Thursday, January 1, 2026

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COMMENTARY

Bush budget is too reliant on deficit

In your editorial "War chest," (SN 2/16) you make the claim: "the fact that (President Bush's) budget inadvertently is calling for restrained spending on a variety of government programs shouldn't be ignored by any means." I don't understand that sentence, and I doubt many people did.

MICHIGAN

Clothing sale benefits E.L. elderly

Modeling a pastel, tulle dress for the workers at the Class Clothing Sale, Laura Galgan said she knew she had found the perfect Halloween costume. Earlier in the day, the sociology junior bought a vintage hat, and she came back that afternoon for a long winter coat.

NEWS

Officials react to extension service cuts

MSU officials said they were surprised and perplexed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm's proposed budget cuts to the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and the MSU Cooperative Extension Service. In the 2005-06 budget, Granholm proposed a $6.7 million cut in the extension service and a $3.3 million cut in the experiment station. In the last three years, both programs have seen a 10 percent decrease in funding. "We weren't expecting it," said Margaret Bethel, director of the extension service. "We were surprised the university took cuts and even more surprised we took higher cuts." The extension service has an office in every county in Michigan and offers a variety of programs to the public, including family budgeting and nutrition education. The experiment station, which has 15 centers throughout Michigan, conducts research on issues from bovine tuberculosis to obesity. But Michigan state budget office officials say the cuts to the extension services are necessary to close a $773 million shortfall in the 2006 fiscal year and $375 million this year. "We had to make some tough decisions," said Greg Bird, spokesman for the state budget office.

MSU

ASMSU inks bill to make offices more accessible

ASMSU members are attempting to make their offices compliant with the American Disabilities Act. In the Student Assembly's meeting last week, student government members passed a bill to fund up to $3,000 for ADA-compatible office signs. The money will be allocated from the assembly's Special Project account, which consists of rollover funds from other accounts. The signs will have raised numbering and Braille coding that will be within reach for vision-impaired persons.

BASKETBALL

In grand company

MSU head coach Tom Izzo wanted to get more of his guys to play well on the same night. He got his wish during a night of milestones, season-high performances and an overall great shooting clinic in front of the 110th straight sellout crowd at Breslin Center on Wednesday.

NEWS

'Smart pop' trio to play Creole Gallery tonight

GrooveLily fans like drinking strong coffee. And reading books. And renting black and white classic flicks instead of the latest release. At least that's what the GrooveLily musicians believe. Unlike most modern music acts, the New York-based pop/rock/folk band can't define its fan base by gender, race or even age.

COMMENTARY

Easier said...

Somehow, the line that separates church and state - something that should be clear - has a tendency to get blurred. Perhaps it's the religious zeal within people that drives them to want to do away with the principle the United States was founded upon.

NEWS

Festival now commercialized

The legend started three years ago, on a muddy day in March, over a plate of lukewarm pasta in the Brody Hall cafeteria. My roommate and I, freshmen at the time, had just sat down to eat when a friend and fellow Brody dweller rushed over to our table. "Do you have tickets yet?" he asked excitedly. My roommate and I looked at him blankly.

COMMENTARY

Argument did not offer much logic

I am writing in response to the editorial titled "Tact needed," (SN 2/14). The person who wrote that particular article does a terrific job of presenting one side of a story.

COMMENTARY

Mixed living

Circle circle dot dot now you've got a cootie shot. Great, that should last through college, the land of sex segregation.

SPORTS

Q&A Player of the week: Rene Haynes

The sophomore guard averaged 17 points in the past two wins and was named Big Ten Player of the Week, marking the first time in Big Ten history a team had four players honored with this award. The State News: How does it feel to be named Big Ten Player of the Week? Haynes: It says a lot about this team to have four players named.

SPORTS

MSU closes road trip at Iowa

With the Big Ten regular season coming to a close, the No. 9 MSU women's basketball team cannot afford a slip up anywhere along the way. This holds true for tonight, when the Spartans (22-3 overall, 11-2 Big Ten) wrap up their three-game road trip in Iowa (16-7, 5-7), a team they beat easily earlier this year. "We really need to pressure them a lot and wear their legs out," junior guard Lindsay Bowen said.

COMMENTARY

Front-page article seemed insensitive

The headlining article in Wednesday's State News ("Student found dead in E.L.") was absurdly insensitive and disrespectful to both the deceased and those in mourning. Articles reporting on serious events like the passing of a member of our student body should not be made into a creative writing piece.

NEWS

O Canada!

Windsor, Ontario - Lauren Saelens and Meghan Curis were on a mission Saturday night. Sitting at a table in a smoky club, they discussed their plans while being careful not to spill their cosmopolitans on their outfits.

NEWS

'Monologues' features new transgender piece

The show never fails to shock. It pushes society, fights and doesn't give up its goals of female empowerment, ending violence and comfortable sexuality. "The Vagina Monologues" presses against societal norms again this weekend, with a new piece about transgender women. The profits of the 30-woman show will be donated to the Battered Women's Clemency Project at the University of Michigan and TransGender Michigan. Organizers expect to raise about $8,000 to $10,000 from ticket sales. "We do it to raise awareness and get people involved, and to support local organizations," said co-Director Leah Swartz, a social work senior. Every year, "The Vagina Monologues" author Eve Ensler rewrites the show to include optional pieces from which directors can select. Swartz said the inclusion of the new monologue titled "They Beat the Girl Out of My Boy? Or So They Tried," inspired her to choose TransGender Michigan as a recipient of part of the funds from "The Vagina Monologues." Rachel Crandall, executive director of the organization, said the funds are needed to continue providing safe environments and educational services for transgender individuals in Michigan. "Them choosing to do this optional monologue and choosing to donate some of the proceeds to TransGender Michigan shows really how far things have come over the last few years," Crandall said.