Everything that only MSU students will understand

Michigan State prides itself on providing a diverse environment and a wide range of activities for students to participate in. Despite this, there are some parts of going to MSU that are universal for all of our students. Because let’s be honest, you know you go to Michigan State when these things mean something to you.

1. Sparty

With his awesome dance moves, charming demeanor and raging school spirit, our giant mascot is loved by nearly everyone. That is until he gets close to you. The giant costume is always slightly unsettling, but we love him all the same. In fact, it’s practically a necessity to get a selfie with him before you graduate.

2. STR

Only Spartans understand the meaning of this iconic phrase and it unites us as a community. Whether you’re an average scrawny freshman or Connor Cook, when the weekend rolls around, Spartans Will be heading straight to Ricks!

3. The significance of couches

While it may be challenging for some Spartans to wrap their minds around, not every school sets couches on fire. This tradition is unique to us and Cedar Village wouldn’t be the same without it. So couches be warned, when the basketball team brings home the title this year, be ready to burn.

4. School visits and Brody caf

If you thought the wait for pasta couldn’t be any longer, you thought wrong. Under no circumstance should a student ever venture any where near Brody, let alone to the caf, when a school group is visiting. The hoards of children can turn even the most expansive, peaceful caf into a traumatic experience.

5. Camping out for everything

Here at MSU we have this strange need to camp out for nearly everything. Whether it’s waiting for a house, a football game or tickets for the Izzone, Spartans Will pull out their tents and suffer through even the nastiest of weather.

6. Getting up early to tailgate, but never for class

Having to schedule an 8am class feels like a death sentence, but schedule a noon football kickoff and Spartans Will be up before dawn with solo cup in hand.

7. Combos

These bonus meals were hands down the best part of living in the dorms. Living off campus, it is hard to accept that I just can’t stockpile free food the way I did back in the day. #CombosForAll2016

8. PACE

Whether you park on campus or not, everyone understands how evil PACE is. Just seeing one of their trucks sends shivers down my spine. Or sends me racing to my car to try to prevent the ticket that they will some how manage to hand out whether I’m parked illegally or not.

9. Go Green…

Go white! If you fail to respond correctly to this school defining chant, Lou Anna will appear and personally expel you herself.

10. BPS between classes

If you happen to be in the Biomedical and Physical Sciences building any time between 8am and 7pm, you should just accept that you will never be able to find a place to sit. Ever.

11. The myth of snow days

Unless you were here for the mysterious January of 2014, students can attest to the fact that snow days simply don’t exist at Michigan State. Thigh high snow? No big deal. 40 mph winds? Deal with it. Sub-zero temperatures? Better dress warm!

12. Wells’ Hall preachers

When all of that snow melts away, these evangelists appear out of no where. Touting signs and forcing pamphlets on you, the Wells’ Hall preachers make that entire part of campus an area to avoid.

13. CATA in the winter

When traveling by bus in the winter, you better budget an extra 20+ minutes into your trip length. Every. Single. Resident. From Every. Single. Dorm. will be piling onto one of these suckers until they look like tins of sardines.

14. Webwork the night it’s due

Anyone who has ever had to do webwork for a class understands how finicky the site is. Especially the night before its due. Every student from your class simultaneously tries to look at the homework at the same time, until the site crashes. This still isn’t enough to discourage procrastination.

15. MSU squirrels

We are really really into squirrels here at MSU. From starting a club devoted to them, to trying to feed them, Spartans love squirrels, even this scrappy little guy.

16. The terror of the River Trail junction behind Wells

Home to the most bike accidents across campus, this path intersection is dangerous to pedestrians and bikers the same. Definitely would recommend avoiding this spot to prevent randomly getting ran down by a stray biker.

17. The elusive Alma Mater

Unless you are literally graduating this week, no one has taken the time to memorize this song, despite the handy key-chains we all received at AOP. Despite this fact, someone still thinks its a good idea to force us to sing it at every sporting event. And ya know, maybe this wouldn’t be that bad, maybe it’d even provide us an opportunity to learn the words. But no. They refuse to put the lyrics up on the big screen (at least at basketball games), so the student section drops off directly after the first line.

18. RAMA

A right of passage for every student, this all day event is one of a kind. Skip your Thursday classes, grab a pitcher and join the fun!

19. The beauty of the campus

Michigan State is without a doubt gorgeous, but unless you stroll through it every day, you might forget just how beautiful the simple features of our campus are.

20. Dairy Store ice cream

This delicious campus-made dessert is without a doubt the best food on campus. Trying every flavor should be on everyone’s bucketlist.

21. Big Ten rivalries

Every time we play little sister we get really into it. Friends become enemies and blue and yellow clothing gets stuffed far into the back of your closet.  For other games against our other Big Ten rivals, like OSU, we try to bring in that same animosity.

22. Conrads

The Holy Grail of drunchies. Tater tots inside of wraps? Talk about innovative.

23. The Izzone

Our basketball student section is unparalleled. From the shot clock violations that we entice to the fact that there are literally bears in the Izzone, our student section provides the best support in the nation. (Clearly why we have the best team in the nation as well).

24. iClickers

Professors clearly use these things as an incentive to get students to actually come to class, but anyone who’s ever sat in the back row of a lecture and seen the kids with eight of these suckers stashed in their bag knows that truant students will just pawn them off on someone else.

25. The song Some Type of Way

This song will always hold a special spot in our hearts after we used it as the anthem of our Rose Bowl journey (and victory).

26. Yes! Yes! Yes!

We can all thank Travis Jackson for this infamous chant. While some of us may not be aware of that origin, it still gets the student section and the team hyped up. We’ve even re-fashioned it into a free throw distraction chant for the Izzone.

27. Best college in the country

Anyone who goes here knows that they attend the best university in the nation.