issue 7
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Issue 7 - Sept. 17, 2009 - Grand Valley LanthornTRANSCRIPT
Rushmore Live, A5LANTHORN
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INDEX
News......................................................A3
Opinion....................................................A4
Laker Life.............................................................A5
Advertisement.....................................................A6A B Sports...........................................................B1
A&E.........................................................B4
Marketplace................................................B5
Grand Valley Lanthorn Grand Valley State University www.lanthorn.com Thursday, September 17, 2009
Grand Valley State University is in the upper half of Michigan’s public universities for minority enrollment, according to the 2008 Accountability Report from the Offi ce of Institutional Analysis.
Although overall minority enrollment has increased from fi ve years ago, lately the number of minority students at GVSU has declined.
In fall 2009, of the 3,904 freshmen students whose race was reported, 387 are minorities. Black and Hispanic enrollment decreased for the second year in a row, with 80 Black and 20 Hispanic freshmen enrolling. In 2007, 231 African American and 133 Hispanic freshmen enrolled.
However, 180 freshmen enrolled this year are of American Indian descent, a number more than six times that of the 2007 freshman class. Asian and Pacifi c Islander enrollment also went up this year and according to the IA report, has increased by almost 90 percent in the past fi ve years.
Minority enrollment fl uctuates annually
Forty years ago, 2,781 students enrolled at Grand Valley State University for the 1969-70 school year. Now GVSU boasts a student body almost 10 times larger, with students enrolling in record numbers for the fall 2009 semester.
The total number of GVSU students currently stands at 24,408, a 2.2 percent increase from last fall. 2009 also marks the 27th year
in a row GVSU enrollment has increased since the previous year. In the past decade alone, university enrollment has increased by 49.7 percent, the largest increase of any public university in Michigan.
“I am especially pleased with the increase in transfer students from community colleges as well as the growth in graduate students,” said GVSU vice provost Lynn McNamara Blue in a press release. “Across the board, students and their families recognize Grand Valley for
its personal attention, outstanding faculty and commitment to teaching excellence. That’s why our freshman to sophomore retention rate is third-best among Michigan’s 15 public universities.”
The 2009 freshmen class has an average GPA of 3.53 and an average ACT score of 24, likely ranking GVSU freshmen in the top quartile of Michigan public universities.
By Chelsea LaneGVL Assistant News Editor
GVSU BY THE NUMBERS
A student is considered “nontraditional” if he or she meets one or more of several criteria including fi nancial independence, part-time enrollment status and having served as a veteran, among others.
Marty Litherland, regional director for Continuing Education, said the easiest criterion to measure for nontraditional student status is age.
Students 24 years old or older currently comprise 13 percent of all undergraduate students attending all fi ve of GVSU’s campuses. Individual campus numbers range from 11 percent nontraditional students at the Allendale Campus to 53 percent at GVSU’s Muskegon location.
Litherland said a group of faculty and staff have been meeting since last December for the purpose of addressing the concerns and
enhancing the experiences of nontraditional students at GVSU.
The group has created a new section of the university Web site at http://www.gvsu.edu/nontraditional, which provides students with
information and assistance specifi cally related to issues nontraditional students face.
“They sometimes feel they are out of the loop,” Litherland said. “They come in and out of the university community and often don’t feel a part of that.”
Litherland said the Offi ce of Continuing Education looked to address this
concern by hosting brown bag lunch events specifi cally for nontraditional students.
He went on to note the offi ce has plans to hold activities during National Nontraditional Student Week, which is the fi rst week of November.
By Paul LeBlancGVL Staff Writer
Nontraditional roles on campus
The total number of international students at Grand Valley State University also hit a record high this year, with more than 300 enrolled. Students from more than 70 countries have studied at GVSU during the course of the university’s history.
“We’re larger than ever and growing,” said Padnos International Center Coordinator of Outreach and International Students Liz Smith, of the international student population. “It’s really an exciting time for international students and international opportunities.”
Smith said the number of GVSU students studying abroad has also remained steady despite the recent economic downturn, partly because of the many affordable opportunities for traditional study abroad destinations such as England and Australia.
She said she believes GVSU’s unique open study abroad format, which allows students to study at any accredited educational institution in the world regardless of whether it is a GVSU partner university, is a contributing factor as well.
International diversity at GV
News......................................................A3
Grand Valley State University — 49.7 Ferris State University — 38.2 Saginaw Valley State University — 28.4 Oakland University — 25.8 Northern Michigan University — 19.3 Michigan State University — 11.6 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor — 9.8 Central Michigan University — 8.7 Wayne State University — 8.2 Michigan Tech University — 6.6 University of Michigan-Flint — 5.0 University of Michigan-Dearborn — 3.3 Eastern Michigan University — -2.5 Western Michigan University — -6.6 Lake Superior State University — -15.6
According to the GVSU 2008 Accountability Report
Percent change in total enrollment over 10 years
University sets 27-year record for overall enrollment; sees increase in international students, decrease in minorities
“(Nontraditional students)
sometimes feel they are out of the
loop.”MARTY LITHERLANDREGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION
GVL Graphic / Lauren Fitch
Slugger: Insert caption here.GVL Graphic / Lauren Fitch
Slugger: Insert caption here.
GVL / Katie Mitchell
Breaking down the enrollment puzzle
A2 Thursday, September 17, 2009 NEWS Grand Valley Lanthorn
Volume 44, Number 7
Grand Valley Lanthorn
The Grand Valley Lanthorn is published twice-weekly by Grand Valley State University students 62 times a year. One copy of this newspaper is available free of charge to any member of the Grand Valley Community. For additional copies, please contact our business offices.POSTMASTER: Please send form 3579 to Grand Valley Lanthorn, 0051 Kirkhof, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI, 49401
The Grand Valley Lanthorn is published under the
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you the most accurate news possible. If we make a mistake, we want to
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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A school of glimmering, silvery-white fish wriggle high above a downtown river. A few blocks away on a Michigan sidewalk, four stark red piranhas have taken large bites out of a running man’s briefcase and rear end. A purple, 10-foot-tall jelly bean stands outside a nearby castle.
As the first ArtPrize art competition is set to begin next week in Grand Rapids, works of every imaginable size, shape, color and medium are popping up at 159 venues throughout the downtown area. More than 1,200 artists from two dozen countries are competing for a
total of $449,000, including $250,000 for first place — one of the world’s largest awards for an art competition.
“I think this is amazing to have this much artwork all throughout downtown,” said Sarah Joseph, director of exhibitions at Kendall College of Art and Design. “It’s great that it’s everywhere.”
If it’s not everywhere just yet, it soon will be.
Colorful oils, acrylics and sketches are at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital. Rocky’s Bar and Grill will have a hodgepodge of paintings, including one of a clown, and photographs of various Michigan locales. The Thomas M. Cooley Law School will offer have a steel-and-polyurethane sculpture of a human figure.
As Judy Johnson walked past the four red piranhas Monday, she said she believes the 18-day event that kicks off Sept. 23 will give a boost to the state’s second-largest city.
”She plans to bring in friends
and family members to “see as many (works) as we can.”
People who register for the event will determine the top 10 artworks, including the winner, by voting at ArtPrize’s Web site, or through text messaging or an iPhone application. Prizes will be awarded Oct. 8, two days before the competition ends to give people time to see the winning pieces.
“The point of ArtPrize is the conversation,” said Rick DeVos, 27, who created the competition. “That’s why it’s a public vote ... to give a reason for people to talk to each other about what they like, what they don’t like, why you should like this, why you shouldn’t like that.”
The response from artists and venue officials has been remarkable, he said.
“When we announced this in April, we figured, kind of internally, that if we had 300
artists that matched with venues, that would be success for the first year,” DeVos said. “We’re at 1,262 — so about four times that — and it kind of blows us away, but it’s really cool and I think speaks to the hospitality of the community.”
The Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation is fronting the prize money. ArtPrize will return next year for sure and Rick DeVos hopes it will become an annual competition, but that all depends on how self-sufficient the event can become.
Celeste Adams, director of the Grand Rapids Art Museum said the competition “is really about young people embracing the arts.”
Several hundred artists asked to display their works at the museum, but just two were chosen because they suited the museum’s available space.
One is a short black-and-white film that will be shown in a continuous loop on an outside wall of the building and the other consists of several sharp, digitally created images of largely urban scenes.
What’s likely to be one of the most visible ArtPrize entries is Grand Rapids photographer and artist David Lubbers’ kinetic, metal sculpture that’s on a tiny island in the middle of the Grand River.
“The Grand Dance” looks like a large mobile with its 16 white figures that resemble fish that turn with the wind. It stands about 35 feet tall, 30 feet wide and 30 feet long. At night, two spotlights will shine on the piece so that it appears to be hovering over the water.It seemed like a perfect place for a sculpture,” he said.
By James PrichardAssociated Press Writer
$250K top prize up for grabs in local art event
AP Photo / Adam Bird
Art pays: In this photo taken Sept. 13, Matthew Shlian looks at his piece, “misfold,” while installing it at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts in Grand Rapids, Mich. The 21 artists on display at the UICA join about 1,300 artists exhibiting work in Grand Rapids to participate in the first annual ArtPrize art competition, the winning work receiving $250,000.
GVL DIGEST News in Brief
Lauren Fitch, News [email protected] NEWS
Annual United Way Campaign to begin
The 2009 Grand Valley State University United Way Campaign is scheduled to run from Sept. 30 to Oct. 14.
United Way is an international charity focused on education, income and health care.
GVSU’s 2008 United Way Campaign raised more than $141,000, a $10,000 increase over 2007 fi gures despite the economic downturn. In addition, 66 percent of university faculty and staff returned their forms, an 8 percent increase from the previous year.
Patrick Moran, the president of Greater Ottawa County United Way, said a United Way Program serves 1-in-4 people in Ottawa County.
“It doesn’t take a small number of people doing everything, it takes everybody doing their part,” he said.
Business fraternity hosts entrepreneurship lecture
Co-ed business fraternity Phi Chi Theta will hold a lecture on entrepreneurship from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 22. The owner of apparel and consumer products company “The Syndicate” will speak at the lecture.
Annual Volunteer & Internship Fair today
The 2009 Volunteer & Internship Fair will take place today at the Henry Hall Atrium from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The fair will provide opportunities to fulfi ll service hours, volunteer in the community and intern at various nonprofi t organizations. The event is open to all university students, faculty and staff and no registration is required.
Eco-group launches letter writing campaign
Clean Water Action is encouraging Grand Rapids residents to write handwritten letters to Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) this week urging them to support clean energy legislation.
CWA requests that letters include the following basic points: ensuring that 25 percent of energy comes from renewable resources by 2025, reducing carbon pollution by at least 20 percent by 2020, maintaining EPA authority and increasing investments for communities to create more clean-energy jobs.
The letters will be driven to Lansing on Friday morning. Anyone who would like to arrange for their letter to be picked up is advised to contact Kelly Malinowski at [email protected] or at (248) 721-1798.
Muslim student group hosts last Iftar
During the month of Ramadan, the Muslim Students Association has hosted Iftars, where Muslim and non-Muslim students are invited to come and observe the breaking of the Ramadan fast.
The last Iftar will take place today in Room 1104 of the Kirkhof Center from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
This year, Ramadan ends on Saturday.
Grand Valley LanthornThursday, September 17, 2009 A3
The police cars and ambulance surrounding an off-campus apartment late one March night; the group of students loudly protesting in the center of campus the next day; the numerous local news crews hanging around, waiting to release the latest details as events unfolded.
Few have forgotten the events of March 11 and their aftermath when Ottawa County Sheriff Deputy Ryan Huizenga mistakenly shot Grand Valley State University student Derek Copp during a West Michigan Enforcement Team drug raid in Campus View Apartments.
The parties involved still feel the effects of the incident and looking back, have a better perspective on how to move forward from the ordeal.
Copp, 20, began his senior
year at GVSU this fall. On June 25, he pled guilty to charges of delivery/manufacture of marijuana and was later sentenced to 18 months probation, 40 hours community service and a $300 fi ne.
Copp was sentenced under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, reserved for fi rst-time offenders under the age of 21, which means his record will be cleared after he successfully completes his probation.
He said the probation has been going well, and he has been fulfi lling his community service hours at a zoo, which he expects to complete within a month.
After a summer to recover from the gunshot wound to his chest, which
fractured two ribs and damaged his lung and liver, Copp said the return to campus has been “really inviting.”
“Some memories are hard to deal with,” Copp said. “I haven’t
v e n t u r e d back to C a m p u s View.”
S t i l l dealing with m a k e - u p work from incomplete classes last semester, Copp said he is trying to get back into the swing of school, though psychological effects from the shooting provide an additional challenge.
Copp said because he is living in downtown Grand Rapids this semester, there are more police around compared to Allendale.
“Every time I hear a siren, I get tense,” Copp said. “It’s an unsettling feeling.”
Some of the comments Copp has heard or read about the incident are also affecting him.
“I did sell marijuana, but that doesn’t mean you can just judge my character instantly,” Copp said. “I enjoyed marijuana but that’s behind me now.”
As Copp moves forward, he said he is ready to fade from the spotlight.
“I don’t feel like it mat ters ,” he said. “I don’t like things being about me. I don’t like seeing p e o p l e upset or enraged by this.”
Copp’s peaceful attitude extends to his feelings toward Huizenga as well.
“It was an accident,” Copp said. “I’m not the kind of person who wants to see anyone go to jail or lose their livelihood.”
Huizenga pled guilty July 1 to a reduced misdemeanor charge of reckless discharge of a fi rearm. He was reinstated to full duty in the OCSD on Aug. 1 as a patrol deputy.
Sheriff Gary Rosema said Huizenga underwent retraining, psychological screening, a review of policies and fi rearm training before returning to duty.
Rosema said the experience has been a lesson for the department as a whole, and they plan to develop training modules
in reaction to the incident.“We’ve historically had an
excellent working relationship with the community and Ottawa County,” Rosema said. “I have tremendous respect for GVSU and supporters for Deputy Huizenga. We were able to look at concerns from both sides of the aisle.”
Looking back on the investigation following the shooting, Rosema said it went well.
“We’re interested in Derek’s full recovery,” Rosema said. “I truly believe both sides were able to get a good understanding. We didn’t jump to any conclusions.”
Conor Bardallis, Copp’s former roommate and also a GVSU student, faces charges of drug delivery and the manufacture of marijuana. He was originally the target of the search warrant.
Bardallis, 21, waived his right to a probable cause hearing on April 24, with his fi nal pretrial scheduled for November and the jury trial Dec. 10 at the Ottawa County Circuit Court.
By Lauren FitchGVL Managing Editor
Victims revisit shot heard ‘round state
Authorities at Grand Valley State University continue to keep a sharp eye on the H1N1 virus, more commonly known as “swine fl u.”
Guidelines issued by the Ottawa County Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are being closely followed, and students, faculty and staff members are advised to keep themselves informed about the virus.
The H1N1 pandemic hit the U.S. last spring. In May, the Michigan Department of Community Health confi rmed 157 H1N1 cases in the state, including 48 in Kent Country and 15 in Ottawa County.
Dr. Claudia Leiras-Laubach, an associate professor at the Kirkhof College of Nursing, said it is important students understand how H1N1 operates.
“The H1N1 virus is spread from person-to-person contact, mainly through coughing, sneezing or kissing,” she said. “Sometimes people may become infected by touching a surface or object that has the fl u virus and then touching their mouth or nose. Students are at high risk for H1N1 infection because large numbers of people are in
close contact in classrooms and at campus events.”
Leiras-Laubach went on to say an infected person can spread the virus to others from 24 to 48 hours before and fi ve to seven days after he or she starts to show signs and symptoms of infection.
Therefore, it is critical each student consider others as a possible source of infection at all times.
Persons who get an H1N1 infection will experience fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people may also experience diarrhea and vomiting.
Dr. Steven Hecht, an associate professor of biomedical sciences at GVSU, said unless a person infected with H1N1 has an underlying health issue, such as asthma or pregnancy, that person is unlikely to die from the diease or even be sicker than if he or she caught a common strain of fl u.
To avoid H1N1, Hecht suggests students wash their hands regularly, get plenty of sleep, eat plenty of fruit and cover their mouths with their elbow or a Kleenex while coughing.
Leiras-Laubach added students who become infected
should isolate themselves and alert their professors of any symptoms by phone or e-mail. She also said she is not aware of any H1N1 cases at GVSU.
Hecht said a vaccine for the virus should be available for distribution by mid-October, and early reports said it is highly effective.
Leiras-Laubach said she believes the media is not blowing the H1N1 issue out of proportion and added seasonal variation in fl u occurrence and the fact H1N1 is a new type of infl uenza point to the likelihood an outbreak could occur at GVSU.
Rebecca Hambleton, director of Study Abroad and International Partnerships at the Padnos International Center, said no current study abroad programs have been cancelled, but suggests students planning to go abroad visit the Web sites for the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Students studying in cities that have been hit by the H1N1 pandemic should go to the local authorities and fi nd out what measures they should take to prevent infection,” she added.
Leiras-Laubach said she believes education can serve as students’ greatest weapon against H1N1 as well as regular fl u.
She and colleague Marilyn Vander Werf recently teamed up with the Provost’s Offi ce to develop and distribute the bookmark “If you stay healthy, your campus will stay healthy.”
Educational sessions on fl u prevention will also be held for
students throughout September. “As we know, knowledge is
power and we want to provide the GVSU community with adequate information on how to best protect ourselves,” Leiras-Laubach said.
By Mark CouturierGVL Staff Writer
Offi cials stay wary of H1N1 virus
There are hundreds of teaching methods put in to use every day around the world, dozens practiced at Grand Valley State University alone. However, Dr. John Kilbourne, a movement science professor, knows there is only one way to keep students engaged – teach naked.
Kilbourne is on a mission to promote nakedness in the classroom, but not in the literal sense.
He advocates a new movement promoting the use of the good old chalk and blackboard rather than the technology-dependent methods many professors have adopted as the norm. He calls this movement “teaching naked.”
“Before I read this article in the ‘Chronicle (of Higher Education),’ I had never thought about it as ‘teaching naked,’” Kilbourne said. “But after I read that I thought, ‘This is such a good title for this paper I wrote two or three years ago called ‘What’s the point with PowerPoint.’”
Kilbourne said he has noticed along with the increase of technology and use of PowerPoints in the classroom, overall engagement has declined at a dangerous rate.
“I’ve noticed in my many years
of teaching that there are too many professors that rely on it solely as their method of teaching,” Kilbourne said. “I’ve walked by classrooms and I see the light dimmed and I don’t see a lot of personal engagement with the students. I was a pre-kindergarten teacher in the inner city of L.A. when I was going through college and graduate school, and you learn a lot about good teaching
and learning when you’re working with 4- and 5-year-olds. They wouldn’t last very long with a PowerPoint.”
When it comes to students, Kilbourne said he thinks engagement is key and by kicking the PowerPoint dependency, it may be easier for a professor to work his or her way
toward a more effective teaching style. Kilbourne also noted students are not
nearly as engaged as they used to be as a result of the technology takeover many universities have started to see, especially in the younger professors, and he has some theories to the reason behind it.
“When one does a Ph.D. or a doctorate, hardly ever do you take courses in how to be a good teacher,” Kilbourne said. “I think probably some of the younger professors are sort of modeling how they might have been taught in school. And even some of the newer textbooks they’re publishing, they come with ready-made
PowerPoint slides that the professors use, and I just have mixed feelings about that.”
Kilbourne is not the only one. Sophomore Claire Belevender agreed
on most occasions, the “naked” method of teaching is in fact the most effective.
“I prefer when people write on the board because then as their thought process is going, they’re writing notes,” Belevender said. “If it’s just on a slide then they’ve thought about it already, but if they want to add something, they can’t just type it into the slide. But they can write it into the notes.”
Belevender also agreed perhaps teachers have just adapted to the use of PowerPoints because it is the easiest option.
“It might be easier to print off slides, but I don’t learn as much.” Belevender said.
Gayle Davis, vice president of Academic Affairs, can see both sides.
On one hand, she said she believes technology can “enable items that would be impossible to present in any other form in the classroom,” but when technology is in terms of a PowerPoint used as a written version of a lecture, she sees technology as diminishing interactions in the class.
“Technology is a means through which to enhance the learning experience,” Davis said. “Any other use of technology is counterproductive in the classroom.”
Even as a naked activist, Kilbourne does not rule out all technology.
“I think it can be a really good tool and I do use it to show pictures and slides and things,” Kilbourne said. “But what I’m really referring to is the endless barrage of PowerPoint slides that students are exposed to.”
To accompany this technological movement, Kilbourne has recently sported a T-shirt reading “Teach Naked” as a sort of slogan for what he is trying to promote within the university – a thoughtful discussion verses memorization.
As for the future sale of “Teach Naked” merchandise, Kilbourne responded with a smile, “Maybe, we’ll see.”
By Anya ZentmeyerGVL Staff Writer
Professor urges peers to join him in teaching naked
See more: Visit Lanthorn.com for a web exclusive on post-grad jobs.
Those involved in Derek Copp shooting accept sentences, share lessons learned from fateful event
CoppHuizenga
“Some memories are hard to deal with. I haven’t
ventured back to Campus View.”
DEREK COPPGVSU SENIOR
GVL Archive / Kelly Begerow
Virus prevetion: R.N. Patty Feenstra gives a fl u shot to a student patient.
GVL Photo Illustration / Brian B. Sevald
Teach naked: A movement for college professors and primary school teacher to ditch technology is sweeping the nation’s schools.
“Technology is a means through
which to enhance the learning experience.”GAYLE DAVIS
GVSU VICE PRESIDENT ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
OPINION [email protected] Grand Valley LanthornThursday, September 17, 2009
Valley VoteShould pets be allowed in on-campus
living centers?
Yes: 48.89% No: 51.11%
Should GVSU professors forego the use of technology in the classroom?
This week’s question: Vote online at Lanthorn.com
Editorial Page Board
Editor in Chief Business ManagerManaging EditorAssistant News Editor
Jenny WhalenEric Lee
Lauren FitchChelsea Lane
The student-run newspaper of Grand Valley State University
Used judiciously, technology can greatly enhance the learning process, but if abused or misused, it can just as easily detract from education.
“Teach Naked: Fewer Machines – More Spirit” is a campaign that encourages teachers to pack up their digital projectors and educate the old-fashioned way.
Various Grand Valley State University faculty are already experimenting with this idea in their classes.
While this approach has merit, faculty need to step back and consider how the present generation of students will be affected.
For the “Millennials” – those born roughly between 1980 and 1995 – technology has been an ever-present supplement to education.
A generation that associates the term “blackboard” with a software program, rather than a large, fl at piece of slate on a classroom wall will view a complete departure from technology by professors the equivalent of a step into the Dark Ages.
However, even Millennials can have trouble actively engaging in a classroom controlled completely by technology.
The ability to successfully integrate technology into a daily lesson plan is an art, one unfortunately not seen often enough at GVSU.
State-of-the-art computers and projectors are impressive on paper, but when it takes three or four calls and at least one visit by Computing and Technology Support to even turn on the equipment, there is a problem.
Still, the desertion of PowerPoint presentations and technology in general is not the answer.
Professors do not have to choose one extreme over the other to capture students’ interest. Regardless of how the information is presented, a student’s interest is piqued by the professor’s passion for and knowledge of the subject at hand.
Technology may not always be a necessity for education, but it is a resource that appeals to the Millennial generation and should be recognized as such by faculty.
The “Teach Naked” movement is gaining momentum, but students and faculty should explore the middle ground before adopting an all-or-nothing mentality in the classroom.
“I don’t think so because it’s kind of becoming a dead issue. Not too many are being infected in the U.S., and the ones that are, are being cured.”
Jared BenderSeniorMarketingSpringport, Mich.
Partially naked
GVL STUDENT OPINION
YOUR INSIGHTS
EDITORIAL CARTOONEDITORIAL
GVL / Jenny Whalen
Should the GVSU community be concerned about the H1N1 (“swine fl u”) virus?
GVL OPINION POLICYThe ultimate goal of the Grand Valley
Lanthorn opinion page is to stimulate discussion and action on topics of interest to the Grand Valley Community.
Student opinions do not refl ect those of the Grand Valley Lanthorn.
The Grand Valley Lanthorn welcomes reader viewpoints and offers three vehicles of expression for reader opinions: letters to the editor, guest columns and phone responses.
Letters must include the author’s name and be accompanied by current picture identifi cation if dropped off in person. Letters will be checked by an employee of the Grand Valley Lanthorn.
Letters appear as space permits each
issue. The limit for letter length is one page, single spaced.
The editor reserves the right to edit and condense letters and columns for length restrictions and clarity.
All letters must be typed.The Grand Valley Lanthorn will not be
held responsible for errors that appear in print as a result of transcribing handwritten letters or e-mail typographic errors.
The name of the author may be withheld for compelling reasons.
The content, information and views expressed are not approved by nor necessarily represent those of the university, its Board of Trustees, offi cers, faculty and staff.
“I think as long as we’re careful, it shouldn’t be a big concern. Just (remember) infection control, something as simple as washing your hands.”
Megan OwensSophomoreNursingAllen, Mich.
“For the most part, if everyone does their part and washes their hands and covers their mouth, I don’t think there should be any problem with it. Personally I’m not concerned about it at all.”
Carola CarassaSeniorCommunicationsAda, Mich.
“I would think so… I read an article the other day about a university in California; they think they’re going to have 2,000 outbreaks. It’s a defi nite possibility.”
Nicholas OlleSophomoreBiomedical SciencesGrand Haven, Mich.
“I think they should. Last year it was a huge concern and since people are in such close quarters on a college campus, the spread of it would be more likely.”
Holly Van DykeFreshmanMathStandale, Mich.
GVL Columnist
Paul LeBlanc
GVL Columnist
Nicole E. Avery
Last week, my parents received a letter in the mail notifying them I would be dropped from our family health insurance plan when I turned 21 unless I provided our insurance company with proof I am a full-time student.
The letter made me think deeper about the current debate on health reform.
Six years ago this month, I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a medical condition leading to ulcers in the digestive tract and constant fl u-like symptoms. My doctor revised this diagnosis to Crohn’s disease.
I am fortunate enough
to be covered under the insurance plan from my father’s employer.
Nevertheless, there will be a day when I will be dropped from my parents’ insurance plan.
Hopefully, I will have a job lined up that offers decent benefi ts as soon as this happens. Buying insurance outside of an employer is unlikely considering my “pre-existing condition” causing many insurers to refuse to cover me.
Those insurers who do offer me coverage will charge me exorbitantly high rates for my burden on their profi t margins.
Meanwhile, paying for my medications out-of-pocket is also not an option: just one of my medications costs $15,000 a year.
I know people my age who have similar
conditions but no health insurance. They try to make due with the daily Immodium as they battle nausea, constant diarrhea and shooting stomach pains.
Which is why we need to reform our health care system. Right now.
Under the proposals currently circulating in Congress, every American would be able to purchase health insurance through a federal “exchange.”
The plans offered in this exchange would have to offer a policy to every applicant regardless of health status and charge every client a uniform group rate.
Coverage offered in the exchange would remain intact regardless of employment status. The government would offer subsidies to families based upon household income
to assist in paying health expenses.
The aforementioned reforms are necessary steps in ensuring sick people are no longer denied access to medical care and no one has to face bankruptcy as a result of undergoing treatment.
Whether or not the reforms go far enough in fi xing our broken health care system is debatable.
Still, the price of doing nothing is far worse than not doing enough.
So while many individuals want to make this issue about “government control” and the evil socialist boogeyman, one should keep in mind real people are suffering as a result of inaction on this issue.
We don’t need sound bites; we need reform. And we need it [email protected]
Forget sound bites, we need reform
A little more than a week ago President Barack Obama addressed students at Wakefi eld High School in Arlington, Va. His message was one of encouragement, expressing how important it is for students to take an active, invested role in their own education.
Fearing he was attempting to brainwash tomorrow’s generation into having a more Democratic point of view, some families were uncomfortable with the idea of Obama directly addressing their children.
Jonathan Truly, a nationally acclaimed legal scholar, took a more humorous stance on the fears raised by Obama’s address, stating clearly
there was a subliminal message beneath Obama’s speech attempting to convince America’s youth to “vote Democratic” because “it was the Republicans who killed Bambi’s mother.”
Yet even humor cannot erase the fact that many American parents fear the potential infl uence Obama may have on their children.
There is a sense of helplessness that seems to be expressed by more conservative parents, as if Obama is a Vulcan with a powerful mind-meld capability he can use at will at any time.
Education is one of the most enriching aspects of our society and a privilege Americans sometimes forget to favor.
Anyone who’s read the typed version of the speech or seen the televised version shouldn’t have any fears Obama is
trying to turn children into Democrats.
If anything, Obama wants to turn children into better leaders of tomorrow, into better American citizens.
There is nothing wrong with wanting a country to challenge itself for the betterment of the state as a whole.
Responsibility is often said to be lacking in the younger generations, yet when a president encourages the youth to become more responsible it somehow becomes distorted into Democratic brainwashing?
People against Obama speaking directly to the American young people are letting their own politics dictate what they believe is wrong and right; that shouldn’t happen.
Being the president of our country is the highest honor anyone can be given. Even if you don’t
agree completely with a president’s policies, you should still have enough courtesy to respect him as a fellow American.
Obama’s message wasn’t about health care, gay rights or even foreign affairs; it was about future generations taking an invested interest in their futures now. It was about being responsible and giving yourself every possible opportunity for success in life.
Obama’s speech was inspiring and motivating.
It was his way of letting the youth of America know their voices are heard — they are a part of the change he envisions for our country.
No matter what party you voted for, everyone should be able to stand behind a message of encouragement for the leaders of tomorrow.
Obama brainwashing youth?
Susie Skowronek, Laker Life [email protected] LAKER LIFE Grand Valley Lanthorn
Thursday, September 17, 2009 A5
One does not often see historical figures not only resurrected, but in prime condition for performance. In a Constitution Day celebration, the presidents depicted on Mount Rushmore will gather at the East Grand Rapids High School Auditorium to re-create history.
The Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, the Gerald R. Ford Foundation and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum will host Rushmore Live at 7 p.m. today.
Dean Malissa, Bill Barker, Jim Getty and Jim Foote have 10 to 30 years of experience impersonating George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. They have appeared on broadcast television, the Discovery Channel, the History Channel and the Colbert Report.
“These character interpreters bring real passion to their work and because of that they make history come alive,” said Gleaves Whitney, director of the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies. “There is no excuse for boring history book, history article or history lecture. These four character interpreters understand that.”
The character interpreters will educate the audience on some of America’s most prominent citizens, Whitney added.
“We will come away – through the interaction of these four – knowing things that will help students become better leaders,” Whitney said. “They will understand better the society they are trying to lead and change if they understand history better.”
Congress has mandated each institute of higher learning celebrate Constitution Day. The Hauenstein Center chose to bring history to life with the Mount Rushmore presidents.
“To know how to shape the society in which they work, students have to know something about traditions and freedoms, which each president in his own way illuminates – struggles America has gone through to become a significant nation on the world stage,” Whitney said. “There is a direct connection between learning heritage from historians and leading society
tomorrow.”Students will have an opportunity to
ask the character interpreters questions.“If I knew something
specific, I would want to ask and trick him,” said junior Jenna Lee. “I would ask how they feel about our current political situation.”
Lee said she thinks the performance is especially relevant for Constitution Day. The former presidents helped form the country, and one of the four – Thomas Jefferson – even signed the Constitution.
“I wish we knew more about the presidents,” Less added. “It’s important to know about history to vote on current presidents and policies.”
The Hauenstein Center hosts a
Constitution Day celebration each September to honor the framers of the document and to help educate
students about their responsibilities as citizens.
Last year, the presentation focused on immigration, a key debate in the 2008 presidential election.
Knowledge of presidential history is imperative to understand current politics, said Dr. Paul Cornish, professor of political science.
Policy makers provide arguments based on analogies to past historical events. Political scientists attempt to make comparisons between the Great Depression and the fall of 2008.
“Students seem to have self-doubt about their understanding of politics,” Cornish said. “But students in my classes don’t strike me as uninformed about the past. A lot of them just don’t know about specific events.”
Whitney said he guarantees students will discover aspects of history they have never seen before.
“West Michigan is in for a first-rate event,” Whitney said. “These character interpreters combine a love of history with a knowledge of ‘their’ president. This is probably the first that … these presidents will have had the opportunity to debate the toughest issues our nation has faced. And you can count on them doing it with humor, grace and expertise.”
To RSVP for the event, visit http://www.gvsu.edu/hauenstein. Registered participants will have an opportunity to attend a small reception beforehand.
By Susie SkowronekGVL Laker Life Editor
Long-dead presidents spend day in GR
When the students in the Winter 2008 Ecological Literacy and Sustainability course formulated the idea for a community garden, they did not imagine such an enthusiastic response.
Now, the garden has 30 plots for faculty, staff, students and community members to raise gardens. The Community Involvement Group, a unit of grade-schoolers, helped start the garden, planting flowers in a beautification effort.
Bart Bartels, project manager for the Sustainable Community Development Initiative, had a plot with his family. The tomatoes, zucchini, green peppers and chili peppers all grew well, he said. But the bugs ate the squash plants.
Participants of the community garden consumed most of the food they grew, Bartels said.
“We were hoping to be able to sell some produce at the farmers’ market on campus, but we never had a big enough surplus of food to be able to turn around and sell it,” he added. “We’re hoping to be able to extend our growing season, to increase campus involvement and to have more to sell at events.”
With the number of garden plots almost doubled from last year’s number, Bartels said word must have gotten around about the taste and nutrition of locally grown produce.
“The taste freshly picked from a garden is so much better than something bought from a store,” he said.
However, keeping up the garden is no simple task.Because the community garden
relies on organic farming methods, it does not take long for the weeds to overtake other plants.
But Bartels said the challenges promote community interaction among the planters.
“Everybody works together to improve the garden; watering each others’ plots is part of participating in the garden,” he said.
Last semester, a group of six students acted on a plan to establish a community garden under the guidance of interested staff, such as Sue Sloop, work life consultant for the Health and Wellness Center.
The staff formed a committee in conjunction with the university’s sustainability initiatives and health and wellness objectives.
The committee agreed on a location: a plot newly purchased by GVSU.
“We wanted to encourage students to think about community gardens – how to eat whole foods, not processed from bigger stores and how to appreciate the benefits of sustainability,” Sloop said.
Campus Dining participated in the project, originally accepting a 10-by-10 segment of the garden. As this
year’s zucchini crop grew beyond expectations, their plot soon expanded to 20-by-20.
Marketing manager for Campus Dining Deb Rambadt said one zucchini has reached 35 pounds, and harvesters refuse to pick it.
“We want to see how big it can grow,” she said.
Campus Dining and other university services participate in the community garden to support the university’s initiatives, Rambadt added.
The community garden and Campus Dining are currently developing a new compost system in which dining
facilities will provide food waste – otherwise sent to landfills – for the betterment of the garden soil.
Engineering students will contribute their efforts to create a compost demonstration project, illustrating the best compost system for the university.
Now, gardeners aim to raise $10,000 for new tools, a sustainable bamboo fence, seeds and a paid intern.
The Community Garden will sell plots of the garden and seeds to raise money and will accept donations to reach their fundraising goal.
“One of the neat things about the project is that the class ended in May of 2008, and the students are still involved in it,” said professor of philosophy Kelly Parker, who taught the six students who helped initiate the garden. I am really thrilled garden is still up and running, and it has gotten more people involved.”
Visit the community garden on Luce Street, halfway between 42nd and 48th streets.
By Susie SkowronekGVL Laker Life Editor
Community garden grows fresh tastes
Grand Valley State University has sponsored students from more than 70 countries with more than 280 international students enrolled in fall 2008.
The Office of Multicultural Affairs, along with 11 other organizations, will sponsor the Intercultural Student Reception from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. today in the Grand River Room of the Kirkhof Center.
The reception will provide opportunities for interaction among students, staff and faculty in a relaxed environment. The event will also present resources to explore culture at GVSU.
The Office of Multicultural Affairs has coordinated this event for more than 10 years.
“When you have students of color, it is important to bring them together, especially on a campus where they may not see themselves in many students,” said Intercultural Student Reception Coordinator Bobby Springer. “It is important for intercultural students to see all kinds of other intercultural students to remind them that they are not alone on the campus. It’s a great opportunity for them and all students to engage and connect with other students and staff who are just like them.”
The Padnos International Center sponsored the International Faculty and Friends Opening Reception on Sept. 10, an event similar to what will occur tonight.
“I felt it was a great opportunity for faculty/staff to establish relationships with other faculty/staff and enjoy the diversity that Grand Valley offers,” said Rebecca Hambleton, director of Study Abroad and International Partnerships. “I think that the students will be welcomed in and the student reception will go as positively as the staff reception did.”
Hambleton added students come into the Padnos International Center every day to express their love and excitement towards international cultures.
“It is important for international students to connect with other international students because I think it’s helpful to know someone who has successfully navigated through the culture,” said Kate Stoetzner, director of International Student and Scholar Services at the Padnos International Center. “It helps ease the ‘culture shock’ that most international students experience.”
Stoetzner added she thinks it is important that American students learn about international students to expand their culture and knowledge.
“It helps international students to integrate into the American community,” she said.
By Dana KulovitsGVL Staff Writer
Event aims to ease ‘culture shock’ of
internationalstudents at GV
Mount Rushmore presidents bring history to life for local celebration of Constitution Day
Courtesy Image / Google Images
Going global: Students from more than 70 countries come to study at GVSU. The Intercultural Student Reception welcomes them and provides a chance to connect with other students and faculty.
Courtesy Photo / Google Images
Legendary faces: Some of America’s greatest leaders look down from their immortalized position on Mount Rushmore. Character interpreters will bring these presidents to life as they debate current-day politics at the Hauenstein Center’s Constiution Day celebration in Grand Rapids.
Courtesy Photo / GVSU Community Garden
Tilling soil: Students work in the GVSU community garden. The garden is the brainchild of the Winter 2008 Ecological Literacy and Sustainability course at GVSU. The garden now has 30 plots for faculty, staff, students and community members to use.
Garden on Luce Street between 42nd, 48th streets offers 30 plots of land for community use
Harvest potluck and bonfire extravaganza
The community gardeners welcome all to an evening of potluck and bonfires.
The event is 6 p.m. to midnight on Saturday at the garden.
Come to build community and hear success stories. Bring a dish to pass and enjoy a meal
with the community.
“These character interpreters bring
real passion to their work and because of that
they make history come alive.”
GLEAVES WHITNEYHAUENSTEIN CENTER
DIRECTOR
“Everybody works together to improve the
garden.”
BART BARTELSSUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE PROJECT MANAGER
Annual reception provides chance for students to explore diversity
A6 Thursday, September 17, 2009 ADVERTISEMENT Grand Valley Lanthorn
SPORTSMatt Kuzawa, Sports [email protected] BGrand Valley Lanthorn
Thursday, September 17, 2009
LANTHORNnow on
Follow LanthornSports on Twitter for up-to-
the-minute coverage of Laker games, players
and coaches
Lakers quarterback receives GLIAC honors
GVSU senior quarterback Brad Iciek has been named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week after his performance versus Saginaw Valley State University last Saturday. Iciek completed 18-of-27 passes for 336 yards and fi ve touchdowns in the No. 1 Lakers’ 38-7 victory over No. 16 Saginaw Valley State.
Men’s golf places second in tournament
Grand Valley State University’s men’s golf team fi nished in second place at the Al Watrous Memorial Tournament on Sunday in Bay City, Mich. The Lakers recorded a team score of 846 (-18) after playing 36 holes on Saturday and a fi nal round of 18 holes on Sunday. Four GVSU golfers fi nished in the top 10.
Heading into week four of the regular season, the last thing a team wants to do is replace a starter on their defense.
But that is the position the No.1 ranked Laker football team fi nds itself in after senior starting cornerback Robert Carlisle broke his leg in last week’s 38-7 win over Saginaw Valley State University.
With the announcement he will likely miss the rest of the season, the Lakers (3-0, 2-0 GLIAC) will be forced to rely on some inexperienced players at the corner positions against Ferris State University this Saturday – and for the rest of the season.
“There’s going to be a lot of guys (fi ghting) for that corner position and obviously we’re going to sort through it,” said head coach Chuck Martin. “We’ll probably throw somebody out there this week and see how it goes.”
The Lakers were already relatively young at the position, with Carlisle being the only returning starting corner. Sophomore Enrique Shaw picked up his fi rst career interception on Saturday, yet it is only his fi rst year starting at corner.
“Enrique (Shaw) is in that lockdown corner position, and fortunately he made that nice play after Rob (Carlisle) went down,” Martin said. “(But) he’s playing like a fi rst-year starter, and he struggles some out there, too.”
There is plenty of uncertainty at the other starting corner position. Sophomore Dominique Darden is the only other cornerback who had signifi cant playing time last season.
Senior starting safety Jake McGuckin is confi dent whoever is
thrown out there will do his job.“A lot of competition up there
will help,” he said. “That spot’s not sold on anyone yet so once we get someone out there that we’re confi dent with, he obviously won’t be able to replace Rob, but he’ll be talented enough to get the job done and we’ll expect that out of him.”
Replacing a senior such as Carlisle will not be easy, and there is bound to be some drop off due to the lack of game-time experience.
Shaw said to make up for the loss of talent, they will need extra preparation off the fi eld.
“We need to make sure we get into the fi lm room and make sure we don’t make the same mistakes
twice,” he said “We’re all young, so we just need to help each other out.”
At practice, Martin stressed to his players the importance of getting into the fi lm room, especially against a Ferris State team, which is coming off of a 43-7 loss to Findlay.
“You know they’re going to be prepared,” Martin said. “You know they’re not going to let happen what happened last week. They’re a better football team than what
they showed last week.”Martin added he does not want
his players to compare the two teams’ scores last week and think it will be another blowout.
“There have not been a lot of easy Grand Valley- Ferris football games in the last 25 years,” he said.
H o w e v e r , Martin said the rivalry is not what it used to be.
“Grand Valley- Ferris used to be the game on the GLIAC schedule,” he said. “Obviously it’s
not at that level anymore based on recent history. It’s lost a little bit of its luster.”
Even at 3-0 with a No. 1 ranking, Martin does not feel the team is ‘rolling’ as many people suggest.
“We’re an OK football team right now, is what we are,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of things to work at on both sides of the ball. We’re nowhere near being a top Division II football team going into week four, and if our kids understand that, I think we’re going to become one of those.”
Kickoff in Big Rapids, Mich. against the Ferris State Bulldogs (1-2) is set for 7 p.m.
By Matt KuzawaGVL Sports Editor
Lakers to start inexperienced cornerAfter losing starting cornerback to injury last game, new player will take on position against Ferris State
GVL / Lindsey Waggoner
Hold strong: Football players work hard in preparation for the upcoming game against Ferris State University. They ran numerous drills preparing the defense to fi ll the hole left by usual cornerback Robert Carlisle after his season-ending injury in Saturday’s game.
Who: No.1 Grand Valley State (3-0) vs. Ferris State (1-2)When: Saturday, 7 p.m. kickoffWhere: Big Rapids, Mich.Series Record: 24-12-1 GVSUFirst Meeting: 1971Current Streak: Eight games, GVSUCoach Martin vs. Ferris: 5-0
vs
“There’s going to be a lot of guys
(fighting) for that corner position ...”
CHUCK MARTINGVSU HEAD COACH
By Matt KuzawaGVL Sports Editor
Women’s lacrosse goes varsityGVSU will be Michigan’s fi rst Division II university to add women’s lacrosse to its varsity sports
With the announcement Grand Valley State University Athletics will add women’s lacrosse as a varsity sport, comes mixed reactions from the school’s two club lacrosse teams.
For some, such as women’s club lacrosse president Trisha Blake, it is a dream come true.
“Everyone is excited because we’ve been waiting for it for a really long time,” she said. “To be able to possibly play on a varsity team for Grand Valley, which is one of the best athletic programs, is awesome. I’m defi nitely going to be working really hard in the next two years to fi nd myself on that roster.”
As a sophomore, Blake will be a senior when the program starts competing in the 2011-2012 school year. Blake said she realizes whether she makes the team or not will depend on the future coach.
“I think it really depends on what the coach’s outlook on building a roster is,” she said. “I think it’s a good possibility because there are not a lot of players in the area, so I don’t see a lot of transfers for upperclassmen. I’m sure (the coach) is going to want a leadership base from older players.”
GVSU Athletic Director Tim Selgo said they hope to have a coach in place by January.
“As soon as we hire a head coach, we’ll want that coach to begin recruiting a team, putting a team in place for next year,” he said. “We’re going to fi eld a team next year and practice and begin preparations to compete in the spring of 2012.”
Any players on next year’s team will redshirt, so they do not lose a year of eligibility as they prepare for competition in the following year.
“We want the program to be a little more established before we begin competition,” Selgo said.
The decision to add women’s lacrosse to its varsity program instead of other sports was an easy decision, Selgo said.
“ W e l o o k e d at quite a few, but we p r e t t y much narrowed in on lacrosse a while ago
because of its increasing popularity in the Midwest,” he said. “It’s our feeling that you’re going to see more and more colleges add lacrosse as a varsity sport in the years ahead, and we wanted to be a leader in that.”
However, for others, such as junior Jeff Alexander of the men’s club lacrosse team, the announcement is bittersweet.
“I wanted guys to make varsity,” he said. “We’ve been in line longer as far as I understand. But you have to congratulate
them; it’s cool for them.”
When he heard women’s lacrosse
was chosen instead of men’s lacrosse,
Alexander said he was surprised.
“I mean, I get it – the whole (Title) IX thing,” he said. “It’s kind of (like) getting punished.
We pay $1,100 in dues this year for guy’s lacrosse – and they’re getting picked up by the school? It’s cool for them, but it sucks for us.”
While the addition of women’s lacrosse pushes the total of women’s varsity sports to 11, compared to nine men’s, there are still more male athletes competing at GVSU than women, Selgo said.
Selgo noted there are more athletic scholarships available for women than men, however, GVSU’s student population is 61 percent female and 39 percent male.
“This will help us in terms of making progress with regards to increasing opportunities for females and increasing scholarships for women,” Selgo said.
GVSU will be the fi rst Division II school in Michigan to offer a varsity women’s lacrosse program, with the University of Detroit (DI) and Adrian College (DIII) being the only other intercollegiate programs. The Lakers will compete as a Division II independent in women’s lacrosse for the time being.
Courtesy Photo / Facebook
Moving up: The current women’s lacrosse club team prepares for a match. In 2011-12, the team will begin competing as a varsity sport for GVSU. The addition of this team will bring the number of women’s sports at GVSU to 11.
“Everyone is excited because
we’ve been waiting for it for a really long time.”
TRISHA BLAKEWOMEN’S CLUB LACROSSE
PRESIDENT
See more: Visit Lanthorn.com for video coverage of the SVSU Game Review press conference. Also, check out the latest golf tip, varsity sport and intramural blog entries.
B2 Thursday, September 17, 2009 SPORTS Grand Valley Lanthorn
Just one week into the season, Lynsey Ardingo and the rest of the Grand Valley State University women’s cross country team are already dominating the competition.
The team finished first out of six teams at the Hope Vanderbilt Invitational, with Ardingo winning the 5K race, earning the senior GLIAC player of the week honors.
Cross country head coach Jerry Baltes said it is no fluke Ardingo was so
successful in the first meet of the year.
“Lynsey (Ardingo) has done a great job of putting miles in over the summer to put herself in great position to do what she’s done to begin the year,” he said. “She routinely ran 60 to 70 miles a week in the
offseason, which is on the high-end for our ladies.”
Ardingo, who will graduate this spring with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science, is looking to build upon her last two seasons, where she earned All-American honors and cemented her place as one of the top runners in the nation.
She also helped the team finish second in the nation last year and third the year before.
“Being an All-American is such an exciting honor and I’m really proud of the two I’ve already received,” Ardingo said. “But for me this year, it’s about the team. We’re so close to the national championship, and that’s what all of the girls are striving for.”
Assistant coach Joe Lynn said Ardingo’s leadership could bring GVSU its first women’s cross country national championship.
“She’s always been a natural leader of the team, but I’ve definitely seen her turn a corner here this season on taking on more of a vocal leadership role,” he said.
Baltes said her results on the course are leadership in itself.
“Two years ago at the national championships she was our No. 1 runner,” he said. “She’s been at the top of the pack when it’s counted most. That’s l e a d e r s h i p right there.”
However, things have not always gone so smoothly for Ardingo. She was injured the majority of her redshirt year and has battled a variety of injuries since.
“Her best attribute is her strength and ability to overcome adversity,” Lynn said. “Out of high school, she wasn’t the most highly-touted recruit for us, but she
decided to work her butt off. She’s had some ups and downs along the way but has been able to battle through it all and get things done when it counts.”
A r d i n g o has high hopes for
herself and her team this upcoming year.
“I really just want to stay healthy and enjoy my last season at Grand Valley,” she said. “I want to have a good time, have our best season and become more united as a team.”
Next up for Ardingo and the women’s cross country team is the Michigan State Spartan Invitational at 1 p.m. Friday in East Lansing, to which Ardingo said the team has been looking forward.
“It’s going to be really good competition; I think it will be extremely helpful,” she said. “Hopefully we can continue having a bunch of top-10 runners and keep our season rolling.”
By Greg MonahanGVL Staff Writer
After personal accolades senior focuses on team championship
Sports writers go head-to-head in choosing victors of D-I matchups
PIGSKIN PICK’EMMichigan vs. Eastern Michigan
Saturday at noon EDTAnn Arbor
Notre Dame vs Michigan StateSaturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT
Notre Dame, Ind.
Florida vs. TennesseeSaturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT
Gainesville, Fla.
Texas vs. Texas TechSaturday at 7 p.m. CT
Austin, Texas
Michigan 38 Eastern Michi-gan 9 Forgetaboutit. Eastern will be treading water early. Get ready to see second string QB Denard Robinson.
Matt KuzawaGVL Sports
Editor
3-1 last week, 3-1 overall
Jared Greenleaf
GVL Staff Writer
3-1 last week, 3-1 overall
Aaron BrandtGVL Staff Writer
2-2 last week, 2-2 overall
Greg Monahan
GVL Staff Writer
3-1 last week, 3-1 overall
Notre Dame 20 Michigan State 10 Weis is playing for his job while the Spartans are trying to find their jock straps.
Florida 36 Tennessee 17 I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s worse. Tennessee will return to prominence but not this year.
Texas 41 Texas Tech 17 The Longhorns are pissed AND better than last year. Tech’s Coach Mike Leach cannot beat the horns. Not a good combo.
Michigan 34 Eastern Michi-gan 10 Michigan keeps rolling on offense as freshman sensation Tate Forcier throws for three more touchdowns.
Notre Dame 38 Michigan State 20Notre Dame will expose a porous Spartan secondary for their first win in South Bend since 1993.
Florida 66 Tennessee 10 After Vols’ Coach Lane Kiffin’s friendly choice of words about the Gator program in the offseason, truly expect Florida Coach Urban Meyer to take it easy on the first-year coach.
Texas 44 Texas Tech 14 - Colt McCoy and Co. will show no mercy in getting revenge after the infamous last second catch by Michael Crabtree last season.
Michigan 44 Eastern 7 Michigan is rolling, and Eastern can do nothing to stop them. No chance of a letdown.
Michigan State 23 Notre Dame 17Coach Mark Dantonio won’t let his defense play the way they did last week in this matchup of embarrassed teams.
Florida 37 Tennessee 33The Gators have too much skill and experience to lose here. Tim Tebow is on a mission.
Texas 31 Texas Tech 17The Longhorns will get revenge on last year’s dramatic loss to the Red Raiders. Colt McCoy will come up big.
Michigan 44 Eastern 13 Ron English’s trip back to the Big House will be one he’d like to forget.
Notre Dame 35 Michigan State 23 Michigan State will take a quick 23-0 lead and in typical Sparty fashion, completely blow it.
Florida 45 Tennessee 13 The Vols are not the Vols of years past, and Florida will expose them this weekend.
Texas 31 Texas Tech 21 TTU looked impressive in their first two games, while the Horns looked miserable against Wyoming last week. But beat-ing UT in Austin is no easy task.
Courtesy Photo / Facebook
Team leader: Two-time All-American Lynsey Ardingo runs at the 2008 Cross Country National Meet.
All-American cross country runner Lynsey Ardingo looks to lead team to nationals
“She’s always been a natural leader of the team, but I’ve definitely seen her turn a corner here
this season ...”
JOE LYNNGVSU ASSISTANT COACH
B3Thursday, September 17, 2009SPORTSGrand Valley Lanthorn
In the first three weeks of the season, the fourth-ranked women’s soccer team has put up big numbers outscoring their opponents by a convincing margin of 18-3 in five games.
One of the main reasons for their 4-0-1 start has been the emergence of a freshmen class, which came into the fall similar to many previous Laker classes — with a competitive-minded approach.
“They’re a group that loves the game of soccer, and they’ve fit in very well with the competitive culture that we have in our program,” said Grand Valley State University soccer coach Dave DiIanni.
DiIanni said every class has been special in their own right, but this is one of the best classes in terms of offense.
“They’re probably the best group of attackers we’ve ever
had,” he said. “With the class we just lost, they were very balanced in terms of position. We needed this group to come through because of what we lost.”
Of the seven true freshmen on this year’s team, all have gotten significant in-game experience, and five of the seven have put goals up on the scoreboard.
DiIanni added the help of the upperclassmen has eased the transition for the young freshmen group.
“I don’t think they would be as successful if they didn’t have those components around them to help them be successful,” he said.
Among the freshmen making an early impact is offensive forward Ashley Botts, who agreed with her coach the upperclassmen have helped in early season success.
“There’s been a bunch of us (freshmen) getting a lot of time in these games, and it’s
really due to the upperclassmen showing us the ropes,” she said. “It’s really helped us bond together as an overall team.”
Botts, who started the season at midfielder, said she was having trouble early on but got better with the help of the older, experienced players.
“I had never played (midfield before), but girls like Kristen (Eible) and K.J. (Katie Johnson) were really helping me along in trying to play that position better,” Botts said.
Other freshmen contributing to the overall team balance have been forwards Kayla Addison and Maria Brown, who create great opportunities with their speed.
“We have a lot of team speed in general, but those two (Addison and Brown) give us the opportunity to really play quick off turnovers and in transition,” DiIanni said. “They give us an element that we haven’t had in a while in where if they’re not
in the right position for the ball, they’re speed will make up for it.”
For some of the freshmen players, it was difficult trying to adapt early on to the highly-talented Laker team.
“I was very nervous at first trying to adapt, and there
was definitely pressure,” said freshman forward Alyssa Mira, who was awarded GLIAC Player of the Week for her two-goal effort against the University of Tampa earlier this season.
“I know for me and some of the freshmen, we were really relied upon (them) to come in
and make an impact because of the offense they lost last year,” Mira said. “It is pressure on us because we all have a huge spot to fill.”
The Lakers will take on Northern Michigan University at 4 p.m. at home on Friday.
By Jared GreenleafGVL Staff Writer
Freshmen soccer players aid ‘overall team balance’
When the Grand Valley State University women’s volleyball team dropped its match against Wayne State University, a desolate aura lingered in the arena and followed the team into the locker room.
In front of die-hard fans and supportive alumni, the team saw its school record 37 home-court win streak shattered.
But GVSU shook off the stink of Sunday’s loss on Tuesday when it managed to pick up a much-needed 3-2 win in Big Rapids, Mich. against Ferris State University.
The Lakers (6-5, 2-1 GLIAC) faced no easy task heading into the match.
Before the rowdy crowd packed into the small gymnasium, GVSU stared across at a Bulldog team that returned four seniors for this year’s
roster, including outside hitter Katie Edwards, who led the team in kills with 19.
“They just don’t lose at home,” said GVSU head coach Deanne Scanlon. “Ferris is the hardest place to play in all of the GLIAC, especially with them being so upperclassmen oriented. I was watching the match from a coach’s perspective, but I’m sure that from a fan’s view it had to be a very gritty and exciting match.”
The match went to five sets with each set decided by three points or less.
Junior middle blocker Rebeccah Rapin hit the deciding kill in the final set, catapulting the Lakers into optimism.
Rapin led the team in kills with 14, while senior outside hitter Whitney Tremain chipped in 13 kills of her own.
But the unsung hero of this match
was sophomore middle blocker Nicole Whiddon, who led the Lakers in kill percentage at .353.
Whiddon, who only played a total of nine sets as a freshman last year, said she had to overcome her nervous tendencies to become a major contributor to the team.
“Last year I didn’t really play that much at all,” she said. “A lot of times I get really nervous about matches, but tonight I tried to forget about my nerves and play as best as I could. It really feels good to be able to go out there and contribute something to the team.”
While the win gives the Lakers something to feel good about, Scanlon said it is important the team does not dwell too much on patting itself on the back.
“This is just one notch in the long road of where we have to go,” she said. “We can’t just hang our hats on
this and say that we’re great. This is the type of match that we’ve lost all year long, these close matches. Until we can consistently put up better offensive numbers, then we’ll have to find ways to win some ugly matches like this one.”
Rapin said she hoped using this win to propel into future success would help dispel the conference-wide sentiment that the team is in a rebuilding period.
“Everyone keeps telling us that this is a rebuilding year because of all the talent that we lost,” she said. “I get really tired of hearing that. It’s more about learning to play with each other than rebuilding. There’s a lot of great talent in that locker room – we just need to figure out how to utilize it.”
The Lakers will see their next action against Northern Michigan University at 7 p.m. Friday in Marquette, Mich.
By Emanuel JohnsonGVL Staff Writer
Volleyball redeems record-ending loss with win over Ferris
GVL / Katie Mitchell
Head start: GVSU women’s soccer players race each other in a game of reaction time during a week-day practice.
Head coach calls class ‘best team of attackers’ in GV history
GVL / Bri Goodyear
Satisfying victory: Lakers celebrate their victory against Northwood University on Friday. The women are now 6-5, 2-1 GLIAC.
A&E Haley Otman, A&E [email protected] Grand Valley Lanthorn
Thursday, September 17, 2009
The Muskegon Museum of Modern Art will display a special exhibit until Nov. 8 involving a company in Grand Rapids’ backyard.
Judith A. Hayner, MMA’s executive director, created “Good Design: Stories from Herman Miller” with the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich.
“I’ve always loved the concepts of and behind modern design,” Hayner said. “When coming up with the idea, we all decided to focus on case studies that explore d e s i g n p r o b l e m s and solutions created by some of the talented artists who have created masterpieces of modern design for the company and continue to do so today.”
The MMA selected Herman Miller’s furniture as the main example of different purposes behind modern design.
“We wanted this to be the
first exhibit to really showcase how design can be used as a problem-solving tool,” said Timothy Chester, former director of the Grand Rapids Museum of Art. “Not only is it an interesting history to look at, but Herman Miller is something that many people from this part of the state know of, but don’t know the history behind.”
Herman Miller is a furniture manufacturer based out of Zeeland, Mich. It is known as one of the first companies to produce modern furniture
and is best known for creating the Equa and Aeron chair, which has become an office and c l a s s r o o m staple. The company is also known for creating the modern o f f i c e
cubicle, which it originally coined as the “Action Office.”
“The company has had a long and illustrious history,” said Art Martin, the MMA’s collection manager and assistant curator. “However, not many people really know
just how influential this local company has been on the modern office, school or home. This company, right in our backyard, has really shaped a lot of modern furniture, all with their good design.”
While the company may not be truly recognized in the local realm, it is quite admired on the worldwide level. Currently, Herman Miller holds the No. 1 spot for furniture companies on Forbes’ list of the most Admired Companies, a spot it has held for the past 18 years.
There are four separate case studies featured in the “Good Design” display that have been considered design problems.
“The first problem that really pops to mind is seating,” Chester said. “Truthfully, the human body is not meant to sit or stand for long periods of time. This is an interesting concept to really dig into.”
The remaining three problems include the rise of “White Collar” or office work, graphic communication and design and the change in the average house after World War II, along with the design that goes into each of these three sections.
“We really run through a long period of time,” Martin
said. “Our earliest piece is from roughly the early 1930s, and our (most recent) piece was from just last year.”
The exhibition uses a large variety of drawings, photos and other pieces of art to
showcase the creations of artists ranging from George Nelson to Alexander Girard.
“Good Design: Stories From Herman Miller” will run until Nov. 8 at the Muskegon Museum of Art
and will then travel through as many as 15 American cities through 2013. For more information, visit http://www.muskegonartmuseum.org/.
By Josh BrunstingGVL Staff Writer
Muskegon to showcase Herman Miller’s ‘Good Design’
Courtesy Photo / Google Images
Sit modern: Michigan company Herman Miller is known for its production of modern furniture, namely the Aeron chair. The Muskegon Museum of Modern Art will show “Good Design: Stories from Herman Miller” until Nov. 8.
“We wanted this to be the first exhibit to really showcase how design can be used
as a problem-solving tool.”
TIMOTHY CHESTERFORMER DIRECTOR
GRAND RAPIDS MUSEUM OF ART
Little do many people know, Leonardo da Vinci was more than just the man behind the “Mona Lisa.”
Right now the Grand Rapids Public Museum is showing “Machines in Motion,” which includes 40 full-scale and fully operational inventions of da Vinci’s. It is the largest collection of da Vinci’s machines on display.
“Everybody has heard of him but this exhibit gives people the opportunity to dig a little deeper and get inside the mind of a genius,” said Kristy Harrington, the museum’s marketing and public relations manager. “He was so far ahead of his time.”
The machine’s designs, built by a group of scientists in Florence, Italy, were taken directly from da Vinci’s famous codices, the journals in which he wrote his studies.
Hand-crafted and made of mostly wood, glue and rope, the machines are completely interactive and museum-goers are invited to touch and work the inventions.
“One of the neat things about this exhibit is that the machines are stripped down to a very basic function,” said Chris Carron, director of education, interpretation and research at the museum. “You can actually crank and manipulate them and see how these mysteries of machinery really work.”
Some of the more impressive features are a full-sized armored car, a working robot and a machine gun. The inventions are grouped into four areas: air, water, earth and fire. The museum is also offering educational and planetarium programming to go with the exhibit.
Dave Rider is a Grand Valley State University student who explored the exhibit.
“I never fully knew the extent of da Vinci’s work,” he
said. “I knew about the ‘Mona Lisa’ and the ‘Last Supper,’ but not about the machine gun. I’m glad (the exhibit is) going to be here for so long. I’m probably going back.”
Perhaps most notably known for his paintings, da Vinci was more than just an exceptional painter, as the exhibit demonstrates.
“We hear a lot about da Vinci’s artistic side, but he was (an) inventor too,” Carron said. “He was taking things that were known from the Greeks and the Middle Ages and applying them in really ingenious ways.”
Harrington said the exhibit appeals to people of all ages, from children to their grandparents.
She said what she would like people to take away most from the exhibit is the idea that one person can make a difference, and one person can come up with an idea that can lead others in a new direction.
“I hope more than anything looking at this exhibit and playing with these machines inspires people to think outside the box,” Harrington said.
Da Vinci laid the groundwork for many modern endeavors and has a great deal of importance in how society has shaped throughout the centuries due to his tremendous prowess in numerous fields.
“He was creating these incredible solutions, but some weren’t put into use until centuries later,” Carron said. “Bicycles, tanks, machine guns, helicopters — he was taking principles known in his time and really stretching their limits.”
The exhibit has been shown internationally in Istanbul, Turkey; Athens, Greece and Mexico City.
It will run until Jan. 3 at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Admission is $4 in addition to the general admission fee, but members are free.
By Elijah BrumbackGVL Staff Writer
GR Public Museum exhibits engineering genius of da Vinci via replicas of original designs
Courtesy Photo / Google Images
Marvel: Leonardo da Vinci’s designs were centuries ahead of his time. The eighth annual Women’s Center Art Reception opens today, allowing a variety of women to tell their stories through artwork on display in the hallways and lounge area of the center.
Ashley Nickels, assistant director of the Grand Valley State University Women’s Center, is running the Art Reception this year. She describes it as a “rotating art exhibit” similar to other artist openings.
Many of the pieces are related to body images, but all of them speak some kind
of message.Betsy McInnis, a junior at
GVSU, is presenting a piece at this year’s Art Reception.
As an advocate for women, she made a piece called “To Have and To Hold,” which is a mold of her own body constructed of pressed paper she cut and pasted onto herself.
McInnis said she wants women to spend more time dedicated to themselves, instead of always putting their marriage and husbands first.
She stressed women need “to have and hold themselves” to make themselves comfortable with their own bodies.
Monica Johnstone, a professor at GVSU, has participated in the Art Reception since 2007 and has always presented quilts. This year, she has tried different techniques in portraying a Celtic piece called “Thor’s Hammer,” which depicts a ship coming into bay.
Johns tone’s family roots go back to fishermen in Scotland. Many times the stories of that age center around men and
their adventures, so she tries to fill in the historical gap of the women who anticipated with
foreboding the incoming ships bearing their husbands, sons and brothers.
A n o t h e r artist, Samantha Andrus-Henry, is a professor of communications at GVSU. In this Art Reception, Andrus-Henry will present two pieces of art,
each describing the beauty of women.
In an oil pastel crayon, “Le Feminine,” she makes a picture representing women in the age of modernism. This piece is taken after the works done by Peit Mondrain, an artist who used only straight lines and pure or primary colors in his pieces.
Andrus-Henry then used combinations of the primary colors, such as purple, and curved instead of straight lines to depict a woman in the age of modernism.
She attempts to ask “What does it mean to be a woman?” and wants to engage people into the artwork.
An acrylic piece Andrus-Henry created called “She Danced Winged Victory” is inspired by the “Winged Victory” sculpture from ancient Greece now on display in France’s Louvre Museum.
From her painting, Andrus-Henry said she wants to show the expression depicted in this piece about women in a culture that did not allow them to express anything about themselves publicly, except through body language.
Even though women did not have a voice in ancient Greek times, their expressions are very apparent in ancient art, and she said she tries to capture that in her painting.
Andrus-Henry said it was an honor to be chosen to present for her second time at the Art Reception.
The Women’s Center Art Reception opens its doors to the public from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. today at 1201 Kirkhof Center for light refreshments and meetings with the artists.
By Danielle SlabbekoornGVL Staff Writer
Artists’ works contain story, message of women
The eighth annual
Women’s Center Art
Reception is open to the public today
from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
GVL / Lindsey Waggoner
Above: The Women’s Center in Kirkhof has art covering every wall. A reception will be held today from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to honor the artists who have pieces in the center. Some of the artists will be present for a meet and greet, too. Below: The quilt made by Monica Johnstone depicts a Celtic boat coming into harbor from the woman’s perspective.
Annual show at Women’s Center features variety of art from women’s perspective
Experts compile case studies of problem solving through design
MARKETPLACE Grand Valley LanthornThursday, September 17, 2009 B5
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Would you like to list a property for lease or for rent to Grand Valley State University students and faculty? Call us at 331-2460
Are you moving and fi nding you have way more stuff than you know what to do with? Sell it! Call the Lanthorn to place a classifi ed ad and make some money! 616.331.2460
What better way to show yourfriends that you care about
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days and we will advertise amessage to make this birthday
one they won’t forget.331-2460.
Standale/Walker. 3 bedrooms, 2bathrooms, 2 living rooms.Snack bar, garage, easy park-ing. $895 a month plus utilities.www.ForRentMi.com616-291-7950
University Studies Abroad Consortium. Discover where you’ll study abroad at usac.unr.edu!
Copper Beech Townhome Communities. Enjoy Life at the Beech! Visit www.copperbeechtownhomes.com or call 616/895.2900 for more details.
2009 TBS Ministries Bible Conference: True Spirituality. September 18-19 at the Grand Valley State University Eberhard Center.
Lakeshore Pregnancy Center. Offering Free: Pregnancy Testing, Peer Counseling, Pre-Natal and Parenting Classes, Abortion Information, and Community Referrals. Go to www.lakeshorepreg-nancycenters.com or call 616.895.1893 for more information.
Thank you Helping Hands volunteers! The Offi ce of Housing and Residence Life would like to thank the individuals, campus groups, and departments for the success of the Helping Hands move-in process.
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Grand Valley State Athletics would like to thank all the fans who were a part of the record crowd for the football home opener versus SVSU.
It’s all about the location. Lake Michigan Credit Union has 5 ATMs on campus to make your life easier. Go to www.LMCU.org or call (616 or 800) 242.9790 for more details.
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B6 Thursday, September 17, 2009 A&E Grand Valley Lanthorn
I know you’ve seen “Winner of the Palme d’Or” fl ash across the screen either while watching a preview at the movies or right before the fi rst reel starts rolling. But what did it really matter to you? It sounded French. It sounded fancy. It sounded important.
Well it is, it is, and it is. More people have
probably heard of the Cannes festival itself where the Palme d’Or award is handed out every year; whether you caught it in the trades, you heard a quick blip about it while watching E! News Daily, or you’re just a fi lm nerd like me.
The Cannes Film Festival is the most prestigious annual international cinematic gathering in the world, where movies are presented, judged, auctioned and (hopefully) sold — all during the course of 13 short days.
The outing, at its inception, was a tourist stop and a posh social event, and although the celebration has changed measurably over the years, it still remains a “who’s who” of the movie industry and socialite circuit.
Whether it’s a fl ashbulb aimed at Brangelina lighting up the red carpet or Clint Eastwood serving as jury president in charge of awarding the Palme d’Or (the award for Best Picture), it’s virtually impossible to avoid the mysticism that seems to follow Cannes.
Every star in the movie industry is in attendance, yet there is little to no U.S.
media coverage of the event, except for on the red carpet and later announcement of the festival’s winners.
It’s been this way since the event was fi rst hosted on Sept. 20, 1946, seven years after the original launch date was delayed because of World War II.
The Festival de Cannes began with presenting less than 40 fi lms in a single screening room and has evolved to host 10,000 buyers and sellers hoping to fi nd the next “Citizen Cane” or “Goodfellas.”
Chances are if you see a nice little indie fi lm or drama playing at a theater near you, that fi lm was brought to the states thanks to a business transaction that took place on the southern coast of France.
If you caught “Inglorious Bastards,” Christoph Waltz, who played the role Col. Hans Landa, received the Prix d’interprétation masculine (or Best Actor) at the gala’s 2009 award ceremony.
The festival hands out the usual awards for best picture, actor, screenplay, etc., but also recognizes outstanding international student fi lms, fi lms by fi rst-time directors and those by young artists.
These particular awards are obviously among the newer and more recent developments in Cannes’ ever-changing scope of fi lm society, as it aims to grow and prosper while new developments within the world of cinema call for recognition and support.
Oh, and remember where Vince and the boys from Entourage screen “Medellin” at the end of season four? Yeah, that was Cannes.
Cannes: no coverage, but huge impact
Sweet Japonic is back with big aspirations with “Where My Devils Go.”
The Grand Rapids-based band has played on Grand Valley State University’s campus several times, including a performance at the Rock Against Rape event, and they will release their third album at a CD release celebration at Grand Rapids’ The Intersection on Saturday.
After playing at the Rothbury festival in 2008 and going on tour on the East Coast, Sweet Japonic has begun to meet a lot of success.
“They have a really great style of music that is not too fast or too slow,” said Ricky Manza, a GVSU student fan of the band.
Manza and his friends have listened to Sweet Japonic since his freshman year and plan on going to the CD release celebration with a large group for a friend’s birthday party.
“The CD is a mixture of (alternative), country, blues, soul
and R&B for a good working-class sound,” said Matt Young, lead guitarist who also does backing vocals.
Sweet Japonic includes Lucas Wilson, guitar and lead vocals; Sam Parks, guitar; Gabe Dutton, bass guitar and backing vocals; and Roy Wallace, drums and backing vocals.
The band got its name from “Japonica,” a Japanese rose, which evolved into Sweet Japonic.
Wilson writes all lyrics to their songs, and the whole group
works together on the music.
Wilson said his favorite song on the new album is its namesake, “Where My Devils Go,” but each member has his own favorite song on their newest
effort.Sweet Japonic spent a year in
the studio crafting their 12-track E.P., which they recorded at River City Studios in Grand Rapids. They have previously won two Jammie Awards for Best Local Rock Album of the Year in 2005 and 2006. Their previous CDs, “Two O’Clock Sirens” and “Through the Eyes of Lucie Blue,” can both be purchased on iTunes as well as the band’s Web site.
Manza said since he fi rst became a fan, he has shown Sweet Japonic’s music to his friends, who then all
immediately became fans.“There is not a bad song on
either of their CDs,” Manza said. “I am really excited for their concert, and I cannot wait for their new CD to come out.”
Sweet Japonic describes their sound as similar to the Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Bob Marley and Amos Lee.
“The CD will sound good anywhere and in any setting,” Wilson said.
Sweet Japonic’s local connection is more than just being from Grand Rapids, as both of their promoters have attended GVSU.
After the release party,
Sweet Japonic plans to return to the road and spend some time touring.
The CD release celebration will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday at The Intersection in Grand Rapids. The show is open to those 17 and older, and tickets cost $8 in advance or $10 at the door.
Special guests South Paw Players and Simien the Whale will also perform. For more information about Sweet Japonic, visit http://www.sweetjaponicmusic.com or MySpace.com/sweetjaponic.
By Haley OtmanGVL A&E Editor
Sweet Japonic to release
third album
The forthcoming Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids will have a very friendly atmosphere as it is fi lled by art created by and with children.
“Imagine the feeling of comfort a child will have when they look up in their room or enter the lobby to see something they understand,” said Anne Veltema, marketing communications coordinator for the hospital, which is slated to open in 2011.
The Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is currently taking submissions for pieces to display, and LaFontsee Galleries has teamed up with the hospital to judge the entries and decide what pieces will be shown.
The possible submissions can be two- or three-dimensional and must be created by or with children.
“What we’re really looking for is artwork made with the involvement of children, either in the initial creative process, in the fi nal execution or both,” said Heidi Hudberg of LaFontsee Galleries.
The judges will look for art proposals that fi t in with the unique elements of design in the hospital: blue glass walls and a dramatic wave pattern surrounding the building.
Their criteria include: demonstrating the artistic mission of the hospital, visual impact and interest.
There are three different c a t e g o r i e s submiss ions may fall into: original artwork created by children for display and rendering into larger pieces, profess ional r e n d e r i n g s and sculpture and visual recognition of donors.
The 14-fl oor, $286 million hospital will have a water sculpture, four areas for 2-D artwork and one area for a 3-D sculpture installation.
“It won’t be something that’s simply hung on the walls or placed in a corridor,” Veltma
said. “It will be part of the fabric of the hospital.”
Scott and Linda LaFontsee were eager to be a part of the aesthetics for the new children’s hospital and have a background in design consultation for health care.
“Art has a proven value in the healing process,” Scott
L a F o n t s e e said. “The chance to create space with art for children, families and even caregivers is an awesome o p p o r t u n i t y and something w e ’ r e experienced at doing.”
Veltema also spoke of the importance of art to healing, which is why
art was so important to include, she said. She added LaFontsee Galleries “understands the signifi cant impact art has on a child.”
“Every facet of their proposal demonstrated their
commitment to involving children in the development of art for the new hospital,” Veltema added, which was why the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital decided to work with LaFontsee.
On Saturday, children who attended Family Day at Celebration on the Grand had the opportunity to create
submissions for the hospital. A lot of artwork was created with the help of the children and will be considered for inclusion by the judges at LaFontsee.
“The hospital is a place dedicated to children and their families, so it only makes sense the art in the building would match the focus on children,” Veltema said.
Submissions of art for possible exhibition in the new Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital must be postmarked by Sept. 30 and LaFontsee Galleries will act as judge. For more information, visit http:/ /www.lafontsee.us/HDVCHproposals.html.
By Haley OtmanGVL A&E Editor
Search begins for child-inspired art
Courtesy Image of CD Cover / Sweet Japonic
“The CD is a mixture of (alternative), country, blues,
soul and R&B for a good working-class
sound.”MATT YOUNG
SWEET JAPONIC GUITARIST
See Puzzle B5
Courtesy Photo / LaFontsee Galleries
Wild imagination: Kids get creative with colorful paints and wood under the shade of one of an art show tent.
Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital works with LaFontsee Galleries to fi nd decor created by children, for children
“The hospital is a place dedicated to children and their families, so it only makes sense the
art in the building would match the
focus on children.”ANNE VELTEMA
HOSPITAL MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
COORDINATOR
See MathSuey Puzzle B5
Courtesy Photo / Sweet Japonic
Rising star: Grand Rapids-based band Sweet Japonic is set to release its third CD on Saturday. This latest album is called “Where My Devils Go.”
A Moment in History
By CotyLevandoski