Welcome to The 1909, the podcast that takes an in-depth look at The State News’ biggest stories of the week, while bringing in new perspectives from the reporters who wrote them.
Wednesday, January 22nd, and this is the 19 09, State News' Weekly podcast featuring our reporters talking about the news. I'm your host, Alex Walters. This week, students are back to campus, back to classes, and so we're gonna hear a little bit about some news that you might have missed while you were home for break, and then a little bit about something new that you can expect, being back on campus. And here to tell us all about it is one of our reporters, Damonte Thomas. It's great to have you on the show.
Demonte:Thanks, for having me, Alex. Appreciate it.
Alex:Yeah. You were actually working over break, like many of us, so thank you for that, covering the news that came up, and you've been working this week. So we're hoping you can give students a little bit of, you know, what they miss and what they can expect. Mhmm. We're gonna start with kind of a downer.
Demonte:Yeah.
Alex:Not a fun story. People hate when dogs die, and this is an example of that.
Demonte:Yes.
Alex:Tell us about, you know, a familiar dog face around campus people might not be seeing anymore.
Demonte:Coming back
Alex:from break.
Demonte:Yes. MSU Department of Pub Police and Public Public Safety, posted on social media that their canine therapy dog, River, who's very popular, around campus, unfortunately passed away from a form of terminal cancer. You know, they spoke about how, you know, River's presence on campus, you know, just kinda made it easier for students who, you know, were, you know, simply just going through, like, a bad day or, you know, they were just looking forward to just seeing River.
Alex:Can you clarify, like, this wasn't a police dog, right, in the traditional sense of, like, sniffing bombs or dead bodies or whatnot? Yes. It was just sort of like a dog they would trot around for
Demonte:Mhmm.
Alex:For what reason?
Demonte:Yes. So River, he was a special canine dog. As you mentioned, he wasn't, a a canine, like canine police dog who would sniff bombs or whatnot, but he was more of a comfort canine. You know, if there were, days in which there were events where therapy dogs would be present, 9.9 times out of 10, River will always be there.
Alex:I mean, this dog was was super visible. I remember seeing this thing at, like, every, events, participation, different stuff like that, kind of student fairs, and just around campus day to day. I think a lot of people interacted with it. Mhmm. And, you know, not to editorialize, but I mean, I think I'm being objective at saying the dog was adorable.
Alex:Yes. Like, this is a great dog. Yes. I didn't know dogs could get cancer.
Demonte:Yes. So according to MUD PPS, apologies to our viewers as they try to pronounce, the name of the terminal cancer. But they said River, you know, he passed away after a brief battle of Hermen Geosarcoma, which is a very aggressive form of terminal cancer. One student I spoke to, she, you know, she expressed her sadness about learning about River's passing Yeah. And acknowledged that, there was the event scheduled, for River's appearance, but, he wasn't there.
Demonte:And
Alex:She was expecting to see him
Demonte:in Yes. She was expecting to see him, and he was not there. So I believe this was around the time where he started receiving his care from the, MSU, animal hospital. But the the post itself went further into, you know, thanking his handler, lieutenant Kim, apologies again. Lieutenant Kim Parvian, just thanking her for her, just love and support that she gave River.
Alex:This was the officer that was responsible for kinda trotting the dog around. Mhmm.
Demonte:Yes. Well,
Alex:what a, tough start to break news. Mhmm. You know? The dog people hate that.
Demonte:Yes.
Alex:What about lighting things up? Also over break, you covered kind of the opposite of, like, an adorable dog dying.
Demonte:Oh, yeah.
Alex:Someone getting a medal. Yes. You know? Yes. A couple of MSU's own, including MSU's former interim president, went to Washington DC to receive presidential medals.
Alex:Tell us first, tell me about Teresa Woodrow's medal.
Demonte:Yeah. So former interim president Teresa Woodrow, over break, she was among 13 recipients of the National Medal of Science, which is awarded to those deserving of recognition for their contributions to science, during a ceremony in Washington DC, on January 3rd. Now this is not her first presidential award that she receiving or or that she received, I should say. She received her first one, that was awarded the presidential award for excellence in science, mathematics, and engineering mentoring by then president Barack Obama in an overall fist ceremony, back in 2011.
Alex:And that seems sort of extraordinary to receive multiple of these presidential medals.
Demonte:Oh, yes.
Alex:That's a big accomplishment.
Demonte:Yes. Yes. The award itself, as I just, explained, it goes out to those who are really deserving for it. You know, what drove she was recognized for her, you know, scientific strides she made, back in Northwestern University during her time there.
Alex:If you talk a little bit more about this this research that she actually did, if you could call it oncofertility, I guess, the field.
Demonte:Yes. Oncofertility, it's a, it's a medical field that Woodrow for self created, that combines oncology and reproductive health. And pretty much with her research, it has, in words of a current MSG president, Kevin Gutzwicks, given thousands of patients and their families hope for a better future. So the research itself, it saved tons of lives.
Alex:Well, and I think just allowed a lot of people to conceive children post cancer when
Demonte:Yes.
Alex:Previously that wasn't well studied. Yes. And it's interesting too, Woodruff, because, like, around here, especially here at the paper, the way that we write about her as administrator Mhmm. I mean, she's she's a controversial figure. Like, the whole scandal with Sanjay Gupta and the way that she handled that really, like, pitted people against each other.
Alex:And then this ensuing very expensive investigation from Quinn Emanuel, she was opposed to it. The board really wanted it. And the findings were sort of like a conclusive summary of what happened, but still left it open to interpretation for, like, whether or not her decision was justified. Different people feel different ways. She's here through the shooting.
Alex:She's here through Mel Tucker. She comes in after all the drama with Stanley. And, of course, she's written about at length in Miller Chevalier's report about this bullying from the board and the board trying to coordinate these attacks against her with students. And so it's like she's a subject of so much controversy and just, like, kind of drama and talk as an administrator at MSU. And so it's kinda funny now that, like, she's back in the lab immediately, another one of these presidential medals and, like, is back to sort of being, I think, undisputedly, like, a very gifted researcher and scientist.
Alex:Mhmm. It's it's so much less complicated than this legacy that she's left as an administrator. Yeah. Was a kind of an interesting reminder of that so soon after she left the president's office.
Demonte:Oh, yes. Yes.
Alex:Tell me about too, not just former MSU interim president, Woodruff, got a medal, but a very prominent MSU alumni was also honored.
Demonte:Yes. So Irvin, who goes by Magic Magic Johnson, he among 19 recipients at a ceremony held at the White House received the presidential medal of freedom, which is, to our viewers who may not know what that is, the nation's highest civilian honor. It was awarded by, now former president US president Joe Biden. And, you know, yeah, Johnson, he is a legend here at Michigan State. He played from 1977
Alex:all
Demonte:the way up to 1979. And within that same year, he got drafted, with the by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Alex:And Well, that was the national
Demonte:championship team. Oh, yes. Yeah. Yes. You know, he he led MSU to, you know, great heights, and he led the LA Lakers to even greater heights.
Demonte:So he made his stride at Swifton World of Sports. But after retiring, he gained more of a prominent voice with his entrepreneurship, the Magic Johnson Foundation, him giving back to his community, including Glancing, where he's born and raised, and just giving out bunch bunch of scholarships and just really overall just giving back to the community that supported him through him through. So Yeah. Yes.
Alex:And we should mention too, as you note in your story, not maybe necessarily directly tied to MSU, but also George Romney, Yes. Michigan governor also received one of these medals, someone who, if you go back through the archives, was written about many times in the pages of state news when he was governor. Yes. Especially back in the day when state news was started doing more capital coverage. So
Demonte:Oh, yes.
Alex:Yeah. Look at that. MSU in DC. Talk of the town. Well, okay.
Alex:Let's go back to East Lansing, and let's stop talking about what happened over break and get into what's going on right now. Students are turning to campus. They're fighting the cold, obviously, as we both experienced today, But also, sort of a new offering on campus, the multicultural center. It's fine. I mean, it was under construction for a long time in a very visible place.
Alex:I'm sure we've all seen it walking by it and whatnot. But now it's open. You can go in there. Tell me a little bit about, let's go through the history of the building too just like, I mean, so many years of activism towards getting it finally getting approved a couple years ago and then being built. But now tell me about if a student wants to go there, what what can they expect?
Alex:When should they go? How should they, you know, best enjoy the space? And you actually heard a little bit from MSU, from the current president about what he's hoping for with the space.
Demonte:Yes. So for those who are not familiar with the multicultural center, it is a building that has been advocated for for literal decades. Mhmm. Past, the past, present, MSU, the Spartans, they advocated for this building, for as long as they have. Particularly the Black Student Alliance, you have groups like OCAT, and bunch of other groups just asking MSU, like, hey.
Demonte:You know, we would like a building to where it not only represents one community, but represents everyone at MSU. And, you know, it took a bunch of years in construction this past couple years. But now the multicultural center is open. And the
Alex:building itself,
Demonte:you know, it houses study rooms. It's, itself, you know, it houses study rooms. It's, it's primarily just open to anyone who would like to use it, not in any sense. But, you know, if you wanna go there to study, you can. If you have a student organization and would like to hold meetings there, you can do just that.
Alex:Because part of it, I I think I remember right, was that some of these, like, kind of shared affinity student groups, they wanted, like, a dedicated space where, like, the BSA, for example, could have their but you're saying that in addition to being a meeting space, students can also just go and just hang out and study in Yes.
Demonte:A nice time. Yes. I personally went inside the building, and it's absolutely beautiful.
Alex:Tell me more about what's it like inside. What did you do?
Demonte:Yes. So, the building itself, it's 2 stories high. Mhmm. I'm just gonna kinda compare it to, the, the College of Business building.
Alex:The new Minskoff Pavilion?
Demonte:Yes. Similar
Alex:to, like, all the glass and everything.
Demonte:Oh, yes. The glass, the staircase where it's you can actually sit on it. It has outlets embedded within
Alex:Oh, does it have one of those staircases too?
Demonte:Yes.
Alex:That's a nice spot for studying.
Demonte:Oh, yeah. Yeah. I, briefly sat sat there just, you know, worked, just really observing and, all of the beauty that is that building. Not only just observing and the beauty of building, but, you know, just really recognizing that this is a building. Though it most people see it as a building, it's something that has been advocated for for decades, and it's part of MSU's, fight to making sure the university is diverse for everyone, which brings me, to Martin Luther King Day.
Alex:Mhmm.
Demonte:Yesterday, I covered the, MO the annual commemorative, Martin Luther King Day, March. The event itself, yes, it was held within the, I am gym, because it was negative cold outside, like negative degrees of weather, like it is today. But, you know, the event was hosted by the MLK Day planning committee and the MSU divine 9 National Pan Hellenic Council. And, you know, the whole purpose of this ceremony was to honor the life and legacy that was doctor Martin Luther King Junior, which I'm not sure if most of our students know, but he came by MSU. He visited MSU, back on February 11, 1965.
Demonte:He spoke to a room filled with more than 4,000 students and residents that was set to, you know, kinda kick off the university's fundraising drive for the all university student government sponsored student education program. It's a mouthful or otherwise known as step. But, MSU leadership, like president Gus Wicks and the vice president and chief diversity officer, Jabar Bennett, was present. They both spoke. And within, you know, Gus Wicks' speech, he spoke about, you know, just the honor and legacy of the work that doctor King has done, which kinda led to more things just happening within MSU, like the multicultural center or the AAAS, or I should say African American studies and African studies, program, just spoke about how the work that doctor King has done, it can be work that, you know, Spartans everywhere can continue doing, and which comes back a full circle, to the multicultural center.
Alex:You're saying that's a part of that is the opening of this finally?
Demonte:Yes. And the build DODO building is opened. There will be a, a grand opening, ceremony held in February. I believe February 9th. I don't wanna speculate, but it will be within, the 1st few weeks of February, according to Guswicks and according to MSU.
Demonte:But But
Alex:it is that that's, like, the kind of grand opening party. But right now, you can go in there. It's open. Yes. I see.
Demonte:Yes. As of right now, students everywhere, they're more than happy to go inside the building. It's fully opened, but, come February, there will be a ceremony just, officially opening, the multicultural center. So
Alex:That's great. Well, Damonte, thanks for coming on the show and telling us what we missed over break and something to, check out now that we're back on campus.
Demonte:Yeah. Thank you. Yeah.
Alex:So that's, that's all for now. We'll be back next week with fresh reporting from the great minds here at State News. Until then, the stories we talked about today and plenty more are all available at statenews.com. Thanks to Damonte, my guest, our podcast coordinator, Taylor. But most of all, thank you for listening.
Alex:For the 9/9, I'm Alex Walters.