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MSU

Case Hall Castaways completed

Casey Mcnenly
April 1, 2002

What started as an experiment in social relations ended with two Case Hall residents left to claim a $350 prize Friday.A week of living in cramped quarters with five other students ended solemnly Friday as James Madison College freshmen Justin Chung and Pakapon Phinyowattanachip awaited the result of the first Case Hall Castaways contest.Seven students signed up to be locked in a 12-by-12 room in the Case Hall government office to compete for money.

BASEBALL

Baseball team deserves more

This has not been the ideal March for MSU sports fans. After three consecutive Final Fours, you thought the men’s basketball team could pull it together and make another run at a title, but they bowed out in the first round. Then, the Spartan hockey team followed suit with a disappointing 2-0 loss to Colorado College in the NCAA Tournament ending the career of legendary coach Ron Mason. Then the women’s basketball team created some excitement on campus, advancing deep into the 2002 Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

FEATURES

Your Mom improv troupe provides plenty of laughs

Anyone searching long and hard for a good laugh last weekend didn’t have to look any further than Your Mom. The comedy improvisation troupe took to the stage to perform its comedy show for the first time Thursday night, with shows Friday and Saturday. The group, made up of seven MSU students, presented the shows in the Auditorium’s Arena Theatre.

SPORTS

U professor studies coaches

Ryan Wallace
April 1, 2002

Tom Izzo has it. Ron Mason had it. Bobby Williams is developing it.It, is something coaches call the ability to positively affect the learning ability and performance of their athletes.Deb Feltz, director of MSU’ Department of Kinesiology, has been examining this philosophy not only on the athletic field, but also in the classroom.However, the idea of coaching efficacy, or coaching competence, was not the first thing that got her interested in this field of research.“My intents started with nonathletes attempting physical activities for the first time,” Feltz said.“I was interested in fear-invoking activities - like diving.”Feltz decided to take the role of confidence in a different direction.She looked at how teachers used their efficacy to motivate their students.

NEWS

Alumna will serve as ambassador to Brazil

Megan Frye
April 1, 2002

Coming to MSU in 1969 was just the start of Donna Hrinak’s pursuit of international success as she left behind her rural Pennsylvania town. “I grew up in a small town and thought there must be something more to the world than just that small town,” the 1972 MSU graduate said. She would begin to find what that was after receiving her undergraduate degree from MSU’s College of Social Science. Hrinak was sworn in last week as the U.S.

COMMENTARY

Womens basketball deserves applause

Where does Steve Thomas get off writing such a negative letter on the women’s basketball team (“Women’s basketball is good, not great,” SN 3/25)? And why does the paper print it? This team has done one heck of a job this past season and should be proud of what they have accomplished.

BASEBALL

Spartans split Big Ten opening series

Andrew Fifer
April 1, 2002

After dropping its Big Ten opener, the MSU baseball team used the long ball to split a four-game series with Minnesota at Kobs Field this weekend.The Spartans (17-5 overall, 2-2 Big Ten) hit nine home runs in Saturday’s tripleheader to win two games.

MSU

Quorum trouble plagues ASMSU

Alison Barker
April 1, 2002

ASMSU’s Student Assembly members still have business to finish at their last meeting of this session Thursday - but lack of attendance might make it impossible to finish.Thirteen out of 24 members must be at the undergraduate student government assembly meeting to vote on items.

COMMENTARY

Using terrorist attacks to make point diminishes their importance

I have discovered a clever new marketing tactic to rejuvenate polyester fabric in today’s clothing market. The polyester industry could release a television commercial with various people proclaiming, “My purchase of a cotton shirt sustained the vitality of the cotton industry,” followed by the final statements, “Osama bin Laden wears cotton clothing,” and “Cotton supports terror.

MICHIGAN

Membership rises for area clubs

Kendra Snyder
April 1, 2002

Michigan membership in international service clubs decreased through the ’80s and ’90s but Lansing-area chapters memberships have begun to boom.The Rotary International Club has 4,167 Michigan members, compared to 4,510 in 1994.

MICHIGAN

Granholm wary of states pollution criteria

Aaron Johnson
April 1, 2002

A proposed change in the state’s cleanup of dioxins drew fire last week from Attorney General Jennifer Granholm.The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, as part of its work to update its criteria for cleanup, proposed an increase to its standard for acceptable contamination from 90 parts per trillion to 150 parts per trillion.According to Granholm, there is no evidence to support such an increase.“Generally, scientific information suggests that we should be going for a tightening, not a loosening in standards,” said Genna Gent, spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s office.Granholm cited an analysis from the Michigan Department of Community Health that suggested a 12 parts per trillion standard.But DEQ spokeswoman Geralyn Lasher said that number wasn’t supported by any real data and was only a reaction to a U.S.

COMMENTARY

Laugh it up

In an attempt to please everyone all the time, The State News will no longer be written by hired staff.

BASKETBALL

Death of the 4-year superstar

Dan Woike
April 1, 2002

Inside his office in the new Berkowitz Basketball Complex, MSU men’s basketball associate head coach Brian Gregory sat and listened to my questions about the state of college basketball. “Can you think of any recent superstar-type players who turned down the NBA and came back for their senior year?” I asked. “Here at Michigan State you have to look at Mateen (Cleaves) and Morris Peterson, because those two guys had the opportunity to leave early,” Gregory said.