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MSU

Earthquake in Japan draws attention on campus

Mother Nature struck Japan again this past weekend, this time with a 7.1-magnitude earthquake rumbling the Pacific Ocean about 200 miles from the coast of Fukushima, Japan — a situation that caught the attention of MSU students and experts. Around 2:10 a.m.

MICHIGAN

MSU police officer trains, works with double the dogs

By the time MSU police Officer Gary Heckman brought in Clyde, one of his two German Shepherds in the K-9 unit, the abandoned building located slightly north of Mason, Mich., was littered with carefully-hidden narcotics and detonation-free explosives. Clyde, 6, is specially trained in tracking, aggression and sniffing out explosives. Every other Wednesday afternoon, officers in the unit travel to both indoor and outdoor locations to train their dogs, aiming to strengthen their specialties.

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WKAR-TV content usable on Xbox 360

A new app from PBS will connect Xbox 360 owners to content from MSU and Mid-Michigan’s public television station, WKAR-TV.? WKAR-TV broadcasts localized content as well as popular programs from PBS, for whom they are the local affiliate.?

MSU

Possible next dean of ISP talks future, ideas

L. Van Crowder, one of the three finalists for the International Studies and Programs, or ISP, dean position discussed his goals and plans for the department during a presentation on campus Monday. Crowder, senior director of education, health and community development in the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which is part of the U.S. State Department, discussed the importance of exploring the many international options offered through MSU and other potential future programs.

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Wilder will go straight to trial in assault case

The man who admitted to committing four sexual assaults in East Lansing earlier this year will go straight to trial, according to his attorney. Oswald Scott Wilder, 26, was expected to appear for his pretrial Monday afternoon in Ingham County Circuit Court before Judge Rosemarie Aquilina.

MSU

ASMSU looking to create research grant program for students

The ASMSU Finance Committee approved an allocation of $5,000 from the undergraduate student government’s Special Projects fund to go toward a research grant for undergraduate students at its most recent meeting. The grant would help students fund their trip to a conference , educational workshop or scholarly competition.

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Family and friends remember MSU student as loyal, genuine

Ever since he met his group of friends while living in Bryan Hall nearly three years ago, applied engineering sciences senior Jared Kavinsky has remained the glue that held them all together. Psychology senior Michelle Rizor, who remained friends with Kavinsky after meeting him in Bryan Hall, said he immediately drew people in with his positive attitude and loyalty in friendship. “A lot of times in college, you meet people and form relationships with them, but they’re not very deep,” Rizor said.

MSU

University to consider future of complex

The future of Spartan Village seems somewhat shaky after MSU’s Board of Trustees passed a resolution authorizing the start of a planning process for the complex’s future, including possible alternative housing options for residents.

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Lansing City Market Harvest Fest draws crowds

Featuring miniature horses or llamas and face painting, the Lansing City Market was an interesting scene Saturday. The festivities were a part of the sixth-annual Harvest Festival at the city market. The goal of the event is to engage the public and teach them about different farms in the area, as well as introduce people who aren’t regular market customers to what the market has to offer, Lansing City Market Manager Heather Hymes said.

MSU

Students dress up, get wild for Rocky Horror Picture Show event

On Saturday night, people packed the Crossroads Food Court in the International Center for MSU’s annual interactive showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” For the uninitiated, Rocky Horror is the tale of a young couple’s car breaking down in front of Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s Castle, which houses a troop of sexually-unrestrained alien transvestites from Transsexual, Transylvania.

MSU

Impact 89FM launches new sports section

Impact 89FM has elected to add to its content variety by launching a new sports section on its website covering MSU and Detroit sports. The new web section, named Impact Sports, includes 13 shows and was launched on Oct. 12.

MSU

Michigan State Swing Society hosts Halloween dance

The Michigan State Swing Society hosted a Halloween dance in Demonstration Hall on Sunday, offering free beginner and intermediate lessons to MSU students and local community members. Swing dancing is a form of dance popular in the 1920s through the 1950s. Swing dancers typically dance to jazz music, and the MSU Swing Society teaches several forms of swing dance, including the Lindy Hop, the Charleston and the East Coast Swing.

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Volunteers clean up Red Cedar River

The surface of the Red Cedar River Sunday morning was flat and still, betraying little of what was underneath. Shortly after, waders were pulled on, canoes entered the water and grappling hooks were deployed. Ripples spread across the tranquil surface as more than 50 MSU students began to exhume the contents of the river’s murky bottom. The biannual Red Cedar River Cleanup has been a longstanding tradition from the Fisheries and Wildlife Club, club president Kirsten Johnson said.

MSU

Student organization looking to engage more Hispanics into engineering fields

Everyone comes to MSU with different incentives in mind. Students choose majors based on different reasons, but when MSU administrators and faculty members noticed a growing trend of minorities lacking degrees in science, math, engineering and technology, or STEM, they made it their mission to take action. At MSU, African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Pacific Islanders typically makeup about 11 percent of STEM fields at a freshmen level and only six percent actually graduate in the STEM fields, said Associate Dean for Engineering Undergraduate Studies Thomas Wolff.

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MSU Museum showcases portraits of workers throughout the world

A photo exhibition by French photographer Gilles Perrin will showcase portraits of workers across the world at the MSU Museum and allow viewers to develop a form of social exchange with those workers. The exhibit, running at the MSU Museum until January 12, 2014, is a body of art that has about 25 years of time and effort behind it. Perrin has traveled around the world for more than a quarter of a century with his wife and collaborator Nicole Ewenczyk, taking portraits of thousands of people.

MSU

Business graduate programs gain high ranks nationally

Eli Broad College of Business graduate programs have gained credibility in national business school rankings this year, which is a source of pride and helps continue the college’s success, officials said. The full-time masters of business administration, or MBA, program came in at 22 on the Forbes magazine ranking — ninth among public universities. The ranking is based on how quickly students recoup the cost of attending the program, taking into account salary five years after graduation minus tuition and salary lost while attending. Recouping the costs of attending takes MSU grads 3.3 years on average.

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Students promote use of locally grown foods in campus dining

Two student groups interested in sustainable farming and food systems collaborated on Thursday to host Food Day at MSU and promote the use of “real food” on campus. More than 3,000 events were held nationwide as part of a broader effort known as the Real Food Challenge. MSU events were hosted by Ecological Food and Farm Stewardship Club and the sustainable agriculture and food systems specialization.