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MICHIGAN

Residents can take crash course on city

Kristen Daum
April 18, 2007

Students have an opportunity to hone their political skills through a new community leadership program sponsored by East Lansing. The city is launching the East Lansing Emerging Leaders Program to give residents a 10-week crash course this fall on the city's governmental process. The program, slated to run September through November, will cover the formats, processes and laws binding city government. "A lot of people might want to become involved but feel they don't have the knowledge or experience, but we want to give them the opportunity," said Marie McKenna, executive assistant to the city manager. In order to create a diverse, yet intimate, learning environment, the program will include about 20 community participants chosen through a comprehensive application process, McKenna said. Any East Lansing resident over the age of 18 can apply to join the program.

MICHIGAN

Murderers could get life sentences

Alex Altman
April 18, 2007

Last fall, Christopher Lucas killed his girlfriend's mother with stomps to the head so ferocious, his boots left imprints. But because of a "loophole" in the law, the 25-year-old Lyon Township resident was convicted of second-degree murder — giving him a chance for parole, said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard. The outcome of this trial inspired Bouchard, Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca and Rep.

NEWS

Company's mock-up gets mixed reactions

Kristen Daum
April 18, 2007

A San Diego-based developer has proposed to bring an island, canal and 11-acre riverfront park to East Lansing. But city residents and MSU community members offered mixed reactions to the latest design concept for the East Village, unveiled Tuesday. During a community workshop with the San Diego-based Pierce Company Inc., students and residents appeared pleased with the basic look of a redeveloped East Village, but voiced concerns on the feasibility of the project, specifically its impact on off-campus student residents. "These are great ideas, but are they going to succeed?" Residence Halls Association President Mark Dobson said of the proposal.

MICHIGAN

E.L. joins agreement to cut greenhouse gases

Brendan Bouffard
April 18, 2007

East Lansing joined the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement on Tuesday afternoon, fulfilling a long line of requests from residents concerned about global warming. Signing the agreement will add to the list of wise decisions East Lansing already has made, said Aileen Gow, director of Urban Options, an environmental education center. "This is a continuance of a long history of good decisions, and they are getting better," she said.

COMMENTARY

Poison at the root

It may not have surprised some of you when we learned that MSU's Young Americans for Freedom was about to be listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, or SPLC, a civil rights organization dedicated to tracking the activity of such groups across the nation. We have all seen the hateful and bigoted rhetoric MSU's YAF spews forth on a daily basis.

MSU

Union members picket near site

Sean Ely
April 18, 2007

A 10-foot inflatable rat with possessed-looking red eyes towered next to the construction site on Farm Lane Road and East Circle Drive. The rodent was supposed to symbolize non-union workers, said Ben Lyons, a laborer from the Laborers' Local Union 499. The Ann Arbor-based union began picketing at the site Monday because workers there are not unionized.

NEWS

How do you pay for school?

Kristi Jourdan
April 18, 2007

Today's college freshmen are richer than they've ever been in the past 35 years, according to a report released by UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute. Tell that to some of MSU's freshmen and watch them cringe as a wave of skepticism washes across their faces. "Unless their parents are hitting the lotto, it's so farfetched for me to believe," said Brianne Ross, a professional writing freshman. Students from the richest households have the resources to pay their rising tuition expenses, while programs are made available for those who cannot, according to the report, which reveals the households' freshmen are coming from median incomes — 60 percent higher than the national average. But what happens to students who fall in between those polar financial extremes — the students who can't afford to pay higher education costs but whose parents have enough money to be excluded from programs for the poor? Caught in the middle "There really isn't much for the moderate and the high (incomes) other than work and loans," said Val Meyers, associate director of MSU's Office of Financial Aid.

NEWS

Author to visit campus, discuss Bush

Thea Neal
April 18, 2007

Author Antonia Juhasz can't remember a time when economy-related politics wasn't her passion. The activist chose to funnel this fascination into the 2006 book, "The Bu$h Agenda: Invading the World, One Economy at a Time." Juhasz will discuss the Bush administration's economic agenda and motivation for the war in Iraq at 7:30 p.m.

NEWS

Trustees nip dorm smoking in the butt

Joey Nowak
April 18, 2007

Thank you for not smoking. The MSU Board of Trustees and Residence Halls Association have teamed up to relay this message to students, faculty and staff by banning smoking in all residence halls, Owen Graduate Center and Van Hoosen Hall residential spaces. Starting August 1, 2008, smoking will be banned within 25 feet of building or apartment entrances. "It does not tell people they cannot smoke, but it does reduce the locations on campus where smoking is permissible," said Nancy Allen, coordinator of MSU Health4U.

NEWS

BREAKING NEWS: Coach McCallie to leave MSU for Duke position

Steve Highfield
April 18, 2007

MSU women's basketball head coach Joanne P. McCallie, who signed a new contract with MSU in late March, has left to become the head coach of the Duke women's team, Duke Athletic Director Joe Alleva announced this afternoon. A press conference is scheduled for Friday to formally introduce her. "This has been a dream job of mine for years," McCallie said today in a news release. Rumors of McCallie looking at other coaching jobs heated up toward the end of the season, but they were quieted when she signed the new deal — which would have gone into effect July 1 — that raised her pay to $500,000 annually, with bonuses that could have bumped it up to $643,000 per year. "The university found out late last night — very late last night," MSU spokesman Terry Denbow said, adding that MSU will start the search for McCallie's replacement "immediately." In seven seasons as the Spartans' head coach, McCallie compiled a 149-75 record, including 2005 Associated Press National Coach of the Year honors after leading MSU to a national runner-up finish.

NEWS

Ungodly goodness

Can we be good without belief in god(s)? This question often crops up when discussing religion and is frequently offered as a pragmatic argument against nonbelief. The thinking seems to be that even if good evidence for the existence of god(s) is lacking, which it most certainly is, belief in the proverbial "eye in the sky" is a useful delusion because without such belief, nothing would prevent people from behaving immorally.

COMMENTARY

Former Spartan sends congrats to hockey team

I covered the MSU hockey team for campus radio back in the mid-1970s, did some play-by-play and was in the stands when I wasn't working, so it did my heart good to watch this team of champions put on such a gutsy performance.