COMMENTARY
Americans have rounded worldview
Are American politicians out of sync with the public when it comes to foreign policy? There is considerable reason to believe so.
COMMENTARY
Empathy, passion make us human
A new study published this month by Dan Johnson of Washington and Lee University shows experimentally that reading fiction increases empathy.
COMMENTARY
Student input key to better RHA services
The Residence Halls Association, or RHA, conducted a health and safety survey to figure out how aware students are of its services, and the results were telling. RHA Director of Health and Safety Zachary DeRade said on a scale of one to 10 of how aware students were of RHA’s health and safety services, the average response was a five.
COMMENTARY
Cleaner cars mean cleaner future
Growing up right outside of the Motor City, I always felt a torn loyalty between the jobs of many friends and family members employed by Detroit’s auto industry and our environment.
COMMENTARY
Students need financial protection
Over the holidays, President Obama appointed a director for his new and controversial Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB.
COMMENTARY
MSU needs to close education value gap
When people pay more for a service or good, they expect to receive a higher quality item. But according to a recent report by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine, MSU students are experiencing increasing costs disproportionate with the quality of the university.
COMMENTARY
Get the most out of time at MSU
MSU is a large university, so many students here seek ways to become a member of something smaller to establish relationships with fellow students and university faculty.
COMMENTARY
Allow me to introduce myself
Growing up, I started talking at a very early age. My parents like to joke that I haven’t stopped since, and they’re probably right. It didn’t take much of that talking for them to realize I was very opinionated, either.
COMMENTARY
ANGEL browser issues embarrassing for MSU
A majority of MSU students recognize the phrase “Warning: you are using an unsupported browser. Some ANGEL functions like messaging, drop boxes, and others will not work correctly” all too well.
COMMENTARY
Work left to do at Guantanamo
Jan. 12, 2012, is the 10th anniversary of the day when terrorism suspects were subjected to indefinite incarceration in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, generally in the absence of any charges or trial.
COMMENTARY
Violent rhetoric obscures choices
January marks the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that struck down many repressive state laws criminalizing abortion. The right to make one’s own intimate medical decisions is not only a legal imperative but also empowering and provides a path toward social and political equality.
COMMENTARY
E-books are future of student learning
MSU students could start to see electronic books, or e-books, become an integral part of their college experience if a pilot study on e-books at MSU is successful.
COMMENTARY
Renewable energy no fairy tale
“Trust the process.” This is what student environmental activists in groups such as MSU Greenpeace and MSU Beyond Coal have been told time and time again by MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon.
COMMENTARY
New goals go beyond new year
The ringing in of the new year presents many opportunities to reflect on the years past, enjoy the present holiday with friends and family and celebrate the bright promise of the future.
COMMENTARY
State surplus chance to impact education
Public universities in Michigan have been used to cuts in state funding, but a surplus in the state budget could mean a turn for the better. This week, State Budget Director John Nixon will meet with fiscal agencies and the state treasury to discuss how the $400 million to $450 million left over from this year’s budget will be allocated. State officials have neither confirmed nor denied if any of the money will be given to higher education, but MSU would welcome more state money.
COMMENTARY
Iraqi reconciliation within reach
Standing in front of 40 religious and academic leaders in Najaf, Iraq this summer, I wondered how they would react to the presentation I was about to give.
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.