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MSU

Michigan peace rally focuses on daughter's death, investigation

By Stephen Beard Special for The State News Parents of an American peace activist killed in the Gaza Strip by an Israeli bulldozer spoke on campus Saturday night, calling for an independent investigation into her death and for support of the Palestinian people. Washington state resident Rachel Corrie, 23, was killed on March 16 while trying to stop a bulldozer from demolishing a Palestinian home in Rafah. An Israeli investigation concluded that the driver could not see her, but during the Michigan Peace Team event, the family argued that an independent investigation is necessary.

MSU

Late professor commended for ethics

Tara May
January 23, 2004

Retired MSU Professor Mary Gardner, who died Thursday at the age of 84 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, was a woman of firsts. She was the first woman to earn a doctorate in communication at the University of Minnesota, the first woman to earn tenure as an MSU journalism professor, and the first woman to be elected president of the Association of Journalism and Mass Communications. In the mid-'80s, Gardner helped establish MSU's Hispanics in Journalism program, the first of its kind in the country, with a $100,000 grant from the Gannett Foundation.

MSU

Career choices

Emily Bingham
January 23, 2004

Food and industry management senior Elizabeth Manning had specific goals for her visit to the 40th Annual Minority Career Fair.

MSU

ANGEL system still working out bugs

Meghan Gilbert
January 22, 2004

ANGEL learning management system has gained popularity, but still is not considered heavenly by many MSU professors and students. More than 1,000 course sections are signed up for the online class-assistant program, which stands for "a new global environment for learning." That's an increase of more than 250 classes from last semester, said Byron Brown, coordinator of instructional technology support for Libraries, Computing and Technology.

MSU

Education in India focus of discussion

Meghan Gilbert
January 22, 2004

MSU's Asian Studies Center will bring the chairman of the University Grants Commission in India to campus this week. Professor Arun Nigavekar will hold a lecture, "Higher Education in India: Emerging New Scenarios" at 5 p.m.

MSU

New Iraqi currency circulates

Amy Bartner
January 22, 2004

MSU President M. Peter McPherson came back from Iraq in late September, but his task in helping to rebuild the war-torn economy wasn't completed until last week. On Jan.

MSU

'U' uses new, old strategies to keep energy costs down

Amy Bartner
January 22, 2004

A $4-million lighting renovation in several campus buildings will save energy and money in the long run, but university officials say most students won't even notice the change. However, some might notice another way MSU has been cutting back on energy - keeping the temperature in campus buildings at about 68 to 70 degrees. "Quite frankly, a lot of people are uncomfortable at 68," University Engineer Bob Nestle said. Nestle said MSU has been keeping building temperatures at about 68 degrees for more than 30 years. "Energy conservation has been a high priority at Michigan State University since the early '70s," he said.

MSU

Movie offices open on time

Joseph Clark
January 21, 2004

Though the Residence Halls Association Movie Offices have experienced difficulty in the past, this semester, they opened on time. The five offices, located in Brody, Phillips, Holden, Akers and Gilchrist halls, opened Tuesday for the semester.

MSU

'U' examines safe, recyclable packaging materials

Meghan Gilbert
January 21, 2004

Paul Singh keeps up to date on the popular peanuts and popcorn craved by the masses - for their mailing packages. Singh, a professor in the MSU School of Packaging, conducts research and testing of the best loose-fill materials stuffed in boxes to protect gifts and fragile items. "When companies want their products tested, they send them to Michigan State," said Singh, also director for the Consortium of Distribution Packaging Research. After the environmental movement in the late '80s, Singh performed a large-scale comparison research project among loose-fill packaging items ranging from starch- and paper-based packaging peanuts to expanded polystyrene, a Styrofoam-like material.

MSU

Forum to highlight ethics

Scandals in business, such as those involving Enron and WorldCom that took place in 2002 are nothing new, but emphasis in ethics education might help to make them less common in the future, officials say. Recently, the University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business Administration began work on creating a new ethics institute, which also is sponsored by the Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers.

MSU

Human Spirit: Student belts praise, writes with heart

Tara May
January 20, 2004

Lateena Dinkins spends hours practicing her vocal performances. She stays in studios until 3 a.m. sometimes, writing music. She works on scales, she trains her voice and her career has been years of hard work in the making. But a gospel song comes from her heart. "I don't practice a gospel song at all," said Dinkins, a graduate student in music performance.

MSU

Future of liberal arts programs in jeopardy

Meghan Gilbert
January 20, 2004

Month-long focus group conversations concerning the future of the liberal arts and sciences programs at MSU have culminated into a 15-page summary proposal for Provost Lou Anna Simon's review. The report included recommendations to merge departments within colleges, use more electronic communications and evaluate broad cost-cutting ideas and course overlaps. Marcellette Williams, an MSU alumna and retired MSU English and comparative literature professor, submitted the summary Thursday and said participants were passionate during focus group conversations. "It was extraordinary faculty and toward the end, the provost will find extraordinary support," Williams said.