State News The
Cotton Bowl champs, fans look ahead This Saturday, the Green and White scrimmage game brought football spirit back to campus. See pages 10-11 Freshman running back Madre London carries the ball Saturday during the Green and White spring game at Spartan Stadium. PHOTO: ALICE KOLE
OPINION
AC T I V I S M
Gender policing harmful to growth Bruce Jenner’s revelation of being transgender opens a dialogue — PAGE 2 M ON DAY, AP R IL 27, 2 015
@THESNEWS
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ASMSU, student activist groups face obstacles
MSU’s LGBT students attend Pride Prom
Despite a perception of student apathy, there are plenty of students at MSU focused on campus activism and advocating for students’ rights — PAGE 4-5
The dance, organized by LGBT groups on campus, gives students who may not have had a positive prom experience in high school a second chance — PAGE 7
STAT ENEWS .COM
Opinion
Greg Monahan Opinion editor opinion@statenews.com @thesnews_opinion
Don’t force society’s gender stereotypes on today’s youth
BY RACHEL FRADETTE RFRADETTE@STATENEWS.COM
From the moment a child is born, the people who meet that child will try to pin down what gender they are. Pink means girl and blue means boy. Boys are supposed to play with cars while girls are supposed to play with dolls. But why does our society enforce these stereotypes? As we saw with the recent Bruce Jenner interview, just because someone has the physical traits of a male or female does not mean they identify with that gender. There are probably dozens of
MSU students who can directly relate to Jenner’s message. Policing behaviors surround conversation as soon as they learn to talk. Phrases like “you play like a girl” for males or “be lady-like” for girls can be harmful in the development of a child. Individual expression is a choice, and when an impressionable child is told how to act and is bullied into believing they are abnormal, that will change who that child grows up to be. Gender policing does nothing but harm child development and self-esteem. Unfortunately, these behaviors become a set of rules, and the victim ends up becoming the police for other kids. Growing up, I faced a lot of gender policing behaviors because I believed girls could do anything boys could and it was OK for us to like mutual things. My parents did not escape the societal pressure from others, but
they did let me do whatever and like whatever I wanted, regardless of gender norms. I played hockey, was Peter Pan for Halloween and obsessed over Disney’s “Toy Story.” A kid should be allowed to be a kid. If a boy wants to wear a dress, he should get to. It’s part of finding out who you are. Adolescence is a confusing time for anyone, but to have to constantly hear these harsh policing behaviors throughout puberty can cripple emotional growth among these kids. I can only imagine how destructive these behaviors can be toward LGBTQ kids trying to understand their own gender. Policing youth with assigned gender norms is the wrong way to handle a person’s growth. These kids should be supported in safe places and be reassured that they can be whoever they are comfortable with being.
DEON HOWARD
OPINION P O LL
50%—Classical/jazz. Something slow. W E E K E N D R E S U LT S TOTAL VOTES: 26 AS OF 5 P.M. SUNDAY
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What type of music do you listen to while studying?
23%—Rock/rap. Something upbeat. 27%—None. I like to study in silence.
Contents INSIDE
MSU junior Domonique Clemons elected new ASMSU president
Several sororities and fraternities came together to clean Lake Lansing parks
Suspect arrested and arraigned for 2010 homicide in East Lansing
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STATENEWS.COM
CONGRATS
SPARTAN
GRADS The Spartan Dischords perform a song at the fourth annual Taste of East Lansing on Saturday at the stage on the corner of Albert and M.A.C. avenues. Read more about the event on page 6. PHOTO: ALLYSON TELGENHOF
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“It was always in my blood. It became my passion and purpose around 2011. Figuring out what I wanted to do after I got out of the NFL just kind of spun into that.”
DA I LY N U M B E R
Points scored by the winning White Team, in the MSU Green and White Game.
Former MSU and Detroit Lions running back T.J. Duckett, on his charity work
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Celeste Bott MANAGING EDITOR Anya Rath BREAKING NEWS EDITOR Simon Schuster TRENDS AND ISSUES EDITOR Olivia Dimmer SPORTS EDITOR Geoff Preston FEATURES EDITOR Casey Holland PHOTO EDITOR Erin Hampton COPY CHIEF Elena Cronick OPINION EDITOR Greg Monahan Copyright © 2015 State News Inc., East Lansing, Mich. THE STAT E NE WS
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Spotlight Student groups and governments seek change, look to grow Despite low voter turnout and declining campus involvement, student activists remain passionate BY CAMERON MACKO CMACKO@STATENEWS.COM
Students leave Beaumont Tower to begin a protest against tuition hikes hosted by MSU Students United on April 11, 2014. Students marched through campus down to the state Capitol. STATE NEWS FILE PHOTOS
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institution and one that advocates for student rights.” Currently, decisions are made by consensus rather than more traditional means like a majority or a super-majority vote, which is how ASMSU operates. This development is something the administration hasn’t caught word of. “I am not aware of a group called MSU Student Union,” MSU spokesperson Jason Cody wrote in an email. “Regardless, we would encourage any group of students who wish to voice their opinions or concerns to do so. The free exchange of ideas, even those that may be critical of the administration, are vital in a university setting.”
On campus there isn’t a single voice claiming to represent the students of MSU and the issues they care about. There is a chorus. The official student government, ASMSU, is plagued with a low voter turnout — 3.3 percent — and even lower student interest. They are conciliatory on tuition and housing cost increases, but champion the services they provide for students such as free legal aid. Their most tangible alternative, MSU Students United, exists in picket signs and protest chants. They openly oppose the administration and have no qualms operating with vocal STUDENT APATHY and passionate measures, but With ASMSU voter turnout have no formal organization rates at only 3.3 percent this or hierarchy. year, it might appear stuT he t wo groups come dents don’t care to particiwith very different mentalmillion dollars pate in student government. ities and how they resonate ASMSU operates This problem of apathy, howwith students. ASMSU works with every year ever, is not localized to just more quietly, preferring to ASMSU, and is a problem the slowly affect change. MSU Student Union is facing too. Students United is more visiThe reasons behind this are more complicatble, with primary tactics including protests and marches against what they view as injustices. ed and extend far beyond the scope of a stuBut in an attempt to bridge the gap between dent government, considering even in nationmilitant protests and an institutional structure, al elections the youth vote is the lowest demoa new progressive student government is prop- graphic to turn out. ASMSU Vice President for Governmental ping itself up alongside ASMSU. Affairs KC Perlberg said it would be a copout to say students don’t care about the issues, A NEW STUDENT GOVERNMENT A militant and active group of people, MSU however prevalent that line of thinking may Students United is the progressive activism be among the student body. “You think government doesn’t work for you, organization involved with the march on the East Lansing police station, the George Will but there’s no conspiracy here,” he said. “Any protests and marches to the Capitol protest- business or institution will work on behalf of the people that hired it. Young people are ing tuition hikes. But an alternate student government is in choosing to remove themselves from the hirthe works, made up of many of the same peo- ing process.” Perlberg said at a base level, he thought stuple as MSU Students United and is contrasting itself with ASMSU, the official student govern- dents cared about ASMSU and would notice if ment. They are calling themselves the Student it wasn’t there, but a busy college schedule preUnion of Michigan State University and have vented them from taking an active role. The Student Union and MSU Students Unitabout 75 members. MSU alumnus Alex Bissell, affiliated with ed face similar problems. Bissell said MSU Stuboth MSU Students United and the Student dents United itself never grew beyond a core Union, said the group is “setting out with the group of activists. Right now, the structure of the Student Union goal to create an alternate student governing
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38,786 Undergraduate students at Michigan State University in fall 2014
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MONDAY, APRI L 27, 2 01 5
Anya Rath Managing editor arath@statenews.com @thesnews
Students arrive at the state Capitol during a protest against tuition hikes hosted by MSU Students United on April 11, 2014, in Lansing. Students marched through campus, beginning the march at Beaumont Tower.
“You think government doesn’t work for you, but there’s no conspiracy here. ... Young people are choosing to remove themselves from the hiring process.” ASMSU Vice President for Governmental Affairs KC Perlberg
is leaderless and without a hierarchy, but he said as the organization grows and gathers support a hierarchy of some sort might be needed. No other member of the ASMSU office of the president or the Student Union wished to comment. TIES TO ADMINISTRATION Part of the issue the Student Union has with ASMSU, although Bissell stressed they didn’t view themselves in any kind of “us vs. them” mentality, is that ASMSU is too tied to the administration, especially with the administration’s move to place ASMSU’s bank accounts to on-campus accounts. “Exactly how independent would they like (ASMSU) to be, is my question back to them,” Perlberg said. Bissell questioned the power of ASMSU, saying the administration doesn’t have to follow through with ASMSU’s recommendations. “When they passed a resolution condemning George Will as commencement speaker, we see that the administration treats it as just like a suggestion that they can take into account and that the student government has no real power,” Bissell said. Perlberg said it’s common for activist groups like MSU Students United to act from a more emotional base without taking into consideration the larger context of an issue and without doing any meaningful research, using the example of a full tuition freeze, something student activists have advocated for. Bissell said accusations such as this have come with activists for decades, saying the status quo has become so rationalized that anything outside of it is looked at as irrational. He said those protesting the Vietnam War or fighting for women’s liberation in the 1960s and 1970s were looked at as irrational, too. “In the ’50s... the Civil Rights Act was something that might have appeared as impossible or irrational, but folks had to get together,” he said. FUTURE OF CAMPUS ACTIVISM Although the groups have differing strategies, both aim to improve student life at MSU. For example, one of the last bills passed by the ASMSU general assembly last semester — presented by Vice President for Special Projects Ryan Smith and College of Social Science Representative Evan Schrage — changed how vacant general assembly seats were filled, making it harder to be appointed to open seats. Smith said a driving force behind the move was looking at a future where ASMSU was something all students were intimately aware of. The two groups currently have no official relationship with one another, although Perlberg said as undergraduate students, ASMSU would be happy to meet with them. He also said changes come incrementally and the attitude that says change has to happen instantly isn’t tenable in reality. Perlberg said ASMSU shouldn’t focus on outreach for the sake of outreach, but he did say ASMSU could market itself better. “Staying relevant to students will come naturally if we provide real issues and services and if we provide them well,” he said. “The best
3.3
MEXICAN AMERICAN HISTORY HST 327-Online this summer!
Percent ASMSU voter turnout
34
Analyzes the history of people of Mexican descent in the relationship to the development of the United States from 1897 to 1980. People of Mexican descent in the United States have been known by many names during the 20th century including Mexican Americans, Chicanos, Hispanics, Latinos, and more. The economic, political, social and cultural conditions in the United States affected the experiences of its Mexican residents.
Total ASMSU seats
75
Members of the Student Union
way to stay relevant to students is to stay relevant to their lives.” The Student Union sees itself as the latest iteration of a long history of campus activism and Bissell said those values would carry it forward, saying that protesting and picketing, without the support of thousands of students behind them, would be ultimately futile. “There has been a history of campus activism since the Vietnam War, and it’s important to keep that going,” Bissell said. To read about newly elected members of ASMSU, see page 8.
Prof. Juan Javier Pescador second summer session (July6-Aug 20) MSU History Department http://history.msu.edu/online-course-list MONDAY, AP RI L 27, 2 01 5
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News Residents sample local cuisine in Taste of E.L. BY AJ MOSER AMOSER@STATENEWS.COM
A line of ravenous patrons waiting outside the HopCat tent spilled across the streets of Albert Avenue. This sight was common on Saturday afternoon as the fourth annual Taste of East Lansing celebration kicked off downtown. Put on by the East Lansing Community Relations Coalition, Taste of East Lansing features a number of local vendors hosting food tents to sell sample-sized portions of some of their menu items. Some of the more popular items of the day included boneless wings from Buffalo Wild Wings, fried ice cream from Harper’s Restaurant & Brewpub and desserts from The State Room Restaurant. “The goal is just to get people together and see the community in a positive light,” City Manager George Lahanas said.
The weather was warm and sunny and crowds poured in all afternoon as the MSU spring football game let out. The event is held in the spring before students leave to bring up the number of attendees. Ticket sales went directly to support CRC and the event partner, Capital Area Housing Partnership. Twenty-five percent of the day’s revenue went toward beautification of the East Lansing neighborhoods. The Lief Gerhart-Hall group took the stage to provide live jazz music as the event began at 3 p.m. A cappella student groups such as the Spartan Dischords, Acafellas and State of Fifths also performed. The event was planned by the CRC as a way to build productive relationships between long-time East Lansing residents and MSU students. “A lot of the time, students and residents don’t have a reason to interact,”
said Megan Clark, the city representative on the CRC board. “But at an event like this, everybody loves food.” CRC was formed in the fall of 1999 in reaction to several disturbances within the community the previous spring. The organization brings on students, residents, city and university officials to help ease lifestyle tensions in the community. “I have met so many amazing longterm residents who live in this city. It is very refreshing to spend time with older folks after spending so much time in the university bubble,” said CRC intern Andrew Jason. “I would highly recommend students to participate in community events, go to city council meetings or even just meet the neighbors next door.” CRC puts on several events each year to foster community relations including ice cream socials and neighborhood clean-ups.
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People eat food while sitting on a curb Saturday on Albert Avenue during Taste of East Lansing. The event featured various live musical performances, food from restaurants in the area and children’s activities. PHOTO: ALLYSON TELGENHOF
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Olivia Dimmer and Simon Schuster Trends and issues editor Breaking news editor campus@statenews.com @thesnews
Pride Prom celebrates LGBT community BY JESSICA SATTLER JSATTLER@STATENEWS.COM
The Great Hall in West Circle’s Williams Hall was draped in black and purple streamers on Friday night, with silver balloons covering the dance floor. The hall was host to this year’s annual Pride Prom, complete with a space theme and boasting the tongue-in-cheek title “Intergaylactic.” The prom is an annual collaboration between LGBT groups on campus, including PRISM, West Circle PRIDE and TransAction. Social relations and policy sophomore Caitlynn Upton was elected vice president of PRISM for the upcoming year, and was one of the main organizers of this year’s prom event.
“I think it’s really important because people may not have had a great experience at their high school proms,” Upton said. “Here, they can wear whatever they want and don’t have to conform.” “We came together with PRIDE and split the work between us,” she said. “Last year, members of TransAction had some things they wanted to see and there were some really great suggestions, so we worked with them this year. They wanted it to be more formal, to have a photographer and to get more people involved.” With these additions, it was difficult to tell the difference between Pride Prom and every typical high school prom. Attendees arrived in suits and dresses to take pictures in front of
Zoology Sophomore Ray Preuss dances Friday during Pride Prom, held at Williams Great Hall, 25 Beal St. The event was held for members of the LGBT+ community to enjoy a discrimination -free prom experience.
a space-themed backdrop, while president of PRIDE and jazz studies sophomore Dakota Peterson’s band — astroLove connection — played on. High school prom experiences differed for many in attendance, as did their reasons for deciding to attend Pride Prom. “I actually had a lovely high school prom experience but I also went to Queer Prom in Ann Arbor, which was one of the coolest things I’ve ever went to,” zoology junior Ray Preuss said. Aside from the chance to dance and have fun with friends, Preuss actually decided to come based on a more personal invitation.
PHOTO: ALICE KOLE
To read the full story, visit statenews.com
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Crossword
L.A. Times Daily Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
News
Domonique Clemons elected ASMSU president BY RAY WILBUR RWILBUR@STATENEWS.COM
ACROSS
1 Flat-topped hill 5 Bash thrower 9 Arctic or Antarctic 14 “Are you asleep yet?” response 15 Not tricked by 16 Modeler’s wood 17 Color named for a fruit 19 Like a mosquito bite 20 “Ah-oo-gah” horn 21 __ rally 23 Howls at the moon 24 “Hold on a __” 25 Seek the affections of 27 Stop producing opportunities, as a financial market 29 Prefix with red 31 What a musty room needs 34 Ancient invader of Rome 37 Legendary Lady Godiva watcher 39 Converse competitor 40 Gets rid of, as weight 41 Park path 42 Stiff from horseback riding 44 Soon, quaintly 45 Set aside a day for 46 Word before house or plant 48 Oafs
50 Tyke 51 Eric Stonestreet’s “Modern Family” role 54 New Zealand fruit 56 Affirmative vote 58 Pepsi competitor 60 Slip past 62 Clumsy ... or what the ends of 17-, 37- and 42-Across are? 64 Judge’s hammer 65 Jacob’s first wife 66 Lewd material 67 Go on tiptoe 68 Like centerfolds 69 Glazed Easter meats
DOWN
1 Does a farm job 2 Author Zola 3 “Poison” plant 4 Peak 5 Cornucopia 6 “__ Life to Live” 7 Dance move 8 Got into shape, with “up” 9 __-Wan Kenobi 10 Agile thief 11 Yosemite monolith popular with rock climbers 12 Pale as a ghost 13 Negative votes
18 Red-carpet garment 22 Commendable 26 Black-and-white cookies 28 Yang counterpart 29 “That never occurred to me” 30 Ancient storyteller 32 Forbidden act 33 Fed. a gents 34 Quick inhalation 35 Running track shape 36 Seaside disaster cause 38 1995 Reform Party founder 43 Singer Reed 47 Engrave on glass, say 49 Makes watertight 51 Punctuation mark in large numbers 52 Scrapbook 53 Supports for sails 54 Tapped beer holders 55 Tennis great Lendl 57 Out of the wind 59 Like an easy job, slangily 61 Moose relative 63 Southern Cal. airport
Leadership has officially changed hands within ASMSU. Domonique Clemons, the new president and six new vice presidents have been elected by general assembly members to take the positions of the now former office of the president and will act as ASMSU’s leadership in the coming session. Four out of the seven presidential positions were uncontested races and the remaining three races were comprised of two candidates. Clemons, a public policy junior, said this year’s general assembly participation was rocky and that moving forward, engaging students and representatives will be one of his top priorities. Clemons also said that completing the implementation of initiatives such as the bike share and safe ride is imperative this session, along with continuing campaigns to raise awareness of sexual assault and mental health. About 12 out of a possible 34 new general assembly representatives from degree-granting colleges cast their votes for the new office of the president during the last two nights, which is the new general assembly’s first task each year. Representatives from groups such as the International Student Association and Multicultural Greek Council also voted for the office of the president, although representatives from those organizations tend to change after summer, former ASMSU College of Social Science representative Evan Schrage said.
Each vice presidential candidate spoke of engaging more students and highlighted the serious issues of voter turnout and general assembly involvement which ASMSU faces in the coming session. “My biggest priority is election turnout and filling the general assembly seats – we can’t govern CLEMONS without a governing body,” newly elected vice president for internal administration Jason Porter said. Porter also said he hopes to see the vacant general assembly seats filled by the start of next year, so that ASMSU can have a full governing body. “It’s really important that we engage students and that starts with advocacy – we need to push issues that are important to students,” newly elected Vice President of Governmental Affairs Bryn Williams said. “Making myself available to students is really important – getting a variety of viewpoints is crucial to maintaining the intrinsic value of governmental affairs.” Last night, new general assembly members also voted to approve ASMSU’s budget for the next fiscal year, which outlines how the organization allocates more than $1.5 million in funding. The largest allocation, $388,929 and 25 percent of the budget, goes to fund ASMSU’s legal services and student defenders. The amount of money allocated for the yearly salaries of the office of the president, including a new executive assistant, has increased from $55,000 last year to $59,000 this fiscal year.
MSU Anti-Cancer Society hosts rubber duck race
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Premedical and marketing junior Tristan Worthington heads to shore with the winning duck after the Duck Race Saturday in front of Wells Hall. PHOTO: SIMON SCHUSTER
Features
Casey Holland Features editor features@statenews.com @sn_features
Greek life members give back to old hangout BY LAUREN OWINGS LOWINGS@STATENEWS.COM
Pulling up weeds and painting picnic tables isn’t how ordinary college students spend their Saturdays. But this weekend, six fraternities and sororities took a few hours out of their day to help restore and clean up the Lake Lansing parks. Nutritional science junior Jade Woodruff said cleaning the park makes it a safer environment for families to spend their time. “I feel like more people will come and enjoy the park if it looks nicer,” Woodruff said. The park is a place where Woodruff and her friends sometimes come to goof off, so she said it was cool to come back and actively contribute to it. “It makes me want to come back more and just enjoy it,” Woodruff said, “I’ve put effort into it so I want to enjoy what I’ve done.” She said working on the park makes her feel good about herself, and she thinks community service as a whole is important. “Able bodies should always do community service for those who can’t … giving back to the community is something
everyone our age should do,” Woodruff said. Human resource management sophomore Nicole Kunecki said she feels good about having all gotten together and taken the time to help out. “If everyone just took two hours out of their day once a weekend then a lot of things could be accomplished,” Kunecki said. She said putting forth the effort and manual labor makes towards the parks her appreciate the process m ore. When someone drives by and sees new paint, they often don’t give it a second thought, but now she can look at the clean park and know that she contributed to it. Accounting sophomore Jeffrey Werner said it’s nice to give back to the community. “It feels good because I did a lot of volunteer work in high school too, so it’s nice to keep that going through this,” Werner said. He said it’s similar to his fraternity’s house in that they work together to keep it clean, and take pride in it’s cleanliness because they put the effort toward it themselves. “It’s everyone’s duty,” Werner said. “If you’re going to be part of the community you should give back to it also.”
Members of Psi Upsilon fraternity shovel wood chips into a wheelbarrow Friday at Lake Lansing Park South, 1621 Pike St. in Haslett. Six sororities and fraternities were cleaning up the park, painting, picking up garbage and shoveling wood chips to give back to the community. PHOTO: ALLYSON TELGENHOF
Students knock down pins for MS awareness BY LESLIE HEMENWAY LHEMENWAY@STATENEWS.COM
City Limits was packed with people knocking down pins on Saturday. The sound of bowling balls rolling down the lanes drowned out people’s various conversations around the room. These people weren’t just out for a fun day of bowling — they were bowling for a cause. Neuroscience doctoral student Kathleen Louis organized a bowling fundraiser to raise money for the MSAA, or the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America. Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disorder that causes a person’s myelin sheath to deteriorate over time. The myelin sheath is a protective coat over the neurons and nerves. It helps transfer information throughout your body. When the myelin sheath is weakened, communication along the nerve pathways in your brain and spinal cord is reduced, and as a result, things such as coordination and balance are affected. Louis said this is an issue that hits close to home, as her best friend struggles with it. “It’s just unimaginable to
see what she’s going through,” she said. “But I think with all the new treatments that have come out it’s really helped her over the years and I think that’s really what’s helped slow her progression. She’s had it for ten years but she’s k ind of only slowly seen symptoms.” MSU alumna Linda Beach, one of Louis’ friends who helped put the event together, said MS is an important issue to her because she also knows
people who have it. She said it’s difficult to see people she loves coping with it, but she said their symptoms are fairly manageable. Beach said it wasn’t just her personal experience with the disease that drove her to helping out Louis, but also because she knew that putting together a fundraiser is a huge undertaking. “I think I was just one of her friends who wanted to help her out because it’s a huge task
to take on by yourself and you need to delegate for things like this,” she said. “She put in so much work, but I think we’re all happy to help out.” Genetics doctoral student Laura Harding, who also helped out with the event, said she works in the same lab as Louis and wanted to help out in any way that she could. Harding said she thinks events like this are important because raising awareness for diseases such as MS
is imperative. “Not everyone knows someone who has MS, not everyone knows someone with these neurodegenerative diseases,” she said. “Like the ALS ice bucket challenge last year, a lot of people didn’t know what ALS was before that and so these little events just kind of bring it to the forefront.” Louis said this fundraiser has not only accomplished its goal of raising $2,000, it’s also accomplished its goal of rais-
MONDAY, AP RI L 27, 2 01 5
ing awareness and educating people on the disease. She said as she’s been walking around and talking to people, people have been sharing their own personal experiences with MS, so people who didn’t know about it before are learning a lot. “I think that’s really what’s important because that’ll help to just raise awareness and help us to concentrate on this disease for helping find a cure and things like that,” she said.
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Sports
Spring game draws 48,000 fans BY ZACH LIBBY ZLIBBY@STATENEWS.COM
K
aden Moore stood on the practice fields behind the D u f f y D au g h er t y Footba l l Building with his friends and father Saturday morning, gazing star-struck at the players running various drills. Kaden was one of the 1,700 attendees at the annual youth clinic, an event hosted by the football program to provide children age 8-12 an opportunity to participate in activities on the same field as their heroes. Before the players strapped on their helmets for the annual spring Green and White game in front of the general public, they donned their jerseys and sweatpants, avoiding the cold while enjoying the time they had with the younger ones. It wasn’t just the kids who got a kick out of meeting the likes of Shilique Calhoun and Connor Cook. The parents, with their cameras and autographed footballs held close at their sides, took in the 90 minutes of excitement while standing next to future NFL stars, including some local players from their hometown. “Kevin Cronin is a Traverse City boy, so we taught him in school, and we got a picture with him,” Scott Moore of Elk Rapids said. “We know the Bullough family,, as well.” The final drill held at the facility signaled the start of tailgating around Spartan Stadium, which gave many an excuse to grab the portaONLINE
ble grill and cooler out of the garage after a long winter. One of the many gatherings held in the south parking lot featured a bus painted all white. A distinct feature of the bus was an ordinary stuffed animal — resembling a wolverine — placed beneath the front tire, symbolizing the rivalry with Michigan. The ringleader of the tailgate, Lansing native Harriett Dean, a 1983 graduate of MSU, said her first time traveling to the stadium for a spring game was back in 1966, when the first tailgate was actually held on the literal tailgate of a station wagon. “Things have sort of progressed from that,” Dean said. “It became a family tradition. My first regular season game (was) when I was 9 years old, which started my love for MSU football. We’ve had season tickets since 1969, so we’ve been around for a long time.” A couple rows to the east of Dean was a pitched green and white aw ning, shading the four people standing underneath it from the beaming sun. Samantha Mahaffy, a communications senior and planner of the small get-together, said her frequent trips to football games began when she was still in high school when her cousin, Kyler Elsworth, was on the team. “It made the Rose Bowl a little more interesting,” Mahaffy said when her family first heard about Elsworth starting as linebacker. “It was awesome and really exciting for our family.”
From top left clockwise, Ionia, Michigan residents Alex Hewett, 11, Adam Frost, 12, Mason Doty, 9, Jacob Doty, 12, and Max Doty, 9, tailgate on a blanket together Saturday before the Green and White spring game at Spartan Stadium. PHOTO: ERIN HAMPTON
Check out statenews.com/multimeda to see a video of fans tailgating for the spring game.
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East Lansing resident Stan Hecker stands with his stuffed wolverine Saturday before the Green and White spring game at Spartan Stadium.
MONDAY, APRI L 27, 2 01 5
Geoff Preston Sports editor sports@statenews.com @thesnews_sports
After attending every road game for the past two years, Mahaffy isn’t afraid to show her true colors on other schools’ campuses. “It’s really different because you’re going into enemy territory,” Mahaffy said. “But it’s cool. People are usually pretty nice. It’s been good, like if you forget your tent, they’ll ask you to join their party.” Dean and Mahaffy were two of the 48,000 spectators who made their way inside the gates to get a tease of the upcoming season. The White team would go on to defeat the Green team, 9-3, playing in front of the seventh-largest spring crowd in the nation this year, behind Michigan’s 60,000 earlier this month. Dantonio and the Spartan Brass made it clear getting a crowd of 50,000 or more was the next step toward validating the program, which prompted the hashtag #Get50. When asked if Dantonio was out of line asking for 50,000
Head coach Mark Dantonio talks to the team after the Green and White Spring game Saturday at Spartan Stadium. The white team defeated the green team, 9-3. PHOTO: HANNAH LEVY
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BLOOMFIELD HILLS Rental Co. needs summer help! Up to $12/hr, May-Aug. Outdoor work, lifting req. Call Wayne, (248) 3324700.
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CHILDCARE AIDE for 2015/16 year. High school diploma or GED req. Must be 18yr+. Must be available 3-6 pm M-F. Send resume to: minnemjp@haslett.k12. mi.us or apply in writing to Jean Minnema, Haslett Public Schools, Center for Community Education, 1590 Franklin St. Haslett, MI 48840. HIRING SERVERS and cooks at Reno’s East Sports Bar. Apply in person, 1310 Abbot Road. HIRING SERVERS. Apply at Spagnuolo’s Italian Restaurant. 662 W. Grand River, Okemos. IMMEDIATE OPENINGS. $15.50 base-appt. Flex sched. around classes. Great resume builder. 517333-1700. workforstudents. com
fans at the stadium, Matt Dunseith of Sterling Heights said where MSU is located and the current time of year makes it difficult to expect that much. He even disputed the total amount of Buckeye fans who watched their spring game at the Horseshoe. “Ohio State announced 99,000, when you look them up on TV, you don’t see more than 30,000,” Dunseith said. “I think it’s tough to get that many fans to a spring game with so much going on at this time of year in the Midwest.” Dunseith also got the chance to see some of the action at the clinic with his son. Five years ago, when he first took his son to the event, he said there was nowhere near the amount of kids who participated that year in comparison to this year. “Very busy. Packed, but it was good,” Dunseith said. “Good for the kids, good for the adults, getting close to the players and coaches, the whole nine yards.”
PHOTOJOURNALISTS NEEDED at The State News. Join our award-winning staff and shoot news, features, sports and photo stories at MSU and in the surrounding community. Please submit a portfolio, resume and application. Applications are available at statenews.com/work . Applicants must be fulltime students at MSU and should have a flexible schedule. PUBLIC WORKS Seasonal Laborer for the City of Williamston. $10.00 per hour. HS diploma required. Visit www.williamston-mi.us for more info.
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2 AND 3 bdrm townhomes available for summer and fall. Over 1000 sq ft of living space. Walk in closets, garages, pet friendly. Washer and dryer in every apt. Free tanning, 24 hour fitness, pool and more. Several styles sold out or almost sold out. Spring Specials including a $350 gift card. Call today! 3519400 or huntersridgetownhomes.com 4 Bedroom Avail. AUG. Great Location. W/D, D/W, granite, stainless appliances, 351-0765, hrirentals. com AVAIL MAY or August! 1, 2 & 4 bdrm apts, behind Dublin, great location, very spacious, laundry, a/c & more! www.cronmgt.com or 517.351.1177
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RALEIGH HOUSE Apartments. Pre-leasing for summer and fall. 2 bdrm 2 bath. Private entrances, wooded setting, balconies, pet friendly & w/d hookups. Won’t last! Also have specials now if move in by May 1st. raleighhouseapartments. com or call 517.351.5209.
NEW LISTING. Home lic for 4. West side of campus. Avail August. $425/month/ person. Call 517-349-8662. If no answer, please leave message.
Duplexes/Rent 1507/1509 ANN 3 bed each, 1 bath. $1200/mon. W/d + dish. Lic 3 each. www.rentmc.com or call 517-655-5941 for more info.
Textbooks COLLEGEVILLE PAYS top dollar for your Textbooks! Stop by 321 E Grand River Ave.
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1 BLOCK to MSU. 2 bed, 1 bath, w/d, d/w. Available May. hrirentals.com. 517351-0765.
STORAGE-STUDENT special - 1/2 off summer rental - Premier Storage Haslett - call (517)3399856 for details.
2015-16 HOUSE. Licensed for 6. Awesome Location! + Outstanding Condition! 517-490-3082. HOUSE FOR rent, 1 bdrm $675. By Abbott and LK Lansing. Pets ok. Good for grad student. 517-3229899.
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Sports
Charity tournament features Duckett BY ZACH LIBBY ZLIBBY@STATENEWS.COM
Justin Caine sat in Sparrow Hospital when he was 10-years-old on the first day of fourth grade, diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor hemorrhage, ending his dream of playing organized football. It was a tumor which had been growing since the day Caine was born, but was undetected by his family until it was too late. Having only a 40 percent chance of survival, Caine lost his ability to walk, talk and eat after surgery. Caine found a way to graduate from Haslett High School in 2002 and later at Lansing Community College, his prolonged battle with cancer was won. Even with a degree Caine still found it difficult to find a steady job, so he decided to start his own video productions company in 2008, Good Time Communications, which merged with KiWe Productions a year later.
Having recent success in the workforce, ball tournament, partnered with former MSU and Detroit Lions running Caine wanted a way to give back, T.J. Duckett to create a back to his community, while “Hand touch and day of enrichment while also focusing on the sport that he flag football was focusing on the less fortunate. wasn’t able to play during his MSU students and some of childhood. kind of an outlet Duckett’s college teammates This sparked the birth of the for me, I thought were among the 11 teams in Battlefield Brawl, which celeto myself, I’d love the bracket competing for the brated its sixth annual appearto do something top prize. ance on Sunday at Marshall Shilique Calhoun, Donovan Park. with that, because Clark and Jack Allen were “Hand touch and flag footwe have enough also in attendance to support ball was kind of an outlet for golf outings and the cause. me,” Caine said. “I thought to Duckett is also the foundmyself, I’d love to do some5K runs.” er of the New World Flood, a thing with that, because we Justin Caine non-profit organization whose have enough golf outings and Co-founder of Battlefield Brawl purpose is “to flood the world 5K runs. I wanted to do somewith service.” thing unique and different.” “It was always in my blood That unique thing was a for it became my passion and purpose around seven-on-seven football tournament. Caine, one of the co-founders of the flag foot- 2011,” Duckett said when describing his love for
volunteering. “Figuring out what I wanted to do after I got out of the NFL and just kind of spun into that.” Duckett has been heavily involved with MSU athletics as a fan since leaving to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft in 2002. He has been sighted at different sporting events. Any earnings or profit the Battlefield Brawl receives will go directly to The Oldham Project, another non-profit organization that documents the beauty of a man, woman or child who has endured a life-threatening illnesses through picture taking. Executive Director Sue Feenstra has heard many of these stories since taking over the position back in September of last year, as she’s the one who talks to everyone that calls in to get their pictures taken. “The stories are amazing how strong these people are,” Feenstra said. “How they have taken this illness and just head on dive into it and knowing that they’ll get through it.”
pack up. pack up. pitch in. pitch in. H E L P O U T. H E L P O U T. recycle | donate Residence Halls: April 20 – May 12 University Village: April 20 – May 12 Spartan Village: April 20 – May 25
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MONDAY, APRI L 27, 2 01 5