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MSU

ASMSU chooses leaders

Three new chairs for ASMSU's Academic Assembly took office Tuesday night, each pledging to fill the assembly's seats, address the provost's plan for liberal arts restructuring and go into the streets to connect with MSU students. Dan Weber defeated College of Natural Science representative Andy McCoy for assembly chairperson. Weber, a physiology senior who was external vice chair this session, said chairs need to encourage representatives to be excited about the power they have in academic governance. "In other years, it was like we were up in a tower," Weber said.

MICHIGAN

Melrose to combat identity theft with management changes

Melrose Apartments have undergone some management changes in response to allegations that an employee there used tenants' personal information to steal more than $100,000. Residents of the complex, 16789 Chandler Road, soon will be receiving a newsletter with tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft and the company no longer will accept credit cards as a form of payment, a Melrose spokesman said Wednesday. "The complex is no longer gathering that information so it couldn't be stolen," said Robert Kolt, spokesperson for Atlantis Campus Communities IV, the company that manages Melrose. Additionally, Kolt said, all the files with residents' personal information will be under lock and key.

MICHIGAN

Meeting focuses on budget

About 40 people attended an East Lansing City Council meeting and public hearing regarding the city budget Tuesday. Though the meeting was held on campus at the Union's Gold Rooms A and B and allowed for public discussion of the coming year's budget, no MSU students were on hand to address the council during the public comment time. During the meeting, the city's Human Relations Commission presented the council with recommendations for allotting the city's general fund money that comes from taxpayers. Although cuts in city projects were suggested in order to balance the city budget, the commission did not recommend an increase in property taxes. Due to an expected 2005 state budget deficit of $1.3 billion, local governments have received less funding.

MICHIGAN

ASMSU officials attend House Appropriations meeting

Lansing - Rifling through a budget lit by sunlight from a side window in the state House Appropriations room, Andrew Bell checked line by line to make sure higher education appropriations hadn't changed. Wednesday morning, Bell, ASMSU's director of legislative affairs, attended the first of four state House higher education subcommittee meetings to determine next year's Michigan college and university funding. "We're going to make sure we're not left out of anything, that nothing slips by us," Bell said.

MSU

Students participate in silent protest

Kristin Dunn, dressed in black shorts and a black T-shirt, might have blended into the steady student foot traffic along Farm Lane on Wednesday - if it weren't for the giant silver strip of Duct tape plastered across her mouth. As a participant in MSU student groups' recognition of National Day of Silence, the communication sophomore stood on the sidewalk handing out fliers to passersby.

MICHIGAN

Business as usual for reopened pizza shop

Gumby's Pizza recently reopened after a four-month hiatus, and while its manager says business is better than ever, some former customers aren't returning. The pizza shop closed in December when a water pipe burst in its building, 311 W.

MSU

Class to guide future politicians

Some students have run for public office in the past, but little success has been claimed by the younger generation when it comes to winning elections. But the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, a nonpartisan public policy network at MSU, is trying to help young politicians get elected.

MSU

Students gauge political views for class with online polling

Although Marley Groskind's ultimate goal is to get a job in advertising or public relations, she has spent the entire semester researching bills that are before the Michigan House. The advertising senior is enrolled in Arts & Letters 331: Writing in the Public Interest, a class that requires students to create online questionnaires aimed at ascertaining how their peers feel about the political issues facing them. "A lot of laws that would potentially be passed will affect college students," Groskind said.

MICHIGAN

Skater's paradise

Matt Wein stands tall in a land of giants. The curly-haired 12-year-old stretches to almost five feet next to his older skatepark friends, but he warns that his skateboard skills are separate from his height. On a recent late afternoon, he waited among the silhouetted crowd for another chance to frontside boardslide the angled rail posing in front of them. Wein skates almost every day with his friends at the Ranney Skate Park, 300 Frandor Ave.

MICHIGAN

Accused murderer of prof set to begin trial

The man accused of the November killing of an MSU professor will stand trial today, when a judge is expected to decide if he is not guilty by reason of insanity. Bramlett Hamilton, 36, is accused of killing his mother and MSU professor Ruth Simms Hamilton.

MSU

Diversity among faculty increases

The total number of faculty members at MSU has decreased, but women and ethnic minorities make up a larger percentage of the group, according to a 2002-03 university report released last week.