Thursday 1/26/17 by The State News

State News The

A STRUGGLE TO SUCCEED

1 in 10

Although lower than previous years, a sizable number of first-time students face academic probation

ILLUSTRATION: TAYLOR SKELTON

NEWS

A STUDENT AND HER DOG

“I was dealing with a lot of issues at home and stuff like that, so that contributed also for sure. I wasn’t able to really focus, even on the really small course load that I had.”

CITY CENTER II

Graduate student employs service dog for invisible disabilities PAGE 2 T HU R S DAY, JA N UA RY 2 6 , 2 017

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Pallavi Joshi, Kinesiology freshman PAGES 4 AND 5 STAT ENEWS .COM

See a timeline of how its demolition is progressing and what deadlines have already been missed PAGE 6

News

Rachel Fradette Campus editor campus@statenews.com

Graduate student and service dog deal with constant attention BY JOHN LAVACARRE JLAVACARRE@STATENEWS.COM

Caitlin Thompson, a graduate student and facilities supervisor at MSU, said she sometimes is asked more than 20 questions about her service dog, Charlie, every day. Thanks to the service animal protections set out in the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, Thompson can bring Charlie with her to classes, work and businesses, but the constant questioning she faces can be difficult to deal with. “Once you have a service dog, you’re no longer part of a crowd,” Thompson said. “Wherever I go, I’m stared at. I’m going to be asked a question. Think of something relatively minor, like toilet paper stuck to your shoes or your fly’s unzipped, or something, and you notice it, and you quickly fix it, and you look around and (thinks), ‘oh, thank God, no one was looking.’ For me, that almost never happens. There’s always somebody looking because there’s a dog.“ Thompson said she is willing to answer questions when she feels up to it, but she asks that questioners respect her humanity.

“We’re people first,” Thompson said. “People with feelings and emotions and situations, and we’re just like everybody else. We’re not spokespeople, we’re not always at our best ... you have to remember that the fifth person who asks you the same question isn’t the same as the first person ... I try and take that mentality. Some days, I’m more successful at it than others.“ Thompson suffers from invisible learning and psychiatric disabilities. Despite the drawback of constant attention in public, she said Charlie’s assistance is necessary to function. “I was at a point where I wasn’t able to leave my house, there were a lot of things that I wasn’t able to do that having him made safer for me, you know, to be working full time and to be doing things,” Thompson said. “So for me, it finally outweighed the constant questions, the constant misunderstandings.” Sharon Alston Ellis, the state of Michigan’s ADA compliance director, said service animals—both dogs and miniature horses—can be used to treat a variety of disabilities, both visible and invisible. Ellis said, there is no requirement for registering service dogs, though the

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Graduate student Caitlin Thompson plays with her service dog, Charlie, on Jan. 19 at Akers Hall. Thompson works as a facilities supervisor in Akers Hall. Charlie, like all service dogs, is considered a part of the owner and the owner and dog spend a majority of their working lives together. Charlie is a service dog for medical alert and response and he performs tasks such as blocking entry ways, creating space and alerting for medication. PHOTO: NIC ANTAYA

state of Michigan offers voluntary registration. “Just because the service animal is something that is furry and usually cute and eats dinner, it’s not a pet,” Ellis said. “It’s a device, the same as a wheelchair, a cane, eyeglasses, a hearing aid, anything like that that assists someone with a disability to function more easily in the world. And so, if we don’t ask you to do all of that, then we don’t ask you to register your service animal.” Though no special marking is required for service animals, Thompson dresses Charlie in a special harness that reads “Service Dog.” East Neighborhood facilities manager Chip Horn-

burg has had several residents with service animals, and said the animals are usually seen wearing harnesses. Service animals are welcome in MSU dorms, Hornburg said, but owners are held responsible for any damage they do to the dorms, and they have to deposit animal waste in outdoor dumpsters rather than indoor trash chutes. MSU’s Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities regulates service animals in MSU dorms, Hornburg said. T hompson said t hose well-meaning citizens who question her about her service animal in public can go to the websites of the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities Charlie stands in the doorway of graduate student Caitlin Thompson’s office on Jan. 19 at Akers Hall. Thompson works as a facilities supervisor in Akers Hall. PHOTO: NIC ANTAYA

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or the ADA for further information about service animals and disabilities. If a passerby hopes to question the owner of a service animal in public, Thompson said they show etiquette. “If you don’t have something to say to me as a human being, as a person, if the only reason you’re approaching me is because you want to ask questions about my dog, you really have to think about, do you know me?” Thompson said. “Is there another person I could ask that I do know? Is this an appropriate time to be doing this?”

The constant presence of Charlie has made Thompson’s invisible disabilities visible, causing her to become an advocate for those with invisible disabilities and those who use service dogs. Though her role as advocate is sometimes tiring, Thompson said it has led her to choose her new career path in counseling for others with disabilities. “I would love to be working as a counselor, making a difference in individuals’ lives, while also continuing to be an advocate and making a difference for other people,” Thompson said.

Contents

Cameron Macko Managing editor cmacko@statenews.com

ONLINE

Men’s basketball moving forward Following a tough loss to Purdue, MSU basketball takes it one game at a time

BY T H E N U M B E R S

33 Number of points scored by freshman forward Miles Bridges against Purdue See page 7

Another lawsuit involving Nassar

Sahaja Yoga held in MSU Main Library

MSU football adds 3 recruits from 2017 class before Signing Day BY COLTON WOOD CWOOD@STATENEWS.COM

This time another coach was named in the ongoing sexual assault cases

Yoga held in MSU library for students and Just more than a week after four-star linebackcommunity to meditate er Antjuan Simmons committed to MSU, head coach Mark Dantonio acquired three more recruits from the class of 2017 as strong-side defensive end DeAri Todd, cornerback Tre Person and wide receiver Raheem Blackshear ver“It is one, a musical supergroup bally committed to the Spartans. consisting of me and whoever else A three-star prospect from Clearview High wants to be in it at any given time. School in Lorain, Ohio, Todd is ranked No. 2,052 in the nation and No. 98 among strongTwo, we are something along the side defensive ends, according to 247Sports.comlines of a non-profit organization. posite rankings. Todd had made two official visits to MSU, but We take up smaller projects and the Spartans had yet to offer. On Dec. 13, Todd devote time to them and sort of committed to Boston College. He later withdrew advocate through music.” his commitment on Jan. 22, two days after the Spartans finally offered. Austin Gullett, The 6-foot-4, 245-pound defensive end is MSU alumnus ranked No. 80 in the state of Ohio and recorded PAGE 8 134 total tackles in his high school career along with 12 sacks, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries with one recovery resulting in a touchdown, according to MaxPreps.

Todd also caught 20 receptions for 290 yards and three touchdowns in his career. Recruited by secondary coach Harlon Barnett, Person — a three-star recruit from Atlanta, Ga. — is ranked No. 1,901 nationally, No. 190 among cornerbacks and No. 209 in the state. Person recorded 75 solo tackles, 119 total tackles, four sacks, two fumble recoveries that both were run in for a touchdown and three quarterback hurries in his high school career. On Tuesday, Blackshear announced he is withdrawing his July 1 commitment from Temple University and will opt to instead commit to MSU just four days after making an official visit to East Lansing. The three-star, 5-foot-10 receiver from Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster, Pa. is ranked the No. 258 wide receiver in the country and No. 38 in the state. Blackshear logged 395 receiving yards on 24 catches along with seven touchdowns and rushed for 409 yards on 55 carries, recording 10 touchdowns in his high school career. With Todd’s, Person’s and Blackshear’s commitments, MSU now has 21 recruits in the class of 2017 with three already enrolled at MSU.

Pulitzer Prize winner Sheryl WuDunn speaks to audience on Jan. 23 at the Wharton Center. WuDunn is the first Asian-American reporter to win a Pulitzer Prize. PHOTO: ZAINA MAHMOUD

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T H U RS DAY, JANUARY 2 6 , 2 01 7

TH E STATE N E WS

RELIGIOUS GUIDE Spotlight Look for this directory in the paper every Thursday and online at: www.statenews.com/religious St. John Catholic Church and Student Center 327 M.A.C. Ave. East Lansing, MI 48823 (517) 337-9778 stjohnmsu.org Sunday: 8am, 10am, Noon, 5pm, 7pm Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 12:15pm Lansing Church of Tuesday & Thursday: God in Christ 5304 Wise Rd., Lansing, MI 9:15pm 48911 The Islamic Society of http://lansingcogic.org/ Greater Lansing Worship hours Sunday: 10:30am, 5:00pm 920 S. Harrison Rd., East Lansing, MI 48823 Monday Family Prayer: Islam 101 Feb. 5, 2:30 p.m Ascension Lutheran Church 6:00pm Friday Services: 2780 Haslett Rd., E. Lansing 12:15-12:45 & 1:45-2:15 Little Flock Christian Between Hagadorn & Park For prayer times visit Fellowship Lake Rds. www.lansingislam.com/ A Non-Denominational(517) 337-9703 Evagelical Church Adult Bible Study: 9am Trinity Church MSU Alumni Chapel Sunday School: 9am 3355 Dunckel Rd. (Basement Hall) Worship Service: 10am Lansing, MI 48911 Sunday Worship Service: ascensioneastlansing.org (517) 272-3820 10am-12 Noon. Saturday: 6pm Fellowship Lunch after the Sunday: 9:15am, 11am Eastminster Presbyterian service Church trinitywired.com 1315 Abbot Rd, East Lansing, Weekly Bibly Studies & University Baptist Students’ Meetings. MI, 48823 Church littleflock.msu@gmail.com (517) 337-0893 4608 South Hagadorn Rd www.littleflock.org www.eastminsterchurch.org East Lansing, MI 48823 Worship Gatherings: (517) 351-4144 Martin Luther Chapel Sunday Worship 10:30 am www.ubcel.org 444 Abbot Rd. UKirk Presbyterian Campus 10 AM Worship Service East Lansing, MI 48823 Ministry Wednesdays at 7pm 11:15 Coffee Hour (517) 332-0778 www.ukirkmsu.org 11:30 Sunday School martinlutherchapel.org Sunday: 9:30am & 7:00pm University Christian Greater Lansing Church Wednesday Worship: 9pm Church of Christ Mini-bus pick-up on 310 N. Hagadorn Rd. 310 N. Hagadorn Rd. campus (Fall/Spring) East Lansing, MI East Lansing, MI 48823 (Meeting at the University (517) 332-5193 Peoples Church Christian Church building) universitychristianCampus Ministry (517) 898-3600 wired.com 200 W Grand River Ave., Sunday: 11:15 am Students welcome! East Lansing, MI Sunday Bible Study: Sunday Worship: 8:45am (517) 332-5073 10:15am Sunday Bible class: 10:15am Sunday Evening: Small Group ThePeoplesChurch.com University United Wednesday: 7pm - bible study Worship Times: Sunday: 10:30 AM worship Methodist Church & Students please feel free to 11:30 AM Student Lunch MSU Wesley call for rides & Gathering 1120 S. Harrison Rd. http://www.greaterlansingMonday: 6:30 PM Student East Lansing, MI 48823 coc.org Dinner & Bible Study (517) 351-7030 universitychurchhome.org Haslett Community Church River Terrace Church msuwesley.org 1427 Haslett Road Sunday: 10:30am 1509 River Terrace Dr. Haslett, MI 48840 9:00am Garden Service in East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: (517) 339-8383 the summer (517) 351-9059 Worship Hours: Sunday TGIT: 8:00pm Thursdays www.riverterrace.org Worship at 10:00am Service times: 9 & 11:15am Sept. - April www.haslettcommunityWELS Lutheran Campus church.org Ministry 704 Abbot Road East Lansing, MI 48823 (517) 580-3744 www.msu.edu/~weisluth 6:00pm Saturday All Saints Episcopal Church 800 Abbot Road East Lansing, Michigan 48823 Phone: (517) 351-7160 E-mail: allsaints@allsaints-el.org Website: http://www.allsaints-el.org Worship Times: Sunday Worship: 8 am & 10 am Sunday School: 10 am Sunday Vespers: 5 pm Thursday Prayer & Breakfast: 7:30 am

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New students face academic probation, hard time adjusting BY BRENDAN BAXTER BBAXTER@STATENEWS.COM

For some students, an easy transition into college the first semester can be daunting. And to top it off, some face the reality after checking grades following their first semester only to discover a nightmare: getting placed on academic probation. This is not an uncommon occurrence for first -year students. Many students will face academic probation following the completion of their first semester. The reality In fact, MSU associate provost for Undergraduate Education R. Sekhar Chivukula said depending on the semester, up to 10 percent of first year students will be put on academic probation. “The historical average at Michigan State has been around close to 10 percent of freshmen entering students are on probation at the end of first semester, and that rate has dropped to 7 percent this last semester,” Chivukula said. Even though numbers are lower this year, it is still quite common for freshmen to struggle during their first semesters at MSU. It is even more likely for first-year international students to have a hard time in their first semesters at MSU. The number of international students placed on academic probation is nearly double that of domestic students, Chivukula said. “International students are about, overall, about twice that rate (of domestic students) almost 15 percent,” Chivukula said. “That rate has fluctuated, it has been as high as 20 (percent) in the past.” Reasons to struggle The transition into college as a freshman can be a difficult one, and is a major factor in why it is common for students to struggle early on in their college careers. Erica Fiasky, who is the Advising Director for the North Neighborhood Engagement Center, said it is common for students to struggle in their transition because they are not aware of the expectations of a college environment. “The students that we see typically it is a lot of the transition from high school to college, so not really understanding the expectations that come with a college classroom,” Fiasky said. This was largely the case for media and information sophomore Blake, who asked The State News not include his last name for privacy reasons.

Blake faced a “busy” transition into life here in East Lansing, as he put it. “It was busy, I don’t think it was difficult, I just had a lot going on,” he said. What he had going on was trying to make sense of the transition from a community college to life at a large university such as MSU. As a whole, Blake said there were multiple things that contributed to his struggles in school. “I would say unmotivation, lack of motivation (caused poor performance),” Blake said. “I hadn’t chosen a major last semester and I was in a transitional period between Mount Pleasant and East Lansing, from a community college to a university.” In order to avoid falling into a situation such as Blake’s, Fiasky suggested that students seek help from an adviser as soon as they feel there may be an issue for them academically. Even with all of this in mind, Blake said he is not concerned about this current semester. “I’m not nervous at all… I’m 100 percent sure I’ll be OK,” he said. Blake said he thinks that since he is better prepared to succeed this semester that he will be just fine. “I have appointments (with advisers), so I’m planning a lot more and I like my classes a lot better this semester,” Blake said. Not just a new environment However, for some students it’s about more than just the transition into the school or a radically different level of independence students see in high school. For kinesiology freshman Pallavi Joshi, her first semester was very difficult for her because of medical issues that she faced. Right off the bat, she was very sick just prior to the start of classes. “Right when I got to college, I had been in the hospital for about a month, so I was pretty sick,” she said. “Then I just got out like two days before the semester started. I was pretty much just unprepared to be there.” Following this, she suffered an injury from being on the MSU rowing team that had her hospitalized once again. The combination of these two issues caused her to miss roughly two to three weeks out of the first month of classes. Even once she was able to start focusing on classes, things didn’t get much better for Joshi. She was really struggling in one of her classes, which she decided to drop, leaving her with only nine credits. While it might seem like it would be easier for her to go to her classes, Joshi said that she found

“The students that we see typically, it is a lot of the transition from high school to college, so not really understanding the expectations that come with a college classroom.” Erica Fiasky, Advising director for North Neighborhood Engagement Center 4

T H E STAT E NE WS

T H U R S DAY, JA N UA RY 2 6, 2 01 7

Spotlight ACADEMIC PROBATION

Cameron Macko Managing editor cmacko@statenews.com

If at any point a student’s cumulative GPA drops below 2.00, they will be placed on academic probation.

“Right now, I’m still obviously dealing with a lot but I think that I will definitely be able to get back to where I’m supposed to be.” Pallavi Joshi, Kinesiology freshman it made it easy to neglect going to class. “I just had so much time, I was only in class for nine hours a week and occasionally I just wouldn’t go,” Joshi said. “And being honest, I didn’t want to wake up for my 8 a.m. class even though it was across the street.” In addition to the academic issues that she faced, personal problems also had an effect on Joshi’s performance in school. “I was dealing with a lot of issues at home and stuff like that, so that contributed also for sure. I wasn’t able to really focus, even on the really small course load that I had, ” Joshi said. That wasn’t the end of the issues that plagued Joshi’s first semester. Adding onto the academic

and personal issues, Joshi found difficulty taking an interest in her major. “Towards the end of the semester, I realized I didn’t really like my major at all,” Joshi said. “I was in Lyman-Briggs, which is completely science based and I realized that that’s really not my interest at all.” Eventually she decided kinesiology was more of what she was interested in and switched to that major. Discussing her being on academic probation was actually something new for Joshi as she hasn’t told very many people about her situation. For many people, their first reaction would be to tell their family, in hopes of receiving support.

This year, 7 percent of freshmen were put on academic probation after their first semester.

On average, 10 percent of freshmen are put on academic probation after their first semester. This year, about 15 percent of international students were put on academic probation after their first semester.

In the past, as much as 20 percent of international students were put on academic probation after their first semester.

In the following semester, the student must reach a cumulative GPA of equal to or higher than 2.00 (1.50 if the student has less than 30 credits) to be taken off academic probation.

However, that was not Joshi’s impulse. She in fact has not told her parents at all. Joshi also hasn’t told her friends about her situation, she said. “I didn’t tell anybody actually, I didn’t tell my friends, she said. “Pretty much nobody knows.” Despite all of this, she believes that she will be able to recover and do well this coming semester. Joshi acknowledged the difficulty she might face, but believes she can succeed in spite of this. “Right now, I’m still obviously dealing with a lot but I think that I will definitely be able to get back to where I’m supposed to be,” Joshi said.

If the student does not reach the required GPA, then the student may be recessed from the university. It is reviewed case by case whether a student will be recessed or continue to be on probation.

If the student’s GPA is still below 2.00, but their semester GPA is 2.00 or above, then the student is placed on final probation and is not recessed from the university.

1 in 10 Average number of incoming freshmen typically put on academic probation after their first semester

If the student does not raise their GPA enough and is recessed from the university, they must remain out of the university for one calendar year.

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T H U RS DAY, JANUARY 2 6 , 2 01 7

T H E STATE N E WS

Crossword

L.A. Times Daily Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

News

Stephen Olschanski City editor city@statenews.com

Setbacks mar Park District progress BY RILEY MURDOCK RMURDOCK@STATENEWS.COM

ACROSS

1 Early sitcom co-star Arnaz 5 It’s over a foot 9 Zagreb native 14 Wolfs down 15 Madre’s boy 16 Toy in many “Peanuts” panels 17 Not a fearful place for acrophobia sufferers 20 Casino lineup 21 Starting on 22 Palette choices 23 Morose 25 Droop in the garden 27 Tight hold 29 401(k) alternative, briefly 32 Went ballistic 36 Not a fearful fund for agoraphobia sufferers 39 Folk rocker DiFranco 40 Belittle 41 Showy Japanese school 42 To a degree, informally 44 Haul to the garage 45 Not a fearful Camus work for xenophobia sufferers 48 Name on the 1967 album “I Was Made to Love Her” 50 Pilot’s stat 51 Ward of “Sisters” 52 City with ferry service to Copenhagen

54 Damon of “Interstellar” 56 Fix, as a pet 59 Deft tennis shots 62 Ragu rival 65 Not a fearful roadster for arachnophobia sufferers 68 Prolonged assault 69 Way through the trees 70 Curly cabbage 71 Wielded an ax 72 “Button it!” 73 Actor Byrnes and announcer Hall

DOWN

1 Cotillion attendees 2 Banjoist Scruggs 3 Admired reverentially, with “of” 4 Elemental forms used in carbon dating 5 NBC weekend skit show 6 “’Sup” 7 Travel section listing 8 “Not happenin’” 9 Key econ. indicator 10 Subjects of the first 10 Amendments 11 Iolani Palace island 12 Kitty starter 13 Throw 18 Sch. near Topeka 19 TurboTax option 24 Outer edge

26 Mucho 27 Future MBAs’ exams 28 High-tech worker 30 Golf bunker tool 31 Got up 33 Online pop-up tailored to individual tastes 34 Recon goal 35 Pageant headpiece 37 Elusive Himalayans 38 “Batman” actress Eartha 43 Picket line placard 46 Word of greeting 47 Aries symbol 49 Journey 53 Zing 55 Droid download 56 Pageant band 57 Ballet class bend 58 Small number 60 Main squeeze 61 Pub crawlers 63 Fix, as a horse 64 Tram loads 66 Chinese lantern color 67 “Button it!”

Get the solutions at statenews.com/puzzles Level: 1

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1/18/17

THURSDAY, JANUA RY 2 6 , 2 01 7

The long and fruitless saga of the blighted Park District buildings collected another chapter as the current project ran into yet another setback this month. Changes to the now-passed brownfield reimbursement plan led David Pierson, attorney for project developer Convexity, to call the project unworkable. Pierson is also the attorney for The State News. The parties are continuing to deliberate terms for a development agreement, but the latest dispute threatens to again derail plans to rid the city of its “eyesore.” This is not the first time the city and a developer have had troubles moving a plan forward. The original project for the site, City Center II, was proposed in 2001 and was followed by several years of planning between the city and developer Strathmore Development Co. After many changes and revisions based on public opinion, the project fell apart after the Great Recession of 2008. Numerous setbacks and extensions unfolded as a result of Strathmore’s financial woes, and the developer was ultimately unable to secure enough funding to reliably move forward with the project. Strathmore officially withdrew in June 2012, and City Center II was pronounced dead. “That developer tried several times to make the project go, and that didn’t happen,” East Lansing City Manager George Lahanas said. “Credit markets dried up, everything dried up. It was very difficult to do anything, and this developer couldn’t get the project going.” In October 2012, the city began to accept applications for a new project to replace City Center II, with DTN Management eventually being chosen as the developer for the new Park District project in August 2013. DTN’s $100 million proposal called for a 10-story building with hotel space, as well as a 400-space parking structure. However, just more than a year later, DTN withdrew from the project after residents rejected a proposal to sell the developer three public parking lots for construction purposes. Not about to call it quits, council approved another plan for the site early 2015, then a year later reached an agreement with the new property owner, WGR Finance, to have the buildings taken down by Dec. 31, 2016. The City and WGR both took down smaller properties they owned in the Park District area in July 2016. However, WGR and their developer, Convexity, both owned by Chicago-based DRW Trading Group, sought an extension for the demolition deadline in order to pursue a $10 million Michigan Business Tax credit. The deadline was extended to Jan. 31 and is expected to be extended again at that day’s council meeting should the city and Convexity continue to find common ground on the project. The developer’s current plan calls for a 12-story mixed-use building with hotel and retail space, a parking garage and condominiums. The project’s site plan has been approved and will likely go forward as long as council and Convexity can finalize a development agreement on terms that suit both parties. A vote on the development agreement is scheduled tentatively for the Jan. 31 council meeting.

“That developer tried several times to make the project go, and that didn’t happen. Credit markets dried up, everything dried up, it was very difficult to do anything, and this developer couldn’t get the project going.” George Lahanas, East Lansing City Manager

TIMELINE OF THE PARK DISTRICT PROGRESS 2013 August 6 DTN picked as developer for downtown Park District

2014 November 4 DTN, as expected, withdraws from Park District after parking lot sale denied

2015 April Council approves initial plan for new Park District project with WGR

2016 April 20 City and developer reach agreement to demolish by end of the year July 26 City begins demolition of a blighted parcel of land on 303 Abbot Road July 29 New owner WGR takes down former apartment buildings on Evergreen Avenue September 8 Reported that remaining Park District buildings unlikely to be demolished by year’s end December 13 Council votes to extend demolition

2017 January 10 Council approves site plan, brownfield for new Park District project

Sports

Souichi Terada Sports editor sports@statenews.com

MSU basketball exploited despite historic night from Miles Bridges BY CONNOR CLARK CCLARK@STATENEWS.COM

Freshman forward Miles Bridges set the record for most points by a freshman in a single game in MSU men’s basketball history. To his misfortune, it was not enough to defeat the No. 20 Purdue Boilermakers (174, 6-2 Big Ten) making it three straight losses for MSU (12-9, 4-4 Big Ten). Battling Purdue for 17 first-half points, Bridges used his gentle touch from 3-point territory to build a lead for much of the first half. In the second half, Bridges kept the same touch, scoring 16 points, marking a career-high 33 points on 12-for-17 shooting, 5-for-8 from beyond the arc. This 33-point outing surpassed former NBA player and former Orlando Magic head coach Scott Skiles, who originally held the record with 32 points. Skiles currently holds the record for most assists in a single game in the NBA with 30 assists made on Dec. 30, 1990. Skiles’ career at MSU lasted from 1982-1986 and earned the right for his name and number to hang in the rafters. Bridges’ most emphatic basket was when he beamed toward the basket from the 3-point line, caught flight and his right arm found a missed shot that was turned from an offensive rebound to a jaw-dropping dunk and eruption from the Izzone. Purdue’s head coach Matt Painter said the focus out of the half was finding ways to stop Bridges. “He is a good player,” Painter said. “You put him at the four and that puts people in binds because he is so athletic and he can drive and shoot threes. Tonight, he really got his 3-point shooting going.” With a player humming like Bridges was, Painter said people could only tip their hats to his performance. Despite the historic night, head coach Tom Izzo said Bridges wasn’t happy about his overall performance, largely because MSU still lost because of its inability to match up against the much larger Boilermakers. “The team means way more to me than single game achievements,” Bridges said. “I would rather win a national championship than just Player of the Year.” Sophomore forward Caleb Swanigan used his 6-foot-

9 frame and 250 pounds to bruise the revolving door of defenders MSU threw at him. While MSU was able to sting him with seven turnovers, Swanigan terrorized MSU from up close and on the offensive boards. Swanigan’s night ended with another double-double, his nation-leading No. 17 this season, comprising of 25 points on 8-for-13 shooting and 17 rebounds, six on the offensive glass. “I thought he was good,” Painter said. “He is getting better all the time. He goes after every rebound. He showed a lot of poise, and he showed a lot of maturity for a young guy and really played well.” Though Swanigan is bigger than the rest of the MSU team, he is still dwarfed by the 7-foot-2 Isaac Haas. Though Haas only took four shots, he made three of them and converted on 5-for-6 free throws. His 11 points combined with Purdue’s other big men, Vincent Edwards and Swanigan, scored a total of 46 points. MSU’s big men scored a combined 11 points. “We went against two of the best big men in the country,” Izzo said. “We really did. It’s hard to cover both of them. And then you come in with a four man who can shoot and so you’re always mixing coverages.” Swanigan’s ability to rebound the ball gave Purdue a plus-13 rebounding margin, where Purdue had 36 rebounds, 11 offensive. MSU grabbed a mere four offensive rebounds. The two-headed tandem of Haas and Swanigan was fouled continuously to try and slow them down. Redshirt-sophomore forward Kenny Goins fouled out, freshman forward Nick Ward had four and senior forward Matt Van Dyk had three. Van Dyk said the matchup was not ideal, however the 13 Purdue turnovers all came from the bigs. “Matt Van Dyk is one of the toughest dudes I have met in my life going against a 7-foot-2 dude, getting a steal against him, making him miss shots,” Bridges said. Goins took a shot to the nose in the game, which was found to be broken after the game. The last time Goins wore a mask, he played a 13-rebound performance against Louisville last season. MSU will face the University of Michigan at 1 p.m. Sunday. The game will be televised on CBS Sports.

Freshman forward Nick Ward (44) looks to pass the ball as he is defended by Purdue forward Caleb Swanigan (50) during the second half of the men’s basketball game against Purdue on Jan. 24 at Breslin Center. The Spartans were defeated by the Boilermakers, 84-73. PHOTO: SUNDEEP DHANJAL

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Freshman guard and forward Miles Bridges (22) goes for a dunk during the second half of the men’s basketball game against Purdue on Jan. 24 at Breslin Center. The Spartans were defeated by the Boilermakers, 84-73.

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Alumnus forms 40-person music group for charity

Grand Ledge resident Austin Gullett poses for a portrait on Jan. 25 at his home in Grand Ledge. Gullet is the coordinator for a musical charity group known as The Radish Friends. PHOTO: ZAINA MAHMOUD BY JAIMIE BOZACK JBOZACK@STATENEWS.COM

Since graduating in 2016, MSU alumnus Austin Gullett has created a 40-person musical group that gives back to six charities around the state. Gullett’s non-profit program, The Radish Friends, is filled with current MSU students, graduated students and community members who have come together to raise money and follow two themes. “It is one, a musical supergroup consisting of me and whoever else wants to be in it at any given time,” Gullett said. “Two, we are something along the lines of a non-profit organization. We take up smaller projects and devote time to them and sort of advocate through music.” The Radish Friends released a Christmas project that included 45 musicians and 111 songs recorded on it. The group raised $360 on their last project and divided the money between six charities. These charities included: Planned Parenthood, Transgender Law Center, Ruth Ellis Center, Southern Poverty Law Center, End Violent Encounters and American Civil Liberties Union. “After the election I had an idea, like I had an overwhelming urge to record a Christmas song and so I did that and then I thought I should ask some people to sing with me and sort of went from there,” Gullett said. The Radish Friends are currently working on a Valentine’s Day project titled “From The Radish Friends with Love,” which is set to be released on Valentine’s Day. The group will record songs and will look to raise money. “I think music is one of the most important social mechanisms we have, aside from maybe food,” Gullett said. “If you listen to our albums, you will see that people mess up and laugh and 8

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we talk to each other a lot on the tracks, and those are moments I really wanted to capture and those are moments that are important to me.” To donate and listen to The Radish Friends’ album, visit the band’s Bandcamp page. “If we are going to make art and we are going to do it for free, we are going to make sure we can put something out there that can help someone,” Gullett said. Psychology junior Salena Benavidez is working with Gullet on the album. Benavidez said she has been calling nursing homes in the area and is making Valentine’s Day cards for the residents. “I think it is really important just to give back because there is so much going on in everybody’s life and you never really know what is going on, and sometimes the best way you can help them is just have something for them like music,” Benavidez said. “It is one of the first things people turn to when something is going wrong. So, when you have a nice collection of music made by people who genuinely care, it is a great contribution.” She said this project is a good way to donate to the community. “Just giving our music a listen kind of just empowers us, but also empowers them listening to it because they might find something they enjoy, but it also shows that the support that what we are doing is actually working and motivating people,” Benavidez said. MSU alumna Ariel Rogers graduated in December 2015 and is working on the project. She will be recording the song “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend,” by the Ramones. “It is not like I am super talented or anything, but I guess I am just using what I have got to give back to other people,” Rogers said. “It is a pretty easy way to give back.” TH U R S DAY, JA N UA RY 2 6, 2 01 7