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MSU

Library Bootcamp helps grad students get comfortable

The Main Library is one of the largest buildings on MSU’s campus, but on Friday afternoon, librarians Ben Oberdick and Rachel Minkin tried to make it feel a little smaller. The inaugural Library Bootcamp aimed to showcase resources for graduate students and highlight interesting parts of MSU’s library system. Oberdick and Minkin spent an hour giving a tutorial-style lecture focusing on search engines, the library call system and other unique aspects of the library.

MSU

Olin officials recommend pre-college immunizations

There are no immunization requirements to attend MSU, but with students returning to campus this past week, the University Physician’s Office still recommends certain vaccinations for the sake of students’ health. Many students have received immunizations before attending college, but they should know what vaccinations are available at the Olin Health Center, said Kathi Braunlich, communications manager for MSU Student Health Services. “Most immunizations are available by appointment at the Allergy and Immunizations Clinic at Olin,” Braunlich said.

MSU

New study shows professors ignore textbook costs

Hundreds of dollars were replaced by hundreds of pages of reading material with the swipe of a card when MSU students bought textbooks for the fall semester this week. Textbook prices rise about 3-5 percent each year, and this year is no different, said Tom Muth, manager of Collegeville Textbook Company, 321 E. Grand River Ave. Although they are more aware of prices than they used to be, according to a study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, or GAO, nationally, most professors are more concerned about the appropriateness of course materials than the price of them.

MSU

Freshmen engineering class largest in decade

The College of Engineering welcomed its largest freshmen class in more than a decade. The class is estimated at 1,284 students, an increase of more than 100 from last year. The number of incoming freshman has more than doubled since 2006, when the class was 640. Thomas Wolff, the college’s associate dean of undergraduate studies, said this year’s class is the largest in more than a decade.

MSU

MSU study shows trend of STEM fields raising world university rankings

Most students probably don’t pay attention to world rankings of universities, but they can be important to international students. Important enough that one MSU faculty member spent years researching these rankings. Yixuan “Shirley” Shi, an accounting graduate student from China, said she looked at world rankings as part of the decision process to come to MSU. She searched for a school ranked in the top 100 worldwide for her major.

MSU

Rolling back to the Red Cedar

The fall semester is underway, and with the start of a new semester comes a host of challenges for students and professors with new class schedules and a packed campus.

MSU

Sparticipation includes snakes, Speedos

There are only a few events during the academic year at MSU where someone can be approached by men in Speedos and pet a live snake all at the same time. Sparticipation, the annual freshmen showcase of clubs on campus, is one of them. Student Activities Assistant Amanda Scharnweber said about 360 clubs participated in Sparticipation, and while she said she hoped for a 100 percent turnout, she estimated 80 percent freshmen attended.

MSU

MSU electrical engineering team finishes second in national event

After spending countless hours during the spring semester, a team of MSU electrical engineers were honored with second place at the 2012-2013 Texas Instruments Analog Design Contest in Dallas, Texas. Each year, Texas Instruments, or TI, has a three-day contest, hosting 10 final teams who have created a project using a minimum of three TI components in their final design.

MSU

ASMSU looks forward to new semester

In the aftermath of a long-winded battle with the university, which came to an end this summer, ASMSU is looking forward to a fresh start. For the sake of its autonomy, MSU’s undergraduate student government avoided the prospect of moving all its funding into on-campus accounts after issues with a series of audits were taken up with university officials.

MSU

Sparty's to offer bus passes, more this fall

Striving to better meet the needs of students and staff, Culinary Services will be rolling out additional food options at select Sparty’s Convenience Stores, as well as the ability to purchase Capital Area Transportation Authority bus passes at all locations across campus. Bill Kost, the associate director of retail food services, said the Division of Residential and Hospitality Services, or RHS, felt the retail atmosphere of Sparty’s would be the perfect place to sell passes.

MSU

Whole new ball game

Among hundreds of athletes playing in the 2013 World Dwarf Games, Jeffrey Astrein stood out as the only MSU student playing on the field. “Not everyone gets to play in these stadiums,” Astrein said. “The fact that I played there, I was honored to play (in) this.”

MSU

Video Story: Wine and dine

Bottles upon bottles of Michigan wines were cracked open on Tuesday at the 36th annual Michigan Wine Competition to be ranked by judges from around the country. The competition, held in Kellogg Center, 219 S. Harrison Road, featured 450 wines from 56 different wineries. The winners of the competition will be announced tonight.

MSU

Local middle school students part of exchange program through MSU

Middle school students from Lansing and South Korea are swapping cities to understand and respect other cultures. “This program provides a learning experience that books and lectures don’t provide,” Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, or RCAH faculty member Joanna Bosse said. “Learning in a diverse community is an inherently valuable thing. It causes us to examine our values and not take anything for granted.”