{"id":31875,"date":"2026-04-01T14:50:06","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T14:50:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/news\/?p=31875"},"modified":"2026-05-11T20:07:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T20:07:26","slug":"macalester-announces-new-graduation-requirement-applied-bagpipe-minor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/macalester-announces-new-graduation-requirement-applied-bagpipe-minor\/","title":{"rendered":"Macalester Announces New Graduation Requirement: Applied Bagpipe Minor"},"content":{"rendered":"

April 1, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

St. Paul, Minn.\u2014 Macalester, consistently ranked among the nation’s top liberal arts institutions, announced today a change to it’s core curriculum. Starting with the incoming Class of 2030, students will be required to complete a minor in Applied Bagpipe Theory and Performance to be eligible for graduation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Approved by the Board of Trustees in March, the minor seeks to institutionalize the college\u2019s piping tradition. While Macalester has long been recognized as a “top producer” of Fulbright scholars and Peace Corps volunteers, leadership believes this new requirement will provide students with a “signature sound” that distinguishes them in a competitive job market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur mission is to prepare students for a complex, ever-changing world,\u201d said President Rivera. \u201cThis is one way Macalester can distinguish itself among other colleges and is part of our strategic plan, Imagine, Macalester.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faculty approved a new curriculum plan, the first overhaul in forty years, in February. <\/p>\n\n\n

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“In a world of AI and digital noise, there is nothing more authentically human\u2014and impossible to ignore\u2014than thirty students practicing on the Great Lawn<\/blockquote>\n Mike Breidenbach ’96<\/cite>\n \tDirector of Piping<\/cite>\n \"\"\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

The 20-credit minor will be interdisciplinary, offering specialized tracks for every major. Some courses include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • BGP-204: Reed Aerodynamics<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • BGP-310: Bagpipes as a Tool for Post-Colonial Resistance<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • BGP-401: Lung Hyper-Expansion and Circulatory Management<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • First Year Course: Outlander\u2014Witchcraft, Time Travel, and Bagpipes<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe recognize this is a bold step,\u201d said Mike Breidenbach \u201996, Director of Piping. \u201cBut in a world of AI and digital noise, there is nothing more authentically human\u2014and impossible to ignore\u2014than people practicing on the Great Lawn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For more information on the new requirement or the upcoming Kilt Fitting during Orientation, visit macalester.edu\/april-fools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Founded in 1874, Macalester College is home to the award-winning Macalester College Pipe Band and, as of today, over 500 new pipers.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The new minor requirement applies to new students only. <\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":31879,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","mediatype-articles"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t