MSU had its share of off-the-field issues to deal with, ranging from sophomore tight end Dion Sims pleading guilty to charges of receiving and concealing stolen property in September to senior cornerback Chris L. Rucker serving eight days in jail for violating probation and head coach Mark Dantonio’s heart attack following the win over Notre Dame.

The season wasn’t without its share of positive excitement, though. The play that will forever live in MSU lore, “Little Giants,” a fake field goal touchdown pass from senior punter and holder Aaron Bates to senior tight end Charlie Gantt, gave the Spartans the overtime victory against Notre Dame. Another signature moment came on the road at Northwestern, where a fake punt play known as “Mouse Trap” sparked the Spartan comeback win after being down 10 points in the fourth quarter.

The Spartans finished 11-2 and captured their first Big Ten championship since 1990. The season ended on a sour note, however, when MSU was demolished in the Capital One Bowl, 49-7, by the Alabama Crimson Tide and former MSU head coach Nick Saban.

“I’m proud of the team. We’re obviously disappointed in today, but we’re not disappointed in the product we put on the field and fall and the entire season’s work.” — Kirk Cousins, then-junior quarterback

Disappointment, departures headline Spartan men’s basketball season
What many believed was a season primed for success ended up as one of the most disappointing seasons under head coach Tom Izzo.
Before the season even began, there was controversy surrounding the program — from Izzo’s interest in the Cleveland Cavaliers job in the summer to two members of the team allegedly being involved in a sexual assault incident.

After all of the dust settled, the Spartans began the season with aspirations of getting back to the Final Four as the No. 2 ranked team in the country.

It took all of two games for the team to earn their first loss to the eventual national champion Connecticut Huskies in the EA Sports Maui Invitational tournament. From there, the disappointments continued, highlighted by falling out of the top 25 completely and being swept in the season series by Michigan for the first time since 1997.

The Spartans earned a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament but were bounced in the second round by UCLA to end an embarrassing season.
On Jan. 25 junior guard Korie Lucious was dismissed by Izzo and later announced plans to transfer to Iowa State. Sophomore center Garrick Sherman also announced he was leaving the program after the season’s close.

“They’ve been knocked down so many times this year. I don’t think I’ve ever had a team go through this much.” — Tom Izzo, men’s basketball head coach

SnOMG
On Feb. 2, heavy snowfall and harsh winter conditions causing accumulation of approximately 11 inches of snow resulted in MSU’s first university-wide suspension of classes since 1994.

The massive storm, dubbed “Snowpocalypse” or “Snowmaggeden” by some students, spawned excitement and creativity throughout campus.

After being notified of the cancellations the previous afternoon by campus officials, students had plenty of time to enjoy various winter activities such as sledding, building snow forts and even an organized snowball fight at Munn field.

“It was kind of like, ‘How are we going to get to class tomorrow?’ We’re just having fun and enjoying the snow day.” — Brent Castine, history sophomore

Campus landscape continues to change
Multiple construction projects continued to change the face of campus throughout the academic year. Renovations continued on the newly opened Brody Square dining hall, as well as on the Plant Biology Laboratories, Wells Hall and the multimillion-dollar Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum.

The long-awaited fate of the historic MSC smokestack at the Shaw Lane Power Plant finally was decided. The university announced the campus landmark will be dismantled this summer, likely beginning in June. The white bricks used to spell out MSC will be salvaged from the project. The approximate cost of keeping the smokestack intact would have been $1.4 million with roughly $10,000 in annual maintenance costs — while dismantling it and saving the bricks will cost approximately $850,000.

“I know it’s a landmark, but you have to look at safety issues and the structural integrity.” — Dan Tepe, mechanical engineering senior

Secchia Center opens in Grand Rapids
MSU extended its footprint to Grand Rapids’ “medical mile” this past fall with the official opening of the Secchia Center.

University officials hope the seven-story, $90 million College of Human Medicine facility will help increase research opportunities throughout the state.

The center was made possible by a collaboration between multiple partners including Grand Rapids-based Spectrum Health, the Van Andel Institute, Saint Mary’s Health Care, Grand Valley State University, Grand Action and The Right Place Inc.

Upon being accepted to the College of Human Medicine, students now are given the option to study either at the Secchia Center or in East Lansing. The center will allow MSU officials to double the school’s enrollment to about 800 students by 2014, said John O’Donnell, director of preclinical curriculum at the College of Human Medicine.

“Today it’s about opening the Secchia Center, but it’s about how to use medical education, health care (and) life sciences in ways that bring hope and prosperity to the region and the state,” — Lou Anna K. Simon, MSU president on the opening of the Secchia Center

Burned Quran found at mosque
Members of the community were shaken after a burned Muslim holy book was found outside of the Islamic Center of East Lansing, 920 S. Harrison Road, in September.

The timing of the vandalism seemed suspicious to some, as it coincided with the celebration at the end of the Muslim holy month Ramadan. Florida Pastor Terry Jones also gained national exposure with his planned International Burn a Koran Day. Earlier in the month, a similar act of vandalism occurred at a Lower Manhattan mosque in New York.

The story garnered national attention, and some of the East Lansing community rallied together after the unfortunate event. Some even left bouquets of flowers at the door of the mosque.

“It’s a deplorable act and the city condemns it. This is not at all what the city of East Lansing is about.” — Vic Loomis, East Lansing mayor

‘One tough nerd’
On Nov. 2, 2010, Republican Rick Snyder beat out current Lansing Mayor and Democratic candidate Virg Bernero by what seemed like a landslide to become Michigan’s next governor.

During his post-victory speech, Snyder stressed the importance of higher education and the creation of jobs to keep young college graduates from looking to other states for employment opportunities.

Not long after he took over office, Snyder proposed to cut state university funding in 2012 by more than $240 million, potentially causing MSU to lose as much as $61 million in state support.

“I have a bold vision for Michigan’s future … It is time for the era of innovation.” — Rick Snyder, Michigan governor

ASMSU debacle
In early March, MSU students voted to merge ASMSU’s Student and Academic assemblies into one combined assembly. ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government. Soon after the votes were tallied, university officials said the special election to approve the merger was in violation of the organization’s own constitution because it had not taken place during the regularly scheduled spring elections in April.

As a result, ASMSU’s accounts were frozen on March 14, which potentially could have hindered the group from collecting student taxes for funding in the 2011-12 academic year. However, less than a month later, the accounts were unfrozen when the organization passed two pieces of legislation to postpone 501©(3) nonprofit status implementation and to reinstate a temporary Academic Assembly.

In response to another threat to freeze accounts, ASMSU representatives voted in favor of a bill to move all of the organization’s money from off-campus to on-campus accounts.

Rick Comley retires
After 38 seasons as a college hockey head coach, nine of which were spent with MSU, Rick Comley announced in January he would retire at the current season’s conclusion. In 2007, Comley led the Spartan hockey team to a national championship, and he is one of only five college hockey coaches to win more than 700 games. Although he coached 12 MSU players who went on to compete in the NHL, Comley said he thinks the program deserves better. Former CCHA Commissioner Tom Anastos was named as the program’s new head coach on March 23.

“I think it’s a good time for a change. It’s been a great ride for me the whole 38 years, and I’m really thrilled I had an opportunity at a great place like MSU.” — Rick Comley, former MSU head hockey coach

Controversy in the Middle East
Throughout the past few months, a string of Middle Eastern countries including Libya, Egypt and Tunisia have staged violent anti-government protests showing disapproval of their countries’ dictatorial rules.

In Libya, citizens have shown grave disapproval of their leader, Muammar Gaddafi.

In response to the protests in Libya, Gaddafi’s forces have killed hundreds of protesters, instilling fear among residents.

With 59 Libyan students currently enrolled at MSU, concern arose when a professional program’s funding was pulled by the Libyan National Economic Development Board.

A group of MSU students also was caught in the cross fire of the conflict in Egypt involving former President Hosni Mubarak.
Violent protests broke out among Egyptian citizens in an attempt to force Mubarak into a change of power.

Two students studying with the Arabic Overseas Flagship Program were evacuated from the country as things headed downhill.

Four others were already home due to a break in the semester. One other student was moved to a more secure area of Egypt before eventually leaving.

“I am 200 percent sure, if I enter Libya, I’m dead. Personally, I would rather sleep on the streets than go back now.”
— Mohamed Gibril, a Libyan student chosen by the country’s government to study abroad.