Christmas light show at the U of M

The Tesla Works club at the University of Minnesota College of Science & Engineering puts on a holiday light and music show for a couple weekends between Thanksgiving and Winter Break. They do a 25-minute show where the lights are synchronized to music, and get a nice-sized crowd. The pleasant weather is a bonus - barely any snow left on the ground now; I could walk around campus with an unzipped jacket here on December 13th!

 

We walked around the East Bank for a while afterwards - plenty of students and families looking around and enjoying the weather. Pity the restaurants at Coffman aren't open late on a Saturday night.

The U has changed so much since Ann and I went there, buildings and walkways are in beautiful shape now - interesting and accessible. There's a train! There are so many more international students! The food is so much better! Whether Wynn attends the U or not, we're glad we can show her around campus and instill a respect and desire for higher education.

U of M Math & Science Family Fun Fair

We are so fortunate to live in a city with a major university, especially one that takes its land-grant mission seriously and engages at every level with the people of its state. The U's College of Science & Engineering puts on an annual fair for kids where all the student clubs can exhibit or demonstrate the many cool things they do!

It is no exaggeration to say there were a thousand kids at Coffman today, and what a wonderful sight that was. Wynn was recognized almost at once by a couple of her summer camp counselors!  (Our little rock star...)

Ann comments,"it's pretty easy to tell which students are cut out to be teachers, and who should just stay in the lab.."

So awesome to see so many girls in attendance, BTW

 

Technically, her first selfie

Hmm, someone seems to like using microscopes. CHRISTMAS HINT.

The Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers was ready to sign her up...

Building tetrahedrons with string and soda straws

The Society of Women Engineers was also ready to sign her up, too, especially after she built an awesome parachute!

 

Finally the Fair 2014

DOGS

Giant inflatable walk-through COLON.  The magical moment when we tell Wynn exactly what she is inside.

Family friends of ours...

POUTINE om nom nom nom

TURKEY LEG om nom nom nom

 

Our one and only family photo of the year...

Showing Grandma "Goldy's Garden"

Grandma Marilyn got a personal tour of the U of M garden today from Wynn:

Wynn explaining what her class at Gopher Camp had been doing in the garden & why she was featured on the bulletin board there!

 

Family Walk at the U of M Minneapolis Campus

Another nice night - we wandered around the main campus at the U after dinner:

Very soon the trains will start rolling through!

Coffman Union - so much nicer now than when Ann & I attended

 

Panorama shot - click for full size (first time I'd tried this mode with the new camera!)

 

No-so Secret Garden

The U of M's St. Paul campus is right next to the State Fairgrounds and so is a reasonable walk for us after dinner in the summertime.  Wynn has been attending Summer Camp there, and they give the students a great introduction to all the awesome things on both the St. Paul and Minneapolis campuses. Wynn wanted to show us around "Goldy's Garden" near the agricultural field classrooms: