'There's no way we're ready': Michigan State students return to class a week after shooting

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Marissa Long, 54, had a big cup of coffee, a pastry, her laptop and a book on her table at a coffee shop near Michigan State University's campus Monday. The mother of an MSU sophomore didn't know how long she'd be camped there.

Long's daughter is among the tens of thousands of students returning to class Monday one week after a horrific shooting that killed three students and wounded five others. 

"She's very anxious about going back to class, so I told her I'd take the day off work and hang out in case she needed me. She stayed at home until this morning and I drove her here," Long said. "She's texted a few times to say she's struggling here and there, but making it through. She said it's really weird to be in class. Everyone just is on edge and not really sure what to say and do."

Many on campus, including the editorial board of the student newspaper, have said they aren't ready to return to class after the Feb. 13 shooting that killed Arielle Anderson, 19; Alexandria Verner, 20; and Brian Fraser, 20. 

Among the hospitalized students, one was in fair condition, two were in serious but stable condition, and two remained in critical condition as of Monday, Sparrow Hospital officials said.

The campus atmosphere Monday morning was a bizarre mix of the normal and the incongruous.

Students flowing out of a classroom building had headphones in and fingers flying across screens texting friends while somehow avoiding running into each other. But when they hit a nearby intersection, the crowd stopped, with many looking over at a woman holding a sign that said "Spartan Strong" on one side and "Big Sister Hugs" on the other side.

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Signs were posted all over offering messages of support, from "Welcome Home Spartans" to "Your Feelings Are Valid."

Parking lots were full, but the sidewalks were mostly empty, except for a sidewalk by the Rock, the spiritual center of campus, where a memorial to the victims has been established. A long line of students snaked past tables full of snacks and a group of moms held signs offering hugs to anyone who needed one.

Todd Williams, a junior from Lansing, stood in front of the Rock for several moments Monday morning.

"I just wanted to come here and offer my respects," he said. "I still can't believe this is real – that this happened on my campus. I can't believe we're supposed to just go back to class. There's no way we're ready for that."

He had an afternoon class and didn't know if he was going to go to it.

"I don't think I'll know until it's time," he said.

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Several students on campus Monday told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, the classes they were attending were more about being together than anything academic.

University officials knew it would not be business as usual. 

"No one thinks we are coming back to a normal week," MSU interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko said at a news conference Sunday. 

"Coming back together will help us," Jeitschko said. "We know that everyone heals at their own pace and in their own manner."

Michigan State's spring break starts March 6, and officials said they didn't want to keep students out until after that week.

Faculty have been encouraged to modify syllabuses and not try to make up for lost time when classes shut down for a week after the shooting. They also are working with students to arrange hybrid class sessions or modify paper deadlines if students need it.

Long said she's not sure how MSU's students will make it through the next few weeks, but she's glad to see the support being offered around campus.

"I can't imagine what (my daughter and her friends) are going through," she said. "It's going to take them a long time to heal."

Contact David Jesse on Twitter: @reporterdavidj.