News

Michigan residents package free meals for families in need

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Following Michigan’s K-12 school closures and stay-at-home order, efforts to flatten the COVID-19 curve presented greater challenges to food-insecure families. School districts, small businesses and organizations responded to the crisis with an abundance of free food-distribution services and support. On March 20, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined Lansing School District staff and volunteers including MSU professor Robert Kolt to distribute donated school supplies and sack lunches at Sexton High School. 

“It breaks my heart to think that because school is closed there might be a kid who doesn’t get to eat anything that day,” said Lansing Board of Education president Gabrielle Lawrence. 

The Lansing School District established 22 food distribution sites for students and families to receive lunches Monday through Friday during Michigan’s K-12 school closure. “I’m so proud of our district for being able to offer these food services to families as we’re going through this unprecedented crisis,” said Lawrence. 

According to Whitmer, about 750,000 children in Michigan qualified for free and reduced cost lunch this year. While school districts are not required to provide free meal programs during the state-mandated closure, hundreds of districts initiated drive-up, pickup and bus-delivery services for the remaining part of the K-12 school year. 

Angela Mercer, administrative assistant at the Van Buren Public Schools, said, “Students need structure.

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Two business partners in vintage clothes stand outside their store.

COVID-19 presents challenges for small-business owners

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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an order to close dine-in services and most non-essential businesses including coffee shops, gyms and theaters. By March 23, Whitmer issued a stay-at-home order for all non-essential workers, causing small businesses to close their doors indefinitely. See how three businesses are trying to cope.

News

Group works to get out Asian-American vote

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In 2007, APIAVote-MI started as a small activist group informing voters about the harms brought on by a 2006 Michigan amendment, Proposal 2, that banned affirmative action programs in education. Since then, the group has registered thousands of Asian-American and Pacific Islander voters, held voter education events and reminded individuals via phone and mail to prioritize voting.

Elections & Politics

Bailey Hall government meets state representatives

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MSU students with Rep. Julie Brixie, fourth from left and, next to her, Rep. Padma Kuppa. Michigan State students connected with state representatives on a personal level Feb. 25, as Bailey Hall Government hosted Michigan Reps. Padma Kuppa and Julie Brixie for a small group discussion and dinner at Brody Hall. 

“Seeing someone’s name on the ballot or reading about them online is a lot different than actually being able to interact with them,” Bailey Hall President Juhi Parekh said. “An event when students can ask questions with the people they actually elected themselves is a great opportunity to understand the impact your voting can have.”

Bailey Hall President Juhi Parekh.

Congress

Slotkin and Brixie deliver their take on the state of the district

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U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin and State Rep. Julie Brixie spoke at East Lansing High School on Feb. 21 at the state of the district town hall meeting. Slotkin said she didn’t regret her decision on voting yes to impeach President Donald Trump. Slotkin, right, and Brixie take questions. “I made the decision to support the impeachment vote,” Slotkin said.

Arts & Entertainment

MSU Museum’s Teal Talks give survivors a platform

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Images from the “Finding Our Voice: Sister Survivors Speak” exhibit. At the Michigan State University Museum, a series of Teal Talks is being hosted in the “Finding Our Voice: Sister Survivors Speak” exhibit. These talks take place on the second Friday of every month for an hour.  

The museum opened the exhibit in April 2019 to provide a healing and learning environment to raise awareness regarding sexual violence. The talks provide a forum for community members, students, staff and faculty all over campus to participate in facilitated conversations led by scholars and advocates about the exhibit and the important issues it raises,” said Elesha Newberry, campus outreach specialist.

Religion

Pope reaffirms ban on female ordination; Catholic women divided

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Debrah MiszakLansing Diocese director of consecrated vocations Dawn Hausmann with an image of Pope John Paul II. Considered a saint by the church, he established the “theology of the body,” which states that people have different roles to play in the world according to their biological sex. As American women grapple with their role in society during  a Democratic primary which has featured a record number of female candidates, American Catholic women are struggling with their position in the church. In February, the Vatican released a document summarizing the 2019 Amazon synod — a meeting of bishops and stakeholders in that region. The document did not provide a final answer on the synod’s hottest topics: the ordination of women to serve as deacons and the ordination of mature, married men to the priesthood.