Sunday, January 4, 2026

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MSU

OCAT continues tradition of hosting Thanksgiving dinner for students left on campus

What began in 2003 as a Thanksgiving dinner by a starving MSU undergrad who didn’t have the funds to go home or buy food when the university closed down for the holiday now has expanded to a huge on-campus event and tradition ten years later. “I didn’t have any family around so I stayed in the dorms and I didn’t know what to expect so I kind of starved for those days,” said Felipe Lopez-Sustaita, who graduated MSU in 2005.

MSU

Hanukkah to fall on Thanksgiving for first time since 19th century

What do you get when Thanksgiving falls late and the Jewish calendar is in a leap year? The result is a collaboration of two major holidays known as Thanksgivukkah. Hanukkah officially began at sunset on Wednesday, and this the first time since the late 19th century that Hanukkah and Thanksgiving overlapped. Experts say it’s something that won’t happen again for about 70,000 years.

MSU

MSU student group to send medical goods to those affected by Typhoon Haiyan

A student group is teaming up with the MSU’s Institute of International Health to pack and send supply boxes to those in the Philippines affected by Typhoon Haiyan. The boxes will contain medical supplies donated by local hospitals, and include but are not limited to gowns, syringes, catheters and surgical equipment. The effort is being headed by Generate Help 2 Heal Generations, a student-founded nonprofit that provides aid to people in poor countries, is heading the effort. Marco Botros, the group’s president, said it’s important to give these resources to those in need, especially after the wake of a natural disaster.

MSU

Impact 89FM partners with local business in Socks for Lansing project

With the holiday season just around the corner, individuals and organizations are keener on reaching out to give a helping hand to the less fortunate, including MSU’s Impact 89FM. Impact 89FM is assisting with the Socks for Lansing project, initiated by the Rizzi Family of Businesses, to collect brand new unwrapped socks for donation.

MSU

License plate logo change sparking discussions among MSU officials, alumni

As part of a rebranding effort over the years, MSU’s Communications and Brand Strategy, or CABS, department has been making the shift from the historic block “S” logo to the Spartan helmet logo.The new logo has found its way onto the basketball court, the center of the gridiron, on MSU clothing and beginning Feb. 1, on the fundraiser license plate in place of the block “S.” Although the change is spreading throughout campus, MSU Trustee George Perles believes the new logo is less inclusive and does not represent the history of MSU.

MSU

MSU English Language Center students teach second graders

Second graders at a local elementary school were given the rare opportunity of interacting with people from all over the globe through a Monday festival that featured international students from the MSU English Language Center. Kristen Casby, who teaches at East Lansing’s Marble Elementary School, teamed up with MSU’s English Language Center to welcome 12 international students with backgrounds from South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Angola and Turkey. The international students taught the elementary students their world cultures through interactive activities and displays in the second grade classroom.

MSU

New policy would focus on attendance

MSU’s undergraduate student government, ASMSU, passed a resolution during its academic affairs committee meeting on Thursday that would allow the student government to advocate for a new policy eliminating academic penalties when attending a professional interview.

MSU

ASMSU President Evan Martinak to resign in January

After a year and a half of serving as the president of ASMSU, Evan Martinak announced Friday that he will be resigning from his position after he graduates in December. ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government. “I’m proud of what we have accomplished (at ASMSU,)” Martinak said. He will officially step down from the position on Jan. 1, 2014.

MICHIGAN

Recent graduate awarded prestigious packaging award

Success after graduation is all any recent college graduate could hope for. After getting her advertising degree in 2012, MSU alumna Megan Barry found just that with Leahy-IFP Space Saver juices, teas and lemonades. In Beverage Industry magazine’s Top Beverage Package of 2013 competition, which will debut in the December issue, Barry’s design placed third, with 17 percent of the 1,489 online votes rounding out the top five contestants.

MSU

Living City- Counting sheep

Crop and soil sciences senior Pat Owens is one of three students that resides on the MSU Sheep and Teaching Research Facility and has been for two years. “It’s a lot of fun, you get to meet a lot more people living here and we get along really well with the boss,” Owens said.

MSU

University child abuse policy updated to improve reporting tactics

Child abuse is rare at MSU but when it does occur the university now has a policy in place to help address the situation. The policy first was adopted in January. An updated in August, with the update allows for an in-house decision on whether to report prior incidents of child abuse that adult students disclose to MSU faculty or staff, usually verbally or through academic assignments.

MSU

Dean of College of Communication Arts and Sciences heading to Georgia

The dean of MSU’s College of Communication Arts & Sciences announced that she accepted a top administrative position at the University of Georgia Thursday afternoon in a letter to college faculty and staff. Dean Pamela Whitten’s position as the vice president for academic affairs and provost for the University of Georgia will begin on Feb.

MSU

Sankofa Graduate Association to host Renisha McBride discussion event

MSU’s Sankofa Graduate Association, along with various other student organizations, will be addressing the recent tragic death of Renisha McBride through a discussion event at 4 p.m. today in the Union’s Multicultural Center. The event, Justice For Renisha McBride: A discussion of race, gender and violence, will serve as a conversation, addressing the issue and teaching students ways to take action and protect themselves, said Janelle Edwards, program coordinator for the Sankofa Graduate Association.

MSU

MSU report shows grad job market improving

Despite a three percent overall improvement in the college labor market this year, graduates will continue to face challenges as they search for jobs, according to the 2013-14 MSU Recruiting Trends report. Nearly all undergraduate majors will experience an increase in hiring this year, according to the report.

MSU

Salsa Club holds benefit night for Philippines

Nestled in a far corner of the Plant and Soil Sciences Building, the MSU Salsa Club slowly transformed room A149 from a classroom to a ballroom, complete with decorations to fit the winter wonderland theme of their dance class. The makeshift classroom was momentarily adorned with snowflakes, tinsel and candy canes. Although the decor was whimsical, the cause was serious: raising money for the benefit of the people in the Philippines affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

MSU

Students participate in vigil for transgender day

Students and faculty gathered Wednesday night at the Rock to celebrate Transgender Day of Remembrance and recognize the deaths of transgender individuals through a candlelight vigil. The national annual event brought out students and faculty members to show their support on issues faced in the transgender community and remember those were killed for being transgender.