Summer 2014 Minnesota Magazine

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE?

PLENTY.

EXCLUSIVELY FOR MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SUMMER 2014

Bohemian Flats Come to Life

PAGE 32

Rappin’ with Tall Paul

PAGE 12

Gophers Working M.A.G.I.C.

PAGE 34

Seven University researchers share their action agendas

4 Editor’s Note

6 Letters

8 About CampusNot black and white, the early bird catches the germ, and the score on women head coaches

12 Alumni ProfilesRappin’ with Tall Paul, from Hamlet to Hans, and Gophers forever

16 First Person“Lessons From the Other Side” by Thomas B. Jones

32 Off the ShelfThe Bohemian Flats by Mary Relindes Ellis

34 Gopher SportsPower Play: It’s hard to tell who’s helping whom in the M.A.G.I.C. program

36 The Gopher Crossword

37 Alumni Travel Guide Destinations to delight in 2015

43 Gopher Connections A memorable annual celebration and more

48 Campus Seen Our photo finish

Cover Story 18 Taking on Climate Change

It’s possible—and imperative—to adapt our way of life to the realities of climate change. Seven U experts share their action agendas.

BY JONATHAN FOLEY, MARK SEELEY, LEE FRELICH, HARI

OSOFSKY, MASSOUD AMIN, THOMAS FISHER, KENNY

BLUMENFELD, ERIN PETERSON, AND GREG BREINING

PHOTOS: Climate change (cover and above) by Kurt Moses / Un Petit Monde; Tall Paul (left) by Mark Luinenburg; M.A.G.I.C. (top) by Sher Stoneman.

Top photo, from left: Kelsey Cline, Maighdlin Shaughnessy, Chloe Portela, Sonia Dunkelbarger, Catherine Ahrens, Nate Roese, Bryan Bjerk, Owen Salzwedel

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Volume 113 • Number 4 / Summer 2014

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

page 34

page 12

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair Susan Adams Loyd, ’81

Chair-elect Jim du Bois, ’87

Vice Chair Alison Page, ’96

Secretary/Treasurer Dan McDonald, ’82, ’85

Past Chair Kent Horsager, ’84

President and CEO Lisa Lewis

Judy Beniak, ’82, ’10Henry Blissenbach, ’70, ’74

Natasha Freimark, ’95Gayle Hallin, ’70, ’77

Randy HandelLinda Hofflander, ’83

Bernadine Joselyn, ’78, ’01Kevin Lang, ’06

Janice Linster, ’83Becky Malkerson, ’76

Alexander Oftelie, ’03, ’06Amy Phenix, ’08Clint Schaff, ’00

Mike SchmitDavid Walstad, ’88, ’91

Sandra Ulsaker Wiese, ’81Todd Williams, ’91

Jean Wyman

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA GOVERNANCE

PresidentEric Kaler, ’82

Board of RegentsRichard Beeson, ’76, chairDean Johnson, vice chair

Clyde AllenLaura Brod, ’93

Linda Cohen, ’85, ’86Tom Devine ’79

John Frobenius, ’69David Larson, ’66

Peggy Lucas, ’64, ’76David McMillan, ’83, ’87

Abdul Omari, ’08, ’10Patricia Simmons

Contact the Alumni AssociationTo join or renew, change your address,

or obtain benefit information, go to www.MinnesotaAlumni.org or contact us at McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak St. SE, Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN 55455-2040;

800-UM-ALUMS (862-5867), 612-624-2323; or [email protected]

The University of Minnesota Alumni Association is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities,

and employ ment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, handicap, age, veteran status, or sexual orientation.

Now Showing:

3 New Exhibitsof University HistoryEnjoy three different looks at the University of Minnesota’s achievements throughout its 161 year history in one rewarding visit. The Heritage Gallery in the McNamara Alumni Center now presents three separate historical timelines; each based on one of the three founding principles of the University….Education, Research and Service. Each timeline is distinctive and packed with information, photographs, graphics and historical objects to reward the casual visitor or the in-depth reviewer. Make plans to visit the Heritage Gallery’s newest exhibit…then stay for lunch at D’Amico & Sons!

The Heritage Gallery is open most Mondays thru Saturdays.Please call ahead at 612-624-9831 for daily viewing hours.


President and CEOLisa Lewis

Vice President of CommunicationsDaniel Gore

EditorCynthia Scott

Editor (on leave)Shelly Fling

Copy EditorSusan Maas

Contributing EditorMeleah Maynard

Contributing WritersMassoud Amin, George Barany,

Jennifer Benson, Kenny Blumenfeld,Greg Breining, Thomas Fisher,

Jonathan Foley, Lee Frelich, Joe Hart, B. Thomas Jones, Shannon Juen,

Susan Maas, Hari Osofsky, Erin Peterson, Mark Seeley, Laura Silver, Andy Steiner

Art DirectorKristi Anderson, Two Spruce Design

Advertising Rates and InformationKetti Histon

612-280-5144, [email protected]

Minnesota (ISSN 0164-9450) is published four times a year (Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer) by

the University of Minnesota Alumni Association for its members.

Copyright ©2014 by the University of Minnesota Alumni Association

McNamara Alumni Center 200 Oak Street SE, Suite 200

Minneapolis, MN 55455-2040 612-624-2323, 800-UM-ALUMS (862-5867)

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To update your address, call 612-624-2323 or e-mail [email protected]

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POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to: McNamara Alumni Center 200 Oak St. SE, Suite 200

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ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SINCE 1901

Editor’s Note

Feeling Small?

I was pouring coffee into a foam cup when I first heard of what was then called “the greenhouse gas effect.” It was in the early 1980s and a colleague was explaining how emissions from vehicles, factories, and other sources were trapping heat and warming the earth. Looking at my cup, she chas-

tised me for making a choice that contributed to the problem. I felt defensive and embarrassed, decided she was out in left field, and poured another cup of coffee. Greenhouse gas effect, indeed.

Live and learn. During production of this issue of the magazine, the federal government released the Third National Climate Assessment, which confirmed what numerous other reports have documented: climate change—the green-house gas effect—is having an impact on economies, pub-lic health, agriculture, and in numerous other arenas now. My former colleague, it turns out, was not out in left field—she was ahead of her time.

It’s an enormous problem we have on our hands. I some-times wonder if part of the reason climate change has become so freighted politi-cally and emotionally is that we feel so small in the face of it. It’s much easier to argue than to face directly the vast scope of the problem.

This issue of the magazine is an invitation to face climate change together. The invitation comes from a source familiar to alumni: Uni-versity educators and researchers who fearlessly and relentlessly learn, teach, and strive to make a positive impact in the world. Beginning on page 18, seven U researchers who are recognized leaders in their fields offer their action agendas for responding to climate change. Their essays are likely to do what good class-room teachers always do: clarify, startle, provoke, perhaps offend, stimulate, and, I hope, inspire. Alongside their essays we also profile three alumni whose careers in public health, biosystems engineering, and forest ecology have taken them to the front lines of communities’ struggles to adapt. They too have a great deal to teach us.

This issue is not an exhaustive treatment of the problem of climate change. But we take seriously the words of President Eric Kaler (Ph.D. ’82) in his 2014 State of the University address, when he listed climate change as one of the world’s most serious and intractable problems on which the University must provide leadership. Few institutions, he said, have the historic mission or are allowed the intellectual freedom and curiosity to attack such problems from every angle. That’s a bold and refreshing vision. It might help us keep from feeling so small as we take up this challenge together.

Cynthia Scott (M.A. ’89) is the editor of Minnesota. She can be reached at [email protected].

Cynthia Scott and—who is that guy? (See page 22)


Letters

UNI VE RSIT Y OF M I NNE SOTA A LUM NI ASSOCI ATION

FALL 2013

UNI VE RSIT Y OF M I NNE SOTA A LUM NI ASSOCI ATION

RESEARCHERS HOPE TO STOP

A MINNESOTA ICON FROM DYING

Inside the New

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CENTER

Football Gopher

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INDECENT DANCING

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UNI VE RSIT Y OF M I NNE SOTA A LUM NI ASSOCI ATION WINTER 2014

UNI VE RSIT Y OF M I NNE SOTA A LUM NI ASSOCI ATIONWINTER 2014

Alumna CeCe Terlouw helps abused girls rebuild their livesKIDS TEACH U RESEARCHERS ABOUT RESILIENCE

THE BIRTH OF CHILD WELFARE STUDIES AT THE U IN 1925

Unbridled Hope

PLUS COURT TIME WITH COACH PITINO • THE TRUTH ABOUT THE BORGIAS

HAIL NORTHROP! Thank you for the extensive piece on the Northrop reopening [Spring 2014]. Its iconic structure has supported a legacy and cultural impact that is far broader than most of us can realize or quantify.

I was particularly interested in your descriptive inclusion of improvements to the acoustic character of the audito-rium. During the residency of the Min-neapolis Symphony Orchestra (Minne-sota Orchestra) at Northrop, conductor Antal Doráti is said to have stated that the only thing that could improve Northrop’s acoustics was dynamite. It appears that the redesign has aggressively addressed Dorati’s disappointment.

As for me, it is the library and Arts Quarter events that have continued to draw me to the University campus this past year. My view of the University has always embraced a vision of study includ-ing the performing arts. For this reason, I am particularly excited about the revi-talization and preservation of the historic Northrop.

Ski-U-Mah!Richard Hahn (M.A. ’79)Forest Lake, Minnesota

Congratulations to the U for Northrop’s restoration and for your article. As a grade-schooler in the ’30s I remember Northrop filled to the brim with pupils from all over Minneapolis and St. Paul in awe of Dmitri Metropolous conduct-ing the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra without score or baton. He encouraged

these youth concerts. He was our Dio-nysian god, conducting with his whole body. Much later, when I was in graduate school, came Arnold J. Toynbee with his panoramic view of history. And Frank Lloyd Wright. Before his lecture, Wright looked around with ill-disguised con-tempt. Everyone knowingly laughed. T.S. Eliot was relegated to Williams Arena, where, as he said, he had assembled the largest audience ever to hear a lecture on literary criticism.

D. Stanley Moore (M.A. ’56)Park Forest, Illinois

It was wonderful to learn about the new Northrop. As a student leader, I met Mar-tin Luther King Jr. there before he lec-tured. I had the amazing good luck to subscribe to the Minneapolis symphony at a student rate of $1 per concert in the highest rafters of the auditorium. That experience, together with a wonderful freshman class on classical music, cre-ated a lifelong passion that has led me into great music halls across the world and to always do my writing in a world illuminated by great music.

Gary Orfield (B.A. ’63)Los Angeles

Northrop has been part of my life since my 4th birthday when my father, Ralph Berdie, took me to my first ballet. From that time on through the ’60s I saw every ballet that was performed at Northrop. I danced with the Andahazy Ballet Borealis several seasons. My first live opera was The Gypsy Baron and I still remember the squealing piglet. A highlight for many years was the arrival of the Metropolitan Opera. I also remember my graduation in 1966. It was a rainy day, so the cere-mony took place in Northrop. My father sat onstage as a member of the faculty. I received my B.S. in elementary educa-tion. I look forward to many more years of exciting events at Northrop!

Phyllis Porter (B.A. ’66)Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Your article on Northrop was nostal-gic for me. As a freshman I walked past Northrop every day to class from Sanford

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EXCLUSIVELY FOR MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SPRING 2014EXCLUSIVELY FORXCLUSIVELY FOR MEMBERS OF THEMEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OFRSITY OF MINNESOTA ALUMNLUMNI ASSOCIATIONASSOCIATIONTIO SPRING 2014

The restored proscenium, ceiling, and new upper balcony in the revitalized Northrop

The new Northrop takes center stage (HERE’S YOUR BACKSTAGE PASS)

WelcomeHome.

See what’s new in Bloomington

during your stroll down memory lane.

Stay at one of Bloomington’s 38 hotels for the

University of Minnesota’s 100 year

Homecoming celebration.

Visit BloomingtonMN.org or 800-346-4289

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Hall for women. My fiancé had the only photograph (back alleys of Innsbruck, Austria) in a student art show there. When the Metropolitan Opera came for a week in May, we attended. The first two rows were the cheap seats; later we sat in the top balcony. On December 21, 1950, we graduated from that stage. I was employed at Murphy Hall in journalism research, and that December, carrying the School of Liberal Arts banner and wearing a floppy gold satin beret, I led the class on stage there. For years we held Artist Course tickets and attended events at Northrop until the 240-mile drive and overnight stay became too much. I am now a second-time widow and in my 80’s, so although I travel a lot, I may not get to see the new Northrop. But it will give others happy memories.

Elizabeth Boughton Hanson (B.A. ’50)Bemidji, Minnesota

SPORTS ARE IMPORTANT A letter writer writes that sports on college campuses are meaningless and should be dropped [Spring 2014]. I dis-agree. Varsity sports have been played at the vast majority of colleges for well over a hundred years. Programs include those at the academically highest-rank-ing schools such as Northwestern and Michigan in the Big Ten and Stanford and Duke on the coasts.

I propose that if the University of Minnesota wishes to make a statement by dropping varsity athletics, it be done by first polling students, staff, and all alumni. Then, if that is the wish of the majority, the decision will have the authority of representing most of the Gopher nation.

James Riehle (B.S. ’66)Hayden Lake, Idaho

www.acces sm inneso t aon l i n e . comfor s tat ions and broadcast t imes

Access Minnesota … Issues that Matter to You.

On the radio, television and online — Access

Minnesota draws upon the expertise of the U of M

faculty for deeper insight into today’s pivotal issues.

What Makes the U Home?

The University of Minnesota will celebrate 100 years of Homecoming the week of October 12 through 18. Home is where the heart is—so we invite alumni to tell us what makes the University “home:” A particular building or residence hall? Friendships? The feel of the grass on Northrop Mall in spring? The sound of the Marching Band? We’ll publish selected submissions in our fall issue. No submission is too short, but please limit your words to 200. Send your submissions to editor Cynthia Scott at [email protected].


About Campus

How does actor Naomi Ko (B.A. ’11), know that Dear White People—in which she plays a close friend of the film’s main char-acter—is striking a nerve?

The hate mail, for starters, mainly from people who haven’t actually seen the film but denounce it based on its title alone. “I’ve gotten a lot of very angry emails call-ing the film racist,” the Rosemount, Min-nesota, native says.

Audiences, however, have responded enthusiastically to the critically heralded satire, which takes place at a fictional Ivy League school called Winchester Universi-ty and was filmed in part on the University of Minnesota campus. Directed by Justin Simien and also starring Dennis Haysbert, the film sold out instantly when it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and was sub-sequently acquired by Lionsgate Films.

Ko, who double-majored in English and art history, plays Sungmi, the best friend of Samantha “Sam” White (Tessa Thomp-son), the film’s protagonist and host of a provocative radio show called Dear White People. The film follows the two of them, and several other students, as they confront stereotypes and racial tensions at the pre-dominantly white school.

Ko describes her character, Sungmi, as “a free spirit. She’s not the Asian American stereotype—she’s not a math major, she’s an art student with a lip ring. She speaks out, she gets angry. She doesn’t mess around.”

The fact that Ko and Sungmi have art history in common was coincidental. But while she characterizes her time at the U as positive, she says that some of the chal-lenges experienced by students of color in Dear White People felt achingly familiar.

Sometimes in class, she recalls, “people would ask me where I was from. And I’d say, Rosemount . . . my entire K-12 educa-tion was in Rosemount. And they’d say, ‘no, no, where are you from?’ And I’d say,

‘well, I was born at the United Method-ist hospital in Minneapolis.’ People were shocked that I could be a Minnesotan. I didn’t feel like I fully belonged.”

Still, her connection to the U remains strong. Ko credits English professor Jose-phine Lee with reigniting her interest in performing arts, which she’d abandoned after high school. In addition to acting on stage and in films, Ko recently wrote a screenplay and is producing a web series.

She hopes Dear White People will reso-nate with, and promote greater under-standing in, audience members of all colors. “What I love is that everyone in the film is human. It’s not one-sided.” As the Sundance description puts it, “Nothing is black and white in this playful portrait of race in contemporary America.”

Viewers feel compassion even for the film’s most entitled and badly behaved character, Ko says. “This film makes you think, why are these things happening? It’s an exploration of the why.”

—Susan Maas

Not Black and White

Naomi Ko, third from right, in a scene from Dear White People

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The Early Bird Catches the Germ

High school students are healthier and get better grades when their start time is later, according to a three-year study led by Kyla Wahlstrom (B.S. ’71, Ph.D. ’90), director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement. Using data from more than 9,000 students attending eight high schools in Minnesota, Colorado, and Wyoming, the study found that switching to later start times improves atten-dance, standardized test scores, and academic performance in math, English, science, and social studies. In addition, tardiness, substance abuse, symptoms of depression, and consump-tion of caffeinated drinks decreased. Perhaps most dramatically, the study found a 70 per-cent drop in the number of car crashes involv-ing teen drivers at Jackson Hole High School in Wyoming, which shifted to a start of time of 8:55 a.m., the latest of the eight schools.

Two at the Top

With two CEOs leading companies that together earn $213.7 billion in annual revenue, the University of Minnesota is No. 25 on BestCollege.com’s list of 38 schools with the highest number of graduates who are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. John Hammergren (B.S.B. ’81) leads McKesson, a health care services corporation, and John Stumpf (M.B.A. ’80) is head of Wells Fargo. Other schools on the list with two CEOs include Duke University, Georgetown, Tufts, Boston College, University of California-Berkeley, and Brown. Harvard leads the list with 25.

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About Campus

The Score on Women Head Coaches

Since the landmark legislation Title IX was enacted more than 40 years ago, women’s participation in intercollegiate sports has increased significantly, with nearly half of all current collegiate student athletes women. The same can’t be said of their head coaches.

“Head Coaches of Women’s Collegiate Teams,” a new report by the Univer-sity of Minnesota’s Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, documents women’s underrepresentation in head coaching positions for wom-en’s teams at select NCAA Division 1 institutions. The Tucker Center released the report in observance of its 20th anniversary. It follows an earlier report that documented the number of collegiate women coaches overall.

Tucker Center associate director and alumna Nicole LaVoi (M.A ’95, Ph.D. ’02) and her team of researchers analyzed 76 institutions, including the Uni-versity of Minnesota, and graded each university. The University of Cincinnati received an A grade and ranked highest, with 80 percent of women’s teams coached by women. Oklahoma State University ranked lowest, with 12.5 per-cent. The University of Minnesota, with 53 percent, received a C, the 12th-best ranking overall. Penn State was the highest–ranking Big Ten school, receiving a B with 60 percent.

LaVoi says it is important for young women to have close contact with female role models. For female student athletes, coaches often fill that role. “We’re not saying that having a coaching staff that’s 100 percent female is the goal,” LaVoi says, “but we certainly want more than what we’re currently at.”

To see the report, go to www.MinnesotaAlumni.org/tuckercenter. — Andy Steiner

Second Thoughts

The University of Minnesota will become the first institution in the world to install the FEI Tecnai ultrafast electron microscope (UEM), which has the ability to watch matter change and evolve in real time—real fast.

How fast? In femtoseconds, or one millionth of a billionth of a second.

David Flannigan, assistant professor of chemical engineering and materials science at the

U, says that never before has an instrument provided access to forming images in that amount of time.

And you thought a nanosecond—one billionth of a second—was fast. “Nanoseconds are pretty slow for us,” says Flannigan.

New Coach for Women Gophers

Marlene Stollings is the new head coach of the Gopher women’s basketball team.

She succeeds Pam Borton, who was fired at the end of March following a 12-year Gopher career.

Stollings was previously head coach at Virginia Commonwealth University for two years. Prior to her tenure at VCU, Stollings was head coach at Winthrop University, where she took the Eagles to a record of 18-13, only the school’s third winning season ever. For that she was named Big South Coach of the Year.

A native of Ohio, Stollings played two years for Ohio State before transferring to, and playing for, Ohio University.

Heads Up: Butts Down!

The University of Minnesota Twin Cities and Rochester campuses will be smoke- and tobacco-free as of July 1. All students, staff, faculty, and visitors will be prohibited from using, selling, distributing, and advertising tobacco products and electronic cigarettes in all facilities and on all University property.

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Teams

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We were looking for a needle in a haystack, but instead we found a crowbar.”

University of Minnesota experimental cosmologist Clem Pryke describing the discovery, made in March, of unexpectedly large ripples put forth nearly 14 billion years ago during the Big Bang, when the universe burst into existence. Pryke, along with colleagues from Harvard, Stanford, and Caltech, made the discovery using the BICEP2 telescope at the National Science Foundation’s South Pole station.

Another Startup at the U

Zepto Life Technology is the University of Minnesota’s newest startup company. Launched in March, the St. Paul-based business uses giantmagnetoresistance (GMR) biosensors to provide highly sen-sitive detection and diagnosis of health conditions. Its vision is to lead the world in monitoring and diagnosing health imperfections to help improve quality of life. Zepto’s chief scientist is Jian-Ping Wang, professor of electrical and com-puting engineering at the U.

Thus far in 2014 the U has launched seven startup companies, with nine more currently in the final stage of the five-stage pre-launch pipeline. Seven of those have markets of $100 million to $1 billion, and two have markets of $1 billion or more. Since 2006 the U has launched 59 startups, 80 percent of them still active.

Support students now and your gift will go further, faster.Typically, an endowment fund starts small and grows over four years. Fast Start 4 Impact changes that. It awards U of M students right away.

make a gift. After four years, your new endowment fund takes over. Even better, it continues to help students far into the future.

Learn more at giving.umn.edu/faststart

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Clem Pryke standing in front of a cosmic microwave background telescope at the South Pole

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Alumni Profiles

When Minneapolis-based rapper Tall Paul started making music a few years ago, he decided to

keep his lyrics positive because he want-ed to change the world for the better. But Tall Paul, whose name is Paul Wenell Jr., soon learned that “keeping it positive” isn’t always what the soul requires.

“I don’t want people to just see one side of me. I’m just trying be myself, wholly,” says Wenell (B.A. ’10), whose 6-foot-3-inch

A No-Good Good Guy

frame earned him his nickname in high school. “I’ve come up with a slogan, a say-ing, an ideology for myself: ‘a no-good good guy.’ Like, I’m a good guy but some-times I can be no good and make mistakes. I’m just trying to be myself and let people see the whole me—the good side, the bad side, and just be human.”

Wenell, 26, attributes his self-aware-ness to his upbringing. An enrolled mem-ber of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in northern Minnesota, Wenell grew up in Minneapolis. He bounced around a lot, attending between 25 and 30 different schools from kindergarten to 12th grade while living alternately with family and in foster homes. “All the moving made me more reflective, more introverted,” he explains. “I became more of a thinker than a socializer, I guess, and I feel like it definitely helps my art, my writing.”

One of the things he was most curi-ous about was his history. Though he is Ojibwe and had studied the language in school, he was not fluent and knew little about his culture. Eager to learn more, he studied Ojibwe at the University of Min-nesota while earning his degree in Ameri-can Indian Studies. Though he still doesn’t consider himself fluent, Wenell wrote “Prayers in a Song,” one of only a few songs anywhere in Ojibwe. In it, he raps about his struggle to learn his indigenous language and his journey toward a deeper understanding of his Native identity.

With several new recording projects slated for release this summer, Wenell hopes eventually to pursue music full time. For now, though, he enjoys teach-ing literacy and mathematics at Anishi-nabe Academy, a Native American magnet school in Minneapolis. “My childhood motivated me to work with youth, and I feel like I can make a difference and give them an example of what they can be when they’re older,” he says. “I mean, I’m not Superman or nothing, I can’t do too much, but I can do what I can and be there and be supportive of them while they’re at school.”

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From Hamlet to Hans

Santino Fontana (B.F.A. ’04) landed a Tony nomination for his work as Prince Topher in Broadway’s Cinderella and he played Hamlet at the Guthrie Theater. But these days, he’s known planetwide as the voice of Prince Hans, the manipulative baddie in the Disney juggernaut Frozen.

Fontana, who is known primarily for his Broadway chops, won the role of the narcissistic Hans by wowing the movie’s casting director with a delightfully arrogant version of West Side Story’s “I Feel Pretty,” starting with “I Am Pretty.”

Because Disney keeps a tight leash on its work, Fontana only got to read the script of the scenes he was in, so even he didn’t have a clear idea how the whole story would play out. When he saw it on screen with other members of the

cast just before it premiered, he was bowled over. “We all knew immediately that we were part of something beauti-ful,” he says.

Fontana’s wide-ranging resume includes playing lead-ing men to doing voiceover spots for national clients like Macy’s, but he admits that it was something else entirely to be transformed into animated royalty. “It was a surreal experience to hear my voice coming out of something that wasn’t me,” he recalls. Though the perks of the proj-ect have continued to surprise him (he admits having a doll of his character “is pretty awesome,”) he’s currently immersed in a new project, as the young playwright Moss Hart in Act One at the Lincoln Center.

—Erin Peterson

santino Fontana, right, as Moss Hart in a Lincoln Center theatre production of Act One, a play written and directed by James Lapine.

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norman Borlaug (B.S. ’37, M.S. ’39, Ph.D. ’42) stands even taller now. On March 25 Speaker

of the House John Boehner unveiled a seven-foot-tall bronze statue of Bor-

laug at the U.S. Capitol Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C., in honor of the 100th

anniversary of his birth. The late plant pathologist and breeder developed wheat varieties that helped stave off hunger for mil-lions of people worldwide, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.

Life SpotLigHt

Clara adams-ender (M.s. ’69)

New life member Clara Adams-Ender first made her way to the University of Minnesota from Texas in the late 1960s. “I thought that I would probably not get up to Minnesota in my travels, so I said, ‘I’m going.’ Plus, the U had a quality school of nursing and it was one of the most affordable programs in the nation. It was wonderful.” A member of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps when she enrolled at the U, she earned her master’s degree.

A retired Army brigadier general, Adams-Ender spends her time mentoring young military officers, managing a foundation that helps low-income students pay for their education, and consulting. She lives in Lake Ridge, Virginia.

GopHers Forever

the alumni association welcomes these new

life members

Were those the strains of “Pommes Frites and Circumstance” we heard playing? MonDak Gold, a new specialty potato developed at the Uni-versity of Minnesota, has graduated into the commercial market. Bred to store longer than Yukon Gold and have fewer internal defects, the spud (named for the Montana-North Dakota

region where it grows), has pink-to-red skin with yellow flesh and is reportedly excellent for French fries, chips, and other table fare. Consumers are likely to see it for sale on the East Coast this year, with more widespread distribution to follow if its introduction goes well.

nathan Johnson (B.S. ’04), community development director and city planner in Pine City, Minnesota, was named the 2014 Outstanding Small Town and Rural Planner by the American Planning Association. Pine City (pop. 3,127) is located 65 miles northeast of Minneapolis.

“I grew up in Pine City, and I envisioned working for the City from the time I was in the 10th grade playing Sim City on my lunch hours,” Johnson says. The computer game, in which players are city planners, sparked Johnson’s interest in pursu-ing a degree in urban planning and working in the field.

One of his most satisfying achievements during his 10-year tenure is the development of a seg-ment of the Twin Cities-to-Twin Ports Trail through Pine City. The 150-mile bike trail will eventually connect Minneapolis-St. Paul to Duluth-Superior. “I feel like I am giving back to the community that gave me so much. It all came full circle and I feel fortunate I have a career I love in a small town I love even more,” Johnson says.

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Alumni Profiles

S u m m e r 2 0 1 4 M i n n e s o ta 1 5w w w . M i n n e s o t a A l u m n i . o r g

Precocious preschooler,tomorrow’s

teacher, [your name here]

Scholar

The road to knowledge

requires a guide. A gift to

scholarships will help turn

future students into teachers

who will lead the next

generation down that path.

To learn how you can help

grow knowledge in the world,

call the U of M Foundation

Planned Giving staff at

612-624-3333 or email

[email protected].

Clara L. adams-enderStephen r. arboledaSheila L. ballardrobert e. bardusonpaul J. bauerJerry p. beckerrussell L. beebebrenda L. bensonJames r. berensLois k. berensMatthew e. bervenalan t. bischofkaren L. bossardDaniel C. bowmankathleen g. bowmanthomas L. brauchnancy L. busethJohanna J. CarraneClaude w. CarrawayJeanette r. Carrawayann n. Cathcart ChaplinShu-ping ChangDennis D. Chilcotebradley L. ChristensonJun kyung Chungpatricia k. Cretillirachel L. DaberkowLuke p. Daningerbrian w. DauryMargaret M. Davernrichard J. DavernMichael r. De namurJean M. Dehningwilliam f. DehningCatherine f. DenisonStephen J. DickinsonLeland g. Duboisalison a. eckhoffkareen r. ecklundwilliam k. ecklundDonna M. edwardsSam D. ellisken r. etoClaudine e. faschingrobert J. fergusonabigail L. fisherLynn M. fladeboMarcine J. forrettegary w. frankterence M. fruthMichael J. gallagherShawn p. gillenJoseph e. glinieckirobert w. gorepaul e. gronebergSandra a. gronebergCatherine b. guisanpatricia L. Halloran

James M. HelgesonLois ann HelgesonJohn M. HemakDorothy b. Hernquistbarbara J. Higginsaaron p. HolmDavid L. Holmstromedward a. HoltzVirginia J. Holtzpurnita r. Howladerrobert H. Howlandterrance a. Huuskoalfred a. iversenJames n. JacobsenMarjorie a. r. JacobsenDarin D. JessupDeborah J. JohnsonDonald w. Johnsonroderick r. JulkowskiSarah J. kahleyJohn M. kavanaghkathleen L. keiththomas a. keitherwin a. kelenSybil M. kellyMarlys J. kitsDaniel J. knuthJoann C. knuthbradley D. koesterMichael J. kozakCharles J. krauserobyn e. krauseDaniel w. kremeraudrey kupersguntis kupersLaura J. Lafrenz Lebensgerald t. LaurieJoellyn Lauriekenneth J. Lawrencebarbara g. Lerschenann J. LienJohn C. Lillieying Liupenny L. Loosgregory w. LundinDuane J. LuptakMarilyn k. Luptakraymond M. Madellirene M. MaertensJoseph D. MaertensCarol S. Magint. richard Maginnick Magrinoeugenie w. H. MaigaJohannes MarliemMary t. McevoyMark p. Mehntodd Meltzer

Susan M. MitchellCandice J. nadlerbradly J. narrDavid M. nelsonraymond M. newmanMichael L. nicholsryan p. o’Connornora Q. o’Learyrichard Douglas o’LearyJeanette L. olsonJulie J. osterJudith L. peacockJames n. petersJacob L. petersonJoan w. petroffJohn n. petroffgeorge J. pratte. Dianne rekowedward C. reslerandreas rosenbergelisabeth e. rosenbergangela L. rudJeff L. rudtracy a. SaarelaMark r. Sannesramaswamy Sastripatricia a. Scottkeith D. Shatavabarbara J. ShatenJulie a. Skallmankelly p. Smalstigtimothy p. SmalstigJames p. SorensenJeffrey L. St. oresbarbara J. StalsbergJohn C. Sterntamara SternJohn b. SteverCarla n. Studertom w. StuderLaura p. Summersprecha thavikulwatScott k. thompsontara n. thompsonthomas J. thompsonScott a. tweetbonnie M. underdahlrichard VailSharon a. Veapatricia k. Veum-Smithpeter VujovichJim r. wadsworthMichelle weinbergwai-Cheong wongyuki yamaguchiLarry a. ZavadilHong Zhu

This list represents new life members who joined from January 10 to March 31.


F I R S T P E R S O N

E SSAY BY TH OM A S B . J O N E S : : I LLU STR ATI O N BY J O N R E I N FU RT

hould I hit now?” “If the spirit moves you, son.”My father got a kick out of saying things like that, especially

since our golf outings took place near a village where—it’s true—people talked to the dead.

A few times every summer in the mid-1950s, my father hauled out a mismatched set of wooden shafted irons, dropped them into a floppy carry bag, and indulged an intermittent passion for golf. He’d invite me along, and didn’t have to ask twice. I’d grab my cut-off Mashie and ancient putter, scramble into the car, and off we’d head from the cottage on Lake Erie to the Cassadaga Golf Club.

My father grew up in Gowanda, a rural village in western New York, perhaps then best known for hosting a glue factory. He knew the surrounding back roads, hamlets, and quirky places beyond Gowanda’s borders in Cattaraugus and Chau-tauqua Counties from years of experience and hell raising. He loved to revisit the scenes of his youth. So, our hour’s ride to the golf course rarely followed a direct route, and on the way, we might search for ancient Indian arrowheads in a farmer’s field, buy fresh peaches and tomatoes at Mrs. Gar-fallo’s farm, cruise past spiffy horse and buggy rigs rolling along the roadside in Amish country, and coast down the hills around Forestville, windows open, shouting at the breeze.

Not far from the golf course, across Cassadaga Lake, lay the Spiritualist community of Lily Dale. This historic gathering spot emanated, shall we say, as a summer camp for those who rejected the idea of a clear dividing line between the living and the dead. Founded in 1879, Lily Dale’s grounds, cottages, hotels, and lecture forums served as an intriguing gathering place for generations of believers, skeptics, mediums, and curious sightseers. And, of course, don’t forget the spirits.

In deeper historical context, Lily Dale traces back to the shenanigans of two sisters, Kate and Maggie Fox, ages 12 and 15, who lived in Hydesville, New York (a tiny hamlet that, appropri-ately, no longer officially exists). In 1848, the Fox sisters claimed contact with a ghostly entity haunting their parents’ home. As it happened, Kate and Maggie had developed considerable finesse cracking their toes and ankle joints to simulate rapping noises from the spirits. The sisters’ under-the-table mischief—fabri-cated in a locale “burnt over” with religious revivals and societal reforms—found a willing constituency, achieved immediate notoriety, and helped launch the spiritualist movement.

Every summer during the late 1920s and early years of the Great Depression, my father played trombone and string bass

in a dance band at Lily Dale. The money came in handy to help pay for his undergraduate and Ph.D. studies at the University of Michigan. During the day, the band would perform for scores of vacationers arriving at the railroad station from cities like Pitts-burgh, Cleveland, and Buffalo; at night, the musicians would tune it up for guests at the Maplewood Hotel.

By the time my father played for dances at Lily Dale (perhaps grooving on songs like “After You’ve Gone” or “Someone to Watch Over Me”), spiritualist movement believers numbered in the hundred of thousands. But three decades later, Lily Dale was past its prime. The buildings and grounds seemed tatty and ancient, the residents old and timeworn, despite their seamless connection to the past and future. Treasured memories of his band days notwithstanding, only once did father and son venture to the village for a look-see. That visit took on a mystical aura, especially for a 12-year-old with a big imagination. Of course, any possible adventure across the lake had to wait for something far

more tangible—nine holes of golf.A par 3 over a scrub-filled gully ranked as a favorite hole for father and son. After my father

hooked his shot, careening it into an extended jumble of vines and bushes by the green,

I took my turn. Catching it flush with a mighty home-run swing, my golf ball flew in a graceful arc towards the green. Up it bounced, high in the air, landing within inches of the cup. “Hell of a shot,” my father said. “Maybe we’ll get you some real clubs.”

On the way to the green, my father didn’t find his ball but uncovered a treasure

trove of plump, juicy red raspberries. For the next five minutes, we scrounged through the

raspberry bushes, harvesting handfuls, and storing what we didn’t eat in a pocket of the golf bag.

“Come over here, young man,” my father beckoned from up the hill on the seventh tee. A finger to his lips, he pointed at the Lily Dale Assembly grounds. “Can you hear them?”

“The dead people?” “Exactly.” My father raised an eyebrow and cocked his head

toward Lily Dale. “They saw you birdie that hole. What do you think they’re saying?”

I had no snappy answer at the ready, so I watched my father tee up his ball and again hook it into the rough. He sighed, shoul-dered his golf bag, and trudged down the hill. I kept waiting for a punch line about dead people discussing my golf game. Nothing.

After our round and hot dogs at the golf club grill, Dad turned left out of the parking lot, not right. We drove to Lily Dale. “It’s time you had a chance to glimpse the other side,” my father said, followed by a ghostly “Woooooo.”

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Thomas B. Jones (B.A.’ 64) is a retired professor of history and director of faculty development now living in Kansas City. His historical

mystery novel, Bad Lies, is scheduled for publication this year.

First Person essays may be written by University of Minnesota alumni, students, faculty, and staff. For writers’ guidelines, go to

www.MinnesotaAlumni.org/firstperson.

That afternoon, we walked narrow streets past small cottages, most with signs indicating spirit mediums lived within. My father said hello to a couple sitting on their porch. After passing by, I asked why he greeted the pair. “Can’t they read your mind?”

“Don’t be a smart-ass,” my father said, not doing a very good job hiding his amusement.

A little further on, my father pointed at one of the many cottages encased in gingerbread scrollwork. “That’s where my favorite trumpet medium lived.”

I played such a horn, and the idea of someone from the world beyond communicating through a musical instrument like mine seemed pretty neat. As I learned, the trumpets were megaphones that supposedly levitated. “Pretty silly stuff,” my father added, and told me what else the Lily Dale mediums could do—things like slate writing, faith healing, and other “cockamamie parlor tricks.”

We ended our splendid tour at the aging Maplewood Hotel. My father led me past an odd group of paintings and portraits (one looked like Abe Lincoln) until we stood before a mysteri-ous tapestry. “It’s a spirit painting. They say the woman who made this thing didn’t eat a thing for nine years.” My father let forth another funny, ghostly sound—exactly the right footnote, it seemed, for a day of lasting memories.

My father and I would not play golf again after our visit to Lily Dale until my sophomore year in high school. By that time, my parents had separated and were well on their way to an acrimo-nious divorce. So, early on a June morning, I smuggled my golf

clubs out of the house and stole away to where my father waited in a rusty, battered 1948 Dodge. The ride to the golf course and the game itself proved forced and awkward. After a somber nine holes, we made excuses and called it quits. I returned home, minus the explanations and reassurances I longed to hear.

That evening I sat on the porch steps of our St. Paul home—the same spot where, as a kid, I’d wait for my father to arrive home from the University of Minnesota, where he taught ancient his-tory. He’d change into an old pair of khakis and a T-shirt, then meet me in the backyard to hit plastic golf balls at a make-believe green mowed tight in the grass. Sometimes we’d play catch to practice my pitching, followed by a continuation of a season’s long Wiffle ball rivalry. Of course, those were a kid’s memories; they didn’t mix at all with new experiences in a grown-up world that allowed little room for innocence and easy answers. I didn’t want my memories to turn bitter and best forgotten, but now I knew that fathers who could do no wrong were something for the storybooks. Unspoiled connections to the past?

Perhaps only the spiritualists could conjure those.


TAKING ON CLIMATE CHANGEIT’S POSSIBLE—AND IMPERATIVE—TO ADAPT OUR WAY OF LIFE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. SEVEN U EXPERTS SHARE THEIR ACTION AGENDAS.PHOTOGRAPHS BY KURT MOSES / UN PETIT MONDE

Minnesota’s climate, like that of every other place in the world, is changing. And it’s changing because

of us. There is no doubt that the effects of human activities, especially the release of greenhouse gases into the atmo-sphere through our burning of fossil fuels and our land use practices, are changing our climate. This isn’t new science. In fact, the basic physics of the greenhouse effect have been known since the mid-1800s and are widely accepted by the scientific community. And today, there is no serious scientific debate about this fundamental fact: global climate change is very real, is well understood, and is going to get worse unless we act soon.

As we move into the 21st century, changes in our climate—which are already discernible—will begin to affect many aspects of our lives. Whether by changing the way farmers grow crops, how much water we have for our growing popu-

lation and economy, how cities and towns plan for extreme weather events, or how our iconic lakes and wildlife fare into the future, climate change will become a very real part of our lives. If global climate change continues unchecked, the very character of Minnesota could, in fact, change substantially.

The question before us is, what are we doing about it?The University is a leader in thinking about climate adap-

tation: helping society figure out how to adapt to the changes in climate we can’t avoid. This is particularly important to our cities, agriculture, and water resources, where the impacts of climate extremes can be profound and disrup-tive. In particular, helping our communities become more resilient to climate changes and weather extremes is a high priority for research and education at the University.

Numerous faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the University of Minnesota, along with community partners,

JONATHAN FOLEYDIRECTOR, U OF M INSTITUTE ON THE ENVIRONMENT

EDITOR’S NOTE: The seven people who contributed to this section are among many researchers working on issues related to climate change at the University of Minnesota. To learn more about other environmental research, start by visiting the Institute on the Environment’s website at www.environment.umn.edu.


“Climate change is very real, is well

understood, and is going to get worse

unless we act soon.” — JONATHAN FOLEY —


are playing an important role in helping us understand how to address the issues of global climate change.

Minnesota scientists are conducting world-class research on exactly how our climate system is chang-ing and what it means for our region. Interdisciplin-ary teams of climatologists, ecologists, hydrologists, agronomists, economists, and others are doing pio-neering research on the changing climate of Minnesota and its impact on our ecosystems, lakes, wildlife, cities, and agriculture.

The University is also a world leader in transition-ing the world to more renewable forms of energy, helping us avoid further greenhouse gas emissions that would worsen climate change. I expect that many of the key global innovations in renewable energy will come from Minnesota, making us one of the “Silicon Valleys” of future energy systems. This is going to be a very good thing for our economy, especially since Min-nesota has no fossil fuel resources of its own and we send billions of dollars out of state each year to import coal, oil, gas, and other fuels. Why not use our own resources—wind, solar, hydro, and biomass energy—and keep that money here, where it can create more jobs and opportunities at home?

Partnerships between the University and Min-nesota’s communities, nonprofits, foundations, busi-nesses, and governments can help make this region a leader in addressing climate change challenges—not only here, but around the world. Instead of simply waiting for solutions to come from Washington, D.C., or the United Nations, Minnesotans are rolling up their sleeves and tackling one of the biggest, and most chal-lenging, issues facing the world today.

Together, we can turn this challenge into an oppor-tunity, helping to promote a more sustainable future for the economy and environment of Minnesota.

In February Jonathan Foley received the prestigious Heinz Award in the Environment. Citing his 20-year career in global ecology, the award committee recognized Foley as “a source of hope, fostering collaboration among key stakeholders with the goal of finding practical solutions to address the challenges of feeding the world and minimiz-ing the environmental impact of agriculture.” In August, he will leave the University of Minnesota to become execu-tive director of the California Academy of Sciences.

EQUIP COMMUNITIES FOR EXTREME WEATHER

When the weather no longer plays by the rules, we must adapt to the new rules of the game. Weather

patterns are changing. Our “new normal” includes destructive April ice storms and horrific blizzards in October.

Minnesota began statewide climate recordkeeping in the late 19th century. Of the 10 warmest years recorded, 7 took place within the last 15 years. In just one month, March 2012, we set more than 700 new warm-temperature records.

At 6 p.m. on July 19, 2011, the hottest point on Earth wasn’t Death Valley or sub-Saharan Africa. It was Moorhead, Minnesota, with a heat index of 134 degrees F (due to a dew point of 88 degrees F and an air temperature of 97 degrees F).

MARK SEELEYU OF M EXTENSION CLIMATOLOGIST

Jonathan Foley


hail, damaging straight-line winds, and flash floods, help make Minnesota the 14th most expensive state for homeowners’ insur-ance. What is climate change’s long-term effect on the insurance industry? What does that mean for consumers?

According to the Minnesota State Climatology Office, south-ern Minnesota has had three 1,000-year floods since 2004 (evalu-ated based on the area covered by thunderstorms that brought 8 inches or more in 24 hours). Do we invest in more robust storm sewer systems or take our chances? How much financial expo-sure can communities risk?

Coming to terms with the public- and private-sector impli-cations of climate change is difficult. But significant work is already under way. My Extension colleagues, for example, are studying how to cope with the impact of pests that can survive our milder winters and how a more highly variable water sup-ply will affect agriculture.

A key tenet of adaptation calls on us to plan for extreme weather that was once all but unimaginable. At the same time, the commitment to adapt in no way minimizes the essential need for us to mitigate climate change. We must effectively strive to reduce the magnitude of change even as we adjust to its impact.

Across the globe, people are deciding how—not whether—to adapt. In the United States, cities along the East Coast are explor-ing the costs and benefits of massive sea barriers to protect their communities against the next Hurricane Sandy-scale storm. The Southwest, on the other hand, must confront shrinking water supplies as its regional population grows.

In Minnesota, we face the alternation of weather extremes—a not-so-merry-go-round of drought and flood. During 2012, 66 of Minnesota’s 87 counties were declared drought disasters by USDA and eligible for federal assistance, while in the same year, 16 counties were declared flood disasters by FEMA and eligible for federal assistance.

The increasing incidence of extreme weather creates both short-term and long-term impacts that require us to adapt to the new weather “normal.”

More of our precipitation comes from intense storms dropping 3 to 4 inches of rain. They punctuate increasingly drawn-out dry periods, often eroding soils and saturating crop fields. How can agriculture, part of our economic bedrock, keep its vitality and help feed us as such extremes become more common? What impact will this have in the private and public sectors?

These severe storms, sometimes delivering golf-ball-sized

“Of the 10 warmest years recorded in Minnesota, 7 took place within the last 15 years.” — MARK SEELEY —

Climate change often evokes hazy visions of a grim future. But Kristin Raab’s focus is on this generation. Raab (B.A. ’92, M.P.H. ’00, M.L.A. ’09) is director of the Minnesota Department of Health’s Climate and Health Program, which helps shape the state’s public health pol-icy on climate change. It is funded by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Raab’s degrees from the U—a bachelor’s in political science and master’s degrees in landscape architecture and epidemiology— make her uniquely suited to under-stand and communicate how extreme weather affects health. She spoke with Minnesota about how the changing climate is lead-

ing to an array of measurably increased health consequences.

Why is climate change a public health issue?We’re experiencing a number of different [consequences]. We’re seeing higher average summer temperatures and increased humidity. We’ve seen an overall association between average summer temperature and both emergency department visits and hospitalizations related to heat. In 2011, one of the warmest Min-nesota summers on record, there were 1,255 emergency room visits linked to heat-related illnesses, from muscle cramps to exhaus-tion. That number is about three

times higher than it is for cooler summers.

Because winters—well, maybe not this past one—have generally been getting warmer, we’re seeing more pests enter Minnesota, and there’s been a greater geographic spread of them. We’re seeing more tick-borne diseases, like Lyme disease, and mosquito-borne diseases, like West Nile virus. These are known as vector-borne diseases, and we’re expecting to see more of them. Shorter winters lead to other issues, too. Between 1995 and 2009, Minneapolis expe-rienced a 16-day increase in the length of ragweed pollen season, which affects people with asthma and respiratory issues.

Another really big change is an increase in heavy precipitation events. Those so-called 100-year storms are happening a lot more frequently than they used to. Our infrastructure isn’t built for that. We’re seeing flash flooding and river flooding more often. So we’re expecting to see more injuries and illnesses directly related to floods, but also indirectly related to them, through things like mold contami-nation and water contamination.

How are you helping communities be better prepared?We’ve developed the Minnesota Extreme Heat Toolkit, which is to help local public health [officials] plan for extreme heat. That might include opening a cooling center for people once a certain tempera-ture has been reached, or sharing a map with public, air-conditioned buildings that are open so people can go there and cool off. Buses might be available for free rides to these locations.

One of the interesting things we know is that the people who


PUBLIC HEALTH GETS PERSONAL

w w w . M i n n e s o t a A l u m n i . o r g S u m m e r 2 0 1 4 M I N N E S O TA 2 3

tend to show up for emergency room visits are males between the ages of 15 and 34. They’re the ones who can think they’re invincible. They’re out running, or playing sports, or working outside. They’re not taking the right precautions. So we have some work to do in our messag-ing, because while people are familiar with vulnerable popula-tions, like the elderly, everybody else thinks they’re fine. And they’re not.

One thing we’re doing is vul-nerability mapping for extreme heat, flooding, and vector-borne diseases. For heat, that might mean people who are 65 and older who live alone, or children in poverty. For flooding, that might mean people in low-lying areas or those who have limited ability to escape floodwaters and their consequences, like the elderly or those who have limit-ed mobility. Whenever possible, we want to do that mapping not just at the level of a ZIP code, but at a block-by-block level. We think that will help local juris-dictions do their planning for climate change.

Are local communities receptive? When we first began [in 2009], some communities were hesi-tant. Many weren’t sure climate change was happening. But it’s increasingly difficult for people to ignore extreme weather events, like flooding in Duluth, and extreme heat events, like the all-time-high dew point record in Moorhead in 2011. Today, almost all the communities we work with are eager to use the resources we’ve developed.

—Erin Peterson

In southwestern Minnesota, a 650-sow operation installed geo-thermal cooling to keep animals cooler and boost piglet production. Across Minnesota, turkey growers are learning to send their birds to market early when extreme heat threatens to kill them.

Those are two examples that Larry Jacobson points to as he helps livestock farmers adapt to a warmer climate. Jacobson (B.Ag.E. ’72, M.S. ’74, Ph.D. ’83), a professor and Extension engineer in the University of Minnesota’s Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, leads the midwestern section of a five-year project, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to warn farmers of the risks that a warming climate poses to their animals and offer strategies to help them adapt.

Warmer summers and more heat waves already have big impacts on farm animals. “These large, fast-growing animals produce a lot of heat and have metabolisms that are really high. If they can’t cool down at night and they get another warm day coming, they’re in trouble,” says Jacobson. A farmer who is unprepared faces financial ruin if a heat wave wipes out an investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. In Min-nesota, heat waves are most threatening to turkey growers. “If we get a hot spell, most of these producers are looking forward and marketing early because they know the tur-keys won’t survive,” Jacobson says.

Other impacts are indirect. As warming continues, some areas may experience drought, and farmers will have to look for new varieties—or even new crops. With time, depending not only on temperature but also precipitation, Minnesota agriculture may look more like that of Kansas, with more sorghum, wheat, and barley. If corn and soybeans—common livestock feed—decline, the livestock business will change as well. “Why do we have animals here? It’s because we’ve got the feed,” says Jacobson. “If we don’t have the feed, are we going to have the animals? Probably not.”

To cope with summer heat, livestock producers can provide shade-giving shelters in feedlots, build barns with better circulation and greater insulation in the roof, and trans-port animals when it’s cooler. Farmers may shift to breeds that are more tolerant of heat. Higher soil temperatures will require farmers to wait until later in the fall to apply manure as fertilizer to prevent ammonia volatilization.

Animal producers may find their operations affected not only by the physical climate, but also by the consumer and regulatory climate, Jacobson says. Agriculture contrib-utes about 8 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas production, much of it from cattle, which expel methane as they digest their feed. “Walmart and other grocery chains have requested that animal producers determine carbon footprints for their products because of customer demands,” says Jacobson. Becoming more energy efficient, more effectively managing manure, or even switching to different livestock can all reduce carbon footprint. (Cattle emit more greenhouse gases than swine, which produce more than chickens.)

“We’re not in the business of debating the issue of climate change. We just say this is what we’re seeing,” Jacobson says. “The farmers, producers, the ag industry—even though they’re a little more conservative and not reading Al Gore’s report on climate change by their bed stand at night, when you start talking about being more energy efficient, they understand.”

—Greg Breining

TEMPERATURES FLARE IN THE BARN


Minnesota occupies a unique location in the world when it comes to climate change. Because the state

is situated at the crossroads of three biomes—prairie, deciduous forest, and northern coniferous forest—we are particularly sen-sitive to changes in the climate. Wide variations in rainfall and temperature create a balance between prairie and forest, with the prairie-forest border cutting across the state diagonally from northwest to southeast. Within the forests, a second balance exists as cold, boreal (northern) forests of spruce, fir, pine, and

birch mix with, and gradually shift to, temperate forests of oak, maple, and basswood in the south.

As the climate warms, much of the state’s boreal forest will die off to be replaced by grasslands and savannas. Forest areas that remain will likely shift from boreal to temperate. All of these changes will have an impact on the habitat of many ani-mal and plant species, and that, in turn, will create more oppor-tunities for invasive species. Secondary effects of a warmer climate, including more droughts, forest fires, and storms, will push Minnesota’s forests in new directions.

While the prospect of these changes may be upsetting, it also makes Minnesota the most interesting place on the planet to be a forest ecologist. Research currently under way at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Forest Ecology shows that

UNDERSTAND OUR CHANGING FORESTS

LEE FRELICHDIRECTOR OF THE U OF M CENTER FOR FOREST ECOLOGY

w w w . M i n n e s o t a A l u m n i . o r g

“As the climate warms, much of the state’s boreal forest will die off to be replaced by grasslands and savannas.” — LEE FRELICH —

red maple (a temperate tree species) and European earthworms have already invaded boreal forests of Minnesota’s most iconic, remote, and pristine natural area—the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

While earthworms may be helpful in the garden, they can be devastating to forests because they eat fallen leaves and other decomposing matter that makes up the “duff” layer on the forest floor. In recent years, U researchers have studied the effects of earthworms on Minnesota forests and found that the reduction and/or elimination of the duff layer by invasive earthworms has led to a decline in native woodland plants and flowers. It has also led to soil erosion.

The question now is whether invasive earthworms will rein-force or resist changes caused by warming temperatures. That’s because, in the Boundary Waters, earthworms have complex effects on the environment that, to some extent, favor both

temperate species, like maple, and boreal species, like spruce and birch. So the net effect on stability of the temperate-boreal forest interface is as yet unknown.

Many other urgent issues are also being investigated: When will the boreal forests of the Boundary Waters transition to tem-perate forests of oak and maple, to oak savanna? Which wildlife species will leave and which will move in as vegetation and habitat change? Which native species from central and southern Minnesota will occupy the future Boundary Waters and how will they get there?

As stewards of our natural areas consider the options for adapting to climate change, they will be dealing with complex questions such as when is it best to resist or direct change and when is it best to accept that resistance is futile? As they grapple with these and other issues, their choices will be informed by the innovative research now happening in forest ecology.

Creatures with legs, wings, and fins have at least a fighting chance to adapt to warming temperatures by expanding their ranges. But what about trees and other plants that make up a forest? The seeds of some are spread fast and far by wind and animals. But other species are nearly stuck in place. As the climate warms, familiar trees in the north woods, such as spruce, fir, red pine, and birch, are at risk of growing scarce or disappear-ing altogether.

Meredith Cornett (M.S. ’96, Ph.D. ’00) is investigating how to give them a helping hand. Cornett is director of conservation science in Min-nesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota for The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit that works to conserve land and water resources in the United States and 35 other countries.

“There is some reasonable climatic evidence that sug-

gests we’re losing forest cover not just due to land manage-ment and development, but because we don’t have a suite of species that is resilient to climate change,” Cornett says.

Even a temporary loss in the number of forest species leaves a forest vulnerable to disease in the future, Cornett says. It’s also a threat in an area such as northern Minne-sota that depends on a diverse, healthy forest for industry.

The stage for Cornett’s work is the Minnesota Arrowhead, the far northeastern region of the state, home of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the North Shore. For the last two springs, planters for the Conservancy spread out through small openings in the pine, spruce, and aspen forest and plunged steel hoedads into the rocky soil, planting 88,000 red and bur oaks and some white pine—warmer weather spe-cies—on about 135 scattered sites in Cook, Lake, and St. Louis Counties.

Cornett will assess how

the trees survive and grow in the years ahead. It takes a century to grow a forest or to really know if an interven-tion worked—but neither she nor other researchers have that kind of time. If the trees do well over the next several years, the Conservancy and land managers elsewhere might plant many more of these warmer-weather trees as a way to jumpstart the for-est of the future.

To be sure, the Conser-vancy’s approach is cautious. Some other researchers are investigating the possibility of bringing entirely new tree species into areas that are likely to be suited to them, a process called “assisted migration”—a very contro-versial topic, Cornett says. “Because it is so controversial we thought we should err on the side of being conser-vative,” says Cornett.

Cornett and the Conser-vancy are also exploring ways to enhance the resilience of forests, such as plant-

ing in clearings or under the canopy of mature trees. It’s a method she calls “ecosystem silviculture.”

The changing climate, Cor-nett says, has created a crisis of confidence for ecological restorationists such as she, who traditionally measured their work against what existed before industrial-era humans showed up. “What should our new goals for restoration ecology be, in light of the fact that replicat-ing historical conditions is no longer going to be possible?” she asks.

In effect, climate change is moving the goalposts. “There

needs to be more human intervention,” Cornett says. “We are in a relationship with

nature, and it’s not always going to be

possible to put things back exactly the way they were, but we need to put things back together in a way that we can still have a functioning, viable Earth going forward.”

—Greg Breining

A JUMPSTART FOR FUTURE FORESTS

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S u m m e r 2 0 1 4 M I N N E S O TA 2 5


“Our political debates are focused on hot-button issues such as climate change, coal, or hydraulic fracturing, with little mention of how the pieces fit together.”

— HARI OSOFSKY —

This country is in the midst of a major energy transi-tion. New and expanding technologies—particularly

in the context of hydraulic fracturing (commonly known as frack-ing) and deep water drilling—have lowered natural gas prices while the coal industry faces new regulatory pressure to reduce its envi-ronmental impact. In response to greenhouse gas regulations, the automobile industry is building vehicles with better fuel efficiency and fewer emissions.

At the same time, the electrical grid needs an upgrade in order to be resilient in the face of cyberattacks and climate change. Renew-able energy, particularly wind and solar power, has become more commercially viable. But wind and solar can only be integrated fully into the electricity grid if adequate transmission lines are built and real-time markets include them.

Although these transitions are critical economically and environ-mentally, people rarely take the time to “look behind the plug.” We want cheap and reliable energy to fuel our cars, turn on the lights, and power our electronic devices. Only occasionally, during high-profile events like Hurricane Sandy and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, do we turn our attention to energy issues. But even at those moments, we rarely discuss the energy system as a whole.

Our political debates are focused on hot-button issues such as climate change, coal, or fracking, with little mention of how the pieces fit together. We need to identify a holistic strategy for moving forward, but complexity and institutional fragmentation serve as major barriers. For example, each source of energy is treated sepa-rately by our legal system. Electricity and transportation have their own legal regimes. We are not even consistent in how we distribute legal authority among levels of government. We provide federal eminent domain authority for natural gas pipelines, for example, but handle new electricity transmission lines on a state-by-state basis. Deep water drilling is largely regulated federally, while fracking is mostly regulated by states.

As a law professor focused on energy and climate change, I feel lucky to be working on these issues in Minnesota at this critical moment. Ellen Anderson (J.D. ’86), senior advisor on energy and environment to Governor Mark Dayton, has called this the “decade of energy transformation.”

In addition to teaching and writing about climate change and energy, I am excited to be launching the University of Minnesota’s Energy Transition Lab as its inaugural director. The Lab will work in partnership with leaders in government, business, and nonprofit organizations to advance energy transition through collaborative law and policy projects that address core areas of energy transition. Our aim is to become the go-to place for community–University partnership on better energy law and policy. Projects will focus on fostering greater energy efficiency, use of cleaner and more renewable sources, evolution and integration of the transporta-tion and electricity systems, and approaches that maximize energy and environmental justice. Together, we will work toward solu-tions to our society’s most vexing energy challenges.

HARI OSOFSKYPROFESSOR AND FESLER-LAMPERT CHAIR IN URBAN AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS, U OF M LAW SCHOOL

FORGE A HOLISTIC ENERGY STRATEGY


On any given day in the United States, about half a million people are without power for two or more

hours. Once hailed by the National Academy of Engineering as the most influential engineering innovation of the 20th century, the North American power grid operates with technology pri-marily from the 1960s and ’70s.

In recent decades the number and frequency of weather-related major outages have increased. Between the 1950s and ’80s, outages increased from two to five each year; from 2008 to 2012,

outages increased to between 70 and 130 per year. Meanwhile, electricity needs are growing fast. Twitter alone adds more than 2,500 megawatt hours of demand globally per year. It is projected that the world’s electricity supply will need to triple by 2050 to keep up with demand. That will require a significant commitment.

In the past decade electricity risk has increased due to aging infrastructure, lack of investment and policies conducive to modernization, and the threat posed by terrorism and climate change. As the climate changes, the variability of weather events has increased. We are going to see more extreme events. And we’ll see them with greater frequency. Hurricane Sandy appears to be an example of this.

In the aftermath of Sandy, questions were raised about power restoration in relation to extreme weather and climate change.

MODERNIZE THE ELECTRICAL GRIDMASSOUD AMINDIRECTOR, U OF M TECHNOLOGICAL LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

It needs to be understood that a massive, physical assault on Hurricane Sandy’s scale is bound to overwhelm the power infrastructure, at least temporarily. No amount of money or technology can guarantee uninterrupted electric service under such circumstances.

It’s also important to remember that the United States is just beginning to adapt to a wider spectrum of risk. Cost-effective investments to reinforce the grid and support resilience will vary by region, by utility, by the legacy equipment involved, and even by the function and location of equipment within a utility’s service territory.

The electrical grid must change drastically. We need a grid that will effectively and securely meet demands of a pervasively digital society in the face of climate change and other extreme events while ensuring a high quality of life and fueling economic growth.

The cost of a smarter grid is estimated at $340 billion to $480 billion. But it should immediately yield $70 billion per year in reduced costs from outages. In a year with frequent hurricanes, ice storms, and other weather events, benefits will be even higher. Currently, outages from all sources cost the U.S.

“We’ve wasted 15 years arguing . . . while our global competitors adapt and innovate.”

— MASSOUD AMIN —

economy somewhere between $80 billion to $188 billion annu-ally. A smarter grid would reduce the cost of outages by about $49 billion per year, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 12 to 18 percent by 2030. In addition, it would increase system efficiency by over 4 percent—that’s another $20.4 billion a year.

We’ve wasted 15 years arguing about the roles of the public and private sectors while our global competitors adapt and innovate. We need to renew public-private partnerships, cut red tape, and reduce the cloud of uncertainty on the return on investment of modernizing infrastructure. When the nation has made such strategic commitments in the past, the payoffs have been huge. Think of the interstate highway system, the lunar landing project, and the Internet.

Meeting each of those challenges has produced world-leading economic growth by enabling commerce, technol-ogy development, and a mix of the two. In the process we’ve developed a highly trained, adaptive workforce. Now, we must decide whether to build electric power and energy infrastructures that support a 21st century’s digital society, or be left behind as a 20th century industrial relic.


In the design fields, Edward Mazria, an architect in New Mexico, leads a movement called Architecture

2030. He argues that the built environment, which includes build-ings, factories, and vehicles, is responsible for much of the green-house gas that we generate. He sees 2030 as the date by which we need to dramatically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

That will be a challenge with so many people living in sprawled conditions and commuting a long way to work and shop. Meeting the 2030 goal presents us with an enormous dilemma: How do we greatly reduce our ecological footprint with so much invested in our unsustainable ways of living?

The new economy emerging in our midst may help us make this shift. The economist Jeremy Rifkin has argued that we have moved away from the second industrial revolution, based on an economy of mass production and consumption, toward what he calls the “Third Industrial Revolution,” with an economy of mass customization that utilizes 3D printing and other digital technolo-gies. This democratization of production turns every consumer into a potential producer of goods and services, as ordinary people will have the tools to innovate and create. This seems especially true of the millennials, who think, “If I can customize something, why would I buy something that everybody else has?”

This new economy will encourage us to make things in new ways and to live and work in much closer proximity to each other, so we can more easily share equipment, ideas, and innovations. This in turn will lead to increasing density in cities all over the world. Some experts predict that eventually, over 80 percent of the U.S. population will be living in urban areas, and this will have enormous climate benefits because cities have lower ecological footprints. For example, in cities, we can walk, bike, or take light rail to where we need to go, and we can heat and cool buildings more easily when closer together.

This economically driven urbanization has real survival value. In my most recent book, Designing to Avoid Disaster: The Nature of Fracture-Critical Design, I write about how we face a number of rapidly increasing stresses on the systems that underlie modern civilization, systems whose fracture-critical nature makes them vulnerable to sudden and catastrophic collapse. The accumula-tion of greenhouse gases and carbon in the atmosphere is one such threat. The faster we can reduce this stress on our planetary system, the sooner we will secure our future.

The best way to deal with these stresses involves innovation. The innovations that come out of major research institutions like the University of Minnesota represent a kind of survival mecha-nism, enabling us to find, fairly quickly, new ways of existing on this planet that don’t have such a negative impact on the very things we depend on. The design community has helped create a world that does a lot of damage to global ecosystems and we need to help find viable alternatives.

THOMAS FISHERPROFESSOR OF ARCHITECTURE AND DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF DESIGN

IMAGINE NEW WAYS

TO LIVE


Kenny Blumenfeld (B.S. ’01, M.A. ’05, Ph.D. ’08) is the hazardous weather research lead for Hennepin County Emergency Management.

I adore, study, and do a lot of outreach about extreme and hazardous weather in the Upper

Midwest. One of my biggest concerns about climate change in Minnesota is that we are losing our winters. I know that might sound insane, given that this last winter ranked among the top 10 coldest at just about every station in the region, where many towns challenged or set records for number of days below zero. It was unlike anything an entire generation of Minnesotans has experienced. So yes, it was an impressive season.

But what this winter did not do is equally striking and one of the key symptoms of our changing climate. For the 17th winter in a row, Minneapolis failed to drop below minus 25 degrees F, something that used to happen about 12 times per decade. Remember that “polar vortex” episode? Well, its coldest day in Minneapolis was only the 173rd coldest on record. No sta-tion in the Upper Midwest set an all-time record low at any point this winter. If you look at the data, the magnitude of the cold was surprisingly tame, given its persistence.

And this bizarre winter—standing alone among its contem-poraries, yet lacking true extremes—comes just two years after its even more extreme opposite in 2011-12, when all the way from November through March we did not merely break warm temperature records; we obliterated them. If you look at the previous three decades, it is clear that Minnesota’s iconic season

REMEMBER WINTER

is not in good health. What used to be a predictable season has now become erratic.

The confusion this winter may have caused is like what hap-pens when an aging baseball slugger, well past his prime, has one big year and fans think, quite wishfully: “He’s back!” But it isn’t so. One big season can’t stop the inevitable. The performance of this winter does not mean we have escaped our rapidly warming climate any more than a late-career home run surge suggests our slugger has escaped the passage of time. All baseball players retire. But are we ready to lose our winters?

Photographer Alec Johnson and I have attempted to address this question in a documentary film about winter in Minnesota that we will screen this coming fall. In the film we examine the meteorology of winter, but we also ask how we relate to winter, who it makes us, and who we would be without it.

In talking to Minnesotans about winter, we found that wheth-er it’s regarded as relentlessly punishing or calming and pure, with few exceptions, this enigmatic season defines us. It is woven into our activities, our moods, and how we eat, sleep, and dress. We live with it and it lives within us. It is part of who we are. Sure, it makes some people question why we live here, but many of those same people would never move elsewhere.

The Minnesota winter is iconic. Its severity is recognized nationally, and Minnesotans are proud to have those bragging rights. It is a resource, a state treasure, and we celebrate the way it annoys and torments us. Winter plays the part of the lovable villain that we don’t really want to see go. Yet here it is, in a frail state, with its best years behind it.

And who will we be when it’s gone?

KENNY BLUMENFELDVISITING PROFESSOR AND RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, U OF M DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

To watch an interview with Blumenfeld, go to www.accessminnesotaonline.com



Off the Shelf

It was on a walk across the Washing-ton Avenue Bridge during her first days as a University of Minnesota

student that Mary Relindes Ellis (B.A. ’86) saw a mysterious sight: 79 wooden steps leading from Washington Avenue down the face of the bluff to the riverbank. It was the former approach to the long-gone village of Bohemian Flats.

Her curiosity and her imagination were piqued. “I was entranced by that history,” she says. “I just thought how extraordinary that nobody really knows that this incredible village was across from the University underneath the Washington Avenue Bridge.”

Soon after, she saw an old photo of the buildings of the University, taken from the flats, and she found herself thinking about what that view—a dazzling sym-bol of the American meritocracy—would have meant to the people living there. Says Ellis, “You’re looking at the pinnacle of what you’re hoping to achieve.”

What Ellis has achieved is a beautifully

written novel just released, The Bohemian Flats. One of the great pleasures of the book, a family saga about turn-of-the-20th-century German immigrants in Minnesota and Wisconsin, is her tantalizing depic-tion of the settlement of the book’s title. A vibrant, scrappy community of many contradictions—bleak poverty, exuberant street life, ethnic harmo-ny—the flats were populat-ed by immigrant laborers and their families, mostly eastern European, who built and inhabited the jumble of riverside shanties huddled at the base of the original Washington Avenue Bridge. The pleasures come partly from the mention of familiar Minneapolis land-marks like Seven Corners and St. Anthony Falls, and partly from Ellis’s descriptions of a vanished way of life.

The novel, Ellis’s second, tells the story of three young German intellectuals who leave the religious and political oppres-sion of their homeland for opportunity and independence in the United States: Raimund Kaufmann wants to pursue the academic studies that are to be denied him by his tyrannical eldest brother; middle brother Albert Kaufmann yearns to combine his love of the land with a life of the mind and become a gentleman farmer; and Albert’s wife, Magdalena, the daughter of a prominent scholar, wants to be free from the stares and gossip her foreign-looking features have provoked her whole life. But as generations of immigrants before them had discovered, it’s hard to leave the past behind, and the three find their newly acquired freedom tempered by the far-reaching tentacles of war and family secrets.

Fin de siècle Germany and newly set-tled northern Wisconsin play outsized roles in this sweeping historical novel, which spans two world wars. Ellis drew from the stories she heard as the great-granddaughter of German immigrants and from growing up in small-town north-ern Wisconsin’s melting pot of Native Americans and ethnic Europeans. She says she was inspired to write an immigrant

story—but not the typical immigrant story.

“I love history, and I’m always shocked when people think that their personal lives aren’t con-nected to politics,” she says. “In my family, I was raised with stories about why they left Germany; my family avidly paid attention to world politics, national politics; and so I was made aware that I wasn’t just this little speck.”

The Bohemian Flats is fascinating for what it tells us about the past, about the pain and pleasure of leav-ing one home for another, and how world events, family secrets, and entrenched prejudice can follow us from country to country—and era to era.

—Laura Silver

By Mary Relindes Ellis (B.A. ’86)—

University of Minnesota PressMay 2014

SA

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BE

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Bringing to Life the Bohemian Flats

Mary Relindes Ellis

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t’s recess time at Heights Commu-nity School in St. Paul. A cluster of first-graders streams out of the

building and runs, jaggedly, across the play-ground. There to meet them are four Gopher student athletes—senior Amy VanHeel (row-ing); freshman Hannah Tapp (volleyball); and juniors Julia Courter (tennis) and Logan Connors ( javelin).

As the kids run in crazy circles around the climber, the basketball hoop, and the still-icy field, the four U students—volunteers for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics’ Maroon and Gold Impacting the Community (M.A.G.I.C) program—fan out, tossing balls, shooting hoops, and just talking to kids while bending down to their eye level.

Courter, the tennis player, notices one girl standing back from the others. She walks up to her, smiles and asks, “You wanna play?”

While playing is the central point of today’s visit, the M.A.G.I.C. program offers much more. Participation in the M.A.G.I.C. program is voluntary, but last year 605 out of the U’s 750 student athletes participated,

says program coordinator Anissa Lightner, assistant director for student-athlete devel-opment. “Last year, our student-athletes donated nearly 15,000 hours of community outreach. We coordinated 278 events. This grows out of the culture that we have cre-ated in our department, the passion for giving back.”

M.A.G.I.C. coordinates volunteer events with local school districts, nonprofit organi-zations, and large employers. It connected VanHeel, Tapp, Courter, and Connors to Heights Community School through Play-works, a national nonprofit organization that uses play and recess to help kids develop life skills.

Working with M.A.G.I.C. is simple. “A school will call and say, ‘We’d love to have some athletes come out and read because it’s I Love to Read month, ’ ” Lightner says. “We’ll fill out our compliance forms to make sure we are following all the rules of the NCAA. Then we’ll post the event on our website. Our students can go online, see if the event fits their schedule and sign up. Then we send

Gopher Sports

IPower PlayHARD TO SAY WHO’S HELPING WHOM IN THE M.A.G.I.C. PROGRAM

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Chloe Portela, center, and Kelsey Cline play Ships Across the Ocean with first-grader Avanna Gentle at Bancroft Elementary School in Minneapolis


them a reminder, and drive to the event in the M.A.G.I.C. Bus.”

The fruit of a sponsorship between the University and St. Jude Medical Founda-tion, the M.A.G.I.C. Bus is a 24-passenger vehicle plastered with pictures of Gopher athletes. Lightner uses it to transport teams of M.A.G.I.C. volunteers to events.

Philip Ebeling (B.S.’95), St. Jude senior vice president of research and develop-ment, views the bus as part of St. Jude’s mission. “The St. Jude Medical Foun-dation is driven to positively impact the community,” he says. “Through our spon-sorship of the M.A.G.I.C. Bus, student athletes are able to volunteer their time and potentially change the lives of young people in the community.”

Former Gopher softball player Danielle Skrove (B.S. ’12) found her career through volunteering with M.A.G.I.C. As a fresh-man, she volunteered for an event at the Minnesota Children’s Museum sponsored by HopeKids, a national nonprofit that organizes activities, events, and support

for families who have children with life-threatening medical conditions.

“At that first event, I fell in love with HopeKids mission and what they did for kids and their families,” Strove says. “After that, whenever anything to do with Hope-Kids was on the M.A.G.I.C. schedule, I joined.” Over time, Skrove got to know the HopeKids’ staff. When a program coordinator position became available just weeks before her graduation, Skrove applied and was offered the job.

Postgraduation, former Gopher run-ning back Duane Bennett (B.A. ’11) con-tinues to volunteer with M.A.G.I.C. He credits the program with helping him understand that earning a college degree is more important than a career in foot-ball, a truth that hit home for him in 2008, when he was sidelined for the year during the second game because of a knee injury.

“Before that, I was planning on doing just three years in college and then signing with a pro team,” he says. “I was on the fast track. When I got hurt it realigned

the stars for me. I got more involved in the M.A.G.I.C. program, and it helped me focus on what needed to be done.”

Bennett signed with the Green Bay Packers, but since then another injury has put his NFL career on hold. Volunteering in schools through M.A.G.I.C. helped him realize that he enjoyed spending time with kids; these days he’s working for an organization that helps young people with autism gain key life skills.

Back at Heights Community School, recess is over and the kids have returned to their classrooms. The Gopher athletes are getting ready to head back to cam-pus. It’s been a successful event, they say, focused on teaching kids the benefits of moving their bodies and being healthy.

“I like to think that these kids and I have a lot in common,” says javelin throw-er Connors. “They like to play and so do I. We’re all out here having fun—but at the same time I think we’re learning some-thing from each other, too.”

—Andy Steiner

The Gopher Crossword


Answers to the Gopher Crossword appear on page 47. To solve this puzzle online, go to www.MinnesotaAlumni.org/crossword_summer14.

ACROSS

1 Smudge on Santa’s suit?

5 Opposite of WNW

8 Novel in which Captain Ahab chases his white whale

13 Feeling yesterday’s workout?

14 TiVo forerunner

15 Icy moon of Jupiter

17 Kind of fish caught in Minnesota waters

19 What to do when the temperature hits -20°F

20 Least cooked, as a steak

22 Southeast Asian ethnic group with a large presence in the Twin Cities

23 What mattresses do over time

26 Botanical source of the anticancer drug Taxol

28 Opposite of NNW

29 Former TV host and author of the 2010 book Talk Show

31 “Duke of ___” (1962 doo-wop classic)

33 One giving an official statement

35 Prepared an orange for eating

39 It’s always going through a phase

40 Sony handheld game device

42 Hospital helper

43 Put a royal wrap around

46 Skips a class by demonstrating proficiency

49 Half-___ (flag position signifying mourning)

51 Actor Howard of Crash and The Butler

52 Doctor who calls his patients by 41-Down

55 Joe Biden’s predecessor

57 No-___ sticker, a.k.a. firm price on a used car

58 Brainstorming results

60 Picturesque lake in Ramsey County

62 Poet Emily, the Belle of Amherst

64 Ones who play for love of the game

68 Unwavering

69 Not the same old same old

70 Othello’s villainous friend

71 Mar. 17th honoree, for short

72 Snaky sound

73 Actor Jared of Dallas Buyers Club

DOWN

1 Govt. ID issued at birth

2 Winning tic-tac-toe row

3 Hockey great Bobby

4 Four: Prefix

5 Actor Rupert of My Best Friend’s Wedding

6 It may cap a bottle of cheap wine

7 Accounting giant ___ & Young

8 Drs. who investigate crimes

9 “___ on My Own” (Fame song)

10 Dracula author Stoker

11 Goes up and down, like a child’s toy

12 Mob bosses

16 Celestial figure in Notre Dame

18 Rutherford B. or Helen

21 Italian ‘three’

23 Con job

24 Follow, as advice

25 University of Florida mascot

27 The Raven author’s initials

30 Scorpion’s poison

32 Landlord’s contract

34 Between Q and U

36 Simba, in a Disney movie and musical of the same name

37 Draw forth

38 Discourage from proceeding

41 Fido, Fluffy, and Spot, for example

44 Sodium bicarbonate

45 Upper-left key on a PC

47 Goes up and down, like a child’s toy

48 Lovers’ rendezvous

50 However, in short

52 Minnesota professional football team that no longer has a Kluwe

53 Acts like this puzzle’s honoree did for Genetics in Medicine

54 Guiding doctrine

56 Actors McGregor and Stewart

59 “On the double!”

61 Trompe l’___ (fool-the-eye art)

63 Big Apple daily publication, for short

65 Federation whose capital is Abu Dhabi: Abbr.

66 Mil. group

67 ___ Line (Great Lakes area railroad that crosses Minnesota)

George Barany is a professor of chemistry at the University of Minnesota. Marcia Brott is a scientist in the College of Pharmacy.

HINT: The puzzle’s honoree is Dick King, M.D., who retired from the University Medical School earlier this year. For every square in the puzzle grid where King’s photograph appears, the across word reads “Dick” for that square and the down word reads “King” for that square. Once you have completed the puzzle, you will see a special message running diagonally from the upper left corner (the shaded gray squares).

Not the Retiring Sort

By Marcia Brott and George Barany

See the lower right hand corner of this page for a hint to the puzzle.

TANZANIA SAFARI DURING THE GREAT MIGRATIONA safari of a lifetime in Africa’s premier safari destination during the Great Migration. Enjoy guided game drives through Tanzania’s finest game parks— Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, and Ngorongoro Crater— with deluxe accommodations. Visit Olduvai Gorge, the “cradle of mankind.” Tarangire post-program option available. January 26–February 5; from approximately $6,295 plus airfare.

PEARLS OF SOUTHEAST ASIAExplore the many cultures of Southeast Asia by land and sea on this amazing journey from Bali to Bangkok aboard the M.V. Aegean Odyssey. Explore Bali and the island of Java; Singapore; Ho Chi Minh City; Phnom Penh; Bangkok; and the ancient city of Angkor, home to Angkor Wat, said to be the world’s largest religious monument. January 31–February 24; from $6,100 plus airfare.

SAILING THE WINDWARD ISLANDS Escape the depths of winter on this eight-day cruise of the Caribbean’s tropical Windward Islands aboard the exclusively chartered, 64-passenger, three-masted yacht M.Y. Le Ponant. Enjoy a classic “life undersail” round trip from Fort-de-France, Martinique to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tobago Cays Marine Park, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Dominica. January 31–February 7; from $4,495 plus airfare.

MYSTICAL ANDES AND MAJESTIC FJORDS—OCEANIA CRUISES Behold the awe-inspiring glacier-studded fjords, mystical mountains, ancient emerald forests, and enchanting cities of South America as Oceania Cruises’ beautiful Regatta takes you on an incredible 20-night voyage to historic ports in Chile, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, and the Falkland Islands. Concludes in Buenos Aires, a sizzling cultural hub. February 2–23; from $5,999 including airfare.

NATURAL WONDERS OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND This spectacular 14-day journey captures the essence of Australia and New Zealand and features stays in Queenstown, Sydney, and Cairns and an exclusive three-night Great Barrier Reef cruise. See New Zealand’s Southern Alps, cruise Milford Sound, and experience the natural wonders and dynamic cultures of Down Under. February 18–March 3; from approximately $4,995 plus airfare.

AMAZON RIVER EXPEDITION This custom-designed journey features a cruise in the mysterious Amazon River Basin and two nights in historic Lima, Peru. Led by expert Peruvian naturalists, you will seek rare indigenous species and visit local villages to observe the traditional way of life of the river people. A Machu Picchu and Sacred Valley post-tour option is offered. February 20–March 1; from approximately $3,995 plus airfare.

EMPERORS AND EMPIRES—OCEANIA CRUISES A captivating voyage to the legendary, exotic ports of East Asia while cruising aboard Oceania Cruises’ intimate Nautica. From Beijing to Tokyo, explore ancient sites and intriguing cities with stops in China, South Korea, and Japan. Endless treasures await— tranquil temples, luminous skyscrapers, bustling cities, and natural wonders. March 9–26; from $5,999 including airfare from select cities.

COLORFUL CARIBBEAN—OCEANIA CRUISES Discover the colorful wonders of the Caribbean while cruising to the enchanting tropical ports including Cozumel, Trujillo, Belize, and Key West aboard Oceania Cruises’ newest ship, Riviera. Explore an exotic palette of sights and sounds— sun-drenched landscapes, intriguing Mayan ruins, vivid coral reefs, tranquil beaches, and steel drum rhythms. March 15–22; from $1,999 including airfare from select cities.

The University of Minnesota Alumni Association invites you to enjoy the comfort and camaraderie of alumni group travel. We hope you’ll explore storied destinations and captivating cultures with us next year!

Please note that all tours take place in 2015 and that date and price information is subject to change. All prices are per person, double occupancy. To be added to our travel mailing list or to request specific brochures, please send a message to [email protected].

www.MinnesotaAlumni.org/Travel

2015 TRAVEL GUIDE

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POLYNESIAN PARADISE—OCEANIA CRUISES Cruise the South Pacific on Oceania Cruises’ elegant Marina, an award-winning masterpiece at sea. Every port of call is a true paradise. Savor the tropical island splendor of Moorea, Bora Bora, Rangiroa, Raiatea, and Huahine before returning to Papeete on lovely Tahiti. Indulge your senses with the wonders of French Polynesia! March 15–25; from $3,999 including airfare from select cities.

CRUISING THE ZAMBEZI RIVER: SOUTH AFRICA, ZIMBABWE, BOTSWANA, NAMIBIA From Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom to stunning natural beauty and unparalleled game-viewing, this tour showcases southern Africa like no other. Enjoy five-star accommodations including the Mount Nelson Hotel, the Victoria Falls Hotel, and the all-suite Zambezi Queen. Explore Johannesburg, Cape Town, Robben Island, and Victoria Falls. March 19–30; from approximately $6,395 plus airfare.

ANTEBELLUM SOUTH—AMERICAN QUEEN Revel in authentic Americana aboard the luxury riverboat American Queen as you cruise along the vast Mississippi River. Delve into the history, culture, and grandeur of the Antebellum South from New Orleans to Memphis, stopping at Oak Alley, St. Francisville, Natchez, Vicksburg, and Helena. Savor the hospitality of the Antebellum South! April 10–18; from $3,999 plus airfare.

GREECE: AN ICONIC CLASSICDiscover the essence of classical Greece. Nothing is left unexplored, from Athens, Epidaurus, Nafplion, Mycenae, Gythion, Pylos, Katakolon, Olympia, and Delphi. Along the way, experience extraordinary Greek hospitality, distinctive cuisine, expert guides, and world-class accommodations. Extension to Crete is available.April 14-25, 2015; approximately $3,895 plus airfare.

TRADE ROUTES OF COASTAL IBERIA Immerse yourself in two great cities, Lisbon and Barcelona, paired with the fascinating ports of Andalusia and the Algarve. Explore two enchanting, seldom visited Balearic Islands and the great Rock of Gibraltar during your unique cruise up the Guadalquivir River to Seville aboard the five-star, 90-guest M.V. Tere Moana. April 17–25; from approximately $5,195 plus airfare.

EUROPEAN COASTAL CIVILIZATIONS A seven-night cruise aboard the deluxe M.S. Le Boreal to coastal Portugal, Spain, France, and Guernsey, one of the United Kingdom’s Channel Islands. Professor David Eisenhower, grandson of General and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, will give an onboard lecture and accompany you to the Normandy beaches. Lisbon pre-cruise and Paris/Giverny post-cruise options available. April 23–May 1; from approximately $4,495 plus airfare.

PATHWAY THROUGH PANAMA—OCEANIA CRUISES Discover the pristine natural wonders, spirited cultures, and grand colonial architecture of Florida, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Mexico while sailing aboard Oceania Cruises’ intimate Regatta. Included in the port stops is Cabo San Lucas, an exclusive resort town with picture-perfect beaches, chic boutiques, and unique restaurants. April 23–May 9; from $2,999 including airfare from select cities.

MEDITERRANEAN COASTAL HIDEAWAYS—OCEANIA CRUISESExplore the Adriatic Sea’s stunning, island-dappled Dalmatian Coast aboard the exclusively chartered, deluxe M.S. Le Soleal on this seven-night cruise. Visit three countries and four UNESCO World Heritage sites. Enjoy specially arranged lectures, a Village Forum with local residents, and a folk music performance on board. Two-night Venice pre- and post-cruise options. April 24-May 3; from $2,999 including airfare.

PARIS IMMERSIONFor two weeks, explore Paris and its environs at a relaxed pace. Travel like a local aboard the Metro and TGV. Explore a variety of Parisian neighborhoods on customized walking tours led by expert guides. Expand your horizons with day trips to the lavish Chateau de Versailles; the cities of Dijon and Rouen; and Reims, the center of champagne production.April 26–May 7; from $3,995 plus airfare.

PROVINCIAL FRENCH COUNTRYSIDE Experience the beauty, allure, and hospitality of provincial France at an easy pace and in a unique style. Anchored by stays in vibrant Toulouse and enchanting Paris, the journey features diverse Languedoc, the remote Dordogne, the lovely Loire Valley, and historic Normandy as you stay in charming rural inns and small country hotels. May 4–18; $5,195 including airfare.

MEDITERRANEAN ARTISTIC DISCOVERIES—OCEANIA CRUISES Acquaint yourself with the classical splendors and artistic landmarks of the Mediterranean as you sail to captivating ports of call in Italy (Venice, Palermo, Livorno, Florence, and Pisa), Croatia (Zadar), Montenegro (Kotor), Monaco, France (Marseille), and Spain (Barcelona) aboard the luxurious Riviera, Oceania Cruises’ newest vessel. May 10–22; from $3,999 including airfare from select cities.

RIVER ROUTES AND CHANNEL CROSSINGS— OCEANIA CRUISES Experience stunning scenery, timeless architecture, postcard-perfect towns, and cosmopolitan energy from Montreal to London while cruising aboard the luxurious Oceania Cruises’ Marina. Watch picturesque rugged landscapes and enchanting cityscapes unfold along the east coast of North America and the British Isles. May 18–June 3; from $5,299 including airfare from select cities.

STEVE JOHNSTON AND KAREN CEGELSKE: ADVENTURE

A shared sense of adventure has taken Steve Johnston (B.A. ’75) and Karen Cegelske on numerous trips with the Alumni Travel Program. “We don’t want to go to the same old places all the time,” Johnston says. “We want to see things that are different.” Last year Johnston and Cegelske visited Southeast Asia, including Vietnam—a destination that challenged Johnston’s perspective on the Vietnam War. “We actually visited a Vietnam War memorial, and we found it awfully interesting to experience that war from the other side,” he recalls. For Johnston and Cegelske, such encounters are what make travel worthwhile. “You’ve got to understand the changes that are happening in the world. You’ve got to want to see how other people live,” Johnston says.

CELTIC LANDSCruise for eight nights aboard the small ship M.S. Le Boreal from France to Ireland, Wales, and Scotland with President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s grandson, who will provide exclusive lectures and insights. Enjoy guided excursions in each port of call, including the beaches of Normandy 71 years after the Allied Forces made their historic landing. May 20–29; from approximately $5,595 plus airfare.

VIETNAM: HISTORIC AND UNPLUGGED Experience a country unspoiled and quite unique in the world. Meet the hospitable people of Vietnam in a variety of settings, from the markets of fast-moving Ho Chi Minh City to the spirit of the past in the tranquil Temple of Literature in Hanoi. Though often associated with hardship and war, today you will find Vietnam a serene and peaceful place to visit. June 1-12; approximately $3,295 plus airfare.

CHANGING TIDES OF HISTORY: CRUISING THE BALTIC SEA Experience the cultural rebirth of the Baltic states during eight nights aboard the five-star M.S. Le Boreal. Enjoy specially arranged presentations by former president of Poland Lech Walesa and by Brown University Professor Sergei N. Khruschchev, son of Nikita Khruschchev. Visit Gdansk, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, and Visby. June 4–13; from approximately $5,995 plus airfare.

SPAIN’S COSTA VERDE Revel in the authentic and beguiling personalities of Basque Country, Cantabria, and Old Castile. Visit Santander, Santillana del Mar, Bilbao, and San Sebastian, all stops along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, the Way of St. James and treasures in their own right. Explorations of Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, and Leon complete your enchanting experience. June 4–15; $3,995 plus airfare.

TOWN AND COUNTRY LIFE IN OXFORD Travel through quintessential England, with four nights in Oxford’s landmark Macdonald Randolph Hotel and three nights in a charming Cotswold village. Visit the village of Bampton of Downton Abbey fame, and by special arrangement, meet Lord Charles Spencer-Churchill in Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. June 6-14; approximately $3,395 plus airfare.

AN ODYSSEY OF ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS: COASTAL LIFE FROM THE ADRIATIC TO THE AEGEAN Cruise from Venice to Athens along the stunning Dalmatian coast for seven nights aboard the five-star small ship M.S. Le Lyrial. Visit five countries and many UNESCO World Heritage sites. Enjoy specially arranged lectures, an exclusive forum with local residents, and a folk music performance. Venice pre-cruise and Athens post-cruise options available. June 15–23; from approximately $3,995 plus airfare.

PEARLS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN—OCEANIA CRUISESRevel in the esteemed architecture, stunning seascapes, and cultural gems of the Mediterranean, while cruising from Rome to Monte Carlo aboard the luxurious Oceania Cruises’ Riviera. Ports of call include Amalfi, Positano, Sardinia, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, Marseille, Antibes, and glamorous Monte Carlo. June 15–23; from $2,699 including airfare from select cities.

VIKINGS, CASTLES, AND KINGS—OCEANIA CRUISESBe captivated by fascinating Viking history, quaint villages, majestic snow-capped mountains, and dramatic fjords as Oceania Cruises’ intimate Nautica takes you on an incredible 20-day odyssey to historic ports in Scotland, Denmark, Iceland, Greenland, Ireland, and England, including the Shetland Islands and Prince Kristian Fjord. June 16–July 7; from $7,999 including airfare from select cities.

STEVEN AND SUSAN MYRE: DREAMS FULFILLED

When Steven and Susan Myre retired, they took up a lifelong dream. “It’s been on our bucket list to visit all seven continents,” says Steven (B.S. ’72, Pharm. D. ’75). And that’s how they found themselves on a cruise to a destination most people shiver to even think about: Antarctica. They found it breathtaking. The two piled into small, inflatable Zodiac boats for a close-up look at penguins, icebergs, and Antarctic wildlife. “It was so serene—almost magical,” he says. Access to amenities like the small boats is one of the chief advantages of group travel, Steven explains. “The intricacies are taken care of,” he says. “It’s busy work—but it takes a lot of effort.” With Antarctica concluded, the couple has visited each continent. But that doesn’t mean they’ve slowed down on travel: They’ve just signed the papers for a trip to Europe later this year.

SCOTLAND: HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDSFrom loch to loch and glen to glen, encounter stunning natural beauty and welcoming clans, while city life serves up the colorful past and cosmopolitan present. Highlights include Glasgow’s unique architecture, Loch Lomond, Trossachs National Park, Glencoe, Loch Ness, Isle of Skye, Medieval St. Andrews, Edinburgh Castle, and much more. June 27–July 8; approximately $4,895 including airfare.

GREAT JOURNEY THROUGH EUROPEThis extraordinary “Grand Tour” features the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland, and five nights aboard the deluxe Amadeus Fleet cruising the most scenic sections of the Rhine River. Ride three legendary railways—the Matterhorn’s Gornergrat Bahn, the Glacier Express, and Lucerne’s Pilatus Railway, the world’ steepest cogwheel. July 6–16; from approximately $3,995 plus airfare.

COASTAL ALASKA—OCEANIA CRUISESJourney to Alaska, a natural wonder of stunning landscapes and unspoiled wilderness, aboard the elegant Oceania Cruises’ Regatta. Depart Seattle and sail to Ketchikan, through the stunningly scenic Tracy Arm Fjord to Wrangell, with a stop in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, on your return to Seattle. Let the rugged beauty of America’s last frontier captivate you! July 7–14; from $2,299 including airfare from select cities.

GREAT NORTHERN LIGHTS—OCEANIA CRUISESExperience the natural wonders and charming ports of Scandinavia and Russia on an unforgettable voyage aboard Oceania Cruises’ elegant Nautica. From Norway and Russia to Denmark and Sweden, discover picturesque cities brimming with color, culture, history, and unrivaled beauty. Imagine yourself at the top of the world on this 20-day voyage! July 18–August 8; from $7,999 including airfare from select cities.

RUSSIA’S WHITE SEA AND NORWAY’S NORTH CAPECruise in the wake of the Vikings aboard the 90-passenger M.S. Serenissima. Discover the remote jewels of Russia, including Tromso, the North Cape, Murmansk, the UNESCO World Heritage site designated monastery of Solovetsky Islands, and Archangelsk. We also invite you to join the special “Wonders of Norway” pre-program option. July 24–August 3; from approximately $4,995 plus airfare.

EXPLORING ICELAND Iceland is an adventurous land with massive glaciers, rumbling volcanoes, bubbling mud holes, and powerful waterfalls. Home to a hugely abundant bird life and just 300,000 people, the sun never sets for six splendid weeks. You’ll stay in well-located, atmospheric small hotels as you travel the breadth of this amazing scenic country. August 4–14; $4,695 including airfare.

BALTIC MARVELS—OCEANIA CRUISES Marvel at the storybook settings, deep-rooted history, and charming canal-laced capitals of the Baltic as you sail from Stockholm to Copenhagen aboard the elegant Oceania Cruises’ Nautica, with unforgettable interludes in Finland, Russia, Estonia, Germany, and Denmark. Enjoy almost two full days in St. Petersburg, a city which exudes a European essence. August 19–27; from $2,999 including airfare from select cities.

ENCHANTING IRELAND From Dublin to Galway, and Killarney to Kilkenny, this Emerald Isle tour showcases Ireland’s many charms, both old and new. Highlights include St. Patrick’s Cathedral, counties Galway and Kerry, the beautiful Kylemore Abbey, a local farmhouse dinner, the dramatic Aran Islands, Ring of Kerry scenic drive, Muckross House, Blarney Castle, and much more. August 27–September 8; $4,595 including airfare.

MACHU PICCHU TO THE GALAPAGOSThey rank as two of South America’s greatest treasures— the enigmatic ruins at Machu Picchu, where you’ll spend the night at an intimate on-site hotel, and the fascinating Galapagos Islands, Darwin’s “living laboratory,” where you’ll cruise aboard a chartered ship and view astonishing wildlife. An Amazon rain forest pre-tour option is available. September 1–15; $7,395 including airfare.

GREAT PACIFIC NORTHWEST—AMERICAN EMPRESSDiscover the timeless majesty of the Columbia and Snake rivers as you immerse yourself in the history and natural grandeur of the Pacific Northwest. From Portland to Clarkston, Washington, cruise to charming towns and historic sites aboard the elegant American Empress, stopping at Astoria, Stevenson, The Dalles, and Sacajawea State Park. September 5–13; from $3,795 plus airfare.

BLACK SEA SOJOURN—OCEANIA CRUISES The wonders of the Black Sea spring to life as you sail aboard Oceania Cruises’ elegant Riviera, stopping in Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia (including lovely Sochi, site of the 2014 Winter Olympics), Georgia, and Turkey. Picturesque seaside villages, ancient ruins, tsarist palaces, and a five-domed cathedral are just some of the incredible sights that await you. September 6–17; from $4,299 including airfare from select cities.

MEDITERRANEAN IMPRESSIONS—OCEANIA CRUISESSail away on the elegant Oceania Cruises’ Marina to some of the Mediterranean’s most majestic destinations. From Barcelona to Rome, ports of call include Marseille, Monte Carlo, Cinque Terre, Florence, Sardinia, Tunis, and Valletta. Enjoy dramatic coastal vistas, enchanting seaside towns and medieval centers, and beautiful architectural masterpieces. September 13–24; from $4,299 including airfare from select cities.

SEA OF ANTIQUITY—OCEANIA CRUISESExplore picture-perfect villages, age-old cities, and breathtaking landscapes on an exciting 12-day luxury cruise aboard Oceania Cruises’ intimate Nautica. Ports of call in Italy, Malta, Greece, and Turkey will captivate you with their timeless beauty and fascinating ancient remnants. Concludes in Istanbul, the magnificent city astride two continents. September 21–October 4; from $4,799 including airfare from select cities.

CRUISING THE ELBE RIVERA pastoral nine-day river journey through Czech Republic and Germany aboard the exclusively-chartered M.S. Swiss Ruby. Cruise from Prague, Czech Republic to Berlin, Germany, with port calls at Bad Schandau, Dresden, Meissen, Wittenberg, and Potsdam. Features an exclusive River Life Forum. Pre-Prague and post-Berlin options available.September 25-October 3; approximately $3,795 plus airfare.

GREEK ISLES ODYSSEY—OCEANIA CRUISESDiscover incredible ancient wonders and alluring sun-soaked islands on this Aegean adventure aboard the graceful Riviera, Oceania Cruises’ newest ship. This odyssey to Turkey and the Greek Isles transports you to the stunning, sun-splashed cities and islands of Volos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Rhodes, Crete, Santorini, and Mykonos. September 26–October 5; from $2,999 including airfare from select cities.

CRUISING PATAGONIA’S CHILEAN FJORDSJoin this unique expedition to Patagonia’s breathtaking Chilean fjords, featuring Santiago, Puerto Natales, Torres del Paine National Park, Punta Arenas, and Buenos Aires. Cruise for four nights aboard the small ship M.V. Via Australis, featuring Zodiac landing crafts and naturalists. Easter Island pre-program and Iguazu Falls post-program options available. October 6–19; price to be announced.

BILL HENDRICKSON AND STEVE GENTILE: PEOPLE

When Bill Hendrickson (B.A. ’70) and Steve Gentile travel, it’s usually with another couple. But when they learned about the Alumni Travel Program’s trip to Cuba in 2013, they jumped at the rare opportunity. “Not only is it the only way we knew of to get there,” Hendrickson says, “but the group travel arrangements facilitated a kind of people-to-people learning approach that we really appreciated. Everywhere we went, we had direct contact with Cubans. We could ask them questions and they could ask us.” This personal, human contact is what made the group travel experience special. Hendrickson and Gentile are booked on an alumni travel trip in Eastern Europe this summer.

RON AND SHARON FAANES: LEARNING

Some people travel to relax and escape their worries. For Ron and Sharon Faanes, it’s learning, not leisure, that calls. “Our focus is on education,” says Ron (B.A. ’63, M.S. ’67, Ph.D. ’70). “We want to really learn what other cultures are like.” No surprise then that the couple has, to cite only a few examples, cruised to South Africa and Singapore, visited Tahiti in a sailing vessel, and traveled by boat through Russia, all via the Alumni Travel Program. “The trips we like are very much focused on education, and you always have the opportunity to discuss issues first-hand with local people,” Ron says. Trips have had a deep impact. When the couple visited Italy, for instance, they met with locals in a hotel, where a fellow traveler took to his feet to apologize to their guests. “Turns out he had been a fighter pilot in the war and had bombed this area. Everyone was in tears.”

CLASSIC CHINA AND THE YANGTZEComprehensive, yet briefer in duration than many China tours, this well-paced journey combines monumental Beijing, a cruise on the fabled Yangtze, fascinating Xian, and cosmopolitan Shanghai. You’ll have the good fortune to meet local people and to experience a host of China’s highlights, both ancient and of the moment. Post-tour Shanghai extension available. October 13–26; $4,095 including airfare.

EUROPEAN HIDEAWAYS—OCEANIA CRUISESDiscover quaint European hideaways and cosmopolitan cities on a luxury cruise aboard Oceania Cruises’ elegant Riviera. Visit the lovely Spanish island of Mallorca, explore Marseille and glamorous Monte Carlo, and take in the celebrated art and natural beauty of Portofino and the charming cliffside villages of Cinque Terre, Florence, and Pisa. October 22–30; from $2,299 including airfare from select cities.

IBERIAN PRINCES AND PALACES—OCEANIA CRUISESSail along the Iberian Coast and North Africa aboard Oceania Cruises’ intimate Marina to fascinating destinations brimming with exotic beauty and fascinating history. From Spain, France, and Morocco, to Portugal and Gibraltar, experience a dazzling array of landscapes and cultures. Conclude your amazing voyage in Europe’s second oldest capital, Lisbon. October 23–November 3; from $3,799 including airfare from select cities.

VOYAGE TO ANTIQUITY A unique combination of the Turquoise Coast of Turkey, Greek Islands, Cyprus, and the antiquities of Israel. Cruise to these varied and distinctive cultures, exploring ports that are inaccessible to larger vessels— Paros, Symi, Antalya, Bodrum, and Limassol. Enjoy three nights in the heart of the timeless city of Jerusalem, with ample time to see the sites. October 27–November 7; price to be announced.

COUNTRY AND BLUES MUSIC—AMERICAN QUEENCelebrate classic country and blues music on an authentic river cruise from Nashville to Chattanooga. Visit ports alive with history and dynamic towns bound by outstanding music in Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Missouri, while sailing the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers aboard the American Queen, the largest riverboat in the world. October 31–November 8; from $2,699 plus airfare.

CLASSIC SAFARI TO KENYAThe original safari destination in Africa. From its beautiful landscapes and sunsets, to animals and people whose lives have changed little over the centuries, Africa is magical. Includes Nairobi, Mountain Lodge, Sweetwaters, Lakes Nakuru and Elmenteita, and the plains of the Maasai Mara for the greatest spectacle of all— the migration!November 7-16; approximately $5,795 including airfare.

EXPEDITION TO ANTARCTICA A spectacular 14-day journey featuring a nine-night cruise to Antarctica, Earth’s last frontier, aboard the exclusively chartered, deluxe M.S. Le Boreal. Experience the White Continent in its unspoiled state, accompanied by the ship’s expert team of naturalists. Also, spend two nights in vibrant Buenos Aires. Iguazu Falls post-program option offered. November 28–December 12; price to be announced.

Many additional destinations to be announced!

Visit our website for the latest tour information.

www.MinnesotaAlumni.org/Travel


Alumni Enjoy Festive Annual Celebration

Garrison Keillor (B.A. ’64) kicked off the 2014 University of Minnesota Alumni Association’s annual celebration on April 26 with a live performance of A Prairie Home Companion in front of a full house at the Northrop. More than 600 strong, good looking, and above average alumni and friends attended a post-show reception featuring food, drinks, music by Light of the Moon duo, and plenty of conversation in a tent on the plaza. Jim du Bois (B.A. ’87) was elected chair of the Alumni Association board of direc-tors and the crowd enthusiastically thanked outgoing chair Susan Adams Loyd (B.A. ’81) for her service.

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Left: Mitchell and Rachel Trockman

Above: Peter Gross, center, and Susan Gross, left

Right: Light of the Moon duo

Mike Keyes, left, and Nick Jordan.

By the light of day, Jordan is a professor of agronomy and plant genetics

at the U.

Left: New Alumni Association board chair Jim du Bois and outgoing chair Susan Adams Loyd

Above: Lindsey Kort, right, and a friend


JEKYLL AND HYDE BOARD THE SHOWBOAT

A classic tale of good versus evil is brought to life in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde aboard the Minnesota Centennial Showboat June 19 through August 16. Directed by Peter Moore, the melodrama recounts the haunting story of a good man who is capable of incredible evil.

Showboat audiences are invited to cheer the hero, hiss the villain, and delight in the Showboat’s ever-

popular musical olios—song and dance routines from the golden days of vaudeville. Vern Sutton returns to stage

these show-stopping musical vignettes. Docked on the Mississippi River at St. Paul’s Harriet Island, the Showboat offers scenic river views from its deck and public spaces.

Following the performances on June 26 and July 10, University of Minnesota Alumni Association members and their guests are invited to an exclusive dessert reception with the Showboat players. Pricing and reservation information can be found at www.MinnesotaAlumni.org/Utheatre.

GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP• Save on Gopher gear at the University Bookstores.

• Access thousands of publications on select U Libraries’ online databases.

• Boost your career with a professional development workshop.

• And much more. Explore all your member perks online at www.MinnesotaAlumni.org/benefits

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THE DOWNTOWNS AT YOUR DOORSTEP

The Commons Hotel in Stadium Village offers guests unique accommodations in a central location. The hotel features college-chic decor, an on-site Starbucks, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and the Beacon Public House, a restaurant specializing in locally inspired menu items. Travel to downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul will be convenient, with the East Bank Station for the Metro Green Line located just outside the hotel’s main doors on Washington Avenue. Light rail service begins June 14.

Alumni Association members receive special room rates and 10 percent savings on dining at the Beacon Public House. An Alumni Association member card must be presented for discounts. For more information, visit www.MinnesotaAlumni .org/hotels.

Keeping DentalAlumni CurrentUniversity of Minnesota Alumni Association/School of Dentistry

Alumni Society members are eligible to receive a

10% Discountfor “lecture only” courses offered through the School of Dentistry.

Course listings are available online.

Access our website atwww.dentalce.umn.eduor call 612-625-1418

or 800-685-1418 to register

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IN A GLASS BY ITSELF

The University of Minnesota’s Landscape Arboretum will feature “Nature in Glass: The Wonders of Craig Mitchell Smith” this summer. The exhibit, comprised of 32 unique glass sculptures, will adorn the Arboretum’s outdoor gardens and collections May 31 through August 31. Each colorfully fused-glass sculpture is specifically designed for the Arboretum’s unique setting.

Admission to the Arboretum is free with an annual membership, which is available at levels beginning at $49. Members of the Alumni Association receive a 10 percent discount on the cost of Arboretum membership. For more information, visit www.MinnesotaAlumni.org/arboretum.

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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Hundreds of alumni and friends enjoyed a spectacular evening to celebrate the revitalized Northrop!


Get Social!

Learn more! Visit:www.MinnesotaAlumni.org/Social_Networks

Answers to the Gopher Crossword on page 36

Campus Seen

The John S. Pillsbury statue on the East Bank greets spring. Installed in 1900, the statue is the oldest piece of public art on campus.

PHOTOGRAPH BY PATRICK O’LEARY

The BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ credit card for University of Minnesota Alumni Association

Grocery store and gas bonus rewards apply to the first $1,500 in combined purchases in these categories each quarter.

Get more cash back for the things you buy most.Plus, a $100 cash rewards bonus offer.

1%

2%

3%

cash back on purchases everywhere, every time

cash back at grocery stores

cash back on gas

To apply for a credit card,

visit newcardonline.comand enter Priority Code VAB3SL.

Carry the only card that helps support University of Minnesota Alumni Association

• $100 cash rewards bonus if you make at least $500 in purchases in the first 90 days*

• Earn rewards automatically

• No expiration on rewards

• No rotating categories

For information about the rates, fees, other costs and benefits associated with the use of this Rewards card, or to apply, go to the website listed above or write to P.O. Box 15020, Wilmington, DE 19850.

*You will qualify for $100 in bonus cash rewards if you use your new account to make purchases totaling at least $500 (exclusive of credits, returns and adjustments) that post to your account within 90 days of the account open date. Limit (1) item per new account. This one-time promotion is limited to new customers opening an account in response to this offer. Allow 8-12 weeks from qualifying for the bonus cash rewards to post to your rewards balance. The value of this reward may constitute taxable income to you. Bank of America may issue an Internal Revenue Service Form 1099 (or other appropriate form) to you that reflects the value of such reward. Please consult your tax advisor, as neither Bank of America, its affiliates, nor their employees provide tax advice.The 2% cash back on grocery store purchases and 3% cash back on gas purchases applies to the first $1,500 in combined purchases in these categories each quarter. After that the base 1% earn rate applies to those purchases. By opening and/or using these products from Bank of America, you’ll be providing valuable financial support to University of Minnesota Alumni Association.This credit card program is issued and administered by FIA Card Services, N.A. Visa and Visa Signature are registered trademarks of Visa International Service Association, and are used by the issuer pursuant to license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. BankAmericard Cash Rewards is a trademark and Bank of America and the Bank of America logo are registered trademarks of Bank of America Corporation.©2014 Bank of America Corporation ARCNHD8J-08282013 AD-06-13-0641_CR Card $100

$100cash rewards bonus offer*

D E L T A D E N T A L I N D I V I D U A L A N D F A M I L Y P L A N SKeeping your smile healthy is key to your overall health. If you’ve let your dental plan lapse, get back on track. For more than 45 years, Minnesotans have trusted Delta Dental with their family’s dental benefits. With the largest network of dentists and affordable dental plans starting under $22 per month, you can enjoy peace of mind and a powerful, healthy smile! Find a plan that fits your needs at ThePowerOfSmile.com, or call 1-866-SMILE-50.

INDIVIDUAL DENTAL PLANS THAT FIT PERFECTLY INTO YOUR RETIREMENT PLANS.

or for more information call 1.866.SMILE 50

Delta Dental of Minnesota is a proud sponsor of Gopher Athletics.

Documents

Summer 2014 Minnesota Magazine