-Ernest M.

If you are not in the cleaning mood, how about taking a nice jog or working out. I LOVE the fitness center in my apartment complex at The Club at Chandler Crossings. I work out for about an hour, take a nice swim in the indoor pool, then relax in the hot tub. Not too bad for a Monday!  (A lot better than getting up early and going to class!) Tuesday’s are the perfect movie day, here in East Lansing. They have $5.00 movies tickets all day at NCG Eastwood Cinemas. I’ll probably go see “Brooklyn’s Finest”. I heard that it was a good movie. It has Ethan Hawke, Richard Gere, Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes, and those are a few of my favorite actors.

If you are looking to do something on campus, you can visit the Abram’s Planetarium on Michigan State’s campus. Into arts? There is a good art gallery in Lansing’s Old Town District called the Absolute Gallery. So let’s say, you are not into the planetarium and visiting the arts gallery is not what you are interested in. No problem. How about some sports? Aim High Sports Facility is offering a ton of activities to keep you busy. They offer, soccer, hockey, learn-to-skate, flag football, figure skating, public skating among other sports. If you are into sports, then I’m sure you can stay busy there.

MSU students, just because you didn’t get the opportunity to go to some resort for Spring Break, doesn’t mean that you can’t have a good time. Don’t be a couch potato for a week, get up and enjoy life!

-Ernest Madison

How do I participate?

1.  The Census form will arrive in mailboxes min-March and must be filled out and postmarked by April 1st.

2.  Forms must be filled out in the community where you’ll be living on April 1st.

3.  It’s a short, 10 question form.

4.  All information will be kept confidential by the US government.

For every person counted, federal funds are brought back into the community over 10 years.  Funds are used for things like Dell Grants, public transportation, energy efficient grants, and more!  It’s your duty to participate!

For more information, visit the City of East Lansing’s Census Page.

-Ryan Shaul

There had to be a better, healthier way!

I was given an article by a friend with five morning shake recipes she swears start her day off right.  I was skeptical at first, but after a week of these I am pleased to say they’ve been working great.  Check um’ out!  They may work wonders for you, too!

Pumpkin-Banana Smoothie
1 serving vanilla flavored rice protein
1 cup vanilla soy milk, light
1/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 medium banana
Dash of pumpkin pie spice
4 ice cubes

Chocolate Raspberry Shake
1 serving chocolate flavored soy protein
1 cup vanilla soy milk, light
1 cup frozen raspberries
1/8 teaspoon orange extract
4 ice cubes

Very Berry Shake
1 serving vanilla flavored soy protein
1 cup vanilla soy milk, light
1 cup frozen mixed berries
A few drops pure vanilla extract
4 ice cubes

Orange Julius Shake
1 serving vanilla flavored soy protein
1 cup vanilla soy milk, light
3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ice cubes

Apple Pie Shake
1 serving vanilla flavored soy protein
1 cup vanilla soy milk, light
1 cup frozen apple slices
A few dashes each ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ice cubes

(Recipes from www.sheknows.com)

-Ryan Shaul

Exams…DONE.
Group Projects…DONE.
Ten Page Paper…DONE.
Spring Break…IN PROGRESS!
For those of you who will be leaving your MSU apartment for Spring Break we have some friendly reminders for you:

1.Lock your windows and doors before leaving

2. DO NOT SHUT OFF YOUR UTILITIES. Leave the heat on at about 60 degrees. If you shut your heat off completely your pipes may freeze and burst. Just because you are going somewhere warm doesn’t make it warmer here!

3. Close your blinds before leaving

4. Don’t let trash sit in your apartment for a few weeks

5. If you leave your car unattended for a few weeks make sure you have a full tank of gas so the lines don’t freeze.

6. Don’t forget to have someone pet sit for you! Just kidding. (No, but seriously, don’t leave you puppy unattended at The Village : )

That’s all I can say regarding Team USA Hockey and their Winter Olympic performance.  For two weeks, I was glued to the TV in my East Lansing apartment.  Each shift, I watched a group of young NHL players come together building chemistry with each other and sharing a growing desire to win.

Team USA went in to the Gold Medal game undefeated, due largely in part by the play of former Michigan State star goaltender Ryan Miller.  His ability to stand on his head in clutch moments allowed the USA team to take chances in their opponents zone with confidence.

The Gold Medal game was electric.  A game that was not dominated by either team showed remnants of a chess game with two talented players.  Each time a team would change their offensive or defensive strategy, the opposing team switched also. 

With just 24 seconds remaining in regulation, Team USA scored the game tying goal with their goalie pulled in order to send them in to sudden death overtime.  Every American hockey fan thought this was the sign of the next Miracle on Ice.  Unfortunately, Americans were disappointed when Canadian player Sydney Crosby scored the game winning goal some 9 minutes into overtime.

Though I am disappointed we couldn’t win the gold, I will always appreciate the efforts of this Team USA.  Exceeding every expectation, (including my own), they showed the talent American hockey has to offer.  With a young team, don’t be surprised if Team USA is extremely relevant again at the 2014 Winter Games.

-Ryan Shaul

What do you think of Twitter?

If you are a Twitterholic, follow me @erndollarsign

Until next time Tweeps!

Posted by Ernest M

From now until Wednesday, March 3rd The Landings is waiving their $174 activity fee when you sign your lease!  (Meaning all you pay is the $25 application fee).  PLUS, if you sign your lease during this time, you’ll be entered to win one of five $100 VISA giftcards to put towards Spring Break!  Who couldn’t use a few extra bucks for vacation, right?

So make sure to stop by the Landings to reserve your East Lansing Student Apartment for the Fall.  Hurry in, spots are going fast!

If you have any questions, feel free to give us a call at (517) 827-2000.

Have a great weekend East Lansing!

1. Eat like a child! Bring on those ants on a log, PB&J (no crust), popsicles, mac-n-cheese, chicken noodle soup…

2. Finger painting. My roommates thought I had really lost it when I suggested that we spend Tuesday night of finals week last semester finger painting. But guess what—they loved it. You can buy bottles of acrylic paint for less than 50 cents each, and use construction paper… and a few minutes (or 4 seconds) later, you have your very own designer art. It’s so fun! Oh, but put newspaper down first… you don’t want to damage the furniture in your Chandler Crossings apartment!

3. Make friendship bracelets for your friends! I recently purchased 36 colors of thread for $3… it’s a cheap way to be friends for life. And it’s also super fun to invite your friends over to your MSU student apartment for a friendship bracelet party.

4. Coloring books. They’re in practically every store, and all you need are some crayons, colored pencils, or markers and you’re good to go for hours. I am a fantastic color-er, especially when it comes to staying in the lines. But if that is too boring for you, have contests with your friends to see who can make the ugliest picture, or try to use the wrong colors for things (green skin, pink sky, orange eyes…) My box of crayons and coloring book collection have proven to be solid investments.

5. Build a fort in your living room. It will be really easy if you live in Chandler Crossings, because you get so much furniture for free… other materials you may wish to use: sheets, blankets, pillows, boxes.

Sometimes, I do all 5 of these in one day. Even if you try just one, I’m sure you’ll love it and it’s a great way to bond with your roommates in your East Lansing student apartment.

Written by: Kelsey Kruse

In only his 3rd year in the league, barring any major injuries, Durant is on his way to becoming the next Michael Jordan and the first Kevin Durant. The other night, after playing basketball with a few of my friends at our Chandler Crossing apartment, we were sitting in the clubhouse watching SportCenter highlights. Durant had a monster game, scoring about 34 points in a victory. He has scored 25+ points in 29 straight games, no one has done that since Jordan. His ability to score is uncanny, surreal and just scary. Not Kobe nor Lebron has even come close to what Durant is doing.

But those players might have a say before everything is said and done. Kobe Bryant is a stone cold assassin and Lebron Jamesis an all around phenom. Bryant has already lived up to Micheal Jordan’s hype and James seems to be next in line to surpass MJ’s legacy. So I ask all of you NBA junkies, who do you think will be the next G.O.A.T.?

Posted by Ernest M.