Names & faces notebook
Wayne State University public station WDET-FM\'s (101.9) has organized the Spring 2005 Pledge Drive. The station reports that about $182,000 of the $807,000 goal has already been pledged.
In the news
Don't be fooled
This article on April Fool\'s Day pranks quotes a Wayne State professor...Jerry Herron, director of American studies at Wayne State University in Detroit, recalled his childhood in the 1950s, when \"elaborate and sometimes cruel\" jokes were common. \"Pinning signs on people\'s backs, telling kids they were wanted in the principal\'s office - those kinds of things happened a lot,\" he said. Herron recalled one unfortunate schoolmate whose practical-jokester mother deliberately packed a rotten egg in his lunch bag one April Fools\' Day. The professor attributed the lull in April Fools\' activities in part to the holiday\'s lack of marketability. \"What kind of greeting card could Hallmark sell?\" he asked. \"Something that explodes, maybe?\"
'Misalliance' was one of Shaw's 'Discussion' plays
Both newspapers ran feature stories on George Bernard Shaw's "Misalliance," which is playing through April 8 at WSU's Hilberry Theatre. A photo accompanies each article and ticket information is provided.
Start planning for your future at Wayne State University
Wayne State University is sponsoring the Southwest Detroit College Planning Workshop for Students and Parents on Wednesday, April 6, 6-9 p.m., at LA SED (Latin Americans for Social and Economic Development), in Detroit. Presentations from the Center for Chicano-Boricua Studies, Office of Student Financial Aid and various Latin sororities and fraternities will be offered during the program.
SOAR program now registering for spring
The Society of Active Retirees (SOAR) announces its spring term and class schedule that will run from April 11-May 20. Registration for the program has begun and will continue through March 30. SOAR is a community-based initiative of Wayne State University that provides non-credit courses, social enrichments and personal growth opportunities for adults 50 years of age or older. A volunteer faculty comprised of retired and current Wayne State University faculty members present more than 50 classes and lectures.
E. Lynn Harris coming to Wayne State April 1
Gay author E. Lynn Harris will be speaking at WSU about life as a gay man while being a minority on Friday, April 1. Author of \"Invisible Life\" and \"Just As I Am,\" Harris has been featured on Out Magazine\'s \"Out 100\" list and New York Magazine\'s \"Gay Power 101.\" A popular college lecturer, Harris has spoken at the colleges and universities all across the country and will speak at 7 p.m. in the General Lectures Hall on the main campus of WSU. This event is free and open to the public.
AG says opinion authorizes discrimination against university employees, two Michigan universities reviewing the decision
U of M has joined Wayne State University and the city of Ann Arbor in fighting a lawsuit against the Ann Arbor school district\'s domestic partnership policy. Both universities have filed Friend of the Court briefs in support of the school district\'s right to treat the families of gay and lesbian employees equally. The suit, filed by the Thomas More Law Center, will begin April 5 in an Ingham County appeals court.
Take Back the Night
The monitor ran a brief article on Wayne State University School of Social Work Coalition on Community Social Work will host the 10th annual Take Back the Night March and Rally, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wed. April 6 at Gullen Mall.
Funeral for Winter
Wayne State University will be celebrating the passage of winter with its quirky Groundhog Day-like tradition, the 22nd annual Funeral for Ol\' Man Winter at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 6.
Detroit man is accused of aiding terrorists
A former Detroit Public Schools official, whose lawyer says is an adjunct engineering professor at Wayne State, was being held in jail Wednesday after a hearing before a U.S. magistrate. Kifah Wael Jayyousi of Detroit was arrested at Detroit Metro Airport Sunday after returning from Qatar, where he is working for a Dearborn company. Jayyousi and two other men are accused by the government of helping to set up a North American network to provide support to extremists fighting in Bosnia, Chechnya, Kosovo and Somalia. His lawyer said the federal charges are bogus and his client should be released pending trial. The story ran on the AP wire and was widely reported in print and electronic media nationwide.
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Kurt Metzger, research director of the Center for Urban Studies, appeared on the Mildred Gaddis show to discuss recent political polls conducted by Detroit mayoral candidates Freeman Hendrix and Sharon McPhail. Metzger reviewed the results of the polls and provided an independent assessment of their conclusions.
S&P cuts C&A rating; bankruptcy possible
Law professor Peter Henning is quoted in a story about a Troy-based auto supplier that is experiencing financial distress. The company has hired a New York law firm to look at its internal financial practices. Henning says that the fact the company has hired a firm experienced in internal corporate investigation indicates that the problem "has gotten very serious."
Liberal arts majors qualify for variety of jobs
The National Association of Colleges and Employers has released a compilation of the top 20 skills that employers seek. Ranked number one was verbal and written communication skills. Many college graduates are hired in jobs, which are not in the concentration they have studied in college. "When the economy is down, it is always a good idea to stash away some good education," said Michael Belzer, associate professor of urban and labor studies at Wayne State. But with the economy picking up after recent setbacks, "Now is a great time to get out in the job market," he noted.
Education - Michigan engineering initiative aims to keep tech talent in-state
Gov. Jennifer Granholm has launched the "Michigan Engineering Incentive," a lending program offering savings to the state's tech-minded college students. The program is offered to those enrolled in engineering or other technical majors and is open to Michigan resident students across the U.S. and all students attending Michigan schools. The goal is to boost the state's pool of highly skilled workers.
College Corner
Wayne State will be celebrating the passage of winter with its quirky and unique tradition: the 22nd Annual Funeral for Ol' Man Winter at 11:30 a.m. on April 6th. Led by the "Monster Truck Hearse" and Jay Towers from WDRQ's Jay and Rachel show, the funeral procession will rumble through campus talking with WSU students, employees and the community.
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At the invitation of NYC media figure J. D. Livingstone, professor Michelle Ronnick of the Classics department was interviewed about her book, \"The Autobiography of William Sanders Scarborough: An American Journey from Slavery to Scholarship\" (Wayne State University Press, 2005). The station aired a live interview on Wednesday, March 30, from 10 p.m. to 10:30 pm.
Event touts Chavez's work
Kathleen Schmeling, interim associate director of the Walter P. Reuther Library, commented extensively about migrant farm worker organizer Cesar E. Chavez. The Reuther Library houses Chavez\'s personal papers and an oral history he made before his death in 1993. Philip Mason, professor emeritus of the Reuther Library, is noted as an associate of Chavez during the United Farm Worker\'s (UFW) strikes against table grape growers and lettuce growers in the San Joaquin River Valley of California. Schmeling was in Lansing on March 30 with an exhibition the Reuther Library mounted called \"La Causa,\" Spanish for the cause, that \"covers 40 years of the UFW and the issues they faced,\" Schmeling said.
WSU Engineering Program seeks students for scholarship and job training program
Ran a brief article on Wayne State University\'s Production Management Leadership Program in the department of industrial and manufacturing engineering.
Three high tech companies select Detroit's TechTown as new headquarters
This article mentioned three new tenants that have signed leases in Wayne State\'s TechTown. \"This is an indication that we are seeing real traction in attracting tenants to our park,\" said TechTown Executive Director Howard Bell.
State insurance rates: How to adjust them
This editorial points out that insurance rates in Michigan are not excessive, according to a recent analysis of homeowner and auto premium and claims data by Wayne State University. The Citizen Patriot contends that the best way for consumers to keep their insurance costs down is by "making use of a competitive market" and shopping around for the best insurance premiums.