Law dean takes leave on verge of review
Terence Blackburn, who faced faculty criticism in the spring, will take time off from his position as dean of the MSU College of Law to "catch (his) breath a little," he said Wednesday. Clifton Haley, president of the College of Law, requested that college officials distribute an e-mail saying the dean "has requested, and the Law College has granted, effective immediately an administrative leave until June 30, 2007." In May, three members of the law college's tenured faculty — Susan Bitensky, Kevin Kennedy and Robert McCormick — sent a letter to the MSU Law College Board of Trustees, MSU President Lou Anna K.
MSU earns recognition for local service, Katrina relief
MSU was one of 141 schools named to the first President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for distinguished community service in honor of its Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and local work. The honor roll was created to recognize colleges and universities that have done outstanding work within their communities and with victims of Hurricane Katrina, said Norris West, press secretary for the Corporation for National and Community Service. "It is very encouraging to see the kinds of activities colleges are involving themselves in," West said.
MSU's task: Replace Shimek, Bowen
The MSU women's basketball program established itself as an organization of national superiority two seasons ago when it reached the national championship game. Last year, the team made it to the Sweet 16, further cementing the success of the program. But gone are the days of Kristin Haynie, Kelli Roehrig, Lindsay Bowen and Liz Shimek, and now it's time for senior captains Victoria Lucas-Perry, Rene Haynes and Katrina Grantham to lead the team into a new era of basketball as the upcoming season looms. Five letterwinners from last year — including Shimek and Bowen, MSU's all-time No.
DeVos doesn't have economic plan for Mich.
After watching all three gubernatorial debates, I am convinced Dick DeVos would be a disastrous choice for the future of our state.
Local venue closes
The signs on the front doors of The Temple Club said it all Tuesday night: "With Apologies, Tonight's Show is cancelled." However, the sign indicated a larger issue: The Temple Club is closed for good. Now, local musicians are scrambling to fill the void left by the club, which was Lansing's largest venue for live music. Financial issues forced the shutdown of the club on Tuesday.
Warrant for MSU football player issued Tuesday
Bobby Jones, recently dismissed MSU football player wanted for assault and battery this week, turned himself in Wednesday to Clinton County Jail and was later released on a $300 court bond. Clinton County assistant prosecutor Kevin Hayes authorized a warrant for his arrest Tuesday. Jones was wanted in connection with an assault and battery of a 20-year-old woman Sunday at The Club at Chandler Crossings apartment complex in Bath Township.
Column exaggerated some aspects of Coke
While I appreciate the fact that Brendan Bouffard drew attention to the exponentially increasing amounts of food additives in his column, "Tasty food additives actually harmful, toxic chemicals," (SN 10/16), I wonder how much research Bouffard actually put into his column before sending it to the press as a scare tactic — filled with unrecognizable terms for product ingredients. In his list of supposedly toxic and harmful ingredients from a can of Diet Coke, he mentions riboflavin and thiamine mononitrate, which may sound scientific and scary, but are actually chemical names for the dietary essential vitamins B2 and B1, respectively. He does make a good point about the possible effects of the artificial sweetener aspartame; however, he fails to note that headaches and other adverse effects from consuming aspartame do not occur for everyone.
Spartans learning from Tigers' success
The last time the Detroit Tigers won a World Series title, most MSU athletes were in diapers or had not even been born. "None of the players on our team have experienced the Tigers win," MSU baseball head coach David Grewe said.
Trustees to vote on 2 renovation projects
Two renovation projects await the green light from the MSU Board of Trustees. The board could approve plans to renovate Spartan Village Elementary and the fourth floor of the Hannah Administration Building at its Friday meeting. MSU officials recommended that Spartan Village Elementary, which has been vacant for three years, be renovated to be used as a community center for the Spartan Village student apartment complex and provide more office space for University Housing because of its limited space across campus. The board will be presented with a proposal to authorize plans to start the renovations and approve the $3.5 million budget for the Spartan Village renovations. University Housing has been spread out all over campus, and Angela Brown, the director of University Housing, said this vacancy is something they needed to take advantage of. "We had several apartments around the complex being used for certain services," Brown said.
When government needs watching
We've all heard the horror stories of voting irregularities in past elections — hours waiting in lines, dead people casting votes and thousands of votes ignored.
Help fund Potter Park: Vote 'yes' on millage
Vote yes for the Potter Park Zoo millage. As an employee of the Potter Park Zoo, I cannot stress enough how much the millage would mean to the zoo. The zoo provides medical and daily care to more than 400 animals, many that are endangered.
Knowles, Meadows often 'in consensus'
Democrat Mark Meadows and Republican John Knowles debated funding for higher education, affirmative action and ways to improve the relationship between students and permanent residents in East Lansing on Wednesday night. The candidates are campaigning to fill the 69th District seat in the state House of Representatives, which includes East Lansing, Meridian Township and Williamstown Township. To give more college students a financial break, Knowles said the Legislature needs to review how it funds higher education. "It should be one of the top priorities of the Legislature," he said.
Tigers followers await outcome of NLCS series
Mike Tumminello cheered for the Detroit Tigers as they swept their way into the World Series. But the advertising senior's Tigers pride is quickly disappearing as his home team, the New York Mets, are clawing through the National League Championship Series. The native of Staten Island, N.Y., lives with three students from the Detroit area and said he is excited to see the Tigers play well.
MSU football needs new coach if team can't win
As I watched post-game coverage from the Ohio State game, I realized coach John L. Smith and the Spartans need to either win a game or find a new excuse.
Potter Park Zoo could face downsizing if millage doesn't pass
A proposal on the Ingham County ballot to increase funding for the Potter Park Zoo in Lansing might make the difference in the zoo's survival. And that, supporters say, is important enough to impose a $46 annual tax increase, at most, on property owners in the county. "Basically, Lansing has built a pretty nice zoo but then couldn't afford to keep it up," said Ingham County Commissioner Mark Grebner.
Football is important, represents MSU in media
MSU is a good school, regardless of athletics, but what makes a school like MSU special is that it can have both first-rate academic programs and top-flight athletic teams. For those of you who say MSU football is not an important issue, you are obviously missing something.
Rogers' vote for trade agreement hurting Mich.
As a student and future American worker, I am terrified of my prospects after I graduate. Trade agreements like the Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, are shipping more jobs south of the border. I drive around Lansing and look at the abandoned manufacturing plants here, and I just can't stop thinking of the families who relied on these jobs to send their kids — young people like me — to school because they were paid a living wage.
Waging war against cold, flu is as easy as these simple steps
As the winter months approach, our worst adversary is not the bitter cold or the frost on our windshields — it's the flu. This troublesome virus wreaks havoc on our immune system.
Coach should be let go because of MSU's season
Thirty-one points are a lot to lose by, and when ABC went to another game in the third quarter and never came back, we all knew that MSU had been totally out-played, out-coached and out-classed. I would like to see coach John L.