At Michigan State sporting events, the athletes on the field, court, rink or track are the focus. But what about the athletes on the sideline?
The MSU Cheerleading team is known for its familiar chants and crowd engagement. But behind the high kicks, big stunts and chants are student-athletes who work long hours to represent MSU.
For finance senior Nick McDonald, joining the cheer team was initially for a pastime but quickly turned into much more.
“Originally, one of my best friends, Lauren, was on the team, and she was like, ‘Hey, come try out,’” McDonald said. “Me and my roommate were supposed to try out, but he ended up not being able to. So, I was like, ‘You know what? I have a lot of free time, looking for something fun to do.’”
McDonald has been on the team for three years alongside kinesiology junior Rylee Ammons, who has been cheerleading since she was a kid.
“I’ve been cheering for my whole life,” Ammons said. “I was probably in second grade when I started cheer and I’ve always known I wanted to cheer in college. I mean, I’ve always looked up to the MSU cheer team.”
As student-athletes, the cheerleaders must balance cheer life with work and school. Practices are five days a week during football season and four days a week during basketball season.
“It can definitely be tough at times and it’s a lot of discipline,” Ammons said. “It’s very much just whenever I’m going through hard times, I realize how lucky
and how blessed I am to be a part of this. So, it’s kind of a thing where I do have to balance a lot, and there’s a lot on my plate. But it’s more just priorities and trying to stay motivated every single day and just continuing to work hard to achieve my goals in the classroom and on the team.”
Home games are not the only events where MSU cheerleaders perform. They travel for away games as well.
Selecting which athletes attend away games involves a complex point system, Ammons said. The points to be earned are performance-based, seniority-based and academic-based. The cheerleaders also work at different events on campus for points. Whoever has the most gets first pick on the travel schedule.
“I love traveling,” Ammons said. “It’s definitely one of my favorite parts about being on the team. It’s the coolest opportunity, so you want to fit as much as you can into this trip that’s getting paid for by the school and (MSU) athletics. So, when we went to Maryland, we got it started right away. We were like, ‘Okay, what can we find here?’ We always try to find a new restaurant or go sightseeing.”
The MSU Cheerleading team is a family, McDonald said, and he views his time on the team with great memories.
“My favorite part about being on the team is being on the sidelines for football and basketball. It’s hard to beat that view,” McDonald said. “Cheer has given me so much. I’d love to help out as much as I can in the future.”
So, when attending an MSU football or basketball game, don’t miss the MSU cheerleaders chanting “Go, Green, Go.”
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A young MSU fan watches her team during a football game at Spartan Stadium on Sept. 14, 2024. Photo by Michael Roggenbaum.
‘Treading water’: MSU chock-full of interim administrators
By Owen McCarthy omccarthy @statenews.com
For most of last year, Nancy Rhodes — a professor of advertising in Michigan State University’s College of Communications Arts and Sciences — was working under interim administrators “as far as the eye could see,” she said.
Rhodes had an interim department chair, who reported to an interim college dean, who reported to an interim provost, who reported to an interim president.
Rhodes recalled feeling at the time that because of the temporary nature of leadership at all levels, “our unit was adrift” and “treading water.”
“There was no direction, nothing unifying us,” she said.
Rhodes’ experience is extraordinary, but not entirely hard to believe given the uptick in interim appointments over the last five years at MSU.
Since 2020, 14 interim dean appointments have been made across all but five of the university’s 17 degree-granting colleges. Currently, four of those colleges have interim deans, and the provost, executive vice president for administration, chief information officer and chief safety officer roles are all held by interim administrators. And, several faculty asserted that the trend holds true at the college and department levels, describing the prevalence of interim administrators as a topdown issue.
The university’s most well-known interim administrator in recent years was former Interim President Teresa Woodruff, who stepped in after former President Samuel Stanley resigned citing an irreconcilable relationship with the Board of Trustees. Although Woodruff — like most interim administrators — was tasked with tiding the university over until the national search for a permanent president was finished, the challenges she encountered during her two years at the university’s helm would have tested the durability of even the most seasoned university presidents.
Woodruff led the university through a mass shooting that dramatically altered the campus climate, faced scrutiny over the university’s diligence in investigating allegations that ex-head football coach Mel Tucker had sexually harassed a university
vendor, and was overseen by a Board of Trustees embroiled in such chaos and controversy that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was asked to intervene and remove two members.
President Kevin Guskiewicz — who took over as Woodruff’s permanent replacement in March 2024 — has acknowledged the oftenthorny implications of having a high proportion of interim administrators, and signaled that cutting down on that proportion is a priority of his.
But the situation at MSU isn’t unfamiliar to Guskiewicz, who said he experienced high turnover and interim leadership, particularly among the college deans, while he served as chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
In fact, the situation at both universities is consistent with a broader national trend of increased interim leadership in higher education, brought on by the “great resignation” in 2020. To cope with vacancies at the time, universities increased their reliance on interim administrators — but nearly five years later, their prevalence is persisting.
Anna Pegler-Gordon, a professor in the James Madison College, offered her theory for why that might be as it pertains to MSU.
“I think that the number of interim
administrators at all levels, and all colleges and departments, is a reflection of the turbulence (and) the turmoil that MSU has been facing for a long time,” she said. “This is a symptom of a very significant problem that administration isn’t really working.”
Aside from contributing to a sense that a unit lacks a clear vision of its purpose and goals, faculty observers told The State News that interim administrators are often rushed into positions while lacking the institutional and day-to-day knowledge necessary to be effective. That can lead to bureaucratic blunders and low trust among subordinates.
On the other hand, faculty said, some interim administrators are especially willing to make bold, necessary changes before their limited time is up.
“Interim leaders can be incredibly effective — or not. There really is not a good in between,” said Jessica Wagner, an MSU librarian and Ph.D. candidate currently researching for her thesis on the effectiveness of interim administrators.
INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE LOST IN THE FOLD
There’s one confirmed case at MSU in recent times of administrative
turnover and hasty transitions to interim leadership leading to bureaucratic disarray, and ultimately, costly repercussions for the university.
After fallout from MSU’s handling of disgraced ex-MSU doctor Larry Nassar, the Department of Education increased its oversight of the university’s administrative and financial affairs.
The rationale was that the university would have to meet higher standards to prove its competency and commitment to transparency before it could begin to repair its newly-lowered standing with the DOE.
One provision was that MSU must get federal approval for any new academic programs it creates before distributing financial aid to students enrolled in those programs.
But Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko told The State News early this month that the university didn’t realize it was supposed to receive that approval until December 2022 — a month after he assumed the interim role — when administrators “discovered the DOE’s provisions.”
By that point, despite the federal requirements, the university had given over $15 million in federal financial aid to around 800 students enrolled in 16 new academic programs without first getting the DOE’s approval. MSU self-reported its error to the
DOE, which then asked the university to cover the expected default rate of the loans given to the students, a total of $2,671,502.
Jeitschko said administrative turnover following the Nassar scandal caused administrators’ ignorance of the federal requirements.
“How did it come to this? The answer is, I don’t know,” he said. “All the people who were charged with compliance with the education department, the disbursement of financial aid, all of those people have turned over since the Nassar thing.”
Wagner, the Ph.D. student researching the effectiveness of interim administrators, said administrative turnover and the hastiness with which interim leaders are placed into new roles can lead to these sorts of bureaucratic blunders.
“I don’t think MSU does much to prepare these people for the interim roles they’re going to be taking,” she said. “Needing to learn all that additional day-to-day stuff can take things back a bit, and most of the time interim leaders are needed almost immediately. There’s no plan for succession, you have to move.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
Illustration by Zachary Balcoff.
DOES THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN HAVE GEN Z VOTES?
around half of TikTok users aged 18-29 use the
“A young person isn’t going to read the newspaper all the time, even an online newspaper,” Woodley said. “So, definitely, TikTok and Instagram is the way to go for (reaching)
Richichi echoed that sentiment, saying that the online infrastructure and demand from young people has created a large market that the Harris
“It’s having a big impact,” Richichi said. “I’m excited to see what other trends they come up
Charli kamala IS brat
Illustration by Zachary Balcoff.
By Anna Rossow arossow@statenews.com
As students advance in their degrees and find more opportunities for electives in their schedule, the Department of Kinesiology at Michigan State University has various active classes available to them.
Basic Instruction Programs (BIPs) are offered within the kinesiology department, and range from ice skating to swimming to weight lifting. BIP courses are scheduled activities for enrolled students to participate in.
According to the Department of Kinesiology website, there are 48 courses offered. Of these, 32 are beginning-level courses, graded on a pass/fail scale that introduces basic skills and knowledge of an activity. The other 16 are advanced-level courses, graded on a points-based scale and build on existing knowledge.
Aside from gaining knowledge of a sport or activity, improvements to physical health are the most notable benefit of being active within these classes.
Katharine Currie, an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology and exercise physiologist, said these classes have multiple benefits. Exercise and physical activity help with weight management, building muscle mass and lowering the risk for chronic diseases.
Currie said physical activity guidelines for U.S. adults should be aimed at “150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise” a day, while also incorporating muscle-strengthening activity twice a week.
Enrolling in these classes helps students to reach that guideline, Currie said. With an activity integrated into students’ schedules, students find
it easier to be active as well.
Political theory and constitutional democracy senior Catherine Polulak is taking her third BIP class since being at MSU. She was enrolled in a general conditioning class in the fall of 2023, a soccer course last spring and is currently taking a yoga class.
“I think that structure is so nice, because I’m somebody who does like to go to the gym but I do have a busy schedule,” Polulak said. “So having that built-in is very nice, very convenient and it motivates me the rest of the days to go to the gym.”
Additionally, physical activity makes for an overall healthier lifestyle.
Currie’s research in cardiovascular health shows that exercise can contribute to healthy blood pressure levels and maintain a lower blood pressure. Arteries can stiffen as people age, and regular exercise can keep blood vessels more elastic.
The wide range of BIP classes offered to students can range from vigorous boxing to a more relaxing sailing class, giving students of varying physical activity capabilities many options.
Scott Petritz, the Sailing Center Facility Manager and sailing instructor, teaches KIN 101U, a sailing class located on Lake Lansing. Sailing meets twice a week for a month and teaches students how to sail dinghies.
Petritz said the main goal of his class is to excite students about sailing and also incorporates physical activity.
“I wouldn’t say sailing is (rigorous), like exercise per se, but I would say it’s kind of picking up a skill that’s very unique and foreign. So it’s definitely challenging mentally, but also very
rewarding,” Petritz said.
Physical activity has many mental health benefits as well.
“There’s research showing the psychological benefits of exercise, that it can reduce depressive symptoms, improve mood,” Currie said. “There’s research that it can contribute to better sleep, and we now know that sleep is a very important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, that people that have healthier sleep habits have reduced risk for those diseases later in life.”
In addition to psychological benefits, the social aspect of BIP classes can help with mental health as well. Socializing and building networks on campus is helpful for mental health, Currie explained. The exposure students have to activities they may have never tried before is also beneficial, she said.
Petritz noted a psychological benefit of finding a sense of release on the water. Since the sailing center is on Lake Lansing, students are separated from their day-to-day campus lives and stressors in a peaceful environment. Students are also paired up on the dinghies, allowing them to meet new people and build relationships.
“It gets you in the mindset of being part of a team and pushing yourself and it just feels great to accomplish that,” Polulak said. “I feel like there is clarity after my yoga classes because I just feel so calm.”
Courses have various equipment requirements and can incur additional fees, according to the Department of Kinesiology website. Students can only take up to eight BIP enrollment credits. The program intends to add a course on reading electrocardiograms as well as an advanced archery course.
Michigan State University Sailing Center staff member and political science senior AJ Williams, left, helps civil engineering junior Daniel Wenk, right, rig his boat’s sail ahead of the class’s first day on the water on Sep. 10, 2024. Daniel Schoenherr.
Michigan State sailing class students await final checks on their rigged boats before taking them out on Lake Lansing at the university’s sailing center on Sep. 10, 2024. Daniel Schoenherr.
Michigan State sailing instructor Scott Petritz, left, helps students rig their boats at the university’s sailing center on Sep. 10, 2024. Daniel Schoenherr.
TREY AUGUSTINE: MICHIGANDER BORN, RAISED AND ROOTED
league was a big one, he said. Still, Augustine had his family nearby, who was always a help in his milestone transition.
Augustine said having his close family nearby, aunts, uncles, grandparents and his parents, was something that meant a great deal to him, along with always having the proper hockey resources accessible.
By Madilynn Warden mwarden@statenews.com
One of many chants inside Munn Ice Arena last season during MSU hockey’s run to its firstever Big Ten title paid homage to the Spartans’ esteemed netminder.
“Au-gu-stine!, Au-gu-stine!”
The starting goaltender for Head Coach Adam Nightingale and MSU, 18-year-old Trey Augustine is a Michigan born and raised kid, growing up just an hour from East Lansing in South Lyon, MI.
“I think that growing up in Michigan, you get the feeling that hockey’s a big deal here. . .” Augustine said. “Everyone just loves hockey and loves the game and I think it’s a great community.”
Growing and learning on the ice from a young age, Augustine began his development playing for the Honeybaked League, then switching to play for the US National Team Development Program in his early years. The jump from Triple-A to junior
MSU Goaltender Coach Jared DeMichiel said Augustine’s parents, Ken and Yvette, have done their job of ensuring he has the right mindset to handle things on and off of the ice.
“Ken and Yvette, he’s lucky to have those genes, but the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree with his parents,” DeMichiel said. “They’ve instilled good values on him and he’s obviously trending in a very positive direction.”
In the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Augustine was selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round. For any Michigan hockey player growing up, playing for the historic Red Wings’ franchise is on their radar. But hearing his name called, Augustine said, was surreal.
“I saw (the Red Wings) had a couple picks lined up in a row and just had a feeling that maybe one of these could be me,” Augustine said. “Hearing Kris Draper call my name, this guy I watched growing up playing for the Red Wings, just comes back full circle.”
Along with his new connection to legendary forward Draper, Augustine attended Detroit’s development camp for the past two summers, working
around players like Hall of Fame forward Pavel Datysuk and Swedish defenseman Nicklas Kronwall.
When it was time for Augustine to announce his college decision, there came a slight twist. He was originally was committed to the University of Michigan, but coaching changes in Ann Arbor opened his mind back up to his future in college hockey, leading him to donning a green and white sweater.
“I still think it’s the best decision I ever made,” Augustine said.
A Spartan fan growing up, Augustine said playing at Munn has been “unreal” and everyone around campus has been supportive of the team. He earned the starting goalie job as a freshman and now heads into his second year, one where the Spartans have national title hopes.
Augustine is “cool as a cucumber,” DeMichiel said.
“His personality is who he is between the net and who he is as an athlete. I think it’s who he is as a person, too,” DeMichiel said. “He’s an unreal person, an unreal son, an unreal teammate.”
For the Spartans and Augustine, his first season was just the beginning of what the program feels it can deliver, with expectations high for what’s to come.
“I think there are higher expectations for us now, and I love that,” Augustine said. “I love being expected to win every night. I think that’s important for our group.”
Freshman goalie Trey Augustine (1) during a game against University of Michigan at Munn Ice Arena on March 23, 2024. Photo by Donté Smith.
Is the student section line an issue at MSU football games?
By PJ Pfeiffer ppfeiffer@statenews.com
When the Michigan State football team played Florida Atlantic on Aug. 30, inclement weather caused a delay in the scheduled stadium entry.
It caused complete mayhem in the student section line.
Many students didn’t get into the stadium until after halftime. Some couldn’t find seating in the student section, which they paid for.
MSU Police Department Officer Aaron Schroeder said the chaos that occurred Aug. 30 was a “oneoff” situation.
With the help of new policies for the student section line, Schroeder said, there were hopes for a smoother process for Michigan State’s second home game of the season Saturday, when the Spartans played Prairie View A&M.
This season, the university implemented more metal detectors and gates for students to pass through, making for a faster process for students entering the stadium. Also, there is a more defined area where students file in, MSUPD Officer Jamie Izen said.
“In years past, we had a mosh pit. We had so many issues with students fighting and pushing each other,” Izen said. “So now, it’s not a singlefile line, but it’s not a big group, to try and minimize the danger.”
On Aug. 30, MSU freshman Madeline Kauffman stood in line for
FROM
hours. She said the student section line was out of control and scary at times. For a while, she was in the “middle-toback” section of the line, behind the STEM building. She said the students were rowdy and unsafe.
“It just felt two degrees away from a stampede,” Kauffman said. “The group I was with, like half of the people were about to pass out. No one was around policing it, and everyone was cutting and getting mad at each other.”
Though the new policies were in place, there were still issues at the game on Saturday.
Students were let in at 1:30 pm, two hours before kickoff. At its worst, the student section line wrapped around the STEM building
and the last person in line was outside of the front of the Central Services building.
The game started at 3:30 p.m., which had an attendance of over 70,000. Though thousands of students were let in within the first hour, more started to get in line and it began to move slower.
Students said getting in line before 2:30 p.m., the wait was upwards of 15 minutes. After that, students were waiting in line for upwards of 45 minutes.
This begs the question: does the university have ineffective policies for student section lines, or is the problem that students are getting in line too late?
Overall, there are more students going to MSU football games than last year and at the end of the year before. They want to see the new team and the school spirit.
Students will need to be aware of the possibility that the university may have oversold student section tickets, not expecting so many students to attend games.
Last week, Kauffman stood in line for hours but failed to get a student section ticket, seat and bracelet.
“I did not really get into the game. They ran out of student tickets and neglected to tell (us) they ran out of student tickets,” Kauffman said.
Zoology freshman Lexi Clark had a similar issue Aug. 30. She said when
CLIMBING THE LADDER
The effectiveness of interim administrators largely hinges on whether they view the interim role as a “stepladder” to the permanent role, or if they’re content to serve in the interim capacity before stepping aside for a permanent replacement, Wagner said.
That’s because higher-ups in charge of personnel decisions may have an outsized influence on interim administrators seeking the permanent job compared with students and faculty.
Of the 14 interim dean appointments MSU has made since 2020, six of them moved directly into the permanent role.
One who opted not to vie for the permanent position was Judith Whipple, who led the Broad College of Business as interim dean for almost two years following the controversial termination of former dean Sanjay Gupta.
Arguably the college’s most notable move under Whipple was to remove the name of a donor from a wall in a university building who was discovered by students in 2020 to have made racist comments against the Vietnamese community during a business webinar posted to his website.
While Gupta was still dean, the university publicly condemned the
remarks, but kept the name on the building. It wasn’t until two years later, under Whipple, that the name was removed.
Pegler-Gordon cited Whipple as an interim administrator who may have been empowered to lead with particular responsiveness to students because of her temporary status.
“I think it’s a very legitimate question whether an interim administrator who had their eye on being a permanent administrator would have made that move,” PeglerGordon said.
LOOKING FORWARD
While faculty members did single
Photo by Alexis Schmidt
trying to find a seat, “there wasn’t a lot of space.”
“Like half the people didn’t get in until after halftime. They were waiting for people to leave the stadium to let more people in,” Clark said. “I think they oversold tickets.” At the game Saturday, herds of students left the game before the first quarter ended, most of them saying they couldn’t find a seat and it was too crowded in the student section.
Michigan State’s next home game is against Ohio State on Saturday, Sept. 28. Students who show up closer to kickoff may find it difficult to earn a seat, and many may not make it into the stadium until after the game starts.
PAGE 4: MSU CHOCK-FULL OF INTERIM ADMINISTRATORS
out interim administrators who they said had led effectively, they generally agreed that cutting down on the proportion of interim administrators at MSU would be a net positive.
President Kevin Guskiewicz — who replaced former Interim President Teresa Woodruff in March 2024 — told The State News he agrees, and expects the university to announce “a few more (permanent appointments) in the next two months, maybe sooner.”
“Maybe not in the deanships, but in some of the other leadership roles where there are interim titles,” he said during media availability following the Sept. 6 Board of Trustees meeting.
“It’s important that we get stability and that we have individuals that are in these permanent roles, so we’re working hard at accomplishing that.”
On the subject of solutions, Wagner suggested that while universities are conducting searches for permanent administrators, they should scrap the interim label altogether, because “in higher administration, your title really does matter.”
“Interim means that you don’t have as much power, you don’t feel like you have as much power, and those around you don’t think you have as much power either,” she said. “How you label this person may actually affect how they’re perceived.”
Michigan State University students walk in line to enter Spartan Stadium on Sept. 14, 2024. Photo by Alexis Schmidt
MSU club dodgeball hungry for more success
By Jason Benedek jbenedek@statenews.com
Over the past two years, one of the biggest success stories at Michigan State has gone unnoticed.
The MSU club men’s dodgeball team is reigning back-to-back National Collegiate Dodgeball Association, or NCDA, national champions. The women’s team has had recent success as well, finishing as the runner-up in the NCDA last season after losing to Akron in the national final.
MSU has arguably the best club dodgeball programs in the country. The players, who have earned the accolades without equal recognition, only want to do one thing: win.
“From day one, we came in here looking for national championships,” senior captain Alec Deen said. “I think that’s just been our goal. Day in and day out. We don’t really look for the recognition. We just want to play it to win.”
MSU does not financially support the team. However, despite their lack of formal sponsorship, the team remains focused. There’s a lot that goes
Who Cares?
into the day-to-day.
“I don’t think people realize how much goes into these sports,” Head Coach Becca Nguyen said. “Especially getting no funding from Michigan State, or no help with travel or anything like that. We’re self-traveling. We’re self-funded. We drive ourselves to and from games and tournaments. We pay for our lodging. We rely solely on parents, friends, family to get us to those places.”
Although a club sport, players say dodgeball is just as competitive as other sports on campus, if not more so. The men’s “Pinch” team has only 18 starting roster spots, and the women’s team only has eight. The Dodgeball Club as a whole is 80 members total, making it difficult to earn a traveling spot with the team.
“I’m most looking forward to getting our get-back on Akron and winning Nationals this season,” junior captain Allie Pohl said. “We didn’t get it last year, but that’s gonna push us extra hard this year, and we’re not leaving without that trophy.”
Players and coaches said many fail to realize how dynamic the game of dodgeball is. It’s similar to other sports with its emphasis on offensive and defensive strategies and formations, and the team watches film to study its opponents.
The brutality of the sport is also underappreciated, Nguyen said.
“Headshots are huge,” Nguyen said. “You have players throwing 75 miles an hour with an eight-and-a-half-inch rubber kickball and hitting you in the head with it. It’s just like a big hit in football, like nothing hypes a crowd up more than just a huge hit or a diving catch.”
The Spartans have become one of the most dominant college club dodgeball teams in the nation over the past year. The team’s first championship season in 2023 didn’t include a single loss; it is one of the best single-season performances in the history of college club dodgeball.
The second championship in 2024 was won in dominant fashion, but with a tougher task. Every team had a target on MSU’s back, players said, especially Grand Valley State which is the most decorated college dodgeball team in the nation.
With such an intense and electric sport to be showcased, players and coaches said the MSU club dodgeball team deserves greater recognition.
“It took building the culture,” senior assistant captain Ben Hackman said. “Our culture has been building for the past four or five years, and I think we finally have built that culture where the success is expected, where everyone is driven to get to that goal of winning the national championship.”
Your Vote Decides Who Sits on the Michigan Supreme Court
It seems like there’s news about the U.S. Supreme Court nearly every day. But what doesn’t get nearly enough attention is the Michigan Supreme Court – and the fact that we, the people, have the power to elect our Supreme Court. Michigan is one of just 24 states that lets voters decide who sits on the highest court in the state. And every Michigander should know how the process works and why it matters.
This November, Michiganders get to choose who fills two spots on the court. This is an important civic duty and an opportunity to shape this vitally important institution. The Michigan Supreme Court is the guardian of justice, fairness, and freedoms for all Michiganders. The seven-person court makes decisions that touch every aspect of our lives, from civil rights and criminal justice to environmental protection and economic regulations.
Chances are, you know what’s at stake in the next few years: reproductive rights, abortion laws, gun safety, and fair elections – and there’s no telling what other issues may come before the court. The Michigan Supreme Court makes the ultimate decisions on the most challenging legal cases in the state, which require thoughtful, insightful, and robust deliberation to help ensure a fair outcome.
In Michigan, Supreme Court candidates are nominated by a political party, but their party a liation is not included on the ballot. The justices are elected for eight-year terms, which means the votes you cast this year will make a di erence for nearly a decade.
Plenty of Michiganders like to check the straight-party box, which is just fine – but don’t stop there. To cast your vote for the Supreme Court candidates of your choice, you have to keep going to the non-partisan section of your ballot. You can’t miss it. Get to know the candidates in advance, then mark the ballot to vote for the two people you think will do the best job of ensuring a strong, equitable future for our state.
Being a Michigan Supreme Court justice requires integrity, fairness, and a strong understanding of the law. In fact, candidates must be a licensed Michigan lawyer for at least five years. The Michigan Supreme Court is one of the three equal branches of our state government, along with the Legislature and Governor. Michigan voters have the privilege of choosing who is appointed to all three branches – and it’s an important responsibility.
Remember: Don’t stop at the top! Go all the way down the ballot to cast your vote for the two Michigan Supreme Court candidates of your choice. Your vote counts in every race, so make sure your voice is heard in this one, too.
Want to know more about the Michigan Supreme Court, the voting process, or how to spread the word about the importance of electing the people who will sit on our state’s highest court? Visit www.MISupremeCourtRocks.com to get all the information you need to play your part in this important part of this year’s election.
- Abigail Slate, Deputy State Director of For Michigan
As the school year begins, I woul
It feels like yesterday that I was a student at H
Uni
y. I found forever friends, people who shaped me and supported me. I found my beloved Alpha Kappa Alpha sisters. We danced on Friday nights and protested on Saturdays. Like many, college is when I started to become politically engaged. Together, we learned that progress happens in our country when young people fight for it.
Throughout my travels as Vice President, I love talking to young leaders. I am continually amazed by your grit, your perseverance, your intellect, and your deep passion for making our world better.
It is because of the record turnout among college students in 2020 that I am Vice President today. And to win this election, I need your support.
This November, so many of our fundamental freedoms are at stake. The freedom to vote. The freedom to live safe from gun violence. The freedom to love who you love, openly and with pride. The freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water. And the freedom to make decisions about your own body. But we’re not going back.
Later this semester, you will have the opportunity to vote in an election that will decide the future of our country. You will have the power to shape our future. To continue to build a country you want to live in—one where your fundamental rights are protected—by taking to the ballot box and making your voice heard.
Your vote has never mattered more. When young people fight for progress, it changes the course of our nation. I believe in you. I am inspired by you. And I am rooting for your success.
