MSU
Simon to address university community today
MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon will deliver her second Founders' Day speech at 3 p.m. today in the Pasant Theatre of the Wharton Center.
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Cultural connections
Crinkled foreheads and questioning looks adorned the faces of students in MSU's Italian Club as a Scopa tournament developed. A corner of the Multicultural Center in the Union overflowed with chatter as students sought information from others on how to accurately play the Italian card game. "So, can I pick it up?" "Yeah, it's a Scopa, I think." Club president Achille DiNello said the group focuses more on social activities than cultural ones, but he's trying to change that.
MSU
Innovations: Skeletal studies
Name: Professor Norman Sauer and Assistant Professor Todd Fenton Department: Forensic anthropology Type of research: Identifying human remains Date of research: Sauer has been researching forensic anthropology for about 30 years, and Fenton began when he joined the department in 1998. Basics of the project: "We aid in the investigation of deaths," Fenton said.
MSU
Feedback sought for possible tax increase
The Residence Halls Association, or RHA, is seeking public comment about its proposed tax increase at its Wednesday meeting. RHA officials are asking that students voice their opinions on whether the tax increase should be approved at 7:15 p.m.
MSU
Lakeside study experience to be offered in fall
Instead of studying environmental science in a classroom next fall, students can spend the semester in a new study-away program at MSU's W.K.
MSU
WEB EXTRA: Totally Takeout, disturbances among issues discussed at RHA meeting
The April 2-3 disturbances and the security system in Emmons Hall were among the topics university officials discussed with members of the Residence Halls Association, or RHA, on Wednesday. Lee June, vice president of Student Affairs and Services, said MSU police are willing to meet jointly with RHA to address any of the members' questions and concerns about possible future disturbances, in efforts to correct and prevent any incidents similar to the ones in 2005. He said in the future, if action needs to be taken, police need to announce their intentions more times and louder on speakers. In the event of future disturbances, "I am sure you as students will do the positive things you did last year," June said.
MSU
WEB EXTRA: Chinese festival to take place in Haslett
The 2006 Chinese Spring Festival Gala will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday at Haslett High School, 5450 Marsh Road in Haslett.
MSU
WEB EXTRA: Muslim association to host diversity dinner
The Muslim Students' Association will be having its annual diversity dinner at 6:30 p.m. tonight at Eagle Eye Golf Club, 15500 Chandler Road. Both Muslims and non-Muslims are welcome at the event.
MSU
MSU Study Abroad Fair offers full spectrum of travel opportunities
It was Groundhog Day in the United States and Canada. It was Crepe Day in France. It was Candlemas worldwide, from Brazil to Liechtenstein.
MSU
WEB EXTRA: Black History Month features film showings, dinner
Black History Month began Wednesday, and Latanya Simpson, president of MSU's Black Student Alliance, said there are a number of events planned in honor of the month. A film series will begin tonight with the showing of "Sankofa" at 7 p.m.
MSU
New Web site lets viewers rate game-day ads
For the past nine years, Robert Kolt has hosted a Super Bowl party in his Haslett home. But it's only when the advertisements appear that the TV volume increases and conversations go quiet, with eyes intently focused on the screen. Kolt, an MSU instructor, and about 15 other faculty members in the Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Retailing gather not to watch the game — but to grade the Super Bowl advertisements, which usually earns them national recognition in the media. "I think we were the first ones to do it, and we continue to do it," Kolt said. "The professors at Michigan State are pretty good, tough critics." But during this Sunday's game, MSU's professors won't be the only ones judging. Now advertising professionals, university professors and students worldwide can rate the advertisements themselves through an interactive Web site called MSU Ad Pulse. Richard Cole, executive vice president and chief administrative officer with the Detroit Medical Center, came up with the idea for the Web site as a way to extend the rating of the advertisements to a broader base of people. "It's just like anything — you don't know exactly what the outcome will be, but many more ideas will keep flowing," he said. Cole takes office at MSU on March 1 as the new chairman for the Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Retailing. The site — a project between MSU and Collaboration LLC, a marketing firm based in Pleasant Ridge, Mich.
MSU
WEB EXTRA: Spoken-word artist among events held to honor Chicano History Month
Chicano History Month began Wednesday and will be recognized throughout February with a number of events, members of Movimiento Estudiantil Xicano de Aztlan said. There will be a Chicano unity dinner at 7 p.m.
MSU
Delectable design
Ice cream, chocolate and Spartan spirit sound more like football game fun than an engineering project. But biosystems engineering seniors Matthew Kloes, Kim Lewis, Marc Sawyers and Shelley Vecchio have found a way to incorporate flavor and fun into their senior design project, while still focusing on developing skills necessary for future careers. The four students are working to produce chocolate-covered ice cream bars formed into a Spartan block "S" shape. "It's a pretty interesting project," Kloes said.
MSU
Study: Half of college grads can't balance checkbooks, read newspaper
More than half the students who graduate from four-year universities lack the skills to be considered proficient in literacy, according to a recent study from a national institute. The survey, released last month by the American Institutes for Research — a Washington, D.C.-based social science research organization — tested the literacy of 1,827 students graduating from 80 randomly selected two- and four-year universities. It covered three core areas — prose literacy, document literacy and quantitative literacy — and found that many students could not do basic tasks such as figuring out the cost-per-ounce of various food products in supermarkets. "I would never have expected that because I'm getting a good education here," said MSU psychology sophomore Julia Degreg.
MSU
WEB EXTRA: MSU, Lansing center collaborate on land use issues
By Caitlyn Kienitz For The State News The MSU Land Policy Program and MSU Extension have a new partner on campus. The Planning & Zoning Center, a Lansing-based land-use consulting firm, is moving to MSU.
MSU
Awards recognize grad students, late MSU prof
Three students from separate universities each were announced winners of $10,000 fellowships Tuesday at Kellogg Center. The students were honored with the TIAA-CREF Ruth Simms Hamilton Research Fellowship, which was established through a $500,000 endowment by the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association-College Retirement Equities Fund, or TIAA-CREF, an insurance and retirement savings provider for workers in the academic, medical, cultural and research fields. Hamilton, who died in 2003, was an MSU professor of social science and a pioneer in the field of African Diaspora, a study of the displacement and migration of African people across the globe. Hamilton's son, Bramlett Hamilton, was charged with her murder, but was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
MSU
Innovations: Stellar searching
Name: Professor Stephen Zepf Department: Physics and Astronomy Type of research: How galaxies are formed Date of research: Zepf has been studying the origin of galaxies for about 20 years, but his current projects using the Southern Astrophysical Research, or SOAR, Telescope began about a year ago. Basics of the project: "We look at star clusters and galaxies to learn about how the whole galaxy formed," Zepf said. Zepf looks at the different wavelengths of the light emitted from star clusters. In this way, he can determine how old the clusters are and what elements are included in their compositions, which helps him determine the galaxy's age. Using Internet connections and computer programming, Zepf is able to study images of the galaxies from the Hubble Space Telescope and the SOAR Telescope. The SOAR Telescope — located at an altitude of 9,000 feet on a mountain in Chile — is an MSU project in conjunction with The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory and Brazil. Two postdoctoral fellows, one graduate student and one undergraduate student assist Zepf in his research. Social impact of research: "It answers the basic questions of the universe on a big scale," Zepf said. Grants and funding: The National Science Foundation and NASA fund the project, which costs several thousand dollars per year.
MSU
A growing game
Kevin Corrigan looked up and smiled after an hour of the Hospitality Association's Vegas Night Texas Hold'em tournament on Saturday night.
MSU
Fellowship honors slain MSU professor
The first winners of a $10,000 research fellowship will be announced at noon today in the Kellogg Center's Big Ten room. The TIAA-CREF Ruth Simms Hamilton Research Fellowship was established through an endowment by the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association-College Retirement Equities Fund, or TIAA-CREF, an insurance and retirement savings provider for workers in the academic, medical, cultural and research fields. An expert in the field of African diaspora, Hamilton was a distinguished MSU professor of social science and a TIAA-CREF board member who died in 2003.
MSU
ASMSU to put out student survey about IM addition
Student government officials are taking initial steps toward creating a survey to determine student demand for additional student recreational space on campus. ASMSU, MSU's undergraduate student government, allocated $7,000 earlier this month to fund a survey of student opinions on the project, which calls for the construction of a combined IM facility and student events center.