So, who is the field for?

Sparrow's Superstars. A Lansing T-ball team for physically and mentally handicapped children that are treated at Sparrow Hospital.

Right now, the team is playing on ballparks in Lansing that are sometimes too bumpy, sometimes too hard to access and certainly unfriendly to their needs. They hardly notice, though--or complain. They're just happy to be hitting the ball, running the bases and pounding their mitts like regular old players.

And that's what makes the field so worth it. These five, six, seven and even 13-year-olds wouldn't feel slighted in the least if they didn't get their own grand and expensive field. They're just excited that its happening.

I got to talk to two of the players at the spaghetti dinner, 5-year-old Sonya Webster and 13-year-old Katie Frayer, pictured below (taken by my lovely photographer, Audrey Aquino).

Sonya Webster, 5

Katie Frayer, 13

Sonya has cerebral palsy, and Katie has arthrogryposis, and really these pictures say it all. Sonya was just as you'd expect a 5 year old to be, precocious, antsy and curious. And Katie, young though she looks, was mature and collected, and most of all comfortable with herself.

I didn't get to meet a lot of the team, though. Like Ethan Fox, the Butterfly Child, who was featured in a Lansing State Journal video by Ryan Loew. If you have the time, it's really worth it to watch.

A couple of weeks ago, I met a group of extraordinary people at the Hannah Community Center.

The Spartan Competitive Cheer team was hosting a spaghetti dinner and silent auction there in one of the banquet halls as a fundraiser, but instead of just raising money for themselves, they chose to donate 10 percent of it to a group called Case Cares.

Sounds pretty boring, I know. That's what I thought too going into it. But Case Cares is a nonprofit branch of Case Credit Union dedicated to "making a difference for those in need." Specifically, their goal right now is to build a "Miracle Field," (a baseball field for physically handicapped children) with the help of the Miracle League in Valley Park in Dewitt Township. It's supposed to look something like this one in Alabama:

http://www.miracleleague.com/photogallery.html

But you're probably still not thoroughly convinced that this is at all interesting. And it isn't...yet. Because it's who this field is for that makes it significant. It's for people you'd look at twice in a restaurant, but might not think about for the rest of your life. People you feel a passing sympathy for. People you take for granted.

Find out in the next blog post.

American Red Cross Campus Challenge, Part II

WE LOST. 2,019 units to 2,008 units. Only 11 units, seriously! I guess now we better beat them in football on Saturday.

We were in the lead the entire time, but Penn State came back at the end with a 550 unit surge. That's whole lot of blood, which everyone should be really be thinking about. Between the universities, that's 12,081 lives potentially saved. Something like that is way more important than winning or losing. I heard some really great stories and met some really great people and in the end, there's always next year.

If you want to see MSU's progress throughout the three weeks of the challenge this year, though, check out the graphic I made.

Or, prepare yourself for some pictures, which you can see on the graphic, too:

Gerrit, who was a little nervous, getting his blood drawn.

The needle in the arm, since pictures are forbidden at any other point.

All of the blood donating supplies.

The blood was drained into a bag under the table.

American Red Cross Campus Challenge

The Red Cross Campus Challenge began on Nov. 1 this year with a kickoff at Buffalo Wild Wings. For the last four years, we've lost to Penn State. Whether it's because we lack the giving qualities that they have, or whether it's because it's just been good competition, I'm not sure. Maybe we have all just recently gotten tattoos during that time? Or have the flu?

Just kidding. But that's my case (the tattoo I mean), so I have a good excuse. I'm terrible with needles and I get extremely queasy anyways, too. One time, I almost fainted when I was getting my blood drawn. It's not good.

But seriously, if you donate one pint of blood, you can save THREE lives...maybe. I talked to a nurse who's been volunteering for the Red Cross for about three years, but worked in a hospital for 35, and she said that the blood can be separated into three components -- platelets, red blood cells, and plasma. Depending on what a person needs, the components could go to three different people. There's also a bunch of other really cool and eye-opening facts about blood donation -- too many to list -- so you should check them out for yourself!

Anyways, go state. There will be drives every day until November 18th at places like the Union, the International Center, and residence halls, and you can either make an appointment or just walk-in. It takes an hour of your time. And it's worth it. If you don't believe me, listen to Wyclef, because he's famous: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkW_Oczg5dE&feature=related

Higher Education, Higher Priority (Part II)

Completely awful. And disappointing. And embarrassing.

All of zero students showed up, save for the ones that were a part of ASMSU. The sparse crowd consisted mainly of reporters, the aforementioned ASMSU kids and random adults. It may have totaled about 40 people, if that.

I guessed it almost as soon as I got there, after seeing empty chairs with ten minutes to go and overhearing ASMSU representatives' frantic discussion and references to a "flop."

Speeches were unoriginal and expected, lacking the same momentum and energy of the rally. Here's a video of Mark Meadow's speech.

What I found most interesting was that Joan Bauer presented the issue of higher education funding as one that was sort of stuck, for lack of a better word, where it was. She said that without a voice next year, an unavoidable decrease in funding was likely to happen again next year. From the looks of it, the voice will once again be nonexistent.

I asked two girls on my floor why they didn't go to the rally, and got the typical, uninterested answers that are attributed to students by politicians and adults.

Who knows who is to blame. But it's pathetic, in any which way you look at it.

Higher Education, Higher Priority

Recently, funding for higher education has not been the highest priority in Michigan's budget appropriations, which has taken on a toll on its public universities. For this reason, ASMSU, Michigan State University's student government, has organized a rally Friday (today), titled "Higher Education, Higher Priority," to protest the cuts that are causing tuition rates to rise and undergraduate programs to be eliminated.

The rally does not "seek to change the past," but rather, to emphasize what students are looking for in the future, according to an article published in the State News written by ASMSU's president Chris Schotten.

Well, duh. Unless ASMSU has a time machine, we're not going to be able to go back and rewrite the 2011 fiscal year budget report. Even if they did, though, I'm not sure a rally would initiate any change. Earth to our student government -- rallies rarely work, especially when they're on a Friday, hardly advertised and meant to consist of 19-24-year-olds. Voting works. Full-scale revolution works (sometimes, and I'm not advocating it, just being dramatic). But rally's -- they're complicated. I'm interested to see how many people show up.

Anyways, speakers at the rally will include State Representative Mark Meadows, D-East Lansing, State Representative Joan Bauer, D-Lansing, and Brenda Lawrence, Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, to name a few.

What should be especially interesting is what Joan Bauer will have to say, considering she chairs the Higher Education Appropriations Committee. I'm not sure how you can find common ground with people in front of you protesting your very own decisions, but hey, most politicians are good at talking around things anyways.

Well, I'm off to Lansing.

Stay tuned for a review of the rally afterwards!

MSU v. Minnesota (Part 2)

Well, we came out with the win. 31-8, not bad at all. Edwin Baker tore apart Minnesota's defense, running for 179 yards and scoring all four of the Spartan's touchdowns.

Now, it's time to take this game and transition forward to Nov. 20 against Purdue, who lost to Wisconsin today 34-13. Yes, the Spartans have a week off, but it's no time to relax. As was seen last weekend, anything can happen, and no team is perfect.

After a win against Purdue, Penn State would be the only team in between the Spartans and a possible Big Ten conference championship--something all MSU fans are hoping for, and something that could allow us to forgive the team for the embarassing Iowa loss. It's a chance for redemption.

In other news, Michigan won 67-65 in triple overtime against Illinois. Boo.

To read a review of MSU's game, however, check out the Lansing State Journal's article.