Put school kids first in state funding

An op-ed was featured on the rally in Lansing by teachers, parents and students who support a bill to increase public school and university funding. Students at the college level are concerned with double-digit tuition increases which threaten students' ability to afford a degree. The fight for adequate funding is a battle that takes aim at one of the major barriers to a good education for all.

September 30, 2005

NextEnergy, DCX join forces on biodiesel fuels

At a recent news conference to announce a partnership between NextEnergy and DaimlerChrysler Corp., it was announced that the partnership will use brownfield sites to grow energy crops such as soybeans. "What's happening here is no less than revolutionary for the alternative energy industry and for the economy of our state," said President Irvin D. Reid.

September 30, 2005

State House OKs sale of tobacco payments

Legislation to sell part of the state's tobacco settlement to generate $1 billion to fund grants for up-and-coming industries and provide loans to help existing Michigan businesses won approval from the state House on Wednesday. An 11-member board would make venture capital investments and manage a loan enhancement program. A 19-member board with representatives from Wayne State University , University of Michigan , Michigan State, Western Michigan and Michigan Tech would decide which industries and businesses should get the grants to help them get off the ground.

September 29, 2005

Scholarships

Four local students have won scholarships recognizing their leadership and academic achievements from the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Wayne State . Vishnuprabha Dhanapal, Macomb County Pharmacists Association Pharmacy Scholarship; Rox Gatia II, Robert C. Johnson Pharmacy Scholarship; Mary R. Azara, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Pharmacy Scholarship: and Natalie Pawl, Kmart Pharmacy Endowed Scholarship.

September 29, 2005

Set your career goals!

Nannette Shaw, noted as an employee in Wayne State's Office of Career Services and past president of the Michigan Career Development Association, served on a panel examining ways that parents of middle school and high school students can help children plan education and employment goals. Shaw spoke on four-year colleges, cooperative education, internships and job placement.

September 29, 2005

Robert Sedler interviewed on WWJ

Professor Robert Sedler of the Law School was interviewed by the station's Marie Osborne about Senate confirmation of John Roberts as chief justice of the United States. Segments from the interview ran during the afternoon.

September 29, 2005

Tap Attack

They\'ll be dancing in the streets Sunday when internationally acclaimed tap artist and teacher Josh Hilberman instructs area tap dance enthusiasts in the art form in front of the Detroit Opera House. Presented by The Detroit Opera House Department of Dance, in collaboration with the Maggie Allesee Department of Dance at Wayne State University , \"Tappin\' on Broadway\" is an all-out toe-clickin\' celebration of the sights and sounds of tap.

September 29, 2005

Civil rights center tribute to Keith, Taubman

An editorial about the proposed Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights in the WSU Law School lauds federal Judge Damon Keith and shopping mall developer A. Alfred Taubman. The News notes that the friendship between the two men has been longstanding. Taubman calls Keith "one of the nation's leading jurists and exemplary citizens," and Keith was a character witness for Taubman at a trial on price-fixing charges. "The new center at Wayne State 's law school will serve to train future lawyers on the intricacies of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution," the editorial points out.

September 29, 2005

Outraged teens fight against violent game

Debra Hernandez Jozefowicz-Simbeni, assistant professor in the WSU School of Social work, is quoted in an article about a new video game called "Bully," in which the hero is a troubled middle school student who gives swirlies and beats classmates, and even teachers. Jozefowicz-Simbeni recommends against buying the game for kids. "We know that in terms of school violence, and school shootings in particular, one of the main factors that contributed to the school violence was bullying. We know that media has an effect on kids across the board," she says.

September 29, 2005

Tuition increase raises questions

This article in the Western Michigan University student newspaper refers to an enrollment decrease and tuition increase at the Kalamazoo institution. "What's happened with our enrollment is that we've graduated more students than we've brought in," explained WMU President Judith I Bailey. Even so, this year's entering class was slightly larger than last year's, she pointed out. The article mentions that Wayne State had the highest tuition increase this year, at 19 percent. Western Michigan was third highest, at 14.3 percent.

September 29, 2005

Member's Voice

This newsletter of the Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce includes an article by WSU Law School Dean Frank Wu . He mentions that he wrote the book "Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White" because he believed it was time "to change our dialogue on diversity." He adds, "All too often, our discussions about public policy have been framed in literally black and white terms." He points out that the U.S. population includes people who are black, white, Latino, Arab American, Asian American and mixed in background, and he urges Asian Americans to become involved in all aspects of citizenship.

September 29, 2005

Library series aims to delight music lovers

Free music shows at the Southfield Public Library this fall will include the Jonathon Dixon Quartette on Oct. 19. The performance also will feature musicians from Wayne State University 's jazz program. Contact information is given

September 29, 2005

Author's memoir takes honest look at Detroit

Paul Clemens, identified as a Wayne State University administrator, is featured in a story about his recently published book titled "Made in Detroit : A South of 8 Mile Memoir." A photo of Clemens is included.

September 29, 2005

Tuition hikes fund fixes

An article about tuition hikes at Michigan public universities is accompanied by two listings that include Wayne State . One shows Wayne State at the top of the list in state funding to universities, at $8,865 per student. The second has WSU second behind Central Michigan in tuition increases, by percent, over last year, with an 18.5 percent increase.

September 29, 2005

House OKs $1 billion plan to aid businesses

A 19-member board with representatives from several universities, including Wayne State , would decide which industries and businesses should get start-up grants under proposed legislation to use part of Michigan 's tobacco settlement money to generate $1 billion that would fund grants for new businesses. The state House approved the bill, which now goes to the Senate.

September 29, 2005

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A brief notes that Wayne State is honoring Judge Damon Keith's 38-year career and the landmark decisions he wrote with a $16.5 million addition to the university's law school, the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights.

September 29, 2005

Addition to Wayne State's law school named after Judge Damon Keith

This online version of the Free Press carries an article mentioning that " Wayne State University is recognizing the distinguished career of Damon Keith by naming a $16.5 million addition to the law school after the federal jurist." The Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights will salute the 83-year-old judge's accomplishments, but Keith said he hopes it also will establish an environment that will motivate future lawyers to adopt his passion for the Bill of Rights. Other news outlets that carried this AP wire story on their Web sites include WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids , WLNS-TV in Lansing and Booth Newspapers on its MLive.com site.

September 28, 2005

Growing pains afflict Wayne: Football program has reached the point where coming close hurts and a turnaround seems near

A feature story on Wayne State \'s men\'s football team points out that the Warriors are an improved squad this season under second-year head coach Paul Winters. \"Our kids work as hard as Michigan and Michigan State . Nobody really knows that because we are Division II," Winters pointed out. "They give me everything they have and they come up short, and it is really tough." Athletic director Rob Fournier is noted as helping to raise $911,843 in 2004 - an athletic department record. WSU\'s on-campus development, including three new residence halls, a planned basketball arena and $1.2 million improvements to Adams Field\'s is mentioned. Men\'s basketball coach David Greer is also quoted in the story. Action photos of players Nolan Martin and Adam Carter are included in addition to a shot of singer Spyder Turner entertaining fans at Saturday's game. The story mentions that more on-campus student housing is "on the way" as well as a "student village."

September 28, 2005

Health insurance

Public universities and governments can provide health insurance to the partners of gay employees without violating the Michigan Constitution, an Ingham County circuit judge ruled Tuesday. "Health care benefits for a spouse are benefits of employment, not benefits of marriage," said Judge Joyce Draganchuck. Among plaintiffs in the suit that led to the trial is a Pittsfield Township resident who receives benefits from Wayne State University . The news article originated from the Associated Press.

September 28, 2005

Saluting a Legend: WSU building honors civil rights leader Judge Damon Keith

Judge Damon Jerome Keith's 38-year career and the landmark decisions he wrote will be recognized by Wayne State University with a $16.5 million addition to the university's law school, the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights. The three-story law center will contain a 125-seat auditorium with classroom space for 100 students. The vast collection of photographs, plaques, award trophies and certificates that line nearly every wall and shelf in his chambers in the downtown federal courthouse will be on permanent display in the center. A multimillion-dollar gift to the university to kick off a fund-raising drive for the center has been committed by Detroit-area shopping mall developer and philanthropist A. Alfred Taubman. Photos of Keith and a sidebar of career highlights are included.

September 28, 2005