[dsklos]

Hello all,

I am a 23yr old undergraduate political science student moving to East Lansing to attend MSU. I am not very familiar with the house situation in EL, and would like to avoid University Housing.

Does anyone have any recommendations as to where to live that is in reasonable proximity to MSU's campus? Cost and fringe benefits (such as exercise facilities, community members, size of living quarters) are all important to me. Does EL having anything similar to Ann Arbor's Telluride House? ([url=http://www.tellurideassociation.org/mbfront.html]Michigan Branch of Telluride Association[/url])

Also, I am looking to get an internship in a political office. Does anyone have any advice who to talk to or have any contacts that could be shared? (aside from "talk to your professors and the James Madison school...)


Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

-
DK

[teachbeach]

There is an apartment complex on Abbott/Chambers Road that has all the amenities you are looking for, although it is quite a distance (about 5 miles) from campus. The bus system in East Lansing and the MSU bus system is fantastic, so you probably wouldn't have any trouble with getting to/from campus. Other housing may be found on the north side of Grand River Avenue--in houses and apartments that are leased to students. Best place to look is TownCourier newspaper, comes out weekly and is loaded with ads. Anything between Grand River and Burcham or near areas would be close enough to walk/bike to campus and are mixed in with residential housing in a quaint neighborhood. The other paper to try is the Lansing State Journal. There are tons of places for living! If you want to stay on the south side of campus, there are also loads of options along Jolly Road, Mt. Hope Road, Hagadorn. Best suggestion would be to take a day and drive around, visit a couple of places and get a feel for what you might need, pick up the papers, check in with student housing (the boards are posted with people looking for roommates). There is a huge Michigan Athletic Club on Hagadorn and a Gold's gym in front of it. East Lansing has it's own Municipal complex (like a Y, complete with workout facilities, pool and trainers) in the old Hanna School on Abbott and Burcham. Membership rates are reasonable.

[randomguymike]

Originally Posted by dsklos

Also, I am looking to get an internship in a political office. Does anyone have any advice who to talk to or have any contacts that could be shared? (aside from "talk to your professors and the James Madison school...)


Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

-
DK

Internships are a peice of cake to obtain, unless you want to go to the executive branch.

Almost any of the Reps or Senators would be happy to have extra staff. Back in the day I interned for a couple of guys and it was a great experience. If you are from Michigan, you may want to just call up the office of your local rep. If you are from Ann Arbor, for instance call up Brater or Byrnes. I'm sure both would be happy to have some free labor in their offices. The internships start pretty low-level (writing form letters to constituents/making bill copies), but the responsibilities grow as you hang out. Also, you may want to contact the State party offices. That is another awesome place to intern. I made lots of great contacts there back in the day. None of these things requires any contacts, only a couple of phone calls. Finally, be sure to volunteer on campaigns in the upcoming year. Getting in on the ground floor with candidate is invaluable.

[tuebor]

Look into co-ops for housing. There are over a dozen in EL. Back in the 80's, when I was there, Howland House was the cheapest and also the most appropriate for someone your age. But living there would entail having a roommate, at least initially until a single room opened up. More info: Michigan State University Student Housing Cooperative

[TMN135]

The best housing now a days in my opinion are the newer off campus apartment complexes built for students. You can get a room with electricity, water, internet, cable, included in the rent for about 500 bucks. These places usually come with exercise centers, business centers, pools, etc. Chandlers is good but kinda far away. I'd recommend a place closer to campus like Campus Village. It will save you a lot of time being able to walk to class and not worry about parking. It's also close enough where you can hit the bars [url]http://www.barsineastlansing.com[/url] without having to worry about driving. As a student thats an important consideration of course.