- Campus of Michigan State University
The campus of
Michigan State University is located in East Lansing on the banks of the Red Cedar River, and comprises a contiguous area of 5,200acre s (21 km²), 2,000acre s (8 km²) of which are developed. Built amid virgin forest, the campus opened in 1857 with three buildings, none of which remain. As anagricultural college , the campus was originally located several miles outside of the city ofLansing , but as the population of the college grew, the city ofEast Lansing developed just north of the area's main avenue.As the campus of a large university, MSU has many facilities that serve not only the school, but the entire
metropolitan area . Public venues on campus include a footballstadium , multipurposearena ,ice arena ,concert hall ,hotel , andgolf course . The campus also has its ownpower plant ,laundry service,incinerator , andAmtrak train station .In terms of
infrastructure , MSU's campus has 676 buildings, 27mile s (43 km) of roads, and 100 miles (161 km) of sidewalks. Overall, the university has 21,931,085 square feet (2,037,464.5 m²) of total indoor space. However, the size of the campus, combined with its curving roads and lack of a centralized quadrangle, can make it difficult for newcomers to navigate. [Smith, Ashley A. " [http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=37336 Freshmen 'get lost' on MSU's campus] ". "State News". August 30, 2006. Accessed April 19, 2007.]History
Before the white settlement of the region, the area that is now East Lansing was a combination of dense virgin
oak forest andtamarack swampland . Just north of the Red Cedar River was a clearing in the dense forest. It was in this "oak opening" that the school built its first three buildings in 1856: a multipurpose building called College Hall, adormitory building later known as "Saints' Rest ," and abarn . College Hall containedclassroom s,office s, laboratories, alibrary /museum , and a multifunctional lecture hall/chapel . It was also one of the first buildings in America to be used for the teaching of scientific agriculture. [Widder, Keith. " [http://www.msu.edu/unit/msuarhc/buildingexhibit.htm Gone But Not Forgotten] ". "MSU Archives and Historical Collection". January 16, 2004. Accessed April 18, 2007.]Since the college was founded in a sparsely populated area with only a handful of nearby farmhouses, and it was an arduous
stagecoach ride from Lansing, the College built four faculty houses in the first year of classes in 1857. One of these original faculty houses,Cowles House , still exists as the President's official residence, though only two walls and part of the foundation remain of the original construction. Ultimately, ten faculty homes were built on campus between 1857 and 1885. Besides Cowles House, one other survived and was moved into the city of East Lansing; the rest were demolished between 1922 and 1948 to make room for the north complex of residence halls and the Student Union.Michigan State's campus was among the first to serve as a
botanical laboratory for its faculty and students and is the site of what is, today, the oldest continuously operated botanical garden in the US. [" [http://www.givingto.msu.edu/beal.html William James Beal Society] ". "Campaign for MSU University Development". Accessed April 18, 2007.] In December 1879, ProfessorWilliam J. Beal buried seeds of 23 common plants in 20 jars of sand (to prevent water accumulation) in various locations around campus. At certain fixed intervals, currently every 20 years, a jar is dug up to determine which seeds stillgerminate after their prolonged periods of unlit isolation. The most recent jarexhumation , April 2000, found only a few specimens surviving to germinate, notably "Verbascum blattaria" (mothmullein ), after 120 years. Five buried jars remain, with the next unearthing scheduled for 2020.Saints' Rest served as the college's only dormitory for over 20 years. Since it had no official name to distinguish it from other buildings, students invented a variety of
nickname s for it including "the hall," "the boarding hall," "old hall," and "the house." The hall burned down during the December 1876 vacation despite the efforts of the Lansing fire department, which made the run from Lansing in 45 minutes. It was only after the hall burned that it acquired the moniker "Saints' Rest," which came from thePuritan devotional "The Saints' Everlasting Rest", written byRichard Baxter in 1650. On June 6, 2005, a team of Michigan Statearcheology professors and students beganexcavation on the site. Though they only dug up small portions of the site, they uncovered many artifacts, since the college hastily buried the rubble in 1876 and constructed a new dormitory near the site. [" [http://special.newsroom.msu.edu/digMSU/award.html#cooliris Saints’ Rest dig honored with Governor’s historic preservation award] ". "MSU Newsroom Special Reports". February 12, 2007. Accessed April 19, 2007.] [" [http://special.newsroom.msu.edu/digMSU/faq.html#cooliris Saints' Rest Frequently Asked Questions] ". "MSU Newsroom Special Reports". February 12, 2007. Accessed April 19, 2007.]By the turn of the 20th century, College Hall had outlived its usefulness, and its future was in doubt. Because
Michigan state government officials had taken the lowest construction bid possible, College Hall suffered from an extraordinary number of construction defects. These included hollow bricks, doors that would not open, a leaky roof (replaced by student labour in the first year), soft pine floorboards that shrank so they did not reach the walls, and even a tree stump embedded in the foundation. The College considered demolishing the historic edifice, but students organized a campaign to save it from the wrecking ball. They convinced the college to convert the hall into astudent union . The college went forward with plans to save the structurally unsound building, but it was beyond preservation. Therenovation weakened the shoddily-built structure, and in August 1918, the building collapsed while amarching band played "The Star-Spangled Banner " outside the building. No one was injured in the collapse. After the College cleared away the debris, they entertained several proposals to replace College Hall, but in the end they erected aclock tower on the northeast corner of the site.Beaumont Tower became the new architectural symbol of Michigan State College. [Galik, Mark. " [http://www.msu.edu/~carillon/msuama01.htm Beaumont Tower: At the Crossroads of Past, Present & Future] ". "MSU Alumni Association Magazine". Summer 1996. Accessed April 18, 2007.] Nevertheless, College Hall was not forgotten; to this day it is featured on the great seal of Michigan State University.President John A. Hannah's push to expand in the 1950s and 1960s resulted in the largest
residence hall system in the United States. [Kiernan, Vincent. " [http://chronicle.com/free/2003/01/2003010202t.htm Michigan State Asks Students to Turn Off Their Computers Over Winter Break] ". "The Chronicle of Higher Education". January 2, 2003. Accessed April 14, 2007.] 16,000 students live in MSU's 23 undergraduate halls, one graduate hall, and three apartment villages. Though MSU has not built a new resident hall since 1967, it has modernized several of its dormitories. In 2007, MSU opened theResidential College in Arts & Humanities [Collins, Laura. " [http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=32565 Trustees approve residential college] ". "State News". October 24, 2005. Accessed April 14, 2007.] in a newly-renovated Snyder-Phillips Hall, the location of MSU's first residential college, Justin Morrill College. [" [http://www.rcah.msu.edu/life.html RCAH Life] ". "Michigan State University Residential College in Arts & Humanities". Accessed April 14, 2007.]Areas
There are 676 buildings: 203 for academics, 154 for
agriculture , 245 for housing andfood service , as well as 74 other buildings. Overall, the university has 21,931,085 square feet (2,037,464.5 m²) of total indoor space. [" [http://www.pp.msu.edu/Bldg_Info/Bldg_Data_Summary_2004.pdf Building Data Summary] ". "MSU Physical Plant". 2004. Accessed April 12, 2007.] MSU also owns 44 non-campus properties, totaling 22,000 acres (89 km²) in 28 different counties. [" [http://www.canr.msu.edu/lmo/about.html About LMO] ". "MSU Land Management Office". August 29, 2005. Accessed April 12, 2007.]North campus
The oldest part of campus is north of the Red Cedar River and south of
Grand River Avenue and Michigan Avenue. Its buildings are an eclectic collection of architectural styles includingCollegiate Gothic , Beaux Arts, andRichardsonian Romanesque . The north campus has plentiful trees and curving roads with few straight lines. In the center of the north campus lies the "Sacred Space", which is surrounded on all sides by West Circle Drive. It was in this area that the College erected its first three buildings. None of these three buildings are still standing, but there are still some important historical buildings on and near the Sacred Space. These includeCowles House , the President's official residence, andBeaumont Tower , acarillon clock tower marking the site of College Hall. To the east of the Sacred Space liesLaboratory Row , a group of laboratory buildings constructed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These includeEustace-Cole Hall andMarshall-Adams Hall , America's first freestanding laboratories forhorticulture andbacteriology , respectively. [cite book | author=Stanford, Linda O. | title=MSU Campus: Buildings, Places, Spaces | location=East Lansing | publisher=Michigan State University Press | year=2002 | id=ISBN 0-87013-631-3 p. 60.]outh campus
The campus south of the Red Cedar River consists mostly of buildings built after
World War II . Many of them are built in the International and Brutalist styles, with relatively straight roadways and fewer trees than the north campus. South campus also has more surfaceparking lot s, due partly to the sporting and performing arts venues. The "2020 Vision" Master Plan proposes replacing these parking lots with parking ramps and green space, [" [http://www.2020vision.msu.edu/construction/ 2020 Vision Campus Master Plan] ". "MSU Campus Planning and Administration". 2006. Accessed April 12, 2007.] but these plans will take many years to reach fruition. Notable academic and research buildings on the South Campus include the Cyclotron and the College of Law.ervice campus and beyond
The majority of Michigan State's academic and residential buildings are north of the
Canadian National Railway . South of the CN line are service buildings such as thepower plant ,laundry services, and the campusincinerator . Nevertheless, there are a growing number of academic buildings south of the railroad. The MSU Clinical Center and the Life Sciences Building are both in this part of campus, as is a nature preserve known as theBaker Woodlot . South still of the university service buildings and the CSXrailroad lie thousands of acres of university-owned farmland and agricultural research facilities. The proximity of the farmland to campus helps MSU retain a rural feel in keeping with its roots as an agricultural college that mixes with the more urban atmosphere of East Lansing just a mile north.Landmarks
Michigan State is home to two
bronze statues, both erected in 2005. On the entrance plaza of the Administration Building that bears his name is the statue of former presidentJohn A. Hannah . Downstream on the south bank of the Red Cedar River is the new bronze statue of "The Spartan". [Oswald, Tom. " [http://www.msutoday.msu.edu/news/index.php3?article=26Aug2005-3 'Sparty' Unveiled] ". "MSU Today". August 26, 2005. Accessed April 14, 2007.] This 2005 replica replaced the originalterra cotta statue, which can still be seen in the west concourse of Spartan Stadium.Another landmark is the
spray paint edboulder known as "The Rock". Lying east ofFarm Lane just north of the river, it is a popular spot for campus events such as outdoor summertheatre , Greek house tailgating, andcandlelight vigil s. It was once used by Michigan Agricultural College (forerunner to MSU) students to study mineral contents.MSU has several
botanical garden s, including theW. J. Beal Botanical Garden just across the river from the stadium, theOld Horticulture Gardens next to the building of the same name, the MSU Horticulture Gardens, and the adjoining4-H Children's Garden.The university has several buildings for public gatherings and events. Spartan Stadium serves as the university's football stadium. The Breslin Center is a multi-purpose
basketball arena. TheMunn Ice Arena is used forice hockey . The MSU Pavilion serves as a venue for agricultural expositions and other types of events. Michigan State has two separate buildings for theatre. The MSU Auditorium/Fairchild Theatre is used for the MSU Theatre Department's shows, concerts, and public speakers. The Auditorium is on Farm Lane and the north bank of the river, in the heart of campus. To the southeast lies the main theatre for the Lansing metropolitan area, the Wharton Center for Performing Arts. The Wharton Center features Broadway plays and other performances, and was the site of one of the U.S. presidential debates in 1992. The university also has its ownhotel /convention center , theKellogg Center .Transportation
MSU's campus has a network of sidewalks, bike paths, roads (often with bike lanes) and unpaved trails. [cite web|url=http://bikes.msu.edu/images/bike_circulation_framework_lg.jpg|title=bikes.msu.edu/images/bike_circulation_framework_lg.jpg |accessdate=2007-05-21] Its transportation network consists of 27
mile s (43 km) of roads and 100 miles (161 km) of sidewalks. [Miller, Matthew. "MSU a 'city' unto itself] ". "Lansing State Journal ". August 20, 2006.] The original campus did not contain many sidewalks at all; the designers instead opted to pavedesire lines after they appeared in the grass.Fact|date=September 2007 Common, non-motor vehicle methods of campus navigation used are: Walking,bicycling ,rollerblading andskateboarding .Motorscooter s andmoped s are also not uncommon. A few skywalks and public undergroundtunnels link some buildings on campus. The non-motorizedLansing River Trail 's eastern trailhead is located on campus, extending west to downtown Lansing and then north towards the airport. The non-motorized "River Corridor" runs across campus along the south side of the Red Cedar River, and is the primary east-west route for non-motorized traffic on campus. [Tetans, Kristan. " [http://newsroom.msu.edu/plugins/newsroom/printversion.asp?id=1244 'Red Cedar Greenway' Project to Improve Safety, Beauty of Campus River Corridor] ". "Michigan State University Newsroom". November 15, 2002. Accessed April 19, 2007.] [" [http://www.greenwaycollab.com/MSU_RCG.htm Red Cedar Greenway Master Plan] ". "Greenway Collaborative, Inc". February 10, 2005. Accessed April 19, 2007.]The main roads that go through MSU's campus are West Circle Drive, East Circle Drive, Shaw Lane, Farm Lane, Wilson Road, Bogue Road, and Red Cedar Road. Passing through crowded areas of campus, these roads receive high volumes of pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Another popular mode of transportation is the
Capital Area Transportation Authority bus service, which has many routes across campus in addition to regular service outside campus in theLansing ,East Lansing , andOkemos areas. Many routes through campus are designated as "Spartan Service", meaning they only operate during MSU fall and spring semesters. [ " [http://www.cata.org MSU - Main Information] ". "Capital Area Transportation Authority ". Accessed April 19, 2007.] The MSU-CTC (MSU CATA Transportation Center) is the hub of bus service on campus, and many local destinations both on- and off-campus may be reached from there. Buses are used especially frequently during the winter.With two railroads crossing campus, MSU students have easy access to rail travel. The East Lansing Amtrak station is located on campus, offering daily direct service to and from
Chicago , Kalamazoo, Flint, Port Huron, and several other cities throughout Michigan via the "Blue Water" line. Cities such asDetroit ,Ann Arbor andGrand Rapids can be reached by transferring onto a different line. The station is also serviced by several Greyhound bus routes.Two airports are accessible from campus:
Lansing Capital City Airport in Lansing and theDetroit Metro Airport (DTW) outsideDetroit . Bus service to and from DTW is offered eight times daily byMichigan Flyer .Notes
References
*cite book | author=Kuhn, Madison. | title=Michigan State: The First Hundred Years, 1855-1955 | location=East Lansing | publisher=Michigan State University Press | year=1955 | id=ISBN 0-87013-222-9
*cite book | author=Miller, Whitney. | title=East Lansing: Collegeville Revisited (Images of America) | publisher=Arcadia Publishing | year=2002 | id=ISBN 0-7385-2045-4
*cite book | author=Stanford, Linda O. | title=MSU Campus: Buildings, Places, Spaces | location=East Lansing | publisher=Michigan State University Press | year=2002 | id=ISBN 0-87013-631-3External links
* [http://special.newsroom.msu.edu/digMSU/ Official University website]
* [http://www.msu.edu/unit/msuarhc/buildingexhibit.htm Gone But Not Forgotten: Campus Buildings That No Longer Exist]
* [http://kevinforsyth.net/ELMI/ A Brief History of East Lansing: City Neighborhoods and the Campus Park, 1850-1925]
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