By the numbers, minority student enrollment is down slightly at MSU, but according to the Office of Affirmative Action, Compliance & Monitoring, the university's minority retention rate is above the national average. Each year, MSU publishes a report on the progress of initiatives that support diversity.
By all rights, human biology senior Tom Mikulski said he shouldn't have survived the initial medical treatments for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma his mother received when she was pregnant with him 21 years ago. But a little more than a year ago, Mikulski was able to return the gift of life to his mother, Ellen Mikulski, by donating stem cells for a bone marrow transplant that was needed to cure her lymphoma. "I was awestruck and unbelieving that I could have a good, strong donor so close to my heart," said Ellen Mikulski, 58.
Thirty-two MSU programs were ranked among the best in the nation in U.S. News & World Report's yearly evaluation of graduate programs. The elementary and secondary education programs ranked first in the nation for the 11th consecutive year. One reason for the high score is the faculty research done at the college, said Cassandra Book, associate dean of the College of Education. "Faculty brings cutting-edge knowledge to the students," Book said.
Following the events of April 2, ASMSU officials sent out e-mails to residence hall directors asking students to fill out a survey about their experiences with the disturbances.
The fifth-annual Multicultural Xtravaganza, was presented by the Zeta Sigma Chi Multicultural Sorority Inc., to a packed audience at Fairchild Theatre on Saturday night.
It will cost students an extra $286 to live in residence halls next school year. Those who choose to reside in University Apartments will have to pay either $29 or $32 more per month depending on the number of bedrooms.
Student groups addressed the MSU Board of Trustees on Friday, urging trustees and MSU President Lou Anna K.
Only one Kent State player remained. He clung to his red rubber ball like a life preserver, quivering nervously as the half-dozen remaining MSU players danced around him like wolves ready to pounce. On some unspoken signal, the Spartans players fired in unison on their helpless target, knocking him to the ground in a flurry of red rubber, giving MSU a victory during this weekend's Spartan Dodgeball Invitational. Teams from DePaul University, The Ohio State University and Delta College also traveled to MSU for the event, which was the nation's first-ever intercollegiate club dodgeball tournament. MSU's win over Kent State turned out to be one of few bright spots for the team, as it came in last place in Sunday's tournament.
Hugging his parents, MSU Student Cancer Support Network student coordinator Jeremy Koenemann fought back emotions after looking at hundreds of luminaries honoring cancer patients at the MSU's Relay for Life. Luminary bags with the names of people who have battled cancer were lit to honor those people. "Everyone has been affected by cancer in some way," he said. Koenemann attended the American Cancer Society fund-raiser Saturday with the MSU Student Cancer Support Network - a group that offers support to students who have either had cancer or have known someone with cancer. At the relay, the network's presence served as a wake-up call to how real the disease is on campus, said Relay for Life event chairwoman and political science and pre-law senior Dana Dzwonkowski.
In a final push to get MSU to finalize a student-drafted code of conduct for joining the Worker Rights Consortium, members of Students for Economic Justice, or SEJ, and Movimiento Estudiantil Xicano de Aztlan, or MEXA, staged a "die-in" protest Thursday afternoon in front of the Administration Building. Last week, the student groups were informed that MSU President Lou Anna K.
Right after his mother had been diagnosed with cancer, social science senior Steve Wolbert accidentally walked into a Relay for Life event. Five years later, he is helping prepare MSU's fifth Relay for Life event for the American Cancer Society, which will be held at Munn Ice Arena on Saturday and Sunday. For Wolbert, finding out about his mother was a huge blow, particularly because his uncle had recently died from cancer. "It was like, 'Wow, we have to go through this again,'" Wolbert said.
MSU students joined others across the country Thursday to raise awareness of reported genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. The newly formed "Spartans Taking Action Now: Darfur," or STAND, played Twister and board games outside the Administration Building to attract attention to their cause. More than 160 college campuses across the nation also held events Thursday as part of mtvU's "STANDFast" campaign. The group sold green "Not On My Watch" wristbands and CDs to raise money for Darfur charities. Many students don't realize how powerful their voices can be, Josh Feinberg, international relations senior said. "There is strength in numbers," he said.
For the last 13 weeks, Juan Lopez has been studying for a test that could change his life. The 26-year-old, originally from Mexico, is nearing the final days of MSU's High School Equivalency Program, or HEP, to earn a Graduate Education Degree, or GED.
The online MSU People Directory has a different look, but university officials are working to correct minor glitches that are affecting the new system. Most students are being displayed as one grade level higher than they actually are. Rich Wiggins, senior information technologist for Academic Computing & Network Services, said the problem should be sorted out shortly, and students shouldn't be confused that they somehow received bonus credit. "If I were a junior, I would not suddenly assume that I had been awarded senior status," he said. The changes, which were implemented late last month, were designed to boost the system's speed and performance, Wiggins said. Previously, when a person was searched by name, the directory would immediately scan the server to see if that person had a personal Web page. Wiggins said this process was time-consuming and largely unnecessary because few people use the directory primarily to find these sites. "Most people, when doing a search, are looking to see if you have an e-mail address or what your phone number is," he said. The new directory lists only a person's name, e-mail address, local phone number and college after an initial search.
MSU Students for Palestinian Human Rights will bring writer and Professor Ali Abunimah to campus to speak about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict at 7:45 p.m.
When academic adviser Nancy Ehret goes into her office every morning and boots up her computer, the first thing that comes on the screen is AOL Instant Messenger. But she's not slacking off or chatting with old friends from high school - she's one of many MSU advisers who are turning to instant messenger programs as a way to keep in touch with students. Ehret, who has about 60 journalism students that she talks to on her buddy list, said six of the seven advisers in the College of Communication Arts & Sciences have started using instant messenger this semester to answer questions ranging from internship application deadlines to transfer credits. One of those six is Scott Maas, an adviser for advertising and journalism students, who said he started using instant messenger because it aligns with students' daily routines. "Right now, that's the big thing we're using because so many students are tech-savvy as they come in here, and that's the way they're communicating," Maas said. Maas said the program helps him give students another opportunity to access him and get their questions answered. "If you think about it, I'm only 25, and I have my own list of friends I talk to all across the country," Maas said.
Construction projects in Spartan Village and lots 82 and 83, commonly known as F Lot, could begin this summer if approved by the MSU Board of Trustees on Friday. In Spartan Village, repaving the road would come after tearing up and replacing the existing soils underneath it, which are settling and becoming soft.
Former MSU President M. Peter McPherson received a national award earlier this week for his years of public service. The award, a National Public Service Award, honors McPherson for work throughout his career dealing with international humanitarian issues in places such as Peru, Iraq and Africa. "I've been involved in public administration (and) public service a good share of my career," said McPherson, MSU's 19th president who left the university in January.
Political science junior Sara Casetta, president of the MSU chapter of Habitat for Humanity, said this is the fourth year group members have left their homes for a night to help increase awareness of poverty conditions in Lansing.
The MSU Office of Affirmative Action Compliance and Monitoring will present its annual "Excellence in Diversity" awards at 4 p.m.