Martial arts films are often risky territory. The characters usually aren’t very interesting except for their physical abilities and the stories are far-fetched, even for such a far-fetched genre. But “Kiss of the Dragon,” starring Jet Li, manages to entertain without talking down to the audience or getting too hokey. The story centers on Li’s character, Liu Jian, who’s something of a Chinese supercop.
At least one MSU trustee is saying the tuition guarantee, which was instituted by President M. Peter McPherson in 1994, will likely be suspended today. Robert Weiss said when the Board of Trustees meets at 9 a.m.
The Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education will become the place to be for farmers this week. The MSU Department of Agricultural Engineering is holding its 22nd annual Ag Expo, which runs from 9 a.m.
Pork chops and ice cream will go together well Wednesday night. Clowns named Porkchop and Honeybunch will entertain kids while residents eat handmade ice cream at the 27th annual Ice Cream Social at the Orchard Street Pump House, 368 Orchard St. The event starts at 5 p.m.
With the time quickly approaching to send out tuition bills, university officials couldn’t wait any longer to determine how much tuition costs will rise for next year.The MSU Board of Trustees voted 6-2 Monday to suspend the tuition guarantee and raise tuition at a special meeting.Trustees Bob Weiss and David Porteous voted against the increase, and Weiss voted against altering the tuition guarantee.Undergraduate student tuition is expected to rise 8.9 percent in the fall, pending the expected 1.5 percent funding increase from the state Legislature.If MSU receives a 3 percent funding increase from the state, undergraduate tuition will be raised 6 percent.
I would be interested to know why the MSU Grounds Crew has cut down so many old-growth oak and elm trees the past few years.
After seven years of the tuition guarantee, the state Legislature has forced university officials to consider hiking tuition as much as 10 percent for students.
There are 72,027 seats in Spartan Stadium packed with sports fans during every home football game in the fall.But there’s more to the stadium than sports.In more than 100 yards of MSU Museum storage space on the second level of the stadium, History Curator Val Berryman knows by heart the artifacts and objects most of the fans will never see.While current museum exhibitions feature the history and art of quilting and two West African cultures, there are still more than 2.5 million items in storage on and off campus.“We’ve tried to make use of every square inch of this place,” Berryman said of the stadium storage space.
Pakistan’s self-appointed president, Pervaiz Musharraf, is scheduled to meet Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee this month.
Pro-life or pro-death? Pro-choice or pro-tyranny?Imagine the political talk shows if moral questions were this easy to resolve.
The speculation is over.MSU President M. Peter McPherson said Thursday the university is considering suspending the innovative tuition guarantee he instituted in 1994.The MSU Board of Trustees will look at potentially nixing the guarantee, which has kept tuition increases at or below the projected rate of inflation since it was created, during a Monday meeting.“We hope it’s just this one year and it is our expectation to have it for the following years,” university spokesman Terry Denbow said.
After weeks of increasingly heated debate that has threatened to obscure the real issue at hand, President Bush is close to making a decision on whether the government should pay for research on stem cells extracted from human embryos. Stem cells are found in embryos and some adult tissues and can develop into brain cells, liver cells, heart cells and other parts of the body. Embryonic stem cells have generated great excitement among scientists because they are believed to have the potential to grow into any cell or tissue in the body, and consequently may be able to repair and replace damaged tissues and organs. Although it is possible to extract stem cells from adult tissue, embryonic cells have unlimited ability to proliferate and form new tissue in the laboratory, making them superior for research use. While advocates of federal spending for such research say the promise of new treatments or cures for Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes is more than enough to justify government support; the Roman Catholic Church, anti-abortion activists and many conservatives object to using stem cells extracted from embryos, even those from fertility clinics that might otherwise be discarded. Despite the opposition, the White House is reportedly leaning toward support of a plan that would permit government-funded research to use discarded embryos created during infertility treatments. This plan would be similar to the one already put in place by former President Bill Clinton that allows federal funds to support research on stem cells created during fertility treatments. Although this is a no-win situation for the Bush administration, it will please the most people and placate the most interests by adopting some form of this idea. While the Catholic Church can be said to represent the views of a significant percentage of the American people, the majority of Americans do not prescribe to its conservative ideology. Anti-abortion activists are also found on the extreme side of the political spectrum, and it has been shown in many public opinion polls that most people do not agree with their views on abortion. Likewise, the opinions of overly conservative politicians are not always in sync with those of the general populace, as evidenced by the focus on the moderate voter prevalent in last year’s presidential election. In fact, some of Capitol Hill’s most right-wing voices have spoken in support of stem cell research - including South Carolina Sen.
Have you ever missed an event at the Breslin Student Events Center because you didn’t know about it, or you found out about it, but it was too late to get tickets? Political science junior Blane Emery has.
Tongue piercing has become a way for some - like interdisciplinary studies senior Mark Bontomasi - to express themselves. “I think in today’s age, I know so many people who have it done,” said Bontomasi, who had his tongue pierced almost two years ago.
It’s not easy being green. But G is for green power, and that’s good enough for John Strickler, director of communications for the Lansing Board of Water and Light. The board has a contract with Granger Electric Co. to purchase methane gas from landfills and sell it to customers as renewable energy. Joel Zylstra, president of Granger Electric Co. said as a landfill begins to decompose it emits methane gas, which can be used just like natural gas. “It has significant environmental benefits,” he said.
At long last, I’m writing a column about fraternities and sororities. I’ve put it off until now for two reasons.
Gas grills around the state were fired up on Wednesday for the Fourth of July, but where do users go to refill their propane tanks once they’re empty? If the tank doesn’t have an overfill prevention device, or OPD, it may be difficult to find anyone to refill it. New regulations in Michigan will prohibit tanks that lack the prevention device from being filled, beginning April 1, 2002.
LANSING - The sidewalks were decorated Wednesday with children’s drawings of the American flag for the capital city’s parade and celebration of the country’s birth. Ten-year-old Lansing resident Bethany Billips drew fireworks with the words “Fourth of July” etched next to them.
Members of Sigma Chi are out of a house for at least six months, and the fraternity’s affiliation with the university is in severe jeopardy. The fraternity, which has a house located at 729 E.