Caucus to hold Kwanzaa event

In the spirit of the upcoming holiday season, North Complex Black Caucus will host its second annual Kwanzaa Program on Tuesday. The program will feature a keynote speech by Kimberly Ellis, author of the “Kwanzaa Song,” as well as a rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” - also known as the “Black National Anthem” - various cultural performances and an appearance by Amka Afrika dance troupe. The event is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Wrongly convicted get help

DNA can help lock criminals away - now it can help get them out as well.Lansing’s Thomas Cooley Law School has started an Innocence Project for the state to help find and release innocent people serving time in jail.“That’s what this is all about - getting people who are in prison out because they are not the people who committed the crime,” said Norman Fell, director of the project.

University governments meet in Ann Arbor

Student government representatives from all but one of Michigan’s publicly funded universities journeyed to Ann Arbor last weekend in hopes of re-establishing ties between their institutions. Delegates from 14 schools, including MSU, met at the University of Michigan for the first official Association of Michigan Universities session.

Commencement speakers chosen

Three high-profile men were selected to give commencement speeches to MSU’s graduates for December’s ceremonies.Raymond Kurzweil, developer of the world’s first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind, Alejandro Junco de la Vega, a journalist and newspaper publisher from Mexico, and Jeffrey N.

Museum displays St. Nick exhibit

A Santa Claus collection is coming to town.The annual exhibit of Val Berryman’s expansive Father Christmas collection will go on display at the MSU Museum today.“I started picking things up in 1983,” the curator of history for the MSU Museum said.

Offender Web site may benefit students

Some university officials wonder: Are students concerned about receiving public information about sexual perpetrators at MSU? A small group of students and staff met last weekend to discuss whether students need to be better informed about the Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry, a Web site that lists the names of convicted sexual offenders in Michigan. The information is organized by ZIP code and includes an offenders’ address, physical description, date of birth and some data about the type of crime committed. Ann Bolger, director of Residence Life, said the university’s current policy is to make MSU staff members aware that the site can inform students.

U lands portion of grant for African American studies

As MSU joins the ranks of universities that are paving the way in African American studies, the journey will now be made a little easier.The university is slated to share a $600,000 grant from the Ford Foundation - an organization committed to providing grants and loans to projects that advance human achievement - with four other universities that are part of the Midwest Consortium for Black Studies.The consortium consists of a group of research and teaching faculty at MSU, the University of Michigan, the University of Wisconsin at Madison and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.MSU will use its share of the grant to develop undergraduate- and graduate-level African American studies programs.“African American studies is a growing dynamic field of academic inquiry,” said Curtis Stokes, a James Madison College professor.Stokes is one of the project directors who will be overseeing the use of the grant.

Greeks elect executive council

The newly-elected greek council held its first joint meeting Monday where they began planning their priorities for the upcoming year.The greek system elected their executive council Nov.

Cops increase patrols

More than 400 law enforcement agencies across the state, many in mid-Michigan, are stepping up traffic patrol during the Thanksgiving holiday as part of “Operation Click It or Ticket.”Operation Click it or Ticket is the Michigan mobilization effort of Buckle Up America and Operation ABC Mobilization: America Buckles Up Children, two nationwide safety campaigns.The campaign, sponsored by the Office of Highway Safety Planning, will publicize Michigan’s new mandatory safety belt law, which passed in March.

Police briefs 11/22/00

Council chooses speakers

With their undergraduate careers drawing to a close, MSU seniors Eric Stoddard and Ben Kronk figured they had been through it all.That is, until they were selected as the student speakers for their Dec.

State remembers official

People all over Michigan continue to mourn the loss of state Rep. Janet Kukuk after she died Sunday following a 5-year battle with cancer.Gov.

ASMSU plans Florida visit, will discuss ways to improve campus IM facilities

ASMSU is going to Disneyworld - well, members will be in the same vicinity anyway.Two representatives from the university’s undergraduate student government will be accompanying Rick McNeil, the assistant director of Intramural Sports and Recreative Services, to Orlando, Fla.

New SN leaders bring experience to newsroom

The campus’ student-run newspaper will be steered by some new leaders this spring. A new editor in chief and new-media manager have been selected for The State News.

U mag seeks college writers

Do you want to share your poetry with others? Maybe you would like to see a short story that you are proud of in print.

Comedy talks up culture

Comedian Charlie Hill will highlight a month of events commemorating MSU’s Native American Heritage Month at 7 p.m.

Study to guide E.L. housing development

The city of East Lansing will begin a housing study Dec. 1 to see if there is a market for different types of housing such as town houses and condominiums.The idea for the study came from past city council discussions and other boards and commissions, said Angela Cheney, an analyst for community and economic development.“First, we had a big group meeting, involving a city council member, planning members and the assistant city manager,” Cheney said.

Ex-NFL player starts business

LANSING - Former NFL player Lonnie Young is helping others go the whole nine yards in Lansing. In October, Young and wife Lisa opened a branch office of Express Personnel Services, 6437 S.

Fraternity roughs cold to help the homeless

Members of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity spent the evening last Friday as if they were homeless. The fraternity held its third annual Sleep-Out for the Homeless in the Union courtyard from 8 p.m.

New Extension director looks to maintain growth

The MSU Extension will undergo a changing of the guard of sorts next semester when Margaret Bethel takes over as the acting director.Extension is the university’s statewide initiative that offers educational and informational resources to residents in dozens of Michigan communities.