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MSU

New Extension director looks to maintain growth

The MSU Extension will undergo a changing of the guard of sorts next semester when Margaret Bethel takes over as the acting director.Extension is the university’s statewide initiative that offers educational and informational resources to residents in dozens of Michigan communities.

FEATURES

Superdrag entertains Grand Rapids crowd with powerful performance, songs

GRAND RAPIDS - As Superdrag frontman John Davis finished tuning his guitar Friday at The Intersection in Grand Rapids, he peered at the eager rock and rollers with smoke seeping around his face from the cigarette in his hand and asked “Grand Rapids, what do you got?”Davis then began playing the opening track, “keep it close to me,” off their third full-length record “In the Valley of Dying Stars.”The crowd, consisting mostly of kids in their early 20s packed in like sardines, responded with a loud roar of approval.The band, best known for its brush with fame with its 1996 MTV “Buzz Bin” hit “Sucked Out,” didn’t play that song the entire evening, which seemed justified.

NEWS

McPherson speaks at GOP governors conference

MSU President M. Peter McPherson knew where he was Friday.And because he was speaking to the nation’s GOP governors in Tampa, Fla., he felt obliged to shy away from talking about voting operations.Especially since recount after recount in Florida continues to unveil no winner in the nation’s heated presidential race.“I started off my speech by saying I didn’t expect to comment on voting technology,” he joked.

SPORTS

Andreas, Wolfe gain experience

Jason Andreas?Adam Wolfe?That was the response given to the two freshmen ballers when they spoke to the more than 25,000 fans packed inside Spartan Stadium after winning the national championship.Perhaps it was being overshadowed by players like Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson and senior guard Charlie Bell.

SPORTS

Cagers defeat Oakland 97-61

MSU head coach Tom Izzo was worried going into Sunday’s season opener against Oakland University, a game which marked the unveiling of the team’s 2000 NCAA championship banner.

NEWS

Spartans fall to Boston College at Breslin

After playing from behind the entire game, the MSU women's basketball team lost in the final moments Saturday in the championship game of the MSU Chevrolet Classic.The Spartans fell to the Boston College Eagles on Saturday 63-61.With seven seconds remaining, MSU senior point guard Christie Pung passed the ball to senior forward and co-captain Becky Cummings in the low post.

MSU

Panel discusses election

Sherman Garnett always wondered what a group of James Madison alumni and students would think and discuss if they were brought together.The dean of James Madison College got his wish Thursday.A panel of current students and politically active alumni came together to discuss the recent election and campaigns.“I thought it would be useful for us to talk about this experience, especially since most of this is local at this point,” Garnett said.James Madison alumni panelists included Adam Wright, who is state Sen.

FEATURES

Churches looks at family relationships

The Department of Theatre shows that you can go home again in a show this weekend. Theater senior Kelli Hardman directs Tina Howe’s “Painting Churches.” Set in 1980, “Painting Churches” tells the story of Margaret “Megs” Church, played by theater senior Caroline Sullivan.

MICHIGAN

Parade marks start of holiday season

To mark the beginning of the holiday season, Lansing will be hosting Silver Bells in the City tonight, a holiday event that includes an electric light parade, free entertainment and the lighting of the capital’s Christmas tree.The event began in 1985 with just a few luminaries and a community sing led by the Lansing mayor but has now grown to provide entertainment for an expected 40,000 to 50,000 people.“At the beginning of the event it was started as a way to promote downtown,” said Sue Mills, executive director of the Arts Council of Greater Lansing, which coordinates the event.

SPORTS

Final road trip vital for erratic Spikers

It’s the last road trip of the regular season for MSU volleyball, and how the Spartans fare will weigh heavily on their NCAA tournament hopes.MSU has failed to put together back-to-back wins since September and has consequently fallen out of the top 25 for the first time all season.Tied for fifth in the Big Ten with only four matches remaining, the Spartans (15-10 overall, 8-8 Big Ten) find themselves on the tournament bubble.MSU plays at Iowa (12-12, 8-8) tonight and at No.

COMMENTARY

People power

The Electoral College should be abolished, but not before the nation’s election process is more accurate.

MSU

Student leaves for conference in The Hague

MSU will be represented in the Netherlands this week as a student environmental group sends one of its own to take a stance on global warming.Liisa Bergmann, the co-coordinator of ECO, will leave today for the Convention on Climate Change - a United Nations conference in The Hague.“I will represent ECO members and MSU students in demanding that the U.S.

NEWS

Holmes Hall commits to fight against hate crimes

After this week, Holmes Hall should be a much safer place to call home.At least that’s the hope of the coordinators of the “Not In Our Hall” program that wraps up today.The program was adapted from the “Not In Our Town” policy initiated in Billings, Mont.

MICHIGAN

Director dismisses E.L. voting problem rumors

Michigan’s elections director spoke at the state Capitol on Thursday dismissing rumors that likened voting problems in East Lansing to those in Florida .Chris Thomas dispelled the accusations made minutes earlier by Democrats who accused Republicans of disenfranchising voters.The press conferences came after newspapers around the state reported East Lansing students who had registered to vote were not allowed to cast ballots.Voters angered by their inability to vote have raised doubts about the accuracy of close elections and spurred talk of recount requests.