Community Reading Project

The Community Reading Project will host a two-day symposium aimed at educating attendees about culture in New Orleans.

Titled “The New Orleans Symposium,” the event will cover topics such as food and life in the city as well as the recovery efforts that have been made since the events of Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf oil spill.

The book selected for the occasion is “Five Days at Memorial” by Sheri Fink. The novel chronicles the events that took place at the Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit.

The symposium will occur in the Grand Valley State University Mary Idema Pew Library from Jan. 15 through 16.

For more information, go to www.gvsu.edu/read.

Annual Siblings Weekend

The annual Sibs N Kids weekend at Grand Valley State University is getting a new twist as the weekend is now completely superhero themed.

From Jan. 30-31, kids can expect fun activities such as laser tag, a bounce house, lessons in swing and hip hop dance, rock climbing, video games, superhero-themed snacks and a glow in the dark dance party held in the Grand River Room.

The Kirkhof Center will screen the movies The Incredibles and TMNT on Friday and Saturday.

Admission for these events costs $20 with an additional $10 for each new participant.

For more information, go to www.gvsu.edu/sibsnkids.

Employment rates up

Paul Isely, professor of economics and associate dean at the Seidman College of Business, said at the Colliers Annual Economic and Real Estate Forecast that employment rates in West Michigan are rising higher than expected.

A survey, which included counties Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon and Allegan counties, showed that employment within the Grand Rapids metro area has risen 3.8 percent.

In addition, employment is projected to increase another 3.2 percent this year alone.

Other important discoveries show that sales are expected to surge 2.5-2.9 percent and that export growth could rise another 6.7-7.7 percent.

Much of the data supports more growth ahead for the West Michigan economy.

Alcohol: Truth, Lies and Consequences

Alcohol: Truth, Lies and Consequences is an event aimed at educating students on how to responsibly handle alcohol as well as other substances.

The ATLC program explains that the abuse of substances like alcohol, marijuana and prescription medication doesn’t just affect the user but their surrounding community as well.

The event will feature the repercussions of using illegal substances, how alcohol can affect future lifestyles and the signs to look for when identifying someone who has a substance abuse problem.

ATLC will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 20 from 6 p.m to 7 p.m. in Room 2270 at the Kirkhof Center.