‘Billy Elliot: The Musical’ comes to Wharton FEATURES, PAGE 7
Valentine goes head-to-head with high school teammate
Deadly flu strain kills four in Michigan
SPORTS, PAGE 8
CAMPUS+CITY, PAGE 3
Cast of ‘Billy Elliot’ COURTESY PHOTO
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Three-day forecast, Page 2
RIGHT TO WORK
FRAGILE
JUSTIN WAN/THE STATE NEWS
Hundreds gather at the rotunda Dec. 11, 2012, at the state Capitol in Lansing. Thousands participated in the rally to protest the right-to-work laws inside and outside the building.
In Lansing, legislators welcomed with protests By Kellie Rowe rowekell@msu.edu THE STATE NEWS ■■
As mental health enters national debate, MSU reaches out to community By Alex McClung mcclung3@msu.edu THE STATE NEWS ■■
PHOTO ILLUSTR ATION BY JULIA NAGY/SN | ART DIRECTION BY K AYLEY SOPEL/SN
Adam Lanza, age 20. James Holmes, 25. Seung-Hui Cho, 23. All college-age students. All students who will live in infamy in U.S. history books for the violent, unfathomable acts they committed. As the U.S. recovers from the recent tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School that left 26 people dead, President Barack Obama has assigned a task force on gun violence, placing Vice President Joe Biden as its leader in developing solutions to keep events, such as those that occurred in Newtown, Conn., or Aurora, Colo., from happening again. Many might identify gun control and other forms of legislation as possible resolutions to gun violence, but Biden and some legislators said the U.S. should participate in a broader discussion about mental health in relation to these tragedies. Holmes, who allegedly killed 12 and wounded 58 in a Colorado movie theater, most likely will pursue an insanity defense with the help of his attorneys if his case goes to trial, though no evidence has been presented yet about Holmes’ mental state. Cho, who murdered 32 people and injured 17 others at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 2007, told his school’s therapist he suffered from symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to mental health records. It is important to distinguish that not every mentally ill person is prone to violence, said Stephanie Colwell, president of MSU Active Minds. As America tries to find solutions to the numerous mass shootings, MSU officials and students have a message to offer those who might be sufferSee PREVENTION on page 2 X
More online … To hear a student who dealt with depression discuss the impact of the recent shooting on mental health stigma, go to statenews.com.
EAST LANSING
Never underestimate the power of a cookie. On Wednesday, the Michigan legislature’s first day in session after the winter break, politicians who did not support right-to-work legislation were greeted with freshly baked cookies. Politicians who supported the bill received a bag of cookie crumbs. “The cookie crumbs (represented) how they’re crumbling the middle America,” said Lansing’s Sparrow Hospital nurse Kim Dennison, a member of the Michigan Nurses Association. The demonstration was meant to remind lawmakers that Michigan workers haven’t forgotten about the controversial right-towork bill passed in mid-December that will affect almost all public and private Michigan workers, including students in MSU’s Graduate Employees Union, or GEU. On April 1, employee contracts no longer will include union security clauses, which require employees to join unions after working for a certain number of days. Workers under contracts including the union security clause will continue to pay dues until those contracts expire. Unions usually collectively bargain with employers for benefits, such as better wages and vacation time. Employees with contracts created after April 1 will have the choice to opt out of unionizing. John Beck, associate professor of human resources and labor relations, said he believes a major-
ity of Michigan residents support the right-to-work bill. According to a poll of 600 Michiganders who actively vote in general elections, 47 percent of state residents favor right-to-work legislation and 46 percent oppose it. The poll was conducted by EPIC·MRA, a Lansing research firm, at the end of November. Although he said most employers are ambivalent about the law, some worry right-to-work laws will create a riff between union and non-union members. President of the Graduate Employees Union Dan Clark said unions are crucial at MSU and attract graduate students to the university. Graduate students often teach substantial portions of an MSU class or grade most assignments. The GEU ensures graduate employees are not overloaded with work and available to help students. “We want to give out the best educational experience to undergraduate students,” Clark said. Dennison said she felt the bill was rushed through the Michigan Legislature in “a very undiplomatic process,” and did not give voters a voice. The bill was passed into law within days after it was introduced. “We expect that they’re going to do better in 2013 and, if not, they’re going to be responsible for those choices,” she said. Beck predicts within the next few years, lawmakers will refine some of the details of right-towork legislation. In the meantime, Wednesday’s cookie protest might only be the beginning.
RADIO
EMPTY APARTMENTS, NEW SUSHI IMPACT 89FM still waiting for funding RESTAURANT DISCUSSED BY CITY By Robert Bondy bondyrob@msu.edu
By Michael Koury kourymic@msu.edu THE STATE NEWS
A new sushi restaurant might be coming to town while an Evergreen Avenue apartment complex will remain abandoned for now if the East Lansing City Council follows the suggestions of the East Lansing Planning Commission. The commission discussed the two proposals during their regular Wednesday meeting at City Hall, 410 Abbot Rd. An application from former City Center II developers to further develop an apartment complex on 341 and 345 Evergreen Ave., failed to get the green light from the commission. Some concerns expressed by the commission include issues with parking for the apartment buildings. Using the Grove Street parking ramp isn’t an option as there are no more parking permits available to purchase. Planning commissioner Fred Bauries said what troubled him
was the distance between the two buildings. “The spacing of the two buildings, the standard is 30 (feet) and this is 15 (feet),” he said and continued that the close proximity of the two buildings might be considered a fire hazard. Bauries suggested the 345 Evergreen building will be demolished, which would solve several of the problems with the site plan, including the fire hazard, parking issues and potential overcrowding. The proposed project comes from the developers of City Center Two Project, LLC, who also are trying to develop 100 and 124-140 W. Grand River Ave. The two Evergreen buildings, previously known as Evergreen Arms, have been abandoned since 2008. The apartments were planned to be a part of the City Center II. The plans for the center were struck down by council See CITY on page 2 X
THE STATE NEWS ■■
After a long, eventful fall semester, Impact 89FM management is taking the necessary steps to finally receive more than $300,000 in already-collected student taxes. Impact 89FM radio still is waiting to receive both fall and spring semester student taxes collected for the radio station after COGS and ASMSU passed a bill requiring Impact 89FM to undergo an audit prior to receiving student taxes
from the 2012-13 academic year. COGS unanimously passed the bill Dec. 5, 2012 and ASMSU followed suit the next night. The $3 tax each student pays with their semester tuition was frozen from Impact 89FM during summer 2012 after student government members raised questions about the station’s financial records and MSU Radio Board members skipped meetings for several years. In its most recent bill, COGS required the MSU Radio Board to approve an audit for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 fiscal years. COGS also issued a two-year probationary period where the station must
Impact’s funding timeline Nov. 14 2012
provide the COGS Finance Committee full accounting of its fiscal situation on a quarterly basis. ASMSU requested the MSU Radio Board to review and approve the audit in order to move forward in the process of receiving the student taxes. The radio station is running on reserved emergency funds from student taxes collected in previous years. An Impact 89FM compiled financial document from June 30, 2012 shows $984,203 was in the account as reserve funds. Impact 89FM General Manager Ed Glazer said these funds are saved as a safety net. For the 2011-12 fiscal year, the
The last time the Radio Board met was in 2009 Dec. 5 2012
Impact 89 FM General Manager Ed Glazer speaks on behalf of the radio station at COGS meeting
COGS unanimously approves Impact 89FM receiving student taxes collected for station if conditions are met
Summer 2012
Nov. 29 2012
$3 Student-tax fund is frozen and held from Impact 89FM
ASMSU proposes bill that puts new conditions in place for Impact 89FM to receive student taxes
station’s total operating expenses were $134,197, according to the station’s financial documents. The largest expense was $36,496 for materials and supplies, according to the report. Other expenses including contracted services and rent each were more than $20,000. Glazer said the radio station has hired a firm and the student government’s required audit is underway. He said he hopes the MSU Radio Board will meet sometime in late January or early February to review the audit. “Once we have the audit
See RADIO on page 2 X
Dec. 6 2012 ASMSU unanimously approves Impact 89FM receiving student taxes collected for station if conditions are met
According to Glazer, Radio Board will meet and review the Impact 89FM audit sometime in late January or early February