Category: Fun & Resources

Learn about fun and/or interesting things to do around MSU or interesting bits of MSU trivia.

3 Excellent Local Farmer’s Markets to Check Out This Summer

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farmers_market_small
Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy.

There’s something about fresh fruits and vegetables that just screams summer, and there’s no better place to buy those foods than at a local farmer’s market.

The month of June is National Fruit and Vegetable Month, and even though July is almost here, there’s still plenty of time to celebrate by heading to a nearby farmer’s market to pick up some delicious fruits and veggies. We’ve compiled a list of three markets in the Lansing area to get you started.

MSU Student Organic Farm Stand

You’ll find this market located under a big white tent on Farm Lane in front of the MSU Auditorium every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

East Lansing Farmer’s Market (ELFM)

The ELFM will take place June 4 – October 29, 2017 on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Valley Court Park, 280 Valley Court.

Farmers Market at the Capitol

Farmers Market at the Capital will be open three times this year:

Thursday, July 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Thursday, August 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Thursday, September 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

View a more complete Greater Lansing Farmers Market Guide or West Michigan Farmers Market Guide.

Spend Your Lunch Hour at These Summer Health4U Programs

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There are many Health4U programs available to MSU employees. All of the programs run from 12:10 p.m. – 12:50 p.m., so you can check them out during your lunch hour!

The programs include: Fresh Air Fitness, Relaxing Under the Stars, Rest With Music and Recipe for Health Cooking Series. Learn more on the Health4U website.

MSU Employees Spend Less for the Spartan Coding Bootcamp

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Is your high-school aged child interested in learning computer coding? Would they love to spend a week with other students learning how to code and gaining hands-on experience? The Spartan Coding Bootcamp is exactly what you’ve been looking for!

coding
The Spartan Coding Bootcamp gives students hands-on computer coding experience!

This week-long bootcamp will teach students how to code and develop an application to solve a technical problem that they choose themselves. Students aren’t required to have prior coding knowledge to participate; the camp is for high school students entering grades 10 through 12 this fall.

As an added bonus, the first 30 enrolled children of MSU employees will receive a discounted rate of $500 dollars for the commuter (non-residential) program. This program fee includes the one-week bootcamp, a daily lunch and 60 hours of self-paced online work after the camp is finished.

There is also a discounted residential option available for $750, which covers housing, food, all coding instruction and extracurricular activities during the summer camp. If you are interested in receiving the discount, contact Martin Toomajian at toomaji5@msu.edu for information on how to enroll.

The Spartan Coding Bootcamp will take place Monday, July 17 – Friday, July 21. You can find more information about the camp and enroll your child by visiting their website.

Campus is Buzzing: Learn about Bee Palooza and find out where to buy MSU Honey

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Did you know that honey bees are responsible for pollinating around 80% of all the fruit, vegetable and seed crops in the U.S? For such a small insect, they have a huge impact on our lives.

honey bee
Bee Palooza is Sunday, June 18 from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the MSU Horticulture Gardens.

To celebrate the hard working honey bee, the MSU Department of Entomology is hosting Bee Palooza. This family friendly event will take place on Sunday, June 18 from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the MSU Horticulture Gardens.

At the event, people of all ages can take part in interactive activities that teach them about pollinators. As guests visit the different stations set up around the gardens, they can learn about honey bee and bumble bee colonies, plant and gardening practices to support pollinators, how bee bodies work and more!

Not only do bees pollinate our crops, but they also produce delicious honey. At MSU, the Department of Entomology keeps several hives that produce pure, natural honey. This honey is made on MSU’s campus from native wildflowers, alfalfa, clover and basswood. The best part is, you can buy MSU honey at the Surplus Store! All of the proceeds from honey sales go back to the Department of Entomology to support teaching and research.

To learn more about MSU honey and the bees that create it, visit bees.msu.edu.

Relieve Stress with MSU Day of Play

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It’s easy to get caught in the same mundane routine. Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of change to put back that pep in your step. On April 28, MSU students, faculty and staff are invited to the first ever Day of Play. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., to encourage the MSU community to take a break from their everyday activities and simply have fun.

The Day of Play will take place outdoors at four campus locations: the Brody Square area, Adams Field, the Rock and IM East Fields. Locations will feature a fun obstacle course, healthy snacks, chair massages, pet therapy, limited free shirts and more.

MSU Day of Play 2017The MSU Day of Play is brought to you by the MSU Healthy Campus Initiative in collaboration with several campus partners including SHS Health Promotion, SHS State of Relaxation, Office of the Provost, Health4U, MSU Bikes, MSU Bike Polo, Recreational Sports and Fitness Services, MSU Food Stores, KIND Snacks, and volunteers from Therapy Dogs International.

10 minutes of fun is all you need to make a difference. Take a break and relieve some stress at the MSU Day of Play. Visit the event’s Facebook page for more information.

SPARTANS WILL. POWER Global Day of Service 2017

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“Who will make an impact all over the world? SPARTANS WILL.” This year, The SPARTANS WILL. POWER Global Day of Service will take place on April 8. The day brings together Spartan alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends around the world to work in their local communities, demonstrating the power of the Spartan network.

day of service
Photo courtesy of SPARTANS WILL. POWER Global Day of Service

Spartans, past and present, can organize and register service projects, or volunteer for an already established project. There are several projects close to East Lansing, and all over Michigan, including Potter Park Zoo Spring Clean Up, Recycle Livingston in Howell, and Invasive Species Removal in Haslett.

 

The SPARTANS WILL. POWER Global Day of Service has been very successful. Throughout the years, the event has averaged nearly 16,000 hours of service donated by more than 3,700 people in hundreds of locations around the world. The deadline for registering projects is March 24, and volunteer registration closes on April 2. Join the movement of Spartans and help your local community by creating or signing up for a project today! For more information visit serviceday.msu.edu.

Race for the Place 5k Walk/Run

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The 23rd annual Race for the Place Walk/Run is on Sunday, April 9, 2017!

This race is the largest annual fundraiser for MSU Safe Place, a program that provides advocacy, emergency shelter, counseling, support groups, safety planning, information and referrals to survivors of violence and their minor children.

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Register today for the 23rd annual Race for the Place!

This is a family-friendly event with plenty of fun activities for kids of all ages! Additionally, all race participants will receive free admission to the MSU baseball and softball games on Sunday, April 9 that are scheduled at 1:05 p.m.

The course begins and ends at Jenison Fieldhouse and encompasses MSU’s beautiful campus. Group discounts are available. If you want to join the fun, you can register online.

In addition to registering for the race, MSU Safe Place is encouraging supporters to chip in $20 more. Want a reason to donate? MSU Safe Place has put together 20. If those reasons aren’t enough, every donation of $20 enters you into a drawing for awesome prizes!

So if you are looking to support a good cause and have some fun, register today and participate in this year’s Race for the Place!

MSU Museum Chocolate Party Benefit Returns for 28th Year

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chocolate-benefit-party_pictureLooking for something unique and fun to get you out of the winter weekend slump? Look no further than MSU Museum’s 28th Annual Chocolate Party Benefit. The event will take place on Sunday, February 26, from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. Proceeds from the annual Chocolate Party Benefit fund proper care of the Museum’s collections to ensure the preservation and access by future generations.

Competitors will be creating their edible, chocolate works of art inspired by the feature film The Secret Life of Pets. MSU Museum will also be featuring exhibits showcasing a number of artifacts and specimens from the science and culture collections. Attendees will get to view winning creations from the chocolate competition, sample chocolate confections from local bakeries, and vote for their favorite masterpiece for the People’s Choice Award.

General admission tickets are available at the MSU Museum store, at Bake N’ Cakes, or at the door. Try a taste of something new this February, all while helping preserve a piece of history. Visit the MSU Museum website for more information.

Preparing for an Internal Interview

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If you’re looking for a different opportunity internally, you will need to prepare for the internal interview just like you would if you were an outside candidate. In many ways, it can be more difficult to prepare for an internal interview because you are working from a set of assumptions that you already know the culture and the work.

Portrait of a female executive
Make sure to prepare for an internal interview as if you were an outside candidate.

Here are some tips to help you understand the hiring process and prepare for the interview.

  1. At MSU, applicants are screened based on the stated minimums. Units will then review candidates based on all of the job factors.
  2. Update your resume for each job.
    1. If your resume has an objective, replace it with a professional summary of skills.
    2. Include actual metrics in your resume. If you state you serve customers, include how many a week/month/year? You must show evidence of your accomplishments.
  3. Prepare early. Ask for advice and attend regular professional development opportunities to keep your skills up.
  4. Do your research. Seek out information on the department: what do they do, who are the key players, what is their role in the University, what research are they doing? A simple web search can yield enough information to ask intelligent questions.
  5. Have questions prepared for the interview. Be honest about what you need out of the job. What is the type of work you most like to do? What is the culture where you will most thrive? Dress professionally. The old adage “dress for the job you want” is a little different these days, but make sure that clothing that is clean, pressed and stain-free.
  6. Don’t assume being an internal candidate is a plus. Remember that many hiring managers are looking for fresh ideas and may want to implement changes. Address these issues through your answers as to why you are the best candidate to implement new ideas.
  7. If you know your interviewer well, do not short cut your answers. You should approach your interview with friendly formalness, but remember that the interviewing team cannot “fill in the blanks.” This is particularly true if there is a panel. You are being compared to other candidates.
  8. Let your boss know. Your supervisor’s support can be a key factor in helping you reach your goals.
  9. Be honest. It’s likely you have made mistakes in the past, who hasn’t? Know your reputation before you interview and address any issues head on with a candid approach. Demonstrate that you’ve learned from these missteps.
  10. Say thank you. Courteous and professional thank you notes are still appreciated. Make sure you have their names spelled correctly! Nothing says “lack of detail” like having a person’s name spelled wrong.

For more information on this topic, visit the MSU HR website.

Commuting Options: Be “Spartan Green” and save money getting to campus

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Are you considering commuting to campus for work or school, but unsure about your options? Would it be helpful to have more information so you can make a decision that fits your needs? Coming soon is the opportunity to join a discussion and learn from experts who will share information about services that can be used to get to and from campus. These options will enable you to save money, save the environment and “Be Spartan Green!”

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Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy.

A panel discussion will take place Wednesday, January 18 from noon – 1:00 p.m. in Room 110 Chittenden Hall. Participants will learn about:

  • CATA Clean Commute Options – a free service that helps interested individuals find alternative ways to commute to work; including car/vanpooling, bus, bike and walking. Learn about the options that fit your commute and the Emergency Ride Home program, which acts as “commuter insurance” if you’re ever left without transportation.
  • CATA bus service on and off campus, including the Spectran service for individuals with physical mobility concerns in the tri-county area.
  • MichiVan vanpool program – sponsored by MDOT and operated by vRide and Enterprise Rideshare, this program supplies fully insured passenger vans to commuter groups.
  • Biking – with support from MSU Bikes to help navigate your way safely to campus.

In addition to receiving information about commuting options, participants will also hear experiences from two commuters: Jen Bruen a Michivan driver/coordinator who has been commuting from Novi to Lansing since 2011 and Layne Cameron who rides his bicycle from Williamston to campus ( a 12-mile commute one way).

This informational session is free and open to all! RSVP to the MSU WorkLife Office by emailing worklife@msu.edu (subject line: “Commuting Options) or by calling 517-353-1635. For additional information about this event, visit the WorkLife Office website.