The merchandise was available before GVSU’s move-in week, so those traveling through the airport to the University had the opportunity to see GVSU represented and grab some gear before coming to campus. The Gerald R. Ford International Airport previously has sold gear from other universities in Michigan. To make the partnership happen, GVSU worked with several team members at the airport. 

“The airport itself was very open to adding GVSU to their lineup,” said the University’s Executive Associate for Public Affairs and Communications Sarah Abel.

Abel said those in charge of the project hope students or families traveling to West Michigan through the Gerald R. Ford Airport feel pride and excitement that the University is part of their experience.

“The benefits for the University in this situation are huge,” Abel said. “Now, when people arrive and depart from Gerald R. Ford International Airport, GVSU is represented as a flagship institution in the community. The partnership itself provides visibility to the college, and (is a) convenient way to shop and represent GVSU.”

Many in the GVSU community feel that gear sales are a milestone towards more recognition for the University, and will better represent a large demographic of the city in which the airport resides. Incoming freshman Lauren Palencik said she was excited about GVSU merchandise being sold at the airport. 

“It makes me feel like I go to a well-respected school,” Palencik said. “It’s great when a city can take pride in an academic institution within the area.” 

GVSU freshman Olivia Carlson said she will enjoy seeing merchandise representing her university at the airport. Carlson also thinks it is a great marketing opportunity for GVSU.

“I love that in Grand Rapids, our school is being promoted,” Carlson said. “Who doesn’t want some awesome GVSU merchandise?” 

GVSU is not only just branching out by selling gear at the airport. In March 2024, a new Laker Store opened up in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids next to Rosa Parks Circle. The store allows for more students on the Pew campus and GVSU fans in Grand Rapids to support the University.

The University had previously co-owned a downtown building, the Bicycle Factory, and had been utilizing the space for GVSU’s downtown operations office, Charter School Office and Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy since 2009. When GVSU’s offices in the building opened, the University only owned two floors. In August 2024, GVSU purchased the remainder of the building for over $5 million from the Bicycle Factory’s secondary owner as a part of the Blue Dot initiative.

The west side of the factory, the University’s most recent purchase, is made up of condos. According to Senior Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Ed Aboufadel, GVSU is considering turning the condos into student or staff housing.

“If you go back six months ago, we were having a bit of a housing crisis on campus,” Aboufadel said. “By owning the whole building, it gives us options.”

GVSU President Philomena Mantella created the Blue Dot initiative, which has received $30 million in federal funding through the support of Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The initiative, according to the GVSU website, is aimed to help facilitate “the intersection of technology, digital literacy and connections within the business community.”

The Blue Dot initiative encompassing the Bicycle Factory remodel also spreads to the Eberhard Center, which will soon hold the “Blue Dot Lab.” The official title of the lab is still in progress, but the bottom two levels of the Eberhard Center will be repurposed into tech labs, where GVSU students will learn digital literacy and other technology-based skills. According to Padnos College of Engineering (PCE) News, the facility will focus on subjects such as computer science, data science, business, computing and humanities. Over the next three years, the University will reconstruct parts of the building to add 175,000 square feet, and according to Aboufadel, the total cost for the lab will be around $80 million.

The Blue Dot Lab will consist of differing areas, including audio and video studios, fabrication labs, collision spaces, research labs and presentation spaces. It will also include places for students, professors and industry partners to collaborate. GVSU is partnering with the company Seamless, which will help the University connect with other businesses for future projects. In the past, Seamless has assisted GVSU students in finding internships. 

According to the PCE News, the Blue Dot Lab has three primary goals. The first goal is to enhance GVSU students’ digital skills so that they can be successful in their future careers. The second goal is to increase the number of graduates with majors in technical, computing, data and AI-related fields. The last goal is to foster collaboration between GVSU, startups, entrepreneurs and corporate partners. 

“There are places for people to see what others are doing and to be seen by others,” reported GVSU’s capital outlay proposal. “This will build a community of innovation that gives GVSU students an advantage in their future pursuits.”

Resources from the Blue Dot Lab will be integrated into professors’ coursework to ensure every student graduates with a basic understanding of digital literacy. Because there is a growing demand for tech-savvy employees, the Blue Dot Lab will aim to educate students on essential tech skills regardless of their major. According to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan ranked tenth nationally for total STEM degree completions in 2017.  Companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Google have and are investing in Michigan for its high concentrations of engineering talent. 

“If there’s going to be a lot more technology companies here in West Michigan, they need talent, they need people who’ve learned something about technology,” said Aboufadel. 

The Right Place is an organization dedicated to growing the economy in West Michigan. One of their strategies is to make West Michigan a prominent tech hub in the Midwest, creating 20,000 new tech jobs over the next 10 years. GVSU would like to be a part of the Right Place plan and aid their efforts by bringing high tech enterprises to the area, according to Aboufadel.

Mostafa El-Said, a professor of computing at GVSU, said computer skills are critical for students’ future successes.

“Most employers now expect some level of computer proficiency, ranging from basic office software to specialized technical skills, new tools for solving complex problems and innovative solutions,” said El-Said.

According to El-Said, computer skills empower students to contribute to content creation instead of simply being technology consumers.

“By fostering these skills through initiatives like the Blue Dot Lab at the Pew Campus, we are actively equipping our students with the tools and techniques they need to succeed in the digital age,” said El-Said. “These initiatives ensure our students are better prepared for future demands.”

Since first receiving the title of America’s best “beer city” in a nationwide poll in 2013, Grand Rapids has been on a winning streak, securing an array of ale accolades. 

“This is a strong testament to our community’s breweries who consistently pour their passion and extraordinary craftsmanship into the work they do for our local community and visitors,” remarked Doug Small, the president and CEO of Experience Grand Rapids, in a press release celebrating the city’s award from USA Today.

With more than 40 craft breweries scattered within a 30-minute drive, the city offers beer enthusiasts a large selection of craft beers. Each brewery boasts a distinct lineup of brews and experiences. 

But what is “craft” beer and what has led to Grand Rapids having so many craft breweries? 

“We tend to think of craft beer as smaller (in distribution), but also making unusual beers—something that does not taste like Bud Light or Miller Lite.”  said Professor Mark Staves, who teaches CMB 350, Foundations of Brewing at Grand Valley State University. “The real definition is how much beer they produce.”

Grand Rapids’ strong concentration of breweries is complemented by an extensive calendar of festivals, events and promotions that pay homage to the city’s vibrant beer culture. Future events include the Cinco De Mayo Pub Crawl, the Spring Fling Bar Crawl or the August Ale Trail Pub Crawl.

“There are all kinds of beer festivals in town. The city has really grabbed onto that, and they market Grand Rapids as a destination for beer tasting,” Staves said. “The city is promoting it, and the people in West Michigan really like their beer.” 

Integral to the city’s impressive accolades and promotional campaigns is Experience Grand Rapids, the premier Destination Marketing Organization for Grand Rapids. Experience Grand Rapids has a collection of promotions dedicated to the area’s culinary delights. 

Promotional campaigns from the organization include the documentary series “Beer City, USA,” and the Beer City Ale Trail, which maps the various must-try breweries throughout the city. The Ale Trail includes breweries, meaderies, wineries and cideries which collectively make Grand Rapids the craft beer capital of the USA. 

Campaigns undertaken by Experience Grand Rapids appear to be having a significant effect on the city’s market for culinary tourism. Last year, Grand Rapids garnered recognition from WalletHub, a personal finance website, earning a notable position of No. 24 among the “Best Foodie Cities in America.”  

The rise of the craft brewery industry in Grand Rapids is relatively recent. In 1996, there was not a single brewery in the Grand Rapids area. Beer tourism now accounts for a $38.5 million regional economic impact to the greater Grand Rapids area, supplies nearly 400 jobs and over 9 million dollars in earnings, according to Experience Grand Rapids.

With over 40 breweries and bars, there is no limit to the experiences available to the plethora of college students, younger crowds and people visiting the city. 

The city boasts a variety of atmospheres available at the various breweries, from club-style experiences to the more intimate and relaxed.

“There’s a lot of live music, most of (the bars) are ‘dance-floor-esque,’” said Alyse Cross, a senior student at Grand Valley State University. 

With the Pew Campus in Grand Rapids and the Allendale Campus 20 minutes away, many of-age GVSU students partake in the city’s nightlife scene, making it a big part of many peoples’ college experience. Cross said the selection of bars, pubs, clubs and breweries in Grand Rapids has something for everyone.

The city has tried to rectify the issue by building more homes, including multifamily units as well as new apartment complexes. But the price of rent as well as the high cost of living have made this goal elusive.

According to a 2022 Housing Needs Assessment, Kent County needs 35,000 more housing units than it currently has. While the need continues to grow, the city also requires different types of housing for students and citizens with their own budget restrictions and economic situations. This means the demand for housing includes thousands of rental units, for-sale homes and multifamily options as well.

Paul Isley, the Associate Dean and Professor of Economics for Grand Valley State University’s Seidman College of Business, believes this target goal is reachable, even if it might be a difficult goal to obtain.

“It depends on whether it’s feasible politically and where we want to put them,” Isley said.

One solution to the cost problem seems to be the recent trend of multi-family and duplex homes in the Grand Rapids area. 

“Here in Kent County, what we’ve seen is a massive increase in multifamily housing,” said Isley. “In 2010, the majority of what was being built was single-family. The majority of what we’re building now is multifamily in the Grand Rapids metropolitan statistical area.”

For Isley, this offers a unique benefit in both cost and speed of construction. Multi-family homes have been popular amongst Grand Rapids residents who either can’t afford the high cost of a single-family home or do not want to spend the money given high-interest rates and the extraordinary competition in bidding for sale.

“Part of what we need to do to keep up with demand is continue with multi-family homes,” said Isley. “It’s hard to build single-family fast enough and it’s hard to do single-family homes cheap enough.”

Isley is optimistic because multi-family homes still offer the buyer ownership, though the majority of these properties offer a more attainable opportunity for renters because they don’t require a massive downpayment. 

“We have more people in their 30s in Kent County than over the age of 65,” said Isley. “A lot of those people have been trying to get into a single-family and they can’t. It’s either been too expensive or they have been bidding against ten other people and they can’t get in.”

This latter difficulty, namely the competition in bidding, often forces students and young people to pay more money than they normally would simply for the opportunity to have a place to live. While this is good for the housing market in one sense as it increases the values of homes, it is decidedly less positive for the students and young people who are purchasing them, especially if they’ve just graduated college and likely are bringing a fair amount of student debt into their new living situation as well.

“This age group is now looking for townhouses or trying to find an apartment that is better than what they have,” Isley said. “They might go from a one-bedroom to a three-bedroom trying to feel like they are growing up and feel like they are going someplace.”

This need for constant improvement pushes some homebuyers into an untenable situation economically. The 2022 Housing Needs Assesment found that 38% of households in Michigan struggle to afford necessities. In addition, it showed that more than half of renters are spending more than 30% of their income on housing. 

“The normal assumption is that 30% is fine, (but) you do not want to be above 30%,” said Isley. “The trick is when you look at it versus income, what you need to buy a house has gone above that 30%, then we say that it is no longer affordable to do it.”

However, as incomes remain the same, housing prices continue to rise. This disparity means that people making the same amount they did last year are going to have less buying power in 2024, especially as it relates to housing. Isley said these income numbers don’t include government subsidies, many of which are available to folks whose income is below a certain threshold.

Additionally, Isley believes realtors and sellers can improve the diversity of their communities by essentially selling their properties blindly and just going with the highest offer. This has not always been the case, as redlining and selective selling have kept certain areas the same for many decades.

“The last time I sold a house, I had no idea who was buying it,” Isley said. “We were just told their offers and got to decide between their offers. We didn’t know who the human being was until we actually got to sign the documents.”

Isley believes the housing market can trend in the right direction if the law of supply and demand is followed. For most students and first-time home buyers, the market is still a perilous place. Only time will tell if Grand Rapids can meet the needs of its remarkably young population.

“We’ve done a good job of adding a lot of housing very quickly here in the Grand Rapids area,” Isley said. “Once you’ve done that, you can start to see its effect on things and you can start to see if that 35,000 number is right.” 

With one of the youngest populations in the nation, the Grand Rapids area suffers from high rent and living costs. 

Paul Isley, the Associate Dean of the Seidman College of Business, is still optimistic that a young student can afford housing in Kent County, albeit only under certain conditions.

“It is still feasible here in the Midwest,” Isley said. “And it might be that they need to not look in their favorite place. They should be looking at a more rural area farther from the city center.”

Kent County’s unique problem is a higher representation of younger people than most other counties in the country. This leads to a high demand for housing with a relatively low supply. 

“Kent County is unique in that we have more people in their 30s than over the age of 65,” Isley said. “That’s not the case for the United States, and that’s not the case for Michigan.”

For the millennial generation, many people are reaching the age and time when they are ready to start looking for a more permanent living situation. Isley believes that this, coupled with high-interest rates, which don’t seem to be coming down anytime soon, is the crux of the problem.

“Millennials are reaching that point in their lives where they want to buy a house,” Isley said. “So that’s creating some upward pressure. We have less supply of housing because as the interest rate went up, the current occupants can’t even sell their homes if they wanted to.”

Given the upcoming presidential election, the economy under the current administration is especially visible. Many citizens may be optimistic that a change in office would signal a more positive direction for the housing market. Isley believes otherwise.

“I don’t believe elections have a lot of effects on the economy,” Isley said. “Consumers and businesses affect the economy.”

As far as what the government can do to alleviate this issue in Kent County, Isley believes there are several crucial things to keep in mind.

“So, the real issue right now is we need more housing available of the type that a student would want to live in,” Isley said. “We have restricted geographic locations on where that can be, and we have alternative uses for that land that might provide a better return, so it’s a little bit complicated.”

The high quality of new apartments being built in Kent County has led to a runaway price increase in rent, but Isley thinks adjusting the quality of these places may be a good first step in allowing students to comfortably afford rent.

“There are a lot of attempts right now to get non-market-rated things going,” Isley said. “This will help alleviate competition for that level, and that will make things better off.”

Still, Isley said he believes the Grand Rapids area’s concentrated youth populations are a positive sign, and things might change soon.

“Remember, it’s really, really good that we’re healthy, and we have lots of young people here,” Isley said. “Those millennials are starting to get older, and now the Generation Z group will start buying houses, and as that starts to happen, it will start to take some pressure off housing prices.”

Isley believes post-election is a more realistic timeframe to see real change in the housing market but also thinks it is just a natural consequence of certain generations getting older and making bigger decisions.

“In the next five years, we expect to see a little more weakness on the bottom end of the market and that could be very helpful to students,” Isley said.

In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that overturned the federal protection of nationwide abortion access college students across the country have attended political demonstrations, signed petitions or used their platforms to voice their opinions regarding the matter.

Regardless of whether individuals found themselves mourning or celebrating the decision, many Americans found themselves experiencing a renewed sense of political activism.

Grand Valley State University’s student groups in support of and against abortion rights are no exception. Although the university has not released an official position on the matter, this has not stopped groups on campus from advocating for either side of the issue.

To read more of Grace Smith’s coverage of the overturning of Roe V. Wade, click here.

GV commuters cite growing concerns with overcrowding, wait times on Laker Line

This fall, Allendale and Grand Rapids have been buzzing with conversations about concerns regarding Grand Valley State University’s transportation system.

High prices of on-campus parking and the frequent distribution of parking violations have dissuaded students from investing in on-campus parking passes. As a result, many students rely on GVSU’s bussing system as their primary means of transportation.

The growing number of concerns being raised by students regarding the bussing systems have centered around overcrowded buses running late or less frequently than the years before.

To read more of Grace Smith’s coverage of the GVSU’s transportation system, click here.

GV alum reflects on vintage scene following recent business opening

In December 2019, Austyn Daggett graduated from Grand Valley State University’s Seidman College of Business with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Three years later, he celebrated the grand opening of Betteraged, his vintage clothing shop near Grand Rapids’ Eastown district, joined by hundreds of eager customers.

Daggett, 26, said that he had dreamed of opening his own shop for the last five years.

“When I was in school, I would tell my professors about the idea. They would say stuff like ‘You know, online shopping is the new thing,’ or that a physical location would just die out. In the back of my head, I’m thinking, ‘I’m still going to open up a shop – no matter what.’”

To read more of Jacob Kirn’s coverage of  Daggett’s business, click here.

Inspired by legislation introduced by Grand Valley State University’s Student Senate as well as conversations among friends and peers, GVSU’s Young Democratic Socialists for America (YDSA) chapter launched a petition to raise wages for student employees.

The petition calls on the GVSU Board of Trustees to “increase student wages per department, remove the current wage rate classification system” and conduct a labor market analysis to “determine the floor of student wages.”

In addition to collecting signatures, the petition calls on students to email the GVSU Board of Trustees with their demands.

To read more of Audrey Whitaker’s coverage of the student wage petition, click here.

Shooting, stabbing at GV area apartment complexes continue semester-long violent crime trend

Following a string of violent criminal activity at apartment complexes in the Allendale area, students and residents encountered another incident in the early hours of Sunday morning, Oct. 29.

Around 2:45 a.m., reports of a stabbing at 48 West Apartments came through to which Ottawa County deputies responded while on patrol.

The victim of the stabbing was not on the scene at the time of law enforcement’s arrival, but many vehicles were seen exiting the apartment complex.

To read more of Emma Armijo’s coverage of off-campus violence, click here.

Blue Wave: Democrats sweep Michigan offices in history-defying midterms

Multitudes of electoral polls in the run-up to Nov. 8’s midterm elections signaled what was expected to be what many referred to as a “red wave” that would usher the Republican Party into wide margins of control on Capitol Hill and ensure comfortable victories in key races throughout the country. With a floundering national economy, dismal approval ratings for President Joe Biden and historical precedent that routinely spells danger for the party whose president is experiencing their first midterm elections in the White House, such large Republican gains were projected as all but certain.

However, the opposite proved to be true in the battleground state of Michigan, where Election Day saw Democrats sweep offices across the state.

A number of critical victories granted the Democratic Party control of not only the three statewide elected offices of governor, secretary of state and attorney general, but also majorities in both the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate.

To read more of Josh Alburtus’s coverage of election results in Michigan, click here.

GV hosts event promoting discussion of intersectional feminism

On Nov. 15, Grand Valley State University hosted a Talk Back Tuesday event in the university’s Kirkhof Center, with speakers Shayna Akanke Marie and Mariah Arnold leading discussions about intersectional feminism.

The event welcomed people of all genders and backgrounds to join the conversation, and each person was encouraged to share their experiences.

The speakers began the discussion by introducing themselves and sharing information about their experiences. They also introduced their podcast, “You Reachin,” to the group.

To read more of Chloe Schram’s coverage of the intersectional feminism discussion, click here.

GV students respond to Ottawa County’s conservative changes

On Jan. 3, the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners made several changes to the county’s leadership and implemented conservative messaging. Some of their initial actions include dissolving the county’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and changing their motto from “Where You Belong” to “Where Freedom Rings.”

Eight of the 11 commissioners are backed by Ottawa Impact, a conservative political action committee that has been campaigning for these changes for two years.

The newly-elected board members also voted to immediately replace multiple administrative leaders, such as the county’s top leader and health official. Ottawa County Administrator John Shay was fired and replaced by John Gibbs, who is the former acting assistant secretary under Donald Trump’s administration.

To read more of  Payton Brazzil’s coverage of Ottawa County Board of Commissioners, click here.

GV alumna becomes first Black woman to serve on MI Supreme Court

Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed Grand Valley State University alumni Kyra Harris Bolden to the Michigan Supreme Court, making her the first Black woman, and one of the youngest, to serve on Michigan’s highest court.

Bolden graduated from GVSU in 2010, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in English.

Bolden said after touring the university, learning about smaller class sizes and eating a taco bowl from Fresh, her decision was made.

To read more of Payton Brazzil’s coverage of Kyra Harris Bolden, click here.

Vigil, rally held at GV following shooting at MSU

Following a shooting at Michigan State University that killed three students and left five in critical condition, students across the state have responded with displays of support for MSU students and calls for gun reform.

As Grand Valley State University president Philomena Mantella said in a statement, many in the GVSU community were impacted by the “horrific violence” at MSU as “terror was inflicted upon” friends, loved ones and relatives.

In the week following the tragedy, GVSU students organized both a vigil in honor of the victims and a rally for legislative action against gun violence.

To read more of Audrey Whitaker’s coverage of the vigil held for MSU, click here.

GV professor creates microscope to help understand complex concepts

Joshua Veazey, an assistant professor of physics at Grand Valley State University, has developed a microscope that can help students better understand concepts in physical science.

Veazey designed the prototype of the microscope with his students. The idea of the project was to give students a better understanding of atomic particles. He hoped the microscope would give them a more practical, physical representation versus the traditional graphs and abstract representations.

The microscope helps students understand the idea of quantum tunneling, the phenomenon of an electron passing through a traditional energy barrier.

To read more of Joseph Poulos’s coverage of Veazey and student’s microscope project, click here.

GV holds safety briefing following shooting at MSU

The heads of emergency response of Grand Valley State University’s Department of Public Safety met with GVSU President Philomena Mantella over Zoom on Feb. 23 to review the university’s safety response plans.

Following the shooting at Michigan State University, staff and students alike have felt sadness, unease and grief for those affected by the tragedy. Many feel the university should increase preventative measures and have plans in place to promote security on campus.

The safety briefings were open to all GVSU community members. Originally scheduled for two in-person meetings on the Allendale and Pew campuses, the safety briefings were instead held on Zoom and Youtube Live due to the university’s remote status following inclement winter weather.

To read more of Emma Armijo’s coverage of GV’s safety briefing, click here.

GV Board of Trustees meets for first time in 2023

On Feb. 24, Grand Valley State University’s Board of Trustees (BOT), the body responsible for the governing and management of GVSU, held its first meeting of 2023.

The meeting covered student employee wage concerns and ideas for improvements for the GVSU campus called the “Campus Master Plan” which outlines potential changes for both the Allendale and Pew campuses.

Board of Trustees Vice Chair and member of the Finance and Audit Committee, Elizabeth Emmitt,detailed the “Campus Master Plan.” Emmitt said the plan reflects the university’s goals and provides a roadmap for its capital resources and any efforts in the future.

To read more of Jack Blake and Elizabeth Schanz’s coverage of the GVSU Board of Trustee meeting, click here.

GV faces backlash for graduation celebrations, officials respond

National news outlets including Fox News and the New York Post accused Grand Valley State University of “segregating graduation ceremonies by race.” These claims were sparked by conservative political commentator Matt Walsh.

Host of “The Matt Walsh Podcast” and columnist for The Daily Wire, Walsh said in a tweet that GVSU was “holding five segregated graduation celebrations, singling out Asian, black, LGBT, Hispanic and Native American graduates. There will be no special celebrations for straight white people, of course.”

GVSU officials said the ceremonies are a supplemental way to celebrate graduation outside of the commencement for the entire school. The university and students feel the claims and attention from national outlets undermine the purpose of the graduation celebrations.

To read more of Elizabeth Schanz’s coverage of the GVSU graduation celebrations, click here.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the drugs are believed to have been manufactured in Mexico and the amount of fentanyl found was enough to provide a deadly dose to nearly everyone in Michigan. 

While the opioid crisis has not been extremely prevalent in Grand Rapids, as only 158 Kent County residents have died due to opioid overdose from January 2021 to December 2022, some professionals believe the danger of opioids and drugs pose a threat to West Michigan. 

Andrea Smith, the assistant director of Alcohol and Other Drug Services (AOD) at Grand Valley State University, said the opioid crisis may be inevitable for West Michigan.

“I don’t want to sound alarmist or like ‘Chicken Little,’ but I think it’s coming,” Smith said. “I think that what a lot of people that sell illicit substances are learning is that fentanyl is very inexpensive, and if you can get a hold of fentanyl, and you can add it to your substances, it makes them last longer. It tends to make people more addicted quicker.” 

Smith works with AOD to provide students with information and counseling related to substance use. She said the recent confiscation of fentanyl might not directly affect many students, but could still have an impact on them. 

“We don’t have a huge population of students on campus that use illicit substances,” Smith said. “But we may have a lot of students on campus who have friends or family that use illicit substances. So in the larger scheme, there’s a lot of students that could be impacted by fentanyl and find it fentanyl in the illicit substances that they’re using.”

Although AOD doesn’t currently have presentations on illicit substances, Smith said she wants to add education on street drugs and the risks of fentanyl mixed in with street drugs. 

GVSU student Abby Haney has worked in mental health and substance abuse assistance. She said the amount of fentanyl discovered was alarming and could potentially lead to future issues. 

“After learning how much fentanyl was found and that it’s so close to where I live is terrifying,” Haney said. “Even though it might not be that big of a deal right now in Grand Rapids, looking at other cities that have an opioid crisis, it’s hard not to be afraid that it could be coming here, too.” 

Haney said she thinks there should be more education on the effects of substance abuse and how dangerous these substances can be. 

“Opioids, just in general, which are highly addictive, and you can overdose on them very easily,” Smith said. “Fentanyl is even more so. It takes a very small amount. I think that’s why everyone is so scared, as they should be of it, because it doesn’t take as much so even if it’s in something that you’re using, it could still affect you.” 

Smith explained that testing for fentanyl is extremely important to accurately track fentanyl use in the area, even when it can be difficult to track drug sales.  

“It’s kind of hard to stop the spread of it (fentanyl or other drugs) or the sale,” Smith said. ”I mean, I think that they stumbled upon this particular drug bust in a way that I don’t think that they expected to.” 

Smith said in order to prevent the spread, Kent County officials should act as if the crisis is already here and work accordingly to prevent danger.

All students who will be attending upcoming winter or summer commencement ceremonies are invited to attend the event. The event has been sponsored by Alumni Relations since 2013 and provides seniors with a chance to celebrate their pending graduation with President Philomena Mantella.

“Toast to the Class of 2023 is a celebration of your journey as a student, your graduation and what it means to be a Laker for a Lifetime,” said Alumni Relations Assistant Director of Events and Volunteer Management Ashlyn Leavitt. “Students will enjoy music, photo opportunities, dessert, sparkling punch and a glass of champagne (or a non-alcoholic variety), before raising their glasses to Toast the Class of 2023.” 

Alongside remarks from Mantella, GVSU Alumna and Alumni Relations Board of Directors Member KJ Tucker will speak at the event.

The toast is part of a series of additional complementary commencement events held by various groups across campus. The events are designated to be smaller, more intimate celebrations of graduates from student organizations and similar organizations. 

Leavitt said turnout is looking promising for the Taste event. 

“It seems like students are excited about the return of the event,” Leavitt said. “Our goal was to have 500 students participate this year and we have already surpassed that.” 

The Toast event was originally called “Toast with T-Haas,” after the then GVSU President Thomas J. Haas. In its inaugural year, roughly 120 students attended the event. By the next year, the number of attendees doubled and has only increased since. 

“I’m so proud to represent the GVSU Lakers within the community, state and across the nation,” Haas said during the inaugural toast. “When I come back to GVSU, I come back to family.”

The Alumni Office aims to make this event a way to celebrate students’ time at GVSU and transition them into the future as alumni. Currently, the alumni network consists of around 138,000 graduates.

The event aims to culminate the “L3” commitment: Laker Lifetime Learning. This principle outlines the university’s statement of commitment to creating a network of resources and support for students from the day of their admittance to GVSU and post-graduation. 

Overall, the event acts as a send-off for seniors before they walk across the commencement stage in the next few weeks. For some, commencement will mark an entrance into the workforce while for others a stepping stone to the next phase of their education.

For those interested in attending the event, Alumni relations request that all attendees RSVP by April 10. A valid state I.D. is required for event attendance. 

On March 20, a wall in the building collapsed, making it impossible to carry on with normal recycling as scheduled. The facility closed for three days and sent items to an incinerator. The center reopened on March 24 and since has returned to normal operation.

In a press release, the Department of Public Works said the damage to the building occurred “when bales of cardboard recycling built up and pushed through the building’s sidewall, damaging the exterior wall and a roof support beam.” No one was injured in the incident. 

In 2017, the Recycling and Education Center managed 58 million pounds of recyclables and is central for much of the recycling in the surrounding area. 

While Grand Valley State University’s Office of Sustainability Practices is responsible for all recycling, efficiency and resource-related operations on campus, the waste that comes from the campus is ultimately sent to the Kent County facility.

GVSU promotes sustainability as one of the university’s core values. They aim to use resources in “a manner that allows us to thrive without infringing on the ability of future generations to do the same” and “promote economic vitality, environmental conservation and social equality.”

“Of course it’s disappointing to see recycling facilities affected in this way, but I appreciate that they worked so diligently to get things back up and running, and that they did their best to keep the recycling out of the landfill,” said Dan Hylen, a facilities manager at GVSU. 

Hylen said after the announcement that the facility was closing, a meeting within the Office of Sustainability was scheduled to create a plan going forward. 

Recycling is a major part of the facilities services offered at GVSU. Hylen said certain plastics, certain types of glass, cans (excluding aerosol), batteries, cardboard and paper are all recyclable. 

Office of Sustainability’s website lists guidelines to understand how to sort different types of waste so that it is it taken care of properly during the recycling or disposal process. Waste at GVSU is sorted into three categories: compost, recycling and landfill.

Compost consists largely of any time of organic material such as plant material or egg shells. The benefit of composting is primarily to improve soil structure which can help with water retention and aeration.Waste such as wrappers, bags and rubber cannot be recycled and are sent to landfills.

Recycling bins are located throughout almost every building on the GVSU campus and can be utilized as long as the waste fits one of the available categories. 

Key features of the speech included plans to better the city of Grand Rapids based on certain criteria including police brutality, local tourism and housing.

“From policing to housing to our local economy and our environment, we are genuinely working to address root causes of issues that have simmered under the surface for generations,” Bliss said. “Now we’re not doing it by hastily pushing top-down solutions. We are working to build from the bottom up – our community coming together, shaping real solutions that actually work in our local context.”

Bliss was optimistic about the union contract approved in December with the Grand Rapids Police Department and said the new agreements make it harder for officers to conceal past incidents of misconduct.

Nikolas Tompkins, a secondary education major at GVSU, agreed with Bliss’ assessment that the previous conduct of police officers should be on the record and be available to view.

“I believe that the more transparency within the police department the better,” Tompkins said. “While many officers have equipment that helps with keeping their activity transparent (such as body cams), these things are not always in use or are intentionally removed to perform unethical tasks.”

Matthew Mauren, a general business major at GVSU, said accountability is what helps keep officers honest and prevent unnecessary hardship in the community.

“I think that police officers need to be held more accountable so that people have more faith in our police force,” Mauren said. “That puts the police in the best position to do their jobs correctly.”

Bliss announced that a small number of GRPD officers have started taking mental health professionals on calls with them. This change comes as an effort to de-escalate potentially violent interactions.

Even with these changes, Tompkins said he feels there are other ways to improve how the police force engages with the diverse communities they serve.

“Officers should also have to partake in implicit bias testing to determine the amount of unintentional or intentional bias they may have towards various groups,” Tompkins said. “If these tests show that they have too much negative bias they should either not be allowed to serve or they should receive training towards adjusting these biases.” 

Additionally, Bliss discussed housing and how she would like to continue to see the city grow. Bliss said there’s an explicit need for more housing – both affordable and market rate. The mayor also mentioned the net benefit both from the growth of Grand Rapids and West Michigan.

Earlier this year, a study concluded that the city needs 14,000 new units of housing by 2027 to keep up with the burgeoning population growth, with an additional 20,800 additional homes needed in the county and surrounding areas.

Tompkins is looking forward to seeing the city continue to grow.

“I believe that population growth is good for residents,” Tompkins said. “When the population increases there are countless other factors that increase as well. The most notable being tax revenue, while most people don’t enjoy paying taxes, there are a lot of benefits that come to the city as a whole, such as better roads, education, public transportation and other public services.”

Similarly, Mauren was excited about potential growth, but believes a deeper dive may be needed in order to decide the benefits this could have for Grand Rapids.

“I think that a city’s growth can be seen as a relatively good thing to have, but I would be interested in looking into more statistics than just housing,” Mauren said.

Bliss seemed to agree with Mauren, pointing out that it’s not as simple as coming up with vague numbers and ideas. Bliss had said that both city officials and residents must have realistic expectations and find ways to get projects done. 

“The city does not build housing,” Bliss said. “We need our private and nonprofit home developers, many who are in the room tonight. We need to work with them closely.” 

Mauren said although increased housing and population growth is typically a good thing, it’s something that will need to be continually monitored by the city. He also said higher incomes and more job opportunities could be beneficial for growth. 

Bliss said one of her goals had been to restore the Whitewater Rapids on the Grand River near the downtown area. She said preserving natural areas can add to the scenery of the city and provide potential tourism revenue.

This objective will require a new plan and agreement to be in place in order for funding to be secured properly. However, Bliss is optimistic for future planning projects. 

“Just as you can count on the Grand River flowing to Lake Michigan, you can count on our efforts to achieve a design that meets many, many of our initial objectives and delivers a transformational project for our entire community,” Bliss said. “When this entire project is completed, not just the first phase but the entire project, when it is completed I believe we will have rapids back in Grand Rapids.”

Tompkins said he liked the idea of restoring some of the natural features of the region both for tourism and the culture of the city. 

“The name Grand Rapids comes from the rapids themselves,” Tompkins said. “Restoring the rapids could bring back some of the cultural identity that was lost.”