Friday, January 2, 2026

Take a peek behind the curtain and test drive the NEW StateNews.com today!

Opinion | 1000

Submit a Letter
COMMENTARY

Article's infobox oversimplified presentation

On April 13, I presented my undergraduate research project at the MSU Board of Trustees meeting. The presentation was entitled "Memoirs of Genocide: Polish Jewish boys and Southern Sudanese 'Lost Boys,' (Exploring the experiences and narratives of child survivors of mass violence)." In an infobox about the meeting, from "Trustees vote to lift housing prices" (SN 4/16), my presentation was said to have "compared the Holocaust to the Sudanese 'Lost Boys.'" This is simply incorrect. I'm not sure if this misrepresentation of my project was due to the reporter's misunderstanding, or a desire to simplify the description.

COMMENTARY

Professors should begin discussion about tragedy

In light of the horrific and tragic mass killings that occurred at Virginia Tech University on Monday, I am appalled by the lack of coverage not from the television media, not from The State News, but from our professors and faculty who serve as leaders and role models to me and my beloved fellow students. I felt betrayed as many professors did not adequately address something of such importance in the history of our nation. Today, I urge professors to take a few minutes to discuss the occurrences, share a moment of silence or speak words of comfort to us.

COMMENTARY

U.N. must act immediately in Darfur

After four years of conflict, Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has finally dropped his objections to international assistance in Darfur. Darfur has been in contest since 2003 after rebels began attacking government targets.

COMMENTARY

The taboo struggle

They were scared of me. In my fake pearl necklace and high heels, I was suddenly a threat. After I let it slip at a recent job interview that I was a (gasp!) feminist, my prospective male bosses were shaking in their loafers.

COMMENTARY

Poison at the root

It may not have surprised some of you when we learned that MSU's Young Americans for Freedom was about to be listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, or SPLC, a civil rights organization dedicated to tracking the activity of such groups across the nation. We have all seen the hateful and bigoted rhetoric MSU's YAF spews forth on a daily basis.

COMMENTARY

City should set homeless guidelines

The issue of whether to ban homeless people from East Lansing parking structures has been simmering on the City Council's plate for the past six months. During this time, the council has been gathering information and public opinion regarding the topic.

COMMENTARY

Becoming a reality at the gas pump

It's hard to say which is scarier — apocalyptic global warming scenarios or the economic impact of some of the proposals designed to prevent them. A recent European Environment Agency, or EEA, study reported that greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles continue to rise due to increased driving, despite heavy fuel taxes that boost prices there above $6 per gallon.

COMMENTARY

Risky precedent set for free speech in media

Don Imus was fired for making a stupid comment. Was it right? No, it was not. In no way am I defending what Imus said, but it was not worth firing him over because it sets a terrible precedent for all of us. Imus is a 66-year-old man making a poor attempt at humor.

COMMENTARY

Just within reach

The movement is underway. The gay community is coming out and demanding what we deserve — equal rights and treatment in society.

COMMENTARY

Former Spartan sends congrats to hockey team

I covered the MSU hockey team for campus radio back in the mid-1970s, did some play-by-play and was in the stands when I wasn't working, so it did my heart good to watch this team of champions put on such a gutsy performance.

NEWS

Ungodly goodness

Can we be good without belief in god(s)? This question often crops up when discussing religion and is frequently offered as a pragmatic argument against nonbelief. The thinking seems to be that even if good evidence for the existence of god(s) is lacking, which it most certainly is, belief in the proverbial "eye in the sky" is a useful delusion because without such belief, nothing would prevent people from behaving immorally.

COMMENTARY

Shifting the blame

If there are two words that will serve as the epitaph for not just the Iraq war that has ruined the reputation and economy of the nation, but also for the administration that set those events into motion, those words are "war czar." Yes, that's right, everyone's favorite "decider" has evidently decided he's done making decisions when it comes to Iraq and Afghanistan. In President Bush's place, he has created a new post that would oversee all major decisions dealing with the war.

COMMENTARY

Military troops should be protecting our country

In response to "Counteractive steps" (SN 4/13), I feel as though Jacob Carpenter blatantly ignored the direct effects of the establishment of democracy in Iraq to the United States. Every day, the United States pumps more and more money into a nation that has lived a certain lifestyle and followed a certain form of government for years.

COMMENTARY

Inflated costs to live in dorms not reasonable

I don't know what planet Ms. Angela Brown, director of Housing and Food Services, lives on. But charging students $6,676 to live in the dorm for nine months is not "reasonable." That's nearly $750 a month for the pleasure of living in a 12-by-12 cubicle, usually with another roommate.