Almost a week after the tragedy at MSU on Monday, fans came together to share their feelings in midst of a rivalry matchup in Ann Arbor Saturday night.
Each person grieves and handles grief differently. And that’s ok. Whether it’s finding solace in friends or peace in isolation, there isn’t a right or wrong way for people to cope. For Michigan State’s basketball team and its head coach, basketball has been an essential part of the healing process.
It was a somber Saturday evening in Chicago, Ill., nearly one week after the mass shooting on Michigan State University's campus on Monday, Feb. 13. MSU alumni north of Michigan gathered for a candlelight vigil in memory of Brian Fraser, Alexandria Verner, Arielle Anderson, the five students injured and those who survived.
Michigan State University will be covering hospital bills for the five students injured in Sparrow Hospital, Deputy Spokesperson Dan Olsen confirmed.
MSU sits at 34 points in the conference, where it will stay with no remaining series in the regular season. The Spartans no longer control their own destiny to host a Big Ten tournament game, but can still finish fourth place or higher depending on the results of next week's games.
On Saturday, less than five miles away from Michigan State University's campus where a mass shooting took place five days earlier, delegates from counties throughout Michigan gathered to decide who would lead the state Republican Party as chair and co-chair.
The matchup, which ended in 84-72 in favor of the host Wolverines, was a backdrop to a night of healing and a distraction for the entire state of Michigan, still reeling from Monday night’s shooting on MSU’s campus that left three dead and five injured.
The pregame energy was different Saturday afternoon—understandably so—the Spartan community is going through something that no one should ever have to go through, but when the ball was tipped, Michigan State was ready to play.
“Pass fail is great, but … there was a petition to have Zoom, and over 10,000 people signed it,” Cabrera said. “It just doesn’t feel like we’re being heard. You can’t pay me to go back to campus right now.”
International student John Hao is one of the students who was critically injured during the Feb. 13 mass shooting. A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up, which says that Hao has been paralyzed from the waist down.
For most people the shelter-in-place lockdown ended around 12:30 a.m. on Feb. 13, but the feelings are still with them.
Three different Spartans recorded three points in Michigan State hockey's return to the ice following Monday night's shooting.
“We can make meaningful action and it takes public pressure to get people to do things they don't want to do,” Rep. Julie Brixie said in her speech. “But you are worth it. You and every other child is worth it and we should not allow our children to endure acts of violence in sacred places of learning. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.”
Deputy spokesperson Dan Olsen said the signs are meant for students who are not comfortable sharing their experiences and stories from Monday’s mass shooting with members of the media.
"There's no words that are going to just make everything good again, it's going to take time." Interim Head Women's Basketball Coach Dean Lockwood and the rest of the team are scheduled to return to the court Saturday at 3 p.m. against Maryland.
Despite the rivalry, Michigan women's basketball took time this week to honor the Michigan State community by wearing green and white Spartan shirts while warming up against Indiana Thursday.
“I’ll try to arrange (the flowers) in a way that's beautiful,” collections assistant Matt Chansler said. “Because once they're dry, they hold their shape like that forever … so that people will forever know what happened.”
An MSU parent's association is planning to hold a support booth for students on Monday featuring snacks, drinks and merchandise donated from across the state. "We're rooting for them as they bravely come back on campus," MSU parent Heather Sertic said.
As Spartans have had time to reflect after Monday's shooting on campus, many are organizing their own protests and vigils to express grief, anger or demands for change.
