Monday, September 23, 2024

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Commentary

COMMENTARY

African nations in peril need U.S. leadership

It shouldn’t take another full-scale genocide to pay attention. And the current administration shouldn’t take all the time in the world to do the right thing — especially when it comes to Kenya and Darfur. Africa has had its fair share of bloodshed and violence, especially along the eastern portion of the continent where Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia and Sudan are located.

COMMENTARY

Founding Fathers' courage led country to success

I am writing in response to Alex Freitag’s column entitled “U.S. founders not experts now” (SN 2/18). This article seemed to devalue the role of the Founding Fathers in forming and maintaining this great nation, and I would like to set the record straight.

COMMENTARY

MSU's tuition should include other amenities

I really hate working out, but some days I wish I could trot to one of the IM buildings and spend some time with the elliptical machine. But I can’t. I am one of those cheap college students who hasn’t bought a fitness center membership.

COMMENTARY

Posting online has consequences

Can’t say that I’ve ever stopped to think about proverbs. Knowledge is power. Curiosity killed the cat. Don’t talk to strangers. Things like that. But after “Think Before You Post,” I do now.

COMMENTARY

Drew Neitzel an overrated player, not a team leader

I love the Spartans and I always will. I am stating this because I am about to say something that will likely be met with open hostility: If the 2007-08 MSU men’s basketball team is going to have any success this season, someone other than preseason “all-universe” guard Drew Neitzel will have to step up.

COMMENTARY

No room for superdelegates in democracy

If superdelegates could shoot laser beams out of their eyes, run really fast or fly, things might be different. But apparently few people have heard of them until now. They’ve come under close scrutiny at a time when they could have a definitive say in who will officially be the Democratic Party’s 2008 presidential nominee.

COMMENTARY

Animal cruelty at forefront of several campus events

Cruelty toward animals has sadly become a commonplace attraction at MSU. This past weekend, the MSU Pavilion hosted the 38th annual Spartan Stampede Rodeo. Rodeos are an outdated, backward cruel pastime where normally gentle, peaceful animals are provoked and hurt to make them appear fierce and wild.

COMMENTARY

Kosovo's independence finally a reality

Serbia and Russia stood around like pouting big brothers Sunday as Kosovo declared its independence. Kosovo, which was a province of Serbia, has a high concentration of ethnic Albanians, and has been under U.N. and NATO administration since the end of a war there in 1999.

COMMENTARY

Student presence makes E.L. great

Myth: East Lansing homeowners want to see MSU students exiled en masse to the farther reaches of our town. Fact: Many of us are actively fighting the City Center II proposal in part because it aims to bulldoze perfectly functional, medium-density, affordable, near-campus rental housing occupied by MSU students.

COMMENTARY

U.S. founders not experts now

In any given conversation about American politics, the Founding Fathers end up getting thrown into the debate. The greatest thing about the Founding Fathers is that their views were so general that both sides of a given topic can easily invoke their words to prove their opinions are correct.

COMMENTARY

Campus security goes beyond building safety

At a time of year when most college students are busy planning their spring break getaways or cramming for midterms, Thursday’s Northern Illinois University campus shooting had a way of making everyone pause, take a short breath and wonder: Could this ever happen here?

COMMENTARY

Weiner's message of self-esteem applicable to all

In response to Maggie Lillis’ column Self-esteem: Body image speaker empowering, celebrity-name drops (SN 2/14), I would like to say that as a sorority member present for this mandatory event, I was extremely disturbed by this article.

COMMENTARY

Mayor must leave to restore city

The editorial about Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick titled Detroit Mayor’s mishaps not fair to city, state (SN 2/7) concluded by suggesting “Detroit could become the next Chicago” if Kilpatrick would “clean up his act and show Michigan that he can make good on that potential.”

COMMENTARY

Circus dangerous, deprives animals of quality lives

On April 11-13, Breslin Center plans to host the Royal Hanneford Circus. What claims to be “one of the premier family entertainment production companies in business today” has continually failed to meet minimum federal standards regarding the care of animals used in exhibition.