College GameDay arrived at Breslin Center early Saturday morning knowing exactly why East Lansing was the perfect hot spot. The fans, the atmosphere, the energy. The ESPN broadcast travels from school to school every Saturday of the NCAA men's basketball season.
For 10 years in a row, a State News photographer has won College Photographer of the Year honors from the Michigan Press Photographers Association.
Past and present members of the Honors College rubbed elbows and rekindled memories during the college's 50th anniversary luncheon Saturday in the Union Ballroom. The event highlighted the college's yearlong celebration of five decades of providing a more rigorous academic experience for MSU students. "It's great to be back," said James Pickering, director from 1975 to 1981.
It's a scene reminiscent of a middle school band classroom. Small groups of flutes, saxophones and trumpets — and even a lone bassoon — rehearsing classics such as "Ode to Joy," "The Music Man" and "Heart and Soul." The difference, though, is that the people behind the instruments aren't adolescents — many of these musicians are old enough to be grandparents. They are members of the MSU Community Music School New Horizons Band, a chapter of a nationwide program that teaches people older than 50 how to play concert band instruments. The East Lansing section of the New Horizons program is taught by Holt resident Patti Kroth with the help of students in the MSU School of Music's Teaching Instrumental Music class. Music education senior Eric Flack said the class helps students see music education from a new point of view. "It's a really different perspective, but it's a ton of fun," he said. Mitch Robinson, who teaches the MSU music class, said he wants his students to immerse themselves in the New wHorizons Band. "It's much more interactive than going to an elementary school," he said.
Through education, African American Celebratory hopes to unite student activism on campus. The group plans to hold workshops across campus to help student activists meet and educate them on how to exercise their voice to the greater campus community.
If a proposal to change the Academic Governance system passes as written, MSU's president won't lead any of the university's three central governance bodies. Currently, MSU President Lou Anna K.
MSU Little Siblings Weekend begins today. Activities include a campus tour with a scavenger hunt competition and free movies at Campus Center Cinemas. Check-in starts at 7 p.m.
MSU will host the 14th annual Dia de la Mujer conference Saturday at Kellogg Center. The daylong conference focuses on the personal, professional, political and academic aspects of being a Latina. There will be workshops on salsa dancing and traditional medicine, a play by Latino Flavored Productions Inc. and a speech by Terry Beltran-Miller, president of the National Society of Hispanic MBA's Detroit chapter. The event is free to all MSU students, $10 for students from other universities as well as seniors and $25 for the general public.
Students interested in attending the MSU College of Law can jump-start the process by attending the college's open house from 1-7 p.m.
Former MSU President M. Peter McPherson will be named chairman of the board of Dow Jones & Co., April 18, according to Editor & Publisher.
Mark your calendars now. Ben Folds, Matt Wertz and OK Go are coming to campus in the next few months. The artists are coming to campus after being invited by RHA. RHA Director of Special Events Grant Lyman said the spring lineup of artists was one of the best possible that RHA could bring to campus to satisfy the diverse interests of students with the budget he has to work with. This semester, Special Events receives $92,500 of RHA's $252,217.76 budgeted funds. "We feel that it's a great lineup," Lyman said.
You can't blame Scott Bankroff for working up a sweat at his job. The MSU master glassblower spends 20 to 30 hours a week with his face a few feet from a natural gas torch where temperatures can reach up to 1,700 degrees Celsius.
The final speaker in the lecture series — Slavery to Freedom: An American Odyssey — comes to campus Thursday. Taylor Branch is an author and chronicler who recently finished a three-volume narrative history, "America in the King Years." The narrative discusses the fight for civil rights in the United States during 1954-68.
An all-night Relay for Life to benefit cancer research. An interracial dating themed play. A professionally choreographed dance session.
The College of Engineering's "Admit When Ready" policy and the Academic Scholars Program — two programs that have been running on a trial basis — now have permanent statuses within MSU. Approved unanimously by Academic Council at Tuesday's meeting, both programs will remain unchanged.
Ashland University Professor John Lewis says he's blind to the red and blue political world of conservative and liberal, Republican and Democrat. Lewis will present his alternative political views, focusing on individual rights, for MSU community members at 7:30 p.m.
This may be the MSU School of Music's final week of existence. If approved at the MSU Board of Trustees meeting Friday, the school will become the College of Music. "My hope would be that the board will view this as a positive move forward to celebrate the strength that the School of Music has accumulated over the last period of time," said Jim Forger, director of the school.
For Saulo Gouveia, MSU's only full-time Portuguese faculty member, the development of the Spanish and Portuguese department is crucial. "Having someone to share the responsibilities and ideas for the program will help me tremendously," he said in an e-mail.
"La Petite Jérusalem," a French-language film about an Orthodox Jewish woman who falls in love with a Muslim co-worker, will be shown at 5:30 p.m.
As millions celebrated the Chinese New Year halfway around the world, a small group of MSU students prepared to salsa their way into the New Year on Friday at the Union Ballroom. The MSU Social Dancing Club gathered for a pre-New Year's Eve meal and a night of dancing in celebration of the new year — marked by the new moon of the first day of the new year on the lunar calendar.