COMMENTARY
This year's riot was just like the others
I was not in East Lansing for the "peaceful gathering" on April 2, but I saw it on the news.
COMMENTARY
Altercation should have been like '01
What is so different from this year's Final Four loss compared to the Final Four loss of 2001? And why isn't that loss covered in any of the statistics concerning damage, amount of people, riot gear, etc.? It is impossible to compare police and student actions of this year's loss to that of the 2000 NCAA Championship.
COMMENTARY
Reputation led to the altercation after game
I have read many of the opinion letters published over the past several days in The State News that decry the response of the East Lansing Police Department on April 2-3. The simple fact that all of this boils down to is that East Lansing has earned the reputation that the students and citizens will riot after big games.
SPORTS
MSU victorious in 16 events
For MSU sophomore sprinter Cynetheia Rooks, running the 100-meter dash is one of the least-run races in her arsenal of events. But that didn't stop Rooks from outrunning the competition at the MSU Invitational as she started her season, hoping to build on last year when she qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 200-meter run and placed in the 400-meter run at regionals. "It's not really my main focus, but my competitive spirit kicked in, and I just wanted to win," Rooks said. Rooks placed first in the 100-meter with a time of 11.92 seconds and the 200-meter with a time of 24.43, helping the Spartans win 16 of 19 events on their home track against four other teams - Dayton, Lansing Community College, Oakland Community College and IPFW. After the women's team had the majority of its events at its first outdoor invitational in Florida canceled due to bad weather on March 25, many competitors got their first chance to race and earn spots on the traveling squad, said MSU head coach Angela Goodman. "The team is young," Goodman said.
NEWS
Anthems
Rahil Merchant waited nervously for his turn on stage Friday at Wharton Center. Clad in a long, gray tunic and bright scarf, Merchant was about to take part in the fashion-show segment of the Coalition of Indian Undergraduate Students' Satrang 2005. The event is the coalition's annual cultural show that featured dances and music from across India.
COMMENTARY
Rising rates
On-campus residents can expect to part with even more money on top of their rising tuition bill next year. On Friday, the MSU Board of Trustees approved a 5.25 percent increase to residence hall room and board rates and University Apartments rates.
COMMENTARY
Team earned higher grade for season
An A-? "Women's team's season solid overall" (SN 4/8) You guys over at The State News must have had the hardest professors.
NEWS
Angelou to speak at undergrad ceremony
Poet Maya Angelou will speak at this year's spring undergraduate commencement ceremonies, MSU President Lou Anna K.
FOOTBALL
Smith settling move to bandit position
After two years of starting at the strong safety position, Eric Smith has leaped into a new position this spring - bandit. The senior, who recorded 115 tackles last season, second on the team, will look to strengthen a linebacking corps that will be hurting from the loss of last year's team captain Ronald Stanley. Smith said it's a bit more challenging shifting to a new position that's a combination of linebacker and defensive back. "As a safety, you had to know pretty much everything," he said. "They talked to me a little bit before spring ball, saying they wanted to look at me moving to the bandit," Smith said of the coaching staff.
COMMENTARY
Pride Week has special meaning for openly gay State News writer
Sexuality is like skin color - it's something you can't change (unless you're Michael Jackson), so accept it.
MICHIGAN
Towering tree to reclaim top title
On the front lawn of the state Capitol, a 110-foot catalpa tree towers over the competition of other trees.
MSU
Cancer patients honored at relay
Hugging his parents, MSU Student Cancer Support Network student coordinator Jeremy Koenemann fought back emotions after looking at hundreds of luminaries honoring cancer patients at the MSU's Relay for Life. Luminary bags with the names of people who have battled cancer were lit to honor those people. "Everyone has been affected by cancer in some way," he said. Koenemann attended the American Cancer Society fund-raiser Saturday with the MSU Student Cancer Support Network - a group that offers support to students who have either had cancer or have known someone with cancer. At the relay, the network's presence served as a wake-up call to how real the disease is on campus, said Relay for Life event chairwoman and political science and pre-law senior Dana Dzwonkowski.
SPORTS
WEB ONLY: Men's track and field team grabs 6 1st place wins
Senior Julien Williams reached an NCAA regional qualifying mark in the long jump to help lead the MSU men's track and field team to six first-place finishes against Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan on Saturday. Williams jumped a distance of 24-8 1/2 in the long jump and also won in the triple jump with a distance of 48-10 1/4.
FEATURES
'Upside of Anger' reflects real life
Director Mike Binder is a homebred, bona fide Michigan guy. The fact that he was raised in the mitten state and graduated from Birmingham Seaholm High School in 1976 is wholly important because his new film "The Upside of Anger" takes place in the same area. If you live in Los Angeles or New York, certainly, the idea of a film that takes place in your area would probably induce no more than a yawn.
MICHIGAN
WEB ONLY: Greek Week to begin with dance show
Greek Week 2005 will kick off with a bang - and possibly a few high-leg kicks - at MTV Night at 7 p.m.
NEWS
Trustees vote to allow open alcohol on game days
Students still will be allowed to possess and consume open alcohol while tailgating, the MSU Board of Trustees decided when it approved exceptions to the university's open-alcohol ban on Friday. The ban will be lifted on all home football Saturdays in all areas of campus, except for Munn field and a pedestrian area around Spartan Stadium.
MSU
MSU hosts dodgeball tourney
Only one Kent State player remained. He clung to his red rubber ball like a life preserver, quivering nervously as the half-dozen remaining MSU players danced around him like wolves ready to pounce. On some unspoken signal, the Spartans players fired in unison on their helpless target, knocking him to the ground in a flurry of red rubber, giving MSU a victory during this weekend's Spartan Dodgeball Invitational. Teams from DePaul University, The Ohio State University and Delta College also traveled to MSU for the event, which was the nation's first-ever intercollegiate club dodgeball tournament. MSU's win over Kent State turned out to be one of few bright spots for the team, as it came in last place in Sunday's tournament.
COMMENTARY
Police tactics created chaos, utter insanity
Instead of putting down a riot that never happened, the police department incited more fear, violence, and disorder than I have seen in four years at MSU. Apparently, the police are entirely without good ideas for dealing with riots because any tactics they used Saturday night represented utter insanity.
SPORTS
Spring time for round of golf despite lack of skills
Ahhh, the weather is beautiful. The sun is shining and the grass is greener. So what did I do, you might ask?
MSU
Worker rights battle reaches board of trustees
Student groups addressed the MSU Board of Trustees on Friday, urging trustees and MSU President Lou Anna K.