Thursday, October 8, 2026

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MSU

Diverse religious views explored

People sometimes say religion is a topic to avoid when talking with friends, but the MSU Wesley Foundation encouraged just this type of discussion Saturday. The group invited other religious organizations on campus to an event called Hoopla to promote understanding and acceptance between the groups. "We're not here to say who's right or who's wrong," said Tim Tuthill, a Mason resident and the campus minister at University United Methodist Church.

MSU

Fashion police on campus

Carol Beard often encourages her clients to come out of the closet. No, not that closet. For the past five years, Beard has worked as a closet analyst, weeding through clients' clothes, pitching unattractive pieces and replacing them with more appealing articles. But in her spare time, Beard acts as the adviser for the Student Apparel Design Association, or SADA, using her knowledge to help MSU students' fashion dreams become runway realities. Since January, Beard and SADA students have gathered to plan Fashion Week.

MSU

'Walk' donations raise concern

Members of PRISM, South Complex's lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender and straight alliance group, are concerned with the "I Stop Hate: MSU United" campaign for planning to donate a share of the proceeds from its Charity Walk on Sunday to the American Red Cross. PRISM member John Herbst said the American Red Cross discriminates against homosexual men. According to its Web site, the American Red Cross warns donors "should not give blood if you have AIDS or have ever had a positive HIV test, or if you have done something that puts you at risk for becoming infected with HIV." It also specifies: "You are at risk for getting infected if you … are a male who has had sexual contact with another male, even once, since 1977." "Since the American Red Cross does discriminate against people who would like to donate blood, we don't feel that's a suitable organization to donate to, coming from the 'I Stop Hate' campaign," Herbst said. Ann Kammerer, the American Red Cross' Great Lakes Region Blood Service Center spokeswoman, said the guideline applies to the "entire blood-banking community." "It's not a Red Cross policy," she said.

MSU

Religious group to hold 'Hoopla' event

Creating an understanding and respect for different world religions is what student members of the University United Methodist Church aim to accomplish Saturday. "In the news, you are always hearing about different religions disagreeing," said Amber Schultz, an event coordinator and education senior. Hoopla, which starts at 3:57 p.m.

MSU

Speaker to link Islam, hip-hop

Hip-hop died with 2Pac. At least, that is, by Hashim Alauddeen's definition of hip-hop. The music genre is supposed to be a form of resistance, speaking truth against injustice, said Alauddeen, a professor of African Diaspora studies at the Islamic Education Center in Houston. And the rapper 2Pac, or Tupac Amaru Shakur, represented that resistance — part of the legacy of Malcolm X, Alauddeen said. Since 2Pac's death in 1996 in Las Vegas, few mainstream hip-hop artists have followed this model, Alauddeen said. "There are still positive rappers, but they aren't mainstream, and that has to change," he said.

MSU

Lacrosse makes comeback

Losing a big game early in a season may not seem like a very positive thing for a team, but certain squads bounce right back. The MSU men's club lacrosse team (7-1), after dropping its second game in Gainesville in early March, refused to let the loss column get any higher than one. The No.

MSU

Free film series addresses rape culture

The Rape Culture Film Series will continue at 8 p.m. tonight at Wells Hall with "Rape Is …" The 30-minute movie discusses the consequences of rape and its status as the most underreported crime in the U.S. A second feature will be shown at 9 p.m.

MSU

Mich. colleges cover blogging

The process of using Web logs, or blogs, started out as a way for people to express themselves to as wide an audience as would read them. Now it's hard to go to a major news or sports Web site without being able to easily access one of the writer's personal blogs. They're everywhere. A few colleges across Michigan incorporated blogging into their journalism programs, but professors at these schools realize the potential exists for a number of flaws to creep into any blogger's post. "Blogging offers an immediacy that print newspapers can't keep up with," MSU Editor in Residence Garry Gilbert said.

MSU

TV becomes interactive

Txt me @ the CW 2nite. Translation, please? Text me at The CW tonight. Two MSU students are making a splash in the broadcast world as hosts of The CW channel's "Text Me TV" program, which allows viewers to text message the show's hosts live. Viewers in the Lansing area can see the program nightly from 1:30-6 a.m.

MSU

Bookworms to reap rewards

To some, spending more than $100 per month on books is a college obligation. But for classical studies senior Matt Chaldekas, it's an obsession. And Chaldekas used his book collection to pocket cash — $250 of it — at the 2006 MSU Student Book Collection Competition.

MSU

MSU, N-Viro fund eco-fuel

The T.B. Simon Power Plant on campus recently conducted an experiment using biosolid waste to generate electricity as an alternative to burning coal. The experiment was conducted by MSU and N-Viro International Corp., a company that works with recycling and alternative fuels. The power plant burned a mixture of biomass and coal in a standard boiler, generating enough electricity to power campus for two days. Burning the biomass and coal mixture yielded a similar energy output as burning coal.

MSU

Benefit to feature free movie night

The MSU Student Alumni Foundation will hold an outdoor movie night at 7 p.m. Friday at field next to the Auditorium to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network. Two movies will be shown: "Happy Feet" at 8:30 p.m.

MSU

Accepting differences

By Ken Chester For The State News While snow swirled outside East Lansing High School on Saturday evening, a warm atmosphere of diversity, tolerance and brotherhood filled the cafeteria inside. "There are five words: Accept people as they are," said Tammam Alwan, president of MSU's Muslim Students' Association, introducing the evening's speaker. It was MSA's second annual Diversity Dinner, where mostly members of MSU's Muslim community shared traditional food, prayed and discussed race, diversity and religion. During the dinner's keynote speech, MSU visiting religion Professor Mohammad Khalil touched heavily on the subject of Muslim/non-Muslim community. "My hope is that we can open up lines of communications between various Muslims, and between Muslims and non-Muslims," he said. In harmony with Khalil's message, premedical freshman Garrett Nelson, who is Christian, attended the event because most of his friends are Muslim and he wanted to learn more about Islam. "All their moral values are like mine," he said.

MSU

Group re-enacts Easter Bible story

Thirteen MSU students carried a 12-foot cross weighing more than 50 pounds across campus on Friday. They carried it one at a time on their shoulders, re-enacting Jesus Christ's journey to crucifixion. "When I was carrying it, I can't imagine him carrying his own cross and putting the weight of the world on his shoulders just for us," said Stella Bunn, a kinesiology junior and member of His House Christian Fellowship.

MSU

Experts debate affirmative action

The topic of whether affirmative action is reverse discrimination or equal opportunity has been debated for years. "Many people think of this as a racial issue, and it is not a racial issue," said Anton Woods, a computer engineering freshman.