Monday, September 23, 2024

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Commentary

COMMENTARY

New football wristband policy ineffective, unfair

I can deal with the wristbands at the football games. I understand that they need a way to weed out the people who are not supposed to be there to prevent overflow into season ticket holders’ seats. However, I do not understand why, when I arrived to the Northwestern game an hour early, I had to sit up in the corner away from the rest of the students when there were plenty of open seats available in the heart of the student section in the area I was assigned.

COMMENTARY

Lawmakers should cut some personal benefits

Michigan’s teachers don’t make large salaries, but they enjoy good benefit packages. Or they did, until the state Legislature decided to reduce those benefits. Of course, state lawmakers didn’t touch their own salaries and benefit packages.

COMMENTARY

U.S. must lose arrogance

The U.S. today is mired in a seemingly endless war that has inflicted significant damage to both sides of the battle. Iraqis wake up to the sounds of shells exploding in the distance, and American lives are being lost on a daily basis. Here in the states, President Bush has faced an endless barrage of criticism.

COMMENTARY

Izzone leaders should be held accountable for changes

Once again, the Student Alumni Foundation has made changes to the Izzone. Before, the Izzone was divided into the yellow and purple sections, which were behind the baskets, and the green section, which stretched along the sideline. Normally, the green section was reserved for those who have been in the Izzone the longest. However, this year, SAF has made the lower bowl one section.

COMMENTARY

Child health care bill should pass

President Bush vetoed a child health care bill last week that would expand federal health care by billions of dollars to poor children because, in his words, the government should focus on helping poor children. It seems he may be confused about the bill — many Democrats feel he is.

COMMENTARY

Marijuana is no different than alcohol or tobacco products

I am patiently waiting for the floodgates of marijuana prohibition to burst open so that the fallacies of the entire endeavor can be laid to rest. How many resources, how many lives, how many people flooding our criminal justice system will it take to make it clear that prohibition is a failed policy?

COMMENTARY

Remove drug question from financial aid form

Last year 830,000 people were arrested in the U.S. for marijuana-related incidents, the highest number in the country’s history. Of those arrested, 90 percent were for possession. Most of the people arrested in East Lansing are between the ages of 17 and 25.

COMMENTARY

Use resources to help Myanmar

A picture is worth a thousand words. Actually, a picture has capabilities extending past that description — as I put on my flip-flops before class this week, I found myself haunted by one image in particular.

COMMENTARY

MSU alumnus running for city council needs your support

Every time a City Council election rolls around, there is a lot of talk in the pages of The State News about how to make sure students are represented in our city government and every election comes and goes without electing a councilmember with our interests in mind. It is not enough to pick a candidate who cares about student issues. Students need to get behind an electable candidate with credibility.

COMMENTARY

Campus community support creates positive city image

In Changing the trend (SN 10/2), the writer references the student exodus to out-of-state jobs. To combat this trend, the city of East Lansing has shown the foresight to actively pursue the redevelopment of many residential and commercial projects. Demographics are changing and to remain a viable city, East Lansing must view itself competitively with cities like Chicago and Seattle – both are urban hot spots attracting young professionals.

COMMENTARY

Capitalism versus socialism

The recent decade has been an era of almost unrestricted capitalism, with the added bonus of a government sometimes working directly with corporations to cheat citizens. So it is natural to see people disgusted with the current economic situation and gazing at Europe and its attractive government-sponsored programs.

COMMENTARY

In state opportunities available for grads

For many students looking to stay in Michigan after graduation, it won’t be easy — the state is losing jobs and money and companies are fleeing. Michigan needs to retain graduates to inundate the state with young, skilled workers, but if the jobs aren’t available, the possibility of that remains unlikely.

COMMENTARY

Fifteen months is too far away

If you’ve read some of my previous columns in this paper, you may have guessed that I am not the biggest fan of George W. Bush. I could list the reasons for this, but you are likely quite familiar with them, as two-thirds of the country already recognizes that he’s doing an awful job. Of course, the frightening part of that is that somewhere around 30 percent of the country thinks he is doing a good job, but that’s another story.

COMMENTARY

Important to register to vote in E.L. City Council election

There are only days remaining for MSU students to register to vote here in East Lansing for the City Council election on Nov. 6. The deadline to register is Oct. 9. Why should you register to vote in East Lansing? Because the decisions made by the City Council affect MSU students every day. We are part of this community and we need council members who will represent us.