For the first time in nine years OotM will be holding World Finals at a brand new location -- Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan.

MSU has a 5,200-acre campus, 660 buildings, and another 15,000 acres throughout Michigan used for agricultural, animal, and forestry research. They offer more than 200 programs of study, with 14 degreegranting colleges. Making up the 50,000 students that attend the university are individuals that come from every county in Michigan, all 50 states in the U.S., and about 125 other countries.

According to the East Lansing web site,MSU is known to have the largest residence hall system in the U.S. Sixteen thousand students live in the University's 23 undergraduate halls, one graduate hall, and three apartment villages.

There are also lots of places to have fun on campus like tennis courts, ice rink, rec center, planetarium, art and science museums, and plenty of outdoor playing fields. There's a lot on campus to see as well. For example, there is the W.J. Beal Botanical Garden that is claimed to be the oldest continually- maintained university botanical garden in the U.S. and is open to the public without charge during daylight hours.

For those that want to visit the surrounding town, East Lansing is full of stuff to do. There are 26 parks in the city ranging from neighborhood parks to the Family Aquatic center and national competition level soccer and softball parks. There is also a variety of stores, coffee shops, restaurants, and art galleries in East Lansing. The town is also celebrating its centennial this year.

World Finals may seem to be far away, but it will be here in a few short and busy months. And as always, spectators are welcome and there's no cost to watch the competitions and support OotM.

MSU Campus -- Linton Hall, 1881