ScottWesterman.com

The Michigan State University Alumni Association Service Excellence Tour kicks off with an inside look at Zappos.com. Join us as we take you behind the scenes at one of the most innovative, fun and profitable on line retailers in the world. Hosted by MSUAA Executive Director, Scott Westerman, wsw@msu.edu – @msuscottw on Twitter

VIDEO: Take an HD Video Tour of Brody Square with MSUAA’s Dave Brown

For those of us who had a meal in the Brody cafeteria anytime before 2010, your next trip to what is now known as Brody Square will blow you away.

Until now, Snyder Phillips set a high bar for academic cuisine with the River Trail neighborhood at Owen a close second. No longer. While I will still be in love with Sny Phi, the new Brody takes the campus dining experience into the stratosphere.

First, the architecture. It’s stunning. From the pleasing neo modern lines to the generous use of windows for natural light, this isn’t the old Brody. Climb the stairs to the dining floor and you spill out into a bee hive of culinary delight. Like Sny Phi, there are the food stations, each catering to a specific taste. And the layout of the tables and chairs give one the feeling of intimacy even as it’s sprawl tells you that a ton of people can eat here at the same time.

Then there’s the technology. Gone are the roller coasters that take rows of dish laden trays to the waiting wash staff. Brody Square has an automated tray processor, six rows tall, that can handle the dirty stuff as fast as a busy student can load it up.

But ultimately, it’s the food. With station names like Homestyle, Brimestone Grille, Cayennes, The Boiling Point, Pangea, VegOut, Ciao, Salads + Sushi and Dolce, you instantly get a sense for the depth and breadth of the menu. Whether you want a chicken sandwich, a slice of margarita pizza, a classic american entrée or a distinctively ethnic dish, it’s all here. And if my personal experience is any indication, the dining experience is raising the bar in a big way.

Of course, there are the old faves we alumni remember, too. The chocolate milk, the ice cold Coca Cola (Thank you Rez Life for NOT serving Pepsi) and the wonderful MSU soft serve. The burger station cooks yours however you want it, including olive burgers for us Kewpee fans. And there is MSU’s signature all-day breakfast bar with the wides array of cereals on the planet.

And you’ll also find another factor that makes buying a meal plan THE thing to do at MSU: The service. I had the honor of addressing the Rez Life superstars who D.O.S.E (Deliver Outstanding Spartan Experiences) each and every day during their 2010 orientation. They are carefully selected, well trained and come with an attitude of fun and professionalism that makes Eating At State a true pleasure.

Guy Procopio, Director of Culinary Services, Bruce Haskell, Associate Director of Residential Dining, William H. Kost, Associate Director of Retail Food Services, Marta Mittermaier, Associate Director of Culinary Support Services, and my buddy Kurt A. Kwiatkowski, Corporate Chef, have outdone themselves. But they would be the first to tell you that it’s the hundreds of professional support staff and student employees who are the true engines of Spartan Service Excellence. And that excellence is on full display at Brody Square.

The new Brody opens for real when the Students arrive this next week. So next time you find yourself anywhere near campus, stop by and feel the magic. If you’re a student, faculty or staff member, explore your meal plan options at EatAtState.com. And Tweet to @EatAtState with your feedback on your personal Brody Square experience.

Tell em that Scott, The Alumni Guy, sent you! And look for me when you’re there. I Eat At State every day!

At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? …. I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.

Abraham Lincoln
January 27, 1838

By Scott Westerman

Every June, the Berrien Springs Spartans throw the largest MSU Alumni steak cook out in the world. 650 people come from Michigan, Indiana and Illinois to enjoy grilled ribeye, salad and strawberry dessert. Colleen and I were serving steaks when I got the text from Mark Hollis.

There would be a press conference at 8:30PM. (more…)

By Scott Westerman
Let’s talk about one of the most important laws of success. It’s a fundamental, universal law that every spectacular achiever understands and practices every day. And it’s a law that influences everyone from the most destitute homeless person, to the multi-millionaire. If you understand and act based on this simple law, you will be successful, probably more successful than you may have ever imagined. (more…)

Back in the days when I was nearing graduation from College, I was filled with idealism and energy. And even though I had worked my way through school at a local radio station, I was still relatively clueless about the big, shining world that waited for me at the other end of my graduation walk.

One of my professors invited an honest to goodness TV Salesman into our class that senior spring, and after he imparted wisdom that I’ve long since forgotten, I found myself among a handful of students who cornered him afterwards to ask him for the “Secret of Success.”

When I posed the question, he rubbed his nose in deep thought and said: “Know what you want and don’t stop till you get it.”

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of about 50 college seniors attending the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Convention in Lansing. Afterward I found myself cornered by a couple of students. I anticipated being consulted for my great wisdom and was a little taken aback when they thrust a package of paper into my hands.

“Here is my resume,” said one. “Can you help me find a job?”

“What’s your goal,” I asked.

The question seemed to stop them short for a moment. And then one said, “To get a TV production job.”

The other said, “I want to be rich.” (more…)

By Scott Westerman
Marcel Mayberry is a good judge of character. The proprietor of T-Styles, the barber shop in the basement of the MSU Union has seen a lot of people come and go. So when he tells me that Brandon Chambers is “the real deal”, I’m interested.

It’s a Thursday afternoon, and I’m sitting in Marcel’s chair as he does his best with my ever thinning dome.

“This guy hangs out across the hall in the computer center. He’s trying to make his football dream come true. First kid in his family to go to college. Came here on a leadership scholarship. He’s not a one dimensional athlete. He’s someone you’d be proud to put up in front of a crowd and say, ‘this guy is a real Spartan’.”

He looked out of his window toward what used to be the billiard room. It’s now filled with rows and rows of computers, targeting kids with budgets that prioritize food and credit hours above technology. Near the doorway sat an intense African American, focusing on a computer screen. It seemed like everyone else in the room had their headphones on. Brandon didn’t.

“That’s him. He’s a walk-on.”

That said it all. (more…)