GRAD STUDENTS
They contribute more than they cost the U
The Star Tribune's July 8 story "U's graduate programs face 'right-sizing' in tough times" suggests that graduate students are "expensive" for the university.
As one of the more than 4,000 graduate students who provide core functions at the U -- running classrooms and labs, working on committees, advising students -- I was a little surprised to hear this.
Working as a graduate instructor, I made about $16,000 last year. I taught fall, spring and summer. That means I taught about 75 tuition-paying students, which unquestionably brings in far more money to the U than my measly salary takes away, even if you include my health insurance.
The issue of the work done by graduate students is complicated. But any analysis of the university that doesn't take into consideration the amount of the U's core functions -- teaching and research -- that graduate students accomplish is missing the point.
Without the "expense" of keeping us around, who would teach or advise the students, keep the labs going or collect the data? We aren't a cost; we are the University of Minnesota.
NICHOLAS HENGEN, GRADUATE INSTRUCTOR, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
TOM EMMER
Offensive sign tells us little about candidate
Rep. Tom Emmer gave a speech 20 feet from a guy holding a sign reading, "MN Zoo has an African lion. DC zoo has a lyin' African" ("Riding a new populist wave," July 4).
Distasteful sign, but is it really an example of how Emmer's antigovernment and anti-illegal-immigrant beliefs may turn off moderates? It strikes me as an effort to paint Emmer as an extremist and racist with the words of some random loon.
