January 28, 2019

EARLY CONFUSION AROUND CAMPUS ELECTIONS PG 2 MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2019

EARLY WEEK

STUDENT LEADERS PUZZLED AS ELECTION RULES CHANGE

MNDAILY.COM

POLITICS

After shutdown, unease lingers

POLICE

UMN omits bodycams from budget The University of Minnesota Police Department will not ask for funding for body cameras. BY MOHAMED IBRAHIM mibrahim@mndaily.com

ELLE MOULIN, DAILY

Graduate student Kat Sweeney works in her makeshift lab on Friday, Jan. 25 at Christensen Laboratory in St. Paul. The federal government shutdown has forced Sweeney to temporarily move her lab from a USDA-owned building.

UMN graduate students make an uneasy return to research while another shutdown looms.

SHUTDOWN

BY THE NUMBERS

35 days

BY JAKE STEINBERG jsteinberg@mndaily.com

Sean O’Mara walks the St. Paul campus to get a break from writing his dissertation. The campus is beautiful, he said, but he can’t escape the guilt of not being in the lab. “A month or two ago, I would be in lab for six hours and writing for two to three hours, and I’d get a full day in,” he said. “Now it’s like I write for four hours a day and I’m kind of like twiddling my thumbs the whole time.” The end of the government shutdown couldn’t have come soon enough for O’Mara. Like other graduate students, the shutdown forced him out of his lab and stalled his research. Now, he and others have to make up for lost time and hope it doesn’t happen all over again in three weeks. Six graduate students were kicked out of the Department of Agriculture-owned Cereal Disease Lab when it closed after the agency ran out of funding on Dec. 22. O’Mara was one of them. He’s a Ph.D. candidate who researches fungal pathogens deadly to wheat and toxic to humans. An escaped mutant strain could be catastrophic, so the lab has strict quarantine rules. With his fungal cultures “just chilling” in

shutdown length

1,300

awards affected

$10 million research expenses yet to be reimbursed

$500,000

cost fronted by UMN each day

2 buildings temporarily closed

a minus-80-degree-Celsius freezer, O’Mara said his research has been stagnant. He can’t collect the results he needs to complete sections of his dissertation. “So now they’re just kind of half-written chapters. You know, half-written books that have no end,” he said. That final product is invaluable to graduate students because it represents years of work, O’Mara said. It factors into job prospects and future funding opportunities. Department of Plant Pathology Graduate Program Coordinator Susan Kingsbury said government shutdowns can bottleneck years of research, which is especially damaging for those near the end of their program. “If something goes wrong [or] dies because of the shutdown and the lack of care, or they missed a crucial point where they’re supposed to do something,” said Kingsbury, “their research, their progress has been slowed.” The CDL reopened Monday, but O’Mara said it will take time to get his experiments back up and running. He’s waiting for new wheat to grow. “Even though the government has only been down for five weeks, I could be like two months behind,” he said. Adding to their precarious situation, graduate students have to complete as much as possible for their dissertations while they

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH

BY ERIN WILSON ewilson@mndaily.com

University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development is asking for state support to live up to its No. 1 program ranking. As part of its 2019 capital bonding request, the University is asking for $28

CAMPUS

UMN building renaming efforts longer than most On the heels of another delay, the U’s renaming process has reached an unparalleled length. BY AUSTEN MACALUS amacalus@mndaily.com

project. She noted a 2009 external review, which deemed the space inadequate for the nation’s leading program. “There’s not enough space for all aspects of the programming, whether it’s office space [or] laboratory space. There’s no classroom in it, there’s no community outreach space — our labs, you might be able to get two people in,” Allison said. Allison said these limitations impact the program’s ability to maintain top u See FUNDING Page 4

u See RENAMING Page 4

u See SHUTDOWN Page 3

Despite legislative uncertainty, UMN asks state for $28 million million for renovations to the ICD. Faculty say the space is unsuitable for top programs, citing a lack of research and administrative space. State lawmakers have voiced support of the project, but its future is uncertain in a budget year. The ICD currently hosts the No. 1 child psychology and brain development program in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report 2018. But the building does not reflect that, said Rayla Allison, chief of operations in the College of Education and Human Development and leader of the

u See BODYCAMS Page 3

The University of Minnesota’s efforts to reevaluate four buildings on campus named after controversial figures have become among the longest in the country. The University’s work to examine its racist history is part of a nationwide reckoning about the legacy of discrimination in higher education. But after another delay to a yearlong deliberative process, the University has yet to come to a conclusion, or even a recommendation, about renaming buildings. The University’s renaming process is the longest out of ten large universities that have undertaken similar efforts in recent years, such as renaming buildings and removing monuments. Yale University took six months to remove John C. Calhoun’s name in 2017. The University of Pittsburgh renamed its public health building in six months. Maryland University changed its football stadium, which was named after a former president who supported segregation, in less than three months. So far, it’s taken the University two different committees and more than 16 months to determine the fate of four buildings: Coffman Union, Coffey Hall, Nicholson Hall and Middlebrook Hall. This month, the committee responsible for recommending name changes to

STATE LEG.

The U is seeking funding for a renovation of its renowned Institute of Child Development.

The University of Minnesota won’t follow the City of Minneapolis’ example in requiring its officers to wear body cameras. After a two-year review period, the University of Minnesota Police Department has decided not to seek funding for bodycams in its upcoming budget request. University administrators cited sufficient existing infrastructure and privacy concerns as reasons not to ask for the funding. “Body worn cameras have not been included in the latest budget request … due to other core departmental and unit needs,” Mike Berthelsen, vice president of University Services, said in an email. The department first tested bodycams over a two-month period in summer 2017 with funding from the University’s budget. UMPD Chief Matt Clark said the testing period helped the department work out the logistics of using the bodycams. “The officers that wore them even said that they were more than happy to have them on,” Clark said. “The way I’ve always

ADMINISTRATION

Former University president Hasselmo remembered for love of U, family Nils Hasselmo, who died at 87 on Wednesday, faced several challenges during his tenure. BY HELEN SABROWSKY hsabrowsky@mndaily.com

Former University of Minnesota President Nils Hasselmo — described as “even-keeled” and “down-to-earth” by those who knew him — died Wednesday at the age of 87. Hasselmo, who served as University president from 1988-1997, faced several challenges during his tenure, including reduced legislative support of the University, the closing of the Waseca campus and scandals in the Medical School and the athletics department. But despite challenges, Hasselmo remained dedicated to improving the school and its perception while leading with integrity, according to those who knew him. Hasselmo was born in Sweden and moved to the United States in the 1950s. He joined the University as a professor of

Scandinavian language and literature in 1965 before serving as president. While at the University, Hasselmo also served as the University’s vice president for administration and planning and associate dean for the College of Liberal Arts. “He really took the job of president with a lot of vigor and commitment. It was really important to him,” said Mario Bognanno, who served as chief of staff during Hasselmo’s second term. In addition to strengthening enrollment and graduation rates, Hasselmo also worked to improve campus for students by increasing student housing and his interaction with undergraduates, Bognanno said. Larry Perlman, who served on the Board of Regents from 1993 to 1995, praised Hasselmo’s commitment to students. “The student focus that he brought to the job was impressive and has continued, as far as I know, to today,” he said. The tradition of the University president helping undergraduate students move into residence halls began under Hasselmo’s u See HASSELMO Page 4

MARK VANCLEAVE, PHOTO COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ARCHIVES

Crowds of Waseca supporters yell and wave signs to greet President Nils Hasselmo as he arrives in Waseca to announce his plan to close the campus on Jan. 10, 1991 in Waseca, Minnesota. Local residents called Hasselmo the grim reaper of agriculture.

VOLUME 119 ISSUE 33

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MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2019

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Monday, January 28, 2019 Vol. 119 No. 33

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The Gophers chalk up their hands before competing on the horizontal bar, the final event of the meet, at the Maturi Pavilion on Saturday, Jan. 26.

Confusion builds around campus elections Referendum rule changes by ACEC lead to confusion among students.

EDITORIAL BOARD Ellen Schneider Editorials & Opinions Editor eschneider@mndaily.com Ariana Wilson Editorial Board Member awilson@mndaily.com Hailey Almstead Editorial Board Member halmstead@mndaily.com Kelly Busche Editor-in-Chief kbusche@mndaily.com BUSINESS Kyle Stumpf Sales Manager kstumpf@mndaily.com David Keane Controller dkeane@mndaily.com =

BY DYLAN MIETTINEN dmiettinen@mndaily.com

University of Minnesota student governments are confused about new allcampus election referendum requirements, leading to doubts surrounding the possibility of referenda appearing on this year’s ballot. The All-Campus Elections Commission, a group that facilitates all University of Minnesota Twin Cities student government elections, increased the required number of signatures to mount a referendum and moved the referendum proposal deadline up 18 days from last year’s deadline. University student governments think it’s unlikely that any referenda will be on the ballot this year as a result. A referendum is a statement that is representative of the student body’s opinion, according to the ACEC all-campus election rules. On Dec. 20, the ACEC decided to increase the number of signatures required to mount a referendum from 400 to 1,000 signatures. The move was to align with other Big Ten institutions, said Ellie Stimmel, the ACEC media commissioner. “Our previous signature requirement amount only represented less than 1 percent of the student body. We hoped, by increasing the signature amount, that we would also be able to represent more of the campus,” Stimmel wrote in an email. This year the deadline is Feb. 10, which coincides with the candidate filing date. This decision was met with general support from student governments; however, the new filing date and signature requirement has been met with backlash. “We did like that deadline being pushed up. We thought that was better for debate on [referenda topics],” said Vice President of the Council of Graduate Students Harrison Frisk. “But, pushing the deadline forward and increasing the signature amount simultaneously puts us in a little bind this year, specifically. We’d have a very, very narrow window of time to collect signatures.”

The Minnesota Daily strives for complete accuracy and corrects its errors immediately. Corrections and clarifications will always be printed in this space. If you believe the Daily has printed a factual error, please call the readers’ representative at (612) 627–4070, extension 3057, or email errors@mndaily.com immediately.

ABBY ADAMSKI, DAILY

The newly finalized deadline and increased signature requirement would decrease the likelihood that any student organization could propose a referendum, Frisk said. “I could see a world where it really lights a fire for us and we really get everybody’s attention and we really get 1,000 signatures,” Frisk said. “In general, though, I think it’s going to be an administrative obstacle that makes it really quite difficult for anyone to mount a referendum this year.” The fact that both decisions were implemented at once puts more stress on those wishing to mount a referendum, said Alanna Pawlowski, president of the Professional Student Government. “From the start of classes on the twenty-second to the tenth, that’s about two and a half weeks … which equates to 400 signatures per week that students are back,” Pawlowski said. Background of campus elections Throughout November and December, representatives from the ACEC met with representatives from the Minnesota Student

Association, PSG and COGS to discuss referendum rule changes and gather input. This is where confusion about signature requirements really began to show, said Tommy Keller, COGS director of internal relations. For example, the 1,000 signature requirement is listed in the All-Campus Elections Rules on ACEC’s website. All signatures must be collected on sheets provided by the ACEC. The published rules have a revised date of Nov. 2018, insinuating that the rule has already been mandated. However, in meetings with ACEC representatives last month, PSG’s representative was left with the impression that the signature increase was not yet enacted. “I will say that our representative, Beulah [Elizabeth] Momanyi, said she thought the folks with ACEC were listening to the concerns that were brought up by PSG, COGS and MSA and that everyone was very engaged in the conversation, and that … they hadn’t agreed on all of these numbers. They didn’t think they were finalized,” Pawlowski said. Keller said he left the December meeting with the same impression: that nothing had yet been

finalized and decisions were still open for debate. He added that he hadn’t been informed of any official changes until late January. “I met with [ACEC representatives] on December 12, and I was led to believe at that meeting that the rules were not finalized yet,” Keller said. Whether these rules have truly been finalized may still be open to interpretation, as there are discrepancies between statements issued by different members of ACEC. In being asked about the signature requirements, Stimmel wrote in an email: “The requirements have been finalized, but the ACEC will be holding a special meeting early next week to consider the [student government representatives’] concerns over the referendum rule change regarding signatures.” An email from ACEC project commissioner Taiwo Aremu directly contradicted Stimmel’s claim. “In terms of the referendum, I will like to inform you that a decision has not yet been made and the Commission will be discussing the referendum signature threshold,” the email read. Pawlowski said she felt that last year’s controversial referendum played a role in how the ACEC is

handling changes now. The referendum, which aimed to cut University ties with companies that allegedly support the Israeli occupation of Palestine, initially excluded 12,000 professional students from voting on it. “It’s not good policy making to overreact to one situation that is possibly an outlier. You should have strong policies that are able to put in safeguards, but you don’t want to overreact and stifle things or have a chilling effect on things based on one incident,” Pawlowski said. Consequences of the confusion surrounding referendum rule changes, proposed, implemented or otherwise, are still to be determined.

CHANGES IN ACEC REQUIREMENTS BY THE NUMBERS

1000 signatures NEW NUMBER REQUIRED FOR A REFERENDUM

18 days DEADLINE MOVED UP FROM FEB. 28 TO FEB. 10

SOURCE: ELLIE STIMMEL, MEDIA COMMISSIONER FOR ACEC

THE MINNESOTA DAILY is a legally independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and is a student-written and student-managed newspaper for the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus. The Daily’s mission is: 1) to provide coverage of news and events affecting the University community; 2) to provide a forum for the communication and exchange of ideas for the University community; 3) to provide educational training and experience to University students in all areas of newspaper operations; and 4) to operate a fiscally responsible organization to ensure its ability to serve the University in the future. The Daily is a member of the Minnesota News Council, the Minnesota Associated Press, the Associated Collegiate Press, The Minnesota Newspaper Association and other organizations. The Daily is published Monday and Thursday during the regular school year and weekly during the summer, and it is printed by ECM Publishers in Princeton, Minn. Midwest News Service distributes the 10,000 issues biweekly. All Minnesota Daily inserts are recyclable within the University of Minnesota program and are at least 6 percent consumer waste. U.S. Postal Service: 351–480.

Monday, January 28, 2019

Fed. employees get support from local community Afro Deli provided free lunches and the Bell Museum had free admission. BY ERIN WILSON ewilson@mndaily.com

Two establishments on and around the University of Minnesota campus have offered free services to furloughed federal government employees over the government shutdown. Representatives from Afro Deli and the University’s Bell Museum said they wanted to play a part in helping community members affected by the shutdown. The government shutdown recently ceased for the next three weeks while Congress seeks an agreement on immigration reform. During the closure, Afro Deli, a restaurant that specializes in African, American and Mediterranean dishes, served anything on the menu free to federal employees until 3:00 p.m. The restaurant offered the deal at both its Stadium Village and St. Paul locations. “We have such a great relationship in St. Paul and Minneapolis with the government that it was just kind of one of the ways for us to give back,” said Safia Suleiman, Afro Deli’s catering and public relations manager. “What the owner said was, ‘This is the least we can do,’ you know?” Owner Kahin Abdirahman said he wanted to be a resource for families affected by the government shutdown. “I’m a social entrepreneur, so we do really care about our customers and our community. So, we just want to show them that they are not alone. You know, this is a hard time,” he said. “So it’s kind of like a small gesture. We don’t see it as a

Bodycams u from Page 1

taught policing is just assume you’re on camera [and] be okay with it. There shouldn’t be anything you do that shouldn’t be recorded.” Clark said all police interactions are already recorded by the 4,000 surveillance cameras around campus and camera systems in UMPD squad cars. The department’s main concern with using the equipment was protecting the privacy of citizens, he said.

big deal but … I think that it’s going to help someone to get a lunch when they are thinking ‘Where do I get lunch today?’” Abdirahman said he has seen a lot of employees and their families come into the restaurant since they began their offer in mid-January. “We say it’s not a big deal, but when I see people and how needy they are ... I’m so grateful. It was a small thing, but I have seen people that really, really appreciate, you know, a small gesture. I feel good now.” Afro Deli will resume the offer if the shutdown continues after the three weeks, Abdirahman said. The Bell Museum, a natural history museum and planetarium located on the University’s St. Paul campus, is also offering free gallery admission to federal employees during the shutdown. “It is a simple gesture, but we hope a visit through our galleries, hanging out with a woolly mammoth, taking in our dioramas, or meeting a turtle in the Touch and See Lab is a source of some relief and joy during this hard time,” said Bell Museum Communications Manager Andria Waclawski in an email. Waclawski said the Bell Museum will continue to offer free admission throughout the three-week lift on the shutdown.

“I think that it’s going to help someone to get a lunch when they are thinking ‘Where do I get lunch today?’” KAHIN ABDIRAHMAN Afro Deli owner

“Other than that, I have no problem filming any of the things the officers do,” Clark said. “I just am also very sensitive to our students, faculty and staff being filmed at times that it’s kind of difficult for them.” Michelle Gross of Communities United Against Police Brutality said while body cameras can help departments review cases internally, they don’t increase public accountability. Legislation enacted by the state in August 2016 deemed most police bodycam footage as nonpublic data.

U Medical School taking steps for mental health

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MORGAN LA CASSE, DAILY

The Medical School is offering resources to mitigate sources of student stress.

The University of Minnesota Medical School is making a number of structural changes to support the mental health of its students. The Medical School has already implemented some changes to its academic curriculum to reduce student stress, though additional changes will be discussed at a Jan. 29 dean’s forum with Medical School leadership. The Medical School is allowing a pass-fail grading system in a student’s first two years and has reduced course materials by 10-15 percent. The school has also drafted two new policies: one allowing “no questions asked” excused

absences for third and fourthyear students to attend medical and mental health appointments and another requiring rest between work periods to curb overexertion. Both policies will take effect in May. “We take mental health very seriously, and we try to be very proactive about how we work with students and support students in their mental health,” said Michael Kim, assistant dean for student affairs in the Medical School. “Medical school is very stressful, like most professional schools, and it’s very intense, and sometimes it’s a very isolating experience.” The Medical School also started providing Confidential Bridging Counseling last month. The new support option was created to address recorded delays for care when using counseling services. Medical School students are now offered a confidential session with a

clinical psychologist for free. More than one-fourth of medical students experience depression and 11 percent experience suicidal ideation, according to a 2016 analysis of over 100,000 medical school students globally. The University Medical School saw one student suicide last spring and the suicide of a recent graduate last summer, Kim said. He said that while mental health resources have been an ongoing concern, the focus was heightened by these events. “We know that there are a lot of issues [for] students accessing mental health resources,” Kim said. Ada Breitenbucher, a Medical School student, said “burnout” can have a significant impact on mental health. “Medical school is incredibly rigorous and demands a lot of time and energy from students,” Breitenbucher said.

“This is really problematic because for groups like ours that try to hold police accountable and to understand what’s happening with police, we would want to see body camera footage,” Gross said. The Minneapolis Police Department began using bodycams in 2015 with a nationwide $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. An initial audit of the program by the City of Minneapolis in 2017 showed officers repeatedly failing to turn on the cameras, prompting an overhaul in the policy that

required bodycams be turned on for every call. “In situations where body camera footage clearly shows wrongdoing, there’s been no efforts to hold those police officers accountable,” Gross said. “What’s the point of gathering the data unless you plan to actually use it?” While not included in this year’s budget, funding for UMPD bodycams will remain in consideration for the future budget requests, according to Berthelsen. The department’s budget will be finalized in June.

Body cameras sit in a charging cradle.

BY GWIWON JASON NAM gnam@mndaily.com

“I think a lot of mental health [concern] in medical school is related to depression and burnout. ... It’s also very nice to hear our administration interested in making those changes … our deans are interested in making things better for the incoming classes.” Steve Hermann, director of Boynton Mental Health, said many Medical School students are referred to Boynton’s mental health clinic or Student Counseling Services for mental health care. The Medical School is one of many departments on campus seeking best practices to support students’ mental health, according to Matt Hanson, assistant director of Boynton Mental Health. “Departments are trying to figure out what they can provide,” Hanson said. “Everybody on campus is trying to figure it out; how do we help our students ... in the best way that we can.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF UMPD

Beat the Cold with the Gopher Way!

The Gopher Way is a system of signed tunnels and skyways that connects several campus buildings. Check out pts.umn.edu for details, maps, and estimated walking times. Don’t walk alone! Call the 24-hour FREE safe walk service (612-624-WALK).

612-626-PARK (7275) | pts@umn.edu | pts.umn.edu

ELLE MOULIN, DAILY

Graduate student Sean O’Mara stands in front of the Cereal Disease Laboratory on Friday, Jan. 25 in St. Paul. The federal government shutdown caused temporary closure of the lab O’Mara works in.

Shutdown u from Page 1

still have grant funding. “When the money’s gone, you have to stop,” said Grace Anderson, soybean disease researcher. “You don’t have endless undesignated funds to do whatever you want.” Anderson knows firsthand how inconvenient shutdowns are for graduate students. Ph.D. candidate Kat Sweeney has been out of her lab since Christmas. When the USDA-owned North Central Research Station closed, Sweeney had to move her research to a makeshift lab.

“I had an hour or so to get my stuff together and make sure there wasn’t anything hazardous sitting out,” she said. Sweeney said moving hasn’t halted her research, but all the inconveniences add up. “Some things you just can’t move,” she said. “I can’t just take all the equipment, all the chemicals, everything and carry it across campus.” She had to leave the centrifuge and the vats of concentrated hydrochloric acid, but she was able to fit her chemicals in a mini fridge. She needs them for her pioneering research on a newly discovered fungal

pathogen decimating ohia trees in Hawaii. Sweeney said the end of the shutdown was a massive relief. Her advisor has been furloughed, preventing her from lending her expertise to Sweeney’s dissertation, which Sweeney is due to defend in April. When the building reopens Monday, she’ll be able to get what she needs out of her lab, but Sweeney said she’d rather not risk having to move again if the government shuts down in three weeks. “I’m going to stay put for now,” she said. “On the bright side, I’m meeting a lot of people.”

4

Monday, January 28, 2019

TIMELINE OF RENAMING UMN BUILDINGS After more than a year of work, University administrators have yet to make a decision on renaming Coffman Union and several buildings on campus

A Campus Divided: Progressives, Anticommunists, Racism and Antisemitism at the University of Minnesota 1930-1942

Final Report of the President’s and Provost’s Advisory Committee Petition to change the on University History, which name of Coffman receives outlines five principles to guide 1000 signatures renaming buildings on campus

AUG. 14, 2017 - DEC. 22, 2017

SEPT. 21, 2017

Start of the President’s and Provost’s Advisory Committee on University History, which is charged with helping to “guide our community’s thinking about the ways in which we shape and are shaped by the history of the University of Minnesota”

DEC. 1, 2017

MSA starts Resolution to Rename Coffman

FEB. 2018

MARCH 6, 2018

MAY 9, 2018

MSA passes Resolution to Rename Coffman

First deadline for the task force

Task forces pushes back deadline again

NOV. 15, 2018

JAN. 16, 2018

OCT. 4 , 2018

Start of the Task Force on Building Names and Institutional History, which is charged with providing recommendation on the names of Coffman Union, Coffey Hall, Middlebrook Hall and Nicholson Hall

DEC. 17, 2018

Task forces pushes back deadline

FEB. 7, 2018

President Eric Kaler expects the task force’s recommendation before the Board of Regents meeting in February

SOURCE: MN DAILY REPORTING

Renaming u from Page 1

Coffman and three other buildings pushed back their deadline, marking the third missed deadline in four months. After blowing past their latest deadline in mid-January, the Task Force on Building Names and Institutional History “asked for more time in order to fully complete their work and deliver a comprehensive final report,” said a University spokesperson in an emailed statement to the Minnesota Daily. John Coleman, co-chair of the task force, was not available for an interview. President Eric Kaler, who convened the committee in early October, expects a final report before presenting at the Board of Regents’ February meeting. A final decision on renaming Coffman is expected before Kaler steps down on June 30, though the timeline is unclear. “I think that they’re a little bit afraid to make a decision because there are

so many factors playing into what the consequences could be,” said University senior Chloe Williams, who started a petition to rename Coffman last year. The petition has received nearly five thousand signatures. Williams said she thinks changing the name could cause backlash from donors, legislators and community members, who may rescind their support for the University. Kaler has acknowledged the process’ slow pace, which has caused some University members to raise concerns about the administration’s lengthy timeline. “As far as I know, we’ve never renamed a building in the 162 years of history. So, I am being cautious,” Kaler said in a September Board of Regents meeting. “That may be slow, but we will get there.”

Addressing history, without erasing it

In 2003, Brown University began investigating its past, resulting in a more than 100-page report on the school’s ties to slavery and acknowledgement of its full

history. Since Brown, schools have taken a variety of approaches to address the past — from the University of Oregon stripping an ex-KKK leader’s name from its dorm to the University of TexasAustin taking down Confederate statues after the Charleston church shooting. As colleges across the country confront complicated histories and controversial figures — often catalyzed by student protests — school administrators are faced with questions about how to best redress past wrongdoings, without erasing history. Choosing to remove building names or take down monuments can be a complicated process involving several rounds of committee meetings and months of deliberation. Northwestern University history professor Leslie Harris said these efforts are linked to the post-WWII expansion of higher education to include more women, people of color and minority groups. “When you bring new people into old institutions,

Funding u from Page 1

researchers. Jed Elison, an associate professor who conducts research on autism detection and identification, said a new building could change the way he works with other researchers on campus. “One challenge that we face is that my team is kind of spread all around campus, and so with support from the Legislature and the new building, that would allow my team to kind of be in a centralized place that would improve communication and efficiency and our effectiveness at executing the research that we’re doing,” he said.

COURTESY OF THE INSTITUTE OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT

A rendering of the new Child Development Center.

The building was constructed in two parts, with one section completed in 1913 and another in 1967. Allison said these two

sections make the building difficult to navigate. The 1913 portion of the building will be “gutted” and renovated while the 1967

Beat the Cold with the Gopher Way!

The Gopher Way is a system of signed tunnels and skyways that connects several campus buildings. Check out pts.umn.edu for details, maps, and estimated walking times. Don’t walk alone! Call the 24-hour FREE safe walk service (612-624-WALK).

612-626-PARK (7275) | pts@umn.edu | pts.umn.edu

they look around and say, ‘Well, why is this here?’” Harris said. For Harris, the decision to remove a name depends on each institution and their unique relationships with historical figures. “How we decide not so much to honor them but to recognize their role in history, good and bad, I think that’s really the question. How do we make available all parts of that history?” she said. Harris said that schools may choose to address their history in others ways, such as increasing diversity outreach efforts, installing plaques that give a more complete history about monuments or leading new educational projects. The University of Minnesota’s renaming process followed the 2017 “A Campus Divided” exhibit, which highlighted Lotus Coffman’s and other administrators’ work for segregated student housing and surveillance of black and Jewish students. In response, the University appointed back-toback task forces, the first

of which laid out five broad “guiding principles” for naming buildings — change, diversity, preservation, exceptionality and deliberation — saying that removing names should only happen in outstanding circumstances. Yale used a similar process to change a residential college named after former U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun, who was a vocal supporter of slavery. It looked to determine “whether the namesake principal legacy fundamentally conflicts with the university’s mission.” Yale history professor John Lewis Gaddis, who helped recommend removing Calhoun’s name, said the guidelines were effective to determine when to go forward with a name change. “Our main challenge in renaming was knowing where to stop. Yale’s campus is full of buildings named for people — almost all men — who, by today’s standards, would be politically incorrect: that’s true of Elihu Yale himself, a slave owner for whom the university was named,” Gaddis said in an email to the

Minnesota Daily. University of Minnesota graduate student Emma Dunn worked on the Minnesota Student Association’s resolution to rename Coffman last year. Dunn said there are a wide variety of views on Coffman’s legacy and whether the University should remove his name. Although she supports a name change, Dunn said the University could take other measures to acknowledge its history beyond renaming. “If we choose to honor these people, how do we make sure their entire legacy [is] known?” Dunn said.

addition will be torn down completely. The reconstruction will add about 30,000 square feet to the building. The project, which has completed the pre-design stage, is currently waiting on the University’s capital request before it can move onto the design phase. The design phase is slated for completion in 2020 with an anticipated opening in spring or summer of 2022, according to Allison. The project will total $42 million, with the state request accounting for about two-thirds of the cost. A private donation announced in January will account for $8 million of the University’s $14 million contribution. “When [the donors] stepped up to make this

design, it signifies that ... the capital campaign is well on its way and that it is a purpose that is important to the University,” Allison said. While state lawmakers said they feel early childhood education and development is a priority in the Legislature, a bonding bill may not pass this session. Bonding bills are traditionally passed in even-numbered years, although the state has passed smaller bonding bills during odd years in the past. Odd years are dedicated to allocating the state’s biennial budget. Sen. Greg Clausen, DFLApple Valley, said while he’s not sure of the project’s future in a budget year, early education is an area the state needs to invest in.

“We say, ‘well this year we can fund your top four priorities, or your top two priorities.’ It all depends upon the size of that bonding bill and this year if there is going to be a bonding bill,” he said. Rep. Connie Bernardy, DFL-New Brighton, said despite not knowing where the ICD project will land in terms of legislative priorities, she knows early childhood is an important for her and her fellow caucus members. “I know there’s a value of early childhood in our caucus so it would seem like it would have a good opportunity to gain support and move forward, but in isolation I can’t tell you where it fits in the other priorities,” she said.

“When you bring new people into old institutions, they look around and say, ‘Well, why is this here?’” LESLIE HARRIS Northwestern University history professor

Hasselmo

MINNESOTA DAILY ARCHIVE

u from Page 1

Former University President Nils Hasselmo addresses members of the local media during one of his monthly news conferences in February, 1997.

tenure, said Amelious Whyte, who worked in the Office of Student Affairs while Hasselmo was in office. As University president, Hasselmo understood the school’s responsibility in the Minnesota community, said Charles Casey, who served as regent from 1979 to 1991. “He was always very comfortable in this position. He was confident and comfortable, but there was not a bit of arrogance ever with Nils Hasselmo,” said Casey. “It was always so refreshing to see him be so open and honest — it was just part of him.” When the University closed its Waseca campus, Hasselmo went to deliver the news in person to faculty, staff and students, Whyte said. Further, Hasselmo worked to advance LGBTQ issues on campus, something uncommon at the time, said Whyte. During the early 1990s, Hasselmo commissioned a report on LGBT issues, which resulted in the creation of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (Allies) Program Office, he said. Hasselmo cared deeply for the University and the Twin Cities and their communities, said Bognanno, adding that Hasselmo loved lutefisk. “Nils was right for the University of Minnesota, but he was right because it was in Minnesota. He felt at home here,” Bognanno said.

In addition to his commitment to the University, Hasselmo was also an active member of the SwedishAmerican community, said Bruce Karstadt, president and CEO of the American Swedish Institute. “Everyone found him to be a kind, generous and congenial fellow who could help find solutions and soothe over issues and problems to keep up the positive community spirit,” Karztadt said. After leaving the University, Hasselmo went on to serve as president of the Association of American Universities from 1998 to 2006. Mat t Owens, e x ec u tive vice president and vice president of federal relations at AAU, said Hasselmo dealt with the after-effects the 9/11 attacks had on

higher education. At the time, significant concerns over national security and foreign influence hindered the work of international academia, but Hasselmo, an international scholar himself, stressed the importance of international collaboration and intellectual exchange. But above all of his commitments to various communities and organizations, Hasselmo’s first priority was always his family, said Bognanno. “As a person, first and foremost he was really a family man,” Bognanno said. “He had a wife and three kids and, boy, they really were number one in his right, and number two was the University. He genuinely loved the University of Minnesota.”

5

MNDAILY.COM

MN DAILY

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2019

MUSIC

Noname brings warmth and a fresh beat to First Avenue The Chicago native wowed with her thought-provoking lyrics but ultimately struggled with crowd engagement.

ELLEN SCHMIDT, DAILY

LEFT: Elton opens for Noname at First Avenue on Saturday, Jan. 26 in Minneapolis. UPPER RIGHT: Fatimah Warner, also known as stage name Noname, performs at First Avenue on Saturday, Jan. 26 in Minneapolis. LOWER RIGHT: Back-up singers perform alongside Noname at First Avenue on Saturday, Jan. 26 in Minneapolis. BY BECCA MOST bmost@mndaily.com

Basking in the luminescent glow of a neon “Room 25” sign, Noname embraced the screams and cheers of an enthusiastic First Avenue crowd on Friday night. “Minneapolis! What the fuck is up?,” she yelled before wowing fans with a unique blend of jazz, rap, hip-hop and spoken word. Armed with a full band and three backup singers, the rapper ordered the audience to join her in the musicmaking. “This is going to be a good show,” she shouted. “Make

some noise!” Noname (also known as Fatimah Warner) released her newest album, “Room 25,” in September, two years after her debut “Telefone” dropped in 2016. Friday’s show started off with “Room 25”’s first song, “Self,” layering rhythmheavy lyrics over a slower, more soulful backdrop. “Y’all really thought a bitch couldn’t rap huh?” she jabbed. “Maybe this [is] your answer for that.” Juggling topics like religion, politics, success and race, Noname builds off themes in her earlier album without being repetitive or dry.

Songs like “Window,” “Regal” and “Ace” were all big hits with the crowd. If you weren’t singing along with their choruses, you were certainly swaying and grooving just as hard as she was. “The first time I played in this hall I opened up with Ms. Lauryn Hill,” the artist said, looking around the packed concert venue. “Now ... what the fuck!” Although Noname left a majority of the audience in the dust with her fast-paced lyrics, the crowd seemed largely content with just listening. However, this made it difficult for Noname to keep

up crowd hype in-between fan favorites and wellknown chorus lines. At some point in the show, she stopped mid-song to adjust her microphone volume. “Can you guys hear me rapping my ass off?” she asked. “Let’s try this again.” While it’s obvious Noname has incredible talent and provides a new and refreshing sound, she couldn’t rally the same engagement that usually accompanies bands playing a large-scale venue. Unlike her opener, Elton, who was able to foster an immediate connection with the crowd and capture the stage with his dynamic energy,

Noname seemed to simply perform. A deeper performer-audience connection never formed (despite several efforts to get the crowd to sing along). At times it seemed Noname was almost overshadowed by her backup singers — especially when Chicago artist Blake Davis hit some astounding high notes on some of the more popular tunes. Noname also left the stage before the last song was finished ... and did the same thing during her encore song. Although she probably did this to showcase her incredible backup, this gesture took away from the rightfully

deserved focus on Noname herself. After all, the crowd turned out to see Warner. Her stellar band was just an added bonus. All in all, Noname provided some much-needed warmth and rhythm to a cold Minnesota night. Super-fans were no doubt impressed by the performance, but viewers less familiar with her were probably missing out on that immediate connection with the artist. Next time she visits, I hope Minneapolis will be ready for her. Grade: B-

POETRY

‘Chai and Chill’ emphasizes artists of color — even without a mic Black Table Arts’ “Chai & Chill” was held at Bordertown Coffee on Jan. 25. BY KSENIA GORINSHTEYN kgorinshteyn@mndaily.com

A microphone can have a certain effect on a poem. Add in a stage, lights and an obscured-by-these-lights audience, and suddenly reading poetry might feel intimidating, even a bit impersonal. Keno Evol, the founder of Black Table Arts, created “Chai & Chill: A different kind of poetry reading,” with the idea to focus on the dialogue shared in the room. Without the distraction of a mic, the reader’s intention is prominent. A poem becomes more than a poem. “Think about an atmosphere of listening ... [and] hearing sound in a particular kind of way. There’s a kind of thing that a microphone does to a poem,” Evol said. “I wanted for people to be able to really listen and to be able to really talk in a new kind of way.” Hosted at Bordertown Coffee on Jan. 25, “Chai & Chill” transformed the space into an open conversation about healing and empowering black lives. “Sometimes people may disagree on one thing. It’s like, ‘Okay, we disagree, but we can also continue and learn from one another.’ [That’s a] great aspect of ‘Chai & Chill,’” said

JASMIN KEMP, DAILY

Andra Knox shares his thoughts about being black in today’s society at the poetry reading at Bordertown Coffee in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Friday, Jan. 25.

Alfred Sanders, who works with Evol and Black Table Arts. “It allows people to have that process in a healthy way.” The poetry took on many subjects — loving black women, pursuing passions and the exploration of identity. The intimate setting prompted not only snaps, but words of encouragement and support

after every reading. “Being able to have spaces like that — to be able to talk, do poetry, [ ... ] come together — I think is really beneficial for us, and it just opens the door for so many other great events to come along,” said Tella Harlin, a local poet who read at the event. Evol aims to fill a void in Minnesota and the local arts

scene through Black Table Arts. Events like “Chai & Chill” allow for artists of color to create a community where ideas and information can be shared. “What spaces in public do black folks, folks who are rendered marginalized [ … ] go to where they can just express their joys and their grievances?” Evol

said. “Where can we read a poem by [ ... ] Amiri Baraka or Phillis Wheatley? Where can we study their thoughts and opinions in public?” Between the “Chai & Chill” readings, Evol would facilitate discussions with these concepts in mind. These conversations added to the vulnerability already present in the poetry, allowing audience

members to voice their own thoughts alongside the poets. “Intimate spaces are not going to make you feel bad about what you’re saying or what you’re doing,” Harlin said. “The space is actually going to empower you to keep doing it because most people that come to those shows are serious about enhancing the community.” Evol and his team at Black Table Arts hope to continue “Chai & Chill” as a version of their parent program “The Free Black Table.” The program, hosted at the Illusion Theater, isn’t exclusively focused on poetry, but takes the form of a more traditional poetry reading or arts event. “That is what we’re trying to center — the craft and the technique of gathering in public and thinking of our history,” Evol said. “We’re always connecting to where we’ve been and where we’re going and where we are. It’s not art just for leisure.” Black Table Arts hosts a number of events throughout the year, including their “Because Black Life” conference at the Rarig Center. For them, it’s about supporting black artists and fostering social change. “It’s art to think about where can we go given the context that we’re under,” Evol said. “How can art be used, as Gwendolyn Brooks would say, [as] verse journalism? To report back and report it.”

6

Sports

MNDAILY.COM

MN DAILY

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2019

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Gophers score at will over Ohio State Minnesota scored 14 goals in the rout over Ohio State in the weekend series. BY ERIK NELSON enelson2@mndaily.com

After scoring only four goals last weekend against Wisconsin, the Gophers rediscovered their offensive abilities. No. 2 Minnesota (243-1, 14-3-1-0) swept No. 7 Ohio State (15-11-0, 9-9-00) in Columbus, Ohio, winning 7-2 on Friday and 7-1 on Saturday. The Gophers scored at least six goals in consecutive games for the first time since scoring at least six in four consecutive games between Nov. 18 and Nov. 30. Head coach Brad Frost said he was surprised Minnesota scored that many goals against a top-10 team. “Offensively, [we] found a new gear,” Frost said. “Being able to score that many goals on the road is an impressive achievement. To sweep out here is hard, but to sweep in the manner that we did is even harder.” Saturday was a milestone afternoon for Gophers defender Crystalyn Hengler. Hengler scored her first collegiate goal to open the scoring at 1:41 of the second period while Minnesota was on the power play. Hengler said she received the puck from left winger Taylor Williamson, went toward the slot and hoped her shot wouldn’t get blocked by an Ohio State defender. “The goalie was screened on the shot so I’m fortunate for that,” Hengler said. “I got hugs once I scored. I got off after I

Redshirt senior Nicole Schammel skates toward the puck on Friday, Jan. 18 at Ridder Arena. The Gophers lost to the Wisconsin Badgers 2-1.

scored and got all these hugs and compliments by everyone on the bench.” Both teams combined to score seven goals in the middle frame. Center Taylor Heise scored twice and the Gophers also received goals from right wingers Amy Potomak, Alex Woken and Grace Zumwinkle and center Taylor Wente. Goaltender Sydney Scobee made 21 saves, winning her eighth game of

the season. Woken said scoring in bunches gives Minnesota confidence. “It shows how much depth our team has up and down the lineup,” Woken said. “It shows that anyone can put the puck in the net. This weekend shows that we are a powered force.”

Schammel helps Gophers win game one

Left winger Nicole

Schammel said she didn’t realize before the game on Friday that she was one point away from her 100th point in a Gophers uniform. Schammel recorded her 100th point as a Gopher when she scored a powerplay goal at 18:16 of the first period in Minnesota’s 7-2 win over the Buckeyes. It was Schammel’s 10th goal of the season. “I was excited,” Schammel said. “My teammates

hugged me and congratulated me. I didn’t have a huge reaction but it was exciting.” Besides Schammel, Woken, Zumwinkle and left winger Emily Oden each scored two goals as Minnesota got revenge after losing to the Buckeyes 3-2 on Oct. 20. Goaltender Alex Gulstene made 19 saves, winning her 16th game of the season. Minnesota’s next series will be against Minnesota-

ELLE MOULIN, DAILY

WOMEN’S HOCKEY RESULTS

SATURDAY Ohio State Minnesota

1 0 0

2 1 6

3 0 1

FINAL 1 7

SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

Duluth (11-11-2, 7-7-2-2) Saturday and Sunday at Ridder Arena. Saturday’s game begins at 4:07 p.m. and Sunday’s game begins at 1:07 p.m.

MEN’S HOCKEY

MEN’S GYMNASTICS

Third period goal proves too much for Minnesota in series finale, split

Gophers still upbeat despite Michigan loss

Minnesota allowed a combined 78 shots in two games with the rival Badgers.

BY PAUL HODOWANIC phodowanic@mndaily.com

BY PAUL HODOWANIC phodowanic@mndaily.com

The border battle had become a one-sided affair in recent months, as P.J. Fleck and the football team went into Madison and trounced the Badgers in November. That was followed two months later by the men’s basketball team knocking off their rivals on the road. The men’s hockey team (10-11-4) hoped to be the latest team to follow the trend, but were unable to complete the sweep on Saturday night, losing to the Badgers (9-11-4) 4-3. “We had plenty of chances to stretch the game, we just made three critical mistakes,” head coach Bob Motzko said. “It was a tough hockey game.” Motzko described the mistakes as “elementary,” alluding to two missed back checks and a missed puck off the stick. Minnesota kicked off the scoring barrage in the first period. Rem Pitlick worked his way through the Wisconsin defense and into the slot, found an opening on the glove side and put it away for his 14th goal of the season. The Badgers answered in the second period with two scrappy goals, getting ahead 2-1. The first came as the puck got lost under goaltender Mat Robson and snuck past him. The second followed a large scrum right in front of the goal. As the puck squirted out, Wisconsin forward Linus Weissbach was there to put it away. The Gophers were able to answer quickly to halt the Badgers’ momentum. Moments into a power play, Brannon McManus found a

The team scored a season-high but couldn’t overcome the Wolverines.

TONY SAUNDERS, DAILY

The Gophers attempt to stop Wisconsin from scoring their third goal at Mariucci Arena on Saturday, Jan 26. The Gophers lost to the Wisconsin Badgers 4-3 after winning 9-4 the night before.

streaking Brent Gates Jr. in the slot. Gates corralled the puck and beat Wisconsin goaltender Daniel Lebedeff under the glove. The Gophers and Badgers exchanged goals once again in the second period. Pitlick lit the lamp for the second time in the game for the Gophers, and Mick Messner caught the Gophers’ defenders sleeping and slipped behind the defense to tie the game at 3-3. The game-winning goal came early in the third period as defenseman Peter Tischke found an open window in the slot and buried it for the 4-3 lead. Rem Pitlick continued his strong play. He scored twice in the game, and for the seventh time in as many games, Saturday’s game brought his season total to 15. “You know what you’re getting out of Rem [Pitlick], he’s so consistent,” senior forward Tyler Sheehy said. “He brings our line to the next level and he can do just

about anything out there. He could’ve had five tonight.” The power play shone for the Gophers Saturday as they converted on their first three power play chances but couldn’t convert after that, finishing 3-5. “We got to do a better job 5-on-5. Obviously, we can’t have all our goals on the power play and that cost us tonight,” Sheehy said. “They were blocking a lot of shots ... that’s what a good penalty kill does.” The Gophers were without one of their top forwards because Sammy Walker was out with an undisclosed injury. “It’s a big loss for us,” Motzko said. “He and Rem [Pitlick] have been two of our most dynamic players night-to-night.” Saturday’s attendance of 10,686 marked a facility record for Gophers hockey, surpassing a crowd of 10,587 against Wisconsin on Nov. 6 2004. “I’ve played a lot of games here and there have been

MEN’S HOCKEY RESULTS

FRIDAY Wisconsin Minnesota

SATURDAY Wisconsin Minnesota

1 0 3

2 1 0

3 3 6

FINAL 4 9

1 0 1

2 3 2

3 1 0

FINAL 4 3

SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

some good [crowds],” Sheehy said. “They were loud and they were into it and that’s always fun when you can get the student section into it and getting rowdy.” With the loss, the Gophers have lost 3 of 4. The team will be searching for answers next weekend as they take on Michigan at home. “I think we are right there, we’ve seen it from our group,” Pitlick said. “Sometimes we have it, sometimes we don’t but we are just trying to put an emphasis on the end of the year, we got to play our best hockey then so that is what we are working towards.”

The Gophers came into Saturday hoping for revenge against the Wolverines, who finished one place better than them at last week’s Windy City Invitational. Despite a season-high 408.300 score, the Gophers were unable to top Michigan, which scored 413.150. “We were much better than the last two meets. ... Our hit percentage was very good, I was pleased with that,” said head coach Mike Burns. “We are a solid team, but some of our bigger scorers could’ve been a little better.” Michigan was led by a strong all-around performance by sophomore Cameron Bock. Bock finished first in rings, parallel bars and horizontal bars, and second in floor. His performance earned the award for top all-around gymnast. Minnesota improved immensely in the pommel horse, claiming the top two spots of the event, as Justin Karstadt won with a score of 13.700. The event had been a struggle throughout the beginning of the season and was a key point of emphasis throughout the week at practice. “Our pommel horse was excellent compared to last week, around three and a half points better,” said Burns. “That is a huge step in the right direction.” Shane Wiskus continued his strong all-around performance for the Gophers, finishing second in pommel horse and parallel bars, third in horizontal bars and fourth in rings. “I did a lot better than I have been doing the last few meets. Unfortunately, I made a mistake on vault,

which hopefully will be ironed out in the next few weeks,” Wiskus said. “If I wouldn’t have fallen, it would’ve been one of my best scores of all-time.” Shaun Herzog led the way for the Gophers on vault scoring 14.750, placing second in the event. His performance earned the himself the top gymnast award for the Gophers in front of a rousing home crowd at Maturi Pavillion. “[The crowd] is a big boost of energy for us. If we have a stuck landing, the crowd goes wild,” said Herzog. “You can just feel that roar go through the Pav and that’s a great feeling.” Although the team had its best overall performance of the season, one of their emotional leaders and top scorers, Vitali Kan struggled. In both of the first two meets this season, Kan tied for first on vault but could only muster a fifth place finish against Michigan. Kan also struggled with the floor exercise, finishing last, and finished eighth in pommel horse. “Sometimes he might put a little too much pressure on himself as a team leader. We need his scores and he knows we need his scores, so sometimes that can be a monkey on his back,” said Burns. “He needs to take all the pressure of doing what the team needs him to do out of equation, and go out and do what he is capable of doing.” Although it was just a two team event, the gymnasts shared the floor for much of the meet with junior competitors competing in the annual John Roethlisberger Iceberg Open. The competition features kids of all ages and added an extra element for the gymnasts and fans. The Gophers will hit the mats once again on Saturday Feb. 2 in Iowa City when they take on Iowa and UIC.

7

Monday, January 28, 2019

Hangry? Good to go. From grab and go Chobani smoothies to granola bars, shop and save close to campus.

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8 MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2019

MN DAILY

MNDAILY.COM

Editorials & Opinions

COLUMN

EDITORIAL

Recent devastating layoffs in digital media

New restorative justice program needs support

Amidst major cuts at BuzzFeed and Verizon Media, support for the media is even more crucial.

T

h e past week in digital media has been devastating, and it’s not over yet. BuzzFeed is in the midst of a 15 percent staff layoff. After a round of layoffs last FriPALMER HAASCH day, BuzzFeed’s columnist national and national security desks no longer exist, and several other BuzzFeed teams were disbanded. Verizon Media Group, which owns the Huffington Post, AOL and Yahoo, announced a 7 percent layoff last Wednesday. The Huffington Post lost 20 employees on Thursday, and its entire opinions and health sections were dismantled. These layoffs follow other recent cuts in digital news, the Washington Post reports. Mic laid off its editorial staff in November. Vox Media cut approximately 50 employees in early 2018. Refinery29 cut about 10 percent of its staff in October. Early this year, Grindr cut its LGBTQ news site, Into. A

digital advertising market dominated by Google and Facebook only makes things harder for digital companies. During the first round of BuzzFeed layoffs last Friday, my Twitter feed was testament to both the volatile nature of digital news and the empathy of many others within the industry. I read tweet after tweet from incredible journalists announcing they had been let go or were waiting to learn if they would still have a job come Monday. There was an outpouring of support that followed — other journalists offered job openings at their organizations and supporters donated over $8,000 to a “BuzzFeed News Beer Fund” in order to buy laid off employees a drink. However, NBC News reports that many nowunemployed journalists were also subject to coordinated harassment by 4chan trolls who sent them images invoking “Day of the Rope,” a farright meme referencing a desire to execute journalists. President Donald Trump didn’t miss an opportunity to capitalize on the situation, tweeting: “Fake news and bad journalism have caused a big downturn. … The people want the Truth!” This particular round of layoffs has felt particularly gutting. I’m an early-career journalist hoping to start working as a culture reporter immediately after I graduate in May. I already have my fair share of anxiety about finding a job in digital media compounded with run-of-the-mill imposter syndrome and insecurity. However, I’ve also been lucky to

EDITORIAL

Politicians should be using social media more heavily Minnesotan politicians should follow Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s example in youth interaction. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez frequently uses her Instagram to interact with her many followers — she has over two million. Ocasio-Cortez, who says she takes no corporate money for her political campaign, is known to do Instagram live broadcasts. During them, she answers questions and gives political insight — even while making macaroni and cheese. She also gives her followers a behindthe-scenes look at what it’s like to become a member of Congress. Scattered across her profile are collections of pictures and videos that show aspects of her daily life, from congressional orientation to doing her laundry. Ocasio-Cortez gives her followers a taste of her normal life, while also offering the average person some insight into Congress. The New York Times compares these social media posts to the likes of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats. Politicians have made efforts in the past to connect with their supporters as transparently as possible — social media is making that a lot easier. Not only is this increased political transparency good for building trust with supporters throughout a politicians campaign and governing term, it also increases the general public’s knowledge of how our government works. Here in Minnesota, our lawmakers have yet to show this level of engagement with their social media followers, but there is still a social media presence. Sen. Amy Klobuchar regularly posts short videos and pictures of the work she is doing locally and in Washington D.C. Sen. Tina Smith uses her Instagram page to list her endorsements, ways to get involved with her campaign and how to become a registered voter. But Ocasio-Cortez has reached a new level of popularity with a younger generation of people by taking the time to talk directly to followers. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s social media presence is a step in the right direction when it comes to mirroring

Oscasio-Cortez’s efforts to reach her constituents. Her profile has a pinned story labeled “Congress,” which has pictures and videos of her congressional orientation with Ocasio-Cortez. According to the Pew Research Center, 86 percent of 18-29 year olds are active social media users. Sharing political information on social media reaches the younger audience — pulling in a new generation of voters. It is crucial to engage young voters in political conversations and decision making, and using social media is an easy way to reach a large demographic. Not only does it reach younger voters, it provides people with access to political information that they might not have had access to before. Ocasio-Cortez explaining how Congress works, describing how she plans to combat issues and being excited to work for the American people are personal elements of politicians that we don’t always get to see.

According to the Pew Research Center, 86 percent of 18-29 year olds are active social media users. Sharing political information on social media reaches the younger audience — pulling in a new generation of voters.

Social media is an easy way to engage with voters and emphasize transparency, and politicians in Minnesota need to start finding other avenues to reach their voters. Traditional ways of sharing information may have been successful in the past, but if we want young adults to be politically informed when casting their ballots, we have to think of different ways to reach people.

benefit from incredible mentors and friends who both reassure me and help me grow as a writer. I wasn’t initially certain how to process Friday’s layoffs other than with a glass of nervous — and legal, I’m 21 years old — wine in solidarity. There’s a certain degree of dread (cuts will inevitably continue), a good deal of heartache for those who were laid off and an unsettling anxiety about the future. I’m not just worried for myself. I’m worried for my friends, colleagues and everyone else in the industry. I’m apprehensive about the future of sites like BuzzFeed, HuffPost, Into and Mic, who all did or do excellent, critical reporting. Violent anti-media sentiment and the targeted harassment that follows terrify me. My tendency toward anxiety and overthinking — and the looming possibility of further cuts and closures — means I won’t stop being terrified for quite a while. Now, what matters most is that we support digital news in any way we can. Subscribe to publications that matter to you. Turn off your ad blocker while visiting news sites. Support those in digital media in any way you can — and maybe buy them a beer while you’re at it. Palmer Haasch welcomes comments at phaasch@mndaily.com.

EDITORIAL

MN state staple is fading away Minnesota is one of the country’s remaining holdouts for 3.2 beer. It is a regular tradition at the Minnesota Capitol: Legislation is introduced to allow supermarkets and convenience stores to sell fullstrength beer and wine. And there the legislation sits, generally not drawing even a committee hearing, much less a floor vote. Minnesota’s liquor retailers, private and municipal, aren’t interested in the added competition. Supermarkets and convenience stores in this state have long been limited to 3.2 beer, brews of weaker potency whose time is rapidly dwindling. Oklahoma, Colorado and Kansas have recently repealed their Minnesota-like restrictions on strong beer sales. Only Utah and the Gopher State remain as 3.2 holdouts. Oklahoma — which clung to Prohibition until 1959, some 26 years after Repeal — accounted for an astounding 50 percent of the national market for low-point beer; Colorado for another 20 percent. The upshot of these changes: As the national market for 3.2 dwindles, fewer brewers will see a financial gain from making the weaker beer. We’ve certainly seen the market change in Minnesota over the years. Forty years ago, 3.2 wasn’t just found in supermarkets and gas stations. It’s what was sold to fans at Metropolitan Stadium and in the early days of the Metrodome, and 3.2 joints were common. Mankato old-timers have fond memories of such bygone establishments as S&S Tavern, Valachy’s Peanut Bar and the 205 Club. Bygone is the operative word, however. Fans at today’s stadiums have access not only to full-strength beer but harder stuff as well, and few establishments today opt for a lowstrength license. The arrival in Minnesota a few years ago of Sunday liquor sales put another dent in the market for low-point beer here. The growth of craft beer, and the concurrent decline in market share of the megabrands, suggests that today’s beer drinkers are less interested in the quantity of their suds than in quality and uniqueness. Low-point beer doesn’t meet that desire. The conclusion is obvious: The marketplace is killing 3.2 beer. Let us raise a toast to days of yore and move on. This editorial was originally published in the Mankato Free Press.

COLUMN

Notes on the employment contract, part 1 Contract labor is a dim reality for many entering the workforce, and it’s more common than it seems.

W

hen students like us enter the job market, we’ll either be hired directly or contractually. It depends on which is better. For a steady, 9-to-5, part-of-the-workplace job, the UMA VENKATA preferred option columnist is almost always direct-hire. Contract labor started out with the California Gold Rush and for the Transcontinental Railroad. American workers couldn’t cover all the work themselves, so companies drew thousands of Chinese immigrants to the American West. They were paid below-market wages and hired on a temporary basis. It worked — a successful precedent for contract labor was laid. Since World War II, there was an unwritten

code of employment that a worker was to receive steady employment, benefits and an annual increase in real wage. That started disappearing in the 1970s, and even more so after 2008. Contract labor is essentially a temporary arrangement. As a direct-hire, I receive salary, plus paid vacation, plus medical benefits from my direct employer. If I am a contractor, that employer instead pays a contracting firm that it hired to hire me. The firm takes its cut, then forwards me my pay, without benefits or paid vacation. Or, in the case of some employees, I am hired on a yearly basis. This means I’m not guaranteed to be employed here next year until those yearly papers are signed. Contractors can feel stranded. Since they do not actually work for the company they’re doing work for, protections like the Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination Employment Act, Title VII of Civil Rights Act and other standards do not apply. If a contractor faces sexual harassment, racial or gender discrimination, unsafe working conditions, late payments, injury on the job or other problems, they do not have human resource departments or other traditional avenues to turn to. This is all painting a rather disappointing picture of contract work, which sounds like it wouldn’t fly in the job market at all. But that is not the case. An NPR/Marist poll found that 1 in

5 American jobs are contract, as of January 2018. Contracting could be attractive. An employee might prefer contract to maintain control over vacation, have the freedom to switch jobs quickly and, sometimes, be able to dictate the terms of completing the isolated project they were hired to do. Depending on the nature of the work, this could be far better than being tied to a traditional job. An employer may prefer contractors to be able to dismiss the employee quickly and without severance, avoid covering paid vacation and health benefits, reduce salary and to avoid spending time cultivating company loyalty in the employee. Sometimes companies have employees start as contractors — to try them out — as an extended interview. That could be good or bad. To me it sounds mostly bad. There are people who suit jobs that suit contract labor; there are people who don’t. That’s all fine and well until too many of the people who don’t are made to be people who do. Next week, I’ll look a little further into contract labor as it applies to you, me and our school’s faculty and staff.

Uma Venkata welcomes comments at uvenkata@mndaily.com.

Veterans deserve opportunities to get help when they commit crimes due to issues like PTSD. A plan to implement a veterans court restorative justice program statewide recently won the endorsement of Gov. Tim Walz. We support that effort as well. The Fifth Judicial District that includes Blue Earth County and six other surrounding counties is one of the few regions of the state that has a special court for veterans. It was established five years ago. When veterans get in trouble with the law, many times involvings drugs, there are a number of veterans services ready to support them. The program pairs a veteran who commits a crime with a mentor who can help them access veterans services, including mental health treatment and housing assistance. Many veterans don’t know about the services available to them. The restorative justice idea expands that model statewide. It calls for courts to consider how circumstances of a veterans service, like PTSD, or other elements may have contributed to them committing a crime. It calls for allowing veterans to enter a plea to a crime, but if they complete conditions of probation, they can have the crime removed from their record. It also would provide support services to every court in the state. The proposal by Veterans Defense Project would allow a judge to offer more treatment options when veterans commit certain crimes and in some cases stay the judicial process if probation requirement were completed. The group expects to get hearings on its bills in both the Minnesota Senate and House. Walz announced “100 percent support” for the program at an event Tuesday. He told the group, “The governor’s office is here to make sure this gets done.”

A restorative justice program that provides removing criminal records will help veterans make the all-important step of getting back into the workforce.

These kind of programs are critical to supporting veterans who are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan in waves after experiencing horrific war conditions with the unconventional tactics of roadside bombs and constant terror attacks. A restorative justice program that provides removing criminal records will help veterans make the all-important step of getting back into the workforce. These programs deserve support. They’ve been shown to work in the limited number of places they now exist. Expanding the program will help all veterans no matter what their hometown.

This editorial was originally published in the Mankato Free Press. EDITORIALS & OPINIONS DEPARTMENT Editorials represent the voice of the Minnesota Daily as an institution and are prepared by the editorial board. SHARE YOUR VIEWS The Minnesota Daily welcomes letters and guest columns from readers. All letters must include the writer’s name, address and phone number for verification. The Daily reserves the right to edit all letters for style, space, libel and grammar. Letters to the editor should be no more than 500 words in length. Guest columns should be approximately 350 words. The Daily reserves the right to print any submission as a letter or guest column. Submission does not guarantee publication.

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MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2019

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HOROSCOPES Today’s Birthday (1/28): Communication profits this year. Share your affection and kindness steadily. Study to unveil a mystery. Summer glory for your crew comes before physical obstacles alert you to stop and smell the roses. Follow your heart this winter. Express your creativity and passion.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Written by Nancy Black

Libra (9/23 - 10/22): Today is a 9 — Juggle income and expenses for a positive balance. Shipping delays or traffic could put a kink in your plans. Stay in communication to manage the flow.

Taurus (4/20 - 5/20): Today is a 7 — Collaborate to surpass an obstacle with a shared objective. Save more than you spend. Contribute your time and talents.

Scorpio (10/23 - 11/21): Today is a 9 — You’re especially strong and creative. Enjoy some personal focus time to pursue your heart’s desire. Learn and develop.

Gemini (5/21 - 6/21): Today is an 8 — Listen to suggestions to raise physical performance. Slow to navigate changing conditions. Nurture your health and energy. Avoid overindulging.

Sagittarius (11/22 - 12/21): Today is a 5 — Rest and recuperate. Allow yourself private time for thinking and planning. Imagine how you’d like an upcoming event to go down.

Cancer (6/22 - 7/22): Today is a 7 — Relax, and focus on immediate needs. Prioritize rest and fun with people you love. Relax to recharge. Romance can spark when least expected.

Capricorn (12/22 - 1/19): Today is an 8 — Share ideas and resources with your team. You don’t need to start from scratch. Your friends are there for you. Someone has the perfect connection.

Leo (7/23 - 8/22): Today is a 7 — Take care of family necessities. Support each other through a change. Pamper your crew with delicious flavors and fragrances.

Aquarius (1/20 - 2/18): Today is an 8 — Professional opportunities tempt. Crazy dreams seem possible. Investigate to find out the bottom line. The truth gets revealed.

Virgo (8/23 - 9/22): Today is a 7 — Connect with your networks. Sample a diverse view of news sources. Write, express and share your own perspective. Reveal what’s underneath.

Pisces (2/19 - 3/20): Today is a 7 — Far horizons entice you out of your comfort zone. Study the latest techniques and ideas. Schedule carefully and allow extra time for traffic.

BE THE

Aries (3/21 - 4/19): Today is an 8 — Consider long-term financial goals and measure current progress. What you may notice first is wherever it’s lacking. Plug budgetary leaks.

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10

Monday, January 28, 2019

Student govt. holds vigil after Title IX proposal The proposed Title IX policy’s 60-day comment period is ending on Jan. 28. BY NIAMH COOMEY ncoomey@mndaily.com

The University of Minnesota’s student government hosted a vigil Thursday that offered support to sexual assault survivors and educating students on the details of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’s proposed Title IX changes. These potential legal shifts would change the way sexual assault cases are handled in schools and on college campuses across the country. Since November, more than 71,000 students have sent comments to the U.S. Department of Education in an effort to delay the proposal before the 60-day comment period ends on Jan. 28. Minnesota Student Association President Simran Mishra said she hopes to give students an opportunity to contribute to the conversation around the Title IX changes. The event aimed to educate students on how to write comments in a way to make the Department of Education more likely to respond. “That’s kind of [the] plan,

to get people who are really passionate about this [and] really want to work around this in the same place,” she said. The Department of Education is unable to vote on the proposed changes until all constructive comments have been read and addressed. Freshman Molly Overkamp said she attended the event, hoping to show support to survivors as well as get more information about the Title IX changes that she could pass along to friends in high school and at other universities. “These changes go against everything the Department of Education stands for. It doesn’t protect students in any way, and frankly I’m tired of presidential administrations backing upper-division university staff over the people that actually utilize the Department of Education’s resources, which are the students,” Overkamp said. MSA also brought in advocates from the Saint Paul and Ramsey County Domestic Abuse Intervention Project to take questions about the changes and to speak about the experience of sexual assault victims. MSA’s Sexual Assault Task Force Chair Meara Cline met with the University’s Title IX Director Tina

ELLE MOULIN, DAILY

Christina Laridaen, Minnesota Student Association government and legislative affairs coordinator, stands in the MSA room on Thursday, Jan. 24 at Coffman Union.

Marisam last semester to discuss the changes and how they would affect University students. These changes were presented by MSA’s government and legislative

affairs director Jude Goossens and coordinator Christina Laridaen. This movement is not unique to the University. MSA has been working with

other universities to draft a joint comment and hopefully have a bigger impact on the Board of Education, Cline said. “Nobody is backing down, especially victim-survivors,

especially allies . ... We will never support a policy that revictimizes those who have already been hurt and ... we will never stop fighting for safe campuses,” she said.

Research project aims to understand MN ecosystem Project volunteers help by identifying animals in photos from Anoka, MN. BY JORDAN WILLAUER jwillauer@mndaily.com

Netherlands resident Jolanda van Weeren spends her day working part-time at a bookstore, tending to her home and, when she has free time, analyzing pictures of Minnesota animals as part of a University of Minnesota research project. Van Weeren and other

volunteer naturalists classify species on the internet for Cedar Creek: Eyes on the Wild — an ecological research project organized by researchers from the University’s College of Biological Sciences. On the website, users can view the photos taken by camera traps on the 9-square-mile reserve near Anoka, Minnesota. The researchers hope to use the identifications to better understand Minnesota’s ecosystem. “The main driving force ... is understanding something about our landscape and

about how all the component parts interact with each other,” said Caitlin Barale Potter, the education and outreach coordinator for the project. The researchers have data of the non-animal aspects of Cedar Creek, such as plants and soil, Barale Potter said. But they have lacked data on animals and how they interact in the area. The new photos of animals coupled with the non-animal data will give researchers a better understanding of the Minnesota ecosystem than they have had in the past. “[Volunteers] are an inte-

gral part of the project that was built into the project from the very beginning,” she said. According to Barale Potter, the volunteers are averaging about 25,000 classifications per day. Van Weeren, a 49-yearold grandmother and a volunteer naturalist in the Netherlands, said in an email that she loves the project because the photos make her feel close to home. She also loves interacting with other volunteers. “[There are] so many enthusiastic volunteers that leave funny,

sweet or excited notes and ask interesting questions. (I read them all),” she wrote in an email. Digital volunteers are not only people who live in different countries, but also those right in Minnesota. Jason Bain, a Burnsville resident, said his love of wolves attracted him to this project. He worked with wolves in Yellowstone National Park and said classifying animals in pictures came naturally to him. Bain said he has a lot of time to kill in his daily job, so he often spends his time

classifying animals. Since December, the network of almost 3,000 volunteers has interacted with over one million photos and the project is approximately 60 percent complete, as of Thursday evening. “Minnesotans have really strong connections to the land,” Barale Potter said. “There are so many people here that hunt and fish and interact with the state on a regular basis. So to be able to virtually open the property up to people who are excited is a pretty unique opportunity.”

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