Tuesday 4/15/14

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Students overcome fears at Bug House Manager of Entomology and Academic Specialist Gary Parsons holds a scorpion on Monday at the Bug House in the Natural Science Building.

statenews.com | 4/15/14 | @thesnews

Erin Hampton/The State News

Michigan State University’s independent voice s p ort s b ri e f

gary harris to enter nba draft MSU sophomore guard Gary Harris is forgoing his final two college seasons and heading to the NBA, the MSU athletics department announced Monday evening. In a statement, Harris said decision to leave MSU is in his best interest. “The last two years have been the best of my life, but it’s time to follow my dream and declare for the NBA Draft,” Harris said in a statement. “This was not an easy decision.” Harris’ departure isn’t a shock to many. It was even recommended by head coach Tom Izzo, as Harris is widely considered a lottery pick in the upcoming 2014 NBA Draft on June 27. “I fully support and celebrate Gary’s decision,” Izzo said. “He is wellprepared for a long career.” Harris averaged 16.7 points and four rebounds per game this past season, and was a first-team AllBig Ten selection. In his freshman season, he averaged 12.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game after arriving in East Lansing as a highly-touted five-star recruit. Harris considered leaving after his first year at MSU, but elected to come back in hopes of winning a national championship. MSU eventually lost to national champion Connecticut in the Elite Eight. Harris’s parents, Joy and Gary Harris Sr., said in a statement they are thankful for the guidance the basketball program provided for Harris. ROBERT BONDY

features, pG. 5

That would be a sad day for college sports.”

­—Mark Hollis, MSU athletics director, on the concept of further compensating student athletes sports, pG. 6

Come back swinging Baseball team hopes to recover from loss to Chippewas sports, pG. 6

Holding onto hope Alumna Stacy Blakeslee’s family continue to pray for her recovery By Casey Holland cholland@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn

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very roadblock has been met with prayers. Benefit dinners and concerts have been held. Donations are still rolling in to help MSU alumna Stacy Blakeslee and her family. Stacy’s ongoing health troubles, which began in early December 2013, has inspired even strangers to reach out to her family with whatever it is they can offer. Despite the medical struggles and continued financial battles Stacy’s family has had to face to keep their daughter, sister and fiancé alive, the people who love Photos by Julia Nagy/The State News her most still believe she will Dale Blakeslee holds the hands of his daughter, MSU graduate Stacy Blakeslee, on March 14 at Spectrum Rehab and Nursing be able to pull through. Center in Grand Rapids. Dale tries to come up on weekends to visit his daughter. Stacy was diagnosed with a severe staph infecShe started to take her first tion that had damaged one MSU graduate small steps toward rehabilof her heart valves. Every Stacy itation there, with five days time her heart beat, the infecBlakeslee’s of speech therapy, physition spread to other areas of fiancé Brandon cal therapy and occupationher body — most dangerousChilders works al therapy every week. ly, it spread to her brain. on a puzzle An average day of therapy Aneurysms began to form March 5 at for her would start between along her brain, and her conSpectrum Rehab 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m., when the dition only worsened after and Nursing physical therapist joined one of them burst on Center in her in her private Christmas Eve, Grand Rapids. room to stretch causing a seriChilders wore her limbs and ous stroke a “Spartans 4 get her muscles that sent her Stacy” bracelet. working. After into a semithis, the physresponical and occusive state. pational therStacy apists took spent nearstacy’s father her to anothly two months er room, where lying on her she lay down on back in the UniStacy hit a road bump this as best as she can with the municate without actuala mat and stretched versity of Michipast Wednesday after being trauma she had to her brain,” ly speaking. Using a button on her own on command. gan Health System hosadmitted to Spectrum Health her father, Dale Blakeslee, to indicate “yes” or “no,” StaSpeech therapy was perpital in Ann Arbor. From Butterworth hospital because said. “We’re doing everycy could occasionally move formed in her room and there, she was moved to Specof an infection that docthing possible to get anyher hand to either button to focused on the movement trum Health System in Grand thing back from her. It’s just answer certain questions. of her lips and jaw, but also Rapids, a nursing home and gonna be a long haul.” “She’s making baby steps worked on helping her comneurology rehab center. See BLAKESLEE on page 2 u

She’s making baby steps as best she can.”

—Dale Blakeslee,

G R A D U AT I O N

Global business exec Azim Premji named speaker for spring grads By Olivia Dimmer

To watch a video of Stacy and her family as she goes through recovery, visit statenews.com/multimedia.

odimmer@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn

Azim Premji, chairman of global information technology company Wipro Ltd., is scheduled to spea k at MSU’s undergraduate spring commencement ceremony on May 2. Premji Premji, a native of India, will address students at the 1 p.m. convocation at Breslin Center. Premji has received many accolades throughout his life, landing a spot among the top 30 entrepreneurs in world history in Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine. Time Magazine listed him among the world’s 100 most influential people in 2004 and again in 2011, honoring his contribution to improving India’s public education system. Premji is noted for striving to employ ethical, fair and ecologically sensitive business practices, according to a statement from MSU officials. Retired CEO and chairman of aeronautics company Lockheed Martin Corp. Norman Augustine will address advanced degree candidates See SPEAKER on page 2 u

R e l igion

c a p ito l

Jewish Center hosts Passover Seder

ACLU files lawsuit against state for same-sex couples By Geoff Preston gpreston@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn

Community members gather on Monday at the Lester & Jewell Morris Hillel Jewish Center for a Passover Seder. Passover is a celebration in Judaism of liberation by God from slavery in ancient Egypt. — Betsy Agosta, SN See the story on page 3

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, or ACLU, announced a lawsuit against the state of Michigan Monday on behalf of the 300 same-sex couples who were married after a court ruling temporarily lifted the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. After U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman declared Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional last month, same-sex couples flocked to courthouses statewide to get married, only to see their marriage benefits halted by a temporary stay requested by Attorney General Bill Schuette. The ACLU is aiming to have the marriages already performed officially recognized by the state. “These couples were so

overjoyed, and then shortly after they felt like they got slapped in the face,” ACLU attorney Jay Kaplan said. “When you hear from real people, you start to understand that what the governor did can be so harmful to people.”

The ACLU hopes to give same-sex couples married after Judge Friedman’s ruling full benefits under state law After the initial ruling and the subsequent stay halting marriages until a higher court has time to consider the issue, Gov. Rick Snyder declared the marriages were legal, but said the state would not issue benefits to the couples until court proceedings were finished. However, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder declared the marriages legal on the federal level. See LAWSUIT on page 2 u


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