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Columns

COMMENTARY

Student-athletes not fully funded

Victoria Merritt
January 23, 2012

This week, I am writing in response to a comment collected from an MSU student in The State News article, “NCAA rejects scholarship cuts to student-athletes.” (SN 1/18) The comment suggested that NCAA student-athletes receive enough publicity already for their athletic participation, and the amount of money they save from their athletic aid in the form of tuition, book stipends and/or room and board should be enough. As a member of an Olympic sport team, I find this comment to be laughable.

COMMENTARY

In retrospect, bailouts worked

Ameek Singh
January 22, 2012

Bailouts have become one of the most hated policy choices of in recent memory. Such acts affirm every fear we have of the political establishment’s unhealthy ties to corporate interests. There has been near-unanimous opposition to the bailouts that occurred three years ago.

COMMENTARY

Absence makes the heart adjust

Katie Harrington
January 19, 2012

While reading The Detroit News the other day, I came across an article about long-distance relationships and, because I’m on the brink of one myself, I eagerly read it in hopes of discovering some new information about dating long distance.

COMMENTARY

New security measures ineffective

Jameson Joyce
January 18, 2012

Case Hall recently implemented a card scanner system that requires a student ID to open doors to living quarters. This follows the lead of several other dormitories in response to concerns about student safety.

COMMENTARY

Allow me to introduce myself

Growing up, I started talking at a very early age. My parents like to joke that I haven’t stopped since, and they’re probably right. It didn’t take much of that talking for them to realize I was very opinionated, either.

COMMENTARY

Violent rhetoric obscures choices

Mitch Goldsmith
January 11, 2012

January marks the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that struck down many repressive state laws criminalizing abortion. The right to make one’s own intimate medical decisions is not only a legal imperative but also empowering and provides a path toward social and political equality.

COMMENTARY

Technology not only way to learn

Mike Jenkins
January 9, 2012

My daughter Kelly’s graduation with a master’s degree from the University of Liverpool this December afforded my wife, mother-in-law and I ample reason to head “across the pond” to the United Kingdom this holiday season.

COMMENTARY

Republican candidates lack focus

Ameek Singh
January 8, 2012

Fate has given the Republican Party an incredible opportunity to take back the White House in 2012. Presidential elections are inextricably linked to the economy, and President Obama thinks he can buck a 76-year trend by being re-elected with such high unemployment.

COMMENTARY

American hypocrisy in full view

I recently came across an article in The New York Times. I read that the Obama administration will be using foreign aid to as a tool to promote gay rights across the globe.

COMMENTARY

Helpful tips for winter bicycling

Tim Potter
December 7, 2011

Cycling in the winter can be full of challenges. Wet and slippery conditions, poor lighting, distracted drivers and cold temperatures can all make your ride more difficult. You don’t need to put your bike away until spring, however.

COMMENTARY

Study-in correct step for BSA

Lazarus Jackson
December 6, 2011

Sometimes I find myself guilty of underestimating the power of student organizations. I knew the Black Student Alliance, or BSA, was capable of influencing the campus because it proved that much during the racial incidents at the beginning of the year.

COMMENTARY

Grief not limited to five stages

Ron Dorr
December 4, 2011

When a beloved student or friend dies, when a well-respected coach or university — such as Penn State University — loses its way, when terrorists reveal how vulnerable we Americans are, we grieve. The losses might be phases of development, self-images, relationships, separations, beliefs, emotional states, or cultural myths.

COMMENTARY

Some inflate own importance

Craig Gunn
December 1, 2011

It seems like the not-so-subtle rallying cry of many individuals across the countryside in the past few days is that fantastic phrase, “I am ImpOtent!” Now I realize that you may have looked at this a couple of times and thought that the writer is an idiot and can’t even spell “important.”

COMMENTARY

Practicality matters in research

Craig Pearson
November 29, 2011

In the race against global warming and the quest for energy independence, biomass has long been touted as a sort of Holy Grail. It’s easy to see biomass as an infinite resource — plants grow everywhere.