JANUARY 2021

The UMRA Forum at 12 noon on Tuesday, January 26, will feature Brad Holschuh, PhD, co-director of the Wearable Technology Laboratory (WTL) in the University of Minnesota College of Design. Holschuh will highlight the work of the interdisciplinary WTL and recent advancements in technologies that can be integrated into fabrics.

Consider, for example, typical compression stockings that squeeze the legs to help with circulatory issues. They are difficult to put on and uncomfortable to wear because they are designed to be too small in order to provide com-pression. By integrating technologies such as sensors and actuators into the structure of the clothing, it could be possible to create stockings that are selectively tight—meaning, they could tighten in different areas, at different times, and at different magnitudes. You could have compres-sion stockings that are initially loose fitting, easy to put on, and can later tighten to provide the therapeutic effect when it is desired.

Incorporating such technology into clothing creates special challenges beyond those faced by other wearable technologies like smart watches and fitness trackers. Holschuh will discuss the current research chal-lenges, best practices for clothing-integrated technologies, and potential applications under development in the WTL.

New frontiers in wearable technology: Translating potential into everyday uses

Real, everyday uses Founded in 2009, the lab focuses on the intersection between apparel and new technologies in areas including med-ical, wellness, human space flight, e-textile manufacturing, and human-computer action. Many WTL projects deal with translating technological potential into real uses in our everyday world. Could a computer-mediated compres-sion vest help a person’s mental health? What methods could heat the human body instead of the environment? How can astronauts keep their hands dry during space flight? With backgrounds ranging from aerospace engineering to fashion design, students in the WTL are working together to find answers to these questions.

An assistant professor in the Department of Design, Housing, and Apparel, Holschuh also serves on the graduate faculty of the Department of Human Factors and Ergonomics and the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics. Please register and join us for this Zoom webinar.

—Suzanne Bardouche, UMRA Program Committee

JANUARY 19 WORKSHOP

Making choices to be active, healthy, and wellOur Living Well Workshop for January, the month when people traditionally head back to the gym, will focus on building physical fitness and activity into our lives, an

especially challenging task in a pandemic winter. We all (hopefully) know how important physical activity is to our overall well-being.

See WORKSHOP on page 3 ...

https://z.umn.edu/UMRA-Forum-January-2021

From the PresidentWelcome to the New Year! I hope, in spite of the challenges, you had a satisfactory and gratifying holiday season. UMRA, with your sup-port, made it through 2020 and is looking forward to a vibrant new year.

At the UMRA Board meeting in November, the University of Minnesota Foundation (UMF) made a presentation on the University campaign, Driven. The campaign is well on its way to exceeding the $4 billion goal, and UMRA giving has been a solid part of this success.

UMRA members have contributed $30.8 million, includ-ing $3.9 million in the last year. Eighty-four percent of UMRA members have made gifts to student, staff, and faculty support; research; outreach and community engagement; and capital projects.

In May 2020, UMRA turned to Zoom for presenting our monthly UMRA A.M., Living Well Workshop, and Forum. The Office of Information Technology (OIT) has been very generous in providing technical support, but with the University’s financial challenges, OIT will need to begin charging us for their support services at approx-imately $400 for each event.

UMRA member Virgil Larson is leading an effort to achieve UMRA technical self-sufficiency with the estab-lishment of a Zoom interest group; email Virgil if you are interested.

Support our Zoom presentations Given the continuing need for OIT technical support and the stress on UMRA’s budget while UMRA volun-teers are being trained, UMRA needs to ask the mem-bership for a voluntary contribution of $20 each. Please read “Support our Zoom presentations” by Bill Donohue [page 7] for more information.

Several of you have experienced the cancellation of your umn.edu access to Zoom and other OIT-sponsored software. See “Deactivation of retiree access to Zoom services” [page 6]. We are working on a solution to provide UMRA committees and special interest groups with access to the UMRA Zoom account. You can find instructions on our website for using the UMRA Zoom account to host an UMRA meeting.

But, while there is a plethora of information available—just do a quick search on Google or YouTube—identify-ing a framework or a plan that works best for each of us as individuals can be challenging.

This workshop will explore the components that will help you shape a well-rounded, active lifestyle, address the importance and benefits associated with each, and offer ideas on how to be intentional about small choices, each day, that can help us be healthy and well.

Creating the conditions to thrive Our presenter is Lisa Lemler, associate director for wellness and programs at University Recreation and Wellness. She holds an undergraduate degree in exercise physiology and a master’s degree from the University.

Professionally, Lemler is focused on creating a culture of well-being and striving to create the conditions for students, staff, and faculty to thrive. Helping people discover their own unique health and well-being is the personal mission statement that “gets her out of bed” each day.

Lemler has mentored dozens of students on teaching fit-ness classes, conducting wellness assessments, and doing personal training. And, as many UMRA members can personally attest, she is a dynamic fitness instructor in her own right.

Please register and join us for this workshop starting at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, January 19.

—Ron Matross, chair, Workshop Committee

2 UMRA News • UMRA.UMN.EDU

You do not need a Zoom account simply to attend any Zoom meeting or webinar.

Donations to the PDGR fundraising effort continue, and I urge you to make a contribution if you have not already done so.

If you have concerns, ideas, or needs, please contact your leadership. I look forward to another year of vitality for UMRA.

Stay safe and well.

—Frank B. Cerra, MD, UMRA president

... WORKSHOP from page 1.

Lisa Lemler

mailto:virgil.larson1@gmail.comhttps://umra.umn.edu/sites/umra.umn.edu/files/zoom-sharing_an_umra_meeting_final_0.pdfhttps://z.umn.edu/UMRA-Workshop_January-2021

Last fall, with President Joan Gabel’s endorsement, the University of Minnesota became the first higher-educa-tion institution in the state to join the Global Network of Age-Friendly Universities (AFU). Participation in the network, led by Dublin City University, will give the U of M access to resources and technical assistance to support local, age-friendly initiatives.

To learn what this will mean in terms of exciting new opportunities at the U for lifelong learners, retirees, and

older adults, please register to attend UMRA A.M. on Tuesday, January 12, from 9 to 10 a.m. via Zoom.

Our presenters will be Rajean Moone, PhD, the facilitator for the U of M’s new Age-Friendly University Council, and Lynn C. Anderson, UMRA’s repre-sentative to the council.

Moone is the faculty director for long-term care adminis-

tration in the College of Continuing and Professional Studies, associate director of educa-tion for the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation in the School of Public Health, and an adjunct facul-ty member in the School of Social Work. Anderson, prior to retiring, served as dean of international educa-tion at UC San Diego and before that as associate direc-tor of the Learning Abroad Center at the U of M.

They will provide a brief description of the mission and history of the AFU Global Network and the process that led to Minnesota gaining AFU status. They will note the various units on campus that are members of the coun-cil and provide an overview of the principles that guide AFU work.

JANUARY 2021 3

The U of M is an age-friendly university

UMRA A.M.

Lynn Anderson

For contact information, visit the Member Login page at umra.umn.edu (login required).

Rajean Moone

Your input on resources and ideas for funding, projects, and collaborations will be welcome! The webinar will conclude with time for Q and A and discussion.

Please register and join us to participate in this program.

—Lynn C. Anderson

Welcome new members to UMRAPlease give a hearty welcome to 18 new members who have joined UMRA since early October.

• Charles Eugene “Gene” Allen (and Connie Allen),College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural ResourceSciences, associate VP for international programs

•Elizabeth Anderson, Office of the General Counsel,senior paralegal

• Pamela Belding, University of Minnesota Foundation,director of design and brand

• Carla Carlson, Office of the Executive Vice Presidentand Provost, senior consultant

• Patricia Foss, Office of Human Resources, civil service

• Nirmal Jain (and Anita Jain), Facilities Management,Energy Management, principal engineer

• Angie Klidzejs (and Gunar Bruvelis), Medical School,finance professional

• Kevin McCourt, University Services, Capital ProjectManagement, business manager

• Evelyn McKee, Minnesota Cystic Fibrosis Center,nurse care coordinator

• Therese Perrier, Medical School, Department ofUrology, medical laboratory technician

• Will Rogers, Facilities Management, Health Sciences,pipefitter

•Karen Schanfield, Office of the General Counsel,associate University attorney

• William Seefert, Office of Information Technology, ITprofessional

• Catherine Statz, Medical School, Department ofSurgery, infection surveillance

• Jamie C. Tiedemann, Student Affairs, Aurora Centerfor Advocacy & Education, director

umra.umn.eduhttps://z.umn.edu/UMRA-AM-January-2021

4 UMRA News • UMRA.UMN.EDU

HELLO, my name is Fred BertschingerHometown: Keokuk, Iowa

When did you join UMRA? 2017

What was your very first job? Newspaper carrier for the Keokuk Daily Gate City.

What was your occupation when you retired from FT work? Director of development for the School of Dentistry.

What is the name of the first record you bought? To Our Children’s Children’s Children (LP) by The Moody Blues.

If you could learn a new skill, what would you like it to be? Mississippi River towboat captain.

Do you have a favorite place on the U of M campus? Weisman Art Museum, Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve, and the Landscape Arboretum, where I volun-teer at the Bee Center.

What is a fun fact about you we might not know? In June 1973, three years after returning from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I was thrown out of my hydroplane in my first race. The steering broke just past the starting line and I was tossed out, tumbling head over heels twice on the water at 55 m.p.h. I released the deadman’s throttle, so the engine stopped, and the boat settled down on the water. My PFD kept me afloat. I was rescued, and my racing runabout was towed to shore where I replaced the broken part, remounted, and com-pleted my first race. (I never told my mother.)

What is something you currently enjoy doing with your time? Fly tying and fishing with another U of M retiree and other friends. Also, in recent years I became a Minnesota master naturalist and a beekeeper.

In October 2020, Fred Bertschinger rode his bike to Father Hennepin Bluff Park to walk on the riverbed below St. Anthony Falls and under the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis.

Vaccine updateWe’re reading and hearing about promising vaccines ready for distribution before the end of 2020. In the world of science, the speed that has brought these vac-cines to the point of distribution is truly remarkable—and a clear sign of how technology, combined with our growing understanding of human immunology, speeds up discovery.

So, what does this news mean for all of us?

First, although promising and exciting, vaccines will be available only in very limited quantities through the end of the year. I’m aware of one health system with more than 40,000 employees who will be receiving only 2,000 doses before January.

By January, production will increase and there will be decisions to be made about how those doses will be tar-geted. Again, we don’t anticipate seeing large-scale vacci-nation sites along the lines of our statewide testing sites until late spring or early summer.

For now, based on the surges we’re seeing and our hos-pital capacity concerns, basic public health measures remain most important. That means wearing masks, washing hands frequently, and staying separated from friends and family until we can be together again com-fortably outdoors.

—Timothy Schacker, MD

You can find the slides from Dr. Schacker’s November UMRA A.M. presentation on “The quest for a vaccine” and a link to the video recording of the Zoom webinar on umra.umn.edu.

https://www.minnesotamasternaturalist.org/https://umra.umn.edu/sites/umra.umn.edu/files/umn_retiree_asssoc_covid_nov_2020_vs2.compressed.pdfhttps://umra.umn.edu/events/monthlymtg

JANUARY 2021 5

Armchair TravelerFrom Star Island to China

Our next Armchair Traveler program will be on Tuesday, February 2, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. via Zoom. I will send an email with the Zoom meeting link to all UMRA members in early January. We have two terrific present-ers lined up to share their photos and experiences.

B. Jan McCulloch,professor emeritus,Family Social Science,will take us to StarIsland, which shedescribes as “a mag-ical place” of peaceand tranquility nes-tled among the Islesof Shoals 10 milesoff the coast of NewHampshire.

Her presentation will be divided into three parts: a brief history of Star Island; staying at the Oceanic Hotel; and Star Island photography, including birds, landscapes, boating scenes, and an island celebration.

Robert Patterson, professor emeritus, Department of

Rehabilitation Medicine, will focus on three of his trips to China. In 1983, he was part of an invited lecture tour; in 1986, he led 20 people from the Twin Cities on a 350-mile bike tour from Shanghai to Nanjing; and in 1989, he was on Tiananmen Square during the uprising to overthrow the government.

Please mark your calendars. We look forward to your joining us.

—Lynn C. Anderson, chair, Armchair Traveler

Robert Patterson led 20 people from the Twin Cities on a 350-mile bike tour of China in 1986.

Porch rockers outside the Oceanic Hotel on Star Island, “a magical place” of peace and tranquility.

6 UMRA News • UMRA.UMN.EDU

Denied access to Zoom: One person’s experience

In late August, I set up a Zoom meeting that was to be held September 3 for a fundraising discussion with a national nonprofit that I work with as a volunteer. There were to be about 15 people in the meeting.

When I went to open the meeting as host, the system would not let me in. After several unsuccessful attempts, I called the IT Help line and was told that access to Zoom for former faculty and staff ended on August 31. Luckily, a colleague quickly launched another Zoom invitation, and we were able to conduct the meeting as planned. Here’s what I was told in a follow-up email from IT:

By Carla Carlson

Deactivation of retiree access to Zoom servicesA number of our retirees have experienced the deactiva-tion of their umn.edu-domain access to Zoom when try-ing to schedule a Zoom meeting. Bill Donohue and I had a discussion with University VP and Chief Information Officer Bernie Gulachek, who is very supportive of UMRA. Here is a summary of our conversation:

1. Access to technology resources changes quickly asdoes the associated business model. The University nowlicenses a majority of its technology services from ven-dors in the private technology industry.

2. Access to most University technology resources isintended to be conditional on the enrollment or employ-ment (full- or part-time) of students and staff. Upondeparture from the University, most of these services(i.e., Zoom) are discontinued.

3. The University routinely removes access to technologyservices following departure. The timing for this removalvaries according to the timing of the entry of an employ-ee’s departure in the PeopleSoft Human ResourcesManagement System.

4. UMRA’s email account (umra@umn.edu) and thetechnology services associated with it (i.e., Zoom) willremain unchanged.

The VP acknowledged that this is a change from the days when technologies were developed and/or created solely by the University for its own use and at a time when the legal and regulatory environments were com-paratively relaxed. Over time, these changes have been compounded by escalating costs to provide state-of-the-art services in support of the University’s mission.

Gulachek has been, and will continue to be, a proponent of UMRA, but he cannot exclude retirees (and alumni) from the impact of these conditions.

UMRA Webmaster Cathy Lee Gierke and Database Manager Virgil Larson have worked out how you can use the UMRA account to host UMRA meetings, clubs, and special interest groups. Their instructions, “Hosting a Zoom meeting using UMRA Zoom account,” can be found on umra.umn.edu should you need to request this access for UMRA business.

I was aware that some of my retired colleagues were able to continue using the U’s Zoom account, so I contacted IT again in mid-November to verify the impact of this change specifically on retirees.

IT responded: “Unfortunately, the same situation would apply for recent retirees. We’re definitely happy to help troubleshoot and otherwise support retired users with Zoom.”

— Carla Carlson joined UMRA in October 2020 after retir-ing from the University as senior consultant in the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.

Hello Carla,As of August 28, 2020 the University of Minnesota is no longer providing access to Zoom accounts for pre-vious Student, Staff, Faculty or Retired who no longer have a current role with the University. We encourage users to sign up for a Basic account directly with Zoom with a non UMN email address. Features of those accounts can be found at https://zoom.us/pricing.

You can also check Account End of Life Reference Guides … and check to determine if Google Meet may also be an option.

This change was necessary due to Zoom licensing limits which are needed to support those who have Current Student, Staff, Faculty or Departmental ac-count status.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. University of Minnesota Technology Help

See DEACTIVATION on page 7 ...

https://umra.umn.edu/sites/umra.umn.edu/files/zoom-sharing_an_umra_meeting_final_0.pdfhttps://zoom.us.pricing/https://it.umn.edu/services-technologies/how-tos/account-end-life-reference-guideshttps://it.umn.edu/services-technologies/google-meet

JANUARY 2021 7

Electoral College reform UMRA member Mark Bohnhorst retired in 2016 from the Office of the General Counsel, where he provided legal advice and support to the U’s scientific research mission for 24 years.

Kathryn Pearson’s outstanding UMRA Forum presen-tation on November 24 about the 2020 elections ended with a brief exchange about Electoral College reform. As it happens, I have been immersed in this subject for the last four years and would like to offer this update.

Reforming the Electoral College by action at the state level has been an active topic of discussion and advocacy for 20 years. The lead proposal since 2006 is an interstate compact promoted by National Popular Vote (NPV).

The compact would go into effect when states with a total of 270 electoral votes have joined.

Accordingly, the UMRA Board is asking all our members to make a voluntary contribution of $20 per person to help defray these costs and continue our monthly pro-gramming. Please go to the UMRA website to make your contribution to Support Zoom Programming. (If needed, please update your user profile, too, while you’re there.) The Board will revisit this funding issue in the spring.

Thank you for considering a contribution. We would like to hear from you by January 30 so we can plan our financial support.

—Bill Donohue, UMRA past president (2019–20)

See ELECTORAL COLLEGE on page 10 ...

... DEACTIVATION from page 6.

You do not need a Zoom account simply to attend a Zoom event hosted by someone else, and you can obtain a basic Zoom account for free.

Many universities are deactivating technology services for retirees and alumni. We hope this clarification is helpful as UMRA continues to support the University of Minnesota’s mission.

—Frank Cerra and Bill Donohue

Support our Zoom presentations We need your help! The Retirees Association is seeking contributions from its members to support the technical side of our Zoom presentations.

As you know, we have made a very successful shift from monthly in-person meetings to Zoom events in response to the pandemic. Since May, we have done 14 Zoom webinars and have been able to maintain the quality of our offerings. We have attracted robust attendance to our forums, workshops, and new UMRA A.M. with pro-grams ranging from an update on vaccine development at the University and protecting your online presence to an analysis of the 2020 elections. Zoom has enhanced our ability to communicate with each other safely.

This has been accomplished through the volunteer efforts of our members and the generous technical support of the University’s Office of Information Technology (OIT), which has provided their services without cost to UMRA for months.

In late September, OIT informed us that they would begin charging for these services in December. The charge for Standard Video Event Support for a one-hour event is $400. It is our intention to continue Zoom programming three times each month until vaccines have controlled the pandemic and allow us to meet in person. We also expect to continue Zoom events after the pandemic is under control, but with less frequency. Zoom is extremely convenient, but highly impersonal.

UMRA has started an effort to recruit and train some of our members to help alleviate this cost. There is a good deal of enthusiasm, but it is difficult for volunteers to replace professional IT personnel who do this for a liv-ing. It is our hope to get some relief, but unrealistic to expect full relief.

Associate Professor Kathryn Pearson provided a com-prehensive analysis of the 2020 elections during UMRA’s November Forum via Zoom.

https://zoom.us/pricinghttps://retirees.umn.edu/loginhttps://www.nationalpopularvote.com/

Getting started: New UMRA interest groups

8 UMRA News • UMRA.UMN.EDU

UMRA members are energetic and resourceful people. They have founded interest groups including the UMRA Book Club, Photo Club, Financial & Legal Affairs Group, and Armchair Traveler. Even now (or perhaps especially now), they’re finding ways to connect with others.

Lynn C. Anderson and Craig Swan discovered a shared interest in researching family history. Wondering how many others might be interested, they hosted a session on Zoom in October and invited UMRA members to join them. So many partic-ipated and with such great interest, Craig and Lynn gave a second presentation in December, and are plan-ning to offer more.

Virgil Larson invited UMRA members to a Zoom interest group, and within a few days had 45+ people ready to join him. Dorothy Marden and Maggie Catambay organized a second book club after learning that the original UMRA Book Club is fully subscribed.

In response to all this activity, the UMRA Board asked me to draft a policy for recognizing new, member-initi-ated interest groups.

New policy Under the new policy, approved by the Board in November, the organizer(s) of a new group are asked to submit an application with the following information:

• name and nature of the activity or group

• contact information for the proposers

• expected duration of the activity or group, and meetingtimes, if known

• potential conflicts of interest for the proposers

• need for promotion through UMRA’s communicationchannels, if any

• need for financial support from UMRA, if any

The chair of the Program Committee will share the proposal with other UMRA committee and interest group leaders for comment, and then forward it to the UMRA Executive Committee for approval—unless the proposed activi-ty requires a financial commitment or presents potential significant liability for UMRA, in which case the propos-

al will be considered by the full Board. The new policy doesn’t apply to the activities of UMRA’s standing com-mittees or to ad hoc gatherings of members that don’t require promotion in UMRA communications.

Is there an interest group you’re thinking of organizing with other UMRA members? I would be happy to hear from you. Please get in touch with me at jam@umn.edu.

—Jan Morlock, UMRA president-elect and Program Committee chair

“The Photo Club has provided a ray of hope and sunshine into the otherwise bland existence of COVID. Even thinking about pictures for the next meeting provides a focus on something positive.” —Sheri May, Photo Club member

Personal pronouns Have you noticed a proliferation of pronouns in some auto signatures, especially in the University world and the business community? I was already wondering about the change when I interviewed Dr. Amelious Whyte Jr. for the November 2020 issue of the UMRA News and noticed this in his auto signature:

Personal Pronouns - He, Him, His (More about pronouns and why I list them here and here)

The links to “here” and “here” connect to the Sexuality & Gender Equity Initiatives at UMD and the Center for Writing in the College of Liberal Arts. The underlying policy—Equity and Access: Gender Identity, Gender Expression, Names and Pronouns—can be found in the University Policy Library.

The evolving use of personal pronouns is not without controversy. Nevertheless, as Dr. Whyte said in a subsequent email exchange, “Words are important.”

—Kristine Mortensen, editor

https://umra.umn.edu/newgrouphttps://www.d.umn.edu/sexuality-gender-equity-initiatives/education-advocacy/pronounshttp://writing.umn.edu/sws/quickhelp/grammar/nonbinary.htmlhttps://policy.umn.edu/operations/genderequity

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

On behalf of the University Retirees Volunteer Center (URVC), I’d like to recognize and thank all the volun-teers who contributed their talents and time to the suc-cess of the many projects both inside and outside the University coordinated by URVC this past year.

Your efforts have made significant differences for people (adults and children) who benefited from the work of many non-profit organizations throughout our commu-nity.

In a typical year, more than 300 URVC volunteers devote approximately 10,000 hours of their time in support of our partner organizations. Although COVID-19 led to the cancellation of many onsite and in-person activities in 2020, we anticipate a return to our high levels in the coming year and beyond.

Projects that have received support from our volunteers include tutoring and mentoring children and youth; helping international students with English language learning; serving as jurors for law students’ mock trial experience; judging science fairs, History Day, and debate competitions; ushering at Northrop and Rarig Center; serving as research participants in University medical studies; packaging food for Second Harvest Heartland; preparing meals or driving for Meals on Wheels and Help At Your Door; making stress relief items for the Center for Victims of Torture; serving as AARP tax aides; helping health professional students develop patient interaction skills; and much more.

URVC–UMRA connection URVC and UMRA work closely together through inter-locking board representation and joint distribution of volunteer opportunity announcements.

Thank you, U of M retiree volunteers!

JANUARY 2021 9

Leading by example. Among many activities in retirement, longtime URVC and UMRA leader John Anderson has enjoyed volunteering as a student science fair judge.

We encourage all UMRA members to join the URVC family by registering at URVC.umn.edu to become a volunteer and receive notification of volunteer opportu-nities of specific interest.

I thank all of you who volunteered this past year, whether through URVC or other organizations inside and outside our university. Minnesota is known as a state with high volunteerism and community involve-ment. This, I firmly believe, contributes immensely to our quality of life and is something for which we can all be very grateful.

—Eric Hockert, chair, URVC Board and member, UMRA Board

Help wanted: JOIE editorDid you know the Retirees Association has its own open access, electronic journal? It’s called the Journal of Opinions, Ideas, and Essays or JOIE, and UMRA is look-ing for a qualified volunteer to become the new editor-in-chief.

Are you interested in reading a wide range of material? Do you find yourself critiquing what you read, thinking of ways to present it better? Do you like working with people? Do you like working on tasks that require judg-ment and organization? Maybe this is a position for you.

Sponsored by UMRA and supported by University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing Services, JOIE has been publishing articles by retired and active U of M faculty and staff since 2011. Articles may be aimed at a broad, general audience or a more specialized readership. Topics range from University history, personal stories, and literary critiques to health issues, poetry—even a photo essay.

As an electronic journal, JOIE can accommodate graph-ics and illustrations in ways that traditional journals often cannot.

UMRA has an editorial committee but needs an editor-in-chief to take the lead in moving JOIE forward. Many potential authors are waiting in the wings.

For more information including a copy of the job description, please contact Will Craig at wcraig@umn.edu.

—Will Craig, UMRA Board member

https://urvc.umn.edu/https://umra.umn.edu/content/journal-opinions-ideas-and-essays-joie

January 2021 events via Zoom12 UMRA A.M.12 Photo Club13 Managing Family Photos15 Book Club18 Executive Committee meeting19 Living Well Workshop25 Board of Directors meeting26 UMRA Forum

Share upcoming events anytime by emailing the UMRA webmaster at leegi001@umn.edu. Include event title, date, time, a brief description, and contact information.

10 UMRA News • UMRA.UMN.EDU

McNamara Alumni Center200 Oak Street S.E., Suite 250Minneapolis, MN 55455-2002

indicated are a large slice of the electorate. In addition, VCB does not change the state winner-take-all basis of appointing electors (which the “legislature” may “direct”), and use of this initiative is far less subject to constitutional challenge.

The Library on the Making Every Vote Count website has articles I have written on several topics, includ-ing the constitutionality of the initiative, the 20-year history of the reform movement, race and the Electoral College, and prospects for change.

—Mark Bohnhorst, chair, Presidential Elections Team at Minnesota Citizens for Clean Elections

... ELECTORAL COLLEGE from page 7.

Currently, states with a total of 196 electoral votes have done so. With the recent change in composition of the Supreme Court, there is a danger that use of the initiative to enact the compact could be struck down. The issue turns on the definition of “legislature” in the Constitution.

Voter Choice Ballot My advocacy has been for “state-by-state” measures that would take effect immediately. A national group, Making Every Vote Count, endorses this approach and has come up with a new proposal, Voter Choice Ballot (VCB). Under VCB, individual voters are given the choice of casting ballots for the winner of the nation-wide vote. This might be particularly attractive to inde-pendent or moderate voters—whom Kathryn Pearson

Food for thought

“Bravery resides in every heart, and some day it will be summoned.”—Catherine E. F. “Jean” Biden, mother of Joe Biden

https://www.makingeveryvotecount.com/