FEATURES

City officials missed point of SN article

Sometimes, things become too taboo to talk about. If you talk about them you face a risk of resentment from your peers, a backlash from authority and ultimately punishment from both sources, if not more. It's not the first time an article in The State News stirred up some already rough waters, but the cover story on last week's MS&U front ("House Party" SN 4/9/03) was received in an entirely irrational light by East Lansing authorities who obviously missed the point the story tried to make.

SPORTS

World will cry buckets over WNBA

Alas! The 2003 WNBA Draft was canceled Monday, and this just might be a prelude to tough times ahead for the ugly duckling of the sports world.

COMMENTARY

Should war continue to be questioned after seeming success?

As the war with Iraq is in a phase that could be described as consolidation, we who originally opposed the military invasion find ourselves in a bit of a pickle.

COMMENTARY

Protesters were wrong on Iraq; now it's time to help out

I'm tempted to write a column that says, "See, I told you so," to all the anti-war leftists at MSU.

COMMENTARY

Midlife crises can hit at any point in life - not just age 40

Some people have midlife crises at age 40. They hit that dreaded age and start to reflect on their life and their accomplishments (or lack thereof). They know half of their life is over and start to flip out. Well, oddly enough, I seem to be having a midlife crisis at the ripe old age of 21.

COMMENTARY

Anti-Semitism from right was always expected, but now out of left field

According to a comedian I once watched, my religious background qualifies me as a "Cashew," meaning someone who is half Catholic and half Jewish.

COMMENTARY

Wave of activism important for those seeking improvement

There is a wave of movements engulfing this campus as I write this column and as you are now reading it.

COMMENTARY

God's not just getting stones thrown through his window

There is a Jewish proverb that says if God lived on Earth, people would break his windows. But the sad reality is that God is alive on Earth and we do far worse things to him every day. When we see him hungry, we let him starve.

FEATURES

Lack of good nickname is bothersome

The other day I was hanging out with my buddies the Irishman, Jewie Lewis, Grandpa Jaeger and Arnie.

COMMENTARY

New York City sure to offer different lifestyle from Midwest

On a winter Friday night last year, I found myself in a dark and impossibly loud nightclub in the Chelsea district of Manhattan called Suite 16.

COMMENTARY

House resolution relies on prayer to solve U.S. conflict

A recently issued resolution asserts "the public need for fasting and prayer in order to secure the blessings and protection of Providence for the people of the United States and our Armed Forces." It suggests that Americans "... submit to the wisdom and love of God." By doing such things, Americans may procure "the enduring grace and benevolence of God." This religious proclamation calls on all Americans to pray, fast and "seek guidance from God." Surprisingly, this resolution did not come from a religious organization.

SPORTS

Eagles' Schwab still a champion despite defeat

So, Marquette lost by 33 points in the Final Four to Kansas Saturday evening, so what? Yeah, the Golden Eagle players like Dwyane Wade and coaches like special assistant Trey Schwab were probably all very distraught afterwards, but they'll be smiling again soon, hopefully. You see, most teams can celebrate a Final Four appearance by thinking, "Wow, next year we'll be back, we'll be better." But then again, most teams aren't like Marquette. While Wade, Marquette's star guard, was working on his game all season in hopes of leading his team to victory against the major programs in the tournament, Schwab was working out in hopes of gaining his strength back after undergoing constant tests and treatments as he prepared to do battle with a deadly disease. Just over two years ago, Schwab was told he'd have a 40 percent chance of living to see the end of this year. But that didn't stop him from heading to New Orleans this past weekend. Plain and simple, the man has courage, just like his team. He is an underdog and has been fighting an uphill battle for years, just like his team fought its way through a tough season and into the Final Four. Yet there is one major difference between the Golden Eagles future and Schwab's: Because the team lost, they will return next year with hopes of returning to the Big Dance.

COMMENTARY

Only place to put riot blame is on moronic rioters

So it's been a week now, and I've been thinking a lot about the riots last weekend. Scratch that, the madness last weekend.

COMMENTARY

War with Iraq is one more in list of the U.S.'s unwinnable wars

Our government fights a lot of wars. We have the war on drugs, the war on poverty and, of course, the war on terrorism, just to name a few. The problem with these wars is that they're wars against ideas.

COMMENTARY

Citizens should always be skeptical of their government

As you read this, men and women are fighting in a desert on the other side of the planet. Maybe you agree with the reason that they were deployed, maybe not.

FEATURES

Remembering the good times has its dangers

Most people love nostalgia. In fact, they eat it up. People are eager to revamp the past, maybe because the present trends tend to suck, in an effort to make everyday life more cool.

COMMENTARY

Church learns from mistakes, country continues to make same ones

I miss that "I'm an American" commercial. You know the one. It aired in the aftermath of the Sept.

COMMENTARY

ASMSU benefits from endorsements

MSU's undergraduate student government is different than most of its relatives. We have a bicameral student government and award special seats to minorities and interest groups.

COMMENTARY

In current climate, spouting off opinions seems trivial, pointless

It was Sunday night when I sat down to write this opinion piece for the Tuesday edition of The State News.

COMMENTARY

America no longer free from living in rest of world's terror

When I was in second grade my best friend was Jewish. She was the only other girl in my class who had dark features and understood concepts like war, Saddam Hussein, nuclear weapons and death.