Holiday 2005 movie preview

For college students, winter break is a great time to finally do some laundry, hang out with the family and read something that isn't a textbook.

Police SUV almost broadsided student

Ian McNabb is not alone in near accidents with MSU police vehicles blatantly violating the laws they so tyrannically impose, "Police should practice laws, give right of way" (SN 12/2). Early this semester, I was nearly broadsided at the Shaw-Bogue traffic circle.

E.L. library will hold international film fest

The East Lansing Public Library will host an international film festival at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec.

Osteopathic school looks to expand

There's another medical school on campus planning an expansion outside East Lansing. MSU's College of Osteopathic Medicine has a four-year Detroit campus in the works that could be established by 2007. The College of Human Medicine has garnered attention with plans to expand to Grand Rapids, but the osteopathic school already has gone through an enrollment expansion. Osteopathic Medicine accepted an incoming class of about 125 students "literally for decades," said Pat Grauer, a spokeswoman for the college.

What's in the water?

Sarah Tinsler drinks the water on campus — but not because she wants to. She said she would rather drink the "tinny" water than pay for the bottled kind. "I don't really have any other choice, and it sucks," the human biology sophomore said. Although several students said the quality of water on campus needs improvement, Physical Plant officials said the campus tap water won't be changed only because of taste reasons. "For me, I've grown up on well water, but you get someone who's grown up in Wayne County with surface water (that is) softened; they think well water is really different," said Bob Ellerhorst, director of Utilities and Waste Management.

Homecooked dinner celebrates twins' B-day

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 30 — Anthony Ciolino "Come on guys, start eating," Anthony Ciolino said.

Bashing hypocritical, protest served purpose

Your opinion editorial, "Fighting critics" (SN 12/05), is a very good hypocritical piece.

Quiet night at the movies rings in birthday

TUESDAY, Nov. 22 — Franky Nguyen The lobby of NCG Eastwood Cinemas in the Eastwood Towne Center was surprisingly crowded for a Tuesday when Franky Nguyen arrived in a tie and dress pants. While many of the bustling movie patrons snaked their way through the cordoned-off maze for a free showing of the family comedy "Yours, Mine & Ours," Nguyen was interested in something a bit more magical to celebrate his 21st birthday. The chemistry senior spent the afternoon observing natural science classes at Holt High School, a precursor for becoming a teacher after his May graduation. For Nguyen, turning 21 wasn't much of a milestone. "It's just another day," he said.

Still waiting

And to think, the East Lansing City Council will take this seriously. Seven months worth of meetings to come to the conclusion that no one is to blame for the April 2-3 disturbances and produce recommendations that look fine on paper, but aren't earth shattering. But at least it was a diverse commission. According to independent commission and City Councilmember Mark Meadows, the split decision of the commission on whether or not to assess blame demonstrated "that the commission was truly independent and diverse." So? What is the point of being independent and diverse if it's impossible to bring those diverse opinions together to reach some sort of conclusion?

'Wonder Dog' recovers from hospital visit

Zeke the Wonder Dog was taken to the MSU Small Animal Clinic last Friday after he chewed some carpet in the home of his owners, Jim and Terri Foley. He was taken in for surgery after the carpet became stuck in his intestines, and he went home Monday evening. Zeke, whose real name is Dexter, is best known for catching flying discs during pregame and halftime events at Spartan football games and other locations. Terri Foley, Zeke's owner, said he might not have meant to eat the carpet. "We think he may have gotten sick from something else and tried to clean it up, but ended up eating the carpet, too," Terri Foley said.

Night of shots at the bar ends in bloody mess

21

Twenty one. It separates the old from the young, the bar crowd from the house partyers, the legal imbibing from the MIP. Twenty one. It's as much a college lifestyle as an age — opening up barroom doors to an exclusive adult world of music, dancing and drinking that dominates East Lansing's downtown during the weekends. Twenty one. For many health experts and sociologists, it's a misunderstood number, fraught with exaggerated stigmas, misinformation and peer pressure. Twenty one. It's the number of shots student Brad McCue downed as part of a drinking ritual at Rick's American Café in 1998, killing the man on his birthday and catapulting the issue of celebratory binge drinking in East Lansing to the forefront. Advocates battle stigmas to inform students Part of the problem with drinking is that many students are uninformed about their peers' behavior or the social norms of drinking, said Becky Allen, a health educator for alcohol, tobacco and other drugs at Olin Health Center. According to the 2004 National College Health Assessment, the percentage of peers students thought to consume alcohol on a daily basis increased steadily from 2000 to 2004, while the survey found that there was no clear increase or decrease in consumption.

Lessons learned in freshman year will carry through rest of college

One of the toughest transitions I've had to make is from the life of a high school student to that of a college student.

Steep fines given out for icy sidewalks

As soon as it snows outside, animal science and pre-veterinary medicine junior Michelle Gormley said she shovels the sidewalk in front of her house in order to keep walkers safe. "It only takes a couple of minutes to shovel your sidewalk," she said.

Music reporter offers up top sounds for 2005

With the end of the year looming, everyone has or soon will come up with their own list of best and worst everything in 2005.

E.L. man arrested in weekend standoff

A suicidal East Lansing man barricaded himself in his ex-girlfriend's house with a knife early Sunday morning. Police trained in tactical entry and hostage negotiations tasered and arrested the 23-year-old. The ex-girlfriend and another resident at the house in the 600 block of Hagadorn Road had locked themselves in an upstairs bedroom and called police when the man smashed through the front window at about 3:30 a.m., East Lansing police Chief Tom Wibert said. The suspect said he was trying to cut himself with a knife and refused to speak with a hostage negotiations officer, Wibert said. "He was unwilling to talk, irrational," he said.

Dangerous criminals need more jail time

I applaud your analysis, "Way too easy" (SN 12/2), that white-collar crime typically results in significantly less jail or prison time for offenders.

Boudro, Andy Simmons win individual titles

Two MSU wrestlers earned tournament titles Sunday at the Nittany Lion Open at Penn State University.

Multiple genders is not new, common

I disagree with Ryan Townsend's statement in his letter "Only two genders, demands are bogus" (SN 12/02), that there are only two genders. Townsend mistakenly conflates sex and gender as the same thing, which they are not.

MSU to fix traffic circle

A proposed intersection with traffic lights that would replace the traffic circle at Bogue Street and Wilson Road would better control the flow of pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles, administrators say. As part of the 2020 Vision plan, Wilson Road between Farm Lane and Conrad Hall and Bogue Street between Shaw Lane and the Veterinary Medical Center parking lot will be reconstructed, adding bicycle lanes and changing the intersection. The MSU Board of Trustees will vote on an architect and engineer for the project at its meeting Friday. The proposed reconstruction of the traffic circle to include a traffic light fits with the priorities for pedestrians first, bicycles second and vehicles third, said Jeff Kacos, director of Campus Planning and Administration and chairman of the Campus Infrastructure Planning Work Group. "While traffic circles are very efficient for moving vehicles, they're not pedestrian-friendly," Kacos said.