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WDIV aired a brief report during the 6 p.m. newscast showing video of the closing day's competition of the FIRST Robotics regional championship.
In the news
WSU students take alternative spring break in Detroit
WSU student volunteers will participate in Project Volunteer's largest event of the school year. Students will engage in a variety of experiences including participating in a variety of local service projects. All participants will also take part in presentations about diversity, crime/blight, arts/culture and city revitalization.
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Pat Sweeting provided on-site coverage of the FIRST Robotics regional championships held Friday and Saturday, March 18-19, at Wayne State University's Matthei Athletic Complex. President Irvin D. Reid commented during an interview about the significance of the competition and the role of higher education in promoting the sciences. Reid said the FIRST Robotics competition helps to engage students in the sciences and that educators should "go that extra mile" in stimulating an interest in the sciences.
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Reporter Jerrin Zumberg interviewed FIRST Robotics officials on the opening day of the two-day competition held at Wayne State.
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Mike Smith, director of Wayne State's Walter P. Reuther Library, appeared on Charity Nebbe's "Stateside" program discussing Icie Macy Hoobler, former director of the Nutritional Research Laboratory at the Merrill-Palmer Institute (1923-1954). Hoobler was a path breaker in research on child nutrition.
Ronnick reads Scarborough's journey
Michele Ronnick, professor of Greek and Latin at Wayne State University, reads from her book titled \"The Autobiography of William Sanders Scarborough\" and signs copies on March 23 in Ann Arbor.
Wayne State engineering program seeks community college students for program
Wayne State University\'s department of industrial and manufacturing engineering said Thursday that it is seeking students from area community colleges for its Production Management Leadership Program. The program will train engineers to become production supervisors in today\'s high-tech auto manufacturing plants. The program includes the curriculum for industrial engineering, along with elective courses in labor relations, organizational behavior and internship opportunities with one of the program\'s industry partners, including General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., DaimlerChrysler A.G. and Visteon Corp. The PMLP program is offering scholarships of up to $5,000 per year to qualified applicants. PMLP is especially looking for community college students interested in transferring to Wayne State and majoring in industrial and manufacturing engineering.
YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW: Public info often isn't easy to get
This week marks national Sunshine Week, in which media organizations nationwide are trying to raise awareness about laws providing access to public records and governmental affairs. The term comes from the idea that open government -- done in the full light of day -- is best. To gauge the accessibility of public records, the Free Press hired Wayne State University journalism students Jon Busdeker, Nichole Stellini, Chrystal Johnson and Nicolena Inniss last week to call about 30 municipalities and school districts.
LOCAL COMMENT: Why the press must keep fighting for public's right to know
This op-ed piece written by Herschel P. Fink, an attorney that represents the Free Press, discussed how institutions try to preclude the press from getting public information granted under the Freedom of Information Act. The op-ed cites recent charges Wayne State University levied against the Free Press for access to certain university documents. \"...Yet in recent weeks, the City of Detroit attempted improperly to charge the Free Press $37,732.08 for several requests related to an investigation of city waste. Wayne State University attempted to charge the Free Press $748.73 for records relating to another investigation into university expenditures. The Free Press is considering lawsuits in both cases, contending that excessive charges are a constructive denial under FOIA.\"
Rates still too high for some, state's insurance chief says
Insurance rates paid by motorists and homeowners in Michigan generally aren\'t excessive under state law, a new study concludes, thanks to a reasonably competitive property and casualty market. Some urban residents, however, may be paying too much, according to a Wayne State University analysis of premium and claims data released Thursday. Kurt Metzger of Wayne\'s Center for Urban Studies said that, in large part, the cost of insurance in a given pricing territory reflects losses claimed by consumers who live there. \"Where rates were high, losses were high,\" he told the House Insurance Committee. He called the last decade for Michigan insurers \"an unusually unprofitable period.\"
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A column about of the NCAA men\'s basketball tournament mentions that current Wayne State men\'s basketball coach David Greer may be a candidate for the coaching vacation at Eastern Michigan University. Greer\'s name is mentioned along with Michigan assistant coach Charles Ramsey and Michigan State assistant Mike Montgomery.
Conference hopes to boost girls' self-esteem
A two-day conference designed to boost self-esteem in girls ages 9-14 will kick off from 7-9 p.m. today at Bloomfield Hills Andover High School, 4200 Andover. Hosted by the nonprofit Girls Matter, the conference will feature keynote speaker Susan L. Taylor, editor of Essence Magazine, who will focus on how girls can build self-esteem and self-respect. The conference will continue with workshops, celebrities and other activities from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Wayne State University in the General Lectures Building, 5045 Anthony Wayne Drive.
Incontinence problems? Hormone pills a factor
This article about the use of hormone pills by women quotes a Wayne State University professor. \"We were hoping to find a gleam of hope for estrogen\" after all the earlier negative findings, but the results with incontinence were disappointing, too, said lead author Dr. Susan Hendrix, a gynecologist at Wayne State University.
U-M approves Arthur Miller Theatre plan
The University of Michigan Board of Regents approved the design Thursday of the Arthur Miller Theatre, as a tribute to one of its most famous graduates.The 250-seat theater will be part of the Walgreen Drama Center, the new home of the departments of theater, drama and musical theater on U-M\'s north campus. It was proposed in 1997 and will open in 2007. Miller, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who died last month at the age of 89, had resisted other attempts to name a theater in his honor. But when former U-M President Lee Bollinger approached him in 1997, Miller responded with a simple postcard. \"The theater is a lovely idea,\" Miller wrote. \"I\'ve resisted similar proposals from others but it seems right for Ann Arbor.\" It is believed to be the only theater in the world named for Miller, according to U-M officials.
Detroit's Corktown undergoing rebirth
Kurt Metzger of the Center for Urban Studies is quoted in this AP article about the revival of Detroit's Corktown neighborhood. "It's certainly one of those points of light within the city that needs to be focused on because they are doing wonderful things," he said. But he cautioned that there is much work to be done to ensure a successful turnaround.
Area sports in brief
Baseball: North Dakota defeated Wayne State, 8-7, in the first game of a doubleheader sweep in the Gene Cusic Classic at Ft. Myers, Fla. Frank Jeney and Chris Baroli had RBI singles for the Warriors (1-4). The Fighting Sioux won the second game, 6-2.
Softball: Junior Meghan Misiak threw Wayne State\'s first no-hitter since 2001, and the Warriors defeated Caldwell (N.J.), 6-0, in Kissimmee, Fla. Wayne State (5-6) scored five runs in the second inning.
People on the move
Martha Hnatiuk, adjunct instructor at Wayne State University, has been appointed to the Hospice of Michigan board of trustees.
WSU Spring Dance Gala
A brief front-page item notes that the Wayne State University Dance Companies will perform their annual spring gala, "Dancing the Legacy," on March 25-26, 8 p.m., at the Bonstelle Theatre. An after-dinner party at Ruby's Kitchen will follow the Saturday show.
Misiak tosses no-hitter in 6-0 win over No. 11 Caldwell
The Wayne State Warriors softball team scored five times in the second inning and pitcher Meghan Misiak recorded a no-hitter against 11th-ranked Caldwell Wednesday in Kissimmee, Fla. during the Rebel Spring Games tournament. WSU improved its record to 5-6 overall.
Helen Thomas truly has seen it all
In a column Jack Lessenberry wrote about journalist Helen Thomas, he mentioned she came to speak at Wayne State for a scholarship dinner in her honor. Thomas is a Wayne State alum.