THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2018
LATE WEEK
MNDAILY.COM
POLITICS
STUDENT LIFE
Surge in U activity for midterms
The University’s Overwatch team is nationally ranked in its preseason.
Many on campus are door knocking, phone banking and working on elections this year. BY ISABELLA MURRAY imurray@mndaily.com
Ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections, organizations around the University of Minnesota have tracked an uptick in student political involvement. Enthusiasm for voting and political involvement has increased, evidenced by door knocking numbers, voter registration and conversations between political groups and students around campus. Republican, Democratic and nonpartisan student groups have made efforts to mobilize the student voting base this election cycle. “This year, I’ve seen more students become involved than any other year previous year I’ve been in politics,” said Rep. Jennifer Schultz, DFL-Duluth, a University of Minnesota-Duluth economics professor. “I’ve seen more students want to actually engage, with door knocking, phone banking, volunteering on campaigns.” College Republicans at the University estimate they’ve knocked on about 12,000 doors since the start of the fall semester and have made about 25,000 calls on behalf of their endorsed candidates. This data is pooled together from individual College Republicans’ accounts on two different door-knocking apps and a phone-banking app, including members of the club who also work with groups like the Congressional Leadership Fund and House Republican Campaign Committee.
JACK RODGERS, DAILY
Siouxsie Steengrafe plays a game of Overwatch with the University esports team, which is nationally ranked in its preseason, on Sunday, Oct. 28. Steengrafe uses the computer game as a creative outlet for her competitive nature.
Esports finds footing at UMN
u See MIDTERMS Page 4
CAMPUS
U members left out of St. Paul campus revamp
JACK RODGERS, DAILY
Left: Noah Wrolson plays a game of Overwatch with the University esports team on Sunday, Oct. 28. The team engages in competitive play once a week against schools across the country. Right: James Han poses at his desk before a game of Overwatch with the UMN team. Each game takes 45 minutes to an hour, and the team usually plays two during their weekly tournaments. BY JORDAN WILLAUER • jwillauer@mndaily.com u See ESPORTS Page 4
UMN faculty and students say they were not given enough say in the long-term plan. BY AUSTEN MACALUS amacalus@mndaily.com
During listening sessions about the future of the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus, many members expressed support for the University’s plans. However, some faculty and staff said they’ve felt left out of the planning process. Last week, the University hosted two community listening sessions for the St. Paul Campus Strategic Facilities Plan, a long-term development plan that started last spring to revamp the campus over the next 30 years. The last session is planned for this Thursday. “For a long time people have been talking about, ‘How do we give St. Paul campus some juice?’” said Monique MacKenzie, the University’s director of space management, at a session last week. “It’s always the poor cousin, it’s always in the shadow of Minneapolis.” MacKenzie said the listening sessions were one of the first engagements on the topic with the community at large. She said the University has worked with individual colleges — including the College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences, the only college housed entirely on the St. Paul campus — to receive feedback on the plan. Forty percent of University staff, students and community members on the St. Paul campus are affiliated with CFANS, according to University survey of the campus last spring. Members at the listening session brought up a variety of issues to be addressed, including improving campus life and community engagement in St. Paul, expanding dining options on campus and preserving affordable housing options like the Commonwealth Terrace Cooperative. Sally Lightner, a lab coordinator with the College of Veterinary Medicine, said recent outreach efforts targeted at faculty were helpful. Lightner attended the meeting last Wednesday, but she said she would have liked to be more involved in the process, a concern echoed by other faculty and staff on the St. Paul campus. “Aside from the surveys, there really hasn’t been any more opportunities that I know of,” she said. One of Lightner’s main concerns is the outdated classrooms on campus, which she called “not conducive for learning.” u See ST. PAUL Page 4
NEIGHBORHOODS
Student government advocates for street lighting in Dinkytown MSA aims to add lighting for streets in the greaterDinkytown area to increase BY MICHELLE GRIFFITH mgriffith@mndaily.com
University of Minnesota students are advocating for more lighting in the Dinkytown area in an effort to increase a sense of safety for pedestrians. The Minnesota Student Association
has an ongoing initiative to add lighting to neighborhood streets that are mostly in the dark — an effort that aims to help people feel safer and deter offenders from committing a crime. MSA is petitioning to add lighting to Fifth Street Southeast near Dinkytown, an area where a student was assaulted and robbed last month. MSA is currently gathering support from local landowners, who will ultimately decide whether to add more lights. “Right now, we are kind of focused on the main walking paths and the … foot-traffic
streets in the Dinkytown area,” said Grant Simons, an MSA committee coordinator and leader of the project. Simons said MSA’s advocacy efforts were not in response to the assault and robbery last month. Some of the other streets MSA plans to add lighting to are Eighth Street Southeast and Sixth Street Southeast. Its goal is to add pedestrian lighting to every street in the greater-Dinkytown area, Simons said. u See LIGHTING Page 7
CITY
On the other side of Hiawatha Avenue, life in a tent city Some University students are trying to reach out to the encampment near campus. BY TIFFANY BUI tbui@mndaily.com
Two miles from the University of Minnesota campus, a homeless community has taken refuge within rows of tents alongside a highway wall. The makeshift homes line Franklin and Hiawatha avenues outside the CedarRiverside neighborhood and have collectively been dubbed the “Wall of Forgotten Natives” for the encampment’s large population of American Indians. Many have a myriad of reasons for how they ended up at the Wall, but all residents face significant barriers to stable housing. On Sunday morning, camp was beginning to awaken. Residents, including families and children, milled about. When University graduate student Kristina Tester arrived carrying an armful of chicken, they greeted her with a smile. Ellen Eagle Tail, a Natives Against Heroin volunteer, looked on as residents lined up for breakfast. Although the line seems fairly long, there are many more in the camp, said Eagle Tail. According to the camp blog’s last count, there are 207 tents
TONY SAUNDERS, DAILY
Kristina Tester, right, Marley Molcjan and Kara Lillehaug hand out food to people on Sunday, Oct. 28 at the homeless encampment in Minneapolis. A large group of homeless individuals has set up tents alongside Hiawatha Avenue.
at the site. After about 15 minutes, the food was gone. Eagle Tail and her husband are at the Wall nearly every day, distributing food and supplies and patrolling the camp at night.
“It’s like a big family,” she said. “The first time I drove out here, I cried.” Tester, who is studying for her law u See HIAWATHA Page 7
VOLUME 119 ISSUE 18
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2018
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Thursday, November 1, 2018 Vol. 119 No. 18
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Maggie Rogers performs at First Avenue and 7th Entry on Monday, Oct. 29 in Minneapolis.
UMN meme student group forms “UMN Memes for Frozen Northern Teens” has grown to over 2,500 members. BY HELEN SABROWSKY hsabrowsky@mndaily.com
Internet memes have become a staple of college social media, and many students have created unofficial meme pages to post content related to the everyday life of college students. The University of Minnesota is no different. Created “on a whim” in 2016, the Facebook page “UMN Memes for Frozen Northern Teens” has expanded to include over 2,500 members and sparked the creation of a student group this fall. The page, created by University junior Ben Philbin and his friend, aims to build a low-commitment and accessible community for University students. “When I made the page, I didn’t think it would be this complicated. ... I initially thought it was just going to be this funny little thing, that we get 25 members and that’s it, but now it’s a thing that I can put on my resume,” Philbin said. The new student group, dubbed the Campus Meme Society, meets every Thursday. The group wants to collaborate with groups like the
Anthropology Club and an economics club to study the cultural and economic effects of memes, said Andy Columbus, a University freshman and president of the club. Columbus said he and Philbin started the student group after students expressed interest and because it allows an online group to meet and build connections in person. “It’s very cool to get to meet all of these people who I haven’t been able to meet inperson before,” Philbin said. Memes build a sense of community and can connect people within a subculture, according to Bret Bowers, an assistant professor in the English, Rhetoric and Writing Department at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, who has written about the cultural effects of memes. Bowers said his students have sent him memes that relate to him and his class. While memes can focus on specific topics, they can also be used to reflect the general attitude and mood of students on larger campus issues, he said. The University student group has already used memes to comment on campus issues. In October, the University College Republicans wrote on its Washington Avenue Bridge panel that “the proposed pronoun policy
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mocks real social issues.” The panel was later vandalized. In response to the College Republicans mural, the Campus Meme Society — who decided to paint a panel last minute — wrote, “Campus Meme Society mocks real student groups,” Columbus said. While both the Facebook group and student group try to stay away from posting and discussing political content, Columbus said the
group chose the message to show that words have consequences. Bowers said this is similar to “culture jamming.” Culture jamming is an art movement that emerged in the ‘60s and ‘70s, where people vandalized billboards to look like real advertisements to critique a social or ethical issue associated with a company. “Memes provide us simple templates for people to
produce really quickly … we see more and more memes being used as a way to critique, but also as a way to show identification,” Bowers said. Ultimately, the student group and the meme page aim to grow a healthy and supportive community, Columbus said. “You can always come to us … to make you feel better for 20 seconds … that’s worth it for us,” he said.
Medical Center expansion starts next phase Patients and visitors at the East Bank location are dealing with disruptions. BY MEGAN PALMER mpalmer@mndaily.com
The University of Minnesota Medical Center expansion is entering its second phase this month, which will increase congestion near the East Bank Hospital. The $111 million project began in the summer and will continue into late 2020. The second phase of construction, which began in October, will focus on renovating the main
entrance and lobby of the East Bank Medical Center. Visitors are facing an increase in disruption in the area, though construction workers are trying to redirect the flow of traffic and pedestrians to keep disruption in the area to a minimum. Ac c e s s i b i l i t y t o t h e building will become an even bigger issue in the coming weeks as the northbound lane on Harvard Street will be closed Nov. 5 through Nov. 9 due to construction. An anonymous security guard who works at the University Medical Center said that the lane closure coupled with the construction will anger
EDITORIAL BOARD Ray Weishan Editorials & Opinions Editor rweishan@mndaily.com Ariana Wilson Editorial Board Member awilson@mndaily.com Hailey Almstead Editorial Board Member halmstead@mndaily.com Kelly Busche Editor-in-Chief kbusche@mndaily.com
and confuse patients. “A lot of the [patients] a r e n ’ t f ro m t h e c i t y , they’re from out of town,” the security guard said. “They’re already having a hard time finding us. It causes a lot of anxiety.” The construction proje ct i s h e a de d b y F a i r view Health Services, the health provider that runs the University Medical Center. The construction project will include renovations of both the East Bank and West Bank Medical Center campuses and focus on creating a larger emergency department, upgraded operating rooms and a renovation of the nursing units. Another
addition to the Medical Center will be new MRI technology, which uses real-time imaging to guide complex procedures such as brain tumor removals. Earlier this year, the University, Fairview and University of Minnesota Physicians announced a partnership that would bring together the Medical Center and Fairview’s 11 hospitals and 56 clinics into a single health care delivery system. The combined system, called M Health Fairview, will launch in 2019. The Medical Center construction underway is needed to help serve an increasing patient
population and to advance health care innovation, said Eric Schubert, a Fairview spokesperson. “[The center is] a health care destination for people needing the specialized services academic medicine offers,” he said. Freshman Angie Dimitrov lives in Centennial Hall near the East Bank Medical Center. She said the construction on the Medical Center and on Pioneer Hall across the street is not too disruptive. “Sometimes in the mornings I will hear construction going on, b u t it al w ay s ge t s m e out of bed for my 8 a.m.,” Dimitrov said.
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Thursday, November 1, 2018
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UMN develops inclusive learning program The pilot program is being implemented in schools across the state of Maryland. BY CHUYING XIE cxie@mndaily.com
Researchers at the University are rolling out a program to help make learning environments more inclusive for students with significant cognitive disabilities. The University’s TIES Center is in the process of conducting a pilot program in Maryland that aims to level the educational playing
field between students with disabilities and their peers. If the five-year program is successful, the center hopes to move on to national implementation. “So often students with most significant cognitive disabilities, there are low expectations for them. They don’t really have the opportunities to high-quality instruction that they really should. We felt there was a real need for more inclusion of this population in general education classrooms,” said Sheryl Lazarus, director of the TIES Center and lead researcher of the program. Lazarus and researchers
from the University’s National Center on Educational Outcomes met with a team of educators, partner organizations and education departments in Maryland earlier this month to plan the project and select schools for the pilot program. The program is receiving a $2 million grant each year of implementation from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs. Funding started in September 2017 and will continue for five years, Lazarus said. As a part of the program, researchers will train teachers on how to engage with students who have cognitive
disabilities. Part of the training includes informational packets teaching instructors on how they interact with students. “If you are going to test kids and have high expectations for what they are going to learn, you also need instructional materials that will help and support teachers in instructing this population,” Lazarus said. The center is trying to ask teachers to look for the needs of each student individually, said Maci Brown, a former special education teacher and graduate research assistant in the center. The program is also pro-
moting the integration of students with cognitive disabilities and special education teachers into general classrooms. Brown said teachers hoping to create inclusive classrooms face the difficulty of tolerating challenging behaviors while supporting students. “Students with disabilities are missing out on taking meaningful participation in the classrooms and students without disabilities are also missing out on communicating with these peers too,” Brown said. “People with disabilities are members of our society and they should be able to have the same
educational opportunities as the rest of us,” she said. Amanda Shopa, a former teacher and another graduate research assistant for the center, met with local school administrators and teachers in Maryland this month to discuss the implementation of the program. “The most important thing is getting to talk to people who are in that space otherwise you’ve got too distant of a view and you can’t necessarily see what they need,” Shopa said. Two school districts in Maryland will become the first sites to implement the program in 2019.
University to review treatment of non-tenure faculty Concerns regarding non-tenure track faculty’s treatment on campus continue. BY AUSTEN MACALUS amacalus@mndaily.com
Members of the Faculty Senate are taking a deeper look at how the University of Minnesota treats non-tenure faculty amidst ongoing concerns and questions about their role on campus. The Faculty Consultative Committee has made the issue one of their main priorities for the semester. This year, the committee has been gathering non-tenure faculty together to listen to their experiences at the University and determine the best steps forward. Joseph Konstan, chair of the FCC, said he was interested in exploring non-tenure faculty after the failed Academics United union movement, in which many employees expressed discontent with working conditions and treatment on campus. “[There] were some significant allegations that those folks, who are an important part of our
University and … who deliver a large part of our instruction, were being poorly treated,” he said. “We said, let’s take a little time to investigate.” Konstan said he’s heard a diverse viewpoints — some positive, others more critical — from non-tenure members, which includes a wide range of University employees like instructors, teaching specialists and academic professionals. “It appears that, in general, the practices have been very good, but there are isolated areas … where the complaints we’ve heard suggest there may be behavior that’s detrimental to the institution as a whole,” Konstan said. The committee hosted several panels of non-tenure faculty during FCC’s annual retreat before the start of the school year. Konstan said many of those on the panel were content with their situations, but some non-tenure faculty were unhappy with their contract structure that determines the workload and benefits they receive. Some faculty members, Konstan said, were working more hours than they receive benefits for. “Somebody can be working here 30 to 40 hours a week and be treated as
part-time and not eligible for benefits because the number of course that they’re assigned to doesn’t correspond to a full time load,” he said. Others expressed frustration with how they were assigned to teach courses; Konstan pointed out one example of an instructor called in to teach a week before classes started. “One of the messages that was very clear is that there’s very little consistency here,” Konstan said. “Our university’s policy allow a lot of latitude.” University policy specifies the details of academic appointments, including the length of contracts and how much notice is given to faculty when their contracts are non-renewed. However, there are many classifications and categories for non-tenure faculty across the University, which can lead to differing experiences among faculty, said Rebecca Ropers-Huilman, the University’s vice provost for faculty and academic affairs. “Different colleges do understand these categories differently,” she said. Ropers-Huilman said that non-tenure faculty often provide greater flexibility
for colleges, which often deal with changing financial circumstances. But she said that University policy provides stability and support for nontenure faculty. The University grants most non-tenure faculty a nine-month or 12-month renewable contract, although some contracts are for longer periods of time, according to University policy. However, Ropers-Huilman said that some schools at the University, including the College of Liberal Arts, are providing faculty with longer, multi-year contracts, which provide more stability. Marta Shore, a non-tenure instructor in the School of Public Health, is excited to see renewed interest in the issue. “I think it’s moving in the right direction,” Shore said. She was one of the members on FCC’s panels, which she said provided good insight on the diversity of opinions at the University. Shore left the University in 2015 to work a union job because of frustrations with her working conditions. At the time, she was in a different department, teaching four classes and working as an academic adviser.
ELLEN SCHMIDT, DAILY
Lecturer Marta Shore addresses false negatives in her graduate level biostatistics course on Monday, Feb. 26 in Bruininks Hall.
Shore said she was expected to work far more than her contract stated, and sometimes her nine-month contract wasn’t renewed until a week or two before the semester started. “It was a lot of uncertainty. A lot of expectation of work without knowing for sure what was going to happen,” Shore said. “And that general feeling of ‘I’m the last priority.’” Shore, who came back to the University in 2017, said she would like to see more conversation about nontenure faculty on campus. “I think there’s just kind
of a general lack at the University of how we’re going to see this role and how do we support these people in their role,” she said.
“It was a lot of uncertainty. A lot of expectation of work without knowing for sure what was going to happen.” MARTA SHORE non-tenure instructor
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Thursday, November 1, 2018
Esports u from Page 1
When Siouxsie Steengrafe is not in class or playing for the club lacrosse team, she is healing her teammates and racking up kills on a virtual battlefield as a member of the University’s nationally-ranked Overwatch team. The popular video game, a team-based shooter, is a core component of the growing esports culture at the University of Minnesota. The team is currently in its preseason, fighting for seeding against other schools like Arizona State University and Texas Tech University. During the preseason, members of the team play two matches a week every Sunday. Competitive Overwatch is a growing trend at the University, with five other University squads in addition to the main team competing in the national tournament. The members of the top team practice from two to five hours a week. Practices range from playing the game solo or with friends, watching professionals online or
St. Paul u from Page 1
Approximately 59 percent of St. Paul campus space is in poor or critical condition, according to the University’s capital project management team. The campus is projected to need around $951 million of investments in the next 10 years. “It’s a campus that has not been invested in in terms of its physical facilities, and those of you who work here know that every day,” MacKenzie said at the meeting. The strategic plan hopes to address this issue, calling for renovations to old building; updates to classrooms, labs and research spaces; and adding more active learning classrooms, which many faculty and staff expressed support for at the meeting. “I’m glad they’re putting energy toward spiffing this place up,” she said. “Because [the campus] needs it.” Julie Grossman, a professor
JACK RODGERS, DAILY
James Han plays a game of Overwatch with the University esports team on Sunday, Oct. 28. While Han typically serves as the team’s manager, he is filling in for a sick teammate during this Sunday tournament.
reviewing tape from previous matches. Every week, the six-member team groups up to scrimmage against other teams. “Friday evenings [are] when we currently have our practice times. We use that time to scrim a team, preferably higher in overall
of horticultural science, would like to see more space for collaboration between researchers on campus, an issue that strategic plan addresses. Goose filled out a survey on research collaboration last spring, but she’s hoping for more engagement with University members throughout the planning process. “I would have like to have seen [the plan] involve faculty in a bigger way, a more intentional way,” she said. “This is the point when more voices need to be brought in, especially from faculty, beyond just a survey.” MacKenzie said that there will be more outreach efforts as renovations come closer to fruition. The finalized plan is expected to be completed in December and presented to the Board of Regents in February, but actual construction won’t take place for another several years. “We [typically] have very deep engagement for the people in the building and colleges involved,” as well as
ranking, typically another school,” said James Han, a senior who serves as coach and captain for the team. A collegiate esports company called Tespa oversees the online Overwatch Collegiate Championship tournament, where more than 300 colleges submit teams
“It’s a campus that has not been invested in in terms of its physical facilities, and those of you who work here know that every day.” MONIQUE MACKENZIE University director of space management
community members, MacKenzie said of past capital management projects at the University. She expects engagement will continue as plans for St. Paul move along. At the meeting last Wednesday, MacKenzie stressed the long-term nature of the plan. “The importance of a framework plan … is to set up objectives, to set up values and to give us a course,” MacKenzie said.
to compete for scholarship money. Last academic year, participants competed for over $120,000 in scholarships. An experienced competitor in the game, senior Noah Wrolson said he doesn’t get nervous before playing in matches.
Midterms u from Page 1
“We’re door-knocking and phone-banking pretty much full time,” said Megan Olson, president of conservative student group Turning Point USA. Data from College Republicans indicated meeting attendance is up around 50 percent this semester from spring 2018, with an average of 50 members per meeting. “The midterms are like a blown-up version of the presidential election,” Olson said. College Democrats at the University of Minnesota said their student base has made around 6,000 phone calls, had about 2,100 conversations with people on behalf of their candidates and has gotten over 1,300 students to pledge to vote. This includes numbers pooled from College Democrats, Students for Ilhan Omar and the DFL Youth-Coordinated Campaign. It does
“I just go out and do my thing,” Wrolson said. “I’ve got a feel for the game, I kind of know what to expect. [I] don’t get too surprised.” Wrolson’s calming voice and relaxed demeanor contrast with the aggressive role he plays on the team. Wrolson said he loves being on the front line, leading the charge and crashing into the enemy team to help his team win. “I never played sports, but I liked competing,” he said. Before joining the Overwatch team, Steengrafe said she became interested in competitive gaming while watching esports at GopherCon, an annual University esports tournament. “It was really similar to watching a regular sporting event. I really enjoy the environment,” she said. Steengrafe said seeing players compete on a stage made her want to see if she could do the same. Overwatch is the game that caught her attention. Steengrafe said she feels esports are becoming more mainstream and similar to other sports. “Sometimes you can watch [esports]
tournaments or games at a sports bar,” she said. Colin Agur, a journalism professor who teaches the class “Digital Games and Society,” said he feels parent companies of competitive video games target college campuses to market to more people. “The companies know they have something that excites people and they’re trying to excite more people,” he said. Agur said the esports professional environment is different than other sports because the companies who produce the games are running the tournaments. “If it’s done right, [esports are] relatively cheap and [are] a worthwhile addition to the University’s collegiate sports,” Agur said. The University’s Overwatch team is competing in preseason matches until Nov. 16, Steengrafe said. The championship tournament won’t be held until spring of 2019. During their off time, the team will be busy practicing and building the team. “I think we have the potential to do really well,” Steengrafe said.
not include numbers from individual students working for campaigns or organizations. “Normally it’s like pulling teeth to get people to knock on doors, but in the last couple of weeks especially, we’ve seen a lot of engagement,” said Michaela Muza, campus organizer with the DFL Youth-Coordinated Campaign. These political student groups invite their candidates to meetings to boost interest. At a College Republicans meeting in October, Senate candidate Sen. Karin Housley, R-St. Mary’s Point, spoke to members before phone banking. “Students don’t want to be phone banking,” said College Republicans President John Cannon. “Having Karin here brings the students.” College Democrats have had candidates like Angie Craig and Ilhan Omar attend their meetings. Nonpartisan student groups like the Minnesota
Student Association are also looking to increase student engagement. In October, MSA held their annual Voterpalooza event to promote voter turnout, where 312 students were registered. In 2017, that number was 163. MSA promotes voter turnout through social media, supplying handouts in dorms and participating in the homecoming parade. “One thing that I’ve especially noticed this year is that students are much more willing and much more excited to talk to you. When you had people flyers and when you try to get people to register to vote, they’re not always super receptive,” said Christina Laridaen, MSA Government and Legislative affairs advocacy coordinator. Student leaders hope this momentum continues after the election. “Once people are elected, we need to be holding them accountable,” Muza said. “We’re hoping to keep student engagement high.”
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2018
ART
Pulling strings with Liz Howls CULTURE TO CONSUME BY KSENIA GORINSHTEYN
Listen to this: “I Need to Start a Garden” by Haley Heynderickx Even though this album came out in the spring, Heynderickx’s haunting yet gritty songs set the perfect mood as we transition into November. The album is acoustic and Heynderickx’s airy voice is enchanting. Get yourself in a cozy mood and light some candles — this album will make you never want to leave your bed.
Drink this: Lots and lots of herbal tea It’s getting to that point in the year when everyone in class is sniffling and getting sick. What better way to avoid that and also keep yourself warm than some herbal tea? Mint, lemon ginger or whatever your preference is, herbal tea will be your best friend as the cold slowly approaches.
Start this: “The Argument” by The New York Times Many are familiar with the New York Times’ podcast “The Daily,” and their newest weekly addition is just as informative. Three of the newspaper’s opinion writers, each from different sides of the political spectrum, discuss the biggest stories of the week and argue about them.
CULTURE COMPASS BY KSENIA GORINSHTEYN
Friday: “A Cappell-Off” The “A Capell-Off” returns for another year, with five a capella groups competing for a $250 cash prize. The night will be jam-packed with a capella renditions of your favorite classics. 7Days A Cappella, Urban Sound, The Enchantments and Basses Wild will compete against last year’s winners, Vocal U. The event is completely free and open only to University of Minnesota students.
Where: Coffman Union Theater, 300 Washington Ave. SE., Minneapolis Hours: 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Cost: Free
Saturday:
JERUSA NYAKUNDI, DAILY
Professional Puppeteer Liz Howls demonstrates a part of her show on Friday, Oct. 26. Schachterle performs shows in the Minneapolis area.
Howls is a U of M graduate, a creative performer and a seasoned puppeteer. BY LIV MARTIN omartin@mndaily.com
When Liz Howls was a child in Iowa, her father brought home a refrigerator box and cut a hole in it. Just like that, the young Howls had her first puppet theater. She loved putting on productions for her parents in their living room, using the cloth puppets her mother already had from her job as a children’s librarian. In fifth grade, Howls saw a puppet show and talked to the puppeteers afterwards. “I introduced myself as a puppeteer, because I was doing shows in my living room,” Howls said, laughing. Smitten by Howls’ gusto, they invited her to the annual children’s puppetry festival hosted by Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre Company at the Iowa City Public Library. There, children were
Anna Stine released her debut album “Company of Now” on Sunday, Oct. 28.
The Walker Art Center is featuring a new exhibit called “Siah Armajani: Follow This Line” for their monthly “Free First Saturday.” Go check out the newly refurbished Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge, which connects Loring Park to the Sculpture Garden. The day will also include a drag story hour with Doña Pepa, Old Man Zimmer and their special guest Queen Utica.
When singer-songwriter Anna Stine first moved to the Twin Cities in the summer of 2015, she found solace in the lakes near her South Minneapolis apartment. The lakes became a place for introspection in an unfamiliar city. “I remember a lot of times just sitting with really uncomfortable emotions,” Stine said. “It was almost like the lakes became this companion to me.” Stine grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and moved to Minneapolis to continue a career in music therapy. Her relationship with music began at a very young age; her mother is a piano teacher. “Some of my earliest memories were eavesdropping on the steps during her lessons and listening to her teach and just yearning to learn music,” Stine said. This relationship only became stronger and more intimate as Stine grew older. She began songwriting in high school as a way to help process emotions and cope with mental health issues. “Music was the light for me,” Stine said. “I remember there being days where there was nothing that made sense, nothing helped, nothing that
“Improv A Go Go” Go have a laugh at Huge Theater on Sunday, pretending as if the next day were not the start of another week of class. This lottery-based improv showcase welcomes comedians and performers from anywhere and everywhere. Get to know the local improv community every Sunday night, four groups at a time.
Where: Huge Theater, 3037 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis Hours: 8 p.m. Cost: Pay what you like
Howls has worked with a variety of puppet types, from miniature marionettes to the 10-foot-tall legs of Alice from “Alice in Wonderland.” She is also well-versed in the art of shadow puppetry. For her piece “Music Box,” Howls hand-cut hundreds of pieces of paper and used a “cranky” – a 40-foot-long scroll of paper moved by a hand lever. Dialogue-less, the show follows the life of a man with a crow’s head. He walks through different environments, seeking answers. Howls sees herself as a character in this piece too, even if she’s behind the scenes. “Watching her create shadow puppetry is amazing. ... It takes hours to make several cut-outs that are only part of a show for about 30 seconds,” said Stacy Schultz, a friend of Howls and a former stage manager at Open Eye. More recently, Howls has been a mentor to adult beginner puppeteers in the “New Puppetworks” program at Monkeybear’s Harmolodic
Workshop, a nonprofit that nurtures Native American and people of color in puppetry. She is an expert at helping people find their vision and then put it into practice. “One of the participants in last year’s New Puppetworks program … it had been months and he hadn’t started [making his puppet show].” said Chamindika Wanduragala, artistic director of Monkeybear. “[Howls] met with him frequently up until production time, and that’s what got him to push through. Her guidance in that process was exactly what he needed.” Howls’ colleague Schultz has known her for nine years, from Howls’ days working on Full Moon, to her six years at Open Eye and now as a mentor and independent, multidisciplinary creative. “I’ve really seen Liz grow in a lot of ways as an artist. She’s had good mentors in her day and she knows exactly what it means to be a good mentor,” Schultz said. “She has that drive to help other people succeed.”
Local musician shares songs of growth and healing BY KSENIA GORINSHTEYN kgorinshteyn@mndaily.com
Sunday:
create. With her friend, she came up with a novel idea: creating a puppet show every full moon. The “Full Moon Puppet Show” was a smash hit, especially among young adults. Its viewers could purchase beer and enjoy live music. For a while, the show was based at Bedlam Theatre. When that space became unavailable, “Full Moon” packed up and moved into backyards, empty warehouses and gardens. One time, the troupe even made a stage out of snow. For three years, Howls and her quirky friend group put on one “Full Moon” show per month. During this time, Howls’ also found a home at Open Eye Figure Theatre. Run by her former professor, Sommers, and his partner Susan Haas, the theater is known for its unconventional, community-oriented style. “I feel the notion of legacy. Liz has taken what she can from us and learned what she can, but she’s taking it and making her own,” Sommers said.
MUSIC
“Free First Saturday: Building Bridges”
Where: Walker Art Center, 725 Vineland Pl., Minneapolis Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost: Free
encouraged to perform their own work. “I made my refrigerator box a lot fancier. And I had this big question, ‘If you dug a hole all the way to China, would you come out head-first or feet-first?’” Howls said. Compared to the other productions – most of which were put on by entire classrooms – Howls’ show with her neighborhood friend went above and beyond expectations. At the University of Minnesota, Howls ma jored in art. She was also involved in the theater department, where she met professor and longtime mentor Michael Sommers. Minneapolis provided Howls with the perfect setting to flourish as a puppeteer and performer. Here, there are more independent puppetry companies than most cities can claim. Straight out of college and high off an apprenticeship at Bread and Puppet Theater, a more than 50-year-old company located on a farm in Vermont, Howls was ready to
gave me any sort of hope. That was when I would sit down and write something and find myself again.” Stine’s songwriting was more than a hobby — it was an outlet, a way she could explore her own experiences and be present. About a year ago, Stine decided to flip her life around and focus more on her music career. With that intention in mind, she set out to record an album. Released this week, “Company of Now,” resembles the musical styles of Norah Jones and Billie Holiday, combining jazz instrumentals with Stine’s blues-y melodic voice. “As far as being an artist, it’s definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Stine said. Last winter, Stine performed at open mics and small shows around the Twin Cities, searching for people to collaborate with. At one of those shows she met Robert Bell, another local musician, who became her producer. “I knew when I was talking to her, that something was going to happen between us,” Bell said. “There was definitely … an immediate connection.” Bell had been looking to work with a singer-songwriter at the time but didn’t have a clear idea of the direction he wanted to go. “[Stine] said, ‘Well whatever it is, it’s right here,’” Bell said. “Those were her words. I remember it. ‘Whatever it is, it’s right here.’”
After about 10 months of mixing, mastering and writing, “Company of Now” was released on Sunday. The album still retains a lot of the themes Stine wrote about in her early years, but this time wiser. “I’m still writing about the valleys and the mountains, the ups and the downs, the heavy emotions,” Stine said. “It wasn’t until I realized that emotions don’t go away until you befriend them … [that] was when I really saw a transformation in my life.” Stine draws on nature in her lyrics. She recalls a solo backpacking trip to Utah’s Canyonlands that inspired a lot of the album. “I got totally lost in the desert by myself. I didn’t have enough water. I was very under prepared,” Stine said. “I was so amazed by how much life could flourish in a seemingly desolate place.” Growth became a theme both in the album and in making it. “For me, she’s not even the same person I knew when I first met her,” Bell said. “There are so many areas of growth and that’s what’s interesting. This entire process was nothing but growth and discomfort.” The album includes songs that Stine wrote while she was in college. In a way, it honors her past and points toward a better present and future. “When I was home last, [my family and I] put the CD in the car. We just had to stop the car because we started
JASMIN KEMP, DAILY
Minneapolis-based musician Anna Stine poses for a portrait on Monday, Oct. 29, on East Bank in Minneapolis.
crying together about [how far I’ve come], not only as a musician but just as a woman,’” Stine said. This is apparent in her live performances. The music appears to take over Stine as she moves across the stage, singing with intention. Stine’s Midwest tour begins in Minneapolis on Nov.
13 at Honey. In less than one year, Stine has created a record that invites listeners to move their feet and enjoy the present moment. “Recording this album and releasing this album has definitely been a rich experience,” Stine said. “Lots of mountain tops, lots of valleys.”
6
Sports
MNDAILY.COM
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2018
MN DAILY
MEN’S BASKETBALL
U set to start men’s basketball season Chemistry and competition have been the focus in training camp. BY NICK JUNGHEIM njungheim@mndaily.com
Building up to his team’s 2018-19 campaign, head coach Richard Pitino has challenged his players every day. The expectation this season is that Minnesota will compete for a Big Ten title, something the team was expected to do last year. Last season, the Gophers finished a disappointing 1517, winning four Big Ten games. Injuries decimated the roster, and Reggie Lynch’s dismissal left the team with little front court depth. This year, the Gophers have seen the return many familiar faces as well as key newcomers. The current roster appears comparable to the 2016-17 team, which was a fifth-seed in the NCAA Tournament, though players and coaches don’t see it that way. “I think that this team is a lot different,” said junior Michael Hurt. “That year [201617], we were a little more limited. I think this year we will have a lot more depth, which will be good. We can give the starters a little bit of a rest.” One important part of that depth will be bolstering the center position, where freshman Daniel Oturu will likely start immediately. Originally, redshirt sophomore Eric Curry was the probable starter at that position. Minnesota was excited to have Curry back
ELLEN SCHMIDT, DAILY
Guard Amir Coffey reaches out to block Northwestern forward Vick Law on Tuesday, Jan. 23, at Williams Arena.
after he missed the entire 2017-18 season after tearing multiple ligaments and his meniscus in his left knee. On Monday, Curry underwent surgery on that same knee and is expected to be out for four to six weeks. Still, the Gophers feel comfortable with Oturu in the lineup. The four-star recruit led Cretin-Derham Hall to the Minnesota AAAA state high school championship last year. At 6-foot-10, he has worlds of physical and athletic talent. For now, the coaches are focused on acclimating Oturu, as well as fellow fresh-
MEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW
VS MINNESOTA WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday
DULUTH WHERE: Williams Arena SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM
men Gabe Kalscheur and Jarvis Omersa, to the rigors of a Division-I workout program. “They all look good,” Pitino said of his freshmen. “Once you get to our level,
you have a nutritionist, you have a strength and conditioning coach. We’re monitoring their diet, we’re making sure they’re eating the right way. And then obviously a
strength and conditioning program, which most high schools just don’t have.” It’s not only the freshman who coaches have challenged, however. In preseason practices, a special practice jersey reading “I Practice Harder Than You” is given to the player that exhibits outstanding effort each week. “We do a plus-minus system,” Pitino said. “We total it up every day, and at the end of the week, whoever wins gets a jersey. It’s been very, very competitive.” Pitino mentioned senior Jordan Murphy and junior
Amir Coffey as the two players who have won the jersey almost every week. Coffey, who missed about half of last season with a shoulder injury, said he feels fully healthy and is excited to start the season. “I had to lift a little different because of my shoulder,” Coffey said. “I started to get my strength back, and I got back on the regular plan.” Minnesota hasn’t just stuck to traditional lifting. In September, Pitino brought in ex-military personnel to put the team through “The Program” workout, a series of challenges meant to develop personal strength as well as build teamwork. One of the highlights of the work is a series of exercises that take place in the pool, something that gave some players challenges. “The players were in the pool at 6 a.m.,” Pitino said. “We have four or five guys who can’t swim. They had to be able to trust their teammates.” The time in the pool brought the team closer together and gave them another opportunity for friendly competition. Players quickly discovered who among them could best handle the water. “The best swimmer, I’d probably say Brock [Stull],” Coffey said. “He could tread water for super long. I kept going to the side to catch my breath. I would say Brock or Brady [Rudrud], they were pretty good.” The team will be glad to play on dry hardwood when they take on Duluth Wednesday night in an exhibition game at Williams Arena.
WOMEN’S HOCKEY
Sophie Skarzynski returns to her natural position Skarzynski has spent most of her Minnesota career up on the front lines. BY ERIK NELSON enelson2@mndaily.com
When Minnesota’s season began on Sept. 28 against Mercyhurst, defender Sophie Skarzynski found her name on the lineup card at her natural position – defense. Skarzynski spent most of last season as a winger who occasionally played defense. Last season, she scored eight goals and recorded 27 points. The multi-talented player considers herself to be an
offensive defender who likes to join the rush. She said that she was too aggressive offensively last season and wants to pay more attention to defending. “I’m an aggressive player,” Skarzynski said. “Now that I’m back at D, I have to make sure I’m pinching at the right times.” Defender Patti Marshall is Skarzynski’s blue line partner. Associate head coach Joel Johnson formed the pair at the start of this season. Skarzynski said Marshall makes her look better on the ice. “She’s fast, a smart [defender], one of the smartest D partners I’ve ever played
WOMEN’S HOCKEY PREVIEW
VS MINNESOTA
BEMIDJI STATE
WHEN: 6:07 p.m. Friday 4:07 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Ridder Arena SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM
with in my career,” she said. “She’s got quick feet [and] good hockey smarts.” Marshall’s approach to hockey is the opposite of her defensive partner. She considers herself to be a stay-athome defender. Marshall said Skarzynski’s helps her become more involved with the attack. “That’s cool getting a forward’s perspective from that,” Marshall said. “It’s cool learning from her.” While statistics track Skarzynki’s goals and assists, they don’t track her commitment to teammates and the community. Skarzynski is a member of the University Student-Athlete Advisory committee. Head coach Brad Frost said Skarzynski has grown as a leader on the team since her first season and hits the ice with a smile on her face. “When she first got here, she was a wild card – loud, boisterous and immature,” Frost said. “As the years have gone on, she’s become more mature.” As a senior, Skarzynski mentors younger players,
JACK RODGERS, DAILY
Senior Sophie Skarzynski looks to pass the puck at Ridder Arena on Friday, Oct. 19.
including defenders Gracie Ostertag and Crystalyn Hengler. Right winger Grace Zumwinkle said Skarzynski set an example for last year’s freshmen and will continue to do so this year. “[Freshman year] is a daunting first few months,” Zumwinkle said. “You’re trying to juggle hockey, school [and] being away from home. She did a great job of making sure all the freshmen were OK with school. She took us
under her wing.” Even though she likes to play offensively, Skarzynki’s main responsibility is to prevent goals rather than score them. This season, Skarzynski and the Gophers defense have held opponents to 16 goals in 10 games for an average of 1.6 goals against per game. Minnesota has allowed three goals or more in only two games. Skarzynski said she prides herself on approaching every game like it’s game
seven of the Stanley Cup final. “Everyone playing against us is going to give it their best,” she said. “You can’t take a game for granted.” Marshall said Skarzynski is easy to play with and has a burning passion for hockey. “She always comes to the rink with authentic energy,” she said. “It definitely lifts everyone else up. If someone’s having a bad day, she’ll be there to get them out of their funk.”
FOOTBALL
Gophers still learning how to close games after first Big Ten win Minnesota scored in the final minutes to seal the victory against Indiana. BY PAUL HODOWANIC phodowanic@mndaily.com
On Friday night against Indiana, the Gophers found themselves in uncharted territory this season. With a 21-9 lead at halftime, they were in the lead after two quarters for the first time since their last non-conference game against Miami (OH). It was also just the second time they had a lead in a conference game this season, the first coming in the second quarter against Ohio State. Through three quarters, the Gophers held a 31-9 lead and looked to be on their way to a convincing win — one that would silence many critics, end their 4-game losing streak and be their first Big Ten win of the season. “I kept reminding them that we were up big, we were kicking butt, we were doing
a great job. We just have to continue to go back to what we were doing before,” said senior linebacker Blake Cashman. “We had a very basic game plan and I said, ‘don’t make it complicated out there, look at your key, know your rule and play football.’” However, Indiana kept fighting. The Hoosiers scored 22 unanswered points in a span of nine minutes and 27 seconds in the fourth quarter, fueled by two Minnesota fumbles and an interception. The Gophers responded with a 67-yard touchdown reception by Rashod Bateman with 1:34 remaining in the game. On Indiana’s first offensive play following the touchdown, Carter Coughlin strip sacked Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey, securing the win for the Gophers in a much closer game than the team would’ve liked. While Indiana was mounting their comeback, upperclassmen leaders on both sides of the ball for the Gophers tried to keep their team positive and confident.
FOOTBALL PREVIEW
VS ILLINOIS
JACK RODGERS, DAILY
Linebacker Blake Cashman calls to his teammates on Saturday, Oct. 20 at Memorial Stadium.
“[I told them] keep playing football, there’s a lot of football left, anything can happen,” said junior wide receiver Tyler Johnson. “They went out there and kept playing no matter what and the rest is history.” Now, the Gophers are tasked with learning from last games near collapse and apply it to the rest of their season. The coaching staff acknowledged that with an
inexperienced, youthful team, it can be tough in situations like the Indiana game. “We talk about starting fast, accelerating in the middle and finish[ing] strong. It’s easier to understand that when you’re very mature and experienced group because they’ve been through a lot of things ... you’ve got to be able to withdraw from your past at times to create your future,” said head coach P.J.
MINNESOTA
WHEN: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Illinois SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM
Fleck. “We started fast, we accelerated middle on all three phases and we finished, but we didn’t finish strong.” The Gophers currently sit at 4-4 on the season in need of two wins in their final four games to become bowl-eligible. In their final four weeks the Gophers will travel to Illinois, return home for two games against Purdue and Northwestern and then take on Wisconsin away from TCF Bank Stadium in their final game. The Gophers are 9.5-point favorites on the road against the Illini this week. The team knows that this is a prime opportunity to get one of those
wins, with Illinois struggling on the year with a 3-5 record and defense that ranks at the bottom of the Big Ten. Purdue has turned it on lately, beating Ohio State last week, Northwestern is now 5-1 in conference and leading the Big Ten West, and Wisconsin remains a hurdle that the Gophers have struggled to climb over. The Gophers players, however, remain confident in their ability to reach their final goal. “You got to keep guys focused on what’s important and that is, we want to finish out these next four games with all wins and go to a bowl game and send out seniors out the right way,” Cashman said.
7
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Hiawatha u from Page 1
and medical degrees, said she met many residents while interning at the Native American Community Clinic and doing clean needle exchanges. While affordable medical help is available at NACC and other nearby clinics, getting medical care to the homeless battling addiction can be difficult. “Even though there’s a really low barrier to entry … people are afraid of getting arrested or having their kids getting taken away. They don’t trust the system very much,” said Tester. “As it gets colder, the worry is that people will start overdosing in their tents. During the summer it’s easier to be outside and you can spot people that go down on the street.” Tester said all patients struggling with addiction deserve support and housing, regardless of whether or not they can achieve sobriety. “The fact of the matter is there will always be a portion of the population that struggles with addiction and
may not be able to be sober … and they still need care and deserve care,” Tester said. After breakfast, residents fall into their daily routine. Desi Gokey, who also goes by the spirit name Flying Around Thunderbird, has resided at the Wall for a month and often helps out with various tasks. “That’s what keeps my sobriety, to continue being a service for the people,” said Gokey, who was previously a spiritual advisor. The highs and lows of the camp are extreme. Gokey said when he arrived, two people were found near the bathrooms suffering from overdose. With that grim reality in mind, he does what he can to keep busy every day. “I’m here because I hope to get a home too,” he said. “One thing about being on the street is you’re starving all the time … it’s hard when you go to bed cold, and it’s wet, and you wake up and it’s cold and wet.” Earlier this month, the City of Minneapolis agreed to provide $1.5 million in funding to create temporary shelter for the Wall
residents, such as trailers. The structures are expected to open in early December. In the meantime, efforts by various community organizations are underway to prepare the camp for the colder months ahead. University student group Women for Political Change collected donations of winter gear and camping supplies last week. “We started doing this ... because we realized there’s nothing really on campus supporting what’s going on there,” said WFPC President Aurin Chowdhury. The encampment especially needs supplies like firewood and tarps, which are hard to come by on campus. Camille Gage, who runs the Franklin-Hiawatha camp blog for the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors, said she hopes students and faculty will address homelessness on a deeper level. “Don’t just bring your old clothes to the camp. Get involved with changing housing policy … learn about it, tell others about the issues underlying why this is happening,” said Gage.
Lighting u from Page 1
Ward 3 City Council member Steve Fletcher said he is “very supportive” of increasing lighting on Dinkytown’s residential streets. However, he cautioned for people not to overreact to one crime occurring in the area, which he said is the only one that has happened in the zone. “It’s a very safe neighborhood,” Fletcher said. But, a few members of Delta Gamma, whose house is located on Fifth Street Southeast and across the street from where the assault took place, said they do not feel safe. University sophomore and Delta Gamma member Ellie Leonard said she does not feel safe, even when she’s walking on the street with a group of people. MSA needs 60 percent of land and property owners in the area to sign their petition in favor of adding pedestrian lighting, Simons said. However, because the city of Minneapolis charges the owners a fee for lights, some are
JACK RODGERS, DAILY
5th St. SE. in Dinkytown as seen on Tuesday, Oct. 30.
hesitant to sign the petition, he said. According to Minneapolis’ street lighting policy, the fee charged to homeowners is based on the land’s condition and the cost of the lighting, among other details. The fee, set by Minneapolis Public Works, is “paid as a property tax assessment over a period of up to 20 years,” according to City policy. Because Fifth Street Southeast houses are mostly sororities, fraternities and churches, Simons said he thinks they will be more willing to sign the petition.
Lighting often increases a person’s sense of security because offenders do not want to be seen when committing the crime, Fletcher said. Robbers often commit a crime in the dark because they think they will not get caught, he added. MSA will continue to advocate for lighting throughout the school year in hopes that pedestrians, especially students, will feel safe on campus. “I’m grateful to students for this kind of advocacy,” Fletcher said. “Their advocacy is being heard.”
Researchers find new methods to combat invasive zebra mussels The zebra mussels can disrupt food chains and cause economic problems. BY LEW BLANK lblank@mndaily.com
A University of Minnesota study released last week looks at ways to kill one of Minnesota’s most harmful invasive species. Zebra mussels have encrusted boats, disrupted food chains and cut the feet of beach-goers across Minnesota for decades. In an effort to reduce their population, a paper released by the University in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey demonstrates the most effective ways to eradicate the inch-long critters, even in the icy waters of the North Star State. Most chemicals used to
exterminate zebra mussels are developed and tested in warmer states located south of Minnesota, said James Luoma, a USGS researcher who was one of the leaders of the study. While these chemicals may work efficiently in warmer climates, they do not operate as well in the frigid waters of Minnesota lakes in the fall, he said. “A lot of these infestations are found late in the year when people are removing equipment such as docks or boats,” Luoma said. “In the past, [those treating zebra mussels] did not have the information available to [determine if] a product would be effective in cold waters.” Researchers have now discovered how to most efficiently kill the mussels in Minnesota lakes without overusing chemicals. The results of the study indicate three zebra mussel
DAILY FILE PHOTO
Zebra mussels, an invasive species, cover a mussel native to Minnesota.
treatments have the ability to exterminate more than 90 percent of invasive populations in water temperatures of 45 degrees Fahrenheit. One of the treatments, Niclosamide, required only 24 hours of exposure to achieve this high mortality rate. The
others required more time. By using the proper amounts of these products, the researchers hope to find the “sweet spot” that kills a substantial number of zebra mussels without affecting harmless non-invasive species, said Nicholas
Phelps, the director of the University’s Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center. MAISRC funded the study. “This is the first time that we’ve really created a plan that people in Minnesota can actually put into action on their lakes to control zebra mussels,” said Christine Lee, communications specialist for MAISRC. By reducing populations of zebra mussels, the researchers hope to mitigate the species‘ negative economic impact, which can total approximately $310 million per year nationwide, according to the U.S. Department of State. Much of this economic damage occurs when zebra mussels latch onto boats and docks on lake shores, cementing them into place. The mollusks can also cause d am age b y c o nsu m ing
organisms like zooplankton, which can make it harder for species at higher levels of the food chain to find sufficient food, Luoma said. “Zebra mussels are one of Minnesota’s most problematic aquatic invasive species,” Phelps said. “They re-engineer the ecosystem … [they] can take out the base of the food web.” The mussels can also promote algae blooms through a process called filter feeding, in which mussels consume forms of algae that are beneficial to the ecosystem while refraining from eating detrimental varieties like bluegreen algae, Luoma said. “Lakes and the health of our … aquatic ecosystems … are core to Minnesota values,” Phelps said. “We want healthy, clean, sustainable lakes. And invasive species, in particular zebra mussels, threaten that.”
8 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2018
MN DAILY
MNDAILY.COM
Editorials & Opinions
EDITORIAL
Minnesota Daily’s endorsement for Minnesota House District 60B House District 60B is experiencing change this election cycle, as the first Somali-American legislator Rep. Ilhan Omar, DFL-Minneapolis, has vacated the seat for a chance to represent Minnesota in Congress. This leaves the door open for multiple candidates who, if elected, will be representing over 35,000 residents on the University of Minnesota campus and Augsburg University, as well as the surrounding communities of Cedar-Riverside, Southeast Como and Marcy Holmes. While this district has a vibrant immigrant community, its inclusion of two Universities means that there are thousands of students to represent as well. We believe that Mohamud Noor is the best candidate to further the work of Ilhan Omar and strengthen the 60B community. Noor’s ideas for housing, policing and immigration took a multifaceted policy approach, which creates a strong platform to move the community forward. We
believe his ability to navigate, understand and bring together cultural and student communities on the local and state government levels remains his strongest asset. Noor is the former director of the Confederation of Somali Community. Having graduated from Metropolitan State University, he worked for 14 years in Hennepin County and greater Minnesota. Additionally, he’s worked on the Minneapolis School Board and was a member of the Minnesota’s Governor’s Council of Black Minnesotans. Noor emphasized the need for our state government to increase its outreach to immigrant communities and to immigrants eligible to receive citizenship. He also emphasized the need to create a more accessible pathway to achieve that goal. Noor has a deep understanding of not only the community, but also issues that community members face. He wants to include constituents
of 60B — students and non-students alike — in his decision-making process to truly give them a voice in the government. We believe he is deeply committed to seeking and maintaining change in the community and will continue to be a champion for constituent voices — elevating their input in our local and state governments. Joe Patiño remains the loan challenger on the Republican ticket in the district. A Minnesota native, Patiño has spent time out of state for postsecondary education and in Utah, interning with Sen. Mike Lee. He currently works as an operations manager for a property management company, and he’s looking to finish his undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota in the spring. Although we believe that Patiño has great intentions in running for District 60B, he ultimately lacks experience in the community and local government, compared to Noor. Regardless, Patiño brings knowledge in handling housing
issues, through his work in property management and we believe that his experience as a current student would make him a good advocate for the University community. However, District 60B’s make-up of students and other communities calls for avocation beyond the student community — this is an area in which he falls short, compared to his opponent. Ultimately, Noor’s understanding of the student, immigrant and other residential communities makes him the best candidate for District 60B. His approach to policy and community involvement will unequivocally serve his constituents. His proposed policies, thus far, will continue the work that Omar has done in the district, while bringing fresh ideas and a wellrounded approach to the Minnesota House. We implore you to vote on Nov. 6 for Mohamud Noor to represent District 60B in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
EDITORIAL
Editor’s note: How and why we endorsed
Robert McGrady welcomes comments at rmcgrady@mndaily.com.
EDITORIAL
Minnesota Daily endorses Tim Walz for Governor
The 2018 midterm elections are looking to be the most contentious in U.S. history. After the 2016 general election results left many Americans unsatisfied, many see this election year as a catalyst that will change the U.S. for the better. Minnesota is no exception to this. An unusually high number of Minnesotans turned out to vote in August’s primaries — a trend many look to continue on Tuesday when they will stroll to the polls to cast their final decisions. The political landscape in Minnesota may be changing as well. Gov. Mark Dayton chose not to bid for reelection, which would have been his attempt for a third term as governor. Additionally, the Republican primary ended with former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty being defeated by Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson — a possible trend of voters striving for change. This year, many of the main campaign issues reflect those of past elections. Housing and living expenses continue to rise in the Twin Cities and in greater Minnesota. Although many solutions may specifically focus on housing itself, there are many factors, like financial burdens, that play into the issue. Factors regarding child care, public transportation, policing and immigration all need to be addressed in order to make Minnesota a more affordable and welcoming place. In a time of great hostility, we believe it’s imperative to shape Minnesota to better serve all of its communities. Through the 2018 midterms, we implore voting for individuals that are willing to work in this service capacity. The way we see it, the end goal of the midterms is to make Minnesota better than it currently stands. We believe Tim Walz is the best candidate to uphold the positive progression that Minnesota is headed toward, while remaining introspective and critical of policy areas where the state has previously fallen short. Walz is currently serving Minnesota’s 1st Congressio-
nal District, which encompasses the southern portion of the state, including Rochester, Mankato and Winona. After teaching briefly in the U.S, he traveled to China to continue his teaching career, eventually enlisting in the United States Army National Guard. After serving for 24 years, Walz retired and resumed teaching at Mankato West High School. We believe, first and foremost, that Walz’s ability to reach across the aisle and engage in bipartisan reform sets him apart. Congressional District 1 overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump in 2016, and was represented by a Republican for over a decade before Walz won the 2006 midterm. We believe Walz’s time representing such a diverse population, while turning out bipartisan legislation, displays his unique ability to bring people together. We believe this is what Minnesota needs in a governor. Congressman Walz’s passion for immigrant issues is apparent. He understands that Minnesota’s immigrant community is an integral part of what makes our home such an inclusive and unique place. Exploring pathways to citizenship, expanding cultural competency training for law enforcement, and restoring faith in the justice system are some of the initiatives that set Walz apart. We believe he’s the most wellrounded candidate on every issue that he was questioned on. His experience representing large cities and rural areas in the 1st District proved his ability to address housing, policing, and immigration problems. Additionally, his plan to use Minnesota’s bonding bills to stimulate jobs and provide much needed infrastructure, as well as accessible internet to rural Minnesota, is much needed. Jeff Johnson is the Republican gubernatorial candidate. Johnson practiced law in Chicago and Minneapolis for a number of years before starting his own company, Midwest Employment Resources, which offered employment law and
human resources services to companies across the country. Johnson successfully ran for the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 34B in 2000 and District 43A in 2002. He’s been serving as Hennepin County Commissioner since 2009. Johnson stood out when speaking about University of Minnesota issues. He rose above his opponent with his plans to hold the University accountable for its spending and transparency around spending. We also applaud his clear articulation about the need to look at higher education to determine how it can better work for students — instead of perpetuating the current system in use. He believes that when it comes to federal funding, the government should be working for the students rather than the University. We agree with his belief in giving students and their families financial control. Redistributing this balance in government-issued loans and education funding is a stance that students could align themselves with. Johnson also had strong points in mental health related issues. He believes the issues we have within our communities surrounding policing correlate with mental health. By improving the state of mental health through decreasing the stigma, Johnson believes that police and community relations would see a positive change. Overall we believe that Walz’s experience in Congress, track record of bipartisan policy reform and policy positions in key state and local issues make him the best candidate for Governor of Minnesota. His policies regarding immigration, policing reform and housing were the most well-rounded. In the end, Walz’s belief that Minnesota needs to come together as one is a concept that Minnesotans should rally around, especially in such a polarizing and volatile political and social climate. Walz has the ability to accomplish this and is our endorsement for Governor of Minnesota on Nov. 6.
EDITORIAL
Endorsement for MN 5th Congressional District Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District is one of the major urban-centered districts in Minnesota, spanning eastern Hennepin County and parts of Anoka and Ramsey counties. Comprised of Minneapolis and other major cities, the District represents incredibly diverse and vibrant communities in Minnesota. This year, the District’s decade-long representative, Keith Ellison, decided to seek election as Minnesota’s Attorney General. This leaves the door open for challengers across the board. Candidates need to prove their ability to bring changes to the District, while continuing the success that earned Ellison nearly 70 percent of the vote in the 2016 General Election. Ilhan Omar is our choice for representative of the 5th Congressional District. Omar immigrated to the U.S. in 1995, where she graduated from Edison High School in Northeast Minneapolis before earning a degree from North Dakota State University. She served as a policy fellow in the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, then in many community and politically active roles until successfully running for Minnesota House of Representatives in 2016. This made her the first Somali-American Muslim legislator in the U.S.
Ilhan’s experience in elected office makes her well qualified to represent the larger 5th Congressional District. She has articulated her stances on many issues facing Minnesota, specifically Minneapolis, while serving District 60B. Her ability to engage in community involvement and listen to diverse communities remains a strong characteristic of her leadership. Advocating for Minnesotans of all backgrounds is another defining feature she will bring to Washington D.C. But, it must be noted that in her effort to engage in every community, her accessibility does suffer. The Minnesota Daily Editorial Board repeatedly reached out to Ilhan and her campaign for an endorsement interview. No interview was scheduled as her campaign cited a lack of time. However, her desire to reform policing practices, use clean energy and infrastructure initiatives to create economic opportunity, and tackle broad housing issues within the district are all policies that we found were viable steps in the right direction for the District. Jennifer Zielinski, the Republican candidate, strongly supports expanding and emphasizing suburban living. Zielinski, a
current South Minneapolis resident and health care employee, believes that a dependable solution for housing issues, including the South Minneapolis housing encampment, is through the expansion of suburban living. To do this, she proposed changes to transportation. Zielinski believes focusing on updating the Metro busing system, rather than focusing on the lightrail system, will help a suburban expansion. A secondary focus for Zielinski is the opioid crisis — a predicament she has extensive knowledge about through her work in health care. She believes one way to combat the crisis is through expanding medicinal marijuana use and legalizing recreational use. While Zielinski is adamant on suburban living and resolving the opioid crisis, her stances on other policies, including arguments for resolving higher education issues, seemed relatively surface-level. For these reasons and more, we believe that Omar is the best candidate for Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District. Her time spent as the District 60B representative proves that she’s the most capable candidate to advocate for the 5th District’s constituency at the federal level. We urge you to cast a vote in favor of Ilhan Omar to represent Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District.
Over the past several weeks, the four members of the Minnesota Daily’s Editorial Board have interviewed six candidates for state and federal offices. We selected candidates to interview based on polling from several sources, choosing only the top two candidates. Candidates in third-place were not interviewed for endorsements because none were in viable positions that pointed to them being elected. Interviews for Mohamud Noor, Joe Patiño, Tim Walz and Jen Zielenski were held in person at the Daily’s office. Jeff Johnson was interviewed via videocall. Ilhan Omar was unable to be interviewed, with her campaign citing a busy schedule. Her evaluation was based on previous media coverage, as well as campaign literature available online. The endorsement decisions for Governor and 5th Congressional District were made on Sunday, and the State District 60B endorsement decision was made on Tuesday. No Daily employees outside the editorial board made or impacted the decisions — a process followed for all editorials the editorial board writes. The separation between the newsroom and editorial board is deep — nothing is communicated between the two entities regarding elections or newsworthy matters. The four members of the Daily’s editorial board are Kelly Busche, the Daily’s editor-inchief and a journalism and political science senior; Ray Weishan, the Daily’s editorial and opinions editor and a senior studying political science and the sociology of law, crime and deviance; Ariana Wilson, a senior studying journalism with a media studies minor; and Hailey Almsted, a journalism senior with a minor in public health. Our goal of the endorsements is to recommend candidates based on fair evaluations. It is our opinion that readers should vote according to our recommendation. We understand everyone won’t agree with our views, so we welcome comments at letters@mndaily.com. 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
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2018
MN DAILY
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HOROSCOPES Today’s Birthday (11/1): Communication profits this year. Share your affection and kindness steadily. Study to unveil a mystery. Summer glory for your crew comes before physical obstacles alert you to stop and smell the roses. Follow your heart this winter. Express your creativity and passion.
To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Written by Nancy Black
Aries (3/21 - 4/19): Today is an 8 — Balance your work and health for growing strength. Schedule carefully. Follow your intuition on timing. Jump on a great opportunity if you find one.
Libra (9/23 - 10/22): Today is a 6 — Savor peace and quiet for a few days. Consider a challenge. Make plans and priorities. Complete old projects, and prepare for what’s ahead.
Taurus (4/20 - 5/20): Today is a 9 — Consider an outrageous request. Someone attractive surprises you. Make time for fun and relaxation over the next few days. Enjoy the ones you love.
Scorpio (10/23 - 11/21): Today is a 9 — Team projects go well today and tomorrow. Have fun together. Brilliant ideas come in from your network. Listen to your loved ones.
Gemini (5/21 - 6/21): Today is an 8 — Home pulls you in. Enjoy cozy treats. Adapt with flexibility to unexpected changes. Provide an open ear for a family member who needs to talk.
Sagittarius (11/22 - 12/21): Today is an 8 — A professional deadline has your focus through tomorrow. Your work is under review. Push for the best possible outcome.
Cancer (6/22 - 7/22): Today is an 8 — Study the situation. Analyze and consider what needs to change. Listen and learn. Writing and creative projects blossom over the next few days.
Capricorn (12/22 - 1/19): Today is an 8 — Explore and investigate a fascination. Study and learn new methods. Keep an open mind and a flexible schedule. Make an amazing discovery.
Leo (7/23 - 8/22): Today is a 9 — Potential profit arises today and tomorrow. Make sure your savings is secure. Replenish reserves, and don’t overextend. Catch a lucky break when it appears.
Aquarius (1/20 - 2/18): Today is an 8 — Changes necessitate budget revisions. Strategically plot your moves. Grab a lucrative opportunity, and collaborate for mutual benefit.
Virgo (8/23 - 9/22): Today is a 9 — You’re strong and growing stronger. Maintain physical practices and routines. An unexpected bonus falls into your lap. Take advantage of a happy accident.
Pisces (2/19 - 3/20): Today is an 8 — Sink into an unexpected harmony with a partner. Romance is a distinct possibility. Discover a fascinating opportunity together.
DR. DATE Dr. Date,
Once upon a time, a girl and a boy met while playing Fortnite. After a few games, they exchanged phone numbers and fell in love. That’s a fairytale, right? As a girl who plays video games that use microphones to communicate, I get a lot of problematic comments from the guys on my team. But when he joined our team, he told everyone to stop treating me like an object. Is there any better way to earn a girl’s heart in 2018? Since exchanging numbers, we’ve been texting almost constantly and I’m getting some serious vibes. We’ve told each other things we haven’t said to anyone else, like our inner demons and video game preferences. We’re really starting to bond, and the best part is, we live in the same city! I know all this personal information about him and what he looks like, but the one thing he never shared is his name. I’ve been calling him by his gamertag in my head this entire time. He knows mine, so I’m sure we’ve said our names before and I just forgot. I can’t figure out how to address it without seeming insensitive or stupid. We have plans to meet up next weekend and I can’t just call him gamergod88 the whole time! What do I do?
—Awkward IRL
Dear Awkward IRL,
Time to introduce my lovely readers to the world of internet stalking. You said he sent you pictures of himself? There’s a good chance those weren’t on-the-fly selfies, but the best pictures available. People tend to make said pictures their profile picture on Facebook, Twitter and others. Reverseimage search every photo and Google his gamertag. A lot of people use the same username for everything. Also, if you put in someone’s city and job into Facebook, you can probably narrow down the search results and find him. But, that’s a lot of work. You guys seem
fairly close. Why don’t you just pass it off as a joke? Even if he had given you his name, it’s doubtful he said the whole thing, so it won’t come off as weird. Just don’t forget to Google him after he tells you — ever seen the show Catfish?
— Doctor Date
Dr. Date,
My boyfriend is a huge Halloween fan and loves to create an elaborate costume every year. Now that we’re dating, he wanted to make a couples costume for the two of us. After running through a lot of ideas, we’ve settled on one that’s a little sexual. He will be Hugh Hefner, including the spray-dyed gray hair, and I’m going to be the Playboy Bunny. It’s great for Halloweekend at a frat party, but I’m not exactly going to put it on Facebook. However, he’s arguing we should wear the costume on Halloween day too, including throughout our classes! He says it’s a fun way to be festive and get more use out of the costumes. For him, that may be fine, but I don’t want to wear almost nothing but bunny ears during my biology exam. How do I explain to him that it’s not appropriate?
—Not a Playmate
Dear Note a Playmate,
I have one phrase for you: Minnesota is cold. You may have been fine in a boiling frat house basement, but walking around campus in heels and a bodysuit will make you run back home faster than he can say, “Want to live in my mansion?” Keep the costume in the bedroom and tell him that if it means more to him than his significant other being comfortable, he should find another Bunny. If he still tries to insist, buy one of those rabbit onesies from Target. Same thing, right?
— Doctor Date
Want advice from the love doctor? Email Dr. Date at drdate@mndaily.com
SUDOKU CROSSWORD
Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9.
Last Issue’s Puzzle Solved
For strategies on how to solve sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk.
Last issue’s solution
11/1/18
© 2018 Michael Mepham. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.
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Thursday, November 1, 2018