Thursday, January 1, 2026

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COMMENTARY

Athletics not cause for funds decrease

I'm writing in response to Jim Howard's letter "Academics should get priority at 'U'" (SN 7/17). I don't know how many times this needs to be said: The general budget and the academic budget are entirely separate, no state funds or tuition dollars pay for our athletic teams. Ticket sales, licensing dollars, TV revenues and donors who wish to support the athletic department fund athletics. If you're concerned about a lack of academic support and services at MSU, then you need to contact your local congressman, senator and the governor and ask them why it is that they are cutting funding.

COMMENTARY

Worth the wait

People have been waiting in line for freedom throughout the history of the United States. And now foreign students applying for visas will be waiting a little longer because of a change in the application process. The State Department will now require all foreigners to have in-person interviews with consular officials in order to attain their student visas, instead of just completing paperwork. As long as discrimination's ugly head doesn't surface within the interviews between foreigners and U.S.

MSU

Former 'U' star chairs project

Megan Homanick
July 21, 2003

Former MSU basketball star Steve Smith and his wife Millie will be lending Sparty a hand in his transition into bronze. The two have been asked to be honorary chairpersons for the $500,000 project, slated to be completed by 2005.

COMMENTARY

Statements made in letter inaccurate

Daniel Grimm states in his letter "Fraternity story unfair, not helpful", (SN 7/16) that "the water bill and other utilities" of the Theta Delta Chi house are the responsibility of "the national organization." That statement is incorrect.

NEWS

Setting sails

Alison Barker
July 21, 2003

Port Huron - "Good morning, sailors! It's race day. Rise and shine," a voice booms out of loud speakers lining the Black River, where about 275 sailboats almost fill every inch of the docking area.

NEWS

Impoundment upsets cyclists

A small group of bicyclists are challenging MSU Department of Police and Public Safety's bicycle confiscation practices. During their time spent at MSU, anthropology senior Angela Jancius, her significant other, Daniel Sturm, and genetics senior Paolo Struffi have endured a total of six instances of bike theft and cut locks, which they say came as a result of how MSU police handle unattended bicycles on campus.

NEWS

Nuns in missile incident prepare for sentencing

Antonio Planas
July 21, 2003

In what could be one of her last moments of freedom for the next six to nine years, Ardeth Platte, a 67-year-old nun, reflected on her life as an activist. "I never fathomed that someday I would be in prison for my beliefs," the Lansing-born Platte told The State News last week in a telephone conversation from the Jonah House, a non-violent, civil resistant and faith-based community in Baltimore, Md.

COMMENTARY

Petty couch issue survivable for all

This letter is in response to the editorial "Couch Calamity" (SN 7/17). I grew up in the Lansing/East Lansing area, attended East Lansing High School and went on to pursue my undergraduate studies at MSU.

COMMENTARY

Reason needed to interpret Bible today

I would like to comment on John Bice's column "Back to Bible ideals aren't consistent with rest of Good Book" (SN 7/17). I agree with his point that the Bible alone should not be the basis for morality.

MICHIGAN

News briefs

Construction might delay Lansing traffic Drivers should expect traffic delays beginning today when two Lansing streets close for railroad track crossing improvements. The northernmost westbound lane of Michigan Avenue just east of Pennsylvania Avenue will be expected to be closed for a week.

COMMENTARY

Fiscal fallout

Penny-pinching should not be considered a bad thing this fall, as state lawmakers have finally decided the fate of higher education. With the economy on a downward spiral, money is tight.

BASKETBALL

Davis leads Team USA to fifth place finish

The USA World Junior Championship team had a rocky stretch during the weekend, falling to Australia, but rebounding to defeat Slovenia and Puerto Rico to close out the basketball tournament in fifth place. Team USA (7-1) defeated Puerto Rico on Saturday, 82-80.

FEATURES

'Bad Boys II' filled with laughs

Kelly Thesier
July 21, 2003

The bad boys are back and better than ever. Eight years after Will Smith and Martin Lawrence introduced the pair of Miami cops, they have teamed up again in "Bad Boys II," redefining the buddy cop genre by successfully adding a dose of humor compared to Hollywood's latest attempts. With more breathtaking stunts and Smith's and Lawrence's uncanny abilities to create laughs at the most intense moments, "Bad Boys II" survives a far-fetched plotline to give moviegoers a satisfying jolt of entertainment. Reprising their roles of Miami investigators, Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) become entangled in a drug smuggling ring behind the flow of ecstasy into Miami. The drug case becomes complicated when Marcus discovers his sister Syd (Gabrielle Union), a poorly cast DEA agent, is involved in a plot to expose the heads behind the drug case.

NEWS

'U' to lose RIA funding

A $1.9 million deletion in state funding for MSU's Rare Isotope Accelerator project has left the university scrambling to find the financial support needed to remain competitive for the U.S.

MICHIGAN

News Briefs

Wal-Mart opens doors to shoppers in OkemosBargain shoppers have another haven as of Wednesday morning when the Wal-Mart discount store in Okemos opened its doors to the public.The newest addition to the nationwide chain celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by MSU athletic director Ron Mason and State Sen.

NEWS

Budget approved

MSU was left with more than a $21-million decrease in funding after the fate of higher education was decided Wednesday by state lawmakers. MSU joins the list of eight other Michigan universities that saw cuts at an upward of 6 percent.