COMMENTARY

E.L. should stall pending sale of fraternity house

The East Lansing City Council and East Lansing Planning Commission should do what they can to stall the development. The city cannot stop a sale outright, but the planning commission will look at how the development would comply with city codes, a process that can take months and give the local fraternity time to find another buyer or solidify its tentative deal with the alumnus. Too much tampering would be illegal, but for once, bureaucracy and drawing things out would look good on the city of East Lansing.

COMMENTARY

Higher education survey shouldn't be taken too seriously

Are colleges out purely to get students’ money? A recent study said more Americans believe schools are putting their financial interests above their educational mission.

COMMENTARY

E.L. should pay county 911 center's legacy costs

A new deal has been made to consolidate Ingham County’s two 911 call centers. The project will save the county $6 million throughout a 10-year period and will combine the two centers in East Lansing and Lansing into one. Construction is slated to begin early this spring. And, despite the county’s savings, East Lansing officials aren’t happy about their financial obligations.

COMMENTARY

Mich. networking Web site waste of time, money

The state has decided to take a new approach to helping students find their career: social networking, at the cost of $1.5 million. The Michigan Department of Treasury will launch its new Web site in September, which is meant to help students transition between high school, college and a career.

COMMENTARY

Credit cards shouldn't be withheld on basis of age

Mismanagement of credit cards happens because of inexperience and lack of knowledge, not always because one is young. There are responsible and knowledgeable 19-year-olds who use credit cards correctly, while a middle-aged adult might rack up mountains of debt.

COMMENTARY

Early high school graduation program raises concerns

A new program organized by the National Center on Education and the Economy soon will implement a program in dozens of high schools in eight states in an attempt to propel students toward college faster.

COMMENTARY

Apartment demolition should move forward responsibly

A new project — whether it be a new apartment or some other building — should have something with character, not just a parking lot. The stretch of land is one of the first things drivers see coming in from Trowbridge Road, so whatever is built there should have a certain amount of “curb appeal,” unlike what the university is attempting to do with the less-than-beautiful Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum.

COMMENTARY

Students should not be suspended for fireworks prank

Last November, four MSU students allegedly threw a firework into MSU student Eric Flatley’s Grove Street yard as part of a prank.As if they didn’t have enough to worry about, two of the students have been suspended, according to reports.

COMMENTARY

ASMSU should have informed students of Dubai trip

Student politicians jet setting across the globe without telling anybody can make people begin to wonder where exactly their tax dollars are going.

COMMENTARY

Tax expansion necessary to keep Mich. afloat

As the Michigan economy continues to sink deeper into the sea of financial instability, the state must turn to radical means to right the ship. Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s new service tax proposal is one of the changes — and a correct one.

COMMENTARY

Granholm reviving a very different 'Promise'

The governor wants a way to stop the brain drain, but this isn’t the best way to clog the pipe. Michigan needs a program that will help young people pay for college as they go along, not a $4,000 prize for weathering the storm of Michigan’s economic climate.

COMMENTARY

E.L.'s handling of budget deficit commendable

Families across the United States are struggling to find ways to live within their means, and the city of East Lansing is no different.

COMMENTARY

MSU should allow students to attend jury duty

Go to class and break the law, or skip class and risk failing? That’s the worry of some students who are summoned for jury duty during the semester. According to current MSU College of Law attendance policies, a student cannot miss more than two weeks of class, regardless of the excuse, including a legal obligation such as jury duty. So if a student was summoned for jury duty and the court case lasted more than two weeks, that student would not receive credit for an entire semester of work.

COMMENTARY

Student involvement shouldn't stop with logo change

Despite the movement toward change in the U.S., change will not come to MSU in the form of a logo. A revised logo found on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Web site a few weeks ago was met with large public outcry and protesting. Athletics Director Mark Hollis announced in an open letter Friday that “after careful consideration,” the athletics department will use the current Spartans logo design “to build (MSU’s) visual brand identity.” Although many students are excited their beloved logo will not be tampered with, others are excited to see their voices being heard.

COMMENTARY

Protests need clarity, credibility to be effective

It is the students’ right to protest, but in order for such protests to be successful, they need to have an organized stance. Different concerns shouldn’t be downplayed, but they can’t be promoted all at once in a cacophony of hoots and hollers.

COMMENTARY

Responsible funding needed to restore promise

Promises aren’t made to be broken, and Gov. Jennifer Granholm apparently would like to make sure the Michigan Promise Scholarship doesn’t go down in history as one of her broken guarantees.

COMMENTARY

Editorial board admits errors in recent census piece

Like many MSU students, we forgot to do our homework yesterday. In yesterday’s editorial concerning the 2010 U.S. Census, Students should complete census thoughtfully (SN 2/4), we put forth an uninformed opinion based on faulty assumptions and information.

COMMENTARY

Students should complete census thoughtfully

East Lansing is home to tens of thousands of MSU students, but is it really home? Although East Lansing Mayor Vic Loomis made an appearance at the rock on Farm Lane to encourage students to complete the 2010 U.S. Census as residents of East Lansing, it is in students’ best interest to thoroughly think through their answers.

COMMENTARY

Moving beyond coal good idea, too costly

MSU Beyond Coal, a student group that wants MSU to move away from using coal energy, has some very lofty goals for the university. Unfortunately, those goals also appear to be a bit too idealistic.

COMMENTARY

Granholm's retirement plan reeks of desperation

In an extremely uncharacteristic move, Gov. Jennifer Granholm actually is proposing real and radical steps to address Michigan’s staggering budget deficit.