Tuesday, January 20, 2026

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MSU

Typhoon Haiyan worries Filipino students, inspires fundraising drive

Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines Friday, taking the lives of thousands and leaving some MSU students in fear of what will come next. With eight students who are on visa from the Philippines, the massive storm that destroyed Tacloban and other neighboring cities led to concerned students and fundraising events in the coming weeks.

MSU

MSU not involved in growing trend of universities "Googling" applicants

Future MSU students won’t need to worry about the potential of university officials prying on their personal lives through Google searching their names or checking their Facebook accounts, a growing trend among other universities that was recently highlighted in a survey. Kaplan Test Prep released a survey late last month revealing that 29 percent of 381 college admissions officers surveyed have Google-searched their applicants, whereas 31 percent have checked the applicants’ Facebook or other social media accounts to get to know more about them.

MICHIGAN

Lansing Mitten Mavens host roller derby bout

As the girls circled, the commentator’s mid-ranged drone echoed across the track, his words impossible to decipher from the near-hysterical screams of derby-girls melding with the referee’s periodic whistles. At times, the girls’ voices take on an almost religious, speaking-in-tongues-type fervor; the shrillness piercing fans’ ears with the fury and energy of the Almighty Himself.

MICHIGAN

Theatre freshmen put on original performance during Freshman Showcase

The Department of Theatre housed its seventh annual Freshman Showcase this weekend with several showings of “Off With Her Head,” a play inspired by the classic children’s tale “Alice in Wonderland.” The cast, consisting of 17 freshman along with a production team, collaborated to devise a storyline, create a set and present an hour-long performance to introduce themselves to the faculty and staff of the MSU Department of Theatre.

MICHIGAN

Impression 5 event introduces kids to science

About 70 members of the MSU community spent Saturday at the Impression 5 Science Center in Lansing to help cultivate a new generation of potential scientists. Volunteers educated children from preschool through fifth grade about the human body in an event called PhUn Day. MSU undergraduate, graduate and medical students, as well as staff and faculty, were present to help.

MICHIGAN

Michigan public universities to offer in-state tuition for veterans

Veterans now can receive in-state tuition at Michigan’s public universities, the organization representing the state’s 15 public universities announced Friday. MSU joined the list of colleges offering the benefit of in-state tuition for all veterans about a week ago, said Mike Boulus, executive director of the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan.

MSU

Students participate in community service on Saturday

Very few students would sacrifice sleep on a non-football Saturday morning, but this week some Spartans stepped up to the plate for a good cause. Take It To The Streets featured students giving back to the community by cleaning up parks, removing old school supplies at an abandoned school and assisting at a local haven house.

MSU

MSU to create supply chain research institute in Midland

An off-site university research facility slated to open its doors in Midland, Mich. next year will pair MSU with two of the state’s largest corporations. The facility, dubbed the Midland Research Institute for Value Chain Creation, will be funded in large part by Dow Chemical Co., Dow Corning Corp. and various foundations related to the two companies. An initial $15.5 million from corporate and philanthropic donors is committed to the establishment and first five years of operation.

MICHIGAN

Feds implement new programs to help student loan borrowers

The U.S. Department of Education is hoping to eradicate some of the misunderstanding around ways to pay back student loan debt with a new outreach program designed to teach graduates about more affordable options when paying back their loans. In a statement released this week, the department said it will be ?sending emails about loan payment options to about 3.5 million recent graduates.

MICHIGAN

Film festival features environmental themes

Several environmental films will be screened at the East Lansing Film Festival, and MSU officials and local community members will be speaking about the films in a panel discussion on Saturday. The films being shown are “Trashed,” about the impact of littering; “More than Honey,” about the importance of honeybees and “Food for Change: The Story of Cooperation in America,” about food cooperatives.

MICHIGAN

State bill could exempt students from jury duty

Students might not to have to serve their jury duty during college semesters if the state Senate approves a new state bill the House OK’d last Wednesday. Rep. Kevin Cotter, R-Mount Pleasant, introduced the bill, which would let full-time college students postpone duty until the end of the school year.

MSU

Living City- Drumming to a new beat

The year 2003 was a rough one for East Lansing resident Ricard Taylor. He was going through a rough divorce when his older brother, Taro Taylor, convinced him to try street performing with him in Detroit.“He said, ‘Let’s try it for a year. See what we can do, see what we can make of it,’ and we did it on the streets there and we got a lot of love shown to us,” Ricard Taylor said.

MICHIGAN

Council leaves trail of legacies and questions

As East Lansing Mayor Diane Goddeeris adjourned the city council meeting on Wednesday, the sun set on a city council that has had a varying legacy. On Wednesday, the council finished the mandatory five-year code review as part of the comprehensive plan, passing five ordinances to finish the process. It’s the group’s last meeting before newly-elected members Ruth Beier and Susan Woods fill the seats of Kevin Beard and Vic Loomis, both of whom chose not to run for reelection.

MSU

MSU students, jazz group perform at local venue

A group of MSU students known as the Nate Woodring Trio jazzed up (SCENE) Metrospace Wednesday night, bringing musical life through the drums and bass East Lansing. The show featured jazz studies senior Nate Woodring on drums, jazz studies sophomore Runere Brooks on bass and jazz studies graduate student Corey Kendrick on piano.

MICHIGAN

Connor McCowan sentenced to minimum of 20 years in prison

Okemos resident Connor McCowan was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison Wednesday morning for the murder of MSU student Andrew Singler. McCowan was convicted of second-degree murder last month for fatally stabbing Singler, his sister’s boyfriend, during an argument on Feb. 23 that came to physical blows. Singler, 23, was left with two wounds in his heart and arm. Defense attorney Chris Bergstrom asked Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Clinton Canady III to remain lenient on McCowan’s sentence. Bergstrom maintained McCowan acted in self-defense that night, fearing for his life after Singler struck him in the head.