College prep starts early at Arcadia

In some respects, it was a typical college fair with university representatives staffing tables filled with brochures. But the setting Thursday was an elementary school -- Kalamazoo \'s Arcadia building -- and the students being recruited probably spend more time thinking about playmates than about matriculation. ``Getting started early is a good idea,\'\' said Christopher Wolfs, Wayne State University \'s representative at the event. The event included presentations by representatives from Wayne , Western Michigan, Michigan State and Eastern Michigan universities, as well as booths where students and parents could pick up brochures and posters.

March 3, 2006

TOM WALSH: State needs to value smarter workforce

Five years into a job creation slump, Michigan doesn\'t yet grasp what it takes to succeed in the 21st-Century economy. A new survey of technology businesses in five states shows Michigan executives place much less value on a highly educated workforce than do leaders of similar firms in the competing states of California or Massachusetts . Michiganders also give their home state low marks on tax rates and general business friendliness. More than 80% of business leaders at cutting-edge companies in California and Massachusetts rate a well-educated workforce as highly important to their success. But only 52% of such Michigan executives feel the same way, according to the new Western Michigan University survey. WMU hired EPIC/MRA of Lansing to interview owners or managers of 1,181 so-called new economy companies in Michigan and four competing states, including Ohio and Illinois , about how best to grow new companies and create the jobs of the future.

March 3, 2006

Michigan universities lure "Promise" students

On Thursday, Wayne State University welcomed to campus more than 100 prospective enrollees through "The Kalamazoo Promise," a scholarship program that takes care of tuition for qualifying students. Wayne State offers an additional incentive of half-off towards the residence hall costs. "There are 117 fresh new faces with this wonderful future ahead of them," said Susan Zweig, executive director of undergraduate admissions and student financial aid. "It's wonderful."

March 3, 2006

Staying clean has new rewards

Charles R. Schuster, professor in Wayne State's School of Medicine and former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, commented about how incentives can influence adult behavior. The idea of offering incentives such as gift cards and bus tokens, CD players and rent subsidies, is slowly catching on in drug and alcohol treatment. "Many of us recognize this as one of the most important and effective tools we have," said Schuster. "But we've done a lousy job of selling it." More than 60 studies here and in Europe show that rewarding substance abusers for staying clean helps keep them enrolled in the critical early weeks of outpatient rehab, when dropout rates can hit 40 percent or more.

March 3, 2006

College will cost you; music free

The recording industry's continuous crackdown on song snatching is prompting universities to offer students an outlet to download music legally. Michigan State University is among the latest to join the growing number of college campuses nationwide in providing students legal music via the Internet. MSU students residing on campus in the residence hall system can now download digital songs to their computer for free through a deal the university struck with multimedia services company Ruckus. Off-campus students can download songs free to their laptop when accessing Ruckus at MSU over the network. MSU is the first in the state to offer the service for free, though some fees are attached to downloading directly to portable digital music players. Michigan Technological University, Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan offer students similar services.

March 3, 2006

The wonders of America

An article about the play "The Melting Pot," which follows the lives of a Jewish family that immigrated to America , refers readers who want more information about immigrants at the turn of the century to the book "From the Ghetto to the Melting Pot," by Edna Nahshon. The book is published by Wayne State University Press.

March 3, 2006

Messa Da Requiem Mar. 10 & 12

A brief article was published about Wayne State University 's Symphonic Chorus performing Giuseppe Verdi's Messa da Requiem in two performances at the Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra on March 10 and March 12.

March 2, 2006

WSU's Bonstelle Slates 'Othello'

A brief article was published on a production of William Shakespeare's "Othello" being the fourth show of the season at Wayne State 's Bonstelle Theatre, running from March 3 to March 12.

March 2, 2006

Bondanella to Sign

The Italian Heritage Society and the Italian Studies Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at Wayne State University present the Michigan Premiere Review of the new book Hollywood Italians by Peter E. Bondanella on March 13 at The Grosse Pointe War Memorial. The book discusses scores of films and their literary and European roots.

March 2, 2006

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WSU College of Nursing Dean Barbara K. Redman was a guest on The Jack Lessenberry Show, discussing the proposed state bill that would place Michigan in a multi-state compact making it easier for out-of-state nurses to come here and work, and the nursing shortage overall. \"It\'s somewhat of a myth that there\'s a bunch (of nurses) out there who might just be ready to come back to work,\" Redman said. \"The basic problem has to do with the fact that we are not producing enough nurses to meet the demand, and I believe there\'s a very simple answer to that: Money. Either on the federal level, the local level or the private level, there needs to be money available to expand that workforce.\" The complete interview can be heard online at http://jackshow.blogs.com/jack/. Afterward, Lessenberry delivered an essay on the shortage entitled, \"Calling All Nurses.\"

March 2, 2006

Medical office comes to vacant building

The University Physicians Group, comprising of 700 Wayne State University doctors, plans to build a new medical office at the corner of Stephenson Highway and Maple Road, west of I-75.

March 2, 2006

Schools Today: Ceremonies

For the first time since 1926, Wayne State University will host commencement on its main campus, in a single celebration that will replace the twice-a-year ceremonies at Cobo Hall. The university will host the first combined ceremony at 11 a.m. May 6 at Matthaei Physical Education Center and Tom Adams Field, the university\'s football stadium. All academic programs will participate, except law and medicine.

March 2, 2006

Area sports in brief

Hockey: Wayne State freshmen Melissa Boal and Sam Poyton earned weekly honors from College Hockey America Women. Boal had eight points, including four goals Saturday against Robert Morris, and was named the CHAW player of the week. Poyton had four goals and seven points in two games and is the rookie of the week.

March 2, 2006

The Local List

\"Messa da Requiem\": Wayne State University's Symphonic Chorus with the Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra will perform Giuseppe Verdi\'s classic, 7 p.m. March 10, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, 9844 Woodward, and 3 p.m. March 12 at Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward. The concert information also appears in the "Faith and Charity" column of the Free Press.

March 2, 2006

Researchers find new evidence of RegeneRx's TB4 would healing activities in the eye; Data to be reported at 2006 ARVO meeting

This article reports on studies headed by Dr. Gabriel Sosne and Ping Qiu in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. The studies have to do broadly with the healing or controlling of eye disease. Readers are referred to a Web site for detailed information on the findings.

March 2, 2006

Cover article - Wayne Dyer

A Q&A-format article with well-known psychologist, author and lecturer Wayne Dyer mentions in the first paragraph that he received doctorates in counseling psychology from Wayne State University and the University of Michigan .

March 2, 2006

Fayetteville State to produce opera

Ivan Griffin, a member of the voice faculty at Wayne State University , is among guest artists under a grant from an arts council in North Carolina . The grant is aimed at bringing the arts to children in underserved populations.

March 2, 2006

Wayne State University

Northville resident Shivani Agrawal was named to the fall 2005 dean's list at Wayne State University . This write-up in a college briefs column does not mention the specific school or college at WSU in which the student is enrolled.

March 2, 2006

Area sports in brief

The sports photography of Dan Graschuck will go on display today at the Walter P. Reuther Library at Wayne State . At a reception to be held from 5-7 p.m. today, Graschuck will take questions. Location and phone number of the library are given.

March 2, 2006

Hilberry Theatre presents an evening for singles

Wayne State's Hilberry Theatre has announced "Rush Dates," an evening for singles who would like to meet other singles, on March 24 in the theatre lobby. At the event, 40 WSU male and female students will have an opportunity to meet each other through a series of get-acquainted sessions at the event. If two participants would like to get to know each other better following the sessions, the Hilberry will make available two-for-one tickets to that evening's performance at the theatre.

March 2, 2006