G R A N D VA L L E Y L A N T H O R N
All bark, no bite from Ferris Lakers take down reigning national champs
Sticker shock: why are GV C-Store prices so high?
NEWS | A4-5
GV hosts “hair-raising” Haunted Arboretum for fourth year LAKERLIFE | A12
M O N DAY, O C TO B E R 1 6 , 2 0 2 3 / / VO L . 5 8 N O. 5
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A2 | NEWS
OCTOBER 16, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLNEWS
LEADERSHIP
GV Title IX Coordinator takes leave of absence, AVP of Inclusion and Equity to take over BY JOSEPH POULOS LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU
The Division of Inclusion and Equity at Grand Valley State University announced last week in an email newsletter that the current Title IX Coordinator, Kevin Carmody, Ph.D., will be taking a temporary medical leave of absence. As Carmody’s replacement, current Associate Vice President for Inclusion and Equity Kathleen VanderVeen, Ph.D., will be taking over the interim Title IX Coordinator position. VanderVeen’s previous experiences with this office and similar positions in the past allow her to fulfill Carmody’s position in his absence. The Title IX office handles complaints of sexual harassment, assault and other gender-based discrimination within the GVSU community. The office offers resources, support and remedies when applicable. Jesse Bernal, Vice President for Inclusion and Equity at GVSU said the Title IX office is an integral part of campus operations. “The Title IX office at GVSU is crucial for ensuring a safe and non-discriminatory environment,” Bernal said. “It enforces Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination.” Bernal is confident about VanderVeen’s ability to
occupy the role. He believes an interim role is imperative to keep things running as smooth as possible. “(In order) to provide more support and build greater capacity, the university has appointed Dr. VanderVeen as acting coordinator,” Bernal said. “Dr. VanderVeen has previously served in this role during transitions and is extensively trained.” The Title IX office keeps the university up to date with sensitivity and inclusion policies as they relate to gender. Its main goal is to make the university an inclusive and hospitable place for everyone. The office follows the guidelines of the Title IX law, which keeps students and staff in mind when it comes to sex-based inclusivity. “The office also raises awareness, provides educational programs and trains the university community on Title IX rights and responsibilities,” Bernal said. VanderVeen was in charge of a similar objective in her previous position, supporting the university’s compliance areas as a deputy in the Division of Inclusion and Equity. Bernal expects the university to use every resource at their disposal in order to ensure the successful transition of VanderVeen into the role of Title IX Coordinator. “She (VaderVeen) provides guidance and backup support for various functions, including ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance,
campus climate and diversity planning,” Bernal said. “The Title IX office also has two deputy coordinators who manage day-to-day operations and will continue to lead during this transition. Additionally, the university can seek outside support from ATIXA (Association of Title IX Administrators), a national leader in Title IX in higher education, for additional guidance.” VanderVeen said she is excited about the role and is ready to get to work. She believes the transition will be smooth, especially given all the support staff in the office have given her. “My role is to ensure we stay in compliance with all of our federal and state regulations pertaining to Title IX,” VanderVeen said. “We have a strong team in place and my goal is maintaining an environment that is safe and non-discriminatory for the GVSU community.” VanderVeen will use her previous roles as a resource in her new temporary position. She hopes for continued success as interim Title IX Coordinator. “I will also draw from my training in Title IX, as well as my years of experience in other areas of civil rights compliance,” VanderVeen said. For more information on the Title IX office, resources and the coordinator role, people can visit the Title IX page on the GVSU website.
SHIFTING RESPONSIBILITIES: The Title IX Office at Grand Valley State University is responsible for keeping the campus “free of all forms of harassment, discrimination, retaliation and sexual misconduct,” which is distinctly prohibited in GVSU Policy. Title IX reflects GVSU’s standards and enforcement of these policies for a positive working and learning environment. COURTESY | GVSU
A3 | NEWS
OCTOBER 16, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLNEWS
CONTENTS
EMPLOYMENT
LEADERSHIP
| A2
BY JOSEPH POULOS LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU
NEWS
| A4-5
OPINIONS
| A6
EDITORIAL
| A7
SPORTS
| A8-9
LGBTQ
| A10
DISCOURSE
| A11
HALLOWEEN
| A12
VOLUNTEER
| A13
CREATIVE
| 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. 5
Layout Editor REV BRONOWSKI Layout Designer CARLIE SHERWOOD PROMOTIONS Promotions Manager ELISE RAPEYKO ADVERTISING STAFF Advertising Manager LAUREN SCHOENHERR Advertising Design MORGAN MANN BUSINESS STAFF
GV student workers pay remains under calculated living wage
Even though student workers keep Grand Valley State University’s day-to-day operations afloat, they are still woefully underpaid given comparative minimum wage and inflation rates across the country. GVSU issued a minor raise of 23 cents per hour starting on Aug. 20 due to a state requirement to increase Michigan’s minimum wage by Jan. 1, 2024. This change, although unrelated to the GVSU student workers protests and petition last spring, reflects an ongoing issue of student wages on campus. GVSU’s starting rate of $10.33 for student workers remains well below MIT’s determination of the living wage in the U.S., and in Ottawa County, Mich., which is about $17 per hour. Having a job on campus can be extremely convenient for students, especially considering transportation costs. However, it is not enough to cover living costs and tuition for many students. Cody DeLano, the Financial Officer for GVSU’s Young Democratic Socialists of America (YSDA), said when the minimum wage was established, it was meant to be an income that citizens could depend on. “Right now it’s not a wage people can really live on,” DeLano said. DeLano said there are potential benefits to working on campus, but he believes that the pay is too low to really make it worth it for many students. “Office work tends to be better, having better flexibility, conditions and sometimes an ability to do homework on the job,” DeLano said. “If a student needs a living wage, it would be better to work off campus.” Owen Frassetto, the Vice President for GVSU’s YSDA, believes the wages the university pays student workers are unfair and wrong. “Student workers are not paid enough,” Frassetto said. “You have many instances, in particular in the food service jobs, where workers are creating hundreds and hundreds of dollars of revenue for the company every hour, and yet for that same hour of work, they make only 11 or 12 dollars.” Frassetto said student workers keep many of the university’s operations functioning, especially food
services, the campus mail center and the library, and they should be valued for their work. “The university should pay its student workers more,” Frassetto said. “It’s proving very profitable for a select few, while the workers in many cases are struggling to afford food and housing.” Frassetto said if all GVSU student workers decided they were sick of the low wages and decided to go off-campus for work, it would surely bring the university’s functions to a standstill. He believes the university should consider these facts when deciding how much to pay the student workforce. “The university is robbing student workers on a daily basis, whenever they go to work,” Frassetto said. “The university cannot operate for a single day without the workers. These 11 or 12 dollars per hour wages are absolute exploitation, and the business-owning trustees at the top are aware of this.” The YSDA recently began distributing “What Are We Worth?” a publication aiming to educate students on the 23 cent wage increase and working conditions on campus. Katelyn Johnson, Assistant Director for the Student Employment Office at GVSU, agreed that student wages are not high enough but said the university is making progress in the right direction. “There is still work to be done,” Johnson said. “The average wage on campus right now for student employees is $12.08.” Johnson acknowledged the integral part student employees play in the operations of the university. “GVSU employs well over 3,000 student employees each year and it’s very important to consider the impact their work has on our community,” Johnson said. “GVSU relies so heavily on its student workforce and they need to be properly compensated for the work they provide.” The $0.23 increase to minimum wage students received this fall before it was required by law in January was a small step in the right direction as far as Johnson is concerned. “That was a small win and we are waiting for more decisions to be made by GVSU senior leadership on what wage increases, if any, will be taking place in the next year,” Johnson said. It remains to be seen whether or not the university will make any significant changes to student wages for 2024 and 2025. To see a full list of student wage charts, visit the On Campus Wage Rates page on the GVSU Student Employment website.
Business Manager BRENDAN BUTTERFIELD Distribution Managers DALLAS MATHEWS REAGAN RUD IT Operations Manager JOSHUA DANIELS
At the Lanthorn, we strive to bring you the most accurate news possible. If we make a mistake, we want to make it right. If you find any errors in fact in the Lanthorn, let us know by calling 616-3312464 or by emailing editorial@lanthorn.com. The Grand Valley Lanthorn is published 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
SALARY: Grand Valley State University students held several campus-wide activism events to rally support for low student wages last year. Besides complying with a small pay raise required by the state, the campus has done nothing to remedy the situation. GVL | SAM NELSON
OCTOBER 16, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN
A4&5 | NEWS
@GVLNEWS
BY ELIZABETH SCHANZ LANTHORNEDITORAL@GVSU.EDU
“I don’t have a car, and there’s also many students who don’t have a car, and this is like one of the main places we can buy things,” Meteer said. “I think that, that makes it unethical, especially when it comes to medicine and things like necessities” PRICES: Grand Valley State University C-Stores and P.O.D. stores have comparatively higher prices than local grocery stores and drug stores, due convenience pricing. GVL | BETHANN LONG
Grand Valley State University’s campus stores sell products to students at heavily inflated rates, sometimes as high as about 360% more then the item’s original market value. Clare Meteer, a Grand Valley State University senior majoring in Business Management and Dance, recently noticed she needed allergy medication. Meteer does not have a car and had very little time in between classes, so she decided to go to the Kirkhof Center C-Store, a convenience store on campus that is part of GVSU’s Laker Food Co., formerly known as Campus Dining, to buy some Claritin. In a hurried state, Meteer grabbed the only box of Claritin. The register rang her up $5.29 before tax; she paid and went on her way. Later, she opened the box to find only one tablet. Meteer was shocked that she spent $6 on a single tablet of medicine that she had no other way to access on campus. Frustrated, Meteer decided to look on Amazon. A ten-pack of Claritin costing about $10 equated to about $1 a tablet, versus the $6 she paid at the C-Store on campus. “I get that it’s probably going to be a little bit more expensive when I’m on campus, but I think that this much is crazy,” Meteer said. A quick price comparison revealed that the cost of over-the-counter allergy medicine at GVSU C-Stores is much higher than the local Meijer, Family Fare and Walgreens locations near the Allendale Campus. At Meijer, a 10-pack of non-drowsy Claritin is $11.49 before tax, which equates to about $1.15 per tablet. This puts the campus stores’ selling of essentially the same product at a markup rate of over 300%. At Family Fare, the Claritin 10-pack costs $13.79, or $1.31 a piece, and at Walgreens, a five-pack of Claritin costs $9.99, about $2 each Although Allendale students can access these locations by car or bus, they are not within walking distance for students. “I don’t have a car, and there’s also many students who don’t have a car, and this is like one of the main places we can buy things,” Meteer said. “I think that, that makes it unethical, especially when it comes to medicine and things like necessities.” GVSU Associate Professor of Marketing Vivek Dalela said although the price hikes can be uncomfortable for students they are a common economic concept. Dalela attributed the nature of higher prices at GVSU P.O.D. (provisions on demand stores) and C-Stores to the concepts of the economies of scale and captive market. Dalela explained that economies of scale mean that businesses like Walmart or Meijer can buy in bulk- thus allowing the products to be sold at a lower cost. “If you’re able to sell a lot, the price per unit goes down. (Businesses) buy in wholesale, (the customer buys) it cheaper,” Dalela said. “Walmart does the most economies of scale, so it sells it cheapest. You go to CVS or Walgreens and you try to buy the same product, they have lesser economies of scale, so their prices are high. You go to a mom-and-pop store, for example, and they have even less of an economy of scale. The less you sell, the higher the price will be.” Dalela said this concept can apply to the GVSU P.O.D. and C-Stores because they are serving a smaller market of students, with less business and at a lesser volume than bigger stores, so the cost will be higher. Dalela said to make the business viable, on-campus stores may have to keep the prices higher to pay for fixed expenses and to make the business work.
Additionally, a captive market has less competition and customers are more likely to buy out of convenience or necessity. Dalela compared this to airports, where travelers pay higher prices because they have no other option, and there are no competitors to drive down prices. “They will be willing to pay a higher price just for the convenience of it because they don’t want to walk five miles or drive down to get to another store, they don’t have a choice,” Dalela explained. This concept is reflected in the GVSU C-Store and P.O.D. store prices. In addition to the medicine sold on campus, other prices reflect price hikes that could be attributed to the concepts Dalela notes. For instance, GVSU charges $1.29 for a single pack of ramen noodles while Meijer and Family charge only 39 cents. Similarly, GVSU charges $3.59 for a single Chapstick original, while Meijer charges $1.49 and Family Fare $1.59. Many students are aware of these price hikes and are often more weary of shopping on campus because of it. “I understand that campus needs to make money off of what they are selling, but it doesn’t make sense why they have the price so high,” Hannah Bernhardt, a junior at GVSU, said. “Personally, I don’t think the prices should be that high as we are all college students who aren’t making all that much money. I would rather drive 10 minutes down the road to Meijer to buy the same thing for a little cheaper of a price.” However, many students may not have the option to get necessary goods somewhere else and feel the on-campus prices can be limiting. “I only buy things from the C-Store when I need to, like in this case. If I had the choice I would have easily waited and bought it somewhere else,” Meteer said. “If prices were lower students could use the C-Store more, but they can’t right now because of the prices they see at the store.”
Although students may be frustrated with the prices that GVSU is charging in oncampus convenience stores, Dalela said price-mark-ups are legal, common and often remain acceptable as long as people are willing to pay convenience pricing. “You would expect Grand Valley to have a store, which has more reasonable prices rather than higher prices, but, at the end of the day, these are small everyday consumer items, and I don’t think at this pricing level, ethics aren’t playing any significant role,” Dalela said. “They (companies) will test our limits, without being challenged by anybody on the legal front or on the ethical front of anyway, because they aren’t really flouting any rules here. There is no legal framework, which says your markups have to be limited to a certain level.” Meteer said although the C-Store and P.O.D. stores on the GVSU campus are more accessible, she tries to avoid shopping at them for a variety of reasons including cost and how the costs relate to her student wages. Meteer works on-campus jobs to pay for her living expenses and feels the wages students are being paid, often which are under the calculated living wage for the area, cannot even meet the expense of shopping at the on-campus convenience stores. “I can’t afford to shop at the C-Store with the wages I’m paid on campus, as for pretty much all student employees,” Meteer said. “If you look at what Grand Valley wants to charge you pretty much for everything, the student wages don’t make up for that.” Meteer feels that the university should reevaluate the prices on campus to keep the best interest of students in mind. “I think Grand Valley needs to be aware that everyone, especially students, are struggling financially,” Meteer said. “They need to keep the prices as low as possible, like at least the price I would get somewhere off campus.” Laker Food Co. did not respond to several requests for comment before publication.
A6 | OPINIONS
OCTOBER 16, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLNEWS
A Swift victory for the Chiefs
BY MADDIE ZIMMERMAN LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU
Whether or not you are a Swiftie, you have probably heard about Taylor Swift’s appearance at the Kansas City Chiefs football game on Sept. 24. Within 24
hours, Travis Kelce, the tight end for the Chiefs, has gained over 300,000 Instagram followers, ticket sales have increased by the thousands and Kelce’s jersey has been ranked in the top five best-selling ones. The big question still remains: was this a PR stunt? When Swift appeared on the TV screen, everyone’s jaw dropped, including players on the Chiefs team such as Patrick Mahomes. The team appeared giddy as Swift was waving at Kelce. All seemed supportive and happy about the new suspected couple’s hard launch. From a public relations standpoint, Swift and Kelce’s PR teams absolutely killed the execution of her appearance. Kelce and Swift have major successes in both of their fields. Kelce has won Super Bowls LIV and LVII with the team, recording a touchdown reception in both wins, and Swift has made over $300 million for her iconic Era’s Tour and has generated over $100 million on her Era’s Tour movie. Why would you not take the power duo and couple them off? They each have vastly different target audiences. Swift’s target audience has no gender, but her fans are typically five to 35. There is no age limit to her music. This is a huge strength for Swift. She is a timeless classic. I remember listening to her music when I was eight years old, and she’s even more relevant now than she was back then. She never goes out of style. On the other hand, Kelce’s target audience is football fans, more specifically Chiefs fans. These
people are more than likely from Missouri or surrounding areas, with a heavily male fanbase and many women as well, ranging from ten to 60 years old. Similarly, there is no age limit on football. By having Swift show up at Kelce’s game, football has now increased its target audience to Swifties, an audience that may not have been interested before. Just by Swift showing her face at Kelce’s game, ticket sales for the Chiefs have tripled. Along with that staggering fact, Kelce’s merchandise has had a 400 percent increase in sales just within 24 hours of Swift’s appearance. There has been a 20 percent increase in website searches for Taylor Swift on StubHub as well. Spotify has issued a press release stating New Heights, a podcast by Kelce and his brother, Jason Kelce, has increased in streaming. “After Sunday’s game, searches for “Travis Kelce” increased by more than 1,300 percent on Spotify, in comparison to Monday, September 18.” After the game, people were tweeting about how successful Kelce has been recently with his football career, and how it all ties back to Swift. This sparked some controversy among Kelce fans, but you can’t argue with the facts- Swift is powerful. The iconic couple was seen leaving the game on Sept. 28 holding hands. Although this was more than likely a PR stunt, the couple is cute together. Kelce and Swift fans alike seem enchanted by this couple.
Why you should start boxing
BY SAM NOWOTNIK LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU
I recently started boxing and have found it to be one of the best decisions. Boxing always takes one hundred percent of my effort physically and mentally. I have no prior experience in this sport, so it is great to be able to learn something completely new. Being out of my comfort zone has helped me in so many ways. I played many different sports throughout my childhood and played baseball through high school. After making the decision to come to Grand Valley State University and choosing not to pursue playing baseball anymore, I knew I would want to find something to join and be a part of to remain active. Boxing is an individual sport, so you can do
everything at your own pace. You get to focus on your own self-improvement and learning new skills. It can be non-competitive or competitive, which allows anyone to participate in boxing and get all the wonderful benefits from it. Competitive boxing typically involves more sparring, practicing the motions of attack and defense in a boxing match, and competing in official fights during matches. Non-competitive fighting has the same training and learning of skills as competitive boxing just without the scheduled fights. Boxing has been the best conditioning workout I have done in years. Every week that I box, I am able to push myself a little more without being completely exhausted. After every practice, I feel like the stress of homework and the worries of exams are alleviated, which really helps the week go by faster. I know whatever is stressing me about before sparring or practicing won’t be on my mind at all during or after, which has helped me stay on track with my school priorities. Especially being a senior and getting closer to graduation, I am feeling the effects of senioritis. Finding a way to get rid of that burned-out feeling is crucial to ending college on a positive and successful note. Something I noticed from training and sparring so far is that it has improved my mental strength tremendously. Being out of my comfort zone in the first place can be mentally challenging, but in boxing, you can’t just give up. During sparring you have to continue to defend yourself, move around and fight back. Whether you are tired or you just got hit, you have to find a way to keep going. When you feel drained during a fight wanting to stop and take a break is common, but pushing through the rest of the fight is a remarkable feeling. These scenarios have been the best experiences I have had from boxing so far. Boxing may seem intimidating at first, but I encourage anyone reading this to give it a chance
if anything in this article sounds intriguing to you. I started boxing because there were two free classes on campus last year, and now I box multiple times a week. It’s something I never expected myself to do, and now I plan to stay involved with it post-grad. You will meet many people who are brand new to boxing and others who have so much experience and are willing to help you out. As much as it’s an individual sport, you will make great connections and form strong bonds along the way.
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
OCTOBER 16, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLNEWS
A7 | EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL
Sticky Situation: NHL bans Pride gear BY LANTHORN EDITORIAL STAFF LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU
When it comes to major corporations, hypocrisy is often bountiful. The National Hockey League (NHL) proves to be no exception, as the league that brands itself with the slogan “Hockey is for Everyone” banned both the use of Pride Tape and the players from wearing “any specialty sweaters during a game, in warmups or at an official practice,” according to ESPN. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman expressed concerns over the pride warm-up sweaters becoming a “distraction,” after allowing the use of the tape and pride sweaters for roughly seven years. In defense of the NHL’s decision, Bettman said the organization’s action to move away from affirmative involvement in any cause “doesn’t make (the NHL) a bigot.” “You know what our goals, our values and our intentions are across the league, whether it’s at the league level or at the club level,” Bettman said. “But we also have to respect some individual choice, and some people are more comfortable embracing themselves in causes than others.” No, Gary, we do not know what your goals, values and intentions are. Flip-flopping between policies and then settling on this decision does not bring us any clarity on the league’s purpose regarding any support for LGBTQ communities or lack thereof. Instead, Bettman has created a greater spectacle of himself and of the issue.
The NHL’s decision to ban specialized warmup jerseys that support various causes came after several players refused to wear a pride-themed jersey, the first of which was Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov back in January. According to ESPN, Provorov did not “take the pregame skate Tuesday night because he refused to wear the team’s LGBTQ+ Pride Night warmup jersey, citing his religious beliefs.” Throughout the 2022-2023 season, a handful of other players followed Provorov’s lead. San Jose Sharks Goalie James Reimer issued a statement in which he said he “always strived to treat everyone with respect” and that members of the LGBTQ community should be welcome in hockey. However, he also refused to participate in wearing the themed gear. “In this specific instance, I am choosing not to endorse something that is counter to my personal convictions, which are based on the Bible, the highest authority in life,” Reimer said. We understand the intention behind respecting individual choice regarding religious decisions, but those individual players do not have to participate in the themed nights. The league is taking away the players’ choice to show support for a cause including support of the LGBTQ community. Every team in the NHL hosts a variety of “theme nights,” and although the LGBTQ-themed jerseys are no longer permitted to be worn by any player, the “theme nights they represent, including Pride, Military and Heritage, will continue” according to The Athletic.
We are disappointed in the NHL’s decision regarding themed jersey use, and equally let down by the NHL in what feels like a pointed attack on the LGBTQ community. According to section 10.1 of the official NHL rulebook, accessible on the NHL’s website, “Adhesive tape of any color may be wrapped around the stick at any place for the purpose of reinforcement or to improve control of the puck.” We feel the decision to ban pride-themed hockey tape directly conflicts with these written rules. The decision to ban Pride Tape and themed sweaters is exclusionary. Players should have their own choice in the matter. Instead of supporting the players’ choice, the NHL has effectively oppressed all players by taking away the option of using Pride Tape and/or themed sweaters on-ice altogether. After all, they already tape their own sticks and are often extremely particular about it. The stance the league has taken creates confusion amongst many different organizations. Fans and teams alike are now concerned about their ability to support the social causes they are passionate about in the context of a hockey game. The NHL league office needs to reverse this policy change and allow players the freedom to choose how they express themselves on the ice.
HOCKEY: Many players in the NHL use how they wrap their sticks as a form of expression in addition to practicality. The new NHL rule limits the use of Pride Tape. COURTESY | PRIDE TAPE
A8&9 | SPORTS
OCTOBER 16, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLSPORTS
BY NELSON HUBBELL LANTHORNEDITORAL@GVSU.EDU
Two archrivals and titans of the college football world met on Saturday, Oct. 14 as the No. four ranked Grand Valley State University Lakers (5-1) defeated the reigning national champions, the No. one ranked Ferris State University Bulldogs (4-2), 49-28 at Lubbers Stadium in Allendale, Mich. The game was one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the Anchor-Bone Classic’s rivalry history. The hype surrounding the matchup was palpable as GVSU students posted all over Yik Yak, an anonymous social media platform where people in the same area, college or university can post with each other. Throughout the preceding week students were posting FSU hate: “me: f*** ferris. cashier: sir this is a Wendy’s,” and “Absolutely no red tomorrow down to your underwear bro, do not wear red at lubbers.” Yik Yakers even posted on game day commenting on the rainy weather conditions and the FSU rivalry, “smells like wet dog. oh wait, Ferris...,” and “Rain? Snow? Mf tornado?? Nah nothing stopping me from going to this game #F*** FERRIS #GETWETLAKERS.” The two programs have now played in 12-straight ranked matchups, as the Lakers won in the 2022
regular season meeting, toppling top-ranked FSU 2221 in Big Rapids, Mich. before falling at home to the Bulldogs 24-21 in the second round of the playoffs. Beating the reigning back-to-back national champions has not been easy in the past for the Lakers. “This rivalry, through the decades, has been very one-sided decade by decade and we wanted to make sure that the 2020s got off to this start,” Lakers’ head coach Scott Wooster said. “We talked about a belief, something just outside of your grasp that you haven’t quite done yet, and that’s what you just saw.” Wooster now moves to 5-1 in his career, winning his inaugural game against FSU as GVSU’s head man, while Bulldogs’ legend Tony Annese lost just his nineteenth game, falling to 119-19. “We all believe in the guy (Wooster), we’ve always believed in him. We knew we were going to come out and play our game,” Lakers’ junior quarterback Avery Moore said. “We knew what we had to do and we were following a good leader.” Out of the gate, GVSU was extraordinarily aggressive on both sides of the ball, with several key components of the bold game plan coming to fruition. After a shanked FSU punt, the Lakers made their mark with an aerial attack on their first play from scrimmage. Cade Peterson took a deep shot to wide receiver Cody Tierney, who hauled in an over-the-shoulder grab from the veteran
quarterback, a gutsy play call on the 36-yard score. “We knew the whole week that the first play was gonna be that play, and I was excited that he pressed the first time, and I knew that Cade was gonna give me a dot. I just went up and grabbed it, and it was awesome,” Tierney, who was the team’s leading receiver with four catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns, said. “Growing up, I mean, I’ve always known about the Anchor-Bone Classic. Having big plays in those moments and this game- it was one of those dreamcome-true kind of things, and it just felt amazing.” Tierney made multiple big plays in the game, but the ‘X factor’ was Moore, who led the Lakers in rushing with nine carries for 131 yards and two touchdowns. All three of his scores were from 30-plus yards out, tacking on a 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kyle Nott in the first quarter. Nott made a “Sportscenter Top 10” worthy highlight-reel grab, snagging the ball with one hand as he fell backward into the endzone. “That’s a play we were working on all week. Safety came down, so right when he came down I knew the ball was gonna go to me. I ran my route, Avery threw a good back-shoulder ball, and at the end of the day, I just went up and got it and did what I do,” Nott said. There was a theme of scripted play calls that worked to a tee for GVSU. Multiple players in the postgame press conference praised the coaching staff ’s game
plan, saying that they just “executed.” After going up 21-0 early in the second quarter with a 37-yard touchdown run by Moore and the 30-yard Nott touchdown grab, the Lakers pulled a rabbit out of their hat with an early onside kick. It was highly unconventional, to say the least, but it worked, and the aggressiveness of the Lakers’ proved to be a crucial difference in the game. Wooster attributed the play calling to his team’s mindset and his coaching staff: defensive coordinator Jim Louis, offensive coordinator Matt Vizthum and special teams coordinator Jacob Studdard. “Yeah, we went to work on that (the onside kick). Again, taking advantage of a schematic thing there. We’re aggressive, we’re aggressive by nature. Calculated aggressiveness,” Wooster said. Moments later a pick-six from Cardamone deep in FSU territory kept the momentum moving for GVSU, who was now on top 35-0 versus the number one team in the nation. In a matter of one and a half minutes, the score had gone from 14-0 to 35-0. “I’m in awe every time our defense goes out there just because I’m thankful I don’t have to face them,” Peterson said. The Lakers knew that FSU would not go away quietly and knew that going forward it would be about hanging onto their lead. “There was a piece of me that knew, get to the fourth quarter. We’ve still gotta go to work on these second and
third quarters, but I knew who we were in the fourth quarter and that was a big part of it. I think there was a calmness and a presence on the sidelines,” Wooster said. After benching starting quarterback Mylik Mitchell, FSU stormed back to make it a two-score game before the half with the help of quarterback Carson Gulker. The Lakers surrendered 21 points in the second quarter, but Gulker’s time on the field would be somewhat short-lived. Gulker, the highly successful quarterback, known as a runner but who passed on all of his scores, was pulled for Mitchell who led the Bulldogs on a touchdown drive late in the third quarter. Suddenly, it was 35-28 and a one-score game. Mitchell and the Bulldogs struggled for the rest of the night on offense, failing to score in the fourth quarter. The Lakers, however, put up two touchdowns in the final 13 minutes. Moore stepped up huge yet again, this time breaking through a massive hole at the line of scrimmage, hitting the sidelines and accelerating through two tackles en route to a 44-yard rushing score early in the fourth. From then on, FSU struggled to move the ball and a late Peterson touchdown pass to Jordan Johnson sealed the game 49-28. In a night full of big plays, GVSU pulled off touchdowns of 30, 36, 37 and 44 yards on offense. Wooster felt that the attention on the Bulldogs’ offense undermined his own. “I got a thousand questions this week about ‘Ferris State’s offense,’ ‘Ferris State’s offense,’ and I’m not gonna talk
badly about that because they are a good offense. But, we came into this game (ranked) number three in the country (on offense), and they came into this game number 12. I’m just hoping that question got asked over there (to FSU) too because what Coach Vitzthum does, he’s the best play caller in the country. You just saw that tonight,” Wooster said. Following his first win over the Bulldogs, Wooster had his mind set on greater heights. “Obviously I’m not gonna downplay the rivalry, but it was week seven and we went one-for-one and it puts us one step closer to what we wanna do,” Wooster said. Following the game, GVSU players were not devoid of confidence as the victory was no surprise to the Lakers. “That was completely what we expected to happen,” Cardamone said. Moore reiterated the same sentiment. “Whole week of practice everyone was just locked in, practice was going well. We knew what we were going to do, we just executed our stuff,” Moore said. GVSU will head to Marquette, Mich. to take on 0-7 Northern Michigan University at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21. For now, Lakers fans will continue to celebrate their huge victory over despised FSU, that is until these two rivals may inevitably meet again in the playoffs.
RIVALRY VICTORY: The Grand Valley State University football team jumped out to an early 35-0 lead just minutes into the second quarter off of several big plays. After giving up 28 unanswered points in the second and third quarters combined, the Lakers took down the No. 1 team and defending national champion, Ferris State University Bulldogs in their 55th meeting. GVL | MACAYLA CRAMER
OCTOBER 16, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLARTS
A10 | ARTS
LGBTQ
Open mic night held for National Coming Out Day BY DYLAN HOFFIUS LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU
Grand Valley State University’s Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center hosted an open mic night on Oct. 9 in honor of National Coming Out Day. Those who attended celebrated the day through spoken word poetry, singing and performing stand-up comedy. “Queer the Air: An Open Mic and Spoken Word Night” invited students to observe the 35th anniversary of National Coming Out Day and pay respects to those who have passed from HIV/AIDS. D.L. McKinney, Director of the LGBT Resource Center, said “Queer the Air’’ is a tradition at the center. Although the event may not always take place exactly on Oct. 11– National Coming Out Day, McKinney said it’s still integral to have the event yearly. “It’s super important for us (the LGBT Resource Center) to be the hub that creates a safe and accepting space,” McKinney said. “If we don’t do it, who else is going to?” Austin Kienutske, President of In the Margins, a creative writing club that meets in the LGBT Resource Center, had a similar attitude about the event.
“Events like this (“Queer the Air”) are awesome because of the community,” Kienutske said. “There’s only so much advocacy that a single person can do.” Like many others at the event, Kienutske stood behind the microphone and shared some of his own handwritten poetry. Kienutske said his poem was just a simple collection of everyday thoughts that ran through his head during classes. Others, however, shared poetry and spoken words detailing personal life experiences and struggles with identity. Kienutske said there are many who struggle with the process of coming out and feeling validated. He encourages those to utilize the resources available at GVSU and to take their time in their journey of self-discovery. McKinney said the LGBT Resource Center and Social Justice Centers lay a good foundation for LGBTQ acceptance on campus. However, McKinney said there are always more things people can do to be allies. “There are thousands of individuals that walk this campus with different backgrounds,” McKinney said. “Being an affirming and safe person starts with the expectation or standard that
you will say something if you see something.” In addition, the resource center has more events planned throughout the year for LGBTQ students and allies. Students can register to submit their art to the Queer Art Showcase on Nov. 8 at the resource center. The showcase will include a variety of GVSU students’ work, including short films, paintings and digital art. Students can also participate in Open Door Discussions (ODDs) at the resource center throughout the semester. These discussions allow students, faculty and staff to converse about topics relating to the LGBTQ community. On Nov. 18, the resource center is also hosting a free clothing pop-up and workshop event, “Wear the Rainbow,” in the Loosemore Auditorium on the GVSU Pew Campus. The event’s poster promises, “access for everyone to explore gender expression across the spectrum in a safe and celebratory environment.” The center encourages interested students to volunteer for the event and donate gently used clothing and accessories until the Nov. 10 acceptance deadline.
COMING OUT: During open mic night, which aimed to celebrate National Coming Out Day, students took the stage to share their stories and identity in a safe space. GVL | SYDNEY LIM
A11 | ARTS
OCTOBER 16, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLARTS
DISCOURSE
OMA hosts Banned Books discussion BY RACHAEL GAGE LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU
Grand Valley State University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) observed Banned Books Week by hosting a banned books discussion on Oct. 4. The event was part of the OMA’s Conversations of Color series and provided education, awareness and a call to protect books that are being censored. OMA offers comprehensive programs and services to help celebrate and educate people on social justice efforts to build a diverse and inclusive campus. Since 2019, OMA has hosted Conversations of Color, an event series that provides a space for students to interact with each other while discussing various social justice topics and issues. This event covered the history of book banning and how current groups are banning books to restrict information. Mae Zurita, the discussion facilitator, said that this censored information deserves to be shared no matter what. “We’re advocating for any books that were banned or have yet to be banned to stay on shelves and for students to be able to (continue) accessing (them),” Zurita said. While books are banned for a variety of reasons,
the event focused primarily on stories banned for sharing marginalized identities, such as those written by or for the queer community and books that bring awareness to racial injustice. Students were encouraged to read books that had been banned as a way to challenge or expand their worldview. The Conversations of Color event also started a discussion on students having access to books about sexual health for all identities. “If we keep trying to restrict information, then we’re endangering people,” Zurita said. The Banned Books event covered the importance of critically looking into the political reasons behind book banning. It specifically brought awareness to the changing of current and past narratives. “All these blocks of information and restrictions we’re seeing have a larger motivation,” Zurita said. “We need to be very cautious.” OMA hosted the Banned Books event with the additional aim of providing a safe space for students of color and queer identities. “Students (of color and queer identities) are important for educating the general community. (They) can expand peoples’ worldviews just by existing,” Zurita said. Almina Kujovic, a GVSU student, attended the
Banned Books event due to the rising commonality of book banning and the potential dangers they pose. “History repeats itself,” Kujovic said. “If we do not learn from the mistakes in history, then the cycle will repeat again and again.” After attending the event, Kujovic reflected that reading certain banned books can encourage people to be more compassionate to others. “I just hope that gaining the understanding of different viewpoints would make people think twice before jumping to (say), ‘Ban the book,’” Kujovic said. Students were also encouraged to write letters to Michigan’s Board of Commissioners and attend the board’s meetings to speak out against the censorship of books. Additionally, there are other ways people advocate against book banning. Currently there is a grassroots coalition organized by the Michigan Library Associated called MI Right to Read, a group that aims to “educate the public and oppose any legislation that infringes upon First Amendment rights and intellectual freedom.”
LITERATURE: The event provided education, built awareness and fostered a safe space to discuss the wcontroversy surrounding banned books and their content. GVL | ALENA VISNOVSKY
A12 | LAKER LIFE
OCTOBER 16, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE
HALLOWEEN
GV hosts “hair-raising” Haunted Arboretum for fourth year BY SARA BAGELY LANTHORNEDITORAL@GVSU.EDU
Grand Valley State University’s Campus Activities Board hosted its annual Haunted Arboretum. The event, which has been a tradition on campus over the past three years, is popular with many students and event volunteers alike. The Haunted Arboretum was first started as a group effort by Anasie Yazbec, owner of Events with Anasie, who approached the Office of Student Life at GVSU about hosting the event in 2020. Yazbec, a mom of two Lakers at the time and an alumni, saw a need and wanted to fill it. Yazbec’s children expressed that the isolation of being trapped indoors from the COVID-19 pandemic was negatively affecting their mental health. Additionally, Yazbec knew the GVSU theatre students were lacking opportunities to perform due to the pandemic. Thus, the Haunted Arboretum was born as a way to help students and performers. Yazbec has stayed involved with the Haunted Arboretum and comes back each year to help plan and host the event. She relishes every second of it. “It makes me happy that the students love it so much, the theater students love it. We have about two dozen actors out there from the theatre department, from STAGE club and from Alpha Psi Omega, and they work really hard to make this event happen,” Yazbec said. “I love to see how long the lines get- it’s also my greatest fear. We usually have about 1,800 students a year come through over two days.” CAB President Bridie Tolley was also excited about the student turnout. This year CAB opened the Haunted Arboretum a day early, a change they decided the day before the event was set to happen, which affected the turnout of the event. However, the event still brought many people together. “I always expect a large turnout to the Haunted Arboretum, because it’s such a large event on campus, but having it be such a last-minute change, I think having over 600 people show up was huge,” Tolley said. Though it’s Tolley’s second year being an officer in CAB, this was her first time really being involved with the Haunted Arboretum through the planning and vendor recruiting process. This year, other GVSU departments are working with CAB and Housing and Residence Life to be
SPOOKY: Over one thousand GVSU students attend the event each year to see the haunted decor. GVL | ALENA VISNOVSKY
a part of this event. At the event, Recreation and Wellness had the Wellness Information Team (WIT) cart set up and GVSU’s Alcohol and Other Drugs Services offered mocktails. A few food trucks were also present, and free hot chocolate was available to students waiting in line or walking by. Tolley said about ten to fifteen CAB volunteers were on-site each night, helping run the event alongside the scare actors. For set up and tear down, CAB enlisted the help of anyone on campus who was willing. She says the entire process of the Haunted Arboretum brings the GVSU community together. “It’s slowly becoming a large event,” Tolley said. “Seeing the lines down to Zumberge Hall, I think it’s so cool that all of these groups of people want to come to a CAB event, and I think that the amount of people that are involved with it plays a huge factor in that. Each group has a different dynamic and audience that follows it.” Beetlejuice, one of the most popular returning
COSTUMES: Scare actors dressed up in costumes walked around and talked with attendees. GVL | ALENA VISNOVSKY
characters of the Haunted Arboretum, loves seeing the turnout as well. Though Beetlejuice’s actor doesn’t attend GVSU, Beetlejuice has been a part of the Haunted Arboretum since the very beginning. “I gotta say (my favorite part) is just seeing the people come out year after year and stand in line, even through pouring rain, just to come through the Arboretum,” Beetlejuice said. Erica Shumsky and Asia Williams, two scare actors alongside Beetlejuice in this year’s haunt, said they have greatly enjoyed their experiences with the event. Williams is a senior who originally started participating in the Haunted Arboretum through STAGE in her sophomore year. Dressed as Pennywise this year, she thoroughly gets a kick out of scare acting. “My favorite part is scaring people,” Williams said. “I literally laugh every time I scare somebody. It’s just hilarious to me.” Shumsky, a freshman and a first-time scare actor for the Haunted Arboretum event, said she got involved with the event because of her roommate, who is the costume manager for the event. In The Haunted Arboretum, Shumsky played a turkey decoy to distract haunt-goers, a role that can be surprising amongst the typical scare costumes like sinister dolls or creepy clowns. “It’s really fun, a lot of people call me a chicken though,” Shumsky said. “It’s fun just cause people will look at you weird and then they’re like ‘What are you supposed to be?’” Even though this is her first year, Shumsky said she definitely plans on staying involved with the Haunted Arboretum during her time at GVSU. “Everyone has been super nice, it was definitely a fun experience. It pushed me out of my comfort zone but I’m glad I did it,” Shumsky said. With this year’s Haunted Arboretum coming to a close, the committees will soon be working on plans to make next year’s event even better. Tolley said she appreciates the work the Haunted Arboretum team has done and will continue to do in the future. “The scarers have done so well putting this on,” Tolley said. “They’re so good at what they do, and I could not be more proud of them.”
OCTOBER 16, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN
A13 | LAKER LIFE
@GVLLAKERLIFE
VOLUNTEER
GV’s Student Philanthropy Week gives back to campus community BY SITLALI PADRON LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU
Grand Valley State University held its first Student Philanthropy Week from Oct. 9 to 16 with a variety of events throughout the week involving student organizations. Student Philanthropy Week was hosted by the University Development Office. Throughout the week there was many events to educate students about philanthropy. “We are doing tons of hands-on activities to educate students about how to give back to Grand Valley through time, talent or treasure. It’s all about educating students about how they can give back their time, now, as a student,” Katrina Begrow, the Annual Giving Manager of Campus Philanthropy said. Additionally, the donations raised throughout Student Philanthropy Week directly supported four of GVSU’s student organizations: Beekeeping Club, Bowling Club, Rowing Club and Delta Tau Delta. Donations to these organizations aimed to help the clubs reach their individual goals and further grow on campus. By spotlighting these individual clubs, organizers of Student Philanthropy Week hoped to highlight how the GVSU community can continue to give back to itself. President of the Beekeeper’s Club Vivian Gaskin said the week helped to raise awareness for programs on campus people may not typically know about. “The sustainability department here is pretty small and we typically don’t get a lot of recognition, so it’s been nice to be able to network and get our name out there,” Gaskin said. Social Media Coordinator for the Beekeepers Club
Aida Dennis said Student Philanthropy Week positively impacts the club. She said members of the Beekeepers Club feel “so special to be selected by the university.” “It (Student Philanthropy Week) not only helps us raise money to keep tending to our lovely ladies in the hives or to buy new bee boxes, but it just helps spread the word about who we are and what we do,” Dennis said. One event held during the week was “Get the Scoop on Philanthropy,” which took place on Oct. 9 in the Kirkhof Center. Each student organization that participated had its own table in the lobby where they could share information about Philanthropy Week and its organization. Free ice cream was also given to anyone interested. Another featured event during the week was the Campus Clean Up on Oct. 10. Students checked in at Kleiner Commons where they got a pair of gloves, a trash bag and a map of campus that showed where clean up was needed. Once the materials and information were given, students walked around and picked up trash to give back to the campus environment. Allison Ribick, a GVSU alumna, attended the Campus Clean Up event. Ribick wanted to contribute to the current student body and show her support for the community she once lived in. “Donating your time and volunteering is a good alternative if you can’t make a financial gift,” Ribick said. “I think student philanthropy week is really important for students to understand the different types of philanthropy and how to help their campus through many ways of volunteering.” Another event during Student Philanthropy Week was the “Cash Cart” event that took place on Oct. 11. The
University Development Office drove around campus in golf carts to give students a ride to class while quizzing them on philanthropy. Winners got to decide which student organization got an extra monetary donation. Another activity called “Thanks a Bunch Scavenger Hunt” took place on Oct. 12 and involved students finding hidden teddy bears around campus. Photos of the teddy bears in their hidden spots were shared on the GVSU Instagram stories. Those who found the bear got to keep the stuffed animal as well and chose which student organization got an extra donation. The final event of the week “Laker Photo Collage Challenge’’ took place on Friday, Oct. 13 in Kirkhof Center. Students could donate to their favorite organization in exchange for a Polaroid picture that they could pin on a mural that spelled out ‘GVSU.’ The students also had the opportunity to spin a wheel to win a free picture among other prizes. GVSU librarian and alum Cayla Dwyer hoped the week’s events allowed students to engage with their community and potentially take the involvement beyond the Student Philanthropy Week. “I think it’s important to participate in your community however that naturally occurs to you,” Dwyer said. “To me, it’s really about the community building to make a better place for yourself and others.” Begrow said the University Development office hopes that Student Philanthropy Week will “turn into a tradition year after year.”
PARTICIPATION: Student Philanthropy Week aims to help get students involved and spread awareness about the importance of working to give back to the community you are apart of. Many students participated in the various events throughout the week. Several gathered together to dedicate their time to cleaning up campus during one event. GVL | AIDA DENNIS
A14 | LAKER LIFE
OCTOBER 16, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE
CREATIVE
GV Yarn Arts Club “loops” crochet and knitting lovers together BY SITLALI PADRON LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU
The Yarn Arts Club invites lovers of crocheting and knitting with skill levels from beginners to experts to express their creative sides at Grand Valley State University. Co-Presidents Abbie Peltier and Bailey Strang roomed together their sophomore year and shared a passion for the yarn arts. The pair formed the club in March 2022 after they found there were no yarn art-based clubs at GVSU. As a result, they took the initiative to create one themselves and saw many others were interested as well. “We decided to make a place where people could come and learn, or if you already knew, to come and hang out with other people,” Peltier said. During the meetings, a brief presentation is given for any announcements or important information members may want to know about. Members can then share their work and tips on crocheting and knitting. Afterward, members bring out their own yarn, needles or hooks to start a new project or continue with one they have been working on. The club even provides these tools for those who came empty-handed or are new to the art. Often while working, the room is filled with laughter and supportive cheers for each other’s work. “It can be a good way to meet people outside of your major. I think it’s important to meet people from all over
campus that you share a hobby with,” Stang said. The co-presidents said the Yarn Arts Club has seen a big turnout in their recent meetings because of the large number of freshmen on campus this year. They also mentioned Campus Life Night helped to recruit new members, as many students discovered this club through the event. After this, the club grew from ten members to as many as 40 this year. Members Emmy Hurd and Bonnie Bertin were some of the students to discover the Yarn Arts Club through Campus Life Night. In their recent meeting, they worked on projects like cat plushies and crochet balloon dog plushies, as they said it felt easier to knit than the standard starter project: granny squares. Both members expressed that they like the social aspect of the club and that members help others out by sharing tips and patterns they are working on. “There’s a lot more people who are into doing stuff with yarn than I expected there to be,” Hurd said. “I’m really excited to be able to know people who have that same interest.” Additionally, Hurd and Bertin had some to no knowledge of crocheting before joining and were excited to see a club dedicated to teaching and executing crochet projects on the GVSU campus. For beginners in crocheting and knitting, one technique usually taught first is how to make a chain. A chain first starts with a slip knot to attach the yarn to the hook or needle. Once
this is done, a chain can be started and is used frequently when beginning a yarn art project. Historically, crocheting and knitting was learned by sharing patterns and copying them. The Yarn Arts Club allows people to form both crochet skills and to share community with one another. “I hope they (the members) take away new friendships and new skills for crocheting, and I hope it’s a time for them to relax,” Strang said. Like many hobbies, the club said the yarn arts are a fun way for people to either relax and wind down or to keep themselves busy. “It’s nice to teach people how to crochet and to also have a place for people to come and gather around a hobby,” Peltier said. This year the club is looking forward to expanding its events with things like “Stitch and Study,” where members can study while others crochet and chat with friends during exam week. The club also plans on having meetings outside when weather permits. They also plan on holding an event where people make their own granny squares which will then be stitched together into a collaborative blanket and donated. The club plans to hold this event sometime in November.
ARTISTS: Students work with the yarn and other fibers as their preferable medium. Many students work on creating garments and other wear crafts out of the material. GVL | SYDNEY LIM
A15 | SPORTS
OCTOBER 16, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLSPORTS
SOCCER
GV soccer battles tough conditions in 1-1 tie with MTU BY BRADY KEMMERLINE LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU
Coming off of five straight away games, the Grand Valley State University’s women’s soccer team (7-1-4) returned home to Allendale, Mich. for a match against Michigan Technological University (4-2-6) on Friday, Oct. 13. Nearly two weeks removed from their last meeting, when GVSU won in a 2-0 shutout at MTU, the Lakers’ tied the Huskies with a final score of 1-1. Following their previous 2-1 win over Davenport University (4-4-3), the Lakers’ spirits were high heading into this matchup, sporting pink socks for Breast Cancer Awareness month and the team’s “Kick Out Cancer” game. Both teams not only had to compete with their opposition, but they also had to battle harsh playing conditions. Gloomy skies along with heavy rains and winds lay consistent throughout the 90 minutes of play. “In conditions like this, we can’t control it. We need to make sure we are locked in and constantly trying to play our game,” freshman midfielder Ella Kleiver said. Regardless of what nature brought, each team continued battling until the final second.
GVSU kicked off to start, and they kept pressure on MTU with nine shots on the goal in the first half. Although many shots were taken, none managed to get past the Huskies’ senior goalie Gracie VanLangevelde, as the game was still scoreless at half. The first goal of the game came at 64 minutes from the Lakers’, when Kleiver was able to get one in on the MTU ‘keeper. With assists from sophomore midfielder Sophia Morgan and junior defender Stephanie Sturgeon, this was Kleiver’s second goal as a Laker in her inaugural season with the team. “I was able to read the pass from behind, and the defender was not aware I was behind her,” Kleiver said. “I was able to get the ball and put it in the back of the net.” GVSU was able to maintain the lead heading into the final 10 minutes of play until Huskies’ freshman forward Reilly Lovercheck scored her first career goal in the 80th minute with an assist from junior forward Julia Pietila. Not only was this her first career goal, but she scored it within her first minute of being in the game. Despite GVSU not getting a results they had hoped for during the game on Oct. 13, the Lakers still remain the only team in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) without an in-
conference loss. Among the Lakers final six games in the regular season, four will be at home. “Playing at home is more familiar. We understand the surface and get to play in front of our fans. Tonight was tough because of the weather, but we still had fans out there. It’s nice getting to sleep in our own beds and get our own locker room. The energy the whole week has been amazing, and we played well because of it,” Lakers’ head coach Katie Hultin said. Although Hultin felt like the team played well, they are still looking to use their mistakes as motivation going forward. “Last time we beat them and this time we were upset that we ended up in a tie,” Kleiver said. “We are going to use this as motivation to go into Sunday against Northern (Michigan University). It’s going to be a tough battle.” GVSU will head back on the road for their last weekend of the season to take on Saginaw Valley State University on Oct. 20 at 1 p.m. and Ferris State University on Oct. 22 at 1 p.m.
RAIN: The GVSU women’s soccer team battled the cold and rainy weather at night in a 1-1 tie with the Huskies on Friday, Oct. 13, allowing a late game-tying goal. GVL | ALENA VISNOVSKY
A16 | SPORTS
OCTOBER 16, 2023 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN @GVLSPORTS
VOLLEYBALL
GV volleyball goes 2-1 in ‘measuring stick’ Midwest Region Crossover BY DREW BURLINGAME LANTHORNEDITORIAL@GVSU.EDU
The Grand Valley State University women’s volleyball team finished 2-1 in the Midwest Region Crossover with wins over the Northwood University Timberwolves and No. 25 ranked Rockhurst University Hawks, sandwiching a narrow loss to the No. 12 Lewis University Flyers in between the victories. Lakers’ head coach Jason Johnson was impressed with how his team played this weekend and was optimistic about their play going forward. “Besides the first couple of sets against Lewis, I thought we played really well. Coming into the weekend we were using these games as a measuring stick against the difficult competition that we faced,” Johnson said. The Lakers opened the tournament on Oct. 13 against the NU Timberwolves, starting fast in the first set by coming out to an early 5-0 lead. GVSU rode that momentum before battling a late Timberwolves’ run, still winning the set 25-22. NU took an early 8-7 lead in the second set but an eight-point run by the Lakers stole the momentum back, riding it to set win 25-16. The third set opened similarly to the first with the Lakers dominating 25-11, sweeping the match 3-0. GVSU’s Meghan O’Sullivan led a balanced offensive attack with nine kills, while Sarah Wight had
eight kills and seven total blocks. Jordyn Gates had six kills, 16 assists and nine digs, with her sister Madison Gates tallying 10 digs in the win. “All around I think our game has been really crisp and clean, which has made it easier for me and the team to excel because of the hard work that we have put in,” Jordyn Gates said. To finish out the day, GVSU matched up against one of their toughest opponents of the season, the No. 12 Lewis University Flyers. In the first set, the Flyers came out strong dominating the Lakers and winning it by a score of 25-13. The second was a bit closer, but the Flyers took that one 25-20. GVSU needed to regather themselves after opening the third set trailing 9-4. A 9-1 Lakers’ run gave them some life and the lead. Lewis ended up tying the score at 17-17, but GVSU went on to win the set 25-19 off the back of an 8-2 stretch. The fourth set was a tug-of-war battle from the start, with neither team gaining any momentum. GVSU put together a late 6-2 run to win the set 2523, extending the match to a fifth set. Lewis opened the fifth set with a 6-2 lead as the Lakers responded with a 6-0 run to take the lead 8-6. Rallying back and forth, the set tied at 13 all. In the process, the Lakers fought off 5 match points and missed their own before ultimately falling to the Flyers 22-20 in their 3-2 loss. “Seeing teams like Lewis is the only way you are go-
ing to learn what it’s like to win at a high level to make a run in the NCAA tournament. That match was part of it. We still have some growing up to do. We will see going forward into next week,” Johnson said. “(We) would have liked to have won the match, but even in a loss, there was a lot learned from our team and how they have to compete at a higher level.” To close out the event, the Laker’s match against No. 25 Rockhurst University opened highly competitive at 6-6. This battle continued the entire set, with GVSU coming out on top 25-22. The Lakers rode the momentum of winning the first set into their second with an early 4-0 start before a late surge by the Hawks brought the match close. O’Sullivan slammed the door shut on a kill, winning the set for the Lakers 25-21. GVSU closed out the game with a 25-19 third-set win and another match sweep. Coming out of this tournament the Lakers are looking to build on the loss and their big wins in the Midwest Region Crossover. “Definitely, a high morale headed into next weekend, we know where we sit with some of the best teams in the country,” Jordyn Gates said. GVSU will take on Lake Superior State University on Friday, Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. in Allendale, Mich. at the Fieldhouse Arena, followed by playing archrival Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich. on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 3 p.m.
CHALLENGE: The GVSU volleyball team went 2-1 against the competition in the Midwest Region Crossover, playing two top 25 ranked teams in the event. COURTESY | GVSU ATHLETICS