It’s been a rough year for the nation and some of its effects have trickled through to campus. The economy has tanked, jobs are scarce, education funding continues to be threatened and mourning the deceased was all too common across campus this school year. But Spartans have shown their prowess on the athletic fields and courts and learned FRIB is coming to our crib, among other positive events. The State News looks back at the nine biggest stories of the 2008-09 academic year at MSU, leading off with a new president in the White House:
The Obama administration
“I’ve gotten really frustrated with politics in this country. This election has refreshed a sense of hope.”
— premedical junior Sarah Losinski on President Barack Obama’s Inauguration Day
The country changed hands in January when Obama took office as the 44th U.S. president, filling the Oval Office seat vacated by former President George W. Bush. An estimated crowd of more than 1 million people covered the National Mall as Obama, who also visited campus this fall, set out on term in office, preaching optimism in the face of a national recession.
In memoriam
“Don was a great inspiration to everyone who met him, even if they only had a few encounters. … We were touched by his passion for others.”
— Amber Arashiro, Office of International Students and Scholars adviser, on Don Ausman, one of eight MSU students who died this academic year
Tragedy hit MSU’s campus too often after the deaths of Ausman, Joe Barton, Kevin Boskey, Katherine Brown, Shane Collins, Josh Parks, Katrina Tagget and Jeremy Watson. The campus community banded together all year for vigils, remembrances and memorial funds for the deceased.
The boys of April
“I feel like it’s a blessing that I made it here. Nobody ever gave us a chance. Only two teams in America were left in the tournament, so (in the) rankings we’re going to be the second-best team in the nation, and nobody picked us to be that.”
— MSU senior guard and captain Travis Walton on the Spartans’ run through the NCAA Tournament
“The upstart Spartans upset two No. 1 seeds en route to the championship game, using a blend of youthful exuberance and senior leadership. The Spartans fulfilled a dream of head coach Tom Izzo to play the Final Four in Detroit, won an outright Big Ten championship and set themselves up for another deep tournament run in 2010.
FRIB at MSU
“This may be the biggest accomplishment in the history of Michigan State. Getting FRIB tells the entire world what an excellent university Michigan State is.”
— MSU Trustee Faylene Owen on the university’s selection for the federally-funded Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, or FRIB, in December
The $550 million project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy will make MSU a globally known nuclear physics institution and generate an estimated $1 billion in economic growth for the state. Construction of FRIB is scheduled to start in 2013.
McCain makes run
“He was looking extremely down in the primaries and came back to win the Republican nomination. You have to give him props for going forward and never giving up on this election.”
— MSU College Republicans press secretary Louie Glinzak on John McCain’s unsuccessful presidential run
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The self-proclaimed maverick senator from Arizona took on the giant task of keeping a Republican in office, falling short against Obama on Election Night. McCain put up a fight, but fell in the polls.
Football beats Michigan
It’s big for this program. … When we first came here as a staff, we pointed to this football game as a rivalry game. I have always believed that.”
— MSU head football coach Mark Dantonio on beating Michigan, 35-21, in October for the first time since 2001
The Spartans’ win in Ann Arbor was the cornerstone of the team’s best record this decade, a season that culminated with the first New Year’s Day bowl appearance in nine years. Senior running back Javon Ringer rumbled for 194 and two touchdowns on 37 carries, while senior quarterback Brian Hoyer threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns.
Economy and unemployment
“People who have already graduated are losing their jobs, so I’m not really sure how it’s going to be once I graduate and whether I’m going to be able to find a job.”
— interdisciplinary studies in social science junior Dany Masado on her employment outlook
The state and nation have fallen into the deepest recession in decades, causing widespread fear over financial security and the job market. Recent attempts to boost the economy, such as Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package, have pumped money into the market, but it likely will take months and years to dig out of this hole.
MSU Dubai opens
“If you look at what Dubai’s strategic plan is, and their aspirations, they want to be the next financial capital of the world. We thought it was a good opportunity to be there while they tried to do it.”
— MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon on the August opening of MSU Dubai, the university’s new campus in the Middle East
The campus has about 50 students from 23 countries who are receiving an MSU education half a world away from East Lansing. University officials plan to have 650 to 850 students at the campus in three years, but the economic downturn and credit crunch have slowed growth projections.
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