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October 2, 2014

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ALSO IN THE SPORTS SECTION:

GOPHERS CAN’T FIGHT OFF THE ILLINI PAGE 12

■■ Women’s hockey starting season at No. 1

MINNESOTA LOST ON WEDNESDAY IN THREE SETS.

■■ Men’s hockey seeks nat’l championship

The Gophers kick things off with two games Saturday. PAGE 11

The Gophers have an exhibition game this weekend. PAGE 11

PM T-STORMS HIGH 66° LOW 46°

CAMPUS

Faculty retirement deals grow

U OF M

MINNEAPOLIS

ST PAUL

THURSDAY

OCTOBER 2, 2014

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT MNDAILY.COM

STUDENT LIFE

Campus diversity lacking

A new option aims to ease faculty into retirement in exchange for tenure status. BY TAYLOR NACHTIGAL tnachtigal@mndaily.com

Faculty at the University of Minnesota will soon have a new option that will allow them to ease into retirement. With the new “tenure trade” retirement policy, some faculty — in return for their tenure status — will be able to gradually retire while working part time or completing any ongoing work, allowing them to leave the school without abandoning any of their long-term projects or research. The policy, currently in a 30-day review process, aims to offer an “in-between” option for faculty who are preparing for retirement, said Joseph Konstan, chair of the University Senate’s Faculty Af fairs Committee. “Going from a full-time faculty member to retirement feels like a big jump they’re not often ready to make,” he said. u See OPTION Page 5

JULIET FARMER, DAILY

University students Sousada Chidthachack, Deirdre Green, Mariah Berry and Bora Faulkner get to know one another at the “Greater Than 7 Annual Welcome Luncheon” on Tuesday at Coffman Union.

As part of a campus-wide initiative, the University dedicated this week to discussing diversity within the student body.

ELECTION 2014

Higher ed neglected in gov. race BY KEVIN KARNER kkarner@mndaily.com

u See DEBATE Page 4 RELATED CONTENT Many candidates this election season promote on social media, but some say it’s ineffective. u See Page 4

Association.

Nya Lony lounged on a couch in the

Lony’s experience as a minority at the

Black Student Union’s office in Coffman

University of Minnesota isn’t unique, and

Union on Tuesday afternoon, surrounded

it’s an issue school leaders say they would

by a buzz of students who were studying

like to address.

and chatting.

Dayton and Johnson debated Tuesday, discussing health care, transportation and other topics.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The first gubernatorial debate of the 2014 election cycle featured par tisanship, crowds wielding political signs and campaigns’ continued silence on higher education topics. Gov. Mark Dayton, former Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson and Independence Party candidate Hannah Nicollet squared off at the Mayo Civic Center on Wednesday, deliberating on topics like transportation, economic development and health care. But higher education policy was absent

who is also president of the African Student

BY HALEY HANSEN hhansen@mndaily.com

As part of an ongoing discussion to in-

To Lony, the office is a home away from

crease diversity and inclusion on campus,

home where she has a strong sense of com-

the University launched its first-ever di-

munity.

versity week on Monday, which lasts un-

“On a campus of 50,000 people, my com-

til Friday. School officials said the week’s

fort is confined to this space,” said Lony,

purpose is to celebrate campus diversity

u See EQUIT Y Page 16

SCIENCE

U scoops biochemistry researcher from France A French academic recently found a home in Minnesota to do environmental research. BY PARKER LEMKE plemke@mndaily.com

In the world of French academia, a sizable number of doctoral students struggle to share a small pond of opportunities. So the University of Minnesota fished a scholar for itself out of the country’s pool of academics.

EAST BANK

Colleagues of French native Mikael Elias, an incoming biochemistry assistant professor, say his scientific vigor eventually outgrew available academic positions in his home country, where attaining a prestigious position, like a fine wine or cheese, comes with age. “Mikael was too bright for the French system [in which] you must wait your turn,” said his mentor, Aix Marseille University structural biology professor Eric Chabrière. Elias, who holds a joint appointment between the biochemistry, molecular biology

and biophysics department and the BioTechnology Institute, arrived in Minnesota late last summer. Once his lab’s renovations and his search for research assistants wrap up, he said he can begin his work on using enzymes and bacteria to address environmental issues. Elias was hired through the MnDRIVE initiative, an $18 million annual investment focused on developing four research fields at the University, including his specialty, u See ELIAS Page 3

TUITION

Grad freeze raises concerns If a new tuition freeze begins next year, some are questioning how it will be implemented. BY KATE CLARK kclark1@mndaily.com

LIAM JAMES DOYLE, DAILY

A view from the East Bank as the downtown Minneapolis skyline lights the sky on Monday night.

A proposed tuition freeze for graduate and professional students at the University of Minnesota has some school deans worried. Although many graduate and professional schools at the University have varied tuition rates, President Eric Kaler proposed an across-the-board tuition freeze last month for graduate and professional students paying in-state tuition. Some leaders at the schools say they fully support the change because it helps lower students’ costs, but concerns have sur faced that the proposed freeze will

present challenges. Some deans worry that it will make hiring more difficult and some expenses won’t be covered without increases in tuition revenue. The plan is pending the Board of Regents’ approval, and if granted, the state Legislature would make the final call. If approved, the state Legislature would provide funding to help enact the freeze. But how the across-the-board tuition freeze would roll out across multiple colleges and departments — most of which have different tuition rates — is unclear. The College of Veterinary Medicine already enacted a tuition freeze this year for professional students and lowered fourthyear students’ tuition by 8 percent. The college’s dean, Trevor Ames, said Kaler’s proposed freeze would help the u See GRADUATES Page 3

VOLUME 116 ISSUE 19


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Daily Review

Thursday, October 2, 2014

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1985 Actor Rock Hudson, 59, becomes the first major United States celebrity to die of complications from AIDS. HISTORYCHANNEL.COM/TDIH

EAST BANK Vol. 116 Thursday, October 2, 2014, No. 19

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Pedestrians prepare for rain with umbrellas and jackets on campus Wednesday afternoon.

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NATIONAL BRIEFING

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MNsure says health insurance will go up 4.5 percent for 2015 BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ST. PAUL — The average rate for policies sold on Minnesota’s health insurance exchange will go up 4.5 percent in 2015 but remain the lowest in the nation, state of ficials said Wednesday. The four holdover companies — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, HealthPar tners, Medica and U-Care — submitted average rates that ranged from a 10 percent decrease to a 17 percent increase. A fifth company will join the exchange in 2015, Blue Cross affiliate Blue Plus. The lowest-cost and largest provider in the exchange’s first year, PreferredOne, said last month it was dropping out because it couldn’t sustain its pricing. “We expect no other state will release rates lower than Minnesota,” Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman said. “We achieved the lowest rates even though last year’s lowest-cost company decided

to sit out this year.” The rate announcement was a politically charged event. Republicans earlier this year accused Gov. Mark Dayton of tr ying to delay it until after the November election. On Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader David Hann argued the average was misleading and that many consumers will pay much more, especially with PreferredOne’s departure. At a news conference, he passed around a price char t for a 25-year-old in the metro area that showed monthly premiums at four dif ferent coverage levels rising from 18 percent to 37 percent. “I think the 4.5 percent rate increase is completely bogus,” Hann said. Dayton said he was pleased by the number, and noted it doesn’t factor in subsidies that some people can get. He said most people will see a “very modest” increase and many will pay less. “I realize we’re 34 days

before an election but it is permissible to actually recognize and even applaud good news,” Dayton said. A check of some individual rates in the state’s nine zones found a mix of rates. For a 40-year-old in southern Minnesota, the bronze plan would rise 36 percent; the silver plan would go up 17 percent; the gold plan would rise 15.5 percent; and the platinum plan would go up 23 percent. But for a 25-year-old in southeast Minnesota, the monthly rate would rise 5.4 percent on the bronze plan; fall 4.3 percent on the silver plan; fall 0.1 percent on the gold plan; and rise 5.5 percent on the platinum plan. Those comparisons don’t include subsidies. MNsure chief executive Scott Leitz encouraged consumers to shop early for policies, and he said more people will qualify for tax credits in 2015 than this past year. State officials said consumers will have more choices, and highlighted

southeast Minnesota, with more than 30 products in 2015 compared to fewer than 10 this year. The number of individual plans statewide will increase to 84, up from 78. Leitz and Dayton both said the state is better prepared for the next open enrollment period that begins Nov. 15. Leitz said the MNsure website has added capacity to load more quickly, and the state will have some 300 call-center representatives, compared to 30 when the exchange launched. State of ficials declined to say how much each of the holdover companies were raising or lowering rates on average. Commerce spokeswoman Anne O’Connor said later that they agreed not to as a condition of releasing broad rate information early. More than 327,000 people have signed up for policies via MNsure, and exchange officials have said the state’s rate of uninsured people has dropped more than 40 percent.

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Large harvest creates General Mills plans to cut about issues for MN farmers 700 to 800 jobs BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — General Mills plans to cut approximately 700 to 800 jobs, the second time it’s trimmed its work force in a month, as the food company adjusts for a shift by U.S. consumers away from boxed or frozen meals. The Minneapolis company that owns Betty Crocker and Green Giant brands said in a regulatory filing that the job cuts will take place mostly in the U.S. It expects about $135 million to $160 million in restructuring charges and foresees annual cost savings of approximately $125 million to $150 million, starting in fiscal 2016. General Mills Inc. anticipates the current restructuring to be completed by fiscal 2015’s end. Other household names in the U.S. like Kellogg Co. and H.J. Heinz Co., have also had to readjust to shifting American diets. Last month General Mills, which also makes Cheerios and Yoplait yogurt, said that it was closing a facility in Methuen, Massachusetts, which would eliminate about 250 positions. It also announced plans to close a plant in Lodi, California that would result in approximately 430 jobs being cut. General Mills said in a regulatory filing at the time that the decision on the Lodi facility was tentative, as it still had to have negotiations with the union there. The company said that the closing of the Lodi plant would eliminate excess cereal and dry mix from its supply chain. General Mills has been tweaking its recipes and getting into new foods as it tries to satisfy an American palate heading in a new direction. It gave Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal a stronger cinnamon taste, removed aspartame sugar substitute from Yoplait Light and released a new line of Cheerios with added protein.

ST. PAUL — Minnesota farmers will face several challenges in shipping and storing what’s expected to be the state’s second largest corn crop in history. The state’s fall harvest will amount to nearly 1.4 million bushels, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. But the massive corn crop is pressuring grain prices, so farmers may opt to store their grain instead of sell it. Farmers may run out of places to store the grain and be forced to pile it on the ground, according to Bob Zelenka, head of the Minnesota Grain and Feed Association. “I think we’re going to see some ground storage this year, because of the lack of interest by producers in moving grain into the market,” he said Tuesday. Agricultural experts are continuing to monitor potential problems with transporting crops since many railroads are already backed up with the shipment of oil, coal, taconite and other commodities. The watchful eyes were driven by harvest troubles last year, but the same problems aren’t expected to occur again this fall. “It appears to be more manageable than last year, because we’re all aware of the situation,” Zelenka said. Shipping concerns are also fueled by the fact the North Dakota has become a big producer of corn and soybeans, on top of wheat, meaning there is more grain to transport. “This is the first time we’ve had a corn and soybean (shipping) problem in North Dakota,” said Jerr y Fruin, a specialist in transportation economics at the University of Minnesota. “We used to talk about wheat, but that (harvest) happened in August when the weather was better.” Pressure is also added to the busiest parts of the railroad network by the demand for U.S. grain in Asia. Minnesota farmers can choose to transport crops via different methods, but barges have been unreliable and fuel prices have increased, according to Fruin.

EXTENDED WEATHER FORECAST FRIDAY HIGH 55° LOW 36° Showers

SATURDAY HIGH 52° LOW 41° Partly sunny

SUNDAY HIGH 57° LOW 41° Partly sunny

MONDAY HIGH 63° LOW 43°

Chance of rain

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DAILY Freelance audio/video: Contact Multimedia Editor Bridget Bennett at bbennett@mndaily.com. Letters to the editor: Email submissions to letters@mndaily.com Guest columns: Emails submissions to Editorials & Opinions Editor Martin Jaakola at mjaakola@mndaily.com. All submissions are welcome, but there is no guarantee of publication. CORRECTIONS

A page 1 article in Wednesday’s paper, titled “‘Why are they leaving?’” incorrectly stated the relationship between foreign terrorist recruitment in Cedar-Riverside and demonstrators’ notion that there is a lack of resources in the area. The protesters said a dearth of opportunities and resources for local young people was behind foreign terrorist organizations’ recruitment of local residents. 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.


Thursday, October 2, 2014

3

Biochem researcher pulled from France Elias u from Page 1

environmental conser vation. The University was looking for candidates who could leverage a deep understanding of molecular chemistr y to solve realworld problems like agricultural and industrial chemical pollution, said Larr y Wackett, a biochemistr y professor who headed the search committee. “I thought it was going to be ver y challenging,” he said. “We were for tunate we found just the per fect guy.” Elias was put on the University’s radar when Dan Tawfik, a biological chemistr y professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science and Elias’ former mentor, delivered a threeday lecture series on campus and r ecommended him to recruiters. “He was always a person you could come to and describe some idea … or something puzzling, and he would have some interesting insights,” Tawfik said. Elias said he has had to adjust to not only the U.S. higher education system, but life in Minnesota. In his shor t time here, he said he has discovered the thrill of American football at TCF Bank Stadium and is curiously awaiting his first Minnesota winter. “I knew the University of Minnesota through the work of the scientists, but I [knew] nearly nothing about the city,” Elias said. “I just knew about the Minnesota Timber wolves.”

Harnessing bacteria to conser ve the environment Before coming to the University, Elias completed his post-doctoral studies at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Around the time of his depar ture, the Israel-Gaza conflict was ongoing. Air raid sirens triggered by rockets launched by Hamas militants sounded even in Central Israel, where the institute is located, Elias said. During his post-doctoral studies, Elias concentrated his research on extremophiles — organisms that live in the world’s harshest conditions, particularly bacteria that survive in arsenic-rich environments. Though most microorganisms struggle to distinguish the essential nutrient phosphate from similar and potentially har mful compounds like arsenate, Elias’ research showed that some bacteria can selectively exclude arsenate. Now he said he’s examining how that microorganism’s special properties can be used to scavenge, extract and store phosphate, which modern agriculture depends on to fertilize its crops. If already limited resources of phosphate are depleted, Wackett said, it could eventually lead to a diminished food supply. He also said phosphate r unof f from fields harms the environment. Engineering bacteria to store phosphate could solve two problems simultaneously, Elias said, by drawing phosphate out of water

CORA NELSON, DAILY

Professor Mikael Elias poses in a lab at the Gortner Laboratory of Biochemistry on the St. Paul campus Monday afternoon. Elias, a French native and recent hire, holds a joint appointment between the biochemistry, molecular biology and biophysics department and the BioTechnology Institute.

and reconcentrating it again for use as a fertilizer. “If he can do something really impor tant in that area, I mean, he would be world-renowned,” Wackett said. A second major project Elias is working on isolates an enzyme that stops bacteria from communicating. “The bacteria are now blind,” Elias said. “They don’t know how many they are anymore, so they cannot coordinate any future action.” Elias said he is working with a company to produce

Protesters threaten to occupy gov’t buildings in Hong Kong BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

HONG KONG — Raising the stakes in their standof f with the authorities, Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters threatened to occupy key government buildings unless the territor y’s top of ficial resigns by the end of the day Thursday. The Chinese gover nment, meanwhile, appeared to be losing patience. An editorial solemnly read Wednesday on state TV said all Hong Kong residents should support authorities in their efforts to “deploy police enforcement decisively” and “restore the social order in Hong Kong as soon as possible.” And the Communist Par ty-r un People’s Daily warned of “unimaginable consequences” if the protests persist. In the biggest challenge to Beijing’s authority since China took control of the former British colony in 1997, thousands of demonstrators have clogged the streets of the Asian financial center since Friday, demanding freer elections in

Hong Kong. Storming gover nment buildings would risk inviting another clash with police like the one over the weekend. It also would put pressure on the Chinese gover nment, which has backed Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chunying’s attempts to end the protests but has not openly intervened. In Washington, Secretar y of State John Kerr y met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and said the U.S. supports the “highest possible degree of autonomy” in Hong Kong. He said he hopes Hong Kong authorities exercise restraint and allow the protesters to express their views peacefully. Wang said that the protests are “China’s internal affairs” and that no country would allow “illegal acts” against public order. One of the protest leaders, Lester Shum, vice secretar y of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, said there was “no room for dialogue” with Leung because he had ordered police to fire tear gas at

demonstrators over the weekend. “Leung Chun-ying must step down. If he doesn’t resign by tomorrow, we will step up our actions, such as by occupying several important government buildings,” he said, adding that demonstrators would not interfere with essential government agencies such as hospitals and social welfare offices. Chan Kin-man, another protest leader, said the demonstrations will continue as long as the Hong Kong government fails to give a satisfactory response to their demands. “I hope people will understand why the action keeps on escalating. It’s because the government is getting more and more closed without listening to Hong Kong people,” he said in an inter view on the street. The protests were triggered by Beijing’s recent decision that all candidates in the inaugural 2017 election for Hong Kong’s top post must be approved by a committee of mostly proBeijing local elites.

Palestinians ask UN for 2016 deadline BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

UNITED NATIONS — The Palestinians are asking the U.N. Security Council to set a deadline of November 2016 for an Israeli withdrawal from all Palestinian territor y occupied since 1967 including East Jerusalem in a new push to achieve independence. The circulation of the draft resolution to council members follows Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ announcement to the U.N. General Assembly last Friday that he would ask the council to set a deadline for a pullout and dictate the ground r ules for any talks with Israel. The draft resolution, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, would af firm the Security Council’s determination to contribute to attaining a peaceful solution that ends the Israeli occupation “without

delay” and fulfills the vision of two states — “an independent, sovereign, democratic, contiguous and viable state of Palestine” living side by side with Israel in peace and security in borders based on those before the 1967 Mideast war. The draft calls for intensified efforts, including through negotiations, to reach a peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and “a just resolution” of the status of Jerusalem as the capital of two states and of the Palestinian refugee problem. Its key provision calls for “the full withdrawal of Israel, the occupying power, from all of the Palestinian territor y occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, as rapidly as possible and to be fully completed within a specified timeframe, not to exceed November 2016, and the achievement of the independence and sovereignty of the state of Palestine and the

right to self-determination of the Palestinian people.” The Palestinians already have the status of an observer state at the United Nations. But they are likely to face an uphill struggle in the U.N.’s most powerful body where the United States, Israel’s closest ally, has veto power and has used it to block many Palestinian-related resolutions. Abbas told a meeting of the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah on Wednesday evening that the draft was submitted last Friday — the day he spoke — “and we hope to get an answer within a month.” “Of course we are not sure whether the Security Council will agree on it or whether we will get the right number of countries on our side. But whatever will happen, we have something to say. We put it in writing and this is clear. We don’t need to repeat it again,” he said.

bandages coated in the enzyme, though he said it could also be applied to fight crop infections in an environmentally friendly way.

Growing up in France

Elias was raised in Elzange, a 700-person village in Nor theaster n France near the German border. In its lush green slopes and pillowed hills, he developed his fascination with nature and sought to understand its life forms. When he enrolled at

the University of Lorraine in France in 2001, Elias said he initially studied geology. “Originally I went to the university with the idea of becoming a paleontologist,” Elias said, adding that he eventually decided to redirect his studies. “Slowly, I was shifting towards biology and biochemistr y.” Chabrière, who at the time was a professor at the University of Lorraine, offered Elias a spot in his lab — an unusual opportunity for a first-year student. “[Normally a] professor

would think that you are useless as a freshman,” Elias said. “He really inspired me.” Three higher education institutions later, Elias has landed at the University of Minnesota, where he continues to use Skype daily with his brother and sister in France and collaborates with colleagues worldwide. “I would like to develop the lab here and develop myself here,” Elias said, “and help make my department better and help contribute to the University as much as I can.”

Graduate tuition freeze raises some concerns Graduates u from Page 1

school continue its own. “Our students are certainly happy that we have done this,” he said. “They appreciate what we’ve done and look forward to us continuing to do things to control their student debt.” The college covered the costs of its tuition freeze primarily through spending cuts and reductions in the number of employees, Ames said. Other deans say they’re wary of how the freeze will affect their schools. While he acknowledged that students worr y about increased tuition, College of Design Dean Thomas Fisher said he’s concerned that the freeze, if approved, could affect a source of revenue for his college. “I worr y about how we are going to pay our bills and make ends meet when a major source of our income — tuition — is held flat while other costs continue to rise,” he said. According to Kaler’s proposal, tuition rates would only halt if the state Legislature approved the plan and provided state funding to offset future tuition hikes. The Legislature would have to invest $65 million to cover a 3.5 percent tuition hike for graduate and professional students next year, according to Kaler’s proposal. College of Pharmacy

RESIDENT GRADUATE TUITION PER SEMESTER 2014-15 General

$7,729

College of Liberal Arts Master of Geographic Information Science

$8,050

Humphrey School of Public Affairs Master of Public Policy, Science, Technology and Environmental Policy, or Urban and Regional Planning

$8,801.5

College of Continuing Education Master of Biological Sciences

$11,816

College of Design Master of Architecture or Landscape Architecture

$11,904

College of Science and Engineering Master of Management of Technology

$16,525

SOURCE: ONE STOP STUDENT SERVICES

Dean Marilyn Speedie said in an emailed statement that she hopes state lawmakers will provide funding for stagnant tuition. “We suppor t the proposed tuition freeze for our professional and graduate students, but we can’t do it without legislative support,” she said in the statement. But Fisher said the University should increase its reliance on internal cost cutting to manage tuition, rather than shifting the financial burden to the state and the public. He said he would prefer flexibility in how the freeze rolls out because graduate and professional programs

have diverse tuition rates. He also said the University should work toward being more efficient to cut costs. While the College of Design continues to cut and keep overhead costs down, a freeze could make it difficult to hire new faculty members, Fisher said. Ames said he thinks a freeze would benefit the College of Veterinary Medicine and its students, despite potential financial complications. “I think it can work,” Ames said. “We found ways to make it work within our financial system.”

Ukraine rebels close in on Donetsk BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DONETSK, Ukraine — Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine advanced Wednesday on the gover nment-held airpor t in Donetsk, pressing to seize the key transportation hub even as the two sides bargained over a troop pullout under a much-violated truce. Fighting for the airport has raged for months as the insurgents have tried to dislodge the government forces using it to shell rebel positions in Donetsk, the largest rebel-held city. At least

nine people were killed in the crossfire Wednesday in residential areas near the airport. Civilian and militar y casualties have continued to rise in eastern Ukraine despite a cease-fire Sept. 5 and a second agreement Sept. 20 that spelled out how to create a buffer zone. While that helped to enforce the cease-fire in areas where Ukrainians troops and rebels chose to retreat, non-stop fighting has continued at the airport and other strategic locations. While the Donetsk air-

por t building has been gutted by shelling, its long runway would let the rebels handle heavy cargo planes carr ying supplies, instead of relying solely on tr uck convoys from Russia. While it was impossible to get close to the airpor t Wednesday because of the fighting, an AP repor ter in Donetsk saw that ar tiller y fire hitting the airpor t was coming from gover nment-held positions outside the city — an indication that Kiev may no longer hold the airport.


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Thursday, October 2, 2014

Social media’s role in flux this election Student leaders say candidates aren’t using social media to its full potential. BY JOHN THOMAS jthomas@mndaily.com

As the 2014 election season nears its final stretch, some campaigns boast tens of thousands of followers on Twitter and Facebook. One incumbent up for re-election, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., has more than 430,000 likes on Facebook alone. While some political candidates have utilized social media resources to promote their causes, some student leaders say they don’t feel engaged by the content these campaigns generate. The Minnesota Student Association’s communications director, Drew Coveyou, said he doesn’t think this season’s campaigns

POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS ON SOCIAL MEDIA* TWITTER FOLLOWERS FOLLOWING FACEBOOK LIKES PEOPLE ACTIVELY TALKING

McFadden

Franken

Dayton

Johnson

Nicollet

3,562 1,667

184,755 47,610

4,205 1,764

2,787 1,888

912 1,274

40,985 4,700

432,023 19,000

3,993 195

7,630 2,600

1,699 559

*Numbers are as of 8 p.m. Wednesday SOURCE: MN DAILY REPORTING

are using social media to its full potential. Instead of just regurgitating candidates’ policies online, he said, campaigns could use social media platforms to engage voters and interact with them. “I think that for a lot of candidates, social media just becomes another place where they can push out their talking points,”

Coveyou said. Although the Franken campaign is active on social media, it isn’t focusing its efforts on any particular form of media, said Ryan Furlong, a campaign spokesperson. The campaign’s social media efforts are just one way for Franken to communicate with Minnesotans, Furlong said, adding that campaign managers are

Ebola control expands in US after first local case BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DALLAS — The airline passenger who brought Ebola into the U.S. initially went to a Dallas emergency room last week but was sent home, despite telling a nurse that he had been in disease-ravaged West Africa, the hospital said Wednesday in a disclosure that showed how easily an infection could be missed. The decision by Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital to release the patient could have put others at risk of exposure to the disease before he went back to the ER a couple of days later, when his condition worsened. A day after the man’s diagnosis was confirmed, a nine-member team of federal health officials was tracking anyone who had close contact with him after he fell ill on Sept. 24. The group of 12 to 18 people included three members of the ambulance crew that took the man to the hospital and a handful of schoolchildren. Those people will be checked ever y day for 21 days, the disease’s incubation period. “That’s how we’re going to break the chain of transmission, and that’s where our focus has to be,” Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told The Associated Press Wednesday. The CDC reminded the nation’s health care providers to ask patients with symptoms if they’ve traveled recently. The American College of Emergency Physicians planned to alert its members as well. The patient explained to a nurse Thursday that he was visiting the U.S. from Africa, but that information was not widely shared, said Dr. Mark Lester, who works for the hospital’s parent company. “Regretfully, that information was not fully communicated” throughout the medical team, Lester said. Instead, the man was diagnosed with a low-risk

“There were no signs of any disease when the gentleman boarded the flight. ... This was not a failure of the screening process at the airport.” DR. TOM KENYON Director of the CDC’s Center for Global Health

infection and sent home. He was prescribed antibiotics, according to his sister, Mai Wureh, who identified her brother, Thomas Eric Duncan, as the infected man in an interview with The Associated Press. Duncan has been kept in isolation at the hospital since Sunday. He was listed in serious but stable condition. Hospital epidemiologist Dr. Edward Goodman said the patient had a fever and abdominal pain during his first ER visit, not the riskier symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. But the diagnosis, and the hospital’s slip-up, highlighted the wider threat of Ebola, even in places far from West Africa. “The scrutiny just needs to be higher now,” said Dr. Rade Vukmir, a spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians. Ebola is believed to have sickened more than 7,100 people in West Africa, and killed more than 3,300, according to the World Health Organization. Liberia is one of the three hardest-hit countries in the epidemic, along with Sier ra Leone and Guinea. In Texas, neither the ambulance crew nor the children showed any symptoms. They were restricted to home while their conditions are observed. Ebola symptoms can include fever, muscle pain, vomiting and bleeding, and can appear as long as 21 days after exposure to the virus. The disease is not contagious until symptoms begin. It spreads only by close contact with a patient’s bodily fluids. The man left Liberia on Sept. 19, arrived the next day to visit relatives and star ted feeling ill four or

five days later, Frieden said. The man flew fr om Brussels to Dulles Airport near Washington, then boarded a flight for DallasFor t Wor th, according to airlines. The CDC sent a team to Monrovia’s airpor t on Wednesday to make sure health of ficials there are screening passengers properly. Ever yone traveling from the outbreak zone is supposed to be checked for fever or other symptoms before being allowed to leave. “There were no signs of any disease when the gentleman boarded the flight,” said Dr. Tom Kenyon, director of CDC’s Center for Global Health. “This was not a failure of the screening process at the airport.” Since the man was showing no symptoms on the plane, the CDC stressed that there is no risk to fellow passengers. Nor are tests designed to detect virus in the bloodstream typically performed on people who don’t yet have symptoms, because tests done too early may miss the diagnosis, Frieden said. “Even in the initial phases of illness, when they’ve got a fever, the most sensitive tests in the world don’t detect it because there’s so little virus that they have,” he said. “It’s only as they become sicker that they become more infectious.” Hospitals have been on the lookout: The CDC has received 94 inquiries from states about illnesses that initially were suspected to be Ebola, but after taking travel histories and doing some other work, most were ruled out. Of the 13 people who actually underwent testing, only one — the Dallas patient — tested positive.

trying to put the same message out in other ways, like over the phone, at doors, on television, on the radio and online. Franken’s Republican challenger Mike McFadden’s campaign is also active on Facebook and Twitter, although campaign spokespeople did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Lianna Matt, MSA’s digital assistant, said she hasn’t checked out McFadden and Franken’s social media outlets because she doesn’t view them as essential to her political awareness. But Matt said she thinks social media platforms can give less politically active people easier access to a variety of viewpoints than conventional media, like

newspapers and television. The prominence of social media has grown exponentially in recent years. About 30 million people actively used T witter in 2010, while about 271 million do so in 2014, according to Statisa, a technology analytics firm. Facebook has similarly grown, ballooning from 431 million to 1.3 billion active users over the same time period, according to Statista. Franken’s campaign is also reaching out to voters through a YouTube video documenting Franken’s successful attempt at the Ice Bucket Challenge. In the student government arena, MSA strives to use its social media presence to reach out to students and also to allow students to reach out to them with compliments or criticism, Coveyou said. “A lot of organizations tr y to play it too safe, and they’re not approachable,” he said.

In gov. race, higher ed neglected Debate u from Page 1

from the conversation, and the topic hasn’t been featured prominently on the campaigns so far. “We haven’t heard anything about that from either candidate,” said Ryan Olson, the Minnesota Student Association’s government relations director. “Without either candidate taking a stance, it’s hard to know what they’re thinking about.” Johnson’s communication director, Jeff Bakken, said he thought education would be a focus of the upcoming Oct. 19 debate at Hamline University, adding that he isn’t surprised that the topic isn’t featured more prominently in Johnson’s campaign. “If you did a poll, higher education isn’t going to be in the top five issues,” he said. “It’s always jobs, economy, health care and K-12, more so than higher education.” Dayton’s website outlines some of his achievements in matters of education, like in-

vestments in early education and an expansion of the State Grant Program to help alleviate college students’ costs. Johnson’s website outlines positions on K-12 funding but doesn’t mention higher education. “They’re aiming for the up-for-grabs voters,” said Humphrey School of Public Affairs professor Larr y Jacobs. And in this race, he said, that isn’t necessarily students. Jacobs said higher education issues are usually second priority while candidates campaign because they’re trying to target certain voters — in this case, undecided and swing voters. “They’ll be discussing education broadly,” Jacobs said. “[The candidates] don’t think students will turn out in high numbers — that students disappoint.” For most of the debate, each candidate responded to the same questions and had 90 seconds to state their answers. While Nicollet jumped from the left and right on

various tax policies, Johnson used his time to take swings at the strength of the state economy under Dayton’s leadership and the Democratic-Farmer-Labor-controlled state Legislature. Johnson was quick to raise a recent report that ranked Minnesota last in the Midwest for creating jobs in private sector. The report, administered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, showed that in recent years, Minnesota’s private sector job growth has lagged behind that of other Midwestern states. “I would dispute that we don’t have healthy economic growth all over Minnesota,” Dayton said during the debate. “It may not be uniformly common, but it’s very much the same moving forward.” Olson said that in the future, he hopes to see the candidates address their strategies for retaining “talented” students that receive training in the state. “We need to have them get jobs here and contribute to the Minnesota tax base,” he said.

Blasts at Syria elementary school kill 32 people, including at least 10 kids BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DAMASCUS, Syria — T win bombings near an elementar y school in Syria killed at least 32 people on Wednesday, including at least 10 children, with the second blast going of f as screaming parents frantically searched for their sons and daughters in a street littered with school bags and body parts. Syrian children are frequently among the victims of attacks in the countr y’s civil war, but on Wednesday they appear to have been the target. The first vehicle exploded as children were leaving school, and the second struck as adults carried away bodies, sending a new wave of panic through the crowd. The attack occur red outside the Ekremah

al-Makhzoumi elementar y school in a gover nmentcontrolled area of the central city of Homs dominated by minority Alawites, the Shiite of fshoot sect to which President Bashar Assad’s family belongs. It was one of the deadliest incidents in the area in months. The SANA state news agency said at least 32 people were killed and 115 wounded in the attacks. A local of ficial, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media, said immediately after the bombings that at least 10 of the dead were children. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the death toll in the twin attacks at 39, including 30 children under the age of 12. It said the second blast was caused by

a suicide bomber. The discrepancy in the casualty figures could not be immediately reconciled, but tolls frequently dif fer in the chaotic aftermath of attacks. In footage of the bombings posted on a pro-government Facebook page, one man shouts “Hurr y! Hurr y! Hurr y! Take him to the hospital!” as another man appears to drag away a child by his arms. Two little girls and a boy scream and cry as they are carried away. Other people r ush about, narrowly avoiding a child’s severed head lying on the pavement. Smoke billows from a bur ning vehicle. As one boy tugs on a man’s hand another blast goes off. A young girl covers her ears as others scream and run away. “Oh God! Oh God!” one man hoarsely shouts.


Thursday, October 2, 2014

U tries new retire plan Option u from Page 1

The policy is open for comments until Oct. 19. It will likely be put into effect soon after, Konstan said. The University currently has two existing retirement options: a traditional terminal agreement and a phased retirement option, which allows faculty to work below full time while continuing to receive full benefits. George Sell, a mathematics professor and member of the Faculty Af fairs Committee, said tenure trade is a variation on the phased retirement option and makes it easier for faculty members to leave the University through a more gradual retirement process than other options. With the option, faculty can receive a cash payment equal to two years pay not exceeding $500,000. The Of fice of Human Resources developed the option after talking with a number of college deans, Konstan said. The Faculty Af fairs Committee has worked with human resources on the policy change and updates, he said. And so far, he said, the committee supports the additional option. Jackie Singer, director of the University’s retirement programs, said the average retirement age at the University has consistently been between 67 and 69 in the past few years. Because there is no mandator y retirement age, Konstan said the Faculty Af fairs Committee had to consider a variety of things to make retirement options appealing to faculty to encourage them to retire at a reasonable age. “They decided that this would be a valuable option

to have in cer tain circumstances where people feel they can’t retire because of lingering circumstances,” Konstan said. “It will benefit some who are on the cusp of retirement and induce them to feel comfortable retiring.” Though the option’s purpose is to encourage faculty of age to retire, Konstan said, the policy doesn’t aim to reduce the number of tenured faculty at the school. He said there are University policies in place to ensure there’s a balance between tenure and par ttime faculty. According to University policy, colleges can’t appoint more than one-fourth of their teaching faculty to a position without tenure opportunity. The plan will assist many faculty members who have ongoing responsibilities, whether it be research or grant money that they are still committed to, Konstan said. The option allows them to phase out other obligations while they finish their work at the school, he said. For example, a faculty member might quit teaching or gradually reduce the number of classes they teach while finishing research from a long-term grant that entails yearly allocations. “The tenure trade doesn’t force faculty to put a line in the sand in terms of a retirement date,” Singer said. She said this option allows faculty to choose what they want to focus on during their final years at the school. “Some want to focus on research, work with Ph.D. students [or] teach, [and] some have grants,” she said. “We wanted to of fer different ways to transition into retirement.”

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Thursday, October 2, 2014


Editorials & Opinions TECHNOLOGY

Stop biting into Apple for the iPhone 6 The new iPhone is surprisingly sturdy, secure and is worth considering despite criticism.

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anfare erupted in Silicon Valley last month when Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled the iPhone 6. However, by the time the latest version of Apple’s popular cellphone was released to the public, widespread enthusiasm had turned into scathing criticism. There are two particular critiques of the iPhone 6 that deserve a response: the new phone’s durability and its security. Shortly after the new iPhones appeared on the market, videos that depicted people bending their iPhones circulated on social media and news websites. This has created the false notion that the new phones are not durable and that they are, therefore, a waste of money. The reality, however, is that the iPhone 6 will not bend during ordinary use. In fact, body builders are among the only people who are actually able to bend these devices without the use of tools. Although Apple sold 10 million iPhones during the product’s launch weekend, only a few people complained to the company regarding bent phones. This further supports the fact that the iPhones are more durable than their

RONALD DIXON columnist

critics suggest. Unless you actively tr y to bend your phone or you possess the physical capabilities to perform this feat, you probably won’t be deforming your iPhone anytime soon. Though the complaints about the iPhone’s durability have come from regular Apple critics, other criticisms originated with the United States government. Both the National Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have argued that the new iPhones are encrypted with a complicated code that is too long for the government to conveniently crack. In fact, according to FBI Director James Comey, it will take “more than five and a half years to tr y all combinations of a sixcharacter alphanumeric passcode with lowercase letters and numbers.” Senior officials have also claimed that these complicated codes will benefit criminals and terrorists. There are two problems with these cynical predictions, though.

I readily admit that Apple is not a perfect company, but it seems like critics are being needlessly harsh.” First, regardless of how difficult it is to decr ypt the iPhone’s security codes, police still obtain plenty of data that doesn’t require time-consuming translations, such as call histories, email logs and geolocation information. Second, it seems like the government brought this problem on itself. While I personally defend the right for the NSA to protect our security by analyzing metadata to track down potential terrorists, other consumers may feel more comfortable buying technology with tighter encryptions, especially in the wake of the Snowden controversy. I readily admit that Apple is not a perfect company, but it seems like critics are being needlessly harsh. Perhaps they expect too much from Steve Jobs’s successor. Regardless of why these complaints arose, it’s time we gave Apple a break. Ronald Dixon welcomes comments at rdixon@mndaily.com.

DAILY DISCUSSION Elect for a responsible energy future in November

Although the November 2014 election isn’t coming with the urgency and importance of a presidential election, the results of this election are going to be irrefutably as impactful for the future of Minnesota. All of Minnesota’s executive officers are up for election, as well as several state judicial seats, a United States Senate seat, all of Minnesota’s eight seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and several seats for offices in Minneapolis. With so many high-influence seats up for grabs, it is our duty to ensure that we fill those seats with individuals committed to establishing a responsible energy future — by transitioning to clean, renewable energy like wind and solar power, increasing energy efficiency and making it easier to generate local power. If Minnesota commits to moving our state to 50 percent renewable energy by 2030, we could create jobs, increase our energy independence and improve our economy­­­— meaning we need to get policies rolling that will allow us to meet or exceed this goal, and we need a committed cohort of political leaders and lawmakers to help us do that. Our generation has the power to choose. By 2015, the millennial generation will account for more than one-third of the entire voting population. Coupling our numbers with our concerns for climate justice, a more sustainable economy and a livable Minnesota, we have the power to get the right people for the job in office. As youth, we need to be proactive in the decisions being made about the future of our state. On Election Day, be sure to get out and vote and choose decision makers that are committed to ramping up Minnesota’s clean and local energy initiatives while ensuring that Minnesota and the Twin Cities remain Midwestern hubs for millennials. Nathan Michielson MN Youth Environmental Network University student

Comment on ‘Supreme Court should rule on gay marriage’

Same-sex marriage changes marriage like women voting changed voting. Same right, more enfranchised. Malcolm Swall via MNDaily.com

As a returned Peace Corps volunteer and the University of Minnesota’s on-campus Peace Corps representative, I would like to clarify and correct the outdated and inaccurate picture of the Peace Corps presented in a recent Minnesota Daily editorial. Over the last few years, the Peace Corps has undergone one of the most extensive reform efforts the agency has ever undertaken. The Peace Corps has dramatically improved the quality of support it provides to volunteers, overhauled its technical training and programming and revitalized its recruitment and outreach. I hope your readers will explore the Peace Corps’ website and meet with me personally to better understand today’s Peace Corps. There has been a broad culture shift at the Peace Corps. Working with nationally

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EDITORIALS Washington team name must adapt The U should take a stance against the Redskins name.

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he Minnesota Vikings will face the Washington Redskins at TCF Bank Stadium on Nov. 2. Already chock-full of controversy, the NFL team’s name has sparked intense reactions from some Native American groups who view the name as a racial slur. This prompted claims that allowing a team with a racist name on campus would violate the Board of Regents’ Equity, Diversity, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Policy. University President Eric Kaler has stated that the school is in discussion with the Vikings in an effort to keep the name from being used in PA announcements and promotional and game materials. Many prominent politicians and officials, including Gov. Mark Dayton, have called the name racist. Moreover, as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Of fice canceled the Washington team’s trademark use of the name, it seems that a societal verdict has been made. Given the severe emotional harm and offense caused by the Redskins name, we believe it’s inappropriate for the Washington football team to continue using it. While the University may effectively have its hands tied by powerful NFL contractual obligations, we think it’s in everyone’s best interest to make sure that the Washington team’s merchandise is not sold on campus and that there are no acknowledgments of the name on University grounds. These actions — in addition to the planned protests at next month’s game — should send a clear message that we do not accept the team’s usage of the offensive name. We also implore the NFL and its Washington franchise to end this racism in professional football.

New curriculum change distracts

T Lea Graber welcomes comments at lgraber@mndaily.com.

ENVIRONMENT

Fracking not as safe as claimed

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he United States has employed numerous means to har vest natural gases from the earth. Until recently, fracking may have been the most overlooked. Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is the process of drilling into the earth and directing a highly pressurized water stream at rocks. This allows natural gas to flow freely. However, this new procedure isn’t as revolutionary as it may seem. Fracking itself requires enormous amounts of water, representing a heavy cost to the environment. There are also immense amounts of carcinogenic chemicals used that could potentially contaminate surrounding groundwater. A recent study conducted by researchers at Duke University has linked fracking to groundwater contamination because of poor construction of wells in conjunction with fracking occurring near these particular wells. The emission of methane alone is bad, but the chemical’s appearance in tap water is enough to make people avoid drinking from the tap. Additionally, companies leave waste products in the ground, simply because they can’t think to put it anywhere else. Responding to the environmental dangers of fracking, Connecticut recently

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Response to ‘Peace Corps needs oversight’

Thursday, October 2, 2014

recognized experts in the field of sexual assault, the Peace Corps implemented a comprehensive program designed to reduce risks and improve the quality of the agency’s response when assaults occur. Volunteers and staff now receive updated and expanded training on sexual assault awareness, risk-reduction strategies (like bystander intervention) and new reporting and response procedures. While we cannot eliminate every risk volunteers face, the Peace Corps is committed to providing world-class training, guidance and support to every volunteer so they remain safe, healthy and productive throughout their service. Applicants can now apply through a new, shorter application and choose the countries and programs for which they’d like to be considered. To increase transparency, all current volunteer position openings are listed on the Peace Corps website, which enables applicants to find and apply for the

THE EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS DEPARTMENT IS INDEPENDENT OF THE NEWSROOM

KEELIA MOELLER columnist

passed a bill that prohibits the storage or disposal of fracking waste. In August, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper settled a deal that agreed to remove controversial anti-fracking legislation from November’s ballot. In exchange for this concession, the state will form a committee to investigate fracking’s effects on local communities. Minnesota has been at the forefront of this controversy, with Gov. Mark Dayton having passed a law regulating sand mining, which is used in the fracking process. We need to consider the negative aspects of continuing to exploit natural resources and accept the fact that we must adopt alternative energies as our primary energy source. Keelia Moeller welcomes comments at kmoeller@mndaily.com.

position that best matches their skills, interests and professional goals. The Peace Corps was an extremely formative experience for me — 3 ½ years of grassroots development work that gave me language, cross-cultural and leadership skills that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my career. As a water, sanitation and hygiene volunteer, I facilitated the construction of dozens of sanitar y bathrooms and educated students and adults on safe hygiene practices. I even extended my Peace Corps ser vice a year to further strengthen that program and guide and assist new volunteers. Now I bring that experience, global perspective and dedication back to our University. Every day, I connect with University students who want to make a difference in the same way. There is no better time to serve with the Peace Corps and make a difference in the lives of others, in your community and in your own life.

he University of Minnesota’s 10-year strategic plan includes a set of proposed curriculum changes designed to address what President Eric Kaler has labeled “grand challenges.” The details behind the changes are still unclear, and the Board of Regents has yet to approve the final plan. However, the “grand challenges” include food sustainability, disease, intolerance and climate change, among other things. To solve these global problems, the University may introduce new undergraduate minors. Alternatively, there has been talk of a new, theme-based academic track. This track, if implemented, would have first-year students enroll in a seminar targeting a par ticular global issue. During their subsequent years at the University, students would take “skills courses” preparing them to respond to whichever global issue they chose. Lastly, students would cooperate with organizations outside the University to solve their chosen problems. Because a plan has yet to be finalized, it’s currently unknown whether participation in such a track would be optional. Before the plan is finalized, we would like to express our hope that the University allows room for diverse areas of interest and study. We feel strongly that individual curiosity and academic originality are integral parts of higher education. There are problems in the world beyond the University’s list of “grand challenges.” To that end, we hope the University either offers a wide array of courses or makes participation in the “grand challenges” program optional. EDITORIALS & OPINIONS DEPARTMENT Editorials represent the voice of the Minnesota Daily as an institution and are prepared by the editorial board.

SHARE YOUR VIEWS The Minnesota Daily welcomes letters and guest columns from readers. All letters must include the writer’s name, address and phone number for verification. The Daily reserves the right to edit all letters for style, space, libel and grammar. Letters to the editor should be no more than 500 words in length. Guest columns should be approximately 350 words. The Daily reserves the right to print any submission as a letter or guest column. Submission does not guarantee publication.

letters@mndaily.com Fax: (612) 435-5865 Phone: (612) 435-1578 Letters and columns to the editor 2221 University Ave. SE Suite 450 Minneapolis, MN 55414

Frieda von Qualen Peace Corps volunteer, Peru 2008-11 UMN Peace Corps representative

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

@MNDAILYOPINIONS


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Wednesday, October 2, 2014

WEEKEND

Daily duties of a Pedal Pub Pilot Debunking perceived pedal problems.

LIAM JAMES DOYLE, DAILY

Pedal Pub patrons celebrate a birthday while using their legs to power the rolling vehicle through the city streets in Minneapolis on Friday. BY JACKIE RENZETTI jrenzetti@mndaily.com

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he true ballad of a Pedal Pub Pilot c a n ’t b e hear d over the passengers’ lighthearted, alcoholinfused chatter. The Pedal Pub is an outlet for people to drink and ride around town on a two-hour tour. A Pedal Pub driver, dubbed “pilot,” steers and brakes while a maximum of 16 guests pedal from their bike-seat barstool to power the vehicle.

The seats form a circle around a small rectangular bar, where friends can take turns pouring drinks for each other. Passengers are responsible for supplying their own music and booze. They can opt to stop at bars, but no hard liquor is allowed on the bike. Pedal Pub Pilots Destiny Hayden, Jay Carlson and Rick Engman took A&E for a ride, debunking many of the common perceptions of pedal pub piloting. “I’m definitely a people person, so it’s a good job for

me,” Hayden said. “I mean, yeah, every Friday and Saturday I typically work, but [pilots] also get to hang out with 16 strangers and get to learn about people.”

A perceived pedal problem Last year, Minneapolis received 38 complaints related to Pedal Pub operations, according to a city letter addressed to Pedal Pub. Most of the complaints referenced pilots not maintaining out-of-control passengers. Following the

complaints, the city recommended five rules that the Pedal Pub follow concerning littering, employee training and noise level. “We were all kind of taken by surprise by [the letter],” Carlson said, adding that the Pedal Pub was enforcing the rules before the city’s letter. Carlson said many of the complaints had to do with cars honking at the pub, adding that not all of the complaints were directed at the Pedal Pub, as some referenced its competitors. “We get calls with people

FOOD

complaining that a Pedal Pub is out past 10 o’clock. Well, that was a rule that we made for ourselves. … We know that it’s not a Pedal Pub; we know that it’s another company doing it,” he said.

Debunking the myths According to Hayden and Carlson, their job difficulties consist less of drunken passengers and more of the mundane aspects of the job. In the Pedal Pub’s seventh year of business, pilots still receive attention from Pedal

Pub guests and passersby — like the bike is a novelty. “We get a lot of the same questions, so we all have bottled responses to answer them in a funny, inviting way — ‘Hey, where’s the motor on this thing, how do you turn it on?’ ‘You’re the motor, how do I turn you on?’ That kind of a thing,” Carlson said. He said motorists sometimes interrupt his focus when they trail behind the bike rather than passing, and people cause distractions when they stop to take photos of the bike. He said he’d prefer it if drivers stayed out of the bikes’ way. Similarly, random pedestrians occasionally try to join the party. “They don’t realize how it works; they just think it’s a traveling bar. … You just have to be stern with them and be like, ‘Look, you have to get off now,’” Carlson said. Though Carlson has charged only two renters for unruly behavior over the course of his four years of experience, he said he still takes precautions against “general douchebaggery.” “It seems like every group of friends has that one guy that tries to push the envelope,” Carlson said. “We try to identify that person early on, maybe poke a little fun at him — let him or her know he’s on your radar.” Likewise, in his four years, Carlson has only had one instance of vomiting — a completely sober elderly woman who suffered minor motion sickness. She recovered fine, but in serious cases, pilots prevent alcohol poisoning and disruptive behavior by disallowing heavily intoxicated bikers to tour. “I’ll find one of their friends that are sober, and they’re assigned to take care of that person,” Carlson said, adding that he’s only had to implement the procedure once or twice. u See PUB Page 10

MUSIC

College Kitchen: Let’s get nuts Nick Jonas to

play at Fine Line Jonas talks pizza and Prince. BY JACKIE RENZETTI jrenzetti@mndaily.com

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A fresh, citrusy peanut salad with red onion, hot pepper and cilantro.

Simple recipes to transform a humble nut into a leading, healthy snack. BY CECILIA MAZUMDAR STANGER cmazumdar stanger@mndaily.com

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nce king of the circus and ballpark, nuts nowadays often play a supporting role in salads, brownies and PB&J sandwiches. Many a lonely seed longs to forgo the bit parts and stand in the spotlight. Sure,

A&E EDITOR

you can find a bowl of peanuts at a bar now and again, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are endless snack possibilities for nuts on their own. Brine them? Smoke them? Stick ’em in a stew? Forget the chips; nuts make a filling, delightful snack. Raw nuts and broken nuts are often cheaper than whole, flavored varieties — and they’re a lot more fun. Buying large quantities of inexpensive raw nuts in bulk at the grocery store allows you to play around in the kitchen

ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR

Joe Kellen Grant Tillery jkellen@mndaily.com gtillery@mndaily.com

and always have a stimulating source of protein on hand. Once cooked, nuts are a compact, satisfying and convenient fourth meal.

Spicy garlic walnuts

In addition to being a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, the walnut’s shape is an ideal vehicle for spices. This piquant snack allows bits of garlic and salt to nest in the grooves and help curb the nut’s slight bitterness. For a grab-’n-go snack, prepare a large quantity in advance and refrigerate or freeze in individual containers.

RADIO K TOP 7

LIAM JAMES DOYLE, DAILY

1 cup walnuts 1 clove garlic (crushed and finely minced) 1 teaspoon oil 1/4 teaspoon red pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt Black pepper (to taste) 1. Gently heat oil in a pan and add the crushed garlic. Be careful not to let it brown or burn; the garlic should get slightly translucent and aromatic. 2. Toss the nuts in the pan until coated with oil and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and spices u See NUTS Page 10

aintaining his calm, cool and collected demeanor, 22-yearold Nick Jonas said “When Doves Cry” and “Purple Rain” are two of his favorite Prince songs. Jonas will be stopping by the Purple Yoda’s homeland of Minneapolis during his tour to promote his self-titled album, which is set for release on Nov. 11. Jonas cites Stevie Wonder, The Weeknd, Frank Ocean and Prince among influences for his new music. The album includes 10 tracks, featuring collaborations with Demi Lovato, Mike Posner and Angel Haze. “The main goal is to sort of continue to set up my next moves as a solo artist,” Jonas said. “I think setting any expectations is not really the way I’m trying to play it, but more just getting out there, having fun, showing the world this new music and seeing who comes along on this journey with me.” Previously, he released “Who I Am” as Nick Jonas and the Administration in 2010 and “Nicholas Jonas” in 2005. However, “Nick Jonas” marks the artist’s first solo venture since the official disbandment of the Jonas Brothers in 2013. Though Nick Jonas has

Nick Jonas Where Fine Line Music Café, 318 First Ave. N., Minneapolis When 7 p.m. Friday Cost $29.50-45

written many of his own songs in the past, not all of the tracks on the solo album are Jonas originals. The single “Chains” brings forth an alternative rhythm and blues sound and showcases Jonas’ signature falsetto. Three lines in, Nick croons, “I gave her my heart, but she wanted my soul,” a phrase that appears in Bob Dylan’s renowned ballad “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.” When asked about the inspiration for this line, Jonas explained that though he didn’t write the song and was unaware of the overlap with Dylan, he still felt a connection to the lyrical base of “Chains.” “A lot of people are in a situation where they felt like they were taken advantage of when it comes to love, and that’s kind of what that song’s about to me,” Jonas said. Nick co-wrote the most recent single, “Jealous,” which captures the initial negative experience of jealousy one may experience in a relationship and transforms the moment u See JONAS Page 9

4. Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate), The Promise That Life Can Go On No Matter How Bad Our Losses 5. Big Freedia, Explode 1. Twin Peaks, Flavor 2. Aphex Twin, minipops 67 6. Merchandise, Green Lady 7. Banks, Drowning 3. Whirr, Lines


Wednesday, October 2, 2014

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ART

Travel hits the masses Exhibit highlights early 20th century travel design. BY JARED HEMMING jhemming@mndaily.com

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mid motivational and public health announcements in the 1930s, posters like artist Dorothy Waugh’s “Life at its Best” fill the hallways of schools, hospitals and other government buildings in the U.S. Waugh’s poster advertised for the national park system by displaying three sharpangled cowboys at a stream in a forest of cuspate trees with a backdrop of blue and white mountains. Eighty years later, the Weisman is hosting “Lust for Leisure,” an exhibit that showcases the commercial work of Waugh, Roger Broders, and artists around the world commissioned to create ads for travel. The posters’ modernist tones elevate the bourgeoisie, rather than bring the idea of travel down to the commoner, “Lust for Leisure” visiting curator Megan Johnston said. “There’s this idea in art called ‘trickle-down modernism,’ ” Johnston said. “When we look at Ikea furniture, it’s really modern and cool, but now the masses know what modernism is. It’s an aesthetic. It was about upwardly mobile classes; it was the end of aristocracy.” Broders’ “Monte Carlo” poster casts two elegant travelers as spectators of a series of tennis matches along the Mediterranean coast, using hot orange and degrees of indigo to lift the middle-class into the leisure lifestyle. All of the posters reflect the early 20th-century

ZACH BIELINSKI, DAILY

Dorothy Waugh’s posters hang on the walls at the Weisman Art Museum, which is set to open Friday.

notion that commercial travel, among other things, marked the end of nobility, as epitomized in Broders’ work. “Not just the rich aristocracy kids go on the grand tour,” Johnston said. “That’s to say, ‘You too can go play tennis.’ ” Weisman curator Diane Mullin said the installation highlights how commercial design shaped the middle class throughout the 1900s. “This project decided to focus on the democratization of travel,” Mullin said. “When travel became something that

middle-class people could do.” Mullin said the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project commissioned travel posters for the national park system because the adver tising industr y hadn’t yet influenced tourism. The design style reflects “that notion of needing to have a poster for a bigger travel market,” Mullin said. “This is the time when people — beyond the people who knew how to travel — just did it.” The government chose

the poster as a medium because the large canvas is open to convey broad and specific messages. “The messages that they’re sending are layered,” Johnston said of the work featured in the “Lust for Leisure” exhibit. “This is the way that masses of people became visually educated: through posters.” As the FAP program hired unemployed artists instead of commercial designers, the posters’ styles utilized bold color and modern fonts, em-

phasizing image over text. “They didn’t have the same way we think about selling things,” Mullin said. “It worked. They’re very luscious. You’re like, ‘I definitely want to go there!’ ” For reference, Johnston incorporated billboards that pre-date the modernist angle in their design, including a realist painting of Montana that found its way onto a poster. “Even though the text is big, this image is not as enticing because you have to be up looking at it,” Mullin said

The Fashionisto is in: men’s fall style BY GRANT TILLERY gtillery@mndaily.com

F

all brings a muchneeded changing of the style guard. Gone are shor ts, lightweight chinos and rolled sleeves. Sweater weather is ushered in with brisk autumn breezes, and coats and pants make their way back into wardrobes. H o w e v e r, m o s t me n have no clue how to dress for fall. This is a shame, since menswear exper ts, such as the blog A Continuous Lean’s Michael W illiams, believe fall is the best time for “fashionistos.” “It’s the best opportunity of the year to wear great clothes,” W illiams said. “This is the time of year you can use ever y corner of your wardrobe.” Williams stressed the impor tance of basing a war drobe around timeless garments that fit well. Though student budgets are often stretched, there’s merit to buying pricier staples even when funds are low. “If you don’t have a huge budget, maybe you’re thinking about stretching these things out or starting to get the most for what you’re spending,” Williams said. “Focus on more iconic pieces. [For example], buy the right sweatshir t that you can wear for a long time.” While some of these

“Lust for Leisure” exhibit Where Weisman Art Museum, 333 E. River Road, Minneapolis When Friday through Jan. 4 Cost Free

Jonas

FASHION

How to build a timeless wardrobe for cold weather.

of the poster. “But this other one, you’re like, ‘I want to go to the Strasbourg Cathedral.’ And I’m standing tens of feet away from it.” “His Hunting Ground of Yesterday,” another Waugh work, used a black, brown, orange and blue color palette to highlight America’s native heritage. “Waugh was very good at filling the frame using saturated, jarring colors,” Mullin said. “They jump out at you.” Johnston said Waugh’s simplicity marked a new era in travel poster design that holds today. “One of the things about travel posters is that you get the essence of the message without a lot of extra,” Johnston said. “What’s interesting about Waugh is that she pulled back and did more with less. She was beginning to work with a lot of the principles of minimalism that would become popular later.” Mullin said that even though the posters’ designs hold up today, this wasn’t always the case. “In the ’50s and ’60s, these [posters] languished, because they were seen as ephemeral, not really ‘art,’ ” Mullin said. “That’s the cool thing about museums: You can look back and go, ‘God, I can’t believe they said that.’ ”

staples are trendy this fall, they won’t be de trop next year or 10 years down the road. Keep these five style moves in mind if you’re keen on being a stylish gent for the ages.

OCBDs

Few shirts are as tasteful as Oxford Collar Button Downs, or OCBDs in the menswear world. Few shirts are also as timeless. Though OCBDs are having their day among a traditional set, their classic lines transcend fashion. OCBDs present a great opportunity to incorporate tiny details of character in your outfit. “I look for fabric and how big the collar is,” Williams said. “I look for a bigger collar, and I want something with a better roll, with more personality.” Williams favors OCBDs made by the New England Shir t Company and Kamakura. Gitman Bros. also makes an excellent option — my Gitman oxford is the most worn shirt in my closet. If you’re on a tight budget, Uniqlo’s slim oxfords will get the job done for you at a fraction of the price.

Tweed

T weed is the thinking man’s fabric. Its formal nonchalance makes it feel professorial, yet it dresses down stuf fyfeeling clothes. It looks fly as part of a suit or with jeans, cords or chinos. Wear a tweed jacket out to the bars on a Friday night

CULTURE COMPASS /

with a pair of dark blue slim jeans, a white or blue OCBD and a pair of brown brogues or double monks, and you’re guaranteed to tur n heads. Better yet, wear a pair of tweed pants with a pair of rugged boots to attain a bohemian manof-the-woods look.

Corduroy

While few pants beat a pair of khaki chinos, they’re de rigueur around campus. Switch them out for a pair of corduroys. Slim, modern cords shed the fabric’s fusty image, thanks to the use of thinner wales (the lines that give cords their texture). The wales make it easy to experiment with ear thy, regal colors, and it’s common to find cords in shades of deep green, blue and burgundy that you don’t find on other pants. Levi’s makes an excellent pair that you can grab for $60.

Chunky cardigans

As wonderful as merino crewneck sweaters are, their ubiquity makes them a bit bland these days. Since cashmere is out of the question for most college students, spring for a chunky cardigan to bolster your cold-weather style arsenal, so long as it’s not the thrift-store variety. Chunky cardigans have a Hemingway-esque quality to them due to their old-school luxuriance and heft. These sweaters come with shawl collars that add warmth when the air turns chill. Plus, they are a great

way to play with Nordic or Native American motifs. Bonus points if you have the gumption to pull of f a toggled or belted number. Steve Kang, owner of St. Paul men’s boutique Black Blue, likes chunky knits because of their versatility. His favorites are the sweaters made by S.N.S. Her ning of Denmark, the Stark variation in particular. “You can wear a T-shirt underneath [them] or you can layer a button-down underneath it,” Kang said. “It’s a nice thing that you can wear pretty much ever y day.”

Boots

There’s no better way to traverse the leaf-strewn

ground than with a pair of r ugged leather boots. And there’s no better brand of boots to buy than Red Wing. I wear my Iron Rangers almost ever y day. They improve with age, much like a fine wine, and I find their beaten-up patina quite appealing. Kang is a big fan of Red W ing’s Beckman boot, the dressiest in their lineup. “The Beckman collection is versatile,” Kang said. “Look up the Beckman 6-inch round toe in black. It goes with ever ything. You can wear them hiking around the woods or out to dinner. If you wear the sole out, get them resoled and you’re good to go.”

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into a positive, poppy rhythm and blues tune. “I think the song is lighthearted and sort of about my experience with jealousy and sort of more trying to explain what I was dealing with in that moment,” Jonas said. “More than anything, it’s about having fun with the song, and I’m hoping it’s a conversation about jealousy and how it’s a very human thing.” Apart from his album and tour, Jonas anticipates the Oct. 8 debut of “Kingdom,” a drama series in which he stars as a mixed martial arts fighter, Nate Kulina. “He sort of internalizes a lot of the stuff that goes on in his life, and I think the only way he’s learned how to deal with it so far is to fight,” Jonas said of his character. “It’s a fun journey to go on. I think the audience will really fall in love with all of these characters, and I’m excited for the world to see it.” He also stars in “Careful What You Wish For,” a romantic thriller set for release in December. When he wasn’t working on his music or acting this past year, he’s been helping out on Demi Lovato’s tour as the music and creative director. When it comes to developing actors and singers, Jonas says, “Work as hard as you can. No days off is a good thing when it means you’re really doing all you can to sort of get your name out there and get people aware of what you’re trying to do.” When the entertainer has time to settle down for a bite to eat, his first choice is Italian food. “I come from an Italian background, so pizza’s always a highlight, and pasta [for] when I’m really deciding to get crazy.”

By Cecilia Mazumdar Stranger

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Minneapolis Underground Film Festival

Flying Foot Forum: “Alice in Wonderland”

Arboretum Apple Tasting and Walking Play

At the Minneapolis Underground Film Festival, one day you could watch a documentary about female sexuality, and the next a film about a hotdog vendor turned kinky model. MUFF features a range of films, including many local productions. Friday’s batch has a group of short films with a dysfunctional family theme. The Film Society of Minneapolis/St. Paul hosts this annual festival from Oct. 1-5 at the St. Anthony Main Theater. With hours of kooky videos, expect laughs, gasps and a few cringes.

Choreographer Joe Chvala creates colorful, odd worlds in his latest work with Flying Foot Forum. The production is equal parts dance, immersive theater piece and wild party, combining the three to make a participatory experience. “Alice in Wonderland” should provide the perfect narrative for a weird night out at the theater. Instead of staying in and drinking or lazing on your tablet, take your Saturday night and turn it into something otherworldly. If you’re lucky, you’ll leave stranger than you were before.

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is the perfect destination for a quick Sunday getaway. It’s open 363 days a year and is always free with a University of Minnesota ID. With tons of gardens and orchards to choose from, it’s easy to find a secluded spot under the sun. Pack a picnic or eat at the arboretum restaurant, which features organic foods and produce grown on site (food does not get any fresher than that, folks). This weekend, “TigerLion Arts” presents “Nature,” an outdoor walking play. And there’s apple tasting at the Oswald Visitor Center. Yum.

Where St. Anthony Main Cinema, 115 SE Main St. Hours 1 p.m.-midnight Cost $6-80

Where Lehr Theater, 16 W. Fifth St., St. Paul Hours 7:30 p.m. Cost $23-29

Where 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska Hours Arboretum grounds: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Apple tasting: 1-3 p.m. Play: 1 p.m. or 5 p.m. Cost Play is $15-25


10

Wednesday, October 2, 2014

CULTURE to CONSUME /

By Cecilia Mazumdar Stranger

Play this:

Taste this:

Forget this:

Scrabble

Kimchi

Your phone

Not “Words with Friends,” not “Bananagrams” — straight-up Scrabble. Scrabble requires a little extra strategy (triple word scores, guys) and a little extra talking. It’s the prime word game for maximum bonding, so tease your collective brain and try to get a combined score of more than 600 points. Make a playlist, and prepare plenty of snacks; this could take a while.

If you aren’t a regular kimchi eater, its slightly flatulent smell might dissuade you from taking a bite, but kimchi is the national dish of South Korea for a reason. Spicy, tangy, savory and sometimes a little fizzy, this fermented food packs a delicious, complex punch. Probiotic condiments like Indian pickle, German sauerkraut and Japanese Miso are additions to traditional diets that play an important role in gut health. So do yourself a favor: Try the spicy cabbage at Kimchi & Tofu House on Washington Avenue and Delaware Street.

Leave it at home. The Internet won’t feel lonely if you don’t check your Facebook every two hours. Smell the seasons changing. Look at nature and people. Maybe you’ll make a new friend on the bus. If someone tries to call you, they can wait for a few hours.

Pub

THEATER

World premiere of ‘Seedfolks’ in Mpls. Peter Brosius brings the children’s tale to life onstage. BY JACKIE RENZETTI jrenzetti@mndaily.com

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he Children’s Theatre Company unveils the world premiere of the stage adaptation of Paul Fleischman’s children’s novel “Seedfolks” this weekend. Director Peter Brosius, Elissa Adams and actor Sonja Parks have collaborated on the adaptation for about two years. The result is a one-woman show with a video backdrop by Jorge Cousineau. The stor y chronicles neighbors of different cultural backgrounds coming together in an urban community as they experience the transformation of a vacant, polluted lot into a blooming garden after a young girl plants lima beans in it. “The power of an individual action … is magnified by the fact that one person is doing the show,” Brosius said. Parks plays 11 main characters who come from different countries. “Actors are psychological sponges,” Parks said. “We like to soak up all kinds of things and to be immersed in 11 different cultures at the same time. [It] is sometimes a little maddening, but ultimately very fun for an actor.” The show includes dazzling feats, such as breaking the four th wall, a rap number and a dance sequence. And Parks plays every character — somehow. Neither Parks nor Brosius elaborated on the technicality of the dance number because they didn’t want to spoil it. “It’s a bigger workout than hot yoga, trust me,”

JULIET FARMER, DAILY

Actor Sonja Parks performs in “Seedfolks” on Sunday at the Children’s Theatre Company. Parks plays 11 characters in the play, which centers on a neighborhood in Cleveland that is transformed by a community garden.

Brosius said. Parks has worked extensively during the monthand-a-half formal rehearsal process. She said she took lessons from dialect coach D’Arcy Smith to ensure a wholesome por trayal of each of the characters’ cultural backgrounds. “You want to make sure that you are being true to that culture and that heritage and not offending anyone,” Parks said. “And then as an actor, you want to get it right. And so that two hours of dialect training every day is really necessary.” Parks characters’ include a 9-year-old Vietnamese child and an 87-year-old Romanian. “What you’ll see on the stage is that you have this

one actress transforming completely … but it’s also in a world [designed] by our scenic and video designer, where he’s created a kind of video scenery where [the audience will] be moving … through the neighborhood up to the windows of the various apar tments,” Brosius said. Cousineau created the backdrop using three computer programs. He illustrated the entire neighborhood to place the audience in the characters’ world. Using the video backdrop allows Cousineau and Brosius increased ar tistic control. “We have the ability to create these environments that then make us feel things that we wouldn’t

necessarily [feel] if we weren’t supplied a particular image,” Cousineau said. But it’s a feat with caveats. “The biggest [issue] is that the moment you’re displaying a background, an image, you’re taking away the ability for an audience to imagine it themselves,” Cousineau said. However, Cousineau has remained cautious throughout the process to avoid taking attention away from the performer. He chose slow, subtle camera motions to guide the audience through his detailed neighborhood as Parks transforms between characters. Apar t from the noteworthy showstoppers, the

stor y of “Seedfolks” provides a learning oppor tunity for children and adults alike. “[The play] shows that you can make a difference,” Brosius said. “It shows that there is a world of possibility in your neighbors, if you open your heart and open your soul and open your eyes — you can learn from each other. You can make something transform by the work that you do with your neighbors.”

Seedfolks Where Children’s Theatre Company, 2400 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis When Oct. 3-Nov. 16 Cost $10-38

WEEKEND

Clocks, locks and secret passages Escape MSP participants assume the role of CIA agents in the simulated mission “Mr. Dupree.” BY LAINI DEVIN ldevin@mndaily.com

Y

ou sit around a table, and the “Mission Impossible” theme song fades in as the lights dim. Your “boss” places a file containing infor mation about a criminal case in front of you. Your goal: find evidence that incriminates Mr. Dupree. The catch: You’re locked in the room, and you have only one hour to escape before the boss comes back and catches you in his office. Escape MSP is an immersive entertainment experience in which a team of four to 10 people work together to break out of a fully sealed room. It challenges par ticipants to discover whether they have what it takes to be a CIA agent and successfully complete a mission in just 60 minutes. The team entered the room, and the door immediately locked. Minutes ticked away on a giant screen overhead. Ever yone instantly made a beeline for a map hanging on the wall. There was nothing behind it but a cover in the

plaster where someone had clearly damaged the wall. University of Minnesota graduate Ashley Peterson said she had no idea what to expect. Along with her nine teammates, she scoped out different areas — they divided to conquer. After 20 minutes, the first of many clues appeared on the screen. Cofounder of Escape MSP Ryan Muhlbauer typed the hints live, which kept the event organized. Peterson and the others grew fr ustrated with each ticking minute, and despite their ef for ts, time ran out. At the end of the mission, Mulbauer entered the room and walked the team through the steps they had missed. Peterson was both frustrated and exhilarated. “Each team that goes on the mission receives a score,” co-founder Matt Ames said. Peterson’s team received a “fail” for their mission status. Still recovering from the enlivening experience, Peterson said: “[It’s fr ustrating] when you’re so close to cracking a clue, but you can’t figure out the last part.” The room includes average of fice fur niture — a clunky desk, filing cabinets and lots of locked items. The keys and combinations are for the

u from Page 10

Pedal people

Common Pedal Pub patrons include teachers, bachelor and bachelorette parties, 21st-birthday celebrations and families that are treating visiting guests to a tour of the city. The pilots say none of the groups are problematically wild. “Believe it or not, the craziest groups of people we get on here are teachers,” Carlson said. “The bachelor parties we do get are usually pretty well-behaved because they know that the Pedal Pub isn’t a place to have a wild time.” Hayden backed up his statement by recalling an amusing bachelor party. “They were actually playing Shania Twain’s ‘Man! I Feel Like A Woman,’ ” Hayden said. “They were all singing. … This one guy said he could actually dance to ’N Sync’s ‘Bye Bye Bye.’ So I pulled over the bike into a parking spot … and he did the ‘Bye Bye Bye’ dance on the street.” Carlson recalled a drive down Nicollet Mall in the midst of a Farmers Market while the Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love” played on the bike’s overhead. “Everyone in my group started singing it, and next thing you know, there’s a thousand people on the sidewalk singing along to it, and it was just a magical moment,” he said. Carlson, Hayden and Engman all said meeting a variety of people is a highlight of the job. “I’ve had people from probably all seven continents on board,” Engman said, “not Antarctica. No penguins on board my pedal pub.”

Nuts u from Page 10

and heat until crisp.

Sugared almonds

This slightly sweet snack is good on its own or as a salad topper. The sugar-coating method works for any variety of nuts. For a sweeter treat, use more sugar in the pan and dust the nuts with additional sugar after heating. 2 teaspoons sugar 1/4 cup almonds 1. Heat sugar and nuts on a low flame. 2. Watch carefully: When the sugar begins to “melt,” quickly toss the nuts around until coated in sugar and turn off the flame.

Peanut salad

Roasted nuts are a common street food in many countries. This recipe is based on a flavor combination my mother remembers from her childhood in Bombay. Park vendors sold warm peanuts: The deluxe version came with an extra zing.

ELIZABETH BRUMLEY, DAILY

Matt Ames, owner of Escape MN, explains clues of the new simulated mission room, “James Bomb,” in Minneapolis on Wednesday.

participants to figure out. To add to the intrigue, the room houses an interesting collection of books and CDs that line shelves in the office. From Disney’s “Aladdin” to Ice Cube, AC/ DC and the soundtrack for “Dumb and Dumber,” Muhlbauer said the collection of CDs is from his teenage years. The book collection is equally incongruous, composed of books such as “The Name of the Wind” and “Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul.” Muhlbauer said he found them at a garage sale. Even though Escape

MSP has been open for less than a year, Ames and Muhlbauer are excited about expanding. They announced a new mission, “James Bomb,” which opened Wednesday. This new mission aims to test boundaries by invoking higher levels of stress and emotion, Ames said. “The objective,” he said, “is you’re an MI6 agent — you’re looking for the bad guy, and, well, he finds you first. You’re handcuf fed, and you get thrown in this room. There’s a bomb.” Ames and Muhlbauer are focusing most of their

time and ef for t on “James Bomb.” Muhlbauer said he hopes for Escape MSP to branch off into other locations. “We want to be in ever y major city,” he said. Ames’ hope is to create an unforgettable experience. “The true mission,” he said, “is to create memories.”

Escape MSP Where 701 Decatur Ave. N., Suite 102, Minneapolis Cost $30 Ages 10+, recommended for 18+

1 cup roasted peanuts 1/4 cup minced red onion 1/2 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted nuts) 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 sliced chili pepper (optional) 1 tablespoon minced cilantro (optional) 1. In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients except for the peanuts and salt. 2. Toss the nuts in the limeonion combination until coated. Salt (if needed). Note to nutrition nuts: To get the maximum benefits from raw nuts and seeds, soak them overnight. The soaking process reduces phytic acid, which inhibits the absorption of nutrients like zinc. You can then dehydrate the nuts at a low temperature (150-200 degrees) until crisp. This can take 12 hours or more.


Thursday, October 2, 2014

Sports

11

@MNDAILYSPORTS

MEN’S HOCKEY

Minnesota set to chase national title The Gophers will enter the season as the first-ranked team in the nation. BY BEN GOTZ bgotz@mndaily.com

When Minnesota head coach Don Lucia looked back at the preseason predictions for each college hockey league last season, he found only one that was correct. Big Ten coaches didn’t consider Lucia’s team, which went on compete in the NCAA championship game, as the best in the conference. And that’s why Lucia and his players aren’t taking their No. 1 ranking in two major preseason polls seriously. “All it’s saying is that we’re good on paper,” senior for ward Seth Ambroz said. “You still have to be able to play.” Gophers players said they have a lot of work to do to increase their chances of making it to the NCAA championship again — and this time, win. “You’ve got to be humble. You’ve got to be hungr y,” junior defenseman Mike Reilly said. “You’ve got to come into each year with a chip on your shoulder.” The Gophers r etur n much of the roster from last year, especially when it comes to the team’s top lines. The players who scored 128 of the team’s 143 goals last year are back with the team. But Lucia still plans to tinker with the team’s line combinations this weekend in an exhibition game against the Nor thern Alberta Institute of Technology. “It gives me an opportunity to experiment,” Lucia said. “We’ll look at some different combinations.” But there’s one position Lucia said he does not plan to tinker with, barring injur y: goaltender. That’s because junior Adam Wilcox, the inaugural

Minnesota goaltender Adam Wilcox sprawls to make a save against St. Cloud State on Jan. 24 at the Xcel Energy Center.

Big Ten player of the year and a second-team AllAmerican, returns to the net for the team. “I don’t have to worr y about who the goalie is,” Lucia said. “Adam wants to play ever y game, and he’s put himself in a position to have that right to do that.” During the offseason, it was questionable whether W ilcox would retur n to the Gophers. He had the option of turning pro after his sophomore season. But Wilcox, who was taken 178th overall in the 2011 NHL draft, decided the time wasn’t right for him to leave the program. “Deciding to go pro, it’s really just timing,” Wilcox said. “If you go too early, you’re not ready, and it’s really going to hurt you. If

you go too late, you might miss your oppor tunity. This is the choice I made at the end of the day, and I’m happy I made it.” Wilcox was not the only player who could have left the Gophers for a potential pro career. Reilly, senior for ward Kyle Rau, junior defenseman Brady Skjei and sophomore for ward Hudson Fasching all put potential NHL careers on hold to return to the team. For senior defenseman Ben Marshall, his teammates’ decisions to stick around are a reflection of the team’s strong chemistr y. “Ther e was a lot of speculation this summer about guys leaving. I think that identifies why we are and how we are such a

good team together,” Marshall said. “All these guys wanted to come back, and they wanted to make it to the last game of the year. We’re such a close group, and that’s why we do so well.” To make it to the last game of the year again, the Gophers will have to move past a hard loss — one that Lucia didn’t revisit until last month. The Gophers said they aren’t backing down, adding that the program always has high expectations. “I hope we make it to the last game and win it,” Rau said. “That’s about the best goal that there can be, and that should be the only goal here at this program.”

CHELSEA GORTMAKER, DAILY FILE PHOTO

MEN’S HOCKEY PREVIEW

VS NO. 1 MINNESOTA

NORTHERN ALBERTA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (EXHIBITION)

7 p.m. Saturday at Mariucci Arena

MINNESOTA: The Gophers enter the season as the No. 1-ranked team in the country after coming off a 28-7-6 season in which they lost to Union College in the NCAA championship. Five Gophers were named to the Big Ten preseason watch list for the 2014-15 season, the most in the conference: forwards Kyle Rau and Sam Warning, defensemen Mike Reilly and Brady Skjei and goaltender Adam Wilcox. NORTHERN ALBERTA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY: Northern Alberta Institute of Technology has played five games so far this season, after finishing last season as the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference runner-up. Head coach Serge Lajoie was named the 2013-14 ACAC men’s hockey coach of the year, and goaltender Kyle Birch was named the ACAC men’s hockey player of the year. The Ooks will also make a stop at the University of Nebraska-Omaha as part of their nonconference schedule. SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Gophers enter season hungry for a championship The Gophers will begin their season this weekend at Ridder Arena. BY GRANT DONALD gdonald@mndaily.com

After falling just shor t of its national championship goal last year, head coach Brad Frost said the Gophers women’s hockey team is hungrier for the victory than in years past. Minnesota will rely on a strong and experienced group of seniors to pave the path to redemption. “[Last year was] the first time we tasted defeat in that [national championship] game in three years, so I know our players are hungry,” Frost said. The Gophers will open the season ranked No. 1 in the nation and will test that ranking early in the season. After opening up their season this weekend with games against Penn State and No. 6 Boston University, the Gophers will play No. 10 Minnesota-Duluth, No. 2 Wisconsin and No. 8 North Dakota this month. Frost said he is excited about the early tests, as they will ser ve as a gauge for where the team stands. “We are heading right into the meat grinder right away, and we’re excited to see where we match up with those teams,” he said. The Gophers will benefit

WOMEN’S HOCKEY PREVIEW

VS NO. 1 MINNESOTA

PENN STATE

NO. 6 BOSTON UNIVERSITY

7:07 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Ridder Arena

MINNESOTA: The Gophers come into the 2014-15 season with hefty expectations after falling just short last year and losing in the national championship game to Clarkson. Minnesota sits atop both national polls and returns a strong senior class led by Rachel Ramsey, last year’s WCHA Defensive Player of the Year. Junior forward Hannah Brandt should lead the attack again after leading the team last year with 65 points. PENN STATE: Penn State is coming off a disappointing 2013-14 season that included an early first-round exit in the College Hockey America conference tournament. The Nittany Lions managed only four wins last year, but they did win an exhibition game against Western University 5-2 last weekend. BOSTON UNIVERSITY: The Terriers suffered a 5-1 NCAA tournament first-round loss to the Gophers last season. Junior forward Sarah Lefort was the nation’s top goal-scorer a year ago with 32 goals. Boston University hosted Queen’s University last weekend in an exhibition game, which it won 3-0. SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

from having sophomore defenseman Lee Stecklein back in maroon and gold. Stecklein redshir ted last year as she competed in the Olympics for Team USA. “I really lear ned a lot this last year, and I’m excited to bring ever ything I learned back,” Stecklein said. “I think this year I will probably be a little more confident than I was freshman year.” While the Gophers will benefit with the addition of Stecklein, her USA teammate Amanda Kessel’s absence will be noticeable. Kessel is sitting out this year because of lingering concussion symptoms that

she sustained while playing for the U.S. national team. “Obviously, [Kessel] got over 100 points a couple seasons ago, so she will be hard to replace,” senior forward Rachael Bona said. “But I think it gives motivation to other players on the team to step up and play a big role.” Bona is coming of f a breakout year in which she recorded 61 points, ranking third in the nation. One of the players who finished ahead of Bona last year was a fellow teammate, junior Hannah Brandt. Brandt tallied 65 points

ICHIGO TAKIKAWA, DAILY FILE PHOTO

Minnesota forward Rachael Bona yells out to her teammates after scoring against MinnesotaDuluth on Feb. 2, 2013, at Ridder Arena.

and was the WCHA Player of the Year. While Bona and Brandt will be a force up front, the Gophers are also strong at the blue line. “I think we have got three of the best in the whole countr y in [Rachel] Ramsey, Stecklein and [Milica] McMillen,” Frost said.

Last year at this time, the Gophers had the added pressure of continuing “the streak.” Their 62-game winning streak ended last year with a loss to Nor th Dakota. Bona said the Gophers are relieved they don’t have to worr y about keepi n g the r eco r d - s etti n g streak going.

“I think as a team, when our streak ended, we were able to play more freely,” Bona said. “I think star ting a new year, we have no expectations — we have no streak coming into the season. I think we can just play and have fun.” Jack Satzinger contributed to this report.


12

Thursday, October 2, 2014

VOLLEYBALL

Gophers swept by Illini on road The team’s loss on Wednesday was its second in conference play. BY RACHEL TIMMERMAN rtimmerman@mndaily.com

The Gophers fought the Illini in their first conference road game Wednesday night but came out with a loss. Minnesota lost in three sets in its only meeting with Illinois this season, and the win was Illinois’ first victory at home against the Gophers since 2009. Minnesota head coach Hugh McCutcheon said the team battled in the first two sets, but in the third, it became a challenge. The second set ended in an intense back-and-for th rally going into extra points, but the Gophers dropped the contest 32-30. Junior outside hitter Daly Santana said the team’s effort was there, but it struggled to finish strong. “We weren’t able to turn points when we needed to,” McCutcheon said. The Gophers also made a few errors receiving the serve. “At times it broke down,” sophomore setter Katie Schau said. “But the passers did a good job hanging in there with some tough serves.”

BY BETSY HELFAND bhelfand@mndaily.com

ZACH BIELINSKI, DAILY

Setter Katie Schau gets ready to serve the ball Saturday night at the Sports Pavilion.

Santana said the ser ve receive held up OK, with communication being a strong point. Minnesota made a few lineup changes in the third set, but the efforts were unsuccessful. McCutcheon said Illinois’ libero did a good job and its defense forced Minnesota’s hitters to adjust. Illinois controlled the match all the way through, leading in kills, assists and digs. This marks the second consecutive loss for the Gophers, who fell to Penn State

last weekend after recording a 10-match winning streak. Traveling to Champaign, Ill., was sort of a reunion for McCutcheon, as Illinois head coach Kevin Hambly and McCutcheon played together at Brigham Young University. Hambly ser ved as the best man at McCutcheon’s wedding. “We have a lot of respect for each other,” McCutcheon said. “[But] it’s business as usual.” Minnesota has a lot to learn from this match as it travels to Northwestern this Sunday.

VOLLEYBALL RESULTS WEDNESDAY 1 Minnesota 22 25 Illinois

2 30 32

3 19 25

FINAL 0 3

SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

Santana said the team is going to prepare mentally and work on finishing strong. “Anytime we lose, we learn a lot from it,” Schau said. “If anything, it gives us some fire for our next game.”

Minnesota looks to close out season strong Minnesota will play six of its final eight games of the season at home.

A little more than halfway into the season, the Gophers are making the final push to increase their odds of getting to the NCAA tournament. The team is ranked 79th in the latest women’s soccer RPI rankings, which would put it slightly outside the tournament “bubble” right now. But head coach Stefanie Golan isn’t sweating the team’s current ranking. “I don’t care about it until the end of the year,” Golan said of the RPI. “Our conference is strong enough where we have so many opportunities to climb that ladder. Our focus is where we finish.” Ratings percentage index (RPI) is a statistic used to rank teams based on their record and strength of schedule. The Gophers will have plenty of chances to improve their ranking with the remainder of conference play, as six of their next eight opponents currently have higher RPI rankings. One game includes a showdown with a top-10

Urick takes opportunity to step up Redshirt junior Kaila Urick is having a breakout year for Minnesota.

SOCCER

BY BEN GOTZ bgotz@mndaily.com

CROSS COUNTRY

16 underclassmen and 19 total players who had spent less than a season with the team before the 2014 season. “The biggest thing to this point is that we are growing,” Golan said. “It’s a process, and we’re ver y optimistic about what we’ve got and where we’ve gotten through the process to this point. We think we’ve got a really good group and can finish strong.” Members of the team pointed to the Gophers’ 1-0 loss against Iowa as one of the first times the team put together a full 90 minutes of solid play. While the Gophers didn’t get the result they wanted that day, they proceeded to go on the road, earning their first Big Ten sweep of the season last weekend. “We’re growing ever y game,” Thyken said. “We’re connecting way better than we were at the beginning of the season, and now we can just focus on the little things.” For the Gophers, those little things could lead to one big thing: their first back-to-back NCAA tournament appearance since 1999. “I know the girls are jacked up,” Golan said. “They’re excited; they’re still very positive. They feel very good about the growth that they’ve seen.”

SOCCER PREVIEW

VS MINNESOTA

PENN STATE

OHIO STATE

7 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Sunday at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium

MINNESOTA: After a conference sweep on the road, Minnesota enters the weekend 6-5-0 (3-2-0 Big Ten). The Gophers are 2-1 at home this season, and six of their last eight games will be played at their own stadium. Sophomore defender Ashley Pafko won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors Monday, after scoring an equalizer goal at Indiana and helping the Gophers’ defense record its fifth shutout of the season at Purdue. PENN STATE: The Nittany Lions are currently atop the Big Ten standings with a 5-0-0 conference record (10-1-0 overall). Penn State leads the Big Ten in goals per game, averaging 3.09 per contest. OHIO STATE: The Buckeyes are hovering around .500 with a 5-6-0 record (2-3-0 Big Ten), but they are 1-4 on the road this year. Ohio State is last in the Big Ten in goals allowed, giving up an average of 1.91 per game. The Buckeyes have allowed more goals than they have scored. SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

opponent this weekend, No. 7 Penn State. While the schedule may appear daunting, the Gophers aren’t shying away from tough opponents like Penn State and rival No. 12 Wisconsin. “Those are always big games,” senior captain Katie Thyken said. “Those are always really tough games, but those are the games you look forward to because you bring your best.” One factor that will help the Gophers in both matchups is that they get to face

both opponents at home. After being on the road for eight of their first 11 games, the team will be at home for six of their last eight. “We’re super excited to be home. The atmosphere at [Elizabeth L yle Robbie Stadium] is amazing,” senior captain Becca Roberts said. “Just being home, it’s a different feeling. You have a lot of energy, and it’s nice to be in your own bed.” The team didn’t have a lot of experience under its belt coming into the season, with

Redshir t junior Kaila Urick didn’t crack the ranks of the Gophers’ top seven r unners last year. But after a breakout track season last spring, Urick has positioned herself as one of the top runners on the cross countr y team. “All last year, she just got better ever y season,” head coach Sarah Hopkins said, noting that Urick improved from the cross countr y to indoor track to outdoor track seasons. “I really think that gave her confidence and momentum going into the fall.” Through the first few meets, that momentum has helped Urick become one of the team’s top performers. Urick led the Gophers at last weekend’s Roy Griak Invitational, finishing 25th overall in a field of nearly 400 runners. She said she wanted to finish in the top 25, a goal she accomplished spot-on. “I think it was a good performance. I’d say it’s a good indicator [that] the training I put in this summer is paying of f, but it’s still only September, and our season goes until the end of November,” she said. Aside from the Griak, she also finished second among her teammates and fifth overall at the BYU Autumn Classic and recorded a third-place finish at the team’s intrasquad meet. When the experienced fifth-year senior class graduated in May,

a window of oppor tunity opened. Hopkins said the redshirt juniors knew it would then be time to asser t themselves. “I think she’s one that’s definitely taken that role seriously and from a leadership perspective, from just [a] training and racing perspective, the door opened, and I think she’s been one who has r un through it,” Hopkins said. Urick said she focused on bumping up her mileage during the summer in anticipation of the season. Teammate Kate Bucknam said Urick had to wake up early during the summer to get her miles in because she had to work. The extra miles in the early mornings appear to have paid off. “She saw [the season] as … ‘I have an oppor tunity here to be in the top three,’ and I think she just took advantage of that,” Bucknam said. Her steady dose of improvement hasn’t been lost on her coach. “She’s a kid that has paid her dues and gotten better ever y year, and that’s kind of what this program is built on … kids that keep getting better and keep progressing, and that’s where she’s at right now,” Hopkins said. Urick is one of two runners who have been in the team’s top three in ever y race she’s competed in this season. And though the season is still young, Urick has confidence from the Griak to build on. “A lot of spor t is all about confidence and where you see yourself, and I think she [has] started to see herself as more of an elite kid,” Hopkins said.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PREVIEW

@

UW-EAU CLAIRE BLUGOLD INVITATIONAL AND SDSU CLASSIC

MINNESOTA 4 p.m. Friday in Eau Claire, Wis., and 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Brookings, S.D.

PREVIEW: The Gophers will return to action this weekend after finishing seventh as a team at last weekend’s Roy Griak Invitational. Redshirt junior Kaila Urick led the Gophers at the Griak, finishing 25th overall. Minnesota placed first at the UW-Eau Claire Blugold Invite and the SDSU Classic last season. The Gophers’ top runners headed to South Dakota and finished with a perfect team score. This weekend will serve as Minnesota’s last chance to compete before the Gophers head to the Wisconsin adidas Invitational, a key midseason race, in mid-October. SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

SWIMMING

Gophers head into new season with confidence BY DAVID NELSON dnelson@mndaily.com

Based on how the athletes spoke Wednesday afternoon at the University Aquatic Center, the Minnesota swimming and diving teams are ready for a big year. The men’s and women’s teams will kick of f their 2014-15 season this weekend when they hit the road to take on Arizona State. Despite the loss of talent on both teams after last year’s seniors graduated, the Gophers don’t seem to have lost their swagger. “This team, since I got here, has been going through some rebuilding and some transition phases,” senior distance freestyler C.J. Smith said. “We’ve been doing a great job of holding it together. Now’s finally the time where … it’s all together.” It all came together for the women’s team last February as the Gophers won their third consecutive Big Ten title. However, senior Tori Simenec said the team needs to stay focused to ensure it stays on top. “Other teams have their

eye on the same prize that we do,” Simenec said. “And we’re tr ying to make sure that we want it just as much if not more than the other teams.” The men’s team fell short of its goals after the 2013-14 regular season concluded. Following a fourth place finish at Big Ten championships, the men’s team took 22nd among teams at the NCAA championships. “We certainly left a lot on the table at NCAAs,” Smith said. Though Smith said everyone’s goal is to improve his or her standing at NCAAs, the senior acknowledged that the goal for this season remains to further the program. “We just want to leave this team on a better note than when we came in,” Smith said. “If that means placing higher at NCAAs, so be it. If that means setting this team up so the year after they kill it, that’s what it takes.” The men’s and women’s teams often talked about the closeness of the groups last season, and senior associate head coach Terr y Ganley said she’s already seen that

SWIMMING PREVIEW

@ MINNESOTA

ARIZONA STATE

Noon Saturday in Tempe, Az.

PREVIEW: The women’s team will start its Big Ten title defense in a nonconference dual meet against Arizona State this Saturday. The Sun Devils should prove to be a solid first opponent as they are ranked No. 19 in the country according to collegeswimming.com. Look for junior breaststroker Kierra Smith and senior freestylist Kiera Janzen to lead the Gophers at Tempe. Coming off an offseason in which Minnesota saw Derek Toomey and Kyler Van Swol graduate, the Gophers will be looking this weekend at which swimmers can step up to replace the athletes they lost. Senior C.J. Smith should continue to be a force in the distance swims, while sophomore Daryl Turner is a prime candidate to replace Toomey’s production in the 50-yard freestyle. SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

closeness come out this fall. “The team has said that themselves … that it’s been the easiest transition for our freshmen coming in,” Ganley said. “It’s a great team chemistry right now.” Simenec and Smith were both quick to rave about the talent within the team’s freshman class. “We got so many good people, so that’s something to be confident about,” Simenec said. “The fresh-

men are just doing a great job of stepping up and filling the shoes of the people who did leave.” The Gophers appear to be in high spirits as they get ready to face off against the Sun Devils. But no one sounded more excited to start this season than one of the coaches. “I don’t think we’ve ever been in a better place, and I’ve coached here 30 plus years,” Ganley said.

LIAM JAMES DOYLE, DAILY

Junior Kaila Urick runs the final stretch of the Division I women’s race at the Roy Griak Invitational at Les Bolstad Golf Course on Saturday.


Thursday, October 2, 2014

Classifieds

13

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Star Tribune 2014

Events

HAVE AN EVENT YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROMOTE IN THE DAILY? Submit your event to have it featured here for free. If you would like your event promoted here, go to mndaily.com/contact and fill out the provided form.

UPCOMING EVENTS WHAT: Shake the Dust WHO: Intermedia Arts WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday–Sunday WHERE: Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis PRICE: $7 advance, students and seniors; $9 door Shake the Dust chronicles the stories of young breakdancers from Colombia, Cambodia, Uganda and Yemen who are using the common languages of movement, expression and hip-hop to unite people worldwide. To these B-Boys and B-Girls, the cultural movement isn’t about fame or fortune — it’s about hope and the power of the individual. It is about young people using dance and creativity to enact social change around the globe.

WHAT: Women Activists Today: How to Build Sustainable Movements WHEN: Noon-1 p.m. Thursday WHERE: McNamara Alumni Center, Room 665 PRICE: Free Throughout history, women have led the charge for social and political change, working as activists, organizers and community-builders in a wide range of intersecting movements. Here in the Twin Cities, that work continues. This panel will feature four community and student activists discussing questions of vision, sustainability, outreach and much more.

WHAT: SOLO WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday WHERE: Northrop Auditorium PRICE: $25 ($10 student rush, $20 faculty rush) An evening of world premieres by six of the Twin Cities’ finest dancers, who won 2012 and 2013 McKnight Dancer Fellowships. Each year, the McKnight Fellowship Program selects three exceptional dancers to receive the coveted honor of a McKnight Artist Fellowship. In addition to a cash award, they receive a commission for a new solo dance from a choreographer of their choice, who creates a new work tailored expressly for them.

Featured Student Group HAVE A STUDENT GROUP YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROMOTE IN THE DAILY? The Minnesota Daily promotes student groups here for free. If you would like your student group featured, e-mail studentgroups@mndaily.com with contact person, contact phone, contact e-mail, student group name, group description (limit 250 characters), and a photo if possible. Don’t have a photo? Contact us in advance to take your group photo.

The Minnesota Daily Classifieds page is a service for student groups. Student groups can promote themselves for free in the featured section. Featured student groups run for one week and are published on a rolling submission basis. This page is independent from the Minnesota Daily’s editorial content and is operated by the advertising staff. Group submissions are subject to approval by the Publisher for wording, illustrations and typography. Any content that attacks, criticizes or demeans any individual, race, religion, sex, institution, firm, business, profession, organization or affectional preference shall not be accepted.


14

Thursday, October 2, 2014

BACKTALK

horoscopes

sudoku

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

10/2/2014

Yesterday’s solution © 2013 Michael Mepham. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

Today’s Birthday (10/2): Expansion and growth comes through group participation this year. Express yourself and serve others with creativity. Craft a masterpiece.

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

Aries (3/21 - 4/19): Today is a 9 — Expect the unexpected. Don’t waste a cent. Rethink old beliefs. Meditation reveals another level. Private conversations help.

Libra (9/23 - 10/22): Today is an 8 — Take extra care. Don’t forget to do an important job at home. Unforeseen circumstances could pre-empt your plans.

Taurus (4/20 - 5/20): Today is a 9 — Listen to your intuition. Choose an exotic destination for your next adventure. Did lightning strike? It could feel that way.

Scorpio (10/23 - 11/21): Today is a 9 — Take care to avoid miscommunications. Listen to a loved one’s considerations. Don’t just throw money at a domestic problem.

Gemini (5/21 - 6/21): Today is a 9 — Wait before making your move; conditions will improve. Exercise extra caution when driving, and watch out for surprises.

Sagittarius (11/22 - 12/21): Today is a 9 — Provide leadership at work. Try a new idea. Get eclectic and creative. Listen to all considerations before committing money.

Cancer (6/22 - 7/22): Today is a 9 — An unexpected circumstance could frustrate a collaboration. Work interferes with travel. Take time-outs to reduce stress.

Capricorn (12/22 - 1/19): Today is a 9 — Start with the most difficult thing on your list. Don’t believe everything you hear, or make assumptions.

Leo (7/23 - 8/22): Today is a 9 — A surprise job or income source emerges. Jump on a chance to fly. Stop for rest when you need it. Play to win!

Aquarius (1/20 - 2/18): Today is an 8 — Don’t make expensive promises or waste cash. Hold onto what you have. Identify new resources.

Virgo (8/23 - 9/22): Today is an 8 — You’re in the mood to declutter. Get family involved, and lighten your collective load. Reward efforts with fun and treats.

Pisces (2/19 - 3/20): Today is a 9 — Don’t get intimidated. Take on a leadership attitude. Things may not go as planned, but your friends are here for you.


Thursday, October 2, 2014

from the archive

Friday, September 29, 2006

crossword

FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 2, 2014 11

BACKTALK

FOR RELEASE SEPTEMBER 29, 2006

Los Angeles Daily Crossword Puzzle THE Daily Crossword Edited byTimes Wayne Robert Williams

DAILY CROSSWORD

Something tells us MissPMS and ShortStep are sisters…

From MissPMS

NET! What the NUTT is up with all these freshman that look like they are twelve years old? Net: They are 12 years old. They’re PSEO students. I don’t know whether to punch them in the face or call a babysitter. Net: Just don’t call that pretentious Baby-Sitters Club. Speaking of children, did you hear the CEO of Girls Gone Wild is getting sued for featuring underage girls in his videos? Net: Now there’s a guy someone ought to punch in the face multiple times. Like, 100 times, minimum. Gee whiz, I never saw that one coming. Although something tells me sales won’t be dropping anytime soon. Net: And yet sales for “Guys Gone Wild: Dude Where’s My Pants?” are still lackluster. Also, could everyone please pick up their damn feet when they’re walking? If I hear anymore shoes scraping along the sidewalk I might have to kill a baby bunny. Net: And then make a video of yourself killing it for people on the Internet to masturbate to. You sick, sick bastards. I’m out like George Bush in a battle of wits. Net: It was pretty close between W and the bag o’ rocks, but in the end, the bag o’ rocks just wanted it more.

From ShortStep

Dearest Net, What is up with the new sidewalk “writing initiative”? Net: Everyone is honing their street artz skillz. I’ve never had OCD before but I am finding myself constantly counting to see if the answer is actually 15 paces away! Net: That’s how they rope you in. Next thing you know, you’re in the Asian Student Association and you’re not even Asian! How can I make myself stop? Net: Stop staring at your feet when you walk? I even get annoyed that it usually takes me 16 paces and not 15 to get to the answer. And what is with the questions? I don’t care wheth-

er or not dance can change the world Net: Well, it can’t. so. Question answered. and that Goldy actually started as a ground squirrel. Net: His descendants still haunt campus today, exacting revenge on unsuspecting students. What I do care about is that my formerly pleasant walk to and from classes has been ruined!! I’m out like spinach in a grocery store.

From tangent

Hey Net, I need to start off by telling I LIKE TOAST that I agree with him about the lack of intellectual debates, but that his suggestion that “klingon” should be taught transcends being a nerd to an unimaginable level. But still need a good debate topic. I am surprised by the lack of freshmen opinion on the Pirates v Ninjas debate. Net: That’s an important issue, but perhaps an even more important one is whether Godzilla or Optimus Prime would win in a caged wrestling match. And there’s always the best place to poop on campus. Net: Really, the best place is in the comfort of your own home. Oh, and LORD DAFTWAGER ... what the hell are you smoking? and can I have some? Net: You need connections to get that kind of stuff.

From boxelderbug

NETWORK@MNDAILY.COM

18 19 20 23 25 26 27 28 31 33 35 36 37 43 44 45 46 49 51 52

network! i got a great idea. Net: As long as it doesn’t involve alcohol, the Minnesota Vikings and a boat, we’re all ears. lets sell 10 or 20 of these super nice computers on campus that no one uses Net: Yeah, talk about waste. Have you seen the new monitors in the EE/CSCI computer lab? They’re 24-inch flat panels from Dell. Students just need to surf the Internet, not get a face tan. and upgrade the mens restrooms to at least two-ply toilet paper for a year. im sick of having to sit through class with an dry buttNUTT. Net: If you’re not bleeding, you’re not wiping enough. we wouldn’t even need to put it in the womens restrooms cause we all know chicks dont poop. Net: This is precisely why you don’t have a girlfriend. box out.

HEY! SEND YOUR ENTRY, NAME AND PHONE NUMBER TO:

1 6 10 14 15 16 17

53 55 57 61 62 63 66 67 68 69 70 71 1 2

Minnesota Daily Volume 108, Issue 19 September 29, 2006

ACROSS Family men ACROSS Tooth display Spiders' snares 1 Hint Dancer Astaire 6 Insincere Top-notch Idle or Clapton flattery "The Count of __ Cristo" 11 Town in a Scottish lake Hersey title John Wayne's nickname 12 Book before Test drives? Joel Red table wine Not talking 13 Roadie’s burden High explosive 16 Like some ALS Show of Ice Bucket affection Poet's forte Challenge videos Sahara spring Medicinal 17 Home of the succulent bush ballad Romantic 19 Greek letter introduction? Sing without20 Take in words Shows up? 22 Hardest to get Cul-de-__ close to Container with 23 Rocky pinnacle a tap 24 Brit3 Five-sided who might Patella's place figure Trini or Jennifer lose a stone? 4 Table for Grasp tightly worshipers Roseanne's26 TV __ tape 5 One on a quest husband 27 Cicero, for one 6 Dames King or mode 29 From theto top 7 Place hang a lead-in Teacher of 31 Halfshingle a drink 8 Financial gain Samuel 32 CV9 component Indian Prognostication statesman Tries out? 33 Three sheets to 10 Ties the knot Old Nick's the 11 wind Bursts out knack 12 Two-piece Soft, French34 Selassie ofsuit 13 Fragrances cheese Ethiopia 21 Cultural Housing 22 Love on the contract 36 Stew base Loire Place to skate 23 Burneye? a bit Ill-mannered38 Snake 24 Dilly Calendar 39 Doctoral 29 Hankering notations candidate’s 41 30 Snowboarder's Yields to 42 bump gravity hurdle 46 32 Out of control Stat equivalent 40 Seventh-century 47 34 Latin I verb Pricey 36 "__ and Her pope Sisters" DOWN player 48 49 38 Demolishes Shriver or 41 Blu-ray 39 __ Lanka Dawber ancestor 50 40 Gently wave Commotion

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

10/2/14

By Jeffrey Wechsler

65 Act surprised 66 Puts on cargo

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

DOWN

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42 Swindle lent its melody to 43 Sturdy tree the “Howdy 44 Astra or Insignia Doody” theme 46 Salad vegetable 4 Santa __ 49 DWI-fighting gp. Mountains 51 Genesis 5 Lake Erie city 53 “__ Cried”: 1962 6 Trading unit hit for Jay and 7 Apt challenger Hey there Doc, you need gettin’ over this, then see where the situthe Americans ofher this puzzle’s I have an issue I hope you can assist with. Awhile ation sits. Want to be friend? Want to be her 54 Prepares back now I started dating this girl I work with, under man? See what hits ya when the moment’s right. circled asDr.for ©2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC 10/2/14 a lot of pressure since she broke up with her(oneself), fiancé — Date locations combat to be with me. 8 Long-eared 46 Slowing, in 28 Small South However, now that things have progressed, I am sans Dear Doctor Date, 56 Pooch just losing feeling for her day by day, but I feel like I Anyone on this campus beastknows that the week- American scores papers made her leave something of importance and that ends at the beginning of the school year are filled 9 Hit the hay 47 Certain Muslim monkey 57 IDiminutive, she would freak out on me if I told her how felt ... with parties, or unfortunately recovering from them. 10 Painter 48 Greetings 30 “No one knows” diminutively what do you prescribe? Usually the recovery part lastsChagall only until Sunday 13 Unalaska, e.g.but unfor— Sincerely, Confused and Concerned hangover is gone, 50 Room with a 33 Enthusiast 58 Fated afternoon after that tunately this hangover has been lasting for much 14 Name remote, often 35 Yankee 60 Send, in a way Double C, longer. incorrectly 52 Letterman 62 people Ice creamI maker People break up, people get together, was party hopping with friends one evening suspended for 15 face. McDonald’s interviewee, Joseph and I saw a familiar break up — it’s sorta a chicken-and-egg situation. Normally I wouldn’t say the 2014 season Bottom line, buddy, the longer you wait, a) the with too much to this person since I didn’t know them supply say 36 Start of a 63 Bars less you’ll want to do with her and b) the morecharacter, she’ll too well, was drinking for the past six confession 18I Succor 55 Old Fords to but since hate ya once you do find the balls to cue her in to hours I walked over and we talked until the party 59 Reproductive 37 Like family 21We Service station some was basically over. what’s going on. I say you muster up some strength agreed to walk home and cells 45 Reminder of a 64 Slower than and tell her straight up. ended up having sex.offering — Double D whatkey I had in mind, but kind 61 __ culpa adagio This wasn’t exactly 25 Wide

what’s done is done. The morning after there was Dear Dr. Date, the typical exchange of phone numbers, in which In light of all the ’ex’ issues I’ve been seeing case I thought they would never call. What I figured lately in the Daily, I think my situation fits the criteria. would be a one night stand was broken later that Very recently, me and my girlfriend of about a year week when I received a phone call and agreed to broke up. hang out. There were definitely awkward moments, We had a very good relationship, and both cared but we still continue to hang out and talk. for each other a ton. We also met on a drunken I didn’t know if at first we were just trying to whim, and that was always something we shared in make this work since we had sex, but I soon discommon — we both loved to just get plowed. We still covered that they had something else in mind. I do. get this vibe that they seem to want this to work She still comes over to my place a lot for parties into a relationship, and I don’t know how to handle and to hang out with me and my roommates, and this. I get this lovingly gaze and goofy grin from the things have been fine, until last weekend. Evidently person and I am afraid of what this means. she polished off one too many beers, and she slept I have doubts, not about the person, but more with one of my “cute” roomies, in my own bleepin’ with myself. This first month has just been crazy house. I was irate. and having to “deal” with a significant other might We’ve been “friends with benefits” ever Now I know things like this happen all the time just push things over the edge for me. around here, but I still don’t know what to do.I’m I wasso pissed Relationships shouldn’t have to be stressful, since — not really talking or hanging out right now that it’s hard always semi-protective of her, but never controlling. but I can’t decide if this person is worth continuing for me to type this. I still care about this girl a lot, and I can’t stop thinkto getting to know, or if I should just put it behind much, but having sex about three to four ing about this. me. Theyout appear to really this relationship to times a week. I just found that my want “boyfriend” I can’t even sleep, because I can’t get that picwork and are putting more effort into contacting The sex is out of this world. I don’t want has been talking to his ex-girlfriend via ture of them gettin it on out of my head. I feel like me than I ever would imagine. this was the meanest thing she could have possibly At times I feel and they are being so demanding it to end. But that’s sort of where my probFacebook messenger hanging out done. which I didn’t think could happen since we aren’t group settings. I’ve clearly We broke up because I didn’t know ifwith I could her see in dating! I should be happy this person is calling me lem comes in: I’m exhausted! Our hookups myself with this doll farther down thetold road. him That multiple three timestimes a day, but at theI end of thelike day I find are usually after both of us finish working that don’t doesn’t mean I don’t like her, I just didn’t want to myself cursing when my phone is ringing since I her, and I don’t like when they communiwaste both of our times if it gets any more serious. know who it is. Our conversations seem to hit this (about 11 p.m.), and then I have to be up So my quarrel is, do I become the nice guy that and we just fall silent. cate.what ToI bewall honest, I wishget that would not early in the morning for school. Why aren’t I am and keep talking to her, or do I continue I want to gradually intohe a relationship, am doing and never even see her again.never I know we in it. I enjoyShe’s spendingatime with this see drown her again. bitch andperson,there 25 hours in the day? could get back together, if I could ever forgive her but eventually I catch myself making a mental Do I tough it out and just stock up annoying and really stupid. I hate her. for this. check list of all the things that I should be doing. After something this crazy though, I’m I guess Should should I go for it Iand see what happens, or on coffee and Red Bull? I don’t want my somyirate. What do? heart’s in a jumble and I need a little advice from somehow explain that I don’t think things are gothe good doctor ... what ya got man? ing to work out? Can this somehow be a weekend grades to start slipping or anything like — VodkaOntheRox thing and then maybe more? that, but not getting enough sleep is a — Please help!, Hey Vodka, Just when you thought a one night stand only struggle. Oooh, a case of ex sex that doesn’t even get you lasted a night Maybe if you weren’t so controlling, off. Well first off, you’re hittin’ both ends of the spectrum with your options of what to do —you let’s move wouldn’tMy face problem. Your dearest this One-nighter, back into that pretty lil’ gray area. The one-night stand that isn’t gone after the relationship status is vague, yet you Even though they were drunk off their asses, your hangover wears off? That’ll happen. roomie and your ex have no real excuses for gettingyour “boyfriend’s” Tell this lady to lay off. use a bit Dude, calm down. This isn’t the big malign exI mean, as “amaybe bitch busy if they know it bugs ya. But that’s a big if. more subtlety — but seriously. Let her down easy andherannoying and really Unless Let’s face it, buddy, you broke up with beand tell her you might stupid.” wanna look at a relationship,deal you’re making it out to be. There’s cause you didn’t wanna get serious. Well, I think get-concrete but right now you’re not diggin’ fact she there’s evidence thatthe she’s anphones a time to sleep and a time to have sex. A ting pissed over her sleepin’ with your pal requires ya thrice a day. awful person,Don’t onehave thing is clear me: you to have at least semi-serious feelings for this the balls to do it?to Then don’t answer season for rest and a season for coitus. gal. herlies calls,not but don’t expect to develop The fault in his ex,anything but in you, with Sometimes these times and seasons inYou have every right be mad. You don’t have evthis dame down the line. tersect, and that’s OK. dear reader. — Dr. Date ery right to write ’em outta your life. Take the time

dr. date

Dr. Date,

—Bitch Please

Take a Look at Yourself,

—Craving Some Z’s

Z’s Get Degrees,

Need relationship advice?Look E-mailat Dr.itDate drdate@mndaily.com. thisatway — if you had a part-

ner who was demanding and petty, you would want to get away from that person and spend time with people who make you feel warm, safe and good. That’s why your man seeks the comfort of his ex-girlfriend. If it’s such a problem for you, put the kibosh on your relationship. I’m sure he’ll be glad to be free of you and move on to someone who isn’t going to scrutinize and track his every move.

—Dr. Date

Dr. Date,

This isn’t really a problem on the surface, but I guess some advice could help. About a month ago, a girl I’ve known since high school was at the same party I was at, and we ended up hooking up.

Having sex is not something that should throw your schedule off balance. Plenty of people have regular sex without it affecting their livelihoods. While your friend with benefits is only available for late-night rendezvouses, use this to your advantage. Sex has the benefit of inducing sleepiness, so unless the sex amps you up or is cutting into your homework, this isn’t a problem. In fact, more people should make time for sex like you do. While your lack of emotional connection with the girl in question is a tad disconcerting, you two get it right when it comes to the art of fornication. Frequent sex has countless physical and psychological benefits, and there’s no better feeling than falling asleep while embracing your partner on a cool fall night.

—Dr. Date

Need relationship advice? Email Dr. Date at drdate@mndaily.com.

15


16

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Campus diversity lacking Equity u from Page 1

initiatives and brainstorm new ways to create a more welcoming environment for University students. While students and staff members say they are pleased to see the University host discussions on improving campus diversity, some say they would like to see more tangible solutions put in place. The Office for Equity and Diversity, along with other University diversity offices, created the weeklong program, which features nearly 50 events ranging from open houses at multicultural offices to special lectures on topics ranging from gender equity to cultural intolerance. Vice President for Equity and Diversity Katrice Albert said the weeklong event fits into the University’s mission of raising awareness about the school hosting all types of cultures and people. “We’re taking risks by having conversations we usually don’t have,” Albert said at the week’s kick-off event at Northrop Plaza on Monday afternoon. Albert, who came to the University in June 2013, spent her first seven months in the position listening to the concerns of students, faculty and staff members across the University’s five campuses to create diversity initiatives. Currently, Albert said the office is focusing on a variety of initiatives to promote diversity. This month, the office is also holding open discussions

INCOMING FRESHMEN OF COLOR* 2009-2013 17.9% 17.5%

2009

CENTERS ON CAMPUS

ANNUAL DIVERSITY WEEK

67.2% OF STUDENTS

15.7%

2010

9TOTAL cultural centers STUDENT-RUN CULTURAL 45 events WERE A PART OF THE U’S FIRST

16.6% 15.9%

DIVERSITY

BY THE NUMBERS

2011

2012

2013

*includes all non-international students who identify their primary ethnic background as African American, American Indian, Asian/Pacific, Hawaiian or Hispanic SOURCE: OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH

on the University’s climate to get a grasp on students’ experiences and gauge how welcome they feel on campus. College of Education and Human Development Assistant Dean Jennifer Engler said the University is doing many things well regarding diversity, specifically noting a certificate program that OED offers, which educates faculty on how to work with students from all backgrounds. While she acknowledged that the program is effective, Engler said more faculty members could utilize it and the other opportunities the school offers. “The resources available could be used more deeply,” she said. But Council of Graduate Students Executive Vice President Clemon Dabney III said he would like to see more accountability and transparency among school leaders, and they should admit that the school has a problem with diversity and address it with policy changes.

“It’s a problem all across the countr y, and it’s not something to be ashamed about,” he said. Patricia Jones Whyte, director of the Office for Diversity in Graduate Education, said the University is aware of its lack of diversity, especially compared to the demographic makeup of the Twin Cities. “We have climate issues that need to be addressed,” she said. But some of the school’s efforts aren’t openly publicized and sometimes go unnoticed, she said. While the University continues to work on its longterm diversity goals, some students and school officials say it should place more effort on embracing diverse campus groups. “I feel like sometimes the ‘U’ could do more to support those efforts,” said Jan Morse, director of the Student Conflict Resolution Center. Morse said the diversity week demonstrates

STRONGLY AGREE OR AGREE THAT OTHER STUDENTS ARE RESPECTED AT THE UNIVERSITY REGARDLESS OF THEIR RACE OR ETHNICITY SOURCE: OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS, SERU SURVEYS

the value of differences on campus, but the University could create more opportunities throughout the entire year to emphasize that idea. Biomedical engineering freshman Najmo Aden, who is a member of the Al-Madinah Cultural Center, said she appreciates the space the University offers for cultural groups, adding that students could do more to embrace the existing diversity on campus. “A lot of people hang out with people that look like themselves,” she said. Lony agreed that students are an important piece to the puzzle and said she would like to see more discussions on diversity at the student level. “That’s a very important conversation to have,” she said. “I think we need to be conscious of other people’s experiences.”

Six implicated in National Guard bribery scheme BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Six people were implicated Wednesday in contract-rigging schemes involving the briber y of National Guard of ficials, and three individuals have pleaded guilty, prosecutors said. The Department of Justice unveiled the charges the individuals face in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Court documents show the schemes involved two businesses headed by retired National Guardsmen, one from Minnesota and another from Virginia. Prosecutors say both businesses bribed National Guard officials to award contracts to certain minority-owned businesses. They say the businesses that provided the bribes then did the actual work and got much of the money. Prosecutors say National Guard officials got thousands of dollars in bribes through the schemes and that a total of $14.6 million in contracts was improperly awarded. Two of the businesses allegedly paying the bribes were named Wednesday. One of the business owners involved in a scheme to bribe officials was Timothy Bebus of Forest Lake, Minnesota, cour t documents show. Prosecutors identified him as a retired sergeant major of the Minnesota Army National Guard.

Documents unsealed Wednesday show Bebus has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit briber y and briber y of a public official. His sister Julianne Hubbell, who worked with him, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery. Bebus’ lawyer declined to comment Wednesday. Hubbell’s attorney, Thomas B. Walsh, called his client, who did administrative work, “collateral damage,” because she was associated with her brother and had awareness of what was going on. Prosecutors identified another business involved in a similar scheme as Financial Solutions of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and its CEO as retired National Guard Col. Charles Sines. He is now charged with conspiracy to bribe a public of ficial and briber y of a public official. An online court record system did not list an attorney for him. Prosecutors allege Sines paid a then active-duty National Guard colonel, Robert Porter, a percentage of all contracts Porter steered to Fi n an ci al S o l u ti o n s through minority-owned businesses. Prosecutors say Por ter, a resident of Columbia, Mar yland, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit briber y and briber y of a public official. Porter’s attorney did not immediately return a telephone call Wednesday afternoon.

Mexico: Alleged drug boss captured BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MEXICO CITY — Military special forces grabbed alleged cartel leader Hector Beltran Leyva during a lightning raid at a restaurant Wednesday, Mexican federal officials said, announcing the latest in a string of high-profile drug arrests in the country. The purported head of the Beltran Levya drug gang was captured in a seafood eatery in San Miguel de Allende, a city in the central state of Guanajuato that is a popular enclave for foreigners. No shots were fired in the brief operation, which culminated an 11-month investigation, federal criminal investigations chief Tomas Zeron said at an evening news conference. The arrest comes just months after the capture of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the elusive boss of the Sinaloa cartel, which is considered the most powerful drug gang in Mexico. He was caught in February after more than a decade on the run following his escape from prison. Hector Beltran Leyva, 49, is said to have assumed leadership of the Beltran Leyva cartel after his brother Arturo was killed by Mexican troops in a shootout in late 2009. Two other brothers are behind bars for their involvement in the cartel. The gang terrorized parts of central Mexico for years, including Morelos state to the south of Mexico City, although it declined somewhat after the brothers’ arrests and killing. Last November, the U.S. Treasury Department said the cartel appeared to be reorganizing and regaining some power. “Obviously this is not the Beltran Leyvas’ organization in its strongest moment ... but it continues to be a criminal organization capable of generating localized violence in some states,” Mexican security expert Jorge Chabat said. Hector Beltran Leyva has been indicted in courts in the District of Columbia and New York. U.S. authorities have offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his capture. Mexico had offered its own bounty of 30 million pesos, about $3.7 million.


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