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MSU’s annual Global Festival returns for celebration of international culture

For the first time in two years, MSU hosted its annual Global Festival at the Union: A long-standing tradition at MSU that serves as an educational celebration of different countries and cultures from around the world.

The festival is free to anyone in the community who wants to learn about cultures that differ from their own. The event was complete with live performances of singing, dancing, traditional dance and martial arts.

This year’s festival featured cultural exhibits from 18 different countries including Bangladesh, El Salvador, India, Iran and Norway. Along with the exhibits and cultural performances, the festival also includes a gift shop with items from around the world, the proceeds from which fund scholarships for international students.

International Students Association representative for the Associated Students of Michigan State University Ishwari Kapale said that the festival is an opportunity to help international students feel a sense of community.

“Probably the best part is just having (the festival) again and seeing that people are still interested and excited and connecting in this way,” communications and community outreach coordinator for the Office of International Students and Scholars Joy Shantz said. “We weren’t sure what turnout would be like since it hasn’t happened in a long time but we’re really pleased the communities obviously come out to support our international students.”

Construction begins on 2-story pizzeria in previous Collegeville Textbooks location

Construction has begun for a new pizzeria on Grand River Avenue, taking over the previous Collegeville Textbook Co. site which shut down during the pandemic.

Located at 321 E. Grand River Ave., Coratti’s Pizzeria Bar and Bocce will feature two stories of dining, a bar and two 60-feet bocce courts.

The restaurant was approved by the East Lansing City Council on June 11 and hopes to open in early 2023.

Demolition of the previous storefront can currently be seen from Grand River Avenue.

New construction to the site will include the addition of a steel structure supporting the second floor, new interior partitions, architectural features and finishes, mechanical, electrical and plumbing modifications, new food service equipment, the addition of fire suppression system and the addition of a rear exit stair enclosure, according to plans from architecture firm Ron & Roman Inc., who are working on the project.

In the plans presented to City Council, the restaurant applied for an entertainment and dance and liquor license. They plan to be open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, noon to 10 p.m. on Sunday and 10 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday.

Approval was granted under conditions that no one under 21 would be allowed into the restaurant without a guardian after 11 p.m. and the capacity be set at 290 persons, with seating limited to 250 diners.

Annual model train show attracts thousands, community members of all ages

On Sunday, MSU’s Pavilion for Agriculture hosted Lansing Model Railroad Club’s, or LMRC, annual model train show and sale.

The club has been hosting the show every November since it was established in 1955. Originally, the club and show operated in an out-of-use passenger train station in Lansing.

Kurt Wilson has been attending LMRC shows for more than a decade, ever since he revisited his childhood love of trains. He’s particularly interested in building complex layouts; at his home he has an O-scale layout that can run up to six trains at once.

Organizers estimated that there were between 2,700 and 3,000 attendees. Most were either young children accompanied by parents, or older hobbyists who, like Wilson, had rediscovered their love of model trains as they aged.

The show wasn’t just for those hoping to see the trains in action – it was also a marketplace, with almost 200 dealers selling and trading model-trains and scenery. Some dealers represented brick-and-mortar stores or online retailers, while others were simply individuals who sell and trade to grow their collections and get involved in the community.

Attendees had mixed answers on what first drew them to the hobby. Some found nostalgia in something they loved in childhood, parents and family members said they were able to connect with children and almost all were simply fascinated with the mechanics of a train.

Based on original reporting by Hannah Woehrle, Wendy Guzman and Alex Walters.