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By: Geoff Preston

We should probably start by saying that these thoughts should be taken with a grain of salt.  I am in the 38^th percentile of my bracket on ESPN.com. While I did have Ohio over Michigan, I failed to see Norfolk State beating Missouri, to the tune of putting Mizzou in the title game.  Oops. That being said, here are three things I noticed about Michigan State through the first two games of this incredible time of the year they call madness.

1.     The loss of Brendan Dawson was more impactful than originally thought

We have seen flashes of brilliance on the offensive end from the 6’6 freshmen, and his defense has remained steady yet unspectacular. Inconsistency is the one thing that has plagued this highly regarded freshmen: inconsistency. This is true except in one facet of the game, and it was a glaring hole in the round of 32 game against Saint Louis, offensive rebounding.

    Tom Izzo has built a pedigree and a program off of being tough, physical, and being able to get second chance opportunities. Rick Majuers preaches a similar philosophy, so when the Billikens got boards no one was surprised  But the Spartans being absent on the offensive glass was surprising. This is a problem because this is not the most talented team in Michigan State history. They are not slouches by any means but if the Spartans are going to continue this magical dance party, it is going to be by out toughing teams. I can name eight or nine teams with more natural talent then the Spartans. This means that rebounding production is going to have to come from someplace else.  On Sunday it was non-existent.

2.     Draymond Green is one of the greatest Spartans of all time

We’ve known this for a long time, but Green’s performance in the first two rounds of the tourney cemented his legacy as a top five, or even top three, all time great Spartans. From his triple double in the first round to his character and energy willing the Spartans past a very tough Saint Louis team, this man does everything it takes to win. That is said so often in sports, to the point where it becomes a cliché, and one of the more annoying ones.  In the case of Draymond Green, it is a fundamental truth about his game. An extra pass here, a rebound there, a crisp outlet pass, all the things that coaches see and salivate over while going unnoticed by most fans.  That is the game of Draymond Green, and while he puts up pretty good numbers (hence the triple double) his impact goes beyond the numbers. Yuck, two of my least favorite sports clichés, I need a shower…

3.     Preview of Louisville

I’ve watched Big East basketball for the majority of my life, and one thing that Louisville always was and always will be is pesky. They usually have plenty of talent, but they are not always as athletic as a Syracuse or Kentucky. One thing they are though is tough. Rick Pitino has a full court press that goes from annoying to unstoppable in a matter of possessions. Pitino is also a guy who, like Tom Izzo, seems to have a mystical ability to get his teams to play their best in March. Don’t ask me how either one does it, but both seem to be wizards once the calendar turns. The Cardinals have a much sought after inside outside presence with point guard Peyton Silva and Center Gogui Dieng. The Cardinals will be tough, and under the current circumstances, probably the toughest opponent State has faced so far. MSU is more talented, but in order to survive and advance, they have to do just that, merely survive the chaotic press Pitino is sure to throw at them and watch out for Peyton Silva.

By Geoff Preston   

The feeling that settled over the Breslin on Sunday night felt wrong.  It wasn’t that the result was an upset. Ohio State has one of the more talented starting fives in the country, and the shot that William Buford hit over Keith Appling was about as well defended as it could have been. Ohio State deserved to win the game. The problem is that this night wasn’t supposed to be about the Ohio State Buckeyes. It wasn’t even supposed to be about the Michigan State Spartans. This night was supposed to be about one man: Draymond Green.

   We had seen articles and TV pieces all week about Green’s love affair with the University and the Universities’ love affair with Green.  It has been said over and over again that Green is the definition of a Spartan. It almost sounds cliché at this point to say it, but it’s true. Green has put up some great statistics during his time in East Lansing, but his value to the program revolved around his role as a player-coach. The word “leadership” has been re-defined by Day-Day in his time as a Spartan, and it is safe to say that this pre-season proclaimed “rebuilding year” would be just that if it weren’t for Draymond Green.

   That is why it just didn’t feel right to see Ohio State players in their scarlet and gray uniforms celebrating on the court where Draymond Green and his senior teammates have given us so many great memories. The Buckeyes have sent Day-Day out as the only thing that he wasn’t as a Spartan: a loser. Then, as the camera turned towards the line of players shaking hands, an even more perplexing image filled my TV screen. After giving his heart and soul for four years only to lose in his final game at the Breslin Center, Draymond Green was… smiling? Not only was he smiling, but he was smiling the only way he knew how: with a wide, face encompassing grin that could light up any room. How could Day-Day be so cheerful?  A heartbreaking loss in his final home game? Any sane person would lose it.

   But Draymond Green wasn’t, and I believe that moment in time, that one smile in the midst of shaking hands with a bitter rival, is a perfect snapshot of the legacy Draymond Green leaves at Michigan State. This reaction could be misinterpreted as lazie-faire but anyone who knows Draymond Green knows that winning is about all that is important to him. I believe that the reason we saw him flash the grin he did is because this game did not mean the same thing to Draymond that it did to us fans. To us, it was our last chance to thank him for his service to Michigan State and to see him end his Breslin career with a win. To Green, it was an important game against a rival for a chance to win the Big Ten outright. Notice how none of those things pertained individually to Draymond Green. We were all disappointed because it didn’t feel right to send one player out with a loss, but that one player has bigger goals than a senior day victory. As a true disciple of Tom Izzo, Draymond Green is thinking about March, and not the fourth day of March, more like the fourth week.

   So maybe the smile that adorned Draymond Green’s face shouldn’t have seemed so foreign.  After all, we have all come to know Green by his positive, glass half full demeanor.  While the fans were thinking of a senior day opportunity lost, he was thinking of the March opportunities that lay ahead. If you had this squad behind you, you’d probably be smiling to.

By: Michael Gerstein

Monday afternoon, thousands of ardent Ron Paul supporters packed into the Auditorium to hear the Republican Presidential Candidate speak. Political adherents funneled in from the bitter cold, making their way inside and filling nearly every one of the 4000 seats, excitedly chanting their support and thrusting “Don’t trust the liberal media!” signs into the air along the way.

Constituents in various pockets across the country have fervently shown their support throughout his campaign, and no lacking amount of enthusiasm came from Michigan State.

A multitude of reasons are cited for his sporadic popularity, but some of the most crucial among them are his perceived deep separation from the usual Republican platform, leaning heavily on a call for maximum civil liberties, a non-interventionist strategy regarding foreign affairs and a laissez faire economic policy.

Indeed, one of the central themes recurring throughout his speech was a call to return our “God given rights” by repealing recent legislature such as the Patriot Act and the even more recent Defense Authorization Act which enables the indefinite detention, without the right to a trial, of any American citizen suspected of involvement with a terrorist organization.

The crowd applauded uproariously with any mention of restoring our civil liberties or ending the American pattern of “non-stop war.” This facilitated a tremendous amount of popularity among traditionally non-conservative voters.

But where more liberal constituents start to fall off is with the mention of his traditional, and arguably uneducated view of economics. Paul supports the abolition of many integral federal organizations such as the FDA, FEMA and the Board of Education, holding to the view that capitalism, when left to its own devices and not interfered with by any government organization, will be able to effectively regulate itself and adhere to the wishes of the public.

Opponents of this view would point out that one need only look to the abuses of human rights during the beginning of the industrial revolution to see the oppressive nature of unfettered capitalism.

Regardless, the overwhelming majority of those present seemed ecstatic to be there, chanting and cheering their support all the way down the street.

By: Michael Gerstein

Saturday night, dozens of jovial Spartans gathered on the second floor of the MSU Union for a night of ballroom dancing, masquerading, sober fun. 

The dance was organized under the premise of a fun, yet informative way to learn ballroom techniques to the tune of all of your favorite songs. It was intended to be an alternative to the more exclusive Honors College Ball, which only a limited amount of people are able to attend. Here, all students were invited to join in on the fun, free of charge. 

Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. And although several students opted for the sidelines, lugubriously watching their peers cavort around the dance floor, I could tell even they were having fun at heart, and that’s all that really counts. 

By Lacee Shepard

Today is Johnny Cash’s Birthday. Although he passed away in 2003, Johnny Cash is still relevant today. Today’s music may be focused on who has tighter skinny jeans, but the world will never forget the music that Johnny Cash made.

The Arkansas native had something others didn’t, and its what makes his music timeless. Cash had the ability to bridge genres that wouldn’t seem to go together in a million years and that was his biggest allure. While he as known for his rock lifestyle, known for taking multiple drugs and drinking, his music was a perfect blend of country, rock and folk. Cash made music that could only be sorted as Rockabilly.

In his lifetime Cash was inducted into the rock hall of fame, the country hall of fame, and the gospel hall of fame. Cash was known not only for his drug laced past, but also for his hits like Cocaine Blues, Get Rhythm, A Boy Named Sue and Ring of Fire.

Cash may not be here to celebrate his birthday, but throw on his old records and be prepared to be inspired by man who’s music can withstand time.

By: Courtney Bowerman 

“Cinderella” is one of those fairy tales that is retold over and over again in pop culture.  Some examples include “Ever After” starring Drew Barrymore, the tween movie “A Cinderella Story,”  or the “Price of Gold,” the Cinderella centered episode on ABC’s fantastic new show “Once Upon a Time.”  Some of these new versions can get pretty crazy. In “Once Upon a Time,” Cinderella’s fairy godmother is replaced by Rumpelstiltskin, who demands her firstborn child as payment for getting her to the ball.

As far as books go, there are some creative (and darker) versions of the story that appeal more to modern, independent young women.  Here’s a list of Cinderella stories you can read that won’t make you feel like a little kid:

“Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister” by Gregory Maguire

From the author of “Wicked” comes a grimmer take on Cinderella, told through the point of view of the so-called ugly stepsisters, Iris and Ruth.  Set in medieval Holland, the girls and their mother come to live with a wealthy man and his sheltered and eccentric daughter, Clara.  Far from being evil, Iris and Ruth are actually quite kind to the sheltered and eccentric Clara, which increases the friction between them and their abusive and ruthless mother.  Warning: don’t expect a completely happy ending.

“Princess of Glass” by Jessica Day George

A fractured fairy tale version in which a down-on her-luck maid is a pawn in an evil fairy’s scheme to enchant a prince.  I highly recommend this one.  However, you may want to read “Princess of the Midnight Ball” (a teen version of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses”) first.

 “Before Midnight” by Cameron Dokey

Once again, the stepmother and stepsisters aren’t really evil in this young adult novel.  Rather, it’s Cinderella’s father who is the villain; he abandons her at birth and pretends she doesn’t exist.  So when the stepfamily is sent to live at his house, they just assume she’s one of the servants.  The romance with the prince feels a little rushed, but other than that, it’s a clever reimagining.

 “Just Ella” by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Haddix imagines a sequel to “Cinderella,” where Ella gets bored of palace life and plots to escape.  There are no pumpkins or fairy godmothers, just a determined and likable heroine.  A great book for all ages.

“The Stepsister Scheme” by Jim C. Hines

The first book in an awesome fantasy series where classic fairy tales get a darker, more adult twist.  Danielle (Cinderella) teams up with Snow White and Talia (Sleeping Beauty) to rescue her prince from her vengeful stepsisters.  Instead of glass slippers, this Cinderella gets a glass sword!  Highly recommended for anyone that likes butt-kicking heroines.

 “Godmother” by Carolyn Turgeon

What if the fairy godmother fell in love with the prince and went to the ball in Cinderella’s place?  That’s exactly what happens in this book…and it doesn’t end well.  Not for the soft of heart.

By: Crysta Matti

Manipulative kidnappers, swords fighting with a super horse, magical reviving hair that illuminates, smooth thieves and a sassy chameleon; what more could Disney movie-goers ask for?

 “Tangled” begins by giving viewers the history of Repunzal (Mandy Moore) as the daughter of a queen, whose troubled labor required her to consume the juices of an enchanted life-reviving flower. The power to heal derived from the flower to save Repunzal’s mother, flowed into her blood stream, making infant Repunzal a healer.  Once an adolescent hunting women known as Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) discovers this power, she kidnaps Repunzal and keeps her trapped in a sky-high tower, far away and estranged from the kingdom and her family. As Repunzal grew older, her magical hair grew longer, and Mother Gothem remained youthful as long as Repunzal sang. Forbidden from leaving her tower, Repunzal dreamed of escaping on the night of her birthday in order to partake in the Kingdom’s annual lantern vigil, which she felt an unknown connection to. Fate brought Repunzal’s dream to reality when a thief, Eugene (Zachary Levi), stumbled into her tower and promised to take her to the kingdom to view the vigil. After dodging a hysterical horse, enraged thieves and Mother Gothem, Eugene and Repunzal are able to sneak into the kingdom. There, the two discover themselves, one another, participate in the vigil and fall madly in love. The movie’s magical climax quickly delves towards the denouement as Mother Gothem formulates a plan in order to imprison Repunzal forever and her youth.

Walt Disney’s 2010 production of “Tangled” encompasses the enchanting storyline and magical fairytale stories it’s known for. Moore’s playful yet strong voice exemplifies the human drive that is propelled and manifested in Repunzal. Overall, “Tangled” is engaging through its catchy songs, humorous dialogue, beautiful art and touching message. Although the art is new and improved compared to earlier Disney movies, the quality and spirit of classic, fairytale Disney movies is retained. Prior to watching “Tangled,” I heard nothing but good reviews about it from my friends. While watching it, I couldn’t help but constantly burst out into laugher and found myself gushing “Aww” from time to time. After finally watching “Tangled,” I consider it a must-watch movie and recommend it to all Disney lovers!

I am a Knicks fan. I should preface my argument by making that very clear. I was a Knicks fan through the hellish Isiah Thomas “secret plot to ruin professional basketball in New York” era.  I am too young to remember the Patrick Ewing days, or anything resembling good basketball. My lifetime has consisted of watching some of the worst basketball the NBA has ever seen. Remember when Isiah thought Stevie Francis AND Stephan Marbury could co-exist after playing the same position their entire lives? Yup, me too. Remember when the Knicks tanked two seasons and shed absurd amounts of cap room because LeBron James once wore a Yankee hat to an Indians game? Yeah, I was a fan through that. A decade of awful management turned me off to NBA basketball altogether. I’ve always been more of a college basketball guy anyway.  So why watch 48 minutes of overpaid (even by professional athlete standards) men not care? Last season was a brief light at the end of a long, brutally treacherous tunnel, but after a 8-15 start it appeared to be business as usual at the Garden.

   Then Jeremy Lin happened.  So much has been said about the 6 foot 3 inch Harvard graduate, about how he garnered nearly no interest from hometown Stanford, meandered through two NBA teams and a couple of stints in the D-league, and is now lighting up the NBA while playing in the most high pressure environment in the league. This has all been well established by the talking heads and pundits on ESPN, and with good reason. The story has every component of the underdog that we all love to consume 24 hours a day, but my favorite part of this many-layered cultural phenomenon is the passion that Lin plays with. After every big shot, Lin and his teammates can be jumping up and down and celebrating like it’s the state playoffs. The intensity of Lin’s face after every spectacular play shows me that this matters to him. It may sound like a simple idea, but take it from a Knicks fan, we haven’t really seen too much of that at the Garden in recent years. There are few worse things in sports then watching a team that is uninspired and doesn’t care. That has been the plight of the post-Ewing Knicks fans. The youthful, ecstatic joy with which Jeremy Lin plays basketball has been my favorite thing to observe in the NBA this year.

   Is he perfect? No. How long can he continue to light up the NBA? It remains to be seen. I don’t care though, Jeremy Lin has finally made it okay to love not just the Knicks, but NBA basketball all over again. That is one hell of a gift.

By: Alejandra Ortega

The Department of Theater presented the result of weeks of hard work to audiences this weekend. The workshop, “Pump Up the Volume,” is a brand new musical that featured the talents of many undergraduate and graduate students at MSU.

The 1990 film turned musical is a story of an angsty teenager named Mark, played by music composition senior Nick Strong, who speaks out for his generation on his pirate radio about death, sex, love, repression and freedoms.

“It’s a great story,” said Jeremy Desmon, who wrote the book and lyrics, “I feel like we all have been in that position where we can’t find that voice.”

Dave Solomon, the director and a current artist in residence, was brought to MSU for this workshop. “I’ve always wanted to do something like this,” said Solomon, “These guys worked hard and were open to the process. It was amazing, and I loved every minute of it. I don’t want to leave.”

The show was a workshop, allowing those involved to tweak things before each show. During rehearsals everyone was kept on their toes as things were added or changed. Two songs, “Keep Talkin’” and “You Are the voice” were added the same week the show was to debut, said Andrea Miller, a theater senior. “It has been an experience,” Miller added, “We had a chance to create these characters.”

“It was a movie I saw several years back, and I thought it’d make for a great idea for a musical,” said Jeff Thomson, the composer, on the original idea to use “Pump Up the Volume” for the workshop, “If we had taken it from the film to the stage alone it wouldn’t work. It was destined to be a musical.”

The workshop provided the students with a chance to gain experience of the process of creating a musical; something many of those involved hope to do in their future.

“I loved it because no one has any preconceived notions of how the characters should be,” said Strong, concerning his lead character Mark. “It has definitely been really stressful, but also a lot of fun.”

By: Alejandra Ortega

Writer/director Andrew Niccol has offered us such classics in the past as, “The Truman Show.” Unfortunately, “In Time,” is not one of his best work. 

The film centers on the idea of time as money. Clearly this is a critique on the cost of living, and the Occupy Wallstreet issues. This premise had so much potential if Niccol had taken the time to do it right. However, in the end it made me want to take away his screenwriting textbook, hand him a bottle of wine and tell him to try again later. 

The beginning was promising. I was with the film during the set-up of the conflict. However, from minute 13 on I was done. 

The rest of the film focuses on the kidnapping of Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried), and her eventual submission to Will (Justin Timberlake) ideals. It’s a classic Bonnie and Clyde set against a science fiction background. 

The story is written textbook style. Minute 12 they introduced the conflict, they had the midpoint concerning Sylvia and the “all hope is lost” moment between Will and Sylvia - which failed due to the lack of believable chemistry between the two actors - and had a reconciled ending to fix everything. It was so textbook I almost fell asleep in my seat. 

The theme of “every step gets you closer to death” is said point-blank to the audience every chance offered, and the sudden love between Will and Sylvia is one that makes the audience want to roll their eyes. 

While the lines and visual aspects were terrible, the thing I was still most bummed about was the loss of such a great idea. Had Niccol worked out the kinks of the script more, he would have had something to transcend the genre. Unfortunately, he just offered another addition to the reason science fiction has such a bad reputation.