Downtown Lansing abounds with politicians, and Bill White could be any one of them as he sits in a Beaner's Gourmet Coffee around the corner from the Capitol, dressed in a suit and tie, sipping a tall mocha topped with a swirl of whipped cream. But White isn't a mainstream politician.
By Toshira Johnson For The State News A day of swing dancing got the Comm Arts Dance-Nic celebration off on the right foot by wowing the crowd with jumpin', jivin' and swingin' routines.
In 1855, MSU helped to define what it meant to be a land-grant institution, teaching agriculture, technical skills and a variety of other studies to the working classes. Now, more than 150 years later, members of the MSU community are looking to extend the university's international reach, and are attempting to define what it would mean for MSU to be a world-grant institution. "We've built a university to serve not only Michigan, but the world," said Jeffrey Riedinger, acting dean of International Studies and Programs.
Equality is the overarching basis of the freedoms we enjoy in this country. Without equal status before the law our legal system is perverted and our lawmakers are allowed to govern according to their own whims, fears and prejudices.
Students reacquainting themselves with driving across campus next fall will face some new challenges after the reconstruction of a major roadway is completed this summer. The changes include redeveloping the Abbot Entrance in north campus by removing some parking, improving the crosswalks and changing the section of West Circle Drive from the entrance to Beal Street into a one-lane road with a new bike lane. The construction will also remove 24 parking spaces along the circle near the MSU Museum. University officials reviewed plans for the West Circle Drive redevelopment at the MSU Board of Trustees meeting April 13. "Over the next three years, we're basically going to attack every part of West Circle Drive," said Dennis Hansen, an MSU landscape architect who gave a presentation on the construction at the meeting. Hansen said the university would reduce parking on the road by 65 spaces in the next three years.
The final reports of five committees looking to increase faculty input in university decisions will be assessed by one new committee — lengthening the amount of time before the committees can impact the Academic Governance system. Faculty Council approved the formation of an integration committee Tuesday, which will begin looking at reports released this week from four of the committees. The five committees, called the Faculty Voice Task Force Groups, were created last fall to address faculty's role in specific issues — such as restructuring the Academic Governance system, reviewing administrators and academic programs, defining the role of fixed-term faculty and improving communication within the system. Four committees presented their final recommendations at Tuesday's meeting, and the task force looking at the structure of the Academic Governance system is scheduled to issue its final report in October. The proposal of an integration committee came on behalf of the Executive Committee of Academic Council, which now has the responsibility to form the new committee. Although the proposal passed without any formal discussion, several faculty members voiced their concerns throughout the meeting about having an integration committee. "Having an integration committee is counterproductive," said Wolfgang Bauer, chairperson of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and chairperson for the communications task force. "We have an opportunity to occupy a leadership position here, so let's not send it to another committee," Bauer said of his task force's recommendations. The integration committee will look at combining the task forces' various recommendations into a single package and assess the costs of carrying them out.
Recently there's been a vigorous discussion regarding the reliability of the Bible in general and the New Testament in particular.
Supplying information about current events, trends, issues and people to the public is no easy task.
Students can weave in and out of the museum, look at textiles in the collection and even write a few lines of poetry to share tonight at the MSU Museum's "Line by Line, Peace by Peace" program. The museum will host open-house poetry from 6 to 9 p.m.
By Alex Altman For The State News Even while growing up in Canada where college gymnastics did not exist, Kristen Coleman dreamed of the opportunity to compete against the best collegiate gymnasts in the country.
The NBA mothers are coming to Lansing, and they won't be playing basketball like their all-star sons. This Saturday, they'll be scoring a slam dunk with gospel music at the Immanuel's Temple Community Church, 5400 S.
U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., was named one of the nation's 10 best senators in this week's edition of Time magazine. The piece on 71-year-old Levin is titled "Carl Levin: The Bird-Dogger." It describes the senator as "pudgy, balding and occasionally rumpled, and he constantly wears his glasses at the very tip of his nose." But the article goes on to state, "Still, the Michigan Democrat has gained respect from both parties for his attention to detail and deep knowledge of policy, especially in his role as a vigilant monitor of businesses and federal agencies." The Michigan Democratic Party issued a statement of congratulations to Sen.
There were little girls — little girls everywhere you turned, in puffy little princess dresses excitedly awaiting their redheaded heroine.
The MSU football team's defensive linemen have been shuffled around throughout the spring practice schedule as the coaching staff searches to find a combination that works best. Senior Clifton Ryan, who tallied a team-high three sacks as a defensive end during the 2005 campaign, has switched over to defensive tackle.
About 20 MSU students wearing blue shirts gathered in and near the public bathrooms in Wells Hall on Wednesday afternoon in an attempt to raise awareness about transgender issues on campus. The students — members of TransAction, a discussion group for transgender individuals and allies, and Phi Tau Mu, an organization for female-to-male transgender students — were part of a "bathroom crawl." They traveled to a number of bathrooms across campus spreading information about such issues as creating gender-neutral bathrooms in university buildings. Mathematics senior Courtney Couvreur helped spread pamphlets at the event.
The MSU College of Human Medicine received an $85-million shot in the arm Tuesday as it prepares to expand into west Michigan. Spectrum Health, a private not-for-profit system of hospitals in the Grand Rapids area, pledged to provide the money to the college's West Michigan Medical School, which is expected to open its doors to second-year students as early as 2008. The move is the first in a rapid series of events that will cement the expansion, said Marsha Rappley, the acting dean of the college.
Michigan could be one of the first states to host a Democratic presidential primary in 2008 if an application submitted by the Michigan Democratic Party is accepted by the Democratic National Committee. Last month the Rules and Bylaws committee of the Democratic National Committee, or DNC, created up to four open spots between the set first caucus in Iowa and the period in which any state can hold its caucus or primary. The Iowa caucus will be followed by one or two available spots for other states to house caucuses before New Hampshire holds its own primary.
State College, Pa. — Penn State fined women's basketball coach Rene Portland $10,000 after concluding she violated university policy in her treatment of a player who was perceived to be a lesbian. The university said Portland would be dismissed for any future violation of the school's nondiscrimination policy.
East Lansing officials appear to be just two weeks away from finalizing changes to a party noise ordinance that one MSU student said has "come a long way" and another called "a hollow attempt" to calm concerned residents. City Council held a public hearing on the proposed changes Tuesday in the Union Ballroom.
The Big Green online magazine will host An Afternoon of Hope, as an alternative to the neo-Nazi rally and protests being held in Lansing on April 22. The Benefit Bash will be held from 2 to 6 p.m.