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What to get your...
Buying gifts for different people can be stressful and picking something they would like is an even more difficult task.
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Sometimes, the best gifts are the ones you make yourself
If you want to give a great holiday present while sticking to your budget, here is an easy do-it-yourself gift idea with some seasonal cheer.
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MSU volunteers give back to Detroit families
Despite the unexpected rain, 47 MSU volunteers traveled from East Lansing to Detroit for one purpose –– to give back to families.
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May the force be with you: MSU Jedi Council dedicated to 'Star Wars'
By Ian Martin imartin@statenews.com Joining the MSU Jedi Council may be voluntary but the force is strong with this student organization.
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Student group Advantage gives thanks for educational opportunities
Growing up on the west side of Detroit, college wasn’t a subject often discussed with material science engineering senior Clarence Jilek.OH It is a topic of conversation at Advantage, which is a minority retention program for MSU students that meets every Tuesday.OH It aims to ensure that students achieve their educational goals while attending MSU. The theme of the most recent event was for students to discuss “why” and “what I am thankful for.” Approaching Thanksgiving, discussions of why you attend MSU and what you are thankful for was appropriate, members said. “Everybody’s (mother) had this plan about their kids going to college and none of my boys ever did,” Jilek said. OH“My ‘why’ is graduating and being successful for those mothers because I am, in a sense, their son.”OH Jilek said he wants to set a platform for everybody else from his hometown, including himself, but mainly for the future and “letting them know if I can make it then you definitely can, too.”OH The staff put on skits for the audience portraying potential circumstances where students may feel lost and feel as though they aren’t thankful for anything, but eventually overcome. Secondary education senior Kaylen English, president of Advantage, said it was important for freshmen and upperclassmen to share with one another.
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MSU Opera performances go beyond just singing
Each time he steps on stage, vocal performance senior Jon OakleyOH acknowledges that it is an opportunity for more than just showcasing his talent. While most of his family and friends are unfamiliar with opera productions, Oakley finds purpose in using his skills to create a new experience for the audience. “It’s always great to give people exposure to a different art form that they have never really seen,” he said. OH“A lot of people have predispositions about opera and they think it’s just people standing and singing, but that’s not the case.
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Ten things you may not know about MSU men's basketball coach Tom Izzo
Everyone on campus knows of MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo, but how much do they know about the man who has led the Spartans to six Final Four appearances?
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Don't expect tweets from Tom Izzo anytime soon
Twitter has exploded from a small startup to a huge part of life for the 284 million users. But Tom Izzo is not one of them.
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Facetime with Raquel Izzo
Cheering on the sideline during many of MSU head basketball coach Tom Izzo’s 20 years at MSU have been his children, 14-year-old Steven and communication sophomore, Raquel.
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Four sports bars for college basketball fans
Aaron Walkowski Physiology Junior Buffalo Wild Wings “The first I went there I sat closer to the door and I thought it was cool because there was a bunch of TVs everywhere. The other times I went there I sat in the back kind of where the bar area was. That was totally different, it’s a lot bigger than you’d actually think and it was on a Sunday night so it was when football was playing. The atmosphere was really cool. Being there on game day would be pretty cool.” Peppino’s Tyler Jelonek Accounting Major Senior “What I liked about it is that their pizza was really good because it was actual quality pizza. Also the amount of TVs they had was pretty cool way to see all the sports. The personalized televisions in the individual booth was what made it a good experience. Peanut Barrel Brian Popis Construction Management Junior Jon Meek ConstructionManagement Junior “It’s kinda lowkey.” “I can actually hear the people I’m talking to next to next to me. The food is great and we usually get good deals.” Spartan Hall of Fame Cafe Joey Salah Landscape Design Construction & management Senior “I liked the atmosphere, it’s definitely a great sports bar. There was a lot of basketball athletes there a couple times I went. Great TVs, friendly staff and the food is pretty good. I ordered a burger when I went there.” Construction management juniors Jon Meek and Brian Poppis said they enjoy eating at Peanut Barrel because it’s lowkey. “I can actually hear the people I’m talking to next to next to me,” Poppis said. “The food is great and we usually get good deals.” “Whenever my dad comes up to visit, we always go to B-Dubs to watch Sunday football. My favorite flavor is Asian Zing and they have a great appetizer selection, I love the fried mushrooms.” –– Kelsie Hoffman, psychology freshman
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The Race Card Project allows students to submit six-word stories about today's human rights issues
Where Biochemistry senior Wei-Lun Chiu is from, Asia, race did not matter. Everyone was Asian, there was not much diversity. However, once he came to America he saw that everyone was different — there were more races here than in Asia.
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Michigan's frigid weather no excuse for men to look frumpy
For the most part, men’s fashion doesn’t get the same attention as women’s fashion — mostly because the average college male doesn’t seem to care what he’s wearing.
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Students from diverse backgrounds gain family, skills from multicultural greek life
When Davina James came to college, she hadn’t found a group in which she felt included. James, a human development senior, was born in Detroit and moved to Colorado during her adolescence. She returned to Michigan to attend MSU. Throughout all of her life, she said that she had never really found her niche.
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Students share their experiences in MSU opera productions
Each time he steps on stage, vocal performance senior Jon Oakley acknowledges that it is an opportunity for more than just showcasing his talent. While most of his family and friends are unfamiliar with opera productions, Oakley finds purpose in using his skills to create a new experience for the audience. "It’s always great to give people exposure to a different art form that they have never really seen," he said.
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Interfraternity Council elects new executive board, including President Geoff Sabourin
NGUYEN - I’ve always wanted to do something bigger than myself and the greek community has offered tons of opportunities SABOURIN - I’ve had to deal with working to better our image as a house, working with people, managing budgets and hopefully it can make this job an easy transition I’ve been limited to my house This position will help expand my relationships, meet new faces in greek community KEESEE - I saw this as my opportunity to make it my own position and expand on the position I want keep building towards something bigger, trying to build upon what’s been done Making contacts with Panhel helps to make it work better LINKS - delta sigma phi http://greeklife.msu.edu/interfraternity-council/d... interfraternity council - http://greeklife.msu.edu/interfraternity-council/i... greek week - http://greeklife.msu.edu/events/greek-week%20.html safe halloween - http://greeklife.msu.edu/events/safe-halloween.html panhellenic council - http://greeklife.msu.edu/panhellenic-council/index...
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Student organizations fight to prevent sexual assault
The It's On Us National Week of Action has served as a catalyst for a much needed conversation.
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Spartan women came together for Women's Leadership Conference on campus
For the twelfth consecutive year, Spartan women came together to promote female leadership and confidence. This Sunday in the Union’s ballroom, the Women’s Leadership Conference provided workshops and professional connections for women of all backgrounds.
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A day in the life of a dining hall worker
Everyone’s nervous their first day on a new job — but not everyone breaks 100 plates, like physics senior Arnold Kim . “I was slightly nervous and trying to get everyone home early and was setting up for close like always, but I accidentally ran some plates and broke over 100 plates within five seconds,” Kim said , recounting his first day working as a supervisor in the dining hall.
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Visiting professor to give lecture on ties between music and mathematics
By Ian Martin imartin@statenews.com When hearing the words “music” and “math,” you may not think there’s much of a correlation between the seemingly contrasting subjects, which can be described as “expressive” and “analytical.” Dr. Jason Brown, however, would beg to differ. Brown, who is a mathematics professor at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, will be giving a lecture at 4:10 p.m., Tuesday in C304 Wells Hall, entitled “A Hard Day’s Math: The Connections Between Mathematics and Music.” The lecture’s title, inspired by the legendary opening chord of The Beatles 1964 hit song “A Hard Day’s Night,” stems from a sudden realization Brown had while thinking about the song in 2004, during the song’s 40th anniversary. Brown said the opening chord to the song was something people had tried to play for years, but could never ‘quite get it right.’ “Everyone had their own idea of what the notes were and I thought back then ‘maybe there’s a scientific way to approach it,’” Brown said. Brown, who taught himself to play guitar at the age of 12 by learning the songs to Beatles records, said when thinking about the song, he remembered a chapter in a book he had read as an undergraduate, on the sounds of mathematics. He has since used something called a Fourier transform, which is a part of Calculus, to ‘unravel that mysterious open chord.’ Brown has written a number of papers on the connection between mathematics and music. “I think on one level you can use mathematics to understand the physics behind sound in music and to see the frequencies of the notes that are played in chords.
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Percussion ensemble creates music with handmade or unique instruments
While experimenting with new sounds and rhythms is a constant process for any musician, percussion performance student Kelsey Tamayo said percussionists are recognized for approaching their music with limitless creativity and originality. "A lot of composers like writing new music for percussionists mostly because we are game to do anything," she said. As a teaching assistant and a third year member in the MSU Percussion Ensemble, Tamayo said the group is able perform pieces with diverse elements and sounds as a result of combining the skills that each member has acquired through previous ensemble experiences. While the percussion ensemble is not a fixed group on campus, all of the students that study within the percussion program at MSU gather to collaborate on assigned pieces of music for various performances and events throughout the year. Based on the instructions from the composers and the sounds that each group is trying to achieve, Tamayo said the percussionists often have the freedom to create their own unique sound by utilizing the mallets and equipment of their choice.