EAST LANSING, Mich. — On Feb. 18, Michigan State University hosted its first major sporting event since the mass shooting on its East Lansing campus on Monday that killed three students and injured five more.
Fans experienced a sense of normalcy only known prior to the tragic events of the week. Spartan Strong apparel, signage and an announcer yelling "Spartan Strong" each time the team scored filled the Breslin Center with both solemnity, as well as school pride.
Many acknowledged the shadow that the horrific shooting has continued to cast over campus, but still are hopeful that being at this game would prove that their community is resilient.
One fan, Ken Berger, whose daughter attended MSU and married her husband in a campus chapel said he had never been to one of these games before, but he believed it was important to come to this one.
"I never come to a game," Berger said. "And so it's very important to come to this game this weekend. The other piece of it was just what happened this past week. This is how you show your Michigan residents to show your support for something — Michigan gathering."
Others used the game as an opportunity to bring comfort to others. One fan, Sarah Beard, brought her dog Henry to help comfort returning fans. She said the hope felt throughout the Breslin Center was nothing out of the ordinary.
"I'm not surprised," Beard said. "We're resilient. I went to school here for eight years and I walk my dogs on campus on a regular basis, so it's kind of just of coming out and making people happy."
As classes are expected to resume on Feb. 20, fans like Berger are feeling confident that the university community will be able to pull together and come back Spartan Strong.
"Even in the midst of tragedy, life goes on," Berger said. "And the relationships go on with the university, and it's not just the university — [it's] the people, and that is so important."
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