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Commentary

COMMENTARY

BEACON center should not take place of science library

It is hard to believe that MSU could not find a different place for the new center, and that it was absolutely necessary to demolish the library. The decision was taken so fast that even the professors of the Department of Physics and Astronomy learned about that news at the faculty meeting, so that their following letter with objections was too late because the matter was already decided without asking for their opinion.

COMMENTARY

Alternative club sports, athletes deserve attention

Numerous times, club sports at our university achieve great accomplishments with little acknowledgement from The State News. The particular event that motivated me recently was a member of our team, microbiology senior Adetayo Mafe, was listed on the USA rugby site as a reserve competing right now to be a member of the 2010 USA National Women’s World Cup Team.

COMMENTARY

MSU administrators deserve raises, recognition

An average student might look at these salary increases and be angry, especially considering MSU’s recent cuts in other areas. But in the grand scheme of things, raises for university officials are a normal occurrence, and students shouldn’t be upset without looking further into the situation.

COMMENTARY

Studying abroad an individual choice

I’m more than a little hesitant to jump on board of one of MSU’s fine study abroad programs. I like my trips to be a nice mixture of educational and relaxation activities, so I’d rather not base my trek on an education. Although my mind is teetering back and forth between going, I acknowledge the fact there are countless benefits for participants and that experiences vary from person to person.

COMMENTARY

More laughter needed in political squabbles

Matt Mikus
March 1, 2010

In reality, we’re always going to disagree. That’s just the nature of politics. Big issues take time, because they can affect our nation for a long time to come. It’s more important that we hold intelligent discussions about these issues instead of resorting to pathetic name calling and heckling. Maybe if we can laugh at ourselves, it’ll be easier to identify with one another.

COMMENTARY

MSU coal plant should own up to violations

It would be ideal if MSU made efforts to move beyond coal energy in the future, but we as a university and culture are too reliant on it at this point in time to make a drastic change. Once the plant has bounced back from the violations and made the appropriate corrections, MSU will be able to move on from the mistakes and continue meeting EPA guidelines.

COMMENTARY

Bid for O'Brien appearance waste of ASMSU tax dollars

While ASMSU has made available $225,000 to pay O’Brien for a couple of hours of entertainment, MSU is struggling with cuts that not only challenge faculty and administrators but are felt most profoundly by students who have to keep up with increasing tuition rates.

COMMENTARY

E.L. should stall pending sale of fraternity house

The East Lansing City Council and East Lansing Planning Commission should do what they can to stall the development. The city cannot stop a sale outright, but the planning commission will look at how the development would comply with city codes, a process that can take months and give the local fraternity time to find another buyer or solidify its tentative deal with the alumnus. Too much tampering would be illegal, but for once, bureaucracy and drawing things out would look good on the city of East Lansing.

COMMENTARY

Keep an open mind despite liberal bias

Cristina Toscano
February 28, 2010

In February, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute released a study that assessed how well American college graduates understand crucial components of American civics, even things that would be asked on a citizenship test. The results from the survey surprisingly show that college actually fails to sufficiently produce civic knowledge in college graduates. Yet, for some strange reason I find it pretty hard to easily accept that. What I don’t find hard to believe is that the study also shows that college can actually influence students’ opinions to lean toward the liberal end of the spectrum.

COMMENTARY

K2's legality should apply to marijuana

Parker Wilson
February 25, 2010

Picture this: A young student in his early 20s is sitting on a couch. He picks up the large glass bong from the coffee table in front of him, presses the lighter to the carefully packed bowl full of dried herb and draws deeply with his lungs, filling his body full of smoke. Suddenly, he’s higher than Mount Everest — and it was all legal.

COMMENTARY

E.L. should pay county 911 center's legacy costs

A new deal has been made to consolidate Ingham County’s two 911 call centers. The project will save the county $6 million throughout a 10-year period and will combine the two centers in East Lansing and Lansing into one. Construction is slated to begin early this spring. And, despite the county’s savings, East Lansing officials aren’t happy about their financial obligations.

COMMENTARY

Society can give power to symbols

Ashleigh Rogers
February 24, 2010

Often when people look at symbols, they find a general meaning has been given to them. Without that significance, the symbol merely is an inanimate object that almost is invisible to the eyes of society. But what is it that gives a symbol meaning? Is it the way it looks? Is it where it is founded or built? Is its meaning and significance based off of one person’s perception?

COMMENTARY

Toyota scandal helps boost American autos

Now isn’t the time for Toyota to slip up as an automaker — that was a year ago, when the Big Three were in major financial trouble. Now, with American companies making a comeback, even I, a longtime proponent of European cars, am looking toward supporting domestic cars.

COMMENTARY

Mich. networking Web site waste of time, money

The state has decided to take a new approach to helping students find their career: social networking, at the cost of $1.5 million. The Michigan Department of Treasury will launch its new Web site in September, which is meant to help students transition between high school, college and a career.

COMMENTARY

Credit cards shouldn't be withheld on basis of age

Mismanagement of credit cards happens because of inexperience and lack of knowledge, not always because one is young. There are responsible and knowledgeable 19-year-olds who use credit cards correctly, while a middle-aged adult might rack up mountains of debt.