Special interest is needed in politics

Congress is considering a campaign finance reform bill that will limit soft money contributions to political parties.

Task force left door open for problems

In response to “Task force proposes guidelines” (SN 2/18), perhaps the most harmful recommendation of the task force was the first one listed in the article: To define a “reasonable cause” standard for situations in which a police officer would have to administer a breath analysis test or to stop a student.

Schools should not sell soda to students

Erica Berg’s article, “Pop in schools pits profit against health” (SN 2/7), is part of a much bigger issue of economics versus ethics.

Trustee reflects on U, looks to improve tech

Ann Arbor - When he’s in the office, Randall Pittman sits behind a cluttered desk of three-ring binders, legal pads and stacks of documents. A clean desk makes people wonder what you do all day, he joked. Work is nothing new to Pittman who, at 17, started his first business - painting stripes in parking lots.

Police briefs 02/19/02

Soda companies target children unfairly

As our government has mandated us all to remain on the super-duper double-triple highest state of terrorist alert, you may be wondering why I expect you to give a puny issue like the sale of soda in schools your full attention. As we’re constantly being reminded, the war on terror is not a single operation; it is a sustained campaign.

Students ignore dermatologist warnings about sun exposure

Tera Sinclair is excited about driving to Panama City, Fla. with three friends on spring break. Sinclair, like many students, is preparing for spring break by getting a tan - but not from the sun.

Subleasing damages property, officials say

East Lansing officials say the practice of subleasing has led to severe property damage in the city. “We have seen a number of situations where there have been subleasers not taking care of the property,” said Howard Asch, director of Code Enforcement and Neighborhood Conservation.

Women still seek distinction

The MSU hockey team defeated Michigan this weekend, but it wasn’t the only MSU skaters to hit the ice.The No.

Verve Pipe singer performs at U despite threatening e-mail

Brian Vander Ark, frontman of the Verve Pipe, made sure he didn’t walk by any open windows Friday night during his performance at the Union Ballroom, sponsored by Pop Entertainment and ASMSU.

Tax guides available to help file forms easily, accurately

Tax season is here again, and Sen. Beverly Hammerstrom, R-Temperance, hopes to make the filing process a little simpler. “There were dozens of changes that taxpayers need to be aware of in order to file their taxes correctly,” Hammerstrom said in a written statement. The tax books include a summary of tax laws, including information on tax credits and the Single Business Tax. A sample form and phone numbers for more assistance are also included.

Tenth-annual leadership program kicks off

Friday afternoon was a very tentative first stop on the campaign trail for the 24 fellows of the 10th annual Michigan Political Leadership Program. The program, which kicked off this weekend, was hosted by MSU’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research. “There are a lot of things lay people don’t understand, like how to run a political campaign and manage funds,” said Greg Ostrander, a graduate student in the MSU Department of Resource Development and a 2002 fellow. Each year, 24 fellowships are awarded to applicants across the state.

All companies should be held to same standards as Big Tobacco

Call it compassion or plain old sympathy, but I have always likened myself to root for the underdog.

Victory at Joe breaks season tie

Detroit - Fifth-ranked MSU finally broke its season-long, head-to-head stalemate against Michigan and claimed a 3-1 victory in front of 20,058 fans at Joe Louis Arena on Saturday. The Spartans (21-6-5 overall, 15-5-4 CCHA) raced to a 2-1 lead in a wild opening five minutes, and then clamped down on the No.

Gymnasts set history

Led by several record-setting events, the MSU gymnastics team outscored Rutgers University 195.735-to-191.350 Saturday. The Spartans’ score was the fourth highest in school history. MSU took first place in all four events.

Online training program aids aspiring authors, musicians

Universal Music Group and Penguin Putnam Inc. have teamed up to produce a distance-learning program for aspiring artists interested in breaking into the music or book publishing industries. The music portion features artists such as Sting, Elton John, Sheryl Crow and Fred Durst giving advice about the music industry.

Expanded broadband access could be coming to Michigan

Michigan is one step closer to regulating the deployment of broadband Internet services across the state.Last week, the Senate Technology and Energy Committee headed by Sen.

Task force proposes guidelines

The Task Force on Student-Police Relations approved a final draft of recommendations Friday, which it hopes will improve student-police relations on campus. A round of applause and congratulations ended the final meeting of the task force, which has met since September, even though not all task force members were satisfied with the final recommendations. The task force was appointed by MSU officials after an independent investigation into the placement of an undercover officer into the student group United Students Against Sweatshops, now called Students for Economic Justice, beginning about Feb.

Spartans come from behind, utilize late poise to steal win

West Lafayette, Ind. - For the first time all season, the Spartan men’s basketball team came from behind at halftime to steal a win.

U hosts global warming program

Folk music played softly Friday in Conrad Hall as the lecture hall filled with more people than it usually holds.The hall housed the beginnings of “Turn Down the Heat,” a weekend-long conference on global warming organized by ECO, a student organization concerned with environmental issues.Booths lined the lobby with representatives from groups such as Washington, D.C.-based Power Shift, who enthusiastically told its audiences about issues such as alternative energy and the effect of global warming on beer - humidity and parasites from the higher temperatures can ruin the quality.“We had scientists look into it,” said Power Shift member Mark von Topel.