In This Issue:

Major changes to Professional Communication major

When you came to the ever-difficult decision about what your major would be, what were the determining factors? Was it that you felt you are good with numbers, public speaking or writing? These strengths are all good reasons to pick a certain major. Part of the changes within the Professional Communication major at Metropolitan State University no longer give you the final say in regard to whether or not you may enter this program. This is the first of the many revisions made within the program that will help ensure your degree is the right fit for you....

Philosophy 385: Philosophy on the Front Page
Topics course focuses on toleration across religions and systems of thought

This fall semester, Professor Ronald Salzberger of the Department of Practical Philosophy and Ethics will offer the second "topics" course in a series titled "Philosophy on the Front Page." The first of the series in 2002 was titled, “The Case for Reparations,” and looked closely at the colossal human cost of American slavery and colonial expansionism....

Erickson to make fifth bike tour for scholarships

Once was not enough. Twice was not enough. No, even four times was not enough for Bob Erickson, who began his fifth 2,300-mile bicycle tour Monday, Aug. 21 to raise money and public support for part-time students who attend Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU). The chair of the MnSCU Foundation, Erickson will depart at 8 a.m. from Anoka-Ramsey Community College in Coon Rapids. During the trek, which is expected to take 30 days...

Six regional coordinators set to expand services to veterans at Minnesota’s colleges and universities

A new initiative has begun assisting thousands of military veterans returning to Minnesota’s colleges and universities to complete a higher education program and successfully resume civilian life. The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) received a $600,000 annual appropriation from the Legislature to establish and run six regional veterans assistance offices. The regional offices, which opened Aug. 14...

Al Gore’s ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ has burnt-up this year’s box office

One of the hottest topics this summer, pardon the pun, is global warming. The documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and was released in select theaters around the nation in May. The film is based on a global warming awareness slideshow presented around the world by former presidential candidate Al Gore...

How to help solve the climate crisis

Tips on what you can do to help solve the climate crisis...

Folk Nouveau at the Third Floor Gallery

Metropolitan State University Third Floor Gallery is pleased to present Folk Nouveau, featuring art by five Minnesota artists: Beth Barron, Minneapolis; Dean Lucker, St. Paul; Judy Onofrio, Rochester; Douglas Padilla, Minneapolis; and Ann Wood, St. Paul. The exhibit opens Thursday, Sept. 7 with a reception from 4–7 p.m. and will continue through...

"Why We Fight" - Jarecki’s collective analysis of American war making

Documentary filmmaker Eugene Jarecki (“The Trials of Henry Kissinger”) poses his film titled "Why We Fight" as a question: "What are the reasons we’re fighting for?" His question extends beyond the current war in Iraq to the overall anatomy of American war making. To build his answer, Jarecki utilizes newsreels, TV footage, research and military films in "Why We Fight," along with a variety of original interviews, which include Sen. John McCain...

New 30 credit prerequisite for upper division COM courses

The College of Management (COM) implemented a new policy requiring a minimum of 30 credits to be completed before students can register for upper-division (300–500 level) COM courses this fall. College of Management faculty and administration agree this policy will help students be better prepared for upper-division COM courses in the business majors...

Twin Town Sound:
Four local summer releases

With a long hot summer winding to an end and another school year starting, I thought I would catch up on some local releases. As a fan of local music, I know it is impossible to keep up on everything the rich music scene of the Twin Cities produces, but here are some albums that caught my attention....

250 Pages Or Less:
Hosseini’s The Kite Runner

Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner (2003) is a must-read as it discusses themes of friendship, love, guilt and shame, and it describes what a person is willing to do for redemption. The Kite Runner is written in first person with an adult narrator who begins writing about his personal experiences as a 12 year-old boy living in Kabul, Afghanistan...

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