COMMENTARY
Hunting enjoyable, not barbaric
This week marks the start of one of the most exciting times for many Michiganians and a time of great nostalgia for me.
COMMENTARY
MSU should continue work toward no coal
MSU is a research university whose administrators talk about going green, so it would make sense for the administration to embrace the goals of MSU Beyond Coal and lead the charge toward clean energy. Unfortunately, the administration is dragging its feet with regards to clean energy.
COMMENTARY
Sexual assault persists on campus
There currently are 47,954 students enrolled at MSU; 25,008 of those students are women. This means one in four of them, or 6,252, has been or will be the victim of rape or attempted rape during her MSU career, according to the Department of Justice.
COMMENTARY
Veterans Day used to promote war
I’m a 1969 MSU grad and a veteran. I was in the U.S. Army, infantry, in Vietnam. I think Veterans Day has been subverted from its original intent and now is just one more tool used to build the myth that the solution to conflict is military action.
COMMENTARY
Governance requires student leader input
ASMSU, MSU’s undergraduate student government and MSU administrators are questioning the effectiveness of student representation in the Academic Governance system. The administration deserves criticism for its inability to make students feel heard, but students also should be criticized for not contributing much to the conversation.
COMMENTARY
Law’s clause fosters hate, bullying
SB 137 is now before the Michigan House. I encourage you to contact your State Representative and encourage them to vote against any version of SB 137 that includes the clause introduced by Republicans. Religious or moral conviction should not be a legitimate excuse for bullying, and any legislation that condones it is reprehensible.
COMMENTARY
Tunisian politics set example
Unlike its neighbor Libya, Tunisia’s transition from authoritarian rule has been largely peaceful. They were the beginners of this revolutionary wave, and now they are the first winners of this spring going on in the Arab world. The question now becomes “Who will be the next leader replaced in the Arab world?”
COMMENTARY
MSU should learn from Penn State incident
There shouldn’t have to be press involved for the truth to come out at MSU. At the beginning of the situation at Penn State, local police were not involved at all. In both cases at MSU, law enforcement was involved from the beginning, but the athletics department refrained from taking immediate action until after widespread media attention.
COMMENTARY
Minority groups should take heed
“Do you agree with (the Black Student Alliance)?” This type of statement, which has come of fashion of late and originally was attributed to quarterback Kirk Cousins, can be applied to a lot of recent events that have happened on campus, most noticeably those spearheaded by BSA.
COMMENTARY
Math department overachieves
Math is hard, but we don’t like to admit it. Remember when Mattel got in trouble for programming Barbie to say, “Math class is tough?” Let her dream about size 0 clothes all she wants, but don’t insinuate that the girl can’t solve an equation for “x.” Yet, we shy away from math as soon as it gets over our heads.
COMMENTARY
Commit to stopping sexual assault at MSU
The MSU community’s commitment to stopping sexual assaults should be stronger and even more resolute today because of the recent alleged assault in Armstrong Hall. Both male and female students must know and perceive the difference between a regrettable decision and a sexual assault.
COMMENTARY
Sexual assault prevention lacks
MSU is a rare university that has many resources available to its community on not only sexual assault awareness and prevention but also assistance, not just run by women but men, too, for survivors.
COMMENTARY
Medical amnesty would save lives
I originally planned to write this column as a call to action for students, to unite their voices and get this bill passed. However, upon learning that its implementation is imminent, this article serves to inform students of what is coming: a law that will, perhaps more than any other piece of legislature, make partying safer for students.
COMMENTARY
Start talking about suicide, depression
Talking about suicides and mental disorders is awkward because of the perception of students with mental illnesses. But awkwardness is no excuse for silence, and students don’t have to face suicidal thoughts or depression alone.
COMMENTARY
Votes for E.L. school board matter
Four members of the East Lansing Public Schools Board and the superintendent backed a plan, requiring borrowing millions of dollars, based on credit derived from inflated property values from the past five years.
COMMENTARY
Triplett right city council choice
I am delighted to write this letter in support of Nathan Triplett’s reelection to the East Lansing City Council.
COMMENTARY
Embrace uncertainty of travel
Before going to South Africa, I would not have had the confidence or determination to handle the challenges I have faced this semester. Studying abroad helped me become better accustomed to handling foreign situations and new obstacles.
COMMENTARY
E.L. council elections affect student life
The city council and school board elections are taking place this Tuesday. Although most students are not affected by the school board election, voting in the city council election is one of the many ways students can participate in the community where they live and study.
COMMENTARY
MSU’s coal use affects well-being
Students and young people have been at the forefront of every major social justice movement in recent history — and now we are leading the fight for clean energy. Thanks to student efforts, 16 universities across the country have committed to move beyond coal — a dangerous, outdated energy source.
COMMENTARY
Academics deserve more attention
For nearly 50 years, I have taught freshman writing in the U. S. and overseas. My model for teaching and academic life came from a small liberal arts college — Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. For 38 years, however, the environment in which I have taught has been MSU — a large university where, too often, research and athletics reign.