Happy last day of March!

Today’s weather forecast is predicting rain in the morning and scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon with a high of 58 degrees and a low of 45 degrees. For the weekend it looks like it will be higher 40s and low 50s with a mix of some showers and sun.

MSU Union to reopen April 3, Berkey to remain closed through fall 2023

Michigan State University administrators have finalized decisions on two sites of a mass shooting on campus last month.

Berkey, an academic building where the gunman killed two students in classrooms, will remain closed through the fall semester. The MSU Union, where a third student was killed, will begin reopening this upcoming Monday. Both buildings have been closed to the public and their staff since the shooting on Feb. 13.

The reopened Union will include the Sparty’s and Spartan Spirit Shop retail stores, as well as thousands of square feet of study areas and reservable rooms available to students.

April 3 will be “more of a soft opening,” according to Vice President of Student Life and Engagement Vennie Gore. University tours will remain at the Kellogg Center and much of MSU Counseling and Psychiatric Services will continue to operate offsite.

Staff of the Union food court, as well as the Sparty’s and Spartan Spirit Shop stores, will be offered relocation if they want to continue their employment but don’t want to return to work in the MSU Union. Gore said his department is lucky to be large enough that students and full-time staff can maintain their employment while working somewhere else on campus.

Hippo Campus, Danny Brown bring a unique genre-mix to annual spring concert

A unique blend of music genres was brought to the Breslin Center Tuesday night with a performance by indie-rock band Hippo Campus and singer, songwriter and rapper Danny Brown.

The performance was put on in collaboration by the University Activities Board (UAB), Impact 89FM and the Associated Students of Michigan State University (ASMSU) for the annual spring concert at MSU.

While the contrast in genres might have brought more people to the show, some audience members were surprised by the two different sounds — like marketing sophomore Jenna Hemmes, who said Brown’s music was a “lot more heavy” than Hippo Campus’s discography.

Seeing Hippo Campus perform was a “nice break from life” for the audience, Hemmes said.

MSU Pickleball Association gains speed this year

Pickleball may sound like a strange term for a sport but it’s the fastest-growing sport in the United States. Three years ago, pickleball was brought to Michigan State University through the MSU Pickleball Association.

The sport is played on a mini-version of a tennis court and uses paddles and a wiffle ball. Pickleball can be played between two or four players and the game requires quick reflexes, calculated strategy and teamwork.

Newly managed by a board of students, the MSU Pickleball Association gives students who are interested in pickleball an opportunity to try it out or to increase their skill. Three members of the board – mechanical engineering senior Trent Warren, accounting senior Nicholas Spadafore and human biology senior Matthew Hoffman – were excited to take over after the previous president stepped down because pickleball was popular in their hometown.

Flexibility is the best thing about the association, Spadafore said. Both beginners and experienced players can attend practices and tournaments are optional.

Members of the MSU Pickleball Association use practice time not only to play but also to meet new people and become a part of the community.

The board hopes the association will continue to grow as it has in the past year and as they plan more tournaments and gain more members. Though it hasn’t been easy, Hoffman says the board enjoys the work that they do.

MSU Pickleball Association holds practices twice a week: A formal practice on Thursdays from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and open play on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at IM East. The association plans to hold fundraisers and more tournaments in the future.

Based on original reporting by Alex Walters, Jaden Beard and Ellie Young.

To end our last episode of the week, here are a few announcements!

Here is the MSU home athletic line-up for the weekend…

Today

• Track and Field will do their Spartan Invitational at 10AM.