New Deans Colleges of Communication Arts and Sciences, Engineering receive new heads
statenews.com | 7/28/14 | @thesnews
campus+city, PAGE 5
All in the cards Alumna and owner of Triple Goddess Bookstore Dawne Botke looks to Tarot cards for insight Danyelle morrow | SN
campus+city, PAGE 5
Michigan State University’s independent voice
BIODREAMS
Illustr ation by Florian Cherdron | SN
The MSU Student Greenhouse Project envisions a tropical oasis for students in the heart of campus By Casey Holland cholland@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn
As the evening sunlight was replaced by the luminescent glow of lanterns, Lansing resident Taylor Taylor performed her soft folk songs on the patio of Dublin Square on Abbot Road. This wasn’t a usual concert for the Okemos High School senior and her band — this was the second concert held at Dublin Square to raise money and awareness for a cause nearly 20 years in the making. Taylor’s performance was a benefit concert for the Student Greenhouse Project of MSU, a campaign for a new biodome to replace the Old Botany Greenhouse and Butterfly House, which were razed in 1997. “They asked me to perform because I was referred to them from someone, so they asked me to do it,” Taylor said. “I just brought my band to come here and play with me. It’s an awesome project, what they’re trying to do. ... It’d just be a really cool atmosphere to be a part of, it’ll be great when they get the thing up.” The concert cost $8 to get in the door, and a donation jar was also available in case patrons wanted to leave something extra for the project. Pamphlets were handed out, and a bulletin board detailing the project was displayed inside the restaurant for everyone to see. Jeff Herzog, the community liaison for the Student
Greenhouse Project, said the concert was more about raising awareness for their cause than raising funds. With the hope of rallying more student and community support for the project, members will continue to hold events informing the public of this dream for an old haven’s revival. A betrayal of trust Phillip Lamoureux, the director of the project and a MSU research assistant, said when the final ruling of the closure of the Botany Greenhouse was decided upon, he felt as if trusts were betrayed. However, it wasn’t so much the community’s trust that was betrayed — in his eyes, it was the plants’ trust that was broken. When it was decided the greenhouse would be torn down, because of its age and the high cost of renovations, it was promised 80 percent of the plant varieties would be saved. Instead, Lamoureux said, the opposite happened. Because no one could rally people to move and store the plants, four dumpsters were filled with the various plant life, which added up to about 80 percent of the plants being destroyed, he said. “We brought plants from all over the world,” Lamoureux said. “Old plants, rare plants, new plants. ... I felt we had an implicit covenant with these living creatures we had taken from (their) homes to at least
give them life.” The 22,000-square-foot Botany Greenhouse featured five different environments, including the 900-squarefoot Butterfly House. Tree frogs, a vivid variety of tropical plants and even an iguana had made the different environments’ streams, ponds and plant life their home. Students were able to spend their time in a study area and an entertainment space where they could gather together to listen to poetry readings and acoustic melodies. Sparrow Hospital used the facility to hold “health walks” for their patients who struggled with heart issues, giving them an opportunity to breathe in the greenhouse’s warm, fresh air. After it was decided the greenhouse would be razed in 1997, the community rallied together and, with the approval of the university and ASMSU, moved forward with the Student Greenhouse Project of MSU. Two design contests and various community surveys later, Steven Kokotovich, the student president of the project and a chemistry junior, said they are now in the feasibility stage. After more fundraising and community engagement, Kokotovich’s hope is that the Board of Trustees will approve the project and set aside $5 million to get construction and plant deliveries on the way. See BIODOME on page 2 u
C a m p u s Sa f e t y
Unclear ordinance gives MSU officials pause on pepper spray By Katie Krall kkrall@statnews.com THE STATE NEWS nn
MSU pol ice have c la r if ied t heir posit ion on t he possession and use of pepper spray on campus af ter originally stating it was not permitted. “We’re clarifying to make certain everybody’s on the same page,” MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said. McGlothian-Taylor said students may carry and use pepper spray, if they are using it to defend themselves, and still be within the guidelines of the university’s weapons ordinance. “If you have it and you’re being attacked by someone, you can use it,” she said. “But if you were to have it, and ... you used it within the resi-
dence halls — you know, just to be using it — you can’t do that. Then you would be in violation.” Sgt. McGlothian-Taylor also said students must take state regulations on pepper spray into consideration.
“If you have it and you’re being attacked by someone you can use it.” Florene McGlothian Taylor, MSU police Sgt.
Michigan law states, “the reasonable use of a selfdefense spray or foam device containing not more than 10 percent oleoresin capsicum by a person in the protection of a person or property under circumstances that would justi-
fy the person’s use of physical force,” as permissible. As long as a person follows the guidelines of state law — using a self-defense spray that contains not more than 10 percent oleoresin capsicum — and carries the spray with the intent to use it in self-defense, they would not be violating the ordinance. The previous confusion university officials expressed emphasizes the ordinance’s ambiguous language. Criminal defense lawyer George Zulakis, of Baird and Zulakis, P.C., said the university ordinance “might be vague enough that police might be telling you one thing, but could say pepper spray isn’t covered.” Jim Newton of Associated Students of MSU (ASMSU) See SPRAY on page 2 u
weekend
workout
Human biology senior Omar Taher works out on Sunday at IM Sports-West. Many students go to the one of the three IM gyms during the school year to work out. Jessalyn Tamez | The State news