Some people often cringe when they hear the word "patriotism." They hear the word and associate it with mullet-headed morons singing "Born in the U.S.A." They think of the American flag used as thoughtless ornamentation on massive, black trucks.
By combining residential, office and retail space, East Lansing officials hope mixed-use developments will help to create a downtown with a wider variety of businesses - all within walking distance of downtown. "Maybe if we have more condos downtown, then eventually we would be able to support a small downtown grocery market," said Lori Mullins, East Lansing's senior project manager.
Correction: Wayne Duke should have been quoted as saying, "Jack represented the last of the real faculty representatives in the intercollegiate structure.
MSU unveiled Tuesday a Structural Fire Testing Facility that will be used to test how building's beams and columns react to temperatures as high as 2,200 F and weights as much as 250,000 pounds. The facility, the first in the nation operated by a university, will generate research that could help engineers design buildings to better withstand great weights and high temperatures, preventing the structures from collapsing on fire fighters and other first responders, Venkatesh Kodur said, a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. For more on this story, please see Wednesday's edition of The State News.
When Todd Shaya turned 40 this year, his dad decided to get him a present somewhat out of the ordinary.
MSU has come up with a solution to the Michigan Court of Appeals decision to revoke same-sex domestic partnership benefits. The university introduced a pilot program that will allow all employees to continue to receive benefits, said Pam Beemer, assistant vice president for MSU Human Resources, in a statement.
MSU officials aren't worried about recent cases of tuberculosis that have appeared in the media - they say they've got the proper procedures in place if a person is infected. About one or two cases of active, more severe tuberculosis, or TB, are reported and a small number of students and employees test positive with latent TB infections each year at MSU. "If you are on an airplane with someone who has TB, in order for it to be a risk, you have to be with that person for eight hours and sitting around the person - rows ahead or seats next to the person," said Paula Guss, an occupational health and travel nurse at the MSU University Physician's Office. "In a classroom, the risk is very small." The disease is caused by bacteria and can be contracted by inhaling germs expelled by an infected person, she said. Once the germs are inhaled, an inflammation of the lungs typically occurs, causing pulmonary tuberculosis, said Dr. Daniel Havlichek, a professor of medicine in the College of Human Medicine.
Animal cruelty charges were dropped Monday against the MSU student whose 4-H queen title was revoked. Lapeer District Judge Laura Barnard dismissed the charges against animal science junior Kate Mills, 20, because Mills could not have been at her family's Imlay Township farm when the reported animal cruelty crimes were committed. "Kate was a resident of East Lansing and a full-time student at the time the acts which resulted in charges occurred," said David Richardson, the family's attorney.
Former Spartan wrestler Nick Simmons, a four-time All-American, won two matches over the weekend at the U.S.
Another phase of improvements on the East Lansing Soccer Complex will be discussed today at the East Lansing City Council's work session. Since its construction in 1996, the complex has undergone steady renovations to the seven fields. "The initial construction just installed the fields with underdrainage and irrigation, and some gravel parking lots," said Wendy Wilmers-Longpre, assistant director of East Lansing's Parks, Recreation and Arts program. Phase IV-B of the project would include constructing a team building, with restroom and locker facilities for two soccer teams, press boxes, a central storage facility and an admission booth, Wilmers-Longpre said. Bathroom and concession facilities and lighting are some of the features that have been installed in previous phases of the improvement project. The complex encompasses three Olympic-sized fields and four youth-sized ones, and hosts the East Lansing High School's boys' and girls' teams, as well as youth soccer and several club teams from MSU, City Manager Ted Staton said. "I would say with each generation of soccer parents, somebody's going to have an idea about how to better improve this facility," he said. Future changes could include additional lighting, or converting one of the natural grass field to artificial turf, Staton said. "Some of the purists love that we have these top-notch natural grass fields, but we host championship games so people feel we need an artificial field," he said. Although the soccer complex might not appeal to all of East Lansing's citizens, since the city undertook the project it should be completed, Councilmember Beverly Baten said. "Living in East Lansing, if we're going to do things, we should do it right and finish it up," she said.
We've passed the fourth anniversary of the day President Bush declared major Iraq combat operations over.
As one of the top 20 universities in the country that downloads illegal music and movies, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee has asked MSU to describe how it plans to curb copyright piracy on the campus network. After submitting more than 60 pages of documents outlining MSU's plans, the university is waiting for Congress to make its next move. Copyright piracy, or illegal downloading, in the nation's public and private universities has become an issue for the music and movie industries to the point where congressional hearings on the subject has forced legislatures to hear universities' point of view. In the 2006-07 academic year, MSU received 1,495 Digital Millennium Copyright Act complaints, said Dave Gift, vice provost for Libraries Computing and Technology. The complaints, stemming from copyright owners or their agents, have gone down since the DMCA started.
Charges of animal cruelty were dropped Monday against the MSU student whose 4-H queen title was taken away because of them. Lapeer County District Judge Laura Barnard dismissed the felony charges of animal killing and torture, and misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty and abandonment, illegal animal burial and possession of an unlicensed dog against Kate Mills, 20. "Obviously, I'm happy (the charges) were dropped because me and my family have never abused an animal," Kate Mills said.
It was a breath of fresh air to see interesting campus history being reported in The State News in "Along for the ride," (SN 6/8). We've all had quite enough of Paris Hilton - although the judge sending her back to jail is nothing short of hilarious and fitting. Let's make this a trend.
Two bills proposed in the Michigan House of Representatives could change the way some high school students get their education. The bills would change current education law by allowing 15-year-old students the option of enrolling in a nearby community college, or four-year university, to attain an associate's degree while finishing off their high school education. Presently, schools get $7,085 in funding per student.
Sophomore Jonathon Allen recorded a 15.51 meter jump to take 11th place in the triple jump at the NCAA Championships on Saturday. His first jump was recorded at 15.49 meters, which tied for 12th and sent him to the second flight Saturday.
An MSU turf team is literally laying the groundwork for next year's summer Olympic Games. Crops and soil sciences professors Trey Rogers and Jim Crum will design, construct and set up a transportable athletic field for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. "It's flattering, but we don't get a title of 'Rocket Scientists,'" Rogers said.
Community colleges aren't just used as a stepladder into universities anymore. Michigan's first two-year college, Grand Rapids Junior College, opened in 1914 with the intention of giving students a way to make an easier transition from high school to a university. Ninety-three years later, 27 more public community colleges have opened in Michigan - from Bay de Noc Community College in Escanaba, to Monroe County Community College in Monroe - and MSU students are taking full advantage. According to the American Association of Community Colleges, there are more than 11 million students enrolled in 1,202 community colleges across the nation, and community college students constitute about 46 percent of all U.S.
MSU senior golfer Matt Harmon was named a third-team All-America, the first time since 2002 a Spartan has received the honor. Harmon finished his four years at MSU with the lowest career scoring average (73.51) in MSU history.