Stabenow visits Lansing area, talks agriculture initiatives CAMPUS+CITY, PAGE 3
View: College attendance spurs faith OPINION, PAGE 4
Smoking on campus — smuggling and quitting CAMPUS+CITY, PAGE 5
Senator Debbie Stabenow
ADAM TOOLIN/THE STATE NEWS
Weather Snow High 35° | Low 25° Michigan State University’s independent voice | statenews.com | East Lansing, Mich. | Wednesday, January 16, 2013
FLYING IN THE FACE OF FEAR Months after a miraculous recovery, a brief scare reveals serious concerns
Three-day forecast, Page 2
DEVELOPMENT
Former City Center property’s future remain undecided By Michael Koury kourymic@msu.edu THE STATE NEWS ■■
By Josh Mansour mansou13@msu.edu THE STATE NEWS ■■
T
he scream echoed throughout a Breslin Center stunned into silence.
As he writhed on the floor in pain Sunday night, one phrase kept repeating itself in Branden Dawson’s mind. “Please, please don’t let this happen to me again.” For a moment, the sophomore guard thought his worst fear had become a terrifying reality. Dawson defied the odds at the beginning of the season in returning from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, in his left knee three months ahead of schedule and with JULIA NAGY/THE STATE NEWS nearly identical, jaw-dropping athletSophomore guard Branden Dawson lies injured Saturday, at Breslin Center. Dawson returned to the game soon after. The icism and leaping ability. But as he laid underneath Nebras- Spartans defeated the Huskers 66-56. ka’s basket, clutching his knee after being fouled on a fast break layup, long, excruciating minutes. gling in learning how to many wondered if the seven months And it was just a scare. coach his star guard. spent in rehab went for naught. After Dawson scored 15 No significant injury to “I was here when (former MSU guard Matteen) Cleaves came Tom Izzo was “crushed,” Adreian speak of. points with 10 rebounds out for the championship game, but I have to admit my smile Payne was “nervous,” and Derrick It also was the one thing against UConn in his first was even bigger (Sunday) because I was scared to death that Nix was “just praying that he was Dawson had spent the past game back from injury, the kid did his knee in again … I can’t explain the emotions of alright.” Izzo confessed he, simi10 months dreading. that minute.” Dawson slowly made his way to the larly to Dawson, had been MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo locker room by his own power and Fool’s gold fooled. began getting his knee examined by “I think (Dawson’s) been Less than two weeks ago, doctors Jeff Kovan, Michael Shingles Branden Dawson finally frustrated all year,” Izzo “That’s like your brother going down. A lot of things are and trainer Quinton Sawyer. said at his weekly press allowed honesty to set in. running through your head just watching him. Like ‘Man, I hope After a couple of defensive slides and After doggedly trying to conference Jan. 7. “I think it’s not the same knee,’ or ‘I hope he’s going to get up.’ It was jogs down Breslin Center hallways, convince himself it wouldn’t he thought he could come good getting to talk to him after the game and say ‘You were Dawson sprinted back to the court, take much to return to the back from the injury and scared weren’t you?’ and he said ‘Yeah.’ I said ‘I was too.’” returned to the game and received form that made him an hon- be the same player. I got Sophomore guard Travis Trice the loudest ovation Izzo can remem- orable mention All-Big Ten fooled a little bit ber, drawing comparisons from the No. performer as a freshman, he because of the “I was clapping and I probably should have been paying incredible physical 18 Spartans’ head coach to former MSU finally relented. attention to the game. But we need him, and that’s like my “I (had) told myself, ‘it’s skills. guard Mateen Cleaves’ dramatic return brother.” “It’s hard to push a guy from injury during the 2000 national not going to be that bad. It’s going to be like a walk when you don’t know championship game. Junior center Adreian Payne “It just always reminds me that in the park,’ and it’s not,” how much is injury, and that’s why he’s (Dawson),” Nix said of Dawson said. “I feel like, in how much is laziness, or “To be honest, nothing really went through my head. I just his teammate’s return. “He’s a freak of my mind, I can do certain (being) inept and that’s prayed. … I didn’t know mentally if he could handle going nature. His body is just built different- things, but my body just isn’t a very delicate area right through this again. Not right now. So I just dropped my head now for me. … I have really than everybody in the world. I feel there yet.” and prayed for God’s will to be done more than anything. I It’s been a source of irri- ly not helped him.” like he’s like LeBron James. He just tried not to think the worst.” tation for both Dawson and looks like LeBron.” Dawson’s former AAU coach and Trice’s father, Travis Trice Sr. It was only three minutes. Three, Izzo, who admitted to strug- See DAWSON on page 2 X
When Dawson went down
To see a video about ACL injury and recovery, visit the online version of this story at statenews.com.
Well into Tuesday night, the East Lansing City Council discussed before a crowd of residents the future of the formerly proposed City Center II property, an ordinance that would allow those looking to sell their homes to rent them for a short period of time and approved the contract of East Lansing and Lansing Fire Department Chief Randy Talifarro. The council decided to send the proposition back to the planning commission for review and recomendations for the future of the site as well as attempt to solve the parking issue. Planning and Zoning Administrator Darcy Schmitt said the ordinance concerning rentals won’t have much effect on students because few own homes in the area. The property initially proposed for City Center II, however, has a prominent place on Grand River Avenue. Developing the site could mean more amenities for students. During last week’s council work session, Councilmember Vic Loomis questioned wheth-
To learn more about the council meeting post-press time, visit statenews.com er city council can approve a site plan if property owners owe back taxes. According to city tax records, City Center Project, LLC, which owns the properties at 124-140 W. Grand River Ave., and 341 and 345 Evergreen Ave., owes more than $89,000 in taxes from the summer and winter of 2012 on both properties. Property owners of 100 W. Grand River Ave., Cada Investment Group, LLC, owe more than $39,000 in taxes covering the See COUNCIL on page 2 X
CAMPUS
ALUMNUS
MSU UNION OFFICIALLY RE-OPENS
Super Bowl contest features alumnus
By Robert Bondy bondyrob@msu.edu THE STATE NEWS
By Caleb Nordgren
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nordgren@msu.edu
For MSU Union Operations Supervisor Jeff Gooch, the Union has been a comforting home away from home for the past 32 years. “My first memory of the Union was trying out for the MSU bowling team,” said Gooch, an MSU alumnus. “I had been on campus just a few days. (I was) not so good the first year, but later it went better.” Gooch started working for Spartan Lanes in the basement of the Union as a student in 1980, and has worked there ever since, enjoying his time every day because of the events that attract students and community members. With Gooch and many others in attendance, MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, Sparty and students cut the ribbon to officially commence the Grand Re-Opening Party at the Union, after the $2.4 million renovation it underwent
THE STATE NEWS
See UNION on page 2 X
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JULIA NAGY/THE STATE NEWS
MSU Federal Credit Union employee Chad Schaberg, right, explains to economics senior Zihou Liu the rules of a game during the grand re-opening of the Union on Tuesday.
More online … To see a video of the offical opening, visit statenews.com/multimedia.
Mean Joe Greene giving his jersey away. Computer generated lizards dancing to “Thriller.” Babies talking about the stock market. A middle-aged father and his football-loving friends playing dress up for Doritos. All four of these events share a common thread: the Super Bowl, or more specifically, its famed commercials. While the first three commercials probably are familiar, the fourth more than likely isn’t. That’s where MSU alumnus Nate Daniels and his team come in. Daniels and the rest of the team — Mark Freiburger, Nathan Scoggins and Gabe Trevino — submitted the commercial to Doritos’ annual, “Crash the Super Bowl” competition, where thousands of videos are submitted for the chance to win up to $1 million
and have a commercial on the air during the Super Bowl. In the spot, titled “Fashionista Daddy,” a little girl convinces her father — and later his friends — to be in her fashion show by bribing them with Doritos. The video already has won Daniels and his team $25,000 for being one of five finalists. The winner will be picked from an online voting competition on the Facebook page for Doritos’s “Crash the Super Bowl.” Facebook users can vote twice a day: once on their desktops and once on a mobile device. The winner and one finalist, selected by Doritos executives, will be announced Feb. 3 — the day of the Super Bowl. Freiburger, who directed the spot, said Trevino came up with See BOWL on page 2 X
More online … To vote for the video, visit https://apps.facebook. com/crashthesuperbowl.