Spartans try free agency

After the 2004 NFL Draft ended Sunday, two former Spartans were contacted by pro teams and will pursue careers in the NFL this weekend as free agents. Offensive guard Joe Tate has signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and linebacker Mike Labinjo is working on a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. Tate said he has signed a free agent contract with the Jaguars for the league minimum. "It's great to get an opportunity to continue playing," he said.

Journalistic saboteurs beware: There's still time to improve

Patrick Walters' opinion in this column does not reflect the opinion at large of The State News.

Student rep. asks board for changes

A member of MSU's undergraduate student government asked the MSU Board of Trustees on Monday morning to revoke the university recognition of ASMSU as the official student government. Many assembly members say they do not agree with the reasons Bruce Serven, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources representative, gave for his discontent, which he detailed in a three-page letter.

Fresh voices

James Whitaker has been putting a lot of extra miles on his car in the past few months. He drives from MSU back to his hometown of Waterford more than three times a week. But it's not because he's homesick.

Study rates fear of terrorism

A statewide study compiled by MSU researches found that racial and social minorities in Michigan more likely are to be concerned about another terrorist attack than non-minorities. A report of nine compiled State of the State Surveys, quarterly studies by MSU's Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, found that blacks, Latinos and women were more likely to be "somewhat" or "very" concerned about the possibility of another terrorist attack than their white male counterparts. Darren Davis, co-principal investigator of the study and a political science professor, said the researchers had not expected race to be a determining factor in any of the study's findings. "We didn't set out to find race, and so we were very surprised to see it had such high affects," he said. The nine surveys took place over a two-year period in the wake of the Sept.

Unicyling pastor returns

The unicycling pastor is back in town. Lars Clausen, a former pastor at East Lansing's University Lutheran Church, was at Hannah Community Center on Saturday to talk about his experiences unicycling across the country and back. One of the major lessons Clausen said he learned on his trip was the importance of hospitality among strangers. "When you're on a unicycle or bike, you can't get away from anywhere quickly," he said.

Police briefs 04/27/04

Cypress commits to Latin

When Cypress Hill exploded onto the scene with its hit "Insane In The Brain," the group was a pioneer of a style that fused Latin and hip-hop slang.

300 gather to remember professor

Six months after the death of MSU professor Ruth Simms Hamilton, almost 300 people gathered Monday to celebrate and honor her life. Among those in attendance were family, friends, colleagues and sorority sisters from Delta Sigma Theta, which Hamilton had been a member of for several years. "We're here to acknowledge her life, and quite a life it was," said Keith Williams, executive director of the MSU Alumni Association and friend of the Hamilton family. Williams went on to list Hamilton's many accomplishments, including a decade of research on African migration, a 1995 Ralph Smuckler Award for Advancing International Students and Programs at MSU, and a 1971 Teacher-Scholar Award from MSU. Several people took turns sharing their memories and favorite stories of Ruth Simms Hamilton.

Assembly announces new student center plans

In his election speech last week, new ASMSU Student Assembly Chair Andrew Schepers announced that he planned to work toward a new student center on campus, working with a current plan for a free-standing multicultural center. "With plans for restructuring the Union and the 2020 Vision plan, it's time for a new student center on campus," he said. The 2020 Vision plan discusses possible new buildings on campus.

Rice good speaker; protests not needed

What I have seen and heard about the supposed protests that will take place regarding the choice of Condoleezza Rice as the commencement speaker ("Groups plan protest of Rice appearance" SN 4/22) has given me reason to believe that these protests are politically motivated.

War too uncertain; no more should die

I am writing in response to the article "Michigan mother copes with the death of her Army Ranger son in Iraq" (SN 4/20). I have seen a lot of stories in The State News, but this one had the greatest effect on me.

Rock, religion attract teens

It's Christianity for another generation. At least that's the goal of Teen Mania Ministries, a national Christian organization seeking to promote Jesus Christ to young people around the country. The organization's Acquire the Fire festival spent the weekend in Breslin Center, drawing middle school and high school students from all over the state. "It's a radical punch in the face of Jesus," said Richee Parks, a conversation series manager for the ministries, which puts on about 30 similar festivals around the nation. The organization realizes that young people are wary of organized religion but in search of spirituality, Parks said. Facial piercings, oversized or loose jeans and casual T-shirts were no problem for teens at this religious event. The festival featured speakers who hope to inspire teens to live out Christian ideals in their lives and live bands with Christian messages played to rock tunes.

Feedback wanted

Why break precedent if you don't have to? While the trustees did miss the first all-faculty forum in eight years, it never has been typical for the trustees to show up to an internal faculty meeting.

Lala needs to be educated on rape

I read Jim Lala's column ("Liberal students' silent protest doesn't need words to be whiny" SN 4/26) about the silent protest, and while I found his writing to be very creative, I'm afraid I don't have the space to do the whole thing justice. As a former rape counselor and educator, I'll focus on his segment about rape.

Peru economist to speak at ceremony

One of Time magazine's 100 most powerful and influential people in the world will speak at 7 p.m.

Faculty conflict policy proposed

The University Committee on Faculty Affairs is working to establish a policy to hold faculty members accountable for interests that could interfere with university business. A faculty conflict of interest policy was drafted and presented to the Faculty Council last week, but was deferred until fall semester to allow more faculty input. At the meeting, faculty members expressed concern about the language of the policy and a requirement to sign a letter of compliance each year. The university currently does not have a conflict of interest policy.

Gov. looks at $1.3B deficit

Michigan legislators have returned from a two-week recess to a state budget deficit still reaching the $1 billion mark.

Speaker discusses math reform

About 100 people gathered in the Erickson Hall Kiva on Monday night to hear civil rights activist and mathematics educator Robert Moses speak about the necessity of providing quality education for all students - especially in math.

Drafty days

If you're an MSU athlete, the day of your professional draft probably features one virtual lock.