East Lansing

Newman Lofts cultivates older community in East Lansing

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Newman Lofts pamphlet and March calendar of events for residents in the lobby. Picture taken on March 25, 2024. While the streets of Albert Avenue fill with college students at 9 p.m. on a Friday night, Ed Mazlish gets ready for bed right across the street. He lives in Newman Lofts, East Lansing’s premiere 55 plus apartment complex, located in the heart of Michigan State University’s college town. “You know, sometimes there’s noise and I have to tune it out,” Mazlish said.

Arts & Entertainment

Proposed project to bring first digital art installation to East Lansing

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A proposed location of the vinyl digital art murals on the south wall of the Albert Street parking garage. Picture courtesy of Wendy Sylvester-Rowan. A painted mural on the corner of Michigan Ave and N Harrison Rd photographed on March 11. East Lansing’s public art scene is no stranger to vibrant murals, unique sculptures, and quirky architecture. If it depends on the Art Programming and Placemaking Specialist Wendy Sylvester-Rowan, the city will look even more lively soon.

Education

MacDonald Middle School invests in restorative justice practices and reduces suspensions 

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Restorative justice is not always widely used in a traditional classroom setting. However, MacDonald Middle School has seen significant improvements among its students since adopting this system. Restorative justice is an alternative to punishment and a more peaceful discipline approach used to repair harm that has been done, according to MacDonald Principal, Amy Martin. 

“Restorative justice looks at all parties involved and gives the opportunity for all parties in the conflict to have a voice and to be heard,” Martin said. “Then we have to come to an agreement on how to peacefully coexist in the same place.” 

Martin has been at MacDonald for nine years and said restorative practices were implemented at the school in 2000. She said the administration has encountered some system issues along the way. 

“We didn’t really have a balance between restorative practices and traditional consequences for students,” Martin said.