Greater Lansing Community News

The Pandemic Adoption Boom

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It’s been over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Michigan. Since then, there has been many new rules that have been enforced to contain its spread and prevent Michiganders from sickness or even death. In the early months, businesses were deemed essential or not. This meant that certain employees were needed come to work to keep the country and the state afloat. These were mostly grocery stores and hospitals which provided people with nessacary goods and services.

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COVID-19 forces restaurants to rethink business model

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Michigan restaurants don’t look as they used to before COVID-19. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home order leaves restaurants with only one option to continue the business, and that is through carry-out orders. 

Without customers at their tables, hundreds of restaurants across the state have placed their employees on furlough. For the remaining few, hours have been shortened. Some have temporarily closed until the order is lifted. Some will never open again. 

Portage, Michigan

At Red Lobster in Portage, Michigan, 17-year-old Sarah Sweers is a hostess who worked part time after school and on the weekends.

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The race continues: Biden or Sanders

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Former Vice President Joe Biden

A spokesman for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign announced Tuesday, March 24, that Sanders will debate Joe Biden if one is scheduled for April. Despite Biden’s wins in primaries across the nation, Sanders does not seem to be dropping out anytime soon. Over a month ago, representatives of six Democratic campaigns attended MSU College Democrats’ primary event on Feb. 20 with the intent to educate students on the candidates’ policies. 

“It all sort of fell together very nicely, so I’m really excited that it’s here, and I’m hoping that a lot of people turn out so that we can really make this an educational and worthwhile event,” said Mary Gibbons, president of MSU College Democrats. “We want to make sure that people have a good idea of what their plan is to vote before spring break.”

Only two candidates remain after a month of candidates dropping out of the Democratic presidential race: Sanders and former Vice President Biden.

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The show must not go on

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            Four days away from its opening night, Michigan State’s Department of Theatre production “Bonnets” was canceled because of the threat of COVID-19.             The show had an all-female cast of 13 with a slightly larger crew. Nine people in the company were seniors putting together their last show.             “It came out of nowhere,” said costume designer and fifth-year senior, Chantel Booker. “Now it’s over.

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MSUvote hosts Absentea Party

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MSUvote, a non-partisan committee made up of Michigan State students, faculty and community members, hosted an event on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at Erickson Hall on MSU’s campus encouraging students to register to vote and sign up for absentee ballots. “Our primary purpose is to get people registered to vote and to make sure they get educated on all the candidates and all the issues,” said Suchitra Webster, co-chair of MSUvote and Michigan State University community liaison. “Our primary purpose is to get people registered to vote and to make sure they get educated on all the candidates and all the issues,” said Suchitra Webster, co-chair of MSUvote and Michigan State University community liaison. The event, called the Absentea Party, took place at Erickson Hall.

Congress

Gretchen Driskell campaigns at James Madison College

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State of MichiganGretchen Driskell

EAST LANSING – Michigan House of Representatives Democratic candidate Gretchen Driskell spoke at a Feb. 3 event for James Madison College Kennedy Democrats. 

“She is an incredibly optimistic and hardworking candidate who is very excited to bring about progressive change in Washington, D.C.,” said Jasper Martus, president of the Kennedy Democrats. Driskell is running in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District to turn the traditionally Republican district blue by defeating incumbent Tim Walberg. 

“Tim Walberg is basically your average Republican Congressperson,” said Trevor Jones, a Driskell campaign staffer. “Walberg isn’t creating any new policy. He just kind of sits back, floats along and votes with Trump 98% of the time.”

Jones, a recent University of Michigan graduate, previously worked on Driskell’s campaign as an intern and jumped at the opportunity to work with her again. 

“Gretchen is just the perfect candidate,” Jones said.

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Michigan State University spreads sexual assault awareness across campus

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April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and this nationally recognized campaign is attempting to educate the nation on sexual violence, increase public awareness and prevent these acts from occurring across the United States, including college campuses such as Michigan State University. One way that Michigan State has been spreading awareness is by hosting a large variety of events. Some of the past events included a 5k, yoga sessions, coffee hours and a special day to wear teal: the color of sexual assault awareness and prevention. 

In addition to these events in East Lansing, on Tuesday, April 16, the MSU museum opened an exhibit called Finding our Voice: Sister Survivors Speak. The exhibit commemorates the sexual assault survivors of former Michigan State osteopathic physician Larry Nassar and draws attention to the pain that he has caused these women, while also creating a sense of hope and healing for the survivors. 

A piece of art with the aim to create this sense of hope is a butterfly dress created by Nassar survivor Alexandra Bourque. The dress is created out of over 300 tie-dye butterflies of bright and vibrant colors, spread out as if they are flying to become part of the dress. 

Bourque, 28, said the dress started off as a display for her store, Brightlytwisted, in Corktown, Detroit.