Survey: Festive drinking remains

As students finish up their final exams, sell back their books and prepare for the long winter break, chances are a few of them will take part in another semester-ending ritual - drinking.According to a study conducted by the Olin Health Department, the Department of Communication and the Institute for Public Policy & Social Research in 2002, more than 24 percent of students will drink an average 6.2 drinks in celebration of the end of the semester.The study is part of a three-year, $300,000 research project funded by a grant from the Social Norm Research Center to identify whether celebratory drinking is truly a phenomenon on college campuses.Celebration drinking is drinking that involves occasions where there is a climate encouraging students to drink, to drink in excess.

MIDDAY UPDATE: Kucinich outlines platform at stop in E.L.

Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich briefly stopped in East Lansing Thursday, promoting his plan to pull the troops out of Iraq in 90 days.About 200 people attended the public reception, hoping to hear the platform of the Ohio congressman."There are people that believe war is inevitable," Kucinich said.

T-shirts protected by free speech

In regard to this whole "offensive" T-shirt debacle, I need to lend in my two cents. Yes, the shirts were offensive; they didn't offend me personally, but apparently, some people (albeit, it appears to be a small group) found the shirts offensive.

Politicians' daughters campaign

With schedules that often are incredibly hectic, politicians running for office have turned to mediums more lively than television or radio as of late: Their daughters. MSU will get a taste of this campaign tactic today as Vanessa Kerry, daughter of presidential hopeful Sen.

Local centers to receive funding for prevention programs

Mid-Michigan community service projects will receive more than $300,000 for drug and violence prevention programs as a result of a grant from Gov.

Top 10 singles

1. "Stand Up," Ludacris featuring Shawnna, Disturbing Tha Peace/Def Jam South (Last week: 2)2. "Hey Ya!," OutKast, Arista (3)3. "Baby Boy," Beyonce featuring Sean Paul, Columbia (1)4. "The Way You Move," OutKast featuring Sleepy Brown, Arista (5)5. "Holidae In," Chingy featuring Ludacris & Snoop Dogg, Disturbing Tha Peace (4)6. "Here Without You," 3 Doors Down, Republic/Universal (6)7. "Suga Suga," Baby Bash featuring Frankie J, Universal (8)8. "Walked Outta Heaven," Jagged Edge, Columbia (9)9. "Damn!," YoungBloodZ featuring Lil Jon, So So Def (7)10. "Step In The Name Of Love," R.

Zoo sparkles for festival visitors

More than 4,000 green, red and white lights sparkled at the Potter Park Zoo on Wednesday night as visitors wandered through the zoo for Wonderland of Lights. The annual light display, which runs through Dec.

Police briefs 12/04/03

Childcare offered at E.L. community center

The East Lansing Parks, Arts and Recreation Department will offer winter break childcare at the East Lansing Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbott Road. The program will provide several activities, including indoor and outdoor games, art projects, dramatic play activities, swimming and free play.

Student adds to math world though friend factor divided

Michael Shafer said he felt like he won the lottery on Nov. 17 after reading the computer screen in his Engineering Building office that said, "New Mersenne prime found." The 26-year-old chemical engineering graduate student's name instantaneously hit the record books as the person who discovered the largest prime number known to man.

One-man band comes to Mac's

Sometimes, musicians just have to take the bull by the horns, and Chicago's mellow rocker Bobby Burg is no exception. He's in two acts, the one-man band known as The Love of Everything and a group called Make Believe, and he has another project as well.

Old beer guy: SN alum gives 'State of the Beer' address

Good day, beer-lovers of Michigan State University. For those of you who only recently discovered the joys of reading The State News, allow me to introduce myself.

Boredom-free break

With one week left to go before MSU closes up shop and hibernates for four weeks, people living in and around East Lansing will be faced with only one challenge - finding something with which to entertain themselves. But fret not, loyal Spartans, for the city where we all live, sleep, eat and drink will be just as merry as ever. East Lansing and Lansing have a lineup similar to that of a Superbowl Sunday half-time show, and are bringing in big stars, such as Bill Cosby, to make 'U' laugh, while also keeping up the tempo with music from local bands, such as Killer Miller.

Icers gear up for intrastate rivalry

Rivals MSU and Michigan will each face off on home ice this week with their fans behind them to help heat up the competition. "Whenever we play Michigan, there's always a little more propensity through everyone's mind," said junior forward Jim Slater, who leads the CCHA overall scoring race with 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists). Both teams will have the opportunity to play on home ice this week, where each team usually dominates.

Cheap eats: Make it yourself Hanukkah dinner - $5.06

The food: Matzo ball soup and potato latkes Total: $5.06 from Meijer in Okemos - $2.67 for the soup mix and $2.39 for the potato pancake mix. Serves: 4-6 people, so break out the fine china, light the menorah and have yourself a rockin' Hanukkah bash. What the heck is this stuff anyway? Latkes are potato pancakes commonly eaten during Hanukkah, which begins this year on Dec.

Feds cite 'U' for animal violations

MSU is one of many research facilities cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for violating the Animal Welfare Act, but officials say the citations are minor.The violations from the July 23 and Aug.

Columns need to have more research

I am tired of reading the same inaccuracies in opinion columns, most recently in Jim Lala's "Libertarians might not win, but they still have good goals". The first is that Congress is handing Iraq $87 billion.

International offices host open house

"Good meatballs" is not the kind of comment one normally would expect to hear in the offices of International Studies and Programs.But the ISP annual Holiday Open House held Wednesday transformed three floors of the International Center from quiet corridors into hallways bustling with festive people, colorful decorations and unique food - lots and lots of food.

Truth is an absolute, every action is either right or wrong

"I want the truth!" "You can't handle the truth!" In "A Few Good Men," Tom Cruise's character knows the importance of truth, and searches for it.

Creationism a belief, can't be disproved

This is in response to Katie Lander's letter, "Creationism has been disproved". In it she contends that creationism has no place in scientific debate because it's "been disproved by modern science." That's a bald-faced lie.