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ICE HOCKEY

Seniors set bar high for future of MSU hockey

Albany, N.Y. — The hockey team's 5-4 loss to Maine in the NCAA East Regional Finals was a complete turn of emotions from what the Spartans felt nearly one week prior after clinching the CCHA playoff championship. Instead of smiles and hugs, there was an abundance of long faces for anyone wearing green and white after the game. After they watched Maine celebrate on the Pepsi Arena ice they skated over to the MSU fan section that made the trip from East Lansing and saluted the fans with their sticks the same way they salute fans after every home game — win or lose. And as the players' sticks hit the ice for one last time this season, the careers of the four regularly dressed seniors — David Booth, Corey Potter, Colton Fretter and Jared Nightingale — came to an end. "It's pretty sad right now," Fretter said, at a loss for words following the game. The only thing that could have prevented the sadness was a national championship and even then there would still be tears, although they would've been associated with another emotion. But in a few days when the seniors have had time to reflect on their college careers, each will realize they were part of something special. Before this season, the seniors had to field questions from the media on why they weren't in the national tournament, why they couldn't win the CCHA or why they couldn't get two weekend wins. This year, they accomplished all of that and converted critics of MSU hockey into fans.

MICHIGAN

Student bicyclist hit

Usually, you can't miss him. Erik Green rides a double-decker bike — a dark blue frame stacked on top of a copper-colored one.

MSU

U-M professor, author will debate initiative

Fredricka Paul
March 28, 2006

The Residence Halls Association, with help from other campus organizations, is sponsoring a debate on campus today about the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative. The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, or MCRI, is a proposal to amend the state constitution to ban affirmative action programs that give preferential treatment to groups or individuals based on their race, gender, color, ethnicity or national origin for public employment, education or contracting purposes. Speakers will include activist and author Tim Wise and University of Michigan philosophy Professor Carl Cohen. The Residence Halls Association, or RHA, and ASMSU, MSU's undergraduate student government, decided to take a stance against MCRI in December. Vic Maurer, director of Racial, Ethnic and Progressive Affairs for RHA, said he started to consider holding the event in November. "(RHA) represents student concerns, and this is obviously an issue students are concerned about," Maurer said, adding that the initiative clearly affects the campus and state. The event will cost close to $9,000, with speakers costing $4,000 each.

NEWS

Granholm to sign wage bill

Ken Osborne
March 28, 2006

Gov. Jennifer Granholm is expected to sign a bill today which will give minimum wage workers in Michigan their first raise in nine years. The increase, which would take effect in October, would set the minimum wage at $6.95 per hour.

NEWS

Trustee: Policies discussed at dinners

Josh Jarman
March 28, 2006

On the evening of Jan. 12, the MSU Board of Trustees gathered, as it often does, to share a dinner and drinks at Cowles House the night before its monthly public meeting. Along with MSU President Lou Anna K.

COMMENTARY

Sidwood wrong place for editorial cartoon

Apparently, Mike Ramsey is now getting two editorial comics a day. I have liked his Sidwood comics all year and thought it was cool The State News was running some original comics from a student that are the same style as the popular syndicated comics.

NEWS

MIDDAY UPDATE: Debate team shines against Wake Forest, walks away with title

It took four hours, but the MSU Debate Team finally got its championship. The squad faced off in the National Debate Tournament championship against Wake Forest University on Monday night. It wasn't until Tuesday morning when they were finally declared national champions. After nearly four hours of intense debating and judge deliberations, the MSU senior duo of Ryan Burke and Casey Harrigan, who debated for the team, couldn't believe their ears or their sleep-deprived eyes. "I'm still kind of in shock," Harrigan said.

MSU

Study: College faculty values own spirituality

Nurses work with people who are within inches of their lives on a day-to-day basis. That's why Mary Jo Arndt, an associate professor and director of undergraduate programs in the College of Nursing, said her students will encounter many instances that involve someone's spirituality. "People are very vulnerable when (nurses) work with them.

COMMENTARY

Affirmative action can be improved

I am glad Stacey Mattson took time to reassert every misconception of affirmative action in her letter, "State shouldn't judge people on differences" (SN 3/27), if for no other reason than to prove just how wrong opponents to affirmative action are.

MSU

Law course readies students for technology in courtroom

Fredricka Paul
March 28, 2006

Many professionals in the law field, including lawyers and paralegals, are switching over to electronic evidence programs as courtrooms become more high tech. And MSU College of Law students are following suit. A new course, called the Courtroom Technology and Electronic Evidence Lab, is open to law students and practicing attorneys. This semester, two sessions of the course were offered to students, including one that is currently in session. The lab teaches students how to use a program called TrialDirector Suite, which is the most-used trial presentation software. Bonnie Dabb, a judicial assistant for Judge David McKeague of the U.S.

COMMENTARY

Keep on truckin'

You've probably seen them around campus by now. Instead of green Dodge Dakotas that made everyone scramble to put more change in the meters, there are six brand-new, shiny, extended-cab Dodge Dakotas to help parking enforcers get around. The MSU Department of Police and Public Safety Parking Services has upgraded its 2002 vehicles to the newest 2006 models. Given that $2 million of the department's funding is from parking tickets, it might appear to many students that their misfortune paid for those new vehicles. Due to constant low-speed driving and the increased amount of seat wear from parking enforcers getting in and out of the vehicles, parking officials said the upgrade was needed. But the necessity depends on how you look at it. For students who drive and park on campus, the lack of legal and cheap areas to park is made worse by parking enforcers who are sometimes pitiless and "just doing their job." In "Showdown at the meter" (SN 2/28), it's clear that parking enforcers are not popular and sometimes the target of drivers' anger (spitting, yelling and lifting a vehicle while the enforcer was still inside). It would seem that anyone who has ever paid a ticket would have a stake in how it was spent.