Michigan State University
Hallmarks and Quirks
Things I'm Good At:
- Men's basketball. Seventeen straight March Madness appearances. Eight Final Fours. Two national championships. One Tom Izzo and Magic Johnson.
- Football. Six national championships. 2014 Rose Bowl Champions.
- Parties. Ever heard of Cedar Fest?
- Natural beauty. You haven't experienced fall until you've experienced it in East Lansing.
- The Cyclotron. No, it's not a Transformer. Actually, maybe it is. I have no idea. All I know is that it's home to the number one nuclear physics graduate program in the U.S.
- School of Hospitality Business. It's ranked number one in the world.
My Top 5 Must-Haves:
- Warm Clothes. Listen, you're in the Midwest. Winter happens. So grab your sweaters and gloves and boots and whatever. It's not ideal, but if you can deal with it, I promise I'll reward you with the most beautiful, gorgeous, and amazing spring, summer, and fall anywhere. Spartans don't lie.
- Sparty Cash. Basically, you put some money onto your student ID and swipe all the food your heart desires. You'll be shocked at how often it comes in handy.
- Student season tickets to Spartan football and basketball games. We play the best of the best. Why would you want to miss that? Oh, and did I mention our basketball student section is called The Izzone?
- Hobbies. Join a cultural organization. Learn about your political views. Start your own thing. There's so much to do.
- Thick skin. You won't realize how much pride you have until a Wolverine opens their mouth.
Why You Might Have Heard of Me:
- Tom Izzo and Mark Dantonio. My basketball and football coaches are two of the best in the country, and they do things the right way. They don't tolerate knuckleheads. Our blood is green, but our collars are blue.
- FRIB. That's the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams. The U.S. Department of Energy selected me to house this facility and I've become a world leader in accelerator-based nuclear research.
- Hmm. Something about riots and teargas after a few of our many Final Four appearances. But my mind is a bit hazy about that…
On a regular Saturday night, you can find me...
Don't worry if you're not at one of our nationally televised football or basketball night games; I still have a lot to offer. I show a whole bunch of one-dollar movies in most of our lecture halls. It's amazing how pleasant those rooms are when they're not plastered with PowerPoints. After, hit up the Union and knock down some pins at Spartan Lanes.
Also, my restaurant and bar scene is one of the best in the Big Ten, so you can satisfy any craving. And believe it or not, both the undergrad and law libraries are usually packed with Spartans trying to get ahead in class. I'd be surprised if you didn't see at least five friends buried in books.
Or maybe you could just stay in, order some Pokey Stix from Goomba's or a few Dubs from Menna's Joint and call it a night. No shame.
Favorite Hangouts:
- Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum. It's that spacecraft-looking thing designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect, Zaha Hadid. Located right along Grand River, it houses some of the world's most significant contemporary art. Oh, and they filmed Superman vs. Batman: Dawn of Justice there. #humblebrag
- Indulge in some delicious ice cream at the MSU Dairy Store.
- When it's nice out, open a book and grab a spot "on the banks of the Red Cedar." There's a reason that's the first line in my fight song.
- For the twenty-one-and-over crowd, East Lansing is your oyster. Grab some dinner at Harpers and enjoy some of their house-brewed beer. I suggest the Spartan Wheat.
- Mosey on over to Rick's for a night you won't remember or The Post for a night you'll want to.
- Want to keep it casual, but still get your dance on? There's The Riv. Or walk a block to Dublin Square if you're keepin' it classy this weekend.
Quirks:
- I'm the United States' first land-grant university under the 1862 Morrill Act, and I'm considered one of America's Public Ivy universities.
- I have the ninth-highest international student enrollment in the U.S. and the fifth-biggest study abroad program. You're pretty much considered an anomaly if you don't study abroad for a semester.
- Heard of The Midnight Screams? Every midnight during finals week, you'll hear students belt out their stress and frustrations at the top of their lungs. It's weirdly cathartic and brings everyone together. I couldn't even tell you when that got started.
- The media loves a good story, which is why you hear a lot about our parties. We live the phrase, "Work hard, party hard."
Famous Alumni:
- Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Yup, that Magic Johnson. Don't be surprised if you graze past him before or after a basketball game.
- James Caan and Sam Raimi. Okay, so maybe they didn't technically graduate, but if you were in The Godfather and directed Spider-Man and Evil Dead (respectively), you can do whatever you want.
- Lloyd Groff Copeman, inventor of the first electrical stove
- Tom Gores and Dan Gilbert, owners of the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers (respectively)
- Barnett Rosenberg, who discovered the cancer-fighting drug, Cisplatin. Yup. Big deal.