weekend
Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, co-hosts of “MythBusters.” PHOTO COURTESY OF WHARTON CENTER
Michigan State University’s independent voice | statenews.com
Lansing charity hosts World Refugee Awareness Week CAMPUS+CITY, PAGE 3
| 6/20/13 | @thesnews
Q&A with Adam Savage from MythBusters, who will be at Wharton Center Saturday SPORTS+FEATURES, PAGE 6
TURF’S UP
CRIME
MSU’s agricultural roots shine with one of the nation’s top turfgrass science programs
Police officers give advice on how to deal with police imposters By Holly Baranowski
hbaranowski@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS ■■
PHOTOS BY JUSTIN WAN/THE STATE NEWS
Laborer Randy Strouse operates a sod-cutting machine as the team harvests the turf on Tuesday near the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center, 4444 Farm Lane. The center supplies turfgrass to athletic fields on campus, as well as supporting the turfgrass research of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences.
By Matthew Pizzo
mpizzo@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS
and research involved in creating the best possible playing surface for athletes.
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A
t a sporting event, many fans are just excited to watch their favorite teams battle it out on the field. However, it’s unlikely that fans think about the field their beloved athletes are playing on, let alone the work
Crew foreman Paul Rieke, left, and farm manager Mark Collins put turf on the tractor on Tuesday near the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center, 4444 Farm Lane.
A D M I N I S T R AT I O N
kabdilla@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS ■■
Looking ahead to Friday’s Board of Trustees meeting, the public can expect a lengthy list of issues to get through on the agenda. A majority of conversation for the meeting, which will be held at 9:30 a.m. in the Administration Building, will revolve around setting tuition rates for the 201314 academic year. General fund budget guidelines for 2013-14, as well as 2014-15, can be expected as well. MSU spokesperson Jason Cody released the expected increases in a press release Tuesday. On average, it included a 2.8 percent increase in tuition, with a majority of the debt falling on juniors and seniors. Dave Byelich, MSU’s assistant
Athletic Fields The athletic fields at MSU use the highest quality turf and are maintained by some of the best professional staff in the nation. Amy Fouty, a graduate of turfgrass management at See TURFGRASS on page 2 X
To watch a video about MSU’s Turfgrass Science program, visit statenews.com/multimedia.
See IMPOSTERS on page 2
DOWNTOWN
Board of Trustees will discuss tuition rates, more renovations By Katie Abdilla
The MSU Turfgrass Science program is one of the most respected research programs in the nation — working with the turfgrass programs in the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2008 Beijing Olympics — and is committed to providing the highest quality turf for Spartan athletics. Professor of botany and plant pathology, Joe Vargas, praised the efforts of the university’s
turfgrass research program. “MSU for a lot of years has been one of the leading universities as (far as) turfgrass management is concerned,” Vargas said. “We have a very active research program.”
With evolving technology and mass amounts of fraud, many people rely on police for protection from scams. However, when scammers are impersonating police officers, it becomes difficult to know how to react. An iPhone application which makes the phone flash similarly to the lights on a cop car has led to a string of police impersonations on the west side of the state recently. In one incident, the motorist became suspicious and contacted the police. According to Michigan State police Sgt. Mark Thompson, this was the correct way to respond in this type of situation. “If you know that the suspect attempting to pull you over isn’t a police officer, dial 911,” Thompson said. “Your cell (phone) will call the closest dispatch center, (and) the officer can confi rm within minutes whether the officer is real or not.” Thompson also advises drivers to lock the car doors if something seems suspicious, and to make sure the officer is wearing a uniform. People should be cautious of anyone who isn’t in uniform, Thompson said. “If you are stopped by a person that is impersonating (an officer), become a good witness,” Thompson said. “Get a good physical description, what kind of clothes they are wearing, the car they’re driving, license plate number (and) stay on the scene until people get you.” Typically, impersonators are trying to rob their victims, and in the case of an armed robbery, Thompson said victims should do what they need to in order to protect themselves, even if it includes doing what the impersonator requests.
vice president and director for the Office of Planning and Budgets, said there has been a difference in cost between the upper and lower classes for years — but this is the first time tuition raises could be different across grades.
To read how updated facilities have benefitted MSU football, see pg. 6 “It’s an issue we have thought about for a long time, and it’s sensitive,” Byelich said. “We’re making sure students, when leaving their See TRUSTEES on page 2 X
Jackson National Life officially filling Barnes & Noble vacancy By Derek Kim
dkim@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS ■■
Jackson National Life Insura nce Compa ny of f ic ia l ly announced on Tuesday it will be moving into the former Barnes & Noble building, 333 E. Grand River Ave., for full- and part-time employment this fall. The building will be used in a partnership with MSU to offer a flexible, collaborative work experience for students and citizens, Jackson National spokesperson John Brown said. Employees will have access to Jackson leadership and self-designated work schedules. Jackson National Community Fund also will use the site to offer volunteers an opportunity to work alongside Jackson’s associates. “This is workspace unlike anything (Jackson National Life Insurance Company) has created
See JACKSON on page 2 X
JUSTIN WAN/THE STATE NEWS
Construction worker Blake Clark, of Grand Ledge, Mich., marks the ceiling before drilling a hole on Wednesday at the future site for Jackson National Life Insurance Company, 333 E. Grand River Ave.
2 | TH E STAT E N E WS | T HURS DAY, JUNE 20, 201 3 | STATE N E WS.COM
Police brief Hit and run in Lot 84 under investigation A St. Johns, Mich., female resident found her 2011 GMC Terrain to be damaged in an MSU campus parking lot last Friday. There was approximately $500 in damage to the driver’s side of the car near the bumper. The car was parked in lot 64 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. when the hit and run took place. The woman did not notice the damage until she was home. The suspect is unknown and the incident still is under investigation. HOLLY BARANOWSKI
Continued TURFGRASS
From the Olympics to Spartan Stadium, MSU’s turfgrass scientists have become nationally renowned FROM PAGE ONE
statenews.com AC A D E M I C S A N D A D M I N I S T R AT I O N B L O G
ROSETTA STONE NOT GOOD SUBSTITUTE
The popular language instruction system Rosetta Stone has been found to be an inadequate substitute for in-class learning, according to a study published in the Association of Departments of Foreign Languages’ bulletin. With a growing use of online classes and software use in classrooms, the study exemplifies the fear that software might be replacing in-class teaching. The study found Rosetta Stone is not a good option for learning a foreign language because of the “shaky theoretical foundations, mechanical inflexibility and cultural inauthenticity,� according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. It concluded that it is not a replacement for trained teachers inside a classroom. HOLLY BARANOWSKI
POLITICKE R BLOG
Republicans discuss support of gay marriage Republicans might finally be trying to change their public image, and thousands of gay Michiganians might receive something they’ve wanted for a long time: some measure of equality. Just last Thursday, a key GOP leader said he might consider adding sexual orientation to the list of those protected by civil rights law. Republican Speaker of the House Jase Bolger said in an interview on the public TV show, “Off the Record,� that he’s tired of debates pitting one side against the other, resulting in a polemic that leaves those who are gay “dehumanized� and the religious “demonized.� MICHAEL GERSTEIN
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(517) 432-3070 EDITOR IN CHIEF Dillon Davis MANAGING EDITOR Stephen Brooks DESIGN EDITOR Drew Dzwonkowski PHOTO EDITOR Julia Nagy OPINION EDITOR Michael Koury CAMPUS+CITY EDITOR Robert Bondy SPORTS+FEATURES EDITOR Omari Sankofa II COPY CHIEF Katelyn Gray
JACKSON
Former Barnes & Noble space downtown to be occupied by Jackson National Life Insurance Company FROM PAGE ONE
MSU, manages the various outdoor and indoor athletic facilities for the university. Fouty spoke about the differences of playing on natural grass compared to artificial turf and the effects it has on athletes’ bodies. “It’s all about player safety; you want to have surfaces that are safe and playable,â€? Fouty said. “We have a lot of high-quality natural grass fields here. It’s just more forgiving on the body — it’s the way sports were meant to be played.â€? Due to Michigan’s unpredictable weather, athletic fields in the state are put at a particular disadvantage. Professor Jim Crum of the MSU Turfgrass Science program said the best way to care for fields damaged by weather is through maintenance and management afterward. There’s a number of things to help maintain turf after severe weather, but typically it involves some sort of cultivation of the turf so air and water can move through the soil, Crum said. “It wouldn’t be necessarily trying to prevent it, but what to do afterward.â€? Crum said. Athletic fields see a lot of wear and tear throughout a game — and the type of grass used on the field makes a big difference. According to Vargas, Kentucky bluegrass is the natural turf used on MSU fields because it’s more resistant to diseases compared to other turf. Softball head coach Jacquie Joseph said having quality, attractive grass can even benefit her program’s recruiting efforts. “People think that grass is grass, and it should be simple, but it really isn’t,â€? Joseph said. “It’s a science. It can be delicate, especially when you have the elements that come into play.â€? Research The Hancock Turfgrass Research Center, located on MSU’s campus, has more than 50 acres of land and turf that allows the faculty to conduct a variety of research. Nancy Dykema, a research associate of Vargas’, spoke of the variety of research happening at the Hancock Center. “There’s a lot of research that is done here both for athletic fields and golf course turfs,â€? Dykema said. “We work with disease management, weed management, fertilizer testing ‌ kind of a pretty wide variety of studies that are conducted.â€? In his time at MSU, Vargas has created three turfgrass disease prediction models. These models predict when to apply fungicides on a control diseases, rather than attempting to anticipate the disease by applying the chemicals on a weekly or biweekly basis. In turn, the prediction models save costs on fungicides and a provide a lesser impact on the environment. As the first land grant university, MSU continues to maintain its agricultural history and its relevance through the turfgrass program.
before,� Brown said. “This is going to be a very open, very flexible workspace that we think is going to be very comfortable for students.� Applications will be avail-
IMPOSTERS
iPhone app leads to police oďŹƒcer impersonations across the state FROM PAGE ONE
“If it’s not a real police officer, they might turn off their lights and make a turn to get away from you,� Thompson said. “Real officers don’t do that. We’re trained to apprehend people that are breaking the law unless something becomes too dangerous.� Consequences for impersonating a police officer are usually a one-year misdemeanor or four-year felony for those who also commit a crime while impersonating an officer, Thompson said. MSU police officers wear uniforms nearly identical to Michigan State police officers, except for the patches
TRUSTEES
Board set to vote tomorrow morning on tuition increase, stadium upgrades FROM PAGE ONE
hometown, see Michigan State as an opportunity. We decided we would look at it for this coming year to see how students respond to it.� Trustees will call the estimate to a vote on Friday morning. Although the tuition rates could change, Cody said trustees rarely find issues with them. “It’s safe to say that the type of recommendation that is worked out for the board usually comes into fruition, but I can’t speculate as to what the board is going to do,� he said. During the meeting, trustees also will discuss possible renovations to Spartan Stadium’s north side, which would begin this upcoming fall. The work includes redoing locker
able online in late August. Construction inside the space began four weeks ago. Although brown paper bags cover the windows this week, a look inside the building weeks ago revealed that the escalators have been removed. Much to the delight of East Lansing Mayor Diane Goddeeris, Jackson National fills a large gap in the downtown area that has been vacant since Barnes & Noble went out of business in December 2011. “When we (have) a business of their caliber coming here ‌ it’s a really good thing for all of
on the uniform, which have a small Spartan head on it with year 1855, MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said. The officers also drive SUV-type cars with the words “Michigan State University Police� on the car. “We do have some unmarked cars for our detective bureau,� Sgt. McGlothian-Taylor said. “Our patrol officers’ (cars) are fully marked though.� East Lansing police cars also are fully marked and easily recognizable, East Lansing Police Department Lt. Larry Sparkes said. Sparkes advised those who are suspicious of someone posing as an officer to wait to stop the car until they arrive at a fully lit area. “In addition to calling dispatch, you can continue (to drive until) you get to a well-lit area or closer to a place you feel like you’re safer,� Sparkes said. “You can explain why it took you a while, don’t speed up or turn away. Just go slow.�
rooms for the visiting team, renovating the concourse and a new media center attached to that side of the stadium. The renovations were in the planning stage at the Construction Junction meeting in May and simply need trustee approval to start the $24.5 million project. In a previous interview, Greg Ianni, MSU’s deputy athletics
Level: 1
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us,� Goddeeris said. “It’s a way for us to network with MSU and bring some of their graduates into our downtown to have students working there.� East Lansing City Manager George Lahanas said the insurance company encourages mixed use in the downtown area — a goal for future development. “It fits in really well,� Lahanas said. “You have people coming downtown during the daytime hours to park to come down to work, and when they are coming and going, they are stopping at the restaurant next door or going to the pharmacy.�
Tips to avoid someone impersonating a police officer: If you think an officer looks suspicious, call 911 and explain the situation ELPD and MSU cop cars are always marked If you feel uncertain about the officer pulling you over, slow down until you reach a well-lit area where you feel comfortable Don’t speed up or turn away from the officer Make sure the officer is in uniform If you are stopped by an impersonator, become a good witness If the impersonator is armed, do what you need to protect yourself
director, said the locker rooms have been outdated for years. “The game space we’re operating out of now was built 60 years ago, when athletes and teams were smaller,� he said. The schedule also includes the potential approval of renovations to Munn Ice Arena to replace its ice plant and heating ventilation and air conditioning system.
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SOLUTION MONDAY’S PUZZLE TO -
Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk , % " &$)% '(& )( + & )# &* ' !! & (' & ' &*
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COMMUNITY
Local area food products boast Lansing charity hosts week to honor refugees economic and health benefits By Anya Rath
Lansing resident Madina Chapatira does a traditional Somalian dance during a performance on Wednesday at Allen Street Farmers Market, 1619 E. Kalamazoo St.
arath@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS
By Soundarya Lakshmi slakshmi@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS ■■
Eating locally grown food often has been attributed to good health and advancement of the local economy. The benefits of eating locally grown food to the human body are undeniable, but the possible implications on the local economy could be more than what meets the eye.
Buying local food products can help reduce the carbon footprint and lower transportation costs Economics professor Charles Ballard regarded the economics of local food to be complicated. “There are a lot of things involved; first of all, there are some benefits, but not necessarily in terms of economics,” Ballard said. “Another aspect is that if you can get a same product from Michigan instead of California, the transport cost is lower, so you will lower your carbon footprint,” he said. “The total effect on our economy depends on not just what locals buy, but also on (people) all around the world (buying) their food. Transport would
cost less, but other considerations could go in different directions.” Pooh Stevenson, owner of Owosso Organics, recommends the consumption of locally grown food since it is less prone to spoilage and more healthy in general. “Your food is less traveled. By eating locally, you are eating fresher food that has been harvested locally,” Stevenson said. “It’s going to last a longer time in your refrigerator because the transit time has been much shorter.” She pointed out that in addition to freshness, seasonal food is bound to cost less, thereby saving money for the buyer. Dietetics senior Kristen Heitman echoed similar benefits of eating locally grown food. “I believe that local foods are very beneficial both to the environment and one’s health. Local foods allow people to develop relationships with farmers to know exactly where their food comes from and how (it is) grown,” Heitman said. “It provides people with foods that are in season, which taste the best and may contain even more nutrients.”
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The women, members of the Lansing Somali Bantu Organization, dressed in bright patterns with covered heads and, grin at any camera that points their way. Children run around the ankles of their mothers laughing, daring to venture only a few feet away before their mothers scoop them back into their arms again. These people know what it’s like to feel fear, to lose safety, to have their homes torn away from them. They are refugees. Ju ne 20 i s t he Un ited Nations-mandated World Refugee Day. In recognition of this holiday, St. Vincent Catholic Charities, or STVCC, is hosting a World Refugee Awareness Week beginning June 16 and running through June 22. Tamra Johnson, community relations and marketing director for STVCC, said this is the fi rst year that an entire week
MSU BREAKS GROUND ON NEW BIOENGINEERING FACILITY Wedged between the Life Sciences Building and the Clinical Center, MSU has broken new ground. In honor of a new on-campus bioengineering facility on Service Road, a ground-breaking ceremony was held Wednesday afternoon, with figures such as MSU President Lou Anna
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When Judy Winter stumbled upon a malnourished Oreo-colored Australian Shepherd while volunteering at the Capital Area Humane Society in Lansing, she saw her dream puppy. Four years and several certifications later, Jack, the once-timid shelter dog, has become a source of comfort and affection for children and adults in his role as a therapy dog. Winter, who co-founded the Eric “RicStar” Winter Music Therapy Camp, said she wanted to have therapy dogs for children at camp, and it was working with children where Jack found his calling. “Jack is there to be loved,” Winter said. She also noted the importance of therapy animals such as Jack in helping those in need of
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1 Org. with bomb-sniffing dogs 4 Actor in many Tim Burton films 8 Chewed the fat 14 __ favor 15 Dunn’s “__ Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters” 16 Bird in a dugout 17 Suburban suffix 18 Meeting of a select few 20 Old queen’s land 22 Spot for a mineral scrub 23 “Xanadu” band, briefly 24 Crier’s cry 29 TV type 30 British East Africa, now 33 It rises in el este 34 Nile wader 37 Dark suds 39 Estuary 43 Like a maternal grandmother 44 Spare in a boot 45 __ populi 46 Bringing together 48 Progressed slowly 51 Shipping datum 55 Kimono accessory 58 Collector’s item? 59 Lyric poem
Beth Mugavero, community outreach coordinator for refugee services for STVCC, said they reached out to various organizations across Lansing to integrate refugees into what they were already doing in order to instill a sense of advocacy rather than just celebrations.
T he resu lt was a c it ywide collaboration among STVCC and many of Lansing’s organizations.
More online … To read the rest of the story and checkout video, visit statenews.com.
Therapy dog plays active role in community ■■
K. Simon and acting provost June Youatt in attendance. The estimated 130,000 square-foot building officially was approved for planning by the MSU Board of Trustees in September 2011. At the time, it was expected to cost close to $40 million. The facility is expected to be complete in August 2015. Upon its completion, it is expected to serve as a place for MSU scientists from several disciplines to work together on research ventures.
has been dedicated to the holiday in Lansing. In past years, STVCC hosted a one-day music festival instead of the week long festivities of this year. “This year, we decided to do something a little different,” Johnson said. “(The music festival) didn’t highlight refugees as much as we wanted to.”
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60 Bit of one-upmanship ... and what can be found at the end of 18-, 24-, 39- and 51-Across? 65 Roofing goo 66 Marzipan base 67 Casserole fish 68 Early 12th-century year 69 With 40-Down, follows restaurant protocol 70 Spotted 71 Cézanne’s warm season
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emotional support. “Therapy dogs provide great stress relief and make people feel good through petting, hugging and interaction,” she said. Since passing his American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizens test and becoming certified with Therapy Dogs International, Winter and Jack have begun working within Schavey Road Elementary School of DeWitt, Mich. They since have expanded to an additional school, and Winter said they look forward to continuing to help children at no cost to the district. Emily Palmatier, the principal of Schavey Road Elementary, has been working with Jack since she was a counselor within the school earlier this year. “The reaction has been nothing
but positive,” Palmatier said. “Jack brings joy to every child.” Jack’s duties include walking the halls, visiting classrooms and providing a listening ear for children who love to read to him, according to Palmatier. Jack represents just one of the many success stories of adopted dogs, according to Winter. Julia Palmer, the president and CEO of the Capital Area Humane Society, said the benefits of interacting with animals, including working with therapy dogs, are numerous and profound. “We see lots of benefits from therapy dogs, especially when working with children,” Palmer said. She also said children are able to lean on dogs like Jack for support and in return receive uncon-
ditional love. The same love and support also is provided when Winter and Jack walk the streets of East Lansing. Many students, who missed their own pets back at home would run up to Jack and eagerly asking to pet him. “Everyone gets to pet Jack — that’s the beauty of it,” she said. Winter and Palmatier said after witnessing how children interact with Jack, they believe every school should be fortunate enough to have a therapy dog. “One mom came up to me and thanked me for having Jack at school. Her son with autism had always been afraid of dogs,” Winter recalled. “She came in the building one day and saw a young student petting Jack and said she wished it was her son. It was.”
4 | THE STAT E N E WS | T HURS DAY, JUNE 20, 201 3 | STAT E N E WS.COM
Opinion
Featured blog Tips for incoming freshmen
OU R VOICE | E DITORIAL
UNPAID INTERNSHIPS AS VALUABLE AS PAID EDITORIAL BOARD Michael Koury OPINION EDITOR Omari Sankofa II SPORTS/FEATURES EDITOR Michael Kransz STAFF REPRESENTATIVE Ariel Ellis MINORITY REPRESENTATIVE
A
recent survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers showed college students who had a paid internship have a better chance of getting a job offer than those who have an unpaid internship or none at all. Between February to the end of April, 9,200 seniors were asked if they received a job offer and what kind of internship they had, if any. A little more than 63 percent of college graduates with a paid internship said they received a job offer, while 37 percent of graduates with
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“As eager freshmen pounce on MSU’s vibrant campus for summer orientation, thoughts of debauchery-filled parties and popularity dance in their imaginations.” — R.J. Wolcott, State News reporter
But what an unpaid internship said they received is sur prisa job offer. But those with an unpaid ing about the internship only did a little better than su r vey i s t he the graduates with no internship, where lack of value of 35.2 percent said they received a job unpaid internships offer. An by employer s comWhat’s not surprising about the surinternship pared to those who nevvey is the statistic stating more graduer had one. ates with a paid internship had a highis an An internship is an internship, and er chance than those with an unpaid internship, not all of them are running errands for internship. your superiors. The majority of them Employers look at internships not and not actually do give some experience that can only to see what kind of experience all of be used and replicated in the real world. people have, but to see what their valAnd what this survey suggests is college ue is. A graduate with a paid intern- them are graduates shouldn’t waste their time on ship will be valued more than a gradu- running an internship unless it’s a paid one. ate with an unpaid one simply because A paid internship always will be a they were paid for their work while oth- errands ers weren’t. for your preferable choice so you can at least make some money at what you’re doing. A paid internship also might look like superiBut if somebody can’t get a paid one, a harder-working internship to employbut is offered an unpaid one, he or she ers, as the stigma with unpaid intern- ors.” shouldn’t turn it down and work a sumships is they might not be all about gaining hands-on experience and more about get- mer at McDonald’s because he or she won’t make any money or employers might not value it as ting coffee or making copies.
Comments from readers
Read the rest online at statenews.com/blog.
much as a paid internship. That summer would be better spent gaining experience in whatever field somebody is working in. The internship will help build confidence in your abilities and in the workplace, whether it’s paid or not. A student only can learn so much in a classroom, and that’s where an internship comes in to test what you know and enhance your skills to a whole new level. Any real-world experience attained from internships will come in handy after leaving college, regardless of whether you were paid to do so.
Just so you know
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“Jewish faith grows through Israel trip” You’re very lucky Ms. Delaney that you have this wonderful opportunity to reconnect with your Jewish identity by visiting Israel. My grandparents owned a house in what is now Israel but they had to abandon it under gunfire because some Jewish people thought it is more important for them to have a state of their own.
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Had you visited Gaza, you would see a wall that barricades Palestinians from the outside world, sanctions, blockades, malnutrition, power shortages, limited access to education -- all because of Israel’s occupation and insistence to create a Jewish state. The people of Gaza are poor because Israel severely limits its access to resources. The people of Gaza are innocent because it is the Israeli government, which continues to illegally build settlements on Palestinian lands despite public condemnation from the US and the UN.
EDITORIAL CARTOONIST
(comment continued at statenews.com) Suzanne, June 17
MICHAEL HOLLOWAY mholloway @statenews.com
If you think Israel is small and crowded you should visit the Gaza Strip. Sounds like a great experience, but you need to do more research. Allow me to suggest the Hulu series “The Promise” as a starting point. This a long a messy conflict and there aren’t clear good guys and bad guys. Matt, June 15
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OPINION COLUMN
Dancing away from one’s passion leads to another
I
n the fall of 2011, I fell in love. I found something that seemed to make my life so incredibly complete and make me feel like I had a place to stay when I felt like the world was imploding. I found ballroom dance. I found a group of people that, for the fi rst time in my life, let me feel like I was at home. But, as has been said so many times by so many different people, “If you love someone, set them free.” The same concept applies. Fall of 2012 was the beginning of the end for my short-lived love of competitive dance. The summer brought around a lot of life changes and challenges that I needed to adapt to and overcome. I stretched myself thin with family problems, a new job, paying bills, academics and ballroom. I wasn’t sleeping, I wasn’t eating, my grades were starting to slip and I was having more breakdowns in a week than I had in the last academic year. In the process of talking to a therapist to sort out the hot mess that was my life, we came up with an organizational system: bubbles. There was a work bubble, a social bubble, an academic bubble and a ballroom bubble. One of the bubbles had to pop.
thing or someone you love, if you I started to lean toward the ballhave the sinking feeling it’s right, room bubble with a needle. I cried probably is the best route to go. at practice and felt like I no longer After becoming the ballroom ghost belonged to a team. I dreaded going, in the spring 2013 semester, I stopped debating whether or not my presence talking to a therapist. I opened up would be worth staying up all night. about my problems. I stopped crying. It seemed like it would be an easy I found a new passion, and I can pindecision to make: to stop pursupoint exactly where it started: in the ing something that makes you quesmiddle of the woods, tion whether or not crossing streams and it’s right to pursue. PHOTOGRAPHER trekking through mud But not when you with 15 pounds of camlove that something. era gear in pursuit of Dancing was, for an ROTC class. Somea while, equal to how I was enjoying breathing or eatmyself — enjoying ing or drinking myself more than I had water. How could waking up at 5 a.m. to you give up someapply stage makeup thing so amazing, DANYELLE MORROW and run off in a dress something that you dmorrow@statenews.com to make it onto a comloved, simply because petition floor on time. you have the posA door was opened, and I sibility to be able to fi nd something fell in love with my job. equally as great? Hint: It isn’t easy. At fi rst, it was just a job to help But people don’t remember the pay the bills. I never wanted to go second half of that famous quote: into a career in photography, and “If they come back, they’re yours; the people whom I worked with if they don’t, they never were.” could see that. But slowly, over There is a time and a place for time, the less I went to dance, the everything in the world. Peomore I enjoyed being at work. ple are in your life for a reason, The people I work with made and they leave for different ones. me feel like I was part of a team Things come and go when you need again. They made me feel like, in a them to, even though you might small bubble, I was exactly where not realize it. Giving up on some-
I needed to be. I was home. Ballroom came into my life to help me discover who I was, to help me discover what passion could truly feel like. Ballroom left my life because it had done the job it needed to do. It had shown me what having a home outside of home could feel like, and it was time to move into a new house. Work came into my life to show me the opportunities that I now had in my life, to show me that closing one door and peeking into another could be the best thing you ever do. It’s a risk. It always is. Leaving something that made you who you are today for the possibility of something else is a daunting jump. But life is all about the jump, all about the urge for something new. “L’appel du vide” translates loosely to “the call of the void,” or the urge to fall when one comes across a high place. So while the jump is daunting, sometimes the call is even stronger to fall from one place to the next, from one love to the other. And still, maybe, one day, it will come back and I will once again step back onto the ballroom floor in 3-inch heels and fi nd that desire to glide across the floor. But until that point, my heart will always fi nd the beat and long for someone to dance with.
Campus+city SN
STAT E NE WS.CO M | T HE STAT E N EWS | T HU RSDAY, J U N E 20, 2013 |
Pursuit of Art
ACADE M ICS
MSU TO OFFER ONLINE BCBA CERTIFICATION COURSES
East Lansing resident Amelia Larson paints in the bedroom of her co-op home June 14. Larson, a recent MSU graduate, has been doing art since she was a child.
By Omar Thabet
othabet@statenews.com
THE STATE NEWS â– â–
PHOTOS BY DANYELLE MORROW/THE STATE NEWS
MSU will help fill the national shortage of professionals qualified to treat autism by offering online courses for students beginning this fall. MSU will join Western Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, Oakland University and Wayne State University as the only universities in the state of Michigan to offer a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, or BCBA, certification. Summer Ferreri, assistant professor of special education, said the Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis Program, or ABA, began after a legislation was passed in Michigan that allowed families to get insurance companies to reimburse them for services they pay for their children with autism. “So you can see the great demand in having that certification and having those skill sets to be able to supervise those programs,� Ferreri said. Joshua Plavnick, assistant professor of special education, will be one of two BCBA members MSU will have instructing its online courses this fall. Plavnick said he will be developing and supervising the ABA program by assisting and training individuals who are looking to become a BCBA member. “One of the aspects of the MSU program is to provide the academic content training (that) is needed for the BCBA credentials,� Plavnick said. “Individuals who go through the course sequence will also need to get fieldwork experience and MSU will be able to provide that coursework experience.� Rachel Kommit, who has a master’s degree in special education, said she is excited that they were able to create this program and thinks it will be a great opportunity for people like herself to get the extra experience in the field. Troy Mariage, coordinator for the special education program, said he is thrilled for the program to get started because early intervention and prevention is critical for the life success for a person with autism.
East Lansing resident Amelia Larson works on a painting on June 14 in the bedroom of her co-op home. Larson, a recent MSU graduate, does art for other people based on commission.
F
or some art is a life long passion.
“I’ve been doing art since as long as I can remember. When I was a little kid it was my favorite thing to just draw pictures all the time,� East Lansing resident and recent graduate from MSU, Amelia Larson said. She remembers her dad saying “It was funny because (the drawings) actually looked like stuff.� It started as a hobby, and evolved through middle school and high school art classes, with a few college courses after at MSU. It was high school, however, when she realized she could sell art in order to make a profit, something she wishes to do throughout the rest of her life. She quotes Oscar Wilde, in his statement that “art is useless,� explaining that art serves no purpose but said “It’s still important in
its own right as a means of human expression.� “Visual art is just kind of another means of storytelling,� she said. As a creative writer, the storytelling is important to her and something she likes to tell through her work. “My favorite thing to (paint) is like people and facial expressions,� Larson said. “It’s always interesting to me to see how much of a narrative you can communicate just through a single image.� –Danyelle Morrow, The State News
More online To see a video about art, visit statenews. com/ multimedia.
POLITICS
Advocates want Medicaid money for higher education By Michael Gerstein mgerstein@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS â– â–
Stoking the flames a little more in the higher ed funding debate could be one of the less oft discussed aspects of the Medicaid expansion, now being debated on the Senate floor. “If Medicaid goes through, that frees up another $100 million,� said Mark Burnham, vice president for governmental affairs at MSU. “It is our hope that the state will consider putting some of that money toward higher education.�
“They gave higher priority to potholes and rainy day fund then they did for us.�
Some estimates even show the amount of freed state money closer to $150 million, made available if enough GOP senators give the nod for state medical coverage to be extended to more than 300,000 low-income Michiganians as part of the Affordable Care Act. Money the state spends on those already insured would be freed as those and many others have their state health care paid for by the federal government. The tab for extending coverage to the more than 300,000 uninsured would also be picked up by the federal government, at least for
Mike Boulus, executive director of the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan
the first three years. After that, the federal government will pay for 90 percent of the cost. Robert McCann, communications director for the Senate Democrats, said Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer of East Lansing would like much of it to go toward higher ed. But some say they doubt universities will see much of that
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freed coin, if any. For example, Mike Boulus, executive director of the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan, the association made up of representatives from the state’s 15 public universities — said the last state revenue surplus could’ve helped, but the $480 million went to roads and a “rainy day fund,� or money to be saved
for a potential funding emergency, instead of university funding. “They gave higher priority to potholes and rainy day fund then they did for us,� Boulus said. Boulus said it might have been because of a perceived political unfairness in doing so. “If you gave us more money you’d have to give K-12 and community colleges more money,� Boulus said. He fears the same fate for universities in the latest funding grab.
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SPORTS+FEATURES EDITOR Omari Sankofa II, features@statenews.com PHONE (517) 432-3070 FAX (517) 432-3075
FACE TIME ADAM SAVAGE MYTHBUSTERS CO-HOST Whether they’re strapping JATO rockets to a 1967 Chevy or using 800 pounds of ANFO to blow up a cement truck, Adam Savage and Jamie Hy neman have been approaching science in a not so conventional way for a decade on the Emmy-nominated Discovery series “MythBusters.” On June 22, the Savage inquisitive co-hosts will be blazing mind-twisting experiments live with their “Behind the Myths” tour at Wharton Center. For the past 20 years, Savage and Hyneman have worked alongside one another doing special effects for bigtime blockbusters such as “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” and “Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones” and “The Matrix” trilogy. — By Ariel Ellis, The State News
The State News: How was the idea for “MythBusters” developed? Adam Savage: The idea for “MythBusters” (was developed when) … an Australian television producer contacted … Jamie and I … (with interest) in (us) hosting a show … about urban legends. We (compiled), on very little information, a demo reel, which we sent to them, and they liked it so much they showed up three weeks later, and we have been filming “MythBusters” literally ever since. TSN: How has “MythBusters” evolved during the past decade? AS: I’d say there are several differences from when the show began and where it is now. One of them is the fact that Jamie and I have come to understand on a much deeper level the scientific
WORKING THE
method and how to apply it. Also, the stories we tell now are more complex than the stories we used to tell. I think that the amount of experience we have gained on the show makes us want to go deeper into the material and tell stories that end up being, by their nature, more complex.
WOOD
TSN: Thus far, what has been your favorite experimented myth? AS: I love the stories where I know that our methodology and the science is right, and I also like building weird, cool stuff; and for me, that all came together in an episode we did a few years ago called the lead balloon.
More online… To read more of the Q&A with Adam Savage, visit statenews.com.
FOOTBALL
Dantonio discusses Spartan Stadium renovations By Omari Sankofa II osankofa@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS ■■
Head football coach Mark Dantonio addressed the media at a roundtable on Wednesday, and addressed a variety of topics — including the new Spartan Stadium facilities tentatively planned to be completed by 2015. The tentative Spartan Stadium plans, which will be presented before the Board of Trustees for approval on Friday, feature a host of upgrades — a new all-sports recruitment facility, campuswide media center, new football locker rooms, new media rooms, additional restrooms, concessions, donor plazas at gates J and K, and renovated gates that will comply with Homeland Security recommendations. Dantonio said that the current facilities have greatly aided in the team’s success thus far. However, there’s
room for improvement. “Quite frankly, what we had before was not up to par with other (stadiums),” Dantonio said. “Now we are.” Stadiums are becoming more and more exuberant, something Dantonio said he tries not to pay much attention to. The Alabama Crimson Tide are adding a waterfall to their locker room, and Dantonio believes it’s important to look at what’s going to make a difference for each program. “If I thought a waterfall was that important, I’d put all my money in a waterfall,” Dantonio said. “That’s what I do, so it’s different for every program.” The key is in prioritizing what MSU can get for the football team, Dantonio said. “Whatever we deem as important is what we work toward,” he said. “We can’t get it all at once.”
The new uniforms and chrome helmets that debuted during the 2012 season add to the overall “freshness” that the team wants. For Dantonio, fresh means change. “If we can create a freshness and excitement among our fans and among our players, I think that’s good,” Dantonio said. “We need to hold to the traditions that we are, so do things within that realm. But I think that keeping things fresh makes it fun.” The recent renovations help symbolize a overall culture change that the program has experienced under Dantonio. “We have tremendous chemistry, and our confidence in the program is very, very good,” he said. “When we go to play down the road, when they come here, we got as much opportunity when that game is in — we prove. I’d say that’s the case with every team we play in this conference.”
Ferris State junior Ian Wenk, who works at Beal Botanical Garden, rubs steel wool against a bench on Monday at the garden. Wenk was preparing the bench to apply a sealant. WESTON BROOKS/THE STATE NEWS