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MSU

Dorm fitness centers begin opening Friday

Robert Bondy
January 30, 2013

Paul Manson, Residence Education and Hospitality Services, or REHS, assistant director for facilities, announced the opening of all the neighborhood fitness centers, with exception for Holmes and Yakeley halls, no later than 8 a.m. Friday. Manson said the flooring for both Holmes and Yakeley halls’ fitness centers is being completed this weekend, and both centers are expected to be ready sometime next week. The State News reported Monday, the fitness centers were reopening in the upcoming week, but REHS Assistant Director of Communications Ashley Chaney previously was unable to guarantee the exact opening dates. The fitness centers will be similar to hotel exercise rooms with cardio-type equipment. REHS will continue to add equipment to the fitness center as equipment is updated.

MSU

South Asian student groups to hold vigil for Indian rape victims

Lilly Keyes
January 30, 2013

When the sun sets in her hometown of Karachi, Pakistan, Yusra Jafferany, president of the South Asian sorority Sigma Sigma Rho, said she would never think of going anywhere alone. Hearing about the brutal December gang rape and murder of Jyoti Singh Pandey in New Delhi, which made international headlines, only reinforced her fears. By holding a candlelight vigil in remembrance of Pandey at 8 p.m. Thursday at the rock on Farm Lane, Sigma Sigma Rho and the Coalition of Indian Undergraduate Students, or CIUS, hope to raise awareness not only of Pandey’s story, but of domestic violence as a global issue that affects people across the globe.

MSU

MSU competing in state-wide Gift of Life Campus Challenge

Alex McClung
January 30, 2013

Although many MSU students try to give back to the community through service and philanthropy, one student group wants Spartans to donate a little more than just their time. The Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostic Student Association, or BLDSA, is competing in the Gift of Life Campus Challenge. The competition pits colleges across Michigan against one another to see who can get the most students to register with Michigan’s organ and tissue donor registry. As of Wednesday night, Wayne State University was ahead of MSU by almost 200 registrants with MSU in second place overall. Jaya Gupta, BLDSA’s Gift of Life coordinator, said the goal of the competition is to increase the number of donors on Michigan’s registry. “It will potentially allow for more people who are in need of organs to potentially be reached,” said Gupta, a biomedical laboratory science senior. The competition, which began Jan. 10 and will be completed Feb. 21, awards two trophies. One trophy is granted to the school who gets the most people to register. The other goes to the university who signs up the largest percentage of its student body, Gupta said.

NEWS

One Degree Higher

Robert Bondy
January 30, 2013

It wasn’t an easy decision for graduate student Brett Neller to give up his full-time job to return to the life of a college student to pursue a master’s degree.

MICHIGAN

Snyder asks for court review of right-to-work

Kellie Rowe
January 29, 2013

After opponents of right-to-work legislation threatened to file lawsuits against the new law, Gov. Rick Snyder enlisted the help of the Michigan Supreme Court to determine if certain parts of the bill are unconstitutional. The governor asked the state’s highest court to issue an opinion on sections of the law that protesters could challenge before the law takes effect March 27, according to Snyder’s official letter to Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Young Jr. Many state workers are upset the Michigan Legislature quickly pushed a controversial right-to-work bill through Congress on Dec.

MSU

Simon discusses revised plan for MSU

Samantha Radecki
January 29, 2013

On Tuesday morning, President Lou Anna K. Simon met with university administrators, officials and student leaders to speak about the new initiatives of her revised strategic plan for the university — Bolder by Design.

MICHIGAN

Landlords question proposed ordinance

Michael Koury
January 29, 2013

Landlords might have to provide tenants with voter registration forms if a new ordinance meant to increase off-campus student registration is passed by the East Lansing City Council. The ordinance would amend the current tenant-landlord lease agreement and require landlords provide tenants with voter-registration information upon moving in, a policy some landlords criticized. Mayor Pro Tem Nathan Triplett, who proposed the ordinance during City Council’s Jan.

NEWS

Man’s fatal fall from Albert Parking Ramp spurs investigation

Isabella Shaya
January 29, 2013

A 25-year-old Lansing resident died Sunday morning after reportedly falling from the top of the parking ramp off of Albert Avenue. East Lansing police found the man in front of the entrance to the CVS Pharmacy, 240 M.A.C. Ave., public parking entrance, according to a press release from the East Lansing Police Department.

NEWS

Reported intruder spotted in Yakeley dorm room

Darcie Moran
January 29, 2013

An unknown person reportedly was in the room of two sleeping MSU students in Yakeley Hall on Saturday morning, MSU police said. Two female students were sleeping in their Yakeley Hall dorm room at about 4:20 a.m. when the 19-year-old roommate said she noticed someone next to their door, MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said.

MSU

Event promotes Vietnamese culture

Lilly Keyes
January 29, 2013

Tuesday evening, the normally quiet basement of Holden Hall was filled with students running laps through the brightly colored hallways, laughing and screaming while toting 25-pound bags of rice. “I have a cramp,” Vietnamese Student Association, or VSA, member Adam Lam yelled as he fanned himself and sprinted to reach his partner. “I’m going to need to take a shower.”

MICHIGAN

Local video stores don’t sweat streaming

Isabella Shaya
January 29, 2013

As more students turn to online sites for a cheaper way to watch movies, local theaters and movie rental stores might be hit by the shift. More than 27 million U.S. customers are subscribed to Netflix, according to Netflix’s 2012 financial statement released last week. The number of customers increased by more than 2 million between its third and fourth quarters in 2012, and rose by 5.48 million since the fourth quarter in 2011. Brian Ballast, district manager for the Lansing-area Family Video, said many of the customers of the Family Video locations in Lansing are MSU or Lansing Community College students. But the number of young movie renters might dwindle as Netflix rises in popularity.

MSU

MSU’s Flint medical campus expanding into downtown

Samantha Radecki
January 29, 2013

At last Friday’s Board of Trustees meeting, the trustees unanimously approved plans for MSU’s College of Human Medicine, or CHM, to pursue a lease with Uptown Reinvestment Corporation, or URC, and expand the college’s Flint campus to the former site of The Flint Journal.

MICHIGAN

State funding to Michigan universities could be rising

Kellie Rowe
January 28, 2013

After years of cuts, state funding to Michigan universities could be on the rise. A recent study shows Michigan universities received more state appropriations in the past year, but university officials doubt this trend will continue. This fiscal year, Michigan colleges and universities received a 3.1 percent increase in state funding compared to massive cuts in recent years, according to the Grapevine survey featuring research collected by Illinois State University. MSU College of Education Dean Donald Heller said state appropriations to higher education likely are increasing in correlation with Michigan’s increasing revenue. “When state budgets contract, higher education is generally one of the first parts of the budget to get cut,” he said.

MSU

College of Law students work to handle stress

Lilly Keyes
January 28, 2013

Even though law student Andreina Rosa is looking forward to the Barrister’s Inaugural Ball this weekend, she has more on her mind than the new gown she’ll be wearing to the “law school prom.” “It’s … gold,” she said as she pulled out her phone to show off a photo of the dress. “It looks kind of white, but it’s gold — here’s what the back looks like.” Soon after, thoughts of the responsibilities she’ll neglect while wearing the dress brought her back to reality. She’s one of many law students overwhelmed with stress from school. “We do have events to enjoy ourselves, but at the end of the day we (think) ‘Oh, I feel bad because I didn’t get this work done,’” she said, taking on a more serious tone. “Especially when the event is over.” Rosa, who noticed her stress heighten after starting law school, said she started the Wellness in Practice program to offer help to other struggling students. After their first semester of law school, the Dave Nee Foundation reported 27 percent of law students show signs of depression. After three years, this figure rises to 40 percent.