Issuu

GOPHERS END TOURNAMENT RUN AGAINST SPARTANS P 4 MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2019

EARLY WEEK

MINNESOTA LOST 70-50 DESPITE 27 POINTS FROM COFFEY

MNDAILY.COM

HOUSING

STATE GOVT.

U funding gets boost in new proposal

The Arrow aftermath Last September, three workers went to the emergency room. A series of tests on the apartment's carpet tiles revealed potential risks to former carpet layers. BY CLEO KREJCI • ckrejci@mndaily.com

lysses Eldridge gagged from gasoline fumes when he was filling up his car last fall. A few weeks before, he and two other workers went to the emergency room feeling sick after installing carpeting at the student apartments formerly known as Prime Place. Chemicals on the carpeting installed in September present potential hazards to workers’ health, according to a recently completed lab analysis initiated by the Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades Council. The recent report resulted from workers’ concerns about the carpet’s effect on their health at the building now known as The Arrow Apartments. Following the incident in September, the City of Minneapolis Health Department also tested air quality at the apartment building. City tests showed elevated levels of the same types of

BUSINESS

potentially hazardous chemicals as the recent third-party report did, but the chemical readings dropped significantly after the City instructed they ventilate the building. Both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which also filed an inspection report on the incident in the fall, and the City closed their cases after concluding there were no immediate safety concerns with the project. The City plans to send an inspector in to test air quality in the building, according to Patrick Hanlon, director of environmental programs at the City of Minneapolis Health Department. It’s been about six months since Eldridge went to the hospital, and he said he’s still experiencing symptoms like impaired memory function, ringing in his ears and fatigue. He said he’s extra-sensitive to harsh odors like paint and gasoline fumes, which are common to encounter in his profession installing carpets. The Arrow, which is located at 117 27th

The governor’s revised budget proposal still falls short of the University’s $87 million request. BY ISABELLA MURRAY imurray@mndaily.com

ELLEN SCHMIDT, DAILY

The Arrow Apartments, formerly known as Prime Place, on Monday, Feb. 25 in Minneapolis.

Ave. SE., is marketed to University of Minnesota students. Initial delays in construction forced residents who had already signed leases to look for temporary housing while the building was finished. Inspections in November 2017 identified serious building code violations and safety fire safety concerns associated with the ongoing construction project. Two months later, the apartments rebranded to The Arrow. “It’s the tail end of a nightmare for this whole construction project,” said Ward 2 City Council member Cam Gordon, who has voiced concern over issues with the building’s construction since the Kansasbased developer called Elsey Partners proposed the project in 2015. A general manager with The Arrow Apartments said he received the report, but had no comment about the incident. u See THE ARROW Page 3

New spending in DFL Gov. Tim Walz’s revised state budget gets the University of Minnesota closer to its full funding request over the next biennium. The newly tweaked budget – a total of $131 million less than the initial proposal–comes after the state’s projected surplus shrunk by nearly $500 million last month. But updates also include $37 million in increased spending for certain areas, primarily higher education. The University’s proposed allocation went up $11.9 million under the new budget. “The revised budget is balanced, and it’s fiscally sound,” Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Myron Frans said at a press conference Friday. “Our revised budget continues to invest in education, health care and community prosperity.” The governor’s original budget funded $39.2 million of the University’s $87 million biennial budget request. Changes suggest the University receive $51 million total over the next two years. These tweaks occurred after communication between the governor’s office and lawmakers, said Senate higher education committee member Sen. Greg Clausen, DFL-Apple Valley. “We’ve been advocating that we need to put more funding in higher education, so the governor listened and reacted with some additional funding,” Clausen said. “That’s a positive, certainly.” Over two-thirds of the budget’s new spending is for higher education. The Minnesota State system also saw a proposed increase of $13.2 million, bringing its total to $65 million. “Myself and others on the committee recognize that we were being underfunded in higher education,” Clausen said. “I’m not sure it’s still enough but it’s welcomed.”

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Prospect Park Wisconsin shuts out Minnesota in NCAA Championship goaltender Kristen may see new Wisconsin Campbell made 27 saves as the microdistillery Badgers beat the Gophers 2-0. The family-run project, at the old site of a potato processing plant, hopes to open in 2020. BY MIGUEL OCTAVIO moctavio@mndaily.com

A family-run microdistillery specializing in Irish whiskey could be coming to Prospect Park. Dubbed the O’Shaughnessy Distillery, the proposed two-level development will produce whiskey and a variety of other spirits for distribution. Plans for the 20,000 square foot building also feature indoor and outdoor tasting venues, complete with a cocktail lounge and bar. Project developer Wall Companies aims to open the business, located at 600 Malcolm Ave. SE., by next spring. The project was presented to the Prospect Park Association on Friday. A task force of neighborhood members and project developers was formed to review guidelines and discuss recommendations for the distillery. Michael and Patrick O’Shaughnessy, who are cousins, began planning the project one year ago. Patrick O’Shaughnessy said their Irish ancestry helped inspire the distillery. “As a family, we wanted to be doing a project that together was going to bring meaning to us,” Patrick O’Shaughnessy said. “This is something that’s passionate and emotional and creates a deep bond of connection for the family as a whole.” The project’s location was once the site of a potato processing plant. Patrick O’Shaughnessy said the history of the building has ties with his heritage because his ancestors arrived at the time of the Irish Potato Famine. The owners plan to use Irish-sourced ingredients for the products. The business will provide tours of the facility to educate customers about how its spirits are produced. The owners will focus on serving customers in the local community, but hope their brand will someday be successful enough for national distribution. Patrick O’Shaughnessy attributes Irish whiskey’s sweet and light taste to its popularity. PPA Planning and Land Use Chair John Wicks said task forces for developments like the O’Shaughnessy Distillery encourage collaboration between business owners and the community. “It makes for a better experience for the people that live here to be able to utilize a u See DISTILLERY Page 3

BY ERIK NELSON enelson2@mndaily.com

In Hamden, Connecticut, it was a border battle far from the teams’ home states for the national championship. Badgers goaltender Kristen Campbell recorded her third shutout of the 2019 postseason as Wisconsin (35-4-2) defeated No. 2 Minnesota (32-6-1) 2-0 in the NCAA championship game at People’s United Center on Sunday. The Badgers won their first national championship since 2011 and avenged their 2012 title game defeat to Minnesota. The Badgers also defeated the Gophers in the 2006 national championship game. Campbell made 27 saves to win her 35th game of the season. Minnesota goaltender Alex Gulstene made 30 saves in the losing effort. “We were willing to do whatever it takes to get the puck out,” Campbell said. “It was a complete team effort. They have to be making the plays in order for you to get that done. I couldn’t be more proud of how the team was able to execute in this postseason run.” Head coach Brad Frost said he was proud of Minnesota for its effort on Sunday. “This is an awesome group,” Frost said.

DAILY FILE PHOTO

Forward Amy Potomak dives for the puck at Ridder Arena on Sunday, March 10. Wisconsin beat the Gophers 3-1 to win the 2019 WCHA Final Faceoff.

“I enjoyed every day with them. They left it out there tonight. We were inches away all night. We were close, but not close enough.” Badgers center Sophia Shaver scored the game-winning goal in the first period at 10:20 of the frame. Shaver beat Gulstene u See HOCKEY Page 4

WOMEN’S HOCKEY RESULTS

SUNDAY Wisconsin Minnesota

1 1 0

2 1 0

3 0 0

FINAL 2 0

SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

GRAD SCHOOL

Graduate School looks to improve communication with students Advising statements can assist communication and prevent future issues, officials say. BY KAIT ECKER kecker@mndaily.com

The University of Minnesota Graduate School will prioritize increasing communication between graduate students and their advisers following a vote earlier this month. Advisers will be encouraged to create advising statements, which would outline graduate advisers’ expectations of the graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who work with them. Communication is essential in having a successful relationship between a student and adviser, said Mary Jo Kreitzer, faculty co-chair of the Graduate School Advisory Board. Kreitzer said the statements could help students and advisers communicate more clearly and effectively. In graduate education, advisers determine nearly every

facet of a students’ work, and every adviser has a different mode of operation. “I think it can help students know how to effectively work with their adviser, because different advisers have different expectations,” Kreitzer said. “I think an advising statement really helps lay out expectations.” Advisers’ expectations can include the level of independence of a student’s work, the number of hours a student should put in, sick leave policy, the timeliness of communication and authorship on publications and research. The power imbalance between students and advisers can also cause poor relationships. “Historically, sometimes the relationships between advisers and students have the potential to be exploitative,” Kreitzer said. Advising statements could help account for this imbalance, said Scott Lanyon, vice provost and dean of graduate education. It is often the students’ responsibility to start difficult conversations or to find out what expectations their advisers actually have, he said.

The practice of using advising statements is uncommon in academic settings. Advising statements would make faculty responsible for communicating expectations, Lanyon said. “It means students can make an informed decision about who would be a good fit as an adviser for them,” Lanyon said. The power dynamic also plays a role in sexual misconduct at the graduate level, Lanyon said. The advising statement could potentially help establish better standards for a learning environment, said Max Herzberg, the Council of Graduate Students representative to GSAB. “Hopefully building statements that outline what a respectful learning environment looks like … is going to be a nice baseline for people to use when pointing out that this behavior is not appropriate,” Herzberg said. “Unfortunately, there is only so much that an advising statement can do to mitigate bad actors.” u See GRADS Page 3

VOLUME 119 ISSUE 47

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2019

MN DAILY

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Monday, March 25, 2019 Vol. 119 No. 47

An Independent Student Newspaper, Founded in 1900. 2221 University Ave. SE, Suite 450, Minneapolis, MN 55414 Phone: (612) 627-4080 Fax: (612) 435-5865

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1967 Martin Luther King, Jr., leads a march of 5,000 antiwar demonstrators in Chicago to protest the Vietnam War. HISTORYCHANNEL.COM/TDIH

U spring break starts out soggy February’s record snowfall has caused flooding in UMN neighborhoods.

DYLAN ANDERSON, DAILY

A sidewalk in Dinkytown as seen on Monday, March 18.

frozen ground, basement flooding becomes a concern. Schmidt said the substantial amount of snow across the state will produce “moderate to major spring flooding.” A major flood stage occurs when the river reaches 17 feet, and Schmidt said the Mississippi River is very likely to hit major flood levels from St. Paul to the south. The river is currently at about 11 feet

in St. Paul, with a National Weather Service forecast of nearly 20 feet by March 29. “We’re talking 97 percent chance,” he said. “Any low areas along there are going to start to have some problems.” Schmidt said the first week of April has the highest flooding threat, which could lead to road closures and sewer backups. Nick Busse, communications principal with the

Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, said localized flooding is often caused by plugged storm drains. The City of Minneapolis works to clear storm drains in order to avoid this kind of flooding. Localized flooding is expected to continue through the week, according to the National Weather Service. University students Mai Nguyen and Tim Johnson live in a basement in Dinky-

town and said they’re nervous about flooding. Johnson said they have a large pile of snow against their window. “It hasn’t [flooded] yet, but we’ll see,” Johnson said. Schmidt suggested people try to keep big piles of snow away from their houses and make sure water has a path to flow. “Any place that has got a low area is going to fill up with water,” he said.

VOTES IN 2019 ALL-CAMPUS MSA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

491 SPENCER KLEINSCHMIDT & AUGUST SCHULTZ KRISSY VAN LAARHOVEN & AMANDA DAVENPORT 1,413 617

WRITE-INS

SOURCE: MN DAILY REPORTING

Kaler talks about renaming UMN buildings

The Minnesota Daily sat down with University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler before spring break to talk about his recommendations to rename controversial buildings on campus, rising concern about student mental health and discussions about possible changes to reciprocity tuition. You gave a preliminar y recommendation to change the name of Cof fman Memorial Union and three other buildings on campus. I’m curious about how you came to that

EDITORIAL BOARD Ellen Schneider Editorials & Opinions Editor eschneider@mndaily.com Ariana Wilson Editorial Board Member awilson@mndaily.com Hailey Almsted Editorial Board Member halmsted@mndaily.com Kelly Busche Editor-in-Chief kbusche@mndaily.com

MINA KIAN & JAEL KERANDI

BY AUSTEN MACALUS amacalus@mndaily.com

BUSINESS Kyle Stumpf Sales Manager kstumpf@mndaily.com David Keane Controller dkeane@mndaily.com

The Daily and Kaler discussed renaming criticisms and the regents’ response.

EDITORIAL STAFF Max Chao Managing Editor mchao@mndaily.com Christine Ha Managing Production Editor cha@mndaily.com Michelle Griffith Campus Activities Editor mgriffith@mndaily.com Madeline Deninger City Editor mdeninger@mndaily.com J.D. Duggan Campus Administration Editor jduggan@mndaily.com Cleo Krejci Features Editor ckrejci@mndaily.com Drew Cove Sports Editor dcove@mndaily.com Sophie Vilensky A&E Editor svilensky@mndaily.com Ellen Schmidt Multimedia Editor eschmidt@mndaily.com Courtney Deutz Assistant Multimedia Editor cdeutz@mndaily.com Molly Tynjala Copy Desk Chief mtynjala@mndaily.com Bailey Davis Assistant Copy Desk Chief bdavis@mndaily.com Desmond Kamas Chief Page Designer dkamas@mndaily.com Abby Adamski Visuals Editor aadamski@mndaily.com Morgan La Casse Visuals Editor mlacasse@mndaily.com =

BY DYLAN ANDERSON danderson@mndaily.com

Akash Dhotre is a University of Minnesota graduate student from India who just experienced his first Minnesota winter. He’s now dealing with winter’s lingering effects, as his Dinkytown basement flooded last week. “It was quite annoying,” he said. “I guess you got to deal with it.” The record amount of snowfall in February is beginning to melt, raising concerns of flooding throughout the state. Students living around campus have dealt with flooded streets, and flooded basements have kicked off some students’ spring breaks. Craig Schmidt, service hydrologist with the National Weather Service, said this year stands out because of the large amount of snow and significant cold. “We just had too much darn snow too late,” Schmidt said. “With the rain on top of it, it made it much worse.” The rain and warmer weather last week led to ponding in yards and streets, along with flooded basements, he said. When water pools in yards due to

OFFICE OF THE PUBLISHER Kelly Busche Editor-in-Chief kbusche@mndaily.com (612) 435-1575 Genevieve Locke Business Operations Officer glocke@mndaily.com (612) 435-2761

recommendation — why that is needed? As you know, we put together a process starting over a year ago led primarily by Dean John Coleman from [the College of Liberal Arts]. They really asked and answered the question about what should be the process that we follow to have a conversation about buildings’ names. We then impaneled another group, a task force of scholars on the Twin Cities campus, including an undergraduate student and a graduate student to explore from a historical perspective the facts, the history, really, around the contribution of these four men to the University. They did, I think, a superior job of looking at archives and generating a report that listing the reasons both for and against renaming those buildings. And in all four cases, they

recommended renaming, amongst other remedies ... I reviewed those and reached the same conclusion. Certainly these men made contribution to the University of Minnesota — they were historical figures — but there also were actions and activities that didn’t represent the views [and] the ideals the University should put forward. So I then generated preliminary recommendations to the board, hoping to open the conversation more broadly around the report findings and recommendations. They were presented to the board on [March 8] as a preliminary recommendation with the opportunity for dialogue. That dialogue was harsher than I expected in tone and it was also limited in time such that it wasn’t possible to fully explore all of the elements that the task force brought

forward. The chair of the board and I are dedicated to finding a way to continue that conversation. But again, I recognize unambiguously the scholarship and integrity of that task force and respect the findings they brought forward. Like you said, several regents at the meeting expressed concern about the report [and] about the renaming process. Did you think those criticisms were fair about the process the University went through? Criticisms are exactly that: criticisms. Do I understand why board members would think that a committee that recommends changing names would have broader representation than just from the Twin Cities campus? I understand that. But again, this committee

has expertise from a historical point of view and it was never designed to represent the thoughts of Minnesota across all points of view. The purpose of bringing this forward to the regents was to get those broader points of view, but have those points of view based on historical analysis. Going for ward, do you expect that the buildings will be renamed — that the regents will go through with the renaming process? From the comments and statements at the board meeting, I think any observer would believe that we do not have seven votes on the board to rename. So I think right now if we took vote, it probably would not pass. But again, more conversation and dialogue needs to be had.

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. 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, March 25, 2019

Grads u from Page 1

Herzberg promoted the advising statements at the most recent GSAB meeting after working on the issue since last spring. Herzberg is also working to include information about mental health resources in the advising statements. Lanyon said when advisers’ expectations are unclear, it automatically leads to stress for students. “Students are pushing themselves to be creative and the best in their field, so it is naturally stressful,” he said. “But with these sorts of statements I think we can eliminate some of the unintended stress.” Andrej Zivanovic, a graduate student in pharmacology, said he has an excellent relationship with his adviser. But he has heard of other relationships that have not been as good. “The benefits of such a system would vary drastically depending [on] different mentor-advisee relationships, because there’s everything under the sun: the good, the bad, the ugly,” Zivanovic said. Documentation is generally beneficial, even in good relationships, he said. Advisers can also see the use of these advising statements. “We want our students to succeed. We want them to do well,” said Laurie Parker, the director of

The Arrow u from Page 1

The Minnesota Daily reached out to the company’s management multiple times for comment.

Workers’ alarm leads to inspections

Eldridge has been laying carpet for nearly 30 years. When he started noticing abnormal symptoms during the installation in early September, he ordered an air quality testing device on Amazon. Its readings jumped to red when it measured the carpet, he said. The third-party lab’s recent analysis found a mixture of chemicals including ethyl hexanol and multicomponent solvents similar to naphtha, Stoddard solvent or petroleum distillate, seeped from the carpet tiles. Together, the mixture of chemicals shows readings that “significantly exceed” criteria for typical levels in the air, according to the Ecology Center report. “We identified that this product is contributing to an air quality hazard to workers,” said Jeff Gearhart, an environmental health researcher at the Ecology Center. Those risks can include irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, nausea, fatigue, loss of coordination, dizziness and damage to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system, Gearhart said over email. Symptoms depend on the severity of the exposure. Despite the initial high readings of the toxic organic volatile compounds, or TVOCs, the release rate of chemicals from the carpeting slows down over time, Gearhart said. Initial symptoms are waning, Eldridge said. But now he’s worried about the potential for long-term effects. “This is a lesson that’s going to stick,” Eldridge said. “I’m not going to let it happen again.” City inspections find initially high levels of chemicals, but safe levels today City inspections tell the same story as the lab analysis: they initially found high chemical readings, which dropped after ventilating the building. The City of Minneapolis Health Department responded to the case in September after learning of workers’ health concerns, Hanlon said. “We had an immediate … concern to make sure that it wasn’t an immediate risk to health and safety,” Hanlon said. Gearhart said the City’s test results from September are consistent with the recent findings that the carpet tiles could pose a significant hazard to workers handling the material.

MORGAN LA CASSE, DAILY

graduate studies in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics. “Happy students and comfortable and safe-feeling students are

productive students.” The Graduate School will not mandate that graduate faculty to write advising statements, but instead will promote

and encourage their use, Kreitzer said. This also gives different departments and programs the freedom to customize the statements according

to their specific needs. While advising statements can help address many of the problems graduate students face, there is still work to be done in creating

best practices for advising. “The advising statement is a really important step in the culture change,” Parker said. “But it’s not the only thing we need.”

“

Nobody ever told me this when I was growing up, about laying carpet, but carpet is dangerous anyway, even if it’s not like this.” Ulysses Eldridge

ABBY ADAMSKI, DAILY

former contractor at The Arrow Apartments

Using the City’s laboratory work, OSHA also conducted an inspection of “alleged safety or health hazards” resulting from workers’ concerns with the project. As with the City, the incident resulted in a closed inspection. The City has been in contact with the property owners and managers, Minnesota Department of Health and other experts following the release of the third-party report, looking to identify how to handle these situations moving forward, Hanlon said. “I would love to know where we can start to go, and when I say we, I mean the building industry and everyone … so we’re not reacting to cases like this,” he said.

Experience leads to further questions

“Nobody ever told me this when I was growing up, about laying carpet, but carpet is dangerous anyway, even if it’s not like this,” said Eldridge, who got his first job laying carpet when he was 14. “I guess you can get sick anyway. But you shouldn’t get sick in [a few] days.” As an independent contractor, he’s ineligible for workers’ compensation. When he asked if the company would pay his medical bills in November, one of the owners replied with one word: “no.” Eldridge says he hasn’t worked for them since. Safe exposure levels to TVOCs, which are found in materials like glues, adhesives and permanent markers, are poorly regulated, according to the Ecology Center report. Experts contacted for this article say a lack of regulation poses greater potential safety risks for workers. Mixed and unknown chemicals are associated with both known and unknown health impacts, due to the uncertainty of the exact chemical composition,

Distillery u from Page 1

COURTESY OF ULYSSES ELDRIDGE

Ulysses Eldridge, a former contractor at The Arrow Apartments, purchased a device online to test chemicals on the carpet.

said Gearhart, who analyzed the carpet tiles. As a chemical safety trainer, Gearhart said manufacturers and builders bear some responsibility for ensuring the materials they use are safe. Council member Gordon, who represents the Prospect Park neighborhood where The Arrow is located, said it’s not always clear how to redress damage done by exposure to these chemicals. “It’s hard to figure out who has jurisdiction to do what, when can we intervene and what authority we have,” Gordon said. “That’s why the ball kind of gets tossed around.” The carpet tiles used at The Arrow were made in China. Most industry workers undergo training with carpets produced in Georgia, not carpeting made outside of the U.S., said Burt Johnson, an attorney for the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters. “We’re disturbed by what was reported in this case from workers,” Johnson said. “Every construction worker should be able to go home safe at night.” He said he’s never seen a case like this. “When you rent an apartment or you buy home or you work in an office building, you take for granted that the people who installed the materials were professionals. … And you take for granted that those materials couldn’t possibly cause [the workers] harm,” Johnson said. “This case asks the question, ‘can we take that for granted anymore?’”

business that they’ve had a part in agreeing to the process of the design,” Wicks said. Wicks applauded the project for its potential to bring in employment opportunities to Prospect Park, along with its ability to complement nearby Surly Brewing.

Wall Companies Project Manager Jeff Ellerd said the O’Shaughnessy Distillery will make a great addition to the Malcolm Yards development. “We’re super excited,” Ellerd said. “We think the microdistillery paired with Surly and paired with our food hall creates this new destination that people are going to want to live, work and play in.”

Fed Up With Potholes? Call 612-626-7578 Call if it’s a University street or if you aren’t sure. • Tell us where the pothole is. • Be as specific as possible! City of Minneapolis streets need to be reported to 311. PTS will gather responses and do what we can to fix them!

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Sports

MNDAILY.COM

MN DAILY

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2019

before the two teams shook hands. Left winger Taylor Williamson said she is grateful to have played for Minnesota. Williamson was a member of the Gophers’ 2016 national championship-winning team. “It’s a huge blessing to be able to play up until the last game,” Williamson said.

“These past four years have been the best years of our lives. We can only thank our teammates and our coaches and all the support staff for their constant devotion that they have given to us. We are eternally grateful for the way that they have served us and helped us grow not only as hockey players, but as people.”

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Hockey u from Page 1

with a one-timer from the blue paint after receiving a pass from right winger Presley Norby. It was Shaver’s 11th goal of the season. Wisconsin right winger Annie Pankowski extended

the Badgers’ lead to 2-0 in the second period. While the Badgers were shorthanded, Pankowski sent a backhand shot over Gulstene at the 9:15 mark of the period for her 28th goal of the season. The Gophers couldn’t score on two power play opportunities and had six shots on net during those

power-play chances. This is the first time Minnesota has been shut out since March 10, 2018, when the Gophers lost 4-0 to Campbell and Wisconsin. Gophers captain Kelly Pannek said the Badgers play very desperate defensively. “We were trying to get a lot of shots,” Pannek said.

“We were having a hard time finding those second chances. It’s hard getting good looks against that team. They take care of the front of the net.” After the final horn sounded, the Badgers tossed their equipment in the air in celebration as they skated toward Campbell. The Gophers consoled Gulstene

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Gophers’ March Madness run ends with 70-50 loss Minnesota bowed out of the NCAA tournament after a defeat by MSU. BY NICK JUNGHEIM njungheim@mndaily.com

In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the No. 10 seed Gophers faced a familiar foe in No. 2 seed Michigan State. Minnesota knew they were in for a tough matchup because the Spartans entered as Big Ten Tournament champions and winners of 11 of their last 12 games, including a 79-55 over the Gophers on Feb. 9. Seeking their first official round of 16 appearance since 1990 (excluding the vacated Final Four appearance in 1997), Minnesota (22-13, 9-11) fell short. Michigan State (30-6, 16-4) proved too much, controlling the game throughout, ultimately securing a 70-50 victory. “They’re a really good team,” head coach Richard Pitino said of Michigan State. “To go on to the Sweet 16, obviously, coach [Tom] Izzo with what he’s accomplished. It’s a testament to that program. They have some really good players and obviously they’re really well coached.” Michigan State began the game in a dominant fashion, going on an 11-0 run after Minnesota scored the game’s first basket. A number of poor shots and lapses on transition defense put the Gophers behind early. Once again, inconsistent 3-point shooting plagued Minnesota early on. After making 11 3-pointers from behind the arc in their opening-round victory over Louisville, the Gophers shot just 2-22 from behind the arc on Saturday. Weathering the initial Michigan State surge, junior Amir Coffey made the Gophers’ only 3-pointer

DAILY FILE PHOTO

Senior Jordan Murphy jumps to dunk the ball on Thursday, Feb. 21 at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. The Gophers lost to Michigan 69-60.

in the opening 12 minutes which cut the Spartans’ lead to 14-9. However, Michigan State responded with a 172 run and gained a 20-point lead. Battling a sore back, senior Jordan Murphy started the game but went to the bench after the first four minutes. He checked in again briefly in the waning seconds to receive a standing ovation from the crowd. Despite the disappointing end to his career, his teammates know he has a bright future. “Murphy’s been to hell and back,” said freshman Jarvis Omersa. “He’s

fought through it all. In the long run, he’ll get what he deserves.” Also without back-up forwards redshirt senior Matz Stockman and redshirt sophomore Eric Curry, Minnesota was vulnerable on the interior. Michigan State exposed the Gophers’ lack of depth inside, outscoring them in the paint 22-10 in the first half. Minnesota forced 11 turnovers before intermission and ended the first half on a 8-2 to cut the Spartans’ lead to 14. A 9-0 run early in the second half then cut Michigan State’s advantage to single digits, energizing

the many Gophers fan who traveled south to Des Moines, Iowa. However, Michigan State junior Cassius Winston, the Big Ten Player of the Year, scored seven unanswered points in a 57-second span to make the score 47-31. That started a 15-4 run, which eventually gave the Spartans a 22-point lead, sealing the result. “We had the momentum, crowd got into it, and then Cassius just hit some big shots,” Coffey said. “We had it going a little bit and then Cassius just came through.” Cof f e y f i ni s h e d t h e game with 27 points,

making him the only Go ph er in d o uble digits. Sophomore Isaiah Washington scored nine points, his first since Feb. 6. Omersa played a seasonhigh 25 minutes and led the team with seven rebounds. In the final game of his college career, senior Dupree McBrayer failed to score, going 0-7 from the field. With the season over, McBrayer and Murphy will depart after successful four-year tenures with Minnesota. The Gophers will return three other starters in Coffey and freshmen Gabe Kalscheur and Daniel Oturu.

MEN’S BASKETBALL RESULTS

SATURDAY Michigan State Minnesota

1 33 19

2 37 31

FINAL 70 50

SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

“It stings, but I’m really proud of what our guys did this year,” Pitino said. “It’s the second time we won a tournament game in 29 years. A lot of those guys in that locker room, Dupree McBrayer and Jordan Murphy, went to two NCAA Tournaments and battled through a lot of adversity. [I’m] so proud of those guys.”

GYMNASTICS

Men earn share of Big Ten regular season title, women place fourth Shane Wiskus and Lexy Ramler led their respective teams to victory. BY PAUL HODOWANIC phodowanic@mndaily.com

Both the men’s and women’s gymnastics teams were busy over spring break as the squads racked up conference accolades. The No. 6-ranked men’s team hit the mats on Saturday, March 23 at Maturi Pavillion for the final time this season, taking on No. 8 Iowa and No. 5 Penn State. The Gophers needed to win the meet and have Michigan lose to Nebraska to grab a share of the inaugural Big Ten Regular Season Championship. Minnesota took care of its piece. The team posted a season-high score of 410.950, beating the Hawkeyes and the Nittany Lions. Top-ranked sophomore Shane Wiskus continued his dominance of the all-around with a first-place finish, claiming the floor exercise title and adding second-place finishes on parallel bars and high bars. Freshman David Pochinka put together his best day as a Gophers gymnast, winning his first event title on parallel-bars with a career-best 14.500. Pochinka added career-highs on high bars and pommel horse,

Sophomore Lexy Ramler competes on the balance beam at Maturi Pavilion on Friday, Feb 15.

earning two more podium finishes. Senior Justin Karstadt grabbed the pommel horse title on senior day, scoring 14.100. The Gophers honored Karstadt and fellow seniors George Khoury, Ben Winkel, Michael Harris, Shaun Herzog, Vitali Kan and Ryan Wangler.

“We got to send off our seniors in style,” Head coach Mike Burns told Gopher Sports. “I’m really happy for those guys because it’s a memory that they’ll have for the rest of their lives.” The win was the first domino to fall, with the Gophers’ fate resting in Nebraska’s hands. The

Huskers delivered, posting their season-high score to beat the Wolverines 408.700-403.800. The result meant a share of the first Big Ten regular season title. “First [championship] we’ve had since I’ve been coaching here, and it’s a pretty special day,” Burns told

DAILY FILE PHOTO

Gopher Sports. “I couldn’t be prouder of these guys. The first half of the meet was decent, and the last half, they just exploded with some amazing performances.” T h e m e n no w sh ift their focus to the Big Ten Championships on April 5-6. Meanwhile, the women traveled to Pennsylvania for

the Big Ten Championships on Saturday, March 23. The team finished fourth overall behind Michigan, Illinois and Nebraska after a disappointing fall on the beam dropped Minnesota’s score. “[Saturday] wasn’t what we had hoped, but there were a lot of positives,” Big Ten Head Coach of the Year Jenny Hansen told Gopher Sports. “Our team has a lot of fight in them, and I believe they will respond and come out of tonight even stronger.” Lexy Ramler, who was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Year, lived up to her award posting a 9.925 on beam, becoming the Big Ten beam champion. Ramler also grabbed a share of the Big Ten all-around title with two other competitors and was named to the Big Ten AllChampionships team. Ivy Lu and Paige Williams secured spots on the Big Ten AllChampionships team as well. Williams finished second on the floor exercise with a 9.925. Lu placed second on uneven bars with a 9.950. Lu’s performance propelled the team’s uneven bars score into the top five in program history. The women’s team will regroup and prepare for NCAA Regionals on April 6. The team will learn where they are headed and who they will play on March 25.

MNDAILY.COM

MN DAILY

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2019

PODCAST

UMN student’s new podcast drips

ABBY ADAMSKI, DAILY

One journalism senior is bringing the heat with his project, “The Juice.” BY SAMIR FERDOWSI sferdowsi@mndaily.com

An aspiring TV personality and current hustler, University of Minnesota journalism senior Dijon McCain recently released his passion project that was one year in the making. Focusing on everything from relationship taboos to racial prejudice, McCain’s podcast, “The Juice,” speaks to the new age listener. “‘The Juice,’ to me, is a fusion of having conversations that people are afraid of having, and also the whole

politics side of these discussions,” McCain said. “It’s about challenging different perspectives.” McCain says he’s here to encourage talks that are taboo. Built with three foundational pillars of authenticity, vulnerability and controversy, “The Juice” takes a look at everyday life and fuels emotional discourse by going against the grain. “We can disagree on things and that’s OK. But in today’s society, it’s like we’re not allowed to disagree,” McCain said. “No subject is off limits [on the podcast]. I don’t care if people get offended; we’re getting real shit out there. This is stuff that we go through as college students.” McCain hopes to infuse these intentions into every episode. While he doesn’t

condone fighting, he believes controversy catalyzes new considerations. “Whenever something is said that does not align with your beliefs, and if you have a voice and you’re passionate, you feel attacked.” McCain said. “This brings out the real authenticity [that I’m] looking for. It’s like a domino effect.” It’s through his own experience that McCain draws inspiration for each episode of the podcast. Drawing from his time interning at BET, living in New York and just hanging out on campus, the show reflects his raw wisdom. “I’m out there on my first day on campus in the lunchroom, and this girl behind me is like, ‘Yeah I gotta beat his ass for that.’ I turn around and was like, ‘What the fuck?,” McCain said. “It would spark

an idea. People are always arguing about this or that.” Each episode of “The Juice” features two or three guests. The premiere focuses on college dating dynamics and holds many subtopics, the most prevalent being race. “I connect with the podcast because all of the topics so far are very relatable and the opinions are coming from people in my age group that look like me,” said University kinesiology junior Donjae Rowe, who tuned into episode one. “It teaches me something important and leaves me thinking. It’s exciting.” But the podcast can stir adverse reactions, too. “My takeaway [from episode one] was that we pass our trauma and bad experience onto others,” said business and

marketing education junior Monique King. “Some people want to be right instead of listening and learning.” As a passionate member of the University’s Black Student Union, McCain says race is an underlying theme in many episodes. He wants to accurately and proudly represent a community that he says has been left without a platform on campus. “The podcast gives me the ability to give my perspective as a black male and the privileges I have and issues I deal with on the daily, and it’s a platform for everyone to do the same,” McCain said. “I invite all people to come on the podcast to speak and let us know, what’s your truth?” Instead of passively letting those outside of a community attempt a depiction of

a group that is not their own, listeners hear from those immersed since day one. All guests on the podcast have full creative control of their stories, an ingredient McCain says is essential to “The Juice.” Planning to release upcoming episodes on controversy in the rap world and more, McCain has a lineup ready to fill a season of content. On the horizon, the host sees “The Juice” turning into a a full-on media outlet similar to that of talk shows like “Complex” or “The Breakfast Club.” “I want to be the male version of Oprah, with my own show,” McCain said. “I’m here to get juicy topics rolling. People say I got the juice, the drip — it all relates, it all falls under ‘The Juice.’”

FILM

Review: ‘Us’ makes us question what we see in the mirror If you liked Jordan Peele’s “Get Out,” prepare for his new complex thriller. BY BECCA MOST bmost@mndaily.com

The Wilsons seem like the perfect nuclear family. Just settled in on vacation, Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong’o) and her endearing yet self-righteous husband Gabe Wilson (Winston Duke) plan to take their children Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Evan Alex) Wilson to the beachfront pier. However, Adelaide is haunted by a feeling of impending doom on the way. In flashback, we see an unsettling moment where Adelaide is lost as a child in a carnival funhouse below the dock. Trapped in a mirror maze, she spots a girl who looks exactly like her — but it is not her reflection. Traumatized, Adelaide never returned to Santa Cruz. Until now. Flash forward. As the family gets settled for bed, they notice four people standing in their driveway. Eerily silent, the figures ignore Gabe’s tough-guy routine. (“If you wanna get crazy, we can get crazy!” he shouts, wielding an aluminum baseball bat.) Then, without warning, the figures scatter and make their way toward

COURTESY OF IMDB

Lupita Nyong’o stars in Jordan Peele’s new thriller film “Us.”

the house. It’s not until later that the Wilsons discover that each of the figures look exactly like them. Even worse, they think like them too. Although the plot of “Us” is deceivingly simple on the surface, director Jordan Peele takes advantage of traditional horror tropes common in slasher movies, like jump scares and

the “evil twin” motif. Whereas the villains of his award-winning movie “Get Out” were more subtly veiled as good guys in the beginning of the film, you know right away who you’re rooting against in “Us.” Clad in bright red jumpsuits and armed with large trimming shears, the Wilson’s doubles look human

but are ... off. They look like the family, but they’re not exact clones of their victims. The doppelgängers don’t speak right, mostly communicating via grunts or strangled yelps. Zora’s double grins with a permanently arched smile. Jason’s runs on all fours. In an almost constant game of hide and seek, the

audience gets comfortable with the anxiety of the chase, perhaps losing some of the gritty fear that gripped us wholeheartedly in the trailer. Peele adds some needed lightness to the film by pairing fear with laughter. Gabe’s groan-worthy awkwardness and dad jokes remind us of his humanness, which is especially apparent when paired against his

dejected and quiet shadow self. Peele takes the time to humanize his main characters by showing their intimacy with each other, which makes his twist at the end all the more shocking. Twisting conceptions of the romanticized boardwalk carnival and the modern nuclear family, Peele challenges viewers to examine his tropes closely. Throughout its almost two hours, “Us” reveals itself as more than just a scary movie, tying in themes of belonging, otherness and national identity to couple the basic horror of the plot. Much like in “Get Out,” Peele steeps in subtle background information and details for the audience to notice and hold onto. (Hint: keep an eye out for rabbits and the Hands Across America commercial.) Although these details certainly add a level of complexity to the film, it can overwhelm the premise at times, which comes across as cluttered. It’s easy to poke holes in the plot, and there are many questions left unanswered by the end of the film. That being said, “Us” still marks itself as a mustwatch for 2019. For those who aren’t afraid to be a little unnerved: get your tickets now. Otherwise, steer clear of those fun-house mirrors. Grade: B+

6 MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2019

MN DAILY

MNDAILY.COM

Editorials & Opinions

COLUMN

Internet humor becomes a way to cope with overwhelming news cycle Major national news frequently incites a flood of Twitter users who try to make the best joke.

ast Friday, now-household American name and special counsel Robert Mueller turned in his report on possible Russian interference during the 2016 election to Attorney PALMER HAASCH General William columnist Barr. The report is the culmination of the two-year long special counsel investigation that attempted to determine possible links between the Russian government and President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign. While it’s still uncertain whether or not the report will be made fully public, Mueller finishing it represents the culmination of arguably one of the most crucial undertakings during the current administration. It also sparked the culmination of the internet’s hyper-fixation on the report, which took the form of an inescapable slew of Mueller memes.

Twitter — journalism and media Twitter in particular — has a tendency to dog-pile on trending events and news in a cutthroat race to see who can make the best tweet. Over spring break, I detached myself somewhat from breaking news and social media. In turn, I was alerted to Friday’s breaking news by a profusion of witticisms, quips and memes about Mueller once I devoted some time to parsing through my Twitter feed. The Daily Dot wrote about the resulting memes and compiled some of the more popular iterations. Many of the memes harken back to familiar college nights spent, “sweating in front of [a] laptop” or “gleefully closing all of [your] open tabs” after finishing a project. Other iterations play into adjacent tropes or memes; one plays into J.K. Rowling’s tendency to retcon her work. But my personal favorite was “Mueller: ‘so I wrote a thing,’” referencing online content creators’ faux-humble posting of their work. The memes — at least this particular burst of them — don’t seem like they’re going to have the same kind of durability as contemporaries like “Literally no one:” meme or the now-fading “summoning circle.” Centered on a specific breaking news point, they emerged on Friday in a rush of everyone trying to make the best Mueller joke. Or, at the very least, a good enough joke to get some traction.

COLUMN

n March 6, Gayle King interviewed R&B singer R. Kelly for his first public interview after his arrest two weeks prior for 10 charges of criminal sexual abuse. Kelly has UMA VENKATA been under scrucolumnist tiny for sexual crime for decades. He has had an alleged habit of soliciting and using underage girls for sex, and his entourage allegedly had a habit of assisting him. When Kelly was 24 years old in 1991, he allegedly had sex with a 15-year-old and 16-yearold on many occasions. The younger, Tiffany Hawkins, sued in 1996 and settled for 2.5 percent of the damages. In 1994, he married the late singer Aaliyah when she was 15 years old and he was 27 years old, and the marriage was annulled when the public found out. In 2002, Kelly was formally charged with 21 counts of child pornography in Chicago, but was later acquitted of all charges.The chart performance of “Ignition (Remix)” did just fine. Lifetime produced a six-hour docuseries that included over 50 interviews with Kelly’s former collaborators and — more importantly — victims. It revealed the picture of a man who maintained a sympathetic public image, but privately, was allegedly a pathological controller. King interviewed Kelly’s two current girlfriends, Azriel Clary and Jocelyn Savage, ages 21 and 23, who claimed their parents are the extorters and Kelly is the protector. Bear in mind that Kelly is 52. Even if you could be unconvinced by the age differences, I’m not sure if you could name a fine, upstanding citizen with two live-in girlfriends. These last two paragraphs are by no means an exhaustive list of Kelly’s alleged exploits. Feel free to check out more about his affinity for vulnerable young women. The public’s role now is to let the legal system do what it is meant

Palmer Haasch welcomes comments at phaasch@mndaily.com.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

R. Kelly’s crimes raise an ethical question for fans R. Kelly’s explosive interview proved how important it is to properly address sex crimes.

This isn’t a unique phenomenon. Newsworthy events, even those that occur in more isolated communities, are fixation points for social media users looking to gain some clout. This summer, I spent all of E3 2018, (the Electronics Entertainment Expo that is arguably the biggest news-making event of the video game world), cataloging memes from fans and gaming journalists who are looking to capitalize on the topics trending in their communities. However, in this particular case, I’m inclined to believe that the flood of Mueller memes was driven not only by a thirst for clout, but also by a desire to cope with an endlessly exhausting news cycle. Mueller’s name has been floating around in my consciousness from 2017, and the investigation lost significance in my mind. It’s hard to bring myself to care about yet another political happening — even one with this much gravitas — when its potential impact seems delayed at best and far-fetched at worst. Political memes are mainstream now, but sometimes they feel like a bid to personally profit off a highly trendable — and highly hellish — news cycle.

This begs the not-quite ageold question: what can you condone when the art is good but the artist is bad?

to do. That leaves the rest of us with an ethical question, not a legal question. Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet” might be one of the best (and funniest) applications of musical theater I’ve ever seen, but it’s still the product of a man who I have every reason to believe did true evil. This begs the not-quite age-old question: what can you condone when the art is good but the artist is bad? A solution is easier for the kind of art that fits in a museum, as you should make their abuses of people and power as clear as the title of the piece. The other issue is that Kelly is not the extent of sexual abuse and exploitation of girls, as I’m sure every reader knows. Kelly’s home community of Chicago rallied around him for decades, deflecting and distracting from allegations of crime or immorality. This is by no means unheard of — just look at Whitey Bulger and his Southie home in Boston. Maybe the community-wide see-nothing, say-nothing mentality is just a slightly more conscious version of the blind eye we all collectively turn to red flags everywhere. Fortunately, there is movement to do something about it. The Department of Homeland Security issued guidelines for hotels and motels on what to do if they suspect human or sex trafficking, for which the hospitality industry is overwhelmingly a haven. Famous, shiny people have always had a long leash, while others sneak under the radar. All their victims matter.

Uma Venkata welcomes comments at uvenkata@mndaily.com.

Eating disorder story left out information We hope the recent Minnesota Daily story about eating disorders raises awareness of these life-threatening mental health conditions. But we’d like to share information left out of the reporting. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental health illness. Appropriate, supportive and effective treatment for eating disorders require specialized, intensive and coordinated psychological, medical, nutrition and psychiatric services. Just as we at Boynton Health cannot ethically provide specialty medical care for severe conditions such as cancer in Primary Care, we cannot ethically provide care for eating disorders. Fortunately, we have comprehensive eating disorder programs in the Twin Cities to which we refer. The story’s focus, unfortunately, reinforces a stereotype of who experiences eating disorders. People of all racial groups, gender and sexual identities, weight and body types can live with an eating disorder. You do not have to be underweight to need and deserve care. People of color are especially poorly represented in the research and even in the recovery community, and transgender and gender nonbinary people are at significant risk for eating disorders. We say this with deep concern for students: If you are worried you have an eating disorder, we will see you and care for your well-being. We invite you to come to Boynton Health. We will talk with you and explore your relationship with food. If you are diagnosed with an eating disorder, our team will connect you to a community program that specializes in treatment. We’ll work with you until you are seen and have a plan of care in place. If there is a wait, we’ll provide therapy and medical support until you are seen. We will also help you explore options for paying for treatment, including a grant for which many students qualify. Your struggle is not invisible to us. Student mental health needs are real and increasing. But mental health conditions that are life-threatening, including eating disorders, active substance abuse and psychotic first episodes, require specialized care. That is why we have deep relationships with community providers and why we refer students to care. You deserve the best possible care for your condition. Lauren Azbill, Jennifer Beldon, Kitty Bell, Kelsey Carignan, Jennifer Krzmarzick, Alex Montes and Mary Utz are members of the Eating Disorder Team at Boynton Health. This editor has been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.

EDITORIAL

UMN regents’ response to renaming report is disheartening, discouraging The Editorial Board at the Daily found the regents’ conversation about renaming too dismissive. Several members of the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents were quick to dismiss the 125-page report by the Task Force on Building Names and Institutional History at the most recent regent meeting. They criticized the report, saying it was both unfair and ill-researched, and voiced concerns about the preservation of institutional histories. We believe the quick dismissal by most of the board shows a disregard for months of research and intensive efforts to acknowledge complex histories of our University, which was work done by highly regarded members of our community. It also disregards a majority of faculty, staff and graduate student desires that were identified by the task force’s polling. Further, we’re disappointed that many regents decline to “pass judgement” on actions we see as clearly racist and anti-Semitic.

While it’s important to acknowledge that time has passed, we must ask ourselves: in what context are prejudiced actions acceptable? Where would those regents like the line to be drawn? Many regents accused the task force of taking a narrow view of history and omitting information. However, we disagree with the conclusion that these actions are excusable simply because they happened in the past. And we disagree that the successes of former administrators outweigh the gravity of their racist actions — we find this argument to be a more dogmatic one. We do not aim to condemn historical figures, nor do we claim these men did not benefit the University. We acknowledge the differences in time, historical context and social norms. That being said, there is a grave difference in celebrating men who wholly contradict the values of our University. Even taking historical contexts and prevailing social norms of an age gone by into account, we know the men’s

actions went against what we firmly stand for now. We disagree with these regents. We believe the report was extremely well done. There was a wealth of unbiased research in addition to opinion polling of students, alumni, faculty and staff. The task force took the time to gather as much research as possible and to account for as many opinions and players as possible, and we at the Minnesota Daily Editorial Board are not sure what more they could have done. Although we appreciate the regents’ incredibly careful consideration of the report, we urge them to reconsider how they view the research. As some regents preached to consider the historical circumstances, we hope they consider the lasting impact that leaving these men’s names on the buildings would have. Even with installed exhibits, the task force’s research found actions that do not reflect what we value and accept. Pushing back against the findings of the report will leave us on the wrong side of the University’s history.

EDITORIAL

Healthy citizens benefit all those in a community The provider tax has made health care more affordable for many Minnesotans since the 1990s.

The debate over extending the health care provider tax instituted about 30 years ago shouldn’t be about how much it costs, but rather how much it saves. The 2 percent “provider tax” has made health care affordable for hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans since it was instituted by a Republican governor with bipartisan support in the 1990s. The tax was designed to underwrite the premiums and cost of MinnesotaCare, a program for those who didn’t qualify for government’s Medical Assistance but didn’t make enough money to purchase market-rate insurance. About half of the $700 million now funds the state’s expanded health care program for the poor and disabled. An agreement during the 2011 government shutdown called for the tax to sunset at the end of this year. Gov. Tim Walz wants to keep the tax in place to continue to help fund burgeoning health care costs and keep health insurance affordable. Some Republicans would like to see it end, saying the health care subsidies can be provided with general fund money. Ending the tax and taking the money from the general fund would require the Legislature to cut spending in some other program. We don’t see anyone proposing to cut any other budget items at this juncture to make up for the loss of the provider tax. The health care subsidy the GOP backed last year for backstopping insurance companies took $400 million of the health care access fund to keep premiums low for 5 percent of the people in the state who buy insurance on the individual market or about 162,000 people. About half of the Health Care Access Fund goes to the state’s Medical Assistance program for the poor, who number about 1 million. About $36 million goes to subsidize MinnesotaCare. That program is now also supported by the Affordable Care Act, funding of which has been under attack by President Donald Trump and Republicans. Walz proposes to keep the tax to expand eligibility for people to buy affordable health insurance. That seems like a worthy goal, given the market gyrations Minnesotans experienced a few years ago with premiums skyrocketing by 60 and 70 percent. And federal subsidies for health care also remain under threat with the Trump administration. But there are alternatives to the provider tax. GOP Sen. Scott Jensen, a Chaska doctor, has proposed moving the tax from providers to insurance carriers. Walz seemed open to exploring that idea. We applaud Jensen for trying to find a solution that can be supported by both parties. Everyone seems to agree that all Minnesotans should be able to buy affordable health care and all of us benefit when we have a healthy population. Without health insurance, many are forced to visit expensive emergency rooms, where, under federal law, they must be served whether they have insurance or not. Ending the provider tax would create chaos in health care markets. With replacement funding uncertain, it would likely cause more people to lose their health care. We urge the governor and legislators to either continue the provider tax or find a workable alternative to support affordable health care for all.

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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THE EDIT ORIALS AND OPINIONS DEPAR TMENT IS INDEPENDENT OF THE NEW SROOM

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2019

MN DAILY

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DR. DATE

HOROSCOPES Today’s Birthday (3/25): 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

Aries (3/21 - 4/19): Today is an 8 — The open road is calling. Where to explore? Try something new. Educational opportunities invite you into another point of view. Discover fresh inspiration.

Libra (9/23 - 10/22): Today is an 8 — You’re especially brilliant. Creative projects flower. Write, broadcast and publish your views. Express your feelings through art, music or dance.

Taurus (4/20 - 5/20): Today is an 8 — Strategize about the budget with your partner. The next two days are good for financial planning. Take care not to provoke jealousies.

Scorpio (10/23 - 11/21): Today is a 9 — Conserve resources while generating income. Less is more. Simplify your needs for greater financial freedom.

Gemini (5/21 - 6/21): Today is a 9 — Together, it’s easier to navigate obstacles and barriers. Your perspective is wider. Diversity provides strength.

Sagittarius (11/22 - 12/21): Today is a 9 — Advance a creative vision or dream. You’re especially strong, and you know what you want. Put another check on your bucket list.

Cancer (6/22 - 7/22): Today is an 8 — Your attention is in demand. Increase the pace as much as is safe, guarding your health and energy. Others may want quick action.

Capricorn (12/22 - 1/19): Today is a 6 — Fine-tune your domestic environment. Rest and recuperate from recent adventures. Peaceful privacy allow for consideration of what’s next.

Leo (7/23 - 8/22): Today is an 8 — Relax, and enjoy the scenery. Keep someone special in the foreground. Find yourself drawn magnetically toward love and kindness, beauty and goodness.

Aquarius (1/20 - 2/18): Today is an 8 — Stay connected with friends. Participate with community groups and people who share your interests and commitments.

Virgo (8/23 - 9/22): Today is an 8 — Focus on domestic matters. Clean, sort and organize. Resolve a family issue by listening and avoiding automatic reactions. Let go of a preconception.

Pisces (2/19 - 3/20): Today is an 8 — Crazy dreams seem possible. Unexpected circumstances could preempt your schedule. Adapt on the fly. Be prepared for inspection.

Dr. Date,

Ever since I got my first job when I was 16, I’ve been spending my paycheck on makeup. I love getting ready in the morning, as many do, but to me, makeup is more of an art form. Unfortunately, my boyfriend doesn’t see it that way. Every time I experiment with my look, it’s met with a snarky comment and a “you look so much better without all that ugly crap.” I can’t get excited about new palettes or eyeshadow inspiration without him criticizing how I spend my money and mocking my hobby. He’s a model boyfriend otherwise, but heavy makeup strikes a nerve. We’re getting more serious, but I feel like I can’t even bring over mascara when I stay the night at his place without him being a jerk. I don’t know where to draw the line. When does it become more than just criticizing your hobby?

—Morphe Babe

Dear Morphe Babe,

He’s not just criticizing your hobby, he’s making comments that degrade your appearance. It’s OK to prefer a certain look over another on your partner, but don’t insinuate they only look good one way! Makeup is a big part of your life. Does he stop being attracted to you as soon as you bring out the Glow Kit? If you’ve got thick skin, you could ask him what he dislikes about your makeup — just be prepared in case he insults everything. It could just be that he dislikes dark lipstick or heavy blush, and you two can work out a compromise. But if he’s dead-set against it, reconsider whether you want to be with someone who thinks you’re ugly most days.

— Dr. Date

Dr. Date,

Have you ever met someone and really connected? You laugh at each other’s jokes, have deep conversations about life and want to go back to their apartment to talk for hours? You know you’re meant to be in their life forever? Yeah, me either. But I did hook up with this guy on Grindr last week and had a mediocre time. I awkwardly laughed at his “you’re young enough to be my son” comment and took a $40 Uber back from his house in Edina (what

can I say, I’m into rich, old white men!) after some boring sex. However, I left my prized possession behind — my too-expensive Juul. I treat that thing like my child and would normally never part with it, but like I said, it was BORING sex. I was eager to get out of there. I would be content never seeing this guy again, but I seriously love that Juul. My question is: Should I hook up with him again to reunite with my baby, or take the L and hope I can buy a new one soon?

—Juulian

Dear Juulian,

Oof, I’m sorry for your loss. Unfortunately, you might have to leave your Juul to die a peaceful death in Edina. From what you wrote, it sounds like a round-trip Uber is $80, which would probably be better spent on a new vape. Don’t waste your time having mediocre sex when you could take this as a learning experience — aka learning which of your friends are cool with you borrowing theirs or loaning some money. Use this as an excuse to upgrade. You’ve gotta buy a new one anyway!

— Dr. Date

Dr. Date,

I met a dreamy girl from UW-Madison over break in Florida. We really hit it off — not just during the drunk nights, either; we hung out a lot completely sober and ended up spending more time together than with the groups we traveled with. Now I’m unsure how to pursue her. I want a relationship and I don’t know if she feels like I do, so what’s the best way to figure that out without scaring her, but before the magic from #SB2019 wears off?

— Punch Drunk

Dear Punch Drunk,

Ah, a gopher and a badger meet down south! A story of romance, Skype and uncomfortable Megabus rides. Pursue her on social media and then hop on a bus to see her. Profess your love without hesitation. If she says no? Come back to Gopher Nation.

— Dr. Date

Want advice from the love doctor? Email Dr. Date at drdate@mndaily.com

SUDOKU CROSSWORD

Last Issue’s Puzzle Solved Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk.

Last issue’s solution

3/25/19

Monday, March 25, 2019

2018-2019 Recipients

John Tate Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising

The John Tate Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising is named in honor of John Tate, Professor of Physics and first Dean of University College (1930-41). The Tate Award serves to recognize and reward high-quality advising at the University of Minnesota. It calls attention to the contributions academic advising and career services make in helping students formulate and achieve intellectual, career, and personal goals. By recognizing professionals for their outstanding commitment to students, the Tate Award celebrates the role that academic advising and career services play in the University’s educational mission. The awards were presented at the Tate Advising Conference on Thursday, March 14, 2019 at the McNamara Alumni Center.

The recipients of the 2018-2019 John Tate Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising are:

Leah Milojevic

Assistant Director of CLA Diversity, Access, and Equity Programs, College of Liberal Arts, University of Minnesota Twin Cities Leah Milojevic is recognized for her enduring support for students, for the lasting relationships she builds with them, and for her commitment to enhancing their experiences on campus particularly for students with diverse and underrepresented identities. Her nominator wrote: “Leah first and foremost employs a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens in guiding students through our campus and their educational experience. We have seen that lens at work in shifting the experience for our students. Her opinion and expertise contributes to this being a more inclusive university not just college.”

Kai Nobuo Takatsuka

Senior Academic and Career Coach, Center for Academic Planning and Exploration, Office of Undergraduate Education, University of Minnesota Twin Cities Kai Nobuo Takatsuka is known for his unconditional positive regard for students and his commitment to building innovative programs and services centering on the student experience. A colleague notes that “Kai approaches his work from a holistic perspective, integrating students’ identities, interests, skills, and cultural backgrounds in ways that honor their multidimensional lives. By building genuine relationships, he skillfully balances challenging and advocating for students to reach their full potential. These gifts are evident not only in his individual coaching with students but through his teaching, leading, and project work.”

Parry Telander

Frances Wood

Parry Telander is respected for his service to students as well as his impact in establishing a coaching program steeped in collaboration and communication. His nominator wrote: “At this new campus, Parry did not step into an established undergraduate advising program and simply flourish as an advisor. In many cases, he single-handedly created processes for smoother delivery of services; developed memorandums of understanding within the system; and identified more productive ways to communicate and document student statuses. As a result, our graduates have been successful and are quick to thank Parry for his support.”

Frances Wood is highly regarded for building innovative programs along with her skilled approach in working with students and her passion for supporting them. A colleague notes that “students describe Frances almost simultaneously as incredibly kind, understanding, and a compassionate listener, yet providing the level of specificity and unbridled honesty so desperately needed to succeed. On more than one occasion Fran’s students have said her greatest strength is her ability to validate their feelings, while providing concrete steps to resolve their challenges.”

Director of Student Success Coaching, BSHS and BSHP Programs, University of Minnesota Rochester

Academic Advisor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota Twin Cities

The John Tate Awards are sponsored by the

OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION

The University of Minnesota shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.