Don’t overlook benefits of Cultural Aides
MSU pop culture expert analyzes award season
Women’s baseketball could benefit from added depth
CAMPUS+CITY, PAGE 3
FEATURES, PAGE 5
SPORTS, PAGE 6
Sophomore center Jasmine Hines. NATALIE KOLB/THE STATE NEWS
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CRIME
H E A LT H
PROPOSED GUN CONTROL INCREASES LOCAL SALES
New Sparrow East Lansing opens doors for business
By Darcie Moran
By Michael Koury
morandar@msu.edu
kourymic@msu.edu
THE STATE NEWS
THE STATE NEWS
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As Greater Lansing stores sold out of assault weapons in the aftermath of the December elementary school massacre, President Barack Obama announced his plans to intensify gun regulations Wednesday. Local business owners said gun sales were driven to new highs following legislators’ speculations that gun control could prevent another tragedy like the December attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School where a shooter killed 27 people, including himself and 20 children. “We prett y much got cleaned out,” Todd Maxwell, a clerk at Moose Creek Archery Gun-Tackle, 506 Isbell St., in Lansing, said of the guns that might fit the defi nition of assault weapons and their ammunition. “People are purchasing on the anticipation that these things won’t be available.” He said smaller stores, such as Moose Creek, are having trouble ordering more of the sold-out items because larger stores quickly bought them in bulk — a problem Yvonne Evanoff-Joseph has experienced as well. “I am down to the lowest stock I have ever (had) since I took over when my dad died in ‘93,” said Evanoff-Joseph, owner of Classic Arms Co., 1600 Lake Lansing Road, in Lansing. “I have stock this low and the inability to get more.” She said she has seen a countless number of new gun buyers coming through her doors. Maxwell said if legislation is passed limiting the sale of guns, Moose Creek could see as much as a 25-50 percent fall in sales. Obama signed 23 executive orders Wednesday to strengthen the background check systems for gun purchasers, to have the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research ways to reduce gun violence and
ernor also attacked higher education earlier in the year. In February 2012, Snyder’s budget proposal cut 15 percent of funding for higher education. “He de-invested in education and because of that, we are still scrambling to make education affordable,” Wooden said.
Lansing’s Sparrow Hospital opened the doors of the East Lansing Urgent Care clinic Wednesday, providing students and East Lansing residents access to another health care site within blocks of campus. Sparrow East Lansing, 2682 E. Grand River Ave., broke ground last September and was completed about two weeks ago. “(It’s) convenient for (students) being a couple blocks away from campus,” Sparrow spokesman John Tramontana said. “Sparrow wants to be able to get out into the communities.” Lansing’s Sparrow Hospital is approximately 3 miles from campus — about an 8-minute drive. The urgent care center was previously located at 2248 Mt. Hope Road, in Okemos, before it moved to its current, larger location. The nearly two-mile move to the new location is more convenient “not only for students, but people in (the) community,” said Patricia Crowe, a doctor at Sparrow East Lansing. The building has a lab test facility for patients to receive X-rays and blood tests. With the deadly cases of flu striking the state of Michigan, Tramontana said flu vaccines also are available at the center, and supplies are stocked daily. “(We) haven’t been anywhere close to running out,” he said. Allyson Rogers, health promotion and communications specialist at Olin Health Center, said while Olin’s vision is to be the health and wellness resource for MSU students, they will continue to refer students to other medical venues if needed. “We’d be more than happy to refer them to another medical facility if we were unable to provide the service necessary,” she said. Although Olin is just a
See MICHIGAN on page 2 X
See SPARROW on page 2 X
See GUNS on page 2 X
Michigan State Spartan’s Adreian Payne shoots a basket over Penn State Nittany Lions’s D.J. Newbill during the second half of a men’s college basketball game at the Bryce Jordan Center on Wednesday, January 16, 2013, in State College, Pennsylvania. The Spartans won, 81-72. ABBY DREY/ CENTRE DAILY TIMES/MCT
PHOTOS BY K ATIE STIEFEL/THE STATE NEWS
Gov. Rick Snyder smiles at the crowd before he begins his State of the State address on Wednesday at the Capitol. Snyder informed the state of Michigan on the improvements that have been made in the past year and his plans for the new year.
SNYDER TO MICHIGAN: “IT’S TIME.”
Snyder puts focus for 2013 on infastructure, college graduates, jobs
By Kellie Rowe rowekell@msu.edu THE STATE NEWS ■■
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fter a year of higher education budget cuts, right-to-work protests, the end of Bridge Cards and making K2 synthetic drugs illegal, Gov. Rick Snyder had a chance to reflect on 2012 during his third State of the State address Wednesday evening. He celebrated the Michigan Legislature’s successes and the state’s growth before an audience of hundreds, including a shouting crowd of protesters outside the Capitol. But as he ran down a list of accomplishments from the past year, he also looked toward the future workforce of the mitten — students. “Our goal is to continue to keep the young people in this state, and we’re going to continue to work hard,” Snyder said. Snyder and MSU Despite his Wolverine background, Snyder has spent his share of time at MSU enacting programs that affect the Spartan community. In December, Snyder donned a robe and addressed seniors at their graduation ceremony, asking them to stay and find a career in Michigan. Last year, Snyder increased MSU’s funding by 1.4 percent — an upward trend economics professor Charles Ballard hopes will continue. “I’m cautiously optimistic that we’ve hit
Secretary of State Ruth Johnson, State Attorney General Bill Schuette and State Treasurer Andy Dillon applaud as Gov. Snyder addresses the state of Michigan on Wednesday at the Capitol. This is Snyder’s third State of the State address. He emphasized infastructure througout the state, but touched on a variety of issues.
bottom and, now that our economy is growing, perhaps that will free up some funds,” he said. Wednesday night, the governor presented plans to focus on state university graduates in March and establish a system to create jobs through the educational system in April. But MSU College Democrats president Stephen Wooden said the gov-
OFF-COURT CONFLICT, ON-COURT WIN MSU beats Penn State 81-72 after police call on minor incident between MSU players By Dillon Davis davisdi4@msu.edu THE STATE NEWS ■■
With hours to prepare the No. 18 MSU basketball team for battle with Penn State, MSU men’s head MSU 81 basketball PSU 72 coac h Tom Izzo first had to deal with a battle of a different variety. Before the Spartans took to the floor at Bryce Jordan Arena against the Nittany Lions, the team knew they’d have to do so without sophomore guard/ forward Branden Dawson and junior center Adreian Payne — at least to open the game. Yet, Payne returned to action and surged to finish as the team’s leading scorer with 20 points as the Spartans (15-
3 overall, 4-1 Big Ten) took down Penn State (8-9, 0-5), 81-72, marking Izzo’s 200th career victory in Big Ten play. Izzo joins Indiana’s Bob Knight and Purdue’s Gene Keady as the only coaches in Big Ten history with 200 or more conference wins. The Spartans used a balanced scoring attack and had five players finish in double figures in scoring including Payne, senior center Derrick Nix, junior guard Keith Appling, sophomore guard Travis Trice and freshman guard Gary Harris. “It was kind of a tough day,” Izzo said. Earlier in the day, Penn State University police responded to a call indicating Dawson and Payne were involved in a physical confrontation at the
“They were wrong with what they did, but I hope nobody makes a mountain out of a molehill.” Tom Izzo, MSU men’s head basketball coach
team’s campus hotel. According to Penn State University police chief Tyrone Parham, the two players were involved in a verbal altercation that turned physical as the players exchanged punches, followed by one player shoving the other into the wall. The duo walked away with minor cuts on their faces and were not permitted to start in Wednesday’s game against Penn State. “Right now, I’m considering a lot of things with those two,” Izzo said. “In all hon-
esty, I must say to our fans back there, they were wrong with what they did, but I hope nobody makes a mountain out of a molehill because it wasn’t one.” With Dawson and Payne spending the fi rst half next to one another on the bench, Izzo was left to piece together a lineup already crippled by the earlier season loss of Brandan Kearney. However, the Spartans came out of the gate strong. See PENN STATE on page 2 X