U attends legal policy symposium on rights, networks in Washington

MSU faculty, staff and students are in Washington, D.C., today attending the James H. Quello Communication Policy & Law Symposium.Representatives from the MSU community are primarily from MSU-Detroit College of Law.National security, social and political rights, access to Internet networks, providers and services and the evolution of the legal industry will be discussed, said Barbara Anselmo, assistant director of marketing for MSU-DCL.The symposium is at the Willard Inter-Continental Hotel and is sponsored by the Quello Center at MSU, the Law Review at MSU-DCL and the Institute of Public Utilities at MSU.“When the law is changing this quickly, it is sometimes more important to learn the theory, rather than the actual law at the time,” said Brian Kalt, an assistant professor of law.Kalt, who is the co-chairman of the Law Review advisory committee, said telecommunication and administrative law is at the forefront of law discussion.“Well this is, I think, broader than any one particular class,” he said.“This is dealing with some cutting-edge issues - law, communication and policy.”He said professors and people from top firms and government, such as Michael Powell, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, will be attending and speaking at the event.Kalt said Law Review students will be publishing the proceedings of the event and will have the opportunity to make contacts and become familiar with important issues.Kalt said MSU-DCL Dean Terence Blackburn will kick off today’s events with a welcome to those attending and an introduction of the day’s events.Although there has been restrictions put on technology since the Sept.

ASMSU launches redesigned, user-friendly Web site

Sparty, Beaumont Tower and snow-covered trees welcome Web surfers as they access ASMSU’s redesigned Web site. The undergraduate student government’s site was recreated and came online March 16 at www.asmsu.org. The previous site had not been changed for about a year and a half. The Web site’s home page is split into four sections: About ASMSU, Services, Projects and People.

College Board may make over SAT

One test commonly used for college admissions could be changing. Recommendations of changes to the SAT will be made to the College Board’s trustees at a June meeting. Although officials at the College Board, the company that created the test, would not comment about the proposed changes, they did acknowledge possible changes such as the addition of a writing test, the reduction of analogy questions and the addition of a more advanced math section.

Do the work

Almost everyone remembers having a substitute teacher at some point in their K-12 education. It’s a day when students usually pass notes, talk to their friends or sometimes don’t even bother showing up for class. If the state House passes a bill dropping substitute teacher requirements from 90 college credit hours to 60, such a scenario could happen more often all over the state.

EMU president to switch with student

Eastern Michigan University President Samuel Kirkpatrick is serving up tacos today. Kirkpatrick, who leads Michigan’s fifth largest university, will trade places with Eastern Michigan political science junior Angelina Hamilton for one day. Kirkpatrick will attend Hamilton’s classes starting at 9:30 a.m., fill in for part of her shift at Taco Bell, and serve dinner at Hamilton’s Delta Zeta sorority house, Eastern Michigan spokesman Ward Mullens said. But Hamilton, whose application was selected as the best one for the job, has a long day.

Rogers shares tales of Afghanistan

Lansing - As more than 75 people ate platters of melons and salad, U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers recounted sometimes brutal tales of his time in Afghanistan. The Brighton Republican left three weeks ago as part of a week-long tour with the House Military Construction Appropriations Committee. Webberville resident Richard Hamlin was one of the many who paid the $3 to eat and listen in the Central United Methodist Church, 215 N.

Area officials to meet for tuition discussion

University and state officials will discuss rising tuition costs at a town hall forum tonight. The discussion will be held from 7 -9 p.m.

Castaways ready for Case Hall challenge

Some Case Hall residents will endure a week of confinement with six other roommates this week.Case Hall Government will spend this week monitoring seven contestants who signed up to be locked in the organization’s office, about the size of the average Case room - 12 feet by 12 feet.The Case Hall Castaways will be filmed for one week as they live together, allowed only to leave for the bathroom, class, religious events and work.

State chief justice to visit class Wednesday

The Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court will be on campus from 3:45-4:50 p.m. Wednesday at 206 Old Horticulture Hall.

Horowitz speech gave generalizations

Reading of David Horowitz’s visit in The State News, I found it rather amusing he would toss generalizations as handily as he accuses the Black Student Alliance of doing the same (“Horowitz’s speech criticizes leftists, Black Student Alliance,” SN 3/22). Since I have been going to MSU, I have never been told what political views to hold or whether affirmative action is right or wrong.

Orpheus a hilarious success

In January, when Melanie Helton found out she would direct the School of Music’s Opera Theatre’s production of “Orpheus in the Underworld,” she had a vision of how she wanted the play to happen.“Technically everything went very well,” the assistant professor of voice said.

Consider adoption before abortion

In “Making the Choice” (SN 3/21), the woman featured said “I’m 19-years-old, I’m not going to be able to raise a baby.” What about the 2 million people in America who will be on a waiting list to adopt a child for two years? The 5-1/2-week fetus aborted had eyes, arms and legs, developing muscles and bones and a beating heart. Whether you want to think about it, having an abortion causes a life to end.

MIDDAY UPDATE: New House bill would crack down on terrorism, some lawmakers insist

Some state House officials say a bill placing more restrictions on people applying for a driver’s license or Michigan ID will crack down on terrorism.

Grades represent success and effort

I agree in part with the editorial “Inflated grades” (SN 3/18) in the sense that artificially raising grades does diminish the value of a good grade-point average. But professors should not assign grades based on the idea that “grades should reflect the amount of work students accomplish in their classes.” Results matter, and equal effort does not translate into equal results or success.

Art worth it for the laughs

What do three men and a painting have in common in “Art” A complicated friendship that lacks communication and understanding.

Police briefs 03/26/02

Discounters profit as sales slide for specialty stores

With sales slipping in major department and retail chain stores across the country, discount stores providing a broader range of products could see a boost.

SN showed bias in Making the choice

“Making the choice” (SN 3/21) reassured me in my recent referendum vote against The State News tax increase.

5 face charges in drowning

Five MSU students will be charged in connection with the death of an 18-year-old Bay City resident who drowned in the Red Cedar River near campus in October. Charges will be filed today in the death of Eric Blair, a Delta College student, against four female students to whom he paid money for admission and alcohol at an East Lansing party.

Sports briefs

Wrestler finishes 7th Junior Gray Maynard earned All-America honors with a seventh-place finish at the 2002 NCAA Championships on Saturday. “It feels all right,” the two-time All-American said.