Fees and paywalls can sometimes become an issue for accessing research. Some students have also found it difficult to access certain databases without special permission. GVSU’s libraries which include the Mary Idema Pew Library, the Steelcase Library, Frey Foundation Learning Commons and Seidman House use Open Access Week as a method of making those difficulties more approachable for students.

“Open Access is about removing barriers to knowledge in the ways we create, share and use information – especially financial barriers like textbook costs and subscription fees,” Matthew Ruen, GVSU’s Scholarly Communications Outreach Coordinator, said. “Open Access Week is an opportunity for us to celebrate Laker faculty, staff and students who help make more academic information available to more people than ever before.”

Many students aren’t aware of the library’s functions and what the library can do for students. While it’s a great environment to study, it also provides numerous resources such as the Knowledge Market and the Liaison Librarians to help students find the information they’re looking for. The library greatly prioritizes access to information and various resources. Ruen said the GVSU libraries spend “roughly $6 million a year to provide access to various academic articles, journals, databases, ebooks and everything else in our catalog.” 

Additionally, Open Access Week raises awareness of how to find specific resources like medical journals which can be otherwise difficult to obtain.   

“Open Access to research also has practical benefits for everyone,” Ruen said. “For example, it can take years for new medical research in subscription journals to reach healthcare professionals–but they (students) can find and adopt new ideas from Open Access research right away. We saw this in 2020:  many scientists studying COVID-19 used Open Access platforms to share genetic data and other early discoveries, and that allowed other researchers to develop and test vaccines faster than ever before.”

Various textbooks made by GVSU faculty are provided to students both online and for free through the repository program ScholarWorks@GVSU. ScholarWorks is a success story for Open Access Week, recording over 13 million downloads since its launch in 2008. Ruen said ScholarWorks reaches “learners and scholars in every country and on every continent in the world.” One example of faculty texts that are available through Open Access Week is “Active Calculus” by Matthew Boelkins, Lead Author and Editor Department of Mathematics at GVSU. 

The GVSU librarians say the library is a great place and resource to get information and research. They said the librarians are more than happy to step in and help answer inquiries. 

“From my perspective, the ultimate point of any university is to learn new things about the world and share what we learn,” Ruen said. “Open Access Week is a reminder that we have the technology to share our knowledge with a global community of learners, and a celebration of all the ways we are doing so.” 

Ottawa County has received national attention for the actions of the Ottawa Impact group, with multiple members holding positions on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners. These commissioners are in charge of making a multitude of changes to Ottawa County’s government and budget.

Ottawa Impact was formed in 2020 after a group of parents came together against a COVID-19 safety mandates including closing restaurants and mask enforcement.Their mission was to replace the county commissioners with individuals they believed would protect individual and parental rights. 

These parents grouped together with dozens of other individuals and formed the organization Ottawa Impact as a 501(c)(4), or social welfare organization, in early 2021. They claim their mission is to “preserve and protect the individual rights of the people in Ottawa County.” 

Zylstra, current Democrat Commissioner of Holland of five years, came to the meeting organized by the GVSU College Democrats to speak out about what’s happening in Ottawa County. He said there is a lack of respect among the board for those outside the Ottawa Impact group, the other commissioners frequently side with anti-LGBTQ motions and proposals like the “Resolution to Protect Childhood Innocence,” and said there is a general disregard for public health. Zylstra said the communication amongst the commissioners is often poor. 

“I was very optimistic the first two, three months. Then over the past four, five months, especially with budget season and what they discussed with public health, I find it very hard to really trust my colleagues,” Zylstra said. “This is a very bad place to be. It’s to the point now where I feel like we don’t really have a team.” 

With Ottawa Impact holding the majority within the Board of Commissioners, Zylstra said the majority is overpowering in discussions of policy.

“Four to five people run the agenda, and the rest of us are hanging on to the side of the car as it plows down the highway,” Zylstra said.

The GVSU College Democrats feel that Ottawa Impact is a “far-right” political group. Ryan Virsik, the co-president of GV Dems, said the group planned on winning the majority in the Board of Commissioners elections.

“Ottawa Impact is a far-right group that has funded a lot of candidates in 2022. Their main strategy was winning the primaries before winning the general election in November and gaining the huge majority of the Board of Commissioners,” Virsik said.

That strategy was successful. Ottawa Impact Members who won the election include current Board Chairperson Joe Moss, Vice-Chairperson Sylvia Rhodea, Gretchen Cosby, Roger Belknap and Allison Miedema. 

Zylstra and Distict 10 Commissioner Roger Bergman have been recalled from the board for advocating for LGBTQ rights.

“My personal situation is that I have been recalled, and there is a definite strain when it comes to LGBT issues. There was an incident here on campus with sexuality issues,” Zylstra said, referring to recent gay-rights protests at GVSU. “But there was a big issue with Grand Haven Pride. It was the first year they had pride. So public health tends to go to every event they can go to, they (Ottawa County Department of Public Health) did go to Pride in Grand Haven, and my colleagues did not like that. They did not like that Ottawa Public Health had a booth at pride.”

Public Health Departments of any city frequently have booths at events to encourage the spread of information regarding a variety of topics. Zylstra said the commissioners’ meeting in June was one of the most difficult he has endured. He said the things that were said and implied from their participation at Grand Haven Pride lead to other rhetoric and policies against the LGBTQ community were initiated. 

“Shortly thereafter, there was a Resolution to Protect Childhood Innocence. The substance of the resolution was ‘we do not want staff to attend events that sexualize children,’” Zylstra said.

This seems to be a common sentiment among many far-right individuals, especially during Pride Month. Many far-right individuals claim that LGBTQ individuals ‘groom’ children into becoming gay.  

“When obviously the resolution was very anti-LGBT in nature, it just didn’t say that. They say, ‘No, we’re not Anti-LGBT we just don’t want our department to go to events that sexualize children.’” Zylstra said.

Other Ottawa Impact concerns include the county commissioners’ proposals to cut the Ottawa County Department of Public Health’s budget in half. Immediately after being sworn in on Jan. 3, the Ottawa Impact majority eliminated the county’s Division of Inclusion and Equity (DEI) Department, fired the previous county administrator and replaced him with John Gibbs without holding a public interview and replaced the existing legal counsel with Kallman Legal group. These motions were not well-received.

The new commissioners also tried to demote the recently elected Administrative Health Officer, Adeline Hambley, to Interim Health Officer to replace her with Nate Kelly, who, Virsik said, is “vocally anti-vax” and “anti-mask.” Hambley has taken their attempt to demote her to court and has filed a case to stop the hearing where the Commissioners plan to discuss firing her.

Kelly’s qualifications have been called into question by both members of the community and the Board because Kelly does not have any Public Health Administrative experience. When Hambley spoke on this issue, the Commissioners reduced the health department’s budget by over 2 million dollars. In contrast, however, individuals like John Gibbs received a $30k raise, and the Kallman Law Firm was paid over $300,000 and will continue to be paid even if their services are dismissed. 

Zylstra said he is concerned over the direction that Ottawa County is going. He said he had had little to no communication with Chairperson Moss since January saying that he’s only received one one phone call because Moss “didn’t want to write a check to an LGBT group.” 

GVSU community members feel people in the area are reacting to the political challenges in Ottawa County in a way that could shape the future of the community through polls, policy or other actions.

“People want to fight for democracy. It’s not happening anywhere – it’s happening right here,” said Meegan Zickus, the faculty advisor for the GVSU College Democrats. “So when everyone looks at their aspirations and their futures and their jobs, this is where you want to be. Every place in the U.S. and the world is looking at Ottawa County.”

The recall against Zylstra is being appealed and citizens of Grand Haven are also collecting signatures to retract the recall of Bergman.

GLHC is a history-centered event hosted by GVSU at the downtown Grand Rapids campus from Oct. 5 to 7. The theme of this year’s conference was “Division and Reaction.” The event featured three keynote speakers and numerous historical panels held by GVSU faculty as well as guest contributors and attendees from universities across the nation.

Thompson, a Professor of History and African American Studies at UM, gave a presentation entitled “The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Why it Matters Today” based on her book “Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy.” She was awarded both the Pulitzer Prize and the Bancroft Prize among multiple other awards. The New York Times called the book, “a masterly account of the Attica prison uprising, its aftermath and the decades-long legal battles for justice and accountability.”

Through her presentation at GVSU’s Loosemore Auditorium, Thompson addressed the “broken U.S. criminal justice system” while walking the audience through the violent events of one of the most deadly prison uprisings in United States history: the Attica Prison Riots.

The Attica Prison Riots took place at the poorly maintained Attica Prison in upstate New York, in 1971. Inhumane living conditions and unjust treatment eventually led to an uprising that caused 39 inmate and hostage fatalities at the hands of law enforcement. 

Living conditions of Attica Prison frequently left prisoners sick and dying from sepsis, surviving on $0.63 of food a day, one roll of toilet paper a month and frequent mistreatment by the prison guards. Thompson said the state of the situation and the events of the riot are often overlooked. 

On Sept. 9, 1971, a door failed to lock and the prisoners took power of the facility. Thompson recounted the tension as the prisoners’ guards were taken as hostages and demanded of better representation, parole, religious freedoms, less censorship of mail and, eventually, amnesty for the prisoners.

Thompson said the prisoners had no intention of killing these hostages. Some prisoners were actually friends with the guards, finding common ground in the poor conditions in which the prison operated. When a helicopter flew over the prison on the fifth morning of the riot, the prisoners held out hope that New York Gov. and former Vice President Nelson Rockefeller would make an appearance to partake in negotiations, however, a second helicopter appeared and instead deployed tear gas. 

“If you know anything about tear gas, it isn’t a gas. It’s a powder. And it sticks to the mucus membranes of your eyes and goes down your throat,” Thompson said. 

The police stationed outside were untrained for riot control and stormed in with guns blazing. 39 people were killed; 10 correctional officers and 29 prisoners. The remaining prisoners were taken back into the prison, where they were refused medical care, forced to crawl over broken glass and suffered other cruel punishments.

Once perceived as a riot perpetuated by the prisoners, Thompson said the state of New York covered up the true events with the help of the federal government.

The story that was fed to the public was the prisoners killed the correctional officers, but autopsies later showed the correctional officers died from gunshots and not the knives the State of New York claimed the prisoners used to kill them. Thompson said these voices were too little, too late. It took decades for the prisoners to finally receive a $12 million settlement and have their names cleared. 

Thompson urged the audience to understand the importance of the prison riots and how they apply to our world today.

“Attica matters. At some moment in American history, we change what we believe is possible in our justice system,” Thompson said.

The events of Attica prison weren’t fully recognized, and are still frequently glazed over in history. Thompson said the way history is framed changes the way the events are perceived, which is why the Attica Prison Uprising is such an important piece of history.

“Historians see that the preponderance of violence in the 1960s was state violence. And somehow we came out of the 60s saying ‘we need to give the police more, not less power,’” Thompson said. “How does that happen? Well, it’s based on how we tell stories and if we tell the story wrong.” 

Because true events were concealed, victims of incidents like the Attica Prison Uprising went unheard and individuals were able to gain power from falsehoods. Thompson said this is why events like these matter, calling it a “very powerful story of how that happens.”

The other keynote addresses of the 2023 GLHC conference included Kevin Boyle, Ph. D., William Smith Mason Professor of American History at Northwestern University and Randal Maurice Jelks, Ph.D., Professor of African and African American Studies and American Studies at the University of Kansas, who also addressed political violence and injustice in American history.

Panel facilitators included the faculty of GVSU, the University of Olivet, Hope College, Aquinas College, the University of Michigan-Dearborn and Albion College.

With many elections up and coming in November, Thompson encouraged the audience to actively participate and do their part in political activism for criminal justice systems in the United States.

“Understand how the prison pipeline works in your community,” Thompson said. “Vote.”

A GVSU Sophomore, who requested anonymity to avoid embarrassment, was one of the students affected by the bed bug incidents in Niemeyer Living Center. They first noticed the bed bugs in their sheets on a Saturday, Sept. 9, put in a work order that weekend and emailed their living center director to follow up. However, with it being the weekend they did not get any responses until Monday.

“On Monday someone from housing services called me and set up a time to come to my apartment and check out the situation. On Wednesday we got the date for the exterminators to come,” the student said.

The exterminators would not come until Friday.

“There were no other rooms GV could put us in for that week until our room got treated, so I had to keep sleeping in my bed that had bed bugs in it,” the student said.

They then faced not only the discomfort of bed bug bites but also the discomfort of being displaced as GVSU Housing handled the situation.

“On Friday the exterminators did a heat treatment on the apartment from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and we had to be out of the room that whole time,” the student said. “The day we got our heat treatment it was just annoying having to get out of the room before any of our classes started and having to find places to rest between classes since we couldn’t go home.”

The student said they had to bag up their possessions and label the bag with their electronics to make sure that the exterminators would not accidentally heat treat them in the process. They said the stress of having bed bugs in their unit, on top of additional classes and commitments was a difficult experience.

Adam Tate, Facilities Manager for Housing and Residence Life at GVSU explained the procedure for any case of bed bugs found on campus is designed to be the least taxing for students as possible.

“When we do confirm treatment is necessary, we use a third-party pest control vendor to heat treat the unit. We have found this to be the most effective method to get rid of the issue, and it also does not require as much prep work from the student as other methods,” Tate said.

Oftentimes bed bug cases are reported as flea incidents first. Only 16 percent of bed bug cases are correctly identified. The issue is not uncommon with about 20 percent of U.S. homes and hotels experiencing the problem. Additionally, bed bugs can be present on college campuses, especially when so many students are moving in and out of a small area in a short amount of time.

“It’s not uncommon to have a couple (bed bug cases on campus) at the beginning of the year, and we typically only see four to five cases yearly,” Tate said. 

The start of the school year is especially common because people are coming from home or traveling. Traveling increases your risk of getting bed bugs, with 68 percent of bed bug cases being reported in hotels and motels. Some of the states with the most bed bugs include New York, California, Ohio, Florida, New Jersey and Maryland, so travel through or from these states can increase the risk for transmission. 

The reports of bed bugs being more common early in the school year can be attributed to the bed bug season lasting from June to October. Bed bugs can live up to nine months, though they hibernate in the winter.

Bed bugs burrow under or around mattresses and feed on human hosts at night. They bite people and then release antihistamines and anticoagulants so they can feed as long as possible. Their feeding duration spans from three to ten minutes. They’re even known to adapt to their host’s sleeping habits so they can maximize feeding periods. The bugs repopulate quickly and easily become a problem, living in mattresses and crevices and so forth, and are hard to identify.

There’s a common misconception that bed bugs are indicative of dirty environments. Bed bugs are not attracted to “dirt, decay, or decomposing materials” and are only attracted to blood.

If you suspect a case of bed bugs, please report it to your building’s manager or student services.

With September being Suicide Awareness Month, there are many efforts from a range of activists and organizations to raise awareness and open the conversation about mental health.

The Grand Rapids Out of the Darkness Community Walk on Sept. 17 was a proactive support walk to unite the Grand Rapids community and “acknowledge the ways in which suicide and mental health conditions have affected our lives and the lives of those we love and care about.” 

The “Out of the Darkness Walk” was a bustling event with hundreds of attendees and was full of mixed emotions. Many were glad to see each other and happy to not be alone. At the same time, many felt grief and shared tears, especially at the “Memory Wall” where people wrote the names of lost loved ones and even messages to them.

“Mommy, Daddy, and Ody love you forever,” said one heart. “Love you, miss you, Terena. I’m walking for you today,” said another. 

It was a solemn day, with many speakers getting up to recount stories and share poems they had written. However, there seemed to be an undertone of hope as people gathered to raise awareness and donate to a good cause. The Grand Rapids walk, organized by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, raised over $59,000 for suicide prevention resources.

Depression and mental health are personal battles many college students can identify with. According to a study done by the National Library of Medicine study, suicide is one of the leading causes of death for students in college.

Eric Brefka, the Marketing Coordinator for the Grand Rapids “Out of the Darkness Walk” and GVSU alum knows this fact too well. He graduated in GVSU’s class of 2013 and losing his friend Mike compelled his activism for mental health awareness.

“I had my former college roommate at GVSU lose a battle to suicide. It’s been a while but it’s still one of those things. I’m here because of him. I’m here to continue telling his story,” Brefka said. “Mike was my good friend, and I just want him to be remembered and show people that it’s okay to grieve these things and talk about these things. It doesn’t need to be stigmatized.” 

Brefka said while he did not take advantage of support resources at GVSU, he believes the campus community could have been doing more when he attended. 

“I never sought out services. I probably should have. I know Grand Valley has some things, but I feel like they could do better,” Brefka said. “Students (need to) know they have somewhere to go and someone to talk to. But it felt like something that was kind of pushed into a corner.”

Other students have shared different experiences at GVSU. Quiona Colter, a volunteer at the “Out of the Darkness Walk,” attended GVSU from 2017-2021 and majored in psychology. She attended during the COVID-19 pandemic and recounts it as being “intense.”

“I think Grand Valley did an amazing job of supporting their students and staff and made sure we practiced self-care,” Colter said. “They made sure we were safe and healthy. I can say, although it was an adjustment, Grand Valley did a good job of helping us get through that phase.” 

Brefka and Colter helped run the “Out of the Darkness Walk” on Sept. 17, coordinating a widespread effort to gather and commemorate those lost to suicide and celebrate those who have persisted in their personal fights against mental health. 

The GVSU “Lakers Keep Lakers Safe“ initiative urges students to report concerning behavior among fellow students. It isn’t just limited to mental health issues. Students are asked to report any substance misuse, sexual violence, a climate concern or even someone needing assistance with basic needs. 

Additional on-campus resources include the University Counseling Center (UCC) that has trained professionals available for one-on-one counseling, group counseling and other consultations. They also have emergency services in case someone is an immediate threat to themselves or others, coordinating with GVPD after hours. 

Many feel these resources are not doing enough. Students have expressed concern with the lack of acknowledgment of September’s Suicide Awareness Month on campus, expressing these programs rely on students to come forward and not putting the responsibility on administrators or faculty to take initiative. GVSU hasn’t shared anything on social media regarding Suicide Awareness Month, prompting some to believe there is a lack of discussion around suicide and how to prevent it in a college setting. 

If you are struggling with mental health or need to talk to someone, reach out to the GVSU’s UCC for resources. If someone on campus is an immediate threat to themselves or someone else, please call 9-1-1.

Miranda is a nationally recognized speaker who has spoken at numerous conferences at regional, national and international levels. As a daughter of immigrants, she finds it important to speak up for both the Latinx community and the first-generation student community.

One of the main talking points in Miranda’s speech was reimagining the future “that’s more inclusive” and with a greater “sense of belonging.”

To highlight Hispanic history and draw attention to the significance of Hispanic leadership, Miranda displayed prominent Hispanic figures, such as Cesar Chavez, a civil rights leader, Sonia Sotomayor and the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice. Using these and other prominent role models for the Latinx community, Miranda showed how various Latinx individuals paved the way for future community members.

Miranda spoke of how Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space and eventually the Deputy Director of the Johnson Space Center, paved the way for Jose M. Hernandez to eventually become an astronaut himself. As a child, Hernandez worked alongside his family on farms, harvesting crops and moving town from town. Thanks to figures like Ochoa, Hernandez was able to fight for representation and secure his place as an astronaut and eventually a place in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Miranda focused on the concept of “cultural wealth,” the personal and community resources an individual has beyond their income or financial wealth. From aspirational capital, such as pursuing an education for a better future, to resistance capital, such as how legal rights have been threatened, many students learned of the cultural wealth they possess and bring to universities like GVSU.  

“We are here and ready to lead this great country,” Miranda said of Latino and Hispanic students. “You always have a voice. You must open doors for others to follow.” 

Miranda looks forward to the future of Hispanic Heritage and how the Latinx community can progress and continue to flourish. She also addressed the current issues that continue to press the Latinx community and said Miranda the recent Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) ruling poses a threat to thousands of immigrants.

The Obama-era program, DACA, covers roughly 500,000 undocumented immigrants and provides them work authorization along with a shield against deportation. After, a Texas judge ruled the program illegal.

“While sympathetic to the predicament of DACA recipients and their families, this Court has expressed its concerns about the legality of the program for some time,” U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen stated in his ruling online. “The solution for these deficiencies lies with the legislature, not the executive or judicial branches. Congress, for any number of reasons, has decided not to pass DACA-like legislation.” 

It’s now up to the Supreme Court of the United States, with many judges appointed by former President Donald Trump whose policies were often against immigration, to rule whether or not DACA is legal. The SCOTUS ruling could cause the shield protecting hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants to be removed. 

According to the Center for Migration Studies (CMS), Hispanic immigrants make up the largest undocumented immigrant population in the U.S.

“I would say immigration, economics and access to quality education are the three top issues (for Hispanic communities),” Miranda said. “DACA was something that was introduced and never went fully forward. It was for the parents of the ‘Dreamers.’”

Miranda closed her keynote address with a note of unity for the audience to take with them. 

“Te lucha es mi lucha,” Miranda said. “Your struggle is my struggle.”

Additionally, GVSU’s Office of Multicultural Affairs has several resources and programs to support Hispanic students across campus and will host multiple events to celebrate students’ diverse heritage. 

Following the election of the new Student Body President Quinten Proctor, the Student Senate is primarily focused on the restructuring of the Student Senate body as they enter the 2023 fall semester.

Student Senate said the primary focus for this semester is to not concentrate on new legislation and issues, but to tackle internal tasks like restructuring following the election of Proctor and other roles on the senate.

“Generally, this semester will be spent working to set up a new and improved Student Senate for success in the future,” Proctor said.

The organization is still trying to fill unoccupied positions after many members left at the end of the winter semester last year. The senate closed applications on Sept. 8 and are anticipating over 30 applications to fill open spots. 

The Sept. 7 meeting began with electing Zuriel Johnson to be the Educational Affairs Vice President with no objections, then moved to ongoing senate projects, open positions and the restructuring plan for the year. 

Proctor said the senate has been “connecting with officials” over the past week and are in a “prep phase” for the new semester. Next week, Proctor anticipates that the restructuring process will officially begin. 

Proctor then moved into goals for the restructuring plan for fall 2023. Generally, the points of action the senators brought up included broadening representation, improving student perspective, increasing visibility, implementing the best possible practices and making the Student Senate experience more fun.

“The biggest challenge comes from the fact that there are not many returning senators from previous years, so we collectively have less experience than usual,” Proctor said. “This makes it somewhat difficult to get the ball rolling as I am still settling into my new position as president, and I’m also working on coaching our new cabinet members as they transition into their positions, while we also acquaint our brand new senators and eventually our new appointees with Student Senate.”

Additionally, after last year’s discussions surrounding funding and student wages, Proctor said he anticipates “taking a look at” internal senate budget. Proctor discussed a temporary stipend increase for the cabinet and a stipend increase for general senators. 

The senate stated they are not as focused on events this semester. The senate has temporarily paused external relations, removed guest speakers at the meetings for the semester and may reduce the timeframe of meetings. The senate does plan to keep the public comment section, though it was up for discussion in the future.

The senate hopes to create more time for restructuring by attending essential events and by not passing any new legislation this semester. Proctor said even though the senate would have less new legislation, he still maintains goals to continue with previous, ongoing legislation.

“I plan to continue working with the university on implementing legislation we’ve passed before, including our initiative on interfaith rooms on campus, as well as our initiative on student wages,” Proctor said.

Beyond restructuring, discussions centered voter engagement and other ongoing projects.

Student Senate finalized the 9/11 memorial event. Taking place 22 years ago, 9/11 is a solemn day of remembrance for the victims, survivors and first responders that experienced firsthand the terrorist attack that claimed over 2,000 American lives. GVSU intends to honor these individuals, as discussed by the Student Senate, with attendees placing American flags on the Kirkhof Center lawn to honor the victims and survivors of the tragedy.

The one of the oldest Polish Halls in America, Jackson Street Hall in Grand Rapids, Mich. is in dire need of renovations and restoration, facing major financial requirements that threaten the center’s operation.

Jackson Street Hall was built in 1888 as the Polish National Aid Society’s new home. The purpose was to assist incoming Polish immigrants with adjusting to their new lives in Grand Rapids. Additionally, the club was instrumental in constructing churches near the area and helping the community to prosper and grow. 

“The reason that the majority of these Halls went into place (was) when Polish immigrants came into this country,” said Michelle Kershner, the chairperson of the Pulaski Days Festival. “(Jackson Hall was) a place to go to be Polish, be with your friends and gather.” 

The Polish National Aid Society’s Polish clubs today don’t limit membership to Polish individuals, they are open to community members to join. 

“You do not have to be Polish to join. If you want to be part of an outstanding group that has and supports Polish roots, it’s time they open the doors,” Kershner said.

Polish cultural centers and halls were struck particularly hard by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kershner said the impacts of COVID-19 and the city’s construction on their street created a difficult combination of conditions that put Jackson Street Hall in a difficult position financially despite fundraising efforts.

“We did a lot of campaigns and pledging to save our Halls,” Kershner said. “Then on top of COVID, they had construction on that road for the past six months, the road was entirely shut down.”

Construction has been rampant in Grand Rapids, with the city spending around $28 million in street and sidewalk repairs in the past year. With the 2014 Vital Streets mileage passed almost 10 years ago, GR has completed construction on over 500 miles of street.

Jackson Street was no exception, yet the impact of this construction has reverberated in not just the street’s community, but the Polish community as a whole. 

“It’s just an accumulation,” Kershner said. “So when you don’t have money, how can you pay for the building? There’s just a lot of getting by.”  

Even with the struggle to preserve Jackson Street Hall, Polish culture continues to be celebrated in Grand Rapids. Pulaski Days is a celebration and festival where the Polish and non-Polish people come together to celebrate Poland’s traditions and customs. Taking place Oct. 6 through 8, the event aims to connect with the community and form friendships. 

Kershner frequently sits outside during Pulaski Days and welcomes people, watches eating contests and partakes in other festivities. 

The Pulaski Days Festival brings support for Jackson Street Hall and other Polish traditions. 

Participation and engagement with Jackson Hall and the Polish National Aid Society can help to keep the historical facility open to the public. Jackson Street Hall has many activities like pool and has special rates for students. Additionally, the public can attend the 2023 Pulaski Days to play games, enjoy the festival and participate in competitions.  

Aquifers are rocks that can transmit groundwater. Ottawa County’s aquifers are especially important in the preservation of its nature and the success of businesses as they use water that taps into these aquifers. However, in a comprehensive groundwater study, it was found that these aquifer levels are decreasing and sodium chloride levels are rising posing a problem to clean water. 

Ottawa County suggests residents should invest in making their lawns water-concise. According to the Ottawa County Planning and Performance Improvement Department, frequently watering your lawn can use over 40 tons of water during the summer, which dramatically reduces aquifer levels. Manicuring lawns can also stunt wildlife growth, especially for insects like bees which are already endangered. Rainscaping instead of manicuring, for instance, transforms lawns to recirculate rainwater which reduces rainwater runoff. 

Grand Valley State University has taken strides to be more environmentally conscious. Director of the Office of Sustainability Practices, Yumiko Jakobcic, Ph. D., is excited about renewed public interest in campus sustainability. She said GVSU has an array of efforts in place to be more environmentally friendly.

“The amount of water we use on campus has been reduced 72% per square foot over the past fifteen years,” Jakobcic said. 

GVSU utilizes the Storm Water Initiative, which aims create better practices regarding stormwater and stormwater run-off management. Implications related to poor run-off management include water quality degradation, groundwater recharge reduction and instability of the stream water. As the Ottawa County aquifer continues to deplete, it’s increasingly important to protect groundwater recharge.

“Some things that stand out to me are (GVSU’s) composting program and LEED-certified buildings,” said Vivian Gaskin, a GVSU senior and president of the GVSU Beekeepers Club. “To combat the bee crisis in particular, we maintain an apiary at the Sustainable Agriculture Project (SAP), our small farm located on Luce St. just south of campus.” 

Additionally, GVSU’s composting program puts food and other waste into fertilizer, while the LEED-certified buildings across campus utilize 30% less energy and in direct relation to the groundwater depletion crisis 40% less water.                                              

Not only is GVSU working to reduce the impact and strain on Ottawa County’s aquifer, GVSU is working to be more sustainable and improve the environment. They hope to combat the climate crisis in small but meaningful ways like composting, watering lawns less and being more environmentally conscious. 

According to an article written by the organization People for Bikes, Grand Rapids ranked 31 among Michigan cities regarding bike friendliness. This annual survey looks into how readily accessible important landmarks are via bicycling, such as hospitals and grocery stores. However, People for Bikes found that Grand Rapids falls short in this aspect.

This lack of accessible bicycle path can often drive up transportation costs for students. BestColleges estimates that per academic year, it can cost around $360 in gas expenses for students. This cost doesn’t even include individualized car payment plans, auto insurance and vehicle repairs.

There are also extra expenses college students must pay for such as parking passes. For the 2023-2024 academic school year at Grand Valley State University, a car pass for student commuters costs upwards of $480. As a resident at GVSU, it costs $420. The price of student parking fails to answer the logistical question; what if there isn’t enough parking available?

“I only parked there [non-permissible spots] if there weren’t any spots left,” said Olivia Carmody, a junior at GVSU majoring in Graphic Design. “Usually in student commuter parking lots, I’d park in because there weren’t as many spots as residents. I’m at Calder a lot and they changed a student commuter lot to faculty and Calder residents and that’s going to be an issue, especially if I have a project I need to carry.” 

Due to heavy parking traffic, parking violations on campus skyrocket. Chris Swank, manager of Parking, Transportation, and Services at GVSU, stated there were roughly 8,394 parking violations in the 2022-2023 academic year on the Allendale campus. Revenue gathered from these violations came in at $289,352. 

Roughly 15% of incoming students are student commuters. That equates to about 486 students commuting when calculated alongside Winter 2023’s 3,240 freshman class size. If those 486 students buy the current 2023-2024 parking pass, that results in GVSU receiving $233,280.  

Parking costs leave commuter students questioning if a parking pass is worth it, or if it would make more sense money-wise to live on campus.

“I definitely thought it was expensive. Definitely pricey. Definitely an ouch moment,” Carmody said. “I’d say going back from student commuter to resident is a little less (expensive). But still at the same time if I didn’t have to have my car to travel elsewhere on campus I wouldn’t, and I’d just use my bike.”

Many students utilize the campus parking system in conjunction with another form of transportation, like the LakerLine bus system, riding a bike or skateboarding to class.

Grand Rapids may not be bike friendly as other cities, however GVSU has made special allowances on campus to accommodate bike traffic. The campus features larger pathways divided into four sections: two way traffic for pedestrians and two way traffic for bicyclists. Additionally, GVSU has many bike racks outside most buildings. 

“I’d definitely say this is a very bike-friendly campus,” Carmody said. “Especially during summer, I’m gonna use my bike as much as possible.”