Quidditch at MSU!

     One of my favorite organizations that I am in is the Michigan State University Spartan Quidditch club. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “From Harry Potter?” “Do you use brooms?” “Do you really fly?” and “That’s for nerds.” To answer your questions and to agree with your statement: Yes. Yes. Have you heard of brooms that can actually fly? I think not. And yes I am somewhat of a nerd, but don’t we all have a little bit of nerdiness within ourselves? Let me tell you a little bit more about the club. It is a full contact co-ed sport, with three different types of balls, a quaffle, three bludgers, and a snitch. The club itself has two entities; the first one is the club itself, where people get together, hangout and bond. The second part is the travel team. The travel team goes to tournaments all across the Midwest and the nation. By doing this I have gotten the opportunity to have great bonding experiences with my teammates and meet great people that attend other universities across the nation.

      

MSU Quidditch Team

      This club takes up a good amount of my free time, but that is only because I love it so much, and I allow it to. This club has helped me establish a lot of close friends; I never knew I was capable of having. Since I am from Memphis, Tennessee I did not know a single person at Michigan State, let alone, in the state of Michigan, aside from some friend’s grandmas that I had never met. Because of this, my first week of school was a little rough. But luckily I got involved with this club. The members of this club have become what I call my, “Michigan State Family.” I call them that because we have been through thick and thin, and I know they will always be there for me when I need them. So, if you’re an out of state student, or even in state, worried about making friends when you get here, my advice to you is to be active and get involved, because it is really easy to a Michigan State Family of your own.

Brandon

Sophomore

CCP & Film Studies

Perks of Being in Spartan Nation

When asked about the perks of being in James Madison, many students answer with "small class sizes, close relationships with professors, challenging academic work," etc. In this post, I want to talk about one perk of James Madison that is sometimes overlooked: the opportunity to be a part of the Spartan Nation.

I suppose this is really a perk that applies to every student who attends Michigan State, but I think it's important to mention in the context of James Madison students.

The student section fills the lower right corner of Spartan Stadium during a white-out game against Boise State

When people talk about Madison, they mention how the residential aspect of the college allows students to form a close-knit community by bonding over shared courses and experiences. Another way that community is formed at MSU is through the support of our sports teams. Even if you are not a huge sports fan when you come to Michigan State, it's hard not to be swept up in the electric atmosphere on big game days.

Members of the Izzone getting pumped up for a men's basketball game

For example, when MSU earned a place in the Rose Bowl by winning the 2013 Big Ten Football Championship, the entire campus was swept up in Rose Bowl hysteria. Even people who had not followed the football season closely were excited to be a part of such a historic moment for MSU. During the month of December, it just felt great to be a Spartan.

Me standing in front of the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, CA

James Madison is housed in Case Hall, which is right across the street from four sports venues at MSU: Spartan Stadium (football), Ralph Young Field (field hockey, track and field), Munn Ice Arena (ice hockey), and the Breslin Center (men's and women's basketball). Many other venues are within a fifteen minute walk of the building. Being so close makes it easy to support the Spartans and enjoy a game or a match. Most varsity sporting events are free for MSU students, too! The only events you have to buy tickets for are football, men's basketball, and ice hockey games. Even then, there are special student prices, so you don't have to break the bank in order to go!

Case Hall is the brown building at the bottom of the map. Red lines lead to (left to right): Breslin Center (basketball), DeMartin Stadium, Sechia Stadium, and Kobs Field (soccer, softball, and baseball), Munn Ice Arena (hockey), Jenison Fieldhouse (volleyball, wrestling, gymnastics, indoor track), IM West (swimming & diving), Ralph Young Field (field hockey, outdoor track), and Spartan Stadium (football).

Sometimes Madison students are guilty of spending too much time in Case Hall. While it's convenient to have most of our classes in one building, it sometimes gives us tunnel vision and we forget that the rest of MSU's amazing campus is waiting for us outside. Grabbing a group of friends and heading off to a basketball game is a great way to break up your week, get some fresh air, and spend a little time remembering just how huge and awesome MSU really is. It's also a great opportunity to meet some friends outside of Madison!

Becky
Senior
Social Relations & Policy
Accounting