Favorite MSU Moment in 2011

I began working at MSU in August and unfortunately don't spend much time outside of Demonstration Hall since I am the Army ROTC recruiter and am beyond busy most days. However, one of the highlights of being ROTC cadre is that we get to attend the basketball, football, and hockey games with the cadets if we are the supervisor for the Color Guard for the event. I was able to take my husband and stepson through all the restricted areas before a men's basketball game and my stepson was in awe. But I must say my favorite moment was at a women's ice hockey game with its sparse audience. The game was against Notre Dame and was in honor of all Veterans. We had an all female Color Guard post the colors as the National Anthem was sung acapella, and then the girls skated out to individually make a brief statement about a Veteran they knew. It was quite powerful to know everyone there was impacted by the life of a Soldier.

Following the popular MSU football theme, I would have to say that my favorite moment at Michigan State in 2011 was the MSU vs. Wisconsin hail mary game winning pass. In my 5 years at this school I do not think I have seen a more exciting football game. I still get chills thinking about it. I will never forget the energy and change of emotions during the remaining seconds of that game. I expected to see the Spartans take a knee and send the game into overtime. When I saw the team line up for one last play my heart began to race, but I did not expect what was to come. When Nichol caught the pass the crowd went nuts for a couple of seconds until the referee’s waived him down at the 1-yard line. It was heart breaking. My hands were clenched together as the entire stadium sat in silence while the play was reviewed. Finally, a referee stepped onto the field and declared the play a touchdown. The entire stadium erupted and I could not do anything but scream at the top of my lungs. My friend and I embraced each other, jumping up and down, and screaming into each other’s ears. It was a moment of overwhelming joy. One that will forever be embedded in me.

Most of my top MSU memories in 2011 took place during my Mass Media in the UK study abroad over the summer. It was five weeks of learning much more about myself and the worlds of advertising, marketing, PR, and much more. Discovering new cities while making great friends was such a great experience, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat! 

Since I have spent almost five years at Michigan State now, I have loads of great moments.  With being a fifth year senior I was able to experience my favorite moment in 2011.  At the end of the football year MSU made it to the Big Ten Championship, which I was able to attend.  This was my favorite moment for a few reasons: 1) First game I actully taveled to see 2) It was the Big Ten Championship 3) memorable time being with my friends 4) Feeling what it means to be a spartan.  On top of all those great reasons, I also had great seats - three rows off the field!  This was by far my favorite time last year as a spartan. 

My Favorite memories from 2011 have to be the tailgates and football games.  I usually don't go to the games because tailgates are too much fun, but this season I had the pleasure of going to 2 of the greatest games of all time in Spartan Stadium.  First, the Wisconsin night game may go down as the greatest game ever played here. with the straight-from-hollywood ending - hail mary.  Hollywood couldn't tailor a better ending to the game than the last second hail mary from Kirk Cousins to Keith Nichol.  Being in the stands for that game was absolutely tremendous.  A memory that I could never forget.  The second was the Michigan game, after which I had the pleasure of boasting to my friends in Ann Arbor that we have not lost a football game to their "storied" football program since I entered college.  These memories are ones that I would never give up.  Go Spartans!

My favorite MSU moment (or actually a collection of moments) was spending the summer in London participating in and internship abroad.  I had the great fortune to work for Sequel UK - a Guess Watches and Jewelry and Gc Watches distributor - as a Public Relations Intern.  Both the internship and the experience was one of the best I have ever had.  I met so many great people and was able to experience such a diverse and interesting culture while actually becoming part of it.  Because I was doing and internship and taking classes, I sometimes felt more like an actual resident than just a student there for the summer.  I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of something so amazing and life-changing.

However coming in a close second (or maybe a tie even) would have to have been my attendance at the MSU v. WI game this fall.  I haven't been to a game since freshman year so being a senior and having the opportunity was amazing in the first place but the game was just so fun and packed with intensity I don't think I will ever forget it. 

Overall, 2011 turned out to be one great year!

One of my favorite MSU memories of 2011 would have to be the win at Spartan Stadium over Wisconsin. It was an amazing football game and the reaction of everyone when they made that final call that it was a touchdown was unbelievable. The stadium was going crazy. Thinking about it today I still get chills. I felt so much Spartan pride at that moment. I have watched that clip of that win many times since and I doubt I am the only Spartan fan that has done so. Being at that game is something that I will remember forever. (I would have included a photo but this site would not allow me.) 

The 2011 school year was exceptionally great to me. I moved into a house with some of my best friends right on MAC and started off my junior year with plenty of great memories. Football is usually on the minds of everyone on campus during the fall, and one particular memory that stands out in my mind is the MSU vs. Wisconsin game. The tailgate for the game made the night so much more amazing. We were with family, friends, and some people we had just met but we all shared the same love for our team. Together we watched our Spartans pull off an amazing victory, hugging and cheering when the game ended. Thinking back to that time, I remember taking it all in and realizing how lucky I am to be able to attend such an amazing university that takes such pride in their athletics. I always like to reflect on things that I should be thankful for once in a while and Michigan State is definitely one of them.

Tailgating with some friends before the game below!

My favorite moment of MSU during 2011 was when I was hired as an undergraduate assistant in the department of economics. Since I had not had any working experience before, I was so excited that I was able to help and communicate with other students. I was proud of myself. It was a new experience for me. However, sometimes it was such a pain sitting for 3 hours in a row without having any students who came for help. Also, it was really hard for me to manage my time during mid-term weeks because I took 19 credits during last semester. I decided not to do it anymore for this semester because I want to get prepared for getting a job after graduation. However, it was still unforgettable moment in MSU in 2011.

2011 has been the best year of my life so far at Michigan State University. So many memories have been made in the last four years and as a senior graduating in May, I can’t believe how fast time flies! I would have to say the two most memorable moments I have had at MSU would be cheering on our football team (the last 4 years) and turning 21!

I am a sales and marketing intern for the Athletic Department and have been lucky enough to be on the sidelines for every home game- sharing the excitement of SO many close games. I also had the opportunity to meet Erin Andrews, which was awesome.

In November, I turned 21 which was one of the best days ever. I think I was especially excited because I was the very LAST person to turn 21 out of pretty much….EVERYONE in my grade. My friends threw a surprise Bar Crawl for me – the best present anyone could get!

Cannot wait to create so many more memories this semester, thank you Michigan State for the best four years of my life!

My favorite moment of MSU during 2011 is probably a toss-up between U of M football weekend or Homecoming weekend. I was at both of those games, but the weekends were both fun for several other reasons other than the victories. Homecoming was a great time because all of my old friends from my fraternity that have graduated flew in from as far as Oregon and Nashville for the weekend, and seeing them/partying with them was an absolute blast. The U of M weekend was fun because I got to hang out with my Dad, a Michigan grad, before the game and got to rub it in after the game. 

My favorite MSU moment of 2011 had to be working with the Michigan State Athletics sales and marketing department. It was a long year and waking up on Saturday mornings at 5:00 in the morning was terrible, and it was even worse was seeing all your friends tailgating, but the experience I gained was worth it. Through out the year I learned a lot of things that are going to help me find a job and use the tools I gained to secure a position. I worked almost every sport MSU had to offer because I wanted to gain as much experience as possible. One highlight that I have from working in 2011 was being at the home football game verse Michigan. It was an awesome game that went back and forth, and being on the field made it even better. One really cool thing was I got to meet Erin Andrews and was able to get a picture with Michigan great Desmond Howard.

One of my favorite MSU moments of 2011, was traveling to first annual B1G Ten Championship game. Even though our Spartans didn't walk away with a victory, it was still an amazing experience. I love the fact that one day I will be able to tell my kids I watched my team play in the very first B1G Ten Championship game. I was one of the fortunate few to find out about Wisconsin opened their tickets to the public. I proudly wore my green and white in the sea of red in the third row. It was the closest I have ever sat to the field, and the it was an amazing game up until the very end. 

Being a senior makes it very hard to pick an absolute favorite moment this year at MSU. Though my college experience has not particularly what I would have hoped for these past few years, I still have made many memories i will never forget. But because my college years have not been to exciting and I frequently went home, this post is even harder to complete. However, One of my fondest memories this year is also the Michigan vs. Michigan State Football game. Almost all of my highschool friends do not attend Michigan State which makes it very hard to see them alot. Yet, they love to come visit for special events and big occasions, just like this football game. 10 of my best friends came up for this epic game and stayed with me and my boyfriend in our little two person home. The floor was packed the night before the with everyone sleeping on it but I loved every minute of it. It was like being in middle school and having a slumber party. Of course we did not get too much sleep that night and it was difficult waking up early but I jumped out of bed when my alarm clock went off at 8am and started kicking everyone awake. It was time to tailgate and I couldnt be more excited to do so with my aboslute best friends. Of course a couple of them were Michigan fans which made my day that much better because I got to rag on them all I wanted, because this year they were on MY territory.

The day went by fast as we tailgated at different places and then while the boys watched the game I sadly had to nap. I only got to see the last 10 minutes of the game, but hey thats all that realllllly matters. After the game and my nap i had to rush back to my home town for my little cousins joint bar-mitzvah. At first i was dreading having to leave state on the night of such a huge game but it ended up making my night that much better. Not only did I get to spend an amazing day with my best friends, beat michigan and tailgated, but I also was able to see all of my beloved extended family, whom is mostly UofM graduates. So that was a topper to the night when I got to rub the win in their faces as well. 

2011 was an amazing year for me, but I would have to say my most memorable moment came on the last day of it, New Year’s Eve. I celebrated the start of my new year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. My brother who was also a Spartan decided to get his masters overseas in Spain. After completing his program he had the opportunity to obtain a specialization by studying in Brazil for five months. After he finished his program he decided to stay in the country until January and he invited me to come meet him after Christmas for New Years. At first I was quite hesitant about traveling so far alone to a dangerous country. But after my brother poked and prodded me enough he finally convinced me to go.

I arrived to Sao Paulo, Brazil on the 27^th of December after a brutal 14 hour plane ride. Luckily the plane was practically empty and I was able to snag an entire row to myself. at about 9 am, after waking up and de-boarding the plane I decided to try and find some information about my connecting flight. I found a monitor and soon after realized that it wouldn’t be much help since it was all in Portuguese. Seeing this gave me a little anxiety but I thought quickly and pulled out my cell phone to see if the e-mail I had contained my flight information. To my delight everything was in the message, but unfortunately I had a nine hour layover. After learning of the grim news I decided to try and find a way to kill some time, I found a small restaurant and ordered a beer and a sandwich. After about an hour or two a girl on my plane from Detroit walked in. We noticed each other and began talking and drinking, drinking and talking. Before long it was already time to board my connecting flight. After a full 24 hours of traveling I finally arrived at my brother’s apartment.

Throughout the next five days we spent time at the beach, went sightseeing, and basically just did tourist things. Finally the eve of the New Year was upon us and the party was about to begin. I had no idea what was in store for me. Our night started with champagne and food. After we were good and full we decided to head to the beach. In Brazil going to the beach on New Year’s is a long standing tradition. As we arrived to the beach I was amazed by the sheer amount of people. Rio has about 19 million people in the city, and people were estimating that at least 5 or 6 million of them were on the beach. After we found a nice spot near the waves we waited till midnight. Once the clock struck eight or nine barges in the ocean started launching off fireworks. This show was spectacular, unlike anything I have ever seen before. After the fireworks ended it was time for the concert, and my favorite artist David Guetta was hosting it. After hours of dancing and listening to music it started to get light out. At this point we realized it was nearly 6 am and it was time to go home. This New Year celebration is one of the most amazing moments in my life, and I think it will stay that way for a long long time. 

Without a doubt the most exciting memory from 2011 was the UofM football weekend. I love college football and seeing this rivalry right in front of our eyes that continues the whole week before and after the game is unmatched. The amount of people who come to visit and attend the game makes the town over packed and busy all weekend. Friends who attend Michigan will visit making it even more exciting. The game was even more anticipated this year because of the Pro-Combat jerseys and Michigan coming into town undefeated behind their new head coach, Brady Hoke. The game lived up to the hype being tied at half time but MSU pulled away in the second half. This was also a great milestone for me because I went through all of my years at MSU without losing to UofM in football. I don't think many classes here at MSU can say the same. I have always liked the atmosphere of a Rivalry weekend here at MSU and I will definitely be back as a alumni to soak it all in very soon. 

My Favorite memories at Michigan State from 2011 were from that summer! I took a total of 15 credits during that summer and it was my first summer living away from home! Crazy, I know. But I did it in order to have a light class load for my senior year. Mostly, I loved my Spanish class, we'd been through a lot together this past summer.

It all started when we began our first session; For many of the people in my class, they had already taken two years of Spanish here at MSU. As for me and one other person, the story was different. We hadnt taken a Spanish class since high school, and starting out in SPN 201 was a little nerve wrecking. That first session, for me at least, was pretty much getting back into the groove of things. The second semester was much easier, even though there was practically no English allowed. I made a lot of friends in that class, and continue to stay in touch. I even passed out candy on certain days, it just made our lessons a little bit sweeter...err easier I mean!

My absolute favorite part was when my Spanish teacher asked us all to meet him somewhere for drinks after our last exam. Having recently turned twenty one, I was ecstatic! Not just because we had finished our exam and could drink at 3:00 on a Thursday and we met at the Riv, but it was actually being able to go! I was the youngest in my class, and it was great to finally be able to go out with my classmates. I will never forget that summer, there were many great memories made!

Being a senior at MSU this year, I have had so many fond memories throughout my 4 years here. The other night my group of friends and I were actually talking about this exact question, what is your favorite memory of all time so far? We all came to the conclusion that this summer in East Lansing was by far an indescribable experience and adventure all at the same time. Although it isn't one specific memory, it was the experience in itself that I never expected to have at MSU. I never planned on staying up here for a summer, but I would now recommend it to every student to fully complete his or her college life here in East Lansing. 

I was always told how different summers were compared to the normal school year and one can only be here to truly know how incredible the summers are here. Conveniently, almost all of my group of friends stayed up here this summer so there was never a dull moment. We went to the IM pool almost everyday, went to Lugnuts games, farmers markets, festivals and there were never lines at any of the bars! It brought us closer as a group because we were able to hang out without worrying about schoolwork and we felt like we had the city to ourselves with most of the students being gone. There's almost something in the air in the summer in EL that brings a whole new feeling to the city and I would do anything to have another summer here!

It has a fun and eventful year to be in East Lansing. I'm sitting at my dining room table with my roommates trying to compare our favorite moments when I realize that all of fall 2011 has been my favorite moments. From moving into my house with all my roommates, my last ever welcome week, 8 a.m. tailgates, new classes, great professors, working at a job that I actually enjoy doing and just simply being in my favorite place once again; this fall in East Lansing has been my favorite moment of 2011. It sounds so disgustingly cheesy, but I swear it's the truth. A lot of people wish the could live in places like California or New York, but I would not want to be anywhere else besides Michigan State. I actually enjoy the tedious walk to Holden when you have your headphones on and it's that perfect sweatshirt weather and you walk on Farm Lane and just see familiar faces the entire walk there and the leaves are just starting to change and fall. Yes, I realize what a big cheeseball I am, but I just love MSU that much.

My favorite MSU moment of 2011 has to be the thriller football game against Wisconsin. My best friends came up to visit for the weekend and they bought student tickets off of fellow season ticket-holders here at State. They had wanted to get tickets to the Michigan game, but those were way too expensive, so we started planning pretty early for them to come up for the Wisconsin game. The atmosphere of any MSU football game is electric, let alone a night game against a budding rival in the Badgers. Needless to say, we had the time of our lives and definitely made an unforgettable memory. I can still vividly remember the four of us jumping around and screaming at the top of our lungs when Keith Nichol made the catch and got the ball across the plane for a touchdown and then repeating it again after the refs reviewed it and ruled that it was conclusively a touchdown. "Rocket" will easily go down as one of my favorite MSU memories of all-time. It's already up there with the "Little Giants" play against Notre Dame, Izzo announcing that he's staying, my first welcome weekend, and a few other classics.

That would have been an awesome moment with complete strangers, but the fact that I was with my best friends made it truly great and unforgettable. The four of us still talk about it all the time and it was their first, and so far only, live MSU football game experience.

Here's a picture we took after the game:

My favorite MSU memory from 2011 was actually getting here! I was debating going to MSU my senior year in high school, but chose a different school instead. My first semester in college I realized I made the wrong choice, and I wanted to be a Spartan. I figured I could stick it out and transfer here Fall semester of 2010. My mistake, I couldn't transfer that semester because I took calculus the summer of 2010, and had to have my math requirement done before applying. So I had to wait it out and reapply for Spring 2011. The day I finished Calculus I sent my transcripts over and reapplied. After 3 long months of waiting I finally recieved my letter in late November of 2010 - I was FINALLY going to be a Spartan. The first week of 2011 I packed up and moved to East Lansing. I was placed in Bryan hall in Brody. I started working for a friend of mine who ran a music production company. I had awesome classes, an awesome floor, met some really great friends, and got to spend my weekends working door at shows and getting paid for it. I immediately fell in love with East Lansing and everything it had to offer. A year later and I am positive I made the right choice in transferring here! I'm living in a house with 3 friends and loving all the classes I take! I don't think I could be any happier. 

 

My favorite moment at Michigan State came my freshman year when the basketball team beat Louisville to advance to the Final Four. Coming in I knew Michigan State was a big basketball school, but I hadn't envisioned the magnitude that one sport could carry over the entire campus. Louisville was the Big East #1 seed no one could supposedly beat. It was my freshman year and being able to share that experience with some of my best friends was unforgettable. The atmosphere on campus leading up to the Final Four in Detroit was amazing and I do not think will ever be topped.

My top MSU memory from 2011 was putting on a fashion show in the union with Purpose Org. It was very stressful but seeing the final pictures on Voice Magazines website made all the stress worth it. Preparing for the show required casting models,designers,and finalizing a venue. This was my second time styling the show and I was very excited to be returning to the Union and seeing some new faces at casting.            

      We started rehersals in September to prepare for our December 11,2011 fashion show. We meet twice a week in Berkey Hall creating difference scenes and over all making new friendships. Its natural to get closer with people you see twice a week for 3 months straight! The relationships developed were priceless, and detrimental to the shows success. 

   The day of the show I can remember everything going wrong, as they normally do at fashion shows. Models were late, clothes had yet to arrive, hair and make-up was taking longer than scheduled. But through all the mishaps we were able to pull together and put on a successful fashion show. When the show was over everyone  got a little  sad after realizing the two a week practices were over, and we would be seeing less of one another. It felt good to put on a great show but it felt even better to know I helped create an environment for new friendships to flourish. 

One of my top MSU memories of 2011 was when my soccer team FINALLY beat Michigan! Since I was a freshman, we could never seem to beat them; we'd always tie. Yes, you can tie in soccer. Ties never really show who the better team is and that is why it was always SO frustrating to play them. But finally, during my senior year, we beat them at home! It was a great moment for all of us, to say the least.

Another one of my top MSU memories of 2011 also ties into soccer. We were on the road and heading to Indiana to play them for their senior night game. The refs weren't on our side at all as they called back 1 goal and called many weak fouls against us. However, something miraculous happened. There were literally 2 seconds left on the clock and we got a foul called on our opponents defense; right outside of the 18-yard box. My teammate quickly took the shot and caught the goalie off guard...SHE SCORED!!! We rushed on the field and tackled her but had to quickly go back as we had to then go into overtime. As luck would have it, we beat them just a few minutes later. It was definitely one of the best experiences of my life. I don't think I'll ever have that feeling again!

2011 was a very special year to be a Spartan and affiliated with Michigan State University.  I was lucky enough to land a job working for the football team as a student manager, which has been by far the best experience of my life.  This year's football season had some unbelievable moments, perhaps some of the greatest games in this university's history, and to have been a part of them, on the sidelines with the team, I am truly blessed.  I was with the team in Columbus when they beat Ohio State for the first time in 11 years, I got to hold Paul Bunyan after soundly beating Michigan for the 4th time in a row, I drove 12 hours to Lincoln, NE to witness a terrible game but absolutely awesome football atmosphere.  I saw many of you post about Hail Mary against Wisconsin, and when that occured I thought nothing could ever top it.  The sheer joy of running out onto the field with the team after that play was overturned – I could barely breathe and was chest bumping and hugging everyone and anyone I could find – and I was able to spot my parents in the crowd and blow them a kiss, that was something I will never, ever forget.  But one thing did top Hail Mary, something I never would've imagined happening.  And yes, I'm going to cheat a little bit here, because my special moment came on the first day of 2012. 

One of the other perks of working for the team is going on the bowl trip for a week, and I had an absolute blast down in Tampa, culminated by the 3OT victory of Georgia.  Now, I was ball boy for this game, and I was originally bummed out that I had to work the Georgia sidelines, but boy little did I know what I would have in store for me.  I had the best seat in the house, closest to all of the action than even the head coaches, as I was right next to the referees following the plays up and down the field.  The only problem was I was on Georgia's sideline so I couldn't cheer, swear, jump up and down and what not, but my time would come.  There were so many moments in that game where I thought it was over, and my Spartans were teasing me by coming back in it and even taking a late lead.  But time and time again I was proven wrong, as we kept fighting back and yeah, got a little bit of luck too. 

In the first overtime when Kirk threw an interception, all Georgia needed was a field goal to win the game, and for their kicker, the all-time leading scorer in SEC history, it was a chip shot.  I was on my knees during the kick, praying Hail Mary's and Our Father's and talking to my late grandmother who passed away just before the season and loved her Spartans through me.  As he kicked it, I closed my eyes, then quickly reopened them to find the MSU fans in the endzone cheering as if he had missed it, and sure enough he did, by a whole two inches.  Miracle.  I shed a quick tear then went back to working the sideline.  The other ball boy next to me asked: "What the hell are you doing why are you crying the game isn't over!"  And I told him yes it was because right then and there I knew that we were meant to win this game.  Being on the opposite sideline proved to be extra special, as when we blocked their kick to seal the deal, I was one of two people to sprint onto the field from the other side.  The other ball boy ran all the way over to ours to put his two footballs down then came all the way back onto the field to celebrate.  Me?  I said screw this, threw the balls up into the air as sky high as I could, just like I wont the NBA Finals or something, and ran around like a wild man.  I was just a part of the first bowl win for this program in over a decade, beating a highly ranked SEC team, after all hope was lost, and officially earned my ring which I really wanted to get.  This topped Hail Mary.  And as you all can see from my picture below, my incredibly joyous and animated reaction to it was priceless.  I was like a little kid on Christmas Day.  And it is something I will forever cherish and share with my kids and grandkids one day. 

Here's to Pasadena in 2013!

2011 was a fun and exciting year and I find it extremely hard to pick just one 'favorite' moment from the entire year. However, one (of many!) favorite memories would simply have to be spending my 2011 summer living in East Lansing while working and taking classes at MSU. Being able to experience campus and downtown East Lansing without the normal hustle and bustle of a full student body was a refreshing, enjoyable change. This summer was a beautiful one and spending in East Lansing with a large group of close friends made it exciting and memorable. My friends and I visited the IM West pool on an almost daily basis and also took many trips to the MSU Dairy Store on the extra hot summer days. We also enjoyed talking walks around the beautiful MSU campus and taking in all of the beautiful buildings and landscaping. I am very happy that I was able to spend my final summer as a college student living in East Lansing with several of my friends. We made the most of the summer and I wouldn't have chose to spend it any other way. MSU has a beautiful campus and I am so happy to call it my school!

One of my favorite MSU moments from 2011 was after finishing ADV 892, Advertising & Promotion Management, where I was invited along with my group project team members to the home of the owner of Bell's Greek Pizza because we had worked with them on our group project. The owner, Habib, and his operating partner were happy with the results of the project and rewarded our hard work with a barbeque get-together at his home. Our instructor for the course, Dr. C, also made an appearance and after were were done eating out on the patio, we went inside where Habib had a foosball table waiting. Myself and another group member took on Dr. C and Habib in a friendly game of foosball and I'm happy to say that I was on the winning team that day. It was certainly a fun and memorable experience to be able to compete against a faculty member whose class you had just completed! It just goes to show that sometimes the student DOES beat the master...

My favorite Moment at Michigan State University would have to be making the Michigan State Men's Club Volleyball Team. I was able to meet a great group of guys and maintain great relationships with them even though I am no longer a part of the club for my senior year.

Starting off as a freshmen at Michigan State it was a great club to get into as it kept me busy and on track. We were taugh time management was key to succeed in the club, school, and life. We practiced 3-4 days a week and were gone basically every weekend for tournaments. We were also fortunate enough to travel to Nationals every year which was a great opportunity to travel and see different states with some of your best friends for a week. We traveled to Louisville, and Kansas City twice. I started a team of former players and we played in the Holiday Classic, which is a tournament we host as a club every year. We give half the profits to charity and have a great time playing volleyball. Another great part of being with the club is the facebook group we have. We schedule open gym's where club members from the guys team, girls team, women's varsity team, and friends can come in and play for a few hours during the week. I would strongly encourage everyone to come give volleyball a try, you will meet a great group of people and have the time of your life. #GOGREEN

To say that 2011 was an exciting year for me at MSU is an understatement. This past fall, I was in charge of Sigma Kappa sorority's formal recruitment, which took about half a year of planning beforehand. Being in charge of 85 girls was a challenge, and doing so with little sleep and a lot of stress made it even more difficult as the final week drew near. However, being in charge of recruitment turned out to be the most rewarding challenge I have ever gone through. I learned to have patience, to look at things from other people's perspective and, most importantly, realize that I am a much stronger, more capable person than I ever knew I could be. We ended up having an awesome recruitment and gained all 34 girls needed to fill our fall pledge class. Seeing the decorations set up on "Bid Day," which is the big celebration party to welcome all the new members, was by far my favorite MSU memory of 2011. I had never felt so relieved but proud to be standing where I was that day.

My favorite moment at MSU this year was watching the Spartans beat the Badgers on a last second hail-mary at Spartan Stadium (I know, it's cliché at this point). Aside from the great finish, I enjoyed the game because I got to watch it with one of my best friends from back home. He goes to school at Marquette in Milwaukee, and we rarely get to see each other. He plans a visit up to State once a year during October. This year, we had perfect timing since the Wisconsin game fell on the weekend of his trip. Needless to say, both of us were ecstatic to see the Spartans win the game, and my friend still tells everyone I beat him up in my excitement when the refs called the play a touchdown.

Since this is my fourth and final year at MSU, it was great to win a few football games and celebrate the season with good friends. For me, the best part of the season wasn’t the wins or the plays, it was all the shared memories. Here’s to watching many more winning seasons as a Spartan alum. Go Green!

Ok, I'm a little self-involved so the highlight of the year that was MSU related was being able to be on the Michael Patrick Sheils in the AM radio show on 1240 AM Lansing as part of my internship at the station. I was able to sit "second-chair" while Michael Patrick was away on vacation, and pick some NCAA basketball games with guest host Rich Kincaide.

I didn't nail all the picks, but I got a few choice upset picks right (thanks Richmond, go Spiders!)

The link for the segment is http://www.ourfirst100.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/NCAA-picks-segment.mp3

My favorite moment at MSU in 2011 was being on the field for the football game against Wisconsin. It was the best game of the year and with my internship with the athletic department I was lucky enough to be able to watch it from the field. I was in the endzone watching when Nichol caught the hail mary pass. It was a un-real game and it was incredible to be that close to the game winning play. I was then able to go out on the field and celebrate with everyone else that was on the field. Then I was able to go to the corner of the endzone with the players and everyone else while they played the fight song, which was awesome to be apart of. Being on the field for this, as well as the Notre Dame game last year with the fake field goal in over time we awesome to experience from the view I had. These two experiences definetly rank up there in my top sports momemets of all time.

LOVE to look back into 2011. It was a great year for me.

The best days should be those in New York last summer. I was doing an Fashion PR internship in Manhattam. It was a great experience for me. I learned a lot from my work, and my manager became my good friend and still keep in touch every now and then. I was so proud to represent my company to attend the 16th Gen Art Festival (I met Dan Byrd and talked to him!!) and work for ENK International trade show. I also met Beyonce, Selena Gomez, and Angelina from Jersey Shore. :-D

Other than work, I met three sweet girls, and we became best friends in the summer! Oh my lord, it was so fun!!

My favorite memory at State was dancing with the dance team at half time a few years ago. The Izzone was a blast, got to meet a lot of cool guys and still talk to some of the girls still today. Go Green!

One of my favorite MSU memories of 2011 was my roommates and my first "Big Girl" tailgate. My parents came up from Virginia for the weekend to see the Wisconisin football game. We grilled out, had a few beverages, played different games and just had a really good time. I was surrounded by not only my actual family, but my school family as well. I think what also made that weekend so great was the heart stopping win we got against the Badgers. GO GREEN!

Was anyone in November of 2011 thinking about the year 2012 or beyond? I was, especially during my favorite moment in 2011 when my boyfriend of two years gave me a promise ring for our second anniversary. This moment was very emotional for me because over the short period of two years we have been through a lot together, from managing the transition from single life to a serious relationship to dealing with my mother's breast cancer diagnosis. We have supported each other through many changes and have figured out how to manage the ones we come across in the future. While a promise ring can mean different things to different people, for us it meant seriously considering our future together as a married couple.

2011 was a great year full of friends, family, and many new memories. Looking back on this past year, I can't help but smile at all of the good times that I shared with many of my closest friends. One of my favorite memories from 2011 would have to be the night that the MSU football team beat Wisconsin in the final seconds of the game.

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a night game so my friends and I decided to go out to dinner and then head to Dublin for some drinks and to watch the game in the company of 200 of Michigan Sates’ finest. The anticipation before the game was unbearable, after many predictions showed that it would be a close game. The energy of my fellow Spartans in the bar that night was indescribable. After each play, or touchdown made by MSU, the entire bar would celebrate: whether it was giving high fives to complete strangers, having a joint "cheers", or singing the MSU fight song at the top of our lungs. As the final seconds of the game approached, the entire bar was silent, just waiting to see what the final outcome would be. The game was tied and only seconds remained. What would play would Dantonio call? As the center snapped the ball back to Kirk, you could have heard a pin drop. As Kirk looked to B.J Cunningham to make a complete pass, Cunningham over ran his route and the ball bounced off of his helmet into the hands of Keith Nichol for a touchdown. Every single Spartan in the bar went crazy and the atmosphere from that moment on was something that I will never forget. That moment, with all my peers and my best friends, is something that I will remember for the rest of my life. 

Being a senior at MSU, I have experienced many amazing memories over the years. One of my greatest memories of 2011 occurred on February 19^th.

Growing up I had always been a huge MSU basketball fan and my family has had MSU season tickets for generations. I have been in the IZZONE for all four years at state and take great pride in being an IZZONE member. I go to all of the games hours before tip off with a group of friend and we all wait outside in the cold so that we can get front row. February 19^th stands out as being one of the greatest memories I have experienced at MSU and as an IZZONE member.

February 19^th was MSU College Gameday on ESPN. The game was a night game, yet the coverage started very early in the morning, I want to say around 8. My friends and I all camped out the night before to make sure that we got front row for the Gameday coverage on ESPN. In this picture below, I am front row in the aisle on the left hand side, with blonde hair, looking up and clapping my hands.

During the coverage my friends and I were on TV multiple times and had two close-ups during the game! Getting there early really paid off. The game was very close and Illinois was very good, yet MSU pulled out a four-point victory! I would have to say that this was such a fun day for me and it will be a memory that will stick with me for a long time.

2011 was most definatley one of the best years so far. There are so many great things that happened. My all time favorite part of 2011 through was getting the opportunity to go on a study abraod trip to Italy for six weeks during the summer. I was able to attend the Cannes International Advertising Festival where I listened to a lot of big agencies talk about their new ideas for the future. It made me so excited to be in advertising and public relations. I had some of the best times of my life studying abroad and it was definatley the best part of 2011 at MSU. 

The memories I made in the year 2011 will remain with me through the rest of my life. From June to August, I was able to complete an internship in South Africa. The fact that the program was coordinated through Michigan State University’s prestigious study abroad program and the amazing staff at Connect-123 made me even more excited.

For two and a half months I lived and worked in Cape Town, South Africa. During this time I was also able to travel and experience the beauty of the country along with its friendly citizens. I gained new professional skills, in addition to a newfound a passion for international and health communication. The best part of this experience is that I was not alone. Besides many students from other states and countries, eleven other students from MSU attended the program. A few of them even turned into close friends who will forever share the memories of lifetime from 2011 with me. 

For a closer look and photos of my experiences, check out my blog: Summer in South Africa.

My favorite MSU memories were all about the heavy snow, which may sound weird to many Michigan residents, especially to those car owners. But as a person who come from the south of China, which is a warm and wet area, I haven't ever seen such heavy snow in my life. Therefore, I was always excited when it snows heavily. I like walking in the white world and admiring the beautiful scenery.  It's like a fairy tale or something. Since I will graduate soon, hopefully I still can have chance to come back to MSU when it snows in the future!

The year 2011 was filled with many amazing memories.  However, my favorite moment during 2011 was getting into the study abroad program that I applied for.  When I was accepted into Michigan State University I was ecstatic because their study abroad program is very prestigious.  From the moment I was accepted, knew I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to study overseas.  When I applied to the Advertising and Public Relations a la Mediterranean program, I could only hope that I would get in.  I had heard amazing testimonies of the program and I could not imagine a better and more fulfilling way to spend my summer.  When I finally got my acceptance letter, I was over joyed.  I have never been to Europe and being given this opportunity is one that I will remember forever.  I am so exctied to spend six weeks living in Rome and learning a new culture.  I am sure that I will never have another opprotunity like the one I have now.