As 2001 comes to a close, The State News takes a look back at the facts and figures that made the year so memorable.
Members of the Task Force on Student-Police Relations have come a long way since September, but student concerns aren’t resolved yet.The three subgroups of the task force released preliminary findings and recommendations Tuesday, setting the stage for final recommendations at the next meeting Jan.
The fact The State News would criticize the Spartan football team for going to a bowl game out in California is ludicrous (“Bowl bound,” SN 12/4). The State News doesn’t consider all of the facts either. While it’s great the university wants pride instead of money when deciding to go to the bowl game, The State News incorrectly portrayed a major fact. Consider that Iowa and Purdue are going to better bowl games.
FOR SALE: Slightly unprestigious New Year’s Eve bowl game in Silicon Valley seeks sexy opponent with at least six wins to face Fresno State in front of 30,000 computer geeks.
I agree the band should be included in bowl participation without exception. They too should be rewarded for the hard work and dedication it takes to provide added spirit and halftime entertainment each week throughout the football season.
I think it would be a terrible injustice to send this team without its band. With so few people having the ability to make a cross country trip to cheer on their team, the football team should be thanking the band for its presence and dedication to MSU and the team. The football team will bring its talent and energy onto the field, the band will bring its talent, enthusiasm and spirit.
Obviously you might have thought this opinion piece was going to be a guided tour of all the things you should or should not do when it comes to preparing for those evil days of the semester - finals.
Editor’s Note: Mary’s been an emotional mess lately, and as she is graduating, begged for a goodbye column.
I think it is a shame the band may not travel to California with the team. The school needs to get off the money, the band is a big part of that team and supports the players no matter what. The team needs to stand up for the band.
In response to your editorial (“Marched Out?,” SN 12/5) I would be the first to donate money toward the cause of sending the band.
It is preposterous that the possibility exists to send the MSU football team to a bowl game without the 300-member Spartan Marching Band.
I find it absolutely preposterous this university is pondering the idea of not sending the entire Spartan Marching Band to the Silicon Valley Football Classic.
The letter by Jeremy Williams in Monday’s edition of The State News on the history of racism is ludicrous (“History of racism rests on whites”). First, his definition of a racist is flawed.
Cool heads must prevail while a contract for the Graduate Employees Union is ironed out. While tensions mount and tempers flare at the Graduate Employees Organization of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, officials turn a wary eye to our union, hoping to prevent the worst. The 8-year-old Illinois organization voted to hold a two-day strike to protest the university denying members the right to unionize. The situation is different at MSU, where union members are focused on several issues for the union’s first contract, including quality heath care, a living wage, a fair workload, full tuition waivers, improved training and job security. While negotiations have continued steadily, the occasional spark of irritability shows up in the form of rallies or arguments, and the possibility of a strike, however remote, only further demonstrates the need for calm thinking. Not all graduate employees even support the actions being taken by the union.
I was somewhere in the third hour of my LSAT when the words began to lose focus. They began to dance around, disappearing into the page only to pop up again in other places.
The last few issues of The State News have really upset me. Ever since the end of October, I have read some of the most off-base comments from some students.
This is my fourth year in the Spartan Marching Band. Although I am excited at the possibility of showing my Spartan spirit for our football team, I realize I will probably be watching the bowl game on TV come the end of December. It has been my privilege to perform in Spartan Stadium and cheer our team to victory the past four years.
Usually, I don’t get too caught up in the spirit of holidays. Sure, I enjoy the time off from school and celebration associated with holidays, but I tend to get sick of the commotion and commercialization obscuring the true meaning of holidays.
Beginning next summer, MSU’s Office of Study Abroad will send students and faculty to a country where most Americans haven’t been - Cuba. After acquiring a two-year license a few weeks ago, the university will be able to send participants to Cuba’s capital, Havana, and take part in “Caribbean Regional Development: The Cuban Experience.” Students and faculty traveling to Cuba will be able to experience many unique aspects of the country such as traveling throughout the island and seeing historic landmarks firsthand. In addition to benefiting members of the MSU community, landing Cuba in the study abroad program also opens relations between Cuba and the United States. Cuba has had a long and often rocky relationship between our government with its communist dictatorship, led by Fidel Castro.
While there are many times the media can be blamed for its inaccuracies, it isn’t appropriate to place the blame on The State News for the current lack of a stronger relationship between the student population and the Board of Trustees. Despite the fact we have current board liaisons, it has become apparent this isn’t the most effective mechanism for students to depend on when they have issues.