UST in the News

Here’s a roundup of recent St. Thomas mentions of interest in various media. Read the stories by clicking on the links. Links expire and change as papers move stories to “archive” status. If a link has expired, you’re welcome to purchase access to the stories or use a search engine such as Lexis Nexis, available on the UST Libraries’ website. In some cases, you’ll need to register on the publication’s website in order to access the full text.

The list below is by no means exhaustive. If you see a story about St. Thomas and would like us to include mention of it, be sure to drop us a note at bulletin@stthomas.edu.

Professor John Abraham has stepped into an international spotlight with his views on climate change. A collection of articles featuring his commentary ran this week:

• “Scientists agree that when the climate needs them, they'll speak up,” MPR, Nov. 12, 2010. “All climate scientists know that human emissions have caused an increase in carbon dioxide. All scientists know that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. All scientists know that increases in carbon dioxide will cause the Earth to warm.”

• “Scientists Scramble to Bridge the Uncertainty Gap in Climate Science,” New York Times, Nov. 12, 2010. “Skeptics of climate change - a good number of them about to take seats in Congress - often point to uncertainties or holes in the science as reasons for delaying or not taking action.”

• “How to stop global warming - even if you don't believe in it,” Washington Post, Nov. 14, 2010. “In the global-warming debate, scientists are, admirably, still trying to save the day … a smaller group of scientists organized by John Abraham of the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota said it was putting together a ‘rapid response team’ to bring accurate climate science to public debates.”

• “Can Social Scientists Ease the Nation's Rift over Climate Change?” Scientific American, Nov.15, 2010. “Stop being so skeptical of climate skeptics," says one researcher who believes there's been a failure to understand the mounting cultural doubt around atmospheric warming.

• “Climate Scientists Strike Back,” Mother Jones, Nov. 17, 2010. “A year after ClimateGate, can a trio of scientists clear the air of global warming misinformation?”

• “Getting past ‘Climategate Syndrome’,” TIME, Nov. 16, 2010. “This week marks exactly one year since "Climategate" broke into the headlines, revealing, if nothing else, that at least some mainstream climate scientists were pretty fed up with what they saw as political attacks on the legitimate science they were trying to do.”

• “Scientists take on doubters of climate change,” Minnesota Daily, Nov. 17, 2010. "University of Minnesota alumnus John Abraham says he has been attacked for advocating solutions to global warming under the assumption that the problem is man-made. Now, Abraham has organized a team of scientists who have volunteered to confront global warming doubts."

The annual UST Holiday Spending Sentiment Survey results were released on Wednesday, Nov. 17. Many local news organizations were quick to report the results:

•  “Holiday Shopping Budgets Up in the Twin Cities,” Fox 9.

• “Survey: Metro Shoppers Ready To Spend More On Gifts,” WCCO.

• “Spending survey: this year’s holiday shoppers more upbeat,” Downtown Journal.

• “Study predicts merrier holiday shopping season in Twin Cities,” Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.

• “Local shoppers ready to spend,” Star Tribune.

• “Season looking up for spending,” Pioneer Press.

• “Twin Cities Families to Spend More For Holiday,” KSTP.

• “Retail survey predicts a bit of holiday cheer,” Finance and Commerce.                                            

In other news this week:

• “St. Thomas’ new way to stimulate brains in the library,” MPR On Campus, Nov. 12, 2010. “I’d call it multitasking, but it looks like the University of St. Thomas calls it a potentially effective way to study. In its new library is The Walkstation, a treadmill students can use while they’re doing academic work.”

• “University of Detroit Mercy Names New President,” Forbes, Nov. 12, 2010. “University of Detroit Mercy Board of Trustees has named Antoine M. Garibaldi as the University's new president. … He is a member of the board of trustees and the University of St. Thomas.”

• “Household chemicals in wastewater dampen fish mating fervor,” Scientific American, Nov. 12, 2010. “Pharmaceuticals and household chemicals in rivers and streams may be affecting how fish mate and spawn, scientists warn, even when the substances are not present at levels high enough to cause visible damage.”

• “Veterans Day events,” Star Tribune, Nov. 10, 2010. A collection of photos includes three from the UST AFROTC vigil that took place Nov. 10-11.

• “Honoring vets with 24-hour vigil,” Star Tribune, Nov. 11, 2010. VIDEO: ROTC cadets will march past a flagpole on the St. Thomas campus for 24 consecutive hours in remembrance of veterans who were prisoners of war or missing in action.

• “Retailers Offer Free Shipping, Early Discounts to Boost Holiday Sales,” KSTP, Nov. 11, 2010. “The nation's largest retailers are offering deep discounts during what has become ‘Black Friday Month’ and their hottest battleground is online.”

• “More retailers to start Black Friday on Thanksgiving Thursday,” Pioneer Press, Nov. 15, 2010. “Retail analysts suspect the open-on-Thanksgiving idea is mostly an experiment, not a foreshadowing. The concept has been around for a while, said Dave Brennan, a University of St. Thomas retail specialist, and seems to become most popular when retailers are worried.”

• “Obscure holiday, worthy reminder,” Star Tribune, Nov. 15, 2010. “Don't look now, but you just missed National Philanthropy Day.

• “St. Paul's Union Depot eyed as hub of Lowertown lifestyle,” Pioneer Press, Nov. 16, 2010. “With less than half of the Union Depot's cavernous halls to be occupied by transit services, there's a lot of empty space to fill before the historic St. Paul train station reopens as a hub in 2012.”

• “U of St. Thomas Football Has Evolved into National Contender,” KSTP, Nov. 17, 2010. “The University of St. Thomas football team enters the playoffs with a perfect 10-0 record. They are seeded 2nd in the nation as the Division III postseason begins.