COMMENTARY
Much to do
We at The State News want to start off the semester by welcoming former Provost Lou Anna Simon to her new role as president of MSU.
COMMENTARY
Reader takes issue with rapist article
I really enjoyed your tremendously biased piece on sex offenders ("Listed students: Stigmas result from public sex offense registry" SN 12/9/04). I think you are right, sex offenders should not have to make it known that they have raped, molested, exposed themselves or threatened children/women to the public they will be living with.
COMMENTARY
Ohio election needs to be investigated
Accusations by Republican lawmakers that their colleagues who objected to certification of Ohio's electoral votes are "sore losers" are off-base and disingenuous.
COMMENTARY
Listed offenders shouldn't complain
In response to "Listed students: Stigmas result from public sex offense registry," (SN 12/9/04), there are so many things that need to be said in regard to this article. You set the article up to pity sex offenders, to try and help them move on with their life and forget about the people they have hurt.
COMMENTARY
New university president offers thoughts, insights on coming years
Dear Friends and Colleagues: It's a new year, a new semester and the beginning of a new period in the history of Michigan State University.
COMMENTARY
Story failed to present both sides
Your article on sex offenders at MSU ("Listed students: Stigmas result from public sex offense registry" SN 12/9/04) was incredibly one-sided.
COMMENTARY
Keep caring
More than 150,000 bodies, about a third of them children. About five million people without homes. The numbers from the tsunami disaster in South Asia and Southeast Africa are staggering. But to the average American they are just numbers.
COMMENTARY
'I wish you could see what I see' as production closes
I wish you could see what I see every day. I wish you could see that there's a whole wing of the Student Services building where the lights burn late and the police scanner is always on.
COMMENTARY
Winners & Losers '04
WinnersDetroit Pistons Although they can't claim 2004 in its entirety as a banner year for the Bad Boys - see the Losers section - a championship trophy put serious shine on the city of Detroit as the consummate team.
COMMENTARY
No walk
The driving idea behind a bill that would reform U.S. intelligence is to tighten communication and bring all the United States' spy organizations under one roof.
COMMENTARY
For fitting fond, farewell, FAQs of column writing reveal my methods
This is the 58th time I've written a column for The State News. Sometimes, I wonder if that's a record, but then my friends usually take away the spray paint I've been huffing and I stop caring. This is going to be the last column I ever write for The State News.
COMMENTARY
RHA should refocus on dorm recycling
I was very upset upon reading the article, "RHA to dump recycling," on the front page of Friday's edition of The State News.
COMMENTARY
Report should have noted 'fair-trade'
Wednesday's feature piece on coffee ("Perfecting the drip" SN 12/8) was long on style and a bit too short on the costs.
COMMENTARY
Charging foul
There's a long tradition of superstars receiving special treatment just because they're famous, especially when it comes to legal matters.
COMMENTARY
Turnover margin in Hawaii is suspect
Do our sports writers actually bother to watch the games they write about? Over and over, I've seen nonchalant columns with a pretentious level of caring and thoughtfulness about football games. I cannot imagine a single soul who is not outraged by the enormous disparity in officiating fairness experienced by the Big Ten in the last two Saturdays.
COMMENTARY
Teachers deserving of better column
In response to Bradley Wilson's letter on Wednesday defending Bryan Dahl's editorial regarding the public school system in Michigan ("Columnist's writing style is appreciated" SN 12/8), there is good reason to respond to this attack on not only our public schools, but to the wonderful teachers we have in this state. For as long as I can remember, public school teachers and their unions have been used as a scapegoat for the flaws in a school district.
COMMENTARY
Revamped Social Security not useful
In Tuesday's online poll, you ask whether I think President Bush's plan for Social Security would work.
COMMENTARY
Insecurity tax
The way it stands now, no matter what happens with Social Security, our generation will bear the brunt of the burden. Right now there are major problems with Social Security that can't be ignored, so it's good that President Bush is on top of it - even if his plan might leave something to be desired. It stands to reason that a system the government devised to take care of a changing demographic doesn't seem to cut it, but having something in place to debate and work from will instigate the first crucial step to reform. Bush's new plan splits the taxes, funneling some into regular Social Security and the rest into a personal account for people to invest or save.
COMMENTARY
Columnist's writing style is appreciated
Although I'm sure the outraged masses are sick of beating a dead horse over Bryan Dahl's column about injecting choice into schools ("Teachers' unions are to blame for lax improvement in public schools" SN 12/1), I'd like to voice my support of the author. I'm certain Dahl had his facts straight - it's not like he said anything extremely off-the-wall.
COMMENTARY
Unicameral ASMSU idea long overdue
In regard to the State News editorial "Legitimacy" (SN 11/30), there is a historical perspective to be considered regarding how ASMSU became the bicameral organization that it is today. Prior to 1991-92, there were two organizations that represented students on campus: ASMSU's Student Board, the elected student government with taxing authority; and the Student Council, the appointed body of voting student seats on the Faculty Academic Council, chaired by the president and the provost. When the constitutional revision process began in 1991, the main intent was to have the voting student seats of the Academic Council be elected, not nominated by chairpeople of different academic departments to further their respective agendas.