COMMENTARY

Best and worst of 2005

Best movie: Crash Best television show: "Arrested Development" Best album: "In Your Honor" by Foo Fighters Best fashion trend: Puffy vests Best new restaurant: Big Ten Burrito Best ice cream flavor: Sesquicentennial Swirl at Dairy Store Worst movie: The Dukes of Hazzard Worst television show: "Stacked" Worst album: "PCD" by Pussycat Dolls Worst fashion trend: Ugg Boots Worst new restaurant: All restaurants in the International Center Worst ice cream flavor: All other flavors in comparison

COMMENTARY

The losers

Students It's been a rough year for MSU students. On April 2-3, we saw them get tear gassed by police.

COMMENTARY

The winners

E.L. City Council Although MSU students didn't get one of their own to represent them on the East Lansing City Council, two qualified candidates who will work to make the city better did win. Kevin Beard and Vic Loomis will bring a mix of old and new views, as well as experience and fresh ideas to the City Council.

COMMENTARY

Spartan of the Year

Despite not getting elected to the East Lansing City Council, political theory and constitutional democracy senior John Fournier is still our Spartan of the Year. Through his incredibly professional campaign, Fournier tried to represent the underrepresented student demographic. Although many students didn't help his goal by not voting, Fournier gave it his all to get them to show up.

COMMENTARY

Saving tradition

FarmHouse Fraternity members, when faced with having their home destroyed in the planned East Village redevelopment, did something surprising. The East Village Master Plan is aimed at transforming the area into more apartments and businesses.

COMMENTARY

Hateful state

What is going on in Michigan? A study done by the FBI of 2004 crime statistics found Michigan ranked as the third worst in the country in hate crimes, despite the fact Michigan ranks only 6th in total population. Michigan was behind California and New Jersey. We didn't see this one coming. Here we are in the Midwest, a place many people think of as full of people who are tolerant.

COMMENTARY

Take action

Affirmative action has always been controversial, with many advocates on both sides. And next fall, with the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative on the ballot, the issue is once again brought to the forefront. If passed, the initiative would make it unconstitutional to have hiring or university admissions preferences based on gender or race — effectively ending the practice of race-based affirmative action in Michigan. When it comes down to it, this will affect college enrollment and hiring in the state.

COMMENTARY

Not over yet

Give him a fair chance. People who are calling for head coach John L. Smith to be fired need to slow down.

COMMENTARY

Still waiting

And to think, the East Lansing City Council will take this seriously. Seven months worth of meetings to come to the conclusion that no one is to blame for the April 2-3 disturbances and produce recommendations that look fine on paper, but aren't earth shattering. But at least it was a diverse commission. According to independent commission and City Councilmember Mark Meadows, the split decision of the commission on whether or not to assess blame demonstrated "that the commission was truly independent and diverse." So? What is the point of being independent and diverse if it's impossible to bring those diverse opinions together to reach some sort of conclusion?

COMMENTARY

Raising the bar

There aren't a lot of places for people under 21 to hang out in East Lansing. Only two major bars — The Temple Club and Mac's Bar — cater to the younger set, hosting 18-and-older live shows every night. The problem is, many underclassmen don't have the means to get out there on a regular basis. Soon, the only club drawing in any underage customers might be The Temple Club.

COMMENTARY

2 weeks notice

Hurricane Katrina victims have gone through a lot. They've lost everything to flood damage and looters.

COMMENTARY

Fighting critics

Be all you can be. Aim high. U.S. military slogans are pretty recognizable. Military service is done strictly on a volunteer basis, so the different branches are in the business of recruiting. Really, they are in the business of selling themselves as organizations to potential employees. Thursday, the group Direct Action took issue with the military's recruiting tactics and organized a protest outside the local Marine Corps Recruiting Station on Grand River Avenue.

COMMENTARY

Way too easy

What a great message to send to potential criminals. Embezzle from your employer and all it takes to avoid jail time is returning the money and writing a couple letters of apology. Former MSU School of Journalism employee Raye Grill will take this plea bargain for the embezzlement charges against her.

COMMENTARY

Deaf ears

When the independent commission reviewing the April 2-3 disturbances was created, it was viewed as a victory for the student body. Finally. Questions were going to be answered.

COMMENTARY

Give it a shot

Nobody likes a hangover. Your head is pounding. You might vomit at the first hint of food. Dragging yourself out of bed won't be a manageable task for at least two hours, and it's already noon. If you've ever made the unfortunate mistake of doing one too many tequila shots, there is a good chance you have experienced some of these symptoms. Now there is a new product claiming to prevent this condition.

COMMENTARY

'Holiday spirit'

It's that time of year again. Every shopping trip is accompanied with a walk past a stand asking for donations to charity.

COMMENTARY

Funding woes

When MSU was founded in 1855, it was heralded as a "land-grant institution," making it affordable for middle-class families to get an education. Now, 150 years later, the university needs to seriously rethink its title. It's becoming increasingly more difficult for middle-class students to pay the rising tuition rates.

COMMENTARY

Excuse me!

It's flu season. This means running noses, sore throats, fevers, upset stomachs and many other symptoms. It can also mean missed classes. Unfortunately for students, missing class because of the flu can contribute to an already pounding headache. Without a uniform attendance policy, how to deal with a missed class is left up to each professor's discretion.

COMMENTARY

Show courtesy

One of the most basic parts of college life is getting to class on time. It's made harder by a "screw you" culture present on the roadways and sidewalks of MSU. Common courtesy needs to be followed and all too often its thrown to the wayside to save some time getting around campus. Cars don't always yield to pedestrians; drivers think they shouldn't have to slow down for someone walking or riding a bike.

COMMENTARY

Deal with death

Death is a part of life. Most of us have heard the saying. Unfortunately, it seems that for many Americans it is only that — a saying. The truth is, many people have a significant fear of death.