The Mac Weekly

News: February 10, 2012

EPAG report recommends discontinuing Russian Studies

Two-thirds of faculty must vote to overturn at March meeting in order to keep major, minor

Macalester's Educational Policy and Governance committee (EPAG) issued a report on Sunday recommending that "the college should discontinue the major and minor in Russian Studies" and no longer have Russian language classes, placing the future of the field at Macalester in jeopardy.

Students rally to keep Deb Smith teaching at Macalester

Despite consistent rave reviews from students, there is no position at Macalester next year for Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology Deb Smith.

Winter Ball damages to cost Program Board over $2,000

December may feel in the distant past, but issues from Winter Ball continue to affect the Macalester community.

Financial Affairs Committee and Program Board chairs elected for 2012-2013 academic year

The student body elected Kate Hamilton '13 for next year's Financial Affairs Committee (FAC) chair this week in an MCSG election that was held earlier than usual. There was also an election held for the new Program Board (PB) chair, results of which were not available at press time.

A Look Inside the Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center

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News: February 3, 2012

Prof. Weatherford to give commencement address

Macalester's own DeWitt Wallace Professor of Anthropology Jack Weatherford will deliver the commencement speech for the school's 2012 graduation ceremony.

Bed bugs back at Mac, now in Dupre and Kirk

For Justine Sigel '14, her first week as a Macalester student should have been about making friends, adjusting to classes and learning her way around campus. But just days after moving into Dupre Residence Hall on Jan. 19, Sigel—a new transfer student this semester—began to notice some small bites around her chin. With the help of Residential Life, the culprit was quickly identified: her dorm room was infested with bed bugs.

After 16 months, The Grand Sandwich closes its doors

Local eatery The Grand Sandwich closed after 16 months of business last Monday, succumbing to the difficulties of making a new restaurant profitable.

Conservative political orgs to vote in state caucus

Three of Macalester's conservative political groups are working together to send students to the Minnesota Republican Caucus next week to vote in the non-binding straw poll and participate in the precinct delegate election.

Hateful vandalism in Grate prompts paint-over, reflection

The stairwell to the basement of Doty, known by most students as the grate, has been used as a canvas for graffiti, drawings, and messages for many years. Over winter break, unknown individuals sprayed and stenciled several hateful messages on the grate, prompting facilities to paint over the offending images and the rest of the graffiti.

ProfTalk: Adrienne Christiansen on the GOP Primary

Thoughts on debates, Twitter, and the grandiosity of Newt

To make sense of the GOP primary election so far the Mac Weekly sat down with Adrienne Christiansen, an associate professor of Political Science who teaches classes on Cyberpolitics and the Rhetoric of Campaigns and Elections, Christiansen talked about why Newt Gingrich's marital history should not be a subject of debate, how Twitter and other social media platforms are unproven campaign tools, and whether it's too early to tell if Republican infighting will leave Barack Obama with an easy road to re-election.

News: December 9, 2011

At $640, 780, Rosenberg’s total compensation exceeds that of most peers

In 2009, Macalester President Brian Rosenberg was one of the top five highest-paid college presidents among 33 peer institutions, according to figures published earlier this week by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

As Ford plant closes, Mac students look forward

The oldest Ford assembly plant in the country, which for over 80 years provided thousands of jobs to Saint Paul and shaped the Highland Park neighborhood, will close its doors for good on Dec. 19, a few days after the last pickup rolls off the line. Though the loss of a long-standing community cornerstone is hard to contemplate, it will leave behind 122 acres of prime riverfront real estate and infrastructure like heavy rail and hydroelectric power, which many – including Macalester students – see as a great opportunity.

Behavior at Winter Ball puts future of event in jeopardy

Last weekend's Winter Ball was a site for unprecedented student behavior, according to organizers and attendees.

DML dean on HIV: ‘The greatest gift I’ve ever received’

For World Aids Day, new Dean of Multicultural Life Christopher MacDonald-Dennis delivered a talk as part of the Lealtad-Suzuki Center's SPEAK! series in which he conversed openly about being diagnosed with HIV in 1996. This week he sat down with The Mac Weekly to chat about the talk, his history and the legacy he hopes to leave at Macalester.

Yale grad student showcases documentary "They Go to Die"

As part of Macalester's AIDS Week, Yale graduate student Jonathan Smith stopped at Macalester last Tuesday to show and discuss clips of his in-progress documentary They Go To Die.

News: December 2, 2011

Keillor brings Common Good Books to Macalester

Macalester will soon be home to a bookstore owned by one of Saint Paul's most well-known writers: A Prairie Home Companion host Garrison Keillor.

Increase in org requests results in budget cuts

Student orgs at Macalester are set to receive significantly less funding than requested as MCSG finalizes their budgets for the spring semester.

Economic strain means further delay in applying financial aid for international student study abroa

After more than a year of deliberation, Macalester College Student Government (MCSG) is still working with the administration to find cost-neutral solutions to the Equity in Study Abroad resolution that will permit international students to study away, despite restrictions on their financial aid.

Library to adopt 1 a.m. closing time this spring

The Macalester Library will remain open until one a.m. starting next semester.

Student voters opt for construction of ice rink

MCSG investigating cost, feasibility of rollover proposal

While the proposal to construct a winter ice rink won a clear plurality in a vote among students on how to use Macalester College Student Government's $50,000 unallocated surplus, concerns about cost and practicality remain.

News: November 18, 2010

Occupy MN struggles to remain in Government Plaza

A spasm of indignity and concern spread through the protesters. As they marched through a downtown Minneapolis last Tuesday, somebody yelled that security guards were preventing several protesters from catching up to the rest of the group. The threat was imagined, but a pair of occupiers quickly rushed to the rescue nonetheless.

Mac’s accessible living spaces in high demand

The crunch for accessible living space is truly being felt this year as student demands for accessible housing rise. According to Residential Life Operational Manager Kathy McEathron, there has been a dramatic increase in athletic and summer injuries requiring specialized housing.

Religious bulletin boards raise questions in residence halls

Alongside conversations of classes, friends and what's at Café Mac, Macalester's residents of Doty, Turck and Dupre are encouraged this month to talk about religion and spirituality.

RPC recommends keeping a large student body size

Last October, The Mac Weekly reported that in as short a time as two years from now, the college's revenue might not be enough to meet its expenses. Now, the Resource Planning Committee (RPC) and President Brian Rosenberg are in agreement on two measures in face of that problem: keeping the student body size large, and prioritizing competitive faculty and staff salaries over hiring of new personnel.

Students to vote on $50,000 MCSG rollover

Debate over how to use of the $50,000 rollover – which began last April when MCSG announced an unexpected windfall of money from the student activity fee – will come to an end before Thanksgiving.

News: November 11, 2011

Students bring Occupy movement to campus

As the Occupy Wall Street movement turns two months old and, in some cities such as Oakland, California faces serious cases of violence and police brutality, some Macalester students are growing restless with the minimal role the movement has played on campus

Shalaam Coalition: Discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Shalaam Coalition, an organization that got its name by combining the words for peace in Hebrew and Arabic (Shalom and Salaam) was formed in September with the hope of bringing dialogue about the conflict to campus.

Mac writing requirement faces committee’s scrutiny

Macalester's writing requirement might face some changes in the near future, especially if the General Education Requirements Committee (GERC) has anything to say about it.

ResLife enlists dog to rid Bigelow of bed bugs

Bigelow residents can sleep tight after fast action by ResLife and an affected individual quickly eliminated a bed bug infestation.

Richard Rothstein on what’s wrong with school reform

Richard Rothstein, a leading education policy scholar and former New York Times education columnist, spoke to over 100 people at the first annual Education and Advocacy Lecture on November 3rd. Rothstein talked with The Mac Weekly about why he believes education reformers that rely on test scores are misguided, why there is not a teacher quality crisis in urban schools, and the "perverse design" of programs like Teach for America.

News: November 4, 2011

Meet the candidates: St. Paul City Council, Ward 3

St. Paul's Ward 3 City Council 12-year Representative Pat Harris is not running for re-election this year, leaving his seat open to newcomers. Ward 3, which includes Macalester-Groveland and Highland Park neighborhoods, has four candidates in contention for Harris' former spot: Eve Stein, Tylor J. Slinger, Chris Tolbert and John Mannillo. The Mac Weekly got in touch with Eve Stein, Tylor J. Slinger and Chris Tolbert and compiled quotes from John Mannillo's interviews with the Twin Cities Daily Planet and the Pioneer Press in anticipation of the Nov. 8 election.

Mac faculty and staff help rethink legislative lines

Minnesota is redrawing its congressional district lines, and Macalester Professor Karen Saxe and MAX Center counselor Sedric McClure might have a hand on the pen.

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MCSG members ‘concerned’ about org overlap

The Student Organization Committee (SOC) has approved the charters for eight student organizations, and only one organization has disbanded since the start of the school year, which is worrying some members of Macalester College Student Government (MCSG).

UN convenes on climate change and ‘green economy’

Kaia Roemer '12 traveled to Bonn, Germany in early September to take part in the 64th Annual United Nations Department of Public Information Non-Governmental Organizations Conference. The following are two of the articles that Roemer produced about the conference, which was themed "Sustainable Societies; Responsive Citizens."

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Teach for America executive on confronting the achievement gap

A common post-grad plan for Macalester seniors is applying to Teach For America. Garrett Bucks, Chief Creative Officer for Teach for America, talked with The Mac Weekly during his visit to Macalester on October 20. After graduating from Earlham College in 2003, Bucks joined the Teach for America corps in Crown Point, New Mexico. He talked about teaching on a Navajo Indian reservation and whether Teach for America is only a "band-aid" for systemic problems.

TFA and ’09 Mac alum Franz Meyer

TMW's Rachel Adler talked with Franz Meyer '09, a Political Science and Chemistry double-major who taught in the Milwaukee public schools for Teach for America.

October 28, 2011

Students, faculty support Russian at town halls

Olin-Rice 250, typically the scene of Biology lectures and EnviroThursdays, hosted a very different set of discussions last week – three town halls about the potential discontinuance of Russian.

MCSG forums turn out thirteen rollover proposals

Spanning two academic years, the issue of MCSG's $50,000 rollover fund and its discovery in the spring semester of the 2010-11 year has sparked confusion and debate.

Iraqi journalist, doctors, speak at Mac

As a part of the Minneapolis-based Iraqi & American Reconciliation Project (IARP), nine visitors from Najaf, Iraq came to Macalester last Wednesday.

October 21, 2011

MCSG rollover bill sets timeline for $50,000

MCSG passed a Rollover Bill Tuesday night, laying out a timeline for the process to allocate last year's rollover money to projects chosen by the student body. Though all previous discussion of the rollover suggested that the figure in question was $75,000, the bill stated that the rollover amount is $25,000 less than anticipated.

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Full year study abroad restrictions tightened

Macalester's committment to a global experience for its students is not immune from fiscal concerns. Policies limiting Macalester students to study abroad for a full year, as well as continued debate about whether international students may use their financial aid to study abroad, demonstrate that fact. Mac students planning a semester off campus – or hoping for two – now have to consider both new and old restrictions.

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Macalester engages in Occupy Minnesota movement

Students, faculty, alumni among those protesting corporate power

Hundreds marched down Marquette Avenue in downtown Minneapolis last Friday in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street Movement. Brett Srader '12, a member of the Macalester International Socialist Organization (ISO), yelled as loudly as he could, "They got bailed out!" Hundreds of protestors thundered in reply, "We got sold out!"

IGC continues search for new dean

Macalester's Institute for Global Citizenship (IGC) has been absent of a dean since the spring of 2010, and this semester the search is in full force.

Mac students raise Palestinian banner over quad in politically motivated prank

Unless you're an early riser, you probably missed out on an unusual sight the morning of Oct. 4: the Palestinian flag flying above that of the UN on Macalester's flagpole.

October 14, 2011

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Mac to host talks on future of Russian Department

Next week, Macalester students and faculty will discuss the future of Russian Studies at Macalester in a series of three town halls. These will be a part of the full review which Macalester's Educational Policy and Governance Committee (EPAG) is undertaking of the Russian Studies major.

Trustees allocate budget rollover, approve tenure

Macalester's Board of Trustees convened in Weyerhaueser last Friday in the first of three meetings for the 2011/2012 year. The trustees approved a number of motions unanimously, including renewing Macalester's affiliation with the Presbyterian church and allocating funds from a $3.7 million budget surplus. They also approved a French professor for tenure.

MCSG calls for student input on rollover money

In a presentation on Tuesday, Macalester College Student Government's Student Services and Relations Committee outlined their proposed plan to use the rollover - which consists of six years of unused student activity fees, according to an MCSG press release.

MCSG searches for reps for Lecture Coordination Board

Last Sunday, Macalester College Student Government (MCSG) sent out an Application Google Doc for Lectures Coordination Board (LCB) to the entire student body, asking for students interested in forming the body of the board.

Occupy Minnesota movement takes Government Plaza

Nested amongst the government high rises of downtown Minneapolis, the Hennepin County Government Plaza was recently rechristened the "People's Plaza" by hundreds of Occupy Minnesota protesters. For the past week the plaza has been filled with signs reading "Where's my bailout?" and "End Wall Street Welfare" as Minnesotans join the Occupy bandwagon.

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Cafe Mac now celiac-friendly with new gluten-free corner

Cafe Mac launched a new celiac-friendly station for its students last year to ensure that no student goes unfed due to allergies or eating preferences.

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Michael Gazzaniga talks cognitive neuroscience with TMW

Michael Gazzaniga is one of the leaders in the field of cognitive neuroscience, and is currently a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is perhaps best known for pioneering research in patients who have had their corpus callosum severed to treat severe epilepsy, disconnecting their left and right brain hemisphere. These are known as split-brain patients. Currently, he is the director the Law and Neuroscience Project, and is publishing a book entitled, "Who's in Charge? Free Will and the Science of the Brain". The Mac Weekly sat down with Dr. Gazzaniga before his lecture in Kagin on Wednesday to talk about his influences, where neuroscience is headed, and some of the field's most exciting developments.

October 7, 2011

'A dress is not a yes'

SlutWalk comes to Minneapolis

Plain clothed to topless, dressed in outfits ranging from corsets to robot suits, over 600 people marched in SlutWalk Minneapolis, according to event organizers. Minneapolis is the latest city to host this international phenomena, which has also made its way to Berlin, Cape Town, Delhi, and Mexico City, as well as across the United States. SlutWalk originated in Toronto as a reaction to a police officer's suggestion to a group of students that they should "avoid dressing like sluts" to prevent rape.