September 2, 2014 by The Minnesota Daily

ALSO IN THE SPORTS SECTION:

GOPHERS BLOW PAST EASTERN ILLINOIS 42-20 PAGE 20

■■ Riding the Pine: Williams solves passing woes

AFTER SLOW START, LEIDNER SHINES IN OPENER

■■ Volleyball splits first weekend matches

New sports columnist says the TE needs more looks. PAGE 21

Minnesota beat Notre Dame but lost to Louisville. PAGE 21

PARTLY CLOUDY HIGH 79° LOW 62°

U OF M

MINNEAPOLIS

ST PAUL

TUESDAY

SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT MNDAILY.COM

WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS

Coaches out after harassment claim A husband-wife coaching pair resigned amid investigations of their conduct with gymnasts.

Former volunteer assistant coach Jim Stephenson quietly resigned after more than two decades with the program amid the University’s review of his conduct with team members, some of whom allege he repeatedly sexually harassed gymnasts. The team finished the year under the direction of head coach Meg Stephenson, his wife. She resigned on Thursday. From the stands, the team seemed unaffected. It ended the 2013-14 season with high marks despite what some gymnasts — who won’t be named due to the nature of the allegations — described as a culture of

BY JESSICA LEE jlee@mndaily.com

Per fect landings and lipstick smiles masked federal and University of Minnesota investigations into complaints of sexual harassment and retaliation within the Gophers women’s gymnastics team last season.

CONGRESS

confusion and tension culminating behind closed doors. “We didn’t really know what to do or who to believe,” one former gymnast said. Meg Stephenson declined requests for interviews in July on behalf of herself and her husband. Investigations into the alleged sexual harassment and its fallout reached the federal level. For months, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has been investigating a complaint that alleges the University failed to take effective steps to end the sexual harassment by Jim

Stephenson and remedy its effects. Until that examination concludes, its details remain confidential. University administrators said the school addressed the complaints efficiently and promptly and that the athletics department secured the student-athletes’ welfare throughout the season. But some current and former gymnasts disagreed, claiming they were left in an uncomfortable environment as they grappled with emotional distress. u See COMPLAINTS Page 4

RESEARCH

Fairgoers fill a test subject void

New law to ease money transfers For years, tight federal laws made overseas transactions challenging for immigrants. BY KEVIN KARNER kkarner@mndaily.com

To Mohamud Abdi, sending money to family and friends is routine. “I don’t think I know a single Somali family who doesn’t send money back home,” the sociology sophomore said, adding that his family has done so ever since immigrating to the United States in 2003. Transferring money overseas, and especially to Somalia, has proven difficult for many years due to federal regulations, but u See HAWALA Page 5

DEVELOPMENT

Housing boom could soon bust

BRIDGET BENNETT, DAILY

Medical student Mariel Lougee works with research participant Milton Dodd on Sunday afternoon at the Driven to Discover research building at the Minnesota State Fair. People of all ages participated in studies hosted at the site during the fair’s 12-day run.

A new University facility at the State Fair helped researchers access a wide range of volunteer study participants.

Spending on building permits in the U-area is high now, but some say it won’t be for long.

BY ETHAN NELSON enelson@mndaily.com

A chunk of the city’s construction this year comes from projects near the University of Minnesota — a product of the ongoing student housing boom that is being watched with bated breath. Developers have targeted proper ties near campus in recent years. So far in 2014, the city has approved at least $118 million in building permits for new student housing — a significant portion of Minneapolis’

teers — a resource many said they normal-

grease-battered cheese curds and

ly couldn’t count on.

corndogs, University of Minnesota researchers scooped attendees for studies. Spamville exhibit became an unlikely

said, which can distort findings when most-

hotspot for more than 30 research proj-

ly educated young people respond.

ects claiming alternating spots at the site’s

“It turns out we tapped into a wide facul-

new Driven to Discover research building.

ty demand,” Spector said. “We get a broader

u See FAIR Page 10

WASHINGTON AVENUE BRIDGE CIRCULATOR * NEW STOPS

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BY KATE CLARK kclark@mndaily.com

15T

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WASHINGTON AVENUE SOUTHEAST

New bus route, more stops A survey of students spurred adjustments to campus bus lines that take effect Tuesday.

EAST BANK CIRCULATOR

STR

around campus to attract volunteers, associate pediatrics professor Logan Spector

NEW BUS ROUTE AND STOPS

RTH

Researchers often rely on posting fliers

During the fair’s 12 days, its former

TRANSPORTATION

FOU

gave them access to a vast pool of volun-

mid the Minnesota State Fair’s

u See BUSINESS Page 11

UNIVERSITY AVENUE CIRCULATOR

Researchers said the open clinic format

BY PARKER LEMKE plemke@mndaily.com

SOURCE: PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

Following student requests, the University of Minnesota’s campus bus system will sport new stops and debut an additional route beginning Tuesday. The new bus route, called the University Avenue Circulator, will run from Third Avenue to 23rd Avenue. Also, three stops are new for the East Bank Circulator and the Washington Avenue Bridge Circulator. Buses will now service 15th Avenue and Fourth Street, the Variety Club Research Center on East River Parkway and the Carlson School of Management on 19th Avenue

South. The stop near Seven Corners will be discontinued, said Jacqueline Brudlos, a spokeswoman for Parking and Transportation Services. University officials say results from a transit sur vey, which PTS and the Minnesota Student Association administered last spring semester, led to the bus route changes, and they plan to tap students again in the coming year in light of impending switches to campus transportation. The depar tment analyzed the information before conducting meetings with stakeholders over the summer. Brudlos said they considered changing the routes even before the survey. She said when University buses returned to Washington Avenue Southeast in December, PTS addressed feedback regarding the bus routes. u See BUSES Page 9

VOLUME 116 ISSUE 1

Daily Review

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1969 America’s first automatic teller machine (ATM) makes its public debut, dispensing cash to customers at Chemical Bank in Rockville Centre, N.Y. HISTORYCHANNEL.COM/TDIH

ST. PAUL Vol. 116 Tuesday, September 2, 2014, No. 1

An Independent Student Newspaper, Founded in 1900. 2221 University Ave. SE, Suite 450 Minneapolis, MN 55414 Phone: (612) 627-4080 Fax: (612) 435-5865 Copyright © 2014 The Minnesota Daily This newspaper, its design and its contents are copyrighted. OFFICE OF THE PUBLISHER Cody Nelson cnelson1@mndaily.com Co-Publisher and Editor-in-Chief (612) 435-1575 Andreas Quinn aquinn@mndaily.com Co-Publisher and President Megan Hernick mhernick@mndaily.com Co-Publisher and Business Operations Officer =

NEWS STAFF Jessica Lee jlee@mndaily.com Managing Editor Josh Jones jjones@mndaily.com Managing Production Editor Betsy Helfand bhelfand@mndaily.com Sports Editor Jack Satzinger jsatzinger@mndaily.com Assistant Sports Editor Joe Kellen jkellen@mndaily.com A&E Editor Grant Tillery gtillery@mndaily.com Assistant A&E Editor Bridget Bennett bbennett@mndaily.com Multimedia Editor Amanda Snyder asnyder@mndaily.com Assistant Multimedia Editor Charlie Armitz carmitz@mndaily.com Copy Desk Chief Allison Dohnalek adohnalek@mndaily.com Assistant Copy Desk Chief Mariana Pelaez mpelaez@mndaily.com Visuals Editor Dylan Scott dscott@mndaily.com Chief Page Designer Tyler Gieseke tgieseke@mndaily.com Policy Editor Marion Renault mrenault@mndaily.com City Editor Meghan Holden mholden@mndaily.com Campus Editor Kia Farhang mfarhang@mndaily.com Projects Editor Nick Fritz nfritz@mndaily.com Web Editor =

BRIDGET BENNETT, DAILY

Fairgoers depart the Minnesota State Fair on Sunday evening.

CAMPUS BRIEFING

U prof pleads guilty to sending sexual messages to 15-year-old The professor could face 10 years to life in prison and be registered as a sex offender. BY ETHAN NELSON AND ANNE MILLERBERND enelson@mndaily.com amillerbernd@mndaily.com

A University of Minnesota professor has pleaded guilty to pursuing a sexual relationship with a minor, according to a plea agreement filed Wednesday. Associate professor of

neuroscience Woody Dale Branton admitted to having conversations with a 15-yearold girl from Union Parish, La., on Facebook late last year, according to the plea agreement he signed earlier this week. Many of the thousands of messages were sexual in nature and included requests that the girl send

explicit photos of herself, according to the plea agreement. Between Nov. 29 and Dec. 1, Branton discussed setting up a meeting with the girl, the document said. He also bought a plane ticket to Louisiana, asked the girl to tell him her address and researched rental cabins near her home where they could meet. Branton, who was arrested in March, was tried in a Louisiana district

cour t. Following an FBI investigation, he could face 10 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. His sentencing date is set for Jan. 5. Branton has worked for the University since 1988, but University spokesman Chuck Tombarge previously told the Minnesota Daily that Branton didn’t teach any courses last spring semester for reasons unrelated to his arrest in March.

EDITORIAL STAFF Martin Jaakola mjaakola@mndaily.com Editorials & Opinions Editor Brian Reinken breinken@mndaily.com Senior Editorial Board Member =

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Green Line strikes, kills pedestrian The woman was using a crosswalk at the Westgate station near Prospect Park. BY HALEY HANSEN hhansen@mndaily.com

A Green Line light rail train struck and killed a pedestrian near a University of Minnesota neighborhood Sunday morning. The pedestrian was crossing the train tracks at a crosswalk near the Westgate station by the

Prospect Park neighborhood at about 10:15 a.m., Metro Transit spokesman Br uce Howard said. She may have been wearing headphones, Howard said, and it appears she didn’t hear the warning tone of an oncoming eastbound train. Howard said the pedestrian, believed to be in her 40s, was dead when emergency

personnel arrived on the scene. Metro Transit used buses to ferr y passengers between the two stops on either side of the Westgate station for about two hours before normal train service resumed. Sunday’s incident is the first Green Line-related fatality since the line opened in June and the 12th fatality involving Metro Transit trains since the Blue Line opened in 2004. Earlier last week, another

pedestrian was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after being hit by a Green Line train in St. Paul. Business owners and bystanders near the Westgate station, located at the intersection of University Avenue West and Emerald Street Southeast, were still gathered around the scene of the accident until about 11 a.m. Metro Transit police will lead an investigation into the accident, Howard said.

Judge finds strict Texas Senegal Ebola case a top-priority emergency abortion restrictions to be unconstitutional

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DAKAR, Senegal — The effort to contain Ebola in Senegal is “a top priority emergency,” the World Health Organization said Sunday, as the government continued tracing everyone who came in contact with a Guinean student who has tested positive for the deadly disease in the capital, Dakar. Senegal faces an “urgent need” for support and supplies including hygiene kits and personal protective equipment for health workers, the WHO said in a statement Sunday. “These needs will be met with the fastest possible speed,” the WHO said. The U.N. health agency provided new information on the movements of the 21-year-old student in the city before he was diagnosed with Ebola. Senegal confirmed that the student had tested positive for Ebola on Friday, making the country the fifth in West Africa to be affected by an outbreak that has killed more than 1,500 people. The student showed up at a hospital in Dakar on Aug. 26 but did not reveal that he had been in contact with other Ebola victims, said Health Minister Awa Marie Coll Seck. The next day, an epidemiological surveillance team in neighboring Guinea alerted Senegalese authorities that it had lost track of a person it was monitoring three weeks earlier, and that the person may have crossed into Senegal. The student was tracked to the hospital in Dakar that same day and was immediately quarantined, and a test confirmed he had Ebola, Seck said.

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN, Texas — Tough new Texas abortion restrictions are on hold after a federal judge found Republican-led efforts to hold abortion clinics to hospital-level operating standards unconstitutional in a ruling that spares more than a dozen clinics from imminent closure. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office has filed an appeal of Friday’s ruling by U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel in Austin, court records show. In his ruling, Yeakel cited other rules GOP lawmakers have recently passed in his decision to throw out requirements that clinics meet hospital operating standards. Those prior abortion restrictions include mandatory sonograms and a 24-hour waiting period after a woman first seeks out an abortion. “These substantial obstacles have reached a tipping point,” Yeakel wrote in a 21-page opinion. Yeakel sided with clinics that sued over one of the most disputed measures of a sweeping anti-abortion bill signed by Republican Gov. Rick Perry in 2013. The ruling stops new clinic requirements that would have left seven abortion facilities in Texas come Monday, when the law was set to take effect. However, in its court filing in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the state asked that the ruling be put on hold during the appeals process.

EXTENDED WEATHER FORECAST

Partly sunny

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FRIDAY HIGH 72° LOW 54° Partly sunny

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All submissions are welcome, but there is no guarantee of publication. CORRECTIONS

errors@mndaily.com 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 through 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 22,000 issues daily. All Minnesota Daily inserts are recyclable within the University of Minnesota program and are at least 6 percent consumer waste. One (1) copy of The Minnesota Daily per person is free at newsstands in and around the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. Additional copies may be purchased for 25 cents each. U.S. Postal Service: 351–480.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Coaches out after harassment claim Complaints u from Page 1

“It felt as if things were just slid under a rug. And I know that something like this … could possibly bring a bad reputation to Minnesota and the gymnastics team,” one former gymnast said. “However, it wasn’t fully handled.” With the gymnasts sitting on their locker room’s L-shaped couch barelegged and leotard-clad, current and former team members said, University athletics director Nor wood Teague and other administrators led a closed-door meeting minutes before a routine practice in October. There, the gymnasts s a i d , t h e o f f i c i a l s a nnounced the star t of the University’s Office of Equal Oppor tunity and Af firmative Action’s investigation into Jim Stephenson’s behaviors and his suspension. Similar meetings with athletics administrators continued throughout the season, the gymnasts said, yet the team continued to practice and compete without openly addressing the investigations or alleged incidents of sexual harassment. “We didn’t understand what was going on, so we didn’t say anything,” one former gymnast said. Jim Stephenson resigned during the University’s examination of his conduct, a review that consisted of inter views with team members and reviews of electronic communications. The school carried out the review, and the athletics department later told him he could no longer be part of the program. Following his departure, another in-house investigation in the spring showed that Meg Stephenson violated the school’s antiretaliation policies. In a July 7 letter, Teague reprimanded her for her behavior, mandated that she attend an anti-retaliation coaching session and said subsequent violations of University policy could result in her termination. “Evidence indicates that Ms. Stephenson made occasional suspicious or angr y comments about a number of team and staff members in the days after [Jim Stephenson’s investigation] began,” according to findings from the University’s Office of Equal Oppor tunity and Affirmative Action. Meg Stephenson believed some in the program conspired against her, according to the findings, and she expressed blame, anger and mistrust toward team members shortly after the star t of her husband’s investigation. Brett Sokolow, president of the National Center for Higher Education Risk

“You don’t let it, like, come to the front of your brain because it makes you uncomfortable, but you don’t exactly know what to do.” —ONE FORMER GYMNAST, REFERRING TO THE ALLEGED INCIDENTS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT.

Management, said recommending counseling is generally a mild response to retaliation, but appropriate remedial measures vary by case. The University announced Meg Stephenson’s “mutually agreed-upon” resignation on Thursday. The program’s two assistant coaches, Jenny Hansen and Louie Johnson, will keep their current positions while the athletics department conducts a coaching search. “After careful consideration, this department felt the need for a change to women’s gymnastics for the good of the students and the program,” Teague said in the statement.

Federal review follows University investigations

Meg Stephenson was named the Big Ten’s women’s gymnastics Coach of the Year in 2013 and 2014. Whether because of the Gophers athletics depar tment’s high-powered press machine or the team’s performance on the mats, the relationship between staf f and student-athletes appeared positive during the 2013-14 season and beyond. “[The athletics depar tment is] extremely proud of the maturity and focus displayed by our studentathletes with regard to this situation,” University associate athletics director for strategic communications Chris Werle wrote in a July 22 statement in light of Jim Stephenson’s resignation. But current and former gymnasts said they were in an environment that stifled discussions sur rounding the coaches’ alleged inappropriate behavior and subsequent examinations, which they said was uncomfortable. “Everyone [involved with the team] was ver y much aware of the situation,” one former gymnast said. Cur r ent and for mer gymnasts said members of the team told athletics administration about Jim Stephenson’s alleged inappropriate behavior in meetings before the 2013-14 season. But they said their concerns weren’t addressed. The alleged incidents of sexual harassment by Jim Stephenson continued both inside and outside the gym, one former gymnast said. “You don’t let it, like, come to the front of your brain because it makes

THE STEPHENSON INVESTIGATIONS 2013 MID-OCTOBER

The University’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action begins an investigation based on complaints of Jim Stephenson’s behaviors with gymnasts, some of whom allege he repeatedly sexually harassed gymnasts. He didn’t return to the team.

MID-NOVEMBER

The investigation ends, and the results are shared with those involved, current and former gymnasts said.

NOV. 21

you uncomfor table, but you don’t exactly know what to do,” one former gymnast said of the alleged incidents of sexual harassment. Heather McLaughlin, an assistant sociology professor at Oklahoma State University, said that based on her research, victims of sexual harassment are less likely to speak up and the harassment is more likely to continue in situations where people in positions of authority, like coaches — who potentially control student-athletes’ ability to attend college — don’t address it appropriately. Kimberly Hewitt, the University’s Title IX Coordinator and director of the Of fice of Equal Oppor tunity and Affirmative Action, said the office looked into the complaints as soon as it received them last fall. “I think we did a really strong job of being responsive and being really thorough with how we investigated,” Hewitt said, adding that the office communicated closely with the athletics department. Other University of ficials, including President Eric Kaler, monitored the gymnastics case throughout last season and agreed that the school handled the complaints efficiently. “My reading of the [Stephenson] investigations indicated that they were thorough and that the outcomes were appropriate,” Kaler said in July. An attorney representing one former gymnast said he filed a charge in late March with at least one government office, including the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, alleging that the school failed to address the alleged sexual harassment by Jim Stephenson and its effects. The gymnast didn’t feel “comfor table in the program ...” he said. The attorney also said his client plans to file a case against the University. A lawsuit would cause the Of fice for Civil Rights to drop its pursuit of the complaint. The Of fice for Civil Rights investigates and resolves complaints alleging that schools receiving federal funding have failed to protect students from discrimination, often forming agreements to require better policies, procedures and training. University General Counsel William Donohue said he predicts the federal of fice’s investigation will finish in the fall. The school will make the appropriate adjustments based on the investigation’s findings if necessary, he said. “[The Of fice for Civil Rights is] going to look at how we per formed,” he said. “And that’s OK because if, in fact, there [are] problems with how we performed, we’ll fix them and make them better.”

Former head coach Meg Stephenson and staff meet with the team’s sports psychologist. Meg Stephenson “expressed extreme anger” during the meeting — feelings that repeated on other occasions after Jim Stephenson’s investigation started, multiple sources said.

2014

AMANDA SNYDER, DAILY

Women’s gymnastics head coach Meg Stephenson, left, and assistant coach Jim Stephenson speak with their team after they finished competing in an in-house meet on April 13, 2013, at Peik Gymnasium. Meg Stephenson resigned on Thursday amid an investigation of her behavior.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION DISCRIMINATION CONSULTATION PROCESS NOTE: These guidelines show how EOAA responds to situations that may involve discrimination. The procedures aren’t exclusive, nor are they necessarily listed in chronological order.

CONSULTATIONS

In a telephone conversation or in-person appointment, an EOAA consultant will:

Discuss facts and strategies, identify problems and determine if EOAA is the appropriate resource.

INFORMAL RESOLUTION PROCESS Efforts may include:

Contacting involved individuals, gathering relevant information, facilitating or mediating meetings and possibly exploring resolutions.

Typical steps may include:

Preparing a written statement of the allegations. Identifying the individuals and/or University departments that are involved. Informing the responsible administrator(s) and any necessary individuals about the complaint(s) and investigation, and cautioning them about preventing retaliation and maintaining confidentiality. Providing a written statement, along with information on University policies and EOAA procedures, to involved individuals.

APRIL 24

In a letter, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights notifies University President Eric Kaler about the start of an investigation into a complaint that alleges the school didn’t appropriately address alleged sexual harassment by Jim Stephenson or remedy its effects.

JUNE 4

The Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action summarizes the findings of Meg Stephenson’s investigation, which showed one account of retaliation, in a document addressed to her.

JULY 1

The results of Meg Stephenson’s investigation are shared with the team, current and former gymnasts said.

JULY 7

Athletics director Norwood Teague addresses a letter to Meg Stephenson reprimanding her and warning that subsequent violations could result in her termination.

AUG. 28

The athletics department announces Meg Stephenson’s resignation. SOURCE: MN DAILY REPORTING

Allowing individuals the opportunity to respond to the complaint(s) in a meeting with the consultant, and/or in writing.

After findings are reviewed by the director of EOAA, preparing a conclusion and providing it to responsible administrators and necessary individuals, while also potentially providing recommendations for corrective action.

Gathering relevant documents and, when appropriate, interviewing those involved.

Requesting written confirmation that timely and appropriate actions were taken.

Exploring, when appropriate, if at any point an informal resolution process suffices.

SOURCE: THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA’S OFFICE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

Team finished strong for years

Alumni and fans who attended home meets said last season’s run had multiple successes and there weren’t any noticeable changes compared to previous years. Members of the women’s gymnastics program consistently earned top-25 national finishes and regional titles throughout the Stephensons’ tenure. Touting their complementar y skills and inclusivity within the department, the Stephensons told the Minnesota Daily in April 2013 that they planned to finish their careers at the school. “We’ve been ver y committed to laying our philosophies out on the table,” Jim Stephenson said at the time. “Our expectations, our own personal accountability — ever ything’s out on the table ...” Many former gymnasts described the Stephensons

THE 2013-14 SEASON FROM THE STANDS

as caring and professional coaches. The husband-wife duo joined the school’s program in the 1990s. Jim Stephenson held the title of head coach for 17 years, and Meg Stephenson star ted as an assistant coach. The couple led the program as co-head coaches from 1999 to 2009. The Gophers announced that Meg Stephenson would take over as head coach in summer 2009. Around the same time, injuries forced Jim Stephenson into the role of volunteer assistant coach. In that role, Jim Stephenson abandoned his duties of spotting, or providing a safeguard for flying gymnasts, and primarily helped with providing technical advice. The transition allowed him more time to focus on his other passion outside of gymnastics — art. He provided illustrations

for a gymnastics technique textbook and for U.S. Sports Federations, and he has sculpted artwork for both public and private collections. Moving into the 201415 season, some current and former gymnasts said they’re concerned about securing an appropriate environment for new studentathletes who signed onto the team. “Gymnastics is already an environment that you need to be focusing 100 percent on the skill you’re doing, and if there is a battle going on in the gym, and there is all this tension and [an] elephant in the room, that’s just a distraction you really can’t have,” one former gymnast said. She said it was challenging to be in that environment every day. “I just don’t think … there should be another year like that,” she said.

OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS, TITLE IX COMMON QUESTIONS Q: What does the law require?

NOVEMBER

Members of the team are notified of another University-led investigation into Meg Stephenson’s behavior based on two complaints, multiple sources said.

Resolutions may include, but are not limited to: discipline, education, training and agreements as to future conduct.

FORMAL RESOLUTION PROCESS

2013

MID-APRIL

If not, the consultant will recommend alternative resolution resources.

Five gymnasts commit to the University of Minnesota women’s gymnastics team. Three sign National Letters of Intent, and two sign an Acceptance of Admission.

2014

A: The Office for Civil Rights enforces Title IX, which prohibits gender-

based discrimination in schools and colleges receiving federal funds.

Q: Who files complaints with the Office for Civil Rights? A: Anyone who believes that an educational institution that receives

JAN. 11

The team beats its competitors in the program’s first meet of the 2013-14 season, posting a final score of 194.425.

JAN. 19

The team wins the Wildcat Invitational in Durham, N.H., improving its record to 6-0.

MARCH 15

The team places first at its quad meet against three other Big Ten teams, ending its regular season with a 19-2 record.

MARCH 22

The team places third at the Big Ten championships.

APRIL 5

The team places third at the NCAA Regional competition.

APRIL 20

The season ends as two sophomore gymnasts compete in the NCAA Individual Event Finals, both earning First Team All-America honors. SOURCE: MN DAILY REPORTING

federal funding has discriminated against someone based on sex, race, color, national origin, disability or age. The party filing the complaint doesn’t have to be the victim of the alleged discrimination — the person or group filing can do so on another’s behalf.

Q: What happens once the federal office’s investigation concludes? A: If the school complies with the office’s recommendations, it won’t

pursue further action besides monitoring the compliance with an agreement. A school has the opportunity to take corrective action before the office issues a formal violation, and the institution does not risk losing federal funds only because discrimination has occurred.

Q: Do complaints have to be filed in the Office for Civil Rights before they’re filed in court? A: No, and if the complaining parties proceed with a claim in court, the Office for Civil Rights will not pursue the complaint.

SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

GAPSA faces tight budget Funding for the group is pending an investigation into its finances. BY HALEY HANSEN hhansen@mndaily.com

The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly’s financial future is in limbo, as the group hasn’t received its funding for the year. Although GAPSA’s funding is on hold, the group’s leaders are planning how they can operate on a tighter budget and still meet the needs of graduate students. In May, Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Danita Brown Young put GAPSA’s funding on hold and announced the

Hawala u from Page 1

a bill signed by President Barack Obama early last month could make it easier. Still, some in the moneywiring business say there’s much more to be done. Money transfer operators, known as hawalas, are used by many recent immigrants who live and work in the U.S. and wire a portion of their income back to support loved ones abroad. But due to stricter federal anti-money laundering laws enacted after 9/11, hawalas have had trouble partnering with banks that wire money to East Africa. Rep. Keith Ellison, DFLMinneapolis, sponsored the recently signed bill that streamlines gover nment oversight of businesses like hawalas, in an attempt to simplify regulation. The effort is a start, but it doesn’t get at the heart of the problem, said Aden Hassan, a manager at Kaah Express, a money transfer organization with a location in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Although Hassan said he’s grateful for the attention to the issue, he added that he’s skeptical about the scope and the authority of the bill to address the core problem — that money transfer operators are considered risky assets, making banks disinclined to hold their accounts. “For the banks, having accounts owned by a money ser vice business is like a driver having 10 accidents on their record,” Hassan said. “You know what that does to your insurance.” Many banks have dropped accounts belonging to money transfer operators that deal with East African countries, out of fear of increased government inspection, Hassan said, adding that four banks have closed on Kaah Express in the past year. “It’s been getting worse,” he said. “We have fewer banks today than we had two months ago, and that is the process of strangulation, basically, that we’ve been going through for the past several years.” The new bill aims to give financial institutions greater confidence that money transfer operators are wellregulated and less risky, according to Ellison’s office. A timeline for the bill’s implementation is so far uncertain, his office said. “With the signing of this new law, Congress and the President took an important first step to improve the processes by which families and businesses send money home, making them simpler and easier to follow,” Ellison said in a statement after the bill’s signing. While of ficial figures aren’t available, these money transfers can make up as much as 40 percent of the gross domestic product in parts of Somalia, according to research by Oxfam, an organization that fights global poverty. In Somalia, where the political system is unstable, maintaining steady work is difficult, Abdi said. His mother will send several hundred dollars overseas in times of need, he said, adding that the money is worth more in Somalia than it is in the U.S. “It helps kids go to school and get the food they need,” Abdi said.

start of an investigation into the group’s finances after an alleged $93,000 budget discrepancy. That investigation hasn’t concluded, but GAPSA President Alfonso Sintjago said the group is hoping it will finish by the end of the month so it can receive its funding. Last week, representatives from Deloitte & Touche LLP — an external financial consulting firm contracted by the University — met with the group to retrieve financial records for the investigation, Sintjago said. F o r n o w, h o w e v e r, GAPSA’s executive committee is reviewing the group’s $232,000 budget, which is about $160,000 less than it requested for the year, he said.

GAPSA plans to use its reser ve funding and tap into long-term investments to cushion the transition, Sintjago said. Using reser ve funding isn’t ideal, Sintjago said, and it’s important that GAPSA receives its funding in order to continue awarding grants to graduate students and to maintain its pass-through funding to its member councils. Even though the group’s financial future is unclear, GAPSA leaders said they are optimistic about the year. GAPSA’s executive vice president, Ashley Hall, said planning the year with an unclear budget has been difficult at times, but members are hopeful that the group will receive its funding and

they are making plans for when they get it. “I think it’s been a learning experience, and hopefully it will be something we’ll benefit from,” she said. GAPSA received less funding this year than it requested because it failed to comply with Student Services Fees Committee deadlines. Sintajo said GAPSA is coping with the cuts by going through its budget item by item to see where it can reduce costs. He said the executive board is adjusting all areas of the group’s budget and cutting funding in ever y area by at least 10 percent, with up to 90 percent cuts in other places. But with the money the group has, Sintjago said

GAPSA FINANCES

$93,000

BY THE NUMBERS

AMOUNT OF FUNDING INVOLVED IN ALLEGED BUDGET DISCREPANCY

$398,000

GAPSA’S ORIGINAL REQUEST TO STUDENT SERVICES FEES COMMITTEE

$232,000

AMOUNT OF FUNDING GAPSA MIGHT RECEIVE FOR THE 2014-15 SCHOOL YEAR SOURCE: MN DAILY REPORTING

GAPSA wants to maintain relationships with its past partners and programs. “It’s hard because when you have that kind of a cut, you have things that have worked really well, but you still have to cut them,” he said. Hall said the working budget still allows GAPSA to focus on its bigger goals, like promoting open education and a freeze for graduate and professional student tuition.

GAPSA will approve the final budget for the year in its first general assembly meeting Sept. 24. Despite the financial cuts and the ongoing investigation, Sintjago said GAPSA leaders are ready to move forward and to focus on their goals for the coming year. “The main concern is, how do we address the needs of graduate and professional students with the money we have allocated?” he said.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

New CLA dean excited to take the reins John Coleman is starting his first semester as the head of the College of Liberal Arts. BY TAYLOR NACHTIGAL tnachtigal@mndaily.com

The Minnesota Daily sat down with John Coleman, the University of Minnesota’s new dean of the College of Liberal Arts, on Thursday afternoon. The new dean of the largest college at the University discussed his goals for the school and how he plans to tackle budget cuts and balancing research and academics. This is your first year as the dean of the College of Liberal Arts. What are your main goals for the college this year and beyond? I want to build the research profile of the college to become even more prominent than we already are. I want to have us move on the student experience. I mean that in two ways: One is thinking about new kinds of [alternatives, like cer tificates], we can do with instructional deliver y — whether that’s hybrid classes or whatever it might be. [And] thinking about technology and other kinds of things we can do to give students a more flexible experience. And third is making sure we are increasing our capacity to help students transition themselves after campus into careers. So, career development activities, which will include anything as simple as giving students more detailed course descriptions that tr y to tie course skills to particular career paths, up through developing internship programs, connecting students to alumni … mock inter view training for jobs and so on. … What exactly would the alumni outreach look like? I think it’s a two-par t process: One is alumni

feeling like we are speaking to them more and communicating with them more. … We can do mor e to make alumni feel like they know what is going on in the college. … The more they have a sense that they have a stake in the college, that also means that they also have a stake in our students. That means they’ll want to help us get the very best faculty here, the best grad students, provide the very best internship opportunities for undergrads and so on. Is there anything former CLA Dean James Parente, who led the college from 2008 to 2013, did during his time at the school that you would like to change? One thing people appreciated about Dean Parente was his willingness to speak with faculty, staff and students and understand their concer ns and be open and available to them. … I would want to be able to do that as well. [I want to] have people feel like I’m understanding what their concerns are, what their needs are, what they’re worried about and what they may be optimistic about. If I can follow in his footsteps to do that, I’ll be very happy. Anything specifically that you want to change? I think the change part is more thinking about what directions we’ll have the college go in. … I want to have us thinking ver y systematically about what we want to become as a college. [CLA is] a great college with a great national reputation. I think the reputation and the prestige can be even greater than they are if we are being systematic about what it is we want the college to become, where we want to invest [and] what we want to focus on. … CLA has faced budget issues in the past, with over $30 million in budget cuts since 2008. How do you plan to work

U gets new bus line, more stops Buses u from Page 1

“The final decision was made to leave the routes mostly as they were,” she said. MSA President Joelle Stangler said the transit sur vey showed that many students wanted the routes to run through Dinkytown and they were disappointed that transportation coordinators cut the Campus Connector’s stop at Jones Hall and Eddy Hall last winter. “I wish they would go back to the [Campus Connector] route they had first semester last year where it went to Dinkytown,” sophomore Nettie Enshayan said. “That was nice because it was close to some of my other classes.” In contrast, sophomore Sier ra Ser vi-Sereno said she has no qualms with the

bus system. So far, she said, her experience with University transportation has been better than the bus system in Madison, Wis., where she is from. PTS is planning on partnering with the Of fice of Measurement Ser vices to conduct another sur vey later this semester to gauge students’ receptiveness to the changes, Br udlos said. Stangler said student input on a topic like this is important, because students make up most of the campus population. “The pulse of the campus community is students, so if they’re frustrated, it ripples through everything else,” Stangler said. “We want to make sure students have the most positive experience on campus. That comes down to being able to easily get to class.”

States contend for Tesla Motors factory BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES — From the star t, little has been typical about Tesla Motors’ plan for a $5 billion factor y to make batteries for a new generation of electric cars. It’s not just the project’s massive scale, the cuttingedge technology, or even the bonanza of 6,500 goodpaying jobs. It’s how Tesla is deciding where to build. Through a series of unusual plays, Tesla has five states bidding up subsidy packages to land the coveted plant. The winner is expected to offer the luxury

car-maker publicly financed incentives exceeding a halfbillion dollars. Te s l a s i g n a l e d t h i s would be no or dinar y competition last fall, when it gathered economic development of ficials from seven Western states and unveiled its vision for a “gigafactory.” (“Giga” refers to the large amount of power that batteries produced at the plant will store.) This spring, CEO Elon Musk announced Tesla would take the extremely unusual step of spending millions to prepare sites in two states — or perhaps even three — before the finalist was chosen.

with the existing budget, and what programs or departments will receive the largest allocations? Par t of the issue here is making sure that we are being thoughtful about our curriculum we have. … The best thing we can do is make this a college that’s an absolute destination. … We’re being ver y creative about the new options that we develop, whether it’s a certificate or a minor or a cross-depar tmental initiative or even a connection with another college on campus. Those are the things that will give students even more options within CLA to do what they want to do and prepare for life after campus. If we do those things, then that starts helping us on the budget side. In your public interview with faculty, staf f and students last fall, you said you’re a “fierce defender and believer” in the value of a liberal ar ts degree. In your opinion, what makes a liberal ar ts degree valuable? There’s hardly any career where being able to problem-solve isn’t what we do every single day. … The liberal ar ts are inherently diverse, so that’s the beauty of them. A student who comes through with a liberal arts training has their own diversity in that sense. They know how to think like an anthropologist, like a historian, like an economist, a political scientist, a sociologist, a musician and so on. … They have all these dif ferent ways of thinking about problems. That’s exactly the kind of employee that people are looking for now. How do you plan to pr omote CLA’s importance to potential students, professors and researchers? I want us to be really thinking right from the star t, “How do we make this the best environment we can make it?” because we’re competing in an

LIAM JAMES DOYLE, DAILY

College of Liberal Arts Dean John Coleman poses in his office on Thursday. This semester is Coleman’s first leading the school.

international environment for scholars and they have a lot of choices of places to go. So we have to make the strongest possible case that this is the place to be and being in the Twin Cities is the place to be. An undergraduate student at a research institution should have an experience that is unique and dif ferent from what they could get if they went to another state [or] public institution [or] if they went to a small liberal arts college. Those [schools] are all great in their own way, but the combination of the research intensity at a place like this [when] you’re right here, you’re right next to [the research] — we need and want to have you be involved in that. To me, it matters that you are taking a class with the people who are writing the books and articles that they are reading at other schools. How do you balance the reputation of a great research institution as

well as being a great institution for academics? It’s do you emphasize in the culture that, yes, we want you to be great at research, but we also have as part of our commitment that we are great teachers and we take that seriously and it’s important in what we do. I think the college has that, and we will continue to emphasize that these are not tradeoffs. Why do you think focusing on research is vital to CLA’s success? I think research is the foundation. When you attract great researchers here, that has three effects. One is you pull in and attract other great researchers and great graduate students who are going to go on to become great researchers. Two, you attract the best undergraduates who want to be in a research environment … Third, when you have great research, it is of assistance. We are a public institution; we’re a land-grant institution. Part of our mission is to be of ser vice to the state and [students]

beyond the state as well. … and that ends up being, I think, a win-win for everybody involved. … Do you have plans to increase interactions or collaborations with other colleges at the University? A b s o l u t e l y. I t h i n k there is a lot of enthusiasm among the deans of the various colleges on campus to think about ways we can create collaborative programming for our students. So we will be ver y heavily involved in those discussions. What are you most looking for ward to during your time as dean of the largest college at the University? There are so many great people here, and I’ve started to get to know them. And the oppor tunity to meet more of our alumni and meet more of our students and [learn] what they’re up to, what they’re doing, what their passions are, what their goals are, that’s just fun for me. I like it.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

As students move out, local program helps salvage items Pack & Give Back salvaged almost 70,000 pounds of items last May, organizers said. BY BARRY LY TTON blytton@mndaily.com

BRIDGET BENNETT, DAILY

Dental therapy program coordinator Amanda Nagy prepares to collect a saliva sample on Saturday afternoon at the Driven to Discover research building at the Minnesota State Fair while potential research participants ask questions.

Fairgoers fill a test subject void Fair u from Page 1

cross-section of Minnesotans here [at the fair].” Sarah Schellinger, a speech, language and hearing sciences doctoral student, has relied on fliers to draw subjects in the past. “It’s hard to find participants when you’re sitting in your lab,” she said. “[The fair] is a great forum for people to come in, see what’s going on at the ‘U,’ and they can participate in whatever looks interesting to them.” The studies mainly focused on improving human health and safety, but spanned subjects from entrepreneurship and psychology to health sciences. One study asked for people of all ages to pout, smile and snarl for photos that researchers will use to understand how children process emotions. In other studies, participants took the wheel in a distracted driving simulator or had their hands

swabbed for bacteria. And they all lasted less than half an hour. In 2010, Spector, along with associate epidemiology professor Ellen Demerath, launched the Gopher Kids Study at the State Fair. Over the course of six days, the study enrolled 841 children in an effort to track the genetics of their growth — far exceeding its goal of 500 participants. Spector said that trial was so successful that he and Demerath decided to open it to other projects. They quickly found University researchers eager to join in. Last week, associate law professor Francis Shen recruited fairgoers for a mock jury at his booth. His study, which examines factors that influence cour t decisions, required a sample that would reflect the makeup of a real jur y. The State Fair provides an ideal pool of volunteers that closely mirrors the general population, Shen said. “We can only of fer so

much compensation, so it often isn’t worth their time to come to the Law School,” Shen said. “Here the fair brings the people to us.” Between getting their faces painted and scoping out the fair’s 300 food booths last week, Shakopee resident Carrie Toward and her 9-year-old son Linus took par t in a beverage survey. “There was a lady who asked if we had a kid a certain age, and we just jumped in,” Toward said, adding that researchers were upfront about their purpose and that she would gladly take part in future University studies at the fair. Betsy Handlson, a retired University administrative director, took par t in two studies last week. As a passionate fairgoer, Handlson said, she thought it was smart for the school to conduct studies out in the open at the State Fair. “It’s always good to see them doing good, pertinent research,” she said.

The Office of the Vice President for Research covered half of the building’s $150,000 cost. The University’s Medical School, the School of Public Health and the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences provided the remaining funds. This year, the funds covered rent, building upgrades and Internet service, among other costs, providing a valuable economic resource for University researchers as well, Spector said. “If you can meet your sample requirement during 12 days at the fair, that’s going to be a lot cheaper than keeping a study staff going for a trickle of enrollment throughout the year,” he said. Spector, who expected a turnout of well over 10,000 participants by the fair’s end, said he hopes to make the Driven to Discover building a permanent facility. But if word gets around, he said, higher demand may require more space.

Lava eruption prompts aviation alert in Iceland BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

REYKJAVIK, Iceland — Lava fountains danced along a lengthy volcanic fissure near Iceland’s subglacial Bardarbunga volcano Sunday, prompting authorities to raise the aviation warning code to the highest level and close the surrounding airspace.

The red warning code — the highest in the countr y’s aler t system — was raised early Sunday after the er uption in the Holuhraun lava field, about five kilometers (three miles) nor th of the D y n g j u j o e k u l l g l a c i e r. The warning was lowered 12 hours later as visibility improved and it was clear

that no volcanic ash was detected. The countr y’s meteorological agency said scientists were monitoring the ongoing eruption. “Visual observation confirms it is calm, but continuous,” the weather agency said on its website. Sunday morning’s eruption at about 0500 GMT

(1 a.m. EDT) followed a smaller one in the same site on Friday that also prompted authorities to briefly raise the aviation war ning code to restrict flights in the area. Thousands of small earthquakes have rocked the region in recent days, leading to concerns that the main volcano may erupt.

In the weeks leading up to the fall semester, the flux of students moving in and out of University of Minnesota housing and campusarea neighborhoods yields its casualties. Mangled mattresses, broken bookshelves and shattered mirrors litter the streets. But some of those items will be saved by Pack & Give Back, a program coordinated between the city of Minneapolis, the University and a bevy of neighborhood associations. In its second year of operation, the program is extending its reach into the campus area to clear out waste and collect any salvageable items. Last year, the program was limited to University housing, University sustainability coordinator Stacey White said. But now it will branch out to the MarcyHolmes, Southeast Como, Prospect Park and CedarRiverside neighborhoods. City and University trucks will pick up items under 200 pounds and deliver them to the University’s ReUse “Free Store” in Southeast Como. There, any student or donating community member can pick up items like tables, small appliances and lamps for free through Sept. 6. Last week’s rainfall ruined some streetside furniture, hindering the third truck from Bridging, a nonprofit that picks up furniture exclusively for people in need. Pack & Give Back ser ves a double function, White said, because it keeps usable furniture out of landfills while allowing the objects to have a longer lifespan with a new owner. Griffin Rush, a physics junior who moved into a new home in Southeast Como on Monday, said he took advantage of street debris, rescuing a black leather couch from roadside abandonment. “It’s a common sense push too,” White said. “If [students] are putting their TV out on the curb, why isn’t there a system where [people] can get that?”

Revamping efforts Pack & Give back will revamp a former Move In/ Move Out, or MIMO, program that folded in 2012

after funding ran out, said Southeast Como Improvement Association neighborhood director Ricardo McCurley. Funding for that program will come, in part, from both neighborhood groups and a grant amounting to about $15,000 from Hennepin County. When MIMO ended, officials and neighbors alike quickly noted trash piling up during move-in and move-out week, he said. “When the coalition came together, they were looking for solutions,” McCurley said, “at which point [SECIA] raised [its] hands and said, ‘Hey, we had a solution, and nobody wanted to fund it and it fell by the wayside.’” In its first year, the program salvaged almost 70,000 pounds of reusable items, White said. A majority of those collections came from dorm areas alone, said recent University graduate and neighborhood liaison Phillip Kelly. But this year, with increased funding and a larger focus area, the program will test new waters, said Kellie Kish, one of the city’s recycling coordinators. A city-organized “Dirty Collection Point” will also supplement Pack & Give Back. As part of the accelerated garbage pickup plan, garbage collectors who see debris scattered within their routes in near-campus neighborhoods will decide whether it is reusable or refuse it. Individuals leaving items streetside — regardless of the items’ final destination or which entity picked them up — will foot the bill, Kish said. Landlords will often subtract those costs from a renter’s security deposit, but in the case of houses, the city will append it to upcoming utility bills, said Tim Harmsen, who owns more than 50 properties in the Dinkytown and MarcyHolmes areas. Most of the thousands of dollars from Hennepin County went to promoting the program — making signs, magnets and flyers, in hopes of making Pack & Give Back a regular feature of moving into University life. “You know about it your freshman year,” said Kelly. “The idea is that once you move off campus, you’re still a part of that program.”

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Admins expand partnership in Norway President Eric Kaler discussed expanding a longstanding academic alliance with two Norwegian schools. BY BLAIR EMERSON bemerson@mndaily.com

In just two years, University of Minnesota adjunct professor Ron McRoberts published a total of nine papers and book chapters. As par t of a research collaboration with two faculty members from a Norwegian university, McRober ts used moder n technology to create detailed maps of forests throughout the United States and Nor way. “We’ve been really productive,” McRoberts said. T h e U n i v e r s i t y p r ovides funding to faculty members like McRober ts through a nearly decade-old par tnership with two Scandinavian institutions — an alliance that University administrators are working to deepen. To r enew a student exchange and research par tnership called the Nor wegian Centennial Chair Program, University President Eric Kaler, his wife Karen Kaler and eight others visited Norway at the end of last month. Over the course of seven days, the travel-

ers aimed to strengthen ties with the countr y and to expand the program to include more fields of research, like veterinar y medicine. “Nor way’s been an impor tant par t of [the University’s] histor y … and will be an impor tant par t of our future,” Kaler previously told the Minnesota Daily. This was Kaler’s second international tour as president, following his excursion to China last year to help address the countr y’s air pollution. Private funds from the University of Minnesota Foundation covered travel expenses for the Kalers and the president’s s p e e c h w r i t e r. F u n d i n g for the other delegates, which included some University deans, came from their respective colleges. This year’s weeklong trip featured visits to four Nor wegian universities, including the Nor wegian University of Life Sciences and the University of Oslo. These two schools, along with the University of Minnesota, make up the Norwegian Centennial Chair program.

In addition to providing study abroad options for students, the program of fers r esear ch grants to faculty members and students who ar e conduc ting envir onmental research in Nor way and Minnesota. But some University of Minnesota administrators who traveled with Kaler — like College of Veterinar y Medicine Dean T r evor Ames — hope to lengthen the list of qualifying research. Veterinar y medicine is cur rently not par t of the Nor wegian Centennial Chair program, Ames said, and the Nor wegian University of Life Sciences currently holds the countr y’s only school of veterinar y science. However, a $1 billion boost from the Nor wegian gover nment will help the university expand research in this area. University of Minnesota administrators are also discussing fur ther expansion of the program to areas like computer science and engineering, said Mos Kaveh, associate dean of the College of Science and Engineering and one of Kaler’s fellow travelers to Nor way. How the par tnership expands to new disciplines will depend on which faculty members decide to

par ticipate in the Norwegian Centennial Chair pr og ra m, s a i d Cl a u d i a Schmidt-Danner t, professor of biochemistr y at the University of Minnesota and chairholder of the partnership. Renewing par tnerships with the Nor wegian universities was also on the administrators’ to-do list. Oslo’s two-year agreement with the University of Minnesota expires this year, but its leadership plans to renew the agreement, said Solveig Aas, a senior adviser for the International Research Cooperation at the University of Oslo. The agreement will be renewed within the next two months, said Bob Elde, the former dean of the College of Biological Sciences and a key founding partner in the University’s relationship with Nor way.

Boosting student exchanges

University of ficials hope to increase the number of exchange students involved in the Nor wegian Centennial Chair program. Meredith McQuaid, associate vice president and dean for inter national programs, said college administrators and members of the Nor wegian gover nment would like to identify and solve

some of the bar riers to student exchanges, like transferring courses and issues with international travel. “We’d like to see more graduate students going in these directions,” she said. In total, seven graduate students are involved with the exchange between the University and Nor way, Aas said. University of Oslo leaders also said they would like to boost the number of student exchanges. Gøril Mellem, adviser for the student exchange program at Oslo, said her institution hasn’t been successful in recr uiting students to study at the University of Minnesota and wants to begin by boosting exchange numbers in the life sciences.

A long histor y The University of Minnesota’s ties with these Nor wegian universities date back nearly a decade. Elde forged the earliest par tnerships between the University and the two Nor wegian institutions that are now par t of the agreement. Though he completed his post-doctoral studies in Sweden, Elde said it wasn’t until he became a faculty member at the University that he star ted to explore

KALER’S TRIP TO NORWAY

2. Trondheim

1. Oslo 3. Grimstad SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

the research strengths of Scandinavian schools. “When I became dean, I knew about the research strengths in Nor way, and so [I] began exploring those slowly at first,” he said. The par tnership with the University of Life Sciences was established in 2006, Elde said, after the Nor wegian gover nment gave a $750,000 grant to the University of Minnesota — a sum the administration matched. Oslo joined the agreement in 2010.

Student housing boom could soon become stagnant Business u from Page 1

total value — but some developers say constr uction in the area might slow down in the future. D a n i e l O b e r p r i l l e r, owner and president of CPM Companies, said while he expects the company to add 2,000 beds to the University area next year, he does not expect any developers to propose new, large projects for the student housing market in the future. “I think we’re in a holding pattern to see how ever ybody fills up,” he said. “It’s just your basic supply and demand equation.” CPM Pr oper ty Management owns two of Minneapolis’ five most

expensive constr uction projects for the year: WaHu University Housing and a student apar tment building on 15th Avenue Southeast. Scott Bar ton, vice president of acquisitions for EdR, which manages The Marshall in Dinkytown, said buildings with more amenities and higher price tags have recently drawn students fr om smaller, far-flung housing. “Markets like this usually will evolve,” Bar ton said. “There’s an awful lot of students that need housing around the University.” Oberpriller said he thinks the next big constr uction explosion in Minneapolis will be from hotels and hospitalityrelated buildings, though

he said he does not think those projects will find a home near campus. “Land around the ‘U’ is expensive,” he said. “And quite honestly, the only thing that can pay it back is having student housing. You can’t do a hotel on expensive land.” But Doug Kress, the city’s development services director, said the expansion of hotel projects is already happening. “Even if you just drive around downtown, you’ll see a lot of cranes,” he said. From 2011 to 2012, the number of apar tment or condominium units permitted in Minneapolis jumped from 929 to 3,679. After a slight drop last year, that number only reached about 1,500 as of June.

“I anticipate that we’ll match or even exceed [the number for 2013] by the end of the year,” Kress said. Minneapolis has already approved more than $1.2 billion in building permits this year — a number that matches the city’s total value last year — and it’s anticipated to reach $2 billion by the end of 2014. Kr ess said br eaking the $1 billion mark in August — a milestone only reached in October last year — shows that the city is growing. And part of that growth comes from the opening of the new Green Line light rail, said Ed Goetz, a professor at the Humphrey School of Public Af fairs and director of the University’s Center for Urban

APARTMENT UNITS PERMITTED IN MINNEAPOLIS 3,679

3,445

1,543* 929

2011

2012

and Regional Affairs. He said the light rail is drawing developers to build along its path from downtown Minneapolis to

2013

2014 *as of June 30 SOURCE: CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS

St. Paul, but not necessarily near campus. “Overall, the construction is good for the city of Minneapolis,” he said.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Iggy Azalea to headline U’s homecoming The U paid $135,000 to book Azalea and indie rock band Walk the Moon for an Oct. 17 concert at TCF Bank Stadium. BY SARAH CONNOR sconnor@mndaily.com

CORA NELSON, DAILY

First-year student Allie Gooley pages through a book Saturday afternoon at Espresso Royale in Dinkytown. “Book and Brew” is the new collaboration between the Book House and Espresso Royale, which now offers books for sale in the coffee shop.

Brewing beans and books Two Dinkytown mainstays recently collaborated to bring in extra money. BY ANNE MILLERBERND amillerbernd@mndaily.com

Thousands of books from the Book House in Dinkytown now line the walls of Espresso Royale as the result of a new partnership between the two businesses. As apartment complexes and chain restaurants began to pop up in Dinkytown, the shops formed a plan to merge their businesses in an attempt to stay afloat financially. Now that both stores have seemingly stable locations after years of uncertainty, they’re collaborating to potentially boost revenue. In the summer of 2012, Green Mill Restaurants CEO Paul Dzubnar bought Espresso Royale’s building. At about the same time, Book House’s building was set to be demolished

to make room for an apartment complex, Espresso Royale regional manager Dan Zielske said. The uncertain futures for each store prompted discussions between Zielske and Book House owner Kristen Eide-Tollefson about finding a space together. But Book House found a new space in Dinkytown last summer and began storing books at Espresso Royale in exchange for rent money. In August, Zielske and EideTollefson decided to take some books out of storage and move them into the coffee shop. Eide-Tollefson said she’s excited about the new collaboration because it could give her business more visibility. And the partnership feels natural, she said, because coffee and books blend well. “We wanted to be able

to feed that sort of longer, larger tradition of books, conversation [and] coffee that is just an enriching atmosphere intellectually,” she said. The partnership between the two Dinkytown businesses is relatively informal, Zielske said, and they haven’t yet decided how the money will be split. Book House employees choose which genres go on shelves, and Espresso Royale employees help fill them. Book House manager Matt Hawbaker said he chooses genres based on the kinds of people who frequent Espresso Royale and what he thinks they might enjoy. Histor y, art and poetry books sit on the shelves below displays of works by Shakespeare, Tom Wolfe and Virginia Woolf. Cultural studies senior Pascal Filatre said he frequents Book House and he’s been going to Espresso Royale for years. He said

he thinks the books make a great addition to the coffee shop’s atmosphere. Jason McLean, owner of the Loring Pasta Bar and Varsity Theater, said he’s glad to see other businesses in the area merge and believes it will result in a more complete experience for customers. Ultimately, though, the collaboration is still about business. Espresso Royale manager Rex Vogen said the shop has been selling books every day since they hit the shelves, and it’s important to have revenue continue to stream in. The café is on a monthto-month lease and is still recovering from a fire in its building last fall. The heavy construction in Dinkytown this summer has also added stress to the business, Vogen said. “It’s not like we’re going out of business or we’re dying or anything like that, but it definitely is a good idea to try something new,” he said.

Rapper Iggy Azalea and indie rock band Walk the Moon will per form at the University of Minnesota’s 2014 homecoming concert, following in the footsteps of big-name ar tists who have per for med at the annual event in recent years. The “Fancy” singer and the Cincinnati-based fourpiece will per form Oct. 17 at TCF Bank Stadium, the University announced Wednesday. General admission tickets will go on sale Sept. 9 at $20 for students and $40 for the public. Azalea, the headliner, cost the University $100,000, with Walk the Moon’s bill totaling $35,000, according to Assistant Director of Student Activities Erik Dussault. Last year, homecoming headliners Passion Pit and Hoodie Allen cost $155,000 combined, he said. The University dished out much less in 2012 for ar tists B.o.B. and Timeflies — $85,000 total. Booking big names for the annual homecoming concert has been a priority for the University since it implemented the concer t in 2010. The Student Unions and Activities Program Board selected the ar tists primarily through an online sur vey in which students could write in their top artist choices, said Ashley Herink, a marketing specialist with the board. The board also used other factors to make its decision, including artists’ social media popularity in the area and whether

they had recently released or planned to release new music near the date of the concert, Herink said. “People were ver y excited about Passion Pit because they are a ver y wellknown band, but we got a really great oppor tunity with Iggy this year in that she’s new and not a lot of people have had an opportunity to see her live yet,” Herink said. “We are really, really excited about it.” Herink said student feedback on the ar tists has been over whelmingly positive so far, noting that SUA’s tweet revealing the per formers on Wednesday received about 600 retweets in less than a day. Marketing junior Charlie Kleiner said he is looking for ward to seeing Azalea and was happy to see a big name come to the University’s homecoming. “I think [Iggy is] someone that’s on the rise and she’s one of the bigger names that we’ve gotten in the past few years,” he said, “so it’s pretty exciting to finally get someone decently big.” Azalea’s “Fancy” topped the Billboard’s Hot 100 summer char t, and her song “Black W idow” is currently one of the most popular tracks on the Hot 100 list. The homecoming performance will be Azalea’s first in the Twin Cities. Herink said Azalea’s popularity will hopefully bring in a crowd similar in size to last year’s concert. “Last year, we sold out. We are hoping that happens again,” she said. “But homecoming is always a big thing. It’s one of the highlights of ever yone’s week.”

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Editorials & Opinions POLICE

Learning from Ferguson: what we can change for the future The recent events in the small Missouri town are a reminder of why police body cameras could be beneficial. DESTANIE MARTIN-JOHNSON columnist

n Aug. 9 in Ferguson, Mo., an unarmed black teenager named Michael Brown was shot to death by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. There are many details to this stor y — including allegations that Brown robbed a store and reports of a scuffle between him and the officer just before the shooting — but none of these details justifies killing an unarmed youth. It was unnecessar y for the of ficer to shoot Brown five times. The incident raises the question: Why exactly did this police officer feel the need to draw his gun in the first place? Racial profiling and abuse of power have been hot issues for quite some time,

especially when they relate to law enforcement. I wonder whether Wilson would have reacted dif ferently to the situation if Brown had been a white teen — specifically, whether he would have been as aggressive. Why are blacks sometimes seen as potentially more dangerous, threatening and criminally suspicious than whites? Cities like Houston and New York have considered equipping police officers with small video cameras. Attached to officers’ uniforms, these cameras would record their encounters with people throughout the day. Of ficers would be required to turn on the camera when dealing with a potential suspect or when conducting the stop-and-frisk style searches that have been a matter of controversy in New York. The camera footage is for the heads of police departments and the public. According to a study done in California, after using police body cameras, there was a nearly 90 percent drop in complaints about of ficers and a 60 percent drop in use of force by police officers within a year.

Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges has proposed investments in body cameras for the Minneapolis police department within the next year. This is one of the best ways to ensure justice and to prevent police misconduct and racial profiling. Not only will police be monitored during threatening and nonthreatening situations, but suspect interrogations will also be recorded. Officers will be brought to justice if their actions prove to be unlawful. One solution can potentially help solve two problems. Something must be done to repair the trust between the police and the people. Our communities want peace, equality, justice and a safe environment. Requiring body cameras to increase transparency during police stops should help reduce the current problems exemplified in Ferguson. Recognizing and addressing the fact that racial disparities exist in the justice system will bring us all a step closer to peace and equality. Please send comments to letters@mndaily.com.

DAILY DISCUSSION

elcome to the Minnesota Daily’s newly redesigned Editorials and Opinions section and its newest feature, Daily Discussion. This space will be malleable day to day, and we hope it will help the section touch on a wider range of topics. More impor tantly, we hope it will give our readers an easier way to have their voices heard in the Daily. Daily Discussion will feature a variety of content: quick-takes from our Editorial Board, brief Letters to the Editor and featured reader comments. We plan to pick some of the most thoughtful opinions from our readers on MNDaily.com and our social media accounts. Our goal for this section is to get as many relevant viewpoints heard as possible and to create a greater dialogue between our readers and the Editorials and Opinions staff. Ultimately, we hope this makes for a richer campus community at the University of Minnesota.

—The Editorial Board

Letter to the Daily

To many in America, the black rioters and looters in Missouri create a negative image of the black community. Despite this, the white rioters in Dinkytown, after the Gophers’ Frozen Four hockey game, did not create a negative image of the white community. As usual, blacks rise or fall as a group, not as individuals. Whites are given the right and freedom to rise or fall as individuals, the way it should be. And do certain whites expect certain blacks in leadership roles to condemn the violence and looting because they are the same skin color as the rioters, even though they had nothing to do with it? Are they are somehow partly responsible for it if they do not condemn it? A few blacks loot, and the whole black community is responsible for it. A racist approach to a problem rooted in racism.

Frank Erickson Daily reader

CONTACT THE EDITOR Martin Jaakola mjaakola@mndaily.com @mjaakola1

Starting college can be an exciting yet daunting experience. It’s not surprising that, with all the stress that comes with it, many new students gain the dreaded “freshman 15.” A study published in Nutrition Journal found that nearly a quarter of freshmen gain at least 5 percent of their body weight during their first semester, an average of about 10 whopping pounds in just a few months. In an effort to help students look and feel great, a movement toward of fering more plant-based meals is taking root on college campuses nationwide. In fact, there are more than 100 universities leading the charge with Meatless Monday programs in their dining halls. Why take a weekly holiday from meat? In recent decades, our meat consumption has

A well-deserved victory for Kahn The 21-term incumbent has likely secured another two years.

he longstanding Minnesota House representative serving much of the University of Minnesota area has cleared the largest hurdle in her run for another two years in office. Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, defeated her strongest challenger in years in a primary election held Aug. 12, which should position her to easily win this fall’s general election and continue her service to neighborhoods like Southeast Como, Marcy-Holmes and Cedar-Riverside. The Minnesota Daily Editorial Board endorsed Kahn in the primary, and we hope her strong support in the area carries through Election Day. It’s important to note, however, that Kahn’s top challenger — Somali activist and Minneapolis School Board member Mohamud Noor — brought some important issues to the forefront of the primary race. Much of his campaign noted the district’s rapidly shifting demographics and claimed that Noor was best equipped to serve changing interests. Still, we believe that Kahn has a strong grasp on these issues and is well-positioned as a veteran lawmaker to be a powerful advocate for 60B. It will be important for Kahn to smooth out tensions that may linger after the contentious primary race, which was marked by allegations of voter fraud and threat, as well as a chaotic caucus that turned violent. We hope these unfortunate events don’t dissuade anyone from becoming politically active. Kahn and district residents will need to work together to get past any lingering issues so that the University area can prosper.

Many PSEO students are already well acquainted with campus.

Lea Garber welcomes comments at lgarber@mndaily.com.

STUDENT LIFE

Bring back 25 meals a semester Without an affordable payment plan, many students might stay away from dinning halls.

s an off-campus student last year, I knew I would have the occasional urge to break for lunch at the dining halls. With this in mind, I visited the University Dining Ser vices’ website, looking for their bare minimum meal plan option. I found a reasonably priced, 25-meals-per-semester option and went with it. Although this plan worked for me, when I logged on to re-up this semester, I found that UDS had scrapped this meal plan, with 45 meals per semester as the new minimum. This plan comes with $100 FlexDine and is priced at $500, or about $175 more than my previous meal plan. That equates to about two or three meals each week. While this isn’t a bad deal, it shouldn’t be the minimum option. Since I will not be paying $500 for the aforementioned plan, I’ll probably make a greater effort to remember bag lunches,

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Stay lean and green this semester with Meatless Mondays

EDITORIALS

Welcome Week not needed for all

Students’ political voice matters

The Minnesota Student Association is pushing to host a senatorial debate on campus between Sen. Al Franken and his Republican challenger Mike McFadden. We hope both politicians accept this invitation to debate on a college campus, which would show the candidates have students in mind with their platforms.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

increased dramatically and along with it, our waistlines, blood pressure and cholesterol. Meat — especially red meat — is high in saturated fat, which is associated with obesity and preventable chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and stroke. Even if we can’t switch to a completely plant-based diet, we can make incremental changes. Kaiser Permanente is a prominent health care and insurance provider. It recently published a “Plant-Based Diet” guide that states, “Any movement toward more plants and fewer animal products can improve your health.” Eating more healthy plant-based meals not only helps our physical health, but it can also lighten our carbon footprint. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, animal agriculture is “one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale

THE EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS DEPARTMENT IS INDEPENDENT OF THE NEWSROOM

CONNOR NIKOLIC columnist

eat at reasonably priced restaurants near campus or use FlexDine for desperate situations. And yet, I can’t help but wonder why UDS has removed this option. The dining ser vice did not respond to my email questioning their decision, and I can’t think of a logical explanation as to why such a move would be beneficial, besides not enough students choosing this plan. If UDS decides to go back to of fering the 25 meals per semester option for spring 2015, I will gladly go back to that plan. Until that comes to pass, however, I see no reason for any off-campus student like me to sign up for a UDS meal plan. Connor Nikolic welcomes comments at cnikolic@mndaily.com.

from local to global.” Factory farms — where much of our meat comes from — are major culprits in contributing to climate change. These animal factories create huge amounts of manure that pollute the soil, water and air. Reducing the amount of meat we eat is good for animals, too. The fewer animals we raise for food results in less pressure on animal agriculture to raise them in cruel and intensive ways. To help animals, the Humane Society of the United States advocates the three R’s: “reducing” or “replacing” consumption of animal products and “refining” our diets by switching to products from sources that adhere to higher animal welfare standards. Thankfully, it’s never been easier to take a positive step toward safeguarding our health while also protecting the planet and helping animals. Choosing simple, delicious plant-based options once a week can make a big difference.

he University of Minnesota’s Welcome Week program likely helped many incoming freshmen, giving them a chance to meet other students, get a feel for the campus, explore the Twin Cities and get acquainted with their new school. However, for many Post-Secondary Enrollment Option students, participating in required Welcome Week activities is unnecessary. Some PSEO students began taking classes at the University while they were in 11th or 12th grade. Many of them graduated from high school with significant amounts of college credits already finished. They are familiar with the campus, and they know many people around the University. Despite this, Welcome Week remains a strict requirement for them. Many elements of Welcome Week are redundant for PSEO students. For example, a tour of Coffman Union and supervised course registration are of little value to them because they know where to go and how to register for classes. It’s the equivalent of asking a sophomore or junior student to be treated as a freshman for a week. The Office of Undergraduate Education describes Welcome Week as “only for first-year, first-time, freshmen attending the U.” PSEO students do not fit that description, and they should not be grouped with those who do. The University should acknowledge the experience of PSEO students rather than treating them like incoming freshmen. If PSEO students want to participate in Welcome Week, they should be able to — but for many, it’s an interruption in their busy schedules. 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 600 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) 435-5644 Letters and columns to the editor 2221 University Ave. SE Suite 450 Minneapolis, MN 55414

Eddie Garza Food policy coordinator Humane Society of the United States

LOOK FOR ONLINE EXCLUSIVE COLUMNS AT WWW.MNDAILY.COM/OPINION

@MNDAILYOPINIONS

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

ART

Nash Gallery gets social “Thinking making living” at the Nash Gallery brings social practice art into a gallery.

LIAM JAMES DOYLE, DAILY

Curatorial assistant Teréz Iacovino, curator Rebecca Krinkee and installation coordinator Will Lakey mount an art piece on Friday for the “thinking making living” exhibit. BY HANNAH GERMAINE hgermaine@mndaily.com

oward Oransky, dir ector of the Katherine E. Nash Galler y, noticed a trend of social practice art — or time-based and engaging work — in his peers’ pieces at the University of Minnesota. His curatorial team is bringing the activity-based ar t into a galler y space

with the new exhibit on campus called “thinking making living.” “In social ar t you often have a group of people par ticipating in an ar t activity,” Oransky said. “What we wanted was a curatorial process that mirrored the artistic process.” He said he considers artists’ ideas for displaying their work and includes them in the installation process. This approach is a luxur y and a challenge

specific to contemporar y ar t because the ar tists are available to work with, Oransky said. He said ar tist Emily Baxter wants to evoke the feeling of a police questioning room for her project “We Are All Criminals.” He searched for intimidating decor, and together, they developed a way to present Baxter’s work with an interrogation table. The table displays stories of crimes, which the

notes’ authors say have slipped through the judicial system. The project is an attempt for viewers to identify with criminals, Oransky said. Living ar tists can also exhibit work that evolves and interacts with other contributors. Teréz Iacovino of the Crescent Collective described how their project, “The Hydroponic Table”, allows viewers to har vest their own meal from the

center of a dining table. The ar tists str uggled to build a system to provide proper living conditions for plants at an indoor dining room table, she said. “We’re not scientists,” Iacovino said. “We’ve been utilizing Tom Michaels, who’s a professor at the U of M in the horticulture department, as a resource to help us navigate the science aspect of it.” In addition to collaborating with Michaels, the

Crescent Collective opens the table up for other ar tists’ projects, like Kate Casanova’s “The Edible Insect Tasting.” Audiences will gather at “The Hydroponic Table” to taste foreign delicacies and challenge food norms. Ashley Duffalo and Sarah Schultz of the “thinking making living” organizing team work for the Walker Ar t Center. The Walker’s Open Field, a platform for community discussions, is a prime example of the movement. Past programs have included feet painting, infant massage workshops and the Internet Cat Video Festival. Public demonstrations like these originated with World War I-era Dada evenings and Fluxus Happenings of the early 1960s. Music, dance, poetr y and the live creation of visual ar t were shown at venues like The Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich or on artist George Segal’s farm in New Jersey. Both Oransky and Iacovino said modern technology and social media are isolating factors that prompt the human need for more personal interactions. Ar tists are using social practice now to reintroduce face-to-face communication and tactile exploration. But despite the need for art and human interaction, viewer participation is not always guaranteed. “It actually may not work,” Oransky admitted. “I’m not primarily interested in success. I’m primarily interested in providing this community with dif ferent types of artistic experiences that will be meaningful to them.”

“Thinking making living” Where Katherine E. Nash Gallery, Regis Center for Art, 405 S. 21st Ave., Minneapolis When Sept. 2–Dec. 13 Cost Free

FASHION

The Fashionista is in: Fresh faces, fresh fashion

he first week at a new school liberates students from the restraints of their past environments. No one knows if the hip art student in mom jeans sucked his thumb until middle school or if the sorority pledge with six-inch Louboutins had braces at senior prom. These first-year students reinvented themselves by incorporating carefully curated autobiographical treasures into their first few outfits of the school year. Story by Hannah Germaine | Photos by Juliet Farmer

Sabrina Frost

Xinyu Lu

First-year graduate public health student Frost wears a New Look top, a Bershka skirt, an H&M shoulder bag, Minnetonka Moccasins and Modcloth earrings. New Look and Bershka are British and Spanish brands, respectively, that Frost discovered while working for an airline in Dubai. Wearing clothes with stories attached to them — like Frost does — adds personal flair to a professional ensemble, while sophisticated elements command respect and mentally prepare students for serious work.

First-year doctoral journalism student Lu wears a Girder jacket and button-up, a MaxMara skirt, an MCM backpack and Tor y Burch flats. An always-changing, standout style is like armor. Lu exudes confidence with a bold print and smart jacket. Dressing more formally for her first week on campus, Lu is bound to impress peers and superiors alike.

A&E EDITOR

Joe Kellen jkellen@mndaily.com

ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR Grant Tillery gtillery@mndaily.com

RADIO K TOP 7

Andrew Day

First-year undergraduate Day, who’s undecided on his major, wears a Puma jacket, Volcom shorts, Nike sneakers, and a bracelet from Israel. Day traveled to Israel at the end of high school and brought back two bracelets. He gifted one to his girlfriend and wears the other one himself. The incoming first-year student wears brands that represent his passion for snowboarding and music, and band T-shirts and sporty shoes are good conversation star ters for making friends in the dorms.

1. FKA twigs, Pendulum 2. My Brightest Diamond, Dreaming Awake (Son Lux Remix) 3. Pallbearer, The Ghost I Used to Be

Liu Sichen and Cong Yeming

Liu wears a Taobao button-up, a Pull & Bear T-shirt, her mom’s pants and New Balance sneakers. Cong wears a Levi’s denim jacket, a Hi Panda T-shirt, Uniqlo pants, and Clarks shoes. Liu and Cong are first-year exchange students from China. The pair stays true to their roots with Chinese brands like Taobao and Hi Panda. Cong updated his wardrobe with a recent trip to the Mall of America, where he purchased his shoes. They maintain an urban Chinese aesthetic, but Yeming says they’ll have to make some adjustments for the unfamiliar and unforgiving Minnesota winters.

4. Radiator Hospital, Bedtime Story 5. Adebisi Shank, Voodoo Vision 6. A Sunny Day in Glasglow, In Love with Useless 7. Death From Above 1979, Trainwreck 1979

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Sports

@MNDAILYSPORTS

FOOTBALL

Minnesota wins season opener

QUICK HITTERS BY GRANT DONALD gdonald@mndaily.com

Minnesota 42, Eastern Illinois 20 Thursday, Aug. 28 TCF Bank Stadium

RECAP

AMANDA SNYDER, DAILY

Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner hands the ball to running back David Cobb against Eastern Illinois on Thursday evening at TCF Bank Stadium.

Mitch Leidner and Berkley Edwards each ran for two touchdowns. BY JACK SATZINGER jsatzinger@mndaily.com

For Gophers quar terback Mitch Leidner, the script flipped Thursday night. Minnesota opened its season with a midweek home game under the lights for the second consecutive year. But instead of being the backup quar terback coming into the game during garbage time with little pressure on his shoulders, Leidner was under center from the get-go. Chris Streveler relieved Leidner in the second half once the Gophers’ 42-20 victor y was well in hand, just like Leidner did in last year’s opener. Minnesota blew the game open in the second half after a slow start. Leidner’s first two passes were incomplete. The third went for just 2 yards. The next play, he was sacked and he fumbled the ball. “Definitely a lot of ner ves out there,” Leidner said. “We were just tr ying

to see what would work.” After one more empty series, the Lakeville, Minn., native finally felt like himself on the field. A play broke down, and Leidner tucked the ball, running 2 yards untouched into the end zone. The Gophers took a 7-0 lead and didn’t look back. Neither did Leidner. “Getting my legs moving a little bit, have a little contact — that’s always a big thing that gets me into the game,” he said. Early in the fourth quarter, Leidner rushed for another touchdown. But this time, three Eastern Illinois defenders met the brawny 6-foot-4-inch quarterback at the goal line, and Leidner lower ed his helmet to squeeze through. The Gophers took a 280 lead after Ryan Santoso knocked in the extra point, but Leidner taking shots is probably the last thing his coaches want. Even so, Gophers head coach Jerry Kill praised his quarterback for staying low. “As long as you don’t stand up, you are a lot better off,” Kill said. “He carried it, but he didn’t carr y it much. A quarterback will always have to take care of himself. It doesn’t matter if you are in the National Football League or what

— they are going to have to scramble and do things. I thought he played much lower than a year ago.” Leidner ran the ball seven times Thursday, which pales in comparison to the 24 carries he amassed in his first career star t against San Jose State last fall. Minnesota worked throughout the offseason to keep Leidner from running excessively in order for him to stay healthy, but at times, it’s still hard for him to stay in the pocket. “It’s different. It’s a different style of play for me, but it’s something I’ve done in the past in high school,” Leidner said. Redshirt freshman running back Berkley Edwards capped off the next series with a 1-yard touchdown run. Leidner sat the rest of the game, and with Streveler at quarterback, Edwards ripped off a 42-yard touchdown run. “[We] have to continue to find ways to get him the ball,” Kill said. The offense sputtered at first and gained momentum later on, but the defense was nearly perfect from the opening snap. Junior safety Antonio Johnson recorded seven tackles and an interception. Eric Murray blanketed

SCORING SUMMARY SCORE BY QUARTER Eastern Illinois Minnesota

1 0 7

2 0 7

3 0 7

4 20 21

TOTAL 20 42

1ST QUARTER MINN

01:53

Mitch Leidner 2 yd run (Ryan Santoso kick)

2ND QUARTER MINN

01:27

Donovahn Jones 35 yd pass from Mitch Leidner (Ryan Santoso kick)

13:20

Logan Hutton 2 yd blocked punt return (Ryan Santoso kick)

3RD QUARTER MINN

4TH QUARTER

EIU

MINN

EIU

MINN

EIU

MINN

EIU

MINN