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Michigan State’s Independent Voice
HOMECOMING EDITION 2026 Homecoming Court bring their own stories to MSU Members of MSU’s Homecoming Court, Ahjanae Walton and Benjamin Nketsiah, share what being selected means to them, how they represent their communities. PAGE 6
MSU ends Midnight Madness tradition The event will be replaced with an autograph signing on Oct. 10. The change comes as the NCAA allows teams to play three exhibition contests for the first time. PAGE 4
Editorial: Power outage proves remote learning is possible In the aftermath of a campus wide power outage, MSU proved that transitioning to remote learning during stressful circumstances is possible. Prove it to us again. Photo illustration by Julia Bugar.
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SCARY ACCURATE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6TH, 2026 Vol. 117 | No. 5
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SPORTS
MSU ENDS MICHIGAN STATE MADNESS TRADITION
Michigan State guard Carlos Medlock Jr. (7) goes up for a basket during the Michigan State vs. Incarnate Word men’s basketball exhibition game at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich., on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. Photo by Ari Saperstein.
MSU Head Basketball Coach, Tom Izzo, climbs out of a paper drum as Detroit Lions Mascot’ Roary introduces him during the Midnight Madness event as a part of the Izzone campout festivities at the Breslin Student Event Center on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. Photo by Ari Saperstein.
By Nandini Jaithalia njaithalia@statenews.com Michigan State men’s basketball is changing one of its annual preseason traditions. Instead of a stand-alone Michigan State Madness event, Michigan State men’s and women’s basketball teams will hold an autograph session Oct. 10 at Munn field ahead of the football team’s game against Illinois. The autograph session will run from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m., with lines opening at 12:30 p.m. Fans will receive team posters of both programs, which will be the only items permitted for signing. The Spartans opened their exhibition schedule against the University of the Incarnate Word on Friday, Oct. 2, at Breslin Center, before the Izzone Campout continued on Munn field. The change comes as the NCAA allows three exhibition contests for 4
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Michigan State freshman forward Mason West (9) prepares for a play during the Spartans’ game against Boston College at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Mich., on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. Photo by Ever-Pratt Hart.
the first time. In 2024 and 2025, MSU paired Michigan State Madness with the Izzone Campout. This season, the program is combining the Campout with its first exhibition game. “This is the first year the NCAA has allowed three exhibition contests,” MSU Athletics spokesperson Matt Larson said. “Whereas for the last couple seasons we’ve combined Michigan State Madness and the Izzone Campout, this year we are combining the campout with the first of our three exhibitions.” Men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo said the decision to move away from Michigan State Madness was “a little hard,” but that the MSU community will be central to future decisions. “I want the community to be involved with our players,” Izzo said. “I want the little kids to get a chance to spend time with our guys, and we’re getting everything so corporate now that we’re missing the boat on the TU ESDAY, O CTO BER 6 , 2026
All of the student tents at the Izzone Campout on Munn Field in East Lansing, Mich., on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. Photo by Alexis Davenport.
Michigan State student and Izzone member Luka Sajkovic grills hot dogs at the Izzone Campout on Munn Field in East Lansing, Mich., on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. Photo by Alexis Davenport.
people who really matter and will be the future.” The Izzone Campout has been a preseason tradition for MSU men’s basketball student season ticket holders since 1995. MSU combined it with Michigan State Madness in
2024. This year, the exhibition game will take the place of the traditional Madness event, with the Campout following at Munn field. The change does not mean the basketball programs are abandoning a community event. Larson said the
event will provide a shared community meet for both basketball programs. “It is still important for the men’s and women’s programs to have a community touchpoint event,” Larson said. “The autographs on Oct. 10 serve as that touchpoint for both programs.”
NEWS
MSU BEETLE RESEARCH IN THE PHILIPPINES AIDS MICHIGAN APPLE ORCHARDS By Katherine Baligian kbaligian@statenews.com Ambrosia beetles are being studied in two different countries, in two different contexts and by two different teams of Michigan State University researchers. In the tropical forests of the Philippines, Dr. Anthony Cognato and a team of MSU entomologists investigate the variety of bark and ambrosia beetles. In Michigan, the MSU Tree Fruit Entomology Lab’s conducts research about the invasive ambrosia beetles species in Michigan apple orchards. The combined efforts help the lab identify stressed trees by monitoring beetle habits, said Heather Leach, a research technician at the tree fruit entomology lab.
Cognato, who has researched this beetle subfamily for 30 years, strives to document the biodiversity of arthropods around the world. There are around 4000 species of these beetles and two thirds live in tropical areas like the forests of the Philippines, Cognato said, and ambrosia and bark beetles have little to no information recorded. Cognato first takes beetle DNA samples to create a family tree to help build a foundation for future applied research. His work also aims to understand the role ambrosia and bark beetles play outside of their natural habitat. “Some of them are important economic pests,” Cognato said. In the Midwest, ambrosia beetles have a tendency to burrow into apple trees. They do not harm them
Beal Botanical Garden in East Lansing, Michigan on Oct. 1, 2025. State News file photo.
— although they do leave a physical mark much to farmers’ dismay. At least 30 ambrosia beetle species have been introduced into United States in the past 50 years. “They bore into wood and create fungal galleries, so they themselves don’t eat the wood, but they deposit a fungus that basically grows onto the
wood and then they eat that fungus,” Leach said. “So they sort of farm whatever tree is their host.” The insects burrow into the apple trees when the tree shows signs of stress, such as being flooded, dehydrated, overheated or facing other adverse situations. While the holes from the burrows aren’t aesthetically
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pleasing, they do show when an orchard isn’t thriving. The presence of this foreign species can indicate which trees are stressed and make it easier to identify the cause, Leach said. Beetles are being used as a tool to help improve the health of Michigan apple orchards.
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NEWS Dan Aja waves while marching with the College of Veterinary Medicine in the Michigan State University Homecoming Parade on Oct. 10, 2025, in East Lansing, Michigan. State News file photo.
HOMECOMING COURT MEMBERS BRING THEIR OWN STORIES TO MSU By Jazlyn Steins jsteins@statenews.com For some Michigan State students, being selected for Homecoming Court is a chance to celebrate the university they have spent years calling home. For others, it is an opportunity to represent where they came from while showing what being a Spartan means to them. Civil engineering senior AhJanae Walton almost did not apply. Walton submitted her application about 30 minutes before the deadline after spending time questioning whether she was involved enough on campus or whether her GPA was good enough to make the court. “And then my friends were like, ‘just submit it,’” Walton said. Months later, Walton was working in the Engineering Building when she received the email telling her she had been selected. She dropped her phone. For Walton, being selected gave her a sense of belonging and made her look differently at her time at MSU. “I would say, for me personally, I think it’s just representation,” Walton said. “Being firstgen, being a person of color, I think it is really important to like show students or just younger generations you can do it.” Walton has spent her time at MSU building experience through leadership, academics and 5
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campus organizations. She is president of the National Society of Black Engineers, treasurer for the American Society of Civil Engineers and has worked as a student success coach and researcher. Still, Walton said she spent much of college focused on classes and internships rather than appreciating the details of her college experience. The Homecoming Court changed that. “Being on Homecoming Court, it made me like to romanticize MSU a lot,” Walton said. As a senior preparing to graduate, Walton said the experience has made her realize how much she will miss the university. She said she also gained a stronger understanding of what it means to be a Spartan. During an internship in Houston this summer, Walton wore an MSU sweatshirt at an airport and heard strangers call out “Go Green.” On another occasion, she saw someone with an MSU towel while looking at apartments in Houston with a friend, which immediately started a conversation. Those moments demonstrated how the Spartan community extends beyond East Lansing. “No matter where you are, there’s somebody that’s a Spartan,” Walton said. While Walton’s experience centers on representation and discovering a deeper connection to MSU, Biochemistry senior Benjamin Nketsiah brings another perspective to the court. Nketsiah, who is from Accra, Ghana, has spent
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his time at MSU balancing academics, research, service and leadership. His involvement includes breast cancer research, working as a resident assistant and teaching assistant, volunteering with McLaren, and serving with Tower Guard. Through Tower Guard, Nketsiah spent a year supporting students with disabilities and completed more than 120 hours of service. The organization provides tutoring, helps create accessible syllabi and assists students with exams. When applying for Homecoming Court, Nketsiah had to submit information about his campus involvement and complete a five-minute video explaining who he was and why he wanted to be on the court. His final video came in at four minutes and 59 seconds after several takes. When he received his acceptance, Nketsiah was in his room. He was excited and immediately told one of his friends. Being selected also gave Nketsiah an opportunity to stand for more than just himself. “For me, it means that because I’m both an MSU student and a Ghanaian, it means I can represent Ghana in this capacity for MSU,” Nketsiah said. For Nketsiah, representing MSU means representing the university’s values while also showing students that they can bring their own backgrounds and experiences with them. Nketsiah said he hopes students who interact with him experience the hospitality he associates with Ghana.
“I hope that like when people come near me, they experience that hospitable presence around me because that’s the flag of Ghana I want to wave for the court,” Nketsiah said. “I also want to be the voice of science on the court because scientific communication is a big part of who I am.” The two students entered the court with different experiences, but both said the selection has changed how they view MSU. Walton said one of the things she is most looking forward to during Homecoming Week is connecting with alumni. As someone preparing for life after graduation, she hopes to learn from their experiences and get advice about what comes next. Similarly, Nketsiah is looking forward to the Homecoming parade and the opportunity to participate in events with alumni, donors and university leaders. Both students also said they would give their past selves the same advice if they could go back to before applying: submit the application. Now, neither has to wonder what would have happened if they had decided not to apply. For both, the court has become about more than wearing a sash or standing on a stage. It is about paying homage to the communities and experiences that brought them there. “Seeing the beauty in everything that I’ve been doing lately, and it’s like, dang, I’m really about to graduate,” Walton said. “I’m really about to miss MSU.”
NEWS
EDITORIAL: Power outage proves remote learning is possible
Campuswide power outage aerial shot of Hubbard Hall in East Lansing, Mich., on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. Photo by Fatih Gorkem Imamoglu.
By The State News Editorial Board feedback@statenews.com When a campuswide power outage left Michigan State University’s campus in the dark for nearly seven hours on Sept. 19, the university reacted swiftly, sending emails and coordinating with RA’s to get students in and out of dorms in the midst of one of the biggest power outages in MSU’s history. Most classes transitioned to remote learning on Monday, with some departments returning to in-person by Tuesday and others remaining online through the rest of the week. University administration’s communication has been substantial, with a designated webpage used to post live updates. In emails and a press conference, MSU answered questions like why some buildings received priority over others and why the decision to return to in-person classes varied across colleges. They even provided a multistage restoration plan, giving students and faculty a sense of when operations would return to normal. This excellent performance goes beyond rhetoric: electricity was restored campus-wide shortly after, and while steam and hot water took longer – being restored as of September 29 – the university was capable yet again of supplying resources like mobile shower units,
shuttle buses and access to public showers. After all facilities returned to full operation, they compensated students living on campus with Spartan Cash. The administration’s handling of this issue has been so robust that it raises the question of where this prowess in damage control has been during past times of trouble. When severe weather hit last January, other Michigan universities moved to online classes, while MSU refused to do the same and was obtuse about its rationale. Even in the most stressful circumstances, a universitywide transition to remote learning is possible. You showed us you can do it, MSU. So when the weather is the thing that gets freezing, show us again. This editorial represents the views of The State News editorial board. It is made up of the Opinion Coordinator, an opinion staff writer, the Editor-in-Chief, the News editor, the Multimedia editor, the Sports editor and the Arts and Culture editor. T he State News welcomes g uest commentary from students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. If there’s an issue you care about or a perspective you think others should hear, we encourage you to submit a piece for consideration. Please visit the portal to learn more.
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