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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The MSU Board of Trustees passed a resolution authorizing the planning process on a timeline for the eventual demolition of Spartan Village, in spite of concerns from stakeholders presented at its Friday meeting.
The MSU Board of Trustees voted to move forward with the renovation of Chittenden Hall on Friday.
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.
Food, music and various traditional performances filled McDonel Dining hall Thursday evening as 12 MSU organizations came together for a formal dinner to celebrate the second Islamic holiday of the year, Eid Al-Adha. Eid Al-Adha takes place every year after the pilgrimage to Mecca as a way to be thankful to God for having families, friends and loved ones through a celebration, human resource sophomore Mariam Alamiri said.
The ASMSU policy committee meeting passed a resolution to support current efforts of both the university and the MSU chapter of Student Veterans for America for the creation of an Office for Veterans Affairs on campus. “It would be great to get ASMSU’s help in creating this office,” said Stephanie Kuzmich, ASMSU representative for the Spartan Armed Forces Council.
MSU’s international collaboration on intellectual disability research recently led MSU President Lou Anna K.
The Residence Halls Association, or RHA, approved a bill to sponsor the MSU chapter of Habitat for Humanity. “Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit that builds and repairs houses,” said Lindsay Bridges, communications and public relations junior and member of the group.
MSU Student Health Services and the Student Health Advisory Council hosted its eighth-annual open house at the Olin Health Center Wednesday night. The event is a chance for students to meet the health staff and check out the health resources MSU has to offer, Health Promotion and Communication Specialist Allyson Rogers said.
In a university with more than 650 student organizations, even students interested in audio can find a place to belong. The Audio Enthusiasts and Engineers group provides students with the opportunity to experiment with working on audio projects, like color organs and six-sided speakers. “Our group’s main goal is to provide an environment for students to learn more about the science side of audio and audio design,” said electrical engineering senior and Audio Enthusiasts and Engineers President Philip Beard.
To spread culture from one nation to another, eight Brazilian exchange students organized a week of activities to share music, food and history with MSU students and faculty members. As part of the Brazil Partnership Program scholarship, exchange student Marina Santos said she and seven others were asked to host a week of events in South Neighborhood to give the MSU community an authentic Brazilian feel.
The Eli Broad College of Business has launched a new online Master of Science in Management, Strategy and Leadership geared toward professionals who want to work on their management and communication skills, a move college officials hope will bolster leadership capabilities for professionals. The program aims to help students lead others, think strategically and manage human resources, and is geared toward enhancing the skills of mid-level company managers, said Robert Wiseman, Eli Broad legacy fellow of management and chairperson of the Department of Management.
First Step Iraq, a group comprised of dancers and rappers all from Baghdad, Basra, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, brought their hip-hop style to Erickson Hall Kiva on Tuesday evening. The performance, “From Iraq with Hip Hop,” was part of their “Hiplomacy” tour for the month of October, which includes stops in New York, Philadelphia and Boston.