The week in photos: Dec. 4–10, 2023

Vibrant poinsettias crowd a view of Beaumont Tower, bringing crimson-colored cheer to a gray day on campus. Photo by Derrick L. Turner.

Bright red poinsettias, contributed by the MSU Department of Horticulture, adorn campus landmarks like the Breslin Student Events Center. Photo by Derrick L. Turner.

Interim President Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D., was invited to take up the baton for a number during “Holiday Cheer,” a joint performance of MSU’s Symphony Orchestra and choirs, at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts on Dec. 9. The concert, which featured more than 300 student performers from the College of Music, brought seasonal favorites to life though choral and orchestral performance. Photo by Derrick L. Turner.

From conducting music to welding, Interim President Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D., is always ready to jump in and lend a hand. Visiting the MSU Solar Racing Team, Woodruff joined one of the team’s members in welding the chassis of a solar-powered vehicle while learning about the team’s efforts to create a greener, faster future for racing. Photo by Derrick L. Turner.

While The Spartan, our beloved campus icon, stands proudly outside of Demonstration Field, it’s a little-known fact that the bronze statue is actually a replica. The first iteration of The Spartan, sculpted by artist Leonard Jungwirth and completed in 1945, was originally ceramic due to the lack of available metal materials in wartime. As years passed, time and weathering took its toll on the statue and, in the early 2000s, a bronze casting was made. The original clay version was moved inside of Spartan Stadium to protect it from the elements. Photo by Derrick L. Turner.

With classes ending for the semester, it’s no surprise many students are jumping for joy. Photo by Derrick L. Turner.

Like what you're seeing? If you have any suggestions for campus subjects or locations to be featured in the Week in Photos, please email us at msutoday@msu.edu.

Members of the baritone and tuba sections of the Spartan Marching Band bring cheerful tunes to campus each December, playing festive music as part of a yearly tradition. Photo by Derrick L. Turner.