Today’s weather forecast is predicting partly cloudy skies in the morning which will lead to cloudy skies during the afternoon with a high of 45 degrees and a low of 34 degrees.

MSU to recognize excellence in diversity, equity and inclusion

The Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion awards ceremony will be held on Feb. 13 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Big Ten Room at the Kellogg Hotel. MSU will be recognizing those who demonstrated above and beyond contributions to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the fields of research, teaching, programming, community work and organizational change.

Audrey Bentley, senior outreach coordinator in the Office for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, said the award program has been going on since 1990 and it was one of the first DEI programs in higher education across the nation.

Over 200 organizations, teams and individuals have been recognized for the work they’ve put into not only the university, but also through community outreach incentives.

Although the event is open invitation, this year’s capacity has been reached, with over 500 people registered to attend.

Among others, MSU Extension’s Children and Youth Institute LGBTQIA+ Advocacy Team will also be honored for spreading their message of friendly, positive energy towards Michigan LGBTQIA+ youth since 2020.

There were no self-nominations this year. Everyone that was in the running was nominated by someone else. Candidates were evaluated based on paper submissions and interviews were conducted with individuals that made the first cut.

MSU Live On to host roommate match event

The MSU Live On Campus Crew is hosting a roommate match event today, in Holmes Hall from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event will include speed friending, bingo, games and snacks.

Residence Education and Housing Services Associate Director for Communications Bethany Balks said a roommate matching event has been held every year since 2018 and has been very popular among students.

While the event is communicated primarily to first-year students who will be living on-campus again due to the two-year live-on requirement, the event is open to all students. The event will begin with speed friending, styled similarly to speed dating, to allow students to mingle for about an hour.

While MSU’s My College Roomie app gives students an avenue to find potential roommates, Balks said it is important to speak face-to-face.

Students can find the registration on liveon.msu.edu.

The meteoric rise of the mocktail in Lansing

Several establishments throughout Greater Lansing have begun to add non-alcoholic cocktails to their menus, giving an option to those who still desire the sophisticated taste and social environment without having to consume alcohol. These drinks are commonly referred to as “mocktails.”

Lansing bars and restaurants such as The Grid Arcade & Bar and The Avenue have stepped up, adding mocktails to their menus. The establishments have given those who do not drink the ability to join in on an environment in which many are consuming alcohol.

The Grid Arcade & Bar offers four mocktails, the Great Gazoo, No Whammies, Swamp Thing and The Smurf. Using a carbonated nonalcoholic beverage as a base, the Grid compliments the bubbles with citruses and sweets like berries and lime.

The Grid is hoping to add a few more mocktails to the menu in order to accommodate the wide variety of tastebuds.

Bar and restaurant The Avenue offers a mocktail called “I Prefer Podcasts” which mixes fresh orange juice, ginger beer and brown sugar simple.

Although the establishment displays one mocktail on their menu, that does not limit the bartenders who are free to use their imagination for mixing drinks.

Blue Owl Coffee offers a menu of coffee cocktails from which patrons can choose. From the Ol’ Blue, a nonalcoholic twist on an Old Fashioned, to the Dubliner and Mackinac, two coffee cocktails resembling Fireball, Blue Owl Coffee has created nonalcoholic drinks that encompass staple cocktails.

Based on original reporting by Selma Cogo, Vivian Barrett and Anna Ryan.