G R A N D VA L L E Y L A N T H O R N
Too many students, not enough space GVSU accomodates historic number of on-campus residents amidst housing concern
Student Senate outlines internal restructure plan
NEWS | A4
GV clings to wild 57-49 victory over CSU Pueblo in double OT SPORTS | A14
M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 2 3 / / VO L . 5 8 N O. 3
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A2 | NEWS
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLNEWS
RALLY
Community stands with Ottawa County Department of Public Health
BY GRACE SMITH NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
The saga of local politics continues in Ottawa County as community members continue to disagree about cuts to the Ottawa County Health Department (OCHD) budget. Proposed by County Administrator John Gibbs and County Board Chair Joe Moss three weeks ago, the county is attempting to slash the health department budget by nearly $4 million. The county’s top Health Officer Adeline Hambley has since claimed that the reduction would force the Health Department to close their doors in a matter of weeks. Moss and Gibbs have refuted such statements to be “patently false” and the matter of the budget has since been turned over to Ottawa County Fiscal Services as of Aug. 30. Municipal representatives returned to the ongoing debate regarding the OCHD’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year following closure for the holiday weekend. Tensions ran high during the Finance and Administration Committee meeting Tuesday Sept. 5 as the subject of public health financing remained at the top of the docket for yet another county meeting. In an unprecedented motion, Finance Committee Chair Gretchen Cosby asked for Hambley to be placed under oath during the discussion, following “fear-mongering” accusations from other county commissioners. “I would like to highlight the timeline of all this because by no means in the last two weeks has
any budget been finalized, and we still don’t have one,” Moss said to Hambley. “That’s good to hear because it has not felt nor seemed like a discussion until this point,” replied Hambley. Gibbs shared with fellow county commissioners during Tuesday’s meeting that the general fund allocation contribution has since increased to approximately $4.35 million. While the value is certainly an increase from the previous contribution of $2.5 million, it is possible that health department programs would still see cuts. In a rare move for a public official, Hambley addressed commissioners during the public comment portion of Tuesday’s meeting. “Today’s version of the budget also reduces the ‘Miles of Smiles’ dental program for uninsured children. And in some instances, you’re literally taking services out of the mouths of children with these actions,” Hambley said. Hambley said even with the increased general fund allocation, 13 of 16 public health programs would still experience decreased budgets, some being cut by nearly half. Gibbs rebutted the 2024 budget would be a 53 percent increase from the 2019. “The COVID pandemic is over, and we want to make sure that’s reflected in what our budget looks like,” Gibbs said during Tuesday’s meeting. Hundreds of community members rallied around embattled health department employees the following day as the group left work, chanting “we support you.” The crowd packed the front lawn of the James Street OCHD office located Holland, Mich. as passersby
honked in support, many carrying signs with expressions in favor of the Health Department. “It (the rally) came together very quickly over the last week, after the discussion between the Health Department and the county broke down as far as next year’s budget. It is really important to reinstate or reinforce the notion that democracy is of the people and we do hear often coming out of the meetings that they are there for the people,” said rally attendee Christian Kleinjans. “These are the people that are very concerned about what could be coming out of the next fiscal year with the budget. The fiscal gymnastics that have gone behind the attempts to sort of justify the cuts don’t pan out if you’ve taken econ 101, and we feel that is not fiscally responsible and it’s not ethically responsible.” Attendees at the rally also collected signatures in favor of the effort to recall county representatives in association with the far right group Ottawa Impact. The rally was organized by Ottawa Integrity PAC, Zeeland Area Action Council and Progressive Lakeshore. Speaker at the event and local ER Physician Rob Davidson, urged attendees to take their grievances with Ottawa Impact to the voting polls during his declaration. “If that person (a candidate) comes out and they are talking about good governance and the good use of county dollars and supporting public health and that person can take out someone like Joe Moss, can take out someone like Gretchen Cosby,” Davidson said.
SUPPORT: Ottawa County community raises their voices in support of the health department at a rally and protest organized by the community group Ottawa Integrity. GVL | AIDA DENNIS
A3 | NEWS
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLNEWS
CONTENTS RALLY
| A2
POLICY
| A4
ENGAGEMENT
| A5
OPINIONS
| A6
EDITORIAL
| A7
NEWS
| A8-9
ALBUMS
| A10
WRITING
| A11
ENVIRONMENTAL
| A12
MUSIC
| A13
FOOTBALL
| A14
SOCCER
| A15
VOLLEYBALL
| A16
VOL. 58
EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief ELIZABETH SCHANZ Associate Editor LEA GAETTO News Editor EMMA ARMIJO Sports Editor NELSON HUBBELL Laker Life Editor ISABELLE ENGLAND A&E Editor HAILEY HENTZ Image Editor BETHANN LONG Multimedia Editor AYRON RUTAN
Videographer MUSA DOVE
N O. 3
Layout Editor REV BRONOWSKI Layout Designer CARLIE SHERWOOD PROMOTIONS Promotions Manager ELISE RAPEYKO
SAFETY
GV’s Little Mac Bridge reopens with new safety measures BY NATALIE BROOKS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
Over Labor Day weekend safety renovations to Grand Valley State University’s Little Mac Bridge was completed. Construction on the bridge started at the beginning in May. The changes followed a long standing petition that urged for new safety features around the bridge. The Little Mac Bridge is located on GVSU’s Allendale campus. The bridge connects Henry Hall to the Great Lakes Plaza, is 230 foot long and spans over a 70 foot deep ravine. The bridge was previously made up of just the bridge base and side railings which were approximately five feet high. According to GVSU’s summer construction projects map, bridge construction was projected to take around three months. Construction involved removing the previous side railings and adding different railings to create a fenced, house-like structure surrounding the bridge. The petition that sparked the changes was created on Dec. 12, 2021 by two senior students, Logan Congdon and Reagan McLaughlin, following the suicide of a freshman student, Quinn Campbell, on Dec. 9, 2021. The petition specifically asks for safety netting below the bridge to prevent such incidents
from occurring again. In the petition, Congdon terms this safety measure a “suicide barrier.” This was not the first suicide that has occurred on the bridge and Langdon and McLaughlin expressed their concerns for students who struggle with suicidal ideation. “Horrifically, Quinn is not the first Laker to end their life on the ‘Little Mac’ bridge, and if we do not do something, he will not be the last. How many more students will pause on that bridge with thoughts of ending their life? How can we as a campus prevent a tragedy like this one from repeating itself?” Congdon said. The petition received over 35,000 signatures in support of the cause. On Mar. 3, 2022, GVSU Student Senate passed a bill to “consider creating a safety barrier or net on the ‘Little Mac’ bridge.” According to a WoodTV article, there was some initial concern about the bridge being able to support the weight of any additional construction. Jenny Hall-Jones, GVSU’s vice president of Student Affairs, said this was something the senate had taken into consideration. “It’s to just make sure if we were going to put some extra weight on the bridge, if we wanted to do some bridge mitigation, could we even do it if we wanted to?” Hall-Jones said. On Aug. 22 this year, Congdon
shared a post to the petition sharing his joy about the bridge construction. “I’m indescribably grateful and enthralled that it’s come to fruition at last,” Congdon said. “This is proof - lasting change often takes time, effort and a non-linear journey to the destination, but if enough voices come together, it is possible.” The bridge reconstruction was completed by the end of the first week of GVSU’s 2023 fall semester. However, the construction caused some interference with move-in and foot-traffic flow for some students during the first week of classes. Undergraduate senior Elyse Karasinksi said the construction of the bridge aligning with classes did affect her travel time between classes. “I only have a 10 minute slot to get from (Lake) Huron (Hall) to Mackinac (Hall), so when they were still painting it, it was crammed and people were walking really slow,” Karasinski said. Karasinski thinks the bridge was a good idea for the school as a whole and believes it does not take anything away from its beauty. “I definitely think it was a good idea. It definitely makes me feel safer, and I don’t think it took away from the beauty of walking over the bridge at all either. You can still see through it, it’s still very much beautiful to walk on it,” Karasinski said.
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At the Lanthorn, we strive to bring you the most accurate news possible. If we make a mistake, we want to make it right. If you find any errors in fact in the Lanthorn, let us know by calling 616-331-2464 or by emailing editorial@lanthorn.com. The Grand Valley Lanthorn is published biweekly by Grand Valley State University students 17 times a year. One copy of this newspaper is available free of charge to any member of the Grand Valley Community. For additional copies, at $1 each, please contact our business offices. Help do your part by recycling or composting this paper after you read it, our paper is entirely compostable. POSTMASTER: Please send form 3579 to: Grand Valley Lanthorn 0051 Kirkhof Center Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI 49401
REVAMPED: The Little Mac Bridge received reconstruction following actions from GVSU’s Student Senate and a 2021 petition with 35,000 signatures from the campus community advocating to make a proactive change to the structure for suicide prevention. GVL | SYDNEY LIM
A4 | NEWS
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLNEWS
POLICY
Student Senate outlines internal restructure plan
REFOCUS: Student Senate President Quinten Proctor says the restructuring process is vital to the success of future semesters at Grand Valley State University. GVL | SAM NELSON
BY ABIGAIL JONES NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
Grand Valley State University’s Student Senate is eager to move forward with the restructuring proposal for the organization. The restructuring plan was the main focus of the Sept. 7 general assembly meeting. The restructuring aims to best serve the senators and the student body. Following the election of the new Student Body President Quinten Proctor, the Student Senate is primarily focused on the restructuring of the Student Senate body as they enter the 2023 fall semester. Student Senate said the primary focus for this semester is to not concentrate on new legislation and issues, but to tackle internal tasks like restructuring following the election of Proctor and other roles on the senate. “Generally, this semester will be spent working to set up a new and improved Student Senate for success in the future,” Proctor said. The organization is still trying to fill unoccupied positions after many members left at the end of the winter semester last year. The senate closed applications on Sept. 8 and are anticipating over 30 applications to fill open spots. The Sept. 7 meeting began with electing Zuriel Johnson to be the Educational Affairs Vice President with no objections, then moved to ongoing senate projects,
open positions and the restructuring plan for the year. Proctor said the senate has been “connecting with officials” over the past week and are in a “prep phase” for the new semester. Next week, Proctor anticipates that the restructuring process will officially begin. Proctor then moved into goals for the restructuring plan for fall 2023. Generally, the points of action the senators brought up included broadening representation, improving student perspective, increasing visibility, implementing the best possible practices and making the Student Senate experience more fun. “The biggest challenge comes from the fact that there are not many returning senators from previous years, so we collectively have less experience than usual,” Proctor said. “This makes it somewhat difficult to get the ball rolling as I am still settling into my new position as president, and I’m also working on coaching our new cabinet members as they transition into their positions, while we also acquaint our brand new senators and eventually our new appointees with Student Senate.” Additionally, after last year’s discussions surrounding funding and student wages, Proctor said he anticipates “taking a look at” internal senate budget. Proctor discussed a temporary stipend increase for the cabinet and a stipend increase for general senators. The senate stated they are not as focused on events
this semester. The senate has temporarily paused external relations, removed guest speakers at the meetings for the semester and may reduce the time frame of meetings. The senate does plan to keep the public comment section, though it was up for discussion in the future. The senate hopes to create more time for restructuring by attending essential events and by not passing any new legislation this semester. Proctor said even though the senate would have less new legislation, he still maintains goals to continue with previous, ongoing legislation. “I plan to continue working with the university on implementing legislation we’ve passed before, including our initiative on interfaith rooms on campus, as well as our initiative on student wages,” Proctor said. Beyond restructuring, discussions centered voter engagement and other ongoing projects. Student Senate finalized the 9/11 memorial event. Taking place 22 years ago, 9/11 is a solemn day of remembrance for the victims, survivors and first responders that experienced firsthand the terrorist attack that claimed over 2,000 American lives. GVSU intends to honor these individuals, as discussed by the Student Senate, with attendees placing American flags on the Kirkhof Center lawn to honor the victims and survivors of the tragedy.
A5 | NEWS
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLNEWS ENGAGEMENT
Event discusses meaning of U.S. citizenship BY CHLOE SCHRAM NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
Students and community members gathered in the L.V. Eberhard Center, located on Grand Valley State University’s Pew Campus, to attend an event called “Citizenship in Crisis: Re-Empowering the American Citizen with Victor Davis Hanson and Eric Liu” on Sept. 7. The event was hosted by the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies. The panel discussed what it means to be an American citizen on a personal and a more global scale, looking into the challenges of citizenship, or lack thereof. Mallory Everly, a third year student at GVSU, feels participating in political conversations is really important and attended the event with the intention of seeing where situations of citizenship in the United States could be improved. “I am here at this specific event because I am very big on social justice,” Everly said. “I love that kind of work and I also think that right now in the United States, one of the things we need the most is civil discourse. I think that the entire concept of American politics is the ability to have a difference in opinions and be able to have constructive and respectful dialogue surrounding that.” Leading the discussion was Eric Liu, the co-founder and CEO of Citizen University, a non-profit organization that works to build a culture of powerful and responsible citizenship in the United States. He also served as the founding executive director of the Citizenship and American Identity Program at the Aspen Institute. Liu opened the discussion by drawing attention to how citizenship in America is physically distributed, dividing American citizenship into two categories. “I would say there are at least two different ways to define the citizen here in the United States. And one of course, is as a matter of legal status when we talk actually about United States citizenship, and as a matter of documentation, it is a matter of birthright for those born in the United States,” Liu said. “Thanks to the 14th amendment to the Civil War and Reconstruction that is a matter that is of course highly contested in a lot of our
immigration politics. Right now, this idea that the status advantage of their personal civic duties make poor use of conferred by law is something that is bound to the interest their citizenship. point includes some but it excludes some by definition.” “In this broader conception of citizenship, I think two The Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at GVSU things are known. The first is that there are plenty of people in is a place that routinely welcomes authors, historians and the United States who have the first kind of citizenship, who presidential scholars to share their research and work with are born with the status and born with the papers, but who campus and the surrounding community. The center hosts don’t live like citizens in the second sense: who don’t show programs and events of presidential history, democracy up, who don’t serve, who don’t think about their obligations, and celebrations of national holidays. who don’t know our history. People who don’t try to grapple Hansen and Liu went into depth about the character with the arguments that we’re having today in the American and actions of an active citizen in the United States, context, which is part of our responsibility,” Liu said. and how the term “citizen” can describe someone even Liu said some people uphold civic duties and outside of the legal barriers in place for that status. are involved in the community without the legal “What’s most interesting about the legal definition documentation of U.S. citizenship. of citizenship in the United States is number one, how “There are plenty of people who lack the papers and relatively recent it is for the first century in this country’s the documentation status and yet live like citizens in this life. The word citizen appears in the Constitution,” Liu said. latter sense,” Liu said. “They do show up for community, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States are they do have a deep sense of place and community and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, shall be citizens of the responsibility to those around them. And so I think the United States, spelled out what it took to become one but it interweaving of these two conceptions is a through line.” still didn’t spell out what it meant to be (a citizen).” The panel discussion dissected the shortcomings Liu said his work with Citizenship University has and challenges of what American identity means in helped to define citizenship in broader concepts. society and acknowledged the difficulties and issues of “The organization that I lead, Citizen University, the process of procuring citizenship even when pride focuses on and teaches about empowered citizenship, for and service to the country is already in play. and that is a conception of citizenship that is not about legal status or documentation status, The Grand Valley State University Chemistry Department invites you to but it’s about a deeper, broader ethical sense of being a contributor to community, being SEPTEMBER 28 AND 29, 2023 someone who actually shows up for the good of the whole,” Liu said. Liu said American citizens, by birth and Presented by location, who do not take
THE ARNOLD C. OTT LECTURESHIP IN CHEMISTRY
Daniel G. Nocera, Ph.D. Patterson Rockwood Professor of Energy, Harvard University
Public Lecture
Chemistry Seminar
Thursday, September 28
Friday, September 29
The Global Energy Challenge
Food and Fuel from Thin Air, Any Water, and the Sun
Reception — 5 p.m. Lecture — 6 p.m. Grand River Room Russel H. Kirkhof Center Allendale Campus Hosted by
EMPOWERMENT: The Citizenship in Crisis keynote discussion creates discourse as to what is considered an active & engaged “American citizen.” GVL | ALENA VISNOVSKY
1 p.m. Pere Marquette Room Russel H. Kirkhof Center Allendale Campus
Free and open to the public gvsu.edu/chem
A6 | OPINIONS
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLNEWS
How to lose a guy in 10 days this article is purely for fun and based on a movie I love, so try not to take anything too seriously. 1. Ask to put a label on it This question, in itself, is probably one of the fastest ways to repel a man. Nobody ever wants to define something they just got into. A few dates are never enough to really know someone, and men hate it when girls want to define relationships too early on. Pressure them after hanging out for two days. Keep asking them until they give you an answer. Tell them they don’t care about you because they don’t want to put a label on what you guys are. Gaslighting is your friend. BY HOPE LEINEN EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM
I am sure we all know and love the movie “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.” In the film, there is a hilarious dynamic between Andie Anderson (played by Kate Hudson) and Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey), both of whom have hidden agendas of their own. While the movie primarily focuses on the relationship between these two main characters, I was always fascinated by the article Anderson originally intended to write but that she never really got to finish. Instead, she wrote an introspective piece revealing more information about herself than anything else. Yes, it was the perfect way to conclude the movie, but I couldn’t help but wonder what a modern-day list could have looked like had she written it. So, I decided to create my own. Below is a list of things to get rid of a guy in 10 days or less. Disclaimer-
2. Creating composites of what your future kids will look likes While I can’t say that I have ever done that, I can assure you that this will surely scare away someone you just met, especially if you are not doing it in a joking manner. Planning what your future kids look like before you have even reached 10 days can be overwhelming, depending on the person. I know I would feel taken aback if someone did this to me. Make sure you make enough copies to give them to his friends, roommates and parents. You must make sure you put their future due date as well. 3. Get angry every time he doesn’t respond immediately to your texts It’s something so small but so effective. If he isn’t texting you back within two minutes, blow up his phone with texts until he does. Then, ask him why he didn’t respond to your text faster. If you’ve only
known each other for less than ten days, this behavior is almost a surefire way of getting rid of him. 4. Be clingy When I say clingy, I don’t mean just asking them to hang out. People want you to be interested in spending time with them, so that will not get you anywhere. It might make them like you more. Your best bet is to ask them every second what they are doing. Put stuff in his apartment to mark your territory. When he mentions anything about going out, ask: “With who?” “How many people will be there?” “What time are you getting back?” “Can I come?” Slam them with questions, and then any time he mentions a girl, immediately act like he doesn’t care about you. Tell him, “Have fun with your new girlfriend.” He will really love that. 5. “Chick-Flick” movie marathon Now, I’m not saying this is foolproof for all relationships, but I believe this could be a good stepping stone if you’re trying to lose a man. It’s something subtle but also something that drives some men crazy. Nobody wants to sit for hours and see “Mean Girls,” “Legally Blonde,” “Pride and Prejudice”... the list is endless. In reality, you probably can just cut things off by saying it to their faces, but sometimes it’s difficult to be the one to end things.
Confidence is key, fake it till you make it
BY MADDIE ZIMMERMAN EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM
When you hear the words “fake it till you make it” it sounds cheesy, right? We have all had peers, parents and teachers repeat that phrase. I, like them, want to emphasize that faking it until you make it is essential when it comes to confidence. What I mean by that is when you are doing anything, act confident whether or not you truly feel that way. As social media becomes more prevalent, confidence in teenagers and young adults is plummeting. We need to make sure that we are bringing our levels of confidence back up because of the benefits confidence has. When you are confident, you attract more opportunities. If you believe that you are worthy of your experiences and opportunities, you will not only attract more of them, but you will also exceed in them. Even when you are not feeling truly self-assured,
you need to make it seem like you are. By “tricking” yourself and others into thinking that you are sure of what you are doing by the way you carry yourself, you are actively manifesting and reassuring your brain that you are confident. If you tell yourself that you are confident (even when you are not) your brain will soon start to believe it—just like how people say not to talk negatively to yourself because you will believe it. It is the same way with acting confident. The best example I have is during a job interview. Would you want to hire someone who knew what they were talking about and wanted to be there or someone who seemed like they might not want the job? You would always hire the person who acted the most confident. In nerve-wracking situations, remaining as calm as possible and acting as self-assured will always set you apart from your competition. When you walk into a classroom, hold your head high. You are meant to be there. Make yourself a seat at the table. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Practice selfaffirmations like “I believe in myself,” “I am meant to be here” and “I am qualified.” Tell yourself that you believe in yourself, and soon enough, you will without a doubt. There is a difference between confident and cocky, though. Cocky is when you take confidence to another level: bragging about being so self-assured and are arrogant about it. Being cocky is making your confidence known. Being confident is being internally self-assured and believing in yourself in a humble fashion. You don’t have to make it known that you are confident to anyone other than yourself. If just spending five extra minutes in the mirror each morning to say positive affirmations is the difference
between being confident or not for the day, why wouldn’t you just do it? It can be as simple as that. Spend the extra time with yourself and always try to come off as positive as possible even when you are not. Being confident attracts opportunities your way, so why not just try?
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 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 500-650 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
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLNEWS
A7 | EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL
Mel Tucker is another example of problematic patterns BY LANTHORN EDITORIAL STAFF EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM
The Mel Tucker allegations are a dark reminder of the complicated and unfortunate history of sexual misconduct and university athletic departments. This past weekend, Michigan State University’s head football coach Mel Tucker was accused of sexual harassment by Brenda Tracy, a sexual assault survivor and advocate, according to USA Today. During a press conference on Sunday Sept. 10, MSU Vice President Alan Haller announced “his” decision to suspend Tucker without pay until the conclusion of the hearings. Tracy and Tucker had a working relationship through MSU as she visited the campus twice to speak to the football team about sexual assault prevention in 2021 and 2022. Tracy, who speaks around the country at different schools about her own rape in hopes to prevent sexual misconduct within college athletics, is the founder of the non profit organization Set the Expectation. Set the Expectation aims to “prevent sexual violence and misconduct by working predominantly with men,” according to ABC News. The troubling irony of the situation is not lost on us. The story of powerful men within college athletics portraying an egregious misuse of power is one that unfortunately, MSU knows well. According to MSU’s website, the disgraced former MSU athletics doctor Larry Nassar made huge national headlines in 2017 for several counts of sexual misconduct taking place within Ingham and Eaton counties.
The university pledged to take rigorous action to ensure the indelible mishandlings throughout the Nassar case would never happen again, implementing a “Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct Strategic Plan” which can be viewed publicly on the MSU website. Despite their efforts, another big name in MSU athletics once again ends up in the headlines for accusations surrounding sexual harassment and misconduct. While the institution has technically seemed to follow every legal policy and procedure as it relates to Title IX, we believe there was a moral obligation to suspend Tucker before the season even began as “as the university has known about these allegations since December of 2022,” reported Deadspin. MSU had been aware of Tucker’s allegations since the investigation’s conclusion in July before they announced his official hearings would take place during the coming football season. “A formal hearing to determine whether Tucker violated the school’s policy banning sexual harassment and exploitation is scheduled for Oct. 5 and 6, during the Spartans’ bye week,” reported USA Today. It seems MSU may have been more concerned about their football schedule than facilitating the “deliberate and meaningful action” they had pledged to apply. As social pressure climbs following the news of Tracy’s allegations, MSU has now deemed the case worthy enough to take action against Tucker. The seemingly strategic scheduling of the hearing on MSU’s part was a gross decision. We are appalled at the fact MSU would allow Tucker to continue to serve in his role, and especially coach young men,
after such a serious assertion. MSU’s complex history with dismissing and covering up similar claims for other members of the athletic department prove to be a problematic pattern. At the very least, an earlier indefinite suspension would have been appropriate. Tucker, one of the highest-paid coaches in college football, signed a 10-year, $95 million guaranteed contract in 2021. According to WXYZ Detroit, “Reports say the only way he wouldn’t get the money is if he was convicted (of) a crime or engaged in conduct ‘in the University’s reasonable judgment, would tend to bring public disrespect, contempt, or ridicule upon the University,’” indicating a severe breach of contract in the event he receives any criminal charges. Despite MSU yet again the public face of sexual misconduct by collegiate athletic leadership, MSU is not the only school in recent memory to mishandle sexual violence scandals. Several instances of universities failing victims have come to light, dating back most memorably to the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State University, schools like Baylor University, the University of Michigan and the Ohio State University among others join what is becoming a terribly long list. We feel strongly that it was a misstep by MSU to allow Tucker to coach the first two games of the season, and an injustice that it took the news breaking of the allegation for them to take action. With public pressure leaning on the school, it feels like their hand was forced in a situation where they had the option to do the right thing by suspending Tucker back on July 25 when the investigation was concluded.
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY: MSU’s Head Football Coach Mel Tucker is suspended on Sept. 10 without pay following sexual assault investigation. COURTESY | AL GOLDIS/APNEWS
A8&9 | NEWS
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN
HOUSING
@GVLNEWS
Campus housing overflow causes crowding, conflict
81%
OF THE SPACE LEASED FROM CAMPUS WEST BY GVSU IS CURRENTLY OCCUPIED
“It’s something we have never experienced before and it’s a new challenge for everyone in housing and for students as well. I think it will be a really interesting year.”
BY ELIZABETH SCHANZ & EMMA ARMIJO NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
USING
With more than 7,000 incoming students and even more returning students coming to Grand Valley State University this fall, Housing and Residence Life is facing new on-campus housing challenges. GVSU’s residence halls are over capacity. The influx of students signed to campus living contracts caused GVSU’s Housing and Residence Life to make adjustments to existing housing structures to increase room occupancy. This meant putting students in makerooms LEASED in converted halls and lounges and housing OF THEshift SPACE FROM more than 100 students in off-campus apartments leased CAMPUS WEST BY GVSU IS by the university. How the university has addressed CURRENTLY OCCUPIED and managed the issues related to overcrowding has created new challenges for life on campus.
87%
70%
According to GVSU
OF GVSU FIRST YEAR STUDENTS LIVED ON-CAMPUS 2022-2023
HOUSING
70% OF GVSU 6,012 BEDS WERE CONTRACTED TO FRESHMAN
Residents who were either willing or required to live on campus are feeling the effects of the increased student population. First-year student Katie Wheeler felt the impact even before she moved onto campus. 2021 Wheeler was originally assigned to Kistler Living Center, a traditional style dormitory located with the designated freshman-only accommodations on the north campus. 2022 However, upon hearing from her resident assistant, Wheeler learned she was assigned to a study room that 2023 was converted to a quad (a four-person room) and her accommodation would not be what she expected. “Basically, (the RA) told us they were study 2024 rooms like when she had moved in. They put kids in students’ rooms and like four people with all the furniture2025 and everything in there,” Wheeler said. After hearing about their assignment, Wheeler called
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GVSU Housing “every day” to attempt to switch her person might become a five or a six-person or a tworoom and was eventually reassigned to Murray Living person might become a four-person, I think that’s Center, one of the apartment-style dorms located on the most common one. It’s just physically adding the south campus. There she was assigned to a two- more beds into spaces that are not designed for it.” bedroom, one-bathroom apartment, which typically GVSU Housing had to place some students, would only house two students. However, this year her primarily upperclassmen and transfer students, that room has four students, two students per room. applied for on-campus housing into an off-campus “It kind of stinks because we can’t unloft our beds, housing complex called Campus West. and it’s pretty tight. The kitchen table has two chairs, it Kyle Boone, director of Housing and Resident Life doesn’t have four so it kind of makes it hard when we at GVSU confirmed the university does not own the all want to eat or like you know, just having like people space but has a leasing agreement with the complex, over or anything like that,” said GVSU freshman renting 130 beds (about 105 filled) reserved for Marissa Diotte, one of Wheeler’s roommates. overflow of individuals signed on-campus. Boone Both Wheeler and Diotte said that Murray Living said sending students off campus and converting Center does offer airE R lounge areas was not the first option they considered O F Gcertain V S U 6benefits, , 0 1 2 B Elike DS W E conditioning and close proximity to many other when revamping freshman housing. CONTRACTED TO FRESHMAN freshmen in the living center. Additionally, Diotte “I think enrollment did a phenomenal job securing said she is paying the same amount to live in Murray interest. It was our job to take that information and say, as she would in a suite-style because of the meal plan if you are interested in living on campus we’ll find an LIVING AND LEARNING: Grand Valley State University signed more students to on-campus housing contracts then there are beds to accommodate them, causing changes. GVL | BETHANN LONG she chose when signing with campus. option,” Boone said. “The issue is when you do that, you According to GVSU’s website, the university has may displace some people so we had to look off campus for However, he sees mainly positives from his experience. Boone said GVPD is an asset to the housing to come up and when it does we are significantly less 6,012 beds on campus, including both freshman some options, we have at least some 100 beds off campus “I get free parking here, which is a thing I didn’t expect. office, and that even though some residents might be able to offer room changes,” Betchel said. “I have been and upperclassmen housing accommodations. This that we’re leasing to accommodate some students.” I thought I would have to leave my vehicle at home because physically off campus they are still valuable members very clear that my residents need to start making a plan year there are 4,200 freshman students with campus Roman Corneanu is a junior transfer student who I wasn’t really anticipating on paying $200 for parking (as of the on-campus community. on how to live together peacefully.” housing contracts alone which fills many of the was placed in Campus West. Originally, Corneanu an on-campus resident),” Corneanu said. “I share that housing can’t operate only within housing. Boone said he doesn’t see the new freshman housing previously allotted number of beds on campus. applied for campus housing to live in a two-person unit Corneanu also noted the student housing units at So any decision we make impacts the greater campus accommodations as an issue, but as an opportunity to The situation is compounded by a 2021 policy in Laker Village, the townhomes on campus, and was Campus West do not have RAs assigned to them as community,” Boone said. “So once we decided or thought lead students to personal growth. instituted by GVSU requiring first-year non-transfer placed at Campus West into a four-person unit instead. all locations on campus do. Hamilton said because the there may be an off campus relationship, we had to involve “I have a lot of hope in my leadership, and I hope students to live on campus. First-year students Corneanu said there are some downsides of getting university is now renting the units at Campus West Chief DeHaan (of GVPD) in our conversations.” that students engage, I hope they see conflict as an who do not wish to stay in on-campus housing moved to Campus West: more people in his unit than he the Grand Valley Police Department (GVPD) is able to In addition to housing concerns, students have felt opportunity to grow, that they will see differences as a accommodations must apply for an exemption. originally requested and a further commute to classes. patrol this area as an added measure of safety. the effects of overcrowding on campus in other areas chance to expand,” Boone said. If an exemption is not complete, students who like parking and dining. Many students said they appreciate the adaptations are “not in compliance” will be charged a “Non“I’ve seen people come into class late because in GVSU has made in terms of housing accommodations. Compliance fee” that costs the same as “traditional years past they were able to, you know, make it to However, students expressed that in order to avoid style housing and a basic meal plan,” which is Panda Express on time or something and they haven’t an overpacked housing situation the university could approximately $5,085. Exemptions from living OF THE SPACE LEASED FROM been able to now because there’s just so many extra have accepted fewer people in order to stay within the on campus as a first-year are only guaranteed if a people waiting in line,” Hamilton said. accommodations they had on campus. CAMPUS WEST BY GVSU IS student is two or more years out of high school, has Many RAs are preparing for more-than-usual Boone said he does not expect housing to receive any less primary or joint custody of a minor child or children, CURRENTLY OCCUPIED disagreements between roommates, due the larger interest in the coming years, though he cannot guarantee is married, will commute from the residence of a amounts of people living together in close proximity. how the situation will continue to be handled in the future. parent or primary guardian, or is a veteran. Other Murray Living Center RA Carter Betchel said he had “I wish I had a magic ball,” Boone said. “Our requests can be made but are not guaranteed. all of the students under his responsibility sign very occupancy strategy is the enrollment strategy. If they GVSU Senior Tanner Hamilton, an RA at South detailed, specific roommate agreements in their first (campus recruitment) decide to bring more students Apartments on campus, said the requirement to have firstfloor-wide meeting during welcome week in hopes of in, we’ll prepare for more students.” year students live on campus is meant to help students mitigating as much roommate conflict as possible. “I think that GVSU has an interesting challenge on their have an easier transition to college life, and the university “The biggest challenge comes from the fact that hands and I am very interested to see how the rest of the is making changes to accommodate the influx of students. we are extremely full and residents are now living in year will play out with all of these changes,” Hamilton said. “We just don’t have the space,” Hamilton said. close quarters with their roommates, especially in the “It’s something we have never experienced before and it’s a “What I have heard from other RAs is that there two bedroom, four person dorms. The combination of new challenge for everyone in housing and for students as are just extra beds being put into rooms like a fourthose two means that roommate conflict is more likely well. I think it will be a really interesting year.”
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A10 | ARTS
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLARTS
ALBUMS
GR recording studio contributes to vinyl renaissance BY DYLAN HOFFIUS ARTS@LANTHORN.COM
Grand Rapids Voice Over, a local recording studio, has recently acquired a new machine that will allow independent artists to put their music on vinyl records. The record-producing equipment is the latest resource for local artists and musicians who wish to create physical copies of their work. The machine is a T560 vinyl-cutting lathe that uses stereo input connected with an audio source and a diamond cutting needle, which makes precise grooves into a polycarbonate disc. The loose shavings are also sucked away during this cutting process to keep the record clean and noise free. This delicate process is both complex and time consuming. To cut just 12 minutes worth of recorded material onto vinyl takes roughly 40 minutes– and that’s just for one record. However, the end result is produces an incredibly valuable product. “Vinyl is a medium that caters to artists and listeners that like the Hi-Fi sound,” said George Paulin, owner of Grand Rapids Voice Over. “Having a tool like this gives me the opportunity to present the right kind of artists in the Midwest.” The local artists can sell records to fans, which is a more direct method of financial support compared to the small amount of royalties from Spotify streams that independent artists typically receive. Vinyl production and sales have surged in recent years. 2022 saw records generate $1.2 billion in revenue– a 17 percent increase from 2021, according to the year-end revenue statistics from the Recording
Industry Association of America. To some it may be surprise that college students and young adults have been the driving force behind this surge. A 2022 year-end music report from Lumanite, an entertainment and insights data company, showed that members of Gen Z spend 19 percent more time with music on a weekly basis compared to the average music listener. The report also reveals that Gen Z spends 10 percent more money than the average listener on music every month.
“If it’s nostalgia, then they’re nostalgic for something that they never had in the first place.” For many local college students, scouring the numerous record stores available in Grand Rapids has become something of a hobby. Jake Fries, a student at Grand Valley State University, began collecting music on vinyl in 2016 and has amassed a collection of over 80 records since that time. Fries said he began his collection after the band Panic! at the Disco released the “Death of a Bachelor” live album, which happened to be the first concert he ever attended. “I think the resurgence of vinyl is because people like to have physical copies of their favorite albums,”
Fries said. “Plus it’s fun seeing all the extra cover art and possibly some extra songs on the album.” With many college students sharing a similar story and sentiment to Fries, there are also others that share the passion for collecting vinyls for entirely different reasons. Len O’Kelly, Ph. D., Associate Professor and Director of the School of Communications at GVSU, said some people have a “distrust over things they can’t touch.” This attitude, coupled with the murky waters of digital ownership, complicates what should be a straightforward concept of buying and streaming music digitally in 2023. Nostalgia is another powerful factor that has driven a vinyl renaissance. “The odd sort of nostalgia that today’s college students have for vinyl is the part that confuses me,” O’Kelly said. “If it’s nostalgia, then they’re nostalgic for something that they never had in the first place.” O’Kelly recalled a story in which during office hours, a student brought an AC/DC album to play on O’Kelly’s record player because he had never heard it on vinyl. While listening to the album, the student mentioned that this was a way that he had bonded with his father. O’Kelly said getting along with parents and finding common ground is often difficult for students during college and nostalgia can play a big role in those relationships. “We always try to find something we have in common and maybe this (vinyl) is the thread that ties generations together in that sense and maybe that’s where the nostalgia comes from,” O’Kelly said.
COLLECTING: The addition of a T560 vinyl-cutting machine at Grand Rapids Voice Over is the latest development in the physical music phenomenon among recording artists and avid listeners. As local artists are now able to share their work in a new medium, increasing numbers of Gen Z flock towards the nostalgic form of listening to record players. GVL | SYDNEY LIM
A11 | ARTS
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLARTS
WRITING
GV alumna’s new poetry collection inspires BY JAIMEE HICKSON ARTS@LANTHORN.COM
Grand Valley State University alumna Ann Michael recently published a poetry collection titled “The Red Queen Hypothesis and Other Poems” which won the Prairie State Poetry Prize. Michael utilizes various forms of poetry and language structures in “The Red Queen Hypothesis and Other Poems.” She recounts everyday life, love, nature and being a mother. The book is her second full-length expedition into the publishing process, the first of which was released in 2012. Prior to its official release, the book was selected as the winner of the Prairie State Poetry Prize, a competition run by Highland Park Poetry Press. The organization then published the collection among other past winners. “(It’s) a book of lyrical weaving that stands out among the rest of the contest entries,” said competition judge, Cynthia Gallaher, according to Highland Park Poetry’s website. Michael graduated from GVSU in 1979 receiving her Bachelor of Philosophy degree, though she hardly had any intention of studying philosophy. Michael discovered the more she studied philosophical points, the more ideas she had for poetry.
Though Michael is now retired, she encourages students and people interested in writing to take action in their writing journey. “I always tell anybody who wants to do any kind of writing, particularly poetry (to) read a lot, practice writing all the time and observe,” Michael said. “Poetry is a kind of journalism. Take notes on
the world because if you look at what’s going on out there, there is a lot to write about.” Michael’s success with her book can inspire young writers to keep constructing their ideas and views of the world. She believes anyone can write poetry because anything can be poetry; people just have to look for it.
“Take notes on the world because if you look at what’s going on out there, there is a lot to write about.” Many poems Michael generated at the time were based on nature, the cosmos, family and friends. “A lot of poems were written around a time when I was experimenting with different ways of writing poetry,” Michael said. “I was trying sonnets and sestinas. (I was) trying a lot of different methods of writing poetry, while also reading scientific theory books and environmental theory books (and) putting those ideas together.” Michael’s poetry collection title draws on a biological concept called the “Red Queen Hypothesis.” The hypothesis proposes that species must continually adapt to survive in a world where others are also evolving. As a young girl, Michael enjoyed crafting books and creating artistic segments of poetry. “I wrote little books for my friends and my brothers. I was just always interested in poetry,” Michael said. “That was pretty natural for me.” Further along in Michael’s writing practices, she had taken time and opportunity outside of class to expand her mastery of writing. She’d met friends who shared the same eagerness with poetry as she did, which led her towards many creative writing conferences in Ann Arbor and Lansing. This provided Michael with a space to expand her craft. “It was maybe the first place where I read my poetry in public to other people, so it was pretty important to me,” Michael said. “I would say that really cemented my interest in doing this, knowing, as a fairly practicalminded person, that it was something I could take seriously and do for my whole life.” Michael returned to college later in life to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing. From thereon, she became employed at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pa. During her 18 years with the university she “implemented assistive technologies in writing for students with disabilities” and created a writing center for graduate and undergraduate students.
BOOK: Alumna Ann Michael’s writing spans various topics and life passions. Her award-winning publication motivates students to continue their creative observations of the world, as anything can be put into verse. COURTESY | AMAZON
A12 | LAKER LIFE
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE
Environmental
New honors college course defies traditional expectations BY SARA BAGELY LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM
“Earth Matters” is a new first-year sequence, a course, available to students in Grand Valley State University’s Frederik Meijer Honors college starting this fall. In this non-traditional full year course, students will go out to a local sustainable agricultural farm every Friday amongst other community outreach projects. Professor Peter Wampler and Professor Melba Vélez Ortiz are teaching the course this year and are looking forward to changing student’s lives and perspectives. “Last year I taught a prototype of the class. Students created press releases for different environmental events. They created a visual campaign about awareness for river and cleanliness. They created public service announcements. They wrote to congress,” Vélez Ortiz said. “These are things that in a normal ecology class, you don’t do!” Wampler said that as the year progresses, they have plans to talk about the Flint Water Crisis with the aid of the book “What The Eyes Don’t See,” a popular book by author Mona Hanna-Attisha. The professors also plan to do some local community work regarding the PFAS chemical issue that has been spreading in Rockford and all around western Michigan. However, their work does not stop with conversations in the classroom or learning about the PFAS contamination issue around western Michigan. In February of last year East Palestine, Ohio had a train derailment, and various chemicals and toxins
were spilled into the environment. Vélez Ortiz said she has been working throughout the summer to get in contact with residents of East Palestine and ask them how they are handling the situation. “They’re not doing well and the Environmental Protection Agency is not doing much to help them,” Vélez Ortiz said. “They’re coming out and testing the soil, but they’re not even giving the results to the residents. They post the results on a website. The problem is, the way that they’re communicating the test results is so obtuse, not even a water expert like my colleague Dr. Wampler can read them easily.” One of major topics the class focuses on is taking the findings that the students come up with and the things they learn and translating them better so everyone can understand them. “They’ll be interpreting scientific data, understanding environmental issues, and also understand both how those issues are being communicated about and how to communicate about them,” Wampler said. “We want them to understand how complicated it is to solve environmental problems and how complicated it is to help people hurt by environmental problems: it’s not quite what you think.” Vélez Ortiz said this seminar in particular challenges students mentally. Right now, she has plans to challenge students to create a meme about climate change. There will be a vote and a grand prize winner, but that’s not her main focus. “It takes a tremendous amount of creative energy
to take something that is so multifaceted and put it into this one image that will hit people,” Vélez Ortiz said. “You’re going to have to understand the science, there’s no shortcuts. But at the same time, you’re gonna turn that around and turn it into messaging everyone can understand.” This seminar is specifically designed for freshman honor students, which makes both professors even more excited for the outcome of the class and what the students will walk away learning. “We’re hopefully instilling in students a passion for advocacy and getting involved. I hope the students will get others involved (in community service projects) in their free time because they think it’s valuable,” Wampler said. The students will be learning teamwork and communication skills, much like in any other class. Both professors look forward to watching students gain appreciation for how important those skills are outside of just finishing a paper. “My students get to do good in this world and they also get to understand that environmental crises are human crises,” Vélez Ortiz said. “We’re learning about the environment, but we’re helping each other and helping other people, right now. No need to wait until you graduate, people need you right now. Mutual aid, that’s where it’s at, and we gotta teach students how to do it.”
HIGHER EXPECTATIONS: In this new, year long honors college course titled “Earth Matters” students defy traditional expectations set within environmental courses. Honors students take executive action within the course, focusing on drafting and writing community announcements related to ecological disasters. Students also will spend time at real world sustainable farms to facilitate their learning. GVL | ANNABELLE ROBINSON
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN
A13 | LAKER LIFE
@GVLLAKERLIFE
MUSIC
Campus Ministry kicks off Silent Disco with “pre-game” event BY ANNE DAVEY LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM
On Friday, Sept. 8, the Campus Activities Board (CAB) and the Office of Student Life hosted the annual silent disco on the Kirkhof Center lawn. The event routinely draws large crowds of new and returning students to fill in the plaza in front of the Cook Carillon Tower. Attending students lined up near Cook Carillon Tower to temporarily trade their student IDs in for a set of over the ear headphones. The event had multiple DJ’s in attendance that the students could pick from. All the headphones were hooked up to varying DJ’s, so students could pick from different music styles. As the night went on, attendees could flip through stations and “jam out” to a variety of music without a single song being played aloud. The event stands out from regular DJ shows because attendees can simply switch the “station” if they do not like the song. Several organizations held their own pre-games before the silent disco started at 8 p.m. Campus Ministry held their own form of a pre-game before the event.
In previous years, Campus Ministry served refreshments like soft drinks and various snacks at the event to keep the attendees comfortable and having fun. Jordan Satterwaite, a member of the student engagement team, said Campus Ministry was excited to partake in the Silent Disco again “We know college students love free food and we just want to be able to serve them in what ways we can,” Satterwaite said. Campus Ministry planned to set up early at the event and they stayed for the duration with kegs of root beer and other snacks. Yard games were a new addition, set up for students who may need a break from the disco. Campus Ministry was eager to meet the students where they were and be a supporting presence, even if that may be hydrating exhausted disco-goers. “We feel strongly that we want to just care for students in general, whether they’re interested in Campus Ministry or not. Serve the needy and serve people that might need (it),” Satterwaite said. Satterwaite said Campus Ministry hopes to do more events to support CAB programming to serve
as many students as possible. “We want to be good partners and friends of the university,” Satterwaite said. Campus Ministry plans to grow their event presence. Following the pregame to the silent disco, hosted a free cookout prior to the football game on Saturday, Sept. 9. Campus Ministry knows how many students have the need for extra meals and how their presence on campus can be used for good by meeting the needs of those students. Their goal is to feed as many students as they can. “It is a really tangible need, especially a resource that many college students might not always have,” Satterwaite said. Campus Ministry plans to host events every Friday night, whether collaborating with other events going on or events of their own. They also post all events and information on their website. Campus Ministry aims to create events for students to have fun, get active and in most cases enjoy a meal. Campus Ministry hopes students will be able to find their community at GVSU, regardless of their religious affiliation.
EXCITEMENT: Students gather around the Cook Carillon Tower for the annual silent disco. Students trade their GVSU IDs for headphones. Each DJ that participated had a different style of music, and participants could choose what style they would enjoy the most during the event. Students danced and had fun while enjoying the music. GVL | ALENA VISNOVSKY
A14 | SPORTS
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLSPORTS
FOOTBALL
GV clings to wild 57-49 victory over CSU Pueblo in double OT
STAR PLAYER: Tariq Reid (#2) showed out in a crucial win as he helped the Lakers to victory with 21 carries for four touchdowns and 119 yards on the night. GVL | MACAYLA CRAMER BY NELSON HUBBELL LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM
In a thriller for the ages, the #4 Grand Valley State University football team gutted out a seesaw win against the #20 Colorado State University Pueblo ThunderWolves, 57-49. The win gave GVSU head coach Scott Wooster his first career victory at the university. From a pick-six, to a kickoff return for a touchdown, to eight touchdowns of 20 plus yards, and a third-string quarterback leading the Lakers to double-overtime victory in his first collegiate action, the best Hollywood screenwriters could not have written a script this riveting. The Lakers started off the game scoring touchdowns on five of their six first-half drives. Senior quarterback Cade Peterson was humming as he led the team in rushing with 61 yards and passing with 105 yards on 8/9 in the first half. He finished with 155 yards passing on the game after completing a 50-yard pass in the third quarter to senior wide receiver, Cody Tierney, before leaving the game with an injury. After the Lakers’ defense forced three straight three-and-outs to start the game, the offense put up a 21-0 lead including two rushing touchdowns by senior running back Tariq Reid, who finished the game with four touchdowns and 119 yards on 21 carries. Pueblo’s senior QB, Chance Fuller, completed his first pass after an 0-5 to start and never looked back. Fuller followed it up by completing four straight and getting Pueblo into the endzone for their first score of the game with five minutes and forty seconds. This is where things got crazy. WR Darrell Johnson returned the kickoff 60 yards, but to no avail, the first defensive stop of the game (and sack of the season) for CSUP came, forcing a 36-yard Josh Gorball field goal. The kick was blocked by Pueblo’s Josh McKaney, and caught by Eli Pittman who took it 72 yards for a touchdown. The longest block return in CSUP history. The ThunderWolves were suddenly back in the
game at 21-14. Johnson went right back on the ensuing kickoff with another monster return and moments later Peterson dropped a dime to Kyle Nott on a fade ball for a 27-yard touchdown to respond. The ThunderWolves answered as Fuller completed a 25-yard touchdown to Andrew Cook, moving the length of the field in under a minute, leaving less than a minute remaining in the half. The one-sided race had become a track meet. After initially fumbling the ensuing kickoff, Lakers’ redshirt freshman WR, Kellen Reed, exploded, taking it 95 yards for a touchdown. GVSU went into halftime with a 35-21 lead. Pueblo scored on a 32-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Zack Rackowski to make it a 35-28 game. With GVSU still leading, Peterson came out looking to answer. On a second down pass, ThunderWolves linebacker Makeah Scippio slung Peterson to the ground after the whistle for a sack. The crowd went silent as Peterson laid still, face-down on the field. Peterson would not return to the game and a personal foul was called on Scippio for a late hit. After failing to score in the third quarter, Redshirt freshman Alex Thole, a 2022 Tarleton State University transfer, was beset with the task of taking over for the number four team in the nation in a one score ball game. Lakers’ backup QB Avery Moore did not dress due to an injury. Now, the Lakers needed their defense to step up. “Defensively I felt like when we needed them they were there,” Wooster said. On the first play of the drive, with the ball at the 50-yard line, Fuller overthrew his receiver as Lakers’ defensive back Terez Reid ran under the ball for the only turnover of the game. A few plays later Thole dropped back to pass and threw his own pick, directly to true freshman linebacker Gary Seidenberger, who ran it in 40 yards for a touchdown. After being down 21-0, the ultimate turn of momentum for GVSU after losing their star QB to injury, the game was now tied at 35
all. The team never gave up on Thole. “(Following the pick-six) I saw a ton of dudes go up to Alex Thole and tell him, ‘hey we got your back,’” said senior linebacker Abe Swanson. Turning to Tariq Reid to carry the load, he punched in the go-ahead TD for GVSU. With just under three minutes remaining, they needed a stop to win the game. Pueblo then drove 75 yards to tie the game. On fourth and four, Fuller hit his favorite target in Retzlaff for a touchdown over the middle as time expired, sending it to overtime. The Lakers won the toss and deferred. Pueblo would start the overtime with the ball at the 25-yard line. Fuller immediately took a deep shot up the seam to running back Kiahn Martinez for a touchdown on first down. With Peterson still on the sideline, and the Lakers needing to respond to avoid the upset, Thole threw his own touchdown to Tierney on the Lakers first play of the possession. “The response after that interception for a guy who hadn’t played college football was absolutely monstrous. Just shows what type of dude he is,” Wooster said. The very next play Tariq Reid ran in his fourth touchdown of the game from the same spot after bouncing off of defenders and into the endzone. Backto-back-to-back touchdowns had the score at 55-49, as Thole completed the two point conversion to junior tight end Drew Peterson to take a 57-49 lead. With a fourth down and three from the four yard line, Fuller’s pass was incomplete over the middle to CK Poulos, as the Lakers defense stood up to win in a thrilling victory. The Lakers rose to the occasion when necessary and squeaked by Pueblo in an unforgettable matchup. “That’s the definition of this brotherhood,” Tariq Reid said. “Offense might not have some good drives or the defense might not have some good drives, but at the right time we believe in each unit to get it done.” GVSU will take on Assumption University at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Allendale, Mich., as Lakers fans nervously wait to see if Peterson will be able to take the field.
A15 | SPORTS
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLSPORTS
SOCCER
GV women’s soccer dominates in first win of the season BY MAKAYLA LAUB SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM
Grand Valley State University women’s soccer team landed their first win of the season in a shutout over the University of Mary as they started the weekend off with a bang, traveling to Mankato, MN to face the UMary Marauders, taking home a 2-0 win. Heading into Friday’s game, the Lakers were 0-1-1, looking for their first win, while the Marauders already held one win, putting them at 1-0-1. Taking off in the first half, the Lakers started strong. GVSU put the pressure on just over three minutes in as senior forward Taylor Reid started the action with a quick shot against UMary’s goalkeeper Molly Fischer who made the tough save. After possession was mainly controlled by the Lakers, 19 minutes into the first half, graduate midfielder Avery Lockwood scored the first goal of the game with sophomore forward Amanda Palmer on the assist. Lockwood broke down how the play opened up for her to score. “Amanda Palmer was playing into the wide space in
the right corner of the field. She was working very hard to make it to the ball before it went out so I worked to make a run in the box to receive her cross,” Lockwood said. “It came right towards the near side as I was running in on a couple bounces, so I just focused on making good contact with the ball and going far post.” Building off of their early goal, just minutes later GVSU redshirt freshman goalkeeper Isabel Imes made the first in her career. “It was off of a free kick in their defensive half and Kenzie Jones went up for the 50/50 ball in the air and flicked it on to me and I came out and made the save,” Imes said. At the conclusion of the first half the Lakers took a total of seven shots, leading the game, while the Marauders mustered the one shot that Imes saved. UMary struggled to make it past the stiff defense of the Lakers, as the GVSU offense controlled possession for a good portion of the half. 60 minutes in, Reid scored the second goal of the game, giving GVSU their final score of 2-0. With a complete game shutout on just four Marauders’ shot attempts, the Lakers took their first win.
“The team played well today, so putting together a full 90 minutes and getting that result feels really good. The team and staff know that we still have a lot of growing to do, but the progress is great,” said Katie Hultin, the head coach of the GVSU women’s soccer team. Imes said there were many factors that lead to the team’s success. “I think we found our rhythm and we just need to keep playing our game and not let our opponents dictate us,” Imes said. “We have to keep working everyday to become better as a whole, because every game this year is a battle. Everything is a day by day process and we just need to focus on beating one opponent at a time and not let the thought of who’s next get to us. I’m super excited about the win and the shutout today and the goal is to do it again on Sunday.” Now, sitting at 1-1-1, GVSU’s next match will also take place in Mankato, MN, on Sept. 10 at 2 p.m. against the number eight team in the nation: undefeated Minnesota State University (2-0-1).
VICTORY: The Grand Valley State University Lakers women’s soccer team dominated in a 2-0 win, their first of the season, moving to 1-1-1 on the season. COURTESY | GVSU ATHLETICS
A16 | SPORTS
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLSPORTS
VOLLEYBALL
GV Volleyball takes all four games in Downtown Classic BY NELSON HUBBELL & ANDREW BURLINGAME SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM
The Grand Valley State University women’s volleyball team finished off a dominant performance at the Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Classic with a 3-0 win against Ursuline College (0-5). After taking their first match in a 3-0 sweep of Colorado Christian on Thursday, the Lakers (6-0) used that momentum to carry them to three straight wins, bringing their record on the weekend to 4-0, losing just one set together along the way. The Friday games were anticipated to be tougher, as Tiffin University (3-1) and Clarion University (5-0) were the only two teams with above .500 records that the Lakers would face coming into the event. Tiffin turned out to be the toughest matchup as they handed the Lakers their first, and only, lost set of the season (28-26). “Defensively Tiffin is a better team. I think the way that they play put us under pressure, and it was the first time all season where we were pushed,” said Lakers’ Volleyball Head Coach Jason Johnson. To no avail, the Lakers took sets one (25-13), three (25-18) and four (25-17) in the 3-1 win. Senior Sarah Wight led the team in kills (15) and blocks (6) in another strong showing, as Jordyn Gates contributed a monster triple-double with 14 kills, 22 assists and 24 digs. Gates led the nation in triple doubles last season with 13.
Clarion was expected to be a bigger test as an undefeated team, but led by senior Rachel Jacquay’s 27 assists, the Lakers controlled the game in its entirety by sweeping the win in sets of 25-11, 25-10 and 25-17. GVSU saw a lot of familiar faces, including Jacquay, contributing big time this weekend. However, one redshirt freshman stood out in some of her first extensive action of the season. Brianna Stawski put up games of six, seven, 10 and 10 kills. “I think it was like my coach has said, the carrot was dangling super far in the future but I just had my eye on it,” Stawski said. Stawski will look to contribute as a key piece up front this season as she also tallied six blocks in the game against Ursuline. “The blocking is what has gotten her on the floor all the way through preseason, but the offense is starting to come around again,” Johnson said. “What she’s earned was the opportunity to be out there by performing at the level that she does every day.” In their final game of the event, GVSU began the first set with a 5-1 lead against the Arrows, dominating from then on out as Stawski alone put up five kills, helping the Lakers take it 25-10. The GVSU offense then went on a 7-0 run to close out the second set winning 25-12. The success continued into the third, when Stawski had an explosive kill on the first point, energizing the team, propelling them to a 25-14 win
on the set to complete the 3-0 sweep. Stawski led the team in kills (10) for her first time this season. Johnson likes his team’s mentality as they head into conference play this upcoming week off the back of their 6-0 record. “There is a focus and toughness that the team has right now that was strengthened this weekend,” Johnson said. Additionally, Johnson was happy that many bench players who don’t normally get play were able to go in. “Anytime you can get more of your roster opportunities to play it will always benefit them down the road,” Johnson said. This weekend was also the first series playing together on the home court for sisters Madison Gates (graduate transfer) and Jordyn Gates (junior). “It was kinda surreal, ya know. We played one year in high school together and we kinda figured that was the end of it,” said Jordyn Gates. Both sisters were dominant high school players in the area for Grand Rapids Christian, where they played for their mom Tiffanie Gates, earning division one scholarships to Purdue University Fort Wayne (Madison Gates) and Arkansas University (Jordyn Gates), before transferring to GVSU to come back home. The Lakers will move into conference play looking to build on their momentum as they take on the Michigan Tech Huskies in Houghton. Mich. on Friday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.
TEAMWORK: The Lakers’ volleyball team has begun the season on a dominant tear, winning six straight games and only losing just one set along the way. GVL | MACAYLA CRAMER