It seems the trend in media and politics these days is to focus less on the “thanks” in Thanksgiving and more on the turkey. The humble bird has become for some a symbol of waste and foolishness, especially in government.
Not here. Thanksgiving is a holiday with deep roots and even deeper meaning, one to celebrate all there is to be thankful for, including these five:
The state’s civic and economic engines
The University of Minnesota is among the top four universities in spinning off business startups over the last five years, according to Minnesota Public Radio. “The U’s Technology Commercialization Office (TechCom for short) focuses on the business prospects of ideas generated by researchers there. TechCom has been involved with 285 startups since 2006, and nearly half of that growth has been since 2020. Its initiatives range from protecting intellectual property to licensing the right to use an invention to backing startup companies,” MPR reported.
Economic development is one entry on a long list of contributions from the University of Minnesota, the state system of four- and two-year post-secondary institutions and the many excellent trade schools and private colleges and universities. These institutions train most of the state’s professionals; produce research breakthroughs in health, technology and other areas; and, create opportunities provided to learners from high school and well beyond.
College degrees too often these days are viewed as commodities in which students trade two, four or more years for higher earning potential. Colleges and universities are more than economic stepping stones. Minnesotans should be thankful for the enormous contributions these civic institutions make to the quality of life in the state.
Recognition of women’s sports
The continuing growth and recognition of women’s sports is most welcome. Part of it is the growth in women’s sports itself. Back in the day, news of women in Minnesota sports mostly was limited to Jeanne Arth in tennis and Patty Berg in golf.
Today, there is more to cover and the coverage is better. In particular, WCCO-TV’s regular news feature and podcast, “WoMN in Sports,” is terrific. Reporter Marielle Mohs finds interesting and timely features and personalities. Well done.
AI’s Minnesota home
Proposed AI data centers have become a controversial issue in many Minnesota communities. They consume enormous amounts of energy, raising questions about their environmental impact. And, while construction of the centers can create thousands of jobs, once built, employment is measured in the low hundreds.
Hosting data centers, though, doesn’t need to be Minnesota’s only role in AI. In fact,
Minnesota already has a strong foothold in AI research and development, advancing new uses for AI chips and improving manufacturing processes.
In addition, the state is home to the kind of industries that are among the early adopters of advanced AI. The state’s life sciences sector, for example, includes more than 7,000 companies employing 326,000 workers. Many of these are well-paying jobs in areas like medical devices, biotech and health IT. Mayo Clinic and other health leaders are well-along in adapting AI to better serve patients and customers.
With thoughtful public policy, Minnesota has the opportunity to be a significant player in this new economic frontier.
A vibrant news and information market
The travails of mainstream media have been well-chronicled. Yet, even in this challenging environment, Minnesotans are well-served by traditional and new information outlets that are credible, lively and well-suited to the times. MinnPost (where I just finished my time as a board member) and the Reformer bring new perspectives and insights to the news of the day. The Minneapolis Times (home to many of my columns) brings analysis and commentary that is important to readers in the Twin Cities and beyond, and often unavailable in other forums. Axios is a terrific quick-read headline service in the morning (in addition to its other online newsletters).
Economic and competitive pressures at legacy media have meant smaller staffs and space, but they continue to find ways to not just be relevant, but important. In particular, the Minnesota Star Tribune and Minnesota Public Radio remain the envy of communities across the country (even if some grousing about changes in format and focus is deserved).
In combination with the many excellent ethnic, community and neighborhood news sites, Minnesotans have every opportunity to be well informed and the confidence to know that the watchdogs are watching.
And a final word of gratitude for snowplows
At the beginning of another snow season, a note of thanks is due the people who keep Minnesota’s roads mostly safe for winter driving. They have to work around rush hour traffic when snow comes during morning and evening commute times, hour after hour during our all-day (or more) snowfalls, drivers who treat the plows like an inconvenience (or worse, an obstacle to challenge) and all the other hazards that face the tireless and probably often tired drivers.
Certainly, some communities are plowed better than others, some systems still produce an unexpected several inches of predicted “flurries” and a heavy snow that starts in the cities at 2 p.m. is more difficult to clear than one that arrives at 2 a.m. Overall, though, most major roads are cleared within hours and less-traveled streets a bit after that.
So, here’s to our snowplow drivers, the University of Minnesota and all the other fine post-secondary institutions, the smart people who are unlocking Minnesota’s economic potential for AI and to the producers of news including women’s sports. There will be no “turkey” awards from this quarter. Just a sincere thank you and an appreciation for your contributions – and those of many others – who keep making Minnesota a great place in which to live, work and raise a family.
“The University of Minnesota is among the top four universities in spinning off business startups over the last five years” –> Interesting. I knew we were good at that. I guess I did not realize how good!
I was the police chief at the U from 2003-2015. I also spent 8 years there to get my BA. The U is one of the very largest public universities that is located in the middle of a big city. Enrollment is consistently over 50,000 on the Twin Cities campus alone. Peers would include THE Ohio State University in Columbus, the University of Texas in Austin, and the University of Washington in Seattle.
It seems there is always controversy about the University. That could be Eastcliff, the Med School-Hospital-Fairview partnership, choosing a president, violent crime in Dinkytown……….. A couple of big things that the public knows about happened during my years at the U were the light rail coming through the middle of campus and building the stadium. But the real core mission teaching, research. and outreach grew by leaps and bounds. Beyond the stadium, quietly rising were, the buildings of the Bio-medical Discovery District. This included Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Medical Biosciences, and Cancer/Cardiovascular facilities. These facilities implement translational research. That is to say, they translate bench research to the marketplace and medical world. There is a core mission and it continues to progress despite the noise.
Thank you for your thoughtful recognition of all that is good in Minnesota!