To the editor:

Hats off to Sen. Geoff Michel, R-Edina, whose legislative leadership ensured the return of Golden Gopher football to campus in 2009.

Michel authored the Gopher stadium bill and worked long and hard to bring about a strong bipartisan vote. The stadium will benefit students, alumni, and fans as well as the team, and large university events like convocations and graduations will also be held there. The new stadium will bring the Big Ten outdoor football experience back to the U of M, build campus spirit and community, and renew our pride in Gopher athletics.

Along with Michel, we salute Rep. Ron Erhardt, R-Edina, and Rep. Neil W. Peterson, R-Bloomington, for their courageous and visionary support of the university's academic and research mission.

They demonstrated their support for the university's goal to become a top three public research university by passing a big part of the bonding bill. The state will help fund a new medical biosciences building; new facilities for the Carlson School of Management; expansion of the Labovitz School of Business and Economics at Duluth; a biotechnology and medical genomics partnership with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester; and repair and replacement of aging university facilities all over the state.

Thanks to these legislators for understanding that the success of the state is tied to the success of the University of Minnesota.

Dennis Schulstad

Margaret Sughrue Carlson

Edina

Dennis Schulstad and Margaret Sughrue Carlson are members of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association.