Thursday, January 1, 2026

Take a peek behind the curtain and test drive the NEW StateNews.com today!

Multimedia

ICE HOCKEY

Spartans cruise to 6-1 win in first nonconference play

Weekends generally aren’t very relaxing for the fourth-ranked Spartans, who usually face a challenging two-game weekend series.But MSU (6-2-1 overall, 5-2-1 CCHA) eased to a 6-1 win over UMass-Amherst on Friday at Munn Ice Arena and kept things light for the rest of the weekend.The Spartans held a moderate practice Saturday after defeating their first nonconference foe of the season and then observed their traditional off-day Sunday.“I like it,” senior left wing Joe Goodenow said.

COMMENTARY

Historic future

MSU trustees were faced with two broad proposals Friday for the future of campus’s 70-year-old West Circle dorms - renovate them or tear them down.Although a plan for the residence halls’ future is, at the earliest, months off, the buildings are becoming more costly to operate - and could cost even more to bring up to code.

SPORTS

Team out-rebounds, out-plays Latvian team

The MSU women’s basketball team overmatched RTU Klondaika from Latvia in Sunday’s 88-51 victory. Four Spartans scored in double digits and junior guard Vnemina Reese notched a double-double to seal MSU’s second exhibition game. MSU head coach Joanne P.

ICE HOCKEY

Halls hat trick paces Spartans

There are players who lead on the ice - scoring goals, directing players, giving pep talks on the bench - and there are players who lead away from the rink - going to class, getting good grades and being an upstanding member of the community.For his teammates and coaches, MSU senior right wing and team captain Adam Hall fills both roles.Hall was an on-ice leader in MSU’s 6-1 win over UMass-Amherst on Friday at Munn Ice Arena - notching his first career hat trick and recording his 100th career point.But Hall, an assistant captain last season, is also a CCHA All-Academic honoree and is no stranger to team volunteer activities - such as speaking at local schools through the D.A.R.E.

COMMENTARY

World needs caped crusaders to save roast beef, but ditch the tights

Ours is one of the few societies that idolizes large men and slinky women in tights for heroes. Folks with outlandish monikers like “Man of Steel Man” and “The Amazing Spatula” (Scraping evil from the streets!) wage battles with even more outlandish folks who might introduce themselves as “The Sinister Dr. Steve” or the nefarious “Crabula.” Comic books have often been a source of heroic displays for children - and even adults - as their favorite characters clash on newsprint, in titanic struggles that sometimes hold the fate of mankind in the balance.

MSU

Site to students: Lets talk about sex

That three-letter word is everywhere - sex. But in the overabundance of sexual propaganda, many have felt there is a lack of information available to college students. September marked the official launching of www.collegesextalk.com, a Web site that is exactly what its name implies - a place where people can get together on the Internet and talk, ask or learn about sex and relationships from Dr. Sandra L.

MSU

Forum discusses student trustee

On Tuesday, ASMSU will host its second forum to discuss having a voting student seat on the MSU Board of Trustees - and this time members hope it will be more productive. MSU’s undergraduate government held its last forum on the first day of classes this semester.

FOOTBALL

No 6 fullback idolizes Duckett, commits to U for 2002

Hazelwood East High (St. Louis) fullback David Richard planned on continuing his football career at Tennessee.But the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder axed those plans Friday when he decided to commit to MSU football head coach Bobby Williams and make East Lansing his new football home next season.“The reason for the change was because I didn’t know a lot about (Tennessee),” Richard said.

COMMENTARY

Hardest work not always class

In her dorm room, Jessica Facundo has a spiral notebook of index cards, the kind that students use when studying for history exams or conjugating verbs for a language class.

COMMENTARY

Spartans manage traditional loss

The MSU football team might have lost the Old Brass Spittoon, but it managed to keep another tradition alive - losing after a big win. Every year the Spartans seem to give us glimpses of how good they can be, only to falter in a game that, at least on paper, they should dominate.

VOLLEYBALL

Wildcats fold, but No. 6 Badgers sweep

The Spartan volleyball team entered the weekend riding a four-game winning streak, and a 3-1 win Friday at Jenison Field House against Northwestern only added fuel to the flames. But the Spartans (16-7, 9-7 Big Ten) ran into a road-block Saturday as they fell 3-0 to the No.

VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball team extends win streak to 5, overpowers Wildcats 3-1

The Spartan volleyball team extended its winning streak Friday night by dropping the Northwestern Wildcats 3-1 at Jenison Field House.The Spartans (16-6, 9-6 Big Ten) have now won five straight matches in the second half of their conference schedule.Freshman outside hitter Kim Schram led the way with a match-high 19 kills.

COMMENTARY

SN should cover more race issues

I totally disagree with the letter by Mike O’Bryan in response to the Meridian Mall case receiving too much play (“Meridian Mall case gets too much play,” SN 11/7). At a time when racial profiling is at its prime, coverage of this case was not only needed, but it should have been greater.