Monday, January 13, 2025

Take a peek behind the curtain and test drive the NEW StateNews.com today!

Campus

MSU

McPherson Professorship hosts prominent speakers

Nicole Jacques
December 7, 2001

University officials finalized plans Thursday to bring two distinguished speakers to campus next semester as part of the McPherson Professorship for the Understanding of Science. Brian Greene, a professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University, and Ira Flatow, a science correspondent for National Public Radio, will each spend a week at MSU, presenting publicly and interacting with various classes. The McPherson Professorship was set up by MSU President M.

MSU

GEU honored by labor organization for successful formation of union

Megan Frye
December 7, 2001

One of the nation’s largest supporters of labor unions honored MSU’s Graduate Employees Union at its convention this week.The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations invited the GEU to be involved with its convention in Las Vegas because of the group’s campaign to form a union, which ended successfully in May.Peter Cunningham, an anthropology graduate student and member of the GEU’s steering committee, was chosen to attend the conference.“The AFLCIO wanted to highlight recent organizing campaigns,” he said.

MSU

Pogel retires after 30 years of service to U

Eric Morath
December 7, 2001

An author of MSU’s Guiding Principles is organizing her final Board of Trustees meeting today. Nancy Pogel, executive assistant to the President and Secretary of the Board of Trustees, is relinquishing her duties after six and a half years in the position and nearly 30 years at MSU. In meetings Thursday, MSU President M.

MSU

LBGT responds to ASMSU bills

Camille Spencer
December 7, 2001

The Alliance of Lesbian-Bi-Gay-Transgendered and Straight Ally Students and campus affiliates sponsored a forum Wednesday night in the Wonders Hall Kiva in an attempt to promote awareness about issues affecting the LBGT community.About 50 people attended the forum, which included discussions about the lack of domestic partner services for students, adding gender identity to MSU’s Anti-Discrimination Policy and multiple identity concerns.

MSU

Finals stress relief offered

Erica Berg
December 7, 2001

With finals on the way, students are finding ways to relieve stress and stay healthy for one last week of work.“My roommates and I go work out or play volleyball,” said Alison Leon, a family community services junior.

MSU

Annual enrollment plagues students with full classes

Eric Morath
December 6, 2001

As most MSU students are planning for finals, some are struggling to fill out schedules for January’s classes.Students attempting to add or switch classes are often faced with classes that were full since last spring’s enrollment period.Maegan Daughtery said she is checking daily to see if a spot will open in BS 110, Organisms and Populations, before classes start Jan.

MSU

ASMSU explores possible sexual assault education

Alison Barker
December 6, 2001

ASMSU and Women’s Council are researching the potential of implementing a sexual assault education class or seminar for first-year students. Jeanette Lantzy, vice chairperson for external affairs for the undergraduate student government’s Academic Assembly, said she thought sexual assault awareness would be a worthwhile program at MSU after learning about a program at the University of Illinois.

MSU

Backers of sex crime legislation hope to improve campus safety

Leslie Escobar
December 6, 2001

The 1999 launch of the Public Sex Offender Registry Inquiry allowed Michigan residents to search a computer database for convicted sex offenders in their city. But state police officials and national lobbyists hope the Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act will enable college students to know about offenders on campus, too. “I think the benefit of this is that it’s going to allow students, faculty and everyone on campus information as to who’s sitting next to them or living across the hall from them,” said Tim Bolles, criminal identification team manager for the Michigan State Police.

MSU

Powerful new worm seeks to infect U, anti-virus company experts say

Chris Boyer
December 6, 2001

Anti-virus companies reported Tuesday that the “goner” virus was making its way into computers around the world - including MSU’s campus. The worm arrives through an e-mail message with the subject line “Hi” and carries an attachment called “goner.scr,” in an attempt to fool users into believing they are being sent a screen saver. The message body reads, “How are you?

MSU

GEU grade-in fills lobby with people, paperwork

Megan Frye
December 6, 2001

Workers and visitors to the Administration Building on Wednesday had a hard time keeping their balance while stepping around the busy people and stacks of papers covering the floor in the lobby. They’ll have to struggle not to trip today as well. The Graduate Employees Union held a “grade-in” Wednesday and will have another today.

MSU

Holiday wrappings on display in exhibit

Wrapping paper is something that’s usually found shredded and buried at the feet of anxious children on Christmas day, but the MSU Museum is preserving it instead. The museum is presenting the Packaging Christmas: American and International Holiday Containers exhibit until February 2002.

MSU

Olin creates ribbons for suicide awareness

Erica Berg
December 5, 2001

The Community Action Team at Olin Health Center will be tying on yellow ribbons this week to increase awareness about suicide prevention. “We’re doing this because it’s important to bring awareness to the students,” said Olin Health Advocate Heather Bradfield, who coordinated the project. “There’s been instances, even on my own floor, in my own dorm, where people have attempted suicide.” Bradfield, a nursing sophomore, said she has always been interested in mental health issues and wanted to steer her project toward a topic that is often overlooked, such as depression. Advocates on the action team distributed 1,000 ribbon cards containing a yellow ribbon attached to a poem.

MSU

Heathcote honored with court

Eric Morath
December 5, 2001

Coach Jud Heathcote won MSU a Big Ten title on Breslin Center’s floor in its first year.Now he will have a court named after him.The former men’s basketball coach, who led MSU to the 1979 national title, will be honored with “The Jud Heathcote Gymnasium” in Breslin’s newly renovated and expanded Alfred Berkowitz Basketball Complex.The MSU Board of Trustees is expected to approve the naming of the gym and “The Forest Akers Trust Gymnasium” during Friday’s meeting.

MSU

Forum offers information on civil rights

Chad Previch
December 4, 2001

The questioning of 5,000 Middle Eastern men by the U.S. Department of Justice for information about Osama bin Laden’s al-Quaida terrorist group. MSU will be hosting a forum today for those who are seeking information about the governmental questioning. The forum will be held at 8 p.m.

MSU

Summit discusses global food safety

Eric Morath
December 4, 2001

Heather Fisher returned from Tokyo last month with authentic green tea, blueberry bubble gum and a dedication to work on international food issues. Fisher, an MSU dietetic intern, attended the International Students Summit on Food, Agriculture and the Environment in the New Century at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, a sister school of MSU. “Many of the issues they deal with (in Japan) we are also concerned with in the United States and at Michigan State University,” Fisher said. Genetically modified foods and animal diseases such as mad cow and foot-and-mouth were international concerns discussed at the conference. Students from countries such as Korea, China and the Netherlands attended the summit, which recognized the 110th anniversary of the Tokyo university. Upon closing the conference, Fisher said the students adopted the Tokyo Declaration and began work on an e-mail network. “The deceleration says we as students and future professionals in our field will work together to solve some of these issues,” she said.

MSU

IAH adds new classes, Web site to address terrorism issues

Leslie Escobar
December 4, 2001

Following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, new classes and an MSU Web site have been popular among faculty and students.Some classes being offered next semester, which are sponsored by the Center for Integrative Studies in Arts and Humanities, involve issues brought up since the attacks.IAH 211B, Area Studies and Multicultural Civilizations: Asia Focus on India, Pakistan and Bangladesh is the only new IAH course being offered.

MSU

GEO strike at Illinois highlights U dispute

Megan Frye
December 4, 2001

A recent strike by graduate assistants at the University of Illinois has brought more attention to MSU’s Graduate Employees Union, which is in the process of bargaining for its first contract. The Graduate Employees Organization at the Urbana-Champaign campus of Illinois voted early last week to have a two-day strike as a protest against union constraints. Todd Mireles, organizer of MSU’s union, said a similar strike at the university is unlikely but not out of the question.