The State – 04/14/23

Rachel Fulton
April 13, 2023

Happy Friday!

Today’s weather forecast is predicting sunny along with a few afternoon clouds with a high of 82 degrees and a low of 56 degrees. For the weekend it looks like it will be between the low 70s and low 80s with Saturday partly cloudy and Sunday consisting of showers and scattered thunderstorms.

Sprinkler system causes flooding in men’s wing of Butterfield Hall

On Wednesday, a water flow alarm in Butterfield Hall and an item hanging on the sprinklers led to the men’s wing to flood, leaving students’ belongings wet and damaged.

Following what seemed like a normal false fire alarm, students returned to their dorms. However, the third floor of the men’s wing of the building suffered mild flooding, impacting some students’ dorms. Social media videos of the flooding show the abundance of water on the third floor.

One resident voluntarily relocated to Bryan Hall — pushed a moving cart carrying wet items covered by a towel until his unit dried out.

Director of Communications for the Division of Student Life Engagement Kat Cooper said that the flooding started from a sprinkler having an item hung on it in a dorm room on the third floor A wing. Local cleanup crews were drying carpets as well as working with students if they had property damage.

Cooper said a flood earlier in the day can usually be dried out and resolved before the day is over, so students are not expected to have to relocate.

Tampering with fire systems in student living buildings is a criminal offense, Cooper said. However, there’s no current evidence that this was a malicious event.

For resources or possible compensation for damaged items caused by the flooding, Cooper said students should contact their facilities manager through the Live On website.

How MSU cleans up campus after game days

Following a football Saturday in East Lansing, fans and students file out of their seats, athletes return to the locker rooms and tailgaters pack up their belongings before heading home. All that’s left inside Spartan Stadium are wrappers that once held Melting Moments, hot dogs, an assortment of other concessions snacks, empty plastic bottles and cups — among other waste.

The game is over, but the cleanup is just beginning.

In the hours and days after Michigan State sporting events, many hands help dispose of trash and recyclables.

MSU Recycling Coordinator Dave Smith is one of the main people responsible for post-gameday cleanup.

Smith said his department starts by collecting cardboard from the stadium vendors, before emptying the near 80 recycling containers located on the concourse. They also collect leftover food from vendors to use for compost.

As for the areas outside the stadium, Smith said there are around 300 recycling bins used for the disposal of beverages and other waste.

The recycling team partners with MSU Landscape Services to pick up the trash left outside of the athletic facilities, Smith said.

MSU IPF Communications and Learning Manager Fred Woodhams said Landscape Services is typically staffed with more than 60 people to help clean up campus the morning after home football games.

Smith said tailgaters and fans are encouraged to recycle their own waste on game day in one of the many bins across campus. He even suggests taking the items with them when they leave and dispose of them at home.

As for what’s to come, Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Events Seth Kesler said members of the university’s marketing and fan engagement teams are working to improve sharing information about recycling and waste management for athletic events.

Strange Matter Coffee to open in MSU Union next fall

Strange Matter Coffee will open a new location in the MSU Union this coming fall. The first-floor cafe will feature its full menu of drinks and several food items, including their popular doughnuts and vegan items.

The local company announced the addition in an Instagram post on Monday, alongside a rendered image of the space by East Arbor Architecture. This will be Strange Matter’s third location.

The new coffee shop comes after the Union’s Biggby location closed earlier in 2022. Currently, the main coffee shop on campus is the Starbucks in Wells Hall, where students can stand in line for up to 45 minutes.

Some students said they hope the new store will make getting coffee and baked goods quicker and easier.

Based on original reporting by Claire Grant, Shakyra Mabone, Maddy Warren and Amalia Medina.

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

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

Softball will play Minnesota this weekend all at Secchia Stadium!