magazine

DO YOU #LOVELANSING?Places to check out in the capital city

The COM 225 Phenomenon Why everyone loves these profs

Plus, the Student Cancer Support Network, info on giving blood, and what you need to know about FRIB.

in this issue6

8

The COM 225 PhenomenonWhy everyone loves professors Steve

McCornack and Kelly Morrison.

Do you #lovelansing?Places to play, eat, learn, shop and party.

Plus, upcoming events to check out.

The Support NetworkHow MSU’s Student Cancer Support

Network offers help to those impacted by

cancer.

True BloodWhy the American Red Cross wants you to

donate blood today - and the rest of your

life.

features10

12

regu

lars Note from the EditorMeet ing’s new managing editor. She’ll be taking over operations next year.

Ing ThingsFind out who to follow on Twitter, useful websites and fun random facts.

4

5

Well, hello there MSU! My name is Eliza Foster, and I will be the new face of this column at ing Magazine next year. I thought that I would introduce myself to all of you readers, so you can get to know me a little.

This was my first year here at Michigan State, and it was definitely a time of discovery and transition. I decided to come to MSU based on the AWESOME journalism program (yes, this is my current major), and I have not regretted my decision. I am excited to be a member of ing, and I hope that we can only become better throughout the next few years.

Some background info about me:

• I was born and raised in Traverse City, Mich., and I love my hometown immensely.

• I am a big family person, and I am very close with my parents and two sisters.

• I love cats! • Traveling is a large part of my life,

and I have seen most of the U.S. • I enjoy art and music, and I read

constantly (when I’m not in school).

• I love anything British (hello Masterpiece Mystery!!)

• I really love, love magazines!

Enough about me for now…I hope you get a chance to peruse our spring issue and that you find it to be interesting and informative in many ways. Don’t forget to check out our nifty new blog at lifeatmsu.tumblr.com! Also, get excited because summer is ALMOST HERE!!

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Eliza, who will be taking over as the head of ing Magazine next year. She’s an enthusiastic journalist, and I’m confident in her ability to rock campus with this publication next year.

I will be leaving ing in May when I graduate from MSU. I am thankful for all that the university has given me during my four years here, and their graciousness in allowing ing to be distributed on campus. I am also appreciative for the Journalism School and its support over the years.

Ing has grown and changed a lot in my two years as editor in chief. Next year will be its biggest year, yet – in both growth and change. It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come, despite all those who tried to knock us down.

We will have one more issue coming out before summer vacation. It’s been extremely fun and rewarding

putting together 14 issues of ing, and I can only hope that it brought you at least a fraction of the joy, laughter, entertainment, adventure, and thought that it brought me. I hope you continue to read and support us when I’m gone. Until we meet again, thanks for reading.

Go green! Go ing!

Volume 3, Issue 5EDITOR IN CHIEF

Becca Jaskot

MANAGING EDITOREliza Foster

GRAPHICS EDITORGina Holder

COPY EDITORSEliza Foster

Brooklyn Pluger

WEBMASTERSean Kellehan

ASSISTANT DESIGNSarah Puzan

PHOTOGRAPHERSEmily Misko

Elise KaufmannThomas Shui

Cover Photo by Elise Kaufmann

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Advertise with us! Email magazine.ing@gmail.com

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ELIZA FOSTERManaging Editor

note from the editor

twitter.com/ingmagazine | 2

EDITOR IN CHIEF Becca Jaskot

EVENT COORDINATORTrista Kempa

LEAD DESIGN Trista Kempa

ASSISTANT DESIGN Becca Jaskot

WEBMASTERJohnny Dinh

PHOTOGRAPHERS Cory Hurst

Jeannine Seidl Mike SmiyEmily Misko

LEAD COPY EDITORRebecca Butcher

COPY EDITORS Chelsea Wuth

Laura RiessKatie Dobruse

SALES MANAGERSParagon Group

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Andrew Stevens

Christlynn Chelladurai

STREET TEAMNicky Parks

Jeannine SeidlLauren Matzelle

Sarah HickeyCaitlin Lombardo

Katie DaleboutAnnie Perry

FOUNDER Adam Grant

staff

It’s the end of another school year. For some of you, it is the end of huge chapter of your life. Graduation is just around the corner and after that comes…real life.

Moving on can be an emotional time. I will be sad to see my senior friends leave, wondering if I’ll ever see some of them again. I can only imagine the fear and anxiety going through a graduating senior’s mind. But there is also excitement, liberation, and pride.

The theme of this issue is living—embracing all life has to offer and respecting the life around us. Many say that your college years are the best of your life. This can sound depressing—does that mean my life is all downhill from here?

Definitely not. We at ing believe in living up your time at college, but we also believe that the fun does not have to end here. There may come a time when your interests mature, but that does not mean you have to stop squeezing the juice out of life.

April brings Earth Day, and we are reminded to respect our planet. If we learned anything from Avatar, it’s that we should live in harmony with nature. While we try to live each day to the fullest, we must also remember to live sustainably.

Thanks for reading ing this year! We’ve had a great time creating magazines for our fellow Spartans. We’ll be back in the fall and better than ever. Whether you’re spending the summer abroad, starting a career, or babysitting the neighborhood kids, have some fun and enjoy the break. To our graduating seniors, congrats and we wish you a rich and fulfilling life.

april & may

Check out our stuff.ingising.com

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BECCA JASKOT Editor in Chief

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BECCA JASKOTEditor in Chief

staff

Usefulwebsiteslocaltwitter-ers Randomfacts

LansingMichigan

News10at11

AwesomeMitten

WLNS

LansingGiveCamp

LansingFirstFri

CASadvising

MSUSND

Errorlevelanalysis.com: Wonder if that photo looks too good to be true? Type the address into this site to find out if it’s real or a photoshopped.

Bubbl.us: Create mind-maps, brainstorm ideas in the browser to collect your thoughts in one convenient place.

Formspring.me: Want to know what your friends really think of you? You can ask or answer personal questions here.

My.lovelycharts.com: Create professional looking flowcharts, network diagrams, sitemaps, etc.

It is believed that Shakespeare was 46 around the time that the King James Version of the Bible was written. In Psalms 46, the 46th word from the first word is shake, and the 46th word from the last word is spear.

1 in 5,000 north Atlantic lobsters are born bright blue.

Elephants are the only mammals that can’t jump.

American car horns beep in the tone of F.

A COMmited relationshipBy Annie Perry

The professors of COM 225 take on a personal approach to emphasize course material.

Professor Kelly Morrison’s brother sat next to one of her former COM 225 students on a plane to California. Professor Steve McCornack’s

parents met a COM 225 alum while checking into a hotel in Minnesota. Morrison and McCornack were on vacation, sitting a dock with their kids watching the Fourth of July boat parade, and suddenly heard, “Kelly! Steve! COM 225!”

Encounters like that, which Morrison and McCornack call the “COM 225 Phenomenon,” are not uncommon. The married couple teaches one section of COM 225, a communications course on interpersonal relationships - one of the largest classes on campus.

Morrison said the class is in the university’s biggest classroom this semester, which seats slightly more than 600 students and is usually filled to capacity. With that many students in a class, the numbers quickly add up. During the years they’ve taught COM 225 together, Morrison and McCornack have had more than 20,000 students.

While the number is impressive on its own, the professors have impacted the lives and hearts of many students, which has made the class more than just popular; it’s beloved.

A Close Class

COM 225 is an introductory course in interpersonal relationships, and Morrison said each professor who teaches it takes a slightly different focus that plays to his or her strengths. Morrison and McCornack taught COM 225 individually before joining forces around 1998. In teaching the class together, they play to their

strength of a close, committed relationship. The class teaches about conflict, family, and work relationships, but Morrison says the heart of their course is on close relationships.

It is not uncommon for two professors to teach one course, but the way Morrison and McCornack handle the class is rare. Instead of splitting the course by sections, they teach together and feed off of each other during lectures. While in class together, Morrison and McCornack take on different personas. McCornack described himself as the “goofy sidekick” to Morrison’s “straight person.”

“She’s very good at taking relatively complex material and stating it really concisely in a way that I’m not,” McCornack said. “She will offer the definition and punch home the implications. She’s also a really good storyteller and she’ll tell these stories, and my role is often times jumping in after that with some humorous story about my dating past or something.”

McCornack said his stories are told more frequently than Morrison’s - not because they’re any better, but because she’s more private. When the pair teach classes alone, each takes on both personas. McCornack said he is more serious and intense if he’s teaching COM 225 without Morrison.

Interdisciplinary humanities junior Elise Grinbergs took COM 225 this past fall and said the dynamics between McCornack and Morrison made the class interesting and memorable.

“They also provide a real-life example of a relationship; they do not hide their trials and their hard times,” Grinbergs said. “They are honest about the hard work they put into their marriage and try to encourage

Married couple and professors Kelly Morrison and Steve McCornack have been teaching COM 225 together since 1998. Their rapport and knowledge of relationships makes the introductory course in interpersonal relationships one of MSU students’ favorite classes.

Photos by Thomas Shui

A COMmited relationshipBy Annie Perry

The professors of COM 225 take on a personal approach to emphasize course material. The professors of COM 225 take on a personal approach to emphasize course material.

students to take a realistic approach to relationships, as opposed to one influenced by pop culture.”

Morrison said the focus on relationships is one reason COM 225 is a popular class. The professors said they are not trying to be role models for their students, but they know part of the appeal of the class is seeing them interact with each other.

“It’s not just ‘learn about relationships,’ but learn it from people who are living it on stage, in front of them, as we go through the content,” McCornack said.

McCornack added that storytelling is an important part of the class and helps students retain the information.

“You won’t remember a definition, but you’ll remember a story about Kelly and Matt, and Steve getting jealous,” McCornack said. “That’ll allow you both to remember the concepts involved in jealousy but also then plug it into your own life when you’re in a similar situation.”

Elementary education and early childhood education sophomore Julia McLean said listening to the two professors and hearing them bounce information and stories off each other helped her stay focused and interested.

Because the class is about functional relationships, Morrison said COM 225 is life-specific rather than major-specific. Special education sophomore Allison Rein, who is currently enrolled in the course, said nearly every topic she’s learned can be related to students and their relationships. Likewise, Grinbergs said she enjoyed how applicable she found the information she was learning.

“I would think about how lecture related to my life every day after class, which is so much more valuable than taking a class because it’s required and forgetting everything after the semester ends,” she said.

The Phenomenon

COM 225’s reputation extends from alumni to future Spartans. Elementary education sophomore Ashley Chamberlain, who is taking COM 225 this

semester, heard about the class before her freshman year.

“The first person who recommended it to me was a student from AOP that was helping me register for classes,” Chamberlain said. “He told me, ‘If you ever get a chance to take COM 225, do it! But you have to take section one. That section’s taught by a married couple and they’re the best!’ So ever since my very first day at MSU, COM 225 has been on my list.”

Grinbergs said COM 225 is not required in her major, but is the class she’s enjoyed the most at MSU.

“COM 225 is a class about life—about your life—and what you can do to make your personal relationships work, which I think is much more important than whether or not you remember every date of the French Revolution,” she said. “In real life, you will have a manual available of how the car is put together, of what muscles connect where. If nothing else, you have your old textbooks. But you won’t have a ‘relationship manual,’ and that is why this class is so important.”

Morrison and McCornack call the COM 225 Phenomenon “a numbers game,” but it’s also reflective of the impact the course has on students’ lives. They’ve heard of students passing the book McCornack wrote for the class around to family members and friends, and students have told them stories about people using information from the book to help struggling marriages or console friends going through breakups.

The professors know the potential their class material has to change students’ lives and relationships, and McCornack said the mission of the class is to help students have that experience.

“Not everyone engages in that, not everybody takes it seriously, not everybody pays attention. Some people take it in a negative, mercenary way, some people just don’t like us, some get offended or tune out,” he said. “But I think the people who really get into it and really embrace the material realize that it has the potential to improve their relationships and bring about happier lives as a result, and we recognize and respect that potential…everything we do, teaching-wise, day-to-day, is targeted toward that.”

Morrison and McCornack teach in the university’s biggest classroom this semester, which seats more than 600 students. Over the years, the couple has taught more than 20,000 students and run into their alumni on a regular basis.

Photos by Thomas Shui

Places to see and things to do in the capital city

#lovelansing?Do you

In case you’re not on Twitter, the #lovelansing hashtag is a way for users to express their love for the city of Lansing by

categorizing their tweet. The #lovelansing hashtag usually accompanies a user’s tweet about an event or trip to one of

Lansing’s many places of interests. Yet, many Michigan State University students can go their entire academic career

without making a trip to the capital city. West of EL is a city that’s artsy, historic, and full of surprises. So next time you feel

like trying something new, take a 10 minute road-trip down Michigan Avenue and check out what there is to love in Lansing.

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Fenner Nature Center With more than 130 acres of forests, fields, and wetland habitats, the Fenner Nature Center is a popular place for people to escape the city and enjoy the outdoors. The Center has bird-watching, four miles of hiking trails, and nature exhibits. Check out the Apple Butter Festival in October and the Maple Syrup Festival in March.

Malcolm X home site Who knew? Malcolm X lived in Lansing in the 1930s, and you can check out the site, now a registered historical landmark.

R.E. Olds Transportation Museum This museum features antique vehicles, bicycles, carriages, and aircraft. You can read documents that trace the history of transportation over the last

200 years.

Impression 5 Science Center

This hands-on museum is geared toward children, but that doesn’t mean college kids can’t have a fun time there, too. Check out regular exhibits like the Bubble Room and Throwing Things, or see the new Grossology exhibit until May 15. Admission is $5 for students.

This zoo has more than 500 animals representing 160 species. Exhibits include birds, reptiles, farm animals, felines, and more. Residents pay $4 for admissions plus $3 for parking.

Potter Park Zoo

Turner-Dodge HouseFirst built in the 1850s, the house now serves as a museum to Michigan pioneers. The Turner-Dodge family helped develop Lansing and were an influential part of history. You can tour the house for $3.50.

Michigan Historical Museum Five levels of exhibits illustrate Michigan’s past from prehistoric to the late 20th century. Exhibits include a Upper Peninsula copper mine and a 1957 auto show. Admission is free.

ConnxtionsThis comedy club offers a range of shows for those 18 and up, and Wednesdays and Thursdays are half price ($4) with a student ID. Weekend shows range from $12-$15, but prices go up as the comedian names get bigger.

Lansing Art GalleryLansing’s first permanent art gallery offers exhibitions, Saturday workshops, lectures, and artist demonstrations. Admission is free.

Riverwalk Theater This intimate theater offers a year-round season of shows ranging from children’s plays to adult drama and comedy. The next show is “Vincent in Brixton” showing April 28 to May 1 and May 5-8.

Old Town art galleries This district is full of quaint galleries. Stroll down the sidewalks and browse them all.

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The Dance Scene Club X-Cel - dance bar

Spiral Dance Bar - gay club

Harem Urban Lounge - upscale club

Bar Hopping The Tin Can - neighborhood bar

Michigan Brewing Company - relaxed bar with full-pub menu

Lansing Mall An alternative to the student-frequented Meridian Mall, the Lansing Mall is a premier shopping location and includes a Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Men’s Wearhouse, Chipotle, and Panera.

Soup Spoon Cafe American food and a local favorite.

Troppo Comfort food with a twist.

Pablo’s Panaderia Authentic Mexican food located in Old Town.

Emil’s Classic Italian food and the oldest restaurant in Lansing.

Tavern on the Square American food in a patriotic setting.

Old Town This district is dotted with boutiques ranging

from antiques to jewelry and clothing.

Live Music The Loft - variety of acts, only open for performances

Rum Runners - dueling piano bar

The Exchange - live blues, jazz, and dance tunes

The Green Door - live blues and jazz

Upcoming Events

Capital City Film FestivalThursday, April 14 to Sunday, April 17

New this year, the film festival aims to highlight submissions from both students and professionals from around the world. The independent films will be shown in different locations around Lansing, and the festival will also feature live music performances in the evenings. For more information visit www.capitalcityfilmfest.com.

Lansing LugnutsOngoing

It’s baseball season, and you don’t have to travel far to catch a game. Lansing’s minor league team has its home stadium on Michigan Avenue. Tickets start at just $8, and every Thursday home game is a Thirsty Thursday featuring drink specials and after-game concerts. Visit www.lansinglugnuts.com to see a full schedule.

Lansing SymphonyMonday, April 4, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

If you’re looking for a classy night out, check out the Lansing Symphony’s performance of Franz Joseph Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass in partnership with the MSU College of Music. The concert will be held in St. Mary Cathedral at 219 Seymour Ave. Tickets are $10 for students and can be bought at www.LansingSymphony.org.

The National Cancer Institute estimated that 207,090 women would be diagnosed with and 39,840 women would die of breast cancer in 2010.

With such a high number of people being diagnosed and dying from the disease, many people’s lives have been affected by breast cancer - and not just the women who are diagnosed.

Jackie Madajski, a psychology senior, has several loved ones who have been diagnosed with cancer.

“For me it was really difficult when I found out. Within three months, I found out that two of my aunts and my friend had cancer. It was kind of the straw that broke the camel’s back,” she said.

Madajski is the co-chair of the MSU Student Cancer Support Network along with Katie Drummond, a human development and family studies senior. Drummond said the MSU SCSN is “a place where students can go to talk about their experiences with cancer, whether you’re a current patient, a survivor, or a caregiver, anyone who has been affected by it in some way that wants to seek support.”

MSU SCSN is led by six people: advisers Nancy Allen and Dennis Martell, group facilitators Shawn Johnson and Laura Hill, and Drummond and Madajski.

This year, the group meets every three weeks with

usually six to 10 people.At meetings Madajski said they talk about what is

going on in their lives, catch up with each other, and offer verbal and physical support “through building friendships and trust with each other.”

In this day and age, almost everyone has heard of breast cancer, but some people remain unaware of what it actually is and what toll it can take on a life.

“I think most people have a general idea of what breast cancer is,” Madajski said, “but I don’t think people realize how terrifying and real it is until it either happens to them or someone they care about.”

Drummond agreed. “I think everyone knows that breast cancer is increasing in diagnosis rapidly. But, I’m not sure if everyone knows the extent of it, the possible treatment options and just how big of an impact it can make on a woman, her life, and her family,” she said.

According to Sparrow Health Center, breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the tissues of the breast, and there are two main types of breast cancer: ductal carcinoma and lobular carcinoma.

Sparrow also says breast cancer can be either invasive or noninvasive. Invasive means it has spread to other tissues. Noninvasive means it has not yet spread, but could.

There are many risk factors that increase a woman’s risk of developing the disease.

DID YOU KNOW?Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, except for skin cancers. The chance of developing invasive breast cancer at some time in a woman’s life is a little less than 1 in 8 (12%).

MSU’s Student Cancer Support Network offers comfort to those affected by cancer.

The Support NetworkBy Kaitlynn Knopp

According to Sparrow, age plays a large role in a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer, as the risk of developing it increases as a woman gets older.

Another prevalent risk factor is family history of breast cancer. Sparrow says about 20-30 percent of women with breast cancer have a family history of the disease.

Some women have genes that increase their risk of developing breast cancer. Sparrow said the most common gene defects are found in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which normally produce proteins that protect you from cancer.

Madajski believes since breast cancer is now so advertised, common, and familiar, many people are eager to help try to prevent it.

“I think female college students are becoming more aware of the seriousness of breast cancer and are becoming more active in finding a cure through fundraisers and events,” Drummond said. “A lot of college students hear of women not much older than them being diagnosed with breast cancer, which makes us much more aware of the realness of this disease.”

One way to cope with the impact of cancer is to participate in events that help fight cancer and support those affected by it.

Many MSU students choose to help fight breast cancer by participating in the annual Susan G. Komen

Mid-Michigan Race for the Cure, which will be held on April 17 at the Capitol in Lansing. The 5K race raises both money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer while celebrating survivorship and honoring those who have lost their battle with the disease. This year, more than 1.5 million people are expected to participate.

Approximately 75 percent of the funds raised at the Race for the Cure remain in mid-Michigan to provide diagnostics, screening, treatment, services and education for women. The remaining 25 percent funds national research.

With no way to prevent breast cancer, the National Cancer Institute encourages women in their 40s and older to get screening mammograms every one to two years. NCI has found that breast cancer is more easily treatable, and even curable, when it is discovered early on.

Despite the negative effects of breast cancer, Madajski advises to keep a positive outlook.

“It consumes every one’s lives,” she said. “It’s really important to make sure that they go on with their lives though and don’t focus

solely on their cancer. Make sure they don’t lose their personality in the chaos.”

The MSU Student Cancer Support Network meets next on April 13 and April 27 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the MSU Room of the MSU Union. For more information visit olin.msu.edu/msustudentcancersupportnetwork.php.

The Support Network“ “

I think most people have a general idea of what

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terrifying and real it is until it either

happens to them or someone they

care about.- Jackie Madajski

TRUEBLOODThe Red Cross encourages students to donate & save livesBy: Britteny Dee

Every two seconds in the U.S., someone is in need of blood. According to American Red Cross Donor Recruitment Representative Kelly

Weber, this means every day, there are more than 38,000 people in the U.S. who need blood. That number skyrockets when the world experiences tragedies like the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Blood used during an emergency must already be on the shelves before the event occurs, so it is important to donate even when it may seem like there is no need.

The American Red Cross encourages everyone who is able to donate do so, since less than 38 percent of Americans are eligible. Yet, only three out of every 100 Americans donate blood.

“[Giving blood] doesn’t cost a thing and it helps save lives,” Red Cross Communications Manager Monica Stoneking said. “It’s a great gift to give.”

Weber and Stoneking both stress the importance of donating blood if you can. Each donation can save up to three lives.

“There’s obviously a need for it,” Weber said. “It’s something that cannot be bought. The only blood that can go to a human is another human’s blood.”

Stoneking said getting students involved in the donation process is important so they can form the habit of donating blood throughout their lives.

“If we can get students involved and donating, they’re more likely to be lifelong blood donors,” she said. “That’s why we do hold so many blood drives on college campuses, to help raise that awareness.”

Since college students are often busy, the Red Cross tries to accommodate their schedules by hosting as many on-campus blood drives as possible. Stoneking said there is a blood drive almost every day on campus, sometimes two or three in a day.

There are certain times of the year in which more blood drives are held. Stoneking said the Red Cross gets the bulk of its student donations during the school year, rather than in the summer when most students leave town.

“We still hold blood drives during the

summer, but these are more for the faculty and staff,” Stoneking said.

Just as timing can be important when hosting a blood drive, location can be, as well. Stoneking said certain locations on campus, such as the Union and the International Center, are more popular for hosting a drive than others.

“If [the blood drive] is in a dorm, those are typically going to be a bit smaller because there’s not as much traffic,” Stoneking said. “If there’s a larger location like the International Center or any other conference room type place, the drive will be bigger.”

Stoneking said some common reasons why people do not donate is fear and a lack of knowledge about the donation process.

“I’m scared to death of needles,” said communications junior Samantha Sepic. “[Giving blood] is really important, so I’d like to be able to say that maybe I’ll give

summer, but these are more for the faculty and staff,” Stoneking said.

Just as timing can be important when hosting a blood drive, location can be, as well. Stoneking said certain locations on campus, such as the Union and the International Center, are more popular for hosting a drive than others.

“If [the blood drive] is in a dorm, those are typically going to be a bit smaller because there’s not as much traffic,” Stoneking said. “If there’s a larger location like the International Center or any other conference room type place, the drive will be bigger.”

Stoneking said some common reasons why people do not donate is fear and a lack of knowledge about the donation process.

“I’m scared to death of needles,” said communications junior Samantha Sepic. “[Giving blood] is really important, so I’d like to be able to say that maybe I’ll give

it a try in the future, maybe if someone went with me.”

Not everyone is eligible to donate blood. Health and other factors play a role in determining whether or not someone is eligible.

“There are some people that don’t weigh enough or who have traveled to countries that are on our checklist of places that you can’t travel to,” Stoneking said.

Just because someone cannot give blood, does not mean they cannot help the Red Cross. Stoneking said there are plenty of other opportunities to get involved.

“Even if you can’t donate blood for one reason or another, you can still help out,” she said. “You can recruit your friends and family, or you can volunteer at a blood drive. You don’t necessarily need to donate that pint of blood to be a supporter of the Red Cross or to help out.”

For those who are able to donate and decide to do so, Stoneking has some advice on what to do before and after: “Get a good night sleep,” she said. “Get hydrated; drink plenty of water and juice before your donation. We

also recommend a good breakfast. After they donate, we ask that they sit and relax in what we call the canteen area to get some snacks for about 15 minutes.”

Stoneking warned that getting up too soon and not eating after donating can cause the donor to feel nauseous or have a bad reaction.

Once the blood is collected, Stoneking says it goes back to the Red Cross labs and is then sent to Columbus, Ohio for testing and screening. Then it goes to whichever hospital needs it most.

Some of the blood collected on MSU’s campus goes to Ingham Regional Medical Center in Lansing. Mike McCreary, who works at the blood bank at Ingham said the hospital orders about 70 pints of blood per week from the Red Cross.

“[The number] varies widely by the number of surgeries,” Mccreary said. “We usually have a greater demand around the holidays just because there are fewer donors.”

To learn more about donating blood, or to schedule an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org.

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RIB is pronounced with two syllables. Say efFRIB,” said Alex Parsons, communication manager for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams.

“That’s how it’s pronounced within the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, and they are providing the funding.”

The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, also know as FRIB, is a facility that will be built on Michigan State’s campus as an addition to the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The project is currently in the preliminary design phase, and construction should begin in 2013. Its expected finish date will be in about 2020, taking almost a decade to complete.

FRIB will be designed to produce rare nuclear isotopes and speed up processes that no facility in the world is capable of doing now. A high-power superconducting linear accelerator will support this. The facility will feature technology in which a beam of stable nuclei is accelerated to half the speed of light and directed at a thin target material. When the beam smashes into the target, the resulting collision creates a number of reaction

products; among those are rare isotopes. After this process occurs, the mixture continues down the beam line, where a series of magnets separate out the isotopes needed for study.

FRIB will improve understanding of how nuclear particles can be used by allowing scientists to study the processes involved on the nano and micro scale. Studying the physics could lead to advances in energy, national security, and medicine.

“On the national level, the mission is to create scientific opportunities for discovery,” said FRIB Project Manager Thomas Glasmacher. “When you put in these user facilities, scientists discover things which create knowledge and benefit the nation as a whole. This innovation increases the standard of living.”

A Project in the Making

The plan for FRIB began 10 to 15 years ago when scientists noted that the U.S. needed to advance in the area of rare isotope beams. In 1999, the Isotope Separation On-Line Task Force proposed the concept of a rare isotope accelerator, which is what FRIB will be.

As years progressed, the proposed idea moved up in its ranking

of level of importance and what the nation needed. Construction of FRIB was made the second highest priority

for nuclear science in 2007 by the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee, which provides advice to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Science Foundation.

The DOE issued a Financial Assistance Funding Opportunity Announcement for FRIB in 2008, and MSU was chosen to host the project. MSU has been competitive in the area of rare isotopes for the last 20 years, so the physics department feels it is well prepared to handle such an exciting project.

“Go with folks that know this area of science best,” was MSU’s argument to the DOE when they applied to design and establish FRIB on campus.

Parsons said MSU was chosen to design and establish FRIB after a merit review process by the DOE. The department reviewed the written application, heard presentations, and made site visits as part of the review process.

Glasmacher said that under public law, the DOE has a mission to provide science and technology solutions that address America’s energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges.

“This helps ensure America’s security and prosperity, and the DOE decided FRIB was important to their mission,” he said.

Funding Physics

The total cost of the project is approximately $600 million. Funding for FRIB is planned to be granted by the DOE and appropriated annually by Congress.

As part of the annual appropriation of the president’s

MSU’S PROJECT OF

NUCLEAR PROPORTIONF

The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams is expected to begin construction in 2013““

Within team building you must build trust both in the workers and stake holders. In order for it to succeed we must keep people informed; it’s all part of our commitment to openness.

- FRIB Project Manager Thomas Glasmacher

By Lexis Zeidan

“

budget request, the DOE requested $30 million of the budget in order to fund the continuing design and engineering of FRIB in 2011.

In order to complete this project, the committee will receive progressive annual increments of the $600 million.

According to an economic analysis by the Anderson Economic Group in 2008, FRIB will create about 400 full-time jobs once the facility is in operation. Approximately 180 of those jobs would be within FRIB, and the remainder would be created in related industries throughout the state.

The report estimates that FRIB will create $1 billion in regional economic activity over a decade and create $187 million in state tax revenues over the next 20 years.

Building Anticipation

Glasmacher said the project is moving forward in steps.

“Things need to be done right,” he said. “We at first competed for the opportunity to build FRIB, and then that led to team building for this project. Within team building you must build trust both in the workers and stake holders. In order for it to succeed we must keep people informed; it’s all part of our commitment to openness.”

Currently, the Cyclotron makes education a top priority for scientists, and FRIB will create more opportunities for students. According to U.S. News and World Report, after years of being in the No. 2 spot, MSU is now ranked the No. 1 graduate school for nuclear physics, beating the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology.Pre-med sophomore and

student in the physics department Mohammad Chokr said, “I have to say it is a great honor to be a student here at MSU and an even greater honor to be part of the number one physics program in the country. School is very important to me...[It] means a lot and gives me an advantage when competing amongst others out there in the real world.”

This facility will benefit MSU students and faculty, but will also be used be a world-leading research facility for rare isotopes.

“Scientists from all over the world will create proposals to do their research here,” Parsons said.

Cryogenics expert John Weisend

came onto the project from Stanford University and leads the effort to build the cryogenics system that will produce and distribute liquid helium to the machinery. Cryogenics is the branch of physics that studies phenomena that occur at very low temperatures. He feels the project is “very exciting and is one of a kind stuff.”

The project is even expected to benefit students outside the physics department because FRIB will bring prestige to the university.

“I believe that FRIB is a huge step forward for our university, and I am excited that it’s coming here,” pre-med junior Natalie Marie said. “This project will bring MSU a lot more recognition and opportunities.”

NUCLEAR PROPORTIONThe Facility for Rare Isotope Beams is expected to begin construction in 2013

A computer-generated model of the future FRIB site at the MSU Cyclotron. The gray roofs indicate new construction for the FRIB project.

Photo used with permission from the FRIB image collection

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