The State News is published by the students of Michigan State University every other Tuesday during the academic year. News is updated seven days a week at statenews.com. State News Inc. is a private, nonprofit corporation. Its current 990 tax form is available for review upon request at 435 E. Grand River Ave. during business hours.
One copy of this newspaper is available free of charge to any member of the MSU community. Additional copies available at The State News office for a fee.
MSU Assistant Professor, Dr. David Emery, and Licensed Veterinary Technicians, Katlyn Cunningham and Rebecca Wood stand in front of the MSU Veterinary Mobile Unit after completing many operations on dogs at I Heart Dogs in Warren, Mich., on July 16, 2026. Photo by Cooper Schwartz.
With online ER check-in, you can skip the waiting room and start your visit from the comfort of home. At McLaren, we make it easier to access emergency care without spending extra time in the waiting room. For non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries, you can go online to view real-time ER wait times and check in to save your spot, then wait from the comfort of your dorm, apartment, or wherever you are. It’s emergency care made more convenient.
Start your ER visit at mclaren.org/ER
2026-2027: STUDENT JOURNALIST DEDICATION
EXTENDS FAR BEYOND THE NEWSROOM
By Lily Cole EIC@statenews.com
outside its newsroom. I picked up a copy, read it vigorously, to student publications, having served as the 2024-2025 editor-in-chief at
Coming from a similar role at WCC, I understand the responsibility that comes with leading a newsroom and bringing information to a campus. Our growth this past year was exceptional, and I plan to continue adding to what my former colleagues have done.
We will report with the utmost urgency and be transparent in our coverage, even if we make a mistake. Journalism isn’t perfect. But accountability is incredibly important to us, and we will conduct due diligence in every part of it.
The State News isn’t just a publication – it’s an institution dedicated to MSU. As student journalists, that dedication extends far beyond the newsroom. Whether we’re covering breaking news from the administration, reporting on Spartan athletics, highlighting student organizations, or telling stories about everyday life on campus, we’re committed to capturing what it truly means to be part of the MSU community.
Our newsroom is also more than just a building off Grand River; we’re a digital newsroom full of reporters, photographers, advertising staff, social media crew and more.
The State News also welcomes letters to the editor and guest commentary submissions from students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members. If there’s an issue you think needs to be discussed, we encourage you to submit here. At the end of the day, journalism and media are about bringing people together. There’s something truly special about this campus: a diverse community of students, faculty and administrators, each with stories worth telling. We want to help share those stories and serve as your voice – one grounded in authenticity, integrity and inclusivity.
Lily Cole. State News file photo.
State News file photo.
YOU DON’T NEED TO HAVE A “COLLEGE GLOW-UP”
By Erin Broecker ebroecker@statenews.com
College is hailed as an institutional transformation chamber. It’s the place where teenagers become adults, students become young professionals and apparently, if you do everything right, your success and achievements will manifest themselves as the new, hotter version of you.
On social media, matters of
personal growth are minimized into the general category of a “glow up”.
Some corners of online self-help circles are well-meaning and insist that better presentation and confidence come from developing healthy physical and mental strength.
But in the visual-heavy digital culture of the 21st century, engagement metrics indicate that any improvements worthy of online attention must have evidence the
naked eye can see. The pressure to glow up and have an unrelated badge of honor for our struggles targets that online generation — us — and it sabotages the process of becoming our true selves.
I made the mistake of unconsciously assuming the struggles I endured would be promptly rewarded with gifts to soothe my vanity, and if they didn’t arrive, I was undeserving. As a freshman, I entered my frst taste of adulthood with the conviction that if I didn’t come out on the other end of my undergraduate career more beautiful than before, it would be an indicator I had somehow failed.
Higher education isn’t a smooth ascent to a lovelier, smarter version of oneself. The coursework is heavy. Learning how to take care of a newly adult body and paying the cost of living is a tough burden.
If we’re being real, managing a menagerie of financial constraints and academic expectations means the focus is on making ends meet and keeping grades up. Taking on new stressors means coming up with
new tricks, like giving yourself rough haircuts in the bathroom in an effort to save money for rent, or working out less than you did in high school to make time for studying. Adapting to the college lifestyle can entail sacrifcing surface-level attractiveness for a greater purpose. But when we’re taught by our peers and the internet that we need to have more beauty as a testament to the better person we’ve become, all those tough, ugly times it took grit to endure are dull in comparison.
The truth is, being “glowy” by the metrics of self-help culture is so much more than being attractive; it’s being agreeable to things that actually make you want to rip your hair out, and appearing, at all costs, not to be at odds with your life. For a student, it asks for the impossible.
Student-to-student advice and the like aims to ease the transition by hearing from someone on the same level. There’s no way any guide can eliminate every instance of confusion or struggle that comes with college life. In fact, I’ve found that every
time I’ve made strides in becoming a more capable and confdent version of myself, it came from enduring immense discomfort, not discovering some magic hairstyle or beauty tip.
When we place so much emphasis on making our college experience, and by extension ourselves, “pretty,” we overlook the unglamorous opportunities that propel us to develop a stronger sense of self, perseverance and indomitable character.
Imagine two portraits of yourself at the beginning and end of your time at Michigan State University. It may be evident in the second that you’ve shed adolescence, but growing up physically is inevitable. Becoming an adult on the interior is the real project.
So when the time finally comes during finals week, scream at midnight. It is evidence that you have lived the life of a student. It’s okay if you don’t look absolutely diva-ed out in your senior portrait. Evolving only happens when we let ourselves be challenged — a habit learned in college when the priority isn’t to “glow”.
Illustration by Madison Echlin.
UNVEIL NEW EXPERIENCES WITH CAMPUS GEMS
By Ever Pratt-Hart epratthart@statenews.com
Every Spartan has a favorite spot on campus that they just keep on coming back to. With over 5,000 acres of campus to explore, it can be easy to overlook the campus gems. Below are some campus gems that you absolutely must take advantage of while you’re a student at Michigan State University.
NATURAL AREAS: PEOPLE’S PARK AND CLARENCE E. LEWIS LANDSCAPE ARBORETUM
People’s Park is one of the most historically beloved outdoor spots on campus, located outside of Well’s Hall. In the space between the Red Cedar River and the International Center, there is a green space with several benches and areas shaded by trees.
Throughout the day, students occupy this space in between classes, studying or eating while taking in the fresh air or simply just enjoying the sights and sounds of the park. In years past, student organizations have hosted events for students such as outdoor coffee hours. In
addition, just a stroll away is the Beal Botanical Garden, the nation’s oldest continuously operated university botanical garden which regularly hosts student events.
Home to the work of MSU landscape development scholars since 1984, the Clarence E. Lewis Landscape Arboretum sits just South of campus off of Service Road. The arboretum features uniquely themed ornamental horticulture gardens, ponds, patios and more and serves as an instructional garden for students in landscape horticulture.
These gardens are slightly out of the way for most students, so this location is most popular on the weekends. The park has many seating areas, refection paths, and picnic spots for visitors to enjoy.
INDOOR SPOTS: MSU UNION AND 1855 PLACE
Near North neighborhood and Grand River Avenue is the iconic MSU Union. This building boasts a variety of student resources, such as study spaces with computer labs, a Sparty’s Market, Strange Matter coffee shop, University Advising, MSU Counseling and Psychiatric Services, a Spartan
Clarence E. Lewis Landscape Arboretum. State News file photo.
Spirit Shop and more.
This multi-faceted building features the Union Art Gallery, an MSU Federal Credit Union location and the University Activities Board, which hosts concerts, open mic nights, craft nights and more for students.
Across from the Breslin Center is another one of MSU’s most popular indoor hangout spots: 1855 Place. Indeed, it is another multi-faceted building, offering indoor and outdoor seating, a Sparty’s Market, a Starbucks coffee shop, a Spartan Spirit Shop and more.
This location is also home to several MSU student services departments that assist students with housing assignments. Also home to the
Athletics Department, visitors can check out The Hall of Champions, a historical MSU sports highlights exhibit and purchase tickets for sporting or Wharton Center events.
EVENTS
AND
ENTERTAINMENT:
ELI AND EDYTHE BROAD ART MUSEUM AND MSU LIBRARY
The nationally recognized Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum offers unique activities for students, and is located near the Student Services Building and Grand River Ave.
Aside from perusing the museum’s vast permanent collections of contemporary art, students can attend public programming featuring artists from all over the world, check out
SpARTan Wellness sessions, Student Creative Council events and more. The museum also offers a cozy frst foor lounge that is great for study sessions.
In years past, the library has offered a variety of student centered events, including student art showcases, craft nights and more. For other art viewing opportunities, check out the Kresge Art Gallery, SCENE Metrospace, the MSU Union Art Gallery or visit https:// art.msu.edu/galleries/exhibitions/ to learn about events near you.
An often overlooked location for student entertainment is the MSU Library, located between Beaumont Tower and the Red Cedar River. Types of events range from Beal Botanical Garden Programming and therapy
dog sessions to makerspace workshops and various pop-up exhibits. The library is also home to many student resources and the world’s largest comic book collection.
SPORTS
ENTERTAINMENT: PENTECOST PLAZA AND THE STUDENT RECREATION AND WELLNESS CENTER
The host facility for MSU baseball, softball and soccer, Pentecost Plaza, is located just behind the Kellogg Center and provides a great opportunity for free entertainment. Students receive free admission to all MSU sporting events except men’s basketball, football and ice hockey, making Pentecost Plaza the premier location
to attend sporting events on a budget. The plaza is the university’s oldest athletic facility on campus still in use, and was frst created in 1900 for baseball, MSU’s frst varsity sport. Recently built to level up student sports, recreation and entertainment at MSU is the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, located near South neighborhood. This building houses six basketball courts, six volleyball courts, an all-purpose turf arena, an indoor pool, a judo room, a complete weight and fitness room, rock climbing, sports simulators and more. There are also various IM Sports and Club Sports groups that students can get involved with.
Pentecost
Marketplace on the Green 1995 Central Park Drive, Okemos
Local gems that provide an unexpected escape from campus
By Ever Pratt-Hart epratthart@statenews.com
While you’re a student at Michigan State University, your life can feel confned to campus at times. However, the surrounding community is home to quite a few vibrant spots that can help take you out of that mid-semester funk.
Below are some local gems that you should take a moment to explore during your time here.
NATURAL AREAS: LANSING RIVER TRAIL AND HAWK ISLAND COUNTY PARK
One of the longest trails in the area, the Lansing River Trail, is accessible
by car just a few minutes off campus. The paved trail stretches 20 miles from Waverly Road to Old Town in Lansing and passes through multiple parks and natural areas. There are also several parking lots and entrances along the trail, which can be found on lansingrivertrail.org.
Locally beloved for its swimming beach, picnic and recreational amenities, Hawk Island County Park is about a 10-minute drive South of campus. The family park also offers rowboat and pedal boat rentals, fshing docks and beach sports. When the weather is nice, this is a great spot to gather your friends for a beach day.
INDOOR SPOTS: BARNES & NOBLE AND HOOKED
Recently opened and accessible by bus 15 is the Frandor Barnes & Noble bookstore and café. Situated in the Frandor Shopping Center, the café inside this bookstore is the perfect offcampus study spot to mix things up. When you’re done, you could also shop around for books, games, trinkets and physical music, or stop by any of the nearby crafts and home goods stores,
or grab a bite to eat before heading back to campus.
Further into Lansing in Old Town is Hooked, a bookstore, café and wine bar – great for those looking for a smaller space with a niche menu. This bookstore offers a unique drink and food selection with options like coffee fights, gourmet boards, and a variety of unique sandwiches and baked goods. The shop hosts events and book clubs regularly, such as student Fridays, when students get $1 off coffee, cocktails, or wine fights.
EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT: URBANBEAT AND LANSING SHUFFLE
Also in Old Town Lansing, UrbanBeat is a popular restaurant, bar and event venue accessible by bus one. This venue offers open-mic nights, musical performances, poetry nights and more.
In downtown Lansing, the Lansing Shuffle restaurant and bar is a lively place for unique events and entertainment and is also accessible by Bus 1. The riverfront venue offers six restaurants in a full-service food
court, two full-service bars, a lounge, a patio, and, of course, shuffeboard on an enclosed outdoor patio. Events hosted here include musical performances, trivia nights, couples and singles dance nights, Wine & Canvas collaboration events, Sunday makers markets and more.
SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT: JACKSON FIELD AND HIGH CALIBER KARTING & ENTERTAINMENT
Home to the Lansing Lugnuts Minor League Baseball team, Jackson Field in downtown Lansing hosts soccer, kickball, feld hockey and lacrosse as well as other special events such as festivals and concerts. The feld is accessible by bus one and is a great option for an off-campus sports outing. A great place to experience unique sporting activities is High Caliber Karting & Entertainment, in Okemos near the Meridian Mall. This indoor entertainment center is also accessible by Bus 1 and offers go-kart racing, axe-throwing, rage rooms, gelly-ball battles, throw-bowling, archery tag, pocket soccer and a full arcade. They also offer full food and drink menus.
Bowling with footballs is set up at High Caliber Karting & Entertainment in Okemos, Mich., on July 16, 2026.
Photo by Ever Pratt-Hart.
Start Strong With
HOW TO NAVIGATE TRANSPORTATION ON CAMPUS
By Takwa Khalil tkhalil@statenews.com
When I started my frst semester at Michigan State University, my biggest fear was getting lost on campus. Before that, I only had to worry about navigating the halls of my high school to fgure out where my classes were.
BUSES
Still, navigating campus doesn’t have to be intimidating. This guide will help you fgure out the bus system, driving, biking and walking all around MSU.
The first thing to do on your phone is download Google Maps or the Transit app. Google Maps works better because it shows the bus’s location and uses information directly from the Transit app.
The Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) has over 30 routes in Lansing. To fgure out which route you need to take, enter your current location and your destination in your preferred app. The app will list multiple options for getting to campus; choose the simplest one.
To avoid overpaying or missing a stop, take one bus and walk the rest of the way.
You don’t have to pay the regular $1.25 if you let the driver know you’re a student. Present your ID to the driver or simply tell them, “I’m a student,” and they’ll take the price down to 60 cents. You can also get a semester pass for $50 at your local Meijer.
Some buses have stop buttons, and others have a pull cord. Try to sit near the buttons and cords for convenience. Push the button or pull the cord after the bus passes the second-to-last stop before your own. Check your preferred app to know which stop is yours.
You can sit anywhere on the bus, but be mindful of priority seating. If someone needs that seat because of their disability, be considerate and fnd another seat.
CARS
Annabelle DiMaggio, a senior advertising management student, suggests getting a parking pass and then walking the rest of the way to your class.
“I hate to say it, but get a parking pass. They (MSU Parking Enforcement) ticket a lot,” DiMaggio said. “You think they don’t, and then the one day you don’t pay for parking, they will ticket you.”
If you work on campus like DiMaggio, she suggests applying for a parking pass and picking it up at the MSU Department of Police and Public
Safety near ComArtSci. It’s a little pricey for a semester, but she said it’s better than paying for three $40 tickets.
She also suggests carpooling. DiMaggio has six roommates, and when they have similar class times and locations, one of her roommates who’s available drops them off and picks them up later.
“Always coordinate with your friends and people in your community because a lot of people are going to the same place at the same time, so catching a ride isn’t as hard as you think,” she said.
The ComArtSci building has a good parking garage, according to DiMaggio. She said the pay rate is similar across all garages on campus, and certain lots offer free parking after 6 p.m., so make sure you know where you’re parking and whether it’s free.
The busiest times on campus are usually 10 to 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. DiMaggio suggests arriving before or after those times. She also suggests driving onto campus, then using the bus system to avoid walking or the weather, which can be less grueling than paying to move your car around.
BIKES
Erin Riley, assistant manager at MSU Bikes Service Center, said the biggest problem students face on campus is bike theft.
“We see a pretty insane number of bikes getting stolen, even if they’re locked,” Riley said.
Riley recommends investing in U-locks instead of cable locks, since cable locks can be cut with gardening shears, while U-locks make a loud noise from the sparks if someone tries to break them.
“Always coordinate with your friends and people in your community because a lot of people are going to the same place at the same time, so catching a ride isn’t as hard as you think.”
Annabelle DiMaggio
Advertising management senior
“Thieves are normally just going for whatever bike has the worst lock,” they said.
Register bikes through MSU’s parking services. The permit is free, and registering your bike makes it easier if it gets stolen, according to Riley. If there’s a problem with the lock and the bike is registered and parked on campus, MSU
DPPS will cut the lock free of charge, which is cheaper than getting a locksmith, which can cost hundreds of dollars.
The MSU Bikes Service Center has a rental program, some of which are semester-long. Riley said they sell out often, so pre-rent and don’t wait till the last minute.
Another piece of advice is to make sure your tires have enough air to avoid pinch fats. The service center has a free do-it-yourself bike repair station equipped with a tire pump.
Used bikes sold at the service center can be more expensive than cheaper bikes at a local grocery store; however, Riley said they aren’t built to last. They suggest looking on Facebook Marketplace for a high-quality bike frame, then letting the store repair it, which can save a lot of money.
WALKING
The most important thing is to walk on the right side of the sidewalk. If you can apply that concept while driving, you can extend that gratitude to fellow pedestrians.
When walking with a group of friends, be considerate. The sidewalks are small, and there’s only so much room to walk around. There’s no reason for three or four people to be walking side by side.
Jaywalk if you can. It’s not encouraged, but if a one-way road is narrow and there aren’t any cars nearby, it’s totally doable.
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FINDING FRESHMAN YEAR FRIENDS TAKES TIME
By Ria Gupta rgupta@statenews.com
Not everyone enters college dreaming of forming life-long friendships. For me, the idea that some people forged such intense connections that they would later become each other’s bridesmaids was odd. You were in, and then you were out.
But I can understand the average freshman stalking Class of 2030 pages cherry-picking best friends and scouring the internet for dorm foorplans in anticipation of August.
Before starting at MSU, the summer is flled with nostalgic retellings and sage wisdom sweet enough to make you puke. Strip away all the sentimentality, and the message is always the same: the frst month of university sets the tone for the next four years of your life, for better or for worse.
There’s Welcome Week, the formation of the feeting freshman year friend group that haunts campus forever, the clubs that get ditched halfway through and, most importantly, the stranger you share your shoebox-sized dorm with.
My roommate found me off of a halfcompleted MyCollegeRoomie profle where I spent more time clicking all the random fun buttons than honestly answering questions about my willingness to clean a toilet. Her profle was scarce, so I typed her name into Google as we awkwardly conversed for the next 30 minutes. MyCollegeRoomie had our compatibility rating at 66%.
She said she loved her digital camera and liked to clean. Her only tagged photo was a Roblox University admissions post. Google revealed no criminal record. Normal enough.
It’s difficult trying to picture a life with someone based off of a short profle listed on a random website. It’s both too much and too little. There’s no telling whether these strangers are willing to hike back from the MSU library at midnight, wake up early to tailgate on a Saturday and then buy you Gatorade while fending off the Sunday scaries.
In my case, 66% wasn’t great, but it wasn’t awful either. So, the girl from Grand Haven became my roommate.
If you know who your roommate is before move-in, it might help to talk. Not for us. The rest of June, July and August slipped away without any weekly chats or attempts to get to know each other. Just the occasional logistical update: “I’m bringing a microwave.”
I moved in frst. Within an hour, my parents managed to knock her bed over sideways on the tiled Holmes dorm room foor. Good omen. Freshmen are encouraged to put their best foot forward by attending all the freshman orientation activities and swarming around club
“Every freshman hears the same advice — an experience so unifying that it qualifies as its own college acceptance letter. It’s easy to brush it off, but some clichés stick around because they’re true. Finding your people takes time. Give yourself the chance, and you will.”
Ria Gupta State News Editor
tables at Sparticipation. Just know, nothing will happen to you if you don’t.
There’s enormous pressure to make the most of Welcome Week, as though missing one event means missing your chance forever. I ignored most of it. I didn’t keep my door open so friendly stragglers could stop by. I decorated my dorm by making my bed, plugging in the microwave and going straight to sleep.
I spent most of my time hopping between the dorms of high school friends and a girl from Instagram in between classes. I had a job at The State News, where I knew one other freshman and tried my hardest not to feel out of place.
My roommate and I were fne. Awkward, but fne. She wasn’t a stranger, but she wasn’t a friend yet either. We didn’t have that instant bond where you stayed up until 3 a.m. talking about everything and anything under the dim lamp light.
That wouldn’t happen until November.
It’s hard to describe how it happened, just that it did. Instead of saying good night and facing the wall, I turned over and spilled my guts out. Most people don’t start getting comfortable until spring semester, so don’t jump the gun when things aren’t going to plan. Sometimes friendships don’t arrive during Welcome Week. Instead, they show up months later, after enough ordinary nights have passed.
I went out with my roommate for the frst time in the spring. We introduced each other to our friends. We showed love the only way MSU freshmen know how, by occasionally using one of our coveted Combo-X-Changes on each
other. Every night was spent answering absurd hypotheticals and wandering down the hall for Hot Cheetos from the vending machines at 2 a.m. Sophomore year, it was impossible to imagine living with anyone else. Somehow, among all our friends who had paired with high school best friends or Instagram meet-cutes, we stood the test of time.
My family — who have known me for 19 years — still can’t stomach the string of alarms starting at 8 a.m. in 10 minute intervals to wake me up at 1 p.m. My roommate and I extend our sincerest apologies to our fellow Wonders Hall residents, who told us our respective alarms began to harmonize after hour one.
I had grown so accustomed to her that during winter break, it took me a week to stop turning over in bed and expecting her to be there,
waiting across the room for whatever stray thought I had. My roommate makes MSU bearable, but it took months for us to reach that point. We’re living together again this fall, but a part of me mourns the fact that we’re no longer in a dorm, talking until we force ourselves to stop. Instead, we have a beautifully decrepit college house with an enviable address secured in a lottery against 300 other people. I have three roommates now — all kind, ambitious and my future bridesmaids.
Every freshman hears the same advice — an experience so unifying that it qualifes as its own college acceptance letter. It’s easy to brush it off, but some clichés stick around because they’re true. Finding your people takes time. Give yourself the chance, and you will.
North Wonders Hall. Photo by Cooper Schwartz.
We can’t wait to see you on campus this fall. There’s so much to get excited about!
Attending NSO and Welcome to State events
Finding your Spartan community
Checking out the many student orgs
Visiting Recreation Sports facilities
Meeting everyone at your first floor meeting
All-you-care-to-eat meals in all residential dining locations
12 Combo-X-Changes every week
Unlimited daily CX uses
National and regional CX locations, including Starbucks, Panera, Strange Matter, Panda Express and more
Grubhub mobile ordering pickup
Grab & Go
Whether you live on or live o , dining on campus is better than ever. Our Silver, Gold and Platinum Plans include: That’s a checklist for stress-
MSU SPORTS OFFER OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE
By Audrey Dayton adayton@statenews.com
The start of a new school year also brings the return of colored wristbands, green and white overalls and morning tailgates — tell-tale signs of Michigan State sports.
Whether you’re a die-hard fan, just looking for the college experience or couldn’t care less, sports impact every student at MSU.
Here’s a breakdown of everything in Spartan athletics, from tickets, lines, traditions and how to get the most out of the fan experience as a student.
And if you’re not interested in being a fan, here are a couple of tips for navigating a campus dominated by Big Ten sports culture.
TICKETED SPORTS VS. FREE ADMISSION WITH STUDENT ID
MSU requires tickets for three sports: football, men’s basketball and ice hockey. Football, lower bowl men’s basketball tickets and hockey tickets are general admission. Seats are frst-come frst served, leading to lengthy lines.
The rest of MSU’s sports — women’s basketball, volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, baseball, softball, feld hockey, wrestling, gymnastics, men’s and women’s tennis, rowing, men’s and women’s golf, track and feld and cross country — are general admission and free to watch with a student ID.
FOOTBALL: TICKETS, LINES, TAILGATES AND TRADITIONS
Student football tickets went on sale in late April and are still available for purchase. But when game day arrives, one of the biggest challenges is knowing when to hop in line.
“No one warned me of the line and how early you may get there for the frst game,” said civil engineering senior Kailee Chambers. “We got there, and we were in the nosebleeds. Like that ramp, I think you have to go through that ramp at least once at your time at State to really know.”
Getting in line at least two hours before the gates open is recommended for a regular football game, according to public relations senior Madison Vollmer.
Joining the football traditions was another learning curve for Vollmer. Aside from just “Go Green” and “Go White,” you can expect Spartan fans to jingle their keys when the opponent reaches third down, chant frst down (and an expletive) when MSU crosses the line to gain, and, of course, sing the MSU Fight Song.
Civil engineering senior Porter Holden said the best way to learn the fght song is to attend sports of any kind and participate, adding that no one will look at you weird for not knowing the words.
Other football tips include screenshotting your ticket or pulling it up early (because the cell reception at Spartan Stadium can become virtually nonexistent on game days) and fnding clubs and friends that host tailgates.
THE IZZONE: MEMBERSHIP, LINES AND CAMPING
The Izzone, the men’s basketball’s student section, is twofold as students must purchase a membership and individual tickets. Memberships were $75 last year and went on sale in July. Tickets to games are sold in early October, following the Izzone Campout.
The section has a seniority system, in which members are awarded points for attending games and the campout. Members with more points
appropriately,” Holden said. “That’s where it’s really nice if you can start going with friends or know people there, because people will save your spot in line, and you’re able to go out and use the bathroom, get a quick bite to eat.”
Chambers and Vollmer recommend living in South neighborhood if possible because the dorms are closer to every major sporting venue.
The Izzone also includes its own traditions — blowing a paper bag in the air, swaying side to side and bouncing during the game. You can learn everything from your section leaders and the newspapers placed at your seat.
Most basketball games, especially Big Ten contests, are on Tuesday and Thursday nights, which is helpful for planning your class schedule in the spring semester.
THE MUNNSTERS: TICKETS AND LINES
The trickiest part about MSU hockey’s student section is getting the tickets.
receive earlier access to tickets and are more likely to get lower bowl tickets rather than upper bowl tickets.
“They would sell so fast,” recalled John Morrison, a recent graduate who spent three years as the mascot Sparty. “Everybody would be sitting at their computers right at the second that the tickets were released, and if you weren’t ready to buy it ASAP, then you were going to have to buy it later off of somebody.”
The Izzone Campout provides the most opportunities for a member to earn points and climb the seniority ranks to better seats; there are multiple check-ins for points throughout the night. Additionally, it’s something you can only do while you’re a student.
“It’s a rite of passage to be a true Izzone fan,” Morrison said. “You’ve got to have this experience and suffer a little bit through it with your fellow Spartans.”
The campout includes speeches from coach Tom Izzo and a chance to hang out with the players on the night of an away football game.
Bringing blankets, food and energy are the biggest tips from Morrison and Vollmer. The Izzone Campout is known for rainy nights, so it helps to be prepared. It also helps to check your tent size as the campout includes over 1,000 campsites and space is limited.
When men’s basketball games actually start, you can expect long lines regardless of the weather. Students line up the night before for ranked nonconference matchups, rivalry games and any other contest that’s headlining that season. For a typical game, fans will line up four to fve hours before gates open for closeto-court seats.
“I’ve waited in line for games for over 24 hours, and just make sure that you’re dressed
Munn Ice Arena is one of the smaller rinks in college hockey, and MSU has captured fve (three regular-season, two tournament) Big Ten titles in the last three years. This year’s roster will hold 18 draft picks, including nine frst-rounders, so a packed barn is expected.
Munnsters’ tickets go on sale in early to mid September and both Chambers and Vollmer –who are Munnsters’ student-section leaders — call getting the tickets a “hope and a prayer.”
“You can refresh as much as you want and think you’re going to be quick enough to type,” Chambers said. “If anything, save your card info on that website… but it’s really just hope.”
They recommend paying attention to social media for updates on ticket releases and buying tickets off other students if you are unable to get Munnsters’ tickets.
However, Vollmer cautions against getting ripped off. People will charge upwards of $100 when reselling Munnsters’ tickets, and Vollmer recommends purchasing a regular-admission ticket instead of being overcharged.
Hockey games are typically two nights in a row and scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays or the weekdays just prior.
Like the Izzone, the Munnsters are known for braving Michigan winter to wait outside for good seats.
Chambers said rivalry and higher-ranked games see fans lining up at midnight the night before. She recommends getting in line four to fve hours before gates open for prime seating, adding that joining the line two hours before doors open likely leads to standing room seats — which aren’t bad at all in the tight venue that Munn is.
“Most of the time, it’s not like you’re bored in line,” Vollmer said. “You’re usually fnding other people to talk to who are excited by the game, or people are bringing games to play. The vibes are there, and people are defnitely willing to talk and get to know others.”
The Munnsters have their own chants and
A large crowd of enthusiastic fans, mostly wearing white and green shirts, is cheering and clapping at a football game. State News file photo.
cheers, which can be learned from the studentsection newspapers similar to the Izzone.
FREE SPORTS: FRIENDSHIPS AND STANDOUTS
“One of the things I really enjoy about the MSU student sections is you can kind of just show up for a lot of them that are free,” Holden said. “You can just go and be involved in the atmosphere.”
While he attends all three ticketed sports, Holden is most invested in MSU soccer as a section leader for the Red Cedar Rowdies – a section that cheers on the men’s and women’s teams. He met his closest friends by attending soccer games alone his freshman year.
“For a lot of the free events, I’d say less so for soccer, not very many people go,” Holden said. “So you’ll start to see the same people over and over again, which is really nice because if you’re willing to have a conversation you’ll start to get to know people.”
Free sports are more accessible regarding cost and time, as you can often show up 10 minutes before a game and still grab a seat, with the exception of some rivalry matchups. And the environments can be just as lively as the ticketed sports.
“There’s two that stand out to me,” Morrison said, refecting on his experiences as a mascot. “Women’s volleyball; they have a lot of fun at those games, and it gets pretty heated. But I’ll also say, women’s soccer. They made a run into the playoffs the past two years and every time we’ve gone to a game there, it’s felt so good.
There has been such a good turnout. So many people, they’re excited, they’re into it.”
Volleyball also stood out to Chambers as a great sports environment, especially since the team had its best start (10-0) in program history last season.
MSU gymnastics has also been on the rise, which has been a personal favorite of Holden aside from soccer.
“Most of the time, it’s not like you’re bored in line...you’re usually finding other people to talk to who are excited by the game, or people are bringing games to play. The vibes are there, and people are definitely willing to talk and get to know others.”
Madison Vollmer Public relations senior
Vollmer suggests catching a softball or baseball game when spring rolls around, especially because they include a lot of free food and
activities that she helps coordinate.
ATTENDING SOLO
MSU sporting events can be intimidating for even lifelong fans when attending solo. Vollmer recommends reaching out to people on Snapchat since every class at MSU has an individual Snapchat story. She met Chambers through Snapchat and the two have been friends since freshman year.
“It’s a great way to fnd people, whether or not you’re friends with them forever, or you’re just friends with them for football or hockey or basketball,” Vollmer said. “It’s defnitely a way to know you’re not going by yourself, and it’s a little less daunting.”
“Freshman year is really like your year to fnd yourself and like your people, even if it doesn’t fully happen,” Chambers said. “While you’re in class, don’t be scared to talk to the people next to you in the dining hall. Just knock on your people on your foor’s door. Go open your door. Don’t be scared of that because you never know who you’re going to fnd your freshman year.”
AND IF YOU’RE NOT A SPORTS FAN…
If sports aren’t your thing, there’s still plenty to know about gamedays and how they’ll impact your routine.
Bus routes on a football or men’s basketball game day differ from the typical schedule, resulting in delays and changed stops entirely. Plan on walking if you have class or work the
day of a Friday football game.
Parking is limited for paid sports and traffc piles up between blocked-off streets and waves of people after a game ends. Off-campus parking or walking is your safest bet around campus and Grand River.
If you’re still living on campus, know that the side/stairwell entrances to your dorm will be locked for football games and occasional basketball games as a safety measure. You can save time by walking straight to the main entrance.
Whether the Spartans are home or on the road, restaurants and bars are a hot ticket on game days. Know that many bars will increase cover for an away game and restaurants with TVs can fll up quickly. Check the schedule before you head to Buffalo Wild Wings; even if you’re not interested, the locals are.
Game days will come with inconveniences. A Saturday run around campus will require dodging the crowds. You might wake up to tailgaters at 6:30 a.m. or neighbors stumbling home at 3 a.m. the next day. Don’t be surprised when campus, and your dorm, are littered after last horn.
But they also have some perks – like empty laundry rooms, vacant gym sessions and easy trips to the dining hall. Chances are that the basketball court at IM East will be wide open for you and your friends to play pickup if you’re skipping a night out.
Coming to Michigan from out of state is a learning curve
By Alyssa Perera aperera@statenews.com
Starting college is like starting kindergarten again as an 18-year-old — everyone is nervous and wants to be friends. And while I found that to be true, starting school in Michigan after 18 years in Texas was like starting kindergarten again at age 5.
My knowledge of Michigan was limited to a campus tour, Eminem and some Midwest emo. I felt very out of place when I arrived for fall semester. Everyone seemingly spoke a different language as they told me what “township” they were from, a word I only knew from a farm app; repeatedly corrected me for daring to say “soda” and not “pop”; balked when I pronounced “Mackinac” the way that it’s spelled (my bad); had their Midwest accent warp words like “milk” into “melk;” all as they failed fve times to teach me euchre.
The easiest way to get Michigan-adjusted was asking everyone I met to “point to me on the mitten” where they lived. Since the state looks like a mitten, any part of the Lower Peninsula can be identifed on the palm of the right hand/ backside of the left hand. From left to right, Grand Rapids can be found below your pinky
about an inch up from your wrist, East Lansing in the center of your palm about half an inch up from your wrist, Metro-Detroit — over half of the people you’ll meet will be from here — can be found in the large area where your thumb meets your palm. If they’re from the Upper Peninsula, you’re on your own. (Sorry.) Unless they decide to bring both hands into this diagram, the trick won’t work on the “UP.”
After two years, I’ve started understanding the language of Michiganders. I now recognize Somerset as a mall, Holland as a city (not the Netherlands) and “Western,” “Tech,” “Marquette,” “Wayne,” “Central” and “Oakland” as colleges where people’s high school friends went. Being an out of state student can be a secret superpower. It’s a good conversation starter. Everyone will want to know why on earth you chose to come to Michigan — have a good answer ready and laugh when they say you’ll hate the winter. Despite the bitter cold, the people can be very warm and welcoming. I’ve had people bend over backwards to show me “good (Detroit Style) pizza” and Culver’s, and invite me home or to a Great Lake. There are also plenty of out of staters to befriend during those smaller holidays where you might not go home.
My in-state friends always complained that someone “went to my high school” before going: “You’re so lucky you don’t have to deal with that.” But not having high school enemies to fear also means not having high school friends to fall back on like everyone else you know. While this can be a bit isolating, it can also be freeing. There’s perfect room to reinvent yourself and start on a clean state with everyone. Once you fnd your groove, it’s truly not that scary.
Illustration by Madison Echlin.
Transfer students take a different path to finding home
By Lily Cole EIC@statenews.com
I never wanted to go to a four-year university right out of high school.
I did, though, following my then-best friend from Livonia to Western Michigan University, only to get homesick and come back a week
later to a new puppy my mom swears she didn’t get to replace me. After coming home, I decided Washtenaw Community College was my frst path.
If you’ve never been to community college, you’re in for a treat because you can actually walk around campus in less than 30 minutes.
Professors you see at coffee shops will joke with
you about your grade going down for accidentally cutting in front of them in line to get a latte, and you may even see one playing guitar at a local bar.
There wasn’t the traditional college experience of living on campus or going to Welcome Week parties. We didn’t have a Spartys, but we had the Student Center, with its greasy pizza that satiated me enough to make it to my 6 p.m. digital journalism class. I didn’t make many friends, but the friends I did make will stay in my life for as long as possible. The hours at WCC were easy to fll, and, like many college students working through school – paying relatively affordable tuition felt manageable.
You may have seen the recent flood of graduate posts this past spring. For a long time, the expectation was to be among them, but not every journey follows the path frst imagined. It may not be the path some of you envisioned for yourselves either. Still, there is value in the journey, even when it looks different from what was originally planned.
After coming to MSU, I did the same thing I did at WCC.
I joined MSU’s student publication, The State News, as an arts and culture general assignment reporter, covering different aspects of MSU that reminded me of where I had just moved away from. Trips to Celebration Cinema made me think of my sister and our 2024 New Year’s Resolution to review as many movies as we could,
no matter how much money we spent on popcorn and Cherry Coke slushies. Attending Wharton events made me think about how much I missed music and theatre, but being in the vicinity was enough to satisfy me.
A story I wrote after scouring the MSU Reddit sticks with me, though, stemming from a single post about how to make friends as a transfer student. I looked at the post and said out loud, “Ha, so me.”
The comments were full of all kinds of advice, from alumni, people who had been on campus for four years and other transfer students, but there was a need and obligation to hear it from the source.
After receiving some responses to my post, I chatted with two students who shared what they did when they came to MSU. Our stories are similar, but not quite. If you’re a transfer student, you may feel the same.
Students said they felt like they didn’t belong when they frst got to campus, and it took them a while to consider MSU home after joining clubs, getting their bearings, and taking as many classes as they could.
But, in the end, they did. We did, and as I go into my senior year, I feel I belong at MSU.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it and say that it was easy, but for those who are just transferring or have transferred recently, know that our stories started late, but that’s OK. We’ll work it out the way we intend.
State News file photo.
STUDENT-LED BANDS PROVIDE LIVE MUSIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR MSU
By Ever Pratt-Hart epratthart@statenews.com
When you arrive at Michigan State University’s campus, the number of groups and organizations calling out for new students to join can seem endless and overwhelming.
MSU’s live music scene, however, can feel difficult to break into
without knowing where to look.
Upon quickly searching for how to get involved with live bands at Michigan State University on Google, recommendations for MSU’s College of Music ensembles, the Spartan Marching Band and open-mic night events at the Union all appear.
However, beneath the surface of MSU’s traditional collegiate music
community is an independent student band scene that welcomes all experience levels, genres and majors that can be found in an East Lansing neighborhood near you.
“This is kind of a Midwestern thing where you squeeze like a hundred or so college kids into a tiny basement to watch a band play,” said Jay Maynard, MSU 2026 digital storytelling
alum and member of Break Check.
“Everybody’s like, literally six inches from your face while you’re playing, and there’s a certain kind of love that makes each local band feel like they’ve made it in a sense.”
Most of the time, student bands play at a co-op house, which are houses just north of campus rented by MSU students. Sometimes, bands
get the opportunity to play at a local venue such as The Fledge, Harpers, The Peanut Barrel, The Avenue or Green Door.
In 2021, MSU 2026 communications alum Griffn Schoener created the Casual Music Club with a friend after feeling there wasn’t a clear path to getting involved in the live music scene as a freshman. In addition, the
Roxy Riot, MSU student band, members Kade Ringer, Alina Morse and Kyle Quick (from left), practice at the MSU Music Building in East Lansing, Mich., on July 17, 2026. Photo by Ever Pratt-Hart.
“Definitely what sets Michigan State apart with our live music scene is we have so many students, it’s the friends of friends of friends that go to support these student musicians in these small spaces where like, it brings a lot of fresh energy. It’s totally unique and it’s totally different than just going to even local small shows.”
Alina Morse Finance Senior, Roxy Riot band member
Jam Club was created around the same time.
In these two very similar clubs, students can expect to have an opportunity to play music and network with other musicians.
After coming from a Greek life
background, Schoener was able to not only occupy a different community but truly thrive in it as well, eventually creating his band Drop Ceiling through club connections and playing his frst co-op show in his senior year.
“Being a musician, I enjoyed it more
than any other type of party I’ve been to being a fraternity, house party, skate party or ski party. There was more community because everyone was there for the music, versus they’re just partying,” Schoener said. “I’ve wrapped my arms around other people
and done dances with them without even knowing who people are.”
Oftentimes, forming a band and scheduling shows tends to fall into place when you continue to show up in those spaces and make yourself known to the community.
Finance senior Alina Morse said that after creating her band, Roxy Riot, it only took a few small actions like posting on the MSU Snapchat story, putting up fyers around campus and making a band Instagram page until they felt a signifcant interest from the community and local establishments. In addition, she found that her hesitation to enter the community because she was a finance major was unfounded and discovered the overwhelming, welcoming support and friendliness of other students in the scene. She added that many students like herself share a sentiment for continuing MSU’s live music legacy and would be more than willing to mentor students who are new to the scene.
“Defnitely what sets Michigan State apart with our live music scene is we have so many students, it’s the friends of friends of friends that go to support these student musicians in these small spaces where like, it brings a lot of fresh energy. It’s totally unique and it’s totally different than just going to even local small shows,” Morse said. “I much prefer performing for a student audience of my peers. It’s just really supportive.”
A student-led band, Drop Ceiling, performs in front of a live audience at The Fledge in East Lansing, Mich., in Nov. 2025.
From left: Drew Cornman, Liam Dreyer, Connor O’Neal and Griffin Schoener. Photo courtesy of Lauren Rader.
THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF WHAT TO PACK FOR YOUR DORM
By Abigail Hosler ahosler@statenews.com
As an incoming freshman to Michigan State University, you are excited, anxious, thrilled and stressed to make college memories. When it came to packing, some are early birds, who pack a month early, and then there are those who wait a bit.
DO’S: MEDICINE KIT
Pepto Bismol, cough drops, a thermometer, BandAids, rubbing alcohol and gauze. These items help if dining hall food messes up your stomach for a day, or when the grass was being mowed leads to sneezing and especially when the fu hits. The last thing you want to do is trek to Target to buy meds, or spend a bunch of money to have it DoorDashed.
TOOL KIT
Get a small tool kit with your basic Phillips and fathead screwdriver, a hammer, a tape measure, Allen wrenches and a pair of scissors. You would be shocked how many messages get sent in the dorm group chats asking if anyone has a screwdriver or a hammer. If you have a tool box you could be the hero of your hall, and maybe make a new friend.
EXTRA BLANKETS
at the big box stores; it’s just $1.25 instead.
DON’TS:
When it comes to what not to bring, that’s more of a case-by-case situation, but a few things will just take up space and are provided by MSU.
PRINTERS
You might have been told you will have to pay to print things at MSU so it would be more effcient to buy your own printer now and it will pay itself off with how much you use it. Not true. There are many places around campus where free print is offered and if you end up having to go on a big hunt, its a great way to familiarize yourself with campus.
ICE MACHINE
Either way, these are some tips on what to pack other than your basic fridge, microwave and mattress topper (you will not want to forget one of those) and what to leave at home. Hopefully, people can be saved from the frantic Meijer rush.
When you move into the dorms, it will be blisteringly hot outside, but you cannot forget extra blankets. Living in the dorms is amazing, but the heating isn’t. Normally, the heating is working, but it must be busy heating something other than your dorm, and everyone will be freezing. Except you, because you read this article and brought extra blankets.
I know ice cold water is refreshing, but having an expensive ice machine that wakes you up in the middle of the night with loud noises and has to be cleaned frequently is not. Ice is provided at the dining halls, water bottles can be put in fridges and most water bought at Spartys is already cold, so save the money and the time.
AESTHETIC HASSLES
The first thing to emphasize as much as humanly possible, because it really was my savior this past year, is a medicine kit. A good kit includes: basic cold medicine, painkillers, allergy meds, ointment for rashes or bug bites,
CLEANING SUPPLIES
Remember your cleaning supplies, and remember to be smart with your money when you buy them. The cleaning supplies at the dollar store are the same as the ones
Remember, everything you bring in on movein day eventually has to be moved out. So some of the more aesthetic things like an 8-piece bed set, the cute stools, the big mirror with lightbulbs all over and a super adorable and heavy headboard are great to look at, but not something you will want to carry out at the end of the year.
Advising Center
Visit with our advisers to get your questions answered
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Education Abroad 101
Attend a webinar to learn the basics
Via Global
Create a profile to search programs
Global Learning Expo
Come to Breslin on October 8 to discover your options
Student Stories
Read stories and see photos from past participants
Social Media
Follow Education Abroad @spartansbroad
Everything you need to begin is at educationabroad.msu.edu
State News file photo.
DON’T TREAT YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE LIKE A RESUME
By Ever Pratt-Hart epratthart@statenews.com
Coming to college brings a furry of exciting new experiences, friends, freedom and, of course, the anxiety to set forth your career in the right path. When I arrived at Michigan State University, I didn’t realize how much career anxiety would impact the way I felt about myself, and the decisions I would make in my four years here.
After stalking the LinkedIn pages of several successful students in my feld, I quickly came to terms with the fact that I needed to start building my portfolio immediately if I wanted to be successful in my career after college. I needed to join clubs and get opportunities that would look good on my resume as a freshman so that I could get even better jobs as a sophomore and so on, and hopefully secure an internship before graduation.
Construction management, human resources and labor relations junior Taylor Venhuizen said she also felt pressure to optimize her time in college early on as a freshman.
“MSU is such a big school where you feel like if you don’t do what everyone else is doing, you’re going to be left behind. And I think part of that is defnitely true,” Venhuizen said. “It’s just like in our world, in our society. I don’t think it necessarily comes from college. I think it (feeling the need to optimize your time in college) comes from seeing other people talking about how they’re getting denied jobs because they don’t have experience, but how are you supposed to get experience as someone who’s young and is still in college?”
This career optimization anxiety is often what brings students to overwork themselves, assuming responsibilities in numerous jobs, internships, clubs and practically any opportunity they can get their hands on, all while juggling schoolwork, their own wellbeing and a social life.
Additionally, the pressure to further optimize your time at MSU by taking
advantage of campus amenities and networking opportunities can amplify the feeling that you should be pushing your career forward now, while you still can.
During my sophomore year, especially, it felt like I was applying to internships with any free time I had — even while eating meals and sitting through classes I was supposed to be paying more attention to.
I found myself feeling guilty whenever I took time to myself instead of being productive because it felt like there was always more that I could be reaching for.
Students like accounting senior Amelia Owinski understand that routine all too well. As someone who was in a co-ed fraternity, is in the Eli Broad College of Business, and multiple clubs and jobs, she often has had a full schedule during the school year.
“I felt like there was always something unfnished. Like I always had a school project coming up and I felt like I didn’t have time to just sit down and actually get it done correctly,” Owinski said. “I became
like way too reliant on ChatGPT to help me plan things out and get stuff done, and it felt like more of checking things off a checklist than spending the time to learn the fundamentals of classes.”
Somewhere along the way, college stopped feeling like four years to learn and started feeling like four years to optimize, and by attempting to engineer every step of your future, you risk missing the experiences that could actually help you shape it better. However, you don’t need to sacrifce being present in your life to get ahead in your career. The best form of career optimization may be giving yourself permission to stop optimizing every moment.
Some of the best insights about yourself and opportunities that shape your future won’t come from another application or another line on your resume. They’ll come from conversations, hobbies, friendships and moments you never planned for. Slow down long enough to fnd what makes you feel alive, not just what makes you look accomplished.
Illustration by Madison Echlin.
Don’t get too attached to your college Day Ones
By Alyssa Perera aperera@statenews.com
I was sure my roommate was going to be my college best friend. After spending less than three nights in our freshman dorm, we were already planning on coming back after four years to take grad pics and bring gifts to the new occupants. We lived in the future: making joint playlists, planning duo Halloween costumes and trips to other towns. It’s easy when you exchange life stories faster than your parents can get out the door. As college freshmen, we were eager for best friendship, the kind that every book, TV show and movie advertised that we would immediately fnd upon our arrival to college. So when we met someone decent, we decided it was fate and called it a day.
As soon as we covered the last 18 years of our lives, we went to the Grand River Target for latenight snacks — we didn’t know about the magic of Sparty’s yet — and Rally House for game-day face stickers.
When the other friends we met lived in different neighborhoods, it was my roommate and me heading to Brody Square for nachos every night. But just as the selection at Brody begins to get tiring, so does sharing every moment of your life with one other person. Our conversations
grew staler than the chips we were eating as we tired of dissecting everything from Love Island’s most recent season, and we started to realize how little we had in common.
My band posters and her Greece wall art weren’t that cohesive in our coordinated blue and white room; the getting-ready playlists we made turned into picking who got to play a song they liked and the only duo Halloween costume
we could agree on was covering ourselves in fake blood as “vampires.”
It was too late. We were already a package deal, so we didn’t let a few bumps in the road stop us from staying best friends. We were far too involved in each other’s lives, bordering on codependency. Any friend one of us made became a person we shared. The realization that I had nothing of my own started to permeate until I
felt suffocated, just as I’m sure she was by me.
Differing lifestyles and interests strained our friendship until our dorm became a battlefeld. It was bound to happen; the blurred lines made the perfect room for boundaries to be crossed and issues to go unspoken until it erupted.
The room would be silent for weeks at a time and then flled with nonstop chatter as we flled each other in on everything we missed throughout those periods.
By the time sophomore housing forms went out, we decided to go our separate ways — constantly wondering if we were on speaking terms wasn’t sustainable.
Truthfully, not living together a second year kept us friendly and allowed us to meet up a couple of times a semester. We reminisce, occasionally, on the good times we had, knowing that we’re better off with a bit more distance than a Brody 2x2 could provide.
While we might still end up back in Rather Hall posing for grad photos, the rest of our college paths aren’t as close as we originally anticipated. And that’s OK.
Your day one doesn’t need to be your perfect ft, and your perfect ft doesn’t need to be someone you’ve known since day one. You have four years to fgure it out, and as I realized over the last two years, everyone else still is too.
Recognized.
Photo illustration by Cooper Schwartz.
CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL MAJOR-CHANGER
By Melody Meyer mmeyer@statenews.com
Allow me to open with a quote from a flm that is ever-relevant in its portrayal of academic existentialism, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off:”
“Nine times?”
“Nine times.”
That would be how many major and minor changes I underwent in my frst two years of college.
We don’t really allow it to set in just how unfathomably unrealistic it is to have your life planned out at eighteen, yet so many people chain themselves to that expectation. It’s hard to picture your role in the real world until you have actually stepped foot into the real world. It’s hopelessly vacant but overwhelmingly crowded, and everyone seems to have the map except for you. Choosing a major feels like making a blindfolded throw at the dartboard, one that becomes branded to your identity. Identities change, however, and the venture across disciplines can give you a clearer vision of your strengths, desires and passions.
I was utterly plagued by dread on the winding road out of high school because I knew I was entering a four-year period that required me to be solidifed and fgured out by the end of it. Nobody in my family had gone to college, so I didn’t have any examples to go off of and, coming from a small-town school, I wasn’t offered a ton of resources or opportunities that showed me what to expect. Even as a kid, when flling out the “all about me” page on the frst day of school, I always wrote a small, unconfdent “I don’t know” beside the looming demand of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I couldn’t list any great talents I possessed or picture any job that I could leave with a satisfed smile each day. I had no interest in anything. I guess then, I thought to myself, I’ll become a doctor. My heart was in the right place, but I don’t think I could’ve made the same judgment on other organs had I been given the white coat. It felt cool to tell people I was studying kinesiology; I liked the way the word felt on my tongue. But that was about it. When I’d visualize my eventuality before bed, I felt continually bummed that I’d be coming home from a hospital. I’d always imagine my husband as a writer, and then I’d get so jealous of him that I’d throw that whole life away by ceasing
my fantasies and just going to sleep. He had the title I wanted, but I felt pressured to remain loyal to the major I chose.
And this is when the sirens should be going off. If you’re settling for your future because it seems like the easiest option, that is your sign that you’re not on the right path.
I hate to sound platitudinous, but everything does happen for a reason. There’s something to be taken away from each turn and roadblock. College is your time to learn and grow, both academically and personally. Exploring different specialties also provides you with a unique set of skills that most people in your profession won’t have. Bonus!
It may feel like you missed out on receiving some divine vision on what to study, but sometimes that initial uncertainty is what will help you maximize your time in college. You will never have this many chances to try and fail. There is no shame in chasing something that catches your eye, even if it’ll cost you some schedule space. The problem comes when you submit to the fear of escaping the box. It’s unnatural to push back against your desires; you’ll only end up with a counterfeit, coaxed passion for the label you’ve put on yourself.
Each time I sat in an advisor’s office, I uncovered a new truth about myself, and I was able to narrow down the terrifyingly wide list of possibilities. It was like fnding another piece of life’s great puzzle. As someone who had no knowledge of their capabilities or passions coming out of high school, weaving through majors helped me to be refned.
A lot of students view college as a ticking time bomb; every second that you don’t feel secure in your major is another second closer to it exploding, confdence is the only way to defuse it. And when everyone else seems to have had it fgured out from day one, it feels like you’re the only one carrying the weight of confusion. In reality, the bomb can be defused at any moment. It’s your own tension that’s making it tick.
College will bend and stretch you into uncomfortable shapes, but that allows you to see yourself from new angles. You won’t be the same person leaving as you were when you entered. Lean into the curves. You’ll always have a destination, but the wisdom of direction comes with each step you take. And, hey, you’ll need the elective credits either way.
Illustration by Madison Echlin.
MENTAL HEALTH, WELL-BEING RESOURCES EVERY STUDENT SHOULD KNOW
ASMSU
By Ever Pratt-Hart epratthart@statenews.com
Starting college brings plenty of excitement, but it can also come with stress and unexpected challenges. As you adjust to life at Michigan State University, knowing where to fnd mental health and wellness resources can help you succeed and support fellow Spartans when they need it, too. To streamline accessibility of all campus health services, MSU practices a “no wrong door to support” approach. Regardless of which campus health offce students make contact with frst, they will be connected with the right support. To contact the offce of University Health and Well-Being, call (517)-355-1855. To contact 24/7 crisis counseling, call (517)-355-8270. Alexis Travis, senior associate vice president of University Health and Well-Being (UHW) at MSU, emphasized that students should never feel like they can’t reach out to campus health services, and that MSU doesn’t expect students to know exactly what they’re experiencing or what unit can best help them.
“Student wellbeing is foundational for academic success. They’re so closely intertwined,” Travis said. “If you’re not feeling your best, you can’t do your best. And so, when students are physically, emotionally, mentally well, they’re better able to focus on class, their performance, on exams, and engaging with other people.” For students worried about the cost of care,
Photo illustration by Cooper Schwartz.
MSU offers many free and low-cost services. MSU Health Care provides fnancial assistance to an extent for medically necessary services to those in need, regardless of their ability to pay. Some programs, such as Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) and the Center for Survivors, are all free of charge.
“There’s a community of people who care and who are here for them (students), and we have services and supports that are designed specifcally for them. Even if we don’t have something available to meet a student’s needs, we want to hear about it because we want to then be able to fll those gaps,” Travis said. “You don’t have to wait until there’s a crisis. Reach out; you don’t have to have everything fgured out before asking for help.”
One of the best ways students can look out for each other is by educating themselves about mental health and removing stigma around seeking help.
A new, free and virtual suicide prevention training is offered through MSU’s Ability Training Compliance platform, which is designed to help participants recognize warning signs, offer hope and connect someone to support, and is recommended for all members of the MSU community by UHW.
“It’s important to be aware of the resources on campus, not just for yourself, but because you might be able to help somebody else as well,”
Travis said. “And if you’re not sure about how to help, it’s okay to reach out to CAPS Counseling and Psychological Services or CAPS Connect, where we have different sites for engagement across campus for guidance on how you can support your friend who might be experiencing challenges. The most important thing is not to ignore those concerns.”
Here is a list of need-to-know campus mental health and well-being resources for students:
CAPS
CAPS provides individual and group counseling for students, offered in person or virtually, with 24/7 care. The CAPS Connect program also offers brief consultations at locations across campus for those who just want to learn about resources or receive onetime support. Some MSU neighborhoods and several colleges within the university offer on-site counselors who can support students in a location central to them.
CAMPUS HEALTH SERVICES
Campus Health Services provides medication management for which your first three visits are free each academic year. It also provides psychiatry services for which your frst three visits are free during your time at MSU. Immunizations, STI testing, radiology, gynecology and more are also offered.
CENTER FOR SURVIVORS
Center for Survivors provides counseling, workshops and advocacy to those impacted by sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, sexual harassment and more. MSU Safe Place also provides shelter to survivors, and the Sexual Assault Healthcare Program offers 24/7 survivorcentered, trauma-informed care.
MSU FOOD BANK AND BASIC NEEDS PROGRAM
The MSU Food Bank and Basic Needs program helps students to meet their necessities with food and household items, no questions asked, at both the MSU Union and Olin Health Center. According to their website, the food bank almost always has fresh produce, bread and dairy available to pick up. Once students make an appointment, things like vegetables, fruits, soups, pasta, rice, various proteins, cereal, personal hygiene items and other household items are also available.
COLLEGIATE RECOVERY COMMUNITY
Collegiate Recovery Community offers connection and support for students in or seeking recovery from substance use disorder, as well as allies. This department provides weekly peer support meetings, individualized recovery and goal planning, recovery housing and various awareness trainings.
RESOURCES CENTER FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
The Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) offers services and accommodations for students with disabilities. This service provides assistance like class accommodations and assistive technology for a variety of disabilities, from chronic health conditions to panic disorder. If there are any physical or mental health problems interfering with your ability to engage in certain tasks, RCPD may be able to offer some help.
SPARTAN RESILIENCE EDUCATION PROGRAM
The Spartan Resilience Education program empowers Spartans to build resilience and navigate challenges before there’s a crisis by applying counseling-based skill-building in webinars and accessible formats. Topics include setting healthy boundaries, dealing with shame, navigating diffcult times, building resilience and mindfulness practices.
SPARTAN ORIENTATION STATION PODCAST
The Spartan Orientation Station podcast, hosted by Travis, discusses caring for your physical and mental health during college, highlighting key resources and important topics at MSU. You can listen on MSU’s Impact 89FM radio station, 88.9 FM, or on their website.
How to balance first-year fun and academic responsibilities
By Cooper Schwartz Cschwartz@statenews.com
There’s a version of my freshman year self that parties all night on Grand River Avenue. There’s another that rolls out of bed at noon, the sun beaming through my dorm window, teaching myself the 8 a.m. lecture I missed.
The freedom of being on your own for likely the frst time is a gift and a curse. There are no more parents to bother about staying out late, but they also can’t guide you anymore. Saying that frst goodbye after moving
in is when the frst bits of freedom take control.
It takes a few weeks for something to become a routine, especially at the beginning of the school year. Week one fies by with fun going out most nights, staying up late, exploring the new campus environment with friends you’ve just made, fnding that freshman clique and forgetting to call your parents every few days. Classes are still just a syllabus and a date on a calendar.
When week three rolls around, professors have set the rules for their classes, and lessons start that you’ll
need to remember for fnal exams in 12 weeks. For me, things looked up at this point when the student job I applied for hired me, so I could start making money on campus.
Trying to keep up with school, my job, going out, attending sporting events and whatever thing came up on some random night, like walking around campus or talking to people on Grand River at 2 a.m., started to become routine, and not a good one.
As you all may know, burnout becomes evident the longer something goes on. All of my classes were getting repetitive, my job started dragging and I was showing up to class without absorbing a word of it – re-reading the same page of notes without any of it sticking. I would choose one thing to focus on and completely forget about the other.
When I was out with my friends, I wasn’t thinking about my job, my classes, or anything waiting for me the next morning. I was just present in the moment, and everything else was on pause.
Then there was socializing. Drinking alcohol is part of many students’
experiences. I wasn’t going crazy every single night, but the occasional hang out with friends would sometimes lead to, “Want to go to the bar?”
Eventually, it turned into going out on Tuesdays, waiting in lines during half-off Thursdays and then frat and house parties on the weekends.
Not only did this take a toll on my bank account, but it also took a toll on my grades. When I was out on Tuesdays, I would skip my 8 a.m. Wednesday class. My 9:10 a.m. Friday recitations were essentially nonexistent in my calendar.
The next four years couldn’t go on like this. Some of you may feel the same, wishing balance would be added to the calendar sooner.
I was always a good student who kept up with my work. I realized no one was going to fx this for me; I needed to hold myself accountable.
I made the promise to myself and set a plan because I knew the answer wasn’t choosing one over the other. Instead, I had to fnd my balance.
MSU provides many tips to students, knowing that many students will inevitably drink. Following these
tips was crucial — things like never leaving a party alone or being sure to walk in well-lit areas at night. All of it adds to creating the safest environment possible in this new home away from home.
For my academic promise, I would look at my Wednesday class and see if the topic we were learning was something I thought I could learn on my own. If it was, then I marked it down; I could go out that Tuesday night if I wanted, but I would have to spend time making up for the lecture I missed, something I hadn’t done before.
Thursdays would soon follow. I would consider whether I understood the material I learned and, if I felt confdent enough, I would feel OK skipping the recitation on Friday if I wanted to go out Thursday night. Now, I don’t have any regrets when planning my week.
There’s still a version of me on Grand River Avenue on a Tuesday night. But some weeks, there’s another version who’s already asleep by midnight. Now I get to choose which one shows up.
