Park District project plans up for talks

The first of three forums asking for community input on the proposed mixed-use Park District Project is set for 5:30 p.m.

Wilder faces victim testimony

Her voice wavered with emotion from the moment she began. As Ingham County Assistant Prosecutor Debra Rousseau led the third alleged victim of Oswald Scott Wilder Jr. back through the night she was attacked and sexually assaulted, her testimony came forth in muffled sobs. She took many long pauses, wringing her hands in distress.

Weekend of huge upsets for Spartans on road trip

A couple months from now, last weekend might be considered the moment when the MSU volleyball team proved themselves a national powerhouse. Prior to Friday, their 11-1 preseason record wasn’t good enough to top a historically competitive Big Ten.

Campaign to bolster MSU running into problems

The mystery behind the “WTF MSU” campaign” that has been puzzling students for the past week was solved Friday after ASMSU, MSU’s undergraduate student government, announced its involvement after allegations of vandalism on campus.

Packaging students design winning whiskey bottle

Winning an in-house glass design competition has helped some MSU packaging students make industry connections and get a head start on their careers. The winning group of four MSU students beat out 70 other designs in a glass bottle design competition sponsored by the Glass Packaging Institute. Their design is a clear, 750 ml glass bottle with a pentagon body and a star-shaped shoulder that carries up around the bottle neck.

McCowan to appear in court Monday

Okemos resident Connor McCowan’s trial will begin Monday morning in Ingham County Circuit Court, according to court documents.

Beal Botanical Garden reaches 140th anniversary

“Keep squinting.” This was the motto of the late professor William Beal, who created the W. J. Beal Botanical Garden in 1873 as a way to get his students out of the lecture hall and into the natural world. “To him, the garden was a living laboratory,” garden curator and plant biology professor Frank Telewski said. “He wanted his students to be keen observers of their environment. He’d say, ‘Tell me what you see,’ over and over, and as the students gave answers, he kept pushing them. He just told them to keep squinting.” The Beal Garden turned 140 this year, and the garden’s history was honored Saturday with a small anniversary celebration featuring guided tours and cider and doughnuts.

New LGBTQ specialization celebrated by MSU community

Members of MSU’s LGBTQ community convened Friday afternoon in the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, or RCAH, to celebrate the approval of MSU’s new specialization. The new specialization in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Sexuality Studies was approved over the summer, allowing students to enroll in the program this fall.

Researchers band birds to study effects of exotic plants

Students and faculty from MSU’s Department of Fisheries and Wildlife raced to ?finish a bird catching project this weekend before the end of the season approached. The research project, headed by fisheries and wildlife ?assistant professor Jen Owen, is ?an effort to learn more about the impact of invasive plant species on bird health.

Hoops for Hope raises money for good cause

To sponsor 200 families in Greater Lansing during the upcoming holiday season, a new student organization hosted a celebrity basketball game at IM West on Saturday .

Zombie walk, 5K brings out scary, unique participants

Adado Riverfront Park crawled with the gory undead on Saturday morning for the fourth annual Downtown Lansing Zombie Walk.

Keener splits forehead open, follows with header goal

Ryan Keener is a warrior. Three jerseys and three stitches later, the junior defender led the MSU men’s soccer team (5-1-1 overall) to a 2-0 win against Northern Illinois Saturday afternoon at DeMartin Stadium.

Izzo addresses expectations, leaders

The MSU’s men’s basketball team is expected to be among the nation’s best teams for the 2013-14 season, but head coach Tom Izzo wants to keep expectations in perspective. The Spartans are opening up a new campaign and are anticipated to be among the top five teams in the country. They are even being touted as the No. 1 team in the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook Preseason Top 25, ahead of Kentucky, Louisville, Duke and Arizona, respectively.

Women's soccer splits weekend against Minnesota, Wisconsin

The MSU women’s soccer team couldn’t pick up the weekend sweep as the Spartans lost to No. 18 Wisconsin, 2-0, on Sunday afternoon. The Spartans (7-2-2 overall, 1-2-0 Big Ten) won their first Big Ten game in nearly a year Friday against Minnesota, 3-0, but head coach Tom Saxton said tired legs hit the young squad Sunday against the Badgers (7-1-2, 2-0-1).

Spartan coaches deserve respect, not demeaning chants from students

I want Terry, too, but I want him to be ready for four years of starting at MSU, not burnt out or injured to please some discontented fans.

Domestic partnership registry would do more harm than good

The East Lansing City Council is scheduled to vote on whether to recognize same-sex couples via a domestic partnership registry on Oct. 15. The registry, proposed by Mayor Pro Tem Nathan Triplett in August, is a largely symbolic measure and would not impact benefits given to same-sex couples. Although creating such a registry might have a positive impact on acceptance and the recognition felt by same-sex couples, the benefits of having the list are dwarfed by the potential negative repercussions.

New exhibit honors ordinary talents

Being ordinary doesn’t have to be a bad thing. One of the newest exhibits to the MSU Museum, “Extraordinary Ordinary People: American Masters of Traditional Arts,” was designed to introduce everyday individuals who have done exceptional work in cultural form. Dancers, musicians, storytellers and occupational artists from all over the country are being recognized for their work in the folk and traditional arts and are winning awards for their achievements. “The individuals are not well-known outside their community,” said Marsha MacDowell, co-curator of the exhibit.

Poll: those under 30 tend to trust federal government more

Field hockey wins Big Ten opener against OSU

The MSU field hockey team stated earlier in the week that they wanted to put their preseason record behind them as they enter Big Ten play. Thanks to the continued strong play of junior forward Allie Ahern, the Spartans were able to do so Saturday.

Thousands gather for Izzone Campout

MSU basketball is back. With it comes high expectations, a beloved coach and the return of one of the best student sections in college basketball. It all got kick started Friday night with the annual Izzone Campout.