High school teammates having big success at MSU

Russ Cozart has been around high school wrestling for 27 years — long enough to know when he's got something special. When his son, Rocky, was 4 years old, Cozart knew Rocky could be in for an illustrious career. "When he was old enough to put on a singlet and basically try to push somebody down, he started wrestling," Russ said. A decade later, Rocky Cozart joined the wrestling team his dad coached at Brandon High School in Brandon, Florida. Two years later, Franklin Gomez transferred to the same school and joined the team. By the time the two graduated in 2005, they had combined for five national championships and four state championships.

GVSU to collaborate with college of medicine

Grand Valley State University will partner with MSU's College of Human Medicine next month in a project to expand the medical school into West Michigan. MSU Provost Kim Wilcox said the absence of a medical school at GVSU did not affect MSU's plans to make the university a partner in this expansion. Wilcox said one of the programs MSU is lacking in and therefore could benefit from by signing on with GVSU is its physical therapy program. Adding to that, the partnership could expand into multidisciplinary teaching and nursing programs as well, said Denise Holmes, associate dean of MSU's College of Human Medicine. Since the expansion's announcement, university officials have added additional partners to help with the transition, including Spectrum Health and Van Andel Institute. Holmes said she expects the signing to happen around the third week of January in Grand Rapids and is hopeful for the partnership's future. "This is the major four-year university in the area," Holmes said.

ASMSU aims to change student enrollment policy, order

The time at which an MSU student enrolls for classes in a given semester is significant. Whether it's at the end of a semester or the beginning of the school year, students are eager to make sure they have a spot in a certain class to obtain that all-important degree. However, when it comes to enrollment, a caste system does exist.

Everyone misinterpreting Tancredo speech protest

This letter is a direct response to the grossly inaccurate State News coverage of the Rep. Tom Tancredo, D-Colo., protests ("Protesters crash immigration event," SN 12/1; "Protest attracts national coverage," SN 12/4). For the record: Tancredo is openly racist and has referred to undocumented workers from Mexico as "a scourge that threatens the very future of our nation." A reader relying solely on The State News for information easily would have read the articles and still been completely unaware of Tancredo's xenophobic and racist views. In addition, the numerous references to violence — during and after — the Tancredo speaking event is provided in no context.

Livestock judging team places 3rd in expo

The MSU livestock judging team finished in third place at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky. This is the team's seventh event this season and they have always finished among the top teams, where most of these competitions have up to 30 teams competing. Besides this most recent finish, the group has also placed fifth overall at the American Royal in Kansas City, Mo., and third at the National Barrow Show in Austin, Minn. The team is sponsored by the Department of Animal Science at MSU. This was the team's last event of the season.

MSU supports Ohio State in suit against former coach

MSU was part of an 18-university group that filed a brief last week supporting Ohio State in its bid to overturn a $2.4 million award to former men's basketball coach Jim O'Brien. O'Brien was fired in 2004 after he admitted giving $6,000 to the mother of a 7-foot-3 Serbian recruit, Aleksander Radojevic. The Ohio Court of Claims ruled earlier this year that although O'Brien committed NCAA violations, the university improperly fired him by not following the terms of his contract. All 10 Big Ten schools other than Ohio State signed the brief, as did the Big Ten, Pacific-10 and Big 12 conferences.

Committee approves $4K merit scholarship

Gov. Jennifer Granholm's plan to provide a $4,000 scholarship to Michigan college students moved forward today after an approval by the Michigan House Appropriations Committee. The plan, which was a highlighted part of Granholm's economic campaign during the election, would replace the current Michigan Merit Award Scholarship.

Simon, law students criticize protest

MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon and the MSU College of Law Student Bar Association denounced students' reaction toward Congressman Tom Tancredo's discussion about illegal immigration in letters sent to the MSU community on Monday. On Nov.

Spartans need to promote MSU, get good recruits

I awoke early Saturday morning to watch College GameDay as I always do and was upset to find that MSU had lost one of its most heralded recruits to Oklahoma.

Police briefs 12/06/06

Postal clerk shares joy at holidays

Virtually no line exists in the East Lansing Post Office after lunch Monday. A few customers generally are able to walk right to the service counter.

Experts look toward switchgrass as eco-friendly fuel source

By Bob Secter Chicago Tribune Chillicothe, Iowa (MCT) — If there were such a thing as a Comeback Plant of the Year award — maybe Comeback of the Century — a top contender would have to be switchgrass, a dominant part of the tallgrass prairie that once blanketed much of North America. That vast sea of grasses, so thick and high that pioneers said it could swallow a rider on horseback, all but disappeared as sodbusters ripped it away to make room for lush and productive cropland. What was an obstacle to progress 150 years ago is suddenly getting a fresh, hard look as a major source of fuel.

Study abroad students watch conflict overseas

When international relations senior Timothy Brown traveled to Bangladesh in September for an internship, he didn't know he would be in the middle of a violent, nationwide political conflict. But almost two months after he arrived, disputes between the Muslim country's two main political parties — the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) — exploded into riots, protests, strikes and deaths.

College experiences can bring spiritual analysis

Dr. D, Lately I've had this feeling of being lost. I feel like I've changed so much since school started and I'm not sure I know who I am anymore.

Hoops preview

TONIGHT'S HOOPS GAME What: MSU men's basketball (7-2) vs. IPFW (3-5) Where: Breslin Center When: 7 p.m. NOTES: • MSU leads the Big Ten with a plus-11.4 rebounding margin.

Grads may find improved job prospects nationwide

In spite of Michigan's dreary economy, the number of jobs is increasing in the Midwest and other U.S.

Up-and-down Spartans search for continuity

The MSU hockey team is almost at the halfway point of the season, and there have been 15 games of mixed emotions for head coach Rick Comley. The positive: The Spartans have defeated top national teams Michigan and Notre Dame. The negative: MSU's spotty offense and shallow lineup have prevented it from consistently carrying over quality play from game to game and have left the Spartans with a .500 overall record. "We don't need excuses — we just have to get better," Comley said Monday at his weekly press conference.

Big business, students connect for innovative marketing techniques

Large companies, such as General Motors Corp. and Crest, are evolving the way they promote their products to keep up with the fast-paced lives of college students. "Our consumer is our boss," said Kevin Bass, marketing manager for Crest.

U.S. Mint coin sculptor gets inspiration from quarter

By Madhusmita Bora The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia (MCT) — When studying sculpture in Russia 10 years ago, Joseph Menna found his muse in a George Washington quarter. The bond came from his longing for home and a pursuit of the perfect relief sculpture. Now, his own portrait of Washington is set to grace the front of the first in a series of presidential dollar coins. "It's a head trip," said the soft-spoken New Jersey native, now an employee of the U.S.

Homes alone

The mass exodus of students during winter break is an open invitation for break-ins, broken pipes and big fines, city officials and police warn. East Lansing renters who return to their hometowns for winter break are still responsible for their homes and apartments, including snow removal, said Annette Irwin, operations administrator for Code Enforcement and Neighborhood Conservation in East Lansing. "You are responsible for snow shoveling," she said.