COMMENTARY

Riots galore

Visions of gridiron greatness and riveting rivalries might come to mind when imagining heated matchups of college football teams.

COMMENTARY

ASMSU doesn't squander money

As an ASMSU representative, I will not give an excuse for our "lack of responsibility" with the misplacing of software licenses.

COMMENTARY

Religious majority doesn't understand atheist views

An atheist is kicked out of Boy Scouts for professing his beliefs. An Alabama Supreme Court justice erects a 5,200-pound granite shrine to the Ten Commandments in the state courthouse.

COMMENTARY

Editorial too hard on Engler policies

I was appalled to read The State News editorial "Bank buster" (SN 11/22), which basically belittled Gov.

COMMENTARY

Pie prankster gag was not original

What copycats! Pieing of professors has a long history at MSU. In 1979, the "Chefs" began to "hit" (pie) professors.

COMMENTARY

RHA right to join LBGT equality fight

On Wednesday, I was proud to be a part of an organization that proved it is dedicated to equality and fairness. Without a single vote of dissension, the Residence Halls Association agreed to actively support the campaign for same-sex domestic partner benefits for students.

COMMENTARY

Dirty deed

Imagine sitting in a review session for a test you aren't prepared for while your professor is assailed with mock "cream" pies.

COMMENTARY

Exposure

It is sometimes difficult for students' voices to be heard across a college campus, but here at MSU, students have the chance to have theirs broadcast loudly. A newly created minority program on the university's campus radio station WDBM (88.9-FM), the Impact, is a prime example of that. The minority program is set to air once a month as part of Impact's weekly Exposure series.

COMMENTARY

ASMSU wants state to honor its deal

Last week, ASMSU's Academic Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to urge the governor and the Legislature to keep the promise they made not only to MSU but other universities around the state for zero decreases in appropriations in exchange for increases in tuition no higher than 8.5 percent. To better prepare for the budget cycle, ASMSU has convened a board of students to familiarize themselves with the budget process of the university, the appropriations process at the Capitol and the impact of executive orders on students at MSU. The administration has not only been open, but helpful to the board of students, as they learn the complexities involved in creating a budget for a university the size of MSU.

COMMENTARY

Gun control needed, not unconstitutional

This is in response to the letter to the editor "Weapon bans run dangerous risks" (SN 11/21). The author clearly does not understand the role of firearms in our society and our need for less violence in our lives.

COMMENTARY

Don't leave college as an assembly-line product, think about life

Job market. Have you ever really thought about the combination of these two words? Your future is dependent upon the supply and demand of any given occupation. As the rules of supply and demand go, the more supply you have, the less people are willing to pay for a given product.

COMMENTARY

Censorship doesn't promote tolerance

I am writing in response to the recent letters to the editor about campus holiday decorations. I've never understood how religious tolerance can be interpreted to mean keeping religion hidden from public sight and censoring religious expressions.

COMMENTARY

Protection doesn't come from firearms

In response to Daniel Bednar's letter to the editor, "Weapon bans run dangerous risks" (SN 11/21), it seems that he misses the point of why there are such things as firearms bans.

COMMENTARY

SN sinks to new lows in Pittman coverage

In my 15 years of working with The State News, providing information on behalf of political leaders and clients, I have never experienced frustration as I have in the last week.

COMMENTARY

Closed-door board unaccessible to 'U'

On Monday, The State News published "ACLU official protests closed meeting" about how the university trustees closed a budget meeting to the public.

COMMENTARY

Beneficial rights

On Wednesday, student leaders began what could be the start of the push that is needed for MSU to join four other Big Ten schools by honoring same-sex partner benefits for students, and it's about time. The decision made by the Residence Halls Association, with 29-0 vote and eight abstentions, put the student government on board with the notion that MSU will finally give the same rights to student domestic partners that married students enjoy. RHA is the first MSU student government to openly support equal rights for the university's committed couples from the lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender community.

COMMENTARY

Christmas is more culture than religion

The letter to the editor that Kyle Munro submitted suggesting the decorations placed on university dormitories suffers from a rather naive understanding of Christmas ("Hall decorations promote Christmas" SN 11/21). I do agree that Christmas certainly originated as a religious holiday, and that many people still hold it to be a religious holiday, but it is certainly false that the modern celebration of the holiday necessitates a religious practice. In modern American culture, Christmas has become so secularized that one need not be Christian to celebrate it.

COMMENTARY

Bank buster

MSU's already severely troubled financial times are likely to get worse thanks to one of its most distinguished alumni.

COMMENTARY

Dems need to find lost 'bleeding hearts,' appeal to America again

"When angry, count to 10," Mark Twain wrote. "When very angry, swear." I thought it best to do both; as anyone who's been around me can confirm, I've done quite a lot of swearing in the past couple of weeks.

COMMENTARY

Safety zone

East Lansing residents might no longer have to worry about guns and knives at their city buildings; parks and recreational facilities, but the city council ban on weapons Tuesday will not necessarily create a perpetually "safe place." While the ban will protect some areas from concealed weapons, it is important to note that guns and knives are not always the tools of violence. In many cases where people have been hurt at recreational and sporting events, few of the injuries have been linked to gunshot wounds or stabbings.