Fraternity fights to regain house

The Sigma Chi house stands empty and broken windows dot the building.The house at 729 E. Grand River Ave.

Students bring TV shows right to U dorm rooms

By Amber Shinn For The State News There are hundreds of ways to get your 15 minutes of TV fame.

Instrumentalists need not apply

By Katie StachlewitzFor The State News Arash Mahajerin sat anxiously in the lobby of the Music Practice Building Thursday night, clutching his water bottle waiting to step into the spotlight. Mahajerin, a human biology junior, was one of the 20 to 30 male MSU students auditioning for the Spartan Dischords, a 12-member, all-male a cappella group.

U aims to trim $5.5 million

The belt around MSU’s budget is getting tighter as the university attempts to trim $5.5 million from its spending.A 1.5 percent reduction in spending was called for in the university’s 2001-2002 budget, which was approved last month by the MSU Board of Trustees when it passed an 8.9 percent tuition increase. Fred Poston, vice president for finance and operations, said the cutbacks were necessary to keep the recent tuition increase manageable.“If we would have said we are going to pass on the entire shortfall to the students, the tuition would have increased a lot more than 8.9 percent,” he said.

En Garde

By Amanda First The State News Ben Pfaff woke up Saturday morning, donned his medieval garb and spent the day advertising “Renaissance marriage counseling” and promoting fights between parents and children.

Web site aims to help students quit smoking

Olin Health Center is determined to get the word out about the dangers of smoking.The health center is kicking off a campaign to help students quit smoking through a new Web site geared toward college students.

Commission aims to improve life for terminally ill

The Michigan Commission on End of Life Care presented Gov. John Engler with a report Thursday to improve treatment for terminally ill patients and prepare physicians for end of life issues.

System puts forth roller-coaster record

System of a Down Toxicity (American) It’s fortunate most record stores organize their rock music alphabetically rather than by category, because I wouldn’t know where to find the latest effort by System of a Down. The Los Angeles quartet ranges from hard rock to heavy metal on its new record and often throughout individual tracks. It is a roller coaster of a record, complete with stomach-swirling loops, eye-popping drops, a few slower spots where you can catch your breath and enough surprises to keep your adrenaline pumping.

Clear view

While representatives of the undergraduate student government work through university bureaucracies, a unique and valuable program remains idle for new enrollment. Representatives from ASMSU are fighting to reinstate the visual impairment program in the College of Education.

National artist to host an exhibit of his life at U

Kresge Art Museum is set to host an exhibit of artist Clarence Major. Major’s background consists of published books, poems and paintings inspired by his life.“He is an important writer and painter and he will be lecturing to my creative writing class this semester,” said Nancy Bunge, an American Thought and Language professor.

MTV programs contribute to the death of music

Upon returning to campus this year, we inevitably reflect on the memories of the past few months when it seemed like responsibility was at a minimum.

Cafe-II-Go changes no improvement

“Caf-II-Go is now completely takeout!”Sounds like that might be a good thing, doesn’t it?

A new equation

It’s gratifying to see the labors and trials of so many beginning to pay off as people become more aware of those who come from different social backgrounds. A recent survey of high school seniors - next year’s college freshman class - found students more tolerant of lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgendered people than ever.

CMU no big deal? Think again before ruling Chips out; history can happen

With Saturday’s matchup between MSU and Central Michigan around the corner, the media, fans, players and coaches have been packing on the hype. But with every team comes first game jitters and questions marks.

Man-made damage to environment plays role in tree disease

Ash trees in the Midwest and Northeast are in danger of dying from unknown causes.Frank Sapio, forest health program manager of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, said a disease affecting the species is widespread throughout southern Michigan.“It is worse in urban environments,” he said.Sapio said a combination of other outside factors has been playing a role in some instances.“That doesn’t explain what is going on in the woods,” he said.The decline of the trees could be attributed to a disease known as ash yellow.“It is a very elusive agent, we don’t know what is exactly going on,” Sapio said.

Freshmen feel welcome, adjusting well to college life at U

By Katie Stachlewitz The State News Upperclassmen are once again dressed in sweats for their morning classes, and sightings of the newest Spartans, with their noses in their maps, are becoming less frequent as the freshman class falls into the swing of things. In Rather Hall, freshmen were greeted by the Welcoming Green Team, student volunteers who took time to help freshmen have a positive first impression of campus. “They helped many freshmen carry heavy luggage, furniture and even assisted in setting up their rooms,” said Cynthia King, Rather\'s assistant hall director.

Police briefs 09/05/01

Housing remains stable despite Shaw Hall closing

Despite the closing of Shaw Hall this year, finding housing has not put anyone out in the cold.The number of students living on campus has not changed, said Angela Brown, director of University Housing.“Our house count has been consistent over the past years,” she said.Brown said the decision to close Shaw Hall was planned ahead of time so as not to leave students uncomfortable or homeless.She said the number of over-assigned halls is less than 20 and there are plans accommodate the students in them as soon as possible.“This is very similar to the work done in (Mason and Abbott halls) when they were closed a few years ago,” she said.But landlord Fred Bauries said he still had trouble finding students to rent to for the fall.“We found we had more difficulty this year than any year I can remember,” he said.Bauries said while he found leasers for all three of his homes, he blames the lack of interest on the recent economic slowdown and the construction of new apartments.“I think the appeal up there is the new construction, and (Capstone Commons) is something I would consider a 21st century dorm,” he said.Bauries said the developers have looked at the current market and have found success in the form of profits.But while more students might be living in apartments, Annette Irwin, operations administrator for the Code Enforcement and Neighborhood Conservation Department of East Lansing, said students are still leasing homes in the city.“That is the question that some of us are wondering, are they willing to give up the proximity to campus for items that are catering right to their needs such as Internet access and the clubhouse environment,” she said.Other types of incentives such as lawn care and parking might also be playing a factor in a student’s decision to live off campus, she said.But Irwin said this is not a problem for renters.“I suspect there will always be a part of the student body that wants to live in a home,” she said.Terri Clifton, vice president of property management for Crossing Place Student Apartments, 3636 E.

Lugnuts unable to slay Dragons in first game

Lansing - As red-hot as the Lansing Lugnuts were in August, they couldn’t be any colder these first few days of September. Manager Julio Garcia’s club rattled off a stretch of 18 wins in 22 games last month, but the Lugnuts have since dropped six straight, including a 4-2 loss to the Dayton Dragons in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series Tuesday night at Oldsmobile Park. “It took a lot to come from where we were to where we are now,” Garcia said of Lansing’s last-place finish in the first half of the season.

O an entertaining version of the theater classic

Maybe it’s the fact that I haven’t seen a good movie in a while, but I like the new movie “O,” a modern take on Shakespeare’s classic “Othello.” I know that I’m not supposed to like anything, especially teen movies, but this flick managed to capture the treachery, jealousy and scheming that made the original so darn interesting. The movie stars Mekhi Phifer as Odin, the only black student at an upper-class prep school.