Hey everyone,
I hope you’ve all been enjoying the wonderful weather and took pride in the Spectacular Spartan victory last Sunday. In the midst of March Madness, the Community Relations Coalition is diving into the search for next year’s interns. As a graduating senior intern, I have only great things to say about the work I’ve done with the CRC. I’m always going to cherish the memories I have of hanging out with my fellow interns, volunteering to make the city a better place, and building connections with city officials and long-term residents. This internship has been a fantastic experience that has helped me develop numerous skills that I will take on to graduate school and my professional arena. My internship with the CRC also greatly bolstered my network at MSU, giving me connections to people across the university and the city of East Lansing.
As someone who will surely miss this internship, I highly suggest that you consider applying to the internship for next year. In order to do so, you only have to meet a few requirements: you have to be a junior or senior in the Fall of 2010, be living off campus for the 2010-2011 academic year, and be in good academic standing. If you meet those requirements, you are eligible to apply for this internship, which (aside from the wonderful experience you will gain) includes a financial remuneration. Go to www.wealllivehere.org in order to find the application materials.
Take care,
Go Green!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
ASMSU Gathering
ASMSU has been a vital ally to our organization, to the MSU campus, and to the greater community in general. They graciously invited us to attend a community reception held at Dublin Square Pub. Many of the CRC interns, including myself, jumped at this opportunity.
At the event, there were representatives from the City of East Lansing, the East Lansing Police Department, Community Relations Coalition, ASMSU, and MSU administration. President Lou Anna K. Simon was even there! To kick off the night, there were DELICIOUS appetizers with light mingling among the attendees. I, personally, was able to catch up with some members from the CRC Board that I had not seen in many weeks.
We were all quickly seated at our assigned tables. At the tables, there was an assortment of different ages, perspectives, and positions. This was a great idea that ASMSU had. Many times, the CRC interns tend to stay together (because we get along so well!). But, with the assigned seating, it gave us the opportunity to branch out and get to know other members of our community. We were given some conversation points to help us delve into the larger topics of possible events, goals, and initiatives that could help create a strong community in East Lansing.
It was a great way to organize the event. At my table, we discussed mostly environmental initiatives. We talked about the importance to involve all sectors of the populations in order to truly gain a sense of unity, meaning the Michigan State students, the university professors and staff, the permanent residents, and the children. There was the idea of a community garden to involve everyone in a beneficial way in social capital, environmental sustainability, and educational reasons. We also discussed how all of our connections could really create something great that has an impact for years to come. I was excited to see the passion other people have for this city; it was inspiring!
Throughout the discussion, we were able to eat a fantastic gourmet dinner. After dinner was cleared up, ASMSU had two mediators to break into a large group discussion of goals and their feasibility. It was interesting to hear what all the other tables talked about. There was a lot of emphasis placed on the economic regression in East Lansing and how people should want to stay in the city. I am interested to see how far these talks will go and hopefully many of these goals will become a reality. This was one of my favorite events that we were able to attend as a group. It for sure was an amazing way to get away from college cooking! The excellent conversation was a bonus.
Go White,
Kanika
At the event, there were representatives from the City of East Lansing, the East Lansing Police Department, Community Relations Coalition, ASMSU, and MSU administration. President Lou Anna K. Simon was even there! To kick off the night, there were DELICIOUS appetizers with light mingling among the attendees. I, personally, was able to catch up with some members from the CRC Board that I had not seen in many weeks.
We were all quickly seated at our assigned tables. At the tables, there was an assortment of different ages, perspectives, and positions. This was a great idea that ASMSU had. Many times, the CRC interns tend to stay together (because we get along so well!). But, with the assigned seating, it gave us the opportunity to branch out and get to know other members of our community. We were given some conversation points to help us delve into the larger topics of possible events, goals, and initiatives that could help create a strong community in East Lansing.
It was a great way to organize the event. At my table, we discussed mostly environmental initiatives. We talked about the importance to involve all sectors of the populations in order to truly gain a sense of unity, meaning the Michigan State students, the university professors and staff, the permanent residents, and the children. There was the idea of a community garden to involve everyone in a beneficial way in social capital, environmental sustainability, and educational reasons. We also discussed how all of our connections could really create something great that has an impact for years to come. I was excited to see the passion other people have for this city; it was inspiring!
Throughout the discussion, we were able to eat a fantastic gourmet dinner. After dinner was cleared up, ASMSU had two mediators to break into a large group discussion of goals and their feasibility. It was interesting to hear what all the other tables talked about. There was a lot of emphasis placed on the economic regression in East Lansing and how people should want to stay in the city. I am interested to see how far these talks will go and hopefully many of these goals will become a reality. This was one of my favorite events that we were able to attend as a group. It for sure was an amazing way to get away from college cooking! The excellent conversation was a bonus.
Go White,
Kanika
Valentine's Day
Happy Snow Day!
The season of love, happiness, flowers, and celebration is upon us. CRC got the opportunity to volunteer at the Bailey Community Center Valentine’s Day Party. I had no idea what to expect, but I made sure to wear my pink heart headband!
A few of the CRC members baked heart-shaped cookies for the decorating station. The sugar cookies turned out great and were a hit at the party. There was also a card making station. It was a lot of fun to interact with the families of the Bailey neighborhood. Throughout out year with CRC, we have gotten the opportunity to congregate with many permanent residents, but they all seem to be the adults. This was one of the first times that we were able to play and laugh with the younger children. Personally, I adore children so I loved every minute of it!
The children were happily content with anything and everything that happened at the party. Our main event was a “bubbleologist”. His performance was great! I cannot believe the things he was doing with bubbles. My favorite was the ‘volcano bubble’ that released smoke. I was just as entertained as the children. Next week we have the Spaghetti dinner at Marble Elementary School. It is another chance for us to hang out with the children. I cannot wait!
Go green!
The season of love, happiness, flowers, and celebration is upon us. CRC got the opportunity to volunteer at the Bailey Community Center Valentine’s Day Party. I had no idea what to expect, but I made sure to wear my pink heart headband!
A few of the CRC members baked heart-shaped cookies for the decorating station. The sugar cookies turned out great and were a hit at the party. There was also a card making station. It was a lot of fun to interact with the families of the Bailey neighborhood. Throughout out year with CRC, we have gotten the opportunity to congregate with many permanent residents, but they all seem to be the adults. This was one of the first times that we were able to play and laugh with the younger children. Personally, I adore children so I loved every minute of it!
The children were happily content with anything and everything that happened at the party. Our main event was a “bubbleologist”. His performance was great! I cannot believe the things he was doing with bubbles. My favorite was the ‘volcano bubble’ that released smoke. I was just as entertained as the children. Next week we have the Spaghetti dinner at Marble Elementary School. It is another chance for us to hang out with the children. I cannot wait!
Go green!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Spartans Agains Drunk Driving Forum
Hey everyone,
This was a really exciting weekend for the CRC. Not only did we participate in the Holiday Coat Drive and the Winter Bowl, our partners over at Spartans Against Drunk Driving held their annual forum in the Wonders Kiva on Sunday evening. The scene was quite serious as various speakers from the East Lansing community talked about how drunk driving has influenced them. Two MSU graduates recounted their tales. One of them was hit by a drunk driver, had to have pieces of windshield surgically removed from his face, spent months in physical therapy relearning how to walk, and is now a speaker for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Multiple East Lansing and MSU police officers recounted tales of arresting drunk drivers or reporting to the scene of a drunken driving crash. Mayor Vic Loomis was the keynote speaker. He recounted an anti-drunk driving commercial where a home video shows a high school cross-country runner winning a race and then the screen goes blank and says that a drunk-driver killed the runner and her family in a crash shortly after the video wash taken. He cited MSU social norm statistics to show that SADD is making an impact, such as “81% of MSU students choose to use a designated driver” and “74% of MSU students choose not to drink and drive after having just one drink.”
The Forum could not have come at a better time. Mothers Against Drunk Driving just announced a few weeks ago that Governor Paterson of New York signed drunk driving legislation for his state. This legislation requires ignition interlock systems for those who have been convicted of drinking and driving. An ignition interlock is essentially a breathalyzer that is integrated into the ignition system of a car. When a person attempts to turn on their car, they have to give a breath sample, which is measured for blood alcohol content (BAC). If that BAC is over the legal limit, the car will not start. New York is the twelfth state in the US to pass legislation of this sort. The legislation also makes drunk driving with a child in the car a felony. This is based on the line of reasoning that a person who makes the decision to drink and drive with a child in the car puts that child in danger, and unlike an adult, that child might not have the option to stop the driver or leave. I am proud of New York for passing legislation of this sort. Through my work with Spartans Against Drunk Driving, I have lobbied countless Representatives and Senators to pass similar legislation in Michigan, but the bill was stalled in a past session of the legislature.
I expect that one day our legislature will pass a bill of this sort, and help protect us from people who drink and drive, and ultimately make terribly regrettable decisions.
I hope you have all enjoyed my blogs throughout the semester, as this will likely be my final one for 2009.
Take care.
Go White!
Mike Berkowitz
CRC Intern
This was a really exciting weekend for the CRC. Not only did we participate in the Holiday Coat Drive and the Winter Bowl, our partners over at Spartans Against Drunk Driving held their annual forum in the Wonders Kiva on Sunday evening. The scene was quite serious as various speakers from the East Lansing community talked about how drunk driving has influenced them. Two MSU graduates recounted their tales. One of them was hit by a drunk driver, had to have pieces of windshield surgically removed from his face, spent months in physical therapy relearning how to walk, and is now a speaker for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Multiple East Lansing and MSU police officers recounted tales of arresting drunk drivers or reporting to the scene of a drunken driving crash. Mayor Vic Loomis was the keynote speaker. He recounted an anti-drunk driving commercial where a home video shows a high school cross-country runner winning a race and then the screen goes blank and says that a drunk-driver killed the runner and her family in a crash shortly after the video wash taken. He cited MSU social norm statistics to show that SADD is making an impact, such as “81% of MSU students choose to use a designated driver” and “74% of MSU students choose not to drink and drive after having just one drink.”
The Forum could not have come at a better time. Mothers Against Drunk Driving just announced a few weeks ago that Governor Paterson of New York signed drunk driving legislation for his state. This legislation requires ignition interlock systems for those who have been convicted of drinking and driving. An ignition interlock is essentially a breathalyzer that is integrated into the ignition system of a car. When a person attempts to turn on their car, they have to give a breath sample, which is measured for blood alcohol content (BAC). If that BAC is over the legal limit, the car will not start. New York is the twelfth state in the US to pass legislation of this sort. The legislation also makes drunk driving with a child in the car a felony. This is based on the line of reasoning that a person who makes the decision to drink and drive with a child in the car puts that child in danger, and unlike an adult, that child might not have the option to stop the driver or leave. I am proud of New York for passing legislation of this sort. Through my work with Spartans Against Drunk Driving, I have lobbied countless Representatives and Senators to pass similar legislation in Michigan, but the bill was stalled in a past session of the legislature.
I expect that one day our legislature will pass a bill of this sort, and help protect us from people who drink and drive, and ultimately make terribly regrettable decisions.
I hope you have all enjoyed my blogs throughout the semester, as this will likely be my final one for 2009.
Take care.
Go White!
Mike Berkowitz
CRC Intern
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Sam Singh Event
Hey everyone!
The semester is edging towards the end, which brings projects, exams, papers, and among all: stress. However, the CRC interns were able to set one night aside and get together at Grand Traverse Pie Company (YUM!) and have a conversation with former mayor, Sam Singh. Each intern was granted the ability to invite one guest from the East Lansing community to join in our discussion. It was an enlightening talk about the challenges of maintaining multiculturalism within the city of East Lansing. Sam Singh has a lot of insight, because he recently returned from a world tour where he traveled to over 25 countries in sixteen months.
We discussed issues such as economic downfalls in East Lansing and Michigan overall, the education system, volunteerism, and Michigan State study abroad programs. Through our conversation, we all were able to discuss specific issues we face in East Lansing and ideas of potential solutions. It seems that this type of open discourse is necessary when dealing with problems of discrimination or inclusion. There also needs to be more of an emphasis on learning about other cultures that surround us either through going abroad, being involved in another type of educational international course, or even participating in some sort of pen pal program. It was really fun to discuss such serious issues that us, as CRC interns, need to strengthen ties within our multicultural community.
The night ended with our stomachs full of pie and our minds stirring with good conversation. It was an honor for Sam Singh to take time out of his life in order to talk with us. It was truly enlightening and one of my favorite CRC events yet!
Have a happy Thanksgiving and if you have any used or new coats, don’t forget to bring them back with you for the Coat Drive this Friday!
Go Green,
Kanika
The semester is edging towards the end, which brings projects, exams, papers, and among all: stress. However, the CRC interns were able to set one night aside and get together at Grand Traverse Pie Company (YUM!) and have a conversation with former mayor, Sam Singh. Each intern was granted the ability to invite one guest from the East Lansing community to join in our discussion. It was an enlightening talk about the challenges of maintaining multiculturalism within the city of East Lansing. Sam Singh has a lot of insight, because he recently returned from a world tour where he traveled to over 25 countries in sixteen months.
We discussed issues such as economic downfalls in East Lansing and Michigan overall, the education system, volunteerism, and Michigan State study abroad programs. Through our conversation, we all were able to discuss specific issues we face in East Lansing and ideas of potential solutions. It seems that this type of open discourse is necessary when dealing with problems of discrimination or inclusion. There also needs to be more of an emphasis on learning about other cultures that surround us either through going abroad, being involved in another type of educational international course, or even participating in some sort of pen pal program. It was really fun to discuss such serious issues that us, as CRC interns, need to strengthen ties within our multicultural community.
The night ended with our stomachs full of pie and our minds stirring with good conversation. It was an honor for Sam Singh to take time out of his life in order to talk with us. It was truly enlightening and one of my favorite CRC events yet!
Have a happy Thanksgiving and if you have any used or new coats, don’t forget to bring them back with you for the Coat Drive this Friday!
Go Green,
Kanika
Monday, November 23, 2009
UPCOMING INTERN EVENT
Hey everybody,
I hope you have been well and are getting ready for some well-deserved time off for Thanksgiving. I’m writing to you in excitement about one of the CRC’s final events for the year. On Saturday, December 5th from 6-8pm, the CRC will be hosting a Holiday Coat Drive at the Lincoln Room of the Kellogg Center. We want you all to come for some FREE refreshments and live musical performances by various groups, possibly including MSU’s very own RCAHppella vocal ensemble, an MSU jazz ensemble, and a vocalist from Lansing’s Refugee Development Center! All we ask is that you bring a coat to donate to St. Vincent Catholic Charities, a local charity that works to enhance the quality of life for local individuals and families in need. All are welcome, from students, to East Lansing residents, to MSU faculty and administrators, to friends and family. Come help local people in need stay warm this holiday season while having some fun with your friends from the community, and enjoying a free concert.
Hope to see you there!
Go White!
Mike Berkowitz
CRC Intern
I hope you have been well and are getting ready for some well-deserved time off for Thanksgiving. I’m writing to you in excitement about one of the CRC’s final events for the year. On Saturday, December 5th from 6-8pm, the CRC will be hosting a Holiday Coat Drive at the Lincoln Room of the Kellogg Center. We want you all to come for some FREE refreshments and live musical performances by various groups, possibly including MSU’s very own RCAHppella vocal ensemble, an MSU jazz ensemble, and a vocalist from Lansing’s Refugee Development Center! All we ask is that you bring a coat to donate to St. Vincent Catholic Charities, a local charity that works to enhance the quality of life for local individuals and families in need. All are welcome, from students, to East Lansing residents, to MSU faculty and administrators, to friends and family. Come help local people in need stay warm this holiday season while having some fun with your friends from the community, and enjoying a free concert.
Hope to see you there!
Go White!
Mike Berkowitz
CRC Intern
Recycling in East Lansing
Hey everyone,
It has been a while since I last wrote. I’ve been busy researching city recycling models for an independent study I’m performing in conjunction with the internship. I hope you don’t mind me getting a bit technical but I’m excited to tell you all about the conclusions I’ve drawn from the project and what it means for the city of East Lansing.
Basically, there are three different ways that a municipality can run a curbside recycling program. First, there is mixed waste recycling, where recycled materials and garbage are collected as one entity. This is beneficial because it requires no change in behavior of city residents, requires very little public education by municipalities, and lets the municipality choose which materials they wish to utilize from the collected waste. However, when garbage and recyclables are collected together, the recyclables often get contaminated, meaning they are unable to be reused. This happens when bottles break and intermix with paper products, or when recyclable materials have residues in them that diminish their quality. Contamination occurs at such a large level with mixed waste recycling that most municipalities will not use it.
The second model is called source separation. In this model, residents are required to clean, prepare, and sort their recyclables before the city picks them up, separate from their garbage. This is the model that East Lansing uses. This model is beneficial because material recovery facilities don’t have to spend a great deal of money sorting and cleaning recyclables before they sell them. The problem with this model is that it requires a great deal of public education, requires a great deal of effort from city residents, and can incur many collection costs.
The third model is called single-stream recycling. In this model, garbage and recyclables are separated, but all recyclables are collected together (called commingled recycling). This is beneficial because it is much easier for residents than source separating. It requires less public education and saves costs during the collection process. However, products are often contaminated, which makes the products less valuable and results in higher costs for sorting and cleaning.
After surveying a large portion of literature, most academics agree that source separating is the most cost effective recycling model for the time being. However, most of them also believe that as sorting and cleaning technologies become more advanced and their prices fall, single-stream models will be become the most cost effective recycling method.
So why does this all matter? Because this means that East Lansing is running the model that I, and the literature, believe it should be operating. However, in the future, East Lansing should look into the potential for a single-stream recycling model when technology becomes available. This would make recycling in the city much easier for students (requiring less time and effort to recycling), and it would not require the city to educate upwards of 7000 new student residents on recycling policies each year. In the future, this would be the ideal model for the city of East Lansing.
Thanks for sticking with me through my research. I’m happy to have studied the topic and to have gained such a strong understanding of recycling in East Lansing. I hope that if any of you are interested in recycling issues, or have questions, you will feel free to contact me. I’d love to talk about the issues even further.
Go Green!
Mike Berkowitz
CRC Intern
It has been a while since I last wrote. I’ve been busy researching city recycling models for an independent study I’m performing in conjunction with the internship. I hope you don’t mind me getting a bit technical but I’m excited to tell you all about the conclusions I’ve drawn from the project and what it means for the city of East Lansing.
Basically, there are three different ways that a municipality can run a curbside recycling program. First, there is mixed waste recycling, where recycled materials and garbage are collected as one entity. This is beneficial because it requires no change in behavior of city residents, requires very little public education by municipalities, and lets the municipality choose which materials they wish to utilize from the collected waste. However, when garbage and recyclables are collected together, the recyclables often get contaminated, meaning they are unable to be reused. This happens when bottles break and intermix with paper products, or when recyclable materials have residues in them that diminish their quality. Contamination occurs at such a large level with mixed waste recycling that most municipalities will not use it.
The second model is called source separation. In this model, residents are required to clean, prepare, and sort their recyclables before the city picks them up, separate from their garbage. This is the model that East Lansing uses. This model is beneficial because material recovery facilities don’t have to spend a great deal of money sorting and cleaning recyclables before they sell them. The problem with this model is that it requires a great deal of public education, requires a great deal of effort from city residents, and can incur many collection costs.
The third model is called single-stream recycling. In this model, garbage and recyclables are separated, but all recyclables are collected together (called commingled recycling). This is beneficial because it is much easier for residents than source separating. It requires less public education and saves costs during the collection process. However, products are often contaminated, which makes the products less valuable and results in higher costs for sorting and cleaning.
After surveying a large portion of literature, most academics agree that source separating is the most cost effective recycling model for the time being. However, most of them also believe that as sorting and cleaning technologies become more advanced and their prices fall, single-stream models will be become the most cost effective recycling method.
So why does this all matter? Because this means that East Lansing is running the model that I, and the literature, believe it should be operating. However, in the future, East Lansing should look into the potential for a single-stream recycling model when technology becomes available. This would make recycling in the city much easier for students (requiring less time and effort to recycling), and it would not require the city to educate upwards of 7000 new student residents on recycling policies each year. In the future, this would be the ideal model for the city of East Lansing.
Thanks for sticking with me through my research. I’m happy to have studied the topic and to have gained such a strong understanding of recycling in East Lansing. I hope that if any of you are interested in recycling issues, or have questions, you will feel free to contact me. I’d love to talk about the issues even further.
Go Green!
Mike Berkowitz
CRC Intern
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