Obama

On February 7, 2014 President Barack Obama traveled to MSU to sign the Farm Bill, formally known as the Agriculture Act of 2014. Students, faculty and distinguished members of the community gathered in the Mary Anne McPhail Equine Performance Center to listen to Obama speak.

Obama said he hoped the impact of the bill would extend beyond agriculture and positively affect the U.S. economy as a whole.

“It’s creating more good jobs, and gives more Americans a shot at opportunity,” Obama said in a previous State News story.

Trustee Spending

Many members of the MSU community were outraged following a report which detailed the lavish spending habits of some members of the MSU Board of Trustees.

Some of these expenses included travel, athletic events and performances at Wharton Center.

Many students were outraged by the spending, especially alumnus Alexander Ethridge who called it “ludicrous” in a previous State News interview.

“It’s frustrating from the perspective of someone who conducts research,” Ethridge said. “I mean, that’s what MSU is about. It’s something we’re renowned for, but research budgets are being cut all over, so to hear about frivolous spending by officials is frustrating.”

Sexual Assault

MSU fell under fire in February 2014 following an announcement by the U.S. Department of Education that they were investigating the ways in which MSU handles sexual assault under Title IX regulation.

A university spokesman responded to the investigation at the time of its announcement.

“MSU responded fully and appropriately to the incident under investigation,” MSU spokesman Kent Cassella said in a statement in a previous State News story. “While federal law and privacy concerns prevent MSU from fully discussing the specifics of the matter, we have a comprehensive record of the actions we took that supports the university’s position that we acted appropriately. We look forward to continue working with the OCR (Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights) on this matter.”

This investigation was the beginning on the ongoing discussion and debate on MSU’s campus regarding issues of sexual assault and the degree of seriousness that they are treated with on campus.

Activism

MSU’s campus saw a rise in activism in light of racially charged events in Ferguson, Missouri, following the decision not to indict police office Darren Wilson for killing 18-year-old Michael Brown.

Students gathered in protest, some took place in various marches and rallies to show their support for Brown.

“We want to make it clear that what happened in Ferguson could happen anywhere, anytime,” Alicia Hicks, a longtime Lansing resident who helped organize the event, said in a previous State News interview. “That just isn’t OK, and we want to make sure we stand up for it.”

ASMSU

In April 2013 MSU’s undergraduate student government almost lost their student tax funding following a decision not to turn the group into an official university department and transfer their funds to the university system, which lead to a tax freeze.

Many students held firm to their belief that merging with the university would have few benefits for the organization or for students.

Vice President for Internal Administration Denzel McCampbell said the move would take away the students’ rights and remove services the organization currently offers, such as free iClicker rentals in a previous State News interview.

The ASMSU tax was reinstated in 2014 and ASMSU continues to tax $18 per student per semester for their services.

Coal

Since 2009 MSU has reduced its use of coal by 65 percent. By 2016, the university hopes to have eradicated its coal use at the MSU Power Plant by the order of the Environmental Protection Agency regulations launched in 2014.