 2-0).

Applying pressure early, the Lakers opened the match with a goal by senior forward Kennedy Bearden (her first of two) on an assist by senior defender Cate Brown (2:52).

Four missed shots by sophomore midfielder Emma Chudik, two by fifth-year forward Kennedy Metzger and senior defender Alexa Morello led up to PNW’s first shot attempt of the match (16:32) only to sail by the top right of the goal.

A few minutes later, Brown found an opening of her own as she sent a shot that found the goal (20:14) and put the Lakers up 2-0. Bearden would follow this up with her second goal moments later from assists by Metzger and sophomore midfielder Ryann Fetty (22:48).

It continued to be all about GVSU’s

brute efforts on offense and defense as they put up one more goal that came from freshman midfielder Abby Winn (34:27) that was assisted by freshman defender Kacy Lauer – creating a 4-0 lead heading into the break.

PNW’s frustrations were evident within the first few minutes of the second as two foul calls led to the Lakers’ fifth goal by junior forward Taylor Reid (assisted by Metzger) at the 52:45 marker.

Eight failed shot attempts by GVSU and a pedestrian zero by the opponent would ultimately lead to an opportunity for graduate student defender Riley O’Brien within four minutes of being subbed into the match (69:18).

The Lakers’ depth came through in its seventh and final goal of the night as freshman midfielder CeCe McCarthy was assisted by freshman forward Kaylah Joyce (79:13) to close out the match.

GVSU’s second matchup was against Ferris State University on Nov. 4, an opponent the Lakers tied within both regular-season matches (0-0 Sept. 9, 1-1 Oct. 16).

This match would be different from the previous two as GVSU was not only able to win, but put on a statement shutout that finished 3-0.

A quick pace was set by the Lakers as a solid volley from Lauer that was deflected by the Bulldogs’ goalkeeper

NOV. 14

would be cleaned up by Bearden to put the first goal on the board (1:52).

Just over 20 minutes later (27:00), Lauer setup Reid for a breakaway just outside of the box who sent a shot that laced the back of the net and put GVSU up 2-0 with plenty of game to be played.

However, eight missed shot attempts by Ferris would only lead to more frustration as the Lakers brought a little bit of a cushion into the half.

Over 33 minutes of grueling defense and failed shot attempts would finally lead up to the third and final goal of the entire match (78:30) as Reid managed to send her second goal of the night into the net and secure the Lakers’ second-round victory for good.

women’s basketball begins season undefeated after two games

BY GABRIELA GARBEY SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University’s women’s basketball is now 2-0 after a successful two-game road trip against Missouri – St. Louis (81-55) and Maryville University (78-57).

Missouri would win the opening tip but fail to convert on their first field goal attempt, and GVSU wasted no time to respond to the miss with a three-pointer by senior guard Emily Spitzley as the offensive attack wouldn’t let up.

The first 10 minutes of action would see the Lakers create a 19-9 lead as a three-point attempt by senior forward Hannah Kulas just before the buzzer would miss the mark.

As the action continued in the second quarter, GVSU continued to separate themselves from the opponent no matter how hard the Tritons attempted to claw their way back.

The defensive presence by GVSU underneath the basket and around the perimeter would prove to be too much as the Lakers opened up their lead to 41-18 on 66.7% shooting (8-12) while holding the Tritons to a mere 27%

(eight of 29) for the entire first half.

Turnovers were also a significant factor for the opponent as GVSU forced 12 overall in the first half alone which created more fast break opportunities.

With a huge deficit to climb back from, Missouri was somewhat able to cut down the margin from 23 to 16 points, but a 30-second timeout by the Lakers would prove effective as an 11-2 run in the remaining four and a half minutes would close out the first three quarters with GVSU leading 66-38.

The fourth would be the only quarter the Tritons were able to outscore the Lakers (15-17), but the slight advantage was far from too late as GVSU would close out the game on an effective 5-10 shooting from the floor and a final score of 81-55.

Head coach Mike Williams is in his eighth year for the Lakers and said although the team played well, there needed to be more cohesiveness on defense in order to prevent easy baskets from happening.

“We had several players get their first collegiate minutes and we saw all of our players get minutes in the game,” Williams said. “We need to have more of a sense of urgency and awareness on the defensive end of the floor and be tighter with the basketball on the offensive end.”

All 15 players saw themselves on the hardwood as the final box score tallied three Lakers in double-digit scoring; Spitzley (12, five rebounds), redshirt sophomore center Joslyn Brennan (11) and Kulas (10, four rebounds).

Redshirt sophomore guard Ellie Droste (nine points, three assists), redshirt freshman guard Nicole Kamin (eight points, two steals) and sophomore guard Abrie Cabana (seven points, three steals) were also influential in the win.

Overall, the team shot 60% from the field (7-16 3PT) and will likely harp on converting their charity shots as they finished 14 of 20 overall from the free throw. 41 bench points, 44 points in the paint and 24 points off turnovers in total were also huge numbers that put the game away sooner rather than later.

The following day (Nov. 12), the Lakers tipped off against the Maryville Saints in a game that began slowly, scoring back-to-back with the Maryville Saints throughout most of the first half of the quarter, until GVSU took charge and went on a scoring streak.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com

CHAMPIONS: GVSU secured its 16th conference championship since 2005 as they once held an undefeated streak of 15-straight season titles (2005-2020). GVL | ANNABELLE ROBIONSON

HOT: The Lakers have already staked their claim as GLIAC Champions this year with an undefeated record. GVL | MACAYLA CRAMER

Men’s golf wraps up fall season with another team title win

BY JASON MILLIS SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

In their fourth first-place finish in the fall season, the Grand Valley State University men’s golf closed out a successful fall season with a win at the Motor City Invitational.

The Lakers found themselves in a tight match after day one, holding only a six-stroke lead over Tiffin University, with Wayne State and Ferris State not far behind. GVSU shot a 296 on day one, eight strokes above par.

Sophomore Charles DeLong led the Lakers on the individual leaderboards once more after 18 holes as he sat in second place (71, -2). Sophomore Nick Krueger (fifth) and freshman Charlie Cooley (tied-sixth) were as influential in the first round as they held a score of 73 and 74 respectively.

Being one stroke behind the first place leader after round one (Hurtubise; Wayne State), DeLong was familiar with this type of situation and used his versatility to take charge.

“When you’re a couple points behind, especially when you’re trailing someone who’s never been in that position before, you just have to put your foot down and come out strong,” DeLong said. “And that’s what I did. I birdied a couple of holes and kind of applied the pressure on him, and that allowed me to take the lead.” Head-

ing into day two and the final 18 holes, the Lakers still continued to dominate but dialed back their performance levels a bit as their team score would ultimately finish at 590 (+14) and only three strokes above Wayne State – their second-poorest scoring finish this season.

With another team win, GVSU saw DeLong finish the invite with his third individual win of the season (score of 72, -1) while Krueger and sophomore Drew Coble finished in a three-way tie for eighth-place (+4 over par) and Cooley dropped to tie for 14th (+7).

Junior Alex Jordan fell into a fourway tie for 29th (+13) and freshman Andrew Gwilliams secured a top-40 positioning as finished in a three-way tie for 35th place (+15).

With another individual victory this season, DeLong earned his ninth career win as a Laker, setting a new GVSU record for most individual wins by a men’s golfer.

“It’s just been steady progress over the last few years,” DeLong said. “I’ve learned how to position myself at the top of the leaderboard and how to pull out a win. To have the most wins of anyone in the program is pretty cool.”

GVSU has now finished the fall season undefeated against other Division II teams, and even during invitationals against DI schools, the Lakers competed well as they defeated seven of the 17 teams they faced in

the NCAA DI Folds of Honor Invitational.

Despite GVSU’s success thus far, head coach Gary Bissell said there is still a lot of room for improvement prior to the start of the spring season.

“We’ve had tremendous success this season, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things that we need to clean up and work on,” Bissell said. “We’ve got quite a bit to tackle this offseason, so we’re looking forward to that and to getting better for the spring.”

“The fall season matters,” Bissell said.

“You have to play well and position yourself to make the postseason, and we’re certainly done that. But we also use the fall to gauge where we’re at and to see if we’re as good as we think we are. One of the main things leading into the offseason is knowing what we need to work on.”

ON TO:

Lakers show out in Spartan Invite as GV cross country places top-two

BY ERMIAS STEWART SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State University men’s and women’s cross country teams had a successful start to their fall season in the Spartan Invitational as the men’s team placed first and the women’s finished second overall.

GVSU head coach Jerry Baltes was pleased with the results of his teams, stating that both sides of the cross country program are “focused on training at a high level” in order to compete for a back-to-back championship.

The men’s team finished with a score of 45 points, dominating their opponents and overcoming three NCAA Division I opponents: Cincinnati (second place, 89 points), Michigan State University (third place, 115 points) and Kent State University (fourth place, 162 points).

Senior Tanner Chada was the first of 279 runners to cross the finish line in the men’s 8k, posting a time of 24:03. Junior Andrew Hylen (eighth place) and redshirt freshman Koby Fraaza (ninth place) were also major contributors for the men’s team, crossing the finish line with Fraaza on

the heels of Hylen and finishing times of 24:49.22 and 24:49.50.

In his second season with the Lakers, Fraaza was a part of the roster that competed and secured the 2021 NCAA Cross Country National Championship. Even though a handful of the champions that were staples for the success of the men’s program are no longer on the team, Fraaza believes this instilled a competitive spirit amongst this year’s roster.

“We lost a lot of good guys last year, so I think this was a big confidence booster and proving that we have depth,” Fraaza said.

Other notable men’s runners were redshirt freshman Brock Wooderson (15th), sophomores Samuel Martens (16th), Scott Spaanstra (23rd), Caleb Futter (27th), Jason Millis (30th) and senior Samuel Baustert (24th).

The women’s team also put forth a solid performance in their second meet of the season, running away with a second-place overall finish (71 points) in a 19-team invite that consisted of 231 total runners.

Junior Natalie Graber led her squad with a fourth-place finish in the women’s 6k, clocking in at 21:27.

Junior Klaudia O’Malley (14th, 22:04), sophomore Taryn Chapko (18th, 22:14) and redshirt freshman Madison Ebright (21st, 22:21) were the next three Lakers to cross the finish line for the team, allowing for GVSU to make a strong push and lock themselves into contention for another chance at the national title.

Redshirt freshman Hannah Bodine (122nd, 24:27) mentioned that nerves are certainly a factor prior to the start of any invite and that individual Lakers and the team as a collective always focus on not only preparing themselves physically but mentally and emotionally as well in order to drown out internal distractions.

“We do everything we can to prepare for it, so I know that I’m ready coming into the meet,” Bodine said. “Coach always (stresses the importance of) doing the little things as well, like stretching, recovery and being mindful of our bodies.”

The Lakers’ next scheduled invite is at the Live in Lou XC Classic on Saturday, Oct. 1.

WINNING: As defending GLIAC champions (men’s and women’s) and national champions (men’s, women’s runner-up), the Lakers continue to prove their athletic abilities in each season.

COURTESY | GVSU ATHLETICS

DOMINANCE: A great fall season overall has given the team a great deal of confidence heading into the spring for a potential 2023 National Championship. GVL | MEGHAN LANDGREN