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Alumni Association Home > Past Issues > 2009 > March-April 2009   Print View Alumni Association Angle Happy Campers. Every student knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day--especially when it's winter and you've spent the night camping outside, as these four students did in 1957. With Coffman Union in the background, they cooked their grub before heading off to class. 2009 Annual Celebration a Musical Feast The U’s outstanding performing arts tradition will take center stage for the 2009 University of Minnesota Alumni Association Annual Celebration on May 1. The Alumni Association is pleased to partner with the School of Music and Northrop Auditorium to present Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Op. 125 (choral), featuring the University Symphony Orchestra and Combined Choirs. Internationally renowned conductor Mark Russell Smith, artistic director of orchestral studies at the U and director of new projects for the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, will make his debut with the University orchestra. Kathy Saltzman Romey, director of choral activities at the University Photograph by Greg Helgeson and artistic director of the Minnesota Chorale, will conduct the chorus. Nearly 300 students will perform in the orchestra and chorus, creating a work of majestic scope. The Ninth Symphony incorporates the rapturous “Ode to Joy,” one of the most beloved works in Western music. The evening will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a reception and a gourmet boxed supper at the University Recreation Center. Following the annual meeting, guests will adjourn to Northrop Auditorium, where they will be seated in premium reserved seats. Transportation to Northrop will be provided for those who need assistance. Tickets for the annual celebration are $45 for members and $50 for nonmembers. This is a rare opportunity Photograph by Greg Helgeson to enjoy some of the University’s finest musical talent. Make plans now to be part of this memorable evening. Watch for details at www.alumni.umn.edu. Great Conversations: Eavesdropping Encouraged Breakthroughs in medicine and the role of the Supreme Court will be the topics of conversation for this year’s Great Conversations series on April 14 and May 12. Now in its eighth year, Great Conversations pairs outstanding scholars from the University of Minnesota with world-renowned experts in a discussion of important current issues. The April conversation will feature celebrated University of Minnesota heart researcher Doris Taylor and Mayo The University Symphony Orchestra and Combined Choirs, 200 students strong, will take the stage at Northrop Auditorium for the Alumni Association's 2009 annual celebration on May 1. Attendees will receive premium seating for the concert. Clinic pediatrician and Chair of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents Patricia Simmons. They will discuss innovative breakthrough therapies that hold promise for treating and curing now-fatal ailments. May’s conversation will pair University Provost and former law school dean Thomas Sullivan with Pepperdine University Law School Dean and former U.S. Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr in a discussion about the impact of the United States Supreme Court on American life. Sessions begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Ted Mann Concert Hall on the West Bank. Alumni Association members receive a $5 discount on the regular ticket price of $28.50. For more information and to order tickets, go to www.cce.umn.edu/conversations World renowned heart researcher Doris Taylor of the University of Minnesota, keynote speaker at last year's Alumni Association annual clebration is among the featured guests at this yera's Great Conversations. or call 612-624-2345. On Tap at the Arboretum Water and its intricate, essential relationship to people and plants is the theme of the 2009 summer exhibition at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum June 6 through October 4. Bringing together the voices of artists, scientists, and horticulturists, “Waterosity” will celebrate this precious resource through thought-provoking and playful installations and exhibits. Among the items on exhibit will be a new permanent display that demonstrates how to return rainwater to earth using a green roof, rain barrels, and rain gardens; a display about water-wise living and landscaping, including information on new, water-efficient grass Former federal independent counsel Kenneth Starr, the dean of Pepperdine University Law School, is among the featured guests at this year's Great Conversations. varieties; a juried exhibition of 10 art installations depicting the interplay of people, plants, and water; and kid-friendly features including shows by Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre. Alumni Association members are eligible for a $5 discount on the $35 annual membership fee to the Arboretum. Members of the Arboretum are entitled to free admission and other benefits. The Arboretum has 1,000 acres of magnificent gardens, and natural areas and extensive northern-hardy plant collections. For information, visit www.arboretum.umn.edu or call 952-443-1400. Legislative Advocacy Kicks into Gear The biennium budget proposed by Governor Take Back the Tap is one of ten winning entries in the Waterosity exhibition at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum June 6 through October 4. It can be previewed at the Galleria shopping center in Edina March 15 through April 30. Tim Pawlenty (B.A. ’83, J.D. ’86) that would eliminate $156.1 million in funding for the University of Minnesota framed the 2009 legislative briefing at the McNamara Alumni Center on January 28. Gathering the day after the governor unveiled his budget proposal, 370 alumni, students, faculty, and staff joined members of the Board of Regents and several legislators to hear President Bob Bruininks’ assessment of the governor’s budget and his thoughts on the role of higher education in creating a strong economy. A portion of the session was dedicated to participants writing letters to their legislators about the value of the University. Those letters—more than 400 in all—were delivered to delegations Supporters of the University showed up in force to the 2009 legislative briefing at the McNamara Alumni Center in Juanary. A portion of the evening was dedicated to writing letters to legislators about the importance of the University to Minnesotans. representing 52 of Minnesota’s 67 legislative districts in early February. “We got a budget cut yesterday and then you all showed up tonight,” Bruininks said in thanking attendees for their dedication to legislative advocacy on behalf of the U. He reiterated his position that the University is prepared to do its part to help the state address a multi-billion-dollar budget shortfall, but termed the governor’s proposal a disproportionate cut. He called for serious public debate about the implications of cutting more than $150 million from the U’s budget given the school’s history of creating jobs and stimulating growth throughout the state. Criticizing the wide swings in funding that the U has Photograph by Erika Gratz experienced in recent years, he noted that the governor’s budget would mark the first time in the U’s history that tuition brings in more revenue than state funding. “That’s nothing to be proud of,” he said. Bruininks praised the student legislative advocates who had testified earlier in the week to the House Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance Committee. Those students, both graduate and undergraduate, voiced their concerns that budget cuts would reduce the quality of their education. Grassroots advocacy is essential as the University works with legislators and the governor throughout the legislative session. A template of the letter to legislators is available at www.supporttheu.umn.edu. Photograph by Rodrigo Zamith The site also contains important facts about the University, along with suggestions for how to be an effective advocate. Welcome! The Alumni Association is pleased to welcome new chapters in central Florida and Sarasota, Florida. This brings to five the number of Alumni Association chapters in the Sunshine State. Visit www.alumni.umn.edu/chapters for contacts in your area and to learn about events. Gophers Head to the South Seas Twelve alumni left the late winter doldrums of Minnesota behind for Tahiti and French Polynesia February 1 through 9 with the Alumni Association travel program. Save the Date! The eighth annual Photograph by Rodrigo Zamith Classes Without Quizzes will be held Saturday, April 4 on the St. Paul Campus. The Alumni Society of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences hosts this spirited and fun half day of learning and networking. Participants can choose to attend one or two classes from a varied and intriguing lineup of offerings, all taught by CFANS faculty. Past topics have included chocolate, trout streams, aging, bees, and other topics. For details on this year’s program, visit www.cfans.umn.edu/cwq.

Last modified on 3/24/2009 12:35:04 PM ©2009 by the University of Minnesota Alumni Association. The University of Minnesota Alumni Association is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

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