Today’s weather forecast is predicting a potential winter storm with cloudy skies and snow during the afternoon with a high of 25 degrees and a low of 20 degrees.
Now-blocked NIH cuts would have impact on MSU research funds
In a significant development last Friday, the National Institutes of Health announced cuts to all indirect costs associated with NIH grants. These indirect costs cover essential support for research projects, including facilities, administration, and staffing.
The cuts were set to take effect on Monday, but a coalition of 22 states, including Michigan, quickly filed a lawsuit challenging them. The lawsuit argued that the cuts would have “immediate and devastating” effects. By February 10, a federal judge had temporarily blocked these cuts to NIH funding.
Under the proposed changes, every existing and new NIH grant would face a 15% indirect cost rate, a substantial reduction from the rate that many institutions, including Michigan State University, currently receive. If the cuts had gone through, MSU could have faced significant losses in research funding.
The timing of the announcement also comes as MSU navigates various federal policy changes under the previous administration. MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz addressed the issue in a university-wide email on Monday, just hours before the cuts were paused. In his message, Guskiewicz emphasized the severe impact these cuts could have on important research projects at the university, affecting not just Michigan, but communities around the world.
Guskiewicz also assured the MSU community that the university’s Sponsored Programs Administration would be providing updates on how MSU plans to respond to the changes in NIH funding, particularly as they relate to existing projects.
The Sponsored Programs Administration at MSU offers essential support to researchers, helping them navigate funding opportunities, prepare proposals, and manage grants once awarded.
In his statement, Guskiewicz noted that communication on the matter could take time, as the university’s Rapid Response Teams and leadership assess the situation and coordinate with industry partners and Washington representatives.
He concluded by reaffirming MSU’s commitment to its mission of fostering innovation, discovery, and world-class education, while continuing to serve communities globally.
MSU marching band makes history with increase in female leadership
The Spartan Marching Band has been a tradition at Michigan State University since 1870, but it wasn’t until 1972 that the first women joined the ranks, with Beth Mlynarek and Lynne Charbonneau breaking barriers as the first female members. A few years later, Judy Peterson became the first woman in the drumline.
Fast forward to 2025, and a new chapter is being written in the band’s history. Anthropology junior Jenna Wesley, inspired by her father, a Spartan alum from the ’70s, has become the first woman appointed as drumline section leader. Wesley, who started drumming at the age of eight, never imagined she’d be in this position. When she received the email confirming her new role, she was folding laundry in her bedroom.
Wesley’s excitement was shared by her fellow cymbal section leader, Anna Scholes, who also comes from a family of Spartan Marching Band alums. Scholes and Wesley, now close friends, are part of a larger movement for more female leadership in the band, particularly in the drumline, which has traditionally been male-dominated.
Scholes and Brooke Ringstad, the cymbal squad leader, are focused on maintaining the band’s close-knit community and ensuring that newcomers feel supported and comfortable. They hope that more female representation will inspire others to step into leadership roles.
As the band moves forward, the shift toward more inclusive leadership continues to break down barriers, with women like Wesley, Scholes, and Ringstad helping to shape the future of the Spartan Marching Band.
MSU Broad Art Museum reclaims space for healing two years after campus shooting
Two years ago, on the night of February 13, 2023, MSU students and faculty sought refuge in the Broad Art Museum during the tragic shooting at Berkey Hall. In the aftermath, the museum is now reclaiming that space, transforming it from one of fear to a place of healing and reflection.
From now through tomorrow, the MSU Broad Art Museum is hosting the “Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence through Activism” exhibition. This includes the “Soul Box Project,” a powerful display of origami boxes that represent deaths and injuries caused by gun violence. These boxes, made across the nation, symbolize both the human toll and the hope for change.
Other works in the exhibition include a student film, excerpts from a documentary, a mural, and a painting by Marco Díaz-Muñoz, an MSU professor who was in his classroom when the gunman entered Berkey Hall. His artwork is deeply personal and connects to the broader experience of those affected that night. As guest co-curator Scott Boehm explained, the museum was a sanctuary for those evacuated from the building during the shooting, and it now serves as a symbolic site for healing.
In the Soul Box Project section, 2,940 boxes line the wall, each representing someone impacted by gun violence in Michigan over the past 13 months. The exhibit invites visitors to create their own boxes, offering a space for personal reflection.
Guest co-curator and MSU alum Maya Manuel emphasized how art can help express pain when words fail, stating that the exhibit represents both loss and empowerment. For Manuel and Boehm, art is a way to process the trauma and bring people together, reminding the community of the support that emerged after the shooting.
Manuel hopes this exhibition will help visitors on their own healing journeys, serving as a stepping stone for those who may not yet have started their path to recovery.
Based on original reporting by Hannah Locke, Ria Gupta and Somer Sodeman.
For our final announcement, this will be the last episode of the week, in remembrance to the shooting that took place two years ago tomorrow.
