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MSU

Sexual abuse tales shared by survivors

Tamika Payne can sympathize with women who come to her with their stories of sexual violence. She is a survivor herself."I feel like I don't want it to be for nothing," said Payne, sexual assault counseling staff coordinator for The Listening Ear Crisis Intervention Center, 313 W.

MICHIGAN

Lansing Community College eliminates 22 staff positions

Lansing - Recent budget cuts resulting in 17 layoffs and the elimination of five staff positions for Lansing Community College were needed in order to keep tuition low, Trustee Todd Heywood said. "We're at a place where really tough decisions have to be made to avoid increasing tuition rates so that they are affordable," he said.

MSU

Board of Trustees passes graduate rights revision

Three years of changes to a document that governs graduate students were approved by the MSU Board of Trustees on Friday. The Graduate Student Rights and Responsibilities Document cements the rights of graduate students, lays out the steps for filing grievances and explains the processes for theses and dissertations. The document was created in 1971 and had not been modified since 1984. Among the changes to the document is a mention of the Graduate Employees Union, which was formally recognized in April 2001. Council of Graduate Students President Jim Ciszweski was relieved to have this document passed. "It has taken several years to get this far," he said.

MICHIGAN

Granholm declares LBGT Day of Silence

Gov. Jennifer Granholm is relying on a gay rights organization to publicize her historic gay-friendly proclamation she made this week. On Monday, Granholm declared April 9, 2003, as the Day of Silence in Michigan at the request of the Detroit-based Triangle Foundation, Michigan's leading gay rights advocacy organization.

MSU

'U' gets ready to 'Take Back the Night'

MSU students and East Lansing residents will gather this weekend to speak out on sexualized violence and reclaim the streets. Take Back the Night, a campaign to end rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, incest and sexual harassment, starts this weekend. The event began in 1978 in San Francisco when 5,000 women rallied and marched down "pornography strip" against all forms of male violence against women.

MSU

Campus briefs

ASMSU filling student spots Applications are now available for various positions in ASMSU for the 2003-2004 academic year. MSU's undergraduate student government is looking for students to fill the following positions: • Director of student defenders • Director of constituent activism • Comptroller • Director of racial, ethnic and progressive student affairs • Director of legal services • Assistant director of legal services • Programming board comptroller • Executive secretary • Director of digital and graphic marketing • Director of community affairs • Director of legislative affairs • Director of human resources • Funding board comptroller • Director of university and governmental budgetary affairs • Programming board executive assistant All positions are paid.

MSU

Group raises poverty awareness

Armed with sleeping bags, blankets and layers of clothing, about 30 MSU students and faculty bared the cold temperatures Wednesday night to sleep at the rock on Farm Lane. The group wanted to increase awareness about worldwide poverty, housing and homelessness. The second annual event, known nationwide as HabiFest, was held by the MSU chapter of Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that works to provide affordable housing in the Lansing area and worldwide. "Our goal is to open some eyes about the seriousness of homelessness around us," HabiFest co-coordinator Monica Glysson said. To achieve their goal of awareness, Glysson and other members of Habitat for Humanity spent the day passing out fliers and orange T-shirts to students interested in learning about poverty issues. Students gave small donations to help build the shed that would go toward a house in the Lansing area.

MSU

Closed meetings questioned

The ASMSU Academic Assembly's decision to close its meeting to the public Tuesday night has left some people wondering about the legality of the move, and whether it is considered a public body.The assembly, part of MSU's undergraduate student government, closed the meeting and asked about 10 people to leave so the representatives could discuss candidates for its executive board.Matt Weingarden, chairperson of ASMSU's Student Assembly, said the organization has a right to close the meeting because they aren't bound by the Michigan Open Meetings Act."We have done this for so long and it's never caused a major problem," Weingarden said.

MSU

'U' gives locks for love

"Let's do it," a red-faced and teary-eyed Amy Baker said.Her boyfriend clutched his face with both hands and looked away as the scissors clipped Baker's ponytail with a few swift motions.About 10 inches of Baker's hair is going to Locks of Love, an organization which makes wigs for children with hair loss caused by severe burns, radiation treatment or other medical reasons.Baker, a veterinary technology sophomore, began to cry as the hair she had been growing out since she was 15 years old fell.

MICHIGAN

'Yellow Ribbon' package to help military families

State House Republicans are planning to introduce a package of bills, titled the Yellow Ribbon package in an attempt to protect Michigan families of military personnel stationed overseas.Included in the package are bills involving tax credits, tax exemptions and compensation for state employees for wages lost during service.Matt Resch, spokesman for House Speaker Rick Johnson, R-LeRoy, said the package's impact on Michigan's budget will be examined throughout the processing of the bill when legislators weigh the priorities of the state."The feeling is that there are few priorities greater than helping our military families," he said.But Rep.

MSU

Day of silence voices LBGT concerns

Dressed in black with mouths bound by silver duct tape, students stood near Wells Hall and on the Farm Lane bridge in recognition of the National Day of Silence on Wednesday.Holding signs that read "MSU silences students" and "MSU discriminates on gender identity," students passed out literature on ways they believe the university is silencing students."It's important because it raises the visibility of voices that are silenced," said Joshua Boehme, treasurer of RING, a lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender caucus group in the North Complex.

MICHIGAN

Plans for Kresge unveiled

Kresge Art Museum officials unveiled plans on Tuesday for an $11- to $12 million expansion that will begin in 2006.The museum plans to add 32,000 square feet for exhibitions, educational programming and a better visitor atmosphere by 2009, celebrating the museum's 50th anniversary.