Wednesday, January 15, 2025

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Campus

MSU

Assembly's new leaders keep same commitment

The Matts have left the building.Academic and Student Assembly Chairpersons Matt Clayson and Matt Weingarden passed the ASMSU gavel on to Jared English and Missy Kushlak last week.

MSU

Greek Week ends, raises $70K for charities

More than $70,000 will go to various charities, courtesy of several MSU greek letter organizations. Greek Week ended Saturday at the Auditorium with "Songfest," a presentation of dancing and singing performances. As part of the fund-raising activities, the greeks raised around $6,700 in their "penny war" coin drive, said Jonathan Rosenthal, director of academic programs for the Interfraternity Council. "People were going nuts," he said, adding $3,600 of the money was raised Saturday.

MSU

Group celebrates anniversary

It's been 20 years in the making.What started out as a graduate student's vision and less than 10 members has blossomed into one of the largest groups on campus.The Asian Pacific American Student Organization celebrated its 20th anniversary Friday and Saturday with a walking tour of campus, a dinner at Kellogg Center and other activities.

MSU

Tradition exhibited at powwow

Dance clothing composed of bright green, orange and yellow strings draped the back of dancer Wayne Silas at the Pow-wow of Love on Saturday.

MSU

Study Abroad cuts last Asian trip

The last of four summer study abroad programs in Asia was canceled on Friday in response to severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS.The program through James Madison College would have sent students to Beijing to study Chinese foreign policy."We were holding off to make the decision for the latest information, but the latest decision was worse instead of better," said Kathleen Fairfax, director of the Office of Study Abroad.

MSU

Sexual abuse tales shared by survivors

Tamika Payne can sympathize with women who come to her with their stories of sexual violence. She is a survivor herself."I feel like I don't want it to be for nothing," said Payne, sexual assault counseling staff coordinator for The Listening Ear Crisis Intervention Center, 313 W.

MSU

Board of Trustees passes graduate rights revision

Three years of changes to a document that governs graduate students were approved by the MSU Board of Trustees on Friday. The Graduate Student Rights and Responsibilities Document cements the rights of graduate students, lays out the steps for filing grievances and explains the processes for theses and dissertations. The document was created in 1971 and had not been modified since 1984. Among the changes to the document is a mention of the Graduate Employees Union, which was formally recognized in April 2001. Council of Graduate Students President Jim Ciszweski was relieved to have this document passed. "It has taken several years to get this far," he said.

MSU

'U' gets ready to 'Take Back the Night'

MSU students and East Lansing residents will gather this weekend to speak out on sexualized violence and reclaim the streets. Take Back the Night, a campaign to end rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, incest and sexual harassment, starts this weekend. The event began in 1978 in San Francisco when 5,000 women rallied and marched down "pornography strip" against all forms of male violence against women.

MSU

Campus briefs

ASMSU filling student spots Applications are now available for various positions in ASMSU for the 2003-2004 academic year. MSU's undergraduate student government is looking for students to fill the following positions: • Director of student defenders • Director of constituent activism • Comptroller • Director of racial, ethnic and progressive student affairs • Director of legal services • Assistant director of legal services • Programming board comptroller • Executive secretary • Director of digital and graphic marketing • Director of community affairs • Director of legislative affairs • Director of human resources • Funding board comptroller • Director of university and governmental budgetary affairs • Programming board executive assistant All positions are paid.

MSU

Group raises poverty awareness

Armed with sleeping bags, blankets and layers of clothing, about 30 MSU students and faculty bared the cold temperatures Wednesday night to sleep at the rock on Farm Lane. The group wanted to increase awareness about worldwide poverty, housing and homelessness. The second annual event, known nationwide as HabiFest, was held by the MSU chapter of Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that works to provide affordable housing in the Lansing area and worldwide. "Our goal is to open some eyes about the seriousness of homelessness around us," HabiFest co-coordinator Monica Glysson said. To achieve their goal of awareness, Glysson and other members of Habitat for Humanity spent the day passing out fliers and orange T-shirts to students interested in learning about poverty issues. Students gave small donations to help build the shed that would go toward a house in the Lansing area.

MSU

Closed meetings questioned

The ASMSU Academic Assembly's decision to close its meeting to the public Tuesday night has left some people wondering about the legality of the move, and whether it is considered a public body.The assembly, part of MSU's undergraduate student government, closed the meeting and asked about 10 people to leave so the representatives could discuss candidates for its executive board.Matt Weingarden, chairperson of ASMSU's Student Assembly, said the organization has a right to close the meeting because they aren't bound by the Michigan Open Meetings Act."We have done this for so long and it's never caused a major problem," Weingarden said.

MSU

'U' gives locks for love

"Let's do it," a red-faced and teary-eyed Amy Baker said.Her boyfriend clutched his face with both hands and looked away as the scissors clipped Baker's ponytail with a few swift motions.About 10 inches of Baker's hair is going to Locks of Love, an organization which makes wigs for children with hair loss caused by severe burns, radiation treatment or other medical reasons.Baker, a veterinary technology sophomore, began to cry as the hair she had been growing out since she was 15 years old fell.

MSU

Day of silence voices LBGT concerns

Dressed in black with mouths bound by silver duct tape, students stood near Wells Hall and on the Farm Lane bridge in recognition of the National Day of Silence on Wednesday.Holding signs that read "MSU silences students" and "MSU discriminates on gender identity," students passed out literature on ways they believe the university is silencing students."It's important because it raises the visibility of voices that are silenced," said Joshua Boehme, treasurer of RING, a lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender caucus group in the North Complex.

MSU

'U' vies to bring Rare Isotope Accelerator to campus

MSU is one step closer to studying rare isotopes previously found only in outer space.The Board of Trustees is expected to form a partnership with the California-based architectural firm Parsons, to help with the planning and construction of a Rare Isotope Accelerator."It's the forming of a partnership to work through the construction issues," MSU President M.

MSU

Minority graduate enrollment rises

Enrollment in MSU's graduate programs has increased by more than 100 students including across-the-board growth in all minority groups.MSU's Annual Progress Report on Affirmative Action and Diversity Within the Community, released Tuesday, reported an 8-percent increase to 1,690 for total graduate enrollment.This year there were 2,943 students admitted to the graduate school, but not everyone who is admitted ends up enrolling.