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MICHIGAN

Need for educators rises

Leslie Escobar
October 2, 2001

While teacher shortages continue to be a problem for public school districts across the nation, the East Lansing Public School District remains unaffected by the trend.According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 2.4 million teachers will be needed in the next 11 years to fill K-12 classrooms across the country in public school districts.While teacher shortages have been a problem for several years, it has become an important issue only recently in Michigan, said Michigan Education Association spokeswoman Karen Schulz.“Really this is a problem now, but for many years to come, schools will be facing the dilemma of not having enough people out there who want to teach,” she said.Schulz said reasons for the shortage are a high number of retirees and the difficulty of keeping teachers in urban school districts.But Kevin Green, spokesman for the East Lansing Public School District, said the district has not experienced a teacher shortage and doesn’t expect one anytime soon.He said the school district is popular because of the starting salary for teachers and highly rated special education programs.

MSU

Science professor receives prestigious award

Ryan Wallace
October 2, 2001

More than 150 people assembled at the Plant and Soil Sciences Building on Friday to witness Michael Thomashow become the first MSU professor to receive the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Award.The award honors those who have made significant strides in agricultural research in the United States over the past five years.

MSU

October devoted to educating women

Ryan Wallace
October 2, 2001

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month gives women the opportunity to learn more about the disease - the sooner the better. Activities throughout the month will help women recognize the importance of early detection. Today is “Tell a Friend Tuesday,” which encourages women to call eight friends they care about who are older than 40 and remind them to get their yearly mammogram. Lansing Mayor David Hollister will be placing calls in support of the program at City Hall from 10-10:30 a.m. Sharon Greenhoe, a spokeswoman for the Lansing-area American Cancer Society, said early detection is the most important treatment of the disease. “Early detection is 97 percent curable,” she said.

MSU

Mentors run, walk for awareness month causes, foundations

Okey Umelo
October 2, 2001

With Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month both recognized in October, leaders at Williams, Yakeley and Gilchrist halls are eager to show their support.Mentors, minority aides and other staff held a kickoff event at midnight Sunday for 31 Marathons in 31 Days, a fund-raiser sponsored by Residence Life.Participants took the first steps toward their goal by walking or running 1 mile around West Circle Drive.For the next 31 days, whenever they are walking or running on campus, they will keep a tally of the number of miles they covered - hopefully until they reach the equivalent of 31 marathons.“It’s going to be really interesting to see if we can pull this off,” said Jason Leonard, an electrical engineering senior and mentor at Williams Hall.

MSU

Minority aides host open student forum

Camille Spencer
October 1, 2001

The South Complex minority aides are offering an opportunity for students to express their opinions about racial issues through an open forum today.The event, “Aftermath of Blame: Risks for Communities of Color,” will be held from 7:30 p.m.

MICHIGAN

Grant prepares Michigan for bioterrorist attacks

Steve Eder
October 1, 2001

Since the Sept. 11 attacks in Washington and New York, concerns of potential bioterrorist threats have grown, but representatives from the Michigan Department of Community Health say they have been preparing to respond.Dr. David Johnson, the department’s chief medical executive, said the expertise of heath-care providers and professionals would play a critical role in the event of a biological or chemical attack.

MSU

AIDS WALK help to raise awareness, money

Kristy Austin
October 1, 2001

Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. The AIDS Walk Michigan twisted this familiar saying and asked volunteers to “walk a while to pay for someone else’s shoes.”Six hundred people from around Michigan gathered to participate in AIDS Walk Michigan at Valley Court Park in East Lansing on Sunday.

MICHIGAN

Race proceeds aid science center

Leslie Escobar
October 1, 2001

Lansing - A giant inflatable green dinosaur greeted both runners and visitors to the reopening of the Impression 5 Science Center on Sunday.The ninth annual Capital City River Run began at 10 a.m.

MSU

New director heads Office of Study Abroad

Kristy Austin
October 1, 2001

The Office of Study Abroad has something new to offer the MSU community this year, and it’s not in a different country.Its new director, Kathleen Fairfax, plans to use her experience to keep the program strong.“I really love my job and the fact that I am personally enthused about study abroad makes me good at what I do,” Fairfax said.

MSU

Faculty tour may open Lithuania to study abroad

Eric Morath
October 1, 2001

MSU students may soon be able to set their sights on a country that once laid beyond the iron curtain - Lithuania.Robert Huggett, MSU vice president of research and graduate studies, joined a group of three faculty members in a tour of the country’s universities last month.He said he hopes to establish opportunities for students to study abroad in the nation, which was formerly under Communist influence.“We discovered what appears to be a great interest in collaborating with MSU,” he said.

MSU

U donates time, honors Gandhi Day

Camille Spencer
October 1, 2001

The Coalition of Indian Undergraduate Students took the opportunity to honor Mahatma Gandhi on Saturday by facilitating its second day-long volunteer effort.The event was designed to coincide with Gandhi Day, celebrated on Oct.