Some of the best memories of Raymar Morgan’s life came during his time at MSU. After playing basketball overseas for the past two years, he came back to the campus where he spent four years on the MSU men’s basketball team experience and spoke to Jewish students about his time in Israel. Morgan spoke to students at the RCAH Theatre in Snyder and Phillips halls on Monday night.
The Israel on Campus Coalition and MSU Hillel organized the event.
“Nothing’s like coming back and talking to the kids you shared seats with (during classes),” Morgan said. “(It) feels like we’re family.”
Alex Waldman, an international relations junior and the MZ-Grinspoon intern for MSU’s Israel on Campus Coalition, decided to host the event to give students a different perspective of Israel. Instead of focusing on the negativity surrounding the country, Waldman said he wanted to show students the positive side of Israel.
“On college campuses around the nation, people are often associating Israel with bad things,” Waldman said. “It’s nice to bring an event to campus to see another side of Israel.”
Despite being near locations of where two bombs hit, Morgan said he enjoyed his time in Israel, including the weather and the history of the country.
“It was the scariest time of my life,” he said. “Since I’m not from there, I didn’t know what to expect, but Israel as a whole, I loved it.
“It was great seeing all the history. It was eye-opening, and it’s definitely something to tell your children (about) down the line.”
Accounting senior Albert Budnitskiy said it was interesting to hear Morgan’s perspective on Israel as someone that isn’t Jewish.
“It’s really cool for him to come back,” Budnitskiy said. “He gives a completely different view of Israel than someone who hasn’t been there.”
Since graduating from MSU, Morgan has played for Maccabi Rishon, Pinar Karsiyaka, and played on Ironi Ashkelon this year before tearing his patella tendon while going up to dunk.
He compared playing in Israel to playing at Breslin Center in front of the Izzone.
“The Izzone is one of the greatest arenas I’ve been in with the fans jumping up and down,” Morgan said. “But (in the United States), the fans have restrictions, and they aren’t allowed to do so much. Over in Israel, everything’s a go. They throw stuff on the court and they beat loud drums throughout the whole game.”
With his season ending in May, Morgan is back home trying to recover and get back to playing overseas.
“Once I get healthy, I want to go back and play one year,” he said. “Next year I’m shooting for the NBA.”
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