Eye on U
University responds, adjusts after bridge collapse
University President Robert Bruininks, in the aftermath of the Aug. 1 collapse of the I-35W bridge, said, “As is so often the case, tragedy brings out the best in people. Our own University Police were some of the very first to respond to this tragedy.”
Three fourth-year medical students walked to the bridge moments after the collapse, they recalled in an Aug. 16 university eNews story. They caught a ride across the river on a rescue boat. The three, Heather Nelson, Melissa Wayne and Nicole Kopari, worked to check pulses, respiration, and cervical stability on the people the rescue workers had pulled to safety. Kopari said she didn’t have much time to comprehend what had happened. “Then, when things calmed down, I said, ‘I think I’m going to cry now.’”
Phil Thompson, pianist and spring graduate from the university’s Carlson School of Management, composed “Final Ride Home” in less than two hours, two days after the bridge collapse, he said in a report in the online Aug. 16 UMNnews. “It just came out. The song reflects my emotions from the second day after it happened,” Thompson told the university’s Rick Moore.
The song can be downloaded for 99 cents through iTunes and CD Baby, and all proceeds will go to the Twin Cities chapter of the American Red Cross. Thompson hopes to raise $1 million. The song and video are also available here or on YouTube.
Unions, university prepare for strike
At press time, clerical, healthcare, and technical civil service workers represented by union bargaining units at the university’s Twin Cities and Duluth campuses were to take a strike vote Aug. 23. If approved, a strike could be authorized to start the first day of fall classes, Tuesday, Sept. 4, according to union members. Wage contract negotiations between the unions and the university had stalled, although reopening negotiations was considered an option. Union job categories include library assistants, medical and dental assistants, and clerical staff.
The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) represents 3,500 workers on the Twin Cities and Duluth campuses.
In an interview, union member Jeanette Bleeker, a 15-year Southeast Como resident and an executive accounts specialist in the School of Dentistry, commented that the prospect of a strike is scary. “But, the alternative is scarier,” she said. She said she has watched her utility bills increase and “watched my standard of living deteriorate. Accepting a small pay package” shouldn’t be a part of that, she said.
Patti Dion, a director in employee relations and member of the university negotiating team, told the Minnesota Daily that the university’s contract offer was good, and higher than the one accepted two years ago. Dion said the university has plans ready if there is a strike.
Mini medical school course is open to the public
The university’s Academic Health Center invites the public to “improve your knowledge about current health-related topics” by enrolling in a five-session Mini Medical School in October and November. The course is taught by an inter-professional team of leading faculty health center members.
The sessions will be held on Mondays, Oct. 8–Nov. 5, 6–8:30 p.m., in the Coffman Union Theater, 300 Washington Ave. Cost is $75, which includes program materials and refreshments. Space is limited. Register online.
First openly lesbian congresswoman to lecture on public policy
U.S. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, the only openly lesbian member of the U.S. House of Representatives, will deliver the eighth Spear Lecture on Public Policy at 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 15, in the Cowles Auditorium at the Humphrey Institute, 301 19th Ave. S. The lecture is free and open to the public. Baldwin was elected to Congress in 1998, making her the first woman from Wisconsin to serve in the House of Representatives.
“Tribal Time” talk continues institute series
The Institute for Advanced Study’s “Symposium on Time” continues, featuring “Tribal Time, Ceremony, and Public Art,” presented by Hachivi Edgar Heap of Birds, Native American Studies, University of Oklahoma, Thursday, Sept. 13, 4–5:30 p.m., 125 Nolte Center, 315 Pillsbury Dr. SE.
Other institute events:
Roundtable on Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner,” with Margaret Mills, William Beeman, and Bali Sahota, Monday, Sept. 17, 4 p.m., 125 Nolte Center.
Time Symposium Lunch, Thursday, Sept. 20, 12–1:30 p.m., 125 Nolte Center.
“Where Did Trolls Come From?” lecture by Prof. Anatoly Liberman, Department of German, Scandinavian and Dutch, Thursday, Sept. 20, 4 p.m., 140 Nolte Center.
“Gender and the Historian’s Gaze: The Example of a Transvestite in the 13th Century,” lecture by Didier Lett, Universite Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne, Thursday, Sept. 27, 4 p.m., 140 Nolte Center.
“American Mediterranean: Southern Slaveholders in the Age of Emancipation,” presented by Matthew Pratt Guteri, African American and African Diaspora Studies, Indiana University, Thursday, Sept. 20, 4 p.m., 125 Nolte Center. Co-sponsored by the Department of History.
“Performance and Social Justice Collaborative: Conversation on Environment and Communities of Color,” presented by Shalini Gupta, senior energy associate, Izaak Walton League; and Cecilia Martinez, Environmental Justice Education and Advocacy Collaboration, Women’s Environmental Institute, Thursday, Sept. 27, 4 p.m., 125 Nolte Center.
“The Poetry of Time and the Disorientation of Memory,” a music and video project, will be presented by Justin Rubin, Music, University of Minnesota Duluth, and John Merigliano, multimedia artist, Philadelphia, on Monday, Oct. 1, 4–5:30 p.m., 125 Nolte Center.
All events are free and open to the public. Detailed information is available here or by calling 612-626-5054.
Weisman Art Museum: “Documenting China” exhibit, reception
“Documenting China: Contemporary Photography and Social Change” exhibition, Sept. 8–Nov. 25, Weisman Art Museum. Reception Sept. 14, 7–9 p.m.: view the exhibition, music by Zhang Ying, and refreshments from Rainbow Chinese Restaurant. Tickets $10/$5 WAM members, seniors, and students. RSVP by calling 612-626-4747.
Complete listing of programs available here, or call 612-625-9494.
U of M info
University of Minnesota information, directories, maps, and parking, can be found on the U of M website. edu/twincities. University information by phone is at
612-625-5000.
last revised: September 7, 2007