G R A N D VA L L E Y L A N T H O R N
Picturing the Future Board of Trustees outlines goals to improve university
GV holds safety briefing following shooting at MSU NEWS | A3
The Fishladder gives creative students opportunities for publication M O N D A Y, F E B R U A RY 2 7, 2 02 3 // VO L . 57 N O. 24
ARTS | A10
@ GV L A N T H O R N
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A2 | NEWS NEWS BRIEFS MICHIGAN RESIDENTS LEFT WITHOUT POWER FOLLOWING ICE STORM
Many Michiganders are still feeling the effects of the historic ice storm that took place across the state on Feb. 22. The storm left over a million residents without power. As of Feb. 26 at 12 a.m., approximately 230,228 DTE and Consumers Energy customers remained without power. It’s estimated that only a small percentage of people will still be left without power on Monday and Tuesday. DTE has prioritized returning power to emergency services, schools and larger areas. They’ve been working to restore over 10,000 downed power lines. Other resources for people facing power outages or effects from the weather include warming shelters across the state.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN FOR GRAND RAPIDS PAUSED AFTER NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS
On Feb. 23, a developer brought an affordable housing plan for Grand Rapids in front of the city planning commission. The rezoning would allow for a three-story 52-unit apartment building in Grand Rapids’ Belknap Lookout neighborhood. However, the commission tabled the rezoning request. Many residents were opposed to the project voicing concerns over the possibility of the apartment changing the character of the neighborhood, availability of street parking and safety. The project is an “income-restricted development.” According to Wood TV8, the housing would be reserved for people earning between 30% to 80% of Kent County’s median income. The complex would also offer residents free parking. The plan was not rejected and the city told developers to reapply in future months.
GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS
CRIME
GVPD reports higher level of assault cases BY JOSEPH POULOS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
Grand Valley State University’s Police Department has reported an increase in assault and domestic violence cases for the 2022-23 academic year. GVPD Sergeant Leah Heaton provided statistics comparing the number of assaults and domestic violence reported between the last two years. “This year, between Aug. 1 and where we are today, we have had 12 assaults and 6 domestic assaults,” Heaton said. “To put that into perspective, last year between August and August, we had 16 total, which is two less than we already have for this year, but we’re not through the whole year.” Heaton said he believes the rise in assaults may have something to do with students returning to in-person classes. “It is a lot more simple assault cases rather than domestic,” Heaton said. “Friends are getting into fights, enemies are getting into fights. I think people may be getting back to being
SAFETY: GVPD encourages to students to reach out if they feel unsafe or if they see something suspicious. GVPD said there are many resources on campus for students to contact them such as a text on the Laker Guardian app or by a phone call. GVL | ARCHIVES
face to face with people and need to learn how to handle themselves.” In addition to the increase in assaults, students have also reported sightings of suspicious persons and vehicles during the month of February. Heaton said a significant number of these reported sightings are often attributed to noise complaints and weekend activities. She said students should
still be aware of things that they think are suspicious. “It’s kind of all over the place,” Heaton said. “We get a lot of calls about people screaming outside. It’s usually the weekend, people may be intoxicated or whatever. That’s a big one.” LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
TECHNOLOGY
Panel discusses how ChatGPT could impact education, humanity BY MADISON STEIGERWALD NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
UNITED STATES TO SEND 2 BILLION DOLLAR MILITARY PACKAGE TO UKRAINE
Following the year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Pentagon announced that they’ll send two billion dollars worth of ammunition and small drones. The ammunition is for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and munitions for laser-guided rocket systems. There are no details of how many rounds of any kind have been bought. There are multiple, unmanned drones that are included in the aid. This includes an upgraded Switchblade 600 Kamikaze drone and electronic warfare detection equipment. Additionally, the aid package includes money to buy mine clearing and communications equipment. The money is also planned to fund training and maintenance to Ukrainian forces. Since the start of the invasion, the United States has contributed over $32 billion dollars of security assistance. President Joe Biden said this effort demonstrates the United States’ continued commitment to the people of Ukraine and President Volodmymr Zelenskyy.
FEBRUARY 27, 2023
DATA: ChatGPT is an AI model that compiles data that creates language sequences. ChatGPT create many different results based on various prompts and questions that a user gives it. The program is not able to form opinions. However, it can compile popular or common answers for a given question. GVL | MEGHAN TRIPP
The Grand Valley State University Quest Series held its inaugural event called the “ChatGPT Panel” on Feb. 22. The Quest Series is part of the Academic Affairs forum to help discuss current issues within the GVSU community. This particular event was held in collaboration between the Divisions of Academic Affairs and Information Technology, facilitated by Provost Fatma Mili. The panelists were from various departments across the university such as writing, digital studies and technology. The panelists discussed the technology of ChatGPT and how the program could shape the future. “ChatGPT, we’ve probably all heard, is a language model,” said Professor of Communication Studies Corey Anton. “At its heart, it’s a deep learning model. With ChatGPT, you feed it a prompt, and it goes token by token, or word by word, in your prompt and generates another word.” While text-generated artificial intelligence has existed for the last forty years, Anton said the advancements for ChatGPT allow the model to invert context and create a web of predictions for language to create meaning.
“(ChatGPT is) a deep-neuro network which is massive and is somewhat like a brain so to speak, but it’s connected by numbers that pass information around,” Anton said. Connections within the ChatGPT system make it possible for users to input a fairly long prompt and receive responses of around 2048 words in a row. “The self attention (ability to create a sequence), though, is probably the key part of ChatGPT that we’re all thinking about,” Anton said. “It allows it (ChatGPT) to offer context. So probably the biggest advance in ChatGPT compared to earlier models is the network itself now can infer and make guesses as to what ambiguous parts of language mean.” Director of the GVSU Writing Center, Patrick Johnson, is optimistic that ChatGPT can provide students with better tools to begin their writing and create rough drafts for a foundation to work from. He compared ChatGPT’s potential impact on education to other resources on the internet people were initially fearful of. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
FEBRUARY 27, 2023
A3 | NEWS
GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS
CONTENTS CRIME
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OPINION
| A4
ENGAGEMENT
| A5
ADMINISTRATION
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SERVICE
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OPPORTUNITIES
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HERITAGE
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BASKETBALL
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GV holds safety briefing following shooting at MSU
BASKETBALL
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BY EMMA ARMIJO NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
VOL. 57
EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief MARY DUPUIS Associate Editor AUDREY WHITAKER Associate Editor JACOB KIRN
NO. 24
Videographer ZACH PLISKO Layout Editor DONOVAN LOPEZ Layout Designer REV BRONOWSKI PROMOTIONS
News Editor ELIZABETH SCHANZ
Promotions Manager GRACE O’BRIEN
Sports Editor ANTHONY CLARK JR
Promotions Assistant ELISE RAPEYKO
Laker Life Editor SABRINA EDWARDS A&E Editor EMMA ARMIJO
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ADDRESSING CONCERNS: Grand Valley State University has various technologies that help to ensure safety on campus. Some of these measures include the Dispatch Center’s lockdown system that remotely engages all locks across all campuses. GVL | ARCHIVES
SECURITY
The heads of emergency response of Grand Valley State University’s Department of Public Safety met with GVSU President Philomena Mantella over Zoom on Feb. 23 to review the university’s safety response plans. Following the shooting at Michigan State University, staff and students alike have felt sadness, unease and grief for those affected by the tragedy. Many feel the university should increase preventative measures and have plans in place to promote security on campus. The safety briefings were open to all GVSU community members. Originally scheduled for two in-person meetings on the Allendale and Pew campuses, the safety briefings were instead held on Zoom and Youtube Live due to the university’s remote status following inclement winter weather. Students were informed of the change via an email from Mantella early on Thursday morning. The video presentation has been uploaded to the GVSU Active Shooter Response on the university website, as well as the official university YouTube channel. The meeting began with a brief introduction from Mantella, acknowledging the tragic events and loss of life followed by a moment of silence to honor the victims of the shooting. Mantella expressed pride in the “forward-leaning crisis plan infrastructure” at GVSU. She promised an increased effort from university administrators regarding campus safety practices to ensure all students are well informed, should an emergency take place. “We are stronger in an event, should one befall us, if every person is attentive to our protocols, if every person is aware of our systems and infrastructure,” Mantella said. “I want to commit to (viewers) that we will increase the cadence of communication around safety so that as we go forward together as a community there will be multiple opportunities to
learn more and dig deeper.” GVSU Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police Greg DeHaan prefaced the briefings with a statement acknowledging the history of police brutality in America, reassuring students GVPD has the community’s best interests at heart. “I acknowledge that policing on Americans historically has not always benefited those marginalized people, but understand this: Grand Valley State Department of Public Safety is your police department,” DeHaan said. “It’s our mission to provide a safe and secure environment in which our students live, work and learn.” GVSU’s active shooter response plan involves a three-pronged effort: responding officers will surround, locate and neutralize the threat; transportation and rescue of victims and students and EMT response. This approach provides a predetermined hyper-focus on each aspect of danger to the student community. The university employs many preventive measures for a situation of violence on campus in addition to post-reaction safety mechanisms to ensure the security of campus members. DeHaan urged continued community activism and vigilance. He said it’s
important to take a “see something, say something” approach and report potential threats. DeHaan said the active assailant often leaks information before committing acts of violence. “The police department receives and reviews a number of intake reports from members of the community including CARE reports, Silent Observer, Campus Security Authority reports, 911 calls, texts to police, police reports from other agencies, social media and bulletins from local, state and federal agencies,” DeHaan said. “While physical security and technology are an important part of any safety and security plan, those solutions can also be defeated by those wishing to do harm, given enough time and determination. This is why it is so important that community members readily share any ‘leaked’ information as soon as it becomes known.” DeHaan said the GVSU response policies are ever-evolving, as many of the safety measures and communication initiatives implemented on campus were done after a review of critical incidents occurring around the nation. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
PREPARATION: President Mantella and GVPD officials outline current and future safety procedures. They said many systems are in place to curb danger. GVL | MEGHAN TRIPP
A4 | OPINIONS GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON
FEBRUARY 27, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN By Abby Haywood
EDITORIAL
Derailing safety regulations leads to disaster
T
2/27/23
editorial@lanthorn.com
Column: Is it too late for Logic to reconnect with his old fan base?
BY MALIK HARVEY SENIOR MULTIMEDIA JOURALISM EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM
In an effort to reclaim his underground following, Logic (a.k.a Bobby) has released his second studio album in eight
months that gives you that “2011” Logic vibe; a vibe that even Bobby seems self-aware about, as he mentions it multiple times on this album. I’m unsure of how you felt after Logic’s studio album, “Everybody,” dropped (or, if you were even listening to him) but for me, that was the album where, as a fan, I felt confused. Filled with commercial success, the album lacked the Logic I fell in love with on “Young Sinatra,” “Under Pressure” and “The Incredible True Story.” As much as Logic references that time of his life on this new album, it seems as though I wasn’t
the only one who felt some type of way. On the second song of the album, “Wake Up,” Logic raps, “Instead of just sittin’ on the bench, I’m reconnectin’ with the streets.” As an artist who’s experienced the kind of success most Datpiff artists only dream of, I can’t expect to be connected to Logic’s lyrics as I once was. But, as far as music production goes, this album was definitely that of “underground” Logic, just a more polished verLOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
Column: Tubi’s Super Bowl ad goes viral, but was it for the right reasons?
BY SAM NOWOTNIK JUNIOR BUSINESS MANAGEMENT EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM
Whether you stay on top of all the recent sports news or even took the time to watch the Super Bowl, the odds are you have heard something about the Tubi commercial. The Tubi advertisement that was supposed to evoke laughter and be a joke on all the fans watching didn’t give everyone a laughable experience and left some in dangerous situations.
For those who haven’t watched the advertisement, it begins with sports commentators on screen, which gets everyone’s attention because they think the game is starting again and the commercials are over. After a few seconds a menu pops up and it seems as if someone opens the menu bar, opens the apps, scrolls and then proceeds to select a show. After a few moments, a Tubi logo pops up showing it was just a commercial and then the Super Bowl continues. Reading this, it may seem like a very short and simple commercial that couldn’t have caused that much damage in only seconds. Unfortunately, it did as there was a mass panic across the world at that moment. People in bars were lashing out at workers, families were screaming at each other and couples began to argue. Some instances involved couples even breaking up based on how their significant other acted and blamed them. This advertisement didn’t
have this effect on everyone, my reaction involved joking with my friend saying he was sitting on the remote, which was probably a common response for many. With past studies showing that domestic violence occurrences rise during sporting events, Tubi is facing backlash on whether or not they thought this advertisement through. Even during a regular sporting event, it could cause some sort of outburst, but the Super Bowl falls into a whole other category. People tend to be more involved and to bet a lot more money which can raise intensity surrounding the game. With sports betting becoming very prominent, stakes were very high for a lot of people. Even those who are not of age are tending to place high risk bets and joining the community of sport bettors. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
hroughout the countr y, train derailments aren’t uncommon. However, it isn’t as common to see a catastrophic derailment that leads to environmental hazards, the most prominent being in East Palestine, Ohio. These derailments showcase the United States’ carelessness in handling safety measurements in situations like this. Accidents such as this one could be avoided if more regulations were put in place to prevent derailments. When it comes to the transportation of toxic chemicals, there needs to be safety measures to protect the workers, environment and the citizens that live around the tracks. On Feb. 3, a freight train derailed in Ohio causing 38 of the 150 railcars to derail, after which a fire broke out that damaged 12 other cars. The cars had combustible materials that included vinyl chloride, a flammable
OPINION POLICY 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
and colorless gas. This forced local officials to order 1,500 to 2,000 citizens to evacuate the area for a total of five days. The chemicals have also led to an estimated 43,700 animals dying within a five-mile radius, with the potential of these numbers rising due to chemical runoff. Contaminated soil and water from this disaster are being sent to Michigan and Texas facilities, with officials being made aware of the incoming shipments only after the plans were already made. So far, Michigan has disposed of 15 truckloads worth of contaminated soil and five have been sent back to Ohio. Since then, the removal of waste from the derailment site has been halted. The disaster comes as a result of removing regulations for trains carrying high-hazard, flammaLOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
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
FEBRUARY 27, 2023
A5 | NEWS
GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS ENGAGEMENT
Fireside chat discusses success, goals and failure BY GRACE SMITH NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
The Frederik Meijer Honors College hosted its first fireside chat of 2023 on Feb. 20. The event was hosted by Grand Rapids mayor and Meijer Endowed Chair for Leadership and Innovation, Rosalynn Bliss. Bliss engaged in a discussion with Mike Verhulst who has served as the executive vice president of strategic growth for Acrisure Benefits Group since April 2022. Previously, he served as Rockford Construction’s vice president and Wolverine Building Group’s vice president. Additionally, Verhulst serves on the board of Convention Arena Authority, Grand Valley Metro Council, Priority Health, YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Symphony, Gerald R. Ford International Airport, Experience Grand Rapids, the Foundation Board of Grand Rapids and is an advisory committee member of ArtPrize Leadership on Canvas. Verhulst’s business journey began when he founded Summit Landscape Management. For nearly 16 years, he served as president and owner until he sold the business to pursue other passions. Verhulst said he overcame many challenges when starting Summit Landscape Management. He said it was difficult to obtain the money needed to purchase equipment for the business and he was shot down by many investors, leading to him working long hours to be able to pay
GUEST SPEAKER: Verhulst shared his own experiences both personally and in business. The event was aimed to bring new perspectives to the GVSU and FMHC communities. The conversations centered around lessons of how determination can lead to future success. GVL | SYDNEY LIM
his own way without the help of loans. Although it was a large undertaking at the time, he said the hard work benefited him in the long run as Summit Landscape Management is now one of the top 100 largest landscaping companies in the United States and is one of the top five minority-owned landscaping companies. Verhulst said many successes in his career have come from grit, hard work and risk-taking. “I think risk-taking is instrumental to
personal growth,” Verhulst said. “It depends what you define as risk, it can be time, it can be monetary, it can be material, but when you take that risk, that’s when you start learning.” Prior to becoming a businessman, Verhulst served in the military as a petroleum supply specialist and a door gunner. He said during his service, he would sometimes find himself making suggestions for how to improve various aspects of his responsibilities, resulting in the process being more efficient. Verhulst said his suggestions always got him
in trouble with his superiors, yet were implemented only days later. Verhulst has been able to apply his service to his current business practices, creating Rockford’s Veterans Committee, where he served as leader of Veterans Day activities. Verhulst has also used his position to advocate for other veterans in the community. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
COMMEMORATION
Presidents’ Day event reflects on impact of leaders BY JONATHAN CARROLL NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
RESEARCH: Brower shared her work that centers around presidents. GVL | SYDNEY LIM
On Feb. 21, the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University hosted an event for Presidents’ Day that featured journalist and author Kate Anderson Brower. Brower spoke to students about the lives of previous presidents, first ladies and the staff that worked under them. Megan Rydecki, the director of the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, said the Ford Presidential Library and Museum is the connecting piece that brought Brower to GVSU. GVSU Student Body President Faith Kidd spoke about what her role has been like and how her ambitions have changed over time. “If you would have met me two years ago when I first started at Grand Valley, I would have told you I was going to be a CEO, and I was going to be President of the United States, and I was going to run a think tank and all
of these fabulous things,” Kidd said. “I’m still considering them but I don’t dream of being on top anymore.” Kidd said she appreciates and acknowledges the supporting roles that have allowed her to succeed in her position. She highlighted the importance of the vice president and other student body roles that help to bring about change in the university. Brower has worked as a member of the White House Press Corps and has had her work published in The New York Times and Bloomberg News. Brower opened her speech by telling stories of the Grand Rapids-raised President Gerald R. Ford. Many of the stories revolved around the friendly and laid-back attitude that the Ford family brought to the White House. “Milton Frame, the White House carpenter, was really impressed by Mrs. Ford’s approachable manner,” Brower said. “He talked about how she would invite him to have tea in the residence and just how different it was from Pat
Nixon, who was so much more formal.” Brower spoke about the strong relationships that many of the White House staff built with each president and their families, no matter what their political beliefs were. Brower said through her research, she found that each first lady had important roles and strengths. She said Betty Ford was her favorite first lady she researched. Brower felt Ford’s openness with her diagnosis of breast cancer helped to destigmatize mammograms and that her ability to speak about the health of women had a positive influence. Towards the end of the program, Brower delved into the relationships between the past presidents, how they worked together or when they criticized one another. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
FEBRUARY 27, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS
A6&7 | NEWS
BY JACK BLAKE AND ELIZABETH SCHANZ ASSOCIATE@LANTHORN.COM
On Feb. 24, Grand Valley State University’s Board of Trustees (BOT), the body responsible for the governing and management of GVSU, held its first meeting of 2023. The meeting covered student employee wage concerns and ideas for improvements for the GVSU campus called the “Campus Master Plan” which outlines potential changes for both the Allendale and Pew campuses. Board of Trustees Vice Chair and member of the Finance and Audit Committee, Elizabeth Emmitt, detailed the “Campus Master Plan.” Emmitt said the plan reflects the university’s goals and provides a roadmap for its capital resources and any efforts in the future. Gregory Sanial, the vice president of finance and administration at GVSU, said the ideas as of now are to create new academic programs, replace older on-campus housing units and “reupholster” the life on campus through student life and commitment. One of the goals for the Allendale campus is to improve pedestrian areas. Additionally, they proposed making Campus Drive, the central road on campus, to be designated for pedestrian and bus traffic. Most car traffic would be diverted to Laker Drive, located on the West side of campus. The plan includes a “phased replacement” of the original living centers on the Allendale campus built in the 1960s: Kistler, Robinson and Copeland. This replacement would make the facilities more modern. Similarly, there is a plan to renovate and expand Kirkhof Center and continue to enhance athletic facilities. The plan also includes many changes for the Pew Campus. Sanial said the board wants to create that “walking campus feel” that some
argue the Pew Campus lacks. This would be done by creating more “green space,” student centers and a student store of some kind. Updating classrooms and technology is also a large goal in the plan. “What we are really looking to do is position the Pew Campus for innovation and digital learning,” Sanial said. One major project in the “Campus Master Plan” is the “Blue Dot” which would expand the facilities of the Eberhard Center located on the downtown campus. The Blue Dot is planned to include 3D fabrication labs, audio and visual production labs, research and design labs and community and study spaces for students. Similarly, there is a plan for changes to the Health Campus to improve upon the classrooms and technology for nursing and health science curricula. Earlier this month, two new trustees were appointed by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Governor and were approved by the Senate. They were welcomed to their first meeting as GVSU BOT chairmen. The first new trustee, Ron Hall, is the CEO of Bridgewater Interiors, L.L.C., in Detroit. During his opening statements, Hall said he’s “thrilled to be appointed to the Board.” Executive Vice President of PADNOS and attorney, Shelley Padnos, is returning to the BOT after a hiatus, having previously served from 2007 to 2014. The board meeting opened with public comments from student workers. One student worker, Owen Frisetto, said he thinks student employees should have higher wages and the “accommodations for student workers at Grand Valley are currently inadequate.” He said there are many policies in place for student workers which he feels show the university doesn’t advocate or care for the
study body as well as it should. “If a student worker misses more than two days of work for sickness they may be subject to termination and even blacklisting for getting hired on campus in the future,” Frisetto said. President Philomena Mantella’s update detailed a welcome for the new trustees, as well as an acknowledgment of the recent tragic shooting at Michigan State University on Feb.13 that resulted in the death of three students and five critical hospitalizations. “Our hearts are heavy, but our resolve is strong,” Mantella said. The BOT meeting followed a campus safety briefing by Mantella and GVSU safety officials on Feb. 23. Mantella said she has a personal commitment to working with leaders across the state and nation to enhance campus safety. Mantella said interest in GVSU is at an “all-time high.” “We’ve seen record numbers in our institutional applications,” Mantella said. Chief of Staff to the President and Vice President for Inclusion and Equity, Jessie Bernal, gave updates on demographic shifts at GVSU in recent years. “We have become increasingly more diverse since 2019,” Bernal said. Bernal said GVSU is one of the leaders in the state in enrolling first-generation and low-income students. “Nearly a quarter of our incoming class identify as students of color, and nearly a quarter of our recent hires have been people of color,” Bernal said. More information on BOT and meeting minutes will be found online.
A8 | NEWS
FEBRUARY 27, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS
SERVICE
Gift of Life hosts “Swab-A-Thon” event to help those in need Additionally, an estimated 1,519,907 people in the United States are living with, or in remission from, leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) or myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). For many people, bone marrow transplantation or peripheral blood stem cell transplant can lead to recovery. Gift of Life has made it possible for many people to match with strangers in order to receive transplants. “It’s not only important to join the registry and grow the registry, but also to diversify the registry as well, so running events on campus and in the community is very important for patients worldwide,” Messer said. Messer said matching is incredibly difficult and many groups of people are not represented in the registry. Genetics have to match to a certain extent in order to be compatible. Messer said Gift of Life has been running the Swab-A-Thon event for six years, which has led to further data collection in the registry and more matches for patients in need. She said the work of Swab-A-Thon is particularly impactful on college campuses. “This is a great way for students to get involved in a different way than they are used to, as you are able to see the immediate impact of how many people
BY CHLOE SCHRAM NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
On Feb. 22 and 23, Gift of Life Marrow Registry held the first event of its winter Swab-A-Thon event in Kirkhof Center located on the Grand Valley State University Allendale campus. The next event will take place at the same location on Feb. 27 and 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Gift of Life aims to cure blood cancer through cellular therapy. The organization works with the public to get others involved in the fight to cure blood cancer. According to Gift of Life, getting swabbed can help the organization find a match for patients in need of stem cell and marrow donations and in turn, save a life. Recruitment Specialist at Gift of Life Marrow Registry, GVSU alumna Jocelyn Messer, said the work of Gift of Life can make a real impact. “Gift of Life is a nonprofit and international stem cell and marrow registry that works to recruit potential donors for patients battling blood cancers, sickle cell and other immune disorders,” Messer said. “Our mission is to find a matching donor for every patient in need.” According to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, one person is diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma approximately every three minutes.
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COMMUNITY EFFORT: The Gift of Life Swab-A-Thon event allows students to get involved with the organization and potentially become a donor. The Kirkhof event allows students to get involved directly on-campus and quickly during their day. COURTESY | GIFT OF LIFE GVSU
you have added to the registry, and also the matches and transplants that come from events on campus,” Messer said. Gift of Life also has an organization at GVSU where students can get involved by volunteering, becoming a donor or helping raise financial support. Junior Caroline Carlson is treasurer of the Rotaract Volunteering Club at GVSU. She said she participated in the Swab-A-Thon her freshman year when the Gift of Life organization was reaching out to other organizations on campus.
“The process was very easy,” Carlson said. “They came to my club meeting during my freshman year and explained the process, then gave swabs to anyone who wanted to participate.” Getting swabbed doesn’t mean a person is required to donate, but it does put participants into a registry so if they match with someone in need, the organization can notify them. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
Making a difference through research, education, and outreach
R.B. ANNIS FOUNDATION INTERN KATHRYN GELLER Making a difference through research, education, and outreach
Student Highlight
“I could not be more grateful for the internship I got through AWRI. I have had the chance to work under Dr. Charlyn Partridge for 3 years now and it has been nothing short of incredible. I have had so many well as helping with a variety of projects. I have worked on projects pertaining to gene expression in invasive Hemlock Wooly Adelgid insects with eDNA. I know the work I do makes a difference and whether itʼs hiking through Huron Manistee National Forest or learning lab skills that will help me far into the future – I love every day Iʼm there. The professors, graduate students, so pleasant and knowledgeable. I couldnʼt imagine being anywhere else, nor did I think that a summer internship would turn into such an integral part of my time at Grand Valley State University.” Kathryn Geller 2020 R.B. Annis Foundation Intern “I could not be more grateful for the internship I got through AWRI. I have had the chance to work under Dr. The Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute at Grand Valley State University is comCharlyn Partridge for 3 years now and it has been nothing short of incredible. I have had so many experiences with worked projects pertaining both to lab work field sampling, well as helping with aresources, variety of projects. I have mitted theandstudy ofasfreshwater with aonspecial emphasis on Michigan and to gene expression in invasive Baby’s Breath flowers and am currently monitoring Hemlock Wooly Adelgid insects with eDNA. ILakes know the work I do makes a difference and whether it’s hiking through Huron Manistee National the Great basin. Forest or learning lab skills that will help me far into the future – I love every day I’m there. The professors, graduate students, and even the powerhouse ladies in the main office are so pleasant and knowledgeable. I
couldn’t imagine being anywhere else, nor did I think that a summer internship would turn into such an integral Located in atMuskegon, Michigan, the Instituteʼs mission is centered around three part of my time Grand Valley State University.” main programmatic areas: • Research • Education and outreach • Geospatial analysis
Applications will be accepted for Summer 2023 now through Monday, March 6, 2023. Visit www.gvsu.edu/wri/ and click on Internships.
HELPING HAND: The combined work of the Gift of Life leadership team, volunteers and participants help make the Swab-A-Thon possible. Gift of Life works to give community members the opportunity to aid in assisting others through donating bone marrow or stem cells. COURTESY | GIFT OF LIFE GVSU
FEBRUARY 27, 2023
A9 | LAKER LIFE
GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE
LAKER LIFE BRIEFS GEOLOGY CLUB’S CHILI COOKOFF COMPETITION The Geology Club hosted its 18th annual chili cook-off competition this past Monday. There were 16 total chilis submitted, six of them being student-made. The club tied the previous record set in 2016 for the most chili in one cook-off. In previous years, the club didn’t have as many vegetarian options, however this year there were four. There were approximately 70 participants and 16 different judges. GVSU student Ben Burroughs won best overall chili and Morgan Braddock won best student-made chili, with Angle Castle and Lelia Sigmon coming in second place. Ian Winkelstern won most popular chili and Ginny Peterson won best vegetarian chili. The hottest chili award went to Kevin Cole and the most geological chili was awarded to Jonathan DeSantiago. They also gave awards for side dishes and desserts. Most geological dessert was awarded to Kathy Agee. Ashley Wilson won best dessert and Lauren Phelps won best side dish.
PAINT A MUG WITH CAB
On March 1, the Campus Activities Board will be holding a coffeehouse and mug painting event in the Kirkhof Center room 0058 from 7-9 p.m. Besides drinks and crafts, this event is also the last chance for students to audition for GV’s Got Talent.
OPPORTUNITIES
GV hosts Career and Internship Fair BY MELIA WILLIAMS LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM
Twice a year, Grand Valley State University hosts the Career and Internship Fair on the Grand Rapids Pew campus. This winter’s fair gave students the opportunity to network, connect with employers and learn about a variety of jobs, co-ops and internships. With over 230 employers, students and alumni are given the opportunity to practice professional networking skills using tools such as their resumes and cover letter. “It’s a good place to get career research, even for early-on students that are more like career explorers,” said Meghan Veltri, assistant director of the Career Center. Employers from all over the state were looking for students to show initiative and be willing to learn and make new connections. “I think employers like Grand Valley students because they are pretty hard-working, they’re very social at those events,” Veltri said. “We’ve heard from employers that really like coming to the fair because they like working with our students.” The Career Center is well aware that the timing and location of the career and internship fair does not work for all students, which is why the center puts on a number of other events throughout the year that take place both on the Allen-
dale campus and the DeVos campus. “Handshake would be another tool where students can connect with employers if they weren’t able to attend the fair and they wanted to connect with recruiters that were there,” Veltri said. Veltri said LinkedIn is another platform that students can use to send messages to employers. The Career Center has the contact information of all the employers that attend the fairs so students can follow up with them separately. The companies that attended the fair are also listed online. The Career Center also offers laker podcasts that students can listen to for insight on preparing to speak with employers and following up afterward.
“I think a lot of times students are just feeling really nervous about how to get started and we can definitely appreciate that,” Veltri said. “So we would just tell them to come in and we will do step-by-step things that you could do to help prepare for your career. We know it can be scary, but just taking a couple steps each semester will really help students to move forward.” The next Career and Internship Fair will be held next fall, but students can check the events page at the Career Center for additional smaller networking opportunities. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
SPEAKER
Astronomy Club hosts Dr. Larry Molnar BY SABRINA RIHTARSHICH LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM
LEARN ABOUT FIELD SCHOOL OPTIONS Students looking for field school opportunities can attend the Beaver Island information session on Zoom on March 1 from 4:305:30 p.m. This is a three-credit course that’s offered in the spring/summer semester by the Environmental and Sustainability Studies program. It relates to the environment, culture and economy of one of the most ecologically diverse locations in the state. This trip is led by Dr. Kelly Parker and begins June 11 with a one-day orientation at GVSU, followed by a week of training and then a week on the island. Students will learn about the island’s history, partner with the community, attend the eighth annual sustainability fair and complete a collaborative group project. The application is open now through March 13. As the information session is a virtual event, students need to RSVP ahead of time in order to get the Zoom link to attend.
CONNECTIONS: GVSU held the second Career and Internship Fair of the year giving students the opportunity to meet and socialize with businesses in Grand Rapids. GVL | BETHANN LONG
SPACE: Grand Valley’s Astronomy Club invited Dr. Larry Molnar from Calvin University to speak about his research into binary stars. He has been studying the evolution of these for the past 10 years. GVL | SAMUEL NELSON
On Feb. 24, the Astronomy Club hosted its first speaker event featuring Dr. Larry Molnar, a physics and astronomy professor at Calvin University who has studied the evolution of binary stars for about 10 years. Due to his recent work on contact binary stars, which are stars that are in close proximity to each other and ultimately meld together in orbit, Molnar has gained attention in the field of astronomy. With the aid of his Calvin University students, Molnar published a study in the spring of 2017 outlining techniques for identifying and predicting luminous red novae. Since that time, Molnar and his team have made significant progress in their knowledge of contact binaries and red novae, laying the groundwork for future close examination of these events. “I thought that his closeness to GV and the local astronomical community and his pioneering reach on contact binary star systems would make an interesting lecture and would be good for members and GV students to check out,” said Astronomy Club President Colin Blassingame.
Molnar opened the event by talking about his film, “Luminous,” which was a five-year project completed in 2019. The film premiered in a number of different film festivals in the summer of 2021. The documentary follows his journey locating an “unfindable” star that was about to explode. He said the film will be available to stream through Canopy in a couple of months for those who are interested in watching. The main topic of conversation at this event was the discussion around contact binary stars. Molnar spoke about binary stars in relation to the Sun. He said the bigger of the two stars is about 30% bigger, whereas its companion is about a third as big as the main star. “This turns out to be a common thing,” Molnar said. “Stars, like our sun, burning hydrogen, radiating waves like our Sun does, often find themselves in this situation of having a companion.” Molnar said that out of every 200 stars like the sun, there’s a binary star and he wanted to discover what happened to these types of stars in the end. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com W THE FULL ARTICLE
A10 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ARTS AT A GLANCE GV PREPARES FOR PRE-SPRING BREAK CONCERTS
The Grand Valley State University Wind Symphony and GVSU Concert Band are performing in concert this Wednesday, March 2. Both ensembles offer students from any major the opportunity to participate in their musical performances and potentially earn art credits. Kevin Tutt and John Martin, the conductors for the Wind Symphony and Concert Band, have hosted joint-organization concerts since the beginning of the year. The GVSU Jazz Ensemble is also performing on Tues. Feb 28. The performance will begin at 7:30 pm in the Louis Armstrong Theater. All concerts for the groups are free, though seating is limited to a first come, first served basis.
GRAND RAPIDS GRAND STAND PICTURES HOSTING AUDITIONS FOR DOCUMENTARY
Grand Stand Pictures President Victor Williams is making a documentary about the novel, “A City Within a City.” The book was written in 2012, focusing on the struggles of racial equality in Grand Rapids. The producers of the documentary are searching for local singers to be featured on the film’s soundtrack. Specific attention will be paid to talent in Gospel, Soul and R&B genres. Grand Stand’s goal is to build a “homegrown” team of talent to put the Black Freedom Struggle into words. The producers are looking for vocalists, instrumentalists and songwriters for the production. They hope to have the documentary completed by the end of this year. Auditions will be held on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon through the rest of the month on Wealthy St. in downtown Grand Rapids. Auditions must be one minute in length and are open to all. Artists can sign up to audition on the Eventbrite website.
GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN
@GVLARTS
HERITAGE
Filmmaker speaks at GV on indigenous expression in cinema BY HAILEY HENTZ ARTS@LANTHORN.COM
Indigenous filmmaker Adam Khalil discussed heritage and filmmaking during a three-day event series at Grand Valley State University from Feb. 20-22. The discussions revolved around “Segaajigewin,” which means “the way of expression in art” in the original language of this area, Anishinaabemowin. Khalil was hosted by the GVSU Arts Celebration as a part of the Native American Heritage Celebration. The talks engaged listeners with dialogue surrounding Indigenous narratives, political activism, anthropology and his work in cinema. Taking place on both the Allendale and Pew campuses, the five events aimed to educate and inspire students. “A lot of this research is to find a lineage that I and other Native artists can point back to (and) realize there have been people doing this before,” Kahlil said. “We don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time. There’s actually this ancestral support behind us.” From Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan,
MOVIES & TELEVISION: Adam Khalil, native american filmmaker, uses his experience to advocate for authentic interpretations of indigenous communities. GVL | MACAYLA CRAMER
Khalil is a member of the Ojibway tribe. As a filmmaker and artist, he uses humor and irony to present narratives that look toward Indigenous futures. Khalil is a part of The New Red Order and is a co-founder of COUSINS Collective, two groups that support and foster collaboration between Indigenous artists. Khalil’s work has been exhibited at the Sundance Film Festival, Museum of Modern Art and Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. His films “Nosferas-
ta: First Bite” (2022) and “Empty Metal” (2018) are among his filmography that tackles the construction of Indigenous identity and colonization. “Nosferasta: First Bite” portrays the continuous effects of colonization and directs viewers to not only listen to Native narratives, but to actively engage in the dialogue surrounding them. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
LITERARY JOURNAL
The Fishladder brings publishing opportunities to creative students BY HALEY ROSENDALE ARTS@LANTHORN.COM
DETROIT PHOTOGRAPHER & ACTIVISTS SPEAKS TO VMA
The documentary photographer Rosa María Zamarrón is hosting a lecture at GVSU this Thursday, March 2. The lecture will take place from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in room 154 of Lake Superior Hall. Zamarrón uses her work to showcase diverse communities and decolonize spaces. She’s motivated to be a voice for marginalized communities and create connections between heritage and roots through all different spaces. Her lecture is open to all students and faculty at GVSU. To see the calendar event, those interested can visit the GVSU VMA events calendar.
FEBRUARY 27, 2023
VISUAL MEDIA ARTS: Fishladder is a student run literary publication through the VMA Dept. that gives students, regardless of major, a chance to submit creative pieces to the journal. They are looking to hire additional staff for the following academic year. COURTESY | FISH LADDER
This upcoming April, the GVSU Fishladder will be releasing the 2023 edition of the student journal on art and writing. This year is Fishladder’s 20th anniversary. Fishladder is a student-run publication run through the VMA department that’s published once a school year. They publish students’ works in photography, writing and artwork. The Fishladder takes student submissions until the end of the first semester, then uses the rest of the school year to put the journal together. The Fishladder has editors for each section, as well as reviewers of the artworks and writing submissions. Bruna Ngassa is this year’s editor-in-chief of the Fishladder. Ngassa is in charge of everything from the hiring process to the final say in what’s published in this year’s edition. “In the beginning of the school year, my first order of business was securing a staff of editors and readers,” Ngassa said.
Even though the process for hiring editors was long, it opened up an opportunity for Ngassa to learn. Next year, the Fishladder will have a new editor-in-chief, Ashlyn Miller. Miller is currently the assistant editor. “Right now, I essentially work as the co-editor to the Editor In Chief,” Miller said. “This includes aiding in administrative and editorial tasks and helping make the final decisions for what pieces will be included in the new issue.” Fishladder has 13 editors, including assistant editors for the sections to back up the main editors and help with their needs. “My favorite part of being on staff for the Fishladder is the amazing work I get to see in all genres and from students in a variety of disciplines,” Miller said. “The hardest part of the job is trying to figure out which pieces to include in the new issue. It feels impossible with all the excellent work that gets submitted.” LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
A11 | SPORTS
FEBRUARY 27, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS
QUICK HITS TRACK AND FIELD DOMINATES IN DAY ONE OF CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP Grand Valley State University’s track and field teams completed a tremendous start to the 2023 GLIAC Indoor Championships with a multitude of Lakers coming away with wins. Day one of two (Feb. 25-26) saw both the men’s and women’s side secure individual championships in their events. Junior Lindsey Strutz kicked things off for the women’s side with an individual title in the pentathlon with a score of 3481 as junior Kayce Rympa secured the 5000m title (16:42.17). Senior Judith Essemiah also highlighted the women’s team as she maintained her championship title for weight throw with a distance of 20.17m. For the men’s side, freshman Luke Jelderks finished in first for the long jump title (7.13m) with junior Sam Martens winning the 5000m title (14:21.81), and freshman Colton Emeott and senior James Nutt sharing the pole vault title (4.77m). Senior Jacob Urban also took home the weight throw title with a distance of 20.15m to add to GVSU’s loaded day of competing. The full list of results for the Laker winners and top-three finishers of the GLIAC Championships can be found at gvsulakers.com. GV BASEBALL BEGINS 2023 WITH THREE GAMES IN UINDY With the start of the season this past weekend, the GVSU baseball team lost to the University of Indianapolis in their first two appearances of the season 2-4 and 8-10. Feb. 25 was the first of a two-day matchup against the Greyhounds as the team faced off against UIndy once again the following day to wrap up the three-game series. Junior Jake Rydquist and senior Spencer Nelson were the two Lakers to record a home run in the first game with junior Nathan Logan (three runs) leading the charge out of all five hitters in the second game; Nelson (two) and Rydquist, sophomore Justin Mansager and junior Connor Schuman with one each. The Lakers will take a week to prepare for the RussMatt Invitational that consists of nine different opponents in a six-day period starting March 6-12. DIII HOCKEY ADVANCES TO MCHC SEMIS GVSU’s men’s DIII hockey club defeated Western Michigan in an 8-0 shutout and Calvin University 6-1 to advance to the next round of the Michigan Collegiate Hockey Conference. The Lakers will hope to secure the victory March 3 in the semifinals to move on to the championship round the following day in order to repeat for the second year in a row as the defending conference champions.
BASKETBALL
Women’s basketball claims GLIAC regular-season title BY ANTHONY CLARK JR. SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM
Grand Valley State University women’s basketball won back-toback games at home this past week against Lake Superior State (77-42) and Ferris State (72-55) to complete their regular season schedule. These two wins completed the sweep for the regular-season series against both opponents (2-0 apiece) as the Feb. 23 victory against Lake Superior clinched the 2022-23 GLIAC regular-season title for the second-consecutive season for GVSU heading into the conference postseason. Redshirt sophomore guard Ellie Droste’s career-high 23 points (7-11 3PT, 8-15 overall) led the team against Lake Superior as both Spitzley (12) and Kulas (10) finished in double figures. GVSU controlled the pace of the game throughout as the first quarter finished with a solid 20-9 lead for the Lakers. After shooting 50% in the first quarter, the team fell into a slump as the second would see the Lakers finish shooting a mere 6-18 but still managed to go into the halftime break with a 35-21 lead. Quarters three and four were much the same as the first half with the Lakers dominating on both ends of the hardwood. The team held Lake Superior to just seven converted field goals (7-26) in the second half with
WINNING: With this victory, the men’s team has not lost the conference championship in nine-straight seasons with the women’s regaining the crown. GVL | MACAYLA CRAMER
GVSU never looking back and closing out the game with a 21-5 scoring run in the fourth quarter. Less than 48 hours later, the Lakers hosted their long-time rival Ferris State in the final game of the regular season that resulted in a statement performance for GVSU. Feb. 25 highlighted the Laker seniors in the annual Senior Night celebration as Haley Swing, Emily Spitzley and Hannah Kulas were honored prior to the tip-off of the Ferris matchup. Intensity and anxiousness were undoubtedly present in the first 10 minutes as a slow start in the first quarter saw just a 12-6 box score heading into the second with the Lakers struggling to find their rhythm while forcing the
ball into tight spots without being pressured by the defense. “I thought we just had an unbelievable sense of urgency and intensity,” said Head Coach Mike Williams. “You saw that on the glass, you saw that defensively, getting in gaps, our recovery, our rotations.” “After that first media timeout (going into quarter two), we settled down a little bit,” Williams said. “Our passing got better because we were throwing the ball right to (the defense) and I thought our players did a great job at adjusting as the game went on.” LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
HOCKEY
Men’s DI hockey falls short in GLCHL playoffs BY MADELEINE SMITH SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM
HEARTBREAK: GVSU was No. 2 in the GLCHL going into the postseason tournament while also riding a hot streak of 11 victories and just one loss since January prior to the semifinals match against Calvin University. GVL | ANNABELLE ROBINSON
The Grand Valley State University’s Division I men’s hockey team faced two challenging opponents this week as they fell short of making it to the GLCHL Championship. GVSU started off strong with a win against the Davenport Panthers (2-1) in the first round of the playoffs on Feb. 23 and were poised against Calvin University the following day. Although the Lakers faced the Knights four times in the regular season and won three of the meetings, Calvin would get the best of GVSU when it mattered most with a 1-8 victory in the semifinals. The win against Davenport saw just one goal by the Panthers about midway through the first period, as that would be the only score in the first 20 minutes. The second period featured fastpaced offensive play and multiple
saves by junior goalie Devin Naidow which ultimately led to the first Laker goal of the game by senior forward Zach Borchardt assisted by senior forwards Zach Kippe and Shane Haggerty (9:44). With the match tied going into the third and final period, GVSU remained persistent as freshman defenseman Carson Wood would finally score once again to put the Lakers out in front with plenty of time left on the clock (16:18) - assisted by sophomore forward Sam Lechel and freshman forward Tristan Avoletta. After Wood’s goal, the Laker defense would hold up against attempts made by the Panthers with the final score being 2-1. The win tallied the fifth overall against Davenport this season as GVSU swept the opponent 4-0 during the regular season. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
A12 | SPORTS
FEBRUARY 27, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS
BASKETBALL
Men’s basketball defeats Ferris in huge Senior Night victory BY BRIAN BLOOM SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM
The Grand Valley State University men’s basketball team split its final two games of the regular season as they lost to Lake Superior State 57-65 and beat Ferris State University 90-84 in back-to-back home games. Feb. 23 consisted of GVSU struggling against Lake Superior, falling behind by 22 points at the end of the first half, 22-42. Despite this, GVSU clawed back into the game to close the gap to five points with just a minute and a half left in the game (57-62) before eventually losing. As a team, the Lakers shot 37% overall with graduate student forward Kingsley Okanu leading the squad with 15 points and four rebounds followed by sophomore guard Britain Harris adding 12 points and three steals. The Lakers’ final regular season game pitted them against longtime rival and No. 1 GLIAC-ranked Ferris State, who dealt the Lakers a 29-point loss in their first meeting of the season (68-97 Dec. 1). “(In the first game) we didn’t have everybody; Kingsley was just coming back from injury and didn’t play, and we just didn’t have our numbers,” said Head Coach Cornell Mann. “We want to influence the pace and we didn’t because we didn’t have our usual guys. I won’t ever do that again.”
The emotions ran high before the start of the game as senior guard Luke Toliver, redshirt senior forward Isaiah Carver-Bagley, graduate student guard Daniel Kiley and Okanu were honored for the annual Senior Night ceremony, making the victory that much sweeter. “(It) was a little extra special,” Okanu said. “We all love each other and we knew that we wouldn’t get this experience again so we played extra hard. This happening on senior night just made it so much more special.” Carver-Bagley began the game with an “and-one” conversion with the team never looking back as junior forward Marius Grazulis hit a mid-range jumper to give GVSU a 15-0 lead just four minutes into the game. “We were on point on offense because we were on point on defense, that’s what we always focus on,” Okanu said. “It’s never about offense; even in the locker room we always talk about defense first because that’s what sets up our offense.” After the Bulldogs cut the lead to 11 points (22-11), although GVSU rebuilt the lead to 16, the Bulldogs were able to cut the Lakers’ once double-digit lead to just six points after a 0-10 scoring run (33-27). GVSU would respond as Harris scored three quick points followed by a Grazulis jump shot, leading to a three-pointer by Harris to make the
STRONG FINISH: The hot shooting in the first few minutes of the game put GVSU on top of Ferris State as the Lakers never allowed Ferris to lead or tie it up. GVL | ANNABELLE ROBINSON
score 41-31. Harris wasn’t done there, as he added seven more points to his total to finish the first half with 19 points. “There was a lot of energy and momentum coming in, and once I realized that I had that confidence and energy, I just trusted myself and my teammates trusted me,” Harris said. With a 54-37 GVSU lead to start the second half, Ferris State emerged from the break and cut a 17-point deficit to just six points with 15 minutes left to play, 58-52. Just when it felt as though the momentum shifted, the Lakers once again
responded with a run of their own with Okanu scoring six-straight points in the paint capped off by highlight rejection and fast break slam to get the team and fans back into the game. “When I make a play, that play isn’t over,” Okanu said. “The coaching staff really taught me that I have to have a high motor, I can’t rest. Even though I got the block, there was still work to do on the other end.” LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
SOFTBALL
GV softball begins season with Lewis Dome sweep BY ANTHONY CLARK JR. SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM
PERFECT: With the Lewis Dome Tournament behind them, GVSU completed a strong sweep against out-of-conference opponents. Ranked No. 1 to finish the GLIAC in the preseason poll, the Lakers have a lot of momentum and high hopes for the season. COURTESY | GVSU ATHLETICS
The Grand Valley State University softball team competed in the Lewis Dome Tournament to open the 2023 campaign as they finished the three-day stretch with a perfect 5-0 record. With a five-game slate, the Lakers faced off against Minnesota Duluth (1-0) and Walsh University (9-1) to finish day one (Feb. 24), defeated Truman State (10-2) and William Jewell (2-1) the following day and closed the tournament with a victory against Winona State in a 7-0 shutout. “Overall I think all the wins have been very gritty wins,” said Head Coach Dana Callihan. “Our offenses definitely weren’t firing on all cylinders yet (and) we’re learning that we have to make adjustments.” Redshirt senior Hannah Beatus led the charge for GVSU in their season opener against Duluth as she pitched a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts, tallying the program’s 26th no-hitter since the 2000 season. The lone home run came from redshirt senior Lydia Goble in the bottom of the first inning after Goble hit a triple to set up redshirt senior Morgan Wagner for a single-base hit, allowing Goble to score.
“I’m just super grateful for the eight girls behind me on the field and the other 11 in the dugout,” Beatus said. “Coach Jen is my mentor and someone I put on a pedestal so even being able to learn from her and be on those record books with her - I am just so grateful and honored.” Just as Callihan mentioned about making adjustments, the game against Walsh was an offensive blowout that featured nine scorers and a defense led by junior pitcher Ashley Platek who allowed just one run out of four-total hits in the game that ended in just five innings. Day two featured another blowout and a walk-off home run, with GVSU defeating Truman in six innings after their second-consecutive mercy rule victory. The second game against William Jewell went down to the wire, with the underclassmen coming up big for the team to secure their fourth win of the season. “We’re experimenting with some different lineups, different players in there (since) we have several freshmen in there that have been able to jump in the lineup for us just to see what they can do so we can find out what type of character this team is going to have,” Callihan said. Sophomore Liberti Fair not only re-
corded her first career hit, but the at-bat would also lead to a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure the game 2-1 in a dramatic finish. “It felt awesome to finally square the ball up! It felt like the whole game our lineup was making solid contact, we were just hitting it right to people,” Fair said. “Our defense did an awesome job holding them to one run. My team played amazing and I am very proud of everyone.” To wrap up the three-day tournament, the Lakers shut out Winona State on Feb. 26 with six of their seven runs all happening during the sixth inning and finishing the tournament with a commanding 29-4 scoring output against all five opponents combined. Overall, Callihan said the tournament was a sign of good things to come this season with the team adjusting well to clutch situations, finding their rhythm after slow starts to games and was also appreciative of the sound leadership coming from the upperclassmen.
LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE