An alternative, legal form of marijuana known as K2 is gaining popularity despite its proven harmful effects on humans. However, Michigan legislatures are pushing to ban the substance all together.

Michigan is currently wrestling with the legal terms of using and selling this spice. Missouri, Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky and Kansas have already banned K2 and Michigan, along with other states, are currently working on legislation to ban all forms of the substance, according to an article by ABC News.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

According to Roy Mays, Manager of Global Investigations and Contract Security Services at Ford Motor Company and former police officer, laws regarding controlled substances are regulated either by federal or state governments. The FDC and CDC determine what substances need to be controlled by government regulation, then substances can be legalized for human consumption and distribution.

However, Mays notes that without the sufficient testing of these substances, the government has no reason to control them.

“K2 is too new and has never been studied, so they have no reason to control it and there is no proof that they need to control it,” Mays said. “Trial studies take a couple of years, and K2 is only two or three years old, so there have not been any completed studies thus far.”

Legally, K2 can be sold and marketed under the label of incense, but Mays is concerned that keeping a substance legal that alters the state of the mind and body can have many consequences.

“The obvious consequences of legality are similar to medicinal marijuana. It’s supposedly controlled but if you have a doctor’s permission or medical card, you can possess and consume the drug and reap the benefits of the THC or whatever the euphoric substance is that is getting people high,” Mays said.

K2 has effects on the mind and body comparable to marijuana, but the drug is considered poisonous to humans, and is not intended for humans to smoke, according to an article by ABC News. Still, K2 remains attractive because it is legal in most states, including Michigan, making it easy for people to get their hands on.

According to an article by ABC News, K2 is a “spice” containing the active ingredient JWH-018. Currently, Michigan has banned the JWH-018 ingredient, but the manufacturers of K2 have replaced it with similar acting ingredients that are sprayed on the spice, and resemble THC, according to a manager (who requested anonymity) at In Flight, a smoke shop located on Grand River in East Lansing.

While a drug labeled as a “spice” may seem harmless, you wouldn’t want to mix this one up in your spice cabinet.

Dr. Christopher Rosenbaum, a toxicologist and assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Massachusetts is an expert on K2, and has seen the harmful effects it has first-hand.

“People are reporting seizures, vomiting, accelerated heart rate and blood pressure, and requiring hospital care,” Rosenbaum said in an email.

Rosenbaum warns that the synthetic cannabinoids used in K2 are often unidentifiable, making it difficult to test their effects and do research on the substances.

While it seems that the dangerous effects of K2 outweigh the attraction to getting high, K2 remains a popular substance sold in everyday convenience stores and smoke shops. Michigan State University students report purchasing K2 at various locations in East Lansing, including the BP gas station on Michigan Avenue, and In Flight, a smoke shop located on Grand River Avenue.

According to the manager at In Flight, K2 is sold at their store legally, with prices ranging from $15 for 1.5 grams, to $30 for 3 grams of the substance. However, students are reporting steeper prices at different K2 retailers.

“Prices can get to $20 or $25 a gram for the really expensive stuff,” said an MSU sophomore, who asked to remain anonymous.

Still, prices are not the main concern for most K2 users. Students, store managers selling K2, and doctors point out the dangers of experimenting with the spice, but have also found consistent patterns in the costumers buying it.

A female sophomore at MSU, who has also asked to remain anonymous, sees a direct correlation between K2 users and people that are on probation for marijuana or alcohol abuse.

“The popularity comes from potheads that are on probation or trying to “drop clean” (have a clean urine test) for a job. Honestly, besides those two groups of people, I don’t usually hear much about K2,” the student said.

The manager at In Flight agrees, reporting that 99 percent of people purchasing K2 at their store are either on probation and in need of a clean urine sample, or are employed at places that drug test their workers on a regular basis.

“A lot of workers doing heavy labor are drug tested a lot so they buy K2 because it doesn’t show up on drug tests,” the In Flight manager said. “The construction guys working on the new museum come over and buy it all the time.”

According to K2 users and distributors, the scariest part of using the substance is its unpredictable nature. While some report feeling a similar high to the effects of marijuana, more serious and unpleasant side effects can occur, and students say that K2 is often not worth the risk.

“The effects are similar to weed. You’re dazed, giggly and have horrible munchies, but it only lasts about 15 minutes,” the female MSU sophomore said. “It’s not worth it in my opinion, but makes sense for people with specific circumstances.”

Christianity has a large presence on MSU’s campus. For some students, their faith drifts away from them but for others their faith is strengthened by going to college.

According to a study done by Jenny L. Small, a doctorate student of philosophy at the University of Michigan in 2008, “In sum, the recent studies on college students and religion and spirituality have shown students to be highly interested in these issues and strongly influenced by their families, their peers, and the campus environment.”

“The world is all around you, with drinking and girls and money. All of those things are nice but with being a Christian you have to find a way to navigate through that, but you can’t completely avoid it at the same time,” said advertising junior Richie Christie.

Food science junior Mallory Flanders said, “I am surrounded by the world and I can so easily get caught up in trying to conform myself to what the world wants whether that’s in body or mind or competition.”

Jake MacLean, a pre-med junior and Christian leader on campus, said living in the college environment at MSU is such an opportunity and there are many different desires to have.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

“At Michigan State, you can do whatever you want, whenever you want,” he said.

“It’s awesome being a Christian at Michigan State because you have to be a Christian, you can’t be a half Christian. You have to choose to either step out or go out and party away,” said MacLean.

A great way to keep your faith in college is to get involved in a student organization, like campus crusades, where people share your same beliefs and values, said Christie.

“These are great communities of people with the same beliefs and values. These people are there for you when you’re struggling,” said Christie.

“Many Christian students around campus attend smaller bible studies throughout the week whether it’s at their dorm or an off campus location, but there is a weekly meeting where everyone gathers called Real Life,” said Flanders.

“Real life brings me back to Christ. It brings me back to reality instead of the life I try to live in this world,” Flanders said.

With all the distractions and temptations of a college campus, MacLean said, “I’ve had to step out and be a Christian in a place where maybe a lot of people aren’t stepping out.”

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

MacLean is part of MSU’s Campus Crusades. He said, “the Christian community I have, especially with Campus Crusade, has been great because they are also a bunch of guys who are stepping out.”

Small’s study said, “An additional important study found that college cannot be considered the cause of the decline in the religiosity of young adults. In fact, the authors found that ‘those who never attended college had the highest rates of disaffiliation, decreased service attendance, and decreased importance placed on religion.’”

“Being in college increases my faith because of all the struggles that I face because I’ve had to over come them,” Flanders said.

Flanders admits that her faith is challenged and is not always simple.

“It’s easy for me to want attention and want things that give me temporary happiness but I know it won’t give me permanent happiness,” she said.

“I was a Young Life leader throughout high school. Young life is a lot like MSU’s Real Life,” said education junior Lexi Justice.

Justice said now that she is at college she is involved in many groups and has to put in a lot of volunteer hours. It’s hard for her to find Christian organizations that don’t conflict with her other activities and school work.

College students tend to view religion and spirituality in different ways.

“I think often religion is perceived as a political stance or sometimes it’s just used when people have a low time in their life,” said Flanders.

According to the study, “Many college students differentiate between religion and spirituality. Michael Zabriskie found in a study of 1,200 students on four college campuses that 41.5% defined themselves as spiritual and religious, 27.5% as spiritual but not religious, 5.3% as religious but not spiritual, and 14.2% as neither religious nor spiritual.”

Flanders said, “Students shouldn’t feel like they are being judged by the Christian community, anyone can come to Real Life as they are, no matter their background or beliefs.”

The newest record store in East Lansing has upcoming plans to offer residents a unique experience through specialized inventory, online shopping and live music.

Residing in the previously abandoned basement at 213 1/2 E. Grand River Ave. sits East Grand Record Company, lined wall to wall with vinyl records and filled with eclectic music coming from the speakers.

Photo credit -- Dylan Sowle

Brothers Mark and Mike Voldeck opened the doors of East Grand Record Company at the end of July 2011 after buying and selling vinyl online for the past three years. When they had collected about 26,000 records in a basement, they decided they needed a place for them.

That place was East Grand, and co-owner Mike Voldeck said that East Lansing, with its variety of people and college town location, was the perfect place for it.

“The college crowd has been our bread and butter,” said Voldeck. “They are a perfect demographic.”

With a good market and location, the main concern is that several other record stores are already doing business in town.

Most notably is Flat, Black & Circular, or FBC, the famous shop that has been around since 1977.

Owner of FBC, Dave Bernath, has seen plenty of music stores open up since he’s been running his.

“There used to be 10 record stores around here,” said Bernath. “Things have come and gone. I don’t have any competition. We all just want people coming out to get music.”

Voldeck also stresses the fact that he doesn’t want to view his store as directly competing with others, but as having a positive relationship of bringing music to the community. He even directs customers to the other stores when they don’t find specific items at his store.

With other well-known and successful record shops such as FBC and the Record Lounge around, a new business has to do something to declare its individuality and provide a different service to the community.

One thing that sets East Grand apart is its inventory. Unlike the other stores in the area, this shop deals almost exclusively in vinyl and on top of that, mostly in used vinyl. The store currently carries about 6,000 records and with a large proportion of the used records priced at only $1, East Grand is doing something unique in the way they approach their business.

Selling exclusively vinyl can be a challenge however, especially with the growing reliance on downloading music. Bernath attested to this, discussing how FBC has had to change and improvise over the years in order to give customers what they want.

“It’s definitely still a viable market,” said Voldeck. “We wouldn’t have gotten into it if it wasn’t. In 2010, vinyl record sales were the highest they’ve been since 1991.”

East Grand recognizes the demand for vinyl but also the need to evolve and keep up with modern technology. This understanding has prompted them to build an online store that will allow every single record that they carry to be purchased online, a completely new business technique for record stores in the area.

Photo credit -- Dylan Sowle

Hairong Li, a professor of advertising at Michigan State University highly recommends this type of online presence, especially for small businesses.

“You are selling something unique and not everyone in East Lansing will buy it,” said Li. “By putting yourself online, you will have a wider audience, so more people will buy your product.”

Heather Frarey, owner of the Record Lounge, agreed with this, especially with regard to businesses in a college town such as East Lansing.

“You need some sort of online presence in East Lansing because business simply dies out here during the summer when the college kids go home,” Frarey said.

These reasons are what prompted the owners of East Grand to set up this online store, which is currently in the final stages of cataloguing and should be up very soon. This method will allow customers to have the records shipped to them, or allow them to pick their purchases up in the store.

“Even though you’re selling records, you have to keep up with modern technology,” Voldeck noted. “Not everyone makes it down to East Lansing to buy records, but just about 99 percent of people have access to a computer.”

In addition to being present online, East Grand is working on an increased musical presence in their store. They have already had several big name local and touring bands play in the store and have live jazz every Monday and Friday.

“Eventually we want to have it so that someone is playing in our store on a daily basis,” said Voldeck.

Nathan Fedorchak, an MSU student and customer of local record stores acknowledged the value of this idea.

“Having live music in a record store would be a very different experience,” said Fedorchak. “It would be great exposure for local artists.”

East Grand Record Company has been working the past three months on trying to establish themselves and building their presence and the future holds even greater plans.

“We’re still getting our feet wet and learning about the area and the customers,” Voldeck said. “But business is great and East Lansing is a perfect place to be.”

Starting new clubs on campus may be challenging, but after jumping through a few hoops, four girls successfully created a competitive dance team for Michigan State University.

MSU Elite Competitive Dance is a student-run organization, established in June 2011, which provides students with the opportunity to dance competitively at the college level.

MSU Elite focuses on jazz, lyrical, hip-hop and some pom. Group members and guest choreographers choreograph pieces. They will have a spring showcase toward the end of the spring semester.

MSU Elite Dance Team

“We wanted to start our own dance team because we still wanted to be at a competitive level, but not too intense. We wanted to have time to enjoy college life and not be overwhelmed,” said Rachel Bonello, communications student and vice president of MSU Elite.

MSU Elite host events including competitions, conventions, philanthropies, fundraisers, performances and other on-campus events such as Sparticipation and the Homecoming parade, Bonello said.

“Team building, community service and excelling in dance are three important things MSU Elite supports,” said Heather Popoff, MSU nursing student and president of MSU Elite.

The team is eager and excited to start their first year as they have just completed their first dance competition that took place at Cobo Hall in Detroit on November 12.

The competition was hosted by JAMfest, which is international event productions company that hosts about 70 cheer and dance competitions across the United States, Europe and Canada.

After their first and successful competition at the Cobo Center in Detroit, MSU Elite placed first in both the hip-hop and jazz categories. MSU Elite was also awarded best chorography for their hip-hop dance.

“The team worked really hard these past few weeks to make sure we were ready for our first competition,” Bonello said. “It was a great competition to get our foot in the door.”

Bonello added that it was a great feeling to compete with fellow Spartans for the first time.

The team said they are very happy with their accomplishments and excited for future events and are very happy with the support they’ve been getting and hope it continues.

“We all had a lot of fun at our competition and are proud to place first for only practicing for a month, and I am looking forward to growing with the team” Popoff said.

Being a student-run organization offers members the opportunity to choreograph, teach and learn a wide variety of styles.

“Winning isn’t everything. To get awards, work together and represent MSU as a talented university is what we’re looking to do,” Popoff said.

One of the biggest obstacles MSU Elite faced was stabilizing their financial status.

“Finances have been our biggest obstacle, trying to find practice space and costumes that are affordable to us students paying tuition can be a challenge,” Popoff said.

The team is involved in fundraisers such as selling fan shirts and hosting events at local restaurants. They recently held a fundraiser at Dublin Irish Pub on November 9.

MSU Elite would appreciate all and any support from other Spartans, especially for their first event of this new dance team.

If you’re interested in supporting MSU Elite in any way and want more information on all their upcoming events you can visit their Facebook page.

The Residence Halls Association (RHA) at Michigan State University provides students with cheap entertainment options by putting on campus events such as the upcoming performance by Saturday Night Live comedian, Paul Brittain, and performance by Mac Miller in October.

According to Chelsea Satkowiak, director of public relations at the RHA, they are responsible for 10 major campus events per year, from concerts to celebrity speakers.? Events are made so affordable for students due to an RHA imposed tax of $25 on tuition bills.

Paul Brittain will perform at the Pasant Theatre on Nov. 21. Tickets for students will sell for $5, and $10 for the general public.

The RHA brings many big names to MSU and the surrounding community from comedians to musicians.

Back in October, the RHA hosted hip-hop artist Mac Miller, 19, at Fairchild Auditorium. The concert sold out to a crowd of mostly MSU students, who were able to purchase tickets for only $15.

While Miller kept the crowd enticed throughout the event, students say one of the best parts about the concert was the affordable ticket price they paid to attend. Sophomore advertising major, Devon Coates said the low cost of tickets were what really attracted him to the Mac Miller concert.

“I bought the tickets because they were $15 a piece. If they were $30 I might not have gone. Because they were $15 it was easy,” Coates said.

Satkowiak said the RHA-imposed tax is for students living on campus and is responsible for keeping ticket prices low. Although ticket prices vary depending on the popularity of the performer, the RHA is committed to keeping campus events cheap for students by relying on taxes to fund their affairs.

“Our goal when we bring shows to MSU is not to make profit, but to bring quality, low cost or free events to students,” said Satkowiak.

Students can find the RHA tax listed under the “general fees” category on tuition bills.

Satkowiak said the RHA rarely has fundraisers that benefit their organization. The fundraisers held by the RHA focus on donating money to charities, such as the 5K Race held to donate money to Ele’s Place, a center for grieving children.

Rodney James, director of special events for the RHA, said in an email he operates under the notion that college students are often strapped for cash and tries to provide reasonably-priced tickets for events like concerts.

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“When doing concerts with RHA the whole point of it is to have affordable ticket prices for students. In my tenure I haven’t had a ticket price over $20,” James said in an email.

Even given the recent economic downturn, the RHA remains unaffected by the turmoil, boasting steady numbers for event prices.

“I also do things with the mind set that most college students are broke, so the fluctuation of the economy has minimal if any effect on event ticket prices,” James said in an email.

No one appreciates cheap concert tickets more than college students who often have limited funds. However, students say the impressive roster of musical artists and other performers the RHA schedules keeps them returning to events.

Coates, who attended Miller’s as his first-ever concert, said he was satisfied and plans to attend more RHA events in the future since the concert was such high quality.

From knowledgeable ushers to fast-paced ticket lines, the RHA staff made a positive impression on students like Coates.

“The people working there were professional and it was an awesome, great place for a concert. Everything went really smoothly, they picked a good person to do the concert,” Coates said. “They couldn’t have done any better, I would definitely go to something again.”

MSU arts and humanities graduate Zach Desprez, a veteran attendee of RHA concerts, has seen big-name artists like Big Sean, Drake and Lupe Fiasco through the RHA.

Desprez said he was equally impressed with the quality of the Mac Miller concert and past events hosted by the RHA.

“It was packed, and everyone seemed to be having fun,” Desprez said. “Ushers were where they were supposed to be, security was tight and it was pretty smooth.”

Aside from major events like concerts and comedy shows, which according to James are the most popular of events, the RHA also offers smaller events throughout the year.

The RHA sponsors events like the Spartan Leadership Conference, free movie nights in residence halls and an annual stress relief program during the first semester finals week.

“We want to bring special events and programs that will benefit students. We want to bring shows and events to campus that students will enjoy and that they’ll actually attend,” Satkowiak said.

Upcoming RHA events promise to keep students returning. Even after graduating in May, Desprez wants to stay involved on campus by attending RHA events, he says.

“I’m from around here and have buddies that are still around,” Desprez said. “If I’m here into my masters program and can still take advantage of this kind of stuff, I’m going to. I’m just trying to have a good time.”

Twitter, a social media phenomenon created by software architect Jack Dorsey, has swept its way across the world on the back of the little blue bird they hold as their logo.

As an easy access social media site, Twitter has recently been recognized for playing a practical part in the lives of college students. It cannot be compared to the camaraderie of Facebook or the wishy-washiness of MySpace–Twitter has been holding its own. This once small, podcasting company is now helping to secure the future of many college graduates, as well as students still currently enrolled and grasping at their future job prospects.

Photo taken by Ron Brown

Kevin Burrows, a broadcast journalism sophomore here at Michigan State University, has discovered a way to use Twitter to his utmost advantage. After following his idol, news anchorman Vic Faust of Channel 7 Action News Detroit, on Twitter, Burrows decided to take the opportunity and contact Faust about following him on a job shadow.

“I just tweeted at him, ‘Hey what do you think about me doing a job shadow with you, it’s a requirement for my JRN 200 class’, then he asked me to call him,” Burrows explained. “The opportunity definitely made me realize that this was exactly what I wanted to go into.”

For Burrows, this opportunity was one that may have placed him on the map for future job prospects in the field that he truly aspires to be in. Across the country, students, professionals, and everyday citizens are using Twitter to grab at small and large breaks for their careers.

“Start by having a professional Twitter account – think of your future employers. Follow people of your professional interests so they can tell that you’re serious about this career. I followed Vic, but also many of his co-anchors and also many larger anchors such as Katie Couric,” said Burrows. “Think about what’s important and what you want to say. The first tweet should be simple but meaningful… that first tweet is crucial.”

While many of us are currently still getting into the swing of Twitter, companies are using it to their full advantage to see who is available to them, and also how they can make themselves available to their consumers.

Lauren Simonetti, a recent advertising graduate of Michigan State University, uses Twitter and LinkedIn to connect with companies that she has a personal or professional interest in.

“Twitter can be a great resource of information. Companies I followed would often post job opportunities on social networking sites before I found them using another resource,” said Simonetti.

Twitter offers a particularly easy and acceptable way to be able to stay in contact with opportunities one might be interested in.

“I used Twitter to connect with professionals and companies that I had previous interaction with. I made it a point to connect with professionals via Twitter after we had met at a career fair or through any of my internships,” Simonetti explained.

The ease and availability that Twitter is able to offer to college students, as well as the general public, is something that works well in the favor of those who are using the social media tool for professional reasons.

“Twitter is more legitimate than say, Facebook, because it’s more personal,” said Burrows. “You know it’s them and that you’re contacting them directly; anyone could pretend to be someone. Think of twitter as being trustful for professional interests.”

Twitter is a social media of give and take – what you put into Twitter is what you will get out. When close to 65 million tweets are being pounded out of computers, iPads, iPhones and other electronics daily, to be noticed, one needs to stand out from other generic tweets that are being tweeted by millions of people around the world.

“Demonstrate that you are engaged in the industry you are studying and people will take notice! Even if it doesn’t gain you an interview, it may play a significant role in getting you the [right] job,” said Simonetti.

Bonnie Bucqueroux, a journalism professor at Michigan State, uses Twitter as a learning tool in her classrooms to expose her students to social media.

“I encourage my students, rather beat them over the head, to use Twitter as crowd sourcing. Here are your story leads and where you build connections,” said Bucqueroux. “They need to begin following those in different communities to build connections, promote their stories, and gather better leads.”

Twitter does not stop being beneficial once college has come and gone away, but continues throughout when graduates search for more professional opportunities.

“Twitter has continued to be a great networking tool now that I have began my professional career. Many of the prospects we target come to us–a marketer’s dream–because we are providing relevant, compelling information that they want,” said Simonetti.

The help that Twitter lends does not stop with helping to secure professional opportunities, but also keeps people in tune with the most current and up to date proceedings of news, events, and promotions. While learning of news happenings in America, one can also hear the comings and goings of news all of over the world as Twitter is currently international and able to be read in sixteen different languages, expanding the marketplace for professional opportunities that much more.

While Twitter is a fun and interactive social media site, it can be used to a much higher potential by students and employers alike.

“Like you’ve been told by every professor at Michigan State University, human resource professionals pay attention to who you are on social media sites,” said Simonetti.

With this advice said, students should remember to keep their Twitter as professional as possible.

“Jay Rosen, a professor at New York University, once said that on Twitter there is mind casting and life casting,” Bucqueroux said. “Life casting is when you always tweet about how you’re going to grab a latte. Mind casting is tweeting about how making a latte works, news about recent events surrounding the latte, rather than just the latte itself. In this, you can deal with serious matters on twitter, not just use it as a marginal communication device.”

Your teachers were never pulling your leg about professionalism and your future, and now Twitter can truly help and secure that position you once thought was out of reach. With the help of professors and peers, that small blue bird may one day take a hold of the current job market and transform it into something much more futuristic than this world could have imagined.

2. “Poor U of M fans they are running out of reasons why they lost, can’t accept the fact that Denard is NOT a qb. #MSU“-devalu1981

3. “I usually see a lot of UM apparel while about in metro Detroit on Sundays. Hardly any today. Hmm… #MSU #PaintingTheStateGreen“-SaraAmanda

4. “#MSU wins, and #Redwings win. #Lions tried, and #Tigers blow. Oh well.”

5. Spartans up to 13 in USA Today/Coaches Pollhttp://tinyurl.com/3rr3ny3 #msu #michiganstate

6. “SportsCenter is comparing Wes Welker to Megatron. Welker is good, but Megatron is on a completely different level. #lions“

7. “This girl was cute, then I noticed her michigan hoodie.”

8. “You cant climb a cat to get anywhere”

9. “#MSU 1st class to sweep Michigan… since Freshman couldnt play till 1972 @MikeValenti971”

10. BREAKING: ESPN’s @CollegeGameDay just confirmed they will be coming to East Lansing for MSU’s matchup with Wisconsin next Saturday. #MSU

Photo credit: Kaleigh Robichaud

Choosing to live completely on your own for the first time is a big deal, and while it’s exciting, there is a lot to consider. Moving off campus could mean cooking your own meals, changing your transportation methods to classes and having a new freedom not often found in dorm life. So with so many choices between apartments, houses, co-ops and dorms, making the right decision requires some serious research.

Students at MSU are able to move off campus after they have successfully completely their freshman year, or have completed 28 credits to become sophomore status. There are approximately 13,972 students on campus here this year, or about one-third of the student body. Similar numbers for students living on campus are expected for the 2011-2012 academic year, with an incoming freshman class of about 7,200.

About two-thirds of the student body is living in off campus residents of some sort, whether they commute or live in an apartment or other living arrangement. So how do the majority of MSU students make the important decision to live on their own, free of the restrictions of the dorms? Some students attribute their decisions to financial reasons, while some say it’s all about the exploring the new found freedom of living as an adult.

Psychology freshman, Courtney Jarvis, explains how a need for independence was the driving force for her decision to live in the Delta Arms apartment complex for her upcoming sophomore year. “The prime reason for moving off campus was the independence, but there are added benefits such as being able to make the food I want to eat, and not having to worry about Resident Assistants,” said Jarvis.

Appealing perks for living in any off campus residence include freedom from authority figures like Resident Assistants (RAs), having more choices regarding students’ diet, locations in close proximity to popular places to study and of course places for entertainment. For many college students, living near local bars and restaurants, fraternity houses and places to shop are high-ranking priorities when selecting a place to move off campus. Jarvis admits location is key when choosing to live off campus.

“Price and location were the most important factors in making my decision to move out of the dorms next year. In my opinion, I’d rather live closer with a smaller square footage than far away with a larger living space. I’d feel distant and more of a commuter than full time student,” Jarvis explains.

Campus Village apartments (Photo credit: Jenna Chabot)

However, with a diverse student body at MSU, not all prefer to be on their own so young and in the mix of the Downtown East Lansing setting that many of the student apartments and homes are in the middle of. Packaging freshman, Sam Savich, and pre-vet freshman, Emily Von Linsowe, rooming together next year in Gilchrist hall, located in the West Circle neighborhood on campus. Savich claims that the dorms still provide a certain convenience that you cannot necessarily find in off campus apartments and other types of housing

“The convenience of being close to class is more motivating to do good in classes. I just love actually living on MSU’s campus. Some benefits of the dorms are having a food plan, having many areas to study, and the proximity to classes and the library,” said Savich.

Just as selecting an optimal place to reside of MSU’s campus is based on location, price and other contributing factors, choosing a dorm to live in for students staying on campus is no cake walk either.

“Since campus is huge, picking a dorm can be quite tricky. It all depends if you want to be close to classes, sporting areas, or Grand River. I am living in Gilchrist and choose to live there because I am always on Grand River. I also think that west circle holds the most beauty throughout campus,” said Savich.

Savich’s roommate, Von Linsowe sees similar benefits to remaining in the dorms for her sophomore year at MSU.

“It’s just more convenient for me and it’s easier to just walk to places. Cafeterias are always pretty close to you as well, which is an added benefit,” said Von Linsowe.

Since MSU has such a large campus and student population, it also offers a wide range of living options. While dorms are home to one-third of student population, including MSU’s freshman, many students look to apartments, houses, co-ops and university owned apartments for alternative living arrangements.

University Village, Spartan Village and Cherry Lane Apartments are considered university owned apartments, meaning MSU is the owner of these establishments and leases them to different demographics of students.

University Village, located on the West side of campus on Kalamazoo Street, provides living space for about 300 students. For students looking for an apartment with similar freedom to living off campus, yet the benefits of living on campus, this is the place for that. University Village offers ample parking (something many off campus apartments unfortunately lack), convenient meal plans suitable for living in close proximity to the dorms, community centers and four large, private bedrooms for each apartment. Sounds like it’s too good to be true? While there are a myriad of benefits to living in an establishment like this, naturally, there are also downfalls.

University Village seems to have all of the convenience, space, privacy and other perks that are appealing to our student body, but one major draw back students note about the university owned apartments are the presence of Resident Assistants, people students often try to avoid by moving into an apartment.

Additional university apartment options include Spartan Village, apartments typically reserved for families, graduate students and single room undergraduate students. Spartan Village makes a great community for people looking for a more serious academic atmosphere and for people looking to expand their worldview right here on campus. Spartan Village offers suitable arrangements for international students looking to acclimate to a new setting.

Cherry Lane apartments as well as Faculty Bricks apartments, originally part of the university owned apartments have been approved for demolition beginning in July 2010, according to www.liveon.msu.edu.

With so much to consider when choosing where to live in the East Lansing or Lansing community, location and apartment/home amenities are certainly factors to explore. But for most college students, living arrangements must be made with their wallets in mind, and budgets become very important.

As recent as the 2010-2011 academic year, living in the MSU dorms cost approximately $7,820 per semester, including a Silver meal plan, which is the smallest meal plan offered of the three (silver, gold and platinum.) This price is noted for a double room and with the smallest dining plan, meaning students seeking more privacy who choose a single room, or request a more filling meal plan, have an even larger bill. However, scholarships often cover students’ room and board, which can help with the pricey listings.

While living in the dorms may provide the convenience and structure many students find appealing, the prices can’t exactly be met with pocket change. Many students choose to live off campus because they find the majority of listings are cheaper than university housing, but there are some exceptions. Properties range from homes, to apartments, to duplexes and townhouses, so a wide variety of living styles often suites a lot of people.

Photo credit: Emily Lawler

According to Jarvis, she is looking forward to living in the freedom of her apartment next year, but still sees perks to dorm life. “The benefits of the dorms are that many of my friends were on the same floor so i never had to travel too far to chill with people, places to eat everywhere, bus stops right outside, classes in my building,” Jarvis said.

As for prices, apartments can range anywhere from $200 per person per month, to roughly $1,500 per month per person, so a myriad of budgets can be met. Houses, townhouses and duplexes are often filled by a larger group of students to compensate for the higher prices.  However, many of the homes and other living arrangements are sometimes still cheaper than the dorms at MSU.

A large property company called DTN Management owns many of the properties near campus including houses, townhouses, apartments and duplexes. With several leasing offices all over campus, DTN is one of the more well-known companies that MSU students lease from, including Jarvis, who is excited to move into her apartment at Delta Arms this coming school year.

Whether you’re pushing a budget, looking for a great location near campus buildings or Downtown East Lansing, or seeking the privacy of a place to yourself, MSU’s campus and the surrounding community has a variety of options for students in a wide range of situations.

Choosing a place to live is exciting no matter if you select an MSU dorm or a place off campus, but one thing is certain, the decision is not an easy one, and people cannot forget what they are at MSU for in the first place.

“Regardless of where you live, you still need to go to class and if it’s not easily accessible…that’s a problem. But I do agree that if you’re a more independent person, you can live more successfully farther away from campus than someone who is deeply involved with on campus activity,” said Jarvis.

Spartan Stadium. (Photo credit: Jenna Chabot)

When the Spartans stampede the football field at Spartan Stadium every fall, their proudly displayed green and white uniforms do not go unnoticed with their eye blacked cheeks, their bulging biceps or the wrath on their faces. But what often goes unnoticed is the lush green grass with the colossal white “S” marking the center of our field, the perfectly even playing surface and the environmentally friendly products used to maintain the fields that turf grass experts and athletic turf managers at Michigan State University provide our players with.

MSU is known for our Turf Grass Management program and in compliment, our high quality athletic fields. Students of the turf grass program at MSU learn reactions of different grasses, mowing and fertilizing techniques, weed control, irrigation methods, fertility information and even how to construct athletic fields. Classes range from language classes to match the demographic of their workforce, to pesticide and fertilizer application lessons.

MSU Professor of turf grass management Trey Rogers, is an expert in turf grass education and a vital part of the system MSU has to actively maintain our athletic fields.

“Maintenance determines the field quality, not the grass,” Rogers explains. “MSU is known worldwide for providing outstanding playing conditions,” said Rogers.

But what exactly goes into keeping MSU’s football, baseball, softball, soccer fields and golf courses Spartan green? According to Rogers, it takes a realm of daily activities to keep up the field’s safety and playability.

“The environmental aspects and the aesthetics are important, but the most important part of the maintenance is assuring athletes that the field is playable and especially safe. If the fields are unsafe for players, it’s a liability for MSU, and we’re preparing the fields for, not only daily practices, but also games with visiting schools. Visitors have expectations of safe playing fields,” said Rogers.

Maintaining the fields that host so many Spartan victories is not an easy task, however. During the athletic seasons someone is maintaining the fields on a daily basis, whether it is mowing the grass, fertilizing it or laying down pesticides, according to Rogers. While the grass requires the most upkeep, the skinned areas, or areas where grass is absent, are not to be forgotten. The holes on the baseball fields call for repair after every game, for instance.

MSU’s campaign to “be Spartan green” is an underlying guideline for the methods of maintenance chosen by the athletic turf managers and turf grass experts at our university. “Bad application of bad pesticides and fertilizer will kill grass,” explains Dr. Rogers. “I feel very confident that our staff are environmentally conscious. Pesticides coming to the market now are different than the products used in the 60s and 70s that were troublesome. Pesticides used now are biodegradable, and the turf grass absorbs the pesticide, so the problem with chemicals getting into the water is rare and the issue is minimized,” said Rogers.

With the Red Cedar River flowing throughout our campus, MSU has valid concern with the safety and purity of our river water and the resources we have access to.  A popular item on the market now for field maintenance is “designer pesticides” that are designed specifically to kill harmful organisms, yet leave beneficial ones alone.

“I’m quite happy with the pesticides we have now that are targeting specific organisms,” said Dr. Rogers.

The turf grass management program at MSU has served many graduates since the 1950s when it began, including Athletic Turf Manager Amy Fouty.  Fouty, accompanied by a staff of anywhere from two to fifty people, is in charge of athletic field preparation on our campus. The staff is a combination of people who have graduated with a degree in Turfgrass Management, or are in the process of completing that degree now, according to Fouty.

But when it comes to managing the fields in Michigan, there are sure to be some challenges, including typical unpredictable Michigan weather and adequately maintaining the football fields for the pressures of a Big 10 football game.

“Dealing with the challenges of the weather and consistently providing the best conditions as the number of events that occur in those facilities increase, are challenges. I have one full time staff person, and in the seasons March-November staff increases to 4-11 people during the summer. But during football game days, my staff can range from 5-50 depending on the preparation needed,” said Fouty.

As expected, the Big 10 football season for MSU is the most hectic time for athletic turf managers due to the sheer popularity of the sport and the high profile status it embodies. Fouty and her staff use a myriad of techniques to assure our athletes, coaches and fans that Spartan Stadium is prepped for victory.

“Our goals for every facility are, that they are first, safe for participants and spectators, have the best playability possible for the athletes, and then look great.   In the football stadium we prepare the stadium grass through proper fertilization, irrigation practices, aeration, top-dressing, and seeding. Our growing window in Michigan is end of April-beginning of October, so the grass must be very dense and healthy to stay stable for the later part of the Fall football season.  This can be very challenging,” Fouty explains.

As Rogers previously addressed, a main concern for the athletic field staff and turf grass professors at MSU is being stewards of the environment, and Fouty and her staff are no strangers to this notion. Methods to stay “Spartan green” include using efficient and proven products such as the designer pesticides, and paying attention to the detail of the labeling of products to make certain they are friends of the environment as well. But with a small budget, as Fouty noted, the emphasis in maintenance remains on productivity and efficiency.

MSU’s world renowned, environmentally friendly turf grass program has been recognized internationally. Countries including China have adopted our methods and programs similar to those that have been implemented at MSU are beginning in China.

Dr. Ronald Calhoun, an Environmental Turfgrass Specialist at MSU, is responsible for creating a turf grass program in Beijing, China. The program is similar to ours at MSU. Chinese universities now offer a turf grass management major through their institutions and online learning. Uniquely, MSU did not construct any facilities for the teaching of our program. Instead, classes are taught in Chinese facilities, but are recognized as a program of MSU, meaning students graduate with the names of both their Chinese university and Michigan State University on their diplomas.

According to Dr. Calhoun on www.mlive.com, the turf grass program in China is very successful so far.

“We actually have more undergrads in our turf grass program in China than we do in East Lansing, and we’ve doubled the number of trained turf grass professionals in China in the last five or six years we’ve had the program going,” said Calhoun.

MSU turf grass experts, athletic turf managers and turf grass professors at this university have stretched their talents not only to improve our campus, but have served other campuses internationally as well. While remaining a friend to the environment by selecting non-damaging maintenance methods, the experts at MSU portray fine examples of what it means to “be Spartan green.” And to the approximately 1,500 turf grass majors and graduates also watching the game, that grass underfoot is something to be just as proud of as the entering team.