Breaking Barriers: Latinx Journalists Speak Out on Media Diversity Struggles, Demand Change for a Representative Future.

By Camila Bello

Nov. 21, 2023

According to a report made in 2023 by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), the proportion of Latinos in the highest ranks of the U.S. journalism sector does not align with the demographic composition of Latinos in the overall U.S. population. “There is not a lot of support or resources for people like me in media and it makes me feel like I am behind,” said Sofia Mireles. Mireles is a Mexican-American MSU journalism student in her junior year. “At first, when doing interviews via phone call it was really hard to understand their English over the phone.

One year after Proposal 3, activists and lawmakers find new battlegrounds on abortion

Just over a year ago, during the Nov. 8 midterm election, Michigan voters overwhelmingly voted to pass Proposal 3, a ballot measure designed to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. 

One year later, legislators and activists on both sides of the abortion debate continue to spar on how the promises created by the proposal should be achieved in practice. Genevieve Marnon, the legislative director at Right to Life of Michigan, said there was “a tremendous amount of disappointment” for anti-abortion activists following the results of the midterm election. Marnon said she attributes the results to a few reasons including being outspent three to one by pro-abortion groups, a lack of support from national anti-abortion groups, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s outspoken support for Proposal 3. “We knocked thousands of doors, we manned the polls, we sent out information, we did ads to the best of our ability given our limited budget,” Marnon said.

Okemos School Board Meeting: Assistant Superintendent Unveils Academic Insights and Student Success Strategies

By Camila Bello

Oct 27, 2023

The scheduled bi-monthly evening meeting of the Okemos Board of Education took place Oct. 23 at the Administration Center. All board members were in attendance as Assistant Superintendent Stacy Bailey commenced the evening agenda by delivering the first assessment data for the school district for the current academic year. Since 2019, Bailey has served as the assistant superintendent for instruction at Okemos Public Schools. Prior to this role, she accumulated nearly seven years of experience working at Tecumseh Public Schools.

Crosswalk outside of Chippewa Middle School.

Residents concerned after multiple car accidents outside Okemos Schools

After two car accidents involving children occurred outside of Okemos schools at the start of the school year, parents reached out to the school board to voice their concerns. 

The first accident on Sept. 15, outside of Chippewa Middle School on Kinewa Drive, left one student in a wheelchair with a broken ankle and concussion. The second accident on Oct. 4 involved a child walking at the intersection of Kinawa Drive and Okemos Road. This prompted Superintendent John Hood to send out an email to parents reminding them about street safety. 

“It’s really disappointing because myself and some others in the room have spent a lot of hours and effort into putting together recommendations that would make it safer for our students to walk and bike to school, and it’s just going nowhere,” said Tim Potter while addressing the school board during its Oct.

Former Lansing School District employee speaks out on racism accusations

Keys. Laptop. Badge. These were the three items Claude Hogan was unsuspectingly ordered to hand over the day he was placed on administrative leave. 

This came as a shock to Hogan, who was the supervisor for a student athletic development program and has worked at the Lansing School District, or LSD, since 2015. All he was told was that he had breached a policy.

The Waverly High School building. Many students attending Waverly use Anna Piazza's mental health resources.

Anna Piazza Guides Waverly High School Students Toward Mental Wellness

In her initial two years as the sole therapist at Waverly High School, Anna Piazza conducted 1,452 therapy sessions with students.

As part of the Expanding, Enhancing Emotional Health (E3) Program, Piazza, a therapist from Child and Family Charities, serves as a resource for students grappling with mental health issues.

Mental health issues among adolescents are on the rise. According to the CDC, in 2021, over 42% of students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, with nearly 29% experiencing poor mental health. Additionally, in 2021, 22% of students seriously considered attempting suicide and 10% attempted suicide.

Board of Trustees Approves $100,000 College of Veterinary Medicine Fund

Earlier this fall, the MSU Board of Trustees met to discuss varying topics that affect students and faculty at the school, including grants, budget and finances, academic affairs, and student life and culture. According to a recently approved proposal, the FFE-MaryDee Sist DVM Scholarship Fund establishes a $100,000 fund as “an endowment to provide scholarship support for students” in the College of Veterinary Medicine. 

But who is allowed to submit an application for the scholarship? Is there any preference for a student? The scholarship is for students enrolled in the College of Veterinary Medicine who have demonstrated financial need and are in good academic standing. The $100,000 for the fund will be transferred from “the University’s restricted gift account,” the proposal said, where additional gifts can be added to the fund. 

Interim President Teresa Woodruff said that the “motion carried” with a unanimous vote of 8-0 to approve the scholarship fund.