Also in Editorials

• Dual-majoring may not be worth extra work

  Updated Tue 7:31pm

  Some college students think just having one major is a ton of work, but an increasing number of seniors are graduating with double and even triple majors.

  According to the Lansing State Journal, 424 students graduated from MSU with multiple majors in 2003.

• Lifting gas tax won't boost tourism, economy

  Updated Mon 7:42pm

  Gas prices don’t seem to be lowering any time soon, but Michigan residents could be seeing a little relief at the pump this summer.

  After Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, and John McCain, R-Ariz, suggested a tax break on gas, local Republican lawmakers are pushing for their own version of a gas tax holiday by proposing to temporarily eliminate Michigan’s sales tax on gas for the summer driving season.

• High food stamp usage indicates larger problem

  Updated Sun 7:30pm

  Welfare has long been associated with the poor, the disabled and elderly, or those who are too lazy to find work, but with the country in a recession, the Bridge Card is becoming a common card in the purses and wallets of wealthier families.

  Swiped like a credit card at checkout, a Bridge Card is the debit card that replaced the paper food stamps in 2001.

• State's efforts to expand sex education smart

  Updated 04/24/2008 7:12pm

  Sex is everywhere — it’s in magazines, movies, music videos, on the Internet and many other mediums. Ignoring it won’t make it go away.

  Democratic state lawmakers are introducing legislation that would require health insurance plans that cover prescriptions to also include coverage for contraception.

• Recruiting felons for military risky, unavoidable

  Updated 04/23/2008 7:08pm

  The U.S. military branches have had their fair share of scandals in the last few years.

  But now for the latest shocker: felons in the military.

• Candidates' Internet use may boost interest, votes

  Updated 04/22/2008 7:20pm

  Public figures are increasingly resorting to unique Internet domains in an effort to relate to the masses. First, it was the pope — with a snazzy Web site that tracks his every move — and now it’s the presidential candidates.

• Earth Day must be more effective to be useful

  Updated 04/21/2008 9:06pm

  Guess what today is. Apart from the obvious “Tuesday,” many people might not know what falls on April 22. After all, unlike major and secondary holidays that receive a lot of fanfare when individuals might enjoy a day off, Earth Day doesn’t do much. Not a lot of guidance from Hallmark this time.

• Room rate hike needed, may make students flee

  Updated 04/20/2008 7:27pm

  Money makes the world go round, and in the case of MSU students, it keeps the campus looking up-to-date.

  The MSU Board of Trustees recently voted to raise room and board rates by 5.25 percent effective by the next academic year. Incoming and returning students can expect to see a price increase of $350, which means it will cost about $7,026 each year for a double room and an unlimited meal plan.

• Religious leaders' revamped images appeal to masses

  Updated 04/17/2008 7:17pm

  Costco Wholesale Corp. and the Dalai Lama aren’t often mentioned in the same sentence. But his holiness and several business leaders, including Costco’s co-founder Jeffrey Brotman, were together Monday in Seattle for a business-inspired talk. Preaching the same peace and karma that he’s known for, the Dalai Lama offered business advice to eager ears.

• No easy answer for responding to graffiti threats

  Updated 04/16/2008 7:17pm

  This is so high school.

  Bomb threats and other warnings were commonplace when we were in high school, especially after the shootings at Columbine High School in 1999. Oftentimes it wasn’t more than a false alarm used to get out of class on a nice day or to skip a test.

• Treatment of animals shouldn't be secretive

  Updated 04/15/2008 7:19pm

  The events of this week especially should make people question what “humane” treatment of animals really means.

  Students Promoting Animal Rights, or SPAR, took the opportunity this weekend to protest the Royal Hanneford Circus at Breslin Center. Members of the student group claim the circus employs cruel practices and treatment of its animals, despite the circus’s denials.

• Donations determine direction of universities

  Updated 04/14/2008 7:07pm

  What makes the university system in the U.S. worthwhile is the diversity and variety that each institution offers to prospective students. One school might offer a great engineering program while another may specialize in liberal arts. The variety makes choosing a school an important and exciting decision.

• Automatic college admission has few advantages

  Updated 04/13/2008 7:10pm

  Getting into MSU or the University of Michigan is an achievement. And it should stay that way.

  If a proposed bill in the Michigan Legislature is passed, the top 10 percent of graduating students from every state high school would be offered admission to each of Michigan’s public universities.

• National parks preservation must happen now

  Updated 04/10/2008 7:32pm

  “Pave paradise and put up a parking lot” seems less like a catchy song lyric and more like a bleak reality.

  A report from the National Parks Conservation Association warns that Congress must spend about $100 million in land purchases during the 2009 fiscal year to help preserve the beauty of about 55 national parks.

• Mitten's grab for movie makers a slick move

  Updated 04/09/2008 7:10pm

  In an effort to increase available jobs and give Michigan a quick economic boost, Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed legislation Monday that would make the state the most financially attractive to movie makers.

• Extending Mich. bar hours has perks, problems

  Updated 04/08/2008 7:08pm

  A proposed bill that would allow bars to stay open until 4 a.m. might seem like a two-hour legislative bonus to many college students. The bill states that bars and restaurants could remain open an extra two hours for an annual $2,500 fee.

• Students should respect professors in class

  Updated 04/07/2008 7:02pm

  We’ve all done it. There’s no shame in admitting to it. Students sometimes need that stimulating distraction during labs and lectures to keep from going insane. Most commonly, people choose to read a newspaper (or, more commonly, play the sudoku or crossword puzzles), text message or use laptops for something other than taking notes.

• Student riot pointless; hurts MSU's reputation

  Updated 04/06/2008 7:45pm

  As thousands of people gathered at Cedar Fest on Saturday night through Sunday morning, the mood was distinct.

  People were waiting for something to happen. Glass bottles, rocks and anything else were thrown into the crowd and at helmet-clad police officers, who stood vigilant nearby. About four fires were reportedly started in the area. Some officers used intimidation and threats of arrest in order to control participants.