MSU
MSU Board of Trustees
Trustee Joel Ferguson "I don't find any excuse for any aggressive police behavior based on what kids did a long time ago.
MSU
ASMSU, trustees react to police actions
After the police made 43 arrests and teargassed thousands of people on Saturday, ASMSU leaders said the law enforcement's riot-prevention tactics were uncalled for. Student Assembly Chairperson Andrew Schepers said he was not in East Lansing at the time of the celebration uproar, but information provided to him by staff suggested that students were celebrating in a nonviolent manner. "From all the information given to me, it sounds like the police were setup to stir something up," he said.
MSU
University apts., dorm rates could increase
Residence hall room and board rates and University Apartments rates could increase 5.25 percent next year. The rate increase will be up for approval Friday at the MSU Board of Trustees meeting and would raise rates by $286 per year in the residence halls and either $29 or $32 per month in University Apartments', depending on the number of bedrooms.
MSU
Judo Club member wins championship
His face covered with blood, Nik Vuljaj struggled with his opponent for 20 seconds. Pinning his adversary to the ground, his eyes were full of tears, and the clock stopped.
MSU
National scholarships go to 4 MSU students
Four MSU students made history last week, when they were awarded the Goldwater Scholarship. This is the only time MSU has had four students each win one of the 320 national scholarships. Winners were chosen from a pool of 1,091 mathematics, science and engineering undergraduate students, nominated by faculty. The scholarships cover tuition, fees, books, as well as room and board for up to $7,500 per year and are available for one or two years. The Goldwater Scholars - zoology junior in the Lyman Briggs School Katie Barott, chemical engineering junior Timothy Howes, electrical engineering junior Janelle Shane and biosystems engineering sophomore Matthew Stasiewicz - are all members of the Honors College. Howes said he was pleased to receive the scholarship and plans on doing research that applies chemical engineering principles to living organisms. "It's great that they recognize people who are making an effort to get involved in research," Howes said.
MSU
Game enthusiasts gather at Union
There's just one thing that can make 12-year-old Andre Vanpoelvoorde travel all the way from Hamburg, Mich.
MSU
Cafeterias to brew fair trade roasts after surprise decision
Every pot of coffee brewed in MSU residence halls will soon help Nicaraguan farming communities build bridges and roads, develop health care programs and construct schools. Beginning next year, the house blend in all MSU residence halls will be fair trade coffee, which is certified to meet certain production standards and to provide fair prices and decent working conditions for the farmers who produce it. The decision, announced at Wednesday's Residence Halls Association meeting, will make MSU the largest campus food-service program in the country to use fair trade as its primary coffee. The announcement was greeted with applause by members of The Real Food Group, which has been petitioning for locally grown, organic and fair trade products on campus. "It caught me completely by surprise," said Shawn Wozniak, an MSU alumnus, a member of The Real Food Group and a former State News columnist.
MSU
Fencing contest held at MSU
The MSU fencing club's attempt at swashbuckling supremacy was foiled by the United States Military Academy in the third USA Collegiate Fencing Club Championship.
MSU
Teams compete to raise money in Greek Week
As students hurried across to their teammates, eggs fell from spoons onto the floor. Any question as to whether they had been hard-boiled ended as they splattered into yellow goo on the ground. The relays consisted of three stages - first was a wheelbarrow race, followed by carrying an egg on a spoon, before finishing with a three-legged race. Members of MSU's greek community stood on the sidelines, cheering for their teammates during Relay For Life on Friday, held at Jenison Field House during the annual Greek Week. The relays were only part of the event, in its third year as part of Greek Week, said Lauren Palmaccio, director of Relay For Life. Money raised during the event will be donated to the American Cancer Society. "It is a really good cause," the accounting senior said.
MSU
Campus community helps E.L. film festival through donations
Staff of the East Lansing Film Festival, which is set to hit campus this weekend, said the event will be made possible by a large supporting cast - including many members of the MSU community. The festival, which brought about 8,000 people from across the country to the MSU campus last year, will show dozens of independent, foreign and student-made movies in Wells Hall, which has been its primary theater since 1998. "It's really become a destination point for a lot of people," said Susan Woods, director of the festival.
MSU
MSU Dairy Store sells Final Four ice cream
Now that both the MSU men's and women's basketball teams have advanced to the Final Four, the MSU Dairy Store has found its own way to commemorate the event. A new flavor of ice cream, Final Four Fudge Dribble - a mixture of vanilla ice cream, fudge swirl and chocolate malted milk balls, which are supposed to look like basketballs - is being introduced today, said John Engstrom, dairy plant manager. "I tried to find basketball (candy), but I couldn't find any in that short of time," Engstrom said.
MSU
Natural Resources 'polar bear room' to be put to new use
Corinne DeVries Special for The State News Every day, fisheries and wildlife sophomore Mark Williams studies in what is popularly known as "the polar bear room," a student lounge in the Natural Resources Building.
MSU
Cesar Chavez commemorated Thursday
Students, faculty and administrators gathered at the library Thursday during the state's second annual day to honor the legacy of Cesar Chavez. Chavez is best remembered for his role in organizing the National Farm Workers Association, which would later become the United Farm Workers.
MSU
Gala to celebrate African culture
Members of the African Student Union will bring the sights, sounds and tastes of Africa to the community this weekend at their annual gala show, which caps off this year's African Culture Week. The event is titled "The Faces of the Motherland" and is free for MSU students.
MSU
MSU to expand Chem Building with state funds
MSU officials will expand part of the Chemistry Building and replace several cooling towers with funds allocated from Gov.
MSU
African Culture week runs until Saturday
The African Student Union's "African Culture Week," which began on Wednesday, continues with a vendor day from noon to 5 p.m.
MSU
Temple Club to host Drag Kings
Envisioning stage lights and listening to the pulsing beat of 'N Sync, members of the student drag troupe Drag King Rebellion, or DKR, have been practicing for weeks. The groups will show off their dance steps in a performance tonight at the drag talent showcase "Kiss My Gender." The six DKR members will take on unique stage personas and names.
MSU
ASMSU: Officials can increase voter turnout next year
After ASMSU's efforts to increase voter turnout, the number of undergraduates who voted this year were the same as last year. About 5 percent voted in the election, after student government officials attempted to raise voter interest by hosting a pre-election pizza party, handing out free T-shirts and running several ads in The State News. Undergraduates had the opportunity to vote online on several issues in last week's election, including the renewal of ASMSU's tax, additional seats being added to the assemblies and a tax increase to fund a scholarship that students voted against. Of 26 seats available on the Academic Assembly, nine students were elected to represent colleges.
MSU
Departments to go to paperless system
In May, the University Stores and Mail Processing departments will switch to a paperless format when issuing statements and reports. Billing statements from departmental charges made by mostly faculty and staff will be affected. April statements will be the last received on paper, and May's statements will be available electronically in June. AIS Document Viewer, already used on campus, will allow members of the MSU community to view their statements and reports.
MSU
Prof earns position, will teach in Holland
Patrick O'Donnell plans to head to Holland this fall, a country famous for wooden shoes and alternative French-fry toppings, as a Fulbright Distinguished Chairs winner. O'Donnell, a professor of English and chairman of the department, is one of 36 winners who will spend September through December teaching in another country.