Category: Fun & Resources

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

Relaxing Under the Stars

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Recently I attended the “Relaxing Under the Stars” program and found it very beneficial and intriguing. Not only that, I was able to truly relax and gaze at the stars for some time, something we all probably haven’t done since summer or early fall of last year. I encourage all faculty, staff, graduate student employees, retirees and the spouses/partners of these groups to join Health4U and Abrams Planetarium for “Relaxing Under the Stars” to re-capture that feeling of relaxation and wonderment of the Universe.

Abrams Planetarium
Abrams Planetarium’s entrance brings you right into the world of astronomy.

The first 20 minutes consists of a guided constellation tour using the impressive Digistar 5, the new computer-graphics-based planetarium projector updated in the summer of 2014. This is truly an impressive piece of technology allowing the presenter to easily point out the constellations and give directions on how to find them during your own stargazing opportunities. The second half of the program features relaxing music to complement your stargazing experience. The particular session I attended culminated with a magnificent grand finale known as the “Spartan Star-Tacular,” which geared me and other attendees up for the rest of our work day.

The next show will be on Wednesday, March 25, 2015 from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. Visit the Health4U website for more information and future dates.

The Inspirational Woman of the Year Award Reception

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The Inspirational Woman of the Year Award Recognition Reception will be held on Wednesday, March 18, 2015, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the University Club and is free to attend.

The Inspirational Woman of the Year Award recognizes three MSU-affiliated women who have demonstrated professional achievement, community engagement, or have created a culture of empowerment. This year’s award honors, in each category:

Dr. Karin Wurst
Dr. Karin Wurst, one of the recipients of this year’s award recipients. Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy,
  • Professional Achievement, Dr. Jeanne Wald, Professor, Department of Mathematics;
  • Community Engagement, Ms. Audrey Bentley, Community Outreach Senior Coordinator, Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives;
  • Culture of Empowerment, Dr. Karin Wurst, Advisor to the Provost for Intercultural Learning and Engagement, Office of the Provost.

Join us for a reception honoring the accomplishments of these three award recipients. RSVP to wrc@msu.edu or 517-353-1635. For more information visit the Women Resource Center’s event page.

Spring 5k Races on MSU’s Campus!

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Shamrock 5k Graphic
One 5k you can check out is the Shamrock 5k, benefiting the Tower Guard.

There’s no better way to kick that cabin fever than lacing up those running shoes and participating in a 5k for a great cause. There are plenty of 5k races taking place right here on MSU’s campus in East Lansing this spring.

Beat Cabin Fever

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With temperatures crawling below zero, it can be easy to feel stir crazy during winter’s most brutal months. Luckily, there are many activities that you can do in order to defeat the dreaded symptoms of cabin fever.

Although the weather is chilling, campus venues, such as Abrams planetarium, provide an escape.
Although the weather is chilling, campus venues, such as Abrams planetarium, provide an escape.

Get lost in space at the Abrams Planetarium. 

The Abrams Planetarium plays shows featuring the Digistar 5 Project. The planetarium is open to the public on Friday and Saturday evenings as well as Sunday afternoons. All tickets are $4 or less, however, electronic payment is not accepted. Stop by to marvel at One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure or Ice Worlds.

Enjoy live entertainment at the Wharton Center.

The Wharton Center is a beautiful venue that hosts a wealth of interesting acts. Performances are eclectic and include plays, dance and concerts. Watch the Phantom of the Opera, The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet or 2 Cellos, among other talent.

Learn how to cook, relax and more with MSU Health4U classes.

What better way to spend a chilling day than to improve your skills? Health4U can teach you how to make breakfast for dinner or show you the calming nature of acoustic flamenco music.

Enhance your professional skills using elevateU.

Available in EBS for all faculty and staff, the elevateU platform offers a sweeping array of classes for your benefit.

Drink in some culture at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum.

The Broad is a wonderful museum specializing in modern and contemporary art. Take advantage of the free admission and view stunning exhibitions including modern art from China and an artful display about student loan debt.

Take the edge off at the State Room.

The Kellogg Center’s State Room often has events, such as wine tastings, that are sure to entice you to leave the house. Keep up-to-date with the latest events.

A Day in History @ MSU – Martin Luther King Jr. Visits MSU

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On Thursday, February 11, 1965, more than 4,000 students and community residents attended a campus visit and lecture by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The large crowd packed themselves into the Auditorium and an overflow spilled into the nearby Fairchild Theater where they could hear the civil rights leader’s speech. King came to MSU to kick off a fundraising drive for the  university student government-sponsored Student Education Program (STEP). STEP was the first all-student-administered educational outreach program of its kind in the country. It involved sending student and faculty volunteers to assist Rust College of Holly Springs, Mississippi during the summer of 1965. It evolved out of MSU students’ desire to help others and gain educational experience. The program focused on eight areas that emphasized improving education, which can be found on the MSU Archives page located here.

Martin Luther King Jr. speaks at Michigan State University
Martin Luther King Jr. speaks at Michigan State University on February 11, 1965. Photo courtesy of MSU Archives.

In his speech, King issued three challenges to the audience:

  1. People must achieve a world brotherhood perspective.
  2. The notion of superior and inferior races must be abolished.
  3. Massive action programs must be developed to rid the world of segregation.

King also called for new Civil Rights legislation pertaining to voting rights in his speech and made reference to the recommendations of the Civil Rights Commission and MSU President John A. Hannah, who was appointed chairperson of the Civil Rights Commission in January, 1957, by President Dwight Eisenhower. The work done by the commission on voting rights became the Title I section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In honor of Black History Month, we honor and celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the many others that have made such a deep historical impact on American culture and our university.

2015 Founders’ Day Awards Convocation

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Upon Governor Kinsley S. Bingham’s signing of state legislation on February 12, 1855, Michigan Agricultural College was founded. The Agricultural College of the State of Michigan became America’s first agricultural college and “mother” of all land-grant colleges in the United States. The college became a university on July 1, 1955, and received its last of six name changes on January 1, 1964, becoming Michigan State University.

MSU Laboratory Row in 1912
MSU’s Laboratory Row in 1912: Horticulture, Bacteriology, Botany, Dairy, Entomology, and Agriculture. All but Agriculture Hall have since been renamed.

In honor of Michigan State University’s founding in February of 1855, the university honors its faculty and staff in a yearly awards ceremony around the time of its original founding. This ceremony, known as Founders’ Day, recognizes the hard work, dedication and achievements of its faculty and staff. The primary focus of this event is on the people and the accomplishments of this great university. Thus, Founders’ Day provides us with an opportunity to highlight our strengths, particularly the academic strengths of the institution. In past years, students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, private sector partners and other constituents, along with representatives from communities, government and other universities from across the state and around the country, have all been a part of this university event. The 2015 Awards Convocation ceremony, along with President Simon’s State of the University address, will be held on Tuesday, February 10, 2015, from 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. in Pasant Theatre of the Wharton Center. For more information about this event, please visit this website.

Schedule an Office Clean-Out for Recyclemania

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RecycleMania is an annual competition that encourages college campuses to rally together in order to increase recycling rates. This year, the event will take place from February 1 to March 28. During the eight-week competition, students are encouraged to be adamant in their recycling efforts. MSU Sustainability will make appearances on campus in order to award those “caught” green-handed.

Exercise your impact and go green for RecycleMania!
Exercise your impact and go green for RecycleMania!

The MSU Surplus Store and Recycling Center is encouraging faculty and staff to participate in the festivities by scheduling an office clean-out. Office clean outs include a morning delivery of two hampers to your work space; one for confidential shred, one for everything else including paper, cardboard, boxboard, plastics, books and electronics. The hampers will be available for the entirety of your scheduled clean-out and will be picked up the following morning. Surplus items can also be picked up simultaneously if this need is vocalized in advance.

Office clean-outs present a wonderful opportunity to be Spartan green and to organize your work space. To schedule a clean-out, call MSU Sustainability at 517-355-1751.

For additional information visit http://msusurplusstore.blogspot.com/2013/02/office-clean-outs.html or view the PDF.

A Look Into the Past: MSU Retirement Traditions

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The tradition of presenting a book to retiring employees is one that MSU HR has carried on for years. Recently, a current HR employee brought in her great-grandfather’s retirement book, circa 1969, to share. Tucked inside the book’s pages were old employee photographs, images depicting the timeless beauty of MSU’s campus and a letter from President John Hannah. Also included was a pamphlet distributed at MSU’s Seventh Annual Retirement and Service Award Ceremony. This recognition program, an integral part of MSU’s dedication to honoring hardworking employees, still occurs annually each spring. Now, employees are able to select a personal gift that fits their unique preferences.

While many years have passed since the first retirement books were passed out (53, to be exact) it is important to note that MSU has stayed true in its values. Technology, fashion and the community are things that change with time, yet MSU’s dedication to employee appreciation is something that will not falter.

President's Letter
A letter from MSU President John A. Hannah
Seventh Annual Retirement Program pamphlet.
Seventh Annual Retirement Program pamphlet
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MSU’s campus circa 1960

Pay it Forward Weekend!

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This Friday, January 16, “Pay it Forward Weekend” begins. This celebration is the third of its kind. “Pay it Forward Weekend” urges participants to take part in at least on random act of kindness. The only condition is that this act must be carried out without the expectation of receiving anything in return. Last year, 484,743 individuals participated in this unofficial celebration. This year, organizers hope to increase reach tenfold.

Participating in random acts of kindness creates a ripple effect. We all benefit from good deeds!
Participating in random acts of kindness creates a ripple effect. We all benefit from good deeds!

So how can you get involved? First, join the event on Facebook.  If you are not a Facebook user, don’t worry! You are not barred in any manner from participating. Next, brainstorm an act of kindness. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Pay for someone’s meal in the fast food drive through.
• Leave a bouquet at the hospital for the nurses to distribute.
• If you are in a long line, invite the person behind you to go first.
• Offer to help carry someone’s groceries.
• Tell a manager about how stellar a certain employee is.
• Load extra change into the vending machine.
• Buy a lottery ticket for a stranger.
• Give a large tip to your server when you dine out.
• Let another driver take your parking spot.
• Leave a copy of a good book with a note on the bus.

This list is just the start- random acts of kindness are simple but their impact is outlasting! Consider challenging yourself to carry out one or more random acts of kindness during “Pay it Forward Weekend” and then extending this altruism throughout the year. In life, the littlest things make the biggest difference. Feel free to share your experiences with us in the comments section of this post.

Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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Dr. King participates in a civil rights march.
Dr. King participates in a civil rights march.

MSU has celebrated the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. since 1980, six years before Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established as a national holiday. This year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on Monday, January 19. MSU students, faculty and staff will join together in recognition of Dr. King’s life’s work; bringing publicity to major civil rights activities, emphasizing and encouraging peaceful protests, and providing leadership.

The tribute begins this Saturday, January 17 with a gala celebrating the commencement of Project 60/50, a year-long initiative focused on engaging the community in conversations about diversity. After the gala, a Union Activities Board event will be held to illustrate the student body’s talent and commitment to civil rights issues. On Sunday, January 18, free jazz concerts will be available as 60/50’s gift to the community. On Monday, a student leadership conference will run through the morning to be followed by a luncheon taking place in partnership with the Greater Lansing King Commemorative Celebration Commission. Other festivities include a commemorative march from the Union to Beaumont Tower and an exhibit at the MSU Museum.

As we look forward to paying homage to the heroic deeds of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., MSU HR salutes all those who have worked for equality; past, present and future.