Grand Valley Lanthorn vol. 58 no. 16

Chick-fil-A Chaos

Lack of communication with GV community and SLT leads to temporary halt of venue construction, surrounding LGBTQ concerns

Standing in solidarity: town hall brings GV students, faculty, SLT together to share stories, promote change

Media Monopoly: GV Athletics

Media Interns Raise Concerns Over Intellectual Property

GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

Standing in solidarity: town hall brings GV students, faculty, SLT together to share stories, promote change

BY DYLAN HOFFIUS LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU

Following the student-led march on March 18 around Grand Valley State University’s Allendale campus that protested declining retention rates, increased admissions and lack of support for students of color, a town hall meeting was held on April 2 to publicly discuss these issues.

In an intense display of personal testimony and policy impact, concerned students, faculty, members of the community and GVSU’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) filled the Kirkhof Center’s Grand River Room to hear stories of racial and academic inequity from students of color at GVSU.

Helmed by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Iota Epsilon chapter President Antonio Greene Jr. and Vice President Michael King, the town hall presented an opportunity for attendees to learn more about the list of demands delivered to the SLT

during the student-led march.

As part of introducing each of the seven demands, seven designated student speakers were given five minutes to explain the significance and reason for their specific demands. At the end of each five-minute session, two people from the audience were allotted 90 seconds each to expand on the current demand being discussed.

Included in the list of demands were seven action items that called for the implementation of accountability task forces co-led by student leaders, faculty and members of the Senior Leadership Team. The specific demands:

-The implementation of stricter admissions criteria to ensure an appropriate student-to-faculty ratio, ensuring each student gets adequate support

-More academic, mental health and support resources for students of color

-Addressing the declining retention and graduation rates of Black students

-Recruiting more faculty of color and expanding their professional

development opportunities once hired

-Mandating comprehensive diversity and inclusion training for SLT, faculty and student employees

-Addressing microaggressions experienced by students of color from faculty

-Addressing the disproportionate use of students of color in promotional material and advertising

One of the students at the town hall who shared their firsthand experience of the detrimental effect of lacking institutional support was Courtney Edwards, a freshman communications major at GVSU. Edwards said after being put on academic probation last semester, she was only then informed of support resources like the Student Academic Success Center (SASC) and the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), which she said have since been crucial for her academic success.

“You (GVSU recruiters) came to Detroit, you pulled us all out of our predominantly Black successful schools, you sold us a dream, we got here (GVSU) and we did not have all the tools to be successful,” Edwards said. “You see students go from being 4.0 (GPA) students (and) 3.5 (GPA) students to being 2.5 (GPA) students. Academic probation is full of Black successful students that do not deserve to be on there.”

Edwards emphasized the importance of broadcasting services like SASC and OMA for incoming GVSU freshmen, especially freshmen of color. Edwards said these are vital resources that help prevent students from ending up on academic probation. Without proper promotion of these resources, Edwards said students of color are being set up to fail.

Some students said they were frustrated with the lack of in-person attendance and support from the administration at events organized by students of color. One student speaker pointed to GVSU President Philomena Mantella’s Instagram post on March 22, which boasted about the success of OMA’s César Chávez celebration – an event that President Mantella did not attend. This coincides with mounting disappointment from students of color regarding the sensationalized advertising of GVSU’s diversity and inclusion.

Prior to the town hall’s conclusion, an opportunity was given to the SLT to respond to the stories and demands

heard during the meeting. With a strictly enforced time limit, which Mantella attempted to test, each representative used their allotted six minutes to speak about their commitment to working with student leaders to meet the demands necessary for GVSU to adequately support their current and future students of color.

“I can’t promise you that these stories won’t repeat, but I can promise you I will lead and move forward with clarity, intention and urgency,” Mantella said. “I am happy to consider new ways to do this work.”

One SLT member even used his speaking time to hold himself accountable for allowing this inequitable environment to persist for students of color.

“As this campus’ Chief Inclusion and Equity Officer, I see it as a personal failure of my leadership to not have elevated the concerns of our community in more impactful and meaningful ways,” said Jesse Bernal, GVSU vice president for inclusion and equity. “Ensuring that we are reflecting the experiences, perceptions and great thinking of our community and the employees (at GVSU is crucial). As we rethink our work in the Division of Inclusion and Equity, we need your help.”

Moving forward, GVSU’s SLT said they are making efforts to expedite the process with the implementation of the task forces. GVSU Vice President for Student Affairs Jenny Hall-Jones said including “diverse voices at the table” as soon as possible is imperative for a successful collaborative effort between students, faculty and administration.

“As a leadership team, we are grateful for the student leaders and the critical role they play in amplifying the important issues impacting our student body, and specifically our Black students,” Jones said. “We have extended a request to the student leaders to begin this work immediately and hope that in the coming weeks, the task forces will be working collaboratively to accelerate and improve the important efforts necessary for educational equity at GVSU.”

With guaranteed commitment from SLT and faculty at the town hall to work with student leaders on creating avenues that will enable students of color to thrive at GVSU, the path toward true equity and inclusion demanded in the list is underway. When asked after the town hall how and when the demands would be met, Mantella refused to comment.

GV student death, lack of University response voiced at student-led town hall SUPPORT

BY MAX BUFKIN LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU

A student-led town hall called “Retention, Representation, and Racism” was held on April 2 focusing on issues of discrimination and diversity at GVSU. The town hall gave students who identify as Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) a chance to share their concerns with University leadership. With the ability to share stories with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), other campus concerns were voiced.

One story came from GVSU student speaker Zuri Caldwell who spoke about a friend, Carrington Johnson, who attended GVSU and recently passed away. At the town hall, she told Johnson’s story and expressed her frustration towards the University for not acknowledging her friend’s passing.

Caldwell said she received little to no support or accommodation from the school during her time of mourning.

During Caldwell’s speech, she wore a pin in remembrance of Johnson, a 17-year-old BIPOC student at GVSU. She and Caldwell were roommates at the Holton Hooker Living Center on campus.

Caldwell shared that on Sept. 2 Johnson had suffered from a seizure while lying in her dorm room.

Johnson’s mother contacted the school repeatedly, asking for someone, like an RA, to check on her daughter. According to Caldwell, a stand-in RA knocked on Johnson’s door, but after

receiving no response, the RA didn’t enter the room. The Grand Valley Police Department (GVPD) was never contacted. Eventually, Johnson’s mother drove to campus herself and brought her daughter to the hospital. The damage Johnson’s brain had sustained from the seizure left her unable to walk or talk. The cause of the seizure was most likely from E. coli and Meningitis, which was found in Johnson’s system. On Oct. 4, 2023, Johnson passed away in the hospital.

Upon interview requests, representatives from Holton Hooker Living Center were unavailable to comment on the story.

“It’s just like everything came down at once. There was no help, no support. It’s taken until now for it (Johnson’s death) to be acknowledged from the beginning of the year.” Caldwell said.

“I was told they were supposed to reach out to me, to speak to me, to see if I needed any accommodations and I did, but they never reached out.”

Caldwell and Johnson had been friends since high school and planned to graduate together. After losing her friend, Caldwell had difficulty attending classes and keeping up with assignments. At the town hall, she told Johnson’s story and expressed her frustration towards the University for not acknowledging her friend’s passing.

“You’re sitting there in class, and they’re just saying, ‘Make sure you get the work done.’ You’re telling them what’s

going on, and it’s still just, ‘Make sure you get the work done,’” Caldwell said.

Caldwell praised the town hall’s student leaders Antonio Green, Michael King and Kaiya Smith for giving her a chance to share Johnson’s story, first through the student-led listening sessions on March 28 and again at the town hall. There has been little to no acknowledgment from the University of Johnson’s death, even after the town hall meeting.

Caldwell said they were perturbed by the lack of action on the university’s behalf, as previous tragedies involving student deaths were addressed. In December of 2021, Quentin Campbell, a GVSU student, died by suicide on the Allendale campus. The University took action through Facebook posts and emails with Campbell’s story and funeral information, and President Philomena Mantella made public statements addressing the tragedy. However, nothing has been said or done about the death of Johnson by University representatives.

During an interview with the Grand Valley Lanthorn, Caldwell said a promotional poster for Campus Activities Board showing her and Johnson is still hung up in the Kirkhof Center, despite Johnson’s passing.

“It’s heartbreaking to realize that your friend is no longer here because of someone else’s negligence. Because all you had to do was open the door,” Caldwell said.

LOSS: Student Carrington Johnson passed away last year. The loss was never acknowledged the University. GVL | RISHO WOOTEN

Media Monopoly: GV Athletics Media Interns Raise Concerns Over Intellectual Property

BY BETHANN LONG LANTHORNEDITORAL@GVSU.EDU

In this age of technology, an image really does speak a thousand words. At Grand Valley State University, the Athletic Department media interns have helped paint the image of monumental athletic moments, but have plenty to say on what goes on behind the camera.

GVSU Athletics media interns have stepped forward with concerns surrounding an “unstructured work environment” and potential exploitation of their creative work without any written contracts. These concerns beg the questionwho inevitably owns the intellectual property being created from the sidelines of these sporting events?

Media interns have been approached by their supervisors throughout the past few months, who have told them that they need to stop posting photos and videos they have taken on their personal social media platforms. Often these platforms are used as modern-day portfolios. This content was taken with photographers’ own equipment at GVSU sporting events they were assigned to cover. Allegedly, interns who posted GVSU sporting event photos on social media platforms received verbal threats from Grand Valley Athletics Deputy Director of AthleticsExternal Communications, Doug Lipinski who said they would be sent cease and desist letters.

According to a text thread between the interns and their supervisors Malik Ellis, the Director of Creative Services, and Zach Pierson, the New Media Director, these posts were considered “unauthorized content” and told them to stop posting for the time being until an alternate form of usage of their photos and videos becomes available.

A text in this text thread from an intern said it “would make much more sense to have a meeting with the interns and have actual guidelines so we know what we can and can’t do. Rather than sending threats indirectly to scare us from doing things he does not like.”

In an email procured through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, which was sent from Lipinski to Ellis and Pierson, Lipinski stressed the importance that Ellis ensures his staff is “following all university guidelines and policies along with copyright law.”

Under GVSU’s General Personnel Policies for Faculty and Staff, section 4.1.10.2 breaks down the rights surrounding published materials. According to these policies, the University strives to reinforce the “fairness of mutual commitment” and recognizes that these intellectual properties “are rightly the property of the Creator” except for a few exceptions such as ownership and right to use that is laid out in this section.

This is where the waters begin to get murky on where Grand Valley Athletics and their media interns stand. Under the ownership clause of the 4.10.2 section, it states that “all Intellectual Property shall be owned by its Creators when such Intellectual Property is not considered work made for hire, or expressly assigned or commissioned by the University.” According to all interns, along with no contract being laid out to them at the beginning of their internship, there was no guidance put into place on whether this unpaid work they were doing for the department was under the terms and agreement of work made for hire or commissioned by the university.

This has been met with confusion as none of these interns were ever placed under a written contract with clear expectations on what can and can’t be done with the content they create. With no definite policies from the beginning, interns were unaware that the use of their content in a professional manner was not allowed.

Further into the email, during a conversation between Lipinski, Ellis and Zach Pierson, which occurred on November 30, 2023, the three seemingly agreed and came to an understanding as to what the interns were allowed and not allowed to do with this “university intellectual property.”

“As a freelance photographer, I own everything. Period. Per NCAA I can’t sell to players or give to them. But the NCAA does not regulate me posting on socials,” said the freelance photographer.

Beyond the unclear policies, the environment and dynamic of this internship have brought attention to the lack of guidance coming from supervisors and the expectation that interns will take on a bulk of the responsibilities.

Lipinski further stated in his email with Ellis and Pierson his expectations of the two directors, which

“An internship is supposed to be about learning and growing as a person to be in that field, but we haven’t learned a single thing.”

included for them to “create, plan and execute a creative services weekly meeting. Where assistance in organizing event coverage, proper insight, and improved leadership could occur. However, according to all interns who have been willing to talk, there have never been weekly meetings with Ellis and Pierson put in place, and any scheduled meetings that were meant to occur have been continuously rescheduled.

Sean Figurski, one of the first interns to be hired in June of 2022, wanted to utilize his skills in videography for GVSU Athletics and reached out to them through multiple emails asking about potential positions that would be open for the upcoming school year. Within a month of his unpaid internship under Ellis and Pierson, Figurski was asked to travel down to Indianapolis to cover a swim meet for GVSU, which was later followed by a job offer from Pierson for assistant director of video, a paid position, towards the end of his first year with the department. However, after months of following up with his supervisors in regard to the position, he was met with silence.

“I kept asking them for any updates on the job and if I was actually going to get it, and was pretty much ignored by Malik,” Figurski said. “So I just kept working for them (as an intern),”

Figurski learned at the Grand Valley football media day at the start of the 2023 season that he would not receive the job, but still have the opportunity to work for the department as an unpaid intern.

“An internship is supposed to be about learning and growing as a person to be in that field, but we haven’t learned a single thing,” Figurski said.

Emma Graham, a photo intern who started at the beginning of the 2023 football season, highlighted her experience with the disorganization of the internship, and frustration with the inability to own her own photos.

The scheduling of interns was done verbally by asking Ellis’ permission to go cover events they had an interest in. To alleviate too many people wanting to cover the same sporting event, a Google Document was created for interns to fill in when they’re available for events and sign up to cover what they want. However, this never guaranteed an intern was a shoo-in to be assigned.

“I would sign up for things and then I wouldn’t hear back from anyone. So, I’m like am I supposed to show up? Am I supposed to not show?” Graham said.

Graham said she believes photographers in this position, who are devoting their time and equipment without being paid, at least deserve the right to show off their work.

“The least that they can do is let me show off my work. That’s the way I’m going to get noticed as a photographer and an artist.”

“ Further, we would not discuss personnel matters with you as an individual nor in a public forum. It is unprofessional and inappropriate.”

Communication between upper management and the media interns has been minimal to say the least.

When reached out to for a statement on these conflicts and allegations, Keri Becker, the Director of Athletics at Grand Valley issued this statement:

“At no time has any intern within the athletic department brought any worries or conflicts to our attention. Further, we would not discuss personnel matters with you as an individual nor in a public

forum. It is unprofessional and inappropriate.

The appropriate resolution to potential workplace conflict is for the interns to speak directly to their supervisor, then proceed to the next leader within the organization-- such as Doug Lipinski or myself. If this is not possible, the Student Ombuds, Takeelia Garrett, who I have cc’d on this email would be an appropriate avenue as well.  Taking whatever worry or conflict you have referenced to a newspaper article

is an irresponsible way to resolve such issues.

I welcome the individuals to contact me with anything they would like to discuss, if they wish to find some resolution. My door is open, my contact information is below and easily found on our website staff directory.”

The environment of GVSU Athletics has left the media interns feeling as though they can’t express their initial thoughts and feelings to supervisors in order to resolve these issues among the department.

OPINIONS

GV needs more dining hall options

BY MADDIE ZIMMERMAN

I remember when I first toured Grand Valley State University, I was amazed by the campus, and I knew that GVSU was my number one choice for college. Upon getting here, I found out a series of things I had been told on the tour were untrue. The first was that not all campus sidewalks are heated. The second, and most important, thing I found out was the limited food options at GVSU, especially for students with dietary restrictions. While eating on campus may have gotten better since I was a freshman, these problems seem to have persisted throughout my four years.

I was a freshman in 2020, the peak COVID-19 pandemic, and to be frank, it was horrible. No one was left in the dorms, various dining halls were shut down throughout the year including Fusion in the lower level of Kirkhof Center and classes were all online–minus my 8 a.m. bio lab (of course). I felt as if I had been robbed of my entire freshman experience, as most students felt during the height of the pandemic. It was nothing but isolating my freshman year, and what was especially isolating the dining hall food options were.

On a good day, there were only a handful of places to eat from my freshman year. The closest dining hall to my dorm was Kleiner Commons, the most commonly visited place for freshmen to eat. During my entire freshman year, only the lower level of Fresh was open, and the only places I remember that were open on weekends were the rice bowl place in Fresh’s lower level, which no longer exists, The Grill and a couple of other options with limited hours. If you had wanted to eat on campus past 3 p.m. Friday through Sunday, good luck. You’d better have had a supply of macaroni and cheese cups and a microwave in your dorm.  Additionally, there have been

other issues with campus dining. For instance, five campus dining venues were closed in the fall 2021 semester due to a lack of staffing.

While there are more dining locations open compared to what I remember in 2020, people still have many different issues with Laker Food Co.’s dining options.

Curently, GVSU is planning to put a Chick-fil-A in Kirkhof Center (after I graduate, of course), but the plan is currently halted. Either Chick-fil-A will become a dining option at GVSU or a new food venue will take over the location that previously held Subway. Is this one option enough? You would think that by paying tens of thousands of dollars in tuition, there would be plenty of dining variety.

What about students with celiac disease? What about students with peanut allergies? What about lactose-intolerant students?

Although there is currently an allergenfriendly dining option in Kleiner called “True Balance,” I’m sure students tire of only having one food option on campus. If you’re vegetarian, kiss your dining plan goodbye.

My roommate freshman year had very severe celiac disease. I remember that during the first week of classes, I would spend 30 minutes with her at every meal in the dining hall, trying to find something other than salad that she could

eat. It was hard for me to watch as she settled for salad, and she even ended up lowering her dining plan, opting to buy her own food due to the lack of options.

It is also laughable what the college expects people with allergies to eat. Even more, I can’t imagine being vegan at GVSU.

If you did eat meat, the meat at GVSU’s dining halls was so bad my freshman year that there was a popular meme about how raw the school’s chicken was. I remember posts on social media and freshmen leaving Kleiner don’t seem happy with the food on GVSU’s campus. Another time that year, my friend sent me a video, and the entire inside of his chicken sandwich was pink. Completely raw. In my freshman year, I’d bet many students were quickly converted to being vegetarian because of the all too often uncooked meat.

GVSU has a long way to go in terms of improving dining halls and food options for students. My hope is that in the near future there will be more dining locations. The GVSU 2023 Housing and Residence Life Master Plan highlights potential renovations to dining options including the Blue Connection. I hope this will increase the options that are offered, especially for those with food allergies, intolerances and dietary restrictions.

NFL’s 2024 draft may transform the league

BY

In the last few years, the NFL has had many teams remain on top, as seen in the Kansas City Chief’s Super Bowl victory, but this year’s draft might change the teams’ talents and movement of players.

This upcoming NFL draft that will take place from April 25 to 27 has given teams the opportunity to set their franchise up for success in the years to come. With the potential for key NFL players’ movement, the NFL is shaping up to be a new league–something I am really looking forward to. Seeing teams who used to be at the bottom rise in standings is refreshing and makes the league

more interesting. It’s refreshing to see teams other than the same top five make it to the Super Bowl.

The draft this year has many talented players who are claimed to be “generational talents.” Notable players in the draft include quarterback Caleb Williams, quarterback Jayden Daniels, wide receiver Marvin Harrison JR and offensive tackle Joe Alt. Players like Marvin Harrison JR and Joe Alt have been involved with football their whole lives, having watched their fathers play and succeed in the NFL.

The draft also has a lot of good offensive players. With such a competitive draft class, many players that were predicted to be picked higher or go first in their position could fall back a few picks.

The Chicago Bears have found themselves in an excellent position after trading their first-round pick last season. The Bears will now have the number one overall pick and pick number nine. With two picks in the top 10 and recently adding veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen, the Bears have set themselves up for a great season. The Bears will more than likely draft Caleb Williams, meaning he will be walking into one of the best positions any rookie QB has ever walked into before.

The Arizona Cardinals, who have

also been at the bottom of standings in recent years, are walking into this year’s draft with 11 picks to work with and the number four overall pick. With the amount of picks they have, the Cardinals can create a great core or even trade picks for players. The team has a chance to get out of the lowranking position they have been in for years with either route they take.

Apart from the draft, many key players who have been with teams for years are making big moves, including Saquon Barkley from the Giants to the Eagles, Kirk Cousins from the Vikings to the Falcons, and Henry from the Titans to the Ravens. While new trades and signings are happening every day, these are guys I never expected to end up switching teams. The change will be good for teams and fans, as they get to watch games that are new and entertaining.

Seeing teams rebuild and turn their franchises around is what keeps NFL games from being repetitive. The transformation in teams from being on the bottom to actually being playoff contenders is so fun to watch. At the same time, new rivalries will be made and new favorites created. I think this year will break a pattern in football that we have seen for multiple seasons, leading to new teams creating their dynasties.

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:

Creating discourse, evoking emotion: the written word of editorials still holds power

STAFF

BY

As the school year comes to an end, we wanted to look back and reflect on the previous editorials we have published. We believe the student voice is very important. As student journalists, we value the opportunity to share our opinions freely with the campus population through editorials that are supported by data and observation. The editorial part of the publication is an outlet that allows us free expression, in addition to our deep commitment to objective journalism paramount to the Grand Valley Lanthorn.

With multiple members of the Lanthorn Editorial Board graduating at the end of the month, we are immensely proud of the work published this year.

The opportunity to address issues that were important to us, and in turn may also be important to our peers, is the cornerstone of student journalism. To celebrate the work we have done this year, we wanted to take a look back at some of our favorite editorials and share what they mean to us.

When writing an editorial story as a team, it is important to keep in mind that

our opinions do not speak for the entire student body. We use our position as editors of a student publication to speak on issues that we feel motivated to draw attention to. Our position as the editorial board at the Grand Valley Lanthorn gives us a platform to communally, as a staff, uplift commentary on current events and issues.

The editorial board collectively agreed that our most recent article, “Out of touch and out of our pockets: CAB’s spring concert disappointment,” represented many core principles of opinion pieces and was a worthy topic to discuss. We thought this story highlighted our voice particularly well. We were disappointed with the spring concert headlining artist, especially following the success of the previous headliner T-Pain. While we had hoped the headliner would be a more relevant artist to the student community, we can recognize the hard work and effort that goes into hosting the event. We agreed to critique campus events and explain what we feel future events could look like at GVSU.

We also discussed topics of national importance. We were very proud of our “Elections and expirations: how old is too old to hold office?” editorial because it demonstrated our ability

to think creatively about a solution to a problem. In this article, we shared what we thought setting age limits for candidates could look like in the frame of American politics. We felt it was important to express our displeasure with the choices in the upcoming election because we represent the future generation of leaders in America.

We further discussed the topic of political reform with our editorial about the need for third-party representation in the upcoming presidential election. As college-age voters, we wanted to highlight the impact and confinement in an election where choice feels obsolete. This issue had renewed attention when Hillary Clinton made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she told voters who are upset about another Trump-Biden presidential election to “get over yourself.”

Much like the changing landscape of politics, journalism is also in a state of flux. An editorial titled “The possible death of Sports Illustrated is a sign of bigger issues in journalism” brought forward our concerns about rising issues in news media. We felt the need to draw attention to major corporations buying up and turning

local newspapers into shells of themselves for profit. This article also addressed how legacy media like Sports Illustrated are facing collapse, and how the push and pull of these concepts has brought about our concerns regarding the future of an industry that is vital to the American population. While we have the stability and support of a student publication, this story offered us another chance to raise concerns about the field of work that many of us are going into after graduation.

Overall, we are proud of the variety of editorial topics that allowed readers to get a glimpse of what is going on in our heads. Through sharing our feelings, readers can see themselves in our views, find moments to initiate counter opinions and initiate discourse at GVSU.

We want to express our immense gratitude to the student body for engaging with and reading our stories each week. Without readers who engage both positively and negatively with our work, writing editorials would lose some of the value and enjoyment that we find in it.

BY ELIZABETH SCHANZ LANTHORNEDITORAL@GVSU.EDU

The plans to construct a Chick-fil-A on the Grand Valley State University Allendale campus have caught many community members off guard. The plan to put Chick-fil-A in the Crave dining hall, located in Kirkhof Center, the same building as the Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource, has become a contentious issue.

Before establishing the Chick-fil-A contract, there was no communication between GVSU’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and key campus community members like the LGBT Resource Center. Now, numerous individuals are actively speaking out to stop Chick-fil-A from becoming a campus dining option.

Many members of the GVSU community are frustrated, angry and concerned about the lack of transparency with the decision. Some feel it reflects the larger issue and disconnect between the decisions of the SLT and the wants and needs of community members.

Chick-fil-A’s history is riddled with anti-LGBTQ connections, as the company formerly donated to charities including the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)- organizations that “have taken controversial stands on homosexuality and same-sex marriage.” Even though the company cut its ties, no longer donating to these organizations since 2018, Chick-fil-A continues to be connected with antiLGBTQ decisions through its business owners- the Cathy family. Dan Cathy, the Chick-fil-A CEO, made comments in 2012 against marriage equality and his son, Andrew Truett Cathy, is Chick-fil-A’s current CEO.  The information about Chick-fil-A’s anti-LGBTQ connections is widely known and many people, especially in the LGBTQ community, oppose the company. This has led many people to question what

conversations with the greater community were had about the GVSU Chick-fil-A plan. Many LGBTQ leaders on campus said there were none.

“How we got here is just as problematic as the chicken,” said Kyle Felker, the chair of the LGBT Faculty and Staff Association (FSA) Steering Committee and senior library application developer.

“Why wasn’t a communication plan followed? Why weren’t we involved? How did this get so far?”

News of the Chick-fil-A plan was largely surfacing upon the closure of Subway, which is the intended spot for the renovations, toward the start of the Winter 2024 semester, although the plans began well before then. The Use and Finance Bi‐Annual Reporting Form that reported on three projects at GVSU over the period of July 2023 to December 2023 outlines the timeline for the Chick-fil-A project at the University. The document lists that the “Project Timeline” to add a Chick-fil-A to Kirkhof Center would begin in November 2023 and conclude in August 2024.

Campus community members heard rumors of the plan at various times. For instance, Felker said he first heard of the plan on Feb. 22 when someone reached out to him to see what action FSA was taking against it. He got confirmation of the plan officially from Jenny Hall-Jones, vice president for student affairs, on Feb. 26. This was situated well into the project timeline, as it was already underway.

Similarly, Keigh-Cee Bell, chair of the Administrative Professionals (AP) Social Justice Subcommittee and the director of tutoring at GVSU learned about the plan the first week of March.

The AP executive committee has monthly questionanswer meetings with SLT members. At the March 5 meeting, Bell asked Greg Sanial, vice president for finance and administration/CFO and treasurer for the GVSU Board of Trustees and the Grand Valley

University Foundation, if the rumor was true and he confirmed it to be true.

“I am a member of the LGBTQ community, and so when I came to Grand Valley, I’ve been here for about two years, it was really exciting for me to see pride merchandise in the bookstore with GV on it,” Bell said. “So then hearing about a Chick-fil-A coming to campus, it actually kind of really hurt.”

Additionally, the LGBT Resource Center addressed that neither the LGBT Center nor Inclusion and Equity “signed off” on the Chick-fil-A plan, citing responses from Jesse Bernal, vice president of inclusion and equity, and Director of the LGBT Center DL McKinney.

Leading up to this decision, it is unclear how SLT decided Chick-fil-A would best reflect the community’s wants and needs. It seems, from the data Sanial released, that the decision to bring a Chick-fil-A was based on two surveys conducted in 2019 and 2022.

The 2019 survey asked, “Of the following chicken brands, from which are you likely to purchase a meal if offered on campus?” The choices included Chick-fil-A, No Preference, KFC, Popeye’s and Raising Cane’s. 350 out of the total 542 responses answered Chick-fil-A.

The 2022 survey said, “Please list your favorite three to five fast food or casual dining restaurants.” This survey received 633 total responses with Chick-fil-A being the answer receiving 164, the most responses. Neither survey provided a comprehensive questionnaire. The lack of updated and accurate, questions related to campus dining seems to be reflected in the various reactions to the current Chick-fil-A plan.

The lack of conversations between numerous facets of the GVSU community and administration seem to have stemmed from the failure of the SLT to initiate their “communication plan,” according to Felker. According to Felker, in a meeting with the SLT on April 4, the SLT said “they want to go back to their

original engagement plan for deciding whether CFA should be on campus.” Essentially, SLT would invite Chick-fil-A executives to GVSU to interact with various groups of students, which Felker said SLT would start the week following the April 4 meeting.

“The organizers and I are not especially thrilled by this,” Felker said. “We feel like what’s been missed in the process so far is time and space for queer voices to articulate how they feel about this and the effect even having this discussion is having on us. They seemed to indicate that they will make that space, but it’s not clear to us yet when or how.”

Since LGBTQ leaders on campus have learned of the Chick-fil-A plan, many avenues of action have been taken including spreading awareness about the project, vocalizing the lack of involvement between SLT and LGBTQ groups and taking action to stop the project. This includes communication with the Student Senate, filing and advocating for others to fill out Campus Climate Concerns and meeting with the SLT.

In a statement given to the FSA leadership, the SLT said there are three options with how the Chick-fil-A project will proceed: continuing with the construction of Chick-fil-A in Kirkhof Center, moving the Chickfil-A project to another part of campus, or bringing in a food venue other than Chick-fil-A.

Many activists against Chick-fil-A are concerned about the potential course of the project, especially with the financial investment GVSU has put in. The total Chick-fil-A project expense of approximately 1.3 million dollars will be funded out of the University reserve.

“You can find a university’s true values by looking at where they put their money, and this just shows how they truly feel about us (the LGBTQ community),” said Ellen Wilson, a fourth-year GVSU student who is a member of the LGBTQ community. “Even more so, to put the CFA in such a central location on campus, I

just think about the impact it will have on the campus culture. The next time there are ‘bible’ preachers at the clocktower, they can just run inside to CFA and grab their little bible-inscripted cups.”

Similarly, Felker said the University’s decision to bring a Chick-fil-A to campus without engaging with the campus community on their opinions reflects wider issues relating to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion on campus and SLT’s disconnect from the needs of minority students.

“Maybe chicken is not worth it,” Felker said. “Is this (Chick-fil-A) what you want to be spending your money and political capital on? It’s not a good look.”

He noted that GVSU “has a raft of DEI related issues, very serious DEI related issues.” Felker said this is reflected in recent actions from student activism on campus, including students of color demanding campus support from leadership and “queer students” voicing concerns and challenges with maintaining minority faculty and staff.

Student reactions and community opinions about the Chick-fil-A plan are highly varied. Opinions on the decision are often based on a social standpoint and feelings that other food options would be more wanted or beneficial.

“I think that not inviting CFA would be the best option because it would keep a hateful company off our campus,” Wilson said. “Unfortunately, people do love CFA, and they are a very powerful presence, so I am sure that they will not back down now.”

Further mixed discourse around the Chick-fil-A decision was seen on Yik Yak, an app that allows users to post anonymously to a board specific to their college campus. A comment on a post, which had a screenshot of the LGBT Resource Center’s announcement of the “halting” of Chick-fil-A said, “another members of the the lgbt community and i love chick fil a, i think they should replace erbs and gerbs (Erbert’s and Gerbert’s) with panera. i had it once and it sucked ass, we already have another sub shop on campus anyways at blue (connection).”

Another comment on the same post said, “I don’t care for chik fil a and Panera has vegetarian options.”

Similar to this sentiment, based on opinions of Laker Food Co.’s offerings, Bell noted their personal feelings and conversations with students about wanting healthier and accessible food options on campus.

“Food has been kind of a contentious thing on this campus. We need more of it. We need better options for everybody. We’re taking away Subway, which you know, it’s fine, but at least it was a healthy option. It was a vegetarian-friendly option. It was a vegan-friendly option,” Bell said. “In the tutoring and reading center, we have 90 student tutors plus all of the students coming in every week (for) their appointments and more often than not, I hear, ‘I just want a healthy food option.’”

The Grand Valley Lanthorn requested to speak with SLT including Sanial and Craig Wieschhorster, associate vice president for business and finance. The Lanthorn received a statement from Stacie Behler, vice president & chief public affairs and communications officer, on behalf of the SLT.

“At this time, what I can share is that Grand Valley will spend the coming months fully engaging with the GVSU community to hear their thoughts, concerns and questions about Chick-Fil-A as a dining option on its Allendale campus. Next steps will be determined after those discussions are held,” the statement said.

It is yet to be seen what the Chick-fil-A plans will look like going forward, with no decisive response as conversations and action continue to be navigated and voiced by LGBT leadership, the GVSU community and SLT.

Please list your favorite three to five fast food or fast casual dining restaurants that you most frequent.

A 10 | ARTS

PERFORMANCE

Combating climate change through art: GV students host environmental awareness concert

BY RACHAEL GAGE LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU

Despite taking place on April fools day, students in Grand Valley State University’s ENS 242- Climate Change in Popular Culture class purposefully used trash cans and recycling bins as instruments during their Climate Change Awareness Concert.

Performing at the Cook-DeWitt Center Auditorium on April 1, ENS 242 students invited friends, family and members of the GVSU community to attend their concert. The event aimed to help audience members develop a deeper understanding of the environment through music. Students hoped their performances would motivate the audience to take action against climate change.

With winning artwork from March’s Climate Change Art Competition hung in the lobby, the concert featured a variety of original poetry and musical compositions with accompanying visual components.

Partnering with GVSU’s music program, the ENS 242 class asked students and anyone who wanted to participate to share their talents and knowledge of climate change and justice, equity and positive social and ecological change.

“I believe very strongly that the solutions to climate change will require people to have creativity and imagination far beyond what we are doing now,” said Rebecca Williams, Ph.D., assistant professor in GVSU’s School of Interdisciplinary Studies. “We wanted our students to have that experience of having to think differently about a really big problem.”

Williams worked alongside fellow Interdisciplinary Studies Professor Steve Nathaniel, Ph.D., to organize the event. The goal of the concert, Nathaniel said, was to spark a conversation and deepen the audience’s curiosity about the longlasting effects of climate change through the students’ personal interpretations of the issue.

“We want our students to be deeply

engaged with these ideas of imagining climate change,” Nathaniel said. “Not simply learning it (climate change) from a factual standpoint, but being able to interpret it as we see it around us in our culture.”

Kat Vann, an environmental and sustainability studies major at GVSU, composed a song on her guitar that she performed at the concert called “I’m Worried for My Friend.” With this piece, Vann said she aimed to personify the earth, comparing its struggles with the human need to recharge in a rapid-paced economy where many are overworked.

“Hopefully, they (the audience) were able to relate and feel empathy for the planet,” Vann said.

Furthermore, Vann said environmental art is often ignored in terms of community outreach, even though it can be impactful. With the Climate Change Awareness Concert, Vann said students were able to spread awareness about their cause, motivate others and learn about the benefits of working in a diverse

group that shares a common goal.

“Our main issue in protecting the planet is simply the fact that people don’t fully know what is going on,” Vann said. “Through each art piece, audience members received various pieces of information while also reaching into their emotions to leave a lasting impact.”

Williams said she hoped the emotional pull of the concert would be a powerful call-to-action for people. At the event, materials were provided that suggested practical ways for individuals to start immediately making a difference in the environment.

Additionally, many of those in attendance, Williams said, were moved by the heaviness and severity of the concert’s topic.

“People in the audience were in tears,” Williams said. “It was surprising to me, but (it was) also very moving (to see) that this is a thing (climate change) a lot of people are really struggling with.”

APRIL 8, 2024

DIVERSITY

Censored and misrepresented: GV Women in Cinema club spotlight Iranian filmmakers

BY LEE MARENTETTE LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU

Over the last two weeks, Grand Valley State University’s Women in Cinema club and Department of Visual and Media Arts held the first two screenings in their four-part Women of Iranian Film series. Organized by Padnos Distinguished Artistin-Residence Kate Levy and GVSU Visiting Professor of Photography Mahsa Alafar, the series focuses on the lives of Iranian women.

On April 2, a selection of uncensored short films by Iranian female filmmakers were screened. The films examined several Iranian political issues with a focus on censorship.

As an Iranian artist and educator, Alafar said women in Iran face significant discrimination due to their gender. Since Iran functions as a patriarchal theocracy, Alafar said the women filmmakers in Iran face additional limitations to what they can include in their scripts and show on camera. One limitation is that women are forced to wear headscarves throughout the entire shoot regardless of setting, which Alafar said is “not realistic.”

“From an American cultural point of view, we’re far too focused on saying, ‘Oh, these women are victims, look at all of this oppression they go through,’ but they’re still people behind all of that,”

Alafar said the censorship and unrealistic depiction of the lives of Iranian women creates a false reality. Because of this, Alafar said she was inspired to pick a selection of short films for the series that shared a common thread in their subversive commentary on the lives of Iranian women living in a censored world.

“The censorship is for everyone,” Alafar said. “Whatever that they (the Iranian government) don’t find in alignment with Islam, because it’s a theocracy, or it’s (your film) not aligned with the common sense that they define, they won’t let you make it.”

Conversely, Alafar also said censorship sometimes ends up fostering creativity in the way Iranian filmmakers incorporate personal statements into their films, which they then must carefully navigate. As a result, Alafar

said audiences are able to form their own opinions and draw conclusions that might be different from the narrative seen in Western media.

“I think it’s interesting to have a different perspective on (Iranian) culture based on film,” said Caroline Hamilton, a member of Women in Cinema. “Film is a medium where you can tackle topics that are a little bit more controversial or hard to get away with.”

Another important aspect of the film series is honestly and accurately portraying the day-to-day lives of Iranian women without victimizing them. Caitlyn Shaw, a member of the Women in Cinema club, said she found this perspective particularly refreshing because many of her film classes almost exclusively screen American and European films.

“From an American cultural point

of view, we’re far too focused on saying, ‘Oh, these women are victims, look at all of this oppression they go through,’ but they’re still people behind all of that,” Shaw said. “I feel like with these films, you really see that there is so much more to these women than just the political circumstances they’re put in. I think it’s important to show these films to give us a level of depth and nuance that we don’t really get from the news and media at large, or in our classes.”

Still, Alafar emphasized that these films probably will not lead to policy or legislative changes in regards to Iran’s rampant censorship. However, Alafar said Iranian female filmmakers are finally having their work seen by the wider film industry thanks to increased distribution at international film festivals in recent years. She hopes this will spark conversations for change.

“You are not defined by the world you’re living in or the circumstances you’ve been dealt,” Hamilton said. “I think that’s really important, especially for Iranian students and female filmmakers.”

The Women of Iranian Film series will finish with screenings on April 9 and 16 from 7-9 p.m. in Lake Superior Hall Room 174.

MOVIES: GVSU students had the opportunity to see Iranian life in films. The various female perspectives represented in their work showed their experiences. GVL | ELLA MCCLINTOCK

Senior dance concert “Myriads” captures student memories through movement

BY MALLORY BURT LANTHORNEDITORAL@GVSU.EDU

At Grand Valley State University, some dance students are putting on their senior dance concert, titled “Myriads.” The show will feature dance creations about formative and personal life experiences.

This semester, there are seven seniors in the dance major taking their capstone class, DAN-495 Senior Project. The course asks students to choreograph two pieces, one a group piece and the other a solo. Students hold auditions to cast dancers for their pieces, hold rehearsals weekly, design lighting, do a professionalstyle photoshoot, fundraise and more. To showcase choreography and creativity, the concert includes multiple performances to conclude senior dancers’ experiences at GVSU.

Senior Carly O’Donohue explained how she began her pieces for the concert.

“I am a visual planner, so I started writing a lot of my thoughts and ideas and I used Pinterest to look for inspiration there,” O’Donohue said.

O’Donohue said she didn’t fully know her plans until she cast her dancers, relying on her love for storytelling and creating to fuel her pieces. Once she had an idea of what she wanted, O’Donohue looked next to music.

“Music plays a huge role in dance,” O’Donohue said. “Especially when you are trying to convey a certain story.”

O’Donohue’s group piece is about “loving someone who is struggling through life and just wanting to protect (them) from the bad.” Her

piece follows two humans who share a deep connection, with one of them constantly being “tossed around” by the other dancers who represent the hardships of life.

From her years in the dance program at GVSU, O’Donohue had a list of artists she admired that she looked to for inspiration as well. O’Donohue largely credits her success in her piece to the collaborative process with her cast, who “showed up every rehearsal with ideas and the willingness to create together.”

To O’Donohue, the most challenging aspect of the capstone project was her solo. Most dance majors choose to choreograph a solo and a group piece to be performed in their senior concert. She admits that she procrastinated on this piece, and often struggled with believing in the ideas she had.

“I didn’t feel like my idea was good enough until almost halfway through the semester,” O’Donohue said. “It is just very challenging being by myself, in a studio with a mirror staring back at me.”

In the end, her solo became a “confrontational” story about wishing for time to slow down and that it’s okay to not know what the future holds.

Senior dance major Hannah Kunkel said it was intimidating to start from scratch when choreographing their two pieces. To help ease into the process, Kunkel worked through the choreography in chunks.

“Going bit by bit helped me focus and not get overwhelmed by a big picture or final project,” Kunkel said.

The inspiration for their group piece originally came from the Willie

Nelson album, “The Red Beaded Stranger.” Kunkel was inspired by the vintage Western sound when learning about music history in class last summer. Their group piece specifically is about their experience in the queer community.

“I wanted to combine historical and contemporary queer experiences in a way that can resonate with a diverse audience,” Kunkel said.

Their solo, also a personal story, is about dancing with a chronic injury and the uncertain future it presents. Kunkel also admitted their solo reflects the sadness they feel closing this chapter at GVSU.

“The joy and excitement I feel for these milestones are beginning to be overturned by the sadness of the endings I face,” Kunkel said. “I am using my solo as a vessel to take in my last performance with GVDD.”

Both O’Donohue and Kunkel are grateful for the dance program.

“The dance program has brought me my forever best friends,” O’Donohue said.

Kunkle said the dance program has a community where “you can find the people you truly connect with and know will be there to support you.”

This year’s performances take place on April 12, at 7 p.m., and April 13 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The performances will be held at the Haas Center for Performing Arts Dance Studio Theatre, Room 1600. Admissions for this event is free.

COURTESY | DARREN BREEN

APRIL 8, 2024

CAB supports students’ small businesses with market event

BY SITLALI PADRON LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU

Grand Valley State University’s Campus Activities Board (CAB) held its student small business market on April 4 in Kirkhof Center.

At the event students were able to showcase the products their small businesses offer and sell them. The event is held a few times a year, typically with two markets during the fall semester and one during the winter semester.

Brianna Conway, Director of Transitions at CAB ran the event. Conway said having opportunities on campus for students can open up more possibilities for them.

“It’s good to have a space for GVSU students to show their talents. It also encourages others to be more confident to do the same thing,” Conway said. “It brings awareness that these businesses might not have otherwise. It also brings students with

the same niche together.”

Student Javion Ward’s clothing brand, Money Over Fame, was one of the small businesses featured at the market. His business focuses on streetwear style branded clothing.

“Having a clothing brand is like art because I am designing products to put out into the world and have people see it,” Ward said.  “When I see good reactions, it’s definitely a good feeling to see that my hard work is noticed.”

Ward said this event is important to student small businesses owners like himself because it helps to expand their brands’ reach.

“The more events I am at, the more people will be able to see my brand in person and be able to meet who I am and see (and learn about) my brand,” Ward said.

He said the small business market was a good way to connect not only with customers, but other businesses. Ward said the event allowed people to exchange ideas and network in the space.

“I feel I always have more room to grow. So, meeting other people they may know some things you may not know and vice versa- to be able to help each other out and help each other grow,” Ward said.

For now, Ward sells his clothing online and at future small market events, but one day he hopes to open his own clothing store.

“It’s cool to see different products people make that you wouldn’t find in a normal store,” Ward said. “(The market) provides that extra help to push their name and brand out to people and be able to sell their products too.”

Another student small business featured at the event was Arianna Kraljic’s handmade jewelry business AriKsJewlery.

Kraljic said at other markets she has attended, businesses had to pay for a spot. However, the CAB event was free for vendors and did not have a fee. She expressed that events like this help her student small businesses gain exposure

and sell products without having to spend money on an entrance fee.

Kraljic said with each market she attends, her business gains more followers. She said the social aspect of the market makes the market even more enjoyable.

“Even if I don’t make that many sales, it’s fun to see people’s faces with what I’ve made,” Kraljic said.

Like Ward, Kraljic hopes to further expand her business in the future.

Conway said there was, what she considered, a good turn out of people walking through Kirkhof Center to stop and talk with the business owners. Conway said there were positive reactions from both students shopping at the market and from businesses.

“Every person I talked to was so happy this was happening. There was not one student I came across who seemed to not like it,” Conway said.

Latino Student Union’s winter baile makes space for culture, community

BY ANNE DAVEY LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU

Grand Valley State University’s Latino Student Union (LSU) hosted its annual baile for the winter semester on April 6. Baile is a dance gathering, popular in Central and South America.

The LSU hosts different events throughout the year to celebrate Latino culture. Often, these events are centered around food, movies and games that are popular with members. Baile is LSU’s biggest event each semester. This semester, it was themed “El Festival de Musica: Fuego,” or fiery music festival.

Guadalupe Alamillo-Jimenez, the event coordinator for LSU, planned the event and picked the fuego theme.

“My vision for it was that fuego means fire physically, so that’s why I included the red, orange and yellow (decorations), but I also wanted (it) to be envisioned as like fuego, the fire that Latinos represent,” Alamillo-Jimenez said.

The Grand River Room in Kirkhof Center was transformed into a musical festival-like environment, complete with a dance floor, tables set up with accessories such as glow sticks and bracelets to create a festival ambiance, photo opportunities and

a fake merch stand. The LSU also encouraged attendees to dress in bright colors and clothes that fit the festival theme.

Alamillo-Jimenez decorated the event’s doors with the different flags of Latino counties to emphasize that everyone was welcome at the event. Additionally, the DJ was asked to play a variety of Latino music from different countries.

“I like the Reggaeton,” said Danahe Garcia-Navarro, the vice president of LSU, referring to her preferred music. “Some of the main (genres) are Bachata, and Cumbia. There’s some Banda songs that typically tend to appeal to most of the members because we do have a bigger sized Mexican demographic.”

Some artists the club played were Bad Bunny, Peso Pulma, and Karol G. The DJ for the event, DJ Anjel, is the father of one of the members of LSU, and Garcia-Navarro said she is excited to have him as DJ, because he understands the cultural significance behind the song and dance.

“I think that there’s that special connection there because (DJ Anjel is) more familiar with the culture, so I think that’s very important to have,” Garcia-Navarro said.

Although the baile was advertised to the Latino student population Alamillo-Jimenez said everyone was welcome. She hopes

Latino students who did attend the event and were not already involved with the LSU will be inclined to get involved with the community and organization in the future.

“I am hoping that people see a community for them, maybe even a family, because, like those that are far away from their home, I think they experience loneliness,” Alamillo-Jimenez said. “So this is a good community, especially for Latinos to feel involved and feel some sense of like, okay, I’m not alone.”

Both Garcia-Navarro and Alamillo-Jimenez said they have found community at GVSU through their involvement in LSU.

connections across campus.

“From the very beginning, that’s how I found my friends who I have now, like the connections made there, were definitely a ripple effect to now. That’s mainly my friend group, mainly the people I hang out with and every fun event is with them,” Garcia-Navarro said.

Garcia-Navarro has been involved in LSU for three years. She joined the organization her first year on campus after she found the club at Campus Life Night. Through her involvement, she has taken leadership roles in the organization and has made

Alamillo-Jimene had a similar experience after getting more involved with the club in her second year and now holds a leadership position in her third year. Alamillo-Jimene said the position fits her because she is interested in event planning. Though she is an allied health science major, she hopes to do event planning on the side in the future.

However, LSU means more to her than just a position. She said the organization gives her a network of people.

“I found a community that I want to stay with and belong to,” Alamillo-Jimene said.

MUSIC: DJ Anjel played Latino music from a variety of different countries. The genres were intended to reflect the diverse demographic makeup of attendees. GVL | TRENTON ESTRADA

APRIL 8, 2024

GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

@GVLANTHORN

@GVLANTHORN

ENGINEERING

GV Solar Racing Team builds solar car, hopes to compete

BY ISABELLE ENGLAND LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU

The Grand Valley State University Solar Racing Team has been working on building their solar-powered car since 2019. The team meets year-round to work on designing, problem-solving and ultimately building a solar-powered car.

Once the car is road-ready, the team hopes it will be able to compete in both the Solar Sun Grand Prix and the American Solar Challenge. This would be the first time the team would participate in the competition. The organization hopes this would be an opportunity to showcase its commitment to creating the solar-powered car and bring the team to a new level.

The team initially started building the solar-powered car before the COVID-19 pandemic. During shutdowns, the organization lost momentum after not being able to meet regularly, halting the build process. However, in late 2021, President Brian Farrell and Vice President Patrick Vidovic brought new life to the team resuming the project.

The design process can be lengthy, but a large draw for members of the Solar Racing Team is the learning and hands-on aspects of it. The entire design and build of the car are student-made.

“We are putting the full (solar) panels together. We have 400 individual batteries, we’re putting them all together and making sure they are in the right set-up, we have a management system that we are implementing,” Farrell said. “We have all this code that is monitoring all our systems, our lights, our screens, we are doing all that ourselves. We are writing all that code.”

When the car is ready, Vidovic said the team plans to compete in the Solar Sun Grand Prix, where the cars race on a road-style closed course to test the solar car’s ability to handle curves, as well as the braking and acceleration. Once their car is deemed safe through the event, they can compete in the American Solar Challenge, a 1,500-2,000 mile race between multiple cities across the country.

“We are starting to put together and prototype our student designs for the physical components and are setting the car to be rolling within the summer,” Farrell said. “We’re making our own solar panels which should be done by the end of fall 2024 as we plan to race the car nationally in the summer of 2025.”

Currently, the team is working on finalizing their design for the car’s suspension and hopes to have the car on wheels over the summer.

“Our suspension, unless it is pure metal, we are not buying anything. We are hand making a lot of it, (the car is) handmade and student-designed,” Farrell said.

The team also recently purchased the motor for the vehicle and will install it over the summer. In the meantime, the team continues to solidify design elements and delegate tasks to students who are most interested allowing students more hands-on experience.

“When I came in (to the club), I was able to have hands-on experience with topics very relevant in my field right away. I was able to build up a system from the ground up, so it was a great experience for in the future for when I graduate,” said Jack Lukomski, a GVSU senior and software developer for the team. “I was able to learn a new (software) principle, called RTOS. It’s super relevant and you don’t really learn it through the school, but through the club I was able to learn it and get experience on building a system in RTOS.”

Designing and building a solarpowered car is not a small feat, and a project this big comes with large costs for materials. The team is funded primarily through community sponsors, but they also are funded through donations and money the team gets allocated to them through the Student Life Fund available

to all registered student organizations through the Student Senate. For instance, with the combined funds they acquired through the Student Senate and their community sponsors they bought their motor for roughly $22,ooo USD from a specialty manufacturer in Australia. Aside from the large cost associated with the project, Farrell described that the process of building a solar-powered car takes years.

Although the club has the obvious major engineering component, Vidovic and Farell said they would love to see students from other disciplines join. They would love to have some marketing students help run the social media or business students to help in garnering community sponsors.

“The goal I push for is giving people the ability to apply what they learned in class and to branch out into new skills. Financial management for those who have never had to deal with that, community outreach, sponsorship management, technology not explored deeply in class sparking research,” Farrell said. “I see the team as a way to generate new ideas in a ton of different fields because we don’t have a bottom line to keep, we get to play around with business and design methods and techniques, truly pushing that learning and creative environment.”

SOFTBALL

Dominant pitching leads GV softball to DH wins over Davenport

BY NELSON HUBBELL LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU

The No. 9 ranked Grand Valley State University softball team welcomed the Davenport University Panthers to Allendale, Michigan in a local rivalry doubleheader on Saturday, April 6 after two doubleheaders were canceled due to rain earlier in the week.

The Lakers pitching staff dominated the Panthers, winning game one 10-1 and game two 2-1 with the help of sophomore pitcher Navaeh Ingram and senior pitcher Ashley Platek.

“I thought our pitching was excellent on both sides of it,” said Lakers’ Head Coach Dana Callihan.

Ingram, who has appeared in six games prior and gave up just six combined runs in those appearances, put up yet another strong performance. This time against the Panthers, she allowed just one earned run and two hits in six innings of play.

Ingram is third in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) in ERA at 1.39, sitting behind two teammates: freshman Kylie Swierkos (0.69) and senior Genesis Eggart (1.21).

Ingram is allowing less than half as many runs on average compared to last season (2.94).

“From the offseason, all the work that myself, as well as the team, has put

in has really helped not only our hitters but also me as well,” Ingram said.

After scoreless play in the first inning and top of the second, Ingram accounted for a run of her own and an RBI in the second inning. Her single got the scoring started for the Lakers, bringing home senior third baseman Megan Koenigshof. This was the start of a five-point GVSU scoring barrage in the second, highlighted by a Morgan Spicer double that scored all three runners in a bases-loaded scenario.

“It’s fun when we get those bats rolling,” Spicer said. “It allows us to play loose in the field too, giving our pitchers that backup and it’s a great momentum shifter.”

Spicer ended the game going 3 for 4 with four RBIs and a stolen base. Her fourth RBI came in the sixth where GVSU had another five-run inning.

GVSU ended with a 10-1 victory, as Ingram allowed a home run as the only score she gave up during the game.

The second game of the afternoon was much closer, as the scoring slowed down and the Lakers had to sweat out a 2-1 win.

Platek made her eighth appearance in the circle for the Lakers and struck out three of the four batters she faced in the first inning. This was the start of a dominant pitching performance where Platek allowed just one run across all seven innings of play.

Starting the batting for the Lakers was a bunt single from senior left fielder Hannah Hollister, who then advanced to third on a single from junior short-

stop Morgan Spicer. Spicer moved to second after an errant throw from the outfield. Moments later, Spicer and Hollister scored on a double from junior first baseman Kelsey Komorous.

Both teams came out empty-handed in the next handful of innings until Davenport freshman catcher Liv Regenfuss doubled to start the fifth inning. Regenfuss then advanced on a bunt and scored on an infield groundout by senior designated player Kaylee Loehr who made it a one-run game, 2-1.

From there on out, Platek and the Lakers finished the remainder of the game without allowing another run, winning a narrow 2-1 game.

“I love that we have not reached our full potential yet. I know that once we get it goin’ we’re gonna just keep on rolling, it’s scary,” Spicer said. “Right now, everything’s not clicking, but once we get it going there’s huge huge potential.”

Callihan believes that although her squad has plenty of inexperienced players who are still developing, the team’s potential excites her moving forward.

“The intensity, the passion, the drive, the selflessness. I mean, there’s a lot of things, off the field, that people don’t see that is really good about this team,” Callihan said.

GVSU hits the road on Wednesday, April 10 to face the Wayne State University Warriors at 3:30 p.m. before coming back home to play rival Ferris State University on Sunday, April 14 at 1 p.m.

TEAMWORK: GV put up a well-rounded performance in a doubleheader game one as the Lakers scored 10 runs to support Ingram’s one run allowed pitching. GVL | MACAYLA CRAMER

SCORING: Shortstop Morgan Spicer tallied five RBIs in the Lakers’ doubleheader win over Davenport. GVL | MACAYLA CRAMER