A State News-sponsored debate between 70th District state House candidates Gretchen Whitmer and Bill Hollister has been canceled.
The forum was slated to take place Monday night following a debate between the four major candidates vying for two seats on the MSU Board of Trustees. Whitmer was forced to withdraw for personal reasons.
With the election just seven days away, the debate between the candidates vying to represent the university in the state Legislature will not be rescheduled.
Whitmer, a Democrat, and Hollister, a Republican, are battling for the chance to replace state Rep. Laura Baird, D-Okemos. Baird can’t seek re-election because of term limits.
News outlet unveiled
Spartan faithful now have a new avenue to receive the latest MSU news.
MSUToday, a print magazine and Web site, was unveiled earlier this month to send university alumni and students all the breaking campus news.
The print edition has been mailed to some 300,000 households and the Web site - MSUToday.msu.edu - is up and running.
“The MSUToday program will help connect the university with our friends all over the world, with a focus on the quality, rigor and innovation characteristic of our work here,” university spokesman Terry Denbow said in a news release.
Those visiting the Web site can also subscribe to free weekly e-mail updates about major developments at MSU. The publication’s first issue featured a cover story on biotechnology - which has surfaced recently as a controversial topic.
Family Weekend draws a crowd
More than 1,750 parents and siblings of MSU students attended MSU’s Family Weekend on campus this past weekend.
“This is the largest number that has ever signed up to attend Family Weekend,” said Beverly Vandenberg, Student Alumni Foundation program coordinator, in a news release.
The event was sponsored by the SAF, a student organization sponsored by MSU Alumni Association and University Development.
Some of the weekend’s events included a pep rally and tailgate on Ralph Young Field, which is next to Spartan Stadium, a jazz concert by Sonny Wilkinson and tours of various MSU facilities.
Fitness program jogs on
In its seventh year, the “50 Plus Fitness” community program is still a free and gentle exercise workout program for local men and women 50 years or older.
Participants hold exercise sessions in Meridian Mall in Okemos and all workouts are done while seated or holding on to the back of a chair. The workout assists participants in building and maintaining range of motion and strength.
Last spring MSU’s Evening College welcomed Sparrow Health System and unveiled the program’s new name and logo, “50 Plus Fitness,” to participants and the public.
“I have been coming since the beginning of the program and feel that these exercises are very important for people my age,” said Sue Byers, Okemos resident and MSU retiree in a release. “This program provides a sense of community for the participants. The camaraderie and friendships that develop are very special and the instructors are excellent.”
The sessions run from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
The “50 Plus Fitness” workout program is cosponsored by the MSU Alumni Association’s Evening College, Meridian Mall and the Sparrow Health System.
For more information about the program, contact the Evening College at 355-4562.
