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MSU

'Damned if you do, damned if you don't': MSU President faced free speech test ahead of Hasan Piker visit

Days after U.S. Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed announced that popular leftist commentator Hasan Piker would join him on a campus tour which included Michigan State University, emails flooded the inbox of MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz. The messages expressed concerns with the hosting of Piker on MSU’s campus, who they claim has promoted “extremism” and amplified “antisemitic rhetoric” in his past actions. Allowing Piker on campus risks making Jewish students, families and faculty feel unsafe, the messages urged.

MSU

Man arrested at Wells Hall for possessing chemicals used for meth

Michigan State University Police announced that a 31-year-old man was arrested for allegedly running a meth lab in Wells Hall. DPPS, in a press release, wrote that suspect Xin Tong was arrested and issued felony criminal charges for malicious destruction of a building over $20,000 and “felony controlled substance-operate/maintain lab involving methamphetamine.”

LIFE

Stanley water bottles and UGG Tasmans: students talk old trends and environmental impacts

Trends, whether it’s fashion or lifestyle, may find themselves going viral on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. For example, the Stanley brand found itself in the midst of the “Stanley cup craze” a few years prior, where the Quencher H2.0 Flowstate Tumbler was all the rage on platforms like TikTok. Influencers and the general public alike were sporting the water bottle both online and offline. Similarly, the UGG shoe brand found itself in the spotlight with its Tasman II, a shoe style that has exploded in popularity with celebrities and the general public.

MSU

Fed investigation leaves MSU in the dark on student voting trends

After a federal investigation into a national voting study, Michigan State University won’t receive 2024 data about student voting trends, which had previously been used to drive more voting participation. Campus groups across the U.S. have historically utilized those reports to better understand student voting behavior, promote civic learning and engagement, and improve related educational programs.

ENVIRONMENT

Rediscovering the Red Cedar River and its role as a staple of Michigan State University

The Red Cedar River has long been an iconic part of Michigan State University's campus identity, yet years of neglect, littering, and public misconceptions about it left it undervalued by the very community it runs through. In recent years, however, a growing network of students, faculty, and advocates has worked to restore both the river's health and the campus culture surrounding it, through cleanup events, ecological education, and expanded recreational amenities. As new stewardship initiatives take root and community traditions form around the river, the Red Cedar is being rediscovered, not just as a campus landmark, but as a living ecosystem worth protecting.