statenews.com | 9/9/13 | @thesnews
MSU faculty, students eye Syria as vote approaches By Nolly Dakroury ndakroury@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn
Experts at MSU and students with ties to the Middle East are continuing to monitor the situation in Syria closely as the U.S. Senate prepares to open discussion Monday regarding a possible military intervention. President Barack Obama announced in a speech Aug. 31 that the U.S. is ready for military intervention in Syria in response to the reported use of chemical weapons against civilians Aug. 21 in the Ghouta area outside of Damascus. During the speech, Obama said the U.S. was ready to strike at any time, explaining intervention would be "limited in duration and scope." "Engaging in a military action in Syria is very risky," said Najib Hourani, an assistant professor of anthropology. "No military action is guaranteed. … No military action can take place without reaction — what that reaction might be is unpredictable." Since the start of the conflict in Syria in 2011, nearly 100,000 people have been killed, according to the United Nations. The U.N. Refugee Agency, or UNHCR, announced in a statement Sept. 3 that the number of Syrian refugees has topped 2 million, adding there was "no sign of the outflow ending soon." Since the conflict started, a
See SYRIA on page 2 u
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Campus police targeting string of recent moped thefts
Aziz Ansari thrills thousands with show at Wharton Center
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Students, performers rock out at Broad benefit statenews .com Andy Milad, Arts and Humanities junior and lead singer/ guitarist of Wayne Szanlinski. MARGAUX FORSTER/THE STATE NEWS
Going behind the camera Student who shot footage of professor’s rant speaks out, shares tale behind film By Geoff Preston geoff.preston@statenews.com The State News nn
The first day of a college class usually entails a brief overview of the syllabus before the professor sends students on their way. For political science sophomore Evan Schrage, the first day of his IAH 207 class with English professor William Penn was anything but usual. Penn went on what some are calling an anti-Republican rant during the class that moved Schrage to take out his phone and capture Penn's comments. "He started getting off topic," Schrage said."Then he started attacking certain groups." Schrage captured about 9 minutes of video where Penn said that Republicans "raped the country." Penn also talked about 2012 pres-
Political science sophomore Evan Schrage poses for a portrait Sunday at Holden Hall. Pictured on his cell phone is the video he shot of English professor William Penn’s in-class rant about the Republican party.
idential candidate Mitt Romney and voter ID laws. "This country is full of closeted racists," Penn said in the video. "What do you think is going in North Carolina and South Carolina? Voter suppression. It's about getting black people not to vote."
To read a column by Evan Schrage on the incident, see pg. 4 On Sept. 5, Penn was removed from his teaching responsibilities. He remains a full-time employee of the university. Schrage said although he is happy the university did something about the incident, he believes
Julia Nagy/ The State News
See VIDEO on page 2 u
MSU faculty continued to advocate for Penn after incident; tenure played role Now that English professor William Penn has been relieved of his teaching responsibilities for the rest of the semester, the question arises: What's next? Penn was relieved of his teaching duties last week after what some are calling an anti-Republican lecture Aug. 29 that drew national media attention and resulted in a widely circulated video on YouTube. MSU Board of Trustees member Mitch Lyons, who commented on the situation extensively via Twitter, said in a previous interview that the punishment for Penn might not be com-
plete. When reached by phone last week, Penn told The State News he had been instructed by the provost to “keep a lid on it” in regards to the incident and its aftermath. Penn has tenure and the support from the MSU chapter of the American Association of University Professors, or AAUP, a nonprofit dedicated to support professors. AAUP is not a union, but a group of professors advocating publicly for their peers. The organization released a statement Sept. 6 in support of Penn. See TENURE on page 2 u
To view a video interview with Evan Schrage about the incident, visit statenews.com/multimedia.
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Defensive effort leads MSU to win over S. Fla.
Report: costs of excessive Rumors of fireworks fly alcohol use top $8 billion as co-op fire investigated By Celeste Bott cbott@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn
Sophomore defensive end Shilique Calhoun intercepts a pass from South Florida quarterback Bobby Eveld on Saturday at Spartan Stadium. The Spartans defeated the Bulls, 21-6. — Khoa Nguyen SN See FOOTBALL on page 6
Excessive alcohol use cost Michigan $8.2 billion in 2006, according to a new study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. The study examined the economic costs of binge drinking, which the Michigan Department of Community Health defines as consuming five or more drinks on an occasion for men or four or more drinks on an occasion for women. The study based cost numbers on 26 different categories, including criminal justice, health care and medical bills, criminal justice fines, car accidents and property damage, said Angela Minicuci, MDCH public information officer. "It's a shocking number, but they cover a number of factors like workplace productivity, loss of job unemployment or even being unhappy at your job," Minicuci said. One area where the study came up short? The emotional effects of alcohol abuse, said Minicuci. "We actually think that number is an underestimation, because the study didn't look at costs associated with pain and suffering for the person drinking or for their families and loved ones," she said. "Researchers didn't examine therapy or counseling costs,
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for example." St udents might be unaware of the often expensive health consequences of binge drinking. Some of those consequences include treatment for acute alcohol poisoning, alcohol-related car crashes and physical or sexual assaults, said MDCH Chief Medical Executive Matthew Davis in a statement. "It's all too common to s e e a lc ohol- a s s o c i ate d injuries in our emergency rooms," Davis said. MSU students, especially underage students, busted for alcohol-related crimes also could find themselves paying a hefty price. The CDC study estimated that approximately 10 percent of Michigan's total cost came from the financial ramifications associated with underage drinking. According to the East Lansing District Court, a first-offense Minor in Possession charge brings a $100 fine, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated or being caught with an open alcohol container can cost up to $500 in fines. But Student Health Advisory Council, or SHAC, President Marisa Martini said resonating with students, not just scaring them, is key. "We try to provide them See DRINKING on page 2 u
By Katie Abdilla
kabdilla@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn
Many residents of the firedamaged Phoenix cooperative house have returned to their rooms, but officials said the cause of the Wednesday morning flames remains unclear. Of the 29 residents who were displaced by the fire, which began around 3 a.m. last Wednesday morning, 17 have moved back into the house, MSU Student Housing Cooperative public relations consultant Cambria Sobolewski said. T he ot her occupants of Phoenix, located at 239 Oakhill Ave., have been temporarily moved to other cooperatives or are staying with friends. The Student Housing Cooperative is a non-profit organization that provides housing and other services for MSU students and others across the East Lansing area. East Lansing Fire Department officials said Sunday that they still have not pinpointed the cause of the fire and confirmed the incident remains under investigation. A n earlier press release from the MSU Student Housing Cooperative confirmed the fire started on the roof and spread to the second floor. At least four of the rooms were destroyed, while many others were left with water damage. Sobolewski said rumors have been swirling around the fire's cause, including the possibili-
“They were launching fireworks earlier in the night, around midnight. Then we saw fire trucks...” Alex Stansberry, Finance senior
ty of errant fireworks. She said nothing has been ruled out. "I've heard things, but we're focusing on making sure our residents have places to stay rather than speculating upon rumors," Sobolewski said. Finance senior Alex Stansberr y, who lives across the street from Phoenix, said he noticed residents were using fireworks just a few hours before the fire started, but was unsure if the incidents are related. "They were launching fireworks earlier in the night, around midnight," Stansberry said. "Then we saw fire trucks around 3 (a.m.)." In spite of their displacement during what environmental studies and agriscience senior Spencer Hoffman called "a crazy experience," he said the fire has given residents a sense of community with one another. "The community has been very supportive, people have really stepped up to help us out," Hoffman said. "We are all staying really positive and bonding over this." Staff reporter Meg Dedyne contributed to this report.