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November 11, 2014

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GOALIES BREAK DOWN MASK DESIGNS PAGE 7

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U OF M

MINNEAPOLIS

ST PAUL

TUESDAY

NOVEMBER 11, 2014

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT MNDAILY.COM

ADMINISTRATION

Campus criticizes diversity efforts Whose Diversity? has over 700 backing its demands, and Kaler has agreed to talk to the group. BY LIZ ANDERSON landerson@mndaily.com

After a student group raised criticism on the University of Minnesota’s commitment to diversity, President Eric Kaler has plans to confront their concerns. While administrators say the school is working toward building a more diverse

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climate, the student organization Whose Diversity? is among a group of students, staff and faculty that is criticizing the institution’s ef for ts to increase and retain students and employees from a range of backgrounds. Whose Diversity? sent a letter to Kaler early last week demanding he meet with members at an off-campus location — the Brian Coyle Center — to discuss how the University can work toward becoming more inclusive. In the letter, the group said it would “take action” if Kaler didn’t respond by Nov. 7.

He has agreed to set up a time to meet but said he would prefer that the meeting take place at the school. “[I] understand their point of view,” Kaler said in an interview on Monday afternoon. “It’s, I think, important that we talk this sort of exchange … and we’re on the same side as far as I can tell. I want this to be a more diverse University.” While Whose Diversity? says the school needs to ramp up its efforts to diversify campus, Kaler said in his response letter that school leaders have made significant efforts to address the issue.

This isn’t the first time the group has presented diversity-focused demands to the University. In the spring, Whose Diversity? presented Kaler with a hefty list of demands in an effort to change University policy regarding diversity and inclusion on campus. The group’s demands center around engaging with, recruiting and retaining students from historically marginalized communities. More than 700 people have endorsed the group’s demands, including u See ISSUES Page 3

WEATHER

A device developed in part by the U can screen diseases with a single drop of blood or urine. BY PARKER LEMKE plemke@mndaily.com

Screening for serious illnesses like cancer, HIV and heart disease could one day become part of routine checkups thanks to a handheld device called z-Lab, which can detect an array of ailments using only a single drop of urine or other bodily fluid. The new, potentially lifesaving technology, which uses sensors on biochips to detect early signs of disease, was developed by the Golden Gopher Magnetic Biosensing Team — a collaboration between University of Minnesota researchers and engineers, Mayo Clinic doctors and industry partners. Z-Lab won a $120,000 prize on Monday from the Nokia Sensing XCHALLENGE, a global competition for health care-sensing technology. The prize money will help researchers pursue new ideas for z-Lab’s next version, said electrical and computer engineering u See Z-LAB Page 12

JULIET FARMER, DAILY

Anthony Nelson shovels the walkway in front of Coffman Union on Monday. Twin Cities residents felt the year’s first wave of winter on Monday, with new snowfall that surpassed 6 inches and temperatures that mostly stayed below 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Forecasts for the upcoming days estimate that temperatures will continue to drop and gusty winds will carry over into Tuesday.

TECHNOLOGY

ATHLETICS

Sharing-based biz owners say their products entice young people who want to cut cost.

at home, pupils in Minnesota

Millennials choose to share, divvy costs Ex-Olympians BY CHRISTOPHER AADLAND caadland@mndaily.com

Flat screen TVs, bikes and mopeds are items that many college students may consider essential, but they may not fall in a typical college student’s price range. And businesses haven’t shied away from the challenge of finding a way for young consumers to share the costs of or share the possessions they already own. Driven by the emergence of a sharing economy and the idea of collaborative consumption, businesses like ride- and product-sharing apps are sprouting up across the nation. This industry targets tech-savvy urban millennials and cash-strapped college students who business owners say take advantage of the services to consume less and save money. “It’s all about sharing of resources,” said Mallor y Kurkoski, founder and president of Dishcourse, a Minneapolis-based foodsharing business, and a par t-time MBA student at the University. “They get connection to a community of people who care about something they also care about.” On Monday, a new service launched in u See APPS Page 4

Eleven Chinese athletes who found fame at home are now studying kinesiology at the U. BY SAM KRAEMER skraemer@mndaily.com

JULIET FARMER, DAILY

CEO Dan Hobbs works on Divvy, a new web application, on Nov. 4 at Restore Creative, its home in Minneapolis.

In the United States, the media doesn’t typically cover the depar ture of American college students heading abroad for a semester. But for 11 Chinese students spending a year at the University of Minnesota, the Chinese media handled it differently, with their farewell picked up by statewide media. That’s because all of the Chinese students have participated in some sort of international athletic competition — ranging from world championships to the London Olympics — and are now studying at the University as part of the School of Kinesiology’s China Champions Program. Ten former Chinese athletes and one Olympic-level coach are continuing their master’s level education at Beijing Sport University with a year abroad at Minnesota. “They’re really celebrities in China, so u See ABROAD Page 8

VOLUME 116 ISSUE 41


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Daily Review

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1918 World War I ends. At 5 a.m., Germany, bereft of manpower and supplies and faced with imminent invasion, signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car outside Compiégne, France. HISTORYCHANNEL.COM/TDIH

CAMPUS Vol. 116 Tuesday, November 11, 2014, No. 41

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A student walks his bike through a snowy East Bank on Monday morning.

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Players union files grievance against NFL in Peterson case BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The NFL Players Association has filed an expedited grievance with the NFL to reinstate Minnesota V ikings running back Adrian Peterson. The NFLPA cited Monday “explicit language in a signed agreement” from Sept. 18, when Peterson was placed on a special commissioner’s exempt list following his indictment on felony child abuse in Texas. Peterson pleaded no contest Tuesday to a lesser charge of misdemeanor reckless assault, freeing him from the cour t system provided he fulfills the terms of his probation. The league began a review Thursday of his case under the personal conduct policy, but it said Peterson would remain on paid leave until the process is completed.

That didn’t sit well with the union. The NFLPA demanded in a letter to the NFL last week that Peterson be allowed to rejoin the Vikings immediately until any determination of any discipline. “As of now, they have failed to respond or comply,” the NFLPA said. “It is our obligation to protect all players’ rights, and we will pursue any and all breaches of any contract between a player and his team or the NFL.” The league didn’t immediately respond Monday to requests for comment. The Vikings come of f their bye week still waiting for the NFL to act but hardly pinning any plans on a possible Peterson return. “We’d just prepare like he’s not going to be here until we hear differently,” coach Mike Zimmer said. The Vikings offered no

hints Monday what their plan would be if Peterson is reinstated by the league. They play at Chicago this Sunday, and in a 48-word statement said the team’s focus is on preparing for the Bears. “As an organization, we respect and understand the league’s process,” the Vikings said. The league has offered Peterson a hearing prior to issuing any punishment. It also requested he submit relevant information regarding his case and meet with designated exper ts who will make r ecommendations for discipline to Commissioner Roger Goodell. Goodell announced in August a stif fer penalty for players involved with domestic violence. The guideline now calls for a six-game suspension for a first of fense, though the

injuries Peterson acknowledged causing his 4-yearold son occurred in May. Peterson has said he didn’t mean harm in hitting the boy with a wooden switch. He said was applying the same type of corporal punishment he received as a child. Zimmer said the Vikings have not been given a timetable by the league for a conclusion. “When those decisions are made, then we can make decisions. Until then, really our hands are tied.” Coaches and players have said they’d welcome Peterson back. There was no concer n expr essed about a distraction, either during the wait or after a potential return. “More than the distractions that we’ve had this season? No. This team has been pretty resilient,” Zimmer said.

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Wintry weather hits Survey: 1 in 8 Minnesota teens Rockies, Midwest tried e-cigarettes BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ST. PAUL — While a new sur vey shows tobacco use by Minnesota high school students has declined in recent years, state health officials are concerned about the rising number of young people using electronic cigarettes. One in eight high school students — and 3 percent of middle school students — had tried an e-cigarette in the last month, according to the state’s latest survey on youth tobacco use released Monday. Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Ed Ehlinger said there were some encouraging aspects of the survey, such as the unprecedented drop in cigarette smoking among high school students — from 18 percent in 2011 to less than 11 percent this year. But the results of its first sur vey to gauge e-cigarette use were troubling, reminding Ehlinger of the rise in teen smoking decades ago. Ehlinger said the electronic devices, which vaporize a nicotine solution, can harm brain development and trigger lifelong addiction. “I have a real sense of deja vu about e-cigarettes,” Ehlinger said. Nearly 13 percent of high school students surveyed said they had used e-cigarettes in the last month. A quarter of high school students who have tried e-cigarettes have never smoked a cigarette or used other tobacco products. Kendra Roedl, a junior at Minneapolis South High School, said e-cigarettes appeal to some of her classmates because they don’t leave behind the telltale aroma that tips off parents. And the fruity flavors “makes them less real” than cigarettes, she said. To halt e-cigarette use among teens, Ehlinger said the state should consider banning sale of those flavors and expanding an indoor smoking ban to e-cigarettes. A number of Minnesota cities have already enacted local bans.

PIERRE, S.D. — A blast of wintry weather blew into parts of the Rockies and Upper Midwest on Monday, bringing a foot of snow in some areas, along with plunging temperatures. The cold weather is expected to eventually blanket the central U.S. from the Rockies to the Great Lakes region. The frigid air was pushed in by a powerful storm that hit Alaska with hurricane-force winds over the weekend, and threatened to bury several states in snow and send temperatures as much as 40 degrees below average. A look at the storm and its effects:

But it’s not even winter yet By Monday afternoon, areas of northwest Montana saw 14 inches of snow; parts of North Dakota saw as much as 8 inches; a community in central Minnesota got more than 16 inches; some Wisconsin communities got a foot or more of snow; and parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula had 9 inches, with up to 2 feet expected by the time the storm ends. Terri Sommerfeld, a clerk at Ace Hardware in Webster, Wisconsin, said the store usually sells six or seven snow blowers in a typical winter. That’s how many it’s sold in just two days. “It hasn’t been overly busy today, but the ones that are coming are buying snow blowers and shovels,” she said. Winter is still more than a month away, but it may not feel like it. The cold air coming with the snow will be around for a while, said Joe Calderone, a senior forecaster for the National Weather Service.

Snow: Firefighter’s best friend? Snow was welcome in northern Wyoming, where snow and artic cold stopped a raging wildfire that had burned almost 2 square miles by Sunday evening. “That’s the best fire control you can have is Mother Nature,” said John Garman, a firefighter with Johnson County. Elsewhere, the weather wasn’t so welcome. In Minnesota, the State Patrol said at least two people were killed in accidents on icy roads. Separately, a semitrailer carrying a load of turkeys to a processing plant slipped off Interstate 94 and overturned.

EXTENDED WEATHER FORECAST WEDNESDAY HIGH 23° LOW 14° Partly sunny

THURSDAY HIGH 26° LOW 5° Mostly cloudy

FRIDAY HIGH 20° LOW 5° Mostly sunny

SATURDAY HIGH 28° LOW 3° Snow shower

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Tuesday, November 11, 2014

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Kaler talks stipends, federal funding He also said he would meet with the group Whose Diversity? to discuss the issue of diversity at the University. BY BLAIR EMERSON bemerson@mndaily.com

The Minnesota Daily sat down with University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler on a snowy Monday afternoon for its monthly Kickin’ It with Kaler interview. Kaler discussed a range of topics, including demographic changes in the state and the University’s 2016-2017 biennial budget request. You took a trip last week to Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea. How was your trip, and why did you travel there? It was very pleasant. ... The president is a University of Minnesota Ph.D. economist, but the principal reason to go was to speak at a Global HR Forum. I was on a panel with four other university presidents ... So it was a really great opportunity to talk about the future of higher education and to listen to some other points of view. So that was the principle reason to go. … I got a lot done in the two days I was there. What were some of the topics regarding the future of higher education? Well, [they] really were how are universities going to look going into the future. And my point of view is that they’re going to look a lot like the University of Minnesota is looking now and is planning to look. … I think we are going to use technology in very creative ways, but I still think students are going to want to come to a university — make that transition from adolescence to young adults. Many students and Native American groups gathered at TCF Bank Stadium last week to protest the Washington Redskins name. How do you think the protest went, and does the University have any plans to continue to show suppor t of the team’s name change? I think the protests were very well-attended and very well-managed. … I’m very proud that there were no arrests, no damages; it was very respectful and very thoughtful. … I think the message got across that this is an offensive name. We’re clearly eager to continue to have conversations with anybody who will listen

about the need for that name change … The University recently announced plans to pay a cost-of-attendance stipend to the school’s studentathletes, totaling over $2,000. Why did the University decide to do this, and where will the funding for these stipends come from? We haven’t actually formally decided to do that. The NCAA is allowing the Big Five athletic conferences to have some more freedom around providing assets for athletes. We’re, of course, interested in providing the best experience for all of our students, including our studentathletes. So this rule change will let us provide some additional funding, and the details for that will be worked out at the NCAA conference in January — and following that — so we’re not able to implement it yet. And it will come from the athletics budget, as all student-athlete scholarships do now. In the University’s 2016-17 biennial budget request, a “vibrant communities” initiative would promote economic development for the state’s communities and develop more opportunities for students to get engaged. Why was this request included, and what types of research and partnerships would be formed? Well, we were interested in being sure that we were responsive to the needs of greater Minnesota, as well as the urban area that we’re located. So it really is an opportunity for us to invest in several areas. One is mining in northeast Minnesota. We believe that University research around the water reuse, water management and mineral extraction could be very useful to helping that industry thrive and have a smaller environmental impact. We want to put ser vice learning and community engagement activities into communities around the state. We think this is going to benefit several things — it will help us close the K-12 achievement gap, it helps us with research on nutrition, it helps us with community engagement around immigrant populations — new

CORA NELSON, DAILY

University President Eric Kaler discussed his recent trip to South Korea, the Washington Redskins protests and the University’s 2016-17 biennial budget request Monday afternoon in Morrill Hall.

American populations — so that they help our society grow and become a part of the Minnesota of the future. So we think there’s a lot of community impact and economic impact that would come from supporting this research. How could last week’s changes at the state Legislature affect funding levels for the University? Well, I think that remains to be seen. We’ve had good conversations with new leadership on both sides of the aisle over the years, and I think the ability for the University to continue to talk about the state helping the U be affordable for Minnesotans is an important thing for [legislators] to hear. I think the idea of a healthy Minnesota, which is the second component of our request, will be attractive. … Again, these are elements that are compelling and, I think, are smart investments by the people of Minnesota in their great research University. In recent years, federal funding levels for University research — including backing from the National Institutes of Health — have remained flat. How do you think has this has af fected University research, and what is the

University doing to respond to this? Our faculty continue to compete very aggressively for these funds. But, in fact, it is more difficult to maintain and grow in this very constrained federal environment. Success requires a very well-prepared proposal. And the MnDRIVE initiative, for example, is a great way for us to use some state resources to help build strength in these areas that will become much more competitive for federal funding. But make no mistake, it is a difficult time and I think one in the history of the country that will be very regrettable, because our competitors around the world are investing in research, and they will pass us if we keep on our current path. In the coming decades, demographic and health care changes in the state could mean a shortage of doctors and more citizens who will need health care. Are those predictions worrisome to you, and what is the University doing to address this? … We are aware of these changing demographics, and in addition to doctors, there’s going to be a need for health care workers of all professions. And this is exactly the kind of cohort that we want

Russia floats ruble amid inflation BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MOSCOW — As an acrobat in one of Moscow’s circuses, Yuri Friyuk is an expert at gyrating without falling on his face. Lately, he’s worried about whether the rubles he’s paid with can be as deft. Plagued by the Western sanctions imposed over the Ukraine crisis and by falling oil prices, Russia’s economy is struggling and the ruble is taking a head-spinning drop, losing a third of its value since the beginning of the year and touching an all-time low last week. On Monday, the national central bank on Monday decided to freely float the currency and shield it more from speculators.

The move, which aims to spare the central bank from burning billions in reser ves on suppor ting the cur rency, highlights the extent of Russia’s economic decline. The countr y appears to be sliding toward recession. Investors are pulling money out or seeking the safety of foreign currencies. For ordinar y Russians, the currency’s plunge has fueled fears of a spike in inflation, as imports of goods like European cars or U.S. clothes become more expensive. “W ith groceries, the prices are rising significantly,” said Friyuk. “It never seems like it’s hitting your pocket that hard, but by the end of the month you can

feel the difference.” The decline in most of 2014 seems to have been gradual enough that Russians weren’t overt in their discontent. But a sharp drop this month, when the ruble hit its historic low of 48 to the U.S. dollar on Friday — against 32 in Januar y — may cause anger to rise. Much of the suppor t for President Vladimir Putin hinges on the prosperity that washed over Russia during most of his years in power. Some obser vers warn that a long-lasting erosion of purchasing power could fuel social unrest and say the countr y’s financial stability is at risk. Whereas the central bank previously was

tr ying to keep the r uble from dropping by simply spending dollars to buy up r ubles, that strategy has hit a wall. The bank had reserves of $510 billion at the start of the year, but they stand at $400 million now. It spent $30 billion last month alone. The central bank said Monday it would stop inter vening ever y day in the market to keep the currency up and instead take aim at speculators. To do that, it said it will limit loans to banks that use the money to go out and buy dollars. Central Bank Chief Elvira Nabiullina also said it will intervene “at any moment in the amount necessar y to counter speculative demand.”

Campus community critiques U diversity efforts Issues u from Page 1

University students, faculty and staff members. One of those faculty members, Jennifer Pierce, interim director of graduate studies and American studies professor, said she agrees with Whose Diversity? — particularly with its claims about “cosmetic diversity” at the school. The group on its website argues that the University is only interested in “cosmetic diversity” — appearing to be diverse to the public — and true diversity can’t be “achieved by sprinkling a few faces of

difference on catalogs and advertisements.” Pierce conducts research on race and gender in workplaces. Her research has shown that “welcoming and inclusive organizations can only be created by bringing in more than a few token people,” she said. Lisa Albrecht, associate professor in the School of Social Work, pointed to the University’s recent decision to close the Postsecondary Teaching and Learning Department — which focuses on serving underrepresented students — as a failure to provide educational access to all students. She said she endorsed the demands of Whose

Diversity? because she has personally witnessed multiple faculty members leave because of the University’s lack of effort to address issues in the demands. One of those faculty members, Louis Mendoza, ser ved as the chair of the Depar tment of Chicano and Latino Studies, as well as associate vice provost in the Of fice for Equity and Diversity. “At a personal level, the University was ver y good to me in terms of opportunity,” Mendoza said. “But as somebody that struggled to provide leadership to diversified faculty, I think there was a lack of commitment from the senior administration

and the college.” Mendoza said his disagreement with how the school handled diversity was part of the reason he left for Arizona State University earlier this year. “You cannot diversify your faculty unless you prioritize it and you put money behind it,” he said. Whose Diversity? is hoping to tackle this type of problem with its demands, said group member Joanna Núñez, a third year Ph.D. student in feminist studies. “We have learned that through the history of this University, the only way that anything gets done is through direct action and making demands,” she said.

to grow the “healthy Minnesota” initiative. And we also want to have outreach in greater Minnesota. We’re proposing six clinics that would be sites for training for our students, and also delivering care to Minnesotans, so we’re on it. And those six sites, where will those be; will they be scattered across the state? They will be in areas where there’s need. So there will [be] both greater Minnesota sites and urban area sites. What kind of support and acknowledgment does the University give to the friends and family of students who die, and do you believe that the University of fers enough? … You know, student death is just a tragedy all the way around, for ever ybody involved. We work hard to provide counseling and a supportive environment for students who know a student who has passed away. We obviously offer condolences to family, and my understanding is that the infrastructure around this is actually good and meets the needs of students who are touched by that tragedy.

Last week, the University announced it is suing four major U.S. wireless car riers over alleged patent infringement. How did this patent infringement occur, and will the University being pursuing steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again in the future? Well, it’s an ongoing legal case, and there’s not ver y much I can tell you about it. I will say that we are committed to protecting the intellectual property of our faculty — that’s why we’ve embarked on this case. Colleges across the nation have r ecently seen increased numbers of computer and data breaches. Have there been any recent or significant threats to the University’s security, and what is the University doing to combat this? Universities, like all big organizations, are bombarded daily by hacker attacks at various levels of sophistication. We have people whose job it is to make sure that our data is safe and our networks are not compromised. We are aware of the threats, and we think we are taking appropriate action to protect ourselves.

Egyptian militants pledge allegiance to Islamic State group BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CAIRO — Ansar Beit alMaqdis, a jihadi organization based in the Sinai Peninsula that has carried out a series of attacks targeting Egyptian security forces, has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. The announcement reflects the growing regional appeal of the Islamic State, an al-Qaida breakaway group that has carved out a selfstyled caliphate in Syria and Iraq and demanded the loyalty of the world’s Muslims. Later Monday, pledges from militants in Libya and Yemen also surfaced online. The separate pledges— one in an audio recording and another in a statement— carried no known names of militant groups in either country, instead referring generally to the “holy warriors” in the two countries. The Associated Press could immediately verify the authenticity of either statement, but they both made local references, followed a format similar of the Egyptian message and urged other Muslims to show loyalty to the Islamic State group’s self-styled Caliph, or leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Iraqi officials said Sunday that alBaghdadi had been wounded in an earlier airstrike, though the group has not commented on the report. The Egyptian militant gr oup’s announcement pledging loyalty to Islamic State leader came in an audio

speech posted late Sunday on its official Twitter account and a militant website. Last week, the group had used the same Twitter account to deny repor ts saying it had pledged allegiance to alBaghdadi. The unknown speaker in the recording released Sunday says Ansar Beit alMaqdis decided to join the Islamic State group, “whose emergence resembles a new dawn raising the banner of monotheism.” The speaker said al-Baghdadi was “chosen by God” to establish a new caliphate after “Muslims suffered decades of humiliation.” “Therefore, we have no alternative but to declare our pledge of allegiance to the caliph ... to listen and obey him ... and we call on all Muslims to pledge allegiance to him,” the speaker says. The speaker goes on to urge Egyptians to rise up against what he called “the tyrant,” apparently referring to President AbdelFattah el-Sissi, who was elected earlier this year after leading the militar y overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July 2013 amid massive protests demanding his resignation. Since then, Sinai-based militants have carried out scores of attacks mainly targeting soldiers and police, including a coordinated assault last month on an Egyptian army checkpoint that killed 31 troops.


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Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Two students assaulted near Dinkytown The University students were slightly injured but lost no valuables. BY NICK WICKER nwicker@mndaily.com

Two University of Minnesota students were assaulted Friday morning during an attempted robber y on the outskir ts of Dinkytown, according to a crime alert emailed to the school community later that day. The alert said two women were walking along 12th Avenue Southeast when a dark-colored minivan stopped at the road’s intersection with Sixth Street Southeast. A male suspect between 20 and 30 years old then exited the van and approached the two women, the aler t said, and told them to hand over their valuables.

Although the two students did not resist the suspect’s demands, he assaulted them and brandished what the crime aler t said was either a handgun or a Taser equipped with a red laser sight. According to the aler t, the suspect didn’t take valuables from either woman, but he injured both slightly during the assault. The suspect then fled back to the minivan, where he drove off with at least two other suspects, the alert said.

RECENT THEFTS AROUND CAMPUS BIKE THEFT THEFT BY SWINDLE TRESPASSING, THEFT FROM BUILDING THEFT FROM BUILDING FIF UN

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Obstructing legal process, disruptive party 11:24 p.m. Saturday to 12:15 a.m. Sunday 10th Avenue Southeast Officers arrived at a party Saturday night and told the house’s owners, two of whom are University students, to shut down the festivities and send guests home, a police report said. The report said when officers tried to enter the house after giving the hosts an hour to clear the party, one resident blocked them from the entrance and another approached behind, yelling. The two students were cited and booked at Hennepin County Jail for obstruction of legal processes, according to the report.

Crime: When: Where: Info:

Damage to property Between 2:03 and 2:07 p.m. Sunday 25th Avenue Southeast A 35-year-old Southeast Como resident said the windows of her firstfloor apartment were smashed while she was out of the house for a few minutes, according to a police report. The woman’s young son saw a blonde woman running through the backyard after he heard a crashing noise, the report said. No arrests have been made in this case, according to the report.

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T TCF Bank Stadium 10:21-11 a.m. Nov. 2

Coffman Union 10:30-10:39 a.m. Wednesday Frontier Hall 9:39 a.m. Friday9:42 a.m. Saturday SOURCE: UMPD

af filiated with the University, driving with only an instr uctional permit and without a licensed adult in the car, the report said. As an of ficer wrote up a citation for his instr uc-

Crime: When: Where: Info:

EAS

UTH

Cops cite driver on a permit

University police of ficers made their way to the Dinkytown McDonald’s at about 9 p.m. Friday after receiving repor ts of a disturbance, according to a police report. There, they found an 18-year-old man, who is not

80 17th Ave. SE 10 p.m. Thursday8 a.m. Friday

OTHER CRIMES NEAR CAMPUS

tional permit violation, the car’s passenger got out of the vehicle, said University police Lt. Troy Buhta. Leaving the car door ajar, he then tried to enter the driver’s side door to take

SOURCES: MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT, UMPD

the steering wheel. Buhta said in doing so, the passenger, a 16-year-old according to the police report, was obstructing traffic and interfering with the officer’s

ability to issue a citation. Police issued the first man for not having a valid ID and cited the minor passenger with obstr ucting legal processes.

US Catholic bishops try to reflect unity, calm anxiety over pope BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

JULIET FARMER, DAILY

Collaborators on the new web application Divvy work Nov. 4 at Restore Creative in Minneapolis. Divvy, which launched Monday, provides people with a way to share the ownership and expenses of various goods.

Millennials opt to share, divvy up products’ costs Apps u from Page 1

Minneapolis that aims to divvy up the costs associated with purchasing items among a group of people that might be unaffordable or unpractical for one consumer alone. The ser vice, a web app named Divvy, enables purchases between friends, family or strangers who want to collectively buy and own certain products, such as big-ticket items like canoes or mopeds. The online app makes the purchase and then helps coordinate how that item will be shared among the owners. “There’s a massive move toward people hoping to live more collaboratively,” said Micah Kulish, head of Divvy’s marketing and brand development. “Rather than having all this stuff that you have full responsibility over, we see Divvy as way for people to purchase with others around them.” While its platform allows users to purchase and own an item with a group of people, Kulish said the app is still is a product of the

sharing economy concept. Lauren Capelin, chief information officer for Collaborative Lab — a consulting company that works with government and business leaders to help them see the usefulness of sharing economy ideas — said this concept has thrived since the recession left young people looking for cheaper and more efficient ways to consume. “We also were being presented with environmental challenges worldwide, making us realize that we couldn’t continue to produce and consume the way we had for the previous decades,” she said. Although users and sharers may both benefit financially from participating in a sharing-based business, that isn’t why these concepts have flourished, said Andrew Batey, chief marketing of ficer of California-based Spinlister, a peer-to-peer bike rental company. “It was technology,” he said, adding that people have always participated in a sharing culture. “Ever yone has always shared, but technology has created that situation to make sharing

more scale-able.” While these services are popping up in cities across the country, Kurkoski said, policymakers are still unsure of how to regulate them. “You don’t necessarily want to stifle that type of innovation and creativity,” she said. “You want to make sure you protect the public but at the same time not kill business models that might be the wave of the future.” Insurance pr oviders may also be reluctant to offer the startup businesses coverage, said Capelin and Kurkoski, who said she is also an avid user of many collaborative consumption platforms. There are also concerns over how safe the products are. Collaborative consumers have to put their trust in people they may not know, Kurkoski said, possibly putting them at risk. But regardless of the downfalls and hurdles that sharing businesses and users may encounter, “the sharing economy isn’t going away,” Kurkowski said. “If anything, it’s going to keep getting bigger,” she said.

Attacks in Israel and West Bank kill 1 BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

JERUSALEM — Palestinian assailants carried out stabbing attacks Monday in Tel Aviv and the West Bank, police said, killing an Israeli woman and a soldier as a wave of Arab unrest appeared to be gaining strength. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised a harsh response — a confrontational strategy that risks deepening weeks of turmoil that has shaken the country. With the attacks believed to be the work of lone assailants, however, police could have a tough time preventing more of them. Tensions between Is-

raelis and Palestinians have been high following a 50-day Israeli war in July and August against militants in the Gaza Strip and increased friction over Jer usalem’s most sensitive holy site — the hilltop complex revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. The friction has led to a series of bloody Palestinian attacks on Israeli targets. Israel’s Arab minority also has been brought into the mix, with street protests following the shooting death of a young Israeli Arab man by Israeli police, and there have been tough statements by hard-line Israeli politicians.

Rhetoric by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has added to the discord, with Israel accusing him of inciting violence by not condemning the attacks and urging Palestinians to block Jewish prayer at the holy site “by any means.” Speaking to members of his Likud Party, Netanyahu vowed to act “decisively against the rioters that call for Israel’s annihilation.” Accusing the Palestinian leadership of incitement, he said those who demonstrate against Israel and in favor of the Palestinians should move to the West Bank or Gaza Strip. “I promise you that the state of Israel will not make it difficult for you,” he said.

BALTIMORE — America’s Catholic bishops came together Monday to project an image of unity, after a Vatican meeting on the family unleashed an uproar over the direction of the church. Last month’s gathering in Rome on more compassionately ministering to families featured open debate — alarming many traditional Catholics, who argued it would undermine public understanding of church teaching. Pope Francis encouraged a free exchange of ideas at the assembly, or synod, in contrast to previous years, when such events were tightly scripted. At a meeting Monday in Baltimore, Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, signaled there was no conflict between a gentler approach and upholding church orthodoxy. Kurtz cited his home visits to parishioners, where he wouldn’t give them “a list of rules to follow firsthand,” but would instead “spend time with them trying to appreciate the good that I

saw in their hearts,” before inviting them to follow Christ. “Such an approach isn’t in opposition to church teachings. It’s an affirmation of them,” said Kurtz, who attended the Vatican gathering. Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, who also participated in the Vatican gathering, emphasized that last month’s meeting was only the start of a discussion before a larger gathering on the family next year, where bishops will more concretely advise the pope on developing any new church practices. New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan said the divisiveness he read in media accounts did not reflect the collegial discussion inside the event. “It was a synod of consensus,” Dolan said. The pope, he said, has a God-given gift “for attentive listening.” The bishops made the remarks at their fourth national meeting since Francis was elected. While many Catholics have praised Francis’ new emphasis on mercy over the culture wars, many theological conservatives have said Francis is failing to carry out

his duty as defender of the faith. Some U.S. bishops have resisted turning their focus away from gay marriage, abortion and other contentious social issues to take up Francis’ focus on the poor, immigrants and those who feel unwelcome in the church. The papal ambassador to Washington, Archbishop Carlo Vigano, said in a wide-ranging speech bishops “must not be afraid to work with our Holy Father.” The public sessions at the U.S. bishops’ meeting are focused on religious liberty, upholding marriage between a man and a woman, and moral issues in health care. In his speech, Kurtz said the bishops would continue to fight the Obama administration over the birth control coverage requirement in the Affordable Care Act. The administration has made several changes to accommodate the bishops’ concerns, but church leaders say the White House hasn’t gone far enough. Dozens of dioceses and Catholic nonprofits have sued over the mandate.

President Obama rejects notions of breakthrough with North Korea BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BEIJING — President Barack Obama is squelching speculation that the release of two Americans held in North Korea might pave the way for a new round of nuclear talks, saying the U.S. needs more than “small gestures” before reopening a high level of dialogue with Pyongyang. Shortly after Obama arrived in China, North Korea’s neighbor and chief benefactor, the president made his first extensive public comments Monday on the hand-over of Americans Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller. The timing of the Americans’ release raised questions about what message North Korea’s young leader, Kim Jong Un, might be tr ying to send the U.S. president while he is in the region. While Obama welcomed Bae’s and Miller’s reunion with their families, he insisted that his administration had of fered nothing in return to North Korea, one of the world’s most isolated and impoverished countries. “There were not highlevel policy discussions,” Obama said during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. When asked whether the negotiations to secure Bae and Miller’s release gave him new insight into North Korea’s mysterious president and his strategy for dealing with the U.S., Obama said curtly, “No.” The president’s dismissive tone was echoed by senior administration officials who said that while the White House remains open

to engagement with North Korea, Pyongyang still has not shown any seriousness about dismantling its nuclear program or in addressing human rights violations. The president arrived in Beijing Monday for his first visit to China since 2009. His discussions during three days of talks largely center on strengthening U.S. economic ties with the booming region. After meeting with regional leaders at an AsiaPacific economic summit, Obama will begin a series of one-on-one meetings Tuesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping. As he addressed business leaders attending the economic summit on Monday, Obama sought to dispel the notion that America’s interest in Asia should be a cause for concern among China’s leaders. Beijing has viewed Obama’s engagement in the region as an attempt to limit China’s rise, though the president insisted that “one country’s prosperity doesn’t have to come at the expense of the other.” In a goodwill gesture, the U.S. and China announced an agreement extending the length of time its citizens can be granted visas in each countr y. Obama administration of ficials hope the deal to extend tourist and business visas to 10 years and student visas to five years will lead to an increase in Chinese citizens who come to the U.S. and spend money while on vacation or working. Despite the ef for ts to project cooperation, areas of tension between the world’s two largest economies bubbled just under the surface.

Obama voiced concer n about the prospect of a crackdown on prodemocracy protesters in Hong Kong, saying that his central focus is avoiding violence. He also pressed for ward in negotiations with 11 other nations — not including China — in hopes of soon reaching a breakthrough on a massive regional trade pact. While the U.S. and its negotiating partners said progress was made Monday in the TransPacific Partnership talks, a final agreement did not appear imminent. Obama and Xi are expected to discuss North Korea’s nuclear provocations when they open their bilateral discussions Tuesday. China has called for a resumption of nuclear talks with North Korea, but the U.S. has little appetite for such international discussions until Pyongyang takes concrete steps toward dismantling its program. “When and if North Korea is serious about denuclearization on the peninsula and is prepared to have that discussion, we are ready,” Obama said. The so-called six-par ty nuclear talks between the U.S., North Korea, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia officially broke down in 2009, and there has been little diplomatic progress since. The failure of that diplomacy stands in contrast to the progress the U.S. and a different coalition of international partners have made in nuclear talks with Iran, though it remains unclear whether those parties can reach a final agreement by a fast-approaching Nov. 24 deadline.


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Editorials & Opinions BUSINESS

The social media solution to fundraising With the recent success of the ALS Association, others seeking funds hop on the bandwagon.

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his year, the ALS Association raised more than $115 million for research projects dedicated to curing ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Last year, the organization was only able to raise roughly a few million dollars during a similar time frame. The fact that it raised so much more money in just one year is astonishing. What exactly was the catalyst that launched the success of the donations? The answer is social media. ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos surged through ever yone’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages throughout the summer. A total of 2.4 million people shared Ice Bucket Challenge videos on Facebook by September, and 3.7 million people shared them on Instagram. Lauren Hill, a 17-year-old basketball player who was recently diagnosed with a rare type of terminal brain cancer, started a similar trend two weeks ago. It’s called Layups4Lauren. Participants record themselves spinning around five times and then tr ying to make a basket with their

DESTANIE MARTIN-JOHNSON columnist

non-dominant hand. This is meant to give people a similar sensation to how Hill feels when playing basketball. In this way, it’s just like the Ice Bucket Challenge, in which the ice was meant to make you feel “paralyzed,” like many who suffer from ALS. Last week, Hill even received shout-outs and other forms of recognition from professional athletes like LeBron James via Instagram. This is yet another example of the reach that social media can have for individuals and organizations trying to spread awareness for their causes. To me, the Ice Bucket Challenge seemed helpful, but some controversy surrounded it. People questioned whether the social media craze would even help because it seemed that many people would post videos of themselves completing the challenge, but then wouldn’t donate. The astounding figures regarding funds raised answers that question, but the sustainability of this type of fundraising still remains unanswered.

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos surged through everyone’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages throughout the summer. How will the ALS Association continue to generate revenue at this rate? Social media sites are a way for people to share ideas and get connected, making them a perfect outlet for informing the public. Using social media is an excellent way to make communities aware of important issues or causes. However, the long-term effectiveness of this type of fundraising still has room for improvement. The ALS Association has just recently begun distributing the Ice Bucket Challenge donations toward research and treatment for those who currently suffer from ALS. Let’s hope that Hill raises just as much awareness, inspires as many people to join her cause and ultimately continues to help others. Destanie Martin-Johnson welcomes comments at dmartin-johnson@mndaily.com.

DAILY DISCUSSION Comment on ‘KSTP’s report on Mayor Hodges merits criticism’

As a student at the University and an organizer with Neighborhoods Organizing for Change, I am pleased that our campus news community is standing in solidarity with us and calling out KSTP’s ridiculous repor ting. Stations like KSTP are supposed to ser ve as inspiration for young journalists like those at the Daily, but they are clearly not modeling the way. I’m glad the Daily sees that and is rightly holding them accountable for their actions.

Cartoon by Shea Stoner. Please send comments to letters@mndaily.com.

EDUCATION

Importance of arts overlooked

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he impor tance of ar ts education has been fading in Minnesota public schools. However, art and music departments ser ve as vital emotional and academic stepping stones for children throughout their educations. Visual and musical arts have multiple benefits to developing children of all ages. Students must use multiple skill sets in order to learn and incorporate music into their lives. Not only are children required to use both their eyes and ears, but they also must explore the smaller muscles necessary to play a musical instrument. Those who choose to become musicians must also have an innate sense of self-discipline; that is, they must practice, learn and, on occasion, memorize pieces of music. Some studies have shown that those who participate in the musical arts perform better on their exams and have more complex brain processes than those who don’t. Despite these obvious benefits of arts education, ar ts depar tments are often pushed aside to maximize math and science test scores. Schools have lost sight of what’s truly important, which should be

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Response to staple food ordinance editorials I teach a class at the University of Minnesota called “Cooking on a Student’s Budget.” It is targeted toward undergraduates who are learning (perhaps for the first time) how to manage and potentially improve their food intake by building skills and understanding of budgeting, nutrition and cooking. Among many assignments I give my students, one is to go to a local corner store and try to find everything that they need to create a nutritionally balanced, whole food meal. At least 23 percent (or about 15,000 students) live in University housing where there is limited access to grocer y stores. Feeding oneself from what is available at a corner store is a reality for many students, and certainly for many people throughout the Twin Cities.

Firing won’t solve achievement gap

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acing criticism from the federal government about Minneapolis’ large achievement gap between white and minority students, the city has attempted to rectify the situation by firing 200 teachers who were deemed not effective enough, while increasing training for those who remain, the Star Tribune reported earlier this month. The main problem with reports like this, according to Greta Callahan, a teacher in one of Minneapolis’ poorest schools, is that inner-city schools have different needs than the more affluent schools they are compared with. Obstacles such as low funding, low retention rates for teachers and students with difficult home lives resulting in violent outbursts are just a few examples of challenges these schools face. Furthermore, kids with little to no previous schooling and those from other countries with little command of English consistently show up throughout the school year, often leaving abruptly. It is important to understand the plight of the teachers before criticizing them. To address this problem, instead of instating more tests to measure effectiveness of instruction — which does little to actually address the problems at hand — Minneapolis should incentivize teachers. Providing inner-city teachers with full benefits and a decent salary would be an effective way to attract those who have experience but prefer the less demanding route of teaching in more affluent areas. Firing teachers who are new to the job and doing their best to cope with limited resources, respect or support is a laughably ludicrous solution to an obviously difficult problem.

E

Comment on ‘Live and let stream: Spotify’s importance’

Hill95 via MNDaily.com

EDITORIALS

MN government lacks diversity

Guest via MNDaily.com

Top stars like Coldplay, Adele and Beyonce also release their albums to Spotify long after their albums go on sale through physical CDs and downloads. It would be ridiculous for them not to, since Spotify pays such low royalties. Beyonce’s most recent album still isn’t on Spotify. And we should get it straight — it’s Taylor Swift’s label and not Swift herself who pulled her catalog from Spotify. It seems like artists are already being played as the bad guys for not releasing on Spotify when it’s actually their labels. Adele’s manager has echoed the same problem with Spotify that Swift’s label has. Right now, Spotify demands that it be able to play people like Adele and Swift on their subscription and free services. Adele’s manager says Spotify is going to have to change and allow bigger stars to play on the subscription service only, because the subscription service pays decent royalties. The free service pays close to nothing. Spotify is insisting these big names have to play on the free service because it fits their business model, which uses big-name stars as enticement for people to sign up for the subscription service. Gain paid users off the backs of the big stars, and pay these stars peanuts. The way things are going, I wonder if Spotify might not become a gigantic Internet music monopoly. It would be able to set royalties as they see fit, and it would also be able to raise the cost of subscription services. And as stars would be paid much less, the people who would make out like bandits and probably become billionaires are the people who have an interest in Spotify.

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Since the class began, it has proven consistently challenging, almost impossible, for students to succeed at this assignment. They have had little to no fresh produce or whole grain options. Imagine if you were trying to feed a family regularly with these limitations. Rather than submit to a food system that penalizes small suppliers for being small, the city’s proposal to require staple foods at corner stores is part of a larger conversation that Minneapolis is engaged in right now to challenge and redesign a food system that is currently inaccessible and unavailable to many in our communities. Lacking resources (financial or otherwise) does not mean that ours is an acceptable system, or that the solution lies in maintaining the status quo and counting on a highly processed, nutrient-poor, big-food-company diet to support our small storeowners. The City Council has the depth of understanding to recognize that along with this

THE EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS DEPARTMENT IS INDEPENDENT OF THE NEWSROOM

KEELIA MOELLER columnist

the enrichment that students get through their education. For example, in 2012, the RosemountApple Valley-Eagan district was forcing more students into English, math and science classes. Because fewer students were enrolling in art classes, the district had to cut staff in those departments from 10 staf f members down to six. Schools continue to overlook the big picture. Test scores are only one small aspect of the learning experience. Arts education benefits students in enormously important ways, and it may even boost overall test scores. It would be wise for teachers of Minnesota to advocate for helping their own students rather than themselves. Keelia Moeller welcomes comments at kmoeller@mndaily.com.

proposal, support is necessary. That includes: healthy food merchandising and marketing training, free in-store promotional supplies, written reference materials in multiple languages, access to low-interest loans for infrastructure improvements and citywide promotions to generate community interest and demand for healthy foods. Additionally, the ordinance will go into effect in April 2015, but the entire first year will be focused on education, training and assessing compliance without enforcement. This is a shift that is necessary to change our food system on a very local level. Ultimately, everyone in this picture can win. As a public health nutritionist, an educator, an activist and a mother, I am deeply concerned about the state of our local, national and international food system. I am also thrilled that Minneapolis is on the cutting edge of policies and systems change that can lead to more access and better health for our communities.

ven after last week’s midterm elections, Minnesota’s most diverse cities are still governed by officials who don’t reflect their constituencies. In Brooklyn Park, whose population is 52 percent nonwhite and still rapidly diversifying, the city council remains all white. Reva Chamblis, the city’s first AfricanAmerican woman to win a primary election for a council seat, tried to change this but lost her bid. Similarly, Liberian immigrant Mike Elliot lost the mayoral race in Brooklyn Center despite the city’s large African immigrant community. The Star Tribune reported last month that Minnesota’s city and state governments aren’t just racially homogenous, but also lack diversity in terms of age, ethnicity and class. Low voter turnout may be a primary reason for the losses of minority candidates, as underrepresented communities typically have lower–than-average voting rates, especially in midterm elections. This lack of diverse voices in Minnesota’s local and state-level governments is concerning, especially as the state is projected to become more diverse in the coming years. Minnesotans of all ages, races and backgrounds need to be represented to ensure a balanced government. The state has already made some steps to make voting easier, like last year’s “no excuses” absentee voting law that makes casting a ballot more convenient and galvanized early voting efforts in both political parties. The diversity of candidates in the elections was also a good sign that more underrepresented communities are stepping up their involvement in politics. EDITORIALS & OPINIONS DEPARTMENT Editorials represent the voice of the Minnesota Daily as an institution and are prepared by the editorial board.

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

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Jenny Breen Professional chef, CFANS lecturer

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Monday, November 11, 2014

MUSIC

The New Pornographers play First Ave. The group’s frontman, A.C. Newman, discussed the band’s indie-rock gold status. BY JARED HEMMING jhemming@mndaily.com

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ince the New Pornographers’ classic power-pop debut “Mass Romantic” came out 14 years ago, singer A.C. Newman said the band’s continued career has been a pleasant surprise. The album’s triumph caught Newman off guard because at the time of the New Pornographers’ debut, he was already 32. “It’s made it so I’m in my 40s now and I still have a music career,” Newman said. “I feel [that] people who get popular when they’re 22, when they’re in their 40s, it’s usually long gone. The fact that it came later might’ve given me longevity.” Now six studio albums in, the New Pornographers’ tour suppor ting the power ful, poppy “Brill Bruisers” is bringing them to the First Avenue Mainroom on Wednesday. On “Brill Bruisers,” Newman and co. refine their standard indie rock sound with catchy, wordless choruses and all-encompassing alliteration on tracks like “Dancehall Domine,” “Fantasy Fools” and “Brill Bruisers.” On the road to professional musicianship, Newman said “Mass Romantic” pulled him out of his day job at a guitar shop, where one day he and his co-workers bought a magazine with the album’s review in it at a gas station. “I was sitting there with my co-workers, reading our review in Rolling Stone,” Newman said. “I wanted a rave review in Rolling Stone — and we got one.” Newman’s hesitant selfdeprecating air influenced the New Pornographers’ catalogue. “For a long time, what drove me was just trying to be better,” Newman said. “I’d finish a record and go, ‘That’s OK, but it’s not good enough.’ ” Perhaps a side effect from growing up with red hair and bullies — as referenced in the music video for the band’s “Moves” — kept Newman an underdog. For “Brill Br uisers,” however, Newman, now 46, gained the confidence

to ignore any malcontents’ critiques. “I feel like this is one of the best things we’ve ever done,” Newman said of the album. “For the first time, I’m going into it like bad reviews don’t hurt my feelings; they just piss me off.” All rage aside, Newman said part of the New Pornographers’ success lies in the mellow power dynamic between its members, including solo artists Dan Bejar of Destroyer and Neko Case. “It seems pretty smooth,” Newman said. “I mean, I think Neko and Dan have their own things. They’re not absolutely fighting to get their way on a New Pornographers record.” Despite being the main creative force behind the band, Newman said the New Pornographers’ progress in the early 2000s strengthened the band’s bond of being mutual fans of one another. “I’m a fan of the other members of the band; I don’t know if they’re fans of mine,” Newman joked. “Maybe they’ve grown to hate me.” For Newman, who also records solo work, the New Pornographers’ continued foray into danceable powerpop grows from the band members’ other outlets. “I think it helps that everybody else does other things,” Newman said. “I know this band is good because of the dif ferent influence of the band members. Whenever I’m working on a record, I feel very conscious of listening to what other people have to contribute.” Newman also cited a lack of ego for the band’s lasting momentum as solid rock songwriters. “I think it’s important to have some humility,” Newman said. “[I] know that we’re not the biggest band, we’re not the best band. But we’re pretty good.”

The New Pornographers Where First Avenue Mainroom, 701 N. First Ave., Minneapolis When 7 p.m. Wednesday Cost $25 Age 18+

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS BUCK

The New Pornographers formed in the late 1990s as singer-songwriter A.C. Newman (second from left) entered his 30s. The band, which includes alt-country artist Neko Case and Dan Bejar of Destroyer, will perform at First Avenue on Wednesday.

BOOKS

Reading the rainbow Dannielle Owens-Reid and Kristin Russo are promoting their new book, “This Is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids,” in St. Paul. BY ROBB LARSON rlarson@mndaily.com

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n 2010, Dannielle Owens-Reid founded the blog Lesbians Who Look Like Justin Bieber for no special reason other than pure silliness. Some people weren’t so keen on the idea. “I was getting all these negative comments from people within the community saying that I was contributing to a negative conversation surrounding lesbians, and that obviously wasn’t the point of the website,” OwensReid said. Owens-Reid shared her site and its criticism with Kristin Russo one afternoon in New York City’s Union Square Park. The two had recently become acquainted at a New Year’s party through a mutual friend, and they immediately connected over their shared concern with

LGBTQ issues. “Kristin, who I had just met, just happened to start talking about [Lesbians Who Look Like Justin Bieber] and said, ‘I’d love to respond to some of these people,’ ” Owens-Reid said. “She was on her way to getting her master’s in gender studies, so she had much smarter things to say than I did.” That was the first conversation the two had. Within a few weeks, their talks led them to start an advice website called Everyone is Gay. The duo’s comedic chemistry and thoughtful honesty soon gathered a following. “We did just start to be sassy on the Internet. Then someone was like, ‘I want to come out to my parents, but I’m scared,’ ” Owens-Reid said. “We had to answer that, so we answered it in a much more lighthearted way than a lot of people do. I think that was refreshing to the very small audience that we had at the time.” Owens-Reid and Russo use humor to broach sensitive issues about gender and sexuality. “When you go through something difficult, it doesn’t

A&E EDITOR

Joe Kellen jkellen@mndaily.com

mean you can’t laugh,” Russo said. “My mom was really sick 10 years ago, in intensive care. My aunt and I had a miscommunication about a button in the elevator that said ‘OR’ for operating room, but we thought it meant like, three ‘or’ four. And we laughed in a way that we wouldn’t have if we weren’t in intensive care, but we needed it. We needed to experience an emotion that wasn’t sadness.” In response to the wave of suicides in LGBTQ youth in 2010, Owens-Reid and Russo asked their readers what they could do to address the problem of bullying of LGBTQ youth. Over whelmingly, they asked Owens-Reid and Russo to come talk at their schools. “In the fall of 2011, we went on our first tour, and since then the work has taken over our lives,” Owens-Reid said. “I don’t think we could honestly be like, ‘We’re gonna stop helping now.’ We’re both very fortunate that it keeps working out.” Three years later, OwensReid and Russo traveled the countr y several times to speak at schools and to

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

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANNIELLE OWENS-REID AND KRISTIN RUSSO

“This Is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids” authors Dannielle Owens-Reid, left, and Kristin Russo, right.

continue developing their message. “Most of the work we do outside of [Everyone Is Gay] is about how to change the world without being a full-time activist,” Russo said. “When we paint the picture that either you can be a change-maker or not, it’s intimidating to a lot of young people. But when you tell people that being kind to the person next to you is a monumental act of change, it really registers with them.” Their newest project is called The Parents Project, which has culminated in their book “This Is a Book for

RADIO K TOP 7

Parents of Gay Kids.” Their book tour will take them to St. Paul’s Macalester College on Tuesday night. “The Parents Project has become somewhat of a hub for parents of LGBTQ youth to seek advice,” Owens-Reid said. “We don’t do a lot of the answering. We have experts and parents and youth answer.” Since Owens-Reid and Russo have raised their public profile, they’ve faced criticism of their work from both sides of the issue. “The worst thing that can happen is feeling like you shouldn’t talk anymore.

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This Is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids Where Macalester College, 1600 Grand Ave., St. Paul When 7 p.m. Tuesday Cost Free

Dannielle and I constantly remind ourselves that we have to keep trying,” Russo said. “People are going to get things wrong. If you’re not brave enough to stumble, trip and get back up again, you’re not going to make the changes you want to make.”

4. Perfume Genius, No Good 5. The Blind Shake, Old Lake 6. Caribou, Can’t DO Without You 7. Single Mothers, Marbles


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Sports

SAVING IN

STYLE “ I have a gold background, just to stand out a little more,” Wilcox said. “It was a little more camouflaged with the maroon background.

@MNDAILYSPORTS

STORY BY: GRANT DONALD

&

gdonald @mndaily.com

BEN GOTZ

bgotz @mndaily.com

PHOTOS BY: ELIZABETH BRUMLEY

ebrumley @mndaily.com

One of the best ways to get to know Minnesota goaltenders is through their masks. Goalies on both the men’s and women’s teams get custom masks when they step on campus, courtesy of Miska Designs, a company based in Stacy, Minn. The designs the six netminders selected reflect different facets of their person-

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My freshman-year helmet was really dark; there was a lot of maroon. I had a lot of people tell me it was too dark, so I wanted to brighten it up.

When junior Adam Wilcox skates between the pipes, his helmet straddles the line between a hockey mask and that of a superhero. “My uncle kind of thought of it,” Wilcox said of his Iron Man mask. “I said, ‘Yeah, it might look pretty cool,’ so I just threw it on there and ended up sticking with it.” Wilcox has stuck with the look throughout his three years with Minnesota, but the rest of his mask

AMANDA LEVEILLE

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has undergone changes. He changed the background color of his helmet from maroon to gold in order to be more visible. He also added a dinosaur to his back plate instead of an “M” logo. “It was just kind of something from my childhood,” Wilcox said. “That was kind of my favorite thing growing up.”

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Two things Amanda Leveille loves are her homeland of Canada and the Gophers’ mascot, “Goldy.” When she designed her mask, she decided to combine the two in a unique way. “My favorite part is Goldy standing in [former Montreal Canadiens goalie] Ken Dryden’s stance,” Leveille said. “I’ve always been a huge [Canadiens] fan, so it’s nice to have a little bit of them on my helmet without having red.” Leveille also added the Canadian flag and a

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moose to her helmet as a tribute to her native country. While the front and sides of her helmet pay tribute to Canada, her back pays homage to more personal things. In 2010, Leveille’s hockey coach had a daughter who committed suicide. Part of the back of her helmet honors the coach’s daughter and a foundation in her memory that brings awareness to youth mental health. “That is something that is really important to me and the girls back home,” Leveille said.

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I did the vintage Goldy and the newstyle Goldy. “I think they both look pretty cool on the helmet.

For me, it was a focal point. It was a reminder for me that sports is a form of worship and when I go out there I just have to give it my all.

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The tribal background design … was something I just thought was kind of cool,” Lehr said. “[It’s] kind of out there, and I think that’s just my thing.

NICK LEHR

alities, giving them each a unique look in one of the most unique positions in sports. Few have the courage to stand back and let opponents rifle pucks at them, play after play. But these six goalies stand alone on campus with the willingness to do so. The job comes with one special perk: They look good while doing it.

Goldy is awesome. I think he is the best mascot in sports, so you can’t get enough of him on there.

I just kind of liked how it looked on there, so I kept it. I don’t really see it as something to trademark; I just like how it looked.

ADAM WILCOX

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A change in location has led to a switch in style for freshman Nick Lehr, who exchanged his plain black mask in junior hockey for a more intricate one with the Gophers. “It’s super cool,” Lehr said. “Especially representing Minnesota, the state where I came from. Now to play for the Gophers, it’s pretty cool to have a helmet that represents that.” Lehr put the state of Minnesota on the back of his

All the forwards have this cookiecutter image that they have to abide by, but goalies get to put their own taste into what they wear.

FR. helmet, as well as the three places he has played: his high school, his junior team and Minnesota. “They [played] big roles in my life,” Lehr said. “Each has had a significant impact in how I’ve gotten here today.” And since he’s been on campus, Lehr said he’s enjoyed himself. “Freshman year has been a lot of fun,” Lehr said. “It’s cool; it’s close to home. And so far, I love it.”

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SIDNEY PETERS When redshirt freshman Sidney Peters arrived in Minneapolis, she got the chance to accomplish one of her childhood dreams — completely design her own helmet. “When I was a kid, I was in love with the idea of designing [my] own equipment,” Peters said. “When you put the gear on, you just turn into this monster.” Peters said she kept her helmet basic so that

Both my dad and my uncle are Minneapolis cops. They are definitely huge supporters and huge fans, so it was important to include them.”

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When it came to inspiration for his mask, junior Ryan Coyne had to turn no further than his iPod. The lettering across the front of his mask matches the lettering of the band Metallica. “I’m a big Metallica fan,” Coyne said. “I have like all of their albums. That’s pretty much the inspiration behind that.” The lightning designs on Coyne’s mask are inspired by the rock band as well. Coyne said the designer based the look off the group’s album

RS. FR.

people could tell what the design is from the stands. The back of the helmet, like with two other women’s hockey goalies, has significant personal meaning with a Bible verse from Ephesians written out. “It talks about putting on God’s armor, and it is metaphorical to hockey,” Peters said. “It is just a reminder to me that when I am out here, I am playing not just for myself.”

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I didn’t ask for lightning, but [the designer] just kind of put it along there with it. One of Metallica’s albums is called ‘Ride the Lightning,’ so it kind of fits that theme.

RYAN COYNE

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I think the first thing that I thought about with this mask was the ‘Minnesota.’ It’s kind of like [Metallica’s] logo made into Minnesota instead of Metallica.

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“Ride the Lightning.” Another unique feature of Coyne’s mask is the gold cage, an idea he borrowed from NHL goaltenders, like the Boston Bruins’ Tuukka Rask. One feature that Coyne has kept throughout his three years on campus is the back plate, which features the gopher from the movie Caddyshack. “It kind of keeps everything in perspective,” Coyne said. “I take hockey pretty seriously and everything, but it’s still a game. You’ve got to have some fun.”

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I did a gold base because I love that we have gold on our jerseys. I added a maroon accent, keeping it simple and then white in the cage

SHYLER SLETTA Senior goalie Shyler Sletta considers herself a talented graphic designer — talented enough to play a major role in designing all three helmets. “I helped out Amanda, and Sid doesn’t like to admit it, but I helped her out, too,” Sletta said. Sletta is also close friends with designer Todd Miska’s two sons, so she had the opportunity to complete nearly the entire design process herself. As the only goalie on the Gophers roster who grew

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up in Minnesota, Sletta decided to put trees along the top of her helmet. Like Leveille, Sletta has a daisy on the back of her helmet to honor someone she knows that passed away. “My neighbor growing up was diagnosed with brain cancer, and she passed away,” Sletta said. “Every spring we used to plant daisies together, so I wanted to put that on my helmet.”


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Tuesday, November 11, 2014

SWIMMING & DIVING

Assistant coach Louw adjusts to new job in Minnesota W

CORA NELSON, DAILY

First-year assistant swimming and diving coach Gideon Louw poses at the University Aquatic Center on Thursday afternoon. Louw competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.

Gideon Louw, who joined the staff this summer, is a twotime Olympian. BY DANNY CHEN dchen@mndaily.com

At the highest level of his swimming career, Gideon Louw represented South Africa as a freestyle swimmer in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. Now, nearly two years removed from his last Olympics meet, Louw is a firstyear assistant coach at Minnesota, joining the Gophers in early July. Senior C.J. Smith said the team was unsure what Louw would be like as a coach, but Smith has already noticed Louw’s impact. “After one of the practices, there must’ve been a flame lit under him or something because he was really energetic on the pool deck. I think that’s what some [of the] guys need, that one [person] to be encouraging with a little edge,” Smith said.

Beginnings to his success

Louw started swimming at age 7 when his mother wanted him to get out of the house and be active. His passion for the sport

didn’t star t at that young age, however. It wasn’t until high school that Louw began to take swimming seriously. “I was around 15 or 16 when the South African relay in the [2004] Athens Olympics broke the world record in the 400 [meter] free relay,” Louw said. “I was like, ‘Wow, what are these guys doing? That looks pretty cool.’” Watching the relay team, which trained in Arizona, sparked Louw’s interest to train in the United States. Those aspirations became a reality when Indian River State College in Florida called him and gave him the opportunity to swim. “There was a guy with my same last name [who swam] a few years back around 1994 [for Indian River],” Louw said. “He was from South Africa, too, and he told the coaches about me, [since] he kept up with swimming in South Africa. It turned out that [Indian River] thought that we were cousins or something like that, so they called me and said that they heard about me through him and that they were really interested in me.” Louw ultimately decided to compete for Indian River, where he became a seventime National Junior College Athletic Association

champion in 2008. After a successful two years at the community college, Louw transferred to Auburn to finish off his junior and senior years of eligibility. During his tenure at Auburn, he helped his team claim its eighth NCAA men’s swimming and diving championship as a junior. As a senior, he took third at the NCAA championships in the 100-yard freestyle, and he placed second in the 200-yard medley relay, the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard medley relay.

From Olympian to college coach

Louw’s first experience at the Olympics was in Beijing in 2008. He qualified for the 50-meter freestyle, where he finished 12th overall. But his Olympic venture didn’t stop in Beijing. In 2012, Louw qualified for the London Olympics in three events: the 50-meter freestyle, the 100-meter freestyle and the 100-meter freestyle relay. He finished ninth, tied for ninth, and fifth in those events, respectively. After competing in the London Olympics, Louw returned to the U.S. and graduated from Auburn with a degree in exercise science. However, instead of continuing his swimming career,

he decided to put that aside and pursue a master’s degree in exercise physiology. Louw chose to complete his master’s degree at Florida State University. “Florida State had a very good program in exercise physiology,” Louw said. “[But] I also based [my decision] on where I [could] get a graduate assistant position. I knew the head coach there very well … at the time, and he was kind enough to take me on as a graduate assistant on the team.” It took two years for Louw to complete his master’s program, but it seemed like perfect timing for him as an assistant coaching position became vacant at the University of Minnesota.

A new home in Minnesota

Louw went through a formal application process with Minnesota like many other hopeful assistant coaches, but he was part of a select few who were in a final committee search list. “We had a searching committee set up,” Gophers head coach Kelly Kremer said. “Gideon’s name came through that whole process as one of the finalists that we brought in to interview.” Louw said he expected the selection committee to be intimidating, knowing that Minnesota is a prestigious

program and that it expects the best interviewees. “I was very surprised by how welcoming everybody was,” Louw said. “[Ever yone] was eager to get to know me and [wanted] to see if I would be a good fit for them just as much as I wanted to see if [Minnesota] was a good fit for me. I was just really intrigued by the sense of family that they have here.” It didn’t take long for Minnesota to reciprocate that positive feeling, hiring Louw to the position a little more than a week after the interview. “We were all really impressed with his level of professionalism and maturity,” Kremer said. “He has experienced the highest level of this sport, being an Olympian and a national champion at Auburn and [at] Indian River community college. We were really impressed with him and [the things that] he can bring to our program.” Louw said he lucked out in his swimming career with all of the successful programs he has joined. “I met a lot of people along the way that [have] helped me grow as a swimmer and grow as a coach, and as well as a person,” Louw said. “It was a long journey, but [so far] it’s a great journey.”

ATHLETICS

SOCCER

Abroad

Minnesota misses out on tourney

Chinese Olympians to U students

u from Page 1

it’s my honor to help them adjust here,” said Sandy Wang, a teaching assistant in the sports management program and volunteer with CCP. In Minnesota, the students take English and School of Kinesiology classes in addition to lear ning about spor ts and culture in the U.S. They’ve already attended a Gophers football game, a rock concer t and Valleyscare, the Halloween-themed festival at the Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee, Minn. Wang, who was also an international student when she came to the University four years ago, ser ves as a volunteer assistant and translator to the students. She said assisting the students is difficult. “It’s really a 24/7 job,”

Wang said, “but I know how hard it is for them to get here.” The students ar e in Minneapolis thanks in large par t to Dr. Li Li Ji, the dir ector of the School of Kinesiology, who brought the program to Minnesota with him after he left the University of WisconsinMadison. “China approached us because these are the most celebrated athletes in China, and it greatly benefits both sides,”Ji said. One of the participating students is Lu Chunlong, who won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics and a bronze medal in London for men’s trampoline. He said he didn’t have to adjust too much to life in a dif ferent countr y thanks to his experience competing and training in China. “I have been away from home since I was a teenager living with the team for competition and traveling

“I was nervous up until coming here, and suddenly my dream came true. I now have my opportunity, and I’m very excited.” LU CHUNLONG Gold medalist at the Beijing Olympics

all over the world,” Chunlong said. He and his classmates said they researched the University of Minnesota well in advance of their trip, which explains why they were prepared for Monday’s snowfall. “Beijing is cold in the winter, but not as cold as here,” Chunlong said. “I bought the boots and gloves, so I’m ready to welcome the winter.” Li T ing, another student in the CCP, won a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics in women’s synchronized 3-meter diving. But her favorite par t of

America has nothing to do with athletics. “I really like the education method because I feel it’s ver y creative,” T ing said. She said she really enjoys being able to interact with students and professors, too, because they nor mally just listen in China. But despite the amount of success these students have had in a range of athletics, they seem grateful for the chance to study in the U.S. “I was ner vous up until coming here, and suddenly my dream came true. I now have my oppor tunity, and I’m ver y excited,” Chunlong said.

BY BEN GOTZ bgotz@mndaily.com

After three days of waiting, the Gophers found out their season is officially over. The team was not selected to take part in the NCAA tournament Monday afternoon. Minnesota’s season ends with an 11-9-1 record. The Gophers’ last game was a 1-0 loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament semifinals on Friday, two days after they earned their first postseason victory under head coach Stefanie Golan. In the preseason, the Gophers were picked by conference coaches to finish 11th in the Big Ten. But they ended their regular season sixth in the conference standings and advanced to the conference tournament’s final four. The Gophers will graduate four seniors during the offseason: forward Olivia Schultz, midfielders Katie Thyken and Taylor Wodnick, and defenseman Becca Roberts.

hen the Gophers men’s basketball squad steps onto the cour t inside the Coast Guard’s Air Station Borinquen on Friday night, the team faces the daunting task of stopping No. 8 Louisville’s potent offense. Louisville’s attack ranked eighth in the NCAA last season and produced more than 82 points per contest. This could be trouble for Minnesota, which has looked inconsistent defensively in both its intrasquad scrimmage and in its exhibition contest. The Gophers allowed 68 points against a Division II team in Thursday night’s exhibition game against MinnesotaDuluth. Despite that number, head coach Richard Pitino didn’t seem too concerned with the team’s defensive performance. “We didn’t get as many steals as I would like,” Pitino said. “But I thought we were really aggressive.” The Gophers pressed and trapped UMD for much of the contest, posting five steals by the end of the 40 minutes. However, the Bulldogs boasted a 45.5 field goal percentage over the course of the second half, putting up 43 points in the process. UMD found a way to get inside the paint against the Gophers, and had Minnesota not been able to shoot almost 60 percent from the field, this game might have been closer. Pitino acknowledged in his postgame press conference, though, that things might have gone more favorably for the Go p hers d efen s i vel y had fr eshman guar d Nate Mason been able to play. “Not having Nate is hard,” Pitino said. “Just because of his injur y, you don’t have a lot of backcourt depth. I want to get these guys to the point where they’re totally going all-out that they need a sub.” Minnesota will need that sort of depth when it takes on Louisville this weekend. The Cardinals hit almost half of the shots they took last season — establishing a 47.4 field goal percentage, good enough for 33rd best in the country. But perhaps the most worrisome numbers for the Gophers came from a secret scrimmage against No. 14 Iowa State on Nov. 2. Per a repor t by the Ames T ribune, Iowa State won 103-78. None of this means Minnesota will be a poor defensive team this coming season. On the contrar y, as Pitino said after the team’s exhibition game, the Gophers have the right personnel to r un an aggressive style of defense. Once this team gets healthy and its young players get comfortable, the improvements stopping the ball should be drastic. But with their first game coming up against one of the best offensive teams in the countr y, it’s dif ficult to foresee a scenario in which the Gophers can contain the Cardinals’ ver y skilled lineup. David Nelson welcomes comments at dnelson@mndaily.com or on Twitter.

@DavidNelson18


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

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HELP WANTED-GENERAL

HOUSING

Gleason’s Gymnastic School is looking to fill several positions in our Maple Grove & Eagan locations. Must be energetic, athletic, reliable, & love to work w/ children. Gymnastic’s/ coaching preferred but not req’d. Candidate must posess exceptional comm skills. To schedule an interview call 763-493-2526 (Maple Grove); 651-454-6203 (Eagan)

SANDY HILL APARTMENTS Lg 1 BR open immediately, approx 2 mi E of St. Paul campus. Lg patio, heat, water, garbage, garage & off-street parking included. Call 651-775-0511

Seeking local loaders, unloaders & warehouse workers. Part time flexible schedule. Assisting in loading & unloading moving vans Need transportation. At times required to meet on local jobsite Working in homes & in warehouse Basic training & uniforms provided. Drug test & background check required. Please contact: Lyle.saumweber@Beltmann.com 651-639-2870

Events

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UPCOMING EVENTS WHAT: The Secrets of Slave Songs WHO: Threads Dance Project WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday WHERE: Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts, 528 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis PRICE: $25–30 Come see an examination of slavery, its abolition and its consequences in the United States. Renditions of Negro spirituals are used to illuminate this journey.

WHAT: Mendelssohn: St. Paul WHO: The Oratorio Society of Minnesota WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday WHERE: Ted Mann Concert Hall PRICE: $10–45 Come hear the dramatic story of the patron saint of Minnesota’s capital city, St. Paul, performed by the Oratorio Society of Minnesota. The first of Mendelssohn’s oratorios, completed in 1835, St. Paul was one of the most popular pieces of the 19th century. Its three principal themes are the martyrdom of Saint Stephen, the conversion of Saul to Paul and the apostle’s subsequent career. Now, this monumental masterwork is rarely performed. Baritone Philip Zawisza and the University of Minnesota University Singers join the 80-member Oratorio Society chorus and a professional orchestra for this unforgettable evening of music.

WHAT: Within from Without photos and painting opening show WHO: Jack Mader and Mieko Yamazaki WHEN: 6–9 p.m. Saturday WHERE: Vine Arts Center, 2637 27th Ave., Minneapolis PRICE: Free Abstract painter Mieko Yamazaki and photographer Jack Mader combine to explore the nature of creativity and the roots of inspiration.

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9


10

Tuesday, November 11, 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.

11/11/2014

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

Today’s Birthday (11/11): You’re the star this year! Express your love and creativity. Learn and grow, especially until the Winter Solstice. After that, a profitable yearlong phase begins.

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 6 — Review numbers and keep family accounts current. Temporary confusion cuts into the schedule. You’re making a good impression.

Libra (9/23 - 10/22): Today is a 6 — Don’t waste money or energy on a dead-end direction. Travel another day. The distant road seems blocked or obscured.

Taurus (4/20 - 5/20): Today is a 6 — Communication in partnership provides greatest results. Listen to a nervous friend, but don’t absorb their fears.

Scorpio (10/23 - 11/21): Today is a 7 — Travel or educational exploration calls to you. Listen to your heart. What serves you best? Let a household mess wait, you can clean later.

Gemini (5/21 - 6/21): Today is an 8 — Focus on work and rake in the cash today. A long-term goal seems blocked, so aim for short-term, more immediate ones.

Sagittarius (11/22 - 12/21): Today is a 6 — Rest and recharge batteries. Take it slow, and assign work equitably. You can handle a challenge.

Cancer (6/22 - 7/22): Today is an 8 — The more fun you have, the more creative ideas arise. Let yourself play at work. Find the interesting thread.

Capricorn (12/22 - 1/19): Today is a 7 — Review the assignment to avoid errors. Adapt to new requirements. Have a back-up plan up your sleeve.

Leo (7/23 - 8/22): Today is a 5 — Stay home and nurture your peace and health. Think over long-term plans for action later. Consider investing in your business.

Aquarius (1/20 - 2/18): Today is an 8 — Stay on top of routine homework and chores, and spend less time overall cleaning up messes. Don’t neglect exercise practices.

Virgo (8/23 - 9/22): Today is a 6 — Watch out! Don’t fall into somebody else’s pit. Friends can solve their own problems. Conditions seem unsettled.

Pisces (2/19 - 3/20): Today is a 6 — Creative pursuits reap rewards. Someone gets passionate. Pass up a crazy proposition. Don’t touch your savings.


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

from the archive

Wednesday, November 9, 2005

crossword

11 FOR RELEASE NOVEMBER 11, 2014

BACKTALK

DAILY CROSSWORD Los 1

From proud people of Essex

In response to the 5 worst places to poop entry, I just want to say that the house itself is not gross, it is the “partypoopers” that decide to come to the house and drop the deuce, pinch off a loaf, or dook without flushing that makes the bathroom gross. Net: Who makes a No. 2 at a party anyhow? Maybe that burrito wasn’t such a good idea after all. The people of 1014 Essex have paid maids that keep the house and the bathroom clean. Net: As opposed to the free maids that will clean up your skidmarks out of the kindness of their hearts? So next time you “partypoopers” are prairie dogging, keep your prairie dogs in the hole unless you are able to be considerate. With all that said, we are proud of the award you have given us.

From UnderageSupplier

I’m 21, but my roommate is not and I buy him alcohol from liquor stores while he sits in the car sometimes…PLEASE don’t tell FOX 9 News!!! Net: Too late, they’ve been on to you for months, ever since their “sources” tipped them off.

From BunchaCFors

I have an addition on the worst places to poop on campus. The #1 WORST PLACE is first floor McNamara women’s bathroom. The floors are ultra shiny, so you can see the reflection of the people next to you. I’m not just talking a person’s shadow, but a full on view of a lady wiping her cooter and/or inserting her tampon! Net: We shudder to think what one might see reflected on the men’s room floor. And what’s with pooping noises?! I’m pretty sure the lady pooping next to me last week thought she was Lil’ John! “Yeah”....“Okay”....“uh-huh”. Then washes her hands and says “yeah, that’s good”! Net: Maybe she was just chatting on her cell phone. What do think hands-free kits were invented for? What the hell? Just because you are taking a dump doesn’t mean no one can hear you! HEY! SEND YOUR ENTRY, NAME & PHONE TO:

Wipe your asses in silence and skip every other stall in McNamara! Net: Unless you want a free show.

5 9 14 15

From Broomstick

16 17

Gophers are full of surprises Their SOCKS come in all shapes and sizes The Smallest of these Hangs down to their knees But just think of the size when it rises!

From The Clamburgler

You know what this nation needs? Net: An enema? An 80’s hair metal revival. Net: Same thing, more or less. Look at what’s happened to music these days; all of the whiny indy/emo/crap music that’s surfaced. Back in the 80’s kids used cocaine to deal with their problems, not piss and moan about them while spending their parents’ money on garbage at the GAP. Net: Gap, shmap, the real enemy is Hollister. Any store where employees wear sandals year-round is not to be trusted. I for one am getting sick of hearing music that only goes on about the pain in their lives. Oh, I guess I should feel sorry for these high school bitches when their parents only buy them semi-designer clothes, a 40 gig iPod and a 2003 Audi instead of a 2005. What we need is another Judas Priest, another Bruce Dickinson, or at least another Dee Synder. Net: What we need is for Bon Jovi to dust off his tasseled leather jacket and stonewashed jeans and ride that steel horse till he finds his inner rockstar again. What we need again is another army of sexually ambiguous rockers, pissed off at the world and ready to stick it to the man, not a whiny cadre who watch The OC and hang around McDonald’s parking lots at 2 a.m. on Friday nights. Net: What better to soothe an aching heart than a classic dollar-menu grease bomb? For goodness sake, won’t you musicians do it for the children? Net: Forget the children. Do it for the hot groupie ass.

NETWORK@MNDAILY.COM

Minnesota Daily Volume 107, Issue 47 November 9, 2005 Dear Dr. Date,

I have been dating my boyfriend for over a year now, and things had been going alright, but lately it’s been rocky. Our interests are completely different, we argue more often, and I wonder if maybe our relationship has become one-sided. I am unemployed and trying to pay for school, yet I pay for everything; movies, dinner, whatever. No matter how much I ask him to pay for things every once in a while, I end up on the receiving end of the bill. He has money, but is only willing to spend it on expensive things for himself, making me wonder about my level of importance. Don’t get me wrong, money isn’t everything, but he is showing me that he doesn’t care about me and my financial situation. More and more I feel like he is taking advantage of me and we are not really equal in this relationship. I guess my question is this: Should I end our relationship? Or is there anything I could do to try and improve my situation?

— The Used

Dear The Used,

So this guy’s a jerk. He’s taking advantage of your kindness and running your wallet into the ground. I can’t believe that you even asked him if he could pay every once in a while and he said no. Plus, he seems like he only cares about himself. See, he’s got a great thing going here — a significant other who pays for every single thing he wants without asking anything in return. But all good things must come to an end. I say try talking to him one more time about this, then if things don’t change, take one of two roads: Cut him off from the funds. Tell him you simply don’t have the dough to afford two people. If this makes him mad … you’ll know he was just using you. But if that doesn’t work — kick his mooching butt to the curb.

— Dr. Date

Hello there, fine Doctor,

I’ll try to keep this brief. I’m in this seminar about an interesting topic. Most of the time, I show up in the room way early, and there’s this cute girl already there. I, in my infinite shyness and social ineptitude, have yet to do much with this situation. I just don’t feel I have any way to start a conversation without being incredibly awkward, especially because I can’t just sit next to her due to the professors seating arrangement. Doctah, what should I do?

— Silent Seminarist

Dear Silent Seminarist,

The way I see it, you have a plethora of options here. The biggest one I see is that off time before class when you’re the only two in the room. Since you’re in the only two in there, it won’t be weird if you ask her a question about class. Everyone probably has at least one logistical question they could ask a class member that’s actually about the class. As far as the seating arrangement, just slide over to a seat by her for a minute. It won’t be weird because we’ve already established that you’re the only two there anyway. And you have to talk to someone, right? If you can establish just a little bit of dialogue before class a few times, that should be a good

starting point for you to build off.

— Dr. Date

Dear Dr. Date,

I am currently dating a wonderful guy! We respect each other’s personal time, support each other in our personal endeavors, and have loads of fun together. So the problem is not with him, but my exboyfriend from last year. We had a very messy break-up. He even told me that he never wanted to see or talk to me again. But we have the same major so I still see him all the time at school. Every time I see him, he just makes me mad and annoyed. I’ve never had to keep seeing, and running into an ex, and I just don’t know how to deal with it. I’ve tried to talk to him to get some closure, but he refuses to talk to me. How can I ease the tension without having to wait until one of us graduates and I never see him again?

20 21 22 25 27 28 31 33 34 38 43 44 46 49 52 53 57 58 60 63 68 69 70 71 72 73 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

ACROSS Largest of our seven ACROSS Sacred service Bed supports 1 Tibetan holy men Uncool kid The same, on 6 Voice above the Seine tenor Wilkes-__, PA Gambler's 10 Boy or girl lead-in choice 14 Traditional saying Antiinflammatory15 Sound of pain drug 16 Scientology Med. sch. subj. creator Hubbard Colorful chalcedony 17 Big Bang, to a Experiment physicist Ripen Side-to-side 20 Snarky state Family of Indy 21 What comes winners before beauty? MOMA word French Open22 __-weensy champ Gambler's 23 Show stopper choice 27 Greeter and seater Disciple Stroke gently30 Frozen drink Shells and brand 9 Mom-&-pop elbows 31 Started the pot store grp. Small trading 32 Commercial 10 Red hot units flower? TV brand suffix with Motor 11 Sites for fights "Peter Pan" 33 Pop’s favorite 12 Process for pirate sorting injured Rajah's wife root beer? 13 Hunting dog Pac-10 team 37 Old man’s 18 Way of oldplace, Tumbler Rome Gambler's in Hemingway 19 Begley and choice of two Ms. Lauder 38 OneMeese 22 C.S.A.borders, state Lustful look gridiron 23 John Irving Hosiery hue andcharacter what the last Stone pillar 24 Aleutian island23-, Not working words of 17-, 26 Ballerina's skirt Paper quantity 52and 6229 Dog food brand Across can 30 Country on have the DOWN Mekong Picnic invader 42 Sock part 32 Kind of profit __ of Marmara 43 Hair line 45 35 PC monitor Nettle element "__ Fideles" 45 Aegean island 46 47 36 Norway capital Bundle of 46 Beachcomber’s 48 37 Cast off nerves 50 39 Create lace Sikorsky of beat 51 40 Arrow-poison helicopters 48 Selma or Patty, to 54 tree Fortune deck 55 41 Current (with) Songwriter Bart 42 Rose of Reds Greenwich

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

11/11/14 5 Hill VIP: Abbr. Monday’s Puzzle Solved 6 Pamplona pals 7 One who eschews Mao __-Tung company56 Goofed 59 Seth's brother Prigs 8 Bag marker 61 Like Nash's Confront lama Military gesture 9 Lennon 62 Endured Dang! collaborator 64 Grant or Majors Shaving foam 65 Rink surface Actress West 10 Let out, say 66 Gun lobby Pathogenic 11 Singer Lopez 67 Plant secretion bacteria 50 One of the 312 Siberian industrial Down center 52 Like some 13 In the blink of __ August sales 18 2014 N.L. East 56 Cop __: bargain champs in court 19 Fancy party 57 Actor McKellen 24 Formally 58 Partners of cons relinquish 62 Alabama 25 Rural skyline Slammer liqueur feature 66 Gen. Robert __ 26 Diagnostic test ©2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC 11/11/14 67 Truck maker with 27 Door fastener 55 __ de Mayo 44 Break for a meal a bulldog logo 28 Most fit to be 59 Tiller lead-in and a beverage, 68 Mentor’s charge drafted 60 Black-and-white in Britain 69 Fizzy drink 29 Guide for the 3treat 47 Lending a hand 70 “Terrible” age Down 61 Setup 49 Four Corners 71 Single-master 32 Parts of lbs. instructions state 34 Physics particle word 50 Strikes sharply DOWN 35 Explorer on Nick 51 Prefix with sphere 63 911 respondent, 1 Some are Jr. briefly 52 Fenway corners chocolate 36 Detected 2 Arabian 64 Rarer than rare 53 Speed skater __ 39 Barcelona boy Peninsula port 65 Places with Anton Ohno 40 Web address parts 3 Gift-bearing trio peaks and 54 In the loop, with 41 Name on some 4 Stir up passes: Abbr. “in” Canadian pumps By Pam Amick Klawitter

— Getting over Mr. Wrong

Dear Getting over Mr. Wrong,

Well, I guess there’s really not a lot you can do if he refuses to talk to you. If you can’t talk to him, there’s not really an opportunity for closure unless you like … burn old pictures or voodoo the living daylights out of him. But you said you’re getting upset and bothered every time you even see the guy, which is something that you’re probably going to have to work on yourself. You can’t expect to change majors over the guy, and you can’t expect him to do the same. You don’t have to talk to him (or moreover, can’t talk to him) so you don’t have to worry about getting in fights or anything. Just train yourself to mind his presence less. Yeah, it sucks that you had a bad breakup and that you are around each other a lot, but you’re better than that. Let him be in your classes and in your hallway. You don’t mind. You have a new guy now that’s everything you wanted, so screw your stupid ex (in the figurative sense).

— Dr. Date

Dear Dr. Date,

I went to Madison for Halloween dressed up as Iceman from “Top Gun.” At the party I was at there was this girl who was totally into my aviators and even though I wasn’t really looking to hook up, one thing led to another and we ended up having unprotected sex. This week I got a call from this girl and she said she is going to get a pregnancy test just to make sure. The problem is that here in Minneapolis my ex-girlfriend is already pregnant. We aren’t romantically involved at all anymore but for some reason I feel really guilty about what happened in Madison. If the girl from Madison is pregnant, should I tell my ex? Should I tell my ex about the whole thing anyway? Sincerely,

— Kamikaze Pilot

Dear Kamikaze Pilot,

Yes you should tell your ex girlfriend (aka mother-of-your-child-to-be) if the girl is pregnant, yes you should tell her anyway, and please stop having unprotected sex — aviators or not. Thank you.

— Dr. Date

Need relationship advice? E-mail Dr. Date at drdate@mndaily.com.

dr. date Dr. Date,

My boyfriend and I have been getting in really nasty fights lately, and it’s because of his views on women. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not radically sexist in the term’s literal sense; he just has views that don’t match with mine. He adheres to heteronormative and gender-stereotypical roles in his conversations and actions, and he doesn’t open his mind to expand his perspective. I know it’s because of his upbringing and small-town roots, but I’m getting really frustrated with it. This sounds like a total deal-breaker, I know, but you have to understand that he’s a great guy overall. He treats me so well, and he’s more driven than anyone I know. I don’t think I could live without him. How can I open his eyes to different perspectives on gender?

—Prince’s Charm Isn’t Shining Bright Tempering the Traditionalist,

The good news is that your boyfriend sounds more like a fervent traditionalist than an outright sexist. That said, his views on women and gender roles are disconcerting, since they demean a woman’s personhood and encourage objectification. His upbringing and small-town roots are no excuse for his archaic attitudes. Have a talk with him about how his views make you feel. If they interfere with your relationship in any way, shape or form, he deserves to know. Don’t expect him to become a feminist overnight, but telling him where you stand may help him re-evaluate his long-held assumptions. If it continues to be a problem, break up with your not-socharming prince for someone more

simpatico with your worldview.

—Dr. Date

Dr. Date,

I just broke up with my girlfriend, and it’s been really tough. We stopped dating because we “mutually” decided that we’re not right for each other. But at the end of the day, I still love her. What makes the situation even more complicated is that we work together at the front desk of an apartment complex. We’ve kept our professional relationship civil and have acted like nothing has changed between us to keep work less awkward, but it’s been extremely emotionally draining. It’s so hard seeing her every day. How can I get through this? Should I consider finding a different job?

—Stuck With My Ex

Not-So-Mutual Breakup,

From what you describe, the breakup sounds one-sided. You profess that you’re still in love with your ex, so why did you allow the breakup to happen? Far be it from me to be a hopeless romantic, but this situation could have been avoided had you articulated that you wanted to stay together and work things out. The fact that you two are co-workers gives you a chance to do this. Let your ex know how much the “mutual” decision to break up hurt you and that you’d like to give the relationship another go. If she’s on board with the idea, work hard on the things that caused the relationship to fall apart in the first place. If not, move on and quit your job. Seeing your ex every day won’t help the process if she doesn’t want to get back together.

—Dr. Date

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

11


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Tuesday, November 11, 2014

ReUse gives second life to used goods The University’s ReUse program lets shoppers get creative with used items. BY HALEY HANSEN hhansen@mndaily.com

When a depar tment at the University of Minnesota gets new of fice chairs, the old ones are shipped of f and packed away in a warehouse in the Southeast Como neighborhood. The storeroom is par t of the University’s ReUse Program, which collects surplus of fice fur niture, appliances and supplies from around the school and sells them to students, employees and the public at a reduced price. While one of the program’s main purposes is to reduce waste, the surplus store also caters to local DIYers and creative types who scour its numerous old filing cabinets, doors and other odds and ends. Minneapolis resident Nate Jackson explored the warehouse Thursday afternoon for spools of copper wires to build a decorative mobile for his office. Jackson, who formerly worked as a buyer for an antique program, said the value of some of the items in the warehouse far exceeds their retail prices. “I come here to find unique pieces and examples of quality craftsmanship

that’s hard to find these days,” he said while rummaging through the spools. The program also lets bargain hunters repurpose and reimagine their finds, Jackson said. “Usually when you buy something new, it’s hard to be creative,” he said. Small business owner Mark Shadduck also rifled through the large warehouse last week, which he said is a common ritual to nab cheap but unique goods. “This is a great place to think outside the box,” he said. “It saves money, but it also piques curiosity.” ReUse Program manager Michael Guest said the warehouse’s inventor y changes on a weekly basis, and its divers pick up used items each week at various loading docks around campus. The program also takes used items from the University’s residence halls when students move out at the end of each year, he said. The warehouse is open to the public on Thursdays and the first Saturday of each month. There are also several walk-in hours for University community members each week.

ALEX TUTHILL-PREUS, DAILY

A customer browses used goods at the ReUse center in the Southeast Como neighborhood on Thursday. The ReUse Program collects surplus items from 250 Twin Cities campus buildings and redistributes them to school departments.

Guest said the recycling system has been around for mor e than two de cades and that other large schools, such as Michigan State University, have similar programs in place to salvage their out-of-use inventor y. The program not only benefits the environment,

he said, but also the wallets of those who take advantage of it. “With the cost of [waste] disposal going up, it’s a win-win for ever ybody,” he said. The ReUse warehouse prices its items at 30 percent of their value, Guest said, but cer tain rare

Prospect Park neighborhood seeks national historic designation The neighborhood will seek public opinion on whether it should be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. BY ETHAN NELSON enelson@mndaily.com

After nearly 20 years of work, Prospect Park may finally see historic designation. The neighbor hood’s residents opposed a local historic designation in 2010, but some residents and city officials hope the 130-yearold neighborhood will gain national historic designation this spring. Citizens opposed the city’s requirements for local designation because of their time-consuming and strict nature. Along with some other incentives and requirements, national recognition would add the area to the National Register of Historic Places. Joe Ring, chairman of the Prospect Park East River Road Improvement Association’s historic district committee, said he has been working on getting the neighborhood recognized since 1995.

Areas on the national register have to have historic significance and integrity, Ring said. Usually the majority of buildings in historic districts have to be over 50 years old. The Witch’s Hat Tower and Tower Hill Park were placed on the National Register in 1997. Placement on the national register would offer recognition and potentially mitigate federal or state construction work near the area, and some are excited and hopeful that residents will want this. Designation would also give tax credits to incomeproducing proper ties like businesses when they substantially renovate their properties. “There are so many neighborhoods that would kill to be on a national registry,” said Charlene Roise, a historical consultant who has worked with the neighborhood since the water tower was placed on the register.

Roise examined ever y building in the area to determine where the boundaries lie and what characteristics define the neighborhood. The two defining architectural styles in the neighborhood are Queen Anne and Colonial Revival houses, which both came to prominence in the 19th centur y when Prospect Park began to grow, she said. The end of the work toward designation comes a few weeks after Ward 2 City Councilman Cam Gordon’s conser vation district ordinance, which would allow residents to preser ve their area’s characteristics, was approved by the City Council. Residents could use the ordinance to place stricter guidelines on the kinds of alterations that can be done to buildings in the district. Gordon said he’s hopeful people in Prospect Park and across Minneapolis will use the new tool. National recognition could deter housing developers from purchasing old properties in the area. Denis Gardner, who works for the State Historic Preser vation Of fice, said

developers have tried to purchase the Pratt Community School several times but backed out to avoid bureaucracy. In January, the state will put notices out and accept votes from area residents. If a simple majority of residents vote yes, the application will be reviewed by the Keeper of the National Register and most likely will be accepted, Gardner said. But Gardner and Gordon said some people might not agree to be placed on the register. “There are people who might not like it because they don’t think the government should even recognize it,” Gordon said. He’s also concer ned about the way the votes will be counted, because people who don’t vote will be counted as affirmatives. Other residents say they hope national designation will slow down encroachment on Prospect Park. “Already we’ve got the light rail, the U, and we’re right next to St. Paul,” said Susan Larson-Fleming, a neighborhood resident. “We’ve had to fight for patience.”

US faces last best chance to curb Iran’s nuke deal BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MUSCAT, Oman — The Obama administration is facing its last best chance to curb Iran’s nuclear program — not just to meet an endof-the-month deadline for a deal, but also to seal one before skeptical Republicans who will control Congress next year are able to scuttle it. In the final stretch of years of negotiations to limit Tehran’s nuclear production, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met Monday for a second straight day with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and European Union senior adviser Catherine Ashton in Oman’s capital. The three diplomats ended discussions late Monday with no sign of an imminent breakthrough. Asked at a brief photo opportunity if they were making progress, Zarif responded: “We will eventually.” “We are working hard,” Kerry added. The stakes are high as the Nov. 24 deadline approaches. A deal could quell Mideast fears about Iran’s ability to build a nuclear bomb and help revive the Islamic Republic’s economy.

It also would deliver a foreign policy triumph for the White House, which is being hammered by prominent Republican senators over its handling of the civil war in Syria and the growth of the Islamic State militancy in Iraq. Those same critics seek to put the brakes on U.S.-Iranian bartering, if not shut it down completely, once they seize the majority on Jan. 3. The Obama administration “needs to understand that this Iranian regime cares more about trying to weaken America and push us out of the Middle East than cooperating with us,” Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona, the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Ser vices Committee, and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said in a statement last week. President Barack Obama told CBS’ “Face The Nation” that his administration’s “unprecedented sanctions” on Iran are what forced Tehran to the negotiating table. “Our number one priority with respect to Iran is making sure they don’t get a nuclear weapon,” he said. But Obama also cited “a big gap” between Iran and

world powers as they try for a final agreement. “We may not be able to get there,” he said in the interview broadcast Sunday. Over the past year, congressional Republicans have made little secret of their skepticism of Obama’s outreach to Tehran. They say it has alienated Israel and kept the U.S. from maintaining a hard line on a number of foreign policy fronts, including Iran’s detention of three Americans. That skepticism is borne mostly of concerns that Iran secretly will enrich enough uranium to build nuclear weapons, even after a deal is reached. For years, Iran hid some of its nuclear facilities and blocked inspectors’ access at others, raising widespread alarms about its intentions. Penalties imposed by the U.S., EU and the U.N. Security Council aimed to punish Tehran for its covert nuclear program. Iran has maintained that its nuclear activities are purely peaceful and necessary to fuel medical and energy demands. Last week, Kerry, a former Senate Foreign Relations committee chairman,

rejected suggestions that a GOP-controlled Congress would be able to change course on negotiations with Iran. He also noted that any Senate move would need over whelming suppor t to be approved. “As we have learned in the last few years, the minority has enormous power to stop things from happening,” he said. He also has said none of the world powers has an appetite for extending the talks beyond the Nov. 24 deadline, although that remains a remote possibility if an agreement appears close. If a deal is struck before year’s end, U.S. lawmakers may have limited ability to undo it. Experts believe most of the U.S. penalties against Iran’s financial and oil markets can be suspended, if not lifted entirely, by presidential authority. Beyond Jan. 3, however, and without an agreement in place, Congress could try to issue new sanctions without giving Obama that authority to suspend or lift them. Already, a plan to strengthen them if the negotiations expire without a final deal has gathered strong backing from senators from both parties.

items are dif ficult to put a price on. “Some things are so unique that it’s hard to figure out what their true value is,” he said. Jehad Adwan, clinical assistant professor in the School of Nursing, took a trip to the warehouse on Thursday to look for a desk

to repurpose for his wife. While Adwan said he hadn’t visited the surplus store in years, he said it’s a good resource for crafty shoppers who are also eco-friendly. “The program is awesome,” he said. “Instead of throwing this stuf f in garbage, it can still be used.”

U-developed device could detect diseases in just 15 minutes Z-Lab u from Page 1

professor Jian-Ping Wang, who led the project. “We can detect multiple health indicators at the same time with a ver y small amount of samples,” Wang said. The wide range of health conditions that the device can spot includes brain tumors, HIV and lung and ovarian cancer, he said. The device bases its readings on biomarkers, often proteins, which correspond with the presence of certain diseases identified in samples, team members said. “Prostate cancer, lung cancer — these are all things that have biomarkers,” said Todd Klein, an electrical engineering doctoral candidate who worked on the z-Lab team. “What those are is small molecules in your blood or urine.” Once its user places a drop of fluid on the device’s biochip, z-Lab displays up to 10 biomarkers on a smartphone or tablet screen within 15 minutes. Amy Skubitz, a lab medicine and pathology professor who researches ovarian cancer, said z-Lab essentially translates her laborator y’s biomarker research for clinical use. Next, the device will make its way to the comm e r c i a l m a r k e t , Wa n g said, adding that the technology has already been transferred to a 2014 University start-up, Zepto Life Technology.

Early detection cuts costs, saves lives

Late treatment of disease plays a role in rising health care costs, Wang said. This was the case with his father, who was diagnosed with relatively advanced cancer, he said. “Nowadays, people just tr y to fix the disease at a ver y late stage,” Wang said. “We shouldn’t treat the patient too late; we should find things early.” Early detection not only drives the price of medical care down, but it also improves a person’s chances of sur vival, said Skubitz, who is a z-Lab contributor. “Right now, when a woman comes to the clinic, they do a blood draw and take like 10 milliliters of blood,” she said of ovarian cancer patients. “Then they send it of f to a lab,

“If it’s successfully developed, it can detect very, very small concentrations of proteins in very small volumes of fluid at what appears to be a relatively low cost.” DR. LEVI DOWNS Associate professor

which might take days or weeks to get your results back.” While doctors usually detect ovarian cancer after a patient shows symptoms, she said, a biosensing device like z-Lab could expedite the disease detection process and make it more practical to test for serious conditions at frequent intervals. “Right there in the clinic, you could already tell somebody that they have these markers and whether or not they have a disease,” Skubitz said. “It will save a lot of money, and it will save a lot of lives.” The device could potentially make early disease detection practical in developing countries often hindered by a lack of advanced infrastructure and medical equipment, said Dr. Levi Downs, an associate professor and gynecologic oncologist. “If it’s successfully developed, it can detect very, very small concentrations of proteins in very small volumes of fluid at what appears to be a relatively low cost,” he said. Downs, who also researches cer vical cancer screening and detection, said current cer vical cancer testing methods are costly and require significant personnel and infrastructure investment. The z-Lab device could provide rapid diagnoses, said Dr. Andrew Badley, an infectious disease professor at the Mayo Clinic who researches HIV infections — an illness whose treatment benefits from early detection. “[The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] recommended some number of years ago that ever y adult in the United States be tested for HIV,” he said. “Having this kind of testing system in a physician of fice, in an emergency room or urgent care center would facilitate that.”


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November 11, 2014 by The Minnesota Daily - Issuu