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MICHIGAN

Lansing to holds event to show residents highlights of the city

Rachel Jackson
June 2, 2011

On Saturday, Lansing will kick off the 2011 summer tourism season with the Be a Tourist in Your Own Town annual event. Tracy Padot, vice president of marketing for Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau, said she expects more than 12,000 people will tour Greater Lansing on Saturday, when local business open their doors to people from around the area. For a $1 passport, visitors will have access to more than 60 venues in the Lansing area, including pontoon boat rides on the Grand River, an instrument petting zoo at the MSU Community Music School and even the opportunity to rappel down the 23-story Boji Tower in downtown Lansing. “We really hope that we’re educating (people) about all the great offerings we have,” Padot said.

MSU

Students work on website for quickest walking routes

Beau Hayhoe
June 2, 2011

Visitors to MSU’s campus soon might find quicker ways to navigate campus thanks to a new website created by an MSU student. Electrical engineering sophomore Nick Hess has teamed up with four other college students — including a fellow Spartan — to start campusroutes.com, a website that uses GPS features to help students and visitors find the fastest walking routes between buildings using campus sidewalks. Hess and Chris Ostrowski — a computer science junior at Western Michigan University — first came up with the idea during Lansing’s Startup Weekend, an event held in April, which showcases innovative business ideas and provides monetary prizes to the best idea as selected by a panel of judges.

MICHIGAN

Board of Water and Light holds 16th chili cook-off

Josh Mansour
June 2, 2011

The Board of Water and Light, or BWL, Chili Cook-off has become a Greater Lansing tradition, and this Saturday will mark the 16th year of the charitable event. The cook-off began as a way to offset the costs of the BWL’s Adopt A River program, before ultimately becoming a benefit for local nonprofit organizations, BWL communications director Mark Nixon said. Last year’s event was hampered by rain, but Nixon expects 12,000-14,000 people to attend this year, based on previous years’ turnouts and pre-event ticket sales. “The whole idea was to celebrate the riverfront,” Nixon said.

NEWS

MSU nears top of list for number of Pell Grants given

Beau Hayhoe
June 1, 2011

MSU has been ranked the fourth-most economically diverse college in the country, according to data collected by the Department of Education and analyzed by The Chronicle of Higher Education. The department’s study looked at the 50 wealthiest colleges and universities across the country and ranked them according to the percentage of undergraduate students who received Pell Grants for the 2008-09 academic year.

NEWS

MSU Model U.N. team among global top 10

Dena Elian
June 1, 2011

MSU’s Model United Nations team, the International Relations Organization, or IRO, was ranked among the top 10 college teams in the world. The ranking was compiled by bestdelegate.com, a website operated by a group of Model U.N.

NEWS

Record rainfall impacts Greater Lansing community

Josh Mansour
June 1, 2011

With record-setting rainfall hitting Lansing this spring, flooding has been an ongoing problem for Lansing residents. Following Sunday’s thunderstorms, the rain accumulation since March has totaled 14.96 inches, making this the rainiest spring in Lansing’s history, National Weather Service meteorological intern Kimberly Hoogewind said.

MSU

Artistic activities lead to success in business

Beau Hayhoe
May 31, 2011

A new study led by MSU researchers has found that sustained involvement in artistic activities could be linked to success in starting a new business or producing an innovative product. MSU’s Center for Community and Economic Development surveyed 86 MSU Honors College graduates from 1990-95 and found that exposure to the arts among the graduates was closely related to producing patentable products or leading creative business ventures in the future. The findings are critical for retaining creative people in the state and generating additional funding for arts programs, said Rex LaMore, the director of the center. “I hope it will help us reconsider how we treat the arts — not as an add-on or frill but as an essential component,” he said.

NEWS

Volunteers needed for park planting

Alyssa Zandi
May 30, 2011

Volunteers from East Lansing’s Environmental Stewardship Program have one focus: preserving and improving the city’s public parks. Saturday the group will be planting seedlings at Hawk Nest Park, 3750 Kiskadee Dr., a newly established park.