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NEWS

Money not always deciding factor in trustee elections

Lindsey Poisson
October 12, 2006

As campaigning for the Nov. 7 midterm elections heats up, recent financial records for MSU trustee candidates show not all of the candidates are big spenders. But who has money isn't always a deciding factor in this election, candidates and MSU faculty say. Voters who don't recognize candidates' names will look at their political party instead, said Jon Sticklen, a computer science and engineering associate professor and former chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Academic Counsel.

MSU

Judge to speak at luncheon on Friday

Kristyn Peterson
October 12, 2006

Judge Michael McConnell will speak at 11:45 a.m. Friday at Kellogg Center for the 2006 Founders Circle Luncheon sponsored by James Madison College Founders Circle. McConnell, a 1976 James Madison College graduate, was nominated by President Bush to the U.S.

MICHIGAN

Knowles pulls for younger crowd

Kris Turner
October 12, 2006

John Knowles says he's a man of the people. Hoofing around East Lansing to garner votes in the upcoming election, the Republican candidate for the 69th seat in the state House of Representatives says he's not worried about getting the conservative vote on Nov.

MSU

University officials to hire 2 new deans by end of academic year

Fredricka Paul
October 12, 2006

With two deans leaving their positions, MSU officials are working to fill those vacant jobs by the end of spring. Ronald Fisher, dean of the Honors College, will be leaving his position in August and chose not to comment about his departure. Patrick McConeghy, acting dean of the College of Arts and Letters, will also be leaving his position to teach as a German professor. "I had a wonderful time (as dean)," McConeghy said.

NEWS

College to receive donation

Fredricka Paul  and  Justin Kroll
October 12, 2006

An eight-year partnership was secured Wednesday between the future Grand Rapids campus of the MSU medical school and the Van Andel Institute, which is pledging $16 million to the school. The money will be used to conduct cancer, cardiovascular disease and neuroscience research, said Marsha Rappley, dean of the College of Human Medicine. "The most important part is the partnership that we have with the institute and the commitment to work together long term," Rappley said.

ICE HOCKEY

Icers begin regular season this weekend

Eric Fish
October 12, 2006

It's the moment the No. 4 MSU hockey team has been waiting for ever since it was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by Maine last spring. Starting Friday, the Spartans will embark on a new season and attempt to get to the Frozen Four — a goal they felt they were talented enough to achieve last season.

ICE HOCKEY

Comley confident in top lines, but uncertain past that

Eric Fish
October 12, 2006

If there's one thing MSU head coach Rick Comley likes about his No. 4 Spartans this early in the season, it's the strength of his best players. The top two forward lines — juniors Jim McKenzie, Chris Mueller and Bryan Lerg, and the sophomore trio of Tim Kennedy, Tim Crowder and Justin Abdelkader — have already proven themselves. But sometimes, the most difficult job a coach has is rounding out those third and fourth lines to get the most out of everyone. "The top part of our team is pretty darn good," Comley said.

NEWS

Father gives account of son's fight with athletes

An MSU student was submerged in water, then punched and kicked when he came up for air in an alleged assault at Capstone Commons apartments, Friday morning, said Richard Lambert, the father of one of the two victims. The assault against two students involved six men, four of whom are MSU football players, East Lansing police said Wednesday, adding that the two other men also are MSU students. At 1:30 a.m.

COMMENTARY

Smith should be replaced as MSU football coach

University officials state they will stick behind John L. Smith until the end of this year. John Lewandowski said, "We are just not in the habit of dealing with mid-season evaluations." Did this habit get picked up after Bobby Williams left the program? Smith currently has a 21-20 record at MSU, a .512 winning percentage.

COMMENTARY

Many groups offensive, focus should shift to avoid trivializing issues

In response to Christopher Bunke's letter "Leftist groups also offend with activities on campus," (SN 10/3), claiming that MSU liberals are only outraged by racism perpetrated by the right wing is absolutely ludicrous. I consider myself a liberal, and I'm appalled not only by "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day," but also the mentioned PETA protests likening animal harvesting to the Holocaust and slavery. I feel that both PETA and Young Americans for Freedom should be ashamed of the methods they have used in the past to make their point.

COMMENTARY

Debate question unfair to Granholm, inappropriate

On Oct. 2, while watching the debate of Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Dick DeVos televised over WKAR-TV, I was appalled at Tim Skubick's total lack of decency. Granholm handled his question of whether she was indirectly responsible for the deaths of Ricky Holland, but this question was very inappropriate and way below the belt.

COMMENTARY

Keller leaves out key piece of debate context

This is in response to Tom Keller's "Gubernatorial debate observations," (SN 10/4). While I agree with Keller's view that debates are usually boring, I think he missed a vital part of this debate. In his column, he wrote that at 8:07 p.m., Gov.

COMMENTARY

North Korea should be dealt with now

North Korea's claim that it has tested a nuclear weapon is raising questions and provoking fear around the world. The face behind the arsenal is North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, who, since his reign began in 1994, has isolated his country from the world, resulting in widespread poverty and famine.

MICHIGAN

Union members demonstrate against workers without credentials

Kris Turner
October 11, 2006

A contractor hired to change the lighting in buildings around campus used uncertified electricians to do a majority of the work, according to a letter sent to MSU officials by an electrician's union Tuesday. Tom Eastwood, assistant business manager of IBEW Local 665, the union based in Lansing, said of the 22 electricians working on the project from November 2003 to July 2004, only one had the correct certification to be doing the job. "State law requires there be licensed supervision at all times on a project," Eastwood said.

COMMENTARY

Americans can learn from Amish community's response to shooting

While living in Chicago a few years ago, I witnessed something quite surreal as I studied near Grant Park across from the famed Michigan Avenue. As though I were gawking at an intriguing television screen, from across the street I watched an Amish family of seven or eight explore a block of Chicago — their complete plainness contrasted by the elaborate, superfluousness that is downtown big city. The quiet children amid honking horns.