MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2016 A NEWSLETTER FOR THE GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY Published by University Communications Presidential candidate holds town hall on campus Republican presidential hopeful and Ohio Kasich, whose stop at Grand Valley was spirit of our country. Let’s pick up the baton and Gov. John Kasich discussed what he said were sponsored by the College Republicans, touched run for the finish line.” three key components to creating jobs and gave on the economy, jobs and partisan politics Life advice also figured prominently in life advice to students at a packed town hall in a wide-ranging discussion before taking Kasich’s speech, advising students to abstain event February 15 at the Kirkhof Center. questions. from drugs, surround themselves with people Kasich said that avoiding over- who believe in them, and to persist in the regulation of businesses, cutting taxes face of adversity. “You students are here to at every opportunity and balancing the live big. You only have one time to be young,” budget are three things that must be Kasich said. “Have very big dreams, because done to improve the economy and jobs sometimes it’s hard for people close to you to outlook. “A job is an essential part of see the big dreams you have, and how they can this life,” Kasich said. “We’re made to do help you make them come true.” good, productive things. So we have to Responding to audience questions, create an environment to create jobs.” Kasich said he favored aggressively pursuing Kasich also stressed the importance development of renewable energy, would favor of local and state control on a number of medical use of marijuana but not legalize it for issues, but told the audience that waiting recreational use, and that funding for mental on action from Washington on important health programs should be increased. issues in their own communities was a Party politics also played a role in Kasich’s mistake. speech. He said that the Republican party was “You can’t wait for someone to ride “his vehicle, not his master,” and said jokingly Photo by Bernadine Carey-Tucker in on a white horse from Washington,” that the only people he takes orders from are John Kasich, Republican candidate for president, is pictured after Kasich said. “I think they’re all out of his wife and teenage daughters. a town hall meeting in the Kirkhof Center February 15. those over there. We need to revive the Board OKs agreements with Belknap neighborhood Grand Valley’s Board of Trustees approved J. Haas. “These memos of understanding two memos of understanding regarding illustrate our desire to help the city with property the university owns in the Belknap affordable housing and the area residents neighborhood in the city of Grand Rapids. with employment opportunities. The city The approvals came at the board’s February and the neighborhood representatives are 12 meeting at the L. William Seidman Center, working with us and that will lead to the right following the city commission’s approval at its outcome for all involved.” meeting earlier that week. Now that the board and the city have The MOUs followed a collaborative process approved these agreements, the university by representatives from Grand Valley, Neighbors will move into the planning stages for a of Belknap Lookout, and the city. The three building that will expand Grand Valley’s parties are committed to cooperatively health campus. There is no timetable for developing the property while keeping the construction at this time. Grand Valley is the needs of the neighborhood and those who live region’s number one provider of health care there in focus. professionals. Photo by Amanda Pitts One agreement involves vacating an alley In other board action: Pat Waring, community relations director, discusses memos that is on the university’s property, planning of understanding regarding the Belknap neighborhood Students will see a modest increase in for affordable housing and the review process room and board rates beginning with the fall of Grand Rapids during the February 12 Board of Trustees for building plans when they are developed. 2016 semester. The board voted to increase meeting. The other agreement uses the urban planning the rate 1.6 percent. The average cost for consultants Smithgroup JJR and involves how living on campus per semester will increase is less than the five-year state average increase the university will work with the neighborhood by $32; the cost per semester in a traditional of 3 percent at public universities in Michigan. to ensure that any future building on university living center will be $2,725. Students can The fall 2015 occupancy rate at Grand Valley property fits in with the character and integrity choose from a variety of meal plans. The cost was 6,068 students living on campus. More than of the neighborhood. for the 14-meal a week plan per semester will 7,800 students purchased a meal plan, which “Grand Valley is committed to working with increase $50 and cost $1,475. means students who don’t live on campus still the neighborhood so that future development choose to use campus dining. This year’s increase in room and board rates enhances the area,” said President Thomas 2 FORUM | FEBRUARY 22, 2016 Across Campus information systems, spent several hours a week for nearly three months PBW honors retired faculty member practicing case analysis. Members of The family business cases given to the competitors are taken from Positive Black real situations. In a Women honored 20-minute presentation a retired faculty and 10-minute question- member at their and-answer session with annual Valentine’s judges, students must Luncheon February 11 solve a business case in a in the Kirkhof Center. practical way that would Doris Rucks be acceptable to the family received the first who owns the business. PBW Trailblazer “We faced very strong Award. Rucks, competitors and strong who served as an schools, but we felt associate professor prepared from all the time of sociology, worked Photo by Christi Wiltenburg we spent practicing,” said Pictured from left are judge Takao Kawamoto, at Grand Valley Members of Positive Black Women are pictured at their Rigueiro. “Our goal was to Josue Rigueiro, Melissa Atkins, Sydney Ecker and from 1987-1999. She annual Valentine’s Luncheon February 11 in the Kirkhof make it to the finals, which Joe Horak. was also the first Center. They presented a Trailblazer Award to retired would be a first for Grand coordinator of Grand faculty member Doris Rucks. Valley. We were thrilled to not only pass our goal, but win second place.” Valley’s women’s studies program. During the final round of competition, Atkins was given the Best Presenter award. Now age 92 and living in Muskegon, Rucks’ poor health kept her from attending the luncheon. Seidman College of Business faculty coaches for the competition were Joseph Horak, Tim Syfert and Rita Grant. Shawn Jenkins, director of the Muskegon Regional Center, said Rucks was active in that lakeshore community, including a successful community “Our students came close to winning it all, but more importantly they drive to keep a neighborhood grocery store in Muskegon Heights. showed what real teamwork and grace under fire looks like,” said Horak, director of the Family Owned Business Institute. “They trusted each The Trailblazer Award will subsequently be presented to a woman of other’s expertise and came up with an amazing presentation.” color who has had tremendous impact on campus or community life. Since PBW was established in 1994, it has endowed a scholarship fund and presented more than $25,000 in scholarship aid to more than 70 Grant to return to Johnson Center role students. More information about the faculty/staff organization is online at www.gvsu.edu/pbw. Provost Gayle R. Davis announced that Beverly Grant will complete her term in the Division of Inclusion and Equity as interim assistant vice president and return to her position at the Johnson Center for Students place second in competition Philanthropy. Grant will transition back to her Johnson Center position as associate Three Grand Valley students competed against 24 teams from five director in April. continents to take second place at the Global Family Enterprise Case Competition in mid-January at the University of Vermont. “Beverly has been an asset to the team in Inclusion and Equity during this transition period and the university appreciates her willingness to Josue´ Rigueiro, management major; Sydney Ecker, accounting major; and Melissa Atkins, double-major in supply chain and management continues on page 4 FORUM Volume 40, Number 21 GVFaces The GVSU Forum is published by University Communications. The submission deadline David Stark, Latin African American, is Tuesday noon. Send publication items to East Asian, and Middle Michele Coffill, editor, c/o [email protected] . American Studies East) within the Area Telephone: 616-331-2221. Fax: 616-331-2250. Studies department in Web: www.gvsu.edu/forum. Coordinator the Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies. As a professor of history and several Latin University Communications Staff: American Studies courses, David Stark felt “I want to develop the Mary Eilleen Lyon, associate vice president that taking on the role of Latin American Latin American Studies Sherry Bouwman, assistant Studies coordinator would provide him a way program by increasing Dottie Barnes, associate director of news to increase awareness of the LAS program on the number of student Bernadine Carey Tucker, photography manager campus and in the community. minors and bringing Michele Coffill, associate director of publications in a greater variety of Nate Hoekstra, communications specialist Stark was born in Puerto Rico and moved programmed events,” Jeremy Knickerbocker, videographer David Stark to Indiana when he was 10.