Remembering Steve Hecht

Grand Valley State University ScholarWorks@GVSU Volume 51, July 11, 2016 - June 5, 2017 Lanthorn, 1968-2001 4-10-2017 Lanthorn, vol. 51, no. 56, April 10, 2017 Grand Valley State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/lanthorn_vol51 Part of the Archival Science Commons, Education Commons, and the History Commons Recommended Citation Grand Valley State University, "Lanthorn, vol. 51, no. 56, April 10, 2017" (2017). Volume 51, July 11, 2016 - June 5, 2017. 56. https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/lanthorn_vol51/56 This Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Lanthorn, 1968-2001 at ScholarWorks@GVSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Volume 51, July 11, 2016 - June 5, 2017 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@GVSU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ALLENDALE & GRAND RAPIDS. MICHIGAN STUDENT-RUN PUBLICATIONS // PRINT • ONLINE • MOBILE // LANTHORN.COM MONDAY, APRIL 10 // VOL. 51 NO. 56 SERVICE PROJECT DOWNTOWN GV to honor Johnson Center survey deceased community finds community members with ‘Laker cohesion to be important Remembrance' to GR residents BY CELIA HARMELINK BY JENNA FRACASSI CHARMEUNmLANTHORN.COM [email protected] Grand Valley State University According to findings released is honoring students, faculty, staff by Grand Valley State University ’s and alumni who have died in the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Phi past year at the fifth annual Laker lanthropy, residents of the greater Remembrance. All Lakers are wel Grand Rapids area find community come to attend this event, which cohesion to be an important issue in will be held Wednesday, April 12, their neighborhoods. on the Allendale Campus. “Community cohesion is like, ‘Do There will be a service event held I feel like I belong in this neighbor at the Sustainable Agriculture Project hood, do I feel welcome, do I feel like (SAP) at 2 p.m. Members of the com we are all one group of people versus munity can volunteer for as long or as a bunch of people who don’t know short as they would like. There will be each other but all live in the same a shuttle running from the Kirkhof area?”’ said Jodi Petersen, director of Center to the SAP during this time. the Community Research Institute Abbi Mikaelian, the student co BELOVED: Steve Hecht. GVSU associate professor (CRI) at the Johnson Center. ordinator for Laker Remembrance, of biomedical sciences, courtesy | gvsu .edu The VoiceGR 2016 survey, con said this service project is particular ducted by the CRI at the Johnson ly meaningful because Dave Feen- Center between June 2016 and De stra, a beloved member of the SAP, cember 2016, included a variety of passed away in December 2015. He open-ended questions. Among these questions, the following two were Remembering asked: What do you think the biggest strength is in your neighborhood, and what do you think the biggest prob lem or issue is in your neighborhood? The results of these questions Steve Hecht showed community cohesion on both sides. While community cohe Laker community mourns the death of professor sion was identified as a neighborhood strength, a lack of community cohe sion was also identified as a reason for ity with his students, Hecht could help these pollinators feeling unsafe in a neighborhood. BY HANNAH LENTZ “When something shows up ED! TOR IA L@LAN THORN. COM also served several terms on that humans rely so heavily the CLAS Personnel Commit upon for our agriculture. both as a strength and a weakness, he Laker community tee and provided great service In a statement released by what that usually tells us is that it’s ■ lost one of its own to colleagues across the col Antczak and David Kurjiaka, something that is really important to Wednesday, April lege, Antczak said. acting chair of biomedical people, ” Petersen said. “So, when you 5, after Steve Hecht, “Already, the tributes are sciences, the two talked of have a neighborhood that has the FAMILY: Students participate in a associate professor at Grand pouring in from people who Hecht ’s scholarly expertise. At cohesion, people say, ‘OK, yeah, this candlelight vigil, gvl I kevin sielaff Valley State University, col are saying different variations GVSU, Hecht taught 15 differ is a strength, this is really great, this lapsed walking near the of ‘I wouldn’t ent courses. is why I like living here. ’ When you worked for Facilities Services for 18 Cook-DeWitt Center. be a doctor/ In addition have a neighborhood that doesn’t years and was the adjunct manager Hecht came to GVSU as nurse/any pro to his teaching, have that, residents realize that for the SAP since 2014. an assistant professor in the fessional health “Steve was Hecht was a they ’re missing that as the problem. ” Additionally, the percentage of Mikaelian said the only thing vol biomedical sciences (BMS) role without Dr. a wonderful thoughtful and unteers should bring to the SAP is a department in 1999 and Hecht, ”’ Antc devoted faculty people who found their neighbor colleague- desire to help out. was promoted to associate zak said. adviser who hood to be “very unsafe” or “some “Just bring yourself and motivation professor in 2004. Remem Before his bright, witty, helped many what unsafe” has increased by eight and enthusiasm to help out as much percent from 2013. bered by colleagues as pas death, Hecht knowledgeable BMS students as possible, especially with the service sionate and knowledgeable, was working who aspired to “Community cohesion included project,” she said. “We don’t want it to Hecht will be missed after on viral ways about a rich enter programs responses referring to being familiar be a super sad event. We want to cel years at the university. of lessening the spectrum of things. ’ in microbiol with neighbors, having commonali ebrate the lives of the people who gave “Steve was a wonder environmen ogy and other ties or similarities amongst neighbors, back to Grand Valley by giving back to ful colleague—bright, witty, tal pressure on health-related feeling community pride and having FREDERICK ANTCZAK Grand Valley as well.” bees, another sciences, the an overall sense of community? said knowledgeable about a rich DEAN OF CLAS At 6 p.m., there will be a memorial spectrum of things, an afi example of his statement read. Melyssa Tsai-O’Brien. a research man service at Zumberge Pond. During this cionado of Robert Frost,” contributions “I liked and ager at the CRI. “Lack of community time, there will be poems read, music said Frederick Antczak, dean to the community, Antczak admired him very much, ” cohesion included responses refer and a moment of silence for those who of the College of Liberal Arts said. Through this work, Antczak said. “His is a per ring to not knowing neighbors, feeling have passed. Floating candles will be lit and Sciences (CLAS). “Far Hecht was collaborating with sonal loss for everyone whom fearful or discriminated against, not in the pond for every Laker who died more importantly, Steve was undergraduate students and he touched and a professional having community pride and turn in the past year, and there will be a si a gifted teacher-scholar. He biomedical sciences profes loss for the department of over in residents and renters.” lent candle march through campus. was dedicated to his stu sor Tony Nieuwkoop to see biomedical sciences and all of The survey is intentionally de There will be roughly 100 lakers dents, advising many who if they could develop phage Grand Valley State University’’ signed to be broad so that it is as ap remembered at this event. aspired to study nursing or therapy for bees. Hecht had Hecht is survived by his plicable as possible to as many organi Hailey Merritt, the Laker Ttaui the health professions.” hoped to find viruses to target zations as possible. Some of the topics tions membership coordinator, is go bacteria and benefit bees that covered in the survey include educa In addition to his generos SEE HECHT | A2 ing to be performing at the memorial tion, employment, poverty, housing, SEE REMEMBER | A2 SEE VOICEGR | A2 EXHIBIT Presenting research, creativity outside the classroom 21st annual Student Scholars Day to be held at GV BY JENNA FRACASSI disciplines, as well as how the re an experience where they ’re creat [email protected] search process works. ing something where they can’t just Though only students will be look up the answer in a textbook Student Scholars Day (SSD), an presenting, the event encourages or ask a faculty member what the event held annually at Grand Valley the participation of guests, vol answer is,” he said. “They ’re really State University, is purposed to dis unteers, sponsors and committee finding it out for themselves and play and celebrate the scholarly re members. Presentations will be relying on their own knowledge search and creative work achieved shared verbally and through per and creativity to either find those by GVSU students. formances, posters, panel and dis-. results or create that project.” The Office of Undergraduate cussion sessions, and more. Alayont believes that participating Research and Scholarship (OURS) “The kind of works that they ’ll in SSD is particularly beneficial for is presenting and hosting the 21st be presenting could range any students planning on going to gradu annual SSD, which will showcase where from scientific, literary or ate school because it gives them prac more than 400 presentations by historical research, or it could be tice in both research and presenting. more than 600 presenters. something like a fine arts exhibit Kaitlyn Denney, OURS student The event will take place or a dance or music performance,” ambassador, presented at SSD in 2016 Wednesday, April 12, from 9 said Andrew Lantz, associate pro as a junior at GVSU.

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