Thursday 10/10/19

Michigan State’s Independent Voice

COOPERATIVE LIVING ‘This is an environment that lets people be different’ PAGES 4-5

Environmental engineering sophomore Jac Stelly inside the Phoenix Co-Op house on Oct. 9. PHOTO BY SYLVIA JARRUS

CAMPUS

SPORTS

OPINION

Center for Survivors: ‘Our space is for them’

Tillman juggles fatherhood, athletics

COLUMN: I regret choosing dorm life

Formerly known as the Sexual Assault Program, the organization gets a rebrand

Forward Xavier Tillman balances family and basketball following an action-packed off-season

‘I came to the realization that maybe dorm housing wasn’t in my best interest’

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COMMUNITY

The Abbot preps for fall 2020 move-in

MSU Center for Survivors: ‘Our space is for them’

BY MADDIE MONROE MMONROE@STATENEWS.COM

BY KARLY GRAHAM

Construction for what will be East Lansing’s tallest building is running on schedule for a fall 2020 move-in and is accepting applications for 2020-21 residents.

The Abbot apartments, and the Graduate hotel alongside it, is part of the Park District project the East Lansing City Council approved in August 2018.

The Council unanimously approved this $105 million project, which will be reimbursed over the following nine years.

The Park District project on the corner of Abbot Road and East Grand River Avenue will add 213 market rate apartments and 194 hotel rooms. When finished, The Abbot will be the tallest building in the city with 11 floors and a rooftop terrace featuring amenities for its residents.

“Move-in is set right now for Aug. 24 of 2020, we opened the office here July 29 so we’re obviously really getting into the full swing of everything here with the housing fair coming up,” said Ashley Lanagan, director of student housing at The Abbot. “Leasing is going well so far and I think we are offering ... something really good with the location and pricing.”

Lanagan said construction is progressing nicely.

“We do have many years experience with large-scale developments so timing is a big part of that. That experience has guided our approach in East Lansing, the goal is always to provide the best experience for our residents ... and part of that is delivering a timely movein and we plan on meeting that goal.”

So far, construction has gone as planned with minimal problems, but because of struggles The Hub on Campus had this past fall with delayed inspection and move-in, the city has kept close eyes on The Abbot to ensure a smooth move-in for fall residents.

“When we are looking at Park District specifically, I don’t think we need to reevaluate a timeline, but definitely further communication with developers

KGRAHAM@STATENEWS.COM

The Abbot under construction on Oct. 9. They’re now accepting lease applications for 2020-21. PHOTO BY SYLVIA JARRUS

beforehand,” City Council Member Aaron Stephens said. “On the Hub’s part, it was foolish of them to not say that they needed more time … I can assure you that the timeline so far has been working out great for Park District. In fact, that building is going to be started a little bit sooner than expected at this point, which is really, really good, but if issues do come up, I am always on the side of students and their rights and the tenants.”

Aug. 24, 2020 is the tentative move-in date, Lanagan said.

“Construction is underway and there aren’t really any issues right now, so things should be going according to plan,” Stephens said.

The Abbot complex will include 105

studio units, 18 one-bedroom units, 45 two-bedroom units and 50 three-bedroom units.

“The costs per unit vary depending on floor location and the view that you have in the building, so it can range,” Lanagan said.

“Right now, you can do a studio between $1,220 and $1,280, you can do a one bedroom from $1,500 to $1,570 ... you can get into a two bedroom for as little as $2,250 and our 3 bedrooms right now go for $2,570 to $2,780, and again, that’s by the unit.”

The Abbot is accepting applications from tenants until the availability is gone.

Information about leasing is available on their website, liveabbot.com.

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The MSU Center for Survivors, formerly known as the MSU Sexual Assault Program, is going through a rebranding process.

After reaching out to the public for guidance via social media, the new name was decided on. Through a survey, the community was able to provide input about the program’s name change.

In a university press release, Director Tana Fedewa said the original name did not “accurately describe the scope” of the center’s services.

“We work with survivors of adult sexual assault and adult survivors of child sexual abuse, as well as people who have experienced sexual harassment and sexual exploitation,” Fedewa said in the press release.

Journalism junior Kweku Achenie said she agrees with the reasoning behind the name change.

“I think it’s probably good that they did it just to avoid confusion, especially because I know — for a lot of people here — it’s a really touchy subject,” Achenie said.

Before the name was changed, clients and campus partners spoke about how the name was not inclusive to people who do not describe their experiences as sexual assault.

Making the new name more inclusive and accessible was an important part of the rebrand, Fedewa said.

“We want survivors to know that our space is for them,” she said in the release. “We want survivors to find community where they belong and where

they are valued.”

The Center for Survivors provides crisis intervention services, therapy and advocacy services for individuals who have been impacted by rape or sexual assault.

“I like that they changed the name. It makes you feel a little bit more comfortable going there,” genomics and molecular genetics junior Haven Robinson said. “I guess for some people it’s a little bit more sensitive.”

During her first semester of college, Robinson was raped and relied on the center for therapy. She was a freshman during Larry Nassar’s sentencing, so she was often being forced to hear about triggering topics.

“Any time I went to class, any time I sat and watched the news, I was having breakdowns and it really sucked,” she said. “I needed someone to talk me through for a couple months and if I didn’t have that, I don’t know. It was my first semester in college, so it was a little different for me.

So, yeah, it was life changing.”

She said the center provided her with the opportunity to have a better transition into college after her assault.

“You’re introduced to more alcohol, more parties, more men, period. And that can be alarming, so it definitely helped talking it through with someone,” she said.

A 24-hour hotline and crisis chats are services provided by the center. They also provide free and confidential group and individual therapy, advocacy and canine advocacy.

There’s also an available survivor emergency fund.

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SPOTLIGHT

Students discuss life in, miscon

BY ANNA SPIDEL ASPIDEL@STATENEWS.COM

The MSU Student Housing Cooperative’s Orion house on Oct. 1. The house currently has 24 residents. PHOTO BY CONNOR DESILETS

Among the mansion-like sororities that line M.A.C. Avenue, Orion Cooperative looks just like any other house. Students are usually seen chatting on the front porch — which is adorned by large white columns — or tending to the small gardens found in the yard.

Orion is a cooperative house that operates within Michigan State’s Student Housing Cooperative, or MSU SHC. It’s described on its website as “a non-profit, autonomous organization providing an affordable off-campus housing option to students and the Greater Lansing community.”

The registered student organization is made up of 17 houses, which are home to more than 240 members, and operates independently from the university.

INSIDE A CO-OP

A sign hangs above one of the stairways in the Orion Co-Op house on Oct. 1. PHOTO BY CONNOR DESILETS

Living in a co-op, you can decorate a personal room however you want. Psychology senior Lauren Dix’s room is on the third floor, along with other seniors living in the house. PHOTO

BY LAUREN DEMAY

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THURSDAY, OCTOB E R 1 0, 2 01 9

Upon entering the Orion Co-Op house, psychology senior Lauren Dix held a large cat in her arms. The walls behind her were covered in brightly-colored murals that decorate most of the house’s interior.

Residents — and their pets — are seen mingling or working on homework in one of the many common areas. For Dix and her housemates, this is business as usual.

“You realize that you really like your alone time, or you don’t,” Dix said. “You can choose to be alone or you can choose to be a part of things. There’s always things going on ... people want to go out and do this or that, but you always have somebody that you can talk to.”

While this constant state of togetherness can foster a fun, happy environment, it can also — understandably — lead to occasional conflict. When these conflicts arise, Dix said members of the house work together to tackle the issue without sacrificing civility.

“I’ve also learned to use effective communication. Obviously, when you put 24 people together, there’s going to be different opinions (and) there’s going to be different ideologies on certain things. But it’s a cooperative for a reason,” she said. “You’re here with the notion to know that you’re going to be cooperative, but for some people that may be a different definition than others.”

As for the issue of house duties and responsibilities, Dix said everybody pitches in.

Chores are allocated equally between the members every week, and each house has their own way of implementing this system.

Emma Albrecht, a packaging senior living in the Phoenix Co-Op house, thinks this unique structure works better for some people than it does for others.

“The main thing that comes along with living in a house within the SHC is that

cooperative element of it,” Albrecht said.

“You do have to understand that when you sign up to live in one of those houses, you are going to have to be working cooperatively with your housemates. It’s not like a traditional apartment where if your roommate doesn’t do the dishes, you just bicker at each other and eventually the dishes get done.”

If members don’t do the dishes in a coop, Albrecht said they get fined $10 — and whoever ends up doing them receives that fine.

“Stuff like that, where it can work really well for you, but it also understandably can get expensive if you aren’t in a space where you can be cooperative,” she said.

This concept can be quite daunting for people who have never lived in a house, not to mention those who are not used to doing chores.

Those core values of togetherness and cooperation are of utmost importance to the SHC, and all members of a house must be committed to upholding these ideals, Albrecht said.

She said equality is the driving force of most of the co-ops on campus, and the members are dedicated to maintaining this.

“Everything is done together. No one member of the house is above any other, we are all equal. Any decisions that are made in the house that will effect everyone are made on a vote b asis,” she said.

“For example, if we wanted to take part of our budget to buy something different than what we usually do, we would have to all vote on it as a house. So everything is done on an equal basis.

“Everything is done together. No one member of the house is above any other, we are all equal.”

Emma Albrecht Packaging senior

TYPES OF CO-OPS

The 17 houses within the SHC are Apollo, Beal, Bower, Bowie, Ferency, Harambee, Hedrick, Howland, Miles Davis, New Community (also known as NewComm), Orion, Phoenix, Raft Hill, Rivendell, Shire, Toad Lane and Vesta.

The smallest of these houses are Toad Lane and Shire, which are each home to only five members. The largest is Phoenix, which has 29 members.

Sophomore environmental engineering

SPOTLIGHT

nceptions of cooperative housing A member of the Orion Co-Op house in the kitchen on Oct. 1. The 24 residents of the Orion House all share this kitchen space. PHOTO BY CONNOR DESILETS

Jac Stelly, a current member of Phoenix, said there are many opportunities to socialize with members of other houses. Most parties and social events held at the houses are open to all active members of the SHC. “I think (the community aspect) varies house to house. I know some co-ops are a little bit less involved and don’t really throw or really go to parties,” Stelly said. “(Phoenix) is a house where we’re always super welcoming to anyone that’s happy to come, usually it is co-op people. Usually, every weekend one co-op or the other is having something, and you’re always welcome ... It’s a pretty cool thing.”

Historically, co-ops have been a place for students from all backgrounds to come together and live in a community setting.

This creates an environment where all kinds of individuals can express themselves freely and without judgement, Stelly said.

“A lot of people do have the same ways of thinking about things and the same kind of priorities. But, there’s a big range of characters, and this is an environment that lets people be different characters. It’s a little bit more independent, which is good too,” he said. “That freedom is just a different kind of freedom. This is an environment where you really have an opportunity to express yourself as a different character.”

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CO-OPS

Albrecht said many students are not fully aware of what kind of people live in coops, or what co-ops are all about.

“Some people describe (co-ops) as just frats for hippies. Like, co-ed frats for hippies,” Albrecht said. “But, I think the main reason why that gets resisted is because it is a little bit more than that. You do have to be really cooperative. We don’t have cooks, we don’t have people that come and clean our house and take care of our lawn — that’s all on you.”

Too often, the somewhat warped viewpoints many students have of co-ops can lead to misunderstandings and can contribute to tension between members of the SHC and other student groups, she said.

“Right now, college common culture is Greek life,” she said. “It’s more about the fact that we don’t follow that status quo.

People don’t understand us, and I don’t blame them for the assumptions they make. I don’t take it personally. It is frustrating that there is tension and people don’t understand what we’re about, but I also understand that it’s not a personal attack on us, it’s just a misunderstanding.”

HOW TO JOIN A CO-OP

So, how does one go about joining a co-op?

It isn’t as hard as some might think. The

process allows prospective members to tour houses they are interested in so they can get a feel for the environment and dynamic of the house, as well as its members.

“We want to empower our members to be able to say no, and to be able to say who they want to live with,” Albrecht said. “For me, I want my housemates to feel empowered to stand up for themselves if there is something going on. We want to make sure everyone is comfortable, that’s really the most important thing for us.”

Many would describe living in a co-op as being a part of a family. This is a large factor that draws people to the co-op lifestyle, and it continues on long after graduation, Orion resident Mike Zandstra said.

Zandstra is a graduate student who has lived in the co-op for two years. He said alumni often stay connected with the house and its members by paying visits or sending keepsakes that remind them of their old home.

“When you move in to Orion, specifically, you’re a member for life. So, you’re always welcome back to the house. We stay in contact with a lot of alumni, it’s cool,” Zandstra said. “Everyone who’s lived in the house, we all have a history. The house itself has a history that connects all of us.”

“You’re not just living for a roof over your head — you’re living here for the people, the culture and to be a part of the house.”

Environmental engineering sophomore Jac Stelly inside the Phoenix Co-Op house on Oct. 9. PHOTO BY SYLVIA JARRUS

Lauren Dix Psychology senior

While the cooperative lifestyle might not be a good fit for everyone, Dix said it is a great option for students seeking affordable housing and a community full of open-minded individuals who are passionate about working together to create a balanced, peaceful and fulfilling environment.

This, Dix said, is what makes co-op living so wonderful.

“It’s not just simply a place to live, it’s a place to have a life,” she said. “You’re not just living for a roof over your head — you’re living here for the people, the culture and to be a part of the house.”

A hallway inside the Orion Co-Op house on Oct. 1. PHOTO BY CONNOR DESILETS

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SPORTS

RELIGIOUS DIRECTORY

Xavier Tillman juggles fatherhood, athletic aspirations

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 Crossway Multinational Church 4828 Hagadorn Rd. (Across from Fee Hall) (517) 917-0498 Sun: 10:00am crosswaymchurch.org 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 Shabbat – Services@ 6pm / dinner @ 7, September–April www.msuhillel.org instagram: @msuhillel

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: 10:30am & 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. Paul Lutheran Church (ELCA) Worship with us on Sundays at 10am 3383 E. Lake Lansing Rd 517-351-8541 www.stpaul-el.org officemanagerstpaul el@gmail.com

St. John Catholic Church and Student Center 327 M.A.C Ave. (517) 337-9778 Sun: 8am, 10am, Noon, 5pm, 7pm M,W: 5:30pm T & Th: 8:45pm F: 12:15pm www.stjohnmsu.org University Christian Church 310 N. Hagadorn Rd (517) 332-5193 Sun. Bible Study: 10am Sun. Worship: 11:15am www.universitychristianwired.com University Lutheran Church (ULC) “We’re open in every way” 1120 S. Harrison Rd (517) 351-7030 Sun. Worship: 8:30am & 10:45am Fridays@Five: Dinner, discussion & fun 5pm Mon. Bible Study: 6:30pm @Wells Hall Quad www.ulcel.org Facebook: ULC and Campus Ministry University United Methodist Church 1120 S. Harrison Rd (517) 351-7030 Main Service: Sun: 11am in the Sanctuary Additional Services: NEW contemporary service Sundays at 9am with band titled ‘REACH’ TGiT (Thank God its Thursday): Thur: 8pm in the Chapel of Apostles universitychurchhome.org office@eluumc.org WELS Lutheran Campus Ministry 704 Abbot Rd. (517) 580-3744 Sat: 6:30pm msu.edu/~welsluth

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Sophomore forward Xavier Tillman (23) kisses his daughter, Ayanna, 2, after the men’s basketball game against Ohio State at Breslin Center on Feb. 17. PHOTO BY NIC ANTAYA

BY BRENDAN GUMBEL BGUMBEL@STATENEWS.COM

It was an action-packed offseason for junior basketball forward Xavier Tillman. Between getting married in May, going on a cruise in the Caribbean for his honeymoon and preparing for the upcoming season, the six-foot eight Grand Rapids native didn’t slow down.

Let’s start at the end of last season. The Spartans were coming off a milestone win in the Elite Eight against Zion Williamson and the No. 1 seeded Duke Blue Devils. Even though the team fell to Texas Tech in the Final Four, it was a remarkable season that saw the rapid growth of players like Tillman. The team voted him Most Improved Player after averaging 24.1 minutes and 10 points per game, both significant improvements from the year prior.

A lot of buzz centered around senior guard Cassius Winston’s decision on whether to stay at Michigan State or test the waters of the NBA Draft. Winston ultimately decided to return, but Tillman’s play elevated him into that conversation as well. Only entering his third season, Tillman didn’t feel the time was right to look that deeply into it.

“To be honest, I didn’t really feel like my name was out there enough to test the waters,” Tillman said. “Obviously we didn’t finish the job in the Final Four, but I felt like individually, I wasn’t at that level yet where it was OK for me to test the waters. So I was like, ‘OK well, I’m not going to force it.’”

Tillman got married to his longtime fiancee, Tamia Todd, 6

this past May. The two went on their honeymoon shortly after, and ran into former Michigan State point guard and now graduate manager Tum Tum Nairn in the Bahamas, an unexpected surprise. Nairn gave the newlyweds a tour of his hometown and took them out to eat. Once the trip was over, it was back to work for Tillman.

“The summer was a grind after the honeymoon, (with) getting my weight back down from eating good,” Tillman said. “But then, working on my individual post game and different moves that I could do. Just being more versatile, being able to stretch the floor out, working on a lot of pick and pop shooting. Working on a lot of ball handling stuff as well.”

Former Michigan State big man Nick Ward had been the go-to guy in the post for the past couple of seasons, and Tillman wants to take aspects of his game and combine it with his own.

“To be more of a post-scorer, that was a big goal of mine,” Tillman said. “That was the one thing that I couldn’t do that (Ward) was so good at. So the whole summer I was like ‘OK, if I could do what (Ward) was good at, plus what I’m good at, then we’re going to be a really good team. So teams like Texas Tech won’t be able to just guard the ball screen.’

That was my goal, just to work on my post moves, my footwork, my reads, my patience and my strength in the post.”

As far as balancing married life and being a college athlete, Tillman has gone all-in and says he takes both roles seriously, stressing how much he has grown over the past

T H E STAT E NE WS

couple of years. A father to a two-year-old daughter already, Tillman and Todd are expecting another child in late February.

“If I’m going to be a dad, I’ve got to accept this role,” Tillman said. “I can’t just want to be a college student and be out all night, and be a dad too. It just doesn’t work both ways.

I’ve fully accepted the role of being a father and, with that, the regular college life wasn’t my life and I adapted to it real easily.”

With his second child due in the heart of the season, it could put Tillman’s status for a game or two up in the air.

He has already talked to Head Coach Tom Izzo about the situation, and Tillman hopes the baby will come sometime between Feb. 21-28, where the only game the Spartans have is a home matchup against Iowa.

For now, Tillman will focus on the upcoming season, with tough opponents such as Duke and Kentucky looming early.

Despite all the preseason attention he is getting from his stellar play last year, Tillman said he is trying his best to block out the noise and keep things simple, starting with deleting his Twitter account.

“For me personally, I try to do the same thing that got me here,” Tillman said. “I’m working as hard as I can, being as vocal as I can and controlling all my controllable things. I’m not trying to do anything out of the ordinary, but (still) trying to add little bits and pieces to my game.”

Tillman is in line for a breakout season, and the reigning Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year will be a force to be reckoned with for the Spartans following an eventful offseason.

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SPORTS

Season outlook: Michigan State hockey returns bulk of scoring

BY JAYNA BARDAHL JBARDAHL@STATENEWS.COM

At the end of last season, one that produced a 12-19-5 finish, the future for Michigan State ice hockey looked unclear. What the team would do without four-year veterans Brennan Sanford, who continued onto the Kalamazoo Wings, Cody Milan, and Zach Osburn was unknown. And the team’s recovery after losing MVP and standout forward Taro Hirose, who signed with the Detroit Red Wings, seemed unlikely.

However, after a dominant 6-1 win over the Western Ontario Mustangs in a game that tested all aspects of the Spartans’ roster, the green and white proved moving on is possible and they can look forward to a promising season this year.

Despite losing Hirose, who earned 50 points on 35 assists, the Spartans return 23 letterwinners for the 2018-19 season. The Spartans need not fret offensively since they retain 65% of their point production and 71% of their goal-scoring. During Monday’s game, the Spartans put an

impressive 55 shots on goal, proving that their offensive pace and strength is still there.

Top goal scorers senior Patrick Khodorenko, who had 18, and junior Mitchell Lewandowski, 16, return to retain two-thirds of the vaunted KHL line, as each of them tied with senior forward Logan Lambdin for the most shots on goal with five in the season’s exhibition opener Monday. The Khodorenko-Lewandowski pairing will have to create more for themselves this year without the facilitation of Hirose, but there are few duos better-suited to adjust to the loss of production.

The team is rather experienced, too. The Spartans’ nine-member senior class marks the largest since the 2011-12 season when the Spartans went 20-16-4. Leading scorer Khodorenko headlines the class alongside second-year team captain Sam Saliba and goaltender John Lethemon, who had a .905 save percentage last season, amongst others.

The three sole freshmen, Josh Nodler, Jagger Joshua and Nicolas Muller, all forwards, each have

promising professional futures. All three started their college hockey careers on a high note, with each contributing either a goal or an assist to Monday’s game.

Nodler, a 5-foot-11 forward from Oak Park, Michigan, was selected in the fifth round by the Calgary Flames in the 2019 NHL draft this past June. He assisted Monday night’s 5th Spartan goal by sophomore defenseman Christan Kryiger.

Joshua comes from two seasons in the USHL, where he played for the Muskegon Lumberjacks. The 6-foot3 freshman also assisted Kryiger’s third period goal alongside fellow freshman Nodler.

And then there’s Muller, who comes to the Spartans after representing his home country Switzerland at both the 2018 and 2019 IIFH World Junior Championships.

Muller started and scored a goal in his first college-career game on Monday, starting his season off strong.

That night, MSU had six goals scored by six different skaters. Collectively, the team accumulated 67

OPINION

COLUMN: Why I regret choosing dorm life over commuting to campus

BY DEVIN ANDERSON-TORREZ DANDERSONTORREZ@ STATENEWS.COM

Going into my freshman year, I thought I needed to stay in the dorms. For convenience, the experience and everything in between. A little more than a month after I moved in, I came to the realization that maybe dorm housing wasn’t in my best interest.

Dorms are expensive. As an in-state student, between housing and a meal plan, your tuition could double. The cost of living in the dorms for just one semester is $5,136. If you were to stay in the dorms with a meal plan for even just two years here, you would be over another $20,000 in debt.

For me, living in Holt and attending Holt High School, the trip to campus is 15 minutes, tops. The commute is similar for all neighboring

areas of high schools around MSU. Finding myself at home more than I’m at the dorms, I have come to realize what I could’ve done differently this year.

There’s a certain part of you after graduating high school that seeks independence.

Move out, be on your own in the dorms and find new experiences.

But as a commuter, you will still have classes with new people and chances to go to all the games and events and travel to campus whenever you please. Being a commuter doesn’t mean you aren’t a student.

The parties will still be just a short drive away, and your friends’ doors will always be open. Dorm life won’t evade you if you choose to commute. The option to stop in at one of the dining halls or stay the night in a friend’s dorm will still be there. You won’t get the feeling of moving out, but the freedoms of college will still be the same, if not greater.

Commuting gives you options. Having your car means you don’t have to stay on campus every day of the

week. You don’t have to take a $15 Uber to go to the mall.

You won’t have to organize rides everywhere you go.

You won’t even have to walk across campus to a class in the cold.

Choosing to save money doesn’t strip your independence. Commuting to campus makes sense if you live closely. The loans will be lighter when you graduate. Your college experience won’t suffer.

If you live close, get out.

Save money, a lot of money.

There is no shame in living at home when you can come out of college with more in your pockets.

Staying in the dorms might be the more independent thing to do. Overall, you will be on your own. But just because it is a change in lifestyle doesn’t mean it’s the smarter choice.

Granted, this is the opinion of a homebody, but its validity remains substantial. When you can save thousands and still make college the experience you want it to be, the question shouldn’t be about why you should stay in the dorms. It should be about why commuting might be the better option.

Freshman forward Josh Nodler (20) takes the puck up the ice during the game against Western Ontario at Munn Ice Arena Oct. 7. The Spartans defeated the Mustangs, 6-1. PHOTO BY MATT SCHMUCKER

points while goaltenders Lethemon and sophomore Drew DeRidder made 21 total saves.

The Spartans got everything they wanted out of their first showing Monday. The team proved their offense was still dominant while still being challenged on the defensive end by several of the Mustangs’

well-executed opportunities.

MSU hockey can’t expect another Hirose to rise from the ashes, but pairing veterans with experienced underclassmen should make for an intriguing future for the program after a season in which they competed for Big Ten Tournament home ice through the final weekend.

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