Funding for the Red Cedar Log has been provided by the Associated Students of Michigan State University ÍOFALL 116WINTER 210SPRING 312SENIORS MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY VOLUME 128 ENROLLMENT: 47.972 EAST LANSING, Ml 48825 «Hh H|— mmm RED CEDAR LOG Since 1887, the Red Cedar Log has been a timestamp for Spartans to reflect on their years aUMichigan State University. This is a book to be cherished—^maybe not right now, but someday. The Red Cedar Log epitomizes the concept of delayed gratification. The words inscribed on its pages echo the stories of all made on campus. It serves as a log for sentiments to be stored, should they ever fade from the memory banks of fellow students and faculty. The images captured offer a lens into the past, unveiling a culture and climate particular to this year. A book to flip through transforms into a window to peer through. On one side of the glass, we’re here: in the moment. This is the year that we started, continued and ended our college careers.H The green and white surrounding us is as vibrant as ever. On the other side, people look into the past. Hands pressed against the barrier, they gaze at what once was. The green and white is faded, but still ever present. The book acts as a sort of tangible nostalgia. Worth remembering. Worth holding. Not right now, but someday. BBjWE mm ma * IPRSSK ïjrSSK'S m mm m ■lili. ■ MMB Wm iHH ____ __-- - — - I iMiâliÂsâ PHOTO: CRAIG HEDGES DESIGN: KELSEY MCARDLE A LETTER FROM THE ASMSU PRESIDENT One of my fondest memories of becoming a Spartan will forever be gathering at Freshman Convocation during Fall Welcome. Seeing everyone’s newfound curiosity gathered in the Breslin Center for the next “big step” is firmly ingrained in my memory. But what could not be seen from everyone’s faces were the personal stories of strife and success, and the ambitions and passions every new Spartan developed for Michigan State University. I took my chance in getting to know more about those around me through student leadership. I realized that over time on a campus as large as ours, that we assimilate ourselves with people who are like us: whether that be in our beliefs, our culture, or even by the way we look. But as I grew into leadership on campus, I was wrong to believe that this would be the way to succeed. I began to think and appreciate how we are surrounded by more than 40,000 other individuals that value the Spartan helmet each in a different way; seeing life from different perspectives. This past fall semester, a highly divisive Presidential election year for our nation was upon us. The sense of Spartan community was at a low level, and assimilating with commonality was not an acceptable way to cope with our campus climate. I saw and heard first-hand how the narratives of societally marginalized and minority students fought, and continue to see, a rift with the voices of a demographic that traditionally have not experienced the challenges of being heard or seen. The fall semester quickly clarified my role as Student Body President being a campus unifier. Each day presented a new instance or challenge that inspired me to collaborate with the representatives of ASMSU to prepare a plan of action that would acknowledge, fight for and deliver upon the diverse needs of our undergraduate student body. This rigorous mission has been one of the most demanding, formative and ultimately rewarding experiences in my college career to date. Together, our efforts have provided us with the opportunity to demonstrate the values of a true Spartan, and what a privilege that has been in every way! ASMSU has seen multiple successes in this year’s work amidst campus climate. We have become strident advocates for more efficient communication to students with the ongoing investigations of sexual assault and harassment on campus. We found new ways for student groups to be more engaged by collaborating on mental health awareness and leadership development through a viable mentorship movement. We continued to deliver the student voice at the community, state, and national level as it related to college affordability and student policies. Most importantly, we found ways to bring students into conversations around diversity and inclusion, when it was needed the most. Although we experienced trying times together, I cannot begin to express my appreciation enough for our ASMSU executive leadership team. The support and encouragement throughout the year was unprecedented! The time we’ve spent together in and out of the office was hopefully a symbol to you of how I valued not only your strong work ethic, but your friendship. I am beyond honored to have served as your president. Thank you Sam, Jason, Abbie, Alex, Cookie, and Lauren — you all have taught me how to serve as a stronger leader, and you all have become some of my closest friends I’ll cherish for life. Congratulations to the Class of 2017.1 know that each graduate will go forward to change our world; instilling love, hope, and reassurance that the youth is our future. Spartans hold many success stories. Our scientists will go on to research the cure to cancer and other life- threatening diseases; our engineers will fix infrastructure complications in our local cities and devise systems to improve our quality of life; the entrepreneurs will negotiate their ideas into productive business ventures; the teachers and leaders will commit to living a life of public service to improve society as a place that appreciates and celebrates our differences. All of these Spartans are among us! In whatever you do, amplify the passion of what motivates you to be the best that you can be. Know that the door to learning never closes and remember to come home to East Lansing often. I can’t wait to read, watch, or shake the hand again of the next Spartan world-changer from the 2017 graduating class. Because Spartans Will, and Spartans Do, continue to make our world a better place. Go Green, and Sparty On! Lorenzo C. Santavicca Student Body President 53rd Session, ASMSU HwìMB WV/liCI ìbhiiiM! »«fili firiiSS WÆMWMmfm wmmìSmmfi ffWwëSm'i M&ËÊÈËsSÊ IfcaaaM Maat inmmmKRWim ?¿M¡Zí£&£SS inmaMpHrnnmaia« wiMMaaawwiMBiâiilliwaiMwawwwaaiiW i ■"■wMMp«aMaBaMHaMBWM arniwwi mmss smm naMMMsM wmmmmmmmmwm&wmmwmmmlmmmiiw'm mmmmmmmmmmmsmmmmmmi nmmimammmmmmsammmmmmmmmtHiBm mmMammsmmmtmmsammimmmmmmmmi t s s i i/ J ' «aF"" iBtt%mÊMBSÊm I LVi 1 rapSill >Xv ‘^'jT ; Â*Sfr’;Vi,*i BBHHHB r.v.df.' ■■ ■ -;< i&| I --a raGf HH S| Hv " MMÊSmmm i • ' - I KHH ? -- . .. -? s§BM IllfPra SM lœBKsf als SraHMMte ■ >V> 1 « iff«! jf&$Bj9£ 1 21^»^^%-./^.^ ( RM f wttaBBnBBBmmSBBMm■■■■■■ m ■■■MiiMBiMMMMHBlMMMakaK mÈÈSÈÈÈÊÊÈËÈm fâ;ÎJÎS:’%’- :ï®- --’" ¿fÎ^f'çt^i^^' î^-ap- *«r.; ^S^v^.f;;&^u^';>-:T^I ^H[^HHBBB|| I *^îV*/'*' ' i * >\ ^ Sfj x»‘\\ ~~~ Z’V^P^'V' ¡¡¡¡¡| r '* -VT / . « 1 § ïi:-?^Æîî- ||| • |g H . hi pi lilil wtttmm HI ^ " <•" *—;> . -, , j ' j 'P-, " '-^' T’^'" f/ . ^ '-’■■*^ ■> As the heat fades, gym shorts evolve into khakis and skin is cocooned by leggings. Leaves fall from trees to crackle under boots. Students study their new textbooks on the autumn-strewn grassy knolls of the Red Cedar and witness its rapids slow to a trickle, A serene quiet sweeps through campus, with the exception of game day. From morning tailgates to late-night rallies, fall Saturdays are never dull. Basketball begins while Munn Field becomes a mud field, slopped by a herd of Izzone enthusiasts. As seasonally mild weather clashes with the hot political climate, Spartans retreat behind closed doors in preparation for exam hibernation. Like scurrying squirrels schlepping acorns around campus, students brace for the winter. wraHBa || tw* Hi I HH| SlttSftS K ; {' ; Î, V.fev.'g-'^v Alil8’■ 31 !.k Sïfsi spspi PHOTO: KASSIDY RHODES DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR AN ALTERED RELIC The converted Women’s Lounge sparks contention, controversy and protests In April 2016, University of Michigan Flint professor Mike Perry became interested in the MSU Women’s Lounge after he read an online article written by The State News. Perry questioned how the room fit within the guidelines of Title IX, a federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program. “I was intrigued by it and was just wondering how they could possibly get away with it from a legal standpoint, not that it isn’t helpful or that women don’t enjoy having it, but in terms of the legality of Title IX and gender equity,” said Perry. Perry reached out to Jessica Norris, MSU Title IX coordinator, about her opinion. After Norris told Perry that MSU was reevaluating the lounge’s gender exclusivity, he filed a civil rights complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. His complaint was denied, however, because he did not have grounds to make the complaint. “When I checked around, I believe it was the only women’s study lounge in a student union anywhere in the country. So it’s kind of a legacy—a relic of when the building was built back in the 1920s or when most universities, years ago, had a men’s and women’s lounge,” said Perry. “But over the years, as far as I can tell in terms of public universities, they have not maintained a specific place for men and women in a public space like a student union.” The history of the room dates back to when the Union opened in 1925. The building featured 16 private rooms, a barber shop, a bookstore, a beauty salon, many offices, dining rooms and both a men’s and a women’s lounge. The men’s lounge was repurposed in the ‘60s because the space wasn’t being used. For 91 years, the Women’s Lounge in the MSU Union offered women a haven to study and relax among other women. When students came back to campus in the fall, however, they noticed something different about the study spot. The historical room had been changed into a gender- neutral quiet space. “It’s disappointing because it was one of the few places on campus I felt like I could study in peace. The fact that a complaint about the lounge came from someone outside MSU is especially infuriating,” said Katherine Smythe, senior arts and humanities major. “The women’s lounge was about equity, and many students feel like MSU is not doing enough to promote equity and equality for women.” Senior Alyse Maksimoski, zoology major, took action during the first week of classes by planning a protest and petition. Planners of the event asked students to sign a petition that would be brought to MSU administration the following week. “In a society that praises (men) for everything, it provides them a lot of privilege. But for women, it’s a safe space,” said Maksimoski. “It’s a space away from men, away from the patriarchy to sit down and be with fellow women.” For Anna Gustafson, the lounge was a symbol of empowerment. The lounge was a shelter. “It’s an indescribable atmosphere,” said Gustafson, junior media and information major. “You walk in, and it’s calm, it’s warmer, it’s quiet and no one gets up to look at you. It’s the only place I’d feel comfortable falling asleep on campus.” School administrators understood frustration from students, but were focused on moving forward to ensure equality on the other end. Not all of the students on campus, however, shared that sentiment. At the Union on Sept. 6, a public forum was hosted by ASMSU, the Residence Halls Association and the University Activities Board. A large, vocal group of students in attendance sought to reinstall what it believed was the only safe place on campus for women and victims of sexual abuse or discrimination. “It’s about us as a space and a place,” said Denise Maybank, vice president of MSU Student Affairs and Services. While many men on campus remained ambivalent or supportive of the university’s action, others stood in solidarity against it. Senior Sam Granger, social relations and policy major, was outspokenly opposed to the closing of the Women’s Lounge and let it be known throughout the course of the forum. “That’s the messaged want to send to men: Your anecdotal perspective is not determinative of what really goes on,” said Granger. Maybank said she hoped that the forum answered some questions and let the students know that their opinions were valued. In addition, administrators in attendance heard what distressed students most about the university’s decision. “A lot of the discussion was around sexual assault, sexual violence and the concerns associated with that,” said Maybank, “and a part of the relationship between people’s use of the lounge for their safety and sexual assault—it makes sense that that’s worthy.” Gustafson stated that, overall, she did not find the meeting helpful. She vowed to continue to fight to regain the lounge that meant so much to her after hearing the abrupt news this summer. “The issue is bigger in society,” Gustafson said at the forum. “This battle is fighting the battle for women’s rights everywhere.” The change that happened over the summer avoided noisy construction during the school year. Despite the reasoning behind the decision, Maybank said that the school wanted to make sure that there is more communication in the future. “It closed down during the summer when students were away without their public opinion,” Granger said. “They took the complaints of a bunch of men who aren’t affected by the existence of a women-only lounge.” Maybank iterated at the meeting, a court case surrounding gender equality violations would have been costly and poorly reflective on the school, while a loss of federal funding would have been a lethal blow to the school’s finances. Despite the complaints expressed at the forum, there were no plans to replace the Women’s Lounge. Instead, it would become another artifact in MSU’s long history. CONTENT: ISAAC CONSTANS & BRYAN TAYLOR TOP: Ph.D. Candidate Apryl Pooley, gathering names for a petition in hopes to take back the Women’s Study Lounge. RIGHT: Senior, Bonnie Bairley expressing herself through words to let other students know her struggles and how the Women’s Study Lounge has made a difference in her life. ■i jr*re&«i¡ r PART OF THE WHOLE MSU welcomes new and returning students with a series of events celebrating black culture Racial issues are prevalent in today’s media in numerous ways. They are a source of tension across the country, on television, in the streets and even at the dinner table. Despite these national issues, many agreed that this tension should not translate to MSU’s campus. At 8 percent, black students are the largest minority group on campus. Events such as “Welcome Black Week” spoke a friendly reminder that every student, if even a part of a minority group, is part of the MSU community. During the week of Sept. 7, academic activities including a film discussion at Wells Hall and a student panel at Wonders Hall encouraged dialogue about the power of education in minority communities. Interactive discussions, however, weren’t the only events that pushed community involvement. “Spartan Remix” and the National Pan-Hellenic Council’s yard show echoed the same sentiment. “IT UPLIFTS THE BLACK COMMUNITY. IT JUST UPLIFTS EVERYONE AND MAKES THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE THAT MUCH BETTER. YOU GROW A LOT AND MEET A LOT OF PEOPLE.” At “Spartan Remix,” sheer enjoyment could be seen in the curve of every smile. Cheerful chatter and club introduction spiels filled the space. Booths for the myriad of student diversity groups on campus bordered the field behind The Rock. In the middle of the clearing, students traveled back and forth between two stages, one with live music and the other with dancing. “I think it really helps, especially with students like minority students,” said sophomore Terr an Davis, a member of the East Black Caucus. “It really helps them feel connected to other people. Especially, coming to a predominantly white institution, you know, they might feel at a disadvantage and I feel like programs like these really help them, really inspire them to, you know, be more involved on campus and do different things.” All walks of life were in attendance, with fraternities and sororities, as well as academic and career groups, populating the event. The National Society of Black Engineers celebrated academic roles while dance groups like Urban Dreams presented more leisurely ways to spend the time. For any student looking to connect with others of various backgrounds, “Spartan Remix” provided the opportunity for inclusion and empowerment. “At the end of the day, I’m gonna be myself,” said sophomore Janae Shorter, criminal justice and psychology major, sporting a shirt that read “I am a black MSU student.” During the National Pan-Hellenic Council’s yard show, the rich history of black fraternities and sororities was celebrated. Students circled around the Holden Hall basketball court, swaying to the sound of rhythmic beats and clapping their hands as members strolled and stepped in the center of the gathered crowd. Attendees pressed up tight against each other as they screamed in support. With all the fun to be had, the yard show was a great way to introduce black students to college campus and the communities that reside within its borders. “It uplifts the black community,” said senior Sierra Dowlen, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first black sorority on campus. “It just uplifts everyone and makes the college experience that much better. You grow a lot and meet a lot of people.” As a university, students and faculty have a responsibility to welcome and encourage all students to succeed. With “Welcome Black Week,” the welcoming ensued at the start of the year when attitudes were most malleable. It reminded Spartans that no matter the student’s race, culture or ethnicity, every student is a part of the whole. TOP: Delta Sigma Theta sorority members show off their moves in front of a record step show crowd outside Holden Hall. BOTTOM: A local DJ cues tracks for the performers at a crowded Holden Hall Basketball Court. All nine National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) fraternities and soroities performed. CONTENT: NATASHA BLAKELY PHOTO: CRAIG HEDGES DESIGN: KENT KUBANI Korean Student Association spreads its culture by celebrating Chuseok For many student organizations, the first meeting of the school year looked the same: people came in, signed in on a laptop with their contact information and then sat through a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation about the executive board members, the organization and what the potential members could expect. While the first meeting for MSU’s Korean Student Association (KSA) included these aspects, by the end it looked more like a family reunion than a meeting. KSA is an organization that promotes Korean culture on campus. It’s an affiliate of the Asian Pacific American Student Organization (APASO) which includes nine other student groups that represent Spartans from countries including China, Vietnam and more. On Sept. 14, more than 80 students flooded into the Vincent Chin Memorial Room in the basement of Holden Hall for KSA’s first event of the year. A general board meeting was held in tandem with a celebration of Chuseok, otherwise known as Korean Thanksgiving. “This is a time where we usually would spend with our family, but unfortunately most of the members are on campus and their families aren’t here,” said KSA President Yoon-Gi Kim. “As a group, we thought it would be a great way to bring awareness to everyone about the Korean Thanksgiving and together make a traditional dish called songpyeon, which is a rice cake.” Once the traffic through the door of the Vincent Chin Room slowed, attendees were directed to chairs set up around the perimeter of the room. Some people had to sit on the floor, due to an overwhelming amount of attendees. “The turnout was great,” Kim said. “It was double than we had planned for.” KSA Event Coordinator Taerim Kim led a slideshow presentation introducing the organization and what to expect from the upcoming year, followed by a comedic music video made by the executive board members. Following the slideshow, students split up into groups of 10 to gather around one of the eight tables in the middle of the room. Each table had a box of plastic gloves, a softball-sized mound of dough consisting of rice powder and hot water, a bowl of sesame and a bowl of chestnut: the ingredients for songpyeon. “Making songpyeon is a very popular tradition for Koreans to do with their families,” Taerim said., “We’re kind of doing the same thing, only it’s with our KSA family.” Family seemed to be a reccurring theme throughout the two-hour event. In one corner of the room was a seven-person group hug and in the other were two people who met for the first time but didn’t stop talking and learning about one another. For Lillian Do, a member of the Vietnamese Student Association, the theme of Ifamily remained consistent. “I joined some of the APASO groups my freshman year,” Do said. “It’s really cool because all of the groups support each other by going to each other’s events.” With the countless student organizations a Spartan has to choose from, it can be difficult to find a club that has an overwhelming sense of community. Although the main goal of KSA was to bring awareness to Korean culture, executive board members and general members alike said the sense of belonging and support was what made KSA feel like home. Jae Ho Kim applauds as fellow KSA members eat different flavored rice cakes known as songpyeon in a tasting game. Participants had to eat the dish while the audience had to guess whether they had eaten songpyeon with “special flavoring” or original flavoring based on their facial expressions. STARTING A DIALOGUE Students have an open discussion with campus police A black male is filmed walking to his car with his hands above his head. Several police officers follow closely behind him with their weapons raised. He stops at the driver side of his SUV. Moments later, shots are fired. His body slumps to the ground. This is the account of 40-year-old Terence Crutcher who was fatally shot by officer Betty Shelby in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Situations such as this can create a hostile and tense relationship between police and minority groups. Similar events are what influenced the Omega Psi Phi fraternity to host “Meet the Police.” On Sept. 14, students met at the Erickson Kiva to have an honest conversation with the university’s police department. “We’re doing this really to combat fear,” said senior Kyle Kirkland, a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. “Right now there is an uncertainty with African American students and police and we thought it would be good for students to gain knowledge from the actual source.” For Omega Psi Phi, the event’s purpose was to close the gap between campus police and students. It was a chance for police to meet some of the students they aid and protect, as well as an opportunity for students to depart from preconceived notions of police racism and bias. “This is basically just to break down the walls and barriers that keeps students from the police,” said senior sfoey Hemingway, member of Omega Psi Phi. In attendance were Sgt. Florene McGlothian- Taylor and officers Tim Mapley and Tracy Merone. After introductions, students asked questions that led to discussions varying from traffic stops and noise complaints to Colin Kaepernick and the Black Fives Matter movement. Finally, students directed the conversation to police brutality. Some of the students questioned a pattern of African Americans being killed by police officers and officers not being convicted. They wanted to know why they found themselves becoming more and more afraid of the police. The officers answered these questions to the extent they could. Though they couldn’t tell the students why the officer in New York choked Eric Gardner or why similar fatal situations occurred, they did offer resolutions to engage the MSU community with its campus police. For MSU police, dialogue was the greatest solution. “It’s important to get to know the person. Don’t just look at the uniform and judge everybody,by the uniform,” said McGlothian- Taylor. “Get to know the individual person.” “RIGHT NOW THERE IS AN UNCERTAINTY WITH AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS AND POLICE AND WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR STUDENTS TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE FROM THE ACTUAL SOURCE.” The event featured an icebreaker that involved everyone linking arms based on what they had in common. According to Kirkland, the activity brought everyone together and showed that no one there was too different from the next person. “I feel like I understand them better now,” said Nicole Ratliff, senior special education major. “I think this was absolutely necessary because this type of communication between us and law enforcement makes it for encounters to be less impulsive and more constructive.” Students left the event with a new and i'efreshing perception of campus police. Ultimately, police and students both want tolerance and understanding of each other. Conversations such as those that took place at Meet the Police are what move that objective forward® The Michigan State University Police Department was founded in 1917. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life on campus for students. BhhhI hipvSl ■i-'^t- V <■'■■ VV i\ ; 51 ,.\W A slight breeze blows through the freshly cut grass. The buzz of the crowd lulls as quiet anticipation settles. All eyes turn to the line. The pistol cracks and 400 pairs of shoes push against the ground. A wave of color, thudding feet and cheering advance down the mass of spectators as they scream encouragement at those they recognize. The race was on. “The Spartan Invite is one of the largest single-day meets in the country,” said Walt Drenth, head coach and director of MSU’s cross-country program. “People generally come because the meet is well-run, very competitive and is run on a course that tends to be fast.” The 2016 invite was no exception, boasting more than 8,000 participants. It was one of the first events of the cross-country season, falling on Sept. 16, at MSU’s Forest Akers Golf Course. The invite was an event that could be used to gauge a team’s abilities. “The team performed great today. We had a big pack of five at the finish line and that’s what we want out of our group,” said junior athlete Clark Ruiz, who placed seventh in the men’s 8-kilometer race. “Once we get a couple more guys racing like we know they can, we’re gonna have a really special team this year. We have a lot of big goals, and we feel like everything is in place to hit those goals.” The invite’s immense size gave athletes a chance to run against more competitors than usual. Along with the athletes were the thousands of fans that cheered them from the sidelines. An event of this magnitude presented a chance for both athletes and spectators alike to experience a level of excitement and competition rarely seen in collegiate cross-country. ■‘Teams come from all across Michigan and even across the Midwest for this event to compete, but I think it’s more than just a competition for everyone,’’ said sophomore Erin McDonald, who finished fifth in the women’s 8K. “With runners, there is such a deep love for the sport and a deep level of understanding that I truly haven’t felt anywhere else.” Aside from the many collegiate teams at the invite, there was an even larger number of high school teams from all over that competed each year. It was a chance for MSU and other college teams to recruit and watch for up-and-coming talent. A good number of the current MSU team members had ran the invite in high school. “From my experience in high school, the invite was extremely humbling,” said Ruiz. “I actually ran the invite with my freshman year roommate and current teammate, Nathan Burnand the two years before college. And while the high school athletes come to compete, I do see a lot of people have the same experience that I did: meeting new people, making new friends, starting some new rivalries.” Experiences such as Ruiz’s conveyed just how important the Spartan invite was. It brought the cross-country community together, inspired athletes to continue the sport and provided an intense competition - it was what the Spartan Invite is all about. With another successful event behind them, the Spartans were poised to have a fantastic season. Their comradery and drive showed no signs of waning, and this meet proved that they made an excellent team both on and off the course. Men’s cross country runners begin running when they heard “go” over a PA system at the Spartan Invitational. SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: BIG 10: M- 2nd W- 3rd GREAT LAKES REGIONAL: M- 2nd W- 4th NCAA: M- 20th W- 8th CONTENT: LOGAN RYAN PHOTO: KASSIDY RHODES DESIGN: KENT KUBANI DEATH BRINGS NEW LIFE MSU Shadows reinvents deceased trees as pieces of campus art Spartans take pride in their campus. With more than 24,000 trees dotting the university’s 8,000 acres, students could also take pleasure in knowing their wooden companions would stand with them during their tenures while enrolled. These permanent, wooden residents provide shade and study spaces, habitats for birds and squirrels, and natural beauty to campus. But, whether it be inclement weather, pests eating away at bark or the simple passing of time, all trees eventually reach their expirations. In past years, the fate of these trees would lie at the bottom of a wood chipper. “At the time, forestry would cut the tree up and we would take it out and throw it in a pile and we’d grind it up into wood chips, which would be spread on campus,” said Frank Telewski, professor of plant biology and curator of the W. J. Beal Botanical Gardens and Campus Arboretum. “And over time you start saying, ‘Boy, that’s a really nice tree. What a shame to just turn it into wood chips.”H Today, however, new initiatives have been put in place that have changed the way MSU disposes of their dead wood. The MSU Shadows program became active on campus in 2014. It began with an idea inspired by the Penn State Elms Collection and practices in the U.I& where trees were made into art pieces and sold with a record of where they came from, how old they were and anything interesting about the trees. Telewski and Paul Schwartz, campus arborist, decided to pursue a similar endeavor: choosing to have MSU’s trees live on as heirlooms—precious pieces of campus art that people could have in their own homes. Pens, frames, end tables and more became available for purchase at the MSU Surplus Store, with profits going toward planting and maintaining campus trees and gardens. “Over a five-year average, we lose about 300 trees per year on campus,” said Dan Brown, program coordinator of MSU Shadows. “We lose them to pests, diseases, construction removal and sometimes environmental hazards. An upside of this is that pieces can be created regularly.” The pieces themselves were created by local artisans. The program hired talented woodworkers across Michigan and Wisconsin to shape the wood into its final products. The pieces were then returned to be sold on campus. Students were involved in MSU Shadows both directly as interns and indirectly through use of the forestry department utilities. In addition, the forestry department was hoping to make use of the program to create a course for students to gain experience in urban wood repurposing. “Students help out around the program. I help with moving, milling and drying the lumber,” said Christopher Merchant, an undergraduate intern with MSU Shadows. “I also do some work around the forestry department. I wanted to help with the program because it was a practical application of what I had been learning.” When campus trees can no longer serve their purpose, their ends bring about new beginnings. The program hopes to make a large impact on the planting and preserving of one of campus’ greatest resources. Purchasing an item from MSU Shadows not only provided a piece of campus as decor, but enabled future generations of Spartans to continue to enjoy campus. MSU Shadows’ collectibles are made from salvaged trees that were removed from campus due to storm damage or construction. The lumber is then sent to artists throughout the Midwest to design and craft the items. A FALSETTO FAMILY Campus a cappella organizations sing with a singular voice Beneath sweltering stage lights, a band of brothers emitted a glorious noise: a melodic collective of unmistakable pop songs, identifiable by any casual radio listener. It wasn’t the siblings of the Jackson 5 or the Bee Gees flaunting their chemistry—these were the Spartan Dischords. Ranging in height, appearance and virtually every distinguishable trait, the Spartan Dischords were self-professed brothers. Tied together by their ardor for music, these men were a family. “It’s a long line of dudes who just like to have fun and sing,” said junior Jack Kissinger, a human geography major. “It kind of becomes a brotherhood, so it’s like a singing fraternity.” Kissinger came to MSU from Albany, New York in 2014. Having done choir in high school, Kissinger sought out an a cappella group on campus to sustain his hobby. He walked away from the experience with much more than he ever expected. In 2017, he signed up to live in the Dischords’ off-campus house. “We don’t have to pay dues. It’s none of that,” Kissinger said. “It’s a singing brotherhood, and I’ve made my best friends from school in that group.” Moreover, age and distance didn’t prevent graduates from staying in communication. Alumni of the campus’ oldest a cappella group often stopped by shows to reconvene with current members. Tanner Cottrell, even with a busy schedule, still made the effort to check in. “The Dischords were my life in college,” Cottrell said. “I won’t lie, I miss it. I miss my guys. There’s a funny quote out there somewhere along the lines of, ‘you’re never closer with people than when you sing with them,’ and I couldn’t agree more.” While the bonds in the Spartan Dischords might have originated from music, they quickly morphed into deeper connections. Despite the disparate backstories, members discovered that they had much in common. “It allows students to be aligned with something a little bit smaller, more focused to something that aligns with their values and beliefs, and meet and talk with other like-minded people in a setting that CONTENT: ISAAC CONSTANS PHOTO: CRAIG HEDGES DESIGN: ALEX DONNELLY sfili i I ■st& SÉ■ H m m YW; ■ mWÊ is safe and inclusive to them,” said Allison Tilma, executive secretary to the vice president of Student Affairs and Services. When Cottrell heard that he would be working in downtown Detroit, he reached out to some old friends for living recommendations. It just so happened that he wound up in the same apartment complex as two “Discards,” a moniker given to former members of the group. For him, that was the Dischord legacy. “Our Facebook group is full of old Dischord alumni, and they always comment and post and keep up to date with the current group,” said Kissinger, noting that some in the music business even hand gigs back to the organization. “We’ve had Discards even set up other Discards for jobs— at Ford, for example. It’s really like a very unique alumni community.” But while Dischords continued to assist one another as they transitioned to Discards, there was no masking the fact that they missed the music. While the Spartan Dischords were doubtlessly an exceptional example of an on a cappella group, there were plenty others on campus. They all carried the same camaraderie. Cottrell said that he would have transferred from MSU after just one semester had he not joined the Dischords. Overwhelmed by a new school, he was unsure of where he fit in. Four years and a few verses later, Cottrell closed out his final concert with his best friends, singing a much happier tune. LEFT: Senior Dana Reynolds sings a capella for “State of Fifths,” a group that has been active since 2008. MIDDLE: Junior Trevor Boukamp is a member of Capital Green which happens to be the oldest co-ed a capella group on-campus. Capital Green has been active since 1999. TOP: Senior Andrew Breitbarth is active with Acafellas, MSU’s all-male a capella group, made up of 10 singers. 27 f hh| "i «H a «¡ CONTENT: ARIANA TAYLOR PHOTO: CRAIG HEDGES DESIGN: KENT KUBANI CREATING CONNECTIONS Journalism students gain sports broadcast experience through the Big Ten Network A group of roughly 15 students walked onto actually enjoy going to work.” the field next to Spartan Stadium. It was 10:30 a.m. on a Sunday. A cool breeze split through the air. They began setting up cameras, monitors and cables. It was busy, but not hectic. Though the game was not set to start until 2 p.m., these dedicated students were already preparing for their report on the upcoming field hockey game. These students were part of MSU’s chapter of the Big Ten Network Student U group. Big Ten Network Student U is a sports broadcast team completely run by students. Each year, the group produces more than 500 live coverage reports of sports on campus including men’s and women’s soccer, field hockey, ice hockey, women’s basketball, volleyball and baseball! The students operate the cameras, produce and edit the audio and visuals, give play-by-play accounts and interview players. “I love how well the whole group works together...We are there to help each other in our own individual careers,” said sophomore Alexis Downie, journalism major. “It’s honestly like a big family and we have a lot of fun working together.” The schedule ranged from one game per week to three, depending on what the Big Ten Network planned for the students. Working seven-to-eight-hour shifts to produce a broadcast was standard for the group. It was all a part of the job^a job that took commitment, energy and hard work. The students were paid to work each of the events. They also covered press conferences and were able to volunteer for the Big Ten Network for larger-scale games, such as men’s basketball or football. “It’s taught me what I want to do after college,” said junior Brendan Wilner, journalism major. “It’s a lot of networking and I Though a lot of effort went into working forrehe group, each student’s work contributed to reaping the benefits. Everyone had a specific position, whether as talent in front of the camera or the producer behind the scenes. The students relied on each other to complete the productions, so if one person didn’t complete his or her duties, the coverage for that event fell far from the group’s expectations. “IT’S TAUGHT ME WHAT I WANT TO DO AFTER COLLEGE. IT’S A LOT OF NETWORKING AND I ACTUALLY ENJOY GOING TO WORK.” “The best part is when you get to see it come all together, especially because it’s student-ran,” said sophomore Kristi Simmons, advertising major. Not only did the experience give students the opportunity to learn how to use state-of- the-art equipment, but it also gave exposure at the college level to those interested in sports and broadcast journalism. Having work experience with the Big Ten Network on their resumes didn’t hurt either. Their growing background and connections also led the students to other internships and higher positions within the field. The connections that were made in the group, however, went beyond the cameras. Students were also able to bond over their loyalty to sports journalism, a specialized field that not all could find interest in. Juniors Olivia Rubick and Grant Cislo manage one of the camera for a Big Ten Student U broadcast of an MSU women’s volleyball match. MSU Polo Club fundraises money through exposure and education Ten minutes before the match, the MSU Pavilion was buzzing. While some players braided and tied up their ponies’ tails, others frantically ran between stalls making sure each player was ready for the competition. While these aren’t the typical pregame activities for most athletic events, for the MSU Polo Club, this was part of the routine. With this preparation, the club’s biannual event, “Polo at the Pavilion,” was underway. “Polo isn’t very well known in the U.S., so this is a really good event to expose students and families to the sport of polo,” said sophomore Gabi Galley, a member of the MSU Polo Club. “A sport all of us here put our blood, sweat, tears... and a lot of money into.” MSU Polo Club became the first collegiate polo club in Michigan in 1999 when Anna Munie, MSU Polo assistant coach, and four others were approached by the Detroit Polo Club and Grand Rapids Polo Club. The professional clubs wanted to establish a collegiate polo team with the hopes that, once the students graduated, they could see them playing for their own teams. “MSU Polo and polo in general is just a great sport to be involved in,” said MSU Polo President Keahna DePauw. “You get to meet a lot of great people, you get to travel very frequently and you’re always around the horses.” This year’s event on Sept. 22, featured a match between MSU Polo varsity players and coaches. The ball dropped around 6:30 p.m. and until the last chukker, the coaches managed to stay ahead. During the last seven minutes and thirty seconds of the match, however, the game was tied. But, in a buzzer-beater play, the coaches reigned victorious 11-9. “Indoor polo is pretty much like hockey on horseback,” said Munie. “There are two goals on either end of the arena and you’ll see a lot of contact. You’ll see horses bump, you’ll see horses check and it’s all legal as long as it’s done in the safety of our horses.” After the event, Galley, who worked ticket sales, raised approximately $300 to $400. Because the club is not university-funded, fundraising events such as this were significant to contributing toward costs associated with caring for the club’s 10 to 14 ponies. “We get our money from dues, we get our money from this event and then we perform other fundraising events,” said Munie. “We decorate for the homecoming parade, and we try to do other campus events where our club members go out and raise money for the club.” Without financial support from the university, the members had to rely on events such as Polo at the Pavilion to continue to ride and do what they love most. Banking on increased publicity, the MSU Polo Club looked to continue a tradition that began more than 15 years ago. Galley said with continued exposure and education of the sport, more people would be willing to support the organization and help keep it afloat. Polo at the Pavilion participants, made up of both students and coaches, were split into a white team and a green team for their match. Alumni Emily Regan and Aaron MSU success to make Olympic t Former Spartan and Olympic champion Emily Reg; shares her gold medal with Rowing Head Coach, | Matt Weise. COURTESY OF MATT MITCHELL As the old saying goes, it’s all part of the job. For Emily Regan, former MSU rower, and Aaron Scheidies, former president of the MSU Triathlon Club, their big summer trip was no vacation. What ensued instead was an arduous adventure to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics and Paralympics, respectively. Regan first embarked on her Rio journey when she enrolled at Michigan State and consequently picked up rowing. As a freshman from Buffalo, New York who played basketball and swam in high school, Regan was looking for a new hobby to fill her free time. “My mom met with some people at the AOP, going into my freshman year. The rowing team always has a booth set up,” said Regan, a four-year varsity rower. “And so my mom was talking to some of the rowing team, and the entire drive home to New York she spent telling me I should row, and I actually didn’t really want to.” Regan’s outlook changed under the influence of her roommate, whose height was ideal for rowing. The pair made a pact to try out together, with Regan searching for nothing more than a social pathfinder with some exercise involved. During her sophomore year, Regan began to enjoy it. Under the instruction of head coach Matt Weise, she worked harder and got better. By the end of her senior year, she had three straight Big Ten gold medals and had been named the Big Ten Rowing Conference Athlete of the Year. Regan graduated in 2010, and from that point on, her eyes were set on the Olympics. She worked tirelessly and although her talent didn’t qualify her for the 2012 roster, she knew that 2016 was her year. The appearance at Rio wasn’t the conclusion of her effort however. There were still races to be won. “Our teammates always would tell us like, ‘The Olympics are different. It’s more competitive and every race is going to be tighter,”’ Regan said. “So you know that going in, but you can’t understand it until you start watching the races and you’re there experiencing it.” But following everyday practice beneath the shadow of the Christ the Redeemer statue, Regan and the U.S. team captured the pinnacle prize: gold medals for the team. For Regan, it was the encompassing resolution that wrapped all of her effort into a single achievement. “It’s something you work for for so long, so I know for me right when we crossed the finish line, I started crying. And I would cry, and then I would be smiling, and then I’d start crying again,” Regan said. Those back at Michigan State felt the same caprice of euphoria and sentimentality when the team crossed the line. Weise, who Regan described as the most influential person in her athletic career, was at a watch party in Spartan Stadium when the race result roared back to East Lansing. CONTENT: ISAAC CONSTANS DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR “That gold medal going around her neck, that determination and toughness—it was just such an emotional and exciting thing for all of us to see her achieve her goals,” Weise said. Although there was no medal for Scheidies, his odyssey was equally onerous, more convoluted and no less amazing. Scheidies was blind, with only 10 percent of the sight capabilities of an average- sighted person. Throughout his life, however, he did not let his blindness deter him from athletic means or cage his competitive spirit. At MSU, Scheidies helped to found the MSU Triathlon Club and served as its president. He graduated from MSU, went on to finish an Ironman and won in a bevy of races. His distinguished career resulted in an enshrinement into the Athletes with Disabilities Hall of Fame. “For me, more so than maybe many others, my road to Rio was definitely an up-and-down rollercoaster ride,” Scheidies said. After finding out that his best event, the triathlon, had been excluded from the Paralympics, Scheidies had to find another event in order to fulfill his dream. Swimming wasn’t his best sport and a broken foot ruled running out. Scheidies had to enlist in the most competitive and highest-standard sport left in his division: cycling. Not only was the sport different than the derivative used in triathlons, but Scheidies endured a series of mechanical failures during the trials. Despite all of the roadblocks, he would have had to average a speed of nearly 30 mph on the course, an almost impossible mark. He didn’t, and Scheidies went home to Seattle to find a full-time job. Then, three weeks before the Paralympics, news broke of the Russians’ disqualification, opening up spots for other athletes. Scheidies felt his phone buzz. The Paralympic team wanted him on a conference call; he had made it. “Definitely a shocker, not expected, but definitely a good thing,” Scheidies said. “Then you had the fact that I wanted to compete for a medal.” Just making the Paralympics was a special result But again, there was the lingering agitation with what could have been. “I look at from two sides, and maybe I shouldn’t,” Scheidies said. “You have the way of looking at it through your own eyes, who your competition is, what your journey is like and all that stuff But from the other perspective, I don’t think society in general understands the Paralympic games and the level of competition.” Coming from the banks of the Red Cedar to the landscape of Rio de Janeiro, Scheidies knew the odyssey that he endured. It was one that checked off lifelong bucket list items. For both his and Regan’s journeys, they found a special denominator for the success of their athletic careers in Michigan State. CONTENT: ISAAC CONSTANS PHOTO: CRAIG HEDGES DESIGN: KENT KUBANI HONORS COLLEGE 2017 marks a milestone anniversary for the Honors College It wasn’t an ordinary birthday bash. As the Honors College turned 60 years old, this academic year was both a time for reflection as well as a promise for members of MSU’s studious academic body. Founded in 1956 and promulgated in 1957, the Honors College has undergone vast changes throughout its existence within the MSU community. Although it began as an endeavor to challenge “the very able student,” according to the official website, the Honors College has grown to encompass an array of research and resources for its members on campus. “Talent has been and always will be our essential ingredient,” said Dean Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore in her anniversary address. “We recruit it, foster it, invest in it, recognize it and turn it to the common good.” The Honors College rehashed its previous successes and mission on Oct. 14, the day of MSU’s homecoming. At the ceremony, volunteers doled out free T-shirts and members posed for photos. The back screen of anniversary celebrations shadowed the event. Throughout the year-long commemoration,® MSU toured across the U.S. to regather alumni of the Honors College. Chicago, Detroit, Seattle and Washington, D.C. were some of the cities visited. While reminiscing on the old, however, the Honors College also offered its members a forum to express their desires for what was upcoming. “I think that the 60th anniversary is a perfect time for us to kind of look forward also to what the future of Honors College education looks like,” said Kristen McGrath, Honors College alumni relations coordinator. “It’s a great time to celebrate, but it’s also a good time to look forward.”H There was a lot to laud. Members Margaret Born, Rebecca Carlson, Eamon Devlin, Alana O’Mara and Clara Leopard were nominated by MSU for the Rhodes, Marshall and Mitchell graduate school scholarships. Meanwhile, the thousands of other members rejoiced in the academic opportunity provided by the Honors College. Members received special counseling and classes, tightknit connections with professors, smaller classes and priority selection in choosing an interdisciplinary curriculum. “TALENT HAS BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE OUR ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT.” “The biggest benefit to me is the flexibility in scheduling, since we get to pick early and waive all- prerequisites,” said junior Shane Doane, business major. “It allowed me to get started on my business classes early.” Although the past held plenty to take pride in, the Honors College wouldn’t grow complacent. The next 60 years were undefined. It is an impressionable and supple clay to be shaped by the Honors College students—shaped to best aid each student and help each achieve his or her maximum potential at MSU. In 1968, the Honors College moved Its offices from the Main Library to Eustace-Cole Hall. This year marks the 60th anniversary of its existence. V. p Sii mm i m TILL YOU DROP Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museur% hosts community event aiming to break creative barriers.. ¡¿pi» aligned in neat rows, layered so each of the stationed students had visual access to the space where the model would soon pose. Outside the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, students arranged their supplies. Picking out pencils and charcoal utensils, they waited for their subject to appear. Sunflower- yellow faux feathers blew across the ground, mixing with the fallen leaves. The model emerged from the museum doors. Arrfidst the silence of an early Wednesday morning, Big Bird appeared Wearing a Darth Vader costume. The model walked up to podium in front of the studepiarfHltfSmick a pose. That scen^, mat#6tfmeopening of the art musjpm?^waw^g Marathon” “Why this event?” asked Brian McLean, the manager of museum programs. “To get people out creating art together, drawing, having fun—to have a big day-long event and take advantage of the outdoors while we can.” I Held'on Sept. J28, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., the “Drawing Marathon” gave Spartans and nearby K-ll students the charice to explore aspects of art thef may net have normally had access to. In total, there were eight stations positioned around theexteripr oft he tniildlng. Art-related games, siflhwalk chalky costunied models, live musicians, a large canvas for a mural and a 3-D drawing station were all present at the event. Each station’s artwork took on a life of its own with each new contribution. As more was added to the collaborative mural, it slowly took on its own look. Multi-colored faces patterned the long canvas, showcasing every artist’s style in the curve of each neck and mouth. Different mediums were also prepared so ¡participants werenT^estrictlH by paint, arkero^petiff^ople of all ages and interests ■rfTncouraged to create art with any method ey were comfortable with or displayed a iriosity toward. With artistic accessibility d freedom as the basis for the event, these ments remained throughout. “It’s not just for anyone that’s in art-related ors to be doing this,” said freshman Ally m in, an apparel and textile design major. “I Fo thlilk it’s good for everyone to be able to know art m who going on with the art industry and overall is t fun to be here.”. ] t’s influence stemmed beyond just studio ors and'it showed in the variety of those 8*e in attendance. Jessica Carleton, a iosystems engineering major, was one of ents parked at an easel, sketching Darth bird mall its cavalier glory. 1 mm ■M ■I ¡■¡■I “Art’s always been my hobby,” said Carleton. “We never really have an opportunity to draw something like thi&J^tlfff£lv still lifes, and certain^etrtfnng as fluffy as this, but it’s very •^f^resting-definitely good practice. I guarantee I never would’ve, in my free time, decided I would draw Big Bird wearing a Darth Vader helmet.” "I GUARANTEE I NEVER WOULD'VE, IN MY FREE TIME, DECIDED I WOULD DRAW BIG BIRD-WEARING A DARTH VADER HELMET." The Broad Art Museum consistently exhibits effort in being part of the MSU campus and community. This effort was evident with the “Drawing Marathon,” an event geared to encourage the creation of art and the development of an interest among students. Concurrently, it used art to bridge the gap between MSU students and East Lansing residents, serving as a reminder that they were all part of the Spartan community. ■ East Lansing-resident AbeyaQ^d€rdraws a flower on the entrance sidev^Jj^fme Eli and Edythe Broad Art Mus^^^^*Under was one. of the many participa^^fftb Broad’s “Drawing Marathon:"' 37 n ¡ § 8 CONTENT: ARIANA TAYLOR PHOTO: ELIF TURK DESIGN: KENT KUBANI GROWTH IN CONNECTION RISE student community commits to environmental sustainability For freshmen entering their first semesters, the overwhelming number of extracurricular opportunities available can be at the top of the mind. For education major Bethany Kogut, her first year brought about the same wonderment. With many niches and different areas she could engage with and learn from, Kogut finally found solace in going green. Four years later as a senior, Kogut could not imagine her life without doing volunteer work for the environment. She owed her revelation to the RISE program. RISE, or Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment, is a living-learning program based in Brody neighborhood. The community of students involved all lived in Bailey Hall, bringing a variety of backgrounds together to learn, innovate and enact positive social change regarding environmental sustainability. “I have a deep love for our environment and nature and I want to preserve it for future generations,” said Kogut. “This program has taught me that in order to make positive change in a controversial area, you must be strong, whether it is through voice or action.” “THIS PROGRAM HAS TAUGHT ME THAT IN ORDER TO MAKE POSITIVE CHANGE IN A CONTROVERSIAL AREA, YOU MUST BE STRONG, WHETHER IT IS THROUGH VOICE OR ACTION.” Kogut was a residential assistant in Bailey Hall, where the program centered. The students who resided in the hall boasted a variety of majors, while all sharing the same objective of conserving the environment. Program initiatives included caring for two healthy beehives to help fight colony collapse and setting up in-room composting methods to help limit the waste in residence halls. Other than focusing on environmental sustainability, RISE also provided academic support and leadership. “I really enjoy the support system and the community that I have been able to become a part of,” said junior Degen Gembarowski, a horticulture major “The people I am surrounded by every day are passionate, caring and authentic with the work they are doing...® The added assistance of academic support was matched with opportunities to interact with the university. Apart from maintaining connections with seven different colleges, RISE also participated in a self-sustaining greenhouse, known as the first organic no-spray zone. The Bailey GREENhouse and Urban Farm allowed participants hands-on experience. Students produced, packaged and sold organically grown foods that were served in the campus dining halls. Such work gave students a sense of, responsibility and guidance on a large campus. “RISE helped me feel like I belonged at MSU and made the university not feel as daunting. It helped me realize that I had the support to achieve anything I wanted to and to take on a large university,” said sophomore Anna Jean Appeldoorn, an urban and regional planning major. With RISE being a residential community, a smaller version of college life was attainable. Students lived together, went to class and volunteered with each other. Resources such as tutoring and mentoring were available as well. The students in RISE weren’t just taking classes—they were going out in the community, engaging and volunteering. While embracing and welcoming the diversity of campus, RISE celebrated the shared responsibility of environmental sustainability. The Bailey GREENhouse and Urban Farm is a solar greenhouse located in Brody neighborhood. The GREENhouse hosts certified organic herbs and greens that are used in the cafeterias on campus. A- -iM* . mti. ■■■■■■■■-■ ■■■•■ ;...- - ML.4 ... .1 ■■■■ « liilsl ¡1 g g ^.jSŒKgmM ilMily4l[lliMllWHtl[g Once Jennings and Bullion made it to the front of the line, the two grabbed their free coffees and then posed in the shop window for a photo. Bullion said the hype behind Luke’s Coffee Day was more than just about the free coffee. “I think a lot of it is sort of the small town culture-this mythos that it builds around Stars Hollow,” Bullion said. “It’s why things like this, Luke’s Diner, is something that people are HPÜ excited about. They feel like they can be a part of that Stars Hollow community.” Strange Matter ran out of free coffee an hour before the event was scheduled to end at noon..It sold the remaining branded cups and empic^^^ remained in costumé for the rest of the day. For a show that galvanized its audience through the resurgence witnessed on that Wednesda^^ morning, it was only fitting that the turnout stretched as far as it did. Strange Matter Coffee Co. replicated Luke’s Coffee. Shop logo on its coffee cups to celebrate the 16-year anniversary of Gilmore Girls being aired. Strange Matter handed out 250 free cups of coffee between 7 a.m. and noon. , I Mrnmmifrmtrê froptnXíMfmgi CONTENT: ARIANA TAYLOR PHOTO: CRAIG HEDGES DESIGN: KENT KUBANI HECTIC FOR HOUSING Students scramble to find housing off campus On a cold night in October, Dan Grenzicki sat in a tent, shivering and hungry. On the lawn of Community Resource Management Co. (CRMC), he was surrounded by a crowd of students. They were all there for the same reason and all wanted one thing: the opportunity to lease their ideal homes. The night existed as part of a competition for students to lease the houses they wanted for the upcoming year. The campout ensured that people at the leasing company early enough would get the best housing options available. “It may seem silly to do all that but it’s actually a serious thing because you’re going to be living in this place for a year or more,’’ said Grenzicki, a recent graduate. The fall season is commonly known for colder weather, apple orchards and football* season. Along with all of the leisurely, enjoyable aspects came the hectic time for leasing apartments and houses. Around late September and early October, students busied themselves researching apartments, finding roommates and meeting with landlords. The process of leasing a house or apartment is fast-paced and was manic for many. “We’re extremely busy around this time. The phones are constantly ringing, people are steady coming in to sign leases,” said Matt Hagan, an agent at Hagan Realty Inc. Hagan said his realty company signed 200 or so leases in just a matter of weeks. Because of the amount of people that try to lease at the same time, Hagan Realty Inc. used a system to make choosing a house as efficient as it could. Early in the morning, a drawing was held and groups of roommates each received a ticket or notecard. For each house, a ticket was drawn and whoever had that ticket got the house. The 2016 drawing took place on Oct. 2, and while the atmosphere was frenzied, there were no causalities. “It’s crazy... It can get hectic if you’re not prepared,” said Grenzicki. “Check out places early, find out when they start signing for next year.” According to Grenzicki, the most important thing was to take care of everything early on. In other words, one shouldn’t go into the leasing season blind or unprepared. Leasing an apartment requires knowing everything about both the complex and the realty company. Additionally, one should walk around the apartment or house before signing anything. Finally, students found the best results when they were well-acquainted with their roommates before moving in. This eases the process of setting rules and boundaries. “Even though 0 had problems at first trying to find another roommate, I love my apartment and B like who I live with,” said sophomore Brianna Washington, a criminal justice major* Houses and apartments come and go and are rented quickly. Most students looked forward to their first apartments or houses, making the competitive process all the more significant. Living independently was just another step closer to adulthood for students who made the move off campus—away from rules and resident assistants. Competing for a lease for the “perfect” apartment or house takes persistence, but after the roommates were wrangled, the houses were chosen and the deposits were paid, the new tenants got the glory. Though the process of leasing seems extreme compared to the simple task of just signing a contract, it’s become an MSU tradition. Students discuss who is going to guard their spot in line to sign a lease for next year. Over 30 tents lined the CRMC yard the week 2017-2018 leases were signed. n H p s i ■ i ■ S2BI B wE! 1 iiiüiaiii««' bläßtei. "tä • w lw M v £11 ll „ IliSÄÄii Hü® ms BässÄi ®«ii' ■■ » | I ONE BEATST - * ÄSI» 1 ; ; - ^ i^iii*,,;:.; IEt.?. wi^S-::S iÄMi SllS 5S: •■i.U Jv.i''-' •':'";. Sät 1 -‘.fe: .SU The MSUnicyclers aimed to increase membershi through exposure and ambitious ideas mBBBWI s (|Sii 1 i ■•£•••*•'••.. ■Hjpggl Ii * 11__ H_____Wmsm MSU’s Unicyclists began appearing on MSU’s campus in the spring of 2016. Since then, sightings have been frequent. Few knew where they had come from or why they chose to use these one-wheeled machines. For those who ventured to speak with them, they reported that these maestros of single-wheel travel offered to pass on their skills to anyone interested. They had taken up residence ip IM West, and anyone who wished to try the eccentric hobby could join for lessons, tips and or events. The MSUnicyclers debuted on campus with a dedication to unicycle awareness. Small in number, the group hoped to grow in the coming years into a substantial community of alternative travelers. It wasn’t going to be easy, however. Unicycling comes with a crippling stigma: people think it is simply too hard. “When I’m riding around campus, people are ilfil always like, ‘Oh a unicycle—that’s so cool!’ and I’m like, ‘Hey come to the unicycle club and I’ll teach you,’ and they’re like, ‘Oh no. I’d fall on my head,’” explained junior Evan Fischer, co-founder of the club. “It’s muscle memory. You don’t have to be coordinated. With an hour to an hour-and- a-half, you can start getting the basics and it’s all practice from there “ -1 ' r f:? *■ * .V ~ "I WAS BASICALLY BRAND- NEW, INEXPERIENCED AND I WAS ABLE TO AT LEAST r GET UP ON IT AFTER JUST THE FiRST TIME. IT’S ONE OF THOSE-THINGS WHERE IT LOOKS HARDER 1 HAN IT ISO SfiKlili Fischer and junior Miranda Lieblein co-founded the club out of their common interest in the unusual art. Both had previously learned to unicycle and wanted to spread the practice on MSU’s campus. They hoped to bolster recruitment by fighting the idea that unicycling is an unaccomplishable challenge. To do this, they planned on advertising the message around campus with ads and flyers, but more importantly, through interactive events “Exposure,” said Lieblein when asked combat the stigma. “The more people see i more likely they are to try it. If we get the people we have now out and about unicycling, the mor available it’s going to seem. §■The long-term goals of the club, once enough people were trained, included hosting exciting events on campus. Ideas ranged from uriieycje football to unicycle pool noodle jousting, where unicyclers would face off from eithei end of a long track, their foam lances ready to unseat their opponents. The club planned on inviting students to watch these events around campus and hoped that seeing unicycles used unconventionally would bolster recruitment. “Just the fact that it’s different,” said Lieblein. “Every time I learn something even remotely new, like even a new way to get up on a unicycle, it’s like mind-blowing to me.” The club had the potential to unite people looking for more diversity in the everyday. “It’s one of those things where you don’t really know unless you give it a shot,” said sophomore Cameron Andrews, a new recruit. “I was basically brand new, inexperienced and I was able to at least get up on it after just the first time. It’s one of those things where it looks harder than it is.” Spartans were proving that the phenomena J of unicycling was not as strange as popular opinion would suggest. Like any othei skill, it could be learned with practice. The MSUnicyclers had the skills and creativity MSUnicyclers had the skills and creativity i to inspire a wave of people who searched for difference and new experiences to begin their unicycling journeys. There was much to be done, but with their ambitious goals, the MSUnicyclers were poised for a Successful future H SB .jg, ' - ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ I Miranda LiebIein. Vice President of MSUnicyclers, shows off her single-wheeled skill. MSUnicyclers ? gained more interest among students on campus and.wer&eagej to’roll out promotional* events. .... - ... i FALLING LEAVES BREAKING BARRIERS Fall welcomes a heightened sense of community It was the time for cardigans and cider, hayrides and horsebacks, and festivals and falling leaves. It was finally fall in East Lansing, and local residents and students celebrated by converging on the Valley Court Park on Oct. 9. Descending onto the city of East Lansing’s seventh annual Fall Festival, tents of area merchants glistened under the sun. Parents portered ripe pumpkins to cars, signaling the visible delight of children. A horse-drawn carriage arrived in the distance to gallop eager kids, couples and attendees around the block. “People always get excited for fall, I think, and like cider and donuts and that kind of stuff,” said senior Grace Carmichael, an interdisciplinary studies and psychology major. As toddlers frolicked in the open green field under the watchful eye of parents, students explored the surrounding hilly residences. Greeted by a hodgepodge of red, yellow and green rustling in the wind, the boundaries between campus and community disappeared. “Campus is so pretty, but also like these neighborhoods in East Lansing are so pretty when the trees change. I think that gets everyone pumped,” said senior Kelly Ronquist, an advertising major. Live folk music riffed through the venue, bouncing from tent to tent and instilling an even greater sense of fall. The band members of Pete Wittig enjoyed the buoyant atmosphere as much as the fall enthusiasts, making for a seasonal symbiosis from both sides. “This is one of our favorite gigs,” said Steve Morrocco, member of Pete Wittig. “It’s just fun. We play in all kinds of weather, and it turned out to be nice today.” The festival served a greater purpose than just eliciting energy for the season ahead, however. By stewing together a melting pot of all types of locals, the event was a sample of a larger mission to incorporate Michigan State students into the broader East Lansing community. “Sometimes, students don’t realize that East Lansing is their home,” Ronquist said. “They just think of it as a place where they go to school.” The invisible rift between campus and the town narrowed at the event. While students enjoyed the soulful and familial tightness of the market, the residents enjoyed intermingling with their campus neighbors. “That’s actually my favorite part of this event-that it’s residents, students, nonresidents all interacting in one community,” said Heather Surface, East Lansing stewardship and community events specialist. “The special events are brought to you by the community, so it’s all just a lovely combination.” While MSU has established cultural centers to prevent international students from feeling estranged or ostracized, breaking into the local community is an entirely different challenge. Between language and cultural barriers, assimilation and incorporation become challenging tasks. Frank Wang, a sophomore international student, underwent a dramatic cultural adjustment when he came to America. Since moving to Michigan, he sought to embed himself into Michigan culture, joining clubs and most recently traveling to Kalamazoo for a farmer’s market. “I think that’s really fascinating because it’s full of Michigan,” said Wang. “As international students, we hope we can get more chances to interact with the local community. I think that would be great.”' More than anything, the Fall Festival was accessible for all. Every event was free, and donut holes costed nothing more than a short and sociable wait in line. Fall certainly flexed its beauty and euphoria at Valley Court Park, but that was just the start. Between the MSU homecoming parade, pumpkin-carving sessions and football fever, the fall season brought mid-Michigan together in spirit and presence for the year to come. Fall Fest featured a full assortment of seasonal Michigan produce and products, live performances, free cider and donuts. The East Lansing Farmer’s Market is a growers-only market located just steps away from MSU’s campus. CONTENT: NATASHA BLAKELY PHOTO: KASSIDY RHODES DESIGN: AMBER MASSEY MAKING WAVES MSU Crew Club achieves multiple top five places at “Head of the Grand Regatta” Rowing is a visceral sport. Undeniably, there’s a physical aspect to it. Rowers need to build muscles and stamina to maintain a steady push and pull inside the boat. Another vital aspect to the sport of rowing, however, is what happens within the rower’s mind. Discipline, focus and determination all play key parts in snatching a win. “A lot of times that’s the big battle,” said varsity rower Alex Stow. “Between you and your mind, you rowing and your mind wanting you to stop but you can’t stop because you still got a thousand metres to go—it gets difficult sometimes but that’s another thing that marks a good rower from a great rower: whether or not you can shut out the voice in your head that tells you to stop.” This mental battle was part of why the “Head of the Grand Regatta” was so important to the Crew Club. As the first race of the year, it served as a marker and starting point for the team. With rowing being a year-round sport, the Head of the Grand Regatta could set the tone for the rest of the year, especially for the novices. Each year, the new recruits spent all of September learning to row and the Head of the Grand Regatta was the first time they participated in a real race. “(The Head of the Grand Regatta) is our first chance to give them a feeling of how to race,” said Michael O’Keefe, Crew Club Novice Coach. The race is also new for some of the more experienced rowers in another way. Many of the varsity rowers were novices the previous year, so it’s a different level of competition,” said O’Keefe. Unlike the women’s rowing team, Crew Club is a fully student-funded and student- run organization. The club collects dues from members as well as donations, which cover its coaching staff, travel expenses and equipment. According to those involved, the club was worth the cost each member and donor contributed. The varsity team was double the size from the previous year. The year prior was also the first time the club decided to try racing eight-person boats, making the year’s Head of the Grand Regatta new termory for the team in many ways. Even still, that did not stop the rowers from scoring high. Oct. 9, was the day of the race. Each of the Crew Club’s entered teams placed at fourth and above in their races, with Novice 8s, Novice 4s and Varsity 4s taking second place. Some of the rowers only had a month’s experience in rowing before racing. Zach Klucevek, a junior accounting major, had no prior rowing experience beyond watching it in the Olympics. Yet, when his roommate pushed him to join the club, he took to it in a snap, seeing rowing as an escapegjn the face of his other burdens. “It’s a nice stress reliever for me,” said Klucevek. “My junior year’s been pretty busy, trying to get an internship and exams are catching up. It’s a nice way to get some stress off, and I can finish the rest of my day calm and relaxed.” Crew Club may not have been the sport that puts MSU on television, but its contributions are just as noteworthy. The fierce pride that surfaced after each win was done in the name of Spartans. It belonged to each of the students that were proud to be. Junior and Crew Club captain Michael Roosa leads his teammates from the boathouse to the dock before the Head of the Grand Regatta race. 51 CONTENT: ISAAC CONSTANS PHOTO: ELIF TURK DESIGN: KENT KUBANI FREEDOM IN FAITH Students establish worldly and spiritual outlooks through collegiate experiences Refracting through the tinted, multicolored stained glass of the MSU Alumni Chapel, sunlight beams stuck the aligned pews. Bibles rested in the back pocket of each seat and an elevated altar overlooked the sacred scene. But make no mistake—this is a chapel, not a church. MSU does not identify as a Christian college, which have churches. In fact, public colleges are prohibited by law from proclaiming an official religion. Naturally, however, as a period of independence and free thought, college is a time where many students shape religious and moral outlooks that they carry for the rest of their lives. “I feel like I’m still figuring things out, and I think it’s safe to say, we all are,” said sophomore Andrea LaPonsie, a nursing major. “You’re supposed to love other people as Jesus loved you. And I think that’s kind of been the driving force behind a lot of decisions that I make about things that I do or even things like my major.” LaPonsie is a member of Sigma Alpha Omega, a Christian sorority. Throughout campus, a number of religious organizations exist and have introduced students to similar people in a shared experience while broadening their faith. The mission of all religious groups on campus was unity through belief. “Ultimately, what I think it comes down to is at the end of the day, I know where I put my faith and my trust,!LaPonsie said. “You don’t really have to go out and drink. It’s not a huge deal. There’s always definitely a temptation, but I think that’s what having a support system helps out with and just being encouraged by other like-minded people.” While LaPonsie aired on the side of religion, many others found that their new liberty and experiences guided them more to a less religious mindset. Senior Kathryn Schwartz was a strict adherent to the doctrines of Christianity, but college exposed her to a new way of thinking. As a biology and secondary education major, Schwartz learned certain scientific ideas that challenged her preexisting conceptions. Her new outlook made her question her religion, a lifelong source of comfort. “You need the balance between both,” Schwartz said. “In order for me to be a good scientist, I need to have religion because it always centers me. It helps me reason, and I can’t practice the religion withoulhaving my scientific way of reasoning through what I think is true— not listening to what other people tell me is true.” Rev. Linda Farmer-Lewis worshiped weekly in the Lansing Central United Methodist Church as a child. Then, she preached there, but to an audience of hundreds fewer. While her congregation actively seeked to embrace beliefs that are savory to a younger generation, seats remained vacant. “I FEEL LIKE I'M STILL FIGURING THINGS OUT, AND I THINK IT’S SAFE TO SAY, WE ALL ARE.” “These are young people who aren’t necessarily churched,” Farmer-Lewis said. “Our old population is old and is gone. Now, how are we going to appeal to a younger demographic of people who are not necessarily groundedin a long line of church relatedness? That’s a real challenge.” In college, students discover and renounce religions of all kinds. But with abundant options, many enjoy their independent explorations of spirituality for the first time, even if that means they’re foregoing the subject entirely. Light beams through the stained glass windows of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, one of the many places of worship in East Lansing. 54 CONTENT: NATASHA BLAKELY PHOTO: RILEY JAMES DESIGN: AMBER MASSEY CAMPUS PASTICHE A look at the diverse architecture on campus and in the community If a classmate complained about the vast size of a college campus and the long walks to class that came with it, many students could agree emphatically. Spread throughout MSU’s vast campus layout, however, is an array of buildings featuring a variety of architectural styles, ranging from the school’s inception to now. It’s a medley of history, culture and colorful aesthetic. According to Paul Nieratko, senior specialist with the School of Planning, Design and Construction, aesthetic is appreciation. There are those that appreciate every style of building on campus, from Romanesque revival to campus Gothic, all the way up to Zaha Hadid’s Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum. “There’s this idea that buildings are ugly,” said Nieratko. “Personally, I think (the Broad)’s brilliant because it was never intended to be anything other than a jewel on campus.” “Ugly” has harsh connotations, but it is a word that has been applied to buildings around campus and East Lansing. Structures such as the Broad Museum, the Hannah Administration Building and some of the unused abandoned buildings on Grand River Avenue have been mentioned. By Nieratko’s definition, a campus’ aesthetic shines through its history. Though there are a few things about campus that need work, Nieratko sees it as an opportunity to develop. At the moment, for example, the Grand River parking deck is a single-purpose building. On a similar vein of dissatisfaction, the Union welcomes visitors on Grand River with a show of its dumpsters and loading dock. On the other hand, junior Abigail Reimel, landscape architecture major, found appreciation elsewhere. The north side of campus drew her eyes more than any other part. “I love the north campus style,” she said. ’’You have that central green area, the Beaumont tower’s a focal point—it kind of creates a community style. l| encourages interactions that might not necessarily happen elsewhere.” This sense of community doesn’t necessarily transfer to everyone in the neighborhoods near campus, however. Alex Swindle, senior political science major, had a focus on urban studies and exposure to campus encouraged his interest in urban planning. He noticed there were usable buildings near to campus that weren’t being developed for the city’s residents. “There’s a struggle between the long-term residents of East Lansing and the students,” said Swindle. “Sometimes these developments might be in our best interests but not in the best interests of the long-term residents.” The pattern of widening the school’s grounds for development is a sign of this struggle. Swindle wanted that to change. “I would like to see more of an emphasis on walkability,” said Swindle. “Anything to make campus more dense and easier for walking and biking, and development on a human scale and not a car scale. A lot of this is designed for people to drive back and forth and I don’t thinlit makes for a pleasing look or vibe for a college town.” The school is over 160 years old, so the surprise is lessln the fact that the older architectural styles lingered amongst the other buildings, and more that they integrated well with the touches of modernity that had creeped in over the decades. Thaiconnection to the past tied with modern changes was something that drew Reimel in. As years pass, campus will continue to evolve to reflect the popular styles of the time period, as well as the preference of its board and students. Regardless of the path it takes, or the paths that are built, the development of campus will always tell the story of Spartans past, present and future. Graffiti can be found on MSU and surrounding East Lansing infrastructures whether or not its deemed visually appealing by students and residents. WgBBBBÊBÊÈÊBË CONTENT: ARIANA TAYLOR PHOTO: ELIF TURK DESIGN: AMBER MASSEY SCULPTED MEMORIES Senior Class Council gifts the Union with a new bronze Sparty statue On a gloomy, rainy day, the first floor of the Union was bright and buzzing. Students, staff, alumni and reporters all stood in anticipation as cameras were set up, ready to record a big unveiling. All eyes were fixed on a hidden figure beneath a green cloth. The cloth, draped over the ambiguous shape, created a heightened sense of mystery as to what sat underneath. On the count of three, Sparty pulled the cloth away and the figure was unveiled. On Wednesday Oct. 12, the Union revealed its newest addition: a bronze sculpture of Sparty. The mascot sat on a bench with his arms resting behind him, his legs resting one on top of the other. Cameras flashed as people clapped and cheered. Sparty’s purpose was to invigorate campus and enliven the Union. “I think this is going to be one more iconic stop on a Spartan’s mission while creating those memories. I just think he’s going to be a great addition to our community,” said Union Director Tami Kuhn. For years, the Union has been a focal point of MSU and the living room of campus. The building is also home to the original Sparty mascot. As a hub for student life, the Union has been a mainstay for both academic and leisure activities. Even so, Union staff members thought the 91-year-old building could be revitalized with a sculpture that embodies the spirit of Spartans. The project was in the works for almost a year, but the idea for a new Spartan monument had been floating around since 2010. It wasn’t until the MSU Senior Class Council picked the statue as its senior class gift that the project found momentum. The council, which hosts an annual fundraiser for special campus projects, enlisted a team to search for someone to mold Sparty’s essence in bronze. Then, they found sculptor Alison Brown. “I feel like I lived (the Spartan spirit) while I was here. | immersed myself in it while I was working on the piece,” said Brown. “It was mostly the blue collar, hardworking strength of the alumni and student body that I found.” Brown, a licensed university sculptor from Oregon, flew to MSU to observe the campus and to form an impression of what it meant to be a Spartan. Starting in the fall of 2015, she interviewed students and alumni about their experiences in East Lansing. She connected with Sparty and even went as far as to measure the circumference of his biceps for the sculpture. Within a year, she created a monument that would be a part of MSU’s history. The creation of the sculpture was made possible by monetary donations ranging from five dollars to a 50,000 dollar donation from MSU Federal Credit Union. “Sparty represents Spartan will...he’s someone anyone can walk up to and when they need it, can get a hug,isaid President Lou Anna K. Simon. Sparty’s bronzed twin sits in the Union watching students grow, live and learn. The toughness and resilience of Spartans are shown through his muscles and armor. The passionate, kindred spirit of Spartans is shown by his inviting arms and the grin on his face. As the years go by, the newest member of the green and white family will remain, connecting all those who call MSU home. Ripley Olson takes a' break from his station at Global Festival, an event held at the MSU Union, to admire the new bronze Sparty statue which was gifted by the Senior Class Council. CONTENT: LOGAN RYAN PHOTO: KASSIDY RHODES DESIGN: KENT KUBANI ONE PHOTO, ONE LIFE Photographer Gideon Mendel uses the Red Cedar River as his canvas Water pours in. A man franticalli searches for anything to save, shoving family photos, clothes, everything he can reach, as high up as possible. The water is up to his shorts now and he can hear the desperate shouting of his wife outside as she pleads with him to just get out. He treads through the filthy water, and as he reaches the door he can’t help but take one last look. This is his home. Water pours in. Floods are the most common natural disaster in the world. Since 2007, photographer Gideon Mendel has dedicated himself to documenting the effects of floods. He has given a look into the lives of its victims. Through photography, he made an effort to lend human perspective to the effects of rising temperatures and climate change. He hoped to inspire people to be conscious of the effect they could have on the environment.® “I knew that floods were a problem,” said Toba Kaplowitz, East Lansing resident. “I didn’t know about their connection to climate change, and I certainly didn’t viscerally experience them like you get watching them and seeing the pictures here.” Mendel brought his exhibition?;“Drowning World: The Red Cedar River Project,” to campus October through November 2016. The exhibit consisted of a display in the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum and a series of photos placed along the surface of the Red Cedar River. The photos were meant to engage students to contemplate climate change. That personal interaction is what Gideon hoped would spark a conservatory change in students’ daily routines. “Gideon’s work really showcased the raw emotion of the terrors of these natural events,” said Libby Lee, sophomore human biology major. “He brought each photograph to life for me. This exhibit is effective because it humanizes each person in the photo. You don’t know anything about these people but just by looking into their eyes, you’re drawn in.” Mendel used a digital version of a vintage camera. The user holds the camera around waist high, and looks down at a viewing screen in the top of the camera to focus the picture.ffi'he result is a striking photograph, with the victims looking the observer straight in the eyes. “...it makes you think more about, What can I do to lessen my footprint or impact on global warming and overall climate change?’* said Kristin Mccool, coordinator for docent programming and university outreach with the Broad. “I think it does reinforce in a very real way things that we already knew. The personal stories that he presents humanizes these situations so that we experience this natural disaster in a way that you might not get if you’re reading about it in a newspaper.” The exhibit was a part of the MS® Cultural Engagement Council’s initiative titled “Water Moves MSU.” The yearlong initiative encourages artistic and cultural expression with water, focusing on conservation, sustainability and research. Students at MSU were encouraged to speak out for water sustainability and to make an effort to reduce their impact on the climate. “Having that connection between the Broad and all these other organizations consciously working toward topics that relate to water is very important,” said Mccool “Whether it’s natural disasters or it’s about conservation or sustainability, we’re a part of that conversation as a museum and an organization and that’s extremely important.” Powerful exhibits such as Mendel’s served as effective messengers aimed toward spreading awareness to students on campus. Floods destroy liyes, but with simple conservatory actions, students could do their parts to lessen their■-*' impact on climate change. Each portrait in Mendel’s series along the Red Cedar River isolates individuals, couples, or small groups that would otherwise be reduced to statistics. on the soccer field Like a roller coaster continuously going up and down a track, the MSU women’s soccer team saw its season emulate the same trends. Bouncing between devastating losses and back-to-back wins, the seniors on the squad rode the ride to the very end. “It was nice to give the seniors an opportunity to play in their list appearance as a Spartan. I give so much credit to them and I believe their character and resilience showed throughout this entire year with all of our ups and downs,” said head coach Tom Saxton. Ending the season with two consecutive wins was a bittersweet conclusion for the nine gradualng seniors on the team. The season was gritty and hard-fought. Through it all, the seniors, along with the rest of the team, showed their Spartan spirit by dedicating their time and commitment to the program. The Spartans wrapped up their season with a 8-10-2 overall record, including a 4-7-0 record in the Big Ten Conference. Senior forward Michelle Dear left behind more than just the sport. Dear was intimately involved with the program. While she held the role as playmaker for the team in the games she played, scoring the lone goal of the game against Illinois, she also acted as the vocalist for the team. Not only did she sing the national anthem in the 2015 NCAA basketball tournament, but also in her last home game at DeMartin Stadium. “It’s been the best four years of my life, honestly. I’m going to miss being able to walk into the locker room and see my teammates every day, but I’m looking forward to a new set of challenges and the next chapter in my life,” said Dear. Working her way up the ladder during her soccer career, senior defender Marisa Oleksiak reflected on the journey her athletic experience had taken her on. After starting off her career by playing in just a few games during her first season, Oleksiak started every game during the senior season. As the captain, she led her team in minutes played and in penalty kicks. She was also second on the team, with 10 points, including four goals. Points aside, the game was still about playing her best, alongside her friends. “Captain to me is just being there for my teammates—it’s nothing more than that. So I mean it’s been great, I’ve enjoyed it and I’m honored to be it, but at the end of the day it’s just me being there for them,” said Oleksiak. There were several other seniors who made an impact and a whole team of ladies who fought together as Spartans. Though the season was not among the best in terms of their records, it was the best to the players and coaches because of the character and integrity shown on the field. “The seniors made footprints in our program, and as we always talk about, they left a legacy. They never gave up and they showed how Spartans fight,” said Saxton. Senior forward Madeline Lucci dribbles the ball down the field at the DeMartin Stadium in the Spartans’ game against Penn State. Lucci played in ten games during the 2016 season and was in the starting lineup for three of those games. SEASON RECORD: T: 2 W: 8 L: 10 GETTING IN THE GROOVE Field hockey team battles against inconsistency The MSU field hockey team scored first and early in the match. After that, it was a matter of keeping the lead. Jerseys of dark green and tomato red were scattered across the light green turf of the Ralph Young Field as MSU and the Indiana Hoosiers chased the lone white ball from edge to edge. The first half ended with MSU owning the only goal. The match against the Hoosiers on Sunday, Oct. 16, served as a metaphor for the way the season was progressing for the field hockey team. It had a good start early on, but it was followed by: a progressively harder time. “I think at the beginning of the season we were really aggressive and really attacking— scored a lot of goals,” said senior Kristin Matula, team co-captain. “I think as the competition’s gotten harder, it’s been a little bit more difficult games, tougher opponents, better matchups.” That had been the case for the field hockey season up to that point. The team had garnered a few early wins, but then hit a rut of four losses in a row. It beat the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights the Friday before the game against Indiana, but it was hard to see where Sunday’s match was headed. “We’ve been pretty inconsistent in terms of our results and our performance,” said Helen Knull, head coach. “We started the season strong, playing some really good hockey, but we’ve been struggling to get our groove. But, I fully believe we have the potential and personality to get it done.” The team had the motivation to win and the morale to back it up. Among the crowd of supporters at each match were the families and friends of the team. In the case of Megan Fenton, co-captain of the team, her parents drove from Toledo, Ohio, to watch every match. “Our parents’ support in general is unreal. 62 CONTENT: NATASHA BLAKELY PHOTO: CRAIG HEDGES DESIGN: KENT KUBANI but the fierceness with which the field hockey team played made it clear it would work hard to avoid that outcome. “I think just looking forward to the games we have left is creating more success and more wins out of those,” Matula said. In the second half of the match against the lloosicrs, the team kept the ball near its goal and gave Indiana few chances to score. The players ran, blocked and intercepted the other team’s attempts to capitalize. At the end of the match, MSU was victorious. It was a good start, with a rough middle, but ended on a good note. For a match that was representative of the season, the team had much to celebrate. Junior midfielder Kendal Anderson prepares to stop the University of Michigan Wolverines offensive attack. Although the Spartans lost the game 4-1, Anderson scored the team’s only goal. SEASON RECORD: L: 12 W: 8 63 P«wv m^mÊiÈÈÈâÈ -m imi ■ ■ • |PJ¡¡ ‘f^)k Æ |ug|gpj^ ■t&mœ -- -'-"V :^ COLLEGE OF LAW Law student tells of the demanding work in her busy schedule After Melanie Smith woke up, she exercised and prepared food before getting out the door by 8 a.mllt was off to class, work, study and back home to study more. The next day, Smith did it all again. This was the daily life of a graduate student who ate, slept and lived the life of a student in the College of Law. “Law school is learning outside of class, it’s a lot of reading and then going to class to solidify and expand on concepts,” said Smith. “I stay on top of all my readings and I go the extra mile to understand. I would be lost without spending one-on-one time with my professor.” Along with hours dedicated to classes, students also worked in law clinics. According to the College of Law website, the clinics allowed students to work and have ownership in the court. They investigated cases, represented clients and advocated for social change. “Law school allowed me to take things I’m good at, perfect them and make them practical so that I can serve other people,” said Anna Norman, a law student. “That’s the greatest gift: to be able to have self fulfillment and feel like you’re living your purpose^B While she was working on her juris doctor degree, Smith was also a student ambassador for the college. These added responsibilities culminated to a full schedule. This paralleled the life of many others in her situation. “You have to realize that school is not everything and that getting caught up in the rigor of it is the worst thing to do,” said Kimberly Wilkes, College of law admissions coordinator. “You have to learn self care and sometimes just take a night off and go out with friends or family.” The best thing about the College of Law, according to Smith, was the bond that formed within. Usually, it’s thought that a law school would be very competitive. When Smith lost all her notes for the semester right before finals, her peers helped out by lending notes and studying together. “LAW SCHOOL ALLOWED ME TO TAKE THINGS I’M GOOD AT, PERFECT THEM AND MAKE THEM PRACTICAL SO THAT I CAN SERVE OTHER PEOPLE” “Specifically with being a Spartan law student, it’s such a family, m walk in a building where everyone is friendly and helpful. They all care about making sure everyone succeeds,” said Smith. MSU was most known for it’s education and agriculture programs. This didn’t however diminish the work its law students. They take on the course work, work in the clinics and still strive for social lives. Though competition in law school was natural, Spartans looked beyond that and toward helping each other The College of Law building on Shaw Lane is the home of many of the law graduate courses as well as the Law Library which is utilized as a popular study spot for all students. CONTENT: ARIANA TAYLOR PHOTO: CRAIG HEDGES DESIGN: ALEX DONNELLY CONTENT: LOGAN RYAN PHOTO: MOLLY EDDINGTON DESIGN: KENT KU BAN il THE GIFT OF SIGHT “MSU Guide” helps students with a disability navigate campus Campus is vast in size and offerings. Its picturesque Red Cedar River and sprawling gardens offer places to take a stroll. The multiple neighborhoods and academic buildings allow campus to be an adaptable and efficient focal point of education. Its abundance of acres make it possible for campus to feel like a small city. Even so, locations as big as MSU’s campus can feel a bit overwhelming for some. Students with visual impairments, mobility issues, visitors and freshmen can fall under that umbrella. This problem is one that had plagued those with a disability and students unfamiliar with campus. This all changed when Michael Hudson, the director of the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD), had an idea. “I’m personally blind, so one of the things I’d realized after walking around this campus for 24 years was that when you first come here, it’s a very daunting place,” said Hudson. “Before, your option was to walk it with a friend to get oriented that way. Well I thought, ‘Everybody’s carrying a smartphone, why don’t we use that smartphone, pull it out and be able to see where you’re at, maybe even better yet, see what’s over that way?”’:i Hudson mentioned the idea of a navigation app to Adi Matthew, a graduate computer science student, and immediately he put the idea in motion. Matthew developed a prototype and from there the team tweaked and made additions until the app, MSU Guide was created. “Our students want to look and feel the same as everyone else,” said Angela Sebald, RCPD media access specialist. “This is something where, they’re holding out their smartphone, and nobody knows that they’re trying to figure out what building this is. Same with freshmen coming in, they don’t want to look like a freshmen—they want to look like they know what’s going on.” For students with a disabmty, the app meant freedom. They were now able to move about campus independently without worry of losing their bearings. They were able to engage more in campus life and events. “You can try to learn as much as you can from a map or from a satellite image, but it doesn’t substitute being able to stand at a corner and know the names of buildings,” said freshman Matthew Miller. “Something I noticed early on when I came here, was that I could not read the names of the buildings over entranceways. If I didn’t know where I was|| would literally have to walk up to the door and read the building’s name.” As of Dec. 2015, MSU Guide had been downloaded over 10,000 times. More importantly, the app had been used nearly 120,000 times. This success gave the project momentum, and RCPD planned on expanding and improving the app to make it something that everyone could use. TM PERSONALLY BLIND, SO ONE OF THE THINGS I’D REALIZED AFTER WALKING AROUND THIS CAMPUS FOR 24 YEARS WAS THAT WHEN YOU FIRST COME HERE, IT’S A VERY DAUNTING PLACE.” Hudson saw a bright future for their creation. He pursued licensing their software to share with other universities to aid as many people as possible. In addition to this, there were ideas to make the app an information source as well as a navigation tool. Campus was once an intimidating place for many people. With the ignition of a simple idea, campus became a lot less frightening, and a lot more like the home it was supposed to be. With a strong start, and with a caring and driven team behind it, MSU Guide achieved much more. The College of Engineering and the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities collaborated and made the MSU Guide mobile app which helps those with mobility and sensory challenges maximize their college experience and easily navigate around campus. KICKING IT IN THE FAMILY Family legacy carries on with Spartan men’s soccer team The rules were simple. With swift movements of feet, the ball cascades across a 120-yard field with the intention of finding the back of the net. For two brothers on the MSU men’s soccer team, the game was deeper than that. It was more than netting goals, making saves and game-winning headers. For the Barone brothers, it was about maintaining family traditions. “It was always something about soccer that drew me in, just knowing that it’s something that me and my family all loved and could play together,” said sophomore Hunter Barone. The surname “Barone” rang familiar with Spartan athletics. Two generations of Barone brothers have played soccer at MSU. It was a tradition that started with Domenic and Mark Barone, who played from 2008 to 2011 on the men’s team. After them, Hunter and freshman Giuseppe continued the legacy of brothers playing side by side. Soccer was a prevalent aspect of the brothers’ lives. Having a father who coached the sport and two older brothers who also played, Hunter and Giuseppe spent a lot of their childhood on the sidelines cheering. When Domenic and Mark took their talents to college, the off-field encouragement followed them, their brothers now rooting for them at the DeMartin Soccer Stadium. “We were around the game all the time. We went to their practices and me and Hunter would just be playing on the side,” said Giuseppe. “If we weren’t at school, we were playing soccer.” The bond between Hunter and Giuseppe transcended beyond the sport. With mutual friends, study habits and practice schedules, the CONTENT: ARIANA TAYLOR PHOTO: RILEY JAMES DESIGN: AMBER MASSEY brothers occupied most of each other’s time. The rest of the family was just as inseparable. One of the reasons the brothers chose to attend MSU was because of the proximity to their home. With such a close-knit family, being just a drive away from their parents was important to them. Although watching his older brothers play had inspired him, Hunter said his dad had the biggest impact on his love and knowledge of soccer. With Italian roots, the Barones’ father grew up playing the same sport his sons played. He passed down his passion for soccer to his sons, becoming a role model to them. “My dad was my coach all the way until I was 13. He taught me everything I know. He had the biggest influence on me,” said Hunter. The season had been a successful one for forward Hunter, midfielder Giuseppe and the rest of the team. With a 13-5-2 season, the Spartans made it to the Big Ten Men’s Soccer Tournament. The team was 9-0-1 at home, the most home wins in school history and for the first time ever, a Big Ten tournament game was played in DeMartin Stadium. Tying second for most points on the team, Giuseppe was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, the second Spartan to ever do so. The Barone family saw soccer as not only a game, but also an opportunity to bond over a shared hobby. The brothers used each other as motivation as they followed their older siblings’ footsteps. Although both Hunter and Giuseppe weren’t sure what they planned on studying, they did know that soccer was in their futures. The Red Cedar Rowdies, the soccer student section, cheer on the Barone brothers and the rest of the men’s soccer team. lif] 111 9Ui SEASON RECORD: T: 2 W: 13 L: 5 SJk The Spartans celebrate by hoisting the Big Bear ^•Trophy in the air after their 1-0 victory over thel f ^University of Michigan Wolverines on Sept. 18. p i S PRESSURE TO SUCCEED Student athletes share their struggles of balancing academics with athletics Sophomore Will Agodu, computer science major, walked into class with an MSU hoodie, gray sweatpants and Nike flip-flops. He made his way toward the back of the class, knowing there was a good chance of him falling asleep before it was over. But, unlike some students, Agodu wasn’t exhausted because he was out partying or even because he was up late studying—it was because of prolonged practices and aching muscles. It was because he was a student athlete. Agodu, like many others, lived the life of not only attending rigorous classes, but also long hours of athletic practice. Agodu ran mack and field, participating in the sprints and hurdles events. Although track and field was a spring sport, conditioning took place year round. While ■ I mü hi schedule might have been different from a typical college student, it was one he appreciated. “It’s hard. It’s a lot of work and really tiring but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.” said Agodu. “It’s late nights and early mornings but I know it’s all worth it in the end.” Being a Spartan meant students were a part of Division I programs which often resulted in energy-draining schedules. Some students could picture a busy schedule as completing homework, attending club meetings and occasional dinner with friends. For student athletes, a busy schedule could be similar, with the addition of four or more hours a day to train and practice. This sometimes forced athletes to wake up earlier, sometimes leaving them physically exhausted. CONTENT: ARIANA TAYLOR DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR Fortunately, the NCAA limited the time players spent with the athletic department to 20 hours a week. Players split these hours between coached practices, workoutslindividual coaches meetings, team meetings and traveling around for games. The time students dedicated to their sports was comparable to hours of a full time job. ■I’m getting to do what I love and for a lot of people, their dreams don’t become reality,” said Agodu. While many Division I athletes received scholarships, there were still some who didn’t. Those athletes put in a lot of time and energy without an athletic scholarship because they would do anything to play. Student athletes were sometimes accused of having unfair privileges, such as free MSU gear or special treatment from professors. Looking past the game days however, there were some things that most didn’t see. They didn’t see all the hard work, commitment and sacrifices that went into being an athlete in college. The benefits of being a student athlete were not gifts or trophies, but the friendships and connections made, according to junior Kiara Carter, women’s basketball guard. “The biggest reward is being a part of a family because really that’s what your team becomes to you,” said Carter. The players on a team became close with each other because they could bond over shared experiences and common goals. They not only endured the difficult days together, such as running extra miles when a teammate was late or helping each other with injuries, but also the rewarding days, such as winning against a rival team. Student athletes can be misunderstood. They often feel pressure from their peers to play well, along with pressure to do well academically. As not only representatives of MSU athletics, but also representatives of MSU’s student body as a whole, it can be all too easy to forget that they are also students with just 24 hours in the day. A tutor helps two student-athletes with marketing homework in order to maintain their grades, and ultimately, their NCAA eligibility to compete. Each student-athlete is required to go to tutoring sessions multiple times a week. PHOTOS COURTESY OF: MATT MITCHELL 75 DEFENDING HOME TURF Band blood runs deep to protect a Spartan relic during rivalry week Marching in congruent lanes to the tune of its instruments, the Spartan Marching Band was a closely knit group. But, its roots were embedded in more than the turf the members paraded upon. For freshman Ilene Gould, she was not the first family member to make her band strides in green and white. A photo captured Gould as a toddler unabashedly wielding two drumsticks, posed against the backdrop of Sparty Statue. Several years later, she stood on Demonstration Field in her dad’s band jacket hoisting his trumpet for another candid moment. Yet, Gould’s involvement in Spartan fandom climbed to a new high. For the first time, she attended Sparty Watch, an annual event when band members camp outside of the Sparty Statue in the days leading up to the Michigan football game. Bit’s been ingrained in me ever since I was little,” Gould said. “And now that it’s here, it’s pretty cool to see everything and be a part of it.” Gould invested every weeknight leading up to the rivalry game camping out to watch over the statue, although she usually left by 1 or 2 a.m. to rest before her 8 a.m. classes. With guest visits and sponsorships supplying food for the campers, the event has grown since its reinvention in the late 1980s. Though, the purpose has remained true: defend the Sparty Statue. By the end of the week, the Sparty Statue was still unblemished and untainted by blue and yellow paint. “It’s a great tradition because it shows how respectful the Spartan Marching Band is,” Gould says. “What matters to us is the tradition, rooted in the band, rooted in the school, and being able to stand there and guard Sparty all night. That’s what your job is, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Bob Gould, a professor in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences and Ilene’s father, couldn’t have been any prouder of his daughter and this tradition. He was a part of the coalition that rejuvenated and re-popularized Sparty Watch in the late ‘80s, though the event has transformed from a few students to the whole band, other students and passionate supporters. “It was everything,” Bob Gould said. “Being in thé band was what defined me as a person. I get nostalgic every time I talk about it because, you know, as I see it now and I watch it and I see that it’s evolved to be better than it’s ever been. But at the same time, the traditions are the same.” For junior Kevin Eccles, his relationship with the band was no different, though there wasn’t a family lineage. From Davis, California, the band gave him instant support upon his enrollment at Michigan State. Beyond personal acceptance, Eccles noted that the advances of the band itself was something he was proud to display and be a part of. “I think that with all of the alumni that show up for Michigan week, as welfflit’s a chance for us to show them that ever since they left, the band’s just been getting better,” Eccles said. “There’s a certain kind of pride that comes with that, but also a certain kind of humbleness that you can be a part of that.” The week itself was the final step of fillip immersion into the band, according to Eccles. Although Sparty Watch itself was standard and necessary for campus, students and band members, it was the symbolism and holistic connection of old to new that made rivalry week so special in East Lansing. Morning dawns on Oct. 27 as Spartan Marching Band members and others in the community stay up to guard the Sparty Statue and show their support for the green and white. TANS ZLER SSEY CONTENT: LOGAN RYAN PHOTO: RILEY JAMES DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR 1 gp WtM MÉK1 HFTHRIVING UNDER PRESSURE Hü Student athlete Chloe Ruiz is recognized for exe erformance Three exams, two papers and the usual weekly homework loom ahead. To top it off, the coffee machine in the cafeteria is out of order. Most college students have experienced this sort of pressure. One particular group of students was especially challenged. These students faced the rigors of academic life on campus in addition to their dedication to another focus: sports. Student athletes were responsible for balancing their athletic careers with their academics, and while some might have wanted to shrink away from this pressure, for some, they thrived. Senior Chloe Ruiz, captain of the women’s volleyball team, was one such individual. Ruiz started the season with a nomination for the Senior CLASS Award. The award was given to an NCAA Division 1 senior and women’s volleyball athlete exemplary in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition. Shortly after her nomination, Ruiz became one of 30 finalists across the nation. “Some people think that being an athlete is literally just caring about your sport and that’s it, and we just float by school;’’ said Ruiz. “And I would agree that some athletes are like that, but the majority of athletes have to care about school. And I would say that, for the most part, the school part of MSU made my time here so special, not just the athletics part.” In addition to being a successful student, athlete and leader, Ruiz was actively engaged in community service. She volunteered to help with “Chuck-A-Puck,” a fundraiser for children’s hospitals, served every March is Reading Month by heading to local schools and volunteered in soup kitchens on her own time. Ruiz, while always an outstanding member of her team, suffered a low point academically the fall semester of her sophomore year due to an overwhelming workload and hours of practice. She came back from this, however, and with the support of her coaches, team and self- discipline, she became a student athlete worthy of recognition. 'mm “Typically there is one semester that they really bomb;” said Cathy George, head coach. “I think one of the biggest parts of life is learning how to balance things. We help our athletes understand that you just need to be really organized, your time management needs to be there, you need to make sure you’re talking to your professors and that you’re being proactive with everything that you do.” A challenging aspect of being a student athlete was balancing academic work with the commitment of practices, games and travel Many student athletes did not make it through their time at MSU without falling behind. ‘¡¡The biggest thing for me has just been scheduling and being able to time manage,” said junior Rachel Minarick, chemistry major. “So over the years I’ve just kind of made sure that I have a technique of writing things down and always stay up to date with that so nothing ever really catches me off guard and! can prepare depending on practice schedules and game schedules.” Being a proactive time manager is not a simple task. Student athletes stood on a teeter- totter, and they had to find a way to balance their busy lives. Fortunately, they had the resources available to them to make success a reality. Dedicated to both academic success and success on the court, MSU faculty and coaches stood ready to assist. Exemplary students like Ruiz mastered the skills of time management and self-discipline necessary for success and stood as role models to these athletes. With all of these places to find support and advice, it was no wonder that MSU student athletes could find their balance. The volleyball team huddles together before a match against Rutgers—a match where players wore pink to support breast cancer awareness. SEASON RECORD: W: 25 L: 9 79 JAMES MADISON COLLEGE Professor Rajmohan Gandhi broadens international understanding One of James Madison’s focuses is international relations, so it is no wonder the college is eager to welcome guests that can help students gain a better idea of what goes on in the world. One of these guests was Professor Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the independence movement in British-ruled India. But Rajmohan Gandhi was also an impressive scholar in his own right. He was teaching at James Madison for the second year. “He’s learned but he’s understandable,” said Sherman Garnett, dean of James Madison College. “He’s a powerful teacher, not in a flashy way, not in a way that draws attention to himself. He sort of draws students in, listens to them, engages them.” It was his skill with the students that made him such a welcome addition tolhe James Madison faculty during his first year. It was also why Garnett was glad to welcome him back to teach a class and do an eight- part lecture series. The lectures were held in Case Hall, which all students were welcome to attend. The class and lectures were on nationalism, colonialism and Mahatma Gandhi. “When he lectures, you can tell that he’s not just regurgitating information he’s picked up over his life, he’s telling you about a major part of his life,” said senior Aaron Martinez, a political theory and constitutional democracy major. “He’s been jailed for fighting for peace in India. His work has taken him to the front lines of those fights all over the world, and learning about his passion and his involvement in those missions has been nothing short of Wife-changing.” The students themselves weren’t shying away from making the class worthwhile. From positive evaluations of Gandhi to a consistently engaged class, the students showed their commitment to learn. “There seems to be good discussion,” said Gandhi, “and they ask good, critical questions, which is what a class should be like—it should encourage students to ask critical questions.” Gandhi was just one way James Madison College brought the world tolts students, and exposed them to a variety of viewpoints. It was how the college prepared its students for their futures, by bringing new perspectives to them before they had to go out and face new experiences on their own. That is how a Spartan reputation for knowledge and diversity is built. Rajmohan Gandhi holds a lecture series and teaches a class about nationalism and his grandfather’s legacy for James Madison College. ■■■ ss am 1 m WËÊÊÈm m H■ ■■ « ■sm PARTICIPATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION Cultural groups like MICCA hope to encourage promotion of diversity Faces are painted with stitched lines stemming from the lips and flowers encircling the eyes. Vibrant colors of red, green, purple and blue mix and mesh on the draped clothing. Altars of vibrancy in color and decor stand as memorials, built to honor those who are no longer among the living. Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a national holiday in Mexico held annually on Nov. 1. This holiday is a celebration honoring those who have passed from this life onto the next. Families build shrines and offer gifts of food, drink, candy skulls and money both to welcome spirits home and to aid them in their journey to the afterlife. On Nov. 2, the Michigan Indigena/Chicanx Community Alliance (MICCA), hosted its own Day of the Dead celebration at the Erickson Kiva. Anyone and everyone who wished to celebrate this important day was welcome to the event. The goalof the affair was, of course, to celebrate the holiday. MICCA’s specific goal was to have the celebration serve as an opportunity for all students to be able to experience Mexican culture firsthand. Arrays of traditional food were served. Mariachi bands and traditional dancers performed to the delight of the crowd. ¡¡Those in attendance had the opportunity to view shrines and experience an authentic Dia de los Muertos celebration. “It mostly means to remember somebody who has done so much for us and to celebrate them, not mourn them,” said sophomore Leeann Viera, a psychology major. “I know my great-grandma would not want us to mourn her, so that is what it means: to still celebrate their life even though they are not there.” MSU’s Office of Cultural and Academic Transitions was largely responsible for events like this one. The office celebrated cultural heritage months, hosted several different events such as Spartan Remix and collaborated with groups like MICCA to make celebrations like these possible. Though events to recognize student diversity were present, there were students who believed there could be more. “I know there are a lot of different cultures here, but like, a lot of them I don’t even know anything about. So definitely bringing them out more could help,” said Drew Andrade, a global and international studies junior. Cultural events like this one were an integral part of campus. MSU has many cultures and ethnicities from all over the world represented on and off campus. “It’s important that everyone has an understanding of how other cultures handle death—how cultures deal with it and how they mourn their lost ones,” said Erin Alvarez, PhD student and member of MICCA. “And, so for meil think I would like to know more about different ethnicities.” With a rich diversity of people studying at MSU, there was a necessity for everyone to learn more about the world. Attending events like MICCA’s Day of the Dead celebration gave students the opportunity to gain new perspectives from others. Campus was steadily increasing its inclusion efforts and with a powerful assortment of Spartans, there was always a chance for improvement. A shrine in the Erickson Hall kiva is dedicated to the deceased for MICCA’s Dia de los Muertos. CONTENT: LOGAN RYAN PHOTO: RILEY JAMES DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR JS|§ WïM;Ù itf Tí Students show up to support the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline It was one of the remaining warm days of November. The sun’s presence hung in the air and not a hint of rain loomed in the distance, creating ideal picnic weather. Despite the blankets, chairs and snacks, however, people weren’t at the Michigan State Capitol for leisure. On Saturday, Nov. 5, Michiganders both young and old gathered in front of the Capitol to support the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota. T-shirts and signs displayed the purpose of the gathering. Statementsfthat read, “We can’t drink oil,” and “Water is life,” were scrawled across cardboard. Dogs that wore outfits with messages, “No DAPL,” weaved through the crowd. Among the attendees were important Native American figures and numerous non-native allies. One of them, Julie Whitepigeon, a Saginaw Chippewa tribal elder and professor at Central Michigan University, had been encouraging tribes to be invested in water for 10 years. “I believe that everyone is given a gift and talents,” Whitepigeon said, “and the purpose of thatls to learn how to use those gifts and talents for the benefit of overall wellness and of the CONTENT: NATASHA BLAKELY PHOTO: KYLE RINZLER DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR environmental and ecological issues here in the Great Lakes,” said Dylan Miner, a professor with the American Indian Indigenous Studies program. “Whether that’s the Line 5 pipeline that goes through the Straits of Mackinac or here in the state of Michigan just a few years ago, there was the Kalamazoo River oil spill which was the largest domestic oil spill in this country.” The attendees were groups of friends and families. Students also showed up in small clusters, Spartans among them. The few signs referencing the Line 5 pipeline were just enough to remind people why the issues surrounding oil pipelines were so important to the state, while staying respectful of the rally’s focus on the Dakota Access Pipeline. “It helps show our legislators that first of all, millennial aren’t just lazy kids who know nothing, that we do have firm beliefs and want to get involved in this country and it sends a message that this is what we believe in and we’re gonna make an effort to make our future better when they’re obviously not doing that!said Leah Mohnke, a fifth-year English, Spanish and linguistics triple-major. Water is a precious resource, and with Michigan being surrounded by one of the largest sources of freshwater, water issues are especially important. Students are given an education not so they can siion their degrees, but so they can use their knowledge and opportunities to engage with the community and make a stand for things they believein. For many Spartans, what they believe in is clean water for all. On Nov. 5, hundreds of people gathered at the Capital Building in Lansing to express their peaceful opinions on the installation of the Dakota Access Pipeline. '«¡SPhF . -L ^HhhH community, of themselves, of their families, to support what’s right.” The protest’s turnout reflected Whitepigeon’s sentiment. The conflict, initially localized to just the region where pipeline construction was ongoing, was felt far and wide across the country. Opportunities for advocacy transcended beyond just expressing support from afar. A booth was set up to connect people who wanted a ride to Standing Rock to the protesters. “I think that what you’re seeing out in Standing Rock, both native and ally resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline, hn||s to CONTENT: ARIANA TAYLOR DESIGN: KENT KUBANI CULTURES COLLIDE International students showcase their cultures through art, dance and music at the Global Festival A woman from Thailand straightened beads on a table, her body adorned in a traditional garment called Ruean Ton. Just a few feet away, a man from Ghana performed a tribal dance called Agbadza to music that included intricate drumming and rattles. At the Global Festival on Nov. 13, two countries that are almost 7,000 miles apart were only a few feet away from each other. As students celebrated cultures from allfl around the world, the international lens of campus was magnified. The Global Festival transformed the Union into a mosaic of diversity, giving students a chance to visit the many different countries that MSU’s population represented and called home. “It’s just all the different cultural clubs coming together to teach about their background,” said senior Kristen Bates, packaging major. “It creates a community to see different perspectives.” International students eagerly informed others about their cultures and traditions. Booths were set up around the first and second floors of the Union displaying a variety of countries like China, Costa Rica and Lebanon. Along with educating those in attendance, performances of traditional dances, songs, playing of instruments and even a fashion show created opportunities for students to showcase their identities. The Global Festival created a comfortable platform for people to freely express themselves. Students proudly wore ethnic outfits while walking down Grand River Ave. Observers embraced the diversity as well. Kids participated in activities such as face painting and jewelry making. Students from Taiwan taught an older couple the lion dance, a cultural tradition in which performers mimic a lion’s movement in a lion costume. “As an international student, it allows me to portray my own culture and it allows the domestic of Lansing to see how we do things,” said senior Mohamed Seddik, member of the International Students Association. International students make up 15 percent of MSU’s population, with more than 7,000 enrolled as of fall 2015. About 40 different countries had presentations on exhibit, emblematic of the 131 countries represented on campus. This celebration of nations encouraged people to become culturally competent. For some that had never conversed with international students, the festival was an eye-opening experience that pushed fellow Spartans to talk to those of many different cultures. It allowed students, whether they were from Detroit or Sri Lanka, to come together and understand each other, through food, games and conversations. “(The Global Festival) removes stereotypes. We all have something unique about us and where we came from and by understanding that, we can be united as a school,” said sophomore Ali Noor, member of the Somali Association of Michigan. Inclusion was a theme that resonated passionately with Spartans. Events like Global Festival were testimony to the efforts made to create a culturally comfortable campus. While a briefflook around the university may not have showcased the diversity of the campus, the Global Festival proved otherwise. Only at MSU could students visit countries as far away as Thailand and Ghana without leaving the Union. TOP: Fourth year mechanical engineering Ph.D student Sina Jahangiri Mamouri performs at the Global Festival. BOTTOM: Students have the opportunity to explore other cultures by having international students showcase their home countries with traditional clothing and food. PHOTOS BY: LUKE PIOTROWSKI & ELIF TURK CONTENT: LOGAN RYAN PHOTO: RILEY JAMES DESIGN: AMBER MASSEY SERVICE ON SKATES Proceeds of POINT'S open skate go to New York’s homeless Skates grate against the ice, leaving their own tiny trenches and fine, white powder behind. The experienced skaters carved through the herd, showing off their speed and talent. The beginners watched, clinging to each other and the walls, their ankles wobbling and their arms flailing. Those whose ambitions outweighed their skills sped down the ice, only to inevitably flop over and slide along the cold and wet surface, drawing a laugh from their observing friends. Welcome to public skating at Munn Ice Arena. On Nov. 11, an open skate night was hosted by MSU’s chapter of POINT, a student organization dedicated to volunteer service and raising awareness for world issues. All proceeds from the event were donated to New York’s Coalition for the Homeless to aid in its goal to end the city’s homelessness crisis. POINT chose the coalition as the recipient of its donation due to the urgent nature of its cause. The number of homeless individuals in New York reached the highest seen since the Great Depression. The city was in a crisis and needed all the aid it could receive. “I came out to the ice skating event last year and that’s what drew my attention,” said junior Julia Rustmann, kinesiology major. “I like helping people so the volunteering aspect of it brought me in and I wanted to get more involved with MSU organizations.” POINT offered students a wealth of opportunities for volunteer service. From hosting 5K charity races, volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House and even putting on benefit concerts, POINT was an organization filled with students willing to make a difference. The 2016 skating event raised $1,030, exceeding the goal the volunteers had set prior to the event. “We volunteered at Lewton Elementary in Lansing and it was cool to see the kids’ faces,” said senior Anna Niforos, psychology major. “We helped out with, like, face painting and some of their activity nights and that was actually with the community so that was very cool.” The organization worked on more than just planning volunteer events. One of its projects was to create an app that could conveniently connect students to volunteer opportunities in their area. The app would provide a way for students to find causes they cared about and platform to donate. In addition to being a group that connected students with service, it connected students with each other. While bonding through their shared service, many members of POINT left the group with newfound friends. Service was a platform that united Spartans with everyone. Not only did it connect students with each other, but also the greater Lansing area. Traveling to schools and community centers, students often got to meet the people they were helping, which proved to be a powerful experience. “It’s really helped me meet a lot of people that I wouldn’t normally meet,” said Sam Danielian, chapter president. “It’s helped me kind of get out of my shell and to go out and do things that help others. It’s helped me overall be a better person.” Events like the ice skating fundraiser was just one of the many ways POINT strove to make the world a little bit better. Supplying a plethora of volunteer opportunities, as well as building a community of like-minded individuals, POINT was an ideal group for anyone looking to help out. Whether it was with a pair of skates, or with an app, Spartans stood ready to serve. Students skate around the Munn Ice Arena for POINT’S annual fundraising event on Nov. 11. This is one of several fundraisers POINT hosts throughout the academic year 89 I S ¡ CONTENT; LOGAN RYAN PHOTO: ELIF TURK DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR GAME TO SUCCEED The MSU GEL Lab creates educational games with value The inbox chimed with another mandatory online educational session. So commenced the cringe-inducing hour of watching characters a five-year-old could draw blurt out corny and poorly written lines, all to teach a simple lesson. Hold on, this time it’s different. This game was actually fun and well made. Time melted away, and suddenly it’s over. It actually taught everything, and managed to be entertaining as well. How was this possible? The MSU GEL Lab, or Games for Entertainment and Learning Lab, made games like this possible. The lab was located in the Communication Arts and Sciences building and was run by a combination of staff supervisors and full time student employees. Here, game design and development minor students had the opportunity to create real games for clients like schools, banks and anyone in need of their skills. “There’s not enough good educational games out there,” said GEL Lab manager William Jeffery. “They’re usually pretty crappy, because you have a bunch of people who don’t know much about games trying to make educational stuff so it ends up being not much fun. We come from entertainment backgrounds so we try to make the games as fun as we can while putting in a stealth learning aspect. So the goal is that when people play the game they don’t know that they’re learning.” Students gained valuable real-world experience and got paid while doing it. The GEL Lab accepted only the best students in the game development minor. While the entirety of the game development is run by students, faculty act as supervisors. Companies contract the GEL Lab with projects. One such project comes from the MSU Federal Credit Union in need of a financial literacy game. “It’s a good goal to set for yourself if you’re going through the game design and development minor,” said senior Trever Daniels, computer science major and programmer for the lab. “Because it’s essentially like you’re working for an independent game studio that is a real world company even before you get out of college. What most companies look for is real world experience or interest outside of the classroom.” There had been over fifty games produced from the lab since it was established in 2005. Games range from the purely educational to simply fun. With a diverse client pool, projects have been made for everything from healthy eating and nuclear science education to popular mobile game parodies. Apart from the career and experiential benefits of working in the lab, students also had the opportunity to see the positive effects their games had. By creating educational games that people will actually enjoy playing, they helped people of all ages and disciplines improve their education and their lives. “IT’S ESSENTIALLY LIKE YOU’RE WORKING FOR AN INDEPENDENT GAME STUDIO THAT IS A REAL WORLD COMPANY EVEN BEFORE YOU GET OUT OF COLLEGE” “One of the games that we’ve done was made for kids in fifth grade,” said senior Jasmine Burks, media and information major and 3D artist with GEL. “And it was essentially an app to help them monitor like healthy food ideas and what to eat and maybe exercise and whatnot. And we incorporated that with fun and games. I feel like because schools are actually going to be using it in their classes it’s something that’s going to help kids in the future develop healthy eating habits.” Education doesn’t have to be boring. Likewise, game design didn’t have to be an impossible dream for students hoping to join the industry. Working in the GEL Lab opened the door to real world experience, real world jobs and real world learning. With these advantages Spartans were able to reel in their dreams, from far off in space, to within their reach. The Games for Entertainment and Learning (GEL) Lab aims to construct prototypes and design games for educational purposes. The lab employs both undergraduate and graduate students. U l ■Hi >< < ¿$ÊéÈ\ CONTENT: ISAAC CONSTANS PHOTO: RILEY JAMES DESIGN: HALEY KLUGE LIFE AT THE END Fourth quarter comeback falls short, but a competitive spirit shows signs of hope Put simply, the 2016 season was disappointing for Michigan State Football. Following a 12-2 season when the Spartans qualified for the second-ever College Football Playoff and won the Big Ten title, expectations were high. Head coach Mark Dantonio embarked on the new campaign trumpeting the motto “back to back,” alluding to the team’s desire to win its second consecutive Big Ten championship. Yet, that dream was derailed early on. Championship aspirations atrophied into bowl game settlements. Bowl game wishes withered away into hopes of an upset. While even that didn’t materialize, the team’s desire remained undeterred. When No. 2 Ohio State entered the late-season match against MSU, no one expected it to be a close game. The point spread was at 20 points, a prime vote of confidence from Vegas gamblers foreshadowing an OSU blowout. Yet, MSU, the malefactors of a 3-7 record heading into the game, leashed the Big Ten co-leaders in check with a chance to win the game on several occasions. “Yeah, I thought we measured up. I think that’s the case,” Dantonio said following the 17-16 loss. “You’re one point away from winning and having the chance to win the game, maybe two or three different ways.” For MSU, the game was far from a total loss. Although the coaches emphasized that there were no such things as moral victories, a one-point loss to the 2014 national champions was a sign of progression. Furthermore, the game on Nov. 18 paved the way for future success, as it introduced younger players to the environment of big games. All four starting defensive linemen were underclassmen and three were freshmen. “I mean, just learning from them, that’s the biggest thing,” said freshman Mike Pansiuk, defensive tackle. “Getting experience with the younger guys, being out on the field and making a couple of plays just getting that experience is big.” While youth was the name of the game, however, the Spartans had a hankering for an upset. After falling behind 17T0, MSU scored a late fourth-quarter touchdown through sophomore L.J. Scott, running back, who finished the game with 160 rushing yards. MSU elected to try for a two-point conversion that would give them the lead with just 4:41 remaining. Instead of trying to skirmish Scott two yards past the line of scrimmage, the Spartans threw against the icy conditions^ The hurried pass wound up in the hands of Ohio State, preserving the visitor’s shallow lead. The game still wasn’t over, though. MSU’s defense forced a six-play punt that caromed behind for a touchback, giving Tyler O’Connor, redshirt senior quarterback, one more chance to snare a signature win for the team on Senior Day. But the Spartans were halted just short with an interception effectively ending the game. “We played well, we played hard but our kids have done that every week,” said Dave Warner, offensive coordinator. “So this is just a very disappointing outcome for us but we just need to regroup as we’ve done time and time again and regroup ready for one more game again.” While MSU Football finished the season 3-9, the off year showed signs of how far the program had come. In Dantonio’s tenth season at MSU, this was the first in which his team did not reach the postseason. With a top-notch recruiting class and a hardened roster, the 2017-2018 football team hoped to once again return to national contender status. Looking ahead, persevering through the wearisome winter of 2016 was what could propel the team into future success. Football coach Mark Dantonio screams at the Spartans during a game at Spartan Stadium. SEASON RECORD: L: 9 W: 3 If* TÄ1 Ä - f#* ^MvmÊwL ? v¿,JCI v'VV kSI igfìÉy! fife PNce^Eores a tdi Senior tight end, Josiah over the Northwestern ^University Wildcats during the Homecoming game in Spartan Stadium on Oct 15. PHOTO BY: CRAfeilEDGES COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE Wildlife Ward offers hands-on experience to benefit the community A woman with 80 acres of land woke up early on Sept. 28, to find a great horned owl laying on the ground of her property After some persistence, she captured the limp bird in a wire cage and knew exactly who to call: MSU’s Wildlife Ward. Once the bird was taken to MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine, the faculty director, Dr. Jim Sikarskie, and his team of Wildlife Coordinators performed a medical physical exam. They found that the owl had contracted West Nile Virus, which kept it from eating properly The MSU Wildlife Ward within the College of Veterinary Medicine is a facility that treats injured wildlife, primarily birds of prey, that come to MSU for rehabilitation. Dr, Sikarskie, who established the ward in 1975, directed a group of approximately nine wildlife coordinators who were undergraduate students studying veterinary medicine. Known as “wardies,” the members spent their days in the College of Veterinary Medicine practicing hands-on education through the treatment of various birds of prey. “We’ve had 40 classes of veterinarians that have graduated with hands on experience,” Dr. Sikarskie said. “That’s been my philosophy here: you don’t have to be completely serious to learn, it helps to learn and have some fun while you’re learning too.” The opportunity of working with the Wildlife Ward also brought responsibility. There were days when the wildlife coordinators were left to make decisions independently, without the counsel of Dr. Sikarskie or other veterinarians in the college. For Annie Marquiss, second-year wildlife coordinator, making tough decisions was what gave her the most educational gain. “It really is up to us to decide what to do,” Marquiss said. “If it looks like something is broken, we have to decide where it should go...and that can get kind of intense. If we make the wrong decision, it’ll be on us if the animal doesn’t get the treatment it needs.” But, it went beyond helping the animal community. The Wildlife Ward also worked closely with the Department of Natural Resources to report and keep track of any viruses and diseases that animals had gone into the ward with. It allowed the DNR to be able to control and suppress the spread of the viruses, which in turn benefited the community. “I always think of it as we’re all parts of a community and it doesn’t involve just humans,” said Joshua Drees, second-year wildlife coordinator. “So especially having the experience with wildlife, it allows us to be another part of the community, and to be able to take care of the parts of the community that can’t necessarily take care of itselves. It’s a huge plus for us.” The wardies not only learned, but were also able to spend roughly eight weeks teaching groups of five to six students who also aspired to become wildlife coordinators. The recruitment process allowed Dr. Sikarskie and the wildlife coordinators to teach about both the treatment of birds of prey, as well as the safety of handling the animals. “I ALWAYS THINK OF IT AS WE’RE ALL PART OF A COMMUNITY AND IT DOESN’T INVOLVE JUST HUMANS.” While being a volunteer for the Wildlife Ward offered a vast amount of experience for the undergraduate students involved, both Dr. Sikarskie and his wardies agreed that their efforts at the facility weren’t solely spurred by the resulting educational gain. Their efforts were also inspired by the ability to help aid and protect the rest of the students on campus and the community that surrounded it. Dr. Sikarskie instructs his students on the handling of wounded birds, such as this owl at the Wildlife Ward. CONTENT: RENE KISS PHOTO: KYLE RINZLER DESIGN: KENT KUBANI TIME TO BOUNCE Students double as door guardians of East Lansing bars The bouncers portrayed in movies and on television are stereotypically towering men of hulking muscle with unfriendly scowls. They wear tight black T-shirts and sunglasses, despite it being night. Because of this, that’s usually the image that pops into people’s heads when they think of bouncers. When it comes to many of East Lansing’s bars, however, patrons are normally greeted with something different: less intimidating, friendly looking college students. These students are the bouncers that greeted Spartans and East Lansing residents at the doors of bars like The Riv, R T. O’Malley’s, Harper’s, Rick’s and more. For many of East Lansing’s bars, hiring students to bounce was intentional and even preferred. “DURING FOOTBALL SEASON I WILL WORK 30 TO 35 HOURS A WEEK BETWEEN BUSY RAMA SHIFTS AND THE FOOTBALL GAMES. IT'S A PRETTY BIG TIME COMMITMENT, BUT IT IS DEFINITELY WORTH IT IN THE LONG RUN" “It’s important to have students working here. We want them to welcome their friends in,” said Nolan Ruffing, general manager at The Riv. Bouncers often worked late nights from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Though these hours worked well with a student’s class schedule, they posed a challenge for students to keep up with school and work at the same time. “It can get hard to balance school with work,” said junior Jack Viazanko, finance major and bouncer for The Riv. “During football season I will work 30 to 35 hours a week between busy Rama shifts and the football games. It’s a pretty big time commitment, but it is definitely worth it in the long run.” Apart from the long hours, working as a bouncer for one’s peers could lead to some tough choices. Viazanko said that his friends had put him in hard positions before, especially during popular events at the bar. “A lot of people want to skip lines on Rama, but I have to stay within the rules my manager sets,” Viazanko said. “I do what I can to help my friends have a good time at The Riv, but they know there are limitations.” Friends weren’t the only people pushing their luck with these bouncers. Students attempting to use fake IDs of varying quality levels was something that bouncers dealt with regularly. With a campus as large as MSU, there was a high number of underage adults trying to get into the bars. “How many fakes I take depends on how busy of a night it is,” Viazanko said. “Underage kids tend to only test their fakes on busier nights, so on days such as Rama or football games I could take up to three or four throughout the night. Slower nights we don’t really take that many fakes because the only people coming to the bar are the regular customer base that we are familiar with.” Of course, there were many reasons why students like Viazanko willingly put up with long hours and pressure from friends. Viazanko said he planned on working at The Riv as long as he was in East Lansing, and a large part of that was because of his co-workers there. It took someone who was good at and enjoyed interacting with people to make a good bouncer. “My favorite part about the job is networking with all of our customers and meeting a lot of different people who go to Michigan State,” said senior Andrew Sarsfield, food industry management major and bouncer at The Riv. “I got my first internship that way.” Many students work through college, but not many bounce their ways through. Those who did, however, made it an unforgettable element of their Spartan experience. Whether it was just an enjoyable way to make money or an opportunity to network, these bouncers were less “black T-shirt and gold chain” and more “flannel and jeans.” Junior Jack Viazanko checks students’ IDs as they enter for “Burgerama” at The Riv in East Lansing. Viazanko, a full-time student, balances his time working at The Riv with his academics. m m mm DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY Spartans come together to dance and celebrate Indian culture Anyone who has heard Indian music before knows that it can be characterized with a fast, vibrant beat and a chaotic harmony. As a result, the dances that pair with the music often match the pace and the atmosphere step for step. On Nov. 18, the Coalition of Indian Undergraduate Students (CIUS) held its annual “Garbhangra” event in the lobby of Morrill Hall of Agriculture, indulging in Indian culture with the synchronized twirling and stepping of the students attending. Garbhangra is a combination of dance styles from two different states in India—Garba from Gujarat and Bhangra from Punjab—that CIUS created. October is Garba season, according to Sonica Patel, CIUS president, so the club held the event around that time to get students to come out and dance. CIUS had been around for more than 20 years, but Garbhangra was an event created in more recent years. "IT’S JUST HONESTLY IN OUR ROOTS BECAUSE EVERY LITTLE PART OF INDIA HAS SOME SORT OF DANCE IN THERE SO WE’VE GROWN UP WITH IT, ESPECIALLY WATCHING BOLLYWOOD MOVIES AND ALL THE MUSIC WE HAVE." Students danced in a circular formation around the dance floor while others bordered them in little clusters, conversing and eating. A few students showed up in jeans and sweaters while the majority proudly wore traditional ethnic outfits. Bright complementary colors dominated the scene in combinations of teal and pink, green and gold, peach and navy. “It’s just honestly in our roots because every little part of India has some sort of different style of dance in there, so we’ve all sort of grown up with it, especially from watching Bollywood 100 ■ -- ■ movies and all the music we have,” said Patel, senior advertising major. “We’ve all just grown up around it so it’s a huge part of our culture.” Garbhangra was CIUS’s third event of the fall semester and a chance for club members to sign up for the club’s spring culture show in April. Students who didn’t want to sign up for the spring show or didn’t want to try breaching the crush of students surrounding the sign-up table had free rein of the food and dance floor. A mix of Indian and American music played over the speakers, underscoring the cultural interplay of the club itselfH “It promotes the culture, our Indian culture,” said junior Sanjeet Subramanian, event coordinator for CIUS. “It brings us together and allows for students in the community to meet at an event where they can meet other students and get more exposure to the culture through food, through music.” There’s a large Indian community at MSU, Subramanian said, describing the tight-knit nature of the community. Events like Garbhangra introduced Indian culture to those unfamiliar with it and, more importantly, gave Indian students something familiar to enjoy. “When I walked in because I haven’t been home in a while—when I walked in I was like, Wow, I haven’t smelled Indian food in a really long time,’ and it just made me really happy, being with all these people that share something with me,” said Divya Iyer, freshman civil engineering major. Spartans are a bright and engaging group of people from a world of different backgrounds. It’s the efforts of clubs like CIUS that make the school one where all students can be exposed to and enjoy each others’ differences. This could happen through classes, conversations and sometimes even dance. On Nov. 18, the Coalition of Indian Undergraduate Students (CIUS) gather to eat, laugh and dance as members celebrated this year’s Garbhangra in the Morrill Hall of Agriculture. The completed National Pan-Hellenic Council embraces unity on campus Salmon pink and apple green were always more than a pair of descriptive colors. For members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. the colors’ vibrancy emulated the femininity and vitality of their organization. For junior Kasey Coleman, chemical engineering major, the colors’ presence was one deeply rooted and endeared. Her family’s lineage in Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) went back decades and her admiration for the sorority was spawned during her infancy. “I’m actually the twelfth AKA,” said Coleman. “My mom was actually the first in our family, so she kind of set the precedent for a lot of family members. I was able to experience so much just by being her daughterSmy family’s child—and when it came to the time of expressing interest in the sorority in college, it wasn’t a question for me. It was always in my heart and it was because I was mentored by these strong women.” While never dormant, Coleman’s display of interest peaked in spring of 2016, when MSU’s Delta Zeta chapter of the sorority sought to initiate new members. As campus’s first line of initiates since 2012, hundreds of applicants expressed desire in joining the illustrious sorority. Among 104 women, Coleman was chosen to be ¡¡¡¡1 1 ■ ■ ■■■•■ II ■ HI «■■I ■■■■■■ mmBMEBBEata W- : w . IS!gigisI B liili welcomed into Greek Life during the spring semester. The large number of initiates was unprecedented for the chapter and ushered in a new era for Greek Life on campus. *K“Our number has been used to our advantage,”! said AKA junior Sakiya Duncan. “We put on great programs for the campus and impact college-age women, like it says in our mission. It made the council grow, but if anything, I think it gave us exposure.” AKA’s arrival on campus completed the presence of the Divine Nine at MSU. The term was universally coined to represent the nine international Greek letter fraternities and sororities that composed the National Pan- Hellenic Council, or NPHC. The council included: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc. A rare feat for any campus, MSU became one of few colleges to have every member of the Divine Nine active. Operating as a complete unit, the organization maximized its ability to 103 serve and uplift Spartans with several programs, discussions, events and socials. For campus, the unified council provided an extended space for involvement and fellowship within the minority community. For the Greek community, the platform was consistent of the foundation it was built on. In 1906, Alpha Phi Alpha was founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The fraternity, led by seven college men, was formed out of need for a strong brotherhood within the African-American community. This purpose was initially executed through study and support groups for minority students and ventured into an array of events in a collegiate environment. In 1967, the fraternity’s legacy spread to Spartan territory when the Zeta Delta chapter was chartered, becoming MSU’s first black fraternity. Immediately, the organization sought to combat the social and racial climate affecting minority communities worldwide. “WHEN IT CAME TO THE TIME OF EXPRESSING INTEREST IN THE SORORITY IN COLLEGE, IT WASN’T A QUESTION FOR ME. IT WAS ALWAYS IN MY HEART AND IT WAS BECAUSE I WAS MENTORED BY THESE STRONG WOMEN.” In the years that followed, campus became representative of the growth of the NPHC. In 1954, Alpha Kappa Alpha became the first black sorority at MS®, followed by the Epsilon Epsilon chapter of Delta Sigma Theta in 1961. With the emergence of each organization, missions were crafted to serve wider communities and differentiate from each other. A sentiment that every organization shared, however, was pride in the progress they’ve made. Celebrations like Founder’s Day were common among all of the Divine Nine and were widely honored. “I think the reason why things like Founder’s Day is celebrated so big and so much is because it just shows how far we’ve come,” said Ahmad Hassan, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha. ‘Alpha Phi Alpha has been around for 110 years, that’s before blacks were even able to vote, so that’s definitely a way to remind ourselves that progress is happening. It may not be during the blink of an eye or overnight, but it’s taking time and happening.” From an outside perspective, one of the Divine Nine community’s most beloved traditions has become its most definitive. Before many students had even stepped foot on a college campus, they were familiar with the elaborate motions and movements common of Black Greek- lettered Organizations. Known as “stepping” and “strolling,” each organization crafted its own distinct moves, often a combination of marching and dancing. While stepping, there was no accompanying music. The respective organizations paired their synchronized motions to chants and vocal utterances that identified them. Audiences often watched in awe, captivated by these public rituals. “Steps and strolls really help identify the fraternities and sororities,” said Reynaldo Montalvo, computer engineering major. “Even when you’re not a member of Greek Life, it’s not hard to see the hard work and enthusiasm that goes into it.” Still, while the Divine Nine embraced their ability to draw a crowd with their performances, they stressed that their purpose stretched beyond lively shows. The step and yard performances, events that were solely dedicated to strolls and stepping, only occurred once a year. What the Divine Nine provided in abundance were community and collegiate-focused programs, including study bootcamps and etiquette classes. Throughout the school year, each organization hosted a week full of events. In Nov. 2016, the Epsilon Epsilon chapter of Delta Sigma Theta hosted “Thee Total Woman,” a week dedicated to the advancement and enlightenment of college-age women. The week included resume workshops, discussion panels, as wellthe chance to receive a professional headshot. The sorority also presented the opportunity to donate non-perishables at every program, a nod to the dedication to volunteer work evident in the NPHC. Since 1930, the NPHC has existed as the umbrella organization for Black Greek-lettered Organizations. Its strides for minority student communities and beyond resonated in its work on and off campus. For Spartans, their impact journeyed back decades. With a completed council, influence only magnified. PAGES 102-103: Brittany Roden leads senior De’Ayra Hall in a ritual as part of Sigma Gamma Rho’s initiation ceremony. Hall was one of three women participating in the neophyte presentation, a ceremony to welcome new members to a Greek organization. TOP: Hall, sophomore Alex-Saundra Hudson and junior Yamani Vinson are led into the Business College Complex auditorium from their induction to Sigma Gamma Rho. BOTTOM: Tedesa Parks, Juanika Benson and Yaminah Brock dance before the beginning of the neophyte presentation. Political surrogates echo the importance of student involvement in politics With leaves falling, chilled weather and the autumnal splattering of colors, fall brought change. The 2016 presidential election season whisked through East Lansing. As the season crescendoed to the end, surrogates for both candidates campaigned on campus. Stepping across the political aisle on Sept. 22, Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, made her own visit to campus in support of her mother. For many students, the 2016 presidential race was the first election in which they were eligible to vote. To heighten interest, the MSU .College Democrats sought to bring the election closer to campus by bringing Chelsea Clinton to speak. “She could have gone to the Capitol, she could have gone to Detroit, she could have gone to all these other places, but she went to Michigan State, so I think that definitely shows commitment to trying to get the young vote,” said sophomore Alex Jennings, mechanical engineering major. Clinton’s visit was also a part of continued effort to decrease voter apathy on campus. During the previous semester, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and Republican presidential candidate John Kasich had motivated many young voters into political activism. That sentiment, however, was not always represented in youth voting patterns. In the 2012 election, just 41.2 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds votedgn the election, according to the Census Bureau report. In East Lansing’s 2015 city council elections, just 26 students voted on campus, home to five precincts and four polling locations. Those in attendance at the Chelsea Clinton WM rally were anything but apathetic. According to senior Grace Carmichael, psychology and interdisciplinary studies major, elections and the political process was the cornerstone of American democracy and she planned to vote. “I feel like more students should be involved in the political process, so it’s really awesome that we have these (events) at our disposal here,” said Carmichael. “It involves our lives directly, and we’re going to have to be involved when we’re older, so we should start now.” Exemplifying student involvement, Ron Owens III and Ewurama Appiagyei-Dankah introduced Chelsea Clinton at the event. Both student speakers stressed the importance of getting out to vote. “It’s really important for us to do that work,” said Appiagyei-Dankah, a member of the MSU College Democrats. “I hope everyone is willing especially to join a campaign, whether it’s the East Lansing one on campus or the Lansing one or wherever you live, just make sure you’re able to get out and help register to vote and get yourself to vote.” As a salient and spotlight issue throughout the election trail, student debt defined a significant portion of Chelsea Clinton’s speech and students responded enthusiastically. Initially pioneered by Bernie Sanders, the idea of largely free public college was adopted as a Democratic Party platform. “When people say that this election might be irrelevant to them, talk to them about college affordability,” Chelsea Clinton urged the crowd. “Talk about whether they want to go to law school, like Ewurama does, or to medical school or to get a Ph.D, because this election is relevant to all of us.” But, the Democratic Party was not the only party represented. With less than one week until election day, Donald Trump Jr. visited MSU’s campus as an advocate for his father, Republican presidential nominee Donald Tjump. Red “Make America Great Again” hats bobftfed throughout the room as supporters waited thJ&igh introductions to hear the candidate’s son speaB “It’s great to be on a colleil campus where , young people aren’t afraid to ie conservatives,” said Trump Jr. While supporters clapped for Trump Jr. as he began his speech, protesters could be heard outside the doors chanting “Trump is terror,” in protest. The protest group was orgaanized by the Latino student organization, Cultures de las Razas Unidas TCRU). Protesters shouted chants such as “Black lives matter,” “No human being is illegal,” and “Build bridges, not walls.” W“We wanted to protest hateful remarks and PHOTO: JESSALYN TAMEZ DESIGN: AMBER MASSEY á V & w é è w # . # f i action^apMlt our comrnunif^^gaim|tthe black community, thegay communityaitBjBjfeMuaim community,” said Mmsie Rodriguez^RlJ .treasurer. One of^hgHWe will not bejsilenced,” was audible t^HlKhe ballroom. Speaking .¿¿v through the di^bhte^^fcump Jh co^ttedi^H speech, encoura^pg^Sents to \ ote. what became an increasingly^^pon:ant^ttitude to cop’i^^R younger voters, pushin||ppstudents tp extSdse^ their right as citizpis be^tene paramount during the election. | “We have a rare opportunity. We have ii*W chance to put someone in office who isn't a earner politician,” said Trump Jr. This isn’t a campaign anymore; it’s a movement.” Trump Jr. challenged students to tell their friends and even strangers about voting Republican. He also advocated for Donald Trump by discussing his policies and beliefs, while also condemning Hillary Clinton. Juxtaposing the chants from outside, Trump supporters had their own chants of, “Hillary for prison,” and “USA!” Donald Trump Jr. and Chelsea Clinton’s appearances in the Union were but «oeTjnany initiatives to rouse interest and passi^BWrfng the months before the election. Whilqwath voting patterns might have traditionally lagged behind, the collective groups of MSU prioritized the importance of the presidential election. These students’ voices would be heard. CONTENT ISAAC CONSTANS & ARIANA T&YLOR TOP: A HillaryClinton button was spotted a| a rally held by Chelsea Clinton on behalf of her mo|her. Clinton visited Michigan State University to inform students about what her mother stahds for as a presidential candidate. RIGHT: Donald Trump supporters pack the MSU Union Ballroom on tslov. 2 to hear the candidate’s son speak to students and the community in.support of his father. PHOTO BY: LUKE PIOTROWSKII ifa,. W AND SCIENCES Students within MSU’s journalism program immerse themselves in election coverage Nov. 8 was not only a consequential day for the country, but also for the students within the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. As ballots stacked up and state vote tallies reached their final tick, the School of Journalism followed along closely as part of its “MI First Election” coverage, a double entendre for the first experience of many students in the election and the college’s specialized Michigan coverage. Ranging from social media and updated web stories to on-air reporting, the MI First Election program allowed its student contributors to live the election from a different point of view as newsmakers. Against the backdrop of a blue and red collage, students delivered live analysis and updates on both local and national happenings from the brand new Spartan newsroom. “I felt like for the first time, that might be what being in a newsroom or a part of a major show is closer than I’ve ever experienced,” said senior Ashley Gibbard, a journalism major. For Gibbard, the experience was unrivaled. While her fingers rapidly flicked from key to key on the new Apple desktops, the glass-encased, innovative newsroom hosted others who relayed information from the voting booth to behind the scenes. Election night was the school’s news hub CONTENT: ISAAC CONSTANS PHOTO: KYLE RINZLER DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR be in a professional environment like MI First Election was an experience that I’ll never forget.” A major part of the excitement was that all of the work was put to applicable use. WKAR, the local public media station, aired the journalism department’s broadcast on TV. The radio core depended on students for live synopses of the events during its election edition of popular program Current State. “For election night, we had coverage from about 7 p.m. to 1 in the morning, and we invited students who participated in MI First Election to come along with professors who they worked with just to really briefly talk about the reporting that they did,” producer Katie Cook said. While most everybody felt some sort of emotion from the embittered campaign trail, few were as deeply tied to the election coverage as those involved with the production of ill First Election. With a quadrennial and inimitable opportunity, the students within the college clutched close the opportunity. For, when they would reach the media paragons of theWJ.S., these students would now know what to expect. LEFT: Journalism students keeps viewers updated with breaking election news. TOP: The new Spartan Newsroom is opened for Ml First Election, a broadcast program for the 2016 election. Ill unveiling. Following the summer of tearing down walls to raise the new studio, students finally had a chance to break barriers of their own. For some, it was the first live reporting experience they had. Jason Ruff, a senior journalism and history major, was in front of the camera. Ruff had interned at ABC 7 over the summer, but said that the school broadcast lacked nothing on TV news back home; it was professional. “Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that Fd be able to participate in an environment like this, covering such a historical election,” Ruff said. “You can already tell this was a critical election in American history and to he there, to - f J T maÊ 9h| ggj i K|3| Female voters, Black voters, Latino voters, Asian voters, college graduate voters, Democratic voters, first time voters and voters between ages 18-44. 2jj3 of people who voted, voted for Hillary Clinton electoral votes were awarded to Hillary Clinton Wa ■•irfi I total number of votes Hillary Clinton received Climate Change Debt-free public college LGBT Rights Right to choose Universal health care ■ \ m ■ H ■m / 1 II III 112 Hillary’s Twitter Feed @HillaryClinton I want the public to see my email. I asked State to release them. They said they will review them for release as soon as possible:" U 4 March 2015 @HillaryClinton Delete Your Account. <--------------------------------------------- @realDonaIdTrump Obama just endorsed Crooked Hillary. He wants four more years of Obama - but no one else does! m * 2:22 PM - 9 June 2016 m 2:27 PM- 9 June 2016 .................—3 @HillaryClinton “I’m with you*” -@realDonaldTrump *Not included: women, African Americans, LGBT people, Muslims, Latinos, immigrants.. 4^ HIV ^ * ..........................- 21 July 2016 .....— . .................................................................................... ..........................- (aHillaryClinton A man who can be provoked by a tweet should not have his hands anywhere near the nuclear codes. #DebateNight 26 September 2016 — _____1 @HilIaryClinton “To all the little girls watching...never doubt that you are valuable and powerful & deserving of every chance & opportunity in the world.”—Hillary 4^ m w | I I ■ MMj »U'V,1 ■ I 9 November 2016 --------------------1 DESIGN:, KENT KUBAN1 |!i k’,1 r ‘ , ,| '¡i'- 7„ 1' i| |'■ 1 f , > ’ ' 5,0. T Male voters, Whitesyoters, Republican voters, Independent votefs, voters who served ip the LLS, military Catholic voters, and voters above the age of 45, ■ HHI ' 1 mo« of people who voted, voted for ^ m awarded to Donald Trump E Donald’s Twitter Feed ArealDonaldTrump I consider my health, stamina and strength one of my greatest assets. The world has watched me for many years and can so testify-great genes! ♦> as- * 3 December 2015 ArealDonaldTrump Hillary Clinton should not be given national security briefings in that she is a lose cannon with extraordinarily bad judgement & insticts. ■I lr \ 99 29 July 2016 National Security Stricter Immigration Laws 2nd Amendment Protection “Make America Great Again” [total number of votes Dona*d Trump received ArealDonaldTrump Our very weak and ineffective leader, Paul Ryan, had a bad conference call where his members went wild at his disloyalty. 9 f 11 October 2016 ArealDonaldTrump Such a beautiful and important evening! The forgotten man and woman will never be forgotten again. We will all come together as never before. 99 9 November 2016 ArealDonaldTrump Getting ready to leave for Washington, D.C. The journey begins and I will be working and fighting very hard to make it a great journey for the American people. I have no doubt that we will, together, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! iSV 99 19 January 2017 These tweets were taken directly from Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump’s verified Twitter accounts. Election results are from CNN. in 113 W IN TrER! When the final fall leaves flutter to the cold ground, Spartans know that winter has come. The CATA buses fill with students avoiding the long trudge across campus through sleet and snow. Spartans grow accustomed to frigid 30-minute walks in parkas, while the biting winter wind nips at their exposed skin. Breaching the shelter of hall entryways, students overheat and shed their winter gear upon entrance into classrooms. Overnight, snow builds layer upon layer, insistent on waylaying unprepared commuters. The warmth, determined not to be overcome, battles its icy enemy, and students look in awe at a January rainfall. Then almost as quickly, the icy wind returns and snow falls on uncovered heads. The student body groans a collective sigh while they pull their gloves and hats back on, only to realize that this is no ordinary Michigan winter. Jp' v mm %V Ei " WÊ |_, - : ri r3 ! ■ ■ papali ■ I . . A'SteMV,-j _-, \ WM gifgg^»«yii|||| a mm m B s— ■■■■■■■ CONTENT: ARIANA TAYLOR PHOTO: MOLLY EDDINGTON DESIGN: KENT KUBANI OF FASHION AND FAITH Melanie Elturk gives Muslim students words of encouragement Opportunities for social innovation presented themselves daily. In November, CoverGirl introduced its first hijab-wearing cover model. A day later, the first ever Somali- American Muslim woman was elected to a state legislature. The following December, in light of these accomplishments, MSU’s Muslim Students’ Association hosted Muslim entrepreneur Melanie Elturk to bring more inspiration to campus. In 2010, Elturk founded Haute Hijab, an online boutique for hijabs and modest fashion. The goal of the company, as stated by Elturk on Haute Hijab’s website, was to always offer modern hijabs and high-quality, hijab-friendly designer clothing while nurturing a vibrant and inclusive community. “YOU GUYS SHOULD HAVE A SUPPORT SYSTEM AND SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER AND IF ONE OF US SUCCEEDS THEN WE ALL SUCCEED.” Along with being CEO of her own company, Elturk also wrote for ELLE Magazine and was featured in the New York Times and USA Today. Her articles were written with the intent to offer support to those struggling to adorn their hijabs as well as highlight Muslim women who contributed to their communities in significant ways. “You guys should have a support system and support one another because we’re all in this together and if one of us succeeds then we all succeed,” said Elturk. Elturk and her company started their college tour by visiting more than 15 universities. The goal was to talk about the students’ role as the next generation of American Muslims and how their faith would add to that role.. - it ‘T’m passionate about normalizing hijabs and allowing the greater community of Americans ■I to not feel apprehensive or afraid when they see hijabs and we do that by pumping out really positive stories of women in hijabs doing awesome things in society to give positive images,” said Elturk, “To see the impact that makes—it helps normalize it and makes it easier on those of us who wears it.” One of Elturk’s main points was the importance of wearing the hijab and how much it contributed to Muslim women’s identities. She said her company existed not for the purpose of recruiting girls to wear the religious garment, but to offer support to girls who already wore it. According to Elturk, some girls just wore hijabs, not because they understood their significance, but because it was expected of them. Others carried the uncertainty of wearing hijabs because their significance was also not always understood by non-Muslims. To combat that wariness, Elturk used her company to promote fashion with an emphasis on the element of faith. Knowing how some young women struggled with their Muslim identities, her goal was to make the hijab less mysterious, more natural and normal. “Diversity is extremely important, and it’s actually a priority,” said Miracle Chatman, Black Student Alliance executive board member. “It affects the campus climate and when (students) feel they’re not supported, it can really affect their mental health.” A safe and healthy campus climate was imperative to the success of students. When controversial stories dominated the news cycle, students looked for encouragement and reassurance that they were accepted among their classmates. No matter what they wore or how they looked, all students needed to feel safe on their campus. Melanie Elturk is the CEO of Haute Hijab, an online store for hijabs. She strives to promote self- confidence in women who wear hijabs, especially on college campuses. 119 j9 III ffl wm■E IP=ä IS3:Sa r~~" ¡¡È ■ ..............~ , ¿h -^tpiKammwmmm. ! ss* í®,~^ín¿'’i ^w-? ■ ws :'» ; m S ï! !S S ; fg : m . P ? * « • iÉflMfe 'lËâ,"" ■feiir?;......_.."...±yj LABORS OF LOVE MSU students couple passion with pay For many, college is composed of undying nights, unforgettable moments and unbreakable friendships. Finding a dream job after college may also become top priority For many Spartans, it’s a difficult balance to achieve—a brimming social life coupled with academic and vocational excellence. There are some, however, who try to get the most out of college by combining work and play in one shift. For students working on campus, the pocket change is a nice incentive, but at the end of the day, the money can be ancillary. “It’s a nice way to meet people that you just don’t get not working,” said senior Joseph Micallef. Outside of his weekly responsibilities at Sparty’s, Micallef was a research assistant within the political science department. Between the two positions, Micallef worked over 20 hours a week. For him, it was laborious but rewarding. For senior Haywood Liggett, journalism major, working was a necessity. After transferring to MSU, Liggett had to work multiple jobs to pay his rent, tuition and save up for a car to get from place to place. When he eventually got a gig on campus, everything changed. “Having an internship that I didn’t have to worry about going 20 minutes away for or an hour away for was very important,” said Liggett, a communications assistant at MSU Infrastructure Planning and Facilities. “It was great to have everything in a centralized location.” Liggett not only was able to access his job and clear up time, but his experience became tied directly to his field. Working for IPF, Liggett was introduced to aspects of journalism that he had never before considered. Harnessed with new skills in the trade, Liggett was more confident iri his post-college prospects than ever before. “I still don’t really know exactly what I want to do once I graduate,” Liggett said. “Working at IPF has kind of given me a chance to play a little bit in everything. I still get to write, which I really like doing. And I didn’t know at the time, but I really enjoy doing video, as well.” Though the in-house experiences were transformative for Liggett, that was nothing compared to what he did outside. Through IPF, Liggett was endowed with an all-expenses-paid trip to San Diego in order to glean the information from similar individuals who were at the top of the business. “WHENEVER YOU HAVE A JOB ON CAMPUS, PARTICULARLY AT A LARGE UNIVERSITY, YOU HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH A LARGE COMPANY, BECAUSE A UNIVERSITY IS REALLY A LARGE COMPANY.” While Micallef and Liggett have enjoyed their on-campus employment, the benefits carried potential to snowball in the future; Upon entering their respective career fields, the two would be prime contenders for upper-level positions and immediate consideration because of their work in college, according to Kellen Harris, a career peer advisor at the MSU Career Services Center. Whenever you have a job on campus, particularly at a large university, you have the experience of working with a large company, because a university is really a large company,” Harris said. “You have experience working with students. In many cases, you have experience working with professionals, so it’s really just a great experience that prepares you for your real career.” College avocation was all sorts of things for MSU students, from covering sports games to serving suppers to researching the human genome. No matter the grind, coupling passion with pay in pursuit of a dream job was a combination that paid immediate dividends. PAGES 120-121 Workers at Sparty’s prepare sandwiches, snacks, candy and other convenience items for students to purchase while they are on the go. Additionally, students can visit the Career Services Center in the Student Services building to prepare and plan for employment during after college. RIGHT: The Sparty’s location at Snyder Hall has a brewery for students to grab a cup of coffee in between classes. Many undergraduate students choose to work at Sparty’s given its several location across campus including academic buildings and residence halls. » CONTENT: SIERRA REHM PHOTO: RILEY JAMES DESIGN: KELSEY MCARDLE FAMILY COURT The men’s tennis team used team efforts to approach each match Sitting on a hot court with a racquet in hand, a young spectator tracked the yellow ball volleying from one player to the other. A hollow thud sounded as the ball met the racquet and the squeaks of shoes and grunts traveled through the air. So was the story of how juniors Brett Foreman and Jasper Koenen found their love for tennis: They watched, learned and played with family. When the time came, all that they had learned brought them to the MSU men’s tennis team.“-r; “I think coming into this season we had a lot of mini-goals for ourselves from last season, which was a tough season, said Koenen. “I think that this year we’ve done a great job at being a team and doing better at trusting one another and working hard in practice, and it is definitely showing in our results.” The team has had 10 wins and 15 losses so far in the season. Six of those wins came in a streak of playing other teams indoors. Michigan weather prevented outdoor practice for much of the season, and it showed when the win- - streak was broken during the first outdoor match against the University of South Florida. “Outside, there are a lot more conditions that you have to worry about: the sun, the wind,” Foreman said. “Obviously when you’re playing on the road you’re in a different environment; we were in Florida so it was a lot hotter than we’re used to. Indoors, there’s none of those elements and the ball travels faster, so everything normally is a lot quicker.” Leading up to the start of the Big 10 season, the team hoped to practice outside more and regain its confidence in playing those matches. Regardless of weather however, they were confident in their ability to continue making strides in the right direction. Staring down the end of the season, the tennis team had aspirations of going far in the tournament and taking advantage of the outside practice it received earlier on. “We’re looking to improve with each match we play,” coach Gene Orlando said. “We have seven teams that are ranked in the top 30 in the country and we’re looking forward to getting some big wins. That’s what you work hard for.” Each member of the tennis team played matches individually or in doubles, but Orlando and players insisted that tennis was a team sport. Koenen cited that each individual match added to the overall score for the team, which in turn helped to decide the tournament victor. “Tennis is unique in the aspect that it is individual and team,” said Koenen. “In that sense it’s different than most sports. You have to rely on each other to get the win.” While different elements had the ability to change the game, the Spartans were committed to finishing the season as a unit. With each match, the players felt strengthened and empowered to to move forward. They embraced individuality, but championed the unity existent on tennis courts. Freshman Doug Francken serves the ball during a doubles game against Penn State. The Spartans lost to Penn State 6-1. SEASON RECORD: W: 11 L: 17 PART STUDENT, PART CHEF it Senior Shea Heid prepared mushroom lasagna with vegetables in the community kitchen at Williams Hall. Heid uses the kitchen daily instead of going to the cafeteria. 127 There’s no doubt that school cafeterias had a variety of food to choose from .However, one look at Meijer will remind students that the food the residence halls offer islust a fraction of what is available. The one caveat is that students have to prepare it themselves. It’s the choice that most, if not all, Spartans have had to make. Some students preferred the quick, easy cafeteria meals. To others, such as senior Shea Heid, arts and humanities major, the convenience of the cafeteria came second to the ability to experiment with all sorts of ingredients and recipes. “There were a lot of options at the cafeteria,” Heid said. “But I really love to cook and I was also really excited to control what I bought and be able to buy more organic foods.” Heid started a plant-based diet in Sept. 2015 and discovered she loved to cook for herself. She wanted to become more involved with the food she was eating and realized that in order to get the specific meals she wanted, she’d have to cook them herself. Her meals were simple enough that she could go back to her dorm and prepare a meal between classes. Meals she liked to eat included cereal with fruit, vegetable and dijon mustard wraps, ravioli, smoothies and sweet potatoes. Heid was not the first student to discover she enjoyed cooking at home and continued the habit on campus. Even outside of a dorm with a community kitchen like Williams Hall, most students choose to bring a microwave and mini fridge for times when the cafeteria was closed or the food didn’t suit their desires. “My senior year of high school I started making lots of meals at home and then packing and bringing it to school and then I just really found I enjoyed nutrition and I got really interested in it and I started cooking from there,” said sophomore Shelby Hull, business preference major. Hul also ate a mostly plant-based diet. According to her, she didn’t respond well to some of the preservatives and hormones in the cafeterias’ meat. Though she did usually eat dinner in the cafeteria, breakfast and lunch were full of loaded sweet potatoes, oatmeal or overnight oats—simple meals. On the other end of the spectrum, some students take the time to cook larger or more complicated meals for themselves. Noodle dishes and baked goods are just some of types of recipes Jacob Archer, junior chemical engineering major, liked to make. “I usually cook homemade meals. I don’t do quick stuff so if I’m in a rush I can make ramen or something like that, but when I have the time I make stuff homemade,” Archer said. “It definitely takes away time that I have to study.” It’s a balance for students who cook for themselves, making sure they have time to prepare the meals they want amidst all the work they have to do. It’s a choice and a calculated part of their Spartan experience. Whether students are in the dorms or somewhere off- campus, a recipe they can work with is an easy click away online, or in this book. Shelby’s Baked Sweet Potato Bake one sweet potato in a microwave. Slice it in half. Put hummus and sriracha on one side and yogurt, granola and almond butter on the other half. Jacob’s Baked Macaroni Prep: 15 min. Bake: 30 min. Ingredients • 16 oz uncooked elbow macaroni • 3/4 cup finely chopped onion • 3/4 cup butter, divided • 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour • 4-1/2 cups milk • 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese • 1 teaspoon ground mustard • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt • 1/4 teaspoon pepper • 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs Directions 1. Cook macaroni according to package directions. 2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, saute the onion in 1/2 cup butter. Add the flour; whisk until blended and cook on low heat until a golden brown, making a roux. 3. Gradually add milk. Bring to a low boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 5 min. 4. Stir in the cheese, mustard, salt and pepper until smooth. 5. Drain macaroni and add to sauce; stir until coated. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. 6. Melt the remaining butter; toss with bread crumbs. Sprinkle over macaroni mixture 7. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 6-8 servings. CONTENT: NATASHA BLAKELY PHOTO: RILEY JAMES DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE IN THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES Students study and experience culture through yoga, cinema and food. All majors are united by the requirement to take university courses like math, writing and a science lab. After, each college provides its own range of obligated classes for its students. In the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities (RCAH), those courses emphasized the importance of understanding transculturation. “Cultures are not islands unto themselves,” said Dean Stephen Esquith. “People live their lives in multiple cultures, they experience cultural conflict, they experience cultural change where things from new cultures are absorbed into their cultures. And so transculturation is a word that describes the multiple ways in which cultures interact.” The concept of culture and transculturation surfaced as an important one when looking at ways the arts and humanities integrated and contributed to the world. This enigmatic concept was then softened and explored through topics like the globalization of yoga, food as a cultural expression and black female movies. “We have so much fun in this class,” said Assistant Professor Cindy Hunter Morgan, who taught a book arts course. “Every week we’re working on new projects, introducing students to new techniques, and it’s really satisfying and important to pass on an old art to a new generation.” CONTENT: NATtASHA BLAKELY PHOTO^RILEY JAMES gfe. ALEX DONNELLY Mi i B i S I I 1 ¡thrill The variety in topics acted as an instrument to encourage exploration of transculturation. The faculty members could tailor their sections to topics they cared about, so the courses reflected the passion and expertise of the faculty teaching them. ' “I’m learning about how people can take a concept that’s sacred to a group, strip it of the parts they aren’t interested and then rebrand and mass market it to fit their agenda,” said junior Michayla Ryder, arts and humanities major. “I’m learning how to look deeper into what I see in my everyday life and pay attention to the context in which certain cultural phenomenon exist.” Whatever the students were learning, the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities ultimately helped them develop open ideas about the way cultures interact. Students were being prepared to engage with the world around them by becoming more cognizant of how culture works. Freshman Vanessa Noble makes a vinyl print with a vandercook press in her RCAH class. Noble used paint to make this vinyl print, which is a form of monotype imaging. 131 BEHIND THE SCENES A look at how builders construct the sets that bring the stage to life Nailed lines and choreography weren’t the only factors of a successful student performance. The mood and locations of each scene have to be built through scene design, a task bestowed upon students as well. This construction was undertaken by the Department of Theatre within their own scene shop. “The scene shop is a cross between an art studio, a laboratory and a fabrication shop,” said Faculty Technical Director Erin Freeman. “It is a very active environment as we build six productions for the theatre department, two operas for the College of Music and many, many other smaller projects during the academic year. During the first summer session, we also work on five productions for Summer Circle Theatre, the summer professional company on campus. There is almost always something being built in the scene shop.” “WE ARE WORKING WITH PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT AND GETTING THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING TO ACCOMPANY IT.” Construction for these productions run concurrently with the schookyear and end briefly in May before the summer session starts. Along with production for plays, classes like stagecraft and scenic painting are taught in the shop, teaching students how to utilize the resources and tools. “We can build pretty much anything you could imagine,” freshman Brandon Barker said. “With our CNC router, we can cutithe most intricate shapes with the click of a computer mouse. In the metal shop, we weld to make our scenery safe for actors and technicians. And in the paint area, we can paint wood, metal or plastic, to look like any material you can imagine. The scene shop’s capabilities are pretty much endless.” The shop was meant to model professional shops existent in the world of theatre. The building had over 9,000 square feet of space, making it one of the largest workspaces on campus. According to Freeman, with the amount of tools available in the shop, the only thing that design teams were limited by was their own imagination. “The shop that we have allows us to be trained in a multitude of tools and construction techniques,” junior Mike Merluzzi said. “We are wofting with professional equipment and getting the professional training to accompany it. Though we will not always be working in a shop the size of the one we currently have, we are gaining the experience needed to work with anything possible.” Along with work experience, the students considered gaining relationships as another work perk. They worked in groups to create intricate sets that amaze viewers. Each student, depending on their major, focused on one part of the set, and then brought each individual piece together. “The scene shop is a relaxed, yet very productive space! Barker said. “The staff and students get along well. The relationships between the faculty and students in the department of theatrein general, are much different than other programs. We work on a much more personal level which fosters closer bonds and a great place to learn and to grow.” Through the scene shop, the students were able to grow into better designers, actors and creators. While they themselves may never shine upon the stage, the sets they created certainly would. Junior Mike Merluzzi demonstrates his welding skills, which proves as a common tool used to build theatre sets. The scene shop constructs the sets for the student theatre performances as well as an opera performance done by the College of Music. CONTENT: SIERRA REHM PHOTO: KYLE RlNZLER DESIGN: ALEX DONNELLY Students celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr/s legacy through poetry, song and discussion On Friday, Jan. 13, a gathering was held by the University Activities Board (UAB) at the MSU Union in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. An event that commemorated the holiday with performances from Kyla Lacey, the Black Poet Society and the MSU Gospel Choir, had close to 100 people in attendance. Coming together to encourage laughter, create memories and celebrate diversity, the night encompassed what the MSU community had to offer. “THIS POEM IS DEDICATED TO EVERY PERSON OF COLOR - TO EVERY MEMBER OF ANY MINORITY GROUP.” Lacey, a spoken-word artist and APCP Poet of the Year, served as the event’s host. Lacey shared impassioned poetry of real life experiences. Some poems were relatable with anecdotes, while others took the crowd deeper into more pressing, emotional issues. She shared her triumphs in overcoming damaging relationships and stressed the importance of finding equality among all races. Her testimonies were offered fluidly and confidently, leaving a mark on everyone present. Her final piece of the night echoed a somber tone. “Blood always comes out a little thicker when it’s forced, and tears always taste a little saltier when they’re yours, and sex always loses some of its pleasure when it’s coerced, and dying feels just a little bit easier when you’re being killed by someone you adore,” said Lacey. Members of the Black Poet Society of MSU, a group dedicated to empowering others through the spoken word, were in attendance to share pieces of their own as well. One member, freshman Xavier Cuevas, shared a piece that stemmed from a quote by Martin Luther King Jr. In the poem, the terrors that inspired the Black Lives Matter movement were discussed in depth. “This poem is dedicated to every person of color—to every member of any minority group,” said Cuevas. MSU’s Gospel Choir took the stage to perform a few songs for the attendees. It urged everyone to sing along in celebration of MLK and the strides that the African-American community had made with his direction. In that moment alone, there was a sense of community in the room^the valu£*f of music in every culturcLwas dear. Dan Liaw, a four^HppHMRfflfer, shared his excitement about the event. Being a consistent and active member of the board, he was involved in the planning and execution. “Personally I am excited to see how we as students can impact others by using poetry and music as a way to reach students and celebrate as a community,” said Liaw. This was only the second time for Liaw since becoming a member that the board had held an event like this in honor of MLK. It planned to evaluate its success and impact on students, in hopes of holding other events like this within the MSU community. While the event was small-scale, the intimacy within the room enhanced the performances’ effectiveness. The music brought light to the room and the poetry brought meaning. The fervor in each performer’s voice was evident and reminded everyone of the importance of that night. Students of MSU united in community and celebrated the success of Martin Luther King Jr. University Activities Board (UAB) holds a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the MSU Union Ballroom with Spoken word artist and APCP Poet of the year, Kyla Lacey, as the host. HOPEFUL AND HARDY Despite injuries, the women’s tennis team has high hopes for the Big Ten There was a fierceness in the faces of the women’s tennis team. With their bodies poised to strike and eyes darting after the swift ball, there was tension thick in the air on the tennis courts. The steady thump of the racket hitting the ball was often the only sound heard. Occasionally, one of the audience members could not hold the excitement and quickly let out a sharp cheer. The agility of the players hardly revealed that some of them were injured or recovering from an injury. The women’s tennis team experienced many player injuries. None of the injuries had taken any player completely out of commission however. Every player was training to be competition-ready, injured or not. “This team is very capable, very talented. We’ve had a bit of bad luck with injuries. For me, it’s just making sure everybody’s ready to go. It seems like it’s that kind of thing you can’t predict until you step on court and see it happen,” said Head Coach Simone Jardim. The coach’s faith was not unfounded. The team showcased its capabilities in its match against Charleston. Despite being sick during her singles match, junior Erin Faulkner, number one in the women’s tennis team lineup, won her match. In addition to being sick, Faulkner had also been recovering from an injury. “I’m hoping to push through and play all the Big Ten matches. It’s something I’ve been having to deal with, the lack of self-confidence—the injury. But I’m pretty confident in the Big Ten. I think it’s going to go well,” said Faulkner. I“I think we’re the best team MSU’s had in awhile. The goal is to make NCAA and I think we have a good chance for that.” Using the looming target of the Big Ten matches, the team was strongly motivated in its tough workouts. Practice was two hours a day, six days a week. Players also arranged for individual practice outside of that. “It’s a pretty tough, tough schedule, but it prepares us well for matches,” said senior Emily Meyers. “It’s hard work but it’s nice to be on a team because everybody’s there for each other. It’s more fun because you can pick each other up instead of doing it by yourself.” With the training building a strong foundation, regardless of the injuries, the team felt strong. The fast and hard pace of training gave the team its necessary edge. “Last year it got really crazy during the Big Ten matches, and I really see it happening the same way. It’s a conference so it gets really competitive. Somebody steps up, somebody chokes. That’s where stuff happens,” said Jardim. Faltering was something the women’s tennis team was not allowing into its repertoire. With determination and a rigorous training schedule, the Big Ten matches were going to be more than an unlikely fantasy to them. Sophomore Emily Metcalf hits a forehand shot during one of her matches. Metcalf had a 14-3 record as a single player this past season. SEASON RECORD: W: 17 L: 8 CONTENT: NATASHA BLAKELY PHOTO: KASSIDY RHODES DESIGN: KELSEY MCARDLE CHANGE TAKES TIME MSU narrows the gender gap in the fields of science Science is an overarching word that covers a wide range of subjects that are vastly different, united by the same desires to study and understand the world. As many fields typically were, the studies of science were also united by the ancient stereotype that science was solely for men. This stereotype was why the progress made toward the inclusion and acknowledgement of women in the field was something to be noted and applauded. One of the more successful movies of 2016 was “Hidden Figures,” a movie about three African- American women who were key to one of NASA’s most notable operations, the Space Race. Whether it was the field of medicine or astronomy, seeing women breaking barriers encouraged other women to be involved in science-based careers. “Both my parents are veterinarians so I grew up liking the science field,” said senior Frances Greathouse, physiology major in Lyman Briggs College. “So then I decided to try and do that in college and I just fell in love with it and I just love the dynamic of it and everything.” In the world of academia, the growth was noticeable. At the undergraduate level, the ratio of male-to-female science students narrowed. At the graduate level, the ratio sat on a wider margin. “It seems like when I was an undergrad, I was so busy working that I didn’t notice,” said Kristen Dage, a graduate student in the astronomy department. “But now that I think back on it, there was a few semesters I was the only girl or there was one other besides me.” Moreover, a quick glance at the lists of faculty in the science departments mimicked playing a game of “Where’s Waldo” with female professors. Graduate student Sara Ayoub, who was working on a PhD in physics, noted that most of the professors she contacted when applying to graduate school were male. “Sometimes they take women less seriously,” Ayoub said. “‘Oh, you’re too pretty to be a scientist.’ We hear that a lot. ‘Oh, you’re so pretty. How come you’re a scientist?’ Sometimes if you’re in a research group and you’re the only girl, they don’t listen.” Ayoub, Dage and Greathouse all mentioned that they could see the way things were changing for younger generations of women. Schools and families encouraged young girls to go into science, instead of female dominated fields such as communications, education and the humanities. “Now outreach groups, especially at MSU but probably other places as well, are targeting mostly middle school girls to get the idea that science is for boys out of their head,” Ayoub said. “It’s something we didn’t have, though I never believed that science is for boys.” Trying to place blame for the disparity in the way women were treated in science, versus the way men were treated, was futile. Instead, focusing on the individual merit of each student, regardless of gender, was what fostered progress. Putting effort into outreach programs to encourage young girls to not be discouraged from science, like MSU had done, was just one step in furthering progress. One day, the idea that women were ever underestimated in the sciences will just be a note in history. Graduate student Dayna Christman works on the cyclotron in the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory located on South Shaw Lane. Graduate student Sara Ayoub works on the MoNA-LISA array, which detects neutrons, in the Cyclotron Building. 141 Munn Ice Arena was home to 17,000 square ice a fresh coat,” said Lantzy. feet of ice. That’s a considerable amount to maintain—daily. The arena had more than 64,000 seats and was in constant use during winter months, requiring that Munn had a dedicated ice-upkeep team to keep the hockey facility in proper condition. The most exciting job available when it came to ice upkeep was undoubtedly the task of driving the Zamboni, an ice-resurfacing machine. However, many students were unaware of how the Zamboni actually worked. Steve Lantzy, assistant director at Munn for nearly 10 years, knew better than anyone how these machines operated. Lantzy began his employment as a student and worked his way up to the assistant manager position. “A sharp blade on the back shaves off a layer of ice and then a layer of water is laid down behind the Zamboni and freezes over, giving the According to Lantzy, there were two full-time drivers and one student driver. He recommended getting in touch with the student because he was a people person. It quickly showed. The student driver, a zealous and seasoned ice arena employee, was senior Evan Patton. Patton, a civil engineering major, excelled in his position on the Zamboni and other vital positions at Munn, even filling in as a shovel-boy during some of the MSU hockey games. Working the ice wasn’t a new gig for Patton. He used to be employed at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan. Upon transferring to MSU, he was quickly brought in for an interview at Munn Ice Arena. It was clear that he considered driving the Zamboni to be one of the more exciting aspects of his job. “The most random people find their way into the ice arena and either scream my name, cat-call me or just bang on the glass trying to get me to miss a spot,” said Patton. “I’ve walked into a large lecture hall and had another student stand up and scream, ‘You’re the Munn Zamboni dude!’ and then it was followed by 100 different questions from 100 different students—most of which were asking for a Zamboni ride.” After completing his undergrad, Patton hoped to get his master’s degree in civil engineering. With intentions of continuing his graduate education at MSU, his job as a Zamboni driver would also continue. Suzanne Clough, a senior advertising major, was a regular attendee of MSU hockey games. Not only did she enjoy watching the team in action, but she was also able to watch the ice- upkeep team in its element. “The Zamboni and ice crew are a huge part of making sure the playing surface is in playable shape. Those guys tear the ice up pretty bad in just 20 minutes, and without a clean playing surface the game would be totally different. The ice crew is essential to making sure the game is played on a fair surface and prevents any issues. It also is kind of fun to watch the Zamboni during period breaks,” said Clough. The ins and outs of working in this kind of facility, especially one of the size and high collegiate ranking of Munn Ice Arena, required experience and excitement for the position. It was clear that the current staff possessed these qualities. The ability to be employed in this distinct position was just one of the many ways that MSU acknowledged the various interests of Spartans. Student Zamboni driver Evan Patton enters the rink for a routine resurfacing after an open skate session. Zambonis have cleaned the ice at Munn since the hockey team’s first season in fall 1974. SAVING TIME BY CHECKING MSUFCU helps students bank with ease Managing money could always be a daunting job. For students, challenges included the tasks of building credit, saving money and balancing accounts, which they may never have done on their own before. For those in need of a bank, financial advice or an introduction in fiscal responsibility, MSU Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) had students covered. MSUFCU was established to work directly with students and faculty of the university and was ultimately created by eight MSU professors in 1937. They started lending to students out of a desk drawer before becoming a full-service credit union embedded within the community. “Over the years, the credit union has supported MSU in a variety of ways,” said Deidre Davis, vice president of marketing and communications. “Through sponsorships, community events and financial education, these relationships allow us to achieve our core value of giving back to the community and live our mission of assisting members to achieve their goals and dreams.” Pushing beyond just the initial intent of adding a place for students to keep their money, MSUFCU has worked to add another layer of clarity for its clients. “I started using the credit union at the beginning of last year,” MSUFCU employee Connor Patterson said. “I have always used a credit union and really liked the services that they offered at MSUFCU, so it just made logical sense because banking with them was closer than my other credit union while being at school.” With the credit union being full-service, it provided a variety of services for the community. It tried to make managing services easy through an app as well as through ATM and bank locations. Despite how much employers tried to make the banking experience smooth, there were still likely to be bumps in the road; that’s where MSUFCU’s customer service came into play. The branches were designed to be a more inviting atmosphere for students who stopped in to get help. “It’s a welcoming thing,” Patterson said. “They have a really good call center that you can call and get questions answered. They also have an online chat room that people are super helpful on, and everyone is super friendly in the branches all the time.” Not every student used the bank, however. Some remained at their local credit unions or national banks located in other cities. Some reasons included that the students didn’t fully manage their own accounts or that they never looked into the potential benefits of banking with MSUFCU. “I don’t have much connection with my bank, and when I do it’s frustrating,” said freshman Sidney Morse. “They only care to get things done exactly how they want, when they want; it’s not friendly.” Unlike some distant big banks, whose goals were to make their own money, one of MSUFCU’s main goals were to “help students reach financial self-sufficiency.” With its ¡¡involvement and activism, the credit union became a tool that helped students learn to manage their money before they were fully on their own. The MSU Federal Credit Union headquarters is located in East Lansing, Ml. It is the largest university-based credit union in the world in both membership and asset size. CONTENT: SIERRA REHM PHOTO: KASSIDY RHODES DESIGN: ALEX DONNELLY 145 « fi 0 e R A I CREDIT UNION CONTENT: NATASHA BLAKELY PHOTO: KYLE RINZLER DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR ■ ; - . an mèèëBm ' ■ I m ■MMII pilli ■ I ■¡■111 PACE IT OUT n the ongoing war between PACE and students, both seek resolution For many Spartans, the four-letter acronym “PACE” invited tension and evoked fear. An array of races, religions and genders shared this sentiment, bounded by one commonality: they all parked on campus. As harmless as the word “pace” may be, the acronym PACE had different connotations for these student drivers. Some students saw the uniform and reflexively reacted with hostility. “I can’t act like they like us; but for the most part we’re here to help. We’re not here to hurt, we’re not out there looking for tickets,” said PACE officer Alec Braggs. “I’ve ran into a lot of good people here. Just like everything, there’s one bad apple out of a bunch. For the most part, I would say out of 50, probably 48 or 49 are good people. You just run into the bad ones and they’re the ones a little more apt to tell people about it than people who had good encounters with us.” PACE stands for Parking and Code Enforcement. While they do implement MSU’s parking regulations, many forgot that PACE carried other responsibilities. Enforcement of local ordinances was also a large part of the officers’ jobs. In fact, students weren’t even the biggest violators of parking and code—residents were. Students’ cases were just the ones that received attention. But in many other examples, interactions between PACE officers and students were neutral, if not genial. “I was walking up as he was giving me the ticket,” said senior Julia Behmlander, psychology major. “When he realized it was my car, he apologized and quietly moved on. I felt like he was doing his best to respect the situation and not be more rude than he had to or could have been, which made me feel less upset about the situation overall.”® The student-PACE relationship was often characterized as a hostile one—a face-off between the bratty student and his or her petty PACE nemesis. But, it wasn’t fun for either party. “When I would walk downtown in the afternoon, you’d get yelled at a lot because nobody likes to get a parking ticket,” said officer Sarah Campbell. “I’m a police officer now and I’ve written people for speeding or other types of tickets. People are more hostile when they get a parking ticket than a speeding ticket or something.” Often, a one-sided picture could be painted, neglecting the existence of friendly and understanding PACE officers. Officer Campbell’s experience was emblematic of that attitude. “Everyone’s different,” Campbell said. “But when I had people come up to me and say, ‘Hey, I didn’t know,’ I would take things back if you’re going be polite to me. The one thing I was pretty set on though was the handicap tickets,” It was hard enough finding a place to park on campus. Without PACE, one could only imagine how much harder that would be. Pleasant or not, PACE existed for a reason. Spartans could even considered an encounter with PACE as one of those unifying and essential cliché college experiences for alumni to commiserate over. Since 1994, Parking and Code Enforcement (PACE) has been in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. PACE not only addresses parking issues but littering and ice removal as well. IPS■ 147 $1.00 anY prande/super specialty beverage h°t, iced or frozen! I I I Buyft»¿¡rZaL n onl' grande/super specially bevem any grande/s»' «COFFEE , J*756 Marsh Rd BÜSSW / Ej'P,r« JVS/I4Applies smoothies (?3*) 44^3074 $1.00 OFF any grande/super specialty beverage hot, iced or frozen! JdJbiggby UÊÊ P O CT C~ r- ■■COFFEE ,.JJ56 Marsh Rd 22srn LLke Lansin9 Rd 2250 Lake Lansing Rd FREE Appli©*>oofhh dur f equal ^,ceS’ ^st*o f EAST LANSING 2500 Mf. Late Lansing CotiCtOFt jfÉill with pievi Hot vaiò with anyother Ufntttd ÉÉ® offa | -ln-ïany Oui-Oelivet. aupon.iMoneperomir ricw subject to thaw}*4 ¿8fWÉt!f*6#n ■«neon Api«,«!-,; „. **,+**•* -w». » pfOQtlCtS 1 ▼ 'V-*-.........; CONTENT: ARIANA TAYLOR PHOTO: MOLLY EDDINGTON DESIGN: KENT KUBANI CUTTING COSTS Students adapt to financial troubles and the impeding cost of independence Buying lunch or paying for gas was a choice familiar with many college students. For some, the college experience was accented with the never-ending cycle of working hard professionally and academically, while still not having money. While students may have been used to the feeling of not having enough expendable funds, several resources combatted this feeling by encouraging student budgeting. “For most students, this is their first time being on their own, so budgeting their money may seem difficult,” said Steve Do, an Office of Financial Aid officer. The subject of budgeting often encouraged thoughts of couponing or calculating month-long expenses. The reality, however, was that it could be as simple as not bringing a debit card while going to class. In fact, there were several budgeting tips geared solely towards college students. “I REALLY GET TIRED OF EATING CAMPUS FOOD, BUT I’D RATHER EAT FOR FREE THAN SPEND MONEY EVERY DAY ON LUNCH.” It was often suggested that students not purchase new textbooks, as they notoriously held hefty price tags and caused a financial burden. Before trudging to the Student Book Store, looking on Facebook pages for ads or for used books proved successful. Resale websites, including Amazon and Chegg, also offered discounted prices. Even stores on campus provided options to rent or buy textbooks and class materials. Limiting the number of times students dined at restaurants also helped budgeting efforts. With nine residential dining halls on campus, Spartans were offered a variety of choices for all three meals. While the food served in cafeterias could grow monotonous and tempted students to spend their money elsewhere, utilizing the meal plan really helped. “I really get tired of eating campus food, but I’d rather eat for free than spend money every day on lunch,” said sophomore Brianna Washington, criminal justice major. Along with dining halls, campus offered several other wallet-friendly conveniences. The Greater Lansing area and MSU’s campus offered several fun activities for free. Campus Center Cinemas showed movies for free during the weekends, and every Wednesday, there was free cosmic bowling at the Union. Before spending money out in town, students could search for what was going on at MSU. “I try to save but it’s hard,” said freshman Jakobie Bryon, pre-nursing major. “Now I notice I spend a lot of money on stupid things”. Dorms were an epicenter of student living and a way to relieve housing costs. If residential hall life was not a student’s cup of tea, there were affordable alternatives. When choosing the right apartment, students needed to take into account the cost of rent, utility bills, food and transportation. Riding the bus or carpooling worked as a solid replacement for driving to campus. One bus pass costed $50 per semester and could be bought with Spartan Cash. For anyone driving to class, even if they avoided tickets from MSU’s parking services, they were still feeding the meter and paying for fuel that could add up each trip. Money struggles caused strife for many in the collegiate community. While college may have been met with cheap living and hard-to-meet ends, that was when it was time to get clever. For keys to financial survival, there were plenty of methods to look for help. Students utilize coupons, both print and digital, to save on costs for groceries, hygiene and entertainment. MSU offers opportunities for students to enjoy amenities for free at the convenience of the swipe of a student ID card. INVISIBLE HANDS Infrastructure Planning and Facilities works to ensure campus runs smoothly Spartans saw the yellow notes adorning water fountains, memorized the on-campus channel number for their favorite station and felt the buzz of a text notification for each road closure. Yet, it was unlikely that many had stopped to question who exactly it was that posted that notification, coordinated that available TV viewing option or sent that text. It was just the university, right? Wrong. “They deal with a lot of basic infrastructure for the college specifically, as well as the landscape, sewage, technology,” said senior Quintin Shine, media information and technology major. “They’re the infrastructure people.” “ONE OF IPF’S CORE PILLARS IS STEWARDSHIP AND ENSURING THAT OUR CAMPUS SUSTAINS INTO THE FUTURE.” Ding, ding! Right answer. Infrastructure Planning and Facilities (IPF) was one of the busiest organizations on campus, and one of the most understated. The mission of IPF was simple. According to its website, IPF delivered services and facilities to help Spartans change the world. It focused on the responsible stewardship of campus, risk­ taking innovation and service prioritization for members of MSU. Not only did IPF handle the infrastructure of MSU’s campus, but it also brought forth initiatives that preserved and advanced the interests of the university for years down the road. In 2016, IPF missions included the conversion of the T.B. Simon Power Plant to a paragon of environmental guardianship. By Mar. 24,2016, MSU’s smokestacks no longer spouted smoke into the Eastttansing sky. Directed by IPF, MSU turned a little greener. “One of IPF’s core pillars is stewardship and ensuring that our campus sustains into the future. That includes environmental, economic and social sustainability,” said Grace Noyola, the MSU Sustainability communications coordinator. “When we undergo new construction projects, we build to these standards which essentially mean that we’re going to be mindful of how much we’re throwing away, how much land we’re disrupting, „ how we manage those waste materials.” In doing so, MSU reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 27.7 percent, a figure that was expected to augment in wake of the switch from coal. Other IPF occupations centered around reduce, reuse and recycle. Behind all of these advancements was a dedicated staff Containing 13 separate departments, IPF operated year-round. “It’s a big organization,” said Haywood Liggett, IPF communications assistant. “IPF has over like 10,000 people working there—not all in the same building, but across campus.” While cutting its carbon footprint, IPF constructed the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). Thanks to grants from MSU, the State of Michigan and the Department of Energy, campus would invite energy scientists from around the world to better understand the depths of nuclei at the most atomic level at this one-of-a-kind facility. The project was set to be completed in 2022. During his time at IPF, Liggett was immersed in the full spectrum of tasks. From video production to firsthand interviews of construction workers on the Breslin Center, Liggett could appreciate the scale of the behind-the-scenes group, especially from the communications side. “So they would have me go out and maybe talk to somebody working on the Breslin Center or something like that, and do a little Q-and-A,” Liggett said. “Working at IPF has kind of given me a chance to play a little bit in everything. I still get to write, which I do like doing, and I didn’t know at the time, but I really enjoy doing video as well.” From a new facade for the Breslin Center to a new source of energy for the campus, MSU markedly improved in 2016. Thanks to IPF, progress would likely never falter on the banks of the Red Cedar. Carpenter Nick Royes cuts wood using a bandsaw for a project on campus. This is one of the many saws in the IPF buildin-g located on Wilson Road which helps with university infrastructure plans. ¡¡¡¡I m, É||l :mM ¡MB HASTOLDfUS CONTENT: NATASHA BLAKELY DESIGN: ERIC SCHWARTZ There were more than 250,000 comic issues, volumes and anthologies neatly organized in rows on shelves in the Main Library. The comic collection had become the largest library collection of comics in the world. Dozens of alphabetically ordered, brightly colored cartoon books sat in clear plastic sleeves, awaiting the hands and eyes of the public. The collection contained well-known American DC and Marvel comics, but the library had also cultivated a range of comics from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America as well. Stories like Adventures of Tintin, Asterix and Condorito were all tucked in the shelves beside the Avengers books and Shonen Jump magazines. “During my shifts I would pay a lot of attention to the art and make fun of the costumes,” said junior Sariah Metcalfe, an arts and humanities major, who worked in the Special Collections section of the library. “I rarely had time to read the comics. I think I did once during a break, but other than that, working there inspired me to buy my own.” In early 1974, someone stole a Spider-Man comic from the library. That’s when the comics and Randall Scott, who was a typist at the time, moved to Special Collections. He helped organize and put ownership stamps on the roughly 6,000 comics the library had at the time. An hour a day became a full­ time position for the comic art bibliographer at the Main Library as Scott built the collection. “People travel here and they stay for weeks,” Scott said. “They’re writing a book or doing a dissertation for another university. Especially during the summer we get around five of those.” Plenty of people utilized the comic collection for a variety of reasons, and not just for leisure. Beyond the graduate students or researchers doing specific projects on comics, many MSU professors sent their students to Special Collections to look at the comics in other languages or from other cultures. Students came looking for Indian comics that mentioned Hindu gods or comics in French or German to practice their reading comprehension. It served as a vast comic resource for everyone, not just students. “Not specifically for any one particular project, it’s more for my own personal edification,” said Nicholas Bozen, East Lansing resident. “The history of the industry and to the extent that the industry itself affects people culturally—if you look at the pop culture we have around us, especially in film, we see the legacy of that.” The current wave of comic book movies reflected the growing popularity of comics. It also reminded people about the cultural relevance comics have as discussion points about prejudice, fear and governmental control. Comics can be a way to kill the time, but they can also provide insight into current and past cultures. Special Collections at the library gave students and the public a window into other experiences, then and now, that they were curious about. Not every college student had easy access to such a large collection of comic books, which became the perfect excuse to take a break from looking up an extra source for that paper to read an issue of “Captain Confederacy.” The Comic Art Collection holds over 200,000 items. Most of these items are American comic books, but also included are over 1,000 books of collected newspaper comic strips, nearly 45,000 foreign comic books, and several thousand books and periodicals about comics. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MSU LIBRARIES 155 CONTENT: LOGAN RYAN PHOTO: JESSALYN TAMEZ DESIGN: KENT KUBANI wm i DIVING IN Swim and Dive freshmen talk about their transition into college life Living in a dorm with friends, walking along Grand River Avenue to eat out, managing time without a parent breathing down their necks— it was all different than before. Independence felt great, but sleeping through an exam didn’t. Classes, jobs, extracurriculars, social events and sleep were a lot to manage for the newly enrolled. Adding collegiate level athletics into that mix only added to the whirlwind of fresh experiences. The freshmen joining the MSU swim and dive team for the 2017 season weren’t exempt from the pressures of their first semester. For some, the added pressure started even before classes began. “My dad swam at Illinois State and my brother swam at University of Connecticut, so I like being able to continue on and swim in college like they both did,” said freshman Scott Piper, biosystems engineering major. “You have to put a lot of work...into the recruiting process, so it was a really exciting time...but it was also stressful because there were a lot of big decisions.” The collegiate adaptation also forced freshmen to compete against teams they had once idolized. This barrier had to be overcome quickly if they wished to evolve from a fan into a serious competitor. “Coming into my first practice here I was really intimidated and I was wondering, ‘Did I do enough?”’ said freshman Payton Woods, business major. “Our first meet, I was a little intimidated because like, ‘Wow, I’m swimming against Iowa, like I’ve seen these people on TV. Is this really happening?’ and then as the year went on we found out that we could compete with the top teams, so it became less intimidating.” While they found success in the pool, being part of a team brought assistance beyond just the sport. With a team to support them upon the first months on campus, freshmen swimmers found their college lives were made easier. Avoiding the loneliness that freshmen could feel upon arrival, college acclimation came with fewer roadblocks. “I definitely enjoy it and I think it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made,” said freshman Kennedy Truex, business finance major. “Having a group of people that are like already your friends, makes...the college experience so much easier...we all have common goals, so we share common interests of doing well in school and swim so I think it’s really helped.” ■In addition to a feeling of belonging and confidence in their own abilities, Spartan swimmers found themselves benefitting from their busy schedules too. With increased responsibility and the need to manage their time wisely, they were building up their skills as both students and athletes. “I would say it’s challenging, but I also say it’s made me a better student,” said Woods. “It’s really made me be disciplined with what I do and be dedicated to my schoolwork.” Entering college as a student athlete is a huge commitment. The newest additions to MSU’s swim and dive lineup however, found that there was much more to be gained than lost in the experience. The team, along with their new members, had a strong season, with Cathryn Armstrong, Jon Burke, Adam Henley and Joe Szczupakiewicz all competing in the Big Ten Championship finals. The 2017 freshmen looked forward to making it to even greater heights, and there seemed to be nothing stopping them from doing just that. SEASON RECORD: MEN’S W: 1 WOMEN’S W: 2 L: 7 L: 6 THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK MSU5s official cheerleader stands for the campus and community He’s known across the state of Michigan, recognized across the nation and even represented across the world. Students from preschool to college look up to him. Loyal fans raise their children to admire him. Fellow Spartans want to meet him and other universities CONTENT: ARIANA TAYLOR PHOTO: KYLE RINZLER DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR birthdays and other community gatherings. “Our mascot is a tradition, he’s a symbol of our school spirit, he embodies that ‘Spartans Will’ mentality,” said sophomore Trevon Smith, computer science major. “He gets us hype for football games, basketball games, even just going to class. He’s our backbone.” Sporting his traditional green armor and his rippling pectorals, Sparty attended about 600 to 700 events per year. While he may be the face of MSU athletics, only 90 of those events were athlete competitions. Even though there is only one true Sparty, eight to 16 students volunteered their time and energy to enliven the mascot. From running across the football field with an MSU flag to putting a smile on an ill child’s face in the hospital, Sparty fulfilled many roles in the community. From the mascot’s perspective, however, the seven-foot tall icon saw the world in a way no one else did. “The big thing is, I don’t know if thilever gets across, but just how thankful Sparty is, and speaking on behalf of the Sparty alumni, how thankful they are for all the support through the years and all the passion that fans bring,” said Ben Hatala, MSU alumnus and former Sparty. “We really appreciate all that; it’s very humbling.” There was a long process to become the 27-year-old warrior. An application needed to be submitted which required an essay, a grade report and a physical examination. Next was an informational meeting and a ride-along with Sparty. The director of the Sparty Mascot Program reviewed the applications and, if selected, students would be eligible to participate in a fitness interview, group interview, trying on the costume and regular tryouts. “We have a pretty intense tryout process because the program is so historic and we’re looking for the right students. It takes so much because it is a volunteer program,” said Clint Stevens, director of the Sparty Mascot Program. “It’s a rewarding experience.™ Sparty could be compared to Santa Claus with the vast amount of traveling he has done. In addition, much like Batman, he is a masked hero idolized by his followers, though the identity of the person under the suit remained a mystery. Through it all, Sparty portrayed the can-do spirit of his fellow Spartans, remaining an indefinite part of MSU. Sparty poses on the court at the Breslin Center during a men's basketball game, which the Spartans’ won with a score of 65-47. There is a large network of alumni who have donned the Sparty costume and embraced the Spartan spirit. 161 want to have him. He is the exuberant, exultant mascot of MSU. He is Sparty. The Sparty that MSU knows today came to life in 1989. Since then, his name has become an icon for the green and white culture far and wide. Sparty has been to national championships, featured on commercials and was named the best mascot in the Big Ten in 2016. His popularity even gained him invites to events like weddings, BEAR NECESSITIES Natural Resources’ mascot remains a campus jeon While the universally known figure around campus is Sparty, there was another figure just as impressive. Though not every student has had the pleasure of meeting this figure, it left a strong impression on those who had. It wasn’t because of its towering height, thick, white fur or its fearsome fangslpit was because it stood as a symbol of pride. This figure was none other than a massive Alaskan polar bear. Anyone who entered the Natural Resources Building could not fail to notice the polar bear standing guard over the main lobby. The bear was a staple for the students and departments who called this building home. For more than 50 years, students have seen it as an integral part of their college experience. Passing years led to the deterioration of the animal, leading some to believe its retirement was near. “When alumni found out that we were thinking of getting rid of the bear because he looked so shabby, we heard from a lot of folks,” said Gary Roloff, associate professor of fisheries and wildlife. “Many alumni from Natural Resources have their photo taken with the bear, the undergraduate study room is called the ‘polar bear room’ and I always see undergraduates showing their parents the bear. He’s definitely part of Natural Resources.” The bear did not begin its MSU career at Natural Resources, however. It originated from Point Barrow, Alaska in 1957, then came to the MSU Museum in 1960. That same year, the Natural Resources Building was created and the bear made its way there, becoming a symbol of pride. Students and faculty alike enjoyed the feeling of having their own mascot, especially one that impressive. fur and he was in desperate need of a bath. The bear’s condition was so poor that we needed to get him refurbished or send him to the landfill.” When students heard of the bear’s deplorable condition, they provided support. The Fisheries and Wildlife Club sold T-shirts and raised more than $2,000. Many alumni and other students donated as well, and the costs were met. The restoration was successful and the polar bear was quickly refurbished. New claws, a thorough washing and many other touch-ups made a world of difference. “The restoration was the brainchild of Dr. Winterstein as a way to reconnect with our alumni,” said Roloff. “We suspected that the bear was important to people, but we were pleasantly overwhelmed with the amount of support we received for the renovation.” The students’ hard work paid off. With its shiny coat and impeccable new claws, the bear resumed its station in Natural Resources, diving right back into his duties of guarding and inspiring. “I’m proud to walk by the bear and be reminded of the past successes and future challenges facing natural resource management,” said senior Kat Crowley, fisheries and wildlife major, “ffl’ve had several pictures taken with the polar bear—in fact, more than I’ve had with Sparty.” Sixty years ago, the polar bear could not have imagined that its legacy after death would be such an important one. This humble bear had been elevated to much more than a display. Students and faculty alike wished to see it remain for many more years and were determined to make that happen. “The bear’s condition deteriorated over the next almost 50 years,” said Dr. Scott Winterstein, chair of the department of fisheries and wildlife. “His claws had been taken, he had holes in his The nine-foot-tall polar bear was donated to the MSU Museum in 1960. Half a century later, the polar bear now stands at his post to greet students who enter the Natural Resources Building. 162 163 CONTENTlSYDNEY NASEEF PHOTO: KYLE RINZLER DESIGN: KELSEY MCARDLE THE SWEET LIFE Spartans bake their cake and eat it too with MSU Bakers The world of Spartan baked goods was vast. Much of what was found in the dining halls, at Sparty’s and sold online originated from one East Lansing location: MSU Bakers. Generally, its major contributions were to the dining halls, however, it also provided pastries like bread and cookies to the Dairy Store, bagels to Sparty’s cafes and also had a myriad of items available for retail order. While students already knew how tasty the treats could be, many were unaware of the organization’s origins. The facility and the contributions the bakers made to the campus stretched back more than 30 years. Prior to 1972, each dining hall had its own bake shop with roughly two to four workers employed at each location. In 1974, MSU Bakers was converted to a centralized location in Brody, where about 18 workers were employed. It wasn’t until 2007 that the current working location on Service Road was opened. Sara Steele, the operation supervisor of the bakery and employee for more than three years, shared that the number of employees has grown significantly. Now, more than 70 students populated the bakery staff The necessity of a large staff stemmed from the number of items it baked. More than 892,469 bagels and 1,881,471 cookies were sold in 2016 alone. That required a large workforce. “The bakers are always hard at work this time of year preparing for the annual end-of- semester holiday dinner held in the dining halls on campus,” explained Steele. “Everything from snowman cookies to gingerbread houses are produced rapidly each day for the event.” One of the most exciting months of every year for MSU Bakers and MSU’s campus as a whole was the month of October. It was the only month that Gwen’s Bagels were handmade at the bakery and available for purchase. Rita Lyon, an employee with the program for 19 years and with a specialty in bagels, recounted the meaning and history behind Gwen’s Bagels and the campaign she started. “Gwen Lyon was my mother, and she passed away from breast cancer in 1972,” said Lyon. “I started Gwen’s Bagels as a tribute to her, as well as anyone who has passed from this disease or anyone currently struggling. One dollar for every half-dozen bagels sold is donated to the American Cancer Society.” The majority of the workers at the bakery were not full-time employees, but students. A recent graduate and current human resources assistant, Sydney Cronkhite, began working with MSU Bakers her sophomore year after a friend suggested she apply. “I’ve been here so long, and now I just can’t seem to get away from it,” said Cronkhite, smiling. The bakery had produced thousands of bakery ferns every day for years. Pride was taken in every cookie eaten, every bagel purchased and each online order completed. Long days were worked to provide the campus with the desired baked goods and MSU Bakers was to be thanked for their iconic and decadent masterpieces. TOP: Senior Bree Williams decorates holiday cookies at the MSU Bakers’ kitchen. BOTTOM: Workers at MSU Bakers make bagels, donuts, . cookies and breads that are sold to the public and distributed to cafeterias around campus. COLLEGE OF BUSINESS Business Management student hopes to shake things up in Detroit The “D” in Myya D. Jones stood for Donnella, but there was no mistake what “D” she stood up for. Born and raised in the city of Detroit, Jones had a mission to return as mayor and represent her city in the political arena. Just 22 at the time of her campaign, Jones had been politically active from an early age. Growing up in Michigan’s largest city, she attended Cass Technical High School before selecting MSU as the place to continue her education in business management. “SHE KNOWS WHAT THE PEOPLE OF DETROIT NEED FROM FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE...” “It’s a great place to be, and there’s all sorts of opportunities for our students to engage,” Kellen Harris, a career peer adviser at MSU Career Services, said of Michigan State. Jones knew she needed a degree to back up the magnitude of change that she wanted to bring with her to Detroit. At MSU, she worked tirelessly as the head of several student organizations to find outlets learn more about politics, people and empowerment. Despite her age, Jones was a weathered politician by the time she decided to run. In various capacities, she worked for Visteon, Ernst and Young, Google and the United States Congress. She was also published in the Huffington Post, after researching and exploring the topic of mental health in the U.S. That experience was rooted in her time as a Spartan. “Experience is the best teacher and unlike other candidates, I understand many of the struggles Detroiters face because I have lived through the same struggles,” Jones said. “In addition to the fact that I am the only woman that has announced candidacy, sharing similar experiences sets me apart from other candidates. Detroiters responded vociferously to her call for action. Her followers were dedicated to the city and to Myya. “More than anything, the fact that Myya is born, raised and attended school in Detroit speaks for itself. She knows what the people of Detroit need from first hand experience and from a perspective where candidates who aren’t from Detroit can’t truly understand,” Aundreana Jones-Poole, a member of the campaign on the communications team, said. On her quest to change Detroit, Jones bore the flag of groups that she felt hadn’t received their due share of attention. Far from flying solo, Jones sought to put the stamp of women, minorities and millennials on the next wave of Detroit’s rejuvenation. Senior Myya D. Jones is the youngest person on record, at the age of 22, to run for Mayor of 1* Detroit. Her campaign platform focuses on public safety and economic development in the city. * CONTENT: ISAAC CONSTANS PHOTO: KYLE RINZLER DESIGN: ALEX DONNELLY ■i CONTENT: NATASHA BLAKELY PHOTO: RILEY JAMES DESIGN: KENT KUBANI PAWSOME PALS Students supplement their lives outside class with a variety of animal companions For Spartans, finals week bought the opportunity of library-hosted puppy therapy sessions. These sessions provided space to decompress with friendly canines as a break from cramming. For some, this was the only access they had to furry companionship. For others, all they had to do was head back home for some animal love. Owners walking their dogs and cats was not an uncommon sight to see during the school year. But for the more adventurous students, there were many more unconventional options for pets. H’ve had fish, birds, dogs, everything,” said senior Sam Merchun, physiology major. “I wanted a pet that I could get for an apartment that was allowed and I thought spiders were really interesting.” Fuzzy and pink was how Bonobo the rose hair tarantula was described. According to Merchun, spiders didn’t require much time, space or money, making them an ideal pet for college. One aspect he wasn’t prepared for was the long­ term commitment. He didn’t realize that female tarantulas could||ve up to 25 years. But, even when new pet owners were unprepared, their love for their creatures encouraged them to find ways to cope with the unexpected difficulties. “I had no plan to get a pet,” said senior Darion van Haren, French major. “But I was at a flea market and some guy was selling a ton of baby turtles that were about an inch big. ¡They were all piled on top of each other in a tiny tank and I felt really bad for them, so I bought one to try to give it a better life or something.” In van Haren’s case, the financial aspect was a bigger barrier for her than the time commitment. She had no idea just how much money she’d need to take care of a turtle before she got Burley. Already an owner of two cats, van Haren’s costs quickly added up. Junior Shelby McWilliams, an animal science major who shared a dog, cats, birds, guinea pigs and a snake with her sister, was also familiar with the financial burden. Nonetheless, the pets were worth it to their owners. “I think loving animals started my interest in animal science, because there was so much I didn’t know about it,” McWilliams said. “They can be expensive at times but other than that I love them Senior Emily Nagle cares for a stray cat named Leroy. Nagle leaves food out for Leroy, and even lets him in her house on cold nights. all and wouldn’t change it.” Owning pets could get hectic. McWilliams had to regularly rush home after classes to let her dog out. Her other animals weren’t any easier. “One time we came home and Dakota, the ball python, was missing,” McWilliams said. “It’s happened a few times but we find him pretty fast because he hides in warm places. We looked all around the house—literally everywhere. We were going to give up until we saw his tail poking through the cushions of the couch. He had somehow gotten out and ventured all the way into the living room to crawl into the couch. So, we basically had to tear up the bottom of our brand new couch because he refused to leave the sanctuary of his new home.” College is often recounted through unforgettable, long-lasting friendships. For some, it’s a student met in a class or on the same floor of a freshman dorm. For others, it’s a dearly beloved animal friend that they will think of most fondly when they reminisce about their college days. TOP: Senior Darion van Haren owns this turtle named Burley, van Haren said Burley is a low- maintenance pet to look after with duties including tank hygiene and feeding. RIGHT: Senior Sam Merchun owns Bonobo the tarantula. Merchun said that tarantulas prefer living in a habitat covered in their own webs. 170 A' S r &■: * 1 M*i 1 I* -: ■ Ik HÍ Srtlt: »■■■Hi ■■■Hl 1Ü l f llMaillillB MM!— 3® Ä Spili h:kn ■ ®ÜP§ mÊSSk m I« 171 ¡¡Ili - CONTENT: ISAAC CONSTANS PHOTO: CRAIG HEDGES DESIGN: KELSEY MCARDLE JUMP-SHOOTING UP THE CHARTS Senior guard Tori Jankoska leaves of consistency and hard work legacy If milestones were to serve as a measuring stick, guard Tori Jankoska must have seemed 2,000 feet tall throughout the 2016-2017 campaign. Breaking records and garnering awards on a regular basis, the senior guard became the first Michigan State women’s basketball player to eclipse the 2,000 point mark in an odds-defyingyear. It definitely wasn’t her height that allowed Jankoska to surmount mountainous odds and land atop the MSU all-time rankings though. Jankoska stood at only 5 feet 8 inches tall. She was more of a shooter, prowling the perimeter, far from the titans of inside. With robotic repetitiveness in form and motion, her stroke stayed consistent and reliable. It wasn’t just the smooth shot either. “She just has a heart that’s bigger than anything I’ve ever coached,” head coach Suzy Merchant said. “She’s just a competitive kid that doesn’t really know how tall she is or fast she is or slow she is. She just competes.” Most senior seasons are memorable, but Jankoska’s was special. At the advent of the new year, questions swirled around the Spartans. Having seen former player Aerial Powers declare for the WNBA after her junior year, MSU faced an uphill challenge trying to replace the program’s all-time leading scorer at the time. In stepped Jankoska, with a stride of swagger. In the first game of the season, she issued her claim to the throne with a 26-point opening night performance. And that was just the beginning. After a spell of unfaltering production,® Jankoska hit a new high on Jan. 10. Her 42-point performance led the team to an easy 94-75 win against Ohio State.Jn the grand scheme of things, however, it was much more. Jankoska’s eruption of scoring gave her the prestigious records for team points both in a single game and college career. She captured both on the same night. “It just shows you what kind of toughness and what kind of competitor Tori is,” Merchant said. “I think she knew she would break the record. I’m sure it was something that was in the back of her mind of something she wanted to do, but she would rather win that game scoring 6 points than scoring 42 and losing.” Just one month later, Jankoska garnished her storied legacy with yet another feat when she joined the ranks of the hallowed few to score 2,000 points for a program as MSU fell to Maryland. She was the first Spartan woman to ever reach the landmark. “That’s not really what was on my mind,” Jankoska said. “My big thing since I’ve been here, is to keep getting better. Finding the things that you need the most improvement on and trying to get better at those things|j| Jankoska gave MSU fans so many records to remember that they’ll probably forget a few. Night-in and night-out, however, her opponents wouldn’t be able to shake the memory of Jankoska, unfailingly exhibiting that three-point jumper. “I think she’s a talent,” Maryland head coach Brenda Frese said. “I mean, she has, wha™ over 2,000 points now? What she’s been able to do pin every statistical category, I believe she’s a next level player.” Of all of Jankoska’s venerable contributions to the Spartans, the true testament to her legacy might be what she left behind. Yet, even as MSU dealt with a difficult schedule, there was a constant ponytail pinned back, a gather into a gooseneck and a rustling net. Whether in practice or games, those Tori Jankoska trademarks will live on as her legacy for a long time within the Breslin Center. Senior guard Tori Jankoska goes for a basket in the Spartans’ pursuit for a 19-point comeback against Penn State. Jankoska led the Spartans on Senior Day by scoring 21 points. CONTENT: SIERRA REHM PHOTO: KASSIDY RHODES DESIGN: ALEX DONNELLY MAINTAINING THEIR CURLS “Naturalistas” connect through their natural hair MSU’s student body is often seen as culturally and racially diverse, as they recognize students from hundreds of nations across the world in their academic community Within that diversity, sometimes it was hard for minorities to find a comfortable place. Curlfriends, a club created by recent alumna Ambrigal Smith, provided a community for African American women on campus, by connecting them through their natural hair. There were many facets of Curlfriends across the nation, a common one being a company that aims to market and sell products to women with all types of curls. MSU’s independent chapter of Curlfriends had a different, non-profit based motive. They aimed to make a safe space within their independent culture for women to discuss a new topic weekly related to their hair, health and education. “[Curlfriends] was started last year on the motive of bringing awareness to natural hair and the maintaining of it, healthy care for it, and acceptance of it,” said Auriel Thompson, community liaison to Curlfriends. “We promote healthy lifestyles, hair and body, because in order to be natural you have to maintain your bodily health and maintain what you’re eating, so in that way we have to incorporate lifestyle factors.” Thompson liked to call the girls who chose to go natural, referring to hair that is not chemically relaxed, “Naturalistas.” She said the campus was full of them, and that Curlfriends wanted to reach out to them to collaborate on styles, promote health, and encourage more women to feel comfortable wearing their hair naturally. This easy-going nature of the club with its one-of-a-kind message, is what encouraged transfer student, Imani Emanuel and junior Monica Booker to join. Booker joined as soon as she could after seeing Curlfriends’ booth at Spartan Remix in the fall.. They’re both part of the approximately 25 girls who came to meetings regularly. ■il joined [the club] because I like the cause and I, like what they represent,” Emanuel said. “I like how there is a community for women who have natural hair on campus,lit doesn’t matter what color, it’s just somewhere where you can talk about your curls and embrace them, and I really appreciate that.” Booker said that as the club grew they would continue to establish confidence in women in regards to their hair, and create a place where women can discuss and help each other. “I think this club is so important to have on MSU’s campus because MSU, like most higher educational institutions is predominantly white,” said Booker. “So I, as a black woman, look around campus I don’t see very many people who have the same hair texture as me, or even look like me. Curlfriends provides an environment where there are people who look like me and have a similar hair texture that I do and it doesn’t make me feel as alone.” MSU had numerous clubs that focused specifically on one ethnic group, but Curlfriends was one of the few that honed in on a specific cultural topic. It’s a group that enabled African American women to identify themselves against media standards, and created a place on a campus where they may have difficulty finding someone to identify with. TOP: Senior Kaliyah Jetton and junior Keiarra Menefee are active members of Curlfriends. Menefee sports a hat that the club uses to fundraise and raise awareness of the organzation. BOTTOM: Sophomores Imani Emanuel and Tristen Smith are active members of Curlfriends, a club aimed at creating a community of women who embrace their natural hair. MAKING AN IMPACT Impact89 FM gives students a boost as well as a voice The smooth voice of a DJ rolled out across East Lansing, announcing songs and taking requests from callers. Later on he hosted a talk show, interviewed an activist group on campus and kept people up to speed on his favorite Netflix show. As his shift came to a close, he announced, “Thanks for listening, everyone. I’ll be back tomorrow.” WDBM-88.9 FM, or as it’s commonly known, Impact89, is MSU’s student-run radio station. Since 1989, Impact has broadcast music across campus. Employing only students, it served as a great way for them to gain real-world CONTENT: LOGAN RYAN PHOTO: RILEY JAMES DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR There were over 300 students involved with Impact, both employees and volunteers, as of 2016. Many of these students were directly involved with the radio show itself such as D Js, aspiring volunteer D Js, podcast hosts and interviewers. “I’ve been a DJ for almost two full years now and I wish I would’ve gotten started right away,”, said senior Ellen McCartney. “There’s something special about D Jing because you can’t see or hear your audience. You don’t know if a hundred people are tuned in or just one, so it’s a very personal thing to share parts of your day and fun facts when you don’t know who’s listening. But when you get song requests or callers who just wanted to tell you you’re doing a great job, that’s when the job is the best.” Impact had been hugely successful over the years, receiving many awards including the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Station of the Year award 14 times. But that wasn’t enough for the Impact crew; they were destined for more. As time went on, Impact changed and grew, developing new departments for new forms of media. As of 2016, Impact employed bloggers, journalists, sports writers, DJs, marketing staff, engineers and more. This evolution is a large part of its success. “I know a lot of people get a great deal of value out of working in our news and journalism department or our sports department,” said senior Joel DeJong, a DJ and operations director with Impact. “You get to voice your opinions in feature articles. You can make an audio feature for one of our podcasts. It’s just a good forum for people to be able to voice opinions. We sometimes have different, like, round-table-style talk shows and things like that.” Impact89 was a example of both a radio station and an all student-run organization. Impact offered students a head start on their careers, as well as firsthand experience of how gratifying being a D J could be. With so many different media outlets and ways to get involved, Impact was a way for student voices to be heard. With its ever-evolving content, passionate staff and professional conduct, it stood to be successful for many more years to come. Senior Michael Pomorski is the Program Director for lmpact89FM, the student radio station on campus. Pomorski is part of a team of student workers who help with creating content and news. experience and a way for students to voice their perspectives and opinions. “I think it’s a really cool learning experience for me and the other directors who are here,” said junior Abbey Reinke, a D J and marketing director with Impact. “This is just a really cool job, like this is something I want my career to be in eventually. I think a lot of the students are interested in the music that we are playing and we get to tell them it’s actually completely student-run and a fully functioning thing that we have on the air 24-7.1 think they really appreciate that.” 3 3 ; * 9 s ü CONTENT: SYDNEY NASEEF PHOTO: RILEY JAMES DESIGN: KELSEY MCARDLE HELLO AND GOODBYE MSU hockey team says farewell to what was and welcomes what’s to come The 2016-2017 season hosted many conclusions for the MSU hockey team. Not only did the underclassmen bid farewell to accomplished seniors, but they also said goodbye to the Joe Louis Arena, an annual game location for the Spartans. The seniors played their final invitational on the renowned ice rink, while the freshmen were the last round of players who would experience this tradition. For a season of farewells, the Spartan hockey team refocused its ambition on the upcoming years. Freshman Butrus “Boots” Ghafari, business- preference major, grew up in Michigan in the Bloomfield Hills area. At age 9, Ghafari got the chance to attend the MSU Hockey Camp. Since that fateful summer on campus, his childhood dream of playing as a Spartan never lost its spark. Being a freshman, Ghafari’s time playing at the Joe Louis Arena was his first and last time in the annual Great Lakes Invitational. Recalling many games he watched at the Joe growing up, he recognized the privilege of getting to play on the same ice as players he idolized, such as Nicklas Lidstrom. “Playing on the ice at the Joe was a surreal feeling, especially being so young,” said Ghafari. “It’s going to be amazing playing at the Little Caesar’s Arena in the coming years. It’s a brand new arena, state-of-the-art and supposed to be one of the nicest arenas in the NHL. The atmosphere is going to be incredible as its built in a way to intensify the noise inside the arena and increase the sound of the fans. To be one of the first teams to play there will be incredible.® While new players showed enthusiasm for the years to come, the senior Spartans prepared their final goodbyes. With reflection on their minds, senior Rhett Holland looked back aS memories that meant the most for him. “Playing with such a close-knit group of guys has been amazing. I remember playing our last game at the Joe, and the chants of the crowd were so loud that we couldn’t even hear the sound of our own skates gliding across the ice,” said Holland. Senior Connor Wood, economics major, played alongside Holland for four years. With plans to take on graduate school and work in business, the memories of team kinship while maintaining a solid academic focus properly summed up his college chronicle at MSU. “I will sincerely miss the camaraderie I’ve found among my teammates—my boys. Over the last four years I’ve been with the same people day in and day out, whether it’s practice or just hanging out together. It’s something you can’t get anywhere else, and being a part of this has been amazing,” said Wood. As younger teammates wished their graduating seniors good luck, they looked to prolong the Spartan team legacy: a new arena, new incoming freshman and new ambition. Whether the outcome was professional hockey or the world of business, each player had his next season to look forward to. They may not always be hockey players, but they’ll always be Spartans. The hockey team prepares for their game against Wisconsin on Feb. 3. The Spartans lost that dual meet with a score of 3-6. SEASON RECORD: W: 7 L: 24 T: 4 COLLEGE OF ARTS & LETTERS Panda Express and CAL host community mural design contest Students who attended MSU often felt connected to the Spartan community decades after they tossed their green caps in the air. This was a result, in part, of MSU’s influence extending past the campus boundaries. One example of this was the College of Arts and Letters partnering with Grand River Avenue’s new Panda Express to host a contest for all students in the Department of Art, Art History and Design. The challenge was to design a mural that reflected both Chinese-American culture as well as Spartan spirit. In short, students were challenged to design a mural that represented the Spartan experience. “Putting MSU culture into the mural wasn’t a hard task,” said senior Chloe Jennings, graphic design major. “I took the mentality of positive fortune cookies and how they are meant to better the reader and connected that to the outlook of ambitious and positive MSU college students and the community.” The contest resulted in seniors Will Mianecki and Malarie French being awarded first-place, receiving a $1000 prize. Jennings received second place with a $500 prize. “We sought to incorporate Chinese culture into the mural through the use of color and iconography,” said Mianecki. “Red and gold, two colors that are highly significant in Chinese culture, were paired with icons such as the Chinese lantern and panda bear.” Mianecki and French’s mural consisted of different colored squares and rectangles with symbols or phrases in each, such as bamboo or coffee. Jennings’ mural was a striped red background with white fortune cookie outlines. Out of each cookie came a readable fortune. “This opportunity was incredible,” said French. “To have work displayed at such a large-scale and trafficked area—it definitely makes me want to go for my dreams and push myself as a designer.” The contest presented an opportunity for these students to showcase their skills for employers that would validate their work. All of the winners represented MSU and the College of Arts and Letters brilliantly. Their work stood as a testament to the Spartan community and all it stands for. Senior graphic design major Chloe Jennings stands in front of her mural on the back wall of the Panda Express location on Grand River Avenue. The new location opened in Nov. 2016. MARCHING FOR A MESSAGE Lansing joins women across the world in marching for their rights and equality During the 2016 presidential election, controversy surrounding President Donald Trump struck fear into many U.S. citizens. Both men and women alike were bothered by past comments made by Trump, as well as the sexual assault accusations that were brought forth against him. A media frenzy ensued, broadcasting these concerns on various platforms. Yet, despite the controversies, Trump was voted into office. The day after his inauguration, however, women took a stand—all across the world. The initial march was planned in Washington D.C, and turned out to be the largest with half a million people showing up to protest, listen to speakers and make a difference. Freshman Grace Erickson, political science major, was able to travel to D.C to protest. “I was very triggered by the comments that Trump has made throughout his campaign, but what made me actually want to get up and go do something was the fact that so many people across our country supported a man who could be so blatantly misogynistic,” Erickson said. Erickson, like many other women, found that the Women’s March was the place where she could be heard. Because of the plethora of marches, both domestically and internationally, women from all over the world were involved in the Women’s March. Here in Lansing, between 8,000 to 10,000 people muddied up the lawns of the Capitol to protest. “My friends went to the March in D.C., and I am a firm believer that we are better together,” said junior Lila Afifi, zoology major.« I went because I wanted to stand up for my rights.” Lansing’s march featured speakers that informed protesters on many issues, such as obtaining health insurance, women’s rights, religious rights and marriage rights. One of Afifi’s favorite speakers was Farha Abbasi, a professor at MSU who worked with the Muslim Student Association on campus. Abbasi immigrated from Pakistan, but shared with the crowd, “I am America.” Another message that the organizers promoted to protesters was that if they wanted to make a difference, then they had to get directly involved themselves. This idea was one that freshman Amber Arbegast had since Bernie Sanders ran for the Democratic nomination and told his followers to run for office. Arbegast, an international relations major, had always had a strong opinion on personal rights and who she hoped would be elected into office. “Now more than ever it is imperative that we make a difference, and the only way to be 100 percent sure that I make a difference is to run for office. Hopefully one day I will,” Arbegast said. The Women’s March sparked a political movement that women planned to sustain for the progression of their rights. They planned to empower all generations of women to make a difference in the present as well as in the future, reminding them that they had the voice, drive and support to make necessary changes toward equality. TOP: Protesters created posters which they hoisted in the air for the duration of the Women’s March at the Capitol lawn in Lansing. BOTTOM: Ayesha Kothari designed two picket signs that she displayed at the Women’s March. Over 8,000 protestors marched in Lansing. CONTENT: SIERRA REHM PHOTO: MOLLY EDDINGTON DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR ■V fflÊm ■■ H 185 CONTENT: ISAAC CONSTANS PHOTO: CRAIG HEDGES DESIGN: ALEX DONNELLY SKATING THROUGH FEBRUARY Students and community members gravitate toward pop-up skating rink It was a temperate day for the beginning of February. Snowbanks melted and puddles gathered. Hard but marshy the ungainly ground was exposed by rays of sunlight while in its hibernation between wilt and bloom. It was a good day for the middle of winter; it was a bad day for ice skating. In Valley Court Park, there was a sectioned- off rectangle gated by small white and yellow walls. Concealed just behind the Grand River Avenue Biggby coffee shop and Crunchy’s bar, the hidden gem shined, refracting yellow beams of light across its surface. Unfortunately, the heat had reduced the typically stalwart ice rink into a confused muddle of puddles and slush. Even a good skater could barely trudge through. Despite the sorry state of the rink, however, junior John Partoluzzi was impressed. Although not a big skater, Partoluzzi was looking for a way to make the most of winter. He found it. “It’s free. It’s like two seconds away. You don’t have to drive anywhere,” said PartoluzzigTI was just on my way back and thought I’d stop by.” The 52-by-72-foot pop-up rink ran throughout the month of February, beckoning local families and students to give it a skate. Assembled on Jan. 27, by a collection of community volunteers, the rink was a common point of interest to all who walked by it. Partoluzzi had some brand new skates to break in, courtesy of a care package from his parents. A free rink blocks away from his apartment offered up an opportunity to fire up a new hobby. A hockey player in high school Alex Puente wasn’t looking to check out anything new. Instead, he was happy to have found a convenient skating option to keep up with his interest. In college, Puente said, students could be priced out of skating through financial constraints alone. With a no-cost rink in the neighborhood, he had one less financial worry. “I play like a lot of sticks and pucks at other arenas. If I have a chance to come down and do it for free, that’s nice,” Puente said. “If you want to skate at Suburban Ice or Munn, you have to pay like five bucks.” On a busy day, 30 skaters could squeeze into the rink at the same time. Giddy children would mosey up, skates tucked beneath their arms. The more experienced bunch would quickly lace up and glide around in laps. Curious pedestrians would stop and watch. Enthusiastic faces would peep over the walls, propped up by tip-toe strains to observe the next flurry of axel jumps or stumbling spills. Drivers would slow down. That’s what East Lansing resident Rich Smith did. Driving home, Smith noticed an odd addition to Valley Court Park and pulled over to see what it was. “I thought, Wow. This would be a great place to take my kids,”’ Smith said. “I skated quite a bit when I was younger. I’m sure they’d enjoy it, too.” Smith said that in the future, he’d even look into sponsoring the rink as a marketing director. A free activity for the community, there couldn’t have been a better option. After February, Valley Court Park was clear of skaters, onlookers and added traffic. The snow was melting, and the rink had to go. For a month, however—between first dates on skates and a free practice space—Valley Court Park was transformed into a winter wonderland. Senior Alex Van Erp skates at the rink in Valley Court Park built by East Lansing community volunteers. Although the weather allowed for only a few weeks of solid ice, the rink saw many visitors. BOUNCE BACK Men’s basketball overcomes odds to patch together another tournament run The ring of the horn was the timbre of a fat lady’s vocal chords. It was over. She sang. The song was a popular rendition of a bluebird’s ballad this time, a Jayhawk’s to be exact. In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, No. 1 seed Kansas swooped down and devoured MSU’s high hopes, 90-70, and the young Spartans returned to East Lansing. No trophy, no medal, nothing of consolation in hand, the Spartans finished with a 20-15 record. It wasn’t how many envisioned the season going. “I have no interest, zero interest in winning games,” MSl| men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo said. “I have interest in winning championships. I have interest in these guys getting a chance to play on these kind of stages. That’s it.” Despite what a plethora of TV angles and message-board evaluations indicated, the Spartans stood tall when they walked out of Tulsa. A little dejected, sure, but they knew the identity of the team was embodied in something greater than the result of the game. “You have no idea what this year was like. But, I think everybody takes that as a negative. You have no idea what a rewarding experience it was for me,” Izzo said. The Spartans brought in four freshmen to play major roles on the team for the 2016-2017 season. Boshua Langford, Cassius Winston, Nick Ward and Miles Bridges all started at some point during the season. Bridges was unanimously named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, while Ward won Big Ten Freshman of the Week on four distinct occasions. For the body of work, however, there were a body of injuries. MSU had to spend several weeks adjusting to life minus Bridges, who went down against Kansas. Without Bridges, the team had to adjust quickly. Players from deep off the bench filled in while seniors, starving for a chance to shine, stepped into the spotlight. From Kyle Ahrens to Alvin Ellis III, the team welded together a makeshift roster, all while hunting for a bid to the tournament. Through the privations and aggravations of growing pains, the team began to fill its shoes. Following Bridges’ return, MSU jockeyed its way to a nine seed in the tournament. “I don’t have any regrets about this team,” Bridges said. “We played hard, we played to the best of our ability and I love my team for that— and we have a special bond together, so I wouldn’t trade this year for nothing.” The bond forged from the fires of the early season was tested in the first round of the tournament, when the Spartans were pegged below the Miami Hurricanes. Pressed against an early 12-point deficit, the bond didn’t break. Resiliently, the Spartans bounced back to a 78-58 win. “As far as the freshmen, man, they’ve grown so much,” junior captain Lourawls ‘Turn Turn’ Nairn Jr. said. “We ask a lot of them and they never back down from a challenge—and it speaks about their character and what they stand for. But Miles is going to be my best friend, man, and you know he’s my little brother, but I just appreciate everything he does and how hard he works and wants to be great.” After MSU bowed out, team after team slipped away with the narrowing of the tournament field. Far past the Final Four, the Spartans remained a team. Whether it was at an NBA Draft banquet, a graduation stage or the Final Four podium, the team sung on with an ode to its alma mater. Freshman Cassius Winston dribbles the ball during the game against Mississippi Valley State. The Spartans scored 100 points in this home match. SEASON RECORD: W: 20 L: 15 Nairn Ji 100-53 rn Jr. ha ie victor THOUGHTS INTO WORDS Spartans telllstories, whether factual or satirical, about campus life In the vast array of internships and clubs offered at MSU, there were many opportunities for avid writers to get involved in student publications. Whether it was reporting on campus news or producing creative, satirical pieces, every writer could bulk up their resumes while strengthening their journalistic skills and gaining exposure. College publications crafted by students sought viewership from their peers. Scrolling through social media, The Tab, The Black Sheep and The Big Green were just three examples of the many sources that flooded timelines with content. These stories had a tendency to appear on every Spartan’s newsfeed. While some scrolled past, others took the opportunity to indulge in the news their friends were sharing. The Tab originated at the University of Cambridge and has since reached 79 universities in the United States. Co-editors and juniors Laina Stebbins, a journalism major, and Emma Moller, a professional writing major, explained that The Tab was not funded by the school itself. It was also not affiliated with MSU in the same sense as other publications. Because of this, writers had more journalistic freedom, allowing them to come up with their own ideas. Whether in the form of news articles or original pieces, students could take charge of their stories. “Being a member of The Tab offers many opportunities for growth. Having your name published will be seen by employers and looks great on resumes. The Tab even offers internships at their U.S. base in Brooklyn, New York,” said Stebbins. Also on the radar was an unconventional source of news: The Black Sheep, which took a more humorous outlook at MSU’s current events. This satirical news hub was founded in 2009 and has since been adopted by over 100 universities, each taking its own spin on community news. “The satirical nature of our articles sets us apart from other student publications,” said senior Jalen Smith, a journalism major. Smith explained that most stories were based on true events then reported in a humorous and sarcastic way. MSU had the largest staff and generated the most page views of any university This gave MSU a higher rank and staff members a better chance of receiving internships at the corporate office in Chicago, Illinois. There were still many other publications that worked much like The Tab in that they took a more serious angle on news for students. The Big Green was one of those publications, offering timely coverage of current events. Unlike The Tab, it was entirely made up of current events rather than original student-opinion pieces. In this way, The Big Green was a place for reporters to learn how to be a journalist and prepare for real-world careers in the field. Senior Savannah Swix, a journalism major and avid member of The Big Green, explained that this was the main goal of this publication: to help students grow in theirvjournalistic skills. “We encourage them to cover the stories about a topic or event of their choice that will challenge and excite them,” said Swix. Many opportunities awaited those who wished to get involved. Whether a student was aiming to be a journalistic writer, a creative author or simply a devoted reader of all things Michigan State, there was a place for all of the above. TOP: The Black Sheep circulates on newsstands around campus including the CATA Bus Station. Other publications like The Tab and The Big Green publish their articles online. RIGHT: Senior Stephen Nisbet looks over a newly printed edition of The Black Sheep as it hit newsstands. 193 THE NEW NORMAL Spartan community supports friend battling lymphoma When it comes to senior year, students battle the transition into real-world responsibilities, preventing it from soaking up every last bit of the college experience. For senior Emily Butler, this challenge was compounded by her battle against cancer. Butler, a member of the Delta Gamma sorority, had battled Lymphoma and the effects of chemotherapy since she was diagnosed on Oct. 16, 2016. Upon diagnosis, support stretched from her family, friends and beyond. Fellow Delta Gamma member, Robin Voisine, shared a similar experience to Butler’s, having been a survivor of Lymphoma. Voisine explained that when she was diagnosed in December of 2015, the sorority supported her through her struggle. So, she wanted to do the same for Butler*'; Voisine organized a mass order of hats from Love Your Melon, an apparel organization dedicated to donating hats to children battling cancer in the U.S. Fifty percent of its profits went to non-profit partners including the Make- A-Wish Foundation and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Voisine and other members of Delta Gamma ordered 130 blue hats—Butler’s favorite color—as a way for the chapter to show support. At $30 each, the members raised $1,950 for cancer-related nonprofits. BjlWhen I was in chemo and began losing my hair, a friend sent me a package with a Love Your Melon hat, and that was so important because losing your hair is often the hardest part of chemotherapy. It takes a while to be content with yourself and how you look without it,” said Voisine. Butler remembered watching Voisine stay active in the sorority, attending meetings and events, and doing her best to take on class work throughout her treatment. Wanting to stay involved to the fullest extent, Butler remained a full-time student, Skyping friends during lectures from the hospital during treatment. Although Butler entered remission at the end of December, her chemotherapy finished in mid- February. The side effects of the procedure could last up to a year after treatment. Upon diagnosis, her life was immediately altered, and the disease only continued to take a toll on her physical capabilities. a||The first thing you have to get used to is that your life is no longer normal. Your health comes before anything else. You can’t go to 194 - Wf f - t „¡ normal events, you can’t do normal things. You essentially have a new normal,” said Butler. Butler kept a positive mindset. Senior Madi Brooks, Butler’s roommate and fellow member of Delta Gamma, had been with Butler from the beginning of her diagnosis. She was one of her primary support systems. Butler explained that no matter what she was going through, Brooks always made her feel normal and didn’t treat her like she was her sickness. Along with the support and fundraising from the hat order, there was also a Buffalo Wild CONTENT: SYDNEY NASEEF PHOTO: KASSIDY RHODES ODYEAR ip- / .■SI Wings fundraiser set up between Delta Gamma and Kappa Alpha Theta. The biggest financial income, however, came from a GoFundMe account set up by senior Sasha Tremblay, a close friend Butler had met through her years in the College of Education. “My original goal was $5,000. Then, I raised it to $6,000. But, we’ve raised about $8,300 which is awesome. I was ecstatic about the totals,” said Tremblay. Butler brought a courageous attitude while taking on Lymphoma, allthe while pushing to Eemain active and involved with school, friends and her sorority. Her selflessness and strength were evident as she recalled difficult experiences, but said she’d go through it a hundred times over rather than watch it affect someone she loved. She was a Spartan, and she thrived regardless of her ailments and afflictions. Senior Emily Butler, middle, and her sorority sisters seniors Madi Brooks, left, and Allie Renko, right, wear their Love Your Melon hats to help support Butler’s fight against cancer. 195 COLLEGE OF EDUCATION Ohio high school teacher and MSU alumnus runs for president in 2016 The 2016 presidential race generated an abundance of discussion, but for Spartans, there was even more to talk about. Dr. Ben Hartnell, a teacher at Westerville North High School in Ohio and an MSU alumnus, ran for president of the United Statesin the 2016 election. y-The goal was to make Hartnell an official write-in candidate. This meant securing 18 people to stand in as electoral college representatives. After this was achieved, Hartnell received a letter affirming his candidacy. One of Harnell’s tactics was based on a mock election he had in 20121-an election that manifested into something entirely different in 2016. “In the end, we wound up getting 721 popular votes on a $312 budget. The entire thing was exhausting but well worth it,” said Hartnell. “The campaign took on a life of its own, and I was touched and honored when people honestly turned to me as their candidate. It was surreal to see my name on the list of official write-ins hanging outside polling places.” Before getting his job at Westerville, Dr. Hartnell graduated from MSU’s education program in 2001. His experience with the college’s professors and their techniques was integral to making him the teacher—and presidential candidate—he became. Other current education majors shared his views. any future endeavors,” said freshman Alana Esshaki, elementary education major. Esshaki’s experience was echoed by many in the field. While Hartnell may have made waves as a College of Education alumni in 2016, he was far from the only graduate to attribute his career endeavors to his collegiate experience. “THE CAMPAIGN TOOK ON A LIFE OF ITS OWN, AND I WAS TOUCHED AND HONORED WHEN PEOPLE HONESTLY TURNED TO ME AS THEIR CANDIDATE.” “I chose MSlF’s College of Education because of its reputation as one of the premier education colleges in the country, and it had very beneficial training such as the student teaching and the ability to work with a local elementary school,” said Ann LaFave, an education graduate. The education program at MSU has been providing future teachers and professors the opportunity to excel in their fields and surpass the competition for years.lt gave Hartnell the fervor and ability to take on a presidential race, providing a learning experience not only for himself, but also for his students. “A teaching degree from MSM holds a lot of weight, and I knew that it would give me an edge when applying for jobs. All my professors have a passion to help us become well-rounded students in order to become great teachers and take on MSU alumnus Dr. Ben Hartnell was certified by the Ohio Secretary of State’s office as an official write-in candidate for President of the United States in the 2016 presidential election. PHOTO COURTESY OF: DR. BEN HARTNELL CONTENT: SYDNEY NASEEF DESIGN: KENT KUB. BANDING TOGETHER All nationalities come together for their right to belong Gone away was the season for events at The Rock where the sun beat down on attendees. On a frozen February day while winter stole the warmth, hundreds of members of the Spartan and East Lansing communities came together in coats and spirited chants in protest. What brought them together was President Trump’s first proposed travel ban on seven Middle Eastern countries and the prospective construction of a border wall along the Mexican border. “Me, as well as my whole group, we think the ban is inappropriate,” said Nancy Sethi, an MBA student. “No human is illegal; everybody should be allowed to come to the U.S.” The travel ban was enacted against countries chosen by the White House to protect U.S. citizens against terrorism. Trump’s announcement of the ban disturbed many organizations on campus, including the Muslim Students’ Association, which felt targeted by the ban. The association set up the rally within hours of Trump’s announcement. Member Batoul Sadek cited that she felt like it was the association’s responsibility to bring light to the situation by discussing what the ban was, as it could essentially affect the entire population. “I think that it’s concerning because it’s pushing a narrative of a Muslim ban, as ‘us against them,”’ Sadek said. “If it were a terrorist ban, the countries that have been chosen wouldn’t have been chosen. The countries would have been a completely different list.” Without widespread support from all U.S. citizens, pushing against the executive order 198 CONTENT: SIERRA REHM PHOTO: RILEY JAMES DESIGN: KELSEY MCARDLE ■H <*re \A/ho wW ^6^ tslamaphobia? I tSpartansWiH would not prove effective. For those in attendance, that was what the rally was about: unity, helping others and protecting those feeling attacked. One speaker reminded participants that though they may have been cold while protesting, they had the opportunity to warm up afterwards—the Syrian refugees that were affected by the ban would freeze to death among the rubble in Syria. He told the crowd that the ban on visas would cause innocent people to die in explosions and accidents, a tragedy that affected his uncle only days before. “It’s a movement that brings people together, rather than dividing us,” said senior Marwa Mallah, a Residence Halls Association representative. “It’s a movement based around empowering those who are silenced. It makes me feel good to know that there are so many people around the country who understand that this is an important issue we must address.” In coming together, Mallah said that to break stigmas about different cultures, it was important to try to learn about them and have an open heart and mind to other people. Judgement often sprung from a lack of understanding. “We’ve become conditioned through different media outlets to believe Islam Is this fearful religion,” Mallah said. “When, in reality, its teachings are entirely peaceful.” ’ The rally was more than just resisting a part of Trump’s administration. The rally was part of a movement for Spartans—a movement toward coming together to support fellow students of all races, nationalities and religions, regardless of world politics or stigmas. LEFT: Many participants created signs to carry at The Rock in solidarity for the protests at The Rock. TOP: MSU students and community members gather at The Rock to protest President Trump’s proposed travel ban. More than 100 people showed up to participate in the protest. 199 There was an air of nervous energy in the MSU Karate Club’s room. In the basement of IM West, four members of the club stood on one side of the bright green and yellow mats, while 16 women stood facing them, fidgeting and watching. All of them were there for the self-defense seminar organized by The Stand Tall Project, a new student group on campus. “The president, she actually came up with the idea from personal experiences that she had,” said junior pre-med student Ellie Small, the vice president of The Stand Tall Project. “She brought it to a bunch of her friends, asking for help and for volunteers, and I thought it was a really worthwhile cause and I wanted to get involved. We thought it was a really good idea to have people learn self defense while giving other people the opportunity to do so.” The seminar was a colorful one. The women participating were geared in uniforms of black leggings, T-shirts of various colors and neon exercise shoes. Ponytails and braids swung around as the women practiced the movements on display. The MSU Karate Club members demonstrated a series of moves in increasing intensity. They started with avoidance tactics, moved to escaping holds and ended with how to safely, but effectively, hurt an attacker. The Stand Tall Project was a new club that started in Nov. 2016, with the goal of raising enough money to hold a self-defense seminar for low-income high school girls. Along with the self-defense fundraising seminars it’d been holding, members were also selling stickers and T-shirts to supplement funds. The first event was a boxing seminar. On Feb. 2, members teamed up with the MSU Karate Club for the second event. As a new organization, The Stand Tall Project aimed to bring attention to its club and activities in any way it could. “My T.A. was talking about it in class and made an announcement and was like, We’re doing this project that raises money for low-income areas for them to put on these classes to teach self-defense.’ I was really touched by the idea,” said sophomore Jessie Plaehn, human biology major. Plaehn mentioned always feeling afraid when she hiked or walked alone. With no background in self-defense, she was eager to both learn and help fund sessions for other people who couldn’t afford to learn. The participants were all connected by that same desire to learn to protect themselves and see others get that same chance, and over the course of the hour-long seminar, the women gained more confidence in their movements. “I heard about this event through my sorority and my friends that helped start this club,” said freshman Maddie Falk, nursing major. “I decided to come because I want to learn more about self- defense, because bad things happen on campus despite whether people know or not.” Spartans were innovators and philanthropists. It showed in occasions like this, where a group of students came together, developed ideas and took action to improve the world in some way. The Stand Tall Project worked to help young women get the opportunity to learn to protect themselves, and was one example of the marks that Spartans left and would continue to leave on the world. Senior Kaitlyn Gantz lines up to practice her striking skills on a pad held up by the MSU Karate Club’s president, senior Daniel Hoffman. THE ART OF EDUCATION SmART program offers Spartans a chance to be the teacher For prospective teachers, the opportunity to break away from the university and step into classrooms of their own was something extremely valuable. Luckily for art education majors, “Saturday Morning Art” gave them exactly that. Known as SmART, the youth art outreach program connected Spartans to students ranging from elementary to high school. For a series of six Saturdays, younger students were instructed by MSU art education seniors and other art education student volunteers. At the end of the program, an exhibition was held where parents and students could admire their work. “It’s kind of great just to see, especially at the exhibition, like how excited the kids are to show their parents the work that they’ve been doing in our classes,” said Danielle Scholfield, senior art education major. “I like to hear them describe the work to their parents. It’s a really great opportunity to see how excited they were for it.” Teaching can be intimidating to many students. For the seniors who led the classes, the training gained from volunteering was key to their confidence. Even with all the preparation, the pressure to perform was still present. “I was super nervous to start out, but it definitely got easier,” said Jenny Love, senior art education major. “I think this semester, at least for me, it was just more exciting to implement like my ideas for the lesson and feeling more confident in how you’re teaching. Last semester was more of a trial run. We get to talk about what was good and what was bad as a class and learn from others.” While frightening at first, the experience acquired from designing a lesson plan and teaching a class on their own was vital to their development. SmART was part of an art education student’s degree, and seniors took this class as a step toward final preparation. Many found that the program offered much more than assistant teaching. “I think it’s just a lot different from the rest of the education department,” said Jake Hewitt, senior art education major. “For most of our other [teacher education] classes we are placed in a school observing a teacher, so it’s getting real world experience, but having the ability to actually plan out lessons ourselves, write lesson plans, and take on the role of teaching a class while we are still students learning I feel is just infinitely more helpful.” Time on the job wasn’t the only benefit Spartans gained from SmART though, and Spartans were not the only ones who benefitted. The grade school students who came to MSU got to meet peers who were passionate about art and the Spartans got to see how their work could inspire their students. Teachers learned from students as students learned from teachers. That relationship is what made the program worthwhile. “I have actually seen quite a few of the students outside of SmART, and it’s nice to hear them so excited about, like, coming back next time to make art,” said Elise Millard, senior art education major. “I also have a student who I had last semester and he didn’t do SmART this time, he did gymnastics instead, and he was telling me how much he misses SmART and how he wants to come back next time ” , Art education was a path many Spartans gravitated towards, and it wasn’t hard to see why. They were not only provided with the opportunity to inspire the next generation of artists, but also reminded why they chose the profession. SmART benefitted everyone involved, educating the teachers as much as the students. TOP: The Saturday Morning Art (SmART) program helps broaden art education experiences for young students. Emma Sheenan is one of the participants who was placed in a clay sculpting class. Emma is seen here creating a clay animal pot. BOTTOM LEFT: SmART is part of the art education degree program at MSU, allowing pre-service art education majors the opportunity to interact with school-age children in preparation for their careers after college. BOTTOM RIGHT: Hugh Joseph was a student in the smART program, where participants ages seven through 18 are allowed to join the six class sessions offered throughout each semester. TESTAMENT TO THE PAST, VISION FOR THE FUTURE From decommission to renovation, the Shaw Lane Power Plant looks to the future Veiled by a layer of dust and grime, a structure of brick and mortar lie dormant on the corner of Shaw Lane and Red Cedar Road. It stood silent and still as students passed by its walls. Ignored by the coming and going of campus residents, its towering presence and archaic texture emitted a feeling of age and unknown. Bui within the doors of this decrepit building were signs of a weathered history that campus relied upon. The campus landscape looked a lot different in 1948 when the Shaw Lane Power Plant was built. Back then, the university was named Michigan State College, the cyclotron wasn’t splitting atoms, the basketball crowds weren’t chanting “Izzo!” and the school was powered by this lone energy source. “When it was first built, it was one of the few structures south of the Red Cedar River,” said Bob Ellerhorst, the director of the T.B. Simon Power Plant. “It acted as the replacement from the original power plant which is where the Hannah Administration Building is now.” long, but once you’re in there, you see a lot more. It’s kind of like the heart of campus.” That same relevance had been a driving factorin the discussion about whether or not to dismantle the derelict building. It hadn’t been used since 1975, when the T.B. Simon Power Plant was built off of Service Road. With a central location on campus, many questions had been asked about what to do with such valuable real estate being occupied by the old power plant. “We have this great building, right? It’s just sitting there,” said Sabrina Hebeler, a strategic initiative coordinator for IPF. “So what is the best utilization of that space? What does the campus. need, what does the community need and how can we use that building to integrate those needs.’B Enter, Spartan Imagineering, a project that was created with the goal of coming up with ideas to repurpose the building. A team of full­ time employees were compiled together with the intent of brainstorming how best to use the corner of Shaw Lane and Red Cedar Road. Until 2011, the Shaw Lane Power Plant’s The project was presented to faculty as smokestack towered 239 feet in the air. Because the school had changed to Michigan State University six years after the erection of the smoke stack, the white bricks that spelled out “MSC” quickly became a misnomer. When the tower was deconstructed, those bricks were retained and sold at the MSU Surplus Store as a testament to the historical relevance of the structure. “It was one of the first buildings on campus,” said senior Sydney Bourque, interior design major. “It’s super old and wasn’t in use for that a leadership opportunity and a chance to interact with fellow Spartans; to answer the questions brought forward by I lebcler. Instead of employing engineers to analyze the minor details of the building, the brainstormers utilized their own understanding of the culture and needs of the students. “This is a different way to get ideas from a group of people who aren’t engineers,” said Mark Lutkenhoff, an IPF manager and Imagineering member. “To get ideas from staff members, from APP/;> ip AÉg fäBp*j|jp ' Äfi^f-rVp'-p-:-1 . ;A A-... ¡||i||||HHHHB 8IMI v sili1 Sp;*l p%pí Ili Ili? a ■P ¡¡¡¡1■ %/v* -V - N.:--/:-;-,-, .-;■ v ' ::■■• ' • \ \WÊïêi l#i , '0‘ ' ' > /* >/'■&'■/,'& Á1 ¡¡¡¡j ■ « ¡É 1..?JL^. . i a —A 'iiiAAAA ■■r ' ' : \ L At........:^v HHUKS '"xl ■sÄ ^ fm -: m, ■m «i iC S Ä I iiift»%,«Äasii pifgl m*- m » MÊÊÊÈÊm i Ë'v, ¡¡l|g§ p M 11 » » » ||||j|p !■■■■■■ #j§^i / J ! ;^' **■—;>,'S" ¿ | -*r* yi - - ^^^^1 - • . wmSSm <, i . - mkm* - *\. * llliiil ■■■immm 205 students, people who care about MSU and are cognizant of what the university needs right now. We’re around you guys all the time, we know what you want.” The undertaking of the project was taken on by three groups of faculty, each with their own ideas of what to do with the building. With the help of Bourque’s experience in refining these broad ideas, they designed and presented their proposals. One group looked at the idea of a welcome center, something that many felt MSU lacked. Another team pushed ideas like a 24-hour restaurant and brewery merger. President Simon had visions of a STEM hub, which the third group honed in on. Because MSU welcomes a myriad of visitors from other universities looking to do research, but has limited space for themio stay or present, this option could fill that role. “Once they came up with the ideas, they asked ‘now what?”’ said Bourque. “We wanted to put together boards and little handouts when they presented. I helped them decide who their target was, who is this going to affect as well as surrounding buildings.” Big ideas aside, many other impediments stood in the way of their implementation. Even though the budget wasn’t a factor in brainstorming, Lutkenhoff noted it’ll be a while before enough money was available to act on this kind of construction. Even though the power plant wasn’t operable anymore, it still held much of its interior from its days of operation. Boilers and furnaces remained bolted to the interior. Stair guards and scaffolding line the sides of the inside walls. Age-old technology withered away inside, but it didn’t mean it wouldn’t be an expensive and timely renovation. The south side of Red Cedar River was barren before MSU built its second power source. Since then, campus has witnessed a change in its culture, landscape and people all under the watchful gaze of the aging structure. Monuments like Beaumont Tower and the Broad Art Museum dotted the northern half of campus, while greenhouses and rolling farms populated the landscape to the south. In the middle stood a structure older than most of those that currently inhabited campus, a testament to the Spartan’s past, filled with ideas for the university’s future. PAGE 205: Built in 1948, the Shaw Lane Power Plant helped power what was then named Michigan State College. PHOTO COURTESY OF: MSU ARCHIVES. TOP: Interior design senior, Sydney Bourque looks at the remains of the old Shaw Lane Power Plant. The power plant was shutdown in 1975 when the T.B. Simon Power Plant was built on south campus. PHOTO BY: JESSALYN TAMEZ imi SUIS: 6005 m n s ' j ■ ■ ■ I On the cusp of finals week, journeys to and from class are riddled with airborne frisbees and volleyball sightings. Like the pink and purple tulips that reveal themselves to the warming air, East Lansing emerges from its winter hibernation. Off-campus eateries open their patio areas, as iced lattes and tropical smoothies become the drinks of choice. The closing of Grand River Avenue’s Velvet and Conrad’s Grill sang a somber tune, but weren’t the only goodbyes heard this season. For returning undergraduates, summer welcomed a temporary retreat. For the graduating seniors however, the warming season is a bridge from college academia to future career endeavors. n n a m CONTENT: SYDNEY NASEEF PHOTO: ELIF TURK DESIGN: KENT KUBANI COLLEGE OF MUSIC Senior Eric Smith wins Opportunity Detroit People’s Choice Award The College of Music was filled with gifted musicians working to create a name for themselves. Senior Eric Smith, jazz studies major, was ahead of the game. Smith was a singer, a songwriter, a piano player, a guitar player and he even played the drums. He was musically inclined, to say the least. After releasing an EP of original songs in Oct. 2015, he was nominated for the Opportunity Detroit People’s Choice Award and was awarded in April for his top song, “Hey There Miss,” available on iTunes. Before the accolades and EP, however, Smith played music with discomfort for close to three years. After visiting multiple doctors, he finally discovered that he was suffering from two fractured wrists. Atl love writing music, and the songs on my EP are all original content. After graduation, I plan to focus on songwriting and singing so 1 can finally give my wrists a chance to heal,” said Smith. His band consisted of fellow jazz studies majors, one of them being bassist Louie Leager, a second-year master’s student. Leager met Smith when he first auditioned for the jazz program at MSU and has watched him progress extensively over the years. “Our first time working together was on his recent EP, ‘Hey There Miss,’ and since then we’ve collaborated in a number of settings,” said Leager. “One of my favorite moments from working with Eric was the video shoot for the EP’s title track.” The music video for “Hey There Miss” was nominated again for the same Detroit music award, and was successfully gaining ground on YouTube. Filming for a music video was a new endeavor for Smith and his friends that proved to be a gratifying experience. Junior Zach Mckinney, another jazz studies major, was the drummer for the band and had been close friends with Smith for a number of years. They’ve tackled the music world together, and Mckinney learned successful tactics from watching Smith work. “I think one of my favorite characteristics of Eric’s is the sincerity he puts into his endeavors,” said Mckinney. “He is good at finding hip ways to communicate with people across generations, and it shows in his music.” Smith’s work was an inspiration to Spartans pursuing music careers. There was always a stigma that succeeding in the music industry was nearly impossible. But, by adding Smith to the list, the MSU community had another student overcoming those obstacles. Senior Eric Smith wins the Opportunity Detroit People’s Choice Award for his song “Hey There Miss.” In addition to the guitar, Smith plays the piano, drums and even sings his own songs. CONTENT: LOGAN RYAN PHOTO: KYLE RINZLER DESIGN: ERIC SCHWARTZ A FARM FRESH CHANCE The Meat Laboratory moves its meat from cradle to grave The Spartan experience offered students the opportunity to write professional blogs, grow as radio personalities or even make America’s favorite breakfast meat Yes, students working in MSU’s Meat Laboratory could hone their skills making bacon, sausage and much more. On Farm Lane, near the Food Science building, a single sign was all the majority of students ever saw or heard of the place. Behind the Dairy Store, however, through a small parking lot and through an even smaller door, staff and students practiced their craft in the meat lab. “I love meat and probably eat more of it than I should,” said junior Matt Miller, supply chain management and information technology double­ major. “However, working at the Meat Lab has made me more conscious of what is in the meat I am eating. For example, hot dogs made at the meat lab taste great and I know that nothing that shouldn’t be in the hot dog are put in the product. But because I know that process and how easy it would be to put things that don’t belong into the hot dogs, it makes it hard for me to trust the companies that are mass producing them.” The Meat Lab was one of the lesser-known job and learning opportunities on campus—that wasn’t to say it didn’t fulfill a very important role. Students hoping to enter the meat-processing field were able to work in the industry and experience the entire process, from start to finish, of producing high-quality meat products. “Our students get rave reviews when they go out into the world,” said Jennifer Dominguez, laboratory manager. “Big industries calls us all the time looking for students that are getting ready to graduate. We have three graduates right now over at Boar’s Head. People use us as references a lot.” The lab’s job wasn’t only to train students; it was a full-fledged business and sold the meat it produced to the public. In the front lobby of the lab anyone could buy fresh and local meat. In addition to the store, the lab also participated in meat judging contests. The contests consisted of a team of students from the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition coming in to judge the meat students helped to produce. This activity proved to be entertaining, educational and even fulfilled a graduation requirement. “It teaches me how to do things the USDA way, so, how it’s going to be done in the real world,” said sophomore Kimberly Joedman, animal science major. “It makes you comfortable with what you’re doing, and it opened up a lot of connections because Jen and Ryan (Varner, meat lab assistant) know a lot of people.” Another aspect of the lab was that it avoided all middlemen and completed the entire process from farm to packaging in-house. This fact was what made it such a valuable opportunity for students. They weren’t just participating in one area of the industry, they were involved in everything they could possibly need to know for their careers. While meat-processing might not have been all students’ ideal careers, those who were headed down that path benefitted immensely from their time at the lab. From education to producing fresh, local products, the Meat Laboratory provided valuable services for all who ventured through that mysterious door. Senior and Meat Laboratory employee, Travis Welch prepares fresh pork for packaging. Workers help arrange bacon, sausage and hot dogs which are then available to the public for purchase. 216 CONTENT: ARIANA TAYLOR PHOTO: KASSIDY RHODES DESIGN: ALEX DONNELLY AGENTS OF CHANGE Spartans journey through Black History Month to inspire civil action When civil rights leader Malcolm X spoke the phrase, “by any means necessary¡¡he set a precedent that would echo in society for generations to come. On the cusp of racial tensions in the country, according to Ilyasah Shabazz, the daughter of the historical individual, those words still ring true today. On Feb. 10, the University Activities Board (UAB) held the event Walking Through Black History Month, with Shabazz acting as the keynote speaker. Focusing on notable black figures from the past and present, the event aimed to highlight their actions. “EACH OF US SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO STAND UP AND RIGHT THE WRONGS OF OUR SOCIETY” “Listening to Ilyasah was so empowering. It felt like I was kind of hearing Malcolm X. She has the same passion that he had in his speeches,” said sophomore Dante Booker Groups that promoted multi-cultural equality offered their support at the event as well. Organizations such as When Queens Link Up and MSU’s NAACP chapter co-sponsored the event and used the platform to promote their values of social justice and persistence. Presentations were given, shining light on historical legends of African Americans’ fight for freedom and equality. Different clubs, like MSU’s Slam Poetry Team engaged in dialogue and shared pieces about prejudice and injustice going on in modern society. The peak of the night came when Shabazz spoke. She focused on students acting as leaders in activism and leaving a legacy on campus. Shabazz also spoke about her dad, and went into depth about the misconceptions that came to mind when people heard his name. “Each of us should understand that we have an obligation to stand up and right the wrongs of our society, or the wrongs will continue and the generation after you will have no one to blame but the generation that precedes them,” said Shabazz. Students should first educate themselves properly, according to Shabazz. Her suggestion for students was to go further than what professors taught, urging them to learn about black history for themselves. After students benefitted from their knowledge, Shabazz recommended that everyone go out and teach others. She stressed that when one minority is mistreated, no matter the race, ethnicity or gender, all minorities are then mistreated. “People don’t really think they can really make an impact on an issue so large, but Ilyasah Shabazz really went in on the importance of understanding how we fit into that larger picture,” said ArrielH Franklin, When Queens Link Up co-founder. While the last time Malcolm X delivered a public speech was in 1965, fifty-two years later, his words held a new relevance. Through the Walking Through Black History Month event, Spartans were inspired and empowered to stand up for their civil liberties and become change agents, just like the civil rights leader of the past. University Activities Board highlighted notable black figures from the past and present for the Walking Through Black History Month event. Participants engaged in dialogue about global leaders from the past, as well as those making history today. COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES Darwin Discovery Day brings flocks of science enthusiasts to museum Evolution itself is a slow, laboring process. For those attending the 13th annual Darwin Discovery Day festivities, however, the day flew by Aswarm with attendees from around the region, the MSU Museum played host to a jubilee of scientific progress that singled out everything from the first signs of life to modern- day human culture. Boasting a range of fossilized casts of age- old plants to spindly snakes that visitors could pet and hold, MSU’s broad scientific community put on a show. The engagement was interactive too; trivia, prizes and projects ensured that no moment was dull. — V- *>5» > * «■ i wjfl Í I IllSBMm KBMMM - ! mm m. MM m ~-----i WÊmmm CONTENT: ISAAC CONSTANS PHOTO: CRAIG HEDGES DESIGN: KELSEY MCARDLE “It shows that science is not just a body of knowledge, but it’s something that you go out and learn,” science and history professor Rich Bellon said. “It’s a method, and you learn. You see cool things, and you learn new things by collecting specimens and organizing them and ordering them and displaying them. It’s really opening up what science is into something you do.” Bellon, also known for the day as Charles Darwin, was the subject of many selfies. In the 19th-century get-up of a frilled shirt and a peacoat, he was the epitome of the exhibit’s interactivity. As children shuffled from the museum’s wing of fossils to a plant workshop, students tirelessly offered lessons and ran the show to make sure the production was a success. While providing hands-on education to the children in attendance, they were getting real-life teaching experience. “I think people are learning,” said sophomore Paige Barnes, statistics and zoology double-major. “When I was little, I went to something similar to this, and I think it sparked my interest a lot.” Darwin Discovery Day bore some new findings of its own making, as well. The often overshadowed MSU Museum basked in the exposure of the event, which offered an excellent occasion for it to showcase its tapestries, artifacts and rare possessions. “I had never even thought to have come up here, and I go to the MSU Library all the time,” said senior Alex Redmond, interdisciplinary studies major. “The little smaller stuff, like the free cake downstairs, is nice. But, I know that’s usually not there. Nonetheless, Darwin Day gave me a reason to come out, which was great.” Though the free cake was a bonus, Redmond was happiest with his discovery of the MSU Museum and its treasures, including a fully preserved elephant skeleton. Darwin Discovery Day was a daylong event of exploration that, for many, evolved into a nascent interest. TOP: Paleontology faculty members examine some of the bones they gathered for the 13th annual Darwin Discovery Day. Children were encouraged to bring a bone, rock, or fossil to the museum for curators and faculty to identify. BOTTOM: More than 10 academic departments at MSU came together to host Darwin Discovery Day. Families, students, and visitors from all over Michigan came to learn about evolution. 219 STARTING YOUNG The wrestling team’s athletes start young and turn out strong Many children grew up roughhousing with their siblings and friends, wrestling around outside or in the family room. Some of these children progressed to the less-casual form of roughhousing: the sport of wrestling. A controlled, combative and strength-based sport, unlike the recreational wrestling of days past, the root enjoyment of it came in handy for wrestlers when handling the physical demand of the sport. “I was always more of a physical kid, and I always liked sports that revolved around just yourself. So, good or wrong, whatever happens, you can just blame yourself for everything,” said sophomore Austin Eicher. “It’s been my whole life. It’s pretty much been the main part of me every year, and it’s gonna be like that until college is over.« Many athletes started with their sports when they were 4 years old, the youngest age one could begin. For Eicher, along with junior Javier Gasca and freshman Drew Hughes, that was the case. The long years of training had paid off for them as Eicher, Gasca and Hughes all made it to the 2017 NCAA Wrestling Championships. “All my family wrestled—my dad, his cousins, his brothers—so I was just put into it; then, I fell in love with it,” said Gasca, psychology major. “The most memorable story I have about wrestling is signing the letter of intent to actually come to Michigan State. Competing for a Division I program is kind of the goal.” Starting young was an added benefit toward the end of the season when Gasca finished second at the Big Ten Championships. According to him, he hit a rut early in the year, but managed to work past that to complete what ended up being one of his better seasons. “We’ve gotten better every week through the season and that’s been our goal. Coming off of last year we were definitely at the bottom of the Big Ten and our guys are making progress every week, and that’s an important part, taking steps forward. That’s where we want to go as a program,” said coach Roger Chandler. Wrestling may be an individually fought sport, but there was always teamwork that coalesced after the match. Whether it was practicing together, supporting each other or just sharing the wins and losses together, the team was united by fighting as Spartans. “I just want to continue to see the team grow,” said Gasca. “Coach Chandler, Chris, Wynn, Tony and the people who have supported the program—they’ve been doing a lot, and we wouldn’t be in the position we are now if not for them so I want to give back by succeeding. So, I just want to see the team succeed, and I want to succeed as well.” The wrestlers were far from the only Spartan athletes to work hard for their sport, but that never detracted from the practice the wrestlers put in, the results they achieved or the training they received when they were younger. With three Spartan representatives attending the NCAA Wrestling Championships in 2017, it was clear that their effort made a difference. Sophomore Mark Bozzo takes on Michigan during senior day on Feb. 5. Jenison Fieldhouse was packed with more than 1,500 attendants as the Spartans took on the top ten ranked Wolverines. Unfortunately, the green and white fell with a score of 24-15. SEASON RECORD: W: 5 L: 11 CONTENT: NATASHA BLAKELY PHOTO: CRAIG HEDGES DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR WE DON’ TALK FUNNEH A breakdown of Michigan culture, including dialect and traditions Who needs t’s anyway? If there is a “t” in the middle of a word, pronounce it as a “d” instead. It’s not “city” and “little,” it’s “ciddy” and “liddle.” Get familiar with glottal stops. A glottal stop is when a consonant is formed by an audible release of the air instead of actually pronouncing the letter. For example, we say “Detroi” instead of “Detroit,” or “apart-meh” instead of “apartment.” Speed it up. Michiganders often talk fast and slur their words together, creating one word out of two. For example, you go to “Granrapids” instead of Grand Rapids, and you renew your license at the “Secretarial! State,” not the Secretary of State. AAA AAA AAH Draw out those a’s. We watch the Red Wings play “haaa-ckey,” and the windy “ciddy” is known to us as “Chi-cahh-go.” Make companies possessive. In the early 1900’s, the Ford Motor Company was known by Michiganders as “Ford’s Factory”, since it was owned by Henry Ford. Because of this, people tend to make other large companies possessive, like “Meijer’s” and “Kroger’s.” CONTENT: SIERRA REHM DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR FUDGIES AND TOWNIES YOOPERS AND TROLLS “Townies” are locals to the cities that are commonly considered tourist traps or college towns. They’re often identifiable by their scowls and dissent towards people that are tourists, or otherwise named “fudgies.” Northern Michiganders often refer to tourists who visit Traverse City or Mackinac Island as “fudgies” because of their fondness for the dessert. EUCHRE “Trolls” are known as those are who live under the Mackinac Bridge in the lower peninsula. ■ Yoopers,” on the other hand, is the nickname given to those who live in the Upper Peninsula. THESOO The Soo Locks is an engineered passageway that allows ships to easily make it through the 21 foot drop between Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Many Michigan families play this strategy- based card game, laced with rules, during family reunions POP fl “Pop” is the carbonated drink that pairs with a hamburger and french fries. It’s also known as “soda’jin other parts of the country. Michigan is famed for its own brand, Faygo. THE BRIDGE “The Bridge” stands for the Mackinac Bridge; or the only connection between Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas. m^^^ÈËËÊÊ ¡■S■H iiäiiii» \ \ A \\ Steh». CONTENT: SIERRA REHM DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE Service Learning course engages students with the community When recent graduates began their career searches, it was typically required of them to have previously worked in their fields through jobs and internships. Students in the social sciences found this came in the form of service. For these student volunteers, finding time to commit to service could be difficult, unless it came combined with the time in class. “Service learning combines some of the classic volunteer work that you think of with a more rigorous academic component,” said Dan Casey- Dunn, the service learning coordinator for the College of Social Science. “It pushes students to reflect and engage on what it is that they’re doing, why they have to do it, how could they do it better, how could they do it in the future- to make well rounded, civically engaged students.” MSU’s service learning course was normally a requirement for social science students. According to Dunn, it often ended up being one of the most influential classes taken. This was because students were able to decide where they volunteered and where their interests fel in the work force. “I learned that my services were very important,” said freshman Mya Mumpfield, criminal justice major who volunteered at the Lansing Police Department. “This course taught me that I could assist the community without receiving any monetary values from it, but feel accomplished in return.’ftg While some students participated in a summer program in Detroit, most got their service placements during the school year. They were located at a place of their choosing within East Lansing. For freshman Lindsay Hickox, that was the Edgewood Village Network Center. “I work with kids that come from low-income families and live in the surrounding areas. My job is to do my best to improve their quality of life,” Hickox said. “I am not only making an impact on their lives, they already have a special place in my heart. They are so loving and willing to work hard no matter the setbacks they face, and to see this drive in such young kids made me realize that no matter what the situation is, I can always make the best out of it because not everyone will have the same opportunities that I had in my life.” Service was commonly at the forefront of Spartans’ academic and professional endeavors. MSU showed commitment to this priority by incorporating service learning into their curriculum, weaving students into communities in need. Student volunteers in the Service Learning program gather together to recognize the work they did in the community throughout the past academic year. PHOTO COURTESY OF: COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE ■ y Êk X A CONTENT: ARIANA TAYLOR PHOTO: CRAIG HEDGES DESIGN: KENT KUBANI GOING BACK TO GOING GREEK A look at the history of Greek Life on campus Some houses are laced with tall pillars lining the front porches, others decorated their yards with boulders that had the year they came to campus inscribed on the surface. But, all houses shared one thing in common: big Greek letters, proudly proclaiming the chapter that resided there and the values they stood for. For every member of Greek Life, the experience was different. Each had a tradition that bonded the culture together. “I’ve gained invaluable experience through my time as a member of the Greek organization,” said junior Samantha Lanzetta, member of Kappa Alpha Theta. “Knowing that there are multiple generations of women who came before me to create a legacy inspires me to give back to the fraternity as they have given to me. I am proud to be a Spartan but I am especially proud to be a Theta.” While Greek Life in the United States dated back to beginning of the nation’s inception, all one had to do was look back to 1872 to find MSU’s immersion into the culture. A culture rich in tradition, social sororities and fraternities have populated and recruited from campus ever since. It all started when Delta Tau Delta opened the first chapter on campus. Since then, more than 70 of these organizations have developed chapters. As of now, the three oldest active chapters on campus are Alpha Gamma Rho, Lambda Chi Alpha and Alpha Phi, which date back to 1922. “They are all value-based organizations,” said Terrence Fraizer, assistant vice president for student affairs. “They provide an excellent atmosphere to meet like-minded people and work on your studies.” Governing the Greek family tree were four distinct councils: the Interfraternity, Panhellenic, National Pan-Hellenic and Multicultural-Greek councils. Officially recognized by the university on Nov. 19, 2013, they served the purpose of providing a place for anyone to feel at home and serve their community. Each sorority and fraternity fell under the jurisdiction of one of the councils. While the Interfraternity and Panhellenic councils governed affairs for fraternities and sororities respectively, the National Pan- Hellenic and Multicultural councils provided layers of cultural and ethnic identification to Greek Life. Accompanying these differences were bylaws and rituals that provided individuality for each chapter. But even with these differences, charity and service work provided a commonality between all chapters, and each generation of those chapters. “KNOWING THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE GENERATIONS OF WOMEN WHO CAME BEFORE ME TO CREATE A LEGACY INSPIRES ME TO GIVE BACK TO THE FRATERNITY AS THEY HAVE GIVEN TO ME.” “My sorority sisters don’t just stop at MSU. We’re all connected. If a sister is in need then we all take care of her,” said Micah Reed, member of Zeta Phi Beta sorority. giThe oldest chapter on MSU’s campus has almost eclipsed a century in age. The organizations that dot the neighborhoods bordering campus all house current students, but the culture they’ve assimilated into reach far back into the Spartan timeline. Yearbook spreads from the 1970’s depict Greek Life on MSU’s campus. Since Greek Life came to MSU in 1872, generations of Greek members have made a difference to the Spartan community. 227 ít| i ! I iilll&ii ¡gl 0§§l W&M -v- à 1 ' Wmm ■ ' 1111 £ 1 «*19 AUtToU IL BsSTr STIi A sense of antiquity could be felt among the myriad of shelves playing host to historical documents and vintage photos in the MSU Archives and Historical Collections in Conrad Hall. This location possessed records dating back to the beginning of the university’s history, including the authentic legislature that was key in the establishment of Michigan State University. Sarah Roberts, the acquisitions archivist, had worked with the archives for 15 years. Her position consisted of helping researchers find suitable documents to add to the historical collection, as well as grant ownership of the items to MSU. Her first post-college position was with the archives, and the kind of investment she gained in the work hadn’t diminished. “Unlike aiibrary, all of the materials here are one of a kind,” said Roberts. “There is only one CONTENT: SYDNEY NASEEF DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR copy of each item, and they cannot be checked out because each and every article is irreplaceable. That’s what is so unique about the archives.” Photos captured the historical style of the first Wells Hall, the students who roamed the sidewalks outside St. Rest’s, the first ever dormitory and College Hall, the first classroom building. Handwritten books contained copies of offered college courses and aged class albums with distinct alumni—all of this and more was found among crowded shelves in the collection. All of the employees at the archives proved devoted to their work and maintained the impressive history of the university. Megan Malone, the collections and outreach archivist at the facility, coordinated tours, taught introductory archives sessions, managed the social media and arranged archival collections. She has worked at the location for close to six years and has established herself as a reliable source for information on all things at the archives. “The university archives collects and preserves photos, scrapbooks, diaries, AV and other personal papers from MSU students/ alumni and student organizations. We have fantastic collections of these materials from the mid-1800s through the present day,” said Malone. “We rely on Spartans to help us document MSU’s history and legacy for future generations by donating their materials to us.” Senior Stephanie Vettese, art history major and clerical aid at the location, found nostalgia in the historical articles. While her job consisted of answering phone calls and client questions, she was constantly in a position where she was surrounded by the two things that peaked her interest most: art and history. “I love being immersed in the historical materials. Holding them, seeing them—it’s all just really sentimental. I love being involved here at the archives, especially being a museum studies minor, this is right up my alley,” said Vettese. Many Spartans knew the basics: established in 1855, an agricultural college, historically an all­ male schoolBut the MSU Archives and Historical Collections held the deeper secrets and historical events of the university often forgotten. Entrance into the archives is a doorway to the past, filled with the nostalgia of vintage Spartans. TOP: An aerial view of East Neighborhood during Hubbard Hall’s construction which was completed in 1966. BOTTOM: A campus bus picks up students outside of Conrad and Fee Halls. Today, MSU Archives is located in Conrad Hall. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MSU ARCHIVES 229 THE SEARCH FOR IDENTITY Spartans find individuality within community during Afro-Latino week By definition, to be an Afro-Latino means in the community we are creating.” to be of African and Latino heritage. This term became the source of discussion in the Spartan community, as the Alpha Phi Alpha and Phi Iota Alpha fraternities celebrated their 6th annual Afro- Latino acknowledgment week. As part of an annual program, the fraternities have excelled in raising awareness in the community. They made it their mission to aid others in finding their identities as Afro- Latinos living in America, identifying with these two nationalities. “The complexities of identity in America are deep. This week, after a month of preparation for events and figuring out costs, we take time to discuss the importance of finding your identity in a world with clashing expectations of how someone like you should act,” said senior Andrew Nazzaro, a member of Phi Iota Alpha. “We’ve deconstructed racism and segregation by law, but it’s still prevalent in the community.” The third event of the week, entitled “The Spectrum,” involved an extensive group discussion about colorism in society and current racial barriers. It gave students the opportunity to Share personal struggles of being culturally active while living in America. Socrates Montero, member at large of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, shared issues at the event stemming from his childhood as a Dominican-American living in the United States. He remembered his grandma preferring him to his darker-skinned cousin—a form of colorism even among his loved ones. Experiencing this treatment first-hand, Montero found it imperative that these issues be discussed on a larger scale, and Afro-Latino week made that possible. “I’ve been excited to be involved in this event ever since I became an Alpha,” said Montero. “I think it’s a very meaningful and crucial week of events. In being a part of this, I am helping others find their identity, and we are finding an identity The night covered diverse topics, expressed through the attendees’ stories that revolved around cultural differences and struggles. Issues ranged from the language of Ebonics, discussions regarding the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raid in communities of undocumented immigrants and the racial effects of the one-drop rule, a form of racial classification meaning that any person with even one African American ancestor is considered “black.” Alondra Alvizo, a junior agribusiness management major, attended every event of the week. She was openly zealous about the Afro- Latino community and her Latina heritage. She highlighted the importance of recognizing every race. With an emphasis on the “Black Lives Matter” movement, she noticed her own ethnicity tended to feel forgotten. “We live in a country where if it’s not black or white, it doesn’t matter,” said Alvizo. “We are in this gray area, not sure if we should act Caucasian living in the United States or embrace our heritage from back home. I’ve seen the difference in respect given to people based off of the color of their skin alone. Something has to change.” The night was filled with leaders ready to break down barriers that had struck the community, seeking to embrace their identity and find themselves among friends. Phi Iota Alpha and Alpha Phi Alpha had banded together and brought these issues to light. The groups maintained the importance of instilling knowledge not only in the Afro-Latino community, but the Spartan community as a whole. Alpha Phi Alpha and Phi lota Alpha held Afro- Latino week where students shared cultural experiences through food and discussion. They dissected the African diaspora in Latin America and struggles of identity within these communities. CONTENT: SYDNEY NASEEF PHOTO: KASSIDY RHODES DESIGN: KENT KU BAN I ! Last updated Fefc ICE *m j April 2012; ICE am & immigration fugitives i ____ÌCe-90v/news/reieases/ Retiming isyniìkely a coincide The Immigration a m the Department àgi? fiÇ'ÿi pi ' INNOVATION NEEDS COMMUNICATION MSU students and faculty spread food science research through media Life revolves around food. Without the innovations in food science and production that have been made, human lives would look different. These innovations probably won’t ever stop. Despite the breakthroughs that researchers and innovators have made, the people who could benefit the most from their work often had no way of knowing it existed. The Food Fix (TFF) decided to change that. TFF was a group of communicators and researchers, including students, dedicated to sharing and reporting on the ever-changing world of food research. As a part of the Global Center for Food Systems Innovation at MSU, it was tasked with sharing the work being done with the public. “It’s important to break down science so people can understand,” said Pechulano Ali, masters journalism student and TFF podcast host. “Scientists don’t necessarily understand the ways in which they can communicate their work to the people out there. Maybe it gets published CONTENT: LOGAN RYAN PHOTO: CRAIG HEDGES DESIGN: ALEX DONNELLY ■ ■ kmt', üb HB| I '■* I mSSm.MÍ Wr ¿aaaü ^rj IMi mmËm, in a journal and a few people read it, but the people that it is supposed to be touching don’t know about it.” In order to communicate the Center’s findings, The Food Fix made use of its members’ communication expertise. Their website contained stories, videos and podcasts, all of which encapsulated explanations on the research. People who made breakthroughs in the world of food science and production were interviewed and their words were then available online. “I’ve spoken to a couple people here in the U.S. and outside of the U.S. and they are like, wow, this is nice.HTus is something that I think has been missing from the research world for a very long time,” said Ali. The research projects that TFF focused on could be anything from a bike that turned into a grain thresher to cheap fertilizers and pesticides. Without the work done by TFF communicators, people like rural farmers would have a hard time learning about those findings. Researchers failed to communicate effectively far too often. “Personally I woffld say they [researchers] have an obligation to [communicate.]” said David Poulson, journalism professor and manager of The Food Fix. “They’re taking public funding, and the public has a right to know the return on their investment. Another piece would be, you [researchers] are more likely to get grants. Many of the granting agencies say, ok, I’d like to give you some money, but what’s your plan for a broader impact of what you’re doing? You can’t just do research for research’s sake.” Building on TFF’s drive for better communication tactics, they also educated researcherspn the ways of succinct clarity. Through workshops and training sessions, researchers were taught how to make their work accessible to the general public. “The Food Fix was a good experience for me to work on translating scholarship outside my own field,” said Carina Baskett, a PhD Plant Biology student and former managing editor for the podcast. “I also enjoyed working with undergraduates and training them with radio production and science communication.” Using communication and various forms of media, students and faculty at MSU made the world a smarter and better place. Information stuck in journals and crammed with jargon was broken down and passed along for all to share. Even the researchers themselves benefitted as they learned techniques to make their work accessible. Life revolves around food and The Food Fix worked to make that revolution smoother for all. Graduate student Pechulano Ali records an episode of The Food Fix podcast that explores food practices from all over the world, examining the way others grow and distribute food. — 233 CONTENT: SIERRA REHM PHOTO: ELIF TURK DESIGN: KENT KUBANI PEDALING WITH PURPOSE MSU senior bikes the country to build affordable homes The means by which to travel the country vary from motorized engine to people’s own two feet. Senior Emily Guy was making the venture by bike, partnering with the organization Bike and Build. She planned to bike from Yorktown, VA. to Seattle, WA. over the course of three months, visiting places Guy had never seen. Along the way, she and approximately 30 other riders would stop at 13 cities to help build affordable housing. “Our mission is two-fold,” said Matt Hartman,* the director of outreach for Bike and Build. “We benefit affordable housing organizations both financially and with volunteer hours, and we empower young adults for a lifetime of service and civic engagement.” “I FOUND MY PLACE IN BEING ABLE TO INVEST MYSELF WITHIN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES AROUND ME AND WAS ABLE TO SEE THE IMAGE AND CHANGE THAT YOUNG ADULTS CAN MAKE WHEN WE COME TOGETHER WITH COMMON GOALS.” Guy became interested in this form of cross­ country travel when she learned about others’ experiences. The stories she heard came from people who loved what they got to see and the volunteer work they participated in. “I came out of Bike and Build with 32 teammates that became a family to me,” said Iyana Williams, former rider with the organization, and sophomore at MSU. “I found my place in being able to invest myself within different communities around me and was able to see the image and change that young adults can make when we come together with common goals.” Hartman also said that the combination of biking and building was more rewarding than it seemed. Each one of the members on the ride went from strangers to family. As they built houses and new relationships, they also rebuilt lives. “[Biking] is a slower pace, and it allows you to really take in your surroundings and experience where we live and call home in a profound way,” said Hartman. “Similarly, the affordable housing cause is unique and varied from community to community. Learning about and impacting the various affordable housing issues in different communities allows for riders to experience different needs and perspectives of people around the country.” Each city the team visited had projects for them to tackle with a hands on mentality. By partnering with organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Building Together, they volunteered on various affordable housing projects. “Cities are all trying to change housing into something that is high quality, which means that they’re more expensive,” Guy said. “The idea is to try and rebuild some of the houses that people are living in right now that have physical inadequacies; they don’t have showers, they don’t have bathtubs, their roof isn’t structurally intact. We’re trying to repair some of those houses, as well as build new houses that people can afford.” Guy prepared for several months to be ready for the trip. Bike and Build set up online safety courses for riders to take, and they were required to prepare with 500 ridden miles before they arrived in Yorktown. Once there, they took three more days to learn about safety and the affordable housing project. “The idea that I only have two months left to train is intimidating, but they do help a lot with all of the intimidation factors,” Guy said. “I’m already in contact with a ton of the people I’m biking with.” There was a lot of unknown leading up to traveling cross-country by bike, and it took Guy a lot of preparation to be ready for the trip. What intimidated Guy most weren’t the miles or the work anymore, she knew that at the end of the trip, she wouldn’t want it to be over. Senior Emily Guy partnered with an organization called “Bike and Build” where she and a group of bikers travelled from Yorktown, VA to Seattle, WA over the course of three months. Along the way, she would help build affordable housing for those who needed shelter. PARTING WITH CONFIDENCE The softball team’s upperclassmen leave the team ready for anything The pitcher’s arm appeared to blur as she whipped the ball forward, her grip releasing at the perfect moment The ball slammed into a waiting mitt with an ever-satisfying thud. The batter shook her head and reset her stance, staring at the mound, every nerve tingling with anticipation. The ball again came fast, but this time, she was faster. She smiled, knowing this was a good hit. College softball is a competitive and intense sport, with the 2017 softball team mirroring those traits. From the newest teammate to the experienced upperclassmen on the field, the Spartans worked together to make their season a success. Two members of the team, Lea Foerster and Celeste Wood, were nominated for Big Ten Athlete of the Week early in the season, making it clear the team was not lacking in talent. Closing out the last home game of the season, the team hoped to carry its momentum all the way to the end of post-season. “We had a specific plan today, and I was pleased with the way we executed,” said head coach Jacquie Joseph. “It’s a bit bittersweet for this to be our last home game—we are so excited to see what’s left for this team...I like this team very much, and I think that there’s some great things ahead for us in the next few weeks as we continue to try to position ourselves for the Big Ten Tournament.” Aside from the games themselves, a constant worry of all seniors was the fact that soon enough, they would no longer be there to assist their fellow Spartans on the diamond. After graduation, they had to leave a legacy and hope that next year’s team could hold their own without them. Luckily for the seniors of 2017, their minds could rest a little easier knowing that they would be leaving a well-prepared team behind. “Personally, this season has been my best season, but not because of the numbers,! said junior shortstop McKenzie Long. “I am excited with how we have gotten our freshmen and sophomores to compete. It has been fun watching the players around me get better because of the time we have invested in them. My favorite thing about this year, personally, is the way we have led this team to be more resilient and believe in themselves.” The benefits of being a student athlete often outweighed the time commitment and stress. For many, competing at the college level was an opportunity they couldn’t imagine missing. “The places I’ve traveled, the people I’ve met and the opportunities given to us could not be matched as a regular student,” said senior first base Sarah Gutknecht. “I’ve gotten the chance to play the game I love for another four years while getting an education from the best university in the nation. There is no comparing to that experience.” As the upperclassmen guided their freshman and sophomore teammates, they helped to form a team capable of swiftly meeting much of what came their way. While leaving them was bittersweet, it was balanced by the knowledge that they had prepared them well. Whatever the costs or worries, the graduating softball seniors would always remember their time with the team as some of the best memories and experiences they could claim. Junior outfielder Lea Foerster hurls the ball back towards her teammate with the hope to get her opponent out. In addition to setting multiple single-season records, Foerster also earned Academic All-America honors. PHOTOS COURTESY: OF MSU ATHLETICS SEASON RECORD: W: 32 L: 24 CONTENT:: LOGAN RYAN DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Spartans teach kids about engineering through engaging “Engineering Week” activities It may have been cold outside the Impression 5 Science Center on Feb. 25, but the people inside didn’t feel it. While some explored the regular exhibits, many others ventured from booth to booth, interacting with college students bedecked in dark green College of Engineering shirts. On that Saturday, the College of Engineering hosted its annual “Engineering Week” event at the science center. Student organizations like the Society of Women Engineers, Engineers Without Borders and Phi Sigma Rho were there, educating kids about the field through games and activities. CONTENT: NATASHA BLAKELY PHOTO: MOLLY EDDINGTON DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR build structures using toothpicks and gummy bears. The Society of Women Engineers custom- made slime with glitter and various colors for the kids. The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers set up a virtual reality station, with three different underwater adventures for visitors to experience. Even waiting in the long line for the virtual reality station wasn’t a chore for attendees. There was plenty to occupy their minds as they watched the engineering students man the booth and dodge the wild hands of children trying to touch and play with the creatures appearing in their visor. Tiny mouths hung wide-open, gazing upon wonders that were invisible to other patrons. “Part of our mission is to give students access to technology,” said senior Beatriz Ibarra, applied engineering major and member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. “So we definitely want to empower the students by educating them about what’s hot in tech right now. With minorities, they don’t really have the financial means to access these kinds of technologies so we try to do our best to bring that to them. We don’t want them falling behind.” The event was an educating experience for both the kids and the engineering students running the booths. The smiles draped across the faces of children were mirrored by their educators. Many Spartans played witness to children and parents growing more interested in the passions they shared. “Being a woman in engineering is tough,” said Menar Muflihi, sophomore chemical engineering major. “You feel like a minority. When you see all these kids coming up here, especially young girls, you feel like you can empower them and teach them the science behind it and you see how their eyes light up and it’s just an amazing experience.” It was almost sneaky the way Spartans had kids learning and engaging in different aspects of engineering. They were being taught the value and fun of science through slime, gummy bears and virtual fantasies. The College of Engineering put on Engineering Week for the community to use different technology. The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers shows a young girl how to use a virtual reality simulator that their club helped develop. “I didn’t really know anything about engineering until I was 9 or 10,” said senior Steven Turzewski, civil engineering major and president of the Engineering Student Council. “And now you get kids interested in things like virtual reality, building structures and stuff like that, so maybe those interests will translate into school and what they want to do later in life.” Even though the activities that each organization brought to the event ranged wildly in complexity, all encompassed some aspect of engineering. Tau Beta Phi taught children to CONTENT: ISAAC CONSTANS PHOTO: KYLE RINZLER DESIGN: KELSEY MCARDLE WORTH ITS WAIT IN GOLD Lansing business draws students out for early mornings, long lines and good food “Open Sesame!” No, that didn’t work. “Alohamora!” Still no luck. “Abracadabra, hocus pocus, one, two, three, open for me!” Well, it was worth a try. On a cold Sunday morning in the middle of February, every spell and incantation was futile. Nothing could open the doors of Golden Harvest besides an occupying mosey through a 20-person line, the new norm. At least the view wasn’t bad. “Unattended children will be given espresso and a free cake,” Eric Lockard said, pointing to the threatening sign that was prominently placed just to the left of the door. The exterior of Golden Harvest was an indescribable mishmash of every gewgaw, ornament and piece of debris that a person had ever seen in their lifetime. On top, a replica street sign of the corner, Turner Street and East Dwight Street, towered over. A white carousel horse jutted north from the ground. A stormtrooper helmet leered at the line. An oversized, smiling crescent moon marked one’s arrival to the front. The pirate skulls; they covered the whole place. It was brash charm that greeted college students as they made their 7:30 a.m. treks to the breakfast haven. Of course, the food played a vital part too. Between the breakfast specials board and decoration, there was always something different. “There’s something new every time,” Cepriano Benavides, a Lansing native and Lansing Community College student, said. “I mean it’s not new, but you just notice something new every time. It’s like, ‘Oh well, I never saw that here.’” Benavides noted that Golden Harvest has blown up since his childhood. He remembers coming with his parents when he was younger and getting the Mickey Mouse pancakes. The lines weren’t as long, either. Recently, he’s revived the tradition and even goes several times a week. It’s well worth the wait, he said, but he employs his veteran knowledge to skip the line as much as he can. ‘i always come before they open, so I don’t kind of have to get stuck in the line,” Benavides said. “It’s easier on the weekdays of the year like 6:50,10 minutes before they open. As long as I’m with the first wave of people, I don’t complain.” That morning, he brought his friend De Juan Jones with him. Jones, a sophomore on MSU’s soccer teamMearned how to avoid the wait too. “We’ve waited in line here before, and the food’s worth it,” Jones said. “But it just takes a lot longer, so it’s nice to get in and get out.” For others, the wait wasn’t so easy. Lockard is a veteran himself, and having attended MSU, he grew into the monthly routine of going to Golden Harvest. In the morning, though, he was with friends, and they didn’t stop by until 9 a.m., far too late to avoid the line. ‘The worst part, you always get to the front of the line and it’s like 20 minutes,” said Lockard, who boasted of once having a three-hour delay on Mother’s Day. “You think you’re there, but you’re not over the hump yet. It always goes in waves.” Finally, however, the door would open to a swirl of sensations. Waiters in superman tank tops would be busing savory dishes underneath speakers sending out the sermon of Eminem and Nate Dogg, a fitting gospel for the restaurant. “Relieving,” Benavides said of entering. “In was cold this morning, like I could barely feel my handsH was just so ready to get a hot chocolate.” Once Lockard got inside, he already knew what he was getting: whatever the special was for the day. He has never looked at the menu, because the architects who cooked the food were just as creative as the ones who built the place. Littered with memorable and funky décor, Golden Harvest serves as an East Lansing landmark and a local favorite breakfast stop. CONTENT: ARIANA TAYLOR PHOTO: RILEY JAMES DESIGN: KELSEY MCARDLE STARTING A TREND Spartan designers bring big city style to East Lansing When discussing fashion week, the city of New York and Paris resonate with many. But located far from the big city lights and foreign fashion atmosphere was MSU Fashion Week, the first of its kind. One Spartan with an eye for apparel and design brought the idea to life. Ashton Keys, an architect major, saw potential in MSU’s small fashion scene. After having his own experience with showcasing his clothing line, known as Ninetyó, Keys decided it was time to introduce East Lansing to the culture of high fashion usually reserved for bigger cities. “I’ve been to Miami, I’ve been to Atlanta doing fashion shows and I was just like, we can do that here at MSU. I wanted to bring that type of energy in Miami and Atlanta and New York and Paris fashion week to MSU,” said Keys. “You know MSU is a premier institution, so I feel like we should have something like this, an event of this atmosphere.” The MSU Fashion Week kicked off on Feb. 26, with a night that featured clothing brands originating from Michigan cities like Lansing and the Detroit area. The entire show was a student- run bonanza, complete with brands designed and modeled by campus individuals. One clothing line in particular stood out from the rest. Live That Life Soreem, a brand designed by media and information sophomore Amir Butler, made a monumental statement during the show. Butler’s designs showcased social issues dealing with controversial topics, such as race and police brutality. Some models walked out with red “blood” stains on their hands, including one model adorning a noose around his neck. “I’m so passionate about fashion because it’s more of a creative outlook for me to express my voice as well as sense of style,” said Butler. “That’s why I’m making my clothes, to wear and to feel empowered in them.” The week of events also included a workshop hosted by Keys, featuring established designers who were able to share their experiences within the streetwear industry. To conclude the week, a pop-up shop was set up for people to support and buy from the young and aspiring designers who participated in the fashion show. This opportunity was a testament to Key’s desire to bring big city fashion to the green and white community. It also began to bridge a connection between Spartans and local designers. “I’m passionate about street wear. It’s an art form that black people invented. I take pride in what we do and I feel like the industry has gotten away from it’s origins,” said Armani McKalpain, creator of Legend Streetwear brand. MSU’s campus was home to immense creativity. While it didn’t receive the illumination of skyscrapers and globally recognized fashion icons, its efforts to break into the industry were significant to all who were involved. The fashion week allowed for a small, but passionate number of Spartans to showcase their art. A fashion show, presented by Ninety6, kicks off the first-ever MSU Fashion Week. Sophomore Daira Johnson models the clothing brand Legend, which is designed by Armani McKalpain. NO FLOATING REQUIRED Thai Student Association opens its arms to community The dancer wore sleek, golden clothing. A gentle smile was fixed on her face as she moved gracefully across the stage, her wrists bending and flowing with the choreography. The host explained to the audience that Thai performances traditionally began with an opening blessing dance. Fittingly, it was a beautiful start to a nearly two-hour demonstration of Thai culture put on by the Thai Student Association on March 18. “I heard about this event because my roommate is an international student from Thailand,” said sophomore Cameron Andrews. “He’s actually here helping out and he told me about it, and I figured I’d come and kind of support his event, eat some good food, see some more of his culture.® The theme of the 2017 “Thai Cultural Night” was a “floating market,” which was similar to a regular street marketf except it happened on river boats. Sudaporn Gunnaleka, a graduate student in public relations and the graduate president of the Thai Student Association, emphasized the importance of water to the Thai people, thus using it as a theme. “Thai students are a part of MSU as well,” said Gunnaleka. “We just want to do an event that shows our culture and also helps restaurants. In East Lansing, there are a lot of Thai restaurants. In terms of food, we cater from them, so it’s a good advertisement as well.” The entire event centered around the idea of celebrating Thai culture in various aspects. There was popular Thai food available for people to eat, including well-known dishes such as pad thai, chicken satay, mango sticky rice and Thai milk tea. Attendees, who ranged from MSU students to East Lansing residents of all ages, were encouraged to sit at tables and get to know each other. “One of my classmates in Chinese class—she’s Thai,” said junior Jaehyun Park, political science major. “She is performing today and she asked me to come. I don’t know about Thai culture, so Iiike learning about new culture, see new people, and I like the performance they’re doing.” The performances were meant to be engaging for the audience in various ways. There was an excerpt from a dance, where a hunter came across five mythical bird-women bathing and attempted to capture one of them. There were also quizzes, covers of Thai songs, a Thai rice harvest dance and an audience participation segment where students tried Thai snacks. The night ended with a screening of viral Thai commercials, which were known for their gripping and heartbreaking storytelling. Many of the videos prompted tears from the audience, a stark contrast from laughter that resulted during some of the other performances and activities. The Thai Student Association planned a night new cultural experiences for attendees. Thai Cultural Night was a colorful event that reminded attendees of the world outside of East Lansing, all while sharing the vibrancy of Thai culture with them. On March 18, students were able to experience Thai culture with foods, art and performances that the Thai Student Association organized for the annual Thai Cultural Night. kKELY IZLER JELLY CONTENT: ISAAC CONSTANS PHOTO: MOLLY EDDINGTON DESIGN: ALEX DONNELLY LYMAN BRIGGS COLLEGE Students reach out and read out to overlooked community groups It was a bitter-cold January morning when Dr. Georgina Montgomery, associate professor at Lyman Briggs College, walked into a balmy East Lansing Public Library on Abbot Road. She was expecting 30 children to be waiting for her. Instead, she was met by more than 150 people who pressed into the building, each with a story to tell. With craned necks and acutely piqued ears, they were ready to hear a tale to match theirs. The underrepresented were suddenly overabundant. “The aim is to encourage young children to become social-justice-oriented and feel empowered to advocate for justice through their examination of critical literacy,” said Dorinda Carter Andrews, assistant dean of Equity Outreach Initiatives at the College of Education. Carter Andrews and Montgomery started the Social Justice Reading Group, a partnership between Michigan State University and the ¡feast Lansing Public Library, to inspire activism and enlighten children about equality from an early age. Each meeting, they read and discussed books of diverse social equity topics. “I have said many times that the beauty of public libraries is that we are open to all,” Kristin Shelley, director of the East Lansing Public Library, said in a blog post. “No matter your views, how you look, how much is in your bank account or what your zip code is, we welcome you into the library.” In a welcoming environment, natural wonderment guided the children. In fact, the curiosity of a six-year-old was what led to the program’s founding. “It was actually motivated by my daughter asking me about issues to do with racial prejudice when she was six,” Montgomery said. “After trying to talk to her about that, she went to her bookshelf and pulled out a little biography she has about Jackie Robinson, and she said she wanted to share that for share day at school.” MSU students are regularly involved in the reading and facilitating of discussion. Junior Ashley Archer, fisheries and wildlife major, knew she couldn’t miss out. “It’s really interesting how pockets of people come together to unify. We may experience different things,” Archer said, “but we’re fighting the same fight.” Archer said the community even provided her with a willing and assistive group of listeners who are unfailing in their support. The optimistic, open faces of the children taught the lessons themselves, as acceptance and inclusivity sheltered them from the outside winds. A volunteer reads Thunder Boy Jr. and Jingle Dancer to a group of kids at the East Lansing Public Library. The Social Justice Reading Group program’s goal is to involve kids with reading and learning about different cultures and social issues. a strolled enna's : ■ law arrv 249 B§§ ■ mm, Wm VmM ■8 I ' M ■ HMl ■■I gf|p ®S«li ¡■I ■ ■ ■ WS m II»»!«■ « ■ ■ ■■ tmm 1hhhi MRm II W$Ss5 mm||1 III ¡Balls WKMsfm ■ ¡Mi -wm sM i K - A fair was in town for the first weekend of spring. Students and families bounded around the Biomedical and Physical Sciences Building, excitedly exploring the different stations and events. Event workers offered animal activities, games and crafts and were greeted with reciprocal enthusiasm. Maybe best of all, the whole thing was fare-free. This is because it wasn’t any ordinary festival, MSU was hosting its annual neuroscience fair. Animal activities included cow-eye dissections and roach radios. Games ranged from tastebud tests to sensory mind tricks, and craft booths called in guests to create their own model brains. “People are really interested, because it’s not typical neuroscience research,” said junior Julia Porter, neuroscience major. “It’s more like asking questions, and I think people really enjoy that.” Porter was working the neuroethics table, which invited the festival-goers to explore topics of personalism and humanity for insensate beings—all through associating those themes with highly regarded movies. People would recognize popular titles, such as “I, Robot,” without recognizing the representations of neuroscience taking place before them. In other corners of the building, burgeoning young brains were being protected. The Compass ill 'mm. 250 Hü ■ ■i |||||| CONTENT: ISAAC CONSTANS PHOTO: RILEY JAMES DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR mm-ftm m, M m mm ■ A cat, raccoon, and monkey brain are' on display at the neuroscience fair. Participants also examined human brains and learned about the mind. Rehabilitation Center gave away free bicycle helmets near the north entrance to encourage the adherence to proper safety procedures. “A lot of people will buy helmets, but they won’t know how to put it on their head,” said Heather Kusler, a registered nurse at the Compass Rehabilitation Center. “You have to keep it straight across your eyebrows, and they tend to tip it up.” Elsewhere, the goal was scholarly. Inside the lecture halls and theater rooms, faculty and staff explicated inner-mind mechanics and even the causes and effects of autism. Young and old minds alike absorbed information about what went on inside the cranium. Like Porter’s station, these weren’t lectures, however. In extracurricular fashion, activities imparted a little bit of knowledge through participation. “I love the fact that they had human brains that we were able to touch,” said Amy Drahota, a local resident. “I thought it was great. It was wonderfully geared to kids.” While departing visitors unfurled their umbrellas before stepping foot outside into the rain, the trickle of knowledge kept pouring inside the building. There was never a brainier day in East Lansing. ' H is 251 WISCONSIN B > $»".s. LHttSlWtüW CONTENT: SYDNEY NASEEF DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, EYES AHEAD Track and Field athletes remember to “stay on course,” “trust in the process,” and to “stay calm” The everyday lives of the MSU Track and Field team didn’t just include tests of endurance, speed and consistency It didn’t consist solely of individual achievements and team celebrations. Coupled with pre-meet rituals, warm-ups and stimulating playlists, the sport was one for dedicated athletes, many of which were aiming for a shot at going professional. “I hope to continue pursuing track after college, but it really depends on this season,® said David Washington, a senior with a specialty in the 400 meter hurdles. “If I can drop a good time during outdoor season, and really step-up my game from my indoor season times, then maybe there will be room for me to continue improving and pursue the pro-course. This is a big year for me as a senior, it’s a defining year.” While setting records and winning championships was a dream for every athlete, all could agree that team kinship and steady coaching were the most important. Almost every athlete’s memory was not a personal accomplishment or broken record, but a team reflection.® “I’ll always remember the pre-meet routine with my teammates,” said Ali Wiersma, a 5k and 10k runner. “I always do a little prayer with the girls in my event, and then we get into a little huddle and kind of have a pep talk, and then I always recite the same verse with my girls before every race, Isaiah 40:31.” Track was a sport that pushed students’ bodies to their max capacity. With timing being judged down to the very millisecond, events left the athlete constantly comparing themselves to the competition and it was often easy to get distressed or disheartened. Player’s relationships with their coaches could make or break those moments, and wise words from someone in a leadership position made all the difference to team members. Washington heard his coach’s words, “stay on course,” echo in his mind as he approached each hurdle, reminding him to keep his eyes ahead and not on the competition. Weirsma remembered her coach reiterating, “trust in the process.” Timothy James Ehrhardt, a junior decathlon specialist, reminded himself of one simple phrase his coach shared to “stay calm.” “The decathlon is a very frustrating and long event,” said Ehrhardt. “If you screw up in one of the events within the decathlon, it’s easy to take that into the next event and then the next one after that, and come out with a lousy decathlon. A bad event doesn’t equal a bad decathlon if you just stay calm.” As the school year came to a close, the outdoor season was to continue on for athletes talented enough to advance to nationals. Teammates stepped onto the track, their coaches’ mottos repeating in their minds as they dropped down into the starting block or prepared for their field event; their minds set on making this year count. Sophomore Justine Kiprotich rushes to the front of the pack during a middle distance event at the 2017 BIG Championship. PHOTO COURTESY OF: MSU ATHLETICS SEASON HIGHLIGHT: M: 11™ W: 10™ @ BIG CHAMPIONSHIP PänstÄ r PENN SOT üNIVEBSm CONTENT: SYDNEY NASEEF PHOTO: ELIF TURK DESIGN: ERIC SCHWARTZ FABRICS FOR ADVENTURE Student co-creates clothing line for outdoor enthusiasts Love, life and the outdoors were the three basic pillars of a growing brand produced by junior Braden Cleary. A marketing major, Cleary was the co-founder of the clothing-line TheMountCo. Using a logo entitled, “The Bearded Man,” the line was branded as a form of self-expression to represent the individuals who enjoy the outdoors. Cleary grew up in an adventurous family and adopted his brand’s values early on. The creation of his clothing line awarded him a sense of success, all while attending classes as a full-time student. Since TheMountCo.’s inception in 2014, team members Preston and Austin Smith have seen the company erupt on a global scale. Its products were made available in all 50 states, as well as nine countries. “In the initial start-up, we began with a very small line of like 25 shirts, and started selling our products locally to friends and family,” said Cleary. “From there we’ve created a website, as well as a Twitter and an Instagram, and we used those platforms to promote our products mainly through social media. This was ideal because advertising on social media is free, and it gave us the ability to reach practically anyone in the world at no cost.” Cleary’s friend and co-founder Preston Smith was a junior at Capital University in Columbus, OH., studying business management. The two had been friends since early childhood and shared an entrepreneurial dream. Creating the clothing line came naturally to both of them, as they shared similar adventurous lifestyles. With matching ambitions and morals, they had no problem generating their company’s core values. “Running a company with Braden is a lot of work,” said Smith. “On a real note, though, it’s been lot of fun working with him. It’s not every day you get to build something like this alongside your best friend. This experience has been nothing but rewarding for me—doing something so hands-on as opposed to learning something in a classroom setting. It’s an experience you really can’t get anywhere else.” With plans to work full-time for TheMountCo. upon graduation, Cleary and Preston intended to focus solely on growing their brand and advancing thei| entrepreneurial expertise on their respective campuses. One of the more advantageous actions of the company was becoming an unofficial partner with the National Parks Service. The Bearded Man logo was used to promote the preservation of 56 national parks and keep the appreciation for the outdoors alive. The partnership symbolized the company’s widespread expansion. “I met Braden at the beginning of my sophomore year, and I remember one of the first things we talked about was his business,” said Griffin Beeler, a close friend of Cleary’s. “Right away he showed me all of the designs for TheMountCo, and at that time they really only had one shirt available for purchase.” The once small, local business made worldwide waves, with projections to continue its growth. Having achieved a relatively firm grasp on the adventurous facet of the clothing industry, Cleary’s team excitedly awaited the future expansion of TheMountCo. Everyone had mo start somewhere, and Cleary’s “somewhere” just happened to be inside a MSU dorm room. Junior Braden Cleary, marketing major, is the co-founder of the clothing-line, “TheMountCo.” The brand is designed for adventure, fit for any outdoor enthusiast. After six long years, countless arguments and a dedicated student body, a coveted service became reality for Spartans. Offered by the Associated Students of Michigan State University (ASMSU), the Safe Ride program acted as a response to students’ requests for security With the new service, students now had the abiity to obtain, at any time of the day and night and for free, a safe ride to where they needed to go. “The options that are available for transportation late at night are very limited, in the sense that, you know, the CATA busses don’t run off campus past midnight,” said Jason Barnett, senior accounting major and vice president of finance and operations with ASMSU. “So if you live off campus, it can be a lot harder to get home. Most students aren’t willing to pay for a taxi to get home from the library, but there’s still that sense that students are uncomfortable and don’t want to walk by themselves on or off campus.” Without a car, it can be a frightening prospect for students who are left with the option of walking. According to a survey conducted by ASMSU, only 27 percent of polled students felt safe walking off campus at night. This statistic alarmed ASMSU and prompted action. such as dealing with sexual assault. Different from Uber or taxi drivers, the driver’s primary concern was student safety, not being paid. “...our mission is really about providing a bridge to the gap of what is not provided by the university,” said Lorenzo Santavicca, senior international relations major and student body president of ASMSU. “We look at Safe Ride as quite literally a vehicle to do that, we see that students are given the opportunity to make a choice on how they can get out of a situation they might not want to be in. I think with the Safe Ride program and our mission, it goes to show that ASMSU continues to look out for the safety and security of our Spartans.” If two students got in the car with different stories of where they wanted to go, the driver was trained to recognize the situation, and get everyone home safely, no matter what. In addition to safety from outside sources, Safe Ride hoped to decrease the danger students might place themselves in by trying to drive home drunk by providing a safe alternative. Living far off campus wasn’t an issue for Safe Ride. The program’s boundaries extended from North to East State Road, South to Mount Hope Road, East to Park Lake Road and West to U.S. 127. Students could obtain free travel home anywhere within this area. ASMSU’s mission was to provide students with services they otherwise would not have found, and Safe Ride brought a much-needed quality of life improvement for all Spartans. With professional drivers, no fees and safety being the primary concern, the program stood as an example of what ASMSU could accomplish for its student body. ASMSU released the Safe Ride initiative for students to get a free ride home if they are out late. To get a ride, call: 517-884-8069 between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. seven days a week. 259 “It’s important to me just because it’s helping students, and continuing their safety,” said Rachel Cocklin, junior finance major and assistant vice president of finance and operations with ASMSU. “I’ve had a lot of times where I’ve been like, scared to walk home at night from the library...and I have a friend who is always without a ride. I think that this is definitely something that will be beneficial. I hope that the program reaches everyone.” The program was made possible by a partnership with Dean Transportation. The drivers were trained professionally and could safely judge situations and react accordingly, FOOTBALL FOR SAFETY Kappa Delta teams up with PCAA for philanthropy event Upon discovery, shamrocks often represent Buck. For many, they also symbolize the splendor of St. Patrick’s Day. For Kappa Delta, however, the small green clover brought about a very different meaning. The sorority used the symbol for an allchapter fundraiser, raising money for its philanthropy, Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA). “The idea came from other chapters across the country,” freshman Camille Green said. “However, we’ve worked hard to make our event as personal as possible.” “OUR ALUMNAE OFTEN CONTINUE TO EITHER FUNDRAISE OR BE INVOLVED IN SOME WAY IN THE CAUSE OF PREVENTING CHILD ABUSE” PCAA was started by Donna J. Stone, a Kappa Delta alumna, in 1972. The sorority adopted the philanthropy in 1981 and has since raised $21 million for the charity, with 2 million of that coming in just 2015. Every cent of the money raised at each chapter was split between local PCAA organizations and the national PCAA institution. “In America, child abuse may not be an issue you hear about every day on the news, but it is a serious problem,” said Anita Dharwadlar, vice president of philanthropy. “Our goal by raising money is to promote awareness of child abuse to others and raise money to help children in need.” This year was the first year that MSU’s chapter of Kappa Delta held an event on St. Patrick’s Day, with the goal of tapping into the university’s admiration for athletics. Following that lead, the sorority held a Shamrock Super Bowl. “The Shamrock Super Bowl was a flag football tournament with 16 teams of 7 players,” Dharwadkar said. “It was a single elimination bracket and each team had two ‘coaches’ from my sorority to follow them through the tournament.’' For an event of this magnitude, it took a month of advertising and preparation to turn the dream into a reality. Kappa Delta created a donation page and sold raffle tickets for prizes. Even striving so far as to utilize Snapchat, members took over a national account to broadcast their event live to people across the nation. “Overall, this event was a huge success and is bringing great changes to our chapter,” Dharwadkar said. “I am so happy that I was able to create such a successful event to go towards such an important cause and I can’t wait to see this event grow in the future.” For some of the girls, it didn’t stop at the annual fundraiser. Zach Hiner, the director of communications at PCAA, said that some girls ended up interning at the company. “Our alumnae often continue to either fundraise or be involved in some way in the cause of preventing child abuse,” said Pamela Nix, Kappa Delta’s executive director. “It lasts far beyond their college years, and many often have taken career paths because of the inspiration from this partnership.” Whether or not members decided to pursue internships or careers related to the cause, their efforts impacted it greatly, all while they continued to inspire those around them. Philanthropy was an important part of Greek Life at MSU, each chapter bringing light to its own philanthropy and inspiring others on campus to recognize it and offer support. This was the Spartan way, and these efforts would follow those working to make a positive change, wherever they went. TOP: Members of the Greek community prepare for the next flag football game during Kappa Delta’s Shamrock Super Bowl tournament. BOTTOM: The first annual Shamrock Super Bowl tournament raised money for the organization Prevent Child Abuse America, whose goal is to end child abuse. PCAA was founded by a Kappa Delta alumna, Donna J. Stone, in 1972. SBSlBl p n 11P§®€: ; i ' I 1 CONTENT: SIERRA REHM PHOTO: MOLLY EDDINGTON DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR OH SääS iB HB ■ H» ■ n 1 261 ■p.b.gast Zirlai 1 W+tiOù SPIN j CONTENT: LOGAN RYAN PHOTO: KYLE RINZLER DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR SPARTANS UNFOLD Spartan Linen Services keeps campus running smoothly Shoved together in their baskets, the sheets made their way to the washer’s gaping mouth. As they tumbled in, the smell of soap suds and the mechanical roar of the gigantic washing machine filled the air. Seeing sunlight once again, and smelling considerably better than before, the sheets made it up the lift to the dryer. Now warm and free of water, they were taken to the giant rolling irons, finishing off creases and wrinkles with the power of hot steam and brute force. Emerging on the other side, they found themselves in the hands of seasoned folders, who stacked them with precision. Spartan Linen Services (SLS) was where all aprons, lab coats, bedsheets and any other kind of cloth on campus was brought to be cleaned. Annually, the machines and hands of linen services washed nearly 3 million pounds of laundry. Unbeknownst to students and staff, SLS worked behind the scenes, keeping MSU running smoothly. “I always say we’re one of the best kept secrets around,” said Michael Hull, general manager of Spartan Linen Services. “You know, if you walk around campus and look at everything, we are [present] in almost every department or division on campus. From the Kellogg Center to culinary services to beds, everywhere. The presentation of MSU’s staff is a reflection of the work we do.” The SLS weren’t only experts in washing uniforms, but supplying and making them look professional as well. In their building on Service Road, they had a small shop where any department on campus could find clothes that fit the expectations of their job. They suppled brands such as Fruit of the Loom, Ralph Lauren, Nike and more. SLS provided custom embroidery for campus groups as well. Students might recall the SLS’s presence in the dorms, providing bedsheets, towels and pillowcases that could be returned each week for a clean set. Despite the potential time and money saving value of this service, only a few thousand students took advantage of itH “I think it’s because they don’t really know where it comes from so they don’t know if it’s clean, or what it goes through,” said Janet Bautista, integrated biology senior and secretary for Spartan Linen Services./I think if they saw the process and knew that it is fully cleaned, I think more people would use it.” Students who were familiar with Spartan Linen Services knew that they were a professional and valuable part of MSU. Aside from providing students with linens, SLS also employed students in both office work and laundry. “I love working here, it’s so easy and my manager is so lenient...if I have an exam coming up, I’lkjust tell her like the night before... and she totally understands,” said Sara Jay, psychology junior and floor worker for Spartan Linen Services. jThey do a really good job making sure that you know how to work each machine, I gradually moved to work with all of them. One hundred percent...I think it’s a great job for students.” From the lab, to the bedroom, to the dinner table, Spartan Linen Services kept staff and students looking and smelling professional. Without the valuable service the SLS provided, the freshness of campus would disappear. With quiet pride and expert work, the SLS continued to serve its campus community, one-hundred pounds of dirty sheets at a time. TOP: Industrial washing machines and dryers help clean the linens, such as napkins and tablecloths, that come through the Spartan Linen Services (SLS) building on Service Road. LEFT: In addition to linens used by the Kellogg Center, SLS provides sheets for dorm rooms and chef jackets for workers at residence hall cafeterias around campus. RIGHT: Hundreds of pounds of laundry come through SLS that have to be washed and dried daily to provide for a clean campus. wm I COLLEGE OF* OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE Spartans tackle stress and help form a support system TO aiEfii HMswIBFa hi Bot nsrawni Ü mm gsw nvHH in ¡asi mm mmi ■ggffll BM jig . r ..¡ÉÉÉ Hfti mi mü ü«Wagl wmfiilSlSn Ml ...... -■■ ■ ■ RHff! ÉlK was ^1 ■Mill M ■ Wm si HRm m Hiwm iSi 11 mm. 11 1111»i s a program initiated within th st students who might be showing ns" said Dr. John Taylor, Care Team reason for the Care Team is due to hat students who are struggling are imit they need help, and the issues o something much greater. With fello;w students and faculty can . “ refer that student to the team, and identially reach out to the student.” d only been,working within the ihort period of time, but had been m>1' 11 8H mmmmmmmi i ÍÜ jmgiii iM ■ mMmmm ___'ÜSÜ IS H lai M rfsCii H IN iH ggJgSI all Ü in H StMBf -yso ffllS 1 The Care Team is team put together by the College of Osteopathic Medicine to help distressed students. Members may directly reach out to a referred student or otherwise assist in connecting the student with appropriate resources across campus in order to get the help they need. BUTTERFLY LIFE LESSONS MSU’s Butterfly House serves as tourist attraction and enriches local schools “I touched him! He was so soft,” a wide-eyed little boy exclaimed after he’d stood on the tips of his toes to touch a butterfly perched high atop leaves. It had been an attempt to coax the butterfly to land on his finger.lThe kid didn’t seem disappointed that the butterfly had rejected his advances however, but more delighted that he’d touched one. Moments later, a father crouched beside his daughter, his hand dwarfing hers as they looked for butterflies among the plants. A mother sat on a bench with her two sons, browsing a laminated list of the winged-species, trying to identify the ones they’d seen together. “If the kids don’t know how important certain things are to the environment, they won’t preserve them in the future,” said Maia Dixon, a resident of Troy, Michigan, who brought her kids to Lansing once a year to the Butterfly House. “At the Detroit Zoo, you can visit the butterflies, but you can’t touch them. Here you can actually interact with the butterflies. The kids can get a good look at the butterflies, you can see the plants they land on and the plants they like to eat, and you get to see the plants they grow here.” The Indoor 4-H Children’s Garden had been a staple on campus for about 15 years. Every spring, the garden transformed into a butterfly flight house, intended to teach children about plants and butterflies and encourage interaction. The Butterfly House came stocked with plenty of resources to help facilitate the process, from butterfly-spotting guides, posters, children’s books and magnifying glasses® “We really don’t open our garden till April 1st,” said Jessica Wright, the educational coordinator for the 4-H Children’s Garden. “So it’s a way for us to still have visitors come to our facility without having them outside and it’s also to support school curriculum. Students need to learn about life cycles, and butterflies are a great way to do that. And the relationship between animals and plants is really prevalent when you talk about butterflies.” The garden sees about 250 to 300 visitors a weekend, made up of families and school trips alike, according to Wright. The exhibits available for them to explore change year by year, depending on the availability of the plants and butterflies. The garden themes however, do not change. Responsible for planting and helping plan the garden is a student manager. “Working in the butterfly garden is amazing,” said senior Mary Haven, horticulture major and the student manager at the time. “The children are always so excited to see the butterflies and to learn about their life cycle. I do not think that I will ever get sick of hearing their gasps of joy and wonder when they see these beautiful creatures.” MSU was committed to staying involved in the community and providing visitors with reasons to engage with campus. With programs at the 4-H Children’s Garden and Butterfly House, students were able to help create and supervise a direct link between Spartans and the community that they cohabitated with. The Butterfly House in the 4-H Children’s Garden integrates art with the sciences. The sanctuary hosts several species of free flying butterflies showing the interaction between flora and fauna, and are fawned over by the public. ItMMI Hi ¡¡j . 'í" ¡¡¡¡g 11 ■ BB ' -v-V ;J‘->:.-^vj::' â pffiääf ^WW % -* *&&&-] ** - . - ' ...~ - i I |§|f ' Bf? .JHhhPM''; it ■BBhHI * 1 1 » M MMB^ fBp mSmßmm HP i i m ill WÊËi/^ a , . mt gs ■ -* 3* ' 15ÄI »iifpí ■ §£|, ■; ¡■n — i - ... J„i'-v - » ■*/ -■ - H :‘-:-i*w^^.v'5.:'> -yr ■ a^sa-■B1 ; :, ;.;' t S:;'-:fi¡ -*"-■*&-■•- • ■ . WÊSÈÊÈÊm 11füB»,: ill p BSp*- ■ i ■ ■ 1R ia:a:®a;'a#àIfSSíS -i. :v;- •,-.;v:- fi^ Ü •; ■,-íí.v:....;.,:^?;;^:-^V.':r>- || 4f Jtfc'&v’ I rf.-| ¡fí • ¿ S: B af'aír-fea-^ás r&r (f lili 5F W-ÄF -L ¡M ;.»■• L CONTENT: SIERRA REHM PHOTO: ELIF TURK DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR VIRAL ROMANCE A Spartan’s dating resume goes viral on the internet Most college students that have applied for jobs have worked on professional resumes at some point in their careers. While looking for a date, on the other hand, the idea of creating a dating resume may not have even crossed the mind. However, in the case of junior Joey Adams, that was exactly what he did. Though it was mostly created as a joke after being rejected by a girl, his formal alternative to a Tinder biography went viral, nonetheless. “MY PHONE WAS RINGING NON-STOP FOR A SOLID WEEK FROM PEOPLE WANTING TO INTERVIEW ME” Adams posted his dating resume under a status asking for a date to a formal. He didn’t get the date, but he did receive widespread notoriety. After a screenshot of the resume was put on Twitter, it got thousands of retweets and favorites. Shortly after, Adams was contacted by Buzzfeed and the story went viral. Cosmopolitan, Good Morning America and many other media companies covered the story. “Going viral has been overwhelming,” Adams said. “My phone was ringing non­ stop for a solid week from people wanting to interview me and from young girls insisting that I’m their soulmate. Needless to say, I’ve since changed my phone number.” Adam’s resume landed him two dates, but nothing he considered a real offer for a relationship. According to him, most of the women messaging him weren’t of the age group he was interested in; they were much too young. Still, his romantic profile, made on the online professional resume making company Enhancv, was analyzed as a success. “Enhancv is a unique resume-building company platform that gives you suggestions on how to improve your resume in real time, as you type it,” Vessy Tasheva, the chief strategy officer for the company, said. “It encourages you to show your attitude, personality and impact to stand out as a candidate.” According to Tasheva, Adams had started a movement. After featuring his resume on the front page of its website as “the dating resume one million people are talking about,” hundreds of others started creating and posting their own versions of the resume. Many copied the exact format of Adams, but featured their own personal information. “He is beyond a quick swipe left or right,” Tasheva said. “His story is personal and very valid for so many of us. He gained the hearts of many because he showed his attitude toward life and his sense of humor, and also inspired many to invest the time to show who they really are when they invite someone to a date.” Tasheva thought this could be the next big trend, since media across the globe were covering Adam’s story. Some students weren’t too excited at the notion of a resume being another step to the dating world, however. “It’s a cool idea,” said sophomore Anna Nichols, religious studies major. “But dating is already complicated with technology and apps. This is just another way to judge and weed out before you even meet a person.” As for Adams, he’s just happy that fame he gained from going viral didn’t last long. “The attention was cool at first, but soon was overplayed. I’m a student first, and this definitely affected my studies. I stopped reading comments after the first two days. I’m glad it blew over fairly quick to be honest.” Junior Joey Adams looks over his dating resume that he made with Enhancv, a platform that helps users build resumes. Adams’ satirical resume went viral and was even featured on Buzzfeed. American football may carry the country’s name, but baseball is a world-renowned American pastime. In Spartan territory, the boys may have won many of their games, but what was more important was the environment they cultivated within the sport—ensuring they were enjoying their sport as much as the audience enjoyed watching it. “It’s just my safe haven, I guess,” said junior Alex Troop, left-handed pitcher. “It’s where I’ve been my entire life. It’s what I’m most comfortable doing. When I’m there it’s like there’s no other worry in the world; I’m just playing baseball and having a good time. There’s no greater feeling than winning a baseball game and celebrating in the locker room with the guys afterward, having a great time off the field. It just makes the whole environment that much better.” A lot of the players were introduced to the sport at a young age through a family member—especially a dad—who taught them to love the game. Troop was one of them. That history of zeal and sentimentality embedded in the game was clearly evident in players’ attitudes and how they engaged with their team in the game. “WHEN I’M THERE IT’S LIKE THERE’S NO OTHER WORRY IN THE WORLD; I’M JUST PLAYING BASEBALL AND HAVING A GOOD TIME.” “As a relief pitcher, I like going in the big situations and trying to bail us out of tough spots and getting us a lot of momentum, as much as we can,” said senior Walter Borkovich, right-handed pitcher. “I really like being out in the field. It makes all this extra work, training and class and travel worth it. But, yeah, just being out there and competing is the best.” Even when the weather would throw them a curveball, the team rolled with it. When the rain and the overflowing Red Cedar River flooded the team’s practice field, training was interrupted. Instead, the players held practice at the Cooley Law School Stadium, where the Lansing Lugnuts played. It was this resilience and more that led head coach Jake Boss to appreciate the team he coached. “Love our team,” said Boss. “You know—bunch of great guys with very strong competitors. They take care of their business off the field, they take care of their business on the field. They’re hard workers, and so far we’ve got a good year. We played a very difficult schedule early, played very well and we represented Michigan State very well so far. Happy with where we’re at—obviously a long way to go, but proud of our guys for sure.” One notable weekend for the team was April 8 and 9, after the postponement of a game scheduled for April 7. According to Borkovich, the team played “pretty well.” According to the statistics, that was undeniable. The team played three games that weekend at Fifth Third Ballpark in Grand Rapids, and soundly beat Fresno State in all three. “It was fun because we got to go over and play at a minor league stadium in Grand Rapids, which was a great time, so we had a lot of fun over there,” Troop said. “They were really nice to us.” With ardor came victory, and it did not surprise many that the baseball team was filled with guys who appreciated the game and their time spent on the field. Spartan pride never came easier than when MSU’s teams were not only winning, but playing with smiles on their faces. Redshirt sophomore Alex Troop hits the ball into right field during a game against Minnesota. This was one of three games that the Spartans had against the Golden Gophers. SEASON RECORD: W: 29 L: 23 H M K m 271 ■ Junior Andrew'Gonzalez hurls the ball towards home plate in hopes of striking out the Minnesota batter. Unfortunately, the team lost all three games against Minnesota* j CONTENT: SYDNEY NASEEF PHOTO: MOLLY EDDINGTON DESIGN: KELSEY MCARDLE GREEKS COME TOGETHER Spartan Greeks celebrate tradition through service and a week of events Service projects, wheelbarrow races, competitive dancing, extensive fundraising and dodgeball tournamentsSjust a few seemingly unrelated terms that shared one similarity: Greek Week. Greek Week was celebrated by fraternities and sororities alike as they teamed up to take on an array of events and raise money for their own philanthropies and the entire Lansing community While the tournaments, dances and races provided most of the laughs, the Greeks placed their focus on their most important day, |Greek Day of Service,” to kick-off the week. The annual Greek Day of Service was the most significant because it was the most philanthropic day of the week. Teams spread out across Lansing doing physical work to benefit the community. Activities ranged from involvement in cleaning up local cemeteries and picking up litter, to simple gestures like writing cards and letters to show local administrations their gratitude. “Our service project today is to let the police officers of East Lansing know that we are thankful for everything they do day-in and day-out to keep the students at Michigan State safe. They obviously have a hard job working in a college town, so it’s important to let them know they’re appreciated,” said freshman Seth Warren, a member of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity. There were more than 3,000 students involved in Greek life at MSU. Many Greek community representatives immersed themselves in the week’s activities in numerous ways. Members joined Greek Week leadership teams and committees, took charge of philanthropy events and managed fundraisers at local eateries. “The importance of my position is to help plan the whole Greek Day of Service,” said senior Ashley Bocek, a Gamma Phi Beta and leadership team member. “With so many people in Greek Life, there’s a ton of different philanthropic events going on in different locations all across Lansing. This day is really focused on giving back to the community that we live in.” While the day of service was the starting point for the week, there were events nearly every day. Greek Games took place on Sunday, April 1, which involved teams competing in athletic events like dodgeball, tug-of-war and relay races. A long- awaited event was the National Pan-Hellenic Council step show. This memorable event, put on by the historically African-American Greek- lettered fraternities and sororities, showcased their impressive physical talents and rhythm in a unique style of dance and step. The final and arguably most exciting event was “Greek Spotlight” on Thursday, April 2. The first of its kind, the spotlight combined what was once two nights of dance events, MTV Night and Songfest, into one large competition. The teams practiced nearly every day for months to impress the audience with their competitive and fun dance renditions. A stage of vibrant outfits, quick motions and classic songs kept everyone entertained. “I look forward to Songfest and (MTV) Night the most every year because we put in a ton of work months prior to the show to try and get a first place spot,” said junior Amanda Alonzi, a member of the Alpha Chi Omega. “It’s hard to follow up the unique dances that we see at (the) step show, but it’s a fun way to get involved and meet the team if nothing elle.” Greek or not, the week was made known to every Spartan. From start to finish, sororities and fraternities competed for the top spot in donations, competitions and dancing. While not everyone could be a winner, everyone gave back to the community and came together along the way. Alpha Chi Omega wrote thank you letters for the East Lansing Police Department to thank them for their service. Fraternities and sororities celebrated Greek Day of Service by lending a hand to those who have in return, helped students and the surrounding community. 275 CONTENT: NATASHA BLAKELY PHOTO: RILEY JAMES DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR TRADITIONAL ARTS, NEW EXPERIENCES A traditional indigenous tattoo artist makes his mark on campus The idea of impromptu group tattoos might have prompted visuals of “No ragrats” hastily scribbled across one’s chest. Not many people would think of a college-sponsored, community knowledge-sharing event. On Mar. 28, the latter is exactly what occurred. The American Indian and Indigenous Studies department collaborated with Dion Kaszas to organize an event that let students experience traditional indigenous tattoo art, both through direct participation as well as mere observation and engagement with those getting tattooed. While not everyone getting a tattoo did so impromptu, there were consent forms ready for attendees who wanted to participate. Erin Sutherland, a pre-doctoral fellow with the American Indian and Indigenous Studies department, met Kaszas at a tattoo fair. The past year she had gotten tattooed by him and had wanted to work with him since. She partnered with the department to bring him to campus for the event. “He’s doing these things that I think need to be talked about,” Sutherland said. “It’s a really interesting way to engage the community in indigenous practices. I think it’s really important to bring indigenous knowledge to places that previously have been part of erasing indigenous knowledge like this institution.” The event was thought of as performance art that involved audience participation. Kaszas encouraged attendees to have conversations while the tattooing happened, to ask him questions and to get to know the people around them. There was food set out and a table with multicolored beads for people to sit and sort. Participants sat at the bead table separating the colors and started conversations with the strangers they sat next to. “It was another opportunity to be amongst community,” said junior Monica Williamson, an anthropology major and American Indian and Indigenous Studies minor. “Knowledge-sharing is the way Erin says it, because she often reminds us this is the best way to learn about community: to be a part of it. MSU is a beautiful place because so many come here. It’s such a place of sharing just by nature, so allowing the indigenous community to come here and do that is powerful—to give them space and also be willing to sit and listen to what they have to say.” The tattooing itself was simple. It was a single horizontal line that would carry a slightly different meaning dependent on the person, but also represented responsibility to the earth and the community. With each tattoo, Kaszas dipped a thread in ink and stitched the ink into the skin with slow, steady movements. “I feel like as a human being it is my duty to learn about other cultures,” said junior Diamond Henry, journalism major. “I feel like it would be an honor for someone of indigenous heritage to perform it. Take all the effort and work he’s put into researching it and figuring it out and his practice—I think it would be an honor for me to have him put that on my body. So, it’s like marking me and connecting me back to, not my ancestors, but just history in a way.” Cultural diversity was a prominent value at MSU. While celebration of this diversity often occurred, acknowledgement of the native history of the land that surrounded campus was not as mainstay. Events such as the indigenous tattoo served as a reminder and a teaching moment for Spartans to better understand history of native lands and the value of other cultures. LEFT: Indigenous tattoo artist Dion Kaszas shaves pre-doctoral fellow Erin Sutherland’s arm before giving her a tattoo. Kaszas finished the tattoo in about 15 minutes. RIGHT: Kaszas prepares for and gives a tattoo to Shelbi Nahwilet Meissner, a staff member in the American Indian and Indigenous Studies department. . *, fg j-wajk- Rowing: it was.n’t gspoftfull of giampr.- .*>. - ,^ ^.(;of3ing.tQ the women orf thgMSU novice • hfid a jjpj? rowihg*team, that was whyrpjKiple didn't - APfe *h~ i : ;a ybu ' . woul< ' understandi-ttis well as other sports./. * , , .“Its Q°t l&e baseballCwhere spectators tan, \ i ■ A._. ! , j see eveiyth|ng.;Spectatorsionly see that last 250 y & meters, which OnlpTakes^ofinute to. rfi^C-said T* *■ ’ f * \$^,w __ .techi • While spectatorscould only see tliatfestar^o freshman.Jepnifei^Omdiner. minute of rowing, the girls, had been j ■ ^for more than one mile'to get* to th^poFfit. In* ; eagh boat there were eight rowers and a coxen, ^hoNkept the boat in check and motivated. The rowers were trying to stand up and push away the weight of the water, which was a different kind of workout than many realized. '{■ "It’s definitely a full-body workout,” said freshman Annie Cantu. “A lot of people think it’s all arms, but it’s way more legs than arms. It’s pushing a lot of pressure on your legs, and you’re trying to move the weight of the water, which can be tough in certain weather conditions.” With that workout came some injuries. One rower suffered hairline fractures in her rib, which was a common injury. Other rowing-related wounds, such as muscle tears, back and hip problems, and torn-up hands all came with the sport. Despite injuries, this almost all-freshmen _ team had remained undefeated in the Big Ten! For the end of the season, when it came to the | final tournament, they were looking to,wm it. . - AAp “Pact of the thing that drives us. -weYe doing it not just for ourselves, but for evecy single person in that boat,” said freshman Halle Nielsen. All of the girls credited their success this season to two things. First, they had a lot of recruits to help arwone.- F verypne wants- to oe D( a^^pCafiy cidtici^iTT tl —WRjRHRffèS • * It wasn’t just the girls who hadTS I they were going to win Big Tj|| they been saying it all along. BeforiSSp been prep the team by sho prep which the team would il “{Coach] Bitz has day one.She’s been s; Big Ten this year,” Cine situationwhmi-we^ i n the spi-i ngr hkhget^gaaB While ^ 7*''- _ ■ race. Theykj^w what they wanted, what they we^^pable!g|and what others believed of thgpp^jth these in mind, they would enter the ¿.(^petition confidently, but more importantly, H III wing team practices on Grand TH# women’s rowing team practices on Grand -River in preparation for the BIG Championship. The Spartans’.ended up finishing in sixth place A at the conference championship. SEASON HIGHLIGHT: 6TH PLACE—BIG CHAMPIONSHIP I Kfii ¡111§S gl#§| I ■'■■ìs.'--..; 279 “We’re just there to educate the public about us,” said junior Livi Pritchett, student worker for the Surplus Store. “A lot of, ‘Here’s the way you can reduce your impact in terms of landfill outflow and carbon footprint.’3| With all of the help, the staff doled out dozens of jackets that would have otherwise been wasted. Moreover, the day of service was more than a local initiative. Instead, the Patagonia caravan stopped at more than 20 college campuses, contracting local business chapters on the way. For some, it was all about value. For others, it was about preserving an article of clothing worth sentimental value. For Greg Thocker, it was something starkly different. SUSTAINED SAVINGS Patagonia helps MSU in mission to preserve goods and money Choosing between a new jacket and a free repair for existing attire isn’t an easy decision. Yet, hundreds of Michigan State students were forced to endure the excruciating trial of wisdom and judgement on a cold March afternoon. Amazingly, they did it by their own volition. Beyond students, the reuse-and-recycle repair shop sponsored by Patagonia was attractive enough to draw people from the community and across the state to the MSU Auditorium. When Patagonia decided to host a one-day reuse-and-repair workshop at MSU to celebrate the benefits of conservation, the go-greeners and even those without much green coalesced. “If you rip it or something, instead oflluying a new jacket, they want you to fix it,” said Charlie Vansumeren, Playmakers employee who was helping out at the event. “And they’ll help you fix it or fix it for you. It doesn’t have to be anything Patagonia.” Word got around. Sheltered from the roaring rain outside, people brought damaged goods to be sewed and stitched. Many learned how to repair worn objects, as lessons were offered by the Patagonia staff. Meanwhile, the MSU Bike Shop offered complimentary servicing inside, following the theme of the event. The MSU Surplus Store had its own table, too. Informing visitors about the purpose and uses of the store, workers again offered a university commitment to the cause of sustainability. The Surplus Store portered Scrap Metal Sparty and its sustainability van to mark the occasion, long serving as representations of the campus’s green initiatives. 280 CONTENT: ISAAC CONSTANS PHOTO: CRAIG HEDGES DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR Thocker drove seven hours down from Marquette in order to preserve several pieces of attire. Owner of Superior Outfitters, an outdoors and consignment clothing store, the trip was a business venture—a chance for him to intermingle stewardship with work. “We have so much stuff,” Thocker said.H “Consumerism is what fuels everything that’s causing our problems, from as big as climate change to the smaller-scale problems. The more that we can use the goods and things we have already created, the better we can do to start fixing some big problems.” Inside, broke college kids rejoiced. While cost- efficiency usually took the form of Ramen Noodles and scavenging for coupons, it wasn’t often that true quality came along to skinflints. Even rarer, parsimony for the day equaled responsibility. Marching out into the blaring spring storm, the students were cozy underneath their new jackets. It was hard not to be after a heartwarming event saved money and the environment, just with a few sewing machines and tailor tricks to usher in a new era of sustainability. Hailing from Ventura, California, the “Worn-Wear” crew from Patagonia spent 70 days on the road touring college campuses to encourage others to fix articles of clothing they already have. CONTENT: LOGAN RYAN PHOTO: KASSIDY RHODES DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR Bubbles flowed over the edge of the cup, spilling onto the still-rough clay below. Spinning the white-glazed clay around, she coated the outside in a jacket of black suds. Slowly, one after another, they popped, revealing in their place a maze of black traces. After firing, the piece was ready—its marbled veins standing out from the surroundings. This is ceramics with bubbles, and junior Hedy Yang was the newest success story on campus. Seeing the bubble-glaze technique for the first time at her home community studio, Yang, a studio art major, decided to try it herself. Using a combination of dish-soap and black glaze, she blew bubbles that stuck to her ceramics using a straw and cup, which produced a labyrinth of circular stains. Yang continued to use this technique on her work, perfecting her craft, until others began to take notice. “SHE HAS DEVELOPED A STYLE THAT REALLY WORKS FOR HER AND IS VISUALLY APPEALING TO A WIDE AUDIENCE” “MSU ceramics has a history of undergrads who have received their B.A./B.F.A. and have flourished as studio artists,” said Blake Williams, associate chair and director of graduate programs in the Department of Art, Art History and Design. “Hedy has a wonderful beginning to her future as a studio artist. I look forward to tracking her career as she progresses.” She began to sell the pieces on her Etsy page and at art fairs in Aug. 2016, catching the gaze of many observers. After a few months of business as usual, a video of her work done by Insider Art went viral on Facebook and she began to sell out of her new creations. As of spring, she had already sold an estimated 300 pieces of pottery. ■gjjust had a restock at noon and it sold out in seven minutes, so it’s exciting,” said Yang. “It’s really encouraging, because it makes me want to experiment more and try more. If I was just doing this for myself, I would have been doing this for almost a year now, and eventually I would have gotten bored. But, because there are so many people that still want the work, it’s a motivation to keep working and find more ideas.” Having the support of her fans and knowing that her work was so sought-after, Yang began to think of the future. She planned new color palettes and layouts for her bubble art, and hoped to begin showing her new ideas in the Ann Arbor Art Fair in the summer of 2017. “I think that Hedy’s work shows a lot of promise and is very polished for such a young artist,” saidBJiz Luna-Gagnon, studio art graduate student. “She has developed a style that really works for her and is visually appealing to a wide audience. Her level of craftsmanship is outstanding, as are her standards and expectations of professionalism for the work.” Yang found her stride at MSU and was enjoying a level of satisfaction she had not experienced previously. Enjoying her classes and the art scene on campus, she credited the university with part of her achievements. “I transferred here this past year and the art program here is a lot more accommodating. I’ve learned a lot more here that I did at my old school,” said Yang.Hit’s played a big part in my success this year.” With the support of fans and her own talent, Yang was working toward her dream of becoming a career potter. If her recent success was any indicator of her future, it was looking bright indeed. Junior Hedy Yang uses a technique of glazing her pottery called "bubble-glazing.” She pours glaze into a cup, and using a straw, blows bubbles onto her pottery. Yang’s work using this method has gone viral on Facebook. ALL IN FOR AL Men’s golf dedicates season to cherished alumnus Al Thiess graduated from MSU with a bachelor’s in accounting in 1968. When he wasn’t working toward his degree, he was working toward becoming a better golfer as a member of the MSU golf team. But, his legacy didn’t end when he walked across the graduation stage. His admiration of golf made such the impact that he remained as a cherished alumnus, readily involved with the next generations of MSU golfers. “l ie’s always been a role model for the guys that knew him because of everything he stood for,” said senior CharliefNetzel. “He was the nicest man, he worked really hard, he was very successful. I think all of us on the team would love to be like him when we’re older.” For years, Thiess hosted the golf team for the entirety of spring break so they could play in the Colleton Tournament. He even went so far as to play with the team every day while they were in South Carolina. “Every time we saw him, he always put on his best behavior and you could never tell he was sick,” Netzel said. What outsiders wouldn’t have known was that Thiess had been battling throat cancer for nearly seven years. In the months prior to the annual tournament in Colleton, coaches let the team know that Al had fallen very ill. I Ie lost his battle two weeks before the 2017 tournament. “The spring break trip still went really well,” said junior Michael Sharp. “We won the tournament we played at the beginning of the year; the one we host down in Colleton.” After losing Al, the team decided to take the rest of its season and use it as a way to honor him. Part of the team uniform was a white baseball cap that adorned the hashtag, “All in for Aliemblazoned on the side. Players also took the same hashtag to Twitter and used it often to remember Theiss. “I think the hashtag was a tribute to not only Al, but his wife Willa,” said freshman Kaleb Johnson. “For hosting us and carrying on the tradition for a tournament and always supporting us, even after he passed away.” While the hashtag served as a fond reminder of Thiess, it also motivated the team through other ailments that occurred during the season. Golf wasn’t often known for injuries, but MSU experienced its fair share. The golf team was plagued with injuries and illnesses after the fall season. One starter broke his arm falling off a bike, whle another gained a stress fracture in his hand from the game itself. “I mean, we played well in the fall when we had all of our starters. But, starting with Colleton when we didn’t have everybody, it kind of showed how gritty our team was and how deep our team was,” Johnson said. “The guys who didn’t play in the fall and who are starting to play now are really starting to perform and step up.” The players looked to take Al with them as they headed into the Big Ten tournament, hoping to qualify for the NCAA. They still fought illness and injury, but fought it all for Al. Senior Charlie Netzel scans the fairway during a tournament. Netzel was named on the “Big Ten Men’s Golfer to Watch” list. PHOTO COURTESY OF: SCOTT GRAU SEASON RANKING: T-40™ CONTENT: NATASHA BLAKELY PHOTO: CRAIG HEDGES DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR HY’S L*U I | n mm Campus karaoke staple is a place of loyalty The bar on Grand River Avenue was packed tight with people as the line snaked along the entrance wall. Crunchy’s booths and tables were filled to capacity and in the very front, there was a small area home to karaoke equipment. The karaoke microphones were passed through the hands of many college students, all passionately— if not skillfully—singing along to the latest songs or the best of the throwbacks. One anomaly in the karaoke lineup, however, was Dennis Foreback. At 70-years-old, Foreback was definitely not a college student, though he was still a Crunchy’s karaoke regular, Karaoke was the sole reason he went to the bar. “I used to come over here and sing inlate 1990s,” Foreback said. “I did it for rnifot mrce or four months, then 1 started going someplace else.” But when the latter bar closed, Foreback returned to Crunchy’s. Coming every Thursday and Friday night like clockwork, returning to East Lansing wasn’t met with disappointment. “It’s a much more enthusiastic audience here,” Foreback said. “Not all bars have that kind of feature. It gives me a chance to be entertaining. You don’t get many chances to be like that when you’re my age.” As Foreback rattled off the lyrics to DJ j Casper’s “Ghg:iCna Slide” to an adoring audience, it was obviofSfhe was making full use of those fiances. His song repertoire ran the gamut of Musical styles, from classic Frank Sinatra to rap, hird rock ^MAs fii*l)w patrons, however, iForeback was picky abc|pt his duet partners. He usually struck it solo, absolutely did not sing' duets with guys and would naughty songs,” he said. interacting with his Hp frequently turn down duet requests because he was unsure whether his partner would know the same songs that as he did. But as a regular for going on seven years, he had nonetheless become an integral part of the Crunchy’s experience. “The crowd lovesihe guy,” said junior Jesse gofil^p our Christmas Govea, Crunchy’s err^Myee. “Every time he comes in there’s a huge response, fle’s a really nice guy. I mean, party because he bbnipi^óften. He’s basically like family here. A lot of thp tables ask, ‘Hey, is Dennis .here tonight?’ oi^s'TJennis coming in?’ or, Sphere’s Dennis at?’ Tho^re definitely happier when he’s here.” •Foreback was more than lH^ran phenomenon; he was a key pair of the East Lansing area night culture. A chunk of the crowd may have been MSU students, but LCOtetudents and East Lansing residents also filled the tablgs. “I’ve been comitig here since I was in high school,” said senior Sam Stiles, a history education major. “I think it’s different, but I think it’s cool-gL unique to Crunchy’s, to East Lansing, to. MSU. itT a cool little quirk.” MSU is filled with Spartan traditions, whether it meant taking graduation pictures with Sparty or colorfully painting The Rock. Going to see Dennis Foreback might hav^fccome %todition more recently, but it was dHRtcly onj|.that Spartans shouldn’t miss out Dennis Foreback, a regular and crowd favorite at Crunchy’s, an East Lansing bar, sings Louis Armstrong’s, “What a Wonderful World” to MSU students and bar-goers alike. ■¡■■111« Wwèmm ‘êÈÿsÊüài mwMm WÊÊSÈm 290 CONTENT: NATASHA BLAKELY PHOTO: CRAIG HEDGES DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR RISING RIVERS Students take the Red Cedar River flood in stride During a typical, sunny weekend in spring, the banks of the Red Cedar often saw couples on a romantic afternoon stroll or friends napping together on the grass. Throughout the first weekend of April however, the Red Cedar River saw even more people exploring the area. Spartans were inspired to find the new edges of the flooding river, and social media was rife with pictures of the muddy water lapping high enough to completely cut off some of the sidewalks. On the other hand, it wasn’t fun for everyone. “Two places I remember seeing flooded: the banks of the river when I went by the rapids and the entire sidewalk,” said senior Krista Rodriguez, arts and humanities major. “It was interesting because I saw people taking pictures...and you just saw the sidewalk disappearing, which made for quite the artsy picture. There was also my neighborhood, and our parking lot flooded, and some of my neighbors couldn’t get to their cars because the water went above the hoods.” This change in water level was timed with the sharp change in weather. Days of strong precipitation led to the raised Red Cedar River, creating a scenic place for students to indulge in some riverside lounging. People were seen kayaking in the river with their brightly colored, padded lifejackets, while the ducks that one would usually find in the waters by Wells Hall were waddling around in the grass nearby instead. “I first saw it when I was walking toward the river and had just come to the river side of the football stadium,” said Steven Hoffman, a graduate student in computer science. “A decent section of the road between the stadium and the river had several inches of standing water covering it and part of the parking lot was a new pond. My reaction was something like, ‘Oh my gosh! I had no idea the river came up so high!’ Then I noticed that it gave the ducks more places to play, which is amusing. When I got closer and saw how wide the river was and that there were park benches with just their tops out of the water, I got pretty shocked. I was a little worried about the damage it could do and how long it would take to dry, but mostly I was just amused.” Of course, other students were nearly unaffected by the changes in water level. Junior Katelynjflkacker, a psychology major, liked to perch on the rocks by Wells Hall, She found it calming, and luckily the risen water level didn’t affect that whatsoever. “I like to come out here between classes,” Hacker said. “It’s a good place to sit and thinkpi College is all about change and transitions, and nothing was more everchanging than MSU’s flowing river. Students reveled in the waters, slipping off their shoes to stick their toes in. Others didn’t even know the river had flooded unless a friend told them, their heads stuck in their books as they prepped for finals. Either way Spartans will, just like the river, go with the flow. TOP: The severe flooding covered the entrance of Pentecost Plaza as well as a nearby bike path. Many sidewalks were closed, forcing students to take alternative routes to class. MIDDLE: Students relax on a makeshift island near Snyder Hall. The water was so high that many trees along the banks of the Red Cedar River were submerged. BOTTOM: DeMartin Soccer Stadium was completely covered in water as a result of heavy rainfall. Secchia Softball Field and McLane Baseball field were also impacted by the flooding. “Welcome, welcome,” was a sound often heard from carnival employees yelling across fields filled with attractions and greasy food stands. But, not this time. This time, the welcoming sounds boomed down the hall and wrapped around the McDonel Hall Kiva Room as improv performers warmed up their voices and bits.¡This was the first time MSU was ableroo hold its own improv event against other universities. The duo of sophomore Alec Comes and junior Simon Tessmer, who called themselves “Almond Butter,” started the show. “The goal for us, and the goal for any improvisation, is to be inspired by your scene partner—to pay attention to what the other player is doing and feed off their energy, and let that guide the show,” said Tessmer, a film studies major. “When you’re doing a completely improvised and unplanned show, the only thing you really have is your scene partner, and all of your ideas and moves flow from them—from a constant back-and-forth of communication that’s simultaneously auditory, visual and emotional.” Chicago improvisers T.J. Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi were among Almond Butter’s main influences. Instead of using games to entertain the audience, they created their own one-act play. Unlike many other improvisers, they didn’t take audience suggestions. “I enjoy the freedom to come in with any character or setting choice and letting Alec build off of me without any constraints,” Tessmer said. “It makes the show move in a way different from the other shows I do. It takes away any audience expectation to ‘fulfill’ the requirement of the suggestion.” Grand Valley State University’s group, “Subject to Change,” had been a student organization for the past three years. It was the university’s only CONTENT: SIERRA REHM PHOTO: MOLLY EDDINGTON DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR improv group. Unlike MSU improvisers, Subject to Change performed in groups of four or more. “The group’s name is referential to the nature of improv: rules, characters and situations are always changing at a fast pace,” GVSU senior Joseph Parks said. The team, inspired by “Whose Line is it Anyway?” performed in short-form style. This was contrary to the long style that Almond Butter prefered. “We have persisted in short-form because we always see it connecting with the audience right away and we like the fast-paced performance resulting from shorter games rather than a few long ones,” Parks said, “Roial Improv Players,” the group that Almond Butter resided within, had been a registered student organization at MSU for 10 years, but never had the contacts to go to shows and festivals out of state until recently. “This is the first time Roial Improv ever put on an improv festival because enough of our members knew people who were a part of other college improv teams who were willing to come and do sets at the festival. We hope that the improv festival will become an annual thing, because it was great exposing MSU to new types of improv styles and improv teams,” Comes said. Besides the acting, there was a community behind Roial Improv that had kept it going for so long. Every Monday, people were encouraged to come out of their comfort zones and try it out with skits of their own. “We all love improv,” Comes said. “We all support each other in our own endeavors and it’s a great atmosphere to go to after a rough day of college and work, where you can just relax and goof oft because that’s really what improv is supposed to be—it’s supposed to be about having fun.” LEFT: Subject to Change, an improv group from Grand Valley State University, performs for students. The Spartan Improv Festival featured groups from MSU as well as three other universities. RIGHT: Junior Simon Tessmer, a member of Almond Butter, performs a skit for the crowd. CONTENT: ISAAC CONSTANS PHOTO: RILEY JAMES DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR FIGHTING STRESS In search of a release, Spartans join the campus MMA club Every Wednesday and Sunday, serenity sunk into IM West. A calm, relaxing atmosphere, Room 16 was usually filled with 20 members who just wanted to unwind after a grueling week. The MSU Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Club might have seemed like an intimidating chore to outsiders, but to those involved, it was a sanctuary. Against the tranquility of the humid room were intermittent accents—a forte slam and thunderous thump. With a grunt here and a pant there, a nirvana was maintained on MSU’s campus. The training wasn’t about the release of brutality; it was about getting in the zone. “A lot of the people are so unassuming,” said Adam Zipple, marketing director for the MSU MMA Club. “One thing that really shocks people when they get into MMA is that these people are usually really welcoming and friendly people. They’re not aggressive, and they’re not egotistical. I think when you train and practice these things, you’ll start off with an ego, but it’s hard to keep that ego because people will outdo you.” All over the nation, the mixed martial arts trend rifled into popular exercise motions. The MSU MMA Club welcomed a motley mix of backgrounds. Some people joined to keep the competitive fire of high school alive; others did so to try something new. The club accommodated all desires, despite the varying interests. The workout usually began with a mild cardio exercise, progressing to more dynamic workouts, like abs and calisthenics. From there, members would split off into the lessons for the day, taught by trained members of the group. “A lot of people get into MMA for self- defense, and at first, it isn’t fun,” Zipple said. “The idea that if you train a lot, it doesn’t become as much fighting anymore. It becomes a sport or a hobby. Two people can be fighting and not out to get each other.” Between the club members, a connection formed. Maybe it was respect, but spending multiple two-hour sessions a week together brought members closer outside of the ring. It didn’t take bones to break before the bonds ossified. Although the group would spar regularly, they did so in a carefully supervised and safe fashion. Avoiding the strike in favor of tactical holds, the MSU MMA Club prioritized teaching its members the nuances of the sport in a controlled manner. UFC, the widely followed combat sport based on MMA, had helped to popularize the sport. Members of the MSU MMA Club, however, preferred to think of their passion as something else: an art. “To me, MMA is an art form.” Keegan Calnan, president and head coach of the MSU MMA Club, said. “There’s so much different technique, strategizing that goes into it. A lot of people don’t see into it.” Across campus, dozens of student organizations and activities followed the same model. Tailored to a student’s passion, a consistent exercise regimen was a game-changer for students physically, socially and educationally. The group taught proper form above all. “First and foremost, students that are more actively engaged on-campus in extracurriculars, GPAs do better in the classroom,” said Ross Winter, assistant director of intramural sports. II think the biggest thing is developing that connection to campus and that connection to fellow students—fellow faculty.” That was certainly true of the MSU MMA Club. Punching, kicking, grappling and pinning their way to friendships, members had a second home every Wednesday and Sunday at IM West. Senior Eric Burr stretches before MSU MMA Club practice. The club meets bi-weekly in IM West and gives students an avenue to learn new skills as well as improving physical and mental health. CONTENT: LOGAN RYAN PHOTO: RILEY JAMES DESIGN: KELSEY MCARDLE THE WEIGHT OF WORDS Amir Sulaiman performs a live poetry reading to begin Muslim Studies Conference The moment he entered through the doors, his humble but powerful presence spilled into the room. His words slashed and burned the very air around him. His voice was a torrent of truth and a fountain of love. The messages he spoke did not hang in the air, but wove their way to the listener, settling in the mind and the heart. Amir Sulaiman was sometimes described as the world’s greatest living poet, and while he might have denied it, his work spoke for itself. Sulaiman was an American poet, actor, screenwriter, recording artist, producer and Harvard fellow. He began his public career in 2005 on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and from there worked his way to world-wide acclaim. His poetry covered subjects like love, tragedy and the struggles of humanity and the oppressed. His most popular poems concerned his life as a Muslim and an African American. “He presented two or three different forms of his poetry and every form was very specific and deep emotionally,” said Khalida Zaki, professor emeritus and faculty member for MSU’s Muslim Studies Program. “Every human has emotions and has this poetry in themselves, but we think it’s not about us. But his poetry is about humans and about love and spirit. It brings humanity to people.” Sulaiman started off the 2017 MSU Muslim Studies Conference with a live reading of his poetry. For the audience, it was an experience they would not soon forget. His way of speaking and weaving social issues into his work impacted even those new to the world of contemporary poetry. The verses he recited evoked thought and feeling, raising questions that some would have considered too painful to ask. “I thought it was very thought provoking, very moving,” said junior Stephanie Brian, a human resource management major. “It was not what I was expecting...I’ve never been to a poetry session before so it was very interesting. It made me think of things differently...in a different light than I normally would.” Sulaiman expressed at the beginning that it wasn’t going to be a typical lecture, but a conversation. After each poem was read, he encouraged questions and comments from the audience. From the discussions on his thought process and influences for his writing, a deeper picture was painted of Sulaiman’s work. “He brought us in because he said if he was home he could still be reciting poetry, but he was here and that was making it special,” said Alisa Perkins, assistant professor of Islam in America at Western Michigan University. “So, he shone a light on all of us and he was very present with us. I’ve never seen a poetry recitation where someone was so willing to course back and forth between their art and their normal rhetoric.” Influenced by artists such as Lauryn Hill, Nas and Black Thought, Sulaiman melded his poetry and hip hop into a sound that was his own. He shared that some poems built up slowly over years, while others hit him so suddenly that his pen would fly across the page before he could forget them. Poetry has always been an effective way to communicate, and Sulaiman used honesty and emotion as tools to connect with his audience. With his readings and his presence, he gave Spartans a chance to see the world through his eyes. Poet Amir Sulaiman recites poems that combine both love and tragedy, as well as what it meant to reconcile humanity with the unprecedented trials of modernity. Sulaiman visited MSU as part of the 2017 MSU Muslim Studies Conference. I TEE TIME Spring brings bountiful rewards to MSU women's golf team The women’s golf season was encapsulated by a single shot. Freshman Allyson Geer stepped up to the tee, steadied herself and uncorked a deep, whizzing shot through the scenic golf course in Johns Island, South Carolina. As the ball made its way to the green, there was no mistake that it was an impressive shot. But with every bounce, suspense bubbled until the final roll. The ball plinked into the hole, 150 yards from where it flew off of Geer’s club just seconds prior. The team was astonished. It was a hole-in-one. “It’s exciting to have a hole-in-one,” said head coach Stacy Slobodnik- Stoll. “As much golf as we play, it’s incredible how rare it is to have a hole-in- one. Ally hit a great shot.” ^phe shot, on the 17th hole of the Briar’s Creek Invitational second round, was good for an eagle, and it propelled MSU to a sixth- place finish at the prestigious tournament. The Spartans journeyed back to East Lansing with a combined 8-over-par performance. Geer finished in joint 22nd place with junior teammate Sarah Burnham. Redshirt junior Katie Sharp swung a l-under par, good for 8th overall. For MSU, the season would just keep getting better from there. Not two weeks later, the Spartans were back in South Carolina. With the trio of Geer, Sharp and Burnham posting top-15 results, the Spartans rolled through the Clemson Invitational with a fifth-place finish. Their highest placement of the season, the tournament saw MSU overcome schools like Texas A&M, Tennessee and Ohio State—all nationally ranked programs. “We’ve gained a lot of confidence over the past few tournaments and we need to have another good weekend to be in position for the NCAA Regional selection,” Slobodnik-Stoll said. In Ohio, the Lady Buckeye Invitational was where the Spartans struck gold, the culmination of months of mounting finishes. In dramatic fashion, MSU surmounted No. 20 Texas on the final day, with its 11-over par in the round—two shots better than the Longhorns, who had entered the leg with a lead. “There were a few leaderboards around the course so our players knew at all times that we were right around Texas,” Slobodnik-Stoll said. “For a team that’s not as experienced, that was a big deal to be knowing where we stood all day and we were able to handle it. That makes the win even sweeter. It was just a great day all around and I’m so proud of this group.” Burnham went on to win Big Ten Player of the Year. Slobodnik-Stoll went on to win Big Ten Coach of the Year. Geer went on to win Big Ten Freshman of the Year. For a clean sweep, Spartans went on to win the Big Ten Championship. Yet, the awards extended off of the golf course. The Spartans also continued to maintain their record of academic excellence, where they had bounded ahead of the competition. “My academic advisor once told me they kind of go hand-in-hand, so when you’re feeling good about your grades, you’re feeling good about your game,” Burnham said. The season was a long one for MSU women’s golf, spanning from fall to spring with a caesura of play during winter. Much like during Geer’s four-year wait, the Spartans proved that they were worth the watch. Consecutive first-place finishes and a slew of awards later, spring brought a great harvest for the team. The women’s golf team proudly raises their BIG Championship trophy. This was the seventh time that the team had won the championship, the last time being in 2014. PHOTO COURTESY OF: MSU ATHLETICS SEASON RANKING: T—24th 298 A - 7 M E HwannE CONTENT: ISAAC CONSTANS DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR A WAVE OF RESISTANCE Students mix politics and art to make a statement There is a nautical theory that hypothesizes that waves in a body of water come in a series of nine. The first wave is the smallest. Each subsequent wave grows larger, finally ending with the ninth being the most powerful and destructive. After it subsides, the series begins again, recycling the same loop forever. Russian painter Ivan Aivazovsky culminated that theory into his most famous piece by the same name. Paralleling the work of art, a contemporary pyrotechnics artist named Cai Guo-Qiang did an exhibit that mimicked the ninth wave. Closer to home was an up-and-coming creative political resistance group on campus founded by three art students: seniors Morial Salman and Will Mianecki, as well as junior Ryan Davis. Calling themselves the Ninth Wave, they were inspired by the aforementioned artists and hoped to emulate a powerful wave of their own. “The rational we had for the name of the group is we were thinking of it as a wave of resistance, sort of like a powerful wave of destruction and renewal,” Mianecki said. The group started as a challenge from a professor within the Department of Art, Art History and Design to make a project with a statement. Salman and Davis connected over the political atmosphere at the university and began collaborating from there. “I wanted to do public installations about basic income and she wanted to do protest signs,” Salman said. “We were talking about doing political work and having a group than protestsKn the beginning we were protesting, but now we’re more concerned with doing art installation.” The first installment that the Ninth Wave did were protest signs in Kresge Art Center. They were inspired from political signs they had seen and turned them into more comprehensible messages. “The idea behind it was designing successful, legible protest signage,” Salman said!“A lot of the protest signs we saw had smart messages, but they weren’t made very well. They could have been more realized, reproduced more and engaged with more if they had better design. Instead of bonding over the creation of a symbol, the team found fellowship over one frustration: the lack of a political presence in art at MSU. Mianecki and Salman both felt like they had a responsibility to make a stand against a lack of motivation to create work that was political. “I was frustrated because I felt like no one was doing anything and we all could be doing something,” Davis said. “We’re all creative artists and designers, we could be coming together to make something to actually have a good effect.” From the group’s understanding, they felt that art was inherently political and that the work they created could influence people, culture and protests. This goes as far back as political cartoons prior to the Revolutionary War and as recently as protest signs at rallies. “I think artists and designers have a big role in generating visual culture that can be used to persuade people or manipulate people or activate people,” Mianecki said. “Historically, art has been used to activate people and we thought ‘we’re an art department, we should be doing that.’” As Mianecki and Salman graduate, Davis looked to takeover and develop the group. They planned to become a registered student organization and continue to make waves across campus with political stands. Ninth Wave was created by a group of studio art students who aimed to use art in public installations as a way to initiate conversation around politics and equality. MAKING STRIDES, LUNGING FORWARD Black Girl Fitness encourages students to stay fit in entertaining ways Team One definitely cheated. Everybody saw it. While the lunge competition entered the final leg, one team member got a leg up. Scampering through the final paces while others crouched painfully deep, she reached to her teammate and tagged her for the next step in the relay race. It was a crucial point in the circuit. When the race ended though, Team One got their comeuppance—25 jumping jacks for the whole group. Team Three finished last and was handed the same punishment. Team Two looked on smirking, having won the tiebreaker of good form. The spoils went to the victors. Or in this case, the opportunity to catch a breath. The heat in the IM East group session room wasn’t a result of the climbing spring temperatures. There was a competitive conflagration spreading amongst the members of Black Girl Fitness that had engulfed the facility. “We motivate people to push themselves,” Kenedi Price, an e-board member, said. “We’re trying to convince you to encourage yourself and like push yourself to the limit.” Black Girl Fitness was founded in 2017 when junior Maria Allen, sensed the need for a space that promoted a healthier lifestyle for women. Together with Price and co-founder Jaqui Howard, Allen brought competition and rivalry to dally exercises.B§sting three sessions a wee®, members used the workouts to stay at peak health. While going to the gym would have accomplished that too, it would not have brought the camaraderie, competitiveness or motivation !S mm 1 WmBm % ijjjjjS §|l|j IjliWji KfSiS i that Black Girl Fitness offered. Between a personal trainer and devoted partners, there was a team element to the training. That Wednesday, teammates cheered on their members, jumping up and down to exhort a final burpie or sit-up. They were in it together. “I love their personalityScome out here and have a great time every time,” Ryan Carlin, the class’s trainer, said. “We’ve got a consistent group that comes now, so we’re all meshing together and really making it more about being together and working together for fitness, rather than going to your weekly workout class. It’s more like a family.” Support stretched into the viewing area, where members of Kappa Alpha Psi quickly became embroiled in the rivalry. Picking sides, some volunteered their services, equally distributed between the three teams. As the exercises progressed, sweat dropped but spirit didn’t. Everybody wanted their team to come out on top, but equally importantly, nobody wanted their team to be the recipients of Carlin’s grueling post-race workout. “It sounds so corny, but it’s like just being around everybody and the energy in the room,” Howard, a junior food science major said. “It’s not just like you go to the gym and people are doing their own thing. Everybody’s trying to better themselves.” Having done high school track, Howard and Price knew the value of a cohesive unit when exercising. In fact, they missed it coming to college— until they found Black Girl Fitness. “Instead of everybody just doing their own thing by themselves, you get to work with everybody in your group,” Howard said. “You also have the fun of the competition as wellM so it puts everything together.” Black Girl Fitness went beyond connecting its members, however; it wanted to expand its mission. With a $3 trial and $20 semester fee, Black Girl Fitness tried to promote the importance of healthy lifestyles for women one by one, lunge by lunge. Black Girl Fitness is a student organization on campus aimed at promoting women’s health through friendly competition during fitness classes. i 8 i i 303 CONTENT: SYDNEY NASEEF PHOTO: ELIF TURK DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR On April 22, 2016, the Pink Impact grant from the Susan G. Körnen Michigan Affiliate was put into action. The $75,000 fund allowed MSU to spearhead educational outreach work with low-income communities and assist low- income and uninsured women with needed breast care testing and clinical services. This included free mammograms, breast exams, ultrasounds and MRIs. “The Pink Impact team consists of me, our marketing communications director, our medical assistant and our nurse navigator, Pam Haan, who actually had breast cancer,” said Mary Smania, assistant professor in the College of Nursing. “My grandmother died of breast cancer and I was very close to her. So when I became a nurse, I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Gwen Wyatt in a breast cancer study and I realized I really loved taking care of women struggling with the effects of breast cancer.” Smania was the primary investigator who wrote the grant, administered it and provided the care made possible by the grant. She had worked with Susan G. Komen for close to eight years, providing care for women who were either uninsured or underinsured. “Giving free care to people who qualify is vital,” said Haan. “We once had a patient who had a breast lump that she did not get evaluated because she had no insurance. By the time she received the health care services needed, she had metastasis and died from the cancer. If it was treated earlier, she might still be alive. This happens way too much.” The grant had to be approved each year, and looked promising for 2017 With plans to increase the local community’s knowledge of the importance of testing and breast health, Pink Impact hoped to reach more people in the coming year and as a result, treat more women in need. The program not only provided life-changing services, but also inspired those involved. “I chose to pursue nursing because I want to be the person making an impact in others lives,” said freshman Maddie Smith, pre-nursing. “Watching Pink Impact make a difference in the lives of those who otherwise could not afford care just confirms that I made the right decision in choosing the nursing profession.” Pink Impact was devoted solely to helping others who were unable to help themselves, gaining the respect of those who looked upon the College of Nursing. MSU’s partnership with Susan G. Komen had allowed the university to provide local health care and contribute timely services to catch symptoms before it was too late. SPARTANS FOR A SEMESTER American Semester Program offers international students the opportunity to study at MSU MSU and study abroad were like Italy and available for ASP students. pizza, France and cheese, Brazil and coffee: known for high quality Ranked seventh in the nation for participation, MSU offered more than 275 programs in more than 60 countries across the world—programs available in every continent. While some students experienced study abroad firsthand, others simply heard countless stories from friends, recruitment efforts from faculty or new opportunities from advocates each year. What many may not have realized, however, was that East Lansing could actually be the destination. For students in the American Semester Program (ASP), this was the reality. ASP was proposed by Davina Potts in 2011 and launched with the help of executive director of the Office of Study Abroad at the time, Brett Berquist. Unlike the exchange program, where MSU sent the same number of students to a partner university as a partner university sent to MSU, ASP provided the opportunity for students to study at MSU from any university in any country, even if they were unable to come on exchange. “We think it’s really important because we diversify the international community here at MSU/’ said ASP program coordinator Kellie Clock. We bring in a lot of students who are from Northern Europe, we were bringing in a lot of students from Latin America—we’re trying to beef that up again— whereas a lot of international students on campus are from Asia, which is really awesome, but it’s also really great to bring in other perspectives and bring in students from other parts of the world as well,” Clock said. “So we focus really hard on trying to bring in different kinds of students here.” The number of students admitted to ASP was without limit. As long as students met requirements, were accepted into their programs of study and completed the prerequisites for their courses, they were welcomed. Almost every major at MSU was In the fall semester, for example, a group of three friends, junior Eimear Quigg from Ireland, sophomore Hayley Goodlich from Australia and senior Laura Guimaraes from Brazil studied food science, communication and business, respectively. It was this diversity that Chris McKenzie, director of ASP, described as one of the most significant aspects of the program. “Students from countries where we wouldn’t normally attract students come to our campus because of the shorter-term experience like a semester or a year. I think it brings value just in the classroom—a lot of different points of view during class discussion,” said McKenzie. Unlike a study abroad term an MSU student may have experienced, students in ASP were given the same amount of freedom and independence as any other student on campus. Like every other Spartan, they were housed with roommates randomly all over campus from Holmes to Holden Halls, attended the same classes and were allowed to join the same clubs and sports teams. “The part of our program that is really unique to a lot of programs like ours is that students on the American Semester Program are integrated into the university,” says Clock. “Sometimes on a study abroad program you’re in a cohort of just study abroad students, but here students come in and we call them Spartans from the moment they join us on campus.” The ASP students weren’t just called Spartans. In fact, they would always carry the Spartan title just the same as any other MSU graduate. “We’re one of the few programs in the country where the students that come here for this one semester or this short amount of time, they’re actually MSU Spartans,” McKenzie said. II think the students really, really appreciate CONTENT: LAUREN SHIELDS DESIGN: SARAH GOODYEAR that. It sounds like a little thing, but for an international student, it’s a huge deal.” The students’ experience even began just as that of a typical Spartan’s. They were welcomed to campus with an orientation including a tour, an explanation of emergency protocols and an opportunity to meet with advisors. Where the orientation differed, however, was the incorporation of culture-shock training. The students were taught everyday things such as how to bank on campus and obtain a driver’s license, but were also involved in a discussion about possible depression while away from home, ways to recognize it and methods to prevent it. McKenzie said that in his three years however, only one student has gone home before the semester’s end. To help the students better integrate and adjust, the program offered planned monthly trips by student ambassadors. They served not only as a way to bring the group together, but were also opportunities for students to see other parts of the country at a highly subsidized cost. Some of the trips included Grand Haven, Michigan, Cedar Point, Uncle John’s Cider Mill, a Detroit Piston’s basketball game and Chicago, IL. The student ambassadors traveled with and managed the students on trips, and also provided insight into Spartan nation. Most ambassadors were students who studied abroad themselves and wanted to remain involved with the international student community upon their returns. Such was the case for student ambassador Kelsey Watson, senior environmental studies and sustainability major. “I had just returned from living abroad for a year and had been searching for a place where I could continue to practice Dutch,” Watson said. “I somehow got in touch with (a program coordinator) to see if she knew of any students that would practice with me and we ended up having a meeting and she invited me to be an ambassador.” Watson’s friend, Jessie Kinney, joined the program the summer of 2016. An MSU alumna, Kinney recalled one of her most memorable experiences as an ambassador was a trip she lead to Niagara Falls where one of the buses was broken down for seven hours near Lake Ontario. “About 140 people, mostly including Aussies, and we happened to break down right by a huge hockey complex,isaid Kinney. “It ended up becoming so great because the Aussies never see hockeyBfhey’re never exposed to itiand to see every single one of them be so incredibly fascinated, and also terrified of the violence in hockey, made the breakdown all worth it.” As for the ASP students’ take on MSU? “Everything was a lot larger in size compared to Ireland,” said Quigg. “The students were lovely and everyone was very helpful. The classes were shorter than the classes at home and there were a lot more people in my classes.” According to Goodlich, it wasn’t just the class size that was larger. In her words, the food in the U.S. was, “as big as they say.” Guimaraes noted, however, that not all American stereotypes she heard came to be true. “Some stereotypes are that Americans are a little cold—especially comparing to Latinos—but I didn’t feel that at all,” says Guimaraes. “About the food being unhealthy and coming in big portions, in general, it is very true,” she laughed. The girls agreed that one of the most spectacular things about MSU, along with its beautiful campus, was its school spirit: the chants, the games, the tailgates, the apparel. This sense of university pride was just one of many firsts the girls experienced—another being Goodlich and Guimaraes’ first time seeing snow. At the semester’s end, students were awarded a certificate of completion during a “faux” graduation ceremony held at the Kellogg Center. According to Clock, it was a formal way to celebrate all that they had achieved that semester. Since Clock’s first summer as an intern in 2012, with just one program of 30 students, ASP has grown immensely. In the summer of 2017, Clock would run 12 programs with upwards of 200 students—a growth she was proud to see. PAGE 307: Students partaking in the American Semester Program visit Niagara Fails. Domestic students from MSU take participants in the program to different attractions around the Midwest so that they can visit other places around the US besides campus. PAGES 308-309: One of the trips that students in ASP took was to Chicago, IL, where they were able to visit museums, shop along Magnificent Mile and see popular tourist attractions including Cloud Gate, nicknamed “The Bean" in Millennium Park. PHOTOS COURTESY OF: AMERICAN SEMESTER PROGRAM, OFFICE FOR EDUCATION ABROAD A-B Abbawi BianchiABCDEFGHIJKLM Rita Abbawi Laila Abdallah Kevin Ackerman Alexis Adams Helen Adams Leon Adams Nadia Affes Eric Agar Wajiha Agbaria Chelsea Agee Muhammad Hamzah Ahmad Halmi Nurfatihah Ahmad Senusi Hojune Ahn Brianna Ahrens Ashley Akers Christopher Akinin Yaqeen Al Mahdi Meshaal Al-Eshaq Yusif Alansari Matthew Alashari Henoke Alemayehu Evan Alger Nick Allen Faisal Alobaidi Elizabeth Althouse Fatimah Altuwairit Naif Alyami Fida Alyaqoob Sherif Amin Spencer Ammerman Pulkit Anand Hannah Anderson Raymie Anderson Tanesha Anderson Steven Andreassi Caleb Andrews Rafiah Anjum Brogan Ankenbauer Troy Aral Emily Archer Kyle Archer Katie Armbrustmacher Rachel Arnesen Kimberly Arnold Arathi Arumanla Noah Assefa Julia Augustyniak Mekiah Austin Ariana Avila 314 4 NOPQRSTUVWXYZ Shannon Avitts-Brimley Ellie Ayala-Rodriguez Becky Babon Alexis Bailey Kaitlyn Bailey Kathryn Bailey Lindsay Baird Bonnie Bairley Sierra 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Stefon Hunt Amber Hunter Sophia Huq Breanna Hurley David Hurley Jermaine Hussey Yidan Huyan Peter Huyberts Allen Huynh Huynh Katrivesis Ngan Huynh Inwoo Hwang Beatriz Ibarra Brooklyn Idalski Maria Ilundain Kevin Imber Katie Immel Joseph Inman Blake Isaacs Lee Isaacson Brittney Ivy Ross Izzo Ashanti Jackson Jasmine Jackson Justice Jackson Kacey Jackson Jenna Mcob Ian Jacobs Danielle Jacosalem Megan Jacquier Patrick James Remy James Juyoung Jang Yeonik Jang Michelle Jasica Nanda Jeffers Latya Jefferson Nathanael Jefferson Kelly Jensen Sungwoo Jeon Hyun Jeong Brittney Jernigan Jenna Jerwers Kaylah Jetton Shichao Jia Jiatian Jiang Liuwenbin Jiang Nanjun Jiang Xinyi Jiang Xinyi Jiang Yifan Jiang Yuting Jiang Tingting Jie Jin Jin Lu Jin Lulu Jin Seungwhan Jin Tong Jin Yuanxi Jin 1 NOPQRSTUVWXYZ Zhaofeng Jin Yunhan Jing Yuwei Jing Seongmin Jo Aaliyah Johnson Autumn Johnson Chante Johnson Ellery Johnson Julian Johnson Lauren Johnson Quanesha Johnson Ryan Johnson Tyrin Johnson Zachary Johnson 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Lawler Cynthia Lee Hakyoung Lee Hojun Lee Jaewon Lee Jerry Lee Joohyuk Lee Juhwan Lee Mitchell Lee Victoria Lee Wook Lee Yaejee Lee Yiko Lee William Lefler Jiayi Lei Zhongzhi Lei Rachel Leightner Erika Lentz Stéphanie Lerchenfeldt Jada Leslie Pui Leung Grant Levasseur Noble Lewallen Patrick Lewis Séquoia Lewis Biying Li Boyi Li Chang Li Chia-Hung Li Chuyan Li Haofeng Li Haolong Li Huanyu Li Jiaming Li Jianwei Li Jiaqi (athena) Li JiayeJJ Jiayi Li Jiaying Li Menglai Li Mengran Li Mingrui Li Muyuan Li Qianyimei Li Qingyao Li Ricky Li 1 NOPQRSTU VWXYZ Ruichen Li Shana Li Shangdong Li Shen Li Sida Li Tianyou Li Tong Li Wanqi Li Wenqiang Li Wujia Li Xinlu Li Xinyan Li — Yifei Li Yinger Li Yitian Li Yuanxin Li Yujia Li Zhaoyuan Li Zhengyilin Li Zhenya Li Zhuowei Li Zihao Li Hanlin Liang Jingxuan Liang Tianchi Liang Xiaofan Liang Yan Liang Sihao Liao Derying Liaw Jesse Lill Jun Seok Lim Benjamin Lin Bingyan Lin Chuck Lin Dennis Lin Jiahui Lin Jieming Lin Jingting Lin Lin Lin Mu Lin Xuejing Lin Yi Lin Yongguang Lin Yu-Ting Lin Mary Lincoln Alaiisja Lindsay Mitchell Lindstrom Christopher List Alysia Little mImI^abcdefghijklm r Aochi Liu Bojun Liu Chuankai Liu Chuanlin Liu Fangbing Liu Feiyang Liu Jiahao Liu Jiajun Liu Jiasheng Liu Keyu Liu Kun Liu Ruiqi Liu Siyao Liu Tingting Liu Vivienne Liu Weihan Liu Xinran Liu Xinyi Liu Yani Liu Yanning Liu Yifei Liu Yuanbo Liu Yun Liu Yuxuan Liu Zhen Liu Ziling Liu Andrea Lloyd Elizabeth Lobaccaro Nicholas Lochinski Hannah Long Jesse Lopez Michelle Lopez Landyn Lorenz Kennedy Lovelace Davida Lowe Jake Lowery Robyn Lowes Evan Lownds David Lozano Guanyu Lu Hui Lu Shaomei Lu Siyu Lu Ting Lu Yanbing Lu Yanlin Lu Ye Lu Yuxuan Lu Jessica Lundquist -1 NOPQRSTUVWXYZ Chunyong Luo Junshan Luo Shan Luo Weiming Luo Xi Luo Yini Luo Andrea Lusczakoski Danielle Lutz Joseph Lutz Rachel Lutz Zachary Lyons Jie Lyu KeMa Siyan Ma Yiding Ma Yixiao Ma Yueying Ma Nicole Macker Sierrah Macocha Alec Maddalena Alexander Madias Miranda Madro Minyoung Maeng Richard Maher Daniel Maiatico Matthew Maier Jacob Maise Jennifer Maisner Brock Makaric Devynn Makidon Jarin Makkawiman Marwa Mallah Anna Malmquist Taylor Manders Jessica Maniaci Hope Mann Katarina Mansour Chongjia Mao Dongjie Mao Lingyun Mao Tenghua Mao Xinyu Mao Christen Marbury Mitchell Marier Cote Marshall Amber Martin Sarah Martin Anissa Martinez Eddy Martinez MI Marvin I Murdock Rachael Marvin Noura Massri Scott Matthews Edward Maxwell Samantha Mayworm Kelsey McArdle Mallory McBrien Sharon McCarver-Jackson David McClendon Devin McClenton Brandon McCoy Kelly McDonald Kennedy McDonnell Hannah McDowell William McGee Kenneth McGrain Erik McGuire Andrew McHale Drake McIntosh Megan McKee Natalie McKeon Paige McKeon Nick McKerrell Connor McLoughlin Hannah McManus Ivy McMullen Makayla McNiel Natalie McQueary Shahida Md Hussin Michael Mei Claury Mejia Rodriguez Scarllet Mejia Rojas David Meleca David Melnyk Qi Meng Shan Meng Yaoyao Meng Zhu Meng Elizabeth Mero Diego Messina Cruz Michelle 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Ji!.;.......:*.....|.....298 Cl Burr, Eric,....I....!.,...................:.......295 C< Business College Complex................104 U Butler, Amir.........,|........................i"^ ^ Butler, Emily......................J......194,195 C< Butterfly House.................\.............266 C< .,!>.........§,..297 1 ( Calnan, Keegan..,,,..........................295 147 >17 77 Campbell, Sarah.................... 70 Campus Center Cinema...................... .149 35 Cantu, Annie....................... 278 70, Career Services Center.....................122 27 Carleton, Jessica...........................36, 37 07 Carlin, Ryan............................. 302 55 Carlson, Rebecca........................g.....35 20 Carmichael, Grace....................48,106 47 Carter Andrews, Dorinda..................... .249 27 Carter, Kiara...........................B,......75 ;97 Casey-Dunn, Dan.....................¿1...225 220 88 Chandler, Roger....................... 04 Chartman, Miracle..............>.............119 95 Children’s Garden 4-H......K:;...........266 57 Chuseok..^H......................................18 25 Cislo, Grant...............J-4...............29 49 Citizen Science Initiative..................40 43 Cleary, Braden...........11...................257 57 ; Clinton, Chelsea..............4.....106,108 91 Clinton, Hillary.........I ...................106 23 Clock, Kellie................Mg.........¿*..1.306 >98 Clough, Suzanne....!......................1.143 >95 Coalition of Indian 04 Undergraduate Students..................100 ;45 Cocklin, Rachel......M......................259 95 Coleman, Kasey...........................!....102 66 College of Agriculture & patural Resources............................218 College of Arts & Letters........!..j|....182 College of Business................4........166 College of Communication Arts & Sciences..............................!.......91,110 College of Education..................195,196 College of Engineering.........1....69, 240 College of Law.......................................66 College of Music..........................132, 213 College of Natural Science.....If.......250 College of Nursing................ 304 College of Osteopathic Medicine.....................................264, 265 College of Social Science...................225 College of Veterinary Medicine.........96 Comes, Alec.......................$..............292 Community Resource 45 Management Co............... 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Ill Cottrell, Tanner.............................26, 27 Crider, Abey................ 37 Cronkhite, Sydney 14 Bl........4........165 Crowley, Kat.......*...............................162 Crunchy’s................1...........................289 Crutcher, Terence................... 20 Cuevas, Xavier......H......1....................134 Culturas de las Razas Unidas...........106 Curlfriends...................I...............W...177 D Dage, Kristen...........................1...........139 Dairy Store...........................................165 Dakota Access Pipeline................84, 85 Danielian, Sam......................................89 Daniels, Trever.......................................91 Dantonio, Mark.....................................93 Darwin Discovery Day!..........218, 219 Davis, Ryan.................................300, 301 Davis, Sean.............................................40 Davis, Terran.......................................1.16 Dear, Michelle.......................................60 DeJong, Joel.................................. 179 Delta Gamma.................................. 194 Delta Sigma Theta......16,103,104 DeMartin Soccer Stadium..........70, 71 DeMartin Stadium................................60 Democratic Party......!.......... .............106 Department of American Indian and Indigenous Studies........277 Department of Art, Art History and Design..........................182, 285, 300 Department of Theatre....H................132 DePaux, Keahna..................................30 Devlin, Eamon......................................35 Dharwadkar, Anita.!............................262 Dia de los Muertos............... ................82 1.103 Divine Nine.................... Do, Lillian............... 19 Do, Steve.....................1........1...........*.149 Doane, Shane..............1..........................35 Dominguez, Jennifer....*!....*,..............215 Dowlen, Sierra............................ 16 Downie, Alexis...........!..........................29 Drahota, Amy......................................251 Drees, Joshua........................................96 Drenth, Walt............................. 22 Duncan, Sakiya...J............................11103 E-F East Lansing Farmer’s Market...........48 East Lansing Public Library..!.#.......249 Eicher, Austin......................................220 Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum...........y..........36, 37, 41, 55 Ellerhorst, Bob.......................... 204 Ellis III, Alvin.......,..............................188 Elturk, Melanie....................................119 Emanuel, Imani........jj....................,...177 Engineering Student Council..........241 Engineering Week....................240, 241 Engineers Without Borders.............241 Erickson Kiva........................................82 Erickson, Grace..........*......................184 Esquith, Stephen.................... 130 Esshaki, Alana......I.....#...y..................196 Eustace-Cole Hall.................................35 Facility for Rare Isotope Beams........151 Falk, Maddie....................... 201 Farmer-Lewis, Rev. Linda....................53 136 Faulkner, Erin............................1. Fenton, Megan.:'.:........g......................62 Fischer, Evan....H.................................46 Fisheries and Wildlife Club...............162 Foreback, Dennis...............y.............289 Forest Akers Golf Course.....................22 Forester, Lea..................................|j....236 Forkin, Ally....................1...................36 Fraizer, Terrence................................227 Franklin, Arriel..............y.........H....217 Freeman, Erin.......„...........................132 French, Malarie....................................182 173 Frese, Brenda................. G Galley, Gabi......................................£#....30 Games for Entertainment and Learning Lab..................................91 Gamma Phi Beta.....^..........................275 Gandhi, Rajmohan.................i.....f.......80 Gantz, Kaitlyn..................I.................201 Garbhangra..................................100,101 Garnett, Sherman..................................80 220 Gasca, Javier................. Geer, Allyson............................. 298 Gembarowskff Degen...........................39 George, Cathy.........................................79 Ghafari, Butrus “Boots”......................181 Gibbard, Ashley....................................110 Global Center for Food Systems Innovation............................232 Global Festival.................J.............57, 87 Gmeiner, Jennifer........I.....................278 Golden Harvest..................1..............243 Gonzalez, Andrew......,:,I....................273 H Goodlich, Hayley.........................»§.306, 309 H H Govea, Jesse....,,,.........1......................289 H Grand Valley State 292, 293 University...................................... H H Granger, Sam...................................1....14 Greathouse, Frances....#..................I...139 H Greek Week...^......................................275 H Greek Week Day of Service..............275 H H Green, Camille...................1.............262 H Grenzicki, Dan.......¡¡1...........................45 Guimaraes, Laura..............................306, 309 H Gunnaleka, Sudaporn........................246 H H Gustafson, Anna....1.......... 13 Gutkne cht, S ar ah. I.................: ........236 H Guy, Emily.............................................235 H H H H H H Haan, Pam...........................................305 Hacker, Katelyn..................................291 Hagan Realty Inc.................................45 Hagan, Matt..........................................45 Hall, De’Ayra......................................104 Harpers..................................................98 Harris, Kellen..............................122,166 Hartman, Mark..................................235 Hartnell, Dr. Ben...............................196 Hassan, Ahmad..................................104 Hatala, Ben..........................................161 Haute Hijab............................:............119 I lb n D Ir Ir ar Ir Io I Haven, Mary.............................. 266 73 09 Head of the Grand Regatta..........£jgL..51 89 Hebeler, Sabrina......1........................204 ! Heid, Shea................m................127,128 | Hemingway, Joey.....«,......................120 93 14 Henry Diamond..!..........................Jj.277 39 Hewitt, Jake........‘3............................202 75 Hickox, Lindsay...........................1.....225 75 Higgins, Bailey.......I ........................,..65 | Hiner, Zach......................................Iu262 62 45 ........................201 | Hoffman, Daniel. 09 Hoffman, Steven....'.or.........................291 46 Holland, Rhett....................................1/181 13 Honors College...................................:..35 '36 Howard, Jaqui.....................................302 I Hudson, Alex-Saundra.....................104 '35 Hudson, Michael...................................69 Hughes, Drew..........,.!......................220 Hull, Michael............1........................263 Hull, Shelby.....1..........................128,129 05 Iyer, Divya............................................101 Izzo, Tom............|...............................188 Jackson-Elmoore, Cynthia..................35 Jahangiri Mamouri, Sina.....................87 James Ehrhardt, Timothy.................253 James Madison College..1.....................80 Jankoska, Tori...........m...............173,175 Jardim, Simone..............il.................136 Jay, Sarai.......................,,M...............263 Jeffery, William.....................r...............91 Jennings, Alex.....................................106 Jennings, Chloe.............1............43,182 Jetton, Kaliyah..............1....................177 Joedman, Kimberly....^..............§i....215 Johnson, Daira....................................245 Johnson, Kaleb....................................286 Jones-Poole, Aundreana.....................166 Jones, DeJuan....................|...............243 166 Jones, Myya D...................... Joseph, Jacquie...................................236 K-L Ibarra, Beatriz.....................................241 IMEast.................................................302 IM West........................ 201,295 Impact89FM................................178,179 Infrastructure Planning 04 .98 L66 135 96 04 and Facilities......,.121,122,150,151, 204 International Students Association...87 161 103 Iota Phi Theta...................... 119 Kappa Alpha Psi.I..............................103, 303 Kappa Alpha Theta............................195, 227 Kappa Delta.........................................262 Kasich, John.........................^...........106 Kaszas, Dion.............................§§,;.....277 Kellogg Center....................................263, 309 Keys, Ashton...........................,J...i.....245 19 Kim, Jae Ho........................... Kim, Taerim....................................1. 18 Kim, Yoon-Gi.................... H...18 Kinney, Jessie.....3...............................308 Kiprotich, Justine................................253 20 Kirkland, Kyle.............................. Kissinger; Jack...............1....................26 Klucevek, Zach......................................51 Knull, Helen...®...............%..................62 Korean Student Association..........18,19 Kothari, Ayesha...............>v.................184 Kresge Art Center...............................300 :i.i...57 Kuhn, Tami............................ Kusler, Heather...!........................1....251 Lacey, Kyla.........!..................BW......134 227 Lambda Chi Alpha..................... Langford, Joshua.......................1......188 Lantzy, Steve................................ ¿.142 Lanzetta, Samantha................?........227 LaPonsie, Andrea..............7.1...:.............53 Leager, Louie............... .1....213 Legend Streetwear................1.........245 Lewallen, Forrest................................264 Liaw, Dan....1;.................................. 134 Lieblein, Miranda........................!.....!..46 Liggett, Haywood.................121,122,151 Live That Life Soreem.....li................245 243 Lockard, Eric.................... Long, McKenzie.......................... .236 Lou Anna K. Simon...............................57 Love Your Melon..................194,195 Love, Jenny........................ 202 Lucci, Madeline^................................60 Luna-Gagnon, Liz..............................285 Lutkenhoff, Mark..................11.204, 205 Lyman Briggs College................139, 249 Lyon, Rita.............................................165 M Make Central........................................40 MakerSpace...........................................40 Maksimoski, Alyse...............................13 Mallah, Marwa....................................199 Malone, Megan..................................229 Mapley, Tim..........................................20 Marquiss, Annie...................................96 Martinez, Aaron...................................80 Matthew, Adi.........................................69 Matula, Kristin.....................................62 Maybank, Denise...................................14 McCartney, Ellen...............................179 McDonald, Erin...................................23 McGlothian-Taylor, Sgt. Florence.....20 McGrath, Kristen..................................35 McKalpain, Armani...........................245 McKenzie, Chris.......................306, 308 Mckinney, Zach..................................213 McLean, Brian......................................36 McWilliams, Shelby...................169,170 Meat Laboratory..................................215 Medical Student Mental Health Committee.............................264 Meet the Police....................................20 Menefee, Keiarra...............................1-177 Merchant, Christopher....!...........¡I..25 Merchant, Suzy.................|t..........(¡*...>.173 Merchun, Sam..............................169,170 Merluzzi, Mike.!............1...................132 Merone, Tracy.................. 20 Metcalf, Emily......................................136 Metcalfe, Sariah...................................155 Meyers, Emily...............1......................136 MI First Election........1..............110, 111 Mianecki, Will....................182, 300, 301 Micallef, Joseph............|..................,..121 Michigan Association of Broadcasters............|.....................179 Michigan Dept, of Civil Rights...........13 Michigan Indigena/Chicanx Community Alliance..........................¿82 Millard, Elise......................... ..¿..202 Miller, Matt....................................69, 215 Minarick, Rachel.................. 79 Miner, Dylan...!......................................85 Mitchell, Matt........................................75 Mohnke, Leah........................................85 Möller, Emma.........................tv...........192 Montalvo, Reynaldo................... 104 Montero, Socrates...............................225 Montgomery, Dr. Georgina...............249 Morgan, Cindy Hunter.......................130 Morrill Hall of Agriculture.......100,101 48 Morrocco, Steve......................... MSU Alumni Chapel.??.........................53 MSU Archives and Historical Collections...........i............229 MSU Bakers.............. 165 MSU Career Services............1.............166 ^ MSU College Democrats...!...............106 ^ MSU Crew Club......................................51 N MSU Fashion Week..........a..............245 ^ MSU Federal Credit Union...........57, 91 ^ MSU Gospel Choir...........................;...134 ^ MSU Guide..............................................69 N MSU Karate Club............................¿...201 IB MSU Main Library..................35, 40 155 j ^ MSU Mixed Martial ^ Arts Club...............H..........fe..............295 j ^ MSU Museum.............................162, 219 N MSU Pavilion.........................................30 N MSU Polo Club!..................................30 N MSU Scene Shop..................................132 N MSU Shadows..........................B.........25 ^ MSU Slam Poetry Team.....................217 ^ MSU Surplus Store......................25, 280 ^ MSU Triathalon Club..........1..............33 N MSU’s Wildlife Ward...........1..............96 N MSUnicyclers......................... .............46 Muflihi, Menar.....H..............................241 ^ Mumpfield, Myal..............................225 ^ Munie, Anna.......................s.................30 ^ Munn Ice Arena.............89,142,143 ^ Muslim Students Association.....119,198 ^ Muslim Studies Program.....1...........297 ^ 0 A N-P ^ I Nader, Cara......................... 43 ^ j Nagle, Emily..........................................169 ¡1 Nahwilet Meissner, Shelbi..§f.............277 5 Naim Jr., Lourawls....................188,191 H National Pan-Hellenic 4 Council..........................16,102,103, 275 o National Society of ,1 Black Engineers......................... 16 5 Natural Resources Building..!...........162 11...225 I Nazzaro, Andrew............... 5 Netzel, Charlie.......................... 286 9 Nichols, Anna.......................................269 0 Nielsen, Halle.fl...:................................278 0 Nieratko, PauLfc...................................55 2 | Niforos, Anna.......................................89 >5 Ninety6......................¿¿««...................245 7 Ninth Wave................................300, 301 O Nisbet, Stephen....!..............................193 3 Nix, Pamela..........?.,H...........«y.....,..262 ,5 Noble, Vanessa.....Sf............................131 .5 Noor, Ali................ 87 ^ Norman, Anna..................1^.............66 5 Norris, Jessica.........|§................1.........13 q Noyola, Grace............ ......|H|..........151 .3 O’Connor, Tyler............■«..............¿¡93 13 O’Keefe, Michael....p..........|J.............51 yj O’Mara, Alana.................................¿..,....35 Office of Cultural and Academic Transitions................ 82 Office of Financial Aid.............,.......149 Office of Study Abroad.....................306 Oleksiak, Marisa................................60 Olson, Ripley.........§.....H...................57 Omega Psi Phi...........|...............20,103 Owens III, Ron....«.......4..................106 P.T. O’Malley’s.....................................98 Panda Express...................!............182 Pansiuk, Mike.....................3...........93 Park, Jaehyun.................|.i...............246 Parking and Code Enforcement.|......147 Parks, Joseph.........................A........293 Parks, Tedesa......................... 104 Partoluzzi, John................................187 Patel, Sonica....................... I..100 Patton, Evan.jMB...............................142 Perkins, Alisa.....!............................297 Perry, Mike............j.................|........13 Phi Beta Sigma.............|..................103 Phi Iota Alpha...$........j..................225 Phi Sigma Rho............1....................241 Pink Impact Team.....It.......$.........305 Piper, Scott............................|..........157 Plaehn, Jessie.........................yi.,.....201 POINT....J............................¡............89 Pomorski, Michael.................||.......179 Pooley, Apryl...................... j|......14 Porter, Julia.....................................250 Potts, Davina...|................................,306 Poulson, David..................................232 Price, Josiah..jI.................. 95 Price, Kenedi.....;)A..........................302 Pritchett, Livi......................................280 Puente, Alex.......4........«....................187 Q-R Quigg, Eimear.............................306, 309 Ralph Young Field..........J................«62 Red Cedar Rowdies................................71 Redmond, Alex...............|.................219 Reed, Micah,,........................................227 Regan, Emily...................................32, 33 Reimel, Abigail.!...................................55 Reinke, Abbey....................... 179 Renko, Allie..................................k 195 Residence Halls Association.............199 Residential College in the Arts and Humanities......................#«130,131 Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment...................39 Resource Center for Persons with Disabilites...........................1.,, 69 Reynolds, Dana.....................................27 Rio de Janiero Olympics and Paralympics....................................33 Roberts, Sarah.....................................229 Roden, Brittany.....l.....Hi...................104 Rodriguez, Krista................................291 Rodriguez, Maisie.......H...................108 293 Roial Improv.......................... Roloff, Gary.....................«...................162 Ronald McDonald House.....................89 Ronquist, Kelly.............. 148 Roosa, Michael.......................................51 Royes, Nick............................................151 Rubick, Olivia............g...........,............29 Ruff, Jason..............................................Ill Ruffing, Nolan.......................................98 Ruiz, Chloe.............................................79 Ruiz, Clark.............................................22 Rustmann, Julia...................................89 Ryder, Michayla...................................131 S Sadek, Batoul........................................198 Safe Ride..........................1.......258, 259 Salman, Morial............|l..........300, 301 Sanders, Bernie...........................106,184 Santavicca, Lorenzo.......|..............5,259 Sarsfield, Andrew...................................98 Saturday Morning Art.......................202 Saxton, Tom...........................................60 Scheidies, Aaron....................................32 School of Journalism..........................110 School of Planning, Design, and Construction.....................jL.........55 Schultheiss, Hannah........................ 41 Schwartz, Kathryn.................................53 Schwartz, Paul.......................................25 Scott, L.J.................................................93 Scott, Randall.......................................155 Sebald, Angela..............1.......................69 Seddik, Mohamed...............................87 Sehti, Nancy.......K...........................198 Senior Class Council...................1 57 Service Learning..............................225 Shabazz, Ilyasah.........J.............^;...217 Shahed, Arpon............................M..265 Sharp, Katie...................... 298 Sharp, Michael..................................286 Shaw Lane Power Plant.........204, 207 Shelley, Kristin......I...........I............249 Shine, Quintin...................................150 Sholfield, Danielle...........................202 Shorte r, Janae....................1.,............ 16 Sigma Alpha Mu...............................275 Sigma Alpha Omega.............. 53 Sigma Gamma Rho...........................103 Sikarskie, Dr. Jim...,*...........................96 Simmons, Kristi...........................1....29 Slobodnik-Stoll, Stacy......................298 Small, Ellie............................,............201 Smania, Mary...................................305 Smith, Ambrigal................................177 Smith, Austin....................................257 Smith, Eric....@,..... ....213 Smith, Jalen......................................192 Smith, Maddie..................................305 Smith, Melanie...................................66 Smith, Preston..................................257 Smith, Rich.......................................187 Smith, Trevon....................m............161 Smythe, Katherine...........................,..13 Social Justice Reading Group..........249 i ■ Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers...........Mi 241 Society of Women Engineers.M......241 Somali Association of Michigan........87 B- Spartan Dischords.jM........til........26 Ti Spartan Imagineering.......................204 Ti Spartan Improv Festival.....*.1.292, 293 Ti Spartan Invite.........................................22 T* 263 T* Spartan Linen Services............... Spartan Remix......Ml.........1.16, 82,177 Tl Spartan Stadium........................33, 93, 95 T] Sparty...................................L...57, 76,161 T] Sparty Mascot Program.......................161 T] Sparty’s..........................................121,122 T] St. Thomas Aquinas Parish..................53 T] State of Fifths.........................................27 ¡Tl .1...192 T] Stebbins, Laina............... Steele, Sara...................................1. 165 Tl Stevens, Clint...............g......................161 Tl Stiles, Sam...............................J.......289 Ti Stow, Alex..I.................... 51 Tl Strange Matter Coffee Co.............¿.....43 Tl Student Affairs and Services...............27 Ti Student Book Store............. 149 Ti Subramanian, Sanjeet.........................100 Ti 297 Ti Sulaiman, Amir....................... Summer Circle Theatre.................*.....132 Ti Sutherland, Erin..................................277 Ti Swindle, Alex..........................................55 Ti Swix, Savannah.....................................193 |jp Szczupakiewicz, Joe..........,1............157 Ti Ti T 7 T.B. Simon Power Plant...........150, 204 6 Tasheva, Vessy................................:.269 4 Tau Beta Phil,.................................241 3 Taylor, Dr. John............. 264 2 Telewski, Frank.........,.......................25 3 Tessmer, Simon.......R.............292, 293 7 Thai Student Association................246 5 The Big Green..!.......................192,193 1 The Black Sheep..B.„................192,193 il The Care Team.......................264, 265 2 The Food, Fix.B......................232,233 3 The Riv....B|.........B.........................98 7 The 2 The State News.....................................13 5 The Tab...!...j*...,,.,,....¡.192,193 Stand Tall Project.....!...........201 9 Thiess, Al'.....¡.............B................286 1 Thocker, Greg.....JB|.......... .........280 3 Thompson, Auriel.............................177 7 Tickner, Amanda............1.................40 9 Tilma, Allison..............................¡.....27 0 Title IX.J...........>...........................vl..l3 7 Travascio-Green, Jaida...............,„..175 2 Tremblay, Sasha................................195 7 Troop, Alex.1...................................270 15 Truex, Kennedy............... ;...157 •3 Trump Jr., Donald...................106,108 7 Trump, Donald.................106,184,198 Turzewski, Steven.............................241 U-Z University Activities Board......134, 217 University of Michigan, Flint.............13 16 Urban Dreams.......................... Valley Court Park.........................48,187 van Haren, Darion.......................169,170 Varner, Ryan.............................I. ¿.215 Vettese, Stephanie.................... 229 Viazanko, Jack...............................jg....98 Viera, Leeann..............................,..........82 Vietnamese Student Association..i.....l9 Vinson, Yamani...................... 104 Voisine, Robin......................................194 Walking Through Black History Month.¡....,.l.........................217 Wang, Frank..................................#..#,.48 Ward, Nick......¡...f........!t.....................188 Warner, Dave..........................................93 Warren, Seth............................ ...275 Washington, Brianna...................45,149 Washington, Davis..............................253 Watson, Kelsey....................................308 Way, Amber...........................................253 Weise, Matt....¡...............................32, 33 Welch, Travis........................................215 Welcome Black Week........................1.16 Western Michigan University......#..297 When Queens Link Up......................217 Whitepigeon, Julie................... ¿,....84 Wiersma, Ali....,...................................253 Wilkes, Kimberly........................B. 66 Williams Hall............................¡.127,128 Williams, Bree...........................i,,......165 Williams, Iyana...................................235 Williamson, Monica.............B.....B..277 Wilner, Brendan......................k>l.. 29 Wilson, Kasey.................Jf............|fl41 Winston, Cassius.......................-,¡¡■•‘•188 B295 Winter, Ross........................ Winterstein, Scott................¡..»S,,,..162 Wittig, Pete............................................48 WEAR...............................M........■....Ill Women’s Lounge.......................,.i§.....13 Women’s March....................................184 #..236 Wood, Celeste.............. 181 Wood, Connor.................. Woods, Payton....................................¡.157 Wright, Jessica............................... 266 305 Wyatt, Dr. Gwen.......................... Yang, Hedy.................................282, 285 Zaki, Khalida..................j.........¡B......297 Zamboni.......................................142,143 Zeta Phi Beta..............................103, 227 Zipple, Adam..............................It 295 ¡§¡¡|| i¡Mg i II-'.R 1% 1BB lüi®i W'W\ KYLE RINZLER k È Ê Ê w t â M ELIFTU Illil The Associated Students of Michigan State University (ASMSU) is the undergraduate student body government of Michigan State University Our mission is to enhance our individual and collective student experience through education, empowerment and advocacy by dedication to the needs and interests of students. During the 2016-2017 academic year, ASMSU has worked hard to fulfill this mission by maintaining and expanding services for the undergraduate student body population. SERVICES: ¡Clicker and Graphic Calculator Rental Programs ASMSU rented out over 1,200 iClickers and over 100 graphic calculators Short Term Loan Program ASMSU issued over 225 short-term loans, totaling over $60,000 Free Blue Books ASMSU distributed over 16,000 free Blue Books ASMSU Safe Ride Program ASMSU piloted their Safe Ride Program, completing over 800 rides over a three- week period. With the approval of a special tax, the program continued for the 2017-2018 academic year Student Legal Services Provided free legal services for all students at Michigan State University Registered Student Organization (RSO) Funding Provided over $230,000 in RSO funding during the 2016-2017 academic year Readership Program Provided over 200,000 copies of free newspapers including: USA Today, The New York Times, Detroit Free Press, Lansing State Journal and Financial Times to all students ASMSU Bike Share Program Expanded to offering 40 bikes for students to rent out of five residential halls OTHER HIGHLIGHTS: Awarded “2016-2017 Outstanding Student Government of the Year” by the Conference on Student Government Associations Awarded “Outstanding Legislative Action” on advocacy for Senate Bill 332, Decriminalization of MIP’s in the State of Michigan Registered over 1,000 MSU students to vote before the 2016 Presidential Election