In any story about undergraduate student government at MSU, there will almost always be this sentence, “ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government.” It’s there because without it the reader might not know the function of ASMSU.
Two bills that could have a significant impact on MSU students might die Dec. 31 before being able to make a change. One of the bills proposes that the East Lansing Secretary of State office, 400 Albert Ave., and the Lansing Secretary of State office, 108 S. Washington Square, merge to combine a SUPER!Center in the Frandor shopping center.
A new program offered by the MSU police gives students attending Spartan football games the opportunity to alert the department of crimes with an anonymous text message. Though the idea of communication between police and public should be encouraged, it’s hard to think of a situation in which texting the police station would be more appropriate than a call.
The traditional five-day Welcome Week is gone and has been replaced by a three-day Fall Welcome. In short, it’s now meetings, events, a college colloquium, programs, an open house and a convocation one after the other.
ASMSU has started the 2010 fall semester on a serious note. MSU’s undergraduate student government has put together health care packages for MSU students based on the individual health care needs and budgets of students.
In a recent college ranking study published by U.S. News & World Report, MSU was ranked last out of all the colleges currently in the Big Ten Conference. When it’s phrased that way, it sounds pretty awful, and kind of demeaning. But in most cases, the MSU experience is not one that can be captured by a number.
As part of a protest, anthropology senior Ahlam Moshen alledgedly hit U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., in the face with a pie. There are the traditional sit-in’s, marches and other peaceful ways to make a point, but a pie in the face? Not so much.
For more than 15 years, MSU Trustee Donald Nugent has driven three and a half hours almost every month to attend MSU Board of Trustees meetings. Nugent’s term comes to an end in January 2011, and although he has served two consecutive terms and submitted his bid for re-election, Nugent no longer will serve MSU as a trustee starting next year.
These past summer sessions at MSU have been somewhat eventful compared to the slow pace of those in years past. With changes happening across campus, ranging from road construction and residence hall renovations to the elimination of undergraduate programs at MSU Dubai and the assault on student savings to pay for increased tuition and possible parking tickets, MSU is not the same campus it was in early May.
Two recent reports released by Washington, D.C.-based organization The Education Trust place MSU in the top 25 of public universities with the greatest differences between the graduation rates of white and Hispanic or black students.
Sharing and working together are elementary behaviors taught during our early years in an effort to get us used to the ideas of life’s great compromise: We can’t always get what we want. MSU has taken an opportunity to teach legislators something they can’t learn in a classroom or on the pages of a book, a basic how-to guide on balancing politics with various personalities.
It is not often we are able to use the word “magnanimous.” But with the recent philanthropy of a few billionaires, there aren’t many other words that immediately come to mind. Among those individuals is MSU alumnus Eli Broad. Perhaps you’ve heard of him? If not, you can find his name on MSU’s Eli Broad College of Business or alongside his wife’s name on the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, set to open in 2012.
The first time Kande Ngalamulume bowed out of the race for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District, it was unsurprising to say the least. Initially, his candidacy was met with the political equivalent of “meh.” Bill Ballenger, editor and publisher of political newsletter “Inside Michigan Politics,” said, “Nobody knows who he is (and) he has no money. He’s basically the classic sacrificial lamb. It will take a near miracle for him to beat (U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton).”
Now that the primaries have ended, the real fight for governor of Michigan can begin. And even though the headline on The State News website is “Angry Mayor vs. Tough Nerd,” it looks more like “good governance vs. less government.” Sure, it isn’t as catchy, but when looking at the paths the candidates will walk in the future, the tale of tape is pretty clear.
It only was last week The State News published a series of articles covering the changes the city of East Lansing has undergone throughout the past few decades. In keeping with that spirit of change, city officials are looking to renovate the 35-year-old Amtrak station at 1240 S. Harrison Road.
The gubernatorial candidates The State News endorses — Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero and Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder — were chosen with an eye toward what they could possibly bring to students through their policies. Not all the positives and negatives are discussed in this editorial, but some of the more central issues are brought to light.
Given the occasional spats between students and the city of East Lansing, it is nice to see a relationship between both parties that is mutually beneficial. On Tuesday, the East Lansing City Council approved a special parking permit program proposed by MSU’s Council of Graduate Students, or COGS.
According to a report released by MSU, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University last Wednesday, high-tech manufacturing holds the hope for Michigan’s economic future. The three universities make up the University Research Corridor, or URC, which commissioned the advanced manufacturing study that was prepared by East Lansing-based research organization Anderson Economic Group.
MSU’s support of a bill that could extend university control over parking, traffic and pedestrian ordinances and fines feels like the university raising funds through ticketing. The university is strapped for cash and a good way to raise funds would be through increasing fines.
Looking at the tuition numbers for public universities in Michigan makes it seem as if MSU is giving us a pretty good bang for our buck. Even given an increase of 2.5 percent from the 2009-10 academic year, MSU’s tuition is several hundred dollars less than that of the University of Michigan, which increased 1.5 percent to $11,837, and Michigan Technological University, which increased 5.9 percent to $12,017.