COMMENTARY

Melee coverage glorifies events

Most people agree that the riots were a negative end to a remarkable performance by our men's basketball team in the NCAA tournament.

COMMENTARY

Night receptionists work hard for 'U'

I am offended to hear, from a student, that night receptionists don't take our jobs seriously ("Dorm security recommendations set" SN 4/3). If you ever stayed up with night receptionists, you would understand how seriously we take our jobs.

COMMENTARY

Take it to task

Unfortunately, racism is still rearing its ugly head today, as we have seen on campus this past school year. Fortunately, though, a new committee is being created to combat this problem: the All-University Diversity Task Force. The task force will be made up of students, officials and community leaders and will meet four times a year to help bring diverse groups together and create discussion leading toward action that will ease tensions on campus concerning race-related problems. Hopefully, when this committee is put together, it can help heal the wounds left from incidents such as the racist flier in Shaw Hall and the mannequin head debacle.

COMMENTARY

Teams shouldn't get punishment

This is in response to Omar Ahmad's letter to the editor concerning the banning of any NCAA sports teams from postseason play if their school is involved in a "riot" ("Teams should incur punishment for riots" SN 4/4). I've heard a lot of less than good ideas thrown around in the opinion sections, but this has to be one of the worst yet.

COMMENTARY

Women's crew does not receive credit

I'm writing regarding your "Spring Fling" article (SN 4/4), in which you profiled spring sports here at MSU.

COMMENTARY

How to respond to police? Set fires

I completely agree with Tim Brumbaugh ("Officers to blame for inciting disturbance" SN 4/3), and I am glad to see someone has finally offered a clear perspective on this sort of police misbehavior.

COMMENTARY

Pricey protection

To remedy the rampant security concerns on MSU's campus, perhaps armored guards should be brought in to man residence halls.

COMMENTARY

War with Iraq is one more in list of the U.S.'s unwinnable wars

Our government fights a lot of wars. We have the war on drugs, the war on poverty and, of course, the war on terrorism, just to name a few. The problem with these wars is that they're wars against ideas.

COMMENTARY

Students allowed to vote on name

I am writing in response to the articles written about the student football cheering section. First of all, the name Gang Green was suggested to us most often by members of the previous year's section.

COMMENTARY

Teams should incur punishment for riots

I propose the university and athletic department enact a strict no-riot policy, where the consequences are realized by the entire student body, as well as all fans and alumni. If students start a riot as a result of an MSU athletic event, the university should pull itself out of the following year's NCAA tournament.

COMMENTARY

Police didn't incite riot, were prepared

In response to the editorial entitled "Excessive Force" (SN 4/3), I would like to clarify the facts.

COMMENTARY

Psychic speaker

Our most humble apologies to state House Speaker Rick Johnson. It seems that when we scolded the LeRoy Republican for making offhanded comments labeling college students as hoodlums.

COMMENTARY

Citizens should always be skeptical of their government

As you read this, men and women are fighting in a desert on the other side of the planet. Maybe you agree with the reason that they were deployed, maybe not.

COMMENTARY

Excessive force

While the actions of Sunday night rioters were malicious and should not go unpunished, those who took to campus and city streets in rage were not the only wrongdoers in the melee.

COMMENTARY

To avoid tear gas, stay away from riot

I am writing in response to all of the people who feel the police unfairly used tear gas or used too much of it ("Police: Tear gas necessary despite bystander presence" SN 4/2). There is a simple way to avoid tear gas all together.

COMMENTARY

Melee ruined effort of Spartan ballers

Never in my three years at this school have I been more embarrassed to be a Spartan. On a day when I couldn't be more proud of our Spartans for their efforts on the court, I witness such useless destruction.

COMMENTARY

Police focus wasn't protecting students

The MSU win Friday sparked a peaceful celebration which provoked police to arrest several people for things as minor as the following: one young man with an open can of beer who debated with officers about pouring it out, a student who questioned officers why they were arresting his friend and a gentleman who was merely tackling his roommate in celebration of victory. On Sunday evening, the instances that occurred truly proved "two wrongs don't make a right." Although unruly students might have been destructive, the police reaction was completely out of control.

COMMENTARY

Officers to blame for inciting disturbance

I was in East Lansing on Sunday and was appalled at the activities of a group that night. That group: the police.

COMMENTARY

Front page photo caused confusion

Was the picture on Monday's front cover from Baghdad or East Lansing? For shame. Louis Rabaut French and Spanish senior

COMMENTARY

Head hunting

Students and residents in East Lansing have little time to cope with the heart-breaking costs of war in Iraq as Sunday's juvenile melee on and near campus has left the community mulling the cost of a worthless riot. Despite budgets burdened by the state's broken economy, MSU and East Lansing officials say they are willing to pay up to $2,500 in rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of participants in Sunday night's riot.