NEWS
Provost to fill last of 3 vacant positions
A search to fill a third position in Provost Kim Wilcox's office is underway, following two others that were filled since he took office Aug.
COMMENTARY
Christians must respect beliefs of other religions
I'm so glad John Bice's columns are back. However, his critics should remember that his complaint is with them more than with their God.
COMMENTARY
Proposed campus upgrades warranted
University officials recently announced the next two stops on MSU's 2020 Vision Campus Master Plan: Breslin Center and IM Sports-West. The year will be full of improvement for both establishments, which each have unique needs and users. At Breslin Center, the men's and women's locker rooms will be adjusted to better accommodate players — well, at least MSU's players.
BASKETBALL
Izzo unhappy with Big Ten schedule
The Big Ten scheduling computer has not received a Christmas card from MSU men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo lately. The league plays a 16-game conference schedule, meaning each of its 11 schools plays six opposing teams twice and four teams once.
FEATURES
Experts advise year-round skin protection
With the howling winds and seemingly subarctic temperatures prevailing in East Lansing, sunblock might not be in the forefront of people's minds. Although it's winter, it's still important to wear sunscreen daily, and several experts advise to prioritize skin care year-round. "We always (tell) people to use sunscreen as a habit, as a routine," said Dr. Yuelin Xu, a Lansing-based dermatologist. Xu said just 15 minutes in the sun can cause skin damage lasting for up to two days. "Tanning not only causes skin cancer, it also causes skin aging," Xu said. He added that once the sun reflects off the snow onto your skin, it becomes increasingly essential to wear sunscreen. Even though winter came late this year, ski resorts finally received the snowfall and cold temperatures needed to open their slopes.
FEATURES
Winter blues
It's snowing and nearing sunset outside, but step into the mock-tropics of Bronze Bay Tanning and it's almost enough to fool the mind.
SPORTS
Focused Jefferson gives Spartans' frontcourt a lift
Despite being removed from the starting lineup Jan. 14 at Iowa, sophomore forward Aisha Jefferson has continued to produce off the bench. For the MSU women's basketball team, this is good news.
NEWS
Managing manure
You could say MSU is full of it. Cow manure, that is. So much so that MSU officials are running out of options to remove farm animal waste from university property. "Years ago, we could spread manure from all the research animals on a lot more acres," said Fred Poston, vice president for finance and operations.
COMMENTARY
ELPD never found guilty for 2005 disturbances
In response to "Technology holds police accountable" (SN 1/18), I was one of the people who took footage during the 2005 tear-gas attack.
MICHIGAN
Travelers plan for spring break
With snow piling up outside and spring break six weeks away, travel agencies and students are preparing for the busy weeks ahead. The few months after winter break are when many students flock to local travel agencies to book spring break vacations, said Jenna Corey, a sales representative at Student Breaks in the Student Book Store, 421 E.
FEATURES
Tips to continue resolutions, other goals throughout year
Dear Dr. D, I set a New Year's resolution every year that I really intend to follow through with.
COMMENTARY
Ancient, current thinkers reject God's existence
All right, I'll admit it — I enjoyed John Bice's column, "Rising numbers of nonbelievers increase popularity of atheism" (SN 1/16). After spending so much time on a campus — where I encounter sidewalk chalk ads for Christian groups, flyers for Bible study and the occasional religious zealot outside Wells Hall — it is always a relief to know I am not the only person who questions the ideas of God and organized religion. In the letter "Column shows ignorance in logic-based argument" (SN 1/19), I expected a well thought-out counterpoint to Bice's article, but instead, found blind faith running amok.
NEWS
Passage of 6 bills faces local debate
The 110th Congress beat its 100-hour legislative deadline with 13 hours to spare Thursday, passing a six-bill agenda containing measures Democrats waited years to engineer. "There was concern of this possibly being a 'do-nothing' Congress," President of the MSU Democrats Justin Lindsay said.
COMMENTARY
SN needs your help, constructive criticism to strengthen, improve
Hey there, occasional/loyal/first-time State News reader. You and I are going to get to know one another these next few months, while we're both still at MSU.
FEATURES
Sunless tanning gains popularity
Chelsea Steiner and Jeff Malkiewicz are complete strangers but, have something in common — both of their mothers survived skin cancer. Five years ago, Steiner's mother had cancerous basal cells removed from her leg.
MICHIGAN
Mock fire raises awareness
The room was typical. A dirty mattress and an old wooden desk were crammed into a space smaller than a prison cell, and stains on a tattered La-Z-Boy chair made the site eerily similar to a standard dorm room or rental home. As East Lansing firefighters dropped a burning flare into a trash can filled with old newspapers, a vivid message was delivered. "If your smoke detector goes off because of a fire, you have 90 seconds to get out of the room," said Gerald Rodabaugh, East Lansing's fire inspector.
COMMENTARY
Unlikely threat from China may not be improbable, far-fetched
Amid the endless reports of global acts of terrorism from disparate groups and various countries making idle threats recently, I found myself pining for the Cold War. Ah, those halcyon days when people always knew where the threat of imminent destruction was coming from: The giant, seemingly monolithic country just across the ocean that people were almost wholly ignorant about, other than the fact they knew it was "bad." At least you knew who your enemy was.
NEWS
Journey of faith
A sea of people dressed in white flood the streets of Mecca each year as millions of Muslims gather to worship and ask forgiveness from God. White symbolizes unity among Muslims, who wear two simple white cloths — one covering the top half of the body and one to cover the lower half — during their pilgrimage to Mecca. Islamic law requires every Muslim to complete the hajj, or pilgrimage, at least once in their lifetime if physically and financially able. "I was in Mecca with 4 million other of my brothers and sisters," said Mehdi Jafri, a physiology senior,. "We went there for the sole purpose of worshiping God, obeying God, repenting for our sins and trying to reestablish a connection with God. "Regardless of your race, regardless of your social status, regardless of what country you are from, you are all same in front of God.
SPORTS
Lucas-Perry hits career milestone
Despite not having the best game of her career, senior guard Victoria Lucas-Perry achieved a career-defining milestone in MSU's 67-57 win over Iowa on Sunday. Shooting a layup with 4:05 left in the game, Lucas-Perry scored her 1,000th career point, becoming the 18th player in program history to do so. "It's nice that happens," she said.
COMMENTARY
Recycling does not save resources, reduce costs
The dorm recycling plan will always miss its potential because, in general, recycling is a waste of resources.