WEB EXTRA: Committee to combine task forces' recommendations

The final reports of five committees looking to increase faculty input in university decisions will be assessed by one new committee — lengthening the amount of time before the committees can impact the Academic Governance system. Faculty Council approved the formation of an integration committee Tuesday, which will begin looking at reports released this week from four of the committees. The five committees, called the Faculty Voice Task Force Groups, were created last fall to address faculty's role in specific issues — such as restructuring the Academic Governance system, reviewing administrators and academic programs, defining the role of fixed-term faculty and improving communication within the system. Four committees presented their final recommendations at Tuesday's meeting, and the task force looking at the structure of the Academic Governance system is scheduled to issue its final report in October. The proposal of an integration committee came on behalf of the Executive Committee of Academic Council, which now has the responsibility to form the new committee. Although the proposal passed without any formal discussion, several faculty members voiced their concerns throughout the meeting about having an integration committee. "Having an integration committee is counterproductive," said Wolfgang Bauer, chairperson of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and chairperson for the communications task force. "We have an opportunity to occupy a leadership position here, so let's not send it to another committee," Bauer said of his task force's recommendations. The integration committee will look at combining the task forces' various recommendations into a single package and assess the costs of carrying them out.

WEB EXTRA: Event to create discussion on extending MSU's international reach

In 1855, MSU helped to define what it meant to be a land-grant institution, teaching agriculture, technical skills and a variety of other studies to the working classes. Now, more than 150 years later, members of the MSU community are looking to extend the university's international reach, and are attempting to define what it would mean for MSU to be a world-grant institution. "We've built a university to serve not only Michigan, but the world," said Jeffrey Riedinger, acting dean of International Studies and Programs.

Students dance for awareness

By Toshira Johnson For The State News A day of swing dancing got the Comm Arts Dance-Nic celebration off on the right foot by wowing the crowd with jumpin', jivin' and swingin' routines.

E.L. police report 3 prowlers in April

There have been three reported cases of prowlers in East Lansing neighborhoods in the past three weeks, police said. A 20-year-old Tecumseh man was arrested for prowling and disorderly conduct when caught opening the screen to a basement window at a house on Michigan Avenue at 5:30 a.m.

Police briefs 04/20/06

Universal state health-care plan promoted at rally

Erin Ruth sat among the crowd at "The Power of Prevention, A Prescription for a Healthier Tomorrow" health-care rally in front of the Capitol Building Wednesday afternoon, holding a sign reading "46 million uninsured." Ruth, a second-year medical student at MSU and president of the MSU chapter of the American Medical Student Association, or AMSA, said the number of Americans who are medically uninsured is exponentially increasing. "We've never seen a rise so rapidly at any point in the last 100 years," she said. Sponsored by the MSU College of Human Medicine Chapter of the American Medical Student Association, the rally addressed the possibility of having universal health care in Michigan. Sen.

Innovations: Freedom of the press

Name: Assistant Professor Eric Freedman Department: Journalism Title of research project: After the Tulip Revolution, Press Freedoms, Constraints and Competition in Kyrgyzstan Date of research: Freedman has been researching journalism-related topics involving Central Asia since 2002 after he returned from teaching in Uzbekistan. Basics of the project: Freedman is looking at how the press environment has changed in Kyrgyzstan after the Tulip Revolution in March 2005, during which the president of the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan was overthrown. Freedman will be studying press coverage and press freedom as some of the topics for the project. Since the Tulip Revolution, the government in Kyrgyzstan has become more democratic, he said.

Student's scout project earns $67K for Uganda

When Alex Hill began a project to become an Eagle Scout, he didn't know he would still be working on it five years later.

Courtroom apparel important, judge says

By Jason Chapman For The State News East Lansing Judge Richard Ball has overseen trials during which defendants were dressed in tattered bloody shirts and pants, and even soiled clothing. He's seen other judges send people home for wearing bare midriffs, make people spit gum into Kleenex and refuse to go on with cases because of skirts being too short. While people who were just arrested don't have much control over their appearances, those who do might have a better outcome in court if they take the initiative to look presentable in front of a judge, court officials said. "You need to show that you have respect for the court even if you don't," Ball said.

Fundraiser at ice cream shop tonight

As part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, students can help MSU's Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention by eating at Cold Stone Creamery, 200 M.A.C.

MSU 'TransGeneration' star wins award

April 8 was an important day for MSU graduate student T.J. Jourian. The advocate for transgender awareness was in Los Angeles accepting an award from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, for his involvement with the documentary "TransGeneration." During the acceptance speech in the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, he knelt down to one knee and proposed to Staci Gunner, his girlfriend and MSU student. Charlize Theron and the cast of "Will & Grace" gave the couple a standing ovation as Gunner accepted the proposal. "We were looking at each other and there was yelling and clapping and screaming," Gunner said.

Police briefs 04/19/06

New steps

Beneath the large garage doors backstage in the Breslin Center, Nicole Mancuso restarted Aerosmith's song "Dream On" on her iPod and began practicing a dance routine again. With intense concentration, the communication freshman punched her arms outward before throwing her body into a graceful spin on tiptoe to the music as she and 26 other women warmed up for the MSU Dance Team tryouts last week. Moments later, each would perform before a panel of judges at center court. Each would have a chance to dance alongside others, and, finally, by themselves. "I've done everything I can, so hopefully I have a good one," Mancuso said before the tryouts began. It was the second round of tryouts hosted by the student-managed MSU Dance Team, an about 15-member team that has performed routines to music at all football and men's basketball games and some special events for four seasons, team captains Jennifer Chiroyan and Justine Richards said. The team has no coach, no official choreographer, no home-practice area and no official sponsor to send them away to competition, although it does receive money for uniforms and training camps from the athletic department, Richards said. Captains and current team members managed the tryouts and gave team-hopefuls a day to learn two routines and a day to practice before putting each dancer to the test. This year was the first time incoming freshmen were able to audition for the team. "It's very stressful," Chiroyan said.

Firefighters quickly douse Okemos flames

Firefighters were able to extinguish a fire that spread over part of an Okemos house, yard and surrounding forest Tuesday afternoon. There were no injuries and the fire was under control within 50 minutes, said Meridian Township Fire Department Battalion Chief Rocky Larner. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and property owners would not comment. Larner said he did not know an estimated amount of damage. While firefighters secured the house and surrounding area, tankers carrying thousands of gallons of water waited at the end of the long driveway in case more water was needed. Since the rural area doesn't have fire hydrants, volunteers from the Ingham County Tanker Task Force will haul as much as 30,000 gallons of water to the scene of a fire, said Don Gailey. Gailey organized the task force more than 10 years ago. He waited in a large red tanker truck, which holds 3,000 gallons, in case more water was needed Tuesday afternoon. Gailey, a retired Mason resident who's been a volunteer fireman for nearly 50 years, organized the task force after realizing the need for organization at a large fire about 15 years ago. There were tankers before, he said, but they weren't organized.

Michigan Democrats aim to host 'O8 primary

Michigan could be one of the first states to host a Democratic presidential primary in 2008 if an application submitted by the Michigan Democratic Party is accepted by the Democratic National Committee. Last month the Rules and Bylaws committee of the Democratic National Committee, or DNC, created up to four open spots between the set first caucus in Iowa and the period in which any state can hold its caucus or primary. The Iowa caucus will be followed by one or two available spots for other states to house caucuses before New Hampshire holds its own primary.

Stabenow focuses on Great Lakes, out-of-state waste

With a campus as beautiful as MSU's, all Spartans should be environmentalists and care for their surroundings, U.S.

MSU to announce med school partner

Spectrum Health and MSU will announce a new partnership solidifying their combined efforts to expand the MSU College of Human Medicine to west Michigan at 10 a.m.

Lansing budget to be topic of forums

Residents will be able to voice their opinions about the proposed budget to members of the Lansing City Council this evening. The first of two public forums will take place at 6:30 p.m.

ASMSU gains power to select representatives

The power to elect undergraduate students to academic committees is now in the hands of student government officials. The MSU Board of Trustees approved a proposal Thursday transferring power from faculty to ASMSU members to select student representatives to the Academic Governance system. The proposal amends the bylaws of the Academic Governance system that affect ad hoc committees, which are temporary committees formed by administrators to discuss specific issues that arise throughout the year. The Academic Governance system reviews university legislation and takes action on issues, such as adding academic minors to the university's curriculum and other academic issues. This proposal should "strengthen the hand of students in governance," said Jon Sticklen, chairman of the Executive Committee of Academic Council. "Like every other part of governance, it really is dependent on the grassroots folk to let their representatives know what they think," Sticklen said.

Police briefs 04/18/06