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MSU

U to sell exotic plants

Students and community members who love plants will have an opportunity to purchase them at a cheap price Friday and Saturday.In an effort to cut back its live plant collection, the Department of Plant Biology is selling a portion of its greenhouse collection.Jason Kilgore, president of the department’s Graduate Student Organization that is planning the sale, said the need to downsize stems from the loss of greenhouses behind the Old Horticulture Building, which were torn down in August 1999 with the promise of new ones.“While we were waiting for these new greenhouses, the plants were stored in temporary ‘polyhouses’ (plastic houses) on south campus,” the botany and plant pathology graduate student said.

MSU

Stabenow to discuss recent attacks with campus

U.S. Sen. and MSU alumna Debbie Stabenow will speak to students on campus today about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and what can be done for the future. Stabenow, D-Lansing, will discuss the fact that despite national struggles in the past, the government has still managed to pass significant legislation. She will also address the diverse American culture and her experiences as a senator.

MSU

Conference to give proof of animal healing powers

Owning or just petting a cat or dog can help lower one’s blood pressure and even help a child with a chronic illness, MSU researchers have found.Lana Kaiser, a professor of nursing who organized the conference, said these findings have been accepted as truth for years, but the science to back them up has not been discovered until now.Since the creation of the Human Animal Bond Initiative - an effort by MSU faculty and community members to uncover the healing powers of animals - was created last year, MSU and nationwide researchers have been hard at work.Their findings will be presented at a conference Friday and Saturday.The two-day event, “Cuddle a Critter and Call Me in the Morning: The Science Behind Our Relationships With Animals,” will be held at the Michigan Athletic Club, 2900 Hannah Blvd., and the Life Sciences Building on campus.Linda Spence, an assistant professor of nursing, will introduce speakers at the conference, including Alan Beck, director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University.

MSU

Eli Broad maintains highest enrollment honors at U again

The MSU Board of Trustees presented preliminary enrollment numbers for the most populated colleges in the university for the 2001-2001 academic year at its meeting Friday.Leading the list was The Eli Broad College of Business followed by the College of Natural Science, the College of Social Science and the College of Engineering - the same top four as last year.

MSU

Wealth of career workshops available

As the semester gets underway, career fairs, workshops and interviews aim to draw students of all majors to get acquainted with recruiters of their desired professions. “We’ve done really well with our workshops,” said Lenroy Jones, career services coordinator for Career Services & Placement.

MSU

ASMSU ends search, names chief of staff

ASMSU has been looking for the right person to fill its chief of staff position for three months.They finally found her.Ashley Grieve, a packaging junior, was officially hired as the new chief of staff of MSU’s undergraduate student government Thursday, beating out five other candidates.

MSU

Crime drops over chiefs 15 years

For the last 15 years, Melinda Benson has spent many birthdays celebrating within the walls of MSU’s Department of Police and Public Safety.With her September birthday falling right when students return to campus, it’s the only way she has the chance to see her husband, MSU police Chief Bruce Benson, on her special day.“He’ll always say ‘I know how to show my wife a good time,’” she joked.

MSU

Haley takes position as DCL board president

Clifton Haley, a 1961 graduate of the MSU-Detroit College of Law and board member since 1997, was unanimously elected president of the MSU-DCL Board of Trustees on Friday.Haley has served as vice president of the board under the leadership of Judge Richard Suhrheinrich since 1998 and since then has helped to increase the academic standards and enrollment at the law school.Haley said he has wanted to give something back to the university for some time.“It’s a tremendous honor to be elected by the same school that I graduated from,” he said.

MSU

Family festival teaches diversity

For Robert Henderson, attending events with his family like the Fourth Annual Meridian Heritage Festival is a great opportunity. “I think it’s great that you can let people know the heritage of races,” said the Lansing resident, as his wife Taunya and daughters Alexis and Alana observed ducks nearby. “We try to go to at least one ethnic festival every summer.

MSU

Undercover procedure determined by board

The university’s policy on undercover police surveillance of student groups was established Friday by the MSU Board of Trustees.The resolution said undercover investigations can only begin under “extraordinary circumstances” and with the approval of the university president.Board members expressed an interest in reviewing guidelines to be set by the Task Force on Student-Police Relations, which was created following the investigation of the placement of an undercover officer into a student group last year.“This affirms the university’s commitment to invoke such procedure only in extraordinary circumstances,” Trustee Dee Cook said.

MSU

Campuswide e-mail causes concern among students

Tucked among the e-mail from Sara Makowski’s friends and family was an unfamiliar message that made the pre-med freshman worry a little Friday afternoon.MSU’s Department of Police and Public Safety sent out a universitywide e-mail asking students to help identify three Pakistani men who had been involved in an incident at the Business College Complex’s Eppley Center on Wednesday.“I was a little concerned at first,” Makowski said.

MSU

RHA conference gives government, caucus students ideas on leadership

On-campus student leaders gathered at Brody Hall on Saturday for the second annual Residence Halls Association Leadership Conference.Nick Kovacic, RHA president, said the conference was a training seminar to help student leaders from hall governments and caucuses become better leaders.“We wanted to give them helpful information they could use when they go back, and I believe we succeeded at that,” he said.The conference, which was also sponsored by Residence Life, consisted of leadership sessions presented by RHA executive board members about their positions.Jeff Donofrio, RHA director of public relations, discussed how to get a group’s name out by targeting student issues during his session.“These student leaders came out of my session with the skills and resources they needed, and hopefully, they’ll be back next year,” Donofrio said.Rodney Patterson, director of the Office of Racial Ethnic Student Affairs who spoke at the conference, talked about leadership characteristics students need to excel in their various positions.“He said student leaders have to be able to understand the school system and administration - basically cutting through the red tape,” Kovacic said.David Demps, a psychology freshman and representative for North Campus Black Caucus, said he was surprised by the outcome of the conference.“I’ve been to conferences like these before, and I usually end up socializing,” he said.

MSU

Trustees challenge helps upgrade Madison library

Renovations to the library in James Madison College had Haley Sinclair saying the room may now be the most attractive place to study in Case Hall.A challenge issued by MSU Trustee David Porteous raised funds for $140,000 worth of library improvements.

MSU

Economics majors have new home; department moves

The Department of Economics has a new address. And students who wish to pursue their degree in the subject can take a new route.The department, which was formerly part of the Eli Broad College of Business, is now part of the College of Social Science.Charles Ballard, an economics professor, has been instrumental in “hammering the nuts and bolts out of the new curriculum.”“In terms of the curriculum, it changes things a little bit,” he said.

MSU

President to have final approval in extraordinary circumstances

A resolution regarding surveillance of student groups by MSU police is expected to come to a vote at today’s Board of Trustees meeting. The resolution was created based on a report from an independent panel investigating the placement of an undercover officer into United Students Against Sweatshops, now called Students for Economic Justice, beginning Feb.

MSU

Students distribute patriotic ribbons

Green and white took a second on campus when yellow began taking over last week.Students, faculty, staff members and their cars have been donning yellow ribbons since they were passed out by a group of three MSU students early last Friday.Kristen DeJardine, Sarah Palmer and Amber Johnson wanted to show their support for America and their grief for the lost lives.

MSU

Web site a forum for discussion

Students are getting a chance to point and click their way to the MSU police.The Web site created for the Task Force on Student-Police Relations, www.taskforce.msu.edu, features a forum for discussion about student and police issues, as well as an area to e-mail ideas, suggestions or complaints to administrators.“You can see that there’s two ways you can make your voice heard,” said Deb Pozega Osburn, director of Media Communications.