The State News, Michigan State University

Each week heading into the fall football season for MSU, The State News will be taking a look into each position group on Mel Tucker's roster as the Spartans prepare for their third season under the Tucker regime. In this edition, Sam Sklar dives into which tight ends could make some important plays in 2022.The tight end position was a key one for Michigan State in 2021.Utilizing a two-man rotation that progressed to three in the second half of the season, MSU got what it needed and more, from a blocking and pass-catching standpoint, from its tight ends. Redshirt senior Connor...

Content warning: This article contains mentions of sexual assault and harassment.After personally experiencing and hearing about numerous classmates' experiences with continual sexual harassment, junior Lee Sliwinski submitted a report to the Office of Institutional Equity, or OIE, against their classmate Kevin McCormick Jr."It's super important for me because this has been a theme in every single college, I feel like, across America is that multiple female students will file reports against one student and really no serious action is taken and I'm just fed up with it," Sliwinski said. The reporting processSliwinski first spoke with the Office of the University...

"A woman gets to decide whether she will reproduce"Hundreds gathered at the steps of the Capitol in an emotionally charged protest against the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Organized by Bans off our Body, a Planned Parenthood organization, Rep. Lori Pohutsky, Sen. Curtis Hertel, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sarah Wallet and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer were speakers at the event, calling the day "a dark day" in American history. Though many on the Capitol's lawn shed tears, there was a focus on taking action rather than despair. "We cannot stew in the moment," Whitmer said. "We must turn it...

The Board of Trustees met on Friday, June 24. At the meeting, authorizations to plan campus changes were approved.The board approved authorizations to plan two new buildings on campus: a plant and environmental science building and an engineering and digital innovation building. Provost Teresa Woodruff said the creation of these two buildings will strengthen the university's goal of retaining high nationwide rankings."These two projects are critical components for building on MSU's strength as a globally recognized leader in plant and environmental science and will lead to new ideas and transformational learning and research in our physical and symbolic gateway...

The Board of Trustees met on Friday, June 24, in room 401 of the Hannah Administration Building. After a two-day retreat, the board voted to approve updates to academic life. The operating budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year was approved as well as the tuition and fee rates for the 2022-23 academic year. Tuition for undergraduate students will face a 3% increase for the 2022-23 academic year. Last June, the trustees set this budget for the coming three years, counting for inflation. The university will also be making a larger investment in financial aid. Deputy spokesperson Dan Olsen said this...

The Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that established a constitutional right to an abortion, has sparked both feelings of outrage and triumph amongst local residents. Reactions from local students, lawmakers, anti-abortion and abortion-rights groups on Friday all contribute to the polarized nature of the issue of abortion rights. "I'm f------ mad," criminal justice senior Hannah Kindree said. "The fact that everything that is put in place to help people like me, the fact that it can go away at such an alarming speed really, genuinely terrifies me."Kindree expressed fear that the overturn of this...

It may not be for the Battle of the Megaphone, but Michigan State and Notre Dame men's basketball will be squaring off for bragging rights in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Nov. 30 in South Bend, Indiana.This will be the 98th meeting between the two schools, but the frequency of the matchup has slowed in the last few decades as this will only be the fourth time the two have met since 1979. Since its creation, the Spartans are 9-12 all-time in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge with their last win against Louisville at home last season. Some of the other notable matchups on the docket include Virginia at Michigan, Ohio State at Duke and North Carolina at Indiana.Michigan State will look to improve off of last season's second-round NCAA Tournament exit to Duke last season but will need to replace the production of Gabe Brown, Max Christie and Marcus Bingham Jr. All had their dreams realized by being drafted or signed into the NBA last night. Christie was selected at 35 by the Los Angeles Lakers while Brown (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Bingham (Dallas Mavericks) were signed to contracts.

At the end of the 2022 NBA Draft, former Michigan State players Gabe Brown and Marcus Bingham Jr. were not selected as part of the 58 in this year's draft class. However, it appears as if both Brown and Bingham will get their chance to prove themselves as free agents in the NBA Summer League.First reported by basketball writer Adam Zagoria, Brown has signed a partially guaranteed deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Bingham has signed a contract with the Dallas Mavericks, Bingham's agent Chris Grier Luchey confirmed. Both will begin to play in the NBA Summer League in July...

In the long-awaited official decision from the Supreme Court, the rumors have become law-Roe v. Wade has been overturned.This decision comes after the leak of their possible overturn of the landmark human rights decision decades ago went public. This now leaves the decisions on reproductive rights including abortion in the hands of the states and voters electing in their abortion rights or anti-abortion state officials. Eight states have officially banned abortions after this overturn due to pre-Roe laws in the state constitutions that existed before the Roe v. Wade case decision in 1973. Michigan is supposed to be one of...

Michigan State guard Max Christie has been drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers as the 35th overall pick in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft. In his short college career with the Spartans, he averaged 9.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists.He declared for the NBA draft after just one season at MSU, a decision that surprised many Spartan fans who expected him to return for at least one more year to improve his game. The 6'6" guard is just the fourth player in school history to be a "one-and-done" player and the first since Jaren Jackson Jr....

Mosquitos that were collected for testing by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Laboratories, or MDHHS BOL, in Bay County have tested positive for Jamestown Canyon Virus, or JCV. JCV is the first mosquito-borne virus to be detected in 2022. JCV is spread to mosquitos when they feed on animals that have the virus in their blood. JCV is spread to people when they are bit by infected mosquitos. MDHHS said that most of these cases occur during late spring through mid-fall. In a statement, MDHHS reminded residents that the best way to protect against JCV...

The 2021 Michigan State football season was a magical one.Mel Tucker, in his second year as MSU's head coach, took the Spartans from a 2-5 record to a remarkable 11-2 season. Vegas had set the win total line around four and a half wins, and all it took was five games for Michigan State to cash in. It was an astronomical leap that nobody saw coming - at least for a program dubbed at the beginning of a rebuild. Tucker was crowned with a market-resetting 10-year, $95 million contract in November and one month later led MSU to a Peach...

Michigan State and the Ingham County Health Department are setting up COVID-19 vaccine clinics for children aged six months to five years old after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, recently approved the vaccine for use among the age group. "We are thrilled to continue our partnership with MSU to provide the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine to the members of our community," Ingham County Health Officer Linda Vail said in a press release. "The vaccine for children under the age of 5 offers significant protection from COVID-19 and will further contribute to protecting our community."Clinics will...

The Board of Trustees plans to meet this Friday, June 24, at 8 a.m. in room 401 of the Hannah Administration Building. A remote live stream will be available on the trustees' website for those wishing to tune in.Campus changesThe committee on budget and finance will ask the board to approve four items pertaining to campus changes.One of the authorizations is proceeding with Phase II of the renovation and addition to the football building, including locker room and weight room concepts. The budget is $67 million which will be funded from "gifts to Intercollegiate Athletics with debt financing to bridge cash flow...

The Lansing Board of Water and Light, or BWL, warned in a press release on Tuesday that the company is preparing for potential 'rolling black-outs' this summer. The Mid-Continent Independent System Operator, or MISO, is Michigan's power grid regulator. MISO will have to 'load-shed' if they see expected energy shortages during peak usage times due to hot weather. Load-shedding is purposefully shutting down electric power in some areas of a power-distribution system to prevent the entire system from failing when it is strained by high demand."The BWL has a legacy of generating plenty of energy to supply our customers, however,...

As the renovations are being completed in Munn Ice Hockey Arena, the foundations of the program that resides there are being laid.Newly-hired Michigan State Head Coach Adam Nightingale and his assistants have wasted zero time getting underway in recruiting and building the connections with the players on the roster. Just in making his introductions to the players after being hired in April, he sold his pitch to a team that was in a state of flux and kept players like the Krygier twins on the roster with a short call after introducing himself."Three minutes after the Zoom call, Christian called...

During the month of June, there are tons of fun ways to celebrate Pride, through parades, alt proms, donating to your favorite LGBTQ+ organizations or reading LGBTQ+ literature. Another option is to shop local and support your city's LGBTQ+ community. Lansing has a diverse array of LGBTQ-owned small businesses to choose from.Metro RetroOwned by Ted Stewart,  Metro Retro is a fun and funky vintage store stuffed full of New Girl-esque dresses, fun knick-knacks, vintage costume jewelry and so much more. Beyond being the go-to vintage store for hundreds in Lansing, Metro Retro holds an important space in the local LGBTQ+...

Michigan State released its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI, report for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years on Tuesday. The report features the university's efforts to increase diversity, ensure equity, promote inclusion and enhance outreach and engagement, followed by the 2020-21 diversity at MSU data report."This is the first time the annual report includes a narrative portion that highlights contributions from the campus community," Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Jabbar R. Bennett said in an email sent on Tuesday. "While the report is only meant to be a window into MSU's DEI efforts, it is a tribute to the...

The Detroit Free Press sued MSU over a denial of its request for records about donors' gift agreements, according to an article published today.The Free Press asked for records of agreements with two donors, Mat Ishbia and Steve St. Andre, but was denied under FOIA's privacy exemption. The suit alleges that in denial of this request and an appeal for the records, the university "violated state open records laws."These donors helped fund Michigan State Head Coach Mel Tucker's contract. Tucker's base salary is $5.9 million per year and he receives $3.1 million in supplemental income. With bonuses, this brings his...

Six of the seven defendants charged in connection with fraudulent claims to the Healing Assistance Fund have been sentenced.According to the Lansing State Journal, Mary Riley, the sixth defendant, was sentenced on June 17. She pled guilty to a count of false pretenses of $20,000 or more and was ordered to pay MSU a total of $41,243.Riley, along with the other defendants, was offered three years of probation and no jail time if the restitution is paid. In May 2019, MSUPD released a press release stating that the Ingham County Prosecutor's Office issued arrest warrants resulting in 22 fraudulent claims of over $527,000.The other defendants who pled guilty include Corey Riley and Tammy, Donita, Marcetta and Porter Johnson. The Healing Fund was initially frozen in July 2018 due to possible fraudulent claims. In December 2018, it was announced the fund would be discontinued. It was re-established in early 2019.Those eligible for use of the fund are those who received treatment from ex-MSU doctor Larry Nassar and parents, guardians or spouses of those who received treatment.