Icers continue tough schedule against 2 ranked opponents

The MSU hockey team's tough schedule continues when the Spartans head west to face No. 2 Wisconsin and No.

'U' sexual assault task force created

Two MSU officials created a task force Monday aimed at reducing sexual assaults and relationship violence and improving programs already in place. Lee June, MSU vice president of student affairs and services, and Fred Poston, vice president for finance and operations, worked together to form the Task Force on Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence, made up of more than 30 representatives from various on-campus groups.

2 limited-release films shown in Lansing-area cinemas, worth wait

After weeks of anticipation, several elusive artsy-type flicks finally graced Lansing's movie theaters. "Being Julia," "The Motorcycle Diaries" and "Sideways" all premiered in limited release more than a month ago.

Friday's NBA brawl being over-exposed

In response to the slew of editorials that have been all over the news about Friday's incident between the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers, has anyone stopped to think that this is being blown out of proportion?

Sobering defense

MSU's undergraduate student government spent more than $86,000 on legal services to defend minor in possession cases last school year, court documents revealed. Officials said most students are pleased with the outcomes of their ASMSU-defended cases, which are generally settled out of court for civil issues or reduced for criminal charges.

Police briefs 11/23/04

Spartans shouldn't accept mediocrity

In response to the editorial that portrayed the Spartan's football season as commendable (SN 11/22), I say it was disgraceful.

'National Treasure' like family vacation slide show

Whether it's postulating conspiracy theories about the Declaration of Independence or simply trying to convince us it's not a rip-off of "The Da Vinci Code," "National Treasure" requires a suspension of disbelief beyond our capabilities. Nicolas Cage stars as Benjamin Franklin Gates, the last in a long line of patriotic Americans who have guarded a national secret dating back for centuries.

Easy on the nog

We know a lot of you are skipping class tomorrow. We won't rat you out. We will, however, take advantage of Tuesday's readership to offer some advice for the long Thanksgiving weekend. Alcohol, and binge drinking in particular, gets blamed for a lot of the less-than-desirable acts we see.

Citizens do detective work to trace lineage at downtown library

Art BukowskiSpecial for The State NewsIn a dimly lit room on the second floor of a downtown building, Sharon Ziegler stares with a focused determination at the information displayed on her microfilm reader.

Slapshots working to liven up Munn

This is in response to the letter "Munn shouldn't be as loud as library," (SN 11/17). I have been a member of Slapshots for the last three years.

Identity inquiry

When Kate Pitsch was a kindergartner, she wondered why she looked different from her parents. Then she began to realize what her parents had been trying to tell her.

Committees to present report on liberal arts college

The liberal arts committees have completed their work, but MSU's Academic Governance system is not yet comfortable voting on the options. The Executive Committee of Academic Council met Monday to discuss whether the Committee on College Reorganization and the New Residential College Program Planning Committee reports will be ready for today's Academic Council meeting. Jon Sticklen, chairman of the executive committee, said the group wants to wait to address the new liberal arts college.

Columnist clears up misconceptions on Bush, religion, voting trends

In a previous column, "Bush supporters share common thread with fundamentalists" (SN 11/10), I mentioned a study by the University of Maryland's Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA), which found that majorities of President Bush voters were profoundly uninformed, and held erroneous beliefs about election issues and their candidate's policies.

'U' wins MSU-Penn State Blood Challenge

Although the Spartans lost to the Nittany Lions on the football field on Saturday, they were victorious in the annual MSU-Penn State Blood Challenge. This is the first time since the 2000-01 school year MSU has won the blood challenge. The 11th year for the blood drive ended Friday, with MSU pulling in 1,785 pints of blood and Penn State trailing with 1,750. The goal for each school was 2,000 pints.

Lansing-area officials look to attract high-tech jobs

Officials from East Lansing and Lansing are moving forward with a program to attract technology-based jobs to the capital region. The Lansing Regional SmartZone will join 10 other Michigan SmartZones, which are geographic locations designed to attract technology-based companies by combining resources to create more high-technology jobs. The Lansing and East Lansing city councils both scheduled public hearings for December to determine the district's borders and create a Local Development Finance Authority, which will fund programs in the SmartZone.

Officials give advice on holiday safety

Unlocked doors, flaming turkey fryers and icy overpasses aren't usually topics of conversation when students talk about heading home for the long Thanksgiving weekend. That's why local officials are working to get out the word on lesser-known holiday dangers. "Put in big, bold print: 'LOCK YOUR DOORS,'" East Lansing police Capt.

3-year starter Torbert steps back without complaints

It's possible that Kelvin Torbert will become the next Morris Peterson, a senior sixth man whose talents off the bench pushed MSU toward the 2000 NCAA National Championship. Head coach Tom Izzo has asked Torbert, for now, to adjust to a new role, to move from starter to bench player. It's a big change for someone who started 86 of the first 96 games he appeared in during his first three years at MSU.

ASMSU proposes student-only tailgate area

The 'Drinko' boards are now stowed away safely for winter and the despondency surrounding tailgating restrictions are lessening. But ASMSU is still working to keep tailgating excitement that was lost earlier this football season. MSU's undergraduate student government's Student Assembly passed a bill on Thursday to propose a student-only tailgate area at the Wilson tennis courts. Only tailgaters with an MSU student ID would be allowed to enter.

Game illustrates real-life scenario

Using macaroni, beans and paper clips, the fate of an imaginary third-world country was decided Monday afternoon by a group of gaming enthusiasts.