Election education

With a bundle of rubber-banded Democratic leaflets and brochures in hand, Eric Burton, dressed in blue jeans and a green MSU track T-shirt knocks on East Holden Hall doors as students stream by wearing garb more appropriate for the Halloween night. "Hi, I'm just dropping off some literature about next week's election," Burton says, who by now has knocked on 10 doors in 25 minutes. The student at the door responds with a thank you.

Proposal 2 debate confronts issues

Two opponents debating the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative ballot issue clashed several times Wednesday during an hour-long debate at the Wonders Hall Kiva. The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, or MCRI, will be Proposal 2 on the Nov.

MIDDAY UPDATE: Young politicians hope to make office this November

Some MSU students have very ambitious extracurricular activities this semester. From Michigan's House of Representatives to MSU's Board of Trustees, aspiring students and local young politicians are hoping to make office this November and make changes they feel are needed.

War on terror fought incorrectly

Whenever I turn on the news about the upcoming elections, I often hear — no matter if it's CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, whatever — that it's possible the Democrats will come out on top this year because of people's dissatisfaction with the Republicans' war performance.

Students take day to honor dead

Although it falls the day after Halloween, Day of the Dead isn't about candy, ghosts or pumpkins.

Sidelined: Smith fired but will remain coach until end of season

Correction: The key in the graphic, "John L. Smith's career record with the Spartans" should have indicated that wins were a lighter shade than losses. When John L.

Smith's midseason dismissal could be blessing in disguise

John L. Smith didn't need to say a word in the press conference that followed MSU's 46-21 loss to Indiana on Saturday.

Jackson encourages change at MSU visit

MSU students have a challenge in November to maintain civil rights in Michigan, said activist and Baptist minister the Rev.

ASMSU votes to remove Bristow

It's official. Kyle Bristow is no longer the James Madison College representative for ASMSU — MSU's undergraduate student government. Bristow, chairman of Young Americans for Freedom, or YAF, and a member of the MSU College Republicans, was removed from his student government position after a recall election was held Oct.

Abortion should be choice not denied to women

I have really enjoyed many of Jessica Byrom's columns because they tend to have such a fresh viewpoint, which is why I was particularly disappointed with the one that ran last Thursday which compared abortion with casualties of war in "Casualties of war mourned, not those killed by abortion" (SN 10/26). Planned Parenthood doesn't receive funding from taxpayers, as Byrom implied.

Secular society lacks morals found in religion

Lauren Fox highlights the deteriorating condition of our society in "Raising kids today is scary prospect" (SN 10/23). She also wrote, "Church seemed to be the only sanctuary to survive the moral decay of modern life." It then dawned on me that the secular part of society lacks strict personal morals that a religious society maintains.

Candidates hope to lure voters with big names

With less than a week until Michigan midterm elections, candidates are pulling every big-name politician and celebrity in their arsenals to get voters enthused about Tuesday. Musician Kid Rock is scheduled to appear in Royal Oak today with Republican Mike Bouchard, Sen.

Columnist misinterprets religion, scientific 'truths'

Andrea Byl, in her recent attempt to merge science and faith, "Christianity, belief in God based on rational thinking, evidence" (SN 10/31), missed the difference between religious and scientific beliefs. Religious "truths" are predetermined, believed with certainty and accepted without reliable supporting evidence.

Abstinence education wasted on adults

After Iraq, the Bush administration now has found itself in another place where it has no right to be: the bedroom.

Report: Cut heating costs through less power, more insulation

Since the '90s, the cost of natural gas has doubled — meaning students are paying more for their heating bills. But a new Environment Michigan report released Oct.

Police briefs 11/02/06

Innovations: Fewer strokes

Name: Arshad Majid, associate professor of neurology and the director of the division of cerebrovascular diseases. Department: Neurology Date of research: Work was started about a year ago. Type of research: Common dietary supplement used to reduce the severity of a stroke. Basics of research: Majid and other researchers are experimenting with a dietary supplement called Carnosine, which is a diet peptide that combines two amino acids. The testing is done on mice in hopes of finding what happens when cells die and how cells can be protected in the brain in case of a stroke. "Basically we used a mouse model where we can selectively include a critical artery in the brain that supplies blood to the mouse brain," Majid said.

Word on the street

"I hope we get a winning program from a new coach since we had so much talent on the team as it was.

Players 'taken by surprise'

The MSU football team awoke Wednesday morning to find head coach John L. Smith would be relieved of his duties at the end of the season.

Stabenow aims to improve economy

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow plans to help Michigan's struggling economy by voting for more federal funding for education and research, stem cell research and reform trade laws if re-elected. Saving Michigan's jobs and economy must start with a change in health care funding and fair trade laws that lessen expenses for American businesses while making workers a top priority, she said. "I work in Washington where a president believes the way to compete is by saying, 'If you work for less, pay more in health care and lose your pension, we can be competitive,'" Stabenow said.