COMMENTARY

Dirty dealings

The methods by which our nation's system of democracy functions have turned into a slick mud hole of deception. It seems like disputing the ballot process or - in the case of the latest issue with the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative - a signature-gathering technique is the best way to oust a rival who differs on an issue. History is repeating itself as the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, or MCRI, is being challenged by By Any Means Necessary, or BAMN, a political group dedicated to keeping affirmative action a part of the process in which university admissions and job hiring are decided.

COMMENTARY

GEU members are not paid enough

I am appalled at the way the MSU administration is handling the teaching assistants' contract, and this is the general sentiment throughout the MSU community.

COMMENTARY

E.L. officials should stop bad landlords

This letter is in response to the April 20 article, "Word on the street: What do you think about rental housing in East Lansing?" I lived in just about every kind of housing East Lansing had to offer: a house, fraternity house and an apartment.

COMMENTARY

Bush was correct to honor John Paul

This letter is in response to Ryan Gartland's letter concerning the president's attendance of Pope John Paul II's funeral ("Bush funeral visit for publicity only" SN 4/19). I am amazed, Ryan, at your apparent interest in the extremist views within the Christian faith.

COMMENTARY

GEU members are fairly compensated

As a former graduate student who was fortunate enough to have two appointments during my graduate studies, I feel compelled to share a secret with the university community.

COMMENTARY

Smoke screen

You know there has to be something amiss when Republicans are advocating more government control in the affairs of business. In a recent case, Rep.

COMMENTARY

Power player

When Sue Carter leaves her post this summer, there's a decent chance students won't take much notice.

COMMENTARY

Nation's health care system leaves much to be desired, needs change

Imagine a society where a specific group of people were denied a basic provision necessary for improved quality of life.

COMMENTARY

Students can't let officials off hook

It's been little more than two weeks since the "disturbances" after the MSU loss to North Carolina and already it seems that the students of MSU are allowing the East Lansing Police Department and city officials to get away with their own riotous behavior.

COMMENTARY

TAs at MSU deserve better recognition

I am a graduate student in the Department of English and I teach - boy, do I teach - for MSU. I am outraged at the university's unwillingness to bargain with the Graduate Employees Union to reach a contract guaranteeing decent pay, health care and working conditions for teaching assistants, who teach one-third of all classes at MSU and grade two-thirds of all assignments. In the five years I have been at MSU, I have taught 486 students.

COMMENTARY

RHA must begin to show quality films

I saw "A Very Long Engagement" at Wells Hall this past weekend, and although I greatly enjoyed the movie, I was quite angry when I saw that we were watching the movie in an altered aspect ratio (it was composed in widescreen), and it was of poor picture quality. If we are paying taxes to the Residence Halls Association that pay for these movies, I want to see my money on the screen.

COMMENTARY

Students displayed 'animal' behavior

During the riots after the April 2 men's basketball game, I was out on the streets. I passed many cops, and I got teargassed twice, but never did I see any actions that deserved the current whining that many students have brought down upon the police forces involved.

COMMENTARY

Money's tight

The MSU faculty asked the university for a 4.25 percent salary increase next year, leaving administrators with a big decision on their hands.

COMMENTARY

Bush funeral visit for publicity only

I am writing in response to President Bush's visit to the pope's funeral. This was his opportunity to court the Catholic vote and pay his respects to a man who he claims to have held a great and long-lasting respect for.

COMMENTARY

Think globally

We are a generation that has grown up with infomercial images of poverty-stricken children who need our help.

COMMENTARY

SEJ behavior was entirely justified

We feel that the Women in Business Students' Association leadership reacted inappropriately to the moral questions raised by Students for Economic Justice on April 6.

COMMENTARY

Laimbeer does not deserve Haynie

So, now Bill Laimbeer thinks he could make a better "home" for our freshly drafted Kristin Haynie than Sacramento can ("Haynie drafted to WNBA" SN 4/18)? This shocks me because of the fact that when I attended a coach's clinic a couple of weeks ago at The Palace of Auburn Hills, Mr. Laimbeer commented that our women's basketball team was "slow" and that they were only winning because of the wonderful coaching skills of head coach Joanne P.

COMMENTARY

Americans look to severely punish the wrong criminals too often

OK, I know. Martha Stewart was sent to prison a long time ago; actually, she only served five months.

COMMENTARY

Hard-core capitalist mindset can be detrimental to life, well-being

"Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work, driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for, in order to get to the job that you need so you can pay for the clothes, car and the house that you leave empty all day in order to afford to live in it." That was columnist Ellen Goodman's observation on the disconnect between working and living in modern America.

COMMENTARY

Crunch time

MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon's publicly released statement to students about the April 2-3 disturbances is a little like showing up late to a birthday party without a gift.