MSU
Silver, gold meal plans begin in fall
When students sign up beginning this week to live on campus next fall, they will have two new meal plan options from which to choose.
MSU
Agriculture college to offer specializations
Two specializations will be added in fall 2006 for majors within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, after being approved by Academic Council on Tuesday. A natural resource recreation specialization was created through the department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies. Agronomy, or the science of soil management and crop production, will be offered by the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. It will take 17-20 credits to specialize in natural resource recreation and 15-18 for agronomy. The specializations will create better job opportunities for graduates of the college, committee Chairman Michael Schechter said.
MSU
MSU prof returns to India for quail project
By Erin Atkinson Special for The State News MSU professor Sam Varghese will return to South India on Friday to study the effects of his educational work with tsunami victims. Varghese, an animal science professor, has been aiding tsunami victims since learning his hometown of Kerala, South India, was affected by the 2004 storm.
MSU
Disabilities focus of IM project
Laura Hall looked around the myriad of athletic equipment in motion at IM Sports-West's fitness center Saturday afternoon. The second-year social work graduate student, who uses a wheelchair, had never exercised using the center's facilities before. "I never thought they were accessible," she said.
MSU
Soda struggle
Two-liter bottles of Faygo and Vernors were among a clutter of paper cups on a foldout table in front of the rock on Farm Lane on Monday afternoon. "Get a drink of justice," a member of Students for Economic Justice, or SEJ, called out to passing students. The group organized a Michigan pop taste fest to promote the use of local beverages and play down the use of Coca-Cola Co. products. English senior and SEJ member Rachel Fealk said the group believes managers at the Coca-Cola bottling facilities in Colombia hired paramilitary groups to kill eight union leaders and harass other employees and their families.
MSU
Tutoring project to aid New Orleans
In the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, garbage still lined the streets and hugged the edges of damaged houses one month ago. Chain-linked fences remained collapsed from the weight of uprooted trees.
MSU
Board adjusts auditing policies
For the first time, MSU's external auditors will be able to reapply to retain their positions after their six-year renewable contracts expire. Plante & Moran, an external auditing firm based in the Midwest with an office in East Lansing, was selected as the auditor for the next fiscal year on Jan.
MSU
Presidential planner
Each week, The State News will bring you a glimpse of some of the public events MSU President Lou Anna K.
MSU
Collecting for a common cause
By Katie Luscombe Special for The State News Volunteers stood at the doors of the MSU men's basketball game Saturday, hoping to collect spare change or canned food donations. While some diverted their eyes from the collection-bucket holders, there were many fans in the crowd who gave to the MSU Student Food Bank's fundraiser. Kristin Moretto, director of the MSU Student Food Bank, watched this happen over and over at Saturday's fundraiser held at Breslin Center during the MSU vs.
MSU
WEB EXTRA: RHA president insists tax increase needed to continue services
The Residence Halls Association needs an increase in its annual student tax to absorb the mounting costs of operation, RHA officials said Wednesday. RHA President Kevin Newman said during his State of the Organization address that all of the students' tax dollars have been well spent, but more money might be needed. "The costs of doing business are constantly rising, and RHA's desire to provide the best possible services to our residents will not ever decrease," Newman said during his address.
MSU
Mexico doles out $25K to students
About 20 students who just arrived on campus this week posed for a photo with MSU President Lou Anna K.
MSU
New Orleans service project seeks teachers
An information session for a New Orleans relief project will be held at 5 p.m. today in the Erickson Hall Kiva. The project is scheduled to take place for three to four weeks this summer.
MSU
Housing sign-ups to begin Friday
Christina Commiskey skipped a class last year so she could wait in line for several hours to sign up for the residence hall she wanted. Commiskey, a psychology sophomore, lives in Shaw Hall this year and said it was worth the wait for signing up. "It's really the best place to live on campus," she said. The on-campus housing sign-up process for the 2006-07 school year begins Jan.
MSU
Innovations: Tectonic testing
Names: Assistant Professor Kevin Mackey and Professor Kazuya Fujita Department: Geological sciences Title of research project: Northeast Russia Seismic Project Date of research: Fujita began the project in 1989, and it has continued as an ongoing project.
MSU
WEB EXTRA: Former packaging instructor dies at 85
James W. Goff expanded the packaging program at Michigan State College upon joining the faculty in 1952. Goff grew the program to include aesthetics and economics in packaging.
MSU
WEB EXTRA: Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Retailing names new chairperson
Richard Cole will be the new chairperson for the Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Retailing, effective March 1. Cole, who is the executive vice president and chief administrative officer of the Detroit Medical Center, served as a faculty member in the department from 1985 to 2001. Current chairperson Bonnie Reece will retire this year.
MSU
MSU home page updated, gains 'modern look'
By Dan Smallwood Special for The State News MSU launched a test version of its redesigned home page on Monday with improved navigation to the university's major resources. The new home page is accessible through a link on the current university home page, located at www.msu.edu, or directly at home2006.msu.edu. Officials plan to gather feedback through surveys before permanently replacing the old site on Feb.
MSU
Program informs young writers
By Tara Thoel Special for The State News Area eighth graders turned the tables on broadcast journalists from Lansing stations on Saturday, trying to push information out of interviewees. Dan Ponce, the morning and weekend anchor and reporter for Channel 10 News, and Tanee Elston, the news director and accounting executive for WQHH-Q (96.5-FM), answered questions about why they chose a career in journalism and the steps they took to get their jobs.
MSU
Stamp price hike affects MSU
By Liz Kersjes Special for The State News Two extra pennies for a postage stamp might seem trivial, unless like MSU, you send out 4 million pieces of mail every year. The United States Postal Service raised the price of first-class stamps to 39 cents each last week, up from 37 cents for the first time in nearly four years.
MSU
ASMSU: Police 'shirked' duties during melee
Unsatisfied with the investigations of the April 2-3 disturbances, student leaders are calling for university officials to investigate the MSU police response to the melee. ASMSU, MSU's undergraduate student government, designed a bill requesting the Executive Committee of Academic Council hold the department responsible for its actions that night. "The students would like a simple apology," said Robert Murphy, ASMSU's Academic Assembly chairperson.