Thursday 04/04/19

Michigan State’s Independent Voice

‘THIS ONE’S FOR US’ SPARTANS CHASE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP After Elite Eight victory over Duke, men’s basketball plays Texas Tech in Final Four Pages 2-9 T HU R S DAY, A P R IL 4 , 2 019

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BASKETBALL

Fires set after basketball win

BY ANNA LIZ NICHOLS

ANICHOLS@STATENEWS.COM

Following Michigan State’s 68-67 win over Duke in the Elite Eight March 31, Cedar Village celebrated with a couch burning and celebratory chants.

The crowd was made up of 600 to 800 people at its peak, according to East Lansing Police Deputy Chief Steve Gonzalez.

A significant police presence monitored the area near the game’s end, as people ran yelling from their apartments. A group of people marched to Grand River Avenue, where traffic was stopped as fans poured into the street.

Police told the crowd to move away from Grand River, so people made their way back to the center of the Cedar Village complex.

Revelers began a fire in Cedar Village by burning coats, then pizza boxes and a couch. Members of the crowd rallied close to the fire, dancing around and jumping through it.

The fire burned for an estimated 20 minutes before police broke through the crowd and extinguished the fire. Police pushed the crowd back and told them to disperse.

As police moved the crowd away from the fire, individuals threw glass bottles in the direction of the police. Two individuals were arrested on charges of disorder-

ly conduct; both were 20-year-old men, according to Gonzalez. ELPD and the East Lansing Fire Department responded to 11 other fires.

MSU and the ELPD warned students about the criminal consequences of attending “destructive gatherings” in a press release.

Students participating in destruction could face consequences from the university such as suspension or expulsion.

Acting MSU President Satish Udpa said in a statement that the basketball team has faced great adversity this year and the community should celebrate the team’s success with class.

“Destroying property and taking part in destructive gatherings are not Spartan traditions,” Udpa said. “These actions are incredibly dangerous and are an embarrassment to Spartans everywhere.”

Anyone within 300 feet of an open fire who is not making an attempt to leave the area can be charged with a misdemeanor. The charge can lead to 90 days in jail and a $550 fine, according to the press release.

In addition to a large police presence, officers will monitor local news and social media on game day to identify individuals taking part in destructive behavior.

Spartan fans celebrate at Cedar Village Apartments following Michigan State’s win against Duke to advance to the Final Four March 31. PHOTO BY ANNTANINNA BIONDO

LOCATIONS • Cedar St. & Waters Edge Dr. • Evergreen Ave. & Albert St. • Two fires at Stoddard Ave. & Frye Ave. • 587 Virginia Ave. • 135 Collingwood Dr. • 400 block of Abbot Rd. • 505 M.A.C. Ave. • Beech St. & Spartan Ave. • Beech St. & Charles Ave. • Two unknown locations

GOOD LUCK TO COACH IZZO & SPARTAN BASKETBALL! The pioneer of contemporary chamber music and four time Grammy Award winning group will present a program highlighting a 20-plus year legacy, featuring critically acclaimed music and new works from emerging composers.

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Vol. 109 | No. 25

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019

Teal flags are displayed along Grand River Avenue April 3. A total of 505 flags will be hung along the road in honor of sexual assault survivors. PHOTO BY SYLVIA JARRUS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Marie Weidmayer

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IN TODAY’S PAPER

“What you end up seeing a lot is people not speaking until after they end up being fired or quitting the university, because at that point they are safe to say it.”

Graham Pierce Assistant Director of MSU Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting Read more on pages 15 and 16

10

reach 8-9 Spartans first Final Four since 2015 Photographer Annie Barker followed the Spartans through the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight

How students can get engaged with the city MSU students have a number of options at their disposal to affect the policy that impacts them

FOR NEWS RIGHT AT YOUR FINGERTIPS FOLLOW US AT:

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One copy of this newspaper is available free of charge to any member of the MSU community. Additional copies $0.75 at the business office only.

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BASKETBALL

Cedar Village takes to the streets TOP LEFT: A Spartan fan stands next to a fire at Cedar Village Apartments following MSU’s victory over Duke in the Elite Eight on March 31.

PHOTO BY NIC ANTAYA BOTTOM LEFT: Michigan State Police officer looks on following the celebration of MSU’s victory over Duke in the Elite Eight at Cedar Village Apartments March 31.

PHOTO BY NIC ANTAYA

TOP: Spartan fans collide while jumping over a burning couch following MSU’s victory over Duke in the Elite Eight at Cedar Village Apartments on March 31. PHOTO BY NIC ANTAYA BOTTOM RIGHT: Students celebrate MSU’s victory over Duke in the Elite Eight at Cedar Village Apartments on March 31, 2019. PHOTO BY MATT ZUBIK

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BASKETBALL

SEE MORE PHOTOS AND BASKETBALL COVERAGE AT STATENEWS.COM

RELIVE THE GLORY ORDER PRINTS OF YOUR FAVORITE SPARTAN BASKETBALL MOMENTS

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BASKETBALL

Spartan assistant and Texas Tech coach connected by Bobby Knight

BY CHASE MICHAELSON CMICHAELSON@STATENEWS.COM

Assistant coach Dane Fife yells at the team during the game against Oral Roberts on Dec. 3, 2016 at Breslin Center. STATE NEWS FILE PHOTO

a screen for the person with the ball rather than a player cutting for a pass, are a relatively modern idea. Knight did not embrace them, but Beard’s offense utilizes them at a higher rate.

Beard called MSU coach Tom Izzo on Monday morning to congratulate him on making the Final Four. Izzo said they spoke briefly about the journey Beard took to this moment.

“We talked about our mentors a little bit, and talked about Bob,” Izzo told reporters Tuesday. “I talked

about (Izzo’s MSU predecessor) Jud (Heathcote) a little bit, and just what a thrill it is.”

Speaking during a teleconference, Beard said Knight has been a big supporter of his program.

“I have not talked to Coach Knight personally to date, but I have heard back from several people that he sent his congratulations,” Beard said.

“As always, Coach has been very supportive. He’s really been great the past three years since I’ve been back

to Lubbock. Just this morning, I was talking to (ESPN analyst and college basketball personality) Dick Vitale…

Dick talked to Coach Knight and said Coach was really pleased with the way we’ve been playing.”

The motion offense only works when you have five unselfish, team-first players on the court, Fife said. Knight was known for demanding absolute commitment to the team over self.

Beard said though Knight and Izzo have different offensive philosophies, he recognizes the dedication to winning in Izzo’s program that he remembers from Knight.

“We have so much respect for his program,” Beard said. “We’re a program ourselves that try to be blue collar and rebound and play defense and try to be as tough as anyone. In my opinion, that’s Michigan State basketball.”

Though Fife said he doesn’t know Beard personally, he appreciates the success of another member of the extended Bob Knight fraternity.

“I know he’s a tough-minded coach, hard-nosed, and he certainly learned a lot under Coach Knight,” Fife said. “I see a lot of things that Coach Knight would be proud of. I see a lot of Coach Knight in Texas Tech.”

OM IZZO & THE T BO ON R Y E E

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The red Pantones differ by exactly fifteen shades — PMS 186 for one, and PMS 201 for the other. It would take 16 hours to traverse the 1,070 miles between Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana and United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas.

But for Michigan State assistant coach Dane Fife, when he watches video of the Texas Tech Red Raiders play on the offensive side of the ball, he may as well be back on the court in Bloomington.

Fife was entering his junior season at Indiana in September 2000 when legendary coach Bob Knight was fired after video surfaced of him choking a player years before. Knight took a season off before resurfacing at Texas Tech, where he hired a young Chris Beard as an assistant. 18 years later, Beard has brought the Red Raiders to the first Final Four in school history, and Fife is an assistant on Tom Izzo’s eighth Final Four team.

Though he only played two seasons under K night, Fife recognizes everything that Texas Tech does offensively.

At Indiana, Knight became famous for

perfecting the motion offense, where the ball is passed around the perimeter and post players set screens in hopes of freeing a teammate for an open lay-up or jump shot. It was an effective system — Knight retired in 2008 as the thenwinningest coach in the history of NCAA Division I, with 902 victories.

“Knight’s teachings have spread so wide,” Fife said after an MSU practice. “The motion, the screening, the execution of motion-type screening, down screens, back screens, playing in rhythm, playing in sync, all that stuff was really generated by coach Knight’s motion teachings.”

Though the motion offense is considered obsolete in some circles, Beard still runs a system very similar to the one he learned in seven years as an assistant under Knight albeit with some slight differences.

“We didn’t run a lot of ball screens when I played,” Fife said. “It reminds me of Steve Alford’s (a former Indiana player under Knight) offense when he was at Iowa. There was a lot of motion, but there was some quick hitter sets and some ball screens. The tough part is incorporating the ball screens into the motion offense.”

Ball screens, where a post player sets

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BASKETBALL

Column: Izzo has his title; players want theirs

BY CASEY HARRISON CHARRISON@STATENEWS.COM

W

hen time expired and Michigan State secured its win over Duke on Sunday in the NCAA Tournament East Region finals, Tom Izzo raised his fists as high as he possibly could and let out an emphatic cheer, a mental image I’m not sure I’ll ever forget.

It was type of cheer given when one finally exorcises the demons of three straight first-weekend exits in the Big Dance, despite the expectations of competing for a national championship. It was like a curse had been lifted, a spirit freed.

He never expected to be in this position. Not after Joshua Langford’s season-ending foot injury. And certainly not after Kyle Ahrens, Langford’s backup, suffered a gruesome ankle sprain in the Big Ten Tournament championship.

But here he is heading to his eighth Final Four.

He’s two wins away from his second National Championship.

Izzo, 64, the 2016 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee, knows he needs a second title to cement his legacy as an all-time great. Especially given the early tournament exits over the past couple sea-

sons, a long-awaited second championship will validate Izzo’s 24-year tenure at MSU. “I have my own goals,” Izzo said Tuesday. “I have my own aspirations of what I want to do.

What I want to do is put Michigan State University in rare air — two national championships by the same school starts to separate you from the 40-some that have won one.

“Three national championships with the same school validates it. The more I keep talking about it, puts you in a smaller fraternity.”

As much as Izzo wants it, as much as he thinks he needs it the group of players that brought him there want it more.

“He already got one,” forward Xavier Tillman said. “He did it. He did what everyone’s been trying to do. So this one’s for us. We want this for our legacy. And this is something to be proud of — like, really, truthfully, have a banner. Going to the Final Four is obviously amazing, but to win it is different. I want that feeling.”

Out of context, Tillman’s comment might come off as selfish, like this group isn’t playing for Izzo.

But in order to bring MSU its first national championship since 2000, the desire to win can’t be an external motivator.

The Spartans celebrate after the game against Duke at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019. The Spartans defeated the Blue Devils, 68-67. PHOTO BY ANNIE BARKER

After all, how can you deliver a promise to someone else when you yourself don’t know where to begin looking? Especially if what you’re seeking is the same thing.

Make no mistake about it. Tillman and everyone else in this current group want to bring Izzo a second title. The psyche of this team— which starts with a calm, collected Cassius Winston — took its roots when current-NBA rookie Miles Bridges announced he was returning for his sophomore year last season.

Each time Winston & Co. have been met with adversity, the end result has been a mentally tougher, grittier team that won’t ever go away.

“We all have that goal right now,” forward Kenny Goins said. “It’s one whole program driving in one direction. ... I know he’ll be working his butt off doing everything he can to get us ready for

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the game. So I think that just really shows you how driven this entire program is top-down from Coach Izzo down to managers, secretaries, whoever you want to call them, we’re all pushing for that end result.”

Buried under, the drive to win a national championship is the selflessness that made MSU such a likable team.

Teams like this, a culmination of elite skill, upperclassman leadership and an instinct to make the right plays at the right time, are rare.

A team that can deliver Izzo’s best chance breathing that rare air.

“We all want to win a championship,” assistant Dane Fife said. “We know how bad coach wants it for the rest of us. And that is the drive. You feel lit every day. There has to be a selfish component there or it’s not going to push you every day.

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BASKETBALL

SPARTANS BEAT DUKE IN

®

THE MSU ALUMNI OFFICE WISHES

TOM IZZO AND THE 2019 MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM

TOP LEFT: Junior guard Cassius Winston (5) cuts a piece from the net after the game against Duke at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019. PHOTO BY SYLVIA JARRUS

GOOD LUCK IN THE F I N A L F O U R® !

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BOTTOM: Fans cheer during the welcome back celebration for the MSU Basketball team after their 68-67 win over Duke on April 1, 2019, at the Breslin Center. PHOTO BY SYLVIA JARRUS

BASKETBALL

N ELITE EIGHT THRILLER

TOP MIDDLE: Senior guard Matt McQuaid (20) dunks the ball during the game against Duke at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019. PHOTO BY ANNIE BARKER TOP RIGHT: The Spartans celebrate after the game against Duke at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019. The Spartans defeated the Blue Devils, 68-67. PHOTO BY ANNIE BARKER

D LUCK SPARTANS

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CITY

East Lansing policy affects students, too — here’s how to get involved

BY EVAN JONES EJONES@STATENEWS.COM

“The purest form of government is your local government,” according to East Lansing City Councilmember Aaron Stephens.

East Lansing city officials have dealt with numerous issues that directly impact the Michigan State student body this semester, including scooter regulations, dispensary approvals and student housing developments.

“I ran as a student because all of these issues affect students every single day,” said Stephens, who was elected in 2017 as a political science senior at MSU. There are multiple ways MSU students can get involved and shape city policy.

THE UNIVERSITY STUDENT COMMISSION ...

There can often appear to be a wide gap between students and city officials, said Inter-Fraternity Council vice president Don Nguyen. The University Student Commission is intended to bridge that divide.

The commission includes represen-

tatives from major student bodies on campus like the National Panhellenic Council, ASMSU, Olin Health Center and the Inter-Cooperative Council in addition to the Inter-Fraternity Council.

“Realistically, anybody can apply to be a part of this University Student Commission,” Nguyen said.

He said he was taken aback by how cooperative the city has been in responding to student concerns.

“They have been very communicative and very transparent with us,” Nguyen said. “Everything is done in our best interest.”

The student commission helps guide city policy, with a recent example being the process of hashing out electric scooter regulations, Nguyen said.

“If we didn’t say anything, the city may not have ever approved scooters to be in the area,” he said.

Getting involved with the commission from a student’s perspective is as easy as showing up. These meetings include reserved time for public comment, where any audience member can speak to any issue whether it’s on the meeting agenda or not.

... OR ANY OTHER COMMISSION

“On my commissions, I always want to have a student,” Stephens said.

He said every commission has a role in city government, as they all give recommendations to city council on a variety of topics.

A list of commission vacancies is available on the city website. Students are eligible to apply for any vacancy, regardless of how long they plan to stay on campus.

Stephens said awareness of the opportunities to serve on city commissions is beneficial for the relationships between students and the city.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

Cu lt ivat i ng st udent a nd c it y relationships is an issue East Lansing and MSU have collaborated on before.

The Community Relations Coalition, or CRC, was established as a response to the 1999 riots, according to University Student Commission Chair Dillon Frechen. He said the body worked

to resolve tensions between permanent East Lansing residents and MSU students.

The CRC assisted with events like ice cream socials to increase awareness among students and residents about who their fellow city neighbors.

Former CRC member Sadie Shattuck said students in the coalition were often the only ones at these neighborhood events, as was the case for her in the Bailey neighborhood.

“I’m the only student. I’m representing those 8,000 students in that neighborhood,” Shattuck said.

Frechen said ideally, five to 10 students would be present at any given neighborhood meeting to discuss issues like parking laws that impact students’ daily lives.

The CRC was cut from the city’s budget last year due to a lack of revenue, and MSU cut its funding soon after. Frechen said the timing of the cuts was beneficial because the organization was ripe for change.

“While we’ve seen some riots since ‘99, they’ve been nowhere near the scope and scale of that,” he said.

The CRC is currently being rebranded and redeveloped as the Community Relations Partners, a registered student organization at MSU. The goal of engaged community involvement is the same, but the new organization aims for a wider scope.

He said in the past it was a way to soften residents’ perceptions of students with a sole focus on East Lansing. Frechen said the idea with the realignment is not to spend less time with residents, but to spend more time with students.

“It’s going to look different going forward — it has to,” Frechen said. “The CRC being gone is a bummer, but it’s also an opportunity for change.”

Shattuck hopes the rebranding effort can make the organization more inclusive of students who live outside of the city of East Lansing and in locales like Lansing, Meridian Township and Bath Township.

“We can not just focus on students of East Lansing, but the surrounding areas as well,” Shattuck said.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES? THE STATE NEWS IS SEEKING ITS NEXT EDITOR IN CHIEF If you’re an MSU student with a desire to lead an organization of 50+ staffers; are an agent of change and describe yourself as a news junkie, then The State News Board of Directors would like to talk to you.

We’re looking for someone who has visionary thinking, strong organizational skills and an ability to communicate with diverse groups of people around MSU and East Lansing.

Experience at The State News is not a requirement but proven leadership is.

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Interviews with the Board of Directors

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CAMPUS

It’s On Us Week aims to support survivors, address campus climate

BY KAITLYN KELLEY

KKELLEY@STATENEWS.COM

It’s On Us Week of Action happens once every semester at Michigan State with the goal of educating the community and raising awareness of sexual assault. From April 1 through April 5, several events were held across campus.

It’s On Us is a national campaign “dedicated to ending sexual violence on college campuses.” T he Week of Action is the campaign’s most active time.

Leah Shor t, a program specialist in the MSU Prevention, Outreach and Education Department, helped coordinate the week’s events.

It’s On Us Week of Action kicked off with a “teal out” on Monday, where members of the university were encouraged to wear the color in support of sexual assault survivors.

“It was just spreading the word to have folks wear teal because that is the color of sexual assault awareness, and we wanted to have it the first week of April because April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month,” Short said. “All April long, It’s On Us and other departments on campus are going to be holding events to raise awareness (and) support survivors.”

Short said this campus-wide effort is meant to create an “open and honest dialogue about campus climate, campus culture and how we can shift our culture to supporting sur vivors and ending sexual violence.”

“All the people coming to the table really care about MSU,” Short said. “We care about our students. We care about the campus climate overall.”

In addition to It’s On Us Week

of Action, teal prayer flags have been placed along Grand River Avenue across from MSU’s campus in support of survivors of Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse.

The City of East Lansing and a group of survivors’ parents — Parents of Sister Survivors Engage — par t nered on the project.

“In making these f lags, our goal was to hang them near campus for all to see and, as prayer flags, spread their messages of goodwill on the wind throughout the community,” Valerie von Frank, the mother of a Nassar survivor and founder of the group, said in a press release.

The East Lansing Department of Public Works installed 326 flags April 2. The rest of the 505 flags, meant to represent each known Nassar survivor, will be installed either this week or next week. They’re signed by at least 4,000 MSU students with words of support for survivors of sexual assault.

Another step toward healing made during It’s On Us Week was MSU releasing the original “teal issue” of the Spartan Alumni Magazine almost a year after former Interim President John Engler decided to scrap it completely.

In spring 2018, MSU was preparing a special issue of its alumni magazine to be released in the summer. Three potential covers — each sporting teal and the title “Finding Our Way” — went unpublished.

On April 1, the original version was published with a cover that included a single teal ribbon with a frayed end along with the previously unpublished title.

Aside from the “teal out,” many more events — organized by several different groups on campus — were held

It’s On Us cookies at the MSU Union on April 2, 2019. PHOTO BY ANNIE BARKER

throughout the week.

The MSU Sexual Assault Program and Counseling and Psychiatric Services, or CAPS, hosted a “trauma-informed yoga” event April 2 and handed out free yoga mats and teal water bottles.

Abby Baerman, a social worker at CAPS, co-facilitates “healing through yoga.” She said she shows participants how specific poses can help with anxiety, depression and other mental health problems.

“Trauma-informed yoga is really a sensitive approach to yoga,” Baerman said. “It tends to be more of a slower yoga f low, where we offer modifications and encourage people to practice as they would like to.”

Baerman said It’s On Us is important in addressing sexual violence on campus.

“It’s a great way for our community, particularly MSU, to be supportive of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (and) to help spread the awareness, particularly promoting against sexual assault and violence,” Baerman said. “I think it’s just great for MSU to be a part of this nationwide movement.”

The University Activities Board, or UAB, hosted its weekly open mic night April 2 and handed out free It’s On Us cookies from the MSU Bakery.

Legan Rose, t he music director of UAB, said the open mic Tuesday served as a way to spread the word about the events happening for It’s On Us Week.

“I think it’s important because I think it (the conversation

around sexual violence) has been shielded from the student population,” Rose said. “It’s important that we talk about it and learn from everything and become more self-aware.”

Rose said in addition the It’s On Us Week of Action events, UAB is holding student selfdefense workshops at 6 p.m.

April 4 in Akers Hall and at 6:30 p.m. April 18 in Wilson Hall.

On April 3, the Associated

Students of Michigan State Universit y gave out f ree t-shirts, cookies and other items to students for “Start Believing Day.” Gail Stern, an author and speaker on issues related to sexual assault awareness and prevention, will give a keynote address at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and again from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on April 4.

“She’ll be talking about rape culture, sexual violence, climate, those sorts of things,” Short said.

T he MSU Prevention, Out reac h a nd Educat ion Department and other groups involved with the campus-wide effort have the ultimate goal of continuing to raise awareness and show support for survivors of sexual assault.

“We’re just trying to continue to create an atmosphere where survivors are believed and survivors are heard,” she said. “That is a big, overarching goal.”

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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 Wed Lent Services @ 7:00pm 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 Services: Friday night 6pm, dinner @ 7, September–April www.msuhillel.org

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: 9:30am & 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. John Catholic Church and Student Center 327 M.A.C Ave. (517) 337-9778 Sun: 8am, 10am, Noon, 5pm, 7pm M,W,F: 12:15pm T & Th: 9:15pm www.stjohnmsu.org University Luthern Church (ULC) Lutheran Campus Ministry at MSU 1020 S. Harrison (517) 332-2559 Sun. Worship: 8:30am & 10:45am (Sept–May) Summer Worship: 9:30am www.ulcel.org

Community gardens

BY ANNA LIZ NICHOLS ANICHOLS@STATENEWS.COM

There is a plethora of literature and theories investigating why crime happens and why crime rates are higher in one place than another. Amid a hoard of long-disputed concepts, there is one idea that has sprung up from the concrete and into research journals: Community gardens decrease crime rates.

Urban geographer Richard Sadler looked at this concept in his hometown of Flint. Sadler authored a study looking at the relationship between communit y greening and crime rates.

“Places that had been greened more consistently over time saw decreases in crime over time,” Sadler said.

Sadler, an adjunct assistant professor in MSU’s Department of Geography, Environment and Spatial Sciences, observed areas of Flint from 2005 to 2014 and found not only that there was

an inverse relationship between greening efforts and crime rates, but that over time the impact became stronger.

Sadler has acted upon his findings, as he personally participates in a lawn mowing service in a neighborhood that is important to him. He said he has experienced a ripple effect where people see him taking care of lawns and then other people take care of their neighborhood.

“I think it’s that first step. If you live in a neighborhood and it’s been going downhill and you’re busy with work and life and kids, it’s like, ‘Why would I go out of my way to mow these extra lawns,’” Sadler said. “Once people see, ‘Oh, other people are doing this, I can do a little bit too.’ It’s like you don’t feel alone in the effort. You’re not just the one chump going around mowing lawns on a weekend.”

Sadler’s study, “Exploring the spatial-temporal relationships between a community greening program and neighborhood

“You have to get that community to be involved in that process, so along the way they become more invested in their own neighborhood.”

rates of crime,” cites the “broken windows theory,” for this correlation.

Broken Windows Theory is

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CITY

could lead to lower crime rates in cities the idea that visible signs of disorder like litter, vandalism, vacant lots and broken windows can lead to a cycle of crime. The disorder in an area leaves wouldbe offenders with the impression that criminal activity will go unnoticed and unreported.

There is little empirical ev idence prov ing t hat community greening efforts make an impact on crime rates, Scott Wolfe, an associate professor in the MSU School of Criminal Justice, said.

What matters for community rev italization is creating investment within a community, a willingness to look out for crime and call the police.

“In revitalization efforts, to have an impact on crime, you have to get that community to be involved in that process, so along the way they become more invested in their own neighborhood,” Wolfe said.

LANSING-AREA PROJECTS

The Garden Project, based in Lansing, has a network of more than 100 community gardens that help to feed more than 8,000 people, according to the organization’s website.

The project is run through the Greater Lansing Food Bank, which works to fight hunger in seven counties in mid-Michigan.

Garden Project Manager Julie Lehman said building community gardens around the state has helped individuals improve their diets and decrease the cost of groceries.

Because there is no income requirement to participate in the gardens, Lehman said people of all walks of life can participate.

“The gardens really do provide a unique space where people of different socioeconomic levels might be interacting with each other in that garden,” Lehman said.

“They may not have a chance to engage as much and form those relationships otherwise.”

The project provides free seeds and resources to learn about gardening and develop a green thumb. Lehman said from dawn to dusk individuals can engage with others in the garden no matter how much experience they have.

“When you are in the gardens, you might be surrounded by people who have been doing it for years,” Lehman said. “Even people who have been gardening

for years are able to learn from others. That is one kind of unique thing about gardening: Even if you’ve been doing it 40 years, you’ve only had 40 springs to try something. You’re constantly learning.”

Garden Project participant Michele Taylor tends to a 625 square foot plot in Lansing as a part of South Lansing Ministry. She has met many people working in different plots in the garden, including individuals where she faced a language barrier.

“I didn’t speak their language, but we kind of communicated about the vegetables. They would grow something different and I had no idea what it was,” Taylor said.

On one occasion someone had grown potatoes and she had not seen them grown in the ground before.

“I learned and they learned.”

Taylor said last year her ministry’s garden produced 260 pounds of fresh produce that went to a food pantry for those in need.

SOCIOECONOMIC EQUALITY

Though Sadler said social

science can be sticky and other factors are also at play, the people of Flint have shown a tangible effort in recent years to promote neighborhood guardianship.

The study says Flint has some of the highest unemployment rates of any urban metropolitan areas and below average police presence per capita. Where government has fallen short of needs, Flint residents have created for themselves a sense of control in what happens next.

When attempting to increase order in a community by beautifying it, it’s important to go about greening efforts in such a way that a neighborhood does not become gentrified, Sadler said. From an urban planning standpoint, integrated communities promote better public health and contribute to social equity.

“Nice neighborhoods are often outbid to the highest bidder, but when we deliberately plan communities that include affordable housing and smaller units and townhomes instead of pushing all of the poor housing to one part of town, everybody benefits,” Sadler said. “People with fewer resources share the

resources of the people who have more. They go to the same libraries, the same schools, they get the same education.”

the neighborhood, so they become less likely to commit crimes in that neighborhood because there’s a sense that they’re being watched or that people are looking out for one another,” Sadler said.

FORCES AT PLAY

Though Sadler’s study concluded that there is a clear and growing correlation over time between greening efforts and crime rates in Flint, simply making an area prettier may not be the driving force behind reducing crime.

“It’s not so much making the space nicer and greener looking, it’s to get the community invested into the neighborhood that matters,” Wolfe said.

“The most beneficial in terms of reductions in crime rates is greater investment of the community and willingness of the community to care about their neighborhood.”

Whether or not it’s the mowed lawns or rose bushes, there are forces at play here, Sadler said.

It could be the feeling that somebody may be watching or that neighbors will stand up for each other, but something seems to happen when people plant flowers.

“It may be less that it looks nice than the fact that people perceive that others care about

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Staff speaks out against hostile workplace, retribution in MSU office

BY RILEY MURDOCK RMURDOCK@STATENEWS.COM

The State News spoke with four employees in Michigan State’s University Advancement Department who allege a persistently toxic work environment and a lack of faith in official avenues to air grievances. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing a fear of retaliation or loss of employment for reporting their concerns.

In February, The State News published an investigation bringing to light that Bob Thomas was quietly removed as director of the MSU Alumni Association after he was found to have engaged in an undisclosed relationship with Director of Annual Giving Kathleen Deneau, whom he directly supervised and arranged a promotion for. Provided to The State News were materials including an anonymous letter sent from University Advancement staff to MSU administrators, imploring them to do something about the situation.

The week after the was story published, a second anonymous letter was mailed to The State News in an University Advancement envelope. The letter details instances of workplace misconduct in the department, in which individuals were allowed to quietly resign, as well as anecdotal grievances with human resources employees in the department.

The individual who sent the letter is not alone in believing they have nowhere to go in addressing their concerns.

CULTURE OF MISCONDUCT

Thomas is not the first University Advancement official to be disciplined for misconduct.

There are ongoing Office of Institutional Equity investigations involving University Advancement, MSU spokesperson Emily Guerrant confirmed.

Thomas’ predecessor, former head of the MSU Alumni Association Scott Westerman, resigned in April 2018 while under investigation for Title IX violations. He was later found to have violated university policy by sexually harassing a student employee. The claimant in the case told investigators she was concerned about filing a report because she was afraid of possible repercussions, including losing her job.

Former Associate Vice President for University Development Pete Lasher and former Executive Director of Constituent Relations Andrew Watkins are mentioned in the anonymous letter as having been found responsible for sexual misconduct. Guerrant confirmed there were findings in both investigations.

Lasher and Watkins were allowed to resign from their positions.

When reached, Watkins told The State News to read his OIE investigation report, stating The State News would “learn a lot” about the OIE. He declined to comment further. The State News submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for the investigation reports.

Lasher could not be reached at time of publication.

The three resignations took place under Bob Groves’ tenure as vice president for University Advancement. Sources including the anonymous letter, said Groves tolerated bad actors in the department, and “passionately defended” Westerman and Watkins. Groves resigned in November 2018 and was replaced by Heil.

“I have never tolerated nor excused sexual misconduct at MSU or anywhere else,” Groves said in an email statement. “I have worked to ensure that all employees are valued and any employee accused of wrong doing is afforded the full due process that they are entitled too(sic). I’m very proud of the staff and culture we built and the work we did during my tenure.”

The culture developed under Groves has been maintained even after his resignation from the department, sources said. The first source described the current environment as toxic and one-sided toward management, in a manner that negatively impacts morale.

“It’s the same environment with the same problems that are going unreported and unrecognized, because people fear for their livelihoods,” the fourth source said.

The second source had no issues with Groves, besides his appointment of Thomas to replace Westerman. They said Groves could and should have asked questions about Thomas and Deneau when the appointment was being made. But when it was finally looked into, the second source said the situation with Thomas and Deneau was treated with a similar lack of transparency and accountability.

The situation at University Advancement cannot be pinned on one person, the second source said.

They said the whole culture needs to be changed.

“It would be very meaningful if people who are found to be bad actors are ... treated in a manner that is commensurate to the things they have done,” the second source said.

A permanent president and a change in management might help fix the environment, the third source said. Others called for an investigation into the department.

“Sometimes it feels like they just want to keep

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the curtains closed and not let the outside world know how bad it can get and how bad it’s been,” the third source said. “It’s getting old because nothing has changed.”

THE THOMAS FALLOUT

Annual Giving was removed from Thomas’ supervision following the outcome of the investigation into his relationship with its director, but he still oversees all other departments that previously reported to him.

The atmosphere created by the situation was not because Thomas and Deneau behaved unethically, the fourth source said. It was the hostile environment and favoritism the relationship and his conduct created among the employees he supervised.

Thomas did not respond to a request for comment made through Guerrant.

“You have someone in charge of outward-facing communications who isn’t living the values that our president, Satish (Udpa), has set forth,” the fourth source said. “In any other organization in 2019, that person would’ve been asked to leave — quietly — and not be allowed to return to work and to manage the same people.”

The decision to allow Thomas to return to work was made by Vice President for University Advancement Marti Heil, Guerrant confirmed in the previous report.

Heil’s decision to allow Thomas to return has negatively affected the work environment, some sources said. The second source said it’s frustrating to feel like the issue was finally discovered, but still not acted upon.

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unethical with regard to sexual behavior in the workplace are making decisions about other people,” the second source said.

While the Thomas issue was investigated, affected staff were never asked for their opinions, how they felt or how they currently feel, the first source said.

“There’s been no follow-up whatsoever,” the first source said.

“A lot of things have happened, and there’s nobody in our executive level that is doing any kind of investigating, asking people questions or anything at all,” the second source said.

Heil did not ask questions about how the situation was and is affecting workers, the fourth source said.

“We all were hopeful, we gave her the benefit of the doubt, and we’ve been sorely disappointed because we’ve been ignored,” the fourth source said. “We haven’t been consulted, we haven’t been valued or enabled to do our jobs, we’ve just been dictated to.”

In a statement provided by Guerrant, Heil said she cannot comment on personnel decisions made under previous University Advancement leadership.

In response to the anonymous letters, she said a staff meeting has been set for early May with MSU Academic Human Resources, Employee Relations and OIE to talk “policies, questions and concerns.”

“I returned to MSU last year during a pivotal time for the university in how sexual assault and harassment topics were being addressed, and also during a time when the university has been re-evaluating its approach to these important topics,” Heil said in the statement.

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CAMPUS WORKPLACE CONT. NOWHERE TO GO

Employees in University Advancement are scared to report workplace issues, sources said. They feel they won’t be listened to through official channels and fear repercussions from superiors for complaining about officials.

“It’s sort of an undercurrent that is below the surface, and it’s become institutionalized, and therefore nobody’s gonna talk to anyone,” the fourth source said.

A perceived lack of action taken, including in the Thomas situation, has had a chilling effect on reporting, sources said.

“After Marti Heil permitted Bob Thomas to return to work, it set the worst possible precedent,” the fourth source said. “If that’s tolerated, and that’s rewarded by having to report to someone who has done that and isn’t being punished properly, then nobody’s gonna say anything about anything.”

This feeling has been present for years, sources said. Some take issue with Vivianne Robinson, University Advancement’s Director of Human Resources. Sources, including the anonymous letter, said Robinson protected certain individuals and is not trusted to follow up on complaints. Robinson did not respond to a request for comment made through Guerrant.

“Pretty much anybody here — if they were being honest and knew that they could tell the truth — would tell you that they cannot trust the HR director,” the first source said. “Do people (bring grievances to Robinson)? No, because you know better.

Why waste your breath?”

The third source also alleges human resources employees under Robinson are reprimanded for trying to assist those with complaints.

“These two individuals try to go above and beyond, have gone out of their way to give us resources. People like myself and others have sought their support and help, and they’ve been reprimand-

ed,” the third source said.

The second source said they have seen evidence of employees being treated differently, excluded from communications and having their motives questioned for being suspected of leaking.

“The problem here is we don’t know what to do,” the first source said. “They don’t know who to turn to.”

Recent leaks, including the Thomas materials, the second letter and materials concerning George Perles’ donation leaked to the Detroit Free Press, speak to the culture within University Advancement, sources said.

“That is not a culture that we want at MSU,” Guerrant said. “We want people to feel comfortable in coming forward.”

These leaks are a clear indication that people are angry, the second source said.

“People feel that justice haven’t been served,” they said. “Some of them have been allowed to resign, but that isn’t real accountability. Some haven’t. Bob and Kathleen are still here.”

PATTERNS OF INACTION

The allegations follow a pattern of disciplinary inaction at MSU. A lawsuit filed March 22 alleges MSU ignored complaints about a tenured engineering professor who exploited his students’ labor at his personal company. The students feared repercussions from the professor, who was their doctoral supervisor.

MSU Greenline, supervised by Deneau, did not fire an at-will employee found responsible for sexually assaulting a coworker, The State News reported in November 2018.

MSU still employs trainers Destiny Teachnor-Hauk and Lianna Hadden, both of whom are accused of not reporting allegations against Larry Nassar, Guerrant confirmed. The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, or LARA, issued

complaints against Teachnor-Hauk and Hadden in February, alleging they lied to investigators about their knowledge of Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse. The complaints are still open as of April 3.

Graham Pierce, Assistant Director of MSU Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting, said a fear of repercussions is common within departments at MSU. Pierce aired this concern to members of the MSU Board of Trustees at a March town hall meeting.

“What you end up seeing a lot is people not speaking until after they end up being fired or quitting the university, because at that point they are safe to say it,” Pierce said.

There is a broad perception that some people’s MSU careers have ceased to advance or ended because they criticized those above them, those in power, or the structure or direction of parts of the university, Pierce said.

He said he’s fairly lucky that departments he’s worked in have been more supportive, and said he has spoken for others who are unwilling or afraid to do so.

“Many (people’s) financial situation is supporting children and families and things that there’s a significant risk to others if they lose their job,” Pierce said. “I am fortunate in that I happen not to have a lot of dependents, so I can take more risks. I have chosen to prioritize ethics in such a way that I am willing to lose my job.”

Some people at MSU are broadly known to be problematic, but the university’s structure protects them because there’s no safe way to bring issues to light, Pierce said.

“When those things are challenged, the people that are protected are typically the people in power who are causing those problems,” Pierce said. “There isn’t trust that coming forward will do anything. I certainly know of people who have had a significant number of complaints

Beaumont Tower on Jan. 10, 2019. PHOTO BY ANNIE BARKER

made against them by a significant number of their staff and nothing happens. That’s where we have this breakdown culturally that will be very difficult to change.”

Pierce said he knows of multiple situations at MSU where there is a fear of repercussions.

“You have entire staffs ... stressed out dayto-day in these additional ways because of the way they’re being treated and cannot get anything to change about that,” he said. “If some people (are) speaking about it with a place like HR and nothing happens, then the rest don’t bother speaking because why would they put their neck out there, risk retribution and have nothing happen?”

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