Saturday, May 2, 2026

Take a peek behind the curtain and test drive the NEW StateNews.com today!

Multimedia

NEWS

McPherson lowest paid president in Big Ten

Antonio Planas
November 12, 2003

MSU President M. Peter McPherson has the lowest base salary of any president in a public Big Ten school for 2003-04, but university officials say it's because he refuses to accept market-value pay. McPherson receives $216,000 in base salary plus $69,100 in annual deferred pay given to him at a time decided by top administrators. In comparison, McPherson's salary is only 45 percent of the University of Michigan's President Mary Sue Coleman, who tops the rankings in the Big Ten with a base salary of $475,000. MSU Trustee David Porteous said he recognizes that McPherson is underpaid, but a high salary isn't a main concern for McPherson. "The board was willing to put him in a range that would make him more competitive," Porteous said.

NEWS

MIDDAY UPDATE: 'U' Democrats caucus to focus on LBGT issues

A new College Democrats caucus will focus on lesbian, bi, gay and transgender concerns, organizers said this week.Members of MSU Stonewall Democrats, formed last week, hope to unite LBGT and Democratic voters to benefit both sides."Essentially it's an organization that tries to not only make the Democratic Party better on LBGT issues, but to get the LBGT community involved," said Nathan Triplett, youth organizer of the Michigan Democratic Party and MSU College Democrats executive board member."It's about getting more people who sometimes feel left out of the system and push it left instead of not voting or voting for a third party." MSU Stonewall Democrats interim chairman Jon Hoadley said, adding that although the party doesn't always line up with LBGT concerns, he hopes to see it improve.MSU's chapter is the second in the country behind the University of Michigan, which also started last week.

NEWS

Body found in professor's home

Steve Eder  and  Scott Bartosiewicz
November 12, 2003

Okemos — Police are investigating an apparent homicide in the Okemos home of an MSU professor on Tuesday afternoon. At about 1 p.m., a 66-year-old woman was reported dead at the Seneca Drive residence of Ruth Hamilton, a professor of sociology and urban affairs.

MSU

CRU leader strives for diversity

When Taina Jorda-Cid arrived at MSU four years ago, she said she felt cheated.After reading brochures hailing a diverse student body, she said she arrived at her Academic Orientation Program and saw few people who looked like her."I was thinking they had lied to me," said the political science senior who identifies as Mexirican - combining her Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage.

NEWS

MIDDAY UPDATE: Police say professor's son responsible for Tuesday murder

Steve Eder
November 12, 2003

Authorities believe urban affairs Professor Ruth Simms Hamilton's son stabbed her in the back four times with a kitchen knife, leaving her to die in her Meridian Township home Tuesday afternoon.The Ingham County Prosecutor's office said Bramlett Hamilton, 35, of Meridian Township, is scheduled to be arraigned today in 55th District Court in Mason on charges that he murdered his mother at her Seneca Drive residence.Meridian Township police said the suspect voluntarily turned himself in to authorities on Tuesday.

COMMENTARY

Rare chance

While the words "Superconducting Cyclotron" and "Rare Isotope Accelerator" might sound like characters from a blockbuster science-fiction flick, they actually apply to a real possibility here at MSU. The U.S.

MSU

DCL raises bar, passes test

Amy Davis
November 12, 2003

MSU-DCL College of Law students are setting the bar each time they hit the law books. The law school ranks third out of six law schools in the state for first-time student applicants who passed the Michigan Bar exam in July.

COMMENTARY

Dignity of unborn child forgotten

In "Right to abort between woman, doctor not her legislators", Preeti Prasad claimed that through a partial-birth abortion ban, women are losing their right to "dignity." I wonder, however, where the dignity of the unborn child is in this matter? Merely because the child, or fetus, if you must, is growing in his or her mother's womb, does that mean that the child becomes a choice?

COMMENTARY

Bad behavior fault of stadium guests

Arthur Alcid
November 12, 2003

As a Department of Police and Public Safety employee working security at the MSU-University of Michigan game, I find Valerie Fournier's letter "'U', police should communicate more" personally offensive and full of false statements. First, to "someone who has been to every home football game for the past three years," Fournier — and other Spartan football veterans — should know better than to bring prohibited items into the stadium (which includes larger purses). Not only is it posted on homefootball.msu.edu, outside the stadium and broadcast on local TV, there also were security personnel warning patrons before they got to the gates.

NEWS

Victim warns students to be safe after E.L. beating

Steve Eder
November 12, 2003

She didn't hear any footsteps before she felt the clasp of a large man grabbing her as she walked alone in downtown East Lansing on Monday night. To silence the screams of the 21-year-old MSU student, one of the three attackers punched her in the face, causing her to fall to the ground.

NEWS

MIDDAY UPDATE: CRU president promotes importance of Chicano, Latino services

When Taina Jorda-Cid arrived at MSU four years ago, she said she felt cheated.After reading brochures hailing a diverse student body, she said she arrived at her Academic Orientation Program and saw few people who looked like her."I was thinking they had lied to me," said the political science senior, who identifies as Mexirican - combining her Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage.

NEWS

Criticisms increase, E.L. noise decreases

Steve Eder
November 11, 2003

When East Lansing officials enacted harsh penalties to quell disruptive party noise two months ago, an uproar among MSU students ensued. In the first 10 weekends of enforcing the policy that calls for jail time and steep fines, East Lansing police cited the hosts of just four parties - 11 individuals - as the volume on the streets diminished.

COMMENTARY

Mentors neglect personal side of job

This being my second year in the dorms, I have had a lot of experience with the way things are run and how different situations are handled by the so-called authority figures. The purpose of my letter is to bring attention to the lack of authority in our resident advisers because of inadequate training and preparation.