East Lansing, Michigan
Encyclopedia : E : EA : EAS : East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 46,525 at the time of the 2000 census. It is best known as the home of Michigan State University.
History
The settlement of East Lansing began around 1847, the same year nearby Lansing was made the capital of the state of Michigan. Downtown East Lansing was an important junction of two major Native American trails: the Okemah Road, and the Park Lake Trail. By 1850, the Lansing and Howell Plank Road Company was established to connect a toll road to the Detroit and Howell Plank Road, improving travel between Detroit and Lansing, which cut right through what is now East Lansing. The toll road was finished in 1853, and included seven tollhouses between Lansing and Howell.With the founding of Michigan State University in 1855, the isolated community took on a new role, and the faculty of the university began building houses nearby. In 1907 Warren Babcock, 2nd mayor of East Lansing, built his house at 437 Abbott Road. He was a professor of Mathematics at Michigan State College at the time. That same year, the unincorporated village of Collegeville, and all of the other unincorporated settlements and subdivisions near the university were finally incorporated as a city, and named East Lansing.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.2 km² (11.3 mi²). 29.1 km² (11.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.09% is water. Lake Lansing is nearby and is approximately 500 acres (2 km²) in size.The city's downtown area is centered around Grand River Avenue, a wide tree-lined boulevard that evolved out of the 19th century plank road that connected Lansing to Detroit. Grand River Avenue serves as dividing line between the Michigan State University campus and the rest of the city. Grand River Ave. is lined with many college-oriented businesses, such as bars, tanning salons, coffee shops, head shops, restaurants (many dine al fresco) and antiquarian bookstores. Immediately north of downtown are predominantly student neighborhoods. Further north of that is the residential part of the city, which is much like any other suburb. At the very northern tier of the city are several new student-oriented apartment complexes. These new developments are far from the university, but their lower property tax rates allow them to offer students more amenities for their monthly rent.
Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 46,525 people, 14,390 households, and 5,094 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,596.7/km² (4,136.6/mi²). There were 15,321 housing units at an average density of 525.8/km² (1,362.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.91% White, 7.40% African American, 0.33% Native American, 8.21% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 2.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.69% of the population.There were 14,390 households out of which 16.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.6% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 64.6% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city the population was spread out with 9.0% under the age of 18, 58.6% from 18 to 24, 16.4% from 25 to 44, 9.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,217, and the median income for a family was $61,985. Males had a median income of $43,767 versus $30,556 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,333. About 11.0% of families and 34.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.
Government
East Lansing has a Council-manager government, where the city council appoints one of its own as mayor, and another of its own as mayor pro tem is a city council member with extra ceremonial duties. The city council consists of 5 at-large council members who are elected to 4-year terms in November of odd-numbered years.Education
Michigan State University, a member of the Big Ten Conference, is the largest education institution in the State of Michigan (6th largest in the United States), reflecting East Lansing's history as a college town. MSU has more than 200 programs of study including three medical schools, a law school, and numerous PhD programs. East Lansing High School is the main high school in the city, and is most famous for being the alma mater of Google co-founder Larry Page. Nearby Lansing is home to several other colleges, including Thomas M. Cooley Law School which is the largest law school in the United States, Davenport University, and Lansing Community College.The University of Michigan, a member of the Big Ten Conference, is less than one hours drive from East Lansing/Lansing, making the Lansing to Ann Arbor corridor one of the most highly educated populations in the United States.
Transportation
Amtrak, Indian Trails, and Greyhound all provide intercity rail and bus services at the East Lansing Amtrak depot, which is located on Harrison Road near the Michigan State University main campus. Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) provides public bus transit to East Lansing, Lansing, Michigan, and surrounding areas. Three major interstates and one U.S. Highway serve the East Lansing area including: I-96, I-69, I-496, and U.S. 127. Finally, two class one freight railroads serve East Lansing including Canadian National Railways (CN) and CSX Transportation (CSXT).Culture
Town/gown relations
In recent years, "town and gown" relations have soured as students and permanent residents looked at each other with increasing hostility, which erupted in riots in 1997,Terlep, Sharon. "[E.L. turmoil angers city]". The State News. September 9, 1997. 1998,Mullin, Greg. "[17 arrested in weekend riot]". The State News. May 4, 1998. 1999,Staff reports. "[Thousands of revelers crowd streets in violent, fiery riot]". The State News. March 28, 1999.and disturbances in 2003.Eder,Steve. "[Darkest Night]". The State News. 2006. After two years without major incidents, another disturbance happened on April 2, 2005 after MSU's defeat to North Carolina in the 2005 men's basketball Final Four.Phillips, Lauren. "[Police, student actions disputed]". The State News. April 4, 2005.The Cedar Village area, which houses several large student housing complexes bordering campus, has been the site of several riots and disturbances. Some may suggest that these disturbances are the reasoning behind the city's decision to declare Cedar Village "blighted" . The city has proposed to redevelop the 35 acre (140,000 m²) site as a complex of upscale condominiums and retail stores called East Village. Led by several fraternities in the affected area, students have mounted a campaign against the redevelopment plan.Cendrowski, Scott. "[FarmHouse and friends fight East Village plan]". December 7, 2005. As of 2006, the plan remains at a stalemate.Darrow, Bob. "[Planning commission makes little progress on future of Cedar Village area]". December 15, 2005.
Points of interest
- W. J. Beal Botanical Garden which is the oldest botanical garden in the United States.
- Michigan State University Horticulture Gardens
- Beaumont Tower
- Red Cedar River and Red Cedar Yacht Club.
- Wharton Center for the Performing Arts (Great Hall and Pasant Theatre), the Fairchild Theatre, and the MSU Auditorium (Main Stage and Arena Theater).
- Abrams Planetarium and the MSU Observatory
- Hannah Community Center with the White Performing Arts Theatre.
- East Lansing Public Library
- Spartan Stadium and Sparty, the MSU mascot is the largest ceramic statute in the world.
- Breslin Center
- MSU Forest Akers Golf Courses
- MSU Pavilion
- East Lansing Family Acquatic Center
- The city of Lansing is adjacent to East Lansing. Lansing has, among other things, the State Capitol, Hall of Justice (Supreme Court), and Michigan Library and Historical Center. Lansing also is the home of the Lansing Lugnuts minor league baseball team. There is an historic City Market in downtown Lansing, next to the Grand River, which has the distinct taste and flair of Europe.
- Lake Lansing is nearby and is approximately 500 acres (2.0 km²) in size. The lake has an outstanding beach, and is a summer favorite of swimmers, sunbathers, boaters and fishermen. The Lansing Sailing Club and Michigan State University Sailing Club have facilities on Lake Lansing where sailing regattas are held throughout the summer months.
- East Lansing Film Festival is the largest festival of its kind in Michigan.
- East Lansing Art Festival is a juried art show held each spring, on the weekend before memorial day.
- Trowbridge railroad junction (located near Trowbridge Road) and the East Lansing Amtrak depot are popular spots with railfans for train watching.
Notable People From East Lansing
- Spencer Abraham, former US Senator and Secretary of Energy under President, George W. Bush.
- Timothy Busfield, director and Emmy Award-winning actor, known for his roles on television series such as Eliot Weston on thirtysomething and Danny Concannon on The West Wing.
- Ryan Miller, goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres.
- Susan May Pratt, actress.
- The Verve Pipe, post-grunge band.
- Wally Pleasant, comedic folk singer.
Lingo
East Lansing's large number of college students has had an effect on the local language. MSU students and East Lansing's permanent have developed a type of local lingo over the years. Selected terms include:- The Aud is a nickname for the MSU Auditorium, where the "Party at the Aud" is held at the beginning of each semester for student organizations to convene and recruit new members.
- El Az (also Teco): El Azteco, a local restaurant noted for its margaritas and enchiladas. Insiders here know that a frijole burrito is called a freeburr.
- The Habitrail, or Hamster Cage is a large multicolored parking structure near campus that looks like a home for pet rodents.
- The Izzone is the nickname for the student section of the stands in the Breslin Center, where the Spartan basketball teams play. It is named for men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo.
- The Pit was the term used for the location of class registration in the days of mainframe computers. Students from the 1960s to the early 1990s would be cramped on the floor of Demonstration Hall (or one of the IM West gymnasiums) running from one departmental table to the next to collect IBM punch cards encoded with individual classes; once a student had the classes they wanted (or were ready to give up trying), they could enroll by having the cards fed into the registration system. Long lines, humid air and problems with the frantic registration system led to the coining of the term. The Pit was replaced by a fully-computerized system with the university's switch from quarterly terms to a three-semester schedule in Fall, 1992.
- The Rape Trail is the unfortunate nickname for a footpath through the woods near Van Hoosen Residence Hall, so-called due to its few lampposts and infrequent attacks on female students late at night.
- The Rock is a large boulder, approximately five feet high, located east of Farm Lane, outside the MSU Auditorium. It serves as a venue for student groups (an invitation would read: "Wednesday, 7pm at the Rock") and is routinely graffitied by those groups.
- The S'News is a slang name for the campus newspaper, The State News.
- Sparty is the nickname of "the Spartan" a large statue located on campus representing the MSU mascot, a Spartan warrior. The statue is guarded by MSU students amidst rival sports team meetings, usually Big Ten basketball or football, to prevent rivals from defacing of the statue. Sparty is frequently used as a landmark when giving directions on campus.
- The Tundra is an athletic field north of Jenison Field House and east of the Kellogg Center, so-called because of the speed at which wind blows through the area during the winter (many freshman students live in the nearby Brody Complex and walk across the field as a shortcut). In the 1980s the field south of the Duffy Daugherty Football Building had the same name for South Complex residents (for the same reason) but this usage may have ended when the tennis courts were built.
Notes
External links
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[Images] Images Michigan State University
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| Academics | College of Human Medicine • Cyclotron • Hidden Lake Gardens • Eli Broad College • Honors College • James Madison College • Kellogg Biological Station • Life Sciences Corridor • MSU College of Law • SOAR Telescope |
| Athletics | Basketbowl • Biggie Munn • Breslin Center • The Cold War • Land Grant Trophy • Izzone • MSU Fight Song • MSU Marching Band • Munn Ice Arena • Paul Bunyan Trophy • Spartan Stadium • Sparty |
| Campus | Beal Garden • Beaumont Tower • Cowles House • Demonstration Hall • East Lansing • Eustace-Cole Hall • Grand River Avenue • Jenison Fieldhouse • Marshall-Adams Hall • Michigan Avenue • MSU Horticulture Gardens • MSU Union • Red Cedar River • The Rock • Student Services • Wharton Center |
| History | College Hall • John A. Hannah • MISTIC • MSUDC • Saints' Rest • Joseph R. Williams |
| People | Tom Izzo • Ron Mason • Joanne P. McCallie • Lou Anna Simon • John L. Smith • Rick Comley |
| Student Life | ASMSU • Capital News Service • RHA • The State News • WDBM • WKAR-TV |
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