Sunday, January 11, 2026

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MSU

Face time with Richard Ford

The life of best-selling author Richard Ford reads more like a love story than a list of lifetime achievements. Ford tells people he’s only done two things in his life — written books and been married to his wife, Kristina — both “extravagantly wonderful,” he said. When the MSU alumnus returns to MSU in May to speak at the 3:30 p.m.

MSU

MSU, U-M rival in gaming competition

It didn’t take long for graduate student Jon Derhammer to answer what he would do for a Klondike bar. “I would play Mad Bounce for 24 hours this weekend,” Derhammer jokingly said. Derhammer is referring to one of the two app games he and three others created to go with the week-long Klondike Challenge, which pits MSU and University of Michigan students and alumni against each other, with an ice cream social on the line. “Klondike Challenge is a local app tournament,” Derhammer said.

COMMENTARY

Why student elections don't attract voters

I’m one of the few folks who has voted in every student election while here at MSU. It’s been an interesting four years of noticing how things have changed at ASMSU. When I came here, there were two assemblies and almost no one ran opposed for student elections. In 2011, the first election with one assembly, turnout was less than 3 percent. Clearly something needed to be done.

COMMENTARY

Helmet safety law should be common sense

Laws shouldn’t have to be created to enforce common sense. But they also shouldn’t encourage reckless behavior. On April 10, members of Michigan’s insurance and medical industries met at the Capitol, urging lawmakers and Gov. Rick Snyder to reinstate the state’s mandatory motorcycle helmet law.

MICHIGAN

Duffel bag could provide clues for Boston bomb

Although police have yet to find the faces behind the Boston tragedy heard around the world, MSU experts say based on their research, those responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing are likely to be identified soon, thanks to a duffle bag.

MSU

ASMSU voter turnout 9.2 percent despite troubled week

The burden of low carnival attendance and the Ne-Yo concert cancellation turned out to play a small role in ASMSU’s election turnout — about the same percentage of students voted this year as last year. ASMSU, MSU’s undergraduate student government, had 2,636 voters out of 28,628 eligible students, which equals a 9.2 percent voter turnout in this year’s elections, ASMSU Director of Public Relations Haley Dunnigan said. This year’s turnout was fewer then last year’s 2,988 voters, but Dunnigan pointed out there were multiple organizations that had their tax renewal on the ballot last year that drew additional attention to the elections. “Considering during last year’s election there were tax questions for the Residence Halls Association, MSU Radio Board and James Madison (College), those kind of issues tend to bring in a lot more attention,” Dunnigan said.

MSU

COGS continue to receive student tax after vote

The Council of Graduate Students, or COGS, will continue to receive the student tax after graduate and professional students voted in favor to renew the tax for another three years, COGS President Stefan Fletcher confirmed. COGS received about a 6 percent voter turnout amongst the graduate and professional student body with 490 electing to continuing the tax of $9.25 per student per semester during the fall and spring semester and $4.75 during the summer semester, Fletcher said.