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ELECTION 2018

The 2018 Michigan gubernatorial race

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Democratic nominee for governor Gretchen Whitmer speaks at U-M’s Rackham Auditorium on Oct. 19. PHOTO BY ANDREW ROTH

With no incumbent in the race, Michigan gubernatorial candidates Gretchen Whitmer and Bill Schuette entered with a level playing field.

Sc huet te, M ic h iga n’s Republican attorney general and former U.S. representative, state senator and judge, first got involved in politics because he wanted to do something that would make his dad — who died when he was six — proud.

“I made a decision to go into public service because my dad was a really accomplished business guy; I didn’t think I could quite measure up in his level of accomplishment,” Schuette said.

Whitmer, former Democratic Minority Leader of the state Senate, said that she didn’t plan on seeking office again after her time in the Legislature wrapped up.

“I never thought I’d run for office again, but I learned very quickly about myself that I just don’t have any patience for people who want to politicize issues instead of rolling up their sleeves and solving problems,” Whitmer said.

During Whitmer’s time in the Legislature, MSU was in her district. That’s why she introduced a failed package of bills — called the Michigan 2020 — that would have made a fouryear degree free in Michigan, she said.

“I didn’t get it done, u n for t u nately, but it is something that is a big part of my economic plan,” Whitmer said.

Today, her platform includes a debt-free two-year degree, or using equivalent funds towards bringing down the costs of a four-year degree.

ANDREW ROTH

Bill Schuette enters the Kelley Library for a media conference concerning the investigation into MSU on Jan 27, 2018 at 525 W. Ottawa in Lansing. PHOTO BY SYLVIA JARRUS

Schuette said his plan for reducing student debt involves work i ng w it h un iversit y presidents to bring down tuition costs.

Both candidates agreed it is equally important to provide paths to well-paying jobs that don’t require a college education.

“Not everyone needs or wants to go to college,” Schuette said. “We need to have greater emphasis on skilled trades and apprenticeships, and as governor I want to make sure we provide options for students.

Those who are agile in their brain and have agility with their hands, they would want to go into the skilled trades and apprenticeships.”

For those who do go to college, the question they’ll face when they graduate will be whether to stay in Michigan or move

elsewhere.

Schuette said a driving force in that decision will be whether those graduates can find a job.

“We have to have a growing economy,” Schuette said. “The biggest thing we can do in Michigan is make sure our state grows. That’s why I’m running for governor; it’s about growing our population and making sure that we have a more diverse population.”

“Other states are growing faster than we are because they have more growth, more jobs, a stronger economic climate.

That’s why we need to be competitive with other states in terms of jobs and paychecks.”

Whitmer said the decision to stay or leave the state comes down to a quality of life issue.

“First and foremost, we’ve got so much natural beauty; we’ve got 21 percent of the

world’s fresh water,” Whitmer said. “We’ve got a standard of living that you can’t find in many places... But we also have some challenges, whether it’s transit, or it’s our K-12 system for young people or newly married people or anyone thinking about starting a family.”

“Getting the whole state connected through high-speed broadband is critical to our ability to offer a lifestyle that young people are looking for.”

Whitmer also said as governor, she would use the state’s budget to make sure something like the Nassar crisis does not happen again by funding programs to make it easier to report sexual assault and help survivors navigate their trauma.

Whitmer, also said that there still needs to be a full investigation into the university’s involvement — or

lack thereof — in the Nassar scandal.

Schuette said the Nassar case is “changing the discussion not just in Michigan but across the country in terms of sexual assault,” and the purpose of Nassar’s prosecution was “so that every survivors’ voice would be heard.”

“I think it means that there’ll be protocols — a process will be put in place that we hear the survivors — that we have processes that alert people in positions of responsibility, and that we give opportunities for survivors to be heard all the time,” Schuette said. “We need to make sure that law enforcement and the security on campuses are second-to-none.”

Getting to know the U.S. Senate candidates ANDREW ROTH AROTH@STATENEWS.COM

T

he major-party candidates for the Senate are Democrat Debbie Stabenow and Republican John James. Third-party nominees include Marcia Squier of the Green Party, John Howard Wilhelm of the Natural Law Party and George Huffman III of the U.S. Taxpayers Party.

Stabenow is running for her fourth consecutive term as one of Michigan’s senators, while John James, a former Army veteran, has business experience in his family’s company, James Group International.

Both candidates have voiced their opinions on many topics, but Michigan’s economy, infrastructure, healthcare and the Second Amendment have been the main focuses.

According to Stabenow’s website, she believes that in order to continue growing Michigan’s economy, leaders must focus on growing a “diverse Michigan economy that includes manufacturing and technology, small business creation and agriculture, education and career training.”

She also supports the idea of fair trade

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— paying foreign countries fair prices for their products that are bought and sold in America, and vice versa.

James’ plan involves creating a more diverse economy, his website said.

“We need a job creator in the U.S. Senate, someone who has signed the front and back of a paycheck and who understands economic opportunity,” his website reads.

“We need to increase entrepreneurship, which allows everyone to achieve the American dream.”

James said his business experience can help Michiganders have equal opportunities to succeed in the business field.

Stabenow has said she strongly supports fixing Michigan’s roads and has fought “for additional investments in Michigan’s roads and bridges, including $97 million to rehabilitate Mound Road” while in the Senate.

“Debbie knows that reliable and modern infrastructure is vital to Michigan’s economy, job creation and our way of life,” her website reads.

She also co-authored the 2018 Farm Bill, which invests in rural and small-town infrastructure to help Michigan families have access to high-speed internet and

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clean drinking water.

James pledges to fix Michigan’s infrastructure because “potholes and blighted buildings have no place in Michigan’s future. I will work to ensure an infrastructure package that is more than simply repairing our legacy but building our future.”

Crumbling infrastructure hinders Michigan’s economic growth, James said.

Stabenow’s healthcare plan is “focused on protecting health care coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and lowering health care and prescription drug costs for families and small businesses.”

She also sponsored the Excellence in Mental Health Act, which provides 24-hour services and higher quality standards for mental health care centers.

James focuses on finding “cost-effective, patient-centered, medical solutions that provide quality health care at low cost.”

He favors allowing families to choose how they want to approach their health care.

“Healthcare is very important, and we need to make sure that we empower doctors and patients, not insurance companies and the federal government,” James said in an Oct. 18 interview with Fox News.

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FAST FACTS DEMOCRAT DEBBIE STABENOW

REPUBLICAN JOHN JAMES

• Supports gun rights reform

• Pro 2nd Amendment

• Pro-choice

• Pro-life

• Supports universal healthcare

• Wants families to have healthcare choices

• Wants to fix infrastructure • Supports Michigan agriculture

• Wants to fix infrastructure • Supports Michigan agriculture

VOL . 109 | NO. 10 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2018

INSIDE TODAY’S PAPER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Marie Weidmayer

CONTACT THE STATE NEWS (517) 295-1680

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MANAGING EDITOR Riley Murdock

NEWSROOM/CORRECTIONS (517) 295-5149 feedback@statenews.com

Learn about the three ballot proposals

CAMPUS EDITOR Kaitlyn Kelley CITY EDITOR Maxwell Evans

A vote is set for recrational marijuana, redistricting reform and changes to voter registration.

SPORTS EDITOR Michael Duke FEATURES EDITOR Claire Moore PHOTO EDITOR Matt Schmucker

race for MSU’s 6 The Board of Trustees

COPY CHIEF Alan Hettinger

Meet candidates Brianna Scott, Dave Dutch, Kelly Tebay and Mike Miller.

DESIGN Daena Faustino Lauren Gewirtz Shelby Zeigler This week’s cover was designed by Lauren Gewirtz.

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Basketball season preview Our basketball reporters break down their thoughts on the upcoming season.

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East Lansing resident Nataleigh Coates, 11, poses for a portrait during the Great Pumpkin Walk Oct. 30 along Grand River Ave. “I feel very zombie-ish,” Coates said. PHOTO BY SYLVIA JARRUS.

“A silver lining to this whole debacle at Michigan State is that people are paying attention to these races. I think it’s very important that we set this tone. People are paying attention to why these positions matter.”

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ELECTION 2018

Voters’ guide to Michigan’s 3 ballot proposals ANDREW ROTH AROTH@STATENEWS.COM

Five ballot proposals qualified to be on the ballot this year. After the Legislature preemptively approved two of them — one to raise the minimum wage and one to mandate paid sick time — voters will decide the fate of the remaining three.

PROPOSAL 1: RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA

Under this proposal, recreational marijuana would be regulated similarly to alcohol.

Citizens older than 21 years would be allowed to purchase and use it legally, so long as they do not endanger others by driving or operating heavy machinery.

The state government would apply a 10 percent excise tax on marijuana sales on top of the regular 6 percent sales tax.

Critics argue 10 percent is not hefty enough to make a noticeable difference in the state’s budget, but the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol — the group behind the initiative — said it wanted to set the tax low enough so users would not be disincentivized from purchasing legal marijuana, thus eliminating or greatly reducing the black market.

According to the group, Michigan would

raise approximately $130 million a year from marijuana sales.

Marijuana would continue to be classified as an illegal, Schedule I drug by the federal government.

show Republicans consulted with donors when drawing district lines and drew the district lines to protect incumbents, packing the “Dem garbage in Wayne, Washtenaw, Oakland and Macomb counties into only four districts.”

PROPOSAL 2: INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE

PROPOSAL 3: SHORE UP VOTERS’ RIGHTS

The 1963 Michigan Constitution called for the creation of an independent redistricting commission to draw legislative district lines, taking power away from State Legislature. After several votes ended up in deadlock, however, the state Supreme Court handed the power to draw district lines back to the Legislature.

Now, activist group Voters Not Politicians hopes to create an amended redistricting commission in what is often considered one of the most gerrymandered states in the country.

The commission would consist of 13 registered voters: Four each from the Republican and Democratic parties, and five independents.

Commissioners would be required to host a number of town halls across the state and make the processes they used to create district lines publicly available.

Before a map could be approved, it would have to get a vote of approval from at least two of four commissioners from each major party and two of five independent commissioners.

Emails released this month

This proposal would enshrine a number of voting-related rights in the Michigan Constitution, including: straight-ticket voting; the right to a secret ballot; automatic voter registration when citizens visit the Secretary of State; same-day voter registration; no-reason absentee voting; post-election audits; and ensuring military members and other oversea voters get their ballots with enough time for them to be counted.

Critics of the bill say same-day voter registration would not allow the Secretary of State enough time to verify the legitimacy of that voter. Currently, the department does things like send a letter to the address the voter applicant lists, to verify whether it bounces back or not.

Currently, 15 states and the District of Columbia allow citizens to register to vote on Election Day.

VOTE

Brixie, Nastas battle for 69th House District seat S. F. MCGLONE SFMCGLONE@STATENEWS.COM

The 69th Michigan Congressional District elects a new representative Nov. 6.

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Incumbent state Rep. Sam Singh, D-East Lansing, will leave office because of term limits, so either Democrat Julie Brixie or Republican George Nastas III will be the East Lansing area’s new state House representative.

Brixie is a longtime public servant, having held a seat on the Meridian Township Board since 2000 as both trustee and treasurer. She said she felt compelled to run for the House after the 2016 election.

“I woke up after the election in November 2016, and I decided that I needed to do more,” Brixie said. “If I wasn’t happy about the outcome of that election, I needed to do more than I was doing and get more involved in both the Democratic Party and the Legislature.”

Before she decided to run for state House, Brixie worked with township officials to balance Meridian Township’s unfunded pension liabilities.

She said even though topics like unfunded pensions aren’t “sexy to talk about,” she felt it was an important issue.

“We’re going to go from

C I T Y @ STAT E NE WS .COM

the bottom 20 percent of communities in the state to fully paid-off in nine years,” Brixie said.

The partisan makeup of the Legislature she’d be working with if elected would impact her policy positions, she said.

“What my agenda will be will depend on who my colleagues are,” Brixie said. “If we (Democrats) have control in the House of Representatives and the governorship, then we’ll be able to accomplish a lot more things.”

Brixie said repealing a state law requiring women to purchase additional insurance for abortion costs — including in cases of rape and incest — and amending the ElliottLarsen Civil Rights Act to protect LGBT Michiganders are her top priorities if elected.

Her Republican opponent, Nastas, is a retired marketing professor at MSU and was the Republican nominee for the district in 2012, 2014 and 2018 He’s running on a traditional R e publ ic a n pl at f or m of tax reform and decreased government spending. “( I w a n t t o) r e d u c e

dependency on government and reduce politician use of other peoples’ money — taxes — to promote dependency and buy votes through income redistribution and subsidized services,” Nastas said.

Another important issue to Nastas is reducing the influence of special interest groups.

“Government should work for people, not special interests,” Nastas said. “Special interests should work in the private market to secure funding for their goals, not use government to tax people to fund special interest goals.”

While he has never held elected office, Nastas said he is active in his local Republican party and has published articles on government and tax reform.

He said he chose to run to present a Republican alternative to voters in a heavily Democratic area.

“It is time for a change — smaller, limited government, lower ta xes, and higher per sona l disposable a nd discretionar y income will promote happier families that can afford a better life,” Nastas said.

ELECTION 2018

Attorney General candidates for Michigan discuss student concerns

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

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The State News talked to the major-party candidates for attorney general. Here’s their goals and plans if elected to the position.

REPUBLICAN TOM LEONARD Former Assistant Attorney General and State House Speaker Tom Leonard said he stands alone as the only candidate with prior experience within the attorney general’s office.

To promote accountability in government agencies, Leonard proposes a public integrity officer to oversee the office’s Public Integrity Unit. This unit collaborates with citizens to watchdog government agencies for illegal acts.

Though Leonard is personally opposed to all three proposals on the ballot this year, he said he will be a “rule of law” attorney general, defending and upholding any and all of the proposals if passed.

WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR STUDENTS IN MICHIGAN?

“Within that Public Integrity Unit, I believe that would be something a student could go to, to get help if for some reason something is going on at the university and they don’t know who to go to or how to get help.”

“The state taxpayers have a huge say in what happens at Michigan State. I believe that Public Integrity Unit could apply to universities as well. If you’re having an issue — you’re being improperly treated by somebody at the administration or a professor — certainly you could come to that Public Integrity Unit to look into your situation.”

WHAT DO YOU BRING TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE?

“When I’m elected attorney general, it will be the first time we’ve actually elected somebody that has experience there. I know how the office functions. I’ll be ready to hit the ground running on day one. ... I’m still going to have a lot of connections and have a lot of personal relationships with the legislators in Lansing on both sides of the aisle. I know how it works.

If the attorney general’s office needs extra funding, or if we need to solve a problem, we need legislative action.”

WHAT DO YOU INTEND TO DO ON YOUR FIRST DAY IN OFFICE?

“Day one would be appointing that state integrity officer to oversee the Public Integrity Unit. Also, within days, I want to sit down with the special prosecutor on the Flint water crisis as well as the top deputies that have been handling that case to determine the best way forward to achieve justice for the victims of Flint.”

W H Y A R E E N V I R O N M E N TA L ISSUES A LARGE PART OF YOUR CAMPAIGN?

“I would say I have a history of real solutions and results as it relates to the environment.

One of the top environmental issues out there right now is Line 5 running under the Straits

(of Mackinac). ... I’m the one that worked with the governor to find a real solution and a real result to solve this problem. Now we are in the process of getting a tunnel dug that the taxpayers aren’t going to have to pay for.”

DEMOCRAT DANA NESSEL Spending her legal career as a prosecutor and then as a defense attorney, Dana Nessel said she has campaigned for the defense of civil rights and prosecution of hate crimes.

Nessel is in support of marijuana legalization and offering commutations — but not necessarily expungements — for those serving sentences on marijuana-related charges. She said she supports Proposals 2 and 3, to create an independent redistricting commission and expand voters’ rights, as well.

WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR STUDENTS IN MICHIGAN?

“I think one of the most important things that the AGs (attorneys general) can do for the consumer protection standpoint is to protect student loan borrowers because we know the vast majority of people who seek higher education, they have to take out student loans. We need to be able to protect those loan borrowers, make sure they’re not getting ripped off.”

WHAT DO YOU BRING TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE?

“Beyond my wide berth of experience, it’s really just my policies. The policies I’m going to put into place are actually going to be helpful to people and help protect people in this state.

My opponent can’t offer any of those things.”

WHAT DO YOU INTEND TO DO ON YOUR FIRST DAY IN OFFICE?

“What I have wanted to do is file for injunctive relief to shut down Line 5. That was my biggest priority. I’m not going to be reckless about it; I’m going to file the best suit possible. If that means that instead of my first day in office, it’s the 10th day in office, the 20th day in office, then so be it. I want to get it filed as quickly as possible, but of course I want it to be an ironclad lawsuit.”

Ascension Lutheran Church 2780 Haslett Rd. (517) 337 9703 Sun. Worship: 10:00am Sun. Bible Study: 8:45am Thur. Bible Study: 2pm www.ascensioneastlansing.org Email: ascensionlutheran@att.net Chabad House of MSU 540 Elizabeth St. (517) 214-0525 Prayer Services: Friday night services followed by traditional Shabbat dinner @ Chabad. www.chabadmsu.com Eastminster Presbyterian Church UKirk at MSU Presbyterian Campus Ministry 1315 Abbot Rd. (517) 337-0893 Sun. Worship: 10am www.eastminster church.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 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 444 Abbot Rd. (517) 332-0778 Sun: 9:30am & 7pm Wed: 9pm Mini-bus pick-up on campus (Fall/Spring) www.martinluther chapel.org Pentecostals of East Lansing 16262 Chandler Road (517) 337-7635 Service Times: Sundays: Prayer 10:30am, Service 11am Wednesdays: Prayer 6:30pm, Bible Study 7pm pentecostalEL.org Denomination: Pentecostal 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.

The PeoplesChurch.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 University United Methodist Church 1120 S. Harrison Rd (517) 351-7030 Main Service: Sun: 11am in the Sanctuary Additional Services: 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

W H Y A R E E N V I R O N M E N TA L ISSUES A LARGE PART OF YOUR CAMPAIGN?

“ We h ave n’t h ad a ny b o dy e n for c i ng environmental laws in this state in such a long time and it’s so concerning to me. That hasn’t been the area I’ve practiced in, but I’m a citizen just like everybody else. I’m a Michigan resident like everybody else. I drink the water here, I breathe the air here and I’m really concerned.”

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ELECTION 2018

Meet the MSU Board of Trustees candidates Board of Trustees candidates speak at a forum Oct. 2. PHOTOS BY ANNIE BARKER.

MILA MURRAY MMURRAY@STATENEWS.COM

In the midst of the ex-MSU doctor Larry Nassar case, the MSU Board of Trustees received criticism for continuing to support former President Lou Anna K. Simon, despite widespread calls for her resignation. Criticized for the university’s inaction and for mishandling reports of Nassar’s abuse, Simon resigned Jan. 24, and calls for the Board of Trustees to do the same soon followed.

Although the distrust expressed from the community never resulted in the resignation of the board, the terms of Trustees Mitch Lyons and Brian Breslin are up, and they are not running for re-election.

Two seats on the Board of Trustees are now open and will be filled after the upcoming election Nov. 6. Four candidates are running for these open spots — Democrats Brianna Scott and Kelly Tebay and Republicans Dave Dutch and Mike Miller.

As the university fallout from the Nassar case continues, criticism of the administration does as well. All of the candidates said they are running because they want to be part of a cultural change.

“A silver lining to this whole debacle at Michigan State is that people are paying attention to these races,” Tebay said. “I think it’s very important that we set this tone. People are paying attention to why these positions matter.”

KELLY TEBAY

During her freshman orientation, Tebay was told that one in four women would be sexually assaulted during their time at MSU. “That was the tone they set for us on day one, and unfortunately for me, I became that statistic my freshman year,” Tebay said. “When we’re having these conversations about sexual assault on campus, it’s personal for me.”.

If she were to become a trustee, she said she would be committed to ensuring no one experiences what she did on campus.

Tebay said she decided to run for Board of Trustees because everyone on the board is far removed from their time at MSU. Receiving her bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the university in 2008 and her master’s degree in Law Enforcement Intelligence and Analysis in 2011, she said she understands the culture differently than the current board.

“I definitely understand that day to day lack of cohesion between the administration and what was going on on-campus,” Tebay said.

Tebay is committed to more student voices on campus.

In support of their two-part proposal, Scott and Tebay both signed Reclaim MSU’s candidate pledge, agreeing students and faculty should have a voice on the board.

Tebay wants to fix university bylaws to ensure faculty and student voice is on the board, “Having them be part of the solution is how we fix this, how we regain trust, how we heal as a community,” Tebay said.

Tebay said survivors should have been included on the presidential search committee.

“We’re still seeming to miss the mark sometimes but I do feel like we’re getting better,” Tebay said. “I am someone who will always make sure these voices are lifted up.”

MIKE MILLER

Before Miller decided to run for Board of Trustees, he needed to ask his daughter.

“I needed to ask my daughter, who was a four-year volleyball player at Michigan State, had been a competitive gymnast, and actually been in the gym where Larry Nassar starred,” Miller

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said. “We knew Larry, we knew who he was.”

His daughter was treated by Nassar.

“I asked her, ‘Are you okay with that? Are you comfortable with me going forward?’ And frankly, I think that was one of the most touching conversations we’ve ever had,” Miller said. “She said, ‘Look, I know you’d be the right guy. You’d make sure this doesn’t happen again, and that everything was done to ensure that it didn’t.’”

If Miller is elected, he said he would be committed to finding out more about MSU’s mishandling of the Nassar case.

“My concern would be that I turned over every stone, we had a completed investigation by the attorney general’s office, as to who knew what, where, when and how in the Nassar crisis,” Miller said. “That we had identified all the people that had any capability or responsibility for either covering it up, or somehow justifying it.”

BRIANNA SCOTT

At age 20, Scott was a student at MSU. She worked two jobs, was a single mother, became the president of her sorority and would later go onto law school.

“Being a minority woman, someone who struggled myself when I was on campus, who was on welfare, who was poor and struggled to graduate financially, I really can relate to what other people are struggling with,” Scott said.

Scott currently has a son who attends MSU. “Being a parent of a current student, I can relate to the high cost of tuition and some of the hard decision making that families have to make when they send their kids off to school, or that students are making,” Scott said.

“Some of them don’t have the privilege of having parents to pay for their education.”

Scott is an attorney with a prosecutorial background.

She said she hopes to use her professional background if she were to be elected.

“Being an assistant prosecutor, I worked on criminal sexual conduct crimes,” Scott said. “I’ve been a victims’ advocate.”

DAVE DUTCH

Growing up in East Lansing, receiving an MBA at MSU and watching three of his children attend the university, Dutch always entertained the idea of being on the MSU Board of Trustees. It wasn’t until earlier this semester–when all eyes were on the university–that Dutch decided he was going to run.

“I saw what happened, and I saw that a lot of people who would normally run weren’t, because they didn’t want to go through the pain and the hassle,” Dutch said.

“But for me, I just thought about, ‘Wow, we really need some help here,’ and I think I’m uniquely qualified. You need someone to run a big business, and culturally sensitive and inclusive by nature.”

Dutch led businesses through cultural changes throughout his career. Though the position of a trustee is parttime, he wants to treat it as a full-time job. If elected, he said his number one priority would be to rebuild trust.

“That’s a big problem at our university, people don’t feel like they have a voice, people don’t feel like they’re included” Dutch said. “We have to solve that before anything else. If your constituents don’t have faith in you, your alumni don’t have faith in you, it’s tough to build a healthy and happy institution.”

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The State News’ endorsements for Board of Trustees THE STATE NEWS EDITORIAL BOARD FEEDBACK@STATENEWS.COM

T he St ate News endor ses Democratic candidates Brianna Scott and Kelly Tebay, but their party — unlike our endorsement of all other candidates — is not what gets them the nod.

In fact, this editorial board disapproves of the partisan nature of our trustee elections, and we believe this process led to the nomination of underwhelming candidates from both parties.

We arrived at the endorsement of Scott and Tebay more out of a process of elimination than out of genuine approval, but their campaigns have provided some hope.

Scott is the mother of an MSU student, and therefore has the most direct link to campus concerns. It shows. She is outspoken about the cost of attending MSU, advocating for a program similar to the University of Michigan’s free tuition program and for more town halls with the administration.

Scott also represents a chance to shake up the demographics of the board. As a black woman, her victory alone would increase representation of racial minorities and women on the board by 50 percent from its current makeup.

Tebay also supports a free tuition program for low-income students.

Their election would double the board’s female representation and split it evenly by gender.

The board’s failures under Dianne Byrum and Melanie Foster prove gender is not an automatic qualifier for sensitivity to sexual assault issues. The board’s optics would be improved in the worst case, and in the ideal scenario, an even gender split would encourage trustees to more effectively address the needs of women and femmes on campus.

We have serious concerns about the two, despite our endorsements.

Neither candidate has offered concrete plans for MSU’s future that don’t require the alignment of formidable outside factors, and both campaigns have made errors.

Kudos to the candidates who denounced university operations as opaque and self-serving. Three candidates supported specific plans to add student involvement to the administrative process, from Tebay and Scott’s pledge to institute Reclaim MSU’s demands to Miller’s “Tuesday with a Trustee” plan.

Even these could be nothing more than political talking points, either too narrow-minded or farfetched to achieve the immediate institutional change MSU needs.

Reclaim MSU’s call for a fullvoting student representative requires an amendment to the state Constitution — far from a guarantee in today’s polarized Legislature. And Miller can ask Brian Mosallam how much morale actually improves when only one trustee takes the time to meet with students.

W hile sexual assault and

administrative transparency are the two most pressing issues facing the university — and the candidates largely agreed on how best to confront these challenges — other issues are what took Dutch and Miller out of consideration.

Dutch’s belief that allowing fearmongering bigots like Richard Spencer to speak on campus somehow contributes to the betterment of public discourse is disqualifying.

Spencer’s pathetic turnout for his white-power rally during the 2018 spring break, which can be directly attributed to student action, does not excuse MSU for so easily settling with a man who believes in “peaceful ethnic cleansing.”

Spencer aims to manipulate the intent of the First Amendment by throwing the word “peaceful” in front of a phrase otherwise used to describe the mass murders of six million Jews, two million Cambodians and countless other atrocities throughout human history.

We cannot continue to have people in this university’s highest reaches who are willing to settle with Nazis openly advocating for genocide, simply because they’re smart enough to pretty up their speech and file a lawsuit.

Likewise, Miller’s belief in an on-campus gun policy derails an otherwise worthy campaign.

After a week — a week where 11 Jewish people were slaughtered for celebrating a birth and two black people were murdered for grocery shopping — we refuse to validate the belief that guns have a place in public areas, especially at a place of education.

No matter who wins the general election, those two trustees must be prepared to go beyond politics and campaign promises and create actual change within the university.

Time and time again at MSU, we have seen opportunistic leaders exploit students’ frustrations and survivors’ trauma, using promises of change to gain favor while committing nothing of substance to the university’s healing and growth.

We believe Scott and Tebay represent the best chances to break that cycle. We implore them to commit to better understanding their powers and responsibilities, and to resist complacency that almost certainly threatens to set in during an eight-year term.

The State News Editorial Board is made up of the Editor-in-Chief Marie Weidmayer, Managing Editor Riley Murdock, Campus Editor Kaitlyn Kelley, City Editor Maxwell Evans, Features Editor Claire Moore, Sports Editor Michael Duke, Photo Editor Matt Schmucker, Copy Chief Alan Hettinger, Diversity Representative S.F. McGlone and Staff Representative Anna Liz Nichols.

Bishop, Slotkin profile: 8th Congressional District Includes Ingham, Livingston and northern Oakland counties

Ingham County 8th Federal Congressional District 23rd State Senate District

Includes cities of Lansing, East Lansing, Mason and Leslie

ELECTION 2018 ANDREW ROTH AROTH@STATENEWS.COM

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fter two terms in Congress for U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop, R-Michigan, what was once considered to be a safely red seat is now in play.

Early on, Democrats targeted Michigan’s 8th Congressional District as a seat that could flip – aiding them in their quest to retake the U.S. House of Representatives.

Bishop, who is currently running for his third term in Congress, listed tax reform and constituent services as his two proudest achievements since being elected.

“I believe there’s merit in doing whatever you can to be a part of the future of your country, and serving in Congress was something I believed in doing and believed I could bring value,” Bishop said.

Elissa Slotkin, Bishop’s Democratic challenger, spent her professional career as a member of the intelligence community. She made the decision to go into intelligence after she was in New York on 9/11.

During her time in the Central Intelligence Agency, she did three tours in Iraq, serving under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Bipartisanship is something Slotkin said she doesn’t see in our political discourse anymore.

“Right now we have a leadership climate coming out of Washington — including our commander-in-chief — that is setting a tone and tenor that is dividing people instead of uniting them,” Slotkin said. “We cannot do what we need to do as a country to protect ourselves, to achieve great things, if we are divided.”

Slot k in said t here was a dif ference between Bishop and herself in both style and substance.

She noted Bishop made the decision to close an office in Lansing and does not host what he calls “coliseum-style” town halls. In response, she has promised to reopen an office in the Lansing area and says she would host a town hall session once every three months.

Slotkin signed a letter earlier this year with more than 100 other Congressional candidates calling on Democratic leadership in Congress to make campaign finance reform a priority if the party takes back the House in November.

“No matter what issues you care about, if our politicians are bought and sold then they are not voting on behalf of the interests of their voters,” Slotkin said.

Because the 8th District includes all of MSU’s campus and most of Oakland University’s campus, Bishop and Slotkin frequently have

brought up the issue of college affordability.

Bishop called student loan debt “one of the biggest anchors in our economy.”

“It’s preventing young people from experiencing the American dream. They graduate from college and, in many cases, they can’t find a job, yet they’re carrying debt,” Bishop said. “That means they don’t buy their first house, they don’t buy their first car, and unfortunately oftentimes they have to revert back to their family’s home.”

He says a solution requires universities to be more transparent with students and their families about graduation rates, the likelihood of finding a job after graduation in each major and the forecasted cost of attendance.

Bishop said the best thing Congress can do is to ensure a strong economy so students can find a job after graduation and begin paying their debts.

Slotkin’s plan involves capping the interest rate for student loans at 2.5 percent and instituting a floor for what percentage of in-state tuition the state of Michigan must pay.

“If you go back 50 years ago, the state of Michigan paid for 75 percent of in-state tuition at (the University of) Michigan or Michigan State, and a student paid 25 percent,” Slotkin said. “Students currently pay more than 75 percent, and the state pays barely 25 percent.”

Another issue in this race has been on-campus safety. Bishop said he was the first Congressperson to call for a federal hearing on the Nassar scandal and to speak on the floor of the House about it.

Communication is key to ensuring something like it doesn’t happen again, Bishop said.

Slotkin agreed and said the procedures for communication need to be updated and clearly reported to students. She said it can’t stop there, and that MSU is in need of a leadership change.

“When your leadership becomes so distracting that it takes away from the mission of the organization you love, you need to do the right thing and resign,” Slotkin said.

Among other issues, voters in Michigan will decide the fate of a ballot proposal that would decriminalize recreational marijuana use in Michigan. Federal law would still prohibit its use.

Both candidates agreed that the issue should be left for states to decide, and Bishop said that he has introduced a bill to allow states the freedom to regulate it how they wish.

Incumbent Hertel, Jr. faces quiet GOP challenger Pollock in 23rd Senate race S. F. MCGLONE SFMCGLONE@STATENEWS.COM

Incumbent Democratic state Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr. of the 23rd Senate District says campaigning ahead of the midterms has been a little lonely.

“We’ve had forums that groups have put on both on-campus and off-campus, and we had a TV debate that was possible,” Hertel said. “The Lansing State Journal and WILX both sent questionnaires for both of us to fill out. I’m the only one who filled them out.”

His Republican challenger, Andrea Pollock, did not respond to the State News’ requests for an interview. She is currently the deputy political director and director of external affairs for the Michigan Republican Party.

Little public information is available on Pollock’s politics, other than her affiliation with the Republican Party. Election resources like Vote411 and VoteSmart have no positions or responses listed from Pollock, and she does not have a website listing policy preferences or goals if elected.

Hertel, who has represented the 23rd District since 2014, says he wishes there was more of a discourse leading up to the election.

“There should be both arguments, right?” Hertel said. “Maybe that makes me a little nerdy, but I firmly believe elections are about choices; you have to present two choices to people.

You deserve to have that.”

Despite facing a quiet challenger, Hertel says he’s been busy reaching out to constituents and

getting a feel for what the people want before the election. His priorities if re-elected would be shoring up critical infrastructure, ensuring the rights of LGBT citizens and funding higher education.

“I think making college affordable is one of the most important things we can do,” Hertel said.

“You look at us, we’re one of the 10 states that spend more on prisons than we do on higher education. That shouldn’t be the case. The average student in Michigan graduates with $35,000 in debt; we can solve that by making the proper investments.”

Prior to becoming a state senator, he formerly served as Ingham County Commissioner and the Ingham County Register of Deeds. Hertel said

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he initially ran for the Senate seat in 2014 due to his frustrations with housing and insurance for “everyday people” in the state.

“The courts and the laws in Michigan were not on their side,” Hertel said.

The 23rd District was once held by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer, who was term-limited out of office in 2010.

Hertel said he hopes to continue the work he started four years ago — a goal he says would be much easier with like-minded officials in the state’s legislative and executive branches.

“I’m hoping and working to make sure we have a governor and a Legislature that will tackle these issues and make big changes in Michigan,” Hertel said.

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Crossword

ELECTION 2018 L.A. Times Daily Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

SECRETARY OF STATE MIDTERM CANDIDATES GINA NAVAROLI GNAVAROLI@STATENEWS.COM

Republican Secretary of State candidate Mary Treder Lang faces Democrat Jocelyn Benson in a debate moderated by WKAR’s Tim Skubick. PHOTO COURTESY OF WKAR-MSU.

Secretary of State candidates include Republican Mary Treder Lang, Democrat Jocelyn Benson and Libertarian Gregory Stempfle. Each have their own tactics for pursuing issues for Michigan residents.

ACROSS

1 Plentiful 5 Green-lights 10 Fruit-bearing trees 14 “Tiger Beat” cover subject 15 Pentagon quintet 16 Cumming of “The Good Wife” 17 Canadian natural resource manager 19 Desi Arnaz’s birthplace 20 10 to the 100th power 21 Party amenity 22 Get on 24 Dramatic backwards hoops move 27 Symbols on poles 29 Play to __ 30 “Carmina Burana” composer 31 Polio vaccine developer 33 Bk. after Galatians 36 Photon, e.g.

40 Photo lab prod.

41 Words said while folding 42 Outer Banks st.

43 Island near Corsica 44 Result 46 Push one’s buttons, and then some 51 Facial feature above la bouche 52 Fluttered in the breeze

53 Passionate 55 School where part of “The Madness of King George” was filmed 56 Like many diets 60 Dubliner’s land 61 The Little Mermaid 62 Little woman 63 Photographer Pattie who was married to George Harrison and Eric Clapton 64 Shift letters spelled out in 17-, 24-, 36-, 46- and 56-Across 65 Ripoff

DOWN

1 Mending target 2 St. with a panhandle 3 Absent-minded 4 Nevada county or its seat 5 Oklahoma natives 6 Renamed Russian ballet company 7 Throw for a loop 8 “__-haw!”

9 Form 1040 ID 10 False front 11 Sweet tweet 12 Equatorial African country 13 Snide commentary 18 Apple invader

21 Fencing ploy 22 Do a makeup job?

23 Bridge immortal Charles 25 Moroccan capital 26 The hoosegow 28 Immature newt 31 Memorial __-Kettering: NYC hospital 32 Manjula’s husband on “The Simpsons” 33 Quirky 34 Venue 35 Alamo competitor 37 Rankled 38 Both: Pref.

39 Like Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 43 Reached equilibrium, with “out” 44 Final goal 45 Experience 46 One who may be “adorkable” 47 Proportional relation 48 Target of elephant poachers 49 Politely admitted 50 Parabolic, e.g.

54 Yuletide quaffs 56 Race unit 57 Bruin great 58 Tax shelter initials 59 Spreading tree

Get the solutions at statenews.com/puzzles

REPUBLICAN MARY TREDER LANG SECURITY

Lang, whose background is in cybersecurity, plans to protect Michigan residents’ information. She said her understanding of cyber attacks and theft will help ensure a fair outcome in the voting process.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

In an effort to optimize customer service at branch offices, she plans to focus on creating a “comprehensive service plan,” she said. The plan intends to respect customers’ time by limiting the amount of necessary trips to branch offices to once every eight years — to renew license photos.

Lang said she plans on maintaining the Michigan Secretary of State’s legacy of technological innovation.

She wants to provide top-quality services for residents and improve the integrity of the voting process.

DEMOCRAT JOCELYN BENSON

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Benson has campaigned on a platform of preventing customers from being in branch offices for more than a half-hour when they are renewing driver’s licenses, registering vehicles or registering to vote.

1

2

During her time as dean at Wayne State University Law School, Benson froze tuition costs and increased the amount of scholarships issued. She plans to save citizens money if elected by preventing vehicle fee increases.

3

4

PROTECTING VOTING RIGHTS

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk SOLUTION TO MONDAY’S PUZZLE

Get the solutions at statenews.com/ puzzles

Benson intends to make voting more accessible by having a “no reason” option for absentee ballots. She also has expressed a desire for Michigan residents to trust the security in the election process.

ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY

Ethics and transparency is a priority, Benson said.

Michigan was ranked last for public integrity, transparency and ethics by the Center for Public Integrity in 2015.

“I want to bring reforms to Lansing that will push for instant disclosure of all money in the political arena, that will also ensure greater transparency of our elected officials,” she said.

An example is for officials to reveal their private finances and investments. That way, people can better understand officials’ votes for particular policies and identify any conflicts of interests.

LIBERTARIAN GREGORY STEMPFLE 8/26/14

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© 2014 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

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VOTING RIGHTS

His plan to expand voting rights includes allowing residents to fill out an absentee ballot for any reason.

“I’m really pushing that on the campaign trail,” he said. He wants people to receive their ballot early, to allow them to spend time researching candidates and not have to wait in line on Election Day. He also plans to push for automatic registration, sameday registration and ranked-choice voting.

FEE FREEZES

Level:

mainly focus on two political parties — Republicanand Democrat. He wants to create more transparency by diminishing “inherent biases in the election law.”

A lack of media attention is often an obstacle Libertarian candidates’ success, he said.

“I think the biggest problem we face is that election law was sort of designed for the purpose of creating and reinforcing a two-party system … and (voters) don’t really feel like they have any genuine options to sort of the lesser of the two major parties,” he said.

Stempf le said voters strategize by determining who they prefer bet ween the Republican and Democratic candidates.

“If the laws were changed to allow for more third party or independent candidate participation, I think you’d see a better turnout,” he said.

As a third-party candidate, Stempfle said elections

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Dismantling the state’s no-fault auto insurance laws will make insurance cheaper, “especially for people living in high-crime areas because the insurance rates are based on your ZIP code,” Stempfle said.

Michigan’s insurers are allowed to set insurance rates in certain areas based on ZIP code, credit score and education level, among other non-driving factors. Some critics of no-fault insurance deride the price-setting process as “redlining” for its disproportionate effect on minority and urban neighborhoods.

ELECTION REFORM

Stempfle wants to adopt ranked-choice voting, where voters can rank their preferences across multiple candidates. He said this tactic will help get rid of the idea that voting third-party is a waste of a vote.

“A lot of people might not want to vote for a third party candidate because they’re afraid that would cause the major party opponent that they liked the least to win ... it would show it as an accurate representation of where voters stand in terms of what issues they want,” he said.

STRAIGHT-TICKET VOTING

Stempfle said the implementation of straight-ticket voting would affect third-party candidates due to voters being less likely to evaluate each candidate.

In September, a federal appeals court upheld the constitutionality of a law banning straight-ticket voting passed by a Republican-controlled Legislature in 2016.

The U.S. Supreme Court denied an emergency application to hear the case.

U.S. Taxpayers Party candidate Robert Gale did not respond to an interview request.

ELECTION 2018

Endorsements: Vote ‘Yes’ on all proposals, Democrat in all races THE STATE NEWS EDITORIAL BOARD FEEDBACK@STATENEWS.COM

Since the 2016 election, one party has systematically failed to support a healthy democratic process. The Republican Party cut a deep divide through the electorate with a partywide refusal to condemn the actions and rhetoric of President Donald Trump when sorely needed.

Republicans’ dismissal of civil rights — and of democracy — ­­ means voting straight Democrat in the upcoming elections is the only option.

Our rejection of Republican candidates starts with their opposition — tacit or otherwise — to the rights of marginalized people in this country.

By refusing to reject Trump, Republicans condone sexual assault. We will not forget Trump admitted to sexual assault on tape, nor the many credible accusations against him. The Republican Party fell silent after the election and sent a message that all of this is OK. It is not.

The confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court — after credible allegations of abuse were ignored and mocked — will not be forgotten, nor will accused child rapist Roy Moore’s near-win.

Vice President Mike Pence long opposed the civil rights of the LGBT community, ideals that fit perfectly within the party of Trump. Its attempts to define transgender people out of existence follow suit with its ban on transgender people serving in the military.

The Republican Party spares no opportunity to discriminate against people of color with blatantly racist policy and rhetoric, and party leadership idly watches as Trump continually refuses to unequivocally condemn hate crimes.

Even when Republicans feign respect for marginalized people in the wake of a major tragedy, they can’t get it right.

After 11 were killed at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pence brought Loren Jacobs, a Messianic “rabbi,” to a campaign rally in Michigan.

First, Messianic Judaism and traditional Judaism — as practiced in the attacked Pittsburgh synagogue — are very different things. Messianic Jews believe Jesus was the Messiah; mainstream Judaism says no Messiah has yet arrived.

Rabbi Marla Hornsten, former president of the Michigan Board of Rabbis, told NBC News it was “offensive” to consider Jacobs, who referenced Jesus in a prayer at Pence’s rally, a rabbi.

What’s more, Messianic Jews don’t even claim Jacobs. In fact, they haven’t for 15 years, since he was found guilty of libel by the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations.

This is a party whose second-most powerful leader cares so little about an act of terrorism that he did not find a true representative of the targeted religion to honor.

The rest of our rejection of the party hinges on its dismissal of democratic process.

The Republican Party’s continued attacks on voting rights are unacceptable. Earlier this year, Georgia’s Republican secretary of state — who refuses to step down as he runs for governor — improperly purged 340,000 voters from voter rolls, disenfranchising them. Republicans under Trump also favor restrictive voter ID laws and imposed limitations on early voting.

Michigan’s Republican candidates are not Donald Trump; they are not Mike Pence; they are not Brett Kavanaugh. But they had a choice to distance themselves from such toxic people, and did not. They instead pinned their name to a party that props up bigots, misogynists, racists and homophobes, so long as they advance the party’s political goals.

This is not an endorsement of all facets of the Democratic Party. It is a statement that a Democratic vote is the only vote that even has a shot at improving the state of our democracy and the civil rights of those living in it.

The State News Editorial Board is made up of the Editor-in-Chief Marie Weidmayer, Managing Editor Riley Murdock, Campus Editor Kaitlyn Kelley, City Editor Maxwell Evans, Features Editor Claire Moore, Sports Editor Michael Duke, Photo Editor Matt Schmucker, Copy Chief Alan Hettinger, Diversity Representative S.F. McGlone and Staff Representative Anna Liz Nichols.

BALLOT PROPOSAL ENDORSEMENTS The three proposals on the Nov. 6 ballot present tangible, pro-democracy initiatives and The State News recommends a “Yes” vote for all three.

Proposal 1, which would legalize recreational marijuana use and possession, is estimated to bring in hundreds of millions in tax revenue that can be used to fix Michigan’s roads and support schools.

The financial benefits are not the only reason to vote “Yes.” The legalization of marijuana will be a step forward in criminal justice reform, no longer leading to the imprisonment of non-violent drug offenders. Several violations will also be downgraded to civil infractions, punishable only by a fine and forfeiture. Fewer lives will be ruined for victimless crimes — and law enforcement resources can be redistributed to more important tasks.

We are disappointed the proposal does not guarantee clemency for those already convicted of crimes it would invalidate. For all the good this proposal will do, it will mean nothing if those serving egregious sentences or struggling to find work with a conviction on their record are not given justice. We are not comfortable leaving responsibility in the hands of the legislature, though we strongly advocate they take action.

Proposal 2 received attention from out-ofstate because it concerns a nationwide issue: Gerrymandering, otherwise known as the drawing of congressional districts for partisan benefit instead of proper representation.

Proposal 2 would create an independent commission of randomly-chosen voters to draw districts transparently, with all meetings, materials and methods used being public. Four Republicans, four Democrats and five independent or third party-affiliated voters would staff the

commission, with final maps requiring the approval of at least seven members, two of which must come from each group.

It’s yet to see how this process will play out once enacted. As with any major change, some concern remains. This proposed solution offers a better alternative than playing partisan games with Michigan’s electoral maps, which some argue are among the most egregiously gerrymandered in the nation.

Emails show Republican politicians have packed “Dem garbage” into small Detroit-area districts, and some Detroit districts are drawn blatantly among racial lines.

Michigan’s Eighth District is among those gerrymandered. It stretches as far west as Greater Lansing and as far east as Rochester Hills – two very separate areas placed under one representative.

To create better representation for our state and to set an example for other states across the union, The State News urges you to reject partisanship in the redistricting process and vote “Yes” on Proposal 2.

Proposal 3 is a collection of provisions easing Michigan voters’ access to the polls. No-reason absentee voting, automatic voter registration upon receiving a state i.d. and same-day voter registration in the two weeks before and including election day are among the provisions that would be enshrined in the Michigan constitution should the proposal pass.

The proposal would also bring back straightticket voting and lay the issue to rest by making the option a constitutional right.

The right to vote is essential to a functioning democracy. This proposal makes exercising that right easier. We recommend you vote “Yes.”

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SPORTS

Column: Experience, upperclassmen will benefit men’s basketball team

NOAH GOAD NGOAD@STATENEWS.COM

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ollege basketball finally made its longawaited return after a seven-month-long hiatus. After a season filled with off-thecourt distractions for MSU Coach Tom Izzo and chis players, they will be ready to move forward with a clean slate.

In that newness, the Spartans will rock an older, more sophisticated look on the court.

MSU dominated the 2017-18 regular season, winning the Big Ten outright through strength, size and athleticism. They led the Big Ten in scoring margin (+15.3), field goal percentage (49.6 percent), rebounding (1,439), blocks (251) and assists (670). However, people tend

to forget about the regular season success come tournament time, where MSU didn’t do as well.

Despite their dominance on the court, they had one major problem last season: Youth.

Their youthfulness likely contributed to their problem with giving the ball away. They turned the ball over 459 times last season, 2nd most in the Big Ten, and finished the season with the worst turnover margin in the conference at -3.1.

“We had four sophomores and a freshman that we started a lot, and I think that experience hurt us a little bit,” coach Tom Izzo said after his team’s first practice Sept. 26.

After a third straight year of failing to make it out of the Round of 32 in the NCAA tournament, Izzo feels his team will be better prepared for March this time around. Although MSU suffered two tremendous losses in forwards Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr. to the NBA, the Spartans’ experience this year will make up for the loss of talent.

“We’re going to probably start three juniors and maybe a senior,” Izzo said. “I think the chances of that experience paying dividends for us is going to be important.”

The upperclassmen Izzo alluded to are guards Cassius Winston, Joshua Langford and Matt McQuaid; and forward Nick Ward. Who rounds out the starting five is an unanswered question,

“We’re going to probably start three juniors and maybe a senior. I think the chances of that experience paying dividends for us is going to be important.”

Tom Izzo

Basketball coach but senior Kenny Goins and sophomore Xavier Tillman should be the front-runners.

Tillman is coming into this season 15 pounds lighter than the start of last season. However, Goins likely has the edge over Tillman for two reasons: Seniority and the lack of big bodies on this season’s roster.

If Izzo opts to start Goins at the power forward spot — the choice he made in the Oct. 30 93-47

exhibition win over Northern Michigan — it would likely result in a starting five consisting of only upperclassmen, a complete flip from last year’s starting unit which consisted of all freshmen and sophomores.

To see the last time all upperclassmen received the brunt of the court time, you’d have to go back to the 2014-15 season, in which the Spartans made it all the way to the Final Four and were stopped just short of a National Championship appearance by Duke. Two members of that group – Bryn Forbes and Denzel Valentine – are currently on an NBA roster.

Having talent will help you win games as it did last season, but any good coach will tell you it’s experience that wins championships.

“In the big picture of things, we won a lot of games,” Izzo said about his team last season.

“But as I said, when you’re trying to win championships, experience helps.”

Though the Spartans will likely not be as dominant in the regular season this time around due to having to replace the production of Bridges and Jackson, their improved maturity on the court should pay dividends come March.

After finishing in the top-10 in the Preseason AP Top 25 rankings for the second season in a row, an NCAA Championship doesn’t seem too far out of reach for Izzo and the Spartans.

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Junior forward Nick Ward (44) shoots during the game against Northern Michigan at Breslin Center on Oct. 30. The Spartans defeated the Wildcats, 93-47. PHOTO BY ANNTANINNA BIONDO

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SPORTS

Column: Success for men’s basketball tied to discipline of Cassius Winston CHASE MICHAELSON CMICHAELSON@STATENEWS.COM

Cassius Winston (5) goes for a layup during the game against Northern Michigan at Breslin Center on Oct. 30. The Spartans defeated the Wildcats, 93-47. PHOTO BY ANNTANINNA BIONDO

Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr. will not be walking through the doors of the Breslin Center any time soon. They are jetting around to NBA cities, living the life afforded to players so blessed with talent they get the rare opportunity to become lottery picks.

Back in East Lansing, the men’s basketball team has to find a way to win without its former stars. This season falls on Cassius Winston, the junior point guard from Detroit and classmate of Bridges from the heralded 2016 class that hasn’t quite lived up to expectations.

Winston knows on a team that will much more closely resemble past Tom Izzo teams than the most recent vintages, the point guard is the unquestioned most important player.

The safety net is gone. The junior point guard can no longer toss the ball to a future lottery pick and hope something happens. Winston said as much when asked about the departure of Bridges and Jackson Jr. after practice Monday.

“Everybody has to be more reliable,” he said.

“You can’t really take a day off, you can’t really take a game off, because every player is needed this year. That’s how we’re going to approach each game.”

Winston is listed at 6’1”, 185 lbs, both of which might be generous. But his toughness has been on full display since he arrived in East Lansing two years ago, initially as the understudy to since-departed Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn Jr. During his freshman season, his unique ability to penetrate defenses despite not possessing ideal size became a trademark. His game is all hesitation-based, using geometry and deception to free up space.

Last season, Winston became — seemingly out of nowhere — a knockdown jump-shooter.

He improved his 38 percent shooting clip from behind the line his freshman season to an eyepopping 49.7 percent last season. This year, as his ball-handling duties increase, his ability to shoot if teams go under screens will take on even more importance.

“I don’t know if I’m going to shoot it at that high of a rate, that was kind of ridiculous,” Winston said. “But I’m still going to be a very good shooter. I’ve been working on it, still knocking down shots at a very consistent rate, so I’m still going to be a very consistent shooter.”

While his scoring and shooting will need to continue, the number one area Winston must improve is discipline. He has a tendency to make careless passes, which you can sometimes get away with if you have two adept, professionallevel shot-blockers on your team. This year, those turnovers will be points for the opponent.

Oct. 27 in Minneapolis, the Spartans faced No. 3 Gonzaga in a closed-doors scrimmage.

According to The Athletic, Winston shot and distributed the ball well, but had six turnovers, including some which a staff source described as unforced.

“I definitely have more responsibility. My role just changed for this team,” Winston said. “Some of the turnovers I made, I wasn’t thinking. Those are easy fixes at the end of the day, just being more solid. But my role has definitely stepped up on this team.”

Against an experienced, talented team like

“I don’t know if I’m going to shoot it at that high of a rate, that was kind of ridiculous. But I’m still going to be a very good shooter. I’ve been working on it, still knocking down shots at a very consistent rate, so I’m still going to be a very consistent.“ Cassius Winston Junior point guard Gonzaga, a lack of thinking in critical moments cost the Spartans. Gonzaga outscored MSU 11092 over the four-part scrimmage, mainly due to an advantage in turnover margin and fouls, according to reports.

The Gonzaga scrimmage doesn’t matter for statistical purposes. It won’t show up on the Spartans’ tournament resume come March.

But make no mistake: They went into a game against the No. 3 team in the country, and by all accounts shot and defended well enough to win.

When your undoing is turnovers and discipline, that falls on the point guard.

“We’re not as far off as we think. We can be one of those top-whatever teams,” Winston said.

“We were in that game. It’s just little mistakes, little details that we can fix. Everything that went wrong was fixable, and that’s a positive we got from it.”

Winston played better Oct. 30 against D-II Northern Michigan in the Spartans’ easy 93-47 victory. He looked smoother — he wasn’t forcing anything or turning it over by trying to make highlight-reel plays when the defense didn’t allow it. The easy lobs and exciting rim-runs won’t be there against every opponent, but the demeanor should be.

The season opens Nov. 6 in Indianapolis against top-ranked Kansas, another tough test for this Spartan team. But the result of this game matters far less than how well the Spartans play overall — particularly their point guard.

The Spartans are going to win a lot of games this season in a weak Big Ten conference where they are the consensus favorite despite losing their two best players. Winston was right when he spoke about the issues against Gonzaga: The turnovers and mental mistakes are fixable. But as any procrastinating college student will tell you, saying you’ll fix it and actually doing it are two different things.

Come March, when the five freshmen on this team have grown up a bit and the rotation is all sorted out, the Spartans will have one goal: Get back to the scene of the Gonzaga loss — Minneapolis, the site of this year’s Final Four.

They’ll go exactly as far as their star point guard takes them.

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