MSU

U irked by hall damage rule

Tara May

March 14, 2002

Min Cho doesn’t smoke, but he might have to pay $100 for the nearly 50 cigarette burns that cover the blue carpet of the fourth floor study lounge in West McDonel Hall.“I realize that I have responsibility because I live here, even though I don’t smoke, but $100 is just too much to pay,” the computer science freshman said.Floor residents received a notice that they each would have to pay $100 - about $4,000 total - to replace the carpeting.The common-area damages clause of the residence hall handbook states that residents all will be held equally financially responsible for destruction to their floor, unless someone comes forward and confesses to the damage.

MSU

GEU steps up plans to secure contract

Chad Previch

March 14, 2002

With fewer than two months remaining in the semester, graduate employee unions throughout the state are changing their battle plans. “I think members are getting frustrated that we don’t have a contract,” said Jessica Goodkind, MSU’s Graduate Employees Union president.

MSU

Commission on election expresses voting worry

Ed Ronco

March 14, 2002

Although the All University Election Commission recommended for this week’s universitywide elections to be postponed, the five-member student group didn’t have the final decision.Lee June, vice president for student affairs, approved the recommendation Wednesday.ASMSU elections have been delayed until Tuesday after members of the election commission called into question language on the ballot and technical malfunctions with computer voting.The University Apartments’ Council of Residents election has also been postponed, but it is not related to the election commission’s recommendations.A $1 tax referendum for The State News tax will continue as scheduled.

MSU

Online problems postpone election

Megan Frye

March 14, 2002

Changes in the universitywide student elections ballot already are being made by MSU’s Computer Center, Student Life officials said Wednesday.ASMSU representative elections, constitutional changes and a $3 tax increase referendum all were recommended to be postponed Tuesday night by the All University Election Commission.

MSU

NPR journalist visits campus for science lecture

Ed Ronco

March 13, 2002

Ira Flatow, a veteran science correspondent for National Public Radio, will broadcast his weekly “Talk of the Nation: Science Friday” show from the new Biomedical and Physical Science Building this week. This week’s show will deal with the food industry and alternative fuel technologies in the automotive industry. “Whenever we go on the road, we try to pick up local issues,” Flatow said. Flatow is visiting MSU this week as part of the McPherson Professorship. “I’ve never had a warmer welcome anywhere else,” he said.

MSU

Campus briefs

Tara May

March 13, 2002

MSU Museum talk details digital art With a storage of artwork moving from dusty galleries to memory chips, MSU Museum officials are addressing the preservation of digital artwork.

MSU

Student government supports U building recycling center

Alison Barker

March 13, 2002

ASMSU officials might support the university building its own recycling facility on or close to campus. At the undergraduate student government’s Academic Assembly meeting on Tuesday night, a report compiled by Steve Lovelace, the assembly’s internal vice chairperson, said a new facility would be the best option.

MSU

RHA looking for new leadership as elections continue

Casey Mcnenly

March 13, 2002

Elections for the Residence Halls Association’s executive board will continue tonight at the general assembly meeting. President-elect Tim Liss could be joined by Case Hall Rep.

MSU

Baby steps help improve health and overall wellness

Erica Berg

March 12, 2002

Every day Emily Eshenroder tries to walk a little bit farther.The 2001 MSU graduate parks farther away in the grocery store parking lot and walks around her office a few times a day.

MSU

U recognizes International Womens Day

Camille Spencer

March 12, 2002

With a budget of about $150 and a planning committee of three, MSU students will have the opportunity to celebrate the 82nd International Women’s Day four days after the rest of the world.

MSU

For-profit Internet proposal taken off trustees agenda

Chris Boyer

March 12, 2002

MSU officials will be reevaluating a proposal for MSU to create a new for-profit Internet service providing company.MSU Provost Lou Anna Simon, who presented the proposal at last month’s Board of Trustees meeting, refused to comment about the reevaluation, saying it only was taken off the trustee’s agenda, not suspended.The proposal would have created an Internet service providing company operating with a lower overhead cost than local competitors.

MSU

Elections open, seek student participation

Alison Barker

March 12, 2002

Students will have a chance to vote on representation and tax increases when student election polls open today. Position elections for ASMSU, the undergraduate student government, and other changes will stay open until noon Saturday at www.student-elections.msu.edu.

MSU

Science library provides more resources

Ed Ronco

March 12, 2002

Robert Cichewicz said he instantly noticed a difference when he entered the new Biomedical and Physical Sciences Library on Monday.“This one smells better,” the horticulture graduate student said.

MSU

Buddy program links students

Chad Previch

March 11, 2002

MSU is responsible for 21 blind dates that have turned into relationships this semester.The Buddy Program combines an international graduate student with an American undergraduate student for eight weeks to introduce the buddies to each other’s cultures.

MSU

U to vote on ASMSU constitution changes

Alison Barker

March 11, 2002

ASMSU officials are requesting changes to three parts of the organization’s constitution, including leadership guidelines.

MSU

Math chair adjusts to position at U

Megan Frye

March 11, 2002

Pink Floyd and the Pythagorean Theorem aren’t related - but Peter Bates, the new chairman of the Department of Mathematics, has experience with both.Between studying math books and taking tests at the University of London in the 1960s, Bates booked the rock band for a campus activity.“The student union wasn’t putting on any events so my friends and I took it upon ourselves and booked Pink Floyd,” he said.

MSU

Web-broadcast may be forced to pay listener fees

Chris Boyer

March 11, 2002

Radio stations broadcasting on the Internet may have to dig deep into their pockets to keep the United States Copyright Office and the Recording Industry Association of America away.By May 21, a copyright office committee will decide whether to levy fees for Internet broadcasting.

MSU

History department lecture series to start

Tara May

March 11, 2002

Carleton College Professor Adeeb Khalid will give a speech entitled “Reform and Contention in Modern Islam” Tuesday. Khalid is appearing as part of a lecture series titled Middle East Contexts for September 11th. The lecture series accompanies a Department of History course this spring dealing with the Sept.

MSU

Tour promotes nuclear physics

Shaun Byron  and  Ed Ronco

March 11, 2002

When Charles Breneman finally saw the high-tech equipment and white tiled floors of MSU’s Cyclotron, he was impressed.His son had worked at the facility as a summer job while attending MSU years ago, but he’d never seen the particle accelerator before.“It is a fascinating thing,” the Haslett school board member said.“There are so many opportunities and you don’t have to have a Ph.D.

MSU

Elders to speak about alcohol on Tuesday

Erica Berg

March 11, 2002

Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders will speak in East Lansing Tuesday about attitudes, behaviors and perceptions associated with alcohol in university communities. Elders, the first black surgeon general, will give a speech entitled “Prevention or Punishment: Challenging the Environment of High-Risk Drinking in a University Community.” The presentation will be at 7 p.m.