The University of Minnesota unveiled a novel tagline this week, “Depart a Future,” sparking bewilderment and criticism online. The phrase, intended to represent the university’s brand identity, has been widely mocked for its abstract nature and lack of clarity.
The tagline’s rollout was first noted by Racket MN, which reported on the university’s apparent enthusiasm for the new branding. University librarian Shane Nackerud unearthed a blog post detailing the tagline’s development, describing it as “an invitation” presented in a 30-minute YouTube video. Previous attempts to replace the university’s 20-year-old “Driven to Discover” tagline were met with internal resistance, as noted by Racket MN contributor Keith Harris, who previously argued for retaining the existing slogan.
The university’s marketing firm, Rise and Shine, secured a $15 million contract in 2024. It remains unclear whether the firm was responsible for creating “Leave a Future.” A spokesperson for the University of Minnesota initially did not respond to inquiries about the tagline’s origin or associated costs. A subsequent statement from the university indicated that the “brand evolution reflects the entirety of the University and the full scope of our mission,” but did not address questions regarding the tagline’s development or cost.
In separate news, concerns are growing over the increasing use of surveillance technology by the federal government to monitor immigrants with pending asylum applications. Natalie, a 28-year-old Ethiopian immigrant with a pending asylum case, is subjected to weekly selfie submissions and biweekly remote visits as part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP), administered by the third-party company BI Incorporated. Sahan Journal reported that Natalie, who is identified only by her first name, feels harassed by the program.
According to Roseville immigration attorney Carrie Peltier, the program is “extremely demoralizing” for immigrants who are attempting to comply with legal requirements. Immigrants enrolled in ISAP are often not informed of the reasons for their inclusion and face threats of detention if they do not cooperate. Approximately 185,000 immigrants are currently monitored through ISAP and Minnesota is seeing an increase in the number of cases. Minneapolis immigration attorney David Wilson described ISAP as a “cash cow,” noting that a recent two-year contract awarded to BI Incorporated exceeded $1 billion.
Further highlighting concerns about government overreach, historian Greg Gaut detailed in the Minnesota Reformer how business tycoons in the Twin Cities helped establish the Minnesota Commission of Public Safety (MCPS) during World War I. The MCPS was granted broad powers, which were subsequently used to suppress organizing efforts by farmers and labor unions, effectively turning the state into a “dictatorship” for a period of five months. Gaut notes that a coalition of farmers, unions, and the Nonpartisan League successfully challenged the MCPS, laying the groundwork for a populist ideology opposing concentrated wealth and power.
Finally, the demolition of a long-abandoned CVS store in St. Paul’s Hamline-Midway neighborhood is underway. Residents expressed relief at the removal of the building, which had become a source of crime and blight. Shaun Doniger, a local resident, stated that the demolition was “fun” and that the building had been “the source of a lot of bad news” for years.
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