COMMENTARY

Stem cell victory positive for Mich.

On Nov. 4, the citizens of Michigan sent the state Legislature, the Michigan Catholic Conference and Right to Life Michigan a clear message: “You won’t keep us from cures.” Despite several popularly supported bills to change the state’s archaic laws on embryonic stem cell research, the state legislature had failed the people of Michigan by not moving these bills to law. So citizens organized, collected thousands of petition signatures and got the issue on the ballot as Proposal 2.

COMMENTARY

Big Three bailout might be necessary

It has not been a pleasant year for General Motors Corp. Soaring fuel prices along with a devastating meltdown in the automotive sector have all but evaporated its cash reserves. The company has been steadily shedding its work force for the past year, but those efforts do not appear to have had the intended effect of staving off bankruptcy.

SPORTS

Team deserves large crowd for tournament

Imagine practicing in beautiful weather, a calm sea breeze blowing over the field. Then imagine getting thrust into a must-win situation, playing in conditions the exact opposite.

COMMENTARY

Obama could use help from Mich.

The elections are over and there are many new faces taking up important roles in the government. It will be their duty to try and undo the mistakes made by previous administrations.

COMMENTARY

Ratings, costumes both irresponsible

What would possess anyone to dress in minimal clothing in public on a bitterly cold night and then complain about how people perceive them on that night? Halloween, of course. Lindsay Lohan’s character in “Mean Girls” said, “Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls say anything about it.”

COMMENTARY

Christmas stress begins to set in

It’s beginning again. I had the recurring nightmare once again the other night. It’s Christmas Day and somehow I’ve forgotten to buy anybody a gift. For a family that emphasizes the holiday as much as mine does, that’s a catastrophic mistake. The nightmare is one that I traditionally have this time of year. I’m fairly certain its purpose is to remind me that I need to begin saving money or I’ll be in deep trouble come December.

COMMENTARY

Obama could help U.S. see its faults

Hope and change, that’s what I felt last Tuesday night. Not just meager change, like bringing most of our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan, but a monumental decision by the people of the United States. We have to pay taxes and those with more income have to pay more to help those struggling to put food on the table. We have to make success through partnerships, not by exploiting the weak. We have to take part in the political process and attempt to reform the process so our vote counts.

COMMENTARY

Keep fighting for same-sex marriage

Flat out, we’re all a little bit gay. The guy who gives you your coffee at Sparty’s has had nudie dreams about a guy from his IM soccer team.

COMMENTARY

Poor journalism marred election

It is with a heavy heart that we journalists see this presidential race end. What a two years it has been! Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, the “inevitable” candidate and her spectacular demise, Muslims, mavericks, terrorists and — near the very end — a balding plumber named Joe. It has been a dizzying ride for all involved, but no more so than for the fourth estate — we purveyors of information who clearly delighted in the twists and turns this campaign yielded.

NEWS

New issues dawn with election's end

Let’s all breathe a collective sigh of relief. Clear the surrounding area of the free-stuff-shrapnel left over from Election Day raids at Starbucks, Krispy Kreme and Ben & Jerry’s. Rid your mind of all things political. Think no more of absentee ballots or of researching proposals and candidates. There’s nothing more to debate at this point. There’s nothing left for the media to cover.

COMMENTARY

Politics not part of daily lives of all American voters

We didn’t talk politics at last Friday’s football game. One mother told me about her worry over her son’s imminent surgery for a nagging shoulder injury that ended his season two games early.

COMMENTARY

Set race, gender issues aside when casting your vote

It’s been a long and brutal 11 months in the realm of politics, but tonight the battle ends and tomorrow every news publication and news program will be plastered with the faces of our new executive branch. Regardless of who will be named the winner, history will be made as we’ll either have the first black president or the first female vice president of the United States.

SOCCER

Baum leaves lasting mark on MSU soccer

Alex DiFilippo

November 2, 2008

It couldn’t have been scripted any better. The MSU men’s soccer team sent head coach Joe Baum out on top and accomplished something never before seen in the program’s history — winning a regular season Big Ten title.

COMMENTARY

Hatred of Muslims sign of ignorance

I cannot recall the last time I was this excited to take part in this year’s Halloween festivities. The annual promise of trading in everyday life for a deep-seated fantasy remains a recurring hit — something every reader will be reminded of as they maneuver through the endless throngs of sexy genies and guys donning replica Joker masks.

COMMENTARY

Undecided voter is unpredictable

The undecided voter is under attack, but, as always, the undecided voters are going to determine the outcome of the presidential election. Politicians have gone to the ends of the earth to find anything that may sway an undecided voter’s opinion. The major media outlets will report on absolutely anything that may grab the attention of an undecided voter.

COMMENTARY

Exercise caution in campus travels

If you’ve seen me on campus, attempting to walk around on crutches, I know what you want to ask. I’ll go ahead and give you the answer to save you the trouble: I got hit by a car. I understand that you, as Americans, have been raised to be fascinated by unusual things and injuries, and that a girl walking around campus on crutches satisfies both of those fascinations.

COMMENTARY

Hopeful optimism can cause letdown

Odds are that on Nov. 5 the American political landscape will be dramatically changed — at least for the short term. Although it can’t be guaranteed that we’ll know for certain who our next president will be — thank you, 2000 presidential election, for that uncertainty — any result will have major ramifications in the political sphere.

COMMENTARY

Proposal 2 could bring new cures

In my time as a columnist for this paper, I have written on a number of occasions about stem cell research, largely focused on embryonic stem cell research and the need for a revision of Michigan’s severe and archaic laws that restrict it. I also have looked at the issue on a national level, such as when I wrote about standing on the Capitol lawn in Washington, D.C., with 150 diabetic children singing “Promise to Remember Me” on the day before President Bush vetoed the bipartisan Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act for a second time.

COMMENTARY

Judging girls on wardrobe wrong

I was wearing jeans, heels and a long-sleeved shirt at the time when a new acquaintance scanned me up and down and said, “I normally think women who wear heels and jeans look like prostitutes, but you managed to pull it off.” Go me. I passed her “Are you a slut?” test. Apparently, all women have one.

COMMENTARY

Accepting blame start of progress

Everyone has a different idea about how to solve big problems, but they’ve all got one thing in common: It’s somebody else’s fault. For all the accusations flung by the public, the media and the government, we seem to forget one of the most basic principles taught to us as children: taking responsibility for our actions.