In an interview on “60 Minutes” that aired on Sept. 18, President Joe Biden declared that the COVID-19 pandemic had ended in the United States.
The declaration came as the White House has moved in recent weeks to shift the narrative surrounding the virus away from “pandemic” to “endemic.” With omicron-specific booster shots now available to the public, medical experts and White House officials have begun to predict that the virus will soon become flu-like – proliferating in colder months and receding during warmer months.
The statement has since sparked pushback and debate from experts and vulnerable citizens on whether America is statistically ready to truly consider the pandemic behind it and return to normal operations.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. was averaging 53,376 cases per day on Sept. 22, down from an average of 812,279 per day during its January peak.
Grand Valley State University has remained at COVID Alert Level Zero since returning for the fall 2022 semester, however university officials have noted that such could still change should conditions warrant increased precautions.
Grand Valley State University’s Student Senate met with university officials on Sept. 22 to seek answers to questions and concerns regarding the university’s 2022-23 budget.
In the most recent general assembly, senators heard from GVSU Vice President for Finance and Administration Greg Sanial and Associate Vice President for Business and Finance Craig Wieschhorster, who offered reasoning and answers to senators’ financial queries regarding the university’s latest budget.
Senators honed in on particular concerns, including the university’s rationale behind its 2.9% tuition increase for the academic year. The increase was announced prior to the signing of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s state education budget which included millions in additional funding to GVSU.
While such an increase was based on estimates of what the university expected to have received from state allocations, Sanial said that the tuition hike likely would not have been different with the confirmation of additional funding.
Because of a decrease in student enrollment, Sanial said, the increase in state funding compensated for tuition revenue lost by the drop in enrollment.
As fall begins, so too does election season for voters in Michigan and across the country.
As the turn of the weather is followed by a slew of political discussions and what some may find to be a complex path to the voting booth, voting advocates at Grand Valley State University have sought to simplify the process by bringing it to campus.
On Sept. 20, the GVSU Votes! Campus Coalition, organized primarily by the Office of Student Life, marked National Voter Registration Day by providing those at GVSU with an on-campus opportunity to register to vote at the university’s Kirkhof Center in Allendale.
“National Voter Registration here is basically just providing students with resources on how they can vote, where they can vote, what their voting plan might be and how to get them registered,” said graduate student Hannah Beatus. “We also have popcorn, pizza and other snacks to get students involved and engaged and connected together.”
GVSU Votes! was founded to encourage campus participation in the
democratic process, promoting a broad group of diverse views to push students to engage.
“It’s a non-partisan organization on campus that just encourages students to get actively engaged in our Grand Valley community and beyond,” Beatus said. “So today, we’re here to help students get registered if they need to be registered. We’re here to also provide resources and help bridge the knowledge gap in case they’re really not sure how to vote or voting resources.”
The coalition behind GVSU Votes! features both students and
staff working together to encourage campus voter turnout.
“I actually worked as a clerk and election administrator in 2018 and 2019, so I have a passion for democracy and voting,” said Affiliate Faculty Dan Cope. “When I became a faculty member here, I wanted to find a way to still be involved in civic engagement and fostering engagement with my students.”
Cope said the coalition is a prime opportunity to continue such work.
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To commemorate the week of Constitution Day, Grand Valley State University hosted authors and scholars John Kowal and Wilfred Codrington III for a Constitution Day Celebration.
On Sept. 22 at the Charles W. Loosemore Auditorium, Kowal and Codrington discussed the history of the U.S. Constitution and what it means for the future.
Kowal, vice president of program initiatives at the Brennan Center at New York University School of Law and co-author of the book “The People’s Constitution: 200 Years, 27 Amendments and the Promise of a More Perfect Union,” told attendees a surprising fact regarding the content of the Constitution.
“Over 40% of our Constitution was added after the Constitutional Convention of 1787,” said Kowal.
Much of what Americans recognize as their constitutional rights were only added after times of intense social and economic turbulence.
Making amendments to the Constitution is no easy feat. It requires two-thirds approval from both houses of Congress and three-fourths of the state’s approval. Kowal and Wilfred Codrington III – a constitutional law professor at Brooklyn Law School the other and the second co-author of the book – wanted to give new energy to the American people in regards to amending this historical document.
“Difficult is not impossible,” Kowal said.
When asked by the event’s host, Brent Holmes, why the two chose to author the book at this point in time, Codrington spoke of the 2016 presidential election in which the president lost the popular vote.
“This happened twice in two centuries, and so we thought, ‘In this time, how could that be possible?’” Codrington said.
“But that wasn’t just it. There were other problems we started to think about.
We thought about problems maybe with the Supreme Court, problems with Congress (and) all sorts of problems that are affecting our democracy.”
Codrington and Kowal looked to pass amendment processes as models for modern Americans to reform their Constitution, which they illustrated in their book.
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GV hosts Constitution Day Celebration to discuss history, future of U.S. Constitution
Following a Facebook post from a Grand Valley State University student claiming that three of her friends had been drugged while at a bar in downtown Grand Rapids, students and community members have been on increased alert.
The post described the women as being careful and keeping an eye on their drinks, but immediately beginning to feel side effects from the drugs and one having little to no memory of the night following their last drink.
While no formal police reports have been filed, other social media posts have circulated regarding young women and students believing something had been slipped into their drinks while at bars in the downtown area.
The social media attention has brought up a larger conversation among students and GVSU community members about young adults’ safety and the underreported crimes of “date-rape” or “club” drugs.
In the face of growing concern, officials have stressed practicing hyper-vigilance and spreading awareness for others.
According to Kent County Police Sergeant Tim Erhardt, the number of reported “roofie” and club-drug incidents is probably not reflective of the true figures due to the nature of the crime.
Erhardt said the victims can be confused, disoriented and even embarrassed about the situation, which could correlate to many cases of the incident going unreported.
“It’s much easier to roofie someone who’s drinking because people aren’t necessarily cautious with their drinks,” Erhardt said. “They might be cautious, but as they become more intoxicated, they also become more vulnerable.”
Erhardt said during his time spent in Kenowa Public Schools as a school resource officer he taught health and safety lessons to high school students for 6 years.
“When I was a school resource officer, I would tell students that when you go to some sort of large social gathering and there’s drinking, even if it’s not alcohol, even if you’re drinking water out of a solo cup, to have a drink buddy,” Erhardt said.
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In the early hours of Sept. 18, multiple shots were fired at Canvas Townhomes Apartments located near Grand Valley State University’s Allendale campus.
Unfortunately, this kind of violence is not foreign to the local community. Just three weeks prior to the Sept. 18 shooting, another incident involving gunfire took place in the same complex when multiple shots were fired in the
early hours of Aug. 27.
In the previous incident, only buildings were hit by gunfire. On Sunday morning, however, two students and two other non-residents were injured by gunfire.
According to a GVSUALERT! email sent to the campus community by GVSU’s Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police Brandon DeHaan, none of the injuries incurred from the gunfire resulted in fatalities.
“The Sheriff’s Office is reporting that three victims were treated and released, while one remains in the hospital in stable condition,” DeHaan wrote in the email. “Two of the victims were GVSU students. While no arrests have been made at this time, the Sheriff’s Office reported that there is no ongoing or continuing threat to the public, students or staff at this time.”
Multiple instances of gun violence have recently been reported at Canvas Townhomes. GVL | BRI CONWAY
In response to the incident and to the previous violence that has taken place, Canvas released an email de-
tailing new rules in the community and stated that the residents involved in the shooting have been told that their lease has been terminated.
In the notice sent by Canvas representatives, the management of the apartment complex called for change.
“With the recent incidents happening onsite due to social gatherings effective immediately, we are implementing a zero tolerance for social gatherings,” the email said.
Canvas Townhomes representatives declined Lanthorn’s request for an interview. The motives behind these acts of violence remain unknown or unreleased.
The shooting took place when there were many people out and about in the complex, so many students and residents experienced the shooting firsthand.
GV students among those injured in second Canvas Apartments shootings in one
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got back to Grand Rapids.
Due to the unreliability of my F-150, the weekend saw me heading to Detroit and back to Grand Rapids on an Indian Trails bus.
BY MALIK HARVEY SENIOR MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COMWe got to the Greyhound bus lines a little after 12:00 p.m. Sunday. I squeezed my mom tight, gathered my belongings and said I’d shoot her a text when I
Friday’s bus ride is what most introverts dream of; out of 56 seats, only 15 of them were filled. Sunday was different. The question of “Who has a claim to the middle armrest?” grew legs and whispered in every ear that day.
Unbeknownst to me, we were to make several stops: Southfield, Troy, Flint, East Lansing, Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. It was the stop in Flint where I saw the man, the myth, the legend. Jesus (or someone who looked like him).
This pale Jesus character donned a white robe tinged with yellow, a red shawl, long brown hair that appeared lifeless, a full beard and a pair of drab, allblack Dr. Scholl’s. He pranced around in circles outside of the bus for a while. Sitting in the seat closest to the window, I had a front-row view of this gregarious Jesus look-alike.
Carrying an oversized book bag with flowers sticking out its left side, the young man eventually swaggered his way onto the bus.
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choose? What movie will make me sound like I know what I’m talking about?’ Thus, hours of digging through movies I wanted to watch and rewatch ensued.
What I stumbled upon was a 13-minute short film. I had time to watch something that short. Just test the waters. It wasn’t a huge time commitment. So I watched it.
BY ALISON BAIR JUNIOR ENGLISH EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COMRecently I dusted off my Letterboxd app. I wouldn’t consider myself a movie buff in the slightest, but I am able to enjoy true cinematic masterpieces (of course, this excludes any of Tarantino’s movies).
Part of me wanted to go with something in the horror or thriller genre. ‘Tis the season. Then I was thinking, ‘What’s the most pretentious-sounding genre I can
“Sometimes, I Think About Dying” is a 2019 Sundance short film directed by Stefanie Abel Horowitz featuring Katy Wright-Mead and Jim Sarbh. Wright-Mead plays the scrappy, depressed Fran, who sometimes thinks about dying. This is when Robert, the coworker and love interest, comes in and shows Fran how much he values her and cares about her.
The message of the story is uncomfortable yet painfully simple. It’s hard to believe people genuinely love you when you’re depressed. And I fully agree.
The beginning of the film starts with her reminding herself that she exists, zooming in from the center of the universe. Her thoughts are simple. They are dark. They are intrusive, and although she may never act upon those thoughts, they are still there, still repeating and buzzing around in her head on an endless loop. Less than a minute in, I could fully understand and relate to Fran. I exist. But do I really want to?
She has little confidence and seems to be running on autopilot a lot. Many of her interactions are awkward and needlessly stressful. I felt relieved that someone could not only write a script this way but also perfectly portray such a person that felt as tense and awkward as I am, and I’m sure many people will feel the same.
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Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, crime rates have surged throughout the United States. Reports and portrayals of crime - more specifically violent crime - draw a near-constant focus in news coverage at a local and national level. As we attempt to digest this influx of reporting online, in print and over the airwaves, the level of violence feels overwhelming.
This fixation on violence in the media and the minds of those who consume the news results in the potential vulnerability of subconscious prejudices that have an impact on social and political policy.
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, violent crime offenses as a whole rose by 5.2% in 2020 - murder, aggravated assault, robbery and rape. In its own category, the number of murders per 100,000 people rose nearly 29% in all cities and jurisdictions nationwide.
Even with crime rising with social interactions became more frequent as pandemic-era lockdowns were lifted, the John Howard Society of Canada reports that recent studies aren’t giving nearly as much attention to the real level of public risk.
Instead, media stories are geared toward playing at the emotions of their audience with the goal of provoking anger, fear or sadness.
This can be seen in local instances at Grand Valley State University following reports of a shooting at Canvas Townhomes, an off-campus student housing complex in Allendale. This led to rumors on social media surrounding what sparked the occurrence, coverage from local news outlets and GVSU Safety Alert emails.
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The goal of the Grand Valley Lanthorn’s opinion page is to act as a forum for public discussion, comment and criticism in the Grand Valley State University community. Student and columnist opinions published here do not necessarily reflect those of the paper as an entity.
The Lanthorn strives to be a safe vehicle for community discussion. With this in mind, the Lanthorn will not publish or entertain any forms of hate speech, but neither will it discriminate against any other views, opinions or beliefs. The content, information and views expressed are not approved by-nor do they necessarily represent those of-the university or its Board of Trustees, officers, faculty
or staff.
Letter to the editor should include the author’s full name, relevant title and a headshot, along with a valid email address and phone number for confirming the identity of the author. Letters should be approximately 500650 words in length, and they are not edited by the Lanthorn staff except to fix technical errors or to clarify. Reader submissions on the opinion page appear as space permits.
To make a submission, email editorial@lanthorn. com or drop your submission off in person at:
0051 KIRKHOF CENTER GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ALLENDALE, MI 49401 616-826-8276
On Sept. 19 Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced an expansion of access to birth control to allow pharmacists to prescribe birth control to those who need it – including those at Grand Valley State University.
According to a press release from Governor Whitmer’s office, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) approved the action to remove what the state believed to be unnecessary barriers in obtaining one’s birth control prescriptions.
The move has since been heralded by advocates in the state who say it will allow more freedom in planning families and individuals’ futures.
“Governor Whitmer is a champion for reproductive health and rights,” said Director of Communications of the Planned Parenthood of Michigan Ashlea Phenicie. “This action is part of her holistic approach to protecting and expanding access to all reproductive health services. When Michiganders can access
the high-quality health care they deserve, they are better able to build the lives and futures they want for themselves.”
Students at Grand Valley State University are no exception to this struggle and some have reported difficulty in obtaining birth control for various reasons.
Donna DeMann, a nurse practitioner at the GVSU Family Health Center, sees potential benefits for the GVSU community in the move.
“The expansion may allow GVSU students whose healthcare providers are in their hometowns to access birth control more easily,” said DeMann.
Some GVSU students live hours away from the university, so it is not always feasible to travel to their healthcare providers in order to obtain or refill their birth control prescriptions.
GVSU’s Interim Assistant Vice President of Social Justice Centers, Jessica Jennrich, said with this expansion of access students will have many different places outside of a physician’s office to access birth control.
There have been some hesitations when prescribing birth control because
pharmacists may not be aware of what is going on in the patient’s life or what kind of birth control would work best for them. They do not complete a full screening, like a physician would, to know their background or living situation.
Although, while many believe that this expansion is a good thing, it has also raised some concerns.
“Concerns do arise if pharmacists neglect to screen patients for contraindications to each method of birth control,”
Clay Reeves and Jerrica Kallio, both nurse practitioners at GVSU Family Health Center in Grand Rapids, told the Lanthorn in a joint statement. “For instance, many formulations of the pill can increase blood clot risk in smokers and this is worsened when the patients have uncontrolled high blood pressure.”
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As midterm elections approach, Michigan voters, including those at Grand Valley State University, have been asked to consider a number of ballot initiatives aimed at reforming state systems and policies.
While much attention has been focused on the Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative, or Proposal 3, additional proposals including Voters for Transparency and Term Limits (Proposal 1) and Promote the Vote 2022 (Proposal 2) could have wide-ranging effects should they secure passage.
Proposal 1 seeks to remove the mystery surrounding how our elected officials make their money. Michigan is one of only two states in the country which does not require its elected officials to disclose their finances or conflicts of interest. Proponents of Proposal 1 seek to shed some transparency on the motives and influences of state officials.
Proposal 2 seeks to protect the power of Michigan votes. It aims to enhance the fairness and integrity of elections by making a few changes to the voting system.
According to Proposal 2’s website, passage of the measure would usher in sweeping changes to the state’s election systems that would include both provisions for voters’ rights at the polls as well as requirements surrounding candidates’ financial disclosures and how voting is conducted by the state.
As far as these two proposals go, the general sentiment among some GVSU students is that they would be welcome additions.
“I will be voting for Proposals 1 and 2 this November,” said GVSU junior Drew Jones. “Financial transparency is essential in today’s political world and greater ease of voting is a net benefit to democracy.”
Jones also pointed out what he saw
as the benefits of requiring term limits for elected officials.
“Term limits prevent incumbents from being continuously re-elected and encourage new ideas and new people to enter office,” Jones said. “Stagnant seats like we have seen in the U.S. Senate do not benefit anyone.”
Another student in support of term limits for elected officials was GVSU sophomore Eden Hodgson.
“All state-elected officials should have term limits,” Hodgson said. “I’m a big believer in ‘power corrupts and ab-
solute power corrupts absolutely.’”
Hodgson also said that while she values the privacy of others, public officials do have a duty to the people they represent to disclose financial information in an effort to keep their motivations transparent.
“While privacy is a fundamental human right, I think financial transparency in elected officials could protect a greater amount of peoples’ rights, and I value that,” Hodgson said.
In the months following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the nationwide right to abortion first established nearly half a century ago, efforts by activists have sought to energize voters and shore up support both in favor of and in opposition to the continuance of abortion rights.
With months-long legal battles continuing and political fervor intensifying, the aftermath of the Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that reversed its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling has turned the nation into an ideological battleground and each state into a new front.
In Michigan ensuing legal battles, executive pushback to the decision from Governor Gretchen Whitmer and a new ballot initiative that will ask voters whether to codify abortion rights into the state constitution have all transformed the state into a quagmire of legal ambiguity and activism.
This is evident at Grand Valley State University, where the campus has become a microcosm for the continuing fight across the state and the nation over access to abortion in the shadow of Roe’s demise.
Gathering a number of GVSU students and local and state officials, on-campus activists held a rally at the university’s Cook Carillon Tower on Sept. 18 to energize supporters to continue the fight to preserve abortion rights in the state.
Organized by Nancy Hoogwerf, a GVSU sophomore and campus organizer for Democratic congressional candidate Hillary Scholten, the rally served to bolster support and encourage people to get involved with what she believed to be a necessary movement.
“Just tonight, we have built a community of advocates and leaders here on campus who are wanting to get out and speak up on the issues that matter
most to them,” Hoogwerf said. “And tonight, that’s reproductive freedom.”
The fight, Hoogwerf said, was personal for her in a way that has been echoed in recent months by women rallying from Capitol Hill to the streets of Los Angeles.
“For me, I fight for reproductive freedom because the thought of having to put my career or my education on hold because I didn’t have a choice horrifies me,” Hoogwerf said.
Other GVSU students like Syd Sturgis felt compelled to join the gathering out of similar feelings of urgency toward the cause.
“I thought it would be a good thing to stand up for,” Sturgis said. “I’ve never really taken part in much activism myself, but I would like to, and I thought this would be a good opportunity.”
Alongside impassioned students, rallygoers also heard from local officials like State Representative Carol Glanville, D-Walker, running for reelection in Michigan’s new 84th District.
“This is so important because we are seeing again today and on our ballot this fall the will of the people,” Glanville said. “Almost a million Michiganders signed the proposition for reproductive fairness and freedom in the state of Michigan and we need to hold that line going into the fall.”
The fight has proven to be a winning issue for abortion rights proponents, with national polling showing growing support among Americans following the Supreme Court’s decision in late June.
Richard Williamson, campaign manager for current State Representative and candidate for State Senate David LaGrand, D-Grand Rapids, is one such energized political participant.
Williamson said that when he began his work for the coming election, he came onto the campaign trail with other issues at the top of his mind.
“When we got into this election, I was here for education issues,” Williamson said.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs, however, Williamson told the Lanthorn that his focus shifted to the issue of restoring abortion rights to those in his state.
“It’s a terrifying prospect that we live in a world where women are second-class citizens,” Williamson said. “The reason I’m passionate and working with David and so excited about this is because this is what he cares about. He doesn’t want anyone to be a second-class citizen.”
Turning out youth voters like those at GVSU, Williamson said, will play a key role in efforts to preserve abortion rights in Michigan.
“It is crucial,” Williamson said. “In a long-term, meaningful way, we can’t win unless we have young people active in politics.”
With GVSU’s years-long reputation as a local flashpoint in the debate over abortion rights, such a gathering drew contention from other members of the community.
Soon after the rally had commenced, a smaller group of counter-protesters descended on the gathering to combat a narrative they believed to be harmful to the unborn.
Attempting to drown out the speakers of the rally, counter-protesters confronted those in attendance with chants and phrases advocating a belief in the protection of unborn fetuses.
The efforts of rallygoers and counter-protesters came against the backdrop of recent certification of a statewide ballot proposal that would dramatically alter the future of abortion in Michigan.
If adopted, Proposal 3, known as the Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative, would amend the state constitution to codify the right to access abortion care.
The language of the proposal that the state Supreme Court ordered the Michigan Board of Canvassers to place on the ballot allows the state to continue regulation of abortion after fetal viability. This period, after which a fetus could independently survive outside the womb, has no legal time frame but is often thought in popular con-
sensus and scientific debate to occur approximately 24 weeks into one’s pregnancy.
Worried that caveat in the language of the proposal will open the continued possibilities of late-term abortions, GVSU student Archie Smith IV said he is concerned regarding what the amendment would allow if passed.
“Even though (the proposal) says ‘post-viability,’ it also says that health endangerment would allow for abortionists to give an abortion after viability, including for mental health,” Smith said. “No pro-choice abortionist is going to deny somebody an abortion because their reason’s not good enough.”
Despite efforts to push back against statewide calls for the continuance of abortion rights, those who oppose them face an uphill battle in their attempt to halt Proposal 3 from being written into the state constitution.
The most recent polling from Lansing-based EPIC-MRA suggests support for the constitutional amendment more than doubles opposition to it, with 56% of those polled saying they are in favor of the amendment compared to 23% against.
While they acknowledged the virtually insurmountable impasse to their efforts that would come to pass should Proposal 3 be adopted, anti-abortion activists like Protect Life at GVSU President Sarah McNamara said they intend to continue pushing back.
“No matter what happens on November 8, or at any other time that something like this may come up again, we will never stop defending the preborn,” McNamara said. “They deserve to be defended and that’s ultimately why we’re here today.”
As rallygoers transitioned around the tower in an effort to eclipse the counter-protesters, the scene became a representation of the outsized support for abortion rights observed across Michigan.
Reflecting the larger state of play, the scene made clear that, while the nationwide right to abortion may be settled for the foreseeable future, the fight over abortion in Michigan remains anything but.
On Sept. 22, students met for the National Convening of Rapid Education Prototyping (REP4).
Piloted in 2020 by Grand Valley State University, REP4 has led to the formation of alliances with various institutions across the country to assist high school juniors and seniors in achieving their goals for higher education. This program is supported by a number of higher education institutions nationwide.
The goals of the program involve roughly 10 to 20 high school students from various backgrounds. However, the program primarily engages with students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, first-generation college students or other historically underrepresented communities.
With the assistance of adult leaders, the students work together to pitch ideas for the betterment of higher education and college students’ livelihoods.
Students initially met in July at GVSU’s Allendale and Detroit campuses for the regional summits. During this time, students worked together to take their ideas to the drawing board and
decide on the goals for their pitch. Later in the month, students met again to workshop their ideas with the assistance of adult leaders and begin plans for developing a prototype.
Attendees heard from REP4 representatives at GVSU, Amarillo College, Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, San Diego State University, Boise State University, Fort Valley State University and Shippensburg University.
As part of a montage of quotes from university leaders before presentations began, students also had a chance to hear from President Mantella, the developer of REP4.
BY CHLOE SCHRAM NEWS@LANTHORN.COMFollowing the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and universities are back on track to facilitating what were once normal activities and atmospheres.
However, the chaos, stress and frustration wrought upon the U.S. and the world have left a lasting impact and are only exacerbated by a shift back to typical schedules and responsibilities.
Stress can be difficult to manage for any college student, but the addition of a global pandemic infiltrating the lives of many people has added immensely to the pressure.
In fact, according to recent data compiled by the American Institute of Stress, eight in 10 college students experience recurring episodes of high stress.
COVID-19 changed daily schedules for many college students and forced them to learn new ways to stay organized and manage their stress.
Students at Grand Valley State University have different ways of managing such stress in their environment. These methods may range from using a calendar, staying active or doing self-care activities.
“I use my google calendar to ensure I
am staying on top of things,” said GVSU freshman Brynn Buschle.
Buschle said that at the beginning of the pandemic, having school online forced her to stay organized in order to avoid stress. This year, she is able to avoid the stress that comes with online school, but still must manage the stress university-level classes bring to the table.
“Balancing schoolwork with extracurricular activities I enjoy can be difficult, but I’ve learned to reward myself by doing things I enjoy after a long day of school to manage my stress,” Buschle said.
Academics remain a top priority for students like Buschle.
GV seeks input from high school students in National Convening of REP4 alliance
GV students seek solutions to stress as campus, country undergo post-COVID transition
The Alcohol and Other Drugs Service Office are hosting a mocktail tasting party on Tuesday, Sept. 27. in the Pere Marquette room in the Kirkhof Center.
There will be five different mocktails available for tasting as well as charcuterie boards, board games and card games to play. If students enjoy a drink, they’ll be able to take home a recipe card with instructions on how to craft their favorite drinks. This event is free to attend.
Lakers for Liberty is meeting on Sept. 27 to host a discussion on the drinking age in the United States.
The group is inviting students to attend and share their opinions on the laws surrounding the drinking age.
Lakers for Liberty will also be sharing the rationale behind the current laws and why they still stand.
Students will be asked why they think the drinking age in the U.S. is 21 and if they think the government should reevaluate these laws. If they do desire reevaluation, they’ll be asked to explain why.
The discussion is open for everyone and will be in the Kirkhof Center room 1249 from 7-8 p.m.
On Thursday, Sept. 29 students can get free groceries by playing bingo.
The Campus Activities Board is hosting a bingo night, with the rewards being free groceries.
The bingo games will take place in Crave, in the Kirkhof Center, from 6-8 p.m. Everyone is welcome to play.
During the football game on Saturday, Sept. 30, students can volunteer to help clean up the stadium.
The Student Environmental Coalition (SEC) and the Farm Club are partnering together to help keep GVSU green during the game with multiple recycling, composting and trash bins placed around the stadium.
Volunteers will help game attendees sort their trash into the right bins so it can be taken care of properly. They will be given “cheat sheets” to help determine which items can be thrown in what bin as well as gloves and a free concessions voucher.
Volunteers are being asked to meet at the stadium at 6:30 p.m. The SEC and the Farm Club will be there for the entirety of the game to try to keep as much waste out of the landfills as possible.
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 signon 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.
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Recruitment for Greek Life began at Grand Valley State University last week. Every year, sororities and fraternities set up a comprehensive schedule of activities to welcome potential new members into their chapters.
Fall recruitment lasts one week, and students are able to meet people involved in Greek Life as well as other interested students to try and find the best fit for them.
Those involved in Greek Life say it provides an accepting and welcoming environment, serving as a pathway to professional opportunities for everyone involved.
“I went into it not knowing anything about it, so I was really unsure, but I ended up really liking my sorority and getting a lot out of it,” said Olivia Berryman, the president of Alpha Sigma Tau.
Panhellenic sororities also provide their members with volunteer opportunities focused on the philanthropy chosen by the sorority.
This year, 228 girls have signed up for sorority recruitment, which is being held fully in person for the first time in two years.
Each round of events is aimed to help the prospective members focus on their desired chapter. Mutual understanding and common goals help members pick out which sorority will fit their expectations of Greek Life.
Recruitment will close out on Sunday, when bid day will be held, during which girls will “run home” to the community they connect with the most. All sororities will have different themes to welcome their new members to their houses.
Although Greek Life is mostly focused on traditional sororities and fraternities, there are also professional co-ed fraternities focused on career preparation and community. Mu Epsilon Delta, a prehealth professional fraternity, welcomes everyone who is involved in pre-health to join their chapter.
“I wanted to create a community that was bigger than the clubs at GVSU,” said Sierra Gulli, the founder of Mu Epsilon Delta. “Members get more benefits this way because it has an established national board.”
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GVSU’s theatre department is hosting auditions open to all GVSU students for their production of “Gloria” on Sept. 26 and 28. The auditions will take place in Haas Center for Performing Arts and in room 1506 from 6-10 p.m.
The performance will take place in the Keller Black Box Theatre in the performing arts center on Nov. 18 and 19 and Dec. 1, 2 and 3 at 7:30 p.m. Additional performances will take place on Nov. 20 and Dec. 4 at 2 p.m.
Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park will host a panel of artists to engage in a discussion surrounding art and nature as part of 2022 ArtPrize events.
The panel features artists who participate in critical discussion regarding land artists, landscape, environmental artists and site-specific installations. This discussion centers on their work in these aspects and how various parts of nature interact with art.
The event will take place on Sept. 28 from 6-8 p.m. in the Huizenga Grand Room at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.
Studio Park in downtown Grand Rapids will have their last showing of “FUSION” on Sept. 28 at 8:30 p.m.
This show involves projections, light and sound that are projected on the surrounding architecture of Studio Park. The performance aims to create an “immersive experience” through sound and sight.
The art piece was created by Caren Mueller and Christian Markwart. Mueller is the founder and creative director of LiCHTPiRATEN a visual art company based in Germany. She works on composed projection art that is site-specific and performed live. Markwart is a sound producer for the company and composes music specifically for live audiovisual performances.
The event is part of ArtPrize and is free and open to the public.
Grand Rapids Symphony will be performing a “pops concert” entitled “Dancing In The Street: Music of Motown” on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. The event will take place at DeVos Performance Hall in downtown Grand Rapids.
The music highlights works of Motown Artists of the 1960s including Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and more.
The cost to attend ranges from $15 to $104 and tickets can be purchased online.
“Ricky Montgomery will be performing on Sept. 29 at Elevation in downtown Grand Rapids as a part of his tour entitled “The Overtime Tour.”
Montgomery is an alternative music artist most commonly known for his songs “Mr. Loverman” and “Line Without a Hook.” He will be performing many other songs including “Cabo,” “Talk to You” and “Last Night.”
The show begins at 8 p.m. and tickets can be purchased in advance for $20 and $25 at the door.
BY STEVEN LAWRENCE ARTS@LANTHORN.COM
On Sept. 16 auditions were held for Grand Valley State University Opera Theatre’s production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
The auditions were open to all GVSU students, not just theatre students, to give all who were interested the opportunity to partake in this musical comedy. The show will take place in February.
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” was written by William Finn and made its debut in 2005. The play centers around a group of quirky middle-school-aged adolescents, who are participating in a spelling bee at the made-up Putnam Valley Middle School and the strange adults who run the event. The GVSU Opera Theatre wanted to bring and share this story with the community.
From the audition, both the turn-out and the talent of those who auditioned excited Dale Schreimer, the Artistic Director of GVSU Opera Theatre.
“Auditions went really well,” Schreimer said. “I brought in a professional stage director from Seattle for this project, Pauls Macs. He was in Allendale for the casting.”
The auditions also saw an influx of people wanting to get involved
MOVEMENTwith the production’s cast.
“Three times as many people as we could cast showed up and there were many personal best performances,” Schreimer said. “We were extremely happy with the results.”
Schreimer said that those who auditioned brought the characters’ quirks and personalities to life. Schreimer said that this type of character embodiment is an important part of the story.
“It is a show that really emphasizes personality quirks,” Schreimer said. “All the contestants are middle schoolers so their individuality is what, in part, makes the comedy.”
However, Schreimer said the cast
needs to be able to mesh and work together in a positive way to embody the work. He is optimistic about the cast’s ability to execute these ideas.
“Part of what is so good about this cast is that there is an overwhelming sense of positivity and excitement about working together,” Schreimer said. “It’s very much an ensemble show.”
The musical begins rehearsal in January the weekend before the winter semester starts. Rehearsals will take place Monday through Saturday, with Wednesdays off.
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BY ALLISON BLAIR ARTS@LANTHORN.COM
Carolyn Pampalone Rabbers, an adjunct professor of ballet at Grand Valley State University, will be performing at ArtPrize 2022. The performance consists of an improvisational warm-up along with a choreographed piece with herself and her company’s dancers.
Rabbers is the Executive Arts Director of her own dance company “CPR
Dance: Inhale Movement” based in Southwest Michigan. The company is entering its first performance season. The work of Inhale Movement aims to reach out to the community with dance and encourage movement through opportunities to connect, interact and participate with the general public.
This is Rabbers’ first time performing in ArtPrize. After submitting her portfolio and beginning her ArtPrize piece, she was able to connect with “The Satellite Collective,” a venue company based in New York with a branch in West Michigan.
Rabbers worked with the company to figure out logistics to allow CPR Dance: Inhale Movement and its members to perform not only at ArtPrize, but multiple other venues.
CPR Dance’s performance for ArtPrize is titled, “Motherland.” The performance tells the story of an immigrant having to say goodbye to their homeland rooting themselves in a new place.
“This is a piece that has kind of been this work in progress for a long time
and I finally have felt the courage to perform and present,” Rabbers said.
She said she found inspiration for this piece from her grandmother, who was a refugee from Slovakia at the end of World War II. She later brought her daughters and husband to the United States after securing citizenship.
“Part of my research has been investigating the process that my maternal grandmother took to come to the United States post-World War II and the end of World War II as she was claiming asylum,” Rabbers said.
Additionally, Rabbers choreographs her pieces to focus on movement through breath and how emotions are expressed through that movement. This idea not only influences the movement but the overall idea of what Rabbers’ work and her company seek to express.
“Inhale Movement proposes the idea that dance is just as fundamental as breath,” Rabbers said.
Grand Valley State University women’s golf team are participating in not one, but two separate tournaments over the course of Sept. 24-26, making it their second and third invites of the fall season thus far.
The Lakers participated in the Bulldog Invitational this past Saturday and finished seventh out of 15 teams with a score of 631 (+55).
Sophomores Olivia Stoll and Julia Sanchez led the team in the individual leaderboards as both players tied for 14th overall, finishing with scores of 156 (+12). Sophomore Megan Miron also stood out individually, finding herself in a six-way tie for 17th place but moving up seven places on the leaderboard to finish the event (score of 157, +13).
Paula Badino, one of four sophomores for the Lakers, placed in the top-40 to round out the event for the team - shooting a 162 on the day (+18).
In their next time out, GVSU will host the 13th Annual Gilda’s Club Laker Fall Invite. The two-day event consists of 36 holes and starts Sunday, Sept. 25 and ends Monday, Sept. 26.
The GVSU cross country programs are traveling to Louisville, KY this upcoming weekend to compete in the 21st Annual Live in Lou XC Classic.
GVSU’s women’s team is coming off their second-place finish in the Spartan Invitational on Sept. 16, as the men’s team finished first overall in the same invite.
Both teams will hope to continue the same success they have managed to achieve thus far as they prepare to race in their second-to-last invite of regular season action as the event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 1 starting at 8 a.m.
GVSU’s women’s club soccer is showcasing their dominance over opponents to start their season as the team is currently undefeated at 5-0.
The team started their season facing Bowling Green State where they won 2-1, and followed it up with a win against Western Michigan University in a 5-0 shutout. Last weekend, Sept. 18, the team obliterated Ferris State’s defense in a 8-0 blowout.
More recently, the team beat Wayne State University 4-0 on Saturday, Sept. 24 and once more put up an offensive clinic in an 11-0 domination against Saginaw Valley Sept. 25.
The club’s next match is at home on Friday, Sept. 30 at 12 p.m.
SOCCERGrand Valley State University women’s soccer pushed their win streak to four games in a row in a nail-biter against the Northern Michigan Wildcats, adding to their win column and bringing their overall season record to 6-1-2.
The game started with a defensive focus as the Laker defensive line stood strong and held off the Wildcat forwards from converting, keeping passes clean and a calm attitude.
It wasn’t until the 13th minute (13:22) that a corner kick attempt by senior forward Kennedy Bearman found junior forward Taylor Reid who was able to sneak a shot past the goal line with defenders nearby, adding the first and only points to the board in the first half as the Lakers took a 1-0 lead.
Northern Michigan attempted to follow up the opening goal with one of their own, but instead pushed a little too hard as they found themselves in foul trouble after a Wildcat defender was ejected from the game due to a red card at the 25th minute (25:40).
Aggression was a significant factor in the win for GVSU, and head coach Kate Hultin applauded the team for the way they handled the pushback and shared the advice she gave the team prior to the start of the game.
“When aggression meets aggression, talent shows,” Hultin said. “They were able to put the ball on the ground and play really good soccer and value the ball. I am really proud of them for that.”
The first half would end with the Lakers up one goal, but Northern Michigan was quickly able to put together a successful run at the goal just a few minutes into the second half.
It began with a header attempt by the Wildcat offense which was saved by sophomore goalkeeper Kendall Robertson. However, Robertson and the rest of the defense’s efforts would fall short as NMU regained control
of the ball and successfully put away a second attempt at the goal, tying up the game 1-1 within three minutes of the start of the half (46:45).
Although the beginning of the second saw a quick goal, the next 40 minutes would consist of sheer defense and several saves of shot-on-goal attempts from both sides. The Lakers had a minor scare when an NMU defender sent a screamer of a kick that deflected right off the face of sophomore midfielder Ryann Fetty.
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The Grand Valley State University football team beat Wayne State University in a 48-9 landslide to keep their undefeated season intact (4-0).
With the win, GVSU improves to 17-1 against the Warriors since 2002 and remains undefeated as the away team against this matchup.
The Lakers started off hot and never looked back. On the opening drive, the stout defense forced a three-andout allowing for the offense to convert on their first possession.
The offense was able to capitalize on an 11-play drive capped off by a 34-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Cade Peterson to sophomore wide receiver Jahdae Walker to give the team an early 6-0 lead, only to miss the extra point attempt.
“We went and got a three-and-out and that led to the offense scoring a
touchdown,” said senior linebacker Abe Swanson. “When we get momentum, we can’t be stopped. When we play great in all three phases, GV is a very dangerous team.”
The Warriors were able to respond on their next drive with a field goal attempt that went through the uprights to cut GVSU’s lead to three points with 6:19 remaining in the opening quarter. In the Lakers’ responding drive, junior running back Tariq Reid took a handoff 59 yards on the first play to add another touchdown to the lead as the scoreboard read 13-3.
The start of the second quarter saw the offense continue to make big plays, as the Lakers went on an eight-play, 88-yard drive finished off by a 50-yard touchdown pass from Peterson to sophomore wide receiver Jaylon Tillman with 8:12 to play in the first half.
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The Grand Valley State University men’s golf team walked away with another first-place finish in the Doc Spragg Invitational, continuing an outstanding start to the fall season after a first-place finish in their first invite.
Going into the invite the Lakers had not secured the champion title in the Doc Spragg before, placing eighth in 2021 and seventh in 2019. This victory was a step forward for GVSU.
“We came into the invitational really prepared,” said head coach Gary Bissell. “We did a good job preparing for the course and simulating it the best we could so we could work on the parts of our game that would pertain to the course.”
Thanks to a solid showing after day one of the invite, GVSU found themselves in first heading into the second and final day. The Lakers shot a 559 in the first two rounds, 17 strokes under par.
GVSU never wavered on day two as they maintained the lead they built previously, shooting a total score of 840
(-24) to come out on top.
After two rounds, sophomore Charles DeLong sat two strokes behind first place with 133 (-11). On day two, he pulled ahead, shooting 69 (-3) and securing a first-place finish with a score of 202 (-14) on the individual player leaderboard.
“Winning is always the goal for us,” DeLong said. “It’s kind of become the expectation for us in our program. Executing the plan is always a really good feeling.”
The Lakers showed off their depth at the invite, as sophomore Nick Krueger tied for seventh place with 211 (-5), freshman Bryce Wheeler placed 13th with 212 (-4) and sophomore Drew Coble tied 18th with 216 (E).
Freshman Charlie Cooley also found himself in the top-35 of 92 players, as he tied for 33rd, shooting a 219 (+3).
DeLong is the second Laker to claim a first-place individual position this season.
Just over two weeks prior, Coble placed first overall in the Arendsen Invitational.
Bissell highlighted the fact that the depth of the team is a point of emphasis this season.
“We debatably had the best top-three
in the country last year, but we really lacked that four and five spot,” Bissell said. “We had a really good recruiting class this year, and our guys have gotten better as well. Now we have a lot more competition for those spots, which helps our top guys without the pressure to perform their absolute best every time.”
“It was a good tournament,” Bissell continued. “There were some darn good teams
and definitely some that I think we’ll see in the national championship.”
Even though Bissell mentioned postseason action, he said that GLIAC or NCAA postseason tournaments aren’t a concern at this point in time.
BY MADELEINE SMITH SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM
In their first two home games of the season after an extensive 12-game road trip, the Grand Valley State University women’s volleyball team faced off against Davenport University and Saginaw Valley State, finishing the two-game home stand at 1-1.
The Lakers had momentum going into the match against DU on Sept. 20 as they rode a three-game win streak and looked to entertain an excited home crowd.
However, the cross-town rival would ultimately be too much for GVSU this time around, as they were only able to
take the first of a four-set match; 25-23, 18-25, 22-25 and 16-25.
Even in the disappointing home-opening loss, effort and resilience were focal points for the Lakers as they hustled for every possible offensive attack. GVSU’s cheeky front-line play in the first set saw kills landing just inbounds and tipped shots that kept the Panthers guessing.
The first set saw a two-point difference in favor of the Lakers, which was likely a telling sign for what was to come in the next three sets.
Although GVSU was unable to secure another set victory, hustle plays were evident. What should have been a point for the Panthers in the second set turned into the Lakers making a phenomenal save, in which the ball ricocheted towards the back bleachers, somehow was saved by the Lakers’ back row players and put back into play for the front line to send the ball back over to the opponent’s side.
Unfortunately, the Lakers’ efforts would not be enough to overcome the Panthers’ fierce play as the next three sets would fall in favor of the opponent.
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