Angela Duncan Special for The State News The African Culture Gala, held Saturday night in the MSU Auditorium, bounced with rhythm from start to finish. In its more than six years in motion, the weekend's event was the first of its kind to take place at MSU.
Musicians and athletes will combine efforts on Saturday to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan. Two MSU music fraternities, the Acafellas, 53 Feet of Brass, local band the giveaway and more than 100 runners and walkers will meet at the rock on Farm Lane for the first Rock 'n' Run 5K run/walk event. But sponsors and beneficiaries agree that this is no ordinary benefit race.
Differing priorities between college representatives and minority delegates on campus have been revealed through recent ASMSU voting. Three Student Assembly bills passed within the past few months showed divided voting patterns lining the Council of Racial Ethnic Students (CORES) and Council of Progressive Students (COPS) against college representatives when it came to allocating money to student events and programs. "It's something I've noticed - bills are defeated along CORES and COPS lines, or passed with all the CORES and COPS," said Andrew Schepers, Student Assembly vice chairperson for internal affairs.
Students and staff members across a wide range of disciplines were honored Thursday at the All-University Excellence in Diversity 2004 Recognition and Awards Convocation.
Although the Residence Halls Association's new Executive Board was sworn in Wednesday, one position remains unfilled. Jasmine Gary, a social relations sophomore and president of Case Hall Black Caucus, did not receive the approval of the General Assembly for the director of racial ethnic and progressive affairs.
Two academic units requested transfers to a different college at the Executive Committee of Academic Council meeting Tuesday. The Department of History and MATRIX - the Center for Humane Arts, Letters and Social Sciences - formally requested that the Office of the Provost move the two entities from the College of Arts & Letters to the College of Social Science.
Women looking to find balance in their lives will have an opportunity to examine personal power issues through a workshop today. The Women's Resource Center will sponsor "Creating the Life You Want," a program designed to address life-coaching skills and personal and professional empowerment for women.
University officials say they will continue to protect workers' rights despite a student group's protest of a meeting between MSU President M.
Postal mailboxes no longer will be filled with envelopes for billing information from MSU. Starting in the summer, all tuition and housing bills will be available only on the STUINFO Web site.
Former Peace Corps members, prospective members and their families gathered in the living room of Cowles House on Wednesday evening listening to MSU President M.
Education freshman Amy Birkmeier will be the tenant of MSU's coolest campus crib next fall. Birkmeier beat out 240 applicants to win "Room 4U," MSU's Division of Housing & Food Services' dorm room makeover contest, a part of its new Spartan Makeovers initiative. Journalism junior Kristen Waltman and interior design senior Laura Bonucchi will transform Birkmeier's Akers Hall room using materials selected from Meridian Mall in Okemos. Based on popular decorating TV shows such as "While You Were Out" and "Trading Spaces," the makeover process will be presented on the campus UTube network and East Lansing Comcast channel 29 in October. Future Spartan Makeover projects will include roommate, boyfriend and family makeovers.
When half of the students at Wednesday night's Anti-Ableism Workshop tried to complete an icebreaker activity, they quickly discovered their partners couldn't communicate as they expected. The other half of the students had received instructions telling them they had a communication disorder. "My mind is racing.
MSU's Pride Week kicks off Friday with a series of events to celebrate and educate the campus community about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender identities. "We take time to recognize LGBT identities and the courage it takes to be out in a society that still is ridiculously homophobic," said Jon Hoadley, a social relations and women's studies junior.
In a move applauded by some representatives and deemed "shady" by others, ASMSU's Student Assembly passed a bill giving $9,000 to support the Indian culture show Satrang. In a lengthy debate Thursday night, some representatives were concerned that Satrang, which is produced by an affiliate of the Asian Pacific American Student Organization, should have gone through ASMSU's Programming Board for the money. "APASO was not willing to represent its own members," said Rob Huber, Student Assembly representative for the group.
A conference this weekend is aimed at challenging students to think outside the box when it comes to race. "Boxed In: Perspectives of Multiracial Communities Conference" will examine the issues that arise for multiracial individuals who face a world of monoracial categories.
A report released by the university shows fluctuations in ethnic minority representation during a decline of MSU's overall student population during the 2002-03 school year.
When Rachel Crandall came out as a woman after living in the body of a man for 35 years, she lost everything. She said she lost her job because the hospital "wasn't too thrilled about having a transsexual" on staff.
One day after MSU officials announced National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice as this semester's commencement speaker, Democratic officials say her appearance will benefit the university. "We should always have a welcome mat for whoever comes to speak, whether we agree or don't agree," said Trustee Dorothy Gonzales, a Democrat.
The MSU Bike Project will host its third and final public bicycle clinic at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the ballroom of Demonstration Hall.
When the MSU Board of Trustees meets on Friday, it will vote whether to establish a School of Planning, Design and Construction and whether to increase the cost of living in residence halls by 4.4 percent. The new school would be under both the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the College of Social Science, and would combine four different programs from three colleges. "It's a great idea," said Robert von Bernuth, director of the construction management program.