"We're so gosh darn excited about school" cupcakes

The first week of spring semester 2010 went very well for both Kelly and I. We got to see familiar dreamboats and met new ones. On Thursday,the last day of class for the both of us, we rewarded ourselves with cupcakes. Just because we can. And as CEOs we can do whatever we please. These are the "we're so gosh darn excited about school" cupcakes not the usual "new vicodin" cupcakes.

damn good cupcakes. Thanks Hards Times Cafe for selling such delicious chocolate raspberry cupcakes!!!

local news is good for something, for once!

In the new light of Haitian tragedy (just the tragedy this month, not the tragedy of its entire history), interest has definitely sparked around this country and the aftermath of the earthquake. Haiti is more than an earthquake, however. University of Minnesota professor April Knutson has focused her research and done work in Haiti extensively. She shares her passion for this suffering nation with all of her students, and since the earthquake, has been a notable source on the well-hidden history of Haiti.

She was interviewed by WCCO and the University this week. April explains, as well as she could through the ambiguous narration of the interviewer, the way that this nation has been tortured for centuries. You should DEFINITELY watch this video here.

Unfortunately April's Marxisms class, where she exposes students to global sufferings of capitalism and colonialism (such as that in Haiti), has been canceled this semester
(thanks U of M!).

She is also now featured on the UofM CLA website, which includes this audio interview on Haiti:

It's unfortunate that such a catastrophe was the only way that people might learn a bit about this country, but hopefully people do so now. We, particularly as students, tend to live in a bubble. Amazing people, exceptional professors that actually engage the world and articulate change, such as April, exist in our University; it is an utter waste of an education not to learn from them!

Spring 2010, when all your dreams will come true.

We are both very excited for the semester ahead, although fall semester was... treacherous, at best. Since we're nearing the end of undergrad studies, every dreamcourse is important!

SPRING 2010

HIST 3402W Latin American History 1825 - Present, with Pat McNamara :: Necessary (survey course) and DEFINITELY A DREAMBOAT COURSE. I really like Latin American history, but this will only be my third class on it. The booklist consists of a bunch of novels with difference themes/perspectives. Really, everything about this class is magical.

AMIN 3301 American Indian Philosophies :: Somehow I managed to have never taken a class that satisfies Cultural Diversity, which makes no sense at all (Multiracial Feminism what?), but it led me to this course! The booklist is ridiculous, and the description has made me pretty confident that this class will be worthwhile.

HIST 4961W Major Paper, with Saje Mathieu :: SO TERRIFIED AND EXCITED. Though the different workshops and prep things have made the senior thesis process seem a little less daunting, I'm still petrified. Also, I'm taking this course with Saje Mathieu, which means even more pressure to write a wonderful paper, but also probably a better experience!

ARTS 3420 Visiting Artists Program :: A few lectures throughout semester from, as stated, visiting artists. A one-credit course that will also bring me back into arts and things.

GWSS 3503 Women and the Law, with Rebecca Moskow:: I just added this class 5 minutes ago, against my better interest as far as sanity/time goes. I really don't want to have a semester without a GWSS course, and Rebecca Moskow is super duper fantastic. While generally the law is my least plausible interest as far as feminisms (or most things) go, analyzing the ways that the law affect the lived experiences of women in particular? This class will be amazing.

In summary -- VERY EXCITED INDEED.

And as far as fruits go, right now I am eating an english muffin with Cloudberry jam on it. And no, dear readers, this is not an manual fruit concoction; it's a real fruit, straight from Jesus!

Wikipedia tells me not to confuse it with Salmonberry

(seriously, even as an IDFCo CEO, I have a lot to learn 

about fruit) and that it is grown, among other 

places, in northern Minnesota!

P.S. I just noticed that the University now implements a fee if you register for a class on/after the first day of class? What the fuck is that? Has that always been the case? I guess they need more of your monies.