Monday, April 27, 2026

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FEATURES

Wharton center offers discount price to students

Student ticket prices for “CTRL+ALT+DELETE,” the play commissioned by Wharton Center, go on sale today at a discount price of $10. The play opens Thursday in the Pasant Theatre. It focuses around the history of the technology boom and crash from 1998 to 2000.

COMMENTARY

How can SN support affirmative action?

I found the editorial “Colorless” (SN 11/27) very ironic, bringing light to the fact that the ethnicity of the Council of Racial Ethnic Students and the Council of Progressive Students liaison is irrelevant.

COMMENTARY

DeWeese blew it with missed vote

Gretchen Whitmer is one of the hardest working legislators in the House of Representatives. While she and I do not agree on everything, in the Legislature or on the football field, we were a part of a concerted effort by university administrators, student advocacy groups and legislators throughout the state to repeal the tuition tax credit. Contrary to allegations of partisanship on Whitmer’s part, this was a bipartisan effort to do away with an underutilized program and put dollars back in the pockets of students - a bipartisan effort that failed by one vote. Not only is it not partisanship to point out the measure failed by one vote - it is important for the community to know it failed by the vote of a tardy local representative, Paul DeWeese, who is now running to represent much of the impacted constituency in the state Senate. Rep.

FEATURES

Band produces more complex, mature album

With the aid of new band member John Parish, the band known simply as eels has successfully reinvented itself and put out a disc surpassing anything the band has done before. “Souljacker” is a rock album that returns to the band’s roots and a sound witnessed on its first two albums. But don’t classify “Souljacker” as just another eels album. This one is more complex, heavier, mature, personal and insightful than anything the band has done before.

COMMENTARY

Fieger time

He may be best known for his bombastic style and famous clients, but attorney Geoffrey Fieger proved he has a caring side, too.Tuesday, the MSU-Detroit College of Law announced Fieger, a 1979 DCL graduate, is donating $4 million to give the school the nation’s first trial practice institute for law students.Participants in the Geoffrey Fieger Trial Practice Institute will have the opportunity to gain experiences through high-tech trial courtrooms, clinics and simulations.The institute is a two-year program designed in collaboration with practicing trial lawyers and judges, giving law students special real-world experience and other lessons to help them be more successful in the courtroom.Fieger’s donation will also help support an annual lecture series that showcases nationally known trial lawyers.

MSU

Firstborn children more likely to contract allergies

Recent research conducted by an MSU professor discovered that firstborn children are more likely to suffer from asthma and other allergies.Wilfried Karmaus, an associate professor of epidemiology, found that firstborns have higher levels of cord blood immunoglobulin, a protein determined to be a risk factor for asthma and other allergies, such as hay fever.Karmaus said changes in the mother’s womb after the birth of a first child are reasons for the difference.“The immune system is changed to a different state,” he said.

NEWS

U.S., Canada discuss borders

A “zone of confidence” between Canada and the United States was called for in a letter delivered Monday to President Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. MSU President M.

COMMENTARY

Charity thanks U for efforts success

On behalf of the American Cancer Society and breast cancer patients and their families throughout mid-Michigan, I would like to thank the students and faculty of MSU for their incredible support of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.

MSU

Language training benefits international TAs

Arriving in a new country and learning a new language isn’t easy.And if you are expected to begin teaching a class within days of your arrival, the adjustment could be greater.This scenario is a familiar one to many international teaching assistants who arrive at MSU during the summer before they begin teaching courses.To help with their training process, several programs developed by MSU have been updated to accommodate growing numbers of TAs involved.“TAs have a really important responsibility, and when they get good training and good attention from the faculty, they can do a good job,” said William Rittenberg, coordinator of the International Teaching Assistant Program.All international TAs at MSU are required to attend a university-sponsored training workshop before classes start to learn rules and regulations on campus.While the length of this orientation was extended to three weeks two years ago, the Teaching Assistant Summer English Program was also added for more in-depth language training.

FOOTBALL

Thornhill rewarded for abilities

MSU senior linebacker Josh Thornhill was selected Monday as the recipient of the John S. Pingel Award by the Michigan Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. The Pingel award, based on academic and athletic performance, is named in honor of the former Spartan All-America halfback and National Football Foundation Hall of Famer.

COMMENTARY

Show character, turn down money

It seems as though the Meridian Mall-American Civil Liberties Union debate has come to a close, and a disappointing one at that. Although the truth will be known only to Deb employees and its 10 offended shoppers, the case was an interesting one because both sides refused to accept responsibility and firmly defended themselves. Clearly, Deb and Meridian Mall security did not want a court case, so they agreed to do what was necessary to end the whole affair: Apologize, encourage a diverse workforce and most shockingly, pay the students $1,000 each. I do not view this as a victory for the 10 shoppers claiming discrimination.

COMMENTARY

Colorless

ASMSU’s director of racial, ethnic and progressive student affairs is not a minority - but that shouldn’t be a hindrance to the job. Melanie Olmsted, who is white, was approved by both assemblies of ASMSU to be the official liaison between the undergraduate student government and the Council of Racial Ethnic Students and the Council of Progressive Students. But even though Olmsted is only affiliated with Women’s Council - she’s the group’s former leader - she can be an effective communicator with other groups.

COMMENTARY

Sept. 11 discussions leave out black voices

Within a couple of days following the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, I brought a copy of John Stuart Mill’s “On Liberty” to my class on African American political thought, a class with a good mix of white and black students.

MSU

Dorm residents include those with four legs

Although many college students love being away from home, there’s often some aspect of it they miss.Sometimes that aspect is four-legged and furry.University policy prohibits any pets, other than fish, to live in the residence halls - but not all students play by the rules.Stephanie, a West Circle Complex resident and studio art junior, has kept her hamster, Peanut, with her in the dorms since her freshman year at MSU.She said she ran into trouble at first, but the supervisor of her hall at the time said they couldn’t make her get rid of her pet.“I’m not sure if the RA this year knows, but if she does, she doesn‘t say anything about it,” she said.