Serving the UMN community since 1900

The Minnesota Daily

Serving the UMN community since 1900

The Minnesota Daily

Serving the UMN community since 1900

The Minnesota Daily

All content by Sam Kean

Shriners sing at Homecoming parade, promote free hospital

by Sam Kean
Published October 22, 2001

The Zuhrah Shrine chanters said they didn't mind being near the end of Saturday morning's Homecoming parade. "We're not in the starting line-up (for the football game), so it's OK," they said. "Maybe around...

U plans to revamp Northrop to attract big-name concerts

by Sam Kean
Published October 17, 2001

University officials decided if Northrop Auditorium wants to be a big-time concert venue, it's going to have to start looking like one. A pending contract between Northrop and independent promoter Jam...

U endowments hit hard by slumping global economy

by Sam Kean
Published October 15, 2001

Due to slumping economic markets worldwide, University endowments took a big hit in the past fiscal year, offsetting five years of high growth. At a Board of Regents presentation Thursday, assets management...

Boynton joins alternative medicine exploration

by Sam Kean
Published October 10, 2001

Alternative medicine practitioners trust their herbs and rituals can prevent and cure some ailments. But widespread acceptance often requires such practices to be blended with and supported by science. Still,...

Cause unknown in Pioneer Hall freshman’s death

by Sam Kean
Published October 8, 2001

For the second time in less than a year, a University freshman died in a campus residence hall. Aaron M. Minor, a 19-year-old College of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences student, was found...

U nursing student aids in Pentagon recovery effort

by Sam Kean
Published October 4, 2001

The e-mail Carolyn Garcia received Sept. 12 didn't surprise her. As soon as the planes hit, she knew she and other Red Cross disaster health services volunteers would be called east. Though recently married,...

Northrop looks to mass-appeal concerts for financial stability

by Sam Kean
Published September 28, 2001

Northrop Auditorium might lack the blowout-rock potential of New York's Madison Square Garden or even downtown's First Avenue. Most promoters probably don't put the 72-year-old building high on their list...

CSOM creates new business enterprise, development program

by Sam Kean
Published September 21, 2001

According to its mission statement, the University doesn't run itself like a business. But with a new business program, a research and technology park blocks from campus, and new funding sources, the process...

Army, Navy recruiters report minimal enlistment increase after attacks

by Sam Kean
Published September 17, 2001

Talk of retaliation to the Sept. 11 attacks has occupied much of the country. But those words have not translated into a spike in military recruits, those likely to undertake such action. Despite talk...

U plans to add 2,500 beds, spend $80 million

by Sam Kean
Published September 14, 2001

As Twin Cities students increasingly demand proximate and affordable housing, the University and private contractors plan to add 2,500 beds within blocks of campus - developments that will send the University...

Costly accreditation surveys help U review programs

by Sam Kean
Published September 11, 2001

The availability of millions of financial aid dollars, the ability of graduate professionals to receive licenses and much of the University's standing among peers can be traced to one condition: This institution...

Law School speaker addresses class on human rights issues

by Sam Kean
Published September 10, 2001

Compared to an ambassadorship and his role in reducing arms in the former Soviet Union, Max Kampelman's talks like the one he gave Friday morning in the Law School might seem anticlimactic. But Kampelman...

Yudof welcomes class of 2005, encourages focus on academics

by Sam Kean
Published September 5, 2001

After only one day, the class of 2005 has already seen a mess of everything the University offers. The New Student Convocation held Tuesday at Northrop Auditorium and the University Field House had administrators,...

Latest science commercialization efforts influenced by U support

by Sam Kean
Published September 4, 2001

Science commercialization - turning science research into capital - has always lingered at the edge of universities. But lately it's edging toward the front. A 1980 federal law shifted commercialization...

Maintaining updated safety codes difficult for U buildings

by Sam Kean
Published August 17, 2001

With building codes and safety regulations constantly shifting, it's impossible for University buildings to remain strictly up to code. But while most campus structures would be illegal if constructed...

U buys into space observatory amid controversy

by Sam Kean
Published August 10, 2001

More than 1,700 road miles separate the University campus from a previously virgin forest on Arizona's Mount Graham, which houses two deep-space telescopes and a third to be completed in 2003. From afar,...

Students pay the price for color textbooks, up-to-date editions

by Sam Kean
Published August 1, 2001

Take a look around next time the checkout line stalls in the bookstore. Count the employees. Follow the fans swaying overhead and feel the climate control. Picture the books' authors and remember their...

Hartwig focuses on neighborhoods

by Sam Kean
Published August 1, 2001

Editor's note: This profile is part of The Minnesota Daily's ongoing coverage of Minneapolis' mayoral candidates. The way Minneapolis mayoral candidate John Hartwig sees it, the real Twin Cities are two...

English faculty, students await permanent home

by Sam Kean
Published July 25, 2001

Based on the words chiseled above the entrance, Lind Hall's first floor makes sense: Institute of Technology advising, an IT associate dean's office and tutorial services are all important to a "College...

U student’s family separated by Falun Gong crackdown

by Sam Kean
Published July 16, 2001

When Falun Gong practitioner Cheng Wan left China in 1998 for graduate school, he did so without the suspicion of the Chinese government. The Falun Gong spiritual movement had not yet been outlawed in...

Regents OK tuition increase, budget changes

by Sam Kean
Published July 13, 2001

The University's slimmer 2001-02 operating budget and its University-wide consequences dominated discussion at the Board of Regents meeting Thursday. As a result of the University receiving approximately...

CSWE dismisses discrimination suit against University

by Sam Kean
Published July 11, 2001

The Council on Social Work Education officially dismissed a discrimination charge against the University's School of Social Work last week, ensuring the school will face no penalties. At a CSWE meeting...

McDonald announces bid to replace ‘weak mayor’

by Sam Kean
Published July 6, 2001

  Editor's note: This is the second of The Minnesota Daily's profiles on each of Minneapolis' mayoral candidates. Lisa McDonald celebrated her 46th birthday at city hall Thursday by becoming the eighth...

Journal price hikes force libraries to cut collections

by Sam Kean
Published June 22, 2001

One issue of the scientific journal "Brain Research" costs about $137. Not bad, except "Brain Research" publishes 124 issues annually, for a total cost of more than $17,000 for one journal subscription....

Minnesota AMA reps to present drug price regulation resolutions

by Sam Kean
Published June 18, 2001

At the annual American Medical Association meeting in Chicago this week, the Minnesota delegation will present resolutions attempting to regulate the price of pharmaceutical drugs. In recent months, drug...

U mourns retired ecology, evolution and behavior professor

by Sam Kean
Published June 15, 2001

Few could peer as deep into a sharp V of Minnesota geese as Frank McKinney. So the passing of this world expert on waterfowl behavior leaves his field like a scattered V. A professor emeritus in the department...

CSWE dismisses student’s bias complaint against U

by Sam Kean
Published June 13, 2001

The national accreditation agency for the University's School of Social Work has recommended the dismissal of a complaint filed by a student alleging the school discriminated against her because of a disability. In...

University seeks continued faculty, staff diversity

by Sam Kean
Published June 8, 2001

Despite improvements in the last decade, the University still seeks to increase women and minority representation among faculty and staff. Between 1990 and 2000 faculty decreased by 327 members. However,...

Students learn faces; U home to diverse crew

by Sam Kean
Published June 6, 2001

Every school day 60,000 people appear on the University campus. That might not seem possible, but wait a few months. There aren't many other places in the state with such a flood of faces, faces, faces. Still,...

Construction engulfs U; frustration abounds

by Sam Kean
Published June 6, 2001

No, the University didn't get bombed. Just tolerate the crater-sized mudpits, closed roads and building skeletons because it's all for your benefit. Eventually. At any one time, the University has 400...

Bookstores, Web offer students variety in costs

by Sam Kean
Published June 6, 2001

Go to the University Bookstore or Student Book Store early - at orientation, if possible. Go there, maybe be impressed and get it out of the way. But don't think for a second it's the only place to get...

U conference to address high diabetes rates among minorities

by Sam Kean
Published June 4, 2001

It crept up slowly on Minnesota's population, climbing the death lists each year as blood vessels hardened and depression deepened. Diabetes might be overlooked when naming serious health risks, but officials...

U HIV infection rate low and steady despite state trend

by Sam Kean
Published May 30, 2001

Despite a rise in HIV infections in Minnesota, Boynton health officials estimated last Wednesday that the rate of student HIV infections has remained steady for a number of years at around one infection...

South Africa rules out purchasing AIDS drugs

by Sam Kean
Published May 23, 2001

Despite months of activism and a landmark court case, the status and price of Ziagen - an AIDS drugs partly developed at the University - will remain unchanged for the foreseeable future. In late April,...

Living with clinical depression: the ‘common cold’ of mental health

by Sam Kean
Published December 11, 2000

Guilt still stings Carrie Nelson, usually in the mornings when the weight of a full day is on her mind. Lying awake in her bed, she doesn't cry for past deceptions or for hurting her family or boyfriend. Instead,...

Staff and faculty asked to donate

by Sam Kean
Published December 4, 2000

Officials of Campaign Minnesota, the University's $1.3 billion fund-raising drive, recently asked faculty and staff members to dig deeper to help ensure the future success of the University. The campaign...

Policy monitors posting of lecture notes online

by Sam Kean
Published December 1, 2000

A policy condemning the publication of lecture notes online has been amended to protect students, but controversy still surrounds the University's right to enforce such a policy in the first place. Under...

University Muslims celebrate fasting and purification together

by Sam Kean
Published November 28, 2000

For most Muslims in the United States, including those at the University, Monday morning marked the beginning of Ramadan, a time of spiritual devotion considered the holiest month in the Islamic year. Ramadan...

Yudof joins panel to develop, oversee national college placement tests

by Sam Kean
Published November 21, 2000

University President Mark Yudof's influence will soon be felt by students across the country. Yudof was named to the board of trustees at the Education Testing Service, the organization responsible for...

Native American community honors scholarship recipients

by Sam Kean
Published November 20, 2000

With tribal dress and solemn song, the Native American community recognized its University scholarship winners Friday night with a traditional dance of honor. Various University and community Native American...

University Senate revises several

by Sam Kean
Published November 17, 2000

While joking about the stalled presidential election, the University Senate managed to finalize a number of issues Thursday. In the student-faculty governing body's meeting, members addressed rising health...

Institute celebrates fifteen years of community service for disabled

by Sam Kean
Published November 17, 2000

Throughout his life and as University vice president and provost, Bob Bruininks has had personal and professional exposure to people with disabilities. Fifteen years ago, his experiences culminated in...

Eastcliff recognized as national historic site

by Sam Kean
Published November 15, 2000

Eastcliff Estate, the home of University presidents since 1958, has long served as an unofficial Minnesota landmark. But now, the word "unofficial" can be dropped from that description. The National Park...

Kahn prevails over Bowman in East Bank House race

by Sam Kean
Published November 8, 2000

Staff Reporters Veteran DFL lawmaker Phyllis Kahn will continue her 28-year-career as state representative of the University's East Bank, beating University student Ben Bowman with about 70 percent of...

Local candidates retain big

by Sam Kean
Published November 6, 2000

Though each have different ideas, local candidates for the state House and Senate agree on the University's importance to Minnesota's well-being. In the end, however, one factor -- money -- controls both...

U awards former professor honorary doctorate of law degree

by Sam Kean
Published November 3, 2000

Willard Cochrane, agricultural adviser to President Kennedy and an architect of the modern food stamp program, received an honorary doctorate of law degree from the University last Friday. Cochrane was...

New director to focus on prevention of academic fraud

by Sam Kean
Published November 1, 2000

In a continuing effort to reduce academic dishonesty, the University named Betty Hackett as the first director of the Office of Student Academic Integrity. As former director of Student Judicial Affairs,...

Kahn, Bowman face off at U Law School

by Sam Kean
Published October 27, 2000

Candidates for the East Bank area state House seat Ben Bowman and Phyllis Kahn discussed the University's future, affordable housing, health care and transportation in a debate at the Law School last night. The...

Tuition benefits for

by Sam Kean
Published October 23, 2000

At a faculty Senate meeting Thursday, University President Mark Yudof temporarily dashed the hopes of employees seeking tuition benefits for dependents. Yudof acknowledged it makes sense to give faculty...

Utask force calls for new health care provider

by Sam Kean
Published October 20, 2000

An employee committee Thursday recommended the University break away from its current health care provider, citing a lack of options and the absence of benefits for domestic partners. The University Health...

U hires author to teach social aspects of technology

by Sam Kean
Published October 18, 2000

Jon Katz wrote the recent best-seller "Geeks: How Two Teenagers Rode the Internet Out of Idaho," for one main reason: to document life on the Internet, something he calls the freest subculture on earth. This...

Best-selling author visits teaches U classes

by Sam Kean
Published October 18, 2000

Jon Katz, a journalism professor in residence, has written two recent best-selling books, "Geeks" and "Running to the Mountain." Katz has worked as a columnist at Wired, Rolling Stone and the Boston Globe...

University grad who studies econometrics wins Nobel Prize

by Sam Kean
Published October 16, 2000

Regardless of what happens when the interstate entrance ramp meters are shut off this morning, some Minnesotans might wonder why they were turned on in the first place. Work by University graduate and...

University still faces problem of dwindling faculty members

by Sam Kean
Published October 13, 2000

Sociology professor Candace Kruttschnitt faced a decision a few years ago: remain in a department eroded by University budget cuts or move on to a different college. After a commitment from the dean's...

Scholar’s Walk sets faculty contributions in stone, links alumni center to campus

by Sam Kean
Published October 11, 2000

Students might forget that names like Kolthoff and Borlaug Hall represent more than just buildings on campus. A new Scholar's Walk, though, will help the University community remember the people behind...

Active recruitment brings new minority faculty members to U

by Sam Kean
Published October 6, 2000

Although the University has increased minority faculty from 7 percent to 12 percent in the last decade, officials say the numbers are not as high as they should be. Last night, the University held its...

Task force prepares to implement new biotechnology major

by Sam Kean
Published October 3, 2000

Biotechnology is finally arriving in its own right at the University. Rather than taking a few biotechnology courses to enhance undergraduate studies, University students interested in biotechnology will...

Global studies major and minor added to University curriculum

by Sam Kean
Published September 29, 2000

Drawing on the strength of two different areas, the University instituted a new global studies major and minor for the 2000-01 academic year. Global studies replaced the old international relations major...

University department head elected vice-chairman of committee

by Sam Kean
Published September 26, 2000

As the newly elected vice-chair of the University's Faculty Consultative Committee, Joseph Massey has dozens of responsibilities. But according to Massey, the position can be boiled down to one thing:...

administrators begin implementing integrity measures

by Sam Kean
Published September 22, 2000

Most students have a standard pre-test checklist: pencils with erasers, a calculator and two blue books. Now the University is considering adding one more pre-test ritual: signing a form promising academic...

rt history chair and professor dies at 76

by Sam Kean
Published September 15, 2000

Most professors find keeping up with the demands of their job hard enough. But Marion Nelson, a former chair of the art history department and professor emeritus who died of pancreatic cancer at his home...

ew program will enhance professors’ computer skills

by Sam Kean
Published September 15, 2000

To inject more technology into the classroom, the University's Digital Media Center is funding a new program this fall. The Faculty Fellowship program allows faculty members release time so they can explore...

Freshman seminars challenge stereotypes of large universities

by Sam Kean
Published September 11, 2000

For once, freshmen have a leg up on everyone else. Whether they want to know "How to Win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry" or just want to improve their decision-making skills, a freshman seminar might be the...

U, city envision research incubator

by Sam Kean
Published January 30, 2000

Two of the credos chiseled above Northrop Auditorium watch over the University both literally and figuratively. "Dedicated to the advancement of learning and search for truth," reads one. Just below that:...

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