I have been a Spartan since the day I was born. My mother and my father graduated from Michigan State University in 1988. My brother, also a die-hard Spartan at heart, was accepted, but didn’t go due to the cost of out-of-state tuition. My aunt, uncle, and cousin graduated from MSU as well. For someone who was born and raised in Virginia, it was hard to accept Michigan State was so far away and so out of reach. I have been lucky to experience East Lansing firsthand since my mom’s family still lives in Michigan.
My mom and dad have taken me all over campus. The experience of a Big Ten campus is like no other college setting. Michigan State University has natural beauty as evidenced by the Red Cedar River that runs in the middle of campus. I’ve sat on the edges by the library on game day to feed the ducks. Since Michigan State was initially an agricultural college, it of course has a dairy store where you can buy enormous homemade ice cream cones.
Spartan Stadium is at the heart of campus and on a crisp autumn Saturday, it is truly awe inspiring to witness the pageantry of a home game. I have watched the Spartans play Michigan in Spartan Stadium, and I’ve been lucky enough to watch basketball games at the Breslin Center and in my home state of Virginia. If only I could be a part of the student body and experience Saturday tailgating at Spartan Stadium and Midnight Madness in the Breslin Center.
The reason I was not able to go to Michigan State is simply because out-of-state tuition. I did not want to drown myself in student debt, but sometimes I wish I had just to have the honor of calling myself a Spartan Alumni. My brother also did not get the chance to attend MSU, but he did get accepted. I am so lucky to get the opportunity to write about a University for which I feel so passionate about.
As a senior at Virginia Commonwealth University, we have an excellent basketball team but no football team. Although the VCU basketball experience is fun and rowdy, in my humble opinion it does not compare to the experience of a football game.
VCU is part of the Atlantic 10 Conference, which is a much smaller than the Big Ten. VCU has been to one Final Four in its program history back in 2011, during their miracle run it had under Shaka Smart. That does not compare with Michigan State’s 10 Final Fours including a national championship in 1979 and 2000.
I do enjoy being a part of the VCU experience, but there is a void in my heart cheering for the Spartans during football and basketball season, but not actually getting to be a part of the Spartan Lifestyle.
