Survey says 'no' to smoking

Smoking in dorm rooms might not be a housing option next year. The Residence Halls Association, or RHA, passed a bill last week that recommended University Housing "eliminate all smoking options in the residence halls by fall 2007." RHA officials conducted an online smoking survey last fall, and more than 1,000 students participated. The majority said they would support a ban on smoking in the residence halls. In 1994, the MSU Board of Trustees approved a smoking ban in university vehicles and in campus buildings, except residence halls. RHA is proposing to make all residence hall rooms, hallways and lounges smoke-free.

Police briefs 02/28/06

Road evaluation gives Michigan bad marks

Lansing-area road conditions received an "F" in a report released Monday by the nonprofit organization The Road Information Program, or TRIP.

Battle continues about addition of pipeline in Lansing

The city of Lansing is contesting the constitutionality of a state law that would allow for the construction of a pipeline through southern Lansing along the I-96 expressway. The law, approved by Gov.

Helping hands

An area group that raises money for South African schools and scholarships has raised more than $35,000 for the cause since the organization's conception. Linking All Types of Teachers to International Cross-Cultural Education, or LATTICE, is a local nonprofit organization that focuses on promoting global understanding in elementary and secondary schools. With unemployment as high as 40 percent in South Africa and education costs at about $150 per student, many children's educations are cut short, the group members said. Tuition, books and uniforms add to the cost, which leads many South African women to fall back on their skills in the ancient art of basket weaving to raise money to provide their children with a basic education. This is why LATTICE joined with Skills Dynamic in South Africa to export the weaver's baskets into the United States. Some Lansing-area teachers and LATTICE members have created pen-pal relationships between their students and students in South Africa who received scholarships.

E.L. restaurant's 'blighted' status recognized nationally

A McDonald's in East Lansing has been dubbed the "Blighted Business of the Week" by a national activist group. The McDonald's, 1024 E.

Young cadets learn ROTC skills

By Justin Kroll For The State News Cadet Jay Knight paid close attention as he observed Cadet 1st Lt.

Police briefs 02/27/06

Findlay declines recount

Republican John Findlay will not seek a recount after last week's special Senate election primary in which he was defeated by Vince Green by only one vote. Green won over Findlay with 1,317 votes to 1,316. Green will now face Rep.

Students win turf war

Police vs. students sounds like a familiar rivalry, but this time the issue wasn't parking tickets or party noise. They brought their game to the football field. Residents of Brody and West Circle complexes joined MSU police officers Sunday at Duffy Daugherty Football Building to compete against each other in a friendly game of touch football. The game was played as a fundraiser for the American Red Cross. Lorrie Bates and David Isabell, both MSU police officers, began planning the inaugural game three weeks ago.

'Beer nuts' host festival

By Erin Atkinson For The State News Puddles of beer dampened the pavement and the distinctive ale smell permeated the street at the Winter Beer Festival in Lansing's Old Town Saturday. While most opted for traditional kegs and coolers, the Dark Horse Brewing Co. found a way to make its "Scotty Karate" flavor stand out. The company distributed its beer from the shoulders of an armless mannequin. Local beer aficionados stood sipping on hundreds of flavors including "Quit Jerkn' my Firken" and "Big Phat Abbey Ale," from 21 brewing companies across Michigan.

Student earns award to study slave trade

To Sowande Mustakeem, a library full of historical documents is like a playground for children. And in her playground, this MSU Comparative Black History Program doctoral student rifles through letters and logs related to the transatlantic slave trade — an era she believes should be further explored.

Redesigned MSU.edu site launches today

The new MSU home page is set to launch today between 6 - 8 a.m. The design will be "snappier" and the site will adhere to current Web standards, said Rich Wiggins, senior information technologist for Academic Computing & Network Services. "We want to take advantage of new standards and be as current as we can, but we want to make sure it works on most of the Web browsers people have," Wiggins said. The new Web site has been tested with more than 90 percent of popular browsers, he said, including Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla and Firefox. Among the changes is a photo with another inset photo — usually a professor or student, but in one case a panda — with a story to go along with the visual, Wiggins said. The actual transition to the new site should be very brief, he said. "It's like one minute you're on the current site, the next minute on the new one," Wiggins said.

Doctor shortage result of demand, retirees

Michigan is facing a shortage of specialty physicians and will face a critical shortage of general practitioners by 2020, researchers said. The Blue Ribbon Physician Workforce Committee, made up of representatives from the MSU colleges of Human Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine, found that Michigan is experiencing the shortage most acutely. Specialty groups that face a deficit of doctors include general surgeons, internists, psychiatrists and radiologists. The shortage is due to a number of factors, said Carol Parker-Lee, executive director of MSU Area Health Education Center.

Food for the soul

For nearly six years, Todd McFadden and his sister Pam McFadden have been trying to get soul food on the menu at the Union's Heritage Cafe.

Commission to evaluate MSU accreditation process

After almost two years of preparing data on its programs, MSU has just two days to make its case for re-accreditation — which could bring more federal funding to the university in the future. A 13-person site team from the North Central Association's Higher Learning Commission will meet with more than 100 administrators, faculty and staff members when they come to campus Monday and Tuesday. The association is an Arizona-based accrediting organization for K-12 schools and universities. "It's the end of a two-year process of looking at ourselves, collecting data from a whole set of sources and trying to pull it together to tell the MSU story," said Karen Klomparens, dean of The Graduate School and co-coordinator of MSU's accreditation self study. Federal financial aid is based on an institution's accreditation status, which is decided every 10 years, Klomparens said. The site visit is meant to personally verify the university's self study, which was submitted two months ago, Provost Kim Wilcox said. "It's to confirm what we've written is accurate, and also for them to get a sense of how we put the goals into action on campus," Wilcox said. Universities are required to meet five criteria in the self study — defining their mission and integrity, preparing for future opportunities, providing evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness, supporting creativity and social responsibility and maintaining a commitment to engagement.

Profs: E-mail aids student learning

Several MSU faculty members agree that e-mail has increased the ability of students and professors to communicate, even if the volume of that communication can prevent instant answers to questions. Some professors say, however, that poor e-mail etiquette can confuse a student's meaning, and can make it harder for an instructor to respond with a clear answer. "Some students do expect immediate responses at all hours, and are unskilled at using e-mail effectively to communicate," said Robert Wiseman, a management associate professor who, incidentally, responded via e-mail. He said student e-mails that have an inappropriate tone or word choice hinder the intent of the communication.

Police briefs 02/24/06

Task forces to reform Academic Governance

Five committees began working this semester to restructure the Academic Governance system, review administrators and academic programs, define the role of fixed-term faculty and improve communication within the system. To improve the presence of faculty input and voice in the Academic Governance system, the committees were formed last fall through Faculty Council. The idea for the committees came about last spring, after faculty members revealed their concerns about their input in important university decisions. Faculty members were upset with the administration following the release of then-Provost Lou Anna K.

Bills aim for farm regulation

Michigan House Republicans hope to help the state's agriculture industry by offering farmers incentives to meet environmental standards, representatives said Tuesday. The six-bill legislation package will allow farmers to enter a voluntary program that verifies the farmer is taking steps to prevent pollution. "This legislation is vital to the continued growth and development of Michigan farm jobs as we strive to reach the goals and objectives of rebuilding the economy and enhancing business and industry," said Rep.