The 1909 from The State News

Welcome to The 1909, the podcast that takes an in-depth look at The State News’ biggest stories of the week, while bringing in new perspectives from the reporters who wrote them.

Calculating MSU by the numbers and a mummy on campus

Senior reporter Theo Scheer joins the show to share fun facts and the stats behind MSU. Later, he tells the strange story of a mummified creature found in a campus building.

04-23
17:54

An overview of the latest MSU Board of Trustees meeting

Host Alex Walters is joined by administration reporters Emilio Perez Ibarguen and Owen McCarthy, who give a summary of the events at the MSU Board of Trustees meeting last Friday.

04-16
20:07

Professors in an AI arms race

Emilio Perez Ibarguen joins the show to discuss the ways teaching is changing due to students' use of generative AI.

04-02
10:35

MSU professors on research hit-list

Academics reporter Hannah Locke joins the show to discuss federal threats to MSU research from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who spearheaded a database in October 2024, which flagged more than 3,400 grants funded by the NSF that "promoted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) or advanced neo-Marxist class warfare propaganda."  

03-26
12:52

MSU VP out after record snooping scheme

Administration reporter Owen McCarthy joins the 1909 and host Alex Walters to talk about a top MSU administrator being investigated for covertly compiling “derogatory information” in the personnel files of high-ranking employees.

03-19
12:04

A college party revolution

Host Alex Walters along with guest Jack Williams dissect the differences between fraternity and co-op parties, shining a light on the welcoming community of co-ops that many students may be unaware of.

03-12
13:04

MSU grad students create straw preventing drink spiking

Host Alex Walters speaks with reporter Anna Barnes about her story on the pair of MSU graduate students who created a straw that works to prevent drink spiking at college bars. 

02-26
09:02

MSU professor heads to Washington

Host Alex Walters and senior reporter Theo Scheer discuss MSU law professor Adam Candeub, who wrote a chapter of The Project 2025 guidelines and will soon join the Trump administration.

02-19
16:52

Doubling down on DEI and protections for undocumented students

The State News’ administration reporters and host Alex Walters discuss MSU’s busy week,  the board doubling down on DEI and protections for undocumented students amid federal threats, and making deals to temper fights closer to home.

02-12
28:43

MSU athletics faces financial strain

Sports editor Satvik Shubham and host Alex Walters discuss issues facing the MSU Athletic Department. Despite success on the field, athletics faces a persistent budget shortfall.

02-05
17:56

Executive orders and governor input at MSU

Host Alex Walters and guest Owen McCarthy discuss the federal executive orders affecting the climate on MSU's campus as well as where Gov. Gretchen Whitmer stands on the removal of two university trustees. 

01-30
39:01

The Multicultural Center opens and other news you missed

Host Alex Walters and guest Demonte Thomas catch us up on the news we missed over break as well as a rundown on what students need to know about the new Multicultural Center on campus.

01-23
15:47

MSU's new capital campaign

In this episode, host Alex Walters and guest Owen McCarthy discuss the new capital campaign that MSU is planning. This is the first since 2014 following many years of turbulence at the university. 

12-05
15:05

Feds investigate Olin assault allegations

Content warning: This episode contains descriptions of sexual violence. The National Sexual Assault Hotline can be reached at 800-656-HOPE. For today's episode, host Alex Walters has prepared an audio version of his story covering sexual assault allegations at MSU's Olin Clinic.

12-03
32:28

The origins of the baseball radar gun at MSU

Today, host Alex Walters gets an overview of Hannah Holycross' story on the how the baseball radar gun got its start in the big leagues at MSU. 

11-20
06:27

Post-election classroom concerns

Host Alex Walters, along with reporters Theo Scheer and Emilio Perez Ibarguen, discuss how professors are navigating how to talk about the election with their classes amid scrutiny from the university to stay politically neutral. 

11-13
14:37

Institutional neutrality and MSU's communications plan

Host Alex and guest Owen delve into MSU's absent formal policies, that while unofficial, are leaning toward the national trend of "institutional neutrality" that other colleges are adopting. 

11-06
15:52

The mental health crisis on campus

Special guest Anish sheds light on the environment surrounding mental health here on campus, providing evidence and possible solutions concerning the data available.

10-30
18:48

An overview of the MSU Board of Trustees candidates

Today, host Alex, along with guests Theo and Owen, takes us through the prospective candidates for the MSU Board of Trustees.

10-16
27:29

Should there be no classes on election day?

On this episode, host Alex Walters and guest Emilio Perez Ibarguen discuss election day challenges and student's perspectives on voting at MSU.

10-09
08:13

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