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MSU

Professor from Virginia to head up new Environmental Sciences, Policy program

In an effort to make multi-disciplinary environmental science missions across campus more visible, MSU's Board of Trustees approved the Environmental Sciences and Policy program at its February meeting. The program will be headed by Thomas Dietz, an environmental science and public policy professor from George Mason University in Virginia. "Michigan State does world-class research, education and outreach in environmental science and policy," Dietz said in a written statement. "Our new program will make the work more visible, make it more easily available to those who have to make decisions about the environment and, by making links across the field, lead to better science and better decisions," he said. Currently, MSU's classes, research and outreach programs in environmental science are spread throughout several departments and colleges in the university, including the colleges of social science, natural science and agriculture and natural resources. The new program will allow undergraduate and graduate students to specialize in environmental science and policy. Provost Lou Anna Simon said the new program will allow the university to focus and align its environmental science strengths for the advantage of students and faculty. "MSU has an enormous amount of strengths around the university in environmental science," Simon said.

MSU

ASMSU honoring late director

ASMSU is moving forward with plans to establish a scholarship and to rededicate its conference room in honor of the late Charles Beachnau.Beachnau, who was the MSU undergraduate student government's association director, died in June of a heart attack.

MSU

Proposed student greenhouse model to be displayed in Union

A model of the proposed student greenhouse project will be displayed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday on the first floor of the Union. The model is five feet in diameter, said Philip Lamoureux, director of the Student Greenhouse Project, and includes running water, benches and lights.

MSU

Computer science sees decrease in enrollment

Amy Bartner
February 25, 2003

Enrollment in computer science classes is declining at MSU.George Stockman, a professor of computer science and engineering, said in his 20 years at MSU, he's seen waves of student demand in the field."When I came here in 1982, we were graduating a lot of bachelor's degree students, and not so many graduate students," he said.

MSU

Mock trial team heads to Iowa for competition

The MSU Mock Trial Team will be heading to a national competition in Iowa. The team won a bid to the American Mock Trial Association Grand National Tournament, which will take place April 4-6 in Des Moines, Iowa. "I couldn't believe it," international relations sophomore Justin Kuxhaus said.

MSU

Student with illness out of intensive care

Kendra Snyder
February 24, 2003

The female journalism sophomore diagnosed with a meningitis-like disease last month has been moved out of intensive care, a source close to the student said Sunday. The student, whose identity and condition are being withheld at her family's request, is recovering at Lansing's Sparrow Hospital, where she was previously in a medically-induced coma. Hospital officials confirmed the student is still in the hospital's care. The student will undergo rehabilitation at the hospital and doctors are not certain when she will be released, the source said. The student, who is a resident of the ninth floor of South Hubbard Hall, was diagnosed with meningococcemia on Jan.

MSU

Event unites native students

Amy Bartner
February 24, 2003

More than 50 students came to hear actor Wes Studi speak on the parallels between the Iraqi people and Native Americans at the first annual North American Indian Student Organization conference this weekend.Four schools - the University of Michigan, Northern Michigan University, Lansing Community College and MSU - were represented at the two-day conference in the Union and attended workshops about leadership and affirmative action.The conference didn't draw as many people as the group had hoped, NAISO Co-Chairman Bryan Newland said."There wasn't as much as we were expecting, but I think the weather caused some problems," he said.

MSU

RHA debuts updated interactive Web site

Carrie Hoover
February 24, 2003

Students have a new way to keep up-to-date with the MSU Residence Halls Association. RHA has developed a new, more interactive Web site to make it easier for students to get information, RHA technology director Nick Clark said. Clark said he has been working on the site since last summer, but it is now easier to use. The site sports the group's new logo and many Web forums. "The site that they had last year was really bad because it was just one page of text that didn't get changed, ever," Clark said.

MSU

ASMSU urges respect for faculty

ASMSU is putting the pressure on student groups to remind them that pies are for eating, not throwing.MSU's undergraduate student government has been discussing harassment toward professors and might initiate a proposal to condemn such actions.Statistics and probability Associate Professor Vincent Melfi was hit with a cream pie-like object as he was lecturing to his Statistics 315 class on Nov.

MSU

Gender clause takes next step

Amy Bartner
February 24, 2003

A proposal to amend MSU's Anti-Discrimination Policy to add a gender identity footnote will reach MSU's Academic Council on Tuesday, after going through several committees in the Academic Governance system since the fall.

MSU

Dance raises funds to replace Sparty

Aaron Foley
February 24, 2003

While the band played a-ha's "Take on Me," Sparty jumped out from the middle of the dance floor and dragged Kelly Higginbotham onto the floor to finish out the song.A little reluctant, Higginbotham left her friends at the table and danced hand-in-hand with the 6-foot, tuxedo-wearing mascot."It was the highlight of my evening," the journalism sophomore said.

MSU

Speaker honors Malcolm X week, promotes culture

A cold forced him to speak in a softer-than-usual tone, but Na'im Akbar's message was still strong. "His voice isn't as powerful as it usually is," said Murray Edwards, senior coordinator in the Office of Racial Ethnic Student Affairs.

MSU

Week to create eating disorder awareness

Kendra Snyder
February 21, 2003

MSU will join more than 500 community organizations, schools and colleges for the 16th Annual National Eating Disorder Awareness Week starting this Sunday. Olin Health Center and MSU's student group, Respecting and Understanding Body Image, are sponsoring the events to promote body acceptance. "I would hope that people gain an awareness of eating disorders and knowledge of how to prevent them," the group's co-president Erin Ruth said.

MSU

Lecture touts black history

William Anderson began his lecture on Wednesday by proclaiming himself to be a liberal democrat, anti-war, for affirmative action, pro-choice, a card carrying member of the American Civil Liberties Union and a schizophrenic. "The reason that I say I am schizophrenic is because I have assumed many personalities in the times that I have lived," he said in his lecture in Kellogg Center.

MSU

Student finalist for Truman Scholarship

International relations and finance senior Jared English was chosen as a finalist for the Truman Scholarship, a prestigious national award given to students for community and public service. English will go to Chicago for the final round of the interviewing during spring break before the winners of the scholarship are announced March 21. Winners attend a 10-week summer institute in Washington, D.C.