This Friday, the annual Christy’s Cause Scholarship Baseball and Softball Games will be played between Wyoming and Grandville high schools, the seventh year honoring the person and the spirit of Christy Paganelli, who lost a courageous 18-month battle with melanoma.
The theme and cause of the games is “Play for Melanoma”, but the event recognizes all cancer awareness and prevention, and is committed to making sure everyone is aware that melanoma skin cancer can happen to anyone and how to prevent it.
Christy Paganelli, from her high school playing days. (Supplied)
All funds will be directed towards cancer research and the Christy Paganelli Scholarship Fund, which funds one or two scholarships each year at Aquinas College, where Christy played softball after playing and graduating from Wyoming’s Rogers High School.
The games are scheduled for May 4 at Wyoming High School’s baseball and softball fields, with junior varsity games beginning at 3:15 p.m. and varsity games beginning at 6 p.m.
In addition to the games, there will be information available about melanoma so everyone can be aware of the dangers of skin cancer and what the risk factors are.
Explore the different ways that gardening activities can help you meet daily physical activity recommendations.
By Tyler Becker, Michigan State University Extension
It’s that time of year again. Gardening and landscaping season is upon us. Time to go into the shed and dust off your shovel and go down to your local hardware store to get prepped for growing season. You may be excited to start gardening, but at the same time, maybe you are reluctant because you remembered how sore your muscles were from your first day last year. If you are one of these people, you will not be surprised to hear that gardening activities count towards physical activity recommendations.
Heavy gardening activities can strengthen your body.
Gardening and landscaping provide numerous physical and mental benefits. One physical benefit of gardening and landscaping is that you burn calories. This could contribute to weight management by helping you use up some of the energy from the food you consume. The amount of calories used depends on the activity, intensity and duration.
You may already think of gardening as a physical activity, one that provides cardiovascular or aerobic exercise for your body, but did you know that some gardening activities can contribute to the muscle- and bone-strengthening guidelines?
Gardening can help strengthen your body
Heavy gardening, which requires you to use a lot of your muscles can help with overall strengthening. Think of bending down to pick up something heavy, digging holes or making a paver wall. Overall, the type of activity and intensity is key. The activity has to be more strenuous than simply bending down to pick up a dropped glove; think of picking up pavers or a bag of mulch. Strive for an intensity in which you are sweating and may not be able to keep a conversation going with someone. Some other activities that may count towards muscle- and bone-strengthening, including shoveling, raking and pushing a wheelbarrow.
Modify gardening and landscaping activities to exercise your whole body
One easy way to include additional musculature (exercise different muscles) during gardening is to switch hands periodically when doing tasks like raking or shoveling. Another method is to change the activity you do every 15 to 30 minutes. An example could be pulling weeds for 15 minutes and then switching to dumping bags of mulch around your trees or bushes. It is likely you already have a rhythm down, but simply going from one activity to another in this way, can incorporate more musculature and increase the number of calories burned. Plus, this approach can break up the monotony of performing the same activity over and over again.
Tips for reducing pain and soreness.
Do you avoid gardening because it makes you feel too sore? There are a number of ways to prevent or even alleviate pain while gardening and landscaping. First, always use proper form during activity regardless of what it is. Moving with proper form helps you avoid pain and injury. For example, if you are picking something up from the ground, keep your shoulder blades back and down, and bend and lift with your knees, not your back.
Always listen to your body. If you “overdid it” one day, you probably should take it slow the next day. Also, there are a number of garden tools available that can help alleviate any potential or existing pain. Your local hardware store may have gloves and garden utensils designed for those with arthritis-related issues. Using garden tools as simple as knee pads or foam pads can help lessen any potential knee pain. You should also take breaks here and there while gardening just as you would if at the gym. Try sitting down for five minutes and rehydrating with water. Lastly, be sure to stretch after gardening. This can help not only improve/maintain flexibility but improve muscle recovery too.
Remember, if you do not currently garden or landscape, start slow and ease into it; especially if you are focusing on using it to contribute to daily physical activity recommendations, including muscle- and bone-strengthening exercise.
Michigan State University Extension has a number of resources including the Master Gardener Program for those considering gardening, and those who have been gardening for a while.
Kentwood Fire Department annual report highlights funding, manpower, emergency calls
Kentwood Fire Department Chief Brent J. Looman presented, and the City Commission accepted, the department’s 2017 annual report at the commission’s April 9 regular meeting, with highlights including funding, manpower and last year’s emergency calls.
School News Network: Wyoming Public Schools selects one of its own for top spot
“Dream big, work hard and make it happen”: That’s the mantra of Craig Hoekstra, a familiar face in the district, who this week was selected as the new superintendent.
Kentwood Public Works Department oversees the city’s recycling center.
The City of Kentwood is sponsoring a Community Clean-Up Day for residents wanting to spring clean their homes and yards. The Community Clean-Up Day, scheduled for Saturday, May 5, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., will allow residents to bring general debris, gently used items for donation, household hazardous materials and electronic devices to be recycled.
May is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month. Children can have mental health challenges just as adults can. As a matter of fact, over 2 million children in Michigan experience mental health challenges such as ADHD, anxiety and depression.
Employment in the Digital Age — free computer literacy workshops available
West Michigan Works! is now offering a free workshop to help individuals gain basic computer skills. Computer Literacy helps attendees become comfortable using a computer, accessing the internet and using email — all of which can help you find, apply and qualify for a new job.
Calvin College sophomore Pete Ford is on Festival’s student committee and is one of the Calvin Center for Faith & Writing’s five Hudson-Townsend Student Fellows (photo courtesy Calvin College)
Pete Ford graduated from high school in 2014. He took a couple of years off. And, in 2016, he again began exploring the possibility of going to college.
“That opportunity to wander around the campus during the Festival and to see the thought process and the desire to have conversations at Calvin, that’s really the reason I decided to come here,” said Ford, a second-year literature major.
Now, in just two years, Ford has gone from curious observer to helpful guide. Ford was on Festival’s student committee and is one of the Calvin Center for Faith & Writing’s five Hudson-Townsend Student Fellows. One of his responsibilities was getting to know the speakers’ work and helping write bios for the website and program.
Renowned speakers, attentive audience
Those bios highlight a diverse, impressive group of writers, including the likes of Edwidge Danticat, a celebrated Haitian-American author who just won the prestigious Neustadt International Prize for Literature; Pulitzer prize-winning poet Marie Howe; New York Times best-selling young adult writer Kwame Alexander, and Peabody Award-winning producer and host of the podcast Strangers, Lea Thau, to name a few.
Lisa Ann Cockrel, director of the Festival of Faith & Writing, is always excited to welcome new faces to Festival. And she says the three-day gathering can have a profound impact on speakers who hang around for a while.
“What I hear from them is a kind of happy shock that a place like this exists. They often comment on the attentiveness of the audiences, the types of nuanced questions people ask about their work, the respectful engagement with faith from lots of different perspectives,” said Cockrel.
Digging deeper
For a number of writers, the Festival provides readers who are uniquely engaged with the spiritual and moral implications of their work.
“When Joyce Carol Oates was here, she told Jennifer Holberg that she can pretty much predict how every book she writes will be reviewed before she writes it. And rarely if ever, do those critics think deeply about faith and religion in her work. But it’s there, even if folks aren’t paying attention to it. And it’s there in the work of many ‘secular’ writers,” said Cockrel.
“A lot of the writers who come here are grateful that there’s a place where we’re thinking about the religious elements in their work and also where that engagement doesn’t come with judgment. Instead, we read with open hearts and a spirit of inquiry. And I think this goes back to the best of the reformed tradition that doesn’t feel like it has to be afraid of the world—a tradition that encourages us to engage other people’s creative literary witness to being alive with curiosity and care because every square inch is God’s.”
And this type of engagement creates a unique dynamic and pushes the writers and readers into spaces oft not explored. In fact, Cockrel said that multiple speakers who have spent 24-plus hours at Festival, have told their audiences they rewrote their presentations after being on campus.
Something about Festival
“There’s something that happens at the Festival of Faith & Writing where we still surprise each other in that space,” said Cockrel. “It’s a place for people to make genuine connections with people around stories and poems that have enlarged their vision of what it means to be human and a person of faith.”
And Cockrel hopes that each and every person who comes to Festival leaves having experienced some moment of communion.
“I think that fundamentally there’s this irony at the center of reading—it’s something you do mostly alone, but yet it is this radical act of seeking communion, because you read to seek connection to something outside yourself, whether that’s another person’s story, or the natural world, or God. And I hope that you could map those kinds of possibilities for connection onto the Festival,” said Cockrel.
Students like Ford have experienced that connection at Festival, and for him, it provided a pivot point in his life, pointing him towards an English major.
“It’s not a conference,” said Ford, “it’s a party where literature is celebrated.”
“That’s what’s great about Festival,” said Cockrel. “You sometimes wander into a talk or reading or interview you aren’t sure you’re interested in … and love it.”
Are you intimidated by the thought of learning how to use a computer?
Has it kept you from advancing in your current job or applying for a job with better pay?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are not alone! A recent study found that 26% of adults in the United States aren’t able to use a computer at all and two-thirds are unable to access and use information through computers and computer networks.
Employers in every industry have a growing need for workers who can use computers to successfully do their jobs. However, the number of workers with the necessary skills is not growing at the same rate. This means that increasing your computer skills could make it easier to find a job and earn a higher wage! But where do you start?
West Michigan Works! is now offering a free workshop to help individuals gain basic computer skills. Computer Literacy helps attendees become comfortable using a computer, accessing the internet and using email — all of which can help you find, apply and qualify for a new job.
Computer Literacy at West Michigan Works! in Kent County*
121 Franklin St SE, Grand Rapids – Monday, May 7 and 21, 10 am to noon
215 Straight Ave NW, Grand Rapids – Friday, May 11 and 25, 2 to 4 pm
With the basic skills learned in Computer Literacy, you can take advantage of a variety of other free workshops to help you explore careers, search for jobs and create a resume using a computer.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
Know the shelf life of home-canned and frozen food to avoid food waste and maximize nutrition.
By Kara Lynch, Michigan State University Extension
Don’t let your preserved food go to waste — enjoy it when it tastes great and is nutritious.
May brings flowers and seed magazines stuffed into your mailbox. It is also the perfect time of year to start planning your garden with canning season in mind. Preserving food is a great way to avoid wasting food when you have more fresh produce than you need right away. Just make sure you are able to use all your canned or frozen food within the recommended time.
How long do home-canned foods last?
If foods are preserved correctly, they are safe for years but the quality and nutritional value decreases with the passing of time. The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends only preserving enough food to last one year. So that your home-canned foods taste great and are nutritious when you decide to eat them.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a planning guide (page 32) that may be helpful when working out how much food to can or freeze to meet your needs for the year.
Frozen foods lose moisture the longer they are in the freezer. If the food was correctly frozen and kept at it zero degrees Fahrenheit it is safe indefinitely, however the quality and nutritional value deteriorates, just as it does with canned foods. The USDA has developed the Food Keeper app for smartphones, as well as a website, that lists the shelf life of various foods.
Tips for using up preserved food
Home preserved food makes great gifts. If you do have a bountiful harvest, can the extra produce, put a pretty label on the jars and share with your loved ones.
Are you in need of an appetizer but don’t have time to make anything? Pull the dilly beans from your pantry or get the pepper jelly out and combine it with cream cheese to make an amazing dip.
Consider your home preserved foods when planning your meals. This helps ensure that you are using up your stored items in a timely way and creates less waste. As you make your grocery list, you may notice cost savings as you pull from your pantry rather than purchasing additional food.
Use your home preserved foods in the search cue when looking for a recipe online. This will bring up unique, nutritious recipes utilizing your preserved items. Use pickled beets in a salad recipe, add frozen peas to a casserole, try frozen peaches in a peach cobbler, top cheesecake with home preserved jams, the list is endless.
Turfgrass damaged from de-icing salts used during winter may need reseeding. Photo credit: Kevin Frank, MSU
By Kevin Frank, Michigan State University Extension, Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences
Maybe spots of your lawn died last summer; maybe spots were killed from de-icing salt, dog spot or snow mold over the winter. Regardless of the cause of death, as spring finally arrives seeding dead areas in lawns is a common weekend activity.
In the next several weeks as temperatures warm, there might be some areas that are the victim of grub feeding. If you’re reseeding following grub damage, Michigan State University Extension recommends waiting about one to two weeks after applying a grub insecticide before reseeding. For all reseeding, it is safe to apply fertilizer at the time of seeding. For new establishment, a starter fertilizer is recommended. Starter is a fertilizer that has a nitrogen to phosphorus ratio of 1:1 or 1:1.5. A starter fertilizer application at seeding will prove beneficial in getting the young turf seedlings going. Application rates for a starter fertilizer at seeding are approximately 1 pound nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. Starter fertilizer for new establishment is permitted under Michigan’s fertilizer act. Make sure to follow label directions, contain all fertilizer on the area to be seeded and off the driveway, and keep a minimum of 15 feet from any surface water.
Make sure to keep the seeded area moist throughout establishment. Depending on what Mother Nature supplies, a new seeding may require watering several times a day. A good mulch cover will help the area stay moist so the site may be watered less frequently. Water lightly when irrigating; there is no need to see water standing or running off the site.
Avoid applying herbicides this spring, i.e., no fertilizer plus crabgrass preventer or weed-and-feed products. Young seedlings don’t tolerate herbicides very well and the guideline is usually to wait three “real” mowings before applying any herbicides or in some cases at least 60 days. Real mowings mean you’re actually cutting grass, not just running over the area to trim down any weeds.
Participating in outdoor recreation appears to have impact on climate change beliefs.
By Heather Triezenberg, Michigan Sea Grant, Michigan State University Extension; and Julia Whyte, Michigan State University graduate student
Greater involvement in outdoor recreation activities was associated with people identifying with the “Cautious, Concerned, and Alarmed” categories on climate change beliefs. Photo: Todd Marsee, Michigan Sea Grant
Coastal communities and sensitive coastal ecosystems experience a variety of weather-related impacts that are influenced by changing climatic conditions. Michigan State University professor Patricia Norris with students Brockton Feltman and Jessica Batanian have published their findings on Northern Michigan residents’ opinions about climate change in the Journal of Great Lakes Research.
The study, funded by Michigan Sea Grant and partners, replicated the “Six Americas of Global Warming” to understand survey respondents in the Grand Traverse Bay region. The “Six Americas” framework assesses individual beliefs about, concern about, and level of engagement with climate change to characterize belief typologies on a spectrum of:
Alarmed
Concerned
Cautious
Disengaged
Doubtful
Dismissive
Range of responses
The authors found nearly 70 percent of those living in the Grand Traverse Bay region, an area dominated by agricultural land use and highly dependent upon natural resource tourism, were categorized as “Cautious, Concerned, or Alarmed” about the issue. Furthermore, the percentage of individuals in the “Doubtful” category (almost 10 percent) was lower than the 2012 national average (13 percent), but the percentage of those in the “Dismissive” category (15 percent) was higher than the 2012 national average (8 percent). The authors attributed this rather large range of responses to the fact residents were surveyed during the summer immediately following the “polar vortex” during the 2013-2014 winter months, and individuals in the area are very attuned to local weather changes.
Outdoor recreation plays role in awareness
There is also evidence that different sociodemographic characteristics are associated with the “Six Americas” categories. For example, the authors found that greater involvement in outdoor recreation activities, higher levels of education, and lower levels of income were associated with the “Cautious, Concerned, and Alarmed” categories. On the other hand, males and older individuals tended to be more dismissive of or disengaged with climate change than their counterparts.
Perhaps encouraging people to participate in outdoor activities, appealing to residents’ sense of altruism, providing practical environmentally friendly alternatives, or considering different approaches to informing community members about climate change will all be useful strategies to prepare for an uncertain future.
As the WKTV sports feature coverage crew gets cranked up for outdoor spring sports, and the weather finally turns nice, our cameras will be indoors at East Kentwood for water polo early this week as well as continuing our coverage of Golden Gloves boxing later in the week.
And you can catch them both on WKTV with multiple viewing options.
The Tuesday, April 24, East Kentwood girls water polo match vs. Portage Central will be cable broadcast at 11 p.m. on the night of the event, and repeat on Wednesday, April 25, at 5 p.m. Then the Friday, April 27, Golden Gloves boxing coverage will be cable broadcast on Saturday, April 28, at 11 a.m.
These and other sports events are cable broadcast either live, immediately after the event and/or in rebroadcast, on Comcast WKTV Channel 25 and on AT&T U-Verse Community 99. See WKTVjournal.org for complete feature event schedules.
WKTV’s coverage of high school sports and community events are also available on-demand within a week of the event at wktvondemand.com.
Following is the this week’s complete high school sports schedule, but many events that have been delayed or cancelled are now rescheduled. For changes, check individual school websites or MHSAA.com .
Monday, April 23
Boys Baseball
Holland Christian @ South Christian
Calvin Christian @ Godwin Heights
Wyoming Lee @ NorthPointe Christian
Holland Black River @ Kelloggsville – DH
Girls Softball
Holland Christian @ South Christian
Calvin Christian @ Godwin Heights – DH
Wyoming @ Allendale – DH
Wyoming Lee @ NorthPointe Christian – DH
Catholic Central @ Kelloggsville – DH
Girls Soccer
South Christian @ Middleville T-K
Belding @ Godwin Heights
NorthPointe Christian @ Kelloggsville
West Michigan Aviation @ South Haven
Boys Golf
South Christian @ Middleville T-K
Wyoming @ Middleville T-K
Kelloggsville @ NorthPointe Christian
East Kentwood @ Rockford
Girls Tennis
East Grand Rapids @ South Christian
Wayland @ Wyoming
Kelloggsville @ NorthPointe Christian
East Kentwood @ Hudsonville
Tuesday, April 24
Boys Baseball
South Christian @ Christian – DH
FH Eastern @ Wyoming – DH
West Michigan Aviation @ Wyoming Lee
Martin @ Zion Christian – DH
Potter’s House vs Tri-Unity Christian @ Fifth Third Ballpark
East Kentwood @ Grand Haven – DH
Girls Softball
South Christian @ Christian – DH
FH Eastern @ Wyoming – DH
East Kentwood @ Grand Haven – DH
Boys Lacrosse
Northview @ South Christian
Boys/Girls Track
South Christian @ Middleville T-K
Godwin Heights @ Hopkins
West Michigan Aviation @ Wyoming Lee
Belding @ Kelloggsville
Grand Haven @ East Kentwood
Girls Soccer
Hudsonville Hornets @ Wyoming
Tri-Unity Christian @ Potter’s House
West Michigan Aviation @ Fruitport Calvary
Hudsonville @ East Kentwood
Girls Water Polo
Portage Central @ East Kentwood – WKTV Featured Event
Wednesday, April 25
Boys Golf
South Christian @ Wayland
Wyoming @ Wayland – OK Bronze Jamboree
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa
Girls Tennis
South Christian @ Middleville T-K
Kelloggsville @ Sparta
Caledonia @ East Kentwood
Boys Baseball
Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian
NorthPointe Christian @ Wyoming Lee
Girls Softball
Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian
Jenison @ East Kentwood
Boys/Girls Track
Wyoming @ FH Eastern
Girls Soccer
Wyoming @ Christian
Kelloggsville @ Belding
Thursday, April 26
Boys Baseball
Christian @ South Christian
Wyoming @ FH Eastern
Tri-Unity Christian @ Heritage Christian – DH
West Michigan Aviation @ Holland Calvary – DH
Grand Haven @ East Kentwood
Grand Rapids Crusdaers @ Potter’s House
Girls Softball
Zeeland East @ South Christian – DH
Union @ Godwin Heights
Muskegon Mona Shores @ Wyoming – DH
Kelloggsville @ East Grand Rapids
Girls Soccer
Calvin Christian @ South Christian
Tri-Unity Christian @ Heritage Christian
West Michigan Aviation @ Holland Calvary
Rockford @ East Kentwood
Hudsonville Homeschool @ Potter’s House
Boys Lacrosse
South Christian @ Comstock Park
Boys/Girls Track
Belding @ Godwin Heights
Wyoming Lee @ Calvin Christian
Hopkins @ Kelloggsville
West Ottawa @ East Kentwood
Boys Golf
Wyoming @ Zeeland West
Girls Tennis
Tri-Unity Christian @ Wyoming
Girls Water Polo
East Kentwood @ East Grand Rapids
Friday, April 27
Girls Soccer
FH Northern @ South Christian
Ottawa Hills @ Kelloggsville
Zion Christian @ Grand River Prep
Barry County Christian @ Tri-Unity Christian
Boys Golf
South Christian @ TC Central – Tee-Off Invite
Kelloggsville @ Wyoming
Boys Baseball
Godwin Heights @ Potter’s House – DH
Zeeland East @ Wyoming – DH
Holland @ Kelloggsville – DH
Zion Christian @ Hopkins
NorthPointe Christian @ Tri-Unity Christian
Girls Tennis
Kelloggsville @ Western Michigan Christian
Girls Water Polo
East Kentwood @ Hudsonville/Zeeland Tournament
Boys/Girls Track
East Kentwood @ Jackson
Girls Softball
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa
Saturday, April 28
Boys Baseball
South Christian @ Hudsonville – Hudsonville Invite
Boys Golf
South Christian @ TC Central – Tee-Off Invite
Girls Tennis
South Christian @ Zeeland East
East Kentwood @ Holland
Boys/Girls Track
South Christian @ Wyoming – Grimm Relays
Godwin Heights @ Wyoming – Grimm Relays
Kelloggsville @ Wyoming – Grimm Relays
Potter’s House @ Grand Rapids Elite Challenge – Houseman Field
By Terry McLean, Michigan State University Extension
Each year the Cultivate Michigan and the Michigan Fresh initiatives promote seasonally available Michigan foods to two different groups of people.
Two Michigan State University Extension-led initiatives promote the seasonal use of Michigan’s fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy, focusing on two different audiences. Cultivate Michigan is an institutional food purchasing campaign of the Michigan Farm to Institution Network and has the sourcing, marketing and recipe resources to help schools, hospitals and other institutions find, buy and use local foods. A consumer-focused initiative, the Michigan Fresh program, helps individuals explore the state’s bounty of fresh, locally grown foods from farms, gardens and local farmers markets, with tips on growing, handling and preserving as well as healthful recipes. Both initiatives support farmers, food businesses and consumers, enhancing local economies.
In 2018, Cultivate Michigan is promoting four seasonal foods: onions (spring), berries (summer), celery (fall) and table beets (winter) to institutional food service directors. A few fast facts about these 2018 featured Michigan fruits and vegetables:
Michigan Onions:
Are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and Potassium
Grown in south central and southern counties of Allegan, Barry, Eaton, Ionia, Kent, Newaygo, Ottawa and Van Buren
Each year, the Cultivate Michigan team plans field tours featuring the featured seasonal foods for institutional food service staff and others to learn first-hand about the production, processing and distribution of the foods, as well as to network with other food buyers, growers and suppliers. Several tours are planned for the year ahead featuring Michigan onions, summer berries, celery and beets.
Both initiatives support Michigan Good Food, a policy initiative of the Michigan Good Food Charter, and several of its goals by the year 2020:
Michigan institutions source 20 percent of their food from Michigan sources
80 percent of Michigan residents have easy access to affordable, fresh, healthy food, 20 percent of which is from Michigan sources
Michigan farmers will profitably supply 20 percent of all Michigan institutional, retailer and consumer food purchases and be able to pay fair wages to their workers.
The Michigan Farm to Institution Network and Cultivate Michigan are coordinated by the Michigan State University (MSU) Center for Regional Food Systems with support from MSU Extension. Michigan Fresh is supported by MSU Extension and includes a handy Michigan Availability Guide so you know when dozens of popular items are in season throughout the year, including those crops that are produced using season extension techniques, which extends their availability over a longer period of time.
Calvin senior Lynn Park is one of the students who provided photography for the hallways at Samaritas. (Photo courtesy of Calvin College)
By Hannah Ebeling, Calvin College
“I think the ability to take what you are learning in an academic setting and translate that to a real-world situation is such a helpful process,” said Jennifer Hoag, professor of photography at Calvin College. “You have to really think about what is needed and break down the criteria to be successful.”
Last fall, an intermediate digital photography class was given the opportunity to do just that.
Samaritas, a faith-based senior living home, approached Hoag because they wanted some new artwork for the walls in their memory-care unit that caters to residents in varying stages of dementia. Hoag visited their facility over the summer, and since everything looks similar, she said it was even tricky for her to navigate.
Art to help memory-care residents
“What Samaritas hoped for were images that could help their residents navigate the hallways,” said Hoag. “I thought it sounded like a really interesting project for students to think about the function of their photographs rather than thinking of them strictly as art.”
In groups of four and five, students came up with a theme for each of the facility’s hallways. “Students each approached the project in a very different way,” said Hoag. “Some groups decided they would get together and photograph with each other. Others worked more independently, but together decided how they wanted their photographs to look stylistically and went about it that way.”
This opportunity would act as the students’ final in the class. Hoag said she was not sure how the project would be received, but the students loved the idea right from the very start. They appreciated being able to serve in this way and have their work displayed in a setting, while being useful.
“I think the experience gave me a good chance to put into practice all of the things we had been learning in class, and with practice comes improvement,” said photography student, Marisa Seifert. “I think it is so important for students to gain this real-world experience and to engage in the community, not only for the personal benefit of experience, but also to benefit those around us who may be in need of certain services or skills. We can learn from them, and they can learn from us.”
Students put a lot into this project, said Hoag. Many bought their own props and went as far as baking and decorating a whole cake for the perfect shot. “A group of students even got together to make breakfast for their breakfast-themed collection,” she said. Samaritas plans to put these down the hallway that leads to the dining area.
“My favorite part about this project was seeing how my classmates interpreted the assignment in a different way than me,” said Seifert. “All of the photos were unique and beautiful in their own way.”
Students use what they learn to serve
The staff from Samaritas was very involved in the process and came to talk to the class. “The aging process can often affect the eyes, so they helped us understand which colors to avoid,” said Hoag. “We chose to use brighter colors within a certain spectrum.”
Once the photos were printed a representative from Samaritas joined the class for their final evaluation and critique. “She was able to walk around and see all the images that were made,” said Hoag. “She was really pleased with what the students came up with and already started talking about doing this again for another section of their facility.”
“It’s not often that I get to incorporate a service-learning aspect into the class,” said Hoag. “A lot of the photo assignments are very conceptually and technically driven and are not very collaborative. I loved the idea of having a collaborative project incorporated in the class and at the same time have students think about the function of the project.”
The 24 large prints of the students’ work will be mounted and hung at Samaritas Senior Living Home at the end of February.
The annual Don Lubbers Cup Regatta was set to be held at Spring Lake April 13-15, but was cancelled due to bad weather and waves. So, WKTV’s planned coverage was also cancelled for this year.
WKTV usually broadcasts the Lubbers Cup and other sports events live, immediately after the event and/or in rebroadcast, on Comcast WKTV Channel 25 and on AT&T U-Verse Community 99. See WKTVjournal.org for complete schedules.
WKTV’s coverage of high school sports and community events are also available on-demand within a week of the event at wktvondemand.com.
The current tentative April WKTV feature broadcast schedule with tentative day and time of broadcast, includes:
Wednesday, April 18, Kelloggsville softball vs Tri-Unity/Calvin Christian (Friday, April 20, at 11 p.m. and Saturday, April 21, at 5 p.m.)
Friday, April 20, Golden Gloves Boxing (Saturday, April 21, at 11 a.m.)
Tuesday, April 24, East Kentwood girls water polo vs. Portage Central (11 p.m. night of and repeat on Wednesday at 5 p.m)
Friday, April 27, Golden Gloves Boxing (Saturday, April 28, at 11 a.m.)
Following is the this week’s complete high school sports schedule, but many events have been delayed or cancelled. For changes, check individual school websites or MHSAA.com .
Monday, April 16
Girls Soccer
South Christian @ Christian
Wyoming @ FH Eastern
Wyoming Lee @ Belding
Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian
Grand River Prep @ Lake Odessa Lakewood
Fruitport Calvary @ Potter’s House
Boys Golf
South Christian @ Forest Hills Invite
Tri-Unity Christian @ Kelloggsville
Girls Tennis
South Christian @ Wayland
Wyoming @ East Grand Rapids
Kelloggsville @ West Catholic
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa
Boys Baseball
Union @ Godwin Heights
Belding @ Wyoming Lee
Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian
West Michigan Aviation @ Barry County Christian – DH
Girls Softball
Belding @ Wyoming Lee – DH
Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian – DH
Tuesday, April 17
Boys Lacrosse
South Christian @ Kenowa Hills
Boys/Girls Track
Calvin Christian @ Godwin Heights
Kelloggsville @ Wyoming Lee
East Kentwood @ Caledonia
Boys Baseball
Wyoming @ East Grand Rapids – DH
Zion Christian @ Holland Black River – DH
Rockford @ East Kentwood – DH
Potter’s House @ Holland Calvary
Girls Softball
Wyoming @ East Grand Rapids – DH
Rockford @ East Kentwood
Girls Soccer
Zion Christian @ Holland Black River
Grand River Prep @ Tri-Unity Christian
West Michigan Aviation @ Wellsprings Prep
Muskegon Mona Shores @ East Kentwood
Potter’s House @ Holland Calvary
Boys Golf
East Kentwood @ Grand Haven
Girls Water Polo
East Kentwood @ Jenison
Wednesday, April 18
Boys Baseball
Wayland @ South Christian – DH
Wyoming Lee @ Belding
Calvin Christian @ Kelloggsville
Girls Softball
South Christian @ Wyoming – DH
Wyoming Lee @ Belding
Calvin Christian @ Kelloggsville – WKTV Featured Event
Girls Soccer
East Grand Rapids @ South Christian
Godwin Heights @ Kelloggsville
Calvin Christian @ Wyoming Lee
Wyoming @ Wayland
Boys Golf
@ South Christian – OK Gold Jamboree
Wyoming @ Christian – OK Bronze Jamboree
Girls Tennis
South Christian @ Christian
FH Eastern @ Wyoming
Comstock Park @ Kelloggsville
Rockford @ East Kentwood
Boys/Girls Track
South Christian @ East Grand Rapids
Wyoming @ Christian
Thursday, April 19
Boys Baseball
South Christian @ Wayland
East Grand Rapids @ Wyoming
Wyoming Lee @ Barry County Christian
Covenant Christian @ Tri-Unity Christian
East Kentwood @ Rockford
Girls Softball
South Christian @ Byron Center – DH
Western Michigan Christian @ Godwin Heights – DH
Hudsonville @ East Kentwood
Boys Lacrosse
South Christian @ Holland
Boys Golf
South Christian @ Unity Christian
Holland @ Wyoming
East Kentwood @ Caledonia
Boys/Girls Track
Kelloggsville @ Godwin Heights
East Kentwood @ Hudsonville
Girls Soccer
Hopkins @ Wyoming
Tri-Unity Christian @ Zion Christian
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa
Holland Black River @ Potter’s House
Girls Water Polo
FH Central @ East Kentwood
Friday, April 20
Girls Soccer
Caledonia @ South Christian
Hudsonville Hornets @ Godwin Heights
Wyoming Lee @ West Michigan Aviation
East Kentwood @ Middleville T-K
Boys Baseball
West Michigan Aviation @ Godwin Heights – DH
Hopkins @ Wyoming
Kelloggsville @ Hastings
Potter’s House vs Holland Black River @ Hope College
Girls Softball
Godwin Heights @ Ottawa Hills – DH
Kelloggsville @ Hastings
Hopkins @ Wyoming
Boys Golf
Kelloggsville @ Hopkins
Girls Tennis
Tri-Unity Christian @ Comstock Park
Girls Water Polo
@ East Kentwood – East Kentwood Invite
Saturday, April 21
Girls Tennis
South Christian @ Ann Arbor Greenhills – Greenhills Invite
Wyoming @ Hamilton
@ Kelloggsville – Rocket Tournament
East Kentwood @ Holt
Boys/Girls Track
Godwin Heights @ Covenant Christian
Wyoming @ Wyoming Lee – Solis Invitational
Kelloggsville @ Wyoming Lee – Solis Invitational
West Michigan Aviation @ Wyoming Lee – Solis Invitational
Most interviews end with this question: What questions do you have for us?
Your interview isn’t over yet! Show curiosity and interest in the company during this part of the interview. Impress the employer with great questions- not ones you already know the answer to, such as position details or wage information.
Ask questions to see if you’re a good match for the company. This is your time to shine. Here are five important ones:
What does success look like in the position?
What experiences and skills describe the ideal candidate?
What is the next step in the interview process?
How do you see this position changing in the next three years?
How can I best help you and the team succeed?
Choose three questions that make the most sense for your interview. Write them down in a notebook. During the interview, reference your list if you forget what question to ask next.
The bottom line: ask questions that show you’re interested in the organization. Good questions will impress the employer.
Ready to take these questions to an interview? You’re in luck! There are 13+ hiring events this week with employers offering on-site interviews. See the dates, times and employers on our website here.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
The $25,000 Global Religion Research Initiative grant allows Calvin professor Tracy Kuperus to collaborate with social science scholars of religion from around the world. (Courtesy Calvin College)
By Hannah Ebeling, Calvin College
The Center for the Study of Religion and Society at the University of Notre Dame awarded Calvin College international development studies professor, Tracy Kuperus, in collaboration with faculty from five other institutions, a $25,000 grant. The central purpose of the grant is to foster new, potentially long-term empirical research collaborations between social science scholars of religion in North America and those beyond the North Atlantic.
Exploring youth, faith and politics
“We’re interested in exploring how Christian institutions on the African continent influence citizenship norms and behaviors among African youth,” said Kuperus. “There’s been a lot of work done on African youth, and a lot of work done on African politics and religion, but there’s very little research bringing those two areas together. As far as we know, we’ll be bridging those research areas for the first time.”
“I think this project has the potential to shape future studies in three ways,” said Amy Patterson, professor at Sewanee University of the South. “First, it calls attention to how churches may be shaping the political attitudes or behaviors of young people. Second, it aims to examine how youth at the community level understand citizenship. Thus the project will bring a uniquely African view to a concept that is often portrayed using the research and language from Western political scientists. Finally, the project dissects the youth category, often treated as a homogeneous mass. We will examine how male and female youth may be influenced in different ways by churches and how church messages on citizenship may differ across socioeconomic lines.”
“As Christian scholars, we have a commitment to understanding what global citizenship and partnership looks like around the world. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are everywhere, but we don’t know as much about what faith commitments look like outside of the United States, especially as that pertains to political engagement. This is a research effort exploring what that looks like within the African continent,” said Kuperus.
Facilitating global collaboration
Although the Global Religion Research Initiative awards six distinct research and writing grants, this one is unique because it is internationally collaborative, explained Kuperus. “I think the really invaluable part of this project is that each of the three American political scientists on the research team will be paired with an African social scientist.”
Africa is an underrepresented continent in a lot of ways.
“Unfortunately, a lot of the resources that pertain to African research are found in the global north, coming from institutions that do not have long-standing or natural connections with the continent,” said Kuperus. “Because of this, knowledge about the continent is often informed by stereotypes and broad generalizations that do not catch the nuances and complexities of any sector—whether that be religion, politics, or youth.” This project emends Global North-Global South partnerships. “This grant is great because it encourages recipients to get outside their network and bridge gaps that should have been bridged ages ago.”
“A crucial aspect also is that the American scholars have worked with the African scholars on teaching and curriculum development in the past,” said Patterson. “For example, my portion of the project is to conduct research with Dr. Phoebe Kajubi, a medical anthropologist in Kampala who also partners with my institution to oversee summer internships. She also spent a semester teaching at my university. Thus, our collaborations occur on multiple levels—teaching, curriculum design, and now the research project.”
Conducting multi-method research
The team’s research project is multi-method involving quantitative analysis in the initial stages. “During summer 2018, each American political scientist will travel to one African country where she has extensive connections,” said Kuperus. “In partnership with an African social scientist, she will be conducting interviews with directors of Christian ecumenical organizations, conducting focus groups with youth connected to neighborhood churches, and, finally, interviewing youth political activists.”
Kuperus said that as a Christian she is committed to redeeming how people view political involvement and citizenship.
“Politics is viewed so negatively,” she said. “People want to close themselves off from politics and not get engaged, but we want Christians to be engaged. Christians can hold governments accountable and advocate for laws and policies that bring about societal flourishing.” In the future, Kuperus said she hopes her research team can continue to build off the research they are beginning now. “I also hope this opens the door for other researchers in the field.”
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus is Keith St. Clair, who has been teaching national and international political science at Grand Rapids Community College since 2002 and is frequently asked to discuss Middle East issues.
He has travelled extensively throughout the Middle East including a recent trip to Qatar — a small county strategically located between feuding regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran. He talks with In Focus host Ken Norris about Qatar’s importance to U.S. foreign policy and current military presence in that often-troubled region.
Also on the episode, is Steve Prince, the director of Warriors Set Free, which is a veterans support program of Set Free Ministries, a Christian-based ministry run by veterans for veterans.
The entire episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.
The episode debuted on WKTV cable channels on Tuesday, April 10, and will again air on Thursday, April 12, also at 6:30 p.m., and will continue on the same days and times the week of April 16. But all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Photo 1. Oak wilt symptoms. A) Dying red oak showing foliar wilt symptoms. B) Crack in the bark indicating mycelial mat presence. C) Nitidulid beetle visiting a mycelial mat. D) Gray spore containing mycelial mat and pressure pad. Photos: Monique Sakalidis
By Monique Sakalidis, Michigan State University, Department of Forestry
Remember the no-prune dates of April 15–July 15 to reduce the chance of oak wilt infection.
Bretziella fagacearum (used to be known as Ceratocystisfagacearum) is a fungal pathogen that causes the disease oak wilt.
How did oak wilt come to the United States and how long has it been here?
Oak wilt was first recognized as an important disease in 1944 in Wisconsin, where in localized areas, over half the oaks had been killed. The fungal pathogen is thought to be native to the Eastern U.S. Difficulties in identifying the fungus led to a delay in recognizing the exact extent of its impact until the 1980s. More recent evidence suggests oak wilt is an exotic disease that arrived in the U.S. in the early 1900s. The fungus has not been reported in any other country other than the U.S., so its origin remains unknown. In Michigan, it was first reported in the 1970s.
Extent of range
In the U.S., oak wilt has been confirmed in 24 states, including 829 counties. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has confirmed oak wilt in 56 Michigan counties. Oaks comprise about 10 percent of the forest in Michigan and oak wilt has the potential to impact the 149 million red oak trees across 3.9 million acres of Michigan forest land (private, state, local government and federal ownership).
Why is oak wilt a problem?
Oak wilt is a serious disease of oak trees that mainly affects red oaks. The disease also affects white oaks, but because they are somewhat more resistant (due to their better ability of compartmentalizing the fungus whilst maintaining a functioning water transport system), the disease progresses more slowly. Activities that result in tree wounding such as pruning, tree climbing spikes, nailing signs on trees, hanging lanterns on trees, tree barking and storm damage during the warmer months of the year can result in more new tree infections. Oak wilt causes devastating ecosystem damage and is also an aesthetic blight across the landscape.
Oak wilt symptoms
An infected tree is often first noticed due to a sudden drop or browning of leaves in the summer months (Photo 1A). Leaves may be brown, somewhat bronzed or partially green. Often, leaf tips and margins will be bronze or brown whilst the leaf base will remain green (Photo 2). There are other pest, pathogen and environmental problems that may cause similar symptoms and therefore it’s important that suspected oak wilt-infected trees are lab verified.
Photo 2. Typical fallen leaves associated with oak wilt. Photo: Monique Sakalidis.
How it kills the tree
Once the fungus enters the tree via a spore coming into contact with a tree wound or via interconnecting root grafts, it grows throughout the water conducting channels of the tree—the xylem vessels. These vessels are eventually blocked by the fungus and structures produced by the tree, and this means water cannot be effectively transported and we start to see the “wilting” effects. Tree death in red oak is rapid and can occur within three to four weeks after initial appearance of symptoms.
Six to 12 months after the tree has died, the fungus will complete its life cycle and produce spore-containing mycelial mats (Photo 1D) on the dead tree. These mats form under the bark and, as they mature, produce specialized, non-spore producing structures in the center of the fungal mat called “pressure pads” that exert pressure outward to the bark, causing it to split (Photo 1B) and thus provides a route for insects to reach the mycelial mats. These mycelial mats have a distinctive odor that makes them attractive to a variety of beetles (Photo 1C) that will feed on the mat then fly to other mats or fresh tree wounds, through which the fungus then enters the tree and starts the infection process anew.
How it is spread
Spread of the disease is rapid and there are multiple ways the disease can be spread.
Below ground by root-to-root transmission. Local spread of oak wilt occurs when the fungus travels through the interconnected roots of infected and healthy trees. This can account for up to 90 percent of new infections each year. This type of spread results in outwardly expanding pockets of dead trees (infection epicenters) in the landscape (up to 39 feet per year). One important management strategy when dealing with oak wilt is disrupting these root grafts via trenching or vibratory plows.
Overland by insect transmission. Nitidulid beetles carry fungal spores from sporulating mats on infected trees to wounds on healthy trees, from which a new infection can develop. Overland transmission results in new infection centers. Removing the entire infected tree, including stump removal, and limiting activities that result in tree wounding is essential to reduce overland infection.
Overland by firewood. Since mycelial mats develop on dead oak trees, they can also form on wood cut from infected oaks. Sporadic long-distance infections can result from moving firewood. Specific handling of firewood is mentioned below.
Cool and unusual facts
One way this fungus is spread is by sap-feeding nitidulid beetles, also known as picnic beetles, and, to a lesser extent, bark beetles. The mycelial mats smell like fermenting apple cider vinegar, red wine or even bubblegum.
Management actions and options
Because red oaks have no natural resistance to this disease, the only way to stop new infection is to prevent the spread of the fungus to new, healthy trees and locations, and reduce the fungal presence or inoculum load in known oak wilt-positive locations. This is done by reducing activities that cause tree wounding, disrupting root grafts that may have formed between healthy and infected trees, and by removing confirmed oak wilt-positive trees.
Help prevent the spread of oak wilt
Do not prune oak trees during the warmer months of the year. Limit any activity that results in tree wounding or movement of cut trees, such as pruning, harvesting, thinning, utility line clearance and firewood. To prevent aboveground spread, trees should not be pruned from April 15 to July 15.
Paint tree wounds with pruning paint as soon as they are made. Beetles have been known to find their way onto wounds within 10 minutes of pruning.
Do not move firewood. If you cut oak down, either chip, debark, burn or bury it. If you cut it into firewood, cover the wood with a plastic sheet (minimum 4-millimeter thickness) and bury the edges of the plastic underground, making sure none of the plastic breaks. This needs to be left for six to 12 months until the wood has dried out enough—and therefore isn’t conducive to fungal growth—and the bark falls off.
Across the nation, youth are finding their voice in change-making and expressing it across a variety of platforms. Fed up with what they perceive as ineffective policy-making, youth are using their voices to make change. From walkouts to protests to editorials, youth are making their voices heard.
But are youth equipped with the knowledge needed to make a difference in politics and government? The answer may vary depending on the youth you ask, their experiences and the quality of their government and civics education in high school. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, “Students who recall having received better civic education are more likely to be engaged.”
At least one youth feels under-prepared for participation in government. Despite attempts in her high school government class, Mackenzie Hubbard used her voice to write an editorial in the Ludington Daily News on her lack of understanding of government. Is Hubbard’s experience an anomaly? Or does it point to a broader problem? Are there better ways to engage youth in civic education and find their voice to be effective change-makers?
4-H Capitol Experience is a pre-college program that takes youth out of the classroom, providing a hands-on experiential opportunity to learn more about state government in Michigan. The four-day program held annually in Lansing, Michigan, engages high school youth throughout the state in exploring the process of making public policy. Youth who participate in this program learn about our state’s public policy through multiple experiences including mock bill writing, committee meetings, and house and senate “votes,” as well as visits with legislative aides, lobbyists, and state and community agencies.
The 20th annual Celebrating All Walks of Life Traditional Pow Wow will be at GVSU’s Fieldhouse on the Allendale campus. (Supplied)
Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University will host a series of events to celebrate, and learn about, Native American traditions and culture through dance and song on Saturday and Sunday, April 7-8 at GVSU’s Allendale campus.
The 20th annual Celebrating All Walks of Life Traditional Pow Wow will take place in the Fieldhouse on the Allendale campus. Hundreds of people are expected to attend, including many traveling from Native American communities in the Upper Peninsula and Great Lakes region.
The event will celebrate traditional Native American dancing and music with Grand Entry performances at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., on April 7, and at noon on April 8. Doors open at 11 a.m., both days. There will be Native American handmade crafts and food vendors, as well as a silent auction to raise funds for Grand Valley’s Native American Student Association.
This year, the co-coordinator of the first Grand Valley pow wow will attend the celebration. Scott Herron, a Grand Valley alumnus and biology professor at Ferris State University, coordinated the first pow wow in 1998.
The celebration is free, family friendly and open to the public. It is sponsored by the Native American Student Association, Office of Multicultural Affairs and Division of Inclusion and Equity at Grand Valley.
DeRuiter’s team, which included two students, delivered a workshop at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and allowed the students to develop meaningful connections with influential researchers. (Photo courtesy Calvin College)
By Hannah Ebeling, Calvin College
“The underlying motivation of our work and research is always inquisitiveness and wonder at animal ecology,” said Stacy DeRuiter, professor of mathematics and statistics at Calvin College. “We can learn so much about creation by exploring.”
DeRuiter has for years studied marine animals, using bio-logging technology.
Recognizing a need
“Bio-logging studies, where data on animal movements are collected using small, animal-borne devices that either store or transmit sensor data, are growing rapidly in numbers and in scope,” said DeRuiter.
As the technology advances, there are more opportunities to track longer and more frequent data sets of animal behavior. Instead of tracking the animal once every few seconds, researchers are now receiving feedback multiple times a second. However, this means there is much more data to account for and sort through, explained DeRuiter.
“While these tags offer exciting opportunities to observe animal behavior in unprecedented detail, there is a desperate need for freely available, easy-to-use, flexible tools to facilitate proper analysis and interpretation of the resulting data,” DeRuiter said.
Developing accessible and efficient software
“We thought it would be worthwhile to spend a year making better software that would be more accessible, as well as creating documentation and a workshop to make it easier for people to use in general,” she said.
Throughout summer 2017, DeRuiter led a collaborative project developing software tools for analysis of data from animal-borne movement-sensors. Her team included two students, who developed tools and delivered a workshop at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, introducing researchers to the tools and providing hands-on practice.
Before DeRuiter made the proposal for the project she received more than 30 letters from other researchers, who would benefit from her work, in support of the idea.
“It was amazing having the support of the community that really wanted this to happen but either did not have the time or funding to make it possible,” she said.
Gaining meaningful experience and connections
This project allowed students to develop some meaningful connections with influential researchers, explained DeRuiter.
“That is part of the reason I wanted them to come to Scotland and the University of St. Andrews,” she said. “They had done such great work and software development, and I wanted them to see the workshop play out.”
“The thing I enjoyed most was participating in the international workshop at the end of the summer,” said David Sweeny, a student researcher. “It was amazing to see how many different kinds of research topics from around the world are using the software functions that we have developed and translated.”
Sweeny said he is interested in this research because it gives him an insight into the lives of magnificent marine creatures during the times and in places that he otherwise would not be able to observe were it not for tags.
“This research provides so many ways to learn how we can best protect these animals,” he said. “Given that I care a lot about protecting the environment, this work is really important to me.”
Opening the door to future research
“One of the most important things that the Reformed tradition tells us about being Christian is that we don’t do it alone; we do it in community. Science, for example, proceeds by the careful work of many, many hands,” said DeRuiter. “The goals of the project were to democratize this kind of research and level the playing field for those who don’t have the same mentorship, training, or funding to buy software.”
This software will help DeRuiter track whale and dolphin behavior as well as open the door for other researchers to non-intrusively explore other animal habits.
“The availability of this software will only enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of current and future work being done around the world,” said Sweeny. “It will allow for increased collaboration between scientists which will have many different kinds of benefits in the future.”
A 90-minute drive … replaced by a single click. Thanks to Google, the course catalog is expanding, and students at three colleges, separated by 100 miles, are learning together.
“This isn’t happening anywhere else on this scale,” said Roman Williams, assistant professor of sociology at Calvin College.
Leading the way
In collaboration with Google, the Michigan Colleges Alliance is piloting the Google Course Share Collaboration, a new approach that aims to expand course options at smaller private colleges, while still retaining the faculty-driven teaching model.
Calvin, Alma, and Albion are participating in the pilot in spring 2018, each offering one course available to all three campuses.
“The whole idea is to offer courses that might not otherwise be offered because they are so specialized that student interest on one campus might not be enough to achieve the desired level of enrollment,” said Williams, who is teaching his Visual Toolkit course on Monday nights to six Alma, seven Albion, and six Calvin students. “Adding compelling technology to the mix amplifies students’ experiences.”
Powered by Google
How it works? Each campus is making a Google Extended Classroom available, complete with Hangouts Meet—Google’s video meeting software—and Jamboard—Google’s 55-inch, 4K interactive display, which is spurring collaboration through linking up digital whiteboards across the colleges. And each student has been given a Chromebook from their respective institution.
“The Jamboard is an interactive whiteboard that you can all share,” said Emma Chung, a junior digital communications major at Calvin who is taking “Media Theory and Culture” via Google Course Share through Albion College. “So, if Albion students are writing on it, we can see what they are writing, kind of like a Google Doc in a portable whiteboard form, but it’s still treated like a whiteboard. It’s pretty neat.”
The classrooms have two large monitors, each showing students from the other two participating colleges. Steelcase, the largest office furniture manufacturer in the world, has also joined the effort, and will be outfitting each classroom with comfortable seating and in helping create collaborative spaces for students to thrive.
Collaborating across colleges
Learning how best to collaborate from a distance takes a little time, says Williams. But, he says that students having the unique experience of helping pioneer a new way of learning, combined with the novelty of working with “cool technology,” are already going a long way in producing higher levels of student participation, engagement, and enthusiasm about these courses.
Students agree.
“I think it’s a really enriching experience. You get a chance to interact with students from another campus that isn’t yours, who you haven’t spent four years with,” said Taylor Hartson, a junior sociology major at Calvin. “It’s also a good experience for people considering going to grad school. ‘How do I interact with strangers for the first time? How do I adjust to a class that isn’t taught in a way that’s the way I’ve been taking the last several years?’”
Hartson, who is taking Williams’ class, is looking forward to more opportunities to hear from classmates representing various disciplines and multiple institutions. “It’s interesting to hear the perspectives of those not in this field on an up-and-coming methodology, to kind of explore that together, to see what it looks like to use this methodology in communications or in biology. It’s cool to hear all these perspectives.”
Opening more options
The pilot program is testing the viability of an academic-resource-sharing model between colleges, giving students and faculty more access to resources. The Michigan Colleges Alliance represents an ideal platform for launching a new course delivery system like this one. The MCA consists of 14 smaller private institutions. But, collectively, the alliance comprises the third largest student body in the state of Michigan.
What Google Course Share allows is for private institutions to keep their student-centered learning and close faculty interaction—hallmarks of the experiences they currently offer—all while expanding their course options for students.
One Calvin student wrote in her reflection after the first class, ‘I LOVE THIS TECHNOLOGY! That’s all I have to say for now. I feel like I’m living in the future.’
“On many levels she is correct,” said Williams, “she is living into the future. Increasingly a company’s workforce is spread across multiple locations and using meeting/collaboration technology like Google’s Jamboard and Hangouts Meet are the norm. A student who experiences a course like the ones we’re offering gains aptitudes and skills for thriving in the global economy.”
Calvin College’s Center for Social Research (CSR) has been tasked by MCA with evaluating the pilot program. Through surveys, focus groups, and research, CSR will provide an evaluation by the end of April 2018. The plan is to publish these results after the final evaluation.
WKTV offers on-demand viewing of high school sports. (WKTV)
WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org
The high school boys and girls basketball season is in the state championship playoff stretch, but due to Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) rules the WKTV sports truck is done for the winter season.
However you can still get out and see some action as this year’s girls Semi-Finals and Finals will be held on the campus of Calvin College at Van Noord Arena and the boys Semi-Finals and Finals will once again be on Michigan State’s campus at The Breslin Center.
The early start to spring high school seasons is also on the horizon as the first pitches will soon be thrown in boys baseball and girls softball, along with girls soccer, boys lacrosse, boys and girls track, boys golf, girls tennis and soccer, and girls water polo.
While the spring broadcast schedule for the WKTV sports crew is still being completed it it expected to include boys baseball, girls softball, and girls water polo.
In general, all games will be broadcast the night of the event on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 at 11 p.m. and repeat later in the week. The games can also be seen on AT&T U-verse 99. All games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com .
The complete schedule of all local high school sports for the remainder of March is as follows. For any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and features on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/ .
Monday, March 12
Boys Basketball
TBD @ Grandville – Class A MHSAA Regionals
TBD @ West Catholic – Class B MHSAA Regionals
TBD @ Climax-Scotts – Class D MHSAA Regionals
Tuesday, March 13
No local contests scheduled
Wednesday, March 14
Boys Basketball
@ Grandville – Class A MHSAA Regionals
@ West Catholic – Class B MHSAA Regionals
@ Climax-Scotts – Class D MHSAA Regionals
Thursday, March 15
Girls Basketball
@ Calvin College – Class C MHSAA Semi-Finals
@ Calvin College – Class D MHSAA Semi-Finals
Friday, March 16
Girls Water Polo
East Kentwood @ East Grand Rapids
Girls Basketball
@ Calvin College – Class A MHSAA Semi-Finals
@ Calvin College – Class B MHSAA Semi-Finals
Saturday, March 17
Girls Basketball
@ Calvin College – Class D MHSAA State Finals 10:00 AM
@ Calvin College – Class A MHSAA State Finals 12:15 PM
@ Calvin College – Class C MHSAA State Finals 4:00 PM
@ Calvin College – Class B MHSAA State Finals 6:15 PM
Myth: All people with Down syndrome have a severe cognitive disability and cannot be active members of society.
Fact: Many people believe this. The misconception that Down syndrome affects all those with the condition identically and that, as a result, these individuals are unable to live independently or lead successful lives could not be further from the truth. At the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan (DSAWM) we work every day to ensure that myth does not overshadow truth. Educating West Michigan about the condition is a critical part of advocacy.
So, what is Down syndrome? Down syndrome is a genetic condition in which an individual has three, rather than two, copies of the 21st chromosome. It is the most commonly occurring chromosomal abnormality and occurs in one of approximately every 700 births. Those with Down syndrome often experience cognitive delays and have several physical identifiers including low muscle tone, small stature, and an upward slant to the eyes.
While it is true that some people with Down syndrome have severe cognitive delays, for most the effect is usually mild to moderate. Many individuals are enrolled in general education programs, attend college, marry, and have jobs. Just ask our intern Allie! Allie is 25 years old and in addition to working with our organization, has two other jobs, is taking a college course, and spends her weekends skiing.
It is important to remember that each person with Down syndrome is unique. When we limit our understanding of the condition, we limit the opportunities for those affected. Quality education programs, a stimulating home environment, good health care, and positive support from family, friends, and the community help people with Down syndrome to develop their full potential and lead fulfilling lives.
World Down Syndrome Day is March 21st, in honor of the third copy of the 21st chromosome. On this day, individuals with Down syndrome and advocates across the world raise public awareness and advocate for inclusion with community events and conferences with lawmakers. And don’t be surprised if you see people wearing brightly colored or mismatched socks on World Down Syndrome Day. The #lotsofsocks campaign encourages participants to wear their funkiest socks to get people talking and asking questions about Down syndrome.
At DSAWM we can’t think of a better way to celebrate our favorite extra-chromosomed friends on World Down Syndrome Day than by throwing a party! On March 21st we will be hosting a ‘70s themed Rock Your Socks Dance to raise awareness and celebrate our loved ones with Down syndrome. DSAWM staff, members, family, and friends will be boogieing the night away with snacks, crafts, a photo booth, costume contest, and, of course, dancing!
Join us at the Masonic Center in downtown Grand Rapids at 6pm for the grooviest get-down in town. Check out the DSAWM Facebook page for more details and to learn more about our organization and the fantastic community of eager and inspiring individuals whom we serve.
For more information, please visit the following links.
Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan: Dsawm.org
Late last year, as they have at the end of each semester for the last three three school years, Wyoming High School students and teachers honored six exemplary students with the Alpha Wolf 11 Champion of Character Award — two sophomores, two juniors and two seniors.
And WKTV’s cameras were there to assist the school in recording the event.
There will be special airings of the event on WKTV cable channel 25 next week, with the Alpha Wolf Awards being broadcast Wednesday, March 14, at 5 p.m.; Friday, March 16, at 11 p.m.; and Saturday, March 17, at 11 a.m.
The Dec. 7, 2017, ceremony was attended by the student body, special guests from the Wyoming community, City of Wyoming city and public safety leaders, school district administration and the Wyoming Board of Education members. There was also a special flag ceremony.
A special guest at the recent ceremony was the staff of the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan and its executive director, Christy Buck, who spoke about the group’s Be Nice initiative. The program works in schools and the community to provide simple, common sense, ways to prevent suicide and be proactive to other dangers resulting from mental illness.
The Alpha Wolf program was led by teachers Jonathan Bushen and John Doyle, who started the program three years ago modeled on a program at Grandville high school, where he kids attended. But many teachers and staff members were involved.
WKTV offers on-demand viewing of Wyoming and Kentwood sports events and government meetings, including the monthly Government Matters meeting. (WKTV)
Mike Moll, WKTV Volunteer Sports Director
sports@wktv.org
March brings to close the remaining winter sports seasons while at the same time opens the spring portions of high school sports. March Madness, the high school version, will have the WKTV sports coverage crew out at Wyoming Kelloggsville this week for the Class B District 57 tournament.
On District 57 opening night, tonight, Monday, March 5, Grand Rapids South Christian (13-7 on the season) will battle host Kelloggsville (17-3) at 6 p.m., to be followed by Godwin Heights (19-1) going up against West Michigan Aviation Academy (13-7).
After semifinal action on Wednesday, March 7, the crew will also be at the District championship game at Kelloggsville on Friday, March 9, at 7 p.m. In the Wednesday games, the winner of the first game Monday will play Wyoming Lee (4-16) at 6 p.m., while the winner of the second game will play Grand River Prep (9-9) at 8 p.m.
The winner of the District 57 tournament will move on to the Class B Regional at Grand Rapids West Catholic.
As for the other high school sports, the crowning of state champions began the opening weekend of the month as boys and girls bowling was at four various sites around the state depending on their division, girls cheer was at The DeltaPlex in Grand Rapids, and all classes of boys wrestling were at Ford Field in Detroit for individual State Finals.
Boys hockey Regionals were also the first weekend of March, followed by their Quarter and Semi-Finals and eventually drop the puck for State Finals on March 10. That same weekend, March 9-10, girl’s gymnastics perform their final routines of the season and boys swimming and diving takes their last plunge into the water to conclude their years.
On the hardcourt the Michigan version of March Madness continues for both boys and girls as Districts are in the books for the girls and the boys Districts are this week, s the girls move on to the Regionals, Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and eventually Finals. This year’s girls Semi-Finals and Finals will be held on the campus of Calvin College at Van Noord Arena and the boys Semi-Finals and Finals will once again be on Michigan State’s campus at The Breslin Center.
The early start to spring seasons will include the first pitches thrown in boys baseball and girls softball, along with girls soccer, boys lacrosse, boys and girls track, boys golf, girls tennis and soccer, and girls water polo.
The spring broadcast schedule is still being completed but should be including boys baseball, girls softball, and girls water polo.
WKTV’s featured Monday games will be broadcast that night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 starting at 11 p.m. and Wednesday, March 7, starting at 5 p.m. The Friday game will be aired that night on WKTV 25 at 11 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. The games can also be seen on AT&T U-verse 99.
All covered games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com .
The complete schedule of all local high school sports action through the end of the month. For any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and features on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/ .
Monday, March 5
Boys Basketball
West Michigan Aviation vs Godwin Heights @ Kelloggsville – MHSAA Districts
South Christian @ Kelloggsville – MHSAA Districts
Byron Center @ East Kentwood – MHSAA Districts
Middleville T-K @ Wyoming – MHSAA Districts
Tuesday, March 6
No games scheduled
Wednesday, March 7
Boys Basketball
TBD @ Caledonia – MHSAA Districts
TBD vs Wyoming Lee @ Kelloggsville – MHSAA Districts
TBD vs Grand River Prep @ Kelloggsville – MHSAA Districts
Zion Christian @ Tri-Unity Christian – MHSAA Districts
Potter’s House vs Holland Calvary @ Tri-Unity Christian – MHSAA Districts
Boys Hockey
TBD @ Dimondale – Division 1 MHSAA Quarterfinal
Thursday, March 8
No games scheduled
Friday, March 9
Boys Basketball
TBD @ Caledonia – MHSAA District Finals
TBD @ Kelloggsville – MHSAA District Finals
TBD @ Tri-Unity Christian – MHSAA District Finals
Girls Gymnastics
MHSAA Team State Finals – Rockford
Boys Hockey
TBD @ Plymouth – Division 1 MHSAA Semi-Finals
Boys Swimming/Diving
Division 1 MHSAA State Finals – EMU
Division 2 MHSAA State Finals – Oakland University
Division 3 MHSAA State Finals – Saginaw Valley State University
Saturday, March 10
Girls Gymnastics
MHSAA Individual State Finals – Rockford
Boys Hockey
TBD @ Plymouth – Division 1 MHSAA State Finals
Boys Swimming/Diving
Division 1 MHSAA State Finals – EMU
Division 2 MHSAA State Finals – Oakland University
Division 3 MHSAA State Finals – Saginaw Valley University
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus, Kevin Polston, Superintendent of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, talks with program host Ken Norris about his school district’s upcoming request for public support of an extension of an existing sinking fund millage — an effort to improve safety, security and technology while allowing more general fund dollars to be spend in the classroom.
Also on the episode, State Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker, a Republican who currently represents the 26th District, which includes the City of Kentwood, talks on a wide-range of topics, including the opioid crisis and her coming effort to become Michigan’s next Attorney General.
The entire episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.
The episode will continue on WKTV cable channels on Tuesday, March 6, at 6:30 p.m., will again air on Thursday, March 8, also at 6:30 p.m. But all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVVideos.
WKTV offers on-demand viewing of Wyoming and Kentwood sports events and government meetings, including the monthly Government Matters meeting. (WKTV)
WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org
With the high school girls basketball season beginning state championship playoff action, the WKTV sports truck will head out twice this week for featured game coverage, possibly both nights at the District 57 tournament to be held at Wyoming Godwin Heights.
The first game of the District 57 tournament is tonight, Monday, Feb. 26, as Godwin Heights (10-9 on the season) takes on Grand River Prep (8-9) in opening round action.
WKTV will get involved on Wednesday, Feb. 28, with two semifinal games. Initial plans are for us to be at Godwin Heights for Wyoming Kelloggsville (4-14) vs. West Michigan Aviation Academy (2-14) at 6 p.m., and then the winner of the Monday night game against tournament favorite Grand Rapids South Christian (16-4) at 8 p.m.
Depending on the results of those semifinals, and other Wednesday night games involving Wyoming and Kentwood area teams, WKTV will either be at Godwin Heights for the District 57 finals, scheduled for Friday, March 2, at 7 p.m., or at another district final in the area. (Check WKTVjournal.org/sports after Wednesday night games for the Friday schedule.)
The Wednesday games will be broadcast that night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 at 11 p.m. and repeat later in the week. Each Friday game will be aired that night on WKTV 25 at 11 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. The games can also be seen on AT&T U-verse 99.
All games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com .
The complete schedule of all local high school sports action through the end of the month. For any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and features on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/ . (We will have the schedule for March shortly, so check back.)
Monday, Feb. 26
Girls Basketball
Grand River Prep @ Godwin Heights – MHSAA Districts
Potter’s House @ Holland Calvary – MHSAA Districts
Ottawa Hills @ East Kentwood – MHSAA Districts
Wyoming @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
Tuesday, Feb. 27
Boys Basketball
South Christian @ Byron Center
Godwin Heights @ Christian
Martin @ Potter’s House
West Michigan Aviation @ West Catholic
Zion Christian @ Western Michigan Christian
East Kentwood @ Grand Ledge
Saugatuck @ Wyoming Lee
Comstock Park @ Kelloggsville
Calvin Christian @ Tri-Unity Christian
Wednesday, Feb. 28
Girls Basketball
TBD vs South Christian @ Godwin Heights – MHSAA Districts
West Michigan Aviation vs Kelloggsville @ Godwin Heights – MHSAA Districts
Zion Christian vs West Michigan Lutheran @ Potter’s House – MHSAA Districts
TBD vs Tri-Unity Christian @ Potter’s House – MHSAA Districts
“The science that we have today is shaped so much by a desire to know the God that created it,” said David Malone, dean of college and seminary library. John James Audubon reflects this desire to understand creation in his passionate and detailed study of North American birds.
Rare Audubon prints gifted to Calvin
Calvin College was recently gifted, by Udean Burke, Birds of America, a collection of prints by naturalist and painter John James Audubon. The collection was produced in 1966 by American Heritage Publishing and has an estimated value in the tens of thousands. The set contains 431 colored illustrations of a wide variety of birds of the United States, and is one of only 120 complete sets known to exist. Audubon’s Birds of America was originally produced between 1827 and 1838, consisting of hand-colored prints made by engraved plates.
The donor, owner of Nancy and Udean Christian Tours, emphasized the importance of gifting this set to a Christian institution. “The donor was looking for a Christian school that would put them to use,” said Malone. The prints were given to be used at the discretion of the college, without restrictions, for the needs of the school, he said.
“I think it reflects well on Calvin that someone really not that familiar with Calvin, except by reputation, would select us for this gift,” said Randy Vogelzang, director of gift planning and major gifts. “It was an unexpected blessing and quite an honor and a privilege that they would have the confidence in supporting us and Calvin’s mission.”
Collection to be available to all
“Generally, when we have something like this, it’s my desire that we not hide it somewhere just in storage, and that the materials get engaged,” said Malone. “That’s really at the core of what a library does.” They are valuable and need to be well cared for, but that does not necessarily mean they need to be sequestered and unavailable, explained Malone.
The library’s goal would be that these prints are engaged and made available for natural science and history courses to understand the role of documentation in the history of science. “The collection is very attractive, and I can imagine that it could be framed and hung around the campus,” he said.
Complete set in perfect condition
The prints are in near perfect condition and while individual prints of Audubon’s Birds of North America are available, it is much rarer to come across a complete set of all 431 prints, much less in perfect condition, explained Vogelzang. “There are very few private colleges that have sets like this,” he said. “It is pretty remarkable for a smaller college to have something like this in their collection.”
“It was attractive to obtain them simply because of what they were, but it’s also desirable to find new ways of connecting curriculum with resources, and these kinds of visual materials are very different in that way,” said Malone.
What separates Audubon’s work is the detail and the intricacy that he was able to create in his documentation, explained Malone. The prints show the change in how the natural world was being documented and viewed at the time. “These fit well within a reformed perspective,” said Malone. “This is God’s creation, let us fully understand the depth of it and try and understand as much as we can.”
By Vivian Washington, Michigan State University Extension
Early childhood development experts have long discouraged using corporal punishment on children. Corporal punishment is when an adult deliberately hits, spanks or causes pain when trying to correct a child’s behavior. Adults often confuse physical punishment with discipline. They do not understand how trauma from physical punishment affects the child.
According to the American Psychological Association’s article, “The case against spanking,” physical punishment can lead to increased aggression, antisocial behavior, physical injury and mental health problems for children. Spanking may stop the child’s misbehavior in the short term, but is ineffective in producing positive, long-term results.
University of Missouri researchers have found that physical discipline experienced during infancy can negatively impact temperament and behavior among children in the fifth grade and into their teenage years. This was especially true for African American children who experienced severe punishment at 15 months of age. They were more likely to exhibit increased aggressive and delinquent behaviors and less likely to show positive behaviors. European-American children did not show a link between punishment and negative emotions. However, if these children were displaying negative emotions, such as irritability, then their long-term behavior was similar to African American children.
Michigan State University Extension offers the following guidelines to caregivers of children. These positive discipline tips will help to develop the desired behaviors to children:
Give clear directions.
Give directions one at a time or in age-appropriate doses.
Help children see how their actions affect others.
Focus on the desired results.
Expect the best from the child.
Notice and praise good behaviors.
Say “yes” as often as possible.
Show you care.
Set a good example—be a good role model.
Encourage children to express their feelings in words.
Understand child development and age-appropriate expectations.
Have a plan for anticipated problems.
Develop routines.
Listen to children.
Be age appropriate.
Make rules simple and enforceable.
Make as few rules as possible.
Enforce rules consistently.
To learn about the positive impact children and families experience due to Michigan State University Extension programs, read our 2016 Impact Reports: “Preparing young children for success” and “Preparing the future generation for success.” Additional impact reports, highlighting even more ways Michigan 4-H and MSU Extension positively impacted individuals and communities in 2016, can be downloaded from the MSU Extension website.
WKTV offers on-demand viewing of Wyoming and Kentwood sports events and government meetings, including the monthly Government Matters meeting. (WKTV)
WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org
The WKTV sports truck heads out twice this week for featured game coverage. First, on Tuesday, Feb. 20, It will be boys varsity basketball as Tri-unity Christian (12-4 overall, 7-1 in Alliance League as of Feb. 17) will host Muskegon Oakridge (5-10 overall, 7-8 in the West Michigan Conference) in a non-league tilt.
Then on Friday, Feb. 23, it’s an OK Gold varsity doubleheader with both boys and girls basketball being covered as Wyoming hosts East Grand Rapids. First up will be the Wolves girls team (9-10; 5-6 conference as of Feb. 16) against the Pioneer girls (15-3; 8-2). After that game will be the Wolves boys (14-4 overall, 10–1 conference as of Feb. 16) against the Pioneer boys (10-6 overall, 5-4).
Currently, each Tuesday game will be broadcast that night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 at 11 p.m. and repeat on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Each Friday game will be aired that night on WKTV 25 at 11 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. The games can also be seen on AT&T U-verse 99.
All games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com .
The last of the February featured broadcast schedule is:
Saturday, Feb. 24 — Boys Hockey: FH Central at East Kentwood
Following is the complete schedule of all local high school sports action this week. For any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and features on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/
Monday, Feb. 19
Boys/Girls Bowling
Wyoming Lee @ Potter’s House
Tuesday, Feb. 20
Girls Basketball
South Christian @ Middleville T-K
NorthPointe Christian @ Godwin Heights
Potter’s House @ Zion Christian
West Michigan Aviation @ Algoma Christian
Western Michigan Christian @ Grand River Prep
East Kentwood @ Rockford
Belding @ Kelloggsville
West Michigan Lutheran @ Wellsprings Prep
Boys Basketball
Middleville T-K @ South Christian
Godwin Heights @ NorthPointe Christian
Potter’s House @ Zion Christian
West Michigan Aviation @ Holland Black River
Western Michigan Christian @ Grand River Prep
Rockford @ East Kentwood
Hopkins @ Wyoming Lee
Kelloggsville @ Belding
West Michigan Lutheran @ Algoma Christian
Muskegon Oakridge @ Tri-unity Christian – WKTV Featured Event
Boys/Girls Bowling
Wyoming Lee @ Potter’s House
Wellsprings Prep @ Tri-Unity Christian
Wednesday, Feb. 21
Girls Basketball
Benton Harbor @ Godwin Heights
West Michigan Aviation @ WMAES
Boys Basketball
Benton Harbor @ Godwin Heights
West Michigan Aviation @ WMAES
Thursday, Feb. 22
Boys Swimming
East Kentwood @ Grand Haven
Friday, Feb. 23
Girls Basketball
South Christian @ Wayland
Potter’s House @ Algoma Christian
Holland Black River @ Zion Christian
Grandville @ East Kentwood
East Grand Rapids @ Wyoming – Coaches vs Cancer – WKTV Featured Event
Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian
WMAES @ West Michigan Lutheran
Holland Calvary @ Tri-Unity Christian
Boys Basketball
South Christian @ Wayland
Algoma Christian @ Potter’s House
Creative Technologies @ West Michigan Aviation
Holland Black River @ Zion Christian
Grandville @ East Kentwood
Wyoming Lee @ Belding
East Grand Rapids @ Wyoming – Coaches vs Cancer – WKTV Featured Event
Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian
West Michigan Lutheran @ WMAES
Holland Calvary @ Tri-Unity Christian
Boys Hockey
South Christian vs West Ottawa @ Griffs Ice West
East Kentwood @ East Grand Rapids
Boys Swimming
South Christian @ TBA – O-K Conference Meet
East Kentwood @ Grand Haven
Boys/Girls Bowling
Godwin Heights @ Muskegon Mona Shores – Team Regionals
East Kentwood @ Battle Creek Lakeview – Team Regionals
The West Michigan Aviation Academy boys basketball team avenged an early-season loss on Tuesday, Feb. 13, by edging out Alliance League rival Grand River Prep by a score of 69-61.
The Aviators continue their conference slate on Friday night at Zion Christian in Byron Center.
(And WKTV’s featured game coverage crew will be there covering it for cable and on-demand replay. For complete list of upcoming local sports and WKTV featured games see our weekly sports schedule.
The Aviators (6-2 in league; 9-5 overall) fell to the Titans, 55-41, early on in the season in a non-conference spat. But, with league implications on the line Tuesday night on the road, Micah Broersma and Sam Ver Steeg dialed up brilliant games from long range to power WMAA to a victory.
Broersma finished with a game-high 26 points. He was 8-for-14 from behind the 3-point line while Ver Steeg added 14 points, which included a 4-for-8 performance from deep. The Aviators finished 13-for-26 (50 percent) from long range and 26-for-50 from the field as a whole.
Darnell Frye added 10 points for West Michigan Aviation Academy, followed by eight points from Bakar Dadiri and seven points from Ryan Robertson. Dadiri also added eight assists while Robertson paced the rebounding effort for WMAA with 10 boards.
Both teams went into the locker room at half time gridlocked in a 29-all tie, but it was the Aviators that stormed out in the second half to take control of the game. WMAA outscored the Titans 21-10 in the third frame and held on the rest of the way.
WKTV Note: Are you a student, parent, fan or coach of local high school sports interested in submitting stories to WKTV Journal for run on our website? Contact Ken at ken@wktv.org .
The WKTV sports truck will be busy as usual as it heads out twice this week for featured game coverage, first with a boy’s basketball game on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at Wyoming High School as the OK Gold Conference leading Wolves (8-1 in conference; 12-4 overall as of Feb. 9.) hosts Wayland (2-5; 6-9 as of Feb. 9).
Then on Friday, Feb. 16, we will be covering both boys and girls games at Zion Christian as they host West Michigan Aviation Academy.
Currently, each Tuesday game will be broadcast that night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 at 11 p.m. and repeat on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Each Friday game will be aired that night on WKTV 25 at 11 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. The games can also be seen on AT&T U-verse 99.
All games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com .
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and features on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/
The remainder of the tentative February broadcast schedule includes:
Saturday, Feb. 17 – Boys Hockey – South Christian/BC at East Kentwood
Tuesday, Feb. 20 – Boys Basketball – Muskegon Oakridge at Tri-Unity Christian
Friday, Feb. 23 – Girls and Boys Basketball – East Grand Rapids at Wyoming
Saturday, Feb. 24 – Boys Hockey – FH Central at East Kentwood
Monday, Feb. 12
Boys/Girls Bowling
Unity Christian @ South Christian
Wyoming Lee @ Godwin Heights
West Catholic @ Potter’s House
East Kentwood @ Hudsonville
Zeeland East @ Wyoming
Kelloggsville @ Hopkins
Girls Cheer
Wyoming Lee @ FH Northern – NorthStar Invitational
Wyoming @ FH Northern – NorthStar Invitational
Tuesday, Feb. 13
Girls Basketball
East Grand Rapids @ South Christian
Godwin Heights @ Belding
West Michigan Aviation @ Grand River Prep
Wellsprings Prep @ Zion Christian
West Ottawa @ East Kentwood
Wayland @ Wyoming
Kelloggsville @ NorthPointe Christian
West Michigan Lutheran @ Algoma Christian
Tri-Unity Christian @ Fennville
Boys Basketball
South Christian @ East Grand Rapids
Belding @ Godwin Heights
Heritage Christian @ Potter’s House
West Michigan Aviation @ Grand River Prep
Wellsprings Prep @ Zion Christian
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa
Wayland @ Wyoming – WKTV Featured Event
NorthPointe Christian @ Kelloggsville
Tri-Unity Christian @ Fennville
Wednesday, Feb. 14
Boys/Girls Bowling
Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian
Grand Haven @ East Kentwood
NorthPointe Christian @ Wyoming Lee
Boys Wrestling
State Team Regionals @ TBA
Girls Cheer
Wyoming @ Comstock Park
Thursday, Feb. 15
Girls Basketball
Potter’s House @ Wellsprings Prep
Boys Basketball
Potter’s House @ Wellsprings Prep
Boys/Girls Bowling
Potter’s House @ Tri-Unity Christian
Friday, Feb. 16
Girls Basketball
South Christian vs Covenant Christian @ Calvin College
West Michigan Aviation @ Zion Christian – WKTV Featured Event
Grand River Prep @ Fruitport Calvary Christian
Hudsonville @ East Kentwood
Christian @ Wyoming – Hall of Fame Night
Kelloggsville @ Hopkins
Tri-Unity Christian @ Holland Black River
Boys Basketball
South Christian vs Covenant Christian @ Calvin College
Godwin Heights @ Wyoming Lee
West Michigan Aviation @ Zion Christian – WKTV Featured Event
WKTV offers on-demand viewing of Wyoming and Kentwood sports events as well as government meetings, including the monthly Government Matters meeting. (WKTV)
As basketball playoffs loom, the WKTV sports truck will be out twice this week for featured game coverage, and both games will have conference title implications.
First, on Tuesday, Feb. 6, we will be at East Kentwood High School for a girls basketball game as the Falcons place their undefeated record (7-0 in OK Red Conference; 15-0 overall) on the line when they host Caledonia (4-3, 11-3).
Then, on Friday, Feb. 9, we will be at Kelloggsville for a boys basketball game when the Rockets (4-2 OK Silver, 10-2 overall) will host Wyoming Lee (1-5, 4-9).
Currently, each Tuesday game will be broadcast that night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 at 11 p.m. and repeat on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Each Friday game will be aired that night on WKTV 25 at 11 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. The games can also be seen on AT&T U-verse 99.
All games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com .
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and features on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/
The rest of WKTV’s February featured game broadcast schedule includes:
Tuesday, Feb. 13 — Boys basketball, Wayland at Wyoming
Friday, Feb. 16 — Girls and boys basketball, West Michigan Aviation at Zion Christian
Saturday, Feb. 17 — Boys hockey, South Christian/BC at East Kentwood
Tuesday, Feb. 20 — Boys basketball, Muskegon Oakridge at Tri-unity Christian
Friday, Feb. 23 — Girls and boys basketball, East Grand Rapids at Wyoming
Saturday, Feb. 24 — Boys Hockey, FH Central at East Kentwood
The complete schedule for local sports events includes:
Monday, Feb. 5
Boys/Girls Bowling
Wyoming @ South Christian
Belding @ Godwin Heights
FH Northern @ Potter’s House
Wyoming Lee @ Tri-unity Christian
NorthPointe Christian @ Kelloggsville
Girls Basketball
Potter’s House @ NorthPointe Christian
Tuesday, Feb. 6
Girls Basketball
South Christian @ Christian
Kelloggsville @ Godwin Heights
Holland Calvary @ Potter’s House
West Michigan Lutheran @ West Michigan Aviation
Muskegon Catholic Central @ Zion Christian
Caledonia @ East Kentwood – WKTV Featured Event
FH Eastern @ Wyoming
Boys Basketball
Christian @ South Christian
Godwin Heights @ Kelloggsville
Holland Calvary @ Potter’s House
Kalamazoo Heritage Christian @ Grand River Prep
Zion Christian @ Maple Valley
East Kentwood @ Caledonia
Calvin Christian @ Wyoming Lee
Wyoming @ FH Eastern
Muskegon Orchard View @ Tri-unity Christian
Boys Swimming
South Christian @ Christian – Quad Meet
Wednesday, Feb. 7
Boys/Girls Bowling
Zeeland @ South Christian
Godwin Heights @ NorthPointe Christian
East Kentwood @ Rockford
Hopkins @ Wyoming Lee
Wyoming @ Unity Christian
Kelloggsville @ Belding
Girls Cheer
Godwin Heights @ Belding
Wyoming Lee @ Belding
Kelloggsville @ Belding
Wyoming @ Zeeland West
Boys Wrestling
Kelloggsville @ Godwin Heights – Team Districts
Wyoming Lee @ West Catholic – Team Districts
Wyoming @ East Kentwood – Team Districts
Thursday, Feb. 8
Boys Bowling
Grandville @ East Kentwood
Boys Swimming
East Kentwood @ Rockford
Girls Basketball
Tri-unity Christian @ Fruitport Calvary Christian
Boys Basketball
Tri-unity Christian @ Fruitport Calvary Christian
Friday, Feb. 9
Girls Basketball
Wyoming @ South Christian
Hopkins @ Godwin Heights
Potter’s House @ Covenant Christian
Algoma Christian @ West Michigan Aviation
Wellsprings Prep @ Grand River Prep
Zion Christian @ West Michigan Lutheran
Boys Basketball
Wyoming @ South Christian
Hopkins @ Godwin Heights
Potter’s House @ Covenant Christian
Algoma Christian @ West Michigan Aviation
Wellsprings Prep @ Grand River Prep
Heritage Christian @ Zion Christian
Wyoming Lee @ Kelloggsville – WKTV Featured Event
Boys Hockey
South Christian @ Christian
East Kentwood @ Chelsea
Girls Cheer
East Kentwood @ Caledonia
Kelloggsville @ Caledonia
Saturday, Feb. 10
Boys Hockey
Christian @ South Christian
East Kentwood @ Chelsea
Boys Wrestling
Individual Districts @ Byron Center
Individual Districts @ Grand Haven
Individual Districts @ Belding
Boys/Girls Bowling
Godwin Heights @ Muskegon Mona Shores
Wyoming @ Muskegon Mona Shores
Girls Dance
East Kentwood @ Davenport University – Davenport Invite
Girls Cheer
Wyoming Lee @ Lakewood – Valentine Cheerfest
Wyoming @ Delta Plex
Boys Basketball
Tri-Unity Christian @ Lansing Christian
Girls Basketball
Tri-unity Christian @ Lansing Christian
Monday, Feb. 12
Boys/Girls Bowling
Unity Christian @ South Christian
Wyoming Lee @ Godwin Heights
West Catholic @ Potter’s House
East Kentwood @ Hudsonville
Zeeland East @ Wyoming
Kelloggsville @ Hopkins
Girls Cheer
Wyoming Lee @ FH Northern – NorthStar Invitational
On this week’s episode of In Focus, host Ken Norris and WKTV Journal drills down into two important mental health issues in Kent County, first with the Be Nice youth mental health program, and then with the director of Network180, the county’s mental health provider and an organization currently cutting services due to state funding issues.
Christy Buck, executive director of the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan, talks about the foundation’s Be Nice program, an effort to reach into local schools, and to reach local students on a personal level, with the message of how they can become part of the solution to youth suicide.
The program Be Nice is based on four elements/actions corresponding to the letters in NICE: Notice, Invite, Challenge and Empower. And, Buck stresses in part of the interview, the challenge part is a two-way challenge.
“It is absolutely a two-way challenge, and that sometimes is the sticking point, where, if I don’t challenge that person and empower them” then they will not respond, Buck said. “They need to understand, it is a physical illness. If you want to get better, you have got to take some steps towards that. You cannot force people. But when someone sees that you care enough to notice and invite (discussion), it leads to empowerment.”
The entire episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.
The episode will continue its two week run Today, Thursday, Feb. 1, at 6:30 p.m. and conclude its run Tuesday, Feb. 5, at 6:30 p.m., and Thursday, Feb. 7, also at 6:30 p.m., on WKTV channels but all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVVideos.
The winter seasons are not just in full swing but are quickly heading toward their respective tournament portions.
Boys wrestling begins the process with team Districts at various sites on Feb. 7-8, followed by individual Districts on Feb. 10, team Regionals on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, individual Regionals on Feb. 17, team Finals on Feb. 23-24 at The Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, and completely close out the season with individual Finals on March 3-4 at Ford Field in Detroit.
Girls cheerleading also starts their tournament run with Districts Feb. 16-17, state Regionals on Feb. 24 and state Finals also March 3-4 at The DeltaPlex in Grand Rapids.
Both boys and girls bowling will hold their Regional tournaments on Feb. 23-24 and a quad of state champions will be crowned the first weekend in March, at various sites depending on the division.
Ice hockey will start tournament play late in the month with Regionals between Feb. 26 and March 3.
Lastly, girls basketball tournament will tip off what is commonly called March Madness but a week early during the last week of February this year. WKTV will be there to bring some of the action to the viewers, so be sure to check the weekly schedule.
Currently, each Tuesday game will be broadcast that night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 at 11 p.m. and repeat on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Each Friday game will be aired that night on WKTV 25 at 11 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. The games can also be seen on AT&T U-verse 99.
All games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com .
The busy tentative February WKTV feature broadcast schedule includes:
Thursday, Feb. 1 — Boys swimming, Grand Haven at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 2 — Boys basketball, Wellsprings Prep @ Tri-Unity Christian
Tuesday, Feb. 6 — Girls basketball, Caledonia at East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 9 — Boys basketball, Wyoming Lee at Kelloggsville
Tuesday, Feb. 13 — Boys basketball, Wayland at Wyoming
Friday, Feb. 16 — Girls and boys basketball, West Michigan Aviation at Zion Christian
Saturday, Feb. 17 — Boys hockey, South Christian/BC at East Kentwood
Tuesday, Feb. 20 — Boys basketball, Muskegon Oakridge at Tri-Unity Christian
Friday, Feb. 23 — Girls and boys basketball, East Grand Rapids at Wyoming
Saturday, Feb. 24 — Boys hockey, FH Central at East Kentwood
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and features on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/
Following is the end of this week’s schedule:
Thursday, Feb. 1
Boys Swimming
South Christian @ Hastings
Grand Haven @ East Kentwood – WKTV Featured Event
Boys Basketball
West Michigan Lutheran @ Holt Martin Luther
Girls Basketball
Wellsprings Prep @ Tri-Unity Christian
Friday, Feb. 2
Girls Basketball
South Christian @ FH Eastern
Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian
Grand River Prep @ Potter’s House
Holland Black River @ West Michigan Aviation
West Michigan Lutheran @ Zion Christian
Grand Haven @ East Kentwood
Middleville T-K @ Wyoming
Boys Basketball
South Christian @ FH Eastern
Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian
Grand River Prep @ Potter’s House
Holland Black River @ West Michigan Aviation
WMAES @ Zion Christian
Grand Haven @ East Kentwood
NorthPointe Christian @ Wyoming Lee
Middleville T-K @ Wyoming
Covenant Christian @ Kelloggsville
Wellsprings Prep @ Tri-Unity Christian – WKTV Featured Event
Boys Hockey
South Christian @ Portage Central
East Kentwood @ Muskegon Reeths-Puffer
Boys Wrestling
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa – O-K Red Conference Meet
Each of the many locations where the One Wyoming Community Collaborative’s second annual Winterfest community events took place on Saturday, Jan. 27, had unique offerings for the many unique communities which make up Wyoming.
And maybe there is no event, and no community, as unique as the neighborhood around the Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center on Joosten Street SW — with its large hispanic population and its bilingual communication embraced as a community strength.
The weather was great — for January — at the Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center’s Winterfest event. (WKTV)
So it was only fit that notice of events — from raffle winners, to food offerings, to games on a playground free of snow and the sun shinning bright on a January day — were all announced in Spanish as well as English.
But there were not only fun and games available at the event. In addition to a visit from police Officer Shad McGinnis of the Community Services Unit, and a city firetruck, there were several community service groups represented.
“Here at Winterfest for the Godfrey-Lee community, we have various resources partners, resource services, non-profits in our area, people that serve our community,” Sydney Hanlon, am ECC staff member, said to WKTV. “It is an opportunity for our families, our community, to come out, look at the different opportunities that are available for them, to volunteer, to find resources, to get services from these partners — and to just have a good time.
“Here at Godfrey-Lee ECC, this is just one part of our school district, and Godfrey-Lee is a community school district — it is the only school district in Kent County that is a total community school,” she added. “What that means is that we try to provide services for our community so that we do not have to go outside the community but their (social and health service) needs can be met here.”
One Wyoming is made up of a collaboration of schools, businesses, local government, churches, nonprofits and residents to improve the quality of life in the community. It is best known for its successful 1-on-1 mentoring program.
Wyoming’s Winterfest is similar to National Night Out, which takes place in August. This years’s event had seven different locations in various neighborhoods throughout the city. Each location has activities that have been planned by churches, residents and businesses of that neighborhood. Each site will have its own slate of events, but all will feature food, family-friendly activities, health related information and activities, and giveaways from businesses and other local organizations.
The morning locations, included The Dock, located near Kelloggsville High School on South Division Avenue (actually Grand Rapids), Wyoming Junior High School on Wrenwood Street SW, West Elementary School (with Calvary Church) 38th Street SW, and Grace Bible College on Aldon Street SW.
The list of afternoon locations, in addition to the ECC, included North Godwin Elementary School, on 34th Street and Vanguard Charter School on 52nd Street SW.
For more information about the event or about One Wyoming, visit onewyoming.com.
