In the annals of MSU history, Fall 2004 to Spring 2005 will go down as a bad school year for the students, university and city.

During that time, this Opinion Page has tackled an assortment of unsavory relationship issues.

The school year began with an uneasy shakeup of the liberal arts college, and faculty in arms about not being a part of the decision. By the end of the year, the plan would be dropped, but relations between faculty and administration would not be any better.

Then, the Izzone was ruined - well, at least hurt. The caretakers of MSU's legendary student cheering section stripped the fun out of being a fan by implementing strict attendance policies and dress codes.

A streak of sexual assaults on campus left a bad taste in the mouth of everyone and a gripping fear for students walking alone at night on campus. The university's reaction, however, wasn't the right response.

Before entering the November election, relations between students and administration worsened as strict tailgating guidelines - inspired by a sexual assault - and an open-alcohol ban were implemented on campus. By the end of the football season there was visible evidence of how little people were enjoying themselves during football games.

Coming off the implementation of powerful noise ordinances signed last year, the East Lansing City Council went to work on a new set of laws for housing. After sticking students with horrendous fines for being loud in East Lansing's neighborhoods, the council enforced policies that limit rental properties.

The council also began talks about a series of developments near campus that were tagged with the terms "mixed-use" and "diversity." These were euphemisms for pricey condo housing aimed at retirees and young professionals, not students.

Discussions about the West Village and, especially, the East Village developments were the beginnings of a push to rout students away from living in East Lansing. With strict housing ordinances, the places in which students were welcome significantly narrowed.

Considering the attitude the city has exhibited toward students, it's no surprise the first measures they considered for crowd control during the NCAA Tournament were preemptive ones. The ugliness of the year came to a head on April 2-3 as students, enraged by provoking police treatment, duked it out in the streets with rocks and tear gas.

If there was anything to be proud of this year, it was the success before the disturbance that both the MSU men's and women's basketball teams had in their tournaments. Those athletes played their hearts out and made their fellow Spartans proud to go to a school with such excellent programs. The men were dazzling and the women broke and created enough records to make people finally take notice.

When MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon first entered office in January, she had a lot on her plate. Although a move such as joining the Worker's Rights Consortium was a kind-hearted gesture, she has yet to deliver the kind of leadership needed to bring the university closer to students. This summer should be a time to look at the year past and make a stronger plan for the future.

A rift has been created and it's up to students, the administration and the city to close it together.