I'm going to go ahead and just address the questions here one at a time:
The best thing about MSU is that it offers degree programs in every subject you can think of. I came to school without any idea of what I wanted to do, and at Michigan State you dont have to be afraid of them not having a program for a subject that you think might be interested in.
If I could change one thing about MSU I would change its reputation (I am trying, and not just through this forum) because the experience I have at MSU has helped land me in presitgious internships around the country and given me every opportunity to succeed. Just because MSU accepts students with sub par test scores and GPAs does not mean that there are not incredibly smart people there, along with world class faculty.
MSU is a huge school, and it seems like you never see the same person twice at first except in the residence halls. However, as you get more advanced in your major, you begin to make connections with people who are always in the same group of classes as you. Personally, I hate crowded places, like big cities, but MSU has a sort of sprawling beautiful landscape that makes it feel almost rural and less like you are surrounded by 45000 students.
East Lansing is a college town. The population approximately doubles when school is in session (with a permanant population around 40,000, which is close to the enrollment at MSU). There is a lot of stuff to do around there because the town is built around the institution. Sometimes you have to look for stuff to do, but usually you will find people playing every sport around campus, and fliers for most any activity you can imagine as long as you are willing to get out of your room and participate!
I don't have any close ties to MSU's administration, but in my case I have never had anything to complain about.
The most recent controversy at MSU was Cedarfest. Apperently Cedarfest used to be an annual event where people got excessively loud, drunk, and obnoxious. Last year there was a reincarnation of Cedarfest which got national media attention because of students getting tear gassed and tearing down street signs. I wasn't there, but I know a lot of people who were. There were sufficient warnings tat it was going on, and the police handled it well from what I hear, but I found it insulting that our school was being stereotyped because of this "riot", but a lot of people who I talked to thought it was really cool. I guess it is just a matter of perspective. Personally, I wish it hadn't taken place.
People wear green and white every day. The student sections at sporting events is loud and faithful. As with anything, there are people who like to be on the other side have little pride or spirit. That being said, the vast majority of spartans are proud to go to MSU and wear their colors. Go Green! Go White!
I have attended two other institutions on my way to MSU, and none have been the same. In that respect, I think all schools are unique because they all feel just a little different. As a physics major, the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) makes MSU stand out above most other universities. I think that most students discover what sort of things are unusual and important on their own personal level.
One experience I will always remember is a football game. Near the end of last season, we beat Penn State in the waning minutes at Spartan Stadium to give ourselves a chance at a bowl bid last year. It was the first year that I had been attending Spartan football games, and it was a blast. The whole student section was cheering, and it didn't matter if you were a senior or a freshman, a math or communications major, or anything. Everyone was just a Spartan.
People like to complain about all kinds of things. It seems like the most common complaint is about having to go to class or do homework, but I don't really know what can be done about that.