If you’ve been watching the news these past couple days, you’ve undoubtedly been exposed to new sights thanks to the 67th mass shooting in the first 44 days of the new year – a mind-boggling statistic.
No, this isn’t going to be a post about guns, mental illness, or even unidentified balloons. But for me and a lot of other people in radio broadcasting, America’s violence streak hit close to home Monday night.
Michigan State University in East Lansing was the newest school to be terrorized by an armed shooter. Already, three Detroit kids – MSU students – are dead; five others were wounded and are in critical condition in Lansing’s Sparrow Hospital.
If you’ve been following the story, you’ve taken a mini-tour of this proud Big 10 school’s beautiful campus. The violence started in a classroom building, Berkey Hall,
and then the shooter moved next door to the MSU Union, an iconic campus symbol that was built back in 1925.
For most of you, it’s the first time you’ve seen the Union building. And sadly today, it’s the site of anguish and tragedy. Normally, it’s a meeting place where students hang out, study a bit, bowl a game or two, or grab some chow in the food court. But not now, not today. The Union – like other famous buildings like the Texas Tower in Austin or the Dakota in New York City – will be known as the spot where violence broke out in 2023.
Say their names:
Arielle Watson and Brian Fraser, both of Grosse Pointe, and Alexandria Verner from Clawson. All three grew up in suburbs and nearby towns near Detroit. The other five student victims’ names have not been released as they fight for dear life. Hopefully, none will be forgotten as this stain on our nation continues to sprawl out of control.
But for me – and lots of other Spartans who chose radio as a career – the Union was the place where it all began. That’s where we first sat behind a mic, edited tape with a splicing block and a razor blade, and learned the art of radio.
I’m one of those unicorns who graduated from both of Michigan’s Big 10 schools. I got my Bachelor’s at Michigan in Ann Arbor. And then moved an hour away on the state’s highways to East Lansing where I got a Master’s at MSU. As you no doubt know, the universities are bitter rivals. They cannot stand one another, and the relationship between the two has only festered since I left both campuses.
But I can tell you both the Wolverine and Spartan communities are hurting, and this week, they stand together. Of course, the pain is closer to home in East Lansing, but Michigan partisans share in the sadness as do all residents – current and former – of the state.
Our hearts are broken with the @MichiganStateU family following last night’s horrific shooting. Many in our @UMich community are reeling from this tragedy. Resources are available for students, faculty & staff. A vigil is planned for tomorrow on the Diag. https://t.co/DwVeWdS5qw pic.twitter.com/ZnGXjX89LG
— President Santa J. Ono (@UMichPrezOno) February 14, 2023
Only 62 miles separate their campuses, but the two schools may as well be lightyears apart. In pretty much every way, Michigan and Michigan State couldn’t be more different than one another. And when I made the transition from U of M to MSU, I got a version of the academic and cultural bends. It took me the better part of a quarter to understand just how special a place Michigan State was, especially coming from an idyllic place like Ann Arbor.
At Michigan, I learned how to study and achieve academically. At State, I learned the meaning of community and the art of being a broadcaster. It’s where I got the
“radio bug” the first time I walked into those homemade studios on the fourth floor of the Union. Back then, the TV Radio Department offices and faculty were on the third floor of the building, an erudite atmosphere where the profs talked about their research and their next published articles.
One story up was contagious chaos. The (in)famous fourth floor was a clubhouse, an environment where likeminded students could learn from motivated instructors and from each other, preparing themselves for careers in radio. Those professors a floor below kept their distance from the frenetic activity taking place up on the fourth floor.
My original instructor, Jim Respress, was the guy who turned on the light for me. He was a hardcore southerner and a passionate flag waver for radio. On the first day of the intro production classes, he spoke truth:
“In the radio business, time is your greatest enemy.”
Jim inspired the kids who trudged up to the fourth floor to learn the basics, and he and I quickly bonded. Later that year, he wrangled a graduate assistantship for me, and I had the honor of teaching alongside him.
When he left MSU that spring to teach full-time in Virginia, the studio’s architect and contractor, Larry Estlack, took over the teaching duties. And he and I co-taught those production classes, and lived together in “The Farmhouse” in Williamston, where Larry built recording studios.
Larry was an indisputable genius, a left brain-right brain wizard who was not just great behind the mic as well as skilled in both production and recording, but was a gifted teacher and a master engineer. Larry went on to build radio and television stations all over the state, until passing away a decade ago
I took over full-time when Larry moved on to to start a television curriculum in one of Lansing’s high schools, and my graduate assistant was a guy named Gary Reid (pictured). A former drummer and a cool customer, Reid had a passion for recording great music, later starting his own business with a remote truck we used in later years for concerts when I moved on to WRIF.
If you would’ve asked me about Reid after I moved to Iowa to do audience research for Frank Magid, I would have predicted he would hang around MSU another year or two to teach those classes – and would move on.
Reid went onto a great career at the university, achieving legendary status,
signing on Impact (WDBM), the award-winning student FM station. He spent more than 40 years in what became the Telecommunication Department before moving onto WKAR radio and TV, the public media stations owned by Michigan State. Gary gave the legacy of what we started at the Union Building academic and professional respectability.
But the list of great graduates who traipsed through the Union Building is too long to list. Thousands went onto careers in radio and media, distinguishing themselves and the university along the way. I speak to them now and again, and that Union Building experience is indelibly etched in their psyches.
Steve Schram, who just retired from running Michigan Radio (ironically U of M’s great public radio station), Scott Westerman (the archivist of Keener 13 and a high-achiever from the program, Roberta Jasina who anchored the news at WWJ in Detroit for decades, and Pat Foley, the voice of the Chicago Blackhawks for a quarter century. They all signed up for time in Studios A, B, and C to work on assigned projects, the final daunting documentary (yes, they were the podcasts of the 70’s), editing assignments, donuts, street interviews, and on it went.
We spent a ton of time in that building, including the greasy spoon – the Union Grill – which is now a food court, and sadly one of the places where violence that took place the other night. I’ll remember Jim Cash sitting in the Grill, swilling coffee, and writing one of his many Hollywood scripts, like “Top Gun.” Or Jim Wollert and Tom Muth (pictured) vigorously debating about broadcast policy and law. Or Dr. Tom Baldwin or Dr. John Abel (the “Night Tripper”), counseling students about the best path forward, as they did me on many occasions. And of course, Dr. Ed Cohen, researcher extraordinaire with (the old) Clear Channel, Arbitron, and later Nielsen.
And those who were turned on by radio and the camaraderie of the Union fourth floor hung out – and learned from each other. 
We produced “News Blimps” for Ben Manilla‘s Progressive Radio Network, as well as other assignments that seemed to regularly sprout up. Anyone with the work ethic and a hardcore radio mindset could join. It was never cliquish – those studio doors were open to anyone who had the desire and the fortitude to take a shot in radio.
MSU also offered a carrier current radio network (MSN – the Michigan State Network) as well as affiliates all over campus, including the late (not-so) great WFEE in Fee Hall where I first brought in a stack of Jackson Browne, Sea Train, and Pink Floyd albums, cracked the mic, and earned a few chops along the way for a cume audience that probably averaged 11 students pulling all-nighters. MSU was a great place to learn radio in pretty much any way you chose to go after it.
I have to mention Gary Kishi and Pat Francek, always there to lend their skills and rewire broken headphones, Sheila (Rushlo) Sorvari (pictured), Jim Gilmore, Kip Bohne Doug Gondek, Ira Lawson, Jeff Szmulewicz (the Shmoo!), Brad Graham, Fred Doelker, as well as my two brothers, Paul and Bill, Mike Stern, Dave Lange, Dave Logan, Bob (R.J.) Grossfeld, Neil Parker, Curt Miller, along with so many others who supported each other by being an extra “voice,” suggesting an edit, or critiquing each other’s work.
I know many of you reading this share similar experiences from the high schools and colleges that first supported your radio habit. If you were lucky enough to spend a year or more of your life in an environment like the fourth floor of the Union Building, you hold those precious memories dear.
In 1981, the studios and the entire department moved out of the Union, and into a spacious new building that housed the entire College of Communication Arts and Sciences. The Union went back to being…well, the Student Union.
Today, the building is a destination of sadness, probably surrounded by flowers, teddy bears, and other memorabilia for those who lost their lives or are trying to survive the horrific shooting.
But I’m hoping it will also be remembered as a radio beacon that spawned some great broadcasting careers and amazing legacies in our industry. I know I have omitted many deserving names – it’s been half a century! – so please use the “comments” below to check in and offer a memory or story.
And if you had a similar experience elsewhere – at Ithaca College, Dayton, and so many other schools that were radio hubs back in the day, feel free to offer up your memories, too. During a time when it has become popular to eschew a college degree – especially in the so-called liberal arts – I can tell you unequivocally that most of us would not have enjoyed careers in media and broadcasting without the foundation.
Thanks, MSU. It’ll get better.
Thanks to Gary Reid for the photos and jogging the memory bank. – FJ
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Beautiful. I was lucky to get to MSU when they still had a few satellite studios in the dorms, and were beginning the transition to the single location on the third floor of the auditorium. You described the impact of student broadcasting well. And I loved the pictures of you, Larry and Reid.
It was quite the hub, Bill. So many amazing, talented (and fun) people went through the place. Yes, the photos are amazing, so many in black and white.
These are the same sentiments I felt when hearing the awful news….the Union building, where we all started our radio careers and hold such wonderful memories, is now the site where evil dwells. We all lived, breathed, ate and slept on the fourth floor and in those studios for several years, learning and exchanging ideas. It was a special place and time. I won’t let this monster’s actions alter that image.
I’m right there with you, Doug. When I saw the building on TV it looked and felt the same as when we were there, but had been desecrated by this murderer. We felt it was important to tell the story of that building and the positive impact it had on so many lives, while keeping these students and their families in our prayers.
Spot on, my friend. Thinking good thoughts today (or trying to).
Great article Fred! My daughter Kristin went to MSU just a few years ago – and we lived in Grosse Pointe, too. We have friends there and Kristin felt the heartache and we all took it very personally. Thank you for sharing this.
The place has touched a lot of lives. Best to Kristin.
Beautiful memories, Fred, well-told. And thanks for the picture of Tom Muth, who once cancelled class, invited us to grab a couple of beers at Campus Corners and join him watching the Bud Clydesdales parade down Grand River Ave.
For extra credit!
Prayers for the kids and Go Green!
Excellent piece Fred. Thank you for writing and posting it.
It does hit too close to home for my family, relatives, and so many friends. Can’t imagine what the families are going through, it’s beyond words and understanding, and so sad.
Humanity and America have a lot to struggle with and solve.
Thank you, Billy.
Thank you for this piece, Fred. I stayed up with Carly all night – stunned at what was happening at MSU. Still very shook. I’ll send Carly this. God bless, Lori
Way too close to home, Lori. Hugs to Carly.
Awesome tribute, Fred. I’m envious of your details in the memories. My memories of starting out at WERS and WECB at Emerson bring back equal amounts of smiles and thankfulness. Including my first show and the inevitable mispronunciation of Bruce Cockburn.
Wishing peace and healing to the entire MSU community. This isn’t supposed to be part of the experience. May the positive memories win out.
As some of the other commenters pointed out, there were similar experiences at schools throughout the country. I love the Bruce Cockburn story (hey, it’s NOT phonetic??). Thanks for the good thoughts from Boston. We need ’em.
This post hits home because, while we watched everything unfold, for one second, I selfishly thought that I was glad it wasn’t the auditorium building.
For my generation that’s where all the memories were made. We learned how to do radio. Made lifelong friends. And, in my case, met my wife to be.
And it was where Gary Reid suggested I talk to some guy named Fred Jacobs about an internship at his company.
It’s those memories, regardless of the building where they took place, that will hopefully endure. Long outlasting the lunacy of one deluded person.
PS: Special thanks for the picture and mention of Dr. Muth. By the time I met him he was known as the toughest, crankiest professor in com arts.
The connections, friendship, and contacts we made during our years in East Lansing (we didn’t call it networking) haven’t really been shaken, by the years or by this tragedy. We will always have that shared experience during the most formative years of our then young lives.
And yes, it’s amazing how many times Tom Muth has shown up in these comments. I was lucky to share dinners and drinks with him many times, mostly at Beggar’s Banquet. It was a great time to be at MSU.
Thanks for this post, Fred. Incredibly sad events at MSU this week (listened to the scanner traffic for some time on Monday night), but you did bring back great memories. Coming up on a half century since I took Beginning Radio Production in the Union with Jim Respress and a grad assistant named Fred Jacobs. Became PD of WEAK in Wonders Hall (carrier current) starting my sophomore year and the rest of the career was downhill from there (most in the radio business would agree when you spend 16 years at Arbitron/Nielsen!). And yes, Tom Muth…I think I was in his first Telecom Law class. Man, did we ever work hard in there, but we learned. Enjoyed undergrad at MSU so much that I went back for the Ph.D.! And later on, I was able to nominate both you and Paul for your highest honor ever: the MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award. Who needs the Radio Hall of Fame when your name is in the Com Arts building forever?
I remember when Muth started, the second year I was on campus. Talk about a lighting rod for change. Amazing how one smart, clever, and charismatic person could change a culture. Tom was a good soul, razor smart, and constantly pushing us to get our shit together. It was great to know you back then, and then have the opportunity to work so closely together on important projects in our professional lives. Thank you for chiming in today.
Fred,
I’ve had my S flag at half mast for two days now. It will remain that way through the weekend. Two of those killed were from my community. When I saw the images of the Union Building on TV, my heart sank. I was lucky enough to get a Work-Study Job on campus, tutoring the new students in the production studio on the mysteries of editing 1/4″ audio tape and practicing for their Half-Hour Live Radio Show test – a true test of nerves and multi-tasking in 30 short minutes (then you had to listen to all those tapes and grade them). The 4th floor was a magical place where you could see light bulbs coming on most every day. Now the Union Building has another legacy – a dark one. I will honor the memories of those who were killed by celebrating their lives every time I go back to those old stompin’ grounds. Spartans Will, Spartans Do, Spartans Strong, Spartans Live On.
This should be a jumping off place for making serious changes – get engaged with your local legislators and do not let up till they effect some common sense change here in Michigan (they are just down the street up there after all). Let us honor our fallen Spartans, push hard for change (hard as if someones life depends on it), so that their lives will not have been lost in vain.
Jim Gilmore ’76.
Like you, I hope this tragic chapter is (finally) the catalyst for change. This one really hits close to home. Every time I saw the Union Building come up in TV coverage, I felt my heart in my throat.
I cherish the times we had, the people we got to work with, and even shooting the shit at someone’s house or wolfing down Big Macs and getting back across the street to do more work in the studios.
Thanks so much for connecting today.
We lucked into an East Lansing life at a magical moment in time. The school’s vast network of campus stations gave us a place to be bad while we learned the trade. Amazing professors like Tom Muth challenged us to think beyond our performance paradigms to consider more strategic careers in sales, business, research and programming. And singular mentors like Fred and Larry reassured us dreams could come true and gently showed us the path.
What followed was a golden age, where grads populated many crucial positions in the telecommunications industry, from nascent concepts like Home Box Office to the evolution of institutional broadcasting into Classic Rock and the micro formats that ultimately have led to individualized audio experiences like Spotify. Every advance, every well known innovator has six-degrees of connection with someone from our group. Fred’s list today is the tip of a very deep iceberg of achievement. As usual, he downplays the immense role he played in inspiring that wave of excellence.
Most importantly, our Big Chill group has remained in touch over the five decades since we all converged on the banks of the Red Cedar. We have celebrated successes, provided empathetic support through inevitable down days, and have stood side by side in every chapter of our own life stories.
The problems leading to the tragic events that have become all to common share deep roots beyond any university or corporation. They are the predictable side effects of misplaced priorities, where mental health and caring for the disenfranchised and destitute take a back seat to an addiction to greed and power; where those troubled by shifting employment and economic sands can be seduced by demagogues who distill complex problems into emotion inciting sound bytes for their own personal benefit.
There is hope amid the tears. This week’s horrors can’t dim the impact a community can have on those of us who choose to live its values. As I interact with the sons and daughters of my media brothers and sisters, I see a new generation, forged by tragedy and technology, mature beyond their years, who will perhaps ultimately have the power and the will to wrestle with the complex problems that require more than a tweet to solve.
I pray that they will find the courage to prevail.
I so appreciate this comment, Scott. There were so many truly great people in our midst from our fellow students to a faculty that was (for the most part) exceptionally smart. For as much as we learned (or taught ourselves) on production, editing, and being on the radio, it was learning the law from Muth, the spirit of broadcasting from Baldwin, and how to ask questions from Abel that made the experience so special.
As you note, our timing (and luck) were really good. And the fact we are connected today reflects that. You, Schram, and so many others made it such a special place and time.
We, the school, and the students and their families will get through this.
Fred, you’ve written a lot of great blogs here, but this one tops my list. Thanks for all the memories. MSU probably produced more talented broadcasters than anywhere else. The faculty and the facilities were the key ingredients.
Dave, it’s been healing hearing from you and so many others who shaped each other’s experiences at MSU. It was an amazing time at a great place with truly wonderful people.
Great post, Fred. I had a similar experience to yours at Ohio University’s WOUB AM/FM. The third floor of our state of the art broadcast facility was exactly like your “fourth floor.” Culture, creativity and lots of fun to be had there…and many successful careers were launched from RTV floor #3 in Athens. Heartbroken to learn of the shootings and deaths at your beautiful MSU campus. Sending healing vibes from Cleveland 🙏
Biv, you were part of the “next network” at WRIF in the 70’s – same deal, same enthusiasm, same work ethnic. Thanks for the well wishes, and hope you’re getting it done. Be well.
Fred, the events of the past few days are not the way any of us would like to remember our hallowed days in the Onion Building. Rather, it was TC 201 with you and Larry putting us through the paces in the closet studios on the fourth floor, Fred critiquing my final documentary (“Keggers in the Dorms,” recorded live at Tom’s Party Store), long hours spent as PD at WMSN and Doug and Sheila at the farm debating if “Jungleland” was the greatest song ever written.
But it all started on the steps of the Union, where Tom Muth said to me: “Jim, get out of production. The money is in sales and ownership!” I hope today’s graduating Spartans will have fonder memories of their days at MSU, rather than the savagery that occurred earlier this week.
I remember it well, Jim. I don’t remember what we decided about “Jungleland,” though!
Jim, it’s so funny. When I wrote the post, I thought of the Onion Building, our snarky term for it. But I thought no one would remember. Wrong again, Fred.
I do recall that doc, and I don’t know how you got away with it.
As for the Bruce debate, it was probably between “Jungleland” and “Thunder Road.”
And finally, Muth was indeed a wise man. Hope you’re doing well.
Thanks for this article and a trip down memory lane after the horrific news at MSU this week. My heart aches for all Spartans this week but especially the three students and their families. Healing wishes to those that remain in the hospital.
So many great memories of learning radio at MSU including moving the satellite stations to the auditorium. Gary Reid would get on me for using the campus station production room for class assignments instead of the editing bays at the comm arts building. Hey, I didn’t have to schedule time to use better studios.
Keith Mitchell, ’86
Hey, Keith. Thanks for sharing the experience. And remember, always obey Reid.
Fred – This is a terrific post and is a reminder of just how lucky we were (as students in the mid-70s) to be part of the MSU broadcasting program. I’m not certain this country has what it takes to address this madness in a meaningful way, but this week is another reminder that we need to support the leaders who are at least trying (thank you Illinois Governor Pritzker).
Neil, thanks for the kind note. I’m hopeful Governor Whitmer will follow suit. Great to hear from you.
Some of my favorite MSU memories took place up there in the Union building where I had Jim as an instructor and you as grad assistant, learning more than just the ‘how’, but learning the ‘why’ (and for that matter, the ‘why not’). Between the classroom/studio education and my time in campus radio, I was able to build a career in broadcasting, thanks to leaders like you and MSU itself.
I think many of us felt a sense of loss Monday night, but none so great as the three students killed and their families. When will this end? When we have the courage and perseverance to make change happen.
Thank you, Fred.
Don, thanks for joining the conversation on this. We share great memories of Jim Respress, the Union, and MSU.
Fred —
Thank you for giving space and honor to the tragic and tender loss we Spartans collectively have experienced this week. The senseless loss of three Michigan State University students and the critical injuries inflicted on five other students still stings and leaves us numb with sadness.
Your story then lifts us up by recounting the impact that the MSU Union has held in our lives despite its desecration this week by a gunman. The memories, the lifelong friendships, and the opportunities we experienced as newcomers learning radio and TV on the upper floors of the MSU Union Building were not only formative but foundational to our future success in the media industry.
I recall fondly learning to become functional with a tape splice block and was proud to turn in reel-to-reel edits of songs to show our understanding of the mechanical process of a clean edit and the musicality needed to make it seamless and undetectable.
In addition to these nascent skills, the instruction, mentoring, and encouragement we received instilled a passion and pride that lives on some 50+ years later. Yes, all of the names you referenced were essential to that impact, as was MSU Campus Radio for me, where I served as airstaff, PD, and Station Manager over a four-year span, beginning at WBRS in Brody, then promoted to Station Manager for WMCD in McDonel and finishing my collegiate radio career, leading the flagship campus station, WMSN in Student Services Building.
The incredible bond and fraternity of radio & TV friends cultivated during that time at MSU have never dimmed, only strengthened as we reflect on the indelible stamp it has made on our career paths. The Jacobs Brothers represent a shining example of intelligence and selfless, incalculable contributions to the commercial and non-commercial radio industry. I am proud to share our Spartan heritage and to have worked with both of you for many productive years in my career.
The roll call of Michigan State media legends who spent time at the MSU Union and spread their talents across the country is vast and impressive. We will leave that assemblage task for another post. But for today, we give proper respect and reflection on the lives lost from our Spartan community this week and to those critically injured. And may the MSU Union’s impact on our careers and lives provide the strength needed to cope with this sad week’s senselessness and build a community that works together to care for each other. I am confident that will happen because Spartans Will.
These comments are wise and eloquent. Your group was so dominant in Campus Radio at MSU, just another of the outlets we all had to develop our skills and earn experience.
You reminded me of that shortening songs editing skills we worked on…tirelessly. I remember taking on “Crocodile Rock” and struggling with it for an entire evening until I finally nailed it. Like any other skill, practice and repetition is so important to truly becoming a pro.
It has been such an honor to work with you at Michigan Radio over the past two decades, displaying the leadership skills you honed as an MSU student. Yours is an exemplary career, and I know how thankful you are to State for the opportunity to get a great education in every since of the word.
I so appreciate hearing from you during this difficult week for all of us.
Thank you, Fred for that poignant look back and forward at a building that rightfully had the title of “Union”. The 4th floor was a place of creativity and challenge, nurtured by you and Larry. My heart breaks seeing the horrific tragedy that occurred in that building, but it can never break the union we all felt in our quest to be true leaders in broadcasting.
Kip, you were such an important part of this inspiring group. It has been comforting to hear from so many today.
This news is stunning. I spent part of 1966 at Shaw Radio.
Beautiful piece, Fred. In addition to all of the time spent on the 3rd and 4th floors of the Union, I took Phys Ed credits in both Bowling and Billiards in the building. On weekends, films were shown in the 3rd floor ballroom and let me introduce my then girlfriend, now wife of 40 years, to W. C. Fields and the Marx Brothers, among other classics. Got to interview Dick Purtan of WXYZ for my documentary project. And Gary Reid’s words when I walked out of the studio after doing my half-hour radio show assignment still make me laugh – “What are you, a f***ing pro?” It is a building filled with so many memories for so many of us, and it shall remain so. But the recent tragedy is something that will stick with us forever, too.
It is so cool to read this, John. In four years at MSU, I probably spent 80% of my time on the 4th floor, 5% on the 3rd floor (the department) and the rest in the Union Grill. I knew there was a bowling alley in the basement, but I don’t believe I ever got down there. Crazy, right? Thanks for checking in.
I actually took the bowling class for credits. At the time I believed it would be more beneficial to my future than Humanities. Hey, what did I know then????
You and I took that bowling class together, if you recall. I still have my custom-drilled bowling ball!
Thanks for one right from the heart, Fred. Of course, all of yours are. I was thinking of attending MSU but visited the campus in the winter of ’67 and this kid from California was rebuffed by the cold. (Cue the irony: Now I live in Maine.) Instead I went to Berkeley and got my start at KALX, where the worst violence I ever had to dodge on behalf of our news department was the campus cops’ billy clubs and tear gas during a student demonstration. CN is truly nasty stuff but not as bad as bullets. My thoughts are with you and all the other Spartans who have graciously painted the picture today. Illegitimi non carborundum.
John, it’s still cold in East Lansing. But based on the response to this post, I’m feeling much warmth from the caring people who weighed in yesterday. Thanks for connecting.
Fred – my heart skipped a beat when I walked by the TV and heard about a shooting at MSU and then the mention of the Union Building stopped me in my tracks. So sad for the students, their friends and families. We have to hope that at some point the country will take notice and pass gun control measures that matter and work.
Your post was wonderful. Memories of the Union (Onion) Building will last a lifetime. MSU and you especially instilled a work ethic, appreciation of creativity, and motivation for pursuing a career in media. The experience has led me to teaching TV Production and a 43 year (and going strong) career in media production at Columbia U/NY Presbyterian. No more grease pencils and splicing tape, but the lessons learned in striving for perfection have not changed. We have all come a long way from recording pizza commercials (no anchovies) at the Farmhouse. We had Thanksgiving dinners that couldn’t be beat! Thank you for the post and especially for the trip back in time. What a trip it has been.
Stay safe.
Jeff
Jeff, it is so wonderful to hear from you. You were such an integral part of the group – your spirit, your energy, and the fact that unlike most of us, “you weren’t from here.” Plus, I got to finally understand the definitive recipe for an egg cream. Like so many others, you truly made the most of the experience. Lots of the details are foggy, of course, but I still take learnings, lessons, and moments from those days. And yes, the work ethnic and quest to do it right are intact.
Miss you all. And despite the tragic events of the last few days, it has been encouraging reconnecting with you and the others.
Be well,
Fred
Fred, I was in high school in East Lansing and would sneak into the carrier current stations in the MSU dorms and do shifts until they figured out I was still in high school at which point I would move on to the next dorm. It was a great place to learn and make mistakes in a safe environment.
Dan, that’s a story I never heard before. Too bad we lost you to Northwestern. I’m so happy to hear from you, and great to see you hit it out of the park in the pizza biz after a great radio career. My son still lives in Burbank, and I’d love to share a meal with you when I’m next in L.A. Be well and thanks for the check in.
Hi Fred
Sorry about the motivation for your post but grateful for the look back at an iconic place that touched many and was so meaningful for so many careers
In this case the union hall days led to a career that spanned 40 plus years living out a dream that began when I was 10 years old. I’ve told you personally and want to say now that without the teaching inspiration and encouragement of you and Larry estlak it doesn’t happen for me the way it did I’m forever grateful
This summer I was on a driving trip through Michigan and pulled up to the union building so I could just go inside and sit.
Phenomenal. It brought me back to the mid 70s remembering the winter term walks at 630 from Holden hall. Too long and too cold but I wasn’t gonna miss a single opportunity to learn from you brilliant men who cared. I might have been horseshit with a razor blade but maybe not so bad with a headset.
Not gonna get political here. Just want to send along best wishes to all who had similar experiences. Much love
Go green
Foles
Pat, so great to hear from you, and I truly appreciate the kind memories. You are one of the department’s success stories, and I recall your drive. I know Larry would also have taken immense pride in what you’ve accomplished.
This has been such a manic week, and it’s just great to hear from you, despite the tragedy. And again, Pat, thanks for reaching out when you called it a career.
All the best to you and stay safe.
Fred
Fred: Loved your post about the beloved Union Building. I was fortunate enough to be in your Audio Production class up there on the 4th Floor and always appreciated your guidance and inspiration. I remember well the splicing blocks and white splicing tape used to create some audio (analog) magic and assemble our radio projects. The Union was always a favorite building of mine — when I was a student there (for undergrad and then later for grad school), and in repeated visits when our two sons were at State – and after. I remember seeing the campus maps back then with the Communication Arts Building on it with little dotted lines around it and the words “proposed”. But, for our time — the Union was special. And in those pre-Internet days, the bulletin board in the hallway on the 3rd floor with index cards with job openings is a memory, too. The building, the terrific folks that learned there, and taught there make it such a special place then and now. And in the future, as we move past last week’s tragedies. Take care —
Jeff, great to hear from you and I’m glad the post resonated for you. I remember that “proposed” map, too, and I recall the first time Reid toured me through the new building. The department and college came a long way from its Union Building beginnings. Thanks again and let’s hope for happier days in East Lansing.