THE 2020 - 2021 EDITION OF THE R LOG ASSOCIATED STUDENTS OF ASMSU '* MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY 304-369 Volume: 132 Enrollment: 49800 East Lansing Ml 48825 PHOTO: HELEN KORNEFFEL 8 1 1 1 f t f t mm®? : WKÊKÊÊ IBBiM |H A'^WMBIliÉMWy^ i . Mlßililäl^fc H - ■ v i '■} IMPORTANT TO RECEIVE COVID-19 TEST MEDtCAt NECESSITY V Symptomatic V* Exposure to COVID positive person V Preoperative testing clearance; | / Travel clearance . * | ■ MEDICAL NECESSITY IS NOT: ■ BH X Routine screening (athletes excluded; XRttumtDWork - X Worried but feeling well If you do not meet medical necessity you may be responsible for all charges related to collection and testing services performed. * V' ^ -f~ ‘,Î 'j ' j /¿P% , INSURED? YouMUST show insurance (:ard at time of testing UNINSURED? You MUST show Priver*« or Social Security Nvrotx ËÈÊL # ■BPëPtll ÊÉiü mmmm 81 mm M r;X;; MlHfe : J RHÜ mm m: ■I H l H Mail kh mi m?ME: It was the beginning of March when the snow finally melted away and ushered in warmth, which allowed the sun to breathe in a new life for the plants that were waiting dormant. It had been a year since the coronavirus pandemic swept the nation, and Michigan State’s campus was not spared. Swapping a winter coat for a t-shirt and snow boots for sneakers, you take a trip down to campus for a stroll in the nice weather before the false spring passes. You walk across the bridge that spans the sparkling Red Cedar River, Erikson and Wells Halls standing tall on its banks. You even spot some ducks quacking at the water’s edge, who beg you for bites of your lunch. Except for the ducks, you saw nobody else outside. It was quiet. Not quiet in an eerie way, nor in a lonely one. There was a softness to it, as if the campus was holding its breath. It was the same before each free throw at one of the men’s and women’s basketball games, the same before the Symphony Band began to play its award-winning pieces. The campus, squirrels, ducks and all, were just lying in wait. Meanwhile, as you pass around the Main Library and past the Beal Botanical Gardens, you see stirrings of life. A small group of friends playing frisbee over on the left side of the field, a couple enjoying a takeout lunch further down the way, a young student video-calling their family, talking about how they are one of the very few still on campus. Small frames of a virtual life that was just the tip of the iceberg. From long lockdown exams to Zoom breakout rooms that got a little too out of hand, from livestreamed theatre performances and to GroupMe chats that were more memes than helpful study tips, the Spartan community was still very much alive and well. Though campus and Spartan life looked different this year, students continued to thrive. As you walk back to your car to rush off to your next online class, you cannot help but smile. The campus life that you knew was changed forever in just a day, but like the flowers that come back every spring, you knew that everything and everyone would return soon. content; katriam My Dear Spartans, I will commence by sharing a story with you. On my first day of classes at MSU, I was begging my broken internal compass not to lose me again. Even though I had spent the day before memorizing all pathways to and from my classes, I was lost again. I had just left the international center but somehow, after walking the straight path to Wonders hall, I found myself trotting down an unrecognizable street. As I waited for one of the traffic lights to turn green, I spotted this young man. He seemed intrigued by the African clothes and accessories I was adorned with. An average height African American, he had let his drop dead gorgeous dreadlocks relax down his spine. I was mesmerized as I had hardly seen real life dread Iocs before. He walked up to me, flashed his pearly whites, and asked if I am new to America, and if I am lost. He then proceeded to walk me home, engaging me with an half light hearted conversation about my country (Cameroon), my people, the soulful nature of his dreadlocks, the meaninglessness of life, and his ultimate desire to visit my African continent. By the time we reached my building, I was overflowing with confusion about the separateness of our perspectives yet the genuine bond we had just created. That marked the learning of my first two lessons as a Spartan: First, we never truly get lost on MSU’s campus because getting lost is always a path to new discoveries. Secondly, as a Spartan community, we all are a part of each other’s histories. We may look unfamiliar at first glance but the truth is, we all bleed green. It only takes little courage to engage with each other, understand the complexity in each perspective, and to tune ourselves into the wonderful harmony of unity in diversity. That sense of acceptance empowered me with the confidence to explore new passions at MSU. I will never forget the first time I boldly stepped out of my bubble as a first year. I am hardly a dancer but MSU made me one. In celebrating its decades of partnership with Africa, MSU dedicated the MSU vs Maryland 2017 halftime show to showcase the African continent. I was invited to join the dance crew. After a whole month of hectic rehearsals and insurmountable weather obstacles, game day finally arrived. As one of the main dancers at the show, I was offered a free ticket for the game and so experienced my first football game ever. Most important was the overwhelming effect of the spartan spirit that enveloped the stadium. It was snowing heavily but the unanimous support for our team reduced the weather to insignificant. When our turn to perform came, all I thought about was how privileged I was to share a piece of me with the larger MSU community. All I wanted was an exchange of energy between the audience and me. That day, I communicated with my community through my dance and it was the most powerful welcome experience any institution could ever offer to incoming students. For the first time, being Spartan felt like it was my identity too. The second takeaway in my quest for purpose at MSU is that each Spartan must summon the courage to do hard things. As college students, we are privileged to access opportunities that many others will never know. As a mentor of mine, Dr. Fred Swaniker, puts it, “the only way we can justify privilege is by solving the world’s biggest problems and by doing hard things.” Many of us are here today because we chose to do very hard, impossible things. Some of us championed word-shifting initiatives in your high schools, some launched projects in your communities, and all of us managed to convince the MSU admission team that we are leaders. One of the hard things I did was give a TEDx MSU talk in my sophomore year. After much deliberation, I chose to share my personal experiences of sexual harassment with the hope that I would be helping my MSU community to heal faster from the Larry Nasser case. After sharing my story, survivors of all genders and sexual orientations across and beyond MSU’s campus reached out to me in love and solidarity. This experience taught me that as Spartans, sharing our vulnerabilities bonds us stronger than sharing our successes. This lesson was reiterated after members of the MSU community bombarded all my accounts with applauds of my bravery and strength. I remember a distinct refreshed sense of belonging and warmth at MSU because I was cognizant that sharing my story in many places I have been to would have guaranteed shame and ostracization. I would probably have been shunned and ostracized for speaking up. Some students even took my story personally, exploding in frustration, and demanding justice for me. These students’ attempts to fight for me afforded me a full place in a Spartan community that was defined by shared pain, empathy for each other, the urge to heal, and the thirst for justice. This abstract community of survivors and allies transcended all physical, ethnic, and national differences. It was, and still is inclusive and safe and it remains one of the most important communities for me at MSU. My jouney at MSU has also offered me a global community. It has taken me to a study abroad program in London, a research abroad program in New Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra in India, conferences in DC, internships in East Lansing and Yaounde in Cameroon, and even vacations in Seattle. It is a fact that Spartans populate the earth and my journey has allowed me to confirm this. No matter where I have been, Spartans have stood out. A loud and proud “Go Green!” always brightens the space. I even watched a Nigerian movie once and one of the actors proudly wore a Spartans Will shirt. What are the odds? That said, our globality as Spartans is unmatched and I have been humbled to embody that global spirit through my experiences at MSU. To my fellow graduating 2021 class, we made it here because we have all that it takes to enact change and to create History. Every class at MSU knows success but we will go down in History as the class that was unstopped by a global pandemic. We will be remembered as the class that trail blazed the redefinition of successful virtual education. We are the class that never pulled back, never stood still, and never accepted the illusion of defeat that this strange year presented us. The mere fact that we are here today means that we have done, and are bound to continue doing hard things. Now, the hardest thing to do is to keep forging chin up, chest high into the world. The beauty in our united Spartan identity permits us to beat down the selfdoubt, beat down the regret about the virtual year, beat down the impostor syndrome, and rise from the ashes. As we persevere, let us continue to fix each others’ crowns and lift each other in the true spirit of Spatans Will. When facing the dilemma of picking the red pill of despair or the green pill of pure Spartan adventure, may we always remember who we are and pick green. With fervent and invigorating Green and White love, President AbiiTah Chungong Bih. W Ê Ê B m I 15 18-19 Empowerment Through Design 20-21 Student-Run From Concept to Print 22-23 Another Year of Fashion 24-25 VIM Photography 26-27 Refugee Outlook Collective 28-29 A Dark Cloud on the Horizon* 30-31 MSU Student Food Bank 32-33 Lights, Camera, Zoom Call? 34-35 Gen Z’s Power in Politics 36-37Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump 38-39 Plato’s Closet 40-41 Running for a Cause 42-43 Spartans Studying One Another 44-45 New Chief Diversity Officer 46-47 Election Madness 48-49 Opposites Attract 50-51 Hippo Campus Virtual Concert 52-53 New Businessesgn Downtown East Lansing 54-55 IM West Reopening 56-57 MSU Rock Photography 58-59 MSU Rock Photography 60-61 Six Seats 62-63 Ups and Downs 64-65 Live-On Longer 66-67 History Madeii the Spartan Marching Band 68-69 A Quiet Little Trivia Night 70-71 MSU Student Organic Farm 72-73 Supporting Survivors 74-75 Diversity 1 Research 76-77 Not Your Mother’s Movement 78-79 Ready, Set, Go Green! 80-81 Under the Dome 82-83 So I Feel Welcomed 84-85 Standing Spartan Strong 86-87 It’s About Time 88-89 Inclusion Takes Work 90-91 When We Need It 92-93 Women’s History Month 94-95 Wharton at Home 96-97 A Greenland White Commencement 98-99 Making Themselves Heard 100-101 MSU Goes Green 102-103 STEM Success 104-105 Birds and Boxes 106-107 The Era of Digital Recruitment 108-109 Laying the Foundation 110-111 Thrown Into the Deep End the population, as these women of design have very diverse voices and backgrounds.” MacArthur said that as she continued to work on this project, she realized that it wasn’t accurate to celebrate 2020 as the centennial of when all women got the right to vote, as both women and men of color faced many barriers to the vote, even after the passage of the 19th Amendment. The project, therefore, evolved to reflect the true history of voting in the United States as she continued to learn. ; i i i ; i : n; S T RONG E R E. I at. mm MSU professor created a poster initiative to celebrate the centennial of the 19th Amendment. Professor Kelly Salchow MacArthur is no stranger to breaking boundaries. MacArthur spent her life challenging the norm in male-dominated fields. During her 32 years as a rower, she was a member of eight national teams, participated in two Olympic Games, and was one of the first women to be invited into the New York Athletic Club. After her time in athletics, MacArthur turned to graphic design, which she has taught at Michigan State for 16 years. MacArthur said she always took issue with how women in design were considered a niche and used the example of books entitled “Women in Design.” “Just the fact that our population can be condensed so easily into one book,” MacArthur said. “I think is an indication that we deserve more credit, more acknowledgment, just in everyday practice.” To help with women’s empowerment, MacArthur decided to start the Get Out the Vote poster initiative, a collective effort by women in design throughout the country to create posters encouraging women to vote. “I thought this was a fitting opportunity to be one of those initiatives that did feature and highlight women of design,” MacArthur said. MacArthur started imagining this project in 2018 when she saw articles about the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in 1920. “I started thinking that this would be such an amazing opportunity to bring women together in a way that had never been done before across the country,” MacArthur saidBTo work on one goal as a force of women in design.” In 2019, MacArthur reached out to Nancy Skolos, a world- renowned designer, who she had worked with as a graduate student at the Rhode Island School of Design. “She and I had been wanting to do a project together for a few years and this seemed like the perfect opportunity,” MacArthur said. Together, MacArthur and Skolos brainstormed a list of 100 women whom they invited to contribute a poster to the initiative. They collaborated with the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) and the League of Women Voters for the project and ended up with 65 posters created by 71 women. The posters were showcased at the Union Art Gallery from Oct. 2 to Nov. 25, and at SCENE Metrospace from Oct. 23 to Nov. 25 — free posters were also available for download on AIGA’s website. To ensure that they did not leave out any voices, all invitees for the project were encouraged to invite another woman designer of their choice. “We wanted this to be really inclusive, we wanted it to be diverse,” MacArthur said. “We wanted to capture [all] segments of CONTEN* HOPE O’DELL I PHOTO: KELLY BRANICANI DESIGN: EMMA SIMON prefactiortal 100 YEARS of SU F FRAGE SO HAHÏ HOSE mm OF F I G H Y ALL OUR RIGHTS have NOT BEEN VON ^WOMAN'S räWORKis W liFvnnniF VOTE TUESDAY NOVEMBER 3 2020 / JOTE EARLY / PUSH tä EXPAND VOTING Bf MAIL îlebrating TOO . find colleagues' input, we recognized the irons gno inequities that plagued women’s Empowering the Women’s Vote' is a mor P^dicted what 2020 would bring. GQVJD-19 and the movement for racial justice have consumed the country. Perhaps in these times putting ©Ur beliefs, concerns, and passion into words and images-and then sharing these words and images broadly-is a viable way to boost the imperative act of voting. The .democracy we are a part of can only work when we each speak up, and vote. This has been a joyful, empowering, challenging, and eye-opening project to champion, we would like to wholeheartedly thank our brjliiant contributors- «»mprlsingà ¿Elective forcé thath^mpimed their voices, The miative continues af aiga.oflgfaste, as aiga members ara rovited lb design additional postera. AiGApubii e10gih anniversary of voygh this beautiful. ague of Women | fgsnizat'fcjp's TOOth yea works for the people, sople Wére proud to ! Aj G A and |Si members voter If U«s year eo^dentedchalienges | and Out the Vote: arbCipaie We Hope (h-E AIGA Get empowering the Womens Vote d ^owreaCh • ' volt this year initiated encouraging women to get ou^^^^Wthe 2021^ presidential election. MacArthur is a professor of graphic design at MSU. “This was such a rich project to be a part of and I learned so much that, quite honestly, I didn’t learn in my own education going through the public school system,” MacArthur said. “And I think there is so much history that should be told that is finally getting some attention.” MacArthur emphasized that her experience as a white woman was something she recognized did not match what other women, specifically women of color, had experienced. “I have privilege on one hand and I’ve felt discrimination at moments,” MacArthur said. “So I think what I’ve experienced is not comparable to women of color, but I can understand how it feels to some extent.” While progress has been made, MacArthur said there is still so much work to be done, especially in fields like design that have typically been male-dominated. But MacArthur said she was optimistic that they were turning a corner in the field of design. The Get Out the Vote poster initiative was making an essential impact in women’s rights. WRA 480 gave students the opportunity to gain experience in the professional writing world. Students in WRA 480, Publication Management, broke the status quo of a standard college classroom. It was a course within the College of Arts and Letters that allowed students to express their creativity and improve on a multitude of skills through the publication of a magazine called The Current. By working on the publication, students gained experience with writing, editing, social media and design. The course also gave students credit so they could work toward a career goal while fulfilling their degree requirements. The Current was established in 2019 and focused on stories about current events that impacted both students and residents in the Lansing area. Jaclyn Krizanic, a senior professional writing major, was a member of The Current team as a WRA 480 student for the spring and fall 2020 semesters and worked as an intern in the summer of 2020. Krizanic had many roles at The Current, including writing and editing articles and managing the website and social media teams. These roles helped her grow her skills in the professional writing field. “The class functions almost more like a job,” Birdsall said. “You are not going to be hired in publishing unless you have publishing experience. This is a way to get that experience while getting a degree.” The class focused on both world and local matters. Articles from the past year included “What’s Going on with the USPS?” and “Toxic Masculinity in Sports,” and examined a range of other pressing topics. “The Current is a publication that touches on news that is happening now.” Krizanic stated. “We like to think of our publication as overlapping issues that are being discussed or so much being not talked about.” Claire Bahorski, a junior majoring in humanities pre-law and human capital and society, was a summer intern for the publication. She agreed with Krizanic that there was a specific audience that The Current reached best. “[The publication had a] good mixture of stuff that students, particularly on MSU’s campus, might be interested in.” “It’s a portfolio-building class,” Krizanic explained. “You With a small classroom of between 12 and 20 students per are writing for your portfolio, and it kind of makes you more determined to do it and do it well.” WRA 480 professor Kate Birdsall led the students through semester, Birdsall was able to teach and mentor her students. Smalls class sizes also allowed students to connect with each other. the publication process and was the final editor on all pieces. BirdsalPs style of teaching was different from the traditional classroom format. “Working really closely with people that way shows you a lot of things about yourself,” Birdsall said. “The big thing is working together as a team.” The magazine was originally distributed on campus through print, but the students started to utilize their online presence more. With a larger digital presence, everyone around the world could read The Current’s content on their website, thecurrentmsu. com, and social media pages. “ [it’s] really rewarding to see the work come together and be fruitful in the form of a magazine that people are reading,” Birdsall said. The Current offered students a break from the conventional classroom and gave them the opportunity to experience the professional writing world while also building their portfolio. The biggest payoff for the students was being able to see their work come together at the end of the semester. While The Current gave students an inside look at the editing and publishing world, they utilized it to learn more about themselves and the career that waited for them in the professional world. CONTENT ELENA COUSINOI PHOTO: AZIZ NOSIROVI DESIGN: EMMA SIMON ahorski produces, edits and contributes to content. The Curren can be picked up and read at more th around Michigan St campus. VIM brought students together to express their love for fashion and to grow in the industry. VIM was a magazine and organization that showcased the fashion, beauty and lifestyle communities at Michigan State University. Founded in 2010, VIM had since grown into a staple of the Michigan State and Lansing community. Eve Voci, senior marketing major and editor-in-chief at VIM, enjoyed how forward-thinking the organization was and appreciated that it was put together by students. Zoom meetings were one of the reasons she joined VIM this year. “Physical meetings were a big part of why I could not join, it would not fit in my schedule,” Resseguie said. “I like the aspect of them doing the Zoom calls.” With the transition online, VIM had seen substantial growth in its members. There were over 200 students who attended their second meeting. Agnello said this turnout surprised her. “VIM works really hard to fill that gap for students who are “With everything online, I did not expect so many people to interested in fashion at a school where fashion is not really prevalent,” Voci said. “Everyone that is in the magazine and works for the magazine is an MSU student.” Alaina Agnello, a senior marketing and journalism student, worked alongside Voci as the co-editor-in-chief Agnello explained that content was released both in print and on the website’s blog. She said this took a lot of work from the students. “It can get crazy at times,” Agnello said. “We print physical magazines once per semester and then we have additional content that comes out throughout the year.” The magazine’s content was centered around three subjects: fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Articles could be about health and beauty, cooking, skincare, makeup, travel and current events. Students were encouraged to write about topics that interested them. “Students have a lot of independence in the organization,” Agnello said. “No idea is too crazy.” Graduate student Kathryn Resseguie was a new member of VIM’s marketing team during her final semester at MSU. “It is a very open environment,!Resseguie said. “Everyone is able to put in their opinions and outlooks.” VIM invited guest speakers to talk to their members about the fashion industry. Some of these speakers included Joe Polimeni, a fashion photographer, and Lauren Berger, CEO of InternQueen. Voci said VIM became much more than just a magazine. “We are still a magazine, but we have shifted more towards a community,” Voci said. “We are putting on workshops, internships and giving resume advice.” This year, VIM embraced some change. There was the addition of the Board of Diversity and Inclusion, which ensured all of the content was diverse and respectful. There was also a change in venue this fall — like many other groups, the organization replaced face-to-face meetings with Zoom calls. Voci was disheartened by this change. She missed seeing everyone’s fashion, mingling with friends and networking in person with the guest speakers. Although Voci missed the interactions, others appreciated the flexibility that online meetings provided. Resseguie said that the want to come and show up;”; Agnello said. The goal for VIM this year was to reach out to different communities around the Michigan State campus. “We want diversity not only in front of the camera, but behind the camera,” Agnello said. Even though the magazine had to transition to an online setting, members of VIM were still continuing to do what they loved: making an impact in the fashion world as a united team. Through this new format, VIM was able to reach out to different communities around the Michigan State campus and establish themselves as a prominent organization run by students. From being able to network with industry professionals to simply getting to see each other at virtual meetings, VIM was ready to take on the year ahead. "WE WANT DIVERSITY NOT ONLY IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA. BUT BEHIND THE CAMERAI CONTENT; ELENA COUSINOI PHOTO: GEORGE PHAM I DESIGN:JULIAN DUTCH PHOTO: AMANDA DOWD. JOHN HART AND KATF Rl AS7KIFWir7 I DFSION- RORYNN VFRHAF(".HF An organization that worked to educate students and help recently settled refugees. Refugees from all over the world sought an escape from dangerous situations in their home countries and turned to the United States for protection. However, when many refugees reached out to a border official, they were sent to a detention center and then a refugee camp, where they spent years waiting for their court trials. While suffering under horrible living conditions, refugees had to work hard to maintain enough stamina to represent themselves in court. After all of that effort, there was still a chance of being rejected and sent back into danger. the Refugee Outlook Collective also had many different volunteering opportunities for their members. They held tutoring sessions that linked students with recently settled refugees in the area. The tutoring allowed students to learn about the outside world and help new residents adapt to their foreign surroundings. They also launched a global classroom that offered refugees college courses with subjects such as international relations and agriculture. “It helps them broaden their education when it is not always This was one of the examples of what students in Refugee possible,” Ziadeh said. With the unexpected reality of the pandemic around the world, the Refugee Outlook Collective struggled at first to gain its footing. “It has definitely been challenging, but we have adapted well by utilizing the technology we have,” Ziadeh said. “We are still figuring out ways we can make an impact while still maintaining social distancing protocols.” The club held their meetings through Zoom and had speakers like Worline share their presentations through the program. Along with the meetings, volunteer opportunities transitioned to online. Both Ziadeh and Worline expressed the importance of volunteering and remaining active in your community and the world. “I think that everyone has a responsibility to at least be somewhat aware of what is happening around the world,” Worline said. The ROC chapter of Michigan State worked to educate students and the community about refugee crises around the world and fundraise for aid programs. Through a global pandemic, the students banded together to help people in their community and around the world. Outlook Collective learned about in their meetings and what they raised awareness for. The ROC was founded in 2016 and offered students the opportunity to gain more knowledge about refugees and how to help. The organization had seven Michigan chapters that met to discuss different opportunities for students. Kaitlin Ziadeh, a senior neuroscience major and the president of the Michigan State University chapter of ROC, held meetings for students to further their understanding of issues everywhere. “Refugee Outlook Collective is a nonprofit student-run organization that really aims to teach our fellow students and others about the refugee crises that are going on around the world,” Ziadeh said. During meetings, ROC members told stories about specific refugee crises that evoked a sense of passion within the club, and they sometimes had guest speakers at their meetings who were refugees. Emily Worline, the founder of ROC, spoke to students about the Migrant Protection Protocol. Students were able to listen to Worline speak on an issue that she saw firsthand and learned what they could do to help. “Before, when seeking asylum, you would go to the border and you can seek refuge in the United States,” Worline said. “Now, due to MPI? you have to stay on the border until your refugee process is complete.” Worline explained to club members that even before the pandemic, only 1% of asylum-seekers actually received it. “With COVID, the hearings have been canceled, so no one is receiving asylum,” Worline said. After her presentation, students were able to take part in a letter writing initiative in an attempt to end the Migrant Protection Protocol. The initiative, also called The Postcard Project, was started by asylum-seekers in the Matamoros refugee camp, which sat on the border of the United States and Mexico. These letters were sent to Jill Biden, the future first lady, in hopes that she would enact change. In addition to the emphasis on education about refugees, CONTENT: ELENA COUSINOI PHOTO: AZIZ NOSIROVI DESIGN: EMMA SIMON E BêÊBÊÊtÈiÊMmiM \ ' liïMMÊBÊlmm fflm- Kaitiin Elisc Ziadch is the President of the Refugee Outreach Collective. She, along with other ROC members, wrote letters to Jill Biden calling for the end of the Migrant Protection Protocol. „ I together and make sure the international students’ voices are being heard.” While the ruling isn’t planned to go into effect for many years if it is passed, it is still a dark cloud looming on the horizon for the future of international students. However, these students will be protected by their fellow Spartans and will continue to be an integral part of the community. International students reacted to the proposal made by the Department of Homeland Security. On Sept. 24, the Department of Homeland Security proposed a new rule that would create a fixed period of stay for all international students and exchange visitors. With the maximum time frame being four years, the proposed legislation would severely affect international students. President Stanley sent an email out to all students only a few days later in opposition to the proposal. “We will say that the spirit of this proposed rule is deeply concerning and a flagrant disregard for the value our international students and scholars bring to American universities and colleges;- the email read. Lulwah Alhajji, a senior psychology major with a double minor in international development and human behavior and social services, was among the students who were confused by the proposed ruling. “When I first read the email from President Stanley, I was confused and worried,” Alhajji said. “I was unaware how the rule would impact me until reading further.” Yingyan “Sammy” Liu, a junior majoring in elementary education and child development, felt the email helped put students at ease. “I felt supported by President Stanley and the university, especially the [Office of International Students and Scholars],” Liu said. “Knowing that MSU was advocating on behalf of international students helped decrease many international students’, including my own, stress.” The proposed rule came only months after restrictions were announced — and then removed — that would have forced international students to leave the country if universities switched to online courses. Michigan State was one of the vocal opponents to the restrictions. “During the pandemic, many international students have been scared because the United States keeps threatening us to leave the country that we are legally allowed to be in,” Alhajji said. “There have been so many rules that have been coming out that do not think of the well-being of the international students.” While this was a startling proposal to make, the International Students Association did not believe that immediate action would need to be taken due to the length of time it would take for the proposal implementation. Chittawan Boonsitanon, a junior food industry management major and the president of the International Students Association, helped set up long-term strategies in response to the proposal. “We asked our partners to start putting up public statements and hosting public comment sessions so individuals could actually understand the whole proposal,” Boonsitanon said. “It’s of the utmost importance that we’re able to put these CONTENT: KATRIANNA RAY I PHOTO: GEORGE PHAM I DESIGN:JULIAN DUTCH ■m The regulations set upon the food bank limited the amount of staff because volunteers were not able to work in the storeroom. Therefore, the appointment times made it easier for the staff to stay organized. “We are really trying to limit the amount of people in the building at any given time,” Edmonds said. “Essentially it is just myself and one returning staff member who are taking care of everything.” The other primary staff member who ran the MSU Food Bank with Edmonds during the pandemic was Phelan Wolf, a senior biomedical and molecular nutrition major. Wolf was proud of the work the food bank had done for the community. “There are a lot more food-insecure students and families at MSU or any university for that matter than most people realize,” Wolf said. “College is so expensive and we all have the right to nutritious and accessible food without making ourselves go broke, so the MSU Student Foodbank is taking that burden off student’s shoulders.” Kind eyes, giving hands and a smile hidden underneath a mask welcomed the students picking up their orders at Olin Health Center. The MSU Food Bank adapted and persevered in the face of a pandemic and helped ease students’ stress. This organization gave back to students and the community no matter the circumstances. The Michigan State Student Food Bank was a student-run organization that gave food and other supplies to students in need. Founded in 1993, it gained the title of the first student-run food bank in a university setting in the United States. The MSU Food Bank distributed food and supplies weekly and was located inside the Olin Health Center’s lunchroom. Students took a number when entering, browsed what was offered and created an order. The orders were filled by volunteers in the storeroom and delivered out to the students. Nicole Edmonds, a graduate student and the director of the MSU Student Food Bank, had many responsibilities including fundraising, financials and big picture planning. She was proud of the variety of food that was provided. “We have all the staples,” Edmonds said. “The canned fruits and vegetables, soups, pasta, cereal and more.” Along with produce, the food bank offered feminine hygiene products and cleaning and housing supplies. The big distributions for the food bank were bi-weekly, and produce was made available during the in-between weeks. This continuous cycle was a significant help to students that were already burdened with the other costs of college. Robin Rydberg, a fifth-year chemistry student urged other students to use the MSU Student Food Bank. “It has helped me because it is not cheap being a student,” Rydberg said. “It really made it a lot easier for me to get groceries that I might not be able to afford.” The food bank was not only successful because of its products, but also because of its people. Alexis Stachurski, a junior animal science major, worked at the MSU Student Food Bank last semester and enjoyed the people in her work environment. “It’s a nice community to be a part of because we are all helping people and we all have a similar goal of making sure that everyone has something to eat,” Stachurski said. There was a shift in the work environment, though, when regulations were put in place due to the coronavirus. The setbacks made them close their doors, but they still provided resources for the community. “We were lucky enough to be able to adapt within a few days,” Edmonds said. “Instead of students coming inside, we had students outside during our same distribution lines.” Along with distributing food and supplies in an outdoor setting, the food bank provided a new way of placing an order. They created an online distribution form that allowed students to view the available food and set up an appointment slot. “At the time of their appointment, it is placed on a table outside of the main doors of Olin Health Center,” Edmonds said. “They can just walk up, find their name, take their stuff and go.” CONTENT: ELENA COUSINOI PHOTO: LOGAN COLES I DESIGN:JILLIAN DUTCH iior Pbelan WolMini^bes packaging a bag of shelf stabldgoods for itribution. The Student Food Bank continued to serve students during the pandemic. Filmmaking II students adjusted to producing film projects alone. Senior media and information major Brendan Flum fastened his seat belt before making the 12-minute commute to the Communication Arts and Sciences Building from his apartment complex. Laying across the back seats was a tripod and a camera bag. Although Flum’s classes were all online during the fall semester, he still found himself driving to Michigan State’s campus every week — some weeks as much as if it were a normal semester. Enrolled in Filmmaking II, MI341, Flum utilized the Communication Arts Lab to borrow equipment and edit his film projects with professional software. “I was really looking forward to taking this class, but now with the current conditions, it’s not as great,” Flum said. “But I am still trying to make it work.” While he may have had access to the film equipment, Flum believed the lack of in-person instruction made it more difficult to learn the skills necessary to be successful in the class. “Communicating something like camera settings is a lot more difficult to do over email than it is to do if you are right there for them to show you,” Flum said. “Yes, we can have Zoom calls, but it’s different when you are in person with the professor seeing how he is working the camera.” Having been a teacher for 12 years, MI341 professor Troy Hale shared Flum’s frustration in not having the in-person interaction with students. “I miss the in-person aspect of being able to have a camera there and the students working on the camera,” Hale said. “‘Let me show you how to do this, let me show you how to do that, let me show you this button.’ I can’t do that right now.”: In previous semesters, Hale was able to critique students’ work throughout the filming and editing process. Because of online classes, he couldn’t critique until he saw the final product. Recognizing this challenge, Hale spent hours and hours filming examples of proper cinematographic techniques. “Even when I go back to in person, I will have some of these cool online lectures that I can use instead of lecturing one day,” Hale said. “There are a lot of cool film examples that I can show to students instead of describing it in a lecture.” In previous semesters, MI341 students completed their film projects in a group. With social distancing guidelines during the pandemic, students were completing projects on their own. Junior journalism and media and information major Julian Stainback III felt very overwhelmed with MI34Vs course load. In the past, Stainback would work with his classmates to figure out filming. This semester, he was all alone. “It’s been really difficult,” Stainback said. “I like group projects because everyone has a part. You don’t have to take down and set up everything by yourself It’s really difficult to not have someone there to help you.” Despite the transition to online classes and the uncertainty in today’s world, Hale recognized that his students were still producing quality work. ■ “I have not seen much of a quality change,” Hale said. “The projects that my students are turning in right now are pretty similar to what they would be turning in during a normal school year. I have been very pleasantly surprised.” While Flum may not have had actors to work with for his films, his roommates surprised him with their pantomiming skills. Although filming in his apartment complex was not the most glamorous setting, Flum was surprised by how well the storyline came across. Flum learned how to adapt to his surroundings and put his creative mind to work. gums; CONTENT: ELAINE MALLONI PHOTO: GEORGE PHAM I DESIGN: EMMA SIMON ■W-% ¡SlIM M Multiple filmmaking kits sit on the shelf, ; ready to tell the next Spartan story. Currently, only capstone students have g equipment. ICOMMUNICATING SOMETHING LIKE CAMERA SETTINGS IS A LOJ MORE DIFFICULT TO DO OVER be more united and safe with a large emphasis on human rights rather than divided political parties. Magrane also wanted to see further development in science. “Like others, I want there to be a cure for COVID-19 that people will take advantage of,” Magrane said. “This year’s experience can be very valuable to science in the future. We can learn from it to be better prepared for other possible pandemics and to use the developing technology for further innovations.” Overall, students were hopeful for the future and the actions that needed to be taken. It was essential and promising that young voters understood their influence on the election and how the outcome would impact their rights. Social media, trusted sources and the opinions of family and friends heavily affected GengTs outlook on the election, but the decision was ultimately up to them to decide to vote, make a plan and vote for what they believed in. The student vote made a big difference in the 2020 election. Young voters were projected to have an immense impact on the 2020 election. In the past four years, younger generations have become more politically engaged than ever before. Born between the mid-1990s and the early 2010s, Generation Mis currently made up of people between 5 and 24 years old. During the 2016 election, this age group only made up about 4% of eligible voters. This year, with another presidential election at stake, 1 out of every 10 eligible voters would be a Generation Z member The growth of political engagement and eligible voters from Gen Z made for a shift in power that could not be ignored when it came to the 2020 presidential election. In order to make the most informed decision for the presidential election, students educated themselves through different sources. Christine Foley, a senior graphic design major, began her research at home. “I started my research by going online and looking up each candidate’s platform and what their opinions and policies are,” Foley said. To make sure she received credible information, Isabella Regmont, a sophomore marketing major, followed trusted accounts on Instagram and TikTok that shared their sources and data. Regmont also listened to her friends on social media. “A lot of my friends and the influencers I follow share political information from accounts like ‘feminist’ on Instagram,” Regmont said. “Accounts like that share information on candidate policies and voting information. It helps with knowing important aspects of voting like deadlines. It’s very helpful for first-time voters. It’s great to see people using their platform to spread information and awareness.”j|| As powerful as social media and the internet could be, word-of-mouth was also a powerful learning tool. Anna Magrane, a sophomore integrative biology major, liked engaging with the perspectives of the people around her. “I get most of my information by having conversations with my friends and family,” Magrane said. It was important for students to make a plan to vote,J| whether they lived out of state or not. To ensure that their voices were heard, students opted for either absentee ballots or in-person voting. Absentee ballots were one way to ensure a chance to vote, but with different rules for every state, it was difficult and a little unnerving to trust everything would mail correctly and on time. Regmont planned to vote in-person with the rest of her family. “It’s a tradition in my family,” Regmont said.- “We always vote, and we always vote in person.” This election was important for the next four years of our nation. Foley, Regmont and Magrane hoped that America would CONTENT MELISA USTUNSOZ PHOTO: AZIZ NOSIROV DESIGN: EMMA SIMON The City Clerk issued that all registered voters in Michigan have the right to vote by mail. They did this to encourage voting while protecting Michiganders’ health during the pandemic. TS GREAT 70 SE PEOPLE um fiM DEMOCUT LIBERAL UNIVERSAL PRE-K 100% TO ENERGY CLEAN 2 YEARS TUITON FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE CONTENT; HOPE O’DELL I DESIGN: EMMA SIMON &. ROBYNN VERHAECHE DONALD TRUMP REOPE SCHOOL » HOMCO? TAX CREDITS F BUSINESSES TH BRING BACK BUSINES FROM CHINA U0 PUSH TO ARM TEACHERS 1 n 10 MILLION JOBS IN 10 MONTHS REPUBLICAN LOWER INSURANCE »REMIUMS u . c/» U ZERO TOLERANCE IMMIGRATION Plato’s Closet in East Lansing provided select, fairly priced clothing for thrifters. With a tight budget, students often had limited options when it came to shopping, including for clothes. Most students wanted quality clothing, it often came with a hefty price. While thrift stores offered clothing for cheap, quality clothing was hard to find. That was where Plato’s Closet made a difference and sold selective, quality clothing for a good price. clothes they sold. “During the fall semester, we’re used to selling mostly MSU gear,” Mangles said. “We haven’t been selling as [much] because there aren’t any games to go to. We still have about the same number of sales. People just have been buying more seasonal clothes.” Students shopped for different types of clothing at Plato’s Plato’s Closet made it easy for shoppers to find discounts safely, whether that was in person with masks on or through their website in the comfort of their own home. The racks, organized by color, were waiting for students to find their next quality piece. Otherwise, the website allowed for customers to look through individual clothing items and build a cart for curbside pickup. Whatever your preference, Plato’s Closet accommodated everyone and continued to thrive throughout the pandemic. Closet, depending on their lifestyle and taste. Kaylee Lawson, a sophomore communications major, preferred high-quality activewear, and said Plato’s Closet had been helping her find great pieces for years. i‘r“The first time \ went to a Plato’s Closet was when I was 15,” Lawson said. “I loved how they had nice quality clothes for a good price. I always get my Lululemon and Gymshark gear from there. I’ve also sold some pieces, but they are so selective. I’ll take in 10 pieces, and they’ll only buy three of them^H Isabelle Regmont, a sophomore marketing major, also enjoyed their selection. “They always have very modern styles. Everything they have is cute, so it’s hard to even decide what to get,” Regmont said. However, COVID-19 had altered the shopping experience at Plato’s Closet. There was more of a focus on online advertising and shopping. Brielle Mangles was a sales associate that had been working at Plato’s Closet for over a year. “We began reaching out to students more through social media platforms like Instagram to encourage them to shop online,” Mangles said. “That’s also where we’ve been doing most of our advertising. Students are welcome to come into the store, but they do need to wear their masks. Other options are shipping and curbside pickup.” Plato’s Closet followed the Michigan mask mandate. In all Michigan businesses, customers were required to wear masks upon entering, and for the most part, it wasn’t a problem. However, some customers did not comply, which caused controversy. “I watched two people almost get into a fist fight over one of them not wearing a mask,” Mangles said. “It has been more tense at the workplace, although, most customers do listen to us when we ask them to wear a mask.” There had also been some procedural changes. Mangles explained that before the pandemic, customers were encouraged to wash their clothes before bringing them in. However, since COVID-19, customers have been required, not just encouraged, to wash them. The added precaution made customers feel more comfortable while shopping. Plato’s Closet had also seen a change in what type of CONTENI; MELISA USTUNSOZI PHOTO; GEORGE PHAM I DESIGN: JULIAN DUTCH checks oi has taker :o remain ¡SB ■ ___________ Hi MSU Stars for Make-A-Wish hosted a virtual 5k to raise money. MSU Stars for Make-A-Wish aimed to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses by fundraising, educating and donating. Working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan, MSU Stars held different fundraising events throughout the year. From Halloween costume contests to volleyball tournaments, a “Cops and Donuts” fundraiser and selling carnations at Rick’s on Valentine’s Day, MSU Stars found creative ways to raise money for Make-A-Wish. Since their start in 2002, MSU Stars raised over $80,000 and granted more than 30 wishes to children. This year, the Virtual Blue 5k, which took place Oct. 5 through Oct. 26, was a big success during the pandemic. To partake in the Virtual Blue 5k, participants registered and then ran or walked on their own time, wherever they wanted. Dressed in blue, participants sent photos of themselves doing their 5k to MSU Stars. There were different levels of donations. Making a $10 donation would get the participant’s photo posted to the Facebook page. With a $20 donation, participants would receive a thank you package with leis, stickers and candy, along with the Facebook post. Lastly, a $30 donation would get participants a T-shirt in addition to everything else. MSU Stars also encouraged anyone to donate, even if they didn’t participate in the 5k. The Virtual Blue 5k was created so that anyone could participate on their own time and in their location of choice Keeping the risk of COVID-19 in mind, the event allowed participants to engage while remaining distanced from each other Alexis Mitchell, a junior kinesiology major, helped organize the event. “We wanted to start this semester with a fun and interactive fundraiser that was very flexible,” Mitchell said. “We collectively decided to create a virtual 5k that individuals could participate in anywhere and at any time, within our time frame.” MSU Star members wanted to reach a wide range of students, alumni and anyone interested in raising money for the cause, and social media played a large role in reaching people all around the world. “We have found that Instagram and Facebook are our new best friends,” Mitchell said. “We encouraged our participants by featuring them on our Facebook page, and by sending a fun package based on the amount donated for entry.” The event was a learning experience for MSU Stars. Alexa Avendt, a senior marketing major, said it was their first time using solely social media to advertise their event. “We can learn from this event and adjust anything needed in the future,” Avendt said. With all of the planning and organizing that led to success, members, specifically Julia Lutz, a junior linguistics major, said the group had to keep their eyes on the goal of the group, so they began planning other events as well. “As we host more events throughout the year, we will hopefully be able to grant a wish to someone,” Lutz said. Although COVID-19 changed the way that MSU Stars organized and marketed events, members used this as a learning experience and a catalyst for growth. They were able to reach a wide variety of people and create a way to get involved during the limited possibilities of events during the pandemic. Through their combined efforts, MSU Stars were on their way to granting the wishes of many more children. CONTENT MELISA USTUNSOZI PHOTO: AZIZ NOSIROVI DESIGN: EMMA SIMON Avendt is a part of the MSU Stars for Make-A-Wish. MSU Stars worked in partnership with the Make-A-Wish oundation of Michigan to fundrais educate and advocate for children. E M w&wïïi MSU anthropology students spent weeks studying those around them. Ethnography pushed students and scholars outside of their comfort zones and into the worlds of people around them. This specific form of anthropology encouraged people to live amongst the cultures they studied. In the 19th and early 20th century ethnographers traveled across the globe learning what they could from under-studied cultures. Amidst the 2020 pandemic, however, ethnographic research was forced to change, perhaps at a time when it was needed most. No one understood that more than junior anthropology major Andrew Rogers. The changes brought on by the pandemic forced these student ethnographers to adapt. Sarah Hinojosa, in her student study on the experiences of multi-racial Americans, faced this problem as well. She interviewed those nearest to her, like her father, her brother and a few friends, which helped her complete a study that normally would’ve taken her out of the house. ■The point of my project was basically to expose the depth and uniqueness within each multi-racial person’s upbringing,” she explained. “Just portray these people, as people.” “All of this, this whole project, was pretty new for me,” Facing a dangerous pandemic, Hinojosa turned to those Rogers said. “Honestly, I didn’t know what to do. How am I supposed to go out and [study people]?”?-'. Rogers, an anthropology student and ROTC cadet, spent the fall semester evaluating how COVID-19 affected the lives of his friends and colleagues. His sources reported to him about their daily lives: the annoyances, the stress, the boredom — all common side effects of a life in quarantine. But boredom wasn’t the most important of Rogers’ findings. Despite having to do their classwork online and struggling with waning self-expectations, his study presented an MSU student body that missed the little things about college life. “When you’re here, you always want to go home,”. Rogers said, “When you’re at school you hate school, you hate schoolwork, you hate sitting in a lecture hall. Something that I found is that once people are unable to go back to school it’s the worst thing in the world.” His participants, more than anything else, missed the MSU they had come to know. They missed things like listening to music on their way to class and spending time on campus. Cate Dombrowski, a second year anthropologist and an RA in Case Hall, found a similar passion amongst her research participants. “[COVID-19] hasn’t really changed how excited people are to be RA’s, people still really love their job,” Dombrowski said. For her project, Dombrowski studied the RA staff that had, because of COVID-19, become the closest thing she had to roommates. While in meetings, she would keep one long stream of notes broken into two sections — her notes for her job, and her notes for her anthropology project. Dombrowski wanted to evaluate how the pandemic affected live-in student employees at MSU. Much like Rogers, it was a topic that interested her, but most importantly, it was something she could easily study. “There’s definitely a general consensus that people are here to do their jobs because they really like being RA’s,” Dombrowski said. “They really like connecting with students and they want to make sure that when people come to Michigan State they feel supported and welcome.” closest to her for the work. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s the importance of noticing the unnoticable. Rogers, Dombrowski and Hinojosa spent a semester’s-worth of energy noticing things by taking notes on the attitudes of their friends and jotting down important moments in a meeting. Despite the slog that the year had turned into, ethnographers still found ways to experience life in communities and cultures different than their own, even if it wasn’t in person. CONTENT KEECAN SULLIVAN I PHOTO: AZIZ NOSIROVI DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE I B S mm Sarah Hinojos anthropology, ta has be<*h involB 2020 semester. Hinojos the experietf miiltl-racial AJ ksâsm- WmÊÊMm mmMmm iii^iiiilsiS Students discussed inclusivity and diversity at MSU MSU’s President Stanley announced the Spartans’ new chief diversity officer, Jabbar Bennett, in October of 2020. The search for a diversity officer started in January of 2020 and Bennett would began his work in December. Bennett formerly worked at Brown University as the director of the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs. After Brown University, he worked at Northwestern University as the associate provost for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer. As the chief diversity officer, Bennett hoped to cultivate and enforce a diversity, equity and inclusion plan by working with staff and students. Shiksha Sneha, a senior political theory and public policy major, was on the search committee and had a chance to interview Bennett. “I was looking for experience with a diverse group of students,” Sneha said. “Not just in terms of race, but LGBTQ students, students with disabilities and international students.” MSU had more than 70 possible candidates for the position of chief diversity officer. After it was narrowed down to four potential candidates during summer 2020, students were invited to virtually meet the candidates. “The biggest thing to me, and the most difficult, is that MSU students don’t trust the administration anymore,” Sneha said. “ [Bennett] needs to work on rebuilding trust.” MSU has created the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan and a racial equity task force, which many students agreed is a good step in the right direction. “ [The] multicultural building is a great step the administration is taking, but I want to see it achieve something,” Sneha said. “It will take a couple of years before we see the results of [these efforts].”!?. Christine So, a junior bachelor of arts and music student, is a part of the Asian Pacific American Student Organization (APASO), a Council of Racial and Ethnic Students (C.O.R.E.S) group on campus. “We talked about implementing (diversity, equity and inclusion training) and trying to make it mandatory for staff,” So said. “C.O.R.E.S and COPS (Council of Progressive Students) want mandatory training for leaders and students. If MSU were to do that, other schools would show initiative.” Students wanted the administration to not only listen to them, but to answer their questions and be fully transparent. “Students will complain how the administration didn’t directly answer a question,” So said. “They want transparency and the truth.” Nikunji Agarwal, a sophomore double majoring in environmental economics and management and agribusiness management, is part of the International Student Alliance, a COPS group on campus. She said while there have been some efforts to have inclusive events, students want more. “The only thing I see is mandatory [diversity, equity and inclusion] training.” Agarwal said. “I do see a couple inclusive events with C.O.R.E.S and COPS. There is still a lot of work to be done.” Another demand from students was to see additional support for international students. Both Agarwal and Sneha expressed their concerns for non-citizen students. “I really want more visible and accessible resources for non­ citizen students.” Sneha said. Sneha said resources were distributed unevenly among students who were citizens, which became another issue within itself that students hoped Bennett could help resolve. “There’s a huge gap in student success between white students and Latinx and Black students,” Sneha said. “MSU doesn’t use resources for those students.” MSU is a school of over 50,000 students, and it was important to students that every Spartan received the same access, resources and opportunities. Many Spartans have helped fight for the equity and inclusion they and their peers deserve and some were included in the search committee for their new chief diversity officer, Jabbar Bennett. Although progress has been made at MSU, Spartans continue to fight for more equity and inclusion. CONTENTlBAILEY EDDINGTON I PHOTO: LOGAN COLES I DESIGN: GABRIELLE MCKEEVER With the stress of election season and the sadness associated with the cancellation of the NCAA’s March Madness, Ericjuenke, an assistant professor of american politics, decided to combine the two in the form of a game called Election Madness. Juenke started this project back in July 2020 when he was in quarantine. He wanted to make an easy tool for students to learn more about the upcoming election and have fun while doing it. “It is mostly educationafgbut as I said on the website, the secret thing we want people to get out of this is that this is really fun,” Juenke said. After working on the idea, Juenke created his own website and reached out to other professors around the country. Juenke was contacted by 160 scientists who were curious about his bracket and educational tool. For students at MSU, the game was offered as extra credit and sent out to students via email. In total! Juenke had around 2,200 students playing. “To get over 2,000 from around the country playing was a really big deal,” Juenke said. “It was nice and rewarding, and the instructors really liked it.” One of these students playing was Kyler Campion, a sophomore criminal justice and political science major. Campion enjoyed learning about the election, and his professor offered Election Madness as a way to earn extra credit. “I follow election news and the election in general pretty closely,” Campion said. “I just figured it was a good opportunity for me.” For the bracket, students were given two options for each election, and each candidate had a different point value. Those point values were determined by polling statistics, with candidates who were favored to win having less points than candidates unfavored. “We are trying to incentivize the players to go for those upsets,” Juenke said. “If this person has an 80% chance of losing, I could get eight points for choosing them.” Sam Stebbins, a sophomore political science major, said he appreciated the way the game allowed him to learn more about politics in the United States. “My first impression was that this is nice to have a better interaction with what is going on in politics,” Stebbins said. “I did not know half the states or who the representatives were, but by looking at the map and being able to predict things, it made me research more.” Like many others, Campion used statistics from polling sites to help with his bracket decisions. However, Campion learned to not always trust the statistics when the elections are close. “I think from the bracket, it kind of gave me sort of a perspective about how going into elections, it is very easy to just rely on a lot of data,” Campion said. “But that does not always paint a super accurate picture of what is going on.” ¥i I l KIND OF GAVE ME SORT OF PERSPECTIVE ABOUT HOW am mo elections, it is TRY EASY TO JUST RELY ON A 0T0F DATA, BUT THAT DOES 0T ALWAYS PAINT A SUPER CCURATE PICTURE OF WHAT VMM!, Caroline Freshwater, junior social relations and policy major, was impressed with the idea of the game. “I definitely think that with this game, there could definitely be trends that you normally would not be able to see in just a regular election, with the states going red and blue,” Freshwater said. “Not a lot of people are familiar with all that goes into the election process, because a lot of people might not have had that education.” As for the future of Election Madness, Juenke considered the possibility of continuing but has not decided yet. However, MSU students were able to take a stressful situation and learn while also having fun. They were able to apply their interest in politics and understand the ups and downs of statistics associated with elections while they watched the results in real time. Along with learning, students connected with each other, not only at MSU but around the country and even around the world, thanks tojuenke’s Election Madness. CONTENT: ELENA COUSINOI GRAPHIC: EMMA SIMON I DESIGN: GABRIELLE MCKEEVER REPUBLICAN Race Candidate % Picks Candidate % Picks US Pres. Trump Ml 3 Meijer ME Sen. 1Collins UT 4 N3 3 IL 13 Burgess Richter Davis TX 24 Van Duyne NM2 GA 6 Herrell Handel IA Sen. Ernst CA 39 Kim NY 2 Garbarino GA Sen. Perdue WA 3 Herrera AZ Sen. McSally N3 2 Van Drew MT Sen. Daines CO Sen. SC Sen. KS3 CO 3 Gardner Graham Adkins Boebert 30 55 29 45 23 44 53 30 34 47 20 36 68 62 37 37 66 26 61 33 47 Biden Schölten Gideon McAdams Kim Londrigan Valenzuela Small McBath Greenfield Cisneros Gordon Ossof Long Kelly Kennedy Bullock Hickenlooper Harrison Davids Mitsch Bush 70 45 71 55 77 56 47 70 66 53 80 64 32 38 63 63 33 74 39 67 53 mask business may not have been on her bucket list for the summer of her senior year, Eischer made a huge impact on her community. Maddy Eischer combined her two majors to make masks for her community. At the beginning of the pandemic, many members of the community wondered what they could do to help. While some donated food and other supplies to shelters, Maddy Eischer, a senior double majoring in apparel and textile design and genomics and molecular genetics, decided to give back to her community and start making cloth masks. “The greatest reward from this experience has been getting to meet and connect with so many new people from my local community,” Eischer said. “This business has also helped me improve upon many skills like time management, patience and communication, that I know will help me throughout the rest of my life.” From Black-Lives-Matter-themed masks to Disney- or Marvel-themed masks for children, Maddy’s masks were tailored to each customer. Ever since her first order, Eischer had a close relationship with her community. “One of my very first orders was to a group of elderly women in a retirement community close to where I live,” Eischer said. “This was extremely early on in the pandemic and I remember feeling such a sense of fear in the air.” As she recalled some of her earlier orders, Eischer said she received a note and a fabric donation for her work. This helped ease her nerves and made her feel like she was truly making an impact. Though Eischer’s two majors could be seen as an odd pairing, it helped her combine her favorite passions: science and art. The majors allowed for Eischer to stay true to both her love of art and design as well as her love for science and discovery. “Being an [apparel and textile design] major has given me the confidence I needed to start this venture in the first place, and it has also given me the problem-solving skills needed to come up with creative ways to constantly make my masks better,” she said. Eischer credited her genetics and science background for the time-management skills needed for running a successful business. Although her name is on the business card, Eischer didn’t do it alone. From her family helping her out, to members of the community donating supplies, Eischer had a great support system backing her business. “I am very grateful to my mom, who helps me cut fabric, organize orders and communicate with customers,” Eischer said. “My dad and brother, who help cut elastic and wire, my dogs who give me moral support, and all of my friends, family and community members who have donated supplies, spread the word about my business and supported me every step of the way.” Since the creation of Maddy’s Masks, she has sold over 1,600 masks in over 14 states and three countries. While starting a CONTENT KATRIANNA RAY PHOTO: SHELDON KRAUSE I DESIGN: EMMA SIMON mm? mSmm mmmm ifö iÄ m wm M m —WmrnSm ‘ -V'\' 3 HIPPO CAMPUS VIRTUAL CONCERT The popular indie band performed virtually for MSU students. Through the delaying of the initial concert, many students having to stay home or quarantine, take virtual classes and endure other challenges, being able to talk to other students and listen to Hippo Campus gave the community a sense of normalcy and companionship. The concert showed that no matter what was going on, Spartans would always come together and support each other. On the evening of Jan. 26,2021, Hippo Campus held a virtual concert for MSU students through Zoom. The concert was sponsored by ASMSU, the University Activities Board (UAB), Impact Radio and the Residence Halls Association (RHA). The concert was originally scheduled for April 1, but was postponed when the pandemic hit. The concert started promptly at 8 p.m., and rules were given to the viewers. The overall rules were to be respectful, to not take pictures or video and “positive vibes only.” Sophia Ryan, a junior psychology major, said the event put her in a better mood and helped her relax about the spring semester. “It was amazing,” Ryan said. “I don’t know how else to put it. It was a great way to start off this new semester” The band was unable to see who was in attendance, however, viewers were able to chat back and forth. Faith Stevens, a sophomore film studies and creative advertising major, said that the chat feature helped her meet new people and feel a part of a community. “I really like how interactive it was because everyone else who was there, you could talk to and everything,” Stevens said. “That helped a lot because it made it feel less isolated.” Ryan created a GroupMe chat and sent the link to the concert conversation in order to create a bigger sense of community. “We had the chat feature open, and then I created a GroupMe, and I linked that into the chat,” Ryan said. “A bunch of people joined that GroupMe, and we still talk to each other.” In between their setlist, the band would joke around with each other, and they talked to the audience as if they were right there. At one point, the band improvised a familiar tune known to Spartans. “They tried to sing the Spartan fight song and just kind of made something up on the spot, which was really funny,” Ryan said. Although it was not a perfect rendition of the fight song, many people in attendance typed in the chat that MSU should adopt it as their new anthem. For Reid Harry, sophomore computer science major, this concert showed how Spartans can come together no matter what. “The feeling of the greater MSU community kind of coming together over music during these tough times was really cool to see,” Harry said. “I definitely felt a lot better after the concert. I was really positive and just in a good mood, which is not easy in these times. CONTENT ELENA COUSINOI PHOTO: AZIZ NOSIROVI DESIGN: GABRIELLE MCKEEVER vm H Spartans looked forward to the opening of new businesses. Throughout the year, some businesses closed their doors for good as a result of the pandemic. However, new businesses opened up in their place and offered fresh hangout spaces for Spartans in East Lansing. Most of these establishments were restaurants and cafes such as Jolly Pumpkin, Moge Tee and YumYum Bento. it was a team effort to implement these guidelines. ■We created charts to make sure that tables are appropriately set apart, and to keep up with their cleaning, we hired extra employees,” Richmond said. “There is a host at the door to keep parties separate, and we don’t allow for parties to have more than six people.” Jolly Pumpkin, an established Michigan-based brewery, called There were already few bubble tea spots in East Lansing, attention to itself with its name, orange-rimmed sign with bright lightbulbs in the center and a decorated wooden interior. Lauren Plasky, a senior physiology major, decided to give it a try because of its appearance. “I chose to visit the Jolly Pumpkin because it looked appealing and there isn’t that much open in East Lansing right now, so I figured I’d try out the newest place,TiPlasky said. and Moge Tee was the newest addition. Sharanya Subramaniam, a junior neuroscience major, visited early on. “I passed by Moge Tee and was interested as to what new flavors they could bring since East Lansing already has lots of great bubble tea places,” Subramaniam said. “Moge Tee had a pretty chill environment. The employees seemed really keen on seeing if we enjoyed our experience there.” After her first time, she decided to visit again. Plasky liked YumYum Bento was another new restaurant located on the vibe, as well as the food and drinks. She appreciated the customer service that she received. “My experience was great both times I went. The setting was very chill and not overpopulated,” Plasky said. “I had two different waitresses, both who were very kind and talkative and gave great customer service. I enjoy the fall vibes and decor of the place and would definitely return.” Grand River and had food inspired by quick and healthy Japanese meals. The restaurant’s menu consisted of a variety ofjapanese, Korean and Thai cuisines. Subramaniam decided to visit YumYum Bento as well. ".• “YumYum Bento was right next to my apartment,” Subramaniam said. “I looked at their menu and they had a lot of vegetarian options, which was exciting for me.” New establishments gave Spartans fresh options for food and drink in East Lansing. When there was not much to do during the pandemic, restaurants offered safe options forgetting out of the house and enjoying the taste of something different. From pizza at Jolly Pumpkin to bubble tea at Moge Tee, students were encouraged to explore the evolving city of East Lansing and what it had to offer. Customers enjoyed the new restaurant and the change of scenery it provided from the usual food and drink locations in East Lansing. Located on Albert Street, right in the heart of East Lansing alongside multiple new apartment complexes and stores, it was hard to miss. Rudy Richmond, manager at Jolly Pumpkin, showed excitement toward the restaurant’s popularity upon its opening. “We began with a soft opening where we didn’t serve alcohol until our second week,«Richmond said. “So far, we’ve had a good turnout. Our customer base is mainly made up of families and a few college students.” A grand opening amidst COVID-19 was a different and difficult experience. For starters, Richmond and the rest of his establishment kept in contact with the health department to stay up to date with the newest COVID-19 guidelines. In the restaurant, CONTENT MELISA USTUNSOZI PHOTO: LOGAN COLES I DESIGN: EMMA SIMON mm W.'M »ïü Jolly Pumpkin features pizzas, sandwiches, bowls and salads. They ■ ■ also have local Michigan beers on tap. H 4_ kgm1*! J I P msm HIii ill MS tí i jtikijift. Jolly Pumpkin has restaurants in eight different cities and has recently opened their doors to the East Lansing community. II - With limited numbers and protocols set in place, IM West allowed students a place to exercise on campus. On Oct. 26,2020, IM West reopened its doors to students after being closed since March. Through the big doors that opened up to the gym, students saw a completely new IM West. Inside, employees were scattered around, cleaning every part of the gym equipment. Hand sanitizer and cleaning wipes were placed around the facility to make sure that everyone was kept safe. Instead of the facility being packed with students shoulder-to-shoulder, the building had plenty of room for a limited number of people. Connor Smithee, a senior journalism major, was on the social media team for IM West and other MSU gym facilities. Smithee stated that the staff had worked on a plan to reopen the minute they closed back in March. DO NOT HAVE m£SS TO THE GYM, HIS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE PROACTIVE AND TRY AND GET PEOPL LTHY BECAUSE THE GYM EALTH, NOT JUST THEIR I “Our plan basically included those three things: the pool, exercise classes and the fitness center,” Smithee said. “Because those are the things that you can space out pretty well.” IM West also installed a new air filtration system that would take molecules out of the air, including COVID-19. Students were required to wear masks and had to show their student ID, and they had to complete the MSU Health Screening Form in order to be allowed in. Timothy Kohn, a junior media and information major, was surprised by how different IM West looked during the reopening. “When I went there, it was a lot cleaner than I was expecting,” Kohn said. “It definitely was the cleanest I have seen it.” According to sophomore business majorjason Lang, employees and students worked diligently to ensure the facility was clean after use. ■“You are supposed to disinfect every machine that you use,” Lang said. “But there are also employees that walk around and will disinfect everything every 20 minutes.” Hand sanitizer and wipes were put out for students to use and machines were moved further apart to adhere to the social distancing protocol. The locker rooms were closed; however, the facility adapted to this, like in the pool area. '“The locker rooms are closed, so you cannot keep your clothes while you are swimming in the locker room,” Smithee said. “But we have these chairs you can set stuff on and we have little changing stations, and as soon as someone is done in the changing station or they leave the chair by their lane, the lifeguards are on it. They are out there wiping everything down.” Many students found the gym safe, because so few people were there. “I kind of like how empty it is, so I am kind of hesitant to recommend it to other people because this is the most empty I have ever seen it,” Kohn said. “Before COVID, it was packed all the time, but it is way better than what I expected it now.” Kohn and Lang expressed that there were usually around 15 people in the gym after the reopening, which allowed them to feel safer while working out during a pandemic. Jack Koczara, a sophomore human biology major, was hopeful that the facility would allow students to work on their health. t.TI have still found ways to work out, but there are students on campus who do not have cars and do not have access to the gym,” Koczara said. “It is very important that we continue to be proactive and try and get people healthy, because the gym is a place for their mental health, not just their physical health.” Smithee was excited for IM West to finally be open along with his fellow employees. “We really want to be open, we are excited to be open and we are putting everything in our power to make sure we can handle everything safely,” Smithee said. With IM West reopened, students were able to work out and relieve pent up stress from quarantining. With increased protocols and creating a safe environment for students, they were able to get back to a new normal. CONTENT! ELENA COUSINOI PHOTO: AZIZ NOSIROVI DESIGN:JULIAN DUTCH ■Anti-Asian Hate; Students cal together for a candlelight vigil response to a rise of anti-Asian violence across the country. Student I group OCAT and APASO coordinatec the event at The Rock to unite the community in the face of extreme hardship ■■■R ■■i PHOTO- SHFI DON KRAUSF AND PHOTO STAFF I DFSIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE On November 20,2020, Spartans recognized Transgender Day of Remembrance. TDOR is an annual observation in honor of the lives lost due to acts of anti-transgender violence salii Students celebrate Lithuanian Independence Day, known as Vasario 16 (February 16), sometimes shortened to V16. The chemistry department reduced the size of chemistry lab days before classes started. After hearing President Stanley’s decision that in-person classes would be canceled for the fall, sophomore chemistry major Ethan Ohlrich was surprised when his CEM 262 Quantitative Analysis professor emailed him that the class was still being offered in person. With a week left before classes were scheduled to start, Ohlrich and his parents scrambled to make dorm arrangements. Two days before Ohlrich was moving back to campus — after packing and buying essentials — he received another email from his professor CEM 262 would only be offered to graduating seniors. “The funny thing is that, the day the professor sent the email out saying that only seniors could take the class, was the same day I got my move-in information,” Ohlrich said. “The email containing information about my dorm number was right above the email I got from my professor saying I couldn’t take the class.” Ohlrich had to drop the class. While CEM 262 was necessary for Ohlrich to graduate, it was not a prerequisite for other courses. Regardless, Ohlrich had to quickly find a class to fill the missing credits. “Now I’m in an ISS class, which personally is not my favorite, but I had to do it,g Ohlrich said. “It was right at the end of the moment — right before classes started. I didn’t have much time?- The chemistry department offered CEM 419 Independent Study — an online course, which acted in lieu of both CEM 262 and CEM 356 Organic Laboratory. However, students were uncertain about the value in an online chemistry lab. Senior biochemistry major Jake Petish was initially concerned about the possibility of having to complete CEM 356 requirements online. “I wasn’t really stressed about taking this class in person or online, but I was more concerned if this class would apply to graduate schools,” Petish said. “I was stressed to see if those colleges would accept a lab taken on an online format.” Due to his senior status, Petish was allowed to take the class. However, with CEM 356 as his only in-person class in the fall semester, Petish wished he would have waited to take it. “I work back at home in Macomb County, and having the lab in person made it more difficult for me to work! Petish said. “For the most part, I was in East Lansing, just because I had to be there for the lab on Tuesday and Thursday, but I still bounced back and forth.” Working with his academic advisors, junior biochemistry and biotechnology major Shane Spence was able to get one of the six seats in CEM 356—a class that normally had 42 seats available in multiple sections. As a transfer student, Spence had very few courses left to take, and CEM 356 was a prerequisite for future courses. “It worked out well for me since I was one of the few students that was able to get into the lab,” Spence said. “If I was someone that had to take it online, or had to wait a semester to take it, then I would not be happy.” While Ohlrich experienced great frustration by the chemistry department’s last minute decision to only allow seniors in CEM 262, he does not fault the department. “At the end of the day the university and the government are dictating what is happening,” Ohlrich said. “The chemistry department is just the middleman relaying this information to us. I think we are both in the same boat, and I just wish people would take this virus more seriously.” Luckily, students finished the coursework for CEM 262 and CEM 356 before Gov. Whitmer’s Nov. 15 lockdown; however, uncertainty surrounded what the guidelines would be for the spring semester. As lab experience is crucial for a student’s understanding, students worried how another potential lockdown would affect their future. CONTENT: ELAINE MALLON I PHOTO: ALEXA PIERZYNSKII DESIGN: EMMA SIMON The Roial Players rehearsed and performed virtual improv shows throughout the academic year. As the campus closed for a second subsequent semester, clubs and organizations on Michigan State’s campus quickly followed suit. One of the university’s most popular improv groups, the Roial Players, moved completely online. From production meetings to full performances, MSU’s Roial Players Improv had to adapt to a new stage - an online one. There were a lot of ups and downs that came with rehearsing and performing exclusively online. The adjustment took some time to get used to, according to Ellison Winterstein, a senior media and information major. “It obviously took some adjusting, but we’re improvisers,” Winterstein said. “Changing conditions are kind of our thing. It’s a hard adjustment to make, but it’s also provided a new learning experience for us. It’s definitely a lot, but I believe it’s made us all better comedians in the end.” tend to focus more on relationships and plotlines in scenes, but we don’t get to have the fun of being more physical with our bodies like we would on a stage.” The livestreamed performances were available to the entire public, which helped to curb those pandemic blues. A“ Everyone who watches is there to enjoy themselves,” Ural said. “There’s no judgment, no wrong way to act. You can be any character you want and escape from the stress of life and structured society for a while.” With the adjusting period completed for the Roial Players® actors, writers and producers geared up for the next season. Titled “Metamorphosis,” the season focused on growth, healing and transformation. Much like the season’s theme, the Roial Players had grown into their online presence and continued to perform, having provided a comical release from online schooling for students. The performances were livestreamed for free over Zoom, with a Venmo tip jar to help with production costs. Emily Elrick, a senior elementary education major, was the executive director of production and had been performing since her freshman year. “As the producer, I choose the directors, scripts and production teams for each semester and work to make the shows come together,” Elrick said. “I haven’t been able to participate in improv as much during the pandemic because my online workload is so heavy. However, the Roial performing team has done some great livestream shows. It makes the pandemic a little easier to get through.”® Rather than full-length shows, the Roial Players focused on a collection of one-act plays. Titled “The Ups and Downs,” members performed four plays over Zoom. Esin Ural, a sophomore majoring in social work, played the role ofjessica in “PWND.” The play detailed a lovers’ quarrel between an engaged couple and their gamer roommate. “The pandemic has greatly influenced the way we do improv,” Ural said. “It is a new kind of improv, in my opinion. We CONTENT: KATRIANNA RAY I PHOTO: ALEXIS YANG I DESIGN: GABRIELLE MCKEEVER Charity Emmanuel ppsapp»- <||pf| The Roial Players put orf their first Zoom production of “The Ups and Downs”. The audience was able to tune in live on Youtube for free. Last Reel Co-Director Last Reel Go-Director Emily Elrick of Snyder-Pjhillips Hall where L - - d. She is a senior and a future te tudying elementary education. rstein in front of Snyder- a Wednesday afternoon. He is a senior media and information lajor and ^member of the performing teamfat The Roial Players. MSU announced that students would be required to live in the dorms for an additional year. Spartans had differing experiences in the dormitories. By the end of year one, some were ready to live off-campus, whereas others were comfortable continuing to live in the dorms. Michigan State had always allowed students to decide their living arrangements after their first year. During the fall 2020 semester, the university announced an extension of the live-in requirement, which would force 2021 freshmen to live in the dorms for two years. Spartans had mixed feelings regarding the university’s decision. Michael St. Jean, a junior economics major, elaborated further on that notion. “Lack of privacy and personal space did become an issue for me after a while,:” St. Jean said. “The dorms didn’t feel homey at all.” Cannaday felt similar, especially since her dorm had community bathrooms. “The dorms lacked the sanitation that I would seek in my Living in the dorms had its benefits for many students. own home,” Cannaday said. Savannah Norush, a sophomore human resources major, believed it would be a good opportunity for incoming freshmen. Even when Spartans acknowledged the cons of dorm life, they said they would still have chosen MSU, even with the two-year requirement. “If I was a senior in high school, making a college decision, I would have noted the two-year requirement as a negative,” St. Jean said. “However, it wouldn’t have changed my ultimate decision to attend MSU.” Spartans had conflicting views on the decision. The negative and positive aspects of dorm life that are typically on the shoulders of sophomore Spartans would be no more. Though the new requirement was more restricting for future Spartans, East Lansing was still their home. “I met some of my best friends in the dorms,” Norush said. “I also really liked the study areas and private study rooms in my building, which made studying for exams much more quiet and stress-free.” This made Norush’s transition to the social and academic aspects of college easier. Reilly Cannaday, a sophomore finance major, also benefited from the time saving options dorms offered as she adjusted to college in her first year. “It was easy to go down to the cafeteria to get something to eat without having to worry about cooking or getting groceries,” Cannaday said. For some students, the pros of dorm life didn’t outweigh the cons. “I didn’t like how we didn’t have much choice in meal plans,” Norush said. “I love to cook for myself, so for me, having to eat every meal from the same cafeteria got old really quickly.” There were some aspects of dorm life that all Spartans agreed were negative. “Given how small the dorm rooms are, I got cabin fever often,” Norush said. CONTENT MELISA USTUNSOZI PHOTO: SHELDON KRAUSE I DESIGN: GABRIELLE MCKEEVER I their moving cart. MSU brought »early 2,500 additional students for the spring semester: B For me personally, I got much more out of the Spartan Marching Band than I came for, and asking for anything else from the band, I think would be too much,” Lachowski said. “I am very happy with everything I have gotten to do.” The Spartan Marching Band was made up of300 members, according to the MSU College of Music. Although they were unable to meet face to face for practice, the marching band persevered by finding ulterior options. Many Spartans had fond memories of the marching band, like listening to the fight song. The marching band was excited to get back to cheering teams on to victory in person. m m 1,0* MSU’s marching band had two female drum majors for the first time in its history. While she was standing on Adams Field warming up for game day with the Spartan Marching Band, drum major Lisa Lachowski heard a young girl running towards her. The girl asked if she could ever be a drum majowike LachowsklHer response was unequivocal. “Yes, you can.T^ Lachowski, a fifth-year music education and clarinet performance major, was the fifth female drum major in the marching band’s history. “There are little girls who can clearly see a female in the role and don’t question it at all,” Lachowski said. “It’s definitely changing, and our band is growing through that.” The sixth, and newest, drum major that created history alongside Lachowski was sophomore music education major Samantha Barringer. ^Tit’s exciting.” Barringer said. “It’s cool that we made this milestone finally. There’s other colleges that are doing this as well, like CMU has had the first two females as well. It’s cool that we are all evolving to more females in the role.® After hearing that she was the new drum major, Barringer said she turned to Lachowski and told her, “We just made history.” Barringer, due to the coronavirus, was unable to take the field with the marching band. Instead, the drum majors found other ways to practice. Lachowski slid that they taught the whole band over Zoom on fundamentals, as well as creating videos for the band on field orientation. Yates McLaughlin, president of the Spartan Marching Band and section leader of the Michigan State Drumline, said that having these women as drum majors drew more people to the band. “I think just make Jit more enjoyable for people to want to go to our band,” McLaughlin said. “Because they know and understand that we are an inclusive environment and we do everything we can to make sure that everyone gets the same opportunity.® While practicing remotely, the Spartan Marching Band was able to adapt and find different ways to stay together. McLaughlin said that members of the band would record themselves playing pieces and then others would edit them together to create the overall piece. The band held Zoom calls and tried their best to stay connected with each other and the band in general. “I think, though this season has proved to be very difficult in terms of doing our regular routine,” McLaughlin said. “I think it has shown that we are a thick band and we can come out of this stronger than ever.” Although the 2020-2021 season would be Lachowski’s last with the marching band, she was not bitter about how it ended. CONTENT: ELENA COUSINOI PHOTO: AZIZ NOSIROVI DESIGN:JULIAN DUTCH m 'THEM ARE LITTLE GIRLS WH I AN CLEARLY SEE A mmmmMmmmmm IT'S IT AT ALL HANGING, AND OUR BAND ROWING THROUGH THAI V” Hi h b h h H I In an adaptation, MSU Library’s Trivia Night was a fun success. The library was an institution on any college campus. Some would say that MSU’s most important building was Spartan Stadium, or the Union or one of the many popular restaurants or coffee shops. However, the real attraction in East Lansing was the university’s library. Like an academic lighthouse, it dragged students in at least twice a school year, for many years. The library was a student’s safe place for study. During exam week became a chaotic hive of late nights filled with caffeine and cramming. There were some dedicated librarians worked to make it a place of community, even in the middle of a pandemic. The questions covered a wide range of Michigan State University history. From sports facts, to the campuses buildings, to the Rock. Many of these questions were enlightening for Flynn. •“I learned a lot from the questions!” she said. For many of the students present it was a difficult night to get points on the board. “I didn’t do too well at Trivia night,” said Connor Smithee, a junior finance major. “Some of those people really knew their stuff when it came to MSU.” While a few MSU experts slashed their way to a top three “I think events create a sense of community, which our finish, some participants struggled. “I didn’t do great at trivia night,¡Nowak said. “I thought the questions were difficult, but the questions were also way more unique than the questions I usually get at MSU trivia.” For many of the students, it was a learning moment. A nearly 200-year-old university comes with a lot of history. More importantly, however, it served as a little light in an often frustrating semester. “I would do more events like this,” Nowak said. “I think being able to relax and play some trivia was fun during COVID.” While it may have been a smaller event than usual, it was still a much-needed break from exam week and the pandemic. Getting a little time to see fellow students and play a trivia game was a welcome bit of community for many of the students. “The library runs lots of events, but this is our first year of running them virtually,” Flynn said. “This year was a challenge since we couldn’t do any in-person events.” Despite these challenges, trivia night was a success. Students gathered together virtually, had some fun and took their minds off of a particularly stressful year. The library, across great distances, served its purpose for many students. campus is lacking right now because we are located all over the world due to the pandemic,” said Holly Flynn, who was the Library Outreach and Engagement Coordinator. This year, finals week felt even more stressful when school was through a screen. While students may have considered the library during finals week a place packed full of nerves, Flynn focused on the good the library was able to provide. THINK WE JUST WANT m ELP STUDENTS AND CREATE ELCOMING, RELAXING SPAC THEM,EVEN JUST ONLINE. “I think we just want to help students and create a welcoming, relaxing space for them, even ¡fit’s just online,” Flynn said. “Librarians like to help people.” This year, the library hosted an online trivia night to try and do just this. During the buildup to finals week, amongst the pandemic, a bit of trivia was a welcome distraction for many students. “I heard about trivia night on Facebook,” said Isabel Nowak, a senior human biology major. “I wanted to go because this semester I’ve been trying to go to all the trivia and game nights to interact with other students and because I wanted to win some prizes.” Nowak wasn’t alone. A number of MSU students filed into a Zoom meeting and followed a Kahoot link to test their knowledge for prizes. The questions were written by archivists from the MSU Archives and Historical Collections. CONTENT KEEGAN SULLIVAN I PHOTO: GEORGE PHAM I DESIGN: GABRIELLE MCKEEVER The 15-acre farm had some changes due to COVID-19. Staff wore masks and the CSAs were packaged in bags and labeled for the customer to pick them up. The produce could be picked up from either Bailey Hall or outside the MSU Student Organic Farm. Tours and volunteers were not allowed on the farm because of pandemic restrictions. The management on the farm encouraged students to pursue their passions and encouraged a learning environment for students. Nevaeh Marshall, a second-year horticulture and environmental studies and sustainability major, was working on a project for the farm through funding from a scholarship. Marshall planned on building a new seeding area which would make the seeding and transplant process function quicker and more efficiently. “I wanted to use that money to help with the farm and build this for them,” Marshall said. “ I have been working there since June, and I honestly really love it.” The organic farm offered students a hands-on experience working on a farm and faceto-face interaction with others. Ford expressed how much she had learned while working on the farm. “I feel like I’ve learned more on the farm than I have in any class,” Ford said. “It’s just so hands-on, and you’re right there learning.” The MSU Student Organic Farm gave students the opportunity to learn valuable farming skills in the field and produce crops for the MSU community. The CSAs allowed the MSU community to give back to the farm and financially support the future of the farm and the students. Despite the pandemic, the farm continued with distributing organic goods to the MSU community. Located south of campus on the west side of the Horticulture Teaching and Research Center was the MSU Student Organic Farm. Working year-round, the staff and students cultivated organic crops and produce for the MSU dining halls and for theirH community-supported agriculture program (CSA). This program, mostly purchased by MSU faculty and alumni, was described by Sarah Ceurkink, the farm manager, as a subscription service to the farm. “Our members pay ahead of the season with a lump sum,” Ceurkink said. “Then they receive their vegetables every week. It is typically eight to 12 items depending on the time of year”\ The farm had many different kinds of produce, from asparagus to zucchini. The CSA’s total cost was $576 and buyers were able to pick up their produce for 16 weeks straight. Ceurkink recommended that undergraduate students who were interested in purchasing a CSA should combine with other students. “We aim for it to be enough produce for a four-person family to be able to eat at home,” Geurkink said. “That would be a lot of produce for one person.” Along with the CSAs, the MSU Student Organic Farm gave undergraduate students the opportunity to get hands-on experience. Reilly Ford, a junior horticulture major, worked on the undergraduate crew and was promoted this year to crew lead. Ford said new crew members were brought onto the farm and taught basic farm management, like weeding, harvesting and how to wash the plants. The farm allowed any student to join as a volunteer or crew member, no matter what their background was. Lauren House, a junior arts and humanities major, enjoyed how the farm was open to allowing anyone to learn. : “My favorite part about the farm is that it is so open and inclusive to anybody that wants to be involved,” House said. “Even without any experience, they hired me, and I know so much about stuff that I had no idea about before.” CONTENT: ELENA COUSINOI PHOTO: MSU ORGANIC FARM I DESIGN: JULIAN DUTCH Through the efforts of the farm, MSU ha$-allowed fora minor and a Bachelor 1 of Science in Sustainable and Organic Horticulture. The farm offers intensive 1 hands-on Workshops to those in the MSU opens up the Sexual Assault Healthcare Program, the first of its kind at MSU. On Nov. 12,2020, Michigan State opened a new facility to help student survivors. The Sexual Assault Healthcare Program was a free and confidential resource for survivors to receive medical care. Hannah Eberhard, a junior fisheries and wildlife major who was also a volunteer with the program, was excited about the program and its ability to help students. “I think the sexual assault healthcare program is becoming such an important part of campus resources,” Eberhard said. “This program offers free and confidential forensic evidence collection and medical treatment that is performed by SANE nurses. The program also has a huge pool of trained, volunteer medical advocates on staff to serve as a support person for survivors.” The program emphasized the importance of the survivor’s trust and comfort. The program removed many barriers that survivors face when reporting. Danielle Goldberg, a sophomore majoring in linguistics and a Prevention, Outreach and Education (POE) peer educator, said. “Survivors are given the space to navigate their own path regarding their sexual assault,” Goldberg said. “Survivors are welcome to skip any aspect of the exam they do not want to undergo and are free to leave at any time. The staff truly hope to be a helpful resource for survivors and want to try to restore some sense of power and control within the survivor, as it was just stolen from them.” Welcoming and patient-focused, the program’s exam was completely free and didn’t require health insurance information. Julie Klein, a junior comparative cultures and politics major, was also a peer educator with POE and highlighted the importance of the university’s investment in the support of its survivors. “Not only is it providing a new service for survivors, but it also reflects increased investment in the safety and well-being of survivors from the university«Klein said. “I think once word starts to get out about this program, it will prove to be successful and helpful. Even if only one person benefits from this program, I believe it will be worth it.” MSU consulted with the International Association of Forensic Nurses to create this customized facility, utilizing training for clinical staff in the national model for sexual assault patient care. The opening of the new facility was a step in the right direction towards support for survivors. POE was also instrumental in going in the right direction towards an open conversation, according to Goldberg. “I believe the sexual assault programs on campus are effective, but it would be ignorant of me to say that there is no room for improvement,” Goldberg said. “POE, as a department, has been instrumental in changing the climate on campus and doing everything they can to change the way we view gender- BENEFITS FROM THIS PROGRAM, I BELIEVE IT WILL BE WORTH IT * [207 ! «SU CENTER F 9 hours: 8:00 am ¡ 0 H ÌH Contact: ! centerforsurviVore.insu.edu i MSU SexualAssault Healthcare i Be Program •; i Hours: 24 hours ■ ■ ■ ■ rari ■ j* \ AFTER HOURS ACCESS PRESS BUTTON FOR ASSISTANCE OR CALL 517-353*2700 TO SPEAK TO THE NURSE CONTENT KATRIANNA RAY I PHOTO: ALEXA PIERZYNSKII DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE ■ s lead the way to the MSU tult Healthcare Program dent Services building, s a team of specialized ics and is staffed 24/7. SEXUAL ace atti t HEALTHCARE PROGRAM i\0 U I |gp|j| ill« H J. 73 MSU’s annual Diversity Research Showcase awarded students for their research. At a university like Michigan State, even in an unpredictable year, students constantly produced research. Across the university’s schools and fields of study, students sweated over their laptop screens and workbenches to produce important bodies of knowledge. Awards for such research were often handed out, showing students that their work mattered. “Highlighting the research of people who are researching non-dominant identities is really important in whatever field, science or philosophy or whatever, because there is a lot of knowledge and value in looking at what lies on the periphery,” said Crystal Bernard, a junior studying social relations and policy. MSU’s annual 2021 Diversity Research Showcase sought to highlight undergraduate students who had used their talents to study marginalized groups. Bernard’s own research evaluated the global community of Brixton, London and how wealthy newcomers have displaced people there. Centrification like this occurs in every city in the world, but Bernard’s case study was special. participants lay at the heart of Haddad’s presentation. Other students saw the importance of diversity in their respective fields. Students studying politics, geography, mathematics, agriculture, medicine and even zoology won awards at the showcase. “I’m a zoology major, so this is completely outside my wheelhouse^j said senior Aalayna Green. “This is something I didn’t picture myself being part of When I started at MSU, I wanted to go to vet school. A lot of the work I do [now] is very ingrained in social science.™ Green’s presentation demonstrated the ways in which applied feminism could help create a holistic and inclusive learning environment. ¡¡Ill ended up coining a term of‘applied experiential feminism’ as a means of encapsulating everything I saw,” Green said. “In classroom applications, this positions ideas of policy and advocacy and feminism, so that students are able to develop ownership on their own accord in their courses.” Green, and many of her colleagues, stressed the importance “For the showcase, because we had three minutes to of events like this research showcase. Hi think [events like this] are important, but I think it’s important to include more space for these researchers in the broader contexts,” Green said. “Getting this space on a bigger platform is also necessary, reclaiming time and space for BIPOC, low income or any minority researches” For many researchers, whose work on marginalized groups could be overlooked, these awards were especially valuable. Across every academic field, it was crucial that MSU students researched those groups that were all too often forgotten in our academic world. present, I wanted to focus specifically on Brixton, which is an Afro-Caribbean epicenter in London,” Bernard saidMlt’s unlike any other place in London, and I wanted to talk about the tensions going on there with gentrification.” By comparing the gentrification in Brixton to the gentrification happening in her own hometown, Detroit, Bernard came away with some important findings. While her research clearly fit in with the research theme of diversity, there were many other important presentations which showed how diversity is an important part of every academic field, not just social and political studies. “The aspect of the research which was very relevant, especially in terms of diversity and inclusion in research,’’said Eliot Haddad, a junior studying human biology. “Was the fact that this cohort used remote methodologies and in doing so, it enrolled a large population of women which aren’t generally represented in scientific research.” Haddad’s presentation, done in conjunction with a gut lab here at MSU, ostensibly looked at how the health of mothers affects the health of their children. However, because of their methodology, Haddad saw a way to make significant strides towards inclusion in science. “Historically,” Haddad said. “Ethnic minorities, racial minorities and socio-economically disadvantaged participants haven’t been recruited or represented as much as they should be in bio-medical research.” Accessibility, representation and a low burden on research CONTENT KEEGAN SULLIVAN I PHOTO: ALEXIS YANG IDESIGNÍGABRIELLE MCKEEVER l i s n o t Crystal $fer^r^?i5^unk|r stuclying social relations and polity anairvternlt4onal relation ■ Her research was titled “The Appetite for : : Cultural Epicenters: A Brixton Case Study on Centrif¡cation”, she received honorable mention at the Spring 2021 Diversity Research Showcase. The College of Osteopathic Medicine hosted a Black History Month lecture series. This year, the education and shared aspirations of a better future had to be on Zoom. The College of Osteopathic Medicine hosted a series of Black History Month lectures online, along with an impressive group of guest speakers. Throughout the month, Black Lives Matter organizers, famous Black scholars and documentary makers spoke with Michigan State professors on issues of race and society. Black Futures Month, as many of the speakers framed ■it, was transformed into a time to celebrate and reflect. Anh-Dao Tran, a second-year osteopathic medicine graduate student, found out about the Slavery to Freedom series from a diversity committe she served on. “These events are crucial reminders that the past has an intimate tie to the present, in a similar relationship, that the present lends to the future,” Tran said. “The series is an opportunity for insight from those who have lived, are living, will live through the struggles and joys of being Black in America.” Black History Month events in past, pre-coronavirus years. “I remember the connection I felt with all the students who had joined to celebrate the accomplishments of Black Americans throughout history,”: Range said. “Black History Month to me, is a time of celebration and giving thanks to the people that continue to push forward regardless of the oppression they face on a daily basis.” For many, these lectures were inspirational. For staff members and graduate students, like Cece Sumpter, who have attended similar events, the lectures were almost like seeing colleagues or old friends again. “When I saw that [Patrisse Cullors] was coming, I said, ‘Oh no, I have to find a way to be present for her,’” Sumpter, a doctoral student and employee at MSU, said. “Seeing Cornel West is like seeing an old uncle come by, you’ve got to show up for him.” Sumpter was taken by the ways she could apply the lectures The series both celebrated the resilience of the Black to her own life. community and discussed the nature of struggles facing them. Tohfa Khabir, a second-year osteopathic medicine graduate student, also attended the lecture series. “This [series] showcased some important voices with years of lived experience and accomplishments from a minority group to be heard and allows everyone to ask them questions,” Khabir said. “It gives an opportunity to understand someone that may be different or have different views to be understood. I think it is an excellent way to learn new things.”® Khabir stressed that the university, as well as the students, needed to learn from this lecture series. “I think that the institution has the chance to learn about the concerns and challenges of their minority students and employees,” Khabir said. “It also gives an opportunity to learn different perspectives and that can help improve how the institution functions and serves its students and employees overall||§| Tran, too, saw the value that these conversations offered to the institution. “While at times these discussions can be difficult, and even painful at moments, without having these conversations, we would deny the structural and societal oppression, prevent growth from mistakes and stunt healing from daily traumas,” Tran said. “If we can sit with the -*■ maybe uncomfortable — truth and listen to the needs of our community members who are most marginalized, we may find that we are not intentionally hurtful individuals, but that justice requires deep acknowledgement that we are not immune to racism, sexism or any other forms of discrimination.” T Allison Range, a senior kinesiology student, reflected on ■Choose to answer the call,” Sumpter said. “Here is this injustice, here is this disservice, here is this level of disenfranchisement, and I am going to shine a light on it. I am going to say This is wrong’. I think that for me, especially as a staff member at MSU, I am constantly questioning policies.” A month dedicated to the past forced us to look towards the future. By listening to panels of impressive speakers, students and staff at Michigan State were encouraged to evaluate the injustices around them. TO UNDERSTAND SOMEONE THAT AY BE DIFFERENT OR HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS TO BE NDERSTOODI THINK IT IS EXCELLENTWAY mo, m tm m COÏTENT KEEGAN SULLIVAN I PHOTO: ALEXIS YANG I DESIGN: EMMA SIMON )ao (Anhdao) Tran, a second year ¿Osteopathic Medicine student, attended the Slavery to Freedom ture Series, which included speak Sumpter he Student Wednesday afternoon, ^nc auen the Black History Month Lecture se and is a PhD HALE Student at MSU. Engineering and business students discussed the MSU Formula Racing Team. As one of the most dedicated and hardworking extracurricular organizations on campus, the MSU Formula Racing Team stood out as a pillar of teamwork and ambition. Every year, a diverse team of uniquely skilled students pulled their resources together to design, build and race a sponsored Formula One racing car. This car, built by engineers of many fields, competed globally against hundreds of teams in tests of time, durability and ingenuity. Junior computer science major Dave Yonkers, the team manager, spoke of what drew him to the team. At the 2021 Formula Society of Automotive Engineers International Collegiate Design Series Competition, 550 teams from around the globe competed to show off their skills, not only as carmakers but as a team of determined students. The MSU team took ninth place, which was a huge accomplishment and honor for the team. The lead of supply chain research Bashhar Byrouthy, a third- year mechanical engineering major, discussed the trials they faced throughout the whole year with the pandemic. “When I joined as a freshman, I was just looking to get some “Right when COVID hit, the team started moving to Microsoft Teams,” Byrouthy said, “Yonkers really spearheaded the team, and it worked out in the end. We have weekly leader meetings where we discuss what each member has done and worked on throughout the week, and where we consult each other for suggestions, advice and critique on whatever we’re working on.” With this latest victory, the team was optimistic about their future and their chances in future competitions. It was a virtual business presentation, and our project manager, Dave Yonkers, worked hand in hand with some new members on the team to come up with a brilliant presentation,” Byrouthy said, “It was a boost we needed. It was a great start to the year, and we’re excited to see where we go in terms of summer competitions and the rest of them that are coming. It’s a massive achievement, and we’re extremely proud of Dave and the new members involved.” Despite the challenging conditions during this pandemic, the MSU Formula Racing Team displayed their skills and showed that despite differences in majors and skill levels, a group of motivated students could accomplish anything. industry experience. I was interested in working in automotives,” Yonkers said. “So, as a freshman, and into my sophomore year, I built up this embedded software platform on the vehicle, so I was actually controlling how the vehicle behaves with software, and that had never been done before in the team.l had great industry experience, and [it] really put me ahead. It is much better than anything that I can get in the classroom for what I want to do.T erience; minima ME AHEAP. w ffli IT IS MU Since the racing team was an MSU club, as opposed to a sport, it had to fund itself to buy its own equipment and parts. This was where the business side of the team came in. Members of the team reached out to local businesses, MSU-adjacent programs, companies and alumni to gather the thousands of dollars necessary to build a car from scratch. Neil Hoskins, a third-year supply chain management major, was the team’s business development manager. Hoskins said his role was getting the team the necessary resources to race. “I procure sponsors and support,” Hoskins stated. “We reach out to everyone from alumni, automotive companies, to engineering shops. We focus mostly on local East Lansing businesses because we need everything from automotive supplies, oils and lubricants and carbon fiber. So we’ll reach out to a Lowes or Ace Hardware.” CONTENT; JULIAN SUGAMELI I PHOTO: BEZA DESTA & DAVE BONKERS I DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE Students raised money to build a greenhouse oasis. As tall as a seven-story building and half of a football field in length, students raised over $16,000 through a kickstarter campaign in the hopes of building this eco-friendly structure on Michigan State’s campus. With an expected price tag of $11 million, the enclosure’s design showcased waterfalls cascading off of cliffs, bridges overlooking streams that trickled into ponds, and exotic plants. Even during the dead of Michigan winters, students and community members would still have access to this tropical oasis, called the Biodome. Serving as the marketing and outreach strategist for the Biodome, senior communications major Johnny Mcgraw looked forward to having the opportunity to access the Biodome while he completed his graduate degree at MSU. “I’m excited to be able to wear shorts and a t-shirt in winter and relax in the Biodome',” Mcgraw said. “I’ll be studying with a frozen mocha because it’s warm, looking at the palm trees, teleported 1000 miles to the Caribbean, while still on campus.” The Biodome was a longtime coming. In 1997 the botany greenhouses and butterfly house located in North Campus were closed to much public outcry. Senior packaging major and vice president of the Student Greenhouse Project Joseph Lietaert hoped the Biodome would bring the MSU community togethemn the same way the botany greenhouses did decades ago. “The Biodome will bring the community together in an inclusive environment,” -Lietaert said. “Pushing it forward to construction will create a lasting impact to the students, faculty and community in East Lansing.” Not only will students find a great place to study for exams, but the Biodome will also be offered as a place to host events such as weddings. In addition, it will also also be a place to conduct research Built to be eco-friendly, 60% of the Biodome would be covered with solar panels, this would significantly reduce the electricity needs of the facility. The additional solar energy would go into a power bank for clean energy storage. Water ducts running alongside the dome would collect rainwater, which would be used to hydrate the tropical landscape. According to senior mechanical engineer major and president of the Student Greenhouse Project Jacob Bruner, every detail of the Biodome’s design was meticulously planned. “The people who are doing this are super committed, and part of the reason we’re doing this is to show that integrating sustainable architecture, this green technology, is possible,” Bruner said. “The Biodome will not only benefit the students, but also serve as a place for inspiration, collaboration, and discovery for everyone who visits.” The students of the Student Green Project believed that the Biodome would also serve to help improve the mental health of students, particularly during the harsh winter months. With this project beginning three years ago, many students have been working on it during their undergraduate studies. While students like Mcgraw, Bruner, and Lietaert would graduate before seeing the fruits of their labor, they continued their efforts with dreams of one day returning to campus and visiting the oasis beneath the dome. Interior Floor Plan Features Waterfalls 14 & 2 ft. Pond and Stream Bridges Paths Stairs Contours 16 -10 ft. 10-5ft 5-0ft. 0 - -3 ft. Height or Depth Size Study Lounge Performance Area Conference Room Office Workroom 28 x 36 ft. 28 x 17 ft. 12x 16ft. 20x 16ft 20 x 28 ft. CONTENT ELAINE MALLON I PHOTO: VISUALIZATION TEAM I DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE n am n ¡§¡8 an H mHI wm ’ 20 ’ r 150 feel Kennedy Walters, a junior journalism student. “When we come to campus, we tend to search for a community that is like us, that is taking charge and getting the full experience out of campus.” This project was more than a simple guide for its authors, it was an affirmation. “I think the first-year experience as a minority student is a pivotal time to discover where communities you want to belong to exist, but it can be challenging to do in isolation,” Watson said. “The Black Book effectively visualizes Black support networks and affirms that Black people exist and belong in scholarly or academic spaces.” Support networks like this one can only be a benefit for Michigan State, a school that has struggled to serve as a welcoming space for many. Students have had to look out for one another. “Black folks here at MSU, we stick up for each other, we look out for each other,” Bachelor said. “If I ever need something, I know I can go to one of my peers, and they will be willing to help me out or help me find resources.” Moving to college can be many things. For some students, it presented a challenge. The Black Book was carefully crafted by Black students for Black students to try and make their community feel welcomed. The Black Book returned to campus and helped Black students acclimate to East Lansing. Moving to East Lansing meant something different to everyone. For some students, it was almost a return home, a move to a comfortable neighborhood their friends and family once inhabited. For other students East Lansing was a challenging place to live. Black students in particular found it difficult to locate necessary resources across Michigan State’s campus and in the greater Lansing area. The Black Book, a resource made for students by students, sought to change that. “When I think back to my freshman year at State, I know I would’ve really loved to have a Black Book in hand when navigating our predominately white campus,” said Triniti Watson, a recent graduate and head of the Black Book initiative. “The main objective I had from the creation of this book was to increase Black student retention rates at State and improve our campus climate which has been negatively impacted almost every year of my undergraduate career.” Navigating a predominantly white campus and reversing an aggressive campus climate were just a few of the Black Book’s goals. “The overall intention of the Black Book is to acclimate incoming students to the Black MSU community, as well as encourage community-building across incoming classes,” Watson said. Modeled after historical green books, resources that helped Black travelers find friendly restaurants in the South, the Black Book represented a full community effort for Black students at Michigan State. Charlotte Bachelor, a junior professional writing major, remembered the original Black Book, having been on their email list. For this new edition, she wanted to expand its scope. “There is a strong spirit of entrepreneurship in the Black community at MSU,” Bachelor said. “There are people that bakeH there are people that make wigs, there are people that sell outfits, there are people that sew, there are people that do hair, there are a lot of Black-owned businesses to support.” For those working on the project, the Black Book represented an all-encompassing attempt to recogize MSU’s Black community. “Because this project is rooted in collaboration, my current team of students and I have really been imagining how this project can be made collectively with all of Black MSU in mind,” Watson said. While Watson heads up the project, she worked with a dedicated and motivated staff The group was comprised of less than 10 students, but their commitment to the project was clear. “We have to face the facts, there are a lot of Black students that come to MSU that aren’t used to the environment of a [primarily white institution] and an overly large campus,i”"said CONTENT KEEGAN SULLIVAN I PHOTO: PHOTOS PROVIDED I DESIGN: EMMA SIMON STANDING SYRIAN STRONG A student-led organization was created to support sexual assault survivors. In the midst of navigating online classes, junior chemical engineering major Kevin Carmichael attended bi-weekly Zoom meetings for a new student organization — Students Standing with Survivors. It was created to educate and support students impacted by sexual assault. Carmichael looked for a student-led organization where he could learn how to best support survivors. “I think the most valuable skills I have now are what to do if someone tells me that they’ve been a victim of sexual assault or sexual violence in any way,” Carmichael said. “It’s kind of like getting a toolkit, like knowing what to say or what not to say. For survivors, the first person they tell is super impactful, so ifyou’re the first person they tell, what you say or what you don’t say can really change the outcome of their healing process.” As a sexual assault survivor, junior advertising management major Emily Albaran undertook the position as public relations coordinator. After withstanding a criminal case for over a year, her attacker, a former MSU student, was now behind bars. “Even though I hate what happened to me, what I have learned from this, and what I can still learn, is so much valuable information that people need to know about,” Albaran said. “It’s taken a lot to get to the point where I’m at, and I’m thankful I’m here. I’m lucky that he’s even being sent to jail, because if you even look at the statistics, it’s very rare that the perpetrator receives punishment. This system is still very flawed, and I hope that more survivors can have justice.” As Albaran dealt with the trauma of her attack, she found support at the MSU Center for Survivors. However, according to Albaran, the support was not extended to her anywhere else at MSU, for the Office of Equity and Inclusion failed to honor her personal protection order. /“In addition to the way I was treated, MSU just hasn’t had a good past with sexual assault, especially on campus,” Albaran said. “My friends were like, ‘Hmm, what can we do? Oh, there’s no club. Why not start a club and try to spread awareness?’” With over 200 Instagram followers, MSU Standing with Survivors relied heavily on social media to attract members during its inaugural year on campus. Serving as treasurer, junior social relations and policy major Dhara Patel recognized the challenges of hosting not just events, but also fundraisers in the age of social distancing. In the hopes of raising money for club activities, Patel said the club would begin to sell clothing merchandise online. “We are trying to do as much as we can, but constant "THISSYSTEM IS STILL VERY FLAWED,AND I HOPE THAT MORE SURVIVORS CAN HAVE JUSTICE participation from students is important,” Patel said. “We just hope that we can be there to help people.” As one of the few males in regular attendance for the organization’s meetings, Carmichael insisted on greater involvement by male students. »*• ?“lf we want to encourage a community that doesn’t allow these kinds of violence to happen, guys have to be a part of the solution,” Carmichael said. “It’s just a fact that most assailants are male. And in order to get the kind of change that we want to see, which is for these kinds of crimes to end, the people that need to be educated the most are the people that are most susceptible with committing these kinds of awful things.” Like the sexual assault survivors the student-led organization sought to support, the organization was met with many obstacles in its first year. From communicating with administrators to recruiting new members, the organization did not have a traditional first year. However, through the support of a wide variety of students, Standing with Survivors created a space for students to learn and support each other. CONTENT ELAINE MALLONI PHOTO: ALEXA PIERZYNSKI, AZIZ NOSIROVI DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAECHE nior Emily Albaran is the publi ons coordinator for Michigan State niversity’s Students Standing wi Survivors. In addition to her p itingfor M§'t&vS'T The College of Music celebrated the new Billman Music Pavilion renovations. In the summer of 2020, Spartans were treated to the grand opening of the Billman Music Pavilion. Adding 37000 square feet of new space to the old music building, students were treated to long-needed facility improvements. From new practice rooms to study spaces, these spaces were built to serve students, staff and the public for years to come. Christine So, a junior music performance major, was there for the groundbreaking ceremony. “I was there when Dr. Billman and all the other really important people took their shovels and did the first dig, which was really cool,” So saidjTve been in the space and it’s really beautiful. The College of Music had been needing this for so long and to finally see it happening was so satisfying.” A new recording studio with stateof-the-art hardware and equipment for editing and capturing musicians’ prime work was part of the renovations, along with custom designed spaces and climatecontrolled environments. Evan Dericco, a junior music education major, enjoyed the new places to practice. “The Billman Pavilion is great,” Dericco said. “It is a great new space that has opened many new possibilities. In addition to musicmaking, the new spaces in the pavilion provide great places to study and get work done, especially when I’m looking for a place to go work to get out of my room away from online class. I think the new Billman Pavilion spaces will provide future students with a great place to perform, practice, work and socialize.” The College of Music’s renovations put the college on par with other Big Ten universities and elevated MSU’s reputation in the arts world. Julianna Brenner, a junior music education major, stressed how these new expansions could help bring more attention to the different career paths the College of Music had to offer. “My advice would be to take your specific career path blinders off,” Brenner said. “There are so many ways to pursue music education beyond conducting a high school band or choir, and although those paths are there, there are so many more to explore. Join clubs, create projects and just keep on exploring as much as you can with the new building.” The much-needed renovations were dedicated to the entire MSU community, whether they were from the College of Music or otherwise. From an expansive courtyard for networking and outdoor concerts, to a balcony space for jazz performances, the Billman Pavilion renovations were the boost that musicians and educators needed to fully thrive. CONTENT: KATRIANNA RAY I PHOTO: ALEXIS YANG I DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE The Billman Music Pavilion, the newest addition to the MSU College of Music, stands proudly in the West Circle. Nearly doubling the music building, this facility provides new practice rooms, large performance spaces, gathering places, and much more. The Tower Guard continued to provide necessary services for students with disabilities this year. For many MSU students, the only intimidating part of a test is studying. We may worry about our grades, how well we have prepared or whether or not our notes are good enough, but most of us don’t have to worry about whether or not we will be able to read the test packet. Students with disabilities face a myriad of less-visible obstacles in their education: getting around campus, reading graphs and images, and even finding study partners. MSU Tower Guard helped by listening to students with disabilities. Madeleine Russell, a sophmore microbiology major, served as president of Tower Guard, which she said she really enjoyed. Being able to serve those around her and make campus more equitable convinced her to head up the organization. Members of the Tower Guard also received a key to Beaumont Tower. “Tower Guard is a sophomore-year service organization dedicated to serving the Resource Center for Students with Disabilities (RCPD) in order to make campus more accessible and equitable for students with disabilities,” Russell said. Siri Nicol, a sophomore studying communications and Tower Guard’s public relations manager, made the purpose of the club exceedingly clear. “Each Tower Guard member is an advocate for those with disabilities and promotes accessibility and inclusivity to peers, families and MSU faculty,” Nicol said. “Tower Guard helps to reduce the stigma around disabilities and advance the education of all students, regardless oftheir needs.” Like everything else this year, Tower Guard worked differently. Due to coronavirus regulations and guidelines, they were forced to adapt their efforts. “Normally, Tower Guard is responsible for up to 80% of all transcribing of documents at MSU,” Russell said. “We also tutor students individually. We walk students to classes. We do social events to give students something fun to do. We facilitate accessibility sports, we conduct adaptive cooking classes. A lot of it is tutoring, giving people the space to connect with someone else and get individualized help.” While tutoring was pushed online this year, Tushya Mehta, a junior biology student, reiterated Tower Guard’s value during the pandemic. “Tower Guard and RCPD are essential to MSU’s success,” Mehta said. “I recently saw an article on how a Stanford student with cerebral palsy is struggling to get scribes for their homework and assignments. In comparison, Tower Guard not only provides help with homework and assignments but also one-on-one tutoring and group study sessions.” Despite the important services they provide and the intense rules around recruitment, Russell insisted it was not a group built for its members. It was a group built for those it served. “What I really like about Tower Guard is that it’s not about some kind of ego boosting, it’s about working and partnering with students to give them the tools they need to be successful so that MSU can be a more inclusive campus,” Russell said. An important aspect for the group’s success was its membership. By partnering with students with disabilities, some members of the organization are themselves students who have used resources at the RCPD. “I love to see the smiling faces of my peers when we meet every week,” Mehta said. “It is a once in a lifetime experience which has enabled me to expand my perspectives on life and helped me build lifelong connections with so many amazing people.” Russell agreed. By focusing on the giving nature of the club, Russell challenged the guard’s membership to live out their values. “We want to provide this service, let’s see if you can do it, let’s get involved,” Russell said. “I want to go into healthcare, and being able to see how we can help combat some of the effects of these inequities is really cool.” When the pandemic started, many of us assumed we would be able to attend classes from our laptops with no barriers. However, for students with disabilities, this wasn’t always the case. Tower Guard made strides this year to provide for students with disabilities. CONTENT; KEEGAN SULLIVAN I PHOTO: KEILY BRANIGANI DESIGN; EMMA SIMON Several groups started blood drives in a year where public health was under a microscope. In a normal year, blood drives would be at the heart of the Red Cross’s efforts at Michigan State. Students and volunteers would come together to help ease the relentless stress put upon our hospitals and emergency rooms. It was something easy that most Spartans could do to help out others in their communities. But during the pandemic, blood drives were challenging to put on, with a lack of volunteers and donors hurting the events. In the face of this, several groups across Michigan State’s campus stayed strong and hosted significant donation events for the benefit of all. “Blood drive donations are one of the most important ways you can volunteer in medicine,” said Sevar Yaldo, a senior human biology major and president of the Human Biology Club. “I know that even from the American Red Cross, one thing they tell you is each donation can save up to three lives.” The club’s blood drive contributed to a larger effort on Michigan State’s campus: a blood drive competition between the University of Michigan and Michigan State. This annual event was designed to play off of a natural rivalry with purpose. “The Blood Challenge between MSU and U of M is a way to tie in that college rivalry to blood donation,” said Nicole Lipcaman, a senior microbiology major and president of the MSU Red Cross Club. “Basically, the schools compete to see who can collect the most units of blood in about a month. It is an awesome way to support the need for blood because people are motivated by the rivalry and want to see their school win.” Despite losing the competition, outraised by Michigan, Lipcaman was steadfast in stating the event was a success, especially when taking the pandemic into consideration. Yaldo emphasized that finding volunteers was harder this year than most. “Majority of clubs all over campus have been struggling to find opportunities to give back and volunteer,” Yaldo said. “When COVID hit, we asked, 'How do we even volunteer now?’” With added restrictions around campus, fewer students in the area and the understandable fears of exposure to the virus, volunteer levels were unexpectedly lower. However, that wasn’t always the case. “We had a better turnout than we thought, and it wasn’t all Human Bio Club members, it was a bunch of different people too,” Yaldo said. “I felt we were able to get the word out well. We were proud of what we got done. It wasn’t anything huge, but it still makes a difference.” Smriti Chadha, a junior biochemistry major, organized sponsors for Red Cross events. Chadha was excited by the turnout she saw. “People still have that really good spirit of wanting to help others,” Chadha said. “It really makes you believe more in humanity.” Lipcaman was enthused by the involvement she saw as well. “My favorite part of these events is seeing people getting involved,” Lipcaman said. “I love when we have new volunteers, andffllove when we have volunteers that have been with us for years. It means we have made a meaningful impact that people want to be a part of” Despite expected low turnouts, Michigan State’s blood drive organizers were thrilled with what they saw. A community came together to save lives during a pandemic, and Michigan State students donated it when it was needed most. jj§> -7' I ifgpMMMIIgapgg&lljP! ipS jm CONTENT- KEEGAN SULLIVAN I PHOTO: AZIZ NOSIROVI DESIGN: EMMA SIMON The Red Cross hosted the 10th Annual Winter Blood Battle at the MSU Union on Feb. 25. Mabel Phillips, a pre-nursing freshman, volunteers for the Nursing Student Association with the Red Cross, to give back to the community. as la ■ s "PEOPLE ML m THAT REALLY WANTING HELP OTHERS. IT REALLY MAKES YOU BELIEVE MOPP IN HUMANITY * student lays on a stretcher before donating blood in the MSU Union. Students were able to donate blood to the American Red Cross while showing school spirit. MSU Womxn’s Council collaborated with a number of organizations to celebrate and advocate. Women’s History Month at Michigan State was a time to celebrate, but also a time to push for change. Groups and organizations across campus collaborated on a number of projects, all seeking to empower and recognize women. Womxn’s Council, or Wo Colli was at the heart of these projects. WoCo sponsored a number of ASMSU bills to promote the health, safety and recognition of women on Michigan State’s campus. They did so with an eye on inclusion and intersectionality. Ellie Lico, a senior social relations and policy major, explained how WoCo grounded its Women’s History Month work in inclusion. “We work in a lot of interdisciplinary ways to take action and to promote inclusive and intersectional empowerment for women,” Lico said. “I really try to emphasize to people that we are a welcoming group, we want to hear your thoughts on what we should be doing. That’s a really strong part of who we are is being welcoming, inclusive and trying to have our hands in all of these ways to share our influence in our community.” Noihrita Masud, a junior studying comparative cultures and politics, stressed how marginalized groups can lift one another up. “Some populations in our society have been marginalized,•”• Masud said. “That includes women, that includes the LCBTQ community, that includes people of color and the fact that all of those populations were able to collaborate, be it during Women’s History Month or out of that time range, has been important in terms of creating that intersectional identity we’ve established this year.” WoCo represented a lot of things to a lot of people this year. From advocacy to action, the group established itself as a voice of accountability at the university. Lexie Hampton, a senior public policy major, considered that to be one of the organization’s greatest roles. “A big thing we try to focus on is accountability,” Hampton said. “Especially accountability from the administrators and the board. We are very cognizant of what they’re doing and what they’re not doing and how that impacts students on campus.” In the past, WoCo struggled to find its exact place on campus. This year, however, the organization was able to expand its reach with the help of an invested e-board. “I’m excited that we even have an e-board,” Hampton said. “People reach out from past women’s councils saying that [the group] has never been at the capacity we are at now, doing the things we are now, advocating and being so involved on campus.” That extra capacity took the form of events, collaboration with other organizations, the passing of new ASMSU legislation and a club adapting to pandemic organizing. “I really felt like this year, Women’s History Month on social media, I saw a lot [of our events] advertised,” Lico said. “It made me feel like we were doing something. So many people were posting about Women’s History Month and empowerment and inclusion. It feels like what we are doing is working and it’s helping.” Despite their commitment to inclusion across Michigan State, they knew they could do better. Club members insisted that the future for their group is one where everyone’s voice is heard. For them, MSU Womxn’s Council isn’t simply for women. “I never want anyone to feel like they can’t be part of feminism, of women’s council, because of their gender or racial or sexual identity,” Hampton said. “That’s not the image we want for women’s council, that’s not the reputation we want. Feminism is for everybody, we are for women, but not just for women. It’s for anybody.” Women’s History Month was a time for advocacy. During a year that challenged everyone, where Anti-Asian violence rose, where our country had to face a number of racial injustices, the MSU Womxn’s Council knew they couldn’t just be a women’s group. Feminism and Women’s History Month were built for everyone. CONTENI KEEGAN SULLIVAN I PHOTO: WOMXN’S COUNCIL I DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE Si g I 9B ||S rat M S I I ■ r M *',-«••*»* <- r-f lP r ie e -J ; 9ft £ «Jfj^l^gmgÊBSÊSRm m HJCTWff^ -J—■^msÊStrn SÉp:ÍQ m community with fair circumstances and have the opportunity to grow during their time as a student. Junior Jack Wheatley poses next to the back of the MSU Rock, which was previously painted “Spartans WONT Protect Student Workers #WTFRHS”. This original message, including an obscenity, was quickly painted over. The James Madison Student Senate helped students feel connected to their program. At the end of September, MSU furloughed 700 on-campus workers without notice. This left many students without jobs and confused as to why they had been brought back to work for only a month. JuniorJack Wheatley, a social relations and policy and public policy major, used his role on James Madison’s student senate to do something about it. “We had thought that the act to fire them was so egregious and so disrespectful to the students who work hard on campus and make MSU our home that we thought it was our necessity to put out a statement in support of the students and also making sure that we express as a group and with other registered student organizations our disapproval and shame against the school,” Wheatley said. The James Madison Student Senate put out a letter of condemnation against the university, which was co-signed by 14 other registered student organizations. Wheatley worked with another student senate member, Social Relations and Policy Caucus Chair Madison Nacker, to write the letter that was approved by the senate. James Madison was a residential program within MSU that specialized in public policy, and within the college, there were four majors: social relations and policy, comparative cultures and politics, international relations and political theory and constitutional democracy. In the student senate, each major had a caucus with representatives, and they met weekly to discuss issues pertinent to James Madison students. “We do a lot of behind the scenes stuff with student organizations in James Madison,” Wheatley said. “Basically trying to make sure we have a good representation of interests within the students.” Wheatley said they often act as a bridge between students and faculty. For example, they worked with faculty to include trigger warnings in syllabi, which was based on a request from a student organization. Wheatley said the letter of condemnation fit into the core values of the student senate. “The James Madison College Student Senate has an obligation to uphold and protect the interests and livelihoods of the students that we serve, [which] specifically is the James Madison College,” Wheatley said. “But that also reflects part of our involvement within the school, [within the] student body as a whole.” Throughout the year, the James Madison Student Senate fought to protect its students, even going as far as to condemn the university which they belonged to. They worked to help each and every Spartan understand their rights, be a part of a CONTENT: HOPE O’DELL I PHOTO: SHELDON KRAUSE I DESIGN: EMMA SIMON wmrmnm Ja Erlul Senior Jack Kennedy, president of the James Madison Student Senate, leads the weekly meeting. Like other student organizations during the fall semester, all meetings were held online. vmm*m«*-*** “THE JAMES MADISON COLLEGE STUDENT SENATE HAS AN OBLIGATION TO UPHOLD AND PROTECT THE INTERESTS AND LIVELIHOODS Of THE STUDENTS THAT WE 1 " College of Education students adapted to completing field placements online. Preparing herself for the 90-minute Zoom session ahead of her, junior English secondary education major Maria Manolias opened her laptop at 6:55 a.m. When the Zoom meeting began, she was greeted by the faces of Mrs. Eaton’s freshman advanced English class — the same class Manolias took seven years ago. During a typical school year for her field experience requirement in Learners and Learning in Context (TE302), Manolias would have been placed in a high school in Lansing’s school district. This year, the Lansing school district did not offer placements, so Manolias sought out placement elsewhere. Encouraged by her professor, she reached out to her English teacher from high school. plans and completed projects based upon an anonymous student’s data. Hi am pretty bummed [about] not getting the experience that we all expected going into the course,” Cleaver said. “But, we still get the benefit of just learning the regular course material outside of the field placement. We also still get to practice coming up with lesson plans that have some relevance to a student.” Due to the circumstances many students spent the first half of the semester without a field experience placement. Senior elementary education major Emily Elrick waited until late October for her placement in a kindergarten class via Zoom. While waiting two months for a placement was worrisome, While excited about the opportunity, Manolias found her Elrick believed it was still a beneficial experience. field placement through Zoom difficult. “I really wanted to connect with the students, and I felt like it was harder since it wasn’t face-to-face,” Manolias said. “It was hard to talk to them because most of the time, we were in a whole group, and I was just observing. I don’t think I made too many connections.” Junior elementary education major Holly Cleaver shared Manolias’ dissatisfaction with not forming a relationship with students. For Cleaver’s field experience, she was not placed in an elementary classroom over Zoom. Instead, Cleaver formed lesson HForthe longest time, I was willing to teach any grade but kindergarten,” Elrick said. “After I shadowed the classroom, I believed I could do it. I had never seen that before, and it was nice to shadow and see a kindergarten class.” Even on Zoom, students received a better understanding of the day-to-day activities in a classroom. Though staring at 24 boxes on a computer screen was not the same experience as reading a story to 24 kindergarteners around an ABC rug, students in their field placement strived to create the best learning experience for both themselves and the classes they shadowed. MSU’s College of Education is ranked number one in the United States. ¡■ M m CONTENT: ELAINE MALLONI PHOTO: KElLY BRANIGANI DESIGN: EMMA SIMON “J REALLY WANTED TO CONNECT WITH THE STUDENTS, AND I FELT LIKE IT WAS HARDER SINCE IT WASN'T FACE-TO-FACE " After publishing her and her partner’s research on Linkedin, Herskovitz was met with positive feedback from members within the hockey community. “We’re really hopeful that this research can turn into something that’s more impactful on the way that goalies are analyzed,“ Herskovitz said. According to Herskiovitz, the typical student enrolled in MTH 491 was studying actuarial science, but said that this class would be good for anyone interested. “It would be really great to get others involved,” Herskiovitz said. “Anyone interested in statistics, sports management, business or marketing can all play a role in this research.” With two years left at Michigan State, Lasker looked forward to what he would accomplish in hockey analytics. And while Herskiovitz only spent a semester working on her goalie analysis, she was grateful for the skills and practical experience the class offered. Cohen looked forward to the future success of the class and hoped for a diverse array of Spartans in MTH 491B. Lasker is creating a model that will hopefully predict how a prospective NHL player will perform, along with two professors and a group of undergraduate students. MTH 491B students created models to predict NHL hockey players’ performance. As an actuarial science major with a minor in insurance and risk management, senior Jordan Herskovitz took classes and internships aligned in that field. But when Professor Albert Cohen reached out to her with the opportunity to conduct research for hockey analytics in her required MTH 491, Herskovitz was intrigued and decided to enroll in that section. Herskovitz said this class helped to show how the math they learned could be applied to real-world situations. “Their job is basically to understand how you communicate technical ideas to non-technical audiences and hockey analytics is very good for that,” Cohen said. “So the question is, how do you segment the information that you’ve calculated and presented to that audience, that’s what 491B does, it’s a vehicle for that.” With very little knowledge of the game of hockey, Herskovitz spent the beginning of the semester learning the technicalities and rules. She turned to sophomore statistics major and Honors College student Derek Lasker for assistance. Not only an avid hockey fan, Lasker was a mentor in the class and took it in fall of 2019. “At the start of every semester, we began by asking ourselves a few questions of what sorts of problems we want to answer within the world of hockey,” Lasker said. “Whether that’s what sort of strategies a team can use, or for a past semester model, it would be how well can we predict prospective NHL players and how they will perform once in the NHL” With little research in goalie analytics present, Herskovitz and her team decided to create a model which would be the best predictor of the range of a goalie’s prime years. “We did a lot in the course of a semester, and I think we did really valuable work,” Herskovitz said. “It all was definitely the very beginning stages of goalie analytics, and we’re really interested to see where the project goes in future semesters.” Serving as a mentor, Lasker dedicated 10 hours a week to his hockey analytics research — all while taking a full course load. “As soon as I figured out this was an opportunity, I jumped at the chance,” Lasker said. “I do hope to work for a hockey team one day in a data analyst role. Who knows, it might not even be hockey.” Cohen said the teams would spend time surfing through sports articles, collecting statistics of players’ scoring output and numerous other variables with the hopes of finding indicators for player and team performance. “There are patterns that we just as human beings cannot perceive,” Cohen said. “I think that’s what the value is. If you find those hidden patterns and you can justify it and visualize it, that’s really the value of what we’re doing.” CONTENT: ELAINE MAÜLONI PHOTO: BEZA DESTA I DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE 'AS SOOH AS I TEAM OHE DAY III A DATA AHALYST ME. WHO SHOWS. IT MIGHT HOT 129 Venezuelan maracas before, so it was really quite thrilling to witness our incredibly talented soloist Manuel Alejandro Rangel perform,” Sowers said. “Music is a universal language that unites us all. I have made lifelong friendships within the College of Music and feel proud to call it my home.” After the recording was submitted and the students’ instruments were packed away, all there was left to do was wait for the results. The Wind Symphony had been on a long journey through King Mangoberry’s kingdom and deserved to relax and to celebrate their well-earned nomination. The MSU Wind Symphony made Spartan history by being nominated for two Latin Grammy awards. ‘4 From the plight of Queen Cherrygus to the magic of Wizard Walconut, King Mangoberry’s Suite made a statement on the politics of existence through a fictional royal court made up of unique — and organic — characters. With MSU professor Ricardo Lorenz’s original composition and professor of conducting Dr Kevin Sedatole conducting the MSU Wind Symphony, the whole album, “King Mangoberry” and “Pataruco,” one of the songs on the album, was nominated for two Latin Grammy awards. It was rare for an academic institution to receive such nominations. From the students performing the suite to the CD artwork created by students at the Chippewa Middle School in Okemos, Lorenz claimed the success was a community effort. “It takes an immense amount of manpower,” Lorenz said. “There’s a lot of people behind the scenes that you don’t see. "MUSIC IS A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE THAT UNITES US ALL I HAVE MADE LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS WITHIN THE COLLEGE OF MUSIC AND FEEL PROUD TO CALL IT MY HOME/' The producers, the engineers, the marketing, the artwork, and there are so many people involved to come up with something. We invited so many young, creative people to imagine King Mangoberry’s world.” Adam Epler, a senior saxophone music performance major, said that working together to perform and record the suite helped the Wind Symphony to become closer as a band and a community. “It was a lot of fun,” Epler said. “The music wasn’t just great, but we had a lot of fun with each other playing it. The music was upbeat, it was lively and it had depth to it. It’s easy to be distracted by the music itself You are sitting in the band and you almost get wrapped up in what other people are doing and get caught up in the momentjBj Inviting a maraca soloist to guest star in the piece “Pataruco,” students were able to witness an authentic Latin music performance firsthand. Stephanie Sowers, a senior performance major, believed that the suite brought cultural awareness and appreciation towards the maracas and Latin music. “Most of the Wind Symphony had not been exposed to CONTENT: KATRIANNA RAY I PHOTO: KELLY BRANICANI DESIGN:JILLIAN DUTCH wsssr Kevinl 5fdilor Kevin Sedatole, a professor of music, holds the CD of the Latin Grammy nominated music he conducted. The Latin Grammy Awards were held on Nov. 19,2020. The front of the MSU College of Music on a gloomy day. The college hosts students from over 20 countries and 35 states. • “Reflectingyour entire community is an ethical imperative for journalists — we have to do it,” Grimm said. “Our ethics code says we’re supposed to seek the truth and report it. If we don’t even keep track of who we’re talking to or how well our content reflects our community, we are being unethical because we haven’t been thoughtful or diligent.” Reporters at the School ofjournalism were told early on in their journalism journey at Michigan State that they are not only student journalists, but full-fledged reporters. In learning howto include diverse sources in their reporting in JRN 300, students were well on their way to refining their expertise within the world of reporting. JRN 300 students learned how to report in diverse environments. From pitching stories, recording interviews and doing background research on top of normal classwork, journalists in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences have a lot to keep track of Often information about their contacts could become messy or even lost due to the normal chaotic nature of being a student. Joe Grimm, a professor in the School ofjournalism, created a sourcing tool for JRN 300 students to help keep track of all this information. “I thought if we had this information all in one place, we can begin to understand what we were doing as a group,” Grimm said. “We can compare it to what we know about our communities to see if we’re actually ref lecting the communities.” Sources were able to inform journalism students about themselves by answering multiple choice questions including characteristics about their age bracket and political affiliation. There was also an open-ended option for each answer in order to reflect the diverse population of East Lansing and the surrounding area. Data was then collected and kept as a demographic reference. Kyle Davidson, a junior journalism major who helped Grimm on the project, stressed the importance of letting all voices be heard. “When you try to put people into boxes, obviously you’ll meet people who don’t fit into those boxes and it’s important to let those people self-identify and be heard,” Davidson said. “We live in a diverse community and a diverse world, so when you add the opportunity to include diverse sources in your story, you should. That’s just good reporting.™ "MELIMINA DIVERSE COMMUNITY AND A DIVERSE DIVERSE SOURCES IN YOUR STORY YOU SHOULD GOOD REPORTING" The project was implemented in JRN 300, which was a required course for journalism majors. This was done so students would have experience with reporting that showcased the entire community. CONTENT; KATRIANNA RAY I PHOTO: SHELDON KRAUSE I DESIGN:JULIAN DUTCH Recipients talked about the importance of, and their role in, social change. The Dr. Martin Luther Kingjr. Scholarship Program rewarded Spartans who significantly engaged in social change to help create inclusive communities. The endowed scholarship recipients exhibited strong leadership skills and were heavily involved in extracurricular activities through which they built better and more embracing communities. Breanna Williams, a sophomore human biology major, was involved in the Charles Drew Science Scholars program and the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students. She was also a member of the Honors College and Black Girl Fitness. “As a college student, being a role model and helping others is very important,” Williams said. “As a peer mentor for the Charles Drew Science Scholar program, I have learned a lot about the importance of leading the way for others. I play a large role in the transition and matriculation of high school students to first- year college students. I help with emotional, social and educational support to ensure their success at Michigan State University.” *‘4 STRONG SOCIETY IS BUILT OFF THE FOUNDATION OF CHILDREN. AS WE GROW, NEW GENERATIONS COME AND GO." In her future, Williams planned to be an advocate for women, minorities and the youth. Her goal was to create a community clinic where women could obtain “accessible, adequate and compassionate healthcare.” Junior chemistry major Angel Edwards was an intercultural aide on campus. She was also part of the Drew Scholars Minority Scholar Program and an undergraduate researcher under two professors. Edwards worked as a pharmacy technician at CVS, where she performed coronavirus tests. Additionally, Edwards was the cofounder for the AJL Minority Pre-Pharmacy Organization. “My main goal is to educate minorities about the medication they’re taking,” Edwards said. Edwards intended to receive her PharmD and her PhD, as well as focus her research on hypertension and its prevalence in the African-American community. Ayo Ifaturoti, a junior physiology major, was a board member of two organizations on campus: The African Student Union (ASU) and the Premedical Association (PMA). She also spent time volunteering at the Holy Cross Soup Kitchen. “My career goals are to become a pediatrician,” Ifaturoti said. “I love working with kids and just being able to provide them the necessary care, to give them checkups and make sure they’re healthy and happy. That’s how I want to contribute with them to help them grow. A strong society is built off the foundation of children. As we grow, new generations come and go.” All of the recipients dedicated their time to helping better the diverse communities around them. Through their leadership and passions, they planted the seeds of their futures while strengthening surrounding communities and intended to only further help society in working towards social change and justice. EHHpMHfiap iü:fP la*HH ‘ft:?' v. ■ *,* - ’ | '"G I H Breanna Williams, a pre-med student, smiles brightly in a studio. She was one of the Dr. Martin King Luther Jr. Honors College Scholarship winners. CONTENT: BAILEY EDDINGTON I PHOTO: PROVIDED BY AWARD RECIPIENTS I DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE If mi Angel Edwards, a pre-pharmacy chemistry major, smiles in front of a peaceful pond. She was one of the Dr. Martin King Luther Jr. Honors College Scholarship winners. IX mm »mt sure to follow coronavirus protocol. The Florse Center had around eight to 12 students working, and the Swine Facility had six to 14 students working on daily activities. Ashleigh Motoligin, a senior animal science major, worked on the farms as a research assistant in years past. Motoligin expressed the excitement she felt when she was able to bottle feed a baby lamb her freshman year and felt terrible that other students would not get that experience. “I think it is great that they do offer the virtual labs, but I think for students taking these courses, it is not as hands-on, which could be a barrier,” Motoligin said. During the difficult time of learning completely online, the South Campus Animal Farms and its students adapted to create the best way to learn. With online tours, live feeds from teachers and old videos documenting the facilities, students and faculty made the best of the situation out on the farm. The South Campus Animal Farms taught students while maintaining public health guidelines. South of Michigan State University’s main campus, students saw a drastic change in scenery. Instead of towering apartment buildings, busy shops and bustling streets, visitors saw wide open land and animals roaming behind fences next to the road. This was the daily scene for students who studied veterinary medicine or animals in their respective field. The South Campus Animal Farms included seven different teaching and research centers: beef cattle, beef cow-calf, dairy cattle, horse teaching, poultry, sheep and swine. Maria Decator, a senior animal science major, enjoyed visiting the farms during her freshman year. She expressed how much fun it was to learn outdoors. “It was definitely different than just sitting in a classroom and learning about these animals,” Decator said. “We actually got to go there and see them in a more natural setting. It definitely made my day a little better because it was not just me going class- to-class.” Due to coronavirus, the farms canceled in-person labs and guest visits, with one exception. The Fundamentals of Florsemanship, ANS140, was a course that allowed students to travel to the Florse Teaching and Research Center. In class, students learned how to properly ride and handle a horse. Paula Hitzler, manager of the Florse Teaching and Research Center, was excited to have an in-person class; however, she felt sorry for the students not able to gain experience in the centers. “So much of it is actually getting your hands on the horse, seeing facilities and being a part of it,” Hitzler said. “So it is very difficult to have any real quality teaching as it relates to horses online from a handling perspective.” The other classes offered to students in the College of Agriculture transitioned to an online format, with labs being replaced by video tours, or in Kevin Turner’s case, a livestream. Turner was the farm manager of the Swine Teaching and Research Facility. With labs canceled or in an online format, Turner decided to make the students’ learning more interesting. “I basically do a live feed from the farm,” Turner said. “Talking about or trying to demonstrate any points or areas of production that we are focusing on that week of the semester.” Madison Florvath, a sophomore prevet major, was enrolled for a lab in the spring semester. After taking two classes on the farms her freshman year, Florvath was excited to go back to the rural landscape. “I have ANS 110 this semester, but I have the lab portion next semester online,” Florvath said. “I am kind of sad because I was really excited to be able to go to all the different farms.” Some students were able to work on the farms while making CONTENT ELENA COUSINOI PHOTO: KELLY BRANICANI DESIGN: GABRIELLE MCKEEVER IT WAS DEFINITELY DIFFERENT THAN JUST SlUING IN A CLASSROOM AND LEARNING ABOUT THESE ANIMUS. WE ACTUALLY GOT TO GO THERE AND SEE THEM IN A MORENATURU SETTING. IT DEFINITELY MADE MY DAY A LITTLE BETTER BECAUSE IT WAS NOT JUST ME GOING CLASS-TO-CLASS." A foal looks curiously at the camera through the fence. MSU’s horse farm has one of the longest continuous Arabian horse breeding programs in the United States. The sun sets over MSU’s dairy farm. The dairy farm has approximately 200 cows used for teaching, research and production purposes. 137 RCAHcrs discussed their chances to grow at the Language and Media Center. The Language and Media Center (LMC) was a place in which Residential College in the Arts and Humanities (RCAH) students could go to create art, collaborate on projects and receive help from the people who ran the center. The LMC provided many RCAH students with the opportunity to grow as artists and connect with their college community. expect,” said Lopez. “I made zines and stickers. I’m paid to learn more and create. I have a place in this world as an artist.” Olivia Moses, another senior RCAH student, worked at the LMC for four semesters. Not only did the LMC provide Moses with a job, but it also helped better her skills because of all the available resources, especially in regards to Adobe softwares. Baz Pugmire, a senior RCAH student, discovered new “I love helping with whatever someone needs assistance artistic paths while using the LMC throughout their time at MSU. The LMC provided students with resources to learn about new forms of art, such as zines, which inspired Pugmire to make their own. Zines are pieces of art that are made out of small texts and images. “The LMC opened up new routes for me,” Pugmire said. “I would never have thought of making zines before. It makes me think out of the box.” The LMC was also a place where students not only have the opportunity to grow their artistic skills, but expand their portfolios as well. “I have this little zine about how we can be more environmentally conscious with our burial choices,” Pugmire said. “Without knowledge that the LMC provided, I wouldn’t have this piece for my portfolio.” with, or just hanging out and talking,” Moses said. “Even now, during COVID-19 and the time of social distancing, we have managed to still cater to the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities by working remotely. All of us miss being able to work on site, but we’re also grateful that we have this social connection even during the pandemic.” The LMC was a unique facet to the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities that granted many Spartans with contemporary resources to design and work on their creative projects. This space allowed Spartan artists to come together and gain new skills and resources to advance their work and future. The LMC reminded many students that they had a place to help them succeed as students and as artists. “J HAVE A PLACE IN THIS WORLD AS AN ARTIST." Pugmire, like many other students who used the facilities at LMC, received access to graphic design software and other art resources. “The LMC has presented me with access to Adobe suite, which I wouldn’t have on my own,” Pugmire said. “It opens me to a lot of opportunities. There’s a screen printing machine and they also have podcast recording stuff that you can utilize for classes and projects.® Chrystel Lopez, a junior RCAH major, valued LMC’s space as somewhere that gave her the time and a place to develop her art. Lopez also worked at the LMC. “I’ve learned so much about art and mediums you wouldn’t CONTENT: BAILEY EDDINGTON I PHOTO: GEORGE PHAM I DESIGN:JULIAN DUTCH Pugmire poses at Snyder-Phillips Hall. They frequented the new design spaces at the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities. ! IB BHhBr 1111111 : BwHBBHqM&MiMl WKAR created a video that displayed the level of droplets that get into the air from coughing with and without a mask. Amey Barde was a research associate in the mechanical engineering department at Michigan State University when he was approached by the College of Engineering and WKAR about expanding his research. On Aug. 31,2020, WKAR, the public broadcasting station from MSU and a part of PBS, released a video Barde made comparing the droplets released from a person’s mouth with and without a mask. The setup of the experiment was simple, Barde said. The camera was pointed towards the side of his body, while an LED light shined behind him. “When I am coughing and then droplets are traveling towards the light source, the light that is impinging on these droplets is scattered, and some of the light goes into the camera,” Barde said. “That way these droplets are illuminated and the camera captures [them]. Regular smartphones typically capture the video within 30 frames, maybe 60 frames per second, but this camera can capture up to 2 million frames per second.” Patton Allison, an assistant professor in the mechanical engineering department, worked alongside Barde and emphasized why working with WKAR was important. '7HEIDEA WAS TO MAKE A GENERAL EDUCATION VIDEO SHOWING THAT EVEN WHEN WE ARE TALKING OR EVEN THOUGH WE MIGHT NOT SEE BIG DROPLETS COMING OUT OF OUR MOUTHTHEY DEFINITE “The idea was to make a general education video showing that even when we are talking or even coughing, though we might not see big droplets coming out of our mouth, they definitely are,” Allison said. Many students watched the video and were impressed. Lupe Grover, a sophomore nursing major, was hopeful that this educational video would drive others to wear masks. “Being able to see how the droplets work will actually encourage people to wear masks and show them the importance of wearing masks,” Grover said. Rachel VanDuinen, a sophomore nutritional science major, recalled how the video catered to everyone but was extremely important for MSU students. “I liked it because it was informative and it had a purpose that was relatable to MSU students,” VanDuinen said. Kelly Russell, a first-year medical student with the Michigan State College of Human Medicine, noted other topics that she would like to see examined. “I know, for example, that a lot of the masks that you pull up from around your neck, I have read are not as effective as an N95 mask, a surgical mask or even a cloth mask,” Russell said. “It would be interesting to see if they did a model to look at different mask usages.” With a visible representation of how droplets exit the mouth, the College of Engineering and WKAR were able to show the difference that mask-wearing makes. With it being impossible to know if the people around you have been in contact with coronavirus, it was imperative that everyone wore a mask. The video demonstrated that even if it was not for your own safety, you should still wear a mask for the health of the people around you. "DANGER! . ust! HSU«»" CONTENT: ELENA COUSINOI PHOTO: SHELDON KRAUSE I DESIGN:JILLIAN DUTCH COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE Tutors for the College of Social Science talked about their PALS program. The transition from high school to college is a tough one to navigate, especially for freshmen in the College of Social Science. Covering a wide range of topics from anthropology to criminal justice, some students found themselves struggling in these classes. Spartans however, had no need to fear, because the PALS Program was there for them. “The Peer Assisted Learning Program is a program that primarily assists freshmen students in what would be considered freshman level classes,” said Courtney Parker, a fifth-year secondary education major. “What our role is, is assisting students to not just give them the information, but giving them the tools to find the information, not just for this class, but for the experience at Michigan State moving forward.” PALS were paired up with certain professors and classes to host group study sessions and teacher assistants and tutors collaborated in running weekly meetings. Yet, many PALS tried to spice up the normal and boring Powerpoints. “For big exam reviews, I typically do a Kahoot review,” said Heather Asuncion, a third-year neuroscience major. “They really like the interactive portion.” Asuncion said that she would break up subjects into groups in what she called a hierarchy, or a concept map. She then had students summarize the topics. “It’s a way for them to both like to talk about it in small groups and be able to physically see that concept map and how everything relates together,” Asuncion said. In comparison, Esmeralda Lopez, a third-year psychology major, formatted her meetings in a different way. For her meetings, Lopez said she had students complete both a warm-up and a wrap-up activity. Like Asuncion, Lopez utilized the idea of concept mapping. “Concept mapping is where you put a circle and you put a concept in,” Lopez said. “From there, students would wrap in all the ideas together.” PALS had a strong passion for helping students, and Asuncion felt pride when she aided her students through the PALS program. “I think one of the most rewarding parts of my job is when they come back to my study sessions, and they say, ‘Hey, thank you so much for all your help,’” Asuncion said. “I think just knowing that they did better and that they actually took something away from my study sessions.” Asuncion was proud to see students break out of their shells during her study groups. To her, it was rewarding when students told her that they used her tips and tricks during exams. Being a tutor in any form was no small feat. It was often a struggle to balance classes alone, so the PALS advisors worked really hard to stay on top of their busy schedules. Lopez said she used a planner to stay organized every week. It helped her stay on track with various tasks and projects. “It really serves as a jumping point for students, you have this additional resource that it’s going to help you navigate this class that is often over 100 people, and it makes it seem so much smaller because you have that person that you can send an email or actual question,” Parker said. Students who struggled to adjust to college-level classes could find many tools and resources to help them succeed academically. The PALS program offered a unique student-driven environment that helped students realize their full potential. The campus was all the better with these dedicated and knowledgeable students working for their fellow Spartans. 142 CONTENT; JULIAN SUGAMELI I PHOTO: ALEXIS YANG I DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE Courtney Parker smiles brightly in front of Campbell Hall. A senior and a PAL tutor at the College of Social Science PAL program, his study sessions have helped students have a safe place to ask questions and talk about their worries. Three students started their own news sharing company. The public took to the new business well, with an exponential increase in viewers within the first three days of launching. Tyler Cook, a senior statistics major who graduated in December, wrote the code that allowed the newsletter to be sent out daily. “The hardest part is definitely just getting over the initial hump and trying to grow,” Cook said. “The most rewarding part, though, is definitely hearing positive feedback from friends and family. However, definitely to go out of your way and ask for criticism and feedback from your audience. With just three of us, there’s just so many aspects that we never even thought about.” Although it began with a bet, 90 Second News proved just how valuable teamwork could be. By utilizing all three of the co-founders’ unique skill sets and experiences, 90 Second News launched in 2020 with great success. From social media to virtual classes, the online world was full of distractions, and despite having constant access to the news, it was hard to find the time to stay informed. However, according to 90 Second News, everyone had at least 90 seconds a day to spare. Those 90 seconds could be before getting out of bed or while waiting to start a Zoom lecture. Created by three Broad College of Business students, 90 Second News aimed to help keep busy students informed and up-to-date with the news. The 90 Second News website was built to deliver top news stories into inboxes in the form of a newsletter. Each email was “easily digestible” and designed to be read in 90 seconds or less. Austin Langlinais, a senior supply chain major who graduated in December, was the CEO of 90 Second News. Langlinais started the business after a bet. “I DM’d one of the co-founders of the Morning Brew and bet him $20 that I could write a better newsletter than his entire team,” Langlinais said. “He accepted and a day later, I had secured an interview with them. It gave me the motivation to try to break into the newsletter space on my own, and it’s been well worth it.” The team was small, with only three MSU graduates working on it. From recording the daily podcasts and keeping the company’s Instagram updated, to writing and releasing the actual newsletters, the team worked together to stay on task. Joe Hegger, a mechanical engineering graduate, was one of the co-founders of 90 Second News. “My only advice is to find the right group of people that share your mindset and get to work,” Hegger said. “It’ll be tough, it’s not supposed to be easy, but the satisfaction you’ll receive down the line makes it all worth it.” ^Second News XXVI. That’s all it takes. « / / COLLEGE The digital care package and the LBC advisors were key resources for many demographics, including first-generation college students. Blerta Prenaj, a senior human biology major and a peer advisor, was one of those first-generation students. “I enrolled in Michigan State University as a blank slate,” Prenaj said. “Compared to other students, I felt that my educational support system was at a disadvantage until I found out about the Lyman Briggs advisors. As a peer advisor, I enjoy sharing my experiences, different resources, providing personalized advice and accommodate the needs of students, so that each individual and our community achieves success.” • To combat the winter blues and the stresses of finals week, the LBC advisors offered support in a creative way with their digital care package of resources. The package was a success, with over a thousand views during finals week by their LBC peers. Due to the positive reactions from the rest of the Spartan community, the package would become a recurring tool for students for years to come. Peer advisors supported their other Lyman Briggs students in a creative way during finals. Finals week was one of the most stressful weeks for a college student. From the copious amounts of exams to the seemingly endless amount of group projects and papers, there was never time for a break. However, the Lyman Briggs Peer Academic advisors put together a package to help out their fellow Spartans. The LBC digital care package was created to help connect the peer academic advisors with their fellow “Briggsies.” From study tips to activities for improving students’ mental health, the package also shared helpful resources to help get through finals week. "MY FAVORITE PART ABOUT THE DIGITAL CARE PACKAGE IS ALSO THAT IT WAS CREATED BY STUDENTS FOR STUDENTS> 1 The package offered suggestions on how to stay driven, how to prevent stress and how to cope with the tensions that came naturally with finals week. Serene Abu-Hamdan, a senior biology major and a peer advisor, stressed how important the resource was during online schooling. “We know how difficult it can be going through finals without friends or faculty close by, so with everyone being online this semester, we wanted to create a resource that had multiple helpful and motivational content in it to get students through finals week,” Abu-Hamdan said. “After we got such a great response from the first time the digital care package was launched, we knew that we had to launch it again as a recurring resource for students.” The package was a collaboration between the LBC academic advisors, peer advisors and the communications manager, Blythe White. The package featured resources that focused on both academics and personal wellness, said Abby Struble, a senior physiology major and a peer advisor. “My favorite part about the digital care package is also that it was created by students for students,” Struble said. “Serene, Blerta and I each included resources or tips into the package that we’ve found helpful throughout our time at MSU. The package contains a variety of resources because everyone has different support needs.” 146 CONTENT: KATRIANNA RAY I PHOTO: GEORGE PHAM I DESIGN: GABRIELLE MCKEEVER Serene Abu-Hamdan poses with Brendan Flum at the Union. She is a senior in Lyman Briggs and pursuing a degree in Human Biology. Wm ¡111 Im •M I l i ifciaiispB RHOTO:MIZ,HOS¡RQ| mmmm MmtMÊBii Hi W^'ÍÉ. wm$m Üi ¡ ! iiSl i ì m H M H 156-157 A Six Percent Change 158-159 Football Photography 160-161 A Different Kind of Crowd 162-163 Persisting Through the Challenge 164-165 Football Photography 166-167 Another Level of Intensity 168-169 Un-Fore-Gettable 170-171 Take Me Out to the Ball Came 172-173 “Don’t Count Us Out” 174-175 Be Where Your Feet Are 176-177 Soccer Photography 178-179 Up in the Air 180-181 Volleyball Photography 182-183 Victory for MSU 184-185 Men’s Basketball Photography 186-187 Marching On 188-189 Women’s Basketball Photography 190-191 Cutting it Short 192-193 The Battle to Save Swim and Dive 194-195 Men’s Basketball Photography 196-197 Gymnastics in an Age of Imperfection 198-199 Changing the Culture 200-201 Hockey Photography 202-203 Resilience A SIX PERCENT CHANCE Head Coach Mel Tucker won his first career game at the Big House White spent the week before the game seeking the guidance of Lombardi and his coaches. “We have been focused on this game,” White said. “Coach Tucker, Coach Hawk, all of the coaches on the coaching staff have been focused on this game. They knew how important it was, so we just wanted to go out and play for them.” •• As Lombardi watched Tucker dance triumphantly in the locker room that Halloween afternoon, he knew his suspicions about the team were correct. Although the odds were stacked against MSU, the team rode the bus back to East Lansing with the Paul Bunyon trophy. Despite how the rest of the season may have gone, the team and Spartan nation would always remember the excitement surrounding Tucker’s first win as head coach. Despite losing the first game of the season to Rutgers University by a score of 37-2^ senior quarterback Rocky Lombardi did not feel dread for the games to come. Rather, Lombardi looked around at his teammates in the locker room and felt the excitement swell in his chest. Lombardi knew that these players were special—and that they could win. “All I’m thinking in my head is that we have got some guys,” Lombardi said. “We can move the ball offensively. We can win any game that we come into if we have the right mindset and a great attitude. We have a good offense. We have a good defense. We gave up 38 points against Rutgers, but that was on us.” The week following the Spartans’ defeat by Rutgers, the team was not just preparing for its second game of the season, but against its greatest rival—the University of Michigan. Senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons shared Lombardi’s belief that the team had the capability to defeat Michigan on its own turf For Simmons, the rivalry against Michigan began long before he put on his number 34 jersey. Attending high school less than 200 feet from the Big House, Simmons had many friends and community members that were rooting against him. With Simmons’ last chance to defeat Michigan, he stressed the importance to his team of making every play count. “It was a focus week,” Simmons said. % made sure everyone knew we were going to a big game. We had to play for 60 minutes. This game went all the way up to the very last play. The guys who played against Michigan before knew what it took to win this game, and we did that.” For Simmons, he finished his MSU career reigning victorious in the Big House. As for Coach Mel Tucker, he began his first year as head coach achieving what only one has done before him in the school’s program. Tucker defeated MSU’s greatest rival in his first season. “Coach Tuck is even-keeled and smooth—nothing gets to him,iLombardi said. “He was calm. He was collected. He gave us confidence when we were out there, but after the game, you could tell it was emotional for him. He understands the rivalry. He was here as a [graduate assistant]. He’s been through this, so he understands what this game means to us, to our fans, to this state.”' However, Tucker was not the only one making history during the Michigan versus MSU game. Freshman wide receiver Ricky White recorded 196 reception yards in his debut, tying him for seventh place in MSU’s history for most yards in one game. In addition, White now held MSU’s single-game freshman receiving record. CONTENT: ELAINE MALLONI PHOTO: ARMAND SAAVEDRA I DESIGN: GABRIELLE MCKEEVER |¡|¡§I WÈËËÊÈÈË WpmmMÊm— M M * ÜÜW Illiiinil « W WÊmm 3BHI :«S88iBttKaM Junior Corner Back, Shakur Brown prepares for the next down. ^1 MSU beat Northwestern 29-20. E MRkeever mmm mmm WfflÆm Fans couldn’t attend football games, but it didn’t stop them from being there in spirit. Flooded with fans wearing green and white, Spartan Stadium presented students and fans with an atmosphere unlike anywhere else. During the 2020 football season, the stadium looked a bit different. Instead of actual fans crowding the stands, fans could opt to purchase a cardboard cutout of themselves to take their place. The cutout could be of the fan’s face or even their pet. Some could even spot their cutouts on television while watching the game. For Calvin Olson, sophomore wildlife and fisheries major, the cutout was a way for him and his friends to have a laugh while still showing their support for the team. “I got the email from the athletic department, and my friends and I thought it was kind of funny,” Olson said. “We talked about how one of us needs to get it, and I volunteered. It’s just kind of funny because of the off-chance that you will see yourself on TV” The football cutouts ranged from different prices based on the status of the individual. For Olson, as a student, the cutout was $50. The athletic department also shipped the cutouts to individuals who paid an extra $25. Olson said his friends were happy to pitch in the extra cash. The process of buying and submitting a photo was relatively simple. The department would determine if the picture was acceptable or not, then the order would be complete. Olson said that they were not too strict on the guidelines for photo submission. “They had guidelines, but they were still pretty lenient,” Olson said. “I submitted a picture of me, and on my t-shirt it had, ‘B-; I’m a Spartan,’ on it, and it got accepted.” Fans who purchased the cutouts were able to help support their team and cheer them on, not only from home, but through their cardboard counterparts. “I think it is fun,” Olson said.. “It gives you a way to support the players, your program and the school.” The cutouts gave fans a sense of team pride. For senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons, the cutouts made the playing feel the same as if the stadium was packed with fans. It didn’t affect how he played. “To me, it felt like a normal game,” Simmons said. “We just had to bring a little more energy on the sideline.” The MSU basketball program also had cutouts placed inside of the Breslin Center Coach Tom Izzo said he enjoyed seeing the cutouts in the stands, but he thinks they have room for improvement. “You got to give credit to our fans who have bought these cutouts and make them look a little better,” said MSU basketball coach Tom Izzo in a press conference. “I think we should pay a little more for the cutouts and motorize them so they can yell at those officials. That’s the only thing they’re not doing a very good job of” MSU basketball guard Joshua Langford said the stadium felt empty without the students cheering for him in the Izzone. “It was definitely different, because you are just used to playing with fans,” the MSU graduate student said after the Eastern Michigan game. “I believe we have the greatest fans in the country with the Izzone, so you definitely miss the fans. But, at the same time, I’m a competitor, so as long as I’m able to be out there, put two shoes on and play, I’m good.” The cardboard cutouts in Spartan Stadium and the Breslin Center represented the Spartan community as a whole. With fans adapting to sitting at home watching the games, they were still able to support their team by buying a placeholder in the stands. The cutouts also brought joy to fans of every team with the chance that they could still be seen on television. Even if the cutouts did not directly affect the outcome of the games, they showed how Spartans would come together to support each other, no matter what. CONTEND ELENA COUSINOI PHOTO: ARMAND SAAVEDRA I DESIGN:JULIAN DUTCH PER TINGI ( The men’s and women’s cross country teams performed well at the Big Ten Championship tournament. E C &LLENGE I After spending the previous seven months in his hometown of Auckland, New Zealand, sophomore James Uhlenberg returned to East Lansing in early January. Uhlenberg was excited for the Big Ten Cross Country tournament, but he faced many challenges. While in Auckland, he trained by himself in warm, 85-degree weather — different from snowy Michigan. It was a shock for Uhlenberg, an advertising major, just like many of the events that occurred in the past year. we’re also developing our sort of speed endurance for our track meets,” Uhlenberg said. According to Magness, the success of the individuals was dependent upon a cohesive unit. “We can’t do it without everybody,” Magness said. “After winning this Big Ten title, it’s like proof that we need all the pieces of the puzzle together.aH Like every other Spartan sports team, the cross country Uhlenberg proceeded to place seventh, receiving first team team was dedicated to performing at the highest caliber. “You know, some people might see us out in the middle of winter when it’s literally one, two degrees and snowing,” Uhlenberg said. “They might think we’re psychopaths, but we go out there every day looking to represent green and white.” The Big Ten Championship tournament was the first and only meet of the season before the NCAA tournament. Though the setting of the tournament and being surrounded by snow was not ideal, the Spartans did what they do best — they persisted. The Michigan State Women’s Country team celebra their award. The team the Bis Ten Championship tournament. all-conference honors in the Big Ten Championship tournament. Hi was just happy to be out there and to be assertive^' Uhlenberg said. “It was my first Big Ten Championship tournament, for I was injured the last two seasons. To get out and to get first team honors was my goal. I am pretty happy that I achieved my goal.” Freshman business major Brendan Favazza did not have a normal start to his college cross country career His first race was the Big Ten Championship tournament and he placed 14th. “It was my first real college race for cross country,” Favazza said. “I think it was a great start. A good foot in the door for me.” As for the women’s team, they earned their eighth Big Ten Championship title. It was the team’s second year in a row earning this title. But the team never placed any expectations on itself, said senior apparel and textile design major India Johnson. “We had never really talked about it as a team, that we wanted to go and keep the title here in East Lansing,” Johnson said. “We kind of just knew that we had to show up that day and give it everything that we had. Whatever the result was, we would be happy with it because we gave it everything that we had.” In the midst of the cross country season, many of the athletes were also participating in track as well. Athletes that competed in both sports were separated in different training pods than cross country runners. According to Jenna Magness, it made team bonding more challenging. . ’“You’re not going to always get the opportunity to see everybody when you want to,” the chemical engineering student said. “You have to jump on the fact that you’re seeing somebody at practice and make conversation with them. Or even if it’s a Zoom call, like you want to have conversation, you have to have conversation when you can because you’re not always going to have the chance.H| While agreeing with the difficulty in team bonding, Uhlenberg believed he benefited from splitting his time between two different sports. “It’s making us a lot stronger because we’re having to get ready for a cross country course, but at the same time, you know, CONTENT ELAINE MALLONI PHOTO: MSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS I DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE “THEY MIGHT THINK WE’RE another level of intensity.” Jennifer Timotin, a junior psychology major, played tennis at Michigan State for two years. At the time, the team’s record was 3-1, and Timotin spoke to the caliber of MSU’s tennis program. ■The quality of tennis in college is extremely high,” Timotin said. “Especially because MSU is a Big Ten school. It’s a good tennis program.” "IT'S BEEN A PRETTY GOOD TURNAROUND FIRST TIME WE’VE WON ¡A0AINST] TWO BIG TEN TEAMS IN SEVEN YEARS/’ SEASIT’S THE Both Lewis and Timotin were transfer students and found the women’s tennis team to be a welcoming organization full of unique individuals who work hard and have each other’s backs. “I transferred, and it was a really tough freshman year,” Timotin said. “MSU’s women’s tennis team is a huge family.” Both teams made great strides in their programs during a difficult year filled with unanticipated outcomes. They, too, were there for one another as teammates and friends, enhancing their experiences as Spartan athletes. Tennis players talked about their season and experiences through the pandemic. Tennis has been a part of Michigan State’s campus since it was originally known as Michigan Agriculture College, or M.A.C. It started as an intercollegiate sport with Olivet and Albion in the 1880s, according to MSU Sports History. It was also a sport that admitted both men and women to participate in competitions. In the 2020-21 school year, both the men’s and women’s tennis teams were worried that they might not have a season as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. However, teams were able to compete during this new and unprecedented time. Carson Cates, a junior physiology major, played tennis at Michigan State for three years. “This year has been really good,” Cates said. “We were really nervous about having a season because of COVID. We’re 2-2. We beat Minnesota and Purdue. They’re our first big wins.” Although the tennis teams were able to have their season, things were different for both players and coaches. The players weren’t able to hang out with each other after practices, they had to wear masks on the bus and find creative ways to hold team meetings that abided by safety guidelines. “We have to wear masks throughout the whole game,” Gates said. “Playing an aerobic sport with a mask on is quite difficult.” Anthony Pero, a junior mechanical engineering major, was also on the MSU men’s tennis team for three years. “It’s been a good start,” Pero said. “It’s been a pretty good turnaround season. It’s the first time we’ve won [against] two Big Ten teams in seven years.” The men’s tennis team did not only overturn the teams’ stats by defeating two Big Ten teams in nearly a decade, but also provided a welcoming environment for its athletes. “It’s been a great experience being here,” Pero said. “My journey here is a pretty interesting one. My family was in Europe, and the team has been more than a team for me.” Mary Lewis, a senior and double major in communications and human development and family studies, was on Michigan State’s women’s tennis team for three years. Lewis explained how the 2020-21 tennis season was the most distinctive yet. “It’s different for sure, but I can understand the precautions because it’s better to be safe than sorry,” Lewis said. The players got tested every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and received spit tests on Tuesdays. They also wore masks while in gymnasium facilities, especially when other individuals who were not part of the team were nearby. Although these differences persisted for the whole year, it didn’t impact the team’s competitiveness. “I’m excited for every match,” Lewis said. “No matter who you play, it’s a competitive match. Michigan, they always ignite IBn Golfers talked about their experiences as Spartan student-athletes. Every sport this year had to make sacrifices in order to play their game. Many athletes worried that they wouldn’t have the chance to play at all, yet Spartans were able to cautiously coordinate the success of all sports. Golf was one of the safest sports that had the opportunity to compete during the coronavirus pandemic. Despite golfs natural-safety when it came to the spread of COVID- 19, it didn’t stop the golf teams from abiding by CDC guidelines and getting tested for the virus almost daily. T’TZach Rosendale, a senior social science education major, was recruited through amateur golfing events and committed to the MSU men’s golf team at the young age of 14. “It was back in eighth grade,” Rosendale said. “So I didn’t start high school yet, but it [being recruited] was through junior events and amateur events. I just kind of played well. Then they notice you, and they made me an offer” Rosendale started playing golf when he was 10 years old. He had played hockey, but once he picked up a golf club, he never looked back. He knew that he would be a Spartan before he even made it to high school. and play and practice. It wasn’t a major impact.;£s Yurika Tanida, a senior psychology major, started playing golf because of her parents who wanted her to play for fun. Eventually, however, she started to compete. “I’ve played well,” Tanida said. “I tied sixth and finished second in our last tournament.” When Tanida first joined the golf team, she didn’t speak any English, but her team supported her throughout her time at MSU. “I didn’t speak any English when I came to the States,” Tanida said. “So it was hard to communicate my freshman year, but my teammates really helped me a lot. They’re like a family and helped me improve my English.” The golf teams of MSU experienced a unique year to be involved in a sport. While having to adhere to safety guidelines,, the teams competed in tournaments and experienced memories. Some players created last moments with their college team and new faces joined the team. Overall, the men’s and women’s golf teams persevered and were able to have safe and successful seasons. "ITS GONE BY FAST, I THINK BEING A STUDENT-ATHLETE FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS HAS TAUGHT ME A LOT AND HELPED ME GROW UP FASTER/’ “It’s gone by fast,” Rosendale said. “I think being a student- athlete for the past four years has taught me a lot and helped me grow up faster. Being able to manage school and sports was difficult at first, but now I have it under control. It’s been a good ride, and it’s kind of bittersweet knowing it’s almost over, but I still have a season to play.” Valery Plata, a junior supply chain management major, discussed the new changes she experienced while playing golf during the pandemic. Although golf was a great sport for social distancing, the players still made adjustments to be as safe as possible. “We have to get tested before we play, and we have to wear masks during warmups,” Plata said. “We got shut down our first week here, MLK weekend, which we usually go down to Florida CONTENT BAILEY EDDINGTON I PHOTO: MSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS I DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE Players discussed being student-athletes and the special bond between teammates." Baseball, one of the most popular and recognized sports in America, held a special role in MSU’s athletic history. The all- American sport has been part of Spartan history since MSU was known as M.A.C. Baseball was the first organized sport at the university The McLane Stadium, home to the MSU baseball team, helped shape lifelong friendships, memories and broken records for a number of baseball players throughout the years. Being a student-athlete comes with many support systems. Such platforms encouraged and strengthened Spartans to become better athletes and created friendships with their teammates. One of the pitchers from the MSU baseball team, Sam Benschoter, a senior special education major, discussed his appreciation for the opportunity to be a student-athlete. “I think it’s been one of the greatest privileges that I’ve gotten to experience in my life,” Benschoter said. “Not many people get to do what we do, and to have that privilege is really special.T Being a pitcher tends to come with leadership responsibilities due to the fact that the first pitch is critical in starting the game and getting a gauge for the prospects to come. “I really like pitching,” Benschoter said. “It’s a position that you can dictate how the game goes. Nothing can start until you throw the first pitch.”® The Big Ten conference decided to cut 12 baseball games due to the ongoing pandemic. Zach Iverson, a junior advertising management major, discussed how players were happy that none of their Big Ten games got canceled, but they still had to adapt to the new normal of playing sports during the era of the coronavirus. “I think [the pandemic] definitely makes it harder to bond with the team off the field, which is something that is part of the team 8 bonding with everybody off the field as well as on the field,” Iverson said. “So not being able to do that as much is hard.” Although the coronavirus changed the ways in which players could hang out and spend time with one another, the years they spent with each other created tight-knit friendships. ^‘-'-“There’s nothing better than always having a guy to go eat with, to go throw with, to go hit with, it’s just - there’s nothing better,” Iverson said. “I’ve had 40 to 50 guys that will just be friends for life from this team. It’s definitely something I don’t regret and will cherish forever.” Amidst the pandemic eliminating game opportunities and affecting team bonding, Bryce Kelley, a fifth-year earning a masters in finance, broke the stolen base record during his career at MSU. “Stealing bases came from a perspective on not being afraid of failure,” Kelley said. “If you get thrown out, it’s kind of demoralizing sometimes.” Kelley decided to come back for the 2021 season after previously thinking that he would be finished with his MSU baseball career Despite the fact that the pandemic changed student life and athlete life alike, Kelley appreciated being surrounded by the team. .“It’s incredible,” Kelley said. “My first couple of years here® you don’t realize how significant it is and how much of an impact you can have here. The opportunities that were provided here is something we can’t take for granted.” Baseball had a long history from being the first organized sport at MSU, which led the way for other sports to become formalized at the university. Along with its historical significance, baseball was a sport that cultivated lasting friendships and a reliable support system, even through a pandemic. Senior pitcher Sam Benschoter steps forward to pitch the ball. Benschoter was an Academic All-Big Ten honoree and ranked third in the Big Ten in 2020 CONTENT: BAILEY EDDINGTON I PHOTO: ARMAND SAAVEDRA I DESIGN: EMMA SIMON 'TYE HAD HD TO 50 GUYS THAT WILL JUST BE FRIENDS FOR LIFE FROM THIS TEAM. IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING I DON'T REGRET AND WILL CHERISH FOREVER" ■HHBI The Michigan State softball season proved tough, but players enjoyed the moments they had this year. For many of us, the first moment we understood the severity of this pandemic was when sports were shut down. The NBA famously canceled its evening games with fans sitting in seats, almost 30 minutes before tip off Gyms closed, soccer nets and basketball hoops were taken down. For athletes at every level, from beer league to professional, our favorite pastimes were interrupted by the crashing waves of a global virus. Student- athletes at Michigan State felt this the same as anyone else. For many on the softball team, a chance to play again was a welcome moment. Joanna Bartz, a senior studying human biology and player on the softball team, explained how much she appreciated a chance to get on the field this season. “Just being able to play is the biggest highlight, especially with me being a senior,” Bartz said. “I didn’t know if I was going to be able to play again. Just being able to be back out on the field and playing good teams is really a highlight.” - • Incoming freshmen faced an incredibly unique situation. Ashley Miller, the business-admitted freshman, nearly lost two seasons to the novel coronavirus. With her previous season of high school softball slashed short by the pandemic, she was thankful to play again. “Getting to play with all the uncertainty in the past year, not getting to play high school,” Miller said. “I am just really thankful for the opportunity to be playing in general.” But this season wasn’t defined solely by gratitude, the Michigan State softball team came to play. “I think this is definitely one of the better seasons we have had,TBartz said. “We’ve definitely bonded as a team well and have been able to put it together on the field. Obviously there’s always room for improvement, but overall, definitely a good season.” Recent transfer student Kendall Kates, a junior psychology major, emphasized the team’s resilient mentality. .'.^“A lot of people coming in viewed us as the underdog,« Kates said. “We were ranked kind of down there in the list of Big Ten teams, and I think that we’ve proved to a lot of people that we can compete really well against some of these better teams. Don’t count us out.” The team seemed to embrace this resilience. No game was an easy win and they held good teams accountable. “The biggest moment for me so far was probably when we played Nebraska because it was our first win, and it was a really pressure situation for me pitching,” Miller said. “Really one of my first actual pitching opportunities, so I thought it was great that we picked up a win against a really good Nebraska team.” Bartz echoed the centrality of toughness for the team. “Resilient,” Bartz said. “We are very resilient.” At the end of the season, the year turns forward. Seniors graduate and new freshmen arrive. The softball team anticipated good things for the future. “ [We will] just keep trending upward,” Miller said. “We still have a pretty young team playing, and I’m just really excited for the next coming years. I know some of the commits coming in in the next couple years, and they’re really great people, so I think they will impact the program in a positive way, not only on the softball field but also outside of the softball field.” Some seniors even found a way to keep giving for the team. Bartz committed to working as a student coach next season, even as she outruns her playing eligibility. She and this team grabbed every chance they could to play. In an attempt to restore normality, the softball team returned to the field and fought for a season. "ITHINK THAT WE'YE PROVED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WE CAN COMPffi REALLY WELL AQAiNST SOME OF THESE BETTER TEAMS. PONT COUNT IIS OUT." CONTENT: KEECAN SULLIVAN I PHOTO: ARMAND SAAVEDRA I DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAECHE Senior Alii Walker winds up for a pitch. MSU softball ended their season with a 14-26 record. The men’s and women’s soccer teams grew together out of their hardships When students received the announcement that all sports would be canceled or postponed in March 2020, many athletes who played in the fall of 2020 hoped that their seasons wouldn’t be affected. To their surprise, their seasons were postponed for a year and a half They never knew what was going to happen next. Outside of the normal stresses of training and game day, Spartan soccer players had more requirements to their pushed- back season than normal. Both teams woke up early six days a week for routine COVID-19 testing. Players had to also wear masks at every practice and stay in their specific, closeknit bubble to help keep their team as safe as possible. Michelle Herring, a senior mechanical engineering major, stressed the “maximum flexibility”, ’ that the team had to have during the unconventional season. “The season really differed in the commitment that was asked of us,” Herring said. “It was really necessary for everyone to step up and to understand that in order for us to step up and have a successful season, that you be invested 100%. This sport is really dependent on the relationships and the connections we have with each other on and off the field.” Rather than the season taking place with their usual fall schedule, both the men’s and women’s teams were pushed back to the spring. While disappointing to many players, others believed it gave them more time to improve on their skills. Isiah Handspike, a senior human capital and society major, related the extended training time to “soccer camp.” “We came together as a group better than I thought that we would,” Handspike said. “In 2019, we had a full season and not a lot of wins. We went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. This season, we had an average season, but the improvement we saw as a team and with certain players stepping up, I was really proud as the only senior to go out, and I know that when I graduate, they will make even more improvements in the future and be totally fine.j||| While most players didn’t know what was going to happen next with their season, they continued to practice and train to still make the most of it. Danielle Stephan, a senior human capital and society major, wished to finish off her career strong. “You can get really wrapped up in wanting to move on, wanting to do the next thing, not wanting to be at practice, wanting to move on to the future, but that moment you’re not going to get back,” Stephan said. “Be where your feet are, live in the moment.” While this season was not as many expected, it was surely one that the men’s and women’s soccer teams would remember. From staying as a closeknit group, to making the summer and fall training sessions out to be like a soccer camp, both teams grew closer together and stronger as a whole from this atypical year. CONTENT: KATRIANNA RAY I PHOTO: ARMAND SAAVEDRA I DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE mêêhê — P P P P M lÄtteSÄ « if Senior midfielder Danielle Stephan brings her leg back to kick the ball. In 2017, prior to attending MSU, Stephan was ranked the No. 2 player in the state of Michigan. PHOTO MSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS DES B S CKEE inior forward Camryn Evans drives he ball away from a Northwestern >onent. Evans had four shots on goal üd^inct KIrkPi'kuliaefftrri order to keep up with tough competition. Prior to the season, the players met three times a week for workouts over Zoom. “We had to build that trust and that accountability,” Swartz said. “When we came back here, we had that sense of trust that our teammates are making good decisions in regards to COVID, like wearing masks and practicing social distancing. I think it’s definitely brought us closer.” Due to university guidelines, some of the home volleyball matches did not allow for spectators. Players’ friends and family had to watch from a television screen. When family members were allowed to attend games, the players couldn’t interact with them. , “It’s definitely a different experience to know that your family is in the same building as you, but you can’t go give them a hug after the game,” Swartz said. “But I think all of us can still say that we’ve had so much support from our parents, especially during these times. The fact that they’re even still coming to our games, despite the pandemic. I think kind of shows how much they support us.” In the middle of summer 2020, the volleyball team couldn’t get inside ofjenison Field House. Although the team wanted to step ontojenison’s floor together, they instead practiced in smaller groups and met for workouts over Zoom. With the cancellation of their fall season, the seniors continued to lead and prepare the younger players for not just the spring season, but also laying the groundwork for the seasons to come. The women’s volleyball team adjusted to playing in the spring season. Graduating with a master’s degree in marketing research in December 2020, Lauren Swartz did not plan on being at Michigan State University for the spring semester. Before COVID-19, she planned on wrapping up her volleyball career in the fall and beginning her postgraduate career in January, but in a year where COVID-19 was rampant, nothing went as planned. In the second week of August, the women’s fall season was canceled, and the NCAA tournament was moved to the spring season. Swartz struggled with whether or not she would stay for the spring season, but she found guidance from her family, teammates and coaches “Our head coach was really supportive of all of us seniors, because she recognized that it was a really stressful time for us,” Swartz said. “She wanted the best for us as people, not just as volleyball players, so that was helpful.” "DURING THAT YEAR AND A HALF THAT WE DIDN'T PLAY WE JUST KEPT GRINDING,KEPT OUR HEAD DOWN AND KNEW THAT IT WAS GOING TO ONE DAY PAY OFF" The uncertainty of whether a season would take place was difficult for kinesiology graduate student Meredith Norris. Like Swartz, Norris adjusted her academic plans in anticipation of her final season. There was no doubt for No||is that she would play. “We’ve been waiting for this for a really long time,” Norris said. “Finally getting to come back at the end of December and just really getting all out on the court and being able to play with everyone. I think we’ve all been very excited for that.” Normally, a volleyball player’s spring semester of their senior year is the only time not dedicated to the sport. While her spring semester was more hectic than expected, senior physiology major Alyssa Chronowski was grateful that she got to compete in her last season. “Us seniors were thinking we’d be retired by now,” Chronowski said. “During that year and a half that we didn’t play, we just kept grinding, kept our head down and knew that it was going to one day pay off” Without a preseason and only playing in-conference schools, the volleyball team had to build strong camaraderie in CONTENT- ELAINE MALLOW PHOTO: ARMAND SAAVEDRA I DESIGN: GABRIELLE MCKEEVER PHOTO: ARMAND SAAVEDRA I DESIGN: EMMA SIMON morning and wants to help us out every day, he’s a competitor, so he puts it in us every day too,” Brown said. Looking towards the future, junior forward Aaron Henry voiced that the team would be looking in the areas they could improve. '■ One day at a time, not even one game,” Henry said. “Tomorrow, we are headed to an off day, watch some things and see what we could have done better, prepare for Maryland on Sunday. One day at a time and just try and win the day.” Henry said for MSU basketball, working as a team was what mattered the most. “We are playing as a team, we are playing together, not just offensively, but defensively guys are not only raising their play, but we are becoming more together and more connected and it’s good to see,” Henry said. “When the ball is moving, and we are playing defense on one accord and we just look so together and so connected.” MSU sat eighth in the Big Ten standings after beating the Wolverines. As the players worked to give their all for basketball and their college, it was important to remember that despite the challenges that laid ahead, working as a team allowed the MSU men’s basketball team to attain victory in their games. The MSU men’s basketball team reflected on its recent games. Joshua Langford, a graduate student guard, recalled the celebration his team erupted into after winning the game against University of Michigan on March 7 He described the release of the stress and pressure, as players threw water all around him. Dancing in the waters of victory, the MSU men’s basketball team could finally cherish their accomplishment. “It’s definitely been hard for us with the weeks we’ve just went through, in terms of the amount of games that we played,” Langford said in a post-game interview. “The mental and the emotional weight that has been put onto us, it hasn’t been easy to carry, and to come out tonight and get a win, it speaks volume to the character of our team.” One step closer to capturing the glory of the March Madness tournament, Langford’s takeaway from that game was the memory - the memory of his team full of life and joy. “Because this is a memory that, like coach said, that we will I— rf "WE ARE PLAYING AS A TEA , WE ARE PLAYING NOT JUST OFFENSIVELY BUT PEFENSIVELY GUYS ARE NOT ONLY RAISING THEIR PLAY BUT AND ITS GOOD TO SEE." remember forever;?! Langford said. The victory lifted the team’s spirits after struggling through a tough season, a season in which every player had been tested. Gabe Brown, a junior forward, said that they would not let anything affect their playing. “We’ve got to pick our intensity up because games are going to get slower, and games are going to get slowed down,” Brown said. “So we’ve got to pick our intensity up and our energy and just keep the ball rolling.” It was clear that each player believed in and trusted their head coach, Tom Izzo, to be the man to lead them through the season. “Coach is pushing us every day, so that’s all to him; give credit to him because he’s there every day, he wakes up early in the 182 CONTENT; JULIAN SUGAMELI I PHOTO: ARMAND SAAVEDRA I DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE ^■É^á ■BMBMHMHBHB h SPART4«: The women’s basketball team played through uncertainty. On March 6,2021, the Michigan State women’s basketball team celebrated its 6754 win over Wisconsin. Played on their home turf in the Breslin Center, the win was a wholesome one, as they celebrated their seniors after. With parents cheering in the socially- distanced stands, video tributes of the three seniors played out in a very different Senior Day ceremony. During the age of a pandemic, this wasn’t uncommon. The sounds of squeaking shoes and the rhythmic bouncing of the basketball often echoed through the near-empty gym as players practiced in small clumps with games happening in a similar fashion. Mardrekia Cook, a senior family and community service major, graduated in December. “Due to the pandemic, we had to drive to our away games instead of flying,” Cook said. “To get up every day and have a priority and a responsibility to get tested. The lack of fans in the stands made it hard to stay motivated. You don’t have the extra edge of the fans cheering, it’s just all depending on yourself and your teammates.^B Even with quiet gyms and the lack of cheering in the stands, the unconventional season was successful, with 16 wins going to the Spartans. From summer practices to being each other’s support during lockdown, the women’s basketball team was there as their own cheerleaders. Laurel Jacqmain, a senior human biology major, stressed the importance of the team sticking together. “This summer was really different for all of us,” Jacqmain said. “I think honestly just making it through this whole COVID and staying together as a team and leading people through it has been really important to me. Everything happens for a reason. The ball will stop bouncing one day, so we have to make it count.” Even though the gym was quiet and the stands quieter still, MSU’s women’s basketball team fought on. They took solace in each other, in their wins and losses. Came aftergame, the team fought on, embracing the uncertainty with confidence as they continued on further into the season. "EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON WE BALL WILL STOP BOUNCING ONE DAY SO WE HAVE TO MAKE IT COUNT/' CONTENT KATRIANNA RAY I PHOTO: MSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS I DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE PHOTO: MSI) ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS I DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAECHE to me and give me some help. Even some of the younger guys reached out. I think the support system has definitely got better due to this whole COVID-19 year.” For the first few weeks of the season, practices were constantly being canceled due to potential COVID-19 exposure. While COVID-19 may have stripped away the wrestlers’ time practicing with each other, it wouldn’t break the bond. For some of the wrestlers, the bond shared was as thick as blood. Junior accounting major Austen Malczewski and Layne Malczewski were cousins who were both on the team. Layne said he decided to wrestle at Michigan State because of his cousin’s high praise of the program. “Nothing is better than wrestling with family,” Malczewski said|f My cousin walked on the team here when he was a freshman, and he made it. He just told me a lot about how the team was, and I came up and visited him a few times, and we’re really close.” Although Layne Malczewski only had a few weeks to prepare for his match against a two-time NCAA qualifier, he was victorious. His triumph showed that, despite a shortened season, the wrestlers continued to work hard. The Spartans used their shortened time together to their advantage, proving to be successful. mammm ■■■■■ . .¡■gHgi ■■■■■■ CUTTING IT The wrestling team adjusted to a condensed season. For his second match of the season, sophomore supply chain management major Layne Malczewski wrestled a two-time NCAA qualifier. Wrestling at the 174-pound weight class last year, he moved up to the 184-pound weight class for the 2020-2021 season. Nervous energy surrounded Malczewski as he waited to step foot onto the mat. With such a shortened season, Malczewski didn’t get the practice time normally needed to prepare for Big Ten tournaments. “It was tough to adjust,” Malczewski said. “The Big Ten conference is the toughest conference in the country. Everybody knows that, so obviously just going right into wrestling all the toughest guys in the country is kind of rough. You don’t get a chance to showcase yourself against the other teams from around the country or to get your warm-up matches in.f^;' Typically, the wrestling season starts in November, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, the 2020-2021 season was pushed to January. While cutting weight for five months had always been difficult for junior computer engineering major Cameron Caffey, he missed competing for more than just conference points. “It’s kind of weird, because I feel like during normal seasons,! you hear people saying stuff like, £Oh, man, the season’s too long,” Caffey said. “But now, we have this shortened season, and it also feels really weird. We don’t get to wrestle all these different guys who we’ve wrestled before. At the end of the day, we’re really just here to wrestle, so it definitely is not fun to miss out on those matches.® With the shortened season, Caffey had the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities that he normally would not have had the time for. While he enjoyed attending hackathons — computer programming events — and Electrical Engineering Association meetings, Caffey missed bonding with his teammates during the preseason. “Normally, I feel like we build up these relationships through the preseason,” Caffey said. “It’s three months of training, and we’re going through these really hard workouts. It’s a really tough regimen that we do together, and we didn’t really get to do that this year, which really sucked. I feel like we missed out on that part of the bonding experience.” Moving into a higher weight class this season, senior communications major Jake Tucker had struggled with the new competition. Through the support of his teammates and coachesj; Tucker found confidence. “I think there’s been more support this year between us teammates,” Tucker said. “I’ve been struggling a little bit with the new weight class, and I’ve had numerous teammates reach out 190 CONTENT: ELAINE MALLONI PHOTO: ARMAND SAAVEDRA I DESIGN: EMMA SIMON "AT THE END DAY. WE’RE REALLY JUST HERE TO WRESTLE. SO LT DEFINITELY IS HOT decision against its own interest, and that of so many citizens in the state of Michigan.” The Women’s Swim and Dive team could not be contacted for comments, due to the ongoing Title IX lawsuit at the time of publication. The Spartan community came together to try and reinstate the swim and dive teams. On Oct. 22,2020, the devastating news was released to the public: after the 2020-2021 season, MSU would cut their varsity swim and dive program. Having stressed that it was due to “mandatory budget cuts,” the release cited that the decision would better position Spartan Athletics for “long-term financial stability.” Guy Moskovich, a senior economics major and member of the men’s swim team/said this announcement caught him off guard. After all, the team had just practiced that morning. “It was a mix of surprise and disappointment,” Moskovich said. “The day we got cut, we had a morning practice, and no one knew anything about it. Nine hours after morning practice was over, we got cut. We were all disappointed from this decision. We are all hard-working individuals, in class and in the pool, and we never imagined that we would get cut. I am definitely going to miss the brotherhood and the connections that I made with my teammates.’® MSU’s swimmers and divers did not take the decision lightly. They created Instagram and Twitter pages titled “Battle for Spartan Swim and Dive.” Dedicated team members fought to save the sport. The women’s swim and dive team even filed a Title IX investigation against the university, accusing Michigan State of violating Title IX laws by “creating inequitable opportunities for female student-athletes on campus” by cutting the team, according to the class-action lawsuit. Lexi Abernethy, a junior kinesiology major, was a member of the MSU swim club and an avid fan of the varsity sport. “I was shocked and devastated that such an amazing sport was once again cut from a well-known university,” Abernethy said. “I loved going to all the varsity home meets to cheer on my friends that I’ve been swimming with since I was in middle school through various clubs. The swim and dive team is filled with some of the nicest, well-rounded individuals that not only strive in the water but also strive in their schoolwork.” Michigan State University students could help with the fight by following and promoting the social media pages, according to Moskovich. “We can continue putting pressure on the administration,” Moskovich said. “There are links to our pledge donation in hopes that we can raise enough to save the program.” MSU’s Men’s and Women’s Swim and Dive teams have raised over$700k in pledges to support the program during the financial strain. In an official statement in March 2021 to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the team left a chilling remark: “We ask that this committee call on Michigan State University to account for why it is making such a poor financial CONTENT KATRIANNA RAY I PHOTO: AZIZ NOSIROVI DESIGN: EMMA SIMON s P "WE ASX THAT THIS COMMITTEE CALL ON MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY TO ACCOUNT FOR WHY IT IS MAKING SUCH A POOR FINANCIAL DECISION AGAINST ITS OWN INTEREST AND THAT OF SO MANY CITIZENS IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN/' m Athletic director Bill Beekman told the MSU Swim and Dive team that they would discontinue the sport after the 20-21 season, MSU students painted the Rock to spread awareness. mmmáBKKrn Junior forwards Thomas Kithier and Marcus Bingham Jr. come together for a celebratory high-five in a game against Penn State. The gymnastics team set records in its second season hindered by the pandemic. Gymnastics, like many sports, is all about repetition. Gymnasts spend hours in the gym, perfecting the rhythms and techniques to pull off their routine. The margins in NCAA gymnastics scoring are thin. In the first meet of the season, the Spartans beat Ohio State by a score of 045. Despite sounding narrow, this marked MSU’s best-ever opening meet score. Gymnastics this season wasn’t just about athleticism, it was about perfectionism in an imperfect year. “ [For] gymnastics, it’s really good to be on a consistent training schedule,” said Lea Mitchell, a senior journalism student and all-arounder on the team. “Five days a week, four hours a day, minimum. It’s really good to have that consistency in training because it’s all timing.” Mitchell saw the growth of the gymnastics program in her four years at MSU. She also lived through its two seasons marked by pandemic shutdowns and delays. “It’s been hard,” Mitchell said. “Our coaches are doing a great job of trying to keep us motivated; we have so much to give to this season even though it may not be a full season.” >, Mitchell admitted that the stop-and-start nature of the season was particularly tough for the gymnasts. However, consistency and regular practice on their own do not make the team successful. “There’s a lot of aspects that go into having a good performance,” Mitchell said. “Teammates help you go out there and give a good performance. Coaches, they give you the feedback and are also very motivating.” Baleigh Garcia, a freshman studying kinesiology, emphasized the importance of the team throughout this season. ' “You’re up on the equipment, you hear your team screaming for you, you know that they care about what you’re doing,” Garcia said. “On the sidelines, you know you have to scream for them so they know the team wants them to do well.” As a freshman, Garcia found the transition to collegiate gymnastics fairly easy. In MSU’s historic week one win, Garcia earned a Big Ten Freshman of the Week award. “I was on cloud nine,” Garcia said. “My first college meet, I came out and did my best, and your best is better than anything. I was just really happy.H The gymnastics team could look forward to a lot more of that in the coming years. While Mitchell was an accomplished senior thinking about graduate school for journalism, she stressed that the team was packed with underclassmen talent. “We had the highest opening score in Michigan State University [history],” Mitchell said. “We have a very young team, which is really good because the future is bright.” Underclassmen like Garcia and Nyah Smith, a sophomore, demonstrated the squad’s youth. Smith relished the chance to use her experience this season. “Last year, when I was a freshman, it was all so new,” Smith said. “Now, since I’ve done a year, it was more comfortable, and I had more confidence. I was so impressed and proud of the whole team.” Smith also saw the outstanding potential of the team. rm ISN'T THE FIRST TIME OUR TEAM HAS FACED ADVERSITY. AND WE CONTINUE TO PREVAIL IS A RELENTLESS TEAM. “Each year, we get some very talented and unique gymnasts,” Smith said. “Not all of us are the same. Everyone has their strongest points. This year, we have very talented freshmen, and everyone on the team has gotten better.” It’s hard to picture a sophomore athlete, on a competitive and already winning team, thinking about how much they can still grow. But according to Mitchell, that is MSU gymnastics. “Though our team has faced a lot of adversity, we continue to fight,” Mitchell said. “This isn’t the first time our team has faced adversity, and we continue to prevail and prosper. People should remember that MSU gymnastics is a relentless team.” Dedicated and relentless, MSU’s gymnastics team showed its class this year. Dealing with coronavirus-related breaks and lapses in practice time only grew its desire to compete; and its desire to achieve perfection in an imperfect year. CONTENT: KEEGAN SULLIVAN I PHOTO: KELLY BRANICAN I DESIGN: GABRIELLE MCKEEVER n M M mmmm i Senior Lea Mitchell smiles as her eammates cheer her on during her loor routine. Mitchell received her ■tenth carcgyIjpflriop honor with a score of9.875. mmAmidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Spartan hockey players maintained their resilience. Junior Adam Coodsir had been filled with uncertainty since the summer months. Even after arriving on campus in the fall, Coodsir and his teammates weren’t sure if they would be lacing up their ice skates for the season. The tentative nature of pandemic life carried over onto the ice once the season began. But after beating Michigan 3-2, after a humiliating loss the night before, the uncertainty dissipated. The pandemic may have influenced Coodsir’s everyday behavior, but he and his teammates decided it would not phase their performance on the ice. players relied on each other. A strong bond was formed amongst the players, elevating the mental toughness of the team. The best example of the team’s resilience was its comeback game against Michigan. After losing 0-9 on Jan. 8, the team won the next day. “Instead of picking up our bones and going home, we came back and fought the next night,” Smith said. “We showed it doesn’t matter who it is. We are going to show up every night. Even if we have a bad game, we are going to bounce back. It takes a lot of courage and a lot of heart.” “We can’t really ever take anything for granted,” Goodsir Smith and Esteves might not have finished their hockey career with their friends and families in the stands, but they finished knowing that they were a part of the foundation for a new era of Michigan State hockey. They walked away knowing that they established lifelong friendships. The players looked forward to returning as fans to see the continuation of the culture they started. 517.393.5601 Shah#enCadiaccd said. “We’ve seen what COVID-19 has done to our game’s atmosphere without our fans and student section present. But also, we can’t take for granted our opportunity to still play hockey. We are able to go to the rink every day, and we’re able to compete for each other.” There was nothing that senior Jake Smith would rather do than play hockey. Beginning his hockey career during Coach Danton Cole’s first season, Smith and the players from his class had spent the past three years changing the atmosphere of MSU’s hockey team. Though the pandemic caused games to be cancelled, it didn’t affect the team’s excitement. “We are changing the culture,” Smith said. “We are getting back to the winning way, where winning is expected, and it is not a surprise when we win. It’s not, ‘Let’s have a big celebration because we beat Michigan, or let’s have a big celebration because we swept the weekend.’ That should be expected.” Like Smith, senior Cianluca Esteves spent the past four years rebuilding the program. The mantra, “Leave it better than how you found it,” was a common phrase for the players. “We have definitely come a long way already,” Esteves said. “There is definitely a new aura around campus about what our team is about and what success we can have. The amount of fans we’ve had since freshman year till the end of last year’s season has been night and day.” Changing the culture meant more than changing the team’s presence on campus, for it was also about changing how the players related to each other. According to Goodsir, establishing a strong bond with the team during the summer of COVID-19 was imperative. “Our relationships with our teammates and coaches is what we need to rely on to get through challenging times,” Coodsir said. “During the summer, we had weekly team meetings just to keep camaraderie, but also accountability.” Six days a week, the players were tested for COVID-19, and just one positive test would cancel a match. Even off the rink, the CONTENT: ELAINE MALLONI PHOTO: ALEXA PIERZYNSKII DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE "WE CAN’T TAKE FOR GRANTED OUR OPPORTUNITY TO STILL PLAY HOCKEY. WE ARE ABLE TO GO TO THE RINK EVERY DAY AND WE'RE ABLE TO COMPETE FOR EACH OTHER.” a i M Harlock, it felt like a true family atmosphere. “While we do have different customs and traditions, we don’t really have a social hierarchy or anything like that,” Harlock said. “It’s an even playing ground. I’m friends with seniors and juniors, and I’m friends with sophomores and freshmen. I have a place on the team, and everyone is really, really accepting of each other.” If there were to be a word to describe the women’s field hockey team for this past season, it would be resilient. Even after facing a crushing defeat, the players were ready to practice the next day. Instead of giving their parents a hug after a game, the players settled with a wave across the field. While players struggled with a shift in positions, they made it work for that day. Without a doubt, these women showed the true strength of a Spartan. The women’s field hockey team maintained high spirits while playing in-conference schools. Walking off the field after losing to Rutgers University on March 12, field hockey team member Cara Bonshak was not walking with her head down. While the team had a season record of 0-4, Bonshak saw her team improving. “Looking at our team, we are a totally different team when you look at film from this year versus lastyear,” Bonshak said. “We’re connecting better. We’re staying in the games, and we’re coming off the field feeling like we’ve competed at the same level as them.” From practicing with masks on to team bonding activities being restricted, the women’s field hockey team faced far more obstacles than in a traditional season. Despite all of these challenges, Bonshak, a senior civil engineering member, and senior kinesiology major Lia Sinisi qualified to play for a fifth season while they finished their degree in the next school year. “I think our momentum coming from this season will really help us in the fall, because it’s going to be only like three months away until we’re back into another season^ Bonshak said. “I think definitely the focus is on relationships and the connections on and off the field. We want to make them strong so that it can carry right to our next season.” While team chemistry remained strong for this season, Sinisi admitted the greatest challenge came in knowing the other teams’ dynamics. “We don’t really know what we’re facing when we play an opponent because we’ve all had such a long time since we’ve had games,” the senior kinesiology major said. “It’s been over a year since we played a game before our season started. Not knowing exactly what our opponents are going to be like is probably our biggest challenge.” In the beginning, freshman Ashley Harlock was a little discouraged by the results of their games. However, she came to the conclusion that the team was facing steep competition. “Out of the nine teams in the Big Ten, six are the top 15 in the country,” Harlock, a student in the Lyman Briggs College said. “Normally, we’d be playing out-of-conference games, and those would kind of give us more confidence and help us to perform in the Big Ten games, because it’s really tough competition. Obviously, our record isn’t great, but it also doesn’t show the amount of effort that we’ve put into this season.” In addition to facing the greatest competition in the NCAA, the players have had to adjust to playing positions they are normally not familiar with due to injuries and the coronavirus. As the players faced strict restrictions in their social interactions, they turned to one another for support. According to "LOOKING AT OUR TEAM, WE ARE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT TEAM WHEN YOU LOOK AT FILM FROM THIS YEAR VERSUS LAST YEAR, WE'RE CONNECTING BETTER. WE'RE STAYING IN THE GAMES. AND WE'RE COMING OFF THE FIELD FEEUNG LIKE WE'VE COMPETED AT THE SAME LEVEL AS THEM.1 PHOTO:VGEORGE PHAM . .-.sir - vi WmÊÊËÈ tei ' '. mSË I i m m ■■\î:-WÊ 208-209 Socially Distanced Cinema 210-211 TikTok Addiction 212-213 Adopting Love During Quarantine 214-215 Making Friends in Unlikely Places 216-217 The Demand for Delivery 218-219 The New Routine with Quarantine 220-221 The Spartan Spit Test 222-223 Student Businesses 224-225 Spartan Families 226-227 Uncle John’s Cider Mill 228-229 Schooling Through Quarantine 230-231 Tasty Twist Photography 232-233 Covid Alert Exposure Notification App 234-135 Sticking With Friends 236-237 Alternative Spring Break for Students 238-239 Roommate Reality 240-241 “Zoom University” 242-243 Zoom Dating 244-245 Quarantine Recipes 246-247 Life After East Lansing 248-249 Television Trends 250-251 Spartans’ Spotify Wrapped 252-253 Back to the Bars 254-255 Spartans Will Get Vaccinated 256-257 Inaugurating a New Era 258-259 Written in the Stars 260-261 Class by the Poolside 262-263 Sunday Funday 264-265 MSU Animals Photography 266-267 Lunar New Year 268-269 Hawk Island Sledding Photography 270-271 Comma Concerts 272-273 New Traditions 274-275 MSU Cooperative Living 276-277 MSU Leisure Photography 278-279 MSU Leisure Photography 280-281 New Video Every Wednesday 282-283 Virtual Internships 284-285 Crowing in Lockdown SOCIALLY DISTANCED CINEMA Movie theaters across Michigan started hosting drive-in movies. Lawson, who said she wouldn’t feel comfortable in a movie theater until a COVID-19 vaccine is created, said she enjoyed the break from being stuck inside that the drive-in provided. That was a sentiment that every student who attended the drive-in could relate to. While COVID-19 was putting quite a damper on the school year ahead, the drive-in created an experience unlike a typical night at the movie theater. As cars lined up and popped their trunks in anticipation for the movie, the smell of popcorn was in the air. Students and families were ready to make the most of the unprecedented times by creating a memory they would cherish forever ■HHI A family gathers together to enjoy a film together. Remember to silence your cellphones! • ** ¡Pj mk ■ v*. ' In March, movie theaters shut down along with everything else in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. As businesses closed, everyone was stuck inside. To keep students from going stir-crazy, Celebration Cinema in Lansing began hosting drive-in movies. Trunks open, movie-goers curled up under their blankets and munched on their snacks while getting a unique film experience under the stars. Nicole Frasier, who has been working for Celebration Cinema for six years, noted that it was a major change for them. ■We only show one movie a day which is a huge change because normally we show over 20 movies a day,” Frasier said. Before the pandemic, movie theaters showed new releases to keep up with the constant flow of new movies. As the pandemic shut their doors and put movie production to a halt, Celebration Cinema presented their drive-in customers with older releases, like “Flarry Potter” and “Black Panther.H The nature of the drive-in came with limits, both for employees and customers. For employees, less hours were available, and for customers, a limited menu was offered. Frasier said that because of this, the number of customers had decreased. “The parking space is limiting us, so we don’t have as many customers as we used to,” Frasier said. “Although, we have been sold out for a few nights.” Students who attended the drive-in had mixed feelings about the new movie-watching experience. Sophomore marketing major Kaylee Lawson said it was a new way to have fun and a good, safe way to get out of the house. “I’m tired of being cooped up in my apartment all day long,” Lawson said. “So it’s nice to be able to enjoy [what is] a normally indoor activity, outside.” , While she enjoyed the experience, she said the drive-in didn’t provide the best possible movie quality. The light was diffused from the projectors much more than when indoors. Like Lawson, sophomore marketing major Isabella Regmont saw both the good and bad aspects of the drive-in. Regmont said she liked that it was a cheaper option than traditional movie theater patronage, both for the ticket itself and food. “I loved how we could talk more and bring our own snacks and drinks,” Regmont said. Both Lawson and Regmont said they would return to the drive-in theater. “The drive-in could go until October,” Frasier saidjlEven if we do open indoors, we’ll still have drive-ins available for as long as we can so that people can pick the option they feel more comfortable with.” 208 CONTENT MELISA USTUNSOZ AND HOPE O’DELL I PHOTO: GEORGE PHAM I DESIGNEMMASMON Speakers lie in wait to broadcast the film’s audio. Some drive-in theaters use each individual car’s radio, this is a throwback to drive-in movies from the 1950s and‘60s. "IT'S MCE TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY IWHATISlA NORMALLY INDOOR ACTIVITY, O The large projector gives off an enticing glow as it plays the previews before the film. Older film projecters needed tl switch reels in the middle of the movie. The interactive short-form video app exploded in popularity during quarantine. TikTok, a social app where users could create, upload or scroll through an endless bank of short videos, ranked as the most- downloaded app of 2019. With COVID-19 leaving many bored at home, the number of downloads only grew, and with it, so did the TikTok addiction. Users learned dances, shared lifehacks and got lured in by the continuous scrolling of TikTok. Many students at Michigan State downloaded the app under unplanned circumstances. Carl Austin Crondin, was one example of someone who got sucked into TikTok. Grondin accumulated over 100,00 followers on the app. “I became a creator out of pure boredom one day,” the junior social relations and policy major said. “I was struggling mentally with coming back to school second semester last year and knew if I could make others laugh it would help me in return. I also wanted to be the out and proud gay guy who isn’t 6-foot-4 and doesn’t have rock-hard abs.” TikTok had been a valuable media outlet for diverse representation compared to traditional media such as TV Crondin expanded more on the importance of representation in media. “I never saw someone quite like me growing up,” Crondin said. “I can’t even tell you how much that would’ve helped me during my most vulnerable years — to see someone I look like and could look up to.” He was now that role model for many young people on the app. For instance, some of Crondin’s followers told him that Crondin made them happy, confident enough to wear a crop top, saved their lives and helped them come out to their parents. To him, that was worth more than he could put into words. Similar to Crondin, Stephanie Kuchek, a junior supply chain management major, joined the community out of boredom when she had free time during quarantine. She originally downloaded the app to satisfy a curiosity but eventually became further engaged by creating content. “I was ashamed of getting it at first because we would make fun of people who’d spend so much time on it,” Kuchek said. While creating TikToks was a fun way to keep entertained, maintaining a steady following was difficult, and in some cases, unintentional. Freshman chemical engineering major Billie Adams saw a lot of back and forth as her platform grew slowly. “It was a progression,” Adams said. “I’ve lost and gained followers. I would lose 100 followers and then gain 50 followers. The next week, I’d lose 150 followers. At this point, around 140,000, ¡it’s steady.” Kuchek’s first viral video was a dance video to “Tap In” by Saweetie. “I did the dance awkwardly,” Kuchek said. “But I think it showed how much fun I was having that made people smile and engage with the post.” Kuchek said there would always be random videos that weren’t necessarily intended to go viral, but did. “It’s funny how you’ll spend hours on one TikTok, and it gets no reactions,” Kuckek said. “Then, you’ll lip-synch for 10 seconds, and it’s one of the top videos of the day.” Adams and Grondin added that it was all about the energy and attitude that went into making the TikTok. “Just post what you find fun,” Adams said. “And be confident in yourself because that mainly attracts positive energy.” As students began making it onto more people’s for you page on TikTok, they began getting recognition outside of the media. Grondin noted that after his first few viral videos, he would get stopped in the bus as people asked to take a selfie with him and asked for shoutouts. -It was the craziest when one of my professors knew who I was, and people in lecture halls started noticing me,” Crondin said, ll’ve always been noticed for my white hair, but never as a creator or someone big in such a huge university. But I loved every second of it and still do to this day.” TikTok quickly became increasingly popular, and with the variety in videos, there was surely something for everyone on the app. The invention of the TikTok app was revolutionary, especially for MSU students who had time to kill during quarantine. Whether you were a casual scroller or a content creator, TikTok was the place to unintentionally spend hours in the blink of an eye. MSU students will assuredly remember TikTok as the ultimate getaway from tough times in quarantine. CONTENI* MELISA USTUNSOZI PHOTO: GEORGE PHAM I DESIGN:JULIAN DUTCH Spartans got some new furry friends during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the cold, gusty month of March 2020, students prepared to stay at home for the remainder of the spring semester. As they were bunkering down, some students couldn’t bear the thought of spending the time alone, so they opened their homes to a new furry friend. Many students had been waiting for the chance to adopt or foster a pet, but something was always in the way. For Natalie Herman, a dual senior English and secondary education major, the quarantine period gave her the opportunity she needed. “The minute I moved back to East Lansing, I applied to be a foster,” Herman said. “I have nothing to do, sure, I’ll foster two cats. I was what they call a foster failure because I couldn’t give them back.”?--'.’ Herman adopted Rain and Cheddar, a pair of feline sisters, from the Capital Area Humane Society in Lansing. "EM THOUGH I HAVE ONLY actually go on walks with my dog. It’s wonderful.” Students also saw growth in themselves. “My favorite part is how much I’ve grown myself,” Herman said. “I didn’t think I’d be so attached to other living beings. It’s a big responsibility and I think I’ve grown into it pretty well.” Adopting a pet was a lifelong decision and many students took the plunge into pet parenthood. They weren’t only adopting a pet, afterall, but a friend as well. “A lot of people think that every college kid gets a pet impulsively or thought irrationally about one, but owning her has made all the difference,” Stevenson said. “Even though I have only owned her a few months, I couldn’t imagine it any other way. She’s going to follow me on every adventure.” As these students knew, owning a pet was a lot of work. With work came a mighty reward, and for these new pet owners, it was often in the form of loving puppy kisses and happy kitten snuggles. From finding a forever friend on accident by being a “foster failure” to adopting a devoted companion, student pet parents were sure to go on many adventures with their new pet pals. Outside of food and water, pets required endless love and attention. For many, the stay-at-home quarantine order allowed these new owners to spend more time with their new pets. Kaylee Stevenson, a senior double-majoring in experience architecture and Japanese, adopted a Shiba Inu named Jolyne in June. “I always wanted a dog, but I never had the opportunity, being a college student with a tight schedule,” Stevenson said. “I have the time to handle a dog on a day-to-day basis, but I didn’t have the time for the adjustment period. I was able to help get her adjusted to the home and my own lifestyle a lot faster than if I was in and out of work all the time.” One of the greatest parts of having a pet was seeing their personalities grow over the course of owning them. Kyra Brown, a senior social relations and policy major, adopted a cat named Kimba in April and watched her growth firsthand. “My favorite part about having a cat has been being able to leash train her,” Brown said. “Since she was a kitten I have been taking her on walks and letting her be outside and she now can CONTENT; KATRIANNA RAY I PHOTO: KELLY BRANICANI DESIGN: JILLIAN DUTCH MimiiHPi mm Senior Kyra Brown and Kimba smile at their East Lansing home. Kyra adopted Kimba in April during the coronavirus outbreak when she was looking for some companionship. MAKING FRIENDS IN UNLIKELY Freshmen who lived on campus faced unique social challenges. doing a monthly FaceTime session, Gueye’s favorite part about being a mentor was the connections she made. “After going to your classes online and being in your room all by yourself, it kind of becomes lonely,” Gueye said. “That connection, though virtual, really means something to me and I like helping them, too. The fact that they trust me and we have built that trust in this short amount of time, I think it’s fascinating.” Even though fewer Spartans populated campus, freshmen were still finding ways to make friends and connections. Although it was not what Michigan State freshmen envisioned as their first year on campus, they were still able to find friends and resources in unlikely places. The normal hustle and bustle of MSU’s campus quickly became desolate during the fall 2020 semester. Students who were originally going to stay on campus were asked to stay home and continue their education remotely. However, for students approved to stay on campus, they received a suite-style room to themselves and an unlimited dining plan. With classes strictly online and all in-person events canceled, students living in residence halls on campus quickly became very familiar with their dorm rooms. Melissa Liu, a freshman psychology major who lived in West McDonel, was one of few who stayed on campus. “I think it’s been pretty nice having a room and bathroom all to myself,” Liu said. “I’ve also gotten to know a good amount of people in the hall, which I wasn’t exactly expecting to happen because of corona.” While Michigan State prided itself on having a colorful, exciting campus life, much of campus had gone dark due to the pandemic. “There isn’t really much of a life on campus to adjust to,” Liu said. “It’s pretty dead right now. Having my entire dorm suite to myself is a big plus, but I think the worst part is just that it’s hard to socialize with people in person during a pandemic.” Students found ways to make friends in various places, such as on social media or through their residence halls. Felicity Stadalnikas, a freshman criminal justice major who also lived in West McDonel, became friends with Liu through living in the same residence hall. “It’s quiet since there aren’t as many kids around, but it’s also nice because the people you do meet know what it’s like so you make friends fast,” Stadalnikas said. With the switch to online courses, some students struggled with the lack of in person meetings. “You’re not really going to school since everything is online, but it’s not horrible,” Stadalnikas said. “I do wish it was in-person though. I learn better in person than online so I struggle with school a little bit.” There were plenty of resources on campus for students to help with their online classes. Mentors in the James Madison College helped students adjust to the new university atmosphere. Betty Gueye, a senior in James Madison studying comparative cultures and politics, was a first-year mentor. “I am working on my mentee’s professional and personal developments by checking with them weekly and have been meeting with them once or twice a month and I connect them with resources,” Gueye said. Gueye helped her mentees by giving them someone to talk to outside of their online courses. From texting back and forth to CONTENUKATRIANNA RAY I PHOTO: AZIZ NOSIROVI DESIGN: EMMA SIMON "AFTERGOING TO YOUR CLASSES ONLINE AND BEING IN YOUR ROOM ALL BY YOURSELF. IT KIND OF BECOMES LONELY THAT CONNECTION. THOUGH VIRTUAL,REALLY MEANS SOMETHING TO ME” ¡9 Felicity Stadalnikas (right) is a freshman studying criminal justice. She’s stayed connected by making friends from a group chat of MSU students. WMMBBliBB she got two tests done, which came out negative. Afterwards, they required that she not come in contact with her roommate, so they couldn’t live together for two weeks. With strict regulations, customers could have confidence that businesses were doing their best to ensure the food they made and delivered was safe. Whether you wanted to get out of the house and go for a drive around the city to take part in curbside pickup or have a delivery driver bring it to your doorstep, takeout food quickly became an easy, go-to option for everyone. With the next episode of “Tiger King” waiting, sometimes skipping the cooking and succumbing to the couch was the best way to ease your quarantine troubles. Delivery workers kept busy during the pandemic. With the restrictive nature of COVID-19, students found themselves constantly cooking and baking. It was a great way to spend time at home. However, some days, the dishes were too much to handle, and another episode of “Tiger King” was too tempting. Those times were when the convenience of delivery and curbside pickup was the best possible option. When the demand for delivery increased, restaurants began hiring. Many students jumped at the opportunity to earn money while delivering food. Alex Parpart, a senior humanities prelaw major, was a delivery driver at Jimmy John’s. She noted how the store’s dynamic changed as it rapidly adjusted to the new normal. “There was a higher demand for delivery,” Parpart said. “We began getting a lot of new customers. However, protocol changes did slow the process down.” Parpart explained how certain apartment buildings and businesses had many entrances closed and their own ¡rules that the delivery drivers had to abide by. It took more time than usual to make safe deliveries. “Sparrow Hospital is our biggest customer,” Parpart said. “I had to be screened each time before I could enter and make the delivery.” However, there were also some instances when delivery time was cut down. Parpart stated how contactless delivery cut the conversation time with the customer. Macy Riutta, a senior marketing major, was a delivery driver for Pizza House and agreed that contactless delivery could be fast. “It became a lot less personal! Ruitta said. “We would just drop it off at their doorsteps for contactless delivery.” Isabelle Regmont, a sophomore marketing major, described the faster work pace that curbside pickup constituted while she worked at Five Guys. “We would hand the food to drivers with a tray and then wipe down the trays to avoid any contact,” Regmont said. “We didn’t have time to talk to the drivers with the protocol and increased demand that led us to working more. It was stressful.” To ensure that DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats drivers did not steal or touch food from orders while delivering them,H many restaurants sealed orders with to-go stickers. Ruitta made sure to follow the guidelines in place to promote safety measures. “Being in the food industry, we already had strict sanitation.” Ruitta said. “With the pandemic, the management was strict on when we needed to wear gloves and how often we should change them depending on the activity.” These stores also had strict rules about the health of their employees. Parpart had a COVID-19 scare when her roommate contracted the virus. Jimmy John’s did not allow her to work until CONTENT: MELISA USTUNSOZVI PHOTO: LOCAN COLES I DESIGN: EMMA SIMON BEGAN GETTING A LOI OF NEW CUSOMTERS\ HOWEVER, PROTOCOL CHANGES OID SLOto THE PROCESS DOWN.” Jimmy John’s is known for its freak fast deliver 117 Some student housing were forced into a two- week quarantine by Ingham County. Most students were in quarantine for most of the summer, and staying at home continued to be essential in East Lansing as the fall semester began. But not all students followed these precautions, and COVID-19 cases spiked in East Lansing. the city and forming strong connections with other interns,” Zhou said. “I couldn’t experience that this year.” Like Lanfear, Zhou still found a way to stay social. He got to know other interns by playing virtual games with them. In response, Ingham County issued a mandatory two-week In addition to focusing on their mental health and learning, quarantine for 30 residences in East Lansing on Sep. 14,2020. While these were mainly large group residences like fraternities and sororities, most students found themselves either quarantining or limiting their interaction with others more than they were used to during the school year. These students found different ways to take advantage of the extra time and look after their mental health. With more time at home, many students found themselves procrastinating on their phones. Reese Lanfear, a junior finance major, struggled with both of these habits for the first few weeks of online classes that started in March 2020. However, she was able to find a strategy for accomplishing the things she needed to every day by downloading a habit tracker app. She started by tracking the small things. “I would check off things that I already did like making my bed and brushing my teeth,” Lanfear said. “I also made it a habit to walk my dog everyday so that I would be outside for a little bit.” Similarly, Kenna Rose, a sophomore pre-law major, made it a habit to get some sunshine daily. “It was a nice break from being cooped up at home all day long,” Rose said. On top of practicing healthy habits, students worked on staying connected with their loved ones throughout this challenging time. In order to stay social, Lanfear opted to use Netflix Party each night. Netflix Party synchronized video playback and added group chat to Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu and HBO. “Since I couldn’t see my boyfriend, he and I would have a Netflix Party almost every night,” Lanfear said. Although habit tracking and staying social virtually helped Lanfear practice a healthier lifestyle, she said that it was difficult to get enough motivation to spend time on school work. On the other hand, some students found focusing on academics easier. Charles Zhou, a senior supply chain management major, completed a virtual summer internship and compared it to his previous in-person internships. “I learned more over my virtual internship because I had to focus and stay home,” Zhou said. “There were less distractions.” However, he said that it differed significantly from a regular internship experience. “For me, one of the best parts of an internship is exploring students found themselves taking advantage of outdoor activities. Outside of his internship, Zhou was learning to take advantage of the free time quarantine could provide. Zhou had a kayak for years, but never took advantage of it. “I started kayaking,” Zhou said. “I had never done it before because I was never home.” Similarly, Rose found herself going for constant hikes and changing her fitness lifestyle. “I used to have a pretty strict fitness routine, and over quarantine, I found it hard to follow through,” Rose said. Instead, she discovered different hiking trails and found some peace in nature. “The weather was perfect in the spring to go for hikes and see flowers bloom. It felt easing in such a stressful time,” Rose said. Although COVID-19 imposed new conditions and precautions, many students worked on coping and trying new things that would help them through the tough situation. Whether quarantine gave you the chance to Facetime friends more often, discover new hiking trails or focus on your mental health, many students revealed that developing new habits diminished stress when everyday life changed significantly. CONTENT: MELISA USTONSOZI PHOTO: GEORGE PHAM I DESIGN:JULIAN DUTCH ■ v\s ^^8 . ^ "X 888 ■■l B,#asaiisk\ ” 1*5* Mi |l:i ...- -■'---»■■* % ^^■MHimKB H *?-* ■’- - « < ~ - - v, ¿. ~iHlÍiSi ■«?v Although many of the sorority houses did not allow their members to live inside their houses ster, those that did, including Kappa re placed on mandatory quarantine 219 Spartans took a spit test to help their community stay safe during their first semester back. Life returned to the banks of the Red Cedar as students ventured back to East Lansing for fall semester. In an effort to keep Spartans safe, Michigan State’s Reopening Campus Task Force pledged nearly $1.5 million and a group of specialists to start the COVID-19 Early Detection Program, according to the College of Human Medicine. This special program helped record the novel coronavirus on MSU’s campus. After signing up for the program and answering a questionnaire, MSU students, faculty and staff stayed in communication with the program to give samples through Spartan Spit Kits. Several times throughout the semester, individuals were notified to pick up a kit, spit in the provided tube and return it to a dropbox on campus. The Spartan Spit Kits measured and notified individuals whether they were recommended to get clinically tested or not. The program’s goal was to gather more information on individuals who had COVID-19 but were asymptomatic. The data would serve as a factor to help determine if students could be brought back to campus in the spring. Anna Zultowski, a senior landscape architecture student, said that with the low number of students on campus she felt comfortable, but if more students returned, she wouldn’t feel safe at al^| One of the biggest reasons Zultowski participated in the Spartan Spit Kit Program was so she could be a part of the research surrounding COVID-19. She was eager about the opportunity it gave her to help the university. “I want to help give [the university] data and help track the virus to keep us safe,¡¡¡Zultowski said. “I felt like I was doing my part.§|§ Sofia De Carolis, senior Residential College in the Arts and Humanities major, participated to get more data on the location and trends of the virus. “I wanted to help support the surrounding community and figure out where hot spots wereJiDe Carolis said. As far as other safety measures, East Lansing distinguished specific houses to put under a mandatory two-week quarantine. While mask-wearing was respected on campus, there was an uncertainty that students had about the decisions people made off campus. Phil Calhoun, a senior human biology major, lacked trust when it came to people and houses off campus. «People are going to do what people are going to do; especially off campus,” Calhoun said. “J WANT TO HELP OWE [THE UNIVERSITY] DATA AND HELP TRACK THE VIRUS TO KEEP US SAFEl I FELT LIKE I WAS DOING MY PART," Many students, faculty and staff felt not only called to help the community, but were also cognizant of what they were gaining as a part of the program. Although the Spartan Spit Kits did not give positive or negative results like a clinical test would, the recommendation to pursue or not pursue a clinical test gave participants a greater confidence that they were coronavirus- free. The multitude of spit tests throughout the semester gave individuals a chance to routinely check in on their well-being. Calhoun benefitted from the Spartan Spit Kits because it allowed him to feel more at ease about his health. “I would say I feel safer now that they have a test,” Calhoun said. The Spartan Spit Kit program recorded data that helped the university with upcoming decisions and the community at large. With the generosity of MSU students, faculty and staff, the university laid the groundwork for successful research. Roll through the drive-thru to pick up your spit kit, spit into the test tubes to get your sample and toss your kit into a dropbox on campus — that’s all it took to participate in bettering the community. While MSU scientists developed the COVID-19 Early Detection Program, Spartans were the ones that put value in the process. CONTENT: BAILEY EDDINGTON I PHOTO: KELLY BRANIGANI DESIGN:JILLIAN’DUTCH Senior |hil Calhoun smiles as he explains what is like to live on campus during the coronavir pandemic. Michigan State has taken many precautions*© slow the spread of the virus. Senior Anna Zultowski holds her spit kit in front of her East Lansing apartment building. The project allows students to receive results in a timely manner with little human interaction. I I Ifll 221 STUDENT BUSINESSES Students sold their art to make extra cash and promote their work, especially during quarantine Many students around campus took a brave step forward and put their creative minds to work — literally. These Spartans developed small businesses from their interest in art and made money while learning what it took to run a business. Social media platforms helped those with small businesses advertise their work to reach a larger audience. Around campus, students took advantage of social media to promote and sell their own work. This new direction of online businesses became more popular as social media platforms grew. Furthering this expansion, quarantine prompted online businesses to become more popular due to job losses and social distancing. Students with small businesses specifically used Instagram as a platform to sell their products. One popular strategy for gaining more engagement with products was creating an account specifically for advertising. Once the brand or product had its own account, students advertised their work on their personal social media for their friends and family to see and share. Emma Barnes, a senior education major, recently started selling her embroidery through Instagram. She created decorative hoops, T-shirts, tote bags, pillowcases, and her next product will be sweatshirts. Her Instagram account was where she showcased all of these products, especially the items she was in the process of creating. “I try to post every week,” Barnes said. “Just the items I’ve been working on and then I usually use my main Instagram account to promote my work on my art account.” Zoya Shevchenko, a senior graphic design major, started selling her artwork last year Shevchenko created T-shirts, zines, postcards, stickers and posters. Rugs, now the newest addition to her art, are getting their own Instagram account. “I noticed friends selling art and realized how successful other people are by selling artwork online and through Instagram,” Schevchenko said. “That’s what encouraged me to do it.” Nora Lincoln, a senior studio art major, originally started making art and jewelry for themself as a stress reliever. Lincoln started making jewelry over the summer in quarantine and began creating their paintings last year when they began working with oil and mixed media. Though it started as a hobby, Lincoln now sells their artwork. Earrings are their most popular seller and they promote all of her work on Instagram. “J NOTICED FRIENDS SELLING ART AND REALIZED HOW SUCCESSFUL OTHER PEOPLE ARE BY SELLING “I started making my art and jewelry as a personal thing,” Lincoln said. “I guess a lot of friends were reaching out to buy them or encouraging me to sell them, so I finally said okay.” Instagram was a place where students could promote their art and create their first business. Its easy and familiar usability along with its wide audience possibilities made it an ideal place to reach a large number of people. Many students recognized the importance of supporting artists and encouraged one another by sharing each other’s art on their social media accounts. Students not only promoted their art and made extra money, but learned how to advertise and encourage each other to continue sharing their artwork with the world. m. Emma Barnes, senior, holds her hand- embroidered tote bag proudly in front of her. Selling homemade items to friends, family, and strangers allows • small businesses to perfect their crafts. CONTENT: BAILEY EDDINGTON I PHOTOlKELLY BRANIGAN I DESIGN: EMMA SIMON Zoya Shevchenko, senior, stands in front of her most recent endeavor: a homemade rug loom. Many students have turned to Etsy and Instagram as a way to sell their art as a contactless business model. m _____ ___________________i ■¡Si A friend sports Nora Lincoln’s homemade mushroom earrings. Nora makes a variety of earrings that she sells • * to friends as well as other students. * | Nora Lincoln, senior; stands with two * v of her recent paintings. Nora, like many . .v* students, makes extra money by selling l ^ her paintings and homemade earrings. Students and their families learned new methods to keep in contact with each other. Ella Consiglio laughed as she sent a self ie to her father that was filtered to make her look bald. She typed the message “Hey twin!” While sending funny pictures was a fun way to compensate for missed in-person visits, sometimes it wasn’t enough. Some Spartans were welcomed home by their families, but others did not want to take the risk in getting them sick. Students like Consiglio had to resort to other ways of spreading laughter and maintaining their family support systems. Consiglio, a sophomore marketing major, was very close with her family. She had two siblings, an older brother and a younger sister. Her brother attended the University of Michigan and her sister lived at home with her parents in Sterling Heights. Consiglio lived in an apartment in East Lansing, and while she couldn’t visit home as much as she normally did, she was still able to go home. “I have visited home twice,” Consiglio said. “I went once to surprise my parents for their anniversary and another time for my mom’s concert.™ With classes being virtual, other students visited home and stayed longer than usual. Nicholas Taylor was a sophomore supply chain management major, and he enjoyed going back home to Macomb and seeing family and friends. “Instead of my visits being limited Friday to Sunday, now I can stay until Tuesday or Wednesday,” Taylor said. “It is easier to see my family and friends during COVID.” While some students were able to take advantage of attending virtual classes from anywhere, other students stayed away from loved ones vulnerable to coronavirus exposure. Waleed Huwio, a senior finance major, was from the Ann Arbor area and had an extremely close family, growing up as the middle child of three brothers. Being a resident assistant in McDonel Hall, Huwio lived in contact with other students and was afraid of infecting his family. “Even if there is the slightest chance that I could get my dad sick or my mom sick, I really just do not want to take it,” Huwio said. “I would rather get sick than see one of my family members get sickly Students had different ways of keeping in contact with their families virtually. Consiglio used FaceTime or texting to check in, while occasionally sending funny pictures to her family. Taylor would text or call his family once in a while but did not have that much contact with his family. Instead, he would spend a long time visiting with family in person. Huwio enjoyed playing video games with his youngest brother, but he kept in contact with each member of his family in a different way. “My mom, for the most part, will call me every couple of days and check up on me,” Huwio said. “I send memes to my youngest brother on Instagram. My second middle brother always FaceTimes me.” "EVEN IF THERE IS THE SLIGHTEST CHANCE THAT I COULD GET MY DAD SICK OR MY MOM REALLY JUST DO NOT WANT TO TAKE III WOULD RATHER GET SICK THAN SEE ONE OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS GET SICK." I Isolation was a big adjustment for students living on campus or in apartments in East Lansing. With masks often being the only protection between community members, students could rarely be sure they were not infected by the virus. Not knowing who could be sick, students faced the decision of whether to see their families. Students adapted and used other tools to keep in contact, like social media sites, texting, FaceTime, phone calls and even video games. Through this lonely time, students found a way to connect with their families in order to maintain a form of normalcy in unpredictable times. CONTENT: ELENA COUSINOI PHOTO: AZIZ NOSIROVI DESIGN:JULIAN DUTCH J* .mar mm, h mm Armand and his sister each pick what they want. Because of the pandemic, they have been separated from one another for a long time. "PART OF THE FALL MSU EXPERIENCE IS TO GO TO A CIDER MILL OR GO APPLE PICKING, I WOULD DEFINITELY GO BACK." Uncle John’s Cider Mill is a staple part of the MSU fall experience. Spartans enjoyed the local family friendly farm that offered them a chance to participate in fall activities. Even during a pandemic, Spartans tried their best to remain safe and take part in MSU fall traditions. This year, students appreciated Uncle John’s even more, since other traditional fall experiences, like tailgating were revoked. MSU students got in the fall spirit with a socially distanced fall activity. Nearly a 30-minute drive from the Spartans’ hometown of East Lansing awaited the notorious Uncle John’s Cider Mill. Uncle John’s was known for their family-friendly reputation and/ - of course, their cider and donuts. Every fall, Uncle John’s became popular among the Spartan community. Their pumpkin patch, cider yard, corn maze, farm trail, bakery and their famous cider mill attracted students. Due to the coronavirus, Uncle John’s added five safety tips and statements to their website to support the safety of both visitors and employees. Such protocols included social distancing, wearing masks inside buildings and around other visitors, no tastings or refillings of growlers or howlers, the placement of hand sanitizer machines and certain activities of interest were shut down. Nevertheless, Spartans were still excited to experience a trip to Uncle John’s Cider Mill. Jenna Erickson, a senior communications major, went to Uncle John’s for the first time this year to get into the fall spirit. ■The cider mill was my favorite part because you can watch them mash the apples,” Erickson said. “If not for COVID, I would go again.” Erickson, whose friends have all gone as well, came to the consensus that Uncle John’s did a decent job following regulations. “They did a good job spacing out people inside but outside, people took off their masks,” Erickson said. “They also did a good job of only letting eight people in at a time. I would’ve suggested they do a better job spacing the tables outside.” Rachel Shereda, a senior double-majoring in microbiology and genomics and molecular genetics, heard about Uncle John’s through a friend from St.Johns. “I liked the cider sampling best, and they had live music,” Shereda said. “It was a good ambience environment.” Some students hadn’t been to a cider mill before coming to MSU. With so many activities and delicious cider, it kept them loyal to the experience. “Part of the fall MSU experience is to go to a cider mill or go apple picking,” Shereda said. “I would definitely go back.” Kaely Bolio, a senior neuroscience major, was another Spartan who took a trip to the notorious Uncle John’s Cider Mill. “I really liked the environment and the ability to get a variety of foods, not just cider and donuts,” Bolio said. “The sangria and hard cider slapped.” Unclejohn’s is full of activities. It’s more than its famous donuts and cider. Some Spartans forget to plan ahead. Especially those who have never been to a cider mill before. “We wanted to do the corn maze because it looked really fun,” Bolio said. “We didn’t have enough time.” CONTENT: BAILEY EDDINGTON I PHOTOsGEORGE PHAM I DESIGN: EMMA SIMON Harger’s recovery. For junior nursing student Kayley Lorts, the greatest difficulty of testing positive for COVID-19 was not the toll it took on her physical health — but rather on her schoolwork. Due to her diagnosis in late September, Lorts missed two weeks of in-person instruction. While she did not miss any clinical time, Lorts missed three of her skills check-offs, which are crucial before entering clinicals. “I had to practice on my own time without the materials,” Lorts said. “Trying to learn this stuff at home, and not being able to practice it hands-on at the nursing lab was hard. Trying to reschedule the check-offs around the exams that I missed was stressful.” Whether quarantining alone in a hotel room or in one’s apartment with roommates, COVID-19 had taken a toll on students in more ways than just their physical health. Many activities normally taken for granted — eating dinner with friends or attending classes — students couldn’t do. Instead, students were quarantined in their room for two weeks in the hopes of preventing the spread of the disease. Students shared their isolation experience after being exposed to COVID-19. Senior international relations major and ASMSU President AbiiTah Chungong closed her laptop after completing her last Zoom meeting of the day. After reaching for one of the plastic water bottles resting on the palette stacked against the wall, Chungong heard a knock at her door. Her mouth watered as she thought of her dinner — wrapped in a tinfoil container — waiting for her on the other side of the hotel room door. Between July and October, over 150 students exposed to COVID-19 stayed at the Kellogg Center, and Chungong was one of them. On Aug. 15, after learning that one of her three roommates tested positive for coronavirus, Chungong contacted Residential Housing Services for guidance. In a matter of hours after the call, Chungong and her three roommates packed up their essentials and walked to the Kellogg Center Luckily, Chungong tested negative for coronavirus; however, she still followed the two-week quarantine. “Police officers weren’t stationed around Kellogg Center to enforce that we stayed in our rooms,” Chungong said. “It was through our own will that we stayed there. We absolutely found it imperative to stay, there were no regrets at all. I did miss my apartment, but it was just two weeks.” Quarantining at the Kellogg Center was only available to students residing in dorms or on-campus apartments. Students living off campus in East Lansing that tested positive had to rely "WE ABSOLUTELY FOUND IT IMPERATIVE TO STAY, THERE WERE NO REORETS AT ALL" on roommates and friends to survive their quarantine and fight off their sickness. Senior economics and international relations major Gabrielle Harger tested positive for COVID-19 after a weekend of eating at restaurants with friends in East Lansing. While Harger did experience flu symptoms, she simply attributed it to seasonal allergies. “If our friends wouldn’t have tested positive, then I probably wouldn’t have known that I had it for a long time I was sick,” Harger said. “I had pretty severe seasonal allergies, so I thought it was just that.” In a matter of days of testing positive, Harger lost her ability to taste and smell. Never developing a fever or breathing problems, Harger experienced severe fatigue which made completing schoolwork very difficult. Harger’s professors were understanding, and her roommates would bring meals to her room. The consideration and care of others was crucial to 228 CONTEND ELAINE MALLONI PHOTO: LOGAN COLES I DESIGN: HOPE O’DELL -*'? ¡. ■'■¡.a.irogJ] The Kellogg Center was closed to provide quarantine housing to students during the school year. The Kellogg first opened in September of 1951. WM ; , m. SÊÊÊKm Mil« 3&511 mm SH ms i ■te SftgJGHH f»“.....í mm K m Í«- ' • P» H Mi 1 Ü» H ■ »«mm. 11 il mgm g 1 COVID ALERT EXPOSURE NOTIFICATION APP MSU created a new app to help Ingham County stay safe from COVID-19. MSU took another step to help protect its community from COVID-19. The Ml COVID Alert app was developed with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the Ingham County Health Department, to track voluntarily reported and unidentified cases of those who tested positive for COVID-19. If someone tested positive for COVID-19, the app would send out a notification to everyone with the app who might have been previously exposed to the infected individual. Then, individuals would receive another notification containing information regarding how to move forward to keep others safe and stop the advancement of COVID-19. Samantha Tricarico, a junior communications leadership and strategy major, helped develop the app. “I decided to participate in the launch of Ml COVID Alert because since the beginning of the pandemic, I have been closely and anxiously watching the COVID numbers and researching the disease,” Tricarico said. “I am a registered nurse, so this topic hit home.” What made this app so special is that it helped catch potential cases, and detecting the virus in its early stages was a critical element in stopping the transmission of the virus. However, it could only work if people downloaded the app and were willing to anonymously report if they had the virus. “The goals of the app really focused on downloads and participation,” Tricarico said. “We surpassed our initial download goal, so now the objective is to ensure that people who are testing positive are reporting it to the system. The goals are being met and the app seems to be going over smoothly within the MSU community and Ingham County.” Maddy Cook, a senior political science major, also helped create the new app. “The goals of this app were to design an easy platform for people at Michigan State to know when they have been exposed to the coronavirus and how they move forward after being exposed,” Cook said. “So far, we have had over 50,000 downloads and that continues to go up each day.” The app was designed to allow anonymous participation. When it came to health, privacy went a long way. More students were inclined to download and use the new app because they didn’t have to agree to submit personal information. Students’ privacy was respected even when submitting positive test results. The app did not release any information about who the individual was. John Pynnonen, a senior civil engineer major, was one of many students who downloaded the Ml COVID Alert app. Bit’s been nice to be able to get local data about cases and things of that nature,” Pynnonen said. “I check it every now and then for updates, but luckily I haven’t had to use it to report a positive COVID test.” The new COVID Alert exposure notification app provided students, staff and local residents a new form of safety and an opportunity to help the whole community. Discovering early cases not only helped Spartans and East Lansing residents, but also Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services. The app counted on Spartans, because the more users there were, the more accurate and significant its information would be. In a time when everyone was continuously attached to their phones, the Ml COVID Alert app functioned as an efficient way of detecting the virus early to stop the spread. CONTENT BAILEY EDDINGTON I PHOTO: SHELDON KRAUSE I DESIGN:JILLIAN DUTCH Wjjfj fjj M ms Lupe Grover, a sophomore nursing | : major assisted in the creation of the COVID-19 alert app. Each of the developers worked with Professor Shawn Turner, who oversaw the project. in111 m mm Maddy Cook, a senior political science major, helped develop the exposure app. Cook noted that the app had over 50,000 downloads. Rachel Vanduinen is a sophomore nutritional science major who helped create the Ml COVID-19 Alert App. The app tracks and monitors contact with other app-users to notify the individual if they have been exposed to COVID-19. ¡HR * » * > ^ v%1 Students found new ways to watch Spartan football amid the pandemic. Senior marketing major Emma Negrus saw smoke as she walked along Bogue Street to her friend’s apartment in Cedar Village. After turning into Waters Edge Drive, Negrus watched students crowd around a couch enveloped by flames. She could hear sirens wailing in the distance. In years past, the burning of couches after a victory —especially after beating our greatest rival, the University of Michigan —was seen as an obligatory celebration ritual. However, this year the tradition was garnering more criticism than just eye-rolls. Following the Big Ten Conference’s approval to resume the football season, MSU banned tailgating on campus. In an effort to discourage tailgating in neighborhoods, the city of East Lansing created an emergency ordinance. Outside gatherings of more than 25 people would result in participants recieving a $500 citation. Despite East Lansing’s restrictions, students continued to gather in large groups. Negrus reaccounted the chaos in Cedar "WHENEVER THE COUCHES STARTED BURNING, EVERYONE DISREGARDED SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES, LIKE WEARING MASKS AND STANDING SIX FEET APART," Village following Michigan State’s victory over Michigan. “Whenever the couches started burning, everyone disregarded social distancing guidelines like wearing masks and standing six feet apart,” Negrus said. “There were hundreds—I am not even kidding you — hundreds of people grouped together I wasn’t in the crowd, but I observed it from afar. It was crazy.” On the other side of Grand River Avenue, senior media and information major Andrew Herner watched the final minutes of the Halloween-day game with friends around a TV in his backyard. Hours earlier, Herner and his neighbors tossed a football across their front yards on Gunson Street. Although the street was quieter than in years past, Herner sought to enjoy every minute of his senior year. “Among us seniors, we have this sense of urgency with the time we have left of our college experience,” Herner said. “We are taking into account the things going on with COVID, and we are trying to be as safe as possible. We have pointed out our main circles of people and haven’t really expanded beyond that as people would have in the past,” Before every game, Herner coordinated with his roommates the number of friends they were inviting to tailgate. Instead of having 40 students crowded around his front yard, Herner enjoyed the game with a small group of friends. »Honestly, getting together with the people that we know better is more fun anyway,” Herner said. Junior journalism major Trent Bailey looked forward to the Saturday gatherings at Herner’s house on Gunson Street. A self- proclaimed MSU football fan since birth, Bailey continued to cheer for the Spartans, but in a smaller setting. “Obviously you switch the way you tailgate a little bit to be safe, but I’m not not going to watch the game with my friends or tailgate, because they are traditions for me,” Bailey said. “We have a tight group of friends that we watch the games with and hang out with, and we are around each other all week anyways. We just keep our circle small.” Like Herner and Bailey, Negrus preferred to tailgate with friends rather than huddle around burning couches with strangers. “When it comes to tailgating, I am not really comfortable with going to random parties,” Negrus said. “The people that I tailgate with are the same people I tailgate with every weekend.” While police officers and firefighters dispersed the crowds in Cedar Village following the end of the Michigan game, Negrus walked the stairway to her friends’ apartment. While relaxing on Herner’s couch, Bailey saw countless Snapchat stories of couches burning. While these students missed the typical atmosphere surrounding MSU football season, they had created memories with the friends that mattered most. §§§11 students celébrate an unexpected victory overU of M. As soonas the J first police car showed up/ev%yon«¡l scattered within minutes^ CONTENHELAINE MALLON I PHOTO: GEORGE PHAMI DESIGN: GABRIELLE MCKEEVER Spartans did not think two mid-week breaks would replace the relaxation of spring break. Every year, students counted down the days until spring break, whether they planned to travel to a warm, lively destination or spend the week at home, free of class and obligation. One Spartan tradition was to represent MSU by taking pictures with the flag at their destination. This year, everything was different. President Stanley announced that, in order to limit unnecessary travel, the traditional week-long spring break would be replaced with two pairs of mid-week days off, totaling four days. The spring semester would also end one week early. Spartans debated if the new plans would actually stop students from traveling and flying their flags. Amy Dedoyard, a senior human biology major, didn’t believe that the alternative spring break would lead to safety or actually provide students with the break that they needed. “I wish [the university] would have considered and gotten more opinions of students instead of making the decision,” Dedoyard said. “The two two-day [breaks] wouldn’t be equivalent to spring break.® Despite the number of precautionary measures by the university and the East Lansing community, it would always be possible for individuals to find a way around regulations. Halloween festivities and tailgates were just two examples of large gatherings that occurred even though they were advised against. “I don’t feel safer,” Dedoyard said. “Especially after witnessing students gather on Halloween.” Chloe Watters, a sophomore packaging major, was disappointed with the university’s decision to have an alternative spring break. “It’s pretty frustrating because this year is already a big transition,” Watters said. “Spring break is a light at the end of the tunnel during the end of the year.” Students were also concerned that they wouldn’t have a true break with the new substituted break. Midweek class cancellations only gave students two days of relaxation between days of classes, as opposed to the worry-free week that spring break provides. Many students had to use this time to catch up on other schoolwork anyways. “I don’t think I’ll actually get a break from school,” Dedoyard said. “It will only feel like a pause.” Kayla Norris, a senior double majoring in creative advertising "IT'S PRETTY FRUSTRATING BECAUSE THIS YEAR IS ALREADY A BIG TRANSITION1 SPRING BREAK IS A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL DURING THE END OF THE YEAR/' and graphic design, was also saddened by the news. “I was pretty disappointed.” Norris said. “Spring break is a good break in the middle of the semester, regardless of travel.” Many students were in consensus that Spartans would travel in any case. The power of asynchronous classes allowed students to choose when and where they worked on and attended their classes. “If school is still online, students will do classes wherever,” Norris said. “Long weekends could lead to road trips.” Though students desired a traditional spring break, and may even have made their own, the university claimed that professors would not be able to assign any work during the Spartans’ four days off. However, students were still concerned. “I doubt we will have a break,” Watters said. “There’s constantly an assignment to think about or a Zoom call to attend.” This year, there wasn’t anything conventional to Spartan life, including spring break. Students worried whether or not they would receive a break and if the decision to cancel spring break was actually effective or not. However, Spartans would get through it together. Since most students had all of their classes online, many were flexible in terms of where they completed their work. This was a big factor in why students believed that the cancellation of spring break would not stop travel. They thought those who were going to travel would just do it during the school week and complete their online courses from their destinations. “I don’t think it will stop people from traveling,” Dedoyard said. “On social media I saw other students go to other places to work on fall classes.” The four-day break was an attempt for Spartans and the surrounding Spartan community to stay safe from COVID-19. However, not all students experienced that comforting feeling. CONTENT BAIfEY EDDINGTON I PHOTO: KELLY BRANIGANI DESIGN:JILLIAN DUTCH 237 Students recounted what it was like living with roommates during a pandemic. MSU’s fall 2020 semester was online due to COVID-19. As a result, campus was empty, and apartments and houses around campus were full of students attending their classes online with their roommates doing the same. With an increased amount of time at home, roommates had to be around each other more than usual, which led to stronger bonds between them. Andrew Chen, a senior supply chain management major, and his roommates were an example of strengthening friendship, which they did with different activities. “We hang out quite often, whether that is going to get takeout a few times a week, watching scary movies or playing video games,” Chen said. By only hanging out with his roommates, Chen was able to abide by the COVID-19 guidelines. and bathrooms, so we have our privacy if we need it,” Zhou said. “Also, I’m a pretty social person so that could contribute to my preference of not requiring anymore personal space.” In addition to spending more time with their roommates, students went through other changes in their home life. “This current lifestyle is a lot different than pre-COVID,” Zhou said. “One of the biggest differences is not being able to have a big group of friends over anymore, and that has really impacted the social element of college.” However, a lot of students still enjoyed being around campus. “The college experience that we have today is definitely a lot different than what it was, like, a year ago,” Zhou said. “However, I am still grateful I have the opportunity to live close to campus and get something out of my senior year of college.” “Since I haven’t been seeing many of my friends outside of Whether your ideal living situation during the pandemic was making popcorn with your roommates as you got ready for a movie marathon or taking advantage of your personal space in your room, this year’s experience wasn’t completely ruined, just because it was different. "AFTER BEING QUARANTINED THE ENTIRE SUMMER WITH ONLY MYSELF AND FAMILY I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE HAYING FRIENDS UNDER THE SAME ROOF AS ME/' my roommates, it’s comforting to know that our quarantine group is safe,” Chen said. Safety during this time had been a concern for many other roommates. Reese Lanfear, a junior finance major, noted the importance of it. “Since the beginning of the semester, my roommates and I have been working on our transparency as to how safe we are being,” Lanfear said. “We want to make sure that we’re keeping ourselves and each other safe and accountable.” Although being around campus was riskier compared to being at home, some students enjoyed the change of scenery. Charles Zhou, a senior supply chain management major, highlighted his friendships with his roommates. “After being quarantined the entire summer with only myself and family, I definitely appreciate having friends under the same roof as me,” Zhou said. For some people, being around their roommates could be vexing. However, Zhou didn’t mind it due to his apartment’s arrangement and personal preferences. “In the apartments I live at, we have our own bedrooms 238 CONTENT: MELISA USTUNSOZ I PHOTO: GEORGE PHAM I DESIGN:JULIAN DUTCH Roommates Andrew Chen and Charles Zhou have endured the continuou|l| stay-at-home orders over the course of the pandemic together in their shared apartment. The two have finished out their senior year as roommates and will both be graduating wittasupply ch. management degrees. Spartans adjusted to attending classes and doing homework online. Instead of Spartans walking through a maze of students by the Red Cedar, they were clicking Zoom hyperlinks to attend class. Thus, “Zoom University” was born. Due to the pandemic, MSU transferred all of its classes to synchronous and asynchronous online classes. Students had to give up walking on campus, watching squirrels fight for food and ignoring — or arguing with — the Wells preacher. Switching to this “Zoom University” was an adjustment for many Spartans. Students weren’t used to the radical change that was school in the midst of a pandemic. Thomas Stephenson, a junior political theory and constitutional democracy major, was one student who found online courses quite demanding. “Online learning is obviously no substitute for in-person engagement, and I find it difficult to recreate the organic experiences of being in the classroom,” Stephenson said. “I do not think this form of instruction is a substitute for in-person schooling, but given the public health crisis, I understand the necessity of it.” Since everything had shifted to an online setting, all classes were formulated on MSU’s online platform, Desire2Learn, or D2L. It became harder for students to organize themselves, get their work done and find time to free themselves from a screen. “I perform worse in online classes,” Stephenson said. “I find it difficult to be expected to perform the same from my living room as I would in a traditional class environment. There’s something to be said for context-dependent memory, and it’s hard to create that when you’re doing class from a place you normally relax.” Along with the pandemic and “Zoom University,” students also had to deal with a divided country in almost every political aspect. Zora Woodard, a sophomore social relations and policy major, expressed concern for how much was expected of students. “We’re going through a global pandemic, people are finally learning about how strongly racism is institutionalized and we’ve seen some horrific incidents of police brutality recently,” Woodward said. “We’re going through a second depression and the state of the country is unstable economically, socially and politically.” Students were concerned, stressed and nervous for the future. School wasn’t always on their mind, and even if it was, it wasn’t always easy to focus. “We’re going through a chaotic election, and no matter where you lie politically, it’s obvious that the past four years have been chaotic interpersonally,” Woodard said. “Most people are suffering with their mental health.” Spartans were glad that the university recognized some of these struggles and made a pass-fail option available to relieve students of the stress that can surround grades and grade point average. This meant that MSU offered students to report their grades as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. It allowed students to hide their grades on official transcripts. Erin Kramer, a senior and social work major, was one student who appreciated MSU’s response to the pass or fail option. “I think the pass-fail option is a really beneficial option for students whose education has been disproportionately negatively “J THINK THE PASS-FAIL OPTION ISA REALLY BENEFICIAL OPTION FOR STUDENTS WHOSE EDUCATION S BEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY affected by the pandemic,” Kramer said. “I am grateful MSU is acknowledging that not everyone is able to learn and succeed the same as they would in in-person learning environments.” As many other schools switched to an online learning format, Spartans weren’t alone as they transferred to “Zoom University.” Students were tested with a new format and experience of learning in which they had to give up in-person life. Although many students missed their walks on campus, seeing their professors in person and being able to physically be in class, they acknowledged the hardships they had to go through, and went through them. CONTENT BAILEY EDDINGTON I PHOTO: GEORGE PHAM I DESIGN: JULIAN DUTCH Spartans took a new approach to dating during the pandemic. Dating was a big aspect of college life for many students. But during a global pandemic, dating looked different than it had in the past. Yet, Spartans got creative and were able to maintain their dating lives. Sophie Christensen, junior social relations and policy major, and Alison Ren, sophomore human resources major, met their respective boyfriends around the beginning of the pandemic. “Since we had gotten to know each other pretty well online first,” Christensen said. “The transition to going on ‘real dates’ was probably a lot easier than a first date under normal circumstances would have been.” Similarly, the experience for Ren was positive. “We met through mutual friends in May and slowly got to know each other in our small group,” Ren said. “Then, we began talking on the phone often before we began dating. It felt more old-school.”^ Krause said. “Over the summer, we started seeing each other in person a bit, so it was tough to not have that luxury as often.” However, Krause was able to meet with his girlfriend in East Lansing and quarantine with her several times throughout the summer. When they weren’t together, like most other couples, they did hit a few bumps in the road. ■When everything is digital, it’s easy to get lost in your schoolwork or on social media while some of your relationships’ priorities can take a back seat,” Krause said. Krause’s solution was to work on their communication and find a way to spend time virtually. In fact, Ren and Christensen found the same solutions when they hit similar bumps. All three students utilized Netf lix Party, an extension that allowed people to watch a show together in real-time. They also played video games together, like Animal Crossing. In addition, they FaceTimed and texted. During such a challenging time, relationships could be A pandemic did put restrictions in all areas of life, including comforting. “It has been wonderful to have someone by my side throughout all the stress that comes along with the state of the world right now,” Christensen said. dating. However, in this century, technology helped connect people wherever they may be. In some ways, technology even enriched the dating experience — such as through long and heartfelt phone conversations that could go on without the restrictions our busy lives put on us before. S BEEN WONDERFUL TO Ei THROUGHOUT ALL THE STRESS THAT COMES ALONG WITH THE STATE OF THE WORLD RIGHT NOW." Ren also appreciated having a companion during the pandemic. “I was very social on campus before we began quarantining, so the transition felt hard for me,” Ren said. “It was nice to have someone I could talk to often in a time when it was easy to feel alone.” On the contrary, Sheldon Krause, sophomore journalism major, was familiar with long-distance dating. “The transition for us specifically wasn’t too bad because we were already doing long-distance for my first year of college,” m i CONTENT: MELISA USTUNSOZI PHOTO: SHELDON KRAUSE & GEORGE PHAM I DESIGN: EMMA SIMON Sophomore Sheldon Krause and his girlfriend Haley smile together before a formal event. The couple has been dating for two years and kept in touch over the course of the pandemic. QUARANTINE RECIPES Students expressed their appreciation for cooking as they quarantined. Justin Fernando, sophomore social relations and policy major, snapped a picture of his ratatouille dish, impressed with the growth of his cooking abilities. The picture of his dish caused a lot of excitement and engagement on Instagram. For Fernando, the dish remained a vivid memory of what could be accomplished during quarantine. On Fernando’s Instagram account, “jdiddyeats,” followers were privy to jaw-dropping and extravagant dishes, which motivated Fernando to keep pushing the limit of his cooking expertise. “I am expanding my palate and the skills that I have,” Fernando said. “Originally, I used to mainly do regular food, like pasta, tacos, just easy stuff I think as I have been learning more and now that I have my own kitchen, I can explore more into other flavors and different cuisines.” Fernando went home at the beginning of quarantine to stay with his family, which caused him to cook less often. Since he moved back to East Lansing, though, Fernando was able to cook as much as he liked. • “I definitely think I enjoy it more now just because of that freedom to be able to cook what I want,” Fernando said. “I feel during quarantine, when I was home, I was cooking a little bit, but I was limited in what I could cook because my parents would always be watching me.” Samiksha Prakash, senior gender studies and sociology double major, had a different experience on her cooking jour’ney. Prakash enjoyed baking and trying out new recipes, but she felt more freedom cooking at home than in her apartment. “At the beginning of quarantine, I went back home to live with my family and I did a lot more cooking because they have a bigger kitchen than I did at school, so it was a lot more fun,” Prakash said. “I had a lot more time to cook because I was not going to class in person.” Mary Stout, senior elementary education major, decided to help out students who were having trouble cooking during quarantine. Stout put together a Google Form where students could submit their favorite recipes. During Mental Health Awareness Week, Nov. 2 through Nov. 6.|jshe sent out a recipe book with 15 recipes students could try at home. “I know from personal experience that it can be tough, regardless of your mental state, to come up with things to eat every day,” Stout said. “I thought of it as coming up with a resource for people when they are feeling really down or really uninspired or really tired, and be able to look at a few easy recipes.” Stout started cooking more frequently during high school, and quarantine allowed her more room to explore. “With quarantine, I cook probably ten times more than I used toi Stout said. “I actually cook meals for myself probably every single day, because it is just something I look forward to. It is a good way to break up the day and get my eyes away from staring at my computer.” Cooking allowed students to keep healthy habits and express their creativity. While trapped indoors, students made the best of their situation and let their taste buds lead the way to magnificent dishes. With the uncertainty of the world, food united students and brought them together through a shared hobby that everyone could enjoy. Fernando searches for spices in his cabinet to complete his salmon and mushroom sauce dish. CONTENT- ELENA COUSINOI PHOTO: SHELDON KRAUSE I DESIGN: EMMA SIMON Justin Fernando seasons salmon with pepper before cooking. Justin is a second-year student and has been spending his quarantine testing new recipes. n The final product - salmon with a mushroom cream sauce. His favorite dish he has learned to make is ratatouille. where I want to go. Maybe somewhere in Michigan.” O’Keefe’s plans were altered by the pandemic, like many other students. “I had an internship lined up this summer and multiple job offers that got canceled,” O’Keefe said. “My backup offer was going to offer housing, but because of COVID, they shut down their offers.” A unique aspect to working in this field is that, legally, a landscape architect isn’t given their title until they become registered. Although O’Keefe graduated as a landscape architecture major, she must become registered to follow her intended career path. “I do want to get registered as (a landscape architect),” O’Keefe said. “There’s an exam and everything. It’s easiest to study and take the exam right outside of school.” O’Keefe, as well as many other students, decided to brainstorm a plan B in case the first plan regarding life after college didn’t work out. With the relentless coronavirus affecting every aspect of the world, including the job and housing market, it was hard to remain confident about future plans. No student was fully prepared for a pandemic, but they continued to formulate goals and plans for their careers. Whether they had to create plans to stay in Michigan, work remotely or slightly shift out of their intended pathway, they still made it to graduation with a goal to pursue in the time to come. , Seniors discussed their post-graduation plans. Seniors planned and dreamed for years about what their life would be like after graduating, but with a world in which COVID-19 persisted, plans adapted with the world around it. The pandemic impacted where graduates moved, how they worked and what their lives were like. It was a strange time to be a student anywhere; nevertheless, Spartans still made it to graduation. Ethan Freshwater, senior economics major, was one student whose plans changed due to the pandemic. “I originally planned to move to Chicago,” Freshwater said. “Now, I’m looking at Detroit.” Freshwater wanted to get into the field of trading and completed a few job applications during his last semester. However, if his plans didn’t follow through, he decided to continue his education. During the pandemic, it wasn’t only difficult to find a job of your trade, but it was also difficult to find housing. Different parts of the country had it much worse than East Lansing. “I would go to law school or join a masters program,” Freshwater said. “I would just be continuing my education.” Stacey LaRouche, senior social relations and policy major, found that the locations of living and working she was interested in expanded because of most workplaces’ remote nature. “I focused on moving to D.clbut with everything remote, I’m really open to anything,” LaRouche said. “I’d prefer to stay in Michigan until COVID is over.” LaRouche was determined to pursue political communications and work for elected officials. Like many students, she feared not finding a job right away. “Something has to stick,” LaRouche said. “I’d consider corporate or more private industries if the political world doesn’t work out.” Paige O’Keefe, a senior landscape architecture major, who graduated this December, decided to pursue a masters in landscape architecture, continuing her education through MSU. “I want to hopefully work at an (landscape architectureonly) firm or multidisciplinary firm,” O’Keefe said. “I haven’t decided CONTENT; BAILEY EDDINGTON IDESICN: GABRIELLE MCKEEVER Ethan Freshwater graduated from the College of Social Science in December of2020. He majored in socioeconomics and is pursuing a career in following graduatio Stacey LaRouche graduated from James Madison and the Honors College in December. She joined over 2,000 other4 Michigan State students who graduated in a virtual ceremony this winter. Students used television programs as an escape during the pandemic. Typically, students wait to watch television shows until the end of the semester. Students would be preoccupied with tailgates or hangouts. With the pandemic taking away such activities, social options for students were extremely limited. As a result, many students delved into television shows. Television shows offered a variety of entertainment options. Streaming services such as Netf lix made it easy for students to browse through categories to find their niche. Jessica Vo, a junior finance major, preferred humor, drama and supernatural TV shows. “I love TV shows that keep me on my toes, like ‘Lucifer,’” Vo said. “It’s a unique one with an intense and dramatic storyline.” Television programs helped viewers feel emerged in a virtual reality. For Vo, it felt great being connected to something so extraordinary during stressful times. hobbies through TV shows. Josee York, a senior Kinesiology major, was one example. gnl like watching ‘Dancing with the Stars’ because I used to be a dancer,”.York said. York was able to share her passion with her roommates. Hl’ve watched ‘Dancing with the Stars’ foryears, and when I convinced my roommates to watch it, they loved it too,” York said. “It brings us all together on Monday nights after a long day of class and homework.” With the stress of school and the pandemic, York and her roommates enjoyed discussing contestants, voting for the winner and yelling at the screen. It served as a stress reliever and a form of roommate bonding. Overall, Spartans were able to find new avenues of entertainment during an all-online semester. They felt connected with real life through a screen and found new ways to bond with each other. With a variety of options available, sometimes succumbing to the couch to bingewatch a TV show was the best way to ease quarantine troubles. "IT BRINGS US A TOGETHER ON MONDAY NIGHTS AFTER A LONG DA OF CLASS AND HOMEWORK. I Ruby Weber, a sophomore supply chain management major, felt similarly. However, she did enjoy TV shows that were based in reality. “I liked being surprised during such a dull time,” Weber said. “TV shows I watched like ‘Gossip Girl’ had lots of twists and turns that were unexpected.’!! Different series like “Gossip Girl,” “New Girl” and “Grey’s Anatomy” served as a reminder of how post-pandemic life could be. It gave Spartans something to look forward to during uncertain times. Some students were able to connect with their past and I’ll listen to classical music too.” Aalayna Green, a senior zoology student, learned more about her music habits this year through Spotify Wrapped. “I was surprised that I was in the top 1% of Sam Smith’s listeners, honestly,” Green said. “I love their music but I didn’t know I listened to them that much.” Personal details concerning how users interacted with the app was what hooked students and made them loyal to Spotify. Its customized weekly playlists allowed students to discover music that was tailored specifically their tastes. DffnSpotify, to me, feels more personal,” Green said. “I love their weekly playlists and its layout as an app and platform is more appealing than Apple Music.” Mac Catrambone, a senior computer science major, was also a loyal customer of Spotify and was shocked by the diversity of his end-of-year wrap-up Si was surprised at how many different genres of music were on there,” Catrambone said. “I really do listen to everything.” Spotify Wrapped permitted students to realize how important music was to their daily lives. Even without walking their normal routes around the Red Cedar, Spotify provided a way to quickly find their favorite artists, easy access to their most-listened to genres and the means to discover new music. As Kolb said best, “Spotify for the win.”® Student’s revealed what music meant to them. Music always played a role in the lives of students. During a normal semester, MSU’s campus was full of Spartans wearing headphones and jamming out as they walked to class. While the constant battle between Apple Music and Spotify raged on, Spotify users looked forward to their Spotify Wrapped at the end of each year. These students got to see which artists most often accompanied them on their cross-campus walks. Anna Kolb, a senior applied engineering sciences major, was one of many Spartans who loved Spotify’s financial plan for students and its customized playlists. - 2020 DEFINITELY A HARD YEAR FOR EVERYONEMUSIC HELPED ME A TON." “I love the $4.99 per month student plan that Spotify offers,” Kolb said. “And a Hulu membership is included. Also, Spotify has so many custom playlists for me based on what I listen to, I’m always introduced to new music that I love. Spotify for the win.” In 2020, there was no walking to class on campus while listening to favorite songs and playlists. But music helped Kolb get through the tough times. “2020 was definitely a hard year for everyone, music helped me a ton,” Kolb said. “I’d listen to a lot of upbeat music to get myself up and moving. I listened to a lot of songs by Doja Cat, DaBaby and Megan Thee Stallion.” Music didn’t just lift up students’ moods this year, either. It helped when students needed it most - studying. “I love Kacey Musgraves, Mac Miller and Lana del Rey for when I want to study and focus on school,” Kolb said. “Sometimes CONTENT BAILEY EDDINGTON I DESIGN:JULIAN DUTCH 251 not the same experience as before. Christine Foley, senior graphic design major, wasn’t ecstatic about the new bar scene. “Bars are like restaurants now, except they still serve bar food like frozen mozzarella sticks,” Foley said. “I personally prefer to go to a restaurant because they have better and more filling food.S Some bars also wanted to make the transition to different procedures as easy on their employees as they could. “Employees are allowed ‘mask breaks’ in the back of the bar, where customers are prohibited,” Lucchetti. Although the bars took precautions such as the mask mandate and social distancing, there was more tension around the workplace. -^'“Ifone person, employee or customer, brings COVID into any bar in East Lansing,” Lucchetti said. “All bars will be ordered to reclose down for an indefinite amount of time; because of this, the employees are trying to keep each other in check to keep their job.” Although bars—along with its customers and employees— had to go through different adjustments, health was of the utmost importance. Students hoped that those cleaner procedures would stick after COVID-19, and in the meantime, students weighed their options when going out. As bars reopened, students had to comply with new guidelines. Downtown East Lansing was once a hotspot for students. Pre pandemic, on almost any night of the week, students waited in line for the bars, making friends and anticipating the night of loud music and dancing ahead of them. However, since the start of the pandemic, students were no longer able to crowd together in the hot, cramped spaces that the bars offered and let loose with their friends. In October 2020, the bars slowly began opening back up. As COVID-19 was still a prominent issue, customers and employees had to adjust to a different set of standards. The bar scene looked different than in the past, but gradual steps and protocols helped the bars reopen. Rick’s American Cafe, a popular bar for undergraduate students, completely changed their operations to ensure a safe experience. Mia Lucchetti, a sophomore marketing major and Rick’s employee, saw all of these changes take place. “We began with a soft reopening,” Lucchetti said. “This essentially meant we were at less than half capacity. We also began implementing the LineLeap service to deter people from gathering at our door We test every customer’s temperature before entering the building and have updated air ventilation to prevent the spread ofCOVID.” Moreover, the bar was shut from Sunday to Tuesday for a deep cleaning every week. Also, tables and booths were 6 to 10 feet apart and employees did regular cleaning of all surfaces, including in between parties. Additionally, a mask mandate was in place. ■“I have been very pleasantly surprised at the public’s willingness to adhere to the rules and regulations,” Lucchetti said. “I believe I can speak for my fellow co-workers that in general the public has been very cooperative with the new mandates.” Although Rick’s American Cafe seemed to have a good experience with the mask mandate, Dublin Square, another popular bar in downtown East Lansing, did not. Wade Varney, sophomore mechanical engineering student, worked at Dublin Square and had some negative experiences with customers. “As is expected with a college bar, there are some unavoidable problems with customers not accommodating themselves to our guidelines,” Varney said. However, Dublin Square still did everything they could to ensure customers kept themselves and others safe. While the bars seemed to be getting less customers in general, they still had their busy days. “We fill up to capacity Wednesday to Saturday, and on Sunday to Tuesday, we’re relatively slow,” Varney said. The students that went to the East Lansing bars before COVID- 19 realized that even though the bars were reopening, they were CONTENT MELISA USTUNSOZI PHOTO: LOCAN COLES I DESIGN: GABRIELLE MCKEEVER YOUR PRIVATE PARTY HEADQUARTERS CALL 517.351.4540 TO RESERVE YOUR NEXT EVENT I I h I » J Rick’s reopened its doors back to the public after closing in March 2020. An app was used to eliminate lines outside. Harper’s was the first brewpub and music venue in East Lansing when it was founded in 1997. “J BELIEVE I UN SPEAK FOR MY FELLOW CO-WORKERS GENERAL THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN VERY COOPERATIVE WITH THE NEW MANDATES9 Students were among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Many people anticipated the release of the coronavirus vaccine. Over a year after the pandemic started, the vaccine started to be distributed slowly. Many Spartans had the opportunity to be some of the first vaccinated because of their status as essential workers. From education to biology majors, Spartans played an important role in people’s lives and in protecting their communities. Brandon Page, a senior double majoring in biomedical laboratory diagnostics and human biology, received the vaccine because of his job as an emergency room technician at Sparrow Hospital. “When I first received the vaccine I was a little apprehensive due to the side effects and how quickly the vaccine became available, but I knew deep in my heart that I was doing the right thing to protect myself and my community,” Page said. Although many people were anticipating receiving the vaccine, concerns of safety still arose and politics affected the ways in which people backed and trusted the vaccine. the Alaska State Virology Lab to help test COVID samples from across northern Alaska,” Brase said. “I was able to get vaccinated because of the high-risk nature of my job and being exposed to potentially positive patient samples on a daily basis.” Brase was very impressed by the scientists who helped develop the vaccine and had complete confidence in the safety of the vaccine itself “I can understand why some people may be hesitant to get the vaccine, but mass vaccination is the only way we can achieve herd immunity and safely return to traveling and large gatherings,” Brase said. “It is also so important to help protect vulnerable populations who cannot get the vaccine for health reasons and to lessen the burden on the healthcare system.” Emma Cranzow, a psychology major and another recent graduate, was nervous about receiving the vaccine for her work. “I was a little nervous because I do one day want to have children, and we don’t know the long-term effects on fertility, but I decided it was worth that risk, as I already plan to adopt,” Cranzow said. “I was able to get the COVID shot because I work in a nursing home as a CNA (certified nursing assistant), and we have a COVID unit, so our exposure is higher.” Whether these Spartans were hesitant or confident about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, they still went through with getting the vaccine and helped the safety of their communities. From Alaska to East Lansing, Spartans were prepared to support as many people as they could. “In general, I got the common side effects of headache, body ache and nausea,” Page said. “With no doubt would I question getting the vaccine, as this pandemic has lasted over a year now. I think a big part of the vaccine took a political role, which is devastating because we need to trust the medicine and the scientists behind it.”' Emily Johnson, a senior and special education major, was hesitant at first to receive the vaccine, but knew in the long run that it would make her feel safer. She trusted the process and effort that went into the making of the vaccine. |j|“Luckily, I was able to receive the vaccine because of my job,” Johnson said. “I am a behavior technician at Autism Centers of Michigan.” Piper Brase, who graduated in December as a microbiology major, received the vaccine because of the high-risk level of her job as well. “I am originally from Alaska, and I’m currently working at A student receives their second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Students have been receiving vaccines throughout different phases in the vaccine rollout based on their eligibility. CONTENT BAILEY EDDINGTON I PHOTO: ALEXA PIERZYNSKII DESIGN: JULIAN DUTCH p S §§§|i i ' i llsll After months of development, everyone over the age of sixteen in the state of Michigan is eligible for the vaccine starting April 5th. These three prominent companies producing the vaccine, with recipients either receiving, Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. WntfiiiiiTm fiiirir-iii iiiiiiiiii»iii"l..11 MSU students and staff gathered virtually to watch a presidential inauguration. It’s rare to know that you have lived through history. History is generally understood in terms of what has happened, and it is difficult to picture history as something that you can personally experience. When 2020 began, Spartans knew we were experiencing history. Every day of quarantine, a new ^unprecedented” feeling settled in Spartan stomachs. For those students and staff that gathered in an Office of Cultural and Academic Transitions (OCAT) Zoom meeting space on Wednesday, Jan. 20, history was finally a good thing. “I was really excited that Inauguration Day had finally come,” said Ricardo Paz, a junior computer science majon|l look forward to what this new administration can do, but we also have to keep them accountable.” OCAT set up a virtual inauguration watch party to ring in the new administration. Nearly 40 students and staff piled into the call to share the experience. While the main focus of the event was the inauguration, the chatroom acted as an emotional release valve for some. There was excitement, relief, joy and trepidation. “I personally fed great about the new administration because they are focusing on unity and repairing the damage and division that the previous administration caused,” said OCAT Coordinatorjuan Flores. “I also appreciate how diverse it is and how intentional it is with appointing diverse people to high-level positions.”- Flores was deeply impacted by the inauguration not only of President Joe Biden, but more importantly of Vice President Kamala Harris. “Most importantly, I am delighted that we, for the first time in American history, have a female vice president, and what makes it even more special is that fact that she is Black and Asian,” Flores said. “This is long overdue in America.” The significance of this moment was not lost on those in attendance. The swearing in of America’s first Black woman in the White House was momentous for many. “What was different about this inauguration was the amount of history that was made,” Paz said. “Having the first Black female vice president sworn in by the first Latina in the supreme court.” But despite the energy of joy and relief, there was an air of caution amongst some viewers. “There’s a lotto be expected,” said Lily Cross, a sophomore journalism major “I’m very eager to see the breaking news. We have to realize there is stuff that needs to be done now. This isn’t a clean-up presidency,”’ Like many others, Cross was impressed by the cordial nature of the event. After a year of extremities, Cross expressed "WE ME TO REALIZE THERE IS STUFF THAT NEEDS TO BE PONE NOWTHIS ISN’T A CLEAN-UP PRESIDENCY/’ a gladness for some decorum. Cross was especially excited by the performances. “The inauguration was very graceful,” Cross said. “It felt almost like royalty. I was excited about everyone’s outfits. The performances were inspiring. It felt like a family reunion.” Paz was also impressed by the performances from Inauguration Day. “To me specifically, when Jennifer Lopez started to speak Spanish, it spoke to me,” Paz said. “I loved how she used her presence and the platform to demonstrate how strong the Latinx community is in the U.S.” For many of those watching the inauguration, the day represented a victory for our nation’s diversity. It was a day where representation truly mattered. “The president’s speech spoke to me because it was genuine and included those who opposed his win and took over the Capitol,! Flores said. “The poem by Amanda Gorman, whose work focuses on issues of oppression, feminism, race and marginalization, as well as the African diaspora was also significant to me because as a male of color and minority, I have been climbing a hill my entire life.” In a historic year, it was nice to make some good history. Political affiliations mattered less to the students and staff who met together over Zoom to watch the inauguration. They looked to the event as a sign of hope, decency and civility for the coming years. On a bright and snowy day in January, history looked hopeful. CONTENT: KEEGAN SULLIVAN I PHOTO: KELLY BRANIGAN I DESIGN: GABRIELLE MCKEEVER 257 Astrology remained incredibly popular among many students, while others doubted it. There are things that we do not understand. The cosmos is an unalterable and often incomprehensible place. People have sought many avenues to learn more about themselves. For some students, astrology provided a way to connect the metaphorical dots. This widely discussed and increasingly popular way of thinking linked human events with the alignment of the stars. Emotions, personality traits, behaviors and even life events can have a reasoning rooted in our star signs. Our sun, moon and ascendant sign can help us better understand ourselves and those around us. “In my own personal life, astrology helps keep me in touch with something greater than myself1 said Stacey Partain, a senior communications major. Partain is an avid astrology enthusiast. She said that understanding her signs could even be helpful in social interactions. “It is pretty amazing when I just meet someone and can guess their sun sign, based on just a few interactions,” Partain said. That instinctual connection between one’s star sign and one’s personality was integral to astrology. Many people better in touch with their sign claimed that they could feel connections to those around them through the lens of astrology. “A lot of times, if I meet someone new and click with them right away, I’ll end up realizing we have the same sign! said Megan Lentz, a junior English major. “I’ve also recently started to get good at figuring out people’s signs — I just have to get to know them.” “A LOT OF TIMES, tF I MEET SOMEONE NEW AM CLICK Wll THEM RIGHT AMY, I’LL END UP REALIZING WE HAVE THE SAME SIGN," In an era of social anxiety, and in a year where social interactions were pushed into Zoom rooms, astrology offered some an understanding of the people beyond their screens. “I’ve become more patient and understanding with people due to astrology,” said Kenzie Warsen, a senior social relations and policy major. “I have a general understanding that when someone acts a certain way, I can take a step back and be calm. It gives me peace of mind.” Warsen emphasized that while not all of astrology makes sense, it was helpful for her personal life. It allowed her to understand more about herself “I didn’t have words to put behind feelings I used to have,” Warsen said. “It’s given me insight into why I feel certain ways.” Astrology could also be divisive. For some students, it was a harmless and useful way to look at complex emotions, but others took it as an opportunity to spread negativity, especially online. ;^“|’m very vocal on Twitter about my love for astrology,” Warsen said. “People in my DM’s are rude about it, but it helps me understand how people go about their lives in different ways.” Confusion about astrology led to division online. Lentz felt the need to remind us that after all, it is just a way of thinking. “It’s not like I meet someone and ignore them because of what sign they are,” Lentz said. “It’s more of just a hobby for me and something I have fun with. It’s just something I am interested in learning and enjoy learning more about because it is so complex.” Warsen even admitted that it may not be accurate. But that didn’t seem to bother her. “Even if it is fake, who cares as long as it makes people happy?” Warsen said. “Also, why can’t it be real?” Despite its unverifiable nature, astrology was useful for. MSU students. Navigating the social wasteland of a year behind screens proved easier with the help of astrology. Whether it was a fun pastime, or a look into the cosmic forces at our backs, astrology remained popular amongst MSU students. CONTENT: KEEGAN SULLIVAN I DESIGN: GABRIELLE MCKEEVER 259 concerned about staying with her sister and five roommates. “There was a little bit of hesitation, since I hadn’t been back to a college campus since October,” Winn said. “I grew accustomed to limited social interaction, and knowing my sister lived with five other people made me anxious to an extent.” Winn’s worries subsided after hearing of negative COVID-19 tests from her sister and roommates before her trip. “I take COVID precautions seriously, so I was completely safe and took all the necessary steps when preparing for travel,” Winn said. As college students were criticized for their travels during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bankstahl said that she followed the restrictions mandated by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “I am following the law,” Bankstahl said. “I’m comfortable with traveling, so if someone’s not comfortable, they don’t have to travel and they can still follow stricter guidelines.” Recognizing the concerns for travel from a safety standpoint, Zadrzynski also saw how it may not be viable for certain students due to their course load. “Some people might say it’s a disadvantage because you’re not focusing on your classes as much,” Zadrzynski said. “In my opinion, I think it’s kind of a unique opportunity to travel more, but I could see how people would be hesitant to.” Countless other students took advantage of the semester online by jetting off to Colorado for skiing or driving to Disney World on a whim. By staying safe and making sure to follow COVID-19 safety procedures, students were able to enjoy traveling and complete their classwork remotely. This unique option opened a new world for students, who were fortunate enough, to have a different experience to the school year completely online. Students participated in Zoom classes while traveling. While sitting poolside at her grandparents’ house in Fort Lauderdale, sophomore psychology major Bella Bankstahl took her biology exam. During her Easter visit with family, Bankstahl had three exams to take. She took advantage of her online classes since her grandparents had received the coronavirus vaccine. “My grandparents live there most of the year, so it was nice to be able to see them actually,” Bankstahl said. “Also, it was [a good] mental health escape — getting some sun, some dopamine release;”/ Bankstahl was not the only Spartan who took advantage of spending time with family members and traveling during the 2020- 2021 school year. Senior graphic design major Arin Winn lived with her parents in Seattle, Washington while taking classes remotely. Her twin sister, Ally, lived in Ann Arbor while finishing her degree at University of Michigan. For their birthday on March 15, Winn flew to celebrate with her twin. “I definitely had to schedule my trip around my Zoom classes, but my professors were very accommodating,” Winn said. “It was hard finding a place to go to my classes uninterrupted, since there was limited space in the apartment my sister lives in.” For sophomore kinesiology major Grace Zadrzynski, there were no worries about coordinating her hikes in Arizona or her swims in Florida. All of her classes were asynchronous for the spring semester, so she completed all of her school work before the trip. Zadrzynski also didn’t worry about travel. She flew Delta Airlines which adhered to strict social distancing guidelines, which helped her feel safer. n TAKE com PRECAUTIONS SERIOUSLY, SO I WAS COMPLETELY SAFE AND TOOK ALL THE NECESSARY STEPS WHEN PREPARING FOR TRAVEL/' “The middle seat was blocked off, so you didn’t have to worry about directly sitting right next to someone,” Zadrzynski said. “But, even if I was to sit next to someone, I never felt uncomfortable because they were mandating that everyone was wearing their mask properly. I felt pretty comfortable traveling.” Both Bankstahl and Winn shared Zadrzynski’s sentiments of the ease and comfortability of traveling. However, Winn was CONTENT ELAINE MALLONI PHOTO: BELLA BANKSTAHL & GRACE ZADRYZYNSKII DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE Sophomore Grace Zadrzynski takes a hike in Sedona, Arizona on a Sunny day. Arizona was just one of the trips she took this School year IS ^ * S» ■ gspii BSfPl^^M Zadrzynski bikes around Anna Maria Island, Florida on a bright afternoon. She visited Florida on one of her trips during the pandemic. sandwiches, Speaks was able to sit down at a restaurant with friends and enjoy a meal cooked by someone else. This Super Bowl Sunday, Spartans also won, because they reclaimed a sense of structure reminiscent of the past through watching the game outside of their homes. BEEN HANGING AROUND “J'Kf WE SAME GROUP OF PEOPLE FOR WIS ENURE COW-19 SITUATION. I TRUST THEM THAT WE CAN CHEER AND WATCH THE On the first weekend of dine-in being reopened, students celebrated the Super Bowl. As Tom Brady scored his second touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV, sophomore international relations major Grace Vanderhart handed a customer a glass of Blue Labatt. This was the first Sunday Vanderhart worked since indoor dining was closed on Nov. 16,2020. As a bartender at Reno’s, Vanderhart didn’t mind missing Super Bowl parties. She got to catch up with her friendly regulars. “I felt like it was actually busier than I thought it was going to be,” Vanderhart said. “I think people wanted to come out more because restaurants just reopened.” As a server at Buffalo Wild Wings, junior psychology major Tayah Boggiano noticed a drastic difference in the atmosphere surrounding this Super Bowl Sunday compared to that of 2020. After reopening indoor dining on Feb. 1, restaurants were only allowed to serve at 25% capacity. According to Boggiano, this rule was difficult to enforce with excited football fans. “A lot of people don’t really understand that it’s not our rule, and it’s not our fault,” Boggiano said. “A lot of people have kind of been getting upset and angry about having to go on a wait when they see that there’s open tables.” Boggiano said it was sad that the restaurant couldn’t accommodate as many guests as it normally would. Despite being at limited capacity, Vanderhart found herself busy creating mixed drinks and catching up with patrons. B“| did not see one bit of the game||Vanderhart said. “I didn’t even know who won until later that evening after my shift. I had to take care of everyone, and you don’t really get to actually watch the TVs. There’s not really time to do so.” Senior mechanical engineering major Adam Speaks decided to watch the Super Bowl at his neighbor’s house. With a 10 p.m. curfew for bars and restaurants, Speaks didn’t want to worry about missing any part of the game. “It’s a bit of a bummer because of COVID-19, but I think, like with everything else, we are going to find ways to make our own fun,” Speaks said. Earlier in the day, Speaks and a group of friends enjoyed lunch at Crunchy’s. While Speaks wasn’t rooting for a specific team, it was still fun to watch it with his close friends and see other students dressed in their jerseys. “I’ve been hanging around the same group of people for this entire COVID-19 situation,” Speaks said.il trust them that we can cheer and watch the game together.” While Vanderhart and Tayah may not have joined in on the excitement with friends as Tom Brady won his seventh Super Bowl title, they were able to reclaim a bit of normalcy by returning back to work. After spending months burning his grilled cheese PHOTO: SHELDON KRAUSE I DESIGN: EMMA SIMON Students and staff talked about the history and traditions of Lunar New Year Lunar New Year is a popular festival that signifies the end of a year and the start of a new year in many different culture. This festival, sometimes known as the Spring Festival or Lantern Festival, is celebrated in various countries and is especially significant in East Asia. It, too, was important to Spartans and was celebrated on the banks of the Red Cedar. Chloe Majzel, a junior international relations major, celebrated Lunar New Year on campus for the past couple of years she’s been a Spartan. Majzel was not alone, many international and domestic students also celebrated. “There’s always events going on for Lunar New Year,” Majzel said. “I know OISS (Office for International Students and Scholars) and CSSA (The Chinese Students and Scholars Association) put on a Lunar New Year event in Shaw Hall that’s hosted more by international students and international studies programs, but there’s a Chinese new year banquet that the Chinese American student group puts on. I’ve gone to that the past couple of years and that’s really fun. They rent out a banquet hall and there’s performances and it’s decorated all with red.” Andrea Chong, a freshman communications major, talked Teng also explain the intensive history behind the celebration about the special customs and traditions within Lunar New Year celebrations. There are certain colors and exchanges that have remained important to Lunar New Year. The color red is particularly meaningful for celebrating the new year because it symbolizes good fortune. “Parents will give gift baskets when visiting relatives’ houses and give red packets to their children,” Chong said. Dr. Yanjiang Teng, a communication coordinator for Visiting International Professional Program since 2019, discussed the history of Lunar New Year. “Lunar New Year, as we know, is what we call spring festival and it is yearly,” Teng said. “It is one or two months behind the solar system. Similarly, it’s close to the Western Christmas time and family gathering.” of Lunar New Year and the misconceptions held about it. Often, people used the term Chinese New Year instead of Lunar New Year which has only misconstrued who celebrates the new year. “A lot of Asian countries, not not only China - like Vietnam, Korea, Japan, they all celebrate (Lunar New Year) because this is a traditional Asian festival, influenced by ancient Chinese culture,” Teng said. There were also differences in celebrations depending on which country the new year was celebrated. Chinese zodiac signs, based on the lunar calendar, were also important to such celebrations. There are twelve animals and each is assigned to a lunar year in a course of twelve years. “This is the year of the Ox...,” Teng said. “We have a tradition for this. Ox is a symbol for being hardworking, dedicated, and very reliable. If you were born in the year of the snake it means you’re very smart, if you’re born in the year of the tiger you’re brave - you always have brave ideas and adventurous things. Everybody has a kind of connection, it’s not superstitious.” Lunar New Year was a prominent festival in which many people around the world celebrate. The ways in which people celebrate differ, relying upon where people live. However, bright fireworks, the exchanging of red envelopes, and celebrating good fortune all seem to be customary traditions. From East Asia all the way to the Spartan’s home of East Lansing, Lunar New Year persisted. CONTENT: BAILEY EDDINGTON I DESIGN: GABRIELLE MCKEEVER M l A family sleds down the slopes while others take the ‘magic carpet’ to the top of the hill. The hill is nearly 60 feet tall and the slope stretches out over around 600 feet. PHOTO: SHELDON KRAUSE I DESIGN: GABRIELLE MCKEEVER A family goes down the hill in inflatable tubes. Hawk Island provides tubes to riders. ¡¡■lili ali» Student creators filmed local musical talent. From filming at local businesses to scenic spots on campus,M student creators shot talented MSU musicians throughout the past year. Bright lights, echoes from guitar amps and smooth voices were recorded and turned into a series of local miniature concerts. Comma Concerts was a series of multimedia works that captured local musicians. Born through a collaboration between MSU’s radio station, Impact, and the MSU Film Lab, Comma Concerts put the spotlight on local artists during a time when they didn’t have many opportunities to perform. Isaiah Johns, a senior film studies major, was the creator of Comma Concerts. His responsibilities included reaching out to the artists, location scouting, helping film the concerts and making final edits. “I think the original inspiration for the concerts came from Tiny Desk Concerts,” Johns said. “Wanting to do something similar with local artists, I knew that I felt just as talented as the famous musicians that do it. As it evolved, it really became about doing that while simultaneously matching the aesthetic of their music to a place that pairs well with it, as kind of an incentive to listen to these artists that people may not know well. We also have found pride in being able to highlight local businesses.” Comma Concerts became a favorite series among fellow film and musically apt students, as well as students in general. During a pandemic, Comma Concerts were a nice exchange for in-person concerts. “Being a senior and having lost a year of the concerts to COVID-19,1 definitely plan on finding a way to continue working with Impact to produce the concerts after I graduate, and slowly build a community with them that all up-and-coming artists can be a part of, while also slowly starting to involve bigger artists,” Johns said. Although Johns was the creator of Comma Concerts, he didn’t develop the series alone. Henry Menigoz, a sophomore electrical engineer major, was the audio engineer for Impact and Comma Concerts. “I joined the crew with the first episode as an audio engineer with Impact,” Menigoz saidlThe creativity and artistry involved is what keeps me coming back and always looking forward to the next concert.” Josh Hornstein, a senior media and information major, also worked on the Comma Concerts series as a cinematographer and lighting producer. He was responsible for the lighting design and taking coverage of all shots of the musicians. “I wanted to help because it gave me a chance to see friends, meet new people and to showcase an artist’s music through dynamic lighting and color,” Hornstein said. “Sometimes I like to listen to the music and gain an overall tone for their songs. Once I get an idea, I design the color and overall look to bring more life to the artist.” The Comma Concerts series, a unique student-led idea, supported Spartan musicians as well as local businesses. These series were a great supplement to the music scene in East Lansing and also gave Spartans an alternate way of watching live music during a pandemic. Comma Concerts hoped to expand their series and their selection of musicians in the future. 270 CONTENT BAILEY EDDINGTON I PHOTO: GEORGE PHAM I DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE A Comma Concert filmed at the Aretha Franklin Jazz Cafe in Detroit. The theme of this concert was Black History Month, featuring an all-black accompaniment. The team was hoping to allow open recruitment, rather than the limited group they have now. Julia Griessel, a senior supply chain management major and the president of the club, was excited for new things to come. HWe will be the same team, but having open recruitment would be really cool because open collegiate would be a way for us to grow our team and have more people involved, which would be really fun,” Griessel said. “We usually have a bunch of bonding activities, and it helps us get really close. I’m sad that we couldn’t have a season this year, but I am excited for the board elections and to see what people bring to the table and what new things will happen for the team.” From practices three times a week to virtual activities, MSU’s synchronized skating team still found ways to interact and grow closer this past year. While there were no competitions this year, practice makes perfect, and the team was prepared to take to the ice next season and compete once again. The synchronized skating team planned to make big changes to their team next year. Moving at high speeds and performing with intricate footwork and choreography, MSU’s synchronized skating team flew across the ice. With having competed nationally against other teams at the highest level, the team provided its members with the opportunity to compete with a strong team behind them. Team members came from different backgrounds, with each class of skaters bringing new rituals and traditions to the team. A classic tradition, however, was how the team sang the MSU fight song in the locker room before each competition. Cara Gabriel, a senior kinesiology major and the vice president of the synchronized skating team, used to skate for Team USA. “The end of my sophomore year, I opted to skate for MSU’s team to allow more time for classes and the volunteering and shadowing hours that physician assistant programs require,” Gabriel said!“Having skated synchro almost my entire life, I have never felt more appreciated and challenged than I do on the Michigan State Synchronized Skating Team. I love that everyone on our team comes from different skating backgrounds, some like myself who have transitioned from Team USA or those who started synchro in college.” From getting ice cream during the first practice of the summer to traveling together across the country, the team’s biggest focus was team bonding. Sydney Ma, a freshman chemistry major, was the only freshman member to stay on campus this season. “Like most things from the past year, it has been different not having the other freshman girls to learn and grow with inside and outside of skating,” Ma said. “Yet, it has still been a super fun training experience, and they’ve been great in giving advice and are extremely welcoming and supportive. I am super grateful for the friendships and mentoring I’ve received this year and that I had the opportunity to be in East Lansing for the school year.” CONTENT: KATRIANNA RAY I PHOTO: ARMAND SAAVEDRA I DESIGNROBYNN VERHAEGHE m BRiil mm Students lived in unique Student Housing Cooperatives during COVID-19. The SHC, otherwise known as the Student Housing Cooperative, was a non-profit organization that supplied inexpensive off- campus housing to various students. The group owned 17 houses with over 240 members total. Each house had its own unique culture and community of individuals that changed yearly. Blake Hedges, a senior environmental studies and sustainability and professional and public writing major, lived in Bowie House on Grand River Road for two years. said. “I decided to move into Phoenix last minute, because I was planning on living in the dorms, and they ended up being closed. If it wasn’t for Phoenix, I would have been living at home and would never have gotten the opportunity to meet any of the people I have. It’s a really crazy experience being able to interact with so many people during a pandemic, but still remaining safe during COVID.” Because of the pandemic, Robertson had the opportunity - •’“The culture here, to me, feels like a place that is working to live in a house that sheltered a close-knit community. together to foster a safe and welcoming environment for everyone,” Hedges said. “The Bowie environment is a place where you can come as you are and be received with kindness on an unconditional basis.” Hedges lived in Bowie prior to the pandemic and remained there throughout. He had the special opportunity to live with 21 people throughout that time. “The upsides of living here during COVID is that people here truly respect and hear everyone’s feelings and ideas about how we each see our role in preventing transmission of the virus,” Hedges said. “During a time when there are many people who are completely isolated, I am still able to have a social aspect to my life with my housemates, and we are able to trust in each other to be honest and look out for one another.” ■ Elena Robertson, a freshman majoring in graphic design, moved into the largest MSU co-op, about five blocks from campus, Phoenix House, in early September of 2020. STm so thankful for the SHC during COVID,” Robertson “To me, Phoenix’s culture is a safe place that welcomes people with open arms,” Robertson said. “Everyone living there has the same cooperative mindset, which makes it so easy to foster a sense of home and family within Phoenix.” Zack Sneed, a senior majoring in linguistics, lived in Phoenix House with 29 members for one and a half years and had the opportunity to experience Phoenix without COVID-19. “Phoenix is unique in its overall approach to social life and group responsibility,” Sneed said. “I have found this house to be very welcoming to everyone without judgement or drama. Phoenix is also an open place to create art, make home improvements or experiment with sustainability.” The SHC was full of houses just like Bowie and Phoenix who had their own culture and stood for welcoming and respecting one another. Each house had to modify their rules and norms to remain safe during the pandemic. As that may be, each co-op remained true to their unparalleled culture and learned to live with multiple people during an unprecedented time in history. The Phoenix House sits on Oakhill Avenue, East Lansing, where it houses multiple Michigan State students. Housing cooperatives are a great housing option for students looking to save money while attending college 27H CONTENT BAILEY EDDINGTON I PHOTO: GEORGE PHAM I DESIGN: JULIAN DUTCH A TIME WHEN THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE COMPLETELY "DURING ISOLATED I AM STILL ABLE TO HAVE A SOCIAL ASPECT TO MY LIFE WITH MY HOUSEMATES, AND WE ARE ABLE TO TRUST IN EACH OTHER TO BE HONEST AND LOOK OUT FOR ¡, ■'*3 A group of students play Spikeball during the fall semester. Outdoor games have always been popular on campus during the warmer months, and the pandemic only intensified this. i' Two students savor a warm spring day by kayaking along the river. The Red Cedar River Water Trail is 23 miles long and expands from Williamston Township to the Grand River confluence. mBBSBMBBSUI A group of students sit outside enjoying the weather and their carryout meals. Eating outside in small groups has becoming a growing trend amongst on campus students during the pandemic. mm lilies ¡T P^ rPHO^ay^ttjoN |jSÄBESICN:j(Oßmi VEPHÄ W |y mmmi Mmm» Brooke Didas found success with her YouTube channel. Every Wednesday, junior media and information studies major Brooke Didas uploaded a video to her 6^000 subscribers on YouTube. Upon clicking on the video, subscribers were met with a cheery and bright-eyed Didas sharing her life in East Lansing. She began focusing more on her channel back in June of 2018, but according to Didas, her career on YouTube began in middle school. comfortable talking about new things that I might be interested in or new things that I’m liking.” Since beginning her channel, many brands had reached out to Didas looking to do sponsorships and brand deals. Some of these brands included Lululemon, Poshmark and Course Hero. Didas received so many emails, she hired Table Rock Management “It was kind of just a flop,” Didas said. “I was 12 making to assist her. makeup videos, and I did it for maybe a year.” Once Didas entered high school, she retired her camera in fear of being made fun of. However, she knew she would return to it in the future. “I knew I always wanted to do it again once I graduated, because high school sucks,” Didas said. “I didn’t want anyone talking about it. I was just a little insecure about it.” In college, Didas became more comfortable with sharing LOVE MAKING THESE VIDEOS SO “J MUCH, AND IT'S TRULY A PASSION OF MINE AND A CREATIVE OUTLET. THE FACT THAT I GET PAID AND I CAN TREAT IT AS A JOB IS SO AMAZING." “I love making these videos so much, and it’s truly a passion of mine and a creative outlet,” Didas said. “The fact that I get paid and I can treat it as a job is so amazing.” While grateful for the success of her YouTube channel, it could sometimes be a challenge to balance it along with the responsibilities of being a full-time student. “There’s weeks where I won’t be able to get a video up,” Didas said. “Especially with online classes, it’s made it more difficult. There’s times where I’m up really late trying to finish assignments and finish editing the video at the same time.” In between finishing assignments and hanging out with friends, Didas was still trying to perfect her niche within the YouTube world. “When you see the view counts and subscribers going up, it’s motivation;';” Didas said. With over 150 videos posted on YouTube over the past three years, Didas grew and learned many lessons — both on and off the camera. Didas attributed her success to quite a few factors. But there was just one factor that made everything else possible — just going for it. Needless to say, Didas was happy she picked up her old middle school hobby again. her YouTube channel with friends. Didas said he friends were extremely supportive of her passion. “They love it,” Didas said. “They always want to be in the videos, and they always really make me feel really comfortable vlogging in front of them. Sometimes, get a little camera shy.” In addition to the support from her friends, Didas felt very connected with her subscribers. Their kind words of encouragement meant alot to her. “Someone said to me that they felt I was very optimistic,” Didas said. “That’s such a nice compliment, because I think it’s hard to do that. But, it’s definitely a mindset that I tried to put myself in.” Luckily, Didas said she hadn’t noticed any hate comments on her videos. She was more focused on building relationships with her true fans. “I feel like I’m friends with the people who watch me|||| Didas said. “It’s helped me find myself a lot more, because I feel CONTENT: ELAINE MALLON I PHOTO: PROVIDED BY BROOKE DIDASI DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE Didas poses next to a wall. Much of her content surrounds her experience as a college student at Michigan State. SH MSU students talked about their experiences working in virtual internships. The coronavirus pandemic effectively ended many internship and job opportunities for students. However, in the wake of travel restrictions, many businesses and programs abroad opened their doors to virtual internships for domestic and international students to participate in. These opportunities provided students with great opportunities and experiences that could replace other lost opportunities. Rachel Moore, a senior majoring in social relations and policy and Spanish, described how she worked internationally for a law firm in Spain. Moore said she never would have considered this internship before the pandemic, but thought it would be a great opportunity. and policy, and interdisciplinary humanities worked with an environmental group based out of Switzerland in a position created for virtual students. “I don’t think this program could have existed without everything being virtual,” Baden said. “I’m able to attend sessions and learn from experts all over the world, like professors at Oxford and at Duke University in the United States.” Some students have taken to working domestically online. Chloe Barbosa, a junior social relations and policy major, worked for her local Michigan representative. While she worked hard in her role, Barbosa did not share the optimism about the success and benefits of virtual internships. “I feel like as soon as COVID is over, they’re not going to continue with virtual internships unless the person is unable to make it and they want to accommodate the person,” Barbosa said. “But I feel like they’re not going to continue with them after COVID. I was told [my internship] was in person when I started but then they told me it wasn’t. It’s nice to have longer breaks, but I get distracted too easily.” Virtual internships became more and more accessible and viable in today’s workforce. These students worked hard not just in their classes, but for their experiences working online. New experiences and learning opportunities were cultivated working online both domestically and internationally. f I was just really looking for a good internship, going into senior year, and I was struggling to find it,” Moore said. “Obviously, there were limited options to find good internships. So, once things opened up, I was going to take advantage of [the law internship]. So I’m really happy that I got that experience, especially to be able to work with another country’s laws. It was really interesting to get exposure to that.” Moore worked with professionals speaking a different language and operating in a different time zone, but she managed to stay organized and accomplished many complex tasks. “They wanted me to translate things to English for them, like some stuff pertaining to the law, with my abilities to speak English to translate as well,” Moore said. “It was kind of funny because my supervisor was waking up for work at earlier times than me. I’d be sleeping and then I’d be getting emails. My supervisor was really flexible about me turning in the assignments that she was [giving me].” Some students have really praised the new opportunities that have been found online. Ellie Baden, a sophomore majoring in political theory and constitutional democracy, social relations Chloe Barbosa, a junior studying social relations and policy, worked for her local Michigan representative remotely. She has doubts about the future of employment and the role of virtual work. CONTENT JULIAN SUGAMELI I PHOTO: AZIZ NOSIROVI DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE Rachel Moore, a senior social relations and policy and Spanish major, has completed an international internship with a law firm. Moore is looking forward to where her experiences take her in the future. “I just like having something to take care of,” Graff said. “It gives me something to keep track of, it gives me something to hold myself accountable to. I have definitely killed a few plants, but it’s nice to have something to take care of and watch it flourish because I’m taking care of it.” Even with these benefits, at the end of the day, plants offered a lot of aesthetic value. “Plants just really brighten up a home too,” Csoksay said. “I feel like rooms are so small and ‘meh’ and sad without a bunch of plants!^;' When the pandemic first struck, many of us had to move home in a matter of days. Some watched our roommates leave, disrupting our favorite spaces. For Graff, plants can make any place feel like home. “I also feel like dorms and college apartments can be kind of boring or a little stale,” Graff said. “Personally, I think it makes it look nicer, makes it feel more like a home. No matter what space I’m in, it feels like mine because all my plants are there.” Curtis, too, emphasized the value of brightening a space with plants and having an escape from daily work. “My personal space has always been important to me, and it’s even more important now that I spend most of the day in my room,” Curtis said. “I also like having a hobby that’s separate from school or work.” House plants meant a lot to a lot of people this year. When our ability to do what we love changed, when we were forced from our favorite activities and normal routines, plants offered a new normality. Growing and maintaining houseplants became increasingly popular for a little mental break. During pandemic lockdowns this year, many of us turned to new hobbies to pass the time. Socially isolating to protect our loved ones often meant staying away from our normal activities. Around apartments everywhere new games were invented. TikTok dances were danced, bread was baked and most of us tried to branch out. For some Spartans, this looked like gardening. Hannah Graff, a senior political theory and constitutional democracy major, described her love for plants as not new, but certainly helped along by quarantine. “I had a roommate my junior year who had a lot of plants, and she made me want to get a lot of plants,” Graff said. “I definitely started getting them before quarantine started last year, but I really appreciated having them during quarantine, and I accumulated a few more. Julia Curtis, a senior communications major, had a slightly different introduction, but she, too, grew to love indoor plants. “I didn’t have any plants before quarantine,” Curtis said. “I think I got my first one last October and now, I have around 10.” For lots of people, plants offered a bit of solace in an unpredictable time. Plants are stable, their needs are manageable and they can even help measure the passage of time. “I feel like I talk to a lot of people about COVID, and obviously so much time has passed,” Graff said. “It’s been a year now, but it kind of feels like nothing has happened. Time has lost all meaning. But plants just keep growing, so it’s nice to kind of see the progress. It’s nice to be able to watch their progress.” m MATTER WHAT MCE I’M IN, IT FEELS LIKE MINE BECAUSE ALL MY PLANTS ARE THERE/’ Savannah Csokasy, a senior studying psychology, also looked to her plants to help keep things in perspective. Csokasy highlighted how plants show off the work you put in. “It’s something to focus on and keeps you busy, but it’s also super rewarding because the better you care for them, the more growth and physical results you get,” Csokasy said. Plants were a bit like a chore. They demanded time and work, but in return offered a lot of students joy. Z8H CONTENT: KEEGAN SULLIVAN I PHOTO: ALEXA PIERZYNSKII DESIGN: ROBYNN VERHAEGHE —I—. “3 jiff Senior Hannah Graff of her prized plants soaking up the morning sunlight. She owns over twenty plants and each has it’s own unique name. lÉMÜ Wi®M#W®$