COMMENTARY

Clean up your mess

We know the land beneath Brookfield Plaza is polluted. We don't know if it's ever going to be cleaned up. The ground underneath the concrete, located at the east end of East Lansing off Grand River Avenue, has been contaminated by two gas stations and two former dry cleaners. Underground contaminants have made the site one of the most contaminated in Ingham County. State environment officials from the Department of Environmental Quality, or DEQ, are aware of the contamination, but three out of the four contaminated Brookfield sites still haven't been cleaned up to meet state standards. That leaves us with contaminated land and seemingly no idea as to if, or when, it will all get cleaned. Although the owner of Brookfield Plaza realizes the pollution is a problem, he isn't responsible for cleaning it up.

COMMENTARY

Taking the law in hand

On the surface, it looks like a nice gesture toward East Lansing residents from city officials and police. But it brings into question the very nature of law enforcement. The City Council approved Tuesday an amendment to East Lansing law that allows individuals to refuse breath analysis tests, or Breathalyzers, without fear of a fine or ticket.

COMMENTARY

Again, speak up

We all pay too much for college. Every year we have to give up more money because university officials tell us they are getting less funding from the Michigan Legislature. The truth is, everyone from students to lawmakers to the leaders of this university have a hand in how much we have to pay.

COMMENTARY

Choosing your priority

Missing class because of a religious holiday should never result in unexcused absences. And ASMSU, MSU's undergraduate student government, is working on changing MSU's Religious Observance Policy. Our student government wants the university to form a more specific Religious Observance Policy while taking into consideration students who participate in religious holidays that require absences and missed assignments. It's about time.

COMMENTARY

Do you know about it?

Spreading awareness about events and circumstances around the world is the first step in eliciting change. And that's exactly what members of Spartans Taking Action Now: Darfur, or STAND, did on Monday.

COMMENTARY

Cutting tensions

It's been more than 50 years since the civil rights movement began, but it's clear discrimination still exists. Even at MSU. Racial and homophobic messages were written on dry-erase boards in north and south campus areas. In the Hubbard Hall cafeteria, a white student was overheard making racial comments to a group of black students. Members of the Department of Residence Life met with different residence halls last week in an effort to educate students about these incidents and about MSU's anti-harassment policy.

COMMENTARY

Saving it for later

All that planning and we'll have to keep waiting to try it out. MSU and East Lansing police were ready this year for a riot, disturbance or other shenanigans that could have taken place during the men's basketball season.

COMMENTARY

Lucky for students

Green beer was served as early as 7 a.m., and still there were fewer arrests this St. Patrick's Day than on an average football Saturday. And a low arrest record is something we should strive for again. Obviously MSU students like green year-round, but the Irish holiday gave Spartan fans another reason to tote green, from their clothing to their tongues.

COMMENTARY

Take 5 to vote

ASMSU and RHA want you to vote in their elections this week. MSU's undergraduate student government and the Residence Halls Association are making it incredibly easy for students to vote for this year's student elections. They can vote either today or Wednesday. And it's online. ASMSU plans on having laptop computers stationed around campus so students can vote between classes for candidates to represent different colleges, halls and on a proposed $3 tax increase. Members of ASMSU say their tax increase, which would bring the ASMSU per-semester tax to $16.75, would help them continue and expand vital services. It's clear our student government is trying to make voting as easy for students as possible.

COMMENTARY

Good community effort

East Lansing's parks and facilities are good already. Improvement and public involvement will make them even better. The Community Parks and Recreation Plan steering committee met with the public last week to gain input on the development of a new five-year parks and recreation plan.

COMMENTARY

MSU will get more green

Small universities should have the chance to increase their funding, but MSU has more bang for its buck. A Republican proposal by a Senate panel last week might mean 11 Michigan universities would see a funding increase of less than 2 percent this fall.

COMMENTARY

Penetrable fortress

In the never-ending quest to keep students safe in residence halls and keep trouble-makers out, MSU officials are considering a change in how students are checked in after midnight. A new policy would require night receptionists to take residents' guests' ID cards, which could then be reclaimed when they leave the hall.

COMMENTARY

Remembering Iraq

Sunday, this country will have another monumental anniversary, although it's doubtful we'll celebrate it.

COMMENTARY

No more Canadian trash

Cleaning up after a party can be bad enough. Imagine being responsible for the waste of another country, plus 12 other states. That's a lot of trash.

COMMENTARY

Long-awaited raise

The minimum wage hasn't been raised in nine years. That means people who make only $5.15 an hour have been getting roughly the same salary for almost a decade, although the cost of living has changed.

COMMENTARY

Helpful option from RHA

The Residence Halls Association should be your friend. And with its new e-mail system Helpdesk, it is now easier to develop a useful relationship. RHA introduced the e-mail system at the beginning of the semester as a place for students to send comments, questions and concerns about MSU-related issues.

COMMENTARY

Speak your peace

During the past couple weeks, people have been talking about the Christian preachers near Wells Hall. They stand in the courtyard with signs and Bibles, yelling out religious scripture and sometimes yelling directly at students and people who pass by. The discussion about the preachers has centered around different aspects of their presence.

COMMENTARY

Shutting out the press

Ignorance is not that blissful. According to some legal analysts worried about dramatic changes in U.S.

COMMENTARY

New downloading option

More legal options for popular illegal activities can't be a bad thing. This isn't about underage drinking or common illegal substances, it's about another, perhaps safer, form of entertainment. Amazon.com Inc. is conversing with several Hollywood studios about creating an online service for consumers to download and copy television shows and movies. The possibility of Amazon.com entering the business of digital downloads puts it up against a serious rival, Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes.

COMMENTARY

Fowl predictions

What happens if the H5N1 strain of the Avian (bird) flu, comes to America? Will we be able to control it?