DDICTED
87 Ingham County residents died from opiate overdosage in 2016, following the national trend President Donald Trump has called A national emergency. One of their families is determined to change the tide. PAGE 4
GRAPHIC BY ALEXEA HANKIN AND D FAUSTINO
NEWS
SPORTS
F E AT U R E S
A record breaking year for — records
Men’s soccer soaring with leadership
Learn how to paint a hayride jug
Twenty years later, vinyl sales are through the roof.
Men’s soccer coach Damon Rensing discusses the soccer season and his coaching record.
The State News put together a step-by-step guide to make the seasonal party craft.
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Riley Murdock City editor city@statenews.com
A record-breaking year for - records
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From the Olympic Games setting new standards for athletes across the world to the highest recorded temperatures in the past century, 2016 has been a year of surprises. One perhaps lesser-known milestone is that 2016 saw the highest vinyl record sales of the past 25 years. As streaming services and online music stores have become the new standard for listening to music, some people, old and young, are embracing vinyl records. “We’ve been pretty amazed that the bubble has not popped, year after year we are saying, ‘Wow, it’s still going,’” Jon Howard, manager of Flat, Black & Circular, said. Flat, Black & Circular celebrates its 40th anniversary in East Lansing this year. The 1970s and 80s were the golden age for records. 1978 was the highest-grossing year, with over $2.3 billion in sales. However, as time went on and new media took over, sales started to drop. Record sales averaged around $20 million per year across the 90s and early 2000s. A big part of the fall of records was the creation of CDs. The CD era began in the 90s, growing from $3 billion in sales to $13 billion in just ten years. The compact size and availability of CD players made music mobile. During this time, it was also easier to share music and exchange CDs with other music fans. Sales of CDs started to fall in the early 2000s and have not yet seen a year of higher sales. Meanwhile, in 2008, record sales started to mount. Finally, in 2016, sales grew to over $400 million. Howard has lived this history. “We’ve had to change with the times,” Howard said. “When CDs first came out and then when people started downloading and selling off their CD collection.” Throughout the ups and down of the music industry, Howard has kept selling vinyl. “After the initial panic when downloading was kind of the norm, we saw a big uptake in vinyl and then another big uptake.” Howard believes that in order to understand what draws people to vinyl, one must first be familiar with its history, and its demise. “The whole cassette thing was both people having cassette players in their cars and that was one format you could record at home,” Howard said. “People would make mixtapes for their cars or for trading with friends, but I don’t think that was an upgrade in sound at all. It’s just convenience and kind of a cute format.” Even though cassettes are still being sold, Howard does not expect this pattern to continue. Cassettes were also the first competitors of vinyl, however it was not until CDs were invented that vinyl sales started to drop. For all the physical styles of music, modern technology and streaming services have made even CDs obsolete. However, this is the reason that makes the comeback of vinyl so surprising. “We like it because of sound quality and because it’s kind of almost an art object, something you can hold in your hand and experience,” Howard said. “Rather than just listening to a digital file you can see how the artist is presenting himself or herself or a group. ... We see it as an experience.”
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Another reason vinyl is coming back is the social aspect. People like to have a collection and be able to show music rather than just listening to it. “You see people just buy record collections rather than saying it’s all on the box right here, and I see it a social thing like that,” Howard said. However, it is not only older music that people are listening to. New artists are also releasing vinyl copies of their albums. ”We’re seeing a definite mix,” Howard said. “We’re seeing a big comeback to ‘70s rock and the kind of things that were played on the radio. Brand ne w r e le a s es are big also, so we’ve seen a good split.” Another music ent hu sia st a nd record shop owner is Heather Frarey. Her shop, T he Record Lounge, has been in the Lansing area for over nine years. Frarey said record sales have gone up progressively through the time she’s owned her store, even more so in the last two years. Like Howard, Frarey agrees that people are drawn to vinyl because of sound quality. “People say nostalgia, but it does sound a lot better, they’re better made,” Frarey said. “180gram vinyl gives you a little bit better sound, and everything (the industry is) putting out they are putting out on vinyl.” A lot of consumers’ relationships with vinyl are personal, Frarey said. “I think a lot of times they look at their parent maybe their brother or sister who might have been into vinyl back in the day, maybe they would just like a chance to just kind of ‘get in,’ feel what they felt,” Frarey said. “I noticed once they start getting the vinyl, it’s almost like an addiction, they keep going and going with it.” With vinyl’s comeback, will any other media of music build a similar, long-lived following? “I don’t think so, for some reason vinyl has just kind of withstood the test of time,” Frarey said.
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SFENZI@STATENEWS.COM
C ERI AM
BY SIMONE FENZI
THURSDAY, OCTOB E R 1 2 , 2 01 7
GRAPHIC: ALEXEA HANKIN
Contents
McKenna Ross Managing editor mross@statenews.com
ONLINE AT STATENEWS.COM
Radio club offers aid for hurricane recovery MSU Amateur Radio Club is trying to reconnect with Puerto Rico.
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Meet the MSU Rugby Club Features reporter Michael Duke profiles the club sport known for its roughness.
BY T H E N U M B E R S
Opioid-related deaths in Ingham County in 2011. See pages 4-5
Listen Friday: The State News Podcast Football Reporter Souichi Terada and Sports Editor Sam Metry discuss the Minnesota matchup.
“In the spirit of what MSU stands for about leadership and fellowship and setting goals, it’s a true Spartan kid that would do this.” Derrick Fries Father of Drew Fries See page 12
E.L. earns grant BY MARIE WEIDMAYER MWEIDMAYER@STATENEWS.COM
The City of East Lansing received more than $18,000 in grants from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to further its recycling programs. A recycling infrastructure grant gave the city $14,760, and with additional funds from the city, around $20,000 will be spent to improve infrastructure, Environmental Services Administrator Cathy DeShambo said. Part of that program will include increasing the “parrot green” recycling containers on the sidewalks of greater downtown East Lansing. The East Lansing Family Aquatic Center, the Hannah Community Center, parks and more will receive more containers. Around 20 will be installed with the grant money. The grant a styrofoam recycling drop-off location will be created. It will be added to the city’s drop-off center located at the East Lansing Department of Public Works, 1800 E. State St. The city was also awarded $4,000 for a recycling education grant, and with additional funds
from the city, will spend more than $7,000 to improve recycling knowledge. “The recycling education grant really focuses on education outreach to our residents about recycling,” DeShambo said. “We find that we’re educating twice a year with new groups of people coming in.” The city’s efforts will focus on contamination awareness to stop people from recycling items that cannot be recycled, DeShambo said. “It’s really, really important that we have that kind of outreach and we have good, strong materials to give to residents so they can completely understand the recycling program and how it works,” DeShambo said. “We want them to enjoy the recycling program and not get frustrated if we’re not taking the recycling because it’s contaminated.” Receiving both grants is great for East Lansing’s recycling program, Deshambo said. “We get very excited identifying areas where we can grow and do better and then bringing that to fruition with our residents,” DeShambo said. “We do have a climate sustainability plan and one of the major goals of that plan is waste reduction.”
Advertising and english senior Courtney Farmer holds a parrot during Art Prize on Oct. 8. Art Prize is a free and independently organized art competition open to the public in downtown Grand Rapids. PHOTO: SYLVIA JARRUS
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Spotlight
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‘I didn’t understand addiction’
Local families feel effect of national epidemic BY CASEY HARRISON CHARRISON@STATENEWS.COM
kemos native Phil Pavona will never forget his final conversation with his son, Eric. It was August 27, 2011. Phil and his wife, Pat, were celebrating their wedding anniversary at their cabin in Canada. Eric, 25 at the time, once a bright, young boy who graduated from Okemos High School with a 32 on his ACT and a scholarship to Ferris State
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University who later became a student at MSU, had since been plagued with a gripping illness. Eric was struggling to overcome a heroin addiction for nearly three years. While his parents were away he invited his girlfriend — a woman also fighting heroin addiction whom he met at a detox facility — over to their house despite clear instructions not to. When one of Eric’s four sisters called their father, he had Eric put on the line. “I’m sorry you’re disappointed Eric, but this is what it has to be,” Phil said he recalled telling Eric. “Don’t worry about this ... we’ll work something out. If you need to see her we’ll plan it out, we’ll do what we need to do. But don’t worry about it. Have a good night, your mom and I love you.” Around 9 o’clock the next morning, Phil received another call from his daughter. She had found her only brother in the basement, but he wouldn’t get up or move or even breathe. Eric was dead. It took Phil time and time again to understand addiction, but when finally he did, it was too late. “After time, and again I didn’t understand addiction, it went from being scared and naive to looking him in the eye and saying, ‘I don’t get it Eric, man, just f*****g stop,” Phil said. “I don’t get it man. Why can’t you just stop? You know what it’s doing to you, your life, everyone around you, us, just stop.” Phil remembers the last few days with his son were on edge. Phil said a few days before his son’s death, Eric and his girlfriend planned to go out for dinner. Eric had a meeting with a counselor at 8 p.m. and had to be home by 11 p.m., leaving no chance for them to get up to no good. Little did Phil know, they shot up and Eric overdosed that night. He was rushed to the hospital where he was administered Narcan, a life-saving antidote that instantly reverses the effects of heroin and opioid overdoses. Eric was home by his curfew. Phil only found out because he was sent a patient satisfactory pamphlet in the mail a few days after Eric’s death. “I’m sure he felt like this was something he could walk away from, because most kids do,” Phil said. “You can do a lot of stupid things and walk away from it, as long as you’re not getting into a car and killing anyone. But there are a few drugs out there that are very, very difficult to walk away from.” Eric was one of the 29 opioid-related deaths in Ingham County in 2011. Heroin and opioid-related deaths in the county have continued to increase every year since, as the probTHURSDAY, OC TOB E R 1 2 , 2 01 7
lem has been labeled an epidemic throughout the country. Since Eric’s death, the epidemic has worsened but awareness has never been higher. President Donald Trump has declared the crisis a national emergency. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette has teamed up with 40 other states to investigate opioid manufacturers and distributors — as painkiller addiction is often a gateway before addicts graduate to heroin, fentanyl or carfentanil — an elephant tranquilizer. In the six years since his son’s death, Phil is now the vice president of the Families Against Narcotics (FAN) Ingham County chapter. He’s teamed up with public officials to tackle how addiction is perceived and treated from all angles. Once the director of pulmonary services at Sparrow Hospital, Phil was a driving force to create the local FAN chapter. In addition to the speaking he does to schools and large groups, he now works to fix a broken system and acts as a liaison between hospitals, jails, recovery facilities, addicts and their families. It gives Eric’s death a symbolic meaning, but it’s not why Phil does what he does today. He does it so no family has to go through the same struggles he did — to eventually lose a loved one to this epidemic. ‘I got myself into this mess, I’ll get myself out.’ Phil thinks Eric’s addiction started when he decided to move back home. After his second year at Ferris State, Eric decided to move back home and transfer to MSU to pursue a degree in accounting. Phil described his son as a “quiet, kind of nerdy kid,” when he was growing up. Eric never got into much trouble and at one point had three part-time jobs and multiple cars. The real problem, Phil thinks, was when Eric met a woman — a different one than who’d he spend his last days years later with — at a party in East Lansing. She introduced Eric to the drug scene. He quickly fell for her after meeting her a few times. She pressured Eric into trying heroin. Eventually, he started buying drugs for his new fling. “You don’t want to be a heroin addict hanging out around other people who aren’t heroin addicts, because misery loves company,” Phil said. “Your fear is that they’re never going to understand you and be like you, so she began to put a lot of pressure on him to use drugs she was using.” Phil isn’t the only one who believes drugs like heroin and opioids are popular among college students. Linda Vail, the Ingham County health officer, said data that tracks Narcan, which has recently been supplied to local law enforcement officers on patrol, suggests that younger demographics are using just as much — if not more than older individuals. “Are college students involved? Absolutely,” she said. “I know of deaths. Here’s probably why: if you look at my demographic data on my deaths, by age range our deaths are occurring far above a college-aged student. But if you look at that number around Narcan that number goes down. “We see death at an older age because they have other issues, they’ve been using, all those things. And so the older folks who are starting to get weaker, their systems are weaker because a lifetime or a history of it. Young folks are healthier from the get-go. And they have a higher chance of surviving things like this. If you look
Eric Pavona died in 2011 from a heroine overdose. PHOTO COURTESY OF PHIL PAVONA at deaths, it’s not a true representation of the population that’s really getting represented by all of this opioid thing.” Though the data suggests teens and young adults aren’t immune to the epidemic, East Lansing may be less-impacted than other cities in the area. East Lansing Police Lt. Scot Sexton helps oversee first responder data to suspected overdoses. He said ELPD will respond to a suspected overdose between one and two times a month. “I think heroin, among college kids — especially MSU kids — is more associated as a street drug. But the opioids have the same effect,” Sexton said. “They associate the heroin more as the dirty drug, the street drug. I think the college kids kind of think the opioids are more of a clean drug. ‘It’s a pill, I can just take it with mouth.’” Since the end of this summer, ELPD has equipped all of their patrol officers with Narcan kits. One officer responded to a call and administered Narcan within an hour of receiving her kit. On Aug. 18, ELPD also responded to a call on Beech Street for a suspected overdose. Officers said the victim, an MSU student, was dead by the time they could make contact. The first of three times Eric was arrested for heroin, he told his dad it was for having liquor in his car. Phil believed his son and had every reason to — he was still unaware of Eric’s addiction. Phil went to Eric’s court hearing in East Lansing. Like the responsible adult Phil thought his son was, Eric owned up to the charge. “I got myself into this mess, I’ll get myself out,” Phil recalls what his son told him before Eric’s court appearance. When the court listing showed his trial was for possession of a controlled substance, Phil knew something wasn’t right. “I saw ‘controlled substance’ and I go, ‘What the hell is this? Booze isn’t a controlled substance.’ So the first thing on my mind was cocaine,” Phil said. “That’s kind of a designer thing, cool kids do cocaine, suburban people do cocaine.
Spotlight Never in my wildest dreams would have guessed it was heroin.” When Phil and his family tried to work Eric through treatment, he thought the system — from law enforcement to prosecution to recovery — was flawed. He decided to change the stigma of law enforcement’s approach to substance addiction, and it’s starts with a strong relationship with Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth. Phil thinks Wriggelsworth’s philosophy to dealing with the epidemic is much more encompassing than how the system used to be because of increased communication between the courts, attorneys and law enforcement. The Michigan State Police has also created an initiative, called the Angel Program, that acts similarly to medical amnesty for alcohol-related incidents with minors. “Scott Wriggelsworth’s philosophy is we can’t arrest our way out of this,” Phil said. “Jail might save their life, but treatment is the answer.” Ingham County Prosecutor Carol Siemon agrees. “One thing that’s just begun is law enforcement assisted diversion,” Siemon said. “That can look like a number of different things. (The Angel Program) started here with Michigan State Police … that says is if someone comes in, turns themselves in, turns their drugs in, they won’t be prosecuted for it. They’ll be referred to treatment. So that’s a start.” A glimpse of hope After Eric’s appearance in court, signs of his addiction quickly began to emerge and take their toll on the Pavona family. Phil said his savings were gone. Jewelry was missing — his son took almost anything to feed his addiction. Eric opened credit cards and took out thousands of dollars in loans. He even canceled his college enrollment and received the tuition his parents paid for to buy drugs. When Phil helps families who’re dealing with an addict, one of the first things he tells them is to freeze all their finances. “We tell them before they can help their son or daughter they need to do three things first: you need to protect yourself financially, emotionally and physically,” Phil said. Eric would have his good days and his bad. After multiple run-ins with the law, Eric was placed on probation. He tried forging signatures and cheating urine tests, and eventually ended back in jail. Phil didn’t want Eric in jail, but at some point, knew it was his best option. “I didn’t want my kid in jail and we didn’t know what was going on,” Phil said. “And we figured, ‘Oh this will do it,’ because as a parent you’re thinking that you’ve been taught — but it’s a fallacy that this whole idea that you can scare your kid into getting clean and, or you let him hit rock bottom to get him clean, it really has to do with them getting sick of getting sick and getting sick of the lifestyle.” Serious financial woes are the bleak reality many heroin and opioid addicts face. Cara Ludlow, a licensed clinical social worker and
McKenna Ross Managing editor mross@statenews.com
certified advanced alcohol and drugs counselor at Olin Health Center and others, thinks the epidemic stemmed from years of overprescribing painkillers. Ludlow said once hooked on drugs like Vicodin or Oxycontin, the chemical makeup of opiates creates a heavy imbalance of dopamine, which results in dependency to maintain levels of dopamine. If a person becomes dependent on opiates, Ludlow said, it literally rewires your brain, and it becomes impossible to function without a fix of the drugs because of how dopamine affects the brain. According to data from Olin, she said only 0.4 percent of MSU students have reported using opiates in the last month, compared to 1.1 percent of MSU students who’ve used an opiate in the last year and 98.9 percent of students have never used an opioid. “Treating someone seeking recovery from an Opiate addiction can be very different than treating someone seeking recovery from another drug of choice,” Ludlow said in a statement. “Addiction is the big picture is all the same, but each substance is unique.” After a person becomes dependent on painkillers and their script runs out, Vail, the Ingham County health officer, said they will often times turn to buying those same drugs off the street, despite a high markup rate. Once a person is buying drugs off the street, they quickly find a much cheaper, much more potent alternative: heroin. “Buying Oxycontin on the street gets real expensive real fast,” Vail said. “So buying Oxycontin on the street gets really expensive compared to buying heroin on the street. Again that transition to heroin for a lot of different reasons, but a lot of what it has to do is with access to the prescription drugs after they are addicted.” The problem worsens when someone buys heroin that’s been laced with more potent and even cheaper drugs such as fentanyl and carfentanil, which can be hundreds of times stronger than heroin. A person shoots up with what they think is a regular dose for them, but is actually a lethal dose of another drug. “When they come to our office and they’re actually arrested, we have to look at how we’re going to charge them,” Siemon said. “We have a lot of specialty courts and so we refer people to various sobriety or drug courts. We also look at the underlying charge. It might not be drugs, it might be retail fraud. They’re stealing stuff to support their habit. So how do we make referrals to the court. What kind of sentencing recommendations do we make to get them into treatment instead of locking them up?” Read more about the rehabilitation system and Eric’s story in our web special at statenews.com.
DRUG OVERDOSE INCIDENTS BY LOCAL JURISDICTION // IN 2016
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SOURCE: INGHAM COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT JURISDICTIONS T HU R S DAY, O C TO B E R 12 , 2 017
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RELIGIOUS GUIDE Look for this directory in the paper every Thursday and online at: www.statenews.com/religious All Saints Episcopal Church 800 Abbot Road East Lansing, Michigan 48823 Phone: (517) 351-7160 E-mail: allsaints@allsaints-el.org Website: http://www.allsaints-el.org Worship Times: Sunday Worship: 8 am & 10 am Sunday School: 10 am Sunday Vespers: 5 pm Thursday Prayer & Breakfast: 7:30 am Ascension Lutheran Church 2780 Haslett Rd., E. Lansing Between Hagadorn & Park Lake Rds. (517) 337-9703 Adult Bible Study: 9am Sunday School: 9am Worship Service: 10am ascensioneastlansing.org Chabad House of MSU 540 Elizabeth St. East Lansing, MI 48823 (517) 214-0525 chabadmsu.com Prayer services, Friday night services, followed by a traditional Shabbat dinner @ Chabad. Shabbat Day Services 10:00am @ Chabad, followed by a Traditional Shabbat lunch @ 12:15pm. For weekday services & classes call 517-214-0525. Eastminster Presbyterian Church 1315 Abbot Rd, East Lansing, MI, 48823 (517) 337-0893 www.eastminsterchurch.org Worship Gatherings: Sunday Worship 10:30 am UKirk Presbyterian Campus Ministry Wednesdays at 7pm www.ukirkmsu.org Greater Lansing Church of Christ 310 N. Hagadorn Rd. East Lansing, MI (Meeting at the University Christian Church building) (517) 898-3600 Students welcome! Sunday Worship: 8:45am Sunday Bible class: 10:15am Sunday Evening: Small Group Wednesday: 7pm - bible study Students please feel free to call for rides http://www.greaterlansingcoc.org
Haslett Community Church 1427 Haslett Road Haslett, MI 48840 Phone: (517) 339-8383 Worship Hours: Sunday Worship at 10:00am www.haslettcommunitychurch.org Hillel Jewish Student Center 360 Charles St., E. Lansing (517) 332-1916 Friday Night Services: 6pm, Dinner: 7pm September - April Martin Luther Chapel 444 Abbot Rd. East Lansing, MI 48823 (517) 332-0778 martinlutherchapel.org Sunday: 9:30am & 7:00pm Wednesday Worship: 9pm Mini-bus pick-up on campus (Fall/Spring)
The Islamic Society of Greater Lansing 920 S. Harrison Rd., East Lansing, MI 48823 Islam 101 May 7, 2:30 p.m Friday Services: 12:15-12:45 & 1:45-2:15 For prayer times visit www.lansingislam.com/ Trinity Church 3355 Dunckel Rd. Lansing, MI 48911 (517) 272-3820 Saturday: 6pm Sunday: 9:15am, 11am trinitywired.com University Baptist Church 4608 South Hagadorn Rd East Lansing, MI 48823 (517) 351-4144 www.ubcel.org 10 AM Worship Service 11:15 Coffee Hour 11:30 Sunday School
University Christian Church River Terrace Church 310 N. Hagadorn Rd. 1509 River Terrace Dr. East Lansing, MI 48823 East Lansing, MI 48823 (517) 332-5193 (517) 351-9059 universitychristianwww.riverterrace.org wired.com Service times: 9 & 11:15am Sunday: 11:15 am Sunday Bible Study: Riverview Church 10:15am MSU Venue MSU Union Ballroom University United 2nd Floor Methodist Church & 49 Abbot Rd, East Lansing, MSU Wesley MI 48824 1120 S. Harrison Rd. Phone: 517-694-3400 East Lansing, MI 48823 Website: rivchurch.com (517) 351-7030 Worship Times: universitychurchhome.org Sundays at 6:30PM during msuwesley.org the MSU Fall and Spring Sunday: 10:30am semesters 9:00am Garden Service in the summer St. John Catholic Church TGIT: 8:00pm Thursdays and Student Center Sept. - April 327 M.A.C. Ave. East Lansing, MI 48823 WELS Lutheran Campus (517) 337-9778 Ministry stjohnmsu.org 704 Abbot Road Sunday: 8am, 10am, Noon, East Lansing, MI 48823 5pm, 7pm (517) 580-3744 Monday, Wednesday, www.msu.edu/~welsluth Friday: 12:15pm 6:30pm Saturday Worship Tuesday & Thursday: 9:15pm
Religious Organizations: Don’t be left out of the Religious Directory! Call 517-295-1680 today to speak with an Account Executive
News
Brigid Kennedy Campus editor campus@statenews.com
Pickup basketball flourishes at IM BY MAXWELL EVANS MAXWELL.EVANS@STATENEWS.COM
Some of us were all-state high school stars, some of us were bench scrubs for the middle school B-team, and a few of us have a better airball percentage than shooting percentage. Either way, IM Sports-West’s pickup basketball scene is a welcoming place to develop skills and make new friends, regardless of talent level. Pickup basketball is unique in that you never really know who your teammates will be until you’re playing with them. As a game is going on, one person will call “next” and pick up four other players to form a team. When one team on the court loses, they’ll come off and be replaced by the team that called next. No win-loss records to maintain, no scoreboards or stats to pad. All you need in a pickup game is a mental tally of the score and the drive to win. When biochemistry freshman Karan Singh is on the court, he takes it so seriously it’s tough to tell these games don’t formally count for anything. Whether directing teammates on positioning or celebrating a successful three-pointer, Singh visibly enjoys the game and wants to
win every time. “I come usually after class like every day,” Singh said. “There’s a lot of good competition, which is just gonna help me get better. It’s just fun coming out.” Intramural coordinator Dujuan Wiley, who played under Tom Izzo for two seasons in the late 1990s, regularly jumps in on pickup games at IM West. Wiley, who played professional ball internationally, says that pickup basketball has helped him recapture the fun of the sport since he no longer has to really care about the results. “Now that I’m in my forties it’s started to become more fun, versus before, I was always in compete mode,” Wiley said. “But now I’m fine with just getting out there, having some fun, getting some cardio in.” Wiley isn’t the only Spartan baller to take the court at an IM building. Earlier this year, current Spurs guard Bryn Forbes ran drills with a trainer at one end of the court while a pickup game went on at the other. In one game, Singh’s team even had the honor of playing – and being
manhandled by – highly touted freshman Jaren Jackson Jr. “He was basically playing one-on-five and killing my whole team,” Singh said. “We couldn’t really stop him.” Wiley said Izzo’s current and former players are no strangers to IM West. “They come here every once in a while and play pickup games when they’re not playing over at the Breslin,” Wiley said. “They’re not too big time for this. This (is) where it all started.” The slim possibility of getting matched up against a five-star recruit or NBA player shouldn’t intimidate anyone, media and information sophomore Daron Copeland said. Although as a “competitive guy” he enjoys better-
ing his game and winning, he thinks there’s always a place for beginners on the court. “Don’t be worried about impressing anybody or if you’re not that good,” Copeland said. “Basketball’s a great sport to pick up on and have a good time with. At the end of the day, it’s a game, and it’s supposed to be fun.”
5.8 MILLION AMERICANS PLAY ON AN ORGANIZED BASKETBALL TEAM.
PHOTO: MATT SCHMUCKER GRAPHIC: ALEXEA HANKIN DATA: SGMA’S 2012 U.S. TRENDS IN TEAM SPORTS
Basketball’s a great sport to pick up on and have a good time with. At the end of the day, it’s a game, and it’s supposed to be fun.” Daron Copeland, media and information sophomore
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THURSDAY, OC TOB E R 1 2 , 2 01 7
Features
Sasha Zidar Features editor szidar@statenews.com
How to decorate a jug for a hayride 1
Go to a local store and purchase a jug and some painting supplies.
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It’s fall. For MSU’s greek life and clubs that means it’s hayride season. While hayrides are all about bonding and camaraderie, the signature mark of going on a hayride is the jug you decorate. Let’s see how to make a hayride jug. BY JAMESON DRAPER
Lay out a newspaper to protect the surface you are about to work on.
JDRAPER@STATENEWS.COM
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HAYRID Use paint to cover the first layer of the jug. Wait 10 - 15 minutes to dry.
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The LeFrak Forum
and Symposium on Science, Reason & Modern Democracy in association with the
Reason Foundation
Repeat steps 3 until the background of the jug is painted to your satisfaction.
Trillion-dollar Bills on the Sidewalk: A Pragmatic Defense of Free Immigration
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Professor Bryan Caplan George Mason University
Now let’s get creative. Use your painting tools to draw whatever creative idea you come up with. Wait 10-15 minutes (however long is necessary) to dry.
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Fill the jug with a beverage of your choice and enjoy your drink!
Thursday, October 12, 7:00pm Kellogg Center, Lincoln Room
Bryan Caplan is a Professor of Economics. His research focuses on Public Economics. He is the author of “The Myth of the Rational Voter”.
The LeFrak Forum and Symposium on Science, Reason & Modern Democracy are supported, in part, by a challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information, see, www.lefrakforum.msu.edu
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News
Riley Murdock City editor city@statenews.com
Demolitions kickstart upcoming changes to Grand River Avenue BY MARIE WEIDMAYER MWEIDMAYER@STATENEWS.COM
Grand River Avenue will see major changes during the next three years, as at least one new development project is built and blighted buildings are demolished. Park District demolitions The first blighted building intended to be replaced by the Park District Project was demolished Saturday, Oct. 7. The other building is scheduled to come down by Nov. 1, City Manager George Lahanas said. The buildings, along with portions of Evergreen Avenue, were intended to be developed into a 13-level hotel and a five-story condominium building. The cost of the project was estimated at $154 million. However, this development project fell through after current and former developers of the site could not reach a deal to transfer a $10 million Michigan Business Tax Credit. No new development plan has been submitted yet, as the last one fell through, but the City is confident the developer will submit something and begin construction in Spring 2018. The blighted Park District buildings have been empty for 16 years, Mayor Mark Meadows said. Center City District construction In another change to Grand River Avenue, the Center City District project is scheduled to break ground in mid-October between Lou and Harry’s, 211 E. Grand River Ave., and Urban Outfitters, 119 E. Grand River Ave. Many business moved to accommodate the new development.
Center City will consist of two buildings, one a 12-story mixed-use. The first floor will have an urban Target store and there will be 273 rental units located above it. A four-floor parking garage with retail space on the first floor and housing above the parking structure will be built on Albert Avenue. Businesses on the move Below is a list of businesses that moved to make room for the Center City District project. The building that previously housed these businesses will be demolished prior to construction. Charlie Kang’s Restaurant moved from 127 E. Grand River Ave. to 109 E. Grand River Ave. The restaurant has also been approved for a liquor license by the East Lansing City Council. Clever Clover was the last business to move. Formerly located at 207 E. Grand River Ave., it will move to 317 E. Grand River Ave., where Krazy Katz, a glass and smoke shop, was located. According to a sign posted in the store, it closed on Oct. 2 to relocate and should be open at the new location in mid-October. The Grand River Barber Company moved to 507 E. Grand River Ave. It took over the former store front of Velvet A Candy Store, which closed on Feb. 20, 2017. Noodles and Company relocated to 101 E. Grand River Ave., where Conrad’s Grill used to be. Conrad’s Grill itself moved to 311 W. Grand River Ave., the former location of GoombaS Pizza, which closed in May. Sundance Jewelers relocated to 330 Albert Ave., next to Bul Go Gi Korean Restaurant. Verizon Wireless Premium Retailer, Cellular & More East Lansing, relocated to 103 E. Grand River Ave., next to Noodles and Company.
An empty building is pictured at the corner of Grand River Ave. and Abbot Road on June 6. State News file photo.
THE CHANGES TO COME: 5 story public parking garage with top 5 floors being apartments designated for residents 55 and older Currently: one of the two flat-top parking lots
These buildings are staying as part of the project
Several workers survey the area during the demolition of the blighted building on Oct. 7 at the corner of Grand River and Abbot. Two lanes on Grand River in front of the building and part of Abbot were closed for safety. PHOTO: ANNTANINNA BIONDO
Albert Ave
Currently: smaller building is Beggar’s Banquet; strip with front on Grand River houses Noodles & Co., Urban Outfitters
Abbot Rd Grand River Ave 12 story high-rise with a Target on Currently: reminants of old the ground level Pancheros, Verizon
From left to right, city councilmember Erik Altmann, East Lansing Mayor Mark Meadows, and Pamela Meadows, the mayor’s wife, during the demolition of the blighted building on Oct. 7 at the corner of Grand River and Abbot. PHOTO: ANNTANINNA BIONDO 8
THE STATE NEWS
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Sports
Sam Metry Sports editor smetry@statenews.com
Men’s soccer program in a strong position with Rensing at the helm BY JONATHAN LEBLANC JLEBLANC@STATENEWS.COM
Earlier in the season when asked head coach Damon Rensing was asked about getting his 100th win as a head coach at MSU he said “it’s just another win.” But that’s who Rensing is, a coach that never puts his personal feats in front of his team or players. “I love the fact that I can help players improve, put a team together and I really like the tactical side of things,” Rensing said. If anything, Rensing said his 100th career win will make him reflect on his time here as a head coach at MSU. “One of the reasons I don’t think about it too much, because it’s really not an award for me,” Rensing said. “You think about how many people are involved to make that happen whether it’s support staff, the administrators, obviously a ton of great players.” Rensing has been at the helm of the Spartan men’s soccer program for nine years, accumulating a 99-59-24 record throughout his head coaching tenure with MSU. He’s taking the Spartans to six NCAA Tournaments, including two appearances in the Elite Eight in 2013 and 2014. Rensing’s career at MSU however didn’t start on the sidelines, but in between the lines. Rensing played at MSU from 1993-96, accumulating 14 points from five goals and four assists with being named to the All-Big Ten first-team his senior year. “He was an outstanding player,” Rensing’s head coach from 1993-96, Joe Baum, said. Not many former players get to come back and coach where they played and that can be a tool for possible recruitment.
“You’re not selling something you don’t believe in,” Rensing said. “I believe in Michigan State University, I believe in the athletic department, and I believed in the soccer program since I came in 1993. So when I’m talking to recruits, or when I’m trying to explain things to my team or my staff, they know that I firmly believe that this is what I think is best for our program because I’ve lived, I’ve been in their shoes.” This translated to forward Hunter Barone, who’s one of four Barone brothers that have played for Rensing, who said Rensing understood the importance of keeping players connected to supportive atmosphere. “Coach Damon makes that a top priority in his program,” Barone said for a previous State News article. “All of us are like a big family.” Rensing would become Baum’s assistant in 1999, after spending 1997 as an assistant on MSU women’s soccer team under current head coach Head Coach Damon Rensing talks with one of his players during practice on Oct. 10, at DeMartin Stadium. PHOTO: CARLY GERACI Tom Saxton. Rensing then spent 1998 as an assistant on the UNLV women’s soccer team, under Rensing said he learned all of these skills from and O’s, but the way you communicate, the way former MSU women’s assistant Staci Hendershot. Rensing would eventually become Baum’s asso- Baum and “really appreciated being around Joe” you have a culture, the way you respect people, those things I actually think are sometimes more ciate head coach in 2004 before taking over the to learn from him. “He was such an excellent communicator and important in the coaching profession.” program in 2008, with Baum at his side for two READ MORE AT STATENEWS.COM years. Baum said he came to Athletic Director motivator,” Rensing said. “I learned some X’s Mark Hollis with the idea to name Rensing head coach and have Baum be an assistant for two years, so he could ease his way into retirement. “I knew he was ready,” Baum said. How did Baum know Rensing he was ready? Well really, it was four simple reasons. “Number one he has a great soccer mind, number two he’s a real people person, I think that’s probably more important than the X’s and O’s,” Baum said. “Number three, a great recruiter, and he’s just an all around hardworking, wonderful person that people kind of gravitate towards.”
CAMPUS CENTER CINEMAS proudly presents
October 12-15 Hitman’s
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7:00 pm
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Fri & Sat 7:00 & 9:00 pm @ 117B Wells Hall
Fri & Sat 7:15 & 9:15 pm @ 119B Wells Hall
Sun 7:00 pm @ Wilson Aud
Detroit Thurs: 8:30 pm @ Wilson Aud Fri & Sat: 7:30 pm @ 117B Wells 8:30 pm @ 115B Wells Sun: 8:30 pm @ Conrad Auditorium
Sun 7:00 & 9:05 pm @ Conrad Aud
October 19-22 The House Thurs: 7:00 & 9:00 pm @ Conrad Auditorium Fri & Sat: 7:00 & 9:00 pm @ 119B Wells Hall Sun: 9:00 pm @ Wilson Auditorium
www.rha.msu.edu ccc@rha.msu.edu 517-355-8285
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Crossword
L.A. Times Daily Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
Features
Sasha Zidar Features editor features@statenews.com
12 MSU student groups join the fight against cancer BY HONDA CARTER HCARTER@STATENEWS.COM
ACROSS
1 Hubbub 5 Thompson of “Westworld” 10 One way to lean 14 Stephen Hawking subject 15 Tough tests of knowledge 16 Offer the same opinion as 17 Princess Royal of Britain 18 -, at times 19 Reclined 20 Setup provider’s abbr. 21 Hogwarts chronicler imitating noisy dogs? 23 Like many deli orders 25 Western peer of Tex and Gene 26 Devices that record data on noisy dogs? 32 Part of XL: Abbr. 33 Toon cat since the silent era 34 Reacts to bad news, perhaps 37 War-torn land 39 More rational 41 All in 42 St. Anthony’s home 44 It’s not exactly a pickme-up 46 Airport approx.
47 Photographer of noisy dogs? 50 Disney Store collectible 51 Semi bar 52 Paintings depicting noisy dogs? 58 First name in folk 61 Choppers 62 Stop by 63 Printer function 64 News article intro 65 Gradually weaken 66 It can be hard to get out of 67 It can be hard to get out 68 Call attention (to) 69 Bellicose god
DOWN
1 Attempt 2 Like a mite 3 “Give me a few minutes” 4 Adidas subsidiary 5 He beat out Sonny & Cher and Herman’s Hermits, among others, for the Best New Artist Grammy 6 Christine’s phantom admirer 7 Emulated 5-Down 8 Nasty comment 9 Categorize
10 Source of much canine delight 11 Nutritious berry 12 Gym exercise 13 Giant film primate 22 Burdens 24 Desktop animation image suffix 26 Control tower signal 27 Indian shrine site 28 Forest clearing 29 Member of the underground economy? 30 CFOs, e.g. 31 Orient Express feature 35 Shakespeare’s shrew 36 Vega, for one 38 Cement type for home repairs 40 Pursued vigorously 43 Homo sapiens relatives 45 63-Across alternative 48 Small wading bird 49 State of matter 52 Constitutional 53 Strong farm team 54 Overhaul 55 Gift from Prometheus 56 Beginning 57 Play polo, say 59 Relax 60 Word that can replace “your”
Get the solutions at statenews.com/puzzles
Twelve different organizations on MSU’s campus are making a difference each year by joining the fight against cancer, whether it is through volunteering, raising awareness or supplying funds. Many organizations and foundations across the world are in support of the cancer fight, however, students brought it upon themselves to bring awareness to campus for one common goal. Yoshua Mathai, co-president of MSU’s Anti-Cancer Society who is double majoring in human biology and biochemistry, said the group’s goal is to focus on informing students on cancer research that occurs around the world, especially at MSU. The Anti-Cancer Society was founded in 2013 and two years ago. It was successful at implementing an anti-smoking ban on campus. It intends to research the student’s opinion on the ban this year. Mathai knows people will still smoke on campus, but he wants to find out if the ban is “actually effective.” Neuroscience junior and another Co-president of MSU’s Anti-Cancer Society, Leslie Batoha said her best friend’s step-dad is currently going through chemotherapy treatments. It has been tough. “He’s like my second dad, I’ve known him since I was five,” Bato-
ha said. “It’s been hard to watch him go through it.” Batoha has only been a part of the organization for a short period of time, however, she said there will be MSU professors and researchers speaking at meetings to fill the informational gap. “What we really want to do is inform the members of the club and students, as a whole, as to what’s going on in the cancer world.” Mathai said. Advisor for The Hope Movement, Roslyn James, said her organization creates gift baskets for pediatric patients and their families in support of their battle. James said she thinks the program improves community awareness and helps students see there’s somebody else out there that has needs. “I think it’s always good to give back,” James said. “It prepares them for the future.” According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally and was responsible for 8.8 million deaths in 2015. The number of new cases is expected to rise 70 percent over the next two decades. One popular cancer organization called Dance Marathon is not only on MSU’s campus, but a trend around the world that aims to raise funds. “Schools all around the country really do some form of dance marathon, basically the same as ours,”
neuroscience senior and President of MSU’s Dance Marathon Madison Valentine said. Valentine said the only difference is that they raise funds specifically for the Children’s Miracle Network and The Cassie Hines Shoes Cancer Foundation. It’s especially important to be a part of the Children’s Miracle Network at Sparrow Hospital because it is closest to the MSU community, but for The Cassie Hines Shoes Cancer Foundation there is a different connection, said Valentine. The Cassie Hines foundation was created by the Hines’s family to spread awareness about the former MSU student who lost her battle to cancer in 2012. Their foundation’s mission is to guide young adults with cancer to social support programs and services for mental healing. Valentine was Hines’ cousin and said as a freshman, when she heard about the Dance Marathon, she joined as soon as possible. “As soon as I got here I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of it, and I didn’t really think I would be president eventually,” Valentine said. Dance Marathon’s biggest event occurs in February and Valentine said it’s very important students come out to show their support. “I think it’s really important that while we’re at school, we fundraise for people that are in our community here,” Valentine said.
NEW CANCER CASES 2017
Level: 1
2
3
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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 SOLUTION TO THURSDAY’S PUZZLE
Get the solutions at statenews. com/ puzzles 9/22/17
U.S. 1,688,780 CASES
© 2017 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.
MICHIGAN 57,600 CASES
EVERY DAY, U.S 4,630 CASES SOURCE: AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY GRAPHIC: D FAUSTINO
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Features
Sasha Zidar Features editor features@statenews.com
New mentorship program aims to help young black men at MSU BY MICHAEL DUKE
“I have the resources and people on campus that can help me, I have people who are supThere shouldn’t be any question or debate on porting me,” Herd said. “I think that if you have whether or not MSU promotes diversity on cam- the resources then you should be a resource to pus. The predominantly white institution wel- others and not confine all of those resources comed the largest African-American freshman to yourself.” Along with receiving guidance and support class this school year, more than any other Big from upperclassmen, mentees in Rising Black Ten school. Having said that, fair questions could be raised Men will have the opportunity to eventually regarding if these black students – particular- serve as mentors themselves, as Herd said his ly black males – are being provided with the long-term goal with the initiative is to provide resources and support systems needed to not a support system for young black males of all only help guide them through college, but help age groups in the Lansing area. College freshmen and sophomores in Rising shape their professional careers. While all students, regardless of race or eth- Black Men will go to high schools throughout nicity, are offered the same learning opportu- Lansing once a week and mentor high school nities inside of the classroom here at MSU, the students in the program. These high school students will then mentor same can’t be said for middle school students; learning environments middle school students outside of them. While will mentor elementary MSU has over 800 regstudents and so on. istered student organi“My goal really is to crezations including culate a pipeline from MSU tural organizations to to the Lansing communiassist minorities and ty, from k-12 to post-secwomen, such as the ondary education here,” Black Student Alliance Herd said. “No matter and Successful Black what college they go to, Women, there is not they’ll still have mentors one student organizain these freshmen.” tion on campus targetHerd managed to get ed specifically to black his organization up and males. running in just a matter Timothy Herd, an of weeks despite the theMSU junior and presoretically long process ident of Rising Black required to successfully Men, a newly-formed implement a registered black male mentorship student organization on group at MSU, made campus. efforts towards changSince he began to lay ing this unfortunate down the groundwork reality. for Rising Black Men at With Rising Black Men, Herd hopes to Photo courtesy of education junior Tim Herd. Herd the start of the semesunite young, black is the president and founder of Rising Black Men. ter, Herd has been able to recruit mentors and underclassmen on campus through mentorship and create a sense of mentees, create a logo and t-shirts for the program – designed by MSU Intercultural Aide Lincommunity amongst them. “Some of the goals that I have are to create da Lay – and get the program officially signed a support system, especially targeted towards as a registered student organization, which he the freshmen black males here on campus, with said wasn’t as challenging as one might assume. “It wasn’t too tedious after I had the mentors sophomores as well,” Herd said. While the education major had pondered on and mentees and a game plan of what I wantthe idea of implementing an organization tai- ed to do,” Herd said. While Herd has made great strides in such a lored for young black men for a while – as far back as his sophomore year – Herd was inspired short period of time in regards to starting up to ultimately start up this initiative after com- his organization, the program is still in the proing across discouraging statistics on opportu- cess of receiving funding. A process that includes nities offered to black males in K-12 and educa- Herd having to make a case to board committional achievement amongst young black males tees on why and how Rising Black Men would in America. According to the Policy Evaluation be beneficial to potential members. Regardless of whether funding groups see it and Research Center, only 12 percent of black fourth grade boys are proficient in reading com- or not, Herd believes his organization serves pared to 38 percent of white boys, and only 12 young black males in a variety of ways from percent of black fourth grade boys are proficient providing emotional support, to assisting them in math compared to 44 percent of their white in establishing relationships or connections for counterparts. Along those lines, black boys in post-college job opportunities and helping them low-income areas are statistically more likely become better men. “A man to every individual is different; my to end up in prison than in college. “Some of the statistics that I was reading and connotation of what a man is somebody who seeing was very frustrating for me, and I just holds onto their word, is transparent, acknowlfelt like I was responsible to make a change,” edges mistakes and makes the best out of all situations,” Herd said. Herd said. “I want to see more black males in leadership Part of the reason why Herd felt he had a responsibility to create a black male mentor- positions here on campus,” Herd said. “I just ship group was because he said he was well- really want to give everybody, especially the black males, an opportunity to thrive.” equipped to do so. MDUKE@STATENEWS.COM
Black boys from low-income areas are statistically
MORE LIKELY to end up in prison rather than college.
12% of black fourth-grade boys are proficient in reading and math. DATA: POLICY EVALUATION AND RESEARCH CENTER GRAPHIC: ALEXEA HANKIN
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Employment
Houses/Rent
Houses/Rent
CHURCH CHOIR/Music Director needed. Keyboard skills required. Send resume to St. John’s UCC 429 N Washington St. Owosso, MI 48867.
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LIC FOR 4 and 5. Great locations. Excellent rates. Call 517712-9600 or email ssloveland@ yahoo.com.
2018-19 leasing begins October 8th @ 10am. 30+ Houses & Apartments. Lic. 1-9 Aug & May leases. 517-351-0765. See property list at HRIRENTALS.com.
LIC FOR 4 and 5. Close to campus. Excellent rates. Call 517410-1198 or 517-203-5157
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Houses/Rent ‘18 AUG houses available. Lic 2-6 people. www.gutowrentals.com or call 517-749-4767. ‘18 AUG-Great homes. Variety of prices. Licensed 4, 5, 6. 517-3367006 homes4spartans.com 2018 HOUSES. Best locations and rates. Excellent conditions. Lic. 3-8. msuhouses.com. (517) 202-0920. 2018 HOUSES. Lic. 2-5 Excellent Locations. www. RedCedarRentals.com Call/Text: 989-798-3907
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4&5 BDR/LIC across from msu. Excellent condition. Clean. Aug 2018. Call (517) 676 4641 or cell (517) 420 2363 525 DOROTHY Lane, lic 4, avail 2018-19. Close to campus/downtown. 248-854-1932 AUG ‘18 Apts 1-4 bdrm & Studios. Great Locations/Top Conditions. Visual tours hudginsrealty.com (517) 575-0008. No pets. AWARD WINNING homes and landlord. Classy, beautiful, and affordable. Updated homes, 4 bdrm, 2 bath, w/d, d/w, rec room & fireplace, easy walk to campus. Lic 4. Fall 2018. 517204-1604 mf2kessler@gmail. com
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NOW LEASING 2018. 4-6 Br houses. Close to MSU. boydrentals.com. Call (517) 896-2247. SPACIOUS 4/6 BDRM Lic. 6/4. d/w + w/d. security deposit + utilities 517 599 5731
Misc. For Sale FOUR ADULT bikes for sale. Two GT and two Odyssey bikes. Good condition with new tires, racing handle bars and seats recently added. Contact (989) 277-3864 if interested.
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Features
Sasha Zidar Features editor features@statenews.com
Spartan alumni sail the Great Lakes to aid preservation efforts BY SASHA ZIDAR SZIDAR@STATENEWS.COM
Drew Fries and his roommate J.T. Bohland took the saying “Go Green” to a whole new level. The two sailors planned a 65-mile journey across open freshwater from the east coast of Wisconsin to the west coast of Michigan to raise money and awareness for fresh water preservation and research. The Spartan alumnus dreamed of sailing the Great Lakes and now it’s a memory. “When I was out there, I underestimated how intense it was going to be,” said Fries, who graduated from MSU in 2013. “It was blowing and we had 5 foot waves and we were surrounded by white caps. In a journey that could have taken 6 to 20 hours, I’m so glad we did it in 8 hours.” On Sept. 15 at 6:30 a.m., Fries and Bohland set sail towards the horizon with the help of Derrick Fries, Drew’s father. Derrick Fries was an MSU All-American sailor on the sailing team in 1974. He helped prepare his son and Bohland for their Great Lakes voyage. After Drew Fries and Bohland sailed away, Derrick Fries stayed behind for two hours with the trailer for the boat. The young men had a
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THE STATE NEWS
two-hour window to turn around, however, Derrick Fries said after a few hours they vanished under the sunrise and he knew they were off to a good start. “I’m just so proud of him doing it for a noble cause and to do something so environmentally friendly and yet a pretty remarkable achievement to sail across Lake Michigan,” Derrick Fries said. “It’s bittersweet because one, you’re glad he’s out sailing and doing something that is so environmentally friendly but on the other hand, he is unassisted and he’s out in the middle of Lake Michigan on a very tiny boat.” Though Drew Fries has been sailing all of his life with his father, it was a fish out of water experience for Bohland, where the last time he was on a sailboat was in 9th grade. Once Bohland realized the voyage across Lake Michigan was now a reality, he had second thoughts about the trip. Being the only child, his mother wasn’t too thrilled about the voyage either. However, after having a set in stone plan and a few practice runs with Drew and Derrick Fries, Bohland knew it was now or never for the oncein-a-lifetime sail.
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“From my end, Drew was honestly the captain for sure,” said Bohland, who graduated from MSU in 2012. “He managed the rudder and the main sail the entire trip. I was sitting at the front of the boat and I was managing the front sail.” The morning of the trip, Bohland looked to Derrick Fries for reassurance about the weather forecast and the estimated time for when they would finish. However, the response he received from his mentor was more tough love than Bohland expected. “Mr. Fries said to me, ‘Well, you have to do it in a day. That’s what needs to happen.’ It was great,” said Bohland. “He didn’t say nothing else, it was just the facts of life and we headed off.” With a few hours into the journey on Lake Michigan, the wind and weather was in the young sailors favor. Though they started planning the trip in the beginning of the year, Bohland forgot that the temperature on the boat is a lot cooler than it is on the shore. After shuffling through some storage units, Bohland found a Curious George styled poncho to help keep him warm during the remainder of the trip. As Drew Fries’ hands began to clinch up from gripping onto the stirring, his head locked over his shoulder looking towards the blue sky, he found himself in peace and pure awe of the natural beauty he was taking in. A picture perfect day with his best friend is a funny Curious George poncho smiling across the boat, it was a memory Fries would never forget. Halfway through, the waves began to pick up and Bohland jumped into the middle of the lake to use the restroom, not thinking about the strength of Lake Michigan 6-foot waves and whitecaps. Bohland found himself drifting quickly away from the sailboat, but as Drew Fries frantically tried to turn around to pick him up, the boat capsized. “In my mind while this is happening I was like, ‘Okay this is what needs to happen, but what out of our gear is in the water right now? What is gone from the cockpit? What does and does not float?’ I was sure that GPS device was gone,” Drew Fries said. Before the boat capsized, their compass stopped working, leaving them with the GPS device as their only source of navigation. “I think that is when my duties came into play the most,” said Bohland, who was stranded in the water at the time of the capsize. “Out of the corner of my eye I saw this bright yellow thing floating in the water I was able to swim and mind you it’s like 6-foot waves, so I’m floating over and swallowing water. It was a sponge that we were using to clean water off the boat and when I picked it up, the GPS was literally floating right next to it.” Immediately out of excitement, Bohland screams, “Drew! I got it! I got the GPS!” “The GPS somehow floated 120 yards to him, just so lucky. We had 360 degrees of these huge waves, J.T. just like chilling in his funny yellow jacket and it somehow floated to him,” Drew Fries said. “Again, so our compass doesn’t work and we have the wind and we have the sun to kind of guide us where we are going but it helped so much to have that device. So that was huge.” After a long 8-hours of battling a rollercoaster ride sail through Lake Michigan, Drew Fries and Bohland hugged and cheered to finally have made it the the Michigan shoreline – or so they thought. “In our heads our family is over the hill waiting for use, but in fact they were 5 miles away,” Drew Fries said. The two young men had planned on meeting
J.T. Bohland, left, and Drew Fries. PHOTO COURTESY OF DREW FRIES
their families at the lighthouse on the shore, however, there are two lighthouse on the shore. While they were at the state park, they’re family was in the opposite direction. “It was like another scene out of a movie because I’m like super tired and eager to connect with my dad. Meanwhile, J.T. is laughing with the state park volunteer ladies and they’re giving him stickers, taking pictures of him and giving him candy bars from the gift shop and he’s just having the time of his life. It was just hilarious,” Drew Fries said. After realizing where their families were located, they said bon voyage to the nice older ladies that let them use their landline phone and headed back out to Lake Michigan. This time around, it was not so smooth sailing, and they had to work against the wind for 2 miles south of where they were able to beach their boat and be reunited with their loved ones. As they finally made it to the right Michigan shoreline, not only were their families waiting for them, but the volunteer women from the other shoreline made the trip over with their husbands to celebrate them finishing their voyage. “Without our families, we couldn’t have done it at all,” Drew Fries said. “It was cool to take this passion and manifest it into an action and yea it was super intense but it was kind of therapeutic at the same time.” When Drew and Derrick Fries saw one another, they started cheering and jumping up and down, as his mother was proud and happy he made it back safe. All of the proceeds Bohland and Fries raised went towards Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research to preserve freshwater in the Great Lakes. “In the spirit of what MSU stands for about leadership and fellowship and setting goals, it’s a true Spartan kid that would do this,” Derrick Fries said. “It focuses in on the green of MSU for being so environmentally friendly. The money they raised can help perpetuate the Great Lakes. It is a very noble cause.”