Kudos to Josh McFarland for his recent letter: "Students are here permanently also" (SN 11/9). Indeed, The State News bares some responsibility as it continually distinguishes between "resident" and "student" in articles where the distinction is not important to understanding the story.
In response to Sophia DiPietro's letter, "Dairy industry not truthful of cruelty" (SN 11/08), regarding the dairy industry, I'm sorry she doesn't see the humor in the latest "got milk" advertisement.
When I read The State News' front-page article on the new residential college, "Living, learning collide in new college option" (SN 11/15), I thought I was reading a James Madison College brochure for prospective students.
Thanksgiving means a lot to many, many people. It's one of those days in the year reserved for people to gather with family, friends and loved ones, no matter how they celebrate. However, it doesn't have to be a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting. A feast, ski trip or movie at the local cinema all suffice.
For some, it's just a long weekend and some days off from school. For others, it's a time to spend with family.
It's the day after tomorrow. The "spree." The "big dance." Marathon runners would find it familiar. During the early morning, alarms around the country will break the stillness of the hour.
I was deeply disappointed and surprised by James Vondale's letter, "Council, students will benefit without Sharp" (SN 11/18) regarding former Councilmember Bill Sharp.
Attention students against Mike Ramsey: You are protesting a cartoon! Calm down — it's a cartoon, nothing else.
I read The State News online every day from my base in Iraq. My name is Matt Rawlins and I am a 1998 MSU graduate and a captain in the Army. I am weeks away from completing my second tour in Iraq, my first tour having been during the invasion in March of 2003.
Apparently, I've been outed. Karl Olson in "Republicans should practice preaching" (SN 11/7) has exposed me as a chicken hawk, a yellow elephant, a gutless College Republican who supports the war in Iraq but is not serving in it.
It can be seen as a changing of the guard. After 12 years of service to East Lansing as a member of the City Council, Bill Sharp lost his bid for reelection earlier this month. For more than a decade Sharp has shaped policies that have affected thousands of MSU students as they have studied, lived and worked in the city. His experience and dedication to the city cannot be questioned.
I am writing in response to the many letters about Mike Ramsey's Veterans Day cartoon. Recently, Jared Parko wrote in "Cartoon too harsh, inappropriate for day" (SN 11/16), "Please keep the paper comical and leave veteran soldiers out of your anti-war agenda." Political cartoons are intended to do more than simply entertain readers.
The "Your right" (SN 11/15) editorial regarding the Nov.
Yes, freedom of speech is great. Yes, it is a fundamental liberty. Blah blah blah. We already know this. There are a few problems with trying to protect Mike Ramsey's filth under these noble arguments though. First, The State News Editorial Board seems to argue that Ramsey is some great example of the freedom America allows to people with dissenting opinions — and therefore he is a protector of our liberties by pushing the envelope of free speech.
I was completely appalled when I read the "Oh, that war" (SN 11/08) editorial. How is a newspaper that puts in the sometimes nine-plus pages of football coverage going to blame the media for people's ignorance? If The State News thinks the media should cover Afghanistan instead of "whatever is happening most recently," then The State News should start with itself. Don't you think the enormous pullout football section and meager, often absent, Nation & World page might contribute to the skewed ignorance of college students? It boggles me how a college that has one of the top five international relations programs in the country cannot put out a newspaper that promotes international awareness. How about daily government headlines to keep students informed or at least a consistent Nation & World page?
Mike Ramsey is a talented political cartoonist; the best The State News has had since I was a freshman. But on Veterans Day, he made a mistake.
For more than five years, I have read letters in The State News from students arguing that loud parties are to be expected and nonstudent neighbors who dislike them should stop complaining, because they knew what they were getting into when they chose their house.
The auto industry has been struggling and job opportunities seem to be disappearing for college graduates. It seems odd that as the major automakers hit the brakes, MSU has created a partnership for a new $10 million auto lab on campus.
The cartoon done by Mike Ramsey for Veterans Day was quite offensive, but just as offensive is that The State News is hiding behind the First Amendment, "Your right" (SN 11/15) instead of addressing the tastelessness and immaturity that exists in most of Ramsey's cartoons. Don't hide behind the First Amendment, because it does not apply to your situation.
The death of Jo Mendi is a poignant reminder of why these social and intelligent primates don't belong in captivity, "Chimps mourn departed friend" (SN 11/16). Chimpanzees love, they grieve, they get neurotic, they become frustrated in the extreme by their inability to make any choices in their lives of confinement.