Dance team to audition new members

The MSU Dance Team will be holding team tryouts Saturday and Sunday at Breslin Center. Registration for auditions begins at 8 a.m.

Shifting the blame

If there are two words that will serve as the epitaph for not just the Iraq war that has ruined the reputation and economy of the nation, but also for the administration that set those events into motion, those words are "war czar." Yes, that's right, everyone's favorite "decider" has evidently decided he's done making decisions when it comes to Iraq and Afghanistan. In President Bush's place, he has created a new post that would oversee all major decisions dealing with the war.

MIDDAY UPDATE: Matt Martinez comes out on top in Battle of the Bands

"That felt good." The words Matt Martinez spoke after his first song could have summed up his entire night. Fifteen minutes of music at UAB'S fifth annual Battle of the Bands had the crowd confident — Martinez and his band deserved to win. And when the votes were counted, victory was theirs. Weeks of preparation for the battle paid off for Martinez and the rest of his band — guitarist Alex Vera, percussionist Jon Engstrom, bassist Dan Bartles, drummer Jimmy Holliday and percussionist Aaron Barndollar — as they collected a first-place title and a $1,500 cash prize. The unique-sounding A Story Told finished in second and collected $1,000.

MIDDAY UPDATE: Explosive device shakes Bailey Hall

Zoology freshman Sam Goldenberg awoke suddenly Friday morning when he felt the walls and floors of his Bailey Hall dorm room shake, heard a loud thundering noise and saw a piece of concrete fly through his window. "Because of the rumble, I thought someone had planted explosives in the whole hall," Goldenberg said. Residents of the hall felt the same rumble after an MSU student threw an explosive device outside of the residence hall at about 1 a.m., police said. "It felt like Bailey Hall was going to fall down because it shook the whole building," Goldenberg said. For more on this story, please see Monday's edition of The State News.

Police briefs 04/13/07

Board to discuss housing rates today

The MSU Board of Trustees will meet at 9:30 a.m. today on the fourth floor of the Administration Building.

Defense wants to play on instinct

When Mark Dantonio was introduced as MSU's newest head coach, he stressed that players play their best when they play the fastest, and they play the fastest when they know exactly what to do. Knowing "exactly what to do" wasn't a common theme in the previous coaching regime.

Unborn male children also affected by abortion

I'm writing in response to Kate Lester's column "Anonymous voices" (SN 4/5), in which she claims that abortions only affect women.

MSU group earns top donor registry honors

Standing on the third floor of North Kedzie Hall, surrounded by the walls that house the Medical Technology Program, is a trophy meant to symbolize MSU's dedication to compassion and generosity. Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land gave the award to students in the Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics Student Association for winning the Gift of Life's University Challenge for the third time in four years. The Gift of Life sponsored an organ donation competition that worked with 14 different colleges and universities in Michigan.

WEB UDPATE: University housing rates increased

In an attempt to remain nationally competitive, the MSU Board of Trustees increased university apartment rates by 5 percent, which translates into an extra $30 a month, at its Friday meeting. University officials also increased dorm rates by more than 5 percent.

Religious group to hold 'Hoopla' event

Creating an understanding and respect for different world religions is what student members of the University United Methodist Church aim to accomplish Saturday. "In the news, you are always hearing about different religions disagreeing," said Amber Schultz, an event coordinator and education senior. Hoopla, which starts at 3:57 p.m.

WEB UPDATE: Board approves adding gender identity to university policy

MSU administrators wholeheartedly accepted a proposal to include gender identity under the university's anti-discrimination policy Friday morning.

E.L. officials consider water bill increase

The average East Lansing homeowner could pay nearly $15 more for the city's water and sewer services beginning later this year, if a public works proposal is approved within the city's budget. City officials are recommending a 3 percent increase in water billing charges for the 2008 fiscal year — which would add up to an extra $3.66 every three months for the typical household. The next fiscal year begins on July 1. According to the city's 2008 budget proposal, the increase would be used to compensate for increased water consumption by residents and rising costs that East Lansing must pay to purchase the water from the East Lansing-Meridian Township Water and Sewer Authority. The authority serves about 74,000 people between the two municipalities and is able to distribute up to 15 million gallons of water per day. The East Lansing City Council still needs to approve the final budget, which would happen in May, so the proposed 3 percent increase could fluctuate before then, said Todd Sneathen, director of public works and environmental services. "We've anticipated we're going to average (the increase) in terms of that," Sneathen said.

Neitzel scores AP honorable mention

The Associated Press recently named MSU junior basketball guard Drew Neitzel as Honorable Mention All-America. Scoring 20 or more points in 17 games during the season, Neitzel averaged a team-best 18.1 points per game — good for fourth-highest in the Big Ten.

Ryan Brehm scores weekly honors

After bringing MSU to a nine-shot win and winning the individual title at the Boilermaker Invitational last weekend, junior golfer Ryan Brehm was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week and Golfweek Player of the Week. Brehm was the only player at the Boilermaker Invitational to finish the 36-hole tournament under par.

Fashion terms question what's in a name

Because fashion is always searching for the new "It" thing, it's sometimes difficult to keep up with the latest trends, terms and people.

Title should spurt growth in hockey, fan enthusiasm

A stone has been cast by the hockey team's national championship victory, and the ripple effect could be enormous. When I came back to South Case Hall at 3 p.m.

Healing Michigan's economic wounds

For Michigan's legislature, finding a solution to balance the state's $646 million budget deficit has been akin to answering a question on a standardized test.

Weather postpones baseball games

Because of inclement weather, the baseball series against Penn State has been postponed. Originally scheduled to begin at 3:05 p.m.

Bright future in store for MSU

The MSU hockey team has barely had time to appreciate this year's national championship, but it's already looking ahead. With five seniors graduating, including captain Chris Lawrence, the Spartans will lose valuable leadership and character players.