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MSU

Folk club's focus evolves

Angela Bianchi
January 26, 2006

No longer does the MSU Faculty Folk Club focus on dinner dances and teas. More than 80 years after its inception, the club's activities include touring nuclear reactors and Spartan Stadium. The Faculty Folk Club has evolved from its days of solely social events to include education, scholarships, charity and volunteerism as major aspects of the organization. The roughly 260 members of the club are mostly spouses of MSU faculty and administrators, although faculty and administrators themselves are welcome to join.

MSU

Looking to the top of the state

By Caitlin Scuderi Special for The State News Being from a small town hasn't stopped Ian Mattoon from setting big goals. From high school debate to joining MSU College Republicans, Mattoon keeps setting his political goals higher.

MSU

Innovations: Working wheezes

Kristen Daum
January 25, 2006

Name: Dr. Ken Rosenman, adjunct professor Department: Medicine Type of research: Occupational lung disease, including work-related asthma, scarring in the lungs and connective tissue diseases. Date of research: Rosenman started his research in 1988, and his projects have been ongoing since that time. Basics of the project: "We're looking at the causes of lung disease and how exposures at work might contribute to it," Rosenman said. He has about seven projects underway, looking at different causes of occupational lung disease. Asthma — one of the aspects of Rosenman's research — is one of the more common work-related diseases, and about 15 percent of people with asthma develop it from their work environment, he said. People can develop asthma in the workplace by interacting with a certain animal or product on a daily basis, depending on their occupation, Rosenman said.

MSU

Agriculture college to offer specializations

Kristen Daum
January 25, 2006

Two specializations will be added in fall 2006 for majors within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, after being approved by Academic Council on Tuesday. A natural resource recreation specialization was created through the department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies. Agronomy, or the science of soil management and crop production, will be offered by the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. It will take 17-20 credits to specialize in natural resource recreation and 15-18 for agronomy. The specializations will create better job opportunities for graduates of the college, committee Chairman Michael Schechter said.

MSU

MSU prof returns to India for quail project

By Erin Atkinson Special for The State News MSU professor Sam Varghese will return to South India on Friday to study the effects of his educational work with tsunami victims. Varghese, an animal science professor, has been aiding tsunami victims since learning his hometown of Kerala, South India, was affected by the 2004 storm.

MSU

Disabilities focus of IM project

Laura Hall looked around the myriad of athletic equipment in motion at IM Sports-West's fitness center Saturday afternoon. The second-year social work graduate student, who uses a wheelchair, had never exercised using the center's facilities before. "I never thought they were accessible," she said.

MSU

Soda struggle

Two-liter bottles of Faygo and Vernors were among a clutter of paper cups on a foldout table in front of the rock on Farm Lane on Monday afternoon. "Get a drink of justice," a member of Students for Economic Justice, or SEJ, called out to passing students. The group organized a Michigan pop taste fest to promote the use of local beverages and play down the use of Coca-Cola Co. products. English senior and SEJ member Rachel Fealk said the group believes managers at the Coca-Cola bottling facilities in Colombia hired paramilitary groups to kill eight union leaders and harass other employees and their families.

MSU

Tutoring project to aid New Orleans

Kristen Daum
January 24, 2006

In the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, garbage still lined the streets and hugged the edges of damaged houses one month ago. Chain-linked fences remained collapsed from the weight of uprooted trees.

MSU

Board adjusts auditing policies

Josh Jarman
January 23, 2006

For the first time, MSU's external auditors will be able to reapply to retain their positions after their six-year renewable contracts expire. Plante & Moran, an external auditing firm based in the Midwest with an office in East Lansing, was selected as the auditor for the next fiscal year on Jan.

MSU

Presidential planner

Each week, The State News will bring you a glimpse of some of the public events MSU President Lou Anna K.

MSU

Collecting for a common cause

By Katie Luscombe Special for The State News Volunteers stood at the doors of the MSU men's basketball game Saturday, hoping to collect spare change or canned food donations. While some diverted their eyes from the collection-bucket holders, there were many fans in the crowd who gave to the MSU Student Food Bank's fundraiser. Kristin Moretto, director of the MSU Student Food Bank, watched this happen over and over at Saturday's fundraiser held at Breslin Center during the MSU vs.

MSU

WEB EXTRA: RHA president insists tax increase needed to continue services

Fredricka Paul
January 20, 2006

The Residence Halls Association needs an increase in its annual student tax to absorb the mounting costs of operation, RHA officials said Wednesday. RHA President Kevin Newman said during his State of the Organization address that all of the students' tax dollars have been well spent, but more money might be needed. "The costs of doing business are constantly rising, and RHA's desire to provide the best possible services to our residents will not ever decrease," Newman said during his address.

MSU

Housing sign-ups to begin Friday

Kristen Daum
January 18, 2006

Christina Commiskey skipped a class last year so she could wait in line for several hours to sign up for the residence hall she wanted. Commiskey, a psychology sophomore, lives in Shaw Hall this year and said it was worth the wait for signing up. "It's really the best place to live on campus," she said. The on-campus housing sign-up process for the 2006-07 school year begins Jan.

MSU

Innovations: Tectonic testing

Kristen Daum
January 18, 2006

Names: Assistant Professor Kevin Mackey and Professor Kazuya Fujita Department: Geological sciences Title of research project: Northeast Russia Seismic Project Date of research: Fujita began the project in 1989, and it has continued as an ongoing project.

MSU

MSU home page updated, gains 'modern look'

By Dan Smallwood Special for The State News MSU launched a test version of its redesigned home page on Monday with improved navigation to the university's major resources. The new home page is accessible through a link on the current university home page, located at www.msu.edu, or directly at home2006.msu.edu. Officials plan to gather feedback through surveys before permanently replacing the old site on Feb.