Friday, December 20, 2024

Take a peek behind the curtain and test drive the NEW StateNews.com today!

Commentary

COMMENTARY

Technology not only way to learn

My daughter Kelly’s graduation with a master’s degree from the University of Liverpool this December afforded my wife, mother-in-law and I ample reason to head “across the pond” to the United Kingdom this holiday season.

COMMENTARY

Benefits bill throws out equity, tolerance

Equality in Michigan took a large step in the wrong direction last December. Gov. Rick Snyder signed a bill that restricts public employers from offering benefits to domestic partners, including same-sex couples.

COMMENTARY

Morality should unite, not divide

During political elections, we hear a lot about Christian or “values” voters. In the presidential campaign already underway, candidates have been striving to appeal to voters by expressing their political positions in terms of religious conviction.

COMMENTARY

Republican candidates lack focus

Fate has given the Republican Party an incredible opportunity to take back the White House in 2012. Presidential elections are inextricably linked to the economy, and President Obama thinks he can buck a 76-year trend by being re-elected with such high unemployment.

COMMENTARY

Exercise plan offers benefit to students

Adding extra taxes to students’ room and board bills never sounds like a positive thing, but a plan being discussed by the Residence Hall Association, or RHA, has the potential to bring many healthy changes for students.

COMMENTARY

ASMSU’s CATA app not out of reach

In September, ASMSU’s officers collectively decided to cancel ASMSU’s annual retreat and reallocate the funds for the purpose of developing a mobile application which would allow students to visually locate an on-campus bus route via the vehicle’s real-time GPS location.

COMMENTARY

American hypocrisy in full view

I recently came across an article in The New York Times. I read that the Obama administration will be using foreign aid to as a tool to promote gay rights across the globe.

COMMENTARY

MSU Board’s meetings invoke uncertainty

A ring of uncertainty surrounds the MSU Board of Trustees’ closed-door meetings. The day before most open meetings, the board holds work sessions that are closed to the public— a practice that should unsettle students.

COMMENTARY

All words have inherent power

In a recent column titled “Don’t give hateful slurs power,” (SN 12/6) what seemed to be a potentially interesting column quickly turned to be a collaboration of outlandish and unrelated statements.

COMMENTARY

Helpful tips for winter bicycling

Cycling in the winter can be full of challenges. Wet and slippery conditions, poor lighting, distracted drivers and cold temperatures can all make your ride more difficult. You don’t need to put your bike away until spring, however.

COMMENTARY

MSU should toughen online piracy stance

We’ve all seen the “You wouldn’t steal a car, so you shouldn’t steal a movie” commercials at movie theaters and thought of them as jokes. However, there’s nothing funny about the number of MSU students that appear to have no problem stealing digital media.

COMMENTARY

Study-in correct step for BSA

Sometimes I find myself guilty of underestimating the power of student organizations. I knew the Black Student Alliance, or BSA, was capable of influencing the campus because it proved that much during the racial incidents at the beginning of the year.

COMMENTARY

Universities should diversify admissions

It seems at MSU as though diversity is lacking and could use some growth. Following a recent release of guidelines from President Barack Obama’s administration for universities to take additional factors into consideration during the application process, MSU potentially could increase its admissions diversity for the better.

COMMENTARY

New database to help students in job hunt

Gov. Rick Snyder is attempting to open the lines of communication between in-state technological companies and job seekers, which hopefully will assist college students to continue working and living in Michigan.

COMMENTARY

MSU should take next green step

MSU needs to start moving in the right direction. The idea of moving the campus from coal to an alternative energy source in the near future is by no means an impossible task.

COMMENTARY

Grief not limited to five stages

When a beloved student or friend dies, when a well-respected coach or university — such as Penn State University — loses its way, when terrorists reveal how vulnerable we Americans are, we grieve. The losses might be phases of development, self-images, relationships, separations, beliefs, emotional states, or cultural myths.