1st pick doesn't mean 1st in points

I had the No. 1 overall pick of 12 teams in my league, and thought I assembled a team that would ride above the others.

Sports talk: Reporters debate Spartans, NFL playoffs

State News sports reporters Matt Bishop and Steve Highfield had a sit-down discussion on topics such as the MSU men's basketball team and the NFL playoffs.

Religious dogma masked as fun, lighthearted holiday traditions

I enjoy Christmas. For me, it always elicits thoughts about the true "reason for the season," not just the corporate-sponsored shopping orgy it has become. Christmas also reminds me of the value we place on teaching our children critical thinking. The Santa Claus story offers a cute example.

Art that 'swings'

It's not just a solid black print. Creep in and notice six veiled geometric squares. Kresge Art Museum curator April Kingsley says she included the Ad Reinhardt piece as a challenge in the new Blast From The Past exhibit, which opened today.

WEB EXTRA: Former high school standout receiver to play for MSU

The MSU football team added another speedy receiver when T.J. Williams, who was originally set to attend Clemson, signed a national letter of intent with the Spartans on Saturday. Williams spent a semester at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia after failing to academically qualify.

Police briefs 01/10/06

Retailers attempt to spark sales

By Lauren Hyland Special to The State News Before car enthusiasts swarm to Detroit this month for the auto show, boat retailers tried to tap into the pocketbooks of Lansing residents this weekend by showcasing their newest watercrafts. On display at the Lansing Boat Show at the Lansing Center were nearly 100 of the newest speed boats and pontoons, as well as the latest accessories and flotation devices. Much like the struggling auto industry, retailers are trying to keep Michigan's boating industry afloat.

Scandals all around

Jack Abramoff, a former political lobbyist, was at the root of a scandal that involved lying, cheating and stealing. On Jan.

ASMSU: Academic minors essential

A plan introduced by student government officials to incorporate academic minors into MSU's curriculum would bring it in line with other Big Ten schools. "Everybody on the issue loves the idea of minors," said Robert Murphy, ASMSU's Academic Assembly chairperson.

Fulbright fellowship awarded to student

Anthropology graduate student RoseAnna Downing-Vicklund is investigating people's confidence in their drinking water sources after she was recently named a 2005 Canada-U.S.

Izzo disheartened by performances, not results

MSU head coach Tom Izzo isn't necessarily disappointed that his team lost its opening Big Ten games to Illinois and Wisconsin.

Bugging Americans

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the issue of violating civil liberties for national security has been widely discussed and argued about. There was the issue of the no-fly list which banned certain people from being able to board airplanes. Then there was the debate about the government looking at what library books people were checking out. Now comes the news that in 2002 President Bush authorized the National Security Agency to use wiretaps on residents to monitor phone calls and e-mails without a court order.

SN fails to report on newsworthy scandal

I was a little disappointed to see that The State News did not do any coverage on the Jack Abramoff story.

The competition

In the battle for her boyfriend's attention, Lindsay Cosens fears only one foe. It's not other girls or his friends, but one many other girlfriends are facing — video games. First-person shooter games — Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 for Xbox, the Microsoft game console — are commanding the attention of many boyfriends while other girls have lost their men to the online computer game World of Warcraft. Cosens, a graduate student, first came into contact with Halo when her boyfriend, who she says has been "obsessed with video games forever," became determined to beat it. The couple has been together for more than six years, but the game did cause a few problems, Cosens said. "We've gotten into little spats where maybe I want to watch TV and he's using it, but we solved that by getting a second TV," she said. Cosens isn't alone in her struggle against video games.

From the road

After every MSU road game, State News reporters will share tales from their travels. Men's basketball reporter Tom Keller discusses the highs and lows of the Badger State. The bad news from this past weekend: The MSU men's basketball team kind of, you know, lost twice. The good news: State News photographer Mike Itchue, fellow reporter Matt Bishop and I had a great time on our road trip covering them! All right, so maybe that didn't make you feel any better.

Student government not representing well

I attended the joint ASMSU and Residence Halls Association meeting on Dec. 8 and must say I am appalled by the conduct of some of the student representatives. A covert bill that was not seen by any members of ASMSU and RHA was brought to the floor to be voted on, which called for the organizations to jointly condemn the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative. Not only were efforts to have an open and civil debate quashed, but students from the gallery, myself included, were not permitted to speak.

First collegiate goal renews rookie's confidence after slow start

Nick Sucharski's college hockey career didn't start the way he had originally hoped. After missing the start of the season because of mononucleosis, the freshman forward made his Spartans debut in a Nov.

WEB EXTRA: Spartans lose first of 3 straight road games to unranked Iowa Hawkeyes

The MSU women's basketball team's road struggles continued Monday night, as the No. 9 Spartans fell to Iowa, 75-64.

Miners remembered in campus darkness

The University Committee for a Sustainable Campus is asking the MSU community to honor the lives of coal miners who died in the Jan.

Money to bolster MSU's agriculture research, improve Mich. economy

Congress allocated more than $2 million of its annual budget to MSU this year, with most of that money going into agricultural research. "In terms of federal appropriations, recognizing some cuts in the federal budget, it's very similar in size to amounts we have previously enjoyed," said Ian Gray, MSU vice president for research and graduate studies. Gray said the money comes from spending bills championed by both local legislators and industry leaders who recognize the importance of MSU's research for Michigan's economy.