Dressed to the nines
statenews.com | 1/29/14 | @thesnews Michigan State University’s independent voice trial
casteel trial concludes with closing statements
By Olivia Dimmer odimmer@statenews.com
THE STATE NEWS
THE STATE NEWS
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He said some of Casteel’s victims — spread across Ingham, Oakland, Livingston and Shiawassee counties — likely will live with the story of the incident for the rest of their lives. “ T hese com mu n it ies … were living in that state of fear, because they didn’t know what was going to happen until (Casteel) was apprehended,” Townsend said. In their closing statements, both Townsend and Casteel’s attorneys spent Tuesday morni ng quest ion i ng Casteel’s actions, challenging the jury to decide whether he intended to hurt his victims. See TRIAL on page 2 u
Junior guard Kiana Johnson and head coach Suzy Merchant Julia Nagy/The State News
campus+city, pG. 3
sports, pG. 6
University keeps school open in freezing temps, angering students
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Attorneys on both sides acknowledged Casteel’s actions, but differed on whether he intended to hurt his victims
ROTC members get uniform inspected for annual ball
BRRRing on the COLD
By Katie Abdilla
HOWELL, Mich. — If she hadn’t been driving between 80 and 85 miles an hour to pass the vehicle in front of her on that day in October of 2012, Jennifer Kupiec might not have missed the bullet Casteel that came flying toward the front of her car. Had she passed just a bit slower, she might have been dead. In his closing statement for the trial of the alleged I-96 shooter in Livingston County Circuit Court, Assistant Attorney General Gregory Townsend focused on the fear 44-yearold Raulie Casteel left in the minds of witnesses that October, when he allegedly shot at 24 cars along the I-96 corridor.
Johnson’s play will be crucial for MSU
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espite sub-zero temperatures, risk of frostbite and the fact that the University of Michigan canceled classes for the first time on Tuesday since 1978, the university operated as usual. And many students were not happy about it. When supply chain management junior Ryan Pun heard the news, he started a petition on the official website of the White House to see how many students would stand up to the administration with him. Before the petition was taken down Tuesday morning “for violating terms of participation,” it had more than 300 signatures. “I just think it is unethical for MSU not canceling class in such weather,” Pun said. “People really may get injury or get frostbite from it. The reason I started the petition is that I was trying to have America see how ridiculous MSU is.” He said he might not have been so upset if MSU had a better bus system or more room for parking on campus. “I just hope MSU will actually start listening to the students and actually care about them,” he said. MSU’s decision to keep the university open was not an easy one to make, MSU spokesman Kent Cassella said. “The decision ... came about after thoughtful, reasoned consideration of local weather forecast updates from the National Weather Service to MSU Police, confirmation that all streets, sidewalks, bus stops and parking lots on campus were open and all public
Photos by Casey Hull/The State News
Engineering senior Claire Veit walks, bundled up against the cold Tuesday outside Agriculture Hall. Temperatures were at least 10 degrees below zero throughout the day, according to the National Weather Service.
transit was able to fully operate,” Cassella said in an email. “ T he pr e sumption is that we’re going to be open,” MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said at a reception for student leaders Tuesday evening. “You’re paying a lot of money for that, and we’re going to deliver a product.” Simon said administrators do not cancel classes unless the weather Lou model used by Anna K. the university Simon, forecasts wind MSU Presichill tempera- dent tures will fall to -30 degrees. In this case, they
Microbiology and molecular genetics freshman Julianne Streukens waits for the bus Tuesday outside Snyder Hall.
“ “You’re paying a lot of money for that, and we’re going to deliver a product.”
did not, she said. The wind chill temperature bottomed out at -27 degrees Tuesday morning just minutes before 8 a.m. classes began, according to National Weather Service data gathered at Lansing’s Capital City
politics
Obama gives State of the Union address By Simon Schuster sschuster@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS
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photo courtesy of Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT
speech he would issue an executive order raising the minimum wage to at least $10.10 per hour on all future federal government contracts, and
urged Congress to draw up legislation that would make the wage universal, and rise with inflation. Although both the Obama
administration and Republicans have lamented that upward mobility is declinSee OBAMA on page 2 u
See WEATHER on page 2 u
Spartans defeat hawkeyes in thrilling overtime Play zsmith@statenews.com
President Barack Obama gives his State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill Tuesday.
Belyk started a Facebook group that had more than 3,500 members who disagreed with MSU’s decision to operate as usual in the freezing weather.
MEN’s basketball
By Zach Smith
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President Barack Obama has had an eventful year. The extent of the government’s online surveillance programs was leaked to the public. The legislative hallmark of his first term — health care reform — was hobbled by technological failures. In October, large swathes of the federal government shut down in legislative gridlock. Leaving controversy by the wayside Tuesday evening, Obama gave a sweeping, legacy-focused State of the Union that didn’t shy from setting an agenda largely focused on economic inequalities — with or without the help of Congress. Obama opened his sixth annual message with an economic collage of portraits of everyday Americans. He followed with a slew of statistics to bolster an agenda that called for extending unemployment insurance, reforming immigration, addressing climate change and following through on women’s rights issues. Obama said dur ing t he
Airport. Many students used social media to encourage students to protest the decision by skipping class and posting pictures of frostbites online. Communication senior Nate
The MSU men’s basketball team beat No. 15 Iowa 71-69 in Iowa City in an overtime thriller TuesMSU 71 day night. Iowa hit 30 IOWA 69 f ree t hrows, but didn’t score for more than 15 minutes during the second half and overtime. Their efforts weren’t enough to overcome the injury-ridden Spartans. A crucial three-pointer by redshirt junior guard Russell Byrd late in the game and some opportunistic Spartan defense also helped MSU hang on. Despite facing the highestscoring team in the Big Ten, MSU’s defense was on display early as they only allowed Iowa to score one field goal in the first five minutes. Five Spartans got on the scoresheet before the Big Ten’s leading scorer, sophomore guard Gary Harris, did. Harris slashed through the Hawkeye defense to end a five-min-
ute field goal drought in the first half. He finished the first half with just two points, five rebounds and two assists. Iowa went on the offensive in the second half, going on
A crucial three-pointer by redshirt junior guard Russell Byrd late in the game helped MSU eke out a victory an 8-2 run early, but a Keith Appling three-pointer followed by a Denzel Valentine dunk silenced the crowd. Valentine continued his strong play when his threepoint shot was blocked, following up his shot, getting a rebound and laying it in. After taking just one shot in the Spartans’ 80-75 loss to Michigan, junior guard Travis Trice hit two three-pointers in the second half. Iowa shut MSU down on the offensive end, and didn’t allow the Spartans to score in more See B-BALL on page 2 u