Student groups try to raise $60,000 during Relay For Life

Students will strive to raise $60,000 for cancer research this weekend in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life.

Civil rights leaders to visit campus during annual lecture series

Four former civil rights leaders will be featured in the third annual Visiting Faculty Lecture Series in February called "Slavery to Freedom: An American Odyssey," beginning Feb.

Students flock to Open Mic Night

An hour and a half before sitting behind the mic, Andrew Burri wrote the lyrics to the song he was going to perform.Sitting alongside guitarist Phil Detolve, the education freshman belted out "The Sun Burst Through." Burri wrote the music last weekend.Detolve learned the guitar part moments before the show.The duo is one of many who performed at a new place to check out local talent - Holmes Hall.Every Monday night, students flock to the Sparty's Convenience Store on the first floor of the residence hall to take in an open mic night.The event, which is planned and carried out by Holmes Hall residents, began three weeks ago, but was a work in progress for about a year."There was a great demand for it here," Holmes Hall mentor Emily Perhay said.

Suggestive flier raises eyebrows among greeks

A sexually suggestive flier promoting recruitment events for fraternity Phi Kappa Psi has officials questioning whether members of the group were the ones who distributed it in the first place.The flier, which reads "Be A Dick, Rush Phi Kappa Psi," depicts a comic strip-type illustration with a stick figure choosing which fraternity to join.

GEU kicks off recruiting campaign

The Graduate Employees Union has begun a month-long drive to increase union membership. Informational meetings, dancing and phone calls will make up the campaign's effort to attain the group's 70 percent membership goal."I think everybody knows about GEU already," union member Brian Holcomb said.

Amtrack meets with Michigan

Amtrak officials will meet with Michigan Department of Transportation representatives today to renew a contract with the state and potentially gain additional funding for railway services. Amtrak's contract with the state expires March 31.

ASMSU gives $75K to Sparty

The campaign to find Sparty a new home got a head start with a donation of $75,000 from ASMSU, but MSU's undergraduate student government didn't make it easy for the terra-cotta statue.The bill passed with 21 votes, the minimum needed to pass a bill with the number of people attending the meeting Thursday.The money will go toward restoration and movement of the statue, formally titled "The Spartan." Built in the 1940s, the statue is now cracking and deteriorating from years of exposure to the elements.

Police briefs 02/04/03

'U' commission to voice noise concerns

MSU students will levy in their voice on noise violations policies to the East Lansing City Council at 7:30 p.m.

School board talks budget

"We are meeting to figure out where we go from here," she said. The closing of Spartan Village Elementary School, eliminating the East Lansing high school alternative program and the restructuring of the district will be discussed at 7 p.m.

President resigns after scandal

Capital Area United Way President Bob Berning resigned Monday as the Board of Directors voted to change leadership in the aftermath of the $1.88 million embezzlement scandal."The board of directors voted to accept Bob Berning's resignation," Board Chairman Tom Chirgwin said.

Security in question after dorm incident

The early closing of Case Hall may only be a temporary measure to assess dorm security following an attempted armed robbery Thursday, officials said.As of Sunday, night receptionists will go on duty at 9 p.m.

Trustee's ring back on eBay

The ring has returned. Angelo DiMeo, the Lansing jeweler who tried to auction two bowl game rings belonging to MSU Trustee Joel Ferguson, has placed one of them back up for sale on the Internet auction site eBay. DiMeo is now asking $1,999 for a 1990 gold John Hancock Bowl ring formerly owned by Ferguson.

Downtown business closes shop

Another downtown East Lansing retailer is packing up shop and moving on. Cory Curtis will close the doors of Cool Creations, 209 M.A.C.

Student wakes from coma, is responsive

The female journalism sophomore who is being treated for a meningitis-like disease is showing improvement, Ingham County Health Department officials said Monday. The student is still being treated at Lansing's Sparrow Hospital, where she was previously in a medically-induced coma. Judy Williams, Ingham County's disease control supervisor, said as of Monday morning the student was responsive.

Justice Department gives 'U' $15M to study gun violence

The U.S. Department of Justice has given $15 million for MSU to train officials in the country to cut down on gun-related violence.Funds for Project Safe Neighborhoods were officially announced last week in Philadelphia and $15 million was awarded to researchers nationally who will work with MSU's School of Criminal Justice to investigate and reduce gun violence.Throughout the country, 94 federal judicial districts are involved in the program - including two in Michigan, which have 93 teams investigating what's driving firearm violence in different areas in the country."It really is pretty impressive in terms of the scope of effort that is being implemented by the Department of Justice," said Edmund McGarrell, director of MSU's School of Criminal Justice.

Suspect charged for posting offensive flier

Police say charges have been filed against an individual for hanging a racially charged flier in Shaw Hall last month. The suspect is being charged with misdemeanor harassment, which carries up to a 90-day jail sentence, MSU police Chief Jim Dunlap said.

Amtrak officials discuss funding

East Lansing's railway services may get back on track sooner than expected, officials announced last week. Amtrak railway operators will meet with the state Department of Transportation officials Tuesday to discuss the possibility of increasing annual funding by about $2.2 million. Amtrak provides intercity services to more than 500 communities in the United States. David Johnson, an Okemos resident, organized a protest rally last month.

Event discusses sex in 'The Real World'

More than 400 students attended the fourth annual "Sex in the Real World" at the Union Ballroom on Friday, featuring cast members from the popular MTV reality show "The Real World." The event, sponsored by the University Activities Board, is designed to educate people about sexual health, while MTV's Real World members fed students' need for scandalous gossip. Olin's In Your Face Reality Troupe kicked-off the night with skits relating to promiscuous sex, healthy relationships and how to put on a condom.

Survey shows Internet use exploding, trust declining

For Rachel Heid, sitting in front of a computer is almost a full-time job. The no-preference freshman spends more than 40 hours per week chatting, downloading music and playing games online. Americans with online services, such as Heid, spend an average of 11 hours a week online, according to a nationwide survey from the University of California at Los Angeles. But on a college campus, that number is much higher. "Use is doubling every year worldwide, but it's going up much faster at Michigan State," said David Gift, vice provost for Libraries, Computing and Technology. In the 1997-98 fiscal year, MSU used 38 million megabytes of Internet traffic, Gift said.