Flint mayor withholds business from anyone who sued city
Robert Sedler, WSU Law professor, predicted the policy would not survive a constitutional challenge.
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Kurt Metzger, CULMA's Center for Urban Studies, was a speaker during the 2005 Economic Forum-CEO Roundtable, held Feb. 17 at the Radisson Kingsley Hotel in Bloomfield Hills.
Cul-de-sac properties sell at a premium
The cul-de-sac property was introduced to American neighborhoods in the 1950s, says Professor Robin Boyle, associated dean of the College of Urban, Labor and Metropolitan Affairs at WSU. "I think it's fair to say that the suburbs through the 1950s, 60s, 70s and into the 80s were built around a cul-de-sac model," Boyle said. "The idea was that one could construct a suburban landscape with curvilinear streets that could only be accessed by the people living on these streets."
Troy explores new revenues
Troy with 86,000 residents is running out of space and residents are miffed. Kurt Metzger, director of the Center for Urban Studies at WSU, said Troy has some built-in safeguards that will help it avoid the dwindling tax dollar situation that plagues some older suburbs. "Troy doesn't suffer from the same kind of issues that many other built-out suburbs have, such as a diminishing income," said Metzger.
Struggle Over Abortion Grows
Brad Health writes that pro-choice forces fight the pro-life effort to outlaw minors from getting the procedure done out of state. He quotes Robert Sedler, WSU constitutional law professor, "These are peripheral issues that don't affect abortion at all. Women will still be able to get abortions, and yet you still see the pro-life and pro-choice groups fighting these issues as intensely as we fought over Roe V. Wade 30 years ago."
Bankers prep at test trial
Commerce Bank sponsored a day of mock trials in Philadelphia attended by 50 people from all walks of life. The mock trial dealt with a real trial about to face Commerce Bank. "This can't help Commerce Bank at all to have its name in the headlines for a couple of weeks - associated with these very negative corruption charges," said Wayne law professor Peter J. Henning, who is coauthor of a textbook on white collar crime.
An improbable success
William Sanders Scarborough's autobiography sounds like an improbably novel, but his true story is available because of the work of Michele Valerie Ronnick, associate professor of Greek and Latin at Wayne. She uncovered a typed manuscript of Scarborough's buried in an Ohio archive. Scarborough was born a slave, learned to read and write secretly and went on to become one of America's foremost scholars of classics and president of Wilberforce University. "…in those days it was dangerous both to teach and to receive instruction," wrote Scarborough, "The penalty for the instructor was fine and imprisonment, and for the instructed one severe corporal punishment." Ronnick edited the autobiography that was recently published by the Wayne State University Press.
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Ken Whipple, Chairman of CMS Energy, was the guest on \"Leaders on Leadership\", co-produced by the WSU School of Business Administration and Detroit Public Television. The program host interviewed, and the studio audience of WSU students questioned, Whipple about his leadership experiences during a 40 year career at Ford Motor, and at CMS Energy
Lawsuit challenges Ann Arbor school's same-sex benefits
The first post-Proposal 2 challenge is on the way. The case is being watched closely because it could portend other challenges to domestic-partner benefits. WSU, U of M and the City of Ann Arbor have filed friend-of-the-courts briefs in support of the school district.
U-M, MSU stadiums get luxury Lift
A front page story on the renovation of these stadiums and the introduction luxury suites that big donors will pay tens of thousands to use explains that this tactic will help the universities raise funds, but some object to tampering with tradition and eschew the elitism that such plans will foster.
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S. Epatha Merkerson, born in Saginaw and a WSU grad had the lead role in a film made by Saginaw native Robert Bradley. "Lackawanna Blues," debuted at WSU in an invitation only showing Feb. 1. The film was based on an autobiographical one-man show by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, also a WSU graduate.
WSU Detroit Orientation Institute offers spring session
CULMA's Detroit Orientation Institute (DOI) is now accepting applications for its April session to be held on three consecutive Tuesdays - April 12, 19 and 26. The story notes that the DOI presented two new special programs in 2004 that will be continued this year; Alternative Spring Break-Detroit, titled "Leadership, Learning and Service," and a one-day venue designed for Wayne State University faculty.
Dept. of Energy asks WSU to help it boost science education
The U.S. Department of Energy has asked Wayne State to assist in its effort to turn around a trend showing American students falling behind other countries in math and science. The program, titled "What's Next" expo, invites several classes of middle and high school students for hands-on, interactive experience with cutting edge technologies. College of Engineering Dean Ralph Kummler and College of Education Dean Paula Wood were on hand for the announcement and commented in the story.
WSU Distinguished Alumni and students to be honored at annual reception
The Wayne State Alumni Association will honor distinguished alumni and students receiving scholarships during its annual Leadership and Scholarship reception to be held from 5-7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28 at the Alumni House. The Homer D. Strong Award, the association's highest award, will be presented to Dr. Taylor A. Lewis, a senior pathologist at Quest Diagnostics. Angela Zemboy will receive the Recent Alumni Award. A photo of Lewis is included.
New engineering scholarship
Wayne State's College of Engineering is making it possible for more African Americans to pursue their dreams with the Tanji Westley Willoughby Engineering Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship will be given annually at the College's Honor's Convocation in April, and the first fundraiser will feature playwright Dorothy Robinson's "Queen Esther," at 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Highland Park Center for the Performing Arts.
Death of a playwright
The 11:00 p.m. news aired a story related to the death of Arthur Miller. It mentioned that the Hilberry Theatre was currently performing one of Miller\'s greatest works, Death of a Salesman. There was a brief look at a curtain speech made that night in Miller\'s memory as well as footage of the opening moments of the play.
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Neal Rubin is photographed wearing the Wayne State sweatshirt in his column today.
Places to Go Things to Do
Wayne State University, Detroit Dance Collective and Wellspring, will perform at 8 p.m. Feb. 12, 3 p.m. Feb. 13, in Maggie Allesee Studio Theatre, Detroit, $40 with buffet dinner, $15, $12 students and senior citizens, (313) 737-2033 or (810) 444-4553.
Michigan researchers, companies engineer growth
Wayne State offers an engineering program with ties to industry, particularly to the auto companies that dominate the southeastern region. In a partnership with Troy-based Delphi Corp., Wayne State unveiled a new, 4,000-square-foot clean room in 2003 for MEMS R&D. The clean room is part of Wayne's Smart Sensors Lab, which is developing technologies for medical applications as well as automotive.
A change of pace for S. Epatha Merkerson
This article about the new HBO movie \'Lackawanna Blues\' mentions that S. Epatha Merkerson, who stars in the movie and TV\'s Law & Order, is a graduate of Wayne State University. The movie is an adaptation of Ruben Santiago-Hudson\'s autobiographical, one-man stage show. Santiago-Hudson, who has a small role in the movie, is also mentioned as a graduate of Wayne State.