Two of six campers from Ill. faced out-of-state confusion when Michigan State threw a wrench in their plan. MSU’s campus construction resulted in the closing of Kalamazoo St. causing these wary travelers to stray from their printed MapQuest directions and venture out into unknown territory in an attempt to reach East Shaw Hall.
“I noticed the signs everywhere, even a few minutes away from the campus. It really caused a problem for me as the navigator of the car, especially as an out-of-towner. I just want to know why,” Katie Grier affected student said.
Unfortunately, the arrival to the MIPA conference provided no insight on the situation as it was not even mentioned. The construction may have been expected by the 300 students who call Michigan their home, but the unfamiliar campers and their families found it much more difficult to navigate.
“A little warning would have been nice,” frazzled parent Debra Griffin said of the construction situation.
With so many informative emails prior to the camp, students affected were surprised that they were not provided with cautionary tips to deal with the hindrances the construction caused in locating the dormitories. Although reasons for the construction are only speculations at this point, one thing is for sure: the detour MSU provided allowed for a tour of East Lansing.
“Although the detours were a little bit of an inconvenience we just have to look at it positively. After all you only MIPA 2013 once and it was great to get a better feel for the campus and the surrounding downtown area,” Grier said.
Thanks for the heads up! Will out-of-towners picking up on Thursday receive better instruction?