Lew Blank
Articles
Blank: Solving climate change requires more than just solar panels
The bottom line is this: renewable energy is essential to the fight against climate change. But due to the fact that the majority of our emissions stem from non-electric processes, and converting these processes to electricity can be very expensive if not downright impossible, we shouldn’t be convinced that renewables represent 100 percent of the solution to climate change.
Blank: The green line extension should’ve gone to low-income neighborhoods
While the new route is a clear positive from an environmental lens, I believe it fell short from a lens of economic equity.
Blank: To eliminate UMN’s racial achievement gap, we need to invest in children of color
If we really want to reduce racial disparities at the U, we need to invest in programs to uplift poor families and families of color across the state and the country.
Blank: Let’s end gerrymandering — and in doing so, let’s create competitive districts
With the 2020 presidential election and increasingly partisan politics looming around us, it becomes even more essential to ask: what factors should Minnesota, and all gerrymandered states for that matter, consider when redrawing the shapes of Congressional districts?
Blank: University of Minnesota students need Medicare for all
As we watch the ongoing Democratic debates and think about the upcoming election, we need to remember that Medicare For All and free college aren’t just esoteric policies. They have real-world effects that can genuinely improve mental health, happiness, and well-being for students and citizens of the U.S. alike.
Blank: Blame for UMN's tuition hikes should fall on the state legislature
Instead of asking the University to cut important programs that aid and benefit its students, the burden should be placed on the state and federal government to ensure that students can have a high-quality University experience without forking over even more money than they already are.
Blank: The University of Minnesota is effectively a food desert
The University also has the authority to address students’ food insecurity. The University could add a campus bus route to The Quarry, for instance, or use its budget to create additional community garden spaces for the student population.
Blank: Boycotts of Israel are not Anti-semitic
With Jewish communities at the University of Minnesota and across the U.S. living in a state of fear, our efforts should be fully focused on combating anti-Semitic hate and violence. That’s why it’s unfortunate that some groups have conflated hatred and violence against Jews with perfectly legitimate criticisms of the state of Israel, inaccurately labeling both as anti-Semitism.
Regent Candidate Advisory Council advances 25 applicants to interview stage
A citizen advisory council has selected 25 applicants — including seven students — as candidates to fill vacancies on the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents.
Student Counseling Services holds public forums to select new director
Applicants for the director of Student Counseling Services presented to the public their visions for the mental health organization at the University of Minnesota.
