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Police brief Winter Wonderland turns Gangland in damaging snowball fight A large snowball fight in South Neighborhood caused about $100 in damage Wednesday, according to MSU police. MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said about 50 people were having a snowball fight in the neighborhood courtyard near South Wonders and Case Hall between 12:30 a.m. and 1 a.m. Wednesday when a particularly strong throw sent a snowball smashing through a South Wonders Hall window. An 18-year-old male student sitting near the window in his dorm room received a small scratch on his leg from the shattering glass. He declined medical attention and said he believed the incident was an accident. Shortly after the student called in the damage, police were called to the scene again by a complainant because the snowball fight had grown to about 100 people. McGlothian-Taylor said there were no suspects in the window-breaking incident because the snowball fighters fled when they saw police approaching. DARCIE MORAN
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Continued FOOD
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just show love to all the people in campus,” Dixon said. “I think events like these are so important because it helps embrace all cultures and show how all of us can spend time together.” As an intercultural aide in South Neighborhood, accounting senior India Lacy came to the Soul Food Extravaganza to support the intercultural aides in East Neighborhood, celebrate her African American culture and eat scrumptious food, she said. “Today is the last day of Black History Month, so this is a great way for others to realize who we are and what we are about,” Lacy said. “Soul food is a better title because food is an important part of our culture.” Gillespie said the event does not force people to like black culture. He saw it as a chance to show why students should continue to live among many different cultures. “We want to create a positive experience for students living on campus,” Gillespie said. “This can enhance everyone’s knowledge about black culture and do it in a way that is not combative, but rather positive.”
uated four years ago, which was a challenge because we had to shoot all his stuff first and get all the scenes done before he graduated. It was always nerve-racking.” MSU alumnus Aaron Hamel, who was Reilly-King’s production assistant and played a doctor in the film, has learned from personal experience that independent filmmaking is no simple undertaking. “Making an independent film is a very hard thing to do, especially in today’s world,” Hamel said. “You’re not gonna have the millions of dollars in backing most so-called independent movies have. It’s one of the most stressful things you can do, and it requires your entire mind and body.” Despite the stress, MSU Filmmakers Club adviser Bill Vincent said Reilly-King will maintain the morale from start to finish. “He gets what he wants,” Vincent said. “He wants to make a name in film, and he’s gonna do it his way or not at all.”
Last day of Black History Month celebrated with culture, soul food at Hubbard Hall
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SPARTANS
MSU withstands second-half rally by Purdue, deals with crowd noise in road victory
ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Adam Toolin
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OPINION EDITOR Katie Harrington
half, it was a lot of fun.” After heading into halftime with its largest lead of the game, 37-26, MSU countered Purdue’s runs and noise swells from a crowd of 8,046 throughout the final 20 minutes. The Boilermakers narrowed the Spartans’ lead to three points or less on five different occasions, but never got closer than a one-point deficit. A pair of free throws from Purdue’s Courtney Moses left MSU up 63-61 with 4:09, and those would be the last points the Boilermakers scored. Thomas led the final run for MSU with a layup followed by two free throws to put the Spartans up by six. The Boilermakers’ Drey Mingo missed a 3-pointer with 33 seconds left, and after being fouled on the rebound, Bell split a pair from the foul line for the final margin. “I think (defense is) what we built our identity on in the first place,” Thomas said. “Just to get back to that and feel more like ourselves, I think, is the most important feeling we had tonight. And I think everybody out on the floor made that effort to get the stops when we needed it.”
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Film started as screenplay in January 2009; Reilly-King hopes for positive reception from audience
Humble beginnings Although he had experience with illustration and cartooning throughout his childhood, Reilly-King’s film obsession all began with a creative writing class in high school. The situation wasn’t exactly high-tech, but it was enough to get him hooked. “I literally did all my editing from this bulky camcorder that I had, and I was using VHS tapes to re-record stuff,” he said. “I just remember being down in my basement filming stuff with little model cars and kind of integrating that into the project.” Once he got to MSU, he dove headfirst into the world of film and joined the MSU Filmmakers Club, where Vincent, who plays a CIA agent in the film, said his enthusiasm was contagious. “He was completely crazy about film and completely dedicated to doing something with film,” he said. “He had a unique way of doing things.” Reilly-King decided to write the screenplay for a feature film in January 2009, a risky move that came with criticism. “I just remember people saying: ‘What are you doing making a feature film, you’re crazy!’” he said. “But I just had that fire burning inside there — I needed to get this done. It’s important to push yourself and to have something that stands out.” Throughout the process, he said the negativity only made him more determined. “It made me push myself,” he said. “There’s something very liberating about making your own film. In life, a lot of times we have to answer to the bosses or committees. The cool thing about making a film is you’re the boss.”
lengths for his pride and joy. “One time, I locked myself in the basement of the (Auditorium) computer lab, and I was using Adobe After Effects going frame by frame,” he said. “I sat there one day for 26 hours — I had to order food, camp out and make it my home. It can be very tedious, and not every aspect is fun, but you gotta do it.” It wasn’t long before MSU alumnus Curtis Matzke caught wind of the project. After hearing about “Enduring Destiny” from friends, as well as Reilly-King himself, he decided to make a documentary about his friend’s filmmaking process, called “First Feature.” “As time went on, I realized how many people know him or heard stories of him working on his movie,” Matzke said. “Everyone has a story about ‘TRK.’ He’s kind of a goofy guy, and people don’t give him enough credit, but he’s actually doing it all himself.” As an active member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity at the time, Reilly-King said he often puzzled his brothers while filming in the house at 522 Abbott Road. “A lot of times I could be that quirky guy that’s always working on his film,” he said. “I remember having all these random props and wigs and wheelchairs — I was like a hoarder.” Political science senior and Phi Kappa Psi President Dan Fabiano said he was caught off guard with Reilly-King’s shoots quite often. “He’s really random, to say the least,” Fabiano said. “I opened the door to his room one day … He had a lady standing there who looked like a nurse, he was in a cast, and he had turned his whole room into a hospital. It was pretty wild.” Aside from the curiosity of passersby, Reilly-King said gaining student commitment to the film was the most difficult aspect of the process. “The hardest part about making this film, hands down, was just dealing with people — getting people to show up, trying to cast people,” he said. “At the end of the day, no one is as passionate about it as the director or the per-
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son making the film.” The big screen Once his film premieres, Reilly-King said he wants it to be looked upon with nostalgia from future generations. “The idea was to make a time capsule where we can capture the glory days,” he said. “I didn’t just wanna make a film — I wanted to make a sensation.” Along with the sensation comes a line of 18-inch talking action figures, which are part of what he calls a “character franchise.” He is expecting the figures in April and will hand them out with Bluray copies of the film. “When he gets a goal in his mind, he stops at nothing to get it done,” said Steve Culling, who played Kenner’s wrestling coach in the film. “I have a lot of respect for him — he’s intuitive and creative. It’s his determination and resourcefulness on a student budget that made him able to pull all of this stuff together.” He has yet to set a date for a summer premiere — but with his lease ending Aug. 1, he said he hardly can wait to schedule the premiere and watch the magic happen. “It’s really cool to see your vision come on the big screen and in front of an audience,” he said. “That’s what it comes down to, is that connection with the audience, making them laugh or cry or even scared.” Fabiano said he is stoked to see the film when it’s released, and has even offered to host the premiere in the fraternity house. “I’m very curious about what Tom wants to achieve with his project,” he said. “I’ve seen a couple scenes, but I’m dying to see the finished product.” After knowing Reilly-King for years, Vincent said he has nothing but high hopes for “Enduring Destiny.” “I’ve seen so many student projects fall apart because students lost interest and get distracted,” Vincent said. “I gotta hand it to Thomas, he stayed on course and didn’t let himself get discouraged. He’s a legend in his own time.”
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The drawing board Doing everything from starring in the film to the editing process, Reilly-King said he has gone to extreme
SOLUTION TO THURSDAY’S PUZZLE
3/1/13
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 © 2013 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.