Can I get an incomplete?

I have forgotten who I have told and who I haven't told, but in the interest of communicating to all my students, you should all know that my Mom is back in the hospital and is not doing well.

She came with me to Minnesota on 11/19, and went into the hospital on 11/24. Her liver is failing and she is not responding positively thus far to the medical interventions that have been given. The next couple of days will be key for her, but honestly, I think she has given up. So, she is dying. Whether she dies in the next week or so or over the next few months is still in question. But there it is.

I know this has been a frustrating semester for all of you and that I have not been able to be as attentive as you and I would both like. I am doing my best to balance my work and family responsibilities, but am probably failing a little at both. Maybe that's the best I can hope for at this point. I hope I'm also succeeding a little. :) Maybe? If nothing else, I hope you feel I have been honest with you throughout and have kept you informed to the best of my abilities.

Please continue to email questions to me; I will respond fastest to those. I am also in the office (at this point) each day this week and will do my best to meet with you if that is helpful.

Thank you to all for your continued support, patience, and understanding.

Summer Field Study Course Scholarships

FYI...

Civil Rights Movement: History and Consequences Scholarships

As part of its January 2011 events in honor of the work and life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the MCTC Foundation will once again award scholarships for two MCTC students to participate in “The Civil Rights Movement: History and Consequences,” a summer field-study course offered in partnership with the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs (HECUA—www.hecua.org).

This 4-credit course, which will take place from June 8-29, 2011, explores the philosophy, practice, and historical implications of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. After 3 full-day seminars in the Twin Cities, students will spend two weeks on the road, interacting with current and former civil rights activists and visiting key sites of the struggle in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Throughout the course, students will explore the theory and practice of social change and reflect upon the links between past and current struggles around race, class and inequality. The course fee includes tuition; room, board and transportation outside of the Twin Cities; and admission to museums and other sites.

Strong applicants will demonstrate leadership ability and potential, an interest in the Civil Rights movement, commitment to advancing intercultural understanding on campus and beyond, an ability to connect one’s participation in the course to future goals, a high potential for success in the course, and financial need.

The scholarships, generously funded by Target Corporation, will cover $2500 of the $2,900 program fee. Scholarship funds will be directly applied to the course fees and scholarship recipients will be responsible for covering the remaining $400.

Complete application packets MUST be received by the MCTC Office of College Advancement (K1100) on or before 4 p.m. on Monday, December 20, 2010.

For more information about the scholarship, contact Amy McCarthy (College Advancement Office, 612.659.6313, amy.mccarthy@minneapolis.edu ) or Lena Jones (Political Science Faculty, 612-659-6010, lena.jones@minneapolis.edu)

Police find man naked, wrecking bookshelves - Technician - News

So, LIT program students (and interested INFS students too...), how would YOU handle this situation if you were the staff member in charge?

Police find man naked, wrecking bookshelves - Technician - News

Still working from Nebraska

My Mom is recovering now in a nursing home in Nebraska City, and I'm spending days commuting between Lincoln, where her house is and where I'm staying, and Nebraska City, about 50 miles away. I'm logging into my email in the mornings before I head over there, and in the evenings, before I collapse in a heap.

In the meantime, I hang out with her, talk to her physical and occupational therapists, make friends with her roommate and other residents, and generally feel my energy sucked away as I feed it to her. That said, she is improving every day, and gaining strength. If all goes as planned, I'll be heading back to Minnesota on November 20 with my mom. She'll be living with me and my family for at least a couple of months.

So, keep emailing me when you have questions to ensure I see your questions right away. And thanks again for everyone's patience.

Library Tours!

LIBT 1100 will be touring 2 unique special libraries in St. Paul this week:

Saturday, November 6th @ 10:30 a.m.: Quatrefoil Library Q Library Website
Wednesday, November 10th @ 10:00 a.m.: MN State Law Library MN State Law Library website

LIBT program students are invited to join us for one or both of these tours.
To RSVP or for more information, please contact: Jennifer.Sippel@minneapolis.edu