COMMENTARY

Students should speak up to change unfair ways

I am writing to offer my support to Stephanie Giurlanda's letter "Unnecessary course packs waste students' money," (SN 6/16). I believe it to be outrageous that a professor made mandatory the buying of a coursepack that was composed of so much waste. That is not only an insult to the students of that class, but it also reflects poorly upon the faculty and the university when such obviously outrageous occurrences are allowed to pass. Here is my suggestion to all of you who are still paying for tuition and fees, and who are lugging your way to class each day to earn your degree — be proactive.

COMMENTARY

Intelligent design makes sense, complexity of life not accidental

Not long ago, President Bush got some folks upset when he suggested teaching intelligent design alongside the theory of evolution in our educational institutions.

COMMENTARY

Granholm good governor, her record does speak for itself

In response to Fred Sharp's letter "Granholm blames Bush for Michigan's problems," (SN 6/16), stating that Governor Granholm's record "speaks for itself," I wholeheartedly agree. Granholm is succeeding, albeit under the radar, in her goals of creating jobs and jump-starting our economy.

COMMENTARY

Bush administration should follow Granholm's lead

In Fred Sharp's letter "Granholm blames Bush for Michigan's problems" (SN 6/16), he asks, "If (President) Bush is such a powerful force for job losses, why is Michigan the only one suffering from his economic policies?" The answer is actually quite simple: Michigan has lost a larger percentage of its workforce due to unfair trade practices than any other state, losing one-third of its manufacturing sector since Bush took office.

COMMENTARY

MSU researches spirituality, health

Imagine getting a prescription for two hours of meditation. MSU researchers will begin a study in September attempting to find a link between spirituality and health.

COMMENTARY

Sexual orientation doesn't determine parenting skills

Why is it that individuals like Gary Glenn and Rep. John Stahl continue to insist that a gay or lesbian sexual orientation precludes one from being a good parent?

COMMENTARY

War cycle repeats itself; shouldn't we have learned from previous mistakes?

For many of us, our perception of Vietnam is not the same war-torn controversial one held by an older generation.

COMMENTARY

DeVos isn't the answer for Michigan problems

Does Fred Sharp, who wrote the letter "Granholm blames Bush for Michigan's problems," (SN 6/16), really think that Dick DeVos is going to change Michigan's fortunes?

COMMENTARY

Strengthen the sanctity of marriage with U.S. troops

Since one of the Bush administration's main priorities continues to be strengthening the sanctity of marriage, I would like to offer up an excellent solution. First, it should be noted that the gay community has no intention to wage war on heterosexual marriage.

COMMENTARY

Unnecessary course packs waste students' money

I'm annoyed with professors who write "course packs" and then require students to purchase them.

COMMENTARY

Granholm blames Bush for Michigan's problems

Jennifer Granholm needs to step up and take responsibility for her actions as Michigan's governor.

COMMENTARY

America doesn't look like a country at war; daily lives seem untouched

Sometimes real life can feel like reality television. Although I'm not living in some sick immaculate loft, with five intentionally good-looking roommates with All-American bodies chiseled in sharp angles and donning perfectly white teeth lined like impeccable soldiers, there's still a certain sense of falsity in life these days I can't ignore. This isn't MTV.

COMMENTARY

Watch out, consumer prices on the rise

It's hard not to complain about gas prices. After years of a seemingly stable gasoline market, we are quick to complain about growing prices.

COMMENTARY

Women's health advance should come before morals

I couldn't have agreed more with the editorial "Vaccine doesn't promote promiscuity" (SN 6/13). Plain and simple, a vaccine that prevents cervical cancer is a medical breakthrough — the first ever of its kind and an important advance in women's health.

COMMENTARY

Torture statement ignores war

Warfare implies death. It's not shocking that the idea of war revolves around the death of people fighting on both sides. While as a society we have been quick to accept the fact that the act of war nearly guarantees the loss of soldiers' and civilians' lives, we have a different view when it comes to torture. When pictures of prisoners at Abu Ghraib first surfaced, the American people responded with shock.

COMMENTARY

Gender equity in public education is necessary

The discussion about separating girls and boys into gender-specific classrooms for math and science classes in Michigan public schools is another clear example of a "Band-Aid" fix to recently come out of Lansing. State Board of Education Superintendent Mike Flanagan recently stated there's nothing wrong with exploring the option. I can agree with being open to exploring ideas, but to suggest that by segregating the sexes, "women get more involved, they answer questions and are more active" without males around does not take into account the reasons why that may be accurate.

COMMENTARY

Official language shouldn't be issue of most concern

Jeff Wiggins, a history senior speaking for the angry conservatives, replied in his letter "English should be official language for United States," (SN 6/12), to my letter, "English as official U.S.

COMMENTARY

Knowledge, access to health care is key to curbing breast cancer in black women

A couple of weeks ago, a colleague walked into a meeting late, her eyes shaded by dark sunglasses even though she was inside.

COMMENTARY

Gay parenting doesn't equal bad parenting

As two bills enter the Michigan House of Representatives, gay parents could potentially be losing the right to adopt children.

COMMENTARY

Columnist's view offensive; language diversity in U.S. deserves celebration

In Caitlin Scuderi's column, "English as official language doesn't threaten culture, instead unifies U.S.," (SN 6/6), she argued that making English the official language of the U.S.