During a quiet walk on campus, it occurred to me that the six bridges crossing the Red Cedar have missed a few things during the pandemic too. The basic job of supporting pedestrians who need to cross a river may seem unremarkable, until you consider who has crossed these bridges. One bridge seemed to stand out as a symbol. You know the one that connects the stadium and the library. No matter how you spent your fall Saturdays, that bridge was important. It got you to the game or to a place to study. And the sounds we heard on those Saturdays—the drums of the Spartan Marching Band or the roar of alumni and students, cheering together—clearly announced that you are part of a community.
These common experiences are felt across generations. In this issue you will read about several Spartans who crossed these bridges and went on to grow economic opportunity in India, support the cancer survivorship movement, and diversify medical education. I am also pleased to tell you; we have added to the Spartan editorial team. Tim Cerullo, a 2008 graduate of the College of Arts and Letters with a degree in English, began serving as the Spartan magazine editor May 10. He is passionate about being a Spartan and looks forward to meeting many of you in his new role. You can reach him at cerullot@msu.edu.
From the Banks,
Stephanie Motschenbacher, ’85, ’91
Executive Editor, Spartan Magazine
LETTERS
ELI BROAD LEGACY
I just need to express my disappointment in the coverage of Eli Broad in the latest issue.
Maybe it is because my undergraduate degree was in Urban Planning and I was familiar with his Kaufman and Broad company. Maybe it is because he had donated so much money to MSU for the business school and other endeavors for MSU. Regardless, I was surprised that only two pages (of which approximately 1/2 was in pictures) were devoted to his legacy at MSU.
With his picture on the front of the magazine, I was expecting more extensive coverage of his life and legacy.
Needless to say, I believe he deserved more.
Thank you.
Dale Farland, ’75, ORACLE, AZ
SPUDS IN SPACE
While reading the Space Garden article in the Spring 2021 Spartan magazine, I happened to remember an article titled: Free Out of This World Potato Dinner Recipes.
The Better Homes and Gardens article celebrated the potato as the first food ever grown in space and provided information on how to get a copy of The National Potato Promotion Board’s brochure, Spuds in Space, featuring out-ot-this-world recipes.
Unfortunately, I never did obtain a copy of SPUDS IN SPACE.
Had to share…
Ruth Gingrich, LANSING, MI
ENJOYING SPARTAN MAGAZINE
I have been following the articles and look of Spartan magazine for quite a while now, and I want to complement (the team) on such an outstanding issue that you just published featuring Eli Broad.
I wanted to write because I have enjoyed the last two issues featuring people who have done so much for the University. Keep up the good work and let me know if there is any way I can be of assistance to you.
Sincerely,
Edward Deeb, ’60, BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI
NICE STORY, HARSH WORDS
I enjoyed reading the “Invincible Grit” article in the Spring 2021 issue of Spartan magazine. The story of Dalal Salomon is very inspiring. One of the main points of the article is that Dalal succeeded in an industry that was and continues to be dominated by males. However, the author’s comment about her 1982 job in Washington D.C. being in an office and an industry dominated by “macho middle-aged white men with Ivy League backgrounds” wasn’t necessary. Disparaging white males detracted from the positive story that the author was trying to tell. I would remind the author and the editors at Spartan magazine that white males represent a significant percentage of MSU alumni, donors and readers.
Sincerely,
Scott D. Williams, ’82, ADA, MI