E.L. City Council
Although MSU students didn't get one of their own to represent them on the East Lansing City Council, two qualified candidates who will work to make the city better did win.
Kevin Beard and Vic Loomis will bring a mix of old and new views, as well as experience and fresh ideas to the City Council. They both ran campaigns of working with the community and they will, hopefully, continue to do so.
MSU student John Fournier ran an excellent campaign and was a professional, eloquent voice for students. He advocated for their rights more than anyone else and stood up for them when other council candidates backed down on who was to blame for the April 2-3 disturbances. Although he didn't win, he has shown the city that students make up a large percentage of this town and deserve better representation.
Next time a student runs for the job, hopefully more people, including students, will listen.
Beth Alexander
Thankfully, someone aside from students stood up for students this year.
University physician Beth Alexander's voice, although not the biggest on campus, was a reminder to students that the entire world isn't against them.
By simply speaking up, she was heard more than many students who tried.
Her comments, released with the independent commission report about the April 2-3 disturbances, not only defended students, but opened up the floor for the other members to speak up much sooner than they might have otherwise.
Thank you Beth Alexander. Students should be proud to have you on their side.
New gadgets
Forget the Year of the Rooster, 2005 was the Year of the Gadget.
There were a lot more gadgets in East Lansing than roosters, anyway.
The "iPod mania" hit its peak with the iPod Nano and the new iPod with video. Sony launched it's PlayStation Portable, or PSP, to some success. There are now phones that do everything, even TV broadcasts.
Beyond the handheld devices, there's a movement to transform entertainment inside the house as well.
HDTV is taking TV to a new level that is becoming increasingly less expensive. Heck, even Microsoft is trying to get into that HDTV-enabled living room with its new Xbox 360.
It's insane. When we were kids we'd be happy with Hot Wheels and Barbie dolls. Now it's all about the cell phones and handheld game machines.
Both MSU basketball teams
This year has been a banner year for these two outstanding programs.
The women's basketball team exploded this year and exceeded expectations. They finished with a record of 33-4 and advanced to the NCAA National Championship game in Indianapolis before falling to Baylor. The team also won the Big Ten Tournament and shared first place in the conference during the regular season with Ohio State. The women are off to a good start again this season, ranked 13th in the country with a record of 5-2.
The men's team also excited fans by making a run deep into the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans finished with a record of 26-7 and advanced to the Final Four before falling to the eventual champion, the University of North Carolina.
After this year, MSU has two basketball teams to be proud of.
Let's see if they can do it again.
MSU's research
Long mocked as being just a "cow college," MSU and its ever-expanding research programs are showing just how seriously this universities takes its title as a land grant institution.
With scientists working on the Avian Flu, West Nile Virus and a host of other bird-related illnesses, whenever people become concerned about a new epidemic, MSU researchers seem to be already working on a way to cure it.
MSU has leapt to the forefront of animal medicine with the opening of the Matilda R. Wilson Pegasus Critical Care Center in October.
Designed to help critically ill animals that need to be isolated, the center will continue to attract people and scientists to MSU, as will another veterinary medicine building that is currently being planned.
These new buildings, as well as the research MSU continues to do will further MSU's image as one of the premier research colleges in the country.
