Sarah E. West, Assistant Professor of Economics

“I am a child of the ’80s and I like bands whose members came of age when I did. I bet Coldplay listened to U2 when they were twelve, too. Their sound attains the triumphant beauty that U2 set the standard for. And the White Stripes must have listened to the Clash and Fugazi like I did. They rock. (Ask me sometime about the wild Fugazi concert I saw one steamy summer night in Minneapolis.) But more often I listen to Hole, Blondie and Garbage. When I become a rock star I wanna be like them. And the best band ever? Pink Floyd. No contest.”

Linda Schulte-Sasse, Professor of German & Russian Studies

“Well, most recently I've been listening to the Buon Anno CD my colleague Frank Adler (Professor of Political Science) puts together every holiday season as a gift to his friends; it includes his favorite selections from his (i.e., the world's most amazing) opera collection. Frank can distinguish Jussi Bjorling’s most sublime high C from Puccini’s ‘Nessun Dorma,’ Teatro di Parma 1957 from Carlo Bergonzi’s at La Fenice in 1964. Forget the ‘three tenors,’ whom Frank decries as the three stooges, crass and commercialized for MPR fundraising events. Since I am Frank’s most reliable opera pal on the faculty, I’ve got to prepare myself for an intense quiz! Sometimes I lose credibility with my students by admitting to liking Shakira or Randy Travis. But all is forgotten when I play the Bloodhound Gang for them.”