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NEWS

President, students talk at RHA meeting

Kristen Daum
November 17, 2005

MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said Wednesday she had hoped for a different outcome from the report released by the independent commission reviewing the April 2-3 disturbances. The report released a list of recommendations for future disturbances, but did not place blame on a particular group. "I felt there was going to be some clear understanding of what went right and what went wrong," Simon told members of the Residence Halls Association, or RHA, at its General Assembly meeting Wednesday. She said the university might look at doing surveys of students to see what their opinions are on the recommendations made by the commission. About 300 tear-gas canisters were released when a police-estimated crowd of about 3,000 people spilled out into East Lansing streets after the men's basketball team lost to the University of North Carolina in the Final Four.

NEWS

The happenings

Movies Films coming out this Friday: "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.

MICHIGAN

City will invest $4M for Lansing Center upgrades

Millions of dollars in renovations to the Lansing Center will bring more people into the city. At least, that's what the Lansing City Council hopes. "We need to keep the Lansing Center viable," City Council President Sandy Allen said.

NEWS

Can't hush Harry

Jacqueline Wayneguite
November 17, 2005

Muggles throughout East Lansing are anxious to get their hands on golden eggs and take their turn dancing in the Yule Ball. Unfortunately for the non-wizard folks, they'll have to wait till tomorrow to live vicariously through the 14-year-old wizard Harry Potter as he takes the big screen, an "eckeltricity" wonder that the likes of Arthur Weasley could only dream about. This magical world will be brought to life in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," the fourth installment of the ever-popular series of novels by author J.

MSU

Panel grades youth sports

Laura Collins
November 17, 2005

A community league soccer game for 6-year-olds has turned into something too serious, said Dan Gould, the director of MSU's Institute for the Study of Youth Sports. "Some of the dads are worried about who is winning, when 6-year-olds should just run around," said Gould, also a kinesiology professor.

MICHIGAN

New SN editor expects gradual changes for paper

Kris Turner
November 16, 2005

Connecting to readers and expanding the content of The State News are just some of the plans Nick Mrozowski would like to implement as the next editor in chief of the paper. Mrozowski, a journalism junior who is the deputy managing editor of the paper, was appointed head of the newsroom by The State News Board of Directors in late October.

SPORTS

Buckeyes, Wolverines pulling for MSU

Eric Fish
November 16, 2005

With the final week of conference action approaching, the 2005 Big Ten Championship has come down to Penn State, Ohio State or Michigan. The championship will be decided in two contests this weekend when the Buckeyes travel to arch-rival Michigan and MSU plays host to Penn State. "This is the most exciting weekend in Big Ten football," Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel said.

NEWS

MIDDAY UPDATE: Protesters want Wal-Mart to raise its standards

A certain smiley face might be frowning this week as many in the MSU community join a national campaign challenging the superstore, Wal-Mart, to become a better corporate citizen. As part of Wal-Mart Higher Expectations Week, more than 1,200 events in every state, including protests, legislative town hall meetings and screenings of a new documentary "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price" have been organized, said Nu Wexler, spokesman for Wal-Mart Watch. The nonprofit organization has been working to publicize allegations that the superstore practices discrimination against employees, other corporations and the environment all in an effort to keep prices low. Wexler said the name of the week was a spin-off on a statement once made by Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. "He used to tell his employees that high expectations are the key to everything and we certainly agree," Wexler said.

NEWS

Health officials propose plan for networked patient records

Bob Darrow
November 16, 2005

Lansing-area health care providers, educators and state officials joined forces Tuesday to announce plans for a networked system that would give doctors throughout the community access to electronic versions of their patients' medical records. Organizers say the proposed regional health information organization, also known as a RHIO, would reduce health care costs, minimize medical errors and allow officials to monitor health trends within the community. With a RHIO, authorized area doctors and trained staff would be able to view information on their patients from all member health-care providers.

MSU

Chimps mourn departed friend

His half brother and four other members of his troop sat beside him to touch the body of their companion for one last time. Jo Mendi, a 26-year-old male chimpanzee at John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, died Friday after routine dental surgery. Later that day, the five other chimpanzees Jo Mendi had lived with since 2001 were given an opportunity to bid him farewell. "There was not a dry eye in the place," said Bert Vescolani, director of the zoo.

FEATURES

First on-campus production of 'The Life' explores prostitution

Jacqueline Wayneguite
November 16, 2005

When Sharriese Hamilton accepted the role of Queen in the production of "The Life," which opens Thursday night at Fairchild Theatre in the Auditorium, she said she didn't realize how depressing her role as a prostitute would be. The theater senior said she plays a woman who turned to a life of prostitution to raise enough money to support her boyfriend and her dreams for a normal future. "It's her struggle to get out of this life," Hamilton said. To prepare for her role as a prostitute, Hamilton said the cast watched an HBO documentary called "Hookers at the Point." That wasn't the only research done before rehearsal.

NEWS

MIDDAY UPDATE: MSU medical school to add West Michigan campus

Bob Darrow
November 16, 2005

Grand Rapids — MSU's College of Human Medicine will create a second four-year campus in West Michigan, officials announced Wednesday. After nearly a year of working out plans for the expansion, the major stakeholders in the project — which include MSU, area hospitals and the Van Andel Institute, among others — released a "proof of concept" report outlining the direction the new program will take. The four-year campus in East Lansing will be maintained, and eventually about 100 students will be added per class at the Grand Rapids campus by 2010, effectively doubling the size of the college. Although the medical school will remain a single administrative unit, with one curriculum, one tuition rate and one dean, the Grand Rapids school will be given a certain amount of autonomy with its title, the MSU West Michigan Medical School. The college dean's office will move to Grand Rapids once a building is completed to house the school.

FEATURES

The vault: 'Class Act' captures the '90s better than most

Aaron Foley
November 16, 2005

After "House Party," but before they faded into oblivion, pop-rap duo Kid 'N Play teamed up for "Class Act," a slapstick teen comedy that is pure '90s. The 1992 film encompasses more aspects of the decade than any VH1 special could — most of the characters wear Cross Colours, the language is "dope" and everything's asymmetric, including main character Duncan Pinderhughes' hairstyle. The movie tells a tale of mistaken identities.

NEWS

Automotive industry to hurt state's job market

Melissa Domsic
November 16, 2005

Job opportunities for college graduates are rising across the country, but significant cuts within Michigan's automotive industry are hindering the overall increase, according to a report released today by MSU's Collegiate Employment Research Institute. Instead of a 14 percent nationwide increase, it would be closer to 6 percent if Michigan's auto industry cuts are taken into consideration, said Phil Gardner, the institute's director and author of the report. "I'm not sure how it's going to play out," Gardner said.

MSU

Alum honored for service

Laura Collins
November 16, 2005

Standing in the back of the MSU Auditorium in the 1960s, David Hollister's life was changed. As a night student working toward his master's degree, Hollister was handed a flier for one of the many guest speeches held on campus. But this one was different. In a packed auditorium, Hollister said he listened to Martin Luther King Jr.

MSU

Immediate openings offered at preschool

Fredricka Paul
November 16, 2005

There are immediate openings for MSU's Child Development Laboratory morning and afternoon preschool for children 3- to 5-years old. Classes meet Monday through Thursday until April 28. The morning session is from 8:45 to 11:45 a.m.

MSU

MSU to offer new doctoral program

Laura Collins
November 16, 2005

A new graduate program about the increasing Chicanos and Latinos present in the United States will be offered at MSU beginning in the fall of 2006. A new report released by the University Committee on Curriculum was approved Tuesday, adding the Chicano/Latino Studies doctoral program to the university's curriculum. Academic Council met Tuesday, the same day as the scheduled Faculty Council meeting, because of the Thanksgiving holiday next week. "It is a very important thing to stake out interest in the Chicano/Latino Studies," said Mike Schechter, chairman of the University Committee on Curriculum.

FEATURES

Originality becoming rare in Hollywood what happened to real talent?

The entertainment industry is so tied up in trends that it neglects creative and unique talent. Hollywood is currently infected with the "based on a true story" disease ("The Exorcism of Emily Rose," "The Greatest Game Ever Played," "North Country," "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," "Jarhead," the list goes on). The current plaguing fad wouldn't be so itchy and irritating either, if these movies actually did stick to real-life events. The problem is that movies use the "based on a true story" slogan to legitimize their product. "Emily Rose" only slightly skims the surface of actual events — even though it insists on putting "based on a true story" on the screen.