In This Issue:

Metropolitan State Summer and Fall commencement

Commencement for Metropolitan State University’s summer and fall 2006 graduates took place at the Minneapolis Convention Center on Tuesday, Dec. 19. Over 900 students were listed to graduate, and over half took part in the commencement itself...

MCTC Public Safety Dept.: Security Alert

The Public Safety Department would like to inform the Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC)/Metropolitan State University community of a reported abduction attempt that occurred near our Minneapolis Campus. On Dec. 13 at 12:30 p.m., a female student reported that a friend drove her to school and that she was dropped off at the intersection of Yale and Spruce Place...

Metropolitan State appoints new advisor

Samuel Neng Vang of Cottage Grove was appointed academic advisor for the Metropolitan State University College of Management by President Wilson G. Bradshaw. In this position, Vang would provide academic advising to undergraduates who are majoring in one of the majors offered by the College of Management...

A historical perspective: Staff Spotlight on Professor Michael Boston

Boston started his career at Metropolitan State in Fall 2006. He was a visiting professor at the College of Wooster last school year. Boston got the job here the old fashioned way — he answered an ad. "I answered an ad for a professor with a background in Africana," said Boston...

Commitment to community hallmark: Staff Spotlight on Francis J. Schweigert, Ph.D.

The brief description he had provided was scant help in discerning Francis J. Schweigert, Ph.D., new associate professor for the public and nonprofit administration office of the College of Management, from the other male patrons of the busy Midway coffee house on that unseasonable and blustery October morning...

Ellison’s oath on Quran roils conservatives

Democrat Keith Ellison (Minn.) is setting yet another precedent in January when he takes the oath of office on the Quran — Islam’s holiest book — an event that induced conservatives to accuse him of deviating his allegiance from the United States Constitution to Allah...

Metropolitan State leads with STEM degree graduates

Metropolitan State University has the highest percent of underrepresented students of color graduating with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degrees in Minnesota. According to the data submitted by the U of M in the LSAMP grant proposal, Metropolitan State had the highest proportion of LSAMP eligible students of color graduating with a baccalaureate STEM degree in 2005...

Women’s Services coordinator named

Jessica Helle-Morrissey of Roseville was appointed Women’s Services coordinator at Metropolitan State University, effective Nov. 13. She develops and oversees programming for women students that creates a positive learning environment and encourages their full participation in the academic and social life of the university...

Letter to the Editor: What this year’s commencement means to me

The 2006 commencement symbolizes a significant achievement in my life. For three years I never lost sight of my goal to obtain a bachelor’s degree — did it. Commencement is the time for me to earn my purple heart for persevering through a tough battle. I view the commencements of Metropolitan State University to mean so much more...

The case for Gore in 2008

The call for Al Gore to run for president (again) has been made. But hey—third time is a charm, right? One factor that would change this time around would be the absence of "Bush" in an opposing candidate’s name. It has been noted that Gore may have been enjoying more prominence as a movie star this past year than a major hitter in the Democratic Party...

Something mythical, something dreamlike

Fables: Old and new, a one-act play, was presented in Minneapolis at the Whitney Stagedoor Theater on Dec. 1. In Fables: Old and new, a small cast of six performers, all wearing identical green pajama pants and brightly colored shirts with only socks on their feet, presented 11 fables to a small crowd...

MCTC choirs’ early winter concert

The Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC) choirs performed their early winter concert on Friday, Dec. 8. The choirs are directed by Dr. Elizabeth Pauly and are accompanied by Christopher Wolter. This is Pauly’s 10th year as choir director, and this year, she said, they have a more global focus to better reflect the diversity of the campus...

Haute Dish Reads

Over 50 people attended Metropolitan State University Voices, a reading by Haute Dish writers and editors on Saturday, Dec. 2nd at The Riverview Café in South Minneapolis. Senior Matt Spillum, now an alumnus, served as emcee and introduced 18 students and alumni who read fiction, non-fiction and poetry...

University hosts free concert

Metropolitan State University presents The Great Winter Festival II: Artistry at its very best as the third of a five-concert series of the Minnesota Sinfonia conducted by Jay Fishman. The concert will feature international award-winning cellist Matt Haimovitz performing Robert Schumann’s "Concerto in A Minor..."

Technology Bytes: Design prototypes

In my last article I discussed some of the questions you should ask when you’re looking to design a Web site—whether you’re building a new Web site from scratch or redesigning an existing site. By far the most important question would be–what does your client want...?

The World In Film - 'Little Miss Sunshine': Life as a contest or a dance?

Little Miss Sunshine has been nominated for 21 awards over the last year, including two Golden Globes: Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy; Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy, Toni Collette. Though not based on true events and not focused on a single event in world history, what Little Miss Sunshine allows is an outside look into the rewards of failed successes...

Sporting the Twin Cities - Happy Hockey-days

It’s winter in Minnesota, albeit without much snow or cold weather, or even ice for that matter. Yet, the highlight of our local sports continues to be our state’s favorite pastime. While our football teams have managed some mediocre, rather than dismal, performances as of late—and basketball remains tumultuous at best—the state of hockey remains strong...