Vote rocked

Stereotyped to be uninformed and uninterested in political issues, college students are not usually considered important to an election.

Vegas night successful, hits jackpot

By Blake SchmidtSpecial for The State News It was John Krcatovich's first time gambling.

Police briefs 01/24/05

Sparty named national champ

Sparty on, MSU. For the second year in a row, Sparty is the number one mascot in the country. After his 2004 national championship, Sparty began working on his next routine to bring to the 2005 Universal Cheer Association/Universal Dance Association College Nationals in Orlando, Fla.

Registration due for Aquaculture meeting

The Michigan Aquaculture Association's annual meeting will be held Feb. 10-11, at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, 3600 Dunckel Road in Lansing.

Unbeaten tennis team gets weekend sweep

Improving its record to 4-0, the men's tennis team swept its second doubleheader of the season, defeating Marquette (6-1) and Cleveland State (7-0). The Spartans won all but one of their singles matches on the day, with crucial wins from the doubles team of seniors Cameron Marshall and Andrew Formanczyk, as well as a strong singles performance by Marshall. Next week, the Spartans travel to Seattle, where they will face No.

Message on rock made good point

I am writing in response to Serena Bearman ("Reader takes issue with rock message" SN 1/20). Ms. Bearman seems to be uncomfortable with a simple statement of fact.

Chocolate party will benefit MSU Museum

The 16th annual MSU Museum Chocolate Party Benefit will be held from 1:30-3:30 p.m on Feb. 27 at the Kellogg Center.

Restaurant to make donation to victims

Qdoba Mexican Grill pledged to give a portion of their proceeds on Tuesday to the Dec. 26 Southeast Asia tsunami disaster victims. Ten percent of the restaurant's proceeds for the day will be donated to Direct Relief International, an organization providing health resources to the areas affected by the tsunami tragedy.

MIDDAY UPDATE: MSU class researches effects of litter on campus

On football game days, tailgaters fill campus parking lots and tennis courts with barbecued food, beverages and school spirit. After the game, green garbage cans overflow with empty wrappers, cups and beer cans, while the leftover waste lies scattered on the ground. The amount of trash left behind by tailgaters can be staggering. But it is the volume that prompted an environmental journalism class to analyze the results in an attempt to learn about the environmental impacts of littering. In addition to looking at the impact of tailgate trash, university officials say they are looking at the situation as it relates to the temporary tailgating restrictions implemented last fall to determine whether they worked. The journalism students found that the amount of time spent cleaning up the tailgating areas went down after restrictions were set up.

Under the weather

A record-breaking 12.6 inches of snow blanketed the Lansing area and most of the Northeast United States on Saturday.

Schools vie to top organ donations

Patrick Pruitt knows the value of organ donations. Pruitt, a psychology senior, got a corneal transplant in 1990 to restore his sight. "As a child of six, I lost the ability to read - to play with my toys," Pruitt said.

MSU fund posts '04 fiscal year increase

MSU's endowment fund posted higher returns than the national average during the past fiscal year, university officials said. For the 2004 fiscal year, the MSU fund returned profits of 18.7 percent, in contrast to the national average of 14.7 percent, said Glen Klein, MSU's director of investment and financial management. Nearly all public and private universities maintain endowment funds. Gifts from alumni and other donations contribute to the funds, which can grow or deplete through investments in the stock market, real estate or other financial opportunities. The money is often used for specific reasons suggested by the donor, such as bringing a special professor to teach at MSU or expanding or remodeling a campus building. Commonfund, a Wilton, Conn.-based organization that works with universities and other nonprofit institutions to provide investment and other financial advice, released a study earlier this month that showed the national average annual return at about 14 percent.

No. 8 Spartans sputter on the road

The No. 8 MSU women's basketball team continued its troubles on the road at Penn State on Sunday, losing to the Nittany Lions, 73-56. The Spartans (16-3 overall, 5-2 Big Ten) have now lost nine of their last 10 games against the Nittany Lions (12-6, 7-0), and this game got out of hand early in the second half. The loss also snapped the Spartans four-game winning streak and pushed them down a little farther in the Big Ten standings.

Trail of Dead release 'dreamy, cohesive'

A band that names itself...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead has a lot to live up to. Indeed, fans have come to expect great things from these Austin, Texas rockers - the group is known for its violent, instrument-smashing live shows and its decible-busting studio albums. But with "Worlds Apart," the group's second major-label recording, Trail of Dead has finally proven it is worthy of such a weighty moniker. Trail of Dead has always produced emotional, original, energetic tunes.

Concerns over open-alcohol ban discussed

After the announcement that an alcohol ordinance could prevent open alcohol from being consumed on campus, MSU student government officials said the root of their worries is not just the bill. A draft of the proposal stated Sue Carter, secretary to the Board of Trustees, would be responsible for approving any area or event, such as tailgating, that would be exceptions to the proposed ban. ASMSU officials said they were worried one person would have so much control over where and when students could drink on campus. Student Assembly Vice Chairperson for External Affairs Andrew Bell said he thinks alcohol decisions should be made by a larger number of people. "Maybe they should include students or some alumni so that it's not just one person," he said.

Reader shares bad Izzone experience

Like Matt McNulty, I too was barred from entering the Breslin Center for MSU against Purdue. My grave offense was that I was wearing last year's Izzone shirt instead of this year's shirt.

Detroit-based film lacks research

To truly enjoy "Assault on Precinct 13," you are going to have to ignore a few things about its setting. This is Detroit, in Director Jean-François Richet's eyes.

MIDDAY UPDATE: Latin Xplosion showcases dances, culture

With careful poise and posture, members of the Grupo Variedad Folkorico balanced containers with lit candles on their heads while they danced La Bruja, a traditional Mexican dance.

MIDDAY UPDATE: Winter storm covers Mich. in foot of snow

A strong storm system during the weekend stretched from Chicago to Boston and left mid-Michigan covered in 12 inches of snow - breaking the month's precipitation record. As the snow drifts topped 2 feet, local residents, businesses and public safety officials were left to shovel out cars and maneuver the slippery roads. "It's pretty unusual that January sees this much precipitation," said Ernie Ostuno, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in the Grand Rapids office. Meteorologists predict the weather will rise to near freezing by Wednesday, but will drop again by Thursday.