Travel: Olivet is conveniently located on I-69, about 12 miles north of the I-94 junction. The nearest airport is Capitol City Airport in Lansing (30 minutes). Also Grand Rapids airport is about 1-1/4 hours away; Detroit Metro and Flint airports are each about 1-1/ 2 hours away. Local Transportation An Olivet College/MBC shuttle will be available from Lansing's Capitol City Airport to the Olivet Campus and back in the following time periods:
Other hours may be arranged. See the Shuttle Registration Form. Charge for the shuttle will be $15 per person in each direction. We will need to know when you are coming in to schedule the shuttle. Please register using the Shuttle Reservation Form. Rental cars are available at the Lansing Capitol City airport. As of September 2007 you could rent cars via hotwire.com or Travelocity.com beginning at $16 per day. Your results may vary. We recommend reserving a car early to lock in the good rates. There are several taxi companies that service the airport. It's about a 30 mile ride one-way, and they have given us rough prices between $70 and $95 each way. So, we strongly recommend using our shuttle or renting a car. There are direct line phones to these taxi companies right near the exit doors in the baggage claim area. Starting and Ending Times:
Here is an interactive map of Olivet College (our primary locations are #s 13, 14, 25, 16 and 17). Accommodations: Lodging is right on site in Shipherd Hall an air-conditioned student dormitory. There are single and double occupancy options,(see below). Please Note: As of 4/3/08, due to unprecedented demand, we can no longer guarantee new registrants a room with air conditioning. If there are cancellations then students will be assigned air-conditioned rooms in the order of their having registered for camp. From this point on, new registrants will be housed in Dole Hall, which has no air-conditioning and has shared bathrooms on the floor. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Of course, all other facilities used for the camp (classrooms, auditorium and dining hall) are air conditioned. And there is of course the possibility of registering at local hotels (in either Charlotte or Marshall (each about 10 miles away) if you prefer the A/C that they can provide. Please note that if you do arrange to lodge off site, you should then register for MBC as a commuter, or commuter with meal plan. Here is a list of hotels recommended by the Events Services people at Olivet College. This list is far from exhaustive (a quick internet search brought up a couple of dozen motels and hotels within a reasonable driving range).
Linens: Note that Olivet College supplies each dormitory room occupant with 2 sheets, 2 bath towels, and one each of the following; pillowcase, pillow, washcloth and blanket. Linens are distributed upon registration, and are to be returned at check-out. Classes will be primarily in the air-conditioned C.S. Mott Academic Center, right across the street from the dorm. Parking is plentiful on the Olivet campus, with parking lots behind Shipherd Hall, the C.S Mott Academic Center, Kirk Cafeteria, and more. See the grey areas on the interactive map. Roommates: "Single Occupancy" means you will have a room to yourself (bathrooms are shared between 2 rooms). Unless otherwise specified on your registration form, if you select "double occupancy," we will pair you up with another student of the same sex and approximately the same age group. Non-playing spouses, companions and chaperones: Spouses and companions of students -- or chaperones of minor students -- who will not be attending classes may register for MBC on the following basis: Both the student and the spouse/companion/chaperone sign up for double occupancy. The student pays the full double occupancy rate, while the spouse/companion/chaperone pays half the double occupancy rate. This special rate entitles the spouse/companion/chaperone to double occupancy lodging, the full meal plan, and -- if so desired -- access to demonstrations and concerts. When registering, the spouse/companion/chaperone should indicate their status in the "special needs" slot on the questionnaire. Note that the half-price rate for the spouse/companion/chaperone applies only to the regular camp tuition fee. If the spouse/companion/chaperone wishes to stay at the Olivet dorms on Thursday and/or Sunday nights, he or she must pay full stated room-rates. 
Climate: Early June weather in Olivet is normally pretty moderate (average low of 56 and high of 77), but it can be quite warm and humid at this time of year. Although all the main buildings we will occupy at Olivet are air-conditioned, students will need to walk outdoors between buildings several times a day. To ensure that you're as comfortable as possible when you do venture outside, we highly recommend that before you pack your bags you check the weather report (one example: The Weather Channel Olivet Weather, and select clothes that are appropriate to the projected conditions. And don't forget to also bring a light sweater or sweat shirt to wear indoors in case they crank up the a/c too high! Tuition: You must register to attend Midwest Banjo Camp. Slots are still available. $440 covers tuition, room with single occupancy and board for the weekend. $415 covers tuition, room with double occupancy and board for the weekend. This year we will have a mini-orientation and some scheduled activities for early arrivals beginning on Thursday evening and continuing on Friday morning. Check in begins for the pre-camp program begins at 8pm Thursday night. There is no charge for these value-added activities, other than extra lodging costs. See below. Commuter Rate: We offer a special non-resident rate of $360 which includes meals (covers lunches and dinners only - breakfast may be purchased on the spot if you wish). Commuters may also register with no meals included for $335. The Midwest Banjo Camp Work Scholarship Program MBC is able to offer a few work-scholarships to certain students. We offer a $200 discount off the arrangement of your choice (single occupancy, double occupancy, commuter, etc.) in exchange for about ten hours of work over the course of Camp. Your duties, which will probably involve things like running errands, making photo-copies, and other, similar tasks, will be assigned by the directors or Site Coordinator, and in general should not overly interfere with your opportunity to attend classes. Those applying should be serious players over 18 who could not otherwise afford to attend. Apply by sending an email describing your situation to info@midwestbanjocamp.com . Extra Nights' Lodging: If it best suits your travel plans, you may reserve a bed on the night prior to Camp (Thursday, June 5), and/or the night directly following Camp (Sunday, June 8). Specify this option on your registration form, or contact us with your reservation any time up to May 22, 2008. The cost is $45 per night, single occupancy, $35 per night double occupancy per student. The Olivet cafeteria will only be open from Friday supper thru Sunday lunch, so if you arrive early or stay late then you will need to find other sources for meals. Olivet is a small town but has several options, a couple of restaurants and sandwich/pizza shops. The restaurant doubles as the town bar (which normally closes by midnight, but we are working on having it kept open until 2am). 
Deposits and Payment Schedule: Although students may pay in full at any time, a deposit of $100 reserves a place at Camp until April 6, 2008, at which time all tuition balances must be paid in full. All reservations made after April 6, 2008 must be accompanied by full tuition. Cancellations and Refunds: Until April 5, 2008, your deposit is fully refundable. For cancellations beginning April 6, 2008, everything is refunded except $100. For cancellations made on or after May 30, 2008, everything is refunded except $200. email: info@midwestbanjocamp.com If you have any questions or concerns that you would prefer to address by phone, send us an email with your phone number and suggested times to call. We'll then get back to you as soon as we can. |
The Students Speak about 2007 camp: "Either half of the faculty concert was worth it alone. But both! And workshops! And networking! And Jamming! Wow! There were so many interesting workshops I'm already looking forward to next year so I can take some more."
"Great Experience. Very worthwhile. It's definitely an immersion into a little A banjo world.
"Jams The best! Available at all levels, all night. I finally learned to effectively participate. Thanks!"
"I appreciated the jam workshop and the slow jams. As a beginner I did not feel intimidated"
"Awesome instructors! Great knowledge of what is being taught" "Great - a wide array of classes with great instructors who can teach all." "It would be hard to choose one thing. So I'll go with the total experience." |
