This month, I chose a different location for some samplings of student songs. The library is teeming with people the weeks before and during finals week, so I was sure I’d get some good responses. I was right, but after this third round of queries, I’ve learned a few things about students:

1. We have a wide variety of musical tastes at MSU.

2. Someone is always listening to Amy Whinehouse.

3. Someone is always listening to Wiz Khalifa.

4. People often use their headphones as a reason to not talk to you.

5. Every one who does answer is happy you asked!

This month’s mix is pretty interesting, and would be a good playlist to finish up your studying. Watch the video below to see what gets people in the mood… to study, of course.

Finally, after an unusually warm November, MSU got over 5 inches of snow on the day before December!  Campus was looking beautiful with the freshly laid snow, and Big Photography got out there just in time to capture the scenes!  Enjoy our photos from the “Snowpocolypse 2.0″ as we had lots of fun taking them!  Photo credit goes to Julia Grippe and Jenna Chabot.

By Alli Myers

Haunted houses are a Halloween classic. There’s always a handful of people who simply love to be scared out of their minds leading up to the 31st of October. The MSU Department of Theatre is the group behind the scenes of MSU’s very own “Haunted Aud”. Every year the department turns the Auditorium, located on Farm Lane and Auditorium Road, into a haunted house for students to go through during the weekend of Halloween. This year, the event was held from the 28th through the 30th. Anyone was welcome, students or not, from 8 p.m. to midnight.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

This year’s theme was a psychiatric ward. The line waiting to go in was set up like the waiting room in a hospital, and the Auditorium was filled with actors from the department portraying the patients and doctors. When let in to the first hallway, visitors were greeted by the doctors and nurses of the ward, who were every bit as troubled as the patients. There was someone following you down almost every hallway, people screaming for help to get out of the psych ward, and amazing props. Among these were patients screaming chained to beds, body parts scattered around the rooms, chainsaws, medical devices and much more. All of this and more often made you forget you were even in the Auditorium.

“The Auditorium is creepy without even trying, so we make it even scarier,” said theater sophomore Shannon Melick. The fact that MSU’s Auditorium has all of the necessary props to put on almost any kind of show supplied them with everything needed to perform a complete makeover on the space.

Peter Martino, a junior in the Department of Theatre studying lighting design, was the master electrician for the event.

“My favorite part about Haunted Aud is having students come through and showing them that our department can do more than put on a play,” he said.

Turning the Auditorium into a spooky haunted house was done on a budget of about $500, Martino said. The event cost $10 for students, and was used as a fundraiser for the theater department.

Melick went through the Auditorium on opening night and said, “The only thing that made it a little scary for me was that I knew almost all of the actors.” She said that hearing her own name down almost every hallway gave her even more goose bumps than she already had, but at the same time reminded her more than others that it was all just a setup.

The theatre department has a few plays coming up for the end of the semester.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

“The Beaux Stratagem” will be held on November 20 in the Arena Theater. Melick described the play as a “restoration comedy”. Written by George Farquhar in 1707, it centers around two men trying to find rich heiresses to marry in order to restore their fortunes. Following “The Beaux Stratagem” is the fifth annual Freshmen Showcase, running from Dec. 2-4, where all the new freshmen in the department show off their talent in a series of shows.

Also approaching are a few big events from the MSU Roial Players, a student-led theater group that runs through the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities. “Audience”, a short comedic play, will take place Nov. 17-20. Following “Audience” is “The Laramie Project”, described by Roial Art Director Megan Kelly as “a compilation of interviews surrounding the murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student from Laramie, Wyo.”

Between the theater department and the Roial Players, MSU has a lot of shows and events coming up. Tickets for the theater shows can be found purchased from the Wharton Center Box Office, and tickets for Roial events can be purchased at the door in the basement of Snyder-Phillips Hall.

By Emily Green

Since Starbucks opened its doors in Seattle Washington 1971, it has been satisfying coffee lovers and curing the caffeine cravings of people everywhere.  Whether you’re a coffee addict or not Starbucks is still a great place to quench your thirst with non-coffee beverages or to satisfy your sweet tooth with a variety of desserts. Now, 40 years later, nothing much has changed, except for the fact that the company has expanded their brand globally with over 17,000 locations, in 57 different countries, gaining dedicated followers like groupies to a rock band, and it keeps on getting bigger.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

This year was Starbucks Coffee Company’s 40th anniversary, and to commemorate this milestone, Starbucks took the opportunity to spice up their already booming business.   A subtle change that Starbucks has made following their recent anniversary was to alter their long standing logo from the classic picture of a mermaid and the words “Starbucks Coffee,” to simply the picture. Starbucks also came out with a new blend of coffee, called the Tribute Blend, for the anniversary. The Tribute blend is made up of aged Sumatra, Papua New Guinea, sun-dried Ethiopia and Colombia coffee beans.

Also commemorating the anniversary is the publishing of a book by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, titled Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul. In the book, Schultz writes about the struggles, like when Shultz decide to step back into the role of CEO in 2008, to help reinstate the company’s financial health, and the eventual success of the Starbucks Company.

“Starbucks is my favorite coffee shop,” said chemical engineering freshman Andrew Lantz. With statements like these we can see why there seems to be a Starbucks mania going on across the country.

Starbucks still appears to be a fast growing and competitive company with new stores seemingly popping up on every street corner. Michigan State is joining in on the mania – on September 26 they opened a new Starbucks store here on campus in Wells Hall, (and yes they do accept Sparty cash).

Jacob Mercado, one of the supervisors of the Starbucks in East Lansing on Grand River, said they opened in the new location because of “growth of the economy and simply because the space opened up.” Students on campus appear to be happy about it, as they anxiously wait for coffee in a line that winds halfway down the hallway.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

“I don’t think that the new Starbucks will affect the business of Starbucks on Grand River, people go there when it is convenient for them, but they come here to relax and study,” Mercado said. We saw if this statement was accurate by seeing what actual customers had to say, after stopping by the Starbucks on campus.

“No, I only come when it is on my way to class,” was the response from both Lizzy Wacker, a kinesiology freshman, and Lantz, when asked if they come to this Starbucks regularly.

For the Starbucks veterans who think they know it all, hold on to your seats because you are about to find out some big news. Did you know that there is a secret Starbucks menu? So when the person in line before you orders a drink that takes longer to say than to drink, no, they did not just make it up on the spot. It really does  exist.  Have you ever heard of a Zebra Mocha or a Crunch Berry Frappuccino?  Well they are two of the fun flavors you might want to try the next time you go to Starbucks. If you are interested in checking out  any of the other  secret Starbucks  treats here is a link to a website that will show you quite a few of them: http://www.ranker.com/list/starbucks-secret-menu-items/secret-menu-items.

“The 40^th anniversary was a very big deal for Starbucks as a company,” Mercado said. “It was the first coffee shop of its kind. Starbucks opened up a whole new market and culture for coffee shops. Starbucks was the pioneer of the coffee industry,” Mercado offered enthusiastically.

Seeing someone who believes in Starbucks this much was refreshing. Starbucks has become more than a coffee shop, it is a place where people can go to hang with friends or relax, and it is a social hub buzzing with conversation and the smell of brewing coffee beans.

In honor of autumn and all the beauty that this particular season brings out in our MSU campus, here’s a photo collection showing you some of the scenes you might come across walking to class this time of year. All photos were done by Jenna Chabot and Julia Grippe.

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo credit: Kaleigh Robichaud

Choosing to live completely on your own for the first time is a big deal, and while it’s exciting, there is a lot to consider. Moving off campus could mean cooking your own meals, changing your transportation methods to classes and having a new freedom not often found in dorm life. So with so many choices between apartments, houses, co-ops and dorms, making the right decision requires some serious research.

Students at MSU are able to move off campus after they have successfully completely their freshman year, or have completed 28 credits to become sophomore status. There are approximately 13,972 students on campus here this year, or about one-third of the student body. Similar numbers for students living on campus are expected for the 2011-2012 academic year, with an incoming freshman class of about 7,200.

About two-thirds of the student body is living in off campus residents of some sort, whether they commute or live in an apartment or other living arrangement. So how do the majority of MSU students make the important decision to live on their own, free of the restrictions of the dorms? Some students attribute their decisions to financial reasons, while some say it’s all about the exploring the new found freedom of living as an adult.

Psychology freshman, Courtney Jarvis, explains how a need for independence was the driving force for her decision to live in the Delta Arms apartment complex for her upcoming sophomore year. “The prime reason for moving off campus was the independence, but there are added benefits such as being able to make the food I want to eat, and not having to worry about Resident Assistants,” said Jarvis.

Appealing perks for living in any off campus residence include freedom from authority figures like Resident Assistants (RAs), having more choices regarding students’ diet, locations in close proximity to popular places to study and of course places for entertainment. For many college students, living near local bars and restaurants, fraternity houses and places to shop are high-ranking priorities when selecting a place to move off campus. Jarvis admits location is key when choosing to live off campus.

“Price and location were the most important factors in making my decision to move out of the dorms next year. In my opinion, I’d rather live closer with a smaller square footage than far away with a larger living space. I’d feel distant and more of a commuter than full time student,” Jarvis explains.

Campus Village apartments (Photo credit: Jenna Chabot)

However, with a diverse student body at MSU, not all prefer to be on their own so young and in the mix of the Downtown East Lansing setting that many of the student apartments and homes are in the middle of. Packaging freshman, Sam Savich, and pre-vet freshman, Emily Von Linsowe, rooming together next year in Gilchrist hall, located in the West Circle neighborhood on campus. Savich claims that the dorms still provide a certain convenience that you cannot necessarily find in off campus apartments and other types of housing

“The convenience of being close to class is more motivating to do good in classes. I just love actually living on MSU’s campus. Some benefits of the dorms are having a food plan, having many areas to study, and the proximity to classes and the library,” said Savich.

Just as selecting an optimal place to reside of MSU’s campus is based on location, price and other contributing factors, choosing a dorm to live in for students staying on campus is no cake walk either.

“Since campus is huge, picking a dorm can be quite tricky. It all depends if you want to be close to classes, sporting areas, or Grand River. I am living in Gilchrist and choose to live there because I am always on Grand River. I also think that west circle holds the most beauty throughout campus,” said Savich.

Savich’s roommate, Von Linsowe sees similar benefits to remaining in the dorms for her sophomore year at MSU.

“It’s just more convenient for me and it’s easier to just walk to places. Cafeterias are always pretty close to you as well, which is an added benefit,” said Von Linsowe.

Since MSU has such a large campus and student population, it also offers a wide range of living options. While dorms are home to one-third of student population, including MSU’s freshman, many students look to apartments, houses, co-ops and university owned apartments for alternative living arrangements.

University Village, Spartan Village and Cherry Lane Apartments are considered university owned apartments, meaning MSU is the owner of these establishments and leases them to different demographics of students.

University Village, located on the West side of campus on Kalamazoo Street, provides living space for about 300 students. For students looking for an apartment with similar freedom to living off campus, yet the benefits of living on campus, this is the place for that. University Village offers ample parking (something many off campus apartments unfortunately lack), convenient meal plans suitable for living in close proximity to the dorms, community centers and four large, private bedrooms for each apartment. Sounds like it’s too good to be true? While there are a myriad of benefits to living in an establishment like this, naturally, there are also downfalls.

University Village seems to have all of the convenience, space, privacy and other perks that are appealing to our student body, but one major draw back students note about the university owned apartments are the presence of Resident Assistants, people students often try to avoid by moving into an apartment.

Additional university apartment options include Spartan Village, apartments typically reserved for families, graduate students and single room undergraduate students. Spartan Village makes a great community for people looking for a more serious academic atmosphere and for people looking to expand their worldview right here on campus. Spartan Village offers suitable arrangements for international students looking to acclimate to a new setting.

Cherry Lane apartments as well as Faculty Bricks apartments, originally part of the university owned apartments have been approved for demolition beginning in July 2010, according to www.liveon.msu.edu.

With so much to consider when choosing where to live in the East Lansing or Lansing community, location and apartment/home amenities are certainly factors to explore. But for most college students, living arrangements must be made with their wallets in mind, and budgets become very important.

As recent as the 2010-2011 academic year, living in the MSU dorms cost approximately $7,820 per semester, including a Silver meal plan, which is the smallest meal plan offered of the three (silver, gold and platinum.) This price is noted for a double room and with the smallest dining plan, meaning students seeking more privacy who choose a single room, or request a more filling meal plan, have an even larger bill. However, scholarships often cover students’ room and board, which can help with the pricey listings.

While living in the dorms may provide the convenience and structure many students find appealing, the prices can’t exactly be met with pocket change. Many students choose to live off campus because they find the majority of listings are cheaper than university housing, but there are some exceptions. Properties range from homes, to apartments, to duplexes and townhouses, so a wide variety of living styles often suites a lot of people.

Photo credit: Emily Lawler

According to Jarvis, she is looking forward to living in the freedom of her apartment next year, but still sees perks to dorm life. “The benefits of the dorms are that many of my friends were on the same floor so i never had to travel too far to chill with people, places to eat everywhere, bus stops right outside, classes in my building,” Jarvis said.

As for prices, apartments can range anywhere from $200 per person per month, to roughly $1,500 per month per person, so a myriad of budgets can be met. Houses, townhouses and duplexes are often filled by a larger group of students to compensate for the higher prices.  However, many of the homes and other living arrangements are sometimes still cheaper than the dorms at MSU.

A large property company called DTN Management owns many of the properties near campus including houses, townhouses, apartments and duplexes. With several leasing offices all over campus, DTN is one of the more well-known companies that MSU students lease from, including Jarvis, who is excited to move into her apartment at Delta Arms this coming school year.

Whether you’re pushing a budget, looking for a great location near campus buildings or Downtown East Lansing, or seeking the privacy of a place to yourself, MSU’s campus and the surrounding community has a variety of options for students in a wide range of situations.

Choosing a place to live is exciting no matter if you select an MSU dorm or a place off campus, but one thing is certain, the decision is not an easy one, and people cannot forget what they are at MSU for in the first place.

“Regardless of where you live, you still need to go to class and if it’s not easily accessible…that’s a problem. But I do agree that if you’re a more independent person, you can live more successfully farther away from campus than someone who is deeply involved with on campus activity,” said Jarvis.

For the first time in over 30 years, Michigan State University closed it’s campus for what students termed, a “snow day” on Feb. 2. Two editors from TBG, Brett Ekblad and Emily Lawler, captured some photos of the aftermath.

As the end of the year approaches and the temperature drops, more and more students are choosing to drive to class or the library. Since the parking space on campus is limited, this often means that drivers end up walking alone from parking lots or structures. According to the MSU Police Department’s website crime alert page, the commute from on and off-campus parking areas can be a dangerous one. Though 75 percent of sexual assaults happen to women who are in a familiar place, a small percentage occur while women are walking alone on campus, sometimes from their vehicle.

“We had a couple of people who were groped in Lot 93 earlier this year,” said Sgt. McGlothian-Taylor of the MSU Police Department. “Most cases of assault occur when the woman knows her attacker and in those situations we will prosecute the person.”

Taylor couldn’t ballpark how many people are involved in stranger assault and get away without charges, but he said that victims of assault are offered any assistance in tracking their attacker that the police department can provide.

The MSU Police Department guarantees full confidentiality in regards to sexual assault cases, as well as a sensitive and professional approach to each situation. Sexual assault victims will be provided an up-to-date report of all legal action taken with the attacker and are offered assistance to set up any medical or counseling appointments needed.

Students who find themselves walking alone at night can do a few things to reduce the risk of being assaulted.

“Call a group of friends to come pick you up so you’re not walking alone from your car,” Taylor said.

“It’s important to let someone know where you’re going and what time you leave if you expect to be walking alone,” said Lauren Allswede, the advocacy coordinator for MSU’s Sexual Assault Program. The best way to react if you find yourself about to be assaulted is to try to overcome the initial “freeze” that you feel when you’re frightened, she advised.

“Use whatever is around you as a weapon and yell to get the attention of anyone who might be near by.”

The best defense against sexual assault is awareness, Allswede said.

“I’ve heard of a lot of advice that women are given to avoid sexual assault like not wearing a pony tail or not talking on the phone while walking, but the truth is, if someone is intent on attacking you, they will. The most important thing is to stay alert.”

LaShonda Windham, the co-coordinator for the Take Back the Night event that happens annually on campus, agrees.

“A lot of women believe that they could have done something to prevent an attack. The truth is that the only person who can prevent an attack is the assailant. [Getting attacked] is not your fault,” Windham said.

Windam also said that assault victims are often given too much blame.

“A lot of people read about cases of assault on campus and are quick to assume that the assault is the victim’s fault. They say things like ‘Why was she walking alone late at night?’ or ‘Why was she wearing this or that?’ If you think about it, these are ridiculous statements. Everyone should have the right to wear what they want and walk freely around campus,” she said.

Windham said the university could do more to prevent sexual assault and stated that MSU should provide more education to students about the danger of being attacked.

“Being educated about sexual assault and domestic violence is the best way to protect yourself because there are so many myths surrounding the topic.”

The Take Back the Night event was established as a good place to get involved and help spread knowledge about rape, assault and violence against women. Take Back the Night is a day full of events that raise awareness about sexual assault and domestic violence. Typically, the day consists of a march around campus, which symbolizes a unified resistance to violence against women, as well as short skits to raise awareness and a candle light vigil. This year Take Back the Night will be held on April 21, 2010 during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

MSU does offer some services to students who might be walking alone late at night.

“There is a two hour self-defense class that I recommend,” Allswede said. “Also, there are people who will accompany you on a walk home or to your car if you’re leaving the library after dark.”

The green lights on campus have proven to be quite affective as well.

“If a button is pushed, someone will be there as immediately as possible to help,” Allswede said. “Ideally, the best way to signal help using the green lights is to continue pushing them as you run from your attacker, though it’s difficult to plan such a calculated route.”

In addition, MSU Safe Place is an on-campus program for students, faculty, staff and retirees in the Lansing area who have experienced sexual assault or domestic violence. It offers counseling and other educational programs about abuse and assault, as well as a confidential place to stay for victims who experience continuous domestic violence or need somewhere to hide.

Olin Health Center and Sparrow Hospital also provide support for students who have been sexually assaulted. Both have a 24-hour crisis line available to anyone who has been a victim of rape or assault, needs medical attendance or would like resources regarding what to do after an incident. Sparrow’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program offers a confidential examination, STD treatment, referrals, emergency contraception and education for victims. For more information and counseling, contact the Sexual Assault Program located in the Student Services Building. The program is part of MSU’s counseling center and is offered to anyone in the area who has been a victim of sexual assault. Last year the program helped over 300 people with legal or medial aid and acted as a place to go for those who were afraid and confused after an assault incident.