Friday, January 9, 2026

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Commentary

COMMENTARY

Being drunk/high is no excuse for rape

I was disappointed to read that the MSU student accused of rape had been found not guilty ("Student found not guilty in rape trial" SN 4/8). This verdict seems to send the message that being drunk and/or high means that a person is not responsible for his own behavior, including criminal acts.

COMMENTARY

Don't bar bars

Boo! Those pesky kids and their going to the bar all the time! Why, I ought to do something about it.

COMMENTARY

A strong voice

This year's undergraduate commencement speaker promises to be a lot more inspirational and less political. At the request of MSU President Lou Anna K.

COMMENTARY

Condoning gassings sets bad precedent

After reading the editorials submitted by both students and alumni reprimanding those who chose to congregate after our loss on April 2, I am compelled to publicize the fear lurking in their arguments. The probability that one could anticipate an aggressive police response to a gathering that one attends without violent intentions is irrelevant.

COMMENTARY

Safe sanctions

It is impossible to make a case for driving drunk. Being inebriated and operating a motor vehicle are two rights you have that are mutually exclusive. You've probably heard all of the valid reasons not to drink and drive before: Alcohol impairs coordination, information processing ability, eye movement and steering ability, among other things. At the risk of sounding like an overbearing and graphic "Blood on the Highway"-esque driver's education film here, any decision to drive drunk is a bad one.

COMMENTARY

MSU faculty, staff should be respected

I am writing in regard to the article "Faculty must take steps to better accommodate inquiring students" (SN 3/21). Darrell Hughes states that the MSU faculty members and their abilities were presented to him in a highly positive way before attending school.

COMMENTARY

Police, students to blame for 'riots'

In light of the recent discussions of excessively aggressive cops and free-spirited, celebrating students, I believe that both parties are to blame for East Lansing's bad reputation. For the university and city to clean up their acts, the general attitude needs to change.

COMMENTARY

Rising rates

On-campus residents can expect to part with even more money on top of their rising tuition bill next year. On Friday, the MSU Board of Trustees approved a 5.25 percent increase to residence hall room and board rates and University Apartments rates.

COMMENTARY

Reputation led to the altercation after game

I have read many of the opinion letters published over the past several days in The State News that decry the response of the East Lansing Police Department on April 2-3. The simple fact that all of this boils down to is that East Lansing has earned the reputation that the students and citizens will riot after big games.

COMMENTARY

Altercation should have been like '01

What is so different from this year's Final Four loss compared to the Final Four loss of 2001? And why isn't that loss covered in any of the statistics concerning damage, amount of people, riot gear, etc.? It is impossible to compare police and student actions of this year's loss to that of the 2000 NCAA Championship.

COMMENTARY

Lesson learned

For journalists, integrity is essential. In a field where the sole interest is reporting the truth, one must have the public's trust that what is being written is what really happened.

COMMENTARY

Police should serve city with high crime

I believe I have the solution to the issue of "soft" cops that Tom Marshall wrote in about "'Soft' police officers overreacted to crowd" (SN 4/7). If the East Lansing Police Department is itching for some action, then a cop exchange program might help solve the problem.