Alma Matters September 2024 Newsletter
CLA is a vibrant hub for cultivating a thriving democracy. Our classrooms are the breeding grounds for critical thinking and interdisciplinary learning, exposing students to a wide range of perspectives. Our research actively improves people's lives, creating new knowledge and healthier communities. And our community connections serve as a powerful reminder that our work is collaborative and inclusive—we build a vibrant society together. In preparation for Election Day, we lift up the many ways in which our students, faculty, staff, and alumni contribute to a healthy democracy.
Read this month's feature story, How the Liberal Arts Shape Democracy.
Dean's Corner
"We in CLA are always interested in the ways in which a liberal arts education fosters civic engagement. But in these times, the question is even more pressing than usual. In this issue of Alma Matters, we look at some of the intersections between the liberal arts and civic engagement. The liberal arts encourage us to examine the world we live in through multiple lenses."
Stories & More
The Institute for Advanced Study is thrilled to announce the 2024–25 (In)Justice Series on Just Policing. In conversation with community activists and leading scholars, participants will critically examine how policing intersects with broader societal issues across the globe and explore efforts to reform, transform, or abolish policing.
The University of Minnesota Alumni Association invites families with U of M alumni to celebrate the special legacy they are passing on to their student(s). Celebrating Gopher Families Brunch, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, will feature photos with Goldy, remarks from a long-time Gopher family, and special pinning ceremony for students and their alumni family members.
Serpentina Arts is a collective of Minnesota-based Latinx visual artists dedicated to fostering creative and professional development. During their recent Liberal Arts Engagement Hub residency, Serpentina Arts partnered with the Department of Chicano & Latino Studies to gain knowledge on oral history, archives, and collections.
In 2011, the late Myrtle and Charles Stroud made a lasting impact on CLA and its students. Myrtle, a former schoolteacher, and Charles, a Minnesota businessman, gave the largest gift in the college's history to establish the Charles and Myrtle Stroud Scholarship. Here are the stories of three scholarship recipients.
What can religious horror media teach us about morality, truth, and faith? Assistant professor Ruth DeFoster (Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication) tackles these topics with a cohort of cultural scholars in her new book Catholic Horror on Television.
The Department of American Indian Studies invites all CLA alumni to join them on Wednesday, Oct. 30 for a community celebration of their new academic home, Pattee Hall. Open House to follow, with opportunities to learn more about the Dakota language, Ojibwe language, and new PhD programs: Pattee Hall Opening.
Lianna Farber teaches ENGL 1004, the popular class on banned books twice this year. As part of Banned Books Week, we asked her to share some insights into this nuanced issue and the power of books: Getting on the Same Page About Book Bans.
Your nominations are needed! Help us recognize the outstanding faculty who enhanced your life and submit a nomination for a CLA Teaching Award by Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. To be considered for one of these awards, faculty and instructors must be nominated by five current and/or former students.
Homecoming 2024: October 21 - 26
Front Page News
Check out these recent headlines highlighting how the liberal arts are not only the heart of the University, but more critical than ever for understanding the world and our place in it.
Dustin Morrow, a UMN linguistics doctoral student, and linguistics alum Aandeg Muldrew voiced roles in this landmark version of the 1977 film (Minnesota Star Tribune).
Political science professor Andrew Karch discusses how Walz's presence on the ticket could boost voter turnout for Democrats and Republicans (MPR News).
Minnesota Poll: Walz approval rating holds steady amid VP run, has narrow edge in favorability
Learn a little more about one of the largest, hardest-working ensembles in town—the U's 320-plus-piece marching band (Mpls.St.Paul Magazine).
Black Label Movement, founded by the Theatre Arts & Dance Professor Carl Flink, has been holding a series of open rehearsals on campus to get ready for the American Dance Festival (Minnesota Star Tribune).
Minnesota-based Black Label Movement prepares for world premiere of ‘Battleground’ in tilled dirt
Several groups in the community are trying to remedy low voter turnout in Winona County. Associate professor Dan Myers (political science) says social ties make people likelier to vote (MPR News).
Can Winona County turn around its lagging voter turnout? These people are working to do that
CLA offers the only four-year Dakota language major. What goes into the major, and what could it mean looking forward (Mpls.St.Paul Magazine)?
The liberal arts are essential in shaping the leaders and informed citizens our democracy needs.
Career readiness, study abroad, internship opportunities, and scholarship support - just a handful of ways you can support academic excellence while investing in the future of democracy. Your contributions to CLA empower our students and faculty to continue actively engaging with the pressing issues of our time. Donate to the College of Liberal Arts.
