I am writing this letter to express my disappointment over the current anti-union tactics of the MSU administration regarding the unionization effort of teaching assistants and graduate assistants. I have been a faculty member at MSU for 37 years and served as chair of the history department for four years.
I’m responding to Tim Kochenderfer’s column (“You’re to blame for loss of championship game,” SN 4/9). I know his column was meant to be humorous, but I find no humor in the March 27-28, 1999, riot.
As a MSU alumnus, with a law degree from the Detroit College of Law (while still based in Detroit), and as a union employee (UFCW Local 876 Legislative Director) with more than 20 years experience in labor relations, I feel compelled to write on the issue of graduate assistants voting on unionization this month. First, while a good dean at James Madison College of MSU while I was an undergraduate student there, MSU’s Robert Banks certainly seemed paternalistic in his comments in a State News story on the upcoming vote (“Graduate union seeks to collectively bargain,” SN 3/26). Banks said MSU would monitor the election process - well dean, the Michigan Employment Relations Commission does that just fine.
About 80 percent of Americans believe people cannot be legally discriminated against based on sexual or affectional orientation in the workplace.
Thank you so much for bringing Tim Kochenderfer back for an opinion column (“You’re to blame for loss of championship game,” SN 4/9). His stupid humor was always refreshing for someone who had to be up at 8 a.m.
Every fairly large college town is basically the same – the bars, the student ghetto, the unusually high amount of coffee shops, the street.East Lansing and Columbus, Ohio, home of The Ohio State University, are two examples.
I’d like to comment on the official justifications of an undercover police officer investigating a student activist group last spring. One justification offered for this action was that group members participated in violent protests against the World Trade Organization, World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
This letter is in response to “Alcohol can cause many nasty side effects” (SN 4/2). In his column, Craig Gunn has described a utopian society, which by its nature and the laws of thermodynamics (order-producing systems produce disorder), is inherently flawed.
Your editorial “Cell phone legislation completely unnecessary” (SN 3/26) addresses the hazards of cell phone use while driving.
A new law requiring doctors to report the names of domestic abusers is not a good idea. The law requires doctors to report the names, if known, of abusers or face misdemeanor charges.
A lot of blacks lived in my suburban Detroit area, and I interacted with them all the time. They were like everyone else - and they were part of my culture.
Legislation proposed in the state House that would require sprinkler systems to be installed in residence halls should be passed. State Rep.
So far in my life I’ve had two major disappointments. The first came when publishers rejected a pop-up book for children I had created called “Watch your eyes!” The second came this past weekend. Having spent a year out of MSU with my degree, I was hoping to see our Spartans win another NCAA Championship.
Everyone enjoys laughter.It boosts self-esteem, and gives you the feeling people are listening to what you say.
The university’s motivation to cut men’s varsity sports to comply with Title IX is understandable, but it should look into other ways of encouraging gender diversity in athletics without having to cut programs.MSU Athletics Director Clarence Underwood announced in April 2000 that the men’s gymnastics team would be cut as a varsity sport because of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
The graduate teaching assistants will soon be voting on unionization and naturally there are the pros and cons for unionization.
Relationships fail. They fall apart about as swiftly as your most recent attempt to attend all your classes, eat your veggies and lay off the Coors Light.
I’ll have to agree with Lance Brinks (“Diversity not a hockey issue,” SN 4/5). The idea that hockey is somehow racist is absurd.
This is in response to “Alcohol can cause many nasty side effects” (SN 4/2) by Craig Gunn.
There was once a great discussion. It was in the newsrooms and around the dinner table. In the classroom and at the bar.