From the Desk of Mark Hollis: Traditions and Values
9/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | General
Sept. 22, 2011
Traditions and Values - Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011
The traditions and values of Michigan State University are important to everyone. It is, after all, what brings us together as Spartans. The first time my father drove me across the bridge spanning the Red Cedar River, my eyes opened on the sun-lit bronze Spartan statue. I knew immediately Michigan State University would be my home. The Spartan statue stands watch over our Athletic Department venues and symbolizes the strength, determination and passion of every Michigan State University student, alumni and faculty member. In fact, he watches over the memories we all develop as Spartans.
I strive to bring those traditions and values to work every day. There are times that this proves challenging, as each of us has different and diverse interpretations to what those traditions and values should be and how they should be applied. Aggies, Staters, Spartans, MAC and MSU, regardless of the name, we are all connected through time by having step foot on this special land. When I step back and observe, the traditions and values I most admire about our University is our innovation, inclusion, and capacity to achieve beyond our resources.
One of the missions of Spartan Athletics is to bring people together, to allow them to "Gather and Engage" as Spartans. At the same time, our mission is to expose everything that is great about this University to the world through sports. The Block S, Green & White, and the Spartan are the core of our contemporary traditions. I think of the Block S as our family logo, one that will always be seen across campus, including on the jackets of our varsity student-athletes. At MSU, we know what the Block S means. At other institutions and in other regions, it means something else. On the national scene, the Spartan logo has a direct connection with one University - our University. It is distinctive and has been ranked nationally among the top five best college logos and top 20 of all sports logos. The Spartan logo draws people with no affiliation to MSU on a national and global scale. They become Spartans!
Every day, we celebrate those that have walked here before us, including the great football teams of the 1950s and 1960s. Basketball rose to the top of the national scene during the 1970s and 2000s. And while we celebrate, we continuously strive to build for the next great era through those values of innovation, inclusion, and the capacity to achieve beyond our resources.
This weekend, we will celebrate the past, present and future of Spartan Athletics as MSU welcomes Morten Andersen, Mateen Cleaves, Dana Cooke, Kisha Kelley-Simpson, and Charles McCaffree into the Athletic Hall of Fame this weekend. They will join recipients of the Varsity S Club Awards along with 152 current student-athletes that will receive their letter jacket at the Wharton Center on Thursday night. This is another example of how the past and present come together as we collectively strive for excellence.
Inspired by our current student-athletes, and supported by our coaches and administrators who guide them, a symbolic uniform will be worn by our football team at one game this season. We haven't forsaken our school's tradition, but we have taken this unique opportunity to tie our program to our Spartan heritage. The passionate exchange of ideas is an integral part of the university experience. All Spartan fans may not share the same reaction to the look of the uniforms but each should remain steadfast in support of the student-athletes in them. We value our partnership with Nike, and we benefit from the support provided to each of our 25 sports. Innovation and inspiration can coexist with tradition. We can celebrate individual ideas, opinions and diversity, but in the end, we must remain united as Spartans.
Traditions and values! Beneath the pines, we'll gather to celebrate this great University.