E.L. teachers lose hope

The teachers of East Lansing Public Schools have overwhelmingly lost confidence in the district's leadership, union officials say, as the district prepares to make significant changes to brace for a $4.2-million budget shortfall. "The tally overwhelmingly stated both teachers and support staff has lost confidence in Superintendent Tom Giblin's leadership," Michigan Education Association spokesman Mike McEachern said of the vote taken by the city's teachers Jan.

Speaker stirs up terrorism debate

A discussion on ways the nation funds terrorism became heated as spectators voiced their disagreement with a speaker at Case Hall earlier this week. Debbie Schlussel, a controversial conservative political commentator who has appeared on ABC's "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher," FOX News Channel's "O'Reilly Factor" and other notable political talk shows, spoke to students at James Madison College. Schlussel, who has studied radical Islam and terrorism, said terrorists receive money from certain goods bought by Americans. "If they can find a way with any product to fund terrorism, they will," she told the group of more than 35 students.

Police briefs 02/06/03

Former finance chief to plead guilty

Capital Area United Way's former Finance Chief Jacquelyn Allen-MacGregor is expected to plead guilty today to two federal charges when she appears at 11 a.m.

Cuts might force department to close

More than 100 students and faculty members went to bat for the future of their agricultural engineering department and major.

Children's program accepting applications

The Department of Family and Child Ecology is accepting applications for a new Extended Day Program.

Police briefs 02/05/03

Police class teaches 'U' about crime

Last week, five MSU students along with MSU police Det. Steven Beard were dispatched to an apartment to investigate a possible murder at a party after neighbors reported hearing several loud pops and saw people running from the building.Arriving at the apartment, Beard and the students found a dead college student laying on his side with a gun in his hand.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm plans walk-in office in Lansing

Gov. Jennifer Granholm will open a walk-in office for Michigan residents Thursday, her spokeswoman Elizabeth Boyd said. The office will serve as a forum for citizens to express their concerns with government. "The governor is very committed to making state government accessible and responsible to the needs of citizens," Boyd said. Before Granholm took office, the Constituent Services Division was on the third floor of the Romney Building and was designed to answer telephone calls, letters and e-mails.

Mock Trial team to compete at Notre Dame

Attorney Justin Kuxhaus paced back and forth in his plaid shirt and blue jeans, making his argument in front of a judge wearing a skull cap and hooded sweatshirt. Observers in the courtroom listened to the case while doing their homework and playing cards. Twice a week, two teams of students gather to assume the roles of lawyers, a judge and witnesses as part of MSU's Mock Trial team. The group next competes Feb.

Lansing Police Department will not fill positions left vacant

Despite vacancies in the Lansing Police Department, several positions won't be filled as part of a proposal to reduce staffing. The proposal is to reduce vacancies and staffing needs by 5 percent with an initial goal set for on or before Nov.

Freshman council asks students how to improve cafeteria service

What would you think if the cafeterias served lunch and dinner instead of breakfast and lunch on Sundays?

Applications available in Union for Sparty tryouts, due Monday

Sparty mascot applications are available at the Student Alumni Foundation offices in Room 333 of the Union.

Trail extension gets green light

Lansing - The River Trail in downtown Lansing will soon be extended thanks to a recent grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.

Amtrak seeks funding

Amtrak officials and state Department of Transportation representatives are still trying to reach an agreement to renew the railway system's contract with the state, officials announced Tuesday.Both sides met Tuesday afternoon at the Michigan Department of Transportation's headquarters in the State Transportation Building in Lansing, 425 W.

Student groups try to raise $60,000 during Relay For Life

Students will strive to raise $60,000 for cancer research this weekend in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life.

Civil rights leaders to visit campus during annual lecture series

Four former civil rights leaders will be featured in the third annual Visiting Faculty Lecture Series in February called "Slavery to Freedom: An American Odyssey," beginning Feb.

Students flock to Open Mic Night

An hour and a half before sitting behind the mic, Andrew Burri wrote the lyrics to the song he was going to perform.Sitting alongside guitarist Phil Detolve, the education freshman belted out "The Sun Burst Through." Burri wrote the music last weekend.Detolve learned the guitar part moments before the show.The duo is one of many who performed at a new place to check out local talent - Holmes Hall.Every Monday night, students flock to the Sparty's Convenience Store on the first floor of the residence hall to take in an open mic night.The event, which is planned and carried out by Holmes Hall residents, began three weeks ago, but was a work in progress for about a year."There was a great demand for it here," Holmes Hall mentor Emily Perhay said.

Suggestive flier raises eyebrows among greeks

A sexually suggestive flier promoting recruitment events for fraternity Phi Kappa Psi has officials questioning whether members of the group were the ones who distributed it in the first place.The flier, which reads "Be A Dick, Rush Phi Kappa Psi," depicts a comic strip-type illustration with a stick figure choosing which fraternity to join.

GEU kicks off recruiting campaign

The Graduate Employees Union has begun a month-long drive to increase union membership. Informational meetings, dancing and phone calls will make up the campaign's effort to attain the group's 70 percent membership goal."I think everybody knows about GEU already," union member Brian Holcomb said.