Tuesday, July 7, 2026

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Commentary

COMMENTARY

Style versus health

Say you're walking down Grand River Avenue listening to your iPod with those little white earbuds burrowed inside of your delicate ears. Sure, there are warnings of permanent ear damage, but people couldn't possibly use regular earphones, even though they might be more comfortable or convenient. Without the trendy white earphones, how would anyone know you had an iPod? A recent study concluded that prolonged use of small earbud headphones can cause hearing damage. Just like the "coolness" of traipsing around with a bronze tan, taking a long puff of a cigarette or clutching that venti-sized Starbucks coffee, people don't care about ear damage, skin or lung cancer and stunted growth — as long as they look amazingly stylish in the process of acquiring these health complications. When the effects aren't readily apparent and are too far off to think about, people convince themselves it's all OK, for now.

COMMENTARY

Professors' claims in article outlandish

In response to Kristi Jourdan's column, "Scholarly article connecting sex, hunting disgusting; uninformed opinions false" (SN 1/11), I would like to thank her for bringing to light such a ridiculous article. I had a great laugh when I read it — I had never dreamed I would see Ted "Truck Dog" Nugent mentioned in a scholarly article. If I had turned in a paper such as the one Jourdan criticized, I would have failed the assignment, and although I admire the novelty of the claims made within it, I can't say they are anything more than specious and contrived and are easily reasoned against, as was shown. Sigmund Freud, who I am sure Kalof, Fitzgerald and Baralt have all studied, probably wouldn't mind this adaptation of the famous quote attributed to him: Sometimes a bow is just a bow. Alex Nezich chemical engineering junior

COMMENTARY

Governor's view on agriculture changed

I was just browsing through the online State News this morning and saw an article written by Josh Jarman titled, "Simon backs bioeconomy" (SN 01/11). I think it is wonderful that such conferences are being held in Michigan and that MSU's leaders are taking part in the discussion about the future of Michigan's agriculture industry and the economy.

COMMENTARY

Letters wrong about ASMSU, RHA meeting

I also attended the joint ASMSU and Residence Halls Association meeting in December. However, I disagree with the previous letters about both ASMSU and RHA's stance on the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, a very critical piece of legislation that will affect many here at MSU by getting rid of affirmative action and the programs it supports. Also, in response to the opinion of those who think this bill was brought about in some kind of underhanded fashion, they should realize we did nothing illegal and did not twist anyone's arm to get the bill on the agenda. The bill was properly debated for quite a substantial amount of time when anyone could have gotten up and spoken to the group.

COMMENTARY

MCRI vote victory for democracy, RHA

Recently, a great deal of criticism has been leveled against both ASMSU, MSU's undergraduate student government, and the Residence Halls Association, or RHA, for their support of a resolution opposing a ballot proposal titled the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, or MCRI.

COMMENTARY

People forgetting basic U.S. freedoms

If you support a king-like presidency, if you don't believe that due process is important for everybody, if you don't recognize a right to privacy, if you think freedom of religion means freedom to use public money to support the most popular religion, if you don't think it matters that our leaders lied to us about reasons for going to war, if it doesn't bother you that we torture prisoners, what exactly is it that you think makes this country great? We have been a beacon of hope for more than two centuries because there was always the idea that these things are not acceptable in our government. There have been stumbling blocks of course, but there were guiding ideals and the potential for what we could be generally outweighed the sins that were committed. I get the sense now that those guiding principles are being thrown away.

COMMENTARY

Praying it might work

Why the U.S. military decided to let this happen is mind-boggling. In an attempt to kill one al-Qaida member, 18 Pakistani civilians are dead.

COMMENTARY

Police chief makes unlawful judgment

Although I agree with East Lansing police Chief Tom Wibert's warning to MSU students, "Student kidnapping should be warning" (SN 1/12), I find his comments are potentially damaging to the defense of the suspect. As I understand U.S.

COMMENTARY

ASMSU made right decision on MCRI

Having not attended the Dec. 8 ASMSU and RHA meeting, I can't comment on the process that was used to adopt a position on the anti-affirmative action, Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, or MCRI. What I can say is — procedural concerns aside — our undergraduate student government adopted the right position for MSU and for Michigan. The MCRI is a misleading and divisive ballot measure being thrust on the people of the Great Lakes state by California businessman Ward Connerly.

COMMENTARY

People should take past lessons to heart

This coming Monday represents a unique opportunity for all Americans to remember a man whose dreams of change and promise provoked a cry for justice throughout our nation and forever altered the destiny of our great country.

COMMENTARY

Slight setback

Almost two years ago, the news that human stem cells had been cloned sent reverberations around the world.

COMMENTARY

We're all criminals

Society is changing. We are constantly figuring out new ways to connect to one another and share information. The new Sidekick II from T-Mobile allows users to text message even more quickly.

COMMENTARY

Minor details

For years, cognates, or specialties, have given students the opportunity to explore topics outside of their college. English majors have the chance to explore some seemingly unrelated classes in of crop and soil sciences.

COMMENTARY

Student kidnapping should be warning

Last week, a 21-year-old MSU student was kidnapped. It was nearly 2 a.m. She had been walking with a group of friends but split off from them to walk the last few blocks on Charles Street alone.

COMMENTARY

Correct claims about religion made by Bice

I would like to compliment John Bice on an insightful and clever column ("Religious dogma masked as fun, lighthearted holiday traditions" SN 01/10). In his limited space he manages to quickly demonstrate that many religions assimilate stories from peoples they conquered or that migrated into their culture, shifting them ever so slightly to better fit the current trends in spiritual values. And as Bice suggests, religions both past and present tend to use myths and fairy tales which all have very common themes that address major concerns in human history. Our terror when confronted with our own mortality has led to endless repetitions of some version of eternal life in religious folklore.

COMMENTARY

Man's execution might have been mistake, government didn't listen

I never could quite understand what the big deal was with Stanley "Tookie" Williams. However, he had many big name stars behind him fighting for his life — literally. Jamie Foxx and Snoop Dog were only a couple of big names behind him, and many of the other celebrities fighting for him were also black.