By Rebecca Nelson

The Asian Studies Center at Michigan State University will be tipping its hat to Japanese culture throughout the month.  The celebration will include a series of events that have been carefully planned out by students in the hospitality business class at MSU.  Although the campus-wide recognition of Japan has been an annual occurrence for decades, this is the first year of a month-long festivity.

“Our hope is that by focusing on a region for an entire month, we can provide a wide range of activities that will appeal to a diverse group of people. We hope that we have put together a program that has something for everyone,” explained Leslie Jablonski, coordinator of the Asian Studies Center.

The events began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, Feb. 27, to announce “The Dolls of Japan: Shapes of Prayer, Embodiments of Love,” which will be displayed in the International Center Lobby until the end of the month.

The film "Ran" was screened in honor of Japan Month on Wednesday, March 14.

The travelling exhibit showcases more than 70 representative dolls from Japan including Girls’ Festival dolls and Boys’ Day dolls, dolls associated with performing arts, regional dolls from throughout the country and “creative dolls” made by Japanese craftsman.

“They reflect the customs of Japan and have regionally distinctive attributions,” Jablonski said. “These dolls are more than toys; they tell the story of the Japanese people, their history and their aspirations. This exhibit has been a truly wonderful opportunity for us; we’ve already seen a great deal of interest in it, and the fact that it can be viewed by anyone, at any time, is such a bonus.”

The opening ceremony also featured a keynote from Kuninori Matsuda, Consul General of Japan in Detroit, as well as a presentation by professor Ethan Segal that commemorated the year of challenges that have faced Japan since the tsunami in March of last year.

“We wanted the opportunity to remember the devastating events of March 11th, 2011 in Japan. So, hosting Japan Month during March was perfect,” Jablonski said.

Also occurring in honor of Japan Month is the highly anticipated 19th Annual Michigan Japanese Quiz Bowl.  Japanese students in grades K-12 will compete in a quiz-show style competition, allowing students to exercise their knowledge of spoken and written Japanese language and culture.  Since its start almost 20 years ago, the Michigan Japanese Quiz Bowl has grown into quite the competitive occasion, complete with a final awards ceremony.

Jablonski explained, “The goal of the Asian Studies Center is to promote education of Asia topics at Michigan State and across the Lansing Community.  We hope to provide opportunities that allow individuals to partake in cultural exchanges, giving them the chance to learn something that perhaps they didn’t know.”

“One of the reasons that I wanted to attend MSU was for the cultural experience,” said MSU grad Colleen Keehn. “Coming from a small town, I missed out on that and I think it’s wonderful that we are part of such a diverse university that offers opportunities such as these.”

It’s important to celebrate all cultures and learn about each other’s beliefs and cultural experiences.  Understanding others has a variety of benefits; we can become better students, teachers, parents and scholars, and it will ultimately make us better people. A lot of misconceptions exist between groups of people, and learning helps us to better appreciate one another.

“The importance of Japan Month is great,” said French exchange student Mathieu Bouchaud.  “It’s not very often that a culture is celebrated and appreciated for an entire month, and learning about the world and its people is imperative for every individual.  We should feel so lucky to be a part of this.”

As Japanese peace activist Daisaku Ikeda stated, “People can only live fully by helping others to live. Cultures can only realize their full richness by honoring other traditions. And only by respecting life can humanity continue to exist.”

I got the opportunity to be a photographer at the ATD Fashion Show this year!  It was so much fun being able to shoot the models throughout the day.  Enjoy my take on the show…I think you’ll like it!

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Welcome to the March edition of Global View Goes Out to Eat!

In this episode: I eat goat! We meet a real Jamaican, who for some inexplicable reason has chosen to live in Lansing, Michigan! I finally find out where Club Excel is!

Hey, guys. So in honor of Spring Break (which I am leaving for in a matter of hours, so sorry if this is rushed but honestly I value the beach more than I do this column), I have chosen to check out an authentic Jamaican restaurant this month.

Palace of Jamaica

Yes, there is a Jamaican restaurant in the East Lansing area. I’m surprised you’ve missed it as it’s appropriately named Palace of Jamaica and its exterior is emblazoned with green, yellow and black, the iconic colors of the Jamaican flag (you’ve seen Cool Runnings, haven’t you?). Oh wait, I know why you haven’t seen this place – it’s in downtown Lansing. And here, I repeat a slightly abbreviated version of my Lansing manifesto.

Students don’t go to downtown Lansing. You should go to downtown Lansing. Why? It’ a very short drive away. Parking is free after 6 p.m. Everything there is way less crowded by students. It’s fun and cool and you find interesting things there like hole-in-the-wall Jamaican restaurants.

And this place really is the definition of hole-in-the-wall, so although it was very good, if that’s not your thing, this might not be the place to you. It’s a tiny, two-table place between on the corner of Washington Square and Kalamazoo, next to a liquor store. It’s actually just down the street from Thai Village, which I reviewed in my first edition of this column. So far I can definitively say, Washington Square = good food.

Sidenote: If you take Michigan Avenue straight west from East Lansing then turn left on Washington Square, you pass Club Excel on your way there. I know! I always thought Club Excel was an urban legend! And that if I ever went to one of those parties there that everyone is always getting Facebook invites for, I’d probably get killed Craigslist-killer-style because it didn’t really exist! It actually looked pretty nice.

Anyways. The inside of Palace of Jamaica is pretty cool. Again, it’s tiny (I get the feeling they mostly do takeout business), but very interesting. The walls, like the exterior, are painted green, yellow and black and appropriately decorated with Bob Marley pictures, among other things. This place takes the stereotype to the fullest (at least aesthetically) and I’m into it. Also, the owner/chef was sitting right behind the counter watching YouTube videos – no headphones – the whole time we were there, which added a certain something to the atmosphere (Justin Bieber’s “Baby”, anyone?)

Inside Palace of Jamaica

But let’s get down to the important stuff – the food. There are no menus at Palace of Jamaica (well there’s actually a list of things taped to the counter, but I didn’t see that until we paid, so I’m sticking with no menus). When we walked in and sat down, the owner/chef just told us a few options and we picked from those.

There were no vegetarian options, though, so when my friend told him she was a vegetarian, he just gave her kind of a squinting look. But, he later delivered what she reported to be an amazing vegetarian meal (even though she had absolutely no idea what was coming). It was essentially rice and beans with a bunch of veggies and some sauce. From my point of view, there seemed to be pretty much every vegetable in existence thrown in there: bell pepper, corn, broccoli, onion, carrot, cabbage, peas, asparagus, zucchini and green beans were immediately identifiable. The sauce was kind of a mix of spicy and sweet, but not sweet like I generally expect Jamaican food to be (like with cinnamon and cloves). I can’t really think of how else to describe it so clearly I’m a terrible imitation of a food writer and you should stop reading right now. But please don’t, actually.

The vegetarian option

My second friend got the jerk chicken, and I got the curry goat (basically because it was the most interesting option offered). Both entrees came with rice and beans, steamed cabbage and fried plantains. The jerk chicken had a similar spice to the vegetarian dish, a mix of spicy and sweet, but definitely not the jerk chicken they make in the cafeteria, that stuff that has like little pieces of mango on top. The curry goat was a totally different flavor. I’ve never had goat before, but it was kind of like a cross between lamb and beef but with a more game-y flavor, if that makes sense. The curry sauce reminded me a lot of Indian-style curries, but not as spicy. This dish isn’t for the faint of heart – there are pretty big bones scattered throughout, but it was definitely something cool to try.

The rice and beans were a standard version of this dish, but done very well. One of my friends said it was her favorite thing about the meal. Personally, I really like the steamed cabbage, which is weird because I never really thought I liked cabbage that much. But this was actually very similar to the cabbage I had at the Ethiopian place, Altu’s: it was buttery and mild, without the strong flavor you might associate with cabbage. The final side, fried plantains, was the most universally liked item. “My new favorite thing,” one friend said. “Kind of like a sweet potato chip.” That is actually a really good description, because although I was expecting the equivalent of fried bananas, the plantains were really very starchy with just a hint of sweetness. Plus a crispy outside =

Jerk chicken, rice and beans, steamed cabbage and a fried plantain

heaven.

We also got ginger beers with our meal. Ginger beer is basically ginger-flavored pop (it’s non-alcoholic) but it’s kind of spicy in a very non-American-style-pop kind of way. It was also super sweet, which was kind of too much on its own, but went really well with the spicy food. If you like ginger, I would highly recommend giving this a try.

My conclusions about this place:

-       You should probably go here, if only to observe a Rastafarian listen to Justin Bieber on YouTube

-       Try something interesting off the menu, just because this is an interesting place

-       You might want to try takeout if you’re uncomfortable being the only person in there/in close quarters with the chef

-       Fried plantains are bomb

-       SPRING BREAK ’12!!!!!!!

By Erica Turner

As of 2011, the average 18-24 year old sent and received about 50 text messages per day.  One can only imagine that with the new iPhones, Blackberrys and other technologies, that number has only skyrocketed.  It is no surprise then that a majority of people use text messaging as a dominant means of communication with friends, family and partners out of convenience.

“I text my boyfriend during the day while he’s working and I’m at school,” said communications junior Taylor Lundgren. “We can’t talk on the phone because we’re both busy, but it’s an easy way to exchange brief messages throughout the day.”

Texting can be thought of as an art form; carefully structured with emoticons and extensive exclamation points to convey a certain message.  But these constructs mean different things to different people, so there can be a discrepancy between what you intended to say and what you actually said.

Sarcasm, voice inflection and other non-verbal cues are virtually non-existent over text messaging and can cause unnecessary problems or undesirable situations when communicating with partners.

“I don’t ever use sarcasm in a text message unless it’s accompanied by a smiley face or wording that’s obviously different from how I usually speak so that he can tell I’m in a silly mood,” said Lundgren.

But sometimes, it is not just the content of the text that is causing problems.  Lack of response or partners concealing text messages can cause just as many issues, if not more.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

“I have gotten in an argument about that; for being shady about text messages,” said communications junior Kara Folas.  ”Guys get really protective about their phone and who they’re texting, and I get annoyed about that very easily.”

Texting just adds an additional complex factor into the mix of communication and is commonly skewed, which is why it is important to not rely on it too much.

Relationship coach Quentin McCall said a majority of your communication with your partner should occur face-to-face.  McCall said that if 50 percent or more of your communication with your partner is by means of technology, it is time to reconsider your communication habits.

Also, realizing when texting is or is not the appropriate channel for communicating a message is can help you decipher between weather to use texting or an alternative method of communication.

For starters, whether you are interested in ending a relationship or taking it to the next level, text messaging is not the appropriate means of doing so.  Break-ups, first ‘I love yous’ and serious conversations should never be communicated through texting, e-mails or other technologies.

“I think its absurd to have serious talks via texting, but sometimes I find myself forgetting to say something to his face, or I rethink the situation and have different views or something to add, so I then use texting,” said Folas.

Folas also reported never ending a relationship via text out of respect for the other person, which seems to be the general consensus on campus.

“A text is among the most insulting ways to end a relationship with someone,” said supply chain management junior Joe Ferstle.

So keeping the content of the message appropriate for the channel will help you to competently communicate with partners, but texting still gives rise to other issues that are evident in relationships.

Texting lets partners be in constant contact with one another and can create pressure on those involved to keep the conversation going.  But this pressure can cause you to disclose information that you would not ordinarily in face-to-face interactions.

“I think texting is a really nice way to talk to your significant other throughout the day when you’re busy,” Lundgren said.

“I do think however that it takes away from face-to-face or verbal conversations during the ‘getting to know each other process.”

Psychologist John Suler said this is the result of disinhibition effect.

“It’s a double-edged sword.  Sometimes people share very personal things about themselves…and as a result intimacy develops,” said Suler.

But this intimacy can develop too quickly and leave feelings regret and awkwardness.

The disinhibition effect is caused by the lack of non-verbal communication cues that text messaging fails to convey.  Try to be conscious of this while texting, so that you can avoid unnecessary disclosure that could end up hindering your relationship.

But even when you are monitoring the content, situations and disclosure of your messages, the context where you choose to send messages is also a factor in communicating effectively.

Not only have miscommunications while texting destroyed existing relationships with the recipient, but they can also damage relationships of potential partners.

Ferstle said that it bothers him when people are texting during professional events or affairs where good manners are expected.

Texting while on dates or in the midst of a conversation with someone else can be seen as disrespectful, rude and can give people the wrong impression.  Be attentive to those you are with and save the texting for your own time.

However, despite all of the potentially negative effects, when texting is used correctly, it can be used to help relationships prosper.

“Texting is a good way to reach out and follow up with someone you’ve just met.  It is a more immediate way of telling the person you’re interested and would like to see him/her again,” said psychologist and author Diana Kirschner.

But be warned. Kirschner also said too much texting can be seen as overbearing and desperate.  Keep it in moderation and avoid the late night intoxicated texts to make sure you are not creating any problems or situations you will end up regretting later.

Clearly, texting is a convenient way to help partners stay in contact with each other, but its damaging effects should be recognized to help people avoid detrimental situations.  Use it correctly, and its positive effects will be evident in your current relationships and even help you generate a few new relationships.

By Emily Green

Would you spend $150 on an evening of appetizers, dinner and entertainment? Well, 256 guests already have making the 61st annual Les Gourmets officially sold out for 2012. Les Gourmets is a student-run dining experience that is hosted by the School of Hospitality Business at MSU.

The occasion is primarily run by students alone, although there are some faculty advisers to lend a helping hand and support during the preparation and actual event.

“We have guest chefs and faculty advisers who are there to be mentors, but students have the final say on decisions,” said chief financial officer and hospitality business senior Nicole Scherff.

“[I] provide them with information that mirrors the highest of industry standards,” said Chef Allan Sherwin, one the faculty advisers for Les Gourtmets.

Chef Sherwin also shared that some past students have gone on to work in the industry at some very well-known venues and cities such as the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, Event Planning in Las Vegas, New York, Chicago and Miami, to name a few.

The students involved in this event are very dedicated and enthusiastic about their work. They work hard to make the evening a success and a night that the guests will not soon forget by planning and hiring the entertainment for the night, as well as completely transforming the space, the Big Ten rooms in Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. Through decorations corresponding to the theme that they have chosen for the year, the guests feel as though they have stepped into an entirely different world.  Because the students have the responsibility of planning the entire event, they make sure it is well thought out and runs smoothly every single year.

Les Gourmets is a non-profit event that runs on help and several types of donations. Assistant executive director and hospitality business junior Sam Patterson said there are food donations that go toward the event, volunteer food donations which go to the people who are working and helping make the event happen (so they have something to eat while the event is going on) and cash donations that go towards paying for the performances and decorations.

Each year there is a theme chosen that will be represented throughout the evening. This year’s theme is Pure Michigan.

“The theme is hitting close to home, and we are trying to promote and provide locally for the event,” said Brittany Friddell, chief executive officer and hospitality business senior.

The theme is emulated throughout the night through decorations as well as the menu. Some local sources that may be providing resources for the event are the MSU Student Organic Farm and the MSU Dairy Store.

“I will definitely tell you that when guests walk into the Kellogg, it will be transformed into everything they love about Michigan, the trees, the water, etc.,” said director of marketing and hospitality business senior Courtney Johnson.

The arts and entertainment department posted a few hints on the Les Gourmets blog about the decorations for the occasion:

“We are working hard to capture the beauty of our state through décor and entertainment. Some interpretations you can expect to be literal, while others aim to capture the essence of great landmarks and pieces of Michigan culture… Guests can expect a nod to the natural beauty of our state (think beautiful greens and blues), and representations of the industrial city of Detroit in its “Motown” hay-day.”

Along with great decorations representing Michigan throughout the night, they plan and taste test the food for the night to make sure it both looks and tastes amazing. There will be various unique and flavorful foods showcasing the best of Michigan. The chefs are trying to get most of the food locally to go along with the theme.

“We are trying to find non-typical Michigan items for the menu, not just apples and cherries,” said assistant Heart of House director and hospitality business senior Freddie Wurster. Heart of House is the Les Gourmets department for chefs and cooking volunteers.

“Pure Michigan is a special theme for us,” said Heart of House director and hospitality business senior Nate Redner. “There are lots of great products across the state that we want to showcase. When thinking about Michigan made products, it’s imperative that we use our campus resources, especially the MSU Dairy, featuring cheeses and potentially an ice cream collaboration.”

Since the main students chefs are all from Michigan, they are trying to choose foods that remind them of growing up here. The chefs are still going over and making slight changes to the menu even now.

“We have a good idea of what we want, but need to make sure we can execute it,” Wurster said.

Anyone who attends the event will be able to see all the great local food they end up choosing represented in the nine hors d’oeuvres, which are small bite size portions of food that you can normally eat with your hands that are served before the meal, and the seven course meal, including dessert, that make up the dinner.

“Be on the lookout for unique Michigan dishes such as vegetarian pasties, venison brochettes, morel mushrooms, shrimp raised in Okemos, barley and sweet corn risotto and apple brandy sorbet,” said Redner.

Along with a massive hors d’oeuvre selection and a multi-course feast, there are plenty of performances that will be going on throughout the night.  Some of the ideas they have planned for this year’s event are slam poetry, lyrical dance by the MSU Impulse Dance team, a jazz performance, the all-female a cappella group “Ladies First,” a Motown band and, “a special entertainment act, a wow factor,” Friddell said.

This is a big and extravagant event. The students in charge of organizing the event need some additional support which is why they hire on volunteers to give them an added hand helping out with the activities.

“The volunteers are mostly from the Hospitality Business College, but this year we did something new,” Friddell said. “We held a charity event at Gateway Community Center, and we invited some of the kids there who would be prospective MSU students to come and help out at the event. We also will be helping them by showing them what college is like and giving them jobs to do here that are related to their interests.”

Les Gourmets is an event that is planned and executed with massive amounts of hard work, dedication and love for what they are doing.

“I started with Les Gourmets my sophomore year as a volunteer, and it confirmed that this is what I want to do,” Wurster said.

“I love Les Gourmets and the challenges and lessons I will take from it will be with me long into my career — the relationships I have developed working with my peers as well as our faculty advisers are what I like best,” Johnson said.

With the positive experiences of the students who run the event, Les Gourmets can be a great environment for an aspiring chef or event coordinator to gain experience and meet other students who share their interests.

Les Gourmets will be held on March 31 at The Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. The reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. with dinner following directly after at 7 p.m. Although Les Gourmets is sold out, there is a waiting list available if you are still interested. To check this out or to look up any additional information on the event you can visit its website.

It’s been two long months since we last found out what fellow students were listening to, and now we finally get to hear what new (and old) music they’re rocking out to on their walk to and from Wells Hall.

This really has become the most interesting social experiment I get to test every month. I’ve learned quite a few things about those who use their headphones as a means to ignore you, including that they will even give you eye contact before they promptly walk away! No harm done, however, as plenty of students were more than willing to tell us what they listen to. The bridge near Wells seems to be the most musically inclined area, so watch below to find out the music blasting through those headphones. (And keep watching for a cameo from MSU’s real mascots.)

1. Per @DannySheridan1, Le’Veon Bell’s current odds on winning next year’s Heisman are 75:1. (@L_Bell24) #msu #spartans

2. Izzo, simply the best coach in America http://tinyurl.com/72lq6ux #msu #michiganstate

3. my roommate just dropped some crazy news to me #sleepwalking

4. Love that michigan people are asking to come up here to party… ill be damned if i every go back to U of M to party

5. The only valentine I received today was from my Grandma. Let me tell you that she’s the best valentine anyone could ever ask for

6. merging onto the sidewalks at msu are like merging on to a 4 lane highway #dangerous #livinglifeontheedge

7. I always think people get too in to msu basketball, but then i turn on spartan hockey and i understand… #gogreen

8. #worstdecisionofmylife Two 8:30s and an 8 am

9. I feel like a bird is gonna fly out from this guy’s dreads sitting in front of me #cleanupdude

10. Damn, some kid just out walked me to the last strawberry smoothy at Brody You got to let the dude who can barely walk get that Smh #cmonman

By Maddie Fetchiet

On March 10, 2012, the WWE Road to Wrestlemania Tour will invade the Breslin Center. Super stars like Ted DiBiase Jr., Wade Barrett, Randy Orton and many more will perform a variety of entertaining fights for the audiences of all ages.

Ted DiBiase, right. Photo, courtesy of Al Stavola, WWE Inc.

Tickets range from $15-$60, and are still available for purchase through the Wharton Center.

Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show kicks off at 7:30 p.m., so don’t miss out on a great show to end Spring Break with a bang.

I spoke with WWE sports entertainer, Ted DiBiase Jr. about his upcoming performance.

Q: How long have you been involved with WWE?

A: Going on five years, six years total in wrestling. Working with WWE is like fulfilling a childhood dream for me. My father was a wrestler very well known as the Million Dollar Man. I’m actually a third-generation wrestler; my grandpa and grandma both were wrestlers, so after I got my education I finally said ‘Dad I want to be like you.’

Q: How did you get started as a wrestler?

A: I strongly said I wanted to be a wrestler. I trained under Harley Race who was hall-of-famer, who wrestled my father and grandfather. I also spent time in Japan to get experience. Eventually WWE hired me and sent me to Tampa for their developmental program. I debuted on T.V. on May. 26, 2008, and I haven’t looked back since.

Ted DiBiase. Photo, courtesy of Al Stravola, WWE Inc.

Q: The Road to Wrestlemania Tour visits East Lansing in March…why do you think this is a good place for an event like this?

A: The great thing about WWE is it’s world wide. Michigan always has great crowds; the fans are wonderful. The WWE universe is so responsive, especially the kids who are always so excited to see us. It’s a great family outing for an affordable price.

Q: What does the East Lansing tour stop have in store for us?

A: The big show is the 7-foot Giant versus the World Heavy Weight Champion, Daniel Bryan. Street fighting is also in the mix and involves more tables and chairs and everything. The street fight will be between Randy Orton and Wade Barrett. The world’s strongest man will also be there and he’s like a grizzly bear of a man, the guy is massive, so it should be a fun time.

Q: You will be facing WWE super star, Hunico in the ring…is there anything significant about this fight?

A: We have a history because he recently broke my arm, so I’m out for revenge. It’s personal.

Q: What kind of crowd demographic do you hope to draw in for the show?

A: The great thing about WWE is it’s appealing to everyone. There’s a lot of action so it draws a lot of different people. I’m sure on a college campus it’ll be fun because they’re rowdy and fun. We feed off of the crowds so it helps us get into it.

Q: What about these upcoming performances are you excited about in particular?

A: With the big matches, they’re always exciting. Every event is special. Once you walk through curtain into the crowd, it’s a memory. It’s kind of like a drug, an adrenaline rush. I’m always eager to get in ring and compete.

By Alex Tekip

Ever since collegiate athletes were young, playing youth sports in their hometown, they have been encouraged to practice sportsmanship. Constant reminders from a dad on the sideline encouraged children to play to win, but to respect their opponent. Handshakes and compliments after games served as a code of conduct.  However, once athletes make it past peewee soccer and little league, official regulations are put into place; mandates put forth by the NCAA. Professionalism and lack there of becomes rigidly defined.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

In order to create a behavioral code of conduct for college athletes, the NCAA must first define what “sportsmanship” is. According to the NCAA’s committee for sportsmanship and ethical conduct, there are seven ideals of sportsmanship to which an athlete should adhere: respect, caring, fairness, civility, honesty, integrity, and responsibility.  The Big Ten Conference has a “BIG policy,” encouraging student athletes and fans to be bold when cheering on their team, but do so with integrity and respect for the opponent, as a great leader would.

However, the policy that hits closest to home is Michigan State University’s values regarding the behavior of athletes; such as respect, positive attitude, focus, accountability, continued improvement, and integrity. Sportsmanship policies are geared more towards fans, under the “Spartan Fans, Raise Your Shield” campaign.

Why is it that MSU does not seem to have an athletic policy directly mentioning the word “sportsmanship?”  It is likely that one reason for this is the detailed sportsmanship and athletic behavioral policies of the NCAA and the Big Ten. But, there could be another reason, one that is a little less obvious: the implications of giving a concrete definition to sportsmanship.

Juan Javier Pescador, who teaches college sports history at MSU, said a concrete code of scholarship would place even more pressure upon student athletes because they would be expected to perform with a high level of athletic ability while “(being) forced to follow a code of conduct in which they have no say.”

Pescador also believes that sports governing organizations and athletes would have a much better relationship if one could learn to listen to the other.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

“The disconnect that exists between athletes and institutions make it difficult for any athletic governing board to create a policy that is accepted by both,” Pescador said. “Athletes are of a younger generation and have a very different idea of what sportsmanship is than those of the older generation; the ones who make the rules.”

It seems what athletes and athletic administrators need is a compromise, an agreement to show respect for the game in a way that is understood and agreed upon by both sides.

In 2007, The United States Olympic program launched a campaign to promote good sportsmanship. The guidelines required athletes to follow the conventions of sportsmanlike conduct, such as “assist competitors in need,” “acknowledge competitor’s skills,” “appreciate those who support you” and “accept praise with grace and humility.”

These behaviors may seem relatively simple to enact, but it is difficult to do so in a society that gives more media attention to actions that seem to promote unsportsmanlike conduct, such as the infamous “stomp” by Detroit Lions defensive tackle, Ndamakong Suh during a heated Thanksgiving Day game.

According to a Forbe’s survey, Suh’s actions placed him at number four on the list of “Most Hated Athletes in America.”  While apologetic for his actions, Suh noted that after one foul action he was “suddenly on the same level as Skeletor–the worst.”

In a later interview with ESPN, Suh remarked on the prestige that comes with being an athlete and the importance of having a professional attitude, stating that “[playing sports] requires a calm and composed demeanor, which cannot be derailed by the game, referee calls, fans, or other players.”

This year saw another incident similar to Suh’s at the collegiate level.

During the Michigan vs. Michigan State game at Spartan Stadium this year, Michigan State defensive end William Gholston supposedly violated the Big Ten’s sportsmanship conduct rules by punching lineman Taylor Lewan and twisting the helmet of quarter back Denard Robinson. MSU and the Big Ten put Gholston’s actions, for which he was flagged during the game, under further review with the result being Gholston’s suspension from MSU’s homecoming game against Wisconsin.

While there was no arguing that some sort of consequence would come from Gholston’s actions, it is important to note that he was simply following orders.

In an Oct. 17 interview with USA Today, Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said, “We were trying to play ‘60 minutes of unnecessary roughness,’ and we were lucky that we didn’t get called on every snap.”

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

Both Gholston and Jordan Kovacs, a safety for the University of Michigan, who were also interviewed by USA Today, had the same feelings as Narduzzi.

Kovacs noted the intense rivalry between the two teams requires nothing less than playing rough, that it’s simply “how it goes.”

Gholston defended his actions saying, “Everyone makes mistakes when (they’re) trying to go hard.”

Gholston said he viewed the helmet grab as him giving it his all during a heated game which required him to do so, but the MSU athletic department as well as the Big Ten conference ultimately considered Gholston’s conduct to be “unsportsmanlike.”

According to some sports columnists and bloggers, such as ESPN.com’s Brian Bennett, the Big Ten’s intervention in this matter reflected a broken sportsmanship policy within MSU. Head football coach Mark Dantonio made very little comment on the investigation, which, according to Bennett, lasted three days longer than it should have. MSU could have made the process painless and easy by giving Gholston the one game suspension themselves, without intervention from the conference, according to Bennett.

It is situations like Gholston’s that Pescador calls into question where authority, the media and the athletes themselves view an athlete’s performance differently. Pescador said this results in miscommunication between all three of these figures (as seen in the Gholston case), and reflects the “media revolution” that is overtaking sports at all levels.

“Athletes, both at the college and professional level, have very little private life,” Pescador said. “They are subjected to a lot of pressure based on how they are perceived by the media, and must cultivate a public figure at all times. If athletes view their athletic performance as them versus regulations/authority and vice versa, they could face serious consequences, especially in their public image.”

The fourth annual Middle of the Mitten event celebrated the anniversary of The Record Lounge located in downtown East Lansing.  The musical event filled the Lansing area for two nights featuring live acoustic, folk and indi rock music from up and coming Michigan artists.  The collaboration of Michigan artists, businesses and supporters made for a truly wonderful event.  Julia Grippe captured some awesome photos of the event!  Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe

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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: Julia Grippe

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe

Photo Credit: Julia Grippe