February 12, 2013

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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

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Minnesota State University, Mankato

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MSU grad Gieseke running as independent Former city council member putting MSU education to use.

TIM FAKLIS

staff writer

A bonus election is being held today and will pertain to both Minnesota State University, Mankato students and Mankato residents alike. Due to the retirement of Minnesota House District 19A representative Terry Morrow, a bonus election will be had between Clark Johnson (DFL), Allen Quist (R), and Tim Gieske (I). The independent candidate, and a former member of the city council, Tim Gieske, is no stranger to the MSU campus. In fact, he graduated from MSU in the early 90s with a bachelor’s degree in Biology, and obtained a master’s degree in Environmental Science shortly after. He also wrote for the MSU Reporter during his time as a student in Mankato. “I rely heavily from my education from Mankato State to provide a foundation for how I look at environmental and economic issues,” Gieske said. “I farm with an economic model as well as an ecological model. Eco commerce is really what integrates those two concepts.” What sparked Gieske’s interest in running stems from his company, Ag Resource Strategies. It works with control and governance in environmental issues all over the country. The company works with livestock farmers, along with others, trying to figure out a proper business model, and how it pertains to current and up-to-date environmental issues. “It really takes into the new tools, smart technology we have today,” he said. ”It really folds

THURSDAY TUESDAY

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WEDNESDAY FRIDAY

How the traditional 4-year degree has fared in the current ecnomic climate staff writer

into the business of government in a way that I think the rest of the world has done with business, but our state government has yet to adopt.” His plans are to use this “shared governance business model”, and apply it to what he wants to do if elected to the house. One major issue that Gieske has pinned down as something that he would plan on implementing quickly and earnestly was his education plan, which includes a

major integration of technology from kindergarten, all the way to the higher learning college level. This includes some pre-k investment as well. “Teachers can tell which kids have been read to growing up and which haven’t.” He said. “And it’s hard to catch up. Pre-k investment is good.” Gieske’s plan is to incorporate technology as a big way to helping speed up the learning process for those kids who may

Gieseke / page 6

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THURSDAY SATURDAY

Re-evaluating the Bachelor’s degree

DAN MICHELS

web photo Gieseke is the owner and founder of Ag Resource Strategies, the author of EcoCommerce 101 and an active farmer.

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As spring draws near, another batch of freshly-minted degrees will be bestowed upon college graduates eagerly awaiting employment. Once regarded as a skeleton key which could unlock any professional door, the bachelor’s degree has recently become more akin to an admission ticket. That is, it can get you into the show, but it doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a seat. First, the good news. Although unemployment rates among college graduates have increased between the past two jobs reports, the 4.2% unemployment rate among college graduates reported in the Labor Department’s most recent report stands at right around half the national rate of 7.9 percent. Furthermore, the college wage premium – that is, the pay-increase a college-educated worker can expect for holding a degree – remains stellar, with average premiums of 50 percent for men and 40 percent for women. Jared Bernstein, former Chief Economist and Economic Adviser to Vice President Joe Biden, maintains that a college degree still provides workers “a solid leg up, both in terms of earnings and jobs.” Other recent economic indicators, however, don’t

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suggest as much reason for optimism. Headlining the issues currently plaguing college graduates is debt. 2011’s college seniors graduated with an average of $26,600 of debt, the highest level in the seven years that such a report has been published by the Institute for College Access & Success’ Project on Student Debt. Augmenting the difficulties of repaying such historically high debts is the issue of underemployment; workers not being fully utilized with regards to their skill-set. “I work in such a completely different industry, it’s a joke amongst co-workers that I have a master’s in education,” explained Jen Smialek, a 31 year-old internet marketer from Boston. “If I could go back, I wouldn’t earn the education degree again. It was a good personal enrichment activity, but for someone like me who does Internet marketing, my career would benefit more from an MBA.” The Center of College Affordability and Productivity found that upwards of 48 percent of the employed college graduates in the U.S. are presently working jobs which the Bureau of Labor Statistics categorizes as requiring less than a bachelor’s degree. Finally, global labor arbitrage is also believed by

Degree / page 3 A&E

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INDEX: SPORTS

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CLASSIFIEDS

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