It is bigger, better, and potentially even colder. 

On Saturday, February 22 a large chunk of ice

COURTESTY DEIDRE PEROSKY

 will be missing from Reed’s Lake as participants young and old will be jumping into the icy water to support the Special Olympics at their annual Polar Bear Plunge starting at 11 a.m.

This year the Aquinas College Programming Board was accepted as a co-sponsor for the event, and currently there are over 20 Aquinas students who have signed up to experience the plunge.

It is regularly $50 to participate. However for Aquinas students it is completely free, but both plungers and non-plungers alike are encouraged to donate online at www.firstgiving.com/polarplunge.

Some students who are weary of jumping into the thirty-degree water have made challenges with their friends.

For example, senior Brendan Hieshetter, AQPB member who has been spearheading this event, said he refuses to jump unless the Aquinas community donates a total of $1,000. But there’s the catch.

 “Alright you can quote me on this. If we can raise $1,000 I’ll wear a wedding dress when I jump in,” Hieshetter said.

This brings up another new twist to the plunge this year. The Special Olympics Polar Plunge is traditionally always a costume contest, and prizes will be awarded to those who can sport the most creative plunging apparel, which in years past have included the likes of Superman, Wonderwoman, ballerinas, and hula dancers.

In addition, instead of jumping into Willowbrook Pond (located behind Aquinas’ library) and sprinting back to your room to get warm, the Reed’s Lake plunge will offer the luxury of an on-site hot tub for participants to warm up and drink hot chocolate.

When asked how many Aquinas students would participate in this year’s new and improved plunge Hieshetter said, “Well last year we had between 30 and 40 plungers, I would not mind if 100 signed up this year. We are hoping to get some faculty and staff to jump too.”

Why the inspiration for changing locations of the event?

“Honestly in the beginning we were looking for somewhere students could actually plunge into the water and swim around more so than at Willowbrook, and when we found out about the Special Olympics plunge at Reed’s Lake it just seemed right. We could turn the event into a service project and give back to this community that has already given so much to us,” Hieshetter said.

The AQPB Campus Traditions committee who has been working on this event hopes that their participation in the Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge will also open more doors for students to work with the Special Olympics athletes at other events.

Hieshetter said the ultimate goal is to host a winter fest on the Aquinas campus for Special Olympics athletes in the near future. He also added that he hopes Aquinas’ co-sponsorship with this event will showcase the college’s support for special education and their efforts to accommodate students with disabilities.

The Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge is an event that is held nationwide, with some states hosting over a dozen plunges throughout the year.

Some only have a turnout of 10 people while others like the Lews Polar Bear Plunge in Delaware had nearly 3,000 polar bears brave the icy Atlantic, and throughout their 18 years of plunging events they have raised over $4.5 million.

At the Seaside Heights Polar Plunge in New Jersey, some of the over 3,700 participants traveled all the way from Alaska.

The large majority of Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunges promote themselves as “A Reason for Freezin” and those who take on the challenge are considered as “Licensed to Chill.”

Registration for the event will be available up until the very day of the event. Forms are located in the Campus Life Office and more information can be found through AQPB’s Facebook group online. 

Still not convinced that immersing yourself into freezing water is right for you? Do your part by donating online or attending the event to support your friends. The pavilion deck looking over Reed’s Lake at East Grand Rapids Library (746 Lakeside Dr. SE) is a popular location for spectators to watch the event.

Hieshetter is adamant that this event is an excellent opportunity for the college team up with the surrounding community. 

“Aquinas prides itself as a leader in service learning and community involvement so I really hope that people get excited about this and get involved, whether it be actually plunging or coming to watch.

And it is exciting this year that we are not just plunging, but we are plunging for a cause and especially with the death of Eunice Shriver this past year, the founder of Special Olympics, this is a really great year to get involved.”

The mere thought of running a mile under 5 minutes would send most women, and men for that matter, into cardiac arrest. When your name is Carly Plank, however this is a conceivable and highly achievable goal. Plank, a freshman on the Aquinas College Women’s Indoor Track team, is determined to make herself known during her first college track season.

With only one more meet before the Wolverine Hoosier Conference Championships, Plank is excited to see how far she can push herself and has hard set goals of what she wants to accomplish before the season reaches its end.

“I want to win all of my events at Conference, win conference as a team, and be All-American in the DMR (distance medley relay) and the 3000 at Nationals,” she said.

As for that mile under 5 minutes, her personal best is currently 5:02, and her best 3,000m to date is 10:08, which she hopes to knock down to under 10 minutes.

On the other end of the totem pole is senior Allison Strouse who has already achieved All American status, and is determined to make her final season one for the record books. Strouse’s events include the 60 meter hurdles, 60 meter dash, and the 200 meter dash, which is her specialty. Her PR in this event is 25.28, which she ran during last year’s indoor season, just shy of the school record 25.28. Strouse said, “Ideally, I would like to run under 25 seconds, which will take a lot of hard work,  I will need to drop a half second.  It doesn’t sound like much, but that is a lot of time in a sprinting event.”

Her near future plans include a trip to Johnson City, Tennessee to compete in nationals and to finish in the top 6 of all her events to maintain her All American honors.

The men have been showcasing impressive numbers as well. Senior Matt Hewson has been a leader on the team running the 60m and 200m sprints with times of 7.07 and 23.15 seconds respectively, and hopes to bring those numbers down to 7.00 and 22.54.

Individually, he also has his eyes set on Nationals, but he is also excited about the team as a whole can accomplish at the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference meet.

“As a team, our #1 priority and our goal is to win the WHAC conference meet. We have not won the indoor conference meet in two years so we want a win,” said Hewson.

 Looking back on his college track career, he believes this year has set the standard for making this stereotypically individualistic sport more focused on the team.

“My freshmen year this team was purely individualistic and had no team support whatsoever, so I know what it feels like to basically be on your own. Our team has done a fantastic job of supporting each other,” said Hewson. “AQ track has been a textbook example of what a team can accomplish when they are united. I could not be more proud.”

Also lighting up the track is junior Rumeal McKinney who ran a 6.52 in the 55meter dash on Feb 6 at the Taylor Invitational at Indiana. Distance runners also performed exceptionally well, with sophomore Nick Thelan placing second in the 600 meter run with a time of 1.23.73 and Mike Morgan taking second in the 3,000 meter run at 8.41.16.

Next up for the Saints is the Grand Valley State University “Big Meet” hosted on the Allendale Campus, starting at 3pm. According to Hewson,

“The GVSU Big Meet is important because for most schools, it is the last regular season meet before the conference meet…Grand Valley meets usually attract some pretty good competition as well, so it helps us stay extra sharp.”

As the Aquinas College women’s basketball team nears the postseason, they know they have a difficult road ahead of them.

It proved to be a rough weekend for the Saints as they travelled to Adrian on Sat., February 6 to be defeated by the Saints of Siena Heights University 67-80, a team Aquinas had dominated just three weeks earlier. The loss leaves Aquinas with a 7-3 league record and tied with Cornerstone University for second place in the conference.

The game was sloppy on both ends from the beginning, with a total of 23 turnovers in the first half. Aquinas outshot SHU 35-23 but was only able to convert 28% of those field goals. With the team down nine at the break Coach Nash rallied the team to the second half with a 9-2 run.

Senior Joslyn Narber lit up the score board with a team high 26 points and freshmen Taelor Sanders hit 4 of 5 three pointers to finish with 26 points of her own.

 Narber became just the second female basketball player in Aquinas history to surpass 2,000 points during their college career and is only 28 points away from earning the title of most scored points by female basketball player at Aquinas College.

On February 14 the Saints will have a chance to prove themselves and end league play with a solid second place finish when they face the Panthers of Davenport University. Davenport is currently ranked #1 in the nation. It will be just short of a month when these two teams meet again at Aquinas’ home court at Grand Rapids Community College at 1pm. At their first match Davenport pulled off a win in dominating fashion 94-40, and the Saints are hoping to redeem themselves the second time around.

Freshman Lindsey Karpowciz, like the rest of the team, is optimistic about the rest of the season. In response to their tough losses against Cornerstone and Davenport, she said, “we really didn’t communicate in those games, without communication our team makes more mistakes than in a regular game.”

In terms of improvement throughout the year though, Karpowicz said the Saints have made great strides and are well on their way to earning a bid to Nationals.

“I would say that we have improved at our press and we still need to work on is setting up our triangle when there is a great deal of pressure coming from the defense,” said Karpowicz. “Our one main goal as a team is to win the WHAC tournament and go to nationals.”

The Saint’s next game is Tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. when Aquinas hosts U of M Dearborn. The Saints also host the nations best team, Davenport, on Saturday at 1 p.m.

The 2010 Intramural Basketball season is on the rise with the first of the season’s ten games taking place on Tuesday, Jan. 19th. Games this year are played on Tuesday and Sunday nights at the Cougar Athletic Trails (CAT) facility located on Knapp Street, courtesy of Catholic Central High School. Official sign ups have already taken place however, players are always welcome to join a team as long as they pick one and stick to it.

The cost for a team to participate was $60, which covered costs for new equipment, t-shirts, and payroll.  According to IM Student Coordinator Matt Weiss, there are roughly 150 students participating in intramural basketball this year.

“I was worried that because games are off campus this year that numbers would drop, but we did meet our normal quota.

“There are not a lot more people playing this year but there are not any less, so we were happy about that,” said Weiss.

Weiss also said he is excited about the talent this year and the level of competition. After one week, he said, “There are about 5 teams that I could see winning it all.” For those who are not participating and want to support your fellow peers, join the Facebook group “AQ Intramurals” and click on the discussions tab. Schedules are posted on this page as well as directions to CAT.

The games are lively and a worthy excuse to head off campus whether you are on the court or in the stands.  “People to come out and watch even if they don’t have a team because the atmosphere is really great. It’s a good time to hang out and meet new people at AQ,” said Weiss.

In the midst of the competition on the floor, those who participate in intramurals understand that having fun is the core of this program. The names in themselves reveal the entertaining environment, for example the Flint Tropics, the Hawaiian Eskimos, and on the ladies side there is the classy, Retired.

Junior Mike Kalchik who is a member of the mighty Hawaiian Eskimos enjoys the opportunity “To get away from class, work, and anything else and just have some fun.” Also, Kalchik said the competition has increased significantly this year with the addition of former Aquinas basketball players like Jordan Torres and Jeff Wierzbicki who are also Eskimos for the season.

On the women’s side, Junior Kellie McPherson is a die-hard fan who considers intramural basketball one her most favorite programs that Aquinas offers. “I love it because it is a relaxed basketball atmosphere, there is no pressure to win and there is no coach screaming at you if you make a mistake. Plus I get to hang out with my friends,” she said.

Even if you are not officially part of team, ask around and see if there open spots for you on teams that have already registered. Weiss emphasized that the most efficient and accurate source of information is through the AQ Intramurals Facebook group, which he encourages both athletes and loyal friends alike to join.

League games have yet to begin and the Aquinas Women’s Basketball team is already in the midst of what has been a rigorous season. The week before Thanksgiving break, the Saints played Alma College Tuesday night and headed for Alabama the next morning at 5AM for a preseason tournament.

Over half of the team consists of underclassmen, making these early games pivotal for a successful conference season, and a hopeful future at nationals. On Tues. Nov. 24th the Saints travelled to Alma where they beat the Scots with a dominating win of 72-51, with forward Joslyn Narber leading the team with 22 points and snagging 7 rebounds. Freshmen Clare Conway described Narber as, “the glue of our team. When Joslyn, Kaitlyn (Lang), and Vicki (Van Dyke) play well, the team responds.”After arriving back to campus late that night, the teams travelled to Mobile, Alabama the next morning to play two pre-season pickup games against the University of Mobile and Spring Hill College.

The Saints fought hard against Mobile, ending the first half only 3 points behind at 27-30. Coming into the second, however they were unable to escape a shooting slump of 34%, down from 36% in the first half. Junior forward April Feldpausch sunk three three-pointers and finished the game with a high of 22 points, but it was not enough to avoid a 56-80 defeat. Looking back on their travels Narbor said, “We were undefeated going in but we definitely had our hands full playing two NAIA Division I teams. The first game we honestly did not play well together as a team, but we redeemed ourselves against Spring Hill.” The Saints pulled off an 86-66 win against the Badgers, with a solid performance across the board with numbers coming from each player on the team.

Also in terms of chemistry, the trip was a hit. “Anytime you go on an overnight trip, you bond. There’s lots of time on the bus, eating out, all those things and it was really good for us,” said Conway, who believes there has been a significant change in overall team attitude compared to the beginning of the season. “We have amazing leadership on the team that comes from all players. There is always encouragement on the court,” she said.

On Wednesday, Dec. 2nd the Saints finished with another tough loss against Hope College with a score of 53-86. During the first half of the game starting point guard Ann Marie Schumaker tore a ligament between her fibula and tibia and will be out of the season for hopefully only a month. New rotations for point are being worked out, but against Hope Conway came off the bench to play the entire second half adding 8 points to the board and 4 rebounds.

Next up is Taylor University who the Saints will play tonight in Indiana. It will be a battle between the two NAIA teams, with the Trojans holding up a 5 game winning streak. The Saints, however also have a reputation to uphold. Currently 7-2 overall, they are ranked 2 in conference and 17 nationally.

Their season opener will be the first Wednesday back from Christmas break, January 6. They will be facing Cornerstone at 7pm at Grand Rapids Community College downtown.

At this point in the season Narber said, “Our biggest area of improvement is our defense, we need to make sure we have each other’s backs.” Overall though, Narber thinks the team is headed on the right track.

“I’m really impressed with how we have done, especially with only 10 girls on the team and now only 9, we have a lot of work to do but once we play our game we will be a very dangerous team,” she said.

Directions to the GRCC Field House can be accessed through the Aquinas athletics website. If you are looking for a ride, take Conway’s advice, “Hop on the #14 bus, head down Fulton, get off at Ransom and you’ll be right there.”

In efforts to continue improving on campus sustainability, Aquinas College recently completed the Greenhouse Report Card, an opportunity to examine the college’s use of carbon emissions  in everyday activities such as heating, cooling, lighting, and transportation.
The process of collecting and analyzing the school’s data was led by the college’s Center for Sustainability and adds yet another requirement in Aquinas’ participation in The American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. Results concluded that 7,414 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) are emitted into the air each year from the operation of Aquinas College.
To put in more relatable numbers, the Center for Sustainability found that: Per Full-Time Equivalent: 4.1 metric tons of CO2e Per 1000 Square Feet of Building Space: 11.4 metric tons of CO2e. grand Valley State University participated in the report card challenge as well.
Their result came to  2.3 metric tons of CO2 per full-time enrollment and 12.8 metric tons of CO2 per 1000 square feet. According to Jessica Eimer, Program Director of the Center for Sustainability,  it should be noted that, “The carbon sequestration from the beautiful trees on Aquinas campus did however offset 0.7% of our emissions, compared to Grand Valley’s 0.3%.”
The report card will now be calculated on an annual basis.

•  Dress appropriately for the season; wear layers of clothing during the winter months. This will help keep the thermostats down.
•  Avoid the use of portable electric space heaters or other unnecessary electric devices and keep exterior doors and windows closed as much as possible.
•  Use hot water sparingly. When showering try turning off the water while you soap up and turning it back on to rinse off.
•  Combine laundry with a friend or roommate if you cannot make a full load on your own. Always wash in cold water.
•  Use desk lighting when possible to reduce the use of overhead lighting.
•  UN PLUG all unused electrical appliances, simply turning them off still uses energy.
•  Do not leave your computer running overnight and on weekends. Also, wait until you are ready to use it before you turn it on and try to plan your computer-related activities together so you can do them all at once. Also plug in your printer only when you are printing. You do not have to keep it on and or connected to your computer at all times.
•  Install low-flow shower heads and faucets to minimize water usage.
•  Reduce the use of incandescent lighting and try installing compact fluorescent bulbs (which uses 75% less energy) if possible.
•  Run your dish washer only when it is completely full.
•  Turn off the lights in rooms that are not being occupied and utilize natural light as much as possible.
-Compiled by
Jessica Eimer

On Thursday, November 19, Aquinas College students Pete Reno, Raul Velasco, and Brett Stoll will be representing Aquinas College in the Innagural Regional Idea Pitch competition hosted by the Grand Valley State University’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation and Seidman College of Business.
The competition will take place at 7pm the Loosemoore Auditorium of GVSU and offers an opportunity for business students to make a 90 second pitch before a panel of judges and be critiqued based on both the creativity of their idea and their overall presentation.
These three Aquinas students will be joined by peers from Grand Valley State University, Cornerstone University, and Davenport University. Prizes will be awarded to the top students. The first place finisher will receive $2,000, with second place receiving $1,000, and third and fourth place receiving $500, respectively.
Students participating will receive a unique opportunity present their pitch in front of an impressive panel of judges ranging from a wide variety of backgrounds.
The judges include, Rick DeVos, entrepreneur and founder of ArtPrize, Spout.com, and TheCommon.org, Danny Beckett, president and CEO of Spearia, a web design and marketing firm based in Comstock Park, and Brent Hawkins, founder of Infusion Marketing.
The event was a collaboration of West Michigan business programs who wanted to provide their students with hands on experience and promote the opportunity for entrepreneurship in this area.
Seidman College of Business Dean H. James Williams said in a recent Grand Valley State University article, “This is just another of the initiatives we hope will become an annual celebration of student entrepreneurial enthusiasm and competence. The students’ collective entrepreneurial spirit is potentially explosive!”
In order to qualify for the Regional Competition, the Aquinas Business Department held an in school competition.
Reno placed first with a pitch supporting H.O.M.E.S. Energy Solutions which provides home heat and energy solutions. Velasco placed second in the Aquinas competition presenting the benefits of Smart Wallet, a GPS enabled wallet. Lastly, Stoll took third with his pitch on Media Gallows, a news and cultural resource specific for Grand Rapids college students.
The event is free and open to the public. The Loosemore Auditorium is located at Grand Valley’s Pew Campus in downtown Grand Rapids on Fulton Street.

It is indeed that time of year. The stacks of advertisements in the Sunday newspaper are growing by the week and more and more there is talk of the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping. For many families this year however, the focus of Christmas will not be on a Christmas tree surrounded by presents.
Working and middle class families have experienced financial hits that will leave many parents unable to fulfill their children’s wish lists. Those kids who have parents that have lost jobs recently may not even be making a Christmas wish list, and I am sure that for several of you this may be a year to swallow your wants and refrain from asking.
Yet as unfortunate and heart drowning as this may sound, the idea of families not being as able to provide material gifts for their loved ones this Christmas may ultimately be a blessing in disguise.
Last Christmas for example, I took the train home to Portland, Oregon and arrived 2 days later than expected due to frozen over rails. I came into town late the night before Christmas Eve, and as a result had no time for Christmas shopping.
So when my twelve year old sister, Margie, whispered into my ear, “So, really, what did you get me for Christmas?” during Christmas Eve mass, all I could sacrilegiously muster underneath my breath was “oh shit, I’m screwed.”
I had made big plans of what to get Margie and the rest of my family for Christmas, and yet once I got home time had escaped me. Not to mention, this particular winter mother nature decided to grace Portland with the most massive snow storm the city had seen in nearly 40 years, leaving the majority of businesses closed and me unable to fulfill my sisterly duties. As a result, I sat in Mass feeling like a total failure. As shallow and materialistic as it may sound, I truly felt like my lack of presents was a reflection of how important my sisters were in my life, and here I was coming home after nearly 5 months with empty hands.
When my guilt finally took over late that night, I told my sisters I had no presents for them. It would be a lie if I said they weren’t disappointed, but they did an impressive job of attempting to hide it. We still had our annual tradition of eating the dessert leftovers from dinner, watching Titanic (it’s a long story), and piling into my bed to sleep. As I continued to apologize profusely throughout the remainder of the night at my lack of gifts, they continured to convince me that they were simply happy to have me home.
Looking back, it is obvious that as a collective society (me included) we have embraced and accepted the idea that love is shown through material gifts. It is simply something that we expect from one another. For some people, however, this is not an attainable reality, whether it be because of time, money, or a combination of both.
Parents, in particular, should never feel that they have failed because they cannot afford to buy their children a mountain of presents. And as selfish as it may sound, we could all learn to let go of the pressures to buy presents- an aspect of Christmas that seems for many people to have turned into more of a stressful job rather than a humble and enjoyable act of giving.
My present to my sisters last year ended up being treating them to breakfast at one of our favorite cafes. Nothing fancy, but something that could be remembered and involved us spending time together.
If you find yourself or your loved ones for whatever reason unable to give materialistically this Christmas, I encourage you to go back to the basics.
Reflect on what you have already been given and how you can share that with others. This year I am thinking we might just skip the cafe and we can make our own smorgasbord breakfast., with Celine Dion providing the backround music.

As one of the most sought after youth speakers for his age, Matt Galloway speaks to youth on a variety of topics. Giving over 300 different talks and seminars, Matt is well prepared and fully capable of delivering talks at any level. He relates to youth extremely well and is well versed in Catholic tradition and Scripture. He offers keynotes to youth, middle and high school students, young adults, adults, parish communities, Catholic Schools, Knights, Boy Scouts, and more.
Matt developed a love for ministry at a young age when his parents, Bryan and Isabel, would take time out to read bible stories and do devotions with him. “The parents are the key component of ministry,” says Galloway, “it’s in prayer, sacraments, communication, participation, and love from the parents that ministry becomes in its full.” Throughout his life, Matt always took a leadership role in ministry. In only his sophomore year at West Catholic High School, Matt started a group called Catholics In Action (CIA) at his school, this is a student led group that meets to talk, reflect, and discuss various topics. As this group grew in size, Matt recognized he needed more help, and in his junior year, Matt formed the group CIA – Life Force Team. The team was specialized to learn leadership and ministry skills to be ministers to our world, in particular the CIA group (currently over 90 members). Through these ministries Matt and the team led several retreats. This was also the time when Shameless Existence formed, and began to develop into the ministry it is today.

He is the president and a speaker of Shameless Existence – a resource that offers youth support, speakers, a worship band, small groups, and much more. He recommends them and that you bring the worship band with him as well to enhance the sessions.

 He is currently studying to get his BA in Theology and Communication from Aquinas College, and Certificates in Youth Ministry, Catechesis from Aquinas College and the Diocese of Grand Rapids.

He personally seeks spiritual direction from Bishop Rose – Bishop Emeritus of Diocese of Grand Rapids, MI. Recognizing that Christ is in control and HE must be our leader and guide in ministry. Matt would like to ask that anyone who visits this site or reads his bio to pray for him that he may continue to follow the Lord’s will in his life of ministry. “It can be extremely tough sometimes,” says Galloway, “I need those prayer warriors out there. They may not be seen in the front lines, but they are the cornerstone to our ministry – the ministry of Christ.” Matt would like everyone to know that if they would like to join his prayer chain, they can fill out a form through his website, contact him, and he will add you to the chain.

It is no secret that pizza is a core factor in the average student’s college cuisine. If you are looking for a new place to try out that uses only local ingredients and will make you a pizza that is not completely drizzled in grease, then The Brick Road Pizza Co., located at 1017 Wealthy St. SE is your answer.

Husband and wife duo Jody and Cindy Talbert opened the quaint yet chic restaurant in November of 2008. The couple is dedicated to using organic foods, and with Jody being a vegetarian and Cindy a vegan, they decided that offering vegan menu options would be a healthy and marketable focus.

Jody, who predominantly handles the business aspects of things, said, “ In the beginning we were only going to offer a handful of vegan options, but they started to become really popular so we just kept adding more to the menu.” So popular, in fact, that out of the over 50 menu options, including sandwiches, deep dish pizzas, pastas, salads, and burgers, the Buffalo Tofu Pizza is hands down the most popular item.

The menu consists of a wide variety of both vegan and non-vegan dishes. Cindy makes the pizza dough, breadsticks, croutons for the salads, and marinara sauce from scratch. In addition, they have already built a reputation as the creators of some of the most delicious vegan friendly chocolate chip cookies that are baked fresh daily and are only $0.75. Smoothies, tiramsu, and vegan milkshakes can also be found on the dessert menu.

As for the pizza, you can build your own or try one of their signature vegan creations which include the Mac n’ Cheese Pizza, Bacon-Chedder Burger, Taco, Philly Cheese Steak, along with a few others. Specialty pizzas with non-vegan dough and real mozzarella are offered as well.

The atmosphere of restaurant itself is very open and spacious. The Talbert’s used nearly all recycled materials to refurbish the inside. The booths, counters, and a handful of tables are all made from vintage doors that were salvaged from antique shops nearby- the handles are still on them. In addition, the Talbert’s daughter, who is a graduate of Kendall College, painted designs on the tops of several tables and also created a beautiful mural on the wall in the main dining area that creates a multicultural vibe.

In terms of the overall location, the Talbert’s believe their Wealthy address in the heart of what is a growing neighborhood and cultural scene has been huge for their success. While sitting in a bright teal chair along side a vintage French door Jody said,“ This is a really cool area…it has that small town feel like everyone knows everyone.”

Highlights

• Address: 1017 Wealthy St. SE (between Eastern and Fuller)
• Hours: Sunday, 11am-9pm; Tuesday-Thursday, 11am-11pm; Friday-Saturday, 11am-Midnight
• Majority of dishes are under $10
• Yes, they do deliver! 616-719-2409, menus can be found at www.brickroadpizza.com
• Best Deal: Lunch buffet runs from 11:30am-2:00pm and consists of salad, soup, breadsticks, and at least three different pizza options. Plus chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Grand total: $6.95