Spartan Newsroom (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/author/kaylaeffner/)
Kayla Effner is a junior at Michigan State University studying journalism. She has taken interest in journalism since she was the Editor-in-chief of the Williamston High School Newspaper. Effner also has experience in editorial writing as a member of the Women's Fashion Team at VIM Magazine and in content creation as a volunteer at the student radio station, The Impact 89 FM. She plans to graduate in May of 2020.
The 48th annual Hash Bash took place in Ann Arbor on April 6th. The event which has served as a call for freedom for the past two decades was re-shaped by the passing of Proposition 1 in November.
East Lansing students and residents are coming together to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. On April 1, a kick-off was hosted in the MSU Ballroom. Representatives from many campus groups attended the event, including curators from the MSU Library. Elisa Landaverde, metadata librarian, became responsible for the LGBTQ+ Special Collection in 2018. “My interest is to expand what we have to be more inclusive,” she explained.
The City of East Lansing is gathering information about potential lead exposure in older homes. Notices were issued to residents in November after a change in policy at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
Building projects in East Lansing are causing controversy about the environment. Some activists say the energy efficiency of the new buildings won’t do enough to address climate change.
After several decades of activism on MSU campus and in the capital, East Lansing’s Peace Education Center is planning to publish a book about the organization’s history. Board members are planning a spring reunion.
After unanimous approval by the School Board, a sixth-year foreign language course will be offered at East Lansing High School this fall. Students begin learning French or Spanish in seventh grade and their course options are often exhausted by junior year.
East Lansing residents call upon the city to reconsider the use of trails as recreational to see them as transportation.
During the polar vortex, Consumer’s Energy issued a state wide request to cut back on gas. As a result, big and small businesses suffered losses.