COMMENTARY

Don’t fall for Vemma scam

Alex Dardas

February 20, 2014

My freshman year, a friend on campus approached me about a job opportunity. With great enthusiasm, he told me about a position he had recently accepted selling energy drinks with a company called Vemma Nutrition. Unlike the typical jobs taken by college students, he said employees at Vemma have a chance at earning robust, six-figure salaries and can even be awarded luxurious BMW sports cars as sales bonuses.

COMMENTARY

Izzone provides getaway from stress of classes, helps students build campus ties

Ben Stram

February 19, 2014

I remember watching TV as a high school senior and seeing Adreian Payne slam dunk. What happened next? The crazy atmosphere of the Breslin crowd — particularly the people jumping up and down in white — was eye-opening. At that moment, I knew I wanted to go to MSU. I knew I wanted to be a part of the Izzone.

COMMENTARY

Don’t buy into stereotypes about feminism

Celeste Bott

February 19, 2014

When I tell people that in addition to journalism I also major in women’s and gender studies, there’s almost always a series of semi-ridiculous questions to follow. Do you still shave your legs and stuff? Um, yes. Do you hate men? Definitely not. In fact, I could afford to be a little more picky in that department. Are you a lesbian? Well, no. See above.

COMMENTARY

Apple’s ‘read receipts’ help communication

Ben Stram

February 18, 2014

We all hate being ignored, don’t we?

COMMENTARY

Eating disorders deserve same attention as other serious diseases

Samantha Artley

February 18, 2014

What if we could talk about our challenges and diagnosis with a mental disorder publicly like we do with breast cancer, and lung cancer, and leukemia, and ovarian cancer? Everybody knows somebody that has struggled with their mental health; they just don’t know it yet.

COMMENTARY

Challenge yourself to try teaching after graduation

Tiffany Williams

February 17, 2014

I knew I was exactly where I needed to be when Stephanie looked up at me after finishing her math exam and said, “I did it.”

COMMENTARY

Letter: Counseling Center equipped to handle more students

Scott Becker

February 17, 2014

In a general sense, many more students currently are experiencing psychological stress that impacts their lives as students. In a clinical sense, more students are seeking mental health treatment, and their presenting concerns are more severe.

COMMENTARY

Start getting in shape for spring break

Colleen Kokx

February 16, 2014

The holidays are over, classes are in full swing, and the weather is anything but pleasant. That’s right, it’s February. Just make it through the rest of this month of blah and the holy grail of college life is here: spring break.

COMMENTARY

What you should do to avoid procrastinating for midterms

Alex Dardas

February 16, 2014

We’re in the heat of it now. The calm is over and the storm of midterms, papers and all-night cram sessions has officially begun. We’re two weeks away from spring break, and the tranquility of the first few weeks has been replaced with the stress of looming deadlines and mountains of homework.

COMMENTARY

Trek to class brings daily struggle in cold weather

Ben Stram

February 13, 2014

The first decision of my day is determined in the brief moment I look at my phone in the morning to see just how cold it is outside. Shortly after, I look at how much snow piled up over the gloomy night hours in Michigan.

COMMENTARY

Barbie should not be on Sports Illustrated

Kellie Rowe

February 13, 2014

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be Barbie.

COMMENTARY

Did you seriously just play that card?

Colin Marshall

February 12, 2014

Prompt: White people like _______. Response: Finally finishing off the Indians.

COMMENTARY

MSU’s liberal, practical education admirable

Ron Dorr

February 11, 2014

0On Feb. 12, 1855, Gov. Kingsley Bingham signed a bill, creating the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, which eventually became MSU. On July 2, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act, which supported land-grant colleges and universities.

COMMENTARY

ASMSU’s new president right to focus on image

Editorial Board

February 11, 2014

Kiran Samra isn’t like most of ASMSU’s previous presidents. She is not a James Madison student, and she’s a woman. But most unlikely, she’s never voted on an ASMSU bill.

COMMENTARY

Students still seek closure, university response to fatal shooting ‘off campus’

Omari Sankofa II

February 10, 2014

Like many students on campus, I woke up on Saturday, Feb. 1 and checked my Twitter feed. With three swipes of my finger, I saw a familiar face. My hand briefly lost control of the phone. My heart sank.

COMMENTARY

Helping homeless man was eye-opening experience

Terence Gipson

February 10, 2014

Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to disrespect. But an incident I experienced last week rattled me to my core when I tried to buy a homeless man a slice of pizza and nearly was refused.

COMMENTARY

Decision to remove ‘Flappy Bird’ game from app store was bizarre

Henry Pan

February 9, 2014

I wasn’t aware of the game “Flappy Bird” until last month, when my friends were throwing multiple F-bombs at the bird before quitting in a fit of rage. I was shocked by their behavior. After all, it was just an indie game app.

COMMENTARY

Letter: Eat at State’s retweet about being ‘wifey material’ was sexist, offensive

Veronica Allen

February 9, 2014

Last Tuesday, MSU’s Culinary Services Eat at State campaign promoted and replied positively to a Tweet from a male student who said “I’m about to wife up @EatatState because they make me awesome sandwiches every day #wifeymaterial.”

COMMENTARY

Politics overshadow Olympic Games

Paul Rose

February 6, 2014

Today, many of us likely will tune in to watch the Olympic Games unfold, but with an added skepticism based on what has been reported on Russia’s anti-gay laws, terrorist threats and harsh living conditions.

COMMENTARY

Performance pressure affects students, Olympic athletes alike

Daniel Becker

February 6, 2014

The 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, are about to begin. As always, figure skaters have found themselves in a spotlight that they do not receive at any other point in the four-year Olympic cycle. This time around, the light has fallen on a 22-year-old military brat who embodies the feisty American spirit: Ashley Wagner.