Skip to main content Skip to footer
Saginaw Valley State University

All News/Archive: Recent News

All News/Archive - Newsroom

June 22, 2020

SVSU fall semester to finish through online/remote instruction

Donald Bachand PortraitThe final two weeks of the fall semester at Saginaw Valley State University will be conducted through online and remote instruction, so that students do not need to return to campus after Thanksgiving break.
 
“We want our students, faculty and staff to be safe, and this is one prudent measure we can take to reduce potential transmission of COVID-19 in the event of a late fall resurgence,” said Donald Bachand, SVSU president.
 
“Most on-campus operations will continue, and we plan for academic and student support services, such as Zahnow Library, to be open after Thanksgiving, following appropriate health and safety protocols.”
 
SVSU will begin its fall semester on Monday, Aug. 31. Students living on campus will move into their residence halls on a more staggered schedule, in the interest of health and safety.
 
More information on move-in plans will be shared in early July.
 
For more information on plans for the upcoming year, including New Expectations for a Safer Tomorrow (NEST) at SVSU, visit https://svsu.edu/nestplan/.
 

June 19, 2020

SVSU initiative for registered nurses ranked among state's elite academic programs

A Saginaw Valley State University online academic program that empowers working nurses with a bachelor’s degree education was recognized as one of the best of its kind in the state. 
 
SVSU’s RN to BSN (shorthand for “registered nurses” and “Bachelor of Science in Nursing,” respectively) online program recently was ranked No. 2 in the state by RegisteredNursing.org in the category of Best Online RN to BSN Programs.
 
RegisteredNursing.org is a Carlsbad, California-based organization that provides resources for prospective nurses. To determine SVSU’s ranking, RegisteredNursing.org used data from multiple sources – including the U.S. Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics – as part of its methodology. 
 
Karen Brown-Fackler, the chair of SVSU’s Department of Nursing and an associate professor of nursing, said she was honored to learn about the distinction ... even though she did not entirely agree with the placement. 
 
“We think we should be ranked No. 1,” Brown-Fackler said. “We offer some great advantages. We have online classes but accessible faculty teaching the classes. Students can start the program whatever semester is best for them and take classes at their own pace.” 
 
She said other highlights of the online RN to BSN program include an adviser that helps students with admission, scheduling and academic progression. 
 
Another element she said elevates the program: Its standout faculty. For instance, Sally Decker, a professor of nursing that helped design and establish the program, recently was honored with a lifetime achievement award from American Nurses Association-Michigan in part for her contributions to helping registered nurses earn bachelor's degrees in their professional field.
 
Brown-Fackler said the RN to BSN program offers empowering coursework. 
 
“There are only five core classes and the other courses are electives they choose from, which could be graduate courses toward future programs or interesting continuing education courses relevant to working nurses,” she said. 
 
SVSU President Donald Bachand said he was proud of the university's faculty and staff for building the program and developing some of the region’s top health care professionals.
 
“Especially in times such as these, this program’s excellence is critical to the public health of our region, state, nation and world," Bachand said.
 
For more information about SVSU's RN to BSN program, go to the following URL link: www.svsu.edu/nursing/programs/rntobsn/.

June 18, 2020

SVSU professor earns lifetime achievement award after decades-long dedication to nursing education

With a deep sense of the history of modern nursing and an understanding of the profession’s importance during this critical moment, Sally Decker’s recent recognition as a statewide lifetime achievement award recipient was especially meaningful to the well-decorated Saginaw Valley State University educator. 
 
“This is both the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale and the time of a pandemic,” Decker said. “The world is recognizing the knowledge and compassion of nurses and all other members of the healthcare team, and all of them deserve this award. I am especially honored to receive the award at this point in history.” 
 
The SVSU professor of nursing received the lifetime achievement honor from the American Nurses Association-Michigan. 
 
“We all recognize the need to nurture and educate the next generation to be able to care for and protect the vulnerable,” she said. “I appreciate all of the support and encouragement I have received from professors, colleagues, and healthcare team members over the years.” 
 
The award is a well-deserved honor for Decker, her colleagues say. 
 
“She has been unwavering in her lifelong commitment and dedication to the nursing profession and to nursing education,” said Karen Brown-Fackler, an SVSU associate professor of nursing. 
 
“Sally is a continuous learner. She not only stays current in the content of her own courses; she sends other faculty articles related to courses that they teach as well. Although she is the most senior faculty member in the department, she often accepts the biggest work load with the most course preparations.” 
 
The lifetime achievement award is the latest validation of Decker’s decades-long dedication to providing nursing education to others. Decker received SVSU's highest faculty honors, winning the Landee Award for Teaching Excellence in 2002 and the Warrick Award for Excellence in Research in 1991. In 2018, she was the recipient of the prestigious Fulbright Scholar award, which provided her the opportunity to instruct faculty members at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland on how best to utilize simulation technology in nursing education. 
 
Decker began her professional life practicing nursing while serving her country. As a captain in the U.S. Army, she served first as a staff nurse and later as head nurse at the U.S. Army Womack Hospital at Fort Bragg in North Carolina after earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Maryland in 1972. 
 
She joined the ranks of higher education in 1978 as a research assistant and nurse clinician at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Decker earned a master’s degree in nursing from the institution. She also received a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1990. 
 
She joined SVSU’s faculty in 1980. 
 
Her four decades at the campus have been defined in part by her passion for bringing a global perspective of nursing to her students. She has led SVSU students on study abroad experiences in England, Australia and Nepal. Those experiences focused on the differences in health care in different nations and cultures. 
 
Her academic interests extend to providing education to her peers overseas. One month before the pandemic reached Michigan, Decker in February 2020 traveled to Trinity and St. James Hospital in Dublin to participate in a research project relating to interprofessional learning. 
 
One of her current research interests was inspired by knowledge gained during her experience as a Fulbright Scholar in Dublin. Decker is researching how changes in the levels of moisture beneath the skin can indicate the need for medical intervention to prevent pressure ulcers. 
 
Another focus of interest in Decker’s professional life involves the simulation technology-based education she introduced to her peers in Dublin. She was the first member of SVSU’s faculty to earn certification in simulation-based education. 
 
Decker over the years has played a leading role in developing SVSU curriculum for nursing education courses, colleagues say. Those academic programs include both a bachelor’s and master’s degree-level nursing program, a doctor of nursing practice program as well as an initiative tailored specifically for providing working registered nurses with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. 

 

June 16, 2020

Toy-lending program to aid childhood development in Midland, say SVSU organizers

Saginaw Valley State University and the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library will team up to support the development of children, including those with special needs. 
 
With help from a $5,626 grant from the Midland Area Community Foundation, two SVSU educators plan to establish a toy-lending initiative at the Midland-based library as early as fall 2020. However, organizers say the community’s recovery from a May flood could delay the implementation. 
 
The program would make available toys for all children up to 5 years old including toys designed specifically for children with special needs. Each family will be able to “check out” two toys at a time from the library for a period of 21 days. 
 
Lisa Brewer and Aricka Schweitzer, assistant professors of occupational therapy at SVSU, will organize the program. 
 
“So many toys are played with and then abandoned, so this program will offer the ability for families to ‘try before they buy,’ as some adaptable toys can be very costly,” Schweitzer said. 
 
“Especially with the challenges presented with the pandemic and now flooding to Midland County, this program can assist families that may have lost toys or cannot afford toys to play with their children. Hopefully, this program will not only enhance play and development of the children in Midland County, but also continue to show the importance of family relationships that can be built around play.” 
 
The SVSU educators plan to provide manuals with each toy that show families the unique ways they can be utilized. 
 
"Increasing play opportunities for young children can strengthen developmental foundations in a variety of domains, including social and emotional skills, cognitive skills, and physical skills,” Brewer said. 
 
“Play is beneficial for all children, but it is especially important for children with special needs who often have limited access to engaging and appropriate toys that they can operate and manipulate independently. I believe this collaboration will help families to support the development of their child or children by matching toys to specific needs and, ultimately, providing opportunities for engagement and fun." 
 
Schweitzer said the program hits home – literally – for her. 
 
"Growing up and now raising my children in Midland County, we often frequent the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library for all of the great resources they have, but now that they will offer a toy program as well, I plan on recommending it to everyone I know,” she said. 
 
The grant provides funds to cover the cost of a variety of accessible toys, thereby increasing opportunities for play and learning, organizers say. 

June 9, 2020

Inspired to seek racial equality in justice, SVSU students lead one of community's largest protests in years

Indigo Dudley and Simone Vaughn won't forget the first time they watched video of George Floyd dying beneath the knee of a police officer. The disturbing footage of another public death of a black man – a man whose skin color so resembled their own – was relayed to the two Saginaw Valley State University students through the light of their smart phones. 
 
Their screens, though, felt much more like mirrors in those moments. 
 
“That could have been me,” Dudley said. “That could have been my family, my friends, Simone, someone in my hometown. That scared me.” 
 
Alongside Vaughn, Dudley transformed that fear into a passion for action this week. 
 
The two SVSU students – acquainted since their days as teens attending Arthur Hill High School and the Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy together – were among six organizers who coordinated one of the largest protests in modern Great Lakes Bay Region history. Spurred in part by Floyd’s death and following in the footsteps of a movement that now spans the globe, their Tuesday, June 2 protest rallied hundreds of participants for a march that stretched from Ojibway Island to the front lawn of the Saginaw County Governmental Center. 
 
It was an impressive and peaceful showing of mass support for police reform, they said. The crowd featured representation from many demographics. Even children attended, donning “Black Lives Matter” T-shirts and holding signs demanding an end to racial inequality in the justice system. 
 
Both Dudley and Vaughn stood at the front of that crowd, inspiring followers with words and leading the half-mile march. 
 
For the Saginaw natives, it was an unimaginable scenario only one week earlier. Up until they were asked last weekend to help organize Tuesday's protest, both students earned experience speaking publicly and leading groups through their studies and programs at SVSU, but neither envisioned themselves organizing such a large-scale gathering – let alone one that involved intense expectations and unsettling pressure from strangers to stay home. 
 
“I received creepy messages on Facebook and then I got a call from an unknown number on the day of event from someone I had to hang up on,” Vaughn said. “I was a bit terrified, but I knew I was putting myself at risk for the right cause. You have to be strong and confident.” 
 
With news stories about rioting and looting emerging from other protests across the state and nation, Dudley and Vaughn were determined to organize an event in Saginaw that was safe and peaceful yet still carried a powerful message. 
 
“My personal goal was to educate and unify Saginaw,” Vaughn said. “The key was to make sure everything was well-organized ahead of time.” 
 
Dudley, Vaughn and their fellow organizers recruited volunteers to help on the day of the event. They marketed the gathering using social media, where they shared videos of them preaching the need to ensure a peaceful and powerful protest. In the days leading up to the march, they gathered items to support the crowd, including food and water. With the march representing the largest gathering in the region since the beginning of a global pandemic that discourages large gatherings, they purchased protective face masks and hand sanitizer for protesters. They coordinated with local law enforcement agencies to inform them about their intended route and meeting spaces. 
 
The resulting march exceeded expectations for Dudley and Vaughn, concluding without any reported negative incidents. 
 
“We were trying to let people know, what happened to George Floyd could happen to you and it could happen here, so we have to stand together to do something about it,” Dudley said. 
 
“This march was an opportunity to stand with people who felt the same way and raise awareness so that the police know how we feel.” 
 
Along with the march, the event included guest speakers, highlighting black community members who discussed experiences where they felt justice was carried out unfairly due to the color of their skin. Listening to those stories was painful but necessary, Dudley said. 
 
“We just want to be safe,” she said. 
 
“I haven’t always felt this way, but my trust in the police is gone right now. I’m looking to get it back. I need help to get it back. That’s why we protest.” 
 
Dudley and Vaughn said the Tuesday event was a step in the right direction. Both were encouraged by early signs of change to come. For instance, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer the following day announced plans to pursue statewide police reform to promote racial equality. And members of local law enforcement agencies have begun meeting with protesters, announcing plans to discuss potential policy reform. 
 
Despite the victories, much work remains, Dudley and Vaughn said. 
 
While their particular group of organizers has yet to announce plans for a second protest, both students are involved in other gatherings related to the Black Lives Matter movement. Vaughn has participated daily in protests this week, including in Detroit. Dudley on Wednesday was a panelist on a Facebook Live town hall-style discussion with regional political and law enforcement leaders. 
 
“This is not going to go away easily,” Vaughn said. “We’re in this now.” 
 
A mutual mentor said both Dudley and Vaughn are well-equipped to help lead this movement and ready to meet the moment. Dawn Hinton, an SVSU sociology of professor and a community organizer in Saginaw, was among the protesters during the march Tuesday. She watched with pride as Dudley and Vaughn led the mass demonstration. 
 
“These students, who spoke passionately about their pain during the march, were fearless,” Hinton said. 
 
“In the midst of a virus with no cure, both Indigo and Simone worked with the community to protest the injustices continually visited on the black community. I have never been prouder of the work we do here at SVSU than when I saw these women operate in their natural element. Our community is in good hands.” 
 
Both Dudley and Vaughn said they felt prepared for the experience in part because of their experiences at SVSU and the mentorship of campus leaders such as Hinton. Vaughn, who serves as Miss Saginaw County and has been a regular in regional pageants for years, met the professor while attending community events. Dudley as a freshman was a student in one of Hinton’s sociology courses and continued to seek her mentorship in the years since. 
 
“After that first class, I absolutely fell in love with the way Dr. Hinton engaged people,” Dudley said. “I said, ‘This is a person I want to keep getting advice from,’ so I’ve kept her in my life.” 
 
Vaughn said Tuesday’s march was the largest crowd she ever addressed as a speaker. She felt prepared for that experience in part because of skills developed as a member of SVSU’s forensics team. 
 
Both students also are active with on-campus organizations and offices. Dudley works as a student employee in the SVSU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, where she helps organize diversity-inspired events on campus. Both students also are members of the SVSU registered student group known as The Organization for Black Unity. Dudley serves as president. 
 
Both plan to graduate in May 2021. Dudley hopes to enroll in a graduate program after earning her bachelor’s degree in music. Her dream is to perform professionally as a singer and utilize her status to pursue social change issues including racial equality. 
 
A communication major, Vaughn also plans to attend a graduate program after earning her bachelor’s degree. For years, she has volunteered in programs that seek to house the homeless as well as initiatives that promote mental health. After graduation, she plans to continue pursuing those endeavors while also continuing her activism to promote racial equality. 
 
“I was very passionate about this subject even before George Floyd died,” Vaughn said. “His death just amplified that passion. It changed a lot of things for a lot of people, and I hope now we can do something with that change.” 

June 9, 2020

Director 'Dreams' up modern twist to Shakespeare classic for online SVSU play

Karla Kash is no stranger to directing challenging productions of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Once, she led a group of fourth graders portraying the zany Athenian characters featured in one of the world’s original romantic comedies. 
 
The Saginaw Valley State University assistant professor of theatre later this month will lead another challenging rendition of the play when she directs SVSU's second production presented via Zoom, the popular Internet teleconferencing program utilized by theatre companies during the pandemic. Audiences can watch the play live online for free at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 18. 
 
The Internet-based production allows actors to play roles from the comfort of their homes, with each actor occupying a single panel in a multi-panel video session. The setup means Kash will be organizing the production design and leading rehearsals with cast and crew remotely. 
 
“I tend to be a very physical director during rehearsals, so this will not be easy for me,” said the Dayton, Ohio native. “You’re missing that in-person human interaction that comes when you’re in the room with each other, but there are advantages to this format too.” 
 
One of those advantages: The audience will have unlimited access to her students’ work. 
 
While the play will be performed live, a recorded version also will be available for those unable to attend the debut.  And, while audiences will miss out on attending a play at SVSU’s beloved performing arts venues, the seating capacity is unlimited on the world wide web. Since SVSU hosted a Zoom production of “Macbeth” in mid-April, the recording has been viewed more than 9,700 times on Facebook. 
 
Kash said audiences can expect plenty of production value in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The play will also provide a very modern hook to the story's traditional aesthetic. While the cast will be portraying the classic characters in the setting of Athens, there will be 2020 elements including actors dressed to resemble people living during the COVID-19 pandemic. The characters will include “essential workers” as well as recognizable 21st century political figures and pop culture icons wearing protective face masks. 
 
“Since Shakespeare has been done so many hundreds of times, I think it’s good to play with it,” Kash said. “We are all living through this pandemic. Since it’s a comedy and since we all need a good laugh, I wanted something a little tongue-in-cheek in nature.” 
 
Kash said the production’s costume and set design crew will play critical roles. Clothing will be delivered to the homes of cast members not already equipped with the kind of wardrobe necessary for the play. The students and staff typically assigned to create elaborate settings in SVSU’s theatres instead will provide “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”-appropriate digital backgrounds that Zoom can utilize while still capturing acting performances in the foreground. 
 
While this production will mark Kash’s first time directing a play online, she has experience as an actor in the format. She played a role in a recent Midland Center for the Arts production of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” 
 
“It’s a challenge as an actor,” she said. “I enjoy challenges.” 
 
The cast largely features SVSU students, but four of the 14 roles will be played by out-of-state professional stage actors that Kash previously has worked alongside. 
 
“This is going to be a great learning experience for our students to work with professional actors we couldn’t otherwise invite to participate in a campus production,” Kash said. 
 
Those students also will learn plenty from Kash, the latest addition to SVSU’s Department of Theatre faculty. Kash joined the university in August 2019. 
 
Her professional theatre experience includes acting, directing and serving as a fight choreographer. She played a role in the cast or crew of more than 150 productions. 
 
Kash’s “first loves” were musical theatre and dance, inspired in part by a formative experience attending a production of “Annie” as a young girl.
 
“After that, when I got home, I put on the album for ‘Annie’ and sang it at the top of my lungs,” she said. 
 
After taking acting lessons in high school, she continued pursuing her passion in college. She earned her bachelor’s degree in acting – with an emphasis on musical theatre and dance – from Wright State University in her hometown of Dayton. Later, she received a master’s degree in acting from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. 
 
Professionally, she worked in theatre in New York City and San Diego. Then she began a career in higher education on the faculty at Iowa State University before moving to her most recent stop at the University of Albany. Throughout the years, she also led theatre initiatives overseas including the Musical Theatre Summer Training Program at the International Lyric Academy in Italy. 
 
Along with teaching her first courses at SVSU this academic year, Kash also directed the university’s production of “Home For The Holidays” in December 2019. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be her second directing job at SVSU. 
 
To watch the production live on June 18 or to view the recording afterward, go to SVSU’s Department of Theatre Facebook page at https://bit.ly/3ctWDKX. 

June 2, 2020

Responding to racism, elevating equity and justice

Donald Bachand PortraitDear university community,

Like many of you, I have watched the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer and the community reactions across the country. I have struggled to find the words to express my feelings. I am appalled at his death and the deaths and mistreatment of other people of color due to racism and hatred. As a former police officer, as a former professor of criminal justice, as a university president, and as a human being, it angers me.

Let me be clear: racism has no place at our university. It cannot and will not be tolerated. We can and must do more on our campus and in our communities to create justice and equity for all, and especially for those who have been disenfranchised.

These issues are deeply personal to me and have guided my life’s work. The late Martin Luther King Jr. said that “a riot is the language of the unheard.” Growing up in a diverse, working-class neighborhood in Detroit, I watched the famed 1967 riots outside our family’s living room window. To this day, the scenes are etched into my memory. The dry cleaning business that sponsored my Little League baseball team was among those vandalized. I watched as the fabric of my neighborhood was shredded. Those silenced voices unleashed in a scream. We see that again today.

Not too long thereafter, I chose to pursue a career in law enforcement. I joined the Detroit Police Department. In 1967, the city had only about 50 African-American police officers. Fifty in a city of more than 1.5 million people. It is no wonder why the cries of the oppressed went unheard. More than 50 years later, the wounds exposed in 1967 are still not fully healed in our community. In my most discouraging moments, I wonder if they have healed at all.

I know what it means to work in a community whose residents feel that the application of law and order is anything but equal. When the police arrive in their neighborhood, the residents do not feel “protected” or “served,” they feel fear. That fear is justified by too many examples of mistreatment and worse. When I joined SVSU to teach criminal justice, it was because I wanted to prepare men and women for the challenges of law enforcement and to teach them that everyone deserves justice. This justice was denied to George Floyd and too many others like him.

We have worked hard to create an inclusive environment and a culture at SVSU where diversity training and education are available and encouraged, and where there is zero tolerance for racism and discrimination. We must do more. We cannot be bystanders. We cannot wait for change. We must initiate change.

I will appoint a task force of faculty, staff and community members to further elevate equity and justice within SVSU, especially for those who are marginalized, and to provide recommendations for how we can extend those efforts into our surrounding community. Our university values of diversity and inclusivity and a safe, friendly and respectful campus climate support this important work. Please watch for more information on this in the coming days.

Finally, if you have been silent about an issue of racism or intolerance within SVSU, I want to hear from you. I want your voice to be heard. Please e-mail me at presidentsoffice@svsu.edu.

These challenges are even more difficult during a global pandemic that prevents us from gathering on campus, but we cannot allow that to be an excuse for indifference or inaction. I implore each member of our Cardinal family to step up and join in the cause of moving our university and our community toward the ideals on which our nation was founded.

Sincerely,

Donald J. Bachand, President

May 28, 2020

SVSU graduate earns spot in prestigious film school

Madilyn Witherspoon doesn't let anything or anyone hold her back. Her determination to combine her passions for business and art has led to her tremendous success and has helped her forge her own unique path despite the obstacles that have stood in her way. 
 
"I'm really keen on accomplishing what I set out to do," the Saginaw native said. "Once I set my mind on something, I'm going to achieve it." 
 
This dedication earned the May 2020 Saginaw Valley State University marketing graduate a coveted spot in one of the most prestigious film schools in the nation. Witherspoon will be utilizing her grit and drive as she pursues a Master of Fine Arts degree in film production, with a specialization in directing, from Florida State University in the fall. 
 
“Florida State University is ranked as the 13th best film school in the U.S. Among public universities, FSU ranked fourth. All of my hard work -- including submitting a portfolio, recording an introductory video, and traveling to Tallahassee on Valentine’s Day for an in-person interview -- paid off,“ Witherspoon said. 
 
“I am both honored and humbled to be selected as one of 24 production students out of hundreds of applicants. If you have a dream, and have the courage and tenacity to pursue it, it can come true.” 
 
Witherspoon, whose parents both graduated from SVSU, is all about pushing her limits and expanding her horizons. A film editing class in high school sparked her enthusiasm for art, but she didn't find a way to combine her creative mindset with her future career goals until she came to SVSU. 
 
When Witherspoon started at SVSU, she was following in her father's footsteps as a management major, but enrolling in a graphic design course gave her a new outlook. She loved the creative aspect of the class and wanted to find a way to apply her artistic side to a business degree, so she decided to switch her major to marketing. 
 
"I want to eventually own my own business or company of some sort, and I think that helps me," Witherspoon said. "A marketing degree has the aspect of both a business and creative mindset. I can have a creative outlet with business knowledge." 
 
She was inspired to find a way to keep art a priority in her life and future career so she enrolled in additional art classes, spending countless hours printing photos in the lab and fine-tuning her artistic abilities. 
 
Witherspoon received steep pushback for her ambition to study business and art, as well significant resistance when trying to get others to understand her goals. She was told that, if she was a business student, she would have to abandon her creativity and that she was not a true artist. But she was determined to prove others wrong and create her own path to success. 
 
She decided to push her limits even further when she enrolled in an advanced-level video production multimedia course her sophomore year. 
 
Per the course requirements, Witherspoon created her own detailed documentary for the class, choosing to highlight the history of SVSU for her project. She completed extensive research about the inception and development of SVSU, extending from the days of Saginaw Valley College in the 1960s to the present. She interviewed former longtime Board of Control member Charles Curtiss as well as former SVSU presidents Jack Ryder and Eric Gilbertson and Donald Bachand, the current president. The details and cinematography of her documentary, titled "A Brief History of SVSU," were impressive enough that it was featured by SVSU's Alumni Association. 
 
When her class was tasked with creating a short film in groups, she planned to again utilize her skills behind the scenes and in editing. However, her group encouraged her to step outside her comfort zone, and instead, she assisted in writing and directing the film as well as taking on the lead acting role. Witherspoon was nervous about transitioning from being behind the camera to on-screen, but pushing past her reservations paid off, adding to her passion for computer graphic design and the film industry. 
 
When the short film assignment, entitled "Camille," was completed, Witherspoon and her group members submitted their semester-long assignment to various festivals, not expecting a response. However, Camille's story of an artist reliving her memories through painting caught the attention of several film festivals. The short-film was screened at various festivals around the country and won multiple awards, including Audience Winner and Official Selection twice. 
 
"We didn't know if Camille would be successful but it was something we were passionate about," Witherspoon said. "It was really rewarding that it got that kind of recognition." 
 
Not only did these projects earn her recognition, but they also reinforced her passion for filmmaking. 
 
“The work that I did in the video production class, with 'A Brief History of SVSU' and 'Camille,' gave me the spark and confidence that I need to ignite me in following my true passion; I cannot be more thankful for that. What an amazing experience. I will always be proud of my beginnings here at SVSU,” Witherspoon said. 
 
As Witherspoon continues to flourish in her film career, she will join the ranks of other successful SVSU alumni, including one of "Camille’s" co-creators, Anita Pico. Pico, a 2017 SVSU graphic design alumna who recently earned her master’s degree in filmmaking from the esteemed University of the Creative Arts in the United Kingdom. Pico shares Witherspoon’s commitment to their craft, which earned Pico a prestigious commission by BBC Arts and Arts Council England to shoot her next film as part of their New Creative talent scheme. 
 
Witherspoon plans to find her own unique path within the film industry while also honoring the SVSU and FSU alumni who have come before her. 
 
In addition to Witherspoon’s dedication to filmmaking, she has found multi-faceted ways to unleash her talents. She utilized her passions by remaining active in various organizations at SVSU, including the Cardinal Photography Student Association, Cardinal Business Edge, Delta Sigma Pi, and the Vitito Global Leadership Institute. 
 
These involvements expanded her worldview and inspired her vision for the future. 
 
“My four years at SVSU have provided me with a solid educational foundation to take on whatever comes my way in the future. I learned a great deal academically, developmentally and culturally through my on-campus experiences and study abroad trips,” Witherspoon said. 
 
“Through these programs and courses in my SVSU journey, I discovered a lot about myself and took away a lot of knowledge that has been beneficial to my growth as an individual."
 
As a member of SVSU's Vitito Global Leadership Institute -- a leadership development initiative for students enrolled in the university's Scott L. Carmona College of Business -- she had the opportunity to combine her business skills and artistic mindset with her service project, titled "Smiles for Seniors." Witherspoon and her group aimed to inspire joy and creativity in the residents of Edgewood Assisted Living in Saginaw Township. They accomplished this through art projects that included teaching the seniors how to sponge paint trees. 
 
“I was influenced by a ton of great people and was able to work with local businesses on various projects as well as be involved in some community engagement projects that were extremely rewarding and enriching,” Witherspoon said. 
 
“I believe that all of these opportunities at SVSU helped me become who I am, a more well-rounded and prepared individual. My experiences have made me ready for the future that now awaits me ahead.” 
 
Witherspoon has spent her entire life in Saginaw, but aspires to travel the world and live all across the country. She has made the most of her opportunities at SVSU to satisfy her travel bug, including participating in two study abroad trips. 
 
She traveled to France on a faculty-led study abroad for one of her marketing courses, touring Paris and the champagne country of Reims. Her passions traveled with her to France as well. There, she toured several prominent businesses in the area and visited the Louvre during her free time. Witherspoon also traveled to the "Fairytale City" of Prague in the Czech Republic over spring break 2020 to learn about global business practices as part of the Vitito program. 
 
“I was very grateful and honored to be a Vitito Fellow. Being a member of the group and experiencing Prague was life changing. I am very thankful to Mr. and Mrs. Vitito for providing the scholarship, and to SVSU for providing me the opportunity to go to the Czech Republic,“ said Witherspoon. 
 
All of her world travels gave her the confidence she needed to take the next step and move across the country to chase her passions. 
 
Witherspoon's determination to follow her own path and refusal to let others limit her potential has led to incredible opportunities and vast success. While she greatly values the advice and knowledge she receives from others, she knows that to achieve all of her future goals, above all else she needs to listen to herself. 
 
"You have to listen to other people, but also listen to yourself and what you need to do. If I listened to others I wouldn't be where I am," Witherspoon said. "I'm proud of how far I've gotten and everything I've accomplished. I have no regrets." 

May 27, 2020

After pandemic cancels signature event, SVSU Cardinal Formula Racing revs up for 2021 ... and maybe 2022

For more than two decades, Saginaw Valley State University’s Cardinal Formula Racing team built a reputation for engineering some of the fastest vehicles in the international college competition circuit. Even as the competition’s talent pool deepened, the team’s Indy-style vehicles blew past peers from multiple hemispheres. After a global pandemic spoiled the hard work of the last 12 months for the team, members say the next 12 months will present a new kind of challenge that will reveal as much about their character as their car. 
 
The results, they predict, will demonstrate the team’s world-class determination and persevering spirit. 
 
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE) officials canceled the annual Collegiate Design Series less than two months before the May competition at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. The competition has served as a capstone to a year’s worth of engineering work by Cardinal Formula Racing and more than 100 competitors from higher education institutions across the world. 
 
“The entire team was very saddened by the cancellation,” said Edward Tomczyk, co-captain of the 2019-20 Cardinal Formula Racing team. “It was going to be a big moment for our young team and a test of improvement.” 
 
Instead, the group already has plans to rally for next season which, in many ways, has already begun. 
 
When the FSAE competition comes and goes in May, the SVSU students who expect to participate in the contest for the following year immediately meet to begin planning. The new group typically spends the next 12 months designing and engineering a new vehicle, although sometimes concepts from earlier models are utilized. 
 
“We refined last year’s design for the 2020 car and fixed small things as necessary,” said Tomczyk, a Grand Blanc native who will join the team for a fourth and final year. 
 
The mechanical engineering major expects the new team will use the vehicle intended for the FSAE competition this month. Cardinal Formula Racing will refine the vehicle – known as “The 113 Car” – utilizing the additional 12 months of preparation time to optimize the car’s capabilities. 
 
Tomczyk will remain a captain for a team that will only lose two of its 16 members to graduation. 
 
“With a running and competition-ready car sitting in the shop, our team has been sitting on our hands, just itching for the chance to continue working toward our next race,” he said. 
 
Brooks Byam, the team’s adviser and an SVSU professor of mechanical engineering, said the team may also explore an additional objective for the next 12 months. 
 
“There may be an opportunity to get a car ahead by starting the 2022 car,” he said. “That plan is budget dependent.” 
 
Since Byam started as the team’s adviser in 1998, Cardinal Formula Racing has built an outstanding reputation in the FSAE college circuit despite the competition’s expansion to include teams from international institutions. Byam was the 2013 recipient of the Carroll Smith Mentor's Cup from the Society of Automotive Engineers, the top honor given to faculty who advise college formula racing programs. 
 
For five consecutive years, SVSU has recorded the highest finish among exclusively undergraduate programs in the FSAE Collegiate Design Series. 
 
Cardinal Formula Racing has placed in the top 20 five times overall: 6th place in 2002, 8th in 2005, 14th in 2008 and 18th in 2010. The team placed 19th last year. 
 
The Collegiate Design Series competition measures its participating vehicle in a number of categories including acceleration, endurance, autocross, cost, presentation, and skid pad. SVSU traditional excels in designing vehicles built for speed. Twice SVSU built the fastest college race car in the world, winning the acceleration category in 2008 and 2014.

May 21, 2020

State award reinforces SVSU’s reputation for supporting students with military ties

Saginaw Valley State University’s dedication to students affiliated with the military once again was recognized statewide. 
 
The university earned certification as a Veteran-Friendly School from the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency for the sixth consecutive year. The institution earned a gold-level status, the highest honor for recipients of the veteran-friendly recognition. 
 
Bethany Alford, director of SVSU’s Military Student Affairs office, said the continued recognition reinforces the university’s tradition of support military service members, veterans, and families of those military service members and veterans. 
 
“We work very hard to create an environment that makes SVSU a top choice for military-connected students,” Alford said. “We are dedicated to providing resources and developing policies that benefit those students. I am proud that we are being recognized for the environment we create.” 
 
The SVSU Military Student Affairs office reaches nearly 300 military-connected students across campus, helping them achieve success in the classroom as well as the community. The office staff offers support including helping students’ initial admission in the university and providing guidance as they select their classes and acclimate to college life. 
 
In February, SVSU was designated as a Military Friendly School by VIQTORY media company for the ninth consecutive year. 
 
For more information about SVSU's Military Student Affairs office, visit www.svsu.edu/militarystudentaffairs. 

Go to page: