Thursday 6/27/13

Page 1

weekend

STATE NEWS FILE PHOTO

Then-junior quarterback Andrew Maxwell

Michigan State University’s independent voice | statenews.com

Dantonio talks quarterbacks heading into fall SPORTS+FEATURES, PAGE 6

Impact 89FM still unsure of next year’s funding CAMPUS+CITY, PAGE 3

| 6/27/13 | @thesnews

Teens go to Rock Camp, prepare to play Common Ground SPORTS+FEATURES, PAGE 6

SUPREME COURT DECLARES DOMA UNCONSTITUTIONAL By RJ Wolcott rwolcott@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS

decode the complex political jargon of the nation’s highest legal authority.

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As lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or LGBT, citizens and supporters gathered on the steps of the Supreme Court Wednesday morning, justices handed down two landmark decisions that sent the crowd into cries of celebration and ignited social media across the nation. And with a decision heralded by President Barack Obama on Twitter as being, “a historic step forward for marriage equality,” media organizations and political junkies spent their early-morning hours poring over legal documents, attempting to

The cases In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court found Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, to be unconstitutional. The legislation, enacted in 1996 under former President Bill Clinton, previously established same-sex couples as being ineligible to receive the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion, stating the court recognized DOMA perpetuated the unequal treatment of LGBT individuals. “DOMA is unconstitutional as

a deprivation of the equal liberty of persons that is protected by the Fifth Amendment,” Kennedy wrote. The court also came to a decision on California’s Proposition 8, a voter-approved constitutional amendment that prevented same-sex couples from wedding within the Golden State. Also in a 5-4 decision, the justices found proponents of the proposition were ineligible from defending the legislation, as they themselves had no personal grievances to settle, according to Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote for the majority. “No matter how deeply committed petitioners may be to

Michael Knaapen, left, and his husband John Becker, embrace outside the Supreme Court after hearing that the Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. PETE MAROVICH | MCT

See DOMA on page 2 X

Kicking it old school Grandparents, grandchildren bond on campus during educational event By Michael Kransz mkransz@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS ■■

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here’s a different batch of students on campus this week — more than 1,000 of them. Their ages range from about 8 to 80-plus, and they parade from each class smiling ear to ear. Some are new students, some returning, and MSU welcomed them all — alumni and their grandchildren — for the eighth annual Grandparents University, or GU. The program, which began on Tuesday and ends today, offered about 100 classes taught by 125 faculty members from 16 academic units ranging in topic from dorm makeovers to caring for horses. “I think that usually kids aren’t that interested in science or subjects other than PE, but if they presented it this way, with explosions, I think they’d get hooked on it,” grandchild and Illinois resident Noah Oxer said at the Joy of Chemistry class. The class exemplified GU’s approach to education: getting the kids engaged through engaging material and hands-on activities. MSU professor Rob LaDuca taught the Joy of Chemistry and kept grandparents and grandkids learning, laughing and on the edge of their seats throughout his one-anda-half-hour science class. “Sometime within the next 30 seconds to 30 minutes, it will explode,” LaDuca said with a grin, after putting a sealed plastic bottle full of liquid nitrogen into the trash. The same liquid nitrogen he jokingly called “colder than his ex-wife.” Later the kids created green goo and a glow-sticklike fluorescent liquid that lit up the darkened hall among many “oohs” and “ahhs.” For each experiment, LaDuca explained the reaction and used the name of the element along with its household counterpart. “The professors are wonderful,” GU Event Director Kathryn Reed said. “They really make the program by bringing

JULIA NAGY/THE STATE NEWS

MSU alumnus John Larzelere talks to his granddaughter, Grand Rapids resident Courtney Lobbes, 12, on Wednesday at MSU Demmer Shooting Sports, Education and Training Center, 4830 E. Jolly Road, in Lansing.

READ ONLINE statenews.com

ASMSU VOTES ON FUNDING ISSUE DURING MEETING ASMSU, MSU’s undergraduate student government, voted on whether to move all funds on campus in an emergency General Assembly meeting late Wednesday night. After months without communication, the MSU Board of Trustees listed a new set of resolutions, read by Trustee Dianne Byrum, for the student government at last Friday’s meeting. With the risk of losing all of its funding looming around July 1, the end of MSU’s fiscal year, ASMSU still has time to decide whether to move all its funds on campus to maintain its reserve. Matt Franks, the student government’s public relations director, said ASMSU decided to take action and call the decision to a vote. “The ASMSU General Assembly will be meeting and voting tonight on moving all funds to on-campus accounts in alignment with the mandates outlined last Friday by the Board of Trustees,” Franks said in a statement Wednesday. Check statenews.com for the outcome of the meeting. KATIE ABDILLA

DEVELOPMENT

City holds hearing to discuss use for E.L. properties

WESTON BROOKS/THE STATE NEWS

Harbor Springs, Mich., resident Thomas West, left, and Haslett resident Bill St. John stir ice cream that was made with liquid nitrogen Tuesday at the MSUs Grandparents University Joy of Chemistry class.

More online … To see a video of a student at Grandparents University talk about the experience, visit statenews.com/multimedia.

By Derek Kim dkim@statenews.com

their research down to laypeople and children. We do anything we possibly can to keep the kids interested in science and the arts and humanities.” Another class, Summer Cooking for Kids, had children make a variety of easy snacks. “This is stuff you can make at home,” John Findley, event teacher and executive chef at the University Club, said. “They’re simple, but different.”

Children’s hands shot up at every opportunity to volunteer, and they cooked up trail mix with popcorn, cherries and peanuts; apple sandwiches with peanut butter, granola and chocolate sprinkles; and “gourmet s’mores” with marshmallow fluff, fudge-stripe cookies and chocolate sprinkles. “I try to inspire them to get See GRANDPARENTS on page 2 X

THE STATE NEWS ■■

DANYELLE MORROW/THE STATE NEWS

From left, Ephrata, Pa., resident Arianna VanderWal, 9, and Milford, Ohio, resident Greta Wolter, 9, mix popcorn trail mix on Wednesday at the University Club of Michigan State University, 3435 Forest Road, in Lansing.

East Lansing Planning Commission held a public hearing Wednesday night regarding a site plan and special use permit approval for the properties at 500 Albert Ave. and 122 Division St. State Rep. Lingg Brewer, D–68th Representative District, See DOWNTOWN on page 2 X


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Thursday 6/27/13 by The State News - Issuu