Although our days are getting shorter and the air is getting colder, there are still a lot of heart-warming activities going on in Minneapolis during the winter season. Just a 10-minute bus ride from the heart of campus is Nicollet Mall, downtown Minneapolis's shopping and dining district, where the City of Minneapolis hosts the Holidazzle Parade. Going on 19 years strong, the Holidazzle is a brilliant display of favorite storybook characters brought to life in sparkling costumes. 

This wonderful Twin Cities tradition is brought to us by several Twin Cities-based companies and organizations. Starting November 26th and going through December 18th, the parade lights up Nicollet Avenue between 12th and 4th street, Thursday through Sunday starting at 6:30 pm.

Grab some friends, go see the parade, and spend the evening walking the warm skyways connecting the stores and restaurants of Nicollet Mall. If you have time, head up to the 8th floor of Macy's department store to see their annual holiday display, "A Day in the Life of an Elf," which tells the story of Santa's little helpers getting ready for the holiday season in the North Pole. 

An evening in Minneapolis viewing the Holidazzle Parade and Macy's holiday display is a wonderful way to spend a wintery evening! (And it's totally free!)

Right now, sixteen U of M students are attending the UN Climate Change Conference negotiations in Cancun, Mexico. They are official observers of negotiations by world leaders who are working toward long-term action to address climate change. Beth Mercer-Taylor, coordinator of the sustainability studies minor at the U of M said, "By being immersed in the negotiations, these students will gain a better understanding of the impacts of climate change, learn about laws and policies relating to climate change, and have a chance to analyze the intersection of local, national and international carbon policies and negotiations."

In fact, seven of these students are pursuing a sustainability studies minor here. They are all enrolled in a climate change policy course co-taught by state Senator Ellen Anderson, chair of the Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Budget Division Committee, and state Rep. Kate Knuth, who was part of a delegation attending the 2009 climate talks in Copenhagen.

These students represent a wide variety of majors, from civil engineering and conservation biology to landscape architecture and political science, and represent six different colleges at the U of M. During the conference, they are keeping a blog of their experiences. Check it out!

On December 9, the student delegation will host a public forum to share and discuss their experiences. It will from 3-4 p.m. at the Institute on the Environment in 380 VoTech Building on the U of M's St. Paul campus. It is free and open to the public!

In the last twenty years, the Internet has changed the way we communicate with one another and has brought global societies closer together. Using the Internet, organizations can reach customers across continents and individuals have the ability to share their opinions and ideas with the world. Geographic location does not exist as a barrier for business, making friends, or for communication. Internet and Global Society is a class at the University of Minnesota that explores the social, economic, cultural and political impact of the Internet around the world.

The class is taught through the School of Journalism and Mass Communication in the College of Liberal Arts. I took this course last year and really enjoyed it. Class time was spend in discussions, watching videos, and working in groups. Some of the assignments included:

• Comparison paper of two different social networking sites
• A paper on the positive and negative implications of globalization
• Creating a custom Google Map of a specific area's attractions, featuring information on each location.
• A paper on digital divide (the growing divide between people that use the Internet and those that do not)

For our final project we created a website that explored a specific topic that highlighted the social, political, economic, or  cultural implications of new media technologies on the global society in more depth. My group's website presented the Internet's effect on communications professions, such as public relations, advertising, journalism, and graphic design.

Do you remember my blog post back in October about Chris Hui, the University of Minnesota student who designs custom sneakers? Chris has been designing award-winning sneakers since he was 14 years old and has created shoes for celebrities like LeBron James (basketball star), Lupe Fiasco (rapper), Carson Daly (television host), and Prince Fielder (of the Milwaukee Brewers). 

Well, Chris has made headlines again! He recently designed sneakers for Goldy to wear for when he competes in the College Mascot National Championships in Florida. Check out this video of Chris designing the shoes: 

I hope they start selling these at the U of M bookstore so that I can buy a pair! :)

As a recent graduate of the School of Journalism at the University of Minnesota, I get excited everytime I speak with students interested in journalism. The School of Journalism offers a few different areas of study with excellent opportunities for students to get involved both on and off campus.

Professional Journalism:
Includes both broadcasting and print journalism. Within these programs students are able to gain knowledge and expertise to be successful as a professional journalist in areas such as magazine writing, newspaper writing, editing, photojournalism and television and radio broadcasting.

Professional Strategic Communications:
The strategic communications track in the School of Journalism provides students with learning opportunities that build strong critical thinking and communication skills and professional skills in the fields of advertising and public relations.

Internship/Job Opportunities:
Located in a large metropolitan area, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities offers excellent opportunities for students to gain professional experiences in journalism, public relations, and advertising.

The College of Liberal Arts Career Services Office offers support for students looking for internship and job opportunities. They offer walk-in hours, tips for major and career exploration, on-campus interviews for jobs and internships and even a website with internship and job opportunities.

The Minnesota Daily is a campus newspaper run entirely by U of M students offers students jobs in advertising, editing, and newspaper writing both for print journalism and online media.

Radio K is the University of Minnesota's student-run radio station that plays eclectic array of independent music. These are two excellent opportunities for students to gain valuable professional experiences while staying within the comforts of the campus.

Student Groups:
The University of Minnesota offers over 600 student organizations. A quick search of the Student Unions and Activities website displays 10 other student organizations under the Publication and Communications category, including our award-winning National Student Advertising Competition team.

With countless opportunities to get involved its easy to see why the School of Journalism attracts some of the most articulate, passionate students in the country!