A Different Kind of Spring Break

When most people pair the phrases “college students” and “spring break,” they come up with visions of Cancún and free-flowing drinks. But for a dozen or so St. Edward’s University students, spring break was an opportunity to go north to Chicago. They spent two weeks subsisting on PB&J and sleeping on floors to help feed hundreds of men and women at soup kitchens, help economically disadvantaged kids get a better education, and dig deep into their religious convictions. Doesn’t sound like your idea of fun? Maybe not — but that wasn’t the point. They didn’t come home with suntans or hangovers. Instead, they came home with an entirely new perspective on life.

Read the full story, which was published in St. Edward’s alumni magazine, here.

Club Culture

Once university students toss their caps at graduation, they often leave their college towns to pursue a life elsewhere. But with alumni clubs, schools can make sure that no matter how far alums are from campus, they maintain a connection to their alma mater. In this story for CASE CURRENTS, I talked to schools who have vibrant club cultures about how they build and maintain popular alumni clubs. Looking beyond the traditional happy hour or athletic event, schools are hosting architecture tours, theater events, and community volunteer activities.

Read more here (subscription required).

Behind the Numbers

There’s no question that prospective college students are obsessed with rankings—and they typically want to go to the school that’s the best. Whether that means the best academics or the best parties isn’t really important—they just want proof that the money they spend will get them what they want.

I went behind the scenes at Macalester and looked at all the ways it had been ranked for this story for Macalester Today. The school is known for top-flight academics, left-leaning politics, and a crummy sports program, among other things. But were the numbers telling the truth? I asked faculty and students to share where the rankings were right on and where (and how) they fell short.

Read more here.

Seeking to Change the World

Most of us are plenty happy to clock in at 9 and clock out at 5, leaving our work at the office. But then there are these twelve Minnesotans who have big dreams—and a track record that proves that they can make real change.

For this story for Minnesota Monthly, I tracked down some of the best and the brightest that the state has to offer. From a scientist who’s helping people control computers with thought alone, to a social media pro who’s bringing the knowledge of the foremost medical experts to the rest of the planet, these revolutionaries are helping make the world a better place.

Read more here.

Improving Science Education

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute has been one of the driving forces in improving science education for undergraduate students. It’s offered more than $800 million in grant money to schools during its 23-year history, and as it looks toward the future, changes will help it make it bolder and more sustainable. I wrote a story about some of the ways that the program plans to adapt for the future.

There’s no question that science and scientists will play a critical role in shaping our future as a country, and the HHMI’s work will make a big impact on those who study science.

Read the story here.

Loon-atics

Every year, Minnesota Monthly publishes its annual Loonies, in which it skewers most notable antics from Minnesota politicians, celebrities, and regular citizens. Usually I split duties with other writers, but this year I got to write the whole shebang. It’s one of the few times every year that I get to do work as a humor writer, and I relish it.

Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty, and Kris Humphries were among the year’s obvious targets, but there are also stories about the exceptionally high cost of certain street signs in Bemidji and one of the most innovative robberies of all time.

Read it here.

Tips for Better Living

Science is always revealing new ways that our habits and actions can improve (or diminish) our health. In this month’s issue of Experience Life, I explain how new research suggests that writing can help conquer stress and sleep improves our nutritional willpower.

I also wrote about the insidious problem of mislabeled seafood and how specific planning techniques can improve your happiness, but you’ll need to pick up the January issue to find out the details on those.

Read the stories here and here.

Senses Sensibility

We might use all of our senses every day, but that doesn’t mean we necessarily give much thought to them. That’s not the case with these Carleton alums, whose work and research requires them to delve deeply into what it means to see, hear, touch, taste, and feel.

For a story for Carleton’s alumni magazine, I talked to experts who explain why some of us don’t like cilantro, why our vision is never as good as we think it is, and how touch alone can heal pain. Their thoughts might make you think differently about how you experience the world.

Read the full story here.

Better Buys for Gift Cards

I started writing about maximizing your gift card dollar a few years ago, and thanks to dramatic changes like Groupon, FourSquare, and smartphone apps, I can easily update the story every year. There are more ways than ever to pay less than face value (or at the very least, boost your buying power).

This story I did for CreditCards.com shares the many ways that you can snare a deal on your gift card—without your recipient guessing that you paid less than face value.

Read more here.

Shooting Star

A few months ago, I was asked to profile a 40-year-old player WNBA player, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, for St. Edward’s University alumni magazine. It’s impressive enough that she can compete with players half her age these days, but the more remarkable story is how she managed to play record-setting college ball and earn a degree at SEU while raising a toddler. This year, she capped off a great season with the Lynx witha World Championship. McWilliams-Franklin’s life has more amazing twists than a dime store detective novel, and until she writes her autobiography, you can get a glimpse of her remarkable life here.