The Black Student Alliance will host its annual Jazz Dinner at 8 p.m. Friday in the Lincoln Room of the Kellogg Center. "Souls of Black Folk" is the dinner's theme and the MSU Jazz Band will perform. Tickets are $10 for the event.
The Department of Family and Child Ecology will be transferred from the College of Human Ecology to the College of Social Science, effective this summer. Academic Council approved a report Tuesday from the University Committee on Curriculum, which included this and a number of other program and course changes. June Youatt, acting dean of the College of Human Ecology, assistant provost for undergraduate education and dean of undergraduate studies, said this is just another step in transferring the department, because it was already approved by the University Committee on Academic Policy. The seven programs affected in the transfer will remain unchanged, Youatt said. Also, Jon Sticklen, chairman of the Executive Committee of Academic Council, told Academic Council to prepare for a lot of movement in the Academic Governance system by the end of the semester, as several working groups and committees move ahead in their tasks.
Luis Cardona said Tuesday he witnessed the murder of a Coca-Cola Co. worker in Colombia, and connects the murder to the company's business practices in the country. Cardona, who is from Colombia, spoke to a crowd of about 50 people at a rally Tuesday on the steps of the Administration Building, put on by Students for Economic Justice, or SEJ. He also said he witnessed bottling managers drinking and mingling with paramilitary members, who forced employees of the Sinaltrainal Union to resign.
MSU officials will have a hard time awarding the $4,000 some students could receive from a new federal grant without more information on who qualifies, and now a new lawsuit could further complicate the process. President Bush signed the Deficit Reduction Act on Feb.
By Missy Kayko For The State News Many college students grew up reading or hearing about the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books. Now, MSU's Student Alumni Foundation, or SAF, wants to give students and alumni the same experience of college memories.
Advocates of student journalism are saying college newspapers should get a written understanding of who controls their editorial content after the U.S.
Name: Assistant Professor Venu Gangur Department: Food Science and Human Nutrition and MSU's National Food Safety & Toxicology Center Type of research: How and why people develop food allergies Date of research: Gangur has about four ongoing projects, and most of them began in 2001. Basics of the project: Allergies begin with a process called "sensitization," which can potentially occur when a person's immune system comes into contact with certain food proteins for the first time. A certain antibody can react with these food proteins, which increases the likelihood of an allergy developing, Gangur said.
A forum will be held at 8 p.m. Wednesday in the McDonel Hall Kiva to discuss the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, or MCRI. The program will include a panel of speakers that will discuss the impact the MCRI would have, if passed, on MSU and the state. MCRI is a proposal to amend the state constitution to ban affirmative action programs that give preferential treatment to groups or individuals based on their race, gender, color, ethnicity or national origin for public employment, education or contracting purposes. The event is hosted by the Briggs Multiracial Alliance, Holmes Hall Black Caucus and McDonel Hall Residence Life staff.
Students for Economic Justice, or SEJ, will hold a rally on campus at noon today in support of removing Coca-Cola products from MSU's campus.
Nine committees that will handle everything from fundraising to food preparation for an MSU summer volunteer program in New Orleans were introduced Monday at an organizational meeting. Joyce Grant, an associate professor of teacher education, told the 15 potential volunteers present that she wanted to make fundraising a priority. The projected cost of the trip is about $800 per person, she said. "I have every faith that we'll have the money to go," she said. Grant has been organizing the four-week MSU New Orleans Summer Project trip for the past several months. For the project, faculty, staff and student volunteers will assist with summer school programs in four school districts — St.
The Impact (88.9-FM) will host a healthy sexuality discussion tonight from 7 to 8 p.m. to discuss various issues surrounding sexuality and students' concerns. The discussion is part of Olin Health Center's Healthy Sexuality Week 2006.
Expressing feelings and emotions through touch can strengthen communication and intensify sensuality in a relationship, Tina Kahn, Center 4 Yoga massage therapist said. As part of Olin Health Center's Healthy Sexuality Week 2006, Kahn demonstrates to students how massage doesn't necessarily have to lead to sex. "Between loving, consensual adults, massage can definitely increase communication and understanding and sensitivity," Kahn said.
By John Hudson For The State News With one final pull, the Emmons/Bailey halls' team of nearly 20 tuggers yanked an overmatched Akers Hall team across center ice on Saturday. After nearly four months of competition, both teams had survived to the championship round of the residence hall tug-of-war competition.
Major road reconstruction is in the works for MSU's campus throughout the next several years. The removal of angled parking from West Circle Drive and the elimination of two traffic circles are among plans university officials are considering to help improve pedestrian safety and reduce accidents on campus beginning this summer. "A lot of the layout hasn't been touched since the '60s," MSU police Deputy Chief Mike Rice said. "It isn't fit for today's demands." Tentative plans for West Circle Drive and finalized plans for Wilson Road were revealed Monday at a public feedback session held by the All-University Traffic and Transportation Committee, an advisory committee to Fred Poston, MSU's vice president for finance and operations. But committee members and representatives were the only ones who attended the session. "We would certainly like to hear more from the community," said Paul Mantica, the committee's chairman.
The battle to increase state funding for MSU begins at 10 a.m. today on campus. President Lou Anna K.
T.J. Jourian, known on campus as an advocate for transgender issues, appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Wednesday evening. Jourian, a third-year graduate student, spoke via satellite with King, along with race car driver Terri O'Connell, country singer Dolly Parton and actress Felicity Huffman — who was nominated for an Oscar for the movie "Transamerica" — to discuss transgender individuals. Three other transgender individuals and a doctor were also on the program. "(The interview) was more about unknown personal experiences, surgery and understanding who transgender individuals are," Jourian said. Mara Keisling, executive director for the National Center for Transgender Equality, based in Washington, said transgender awareness is growing, but misunderstandings about transgender individuals remain an issue. "It's growing tremendously," Keisling said.
Totally Takeout will continue to be an option for students this fall, but officials are looking to give the program a makeover by fall 2007. University officials aren't happy with students using Totally Takeout to stock their refrigerators. Instead they want to help students who need a quick meal on the fly. The program could be tweaked to include more meals instead of separate food items. The meal option will be used as a replacement option for students on the go, said MSU Food Services Coordinator Bruce Haskell.
With two acting deanships ending and two deans retiring this year, four colleges are searching to fill these positions. Lonnie King, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Marilyn Rothert, dean of the College of Nursing, plan to retire at the end of June, but could stay longer depending on when the new deans take office. Rothert has served a total of 13 years as dean, including two years as acting dean. "It's been a terrific journey, with times that are challenging, but overall an excellent experience," Rothert said. The top four College of Nursing candidates will visit campus starting next week, said Barbara Given, a nursing professor and the chairperson of the college's search committee. "We really tried to look at whether or not they could be a strong leader, but specifically whether they could have the ability to lead the College of Nursing into the next decade — given the complexity of the university ? and the multiple education and research programs we have," she said. The committee hopes to make its recommendations to Provost Kim Wilcox by the beginning of March, Given said. King has served as dean for 10 years in the College of Veterinary Medicine and plans to pursue other interests upon his retirement, he said. The search for the college's new dean is still in its early stages, said Willie Reed, chairman of the Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation and chairman of the college's search committee. The committee is still contacting potential candidates and will eventually invite them to campus for an interview, he said. "We would like to have a candidate identified by the end of the semester," Reed said. Satish Udpa, of the College of Engineering, and Patrick McConeghy, of the College of Arts & Letters, will conclude their acting deanships once permanent deans are selected and take office. The search committee for the College of Engineering is reviewing applications, and candidates should be interviewed on campus in late April, said Percy Pierre, professor of electrical and computer engineering and the search committee's chairman. "We'll be able to better evaluate them as candidates after we visit with them," Pierre said. Udpa was out of town and could not be reached for comment Wednesday. After about two years as acting dean in Arts & Letters, McConeghy said he plans to return to teaching German full-time in the college. "Administrative positions are usually quite rewarding — primarily, being able to work toward helping students get a better education at MSU and helping faculty with their teaching (and) research projects," McConeghy said. The college's committee also is in the process of gathering applicants and hopes to conduct interviews on campus later this semester, said Ellen Pollak, professor of English and co-chairwoman of the search committee. "We would be happy if someone could begin next fall, but we'll work with whoever the candidate is to make that possible," Pollak said. Once each committee decides on a candidate, they will make a recommendation to Wilcox, who makes the final decision, said Bob Banks, assistant provost and vice president for academic human resources. Wilcox will negotiate with each of the candidates as to their specific starting date, but MSU officials would like the new deans to take office by the fall semester, he said. "We've been successful so far, and I have every sense that we'll be successful in the rest of the positions," Banks said.
With shouts of "Don't let the university support an unethical company," and "Make your voice known," members of Students for Economic Justice, or SEJ, held a protest Wednesday to encourage university officials to stop serving Coca-Cola products. The protest, held in front of the MSU Auditorium on Tuesday and at the International Center on Wednesday, is part of SEJ's "Killer Coke" campaign to get students involved and informed about Coca-Cola Co. business practices and the much publicized human rights abuse in Colombian bottling plants and other plants overseas. Adorned in plastic garbage barrels painted to resemble popular Coca-Cola flavors — and labeled "Killer Cherry Coke" and "Killer Diet Coke" among others — handfuls of SEJ members passed out anti-Coke pamphlets to students walking or riding to and from class. Member Rebecca Sherwood jumped up and down with a trash can wrapped around her midsection. "We're just trying to gain support from word of mouth and to get students aware of the situation going on right now with the Coca-Cola Co. and the university," Sherwood said. SEJ members have said in the past they believe managers at the Coca-Cola bottling facilities in Colombia arranged for the killing of eight union leaders, harassed other employees and contaminated water reserves in India. The Coca-Cola Co. has a Web site that lists facts about its business practices in Colombia. "Our bottling partners enjoy extensive, normal relations with 12 separate unions in Colombia," the Web site said. On Jan.
Forty MSU students are taking part in pilot exams for a new national computer literacy assessment this month. Universities hope to use this assessment to improve their curriculum and students' abilities to use and understand technology. "This is a way to redefine what liberal arts is in an information society," said Robert LaRose, professor of telecommunication, information studies and media.