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Leg. leaders divided on U’s regents Gov. Walz will appoint regents if legislative leaders can’t agree on regent candidates.
Final Four takes Minneapolis PHOTOS BY ELLEN SCHMIDT
BY ISABELLA MURRAY imurray@mndaily.com
A decades-old process to elect University of Minnesota regents could be disrupted if lawmakers cannot agree on candidates. House leadership has twice postponed a joint House and Senate meeting to choose two at-large seats, the student regent seat and the 5th Congressional District seat up for election. A division in the House about which slate of regent candidates should be selected has sparked this delay, lawmakers say. “The process was meant to choose the best qualified people and take it out of partisanship, and that’s what appears to be happening here,” Senate majority leader Sen. Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa, said. “It’s billions and billions of dollars that [the regents] oversee, so we have to make sure that we have the most qualified people based on their abilities and not based on something else.” Like past regent election years, a bipartisan citizen committee, the Regent Candidate Advisory Council, voted in January to forward a total of 16 regent candidates to the Legislature. House and Senate higher education committees then put forth a slate of five candidate recommendations for the final step of the process, the joint convention of the entire House and Senate. u See REGENTS Page 3
ADMINISTRATION
UMN Senate preps to vote on pronoun policy The Senate discussed the policy Thursday before an upcoming vote on the proposal in May. BY DYLAN ANDERSON danderson@mndaily.com
The full University Senate discussed a proposed policy on gender identity and expression for the first time in anticipation of voting on the policy at the May meeting. The latest draft of the policy, titled Equity and Access: Gender Identity, Gender Expression, Names and Pronouns, was presented to the University Senate on Thursday and primarily received vocal support. After more than a year of consultation across University governance, the meeting was among the final discussions before the Senate votes on the policy for the first time in May. A two-thirds majority is required for passage. Tina Marisam, director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, said in the meeting the policy is needed to clearly express the University of Minnesota’s commitment to providing a safe and welcoming environment to all students. She said the proposal provides guidance to the University community about gender identities and expression. Marisam said a significant amount of feedback the office received over the last year was concern about potential discipline for accidental misgendering. Last semester, University senior Luna Zeidner said they were misgendered on the first day of class. Feeling unsafe from potential harassment, they dropped the course. Zeidner attended the meeting with the u See PRONOUNS Page 3
TOP: Fans wait in line to ride the Ferris wheel on Nicollet Mall during the Tip-Off Tailgate on Friday, April 5. ABOVE: Katie Bies poses with her dog Jerry as her mother Susan Bies
takes a photo at the Tip-Off Tailgate on Nicollet Mall on Friday, April 5. Bies, who went to school in Michigan, is rooting for Auburn now that Michigan is out. LEFT: Passersby eye the Mary Tyler
Moore Statue on Friday, April 5 as they head toward the Tip-Off Tailgate on Nicollet Mall.
ENVIRONMENT
Faculty, students mapping out environmental education at the U The research comes from a push for more education on the environment and equality. BY NATALIE RADEMACHER nrademacher@mndaily.com
A student push for more education on environmental justice led University of Minnesota researchers to reevaluate how
the environment and social equality are incorporated into the school’s curriculum. The research is an effort to identify University classes that have environmental justice components and make them more accessible. Environmental justice is an interdisciplinary concept that, in part, looks at how social inequality influences who is affected by environmental issues. “We are identifying courses [where environmental justice] was not obvious in the
course description,” said Beth Mercer-Taylor, principal investigator for the research. The University is behind other schools in incorporating environmental justice into curriculum, Mercer-Taylor said. The report was created to shed a light on the delay while helping to expand education around environmental justice at the University, she said. The idea for the project came from a push u See CURRICULUM Page 3
HOUSING
Renters’ rights bill passes Leg. hurdle A bill outlining better leasing practices drafted by MSA is likely to pass this session. BY NIAMH COOMEY ncoomey@mndaily.com
The Minnesota State Capitol on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2018.
DAILY FILE PHOTO
A bill passed in the House last week aims to protect renters, like University of Minnesota students, who are often more vulnerable to bad leasing practices. Due to common poor housing management and complaints about housing surrounding campus, the Minnesota Student Association drafted and has advocated for the bill since last year. The bill passed the Senate unanimously, but did not make it to a vote on the House floor because it was introduced too late in the session. The legislation is likely to pass this year, as it is likely to pass in the Senate
again, officials say. A main issues student renters experience is not knowing the lease’s length, according to MSA representatives. The bill would require the lease term to be stated on the first page of all leases. “Students are kind of an easy target. … We’re often renting for the first time [and] signing leases for the first time, [so] we don’t know what to expect,” said Jude Goossens, MSA’s director of government and legislative affairs. “We don’t have the resources to be able to negotiate with landlords or pursue legal action if there’s some sort of legal infraction or complaint.” University alumna Archanaa Suntharalingam said she was displaced for several weeks during her senior year because a lease ended earlier than she assumed it would — which she was not aware of when signing. u See RENTERS Page 3
VOLUME 119 ISSUE 51
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U study finds racial disparities with air pollution production, inhalation The new study finds blacks, Hispanics are disproportionately exposed to pollution. BY JAKE STEINBERG jsteinberg@mndaily.com
Driving north on Interstate 94 out of Minneapolis, to the right is an industrial corridor where air quality is traded for roof shingles and concrete. To the left are predominantly black neighborhoods with the highest rate of asthma hospitalizations in the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. A new study by University of Minnesota researchers has quantified what previously had only been speculated: white people cause air pollution and people of color disproportionately breathe it. The study published last month analyzed national public data on consumption, emissions and mortality. The researchers found significant racial disparities in those who are exposed to particulate matter air pollution and those responsible for creating it. According to the study, black and Hispanic people often shoulder the “pollution burden” of white people. White people consume more goods and services on average than either group, but are exposed to about 17% less air pollution than their consumption causes. Black people are exposed to 56% more pollution than they cause
and Hispanic people are exposed to 63% more. “Some may find it intuitive that, on average, black and Hispanic minorities bear a disproportionate burden from the air pollution caused mainly by non-Hispanic whites,” the study says. “But this effect has not previously been directly established, let alone quantified.” Studies have long shown that minorities are exposed to more toxic pollutants than white people. However, coauthor Christopher Tessum, an environmental engineer at the University of Washington, said this study is the first that looks at who is responsible for those pollutants. “We find that it is not that non-white people are polluting more. It’s actually the opposite,” said Tessum, who completed his education at the University of Minnesota. “White people are disproportionately causing the pollution and black and Hispanic people are disproportionately exposed to that pollution.” The World Health Organization has found that particulate matter air pollution is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Exposure to PM 2.5 — fine particles such as metals and soot — is linked to cardiovascular and respiratory issues that can cause strokes, cancer and heart attacks. The study estimates 83,000 premature deaths are due to emissions from personal consumption. “So, essentially, all the things we do and all the things we buy are those
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80,000 deaths,” said co-author Jason Hill, an associate professor in the University’s Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering. Nick Knighton, co-president of the Voices for Environmental Justice student group, said the study’s findings demonstrate systemic racism. He said people should be more aware that the choices they make everyday have an impact on someone’s environment. “If we’re not challenging it every single day, we are complicit in it,” he said. However, Hill said it’s not all bad news. Despite the disparity, air pollution overall
has gone down over the past decade. Mortality caused by that pollution is down across all racial groups. Hill attributes the decline to robust air pollution regulations. The study’s team of environmental engineers, economists and scientists created a model based on a wide array of government data. They looked at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on who buys what and traced that money using data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Following the money through the supply chain ultimately led the researchers back to the factories and farms that do the emitting.
Using the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Emissions Inventory, the researchers were able to track emissions of PM 2.5. They then used Census data to determine who ends up breathing those emissions. Hill said the team used national average health data. “We’re not linking individual deaths. There are no death certificates that say PM 2.5,” he said. But, that means the results are even more revealing. “This shows that there’s a systemic trend in who creates pollution and who is affected by it,” he said. “It’s no longer just a hypothesis. It’s a finding.”
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Mpls tech month kicks into gear in local communities
In hopes to freeze U’s, college tuition, MN House proposes larger budget
Tech month aims to improve inclusion in the field, bolster more opportunities.
The House proposed $27 million more than the U’s original request Thursday.
BY MIGUEL OCTAVIO moctavio@mndaily.com
House DFL leadership announced plans to overfund the University of Minnesota’s legislative request Thursday in hopes of freezing tuition. Members of the House higher education committee released a budget that would provide a $114 million increase to the school’s base state appropriation over the next biennium. The proposal, $27 million more than the school’s $87 million request, would likely be enough to freeze tuition, officials say. “Our Minnesota Values Budget proposes to freeze tuition at our public colleges and universities. Too many students face the prospect of taking on student loan debt to pursue a college education. College should be more affordable and our tuition freeze would help,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, in a press conference Thursday. A two-year tuition freeze is a priority for the House leadership this session, said House higher education committee chair Rep. Connie Bernardy, DFL-New Brighton. “Our committee is dedicated to a funded tuition freeze at our two- and four -year colleges and universities because we’ve got to get a handle on reducing student debt in our state,” Bernardy said in an
A City of Minneapolis initiative aims to engage the public with the tech industry this month through a series of events. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey recently designated April as the City’s inaugural tech month. The events, some of which are near the University of Minnesota, will continue throughout the month. Tech month will bolster opportunities in the industry and improve inclusion in the field, Frey wrote in a statement. The Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center is one of the participating venues this month. “The City of Minneapolis wants to bring opportunities in the IT industry, both in the education side of it and the employment side of it,” said Saeed Bihi, CROC manager. “They want to have different communities in the city of Minneapolis to see the benefits of IT.” At a CROC event on Thursday, community members received free or low-cost computers and affordable broadband internet with support from nonprofit PCs for People. Event organizers also discussed the internet’s impact with attendees. Members of the Teen Tech Squad, a group of teenage employees from the Hennepin County Library, worked with youth on several
BY ISABELLA MURRAY imurray@mndaily.com
JASMIN KEMP, DAILY
The Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center as seen on Friday, April 5 in Minneapolis. The opportunity center is one of the venues near the University that is participating in Tech Month.
activities. Organizers led activities focused on virtual reality, drones and 3D printing. “It helps people understand the opportunities that exist in the IT area,” Bihi said. “It could open up someone’s horizon to see in the future if they want to go into an IT profession.” CROC Librarian Sara Zettervall said allowing the Teen Tech Squad to work directly with the youth fosters relationships that make learning spaces more comfortable. “It makes it so much more relatable, and they can see themselves progressing in that role,” Zettervall said. Zettervall also stressed the importance of comfortable spaces for youth to explore tech without fear of making mistakes. “The thing that’s really important for me and my relationship with [youth] is giving them the space to feel like they have autonomy,” Zetervall said. “They get to explore and practice these things and not have to worry about failure.”
The Brian Coyle Center is taking part in activities as well. Best Buy Teen Tech Center Coordinator Alyssa Costopoulos helps run the Girls Coding Club at the center. She said while the coding club was established prior to tech month, learning spaces for girls play a vital role in the community. “One thing that you’ll find with most makerspaces is that they tend to skew towards having a higher population of boys using them,” Costopoulos said. “Girls need more opportunity to feel these spaces belong to them.” The center partners with several outside groups to help mentor and educate members. Costopoulos said a number of young members have expressed interest in the tech field as a result of the programming. “There’s a lot of opportunities to have community and not have to feel like you’re in it alone,” Costopoulos said. “That’s the big goal of providing a space and a support system for young people in Cedar-Riverside.”
interview. University President Eric Kaler has said that the full funding of the school’s request would result in around a 2 percent tuition increase for undergraduate resident Twin Cities students. The extra funding is likely enough to allow the Board of Regents to hold tuition flat for two years. “We are grateful to members of the House of Representatives for fully funding the University of Minnesota. By investing in the University, the House is showing its strong commitment to Minnesota students and the future workforce of this state,” Kaler said in a statement Thursday. An additional $35.4 million would be invested in the state grant program under the proposal. Also an indicator of how the University could fare this session, Senate targets for higher education were released last week, allocating $100 million total for higher education for the next two fiscal years. “I think we got a better [budget] than I was anticipating. ... It was higher than what the governor was going to do, and the demands are there,” Sen. Rich Draheim, R-Madison Lake, said. The Minnesota House is expected to vote on the budget by the end of the month, and the Senate is set to specify budget targets in the coming weeks.
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.
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Monday, April 8, 2019
Regents u from Page 1
House higher education committee chair Rep. Connie Bernardy, DFL-New Brighton, said the coordination of a joint convention rests in the hands of House and Senate majority leadership. “I haven’t been in those conversations, but we want to make sure we get really good regents for the University of Minnesota, and we have amazing candidates, and I’m confident that we’ll get good regents for the University of Minnesota in the end,” she said. Rep. Aisha Gomez, DFLMinneapolis, a member of the House higher education committee and the People of Color and Indigenous DFL Caucus, said the slate of candidates the joint committee recommended
Pronouns u from Page 1
group Women for Political Change and said the proposed gender identity policy would show transgender students they have the right to speak up. “This is about protection from harassment, not about getting fired,” Zeidner said in the meeting. An early draft of the policy included a section outlining potential discipline for someone engaging in discrimination, harassment and retaliation related to gender identity or expression. This was removed from the policy in January. Joseph Konstan, former Faculty Consultative
Curriculum u from Page 1
from the student group Voices for Environmental Justice, which hopes to create an environmental justice major at the University. “We noticed there are gaps in our education and how that isn’t efficient to help the problems we are facing now and in the next 50 years,” said Dania Marin-Gavilan, a facilitator for the student group. While members said they think the University is far from offering an environmental justice major, the research raises awareness around the topic. University student Christina Lundgren, who is helping with the research, has spent the past few months interviewing faculty across campus to create the report, which will be wrapped up around May. Part of her work is connecting with faculty to see what environmental justice means to them and
doesn’t accurately represent the POCI caucus’s goals for the board. While Democrats have more votes in a joint convention, the 19 POCI caucus members are sticking by their slate of candidates, which differs from the joint committee slate, Gomez said. The POCI member votes may be significant in choosing the board, she said. “We made it clear to leadership what our selections would be,” Gomez said. “The POCI caucus sees this as an opportunity to bring people of color and indigenous people to the board of regents. By saying we care about racial equity, that when our voices are in the room, that can change things.” If the joint committee doesn’t meet by the time session ends on May 20, Gov. Tim Walz, DFL, will select candidates as twoyear board appointments. Sen. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka,
said two-year appointments to the board would create an insecure position for regents. Regents would prioritize reelection over policy if only elected for two years, he said. “The beauty of a sixyear term is that you hunker down and get to work. If you’re a two-year appointee, you’re only an appointee,” Abeler said. “You’re a second-class regent.” Gomez said she is comfortable with Walz selecting regents. “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan have expressed their support of lifting up leadership of people of color in their institutions to get that racial, gender and geographic diversity,” Gomez said. The regent selection process has come under recent scrutiny in recent years over its increased politicization. But Sen. Rich Draheim, R-Madison Lake, said he still thinks the process
Com-mittee chair involved in the policy’s consultative process, said local and national media coverage focused on punitive language. A Star Tribune article from last July suggested using the wrong pronoun could become a fireable offense. He said this diverted attention from the intended message. The policy is meant to reinforce the general expectation of respect for everyone on campus, Marisam said at the meeting. University Senator Ian Ringgenberg said the policy may make some people uncomfortable. “If we’re really trying to change our culture on campus, if we’re really trying to push the balance of justice and equity, we’re going to make some people
uncomfortable along the way,” Ringgenberg said at the meeting. Saby Labor, director of the Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life, said in the meeting that about 16 percent of undergraduate students identify with a sexual orientation other than heterosexual — a higher proportion than the adult population in the state and nationwide. Over 2 percent of undergraduate students at the University identify as transgender, gender non-conforming or genderqueer. Since September 2017, students have been able to enter pronoun preferences and gender identity in MyU, Labor said at the meeting. In the first year, nearly 8,600 students entered such
information. Some senators said they wish the MyU system would continuously update and alert instructors of changes. Konstan said the system is a good idea, but won’t entirely address some of the concerns. “This isn’t an impersonal thing,” Konstan said. “You want to encourage a student, whether it is a change in pronoun, or a change in name or anything else, to actually talk to the people they interact with and let them know.” Konstan said the policy is meant as an aspirational statement about the University community’s values, not as one to punish people for making mistakes. “A good-natured mistake is very different from
how they incorporate it into their curriculum. Jessica Lopez Lyman, a professor in Chicano and Latino studies who was interviewed by Lundgren, incorporates environmental justice in her curriculum by looking at environmental racism. This includes looking at how communities of color, specifically Native American communities, are most impacted by pollution and environmental hazards, she said. “I think it is everyone’s responsibility … to take seriously the consideration of the environmental impacts of the work that we do,” Lopez Lyman said. For this project, researchers have gotten creative with ways to find faculty who teach about environmental justice. They have used word of mouth and the University’s online Schedule Builder tool to identify classes and faculty. Michelle Garvey, a professor in the Department of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies, teaches a course on environmental
justice — one of the few courses with a direct focus on this topic. She also incorporates environmental justice into her other courses. Garvey said she has seen a desire from her students to do more with environmental justice at the University. “[We] are so intent on expanding environmental justice scholarship at the [University]. We don’t know what that’s going to look like yet, but we really want to make the scholarship more visible,” Garvey said. She said there has been a cultural movement, led by students, to acknowledge how social inequality influences who is affected by environmental issues. “There’s kind of a tidal wave of momentum going. ... I would love to see the University at the forefront of cutting edge environmental scholarship.” Lundgren and MercerTaylor said they hope their research will expand at the University’s system campuses and other universities after the project’s May deadline.
Renters
Mixed reactions on City’s 2020 proposal Local neighborhood groups share their concerns, support for the proposal. BY EMMA DILL edill@mndaily.com
L o c a l n e i g h b o rh o o d groups recently weighed in on a new City of Minneapolis funding framework that emphasizes diversity. Neighborhoods 2020 aims to promote diversity, transparency and collaboration between neighborhood groups, among other goals. Under the current proposal, neighborhood boards that fail to reflect neighborhood diversity could receive funding cuts. The program has received support and criticism from groups around the University of Minnesota. The City’s Neighborhood and Community Relations department received more than 300 comments, including submissions from about half of the City’s 70 neighborhood groups, by the March 31 deadline, said NCR Director David Rubedor. While comments from Prospect Park Association largely support the framework, responses from Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association and Southeast Como Improvement Association expressed concerns that the program could threaten
neighborhood independence and undermine student engagement. “The fundamental piece that really is worrying neighborhoods … is the hostile take-over tone from the City of Minneapolis,” said SECIA Treasurer Wendy Menken. “That sort of one-size-fits-all approach that the City implies it’s going to impose … is really scary to an organization that has really spent a lot of time building all of these structures and [community] relationships.” Menken said she opposes making funding contingent on board diversity. Although the measure aims to boost engagement and representation, Menken said SECIA promotes student involvement even if they don’t sit on the board. Because of the student populations they serve, Menken said neighborhood groups near the University should receive special consideration. Comments from MHNA voiced concern. While MHNA President Vic Thorstenson said he supports the proposal’s engagement goals, he believes its methods are flawed. Thorstenson said he also opposes the board diversity requirement. Neighborhoods 2020 requirements could deter students and others from joining neighborhood groups,
he said. “People don’t want to join a group just to fill out a quota. They want to really be part of something and part of changing something,” he said. In contrast, PPA comments push for further diversity requirements that extend beyond neighborhood boards and into specific committees, said PPA President Eric Amel. “What we’re trying to do is have the heavy lifting done at the committee-level. So if you don’t have diversity at the committee-level, then you really aren’t aligned with the needs of the community,” Amel said. PPA comments advocated for allowing neighborhood groups, instead of the City, to define which groups need better representation, said Noël Gordon Jr., PPA’s vice president and a second-year graduate student at the University. “I think there is generally a consensus around the fact that we want to focus on historically underserved residents of Prospect Park,” Gordon said. A committee of City staff and neighborhood representatives will present a revised framework based on the comments to the Minneapolis City Council as soon as early May. NCR will then begin developing program guidelines, which should be completed by late summer, Rubedor said.
DAILY FILE PHOTO
The Minnesota State Capitol on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2018.
is necessary. “[The regents forwarded are] not all my first choices, but you’re never going to
u from Page 1
Being an international student, Suntharalingam didn’t have family in Minnesota to stay with when she was displaced. She said she was lucky she had friends to stay with, but she would like to see more transparency from management in the future. “As students, we’re not taught to go through this 30-page legal document when we’re signing [for] an apartment, so we put a lot of trust in the landlord to ensure that we’re given … common courtesy,” Suntharalingam said. Suntharalingam said many international students are particularly vulnerable to unjust lease practices.
get all your first choices,” Draheim said. “As much as I think the whole process is a circus, it still is a
process, and I think people work really hard on it and try to do what is best for the University.”
ABBY ADAMSKI, DAILY
a persistent unwillingness to learn,” Konstan said. “If you really believe and have internalized that a person
has the right to be called as they choose, then if you make a mistake, you do feel sorry.”
“We don’t have familiarity with the system ... we don’t have the stability and the security. If there’s an issue, we’re not sure how to resolve it, because we don’t want it to affect our status as [international students],” Suntharalingam said. From heating problems to rodents, MSA At-Large Representative Taylor Larick said he is currently dealing with management issues for his off-campus house. When Larick and his housemates informed management they would not be renewing their lease for the next year, they were charged for the past five months of utilities — a cost they were previously told was included in the rent. Larick reached out to the University’s Student
Legal Services, who helped him send a letter to management highlighting their bad leasing practices. “Looking back, I think what I should’ve done would’ve been just to set up a time with Student Legal Services just to review our lease, because ... we learned that there were a lot of sketchy things within our lease that left [management] with a lot of loopholes,” Larick said. There was opposition to the bill in the House from several representatives, including Rep. Jeremy Munson, R-Lake Crystal, who argued the bill would raise costs for renters and landlords. Goossens said this opinion was misinformed, and noted that many who opposed the bill are landlords themselves.
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MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2019
FINAL FOUR
Virgina uses late free throws to down Auburn The Cavaliers had an early lead but eluded a collapse with the last second points. BY NICK JUNGHEIM njungheim@mndaily.com
On Saturday evening, four fanbases converged on U.S. Bank Stadium to support their schools in the 2019 Men’s NCAA Final Four. The first match-up featured a pair of teams looking to play for their first championship on Monday night, the Auburn Tigers and the Virginia Cavaliers. Virginia (34-3, 16-2 ACC) escaped with a 63-62 victory over Auburn (3011, 11-7 SEC) thanks to a late foul call on a 3-point shot. The back-and-forth game added another instant classic to what was already a thrilling NCAA Tournament. “These last two games, oh my, how they ended” said Virginia head coach Tony Bennett. “I do feel for Auburn, but I feel better for us right now, and
I’m just thankful these guys stepped up and played the way we needed to and got through.” Neither team gained any separation from the other in the first 20 minutes. Virginia was able to hold the Tigers scoreless for a four minutes stretch in the first half, meanwhile scoring eight points to build an 18-13 edge. However, Auburn responded with an 11-4 run over the next four and a half minutes to pull ahead 24-22. With the score tied in the final minute of the half, junior Anfernee McLemore put the Tigers in front with a 3-pointer to make the score 31-28 at the break. Despite not having sophomore Chuma Okeke, who tore his ACL in the team’s regional semifinal victory over North Carolina, Auburn’s front court played well early. Okeke led the team’s forwards in scoring and rebounding, but the Tigers still outscored Virginia in the paint 18-12 and out-rebounded them 20-14 in the first half.
That trend changed drastically in the second half when the Cavaliers outscored the Tigers 14-4 in the paint and out-rebounded them 17-13. Virginia came out of halftime on an 8-0 run but Auburn prevented it from scoring a field goal to tie the game up. “Just like we have done all year long, even when we got down, there was still time on the clock,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said, “There were still points to be scored, rebounds to be had and I thought our kids made a lot of plays.” The game of runs continued. With 5:22 to go, Virginia looked like it was in control, up 57-47, but then the Tigers came roaring back, thanks to some timely 3-pointers from senior Bryce Brown. Auburn looked certain to advance to the title game, up two points in the final seconds before Virginia junior Kyle Guy was fouled shooting a 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left. “I didn’t think it was a foul,” Brown said. “But the refs thought otherwise. Can’t go back and rewind it.”
Before Guy stepped to the line, the Cavaliers went 3-9 in free throws, but he calmly knocked down all three shots to send his team to the title game, capping off another dramatic victory for Virginia, who defeated Purdue 80-75 in overtime in the Regional Final. “These are the moments that every basketball player has dreamed of,” Guy said. “To be able to go to the National Championship off that for these guys and coach Bennett, I really don’t have the words.” Junior Ty Jerome led Virginia in points (21) and rebounds (9). Guy scored 15 points and sophomore De’Andre Hunter added 14, both scoring 10 in the second half. For Auburn, junior Samir Doughty scored a teamhigh 13 points. Brown was close behind with 12 points while McLemore pulled a game-high 12 rebounds. The Cavaliers will now advance to the program’s first title game on Monday night, taking on the winner of Michigan State and Texas Tech.
Virginia
63 vs Auburn
62
Texas Tech pulls away for 10-point victory Texas Tech
61 vs Auburn
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The Red Raiders beat the Spartans to appear in their first national title game. BY NICK JUNGHEIM njungheim@mndaily.com
In the second semi-final game at U.S. Bank Stadium, perennial-power Michigan State, playing in its eighth Final Four in 21 seasons under head coach Tom Izzo, took on the Texas Tech program making its debut in the event. On Saturday night, Texas Tech (31-6, 14-4 Big 12) demonstrated that experience meant little, knocking off Michigan State (32-7, 16-4 Big Ten) 61-51. “The very first thing I told the guys right when we knew Michigan State was going to be the team we were playing was, ‘Look we’re not going to out-tough Michigan Sate,’” said Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard. “That’s not going to happen,
we’re going to equal their toughness. The thing I’m most proud of is for 40 minutes, we ran shot for shots with one of the all-time greats in college basketball.” To begin the game, Texas Tech slowed down the usually potent Spartans offense. The Red Raiders defense is what got them to Minneapolis — rated by KenPom as the most efficient in the nation. They limited Michigan State to just 21 points on a dismal 30.4 percent shooting in the first half. Michigan State junior Cassius Winston and senior Matt McQuaid each had nine points before halftime, while the rest of the team managed just three. However, Texas Tech’s offense didn’t produce enough scoring to capitalize on the defense’s strong play. At the intermission, the Red Raiders held just a two-point advantage as the teams combined for just seven points in the last 7:30 of the half. “It’s just what we do every day,” said Texas Tech redshirt senior
Norense Odiase of his teams’ defense. “Our toughness, our grit, our competitive fight every 40 minutes [shows on] every possession.” It took until midway through the second half, but Texas Tech finally began to extend its lead. Thanks to a five-minute stretch that saw the team go on a 16-7 run, the Red Raiders built their largest lead of the game: a 12-point 50-38 advantage. During the run, redshirt senior Matt Mooney scored 11 points, hitting three 3-pointers. Mooney, a transfer from South Dakota, starred for Texas Tech Saturday night, scoring 22 points on 8-16 shooting. For him, shooting in a large arena like U.S. Bank Stadium was a different experience, but it didn’t hinder his game. “It’s different for sure,” Mooney said. “We got here a couple days early, [we had] to get used to it. We had a great shoot-around today, and the basket just got big for me.” Late in the game, Michigan State used an 8-0 run to cut the Red Raiders’
lead to one point with under three minutes left. From that point, Texas Tech scored the last nine points of the game, including a clutch 3-pointer from sophomore Jarrett Culver with 58 seconds left that sealed the victory. The defeat means the Big Ten’s drought of winning a national title in men’s basketball has now reached 19 years. Izzo, who has reached seven Final Fours since his team won the championship in 2000, said despite coming up empty once again, he’s confident a Big Ten team will soon be back on top. “I put a lot more into how the season went,” said Izzo when asked of where the conference ranks among others in college basketball. “We have enough teams knocking on the door, we’re going to find a way to win [a championship].” Meanwhile, Texas Tech advances to face another program seeking its first men’s basketball title. The Red Raiders will play Virginia on Monday night to determine a champion.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Jordan Murphy competes in Reese’s College All-Star Game Murphy played alongside some of college basketball’s best senior players. BY NICK JUNGHEIM njungheim@mndaily.com
As part of the Final Four fan activities at U.S. Bank Stadium on Friday, some of college basketball’s most accomplished seniors in Division I competed in the Reese’s College AllStar Game. Among them was Minnesota’s Jordan Murphy, who recently concluded one of the most illustrious careers in Gophers history. In his four seasons in maroon and gold, Murphy scored 1,802 points, second in Minnesota history. His 1,307 rebounds and 67 double-doubles are both program records and rank second all-time in the history of the Big Ten. Taking part in the event, Murphy gave the hometown fans another chance to see him in action before his graduation. “It feels great,” Murphy said. “Just to be out there with a bunch of talented players and a lot of players that accomplished a lot, and two really great coaches too. It was just fun to be out there.” Murphy’s career as a Gopher came to an end in the second round of the NCAA Tournament two weeks ago after a 70-50 defeat to Michigan State. In that game, Murphy made his 122nd consecutive start, but back spasms limited him to a career-low four minutes of playing time. “I feel good, I feel great,” Murphy said of his back. “Obviously, it’s just something where I’m still getting treatment. You have to keep up with your back because it can come back and bite you at any second.”
DAILY FILE PHOTO
Senior Jordan Murphy spins toward the basket on Tuesday, March 5 at Williams Arena.
Fittingly, Murphy put up a double-double in front of the many Gophers fans in attendance. In 22 minutes of playing time, Murphy scored 13 points on 5-12 shooting and pulled down 13 rebounds. The hometown fans appreciated the effort, showering Murphy with applause whenever he scored. “That was pretty cool,” Murphy said. “To see how many fans came out to support and see me play one more time out here. It’s something special that really meant a lot to me, so I
appreciate that.” The game on Friday afternoon marked the beginning of a busy weekend for Murphy, who is also competing in the Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship, a threeon-three basketball tournament comprised of teams representing each conference in Division I basketball. Joining Murphy on the Big Ten team are Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ, Indiana’s Juwan Morgan and Nebraska’s Glynn Watson
Jr. The Big Ten team will have its first game at 8:30 p.m. Friday night against the Ivy League and then will play the Horizon at 11:50 a.m. and the Big Sky at 3 p.m. on Saturday. The games will take place at the Mall of America. After that tournament, Murphy will begin his quest to pursue a career in professional basketball. Murphy and Amir Coffey, who declared for the NBA draft earlier this week, both hope to become the first Minnesota player to get
drafted since 2004. In order to achieve that dream, Murphy knows he has a lot to prove to scouts. “Just keep getting better, keep working hard, working on my game,” said Murphy of what he will do moving forward. “Working on my shot, working on my handles, my moves, my touch and everything else. Just make sure I showcase my talent wherever I go. Whatever workouts I get, just make sure I’m representing myself the right way.”
“That was pretty cool, to see how many fans came out to support and see me play one more time out here.” JORDAN MURPHY Former Gophers basketball player and University senior
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ART
Looking for love and a sense of self Stephanie Sunberg and James Molitor capture nostalgia, longing in photos.
BY KSENIA GORINSHTEYN kgorinshteyn@mndaily.com
Nostalgia and longing are emotions meant to be felt wholly and expressed authentically. Stephanie Sunberg and James Molitor prefer to capture them in photo. The two Minneapolisbased artists find nostalgia and longing in others and in themselves — like two lovers or creators of an intimate selfportrait. Sunberg and Molitor joined to open their wistful exhibit “April is the Cruelest Month” at Modus Locus on Friday. The exhibit will run through April 30. The artists met through a mutual friend, Saulaman Schlegel, who eventually became a co-curator of the exhibit. Before seeing any of their work, Schlegel said he felt they all experienced life in similar ways. When Schlegel looked at Sunberg and Molitor’s work, it became obvious that a collaboration needed to happen. “There’s romance, there’s love and there’s alienation in all of these photos — every single one,” Schlegel said. “And inside of these people as well.” Sunberg fell into photography by accident. While in college, she needed to take a class in another medium to finish her art minor. Her options were printmaking and photography, and the latter called to her. She developed her style as she traveled throughout Europe and the U.S., photographing “perfect moments” in passing. “I wait for that perfect, perfect moment and will do anything to get it,” Sunberg said. “When it comes to the light, COURTESY OF JAMES P. MOLITOR
A self-portrait by photographer James P. Molitor, titled “SelfPortrait 85,” which was part of an exhibit at Modus Locus this month.
when it comes to the angle, when it comes to waiting for a kiss or a couple that I’m pretty much watching.” The product of this has a style that elicits deep introspection from the viewer. Soft colors and scenes of lovers make you reflect on your own romanticized daydreams. “Every time I would go to Europe or anywhere else, I kept hoping that I would find love of my own,” Sunberg said. “I thought in Europe they just love differently. So I kept going back there searching for that, and I ended up finding myself, just finding everyone else in love and taking their images.” The narratives captured in Sunberg’s photos compliment the yearning to find a place for oneself in Molitor’s selfportraits. Molitor, a University of Minnesota student majoring in fine art with an emphasis in photography, began their selfportrait series about two and a half years ago. Their style is similar to photographer Francesca Woodman, with ghostly figures and simple backdrops. “It first kind of felt uncomfortable, like it should be secret,” Molitor said. However, the portraits have become an exploration of place in several contexts. “It really speaks to a lot of things that’s like a sense of not having a place, searching for yourself in a place,” Molitor said. The curated photos for the exhibit create the same experience of self-reflection for the viewer. Molitor and Sunberg’s photos are placed intermittently together, pushing you to reconcile with relationships — both with yourself and with others. “What we came away with was a greater understanding of ourselves and all of our own work, all of our own practices,” Schlegel said. “These artists are so insanely talented, they’re so relevant, their voices matter infinitely, now more than ever.” What: “April is the Cruelest Month” When: Now through May 5 W h e r e : Modus Locus, 3500 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis
STREET STYLE
Street style highlights from the Final Four tournament
Amanda Sachs, Jordan Anthony, Tajiah Lavine and Trey Ard pose for photos on the Nicollet Mall on Saturday, April 6 during the Final Four tournament in Minneapolis.
But where were all the Jordans? BY SAMIR FERDOWSI sferdowsi@mndaily.com
Minneapolis was a hub of culture on Saturday. From the Fan Fest to the Final Four to (yes, we have to say it) the Jonas Brothers concert, the 612 had the opportunity to show out and bring their best ‘fits. The sad reality is it didn’t. Clones sporting denim and bland leather jackets ran rampant through the streets, which left us disappointed. All hope was not lost, though, as A&E found four individuals who indeed decided
to seize the moment and drip too hard. Here are the best styles from the NCAA Final Four weekend. Amanda Sachs Though the Twin Cities was hosting the events, some brought sauce from other cities, too. Amanda Sachs decided to bring the West Coast with her by sporting a vintage LA beanie. The grunge look was perfected with a pair of absolute heat Doc Martens. Sachs said the ten-yearold Docs are her favorite pair of shoes. She wears them everywhere she can. Because the streets were
finally clear of snow and ice, the tourney was blessed with the shoes’ first outing of the season. “I love these shoes,” Sachs said. “I feel like they really show off who I am as a person.” Jordan Anthony We continue the trip down ‘90s memory lane with our next featured fashion. At the festivities to film for his YouTube channel, Jordan Anthony decided to keep his look low-key yet fire. Anthony’s beat-up Pumas paired well with his distressed dad jeans. From there, his weathered rugby-esque top (which was proudly bought at Saver’s, he said) brought
the mall arcade aesthetic to fruition. He didn’t forget to add some drip, though. With a new link timepiece, a chain that reflected the Ferris wheel lights, hoop earrings and a Steve Madden pack, Anthony still flexed on the crowd. “I love taking inspiration from the ‘90s,” Anthony said. “[Matching it] with some of these other things just brings it to a new level.”
brought a confident vibe straight outta the ‘90s. From there, her Balenciaga Speeds and Fashion Nova pants shot the outfit’s era up to modern day. While these kicks are usually paired with an athleisure getup, they worked surprisingly well with LaVine’s cozy vintage attire. “I like being comfortable but also showing off a bit,” LaVine said. “I just like to try new things out.”
Tajiah LaVine Bold colors and subtle swag: a combo that is hard to mesh and even harder to pull off. Somehow, this fest-goer did both. Sporting a vintage Tommy crewneck, LaVine
Trey Ard Of course, a Minneapolis-hosted event wouldn’t be complete without some hometown swag. Luckily, Trey Ard came through. With the sole goal of representing the city, Ard
TONY SAUNDERS, DAILY
kept his outfit simple and dedicated. His all-white Nike foams were a refreshing switch-up from all of the boots and generic Nike runners bustling by. Muted pants were also a well-thought-out decision; they drew attention to the main event. A vintage Twins jersey coupled with a GUESS windbreaker? That is swag. The colors, the ‘fit and the vibe all combined for a look that not only repped the hometown but also showed the out-of-towners that you don’t need a Duke jersey to pop. “We’re in Minneapolis,” Ard said. “You gotta show the hometown some love.”
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Editorials & Opinions
COLUMN
Defending fan fiction: it’s critical to building strong fan communities It’s a crucial and creative method of soul-searching, development, pleasure for writers and readers.
I
read, frankly, a ridiculous amount of fan fiction on a daily basis. In fact, I read so much fan fiction that I decided to write my thesis on it. I’ve spent the past six months PALMER HAASCH researching columnist how fan fiction functions in fan communities and what sets it apart as a subset of literature. The results, which I obtained through a combination of closely reading fan fiction, conducting community research and interviewing fans, confirmed what my personal experience suggests: fan fiction is a crucial practice in the development of young writers and fans, allowing them to form community (particularly online) while exploring their own identity. For those unfamiliar, fandom scholar Judith May Fathallah defines fan fiction as, “the unauthorised adaption and re-writing of media texts. … Fanfic is typically freely shared, makes no money and, though it has an analogue history, now exists primarily on the internet.” In short, fan fiction isn’t something officially sanctioned or commissioned by an author or franchise. It’s unprofessional writing typically done by fans that exists to be shared in digital spaces rather than published. The birth of
fan fiction as we know it today is largely attributed to Star Trek fanzines of the 1960s, and it’s still going strong today: Archive of Our Own, a popular fan fiction hosting site, was recently nominated for a Hugo award. I spent the vast majority of my adolescence reading and writing fan fiction about young adult series like “Maximum Ride” and “Artemis Fowl” or movies like “How To Train Your Dragon.” Not only was I regularly writing thousands of words a week, but I practiced both giving and receiving critique on sites like fanfiction.net, while also making friends in the fan fiction community. Later down the line, fan fiction was my first, true introduction to queer identity and sexuality. While I can’t really say fan fiction made me bisexual (although you could quote me on that), it was instrumental in helping me to discover and explore my own queer identity. My own research confirmed many of my anecdotal observations about how fan fiction functions in fan communities. It’s a binding force and social currency in digital fandoms, carrying fans through hiatuses of official content and providing rallying points around which fans create additional content. Reoccurring tropes and seemingly trite characterizations are valued, acting as signifiers of fandom knowledge and reference points that make fan fiction incredibly accessible, even for novice fans. On a personal level, fan fiction is a source of pleasure (no beating around the bush; there’s a lot of sex in fan fiction), soulsearching and identity exploration. All of that being said, fan fiction still carries a certain stigma, particularly when it uses real people rather than fictional characters as inspiration. It’s too nerdy,
Fan fiction is a crucial practice in the development of young writers and fans, allowing them to form community (particularly online) while exploring their own identity.
too feminine. It’s all dreck, and there’s too much sex. Sure, all of these things may be true. There’s a lot of bad fan fiction and a lot of smut. It’s nerdy as hell and frequently produced by women. However, inherent in all of this is fan fiction’s true value: it’s where many writers develop their skills — everyone’s writing is bad at first! — and craft their own representation. Ultimately, fan fiction brings people together, and that’s something I’ll die on a hill for 10 times over.
Palmer Haasch welcomes comments at phaasch@mndaily.com.
EDITORIAL
Mohamed Noor’s trial sheds light on media accessibility, cultural impacts The trial highlights the danger of restricting media access and the role of journalists and media. Jury selection for the highly contested Mohamed Noor trial began on Monday. The fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond has garnered local, national and global media attention, yet the media’s access and ability to cover the case has been limited. Out of Minnesota’s local media, only the Star Tribune, Minnesota Public Radio, KSTP and KARE are allowed in the courtroom during proceedings. Four other media seats went to national and international media organizations. Splitting the eight seats between local, national and international organizations seems fair. However, it limits the public’s access to the trial, as only a handful of media organizations are allowed in. Leita Walker, an attorney representing media groups in the Twin Cities, argues that restricting media access to this case
violates media’s free speech rights under the First Amendment, according to reporting from the Star Tribune Editorial Board. While media organizations have spearheaded efforts to push for more accessibility, we argue that transparency of and access to proceedings of this nature are of the utmost importance to the public. This case in particular is clearly important to the global community. Hennepin County District Chief Judge Ivy Bernhardson and District Judge Kathryn L. Quaintance should realize the media is present to serve the public. The media represents those who are not able to be present during the trial, but are equally as invested in it. We acknowledge it’s difficult to manage high-profile cases. However, as the coalition of media organizations point out in their letter to Bernhardson, there are clear steps that should have been taken to preserve the media’s legal rights and ensure public interest is fulfilled. The Supreme Court has ruled that trials are considered public events and, therefore, public prop-
erty. Without meaningful access to trials, the court risks violating these rulings and the media’s right to cover it. The court initially chose a small courtroom that allows only 28 spectators — eight from media and 20 for family of those involved, members of the public and a sketch artist. This resulted in many prominent local members of the media, like WCCO, to originally be excluded. The number of seats has been increased to 15; however, we argue this is still inadequate. The so-called “overflow” room is also a disappointment, because it does not provide a clear view of the proceedings. The role of journalists and media professionals in our American society is to inform the public on important issues through transparent reporting techniques. If we are continuously pushed out of public spaces and conversations, the public suffers. Our communities are best served when many media organizations can cover impactful matters. All eyes are on this trial, so let’s ensure they can watch clearly.
COLUMN
U.S. working conditions improved but still lead to miscarriage, death Entire businesses are ignoring fundamental worker safety, and it is a story we’ve heard before.
I
t’s possible that I never learned about the Triangle Shirtwaist Company factory fire in school, but I certainly heard about it at home as a fixture of UMA VENKATA Manhattan’s columnist abuse of the working class, in the days of Jacob Riis’s “How the Other Half Lives” living in penury on the Lower East Side. The Triangle Shirtwaist fire is a textbook example of what happens to workers when their employer, a large company with a large output target, cares more about production than the safety and health of the workers. That disaster happened on March 25, 1911, starting as a spark in a rag bin. As the spark ballooned into a fire, the sweatshop workers began to flee – but for many of them, it was impossible. Occupational Safety and Health Administration didn’t quite exist yet. But even to 1911 standards, the Triangle Shirtwaist owners particularly didn’t care about their workers’ safety. The fire started on the eighth floor, and 145 workers died from there. They were locked in from the outside with no way to escape. On April 5, 1911, over 100 years ago, the workers’ union held a march on Fifth
Avenue to protest those horrendous conditions. Eighty thousand people attended. This is a century behind us. Politics have evolved. We may buy clothes made in sweatshops in Asia, but working conditions in the U.S. can’t be nearly this dreadful. Yes, working conditions in the U.S. have come a long way. But some problems persist. I’m sure I’m not the first one to bear the news of Amazon’s ethical infractions to you. You’re a consumer just like me; you value convenience and competitive pricing, especially as a college student without a car but a definite need for pen refills. One of Amazon’s repeat offenses concerns employee miscarriages. You may imagine that a pregnant woman should probably not be bending and carrying heavy loads repeatedly, but emergency services were called to Amazon’s warehouses in the UK more than 600 times between 2015 and 2018 for various health issues, which included reports of pregnancy-related concerns, including miscarriage. Another Amazon employee was expected to get back to work the day after a miscarriage. Warehouse workers have died on the job. XPO Logistics is a company similar to Amazon in this respect; you might not have heard of it, but you likely use its business. Pregnancies have also been miscarried in XPO warehouses due to continuous, strenuous lifting. Companies keep doing this because we keep telling them to. After all, we select “same-day shipping” on our order of toilet paper, phone charger and a shirt. It’s because of demand that workers are bearing this horrible brunt.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR UMN regents’ response to renaming report is disheartening. If the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents has concerns regarding the objectivity and content of the repor t by the Task Force on Building Names and Institutional Histor y, it is the Board’s responsibility to collect more information and deliberate on the best path for ward. It is unfair to asser t that the concerns voiced during a recent meeting represent an off-handed dismissal rather than an earnest assessment. Indeed, the board is well within its fiduciar y duty to ask why the relatives of the deceased were not asked to comment, or why cer tain evidence — for example, notes showing that segregated dorms were the preferred policy of the Board of Regents in 1935 — was not given proper consideration. The Daily’s editorial states the questions raised by the board “[disregard] a majority of faculty, staf f and graduate student desires” to have the buildings renamed. Faculty, staf f and graduate students voted to have the buildings renamed by 81 percent, 53 percent and 50 percent, respectively. Faculty, the group most in favor of renaming, wrote the report. The Editorial Board neglected to mention that only 26 percent of alumni and 38 percent of undergraduate students voted to rename. And Minnesota taxpayers, who finance the University of Minnesota, have not had their views consulted or represented in any form.
It is unfair to assert that the concerns voiced during a recent meeting represent an off-handed dismissal rather than an earnest assessment.
Tr ustees, as the word suggests, are entr usted with safeguarding a university’s values. They are stewards of their institutions and foremost are called to act with the university’s educational mission. A necessar y aspect of that stewardship is weighing the competing demands of various stakeholders in the University community, whether they be students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors or taxpayers. The role of the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents is not to rubber-stamp the task force’s repor t, but to carefully consider an appropriate response. Erik Gross is a communications program associate at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, a nonpar tisan, nonprofit organization promoting af fordability and accountability in higher education. This letter has been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.
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.
letters@mndaily.com Fax: (612) 435-5865 Phone: (612) 435-1578 Letters and columns to the editor 2221 University Ave. SE Suite 450 Minneapolis, MN 55414
Emergency services were called to Amazon’s warehouses in the UK more than 600 times between 2015 and 2018 for various health issues.
This doesn’t make intuitive sense. If Amazon, XPO and their brethren can’t keep a healthy workplace, why would they offer services that hurt the workforce in the first place? They offer it because it makes money. We have the choice to tell our suppliers the same. Maybe it means we have to get our stuff from smaller companies or physical stores. But maybe supporting them means more jobs in safer workplaces for the women who lost babies because of Amazon — or because of us.
Uma Venkata welcomes comments at uvenkata@mndaily.com.
THE EDIT ORIALS AND OPINIONS DEPAR TMENT IS INDEPENDENT OF THE NEW SROOM
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HOROSCOPES
Today’s Birthday (4/8): Strength grows through diversity, especially this year. Professional growth comes with consistent action. Discover hidden gold. Home renovations and upgrades nurture your family this summer, before your work calls you in new directions. Next winter brings professional accomplishments that inspire domestic changes. Explore, savor and discover.
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 — Writing and creative projects blossom. It’s easier to concentrate. Brilliant ideas abound. Your heart and intellect are in alignment.
Libra (9/23 - 10/22): Today is a 7 — The news could affect your travel plans. Expand your horizons. Make long-distance connections. Resist the temptation to spend frivolously.
Taurus (4/20 - 5/20): Today is a 9 — Profit through communications. Monitor to maintain positive cash flow. A lucrative door opens. Move quickly, and grab it.
Scorpio (10/23 - 11/21): Today is an 8 — Communication benefits your shared finances. Stick to basics. Coordinate your efforts for a common goal. Avoid wasting money.
Gemini (5/21 - 6/21): Today is a 9 — You’re more assertive today and tomorrow. Verify the investment of time and money before launching into a new personal project.
Sagittarius (11/22 - 12/21): Today is an 8 — Compromise and work out solutions with your partner over the next few days. Coordinate your efforts for greater ease. Encourage each other.
Cancer (6/22 - 7/22): Today is a 6 — Finish your work in private over the next few days. Slow down. Avoid controversy or fussing. Consider options before making a decision.
Capricorn (12/22 - 1/19): Today is an 8 — Physical action gets results today and tomorrow. Address an uncomfortable situation head on. Use finesse rather than force.
Leo (7/23 - 8/22): Today is a 9 — Teamwork gets a big job done. Communicate with your community. Invite participation. Ask for what the project needs. Share resources and information.
Aquarius (1/20 - 2/18): Today is a 7 — Romantic illusions could dissipate. Things may not be as they seemed. A temporary clash between love and money could erupt.
Virgo (8/23 - 9/22): Today is an 8 — Pursue professional opportunities. Sign contracts, and launch creative projects. Keep to practical priorities. Work could cut into your personal time.
Pisces (2/19 - 3/20): Today is an 8 — Home improvement projects benefit from physical action, communication and creativity. Avoid reckless spending. Clear clutters.
DR. DATE Dr. Date,
I went out with this girl last week who seemed like my perfect match. We had good chemistry, and within the first 30 minutes she alluded to going to my place later. We had planned on a movie and drinks, so I decided to take her to this bar I go to pretty often after the movie. She’s 21 and I’m 20, so I pulled out my fake ID to buy us both a drink. Well, apparently this bar has some new staff, because the server called over the manager to check my ID. I was trying to talk my way out of it from the beginning (yes, I pulled the “Dude, this is my real driver’s license, how am I going to get home?), but they just told me to call the cops if I really needed it back. Needless to say, this turned into a 20-minute encounter where she sat on her phone pretending she didn’t know me. I tried to salvage the date by ordering food, but they kicked us out after taking my fake and told us not to come back. She immediately called an Uber home and told me maybe next time. Dr. Date, I’m humiliated, but I did like her! How can I convince her that I’m worth a second date?
—Blarney Boy
Dear Blarney Boy,
YIKES. I’m sure it was embarrassing for you, but experiencing you argue with management for 20 minutes was humiliating for her. To be honest, I don’t think you can salvage this one. You can always make a joke about hitting her up when you turn 21 (and text her the next day saying it’s your birthday), but don’t get your hopes up.
interests align outside political parties. Everyone suspects we might be into each other, but neither of us has made a move. Now, I’m worried we never will. He’s super driven and determined to become both a lawyer AND politician, so he’s very strict with personal ethics. Student government bylaws have nothing against dating other than mandatory disclosure. But considering his position, it would be frowned upon by almost everyone. He’s so ethical, he would never go out with me! I really think we would be great together, and I’m genuinely considering quitting my position to ask him out. Our terms end in a few months anyway and I’m not in the middle of any major projects, so this would be the time. I’m just worried he’ll think less of me for resigning and will say no! What do I do?
—Maybe Sexual Activism
Dear Maybe Sexual Activism,
Oh, so THAT’S what those 70 percent of students think the abbreviation stands for! OK, while your crush is probably reciprocated, you might want to hold off on quitting your job for a guy. If you want to take a risk, ask him out now! You only suspect his ethics might hold you two back, so it’s worth a shot. If he says he’s into you, you two can talk about what happens next. But hey, do you have to disclose hookups?
— Dr. Date
— Dr. Date
Dr. Date,
There’s nothing hotter than a guy who wants to make a difference. When I started in student government, I didn’t think I would realize I’m into dudes who will probably end up being lawyers or politicians. But my work has become a dating pool that I’m ready to jump into. What can I say, I prefer my pillowtalk to be about activism! As you can probably guess, I’ve fallen head over heels for someone pretty high up in the organization. We’ve spent a lot of time together, from working on forums to getting drunk before parties, and we’ve realized our
Want advice from the love doctor? Email Dr. Date at drdate@mndaily.com
SUDOKU CROSSWORD
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Last issue’s solution
4/8/19
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8
Monday, April 8, 2019
Regents’ stances on renaming buildings Board of Regents appears split, with some opposed to renaming buildings. BY AUSTEN MACALUS amacalus@mndaily.com
Board Chair David McMillan: Unknown Chair McMillan said in an emailed statement to the Minnesota Daily that the board would continue to have a “constructive and candid dialogue around these important topics.” However, he declined to comment to the Minnesota Daily on his own position about renaming. At the board’s meeting last month, McMillan acknowledged there are “varying views on the subject” of renaming and asked community members to be “understanding and accepting of differences in perspective.” Regent Ken Powell: Unknown Powell was not at the board’s meeting last month to discuss renaming. He did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Minnesota Daily. Regent Thomas Anderson: Undecided Anderson told the Minnesota Daily that he couldn’t make up his mind on renaming until the board discusses the issue more. “I need to make an informed decision and I need to hear all sides,” he said. “I think everybody has to be heard. All sides of the issue.” Regent Richard Beeson: Unknown At the board’s meeting last month, Beeson said he’s “looking for more information and more thinking about historical context.” Beeson also said he wants to meet with living family members of former administrators. “We are dealing with people who can’t defend themselves, obviously, and
whose descendants are concerned about the revisiting of history eight decades later with the full force of the University’s administration behind it,” he said. Beeson did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Minnesota Daily. Regent Linda Cohen: Undecided *Retiring from the board this spring Cohen told the Minnesota Daily that her mind is not made up on renaming buildings: “I think it’s a very, very complicated issue.” Though she “admired the work” of the task force, Cohen said she wants more discussion among regents, faculty and student leaders and members of the task force. “I do think it would helpful to the board to be able to have a conversation back and forth with enough time where people really listen to each other,” she said. “I want to listen … I want to come in without a preconceived notion and really hear the various points of view.” Regent Michael Hsu: Against renaming Hsu told the Minnesota Daily the evidence he’s found thus far is not enough for him to support renaming. “I know that I cannot vote for changing the names without having more work done,” he said. “[Renaming] can’t go anywhere until we understand such a flawed report. We have to understand whether there is any funny business going on.” Hsu has also vocally opposed the task force’s recommendations to rename buildings on campus, calling for an investigation into if the report omitted important information and if task force members committed “academic dishonesty.” Regent Dean Johnson: Unknown *Running for at-large seat this spring Johnson has not made any comments on the issue of renaming. He did not respond to multiple requests for com-
UNKNOWN UNDECIDED AGAINST RENAMING SUPPORTS RENAMING DAVID J. MCMILLAN
KEN J. POWELL
THOMAS J. ANDERSON
RICHARD B. BEESON
LINDA A. COHEN
MICHAEL D. HSU
DEAN E. JOHNSON
PEGGY E. LUCAS
GRAPHIC BY MORGAN LA CASSE ABDUL M. OMARI
ment from the Minnesota Daily.
DARRIN M. ROSHA
RANDY R. SIMONSON
Regent Peggy Lucas: Unknown *Running for 5th Congressional District seat this spring Lucas has not made any comments on the issue of renaming. She did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Minnesota Daily.
Even if regents don’t go forward with renaming, Omari said there are other ways they should recognized the University’s history of racism, anti-Semitism and segregation, like installing historical exhibits in buildings. “No matter what happens to the names on the buildings, there is a history of the University of Minnesota that needs to be acknowledged,” he said.
Regent Abdul Omari: Supports renaming *Student regent chair open; Omari running for at-large seat this spring Omari is the only regent thus far to voice support for renaming. “I haven’t been presented with enough evidence that shows these men should be on the buildings that our students walk through every day,” Omari told the Minnesota Daily. “This is one of the highest things that we acknowledge at the University, so let’s find some extraordinary people to be on there,” he said.
Regent Darrin Rosha: Against renaming Rosha told the Minnesota Daily, “Based on what’s provided to us so far, the case has not been made [for renaming] because the evidence does not support the conclusions that were put before us.” Though there’s no question about discrimination at the time, Rosha isn’t convinced former University President Lotus Coffman and other administrators were those at fault; he said former administrators followed the direction of the regents at
STEVE A. SVIGGUM
the time. “I will say that the evidence that was presented when considered more closely and including the additional material that I’ve reviewed and others have presented, it does not appear that the individuals were accurately depicted,” he said. “I would suggest if evidence is scant and ambiguous, it cannot support the renaming of buildings.” Regent Randy Simonson: Undecided “I just don’t know right now,” Simonson told the Minnesota Daily about whether he would support renaming. “If I had to vote today I would say no. But I want to be fair. I want to hear all sides fairly,” he said, explaining that he wanted more time to talk about renaming with the task force and family members of former administrators. Though the University’s history of discrimi-
PHOTOS COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
nation is obviously wrong, “Where do you stop? That’s my concern about this,” Simonson said. “How far back do you go? Do we start renaming cities? Do we start taking down statues? It’s a tough one for me.” Regent Steve Sviggum: Against renaming Sviggum told the Minnesota Daily he does not support renaming buildings on campus. “If I were to take a vote right now, it would be against renaming the buildings,” he said. “Nothing that I have seen so far would change my mind.” Instead, Sviggum said he would like to see some kind of “interpretative sign” placed in buildings that could tell the University’s history. He said the University should “[recognize] the past is not always what it should have been, but also that we are moving forward with a more just society.” Source: Minnesota Daily reporting
University researchers create a window into a mouse’s brain
TONY SAUNDERS, DAILY
Sarah West, a neuroscience graduate student at the University, looks at live images of a mouse’s brain at the Lion Research Building in Minneapolis on Thursday, April 4.
U scientists create a device to study brain conditions and injuries with images. BY KATIE SALAI ksalai@mndaily.com
Long-term brain observations are now possible due to a new device created by University of Minnesota researchers. Research released on April 2 by the University’s mechanical engineering department introduced a new 3D-printed skull implant to help study the brain for longer durations. Researchers said they can observe anything from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease to concussions and drug use. The See-Shell device is a thin plastic film bonded to a 3D-printed frame, which contours to the shape of the skull and acts as a “window” into the brain. So far, the device has only been used on mice, which have similar brain structures to humans. “The windows allow us to do a type of interrogation of the brain … that
we’ve just not been able to do before,” said Timothy Ebner, head of the University’s Department of Neuroscience. “We can image the activity across the brain; we can go down and look at the individual cells.” The team observed mice’s brain activity for over 10 months. The adaptability of the 3D design sets this device apart from previous attempts to observe the brain, researchers said. Suhasa Kodandaramaiah, co-author of the study and assistant professor of mechanical engineering, said, “we really needed a way to sort of profile the skull and replace that with something that exactly matches this sort of contour.” Researchers are able to find each neuron roughly 500 times per second, much faster than an MRI, Kodandaramaiah said. He said the optical imaging allows them to zoom in on features as small as a micrometer. Their current research is looking into how different parts of the brain interact depending on
different behaviors. “Neuroscientists have been facing this critical challenge of monitoring alert regions of the brain at the same time at high resolution,” said lead author Leila Ghanbari, fourthyear Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering. “We thought about devices that give us that optical access ... to large brain regions at the same time … how they collaborate with each other, how they perform their functions. And we also wanted to see the structure of the brain.” The researchers are currently using the device to analyze how repeated concussion injuries can impact multiple parts of the brain. Kodandaramaiah said injuries happening in one part of the brain can also be seen globally. “We have been able to show how they’re different parts of the brain that we’re imaging in the mouse, how there is a network of areas and how they are all working together when mice, for example, engage in different behaviors,” Ebner said. “It’s something very analogous to what we see in humans.