Bon appétit with family traditions

What traditions are you most looking forward to this Thanksgiving? Call me crazy but I love the day-long cooking extravaganza even more than the food itself!

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, U of M professors are studying the cultural traditions of families across the country. Professor Beeman in CLA’s Department of Anthropology studies eating habits to find the do’s and don’ts of cultural traditions all over the world. Given my age rank in the family, I am thankful we don't have a tradition of forming a procession to the table with the oldest, most prominent, or most-respected people leading the way as many cultures do!

Before you sit down for turkey and stuffing tomorrow, read more or check out this video of Professor Beeman to learn how your family traditions are shaping American holiday dining!

Feel "at home” as a U of M student

Frontier Hall, one of the University's freshman-only residence halls, is home to approximately 735 students

Over 80 percent of first-year students at the University of Minnesota choose to live on campus. With eight residence halls available to freshmen you will be part of a supportive (and fun) environment to meet fellow freshmen and make lasting friendships. Living on campus is a great way to get connected to the University and become involved through Living Learning Communities and student organizations.

Apply for housing online today!
Seniors, if you have applied for admission to the U of M, you can go ahead and apply for housing. You may apply for housing before receiving your admission decision and if you have a preference for room type or residence hall I encourage you to apply early. Your housing assignment will be based on the date you submit the housing application, so the sooner you apply, the more likely you are to be placed in one of your top choices.

Freshman Housing Guarantee
The University guarantees campus housing if you apply by May 1. Any student who submits his or her housing application by May 1 will be guaranteed a spot in one of our residence halls.

For more information about the residence halls and to begin the housing application, please visit: http://www.housing.umn.edu/.

Congratulations, U of M Fulbright Fellows!

The University of Minnesota was recently honored as one of the top institutions in the nation for Fulbright Fellows, according to rankings released by The Fulbright Program.

The Fulbright Program is an internationally recognized fellowship opportunity for students to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. This prestigious exchange program is awarded to students based on merit and demonstration of exemplary leadership.

Meet two of this year's Fulbright recipients from CLA:

Daniel Groth, a 2009 summa cum laude graduate is the recipient of an English Teaching Assistant Grant to South Korea. Groth intends to pursue medical school in the future and will be learning about South Korea’s health care system during his stay. A guitarist, he will also take lessons on the 12-string kayagum, a traditional Korean musical instrument.

Zachary Saathoff, a 2009 graduate of the School of Music with a degree in violin performance, will be headed to Austria to study violin with faculty at the Künstuniversität Graz. He intends to play in a chamber music ensemble, learn about Austria's rich musical history and explore connections between music and art.

Click here to learn more about international scholarship opportunities at the U of M.

From Arabic to Urdu

Did you know that the College of Liberal Arts offers nearly 40 different languages? Many of you are exploring languages in high school. Maybe you want to continue with the language you’ve started or even learn a new language! Learning another language can help you connect with people from different cultures—both in the US and across the world.

Here's a snapshot of language offerings at the University of Minnesota:

• Number of languages offered at the U of M: 36, including American Sign Language


• Number of CLA languages courses: about 400


• Most popular language: Spanish


• Less commonly studied: Swahili, Sanskrit, Ojibway


• CLA's Language Center offers: Bollywood films in Hindi, aerobics in Arabic, Survivor in French, and many more!
  

CLA graduates are in demand

Did you know that the average American changes his or her career path between five and seven times? From the environment to mathematics, human rights to healthcare, and from the global economy to diverse cultures—as a CLA graduate you'll acquire skills that are high in demand in a range of fields across your career lifetime.

The College of Liberal Arts has a long and strong tradition of educating global leaders, ingenious entrepreneurs, and innovative artists. Garrison Keillor , creator of National Public Radio's Prairie Home Companion and esteemed writer and radio personality, is a CLA graduate. Keillor has taught creative writing seminars in CLA, and was recently on campus discussing his new book in Coffman Memorial Union’s bookstore.

Keillor's story illustrates the unparalleled opportunities available to you as a student. CLA has a network of successful graduates who bring their experience and accomplishments back to you as a CLA student!

What is a liberal arts education?

As the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) admissions counselor, I speak with prospective students daily about their interests and what they are hoping to study. Many students say “the liberal arts,” or “I'm undecided but I love writing,” or “I'm really trying to decide between majors in math, psychology, and Russian." To that, I respond that they are wise to consider a liberal arts college!

A liberal arts education provides students with a strong foundation in a variety of subjects to gain a better understanding of the world we live in. A liberal arts education prepares students for a lifetime of opportunities in our ever-changing global economy.

Employers are interested in future leaders and they recruit CLA graduates because they can:

• Turn challenges into opportunities for innovation


• Communicate clearly and persuasively


• Cooperate and with people from diverse backgrounds


• Adapt to a range of complex situations and ever-changing environments


• Analyze and translate knowledge into solutions
  

Want to learn more about the University's fantastic liberal arts education? Then check out this thought-provoking interview with the dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Dr. Parente.

CLA students get real-world experience with Radio K

Have you ever imagined yourself behind the microphone at a radio station? Radio K, the University of Minnesota's award-winning, student-run radio station is playing an eclectic variety of music. It broadcasts on two FM signals in the Twin Cities. Listen for your self locally on 104.5 FM in Minneapolis and 100.7 in St. Paul, or stream online at Radio K's Web site.

Even if you're not dreaming of becoming a DJ, students on campus are working with Radio K as webmasters, sound engineers, news directors, or marketing gurus!