Cattle herding part of weekend event

Competitors only had one minute to complete their task — guide cattle into a pen without using ropes or their hands. People on horseback directed the cows and raced to beat their opponents, with varied success. About 150 people — ranging in age from about 6 to 80 — competed with their horses in Cowboy Christmas, a horse competition held at the Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education during the weekend.

UAB gets crafty at holiday art show

By Danielle Grondin Special to The State News Shannon Hoffman said she sang holiday songs in the dark Saturday morning, waiting to help crafters line their cars up before the 42nd annual Holiday Arts & Crafts Show. "Why else would you want to be at the Union at 4:45 a.m.

Seniors selected to deliver farewell speeches

Philip Lauri was inspired while interning in Houston this summer. The supply chain management senior decided to write a speech reflecting on his time at MSU and approaching his final semester. "I had been working and sitting in a cubicle, and I thought, 'What am I going to do here with my life?'" Lauri said.

Law could allow bars to remain open past 2 a.m.

Bar patrons would be able to stay out after 2 a.m. if a bill unanimously passed by the state House and Senate is signed by Gov.

WEB EXTRA: Free origami lesson held today in Union

A program teaching the art of origami will be held from noon to 1 p.m. today in the Ohio State room of the Union. At "Origami — Holiday Ornaments from Paper," event participants can learn the Japanese craft of paper-folding to create holiday ornaments and decorations. The MSU Women's Resource Center is providing all supplies, and the program is free to the public.

Dreams of dressage

Maureen Kennedy dances with horses. After a four-year hiatus following an injury, the MSU police sergeant is back at practice for dressage competitions — where a mounted horse is trained in a series of movements such as prancing in place and pirouettes. Kennedy said she trained with Royal Canadian Mounted Police and is now working with horses Gigi and Winzig — each with their own personality — to get ready for competitions this summer. "He's as brave as they come, but he's like a big, fuzzy lumpkins," Kennedy said of Winzig with a smile.

Campus groups 'spread' virus, awareness on World AIDS Day

As of 6 p.m. Thursday, 420 members of the MSU community discovered they had "contracted" the AIDS virus by going online. The Alliance of Les-Bi-Gay-Transgender and Straight Ally Students, with the help of other campus organizations, created an interactive Web site in honor of World AIDS Day on Thursday.

Flood causes some residents to be displaced

Water pipe bursts at two Northern Tier apartment complexes have left at least 15 residents displaced and wondering who is going to pay for the damage. The pipes burst last week in apartments within The Landings and The Village at Chandler Crossings complexes after at least two apartment renters turned off their heat before leaving for Thanksgiving weekend, said Robert Kolt, spokesman for Atlantis Development Group Ltd., which owns the apartment properties. The apartment lease agreement requires that renters keep their heat on so apartment temperatures don't fall to freezing conditions.

WEB EXTRA: Pottery, clothing among items on sale at craft show

The 42nd annual MSU Holiday Arts and Crafts show will be held this weekend at the Union. Featuring goods from more than 200 artists, the show is free and open from 9 a.m.

WEB EXTRA: Teams of cattle to compete in weekend 'Cowboy Christmas'

For three days this weekend, 400-500 teams will be competing in "Cowboy Christmas" at the Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education. The event features timed team penning and sorting competitions with groups of 30 cattle each.

Students hold protest over recruitment

Several students gathered outside the Marine Corps Recruiting Station on Grand River Avenue on Thursday afternoon to protest recruitment tactics used by the military. Members of the group Direct Action organized the protest, claiming that the military uses deceitful tactics to attract new recruits. Social relations sophomore Stefan Lanwermeyer participated in the protest and said many enlist in the military for the financial incentive instead of seeking financial aid. "A lot of people don't understand what is going on —the war doesn't come to college campuses because there isn't a draft," he said.

Police briefs 12/02/05

Tree buyers shop despite weather

Michael and Julie Breen and their black Labrador retriever Jody perused the inside selection of trees on Wednesday afternoon.

Club looks to get disc-golf playing course at MSU

By Gabrielle Russon Special to The State News Ben Hamlin has his drivers and his putters in his disc golf bag.

Hurricane effects still observed

On a volunteer trip one month after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Ashley Wright couldn't believe the town of Pass Christian, Miss., was still in ruins. "I felt like I got dropped off in the woods and had to pick up trash," the economics senior said.

Police briefs 12/01/05

Local events to raise awareness about AIDS

World AIDS Day will be celebrated today around the community and on campus with events to raise awareness and education about the disease. The Lansing Area AIDS Network will be holding a community observance at 11 a.m.

Prof. strives to end world hunger

After decades of working with hunger and the poor, animal science professor Sam Varghese has focused on his home country of India this last year. Last month, he returned from another trip to India, where he worked with relief efforts for the tsunami that hit Southeast Asia in December 2004.

Supreme Court debates minors' abortion rights

A Supreme Court case about the rights of minors who want to have abortions in New Hampshire could show how the high court will rule with its new member, a Michigan lawyer said. This is the first case John Roberts has heard involving abortion rights since he assumed the position of chief justice for the nation's highest court. The court heard arguments about the case on Wednesday, which could decide whether people under the age of 18 need to have the consent of their parents to have an abortion. Mae Kuykendall, a lawyer and senior associate dean for academic affairs at the MSU College of Law, said this is an interesting time to watch the Supreme Court because of the changes that have happened during the past few months. "It's significant for the way the court is moving and the way it interprets the statute," she said. Pamela Sherstad, a spokeswoman for Right to Life of Michigan, said it's good the court has taken the case because having a family involved when a minor wants an abortion is important. "This lets people know what is at stake with abortion rights," she said.

GEU members hold holiday food drive

For some MSU students, the theme of this holiday season is "students helping students." The Graduate Employees Union, or GEU, began a food drive at the start of November for the MSU Student Food Bank.