Michigan State’s Independent Voice
HOMETOWN HEROES
Trio of athletes hailing from same Detroit school are bringing the heat PAGES 6-7 O PI N I O N
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SP O RTS
Column: What I’ve learned from putting myself first
Plans underway for MSU multicultural building
Online sports gambling gaining popularity
‘In order to prevent myself from burning out, I realized I needed to relax and do things for myself and not other people’
The building would serve as a place of belonging and education in the university community
More than 75% of college students have gambled in some form during the past year
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Asian cuisine restaurant YumYum Bento opens its doors By Kaishi Chhabra kchhabra@statenews.com A new fast-dining restaurant, located at 1017 E. Grand River Ave., has opened its doors to residents of East Lansing. YumYum Bento is a fusion of Asian cuisine with the concept of serving Japanese, Korean and Thai cuisine in a bento — a traditional Japanese-style lunch box that contains different meal courses. “I really like to cook,” owner Shanshan Xu said. “I graduated from MSU, and my major was food industry management. So (I’m) all about food and management, and my husband is the sushi chef.” Xu graduated from Michigan State in 2016 and currently maintains the co-ownership of YumYum Bento with her husband, Eddy Liang. “I was thinking a lot of different students come from different areas and countries,” Xu said. “And we want them to have a different flavor for
the food. So we thought maybe to have more choice.” The concept behind YumYum Bento is to give fast and convenient access to Japanese homestyle meals. Xu said her family went to Japan last year where she saw many different styles of bento boxes and was inspired by the idea. She said people in Japan described bento boxes as “yum yum bento,” indicating they were yummy. Thus, she decided to name the restaurant YumYum Bento. The menu is divided into three different Asian-style cuisine sections with the idea of a having a meal from one country. Side dishes are designed to coordinate with the origin of the main dish to maintain authenticity. There are a variety of main courses to choose from, such as yakisoba, Japanese curry, Thai curry and bulgogi. “I looked at the menu, and I was quite interested,” fresh-
man Kevin Su said. “They have Japanese, Korean and Thai. ... So, if I like the food — I haven’t gotten it yet — I will definitely come and try again.” Su said he liked the interior design of YumYum Bento and said it feels comfortable to him. He was also impressed by the restaurant’s self-serving style for water. “I’ve never seen (it) before, so it is quite a refreshing take.” Su said. “Also, they have free Wi-Fi. It is really helpful, I’ll say for sure.” Food server Michele Liu said she thinks the location is perfect as it is not far from campus and also accessible to the working community during lunchtime. “(Bento Box) combines different things and I think in the nutrition aspect, they’re healthy,” Liu said. “I’d like (the residents) to try here. It’s very delicious, and you can choose whatever you want.” YumYum Bento on Feb. 19. PHOTO BY MATT SCHMUCKER
OP I N I O N
Column: What I’ve learned about putting yourself first
By Dina Kaur dkaur@statenews.com We all want to make college this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Everyone always tells us that it’s going to be the best four years of our lives. In order to live up to this whole college experience, we overload our schedules, try to sustain relationships, incorporate a social life and complete our schoolwork all simultaneously. We forget to eat, we forget to relax, we overwhelm ourselves with the amount of things we seem to always have left to do. While trying to attain the perfect college experience, I forgot the most important thing — to focus on myself. I never took the time to act selfishly and think about what I needed in the moment. I never took the time to just breathe. So, this is a friendly reminder to do just that — breathe. Second semester hit me like a ton of bricks. I was excited to return to campus after not seeing my best friends for a month. Michigan State was my new home, and I was ready to get back to it. What I didn’t realize was that this new semester wouldn’t be easy. It would be filled with 2
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a variety of complications like boys, social media, birth control and an overwhelming amount of schoolwork. Second semester came with classes that weren’t so fun. They were hard. I had also just joined the Honors College and needed to put more work in. They required me to study longer and devote more time to projects. Not only was school suffocating me, I was starting to feel lonely. I craved attention from any boy who would give it to me. Soon I developed feelings for one and became attached. However, it became evident I was devoting more time and effort into maintaining a relationship (or whatever we were) than he was. It was toxic. I was spending a lot of time obsessing over when he would text me, Snapchat me, reach out to me, ask me to hang out, etc. I felt myself sinking deeper and deeper into this hole that I didn’t need to be in. The final straw came when I saw him dancing with another girl at a frat party. Cue the eye roll. I needed to move on. I needed to invest in people who invested in me. Social media also led to my downfall. Since I craved attention from boys, people, anyone, I was on social media constantly, posting pictures just to see the likes go up and constantly checking Snapchat to see if he responded to me. I wanted anyone to like me. To notice me. I realized my behavior was becoming dangerous. Social media distracted me from school and work. It took me out of the real world and put me into one where we gloss over all our imperfections. Eventually, I realized it was time to focus on myself. My anxiety levels were through the roof (partly due to birth control), I wasn’t getting much sleep and I was skipping classes I really THU R SDAY, F EBRUA RY 20, 2020
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should have gone to. I wasn’t in a happy place and I constantly felt gross about myself. It was time to focus on what my body and mind needed. In order to prevent myself from burning out, I realized I needed to relax and do things for myself and not other people. Lately, I have been taking steps to ensure that I am reaching my goals while also maintaining my mental health for my own sake. I’ve stopped investing time into relationships that clearly aren’t going anywhere. This includes romantic ones and friendships. I’ve started using my free time to my advantage. I’ve listened to what my body is saying. I’ve spent more time doing things that make me happy like hanging out with my friends, listening to music and writing. I actually go to all of
my classes and don’t skip unless I have a valid reason. I turned my social media notifications off, because when a notification doesn’t pop up on my screen, I tend to check the apps less. I’m doing me right now and I can honestly say, it’s the best I have been in a while. So buy yourself those sunflowers if you want them. Eat that tub of ice cream without feeling guilty. Watch cringey movies with your friends and laugh till you cry. Wear those pants that make you feel badass. Spend a night in for once, or go out. Do whatever makes you feel good, happy and healthy. We didn’t just come to college to further our education, we also came to further our lives and learn more about ourselves. In order to do that, we need to act selfishly sometimes, and that’s OK.
Vol. 110 | No. 22
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2020
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Make university responses to racism proactive, not reactive The State News Editorial Board feedback@statenews.com It’s mind-blowing that this deeply problematic and completely unacceptable display was ever put up in the first place, but what’s done is done — and now, it joins a long list of other racist incidents that happened at Michigan State this year. The Wharton Center incident — in which a racist display in the center’s gift shop depicted current and historical black figures hanging from trees — received national attention. It was even featured on the “Weekend Update” sketch of the Feb. 8 episode of Saturday Night Live. The last editorial we wrote about this alarming string of racist incidents — which include a toilet paper noose taped to the dorm room door of two black students and a survey distributed to the MSU community that contained racist slurs — was titled, “Racism needs consequences at MSU.” Historically, every time something like this happens, the university gives out a generic apology that is reactive instead of proactive. This time, that wasn’t necessarily the case.
Following this incident, MSU did lay out consequences in its response. Aside from recognizing how painful and traumatic this display was to community members and how it was “a disturbing reminder of our country’s history of terror and unrelenting brutality that targeted individuals based on their race,” President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. noted in his email that the Wharton Center is now undergoing a full restructuring of staff, including management, and will make “diversity within its workforce and volunteers a priority.” In moving forward, the university must continue to ensure there are consequences for perpetrators of racism in our community and be proactive in the way it facilitates diversity education — and not just when it comes to staff and management at the Wharton Center. As Stanley wrote in his campus-wide email, “Our entire campus must view this as an opportunity to learn and reflect on what we can and should do to create a safe and inclusive culture.” At the last Board of Trustees meeting, he said training will be in place this fall. Not much has been said or done past “listening” and
“apologizing” by MSU when it comes to previous incidents — and Stanley addressed that in his email. He wrote, “More than listening and sincerely apologizing, we are making changes to ensure we have a safe and supportive campus.” Though it’s hard to believe those changes will actually happen sometime in the near future, the best we can do as students is to keep the university accountable. The way they responded to the Wharton Center incident was somewhat better than previous responses, so let’s build on that. It’s important to be proactive — not just reactive — and to provide real solutions, not just empty apologies. The State News Editorial Board is composed of Editor-in-Chief Madison O’Connor, Managing Editor Mila Murray, Copy Chief Alan Hettinger, Campus Editor Evan Jones, City Editor Haley Sinclair, Sports Editor Chase Michaelson, Photo Editor Annie Barker, Multimedia Editor Tessa Osborne, Social Media and Engagement Editor Wolfgang Ruth, Staff Representative Maddie Monroe and Diversity and Inclusion Representative Chandra Fleming.
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Michigan State in top 5 for increased merit aid Need-based vs. non-need-based aid
By SaMya Overall soverall@statenews.com Michigan State University ranked fourth for most increased merit-based financial aid in 2017 with about $53 million since 2001, according to a report by Stephen Burd, senior writer and editor with the Education Policy program at New America, a think tank. In 2001, excluding federal and donorfunded scholarships, MSU only pledged need-based financial aid. MSU dedicated more than $68 million towards non-need-based, or meritbased, aid for the 2019-20 school year. There are a variety of reasons why universities increase their merit aid dollars, Burd said, with state budget cuts among one of the highest. “I think that state budget cuts have led colleges to have to find alternative revenue sources,” Burd said. “So they look more and more to out of state students. Because it’s so competitive to get the types of out of state students they want, who tend to be wealthy, it becomes almost an arms race, where schools have to give out more and more non-need-based aid to get them.” However, Burd said that the U.S. News national college ranking system also helps persuade prospective students to attend. MSU is ranked 84th in national universities and 34th in top public schools.
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“Rising up the U.S. News, in a lot of ways, encourages you to get wealthier students with better SAT scores, to get a better ranking,” Burd said. “So schools will say, ‘We’re just reacting to state budget cuts. It’s not our fault. It’s the state legislators.’ And there’s some truth to that, but at the same time they’re chasing rankings.” Merit-based aid dollars have been
steadily increasing since 2003, when MSU first began to offer institutional merit-based aid, Burd said. Although the majority of aid dollars go to need-based aid, this percentage has plummeted from 89% to 61%. “That means that they’re leaving ... people who have financial need with bigger and bigger funding gaps,” Burd said. “Which means that those students
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have to find other ways to get money, and a lot of the time that means that people have to take on work at jobs outside of school which can be very distracting to getting through school.” Merit aid surpassed need-based financial aid briefly during the 2005-06 school year. Although more aid dollars were committed to need-based aid in the following school year, the merit aid kept increasing over time. MSU’s increase in merit aid puts students who have financial need at risk of not receiving the aid they need to get through college, Burd said. “Non-need-based aid, in a lot of cases, is tuition discounting,” Burd said. “And even if it’s a few thousand dollars or whatever they take off the tuition for fairly wealthy students, they’ll still bring in a lot of revenue. And so our concern is that there are fewer seats available for in-state lower-income students and that there are fewer aid dollars available as well.” Some students worry about what would happen to their financial aid if universities got rid of merit-based aid since they don’t demonstrate high financial need on the federal level. Federal financial need is calculated t hrough t he E xpected Family Contribution, or EFC, which means students can be financially needy and still have a higher EFC, Burd said. “I don’t really buy the argument that
middle-income students are left out in the works if you just go by financial need,” Burd said. “Basically, because the costs are so high, a lot of middleincome students have a lot of financial need as well, so merit aid ... is not the only thing that is available to them.” Burd said the issue with merit-based aid is money typically goes towards wealthier students. “The people that non-need-based aid is really helping are majorly the upper-middle-income students from the suburbs and wealthier,” Burd said. “A lot of times I feel like in these discussions, people try to pit lowincome students against middle-income students to try to say, ‘merit aid is for middle-income students.’ ... Pell grants are the strictest as to who can get them ... but institutional aid, there’s a lot more room, and so colleges could be giving money to them.” Unless the reasons for increasing merit aid change, there’s a possibility that this increase will continue in all universities, including MSU. “There have been some signs of a couple of schools where they are taking another look at this because they are finding that there are too many people are dropping out because they’re not meeting enough need,” Burd said. “Overall, all the incentives are still in place to keep ratcheting up the amount of non-need-based aid they give.”
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Ombudsperson helps students understand their rights By SaMya Overall soverall@statenews.com Michigan State students are guaranteed student rights outlined in the Spartan Life Student Handbook which protects them from possible mistreatment from faculty, staff and university officials. “I’d say it’s essential for anyone to know their due process rights,” said Seth Betman, social relations and policy senior and student rights advocate. “Especially at Michigan State, because I feel a lot of people don’t know necessarily the height of the violations and what really it could bring upon.” Shannon Burton, the university ombudsperson, is a designated neutral party whose job is to mediate disputes between students and their professors or other faculty by helping students understand their rights within the university confidentially. Burton’s role is to inform students of their rights so they can decide if their rights have been infringed upon as outlined in the Code of Teaching Responsibility. “That Code of Teaching Responsibility in the classroom space outlines the basic responsibilities for faculty in terms of providing students,” Burton said. “So these are things like, students have a right to see their exams after they’ve completed an exam … students have a right to know how they’re going to be graded in a course, faculty have a responsibility to attend the classes.” After reviewing their rights, a student can take several steps to resolve the problem informally
LEFT: MSU Ombudsperson Shannon Lynn Burton poses for a portrait on Feb. 10. ABOVE: A decoration in the MSU ombudsperson office highlights the responsibilities of an ombudsperson. PHOTOS BY CONNOR DESILETS
with the help of the ombudsperson. “Our office provides a confidential, neutral, independent and informal space for students to explore what their options are,” Burton said. “So we’re a safe space for them to come without fear that their faculty member or someone else from the institution is going to know that they have these concerns.” Students should initially talk to the faculty member directly before coming to the university ombudsperson’s office, Burton said. If the student and the ombudsperson decide a student’s rights might have been violated, students can file a formal grievance for a university judicial hearing. Though Burton doesn’t file complaints or represent students during these hearings,
students can consult with student rights advocates who are trained to advise students during these processes. The student rights advocates also assist students who have been accused of a policy violation. “In a normal conduct case, a student would come to us once they receive notice from the Dean of Students’ (Office),” Betman said. “If the hearing is already scheduled, we would assist the student, almost going over the alleged violation, ensuring we understand why they’re getting it. Pertaining to those violations, we would help create an opening statement and normally we would give a closing statement.” Betman said the proceedings usually take about a month to a month and a half from the initial filings, depending on the case. Students are advised to reach out to either the university ombudsperson or the student rights advocates when in need of assistance when it comes to their rights, Betman said. “I believe it’s essential for students to acknowledge their due process and also have the opportunity to have due process,” Betman said. “Especially in the university judicial system, until you’ve really gone through it, it’s pretty confusing. I like the role solely because you can come meet with an individual in our office who’s seen the process and can speak from first person experience.” MSU students can contact the university ombudsperson’s office by email at ombud@msu. edu, by phone at (517) 353-8830, in person in Room 129 in North Kedzie Hall or through an online form at ombud.msu.edu.
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‘They’re three great ambassadors’: Winston, Collins and Apap carry U-D Jesuit roots to East Lansing By Brendan Gumbel bgumbel@statenews.com Editor’s Note: State News reporter Brendan Gumbel attended the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy.
Current MSU senior guard Cassius Winston dribbles the ball during his time at U-D Jesuit. Since arriving at MSU, Winston has won Big Ten men’s basketball player of the year and has become the alltime conference leader in assists. PHOTO COURTESY U-D JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL AND ACADEMY
You might have heard of Cassius Winston, the Big Ten’s all-time leader in assists and Michigan State’s relentless point guard. You might have heard of Elijah Collins, who burst onto the scene as the Spartan’s lead running back as a redshirt freshman this past season. And if you’re following the success of the MSU hockey team this year, you’ve definitely heard of Tommy Apap, an integral player and captain of the team. All three of these players are prominent athletes in leadership roles at a high-profile, Big Ten school. But the similarities don’t end there. The University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy, which sits 80 miles from MSU’s campus, had Winston, class of 2016, Collins, of 2018 and Apap, of 2014, walk its halls and represent the maroon and white in their respective sports. The trio still holds their time as Cubs in high regard, and said it helped mold their success as Division I athletes. “It’s a great school, great environment,” Winston said. “All the people there get along. All the people there are challenging each other, pushing each other to be the best. Whether it’s in the classroom or in athletics, so you just learn a lot going to school there.” Student athletes at U-D Jesuit — founded in 1877 — compete in the Detroit Catholic High School League. “When I think about what makes us special, I think that we’re a unique school where the expectations for academics at our school are really the same — if not stronger than — our athletic expectations,” U-D Jesuit Athletic Director Nick Kocsis said. “We’ve got the highest possible academic expectations for our guys, yet we play in a league where you’re playing against schools where athletics is just, they’re the top of the heap. We’re expected to compete at that highest level athletically, but not compromise academically.” It was apparent that Winston was going to be special right out of the gate, averaging 17 points and 7.5 assists as a freshman on the varsity team. As Winston got older and his game
continued to elevate, he began to establish himself as one of the premier point guards in the country. In his final year at the academy, Winston led the Cubs to a perfect 28-0 season and a state championship win at his future home — the Breslin Center. After winning Mr. Basketball for the state of Michigan in 2016, Winston chose to play for coach Tom Izzo at MSU, turning down an offer from rival Michigan. Now, in the midst of his senior season at MSU, Winston said he is proud to see the representation of his alma mater leading the way for the green and white. “It’s great to have U-D put on the map a little bit here,” Winston said. “Especially with such successful players and people that are doing their thing, so it’s great to see that.” Collins was a multi-sport athlete at U-D, excelling in both football and basketball for the Cubs. Although he was a teammate of Winston’s on the 2016 state championship basketball team, football ended up being Collins’ calling card. After sitting out his sophomore year, Collins joined the team his junior year and started compiling a hefty amount of DI offers. His averages of 119.6 rushing yards per game and 8 yards per carry led to him being ranked as the highest-rated running back prospect in the state of Michigan, according to The Detroit News. “Elijah might be the fiercest competitor I’ve ever been around in high school sports,” Kocsis said. “And you would never know it. He’s quiet, (but) he’s confident.” U-D Jesuit basketball coach Pat Donnelly, who coached both Winston and Collins in high school, cites their knowledge of the game and careful preparation as driving forces in the duo’s dominance on the court and field. “A thirst to understand the game better,” Donnelly said, when asked about Winston and Collins’ best attributes. “I know that Cassius had an unbelievable basketball IQ, and that has continued to develop in his time at Michigan State, so it’s made him an even better player. I know that Elijah had a thirst for that too on the basketball court and also on the football field. If you spoke to him, he’d tell you his year last year as a redshirt allowed him to become a better student of the game — which prepared him to be a better player once he got the opportunities on the field.” Of the three alumni, Apap took the most unconventional route to MSU. Most Ameri-
Senior guard Cassius Winston (5) drives on Maryland’s Aaron Wiggins (2). The Spartans fell to the Terrapins, 60-67, at the Breslin Student Events Center on Feb. 15. PHOTO BY MATT ZUBIK 6
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“It gives you another sense that what you’re doing actually matters. Things that we did at U-D — we’ll keep doing as long as we live. Things that I learned at U-D are things that I want to teach my kids.” Elijah Collins MSU football player ABOVE: Junior center Tommy Apap (11) fights for the puck during the game against Arizona at the Munn Ice Arena on Dec. 14, 2019. The Sun Devils defeated the Spartans, 4-3. PHOTO BY ANNIE BARKER LEFT: A team photo of the U-D Jesuit hockey team during the 2013-14 season. Tommy Apap, second from right in the top row, with a “C” on his chest, is now a senior for the MSU hockey team. PHOTO COURTESY U-D JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL AND ACADEMY
can-born hockey players that end up playing at a college level come from high-level travel teams or AAA programs. Apap went against the grain, sticking with U-D’s hockey program and developing his game under coach Rick Bennetts. “We noticed the first time we ever saw him — between eighth and ninth grade — that he just had a sense on the ice that you can’t teach,” Bennetts said. “He had vision, he had high skill level and his work ethic was infectious to everybody around him. He’s just a quiet leader and a problem solver.” By the time Apap was a senior, scouts were piling into games to watch him — and they were in awe at how far he had come. Collecting 63 points in just 29 games during his final season, Apap proved he belonged at the next level. “(Scouts) couldn’t believe that he wasn’t a high-level, tier one, AAA player,” Bennetts said. “They said, ‘Where’d he come from?’ And I just said, ‘Well, he came out of our JV program.’” Apap went on to play for several years at the junior level before starting up at MSU in 2017. He was named a captain prior to this season and is trying to help navigate the team to their first NCAA tournament bid since 2012. “U-D prepared me, because it’s such a team aspect,” Apap said. “It’s a lot different than juniors. Like at U-D you’re trying to win every game and in juniors, guys are more thinking about individual stats — thinking about themselves. At U-D we wanted to win every game. We’d get up for games like Cranbrook and Brother Rice. That’s what we try to do (at MSU) too. It’s not individual, it’s a team thing.” Bennetts said Apap dedicates a good chunk of his summer to helping run U-D’s summer hockey program with other Cub alumni. The team is busy during the offseason — taking part in a strength and conditioning program at the high school early in the morning, heading to the rink for practice afterward and occasionally having a game on the same night. Bennetts said he appreciates the help and knows his current players will benefit from having someone of Apap’s caliber there to help. “He’s still the same person,” Bennetts said. “His game has elevated, his size has increased ... if I send him an email or a text ... he responds faster than my family does. It doesn’t matter where he is or what he’s doing, he’s still the same person he was when he was that little 13-year-old working his way into the high school.” Still the same person. The same can be said for Winston and Collins who, despite their success, are humble leaders who put the team first. “I look at Cassius and all the personal accolades that he’s had,” Donnelly said. “You don’t
see him as a guy that’s touting himself. It’s all about the team, it’s all about the success of his team.” Above all else, the trio remains involved with and connected to the school, coming back for games and workouts with current teams. Their impact during their time as students has left a mark on U-D, which isn’t something Collins takes lightly. “It’s powerful,” Collins said. “It gives you another sense that what you’re doing actually matters. Things that we did at U-D — we’ll keep doing as long as we live. Things that I learned at U-D are things that I want to teach my kids.” In the past four years, U-D athletic teams have stockpiled 12 Michigan High School Athletic Association, or MHSAA, District Titles, 12 MHSAA Final Four Appearances and 2 MHSAA State Championships to go along with a total of 33 Academic All-State Team Honors, according to the school’s athletics website. Collins said he credits his alma mater for making his transition to college athletics smoother, as he was already prepared for a lot of what came his way after arriving in East Lansing. “We take it pretty seriously as far as sports go (at U-D),” Collins said. “We kind of treat it like college in high school, so that when we get here we’re a little more prepared than what we were before.” Donnelly expressed his pride in all three programs. “Name another school that has three guys in prominent positions on big revenue sports ... that came from one school,” he said. He also talked about these players’ impact from an admissions standpoint. “I can’t tell you, over the last six years, how many times I’ve gone to an admissions event and people haven’t mentioned Cassius’ name,” Donnelly said. “And now when we talk about football, people bring up Elijah’s name. Same thing with Tommy.” At the end of the day, Kocsis said he hopes kids thinking about attending the high school can look to one of those three athletes and see glimpses of themselves. Not just in how they perform athletically, but in how much they value academics and the manner in which they conduct themselves. “It wasn’t that long ago where a highly athletic kid would look at U-D Jesuit and say, ‘I’d love to go there, but it’s just too tough,’” Kocsis said. “(Now), when you have three men that came out of the same high school and are at the same college in positions of leadership ... I want every kid who is serious about athletics and academics and their total formation to be like, ‘That’s the school for me.’ They’re three great ambassadors.”
ABOVE: Redshirt freshman running back Elijah Collins during his time at U-D Jesuit. Collins started the final 12 games of the 2019 season for MSU. PHOTO COURTESY U-D JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL AND ACADEMY
LEFT: Redshirt freshman running back Elijah Collins (24) celebrates in the endzone during the game against Illinois Nov. 9, 2019 at Spartan Stadium. PHOTO BY MATT SCHMUCKER
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Potential multicultural building finds support, plans underway By SaMya Overall soverall@statenews.com Plans for a free-standing multicultural building are underway as part of the 10-point plan for diversity, equity and inclusion presented to Michigan State President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. last semester. The main purpose of the multicultural building is to create a sense of belonging among students and faculty from all backgrounds, said Paulette Granberry Russell, Senior Advisor to the President for Diversity and Director of the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives. Russell is also chairperson of the multicultural center initiative. Russell, former MSU Title IX coordinator, is also a key witness in the trial of Ex-MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, who is charged with lying to police about knowledge of Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse. “If you think back, in terms of the demands from students, it
has much to do with creating a sense of support and a sense of belonging in an institution that is a predominantly white institution,” Russell said. “In terms of creating a sense of community for individuals based on a range of social identities, including race and gender.” Mathematics senior Miracle Chatman, who is one of the student representatives on the multicultural center feasibility study committee, said MSU’s recent history of racist displays is one reason why a multicultural building is needed. “I don’t think we only need a building,” Chatman said. “It’s the programming that goes into the building that’s really going to shift the campus climate. ... There have been hundreds of racist incidents that have happened on campus for the past however many years and we really need to do something that’ll be pivotal towards the change on campus.” Chatman said she believes the building could possibly address poor retention rates and
graduation rates of marginalized students. “This building will convey a sense of belonging,” Chatman said. “It’ll create a place for people who are marginalized or people from minority communities can come and gather and feel like they belong.” Currently, the planning committee is working on finding entities to conduct a feasibility study to determine where a multicultural building could be housed at MSU. The planning committee will interview those entities and choose one to complete the study. The next steps include deciding what programming will be available at the multicultural center as well as determining what sites are available and whether the multicultural building will be a stand-alone building or an addition to an existing building, Russell said. Chatman said the feasibility study is expected to be completed by October. Some students are pushing for a stand-alone building in
“This building will convey a sense of belonging. ” Miracle Chatman MSU Mathematics senior the central part of campus. “We want something that can be accessible, something that each student can get to,” Chatman said. “We want something that’s on a couple bus routes. We want something central.” Russell said previous multicultural centers have been inadequate in meeting the needs of minority students. “I think it goes back to the issues that the students themselves have articulated in support of the center, which includes ... space for hosting programming, activities,” Russell said. “It could include courses, it could include social gathering space, it could be academic space that will support — at least from the perspective of students of color — what’s essential for them to be suc-
Senior Advisor to the President for Diversity and Director of the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives Paulette Granberry Russell speaks at the Board of Trustees meeting on April 12, 2019 at the Administration Building. PHOTO BY ANNIE BARKER
cessful at Michigan State University.” The multicultural building will benefit all students, regardless of background, because it’ll be a place that teaches students about other cultures, Chatman said. “I think that the lack of education on this campus ... that’s a big issue,” Chatman said. “That results in a lot of these racially-biased incidents. This building will definitely help every single student on campus if you need to come and learn. Even for me, as a minority student, I could go to this building and learn about other commu-
nities, not just my own.” Russell said this building finally has the support needed to go from conversation to an actual project. “To the extent that you have all of these various interests, as well as faculty and staff and others across the campus community have acknowledged that having a space such as this can benefit the campus overall,” Russell said. “I think at this point of our evolution at Michigan State, we’re not the first campus to ever entertain a center or a building that is dedicated to supporting diversity at MSU.”
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5 things to know about the 2020 primaries, according to MSU’s political science department By Matt Dwyer mdwyer@statenews.com Michigan State’s political science department hosted the seminar “Five Things to Know About The 2020 Primaries” on Feb. 18, featuring political science professor Matt Grossmann, who directs Michigan State's Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, or IPPSR. The Michigan Primary is March 10. Grossmann is the author of several books, including his most recent one, “Red State Blues.” He has written columns for The New York Times regarding politics and he is a contributor to the data-driven political news site FiveThirtyEight.
1. CANDIDATES NEED A MAJORITY
In the hour-long seminar, Grossmann emphasized the fact that the election is a majoritarian system. “It’s a majority system, but it currently has no majority. It gets to a majority as candidates drop out and their support goes to other candidates,” Grossmann said. The number of Democratic candidates has made it hard to determine
who will end up with the nomination, but the country will get a better understanding soon, Grossmann said. “We have a lot of the nation voting in early March. By that time, it will be very clear, not necessarily which candidate will automatically be the victor, but that quite a few candidates have no path to getting a majority of the delegates,” Grossmann said. Grossmann said the majoritarian system is most likely to benefit Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, according to the FiveThirtyEight model. “Bernie Sanders is by far the most likely to win a majority of the delegates based on the performance so far,” he said.
2. BUT THERE ISN’T A MAJORITY SO FAR
Grossmann said the party lacks a consensus on a single candidate. “Republicans famously didn’t decide on an alternative to Donald Trump in 2016, and Democrats did not decide on a nominee in 2020,” Grossmann said. “To the extent that they did, it was Joe Biden first and Elizabeth Warren second.” This lack of agreement on a candidate, as well as the number of candi-
dates, has led to chaos in the Democratic party, Grossmann said.
3. MEDIA NARRATIVES HAVE IMPACT
He also stressed the impact of narratives perpetuated by the media. “The media does respond to real things in the world,” Grossman said. “They respond to polls, they respond to money, they respond to events, but they can also come up with whatever story they want to come up with.” In a world that is ever so surrounded by the media, it is no wonder candidates have slid down the polls, Grossmann said. He highlighted Elizabeth Warren and said the media negatively impacted her candidacy. “There’s an event, often, where she seems not to be doing as well,” Grossman said. “And then you start to get people noticing signs of her falling. ... The poll numbers are going down.” The media is able to show candidates’ shortcomings and produce narratives which can show them in a lesser light leading to a fall in popularity, he said.
4. NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNS BENEFIT BYSTANDERS
Grossmann also said taking negative shots at other candidates hardly benefits the one making the jab, but can benefit the other runners. “If I’m in a multi-candidate race, if I’m Elizabeth Warren and started attacking Bernie Sanders, it could not help me. It might help Pete Buttigieg or Mike Bloomberg or someone else,” Grossmann said. “The other problem is that attacks lead to counterattacks,” Grossman said. “90% of consultants say that when you are attacked in a campaign, you don’t just answer the attack. You attack back on an unrelated issue. So, what that means is you get into a cycle of negativity.”
Jeff Conroy-Krutz, an associate professor of political science at MSU, spoke to why the department started the speaker series. “We wanted to do a better job connecting the expertise that our faculty have on subjects that are of interest with regard to current events to the undergrad community and MSU more broadly,” Conroy-Krutz said. “We thought we could do a service that way provoke some conversations about politics and also show people that the research that we do has real-world implications.” Conroy-Krutz said the department plans on seminars like this one at least once a semester.
5. MUCH WILL BE FORGOTTEN BY NOVEMBER
Currently, the Democratic Party has six competitive candidates running for the nomination. Grossman said supporters of a losing candidate will often support the nominee. “In 2016, 79% of Sanders supporters in the primary voted for Clinton,” Grossmann said. “The general election is a long way away. A lot that looks chaotic now will not look quite as chaotic by the time we get to November.”
People vote in the East Lansing City Council Election at Hannah Community Center on Nov. 5, 2019. STATE NEWS FILE PHOTO
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‘I’m just so thankful’: Gymnast Gabriella Douglas’ last season in green and white By Sara Tidwell stidwell@statenews.com “I am so thankful that I have been able to be a part of a program that’s truly been so supportive of anything that I wanted to do here ... of me being my true, authentic self.” As the only senior on the Michigan State gymnastics team, Toronto native Gabriella Douglas is heavy-hearted as she comes down to the wire on her last season in the sport she “accidentally” fell in love with. Douglas, now 23, started gymnastics later than what is considered the “norm” after attending a friend's birthday party hosted at a gym around the age of 7 or 8. Her parents pursued their daughter’s newfound passion, signing her up for recreational classes. Within a year, Douglas was caught up in the whirlwind, training up to 25 hours a week with a competitive team in Toronto. Douglas made a clear name for herself in her precollegiate years, but battled injuries, enduring two surgeries before arriving on campus. After graduating high school in 2014, Douglas decided it
best to stay home and continue training on the Canadian national team, because of the difficulties of navigating a new country. Douglas deferred her scholarship for two years, coming onto Spartan grounds in 2016, a little bit older, and a little bit more beat up, than the rest of her class. “I was a freshman, but technically I was the age of a junior, so already had a good awareness of what I was doing and a good feel for the campus,” Douglas said. “I was a bit more mature and ready for college gymnastics, which benefited me in a way.” She tore her ACL going into her sophomore year and missed that entire season. She called the ordeal a learning experience. Douglas said she picked up a number of new leadership qualities and how to help her teammates on both the sidelines and the mats. “Her contributions (helped) the younger classes evolve, grow and acclimate from not only their transition into college, but how to handle all of this all at once,” coach Mike Rowe said. “She’s a great mentor to the team.”
“(My coaches and teammates) have given me the ground to grow and be who I want to be.”
Gabriella Douglas Senior Gymnast
Douglas returned from rehabbing her knee as a junior and lived out her best season yet, continuing to carry that rediscovered fiery mojo into what is now her senior year. “I'm happy that I’m still healthy right now and I’m still competing,” Douglas said. When asked what her favorite meet has been, over the previous seven weeks of competition, Douglas didn't miss a beat: “Nebraska.” “I mean, it’s kind of funny because we lost that meet. However, it was our best score by far in a really long time,” Douglas said. "That was the best score we've gotten since
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Gabriella Douglas on the vault at the women’s gymnastics meet at Jenison Field House on March 17, 2019. The Spartans placed first against Alaska, Ball State, UIC. PHOTO BY ANNIE BARKER
I've been on this team." Douglas said that, during the Nebraska meet, all she could feel was positive energy coming from her teammates. “It was the first time I felt like everybody actually had fun doing gymnastics,” she said. “Even though it was really, really close a lot of the times and we were fighting so hard, it didn’t feel stressful and everybody truly was enjoying themselves.” Personally, Douglas has improved in rankings and sits at seventh in the Big Ten conference and 37th in the nation on beam — her favorite event — averaging a score of 9.854. But she said it’s not about the numbers. “I always go into meets, and go into my season, with the intention of just doing my best,”
Douglas said. “Sometimes when you start to really look at rankings and get caught up in scores and the numbers, it gets kind of stressful." Douglas said since she was little, her favorite event has been the balance beam. She knows everyone must look at her like she’s crazy when she says that, because it definitely looks the scariest of the four events, but Douglas said that it's more about the combination of artistry that drags her in. “There’s a lot of dance elements to it,” she said. “But also power. There's so many skills you can do ... no one's beam routine looks the same.” Rowe is proud to see how far his only senior competitor has come over the years. “(She’s) always striving to do
better meet by meet, turn by turn,” he said. “She’s always working on refining and perfecting her skill and her craft. ... We’ve never seen it any other way.” In April, Douglas will be retiring her leotard for good. She has plans to apply to medical school — with hopes to someday work in children's medicine. But, that doesn’t mean she'll be done with the team, hoping to take on the role of student coach, or even just move mats and play cheerleader. “(My coaches and teammates) have given me the grounds to grow and be who I want to be,” Douglas said. “It’s been the best support group I think I’ve ever been a part of, and I’m just so thankful that I’ve had them with me.”
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Sophomore Ashley Hofelick, freshman Nyah Smith, and senior Gabriella Douglas (left to right) wait to perform their floor routines during a meet against Nebraska. The Spartans fell to the Huskers, 196.550 - 197.100, at Jenison Field House on Jan. 26. PHOTO BY MATT ZUBIK
SPORTS
Place your bets: Sports gambling sweeping MSU By Eli McKown emckown@statenews.com The days of only being able to bet on sports in a casino are officially coming to a close since online sports gambling is quickly gaining popularity. The demographic buying in? College students. According to Victor Matheson, an economics professor at Holy Cross with extended knowledge of the sports gambling world, more than 75% of college students have gambled in some form during the past year. It is becoming a huge talking point and pastime for many college students. Nursing freshman Max Young said he does not partake himself, but he observes his friends gambling on sporting events. “I would say it is because you have more free time,” Young said. “Usually, I don’t even watch random NFL games unless it’s from my home team, and now I’m here and you just have time and you just want to watch the games because you’re bored.” Matt, a freshman and sports gambler, said he thinks that it has to do with the culture of today’s college student. The State News has chosen not to include the last names of students because online sports gambling is currently illegal in Michigan. “Our generation is obsessed with money, and our generation is also obsessed with sports,” Matt said. “I don’t even know that it is uniquely high for our age group, per se. We’re so adept with the internet, and things like that make it so much easier to do it online.” Despite the increasing popularity of sports gambling, it is still in the process of becoming legal in the state of Michigan. At the end of 2019, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill that would make Michigan the 20th state to legalize sports gambling and online sports gambling, but the Michigan Gaming Control Board is still in the process of setting rules and regulations on it, making it unclear when it will become officially legal. In addition to the legalization, the state of Michigan set an 8.4% tax on sports betting receipts that are paid out, and a tax on internet gambling games such as poker anywhere from 20-28%. Despite the legalization, freshman and active sports gambler Nick doesn’t believe it will change his habits very much. “Going to the casino and watching the game would be kind of fun, but betting online is so much easier,” Nick said. “I can open up my computer, go on the website and look at lines, and read some articles online. Whereas at the casino, I would have to drive there, I would probably want to get food ... but maybe I’d go every once and while because it definitely would be a different experience.” Nick said per week he spends about $40 on sports gambling, and overall has made around $300 since he started in December 2018, which included a parlay that won him $500 that had the Toronto Raptors covering the spread in games five and six of the 2019 NBA Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. His first experience was with his father on vacation in Las Vegas five years ago when his father placed a bet at a casino for him. “I have always been into sports, and he just told me ... ‘Why don’t you make some predictions and I’ll put some money down on (the lines),’ and I said, ‘Okay sure, that sounds like fun’,” Nick said. “I did a little bit of research and I told him, and we ended up winning. So ever since then I have had an interest in it.” Matt carries a similar gambling habit that Nick does, averaging $50 per week spent on bets. Matt originally got into sports gambling because his roommates were also doing it.
RELIGIOUS DIRECTORY
Gambling Glossary
Pointspread The handicap, or head start, which the favorite gives to the underdog for betting purposes
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Over/Under A bet on whether the combined total of the points/goals scored by the two teams will exceed or be less than a specified number
All Saints Episcopal Church 800 Abbot Rd. (517) 351-7160 Sun. Worship: 8am, 10am, & 5pm Sunday School: 10am www.allsaints-el.org
Parlay A bet on two or more teams or outcomes where the original stake and winnings are reinvested on the next wager. All selections must be correct for the parlay to win. In the event of a push or a game cancellation, the parlay reverts to the next lower number (e.g. a 4-team parlay becomes a 3-team parlay).
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Source: donbest.com “I’ve always been interested in it,” Matt said. “I didn’t really start until I got to college, mostly it was my suitemate who showed me a website he was doing at it had really small minimum, so I was just betting two dollars here and three dollars here.” Despite all the big wins college students receive at times, sports gambling comes with big risks. According to Matheson’s data, six percent of college students have severe gambling disorder, which is defined by having psychological difficulties, unmanageable debt, falling grades and an increased risk of taking up drugs and alcohol. “College students are particularly prone to sports gambling, in a way that they are not prone to other types of gambling such as lottery tickets or casinos,” Matheson said. “There is an illusion of control in sports gambling that you don’t have in other types of gambling like lottery tickets.” An interesting dynamic Professor Matheson thinks is at play, is the particular form of confidence young men might have when gambling and puts that demographic at a specific risk. “When you are a young college male, you think you are smarter than everyone else in the world,” Matheson said. “The combination of people that watch a lot of sports and people that think they’re smart leads to a situation where you’re thinking you are smarter than the house.” One thing to look out for going forward as it becomes legal, is how online sports gambling platforms begin to advertise directly to college students. “I would also rather addict people now when they are 20 rather than addict someone who is 80,” Matheson said. “I want someone to put the app on their phone and use it for the next 50 years.” Matt and Nick had some advice for college students looking to get in on the next big thing. “Do the math, check the payouts and bet the minimums if you’re starting out,” Matt said. Pantelis lives by the long-held belief that life is too short to bet the under. “Never bet the under because then you are rooting for a boring game,” Pantelis said. “You’re rooting for less points to be scored, it’s just lame, I don’t like doing it.”
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Crossway Multinational Church 4828 Hagadorn Rd. (Across from Fee Hall) (517) 917-0498 Sun: 10:00am crosswaymchurch.org Greater Lansing Church of Christ 310 N. Hagadorn Rd. (Meet @ University Christian Church) (517) 898-3600 Sun: 8:45am Worship, 10am Bible Class Wed: 1pm, Small group bible study www.greaterlansing coc.org Hillel Jewish Student Center 360 Charles St. (517) 332-1916 Shabbat – Services@ 6pm / dinner @ 7, September–April www.msuhillel.org instagram: @msuhillel
The Islamic Society of Greater Lansing 920 S. Harrison Rd. (517) 351-4309 Friday Services: 12:15-12:45pm & 1:45-2:15pm For prayer times visit www.lansingislam.com/ Martin Luther Chapel Lutheran Student Center 444 Abbot Rd. (517) 332-0778 Sun: 10:30am & 7pm Wed: 7pm Mini-bus pick-up on campus (Fall/Spring) www.martinluther chapel.org The People’s Church Multi-denominational 200 W Grand River Ave. (517)332-6074 Sun. Service: 10:30am with free lunch for students following worship ThePeoplesChurch.com Riverview Church- MSU Venue MSU Union Ballroom, 2nd Floor 49 Abbot Rd. (517) 694-3400 Sun. Worship: 11:30am-ish www.rivchurch.com St. Paul Lutheran Church (ELCA) Worship with us on Sundays at 10am 3383 E. Lake Lansing Rd 517-351-8541 www.stpaul-el.org officemanagerstpaul el@gmail.com
St. John Catholic Church and Student Center 327 M.A.C Ave. (517) 337-9778 Sun: 8am, 10am, Noon, 5pm, 7pm M,W: 5:30pm T & Th: 8:45pm F: 12:15pm www.stjohnmsu.org University Christian Church 310 N. Hagadorn Rd (517) 332-5193 Sun. Bible Study: 10am Sun. Worship: 11:15am www.universitychristianwired.com University Lutheran Church (ULC) “We’re open in every way” 1120 S. Harrison Rd (517) 351-7030 Sun. Worship: 8:30am & 10:45am Fridays@Five: Dinner, discussion & fun 5pm Mon. Bible Study: 6:30pm @Wells Hall Quad www.ulcel.org Facebook: ULC and Campus Ministry University United Methodist Church 1120 S. Harrison Rd (517) 351-7030 Main Service: Sun: 11am in the Sanctuary Additional Services: NEW contemporary service Sundays at 9am with band titled ‘REACH’ TGiT (Thank God its Thursday): Thur: 8pm in the Chapel of Apostles universitychurchhome.org office@eluumc.org WELS Lutheran Campus Ministry 704 Abbot Rd. (517) 580-3744 Sat: 6:30pm msu.edu/~welsluth
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Stanley talks fall break, accountability, inequality By Wendy Guzman wguzman@statenews.com Michigan State President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. answered questions about university accountability, fall break and structural inequalities in a forum that drew racist comments in anonymously posted questions. President of the Associated Students of Michigan State University, or ASMSU, Mario Kakos sat down with Stanley Feb. 17 in front of an audience of students, asking him questions from previous submissions as well as realtime posted questions.
FALL BREAK
Stanley said he continues to be committed to a pilot fall break for the 2020 fall semester. “I think we will get a fall break done,” Stanley said. “I think as part of that we should look at the calendar as a whole … this is one of those areas where shared governance works together, where faculty have important roles in helping determine the calendar, we always care about instructional time.” Stanley said the university is currently working toward two days near the end of October. “I don’t know exactly how (Faculty Senate is) doing that,” Stanley said. “But I’m supportive of the dates
they’ve identified, and I think we will get this done.” Throughout the session, Stanley was asked about his opinion on other proposed fall break dates. In terms of having a break on Election Day, he said it is still in discussion, and that he would like to see it. He said a debate among faculty has made this specific proposal more difficult to decide on. “There’s been some pushback from elected officials who are concerned that it will drop turnout,” Stanley said. “I think ASMSU has made a pretty convincing argument that ... that day would actually increase voter turnout … I think, again, that is something that is still under discussion and we’ll be coming to a decision soon.” As for having the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off, Stanley said he assumes most people take that day off regardless, and although it is being looked at, it is not being looked at as part of the October fall break.
HOLDING POWER ACCOUNTABLE
Stanley addressed those who withheld important information relating to knowledge of disgraced ex-MSU sports doctor Larry Nassar’s decades of sexual abuse. “We want to make sure that we are holding people accountable, there has to be a culture of accountability
on campus,” Stanley said. “Whether it had to do with something as horrible as what was described ... the terrible things that happened by that perpetrator, or whether it’s someone who’s just not doing their job in another area.” He said the university needs to work toward growing the community’s faith and trust in the administration. As the university has changed, he said we still need to continue to hold people accountable. “It’s very important that we work to prevent anything like this from happening again,” Stanley said. “So that’s about changing policies and changing culture on campus.” He was also asked about how the university would hold Wharton Center faculty accountable following a racist gift shop display. “That is a significant challenge,” Stanley said. “We really want to hold people accountable for what’s done ... there’s no questioning the impact of the Wharton event. It’s extraordinarily hurtful for many students on our campus who felt isolated, who felt abandoned, felt as though the university doesn’t really care about them at all.” He said what the university needs to do is to provide education on these topics and teach sensitivity and understanding. Stanley also said the university should recognize when an issue comes up and how it must be
dealt with.
ADDRESSING INEQUALITY ON CAMPUS
Stanley was asked a number of questions regarding inequality on campus. “I think there’s implicit biases that are a tremendous barrier to achieve equality, achieve equity and inclusivity on campus,” Stanley said. Stanley said forming the committee for diversity equity and inclusion and finding a chief diversity officer have been essential to addressing these issues. “The work of those committees I think will help us develop strategic planning,” Stanley said. President Stanley answers questions He said the planning must close the about university related topics on Feb. gaps that perpetuate inequality and 17. PHOTO BY LAUREN DEMAY show awareness that they exist. The ultimate goal, he said, is to train facul- currently looking at hiring an archity and administrators, as best they can, tect for the project. Overall, Stanley said he appreciatin order to begin changing the culture. Stanley said he meets regularly with ed the opportunity to speak with the the Council of Racial and Ethnic Stu- student body and address some of the dents and Council of Progressive Stu- issues they see as important. “I personally enjoyed it,” Stanley dents, or CORES and COPS. He said he believes these meetings have been said. “A lot of great questions from beneficial as they have come to agree- students. And we talked a lot about ments on some things and are continu- diversity, equity and inclusion, which I thought was going to be an importing to work on others. In their discussions, he said they have ant topic for us to cover. So, I’m glad spoken about the Multicultural Cen- there were questions on it. And I think ter, and they have been able to turn I had a chance to expand on some of this idea into a concrete plan. They are my thoughts on that.”
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