Eve of Ignition Spring Edition: Greenovation

Eve of Ignition was such a hit last September that we’ve decided to bring it back in full force this semester!

Eve of Ignition is an idea contest. Like its parent event, IgniteLansing, Eve of Ignition is a unique competition, in which contestants offer their bright ideas that they believe can add value to the community. Unlike Ignite, Eve of Ignition is just for us students! It started right here in East Lansing at MSU, with local MSU entrepreneur & student Adam Root taking the crown for his business idea, Spartanicity.

Students + Initiative+ Innovation + Sustainability = Greenovation

The theme is ”Greenovation,” so they’re looking for ideas that are
- entrepreneurial
- innovative
- green friendly
- value creating

A website will be up soon, but you can get a head start…here is the easy, online submission form

Connect with Eve of Ignition:

More information will be coming out in the coming week(s), but here is what is known:

Date: March 3rd
Time: 6:30 – 8:30
Location: East Lansing Technology Innovation Center; home of “the Hatch” – new student business incubator (map)

They would love to come to one of your group’s meetings to tell them about this awesome opportunity! Please let Dan know if you’d be interested in hearing from a Spotlight Campus representative (the facilitators of the event). Contact Dan via: Email: danredford10@gmail.com or on twitter @gaoman10

$63 Million for Michigan Summer Employment?!

Are you in the no-summer-job blues? Well, the Federal Government is helping Michigan! The stimulus package provides $63 million for summer employment SPECIFICALLY for YOUTH (Ages 14-24). There are still plenty out there for grabs, especially for us who have some college experience. So if you’re part of the several thousands that need a job (or internship!) for the summer, check it out!

https://www.michworks.org/mtb/user/MTB_EMPL.EntryMainPage

What you need to know about the summer jobs program

The East Lansing Film Festival

You are sitting at a table in the caf. Everyone you know, and normally eat with, is in class. Trying not to feel awkward you stare at the card in the middle of the table for the entire twenty minutes you are eating. At a certain point you actually read the card. You are most likely looking at the side that lists the movies. You see a listing that says ELFS. At first, you are surprised that UAB misspelled “elves,” then you realize; elves don’t make movies. At this time you figure out that ELFS stands for East Lansing Film Society.

East Lansing Film Society organizes the East Lansing Film Festival, which occurred March 19th-26th. Sorry you missed it. The festival is an opportunity for independent filmmakers, some who are local, and foreign filmmakers to exhibit their work. The society has partnered with MSU to host the films in Wells hall. The festival shows documentary, feature, short, and student films. Every year, since 1997, the festival has brought new work into the spotlight that students may not otherwise see. The festival also correlates with the Lake Michigan Film Competition, to award filmmakers for their art.

You may have missed the festival this year, but keep and eye out for 2010. This is a great place to gain some experience or network if you are looking to get into the film industry.

By: Nate Anderson

Media Money for Michigan

Many majors lead into a specific career after graduation. Usually these majors are BS. But for those of us with BA or BFA it is a different story. There is no one way for a person to become a Best Selling writer, famous actor, or award-winning director. No, we all have to find a path to a career through experience and various opportunities. As Francis Ford Coppola said, “Art depends on luck and talent.” For people who are pursuing a career in media production within Michigan there is a new hope, not a Star Wars movie, but a studio being constructed in Pontiac.

Motown Motion Picture Studios will offer over 3500 new jobs to the community. The studio is drawn to Michigan by the tax incentives passed by Gov. Granholm back in April of 2008.  Because of these tax breaks there is hope for increased film production in Michigan. This will not only create new creative and technical film jobs, but also aid the service industry. The cold hard truth is that we, with our BA degrees, need people with BS degrees. A boom in creative jobs will allow more work for people who work in finance, management, and other critical roles to produce a film.

Michigan’s support of the Film Industry shows potential for healing our economic wounds.

By:Nate Anderson