"How tragic the news in Virginia! Those poor families.
I can't stop thinking about my student. I trust that he is in a safe environment.
I had to email right away to comfort my own fears. "
Roanna Lowrey -

HI Our son will be transferring next Fall to the U of M campus from a small community college. He is very outgoing and determined. We are excited for his transition and new challenges, yet would like to hear from other parents who have had children experience the transfer process. Any tips or words of wisdom? Thanks in advance, Dianne and Greg Johnson

If you can help, please post a comment, or e-mail pblog@umn.edu and I'll put you in touch with the parent.

Spring break is generally considered a time for college students to let loose and party.

But it is also a good way to rack up criminal charges in foreign lands or get hurt in a fall from a balcony in Mexico.

According to a warning issued by the U.S. Department of State, more than 2,500 Americans are arrested abroad each year. For students, underage drinking, drunk driving and public intoxication are frequent charges.

To avoid trouble, the warning advises students to moderate their drinking and familiarize themselves with the customs and laws of the countries they visit.

Read the entire entry. Better yet, urge your student to read it.

Minnesota and Wisconsin higher education officials continue to talk about changes in tuition reciprocity, but students who are entering college this fall don't need to worry about a change.

Trying to calm parents and students who were concerned that their tuition could take an unexpected jump, the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) issued a statement this week saying that current students and new 2007 freshmen would be able to complete their education under the current terms of the reciprocity agreement.

"Any changes being negotiated now would apply to entering students in fall 2008," OHE director Susan Heegaard said in a prepared statement.

The longstanding agreement allows students from the two states to attend college across state lines, generally paying the same tuition they'd pay at a similar campus back home. Increasing tuition in Minnesota, especially at the University of Minnesota, has thrown those rates out of whack. Wisconsin students who attend U campuses now pay less than Minnesotans do.

U of M officials say that's unfair, and they've asked for changes and threatened to withdraw from the agreement. Higher education officials in both states had said they hoped to reach consensus by the end of February. Governors' offices in both states are now involved in negotiations.

From their representative:

This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience what a career with the Minnesota Wild, Swarm and Houston Aeros is all about. On this special day, there will be seminars hosted by MSE Leaders, networking with employees in all departments, and a "behind-the-scenes" tour at the Xcel Energy Center (Home of the Minnesota Wild). Please feel free to contact eiversen@wild.com or 651-312-3456 to register or if you have any questions about the event. First 100 will receive a complimentary gift of the Minnesota Wild.

Online registration: https://secure.xcelenergycenter.com/GT/default.asp?Group=MSEC96492

I understand that space is limited, so if your student is interested in attending, encourage him or her to register sooner rather than later.

PAID Congressional Internship Program next school year: Currently enrolled University of Minnesota undergraduates are eligible to apply for this internship program offered through the Department of Political Science. Interns work closely with the congressional staff in both the Minnesota and Washington, D.C. offices. Students who receive an internship are paid a stipend of approximately $1,200 per month by the congressional office. This internship is available to students in all majors. A total of eight interns will be selected (four will work in Minnesota and four in Washington, D.C.). Applicants must be degree-seeking students on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus. These are full-time, 40-hour per week internships. Students must register for a minimum of 4 credits in the Department of Political Science but may register for up to 13 credits for this internship. Applications will be invited to an on-campus interview on April 10 with a representative from Congressman Ramstad's office. Application materials may be downloaded from the web at http://www.polisci.umn.edu/ugrad/intern.php. The deadline to apply is March 23, 2007 Questions about the internship program may be directed to either Rose Miskowiec, Undergraduate Adviser, (612/624-8517, r-misk@umn.edu) or Professor Paul Soper, Internship Director, (612/626-1002, psoper@umn.edu) in the Department of Political Science

Piercing and office may not mix It's no longer unusual for college students to flaunt multiple body piercings. But some say young job-hunters need to tone down their look to be successful in the workplace.

By Cati Vanden Breul, Special to the Star Tribune
College student Jordan Schoephoerster is obviously a big fan of body modification. She started two years ago with a tattoo of a double helix on her lower back. In May last year, she got her nose pierced and wears a ring through the septum. Soon after, she pierced her tongue and wrist.

But when she's waiting on tables at Applebee's, the University of Minnesota junior hides all of that with a clear retainer in her nose piercing and a wristband covering the barbell in her wrist. And until her internship with a high school biology teacher next fall is over, Schoephoerster will hold off on getting her lip pierced.

"I kind of just have to adapt to whatever I'm doing," she said. "Do I always want to be the person I am when just sitting in class, or do I want to be able to do what I want to do later in life?"

Like many young job seekers, Schoephoerster, a genetics and biology major, will have to make a choice between indulging in her personal sense of style and fitting into a traditional work environment. For some college students on the job hunt, leaving a diverse campus and entering the real world can mean hiding a part of who they are -- at least from 9 to 5.

There are no steadfast rules when it comes to piercings in the workplace. Employers' tastes vary and some might not have a strong opinion on body jewelry or tattoos, said Paul Timmins, career services director in the university's Career and Community Learning Center. That's why it's important to research a company's policies before you schedule an interview, he said.

In the National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook 2006 survey, a majority of prospective employers said a weak handshake would influence their hiring decisions more than a piercing would. Thirty-three percent of employers ranked an applicant's handshake as a strong influence, while only 31 percent said a body piercing would have the same effect. Employers cited overall grooming (73 percent) and interview attire (49 percent) as the physical attributes they paid the most paid attention to.

"Every student hoping to make a good first impression needs to realize that everything about their appearance could count," Timmins said. "This could include piercings and tattoos, or things we don't even think of as much, like a handshake or eye contact."

People who view their piercings as an important expression of who they are should talk to prospective employers about company policies and explain their feelings, Timmins said.

"Everyone has to keep in mind that a job interview is a two-way street. We're trying to make the employer pick us, and at the same time, as a good job seeker, we should be evaluating the employer," Timmins said. "Is this a place that would allow me to be myself? Would it allow me to express myself the way I want to?"

As piercing becomes more popular and the workforce younger, employers might become gradually more tolerant, Timmins said.

"It is something that could change over time, but change on things like that does happen slowly. A lot of people doing the interviews have been in the workforce for quite a while and this is all new to them," he said. "They haven't had to consider these questions before as much."

But in the past decade, piercings have become less of an alternative style and more of a mainstream phenomenon, said Alex Levine, owner of the Axis Body Modification Studio near the university's Minneapolis campus. Levine, whose interest in piercing surfaced at age 8 when he decided he wanted to get his ears pierced, has been working in the business almost 10 years and has seen its evolution.

"Piercing has become more accepted, just like tattooing has. It's not as gang-related or drug-related, or whatever people used to associate it with," Levine said. "It's more fashionable. Just in the last three years, you've seen it more in magazines and advertising; before, models wouldn't even be able to wear their jewelry."

On average, six people per day are pierced at Levine's studio, most leaving with a new nose or belly-button ring. Piercings represent different things to different people, he said.

"Some people will do facial piercings as an accessory; they'll get a jewel to sparkle a little bit more," he said. "The ones who have all sorts of spikes in their lip are probably doing it to show that they don't want to fit into society and [want to] go against the grain."

Although piercing has become more of a general trend and is becoming more accepted in some areas of the service industry, Levine said he understands why some employers would take issue with their employees overdoing it.

"I know I'd take someone more seriously if they didn't have six rings around their lip," he said. "A little jewel on the nose or lip is fine, but eight piercings just on your face -- that's distracting."

Schoephoerster is aware of others' perceptions and adjusts her look accordingly. She said she wants to come across as professional in the classroom during her upcoming internship. "I'm supposed to be a role model for these students, and parents have a certain idea of what that role model should look like," she said.

At her waitressing job, she knows her appearance might affect tips and she is afraid of turning off customers by flaunting her piercings. She doesn't feel the need to hide her body decor, however, at her other job as a research assistant in a University of Minnesota genetics lab.

"That kind of environment is way more accepting because I'm not really working with the public," she said, "although I think I might scare my boss sometimes."

Cati Vanden Breul is a University of Minnesota student reporter on assignment for the Star Tribune.

Around this same time last year, Kristi Pell, a first-year student living in a residence hall, didn't know where she would live the following year and began scrambling to find a place.

"I didn't want to live in the dorms again," Pell said. "I started looking at apartments around the area."

Pell, now a journalism sophomore, said she decided to live in the Melrose, a nearby apartment complex and a good transition from the dorms.

"It was really stressful," she said. "If you don't start looking right away, everything fills up fast."

As crunch time approaches for students to pick housing for next year, The Minnesota Daily researched and toured some of the large apartment complexes to compare prices and amenities - just as any student would.

The apartments featured are four-person units because most students search with friends.

The Daily also analyzed Minneapolis 2005-2006 police crime statistics to help determine which neighborhood may be safer to live in.

The examination of average home values in different neighborhoods may also provide a sense of the cheapest neighborhood to rent a house.

Apartments vs. houses

Big parking lot or big backyard, security guard at the door or the police, proximity to campus or cheap rent: these are just a few considerations to take into account when choosing between living in an apartment or a house.

But this decision is a bit more complicated.

Most housing experts said each has its advantages and disadvantages, but one isn't better than the other.

Bill Dane, Student Legal Services staff attorney, said apartments and houses support different lifestyles.

Dane, who works with students on legal housing issues, said apartments might have more restrictions to a student's lifestyle. These include rules on visitor limits or how much space is available. But a house comes with "a great deal more responsibility," he said.

Dane said students have to be careful with house leases because they could end up responsible for the entire rent.

"If one of the roommates misses rent, you could be responsible for their rent," he said.

In an apartment lease, students generally don't have to worry about such problems, he said.

Students living in a house have more freedoms, but need to be considerate of their neighbors, he said.

"Not everyone living in the neighborhood is a University student," Dane said. "If your neighbors know who you are, they will treat you differently."

The advantage to an apartment, however, is that they are usually managed better when it comes to maintenance issues.

Kris Nelson, Center for Urban and Regional Affairs neighborhood program director, said houses usually aren't managed as well because landlords have scattered properties.

"If they are professionally managed, they are not the kind students can afford," Nelson said.

However, house tenants get more room and yard area, he said.

One of the biggest differences between renting a house or apartment is the cost.

Architecture sophomore Willy Mattson, who lives in University Commons, said he wants to find a house for next year because the rent is cheaper.

Not only is the price a huge factor, Mattson said, but the number of rooms in the unit is important.

"It's hard to find a five-bedroom apartment," he said.

He said he and his roommates want a house in the Dinkytown area or within reasonable distance to campus. Parking spots would be a plus as well, he said.

"We don't really care about how nice it is, as long as we don't get broken into every other day," he said.

Kristi Pell, a journalism sophomore who lives in Melrose Student Suites, said she wants to live in a house next year because "you get more freedom."

Pell said she doesn't like Melrose's 12-vistor rule.

"It's kind of like a dorm sometimes," she said. "In a house, you set your own rules."

If a tenant is loud in an apartment, the security guard comes, but in a neighborhood the "real" cops visit, she said.

Carol Oosterhuis, Minneapolis's 2nd precinct crime prevention specialist, said home safety depends on several variables and each house and apartment is different.

Oosterhuis said living in an apartment where people prop the door open could cause security problems.

She said tenants in a house have more control of their safety, but living on the first floor creates easier access for an unwanted guest in comparison to living in a fifth-floor apartment.

Safest neighborhood

Southeast Como is the safest neighborhood to live in near campus, according to last year's Minneapolis Police crime statistics.

The Minnesota Daily analyzed reported crime data from 2005-2006 and broke it down into five surrounding neighborhoods: Cedar-Riverside, Como, Marcy-Holmes, Prospect Park and University of Minnesota's Minneapolis campus.

Population numbers from the 2000 Census were used to determine the number of crimes per 1,000 residents.

The University neighborhood had the most crimes last year when population numbers were calculated into the analysis, but theft made up about 83 percent of the total.

The University neighborhood had the second least number of violent crimes (homicide, rape, robbery and assault) in 2006. Cedar-Riverside had the most with 166, more than three times as many as the University neighborhood.

University Deputy Police Chief Steve Johnson said although population is a way to determine the safest neighborhood, the number of people using the area is also important.

Johnson said the University has the highest crimes per capita, but the numbers don't take into account the more than 50,000 students on campus who are potential victims of crime.

The neighborhoods have the same problem because students come for parties, even though they don't actually live there, he said.

Carol Oosterhuis, 2nd precinct crime prevention specialist, said there are other things to consider besides the population of the neighborhoods.

"If you live on a very busy street where there is a lot of activity, it can contribute to the crime stats of the neighborhood," she said, but "you're going to be affected more by who lives next door to you."

Before students sign a lease, Oosterhuis said they should go to the location at night and inspect the surroundings.

"Is the location secluded, are there big bushes someone could hide behind or is it a place with good lighting?" she said.

Cheapest neighborhoods

Cedar-Riverside may be the cheapest neighborhood near campus for students to live in, according to estimated market values for single family homes in Minneapolis in 2005.

The rent price should reflect the estimated market value, but many other variables could affect rent rates in each neighborhood.

The average estimated market value of the four neighborhoods (Como, Cedar-Riverside, Marcy Holmes and Prospect Park) was $217,693. The highest was Prospect Park at $308,294, double that of Cedar-Riverside.

Kris Nelson, Center for Urban and Regional Affairs neighborhood program director, said landlords could easily charge students more than the property mortgage.

If a landlord pays $1,600 a month for a monthly mortgage and they rent the house to six students for $400, which is a reasonable price, they receive $2,400 - a greater return than if they sold it, Nelson said.

"You can make pretty good money by renting to students," he said.

In an ideal market, estimated market value of a house would reflect on how much the landlord charges for rent, but it depends on the landlord, he said.

Average rent numbers were not available, but students and neighborhood leaders said areas where estimated home value is higher, such as Prospect Park, tend to have higher rent prices.

Also, check out our Housing Workshop for Parents.

When Rachel Jamison received a full scholarship to study in Tanzania for a year, she said University officials told her to expect intense sexual harassment.

An experienced world traveler, Jamison said she thought she knew what to expect.

But repeated rape attempts, catcalls and assaults were more than she could have anticipated.

What's more, Jamison said, is that the University's Learning Abroad Center did little to help her situation. She said the LAC failed to follow the University's sexual harassment policy and told Jamison she must repay the scholarship before she can graduate.

Jamison said she wants University officials and the LAC to issue a public apology, forgive the scholarship initially awarded to her and let her graduate this spring. She also said she wants the LAC to draft a different policy regarding sexual harassment.

"To my knowledge, they either don't have one, or they don't follow it," Jamison said.

Jamison, who returned to the United States last week for safety reasons, studied in Tanzania with the International Reciprocal Student Exchange Program. The program, which is run through the LAC, awards nine University students with a scholarship for the academic year in select countries. In her initial program application, Jamison asked to go to Tanzania.

The exchange program is run through the University of Dar es Salaam, in the East African country's largest city.

The LAC issued a statement regarding Jamison's case but couldn't comment

further for legal and student confidentiality reasons. For students studying abroad, the LAC follows the same University sexual harassment policy as students studying in the United States.

The student charges further:

"I believe they're unprepared, but I also believe once they realized their actions weren't helping me, they've taken steps more to cover up what they've done, rather than protect my own safety or help me in dealing with this," Jamison said.

Soon University students, staff and event-goers will be able to purchase tickets to athletics and arts events online and in person through one on-campus system, possibly using U Cards instead of traditional tickets.

The University unveiled a $300,000 Web-based ticketing system in the Arts Ticket Office in January as an initial test run. The new software will go online for the Duluth campus' fine arts performances in April and debut in the athletics department in June.

Advertising junior V.P. Yang, who works in the Arts Ticket Office, said he has seen a smooth shift to the new system.

"This one is a lot easier to navigate around," he said. "(The transition has) been pretty easy."

When the Drudge Report website published a link Tuesday to a Minnesota Daily story about the possible honorary degree, the piece in the U's student newspaper got 58,000 hits from readers in two days. An average story in the Daily gets about 300 hits, said Editor-in-Chief Anna Weggel.

The story has since been picked up by bloggers and websites taking both conservative and liberal viewpoints. Conservative sites New England Republican and Say Anything were disgusted, with the latter calling the possible award "an honorary degree for junk science." The liberal site the Progressive Daily Beacon merely reprinted the story.

Destinations this spring include:
Denver (to learn about child abuse and domestic violence)
New Orleans (to help with hurrican relief)
New York (to study human trafficking)
San Diego (to learn about border issues)

Financial aid may be available. Visit the Y's website for more info.

If so, he or she may be able to get a leg up on the competition by taking a free practice test (MCAT, LSAT, GMAT, GRE, or DAT) this Saturday, February 24.

The practice test is administered by Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, and participants will receive a detailed score analysis of their practice tests and strategies to help them prepare for the real thing.

Visit Kaplan's website for more info.