Law course readies students for technology in courtroom

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.

Here come the geeks

Sporting a clip-on tie and the white-socks, black-pants combo that makes fashion-followers freak, Joel Urbanowicz is a true geek.

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.

Five favorites

Things going on in the world of pop culture that might make your life a little bit better: 1 "Memoirs of a Geisha," a movie about a Japanese child who is taken from her poor family to work at a geisha house before World War II, is released on DVD today.

MRULE 2-day AIDS event draws 600

By Jason Chapman For The State News Audience members viewing an AIDS awareness movie called "A Closer Walk" began to shed tears as soon as the film began in the crowded Union on Saturday. The movie, which depicted dismal scenes of AIDS throughout the world, was the centerpiece and inspiration of a two-day event called "No Place to Hide: Student Activism and the Fight Against the Global AIDS Pandemic," according to students of the Multi-Racial Unity Living Experience, or MRULE. "We want students to find their place in the great struggle to fight this pandemic," MRULE Director Jeanne Gazel said.

Recent arrest shows Islam's intolerance

I find it ironic that riots have just concluded in Afghanistan concerning the Prophet Muhammad cartoons and the West's apparent "intolerance" of Islam, only to have an Afghani Christian, Abdul Rahman, arrested there for converting from Islam to Christianity. Even if the possibility of him facing the death penalty did not exist, such an egregious violation of one's human rights would still be appalling.

Wine event offers MSU Museum sip of support

By Tara Thoel For The State News Steve Szilvagyi makes wine, cooks with wine and wants to keep up on the latest varieties of the drink. That's why a wine-tasting benefit at the Kellogg Center on Friday was perfect for the East Lansing resident. Tables were lined with more than 100 different kinds of wine, as volunteers poured many glasses and wine distributors answered questions about the different selections to support ongoing programs at the MSU Museum.

Writer should have sense to be logical

In response to Joseph Ryzyi's "Sick of Bice; want anything but religion" (SN 3/23), I'm disappointed.

'Inside Man' delivers strong acting, original plot

By Justin KrollFor The State News For nearly 30 years, Spike Lee has infused American cinema with some of the most powerful films made about politics, relationships and especially race.

Maine's bounces unlucky for MSU

Albany, N.Y. — The NCAA Tournament is a bad time to stop having bounces go your way. That's exactly what happened to MSU on Sunday evening at Pepsi Arena in the regional final game. On the defensive end, it was tipped shots from Maine that found their way into the back of the net. On the offensive end, the Spartans rarely found themselves on the positive end of any scrums in front of Maine goaltender Ben Bishop. By the time the bounces starting slowing down for Maine, the Spartans found themselves down 3-0 late in the first period. "The goals they got were good goals, but they were tip goals — the tough ones for a goaltender to see and react to with a lot of guys in front of them," junior captain Drew Miller said. The Black Bears' first three goals came off tip-ins in front of MSU freshman goaltender Jeff Lerg.

Rapper's new album lackluster, unoriginal

The bass lines thud, and the lyrics "go dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb." Or at least that's how E-40 lays down the hook for the single "Tell Me When To Go" from his new album, "My Ghetto Report Card." E-40 is a West Coast rapper — "The Ambassador of the Bay" — with straight A+s in hustlin', tycoonin', hoodshop and music, says the CD jacket of "My Ghetto Report Card." But what E-40 forgot to grade himself on was originality, in which he gets an F. He raps about muscle cars with flashy rims, drinking Hennessy and 40s of brew, keeping an eye out for the police and degrading women.

Hockey team finally gets SN coverage

Finally! I've been a Spartans hockey season ticket holder this year and have really enjoyed watching this team fight through injuries at the beginning of the season and battle many tough opponents all season long. When I knew it had won the CCHA Championship and was going to advance to the NCAA Tournament, I looked for some front-page coverage in The State News.

Cancer event hits home for student

A moment of silence fell upon the MSU greek community in remembrance of cancer patients Saturday night. As I looked around the room in Demonstration Hall, I could see the passion and commitment to the fight against cancer in the eyes of the about 3,000 people participating in the annual Relay For Life event. This moment led me to realize how cancer has touched my personal life and the ones I love.

Better methods exist for parking enforcers

After reading Holly Klaft's article, "6 new trucks purchased for parking enforcement" (SN 3/24), and the department's attempts to justify the need for new 2006 Dodge Dakotas, I can't say that I feel its budget is being well spent. I find the reasons listed in the article to be somewhat ridiculous — the low speeds' effect on the engine and "seats inside the trucks begin to wear down" hardly seem like good reasons to replace five-year-old vehicles.

Police briefs 03/27/06

Recruits impressive early on

Three coaches and seven new recruits made their debuts Friday as the MSU football team opened the spring season with its first practice — a session head coach John L.

Accusations of misinformation in previous column lack merit, fact

Some readers seemed distressed by my column on the well-established negative correlation between scientific education and belief in God, "Evolutionary theory, science needed to vaccinate irrational beliefs" (SN 2/16). Regrettably, fact checking was not their forte. In "Bice misinterprets studies in his column" (SN 3/17), Charlie Mack claimed that I mischaracterized a study by Rice University sociologist Elaine Ecklund when I wrote "Natural science faculty were less likely to believe in God than social scientists." Although this was a small point in my column, Mack argued that professors weren't asked direct questions on belief in God, but two questions regarding levels of "truth" in religions. However, Rice University's Office of News and Media Relations described the study as having 36 questions on religious beliefs and spiritual practices and, "Nearly 38 percent of natural scientists surveyed said they did not believe in God, but only 31 percent of the social scientists gave that response." I also contacted Ecklund by phone; she kindly confirmed that the study did, indeed, have direct questions on belief in God. Rudy Bernard's recent column, "Scientists don't need to dismiss religion to be credible, accurate" (SN 3/14), also deserves a response. Bernard wrote, "Even the group with the highest level of unbelief (biologists) still has a majority with belief." That's completely false. A majority of scientists surveyed were either atheist or agnostic.

Deficit may affect zoo, Lansing jobs

The future of Potter Park Zoo and the regional make-up of Ingham County's fire department dispatch response could be in limbo with Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero's budget plan. Bernero will present those ideas and a list of 40 budget proposals to quell Lansing's $11 million deficit at 7 p.m.

State shouldn't judge people on differences

In Bryan Victor's letter "Affirmative action helps fight racism" (SN 3/24), he claims that the state does have the right to treat people differently based on race. I would like to call everyone's attention back to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 where it states the principle of equality "without regard to their race, color, religion, or national origin." I wonder, how is it that minorities will ever overcome the separation between themselves and the majority if they are continually labeled, separated and treated differently? A study done by Heilman, Block, and Lucas (1992, study 2) shows that women and other minorities were perceived as less competent when affirmative action was a component in the selection process than when it was not. If we really wanted to help those at a disadvantage at getting into college, we would implement a socioeconomic "affirmative action" so that those who have the most trouble at qualifying for college (worse schools, unable to participate in extra curricula, work full time as well as attend high school) would be helped regardless of race, color or ethnicity. Stacey Mattson preveterinary freshman

ASMSU survey opens online

Beginning today, students can fill out an online survey created by ASMSU officials to determine student demand for additional recreational space on campus. The survey will be available to fill out for a week and a half, student government officials said. ASMSU, MSU's undergraduate student government, allocated $7,000 in January to fund a survey of student opinions on the project, which calls for the construction of a combined IM facility and student events center. The project is meant to compete with facilities at other universities and would lower expenses for registered student organizations planning to host events such as concerts, speaker series and other larger events, ASMSU officials said. Additional financial resources are needed to pursue this project, said Rick McNeil, assistant director of Intramural Sports and Recreative Services, adding that students would have to be willing to pay fees incorporated into tuition. "There are two parts," said Harry Wang, a finance sophomore and Eli Broad College of Business representative for ASMSU's Student Assembly.