Emily Jenks/The State News
Nursing junior Zachary Munger dips a pancake into syrup.
statenews.com | 3/25/14 | @thesnews
Students eat pancakes for charity
Class prepares students for zombie outbreak Erin Hampton/The State News
features, pg. 5
FEATURES, Pg. 5
Michigan State University’s independent voice
Criminal justice freshman Kevin Hodge dresses as a zombie Friday in the International Center.
‘Trip of a lifetime’ Alumni prepare to canoe down Mississippi River in hopes of beating a world record
MARRIAG E
Legal benefits for same-sex newlyweds remain unclear By Olivia Dimmer and Sergio Martínez-Beltrán odimmer@statenews.com and smartinez@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn
Same-sex couples, city officials and MSU administrators are facing legal roadblocks as the debate surrounding the recent federal court decision to strike down Michigan’s ban of same-sex marriage continues. On Monday, university leaders edged toward the possibility of offering samesex couples full marriage benefits, but cautioned that the sticky legal battle surrounding last week’s ruling made it impossible to take that leap just yet.
The ban on samesex marriages was struck down, but a stay halted additional marriages until further notice photos by Allison Brooks/The State News
Alumni Tim Muhich, left, and Tom Baweja canoe Thursday down the Red Cedar River near Kruger Landing.
By Sergio Martínez-Beltrán smartinez@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS
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constant, gentle movement from side to side. The sound of water crashing against the black and orange paddles. The paddle is heavy, but the idea of being in that watercraft for more than two weeks is a heavier and different weight to bear. This coming May, recent MSU graduate Tim Muhich will attempt to break the world record of fastest travel in a canoe down the Mississippi River, the
third-largest river in North America. “My father told me that I should have at least one trip of a lifetime a year, and this is the trip of a lifetime of this year,” said Muhich, who currently is pursuing his teaching certificate. Muhich and fellow MSU alumni Clint Adams, Tom Baweja and Colin Bright will be paddling 2,347 miles down the river. “My family has been canoeing for a long time, so it’s in my blood and it is something that I have to do,” Muhich said. Muhich and his partners met at an MSU Outdoors Club meeting, an organization where he introduced the sport of canoeing to his teammates. See CANOE on page 2 u
Alumnus Tim Muhich paddles in a canoe Thursday on the Red Cedar River near Kruger Landing. The team plans to canoe the entire Mississippi River in less than 18 days this coming May to break the existing world record.
To watch a video of the team prepare for their journey down the Mississippi, visit statenews.com/multimedia.
capitol
W O M E N ’ S B A S K E T B A LL
Bills address legal gaps in medical marijuana laws
Senior guard Klarissa Bell and Head Coach Suzy Merchant talk to reporters Monday during a press conference at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C. Merchant and her players talked about their upcoming game against North Carolina.
esargent@statenews.com nn
Erin Hampton/ The State News
Spartans prepare for bout with tar heels By Omari Sankofa II osankofa@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — MSU and North Carolina, the top two seeds of the Chapel Hill region, were on opposite sides of the coin Sunday night. The No. 4 seed Spartans were potent both offensively and defensively, bullying No. 12 seed Hampton to a 91-61 win with strong performances from
In a previous interview with The State News, Kowall said the law was “murky” when it THE STATE NEWS came to edible products and Bills currently moving did not protect medical marthrough the state legisla- ijuana patients from legal ture could clear up some ramifications. “They felt like they had to be gaps in current laws regarding medical marijuana and criminals,” Kowall said. The other bill, spondispensaries. sored by Rep. Mike Two House bills Callton, R-Nashcould remove v ille, would the gray area a l low t hose surroundThe bills address patients ing certain to use aspects of legal questions dispensaries. a 2008 act surrounding In a allowing statement the use of dispensaries and released medical edibles when the bill marijuana, was first introincluding the duced, Ca l lton legalization of said he considers the medical marijuamatter an issue of patient na dispensaries and the legality of edible marijua- care, noting that some people eligible for medical marijuana na products. O ne bi l l, s p on s or e d might not be able to grow the by Reps. Eileen Kowall, plants on their own. “It’s simply not realistic to R-White Lake, Sam Singh, D-East Lansing, and 14 oth- expect them to do this,” he ers, would allow registered said in the statement. “Since patients to make products it takes four to six months for infused with marijuana in specific quantities. See MARIJUANA on page 2 u By Erik Sargent
redshirt freshman Aerial Powers, who had 26 points and 18 rebounds, and senior Annalise Pickrel, who scored 21 points and was perfect from the field and the free throw line. No. 5 seed UNC came within minutes of falling to No. 13 seed Tennessee-Martin, which led by as many as 18 in the second half. The Tar Heels closed the game on an improbable 28-8 run and escaped Carmichael Arena with a 60-58 victory.
UNC also will be dealing with another factor on the sidelines. Assistant coach Andrew Calder will continue to handle head coaching duties given the season-long absence of head coach Sylvia Hatchell as she battles cancer. Momentum certainly is a factor in the NCAA Tournament, and the Spartans should have plenty based on the fashion in See B-BALL on page 2 u
Although a final decision has yet to be made, Director for the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives Paulette Granberry Russell said she viewed the ruling as a positive one. However, she said it is not yet clear whether MSU now can offer samesex couples the same benefits as heterosexual couples. “MSU is an employer like any other,” Granberry Russell said. “When you look at the question of benefits recognition or having a diverse campus community, I think this is seen as an affirmation of equal opportunity.” At issue is a provision in Michigan’s constitution that defines marriage between one man and one woman. It bars any public employer — including the university — from offering identical benefits to same-sex couples. MSU offered benefits to couples joined in domestic partnerships before 2004, the year Michigan voters approved an amendment to the state Constitution defining marriage as one man and one woman. Although the ban was struck down Friday in U.S. district court, a higher judge issued a stay that halted further marriages, calling into question the validity of those that already took place on Saturday. Despite the stay that was issued, Director of the LBGT Resource Center Deanna Hurlbert is hopeful that same-sex couples will be allowed to marry and have those marriages recognized. “I think it’s an overwhelming validation — it emotionally validates and encourages LGBT couples,” Hurlbert said. “But it is also distressing to have one’s identity debated in the public sphere. The recent decision is very positive, but the fact that this is even a question, essentially speculating about some one’s humanity and the validation of their family is always very damaging.” Hurlbert expressed her hope that those associated with MSU would be able to have their own relationships, and the relationships of family members and friends, formally recognized in the near future. See MARRIAGE on page 2 u