Today’s weather forecast is predicting sunny skies with a high of 65 degrees and a low of 34 degrees.
MSU pro-Palestine students hold remembrance night to mark year of war in Gaza
Pro-Palestinian students and supporters gathered at Beaumont Tower Monday evening to commemorate one year since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel and reflect on the lives lost in the year since.
The event, organized by MSU Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), was meant to serve as a space for attendees to remember and reflect on the more than 40,000 people who have been killed in Gaza and surrounding areas, and to reiterate their demands for MSU to divest from Israel.
More than one hundred students and attendees lined up around the tower as many laid down flowers and held Muslim prayers.
The event started around 9 p.m., with a majority of its time devoted to SJP members and attendees speaking on their experiences from the past year and continuing calls to remember those who have been killed.
At 9:53 p.m., a moment of silence was held in remembrance of those who have died. The event concluded with a prayer. Attendees quietly walked to Cowles House, the residence of President Kevin Guskiewicz. Members of SJP laid roses and a banner reading “Divest Now” in front of the door and placed a Palestinian keffiyeh on the door.
The MSU Fishing Club: Gathering for the love of the sport
Across the vast club sports culture at MSU, a question remains unsolved: when and how did the MSU Fishing Club originate?
Club president and environmental engineering junior Ben Bocian said no, there is no known answer to this question among current members.
Ben heard about the club through a family friend his freshman year and quickly became an active member. In two years, he ascended from secretary to president.
Hoping to meet their like-minded peers, civil engineering sophomore Casey Shell and fisheries and wildlife junior J.D. Glasscock joined the club.
Both students have leadership roles within the club and want to see it grow. Casey, the social media director, has been a member for a year while J.D., the vice president, has been in the club for two and half years.
The club rarely fishes around campus. The students attend weekend fishing trips and tournaments, the main one being the Collegiate Bass Tour, which takes place throughout the summer. There are two-weekend trips a semester where members travel around the state for certain types of fishing.
The club contributes financial support for its individual and collective aspirations.
“We don’t provide boats or anything to our members, but if they want to participate, we basically help fund them,” Ben said. “We cover their tournament fees, specifically these are bass tournaments. So, targeting largemouth, smallmouth bass and we cover their tournament fees so they have a chance to win some money. It’s more just us monetarily supporting our club members who want to participate. We also support them if they want to fish any other term circuits.”
The main goal of the club is to create a space where students can connect through their passions.
Moo Deng and Pesto: The newest baby animals gaining internet fame
From relatable content to funny babies and comical memes, social media and internet users are no strangers to viral content.
Although the viral content has changed from time to time, one specific type does not fail to reoccur: cute animals.
This recurring cycle was seen throughout social media in 2012 with Grumpy Cat and Nala Cat, Doge starting in 2013, Jiffpom the Pomeranian and Doug the Pug in 2014 and many more.
However, starting this past September, a new set of animals have stolen the hearts of social media users.
Their names? Moo Deng and Pesto. But who even are they?
“Moo Deng is the little baby hippo who’s kind of aggressive towards people, and then Pesto is that giant penguin baby that’s like, bigger than his parents,” Political science pre-law senior Luc Heiss said.
Baby pygmy hippopotamus Moo Deng, who resides in Thailand, gained fame through viral videos uploaded on social media showcasing her feistiness.
On the other hand, baby king penguin Pesto, who resides in the SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium in Australia, became viral on social media due to videos showcasing his large size. He weighs just under 50 pounds, which is more than the weight of his parents combined.
Many students think their fame is due to their ability to provide a little bit of relief during hard times.
After achieving notable fame, Moo Deng and Pesto have gained a large following on social media pages, and even in real life, with individuals traveling across the world to visit the two phenomenons.
Based on original reporting by Demonte Thomas, Jania Clowers and Amy Cho.
