Towing policy amended, simplified

The MSU Board of Trustees approved Friday an amendment to the university’s towing ordinance after concerns grew that the policy did not follow state law.The amendment replaces the ordinance of more than 20 years with a much shorter ordinance university officials hope will cause less confusion.The policy change will allow MSU to tow vehicles with more than six outstanding parking tickets as well as conform to Michigan’s Uniform Traffic Code - a state law the university was not following.Trustee Dee Cook said the amendment was a necessary step for the board to take.“The university needed to clarify this,” Cook said.

Returning home has many disadvantages

For the last two and a half years of my life, I have lived without the aid of my parents. Next Thursday and for the three and a half weeks following it, I will live at home again. Each time I return, I am reminded of the warmth home brings and the comfort my family gives me.

COGS holds forum, discusses TAs

Whether to increase the number of teaching assistants or to increase their pay was addressed at a forum hosted by the MSU Council of Graduate Students on Thursday night.“COGS Town Hall - Addressing the Potential Reduction of Teaching Assistantships for the 2001-2002 Academic Year” was held to allow students to voice their concerns and opinions on the issue.“The primary role of COGS is to be an advocate for graduate student concerns,” said Sam Howerton, president of the group.

Magazine honors U producer

Kevin Epling, producer and director of photography for MSU’s Division of University Relations, is one of the best in the business. That’s according to AV Video Multimedia Producer magazine, which named Epling one of the Top 100 Producers of 2000.

Weekend Guide

Friday The MSU Philharmonic Orchestra and Campus Orchestra perform at 8 p.m. in the Fairchild Theatre in the Auditorium.

Caroling Carillon

MSU staff member Patricia Johannes practices ringing the bells on the carillon Thursday in Beaumont Tower.

Police identify suspect in robbery

Lansing police officials announced Tuesday that they are seeking a local man who they believe is responsible for the most recent bank robbery in the city. Terrence Leontha Wallace, 31, is described as a black male, 5 feet 10 inches tall and 194 pounds.

New last name improves connection with heritage

Shakespeare wrote, “What is in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Until recently, that was a nice line to recite and use in English papers, but now it holds a little more meaning for me. I recently discovered that my last name is spelled wrong.

Alumna, Detroit rocker to perform in Phillips

MSU alumna Kristen Plater wanted to take a break from the Boston music scene to visit East Lansing for a couple of weeks.

U channel contracts fresh flicks

The Residence Halls Association has made a resolution to reserve the best movies for dorm residents - just in time for the new year.RHA will now obtain movies shown on the University Housing Channel from Swank Motion Pictures, the nation’s leading distributor of licensed movies.

Ohio State looks to defy critics

This is the sixth in a series of Big Ten men’s basketball previews.Two years ago, people didn’t think the Ohio State men’s basketball team would amount to much.

Police briefs 12/07/00

ASMSU poses tenant ordinance

MSU’s undergraduate student government is looking to prevent East Lansing landlords from jumping the gun on leases next year.

Coat drive warms locals

Some MSU students are doing their part to make wintertime a little easier on those less fortunate.The North Complex Black Caucus, McDonel Hall Senate, Residence Life and the MSU police are holding the second “Help Keep a Family Warm This Winter” coat drive.Officer Kahlil Wasson, who helped coordinate the event for the MSU police, said the drive has collected more than 200 coats since the drive began on Nov.

Cagers jump-started by crowd after slow beginning, extend winning streak to 17

MSU extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 17 games with a 99-83 win over Florida.The No.

Business e-mails need subject lines

In the world of casual communication, I agree with Kevin Hardy’s assessment that a subject line is unnecessary (“Please Read: Don’t include subjects with e-mails,” SN 12/1). But in the world of business communication, the subject line serves a purpose.

Program stresses holiday safety

LANSING - Although the Lansing Fire Department is usually called on to extinguish fires, it spent Wednesday morning lighting one - all for good reasons, of course. In a small brick room at the Lansing Fire Department Training Center, Battalion Chief Larry Martin lit a flare and set it at the base of a decorated Christmas tree as firefighters armed with hoses looked on. Within seconds, a smoke detector sounded and the tree was barely visible, first lost in smoke, then engulfed in flames. However, the staged fire wasn’t just for Grinch-like kicks. “We wanted to get the word out there that before you (put lights on your) tree, make sure your home is adequately equipped with smoke detectors,” said Gary Burkart, vice president of Flagstar Bank, which sponsored the demonstration as part of its Safety First program. The program gives away thousands of free or discounted smoke alarms to people across the state.

Board allows precincts to be recounted

MASON - Recounts aren’t always as easy as they should be. The Board of State Canvassers voted Wednesday night to allow 10 precincts - eight of those from East Lansing - to be recounted in the 8th Congressional District race after questions over the validity of some ballots arose. Problems with the eight East Lansing precincts arose when officials discovered numbers appearing on the ballot boxes did not match official numbers recorded in poll books. The vote came as good news to Democratic candidate Dianne Byrum’s campaign, which trailed Republican Mike Rogers by 160 votes before recounts began at her request.

Creating a web

Jeremy Meadows wanted to connect with a growing web of friends with sites on the Internet. “I knew a lot of people that had them and I wanted to jump on the bandwagon, too,” said the English graduate student, who created www.msu.edu/~meadows7 in 1996. In the past four years, Meadows has seen the number of student Web sites rapidly branch out. “There are definitely a lot more Web sites since I started college,” he said. The Internet “really took off” during the 1995-1996 school year, said Dave Krauss, a senior specialist in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences who began teaching over the Internet with MSU’s first Virtual University course in fall 1996. Since then, constructing Web sites has become part of the curriculum for classes such as Computer Science 101 and sections of American Thought and Language.

Unique player looks to lead Purdue

Talking about a Gene Keady-led Purdue team in the preseason is virtually worthless.Coming into each new season, the Boilermakers seem destined for the middle of the Big Ten pack.