MSU Traditions 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: How do student groups earn the right to paint The Rock on the MSU campus?
- By winning a campus scavenger hunt
- By submitting a request to the Dean of Students
- By guarding The Rock overnight until dawn (Correct answer)
- By raising money for the university foundation
Correct answer: By guarding The Rock overnight until dawn
Student groups must post a guard at The Rock from dusk until dawn to claim painting rights, making it a competitive and communal campus event.
Question 2: Before which major rivalry game do MSU fans and students traditionally paint The Rock in school colors most intensely?
- The game against Ohio State
- The game against Penn State
- The in-state rivalry game against University of Michigan (Correct answer)
- The Big Ten Championship game
Correct answer: The in-state rivalry game against University of Michigan
The Michigan-Michigan State rivalry, known as 'The Game,' is the biggest in-state matchup and drives the most passionate Rock-painting campaigns.
Question 3: MSU is recognized as the nation's first institution of its kind. What distinction does it hold?
- First public university in the United States
- First land-grant university in the United States (Correct answer)
- First university to admit women
- First university to offer graduate degrees
Correct answer: First land-grant university in the United States
Founded in 1855, MSU (then Michigan Agricultural College) became the nation's first land-grant university, a model for the Morrill Act.
Question 4: What tradition takes place at Spartan Stadium on fall Saturdays before kickoff, involving the marching band and the team entering the field?
- The Spartan Thunderclap
- The Walk of Champions
- The Band Pre-Game March and Tunnel Entrance (Correct answer)
- The Green and White Salute
Correct answer: The Band Pre-Game March and Tunnel Entrance
Before each home game, the Spartan Marching Band performs a pre-game show and players enter through the tunnel to thunderous fan applause.
Question 5: The MSU Dairy Store is operated by students in which college?
- College of Engineering
- College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Correct answer)
- College of Education
- College of Communication Arts and Sciences
Correct answer: College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Students in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources operate the Dairy Store as part of their food science and dairy education.
Question 6: What phrase is associated with MSU's land-grant identity and the idea of education serving all people, not just the elite?
- Excellence Through Access
- Knowledge for All (Correct answer)
- The Pioneer Spirit
- A Superior Education for the Superior Student
Correct answer: Knowledge for All
The land-grant philosophy of 'Knowledge for All' underpins MSU's founding mission to make higher education accessible to working-class citizens.
Question 7: Which annual MSU event brings together students, faculty, and community members to celebrate the university's founding each February?
- Spartan Spirit Day
- Founder's Day (Correct answer)
- Charter Day
- MSU Anniversary Fest
Correct answer: Founder's Day
Founder's Day is celebrated each February to commemorate MSU's founding in 1855 and honor its land-grant legacy.
MSU Traditions 5
How do student groups earn the right to paint The Rock on the MSU campus?