News

Michigan residents weathered a summer of poor air quality

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Nicoline BradfordHaze from the Canadian wildfires hung over Brody neighborhood at MSU in July, 2023. This summer Michigan residents saw the real consequences of climate change. In early June and throughout July, Michiganders woke up to hazy days and air quality warnings. Robert Wahl, an environmental epidemiologist at Michigan State University, said the levels of air pollutants this summer are very unusual for Michigan. The Air Quality Index, AQI, is used to measure levels of air pollutants on a scale of “good” to “hazardous.” While AQI measures multiple pollutants, the most concerning is particle pollution smaller than 10 micrometers.This is called fine particulate matter and is a direct result of the wildfires raging through Canada.

Business & Economy

Strange Matter Coffee comes to East Lansing

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Popular, local coffee chain Strange Matter fills the space left by Biggby at the MSU Student Union. 

“I’m excited to have another non-MSU food option at the Union,” said Grace Densham, an MSU undergraduate. “I’m especially pleased with the fact that it is a small, local business. It was really sad to see Biggby go and be replaced by vending machines for so long.”

Strange Matter owner Cara Nader, understands the difference small businesses can make. “We are small, but very efficient at what we do,” she said. “I can’t speak to other coffee shops in town, but we pay a livable wage.

News

Summer Circle brings theater to East Lansing families

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Free, accessible theater returned to East Lansing June 15 as the Summer Circle Theatre began the season with a production of “Schoolhouse Rock Live!”

Summer Circle Theatre is turning toward a more family-friendly direction, said Katherine Clemons, the director of the show. “Schoolhouse Rock Live!” was the perfect choice to “chauffeur in the new era of family-friendly theater.”

Even though it is a university-run program, Summer Circle Theatre is a fixture in the East Lansing community. 

“SCT is a staple in the East Lansing Community,” Clemons said. “We have members who have been coming for 40+ years, never missing a show. It’s a place for the community to gather together and partake in the arts for free together.”

The outdoor courtyard was already half filled an hour before showtime. There’s a tradition in the program that awards a pair of season passes for the upcoming Michigan State University theater season to the first arrivals who remain seated until the show begins, Clemons said.