Grand Valley State University ScholarWorks@GVSU Volume 29 Lanthorn, 1968-2001 12-1-1994 Lanthorn, vol. 29, no. 13, December 1, 1994 Grand Valley State University Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/lanthorn_vol29 Part of the Archival Science Commons, Education Commons, and the History Commons Recommended Citation Grand Valley State University, "Lanthorn, vol. 29, no. 13, December 1, 1994" (1994). Volume 29. 13. http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/lanthorn_vol29/13 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 29 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@GVSU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Native American actor shares experiences People are not declared just as human By Dan Moore beings, Grant said. Today, Native Staff Writer Americans have to fight for an education, a band-aid in an emergency room and health Drugs and alcohol are the real enemy insurance. People are dying in today’s of mankind, said Rodney A. Grant, Native emergency rooms because they do not have 'American actor, in a speech to a capacity a card, he said. crowd in Kirkhof Center’s Promenade Grant commented that alcohol abuse Deck on Nov. 19. presents as many problems for the unborn Grant spoke of the plight of children in as it does for adults. Even small levels of America whose families face their own alcohol can cause irreparable damage to the problems with alcohol and drug abuse unborn. everyday. These children, urged Grant, Grant said fetal alcohol syndrome need help and hope. (FAS) is the only disease known to mankind Growing up on a reservation near that is 100 percent preventable. Ninety-five Winnebago, Nebr. as a member of the percent of Native Americans are affected by Omaha tribe, Grant had a troubled child­ FAS, along with 90 percent of African hood. He described himself as an outlaw Americans. Some 50 percent of whites are and a renegade. affected. At the age of 12, Grant began drinking “We as people - as Mexicans, Blacks, and smoking. At 17, he was the youngest Indians, as minorities, and as the oppressed wino on the reservation. He has spent time - have survived Christopher Columbus, in mental institutions, prison and treatment slavery, and disease,” said Grant. as part of the Native American sobriety why Martin Luther King had his dream. centers. He had a problem he did not want “Why are we killing ourselves? We movement. Grant said. King had a dream that his kids to admit he had. have been so strong for 500 years only to The man said, “What is your legacy? would be judged by their quality of life “I went through a living hell, so when I cut our throats in the long run.” What are people going to say about you rather than by their skin color. So Grant has die 1 know I am going to heaven. What Grant ended the session by answering when you die?” devoted much of his life to helping out kids happened was I finally got sick and tired of questions about health care, Louis Peltier “You gotta ask yourself that,” Grant who, like himself, got their lives off to a being sick and tired,” Grant said. and acting. said. “In order for people to say things rough start - kids of all colors and races. Grant began to rebuild his life and to “This was a real eye-opener for me,” about you that you want, you have to start “Whenever people argue and fight, the build his legacy. At a film festival in San said GVSU junior Jesicca Damm. “It is a today.” first thing that comes up is color,” Grant Francisco three weeks ago, Grant was wake up call not only for yourself, but for Grant said he is a different person said. "If you pierce my skin, I have the moved by what the narrator in a film called the right to speak up for people who don’t today than he was 10 years ago. That is same blood.” The Red Road to Sobriety o f a Red Man said have a voice.” Last ditch effort for The HARPOON unsuccessful VanderWilk said. “This is messed up. We By Dan Moore have 25 senators at this table. Ten are Staff Writer Harpoon members. There are people here that have admitted that the only reason they Unrest and mixed emotions prevailed are here is to get The HARPOON funding, at the Nov. 17 student senate meeting in and that is wrong. which a recommendation “that the student “I have got just a little list here: sup­ senate acted improperly in its decision not port group for minorities, appropriations to fund The HARPOON during the 1994-95 process, campus leadership council, trans­ budget process” was killed. portation issues - tell me these things aren’t The issue of the senate’s revoking of more important than this.” The HARPOON\ funding last spring was VanderWilk warned the senate of what deemed null and void by the student senate he considered to be Eric Spies’s ulterior eight weeks ago, but student senator Erik motive. Spies’ motion brought the issue to the fore­ “What is Eric Spies trying to do? front again. Make sure his lawyer has the tools to work Many of the senators objected with the with? Don’t be stupid and pass something The immovable object vs. the irresistable force fact that the motion, if voted for, would like this. This really makes me mad Senior Malik Lowry refuses to accept the opinionthat “Ethiopia is dying because its peo­ declare that the whole student body had because I am here to represent the students, ple have lost the word of God, " according to an evangelist outside of Zumberge Library. acted with bias toward The HARPOON not one little newspaper... that just doesn’t “It s hard to use a book of faith to win an argument," Lowry said. Photo by Jeff KiesseL during last year’s student life fee budgeting matter that much.” process. The decision, they said, was that There was discussion that no investiga­ Lubbers addresses campus community of the Allocations Committee. tion into the actions of last year’s video there, and soon,” Lubbers said. “The “This body did not decide anything Allocations Committee had been made by By Daniel Carpenter Holland area students can use what we have such as this,” Kristen Brooks, vice-presi­ the senate body. However, the Allocations Staff W riter to offer, but they will not come here for it. dent of Allocations said. “We never decided Committee did recognize in its Oct. 13 Whoever goes to them, offering what they this.” meeting that mistakes were made by the GVSU President Arend D. Lubbers need, will have their enrollment, their Others called the motion incorrect and 1993-94 Allocations Committee in denying stressed the importance of continued appreciation, and the appreciation of their imprudent, and mentioned the fact that the the organization funds. growth, both as a school and a community, employers.” situation put Spies in a conflict of interest. In October, a motion was put forth and at his address to the campus on Nov. 17 at Currently, Grand Valley offers some Spies is one of three senators that is affiliat­ passed in the general assembly to “recon­ Cook-DeWitt. classes at Holland High School. Lubbers ed with the humor newsletter. sider the reserve request from The In the approximately half-hour speech, Spies did abstain when the motion HARPOON due to imprudent actions of the Please see LUBBERS, p. 2 Lubbers spoke about several issues ranging came to a vote. ‘93-94 SSAC.” It was decided that motion from a possible Holland campus to the INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Vice president of student resources was in violation of Robert’s Rules of appointment of a gay and lesbian task force. Wesley VanderWilk stood and addressed Orders and declared null and void. Photographer captures Lubbers called Holland “the largest the general assembly, raising his voice, Joyce Ohm, political actions vice-pres­ and fastest growing market for us outside of America’s past, p. 10 pointing fingers and slamming a notepad ident, said that she spoke to some of last Grand Rapids.” He emphasized a need to down in the process. He later apologized year’s Allocations Committee members and grow in that area. Ladies’ Hoops go 4-0, p. 13 for the incident. several HARPOON members concerning “We need classrooms and interactive “What the heck is going on here?” Please see HARPOON, p. 2 Thursday, December 1, 1994 THE LANTHORN Ruud Lubbers shares Dutch experience C a m p u s C a l e n d a r Center and was sponsored by the “There is an obligation to By Jim Class student senate Community Affairs avoid poverty in the streets," he Assistant Editor Committee and the social sciences said. / 12/1-3-Swimming-Men’s and department. -After talking about interna­ Arts and Women’s at U.S. Open, Former Prime Minister of the When asked about his leader­ tional trade and markets, he criti­ 9:30 a.m-6 p.m. Entertainment Netherlands Ruud Lubbers said ship role, Lubbers emphasized cized nationalism. 12/3-Men’s Basketball vs. that European unification does not how important it was for him to “It is the policy of creating an Aquinas College, work the same way as does cultur­ be firm with the Soviet Union. enemy outside your country and 11/28-12/2-BFA Exhibition Fieldhouse at 3 p.m.