Spartan Newsroom (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/author/cadenhandwork/)
Fresh off a weekend series against Indiana, the Michigan State softball team was looking to bounce back against in-state rival Michigan at Secchia Stadium. The Wolverines defeated the Spartans 11-5 courtesy of Keke Tholl’s three home runs.
Zeke the Wonderdog, known for his high-flying frisbee catches at Michigan State Football games, has left the Spartan Stadium crowd in awe and cheers with his performances during halftime and between plays at football games. It is a more than 45-year-long tradition and a staple hood of Michigan State football games in the fall. The tradition started in the 1970s when Gary Eisenberg, an MSU sophomore, competed with his yellow Labrador, Zeke, in several frisbee competitions. Zeke was just an ordinary dog at the time, but that would soon change.
“He was just Zeke, there was no Wonderdog there, he was just my dog,” said Eisenberg.
The two were noticed by Michigan State University when Gary and Zeke finished runner-up in the World Championship in Pasadena. After their impressive performance, they were asked to perform at an MSU home football game, and the tradition was born.
“The response was overwhelming, the students went wild they just went bananas, they would stomp the bleachers chanting Zeke Zeke Zeke,” said Eisenberg.
The original Zeke the Wonderdog performing at Spartan Stadium.
The East Lansing Public School Board met on Oct. 9 for their first school board meeting of the month. Board members listened to the progress and plan for the professional development days on five Fridays during the 2023-24 school year – and addressed critics about the efficacy of these initiatives in promoting more equity in the school district.
Assistant Superintendent Glenn Mitcham of East Lansing Public Schools gave a presentation on the professional development days and the goals and plans that the district has set forth for the development days for the 2023-24 school year. The mission statement and goals that have been set forth for the ELPS for the 2023-24 school year include sessions for teachers at the elementary and secondary schools about nurturing each child, educating all students, and building world citizens.
The sessions include forty-nine 2.5-hour sessions that teachers can choose from throughout the five professional development days this year. During the professional development days, the elementary school teachers will be primarily focused on building the SEL and PBIS alignment, while the secondary school teachers are focused on building work groups.
While some people believe that the professional development days are good for the teachers to participate in and will help students to excel in the classroom, others believe that they won’t help with the equity problems that have plagued the school district recently.
Brandi Branson, a member of the East Lansing Parent Advocacy team and an East Lansing resident with three children attending school in the district believes that the professional development days are not being looked at through an equity lens.
The East Lansing City Council met on Tuesday, Oct. 3, for their first of two Regular Council meetings this month. During the meeting, the council listened to speeches from East Lansing residents about the upcoming vote to approve the construction of a five-story affordable housing apartment building at 530 Albert Avenue in Downtown East Lansing.
The council was initially scheduled to vote on the proposal during the meeting, but, a decision to move the vote to the Oct. 17 meeting was met with frustration from the crowd where many guests protested the decision to delay the vote and left the meeting.
The majority of the people who spoke argued that the building of this proposed project would have a “devastating” effect on the local businesses in the Downtown East Lansing area due to the lack of parking that would be available for the businesses in its vicinity. People expressed their concerns that if the council approves the construction of the apartment building, local businesses that are thriving will eventually close.
After drawing against the Michigan Wolverines in the Big Bear trophy game, the 19th-ranked Michigan State men’s soccer team returned to the pitch to face off against the Maryland Terrapins on Alumni Appreciation Day at DeMartin Stadium.
A school in the Pinecrest neighborhood keeps alive the memory of those who fought for desegregation in the East Lansing community. In a unanimous decision, The East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education voted to change the name of Pinecrest Elementary to Green Elementary to honor the legacy of Dr. Robert L. Green.
The Michigan State volleyball team welcomed the 2nd ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers into the Breslin Center on Friday Night in front of a record crowd of 8,789 fans. Coming into this matchup with a two game win streak, the Spartans lost to the Cornhuskers in three sets to one, dropping their record on the season to 11-5 and 3-2 in Big Ten Conference play.
The Michigan State Field Hockey team was back in action on Sunday to take on the Central Michigan Chippewas for Military Appreciation Day at Ralph Young Field. After an impressive 1-0 win on Friday against the Indiana Hoosiers, the Spartans defeated the Chippewas 3-0 to move to 3-5 on the season.
The Michigan State women’s soccer team was back in action at DeMartin Stadium to take on the Dayton Flyers on Sunday. After a 2-1 win on the road against the NC State Wolfpack, The Spartans and Flyers drew 2-2 in a game that featured many highs and lows.