The Monday, March 31 event took place on Trans Day of Visibility, and was facilitated by the University’s resource center, the Grand Rapids Pride Center and the Grand Rapids Trans Foundation. Over 70 attendees listened to Coleman, a transgender internet personality known for his advocacy and educational content. 

“(Coleman) talked about what trans visibility means to him and also touched on being unapologetically yourself,” said D. Hollowell, the assistant director of the LGBT Resource Center. “(He also) let people know you don’t have to have an encyclopedic knowledge of your identity, nor the history you’re a part of.”

LGBT Resource Center Director DL McKinney said the event was “really loving” and created community.

“There’s this feeling of ‘how do we pull each other in and make sure, out of everything in this world, we got us,’” said McKinney. “Everything in my heart was smooth.”

According to GLAAD, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, Trans Day of Visibility is described as “a day to celebrate the lives and contributions of trans people, while also drawing attention to the disproportionate levels of poverty, discrimination and violence the community faces compared to cisgender people.” 

To Hollowell, trans visibility and the University’s celebration come down to encouraging and supporting authenticity.  

“In a lot of ways, (trans visibility celebrations are) kind of our Super Bowl,” said Hollowell. “Classes are not in session during June, which is Pride Month and so we really try to squeeze what we can into trans visibility (events),” said Hollowell.

Hollowell added the goal of the celebration was to provide assistance to the University’s trans and gender-diverse community.

“We just really want to encourage (those) part of the trans community, folks who are gender diverse (and) anyone to feel like they can be in their own authentic spaces regardless of where they walk into,” Hollowell said. “We (hope) people feel they are supported and (that) they matter.”

The LGBT Resource Center kicked off Trans Week of Visibility on Tuesday, March 25 with an assembly at the Cook Carillon Tower. Justine Lindsay, a professional dancer and first trans woman cheerleader in the NFL, spoke at the event. The annual Pride Prom also took place Friday, March 28.

The LGBT Resource Center continually attempts to provide extensive resources for campus community members and promote both culture and inclusivity. Hollowell pointed toward the University’s upcoming Lavender Graduation Wednesday, April 16, a celebration of LGBTQ+ and ally graduates.

As for community resources outside of Trans Week of Visibility, the Grand Rapids Trans Foundation provides academic scholarships for transgender students, name change support, legal document updates, gender-affirming items and a support group. For those looking to support the LGBTQ+ community, The Grand Rapids Pride Center has a plethora of opportunities to volunteer, donate, attend events, shop and join committees dedicated to inclusivity. 

In Michigan, Raising Cane’s is currently only based in East Lansing and Canton, but is aiming to open more than 20 new eateries across the state over the next decade. The chicken-finger company, which was founded in 1996 in Louisiana, and has over 800 locations across 43 states.

Dustin Shearer, Raising Cane’s VP of Company Restaurants, told MLive that the chain is seeking to open additional locations in Metro Detroit, Mount Pleasant, Saginaw, and put themselves on the map in West Michigan. According to Shearer, “We love the energy and excitement Raising Canes has garnered across Michigan, and hope to bring our brand to more of the state.”

In 2022, the restaurant first established itself in East Lansing. The Detroit Free Press reported that when the Canton location opened this February, hundreds of people waited for the eatery to open, and that two brothers admitted to waiting around 14 hours for the doors to unlock.

On the state’s west side, many GVSU students love Raising Cane’s, despite the nearest location to the University being over 50 miles away.

Bridie Tolley, a GVSU student from Chicago, said, “Every time I go home, that’s (Raising Cane’s) the first place I go. My mom actually called me yesterday to tell me that she got Cane’s.” 

Tolley added that one time, her roommates drove to Indiana to buy the chain’s famous chicken.

Another student, Alexandria Stephens, said her boyfriend is a student at Michigan State, and that she enjoys stopping at the restaurant when visiting him.

“This morning, I literally texted my boyfriend asking, ‘Can we get Cane’s this weekend?’” Stephens said.

What makes Raising Cane’s so good that it’s worth driving out of state for? Since the chain began, it has grown to perfect the chicken-tender niche by adding a combination of Texas toast, crinkle-cut fries, homemade lemonade and their “secret sauce.” Its rapid growth has seemingly been geared toward college towns, and collaborations with brands and celebrities, such as Post Malone, the Dallas Cowboys and the USA Bobsled/Skeleton team, have furthered its hype among customers. The brand also offers catering options for parties and sporting events, and many locations are open past midnight.

Currently, Cane III, a Labrador Retriever, is the chain’s beloved mascot. Her predecessor, Cane II, was a former therapy dog that regularly visited hospital patients. The original Cane was the doggy companion of Todd Graves, the restaurant founder that inspired it all. Many customers are happy to subscribe to the notion that the chain was based on a pet’s real-life legacy.

While the potential of Raising Cane’s being a quick bus ride or drive to Grand Rapids is exciting, the definitive dates and fruition timeline for the expansion project remain relatively unknown.  

The event commemorated over 50 years of global feminist theory and progress. Speakers facilitated a variety of seminars discussing gender politics of the United Nations, intersectional feminism, reproductive rights, economic disparities and international women’s suffrage. 

Thursday’s first keynote speaker was Jallicia Jolly, a writer, poet, reproductive justice organizer and professor of American studies and Black studies at Amherst College. Jolly gave a presentation titled “Black Feminist Futures: Care, Community and Transnational Reproductive Justice.” Later that afternoon, Jocelyn Olcott, a professor at Duke University, facilitated a talk on the 1975 International Women’s Year Conference in Mexico City hosted by the United Nations. Olcott discussed the conference’s integral role in feminist advocacy worldwide.

On Friday, Carmen Diana Deere continued the conversation regarding the International Women’s Year Conference. She is a professor of Latin American Studies and Food & Resource Economics at the University of Florida, and is also a distinguished professor in Quito, Ecuador. Deere’s research has focused on gender in Latin American agriculture, women’s property rights and wealth inequality.

“You can’t look at women’s issues without considering class and dependency,” Deere said. “Feminism didn’t enter my consciousness at all until the 1970s. I never had a female professor, and was in a sorority where the norm was (to) get engaged by senior year. I was an odd duck to get my (master’s degree) and go to Latin America.”

Directly following Deere’s presentation, Heather Switzer spoke on “Girls in Development: Discovering Girls, Producing Girl Effects.” The seminar delved into ‘the girl child’ phenomenon and the vulnerabilities of violence, malnourishment and infanticide against young girls on a global scale.

“(Asking) Africa as a whole, and girls in particular, to create their own salvation under ongoing conditions of externally imposed austerity (is) like asking a caged mouse to scramble to freedom,” Switzer said. “No matter how active (a person is), (they are) still confined in a cage.”

Also on Friday morning, Durba Mitra discussed feminism in the Global South and the paradox surrounding the United Nations’ Year and Decade for Women. Mitra is an associate professor of women, gender and sexuality studies at Harvard University, and brought attention to the integral nuances of the global feminist conversation.

During Friday’s afternoon sessions, Anna Gollub, the policy analyst of economic institutions within the Economic Empowerment section of UN Women, spoke on “Becoming UN Women.” To conclude the conference, a seminar titled “Feminism Remains Foreign: Ideals vs Practice for Gender Justice” was given by Kavita Ramdas, a senior strategic advisor at International Planned Parenthood. Ramdas is globally recognized for her advocacy in global gender equity, and from 2023-2024, was the activist in residence at the Global Fund for Women. The talk reflected on the various lessons Ramdas learned during her residence and why feminism, as an ideology and aspirational set of ideals and values, remains unintegrated in policies both at home and abroad.

The symposium wrapped up on a hopeful note, and reiterated how the women’s liberation movement has developed throughout history and around the globe.

The pay equity seminar was hosted by Meagan Treadway, Katie Perschbacher and Trista Shumway, all active members on the University’s Women’s Commission Leadership Team. The event featured a discussion-based presentation given by women professionals from a variety of fields. In turn, students in attendance were able to ask questions regarding the wage gap’s history, and provide insight into their own employment experiences.

This year, Equal Pay Day will take place on March 25. The date was first observed by the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) in 1996, and is still recognized to spread awareness and teach about injustice regarding fair and equal wages.

Shannon Dale, the senior director of Annual Giving and Digital Strategies at GVSU, was at the seminar. Dale stated that she’s very passionate about pay equity and attended the event in order to further educate herself.

“I’ve done a lot of personal work to do better at negotiating (pay), and I want to learn how to better do that for myself and my team (faculty and staff at the University),” Dale said.

The seminar emphasized the importance of collaboration between workers of varying demographics. Intersectionality, a sociological, analytical framework, was brought up by Jessie Fousset, the student services coordinator for the University’s Traverse City Regional Center.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, intersectionality is defined as the “interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.”

Fousset noted that society’s understanding of pay equity has grown over time to comprise various ethnic and gender identities.

“It quickly became clear to me that it (the pay gap) wasn’t just ‘women (being) being paid less, it was a layer of women from certain backgrounds (compared to) Black and Asian women,” Fousset said. “All of these pay gaps are also split even between men. The concept of intersectionality, including different genders and gender identities, (is important) as well.”

According to the presentation, Latina and Indigenous women are paid 58 cents for every dollar paid to white men. For Black women, this statistic is 66 cents for every dollar, and for Asian women, it is 94 cents. In addition, mothers are paid 71 cents for every dollar that fathers are compensated.

“It’s (the conversation regarding pay equity) changed over time because we’re more aware of how the pay gap is hurting basically everyone who is not a white, able-bodied male,” Treadway said. “This gap is persistent across age and education levels as well. In some cases, it (the gap) worsens as age increases. If you’re not earning in your earlier years, it (pay) snowballs.”

Treadway declared the state of Michigan is rated moderately in terms of equal pay laws. According to Treadway, this rating is in connection with the state’s legal protections, defense rights and procedures relating to occupational segregation. The presentation noted that Michigan is ranked 29th nationally in terms of pay equity, and that the state has a gender pay ratio of 81.68%. Locally, in Grand Rapids, that number is 77%.

Shannon Owen, the director of the University’s Northern Michigan Programs, recommended participants find ways to become more involved in pay equity advocacy. She cited her previous experience in Zonta International, a service organization that aims to “build a better world for women and girls.”

“There’s always more to learn on this topic,” said Owen. “I was involved with our local Zonta group, and we did a lot of raising awareness with this issue (the pay gap) and hosted events. I am excited to be a part of the conversation here.”

The lecture was held in the Pew Campus’ Loosemore Auditorium. Salisu spoke for roughly 40 minutes, which left over an hour for guided questions and dialogue between Grand Valley State University community members and the guest speaker. 

Salisu discussed WikkiTimes, a news outlet he founded, and the adversity he’s faced amid corruption in Nigeria’s political landscape.

WikkiTimes has published various reports that have garnered attention and opposition from powerful Nigerian figures. Salisu’s work at the WikkiTimes has brought nine lawsuits against himself and the outlet, which have been waged by prominent Nigerian politicians. In 2024, Salisu received an award from the Nigeria Union of Journalists, as well as several reporting grants from nonprofit organizations in recognition of his accomplishments.

Salisu’s experience with systemic corruption in Nigeria is personal. In the lecture, he shared that he believes his mother passed away as a result of the country’s grim healthcare system.

“I believe my mom died partly because of the conditions of the healthcare system in Nigeria,” Salisu said. “She did not have a life-threatening illness.”

A WikkiTimes article elaborates on the quality of Nigerian healthcare, noting that shortages of medical essentials like equipment, trained personnel and supplies are common. These shortages make basic healthcare services difficult to access.

Educational gaps between classes in the African state are another poignant sign of corruption. Salisu said there are 20 million poverty-stricken children in Nigeria that cannot receive education, equating to “more than the population of 16 African countries put together.”

For those who have the means to secure higher education in Nigeria, the quality is poor. Salisu detailed educational challenges throughout the keynote address, stating a professor in Nigeria grades over 1,000 students per semester, and is only paid about $428 a month.

The Nigerian working class are paid roughly $2 a day and are unable to afford necessities, much less access to digital journalism. 

Jeff Kelly Lowenstein is journalism professor at GVSU, and also the founder of the Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism (CCIJ). He said being able to support the outlet has been a constant struggle, as WikkiTimes receives little financial support of its own.

“(WikkiTimes’) local audience has trouble sustaining the resources needed to keep the operation going,” Lowenstein said.

Despite the outlet’s financial challenges, Salisu explained his decision to remove the donation option from the website.

“For the longest time, I was the only one who had donated,” Salisu said. “No one is donating to good journalism in Nigeria because of poverty. People struggle to eat on a daily basis, so who cares about journalism?”

After multiple lawsuits caused Salisu to flee the country, some attendees wondered how WikkiTimes has endured.

“We are in a very terrible condition at the moment financially, and this pressure keeps coming,” Salisu said. “It didn’t stop after I left Nigeria. We had to close our office, most of our staff are constantly harassed and officers in Nigeria roam around outside the office.” 

WikkiTimes faces not only financial constraints, but incessant government intimidation.

“The government uses every tool at its disposal: arrests, defamation lawsuits, social media restrictions and even violence (to slow down journalists),” Salisu said. 

The staff was forcefully relocated twice, following government raids in 2022. In 2023, Salisu was detained for interviewing protestors critical of the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed. 

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued the following statement shortly after his arrest, calling for all charges against him to be dropped.

“The release of Nigerian journalist Haruna Mohammed Salisu on bail is welcome news, but he should never have been arrested in the first place, and authorities should stop pursuing criminal charges against him for his work,” said Muthoki Mumo, CPJ’s sub-Saharan Africa representative, in the statement. “Covering the public sentiment during elections, or any form of journalism, should never land a journalist in jail.”

Despite grim circumstances, Salisu continues to advocate for the importance of journalism in fighting corruption.

”We must continue to use the frontiers of journalism to hold our leaders accountable,” Salisu said. “If the U.S. still cares about the values of democracy across the world, because of our interconnectedness, they should care about what is happening in Nigeria.”

When a student asked Salisu if he’s concerned about social media being used to spread false information in Nigeria, the speaker likened the situation to a “double edged sword.”

“To a large extent, social media has democratized information to so many nations and that is why, for example, platforms like ours are able to reach a larger audience,” pondered Salisu. “But, social media has helped in exasperating information warfare. There is propaganda going on, especially through social media.” 

Despite the adversity he’s faced, Salisu’s outlook beams with a fighting energy in advocating for truth.

“I was convinced early on in life that God made me for something,” Salisu affirmed.

Pay adjustments for Michigan employees have sparked disputes among lawmakers and questions from state residents. As legislative ground for the future of Michigan’s minimum wage continues to shake, employers within Grand Valley State University prepare to acclimate to the new requirements.

A 2024 decision by Michigan government officials raised the minimum wage from $10.33 to $10.56 on Jan. 1, 2025. The Feb. 21 increase is set to add another $1.92 per hour.

These changes fall in line with the Michigan Supreme Court’s efforts toward ‘tip credit’ erasure. The minimum wage for tipped individuals is also set to increase to $5.99 an hour on Feb. 21. The corresponding changes to tipped employees’ base pay is set to incrementally increase until workers eventually receive base pay at the rate of minimum wage after 2030.

Both initiatives have stirred controversy from politicians and lawmakers, which prompted Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to call for a prompt bipartisan solution or continue to push the plan’s rollout into the summer.

The Michigan Senate also just moved forward with a bill that aims to implement a minimum wage of $15.00 per hour by 2027, which awaits House approval.

An additional policy change referred to as the Earned Sick Time Act was decided upon over summer 2024, and will also roll out on Feb. 21. The legislation details new benefits that could accommodate low income workers by mandating a certain amount of paid sick leave based on the number of people employed by a business.

According to an article published by Michigan Advance, Michigan businesses would be required to give employees 40 hours of paid sick leave and 32 hours of unpaid sick leave in one year if an employer has fewer than 10 workers.

If an employer has 10 or more employees, the business would have to give employees 72 hours of paid sick leave.

The Michigan House and Senate have both individually proposed alternative legislation to trim back these changes. The act faces pressure, as it’s expected to take effect in a matter of days.

At GVSU, most hourly positions on campus will be affected by the wage increase. The average wage rate for student employees ranged from $10.56 to $12.01 during the Fall 2024 semester. The University’s pay scale is set to implement the mandated raise in minimum wage once it’s been enacted.

GVSU Mary Idema Pew Library employees Miranda Willer and Julianne Solack have both been student employees for multiple years. Despite feeling positive about the minimum wage boost, both Willer and Solack identified additional pressing issues in campus employment they feel should be addressed.

“It’s important that (the government) protects having a minimum (wage), but (on campus, we need) more jobs (and) more hours,” Solack said.

Willer took a broader perspective on the benefits of increased wages. They said the raise will benefit not only Michigan students, but also the international student population, as they “can only work on campus.”

Willer said they feel certain on-campus jobs have fair wages, but that other GVSU workplaces do not.

“Here (at the library), I’ve been pretty happy with (pay),” Willer said. “(However), with campus dining, not at all.”

Solack felt similarly in regard to campus dining employees because “they do more work and get paid less.”

“I think (minimum wage) should continue to rise,” Solack said.  “Especially if you’re there (at a certain workplace) for more time, I think you should get raises not just based on performance, (but the hours spent) working there.”

Tatum Nichols is a student employee in the University’s Student Employment Office. Nichols finds the minimum wage increase to be a generous step in the right direction.

“Do I think that (the increase is) enough for students to live off of and pay rent and everything for school? Not necessarily,” Nichols stated. “But, I do think we’re getting to a point where people are starting to recognize that students do need to be paid more to survive.”

To Nichols’ point, research shows lower income households within the Midwest particularly suffer as a result of America’s economic crisis. The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) named the Midwest a “particularly unaffordable region.” This highlights the notion that living in Michigan can be expensive for many students.

“On average, Michigan public bachelor’s-granting institutions were less affordable than those nationally, with an average affordability gap of $2,445, compared to $1,690,” noted a NCAN article in December.

Many Michigan government officials acknowledged this gap in some capacity when the Michigan Achievement Scholarship was signed into law.

As a way to further combat financial hardships facing young adults, the scholarship opportunity is a renewable grant for eligible Michigan residents enrolled at public or private institutions. These grants averaged around $4,000 awarded to just under 30,000 students in the state over the 2023-2024 academic year.

The bills relating to tipped workers and sick leave await approval from the House floor before they can go into effect. Many Michigan workers do not feel confident regarding statewide policy development, especially since lawmakers have already passed bills to slow the wage increase. With the Michigan Supreme Court’s legislation almost in motion, the Feb. 21 rollout looms large.

The award show resulted in strides for diverse artists, most notably rapper Kendrick Lamar and music icon Beyoncé. However, despite the recognition of many artists, some Grand Valley State University students felt underwhelmed by the Grammy spectacle they’ve come to expect.

The 67th Grammy Award ceremony was held on Feb. 2 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The ceremony celebrates musicians and recording artists selected by the Recording Academy from Sept. 16, 2023 to Aug. 30, 2024. The nominees were announced through a YouTube livestream on Nov. 8, 2024, while the ceremony itself was streamed on CBS and Paramount+.

GVSU student Janelle Weiberg said she was disappointed by the slights made toward some artists in attendance, referencing jokes made by the show’s host, comedian Trevor Noah, about Shakira’s background.

”I enjoyed watching new artists win awards that (they) haven’t before, (but) I was disappointed by some of the host’s (Trevor Noah) comments toward artists, and especially attacking Colombian culture,” Weiberg said. “As always, it is a fun show to watch, but the results tend to disappoint me, as the Grammys are known for snubbing so many talented artists.”

Kendrick Lamar received the most awards, winning all five of his nominations– Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, Best Music Video, Best Song and Best Record. His single “Not Like Us” is the first diss-track to receive any Grammy recognition, and is the most successful song in the award show’s history. Lamar is the second rap artist to receive both the Record of The Year and Song of the Year awards in one night, following Childish Gambino in 2019.

Beyoncé was nominated for the most categories of any artist this year– Best Record, Best Country Song, Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Country Album, Best Album, Best Country Solo Performance, Best Song, Best Country Duo/Group Performance, Best Melodic Rap Performance and Best Americana Performance. Of the 11 nominations she received, she won Best Album, Best Country Album and Best Country/Duo Group Performance. Beyoncé is the first Black artist to win Best Country Album, as well as the first Black woman of the 21st century to win Album of the Year.

Live performances throughout the night included Chappell Roan with her hit single “Pink Pony Club,” Sabrina Carpenter with her “Short n’ Sweet” medley and rap artist Doechii with a mashup from her album “Alligator Bites Never Heal.” Doechii received Best Rap Album of the Year, making her the third woman to ever win Best Rap Album at the Grammys.

After receiving the Grammy for Best New Artist, Chappell Roan’s acceptance speech called attention to social and economic issues that can often be overlooked in performance spaces. Many GVSU students found this call to action to be a refreshing moment of clarity, and a space to call for change among the lofty ceremony’s glamour and prestige.

For GVSU student Chloe Schram, Roan’s message was a highlight of the program.

“I feel really happy that Chappell Roan won Best New Artist (because) she definitely deserved it,” Schram said. “She has really important messages to share, not only about queer people and making them feel heard, but also about healthcare for artists and people.”

Despite the amount of records broken at the ceremony, the show seemed to lack interest from many music fans.

It turned out that the year’s “biggest night in music” decreased in audience size compared to previous ceremonies. There were roughly 15 million viewers during this year’s program– about two million less than last year. The most viewers the show has ever received was 39 million in 2012. Despite multiple record-breaking moments, the 2025 Grammys had the fourth least-viewed airing since the ceremony in 2000. The event’s lowest engagement was in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and garnered just less than 10 million viewers.

Other award shows have experienced this significant drop-off as well; the 2021 Oscar’s viewership resulted in less than half of what it had been in 2020. Since, the numbers have risen slowly but remain unsteady. Easy access to social media recaps of the Grammys beg the question: is there a point to watching the entire, multi-hour ceremony anymore?

Students Joey Hidenbach and Garek Pawlek both said they had little interest in watching the Grammys. Hidenbach said he was able to retain the most “worthy” award winners, nominees, snubs and performances on social media after the fact.

“Taylor Swift wore red (and) she won zero (awards),” Hidenbach said. “People are mad (that) Billie Eilish (was snubbed). I mean, I think that, too.”

Pawlek said he wasn’t knowledgeable about certain albums and songs that went on to win Grammys. He said this was the first year he hadn’t watched the show.

“I didn’t even know (Beyonce) released a country album,” Pawlek said.

Regardless of the viewership amount, listening to music is a popular pastime among students. There seems to be hope among students that award ceremonies in the future will reflect the outstanding performances and talents of everyone in the industry without refracting the accomplishments and glossing over others.

Data from the American Library Association‘s Office for Intellectual Freedom shows 414 attempts to censor library materials and services were tracked in 2024 between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31. Of those cases, 1,128 unique titles were challenged. 2023 statistics were more staggering, with bans affecting more than 4,000 unique titles. Many banned book authors write about their experiences coming from marginalized communities. People of color and LGBTQIA+ stories made up 47% of bans during the 2023-2024 school year.

Surprisingly enough, the top five most banned titles are quite mainstream, and many even have film or television adaptations. Titles such as “Looking for Alaska,” “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and “Thirteen Reasons Why” were some of the most frequently banned books throughout the 2023-2024 school year. “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe, “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson and “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson are also among the most banned at public libraries and community recreation centers. The latter three titles exclusively highlight LGBTQIA+ voices.

Since 1982, “Banned Books Week” has been celebrated by thousands of libraries and academic buildings across the country. Banned Books Week is celebrated at GVSU, with associated novels featured in library displays. According to Brody French, a student employee at the University’s library, Banned Books Week is designed to bring awareness to the content, erasure and liberation of banned media.

“We have banned books here in the library,” said French. “We do promote them, (and) we do a banned book display.”

French said the display is helpful in getting students’ attention about literary censorship.

”I don’t think people really know about it unless there is a display because I can’t say I’ve had many people come up to me (saying), ‘Where (are) your banned books at?’’ French added.

Jordyn Horton, the night coordinator of student employment at GVSU’s library, said the banned book display features several titles.

“I come up with a list of 15 to 20 books, and we’ll just create signage for it and send it out,” Horton said. “Usually it’s (the display) in the lobby so people can see it when they walk in.”

Horton said engagement from the GVSU community regarding banned books has increased.

“We’ve definitely incorporated more e-book (banned) titles into the display, especially because all students, staff (and) faculty have access to e-books and audio books,” Horton said. “It’s really nice that people have different ways they can engage with banned books”

Horton recommended PEN America and The American Library Association as two resources the library uses to find banned media. These sources can be used by anyone to locate current and accurate data regarding banned books in the United States.

A grant of $347,070 was awarded to GVSU to assist students facing financial hardship. Costs like textbooks, academic supplies, groceries, rent or mortgage payments, internet fees, technology, medical debt and childcare are all expenses the grant might support in some capacity. To University students worried about affording their expenses, additional financial support could be an invaluable gift.

Any student who already has used all other financial aid options, including loans, is eligible to apply. The University’s funds are awarded on a case by case, first come, first served basis. There is also a Special Circumstance Request Form on GVSU’s Financial Aid website that further explains support types that are not clear in the initial application.

Michelle Rhodes, the associate vice president for Financial Aid at GVSU, said students are invited to apply even if they aren’t sure they’d qualify. If students are unable to receive funds from this specific grant, they will be guided toward other resources. To those working in the University’s Office of Financial Aid, student success is the main objective.

“We encourage anyone who is struggling financially to reach out to (the Financial Aid Office) or to fill out a hardship request so we can get helpful information to them about how to cover their costs,” Rhodes said.

According to Rhodes, an application to the Office of Financial Aid is made into a “centralized request in order to make the process easier and more streamlined for students, so they can ‘apply’ for all of the funds we have at one time.” However, applicants should not expect an immediate response, as decisions and processing can take up to four weeks.

It seems the total of state grants awarded to GVSU have maintained upwards of $800,000 every year since 2017, according to annual Financial Aid Reports. This is about double the money on average the University received from the State 10 years ago. The 2015-2016 school year report totaled $433,790 in state grants, and $468,900 was garnered during the 2014-2015 school year.

Financial need and hardship is an unfortunate reality of student life. A national survey revealed 59% of students in 2025 consider dropping out of college because of financial stress.

Kailey Washburn is one of many full-time GVSU students to work multiple jobs. Washburn estimates she spent an average of 30 hours a week last semester working. Despite the struggle to balance full-time work with full-time student responsibilities, Washburn said she is considering picking up a third job. 

“I bought the smallest meal plan physically possible, but I live paycheck to paycheck, so even then, it’s kinda rough,” Washburn said. “It’s just so expensive for groceries, I would probably use (hardship grant funds) for that (buying food).”

Washburn said with classes scheduled every day of the week, she barely has enough time to complete assignments before her scheduled shifts. 

“With how much I have to work, yes (my student experience is impacted),” Washburn said. “Last semester, I was stressed all the time because I have to work. If I did get the grant, I would (decrease my work hours).” 

Like Washburn, many students are exerting effort to support themselves through the demands and challenges of higher education. Offering opportunities for support can change both a student’s educational and life experience.