Thursday 2/23/17

State News The

The Charges Keep Coming Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announces 22 more charges of first-degree criminal sexual assault against Nassar

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette speaks to the media during a press conference on Feb. 22, at the attorney general’s office at 525 W. Ottawa St. in Lansing. MSU Police Chief Jim Dunlap said MSUPD is currently investigating more than 80 reported sexual assault cases against Nassar.

PHOTO: SUNDEEP DHANJAL

Former MSU kicker Morten Andersen reflects on his college and professional career before being inducted into the 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame MORTEN ANDERSEN T HU R S DAY, F E B R UA RY 2 3 , 2 017

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S P OT L I G H T

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“I think my junior year, I had an idea that I might get a shot and make it — at least getting a try, a tryout with a NFL team.”

DEBATE TEAM ADVANCES

Morten Andersen, Former MSU kicker PAGES 4 AND 5 STAT ENEWS .COM

After facing teams from across the state, the MSU Debate team will head to the National Debate Tournament PAGE 12

RELIGIOUS GUIDE News Concerns remain for Park District update

Stephen Olschanski City editor city@statenews.com

Look for this directory in the paper every Thursday and online at: www.statenews.com/religious

St. John Catholic Church and Student Center 327 M.A.C. Ave. East Lansing, MI 48823 (517) 337-9778 stjohnmsu.org Sunday: 8am, 10am, Noon, 5pm, 7pm Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 12:15pm Lansing Church of Tuesday & Thursday: God in Christ 5304 Wise Rd., Lansing, MI 9:15pm 48911 The Islamic Society of http://lansingcogic.org/ Greater Lansing Worship hours Sunday: 10:30am, 5:00pm 920 S. Harrison Rd., East Lansing, MI 48823 Monday Family Prayer: Islam 101 Feb. 5, 2:30 p.m Ascension Lutheran Church 6:00pm Friday Services: 2780 Haslett Rd., E. Lansing 12:15-12:45 & 1:45-2:15 Little Flock Christian Between Hagadorn & Park For prayer times visit Fellowship Lake Rds. www.lansingislam.com/ A Non-Denominational(517) 337-9703 Evagelical Church Adult Bible Study: 9am Trinity Church MSU Alumni Chapel Sunday School: 9am 3355 Dunckel Rd. (Basement Hall) Worship Service: 10am Lansing, MI 48911 Sunday Worship Service: ascensioneastlansing.org (517) 272-3820 10am-12 Noon.

Saturday: 6pm Fellowship Lunch after the Sunday: 9:15am, 11am Eastminster Presbyterian service Church trinitywired.com 1315 Abbot Rd, East Lansing, Weekly Bibly Studies & University Baptist Students’ Meetings.

MI, 48823 Church littleflock.msu@gmail.com (517) 337-0893 4608 South Hagadorn Rd www.littleflock.org www.eastminsterchurch.org East Lansing, MI 48823 Worship Gatherings: (517) 351-4144 Martin Luther Chapel Sunday Worship 10:30 am www.ubcel.org 444 Abbot Rd. UKirk Presbyterian Campus 10 AM Worship Service East Lansing, MI 48823 Ministry Wednesdays at 7pm 11:15 Coffee Hour (517) 332-0778 www.ukirkmsu.org 11:30 Sunday School martinlutherchapel.org Sunday: 9:30am & 7:00pm University Christian Greater Lansing Church Wednesday Worship: 9pm Church of Christ Mini-bus pick-up on 310 N. Hagadorn Rd. 310 N. Hagadorn Rd. campus (Fall/Spring) East Lansing, MI East Lansing, MI 48823 (Meeting at the University (517) 332-5193 Peoples Church Christian Church building) universitychristianCampus Ministry (517) 898-3600 wired.com 200 W Grand River Ave., Sunday: 11:15 am Students welcome!

East Lansing, MI Sunday Bible Study: Sunday Worship: 8:45am (517) 332-5073 10:15am Sunday Bible class: 10:15am Sunday Evening: Small Group ThePeoplesChurch.com University United Wednesday: 7pm - bible study Worship Times: Sunday: 10:30 AM worship Methodist Church & Students please feel free to 11:30 AM Student Lunch MSU Wesley call for rides & Gathering 1120 S. Harrison Rd. http://www.greaterlansingMonday: 6:30 PM Student East Lansing, MI 48823 coc.org Dinner & Bible Study (517) 351-7030 universitychurchhome.org Haslett Community Church River Terrace Church msuwesley.org 1427 Haslett Road Sunday: 10:30am 1509 River Terrace Dr. Haslett, MI 48840 9:00am Garden Service in East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: (517) 339-8383 the summer (517) 351-9059 Worship Hours: Sunday TGIT: 8:00pm Thursdays www.riverterrace.org Worship at 10:00am Service times: 9 & 11:15am Sept. - April www.haslettcommunityWELS Lutheran Campus church.org Ministry 704 Abbot Road East Lansing, MI 48823 (517) 580-3744 www.msu.edu/~weisluth 6:00pm Saturday 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

Hillel Jewish Student Center 360 Charles St., E. Lansing (517) 332-1916 Friday Night Services: 6pm, Dinner: 7pm September - April

Religious Organizations: Don’t be left out of the Religious Directory!

Call 517-295-1680 today to speak with an Account Executive

A rendering of Building A provided by Convexity Properties as part of its site plan for Park District redevelopment. PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE CITY OF EAST LANSING

BY RILEY MURDOCK RMURDOCK@STATENEWS.COM

A representative for the developer of the Park District project spoke to East Lansing City Council at the Feb. 21 discussion-only meeting about the current timeline for demolition and the revised plans for the project.

Though just an update, it left council still skeptical of the unfolding plans.

The city and developer Convexity Properties continue to spar over how quickly the buildings can be demolished. David Pierson, attorney for Convexity and property owner DRW, said he had been in correspondence with Community and Economic Development Administrator Lori Mullins, who provided him a letter from a Michigan Economic Development Corporation staffer that said the developer wouldn’t lose eligibility for Michigan Business Tax, or MBT, credits if they went ahead with demolition. Pierson is also the attorney for The State News.

Convexity has previously cited concerns of losing MBT credits in requests to extend the demolition deadline.

Pierson insisted on waiting for a decision to be made on the matter by the Michigan Strategic Fund, or MSF, board, which requires an approved plan for the current project.

Pierson said the developer has contracted with a demolition contractor and there would only be a one month difference in the demolition timeline should they go with what the letter suggested.

Pierson said city staff asked him to come give a timetable at the meeting and he provided, saying the developer expects to have a plan formally submitted for the March 22 Planning Commission meeting and be able to present a complete package to council at the April 25 meeting.

Should this all go smoothly, the MSF board will make a decision in June, and Convexity will have already began preliminary demolition steps such as the asbestos abatement, Pierson added.

Mayor Pro Tem Ruth Beier, who criticized Convexity’s demolition delays in the past, said she was not satisfied with the timetable discussed.

“I don’t agree with them, I think our staff is correct,” Beier said. “It wasn’t a business meeting so there was really nothing to do about it tonight, but when we move along and if we’re not making any progress, I hope that we don’t agree to postpone any longer.”

Pierson also described the current version of the updated site plan. After a reimbursement dispute, Convexity considered reducing the proj2

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ect solely to Building A. The 12-story structure would feature a mix of hotel and retail space, which Pierson confirmed at the meeting.

Building A, the centerpiece of the previous design, is still 12 stories and unchanged in terms of hotel and meeting space.

Pierson said depending on a yet-to-be finalized agreement with an unnamed partner, 45,000 square feet of office space might also be included.

Should the agreement fall through, the agreement would revert back to 177 units of mixed-market rental spaces.

MSU is still interested in using the space to house visiting faculty, and could occupy all of the building’s housing, Pierson said. If demand is less, another building could be re-added, containing either owner-occupied or MSU-occupied housing.

“At this point that’s still up in the air, we want to keep the project moving forward, we want to be able to include them still, but we don’t know and as they themselves say, they don’t move real fast,” Pierson said.

Now, the plan calls for 190 spaces of aboveground parking, Pierson said, which is contingent on the city approving a new ordinance slashing their parking requirements for the development by 50 percent.

The parking structure was planned to be built on Evergreen Avenue properties the city owes approximately $5.6 million on, which Mayor Mark Meadows said the city would reimburse the developer for through their tax increment financing, or TIF, plan.

Meadows said the city needs to restructure those properties, but developing them was never one of the city’s requirements.

“That was always up to them, I mean it was their proposal,” Meadows said. “We never required that, what we told them is we had that property available. They picked that property as the location for the parking structure.”

Pierson said Convexity will be limiting the scope of their public infrastructure improvements to street and sewer work around the building, aiming to request a much smaller brownfield plan than before.

Based on what the city is willing to pay for in a TIF, Pierson said the developer is still open to constructing additional improvements.

Despite all the reductions in the project, Meadows said he still expects there to be issues between the city and Convexity involving TIF funding.

READ MORE ON THE UPDATE AT STATENEWS.COM TH U R S DAY, FE B R UA RY 2 3 , 2 01 7

Contents

Cameron Macko Managing editor cmacko@statenews.com

ONLINE

Downtown could see huge change

5 things from Nassar press conference

MSU men’s hockey Senior Day

Developer submits plans to city that would drastically alter downtown

See a breakdown of more charges against former MSU employee Larry Nassar

The seniors will play their last home game this weekend

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From left to right, James Madison College freshmen Allie Pail, Dana McDorman-Kolata, Claudia Allou and Georgia Artzberger study outside on Feb. 19 at Case Hall. The group went to get gelato together prior to their study session. PHOTO: CHLOE GRIGSBY

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Spotlight

Morten Andersen reflects on life before induction to Hall of Fame

BY COLTON WOOD CWOOD@STATENEWS.COM

MSU alumnus Morten Andersen received a knock on the door that would lead to a moment the former MSU football kicker would never forget.

At the door was David Baker, the President of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “Welcome to Canton,” Baker told Andersen on Feb. 4.

The former Spartan football and NFL player received the news he had waited so long for. After numerous attempts, Andersen got the word he would finally be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2017.

“I’m extremely honored and excited to go in with six other men — great at what they did and legendary — and just honored and looking forward to using this tremendous platform to do good work and to celebrate, honor the legends of the game and promote its history, and celebrate excellence,” Andersen said. “It’s going to be awesome.”

Andersen said being able to join a Hall of Fame class highlighted by the likes of Kurt Warner and LaDainian Tomlinson is extremely humbling.

“Yeah, it’s very humbling, and I chose to look at players and not really positions,” he said. “I think excellence comes in many forms and different positions. And so, if you’re very good at what you do it should be recognized and acknowledged, and I think that’s what happened in Houston. Regardless of position, they picked seven guys that they felt were worthy of induction, and I’m very fortunate to be one of them.”

From Denmark As an exchange student, Anderson first arrived to the United States from Denmark when he was 17 years old.

“It was challenging because I didn’t speak the language, really,” Andersen said. “I knew a little bit of English when I came to the states in ‘77. I was only 17 years old, so I didn’t know much about American culture other than what (I’d) seen on film — in the Westerns really, with John Wayne Westerns and spaghetti Westerns and things like that.

“But I think it happened pretty quickly for me.

Sports has a beautiful way of allowing you into a group of guys and just being accepted because that’s the common denominator that we’re doing something together here, we’re a part of a team.

I think football really helped me that way, and kicking helped me that way. And I was in gym-

nastics in high school and track, so I was always a part of a group of people who kind of had common interests and that really helped, I think.”

Andersen said what got him started with kicking occurred purely out of coincidence.

“They asked me if I wanted to try out for the high school team,” he said. “They didn’t have a soccer team. I really wanted to play soccer, but they didn’t have a team. So I was like, ‘Well, let me try this. This is the next best thing.’ And they needed a kicker, so I fulfilled the need for the team.

I was pretty good at it from the start, and it was fun. It was fun to compete. It was a whole different sport than I’ve ever played, so it was challenging, and it was a new learning experience. I really kind of enjoyed it and immersed myself in it to try to be as good as I could be.”

Life as a Spartan Andersen’s exceptional and impressive kicking ability in high school led to him to joining the Spartan football team in 1978.

“I loved my time up there as a Spartan — beautiful campus,” Andersen said. “It was just a great university. I still have many ties to the university. I still support them through the Spartan Fund and go back for games. I know the head coach and the athletic director and know the president of the university, and all those things help connect you back to where you graduated from. But it was four great years, informative years, got my degrees there and made lasting friendships.”

Former MSU offensive lineman Mike Densmore, who also blocked for Andersen for several years, said Andersen left him a positive and abiding impression the first day he stepped foot onto the practice field as a Spartan.

“His guide in life was Hans Nielsen,” Densmore said. “And to tell you the truth, when I showed up at Michigan State... and I thought these guys, there could be nobody any better until I saw Morten Andersen step onto the field at Michigan State.

And to tell you the truth, the first practice at Michigan State we went for the field goal unit, and obviously during practice nobody kicked any better than Morten, so the job was his from day one.

And he lined up at practice and kicked through a 65-yard field goal at practice the first day.”

This was the day Densmore said he knew the Spartans’ concerns surrounding the kicking position would be resolved.

“That’s one of the key components we were worried about,” Densmore said. “And when I saw, like I said, he showed up, first day when he hit

FAMOUS KICKERS IN MSU HISTORY From Morten Andersen to Brett Swenson

PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT WIRE 4

THE STATE N EWS

Morten Andersen Originally a foreign exchange student in high school from Denmark, Andersen concluded his career in East Lansing making 45 field goals and 126 extra points, which ranked No. 8 and No. 5, respectively, among MSU’s all-time leaders. Andersen also kicked a 63-yard field goal in 1981 as the Spartans faced the Ohio State University Buckeyes. The kick was good and is still the longest field goal made in MSU history.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2 3, 2 01 7

Former MSU football kicker Morten Andersen kicks the ball. Andersen played for MSU from 1978-81.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

PHOTO COURTESY OF MSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

John Langeloh Langeloh kicked for MSU from 1987-90. He made 57 of 79 total field goals, which is No. 3 all-time for MSU. Langeloh only missed three extra points as a Spartan and made 137 of 140 attempts. His 42 of 44 made extra points in the 1999 season is No. 8 in most extra points made in a season at MSU. He is also No. 8 in most field goals made in a season with 18.

Spotlight

Cameron Macko Managing editor cmacko@statenews.com

Former MSU football place kicker Morten Andersen (8) sits with the rest of the teammates for an official MSU team photo. Anderson played for MSU from 1978-81. PHOTO COURTESY OF MSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS.

one through from 65 yards, we knew we weren’t going to have problems. And to tell you the truth, I thought right then, there cannot be any guys that kick the ball in this United States any better than Morten Andersen. I really believed that from day one. It was incredible.”

Former MSU quarterback and holder for Andersen John Leister said his role as a kicker didn’t make him more or less important than anyone else.

“He was awesome,” Leister said. “Kickers get portrayed as being different or odd or on the outsides looking in, and he wasn’t. He was just as great as the rest of us, and he wasn’t afraid to mix it up. If anybody had issues, Morten had their back and everybody had his. When we did our evening activities and stuff, he was right there with us.

He was a football player. He wasn’t a kicker. He was just Morten, and he was a little crazy, but he was from Denmark and he spoke seven languages, so he’s probably smarter than the rest of us.”

One day in September On Sept. 19, 1981, the Spartans faced the Ohio State University Buckeyes and it was a day Andersen became etched in the record books.

“He came into the Ohio State game right before the half to kick a 60 some-odd field goal,” Leister said. “Now, I saw him trotting on the field and I thought, ‘What the heck are we doing?’ I just looked at him and said, ‘Can you make this?’ and his response was, ‘Spot it and we’ll see.’ I put it down and he crushed it, made it, and I turned around to give him a hug and he was already running down their sideline with the number one finger up. I’m like, ‘Seriously, Morten? I’m going to pay for that, not you.’ But that’s just the way he was. He thought he could do anything.”

The 63-yard kick is still the longest field in Spartan history, besting Ralf Mojsiejenko’s 61-yard kick.

Despite Andersen’s teammates sensing he would likely have a lengthy and successful career as a kicker, he said he didn’t think he had a chance at playing in the NFL until his junior year at MSU. “I think my junior year, I had an idea that I might get a shot and make it — at least getting a try, a tryout with a NFL team,” Andersen said. “I didn’t realize I was going to get drafted or anything like that probably until my senior year, which probably happened to be my best year, which was fortunate — fortuitous, if you will. So I really didn’t

have great ambitions that I was going to be a pro football player, but as time went and my junior year became my senior year, I started to realize that this may be a real viable possibility for me.”

Andersen concluded his career in East Lansing with 45 field goals and 129 extra points, which rank No. 8 and No. 5, respectively, among MSU’s all-time leaders.

In the 1982 NFL Draft, Andersen was drafted in the fourth round by the New Orleans Saints.

“I didn’t realize I was going to get drafted or anything like that probably until my senior year.”

Morten Andersen, Former MSU kicker

“I was ecstatic,” Andersen said. “I lived on a house down Evergreen Street with six other guys.

Five of the guys, we had a big party all day and we’d been waiting, and I think the call came around late afternoon. The fourth round for a kicker was really high. I was the very first kicker taken in the draft, so I was extremely excited and couldn’t wait to get to work in New Orleans.”

In the NFL Andersen kicked for five teams during his 25-year NFL career. He spent 13 seasons with the Saints, eight with the Atlanta Falcons, two with the Kansas City Chiefs and one year with both the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings.

But Morten’s NFL career got off to a rocky start.

“It didn’t start very well,” he said. “I mean, I got hurt on my very first kickoff. I tore my ligaments in my ankle, and I was injured for eight weeks. We had a player’s strike and that allowed me to get back healthy, so it was a very auspicious start, to say the least. I think really the year that really helped me was ‘82, having the strike and getting healthy again after the injury. And then 1983, I started really playing well and had some game winners, started gaining confidence and momentum. I knew I was going to, at that point

Paul Edinger Edinger was a Spartan from 1996-99. He is No. 7 in career made field goals with 46 of 58 attempts for MSU, No. 10 in career made extra points with 75 of 81, No. 9 in most extra points made in a season with 40 and is tied No. 2 and No. 6 in most field goals made in a season with 22 in 1998 and 21 in 1999.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

STATE NEWS FILE PHOTO

I was starting to solidify my position on the team.

It’s never a sure thing. You have to prove yourself every year, but when you start making kicks and game winners it’s a good thing. So I knew I had a chance if I kept working, and I was going to have a long career.”

A highlight moment of his NFL career was after the conclusion of the 1998 regular season.

Andersen was kicking for the Falcons when the team advanced to the NFC Championship Game.

Facing the Vikings, Andersen sent the Falcons to their first-ever Super Bowl after an attempt at a game-winning kick went through the uprights in overtime.

“It was very gratifying because the team had played well the whole game, and we were actually losing most of the game and were able to come back at the end of the fourth quarter and tie the game and make some huge plays that allowed me to win the game in overtime,” Andersen said. “So many other plays were made during the game. First, that’s just the beauty of a team sport — that everybody had to contribute to the win and everybody did. It was obviously a huge kick and a huge moment for the Falcons, a huge moment for the city and the team.”

The Falcons fell to the Broncos in the Super Bowl, and Andersen said failing to win a Super Bowl during his career is something he regretted he wasn’t able to accomplish.

“That’s the ultimate as a team player, it’s hoisting the Lombardi and calling yourself the best in the business,” Andersen said. “But I don’t have many regrets, I really tried to become as good as I could. I think I fulfilled my potential as best as I could. Could I have done it differently sometimes? Sure. Could I have maybe trained harder sometimes? Maybe, but I feel pretty good about the kind of work that I left out there, and I really don’t have many regrets at all.”

After retiring After retiring in 2008, Andersen finished his NFL career as the NFL’s all-time leader in points with 2,544. He also finished with 565 field goals and played in 382 games, which earned him Pro Bowl selection seven times.

When it was announced before Super Bowl LI that Morten Andersen would become a Hall of Famer, it just proved what his teammates at MSU thought all along.

“It’s just awesome that he’s finally recognized for what he is and who he is and what a great guy he is,” Leister said. “We’ve known it all along. It just took folks at the hall a little bit longer to figure out than we did.”

Densmore said it was special to know his first impression of Morten was accurate.

“It feels great to know that what I thought back then was the truth, that I was playing with great players and that we were on a great team, and I did have great teammates and we were champions,” he said. “That part makes me feel whole.”

After multiple years away from competitive football, Andersen said he has been enjoying life away from the gridiron.

“It’s a lot of fun, new challenges and new experiences,” Andersen said. “Trying to do good

Dave Rayner Rayner played for MSU from 2001-04. He is No. 3 in career made extra points after making 148 of 151 attempts for MSU, No. 2 in career made field goals making 62 of 90 attempts, tied No. 10 in made extra points in a season three times (last time was 2014 when he made all 39 attempts) and is tied for No. 2 in made field goals for MSU in a season.

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Morten Andersen (8) is shown on Sept. 28, 2003, against Baltimore.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

work out there and try to mentor younger kids and try to raise two young boys to be great men. So it’s a lot of fun. My wife and I started a family foundation. We’re raising money for our Special Ops soldiers and their families, and also for quality of life programs for children’s youth. We’re having a lot of fun with the nonprofit side, and also my event planning business and my public appearances and keynote speeches — lot of fun on the business side of it, so writing books, blogs. So it’s been a busy life, it’s been a very fulfilling life so far.”

As a past student within the College of Communication Arts and Sciences at MSU, Andersen’s desire to become a public figure in the community stemmed from his time in East Lansing.

“Well, I was a communication major at Michigan State, so that’s where I learned the skills from,” he said. “I was in communications and marketing, and also in languages, so spoken word to me has always been very important. I like to write as well, so it’s just a natural extension of all my studies at Michigan State. I’m kind of an outgoing person, so it’s just natural for me. And I feel like I have — you know like most people in life, they have a unique journey, a unique story — and mine is worth telling, I think. So there’s a lot of life lessons within the story I want to share with people.”

Despite enjoying time away from football, Andersen admitted he does reflect on his kicking career frequently.

“I’m probably listening to some tunes when I’m mowing the lawn, but I certainly reflect back on my career once in awhile in quiet moments and feel pretty good about it,” Andersen said. “I’m very grateful for all the people that helped me along the way, and there were thousands of them.”

Brett Swenson Swenson kicked for the Spartans from 2006-09.

He is currently No. 1 in total career field goals made with 71 for MSU, He is No. 2 in most career extra points made with 164 for MSU, No. 2 and No. 7 in extra points made in a season for MSU and No. 2 and No. 7 in most field goals converted in a season for MSU. STATE NEWS FILE PHOTO

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Sports

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Sophomore defenseman Zach Osburn (2) controls the puck against a Buckeyes defender during the game against Ohio State University on Feb. 17 at Munn Ice Arena. The Spartans were defeated by the Buckeyes, 3-2. PHOTO: JON FAMUREWA

MASON APPLETON Leads the team with 25 points and 11 goals. Second on team in assists with 14 assists.

Named team’s Outstanding Rookie during his freshman year.

Sophomore forward Mason Appleton (27) takes the puck down the rink during the overtime period of the men’s hockey game against Wisconsin on Feb. 4 at Munn Ice Arena. The Spartans were defeated by the Badgers, 4-3. PHOTO: ZAINA MAHMOUD

Drafted No. 168 overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

6-foot-2, 200 pounds Green Bay, Wis. native

Only player for MSU with double-digit goals and assists

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Crossword

L.A. Times Daily Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

News

Rachel Fradette Campus editor campus@statenews.com

Schuette announces 22 more charges on Nassar Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette speaks to the media during a press conference on Feb. 22 at the Attorney General’s office at 525 W. Ottawa St. in Lansing.

PHOTO: SUNDEEP DHANJAL

ACROSS

1 One in a bad mood 5 Diplomat’s asset 9 Vatican-related 14 Memorization method 15 Patron saint of Norway 16 Nimble 17 High-tech bookmark 20 African language group 21 Winter bug 22 Cupid’s counterpart 23 Safari beast 26 Mystery writer whose Baltimore home is preserved as a museum 28 Office gossip 35 Moved quickly, old style 36 Meat inspector’s org.

37 “Awesome!”

38 Office coffee holder, perhaps 39 Hard-rock link 40 “O Sole __” 42 1965 march state: Abbr.

43 Gold or silver 45 Rainbow flag initialism 47 Gillette’s __ II razor 48 Right granted in the First Amendment 51 Bubbly prefix 52 Clapton classic

53 Gem from Australia 56 Private eye 58 Go around in circles?

62 “Et tu, Brute?,” e.g.

66 Pat down 67 Inbox clogger 68 Pamplona parlor 69 Sight or hearing 70 Wine city near Turin 71 River of central Germany

DOWN

1 Bed with sliding sides 2 Author Jaffe 3 Mail-routing abbr.

4 Obviously embarrassed 5 Weigh station unit 6 Pub offering 7 Science Diet product 8 Nonstick kitchen brand 9 Sketching tablet 10 Shake hands on 11 Harbor strolling spot 12 “One more thing ... “ 13 Not as much 18 Industrial area of western Germany 19 Play for a sucker 24 Post-op areas, briefly 25 Margarita option 27 Ricelike pasta 28 Sound of a tree falling, say

29 Broadcaster 30 __-one: long odds 31 Kappa follower 32 Informed (of) 33 Pale purple 34 Stacy who played Mike Hammer 39 Out of the wind 41 “The __-bitsy spider ... “ 44 Completely flummoxed 46 Easy-to-swallow meds 47 Flowering hybrid with thorns 49 Phased-out PC screens 50 Farm machine 53 Does in, mob-style 54 Whittle (down) 55 Idi of Uganda 57 Big cat of film 59 Actor Pitt 60 Vegging out 61 Many an Ivan, in old Russia 63 Lute kin 64 Gained a lap?

65 “No more deets!”

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2

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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 MONDAY’S PUZZLE

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THE STATE N E WS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2 3, 2 01 7

BY MADISON O’CONNOR MOCONNOR@STATENEWS.COM

Former MSU employee Larry Nassar has been charged with 22 additional counts of criminal sexual assault, first degree, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said in a press conference Wednesday.

Each of these counts are life offenses, Schuette said.

Criminal sexual conduct is a felony punishable by up to life in prison for each charge, according to a press release from Schuette released at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the start of the press conference.

The 22 charges involved nine young girls, two of whom were under the age of 13 and seven of whom were between the ages of 13 and 16, Schuette said.

“Larry Nassar now faces a total of 25 counts of criminal sexual assault in the first degree,” Schuette said.

Five of the charges announced at the press conference Wednesday are related to the two victims who were under the age of 13 at the time of the alleged assault and the remaining 17 are a result of Nassar’s alleged sexual penetration of the remaining seven victims between the ages of 13-16 and taking advantage of his position of authority to commit the alleged sexual assaults.

According to the press release, the charges were filed in two counties. The charges were filed at Ingham County’s 55th District Court and Eaton County’s 56A District Court. The charges are a result of Nassar allegedly sexually abusing young female athletes both at his home in Holt and in medical settings, including at the MSU Sports Medicine Clinic and Twistars Gymnastics Club.

“Dr. Nassar preyed on these young girls, just little girls.

Dr. Nassar used his status and his authority to engage in horrid sexual assaults under the guise of medical procedures,” Schuette said during the press conference. “This guy is disgusting, this guy is despicable, he is a monster.”

He violated the oath that every doctor takes to do no harm, Schuette said. Schuette said there is a duty to protect children.

“The girls abused by Dr. Nassar were so young and so innocent that they didn’t fully understand what Nassar was doing to them until many years later,” Schuette said.

“As Attorney General, these assaults, these criminal acts are horrifying. As a parent and as a father of a daughter, I cannot imagine the heartbreak and the anger and the heartache experienced by parents who took their child to a physician seeking help who then sexually assaulted their daughter.”

Schuette’s office is the prosecuting agency, with the MSU Police Department conducting the investigation, according to the release. Schuette said MSU has been a strong partner with his department in investigating the cases.

MSU Police Chief Jim Dunlap said MSUPD is currently investigating more than 80 reported sexual assault cases against Nassar. Dunlap said he wanted to assure survivors that the investigations being conducted are thorough and impartial.

“The allegations of sexual assault against Dr. Nassar continue to increase nearly every day, and we remain constantly in contact with the victims as we move forward,” Dunlap said during the press conference. “Our priority is getting justice for the survivors and we are determined to make certain that occurs. I encourage anyone who may have been a victim of Larry Nassar to come forward by contacting the MSU Police Department.”

Charges include five counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct, first degree: “Sexual penetration of another person under the following circumstance: victim is under the age of 13,” according to the release.

According to the press release, charges also include 17 Counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct, first degree: “Sexual penetration of a victim between the ages of 13-16 and the alleged assailant is in a position of authority over the victim and used this authority to coerce the victim to submit; or when the actor causes personal injury to the victim and engages in the medical treatment or examination of the victim in a manner or for purposes that are medically recognized as unethical or unacceptable.”

The first allegations against Nassar arose back in August 2016 in a complaint filed with the MSU Police Department. In September 2016, former gymnast Rachael Denhollander and a fellow gymnast accused the former trainer of abuse in a story published in the Indianapolis Star.

During the course of the next month, further complaints were filed with MSUPD regarding abuse at the hands of Nassar and in October 2016 Dunlap recommended charges against Nassar with the Michigan Attorney General’s office.

Nassar faced a preliminary examination regarding these charges on Feb. 17 resulting in Judge Donald Allen binding the case for trial in Circuit Court.

Besides allegations of abuse, Nassar faces charges of possession of child pornography handed down by the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan on Dec. 19, 2016.

The federal indictment handed down alleges Nassar was in possession of “thousands of images of child pornography” between February 2003 and September 2016, and that he attempted to receive child pornography in 2004. Nassar also faces charges of destruction of evidence.

A conviction of Nassar on these federal charges could result in a “mandatory minimum of five years’ imprisonment and up to 40 years of imprisonment, and up to lifetime supervised release after release from custody.”

The case will be prosecuted by Attorneys General Angela Povilaitis and Robyn Liddell, attorneys with the Attorney General Cold Case Sexual Assault Project.

Nassar will be arraigned on Thursday at the 55th District Court in Mason, Mich. at 10 a.m. and via video arraignment for 56A District Court in Charlotte, Mich. at 1 p.m., according to the press release.

Stay with The State News for updates as these cases continue to unfold.

Sports

Souichi Terada Sports editor sports@statenews.com

MSU baseball capitalizing on rapid start, looks to improve consistency

BY SOUICHI TERADA STERADA@STATENEWS.COM

It’s a similar script for head coach Jake Boss Jr. This time around, it’s just shorter — at least for now.

2017 started off with a bang for the Spartans, facing Abilene Christian University on its home turf four times during the weekend.

There, they retired the Wildcats each time they stepped up to the challenge, similar to a pitcher throwing the early parts of a perfect game.

After the dust settled, the Spartans sat a perfect 4-0 on the young campaign, the only undefeated team left standing in the Big Ten. “I’m very pleased with going 4-0,” Boss said.

“I think at the same time, there’s a lot of things we need to get better at. Some of it may be opening weekend jitters or first time really being outside in a game situation.”

“It’s probably as talented as a group as we’ve had here since I’ve been at Michigan State. I think you look at that roster, you could really go 12 or 13 guys deep.”

Jake Boss Jr., Head coach MSU baseball Flashing back to 2016, MSU blitzed out to a 14-1 mark. It was the closest any Spartan team had flirted with a perfect record to begin the season, representing a program-best start. The epitome of a high was upon MSU — one the Spartans came faltering down from.

As the season came to its end, it mercilessly left the Spartans behind as they finished with a 36-20 overall record. MSU fell short of its ultimate goal of snatching its first Big Ten championship trophy since 2011.

Following graduation and losing stars to the pros, a new script is in the midst of taking shape. Among the cast, senior infielder Dan Durkin figures to play a burgeoning role, especially after earning his first Big Ten Player of the Week award.

On the weekend, the Tinley Park, Ill. native batted a clean .500 while chipping in 11 RBI, a quarter of the whole team’s total.

“It’s good,” Durkin said. “It’s obviously a nice accomplishment to get, but a lot of guys on the team could’ve got it this week. We all hit pretty well.”

The Spartans came out of their opening weekend batting .401 as a team. In a sport where failing seven out of 10 times in the majors will make millions, the average is a staggering figure.

Whilst MSU recorded a total of 51 runs on the weekend, a newcomer wrecked havoc for the squad. Freshman outfielder Danny Gleaves burst onto the scene, spraying the ball around the field to the tune of a .524 average, scoring eight runs and collecting five RBI. Kicking off his collegiate career, Gleaves initially started off batting No. 7 in Boss’ lineup. After noteworthy performances, the head coach said he moved the rookie to leadoff.

There, Gleaves excelled, batting 7-for-13 and collecting four of his five RBI from the series.

“Putting Danny at the top, he’s the type of player that can be a very dynamic leadoff hitter and he can make a lot of things happen on the bases,” Boss said. “He’s strong enough to hit for some power. He’s a very intelligent kid, very smart player.”

Boss praised the expanding depth his team featured, especially following some of the departures on his team. On his pitching staff, the Spartans trotted out 12 different pitchers to the mound through the weekend.

“It’s probably as talented as a group as we’ve had here since I’ve been at Michigan State,” Boss said. “I think you look at that roster, you could really go 12 or 13 guys deep. That’s a rarity in college baseball.”

Senior pitcher Joe Mockbee said throughout his time at MSU, this team’s staff is the best he’s ever seen.

“This pitching staff is unbelievable,” Mockbee said. “This is probably the best pitching staff I’ve ever been on … there are certain guys that didn’t throw that have enormous potential and are going to be huge parts of our staff.”

Despite the perfect record, Boss said the on-field product has been far from it. After committing seven errors on the weekend, Boss said defending will be a point of emphasis going forward.

“Defensively, I thought we would be better than we were,” Boss said. “I’m a little disappointed in the defense from last weekend, but long way to go. We’re going to need to get better in a hurry.”

As the players start to assemble and fill the required roles, the Spartans will look to their seniors as a fixture of the team, Boss said.

“Your seniors need to be your best guys if you’re going to be a good ball club,” Boss said.

“Our seniors I felt like were our best guys last weekend. Dan Durkin, really good. Joe Mockbee out of the bullpen was lights out. Walter Borkovich was outstanding. Those are the guys that are going to have to lead us and they did last weekend.”

After the sour taste of failing to reach its goals last season, MSU will look to eradicate the void come the impending 2017 season.

While Mockbee said there would be some motivation to outdo last year’s historic start, there will be a specific emphasis on consistency.

“We set the bar high last year and kind of fell off at the end,” Mockbee said. “I think this year, our mindset is try to keep that whole pace we started last year and starting with this year and try to keep that pace the whole year, instead of kind of being an even-keeled team … we want to be a great team for the whole year instead of just the first 15 to 20 games.”

“Your seniors need to be your best guys if you’re going to be a good ball club. Our seniors I felt like were our best guys last weekend.”

Jake Boss Jr., Head coach MSU baseball

The Spartans come together to finish their practice on Feb. 3 at McLane Baseball Stadium at John H. Kobs Field. The Spartans held their opening weekend of the 2017 season against Abilene Christian University Feb. 17-19. PHOTO: JON FAMUREWA

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Sports

Souichi Terada Sports editor sports@statenews.com

MSU, minus Harris, to face Cornhuskers

BY CONNOR CLARK CCLARK@STATENEWS.COM

MSU men’s basketball (16-11, 8-6 Big Ten) will get its first look without fifth-year senior guard Eron Harris against the University of Nebraska (12-14, 6-8 Big Ten).

Grieving on the hardwood after his right knee severely buckled, Harris was stretchered off the Mackey Arena floor during the matchup against then-No. 16 Purdue.

Head coach Tom Izzo said in his weekly press conference the team will be 100 percent focused on Nebraska — just after a day filled with speeches about Harris.

“If you watched what happened with Eron, and I didn’t know until I got home, I saw the tears in the eyes of the players out on the floor, and it kind of hit me in a weird way, just because of who they were,” Izzo said. “I watched Nick Ward, what he did, I watched Miles (Bridges) and what he did — he was a wreck. I think it gave me a great appreciation for how far Eron has come as a player and as a person.”

Harris’ replacement in the starting lineup could be senior guard Alvin Ellis III or sophomore guard Matt McQuaid. While Ellis is on a hot streak shooting 3-pointers, Izzo said he enjoys Ellis from a bench role. Whoever fills Harris’ spot will be a part of the ninth different lineup for MSU this season.

This year, the Cornhuskers have struggled with consistency. They have two winning streaks of four games, two losing streaks of three games, a five-game losing streak. The Cornhuskers are now on a two-game winning streak.

In its current winning streak, Nebraska demolished the Penn State University Nittany Lions, 82-66, and grinded out a win against the Ohio State University Buckeyes, 58-57.

In MSU’s first game against Nebraska on Feb. 2, five MSU players scored in double figures as freshman forward Miles Bridges led the way with 16 points.

The Spartans defeated the Cornhuskers handily, 72-61. Harris scored three points on 1-for-5 shooting from the floor.

There are two key differences between that game and Thursday’s matchup: Harris’ injury and the return of Nebraska sophomore forward Ed Morrow Jr.

A highly active rebounder, Morrow leads the Cornhuskers with 7.8 rebounds per game.

He is also the third best scorer for Nebraska, averaging 9.6 points per game. Since his return, the Cornhuskers are 2-1; without Morrow, they are 1-6.

Elsewhere, the key to defending Nebraska is no secret — disrupt guards Tai Webster and Glynn Watson Jr. Watson is a dangerous 3-point shooting threat, averaging 14 points per game this season on 42.6 percent from deep.

Webster is the dominant workhorse, slicing through defenses for 17.7 points per game.

“I think they are one of the best guard tandems when we played them the first time. We were assured they were one of the best guard tandems in the league,” Izzo said. “They are both averaging more than 15 points per game in conference play. I’m sure they will come in with a lot of confidence, considering what they have been through with their last big win on the road and the fact that they have beaten us twice here.”

The game will start the final push toward the Big Ten Tournament with just four games remaining in the regular season for MSU. While tournament talk remains a hot topic for the Spartans, dropping a game to Nebraska could prove lethal.

The game will tipoff at 7 p.m. at the Breslin Center and will be televised on ESPNU. “I don’t feel great about where we are, but I feel good that everybody is moving in the same direction and we still have a lot of things to play for,” Izzo said. “There are a lot of teams around the country that are in the same boat or worse off than us, except for our injuries. As they say, you work on things you can control and not on things you can’t control. We can’t control those anymore, so we’ll move forward.”

“I thought (Watson and Webster) are one of the best guard tandems when we played them the first time.”

Tom Izzo, Head coach MSU men’s basketball

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T H E STAT E NE WS

TH U R S DAY, FE B R UA RY 2 3 , 2 01 7

Features

McKenna Ross Features editor features@statenews.com

Student’s outdoor apparel company and creative logo find national success

BY JAIMIE BOZACK

JBOZACK@STATENEWS.COM

“Love. Life. Outdoors.”

Those three words have inspired marketing junior Braden Cleary in many ways. One of those ways was becoming a co-founder of a successful three-yearold clothing company named TheMountCo. Growing up, Cleary said he spent most of his time outdoors with activities that included skiing and baseball, before he transformed his passion into a brand.

“We started just by selling to our friends and our family, kind of like the way a lot of these little companies start,” Cleary said. “We now have at least one product in all 50 states and nine different countries and it has all been through social media promotion.”

“The whole emphasis of nature and ‘Love. Life.

Outdoors,’ I feel like there’s no other brand that (puts) emphasis on that.”

Rudy Borland, Supply chain management junior The brand’s recognizable logo, The Bearded Man, can be spotted from across a room and can be seen on shirts, water bottles, hats and more.

Cleary said his lifelong passion for skiing inspired him to create TheMountCo. Cleary has been skiing since he was young and said his involvement with the MSU Alpine Ski and Snowboard Team motivated him.

“I started racing when I was probably eight or nine and that has been my favorite sport ever since

I started,” Cleary said. “I dabbled with a little bit of baseball in high school but ... my life revolves around skiing for the most part.”

Cleary said the company has grown greatly since it started.

“The coolest thing is having friends being out in some different state and being like, ‘Dude, I just saw your company walking around, that was really cool to see,’ and that is one of the most rewarding things for me,” Cleary said. “Also, seeing people walk around campus with it and me actually seeing it and (them) not knowing I am involved with that is pretty cool as well.”

He said he hopes to put his major to good use after graduation. He plans to work at his company fulltime during the summer and graduate with it as a career.

“I want to expand the brand and get into different products and create new stuff ... continuing to spread the legend of The Bearded Man, which is what we like to say, and also promote more of the national parks,” Cleary said. “We are working to become official partners with the National Park Service. Last year we promoted the centennial of the National Park Service by taking The Bearded Man to virtually all 58 national parks.”

Supply chain management junior Rudy Borland met Cleary through the ski team when he began his freshman year. Borland said he has been skiing for about 19 years and owns several items from TheMountCo. “If he is ever looking for an opinion on something new he is working on, he will come to me,” Borland said. “The whole emphasis of nature and ‘Love. Life.

Outdoors,’ I feel like there is no other brand that (puts) emphasis on that ... he thought of everything from scratch, made the logo himself and it’s just his passion. ... That kid has the craziest work ethic I have ever seen.”

Marketing junior Braden Cleary poses for a portrait on Feb. 16 at the Communication Arts and Sciences Building. Cleary is wearing apparel from his outdoor apparel company, TheMountCo, which he started with friends. PHOTO: CHLOE GRIGSBY

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Marketing junior Braden Cleary poses for a portrait on Feb. 16 at the Communication Arts and Sciences Building.

Cleary is wearing apparel from his outdoor apparel company, TheMountCo, which he started with friends.

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TH E STATE N E WS

11

Features

McKenna Ross Features editor features@statenews.com

MSU Debate team qualifies for National Debate Tournament

BY JONATHAN LEBLANC JLEBLANC@STATENEWS.COM

Most MSU students file into Wells Hall during the week for their recitations, lectures or to wait in the Starbucks line.

Most, however, don’t come on a Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and stay until 10 p.m.

But that’s exactly what the MSU Debate team did when it held the District 5 qualifier from Feb. 17-18, competing against debate teams from University of Michigan, Wayne State University, Indiana University and Northwestern University to qualify for the National Debate Tournament.

MSU Debate had four competitors in the qualifiers — business sophomore Christian Rodriguez, social relations and policy sophomore Luc Walkington, James Madison College sophomore Lena Grossman and physics sophomore Evan Runburg — who all qualified for the National Debate Tournament at University of Kansas from March 23-27.

This is the Spartans’ 21st consecutive year qualifying for the debate tournament.

Head coach William Repko said he takes the four best debaters from the season to participate in the District 5 Qualifiers.

However, Repko said after the loss of graduating seniors, he wasn’t sure what this season would bring.

“We were concerned that we would be purely in rebuilding mode,” Repko said. “But we’re optimistic we’ll qualify again for the main tournament.”

To qualify, hours of research is put into this season’s nationwide topic of environmental issues.

“As the season progresses, you find out how the other schools in the Big Ten are approaching the topic,” Repko said. “What arguments is Michigan making about climate change, what arguments are Indiana making about the ozone layer?”

The preparation is partially why Runburg is

Social relations and policy sophomore Luc Walkington presents his team’s position during a debate against University of Michigan on Feb. 18 at Wells Hall. MSU hosted the District 5 qualifier to determine who goes to the 71st National Debate Tournament in March. PHOTO: JON FAMUREWA

12

THE STATE N EWS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2 3, 2 01 7

drawn to being a debater, even though he “accidentally” got involved his freshman year of high school.

“For every season, we do thousands of pages of research under every topic potentially connected to the resolution that we have,” Runburg said. “We have to have an in-depth knowledge ... to be able to succeed at a high level, because our opponents will exploit any gaps in our knowledge.”

Rodriguez said the amount of research that goes into a topic has kept him involved with debate.

“I really like the academic nature of it,” Rodriguez said.

Runburg said he also has stayed involved with debating because of the “unique intellectual atmosphere.”

“It’s all about your knowledge of policies and your ability to explain that and striving to beat other people, not with (President Donald) Trump style bravado, but through sheer force of argu-

mentation,” Runburg said. “It’s something you don’t find anywhere else.”

How to explain topics is a different beast.

Runburg said a lot of practice goes into performing the arguments, especially in the limited time they have to deliver their speeches.

“Speaking quickly, refining argumentations so that we’re able be the most efficient and effective,” Runburg said. “It isn’t something that comes naturally to most people, so we have a lot of practice speeches with the coaches.”

Rodriguez said it took him about two years to be able to deliver his argument in fast and effective fashion.

“It’s really honestly just doing speaking drills, just like 30 minutes every day,” Rodriguez said.

Repko said as a coach, preparation and the actual performance is similar to that of a lawyer.

“It’s kind of how you do with your stage fright,” Repko said. “The best prepared lawyer that struggles in front of the jury with their delivery will often run into trouble.”