Cowboy boots to combat boots

My name is Kate Polesnak, and I am an Air Force ROTC cadet. This summer, I am spending 28 days in the grueling heat of Panama City, Fla.

WEB EXTRA: Candidates file for seats in Congress

The list of candidates running for Michigan's seats in Congress is final after politicians filed their papers before the deadline expired Tuesday afternoon.

White, Benson shine with Raconteurs

In rock 'n' roll, the collaborative spirit can be an inconstant muse. When established artists get together to create new material, there's much to contend with — rock star egos, for instance. The path to a successful collaboration is a balance beam.

Local band gets fresh outlook

If your band went through 20 members in five years, you'd want to change your name too. The Lansing band that was once Porno Jazz didn't want to rush into fresh nomenclature, so it'll be playing under the name The Artists Formerly Known As Porno Jazz at 8 p.m.

Paul Simon's newest album rich with activist tone

Rhymin' Simon has still got it. The vocal delivery is still sharp as ever, and the lyrics are cleverly constructed on Paul Simon's latest album — "Surprise." For the duration of the album, which was released on May 9, there's an overall sense of calm and almost passiveness floating through all 11 new tunes.

WEB EXTRA: E.L. awarded 300K to assess contamination

The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, awarded East Lansing $300,000 Monday to study areas of the city that could be contaminated with hazardous substances, such as gasoline. City officials said they hope to use the funds to look at the environmental quality of properties involved in the East Village Project. "Prior to demolition, people want to do an environmental assessment of the buildings," senior project manager Lori Mullins said.

Police briefs 05/17/06

Health expert sues Bravo

An MSU food safety specialist, who was one of more than 360 to claim illness after eating at Bravo Cucina Italiana, filed a lawsuit against the restaurant. Attorneys from Marler Clark, a firm based in Seattle, filed the suit in Ingham County Circuit Court on Monday.

Professor issue reflects larger world problem

In response to Shane Krouse's letter ("Get over it, professor's e-mail overrated issue," SN 5/16), the reason that Professor Wichman's e-mail is such a huge issue is because it currently reflects bigger issues not only within MSU, but also across the nation.

Lansing Council approves budget

Lansing has been getting more than its fair share of rain over the past few days, but the city's "rainy day fund" is shrinking. The fund, which consists of money the city has saved during prosperous times, can be used to bridge budget deficits during an economic downturn to ensure continuous government services.

City Council infringes on student rights once more

The East Lansing City Council strikes again. Not less than a week after most MSU students have left, they decide to again infringe on student rights. The council has strengthened the discriminatory noise ordinance and removed only the borderline unconstitutional jail time clause.

Diversity advantage for MSU, e-mail scrutiny vital

Like Shane Krouse's letter implies (Get over it, professor's e-mail overrated issue," SN 5/16), it is true that many issues should be left alone after a considerable amount of time.

Support for affirmative action ban drops in poll

Voters are less likely to vote in favor of the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, or MCRI, when the proposal language states it will "ban affirmative action programs," a research company discovered. The MCRI proposal will end preferential treatment for minorities in government and university programs if it's passed in the November election.

Students wait for pretrial in fraud case

All but one of the MSU students implicated in an MSU Federal Credit Union fraud scheme, which took place in mid-March, turned themselves in and are waiting to go to court. The 10 students taken into custody were arraigned between April 27 and May 1 and charged with criminal enterprise. The remaining student still has a warrant out for his or her arrest. Linda Maloney, Ingham County assistant prosecutor, said nine of the students waived their preliminary examinations at the 54-B District Court and will go directly to the Ingham County Circuit Court.

Lesson about noise, common sense

What came first, the noise or the ticket? Lately, it seems hard to tell. Between unnecessarily loud neighbors and overzealous police officers, there are undefined boundaries when it comes to East Lansing's noise ordinance. And with a specific definition of noise given by the city — with sounds ranging from whistling to musical instruments — it seems far too easy to be ticketed for everyday noises. For those of us who aren't police officers, we're quick to empathize with our friends — the down-on-their-luck, struggling students looking forward to the weekend to unwind, only to get a ticket for violating the noise ordinance. For those of us who can relate to the police officers handing out these tickets, it seems viable to want to suppress a certain level of sound at specific times. What it all comes down to is a give-and-take relationship.

Destination detour

Students, faculty and visitors driving through campus may be blinded by orange signs and metal fences this summer before they see Beaumont Tower or Sparty. There are more detour signs on campus than there have been in the past few years, and the number of construction projects taking place is necessary for MSU to proceed with future plans, said University Engineer Robert Nestle. Two railroad overpasses planned for 2008 will bring more traffic and construction to the university for 18 months.

University should take action against Wichman

Indrek Wichman's explanation and response for his Feb. 28 letter to the Muslim Students' Association, or MSA, ("Prof explains reasons for offensive e-mail," SN 4/28), is a poor excuse for an apology. He seems to have abandoned his explanation that it was a private e-mail, instead justifying his actions with the First Amendment and using the Red Herring fallacy that the MSA attempted to impede upon the free speech of others. The association's actions regarding the cartoons were nothing close to an action against free speech, nor were they a protest in any sense.

Singh: City officials cooperate on budget

Cracking a smile, East Lansing Mayor Sam Singh presented the City Council and finance staff with cigars and boxes of chocolate Tuesday evening. Pleased with budget negotiations for the 2007 fiscal year, Singh said the dedication of the city's employees has made this budget process easy in a difficult financial climate. "We now have a plan to look at good and bad (fiscal) years as we move forward," he said.

Engineering endurance

The MSU Formula Racing team unveiled its new race car on Monday after more than a year of design, construction and testing. The green and white race car, No.

Governor's trips to Japan unnecessary, unemployment should be top priority

Gov. Jennifer Granholm is losing her ambition. It wasn't more than three years ago when the newly elected governor made the commencement speech for the graduating class at the University of Michigan.