Thursday 01/30/20

Michigan State’s Independent Voice

EMBRACING THE TEAM

‘As time goes on, we definitely start getting closer and closer’ PAGES 4-5

O PI N I O N

CO M M U N IT Y

SP O RTS

Editorial: Deportations set harmful precedent

Popular Top Hat software has your location data

Men’s basketball team on Kobe Bryant’s death

‘He was denied the opportunity to be a Spartan simply because of his national origin’

Michigan State’s preferred student engagement tool works by using a person’s location information

The student athletes were shocked and saddened by the news about the decorated basketball icon

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T H U R S DAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

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EDITORIAL

Student deportations set harmful precedent The State News Editorial Board feedback@statenews.com

The deportation of Alireza Yazdani Esfidajani should be condemned. He was denied the opportunity to be a Spartan simply because of his national origin.

Every member of our community is valuable and deserves to be here. So do the other Iranian students deported from schools across the nation — of which there are at least 15 — even after achieving visas that require a thorough vetting process.

Esfidajani followed the protocols of our ever-changing, unpredictable, confusing and flawed immigration system.

After hours of paperwork, money spent on travel arrangements and energy poured into making life plans to further his education, he — along with the other students — were denied at the last second. The hopelessness, anguish and fear Esfidajani and others in his situation are now experiencing as a result is unfair and cruel.

His deportation is in-

credibly damaging for our community because of the chilling message it sends to prospective international students as well as current students. And it doesn’t matter what he would have contributed to our community as an intelligent, hardworking and promising PhD student — what matters is how an opportunity he deserved to have was taken away from him.

He didn’t need to make a grand impact on our campus and on academia as a whole to be missed. He will be missed no matter what.

Deporting students based on a political conflict between our country and another is a devastating precedent to set, and we should strive to do a better job at fighting for international student voices on campus.

Everyone deserves the opportunity to add to their life in a way they best see fit.

Not only is their potential for personal growth subdued and denied by deportations — they have lost the chance at beginning a new chapter of their life. And they paid the ultimate price

for the chance at their own missed opportunity.

Our community should be an inviting and accepting one. Now, students in Iran might read a headline about this Michigan State student’s deportation and no longer desire to make the journey to become a part of this community. We have all lost a chance at this priceless cultural exchange.

This shouldn’t have happened, and it shouldn’t continue to happen. These unjust deportations have to end.

The State News Editorial Board is composed of Editor-in-Chief Madison O’Connor, Managing Editor Mila Murray, Copy Chief Alan Hettinger, Campus Editor Evan Jones, City Editor Haley Sinclair, Sports Editor Chase Michaelson, Photo Editor Annie Barker, Multimedia Editor Tessa Osborne, Social Media and Engagement Editor Wolfgang Ruth, Staff Representative Maddie Monroe and Diversity and Inclusion Representative Chandra Fleming.

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T H U R S DAY, JA N UARY 30, 2020

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL EMBRACES TEAM MENTALITY

By Devin Anderson-Torrez dandersontorrez@statenews.com Following games that were just one month apart, players from the Michigan State women’s basketball team entered the media room.

On Dec. 15, they walked in with high spirits after a game in which every player had the opportunity to pitch in to a blowout victory against Morehead State. On Jan. 23, the Spartans walked in disappointed and shocked after their three-game winning streak snapped in blowout fashion to Northwestern.

However, after both games — which ended with polar-opposite results — there was a constant.

Each player was focused on the team above anything else. On Dec. 15, freshman forward

Julia Ayrault had recorded her first career doubledouble, but instead of basking in her success, she commended her entire team on the win.

“It’s awesome,” Ayrault said. “That’s one of my favorite things ever, ‘cause I want everyone to get in there. When we get the energy going on the bench like that, it keeps us going too. I think that has been a really good thing for us — keeping everyone engaged, everyone excited.”

On Jan. 23, senior guard Taryn McCutcheon struggled on both sides of the ball — just as her entire team did. But she didn’t place blame.

McCutcheon accepted the responsibilities she could and acknowledged the steps her team could take.

“As leaders, we can’t play like that,” McCutcheon said. “I just have to take ownership of that and

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realize that as seniors and veterans, we can’t come out and play like that. ... We just have to be more consistent. It’s been a struggle for the last two years, and it’s taking a long time trying to figure it out.”

The road has not been easy this year.

MSU women’s basketball has suffered injury after injury, sickness after sickness and has gone through several droughts without a win. Coach Suzy Merchant has had to roll out several young lineups, and those who were just role players at the beginning of the season have stepped up into starting roles.

Consistency on the court has been a problem all year — every player on the roster all the way up to Merchant would admit that. It’s enough to pull some teams apart, as players fight for minutes while the team struggles through close losses.

The Spartans have done the exact opposite.

Somehow they are still above .500, sitting with multiple wins in the Big Ten. They have also put together NCAA Tournament caliber wins.

While they search for consistency on the court, the Spartans have had no problem keeping it off the court. With the will to not just win but to see each other succeed, these ego-less players have turned what could’ve been a disastrous season into one they can build on.

Chemistry has been the consistency and key to the Spartans’ season.

“I mean, I think every kid wants to start and play,” Merchant said. “It might not be your night, it might be someone else’s. I like the depth of this team and the chemistry of the team.”

Through the ups and downs of the season, they have only become closer.

“It starts off the court,” senior forward Nia Hollie said. “We’re a really close team off the court. I mean, we laugh endlessly. It’ll be seven in the morning for a shoot-around and we’re talking, laughing like it’s nothing, like it’s late in the night. We go through these things every day where we see each other for three hours, so it’s not like we don’t get into it here and there.

But it’s like having a sibling — but all the same age — so we’re all kind of like twins.”

As they make their way through a tough Big Ten conference, team meetings have kept the chemistry up and the Spartans on the same page.

“We really just had to step back and look at ourselves and look at the situation for what it was and discuss how we want to move forward,” sophomore guard Nia Clouden said. “I think it’s brought us closer together as a team, and we’re all on the same page now.”

The chemistry they have built off court has translated into successful games.

“It fits on the court,” Hollie said. “You can see the chemistry and it’s still growing too, which is very nice, and you don’t get that from a lot of teams. ... It gets technical when you do add the basketball into it, but I think that it helps a ton — especially (when) we are getting into it or bickering a little bit. It helps because it shows that you’re being competitive, you want it just as much as that next person does. We fight for each other.”

The importance of maintaining a level head has

“If it’s not you that game, it could be you next game. ... It’s bigger than you, it’s the team. And if we keep that focus — to be a great teammate, one of our core values — I think this team has a chance to be exceptional.”

Suzy Merchant MSU women’s basketball coach been key this season, and the Spartans’ focus on team-ball instead of playing as individuals has been huge.

“As time goes on, we definitely start getting closer and closer. I think we start rooting for each other more — which is awesome,” Ayrault said. “It’s so important and it helps us so much, because when you’re rooting for each other and you want each other to succeed, it just boosts our team so much. ... We have gotten — as time has gone on — more and more of that.”

From the starters to the bench, each Spartan touches the game any way they can — from scoring to the hustle that might not show up on the stat sheet.

“For other teams to know that you’ve got a whole other five coming off the bench that could be a starting five, that’s like a monster coming at you,” Hollie said.

“There’s a lot of different ways you can touch the game other than scoring, and the beauty in that is a lot of it won’t show up in the stat sheet.

But you’re doing it and it is contributing to the win, whether it is a big one, small one — it’s still contributing.”

With a deep roster, playing time might fluctuate. Part of the chemistry on the team is

S POT L I G H T

“As time goes on, we definitely start getting closer and closer. I think we start rooting for each other more — which is awesome. It’s so important and it helps us so much.”

Julia Ayrault Freshman forward

ABOVE: Sophomore guard Tory Ozment (right), senior guard Taryn McCutcheon (front, left), and sophomore forward Kayla Belles (back, left) celebrate during a game against Nebraska. The Spartans defeated the Cornhuskers, 78-70, at the Breslin Student Events Center on Dec. 31, 2019. PHOTO BY MATT ZUBIK LEFT: The Spartans celebrate during the game against Morehead State at Breslin Center on Dec. 15, 2019. The Spartans defeated the Eagles, 93-48. PHOTO BY ANNIE BARKER BOTTOM LEFT: Spartan teammates, McCutcheon and sophomore guard/forward Tory Ozment (1), share a laugh while sitting on the bench during their game against Hartford. The Spartans crushed the Hawks, 79-34, on Nov. 24, 2019. PHOTO BY LAUREN DEMAY BELOW: MSU women’s basketball celebrates during 88-87 victory over Central Michigan in the first round of the 2019 NCAA tournament. STATE NEWS FILE PHOTO

understanding that a player’s role one night might not be their role the next. And whatever they’re asked to do, they do it.

“This is a team, and we have a really strong roster from top to bottom and that should be embraced and celebrated,” Merchant said. “And you know, one night, you might get 15 minutes.

The next night, you might only get five.”

Merchant said it’s an exciting place to be as a coach.

“And I think it’s harder place for players to be, because everybody thinks they should be playing … if you buy in,” Merchant said. “You’re grateful for the experience, and have gratitude for what you can bring — whether it be four minutes, five minutes. ... Whatever your role is that day.”

Selfless play has been a huge piece of the team’s identity. Accepting their role and being flexible has helped the individuals become a collective.

“I think (being selfless) helps a lot, because I would say most people don’t want to play with

somebody who’s all about themselves,” Clouden said. “So us all being selfless and wanting each other to do good and working for each other is good. It helps our team come together as a collective.”

Through their struggles, the Spartans’ chemistry has allowed them to continuously embrace a team mentality. It has helped guide them as they encounter different obstacles during the season that could’ve gone in a far different direction.

“If it’s not you that game, it could be you next game. ... It’s bigger than you, it’s the team,” Merchant said.

“And if we keep that focus — to be a great teammate, one of our core values — I think this team has a chance to be exceptional.”

T H U R S DAY, JA N UA RY 30, 2020

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RELIGIOUS DIRECTORY Stay up to date at: www.statenews.com/religious

All Saints Episcopal Church 800 Abbot Rd. (517) 351-7160 Sun. Worship: 8am, 10am, & 5pm Sunday School: 10am www.allsaints-el.org Ascension Lutheran Church 2780 Haslett Road East Lansing (517) 337-9703 Sunday worship: 10:00am Sunday Bible study: 8:45am Thursday Bible study: 2:00pm www.ascensioneastlansing.org Crossway Multinational Church 4828 Hagadorn Rd. (Across from Fee Hall) (517) 917-0498 Sun: 10:00am crosswaymchurch.org Greater Lansing Church of Christ 310 N. Hagadorn Rd. (Meet @ University Christian Church) (517) 898-3600 Sun: 8:45am Worship, 10am Bible Class Wed: 1pm, Small group bible study www.greaterlansing coc.org Hillel Jewish Student Center 360 Charles St. (517) 332-1916 Shabbat – Services@ 6pm / dinner @ 7, September–April www.msuhillel.org instagram: @msuhillel

The Islamic Society of Greater Lansing 920 S. Harrison Rd. (517) 351-4309 Friday Services: 12:15-12:45pm & 1:45-2:15pm For prayer times visit www.lansingislam.com/ Martin Luther Chapel Lutheran Student Center 444 Abbot Rd. (517) 332-0778 Sun: 10:30am & 7pm Wed: 7pm Mini-bus pick-up on campus (Fall/Spring) www.martinluther chapel.org The People’s Church Multi-denominational 200 W Grand River Ave. (517)332-6074 Sun. Service: 10:30am with free lunch for students following worship ThePeoplesChurch.com Riverview Church- MSU Venue MSU Union Ballroom, 2nd Floor 49 Abbot Rd. (517) 694-3400 Sun. Worship: 11:30am-ish www.rivchurch.com St. Paul Lutheran Church (ELCA) Worship with us on Sundays at 10am 3383 E. Lake Lansing Rd 517-351-8541 www.stpaul-el.org officemanagerstpaul el@gmail.com

St. John Catholic Church and Student Center 327 M.A.C Ave. (517) 337-9778 Sun: 8am, 10am, Noon, 5pm, 7pm M,W: 5:30pm T & Th: 8:45pm F: 12:15pm www.stjohnmsu.org University Christian Church 310 N. Hagadorn Rd (517) 332-5193 Sun. Bible Study: 10am Sun. Worship: 11:15am www.universitychristianwired.com University Lutheran Church (ULC) “We’re open in every way” 1120 S. Harrison Rd (517) 351-7030 Sun. Worship: 8:30am & 10:45am Fridays@Five: Dinner, discussion & fun 5pm Mon. Bible Study: 6:30pm @Wells Hall Quad www.ulcel.org Facebook: ULC and Campus Ministry University United Methodist Church 1120 S. Harrison Rd (517) 351-7030 Main Service: Sun: 11am in the Sanctuary Additional Services: NEW contemporary service Sundays at 9am with band titled ‘REACH’ TGiT (Thank God its Thursday): Thur: 8pm in the Chapel of Apostles universitychurchhome.org office@eluumc.org WELS Lutheran Campus Ministry 704 Abbot Rd. (517) 580-3744 Sat: 6:30pm msu.edu/~welsluth

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Researchers discover disease, autism link

By Karly Graham kgraham@statenews.com

A team of Michigan State researchers discovered a connection between the rare disease tuberous sclerosis complex, or TSC, and autism and epilepsy.

The correlation connects the three disorders to the mutation of two different genes that result in the restraint of proteins that are related to multiple disorders with high rates of autism.

WHAT IS TUBEROUS SCLEROSIS COMPLEX?

TSC affects multiple organ systems, causing benign tumors to grow on the skin, heart, kidneys and lungs.

It was known prior that there were high rates of people with TSC also having autism and seizures, but the study — published in Nature Communications — focuses on mutations in two specific genes that are critical to the pathway that retrains a protein often correlated with high rates of autism.

Around 90% of all people with TSC have seizures and about half have autism spectrum disorder.

When the two genes mutate, they turn off the protein mammalian target of rapamycin, or mTOR. When the mutation results in mTOR activating at the wrong times, people develop autism. mTOR regulates the development and function of brain cells, and understanding how the protein works is crucial in understanding its role in the development in autism and neuropsychiatric symptoms of TSC because the study proved how crucial the protein is in the pathway.

The Life Sciences Building on Jan. 29. PHOTO BY ANNIE BARKER

was kind of a big deal because we have been trying to understand what gives these inhibitory cells their properties to begin with.”

In many humans and animals on the autism spectrum, the group of cells that the research team was working with took on properties of other cells. The group of cells for people with autism are usually altered, Vogt said.

“We had a cell type that just kind of turned on properties in an unexpected way,” Vogt said. “Correlating with that, we also had the inhibitory neurons that we affected were less excitable. In other words, the brain itself had less inhibition which we think might also contribute to seizures in this disorder.”

The researchers followed a pathway of genes that worked similarly to an assembly line — if something along the line is faulty, people can develop diseases and disorders.

“It’s been known for a long time that there are several — probably 10 to 20 — different genes in this pathway that cause various HOW THE RESEARCH CAME syndromes with high rates ABOUT of autism, but no one has The team made the break- really figured out what’s through when they were the commonality between working with inhibitory these different genes,” Vogt neurons in the brain and said. “In other words, how their properties. Inhibitory can you have high rates of neurons release the neu- autism, but all these disorrotransmitter gamma am- ders are different?” inobutyric acid, or GABA, whereas excitatory neurons THE PROCESS release the neurotransmit- To save time and money, ters epinephrine and nor- the researchers worked with the same cell tissue epinephrine.

“That was kind of a shock, and labeled different prowe didn’t really expect that teins with different colors.

They expected an expanat all,” author and assistant professor in the College of sion of cells, but they did Human Medicine’s Depart- not expect any overlap. Afment of Pediatrics and Hu- ter removing some of the man Development Daniel genes from the pathway, Vogt said. “For the field, it two proteins overlapped 6

T H E STAT E N EWS

and became the same cell type.

Once they were done with that part of the experiment, they had collaborators who were “blind” — or unaware of what happened during experimentation — look at the results and confirm what they had seen.

“We always doubt ourselves immensely because we’re so used to failure basically,” Vogt said. “That was really the moment, when they came back without knowing anything and said, ‘Yes, these cells are very different, and they have properties of some other cell type in the brain that we were not expecting.’”

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Now, the team plans to work with the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital because they have a TSC clinic.

They plan to take one or two years to screen different mutations to see if the findings the team had in the lab were consistent with humans while also learning different things about the gene and its pathway.

While they will not work directly on or with people, the team will share their knowledge about the mutation and what it does.

“We hope that if we can understand enough about the gene and the mutation that we can start working with them in the future,” Vogt said. “This would be the ultimate hope, that we might be able to predict if a certain mutation might make you more susceptible to autism or seizures.”

“We want to understand if certain mutations cause problems in the gene that might lead to autism, or if they only lead to other symptoms of the disorder,” he said.

TH UR S DAY, JAN UARY 30, 2020

COMMU N I T Y

New dashboard improves city’s transparency

By Lucas Day lday@statenews.com

East Lansing took a step towards becoming more transparent with the implementation of its priority-based budgeting, community-facing data dashboard.

“While Priority Based Budgeting doesn’t replace our traditional budgeting process, it provides a new approach to our budget decision making and increases transparency for our residents,” East Lansing City Manager George Lahanas said in a news release.

The shift to priority-based budgeting means the city takes a deeper look at where money is being spent and where money needs to be spent, as opposed to simply using the same budget priorities as the past year, East Lansing City

Council Member Lisa Babcock said.

“It comes to us with a lot more information about how the money we’re spending is tied to the goals of the city,” Babcock said.

The website shows how much money is being spent on six priority categories: economy, environmental, infrastructure, recreation, safety and good governance.

These six categories, once selected on the website, provide definitions that the council uses as their “scoring criteria when evaluating the extent at which the program supports a given priority,” according to the site.

Money spent on the economy will focus on developing the downtown area and helping businesses. Additionally, some will be allocated to retaining Michigan

State graduates.

The environmental portion of the budget will focus on promoting sustainable energy and educating people on environmental issues.

Funds allocated to infrastructure will help in areas like managing wastewater and storm water, as well as sustaining a visually appealing community.

Recreation money will be spent on things like keeping art prominent in East Lansing and maintaining park trails.

The budget dedicated to safety allows for spending in relation to the police and fire departments.

Additionally, the site points out money spent keeping East Lansing safe attracts home buyers.

The final category — good governance — is spent to ensure an

active and responsive city staff.

The site also allows users to see how money is spent on different departments, such as parking, library services and public works.

“The Open PBB dashboard is specifically designed to transparently share all of the city’s priority-based budgeting data with citizens and inform our community of the true cost of providing city services,” Lahanas said in the release.

Babcock said that when she worked as a reporter, looking at budgets was complicated because there was so much money being allocated to different places, something the site breaks down clearly.

“This budget, rather than just throwing a bunch of numbers at people, connects the dots and al-

lows people to look at it,” Babcock said.

Babcock was elected to council in November 2019, running on a platform demanding more transparency from the city.

“Anything we do that puts more information in the hands of more people is better government,” Babcock said.

Babcock said it’s especially important for East Lansing to be transparent because of the public’s desire to be involved.

“East Lansing is a really special community,” Babcock said. “People want to know (what’s going on), they’re actually curious, people go to meetings.”

Babcock said this is just one step in making the city more transparent, with more to come.

“We have only just begun.”

Popular education software Top Hat knows your location

By C.J. Moore cmoore@statenews.com

If you use Lyft, UberEats, Instagram or Snapchat, you’ve almost certainly shared your location with those apps. A digital education software in use at Michigan State similarly works by using a person's location data.

Top Hat — which can be used by instructors to take attendance, assign homework or administer tests — requires a location-enabled laptop or mobile device for some of its features to work.

Top Hat can be set up to require students to be physically present in class to receive full attendance points. If those settings are chosen for a course, Top Hat only automatically marks a student as attending that day if the software

receives the student’s location and it shows them physically present in the classroom.

“Using Top Hat Classroom allows instructors to automatically verify whether a student is physically present in class and auto-assign grades for attendance and participation,” according to Top Hat’s website.

The software is “Michigan State’s preferred student engagement tool,” according to the company.

MSU partnered with Top Hat to bring the software to campus in fall 2016.

It’s free for professors.

The university currently doesn't cover Top Hat costs for students. Students choose to pay different subscription prices: $30 for four months, $48 for a year or $96 for four years, with an average of $35 per interactive textbook.

“Professors at MSU choose to use or not use Top Hat in their classrooms,” Daniel Olsen, the deputy spokesperson for MSU said via email. “However, the university does not provide the software.”

Top Hat is meant to provide an option different from an iClicker, a handheld remote control frequently required by several instructors to answer inclass questions, Olsen said.

“Top Hat is fundamentally a software solution, while iClickers have a hardware component to them. The differences depend on which features faculty use and how they use them to support student learning,” Olsen said.

“Because the choice to use Top Hat is an instructor decision, the company would be better positioned to provide accurate data on its

use in classes at MSU.” Dianna Lai Read, director of communications for Top Hat, said she couldn’t disclose the number of instructors at MSU who use the software.

She said Top Hat originated as a means to “leverage the introduction of smartphones back in 2009” to change in-class experiences for students and professors.

“Specific to the way Michigan State uses Top Hat, for in-class engagement, we know that it helps students engage in classroom discussion, including shier students who wouldn't normally raise their hand in class,” Lai Read said.

The Associated Students of Michigan State University, or ASMSU, is working with Top Hat on a plan to “help cover a portion of subscription fees” for stu-

dents who need to purchase the software, Lai Read said.

Creating an account through Tophatmonocle Corp., or THM, gives the company access to personal information such as a user’s name, email, location and IP address.

THM “will retain” account information and associate it with that person, per a privacy policy updated in January.

THM doesn’t sell or rent any user information to third parties, according to the policy, nor do they retain credit card data.

However, they can retain personal information and disclose it in certain circumstances: it can be given to faculty or instructors at a university, shared with service providers who perform services for THM or turned over to law en-

forcement.

“THM may be required by law to disclose personal information without your consent in the event of emergency situations or when required by government, valid legal process, or other legal authority,” according to the policy.

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SPORTS

‘Tells you how fragile life is’ MSU men’s basketball reflects on Kobe Bryant’s death

By Jayna Bardahl jbardahl@statenews.com “Family.”

That’s how the Michigan State men’s basketball teams breaks out of its huddle. And after the death of former NBA player Kobe Bryant on Jan. 26, that chant meant a little bit more.

“One of the things that people lose sight of is that (Bryant) was a tremendous basketball player and he taught everybody how to work hard and how to compete at a high level, but he was a family man after that,” sophomore forward Aaron Henry said. “That’s what inspired me the most from him."

Bryant, 41, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California shortly after 9 a.m. on Sunday. The NBA Champion’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna was also killed in the crash, among seven others. Bryant had three other daughters and a wife, Vanessa, who were not involved in the accident.

As a father himself, junior forward Xavier Tillman said the news struck closer to home for his wife Tamia because she saw a similari-

ty between Tillman and Bryant and their value for family.

“When I got home, (Tamia) was talking about how he is such a family man and I am myself,” Tillman said.

Bryant, a Philadelphia native, was drafted straight out of high school and went on to spend 20 seasons as a shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a five-time NBA champion (2000-2002, 2009, 2010) and had 18 NBA All-Star appearances before retiring in 2016.

“It speaks so much about a man when you don’t know him … and yet the idolization, the respect, it was like, oh my God,” Izzo said in a press conference after MSU’s Jan. 26 win over Minnesota, according to the Detroit Free Press.

“That win meant nothing three minutes into it.

I was amazed just watching different players that I didn’t think would really look at things that way. It kind of tells you how fragile life is.”

As a decorated basketball icon, athletes around the country, including former and current Spartan players, found themselves at a loss for words in reaction to his death. When Izzo told senior guard Cassius Winston after

The Rock on Farm Lane reads “RIP Kobe & Gigi Bryant 24” on Jan. 27. PHOTO BY ANNIE BARKER

the Minnesota game, Winston’s mouth fell, his face froze.

"Kobe?” Winston was caught by Fox cameras asking. After Izzo nodded, Winston clarified.

“Bryant?" he asked, wide-eyed. Izzo nodded again. "Wow," Winston said.

“Just unreal,” Winston said, thinking back to the moment. “Some people, you never think that anything bad can happen to them and that’s one of those guys. He was a great guy, great for the basketball world ... so to hear that tragic news, it was really sad.”

Tillman, who admitted being a long-time LeBron James fan, acknowledged the growing appreciation he gained for Bryant’s game, specifically for his scoring abilities, as Tillman learned to be a better player himself.

“As I got older, and I wanted to learn the intricacies of being a scorer and really knowing the details of being a scorer, I really locked

in on Kobe,” Tillman said. “I noticed that he was really one of the best scorers you’ve ever seen and a great champion and a great person.”

Winston said it was Bryant’s mentality, the one that carried him through life beyond the court, that inspired him the most.

“Just the fact that he was going to be the best ... no matter what it is, who was out there, what he was doing,” Winston said. “That’s a mentality that a lot of people can learn from.”

As the country mourns, whether it be with candlelit ceremonies or the painting of a rock, Henry left off with a reminder that Bryant’s death brought forward to the country — players are more than just the game.

“Just showing me what kind of a man he was before a basketball player,” Henry said of Bryant. “People lose sight of that, and it’s sad that death has to happen to draw people closer to that and realize what life really is about.”

COLUMN

STAY INFORMED

MSU football’s key to 2020 success

By Elijah McKown emckown@statenews.com

YOUR NEWS, YOUR VOICE, YOUR WAY

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T HE STAT E NEWS

THU R SDAY, JA NUA RY 30, 2020

Two separate seasons. Two program wins.

A lot of comparisons have been drawn between the 2012 football season and this last season, as coach Mark Dantonio and the Michigan State Spartans in the regular season finales of both seasons became bowl-eligible. In both seasons, he dubbed their final regular season wins as “program wins,” — 2012 at Minnesota and 2019 against Maryland.

A lot of doubt has been cast over the program and its direction after back-to-back 7-6 seasons, and rightfully so. However, I’m here to tell you that there is reason for hope, but only if Dantonio can finally address the issues that have plagued this team for the last four seasons.

Even in these tough times, Dantonio has continued to build elite-level defenses. He has done that time and time again, and I think he’s earned the trust of fans of having at the very least a good defense each season.

With guys like linebacker Antjuan Simmons returning, someone who could have went pro

but wants to succeed here in East Lansing, I think Dantonio still has the ability to coach a great defense.

It’s on offense, though, where the key issue has been for the last few seasons. There is reason for optimism next season though with the talent returning. Elijah Collins was only 12 yards way from being the first 1,000-yard MSU rusher since 2014. The receivers are young and could be one of the most talented groups Dantonio has had.

Even with Cody White’s departure, the Spartans will lineup with Jalen Nailor, Tre Mosley, Jayden Reed and tight end Trenton Gillison. On the offensive line, things can only get better, considering they were ranked No. 114 out of 130 FBS teams

by Pro Football Focus.

The quarterback position and who’s calling the plays is where the questions arise for the offense. With all-time yards leader Brian Lewerke departing, who fills the void? Is it the man with real game experience in Rocky Lombardi, or one of the young guns such as Payton Thorne or Theo Day? Regardless of who it is going to be, the decision should not be up to Dantonio, it should be offensive coordinator Brad Salem’s decision.

When Dantonio decided to shuffle his staff, he bet the house on Salem. It is time he finally trusts him, joins the crowd and gives Salem the keys

to the offense and allow him to choose the quarterback that he wants to build his ideal offense.

Before coming to MSU, Salem was the head coach at Augustana College, a Division II school out in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

At Augustana, Salem spread the ball out, and it worked. He created an offense that was ranked fourth in Division II in total offense and third in scoring.

In the bowl game, it seemed as if Dantonio did give Salem the keys in a way. We saw some RPOs with Lewerke and saw Salem set up MSU’s athletic playmakers like Nailor and Collins out in space to create big plays.

But, too many times we saw on first and second down backto-back run plays straight up the middle for no gain, forcing an improbable third-and-long situation.

Dantonio has the ability to succeed. He shown us that time and time again. However, he has to grow and delegate some responsibilities to his staff and allow them to bring fresh ideas to the field.

Dantonio over a year ago could have brought in a new guy, but he believed in Salem.

He thought he could revamp an offense that had floundered in recent years. Now, it’s time he bets the house and hopes that Salem was the guy he thought he was when he decided to shuffle him into the coordinator spot.