Bob Collins
This is the last stop on the News Cut on Campus tour. I’m in the student union today at Minnesota State University Moorhead. As I’ve done every Wednesday for the last 7 weeks, I’m talking to students about their economy and their journey. I’ll be posting profiles later today.
11:02 a.m. — The tables have been turned. I’ve been interviewed by the local ABC affiliate. “What have I found on the tour?” That people are more optimistic about their future and the future of the economy than we people who cover them. Oh, and that there are a lot of people with cameras taking pictures of me right now. Which is scary.
11:30 a.m. – Nate Matson of Twin Valley stopped by. He graduated from McNally Smith College in St. Paul. He wanted to go into a career in audio and recording production, but has moved back to Moorhead and is pursuing a career in journalism, instead.
12:11 p.m. – Mark Matsuura of Burnsville is an online journalism student. He may be the first person I’ve ever met who’s studying online journalism. How does the economy intersect with his strategy? What few jobs that are available in journalism, are likely to be online. I often wonder why more journalism students don’t know or aren’t told that these days.
12:38 p.m. – James Munsch of Brainerd just dropped in to tell me how he pays for school. He allows himself to be used for medical experiments and he sells his plasma. Seriously. He wants to be an art professor.
12:45 p.m. – Michael Ramsdell Jr. of Brainerd is studying to be a professor of Middle Eastern history. There are three times as many jobs for professors of Middle Eastern history than professors of European history, he says. He’s paying for school through more traditional means — his parents and loans. “As long as you stay in school, nothing bad can hurt you,” he said.
1:08 p.m. – About done for the session. Sara Bowman of Casselton, North Dakota was my last interviewee. She wants to be a biology teacher.
What I’ve learned so far today: The economy of Fargo-Moorhead is doing very well. Partly because so many people are employed in education, it has been somewhat isolated from the downturn. However, many people are concerned that may change with higher education budget cuts.
Off to speak to a class. Talk amongst yourselves.
