To celebrate Pride month and community, Black Pride Ypsi hosted their second annual cookout. This year's cookout had a Y2K theme and included food, music, and dancing. The event was held at the Growing Hope Market in Downtown Ypsilanti on Saturday June 28th 2026. (Gallery by Lee Hammock)
Ypsilanti’s Annual Juneteenth Celebration was held from Friday, June 19 to Sunday, June 21 2026 in Downtown Ypsilanti. The event honors Juneteenth, a holiday which celebrates when the last enslaved African Americans in Texas heard of their freedom. The event highlighted local resources, vendors, artists and performers. (Gallery by Lee Hammock)
Eastern Michigan University Credit Union opened a new branch on 611 W. Cross Street on Monday, June 15 2025. The opening was celebrated with cookies and music, and it gave people a chance to look around. The new building hosts a new video teller drive-thru, ATMs, and plenty of space to consult with their financial services. (Gallery by Lee Hammock)
Since 1868, Memorial Day has been celebrated on the last Monday in May. The holiday is to reflect and honor the fallen soldiers who fought for the United States Armed Forces. On May 25, 2026, the city of Ypsilanti held a Memorial Day Procession that started in Downtown Ypsilanti, where it later stopped at the bridge at Depot Town to place flowers into the Huron River. After walking through Depot Town, the rest of the procession would walk to the Highland Cemetery, where there was a wreath ceremony. The procession was organized by the American Legion Post 282 and the city of Ypsilanti. The community followed alongside the procession along with the Ypsilanti Community Schools marching bands, the Ypsilanti Scout Troop 290 and Scout Pack 283, and other community groups. (Gallery by Courtney Prielipp)
The School of Communication, Media, and Theatre Arts (CMTA) hosted its Coming Home Celebration at Judy Sturgis Hill building on May 16, 2026. The coming home celebration invited all alumni from the program to celebrate the professors who are retiring, but to remember why the CMTA program is important. Scholarships were given out during the event, such as the Ken Steven Scholarship and the Sally Young Echo Scholarship. Throughout the event, there were rooms fulled of activies such as button making and dancing with music. (Gallery by Courtney Prielipp)
Hosted by the International Student Association, Colors in Harmony showcased many cultures including Filipino, Indian, Puerto Rican, Egyptian, Costa Rican, Iraqi, and Bengali. There was food and a chance for people to connect afterwards. The event was held in the Eastern Michigan University Student Center on Sunday, April 19, 2026. (Gallery by Lee Hammock)
At least nine university track and field teams gather at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, for the 2026 MAC track and field championship competition held Feb. 26-28. EMU athletes eat, practice and compete on the road during the busy weekend.
Eastern Michigan University's women's lacrosse team won 12-6 against Kent State University at Scicluna field on March 14, 2026. The game honored the legacy of Morgan Rodgers who lost her life to suicide in July of 2014 a couple of years after a season-ending knee injury. The game was dedicated to her and to eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health, empowering athletes on and off the field, and to promoting the message that mental health is just as important as physical health. (Gallery by Maddy Makin)
Pride Prom 2026 was held in the McKenny Ballroom from 6:30-9 p.m. Thursday, March 12, 2026. The event featured live music from Wetbody and Exit Ticket, along with a variety of snacks for students. The Pride Prom encouraged students to embrace their identities and let loose with their friends in a fun, safe environment. (Gallery by Owen Cardenas)
Kings Casino was an event held on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in the Eastern Michigan University Student Center. It was an action-packed night, allowing students to gamble with fake money at games like Texas Hold 'em, roulette and blackjack, along with more casual video games and card games. EMU faculty and staff dealt each table. (Gallery by Kaleb Stanley)
The Dean's EduTalk featured multiple speakers with experience in education to speak about the role public universities play in the community and how they can improve positive ratings from students. Many of the speakers were from other universities, except for Dr. Aesha Mustafa, who is an Assistant Professor at EMU, and Jazz Parks, who is the Superintendent of Ann Arbor Public Schools. The event took place in the Student Center Ballroom on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Gallery by Owen Cardenas)
Student Press Freedom Day was an event the Eastern Echo held on February 26, 2026. The event featured 2 guest speakers, Joyce Jenereaux and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Stephen Henderson, both of whom worked for the Detroit Free Press. The event was held in an auditorium in Pray-Harrold at Eastern Michigan University. (Gallery by Kaleb Stanley)
The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team went up against Miami University on Tuesday, Feb. 24 2026, losing against the RedHawks 74-64. (Gallery by Courtney Prielipp)
After the death of a mathematician and father, "Proof" explored grief, family history, and math proofs in the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama written by David Auburn and directed in EMU's theatre by Meriah Sage. "Proof" ran in Judy Sturgis Hill's Sponberg Theatre from Feb. 19 to Feb. 22, 2026. (Gallery by Max Taylor)
Joy Fest was held on Wednesday, Feb. 18, in Room 100 of the Porter College of Education. It featured lots of food for students to enjoy, in addition to multiple activity tables to inspire joy! Students also had a chance to learn about volunteer opportunities via the tables set up just outside the room, once they were done enjoying all the fun activities inside. (Gallery by Owen Cardenas)
EagleCon 2026 is an annually-held convention at Eastern Michigan University, representing the diverse fandoms that EMU students are a part of. EagleCon is held in the EMU Student Center Ballroom, this year being held on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. (Gallery by Kaleb Stanley)
Eastern Michigan University emerged victorious 9-7 in the fast-paced women's lacrosse game against Xavier University on Feb. 14, 2026. (Gallery by Maddy Makin)
On Feb. 12, 2026, WEMU, Eastern Michigan University's National Public Radio jazz and blues radio station, celebrated its relocation from King Hall to Halle Library with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. WEMU staff and Eastern Michigan University President James Smith cut the ribbon in front of WEMU's new office, located on the ground floor of the Halle Library across from the computer lab. Smith said the change comes as a much-needed upgrade, with all new improvements to the individual office spaces, physical media library and equipment. (Gallery by Courtney Prielipp)Read more: WEMU Celebrates new office in Halle Library
On Feb. 13, 2026, Eastern Michigan University's Disability Revolution Club hosted a panel discussing disability and relationships. The panel opened with an introduction from Dwight Hamilton, the Chief Access and Opportunity Officer at Eastern. Panelists answered questions on how the university could work toward inclusivity and accessibility at campus events before moving on to discussing misconceptions on disability and sexuality while also offering insight and advice on navigating relationships in a fulfilling way as disabled person. Main topics included self-advocacy and open communication in all types of relationships. (Gallery by Maddy Makin)
The Be Your Own Valentine silent disco was hosted by the Office of Access and Opportunity for students to practice self-love in preparation for Valentine's Day. The event featured enough food for over 200 people, which included pizza and breadsticks from Little Caesars, an assortment of fruit, meatballs, chips, and queso. The event also featured a mocktail station for students to enjoy while they danced to music mixed by two DJs. The silent disco took place in the Student Center Ballroom on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (Gallery by Owen Cardenas)
Solutions by The State News
