Izzo on Payne: “Just depends what’s out there”
HopCat Brewpub coming to E.L., approved by city council
Bein’ Betty: Betty White talks new show, stage fright
SPORTS, PAGE 8
CAMPUS+CITY, PAGE 3
FEATURES, PAGE 7
Weather Sunny ADAM TOOLIN/ THE STATE NEWS
High 44° | Low 28° Michigan State University’s independent voice | statenews.com | East Lansing, Mich. | Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Celebrating with safety German junior Emily Robinson, left, celebrates her 21st birthday with her friend, psychology senior Sara Hockin on Thursday, at a friend’s apartment. Robinson went out to the bars with her friends later that night.
Three-day forecast, Page 2
M I L I TA R Y
JULIA NAGY/THE STATE NEWS
Supply chain management junior Max Struble participates in an ROTC drill Tuesday at a wooded lot located on the southern end of campus. Struble helped set up security for the exercise.
ROTC FIGHTING FOR VETERANS, PTSD RESOURCES ON CAMPUS
JULIA NAGY/ THE STATE NEWS
By RuAnne Walworth walwor12@msu.edu THE STATE NEWS ■■
A camapign to help students party safe on their 21st reaches 14 years By Isabella Shaya shayaisa@msu.edu The front of the card the B.R.A.D. foundation sends on 21st birthdays. The foundation works with information provided from MSU to determine when and where to send the card.
THE STATE NEWS ■■
T
he 21st birthday — birthday shots, tiaras, sashes, buttons reading “I’m 21!”— it’s all part of the celebration, a night to remember and talk about for years.
Bradley McCue’s 21st birthday might have been a good time, but that’s a story he never will get to tell. On Nov. 4, 1998, MSU student Bradley died after attempting 24 shots in two hours on the eve of his 21st birthday. Bradley ’s mother, Cindy McCue, and her husband began the Be Responsible About Drinking, or B.R.A.D., organization to educate young adults and parents about the dangers of excess alcohol use and how to avoid repeating what happened to Bradley. MSU students were the fi rst of more than 130 colleges and universities in the U.S. to receive B.R.A.D. cards before their 21st birthday, which include information on B.R.A.D.
and a wallet-sized card with alcohol poisoning facts. “(There) was nothing different about him,” Cindy McCue, a Clarkston, Mich., resident, said. “(He was like) any other student at Michigan State, other than he made a mistake that night.” According to the MSU Student Health Assessment: Spring 2012, about 38 percent of students surveyed claimed to have drank alcohol on six or more of the past 30 days. Morgan Chavez, an environmental studies and agriscience junior, received a B.R.A.D. card at her parents’ house before her
21st birthday, and it hangs on the fridge to this day. Bradley’s story lives as a reminder to students, including Chavez, to think twice when celebrating their 21st birthday. Dennis Martell , director of health promotion at Student Health Services, has been involved in B.R.A.D. since the organization started in 1999. “The first legal time that students are allowed to drink is when they are on campus, that’s why I think the card does work,” Martell said. “It starts the dialogue that they need.”
Remembering a life, saving another Bradley, who was a parks and recreation management junior, celebrated his birthday with friends at Rick’s American Café. He died of alcohol poisoning, with a blood alcohol concentration of .44. “He was fun loving, always the one that was going to have a good time (and) give his mom gray hair,” McCue said about her son, adding he was a good student, athSee DRINKING on page 2 X
To view an interactive graphic about alcohol, visit statenews.com.
COURT
With a growing MSU Army ROTC program and continuous student veteran enrollment, faculty and students in the program hope to see increasing resources to help service members navigate financial aid and deal with a lesser known problem — emotional trauma from serving overseas. Economics junior Jerred Pender served two active duty combat tours in Afghanistan with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division as an E-5 Infantryman. Pender, next year’s president of the MSU chapter of Student Veterans of America, or SVA, said the organization is trying to establish a designated resource room where information is available on post-traumatic stress disorder, along with other resources for veterans. Pender said although it’s a misconception that every person in the military has post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, it’s important to have resources for those who are suffering with the anxiety disorder. “You’ve served (in the military) your entire life, and now that you can’t, you feel worse,” Pender said. “They drown in their thoughts, and the biggest problem with PTSD is that they have time to think about things that they have seen or done.” Olin Health Center nursing administrator Dawn Boechler said after a grant to fund facul-
ty training on PTSD was denied, officials at Olin and the Counseling Center have been coordinating for a speaker to hold an allday workshop about PTSD counseling. University counselors and Army ROTC officers also hope to bring a specialized veterans counselor to the university.
… the organization is trying to establish a designated resource room where information is available on posttraumatic stress disorder “When you have your own training and exposure, it really heightens your awareness and empathy for that individual that’s sitting right there. You know the questions to ask,” Olin Health Center clinical social worker Karen Boyd said. It’s unknown exactly how many MSU students would benefit from more services, but mental illnesses, such as PTSD, affect student military members across the country. Of 628 surveyed student veterans — 60 percent of whom were in direct combat exposure in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom — about 46 percent showed strong symptoms of PTSD and 8 percent attempted suicide, according to a See SUPPORT on page 2 X
BASEBALL
If same-sex debate goes to states, Spartans win home opener against CMU Michigan must choose route By Zach Smith
Sophomore catcher/first baseman Blaise Salter runs off the field after the end of an inning during the game against Central Michigan on Tuesday during the MSU home opener. MSU beat CMU, 4-2 and is slated to play Michigan at the next home game Friday.
smithza9@msu.edu
By Christine LaRouere larouer4@msu.edu THE STATE NEWS ■■
People still are talking about the arguments the U.S. Supreme Court heard for and against same-sex marriage and what it might mean for the future of marriage in the U.S. and Michigan. The Defense of Marriage Act denies federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples. Under current Michigan law, same-sex marriages are not recognized by the state and cannot receive state benefits. Michigan Supreme Court Associate Justice David Viviano could not comment on the pending national same-sex marriage case, but said a case related to state benefits reasonably could be brought to the Michigan Supreme Court in the future. “An issue like this could come before our court,” Viviano said. “Like any case, someone would have to feel that there was a
“Same-sex marriage is a state-by-state issue, not a federal issue. This whole process is not going to be automatic … everything takes time.” Harry Perlstadt, professor emeritus in the Department of Sociology
restriction on their freedom and then fi le a case to challenge the law.” For same-sex couples to get full benefits of married life, Harry Perlstadt, professor emeritus in the Department of Sociology, said there would have to be a similar case brought to the Michigan Supreme Court or an amendment process to the Michigan Constitution. But even if the current national case fi lters down to the state level in June when the U.S. Supreme Court announces its decision, it will take more time for Michigan to change its policy. “Same-sex marriage is a state-by-state issue, not a federal issue,” Perlstadt said. “This
whole process is not going to be automatic … everything takes time.” About 55.5 percent of Michigan residents favored same-sex marriage, 38.7 percent opposed and 5.9 percent neither favored or opposed in the 2012 State of the State Survey, which samples 1,000 adults living in Michigan. “Public opinion is moving faster on this issue than almost anything on record,” said Charles Ballard, director of the survey and economics professor. “I am old enough to remember a time when gay rights was not See MARRIAGE on page 2 X
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The temperature might have been cold, but the bats of the MSU baseball team were hot as they beat Central Michigan, 4-2, in the team’s home opener Tuesday afternoon. The Spartans (16-8, 2-1 Big Ten) were led by freshman outfielder Cam Gibson, who had one hit, one RBI, and one run scored. Gibson got the scoring started in the bottom of the third inning with a single up the middle to score sophomore outfielder Anthony Cheky. The Spartans kept the scoring going in the same inning when senior outfielder Jordan Keur got a two-out hit to drive in Gibson to give MSU a two run lead. “Understanding what we can do in order to be successful on a consistent basis,” head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. “Swinging at strikes, swinging at good pitches to hit, making our pitches on the mound when we needed them. When we play the game the right way, I think good things are going to happen.”
DANYELLE MORROW/THE STATE NEWS
In the bottom of the fourth inning, MSU catcher Blaise Salter reached on an error on the Central Michigan second base-
man that also allowed sophomore first baseman Ryan Krill See GAME on page 2 X