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MSU farming group 1st of its kind in US, wins award

Meagan Choi

June 9, 2010

About 30 years ago, Eunice Foster saw the low number of minority students in agriculture and natural resource programs, and recognized the necessity of a supporting community. In 1982, Foster, an associate dean in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, or CANR, and director of the MSU Institute of Agricultural Technology, became one of the main founders of the MSU student group Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences, or MANRRS, which was the first of its kind and has been expanded nationally.

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MSU debaters to face Emory University

Ashley Brown

June 9, 2010

Coming off of a victory at a national debate competition, two MSU Honors College debaters are in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to argue nuclear weapons policy against one of the best debate teams in the country. Winning the 2010 National Debate Tournament in March, Carly Wunderlich, a spring 2010 alumna, and international relations senior Eric Lanning are taking part in the Center for Strategic and International Studies public debate against Emory University, which was ranked No. 1 before the national tournament.

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New art sculpture causes controversy

Andrew Krietz

June 9, 2010

A sculpture entitled “The Funambulist” installed last Thursday on the north lawn of Snyder and Phillips halls has drawn mixed feelings from students about its appearance and placement, although officials said the sculpture will remain in place. As of Wednesday, more than 200 people have joined a Facebook pages entitled “Petition to Move the Modern Art Sculpture Behind the MSU Gallery.” The group is an attempt to voice student concerns about how the piece clashes with campus scenery, said theater sophomore Kate Busselle, who created the group.

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MSU to replace dying trees at Demonstration Field

Meagan Choi

June 8, 2010

The treeline around Demonstration Field will undergo some changes next week, as several dying trees will be removed and replaced with a more disease-resistant species of tree, MSU officials said. Twenty-three new trees will be planted after MSU Landscape Services removes 11 dying Norway Maple trees.

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Local theatre to premiere 50th anniversary show

Ashley Brown

June 8, 2010

Summer Circle Theatre will celebrate its 50th anniversary where it all began Wednesday, with a tribute performance of “Blithe Spirit,” the theatre’s first performance. Established in 1961, the theatre is a mix of East Lansing community members and MSU student actors working together to provide outdoor theater performances free of charge.

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MSU study finds eating disorder link in genetics

Ashley Brown

June 7, 2010

The way people with eating disorders are treated could change after a recent study by MSU researchers. Led by Kelly Klump, an associate professor in the MSU Department of Psychology, the study is the first of its kind and has found genetics can influence the development of eating disorders, especially in prepubescent girls with higher levels of estradiol.

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MSU Horticulture Gardens 2010 plant sale raises funds

Meagan Choi

June 6, 2010

The first floor of the Plant and Soil Sciences Building was transformed into a jungle Saturday with hundreds of annuals, perennials, herbs, ornamental grasses and hanging plants at the MSU Horticulture Gardens 2010 Plant Sale. The sale was a fundraiser for the gardens, which are independent from MSU.

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Harrison Avenue road work begins

Pat Evans

June 6, 2010

The first phase of a four-phase project to reconstruct Harrison Avenue is set to begin Monday. Harrison Avenue will be reduced to one lane in each direction between Shaw Lane and Kalamazoo Street. The construction is scheduled to continue until Aug. 20.

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Snyder-Phillips unveils new piece of art

Emily Wilkins

June 3, 2010

A new sculpture was erected Thursday in the north lawn of Snyder and Phillips halls. The sculpture, called “The Funambulist,” which means rope walker, represents the balance college students must maintain.

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MSU to study drug link to ruptured tendons

Meagan Choi

June 2, 2010

MSU researchers will begin a large-scale study this month to confirm a correlation between ruptured tendons and prescriptions containing statins, a class of drugs commonly found in medication aimed at lowering cholesterol.

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International conference on fire starts Wednesday

Emily Wilkins

June 2, 2010

More than 200 people from 35 countries are on campus for a three-day structural fire engineering conference at Kellogg Center that began Wednesday. The Sixth International Conference on Structures in Fire looks at the latest developments in the area of structural fire safety.

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MSU researches freshwater relationships

Ashley Brown

June 2, 2010

MSU researchers studying freshwater bodies such as the Great Lakes are studying the relationship lakes have with the surrounding streams and ecosystems. Creating the term landscape limnology — a new way to study fresh water — three MSU professors in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife said they hope their study can help protect and conserve the nation’s water.

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Dairy Store unveils new flavors

Meagan Choi

June 1, 2010

Peanut butter and jelly is one of three new flavors recently released at the dairy store in Anthony Hall. The other newcomers are turtle sundae — a butter chocolate swirl with chocolate-covered pecans — and Omer Tracks, which is malted ice cream with chopped M&M’s and chocolate-covered waffle cone pieces, named for the raccoon mascot from Odyssey of the Mind, which was hosted May 26-29 at MSU.

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Virtuosi spring concert provides hope

Ashley Brown

May 31, 2010

The MSU Community Music School auditorium was filled Thursday night with classic melodies and the work of the Okemos and Spartan Virtuosi Strings violinists. The Spring Virtuosi Concert has been held after each semester for the past 30 years, and violin and viola instructor Susanne Garber, who has been teaching for 20 years, said it was a great opportunity for young students to learn the art of violin and viola.

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MSU, MIT research alternative fuel

Emily Wilkins

May 31, 2010

An MSU professor is a part of a team examining the practicality of an alternative liquid fuel that could eventually replace gasoline. The group is receiving $1.7 million from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy to design a reactor to test a microorganism’s production of new fuels.

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MSU study reduces pneumonia patient hospital stay time

Pat Evans

May 27, 2010

A recent study performed by MSU researchers and several other groups in five states could reduce hospital stays of pneumonia patients. The College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine was one of seven groups in the Multicenter Osteopathic Pneumonia Study in the Eldery.

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Students abroad in China find Internet less accessible

Ashley Brown

May 26, 2010

Facebook and Twitter are included on the banned list of websites in the country, which also includes YouTube and most Google applications, due to their content. Although it might not be a problem for many people in the U.S., MSU students on study abroad must get accustomed to the adjustment.

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MSU researchers develop possible biofuel

Andrew Krietz

May 26, 2010

Recent scientific advancements of biofuels by MSU researchers could pave the way for both new fuels and low-calorie foods. Timothy Durrett, an MSU plant biology research associate, along with visiting professor of plant biology Michael Pollard and university distinguished professor of plant biology John Ohlrogge, discovered a technique of isolating a gene responsible for the synthesis of an oil in the seeds of the Euonymus alatus — or burning bush.

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Bill to support federal funding rejected

Emily Wilkins

May 24, 2010

Legislation providing federal funding for academic research that failed to pass in the U.S. House of Representatives last week could mean more competition for MSU faculty seeking funds in the future. The America COMPETES Act will grant more federal support to university research, but the failure to pass the reauthorization bill will spread the act’s funding over a longer time period than originally anticipated

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MSU prof finds human link in climate shift

Anthony Odoardi

May 24, 2010

An MSU professor on national panel contributed to a report released last Wednesday to Congress that found climate change is occurring and people are part of the cause. Tom Dietz, a professor of sociology, former director of MSU’s Environmental Science and Policy Program and vice chairman of a panel on the America’s Climate Choice project, reported his findings last week in Washington, D.C., and said pollution caused by humans accounts for a significant part of global climate change.