NEWS
One Degree Higher
It wasn’t an easy decision for graduate student Brett Neller to give up his full-time job to return to the life of a college student to pursue a master’s degree.
MICHIGAN
Snyder asks for court review of right-to-work
After opponents of right-to-work legislation threatened to file lawsuits against the new law, Gov. Rick Snyder enlisted the help of the Michigan Supreme Court to determine if certain parts of the bill are unconstitutional. The governor asked the state’s highest court to issue an opinion on sections of the law that protesters could challenge before the law takes effect March 27, according to Snyder’s official letter to Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Young Jr. Many state workers are upset the Michigan Legislature quickly pushed a controversial right-to-work bill through Congress on Dec.
MSU
Simon discusses revised plan for MSU
On Tuesday morning, President Lou Anna K. Simon met with university administrators, officials and student leaders to speak about the new initiatives of her revised strategic plan for the university — Bolder by Design.
MICHIGAN
MSU among top for ‘B’ students
MSU landed near the top of the list for “A schools for B Students,” in a recent ranking by U.S.
MICHIGAN
Landlords question proposed ordinance
Landlords might have to provide tenants with voter registration forms if a new ordinance meant to increase off-campus student registration is passed by the East Lansing City Council. The ordinance would amend the current tenant-landlord lease agreement and require landlords provide tenants with voter-registration information upon moving in, a policy some landlords criticized. Mayor Pro Tem Nathan Triplett, who proposed the ordinance during City Council’s Jan.
NEWS
Man’s fatal fall from Albert Parking Ramp spurs investigation
A 25-year-old Lansing resident died Sunday morning after reportedly falling from the top of the parking ramp off of Albert Avenue. East Lansing police found the man in front of the entrance to the CVS Pharmacy, 240 M.A.C. Ave., public parking entrance, according to a press release from the East Lansing Police Department.
NEWS
Reported intruder spotted in Yakeley dorm room
An unknown person reportedly was in the room of two sleeping MSU students in Yakeley Hall on Saturday morning, MSU police said. Two female students were sleeping in their Yakeley Hall dorm room at about 4:20 a.m. when the 19-year-old roommate said she noticed someone next to their door, MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said.
MSU
Event promotes Vietnamese culture
Tuesday evening, the normally quiet basement of Holden Hall was filled with students running laps through the brightly colored hallways, laughing and screaming while toting 25-pound bags of rice. “I have a cramp,” Vietnamese Student Association, or VSA, member Adam Lam yelled as he fanned himself and sprinted to reach his partner. “I’m going to need to take a shower.”
MICHIGAN
Local video stores don’t sweat streaming
As more students turn to online sites for a cheaper way to watch movies, local theaters and movie rental stores might be hit by the shift. More than 27 million U.S. customers are subscribed to Netflix, according to Netflix’s 2012 financial statement released last week. The number of customers increased by more than 2 million between its third and fourth quarters in 2012, and rose by 5.48 million since the fourth quarter in 2011. Brian Ballast, district manager for the Lansing-area Family Video, said many of the customers of the Family Video locations in Lansing are MSU or Lansing Community College students. But the number of young movie renters might dwindle as Netflix rises in popularity.
MICHIGAN
MSUFCU and ECECU merger almost finalized
Plans to merge MSU Federal Credit Union, or MSUFCU, and Eaton County Educational Credit Union, or ECECU, are almost finalized. Mergers from both credit unions received approval from regulatory agencies Monday.
MSU
MSU’s Flint medical campus expanding into downtown
At last Friday’s Board of Trustees meeting, the trustees unanimously approved plans for MSU’s College of Human Medicine, or CHM, to pursue a lease with Uptown Reinvestment Corporation, or URC, and expand the college’s Flint campus to the former site of The Flint Journal.
MSU
ASMSU pursues cheaper textbooks, fitness
At last week’s ASMSU general meeting, MSU undergraduate student government representatives voted on many bills ranging from greek life to the Union.
MSU
Campus fuel station to be moved before 2015
At Friday’s Board of Trustees meeting, the board unanimously approved construction plans to relocate and rebuild the on-campus fuel station.
MICHIGAN
State funding to Michigan universities could be rising
After years of cuts, state funding to Michigan universities could be on the rise. A recent study shows Michigan universities received more state appropriations in the past year, but university officials doubt this trend will continue. This fiscal year, Michigan colleges and universities received a 3.1 percent increase in state funding compared to massive cuts in recent years, according to the Grapevine survey featuring research collected by Illinois State University. MSU College of Education Dean Donald Heller said state appropriations to higher education likely are increasing in correlation with Michigan’s increasing revenue. “When state budgets contract, higher education is generally one of the first parts of the budget to get cut,” he said.
MSU
College of Law students work to handle stress
Even though law student Andreina Rosa is looking forward to the Barrister’s Inaugural Ball this weekend, she has more on her mind than the new gown she’ll be wearing to the “law school prom.” “It’s … gold,” she said as she pulled out her phone to show off a photo of the dress. “It looks kind of white, but it’s gold — here’s what the back looks like.” Soon after, thoughts of the responsibilities she’ll neglect while wearing the dress brought her back to reality. She’s one of many law students overwhelmed with stress from school. “We do have events to enjoy ourselves, but at the end of the day we (think) ‘Oh, I feel bad because I didn’t get this work done,’” she said, taking on a more serious tone. “Especially when the event is over.” Rosa, who noticed her stress heighten after starting law school, said she started the Wellness in Practice program to offer help to other struggling students. After their first semester of law school, the Dave Nee Foundation reported 27 percent of law students show signs of depression. After three years, this figure rises to 40 percent.
MSU
Smartphone app might prevent on-campus crime
While conversations on college campus safety have been ignited by recent attacks on campuses across the nation, some universities are turning to apps to improve safety. Several Big Ten universities, including Ohio State University, are discussing launching a pilot program of the Canadian-based application Guardly, which allows users to give specific incident information — including exact location and which authorities to send — without making a phone call, Guardly sales director Luke Slan said.
MSU
Students receive $5,000 grant to create route app
The app, called Routebook, would gather information such as weather, live traffic and bus schedules and compile the fastest route.
MSU
Economy, employment gives college appeal to freshmen
A record number of college freshmen think attending a university will help them get a better career, a recent survey shows. The results of the 2012 Freshman Survey were released Thursday by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program, part of the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles. The 2012 survey, which nearly 200,000 freshman across the country participated in, found 88 percent of those surveyed said the ability to get a better job was a very important reason to go to college.
MSU
Butterfield renovations approved by MSU trustees
At Friday’s MSU Board of Trustees meeting, the trustees unanimously approved a few construction, renovation and expansion projects on and off campus. Here’s a guide to what was approved.
MSU
Campus fitness centers reopening
Avoiding cold weather and saving a few bucks are a few of the advantages finance sophomore Collin Stauder listed when hearing the news of the neighborhood fitness centers reopening in the upcoming week. “I’d like it because in the winter I wouldn’t have to walk to IM West since its so cold,” Stauder said.