Word on the street

Are East Lansing noise ordinances coming down too hard on house parties? "If you're trashing public property, then there should be a fine.

Local spa promotes health, relaxation

Grand Ledge — It was just a birthday gift for a day of beauty treatments at a local salon, but for Sheila Laing, something clicked. Laing, who had worked as an MSU secretary for 14 years and had been an MSU student for more than two years, quit her job and began to chase her long-time dream of starting her own salon business. "I told my husband this is what I wanted to do," Laing said.

Cutting out calories

Students didn't seem to notice the physical changes in cafeteria cook Gilbert Manuell until they saw the picture posted on his sandwich station. "Some students, because they've seen me every day, never paid much attention (to my weight loss) until they saw my picture," said Manuell, who works in Landon and Yakeley halls.

Board to consider student selection for committees

The MSU Board of Trustees will decide today whether or not to transfer power from faculty to student government officials when selecting undergraduate students to serve on academic committees. Robert Murphy, former chairperson for ASMSU's Academic Assembly, said the proposal would amend bylaws of the Academic Governance system that affect both standing committees and ad hoc committees, which are temporary committees formed by administrators to discuss a specific issue that arises throughout the year. Currently, MSU faculty members possess the power to assign students to Academic Governance committees, such as the Executive Committee of Academic Council, which schedules agendas for Faculty Council and Academic Council as well as reviews university legislation. "It's merely correcting a small oversight in the bylaws," said Murphy, of MSU's undergraduate student government.

WEB EXTRA: RHA swears in new Executive Board

It was out with the old and in with the new at Wednesday night's Residence Halls Association meeting, as RHA's Executive Board members were sworn into their positions. The executive board will be filled with returning members in new positions, as well as some new faces. New RHA President Lindsay Palinsky said she was a little nervous running her first meeting as the group's leader. "As I got used to it, the meeting went more smoothly," Palinsky said.

Breaking silence

More than women are needed to spread sexual assault awareness. In part of celebrating Sexual Assault Awareness Month, on Tuesday the daylong ceremony Take Back the Night was held.

Full-length campus-filmed movie debuts tonight at local theater

Local filmmaker Jonathan Worful and MSU alumnus Timothy Gunn started shooting their film "An Apology to the Dead" in the summer of 2003.

Hoyer emerges as backup quarterback behind Stanton

Senior quarterback Drew Stanton will be stepping back for the next couple weeks so that sophomore Brian Hoyer can get more time calling plays. Head coach John L.

SN style: Fresh faced makeup

Thanks to the plethora of beauty products on the shelves today, you can look tan without getting any sun and have wind-blown beach hair without going to the beach (you can also have 25-year-old skin when you're 75, but we'll save that topic for a later date). Achieving this natural, sun-kissed look requires minimal time and effort, and is universally flattering.

Student group reaches out to Muslim faculty

The Muslim Students' Association is trying to raise awareness in the MSU community that there are numerous Muslim professors on campus because their achievements often go unnoticed among the larger community, members said. The group will bring together more than 20 Muslim professors Friday for an honorary dinner to build support in the Muslim community and to recognize the professors' academic achievements. "We're trying to show the community that Muslim professors are amongst us, teaching and making contributions," said Abdulahi Sufi, a business administration and prelaw junior and member of the association.

McCollum gets life in prison, no parole

Claude McCollum was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Wednesday morning for the January 2005 murder of Lansing Community College professor Carolyn Kronenberg. Kronenberg, 60, was found dead in her classroom minutes before class was to start. Lee Taylor, McCollum's attorney, said he plans to file an appeal.

WEB EXTRA: Happenings

MUSIC TONIGHT: Covert Operations and Gruv Unit are performing in Lansing at Mac's Bar, 2700 E.

ASMSU benefits its members, not MSU

Isn't it odd that the only two people that have written in to defend ASMSU from its strongest critiques are two of its own members — Paul Harmon, "ASMSU doing best with circumstances" (SN 4/4), who a quick Google.com search shows is the former Association Director of ASMSU, and J.C.

Illusion of race causes breakdown in communication, mass stupidity

Frank Zappa once said, "I'm not black, but there's a whole lot of times I wish I could say I'm not white." I can't say I disagree with him. As a white female, I obviously cannot even begin to understand the perspective of a minority, but I can still blatantly see the dangers that exist within America's racial reality. Racial tension might not be at an all-time high, but it definitely isn't lacking in our culture and society.

On the menu

The MSU Board of Trustees closeted itself inside Cowles House on Wednesday night for its traditional night-before-a-public-meeting dinner and talked over salmon, stroganoff and good drinks. Board members have said they don't conduct official business during these dinners.

Police briefs 04/13/06

Minority retention, graduation rates rise

The percentage of first-year students — especially first-year minority students — who return for their sophomore year is the highest at MSU since 1983, according to a new report released by the university. The Executive Summary on Inclusion and Diversity at MSU also showed that the six-year graduation rates, especially for minorities, are the highest since 1983. The report "highlights the areas and new initiatives that are happening, as well as the ongoing work on campus," said Paulette Granberry Russell, director of MSU's Office of Affirmative Action, Compliance and Monitoring. Granberry Russell will present the information to the MSU Board of Trustees in her annual executive summary speech today at its April meeting.

CATA will not offer services on Sunday

There will be no CATA bus service on Sunday due to the Easter holiday. Many Saturday night routes will conclude earlier than usual.

University again declines to release Hubbard assault report

About seven weeks after three men allegedly assaulted three other men on campus, the official incident report still hasn't been made public.

Stereotype reference immature, insensitive

I was a bit dismayed, and disappointed, that Adam Lark chose to begin his article "Potter Park endangered" (SN 4/7) by claiming that visitors to the zoo are greeted by the "ominous … shape of an American Indian." Dismayed because, as a member of the White Earth Band of Minnesota Chippewa, I see, once again, reporters (who should know better) falling back on the stereotypical image of "ominous" Native Americans doing what? Threatening zoo goers?