Editorial incorrect; use of cluster bombs proper

The possibility that Israel may have misused cluster bombs during the recent war against Hezbollah in Lebanon is of deep concern.

A second draft

Deep in Michael Sigler's basement was a world of fantasy — where young Sigler and his pals had superhuman powers and battled the "bad guy" with plastic swords and toy guns. Those childhood games of make-believe have come alive for Sigler, who now is a self-published author. In high school, Sigler wrote "Elementals," a series of books based on those fictitious basement adventures he used to act out. Now, the physics sophomore is still at work — rewriting his stories and searching for a bigger, commercial publisher to reprint them. Sigler carries a copy of "Elementals" with him.

Student returns to U.S. from Mideast

Editor's note: Hasan Abdel-Kareem was first profiled in The State News on Jan. 17. Mahmoud Abdel-Kareem watched television Sunday and loudly cheered as the Detroit Red Wings' center Pavel Datsyuk scored a goal against the Colorado Avalanche. "I missed this," said Mahmoud's father, Hasan Abdel-Kareem, as his 3-year-old son Issam dived onto his lap.

Parking garages upgrade system

In the next few months, drivers coming to East Lansing's downtown parking facilities are going to be greeted with an electronic computer rather than a parking attendant. More than $1 million worth of computerized parking equipment has been ordered to replace the city's existing technology by July. The new equipment will offer drivers the option of paying with credit cards and city-issued debit cards, along with more options for short-term permits. "It's just the way the industry's going," East Lansing Parking Administrator Dan O'Connor said.

Possible Iraq-Iran union is troubling

Iran's ambassador to Baghdad, Hassan Kazemi Qumi, said last Sunday that Iran intended to offer the Iraqi government equipment, training and advisers to help the country secure itself.

Off-campus apartment robbed

A 26-year-old Twyckingham Apartments resident felt the cold pressure of a gun fixed on the back of his head, and saw his blood soaking into the beige carpet of his first-floor apartment during the early hours of Monday morning, he said. The resident, who does not want to be identified for fear of his attackers, was a victim of an armed robbery and home invasion, said Sgt.

MSU Libraries working on digitizing information

Thanks to The State News for the editorial "Online libraries beneficial for public" (SN 1/22), concerning libraries and Google initiatives.

Grant to increase service

Over the next three years, MSU will extend programs to increase students' social and civic engagement within the community. Administrators plan to add service-learning and internship courses, study abroad programs and a class on civic responsibility designed to bring together students from different departments. This became possible because MSU was chosen along with 17 other universities to participate in Core Commitments Leadership Consortium — a grant from the Association of American Colleges and Universities, or AAC&U.

Police briefs 01/31/07

Access for all

His worst enemy is ice. When Stephen Wright walks to class, he carefully maneuvers his four-wheel walker to keep from slipping on icy sidewalks.

Students wanted for city commission

More often than not, you might feel the city doesn't care about its student residents. There's a group of students trying to make sure your opinion is heard — but they can't do that unless you speak up. The University Student Commission serves as a venue where students can voice their issues to East Lansing officials.

Road bumps continue with loss at Illinois

Champaign, Ill. — Many wondered if Tuesday night's contest against Illinois would be a "hangover" game for MSU.

Field work

Along Hagadorn Road, just minutes from campus, lies a sprawling stretch of "classrooms" covered in rolling prairies and dotted by barns and research centers. The short trek to the university farms provides not only a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of a campus cramped by about 40,000 students, but also is home to groundbreaking animal research. "This is what I like," said animal science senior Liz Saletta, as she held a young bull against her hip, cradling his head with her hand as she fed him through a large baby bottle.

Pool patrons unhappy with renovation plans

A $1.9 million plan to replace pipes under the IM Sports-West indoor pool doesn't even scrape the surface of what needs to be done, some MSU students and faculty said. They say the upgrades, including replacing ceramic tiles and patching walls, won't bring MSU any closer to competing with intramural facilities at other Big Ten universities. "After this project is finished, MSU still has the second-best pool in East Lansing behind the high school," said Matthew Gianiodis, MSU swimming and diving head coach.

Proposal calls to inform parents

A group of Michigan legislators wants to make sure parents are fully aware of a new vaccine that could protect their teenage daughters from cervical cancer. The proposed law wouldn't force parents to get their children immunized — it would require them to understand the correlation between the genital human papillomavirus, or HPV, and cervical cancer.

Teach For America works to fix problems school systems face

As a sophomore at MSU, I took a class that studied educational inequality in the United States, and I was shocked to learn some schools in low-income areas have "sewage days" the way we in Michigan have snow days.

Israel rightly defended itself against terrorists

I would like to respond to the editorial, "Israeli use of cluster bombs unjust" (SN 1/29), of Israel's illegal use of cluster bombs.

Grill staff proud of campus proximity

After a customer who regularly frequents the Jukebox Gril looked over the menu one morning, he asked head cook Donovan Hall a simple question: "What am I eating today?" There were so many choices on the menu that he couldn't decide what to eat, so he asked Hall to make him something. Hall proceeded to go to the kitchen and cook the customer an omelet with barbecue pork — a dish not on the grill's menu.

Comley weighs in on NHL

According to television reports, last week's NHL All-Star game, which took place on a Wednesday night in an attempt to boost ratings, experienced a 76 percent drop in viewership compared with the 2004 game. The all-star game and skills competition from Dallas was televised nationally on Versus as opposed to 2004's All-Star game, which was shown on ABC on a Sunday afternoon.

Beaner's sales grow by nearly 53 percent

Beaner's Gourmet Coffee sales increased by 53 percent in 2006. Entrepreneur magazine ranked the company 289 out of the top 500 franchise concepts in the U.S. The store opened new branches in Georgia, Florida and Illinois and plans to cross the 100-store mark by the end of 2007 by opening stores in Lansing, Grand Rapids and Detroit. "Overall, it shows that our brand is doing very well," said Kori Lawlor, marketing manager for the franchise.