MSU

University officials look to address cheating methods in online courses

Justine McGuire

October 3, 2013

Offering online courses is relatively new at MSU, and the campus community still is working toward the best solutions for academic problems that can arise, officials said. Online courses generate increased complaints of academic dishonesty that warrant different kinds of investigation and communication, University Ombudsperson Robert Caldwell told the Steering Committee earlier this week.

MSU

Living City-Inside the fish bowl

Margaux Forster

October 3, 2013

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in your own personal aquarium? Welcome to the life of fisheries and wildlife junior Heather Burke. She has a concentration in fisheries biology, and it shows. Burke comes home everyday to more than 40 fish tanks that are tucked away into every free corner of the small house she shares with her younger sister.

MSU

Munn Ice Arena adds new LED lights, improves sustainability

Celeste Bott

October 3, 2013

Starting this year, MSU hockey fans will be able to see games with more clarity, Munn Ice Arena will be more sustainable thanks to new LED lights. Deputy Athletic Director Greg Ianni said the idea of LED lighting came when installing a new ice-making system.

MSU

Divine Nine fraternity hosts week of events highlighting African-American history

April Jones

October 3, 2013

In an effort to bring together MSU’s student community to address problems often associated with African-American heritage, MSU’s Alpha Phi Alpha designed a full eduactional week informing students on various issues. Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity created a week of events, with a theme of “We the People.” With only 16 active undergraduate members, Keyon Clinton, chapter president and electrical engineering senior, said the events were focused on redefining themselves in the African-American community, with programs explaining African-American worth in the U.S. and establishing an agenda to become a proactive race.

MICHIGAN

Trial of Okemos man charged with fatally stabbing MSU student continues

Katie Abdilla

October 3, 2013

The murder trial of Okemos resident Connor McCowan continued Thursday morning with additional testimony and recorded police interviews from the roommate of his alleged victim, MSU student Andrew Singler. Singler, a nutritional sciences senior, was fatally stabbed in his apartment Feb. 23 after he and McCowan allegedly had a disagreement over a series of text messages, culminating in McCowan showing up at the apartment. McCowan’s trial began this week in Ingham County Circuit Court.

MICHIGAN

Police: Student sexually assaulted in Chemistry Building

Katie Abdilla

October 3, 2013

A sexual assault reportedly occurred between 3 and 4 p.m. on Sept. 25 in the Chemistry Building, according to the MSU Police Department. A 20-year-old female student told police on Oct. 1 she met a man while sitting outside of Wells Hall Sept. 25. The man walked her to the Chemistry Building and allegedly assaulted her in a stairwell, MSU police said in a statement.

MICHIGAN

Poll: those under 30 tend to trust federal government more

A recent Gallup poll shows public trust in the government is at an all-time low, but, perhaps counterintuitively, those under the age of 30 tend to be much more trusting than those over 30, according to a study earlier this year from the Pew Research Center. At MSU, the trend seems to hold true according to some student political leaders. Lucas Joncas, president of MSU’s College Libertarians, said he thinks younger people tend to not pay as close attention to politics and policy as their older counterparts might.

MSU

Group protests Kellogg Company

Celeste Bott

October 2, 2013

MSU students are imploring Kellogg’s food company to stop doing business with Wilmar International, a palm oil supplier destroying rainforests and threatening the endangered Sumatran tiger. Student volunteers spent hours Wednesday on Grand River Avenue sidewalk outside Espresso Royale recruiting passersby to call Kellogg’s and make their voices heard.

MSU

University officials discuss free Wi-Fi in residence halls at RHA meeting

Nolly Dakroury

October 2, 2013

The university is working on brining free wireless service into residence halls for students, starting with Wilson Hall this fall. During Wednesday’s Residence Halls Association, or RHA, meeting Ray Gasser, senior associate director for the Residence Education and Housing Services, or REHS, said the organization is working on educating residents of Wilson Hall not to use routers in their rooms since the additional routers distort the connection.

MICHIGAN

New phone repair store opens

Brian Palmer

October 2, 2013

Students will have another option when it comes to mobile device repairs with Genius Phone Repair creating a new home on Grand River Avenue. The new business, which originated in Grand Rapids, deals with solving physical and hardware malfunctions and provides more options for student who have encountered phone troubles. Genius Phone Repair conducts mostly physical damage such as replacing cracked screens, button repairs, headset jacks, charger outlets and internal hardware and water damage. It is independent from all other carriers, such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint, though they work closely with one another, making the business unique from other options in the area.

MICHIGAN

Face Time: East Lansing City Council candidate Ben Eysselinck

Geoff Preston

October 2, 2013

Ben Eysselinck has been many places in his life, but he said as soon as he entered East Lansing’s Glencairn neighborhood eight years ago, he was “instantly in love.” Now, he wants to make his mark on the city by running for one of the four-year term East Lansing City Council seats that will be vacated by incumbents Vic Loomis and Kevin Beard after the Nov. 5 election.

MSU

ASMSU looking to launch new bike rental program

Nolly Dakroury

October 2, 2013

ASMSU, MSU’s undergraduate student government, approved a bill last week allowing the allocation of $52,800 to fund a bike share pilot program on campus, providing students and faculty members initially with 40 bikes to rent throughout the school year. The program would allow students to rent from stations across campus, mostly located in front of residence halls.

MICHIGAN

Mobile app would pair drinkers with drivers

Simon Schuster

October 2, 2013

A new smartphone application will attempt to cut down on drunk driving by having MSU students get rides from an unlikely resource — their fellow students. Sobrio, which will begin offering regular rides this weekend, connects riders to drivers through the app’s interface.

MICHIGAN

Federal government shutdown unlikely to have major MSU impact

MSU won’t be immediately impacted by the federal government shutdown that occurred when Congress failed to reach consensus on a national budget Monday night — at least not in any dramatic ways.

MICHIGAN

Former roommate describes night of Singler's death

Katie Abdilla

October 2, 2013

A series of offensive text messages exchanged between Okemos resident Connor McCowan and MSU stabbing victim Andrew Singler kicked off McCowan’s murder trial Tuesday morning. “I have no problem finding you just to whoop your ass,” Ingham County Assistant Prosecutor John Dewane read, quoting a text McCowan sent to Singler the evening of Feb. 23. “Then you wouldn’t have a problem if I showed up at your apartment then, huh?”

MICHIGAN

Democrat Mark Schauer makes Lansing stop for 2014 governor race

Brian Palmer

October 1, 2013

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mark Schauer made clear his intentions to improve the budget situation for both primary and higher education and discussed his campaign strategies for the upcoming 2014 race in a Tuesday press conference. Schauer, who visited Riddle Elementary School in Lansing to celebrate an endorsement from the Michigan Education Association, is the Democratic challenger to incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. The MSU alumnus previously served in the Michigan House and Senate and was elected to one term in the U.S. House of Representatives before losing his seat in 2010.

MICHIGAN

Study: Freshmen commuters often feel disconnected from MSU community

Derek Gartee

October 1, 2013

Most freshmen are required to live on campus by the university, but there are exceptions to students who live with their parents nearby. Although this alternative often is less expensive, a study show there can be negative side effects. A study published by recent MSU graduates under professor Matthew Wawrzynsk show first-year commuter students are less likely to feel a sense of belonging in the MSU community.

MICHIGAN

East Lansing officials settle Ann Street Plaza reimbursement plan with developer

Geoff Preston

October 1, 2013

City officials agreed on a final payment plan for the reconstruction of Ann Street Plaza Tuesday, officially settling a payment dispute between the city and developer Kris Elliott. During Tuesday’s East Lansing City Council meeting, council members approved a settlement plan by a 4-1 vote that outlines a reimbursement schedule for the $420,000 reconstruction project.

MSU

Office for International Students and Scholars offers day trips to international students

April Jones

October 1, 2013

MSU’s Office for International Students and Scholars, or OISS, will be providing international students the chance to experience some of the nation’s most popular cities, including Chicago this Saturday. For years, OISS has planned field trips targeted at the MSU international student population and visiting scholars who are here on temporary visas to help them see as much of American culture as possible.

MSU

Members named to committee inspired by Penn rant

Justine McGuire

October 1, 2013

The committee formed in response to professor William Penn’s alleged anti-Republican rant is coming together and forming goals, with the members named at the monthly Steering Committee meeting Tuesday. The Committee on Social Media, Pedagogy and Academic Rights and Responsibilities is chaired by communication professor William Donohue, who also is chair of the University Committee on Faculty Affairs.