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N E W S L E T T E R

partan entinelMSU Varsity Alumni ‘S’ Club

VOL. 55 ISSUE 1 A ery pecial

SpartanJoe Barrie remembers a time

likely remembered by no other Spartan.

Showing a picture of himself in his playing days: at right is Joseph Barrie, an ‘S’ Club member who lives in Altadena, California. Joe sent us a note last spring telling how he was enjoying his 100th birthday, and about his most exciting day: an early September Saturday in 1934 in Ann Arbor, when Michigan State College beat Michigan (the undefeated national champions in ’33) in football, 16 to nothing. It was State’s first victory over Michigan in 19 years, and only the second ever. Joe told how he was State’s center and played all 60 minutes, and how the Michigan center was Jerry Ford, later President of the United States. He was proud that he played for 55 minutes in 1935, when “MSC” again beat Michigan. This writer has been in contact by phone and email with Joe’s daughter, Judie, who said that Joe’s only difficulty these days is that he is hard of hearing. So she emailed this picture and .... -see Barrie page 2

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2011-2012

Varsity Alumni ‘S’ Club

Board of Directors

Executive CommitteePresident Cheryl Gilliam ’811st Vice President Wally Dobler ’582nd Vice President R. Paul Vance ’01Secretary Mike Vorkapich ’94Treasurer David Brogan ’56 Past President Colin Cronin ’94

Board of DirectorsDon Behm ’67 Ron Berby ’64Tim Bograkos ’04 Michael Decker ’80Sue Selke ’76 Eldon Vanspybrook ’60Donald Weatherspoon ’67 Young AlumniAshton Henderson ’10 Kelly Moffitt Mooradian ’10

Office Staff: Marilyn Bria (Office Hours: M-Th, 12-4; F, 12-3)

Newsletter Editor: Ron Berby

Michigan State UniversityVarsity Alumni ‘S’ Club

East Lansing, MI 48824Phone: (517) 355-8523

Fax: (517) 355-7708Email: Staff@MSUVarsitySClub.orgWebsite: www.msuvarsitysclub.org

We value your opinion and want to know what you think about the Varsity Alumni ‘S’ Club Newsletter. Send us an e-mail, call or fax with items or topics you would like to see included in future newsletters. If you have suggestions on how to improve the publication, let us know.

Elections for the Board of Directors of the Varsity Alumni ‘S’ Club are held each spring. If you would like to serve on the Board, simply visit our website, click on the application tab, print the form, complete, and mail to the ‘S’ Club office.

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Barrie -from Page 1At a century, Joe is amazingly active, and tells of a Depression-Era ‘30s campus and an accomplished life

....relayed her father’s memories to us. First though, she described this very notable man who last competed for State 77 years ago: He didn’t quit driving till he was 99. He visits a library nearly every day and is a voracious reader. He goes out to eat lunch and dinner every day. He is “full of sparkle and a great sense of humor.” On turning 100 years old, when a local paper’s reporter asked him how a person can live so long, he said, “You’ve got to just keep breathing.” He dislikes “Dial-a-Ride” because they’re so often late when he wants to get out, which is often. He’s passed his love of football on to his family. Judie said that she and her brother went to UCLA, and that “football season tickets are still in our blood”. Joe went to one game with them last fall. Joe remembered that the first victory over Michigan was only in State coach Charlie Bachman’s second season, and was followed by several more of the coach’s winning seasons. He said that MSC’s president canceled classes the following Monday so the whole school could be “in celebration.” Joe remembers living in Wells Hall, a freshman dorm, and then at a local fraternity house which later became the Delta Chi. He told about the MSC Spring Water Carnival and Saturday night dances: 15 cents per couple, 5 cent Cokes, and music by Nat Frye’s Orchestra He said in those days smoking wasn’t allowed on campus, but that “everyone smoked.” So they all walked to campus and the curb at Grand River Avenue was “a huge ash tray because students had to get rid of smokes!” The south end of campus then was the Red Cedar, except for Macklin Field (now Spartan Stadium) which held 20,000 while the college enrollment was only 3 500. In the middle of the Depression, Joe was a business major until he realized that the only guys in his fraternity who quickly got jobs after graduation were the Hotel Administration majors. So he changed his major, graduated in 1936 “...and got a job within a week of graduation!” He worked at the Orington Hotel in Evanston, Illinois, and that’s where he met his wife, who was in a master’s program at Northwestern. They see Barrie page 3

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535 Chestnut Rd - Rm 276

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President’s MessageOnce a Spartan, Always a Spartan!

We are off to another exciting year. Thanks to those who attended the Play 4 Kay women’s basketball game, and congratulations to those Young Alumni chosen to watch the men’s away basketball game at Northwestern on TVs in the player lounge at the Breslin Center. We congratulate also Ashton Henderson and Kelly Mooradian in their success at increasing the ranks of Young Alumni, keeping them in touch

with MSU and the ‘S‘ Club after graduation. You can help by reaching out to young alumni, urging them to stay in touch. One way is to join them in their Facebook and LinkedIn pages. Our main goal this year is to be the best letter winners club in membership numbers and satisfied members, not only in the Big Ten, but for all Division 1 Universities. You can help by reaching out to old teammates and friends, encouraging them to join the ‘S‘ Club and participate in our events. Mark your calendar for our Annual Golf Outing (June 6) and Reunion Weekend (Sept. 20 - 22): the MSU vs. EMU football game. Reunion changes this year include: anniversary pins for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60 years, and a Spartan blanket for the 70th year. Also, if you and your teammates would like to host a reunion that weekend, we are planning decade reunions for teams who competed in 2002, 1992, 1982, 1972, 1962, 1952, and 1942. If you wish to be included you must supply a few volunteers to organize and oversee along with our help. This will be limited to one male and one female team per decade, first come/first served. So contact us ASAP. Visit us in the stadium or on the website. Send us your Spartan Sagas. We hope to see you at the Green and White football game (April 28) and in the Stadium Club Room. We are a Spartan Family

Cheryl M. Gilliam, President -- Track 1978-81 -- B.S. College of Agriculture, Packaging

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Barrie - from Page 2But Joe’s real story his how he found his way to the little campus on the Red Cedar

..married in March 1940 and decided to move to California on a Wednesday that December, and left on that very Friday! Joe left the hotel business in arriving in California, and became a manufacturers’ representative for textile mills - for the next 50 years. His daughter says that over the years Joe has always been happy he ended up at Michigan State instead of “anyplace else.” He brags that Michigan State is the “only school to have beaten the U of M in football four consecutive times” (now for a second time). Which brings us to where “anyplace else” could have been: Joe grew up in South Bend --- Indiana, that is. A logical choice for a top football prospect there would have been Notre Dame. But legendary Irish coach Knute Rockne died in a plane crash and Joe wasn’t so sure about Notre Dame’s chances. Who should come to the rescue but the University of Michigan! In June of 1930 the U of M alumni club of South Bend gave Joe their trophy for the outstanding senior at South Bend’s Central High School (Joe still has the clipping from the paper). Here comes the good part: As part of his scholarship to play football at Michigan, he would have to agree to work as a ticket taker at an Ann Arbor theater - a very time consuming job for a Depression era college student playing football. But at the state college a couple hours away, they offered him a job that would only take up from 6:00 to 7:00 each morning. He would work at the college cafeteria’s kitchen - peeling potatoes! The rest is Spartan history. Who would have ever thought that we’d be able to tell this remarkable story because peeling potatoes is better than taking tickets? Joe has it on his schedule to turn 101 on March 10th. Ron Berby, Editor

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Board Announces 2012 ‘S’ Club Award WinnersBiggie Munn Extra Effort Award ---- Herb Washington

Henry Bullough Service Award ---- David BroganJack Breslin Lifetime Achievement Award ---- Dr. Jack Beattie

Nell Jackson Alumna Award ---- Diane D Angelo

Honorary Members: Richard Bader Matt Gianiodis

Kathie Klages Robert Skandalaris

Spartan Football - A Force to Be Reckoned WithIt’s been building since Mark Dantonio took the reins. He inherited teams from his predecessor, teams which were undisciplined and too often in trouble off the field. Overshadowed by the usual recruiting power of the likes of Michigan and Ohio State, he nonetheless began to recruit players a notch off the talent level, but a notch higher in attitude and integrity. For a while the team had to deal with residual shortcomings, on and off the field, the most significant in 2009 when players fought members of an MSU fraternity on two occasions. The second of these, after the team’s season-ending banquet, resulted in double-digit suspensions, some permanent, and even legal penalties. But the turnaround after that would be dramatic. In 2010 the Spartans won eleven games and were outright Big Ten Champions, and in 2011 the team again won eleven games and nearly made it to the Rose Bowl. Their come-from-behind bowl victory in multi-overtime shocked Georgia, as usual a team favored to take the Spartans. This year’s seniors, players Dantonio recruited, were special. They beat Michigan in all four of their Spartan seasons, something done only by MSU teams in the mid-1960s, and never done by anyone else. Spartan seniors, we salute you:

Garrett Celek, Kirk Cousins, B.J. Cunningham, Joel Foreman, Brian Linthicum, Keshawn Martin, Jared McGaha, Keith Nichol, Blake Pacheco, Kevin Pickelman, Arthur Ray Jr., Trenton Robinson,

Chris D. Rucker, Kyle Selden, Adam Setterbo, Brad Sonntag, and Jonathon Strayhorn

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‘S’ Club Hosts Spano Endowment Recipients Kelly (Moffitt) Mooradian and Jenilee Rathje, at right flanking Senior Associate AD Shelley Appelbaum, were honored fellowship recipients on Sunday, Jan. 29 in Coach Tom Izzo’s box at Breslin Arena during the Spartan women’s basketball game against conference leading Penn State. Kelly earned an MS in Kinesiology-Sports Admin. last August and now works on a 2nd Master’s in Human Resources and Labor Relations at MSU. She also works in the SASS program assisting present Spartan athletes. This summer she’ll do an internship with Microsoft in Redmond, WA in the Human Resources Trax Program. However, next fall she’ll return to the green and white to serve as a Graduate Assistant for Student-Athlete Development. Jenilee is also pursuing an MS in Kinesiology-Sports Admin. and expects to graduate in May. Like Kelly also, she works at SASS, and as the Outreach Coordinator, oversees student-athletes attendance and participation in dozens of community programs and charity events. She also supervises the SASS social media campaign, updating Facebook and Twitter in spreading the good news about our Spartan student-athletes. Also on hand were Scott Westerman, Executive Director of the MSU Alumni Association and wife Colleen; Bob Boa, Editor of the MSU Alumni Magazine; Maura Benton, Associate Director of University Scholarships and Fellowships; ‘S’ Club President Cheryl Gilliam and former ‘S’ Club President Joey Spano. The ‘S’ Club has a fundraising goal of $150,000 for this endowment, the only of its kind for Spartan Letter Winners. All gifts, small or large, are important and much welcomed. To make a contribution to the Spano Endowed Fellowship, contact the Scholarships & Fellowships Office at 517/432-7330 or online at www.givingtomsu.edu, giving the code AB6017. By the way, the Spartans, in a nip-and-tuck battle, knocked off Penn State that night, 83 - 77.

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Winter Event a Hit with Young Alums The MSU Varsity “S” Club Young Alumni Division hosted their 1st Annual Winter Social on January 2012 in the men’s basketball locker room lounge, an event which was a follow-up to their 1st Annual Homecoming Tailgate Event in October. The Young Alumni Division selected twenty letter winners to participate in the exclusive event, which was a huge success. It was a time of fellowship, networking, and cheering on the Men’s Basketball Team against the Northwestern Wildcats. Jenilee Rathje, volleyball alum, said “Getting to watch the game together at the YA event ... was a great way to reconnect with old friends. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the group grow, and make even more connections with young Spartan alums.” Don’t miss out on your opportunity to be a part of this event next year. Make sure to attend the 2nd Annual Young Alumni Homecoming Tailgate this fall for your chance to be selected.

Senior Spartans Guests at Play 4 Kay Game

Watched Spartan Women play Purdue from Breslin

Box

Left: Fred Colwell-Football Mgr.-1940 and Bob Bao-Honorary Member and Editor of the MSU Alumni Magazine.Center: Mel Buschman-Track-1941-43 and ‘S’ Club President Cheryl GilliamRight: Buschman talks with Don Merritt-Track-1939-40

The three last competed for “MSC” seventy years ago! They and several other ‘S’ Club members were part of a crowd of over 11,000 fans who watched as the Spartans went into overtime, but like the crowd, roared to a 67-52 win!

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Michigan State University Varsity ‘S’ ClubMerchant Discount Program

The Varsity ‘S’ Club coordinates a program with several campus-area merchants to give club members a discount on purchases when you present your membership card. So if you live in the East Lansing area, or when you visit campus, please patronize these fine merchants who support MSU athletics. Listed below are merchants participating in the program. Discount amounts vary by merchant, so please check with your cashier or waitperson prior to ordering.

Albert’s Furniture - 32344 Michigan Ave. - WayneApplebee’s - 2284 Woodlake Drive - OkemosArby’s - 2220 Jolly Rd. - OkemosBell’s Greek Pizza - 1135 E. Grand River Ave. - East LansingBravo! Cuchina Italiana - Eastwood Town Center - LansingCollege Book Store - Hagadorn Shopping Center - East LansingCosi - 301 E. Grand River Ave. - East LansingDusty’s Cellar - 1839 W. Grand River Ave. - OkemosEmil’s Italian Restaurant - 2012 E. Michigan Ave. - LansingForest Akers West Pro Shop - MSU Golf CoursesGrand Traverse Pie Co. - 1401 E. Grand River Ave. - East LansingGrand Traverse Pie Co - 3536 Meridian Crossing - Okemos Gilbert & Blake Steak & Seafood - 3554 Okemos Rd. - OkemosHarper’s - 131 Albert Avenue - East LansingHolden & Reid Clothiers - Frandor Shopping Center - Lansing Twp.Kellogg Hotel - State Room Restaurant - MSU CampusKellogg Hotel - Gift Shop - MSU CampusLeo’s Lodge - 2525 E. Jolly Rd. - LansingLeo’s Outpost - 600 S. Pennsylvania Ave. - LansingLeo’s Spirits and Grub - 2085 W Grand River Ave. - OkemosMichael’s (Framing Dept. only) - Frandor Shopping Center - Lansing Twp.Panera Bread - Frandor Shopping Center - Lansing Twp.Panera Bread - 4738 Central Park Dr. - OkemosReno’s East Sportsbar & Grill - 1310 Abbot Rd. - East LansingReno’s West Sportsbar & Grill - 5001 W. Saginaw Hwy. - LansingSpartan Book Store - International Center - CampusSpartan Hall of Fame Cafe - 1601 Lake Lansing Rd. - East LansingStudent Book Store - 421 E. Grand River Ave - East LansingTrippers - Frandor Shopping Center - Lansing Twp.Velocipede Peddler - 2758 Grand River Ave. - East LansingWoody’s Oasis - 1050 Trowbridge Rd. - East Lansing

Additional merchants will be added as the program develops. For more information about the program, contact the Varsity ‘S’ Club office at 517-355-8523 or the committee members listed below:

Ron Berby - 517-290-8043, Wally Dobler - 517-372-8096, Eldon VanSpybrook - 248-895-0015

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‘WHERE ARE THEY NOW?’1940sEm Ghianni, Football, Track, & Boxing 1946-47 - Em lives in Nashville, TN and is retired. But he is very busy with the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, it’s Sports Council, the Salvation Army Rescue Mission, Standown for Homeless Veterans, American Legion, VFW, Military Officers Assoc., Kiwanis, and University Club of Vanderbilt. John Robuck, Gymnastics 1947-50 - John lives in Arnold, PA and has retired from officiating volleyball, swimming, and gymnastics after 50 years.

1950sGunar Ejups, Fencing 1954-55 - Gunar lives in Charlotte, NC and is a semi-retired architect working part-time as an architectural quality assurance consultant.Oscar Hahn, Football 1958-60 - Oscar alternates living in Midland, MI and Fort Myers, FL. He’s the owner and President of Homes by Hahn, Inc. is retired from coaching football and track, as well as teaching Building Trades Construction at Midland Schools. He enjoys golf and hunting.William Miller, Cross Country 1955 - William lives in Mt. Pleasant and says that the Mark Havitz study of Spartan cross country has renewed his memory of his time at MSU. Graduating in 1956, he taught in high schools and junior highs in the Lansing area, received a NSF scholarship to Wisconsin and got his doctorate there in 1968. He served on the faculty in mathematics at CMU from ’68 till his retirement in 2000.Buck Nystrom, Football 1952-54 - Buck lives in Marquette, MI and is retired, but emphasizes he is engaged in many activities.Fred Pettyjohn, Boxing 1957-59 - Fred lives in Winston-Salem, NC and is retired. He says that in 1959 he was inducted into the Porpoise Honorary Swimming Fraternity, and wonders if this

happened to any other varsity boxer. He also reports that in 2007 he was inducted into the Carolinas Boxing Hall of Fame. Nick Smith, Gymnastics and Wrestling 1953 - Nick lives in Addison, MI. While at MSU he also participated in boxing and cheerleading. He’s served as U.S. Representative in his district, and says he is now “starting to retire.”

1960sJay Bach, Baseball 1962-64 - Jay lives in Northfield, IL. He’s in his 47th year of teaching at North Shore Country Day School in Winnetka, and was the assistant golf coach of the 2011 Illinois 1A Golf Champions.Bob Brawley, Football & Hockey 1964-67 - Bob lives in Castle Rock, CO and is retired. He remembers playing on the 1965 and ’66 Big Ten Football Championship teams, with the ’66 team as National Co-Champion. He also got the winning goal for the National Championship Hockey team in ’66, and was awarded the Outstanding Junior Award by the Varsity Club. His senior year hockey team made it to the Frozen Four. He has been voted into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame.Ed Budde, Football 1960-62 - Ed lives in Overland Park, KS. He enjoyed a career with the Kansas City Chiefs and these days is involved with the “Caring for Kids” Dream Factory there. For 30 years he has been with the NFL Alumni, KC Chapter, and is now President.Rein Clabbers, Soccer 1961-63 - Rein lives in Newtown, PA. He is married to Brenda and has 4 children and 3 grandchildren. He has owned a commercial glass and glazing company, but is now semi-retired. In Feb. 2012 he and Brenda will travel to Antarctica, meaning they have been to all five continents.Thomas Ellis, Baseball 1967-68 - Tom lives in Grand Rapids, MI. He has been an ‘S’ Club member

since 1996, and spends his winter months in Tybee Island, GA.George Haislip, Football 1964 - George lives in Elkton, FL and is retired. He says now he does nothing, and doesn’t start that till 11:00 AM.Gary Panks, Hockey and Golf 1960-63 - Gary lives in Paradise Valley, AZ. He was captain of the Golf team in 1963. He’s now a semi-retired golf course architect.

1970sRonnie Barnes, Athletic Trainer -Honorary Member - Ronnie lives in Cedar Grove, NJ and is the Senior Vice President for Medical Services of the New York Football Giants.Steve Klemm, Tennis 1977-79 - Steve congratulates Sue Selke and Mike Decker for their ‘S” Club Board assignments and says he’s watched Mike’s son play football, adding that “he looks and plays like the old man did, only better.” He remembers ‘S’ Club Big Brother events of the 70s as great for both the kids and himself. A result is he is still coaching tennis part-time at Forest Hills Northern High. He’s President of CureTechnologies.

1980sCheri Ritz, Softball 1977-81 -Cheri Lives in Wyoming, MI and is a teacher and coach in Wayland, MI.She teaches middle school physical education and coaches varsity softball, her team having won the state title in 2007 and made the final four in 2008. She also coaches 8th grade volleyball, and previously served as varsity tennis coach. She was Wayland Union athletic director for 9 years. 1990sChristopher Wehrman, Cross Country & Track 1995-99 - Chris is an attorney in Chicago. He’s the President of the Board, Chicago Area Runners Association.

MSU Varsity ‘S’ Club Merchandise Available Online -A range of MSU Varsity ‘S’ Club items, such as polo shirts, dress shirts, jackets, hats, sets of glasses, coasters, flags, and many other items with the club logo, are available to be shipped to your doorstep. Check it out at: http://msuvac.promoshop.com

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Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDEast Lansing, MI

Permit No. 21Michigan State University

Varsity Alumni ‘S’ Club

East Lansing, MI 48824

Forwarding Service Requested

SAVE THE DATESMar. 12, 2012 - Deadline to submit applications for Spano Fellowship (see website for applications orApril 28, 2012 - Spring Football Game

May 12, 2012 - Softball vs. Indiana - 3:00 & 5:00 PM double-header * May 19, 2012 - Baseball vs. Penn State - noon - **Show ‘S’ Club card for entry for member and oneguest for softball and baseball gamesJune 6, 2012 - ‘S’ Club Annual Golf Outing Sept. 20-22, 2012 -’S’ Club Reunion Weekend (tentative) - MSU vs. EMUOct. 12, 2012 - Homecoming Parade (‘S’ Club members, Alumni letter winners and families arewelcomed to march)Oct. 13, 2012 - ‘S’ Club Young Alumni Tailgate Party before Iowa football game

Does your Varsity Jacket, which fit when you were twenty, seem tiny these days?

Or, do the moths like it even more than you do?

Take heart.A Varsity ‘S’ Club Replacement Jacket

may be just what you need!Interested? Contact the Club office at:

517/355-8523

Editor’s NoteWant to improve the newsletter? Be like Oscar Hahn and Steve Klemm, who contacted us, bringing us up to date since they left our great campus on the banks of the Red Cedar. Send news and pictures on births, marriages, promotions, passings, retirements, moves, and other important milestones in your life.

Engagement: Greg Jones - Football - 2011, to Mandy Peichowski - Basketball - 2010 - after Super Bowl at Lucas Oil Field, Indianapolis- Jones is member of Super Bowl Champion New York Giants

535 Chestnut Rd - Rm 276

call Club office)