A blast from the past

Going through a major State News nostalgia period. While visiting the State News offices Friday I spotted a front page I helped design 30 years ago on the occasion of the Spartans winning the National Championship.

Here's what I posted on the State News Alumni Association website:

I was editor when this page was created. MSU was just coming off Spring Break when the Spartans won the National Championship.

State News editor and a photographer were at the finals in Salt Lake City and many of us began working on the edition to come out the day students returned from break.

In those days we were limited to the fonts available at the comp shop and had to photographically blow up the "We're #1" twice the size of the 72-point size available to us. To make the "#" sign composing foreman Jerry Dunn built it from dark tape because there was no such headline symbol available.

"Magic's the word, not the Bird" was obviously in reference to the growing rivalry between Magic and Larry Byrd which only grew during their professional careers. As I recall, General Manager Mr. Coy, authorized the overprinting of 3,000 copies which were delivered to Jud Heathcote for use in future recruiting efforts.

Unfortunately I did not save a copy for myself, but enjoy seeing it hanging on the newsroom wall when I visit the State News in East Lansing. Not so famous was the second section, which was a recounting of all the games leading up to the finals (remember we were on break and not publishing during much of March madness) and after much debate about being too much of a "homer" we went ahead and screened a block "S" onto the front page of the second section.

As I recall we won a design award for the front page and design. It was an intense, but fun time at the State News.

As I recall, but could be wrong, Joe Centers called in the story from Salt Lake and the photos were transmitted through an arrangement with the Associated Press.
Jim Smith, editor 1978-79