Restorative Justice is on The Rise in Michigan Schools

When it comes to school discipline in the United States, punishments such as detention, suspension and even expulsion are nothing new – but in recent years, proponents of restorative justice have become hopeful that for the most part, they may soon be left in the past. Restorative practices – which Michigan schools have been required to consider as disciplinary alternatives since the signing of Gov. Rick Snyder’s restorative justice law in 2016 – focus primarily on overall harm reduction, and encourage schools to consider the full context of a situation when deciding on disciplinary measures. “It’s an approach to addressing conflict and misconduct that focuses on healing the harm rather than punishment, and that values accountability over exclusion,” said MacDonald Middle School Assistant Principal John Atkinson, who spoke about his school’s use of restorative justice at an East Lansing School Board meeting on Jan 22. “Rather than relying on just punishment, restorative justice expects those who cause injuries to make things right.”

Source: MacDonal Middle School

However, when it comes to how these amends can be brought about, schools have found that there is no one right answer. “It looks different everywhere, and I think that’s because a lot of schools have been shifting more towards restorative practices in general,” said Adam Brandt, an assistant principal at Eaton Rapids Middle School.

Lansing homelessness rates continue to increase, despite state decrease

LANSING, Mich.—There are at least 515 unhoused people in Lansing on any given night, according to a report from The National Allegiance To End Homelessness. Organizations like City Rescue Mission of Lansing and The Congregation of Every1 (COE) show that it takes a lot of people to help a lot of people. 

“Last year, we provided 365 meals every day. So that’s a little over 133,000 meals last year,” said Laura Grimwood, senior director of community engagement at The City Rescue Mission. For 113 years, The City Rescue Mission of Lansing has prided itself on providing “food, shelter, and hope” to those who need it most. They have a number of locations that offer a variety of services, such as a dining room on Michigan Avenue that offers food to anyone who may need it, a men’s shelter, a women’s shelter and The Outreach, which is designed to help individuals who may struggle in a typical shelter environment.

Major road construction in East Lansing may cause years of campus traffic

A new road construction project has been under work and officially unveiled to the Greater Lansing area, with major changes to be made to US-127 and Interstate 496 from early 2024 to late 2025.

These two roads are the main roads that run along the East Lansing-Lansing border and include some of the most common access points to get into both the East Lansing area and Michigan State University. This includes two exits that are frequently used to get to both Trowbridge and Dunckel roads, which run straight to Michigan State.

Young adults find it hard to avoid sports betting

Since 2019, one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States has been the sports gambling industry. According to the American Gaming Association, $119.8 billion was wagered on sports in 2023 across the United States. When the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018, the legalization of sports gambling across the country began. As of 2024, 38 states have legalized sports gambling. Twenty-eight of those states have also legalized online sports gambling. One of those states is Michigan.

Lansing Lions fans prove pride isn’t only about geography or records

The Lions still remain one of only four teams who have never made it to the Super Bowl. Their 2023 season was the closest the team had come to a championship win since 1991, falling only three points short of the Super Bowl. 

Despite their playoff loss, their fandom only seemed to grow in Detroit and other Michigan cities like Lansing. A fanatic sports town and college town, Lansing has some of the most passionate sports fans in Michigan. One Michigan State alumna Lindsey Fish has always considered herself a big sports fan, but she has recently become an even bigger Lions fan with this winning season.

Black History Month in East Lansing offers opportunities for community engagement

East Lansing is offering community events and recognition to celebrate and reflect on the history of Black Americans throughout February’s Black History Month. “The City of East Lansing acknowledges the significance of Black History Month as an important opportunity to commemorate the tremendous contributions of Black Americans to the history of East Lansing and the United States and recognizes the importance of Black History Month as an opportunity to reflect on the complex history of the nation,” according to a resolution recognizing Black History Month from the East Lansing City Council. The resolution was approved unanimously by the council on Feb. 6, with remarks from City Councilmember Dana Watson. Watson noted some important events in East Lansing’s Black history.

Zeke the Wonderdog: More Than Just a Frisbee Catching Mascot Dog 

Zeke the Wonderdog, known for his high-flying frisbee catches at Michigan State Football games, has left the Spartan Stadium crowd in awe and cheers with his performances during halftime and between plays at football games. It is a more than 45-year-long tradition and a staple hood of Michigan State football games in the fall. The tradition started in the 1970s when Gary Eisenberg, an MSU sophomore, competed with his yellow Labrador, Zeke, in several frisbee competitions. Zeke was just an ordinary dog at the time, but that would soon change. 

“He was just Zeke, there was no Wonderdog there, he was just my dog,” said Eisenberg. 

The two were noticed by Michigan State University when Gary and Zeke finished runner-up in the World Championship in Pasadena. After their impressive performance, they were asked to perform at an MSU home football game, and the tradition was born. 

“The response was overwhelming, the students went wild they just went bananas, they would stomp the bleachers chanting Zeke Zeke Zeke,” said Eisenberg. 

The original Zeke the Wonderdog performing at Spartan Stadium.

Inside East Lansing’s Ink and Needle Tattoo Shop

Located in downtown East Lansing between cafés and bars stands Ink and Needle Tattoo. The tattoo shop is an East Lansing favorite for Michigan State students seeking to have their stories in ink. The shop is known to have a welcoming atmosphere and draws in all kinds of students.

Community members in disbelief after affordable housing vote postponed

After the East Lansing City Council announced that the vote on an affordable housing apartment complex on 530 Albert St. was being postponed, community members were audibly disappointed and upset. “Are they afraid of us?” one woman exclaimed. The plan for construction would take out the Bailey Street parking lot located just behind Grand River Avenue on Bailey and Albert streets. While some were all for integrating affordable housing near campus, many were concerned about parking post construction and the strain that it would have on businesses, their employees and long time customers.