University of Michigan - Flint

"Meeting of the Minds" is a student research conference that has been ongoing since 1993.  Three Michigan universities send their students to participate: University of Michigan-Flint, University of Michigan-Dearborn, and Oakland University.  In 2008, it was held on Oakland University's campus.

Kathy Cornman, ELP Instructor and Academic Coordinator, takes Akon on a field trip to Meeting of the Minds XVI at Oakland University on May 16, 2008.  Many thanks to UM-Flint's Professor Mazumder for inviting us!

UM-Flint ELP Student Akon listens to a student presenting their research. Listening to lots of different speakers in many differents situations is often the hardest part about learning a language.	Akon participates in an art exhibit at Oakland University.  While he isinterested to write his wish on the ribbon and add it to the others, he chooses to write it in Chinese.  Akon has been studying at UM-Flint for less than two weeks.

Akon learns that Oakland University's Golden Grizzly mascot has style. After a busy day of listening to science research and engineering terms in English, it is a moment of fun!	Akon and Ms. Cornman take a tour of the suburban Oakland University campus.  This fountain is an example that Michigan is home to beautiful campuses, too.

Ms. Cornman lives near the campus of Oakland University.  She takes an opportunity to show the Michigan beauty of Rochester Park to Akon and Sravanthi Pasuparthy.	Canadian Geese are important in Michigan.  They are often seen on UM-Flint's riverfront campus.  They fill the air with their  their distinctive "honk" sound and V-shaped flying formations in the fall.