May 31, 2017
When I was a kid, summers meant long days of hot breezes, bare feet, playing with my friends until the streetlights came on and endless hours of uninterrupted fun. Somewhere along the way, fun gave way to obligations and responsibilities. Being a grownup is hard and finding time to play isn’t easy. But guess what? I still like to squeeze in fun, games and walking around barefoot as often as I can. As Dr. Seuss once said, “Fun is good.”
Fun really is good – you should try it. I’ve been on vacation the last week, having some fun with my family while my daughter and her boyfriend visited from New York. I still had plenty of adulting to do, but I spent lots of time without my shoes on. We played board games, outdoor sports, racquetball, went swimming, hiked, relaxed on the deck and basically had as much fun as we could in a short amount of time. It might not have been an endless summer, but the fun I had definitely was good for the body and soul.
But fun and games aren’t always just fun and games. Peter Burroughs is an expert on games – video games. He’s a recent MSU graduate and talented concept artist who creates graphics and game design that can have applications beyond just fun, like training pilots and teaching ways of conflict resolution for law enforcement. Check out the short video MSUTODAY FEATURE: Bringing new worlds to life with video game design, to learn more about this super cool Spartan.
Maybe you think deans sit in their offices being academic all the time. Not Spartan deans – they also like to have fun, especially if it’s for a great cause. Christopher Long, dean of the College of Arts and Letters, and his wife, Val, recently organized a team to compete in the Capital City Dragon Boat Race to support the Women’s Resource Center of Greater Lansing. Check out his FACULTY VOICE: Beware the Jabberwocks, to learn how having fun taught him some great lessons about teamwork and collaboration.
That’s the great thing about MSU – there are endless opportunities beyond the classroom for students and faculty to explore.
Louren Rose Escamilla, found opportunities to advance her education by taking on a leadership role in a professional organization, traveling to a forest for an internship and being a voice for transgender students in her field. Check out her STUDENT VIEW: A good time to be yourself, to learn how she’s taking advantage of everything she can during her time as a student. I’m guessing she’s having lots of fun being a Spartan.
So yeah, fun is definitely good. Fun is even better when it results in change for the good. It can lead to discoveries, build communities and ignite a determination to follow your passion. I’ve talked to a lot of students and researchers at MSU. They seem to find fun in everything they do. They get great joy out of finding solutions, making a difference and changing the world. As Walt Disney said, “It's kind of fun to do the impossible.” Spartans are doing the impossible every single day. What could be more fun than that? Spartans Will.
Lisa Mulcrone
Editor, MSUToday
@LMulcrone
Photo by Derrick L. Turner