Thursday, April 2, 2026

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NEWS

Working Miracles

John Kirsh loves bass. It’s the kind of music he can hear, he can feel. Kirsh, who lost his hearing because of a fever while he was an infant, only can hear the sounds of thunder or a jet passing overhead. With his hearing aid, however, he can hear the voices of his students, his friends, his family.

FOOTBALL

Calhoun, Waynes win starting positions

Mark Dantonio did not need the entire spring football period, which concludes at 2:30 p.m. Saturday with the Green and Whitespring game at Spartan Stadium, to find his replacements for former All-Big Ten standouts Johnny Adams and William Gholston.

MSU

Face time with Richard Ford

The life of best-selling author Richard Ford reads more like a love story than a list of lifetime achievements. Ford tells people he’s only done two things in his life — written books and been married to his wife, Kristina — both “extravagantly wonderful,” he said. When the MSU alumnus returns to MSU in May to speak at the 3:30 p.m.

MSU

MSU, U-M rival in gaming competition

It didn’t take long for graduate student Jon Derhammer to answer what he would do for a Klondike bar. “I would play Mad Bounce for 24 hours this weekend,” Derhammer jokingly said. Derhammer is referring to one of the two app games he and three others created to go with the week-long Klondike Challenge, which pits MSU and University of Michigan students and alumni against each other, with an ice cream social on the line. “Klondike Challenge is a local app tournament,” Derhammer said.

COMMENTARY

Why student elections don't attract voters

I’m one of the few folks who has voted in every student election while here at MSU. It’s been an interesting four years of noticing how things have changed at ASMSU. When I came here, there were two assemblies and almost no one ran opposed for student elections. In 2011, the first election with one assembly, turnout was less than 3 percent. Clearly something needed to be done.

COMMENTARY

Helmet safety law should be common sense

Laws shouldn’t have to be created to enforce common sense. But they also shouldn’t encourage reckless behavior. On April 10, members of Michigan’s insurance and medical industries met at the Capitol, urging lawmakers and Gov. Rick Snyder to reinstate the state’s mandatory motorcycle helmet law.