Sept. 4, 2019
So, what did you do this summer? I remember getting that question at the start of every school year, usually accompanied by a writing assignment. My summers were pretty standard — a couple of weeks of camping, hanging out with my friends, swimming, kickball, riding bikes, reading and just being a kid.
I have to say, I miss being that kid. Sure, I got away for a couple of days up north, fit some swimming in and hung out with my family, but I have to say, this was a challenging season. The best thing was that my daughter moved back to Michigan so I did see her a lot more and that’s a huge plus.
But many of my days were filled with sifting through my childhood memories as we continue to clean out my dad’s house. It’s a weird feeling throwing things out — almost as if I’m erasing my childhood. The physical work, though strenuous, isn’t as hard as the emotional work of keeping the sadness at bay while my sisters and I focus on the task at hand. But, it’s all work that has to be done and the last thing I, or my sisters, will do is give up.
This summer I’ve worked hard, learned a lot, tackled seemingly impossible things and tried to have some fun too. Honestly, I think that’s a pretty standard summer for a Spartan.
Just like every summer, Spartan students went out into the world and did some pretty incredible things while they were away from campus. Some literally dug into history and others tracked lions in Africa. And that’s just the start. Check out the MSUTODAY FEATURE: Spartan Summer, to see a few highlights and learn how you can check out more on social media.
One thing you might notice that changed around here during the summer was the view over at the Broad College of Business. The new Minskoff Pavilion gives Shaw Lane a whole new look. I got to tour it recently, and it’s wonderful. The dean of the college, Sanjay Gupta, is very proud of the new space and of his faculty and students. Watch the short video in the FACULTY VOICE: Transforming the future of business, to learn more about the exciting future for the college.
One of the stories featured in Spartan Summer is about the Campus Archaeology Field School. Autumn Painter is a doctoral student in the Department of Anthropology and the campus archaeologist in the Campus Archaeology Program. During the summer program, the team published a blog about their findings. Check out one of the blogs in the STUDENT VIEW: Color me excited, where Autumn writes about how the color of soil is important when digging into history.
One of our talented interns here in our office spent his summer interning for Refinery29 in New York City. While there, he worked with the social media and video departments and got to do some really cool things. Check out his STUDENT VIEW: A summer’s change of pace, to learn more about his incredible opportunity and why he says, “the positive response to the work done, work meant to inspire and empower audiences, is the reward.”
I’m not quite giving up on summer yet. Officially, there’s still a couple more weeks of the season and I’m hoping to make the most of them. Sure, I won’t be on an archaeological dig or tracking lions, but no matter where Spartans are, there’s some sort of adventure to be found. And, if you also had a less than desirable summer, there’s always the magic of fall waiting. Don't let it get away, Spartans. Make the most of every season and leave your mark on the world. #SpartansWill.
Lisa Mulcrone
Editor, MSUToday
@LMulcrone