December 9, 2019

December 2019

Volume 4

EARLY WEEK MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2019

MNDAILY.COM

STUDENT GOVT.

SERVING THE UMN COMMUNITY SINCE 1900

CAMPUS

MSA pres. announces resignation Mina Kian, the president of the undergraduate student body, plans to resign in the spring.

Left, Students and faculty march towards Morrill Hall as part of the UMN Climate Strike. Those in attendance criticized the University’s policies on fossil fuel usage. Below, Savannah Wery, left, and Katherine Schmid, right, speak to protesters outside of Coffman Union on Friday, Dec. 6. (Emily Urfer / Minnesota Daily)

BY SAMANTHA HENDRICKSON shendrickson@mndaily.com

University of Minnesota undergraduate student body president Mina Kian plans to resign in the spring. Kian, who has been involved in MINA KIAN various positions in MSA for the last four-and-a-half years, said she plans to resign purely for academic reasons and will leave her presidency sometime in the spring semester. “I am choosing to leave exclusively because of the fact this academic professional development conflict could not be adjusted,” Kian said. MSA Vice President Jael Kerandi will assume the presidency and appoint a new vice president subject to the MSA forum’s approval. “I have full confidence in Jael’s ability to continue leading this organization in my absence and to ensure the advocacy initiatives that we started together will come to fruition,” Kian said. Voting members met Thursday and held discussions on the next steps for MSA in light of a presidential resignation. The preparations follow an Oct. 22 forum, which was motioned into closed session. A bill drafted in October, and discussed at the forum, called for Kian to discuss MSA’s priorities. “[T]he President of the Minnesota Student Association has denied repeated and sustained requests to have a meaningful and respectful conversation around organizational culture and organizational portfolio,” the bill states. It also states that “the President’s behavior is largely responsible for the creation of a difficult work environment.” The closed session, which some members say was called in order to have “transparent conversations” about internal culture, excluded leadership. Prior to the closed session, six members resigned from the undergraduate student government. Two more members have resigned since, bringing the total to eight since July 2019. Kian denied a connection between her resignation and the concerns about the internal culture discussed in the closed session. Kian stated that while she has loved her position within MSA, she is choosing to put her academics first. “I hope to lead by that example for all students across campus that they have to always have [academics] as a top priority,” Kian said. In spring 2019, during the MSA presidential elections, the Minnesota Daily Editorial Board endorsed Kian and Kerandi for their current positions.

Students call for action on climate During a march Friday, UMPD barred protesters from entering Morrill Hall. BY ABBEY MACHTIG AND NATALIE RADEMACHER amachtig@mndaily.com, nrademacher@mndaily.com new University of Minnesota student group held a march Friday to demand the University divest from fossil fuels and do more to address the climate crisis.

A

A group of more than 50 students and community members marched across campus to Morrill Hall, the location of University President Joan Gabel’s office, to bring attention to their demands. The University’s Minnesota Climate Strike student group, a branch of the statewide initiative, insisted the University declare a

climate emergency, create a new climate and environmental justice major and cut ties with the fossil fuel industry, among others. The group intended to hold a sit-in at Gabel’s office, but on arrival found Morrill Hall placed on lockdown as the sit-in “would be disruptive” to campus activity, according to University of

STUDENT LIFE

Minnesota Police Department officers present at the time. UMPD officers blocked students from entering the building. The group then eventually dissolved, with leaders encouraging students to attend other climate protests taking place in St. Paul u See CLIMATE Page 4

FOOTBALL

Gophers to take on Auburn Tigers in Outback Bowl The Gophers will play in a game on New Year’s Day for the second time since the 1962 season. BY JOHN MILLER jmiller@mndaily.com

ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH MAI, DAILY

Amid fears of recession, University students split on economy’s outlook UMN students and experts weigh in on rising concerns over economic stability. BY JASMINE SNOW jsnow@mndaily.com

As economists speculate on the probability of an impending recession, students feel uncertain about

future financial prospects. Recent survey data of 330 completed responses collected by the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication found that 8 percent of students surveyed rated the current state of the U.S. economy “very good.” Forty-six percent rated it as “good” and 17 percent rated it as either “bad” or “very bad.” u See ECONOMY Page 3

Coming off of one of their best regular seasons in over 100 years, the Gophers finally know their bowl destination. No. 18 Minnesota will head to Tampa Bay, Florida to take on the No. 12 Auburn Tigers in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1. The game will be played at Raymond James Stadium, where the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers call home. This will be yet another opportunity for the program to play in the spotlight. It will be the second time the program plays in a New Year’s Day bowl game since the 1960s. The Gophers lost to Missouri in the Citrus Bowl to conclude the 2014 season. Since that loss to Missouri, the Gophers have not lost a bowl game; they are currently on a threegame win streak. Most recently, Minnesota beat Georgia Tech 3410 in the Quick Lane Bowl. This is the second-consecutive season the

Gophers have qualified for a bowl game. The Gophers will have their hands full facing a very good Auburn Tigers team. They finished the season with a 9-3 overall record and went 5-3 in the SEC West conference. Their three losses were against AP Top 15 teams: Florida, Georgia and LSU. The Tigers finished their season defeating Alabama on Nov. 30 to win the Iron Bowl and effectively eliminating the Crimson Tide from the College Football Playoff. Offensively, the Tigers are led by freshman Bo Nix, who has thrown for 15 touchdowns and six interceptions and has run for seven scores. On the ground, Nix is joined by running back JaTarvious Whitlow. Whitlow leads the team in attempts (147), yards (739) and rushing touchdowns (nine). Defensively, Auburn is ranked No. 21 in the country in rush defense, allowing 115.5 yards per game and is No. 13 in points allowed (18.6). The Iowa Hawkeyes, a fellow Big Ten team, won last year’s Outback Bowl. The Hawkeyes represented the Big Ten well, beating the Mississippi State Bulldogs 27-22.

ACADEMICS

After University Senate vote, no changes to liberal education requirements — for now The Senate voted against two proposed plans on Thursday, and discussed how to best proceed. BY NIAMH COOMEY ncoomey@mndaily.com

At a lively meeting Thursday, the University of Minnesota Senate decided to prolong discussions around changing the University’s liberal education requirements. The Liberal Education Redesign Committee took several years to rethink the University’s liberal education requirements, bringing plans A and D to the senate to be voted on. Faculty and students expressed concerns about the level of student involvement in the redesign process, the cost associated with changing requirements and how they would

be implemented. After discussion of these concerns, the senate ultimately voted against both plans over the current curriculum. Plan A would eliminate courses that fulfill at least two liberal education requirements, commonly known as “double-dipping” courses, while plan D aims to maintain them. Both plans introduce ethics and quantitative reasoning as required fundamentals, among other changes. Thursday’s meeting ended with a discussion about how to move forward, including a suggestion of the potential formation of a new committee under new Provost Rachel Croson sometime this spring. Professor Sally Gregory Kohlstedt, chair of the now-disbanded LERC, said it is time to pass the baton. However, whoever works on the redesign next will likely build off of

the committee’s work, she said. University Senator Tabitha Grier-Reed suggested that the next step of the redesign should include more analysis of feedback from faculty and students, a process that could span over the next couple of years. “I don’t think that whoever comes next should throw the baby out with the bathwater, but I do think that the redesign won’t be fast, and that it would involve getting and integrating feedback at multiple steps along the way,” Grier-Reed said. Members of the Student Senate and the Minnesota Student Association expressed concern that their voices had not been involved enough in the consultation process from the beginning. Kohlstedt met with several MSA u See LIB ED Page 3

The University Senate convenes in Mondale hall on Thursday, Dec. 5. Those involved in the vote decided to continue discussions around changing the University’s liberal education requirements. (Parker Johnson / Minnesota Daily) VOLUME 120 ISSUE 29

2

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2019

MN DAILY

Daily Review

MNDAILY.COM

CAMPUS EVENTS CALENDAR MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

University Band and North Nutritious U Food Pantry Breakfast at VIIVNCAUS Strike Out Stress Star Campus Band 12 - 6 p.m. at Coffman 210 to Dec. 12 6 - 8 p.m. at the Asian Pacific American 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Gopher Spot 7:30 - 9 p.m. at Ted Mann Concert Hall A free food pantry for undergraduate, graduate and professional students. No tickets, just come hear the music.

Resource Center. Enjoy a waffle bar, board games and arts and crafts.

Stop by between finals and bowl, build a sundae and pet the PAWS dogs.

Monday, December 9, 2019 Vol. 120 No. 29

An Independent Student Newspaper, Founded in 1900. 2221 University Ave. SE, Suite 450, Minneapolis, MN 55414 Phone: (612) 627-4080 Fax: (612) 435-5865

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

Copyright © 2019 The Minnesota Daily. This newspaper, its design and its contents are copyrighted.

1979 Smallpox is officially declared eradicated. HISTORYCHANNEL.COM/TDIH

Disability group forms coalition The group plans to reach out to other Big Ten schools in the coming weeks. BY HANA IKRAMUDDIN hilkramuddin@mndaily.com The University of Minnesota’s Organization for Graduate and Professional Students with Disabilities is trying to extend its reach and collaborate with peer universities. This academic year, OGPSD has undertaken efforts to connect with similar organizations in other Big Ten schools, including the University of WisconsinMadison and the University of Iowa. They hope to bring these organizations together to form something larger and more capable of creating change for students with disabilities. “There is … not a body that exists within the Big Ten or anywhere in the country that is building a coalition amongst student organizations at different universities, serving specifically postbaccalaureate students with disabilities or chronic illnesses,” said Ryan Machtmes, president of OGPSD. The effort is still in its early stages, and the group is hoping to reach out to at least four other universities by the end of the academic year, said Daniel Greenberg, vice president of OGSPD. OGPSD has a history of allying themselves with

=

Mahesh Mathew poses for a portrait outside of the West Bank Office Building on Wednesday, Dec. 12. Forced to pivot his career after losing his eyesight and ability to practice as an M.D., he is now striving towards a master’s degree in public health.

=

other organizations. However, usually these efforts have been collaborations with other on-campus groups, like the Disability Student Cultural Center and others aiming to support disability advocacy. “The needs of students with disabilities are not necessarily endemic to only one university campus,” Machtmes said, pointing out that a larger organized group could help handle larger

problems dealt with by those with disabilities. Having established communication with the University of WisconsinMadison, the group’s ambitions include setting up regular conferences, sharing goals with each other and establishing frequent communication to assist with advocacy. “Change really starts to happen when a larger group of people … join the

conversation and start pushing for acknowledgment and then eventually for change,” said Emily Young, a doctoral student and co-director of research within the OGSPD group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Both groups said graduate students can feel overlooked because of the difference between their needs and those of undergraduate students. This emphasizes the need for graduate-based

Study shows that women are given more opioids than needed after birth. NATALIE CIERZAN ncierzan@mndaily.com

organizations and groups to ensure that these types of students receive the care and advocacy they need. “One of the first places that we go to look for ideas or to find out where we stand is that our peer institutions,” Young said, pointing to how simply sharing ideas back and forth and keeping other groups updated on goals and accomplishments can help each group involved.

Oxycodone and Acetaminophen, an opioid containing drug combination often prescribed to women after pregnancy, at a CVS Pharmacy on Sunday, Dec. 8.

down the amount of opioids that people go with, they do just as well,” Jones said. No standard guideline currently exists for prescriptions after birth. “I think it’s just not something we thought about before,” she said. “The thought process never continued to ‘what if a person becomes dependent on these?’” A good standard guideline for this would be to look at how many pills a woman needs 24 hours after delivery and assess her pain tolerance, Jones said. “If you do a standard of everyone needs 10 pills, we know this doesn’t work,” she

said. Instead, they’re trying to offer more individualized care. Ad d i t i o n a l l y , o p i o i d awareness training and nationwide guidelines are important, Jones said. “OxyContin has been identified as one of the most prone to abuse opioids,” she said. “[For] five of the six hospitals, that was a number one medication that people were going home with.” Samantha Hoffman, a University assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health, was part of a series of quality improvement projects that looked

at prescribing narcotics to patients after pregnancy called the QI collaborative. By looking at the number of narcotics that patients received after discharge, they were able to decrease how many patients went home with prescriptions and the number of prescriptions others left with. “People who take up to 10 days of narcotics, they’re at a significant risk of opioid dependence,” Hoffman said. “Postpartum is such a … kind of high-risk time for women for other mental health issues as well, that that can put them a little more at risk.”

By providing patients with different pain medications, they’ll be able to limit how many opioids are at risk of being stolen or misused, she said. “The fear people always had was you’d send women home and they’d be in pain and not have access to medications,” Hoffman said, and women are not calling back asking for more. The medical system has a great opportunity to prevent opioid dependence, said Ruth Richardson, the CEO of Wayside Recovery Center, a treatment center for women recovering from addiction and trauma. “One of the things that I think providers have the opportunity to do is to really take the guidance that comes from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists,” she said. “They really are encouraging doctors to not lead with the opioids but with the other types of pain relievers.” Common opioids prescribed to women after pregnancy include an OxyContin and Tylenol combination taken for pain called Percocet and Vicodin. This approach is important because postpartum is a potentially vulnerable time, Richardson said, and can lead to things like depression. “This is the exact definition of primary prevention,” she said.

Two attempted robberies reported on UMN campus Suspects in both alerts were armed, per SAFE-U. BY DYLAN ANDERSON AND MAX CHAO danderson@mndaily.com, mchao@mndaily.com

EDITORIAL STAFF Max Chao Managing Editor mchao@mndaily.com Desmond Kamas Managing Production Editor dkamas@mndaily.com Michelle Griffith Campus Activities Editor mgriffith@mndaily.com Katrina Pross Campus Administration Editor kpross@mndaily.com Madeline Deninger City Editor mdeninger@mndaily.com Audrey Kennedy Features & Freelance Editor akennedy@mndaily.com Paul Hodowanic Sports Editor phodowanic@mndaily.com Nick Jungheim Assistant Sports Editor njungheim@mndaily.com Liv Martin A&E Editor lmartin@mndaily.com Jack Rodgers Multimedia Editor jrodgers@mndaily.com Emily Martens Copy Desk Chief emartens@mndaily.com Cate Tynjala Assistant Copy Desk Chief ctynjala@mndaily.com Creston Halstead Chief Page Designer chalstead@mndaily.com Morgan La Casse Visuals Editor mlacasse@mndaily.com =

Too many opioids given to new mothers

A University of Minnesota study found that women bring home more prescribed opioids than they need after giving birth. The study, which was published last month, analyzed medical records from six hospitals across the country to show that physicians generally send 75 percent of women home with a surplus of pills. According to researchers, without a standard guideline to follow, physicians are prescribing different amounts of drugs across the country for the same thing. “The next step we need to do is find out how many pills patients are using,” said Cresta Jones, a co-author of the study and a University associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health. By providing a set range for how many pills a patient should be given after birth, medical students will be able to question whether a patient asking for more is at risk, she said. “Our hope is that the residents will leave here seeing that when we cut

OFFICE OF THE PUBLISHER Cleo Krejci Editor-in-Chief ckrejci@mndaily.com (612)-227-5914 Kyle Stumpf Business Operations Officer kstumpf@mndaily.com (612)-435-5772 Charlie Weaver General Manager gm@mndaily.com (612)-435-5657

Two attempted armed robberies were reported on the University of Minnesota campus over the weekend, according to all-campus alerts. One of the incidents occurred at 12:45 a.m. on Sunday near the corner of Harvard Street Southeast and Dela-

ware Street Southeast. The alert describes three male suspects driving a silver sedan and wearing face masks. One of the suspects had a handgun, according to the alert. Another alert was sent to students just before 11 p.m. on Thursday, saying the suspect

was in a dark blue hoodie, other dark clothing and “implied he had a weapon.” The incident occurred just before 10:30 p.m. at the intersection near Nicholson and Eddy Halls. Both alerts were classified as an emergency. This means the situation poses an immedi-

ate threat or imminent danger and requires the community to take immediate action, according to the University’s website. While the University has seen an uptick in alerts this year, most have not been on campus.

EDITORIAL BOARD Ariana Wilson Editorials & Opinions Editor awilson@mndaily.com Samantha Woodward Editorial Board Member swoodward@mndaily.com BUSINESS Jacob Kenyon Sales Manager jkenyon@mndaily.com Tiffany Welty Assistant Sales Manager twelty@mndaily.com David Keane Controller dkeane@mndaily.com =

=

The Minnesota Daily strives for complete accuracy and corrects its errors immediately. Corrections and clarifications will always be printed in this space. If you believe the Daily has printed a factual error, please call the readers’ representative at (612) 627–4070, extension 3057, or email errors@mndaily.com immediately. The Minnesota Daily is a legally independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and is a student-written and student-managed newspaper for the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus. The Daily’s mission is: 1) to provide coverage of news and events affecting the University community; 2) to provide a forum for the communication and exchange of ideas for the University community; 3) to provide educational training and experience to University students in all areas of newspaper operations; and 4) to operate a fiscally responsible organization to ensure its ability to serve the University in the future. The Daily is a member of the Minnesota News Council, the Minnesota Associated Press, the Associated Collegiate Press, The Minnesota Newspaper Association and other organizations. The Daily is published Monday and Thursday during the regular school year and weekly during the summer, and it is printed by ECM Publishers in Princeton, Minn. Midwest News Service distributes the 10,000 issues biweekly. All Minnesota Daily inserts are recyclable within the University of Minnesota program and are at least 6 percent consumer waste. U.S. Postal Service: 351–480.

3

Monday, December 9, 2019

Economy u from Page 1

The idea for the new student group came about because some wanted to make the climate movement more accessible to students. “We want to bring this to campus so it is easier for students to get involved locally,” said Kat Schmid, one of the organizers of the new student group. In response to the students’ demands, the University reaffirmed its work to reduce emissions and promote sustainability. “The University has a long-standing commitment to sustainability with one of higher education’s first comprehensive sustainability policies. For more than a decade, we have been putting these policies into action by integrating sustainability into teaching, research, outreach, and operations,” the University said in an email. These policies include

the University’s goal to offset 100 percent of the campus’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Leaders of the student group said while the University’s goals of reducing emissions are good, it needs to be more transparent about its actions and progress. The University has reduced almost 40 percent of its emissions since the plan was rolled out in 2011. Along with transparency, the student group’s leaders say the University’s It All Adds Up campaign, which encourages campus community members to do things like turn off lights when leaving a room, puts the responsibility on students. They argue most emissions are coming from fossil fuel corporations. “Those little things are great but what we are focused on is making that system levels change,”

Schmid said. Experts say the process for the University to divest from fossil fuels would take about five years. “That’s where students and others who are going to demand that you do the right thing need to hold [the University] accountable for an aggressive timeline,” said Brett Benson, communications director for MN350, an organization dedicated to sustainability. “We don’t have that kind of luxury of time. We won the battle for public opinion around the climate crisis. Now we just need to translate that into winning on public policy.” While the student group is still in its early stages, organizers are planning on holding more events next semester to help gain community support and encourage the University to do more regarding the climate crisis.

Meanwhile, 30 percent of students surveyed rated the current economy neither good nor bad. This survey had a margin of error of 5.4 percentage points. First-year student Hailey Zeissler said she’s uncomfortable with the “volatile” state of the economy, due in part to current U.S.-China trade relations. “It’s scary looking at a possible failing economy when it’s me on the line and I have to pay for all of this with little to no confidence in a solid future,” Zeissler said. In August, a National Association for Business Economics survey published by Markets Insider showed more than 70 percent of economists believe a recession will occur before the end of 2021. More recently, Forbes reported that some economists now believe a recession does not pose as immediate a threat as previously thought. Christopher Phelan, a University economics professor, said that the tracking and predicting of recessions is an inherently imperfect practice. “Well, basically the track record of economists for predicting recessions is horrible,” Phelan said. “We’re no good at it and nobody else is, either.” The survey also asked University students if they think the national economy will “get better, get worse, or stay about the same” in the next year. Forty-two percent of respondents said that they felt it would get “somewhat worse.” Only 6 percent of students surveyed felt the economy would get “much worse” while 34 percent of students felt like the U.S. economy would “stay about

redesign process. Student senators issued a statement against the proposed plans, both of which they argue would not further their goal of making it easier and less expensive for students to graduate. “Those are our two values, make it easier for students to graduate with as little debt as possible and on

time, and making sure that students are full partners in the development of University policies that apply to everyone,” said Student Senate Consultative Committee Ranking Senator Isaiah Ogren. MSA passed a statement supporting the Student Senate statement at their most recent forum meeting.

Grier-Reed said she thinks the curriculum belongs to the faculty, but that student perspectives are invaluable during the redesign process and should be included. “I think for sure the student voice is essential to the process of developing something that feels like its relevant to their lives and

their futures,” she said. President Joan Gabel said she was happy with the outcome of the meeting, and that the senate made decisions in the spirit of continuous improvement, while still respecting the work that had been done up to this point. Gabel added that this decision is an important

Students and faculty gather outside of Coffman Union to participate in the UMN Climate Strike on Friday, Dec. 6. Those in attendance criticized the University’s policies on fossil fuel usage. (Emily Urfer / Minnesota Daily)

Climate u from Page 1

the same day. Along with Friday’s march and attempted sit-in, organizers delivered a list of demands to the University, including requests such as divesting from fossil fuels and the creation of a climate and environmental studies major. The request for the major builds off of work from other students, including the group Voices for Environmental Justice. Along with these demands, the group requested the University declare a climate emergency, which the Minneapolis City Council did earlier this month. Making this kind of declaration acknowledges that not enough is being done to address climate change and gives entities more power to help with the issue.

Lib Ed u from Page 1

leaders as well as the Undergraduate Advisory Group earlier this year, but some students said they were not content with this level of consultation. The Student Senate was not consulted during the

the same.” Only 19 percent of students surveyed felt it would either get much or somewhat better. Phelan also touched on the fallacy of economies being “due” for a recession. While recessions are a part of the natural business cycle, they don’t necessarily occur at regular intervals, he said. “We’re going to have a recession again … that’s just like saying it’s going to rain. You never know when, but it is going to rain again.” The national unemployment rate currently sits at around 3.5 percent, which Phelan said is promising for college students who may be entering the workforce. But according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, graduating during a recession can have negative impacts on earnings. This is particularly daunting for Dominic Wolters, a sophomore in applied economics. “For me it’s definitely concerning… ,” Wolters said. “I’m taking on a not-insignificant debt load, and [something I have to consider] is my earning potential going to be great enough that I can pay off my loans in a reasonable amount of time?” Wolters also pointed to Americans’ lack of financial and economic literacy. A 2018 Federal Reserve report found that on average, people answer less than three out of five financial literacy questions correctly. Six out of ten non-retirees with retirement savings have “little to no comfort in managing their investments,” according to the study. “You should always be anxious,” Phelan said. “But this is the time I would be the least anxious … Assuming [the economy doesn’t] change that much, you’re graduating into one of the best labor markets that has existed in 50 years.”

one that faculty need to feel confident in. “People need to feel really good about what we’re asking of our students when we fundamentally change the matrix or decision tree for how they become an educated person,” she said. Dylan Anderson contributed to this report.

Al-Madinah Cultural Center hosts intercultural gala The Do It for the Culture Gala was a celebration of cultures worldwide. BY FARRAH MINA fmina@mndaily.com

The University of Minnesota’s Al-Madinah Cultural Center hosted its first intercultural gala Friday at the Weisman Art Museum. AMCC regularly serves as a site for cultural exchange by hosting monthly showcases at Coffman Union in collaboration with other Muslimmajority student groups. However, this event — called the Do It For the Culture Gala — also included collaborations with performers from nonMuslim cultural groups and backgrounds, AMCC president Sumaya Mohamed said. “We had in mind to open that platform and show to the general public that as being Muslims, we’re very acknowledging and welcoming to other cultures … Muslim and non-Muslim,” said Jinan Ali, AMCC’s outreach coordinator and fourth-year student. The gala was a celebration of cultures around the world and consisted of a sequence of international entertainment and dining. Dhoom Dance Crew, a University Bollywood-fusion dance group, kicked off the evening with a synchronized routine that was followed by other performances, including spoken word poetry, Palestininan dabke and songs performed in Spanish and Chinese. Ali was able to coordinate the evening’s line-up by inviting performers she had seen at other campus events such as the Minnesota International Student Association’s Feast of Nations. The event also featured a fashion show that showcased the traditional clothing of several countries and cultures,

Above, Performers dance at the Al-Madinah Cultural Center’s “Do It For the Culture Gala” at the Weisman Art Museum on Friday, Dec. 7. Right, Ruwayda Mohamed, left, and Zahra Mustafa, right, observe art. (Jasmin Kemp / Minnesota Daily)

including Indonesia, Nigeria, Somalia, Afghanistan, Oromia and Eritrea. Many students also joined in representing and sharing their heritage by attending the gala in traditional garments, creating a spectrum of vibrant colors at the art museum. In addition, the art lining the walls of the venue highlighted projects created by people of color, ranging from photography to Arabic calligraphy. “This is an event we were luckily able to bring together the different cultures we want to represent at AMCC and a lot of the Islamic values we wanted to share with the cultures that we represent,”

Mohamed said. First-year international student Farha Ismail said the event was an opportunity to engage with different communities that she did not know existed on campus. “I wanted to meet more people and know different cultures because, as an international student, you don’t see that much around here,” Ismail said. “You don’t see many different cultural groups, and I feel like this event just had a lot of them that I didn’t know were here.” AMCC — which is known to host an annual comedy night each spring — hopes to keep hosting the gala as a recurring, annual event.

4

Sports

SCOREBOARD DEC 5

Women’s Swim & Dive Minnesota Invitational Minnesota: 162 (5th)

MNDAILY.COM

MN DAILY

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2019

VOLLEYBALL

Gophers advance to Sweet Sixteen

Men’s Swim & Dive Minnesota Invitational Minnesota: 106 (6th)

DEC 6

Women’s Swim & Dive Minnesota Invitational Minnesota: 303 (5th)

Men’s Swim & Dive Minnesota Invitational Minnesota: 198 (5th)

Volleyball

Minnesota: 3 Fairfield: 0

Wrestling

Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Minnesota: 45.5 (6th)

Men’s Hockey Minnesota: 2 Ohio State: 3

DEC 7

Women’s Swim & Dive Minnesota Invitational Minnesota: 399 (5th)

Men’s Swim & Dive Minnesota Invitational Minnesota: 235 (6th)

Women’s Track & Field SDSU Holiday Invite Minnesota’s team rank: 188.50 (2nd)

Outside hitter Adanna Rollins spikes the ball during the game against the Fairfield Stags in the first round of the NCAA tournament at the Maturi Pavilion on Friday, Dec. 6. (Sydni Rose / Minnesota Daily)

Men’s Track & Field SDSU Holiday Invite Minnesota’s team rank: 171 (1st)

Men’s Hockey

Minnesota: 1 (won in OT) Ohio State: 1

Women’s Hockey Minnesota: 4 Minnesota State: 0

Volleyball

Minnesota: 3 Creighton: 2

DEC 8

Women’s Basketball Minnesota: 70 American: 53

UPCOMING DEC 9

Men’s Basketball @ Iowa 7 p.m.

DEC 10

Minnesota evaded two match points en route to a thrilling five-set victory BY NOLAN O’HARA nohara@mndaily.com

The Gophers’ volleyball team is advancing to the Sweet Sixteen for the fifth consecutive season after a nail-biting win over Creighton on Saturday at Maturi Pavilion. The Gophers squeaked past the Bluejays in five sets: 25-13, 19-25, 15-25, 26-24 and 15-10. After falling behind 8-5 early in the first, middle blocker Regan Pittman helped the Gophers regain their footing, contributing a kill and an ace during a 4-0 Minnesota run, giving them a 9-8 advantage. From there, momentum favored the Gophers. Outside hitter Alexis Hart and opposite hitter Stephanie Samedy contributed four kills each on the

way to Minnesota’s first set route. After breezing through the first set, the Gophers didn’t have the same luck in the second. Creighton went on a 4-0 run early that gave them a 12-9 lead, one that Minnesota couldn’t overcome. The Gophers came within two late, as outside hitter Adanna Rollins dropped back-to-back kills, making it 21-19. Creighton answered with a 4-0 run, not allowing another Minnesota point on their way to a second set victory. After hitting .281 in the first, the Gophers were limited to a .025 hit percentage in the second. Reeling after dropping the second, the Gophers’ struggles continued in the third. Creighton tallied the first four points of the set, before outside hitter Airi Miyabe finally found an answer for Minnesota. That answer, however, was short lived. Creighton continued to force the Gophers out-of-system and kept its foot on the gas,

opening up a 16-9 lead. From there, the Bluejays cruised through the remainder of the set, stifling the Gophers’ offense and taking advantage of what they could on defense, hitting .270, their highest clip of the night. Minnesota’s post-season fate relied on the outcome of the fourth set. A team with national championship aspirations was on the verge of a stunning upset on their home floor, falling behind late in the set. Creighton reached set point, leading 2422, and hopes looked dim for the Gophers. Middle blocker Taylor Morgan and Samedy stopped a Creighton swing to add Minnesota’s 23rd point, but Creighton was still left with another chance to leave Minneapolis with a four-set upset. “Sometimes if you can say it out loud it kind of registers in your head,” Morgan said. “And I was like, ‘We still got this, we [are] still in it.’ And I think that helped.” Creighton missed on its

following swing, tying the set at 24 and libero CC McGraw served the ace of the season, giving the Gophers a 25-24 lead and set point. On the ensuing possession, Samedy and Pittman stuffed Creighton’s attempt, forcing a fifth set. “Certainly really proud of [McGraw] at the end of that fourth set to hit some really good serves,” said head coach Hugh McCutcheon. “And even getting an ace there towards the end.” A delay of game cost Creighton the first point of the fifth, and the Gophers were able to take advantage. Tied at eight, Minnesota took a narrow 9-8 lead after Morgan and Miyabe stopped another Creighton attempt. Morgan continued to be a force at the net for the Gophers. She added two more blocks in the fifth, giving her nine total, a match-high. Standing solo, Pittman sent back Creighton’s final attempt, saving the Gophers from a second round upset.

“I remember telling them, ‘We did this all the time. We had different lineups, we’ve been down and came back up, this is nothing new to us,’” Morgan said. The Gophers are advancing to the Sweet Sixteen, and their opponent, No. 10 Florida, is already waiting. The match between Minnesota and Florida will be a rematch of an early season contest, one the Gophers took 3-0. As the Gophers turn their focus towards that rematch, McCutcheon believes his team only improved through the five set battle against Creighton. “Here we are at the end of the season. The discipline required to keep so many of those thoughts at bay about the possible outcome, I thought that was really one of the strengths for our athletes in terms of evolving,” McCutcheon said. “We didn’t somehow let what might happen get in the way of what we had to do to get the outcome that we wanted.”

Women’s Basketball @ George Washington 6 p.m.

Source: Gophers Athletics. Times and scores accurate as of time of publication.

MEN’S HOCKEY

Gophers take a loss and a tie against OSU The men had a chance to win in both games, but came up short. BY JULIANNA LANDIS jlandis@mndaily.com

After getting swept by a top-ten ranked team in North Dakota last week, the Gophers’ men’s hockey team faced another tough test for a weekend series at No. 7 Ohio State. While M in n esota didn ’t com e away with a victory, they played into overtime in both games — a stark contrast from the North Dakota series in which they looked over-matched. Gophers give up lead in third, lose in overtime 3-2 The Buckeyes were able to dismantle the Gophers just when it was beginning to look like they could hold on for a win against their nationallyranked opponents. After taking a 2-1 lead early in the third period, Minnesota wasn’t able to maintain it for very long before Ohio State had an answer. Carson Meyer scored the equalizer midway through the period with assists from Edina native Miguel Fidler and Wyatt Ege. Neither team was able to come up with another goal in regulation, and so the game went to overtime, and then double overtime. However, the Gophers’

Head coach Bob Motzko watches the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at 3M Arena at Mariucci on Friday, Nov. 22. (Sydni Rose / Minnesota Daily)

upset bid came up short as the Buckeyes were able to score again before the end of the first overtime. The Buckeyes’ Quinn Preston scored on a rebounded shot by Tanner Laczynski that careened off the pads of Jack LaFontaine to secure a 3-2 overtime loss for Minnesota. “For us, we’re desperate for a win. It hurts, that stings,” Gophers head coach Bob Motzko told the media. “We made three glaring mistakes and they scored on all three. ... We needed to find a way to score in the early part of that game and it just

didn’t come.” Ohio State opened up the scoring with an unassisted goal from defenseman Grant Gabriele in the later minutes of the first period. The Gophers were able to pressure Buckeyes goalie Tommy Nappier following the goal, putting up four shots with Sammy Walker and Ben Meyers winning key faceoffs. It wasn’t enough to even the score, and they were unable to convert with a power-play opportunity that continued into the start of the second period. Minnesota’s comeback would eventually come by

way of power-play chances, with goals from Robbie Stucker and Sampo Ranta. Notably, Stucker scored his first collegiate goal on a power play with two minutes to go in the second period to tie the game. However, that was all the scoring Minnesota could muster. The Gophers narrowly outshot the Buckeyes, 27-26. Minnesota grabs extra conference point and some confidence on Saturday The Gophers ended the weekend better than they started it, skating to a tie with Ohio State and picking up an extra conference

point in double overtime. Minnesota ended the first period with back-andforth play that brought the scoreless game to a 1-1 tie in just over two minutes. The Gophers’ Jonny Sorenson opened up the scoring with three minutes left in the period, but Ohio State answered with a goal from Gustaf Westlund with under a minute to play in the period. The game remained tied until a second overtime period was needed to decide the final score. Even with a low-scoring game, there were positive takeaways of the Gophers’ play in between the goals and overtime. They were able to kill off four Buckeye power plays, outshot them 34-30 and LaFontaine, who back stopped Minnesota in both games, made 29 saves on 30 shots. He did so while having issues with his equipment, his mask in particular, and swapped to a back-up mask in the third period. Topping that off, while they were unable to get a win in the first overtime period, Meyers snagged the extra conference point with a slick breakaway goal in double overtime. “We just got good performances by a lot of players, we were just methodical about our business and just did a real good job,” Motzko told the media.

5

MNDAILY.COM

MN DAILY

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2019

ART

The Walker celebrates Somalia in December’s ‘First Free Saturday’

Artist and teacher Ifrah Mansour looks at a miniature Aqal, a traditional nomadic Somali hut, she created for an exhibit she hosted at the Walker Art Center on Saturday, Dec 7. A Somali refugee herself, Mansour aims to create art that promotes social justice. (Parker Johnson / Minnesota Daily)

The contemporary art museum’s event this month offered a lesson in Somali art. BY NORAH KLEVEN nkleven@mndaily.com

On Saturday at the Walker Art Center, parents, children and patrons created their own artwork in celebration of Somali culture. Every month since 1991, the Walker Art Center hosts “Free First Saturdays” events. This December’s theme celebrated and educated attendees on

Somali culture. The Walker partnered with the Somali Museum of Minnesota, a community organization with a history of collaborating with the Walker, to curate the event. In addition to art projects, the Somali Museum of Minnesota provided a traveling exhibit for the day. The museum’s founder and top executive, Osman Ali, read stories to children who attended the event. The Walker also relied on local talent to make the event an interactive one. Ifrah Mansour is a Twin Cities-based artist invited by

the Walker to bring her expertise in multimedia arts to the event. Mansour came to the United States as a Somali refugee more than 20 years ago. Today, she works as a teacher and multimedia artist in the Twin Cities. On Saturday, she led parents and their children in creating miniature aqals — nomadic Somali huts. “The aqal encapsulates everything that I love — conscious art, people doing engaging creative things, people using their hands [and] people not using technology,” Mansour said. “I feel like it just employs

all the things that I absolutely love about doing [art].” The aqals, she said, are meant to be symbolic of people creating space and a home for others. Before starting to build their aqals, Mansour asked participants to identify their intention for the art project and who or what the space was meant for. “It’s my new favorite thing in the whole wide world,” she said. Mansour aims to create art that promotes social justice, saying her work largely speaks for and celebrates

unheard voices and oppressed communities. She noted the subject of this month’s event is important because the number of displaced people across the world continues to grow due to environmental issues and war. Maggie Catambay studies at the University of Minnesota. She often volunteers at “First Free Saturdays” events. “I think it’s really important for kids to get together with their families because we have so many working parents,” Catambay said. Sarah Lampen, the

Walker’s Family Programs Associate, said the Walker chose to partner with the Somali Museum of Minnesota because of its commitment to representing all the communities of the Twin Cities. “A central part of our mission is to present programming that examines, questions, shapes and inspires us as individuals and cultures and communities,” Lampen said. “What we’re hoping to do is make the Walker feel welcoming, inclusive and really reflective of all families in the Twin Cities.”

MUSIC

The Arias blend genres for a nostalgic debut album Their debut album “Just You” is set for release in January.

I want to keep the realness and emotional honesty of the tunes, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t also shake your ass to them.”

BY KSENIA GORINSHTEYN kgorinshteyn@mndaily.com

When Tony Arias played a new song in front of his family, they sat in his basement and were absolutely moved. Arias had only been working on the song for about a day. He’d been at work programming the new track when his dad first came down to listen. “I turned it up on the speakers and played it,” Arias said. “I called my mom and my sister downstairs, and everyone just sat and listened to this song. It was a very touching moment.” The song is part of a new album called “Just You” by Arias’ band, The Arias. Despite only being together for one month, The Arias are releasing their debut album in January. Arias, a University of Minnesota alum, was a solo artist for some time before forming The Arias. Even so, he always knew he wanted to make music with a full band sound. Arias met bassist Colby Hansen through his best friend (who happens to be Hansen’s sister). The two met Ben Ehrlich, drummer for The Arias, this past summer at Bryant-Lake Bowl and finally rounded out their soulful sound.

TONY ARIAS The Arias founder and lead singer

Courtesy of Noah Gunderson.

“ W e ’ r e v e r y g ro u p oriented and we very much want our music to move the audience,” Hansen said. “Not just emotionally, but in a physical, dancing kind of way.” They fuse rock and roll, jazz and blues for a sound that resembles a happier Arctic Monkeys circa 2007. Seeing as the band has only played three gigs with each other, one would

expect to hear a lot of covers during their sets. However, The Arias are able to play almost an hour of original music. “I’m concerned for [Arias] sometimes,” Hansen said. “The dude is literally down in his basement recording all day, every day. He hasn’t seen daylight in so long.” The Arias do their songwriting much like other bands do — the lead singer

writes the majority of the material and then the rest of the band fills in the missing parts. “Over the last year, I’ve really started to understand the roles of instruments and mastering the sound,” Arias said. “I want to keep the realness and emotional honesty of the tunes, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t also shake your ass to them.” The Arias are recording

the entirety of their debut album in Arias’ home. They want it to sound as true to their sound as possible, which means having control over their recording process. “We did a couple of takes where you can really hear the music coming to life,” Ehrlich said. “Hearing it in a stereo with the nice guitar amps or all the little keyboards combined with my

live drums ... it felt like the music was breathing.” They preferred home recording over a studio session because of how personal and nostalgic music is for them. “That’s the beauty of the album — it’s done at home,” Hansen said. “It has that sound to it, like, it’s so personal. Your family is able to listen to it while you’re making it and you don’t get that at the studio.” While Arias sometimes spends 14 to 16 hours a day on writing and recording the music, the three of them are ready to have a finished, tangible, album. “If you’ve got good mics, good takes and a lot of patience, you can get a good record put together,” Arias said. “Nobody else that I know is going to care about making this record as much as we do.”

6 MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2019

MN DAILY

MNDAILY.COM

Editorials & Opinions

COLUMN

COLUMN

Lack of sprinkler systems in public housing high-rises reifies structural inequity Public housing residents deserve to be protected by the same fire codes as luxury condo tenants.

A fire claimed the lives Caroline Skoog of five people in the Cedar columnist High Apartments on November 27th. The fire originated on the 14th floor of the high-rise, managed by the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA), where no sprinkler system was in place. Because the property received its occupancy permit in 1968, right before government fire codes began requiring sprinkler systems in high-rise buildings, the building’s only sprinklers were on the main floor and in lower mechanical equipment rooms. Updated high-rise fire codes do not apply retroactively, leaving a lot of timeworn properties without necessary safeguards. More than 80 percent of MPHA’s public housing units are high-rise apartments; of the 42 high-rise properties they manage, 40 of them were constructed in the 1960’s and early 70’s and only 16 high-rise buildings are equipped with in-unit sprinkler systems. MPHA’s high-rise buildings are home to distinctly vulnerable populations, with seniors comprising 60 percent of its residents and more than 60 percent of residents having a disability.. When taking the high-rises’ residential make-up into account, this is injustice by design. When fire codes update, they’re meant to protect everyone. Not just those who can afford to be safe. The fire has sparked conversations about retrofitting the high-rises with sprinkler systems. “It’s pretty darn clear to me … that the sprinkler system would’ve made a difference here,” said Minneapolis City Council Member Cam Gordon, chairman of the council’s housing committee to the Star Tribune. Retrofitting old buildings is expensive, which is likely why the MPHA has procrastinated installing sprinklers for so long. Funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has steadily shrunk over the past decade, with federal

capital funds meeting just 10 percent of capital needs expressed in MPHA’s public housing portfolio. Lack of funding previously inspired the MPHA to push for the HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, which would shift partial or total ownership of public housing units to private developers. Investing in public housing would be incentivized with a special tax levy. This would enable repairs to be financially covered by private funds. Currently, RAD is only implemented at the Elliot Twins property. Personally, I remain skeptical on merging public-private ownership, but consistent inadequate federal funding makes it seem like there’s no other option. MPHA’s proposed 2020 budget to the federal government recognized, to some extent, the need for sprinkler coverage in its highrise units: “Additionally, as building codes have evolved, we need to address increased life/ safety requirements such as retrofitting our highrise buildings with sprinkler systems. MPHA has made infrastructure/building systems a priority and will target these types of improvements with its limited Capital Fund resources until major reinvestment opportunities materialize.” Two sentences within the 127-page document doesn’t quite indicate high priority. They also didn’t request funds for retrofitting in the budget. While fire protection has remained low on MPHA’s to do list, they’ve made “major security-related investments,” in recent years. Their 2019 budget proposal states: “Through security-minded enhancements to buildings and grounds — along with a dense network of security cameras, dedicated Project Lookout resident volunteers, and a strong partnership with the Minneapolis Police and the city — MPHA will continue to place resident security at the front of our considerations.” Security is important. But surveillance cameras can’t carry you down 25 flights of smoke-filled stairs. Public housing supports thousands of financially struggling families and individuals. Disinvestment in public housing doesn’t equate to the community’s vivacity. But housing these communities in unsafe conditions communicates that their safety isn’t relevant, but that the value of their life correlates to their bank account. Inadequate fire security in public housing high-rises is an artifact of red-lining. Structural inequity is built into the building’s architecture. Five people are dead. Now is not the time to wait “until major reinvestment opportunities materialize,” or for the free market to fix the problem.

Caroline Skoog welcomes comments at cskoog@mndaily.com.

Pixelated and overexposed

Photo culture is becoming the millennial’s epidemic.

Sidney Clarke Millennials and Gencolumnist eration X are in a unique historical position in terms of photo documentation. Dusty scrapbooks filled with grainy prints of first birthdays, grade school graduations and art projects narrate the first decade of our lives. Some collections skip from sandbox photos to high school prom, and others are meticulously organized by month, year and unfortunate haircut. However, no scrapbook competes in comprehensivity with the online photo collection of the second decade of our lives. In 2008, Facebook became the most popular social media network in the United States. In 2010, Instagram, now owned by Facebook, was released. But throughout those years, our tools were flip phones and dinosaurs like the disposable camera. Now, the devices we keep in our pockets have the capabilities to compete with semi-professional cameras. The new iPhone 11 boasts its “dual camera.” Apple is currently marketing the line “It just got a whole lot harder to take a bad photo.” Camera quality and accessibility has changed photography practices from the documentation of major events and memorandum to “post culture.” Everyday events, which would normally be overlooked, are digitally captured on the basis of their artistic qualities. Our galleries are saturated with latte art, sunsets and selfies. Social media photography doesn’t lack substance entirely — between the avocado toast and blurry concert videos are memories of family vacations, new tools for communication and opportunities for greater global awareness. Buzzfeed released a video in 2012 outlining the most powerful and important photographs in history. These frames are commended for capturing unimaginable snapshots of humanity. Photos preserve memories and have incredible

COLUMN

Mocking people for being closeted reinforces dangerous rhetoric Both jokes and serious claims about homophobes being secretly gay correlate sexuality with awful behavior. It’s a time-honored tradiCourtney Welu tion that when a powerful columnist man is bigoted, there will inevitably be claims made about how his behavior is a direct result of repressed homosexuality. That claim, whether they’re serious, joking or somewhere in between, is not funny and never has been. Yes, there are certainly men who follow this pattern. Aaron Schock, a former U.S. Republican Representative who voted against marriage equality, was filmed at a gay club earlier this year, though he hasn’t officially said anything about how he identifies. The classic example is Roy Cohn, a direct contributor to the Lavender Scare that barred gays and lesbians from U.S. government positions, who was closeted and later died of AIDS. Closeted gay men are not the majority of bigoted people in this world. Most bigots do not need a deep, dark reason to be bigots. Most homophobes are homophobic because of the society they were raised in. When someone makes claims about Mike Pence or Lindsay Graham being secretly gay, it correlates horrible behavior with homosexuality. It says that the only way they could be so homophobic is if they were gay themselves. It also correlates being closeted with being homophobic, which is an extremely harmful rhetoric that will just result in your average queer person being even less willing to come out. This train of thought is dominant far beyond the world of politics — well-meaning people will say the same about homophobic high school bullies. Maybe, in a few scattered cases, that might hold true. But when straight people insist that closetedness is the only reason for someone to lash out against gay people, they’re promoting a narrative that gay people oppress themselves. It removes straight

sentimental value. But post culture and social media photography are surpassing the bounds of usefulness or nostalgia and are evolving into an issue. Excessive photography can be damaging to our relationships. Social activities like traveling, girls’ night out and concerts are becoming glorified photoshoots. Genuine interactions are substituted for appropriate poses and the everlasting search for favorable lighting. For example, observe the “Instagram boyfriend.” Post culture fuels a desire to project popularity, affluency and apparent happiness, creating toxic competition between friends. Post culture also distracts us from legitimate experiences. Every day, thousands of people visit The Louvre and stand in a horrendous line of zigzagging ropes, and spend less than 15 seconds viewing Mona Lisa before being shuffled away by security guards. A few years ago, the museum was forced to implement a “one picture rule” to keep the line moving, and guests from attempting to do a full-on photoshoot in front of the painting. On one hand, photos are valuable because they preserve fleeting moments. Should one ever be so lucky as to find themselves in the presence of a DaVinci painting, the moment ought to be savored. But a picture of the Mona Lisa from 20 feet away has more remarkable content about tourists’ balding tendencies and aggravated museum staff than whatever blurry adaptation of her smile it caught. Photography can wrangle fragments of intense beauty, whether ordinary or spectacular, into tangible gigabytes. Neither is social media inherently destructive nor are sentimentalists fundamentally erroneous. Latte art and sunsets are all the more beautiful for how briefly they bloom, so take a picture. Just don’t let your coffee turn cold or the sun fade to night while flipping through filters.

Sidney Clarke welcomes comments at sclarke@mndaily.com.

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

letters@mndaily.com Fax: (612) 435-5865 Phone: (612) 435-1578 Letters and columns to the editor 2221 University Ave. SE Suite 450 Minneapolis, MN 55414 EDITORIALS & OPINIONS DEPARTMENT Editorials represent the voice of the Minnesota Daily as an institution and are prepared by the editorial board.

ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH MAI, DAILY

peoples’ prejudice from the equation — they can acquit themselves from any wrongdoing. The homophobia in our culture undeniably comes from straight people. If a queer person does lash out against other queer people, that didn’t come from nowhere. It comes from the homophobia that’s been taught to them over a lifetime by heteronormative society. In the case of politicians, it can be even more harmful. Calling Mike Pence secretly gay might seem like a “gotcha!” but according to our president, Mike Pence “wants to hang” gay people. Calling him gay erases and delegitimizes the fear and pain he’s caused. And then there are the pure jokes. SNL capitalizes on Trump and Putin’s supposed love affair constantly. No one actually thinks Trump is gay, of course, with his famous catchphrase of where he grabs women. That exposes the actual reason these claims are so prevalent. These jokes portray a homophobic worldview where there is nothing more humiliating or emasculating

than a suggestion of gay sex. Accusing powerful men of having gay sex is a way for people who find that embarrassing to take men down a peg and make them less of a man. The Washington Post called gay romance as used in these instances “a metaphor for political weakness and inefficiency.” There are far fewer cases of people calling homophobic women lesbians. It’s overwhelmingly clear that the primary reason these jokes are made is because gay sex between men is the most embarrassing, least masculine thing critics can think of — which is problem within itself. Claims of this nature are not the most homophobic thing about political coverage, but it’s certainly not helping to call out actual homophobia. It certainly doesn’t stop powerful men from negatively affecting queer peoples’ lives.

Courtney Welu welcomes comments at cwelu@mndaily.com.

THE EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS DEPARTMENT IS INDEPENDENT OF THE NEWSROOM

7

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2019

MN DAILY

HOROSCOPES

Today’s Birthday (12/9): Realize personal dreams this year. Persistent coordination maintains a satisfying cash flow. The winter brings a profitable boom phase before a twist with family fortunes requires adaptation. Personal changes redirect you next summer before a collaborative effort wins a valuable prize. You can create something amazing.

MNDAILY.COM

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

Aries (3/21 - 4/19): Today is an 8 — Long-distance communications, traffic and travels improve over three weeks with Mercury in Sagittarius, so expand your territory. Write, research and study.

Libra (9/23 - 10/22): Today is a 9 — Creativity surges. Begin a three-week study phase with Mercury in Sagittarius. Your curiosity seems intensified. Study with passion. Investigate assumptions.

Taurus (4/20 - 5/20): Today is an 8 — Set longrange financial targets. Building a savings plan comes easier for three weeks with Mercury in Sagittarius. Track budgets and financial investments.

Scorpio (10/23 - 11/21): Today is a 9 — Find more ways to make money. It’s easier to spend, too, with Mercury in Sagittarius, so take care. Keep close track of income and outflow.

Gemini (5/21 - 6/21): Today is a 7 — Support your partner. Over three weeks with Mercury in Sagittarius, the competition is extraordinarily fierce. Ignore petty stuff and pull together. Rely on each other.

Sagittarius (11/22 - 12/21): Today is an 8 — For the next three weeks with Mercury in your sign, you have an advantage. Practice to improve your communication skills and talents. Polish and edit.

Cancer (6/22 - 7/22): Today is an 8 — Create and discover efficiencies. Talk through solutions for work and health over several weeks with Mercury in Sagittarius. Network and assess suggestions.

Capricorn (12/22 - 1/19): Today is an 8 — Contemplate beauty and hear your heart. Enter a threeweek philosophical and spiritual phase with Mercury in Sagittarius. Speculate on eternal questions.

Leo (7/23 - 8/22): Today is an 8 — Get excellent advice from family. It’s easier to express affection with Mercury in Sagittarius for three weeks. You’re especially persuasive. Talk about what you love.

Aquarius (1/20 - 2/18): Today is an 8 — Group activities go well. Confer with others to discover hidden truths. Enjoy a three-week social phase with Mercury in Sagittarius. Make great things together.

Virgo (8/23 - 9/22): Today is an 8 — Fix up your place. Over three weeks with Mercury in Sagittarius, prioritize household renovation. Uncover forgotten treasures and discover new purposes for old stuff.

Pisces (2/19 - 3/20): Today is an 8 — Professional opportunities arise in conversation. Begin a three-week testing phase with Mercury in Sagittarius. Communicate with others what you want.

DR. DATE

Dr. Date,

My girlfriend and I have been dating since the beginning of fall semester and are pretty much obsessed with each other. We live on the same floor of our dorm, so we sleep in each other’s rooms every night, despite one of us almost always rolling off the twin bed. We go to meals together, go out on the weekends together and are even about to sign a lease for a one-bedroom apartment next week. I don’t think we’ve spent more than a day apart. However, Christmas break is fast approaching. While I would normally be excited to go home and see friends, the month-long absence from the love of my life is already eating me up inside. With nothing to do but sit around and mourn her absence, I’m dreading leaving school. She lives in Wisconsin and I’m in Minnesota — while it’s only a state away, it feels like a continent. I’ve tried bringing this up with her, but she doesn’t seem too worried, saying we can Skype throughout the day. Meanwhile, I’m so scared of leaving her that I’m considering sneaking on the bus with her in a suitcase! What can I do that doesn’t involve stowing away?

–Attached At The Hip

Dear Attached At The Hip,

While your love is...sweet, it’s also very worrying. It seems like you might have some problems beyond just loving your girlfriend too much. What are you going to do next summer?! When it comes to winter break, your girlfriend is right — Skype is a godsend. You probably know one or two people at college in a long distance relationship, so ask them how they connect with their significant other. Even if you can’t be physically together, phone calls and online movie dates make a difference. If the distance is really killing you, Wisconsin isn’t too far of a drive — surprise her with a visit for a few days. It’ll give you an opportunity to meet the parents, which is probably a good idea considering you’ll be moving in with her. Treat this as a practice for summer break and cross your fingers that she doesn’t get an internship across the country or something. Happy FaceTiming!

–Dr. Date

Dr. Date,

The holiday season is fast approaching, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m the kind of person who goes all out for every holiday, but all holidays pale in comparison to the event of the year — Christmas. I start planning my annual holiday party in October and have been buying decorations since

December 26th of last year. Now that it’s socially acceptable to start feeling excited, I’ve been buying things for the holiday. I save up all year for presents, food and a real Christmas tree, so it doesn’t really eat into my budget. However, every time I come home with something new, my girlfriend rolls her eyes. She’s been becoming more and more angry every time I show her a present I bought for a close friend. Every day I hear a new comment about how I should spend my money on better things. Better things, apparently, mean a gift for her. She sent me a text last week saying she thinks I’ve been spending too much money and won’t have any left for the stuff she wants! I then received a 30-item-long list and another link to an Amazon wish list, all with gifts ranging from $30-$300 dollars. She told me she expects at least ten presents, one every day leading up to Christmas. When I told her how ridiculous that was, she told me that I should have added it into my “present budget” and will need to skip the Christmas tree this year. We both like celebrating, but apparently she likes receiving more than giving. How can I tell her this might be a dealbreaker?

–College Santa

Dear College Santa,

There’s so much in here I don’t even know where to begin. She’s trying to tell you how to spend your money, and unless you’re spending hundreds on in-app purchases or illegal substances, that isn’t really her call. If you made it, you can spend it, no matter how silly another person may consider the items. Rather than tell you her problems at first, she mocks your love for a holiday, which is just unnecessary. Finally, she tries to insist you have to show your worth monetarily. Hasn’t she ever heard it’s the thought that counts? I don’t know the whole story of your relationship, but these seems like red flags (or red Christmas lights?). This isn’t just about your love for Christmas — she seems controlling, and if you don’t address this soon, you might be selling off your advent calendars. It may be awkward explaining to the family at Christmas dinner why your girlfriend isn’t there, but hey, it’s cuffing season. Just head to the Christmas section of Target and scout out enthusiastic girls there instead.

–Dr. Date

Dr. Date is a satirical advice column dissecting real-world situations. Want advice from the love doctor? Email Dr. Date at drdate@mndaily.com

SUDOKU CROSSWORD

Last Issue’s Puzzle Solved Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9.

12/9/19

For strategies on how to solve sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk.

Last issue’s solution

© 2019 Michael Mepham. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

8

Monday, December 9, 2019

When living near the U comes at a cost Studio apartments near UMN can cost students upward of $1400 each month. BY DYLAN MIETTINEN dmiettinen@mndaily.com

For around $1,735 per month, you can rent a onebedroom, one-bathroom penthouse apartment at Hub Minneapolis, one of the newest luxury apartments aimed at students near the University of Minnesota. The apartment complex is roughly a 10-minute walk from Folwell Hall. For $35 less per month, you can rent a one-bed, onebath unit in New York City that is a 10-minute walk from Central Park. In the past decade alone, neighborhoods surrounding the University, including Dinkytown, MarcyHolmes, Prospect Park and Cedar-Riverside have seen an influx of more than 30 new apartment buildings, with at least three more slated to open by fall 2020. These newer apartments have prompted discussions between students and community stakeholders about housing affordability in University communities. Alexandra Dimakos is a first-year nursing student who lives at Hub Minneapolis. While her $900 per month rent is cheaper than her brother’s, who goes to school in downtown Chicago, she said she would never be able to live in her current apartment if not for financial support from her parents. Dimakos’ mother, Kristin, said she thought the apartment was worth the cost when comparing the amenities, security and location to other housing options near the University. “We didn’t have this luxury apartment concept when I went to school,” Kristin said, who attended the University of Utah in 1990 and helps her

COMPARISON OF RENTING STUDIO APARTMENTS AROUND CAMPUS $1,429 $1,199

$1,000

$1,330

LUXURY AMENITIES BY THE NUMBERS

12 apartments

$900

have rooftop terraces

9 apartments have yoga studios

8 apartments have tanning beds

7 apartments

have pools or hot tubs

WaHu

The Knoll

Brook Ave Co-Op

The Link

SolHaus

6 apartments have patio cinemas

SOURCE: MNDAILY REPORTING

daughter with rent for a private bedroom in her four-bedroom apartment. “We lived in these low-rise apartment buildings, with no security. I survived for a year.”

“Students, in a lot of ways, are a bit of a captive market, because they want to be near their universities. So folks are willing to really, in some ways pay more than they can afford.” MARGARET KAPLAN Housing Justice Center president

Selling an image More than 15 of the apartments built after 2010 advertise themselves as catering towards high-end

audiences, with words like “luxury,” “high amenity” and “resort-like” used on their websites and in advertising materials. Gone are the days when grill stations, study areas or gyms were considered luxuries – in most new build apartments, they are often the standard. More than a dozen apartment complexes have rooftop terraces. At least nine feature yoga studios. At least eight offer tanning beds and at least seven offer pools or hot tubs. Movie rooms or theaters are located in at least four apartments near the University. From there, the luxuries students have access to all depends on just how much they are willing to pay: Hub Minneapolis doesn’t just offer students the chance to relax in a rooftop pool, but cool down in a nearby poolside cabana. Included in The Link’s amenities are a sauna, music studio and golf simulator. After using the apartment’s podcasting room, residents

of HERE Minneapolis, a Prospect Park apartment complex slated to open in Fall 2020, can take a break in the courtyard’s “glamping” — or glamorous camping — pods. But it’ll cost you. At Hub, HERE and The Link, studio apartments start at $1,245, $1,399 and $1,429 respectively. Student housing – especially luxury student housing – is a big business, said Margaret Kaplan, president of Housing Justice Center, a Twin Citiesbased housing advocacy organization. “Students, in a lot of ways, are a bit of a captive market, because they want to be near their universities. So folks are willing to really, in some ways pay more than they can afford,” Kaplan said. Affordable housing near campus isn’t impossible. Riverton Community Housing, which owns Fourth Street Housing CoOp and the Brook Avenue Housing Co-Op, is based on the co-operative living model, where buildings operate at cost to make units more affordable. Because Riverton’s goal is not to make money, rents are only raised to cover operating expenses and range from $200 to nearly $1000 less than comparable apartments owned by for-profit companies. While some privately-owned properties, like The Elysian, are familyowned and operated, many others are owned or managed by large real estate companies. The company CA Ventures owns The Link, the under-construction Uncommon, which displaced nearby residents last year, and the unnamed proposed new high-rise apartment in Dinkytown. The company had student housing assets worth around $500 million in 2012. By 2018, their student housing assets were nearly six times that amount. However, CA Ventures is dwarfed by Greystar, owner of The Marshall and Hub Minneapolis. The company owns more than 167,000 units worldwide, with assets totaling more than $35.8 billion. According to Kaplan, the costs of construction for new apartment complexes can be so high that many of these new developers simply have little incentive to build apartments that are reasonably affordable. Despite additional upfront costs, offering highend, amenity-rich units is more profitable in the long run than building more affordable apartments. Additional factors that boost rent prices include the University’s proximity to downtown and access to public transit, said Ed Goetz, director of the University’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs. Housing subsidies, Goetz said, are another issue. The majority of undergraduate students are currently excluded from housing subsidies, which makes affordable housing more accessible. However, the Minneapolis City Council is looking to expand its

inclusionary zoning policy to include more students and increase affordable units near campus. “Students need affordable housing and they’ll need it for that period of time when they’re at a period in their lives where their earnings are quite low,” Goetz said. “If students don’t get University Housing, then they are competing on the market with others for other low income housing.”

18 out of 34 apartment buildings around campus are marketed as “luxury” or “high-end”

SOURCE: MNDAILY REPORTING

Changing communities These newer luxury student housing options come at a cost — not just to students or parents, but to the communities in which they’re built, said Chris Lautenschlager, executive director of the MarcyH o l m e s N e i g h b o rh o o d Association. “These newer buildings that are being proposed and popping up [all] over Marcy-Holmes are displacing some of the older housing that could have been affordable. Now, those affordable options are getting fewer and far between,” Lautenschager said. Supporters for luxury housing often argue that new builds decrease the cost of the older, more affordable properties because of the availability of housing choices, Goetz said. That rarely happens though, he said. While new luxury apartments may slightly depress the rent of other luxury apartments, the cost of all other area housing options typically go up. “If you’re building luxury housing … you’re putting pressure on other owners and developers of luxury housing. That’s why you see these kinds of over the top amenity packages,” Goetz said. “They’re trying to out-amenity each other.” Kendre Turonie, program director for the University’s Off-Campus Living, said that she has seen a jump in the number of new apartments and amenities they offered since she started at the University in 2003. “These neighborhoods that we’re in are the oldest neighborhoods in Minneapolis, which then means we also have the oldest housing in Minneapolis,” Turonie said. “There’s been a big uptick in the construction of high rise apartments close to the edge of campus, and they’ve tended to be more expensive.” Turonie said she receives emails and phone calls from parents and students concerned about housing prices on a neardaily basis. She said that students may feel rushed into finding a place to live, especially during their sophomore year, when, for many, it’s their first dealing with living off-campus

or signing a lease. She said she hopes students educate themselves about more affordable housing options and weigh whether shaving a few minutes off their walk to school is worth several hundred dollars more in rent. “I think overall, the University is supportive of affordable housing as a concept. But we’re not in the business of getting involved with policy creation of the city,” Turonie said. “It’s getting the attention of the administration a little more. I think there’s going to be some more conversations around housing affordability.” Paying for a dream Kloey Jacobs, a neuroscience major, lives in a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment in MarcyHolmes. Jacobs said the apartment is a bit dilapidated, with missing window screens and broken floor tiles. But, at a little more than $800 per month, their apartment is more affordable than the high-rises they have seen pop up near the University. “These housing costs are not at all tailored to the people that inhabit the area they are built in,” Jacobs said. “Students, while still maintaining regular attendance at University, cannot be expected to make enough money to support themselves at a $1200 per month studio apartment.” As a student who lives in a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment at The Link, Michael Yu said his total rent, including parking, utilities and pet rent, is close to $1,900 per month. Yu said he’s privileged in that his parents pay for his rent; however, he is expected to pay his parents back once he graduates and gets a stable job. Even if Yu were to work full-time at his current job on top of being a full-time student, he would still fall short on rent by several hundred dollars, not accounting for expenses like food. “While there is some cheaper housing near the U, I don’t really think there’s nearly enough to meet demand,” said Yu. “A lot of people have to bite the bullet, or just live further off campus in not-sogreat areas with not-sogreat quality and have to deal with the commute and parking.” Yu said living at a higher-end apartment can often be seen as a status symbol. On their websites, many of these apartments intersperse photos of young, vibrant, smiling models with photos of their apartments and amenities. They are selling not just an apartment, but a dreamy lifestyle. Take, for example, the tagline for FloCo Fusion, an apartment that offers tanning beds, party buses and Apple TVs in each apartment: “Quit dreaming about how the other half lives. At FloCo, you are the other half.” Editor’s note: All apar tment prices are based of f of 2020-2021 leasing information.