COLLEGE!

Farewell

2011-04-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

-30-

Lame ... And shame on you, fools! Who destroys art, anyway???

2011-02-12T15:24:00.000-08:00

Ellerbroek, working on the piece a few nights ago

My daughter and I happened to be walking through the Minnesota State University campus this afternoon when we came across Jesse Ellerbroek, the artist doing the snow sculpture on the mall. From a distance, it looked amazing, and Emma and I walked a little faster to get up to it.

And then we noticed something was wrong. Ellerbroek's original design was supposed to include a globe. But this looked like a half-globe. It was also supposed to include two rabbits ... But one of these rabbits had a decidedly short muzzle.

Why?

Vandals.

They came like idiots in the night and found the only shovel that wasn't chained down. They used that shovel to hack up Ellerbroek's work, chopping up the globe, chopping off the muzzle. And, in the process, they chopped up a little bit of the reputation of MSU students.

I know there will be a significant number of people, when they hear about this, they'll laugh, laugh at the rowdy college kids who hacked up the bunnies. But really? A guy who went to MSU came back to do something really creative. And after seeing the piece today, I must say I was really, really impressed. I wasn't sure how, when I interviewed Jesse for the story that ran the other day, how this would turn out. And how do the current students show their respect?

Part of me really isn't surprised. It's the kind of thing that can happens on any college campus ... Or can it? I hate to say this, but I found myself wondering whether this hack job would have occurred on the Gustavus Adolphus College campus.

What do you think? Let me know.

And I'll leave you with this thought: Greg Wilkins, the student activities director responsible for bringing in Ellerbroek, put a sign up next to where the artist was working this afternoon. It was a simple sandwich board, the kind that ordinarily would be used to advertise upcoming events. Instead, today, it was emblazoned with five big letters: S-H-A-M-E.

Funding cuts are inevitable, but maybe we should spare community colleges

2011-02-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

Under the category of "Minnesota isn't the only place it sucks for higher ed funding," I submit to you this from Stateline:

"COMMUNITY COLLEGE TUITION: As state legislators start chewing over their budget proposals, community college officials are warning that next year could force big tuition increases. In Arizona, Governor Jan Brewer wants to cut state aid to community colleges by 85 percent. Iowa community colleges stand to lose millions in state aid under Governor Terry Branstad's budget after already taking a hit under former Governor Chet Culver. And in California, Governor Jerry Brown has proposed cutting $400 million from community colleges while also raising student fees. Until now, many states had tried to limit cuts to community colleges in an effort to keep some form of higher education accessible even as funding for four-year schools was being reduced."

So as you can see, community colleges are having a rough go of things around the country. Which really confuses me. While this article doesn't really put the cuts into context, it leads one to wonder why would community colleges be taking such a big hit. They're the cheapest colleges to run, don't require the big budgets to compete for star faculty. And perhaps more importantly, given the nation's push to make it easier for people to return to college for re-careering, community colleges remain the most viable option to take the vast majority of those students.

Maybe the budget thing is worse than we all thought. Maybe it's going to take more cutting all around. Maybe it's a bad idea to reign in education spending while trying to inspire more people to go back to college. I don't know. What I do know is community colleges are becoming the a bigger and bigger part of what's important about higher education.

From my personal experience, I can tell you South Central College was instrumental in transforming my wife's career. She worked for years at a bank, a job she did well, but it never really resonated with her personally. So she went to MSU's nursing program, figuring her alma mater would welcome her with open arms. They, um, didn't. In fact they basically discouraged her from trying. And after that meeting, she nearly gave up on the idea of becoming a nurse. But instead she decided to try talking to the folks at South Central College. Three years later, she earned a degree, got a job, loves her career and earns a lot more money.

And a community college made it possible.

Gainful employment rule: A good idea or unfair burden on for-profit colleges?

2011-02-08T09:06:00.000-08:00

I don't normally spend too much time here discussing higher education policy and the like, but during the last few months there's been a growing debate over some new regulations coming down the pike for so-called "for profit" higher education institutions, sometimes referred to "career colleges."

The controversy surrounds something called the gainful employment rule, and there's been quite a bit of lobbying on both sides to try and influence what the Obama administration ultimately does. In short, the gainful employment rule will require for-profit schools that receive any federal dollars -- and most of the legitimate ones do -- to show that their graduates are getting good jobs that pay well, well enough for them to repay their student loans.

If you're unclear on the concept of a for-profit school, here's a quick primer: In the immediate southern Minnesota area, we've got a few of these, the most prominent of which is Rasmussen College, a fine institution with good programs and a placement service they're very proud of. Also included would be the local Cosmetology Training Center, the University of Phoenix (the college with the largest enrollment in North America) and other schools such as DeVry, Kaplan, Argosy, and the list goes on and on and on. There are thousands in the U.S.

And for the most part, they're opposed to this rule, including the University of Phoenix.

I attended an Education Writer's Association conference in St. Petersburg, FL, last weekend where this topic was widely discussed. And it's only going to get more interesting.

I'm not quite sure why the for-profit schools are resisting this idea of gainful employment. Seems like it makes sense. Offer programs that people want, and programs where there are jobs, and they'll naturally find jobs if you're program is a decent one.

I think where some of the problems might be arising is from smaller schools that maybe don't have quite as good a history with finding jobs for its graduates. One speaker at the EWA conference was a reporter from the Detroit Free Press who did a big investigation of these programs in Michigan and found that many of the programs taking federal money were not placing their workers -- this at a time when the governor there was pushing the state's No Worker Left Behind initiative.

Anyway, I'm planning a future piece on this where I'll talk to our local institutions. Stay tuned.

I say fly this rebel flag high, and fly it proud

2011-02-04T06:43:00.000-08:00

Don't have a lotta time to entertain you with my thoughts today, but as I'm lounging in the lobby of the Courtyad Marriot in sunny, sunny -- oh my god, I can see and smell the ocean! -- St. Petersburg, FLA, I thought I'd quick direct your attention to a little higher ed squabble down the road from here.

Check out the image posted here. If you look quickly, it's a simple sad, embarrassing rebel flag. But upon closer examination, it's much more than that.

The image was part of a faculty gallery, and the president decided it'd be better for everyone involved if that image wasn't part of the rest of the exhibit, given the negative attention it's attracting and all.

So check it out, read the piece in Inside Higher Ed, and ask yourself this important question: Wouldn't you rather be in sunny, sunny St. Petersburg? Ha!

The search for a new MnSCU chancellor needs a little spicing up. Here's my two cents ...

2011-02-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

So the search for a replacement for MnSCU Chancellor extraordinaire James McCormick has come down to two dudes. One's a VP from the U of M. The other's the higher ed commissioner in Utah. Both seem reasonably qualified, and I'm sure the system that gave me my degree would be more than admirably served either.

But as I scanned the qualifications of both, it struck me that what this system needs is a leader that will bring a wow factor to the position, someone with a NAME, someone whose mere presence will make the nation's higher ed community say, wtf?

So, without further adieu, and with all due respect to finalists Steven Rosenstone of the U and William Sederbug of Utah, I have come up with a list possible candidates who would, surely, take the system in a different direction.

1. Rush Limbaugh

Have you the latest flap about his impression of a Chinese accent? Priceless stuff, am I right? Another thoughtful moment in the life of the National Blowhard. But think about this: He's kind of a PR genius, and with this giant, steaming turd of a blunder still stinking up the national biffy, Rush is perfectly poised to parlay that attention into jobs at Fox News for all MnSCU graduates. The perfect guy to welcome the Chinese pilots to Mankato.

2. Ronald McDonald

Here's why I like this choice: Imagine the next MnSCU board meeting, where all the important men and women in their business suits and power ties are seated around the horseshoe table, and just when someone's about to second someone's approval of the minutes from the previous meeting, in busts Ronald, big red wig and all, and he's tossing cheeseburger and filet-o-fish sandwiches to all the board members, and here comes the hamburglar, depantsing the chair of the board, and there's grimace, mixing margarita's in the back by the coffee and doughnuts! Now that's what I call a meeting!

3. Hosni Mubarek

He seems available.

4. Rahm Emmanuel (or his cousin, Emmanuelle)

This might be my favorite choice. Why? Imagine the verbal row that would erupt the minute some lawmaker or governor tried telling MnSCU that it needed to "do more with less." Rahm'd be like, "Listen you mother (expletive deleted), how'd you like to take your (expletive deleted) budget cuts and shove 'em up your (expletive deleted)!!!" A real no-nonsense kind of chancellor, Rahm'd be.

5. Bruce Springsteen

Every meeting would begin with, "One, two, one-two-three-four!"

6. YouTube guy. Remember? The guy who told the home intruder, "We gonna find you!"

Dew rags will become mandatory for all college presidents, which would make the next convocation especially entertaining.

7. Brett Favre

Each year, we'd get to experience the unique thrill of never knowing if he'll be back. Plus, like Mubarek, he seems available.

8. Jig from the "Saw" franchise.

Any jokes would be tasteless at best. But he's real, real good at getting people to make dramatic cuts.

And I'm still pondering this. When I get my list complete, I'll forward it to the MnSCU board.

Thanks for the memories, Cheri

2011-01-27T07:37:00.000-08:00

Every year, a bunch of people, good hard working people, retire from Minnesota State University. Most of them are worthy of note in some way. Today, I share with you news of one such retirement.

Cheri Bowyer has been the office manager of the Student Senate ever since I was a student there (I know, forever, right?) And over the years, as that office has seen hundreds of ambitious, world-changing students come and go, there has been one constant, calm, adult presence that keeps everything grounded.

Back when I was editor of the student newspaper, The Reporter, she had just gotten hired at the senate. It was my old friend Randy Wanke who hired her (truth be told, it was Randy to clued me in to Cheri's retirement ... thanks, Randy.) The following year, Randy was gone but I remained editor. A new president came in, a guy named Kris Hammes. For various reasons, Kris' student senate and my student newspaper didn't get along all that well. And I remember Cheri, with her amazing smile, being the diplomatic one, calming things down, helping cooler heads prevail.

She epitomizes class and grace. She's kind beyond measure. And although many in the community may be more familiar with the athletic exploits of her husband, the famous baseball coach Dean Bowyer, I can assure you Cheri is the brains of the operation.

Farewell, Cheri. You should be very proud of the work you've done and the lives you've touched. Well done.

Hannah Montana's gone ... And so is a little piece of my daughter (sob)

2011-01-24T12:40:00.000-08:00

Miley

I'd actually not seen an episode for quite a while. So when I tuned in the other day to a repeat of the final episode of "Hannah Montana," it was a little like saying hello to some friend of one of my kids that I hadn't seen for a while.

I'd actually seen quite a few episodes of Hannah. When you have a daughter in that age group, a daughter who had the CDs, watched the show, even had a school folder or two, you just sort of get to know Hannah/Miley Cyrus.

But on Saturday night, when Miley labored over her decision to either go off to college with best-friend Lilly or sign on for a movie deal with director Steven Spielberg, I watched that final episode without my daughter.

Emma Murray

Emma, you see, has moved on. She's grown up a little since those days of sitting on the living room floor, eating pizza and Pepsi and watching what mischief Miley's gotten herself into this week. On Saturday, she was at a friend's house for a sleepover watching Twilight or playing Just Dance or talking about boys or doing whatever else 13 and 14-year-old girls do when they get together -- watching Hannah Montana, apparently, wasn't on the agenda.

But I watched. And as I did, I remembered something a former professor of mine, Marshel Rossow, once said ... He said that, when you're raising kids, one of the toughest things about it is that you never know when you've changed your last diaper, or helped tie your last shoe. Eventually, they grow out of those things they needed you for, and you never really get it back.

Saturday night was one of those Marshel moments. I sat there watching, wondering what Emma was doing, wondering if, were she home, she'd even care.

The series finale, in case you're wondering, was mediocre. Nothing special, really, other than it was 60 minutes instead of 30. It was the typical dumbed-down Disney junk. But at the end, as the credits rolled, they showed a montage of images of a younger Miley, her friends and all the fun they'd had during the show's multi-year run. That reminded me again of Emma, and of how another piece of her childhood, a childhood that has brought me more pleasure than my own, has slipped away.

I try and do my best to be there for everything, but as she gets older, it gets less and less cool to have Dad around, and the list of areas of her life where I'm welcome grows shorter. I know that, eventually, it will nearly disappear. I'm not ready for that day. So for today, I raise a glass to Hannah Montana, and plan to run home today, hug my daughter for as long as she'll let me, plant myself in her room until she kicks me out, and think of ways to make her smile until she leaves for good.

"The College Girl's Guide to Everything" is sorta, kinda ... forgettable

2011-01-21T14:07:00.000-08:00

This is the 1st edition of Garton's treatise

As the higher education reporter, a lot of interesting free books cross my desk.

A couple of years ago I was blessed with the compellingly titled, "Boink: College Sex By the People Having It," by the editors of the now-defunct Boink Magazine. A year or so later, I received something called "Women's Anatomy of Arousal" by Sheri Winston (voted the American Society of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists BOOK OF THE YEAR.) I've also received "How to Make Colleges Want You," "Get Into College," "How to Survive the SAT and ACT," "How to Survive Your Freshman Year," and "How to Survive Getting Your Kid Into College."

At to that prestigious list this title that arrived Thursday: "U Chic: The College Girl's Guide to Everything." It comes to us from the fine folks over at U Chic.

I paged through it a little bit and I have to say, it's ... well ... I wouldn't exactly make it required reading. For example, it takes until well over 100 pages before you get to any advice that's specific to women. Most of it reads like a garden variety how-to-handle-your-first-year-at-college book, and I can tell you there are plenty of those on the market.

Here's a passage from chapter 5, page 142, regarding talking on the phone to your boyfriend: "If you want to chat it up with that new boy in your life or have a quality phone date with your current BF, make sure you are somewhere quiet, free of giggling girls chugging wine and/or discussing the latest celeb gossip. Devote your concentration to your conversation and really listen to what your beau is saying. You'll be surprised how much you enjoy talking with your sweetie when you give him your full attention."

So, like I said, hardly groundbreaking stuff. But, I will say this about author Christie Garton's book: Content and target audience have been masterfully leveraged on the cover. Pink and black (remind you of a certain lingerie store?) with a nod toward the collegiate (the big U is reminiscent of any other college-looking font) and the word "chic" over the U in a very feminine, slightly Sex In the City-esque vibe.

Also, another plus for this book, it's as good as any other survival guide I've seen, so if someone from the target audience who wouldn't normally grab a how-to actually grabs this one, then I guess that's a good thing.

For the record, the book that came across my desk is a preview of the updated 2nd edition, due out in April.

Higher Ed budgets are crappy all over, which reminds me of my economic theory ...

2011-01-20T15:06:00.000-08:00

It's always nice to take a look around at others and see that they're existence in miserable, too.

So in that spirit, I give you this. Give it a good read. Soak up the misery. I think you'll find that Minnesota isn't the only state that is on the verge of eviscerating higher education. California alone, it says, is considering more than a $1B in cuts to higher ed alone, to say nothing of the rest of the budget.

This reminds me of my personal theory of budget cutting. Threaten to end everyone's existence and see who steps up with both cash and credibility.

We've seen it happen here. When aviation was on the verge of flying away for good, the local business leaders got together and decided, "Hey fellas, we simply can't have this. No, this will not do. Pass the hat, everyone throw in a few hundred thousand and let's ground all this talk about cutting the aviation program."

The same thing happened up in St. Cloud. At St. Cloud State -- which, laughably, is only just now getting around to dealing with the budget crisis -- they floated the idea of ridding the campus of its grid iron. But the beefy ones objected, and alumni dollars came fumbling in.

So I believe I've made a substantial case for my theory. Cut everyone. Make them squirm. If a program is truly meant to stick around, the people associated with it will step up.

Of course I'm joking. I just wanted an excuse to use that picture of Kathy Bates.

Arizona shooting reminiscent of MSU incident of a few months ago

2011-01-18T07:53:00.000-08:00

Jared Loughner

When journalists began digging into the past of Jared Loughner and published accounts of his erratic behavior at Pima Community College, it reminded me a situation on campus a few months ago at Minnesota State University.

Remember that guy? He wasn't a student, but was presumably on campus as a prospective student. I wrote about it here in case you're interested.

And then this article appeared in the Huffington Post this morning ... Makes me wonder if I should call around and see if colleges and universities have done much lately as far as examining the way they deal with students who have mental health issues. Mmmmm ... Perhaps.

Mental health issues are a tricky one for colleges, or any industry. As mental illness becomes less stigmatized, more people are getting help. And more people battling mental illness who otherwise might not have braved higher education are indeed pursuing it. Unfortunately, sometimes people simply aren't ready, and problems arise. Colleges need to be equipped to handle them when they do.

From what I can tell, the incident at MSU was handled well. Let's hope a situation more dangerous doesn't erupt anywhere around here (or anywhere else, for that matter.) We all remember what happened at Virginia Tech, and at Northern Illinois and the handful of other colleges where shootings took place.

Here's another look at the issue

And another, this time from the Washington Post

MLK service a moving tribute

2011-01-17T12:17:00.000-08:00

Rev. Bernard LaFayette

Just thought I'd pop in quick as I'm writing to say how inspiring it was to be at Gustavus Adolphus College's Christ Chapel today.

For Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, they brought in Rev. Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr., a contemporary of Dr. King's, who marched with King in Alabama, founded a handful of civil rights organizations and peace institutes around the country and has been a staunch advocate for King's dreams.

The chapel wasn't packed, but it should have been. LaFayette, who actually did some graduate work at Gustavus during the 1970s, delivered a memorable address.

Check tomorrow's Free Press for a full report! And this nifty John Cross photo.

Everyone likes a good newspaper blunder, right? Check this one out from Iowa (of course)

2011-01-14T13:33:00.000-08:00

If you're into making fun of Iowa, here's a golden opportunity for you.

Check out this image of the student newspaper at Iowa State University:

I have to sympathize with the student behind the blunder. The design is intriguing and provocative. But it's that box that was nicely highlighted in the above graphic. This shows how the dropping of a single word can completely transform meaning or, at the very least, produce a highly embarrassing situation.

Being someone who has made numerous blunders in my journalism career -- misspellings, including using the wrong form of the words vial and slough (vile, slew ... sigh ... not to mention a recent use of the word "it's" when it should have been "its," a blunder that resulted in a kindly worded letter from a retired fifth-grade teacher, written as if she honestly thought, after using the proper form of "its" more than 1,000 times, that I was unclear on the rule).

I know public humiliation. I also recall an article I wrote about a sex assault in which I included every possible graphic detail, only to be vilified by a readership that, clearly, wasn't OK with the tale of a man who repeatedly sexually abused his granddaughter, and the extraordinary measures he had to take to pull off said abuse. I learned that day how, even when your story might not be factually inaccurate, it can still be wrong.

So I'm with you, Iowegians. I've made major blunders in my life, and some of them have been very public. I got through it. You will too.

When life gives you lemons ... You get your tickets in advance! ATMOSPHERE IS COMING!!!

2011-01-13T12:45:00.000-08:00

Hey kiddos, have you heard the news? Atmosphere, the groundbreaking rap group out of Minneapolis, is coming to MSU to tear it up.

Have you heard these guys? If you're one of the stodgy academics who read this blog (and among my tens of readers, there's got to be one or two,) you've probably never heard of them. But if you're into mind-blowing rap, you need to check these guys out. Forget all that bling/guns/clubbin' stuff. Atmosphere is for real. Check 'em out here, where you can plainly see the Kato date, Feb. 22. They're playing the Ballroom in the CSU. Wonder what they'll think of the ceiling in there ... (snicker) Looks like the tour is part of a little state swing they're making that includes stops in St. Cloud, Roch and Duluth. Kato's the kickoff, though.

Anyway, if you're uninitiated, take a look. I like them because they have substance. They make a guy think.

Enjoy. And be there.

Seriously, folks? Did someone give your brains the heave ho-ho-ho?

2011-01-11T13:57:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a while, but I had to chime in on this.

We live in a community where education is highly valued. From Early Childhood classes to doctorate degrees at MSU, we've got it all here. Private schools, public, you can get what you need. You can become enlightened, you can expand your mind ... Or you can sit around watching Jerry Springer, smoking cigarettes and fearing everything you don't know.

Did you hear about the fiasco surrounding the "Santa gets the heave ho-ho-ho" story? Reader's Digest version: Santa Claus's annual visit to a St. Peter Head Start got nixed because, the program's higher ups say, there were complaints from some of the refugee program attendees about having to be subjected to the annual rite. Head Start canceled Santa to appease, and OH MY GOD. You'd have thought someone ripped the heart out of Democracy itself.

I was on comment approval duty that week and had the joy of reading the words of person after person as they claimed, over and over, that "these people need to live by our rules and if they don't like, they can go back to Africa." (paraphrasing, there)

Folks, I'm sickened by this. I know that even in a community that values education, there will be a certain percentage of people who will just never be ok with outsiders. But we had hundreds of comments on this, and many of them were hurtful. Some hateful. Some we couldn't even publish on the website because they were simply too graphic or vitriolic.

Thankfully, more reasonable minds came out of the woodwork to bring common sense back to the table. These folks understood that maybe it's not fair to condemn and entire hard-working group of people because of one newspaper's account of what one of them may or may not have said.

So I just wanted to throw that out there. It was sad. To give you an idea of the flavor of the comments, I've include a sampling below. (And by the way, very few of them had last names attached. The anonymous, hate-filled rant has become the hallmark of American discourse. Sigh ...)

Good day to you.

Lori wrote:
Wow! Where to begin here...First of all, this is AMERICA!If the Somolians are so easily offended, and they must be because everytime we as Americans turn around, we are having to forfeit our traditions because they offend these poor poor people,why are they even here! Lets see, put up with the majority and the countries CULTURE and TRADITIONS or go back to the hell hole they came from. Hmmmm. I am so sick and tired of having to bend over backwards to please these people because they are 'offended'! Please!! You don't thing they aren't sitting back laughing at the stupid Americans that are so afraid to be the ones to 'offend' these poor poor people? They know exactly what they are doing, and that is, TAKING OVER!... They don't seem to have any dignity when it comes to being spoiled rotten and throwing a temper tantrum when we actually do things different than Somalia!! For crying out loud people! Are we this stupid to just sit back and let these people run us over? America, I fear has become the frog in the pan of boiling water! We have no desire to jump out of the pan! Wake up people! This is America, we are CHRISTIANS!!! Get over it or go home!

Oh ya, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Denise wrote:
This is totally absurd! When people come to this country, isn't it becuase they want a better life and opportunity for thier families along with the freedom this country was built on? Well, then, what about the freedom and traditions of all of we CITIZENS? The traditions of Christmas, including Santa, have been with this country for hundreds of years. Why should our children be punished because of one family that is offended...seems to me that everyone else is suffering beause of one. THIS IS NOT FAIR to all our kids! If they don't like, LEAVE! There is the door!!!

vallartagirl wrote:
The people who made this decision are cowards. Reminds me of the year the star was pulled from the roof of West High School because ONE atheist student objected. That student should have been told to 'get a hobby', 'get a life', or just don't look up at the star. To those people offended by Santa: you are free to leave; & you're welcome for the billions of dollars this state has spent on you in free food, rent, medical care, utilities, school, free, free, free - when we still have homeless Vietnam Vets and elderly who can't afford their prescriptions - so, either accept the culture that has been here since the immigrants came here long ago & did NOT get everything handed to them. These are OUR customs. Accept them, look the other way if you like, or go back to your 'acceptable' customs in your country. Personally, I'm tired of looking at the silly head-coverings but I haven't yanked one off your heads yet.

Judy Kuster, a true pioneer for the quiet millions

2011-01-11T07:49:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I met a woman at Minnesota State University named Judy Kuster. When I heard about her work, I knew I'd never forget her.

This image says a lot for people like me.

Judy teaches in the Communication Disorders department. She specializes in stuttering, and helping people who stutter. You've heard them, before. And probably laughed at them. Mel Tillis, Jimmy from South Park, Porky Pig ... Robb Murray. Yep. And while I certainly don't carry the kind of celebrity clout Jimmy does, I'm still one of them, and I thought I'd shed a little light on something I'm sure most of you never think about.

Most people who know me don't know that I stutter. But they've probably said to themselves at one time or another after listening to me, "Boy that guy sure mumbles a lot."

I'm one of the lucky ones. True, not a day goes by that I don't encounter a situation where, instead of saying what I want, I either avoid saying anything or figure out a different way to say something. But there are stutterers out there who have it a lot worse than I do.

I went to elementary school with a boy whose stutter was much more pronounced than mine. He got laughed at a little, but not too bad. People are generally pretty forgiving. I've seen people in public with severe stutters. I feel bad for them. But not the way you might. I feel bad for them because I get it. What you see in that moment of dysfluency is just the tip of the iceberg, to abuse a cliche. What happened in that person's mind beforehand, and the shame he will feel afterward are much worse. Throw in the impact those kinds of situations have on the future, and it's easy for me to see how stuttering can change a person's life.

We're in pretty good company, you know. There's a long, long list of prominent folks who, like me, learned to live with their stutter (for most people it's really not something you can cure, or just convince someone to "slow down.") There's James Earl Jones and Marilyn Monroe. Carly Simon and Samuel L. Jackson. Noel Gallagher from the rock band Oasis, Bruce Willis, John Updike.

But this wasn't supposed to be about me. It's my blog, and all, but I'm writing this to give a shout out to Judy.

Since 1998 she's been doing these online conferences to raise awareness about stuttering, and to give people who stutter a resource, a place to mingle virtually with others who stutter. She's done this work quietly and consistently and, in her area of expertise, she's a giant. A pioneer. An advocate. A friend.

So if you get a chance, take a few minutes and stroll through the Stuttering Home Page. She's archived all the conferences (hint: check out 2001) and gathered volumes of information about stuttering. Chances are that, unless you stutter, you might not spend a whole lot of time there. But for those of use who do, Judy's work means a lot to us.

Raise, bonus, performance pay ... Call it what you will. I call it ill-advised

2010-11-09T09:35:00.000-08:00

OK, here's my beef with the recent news about presidents getting this little bump in their paychecks this week. And I may have said this exact thing last year, but here goes ...

I really don't have a problem with college presidents getting paid well. But I think it's just a bad marketing move to set up their contracts this way. In these troubles times, when tuition's going up, when the thought of an academic department getting a budget increase would get said department laughed right off of campus, when the state's going to be making drastic, life-changing, state-changing, game-changing cuts ... a situation where it appears as thought a half million dollars is being handed out to the system's richest dudes and chicks seems, I don't know, flawed perhaps?

This may in fact be a situation where the system says, "OK, we're paying you $200,000, Mr. President, but the final $12,250 we're gonna hold under this mattress for now and , if you meet you goals, we'll give it to ya."

If that's how it's working, I have no problem with this. The problem is that, the way this is set up, it looks an awful lot like a bonus. And sending out a long list of how much more will be in the presidential paychecks? I like the openness and honestly of it all, but still, the perception isn't good.

If I were a president, I'd ask for a reworking of the contract so that performance pay simply isn't part of the compensation. And if that's not possible, I'd simply go without the additional $12,750 (or $8,250).

And honestly ... after the kerfuffle of last year's bonuses/performance pay installments, I really thought we wouldn't be hearing about his again.

Guess I was wrong. Not the first time, of course.

Rock the vote, kiddos

2010-11-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

OK, so here's the deal. On Election Day, I honestly don't care which side of the political fence you put yourself on, I don't care what you political persuasion is, I don't care how much you hate one side or the other, I don't care how much you hate the system.

Whatever your political leanings are today pale in importance to just getting out there and doing your job. I'm talking about voting, of course. It's important. Please do your part. If you can't find five minutes to vote, you forfeit your right to criticize the system.

So, if you haven't voted yet, go now. Won't you feel so much better calling Walz a blowhard or Demmer a goof ball if you had your say and your guy didn't win? Give your orneriness some credibility. Vote, dammit!

Sing us a song, you're the piano woman!

2010-10-29T15:28:00.000-07:00

Stumbled across this on the MSU student union web site today.

Check it out.

Stand up to bullies!!! And let people live, for chrissake

2010-10-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a few days, but I'd really like to give a shout out to the all brave boys and girls who spoke at the vigil held at MSU the other night.

This stuff is hard. Getting up in front of a crowd to talk about the bullying you faced because of your sexual orientation can't be easy. But this event gave them a safe place to talk about what has happened, and a supportive crowd to be there for them.

Courage is universal. No matter what side of an issue you're on, you have to be impressed with someone who has the courage to get up in front of a crowd and talk about being humiliated. Humiliation is also universal. We've all been there.

Which makes me wonder: why would anyone want to make someone feel like we feel when we're humiliated? Something very bad must have happened to all those people who feel compelled to make others feel like crap for simply being who they are.

The hatred we're seeing lately over this is disgusting. It's cruel, it's obnoxiously unintelligent, and, actually, it's kind of pathetic. If you feel the need to bully someone because of who they are, then I just feel bad and sad for you.

I attended the vigil the other night because it was my job. But I would have gone anyway. This movement is only going to get so far with the strength of the gay community. Until we allies start speaking out -- and there are A LOT of us -- I'm afraid there will be no real change. So c'mon, allies ... Let's get this done.

YALE Prez responds with a slap on the wrist

2010-10-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

If you're following the YALE situation, you'll no doubt want to check out the latest report from Yale Daily News.

They've posted the full text of an apology from Yale President Richard Levin and College Dean Mary Miller. Aw, heck, I'll just post it here:

October 20, 2010
We write to express our dismay at the appalling language loudly chanted by Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity initiates last Wednesday outside of student residences and elsewhere on campus. Yale has policies that broadly protect freedom of expression, but we also value decency and civility, and we are committed to maintaining an environment that fosters a learning community of men and women founded upon mutual respect. We will confront hateful speech when it has been uttered, and we take this opportunity do so in no uncertain terms: No member of our community should engage in such demeaning behavior.

DKE is not a Yale College organization. Nevertheless, this DKE chapter is composed of Yale students. We appreciate that the leaders of the fraternity have apologized to the Yale community, but an episode like this breaches the trust that is essential to preserving a community of free and open discourse. We call upon those responsible to reflect deeply, and to embark on a course that will heal the hurt they have caused.
The national parent organization of the fraternity has suspended all pledge activities, and its president will meet with Dean Miller this weekend and with individual members of the fraternity. Those students have already signed a pledge, committing themselves to "...the Promotion of Honorable Friendship and Useful Citizenship, the Development of a Spirit of Tolerance and Respect for the Rights and Views of Others...". The statements made by DKE members after meeting with the Yale Women's Center leadership provide a start toward fulfilling this important pledge.
Richard C. Levin
Mary Miller

So there it is. This statement makes me wonder how that conversation between the fraternity members and the Yale Women's Center went. Hopefully it didn't go well for the boys. For the record, the Yale boys' parent fraternity has suspended the chapter. Read about it here.

Here's some footage from a forum held the other day in which this situation was discussed by students and Women's Center personnel. Check it out.

It's hard to imagine any good coming from this. These kids f-ed up, they know it, and they're hopefully going to pay for it. But it's not exactly the worst thing in the world to talk about this stuff. Maybe, when all is said and done, women at Yale won't have to listen to this kind of crap anymore.

OMG ... Seriously Yale frat boys? I mean, really???

2010-10-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

Makes you wonder how far we've really come.

Now, as a man a father of a boy, I realize boys will be boys. I get it. But fraternity members at one of the nation's most well-known and well-respected bastions of higher ed prestige ... oh man.

Here's the video. I don't have much else to say except ... "really?" I think the women of Yale -- and the decent young men, for that matter -- deserve better. IDIOTIC. EMBARRASSING. SHAMEFUL.

OK. Off my high horse, now. But check out this video.

Thoughts on a night at a Maverick hockey game

2010-10-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

I got lucky. I was on Facebook at just the right time and, when Jen Guyer-Wood announced that the first few people to respond to her status update would get tickets to the Maverick hockey game against St. Lawrence University.

Now, anyone one knows me knows I love hockey. Especially maverick hockey. That's my team. Even when they suck, I watch 'til the end. I love 'em because the team possesses the one quality I'd choose for a team if I were in control of such things -- Mavericks never quit, they never give up, they keep fighting until the final horn. I love that about this team, even if it doesn't always translate to victories.

But I digress ...

Jen drops a pair of tix on me for the Friday night game. How good were the seats? OMG. These weren't nosebleed seats, people, these were seats in the officials MSU suite. Honestly, they might be the best seats in the house for a Maverick fan.

So as I made my way through several Grain Belt Premiums, and my son annihilated the meat and cheese tray, I thought I should probably make a few observations and pass them along to my loyal readers, just to avoid any hint of a conflict of interest.

1. It was heartening to see many students in the student section. It was also heartening to see that, each year this program grows, so grows the general knowledge of the game. There were a few penalties called against the Mavs that, a few years ago, the students would have mindlessly boo'd. But, as it turned out, they were good calls, and there wasn't much reaction.

2. A whole lot of kids were wearing their gettin' shady like brady t-shirts. It's amazing how virally those shirts spread. My son got pretty good at spotting them. (The "Brady" in this case is Mankato's mayor, who today, in fact, pleaded guilty to 4th-degree DWI. He won't do any jail time but will pay a fine.)

3. Has the sexiness factor been amped up? When the cheerleaders were in our area and got up to do their thing, I saw an awful lot of hair being whipped around and booties shaking (not that I care, of course, I'm there for the hockey.) It seems to me that, when Division I hockey first started, the cheerleaders were a little ... I don't know ... how shall I put this ... robotic and irrelevant? Now it seems they're trying harder to be less robotic. Maybe I'm getting old. I guess I genuinely prefer my hockey without periodic doses of blond locks and sequined pompoms crossing my field of vision.

4. Worst cheese curds ... EVER. Ask my son, he'll tell ya. There ain't much he won't eat. We threw several of those away.

5. Jen Guyer-Wood might be the nicest woman on the planet. All the people who got tickets like me that night were alumni, and gosh darn it, that's how it should be. (For the record, Jen, if you EVER need to unload some tickets again, please, please call me.)

6. The MSU suite provides an amazing game-watching experience. You're right in the middle of a student section that, on a raucous night -- say a gopher game or a bitter battle against the fighting Sioux of north Dakota, one of my many Alma maters -- I'm guessing it provides an unforgettable night. Plus, there's popcorn. And cucumber slices, which were actually really good, especially in that tasty dip.

OK. that's all I got for now. Again, Jen, THANKS FOR THE TICKETS!

THIS JUST IN! Prof attacked on campus

2010-10-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

In court documents, he's only identified as W.W., but check out tomorrow's Freep for a report about a verbal altercation between an unnamed MSU professor and a guy who came into his classroom, a guy who was NOT a student.

Reporter Dan Nienaber's handling this story for us. But what I know is this: the guy, Cody Rienstra, has been charged with a felony count of terroristic threats, and reportedly said to the officer, "You want me to kill you, you old bitch?" and "You want me to shoot you?" and "I'll shoot up the school, too!" Rienstra reportedly told authorities he was on campus because he was considering transfering to MSU.

Sounds a tad wacky. Check out the print edition tomorrow. Or the online version.

ROCK that vote ... Sec of State to host voting project at MSU. But why?

2010-10-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

In a couple of days, MSU will host an interesting outreach effort.

The Secretary of State's office will put on a clinic, so to speak, about voting, with the target audience being first-time voters. I'll give 'em credit ... it's a swell idea. And I really, really hope a lotta younglings check it out and, more important, head to the polls on Nov. 2 (which, incidentally, is my birthday!!! Turning the big 25!)

But, honestly ... I'm not real optimistic about this generation coming out when there's not charismatic figure at the top of a national ticket. Mid-year elections typically have lower turnout ... college kids typically have lower turnout ... do the math.

That said, it's not impossible. It could happen. Collegians could turn out in droves (collegians? is that a word?)

Interesting side note ... The Secretary of State's office is pushing this effort. That office is currently headed by a Democrat. The Democrats are currently very, very scared of what could happen this time around. Could this effort at getting out the vote really just be an effort to keep dems in office?

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ...

(and btw ... yes, that's paris hilton, and her appearance on my blog is officially the most noble thing she's ever done.)

Walcott: He ain't no sucka MC! Dude's the real deal, yo

2010-10-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

Just in case you missed world-class, big-shot poet Derek Walcott -- who happens to have a Nobel Prize on his mantle -- he gave a little reading up at Gustavus Adolphus College. Here's a taste:

Some serious rhymes, amIright?

The Spy Who Loved Me ... Again. Footage from the Rutgers campus

2010-09-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

Folks, I can't stop thinking about this kid. So in my web surfing travels this evening, I happened across some footage, including an initial report from the New York Post in which authorities confirm they've found a body they presume is that of Tyler Clementi, the young man who jumped to his death after his roommate broadcast live a sexual encounter involving another male student. The other two clips here come from the New Jersey Star Ledger, a swell paper that covers the hell out of Rutgers.

Check it out. God this sucks.

Neighbor of Tyler Clementi and Dharun Ravi speaks about online sex broadcast, suicide

Rutgers students react to the suicide of Tyler Clementi after his sexual encounter was broadcast online

The Spy Who Loved Me ... Again. Footage from the Rutgers campus

2010-09-30T21:09:00.000-07:00

Neighbor of Tyler Clementi and Dharun Ravi speaks about online sex broadcast, suicide

Rutgers students react to the suicide of Tyler Clementi after his sexual encounter was broadcast online

The Spy Who Killed Me ... Rutgers situation is sad, tragic, telling

2010-09-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

I've heard of bad roommates before, but this guy may take the cake.

Have you heard the news out of Rutgers this week? A young man reportedly killed himself after his roommate surreptitiously broadcast via iChat his dorm room romantics.

Now, the sneaky roommate, Dharun Ravi, is in legal trouble with local prosecutors.

Remember when being a bad roommate met you locked the guy out of the room when he went to shower, and he had to walk down to the front desk in his Spiderman towel and ask for another key to get in? Talk about the good 'ol days of college craziness. A kid is dead. A kid who got into Rutgers and may have had a very bright future.

Who knows, maybe he had psychological issues no on knew about, as well, and this just sort of sparked something. Still ... Dude, that sucked. Worst roommate ... EVER.

Disagree? Who was worse? Let me know. I'd love to compile a list of bad roommate stories. I may be inclined to provide you with prizes should your roommate story reveal a bigger D-bag than this guy.

Donkeys, as far as the college eye can see

2010-09-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

It's a tired and stereotype: colleges and universities are havens for liberal thoughts and liberal peeps.

Now, apparently, there's proof.

This report from the Huffington Post College site show that people who believe the ivory towers of colleges and universities are filled with left-leaning libbys (is that redundant?) ... have been right all along.

Follow the money!

And why is this the case?

Well, I have no idea. Some would argue -- not necessarily me -- that education brings enlightenment, and enlightenment brings a person naturally over to the left, touchy-feely-we-can-fix-anything-with-a-new-social-program-and-a-few-million-dollars side of things. And some would say there's a vast conspiracy led by the left that has led to leftist seizing control at colleges and then, of course, brainwashing the sheep faculty into thinking like a libby and then, in turn, doing the same to students.

Like I said, I have no idea. But I found this report to be very, very interesting. And not all colleges lean left ... Just most.

Wow! Thanks, Mr. Johnson, but I didn't know you felt that way about me!

2010-09-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

From the "WTF" department, this tale of shame, regret and a wee bit of irony.

If you're on Facebook, you've no doubt used it's mail function. And if you've used it, you may have gotten a message from someone that, after reading it, you're reasonably certain didn't come from the person it seems to have come from.

OK ... Hold that thought.

Years and years ago, circa 1986, about springtime ... I'm sitting in my 9th grade algebra class, not really understanding or trying to understand, wishing I was somewhere else. My teacher, who will remain nameless for reasons that will become apparent in a few paragraphs, had a very good handle on my level of enthusiasm and, more importantly, level of effort.

Teach did the right come semester's end, although I'm quite certain I had some choice words for him, as any 15-year-old would. He gave me an 'F.' Yep. An F. (Anyone who knows me won't be surprised by this.) Math has never been my strong suit. By about third grade, I was no longer effective in helping my daughter with homework. Never liked it. Needed a tutor -- and a sympathetic test scorer -- to pass a math equivalency test in college to avoid having to take anymore math.

Fast forward to a couple of months ago, when wouldn't ya know it, my old algebra teacher tries to friend me on Facebook.

My reply: "Seriously? You gave me an F." His reply to my reply: "I'm quite certain you earned the F. And that was 25 years ago, Robb. Get over it." My reply: "LOL!!!" I accepted the friend request.

Fast forward again to yesterday, when I got this message from the teach: "Nice ass! But why you put them in the Internet?" This was followed by a link that, I learned a short while later from this e-mail from teach: "Make sure you delete any message you got from me this morning and don't click on the link."

One more lesson that not everything you see or read online, even Facebook (even mediocre higher ed blogs) is true.

It's all high tech and s#&% over there!

2010-09-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

So I was over at Bethany this morning to talk some folks about the success of their communications program -- they're up for some regional Emmy awards for their hockey broadcasts -- and I just have to say it: the communications program and its equipment is nothing short of stunning.

The college spent $600,000 on technology and equipment in their new quarters in Honsey Hall. Half of it was spent on the mobile truck that is all High-Def and full of tons of HD monitors and sound equipment and computers and wires everywhere ... it's a techie's dream, really. And while I'm no
techie, I was blown away.

They're hoping to take their coverage of Minnesota State University men's hockey up a notch. It'll be a fully digital broadcast, and they're promising big things this year.

As an avid hockey fan -- and absolute die hard Maverick hockey buff -- I can't wait for the season to start. When I can't make to the Cell in person, I look forward to watching Bethany's coverage.

I'm tired of these pansies getting coddled!

2010-09-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

OK ... OK .. OK ...

I can't keep this inside any longer. I've been polite and nice and congratulatory and nice and blah blah blah. Truth is, this kinda makes me crabby.

I'm talking about these new residence halls at MSU, and how I hate the fact that these punks get to live in luxury while my college existence pathetic and sad.

Don't get me wrong. I'm very impressed and pleased that my Alma mater has its act together when it comes to res life.

But I'm bitter because -- and if your my age, you'll agree with me -- the crappy dorms I had to shoehorn myself into were like prison cells compared to these things. I new exactly what my two roommates (yes, two roommates) had to eat for every meal. I learned how clean (or unclean) Darren's underwear were, how sad Jason was to be away from home, and how little I cared for living with a pair of strangers.

This was my first time living with a roommate. I had two older sisters who hated each other and shared room. I got my own room. I was also a city boy, so rooming with a pair of country boys from North Dakota (I spent my freshman year at the University of North Dakota) was an eye opener.

Here's the scene: Sunday night, it's mid-November, I'd just driven six hours from St. Paul to Grand Forks, I'm exhausted, I need to use the toilet and I'm in no mood to share my beer when Darren decides he needs to share with yet another tale (this had become a regular thing upon return from home) of how he "almost got lucky." This story would take a seat on the bed and stretch out real wide as if it planned to stay a few hours, because they often did ... the man's stories went on forever, each with basically the same structure: dude hangs out with his buddies, dude gets drunk on Everclear and Mountain Dew, dude had a girl eyeing him all night, dude watches girl leave with someone else. Each story began the same way: "I almost got lucky last night!" And because our room was tiny and I didn't know anyone else on campus and wasn't the mature, confident manly man in 1988 that I am now, I felt forced to stand there and listen.

It was then that I'd hoped my room was bigger. Or that I'd chosen the military (I did consider joining, ya know ... After seeing "Top Gun" I was convinced I was going to be a pilot and look like Tom Cruise and where a leather bomber jacket and woo women who looked like Kelly McGillis and give them a ride on the back of my Ninja jet bike.)

I actually remember during one of those nights when Darren told us all how he was too drunk to follow a woman outside (a woman who reportedly wanted to make out with him) that my room, 219A Walsh Hall, was a gray, dank hole and that how could anyone possibly be successful academically if they had to live in this 6X6 hell hole?

Then again, maybe that was the point. Maybe by making us live in squalor it weeded out the kids who didn't belong in college, like me. I fully admit now that in 1988 was no where near being ready for higher education. Eventually I became ready, became the intellectual giant you see today. But back then? (laugh) I had no business stepping into a college classroom in 1988.

But I digress .. About these rooms.

They come with lots of room for these kids, enough room for all their TVs and gaming systems and computers and refrigerators and papa san chairs and blah blah blah. They're well lit, roomy, comfortable ... Wtf?

And why? Because these kids grew up having their own room and not having to share and getting anything they wanted all the time. Plus, other colleges are doing it, so if a college wants to compete, they have to keep up and provide posh accommodations for their students.

I guess I'm not as much bitter as I am jealous. Jealous that they get way better dorms than I got. And maybe it even goes deeper. Maybe I'm just realizing that I'll soon be 41 years old, a good 20 years past dorm age. I'm still happy for the ones who get to live there. Maybe I just wish I'd made more of my sad dorm years. I had fun in college, but my year of dorm life left a lot to be desired.

Maybe I'd feel differently if I'd almost gotten lucky.

New Rez hall coming to MSU ... the destruction of GAGE TOWERS is imminent!

2010-09-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

This just in from Minnesota State University!

Groundbreaking for 2012 Residence Hall Scheduled Sept. 23 at Minnesota State Mankato

Mankato, Minn. Groundbreaking for a $23.8-million, 118,000-square-foot residence hall at Minnesota State University, Mankato is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 23.

The ceremony will be at 10 a.m. in the parking lot next to Carkoski Commons, the dining hall on the northwest sector of campus. Legislators, Minnesota State Mankato President Richard Davenport and other administrators will participate, and students, faculty, staff and the public are invited.

The new residence hall will be a four-story, semi-suite-style facility that will accommodate 300 students when completed in 2012.

In keeping with the university¹s strategic priority for a sustainable, pedestrian-friendly campus, it will be built next to the McElroy Residence Community, connected by classrooms, the First Year Experience office and gathering spaces.

It will be the second new residence hall on the Minnesota State Mankato campus in the last two years.

The 608-bed Julia Sears Residence Community opened in 2008, earning immediate praise from students for its two-bedroom ³semi-suite² floor plan, 10-foot ceilings and large windows with sweeping views of the campus mall and the Minnesota River bluffs.

As in Julia A. Sears Hall, the new residence hall will have bedrooms with individually controlled air conditioning and heating, tile floors and sound-resistant walls, loftable beds, dressers and desks with lockable drawers, upholstered office chairs, closets, plentiful electrical outlets and dual Internet, telephone and cable TV jacks.

It also will have a number of environment-friendly features, including water-saving toilets in bathrooms.

The new building will be financed with revenue fund bonds, paid for from residence hall room fees. Residence halls are self-supporting; funds to build them come from fees paid by the students who live in them.

The project, in combination with the scheduled 2012 decommissioning of the Gage Residence Community, is part of the university¹s master plan for residence hall renewal and improvement of the pedestrian experience.

Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive, doctoral university with 15,100 students, is part of the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities system, which comprises 32 institutions across the state.

In case you missed the Gustavus Adolphus College convocation ...

2010-09-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

I love a good convocation.

(Snicker ... giggle.)

Ok, but seriously, convocations are really important. At least I think they are. They do them every year at all the area colleges and universities. You've seen them before. All the professors and instructors and teachers and whatever else they want to call themselves, along with the staff and administrators etc., gather to get the president's annual dose of wisdom.

At MSU, they take the opportunity to remind everyone of the accomplishments of the previous year, and give a hint to the challenges of the upcoming year. At South Central College, it's usually a more intimate address from Prez Keith Stover (who is doing quite well, btw, in recovering from a recent heart scare.)

And then there's Gustavus. The president there, Jack Ohle, has a delivery all his own, one that exudes power and strength and general Gustavusness. Check it out here.

Gustavus Adolphus College: The most ranked college in southern Minn.

2010-09-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

Chalk up another magazine ranking for Gustavus Adolphus College.

This time, it's Washington Monthly that has recognized them. This time they've been ranked among the nation's best liberal arts colleges.

At this point, when it comes to Gustavus, my head's starting to spin a little bit. U.S. News and World Report, Princeton Review, Men's Journal, Forbes.com ... the list goes on.

What does that say about Gustavus? A lot. There are great things going on in St. Peter. This recognition is just one more sign of that.

An MSU alum's take on the John Brady DWI situation

2010-08-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share a link with you all having to do with the John Brady DWI situation.

I'm covering the story a little in the absence of more highly qualified reporters (Dan Linehan Dan Nienaber, who cover city/county and law enforcement) so I won't be sharing any opinions on the matter. But Andrew Miller, an MSU alum who has been featured on this blog before, has two cents to share on the matter.

Another year at MSU, Gustavus, Bethany, SCC and Rasmussen

2010-08-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

There's really nothing quite like a stroll through campus when the kids are back.

Hi, I'm Robb Murray. You might recognize from way back when, back in the day, back when I used to write a blog about the higher education landscape in southern MN.

Seriously, though, for anyone who follows this regularly (my God, what must be wrong with you?) I must apologize for my lack of posting. I've a got a pretty good excuse. Wanna hear my excuse? Ok, here it is. I'm extremely, extremely, staggeringly, extremely lazy.

And then I took a stroll through the MSU campus today and, well, let's just say I was inspired. So much to look at. So I'm making this promise to you that I will be a much more faithful blogger this year. To show you how serious I am about this, I shot this video on the MSU mall today. I'd tell you the dude's name, but it's written on a notebook that's not within arm's reach and ... well ... (See paragraph 3.)

While you check it out, I'm gonna go prep my Oscar speech.

See you soon.

GAC video might go NATIONAL!

2010-07-30T13:13:00.000-07:00

OK, so remember that video I posted the other day on the blog here? The one showing the Gustavus prof whose clever students covered everything in his office in tin foil?

Well!

First it was posted here. Then it hit the Twin Cities media and shot to about 10,000 YouTube views. Then, this morning, we got a call from the show Inside Edition. They wanted permission to run it on their national broadcast.

If they run it, our boy Scott Bur will be a national celebrity!

I take full credit! It was an amazing piece of journalism by me, how I, while on campus anyway to cover the corpse flower, heroically glanced down the hallway to see a shiny room, then walked down that hall, and asked four or five questions while panning around the room with my video camera. Edward R. Murrow's got nothing on me.

FULL CREDIT, I say.

; )

Time to avoid campus again -- the Minnesota Vikings are nearly here

2010-07-28T06:52:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one who literally avoids driving up by campus for two weeks each August?

Don't get me wrong. I like the Vikings. I watch 'em on TV and my son plays football and their presence here brings lots of money to our community and puts "heads on beds" as the chamber likes to say. I get it. Really, I do.

But ...

There's always been a part of them coming here that, for the locals, makes things a little ...

Maybe I just shouldn't say anything. Maybe it'd be a lot smarter for me -- and for my newspaper which benefits financially from training camp -- if I just kept my mouth shut. But am I the only one who thinks up different routes to get places and generally tries to stay from all that action?

But maybe I should just zip it, can it, "put a sock in it" like I tell my kids when I'm tired of hearing their voices. I should just enjoy the moment, right? After all, it's only two weeks, right? It could be worse. Training camp used to be four weeks. Now it's only half the time. I should embrace the team, right? Run right up to Adrian Peterson and put a big bear hug on him and say, "Thanks for coming to our little hamlet!"

And then, when I get out of the local jail, I can take pride in knowing I did my part, right?

Or I could simply avoid my Alma mater for a couple of weeks and keep my mouth shut about how, even though they bring in money and fans and fun and people and people and people and crowds and congestion and lines and people, there's just something, a little something about the whole training camp thing I can do without.

But I won't. I'll just keep my mouth shut.

OMG ... Gustavus prof gets a shiny new office

2010-07-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

So as I'm walking the halls of Gustavus Adolphus College today covering the Corpse Flower situation, I gazed down the hall where a bright light was beckoning to me.

"Come to me" it said like a succubus, a siren. And so I went. Boy am I glad I did. When I arrived I found the best practical joke I've seen in a while. I'd heard about it being done before, seen pictures. But never before had I ever walked into a room COMPLETELY COVERED IN TIN FOIL.

So I shot some videos. Here they are. Enjoy.

Bonuses for MnSCU bigwigs? Believe it

2010-07-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

There's a bit of hue and cry today over another pay bonus situation within the MnSCU ranks.

As you can see by reading the press release below, the chancellor got himself a bonus. A big one. 40K to be exact. Not bad. His bonus is larger than my annual income.

An outrage? Well ... I haven't chased down the facts on this one, yet, so I'm hesitant to tell you what I really think. And frankly, I'm not sure my employer would let me. But I will say this: I'm guessing the bonus falls along the same lines as the recent bonuses given to college and university presidents. And I'm OK with their bonuses.

The bonuses are written into their contracts, in most cases, and are part of their compensation. It's sort of like my employer saying we're going to pay you $25,000 per year, but we're gonna call $10,000 of it a "bonus." Am I getting a "bonus"? Well, sure. But is it additional compensation that wasn't a part of my agreed upon compensation? No. There should be no alarm.

But, of course, we're talking about salaries that are very large, and they're made up entirely of taxpayer dollars. It's going to rattle some chains, sounds some alarms, raise some red flags.

Here's a solution. Don't set up compensation packages like that anymore. Does McCormick deserve his gigantic salary? I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. I'm really not in a position to say. I can say this, however: Anyone who thinks it's OK to run a system like this with mediocre talent is crazy. And I'd like to think the MnSCU Board found, and has retained for several years, a talented guy in James McCormick. Top-level execs need to be paid what the market will pay them, not what the general public thinks they should be paid in times of recession and such.

At the same time, I'm OK with people protesting stuff. Whether it's executive pay or insane military conflicts, I love when people decide it's time to have their say.

Give the press release here a read, and let me know what you think.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 16, 2010
CONTACT: Jennifer Munt ? 651-357-8544

AFSCME to Protest MnSCU Bonuses
MnSCU Headquarters: Outside Wells Fargo Place 30 E. 7th St., St. Paul
Tues., July 20 news conference at 12:15 p.m.
Wed., July 21 protest from 12-1 p.m.
AFSCME Council 5, the state's largest public employee union, is trying to stop bonuses for bosses at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) at a time when students are paying more for tuition and other employees are being laid off or taking wage freezes.

MnSCU trustees awarded a $40,000 bonus to Chancellor James McCormick on June 16, 2010. Additional bonuses are now expected for dozens of other top administrators despite the system¹s budget crunch.

Last year, trustees paid bonuses totaling $287,500 to 35 administrators who earn six-figure salaries. This summer, they're about to do it again.

"Trustees are passing out bonuses with one hand; pink slips and tuition hikes with the other hand. We need to put a stop to that," says Karen Foreman, an AFSCME member who works at Minnesota State University in Mankato.

Foreman explains, "Most bosses are calling for shared sacrifice during tough times. Our union understands that and our members are doing their part to put students first."

MnSCU trustees forgot that their boss, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, called for a wage freeze to minimize layoffs. In his 2009 State of the State address, he said "I'm proposing we freeze all state government wages for the next two years."

AFSCME state employees accepted that deal a wage freeze in exchange for fewer layoffs. Now, MnSCU may have to eliminate at least 500 more positions this year, when enrollment has increased by 32,000. Students will lose the services of AFSCME clerical workers, landscapers and janitors as they pay more for tuition.

MnSCU tuition will increase by about 4.5 percent this fall. That increase is necessary to make up for a 35 percent decline in state funding over the past two years. It means students will pay about $200 more for classes at community and technical colleges, and $300 more at MnSCU universities.

AFSCME Council 5 is a union of 43,000 public and non-profit workers in Minnesota, including 3,500 of MnSCU¹s 10,000 employees. The union advocates for excellence in public services, dignity in the workplace, and opportunity and prosperity for all workers.

Smells Like Corpse Spirit, II ... It's nearly here!!!

2010-07-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

My apologies if my obsession with this flower bores you -- I guess when you live with two children, you kinda get used "stink" and "smells" and "OK, who farted?" becoming some of the most commonly discussed topics.

But today could be the day.

My gut feeling on the Corpse Flower situation is that it probably won't come with the hype that came with the flower's maiden stinkage. More than 7,000 people filed through campus that time when it was new, when it was a novelty, when no one really understood. This time around the plant may not have that same Rock Star attraction. But it's still an amazing creature, and you should go.

I know, I know ... It's just a plant. But let's be honest for a sec, here: You got something better to do? Yes, it is just a plant. But Law & Order is just a TV show, baseball gets played all summer long and the World of Warcraft will be there when you get back (don't worry, your guild will forgive you for missing a raid if you tell them you just had to go visit the world's stinkiest flower.)

My sources tell me they're expecting the flower to be in full bloom possibly by today, tomorrow at the latest. I'll keep you posted, whether you want to be or not.

Are area college's worth their tuition? Maybe ... Maybe not

2010-07-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

There's an interesting piece from the Chronicle of Higher Education about whether students are getting their money's worth from their respective colleges and universities.

You can give it a read here. And you should.

A pair of academics took a long, hard look at the state of higher ed and they found that colleges are failing, for the most part, when it comes to value.

Consider this: Over the last 15 years, tuition at public institutions in Minnesota has about doubled. DOUBLED. And wages? Well, I don't have any figures to back this up, but salaries are stagnant. When inflation is factored in, many of us have had our buying power diminished.

So people have less money to work with, yet public colleges and universities keep asking for more money (they're certainly hamstrung, of course, by state budgets.) But it might make you wonder, if you're a college student, "Mmmmm ... If they're charging so much more, the value of my education must be increasing as well, right?"

Now, I don't know if it is or not. I just think it's a fair question to ask, and it's a fair point to bring up when speaking with leaders of our area public college and university. Clearly, they're doing great work. I was just at South Central College today where I learned that enrollment in Ag programs is booming. Overall, their enrollment continues to rise and impress. At MSU, the engineering, theater and other programs continue to garner well-deserved, national respect.

Then there are the private and for-profit colleges, which are much less burdened by the whims of the state. Rasmussen College's enrollment is solid at it's Mankato campus. And with their nice new building and placement-for-life service, it's an attractive option. Gustavus and Bethany, being smaller than MSU among the area's 4-year options, offer much different styles. They're better equipped to offer students the kind of student-teacher ratios that students and parents notice when they're deciding on value. They may have an advantage. On the other hand, with economic times being what they are, maybe the more affordable public schools have the advantage.

Mmmm.... Dunno.... If I come up with something, I'll let you know.

Smells Like Corpse Spirit ... GAC flower of death stinks again!

2010-07-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

If you were around in 2007, you may have been lucky enough to be among the 7,000 or so who filed through the Gustavus Adolphus greenhouse to view the Corpse Flower.

I was among the multitudes. And it was worth it. The smell was, well, bad. But no so bad that you shouldn't go. My kids even procured T-shirts that read "I survived the corpse flower." We had fun with it.

Because the corpse flower is so unusual and cool and swell, I'm planning on posting the GAC videos and photos of this year's version as it gets closer to the day. And when it's in full bloom, you should check it out. It'll give you a chance to tour the greenhouse and take a summer stroll through what many consider to be the most beautiful college campus in the region.

Forget the chicken debate ... Let's discuss weed

2010-07-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

This story is too good -- and too eerily familiar -- to not pass along.

Over in Berkeley, Calif., the city council will soon change the laws governing the sale of marijuana. Currently, the city only allows four permits for weed shops (sound familiar? chickens?) But the council has voted to expand that number and, soon, Berkeley will be awash in weed.

I like this. I say that, if I guy needs a joint to ease the pain of the cancer that will ultimately kill him, let him smoke. I'd actually be OK with legalizing, but that's a subject for another time (it's also one I'm not even sure I'd be allowed to broach here, to be honest.)

Whatever your persuasion, anyone can appreciate a little fun being poked at the issue. So here goes:

"We're all in this together" ... HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL AT MSU!!!

2010-07-06T08:37:00.000-07:00

I'd be lying if I said I remember the first time I saw "High School Musical." It's not one of those milestone movies you remember, such as my first of four times seeing "Grease" in the theater, or the day my dad took me to see "Jaws" at a theater in downtown St. Paul that doesn't exist anymore, or the first time I saw "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and wondered why the hell aren't all movies this good.

But "High School Musical" ... I've probably seen it more than all those other ones combined. OK, maybe not that many times. But I've seen it A LOT. Let me explain.

I have a daughter who, when that movie hit the Disney Channel airwaves, was in prime HSM age. And when it came out, she was totally into it. And being the kind of dad who likes to experience everything his kids do, I sat down with it as well. And you know what? It wasn't that bad. It's a musical, so if you're not into that kind of thing, it's not for you. I happen to be OK with musicals. And in this case ... I was kind of OK with the rest of the movie as well.

Now, don't misunderstand me here. HSM is what it is: A harmless, shallow romp through two hours' worth of plot that basically sets up the song and dance numbers. But in its harmlessness, it has a sort of endearing quality.

Comes now Minnesota State University's department of "theatre" and dance (they like to spell "theatre" the cool, Old Englishy, Shakespearey way, which is cute.) This week you can catch their version of HSM. And you're free, I think you should check it out. The department's reputation for excellence is about as good as it gets at MSU. And while we're sitting here waiting for another school year to start, it'd be fun, I think, to take a two-hour spin through the harmlessness of high-school angst set to catchy tunes.

Go Wildcats!

did i just say that?

fail.

Heidelberger story a tough one to write

2010-06-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading The Free Press over the last few days, you no doubt noticed my gargantuan, three-part series on the death of Hazel Heidelberger, who lived just 13 days after being born with a heart defect.

Now that it's out ... I'm feeling a bit at a loss. This is one of the biggest stories I've ever worked on. Probably not since I did a four-part series on an MSU college student on academic probation have I spent more time on one subject. And this one was far, far more emotional. There were times during the interviews with the family and grandparents and nurses that I had a hard time holding it together. Even writing it, at times, became an emotional experience for me. I thought about my own children, then immediately felt guilty for doing so. They're healthy and happy and normal. Hazel didn't even get two full weeks. How is that fair? Obviously, this is one of those stories where it's difficult to remain objective, especially for a reporter who doesn't believe true objectivity is even possible. I got to know these people pretty well. And I liked them. On the day Angie came into the newsroom seeking coverage for the new heart-defect support group she was starting, she struck me immediately as a genuinely kind and warm-hearted person. She also struck me immediately as someone still very much hurting from the loss of her daughter. Her story was the kind that would lend itself to a serial narrative, I told her, an in-depth look with the kind of details you can only get through hours spent answering questions. She said she was willing. (I hope I didn't overstay my welcome in the Heidelbergers' home.) For that, I'm grateful. I hope readers appreciated her candor and willingness to open up the darkest chapter of her life for all to read. I'm glad I was the one who got to tell their story.

The Heidelbergers are an amazing family. They're going to have children some day and be the kind of phenomenal parents they were for Hazel. It's still not easy for them, but hopefully, because of their willingness to share their pain, others will understand what they went through, and families in similar situations can use them for support.

Vote for Andrew Miller! He's the Fastest (and funniest) Horse in the race, my friends

2010-06-14T08:02:00.000-07:00

OK, so my friend Andrew Miller -- fellow former editor in chief of The Reporter, MSU's student rag -- has launched another interesting adventure.

He's attempting to secure and internship with a marketing and public relations firm out the Twin Cities called Fast Horse. But to get this internship, he needs votes. So he's asking anyone who'll listen to visit the Fast Horse Facebook page, view his submitted video and click the "like" button. The internship candidate with the most "likes" gets the internship.

Now, I surfed over to that FB site this morning and had a gander at the competition. I'm certainly biased in Andrew's favor, but I can say in all honesty that, if this were a contest about who created the best video, Miller would walk away the hands-down winner. But I feel compelled to say a few other words about Andrew while I've got your attention.

I've known Andrew since, I believe, his freshman year at MSU. Since then I've met few people with his flair with the written word. He used to write a sort of entertainment column for the Reporter that I can honestly say I looked forward to reading every week. Funniest thing the Reporter's ever had in terms of a regular column. The man has talent. And if you read the Free Press and keep track of things of this nature, you may remember his attempt a few years ago to land a writing gig with Rolling Stone magazine. Again, I don't know of many people with both the chutzpah(*) to go for it and the talent to nearly pull it off.

In the Rolling Stone attempt, sadly, Miller failed. This time, having seen the competition, I'd be very surprised if he doesn't win. He's been embracing social media since its beginnings, since back in the days when Facebook was just for college kids. Miller gets it. And he deserves this internship. Plus, it'll let him come back to Minnesota for a while.

( *... An homage to the word's use in his Fast Horse video. Gotta love a guy works that word into a description of himself.)

MSU alum hits all the right notes at Twins games

2010-06-10T08:13:00.000-07:00

At the moment, my life is dominated by baseball -- every weekend we're in some other Twin Cities suburbs chomping on Big League Chew and spittin' seeds while the boy and his Mankato Royals compadres swap singles and doubles with boys from Richfield, Cottage Grove, Bloomington and Minnetonka.

So this story from the MSU website made me smile.

Sue Nelson, who grew up in Nicollet and attended MSU, is the woman behind the organ at Minnesota Twins baseball games. She's been doing the job for 12 years on an organ that dates back to the team's original home, Metropolitan Stadium. You're familiar with the quick organ riff that sets up the "CHARGE!" chant? That's Sue. Or the quick, ascending three-chords that slap an exclamation mark a solid hit? That's Sue.

What a great story! And I have to say, I'm more than a little jealous. Nelson gets a bird's eye view of every home game!

Hey, Sue ... Maybe you could work in the MSU rouser during a game some time, huh?

Olson's gone, and that's a good thing

2010-06-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

So you've no doubt heard the news. Scott Olson, MSU's king veep, is leaving campus soon to roll with the suits in St. Paul (that sounded really street, right?)

GREAT SCOTT! you might be inclined to say while chuckling to yourself and winking (don't, though, cuz that'd be really lame, the kind of lame typically reserved for dorks like me.)

Bad jokes aside, you might be pondering the impact of this move (if you're at all interested in what goes on up at that academic acreage up there, and perhaps you're not, I mean, why would you be if you don't attend the university, teach at the university or work there, right?)

As much as I admire Mr. Olson (he is, after all, a fellow Springsteen fan, which makes him automatically likable on a certain level) I'm pretty sure his brief departure is a good thing for MSU.

But think about it: Olson is almost universally respected and liked -- except, of course, by people whose departments or programs were eliminated this year, which may or may not include the most recent commenter on a previous post about President Davenport NOT leaving for a job in North Dakota, which whom I respectfully disagree but sympathize with his or her plight and frustration and hope he or she continues to read the blog!)

That fact makes Olson's absence a grand opportunity to see what other potential superstars the university has. Davenport is currently taking nominations for someone to fill Olson's post while he's gone. And my guess is that there's a lot of people angling to be that replacement. This will shine a light on the other talent that may be lurking around the campus.

Once chosen, this person will have big shoes to fill. And my advice to the president (the mere utterance of that phrase makes me giggle a little ...) is to give this person every bit as much authority as Olson had, and see what happens. Let her emerge a heroine, or let her fail. My hunch is that he'll choose a competent leader who, when the pressure is on, will show herself to be worthy of a top-level position full time. Or, in the alternative, you'll find you have another person on staff capable of great things.

And in a year, Olson will come back from St. Paul with more experience and skill that, hopefully, he can put to use at MSU for a while before some other college or university comes knocking at his door. And that, my friends, is bound to happen. Olson will be a president some day. It's not a matter of if, but only when and where. Interesting questions, to be sure.

Crazy Monday at Bethany Lutheran College

2010-05-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

I just watched this You Tube video made by the folks over at Bethany and ... well, all I can say really is watch it and judge for yourself. Oh, I can also say this: this marks the first (and probably last???) time I've seen a campus chaplain cock his hat sideways, don some gangsta bling and make those iconic hand gestures we all know to be the true signs of a rapper.

Here's the video:

And in case you've never seen the original that this masterpiece used as its muse, check it out here:

Gotta hand it to Bethany. In a time of competitive recruiting, this will make anyone whose slightly unsure about the whole Christian college thing sit back and say, "Hey ... those guys have a sense of humor!"

Dandelions: The World's Most Beautiful Flower

2010-05-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

It's one of my favorite times of year, folks, the time when little bursts of sunshine pop up everywhere. It's DANDELION SEASON!

I know what you're thinking: "It's a weed, Robb. Seriously. Get over it."

But just hear me out ...

Of course it's a weed. But if you get that out of your head for a minute and just think about what a dandelion is, perhaps you'll see them how I do.

Remember when you were a little kid and you laid down on the kitchen floor with your box of Crayloas and drew of picture of your house with a tree and a little stick figure with curly hair (that was you) and a dog? And up in the corner what did you draw? You drew a yellow circle with spikes all around it. That was the sun, shining down upon you with with warmth, energy, joy.

And when you finished that drawing you probably ran outside and, if it was springtime, you probably gazed in wonderment around your yard at all the yellow dots, and they were all at your level, and so you went around and picked as many as you could before you ran -- dirt-stained fists full of dandelions, chugging wide-eyed into the house -- to present to mom a treasure the likes and beauty of which she'd never seen before, and your mom smiled and maybe teared up a little and took the whole wad into the kitchen where she pulled a mason jar from the cupboard, filled it with water and placed the bouquet inside, and carefully set it all in the middle of the kitchen table like a holiday centerpiece. And you were proud. And it was beautiful. And yes, they were weeds.

If you're driving around town today and you've got an extra minute, or even if you don't, do what I do and take a stroll through one of our many fine fields of dandelions. You don't need to pick a bunch and bring them to anyone -- although people will surely smile if you do. But it's OK, too, to just stand there and bask in the simple, child-like perfection of dandelions, my favorite flower. You might want to do it soon, though. As you probably know, most don't share my love of dandelions and do whatever they can to get rid of them. And for each one they eliminate, a little piece of the kid inside them dies! It's true! Why do you think seniors with perfect lawns are so crabby? Cuz they killed all their dandelions!

But seriously. Cut my little yellow friends some slack this week. Soon they'll be attacked by garden implements, lawn mower blades and Round Up.

R.I.P. The Hub ... We're gonna miss ya

2010-04-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

The Hub Cafe, home to the best breakfasts in town and the perfect place to grab a good hot cuppa close to campus, died this week of unknown causes. She was five and a half years old.

In its short time, the Hub made a great many friends. And it was a particularly popular hang out for Minnesota State University students, faculty and staff.

In perhaps its most public moment, the Hub squared off against Starbucks, the king of coffee shops, which built a brand new store just a few dozen feet from The Hub's front door. But after a year, Starbucks went down, and The Hub was still standing. They relied on personal service, and being the kind of restaurant that knew customers by name and knew what they wanted the moment they came in. This fact prompted one of the owners, when Starbucks was about to open, to say: "Let's see Starbucks do that."

The food was, in the tradition of the greasy spoon, delightful. No restaurant had better hash browns, and the ham and cheese omelets were to die for. The lunch and dinner menus were swell, too, but for this writer, who
would order an omelet at 7 p.m. if he was in the neighborhood -- and judging by his waistline, he apparently spent a lotta time in that neighborhood -- nothing compared to The Hub's breakfast. Did we mention they made a decent breakfast?

But in the end, with times being as they are, The Hub was unable to survive. A sign went up on their door this week saying they were closing for good after five and a half years.

The Hub is survived by its owners, Dennis and Lisa Smith, and the countless college students and faculty and community members who always appreciated its presence and the fact that it had once slain the giant of coffee sellers.

An open letter to Jessica Ellis, Mankato Police Officer Extraordinaire

2010-04-20T09:02:00.000-07:00

If you read The Free Press with any regularity, you may have seen a letter to the editor Sunday lambasting my reporting of the incident at Wal-Mart in which a man drove his car into the store and was later arrested. If you didn't see the letter, here it is:

I have struggled over “my view” of a recent Free Press article for over two weeks now. On March 19 the headline article was “Wal-Mart door-buster special.”

I have two questions regarding this otherwise “apparently” well written article. What significance was Mr. Mager’s handicap to his capture? If it was to illustrate that it still takes two of our area’s finest police officers to control a man with a handicap, then I guess I understand.

Otherwise, I see no significance whatsoever to the reference. Second, and much more disconcerting, is the reference to a past incident of absolutely no relevance, involving one of the police officers involved in this “door-buster special.”

By my count there were five officers mentioned in this article. Only one had mention made of anything that had happened in their past professional career. The article, in “my view,” was very hurtful reporting, and I hope to God the writer never has to take the life of another person for any reason, especially so some “reporter” can throw it in your face every time your name comes up. Ms. Ellis, thank you for your service.

-- Charles W. Vokal, Mankato

It's not uncommon for readers to be unhappy with an article, whether it be content or style. Usually people contact the writer. That didn't happen in this case. Why, I don't know. I guess he didn't want to talk me.

But it occurs to me that people may be wondering why I chose to mention in the article that Jessica Ellis was the officer who, several years ago, fired the shot that killed a man on Grove Street in Mankato, I offer this open letter to Officer Ellis:

Dear Officer Ellis,

We've never met, but I'm a big fan yours. You probably know who I am. I'm that writer who got your colleagues all mad at The Free Press for bringing up your past, a past you should be very proud of.

I don't normally cover police stuff these days. I'm just the back up to our regular, much more competent public safety reporter, Dan Nienaber. But I did cover the beat for seven years before moving on, so I understand a little bit about police. I get along pretty well with most people, and most peace officers, although there's a natural antagonistic relationship between the media and police that will forever keep relations between the two anything but cozy. But you already know that.

What I wanted to talk to you about was why I mentioned in the Wal-Mart article that you were the officer who pulled the trigger on 26-year-old Richard Vosburgh in 2007.

When it was mentioned at the press conference that you were one of the first officers on the scene, and one of the primary officers in the entire incident, I was curious about you. And when I heard that you'd handled the situation so heroically, I made a decision -- which was supported by my editor -- to mention the incident from Grove Street.

My thinking was this: Whether it's fair or not, people recognize your name from the Grove Street shooting. I did. That's why I asked at the press conference if it was you. After being told that it was, I thought this was a good opportunity to show anyone who may be wondering whether you can handle another tough situation that you most definitely can. Should anyone be wondering? Of course not. If you're superiors thought there was any question about your ability to keep people safe, would you even be on the beat? No. But people still wonder. And that's why I included it.

Since then, some of your colleagues have made come accusations against me and The Free Press, including one who called my reporting "Yellow Journalism." I don't really give a rip about that. I've lived in this community for a long time (since 1992), my wife and I are raising our kids here, I love it here, I'm not going anywhere. Anyone who thinks I'd do something simply to sell newspapers or to make a name for myself honestly doesn't understand me or how newspapers operate.

But I do care what you think, and if I've made your life difficult because I brought up your past, then I apologize. You're a hero in this town. Even among officers you've done things most will never have to do, and I hope you never have to do again. I commend you and thank you for what you do for this community. Like I said, this is where I call home now, and I so glad there are people like you around here doing the tough jobs.

That's it, I guess. If you want to talk to me, call me. If any of your colleagues want to talk to me, they can call me, too. I'm easy to find. And usually pretty easy to talk to. If you want to yell at me, that's OK, too. Wouldn't be the first time. And if not, I'm OK with that. Just know that I meant no disrespect. Quite the opposite, actually.

Sincerely,

Robb

Some amusing footage from Columbia University

2010-04-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm on vacation, but I stumbled across this today and, because it occurred on a college campus, I thought it relevant, and so I'm passing it along to you. It's the product of a band of wacky kids called Prangstgrup and, if you like what you see, check out their web site for lots more.

Davenport's sticking around, it seems. That's good, right?

2010-04-13T07:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm actually on vacation most of this week so you won't hear much from me. But I had to check in and throw in two cents about the Davenport situation.

I obviously don't have a formal "position" so to speak on Davenport's career. My job is to cover the university whether he's here or not. And frankly, my focus has always been more on the students, anyway. But I will make this observation.

Twice, now, in the last two years, Davenport has been a candidate for a job somewhere else. Good for him, I say. The man should be free to go wherever his career goals take him. But I wonder what impact this has on the campus community.

This is a world where strategic planning is key. So, too, is figuring out the uncertain enrollment picture in the coming years (demographics analyses are pointing to a dramatic decrease in available high school talent.) Keeping in mind that stability in leadership is extremely important, and given the fact that the budget situation in Minnesota and MnSCU is horrendous, I'm wondering what the consensus is among the higher ups at MSU regarding Davenport's apparent desire to at least consider a move. Are people generally cool with it, knowing the campus is flush with brilliant minds who can pick up the slack? Or are they wishing that, for now, they'd much rather see him cool it for a while until times are a little less hectic.

I don't know. At the end of the day, whatever Davenport does, I'm confident things will be fine at MSU.

Miller gone! MSU Ed. dean to become a cheese head

2010-04-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

Mike Miller, dean of Minnesota State University's College of Education, will leave MSU to become the president of Northland College in Ashland, Wis.

Unlike my report of MSU President Davenport's exit for the U of Phoenix, this report is true. Miller will begin his duties in July.

I first got to know Mike when he left Gustavus back in ... back in ... mmmm ... don't recall exactly when that was, early 2000s I believe. Quality guy. Well respected. A true loss for MSU.

Check out story in tomorrow's Freep.

Bethany Lutheran College's newest building raises the bar for academic buildings

2010-04-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

It's not officially open yet, but the newest kid on the academic building block is about to make a pretty big splash in town.

Honsey Hall, a sparkling gem on the Bethany Lutheran College campus, is gorgeous. Bethany President Dan Bruss gave me "the cook's tour" as he called it the other day and I was amazed at what I saw. Bethany students are going to walk in that building and never leave.

This is a big step for Bethany. College officials say they've hoping the new building becomes the central hub of activity on campus, which can be a tricky thing for a place like Bethany. The college's very identity is built around the idea that a family atmosphere in an intimate setting is the best way to achieve their goals. The idea of "place" is a big part of that, and when this building opens, it will bring with it a major shift in life as Bethany knows it.

Luckily, the building is phenomenal, and my guess is there won't be a lot of people wishing aloud that they longed for the days when Honsey Hall wasn't there.

Check out the video. And when it opens, Prez Bruss says it's cool if anyone from the public wants to stop by and take a stroll through. I suggest you take him up on that.

This isn't the only academic addition, by the way. Minnesota State University, you'll remember, recently opened Ford Hall, otherwise known as the Trafton addition. And up the road at Gustavus Adolphus College, they're about to embark on what will most likely be the next chapter in local college building projects. They're adding a new academic building that will be a focal point of another mall that will rival its current, and rather scenic, Eckman Mall. And don't forget Martin Luther College in New Ulm, which is dedicating a new chapel this weekend.

The Case of the Missing Papers at Gustavus Adolphus College

2010-04-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

Our story finally hit news stands today about this situation with the Gustavian Weekly and the student who removed copies of it from the stands. I urge you to check it out.

After talking with the two primary students involved, Weekly Editor Jake Seamans (a swell guy whom I'd already met) and Mary Cunningham (a bright young woman who was a joy to talk with) I have to say this was another case where I was incredibly impressed with the students at Gustavus Adolphus College, and with the college itself.

This case isn't one of those clear-cut cases of "Is it censorship, yes or no?" There are lots of gray areas here and the students involved are passionate about their beliefs and very articulate in how they express themselves. Gustavus should be proud of these two. And while a controversy over "CASE DAY" or allegations of censorship might not have been tops on the college's list of public relations priorities, the things that have happened since, I think, are things Gustavus can be proud of.

Voices were heard, ideas were shared, discussions were held ... That's what college is all about. Plus the food at GAC is amazing.

Oh, one more thing ... The headline on our article is slightly misleading. There are no allegations of Mary Cunningham dumping copies of the Weekly in the garbage. Sorry 'bout that.

Judy Shepard was amazing, So was Jessica!

2010-04-06T22:03:00.000-07:00

OK, so I attended the Judy Shepard talk tonight (Tuesday) and I gotta say it was definitely worth my time, and anyone else's time who attended. You can check out my story in the Freep print edition Tuesday.

Judy Shepard was fantastic, but I wanna take this opportunity to exclaim how amazing Jessica Flatequal is. She gave a little talk/introduction before Judy Shepard spoke that literally gave me goosebumps.

I don't remember her exact words and I don't have my notebook in front of me, but she compared haters to monsters, and reminded us that, although we consider them monsters, those people learned their behavior somewhere ... they learned it from their parents, or friends, or by using hateful words or actions around people who don't hold them accountable.

If you see Jessica today, give her a high-five. If you don't see her, just keep in mind how lucky we are to have great people like her around making our college campuses better places.

MSU hosting Judy Shepard, and you should get your butt over there!

2010-04-05T14:41:00.000-07:00

Tuesday is an important day at Minnesota State University. Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard, is speaking in the Centennial Student Union Ballroom. And ALL of you should attend.

Not sure who Matthew Shepard is? He's the young man who, because he was gay, was beaten nearly to death and then left tied to a post where, after spending hours in the cold, died. Because he was gay. They killed him because he was gay. Sick, sad and disgusting.

Judy Shepard, from what I've heard, is a powerful speaker. And even if you disagree with her work to ensure that no one else ever meets the same fate as her son (and why would you???) you should go to listen to her talk about the strength she had to summon to deal with the death of her child. As a parent, I can't imagine being able to find the strength to move on if something this horrendous happened to one of my kids. So I'll be just as interested to hear about how she summons the courage every day to function.

So please go to this. You won't be disappointed.

Didn't like your A-? OK, here's an A! ... Seiously???

2010-04-02T06:08:00.000-07:00

You've of course heard of grade inflation, right? The increase in student academic performance due to things other than what a student actually did, such as classes that have been made easier, grading systems that reward mediocrity, passing students who deserve to fail so it doesn't make the institution look bad ... I could go on.

But check out this story below about a law school in Californy where they've decided that their students are really smart but because everyone else inflates their grades, they will too. But this is an OFFICIAL grade inflation. I've read the story, so I know it' s not as simple as I'm making it sound, but something doesn't seem right about this. Give it a read and let me know if you agree.

And check out that link!

Here's the story ...

A California Law School Will Raise All Students' Grades
By Ashley Marchand
Current students and recent graduates of Loyola Law School Los Angeles will
soon see their grade-point averages climb by one-third of a point.
The school is modifying its grading system, its dean, Victor J. Gold, said
on Thursday, to help students remain competitive with graduates of other
California law schools, which it believes already grade on a higher curve.
Each of the current letter-based grades at Loyola will be raised one step,
bringing an A- to an A, and an A to an A+, for example.
Mr. Gold said the new curve would better represent the academic quality of
the law school's graduates, compared with those of other schools.
"We concluded that the grading curve was sending incorrect information about
our students, and, frankly, it was putting them at an unfair competitive
disadvantage in a pretty tough job market," he said.
Stuart Rojstaczer, a retired Duke University professor who has studied grade
inflation and created an online database about it, said that changes like
Loyola's can open more job opportunities for students.
"There are employers that have GPA cutoffs," he said, "and by inflating
grades, you increase the number of students who meet those GPA cutoffs."
Mr. Rojstaczer, who was an associate professor of earth and ocean sciences
at Duke, is a co-author of a recent article, "Grading in American Colleges
and Universities," that analyzed grading patterns since the 1960s. The
article‹written with Christopher Healy, an associate professor of computer
science at Furman University, and published last month in Teachers College
Record‹noted an overall increase of about a tenth of a point in average
GPA's per decade.
Loyola's change will affect current students and alumni who graduated in
2007 or later‹the classes that received grades based on a letter-grade
system beginning in 2004. Before 2004, the law school operated under a
numerical grading system.
Mr. Gold announced the faculty's approval of the new grading system in a
memorandum to students last month. That memo found its way onto several
blogs this week, including Above the Law and NPR's Planet Money, where it
was greeted with considerable skepticism.
But Mr. Gold defended the revised grading curve as more accurately
reflecting the institution's academic rigor. Indicators show that its
students are "among the highest-quality students," the dean said. With a
passage rate of 85 percent among students taking the bar exam last summer,
the law school ranked seventh out of the 20 California law schools approved
by the American Bar Association.
Although employers often gauge law students' academic achievement based on
their class rank, Mr. Gold said, some governmental agencies will not
consider hiring students with less than a B average.
"And when you start out your students with an average of B-, which is what
our old first-year grade average was, you automatically exclude them from
employment with those agencies," he said.
"We're not trying to make them look better than other comparable students at
other schools. We just want them to be on an even playing field."

Wow! That was quick! Davenport's gone, but it's not to NDSU

2010-04-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

OK, so while most of us have been just basking in this amazing weather, Richard Davenport has been doing some serious job hunting, so much that there's been a bit of a bidding war for the man's presidential services.

So you heard it hear first. By the end of today MSU will issue a press release announcing the departure of Davenport as president, the installation of Provost Scott Olson at interim prez, and the immediate commencement of a national search.

The bidding war occurred between Argosy University's Point Barrow, Alaska campus, and the soon-to-be-launched Mankato campus of the mostly online University of Phoenix, and Phoenix won. Hard to believe, I know, but it's totally true!

Shake his hand and wave goodbye soon because Davenport's expected to leave campus by the end of the week, possibly even today. UofP has some crazy presidential training period and they need Davvy ready for the launch of the virtual Mankato campus, which is expected some time in May.

So, it's been a good run, but the man's outa here. Seriously.

Censorship at Gustavus Adolphus College? Not sure yet, but we're gonna find out

2010-03-31T08:08:00.000-07:00

There's a bit of brouhaha over at Gustavus Adolphus College over the printing of an article, and the outrage that followed.

Here's the gist: Gustavus has an unofficial tradition called "case day," in which participants attempt to consume an entire case of beer in 24 hours. Ill advised? Of course. Bad PR for the college? Perhaps. But it is what it is, and Gustavus remains a top school in spite of it.

The Gustavian Weekly, the campus' student newspaper, ran a feature on the tradition that included comments from various folks on and off campus who had something to say about it. And after it was published, student Mary Cunningham (and others, apparently) removed a bunch of papers because, it has been reported, they didn't want visiting prospective students and their families to get the wrong idea about Gustavus.

Minnesota State University's student newspaper, which sent a reporter to cover a hearing on the matter at The Weekly's request, ran this editorial denouncing Cunningham's actions and calling her out on this bit of irony: Cunningham, a standout debater whose speeches have espoused the merits of free speech, has apparently censored a newspaper that published something that offended her, according to Reporter's editorial.

Interesting stuff, to be sure. I'll be contacting the major parties involved in this and will hopefully get to the bottom of it all. Check the Freep's print edition for a full report in the next few days.

MSU prez should take the NDSU job, and here are 10 reasons why

2010-03-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

With Minnesota State University President Richard Davenport again considering greener pastures (this time literally, the NDSU school colors are green and ... something else,) it's time to have a little fun with the guy.

So, without further adieu ...

The top 10 reasons Richard Davenport should take the NDSU job!

(drum roll please, Mr. Schaeffer)

10. When it comes to watching flooded waterways, the Red River's fury and wrath kinda makes the Minnesota look like a angry puddle.

9. Put a Bison and a "Maverick" in a pen and let 'em go at til the death ... Bison wins every time.

8. No more having to endure punishing defeats to the likes of the hated and feared St. Cloud State University Huskies.

7. All that flat, lifeless land will give him time to contemplate how he'll land a Big 10 university presidency. (North Dakota is so flat, you can watch your dog run away for three days!)

6. Timeless jokes such as this: Ole and Lena get married in Bismarck and head on down I-94 to honeymoon in Fargo. Around Casselton, Ole puts his hand on Lena's knee. Lena says, "Oh, Ole, we're married now. You can go furder." So Ole drove to Minneapolis.

5. If he goes north, he'll get to hand that pesky job of cutting a few million from the budget down to someone else.

4. Since MSU is losing its aviation program, he can go to a place with a world-class program very much intact. ... oh wait, that's UND. oops.

3. With a school song like this, how can you NOT apply for that job?

2. Timeless jokes such as this one: Two Fargoans were working for the city works department.
One would dig a hole and the other would follow behind him and fill the hole in. They worked up one side of the street, then down the other, then move on to the next street, working furiously all day without rest, one guy digging a hole, the other guy filling it in again. An onlooker was amazed at their hard work, but couldn't understand what they were doing. So he asked the hole digger, "I'm impressed by the effort you two are putting into your work, but I don't get it -- why do you dig a hole, only to have your partner follow behind and fill it up again?" The hole digger wiped his brow and sighed, "Well, I suppose it probably looks odd because we're normally a three-man team. But today the guy who plants the trees called in sick."

1. And the No. 1 reason ...

MSU pres a candidate at NDSU

2010-03-25T11:26:00.001-07:00

OK, so it looks like MSU President Richard Davenport is a candidate for a job at North Dakota State University. Check out the fine coverage of it at the Grand Forks Herald (a Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper, baby!)

In case you've forgotten, this isn't the first time Davenport's name has been in the mix at another institution of higher education. A year or so ago, he was a candidate for the prez job at Old Dominion University. In that case, Davenport said his name was sort of pulled into the game and he wasn't exactly out looking for another job.

In this case, I'm not sure what the deal is. But I can guarantee you I'll find out. Stay tuned here or check out the Freep print edition tomorrow. Or the next day. Or ... oh just check it out!

MSU is famous! Or, maybe famouser ... Front page of the Chronicle of HIgher Education!

2010-03-24T07:43:00.000-07:00

You should check out the Chronicle of Higher Education this week. (Never heard of it? Why are you reading this?) I'd heard one of their reporters had been in town and had been working on a story about MSU's athletic department. And now the piece is out, and it's a pretty good one.

If you don't have access to a hard copy of The Chronicle, swing by Memorial Library and check it out, or visit it online. You can also read it here.

Reporter Libby Sander does a nice job of capturing for a national readership the quaintness that is MSU and Mankato. (Ignore the fact that North Mankato is left out of the population number, or that Kevin Buisman is referred to as "stocky".)

I think this exposure is good for MSU. Would a big write up about the influence of its engineering or nursing programs have been better for an institution of higher learning? Sure. But there's no denying the impact MSU athletics has on this community. Whether it's a few hundred people for a track meet or a few thousand for a football game, there's value in having the community come to campus for events on a regular basis.

Athletics also gets out to the community.

Last September, when my son's cub scout den needed some type of event dealing with sports, I called up and spoke with MSU's Sports Information Director Paul Allan to see if there were any student athletes who could come talk to our kids. Four MSU football players showed up and gave our kids a night to remember. They answered all our boys' questions, conducted themselves politely and were respectful to everyone. They were outstanding, our kids won't soon forget it, and it had nothing to do with on-the-field heroics. It was because these guys took the time to come out and sit down with out boys.

Now, were these guys told to come out and talk to our kids? Probably. But that's irrelevant. What matters is they came and MSU would have been proud of them. It was one little piece of MSU's overall approach of making sure its athletes engage with the community.

So check out that article.

ERIN GO BRAGH! That's right, I said it

2010-03-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

It's St. Patrick's Day, peeps, and in case you didn't know, I'm mostly Irish (a little French and Dakota thrown in for flavor, but mostly Irish.)

I don't plan to drink like some of my brethren (cuz I don't really drink much.) But I think all of you should. Not a lot -- we don't want anyone getting hurt, now -- but take a moment today, grab a malt beverage of your choice, raise that glass high and say, "Erin Go Bragh!" which means "Ireland Forever!" and when anyone asks you why you're having a drink today, tell 'em the good folks at College!, your favorite higher ed blog, made you do it. You can blame me. I can take it.

And if you get a chance, fire up a little U2, Sinead O'Connor, the Cranberries or the Pogues (is there a better song in the world than "Sunny Side of the Street"?), or pull down a dusty copy of something by Oscar Wilde or F. Scott Fitzgerald from your bookshelf. Today's the day for it.

National Day of Protest video from Washington

2010-03-16T07:28:00.001-07:00

I know it's kind of old news at this point, but I really liked what the kids out in Washington did on the National Day of Protest.

I mentioned this day a week or so ago, and lamented how little went on locally in terms of standing up to the ridiculous evisceration higher ed budgets, and how I wondered what happened to the strong activist roots at Minnesota State University, the kind of roots that made it THE hotbed of protest during the Vietnam war era.

Well, take a took at what a little creativity can do. These Washington students had a little fun with the occasion, and while their approach may have seemed a little cliched (how many times have we seen the funeral themed invoked at the end of someone's funding?) But at least they tried. And that beat up Volvo station wagon -- which ran out of gas as they drove to the capitol, with the casket roped to the roof and emblazoned with "R.I.P. higher ed" -- was the icing on the cake, the perfect icon of the poor, progressive college student.

This is what I'm talking about. Students, aren't you pissed off that governments everywhere continue to "solve" their budget woes by taking it out of your arse? And no, higher ed isn't the only portion of the budget taking a hit. But this one's affecting you more than any other, and this country runs on a time-honored "squeaky-wheel" policy. If you're so inclined, now might be a good time to do some squeaking. Seriously.

There is one thing working against you, however. The reason students typically aren't considered a legitimate "threat" when it comes to budgets and funding is that, for the most part, students care about this stuff only while they're here (in college.) Once they leave, they move on to bigger and better things, and the immediate concern of paying a tuition bill disappears. And because that population is dynamic, ever-changing, fluid, etc., it's really hard for them to build up any momentum. The students lobbying at the capitol a few years ago, the ones who may have made some initial headway that could have amounted to something if someone stuck with it, are long gone and working for a hospital or a bank or a newspaper somewhere.

My two cents: Higher ed won't have the kind of sway other groups have until and unless non-students get into the fray and start making some noise (alumni, the general public, etc.)

Recession a total bummer for Millennials

2010-03-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

Hey younglings, need another reminder of why this recession sucks so badly?

Check out this blog posting by a Huff Post-er. Grim news for the long-term earning potential of anyone who enters the workforce in a recession.

This is actually just logic at work, but here's the reality: People who enter the job market today are seeing lower wages, fewer benefits, worse benefits, etc. And things aren't likely to improve (can you imagine any employer that has taken away health insurance for its employees suddenly returning when times get better and saying, 'OK, times are better, here's all those swell benefits you used to have.'

Sure, new grads will earn more as life goes on, but they'll be starting from a lower position than people did a few years ago. So over the life their careers, they'll earn less, and those numbers, depending on your income, can seriously add up.

Sad.

Classroom distractions: Laptops are the worst offender

2010-03-09T08:38:00.000-08:00

A friend alerted me to this story in the Washington Post (thanks Kelleen). It's about the backlash against laptop use in college classrooms, and how some profs are BANNING them altogether.

OMG ... I'm so glad someone has admitted that laptops aren't God's gift to higher education.

Do they have their place? Sure. Laptops, in the hands and on the laps of the right students, can be deliciously effective and complement the learning environment nicely.

But in today's information-intensive world and in the hands of 18-22 year olds -- the most distracted generation of all time -- laptops have the potential to be the worst thing to happen to higher education.

This article reports that one professor requires his students to take notes with a pen and notebook instead of typing on a laptop keyboard. And I actually kind of agree with this, sort of. I like the idea of students getting back to basics -- listening, physically writing down important things the instructor says on paper, not typing on a screen where, if you move your eyes a little left or right or down, you can see the Firefox or Safari or Explorer logo which, we well know, is the ignition button to distraction.

At the same time, I'm also a big believer in the art of teaching, and that if an instructor/professor/teacher is doing their job and has come prepared and is ready to give their students more than enough reasons to pay attention, students wouldn't be tempted to update their Facebook status or e-mail their friends mid-lecture.

And I get that it's difficult to bring the A-game every time. I've been that instructor who's taken a peek at what students are doing on their computer screens and seen the Facebook icon, not a page of diligently-taken notes from my informative lecture. So I understand. I'm just sayin' ...

Here's the key quote from that article, which sort of sums up the issue as far as I'm concerned -- he's commenting on how it must feel to have an Internet-rigged laptop in front of a student during class:

"This is like putting on every student's desk, when you walk into class, five different magazines, several television shows, some shopping opportunities and a phone, and saying, 'Look, if your mind wanders, feel free to pick any of these up and go with it."

Fired for using the N word? Talk about a black and white issue!

2010-03-05T13:31:00.000-08:00

A professor at Towsend University got fired this week for using the 'N' word.

Read the link. He used the word to refer to himself, and he was commenting on a racially insensitive art text.

I stand here today a humble white male who cringes any time I hear that word. Even when I'm singing along to my favorite gangster rap songs, when the 'N' word comes up, I refuse to say it. It's wrong in almost every situation for anyone to say. ANYONE. Just my two cents.

But should it result in a guy getting fired? Where does the First Amendment come into play here? Or academic freedom? And how do you judge what takes precedence in this situation?

I don't know. But I don't think it's, for lack of a better way to put it, a black-and-white decision. This one's gray. Let's say the word is banned. Would you want to teach or learn on a campus where words are banned? Two words: Slippery slope.

Or, would you want to teach or learn on a campus where it's ok to call someone a name like that? One word: Fear.

Interesting.

National protest-sucky-college-tuition-and-budget-situation day ... and where's MSU?

2010-03-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

If you know anything about Minnesota State University, you know about its rich history of protest. During the early 1970s when unrest about America's involvement in Vietnam grew to a boiling point, Mankato was the hottest hot spot to be in when it comes to protest. Students cared, and they gathered on the mall and in the streets and held picket signs and placards and skipped class blocked traffic and MADE THEIR VOICES HEARD!!!

Fast-forward to this week, and check out what's going on in California and 31 other states. The situation in California is catastrophic. They have the largest public higher education system in the world. Students are angry that they're being asked to bear a whole lot of the brunt of their state's fiscal woes. And they aren't alone. It's happening everywhere around the country, and today is a national day of protest against the Culling of Higher Education.

So basically, higher ed is getting ganked.

Sound familiar? It's happening in Minnesota, too. Even Mankato. So why is the University of Minnesota the only higher education institution that could throw together a protest in time for this national event? I'm a little surprised. I expected more from the protesty-ist campus in the state.

Or am I wrong about MSU? Maybe its identity doesn't have anything to do with social activism anymore. Which begs this question: What is MSU's identity? It seems like I should know the answer to this question, but as I sit here at the my computer, I'm drawing a blank on the question of what is my alma mater's identity? When people think of MSU, what's the first thing that comes into their minds? Drinking deaths? A 9th-place hockey team? The "Harvard of the Midwest"? (although, truth be told, Carleton might have a little more claim to that one.) Quality food in the student union?

I'll keep thinking on this. In the meantime, you students out there (yes, all three of you who read this) grab your placards and your most righteously indignant looks and hit the mall. Give 'em hell.

Harvard guy Skypes his way out of a tough spot

2010-03-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

This story's a funny one.

A student from Harvard was studying so, so, super hard (typical Ivy Leaguer, right?) that he got locked inside one of the academic buildings after closing time and had to get creative to find his way out.

I'll bet this happens ALL THE TIME at MSU, am I right? Librarians, I'm guessing you've students begging you to keep that library open just an hour longer, just a little while longer, pleeeeeeeeeez?

Gimme' that beer or I'm telling your mom! Really.

2010-03-01T09:51:00.001-08:00

Hey, check this story out from the Associated Press.

Looks like MSU's getting company in the "notifying parents when underage Johnny gets busted for drinking" department.

Call me old fashioned, but ... I actually like this idea. If any students read this blog (and they don't) they'd shake their heads at me and say, "You just don't get it, old man." To which I would respond, "Oh, young whippersnapper, but I do." I was there once. Did the drink-til-you-puke thing more times than I care to remember. And here's what I've come to realize. You need to get old before you have the context to be able to see what lunacy that is. And I'm not talking about the occaisional bender. I'm very much ok with that and I think people actually should cut loose every once in a while and what better place to do it than while you're in college, the four-year holding pattern between childhood and adulthood.

I'm more talking about the four-times-a-week dudes and dudettes who can't seem to get enough to drink. Part of me wants to warn them and say, "Wake up!" But another part of me wants to let them figure it out and come to realize, 10 years later, what a mistake it was to live like that.

It's March 1st!!! The big day for announcing cuts at MSU? Well, not exactly

2010-03-01T07:45:00.001-08:00

So we've heard a lot about March 1 in regards to the earth-shattering program cuts at Minnesota State University. Remember March 1? A few months ago that was the drop-dead for for announcing which programs were going to be cut. Back then, today seemed like it was going to be a very significant day.

Well, it ain't. Actually it is, but not for those reasons. The momentum was sucked from March 1st's possible importance by the early announcement of which programs were going to see cuts. And now there's not going to be much change from that. Aviation, computer science, mass communications and many other programs will experience cuts.

The March 1 deadline is important for union contract reasons. If a program is going to be eliminated, notice of said elimination must be given by March 1.

A lot is going to happen in the next few weeks, however, as seniority rosters are released and people opt for early retirement. Those early retirements offered last fall are being offered again, and the hope is that more faculty take advantage of those and faculty cuts, prompted by program elimination or department budget cuts, will be minimal.

But because I'm a sentimental guy and I don't want March 1st to feel bad, I offer this list famous events that occurred on this day in history.

1498 - Vasco de Gama landed at what is now Mozambique on his way to India.

1562 - In Vassy, France, Catholics massacred over 1,000 Huguenots. The event started the First War of Religion.

1692 - In Salem Village, in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Salem witch trials began. Four women were the first to be charged.

1941 - FM Radio began in Nashville, TN, when station W47NV began operations.

1949 - Joe Louis announced that he was retiring from boxing as world heavyweight boxing champion.

1969 - Mickey Mantle announced his retirement from major league baseball.

1974 - Seven people were indicted in connection with the Watergate break-in. The charge was conspiring to obstruct justice.

1987 - The Boston Celtics defeated Detroit 112-102 to post their 2,235th NBA win.

1995 - Yahoo! was incorporated.

1999 - The Angolan Embassy in Lusaka, Zambia, exploded. Four other bombs went off in the capital.

2003 - In New York, a $250,000 Salvador Dali sketch was stolen from a display case in the lobby at Rikers Island jail. On June 17, 2003, it was announced that four corrections officers had surrendered and pled innocent in connection to the theft. The mixed-media composition was a sketch of the crucifixion.

So there, March 1st. Catholic murders, witch trials, Yahoo! Not a bad run. Here's to many, many more.

Faculty Facebooking? Careful what you say ...

2010-02-27T09:14:00.000-08:00

Profs, instructors, lecturers, adjuncts, TAs ... all of you ... be careful how you talk about your students on Facebook.

Check out this story from the Chronicle of Higher Education's Wired Campus blog. These comments seem harmless to me, but it's all about the right person construing some comments in just the right, or wrong, way. Short version: A prof joked about killing some of her students in one Facebook post, then joked about hiring a hitman in another.

The lesson here? There is no longer any such thing as sarcasm on America's college campuses.

I get it, sort of. I mean, when faculty are shooting each other as well as students, it's time for concern. But of course, like everything else along these lines, the solution is gonna suck for everyone. No more teasing, no more having a little fun, no more of those light-hearted claims that you'd like to drag a few of your dimmer students out back by the dumpsters, where the cool kids smoke, and put them outta their misery.

I mean, what's the world coming to if the teach can't vent a little about some of the mediocrity that passes for higher learning? I remember when I was teaching the advanced reporting class at MSU and the students handed in their first few papers ... and in some cases, I couldn't believe how pathetic the work was. Made me wonder how they got this far without failing out of college. So, in the tradition of gallows humor, I can see myself joking around about inflicting extreme physical harm upon some of them.

Maybe the real problem here wasn't what she said, but more the forum she said it in. Joking among colleagues at the faculty meeting is one thing. Throwing it up on Facebook is quite another, and in this day and age, it's probably not that surprising that such comments would cause a stir.

But escorted off campus? Wow. That's a little extreme, if you ask me.

Huntsville shooting: This just in -- alleged shooter-prof to be suspended, maybe fired

2010-02-26T06:08:00.000-08:00

Here's what kills me about bureaucracy, and in this case, higher ed bureaucracy.

I'm assuming you've heard about the Amy Bishop atrocity at the University of Alabama-Huntsville. She killed three colleagues and wounded a handful of others in a shooting rampage last week.

So yesterday, there's this report. Suspended? Taking steps to terminate her?

My God. Can they hear themselves? Do they understand how ridiculous this sounds? Seriously?

Now, before all you HumanResourcinistas flame with the usual "There are steps that, by law, must be taken whenever anyone's employment is being terminated, even if they've committed three murders on campus ..."

I get that, I do, and I'm not even suggesting they not go through the process. You should go by the book.

But how 'bout this. When the reporters ask the stupid question, "Mr. University President, ah, yes, ah, Joe Schmoe here from the Alabama Slammer Sentinel, and I was wondering what Ms. Bishop's status is here with the university, has she been terminated, does she remain an active employee, can you please comment on that?"

You can answer one of two ways. You can do what UA-H did and look a little silly. Or you can simply look the reporter in the eye and say, "Seriously? Seriously."

Dr. Professor Instructor, or "Don't you dare not call me DOCTOR!"

2010-02-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

Got a friendly call this morning from an anonymous reader who got through my piece on Bethany Lutheran College stud faculty member Tom Kuster. He wasn't happy with the fact that I referred to Kuster as an "instructor," and says I instead should have given Kuster his full due and called him "Professor Kuster."

This voicemail allows me the opportunity to shine a little light on something that is a bit of a pet peeve. Actually, not a pet peeve as such, but something I notice and say to myself, "Really?"

There was an English professor who taught at MSU a few years back, name was Randall McClure. I first encountered the man when he coached my daughter's soccer team at the YMCA. Phenomenal coach, I've never seen anyone connect with little ones like he did, but I digress. Randall held a Ph.D. and, when he had the chance, reminded you that he'd like to be called "doctor." And a few weeks ago, I encountered another iteration of this when a faculty member on several occasions referred to herself as "doctor" -- voicemails, anecdotes, e-mails, you get the picture.

For the record, I call every college or university teacher "instructor," and I'll tell you why. A few years ago, when I first started covering stories on the higher ed beat, I called someone a "professor" when there were an "assistant professor" or something. I heard from that professor's peers as well as various possible professional motives for that person having erroneously told me they were a "professor." There was much hand wringing and gnashing of teeth in this person's department, and when it was done and all the drama and politics died down, I decided to start using a generic term to refer to someone who teaches. I thought instructor was pretty good, and no one's ever questioned it, until now.

Today's caller pointed out the hard work Kuster had done to earn his Ph.D., and how he deserved to be referred to by a title that reflected his level of achievement. To do otherwise robbed Kuster of the dignity he deserves, the caller implied. To which I reply, I respectfully disagree.

Academia is a politically charged world where titles matter. Really, really matter. But 98 percent of the world isn't in academia, and they really don't care about titles. So rather than step through a mine field of ranks and titles and risk the fallout of a misstep, I'll stick with my generic. And when all else fails, I'm reminded of my friend Bob Fenske's rule of thumb when considering whether or not to call someone "doctor": He'd say, "Unless you can save a life, I'm not calling you doctor." Bob's right, I say.

Here's the hierarchy, courtesy of Wikipedia:
1. Emeritus Professor (a title conferred at retirement upon professors who have made significant contribution to their field and/or the institution)
2. University Professor or Institute Professor (a special title not used by all universities)
3. Distinguished Professor (usually a "Named Chair"; not used by all universities)
4. Professor ("Named Chair"; that is, the title 'Professor' is preceded by the name of a person who has endowed a chair, such as "Sterling Professor of Playwriting"; not used by all universities; may be a tenured or visiting professorial rank)
5. Professor ("Full Professor", a tenured rank; this title is used by all institutions)
6. Associate Professor (generally a tenured rank; some institutions award tenure only to Full Professors.)
7. Assistant Professor (usually tenure-track; always the lowest rank of tenure-track faculty)
8. Instructor (possibly tenure-track; time as an Instructor usually counts toward the minimum number of years required for full retirement benefits)
9. Lecturer (usually a part-time and/or a non-tenure-track position; when full-time, Lecturer positions are usually a prerequisite to the rank of Instructor - i.e., after two years of successful teaching as a Lecturer, the person is promoted to "Instructor".)
10. Postdoctoral Fellows
11. Postdoctoral Associates / Scholars
12. Research Associates
13. Teaching Assistant (sometimes "Teaching Fellow"; some universities distinguish Teaching Assistants from Teaching Fellows, the latter being a higher rank)

Huffington Post adds college section!

2010-02-23T08:29:00.000-08:00

Hey, anyone out there read the Huffington Post? No?

Well, now dear readers of College!, you have a good reason to check out the Huff because they've added a college section.

There are a number of places out there where you can get your fill of college news. Some are rather tweedy and newsy, some are silly and go down like Skittles. And then there's this one. I browsed through it today and found it actually rather refreshing. It's got a nice mix of student-generated copy, content seems to come from everywhere and there seems to be a nice balance of meat-and-potatoes and dessert. I approve.

Check it out.

That is all.

Gustavus' Facebooking, Twittering and all around social media-ing gives it a "cool factor" other colleges will covet

2010-02-22T08:16:00.000-08:00

When it comes to lists, few area colleges have been as successful as Gustavus Adolphus College.

Let's see ... There was that Men's Fitness magazine list. There's that Steinway Pianos list. The ever-important U.S. News and World Report list. Princeton Review's list for best food ... Gustavus shows up on a lot of 'em. And now there's this latest one from something called CollegeSurfing.com. They've given GAC a gold medal for its innovative use of social media.

The GAC Facebook page is brimming with more than 4K fans, College President Jack Ohle is one of the few presidents in the nation actively Twittering. The college's new GACspot.com is a refreshing way to let everyone know what's going on with student groups, the Gustavian Weekly or anything else on campus. When major events happen on campus, chances are you'll find video of those events online, and often quite quickly.

Why is all this a good thing? The kids. In what is soon to become a very competitive environment for Minnesota high schoolers, colleges need to do everything they can to attract the best students. And while grades and ACT scores and financial are all very important factors, the one thing that often puts one college ahead of another in a high schooler's mind is this thought: Can I see myself fitting in there? What do high school kids love to do? Facebook and text each other. How do young people communicate? Via FB and cell. What is GAC branding itself as? The kind of school where that world is embraced and encouraged.

Now, remember, it is just a list, and there are scores of people in academia who cross their tweed-covered arms and go "Hmph" anytime some type of list comes out, as if it's at all possible to quantify to extent of their brilliance with something as pedestrian and common as a "list." Puh-leeez.

But ... If you're not working in a world that's dealing with students on their level, what world are ya workin' in?

Minnesota State University's aviation program in trouble ... and I'm not surprised

2010-02-10T12:52:00.000-08:00

I get no satisfaction from this, but I gotta say it: I called it.

When Minnesota State University announced a few months ago that programs may be eliminated, people asked me which programs were vulnerable. Why did they ask me? Cuz I've got my finger on the pulse of southern Minnesota higher education. I can also tell the future -- when my son asked me who was going to win the Superbowl I told him the Saints, and so that's who he rooted for, until the Colts scored first, at which point he tried to turn tail and switch sides, but I wouldn't let him be that much of a wuss and forced him to swear allegiance to the Saints; he cried, but thanked me later when Drew Brees held the trophy high for all to see -- so as you can see, I'm a bit of a soothsayer.

But when it was announced that cuts were coming, and people asked me for a prediction, this is what I said, and you can ask the gents who sit near me for confirmation: "Well, I'm not sure, but I'd be real nervous if I was in the aviation program."

Fast forward to two weeks ago, when the vulnerable cuts were announced and, as you can plainly see, I called it. And it actually kind of hurt.

My first run at college was back in 1988. University of North Dakota. Aviation. Yep, I used to be a pilot. I was one of the hundreds of thousands inspired to fly by "Top Gun," and had the Tom Cruise haircut and flyboy jacket to go with it. So I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the
aviation program.

But it was no surprise.

Aviation is a god-awfully expensive program. A lot of people quit because they can't afford it, or simply don't want to think of how long that student loan repayment schedule will be when they graduate. It's also an expensive program to host. Planes cost money. Lots of money. Flight time costs money. Fuel costs money. Plus, there are other programs in the state that train pilots. Pretty well, too. St. Cloud State University's program is a good one. And that little program I attended (and never finished, of course ... If I did, would I be here? Hell no) is among the nation's best.

Beyond that, there's the program's ... um ... past. It's been a few years now, but many on campus probably remember the controversy the department was embroiled in for a while. Changes in contracts, allegations of inappropriate profiting by a now-retired department chair, drama, drama, drama.

Now they're in a position where they must fight for their very existence at MSU. And the worst part is this: no students are more passionate about what they do than aviation students. Everything they do is done to optimize their flying time. All they talk about is their next flight. THEY LIVE TO FLY.

I don't know what's going to happen. Hopefully their appeal will knock the socks right off Provost Scott Olson's feet, and their presence here will be forever cemented. If it doesn't, well then it's been a good run. But it won't be a surprise.

(For the record, I'm hopeful that every program can justify its existence and stick around. There are good people in all of them. There's also some dead weight, and I'd hate to be the one that has to go around cutting that dead weight off.)

Sometimes the best education is no education

2010-02-09T08:50:00.000-08:00

Snow day. Just the mere mention of the word is enough to send kids into fits of uncontrollable glee. This morning, when I told my son at 7:06 a.m. that he could, in fact, go back to bed because the powers that be have decided safety concerns override the importance of learning at the moment, he looked at me like I'm an idiot for suggesting that, today, of all days, he should head back to bed. He threw his arms into the air and immediately began calculating how much he could actually do on this day, this gift from God (if there is such a thing), this holiest of holy days ... the snow day.

When I saw his elation, I thought of this brilliant column I'd read years ago by Steve Rushin of Sports Illustrated. In five minutes Rushin boils down a kid's mentality on a snow day, and nothing I've ever read has ever come closer to hitting it on the head. I reprint it here for Sam, for all the Sams out there -- I couldn't be happier for you that school was canceled today!

Cold Comfort
A childhood snow day can produce all the chills and thrills of a sports jamboree

By Steve Rushin
(published in Sports Illustrated ... a while ago)

The alarm clock beeps like a truck in reverse, and your heart begins to hammer the drum riff from Wipeout, and your backpack hangs in rebuke from the bedpost, filled as it is with undone homework. Dread sets in until you see-through a crack in the curtains—a world outside covered in snow, as thick and muffling as fiberglass insulation.

So you bound downstairs to hear a radio anchor read the alphabetical list of school closings. The tension, as he nears the N's, is almost unbearable: " Maple Grove, Maple Plain, Maplewood"—it reminds you of a roller coaster ratcheting up a hill. Then it crests-he gets to N—and you hear "Nativity of Mary, closed." Instantly it's Mardi Gras and V-E Day and the Lindbergh parade all in one, and the flakes falling outside look like ticker tape.

You are a death-row inmate reprieved by the governor, and you'll relish every minute of this stolen Tuesday. You'll take your hockey skates in to be sharpened, the blades throwing off sparks like a welder's torch, and then carve up the neighbors' flooded backyard, your wrist shots made wicked by the boomerang curve of your Sher-Wood stick. You'll clear the ice every 10 minutes by skating with a shovel in ever-tightening ovals—because your fondest desire, at age 11, is someday to drive a Zamboni.

When you take off your skates, after hours of impersonating Mike Bossy, you'll feel a full foot shorter. Then you'll go inside and have hot cocoa warmed on the same stove-top burner on which you curved the Sher-Wood.Your best friend will walk past your window dressed in his snowmobile suit, and you'll pop outside and pack a snowball and rear back with a windup like Juan Marichal's and peg him in the conk from 60 feet away. Then you'll duck behind a tree that looks—like every other tree on the block—as if it has been dipped in white chocolate. You will vow to build a fort, an impregnable igloo stocked with snowballs, from which you will conduct guerrilla raids on every other fort in the neighborhood, and by day's end you will rule your block like a raja.

After lunch your backyard will become Lambeau Field or Soldier Field or Rich Stadium in a whiteout. When your quarterback throws, with his unmittened hand, a bomb that you'll catch near the sideline, you'll high-step in moon boots into the end zone and then Nestea-plunge onto your back, and while lying there a moment to catch your breath, you will make a snow angel in celebration.

You will be so cold that you'll pull your parka hood with the fake-fur fringe up over your genuine replica Vikings helmet. (Come Sunday, while you're watching, from in front of the fireplace, some football game in Miami or Tampa or Los Angeles, you'll look at all those players and fans in their short sleeves and suntans and simply feel sorry for them.)

Back in the house, while your wet woolen socks are somersaulting in the dryer, Larry Bird will play Dr. J on the Nerf hoop that hangs from the back of your bedroom door. You will, of course, be both players. Dr. J will win this game of one-on-one because Bird's jumper too often hits the ceiling, whereas Dr. J can dunk at will. Still, it will go down to the final buzzer, which is the buzzer on the dryer that signals that your socks are ready. By now it will be mid-afternoon, and you'll be desperate to make the most of what little daylight remains.

So you'll fire a hair-dryer into your moon boots and—with newly toasted tootsies—you'll pull your sled, with the twin red runners and the steering bar, to the top of the tallest hill in town. You will stand atop that mountain of white, like a plastic groom on a wedding cake, and imagine that you're looking down the bobsled chute at Innsbruck. As you bomb headfirst downhill, your every nerve ending alive with feeling, you'll be certain of at least one thing in life: that the 30 minutes you spent ascending this hill was a pittance to pay for the breathtaking 20 seconds of descent.

When you finally heed your mother's call and head inside, at six o'clock, it will have long been pitch-dark. Your cheeks will glow red like the Christmas lights strung above your garage, and you'll remove your stocking cap to find that every hair on your head is standing on end. Your mom will say that it's static electricity. But you'll know better.

College sex? OK, but could you keep it down, pleeez!

2010-02-05T13:26:00.000-08:00

Here's the funniest thing I've seen come out of Cambridge in quite a while.

Check out this blog entry from the Chronicle of Higher Ed. I wonder how the situation is handled on American campuses?

Minnesota State University coming up on big decisions

2010-01-05T12:31:00.001-08:00

Since last semester at Minnesota State University, a few major issues have lingered over to the new year, and within a few months you may start hearing a lot more about them.

First, the retirement situation. The university had been offering early retirements to faculty members in select departments, and we haven't heard much about how successful that has been. The hope was that enough faculty would take advantage of early retirement to get he university off the hook from the unenviable task of cutting people. And it could get worse. If something very positive doesn't happen in the university's financial picture, they may be forced to cut programs. If it comes to that, things could get ugly at my alma mater. Let's hope everything turns out swell.

Second, the proposed Latino Center. The university entered into an agreement with the government of Mexico to serve as one of many places around the country where immigrants can come to further their education. The hope is that they'll acquaint themselves with MSU and eventually send their children to college here. At present, Latino students represent a small portion of all students of color. They are by far, however, the largest ethnic minority in the region, making their small numbers a somewhat curious situation for the university. They want to have more Latino students, and they'd hoped a Latino center would help the cause. But, as is the case on any campus with a lot of students and not a lot of space, the move by President Davenport to announce the addition of a Latino center prompted cries of outrage, and the entire idea is on hold, it appears. Look for something to happen in the next few months on this front.

Waldron shooting, Springsteen song prompt thoughtful drive

2009-12-18T18:58:00.000-08:00

Blogger's note: After publishing this post and reading the comments that followed, I realized that I'd left a portion out that, without it, makes a bit of a difference. This version is edited from the original posting of a few days ago. Sorry 'bout that. --Robb

=================================================================

So we're riding in the car the other day, my son Sam and I, and we're rockin' to the iPod. I let Sam pick a few songs, I pick a few songs, it's very democratic and everyone gets to hear what they want to hear. Life is good.

At one point, the iPod's "shuffle" function brings up Springsteen's "41 Shots," an amazing song, so I leave it. It starts out with every member of the E Street Band reciting the haunting phrase "41 shots ..." over and over, until eventually the crowd (this is a live track) starts to clap. And then Bruce says, "We're gonna need some quiet." The clapping stops, and I look over at Sam, who has suddenly begun listening intently.

"41 Shots" is a song based on the shooting a few years back of Amadou Bailo Diall o, who was shot by a half dozen plain clothes police officers. The song describes a shooting scenario with these words: "Is it a gun, is it a knife, is it wallet, this is your life ..." New York City police protested Springsteen's concert after this song came out. But it's really a song about the difficulty of making quit, complex decisions in little or no time, and doing it in a world that will condemn or second-guess your actions should you make a mistake.

I explained all this to Sam as I had the song on pause because he wanted to know what it was about. And as I hit the play button again and let "41 Shots" move on to the second verse, I thought about Todd Waldron.

Waldron's the law enforcement officer from the Le Sueur County Sheriff's Department who shot and killed Tyler Heilman last summer after a scuffle. He spotted Heilman driving erratically around Kasota, followed him to an apartment complex and attempted to confront him. When he did, a struggle ensued, and in the end, shots were fired and Heilman ended up dead.

In the shooting's aftermath -- an aftermath that has included Waldron's vindication -- a lot has been said about both men involved. One thing that hasn't been discussed a whole lot, however, is how little either of those men probably wanted to be there that day in that situation. And I'm quite certain neither of them wanted the other dead.

I remember when I used to be the cops reporter, and how I grew tired of hearing officers say what became a cliche after a while: "When I go to work in the morning, I don't know if I'm coming home that night." I remember thinking, "You know, actually truck drivers have a much higher chance of dying on the job than you do." I never said that out loud, obviously. And over the years, as I've grown, I don't look at it the same way anymore. Sure, it's still kind of a cliche, but after hearing the stories of police officers whom I respect get hurt, I guess my thoughts on the topic have changed. It is different. I get it now.

As the song wound down, I tried to explain to Sam that even in places such as little Kasota, a few twists of fate can lead to a man or woman having to make one of those complex life and death decisions, and the world will praise or condemn their actions. Sam wanted to know if Waldron did the right thing. I said "I don't know, I wasn't there ... But I sure hope so."

NEW graduation requirement: lose some weight, bub!

2009-12-01T07:34:00.000-08:00

Have you heard about this story out of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania? Apparently that freshman 15 has taken on a whole new level of importance.

Here's the gist: Students with a body mass index (calculate yours here) of 30 or above will be required to take a fitness course that meets three times per week. If your BMI is high, and you don't complete the course, no degree for you, McFattypants.

At first blush, I wondered whether this was appropriate, and how could this be fair. How could a requirement be imposed so selectively like this? Doesn't seem right. Is this even legal?

I thought to my college days, eons ago though they were, and how I might have felt at the time if some requirement had been imposed upon my education at MSU. I would have been livid. I would have objected. I would have done the same thing the editor at the Lincoln University student newspaper did and demanded the university make the requirement universal, not just for 30BMIers.

But now I think I've come to the conclusion that: with all the health concerns that relate to obesity, including the fact that costs are going to rise exponentially for all to address the needs of the obese; and with the look on my children's faces as they keep tabs on my latest cholesterol numbers ... I think Lincoln University's intentions are a good thing.

Targeting fat people? Not so sure that's the best way to go about it. The university's higher-ups I'm sure could have figured out a way to tweak graduation requirements to include some healthy living education. Another problem I see is that, I can point to a good many people who, once they left college, their weight ballooned a little. Or a lot. Present company included. And I don't think it's a case where those people understood healthy living and eating back then and just forgot. No, I think it's a case where people's bodies and lives change. People struggle with weight at different ages and for different reasons. Stress and genetics can play just as big a role as diet and caloric intake.

So while I applaud Lincoln U for wanting their students to be healthy ... I think their execution of this was a little over the top.

Taylor Swift song inspires memorable elementary school performance

2009-11-20T07:59:00.000-08:00

You've seen her.

The long, curly locks of golden hair cascading down an angelic face, always singing about a boyfriend or some other magical moment in her very young life.

Of course I'm talking about Taylor Swift. And normally I wouldn't be inclined to write about her or talk about her for any musical reason. But I have to admit that I'll always be a fan of her song, "Love Story." And I'll tell you why.

If any of you have children, you've no doubt been to a few Christmas- or holiday-themed singing programs at a school or day care center. Maybe you've been to several. If you're like me, you've been to several dozen, all of which fall on a quality continuum scale ranging from "not bad," to "wow." (All kids show up and no one pukes, not bad. Songs sung loudly, with feeling, actions, maybe even characters ... wow.)

But this isn't a story about a program that went well. It's about a program that didn't go so well, at least not until Taylor Swift showed up. My daughter, who LOVES when we come to her shows, who looks for us in the audience and smiles and sings proudly, said this to me: "Please don't come! It's gonna be really bad!"

I'm going to spare the name of the school. The teachers there work hard, and there can't be a much harder task than getting a bunch of sixth-graders to sing. Have you had a sixth-grader in your home? It can be the most amazing, and most maddening, time of your life. Changes are occurring, attitudes are shifting, boundaries are being pushed. None of this necessarily means a group of them won't sing pretty. But it sure as heck don't help. So my hat goes off to the teachers who do all they can do and did all they did.

Here's how it went down ...

Like all shows like this, the gymnasium was packed. The limited bleacher space filled immediately. Folding chairs, too. All the wall space was filled with the backs of parents. In fact, they were three, four and in some cases five deep against the walls. I, having been on the short end of the height gene pool, had to crane my neck around a rather tallish and rotundish soccer mom who came late and didn't realize she'd parked in front of a short guy. So it's hot in there.

The kids are taking their places. A hush falls over the crowd ... Until, BOOM! a ruckus erupts near the back of the lined up kids. It seems in the back, one of the kids has fallen off the bleachers. A hundred sixth-grade heads turn, a handful of teachers rush to help ... But it's OK. Just a little pride is hurt. And the show continues.

Students had been learning guitar. A few dozen of them are set up to play them, and they sound swell. And then a few play electric guitar. And before I say anything about this, let me just say it was clear they'd been practicing, clear they loved what they were doing and maybe they'll go on to be major rock stars. But on this day, a few notes were, well, missed ...

A song or two later, the kids get start song three or four (it's a been a while, and I'm 40 now, so my memory fails me from time to time), the kids get off to a bit of a rough start. Some are singing, some aren't. Is there a miscommunication? Do they know what song they're singing? The teacher raises her hands, waves them in the air ("like she just don't care!") to signal the students to stop singing. They do. And then they start over.

So as you can see, things weren't going well. I remember thinking to myself, "My god, this is a train wreck ... Now I know why Emma didn't want us to come."

And then Taylor showed up.

Not the woman herself, of course. But her spirit -- the same youthful spirit you see oozing from her pores every time she accepts a major music industry award and tells a crowd of smitten onlookers how "this is definitely the highlight of my senior year," or "I gotta go now and do my homework!"

I wondered whether that song in the program was a coincidence, whether some quaint, acceptable song from the early 1900s just happened to have the same name as Taylor Swift's chart topper "Love Story." You've heard the tune. It's inescapable. "Mary me Juliet, you'll never have to be alone!" Sappy, to be sure, and hardly the stuff of elementary school concerts.

In the packed gymnasium, however, on this spring day, Taylor Swift's spirit turned a memorable (for the wrong reasons) show into one I'll never forget.

The piano player got it rolling with a few notes that set the tone. If anyone was wondering about that coincidence, they weren't now. It was unmistakable. The lyrics, sung from the mouths of a few hundred sixth graders who were suddenly ready to let everyone know how good they were, transformed the atmosphere from "Is it over yet?" to "Oh my ... What's this, now?"

"We were both young, when I first saw you,

I close my eyes and the flashback starts,

I standing there,

on a balcony in summer air."

Reluctant singers became the cast from "Grease." You could hear every word. The gymnasium, which for much of that concert was a room full of people who obsessively checked their watches, turned into a place where time stood still. It was as if the gods of school concerts looked down upon the school that day and said, "Mankato, here is a moment to remember."

We laugh about this concert in my house. And when the subject of Taylor Swift comes up in conversation, I say, "I may not be the biggest fan of her music, but I'll always like Taylor Swift."

I thought of her, and the concert, on that night when Kanye West made an ass of himself at her expense, interrupting her acceptance speech to tell everyone that he thought someone else made a better video -- the look on her face was the definition of crestfallen. I'm guessing she recovered nicely, what with her multi-platinum success and millions of dollars.

But more importantly, I thought of the kids and the remarkable recovery they made that day. It was dramatic. Maybe even Shakespearean. OK, maybe not Shakespearean, but a helluva show, and helluva story.

Minnesota State University's Latino Center, CAP program, budget situation showing just how delicate some of these issues are

2009-11-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to come down on one side of the issue or the other when it comes to the Latino Center at Minnesota State University. And frankly, it's probably an oversimplification to suggest this issue can be boiled down to two sides. There are probably many sides. Same goes for the controversy surrounding the College Access Program, and even the budget situation -- the one where the university may be forced to eliminate faculty or, worse yet, entire programs

It would be inappropriate for me as the reporter who covers MSU to definitively state whether I think there should or should not be a Latino Center or where it belongs, or whether I think the students in the College Access Program are being treated fairly, or whether I think one department or program should get cut over another.

But I will say this -- and this is more of an observation after sitting in on meetings, interviewing sources, etc. ... People are starting to wonder whether or not it's a good idea to speak their mind about the topic, and there appears to be some fairly intense feelings on the issue across racial lines.

I spoke with a source on the Latino Center story who confided in me that they weren't sure they felt comfortable even talking to me, stating that even agreeing to be interviewed about a subject might make it look like they're advocating a particular view. And while talking with a source on the budget story, that source called me back and said they'd prefer to remain out of the story because, with cuts on the horizon, the source didn't want to take the chance that whatever was said was taken the wrong way.

Hmmmmm ...

It seems unfortunate to me that people seem afraid to talk. Ironically, when I wrote a piece a few months ago about faculty disapproval over some of the decisions of the president at Gustavus, sources seemed much less afraid to speak. Granted, a handful of key sources in that story never returned my phone calls, which in essence says to me they didn't want to talk about it. But of the ones I did talk with, all seemed confident that what they said would be taken in the context that, on a college campus that respects free speech and diversity of thought, anyone's ideas are respected, no matter how much they differ from those in authority or those in power.

Was there some hesitation? Sure. Outright refusal to speak? Nope.

I hope what I'm seeing isn't a trend. There are A LOT of brilliant people at MSU. I'd like to think any of them would be free to speak their mind about any topic without it counting against them in some way.

Mankato is haunted! A look back at some scary stories

2009-10-30T06:29:00.000-07:00

While I said I was going to do a ghost story this year -- and I actually got some very interesting suggestions, thanks folks -- it's just not in the cards. So instead I post a few links to some of the ones I've done in years past, as well as give you a link to a site where you can read some good fiction as well.

Probably my favorite ghost story that I've written was one I can't provide a link to. I did it during my first few months at the Freep. It was October 1995 and a friend from college, Jen Meyer, who also worked at the Freep, told me about how this house she lived in was definitely haunted. I checked it out and, luckily for me, the house had a history. The story goes like this: Decades ago, a vacuum cleaner salesman died in the house (I can't recall how he died). Ever since then, most of the people who live there say unusual things happen in the house. The tenants nicknamed the ghost "Hoover" way back when and the name sort of stuck (I've found since then that the guy actually sold Kirby vacuums, which strikes me as odd because Kirby seems like a much less threatening name for a ghost, and if it were me in that house and I thought there was a ghost among us, I'd probably name it something cute like Kirby instead of Hoover, the first syllable of which sounds an awful lot like the sound those kooky ghosts made in the scarier "Scooby Doo" episodes ... I'm just sayin').

That house is on Warren Street, right hand side of the road just as you're about to hit the stop lights before the hill. I believe it's a shade of light blue. It's got a porch. Walk by some night and scare yourself.

Beyond that, I loved writing the story about the ghost that supposedly "goes on panty raids" according to an author who compiled a list of Minnesota ghost stories. That book provided no basis for the story or cited any sources for it, so I set off to find it on my own and had a little fun in the process.

Last year we talked about Lenore, the ghost that supposedly lurks in a residence hall at Bethany Lutheran College. We got to the bottom of that story by tracking down the man responsible for conjuring it many years ago as a student there.

And while this may not be a ghost story, I really enjoyed getting to know South Central College English instructor Amy Magnus a few years ago when I did a story on how Halloween is her obsession. I love Halloween too, but this woman takes it to new levels. She hosts a party every year at her Lake Crystal home and, if you're lucky enough to be invited, it's quite a treat to see the lengths to which she goes to celebrate the holiday.

Oh, and those fake stories ... These come from that phony "official city of Mankato" site that has fooled more than one out of towner. In addition to listing a plethora of impossible Mankato attractions -- submarines? year-round balminess? The Great Mankato Pyramid? -- it has a very creative list of ghost stories from the area, including my favorite:

"Legend has it that in the field behind Gage Tower Dorm at Minnesota State there was once an old cemetery and when it gets dark many co-eds have seen a young girl hanging from a tree on the south side of the clearing. Beneath the girl is the shadow of what appears to be her lover. Many say that they have heard him crying softly. They have also seen dark shadows move from headstone to headstone. The headstones are not visible during the day!"

There are many more on that site, all beginning with, "Legend has it ..."

It's Halloween! Go have some fun! And I'll give a free cup of coffee to anyone who can genuinely scare the pants off Amy Magnus today. Sneak up on her and shout Boo! or something. Let me know how it goes.

She's the "Cat Whisperer," not the "Car Whisperer"

2009-10-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

For the record: The item on the front of the Currents section of today's Free Press, on top of "The Sidebar," the one that says "Car Whisperer to discuss book" -- that should say "Cat Whisperer ..."

My bad.

And my apologies to anyone who may have thought NPR's Click and Clack were coming to town.

The Cat Whisperer is Gloria Caballero, and she's a local gal who has made a name for herself through her work rescuing abused cats. Her book tells the tale of an abused cat from a Christian perspective.

Here's the official release from MSU:

Alum, author to discuss book 'Phantom' Oct. 29 Join Minnesota State University, Mankato alumna Gloria Caballero for a discussion on her book “Phantom” Thursday, Oct. 29.

The presentation, co-sponsored by Student Activities and Alumni Relations, will be held from 12-1 p.m. in Centennial Student Union rooms 253-255. “Phantom” introduces readers to Caballero’s love for neglected and abused cats through her founding of Scooter’s Place, a nonprofit shelter for abandoned felines.

Caballero graduated from Mankato West High School and earned her degree in sociology, social work and psychology from Minnesota State Mankato. Caballero’s passion to provide socialization and physical therapy for abused cats continues to grow as she comes across more felines in need of rescue. Her ability to communicate with felines has landed her the nickname “Cat Whisperer.” “Phantom” is the first of a series of books that address the realities at Scooter’s Place. All proceeds from “Phantom” will go toward work at Scooter’s Place.

So if you're around Thursday and got nothing else going on, check out Gloria's talk. I'll be there -- at least that's the plan for now -- covering it for the Freep.

Minnesota State University, Mankato's Women in Spirituality Conference Rocks

2009-10-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

I got an interesing e-mail the other day from a former professor of mine. It was Ellen Mrja, mass communications goddess extraordinaire, informing me that her class had just had a discussion about my story about the Women and Spirituality Conference.

They objected to my lede, which went like this:

"Trance dancing? Inviting fairies into your garden? Channeling loved ones? Communicating with animals? No doubt about it. The Women and Spirituality Conference is nearly upon us again."

The piece mainly focuses on the conference's nationally known keynote speaker Vandana Shiva. But it was the lede that Mrja -- and a few other e-mailers and letter writers -- questioned me about. Some wondered whether I was trying to be sarcastic, and if so, why? Some thought I was taking a shot at the conference. I can tell you with full confidence that I actually like the conference.

Why? I'll tell you why.

I've actually been to this conference several times. In years past my weekend shifts have fallen on W.I.S. weekend and I actually look forward to getting to go. Some may see the conference as a bastion for male bashing. From what I can tell, that's not at all what the conference is about. When I have gone, it's been full of women (and a few men) trying to learn more about themselves, trying to feel better about themselves. Everyone is happy there. Everyone gets along. Last year, while walking through the exhibitors area, a merchant in a beautiful dress offered to give me a free hug, and claimed she gave the best hugs in the world. After getting that hug, I had to agree. It actually was one of the best hugs I'd ever received. Seriously.

So why the goofy lede? Let's face it: To the average joe, Joe Sixpack, the "man on the street," the titles to the sessions can come across as a little ... um ... funny. So as sort of a nod to the fact that the mainstream has yet to embrace many of the themes the conference represents -- and most of our readership is, indeed, mainstream -- it was a way to sort of ease into what I think is a newsworthy story without alienating some readers. A story that tells it straight and simply lists session titles would be fine for a run-of-the-mill conference. But with this one, my lede was my way of saying to our mainstream readers, "Yes, I know some of the names may strike you as a little corny, but the fact that we're writing a preview should let you know that I think this event is interesting enough to tell you all about it."

I'll concede that perhaps my attempt wasn't clear enough. I apologize for that. But I'd hate for people to think I was mocking the conference. The conference is swell.

Gustavus Adolphus College's marketing video is slick

2009-10-23T07:57:00.000-07:00

Gustavus Adolphus College rolled out a new marketing campaign recently and I think they've really nailed it. Check out the video above for a look at their new video plugging the college's new mantra, "MAKE YOUR LIFE COUNT."

My sister-in-law attended Gustavus, and ever since the day I helped moved her into Pittman Hall, I've noticed something special about Gustavus. Everyone I've talked to about Gustavus -- almost to a person -- says some close to the following: "I went there for the campus tour, and it just felt like the right fit."

Students choose Gustavus because it fits with what they're about and what they want to do with their life. The spirit of the place -- the focus on community service, the focus on being a meaningful part of whatever community you're in -- speaks to prospective students in a way that few other colleges do.

Comes now their new marketing campaign, which takes this community service ethos and runs with it. From my outsider's perspective, it looks like the marketing firm the college hired -- using all the input from college students, administrators and alumni -- hit a home run. Some will say it's corny or simply a marketing ploy to get alumni to give the college money. And maybe that's part of the equation. Every college, after all, must hit up alumni for cash.

But there's no denying that this message hits at the heart of what Gustavus has always said it's been about.

Retirement story out of MSU

2009-10-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

There seems to be a lotta chatter about the retirement story at MSU. The university is offering a retirement incentive to employees 55 years old or older and with 5 years of service to MnSCU. Faculty from certain departments -- ones that wouldn't replace the worker once the worker left -- are offering a full year's salary. Faculty from other departments -- ones where workers would be replaced -- would get less. It's all in an effort to save enough money to take what might be a $7 million hit, courtesy of a projected $7 billion state budget shortfall, come 2012.

My two cents? Not that anyone cares, but ... I think this has the potential to hurt some departments. And perhaps help some departments.

There are no doubt some experienced faculty members who might be persuaded by the incentive offer. And if they leave, their departments will suffer because of it. There's no question that experienced faculty are what make great departments great. Pull that out of the equation and a great department becomes just another (insert department name here) department. Quality faculty is what students remember when they leave a university. The amenities are nice while you're here (i.e. the fantastic Otto Arena workout space and gymnasium is a big draw to visiting, prospective freshmen). But when people graduate and enter the real world and get real world jobs and are able to make real world contributions to their Alma mater, their experience in the classroom is what they'll think about. Quality faculty are crucial, especially faculty members who understand what it means to be a teacher.

On the other hand ...

It wouldn't surprise me to hear there might be a few faculty members whose departments are secretly begging for them to take the BESI retirement offer. Even at a respected university such as MSU there sometimes exists a faculty member or two who, in the later years of his or her teaching career, resorts to, how shall I say this, "phoning it in," or "coasting." And in that regard, the BESI retirements could be a good thing for some departments. Cutting loose some of the dead weight might inject a little enthusiasm into the place.

Now, since midnight when the BESI story first hit the Freep Web site, I've gotten a few phone calls and e-mails about this story. So you might, if you're following this, see a follow-up story or two about individuals are being affected.

Halloween -- Time to bring out the ghosts

2009-10-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

It's one of my favorite times of year -- HALLOWEEN. I just love the very idea of it. Fright. Fear. Ghouls. Goblins. One-hour specials on The Learning Channel about the scariest places in America. Marathons of "Goosebumps" and "The Twilight Zone." Good times.

But as far as my position with The Free Press is concerned, I love this time of year because of ghost stories. I try and do one every year. Why? Well, who doesn't love a good ghost story? Who has never stayed up late with their friends and dared each other to stare into the mirror and say three times, "I believe in the curse of Bloody Mary!" (Or, as was the case in that classic South Park episode, stare into a mirror and say "Biggie Smalls, Biggie Smalls, Biggie Smalls" ... Oh, Butters.)

Anyway, ghost stories are great, and I'd love to get some ideas from readers (if there are any ... which I tend to doubt most days.) Call me at 344-6386, or e-mail me at rmurray@mankatofreepress.com

Bethany Vikings help bring MSU Maverick hockey action home

2009-10-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

If you're like me and you can't get enough of Maverick hockey, you'll probably be watching our guys take on the Bulldogs of the University of Minnesota-Duluth on TV this weekend.

As you're watching, take note of the camera and production work. It's all being done by students from Bethany Lutheran College's Communications program. In the past few years the Bethany students have elevated their game to where they're now taking work in venues other than Verizon Wireless Center.

Students come in as green as any schmoe off the street. And when they leave campus after commencement four years later, most of them jump in their cars and head directly to wherever their first job is. The program boasts a great job placement rate, and some of them work at some of the most highly sought-after employers in the business, including ESPN.

So, as you're watching the Mavs pound the Bulldogs into submission, take a moment to think of the Vikings of Bethany Lutheran College. Then get back to the cheering on the Purple and Gold.

Evangelists on campus bring back memories, spark discussion

2009-10-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Glancing at the MSU college rag the other day I had a blast from the past that I hadn't thought about for a while.

One of those preacher dudes came to campus this week. You know the guys. They show up with a big stack of Bibles and an even bigger stack of hate. They tell college students what losers they are. All the girls are whores, all the men are heathens. All are sinners. All are going to hell. It's beautiful.

When I attended MSU, one of these guys showed up and provided us all with enough entertainment to last a few weeks. There he stood, holding up a 10-foot cross with one hand and patting his two unfortunate children with the other. And the kicker: his wife, standing well off to the side, wearing a button that read, and I'm not making this up, "I love to submit to my husband."

Students at first formed a half circle around the family, but the more students he insulted, the more girls he called whores, the more students gathered around until, eventually, the half circle grew to where it enclosed around them. It was one of the few times the campus felt really alive (not quite alive as when my pal Daryl and I spontaneously formed a group called Advocates Against Sadness and made placards and "protested" on the mall against sadness in all forms.)

It didn't get dangerous. But it did get ugly. Especially when my friend Ben Willinski, red with rage, walked up and hawked a loogie right in the guy's face. That was about the point when I, after snapping several rolls of film for the college rag, decided I'd had enough of this circus.

Good times, though. Glad to see the campus mall can still play host to a little Bible-spawned nonsense once in a while.

What does your iPod's shuffle say about you???

2009-09-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

Just to show you I'm the kind of higher ed reporter that's always thinking about his 12 readers, I'm checking in on my day off with a little observation I made while mowing the lawn today that, I think, says something about education. Maybe not higher education, but education nonetheless.

I'm the kind of guy who likes a little Springsteen while I'm mowing the lawn. But today, when I went for my iPod, it was no where to be found. So I improvised. My daughter's got an iPod. I used hers, instead. And while I was at it, I conducted a little experiment. You've heard of that Facebook game where you put your iPod or iTunes on shuffle and see what randomly comes up? That's what I did with Emma's iPod. And when I listened to the results, I must say I was pleasantly surprised at what came up. My influence was clearly there. But so was some stuff I didn't expect. Here's what I got through while mowing the lawn (taking time out to let the Culligan man in so he wouldn't get mauled by my killer Beagle, Henry):

1. Melt With You - Modern English (the 80s rule)

2. Veronica - Elvis Costello (really?)

3. Rock With You - Michael Jackson (RIP)

4. White as Snow - U2 (off the new one)

5. Super Massive Black Hole - Muse (this is probably "Twilight" induced)

6. Desensitized - Green Day (do I know that one?)

7. Darkness on the Edge of Town - Springsteen (I think I put this on there for her right after she got it)

8. Fix You - Coldplay (awwww, that's sweet)

9. In the End - Linkin Park (can't argue with that kind of energy)

10. Push it to the Limit - Corbin Bleu (hee hee)

11. Creep - Radiohead (nice)

Not a bad little play list.

My work is done here.

2009-09-17T09:06:00.001-07:00

Well ... When you're wrong, you're wrong.

I got a strongly worded letter the other day from a woman at Rasmussen College in Mankato. She says the college felt slighted when, in a lengthy article by me the other day on area college enrollments, I failed to even mention Rasmussen.

And my only response to that has to be ... They're right. They're a legitimate player on the higher ed scene in south central MN. Their enrollment is rising just like other schools, and their degrees are just as legit -- and accredited -- as the others.

So I'm sorry, Rasmussen. My fault, my bad, my responsibility. It won't happen again.

In my defense (sort of ...) Rasmussen doesn't start fall term until October, so the "tenth day" enrollment figures that everyone lives and dies by in the world of college enrollment simply weren't available. What I should have done, however, is mention that fact. Instead we left them out. And that was wrong.

We will be doing a separate story on Rasmussen's enrollment in October.

: )