Friday, April 4, 2025

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Commentary

COMMENTARY

Pool improvements will prove inconsequential

Concerning The State News' editorial, "Proposed campus upgrades warranted" (SN 1/23), what the swimming facilities at IM Sports-West need "to bring the '50s-era facility into the 21st century" is a new indoor 50-meter, 10-lane swimming pool with an attached diving well. I practiced and competed in the present pool during the '60s and early '70s, and nothing has been done throughout the years to keep pace with improvements in the field of aquatics.

COMMENTARY

ASMSU resignations raise concerns

ASMSU's final female chairwoman, Julielyn Gibbons, has resigned under mysterious circumstances, saying she did not agree with various situations, but refused to elaborate. The loss of Gibbons will affect ASMSU's Student Assembly.

COMMENTARY

MSU band brings smile to hockey fan after game

Kudos to some of the members of MSU's Spartan Brass for making Friday evening on campus a bit more fun. Not only did we have a chance to enjoy the MSU hockey team's 3-2 overtime win over Lake Superior State University at Munn Ice Arena, but after the game, while walking back to the car, we were treated to an impromptu serenade. You have to admit, there are few places in the world where you can hear Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train," skillfully played by a tuba quartet! Thanks much for the smile! Jim Smith Lyman Briggs School associate professor

COMMENTARY

Ancient, current thinkers reject God's existence

All right, I'll admit it — I enjoyed John Bice's column, "Rising numbers of nonbelievers increase popularity of atheism" (SN 1/16). After spending so much time on a campus — where I encounter sidewalk chalk ads for Christian groups, flyers for Bible study and the occasional religious zealot outside Wells Hall — it is always a relief to know I am not the only person who questions the ideas of God and organized religion. In the letter "Column shows ignorance in logic-based argument" (SN 1/19), I expected a well thought-out counterpoint to Bice's article, but instead, found blind faith running amok.

COMMENTARY

Proposed campus upgrades warranted

University officials recently announced the next two stops on MSU's 2020 Vision Campus Master Plan: Breslin Center and IM Sports-West. The year will be full of improvement for both establishments, which each have unique needs and users. At Breslin Center, the men's and women's locker rooms will be adjusted to better accommodate players — well, at least MSU's players.

COMMENTARY

Online libraries beneficial for public

Recently, the University of Texas at Austin became the latest participant in the Google Books Library Project, a program aimed at digitizing books from the libraries of universities nationwide. Thus far, in addition to University of Texas at Austin, University of Michigan, Harvard, Stanford, Oxford universities and the New York Public Library have participated in the project.

COMMENTARY

Misguided letter attacks columnist erroneously

Rachel Wilkerson's letter, "Style icons prevalent in American culture today" (SN 1/19), unwittingly embodies the very lack of class and style Beth Swanson bemoans in her article "Columnist seeks 'Old Hollywood' style in Golden Globes' attendees" (SN 1/17). The old-world style and pedigree Audrey Hepburn epitomized transcends mere apparel.

COMMENTARY

Unlikely threat from China may not be improbable, far-fetched

Amid the endless reports of global acts of terrorism from disparate groups and various countries making idle threats recently, I found myself pining for the Cold War. Ah, those halcyon days when people always knew where the threat of imminent destruction was coming from: The giant, seemingly monolithic country just across the ocean that people were almost wholly ignorant about, other than the fact they knew it was "bad." At least you knew who your enemy was.