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BASEBALL

Lugnuts come back to sting Rattlers

Lansing - Down one run in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Lansing Lugnuts finally broke through against Wisconsin starting pitcher Jason Snyder, scoring three runs en route to a 5-3 win Monday night. "We do give up runs early, but these guys come back.

NEWS

Provost hopeful wins support

After 29 years away from the campus where Kim Wilcox started his college career, he could be returning. Wilcox, who is currently the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Kansas, was recommended as MSU's next provost, pending the MSU Board of Trustees approval.

NEWS

Intersection of identities

Only two years ago, the thought of stepping into a church was enough to send Christopher Greene-Szmadzinski into a panic attack. With a racing heart and clammy hands, he would often stand outside the church doors unable to breathe and unable to enter. He said he experienced paralyzing fears that people, "acting in the name of God," would hate him because he is gay. "It was horrible," the 2004 MSU graduate said.

FEATURES

Play returns after successful fall run

Tom Dudzick's "Over the Tavern" is back for another run at the BoarsHead Theatre after sold-out showings last fall. The play, which opens May 18 and runs through May 29, was such a success that the full cast is back to revive this comedy.

FEATURES

'Monster' not funny, only mediocre

J. Lo is looking for a relationship, but this time it's in the movies. The only difference is she and Mr. Right aren't having problems - it's Lopez and her future mother-in-law battling it out. Charlotte "Charlie" Cantilini (Jennifer Lopez) is your average city girl, working as a receptionist at a doctor's office, and has dreams of becoming a fashion designer.

BASEBALL

Young team looks to get more at-bats

There's no question that the MSU baseball team was going to "take some lumps" this year, as freshman center fielder Ryan Sontag put it. With five games remaining, a team that has 15 freshman and nine sophomores is getting better and has a 20-28 overall record and 9-15 in Big Ten play, good for ninth in the current standings. "We're just looking to get some more at-bats before we go to Northwestern," said MSU manager Ted Mahan.

MSU

2005-06 tuition rates await state budget

MSU's budget and tuition rates for the 2005-06 school year are waiting on one thing - the state's long budgetary process in Lansing, university officials said. Next month, the university will set its tuition rates for the new school year, but MSU Board of Trustees member David Porteous said the board is at a standstill until the state determines its higher-education funding for its 15 public universities. At this point, Porteous said it would be "premature and impossible" to predict what is in store for MSU's tuition rates.

MSU

Dorm cleanup yields surprises

Sex toys and a gorilla-masked mannequin are a few of the stranger things manager Tim Knightfound while doing dorm room cleaning. "The mannequin scared the living daylights out of you because you thought something with a hairy face was behind you," he said. Many students could not fit everything they have acquired throughout the year into the bags and boxes Mom and Dad brought to them in the spring.

COMMENTARY

Violence caused by society, not games

I'd like to offer a different perspective in response to Yusuf Macklai's "Popularity of highly violent video games can have detrimental effects." (SN 4/29) I support Yusuf's comments about how violent video games are popular among the kids and adults the past two decades.

BASEBALL

Spartans split series against Nittany Lions

The Spartans split with Penn State after dropping the final game in a four game set, 3-2, to the Nittany Lions at Kobs Field on Sunday. The Spartans (20-28 overall, 9-15 Big Ten) scored a run in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single by left fielder Ryan Basham.

MSU

Low blood-drive donations prompt Red Cross campaign

The Michigan chapters of the American Red Cross have the lowest blood supply levels in a decade. MSU students leaving for the summer and high school classes coming to a close give the Red Cross fewer possible donors. A new campaign called "Strive for Five" started on Friday to help increase blood donations for the summer. It encourages sponsors to give five more pints of blood than their original goal, American Red Cross Marketing Manager Kelly Rogers said. The campaign began because this summer is projected to be the lowest blood-drive turnout in years, said Justin Looyenga, donor recruitment representative for the Mid-Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross. "We're really going to be struggling this summer," Looyenga said. The summer always is a problem for the organization, Rogers said.

COMMENTARY

Fair talk

The city of East Lansing has made a positive step toward rebuilding good relations with MSU students by forming an independent commission to review the April 2-3 disturbances. However, upon closer inspection of the list of individuals on this commission, it seems the city has not gone far enough in its efforts to hear students' concerns.

MICHIGAN

Council to discuss E.L. projects

The East Lansing City Council will meet Tuesday and is expected to decide on several housing and retail developmental projects for the city. One major decision involves choosing the lead developer of the redevelopment of the East Village area, in which several apartment complexes, rental homes and businesses in and around Cedar Village will be torn down within a few years and replaced with new businesses, student housing, condominiums and parks. The lead developer is expected to have complete control of the project, with some exceptions that the council will outline at upcoming meetings. At the council's first meeting of the month on May 3, council members approved parking agreements for some MSU faculty and staff members, discussed the 2005-06 city budget and honored East Lansing's finance director of 27 years, who is retiring Friday. MSU has begun construction on a parking ramp near Morrill Hall, which has caused some faculty and staff members to be left without parking.