Feature: Student Views at Michigan State University
STUDENT VIEWS OF MICHIGAN STATE
From 1988 to 1991, Lansing writer Bob Crawford compiled detailed interviews with 42 students and young graduates, most of them from MSU. Like the work of Studs Terkel, his journalistic effort provides great insight into today's students--their hopes and fears, outlooks on life, and their lifestyles. While seeking a publisher for his effort, he has allowed the MSU Alumni Magazine to publish some excerpts. What follows are very selective snippets, mostly related to MSU, from his voluminous collection. Students are identified by their class year at the time they were interviewed. -- Editor.
Mark Woodhouse, a 1990 graduate of MSU: 'The big thing that pushed me into going to Michigan State was living in Detroit. I didn't want to be in Detroit and have my brain deteriorate by not pushing myself. There were other goals I wanted to pursue. I visited Michigan State and loved it. I said, 'I am going there.' That was my dream . . . 'I'm glad I chose MSU, because I learned something about getting along with people of different races, people with different ideologies . . . ' 'Looking at my floor, there were only two blacks out of 40 or 50. That didn't phase me, because I had lived in Ann Arbor. I got along with just about everybody on my floor.'
Robert Weinstein, a sophomore from West Bloomfield majoring in theater: 'I like to go to play basketball, swim, go to the Wharton Center to see plays, go to poetry readings, and to learn about animals through documentaries. Sometimes I go to classes that I am not enrolled in, just to get the scoop of what the different teachers are like. Sometimes I even ask questions. In my freshman year I did that by accident, but it was great because I got to contribute to the class. The professor knew I wasn't in his class, but he let me speak.'
Mari Nord, a freshman from Japan who hopes to become a veterinarian: 'My father was born in Michigan and has a Norwegian background . . . My mother is from Kyoto and grew up during World War II . . . 'It's really neat when a whole score of people come to a football game and urge MSU on. These same people might not talk to one another on the street. At a football game, they are together encouraging the same team . . . 'I am not into the Greek system, because to me, that is a small version of nations. They are being very selective and are deciding who can get into what group . . . '(For escape) I climb up to the tallest place, up the stairs of Olds Hall, and when I get to the top, I can see everything. I can see how small the campus really is. '
Charlette Pugh, a senior communications major from Benton Harbor: 'I have had instructors who had the attitude, 'I am here to teach you, and I hope you learn. If you have problems, please come to me.' I enjoyed that. The large sizes of classes doesn't bother me at all . . . 'I have enjoyed my communications courses a lot, but if I had to do it all over, I would go back and major in history. My history classes have been the most fun. Then I would still go to law school . . . 'Choosing a major is a big thing to decide. If you're not serious about your choice, you'll most probably make a mistake . . . Dr. (Gwen) Norell, who worked in the counseling center at MSU, explained to me the difficulty of knowing exactly what you want to be until you actually get a taste of it.'
Christopher Carlisle, a senior theater and English major from Detroit: 'I am really happy with my instructors this term. Theater class has been wonderful, because the instructor, Joyce Ramsay, has been one of the few people who have really been honest with me . . . I can go to her and I can talk. And I can swear, the whole bit, and feel comfortable . . . 'Now, I'm getting interested in film. In film you can write, you can act, you can create, and it is also very visual. I think that might be the genre for me. I don't want to write scripts like (MSU alumnus and professor) Jim Cash. I would just rather make my own films and then throw them out there and see who likes them . . . 'Did you ever read those accounts of what Renaissance Italy was like with all those incredibly talented people? And somebody is going to ask what was it like to go to Michigan State at that time with all these incredibly wild, talented and brilliant people. Maybe we will all end up as paupers. It's really weird, because a lot of guys who are totally outrageous become really successful. I guess because they want to keep on having fun.'
Katie Overweg, a sophomore math major from Portland: 'I think that spring term is more crazy than any time, because everything is just coming alive again. Everyone is going nuts. One of the floors in Wonders had a 'slip and slide.' They put a plastic tarp in the middle of their hallway . . . and they poured detergent, soap, shaving cream and water on it, mixing it all up, and then everybody slid down the hallway . . . 'College is a step to teach you to be more responsible for yourself and to be independent. There's a lot more to learn than just the stuff they teach you in classes. There's a lot to learn in living with people and dealing with pressures.'
Brian Chou, a freshman planning to major in hotel, restaurant and institutional management from Fort Lauderdale, FL: 'Many teachers (at MSU) are really concerned with their students. They seem interested in teaching as much as possible. . . I have a really good professor for my nutrition class. She wants her students to learn, and not just for grades. She wants to educate students on health matters. She'll help the students any way she can . . . 'There are all kinds of pressure in college. You have to be really determined and self-disciplined academically. It's really hard to sit there and study while everyone else is either out playing softball or lying outside on a warm and sunny day. It's so easy to give in. If you don't discipline yourself, then when the test and grades come around, you're going to be really sorry.'
Elaine Birning, a sophomore multi-disciplinary social science major from East Lansing: 'Men and women are all in the same boat. We are all here to get an education. Society has made generalizations . . . The man is the breadwinner, and the woman stays home with the kids. Today it is different. Women are more into their careers and not as much into their family. I think it's pretty much what you would like to do with your life. It puts stress on a woman, but I also think it puts stress on a man . . . 'In the sixties, the important issues were keeping peace. Now, the emphasis is more on your vocation, your profession. Getting into your field and starting your career, having a job and making lots of money.'
Nimesh Patel, a senior social science major from Troy (via Kenya): 'What helped me (at MSU) was one of my roommates. He is an African- American from Detroit. His parents were separated, and he is the oldest child. He had to take on a lot of responsibility and that's one reason he had it so together. Didn't drink. Didn't smoke. Didn't believe in going out with too many women unless he really cared for them. Believed in studying hard and working hard, went to church every Sunday. He had a powerful impact on me . . . 'Michigan State is highly competitive, but it admits a fair number of students and gives them a chance. In effect, it says, 'We believe that you have the potential. We are able to provide the extra services, whatever, and give you an opportunity here.' This is a step in the right direction . . . 'To me, the most fascinating thing about MSU is the diversity within the student body, the various international students. It is intriguing to discover what life is like in Japan, Ethiopia, or Colombia . . . 'I would not recommend any other school than Michigan State."
