I am sure that if I polled the entire population of MSU I would find a vast array of answers to what was accomplished during the nearly four weeks we had off from 2010-11.
Mark Twain’s “Huckleberry Finn” has a new character. “Nigger Jim” now will be “Slave Jim” in a new version of the classic novel.
I feel this is usually the column that talks about needing more columnists and more letters. We do — we always do. Even when I have enough, there needs to be more. The page needs as many views on as many topics as possible. As one of the fundamental tenets of democracy, I’m of the opinion this page should reflect that ideal.
It’s a new year, new semester and a fresh face is now the head honcho in Michigan. Newly elected Gov. Rick Snyder is hoping to revive Michigan’s downtrodden economy with job creation, more bipartisan politics and a balanced two-year budget without increasing taxes.
In the letter, “Overuse of antibiotics might compromise human being’s health,” (SN 12/7), Margaret Marciniak makes some biased claims and raises unnecessary fear about the use of antibiotics in production animals.
This is a reply to the letter “MSU’s Women’s Lounge a relic of past discrimination” (SN 12/3). Thirty years ago as an undergraduate at MSU, I valued the Women’s Lounge as the quietest place in the Union. It was a place where I could do some serious work on a paper or even catch a much-needed nap.
Usually, the end of the semester column is about carrying on and enjoying the break. However, this time, I want it to be about what comes next. In the most basic sense, this page is about news analysis, which is crucial in a 24-hour news cycle where things are event — and not issue — oriented. In that world, the editorial page becomes a place to parse and analyze the events covered in the paper.
It’s 3 a.m. the night before your must-pass final. A sea of Red Bull cans, candy wrappers and note cards pile up and barricade you into a frenzied hole of hopeless PowerPoint slides.
Our incoming governor Rick Snyder has spoken in glowing terms of “public-private partnerships.” It’s a euphemism that more than deserves scare quotes. To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, it’s not unlike a partnership between a wolf and a sheep. In exchange for the sheep’s tax dollars, the wolf provides the badly needed service of devouring the sheep.
There will be no medical marijuana dispensaries opened in Lansing until Lansing’s City Council can figure out proper licensing and regulation. That’s the responsible action for a governing body to take. Unless, of course, there already are almost 70 dispensaries currently operating that would not be subject to some of the new potential regulations.
I was puzzled to read this week’s State News editorial “Student action needs to find jolt of inspiration” (SN 12/6), which seemed to actually (gasp) encourage student activism! The State News editorial board writes that “one of the greatest worries of our generation is that despite being at critical junctions for a multitude of important issues … students have shown what seems to be apathy, but is probably closer to complacency.”
WikiLeaks’ recent disclosure of thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables has caused many to wonder what it all means: Why is the government hiding this information? How does its release affect the U.S.? Is it legal? Is Julian Assange a traitor?
In a letter to the editor published Oct. 31 (“Zoology students’ letter was misleading, accusatory?” SN 10/31), Joel Sparks failed to mention some very important points. The numbers of drug-resistant infections have increased in the past two decades and are killing about 70,000 Americans a year.
In East Lansing these days, there’s no shortage of people with gripes about the Bowl Championship Series, or BCS, and its role in keeping our football team from a BCS bowl game. Rarely, though, is there coverage of how we came to be the lowest ranked BCS team out of the Big Ten co-champions behind Wisconsin and the Ohio State University.
I view my four transformative years at MSU as the utmost privilege, but I’m feeling a little entitled to a bigger Pell Grant after delving into the world of private student loans.
Perhaps one of the greatest worries of our generation is that despite being at critical junctions for a multitude of important issues — climate change, health care, higher education, renewable energy, etc. — students have shown what seems to be apathy, but is probably closer to complacency.
After attending the Westboro Baptist Church’s protest outside East Lansing High School, I walked away having a newfound respect for the WBC and a newfound dislike for my fellow students and neighbors who had happily congealed into the spiteful mass opposing the WBC members.
The same week Michigan legislators passed laws related to HIV testing, they also attempted to address the regulation of an industry that can put patrons at increased risk of contracting blood-borne pathogens. The bill, which passed in both houses, would require tattoo parlors to pay an annual fee of $500. For tattoo parlors, it means an annual increase of about $333 from the previous licensing fee — $500 every three years.
_“Even if not illegal, acts are prohibited under (MSU Anti-Discrimination Policy) if they: Discriminate against any University community member(s) through inappropriate limitation of employment opportunity, access to University residential facilities, or participation in educational, athletic, social, cultural, or other University activities on the basis of age, color, gender, gender identity, disability status, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or weight.”_ The above is a lengthy excerpt from the Anti-Discrimination Policy in MSU’s Faculty Handbook. It is a policy befitting of our university’s standards, living up to our common belief in equality and tolerance.
The story seems all too familiar: A huge leak of government documents occurs; the leak immediately is demonized and heavily criticized, with sources in the government claiming these intelligence breaches will endanger foreign nationals and U.S. citizens abroad.