The African Studies Center will sponsor two discussion events this week. Ph.D. Research Fellow Poul Wiseborg will give a presentation at noon today in room 201 of the International Center.
After several delays in the completion of ASMSU's Web site, ASMSU discussed the elimination of two officials Tuesday night.Members of MSU's undergraduate student government debated the performance of Association Director Vikas Menon and Director of Digital and Graphic Media Nitin Pereira, because the organization's Web page still was not completed after both were paid for the work.A bill introduced by James Madison representative Adam Raezler gave Menon and Pereira a Nov.
Four MSU units were selected to collaborate with an independent research center to improve their graduate programs.Departments in math, English, natural science and history were selected by California-based Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to participate in the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate.Cheryl Sisk, director of MSU's neuroscience program, which is within the College of Natural Science, said MSU was one of only nine neuroscience programs in the country chosen to work with the Carnegie Foundation."This gives us a chance to ask what kind of careers we are preparing students for and how to know if we're being successful," Sisk said.
TV programs "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," "Boy Meets Boy" and "Will and Grace" have all had an impact on lesbian, bi, gay and transgender communities, several campus groups are saying. As LBGT representation in American society and media increases, members of the groups are questioning what the costs and benefits to LBGT communities are. Several representatives will lead a panel discussion Wednesday addressing how popular culture affects LBGT civil rights movements. The free presentation runs from noon to 1 p.m.
Peace and Justice Studies at MSU will present "The Iraq Crisis: Where Do We Go From Here?" on Wednesday night with Juan Cole of the University of Michigan. Cole will address three issues in his presentation, including the current nature of the crisis in Iraq, its economic, military, political and diplomatic costs and possible routes out of involvement. The presentation runs from 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Taping footage for a mascot competition has led to an educational opportunity for the Student Alumni Foundation.Members from the Council of Students with Disabilities said they were offended when MSU mascot Sparty was seen wandering through the Union with a white cane and referee's jersey last Wednesday.The stunt was intended to be "the blind ref gag," according to foundation coordinators, a piece that would go into a yearly mascot competition video."The statement they were making was about a referee," foundation adviser Bev VandenBerg said, adding that the students involved in the videotaping didn't realize their actions were offensive.
ASMSU has agreed to pay an arbitration settlement with a music promotions group because of a campus appearance from rap artist Ludacris more than two years ago.MSU's undergraduate student government paid $6,000 last month to BTM Productions, a promotions group that signed the Atlanta-based rapper to perform at the Auditorium during Homecoming Week in October 2001.When Ebony Productions, a student organization under the programming board of ASMSU, brought Ludacris to campus, there were disagreements with the promotion company about the date and location.BTM Productions officials argued the crowd in attendance didn't meet their expectations.Andrew Schepers, Student Assembly vice-chairperson for internal affairs, said the concert date was changed because it conflicted with the Cold War, the Spartan Stadium hockey game between MSU and the University of Michigan.ASMSU has a risk-management fund, Schepers said, but because of the brief amount of time the organization had to settle the arbitration, funds were taken from the $52,657.63 budget for the ASMSU Special Projects fund.A bill to move the funds between accounts will go through the next Student Assembly meeting.Barry Schlussel, the attorney who represented BTM Productions during arbitration, and a BTM Productions spokesperson could not be reached for comment.Theresa Kelley, assistant general for MSU's general counsel, represented MSU during BTM's arbitration with the university."Ludacris performed as everyone agreed, and everyone thought that was that," Kelley said.
Two student groups will be showing free films Thursday night. The Armenian Student Association of Michigan State University will show Ararat, a film about the denial of the 1915 Armenian genocide, an issue that association president John Avedian said still affects Armenians today.
The Michigan Department of Community Health reported six cases and one death from the West Nile virus this season - one year after the virus infected 644 Michiganians and killed 51 people.Although the threat in Michigan appears to be dwindling, people living in western states are being hit hard by the virus.
Three years ago, Allison Ernst said she would have laughed at the thought of enjoying filing tax returns.But now, the 2002 MSU-DCL College of Law graduate has earned a one-year fellowship at the MSU-DCL Tax Clinic.
Getting Brent Bilodeau to talk about himself is a challenge. But once he starts talking about students, he speaks passionately, interlocking his hands to emphasize the relationship of one marginalized group to another.Bilodeau is assistant for the Office of Lesbian, Bi, Gay and Transgendered Concerns, a program through the Department of Student Life."First and foremost, students are at the very center," he said from his office in Student Services.
Two Michigan congressmen introduced a resolution Monday to honor MSU President M. Peter McPherson for his role in rebuilding Iraq's economy.U.S.
The Office of Study Abroad said it hopes to show that there's more than credit-based international activities.The first annual International Opportunities Abroad Fair will be held from noon to 4:00 p.m.
MSU-DCL College of Law officials say legal disputes in the future will happen in negotiations, not in the courtroom.And they hope to train law students in negotiations in the seminar "Breaking Through Barriers" on Thursday and Friday.
MSU received $2.3 million in grants Friday to help study harmful pathogens and water-borne microorganisms and to collaborate with Dow and Dow Corning to establish 12 new life sciences-based companies. The Michigan Life Sciences Corridor awarded two grants to MSU: A $1.2 million grant to the MSU Office of Intellectual Property and $1.1 million to the MSU Center for Microbial Ecology.
Admissions personnel from more than 100 graduate programs around the country will be at the Graduate and Professional School Recruitment Fair on Tuesday. The fair runs from 5 to 8 p.m.
Barefoot and cloaked in an array of traditional Indian outfits, more than 70 people rhythmically moved in a cultural dance, as Garba music pulsated within IM Sports-West basement Friday night.
The first step in diversifying a campus is to look within the campus itself, organizers of the "Best Practices in Diversity at MSU" conference said Friday morning. A varied group of students, faculty, administrators and staff made up the 300 representatives who gathered Friday at the Kellogg Center for the conference, which aimed to exchange ideas between university colleges and units that would create more diverse classroom experiences. "We want to produce students who can function in what we consider a global marketplace," said Paulette Granberry Russell, senior advisor to the president for diversity and director of affirmative action, compliance and monitoring.
High school students applying to MSU for the fall of 2006 will be required to take the new, optional writing portion of the ACT, which will add a half-hour to the more than four-hour test.ACT spokesman Ed Colby said the decision to create the additional portion of the test was made in August 2002.
MSU alumni shared experiences with merchandising management students Friday afternoon at the Department of Human Environment and Design's Alumni Link-Up Symposium.