Michigan State’s Independent Voice
As COVID-19 spreads around the world, international students at MSU face unique circumstances PAGES 4-5
O PI N I O N
SP O RTS
O N LI N E
Editorial: MSU should set up fund to pay employees
Taryn McCutcheon’s legacy transcends basketball
Do you have questions about COVID-19?
‘As more cases of COVID-19 are confirmed every day, student workers and staff have to worry about more than just their health’
Women’s basketball’s recordbreaking senior guard leaves her mark on Spartan sports history
As our community grapples with the coronavirus spread, we want to hear what questions you have, big or small
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T H U R S DAY, M ARCH 26, 2020
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Everything seemed to stop except the bills “I am frustrated, anxious and maybe even a little selfish knowing that I still have my own priorities to take care of but do not have the financial income anymore to fulfill those responsibilities.”
an abundance of messages like, “I’m sorry, everyone,” and, “We will get through this, I promise.” But in all honesty, that didn’t mean anything to me, because words are not what are going to solve my — or anyone else’s — real problems. The last nine days or so (I've lost count), I have not strayed far from my bed back at my permanent residence. I had a friend tell me, “You should appreciate the time you have now, you learn a lot about yourself when you’re alone.” I have learned that I spend way too much time staring at my phone. I have learned that I cannot sit still for more than a few hours in a day. I have learned that I feel angry most days because of this pandemic. And I have also learned that things cannot possibly get any worse than they are now. But from here on out, I choose to remain optimistic, because what is humanity without a little bit of hope? To answer your question: No, I still have no idea how I’m going to cover my expenses in the coming weeks.
Anastasia Pirrami State News Reporter
By Anastasia Pirrami apirrami@statenews.com I wish I could say I feel at ease knowing restaurants and bars are being closed to help slow the spread of COVID-19, but I’m not. I am frustrated, anxious and maybe even a little selfish knowing that I still have my own priorities to take care of but do not have the financial income anymore to fulfill those responsibilities. While yes, I am saddened that for the remainder of the spring semester at Michigan State I won’t be able to celebrate another morning at Rama or Wednesday at Harper’s, there’s a different kind of sting I feel knowing that my income has stopped, but the
bills have not. My goal from the start of college was to work enough to pay for housing and other necessities on my own and then only take out loan money for tuition and books. I was lucky enough that room and board was covered my freshman year, but monthly apartment rent and other needs can be just as pricey the following years. (Did anyone else know that printer ink was that expensive?) I have worked in the restaurant industry for four years now. I got one of my first jobs as a hostess at a bar and restaurant near my hometown when I was 16 years old. After I turned 18, I was immediately turned
over to the server schedule and from there on out, I made more in one week than minimum wage could have done for me in a month. Soon enough, I was hired as a server in East Lansing and I was fulfilling the goal I had set for myself so many months prior. And then — just like that, it was gone within a week. On March 11, MSU moved to remote instruction full-time, and by the end of the week, many other events had been canceled. March 16, I found myself officially unemployed. March 23, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a lockdown across Michigan. Sometimes I get angry at myself
for not realizing the worst could happen. I always thought “the worst” would be a broken bone preventing me from working or maybe a roommate not paying their half of rent, but a global pandemic? I didn’t even know what the word pandemic meant before COVID-19. Long days and short hours was what work felt like. Class dragged on for an eternity, but when I was at a place that I liked, surrounded by people who became friends more than coworkers and doing something I was great at, it seemed that hours turned into minutes. I will remember the long speech from my general manager filled with
Michigan State University Chapter of
congratulates the 2020 initiates! Undergraduate Initiates Aastha Bahl Michael Barger Jacob Beasecekr Sarah Broida Sydney Brown Nicholas Clarizio Matthew Deering Thomas DeMastri Margaret Demko Olivia Erlewein Michael Flynn Sai Gadde Adam Grabowski Cami Hancock Rachel Hyland Taylor Itsell-Olson Jennifer Johnson Jessica Kelley Taylor Kovach
Samantha Kowalczyk Kelsey Kribs Megan Lee Christy Leeck Anthony Luongo Erin Mahan Patrick Marchal Alexandra Martin Autumn McLaneSvoboda Gloria Noble Nathan Pence Cristina Recchia Marissa Rivera Jillian Schupbach Berkley Sorrells Joseph Strother Abigale Tremp Andrew Waack Chase Warner Nathan Wicks
Graduate Initiates Krishnan Anantharaman Renee Augustyn Andrew Bailey Christopher Baish Cody Bansale Andre Bateman Joel Berends Timothy Bierema Sinead Brien Andrew Champine Michael Del Negro Kyle Dunbar Kristin Erickson Alyssa Fredericks Trevor Friedeberg Mimi Gong Angela Hards Meghan Kennedy Megan Lagestee Jenna Li
Kaitlin Murtagh Carla Nunez Brittany OToole Jiyun Park Kelly Pohl Tara Reyelts Ally Roberts Claire Schertzing Jennifer Thompson Annabelle Wilkinson Matthew Winkler Katelyn Young Melanie Zaremba
Award Recipients Excellence Award in Interdisciplinary Scholarship Sustainable Community Development in Tanzania (SCDT) 2019 Graduate Fellowship Nominee Nathan Wicks
Faculty, Administration, Alumni Initiates James Forger Borys Hrinczenko Rui Niu-Cooper
Founded in 1897, the primary objective of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is the recognition and encouragement of character, who have excelled in scholarship, that others will be stimulated to similar goals of excellence. 2
T HE STAT E N EWS
THU R SDAY, MARCH 26 , 2020
Vol. 110 | No. 26
THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2020
EDITORIAL
MSU needs to continue to pay employees By The State News Editorial Board feedback@statenews.com President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. made the right call transitioning classes online, but the sudden change, left many unprepared. As more cases of COVID-19 are confirmed every day, student workers and staff have to worry about more than just their health. While we stay inside to protect ourselves, our family and our community, not everyone has the ability or opportunity to work from home. All across campus, from culinary services to researchers, many jobs require the work to be done in person. And with the world shifting around us, many have lost the opportunity to work. Without a paycheck, workers can’t pay for food, rent and other necessities.
Thankfully, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has taken the first step and signed an executive order halting evictions during this time. But banning evictions is only a temporary fix. Students will still have to pay rent. Without income flowing in, students will continue to fall into debt, something many already face. MSU has the opportunity to ease the constant panic workers experience when faced with the inability to pay their bills in time, if they’ll have a roof over their head and food to eat. MSU needs to organize a fund to continue paying university staff and student employees who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19. Everyone’s financial situation is different. College students are notoriously broke and many are working to support
themselves and are on their own at MSU. Many are living paycheck to paycheck. Many are unable to have a substantial emergency fund because of their limited income. Many university employees are also facing financial challenges during this uncertain time. MSU has the capability to put an emergency fund into action to alleviate the stress for students and staff trying to make ends meet. There are more questions than answers as we continue to move forward. We at The State News know you are searching for answers. We urge you and MSU to make a university-sponsored fund a priority. The State News Editorial Board is composed of our newsroom executive editors, desk editors and staff representatives.
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How COVID-19 affe Spartan internati By SaMya Overall soverall@statenews.com
A
mid the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancelations of in-person classes across the country, international students at Michigan State face unique circumstances in addition to the same drastic changes domestic students are experiencing. “Some of my friends, they were worried about the situation getting worse in the United States, so they would rather go back to China,” media and information junior Guangyu Xu said. “Some of them are already back in China for their quarantine. They were also worried about the visa ... an international student is not allowed to leave the country for six months.” If a student leaves the U.S. for more than five months, they have to obtain a new “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status” form and pay the I-901 Student and Exchange Visitor Information System fee again, according to the Department of Homeland Security. During a webinar scheduled by MSU’s College of Engineering following the university’s announcement that classes were moving online and students were “strongly encouraged” to return to their permanent homes, Director of the Office of International Students and Scholars, or OISS, Krista McCallum Beatty spoke about
how international students are being affected. “They are trying to decide if they are going to stay on campus, or if they are going to depart campus and return to their home countries,” Beatty said. “One of the concerns we are trying to get addressed right now is with classes currently set to resume the week of April 20, there’s lots of concerns I’m hearing from international students about, ‘Okay, what if I can’t get back into the country.’” The suspension of in-person classes has since been extended to the end of the semester, including finals week. University spokesperson Dan Olsen said MSU has continued to support international students who are unable to leave campus. “As President (Samuel L.) Stanley (Jr.) has reiterated before — and I will just echo his comments — we will continue to serve and accommodate our international Spartans who, for whatever reason, are unable to return home this summer due to the coronavirus outbreak,” Olsen said. “We’re doing that in a number of ways. They are continuing to be able to remain in their on-campus housing, they’re able to have access to quality, healthy meals through our residential dining halls.” MSU is also offering international
Michigan State University has
students an option to live on campus free of charge with the purchase of an unlimited summer dining plan, he said. However, they must be taking summer classes. Food industry management junior Chittawan Boonsitanon, an international student from Thailand, said that while the transition to online classes has not been easy for him, the feeling of isolation from restrictions like Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s March 23 “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order is even more difficult to cope with. “Another part of it is also that, as the state continues to tighten up
“We will continue to serve and accommodate our international Spartans who, for whatever reason, are unable to return home this summer due to the coronavirus outbreak.” Dan Olsen University spokesperson
6,240 international students enrolled from
140 different countries
Source: Michigan State University’s 2018 Annual Statistical Report
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THU R SDAY, MARCH 26 , 2020
Students get on and off CATA buses after an email was released notifying students that classes after noon have been cancelled on March 11. PHOTO BY ALYTE KATILIUS
regulations to prevent spreading, access to restaurants is being minimized,” Boonsitanon, who is also the director of technology for MSU’s International Students Association (ISA), said. “East Lansing is not a big town that you really have a lot of options, so now that restaurants are closing earlier, it makes it even more difficult. The whole idea that domestic students are going back home increases this kind of isolation and loneliness feeling on top of the struggles that some of them may have.” International students — just like domestic students — are able to still connect with MSU’s Counseling and Psychiatric Services, or CAPS, for support if they are feeling anxious, lonely or worried about the COVID-19 pandemic. “We continue to welcome them here and provide the necessary resources for them to stay healthy and safe,” Olsen said. “That also includes some of our mental health services. CAPS remains open in a kind of a tele-help way so that students who have been patients of CAPS before can return, or for those who are just feeling a heightened sense of isolation because they are meeting the local, state and federal health guidance of just staying put.”
S POT L I G H T
ects ional students International students are encouraged to work with their advisors at OISS to discuss the factors that go into an international student’s decision to return home, Christopher Daniel, director of international health and safety at MSU International Studies and Programs, said in the webinar. Some of those deciding factors include visa limitations, personal health and current U.S. travel bans. “In the case where students want to go home and doing so will not prevent them from coming back to the U.S. when we’ve made it through this situation, then going back home is probably the right thing to do,” Daniel said. “But there are certain students — based on the situation at home or based on the type of visa they have — who might have a hard time returning to the U.S.” While Boonsitanon agrees that international students should return home if possible, he said he thinks they should consider their personal health when making their decision. “My advice would be, number one, is stay safe and protected.” Boonsitanon said. “Number two, now that the whole crisis is panning out globally, while leaving or staying is a personal decision, one should always factor the risk in terms of accessing
healthcare and all these important issues that would gradually impact an international student’s experience.” Industrial mathematics graduate student Lei Ding, president of the MSU Chinese Students and Scholars Association, said the group is planning on giving out free masks to Chinese students at the university to allow them to feel more secure during the pandemic. Ding said she is also worried about how the job market will look once she graduates. As efforts are being taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the economy is expected to be negatively impacted, which can make it difficult to find employment once students graduate. “I’m currently graduating,” Ding said. “So I do need to search for jobs and apply for jobs. The coronavirus might affect this a lot. I heard a lot of international students received an interview offer and, because of the coronavirus, they were canceled, so that is one of the concerns that we have for international students.” In addition to deciding whether to return home, international students might face xenophobia during this time, especially the Asian student community. This is partially due to misconceptions around common Asian
“Some of my friends, they were worried about the situation getting worse in the United States, so they would rather go back to China. Some of them are already back in China for their quarantine.”
Guangyu Xu Media and information junior practices, such as wearing a mask during times of elevated sickness, Zhenshan Zhong, a counselor from CAPS said in the webinar. “A student who wears a mask does not mean they carry a virus,” Zhong said. “Oftentimes, what I hear from students is they are covering the virus when they wear a mask, but they’re just wearing a mask for protection. It’s a very common practice back in Asia, wearing a mask due to the recent outbreak of the novel virus.” MSU has a strict anti-harassment policy and encourages students to report to the Office of Institutional Equity if they believe they are a victim
of xenophobia. “As we continue to monitor this outbreak, respond to it and adapt to MSU’s response to it, such times really emphasize the importance of remembering our MSU community is one that values diversity, equity and inclusion,” Olsen said. “There are members of our campus community who are very concerned about and are experiencing some xenophobia in some way, shape or form. This obviously does not align with our institutional values.” MSU has set up a 24-hour hotline on its misconduct website at (800) 763-0764 for students to report these incidents. For updates about MSU’s response to COVID-19, information can be found at msu.edu/coronavirus.
Confirmed cases by region as of Mar. 25, 2020
European Region 220,516 Western Pacific Region 97,766 Region of the Americas 60,824 Eastern Mediterranean Region 29,631 South-East Asia Region 2,344 African Region 1,664 Source: World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Situation Report 65 | Data reported by national authorities by 10 a.m. CET
Students walk in and out of Shaw Hall after MSU cancelled classes due to coronavirus March 11. PHOTO BY MATT SCHMUCKER
T H U R S DAY, MA RCH 26 , 2020
STATEN EWS.CO M
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SPO RTS
RELIGIOUS DIRECTORY
COLUMN
Cassius Winston and learning more in losses than wins
Stay up to date at: www.statenews.com/religious
All Saints Episcopal Church 800 Abbot Rd. (517) 351-7160 Sun. Worship: 8am, 10am, & 5pm Sunday School: 10am www.allsaints-el.org Ascension Lutheran Church 2780 Haslett Road East Lansing (517) 337-9703 Sunday worship: 10:00am Sunday Bible study: 8:45am Thursday Bible study: 2:00pm www.ascensioneastlansing.org 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” 1020 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 1020 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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Senior guard Cassius Winston (5) is embraced by freshman guard Rocket Watts (2) during a game against Ohio State. The Spartans defeated the Buckeyes, 80-69, at the Breslin Center on March 8. PHOTO BY MATT ZUBIK
By Paolo Giannandrea pgiannandrea@statenews.com This is not the article I wanted to write. Not for Cassius Winston’s sake. Not for East Lansing’s sake. Not for the world’s sake, really. I imagined I’d be glossing over the prospects of Michigan State’s upcoming Sweet 16 matchup, as the Spartans defeated the Virginia Cavaliers in the tournament for the third time, according to Joe Lunardi’s simulation, the only semblance of the tournament we have left. Instead, Winston’s crusade into the conversation as one of the three best players in school history is over before it began, that possibility trapped in those metaphorical thought bubbles. For most in the college basketball world, that’s how he’ll be remembered. That’s the cruel reality in a sport especially defined by its postseason, and for a program so hungry for a third run to the end of it. I urge you not to think that way, for Winston’s sake, especially. I was guilty of it too, deflated at the reality that we would never see him get the opportunity to make his case, the reality that senior day was the last time we’d see Cassius 6
Winston play college basketball. As coach Tom Izzo has said, “Sometimes the unknown is worse than the known.” I’ve often thought we learn more in losses than we do in wins. After MSU’s Final Four loss to Texas Tech in 2019, I found myself with a wide range of emotions, some roommates mourning like they would the loss of a family member, others eagerly shifting to the angry uproar brewing not a quarter mile away in Cedar Village. Instead I sat silently, penning a sentiment similar to this one, one that no other would read, but one with thoughts still applicable. Pondering the loss of the college basketball postseason for the first time ever, right as I was about to fulfill a lifelong goal in covering the event, while mulling over MSU’s numerous gut-wrenching losses I’d witnessed over the years, I affirmed this thought. In a loss, you’re forced to think. Through Kalin Lucas’ ruptured Achilles in 2010, we discovered Korie Lucious and the depth of Izzo’s “tough love” bond with his players, as he and Lucas were seen in an embrace following Lucious’ infamous buzzer beater. In the loss of the regular season championship on senior day, we saw the competitive nature of a player whose name now hangs in the rafters, as Draymond Green’s disgust lasted throughout the senior day proceedings following the game. As Izzo’s best chance at a second title was crushed by Shabazz Napier’s 2014 Connecticut team, we were reminded of the story of Princess Lacey and her
T H E STAT E N EWS
battle with cancer. As Kyle Ahrens went down to a foot injury in 2019, we saw the fire of Matt McQuaid, who said, “I’m about to go off,” to his roommate as he was carted away, and whose expression after hitting one of seven threes showed his determination to lead one of the most improbable MSU postseason comebacks. Last year, following MSU’s loss in the Final Four, we witnessed the perspective of Aaron Henry, who despite being the same age of many angrily storming the streets, tweeted out words of wisdom after the disappointment he endured. Through the loss of many recruits to the likes of Duke, we saw improbable stories like those of Kenny Goins come to fruition and a storybook conclusion over that very school last year. Winston was a big part of that, too, rallying his team to a halftime lead after trailing by nine late in the first, refusing to let the Spartans to roll over and die at the hands of the Blue Devils, a feat at which Izzo failed 11 times prior. Winston did everything in his power to be remembered as a winner. Through adversity, personal tragedy and a global pandemic, this is what he did. Maybe it was meant to happen this way, so that these “bigger than basketball” takeaways aren’t lost in a title chase. This is all we have to remember. For some, staring at those thought bubbles will be frustrating. I’m sure it is for Winston, too. If this unprecedented period has inspired anything, it’s to remember these things that are bigger than basketball, because in the end, they always are.
TH UR S DAY, M ARC H 26 , 2020
S PORTS
Taryn McCutcheon’s legacy transcends basketball Outside the lines of the basketball court, McCutcheon’s story is one of her and her community By Devin Anderson-Torrez dandersontorrez@statenews.com It’s senior day. With the Spartans holding onto a near 20-point lead, it was senior guard Taryn McCutcheon’s time to fulfill the tradition of kissing the Spartan head at midcourt, exiting as only the second player in Spartan women’s basketball history to record 1,000 points and 500 assists. McCutcheon hesitated, looking at the Breslin crowd and realizing how fast these four years flew by, then bent and kissed the Spartan head. East Lansing roared for her. She hugged coach Suzy Merchant, assistant Kristin Haynie — whose school assist record she had broken earlier that season — her teammates and coaches. Her illustrious career was solidified. A captain, record-breaking, All-Big Ten point guard. But McCutcheon’s legacy transcended basketball. For everything that East Lansing gave McCutcheon, she gave all she had back. Beyond the lines of the basketball court, McCutcheon's story is one of a person and her community, their relationship and how it became a home. In January, McCutcheon shared her story. She moved to East Lansing from West Virginia halfway through her senior year of high school, after her experience with bullying.
Transitioning from a place where she didn’t feel like she belonged and struggled to find herself, she said she was immediately welcomed in East Lansing. “It’s just that feel when people go on visits and they’re like, ‘Oh it’s a family atmosphere,'” McCutcheon said. “Half those people just say it because that’s what you say … but this place is it.” From East Lansing High School on, McCutcheon was welcomed into the community. “I was scared to death, I said I wouldn’t even play basketball at East Lansing," McCutcheon said. "I was like, 'I don’t even have to play on the team, I don’t want to step on anybody’s toes.'” But at East Lansing High School, McCutcheon found her place. “The community was just so happy that I was there,” McCutcheon said. “They were just happy that I was starting playing basketball at East Lansing and that feeling of acceptance, immediate acceptance, no questions asked, they immediately picked me up. They were friends to me, they were family and they were really there for me and I had the happiest moments of my life in those three or four months that I had at East Lansing and here it only gets better.” At Michigan State, McCutch-
eon continued to thrive. “(The fans are) always there, it’s unbelievable,” McCutcheon said. “That is a family. I actually get annoyed when people are talking about other schools, ‘It’s a family atmosphere,’ you have no idea, you don’t even know. Spartan Nation is different.” McCutcheon leaves the Spartans as the leader in assists. Above that, she was able to influence an entire community and make an impact in people's lives. After her Senior Day, she reflected on her four years and what they meant to her and everyone she touched. She said if she could go back and talk to freshman Taryn McCutcheon, she would tell her it gets hard, but not to change a thing. “I would probably just go back and say, it’s gonna get heavier than you think and it's going to get more overwhelming than you think, but every single bit of it is worth it and I would not go back and change anything that I did. Just to keep fighting and to keep looking out for other people.” Her impact stretches through her four years at Michigan State and before, but when McCutcheon shared a video talking about her struggles with bullying and how she dealt with them, her relationship with this community was highlighted. She shared her story, something that had been
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weighing on her for a long time, to help others who might be in her shoes. “I was so overwhelmed by the amount of response that I got from that,” McCutcheon said. “I’m super, super grateful that it did have that effect on people ... but I had no idea that it was going to be that big. … You never know what somebody’s going through. So anybody who could hear, If I only helped one person, I don’t care, I’d do it all over again.” With her time ending at Michigan State, a chapter in her life has closed. However, this chapter was a gift to both McCutcheon and her community. “It’s just been a journey, like everything else you go through in life, it's just a chapter in your life,” McCutcheon said. “This one was the most fun and the most meaningful. I went through a lot of stuff before that, this one felt like a little bit of a reward coming to this community. And of course there’s ups and downs, but a lot of ups, a lot of ups here.”
Senior guard Taryn McCutcheon (4) during the women’s basketball game against Rutgers at the Breslin Center on Feb. 13. The Spartans ended a five game losing streak and defeated the Scarlet Knights 57-53. PHOTO BY CONNOR DESILETS
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T H U R S DAY, MA RCH 26 , 2020
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Local nonprofit Scenes from the East Lansing area focuses on improving before, after coronavirus pandemic youth mental health in Michigan schools By Annie Barker abarker@statenews.com
By Emily Bevard ebevard@statenews.com Engaged Outreach, a Michigan nonprofit focused on providing a proactive approach to social and mental well-being, is working to improve youth mental health and combat rising suicide rates among youth and young adults. The program currently serves two school districts — the Lifetech Academy in Lansing and Ovid-Elsie Area Schools in Elsie — comprising 200 students, but hopes to expand its reach statewide. Executive Director of Engaged Outreach Matthew D. Anderson, who graduated from Michigan State with a bachelor's degree in hospitality business, said he got involved with the program after working with school districts and seeing the outcomes and value of what was being done. Over the last two years, he became increasingly involved and was asked to lead the nonprofit after demonstrating a passion for its goals. “What we originally were trying to do was give kids a positive attitude,” Anderson said. “The objective was, maybe we can decrease disciplinary issues and increase community engagement within our school.” Through the nonprofit, students engage in the “My LIFE” program, which stands for leadership, intention, focus and enthusiasm. Anderson said the main goal is to help young people live the lives they want to live, feel comfortable and confident in themselves and to have better mental health. In doing so, the hope is to give these students “resilience, grit and a sense of agency.” The program operates during the school day and students are automatically enrolled unless they choose to opt out. Instructors lead students in an engaging and interactive environment where students contribute to each other’s successes. With this, Engaged Outreach discovered that many students no longer reported depression or suicidal thoughts following its completion. “Many children are only offered mental health services reactively, after they’ve demonstrated self-harm or have attempted to take their lives. Engaged Outreach’s program focuses on offering help before situations progress that far,” Brianna Zimmer, a public relations specialist, said in a press release. 8
There are numerous reactive solutions in the mental health space for depression, but there’s nothing really proactive to stop these behaviors before they become a major issue, Anderson said “Truly, it's changing the dynamic entirely,” Anderson said. “Instead of being antianything, it's being proactive — developing compassion and empathy.” The program is individualized for each student, with a training team focusing how it’s delivered based on the needs of the individual. This way, everyone gets the outcome they need and want based on their intentional focus, Anderson said. Last year during the program, eight students in a class of 44 shared with him that they had contemplated suicide. Shared experiences of how this course has helped students is what reminds him of the importance of this work, he said. According to the Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth Survey, Anderson said 37.3% of Michigan teenagers currently experience depression in any given year. For the tri-county Ingham, Eaton and Clinton County area, 39.5% reported the same feelings. Recent data in the National College Assessment survey reports 65.7% of college students self-reported overwhelming anxiety, 45.1% reported depression levels making it difficult to function and one in eight respondents seriously considered suicide. “The need is tremendous for the work that we’re doing here, and that’s why we are focusing really at the high school level,” Anderson said. Moving forward, he said the hope is to demonstrate that this program truly manifests mental health improvements and to achieve a statewide implementation of the program to ensure all kids have resources to combat depression and suicide rates. Anderson said Engaged Outreach plans to work collaboratively with school district administrators in the future to document outcomes and ensure the successes already seen are consistently occurring. "It's really been an incredibly powerful, meaningful and lifechanging experience for these kids and I'm honored to have an opportunity to play a part in it," Anderson said.
T HE STAT E N EWS
Since MSU students have transitioned to online learning, businesses have gone takeout-only and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered Michigan residents to shelter in place, East Lansing and Lansing have fallen silent. Normally the cities are teeming with activity and culture, but not today. Here are photos pre-coronavirus and now, showing how much the cities have changed.
THU R SDAY, MARCH 26 , 2020
LEFT: A record crowd gathers outside of the Michigan Capitol for the 2019 Michigan Pride Rally on June 15, 2019. PHOTO BY MATT ZUBIK RIGHT: The lawn at the Michigan Capitol on March 25. Lansing is largely silent amid the coronavirus pandemic. PHOTO BY ANNIE BARKER
LEFT: Ann Street Plaza on March 25. East Lansing is largely silent amid the coronavirus pandemic. PHOTO BY ANNIE BARKER RIGHT: People walk around during the annual Winter Glow Festival on Dec. 1, 2018 at Ann Street Plaza. The free festival featured carriage rides, music, a holiday farmers market and other seasonal activities. PHOTO BY SYLVIA JARRUS
LEFT: Michigan State University students attend their last in-person class of the semester after receiving news that MSU would transition to online-only classes on March 11. PHOTO BY DI’AMOND MOORE RIGHT: A sidewalk near the Chemistry Building on March 25. East Lansing is largely silent amid the coronavirus pandemic. PHOTO BY ANNIE BARKER