Skate park fuels growing skateboarding popularity

They flip, dip, turn and twist on rails, concrete or any surface they can get their hands on.And they do it on four wheels.They are the skateboarders of America - an increasingly popular sport that is taking over the East Lansing and Lansing areas.“I used to be a surfer, but since I’m stuck in Michigan, skateboarding is the next best thing,” MSU-Detroit College of Law junior Rich Decky said.

MSU needs help for heat, dorm too hot

In lieu of this heat wave, I would like to pose this question to the MSU administration: Why is it that faculty and staff offices and most buildings with classrooms are air-conditioned, but dorms used for summer housing are not?

Township, city agree to disagree

Meridian Township officials unanimously approved a version of a land-share agreement with East Lansing on Tuesday night.

Tenacious testing

The U.S. Supreme Court has sent public schools down a dangerous road that leads to infringing the rights of thousands of middle and high school students.

Pledge fine as is, love it or leave it

Leave the Pledge of Allegiance alone! If you don’t like the “under God” part, you don’t have to believe it or say it, but the leave it in the pledge.

Flying the frantic skies for 2002 World Cup, to Korea and back

Narita, Japan - Normally, wearing a bright neon-yellow soccer jersey would make you stick out like a sore thumb.

Savoring freedom

As Americans begin to celebrate their country’s first birthday since the events of Sept.

Okemos provides free Shakespeare

Pack the lawn chairs and blankets to celebrate the Fourth of July outside with the fourth annual production of Sunsets with Shakespeare at Nancy L.

Recount shows Donohue wins by 3 votes

A recount Monday agreed with what chance had decided in the race for a seat on the East Lansing school board.After recounting the ballots cast in the East Lansing school district election, William Donohue defeated Randy Bell by three votes for a seat on the board of education.

Organizations ask for blood

Associations across the nation are joining voices in a call for blood as supplies have reached a critically low point.Alicia Mitchell, spokeswoman for the American Hospital Association, said she believed a possible explanation for low donations may be misinformation about who can donate and statistics say she’s right.

Spartans, Cavaliers set for rematch in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Neither team walked away victorious the last time the MSU men’s basketball team and Virginia took the court.

Tough dealings

The recent deal to share 1,056 acres in Bath Township with East Lansing was not as much of a voluntary agreement as it was an unwilling submission.

Nothing wrong with game, fun to play

The editorial “Ridiculous riots” (SN 6/27), criticizing Raphael Adley’s entertaining simulation of campus rioting was ridiculous.

Mason brings coachs touch

The waters have been calmed, the ship has been righted and now there’s a new captain. MSU athletics director Ron Mason has taken over the controls of MSU sports, and said he doesn’t expect a lot of change. Mason officially took over duties of the department Monday, after former athletics director Clarence Underwood ended his 23 years of work with MSU and more than three years at the helm of MSU sports. Despite some tumultuous times, Mason and others credit Underwood with bringing unity and direction to the athletics department. “I’m not coming in here with any grand plan,” Mason said.

Paper too liberal, pledge needs God

I’m sorry that the State News feels the way about the Pledge of Allegiance as stated in the editorial “Ill Allegiances” (SN 7/1). Despite the fact that our nation’s government is secular, our country was founded on the principle of religious belief.

Nonprofit organizations suffer shortage of summer help

Area nonprofit organizations have to deal with program cuts every summer when MSU student volunteers leave campus. But some groups who rely on volunteers say this year is worse. John Tucker, executive director of Lansing-based Youth Development Corp., said the group had two volunteers working 40 hours a week last summer, but this year there are none. “We use MSU students as mentors for kids, but (summer) reduces our program a good 75 percent,” he said.

Inspectors continue to search for cause of Mormon church fire

After three days of sifting through rubble, fire officials are still searching for the cause of a blaze that destroyed an East Lansing Mormon church only hours before services were to begin. Officials have not ruled out arson, but inspectors Tuesday did rule out electrical problems as the cause of the fire that burned down the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 431 E.

Police briefs 07/03/02

Murder Inc. falls short with The Inc.

With Ja Rule and Ashanti ruling R & B and hip-hop charts, it was only logical for the producer behind their hits, Irv Gotti, to capitalize from the success.

Pledge decision correct to eliminate religion, being American not about God

The Fourth of July has always been a happy time for me and my family - a time when we gather to celebrate our country and put up and wear an awful lot of stars and stripes.