“research” paper dealing with some topical (current) aspect of the cultural geography of Minnesota not covered in class (i.e. not Mall of America etc.). You will need to consult relevant sources including local newspapers, magazines, websites and connect the information found in those sources to theoretical approaches discussed in class and/or in the readings. You might write about an issue or topic concerning landscape, popular culture (including festivals or commemorations), class, gender, sexuality, homeplace, globalization, but you must write about it/them in the context of a specific local place. You may address state-wide topics but be sure through your analysis to justify how and why your topic is a state-wide one (perhaps related to state tourism or cultural initiatives carried out at the state level by state government). Don’t succumb to over-generalization.