With winter well on its way, more people have been turning to Capital Area Transportation Authority, or CATA, buses instead of their cars, bikes and feet, according to CATA officials. Officials recently reported that record numbers of people are using the system, which includes numerous buses on and off campus, as well as other special services.
Sunday marked the beginning of Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas that the Rev. Mark Inglot calls a "time warp" for those in the Catholic community. "It's a celebration of the fact that Jesus has come, does come to each of us and will come again," said Inglot, pastor at St.
Fewer than half of the medical residency programs in Michigan provide formal training in end-of-life care, according to a recent MSU study. The results showed 46 percent of the residency programs in the state provided formal training in end-of-life care, and 19 percent required training in patient care.
Some MSU freshmen say they are concerned about the debts they'll have to pay off when they graduate, so they've decided to get involved in lowering tuition rates. "I'm going to be paying loans until I'm 45," kinesiology freshman James Debartolo said.
The MSU Debate Team came in second place at the 49th annual Wake Forest University Shirley Classic. More than 70 colleges and 140 teams participated in the tournament. International relations senior Ryan Burke received 10th place in the Individual Speaker Award.
Two ASMSU executives are resigning at the end of the semester, and the student government hopes to fill the positions by early December. Association Director Jason Bucholz is leaving for an internship in the spring, and Tahera Sakarwala, vice chairperson for student programming for ASMSU's Student Assembly, plans to move to Iowa for a supply chain management internship this spring. Applications for the association director position are due by 5 p.m.
At 6 p.m. Tuesday, the Black Student Alliance will present the 33rd annual Black Power Rally at Fairchild Theatre. The theme for this year is "These Three Words: L.ove, U.nification, V.oice." The event will feature performances and speakers such as DJ Reality, 3rd Eye Open, Urban Dreams, poet Amiri Baraka and Denise Troutman, an MSU associate professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric and American Cultures.
Jason Bucholz, ASMSU's association director, and Tahera Sakarwala, ASMSU's vice chairperson for student programming, are resigning at the end of the semester. Students interested in applying for the association director position should apply by 5 p.m.
Government funding for student-loan programs could decrease if a congressional conference committee agrees on a bill as part of a joint effort by the U.S.
Provost Kim Wilcox introduced plans Tuesday to revamp his office staff with the addition of positions that have been absent from the university in recent years. A small change in terminology is being made to keep MSU on the same page as other universities — all assistant provosts will now be titled associate provosts, Wilcox said at Tuesday's Executive Committee of Academic Council meeting. In addition to some name changes, Wilcox said he wants to internally fill an associate provost position and an associate provost for human health issues position. Wilcox said he is limited by time constraints to be able to meet with all the groups he would like to, and additional staff members would help him be more accessible. The new human health issues position would be important in the College of Human Medicine expansion to Grand Rapids, officials said. The last piece of his plan is re-establishing an MSU vice president position, which John Hudzik, current adviser to the provost, would assume in January.
Even though the cold is setting in, some students are not turning to a fur coat to keep warm. Fur Free Friday is an annual event discouraging consumers nationwide from buying furs the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Mary R. Dawson is a bit overwhelmed to have been chosen as one of the commencement speakers for MSU's December ceremonies, but she is excited for the opportunity to present. "It is a real challenge," said Dawson, a curator emeritus at Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh.
Since 2001, author and poet Maya Angelou, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Vice President Dick Cheney have passed on some of their knowledge and advice to graduating seniors at MSU. Now the search is on for someone to speak at May's commencement ceremony. MSU's commencement speakers must be motivational, nationally or internationally known and an exemplary role model, according to university officials, who are taking suggestions for the next commencement speaker. Angelou spoke at MSU's commencement ceremony in May.
By Melissa Kayko Special to The State News Every year, Muslims end a month of fasting during Ramadan, which is signaled by the light of the new moon to begin a celebration of Eid al-Fitr, when followers spend time with family and attend special prayer meetings. Centuries ago, wagon wheels were hung from ceilings and adorned with candles to create the first Christmas advent wreaths. Hanukkah is marked by the lighting of candles on the menorah, while the celebration of African Americans' heritage, Kwanzaa, uses candles to represent seven principles to live out in daily life. The Hindu holiday Diwali is almost always capped off by an explosion of fireworks. These celebrations were brought together at the second annual "Lights to Remember" event at the Communication Arts and Sciences Building on Monday because of the significance of lights they share.
A special meeting for the Executive Committee of Academic Council will be held at 3:15 p.m. today in the Administration Building. The meeting is set to discuss a possible reorganization of the provost's office, the creation of task forces dealing with MSU President Lou Anna K.
A reception was held Monday to celebrate a newly acquired space in Erickson Hall and the continuation of a partnership in math and science education. Former classroom space on the second floor of the hall has been remodeled to house the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education, which has been spread throughout campus since 2003. Promoting Rigorous Outcomes in Mathematics and Science Education, or PROM/SE, is an initiative to better K-12 science and mathematics education in a five-year research effort, funded by a $35 million National Science Foundation agreement. PROM/SE is one of the many different efforts housed in the center, reaching out to 62 school districts across Michigan and Ohio.
Members of ASMSU's Academic Assembly want to see a new academic integrity code and recognition for multiple majors on their degrees added to university policy. The assembly unanimously passed two bills last week to urge the Academic Governance system to work on implementing these ideas.
Representatives from MSU, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. broke ground on a $10 million automotive and energy research facility on campus Friday. The 29,000-square-foot Energy & Automotive Research Laboratories, where students and faculty will research more efficient engines and fuel sources, will be located at the corner of Service Road and Bogue Street. Vance Zanardelli, chief engineer for Ford's hydrogen internal combustion engine, was one of 10 people who donned hard hats to officially break the ground for the new facility, which is set to be completed next summer. Ford, GM, Consumers Energy, the MSU provost's office, the College of Engineering and individual donors helped fund the facility. The lab will include two indoor testing rooms that will allow researchers to examine how engines and vehicles function with outdoor road conditions, said Harold Schock, a mechanical engineering professor and director of the existing Automotive Research Experiment Station, located at 3361 Hulett Road in Okemos. The experiment station will move to the new on-campus facility. "The idea is to develop and improve technology that will be implemented in automobiles and trucks," Schock said.
By Holly Klaft Special to The State News The dance began slowly — partners moved gracefully around each other — but it soon became combative as the performers avoided mock blows, each pseudo-strike inching closer to their partners' bodies. "It is a lot more than what you see," said Jose Dantas, a 41-year-old Brazilian native who led the performance on Saturday at the International Center.
By Nicholas Richer Special to The State News More than half of the people diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, as children continue to have significant impairments into adulthood, said an MSU associate professor Saturday. Joel Nigg, an associate professor of psychology and director of the MSU Adolescent and Adult Attention Study, spoke this weekend during the final lecture of the Spartan Saturday Seminar Series at the Kellogg Center. The faculty-led seminar series focused on contemporary issues and began three hours before each home football game.