Thursday, January 8, 2026

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FEATURES

SubUrbia reduces run

The MSU production of “SubUrbia,” scheduled to begin today and continue through next weekend, has been reduced to only one performance.Put on by the MSU Department of Theatre, “SubUrbia” is a drama about a rock star who returns to his home in small-town America and put his burnout friends’ lives into perspective.The lone performance will take place at 7:30 p.m.

NEWS

Environmental group claims county misreported water quality facts

The Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility says the Ingham County Health Department censored facts in its report published in December 2000.The statement, released last week, said important dangers facing Ingham County’s surface and groundwater were not identified, endangering many residents.Eric Wingerter, national field director for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, said the department censored the report because of cold feet.“It was a chilling effect; they were nervous about angering people,” he said.

MSU

Honors College enrollment prospers

Of the more than 34,000 undergraduate students enrolled at MSU, 6.5 percent are enrolled in the Honors College. The college has 2,300 students, including 480 incoming students - a 14 percent increase from last year. These preliminary enrollment statistics for the 2001-02 school year, showed the Honors Colleges reached the second highest enrollment since 1971. At the Academic Council meeting Tuesday, Provost Lou Anna Simon said MSU has an ethnically and academically diverse group of students - and the Honors College numbers enhance that. “1971 was a banner year for the Honors College enrollment, and this is almost near that record,” she said. Director Ron Fisher said enrollment has consistently gotten larger over the last seven years, but he hopes it will stay around this level for a while. “My hope for the future is to stabilize somewhere between 2,100 and 2,300 each year,” he said. While the Honors College’s enrollment has increased in size, the new students in the college have increased in academic talent as well - along with the rest of MSU’s incoming freshmen this year. “The university in the last six or seven years has expanded its research of the high academic talent in Michigan and other states,” Fisher said. Gordon Stanley, director of admissions, said this was one of the strongest incoming classes. “Going by the preliminary numbers, yes, this is the best academic class to come through MSU,” he said.

FEATURES

Quasi to perform at Magic Stick tonight

What’s better than a five-piece band? A two-piece band who sounds like a five-piece - meet Quasi. The Portland-based outfit, comprised of Sam Coomes (who has contributed bass duties with Elliott Smith) and Janet Weiss (drummer of Sleater-Kinney), will perform their branded method of independent rock Thursday night at the Magic Stick in Detroit. Coomes said the band’s ability to marry somewhat upbeat rhythms with somewhat depressing lyrics comes naturally. “I like music that is rhythmically propulsive,” he said.

MSU

Conference to give proof of animal healing powers

Owning or just petting a cat or dog can help lower one’s blood pressure and even help a child with a chronic illness, MSU researchers have found.Lana Kaiser, a professor of nursing who organized the conference, said these findings have been accepted as truth for years, but the science to back them up has not been discovered until now.Since the creation of the Human Animal Bond Initiative - an effort by MSU faculty and community members to uncover the healing powers of animals - was created last year, MSU and nationwide researchers have been hard at work.Their findings will be presented at a conference Friday and Saturday.The two-day event, “Cuddle a Critter and Call Me in the Morning: The Science Behind Our Relationships With Animals,” will be held at the Michigan Athletic Club, 2900 Hannah Blvd., and the Life Sciences Building on campus.Linda Spence, an assistant professor of nursing, will introduce speakers at the conference, including Alan Beck, director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University.

COMMENTARY

Hey, chief

For 15 years, Bruce Benson has overseen the campus department perhaps best known for issuing MIPs, ticketing speeders and towing vehicles. The title of police chief and director of MSU’s Department of Police and Public Safety doesn’t exactly come with the undying love of students everywhere. But it should come with a lot of respect. In the time he’s been chief, Benson has helped mold our police department into one of the most diverse and progressive forces in the nation.

COMMENTARY

e-Taxing

One of the largest consumer retail channels in the world is about to join the rest of the more traditional outlets in fiscal responsibility.

FEATURES

Therapy features eccentric acting

“Beyond Therapy” may be the funniest play I have ever seen. At the least, it’s in competition with the production of Neil Simon’s “The Dinner Party” I saw this summer on Broadway with Jon Lovitz. “Beyond Therapy,” written by Christopher Durang and directed by Addiann Hinds, started last weekend at The Riverwalk Theatre, 228 Museum Drive in downtown Lansing and continues Thursday through Sunday. The play starts with a blind date at The Restaurant in response to a personal ad in a newspaper.

FEATURES

Pipe album swims in pop waters

The Verve Pipe has stepped out of the melodramatic ’90s rock scene and into uncharted pop waters. The Grand Rapids-based quartet hasn’t been much more than an afterthought since its self-titled sophomore record failed to live up to the hype produced by its platinum debut “Villains.” Admittedly, “The Verve Pipe” wasn’t a great album, but it appears to have served as more of a rebound record between “Villains” and “Underneath.” It was just something to keep the band in the game without having to get too serious about it. But “Underneath” definitely has a serious side to it, only this time it’s concealed in a predominantly pop format. The writing duo of Brian Vander Ark and Donny Brown has written a great collection of pop, blues and rock songs that, when combined with an old-school rock sound, gives the album the honesty missing in its self-titled effort.

COMMENTARY

Dont point finger based on ethnicity

For all of the horrible things that have happened, why must it continue? For those people who are pointing their fingers at Americans with Middle Eastern heritage, you should be ashamed.

NEWS

Government considers international student fee

International students may be asked to pay a fee to the Immigration and Naturalization Service to improve the system that keeps student records.The roughly 2,900 MSU students who are from abroad would have to pay the expected $95 charge if the proposal goes into effect next January.Gregoire Vernet, a native of France, said he wouldn’t be happy to pay more fees.“I think we pay enough, we pay fees for housing, phone bills and fees for living here,” the lifelong education student said.David Horner, director of the MSU Office of International Students and Scholars, said the fee would pay for improvements in the technology used to track information such as a student’s academic major, address and date they entered the country - facts the university already keeps.

ICE HOCKEY

Spartans star in CCHA poll; U-M takes second

Detroit - The CCHA unveiled its preseason media poll at the league’s annual Media Day in Joe Louis Arena on Tuesday, and the Spartans were in familiar territory - atop the league. The media overwhelmingly endorsed MSU to repeat as CCHA regular season champions, giving the Spartans 22 out of 26 possible first-place votes.