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MSU

Workshop focuses on women's identity

Women looking to find balance in their lives will have an opportunity to examine personal power issues through a workshop today. The Women's Resource Center will sponsor "Creating the Life You Want," a program designed to address life-coaching skills and personal and professional empowerment for women.

MSU

'U' freshman wins dorm room makeover

Education freshman Amy Birkmeier will be the tenant of MSU's coolest campus crib next fall. Birkmeier beat out 240 applicants to win "Room 4U," MSU's Division of Housing & Food Services' dorm room makeover contest, a part of its new Spartan Makeovers initiative. Journalism junior Kristen Waltman and interior design senior Laura Bonucchi will transform Birkmeier's Akers Hall room using materials selected from Meridian Mall in Okemos. Based on popular decorating TV shows such as "While You Were Out" and "Trading Spaces," the makeover process will be presented on the campus UTube network and East Lansing Comcast channel 29 in October. Future Spartan Makeover projects will include roommate, boyfriend and family makeovers.

MSU

Week celebrates identity

MSU's Pride Week kicks off Friday with a series of events to celebrate and educate the campus community about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender identities. "We take time to recognize LGBT identities and the courage it takes to be out in a society that still is ridiculously homophobic," said Jon Hoadley, a social relations and women's studies junior.

MSU

ASMSU funds Indian show

In a move applauded by some representatives and deemed "shady" by others, ASMSU's Student Assembly passed a bill giving $9,000 to support the Indian culture show Satrang. In a lengthy debate Thursday night, some representatives were concerned that Satrang, which is produced by an affiliate of the Asian Pacific American Student Organization, should have gone through ASMSU's Programming Board for the money. "APASO was not willing to represent its own members," said Rob Huber, Student Assembly representative for the group.

MSU

Diversity report released

A report released by the university shows fluctuations in ethnic minority representation during a decline of MSU's overall student population during the 2002-03 school year.

MSU

Series explores transgender health

When Rachel Crandall came out as a woman after living in the body of a man for 35 years, she lost everything. She said she lost her job because the hospital "wasn't too thrilled about having a transsexual" on staff.

MSU

'U' discusses benefits of Rice coming to campus

One day after MSU officials announced National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice as this semester's commencement speaker, Democratic officials say her appearance will benefit the university. "We should always have a welcome mat for whoever comes to speak, whether we agree or don't agree," said Trustee Dorothy Gonzales, a Democrat.

MSU

Board to vote on living costs

When the MSU Board of Trustees meets on Friday, it will vote whether to establish a School of Planning, Design and Construction and whether to increase the cost of living in residence halls by 4.4 percent. The new school would be under both the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the College of Social Science, and would combine four different programs from three colleges. "It's a great idea," said Robert von Bernuth, director of the construction management program.

MSU

Student & Teacher

Cathleen Clara is pretty sure she knows what she wants to spend her award money on. A winner of the Homer Higbee International Education Award, Clara will spend the $400 prize on books to help build her library in the alternative school classroom where she is a teacher.

MSU

ASMSU increases funds for 2 student boards

In an effort to sponsor more student events and prevent boards from running out of money, members of ASMSU's Student Assembly gave additional money to Programming and Funding boards in its 2004-05 budget. Programming and Funding boards have about $171,000 and $89,000, respectively, from MSU's undergraduate student government.

MSU

Student environment group to hold forum

The student environmental group Eco is holding a forum at 6:30 p.m. today in B104 Wells Hall to discuss its concern about the approval of a $30 million addition to the MSU coal-burning power plant. Members worry the addition will bring an increase in campus emissions of greenhouse gases and are concerned about the effects it might have on the local environment and global warming. "We're concerned about this because the decision was made without talking to any student committee or any professors who are experts," said Eco member Chelsea McMellen. The forum aims to create a dialogue between affected MSU and East Lansing community members as well as bring a panel of experts and student representation together, she said. "We are hoping to reach a decision of what to do for energy needs and create a compromise," McMellen said.

MSU

Cadavers replaced students in dorm

Myths abound on campus, such as ghosts in Mary Mayo Hall or how the love of your life awaits below Beaumont Tower, but one rumor is verifiably true: dead bodies linger in a dorm closed years ago. Fee Hall, originally a residence hall opened in 1964, now is the nucleus of MSU's four colleges of medical education - Nursing, Veterinary Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine and Human Medicine.

MSU

Degree Navigator remodeled for 'U'

Students and advisers might have an easier time organizing class schedules and evaluating degree standing with a recent computer tool upgrade. The Degree Navigator program has been revamped from a setup of colored blocks of separate requirements to a complete text list including degree and university requirements. Degree Navigator 4 was made available at the end of February and is slowly making its way into university advising appointments. The large difference between the new and old systems, associate registrar Roberta Kelley said, is the visual layout.