Minnesotans make history Starting at midnight, Aug. 1, same-sex couples married around the state. u See MARRIAGE Page 11
SUNNY HIGH 78° LOW 58°
U OF M
MINNEAPOLIS
FINANCIAL AID
Student loan deal reached The new deal ties interest rates to the financial market. BY CODY NELSON AND REBECCA HARRINGTON cnelson1@mndaily.com rharrington@mndaily.com
President Barack Obama is expected to sign a bill into law this week that will, for now, lower student loan interest rates. Congress passed the measure July 31, tying interest rates on multiple student loans to the finan-
ST PAUL
SUMMER EDITION
AUGUST 7-13, 2013
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT MNDAILY.COM
HOUSING
Dinkytown project approved
cial market, which will lower rates for thousands of University of Minnesota students who rely on them to pay for school. But if the economy improves as expected, those rates will rise with it. F or unde r gr aduat es taking out subsidized Stafford loans this fall, the plan will bring the interest rate down to about 3.9 percent, according to a House committee’s estimate. Though it’s tied to the market, the u See LOANS Page 22 Rep Keith Ellison was one of the few who opposed the new deal.
FACULTY/STAFF
Coaches, CSOM top paid at U Coaches are highest paid overall, but CSOM leads colleges. BY JANICE BITTERS jbitters@mndaily.com
Rising costs are a hot-button topic in higher education, and the University of Minnesota is no stranger to the conversation. University administrative costs were under a magnifying glass last legislative session after a December Wall Street Journal article used the University as an example of a management-heavy institution. President Eric Kaler said the claim was false, but the University has hired two consulting groups in the past year to examine the University’s administrative spending. To break down recent salar y trends, the Minnesota Daily obtained fiscal year 2012 salary data for Univer-
sity faculty, staff and administrators. The fiscal year ran from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012, and the data was compiled in November. In a broad overview of the information, the data show several trends. Among the various colleges at the University, teaching faculty at the Carlson School of Management had the highest average pay for teaching faculty of any college. Of the top five highestpaid head coach positions in Gopher athletics, former men’s basketball coach Tubby Smith led the pack last year. Head football coach Jerry Kill, who made nearly $1.26 million, came in second. The Daily also identified disparities between the pay of different types of teaching faculty and identified the top ten highest-paid people across the entire University. u See SALARIES Page 6 Carlson faculty average 3.5 times more than CDes faculty.
RESEARCH
Final light-rail tests on U labs begin The tests will show if the U must move more labs to protect research. BY LIBBY RYAN eryan@mndaily.com
As construction on the Central Corridor light rail wraps up, University of Minnesota researchers are anxiously waiting to see how the trains will impact their work. Tests beginning this week will measure how vibrations from the light rail
will affect sensitive University research. For a few hours each night, light-rail trains will run to measure electromagnetic inter ference and vibration levels. The tests will continue into September. “These tests are really sensitive,” said Leslie Krueger, University Services chief of staff. “We want to have the quietest environment possible to get the most detailed data.” u See LIGHT RAIL Page 4 Moving one lab from Nils Hasselmo Hall cost $25 million.
EMILY DUNKER, DAILY
Matt Hawbaker, right, a five-year employee of the now-displaced Book House, holds a sign during a city council meeting Friday at Minneapolis City Hall. The rezoning of the Dinkytown area, which would allow the Opus development project, was approved in a 9-4 vote.
The controversial complex will displace House of Hanson and several other businesses. BY MEGHAN HOLDEN mholden@mndaily.com
While construction crews start work on a six-stor y,
committee vote against necessar y rezoning. The full Council voted 9-4 in favor of the project.
140-unit apartment complex
House of Hanson, one of
this month, longtime Dinky-
the 14th Avenue Southeast
town business owners are
businesses displaced by the
saying their final goodbyes.
mixed-use building, closed
The Minneapolis City
its doors Monday.
Council approved the devel-
“All these people are my
opment of the controversial
friends,” said Laurel Bauer,
apartment complex in Din-
House of Hanson owner.
kytown last week, despite a
“It’s hard to be separated.”
u See DINKY TOWN Page 8
MEN’S BASKETBALL
U alum brings passion to coaching Antwan Harris has coached young local talent since 1995. BY JACE FREDERICK jfrederick@mndaily.com
Antwan “Luv” Har ris didn’t play basketball growing up, but now he’s one of the most successful youth coaches in Minnesota at age 40. From future NBA talents to players just trying to earn a college scholarship, the University of Minnesota alumnus has influenced a variety of young men since the 1990s, including several who have later worn Gophers jerseys. EMILY DUNKER, DAILY
u See HARRIS Page 14 University of Minnesota alumnus Antwan “Luv” Harris laughs while celebrating Howard PulHe has coached a USA Basket- ley’s Orlando Super Showcase championship Aug. 1 at the High Performance Academy in ball team six times since 2007. Eagan, Minn. Harris coached former Gophers players Rodney Williams and Joe Coleman.
VOLUME 114 ISSUE 127
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Daily Review
August 7-13, 2013
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
1944 Under the threat of Allied bombing during World War II, the German car manufacturer Volkswagen halts production of the “Beetle,” as its small, insect-shaped automobile was dubbed in the international press. HISTORYCHANNEL.COM/TDIH
METRO BRIEFING
New law provides cyclists more safety
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ON-STREET BICYCLE LANES AND SHOULDERS OFF-STREET BICYCLE TRAILS SOURCE: CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS
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BY CODY NELSON cnelson1@mndaily.com
New safety measures to keep bikes and cars farther apart on Minnesota roads took effect Aug. 1. The Legislature’s transportation bill prohibits parking or stopping in bike lanes and tightens restrictions on cars driving through bike lanes.
During the 2013 legislative session, bike safety provisions were controversial. Some lawmakers said local governments should determine bike policy, but the measure still passed the Minnesota House in an 80-49 vote. The law also prohibits drivers from using a bike lane to pass a car on the right. But drivers can use a bike lane to perform parking maneuvers,
enter or leave the highway or prepare for a turn. If drivers need to make a right turn through a bike lane, the law says they must signal, then yield to any bicyclists before they make the turn. Minneapolis police Sgt. Bill Palmer said he’s unaware of any new police policies to enforce the law, but the city attorney may
send out guidelines on the law this month. University of Minnesota police Deputy Chief Chuck Miner said it’s good the law provides for biker safety, but drivers don’t always cause problems on the road. “Generally, it’s not the motorists who are causing issues,” he said. “It’s the bicyclists.”
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Python’s strangling of 2 boys in Canada probed BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TORONTO — A 100-pound python blamed in the strangling deaths of two Canadian boys apparently escaped from its enclosure, slithered through a ventilation system and fell through the ceiling into the room where the young brothers were sleeping, authorities said Tuesday. A snake expert said it was possible that the python was spooked and simply clung to whatever it landed on. Police are treating the deaths in Campbellton, New Brunswick, as a criminal investigation. Autopsies on Noah Barthe, 4, and his brother Connor Barthe, 6, were performed Tuesday. The brothers had been visiting the apartment of a friend whose father owned an exotic pet store on the floor below, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Alain Tremblay said at a news conference in Campbellton. Tremblay said the African rock python was being kept inside the second floor apartment, not inside the pet store as authorities had previously stated. Steve Benteau, a spokesman for the provincial Natural Resources Department, said no permit was issued for an African rock python and provincial authorities weren’t aware it was being kept at the apartment. The department said the snake is generally only permitted in accredited zoos, unless there is a special permit. Tremblay said the snake was housed in a large glass enclosure that reached the ceiling of the apartment and escaped through a small hole in the ceiling connected to the ventilation system. He said the snake made its way through the ventilation system and moved toward the living room, where the boys were sleeping. The pipe collapsed and the snake fell. The friend of the boys was sleeping in another room and was unharmed. The pet store owner, Jean-Claude Savoie, told the Global News television station that he didn’t hear a sound and discovered the “horrific scene” when he went into his living room on Monday morning. “I can’t believe this is real,” Savoie said. He said the boys were the children of his best friend and were often at his apartment to visit his son. Savoie said the python, which he has had for at least 10 years, had been kept alone in its enclosure and was not handled by anyone else. Police said the snake was killed by a veterinarian. It was sent for a necropsy to confirm the type of snake and help understand what may have caused it to attack. Family spokesman Dave Rose, the boys’ great-uncle, said the brothers had spent Monday at Savoie’s family farm and played with different animals before staying over at the apartment. Rose thanked the community for their support and asked for privacy.
Radioactive water may overflow at Japan plant BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOKYO — The operator of Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant is struggling to stop contaminated underground water from leaking into the sea. Tokyo Electric Power Co. said some of the water is seeping over or around an underground barrier it created by injecting chemicals into the soil that solidified into a wall. The latest problem involves underground water which has built up over the last month since the company began creating the chemical walls to stop leaks after it detected radiation spikes in water samples in May. TEPCO spokesman Yoshikazu Nagai said Tuesday the company was slow to deal with the underground water leaks because it was focusing on cooling the damaged reactors, which posed greater risks. Three reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant suffered meltdowns after a massive March 2011 earthquake and tsunami destroyed power and cooling systems. The plant is still running on makeshift equipment and has been plagued with blackouts and leaks from underground tanks. TEPCO has been repeatedly criticized for delays in handling and disclosing problems at the plant. Alarmed by the latest problem, a panel of officials from local towns and villages rushed to the plant Tuesday for an inspection, demanding TEPCO limit the impact on the sea. Japan’s nuclear watchdog set up a separate special panel with TEPCO and met Friday to assess the water problem and discuss ways to resolve it. Watchdog officials have urged TEPCO to pump the contaminated water inland and expand underground and seawater sampling. TEPCO is also building more chemical walls around the plant. TEPCO officials were unable to answer many of the watchdog officials’ questions, including ones about the leaks’ origin, their routes and how they can be plugged. They also acknowledged that they have neglected large amounts of highly contaminated water that has remained in maintenance trenches since the crisis, a risk also cited by the watchdog. “It’s a race against the clock,” said Toyoshi Fuketa, a commissioner of the Nuclear Regulation Authority. “The top priority is to keep the water from escaping into the sea.” Of ficials acknowledged last month for the first time that the plant has been leaking radioactive water into the ocean for some time. After a major leak a month after the meltdowns, TEPCO said it had contained the problem and denied fur ther underground leaks into the ocean were occurring, although many experts suspected they were. While the extent of sea contamination remains unknown, TEPCO has estimated that up to 40 trillion becquerels of radioactive tritium, a water soluble element that can af fect DNA but is believed to be less dangerous than cesium or strontium, might have leaked into the sea over the past two years. The company says the amount is within legal limits, but is much higher than is released under normal operations.
EXTENDED WEATHER FORECAST THURSDAY HIGH 75° LOW 54°
Isolated T-storms
FRIDAY HIGH 72° LOW 53° Mostly sunny
SATURDAY HIGH 74° LOW 57° Partly cloudy
SUNDAY HIGH 77° LOW 58° Partly cloudy
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August 7-13, 2013
Athletes, students flock to supplement shop in Como HERBALIFE NUTRITION FACTS Serving Size: 2 scoops (25g) Powder with 8 fl oz nonfat milk Vitamin B6 Amount Per Serving Powder 170 Folate Calories 90 10 Vitamin B12 Calories from Fat 10 % Daily Value** Biotin Total Fat 1g 2% 2% Pantothenic Acid Saturated Fat 0g 0% 0% Phosphorus Magnesium Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg 0% 2% Zinc Sodium 125mg 5% 10% Selenium Potassium 190mg 5% 16% Copper Total Carbohydrate 11g 4% 8% Chromium Dietary Fiber 4g 16% 16% Molybdenum Sugars 5g Calories Protein 9g 18% 35% Total Fat Less Than Vitamin A Vitamin C Calcium Iron Vitamin D Vitamin E Thiamin Riboflavin Niacin
25% 25% 8% 15% 25% 25% 25% 20% 25%
35% 25% 35% 15% 50% 25% 35% 50% 25%
Popular with students, the drinks can’t replace meals, nutritionists say. BY MEGHAN HOLDEN mholden@mndaily.com
After a long workout, University of Minnesota athletes head to Gopher Nutrition to fuel up and hang out. The Herbalife shop on Como Avenue has become more popular with students as it caters more to University athletes, but the meal replacement shakes it offers can be unhealthy if used improperly, nutritionists say. Gopher Nutrition opened in the University Technology Enterprise Center in 2011 but didn’t gain attention from students until it moved to the Southeast Como neighborhood in February. With the new location, owner Curt Wright is hoping to expand his store next door to of fer a non-profit “study zone” for students who want to hang out after getting a Herbalife shake, which he said is a daily habit of most customers. “I tr y to give customers whatever they want,” he said. Katie Kasner, dietician at Boynton Health Service, said meal r eplacement shakes are ef fective for weight loss because they’re low in calories, but they shouldn’t replace eating a balanced diet. “You’re definitely going to lose weight, but you’re not really learning how to eat,” she said. Herbalife is an international company that sells nutrition, weight management and skin-care products through independent distributors. The company made $4.1 billion in 2012, according to its website. Although Herbalife has been around since 1980, the company has grown in popularity recently. In July, Herbalife’s second-quarter profits jumped 18 percent from the same time period last year, according to a
% Daily Value** 25% 30% 20% 25% 25% 45% 20% 20% 30% 30% 15% 35% 15% 20% 30% 35% 20% 30% 25% 25% 10% 10% 20% 20%
2,000 2,500 65g 80g Saturated Fat 20g 25g Cholesterol Less Than 300mg 300mg Sodium Less Than 2,400mg 2,400mg Potassium Less Than 3,500mg 3,500mg Total Carbohydrate 300mg 375g Dietary Fiber 25g 30g Protein 50g 65g Calories per gram: Fat 9 Carbohydrates 4 Protein 4 SOURCE: HERBALIFE
press release. College towns have been a hub for Herbalife distributors because of a spike in young people’s interest in health, Wright said. Gophers basketball forward Jackie Johnson said she comes in ever y day to hang out and get extra protein. “It’s a good way to get a healthy meal in,” she said. “It’s a healthy version of Dairy Queen.” While lounging on the couches after workouts, athletes get the three-step meal deal, which includes an aloe shot, tea and a protein shake. While athletes use the shakes for extra protein, other customers usually use the shakes as a meal replacement to cut back on calories. The convenience of a quick, low-calorie meal is attractive to people tr ying to lose weight, Wright said, adding that most of the shakes contain fewer than 300 calories. Alyssa Melco, kinesiology junior and personal trainer at the University Recreation and Wellness Center, said she uses the shakes for “post-workout” protein and as an alternative to fast food. “It’s a great option for people to have,” she said. “But you don’t want to just be using the shakes.” Along with selling shakes, Wright provides wellness evaluations and fitness classes to introduce customers to a healthy lifestyle, he said. Some customers say just having a shake makes them feel healthy. Tori Dixon, Gophers volleyball middle blocker, said the shakes might have a placebo ef fect, but she likes how they make her feel. “I feel better after having it,” she said. “It’s better than eating a bag of chips.” Elizabeth Orke, a recent University graduate, said she goes to Gopher Nutrition because it motivates her to work out. “I feel like I have a lot more energy,” she said. “You just feel good about yourself when you leave.”
3
Fire destroys three businesses near U A fire consumed a building in Prospect Park last week. No one was hurt. BY DAILY STAFF info@mndaily.com
A large fire consumed a deli, a day care center and an auto body shop on University Avenue Southeast last week. No injuries were reported. The cause of the twoalarm fire that started late Wednesday and continued into Thursday morning is under investigation, but it seems to have started in the auto body shop, said Minneapolis Fire Chief John Fruetel. Fire crews arrived around midnight and were still extinguishing hotspots at 9 a.m. on Thursday, according to a press release from Assistant Chief Cherie Penn. The af fected building, at 2812 University Ave. SE, housed Sabrina Grocer y and Deli, Milano Child Care Center and Jeff’s Top Line Auto Body. Police and fire depar tment of ficials said the roof of the auto body shop collapsed and at least six cars were destroyed. The building is insured for about $1.3 million, ac-
AMANDA SNYDER, DAILY
A large fire consumes a deli, child care center and auto body shop on University Avenue Southeast early Thursday morning. There were no injuries, and the fire’s cause was still unknown as of publication time, emergency crews said.
cording to a Meridian Insurance spokesman. Loud pops could be heard inside the flaming auto shop, which Fruetel attributed to exploding paint cans and other flammable materials. David Bar nhar t, who owns the building and two adjacent proper ties with his son Jeff, said flammable materials were in the shop, but they were stored safely.
Police clear ed away spectators and evacuated houses behind the building over concerns that a radio tower anchored to the building would collapse. The tower, which was at least 200 feet tall, later crumpled in on itself, and Prospect Park residents were able to return to their homes. “We were all wor ried about [the tower], and it
started to lean, and ever ybody was backing away, and we were moving people, and all of a sudden — just like an accordion — it collapsed right into itself,” Barnhart said. Moayid Al Subhi, a University of Minnesota computer science sophomore, said he used to go to Sabrina for Ethiopian food every day with other international students. “It’s a big loss for international students,” he said, “especially Muslim students.” Late Thursday mor ning, community members and business owners gathered at the scene. Heaps of rubble were still smoking as firefighters tried to move destroyed vehicles, identified as “hot spots,” where more fires were likely to start. Samson Ifonlaja, co-owner of Jeff’s Top Line, said the loss of the building is a big one for the neighborhood. “It was more than just these businesses,” he said. “It was really a community center.”
BRIDGET BENNETT, DAILY
Meghan Holden, Roy Aker, Cody Nelson and Tony Wagner contributed to this report.
The building that caught fire early Thursday morning on University Avenue Southeast housed an auto body shop. Now, rows of burnt cars line what would have been the back wall of the shop.
Students, AHA push for dissertation embargoes Many universities require dissertations go online, which some say could hurt book deals. BY ROY AKER raker@mndaily.com
The American Historical Association is asking graduate programs and university libraries to adopt a policy allowing histor y Ph.D. graduates to embargo the digital form of their disser tation, preventing the work from appearing online for up to six years. In a statement released July 22, the association said the embargo is necessar y so recent Ph.D. graduates can publish books based on their dissertations.
“We want our graduates not to be fearful of putting out the wonderful work that they have published and generated...” HENNING SCHRODER University vice provost and dean of graduate education
The AHA is not yet able to comment on which schools have adopted the suggested policy, said Jacqueline Jones, vice president of AHA’s Professional Division. She added that the possible change wouldn’t take ef fect at schools until September. O p i n i o n s o n A H A’ s statement have been
mixed. Some say the AHA is scaring students out of releasing their disser tation, while others say students should be war y of posting their work online. According to the statement, putting dissertations online can create a problem for Ph.D. graduates because university presses may be reluctant to of fer publishing contracts if the digital version is already available for free. Joseph Haker, a graduate student in the University of Minnesota’s histor y depar tment, said the optional embargo makes sense, but only if the AHA continues to suppor t a “book-based” approach to histor y over publishing articles online. An increasing number of higher education institutions — including the University of Minnesota — require graduate students to submit electronic theses and disser tations, called ETDs, and subsequently provide open access to the works online. Henning Schroeder, the University’s vice provost and dean of graduate education, said embargoing a dissertation for six years is too long — and that if a student embargoes their disser tation for more than a year, then they should have a good reason.
publishing it as a book or if there’s an “ethical need to prevent disclosure of sensitive or classified information” about people, institutions or technologies. “Most of this doesn’t work for humanities students when talking about dead people,” said Rachel Gibson, a Ph.D. candidate in French and Italian. “I think a lot of publishers are coming to avoid publishing dissertations if they’re already online,” she said. “For humanities, you usually have to tr y to get a book before you can even get tenure.” She said the embargo renewal process is dif ficult, and some are not even aware that they can embargo a dissertation in the first place. Currently, graduate students can put a hold on the release of their thesis or dissertation for six months, one year or two years. Advisors must approve the request before a dissertation can be held. “We want our graduates not to be fearful of putting out the wonder ful work that they have published
‘A tedious process’
20
At the University, students have to get permission from the graduate school to embargo their dissertation. According to the University’s doctoral dissertation submission webpage, students may be able to embargo their dissertation if a press is interested in
and generated,” Schroeder said. “But I understand that there has to be reasonable embargo times.” He cited a study published in College and Research Libraries that found about 83 percent of journal editors and more than half of university press directors polled welcome manuscripts that are revised versions of openly accessible ETDs — or at least consider them on a case-by-case basis. But some students want more control over where their work ends up. “I think the conflict is that the University has been funding us and our research for a long time, so in a sense they have a rightful claim to a lot of the work that we might publish,” Gibson said. She said she thinks the University can benefit more if a student can nab a publishing deal after successfully embargoing a dissertation. “That actually will look a lot better on the University than if that dissertation just languishes in open access depositories,” she said.
DISSERTATIONS BY HISTORY GRADUATE STUDENTS 2008
22
2009
18
15
14
2011
2012
2010
13
13
10
SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
4
August 7-13, 2013
Bill would limit higher ed regulations The bill would remove rules schools must meet to be eligible for financial aid. BY ROY AKER raker@mndaily.com
A bill that would limit the authority of the U.S. Department of Education passed a key committee of the U.S. House of Representatives on July 24. The Supporting Academic Freedom through Regulatory Relief Act would eliminate certain Department of Education federal student aid regulations. These include the federal definition of the credit hour, which determines how much aid students receive, and rules that keep graduates’ debt-to-income ratios and loan repayment rates in check. Higher education institutions are divided in their sup-
port of the bill. While public colleges and universities generally favor the regulations, some for-profit and private institutions say compliance is too difficult. Organizations including the American Council on Education and the Association of American Universities have endorsed the bill. The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, of which the University of Minnesota is a part, hasn’t taken a stance. In an email statement, University spokesman Matt Hodson said the University also hasn’t taken a formal stance on the bill. Jef f Lieberson, APLU spokesman, said the association hasn’t endorsed the bill because it’s unlikely to pass. “Given that Senate leaders have made it clear they’re not going to move this legislation now,” he said, “we didn’t think it was necessary to become involved at this time.”
Protecting students or hurting schools?
While bill opponents say the federal regulations protect students, its supporters say the regulations are too burdensome for institutions. Proponents representing some private and for-profit colleges said in a July 17 letter that the regulations create “challenging compliance issues.” The letter also said the definition of a credit hour is “horribly muddled and opens the door to federal interference in core academic decisions.” Opponents say the bill protects the interests of forprofit colleges by eliminating financial aid regulations that keep tabs on schools whose students graduate with unusually high debt. In a July 19 letter, organizations including the American Association of University Professors said “the bill would reward institutions that deceive prospective students
and provide low-quality, overpriced educational services …” In 2012, for-profit college students made up 13 percent of all U.S. college students but accounted for nearly half of all student loan defaults. A particularly controversial part of the bill would repeal regulations that require colleges and universities to meet requirements for graduates’ debt-to-income ratios and student loan repayment rates. Currently, schools must meet these in order to be eligible to participate in federal student aid programs. If a school’s graduates have low loan repayment rates and high debt-to-income ratios, then its federal student aid can be cut off. According to campaign records , U.S. Rep. John Kline, R-Minn. , who cosponsored the bill, has received donations from numerous political action
REP. KLINE CAMPAIGN DONORS 2011–2012* $21,500 $18,000
1
2
$16,419
$16,250
3
4
$15,500
$15,500
5
5
Apollo Group Ecolab Inc. Rasmussen DeVry Inc. Hubbard New York Life (Represents Inc. Broadcasting Insurance University of Phoenix) *Campaign contributions from organizations’ PACs, their individual members or employees or owners and those individuals’ immediate families. SOURCE: OPENSECRETS.ORG
committees that represent for-profit colleges. Of his top five campaign donors in 2011-12, three were PACs that represent for-profit colleges including DeVr y Inc., Rasmussen Inc. and the
Apollo Group — of which the University of Phoenix is a subsidiary. Capella Education and Herzing College were also listed as Kline’s campaign contributors.
Two men break up assault outside Bierman Apts. Also, four men caused $2,000 in damage at a nearby auto shop. BY KIA FARHANG mfarhang@mndaily.com
Two men broke up an assault after a man attacked a group of women when they refused to give him their pizza outside the Bierman Place Apartments early Friday morning. The man was later arrested and booked at the Hennepin County Jail , according to a Minneapolis police report. University of Minnesota communications junior Sarah Pearson said she and her friends were returning from Mesa Pizza when the 23-yearold suspect started following them and asking for their food. “He was really aggressive about it,” Pearson said. “He was really drunk, I think.” University police, who dealt with the incident, didn’t test the man’s blood alcohol content, said Deputy Chief Chuck Miner . They usually only test suspects who are underage or operating a vehicle. The man punched Pearson’s friend in the face after she kept ignoring him, and then punched Pearson when she told him to stop. Kinesiology senior Ben Wunrow said he and his friend saw the attack from
Light rail u from Page 1
The Metropolitan Council will test vibration levels in nine buildings around Washington Avenue Southeast. To measure the electromagnetic levels, staff will limit vehicle and pedestrian traffic, elevators, use of electronics and moving metal objects in the area. Beginning in 2006, the University began looking at how much the light rail would affect research. The University wanted a “do no harm” outcome, Kr ueger said. Based on current traffic conditions, she said, the light rail shouldn’t create additional problems for researchers. Working with the Metropolitan Council, the University imposed restrictions on the trains — like using floating track systems that reduce vibrations — so they wouldn’t disrupt research on campus. But even with these precautions in place, some labs still had to move. The Minnesota Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility is one of the labs that moved
across the street. “There’s no reason that a guy should ever hit a girl,” Wunrow said. “We wanted to stop that.” Wunrow and his friend tackled the suspect to the ground but not before he punched Wunrow in the jaw. Both Wunrow’s and Pearson’s groups thought the incident was over, so they started walking away. But the suspect caught up with them and punched Wunrow’s friend. At that point, police arrived and found the suspect shirtless and yelling in the street, the police report said. They booked him for fifth degree assault. “I’ve never really felt unsafe at the U, even at night,” Pearson said. “This is the first time I felt like maybe I should be careful.”
Woman fights off robber
A woman fought off a robber late Saturday night near the corner of 10th and University avenues southeast, according to a Minneapolis police report. The woman told police she saw the suspect ride a bike past her while she was talking on her phone. The man then turned around and rode up to her. The suspect told the victim he was new in town, the report said. He asked her if she could make a call for him. When the woman started
from Nils Hasselmo Hall, near the light-rail tracks, to the basement of the Mayo Memorial Building. The process took nearly a year and cost $25 million for the move and new lab equipment. Half of the money came from a state bonding bill, and the University paid the rest. “The most frustrating thing was proving how much damage the light rail might do to our research,” said MNMR director Gianluigi Veglia. “It’s almost been like a forensic investigation.” Because the lab uses powerful magnets to create microscopic images of proteins, the work is very sensitive to vibrations or magnetic fields from the light rail. A laser lab also left its location in Kolthoff Hall and moved next door to Smith Hall, costing $860,000. The Metropolitan Council and the University’s College of Science and Engineering split the bill 70-30. Lab manager Michael Blank said the move was a drawn-out process but was necessar y because of the lab’s sensitivity to vibrations. “It was definitely disrup-
dialing, the suspect knocked her to the ground and tried to take her phone. The woman told police she fought the man and threw her coffee on his shirt. The man fled on foot, leaving his hat and bike behind. He didn’t take the victim’s phone. Police found the woman with small cuts and scrapes on her legs, but she refused medical attention, the report said. University police sent an email alert about the crime to all students, faculty and staff members Monday . Miner said federal law requires the department to aler t the University community when serious crimes happen within a block of University buildings or registered student organizations. In this case, an email was sent because the crime occurred near student apartments and sororities, he said. Minneapolis police Sgt. Bill Palmer said the attempted robbery is still under investigation.
Student arrested for disorderly conduct
Minneapolis police arrested a University student for disorderly conduct early Sunday morning on Fifth Street Southeast between 14th and 15th avenues southeast. The student and another man were shouting at each other on the sidewalk, a police report said. An officer tried to break up the argu-
tive,” he said. “Given the circumstances, it was handled well, even though it was a little bit contentious at the time.” The University will have to pay for any additional lab moves. Another possible solution is slowing down trains as they pass that part of campus where labs are located. In the new MNMR lab, the refrigerator-sized research magnets float over rubber platforms so the vibrations won’t affect them. Veglia said he hopes the location will be far enough away from the trains. “We’re still waiting for the trains to be tested,” he said. “… There’s a level of uncertainty about how many trains, how fast they will go, and those questions were never answered.” Krueger said previous tests show the labs will be far enough away to prevent interference. But only r unning the trains will offer proof. “This is where the rubber hits the road,” she said. “We’re going to see if the trains meet the performance standards.”
Kolthoff Hall
NUE SOUTHEAST
TON AVE
G WASHIN
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building
Amundson Hall
Jackson Hall
Nils Hasselmo Hall
Molecular and Cellular Biology Building
LIGHT RAIL
OAK STREET SOUTHEAST
CHURCH STREET SOUTHEAST
LIGHT-RAIL VIBRATION TESTING LOCATIONS
Weaver-Densford Hall Moos Tower
717 Delaware
SOURCE: UNIVERSITY SERVICES CCLRT MITIGATION TESTING DOCUMENTS
ment. Palmer said the student told police he wouldn’t be handcuffed and kept pulling his hands away from the officer. An officer eventually had to wrestle the student to the ground. The other man, who Palmer said was cooperative, wasn’t cited or arrested.
Suspects smash cars in University Avenue auto shop
Four men caused more than $2,000 in damage to cars in an auto body repair shop in Prospect Park on July 31 , according to a Minneapolis police report. One of the suspects is a contractor who’d previously worked with Titan Auto and Tire Repair on University Avenue Southeast. He and another suspect had demanded money from the shop’s owner earlier in the week. Palmer said no arrests have yet been made in the case. David Samec , the only employee in the shop at the time of the incident, said four men came in the morning of July 31, asking for money they said the shop owed them. Samec told the men he wasn’t the owner and didn’t know what they were talking about. One of the men was holding something in his waistband, the police report
OTHER CRIMES NEAR CAMPUS Crime: Where: When: Info:
Theft 412 Lofts Friday Someone stole a $100 bill from the victim’s wallet when she left it in a locker. The victim said the room requires an access code, so only a few people can get in. No suspect information at this time. Police action: Inactive case. Crime: Where: When: Info:
Possession of burglary tools Eighth Street Southeast Sunday Police got a call on four young men stealing bikes. They found the four suspects, all juveniles, whom the victims identified. Only three of the suspects were arrested. Police action: Case closed. Crime: Where: When: Info:
Open bottle violation 15th and University avenues southeast Thursday Police saw the suspect’s vehicle driving the wrong way down University. When an officer pulled him over, the suspect said he was lost. Passenger cited for an open beer bottle he had in the front seat. Police action: Case closed. Crime: Where: When: Info:
Lurking Outside Carlson School of Management July 29 Security cameras saw four men trying to cut the lock off of a UMPD bait bike. Police caught three of the men, who are juveniles, and also gave them trespassing warnings. Police action: Case closed. SOURCE: MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT, UMPD
said, which Samec said he thought was a gun. Samec said the men told him to sit down and threatened to hurt him if he intervened. “I didn’t want to get hurt,” Samec said. “I have a family.” The four men smashed the windows of two cars left in the shop for repairs, then fled.
Dennis Browne , who owns the shop, said the men broke the windows of two cars — and smashed the mirrors of one — with hammers. The repairs will be expensive, Browne said, because the type of glass used in the windows is rare. After the incident, Samec said he’s worried about coming in to work. “I was terrified,” he said.
In United States, Venezuelans adapt old rodeo tradition BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HIALEAH, Fla. — On a sandy stretch of land between tree farms and cattle ranches, Edgar Abreu awaits his match: A black bull behind a red metal gate. The gate lifts and the bull runs. Abreu, a balding 57-year-old handyman, and another cowboy chase the animal on their horses. Abreu rides up alongside the bull, grips his hand around the tail and yanks the animal to the ground. “Un punto!” Francisco Palmero calls out on a bullhorn. One point. The crowd cheers. The scene is reminiscent of rodeos in countless Venezuelan towns, as well as some other parts of Latin America. But this tournament is being held at a ranch in Hialeah, about 10 miles from the Miami’s towering condo and office buildings. The men on horseback are competing to represent the U.S. in a world championship in Venezuela later this year. For most of the cowboys, the U.S. is a second home. The majority are from Venezuela where “coleo,” as the sport is called, is a tradition. When they arrived in Florida, they organized rodeos much like the ones in the countries they left behind: Four men chased after two bulls for four minutes at a time, flipping them over as many times as they could. Musicians played llanera
folk songs with harps, maracas, bass and Spanish guitars. Families came with their children. Not everyone applauded, however. At an event about 10 years ago, a bull fell and broke its leg. Animal rights activists clamored. They said the tradition wasn’t a sport. It was cruelty. “There was quite a public uproar about it,” recalled Laura Bevan, Southern region director of the Humane Society of the United States. “And the people organizing it just said that they were not going to do it anymore.” The rodeos didn’t entirely disappear, however. Three years ago, Palmero and a group of cowboys established the American Coleo Federation and tried to adapt the sport to meet U.S. animal welfare standards. Instead of four men, there would be two. Their time chasing the bull would be cut in half. The strip of land the bull ran through would be smaller and filled with plenty of sand to ensure a soft landing. And they’d use smaller bulls, less likely to be injured when they hit the ground, they said. “The animal doesn’t suffer,” asserted Hector Ricardo, 43, a coleo champion. Animal rights groups are not convinced. But bull tripping isn’t illegal, and the men who form the American Coleo Federation are determined to keep their sport alive in their adopted home-
land. “The United States has always been like the Cinderella of the competition,” Palermo said. “We’re small but potent. And respected.” About 20 cowboys competed for 12 spots to represent the U.S. at the international coleo championship in Venezuela this fall. Among them were Abreu, known to his friends as “Popeye” because of his bald head and muscular physique. Also competing was Gabriel Boracchi, 32, who came from Venezuela to the U.S. 12 years ago to study and now exports car parts and works in real estate. His girlfriend, Sandra Valencia, 27, watched ner vously as he prepared for the first round. She was bor n in Colombia and had never been to a rodeo. “Scar y,” she said, looking for a place to watch from the sidelines. Meanwhile, Juan Carlos Rodriguez, 56, originally from Cuba, assessed the competition. “This is a risky spor t,” he said. “I can’t do what I did when I was younger.” At the end of the first round, Boracchi had three points, Abreu two and Rodriguez none. Ricardo’s wife, clad in jeans and cowboy boots, pinned ribbons in the colors of the U.S. and Venezuelan flags on the backs of the cowboys each time they got a point for flipping the bull.
August 7-13, 2013
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August 7-13, 2013
CSOM faculty, coaches top earners at the U SALARIES from page 1
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
ERIC KALER President
$87,764
$86,535
$85,001
$53,829
COLLEGE OF FOOD, AGRICULTURAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE SCIENCES
The average salary for instructional staff in the Carlson School of Management is more than 3 1/2 times the average salary for instructional staff in the College of Design. Arlene Carney, vice provost for faculty and academic affairs, said pay gaps between various colleges are based on the market.
$92,942
COLLEGE OF PHARMACY
BRIAN RICHARD PAM KATHRYN HERMAN PFUTZEN- WHEELOCK BROWN VP for REUTER VP for VP for HR research VP and CFO university resources
MEDICAL SCHOOL
HUMPHREY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
SCHOOL OF NURSING
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
COLLEGE OF DESIGN
TOP-EARNING UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES IN 2012 ERIC KALER UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT $588,885
*The Academic Health Center, the College of Biological Sciences, the College of Continuing Education, the College of Veterinary Medicine and the School of Dentistry aren’t ranked because of employee salary duplicates in the data that were not comparable to other colleges.
$102,318
JERRY KILL HEAD COACH Football $1,256,276
SCHOOL OF COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
$108,662
U OF M LAW SCHOOL
$125,329
CARLSON SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
$127,312
$181,467
TUBBY SMITH HEAD COACH Men’s Basketball $1,891,555
$191,060
AVERAGE TEACHING SALARIES
KAREN NORWOOD HANSON TEAGUE Senior Athletics VP for Director academic affairs and provost
$230,050
HUMPHREY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
$256,500
$610,000
SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
$262,820
$148,928
U OF M LAW SCHOOL
$309,000
$153,724
CARLSON SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
$411,000
$182,307
$224,589 JOHN ANDERSON Baseball
$214,595
DON LUCIA Men’s Hockey
$248,677
PAM BORTON Women’s Basketball
$301,405
$1,256,276
$470,919
$1,891,555
JERRY KILL Football
$412,427
HIGHEST MEDIAN PROFESSOR SALARIES
HIGHEST-PAID HEAD COACHES
TUBBY SMITH Men’s Basketball
CURRENT KEY ADMINISTRATOR SALARIES
The values in the “key administrator salaries” graphic reflect the salary in each administrator’s employment contract. They may not reflect actual dollars paid each year because they don’t include other earnings. This data is more recent than the FY 2012 data used for the rest of this story because many of these administrators were not hired when it was initially compiled in November 2012. Kaler’s salary also differs in this graphic for that reason.
$95,262
All salary information except for the numbers in the “key administrator salaries” graphic reflects actual dollars paid during fiscal year 2012, which spanned July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012. The amounts listed may differ from each employee’s salary agreement with the University. They may include other pay, like bonuses, in addition to the employees’ contracted pay. Kaler earned about $589,000 during FY 2012 — less than his annual contract salary of $610,000 — because he joined the University part-way through the fiscal year.
BRUCE BLAZAR REGENTS PROFESSOR Medical School $575,630
SELWYN VICKERS PROFESSOR Medical School $529,079
PAM BORTON HEAD COACH Women’s Basketball $470,919
DOUGLAS YEE DIRECTOR Academic Health Center $457,519
LOUIS GOLDSTEIN PRESIDENT AND CEO University of Minnesota Foundation $453,120
ROBERT BRUININKS PROFESSOR Humphrey School of Public Affairs $451,500
SRILATA ZAHEER DEAN Carlson School of Management $444,367
GRAPHICS SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA NEWS SERVICES
August 7-13, 2013
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August 7-13, 2013
Opus Dinkytown project approved 9-4
COURTESY OF HOUSE OF HANSON
A view of The House of Hanson in the 1940s.
Dinkytown u from Page 1
The project, proposed by Opus Group, will replace several businesses and surface parking lots along 14th Avenue Southeast and Fifth Street Southeast. Community members who attended the Council meeting were divided on the decision. Representatives from the Save Dinkytown group held signs opposing the rezoning. Using slogans like “It’s Dinkytown, not Megatown,” Save Dinkytown has long opposed the project, saying redevelopment will threaten the neighborhood’s culture and small business community.
“This is a very sad day,” said neighborhood resident Chris Valenty. “It’s an important small business area.” Karen Anderson, who supported the project, said she was relieved by the results of the vote. “We need more safe student housing on campus,” she said, “and this project does that.” Third Ward Councilwoman Diane Hofstede, who represents the area, voted against the rezoning and said she is considering introducing a development moratorium for part of Dinkytown at the next Council meeting. The plan could put a hold on new projects in the area. Hofstede did not provide additional details about the moratorium. At a July 25 Zoning and
JAAK JENSEN, DAILY
Sara Buystedt, daughter of House of Hanson owner Laurel Bauer, packs up the remains of the store on Tuesday.
Planning Committee meeting, Hofstede voiced opposition to the project. She said she wants to wait to make decisions about Dinkytown’s future until after the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association master plan is finalized this winter. Dinkytown is “a part of the experience and legacy of students,” she said Friday. Dinkytown Business Association President Skott Johnson said although the DBA supported the project, he agreed the small area plan should’ve been finished before developing the area. “My thoughts changed as time went on,” he said. Parking issues also made Johnson wary of the project, he said. The loss of the Fifth Street lot will intensify parking problems in the area and cause Dinkytown businesses to suffer, he said. The surface parking lot will close on Aug. 8, following Duffy’s Dinkytown Pizza, which closed after the Council meeting. Susan Duffy, co-owner of the parking lot and Duffy’s, said they are working on plans to reopen somewhere in the new complex’s planned 9,500 square feet of commercial space. Opus plans to fill the building with four or five small businesses. Matt Rauenhorst, senior director of real estate development at Opus, said they haven’t decided on the
businesses yet. The yet-unnamed development is planned to open in fall 2014. “We’re really excited to be moving forward,” Rauenhorst said. “We’ve believed in it all along.”
Saying goodbye Closing the store that’s been in her family for more than 80 years is the hardest thing Bauer has had to do. Although Bauer said she was happy with the Council’s decision to move for ward with the project, leaving Dinkytown didn’t come without tears. “It’s been a very special day,” she said Monday. Bauer’s daughter Sara Buystedt flew in from California on Sunday night to say goodbye to the place she’s known all her life. “This building has been a part of us forever,” Buystedt said. “It’s been a part of us forever.” While cleaning out the store, the family found notes left hanging in the crevices of the shop from a former employee who died of a brain tumor a few years ago. “She stood by me for 32 years,” Bauer said of the employee. The special, personal touches of House of Hanson made it that much more loved by customers. Ari Hoptman, University of Minnesota German, Scan-
JAAK JENSEN, DAILY
The House of Hanson storefront shortly after closing on their final day of business Monday. After being in business for more than 80 years, the Dinkytown corner store came to a close.
dinavian and Dutch lecturer, said he’s come to the small grocery store every day for 13 years. “I’m going to miss this place,” he said with a sigh. On its last day open, Hoptman stopped in three times to say goodbye to Bauer and the
store. His last purchase was a can of motor oil because it would last the longest, he said. “We’re not saying goodbye,” Bauer said to Hoptman as he left the store. “We’ll never say goodbye.”
August 7-13, 2013
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Southeast Library’s future unclear HENNEPIN COUNTY LIBRARIES
BY THE NUMBERS
40/41 HENNEPIN COUNTY LIBRARIES HAVE A FRIENDS GROUP
$1,000-10,000 RAISED PER YEAR BY EACH GROUP
Sept.–Oct. EXPECTED TIME FRAME FOR
SE LIBRARY BUILDING INSPECTION RESULTS SOURCE: ERICA SKINNER, MN DAILY REPORTING
EMILY DUNKER, DAILY
Library volunteer Paul Caspersen organizes shelves at the Southeast Library on Saturday near Dinkytown. When the inspection results of the building, designed by former University architecture professor Ralph Rapson, become public in the fall, the library could stay in its current location or move to a new neighborhood.
The 50-year-old library could relocate after an inspection this fall. BY KIA FARHANG mfarhang@mndaily.com
After serving University of Minnesota students and neighborhood residents for almost 50 years, the Southeast Library’s future is unclear. The longtime Dinkytown fixture could move or close depending on the results of a building inspection expected in the fall. But some residents
say moving the library could cause discontent and conflict between University neighborhoods. “It’s going to be very divisive among the neighborhoods if it gets moved,” said Southeast Como resident Katie Fournier. “I really think it needs to stay in a central location like Dinkytown.” Marcy-Holmes residents have talked with developers about possibly putting the library in a housing complex near the current location at the corner of Fourth Street Southeast and 13th Avenue Southeast. Daniel Oberpriller, presi-
dent of CPM Property Management, said his company isn’t currently planning any development in the middle of Dinkytown, which is where he thinks the library will stay. If Oberpriller did develop near the library’s current location, he said he’d consider housing a new one in his building. “They do want a new home,” Oberpriller said. “That library’s probably not sufficient for them.” The librar y’s future is “a hot issue” for the MarcyHolmes neighborhood, said association president Cordelia Pierson.
“We are desperately searching for places to have community gatherings,” she said. Stacy Sorenson, a neighborhood support specialist who works with MarcyHolmes and Southeast Como, said she hopes residents will work together to find a location for the library. “In the ideal world, of course, we’d all love to have a library and a corner store half a block from our house,” she said. “But that’s not the reality.” Sorenson said she’s never heard of neighborhoods fighting over public
resources before. After the Hennepin County Library system gets the results of a county building inspection in the fall, they plan to hire a consultant to solicit public input on the library’s future, said communication manager Erica Skinner. “We don’t have anything certain about the future of the building,” Skinner said. “All of our decisions will be guided by what we learn.” Southeast Como resident Paul Caspersen, who volunteers at the library for five hours every week, said he thinks it’s the best library in Hennepin County.
Caspersen said the increase in Dinkytown student housing has driven public schools and churches out of the neighborhood because they can’t cater to students, and he’s worried the library is next. “Every democratic community needs a library,” he said. “This might go, [and] it’s very saddening for me.” Graphic design student and Prospect Park resident Deidra Anderson said the library is geared more toward community members than students. “Families come here,” she said. But Anderson said she still visits the librar y because she thinks it has a better selection of fiction than University libraries. Friends of the Southeast Librar y, a volunteer group dedicated to raising money for the library, is holding its first book sale in September, said Laurie Simenson, a senior librarian for the county system. Simenson said all but one librar y in the county has a friends group, and they can raise anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 every year. “I would say most of the groups are made up of older people,” she said. “All of the groups would love to have more younger people involved.”
Kaler talks athletics facility, TFA partnership He also discussed his plans for the coming academic year. BY JANICE BITTERS jbitters@mndaily.com
The Minnesota Daily sat down with University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler on Monday for its monthly Kickin’ It with Kaler interview. Kaler talked about the new $190 million athletics facilities plan, the future of alcohol sales at Coffman Union and the potential Teach for America partnership with the College of Education and Human Development. You seemed optimistic [about Norwood Teague’s $190 million facilities plan] during the July 10 Board of Regents meeting, [but] what concerns might you have? Let me sort of talk about that in a little bit different way. So, in my view, there are three things you have to do if you want to get something accomplished. The first is figure out what it is you need. The second is figure out how do you pay for it, and the third is do it. And so right now we have done step one of those things. … We don’t intend to ask the state for help in that — we think the state dollars should be used for academic priorities, so it’s a private fundraising activity. It might be enhanced by other ticket sales or media revenue. It’s primarily a private fundraising goal. Do you think the $190 million is going to be difficult to achieve, or do you think that is do-able? I think, over time, it is doable. Congress has agreed on a solution to lower student loan rates for the coming year. I’m interested to know how you feel about the agreement they have come to. You know, I’m glad they
KICKIN’ IT WITH KALER have reached an agreement. I’m glad the loan rates are lower than they potentially could have been, but it’s a compromise agreement, and I think it’s probably the best Congress could do under the current conditions. And I think it provides some certainty, so students know what is coming ahead, and that’s a good thing. Do I wish the rates were lower? Sure I do. I think it is probably all in all a good outcome. You signed a letter with more than 160 people that basically asked President Barack Obama to close the “innovation deficit.” I’d first like to identify what exactly that means. So I view — and I think the other people who signed that letter view — this innovation deficit as this gap between what the United States is investing in research and in higher education. That gap between what we are doing and what our competitor countries are doing is very worrisome. … And around the world, we are competing for the quality jobs. Things can get done in Shanghai or Minneapolis, and if you live in Minneapolis, you want those high-quality jobs to be in Minnesota. And so we need to invest in the machiner y that creates that kind of innovation, and that is higher education. Was your recent visit to China kind of what prompted your interest in this topic? I’ve been interested in this for years and years. I mean, I’m a scientist, so this is kind of what I do. But certainly, the recent trip to China just reinforced what I already knew. The Chinese are spending like crazy to educate people and to enable people to be able to be
innovative, and again, that’s the competition. The Board of Regents have a new academic health committee [this year]. What specific topics do you personally hope they’ll address through this new committee? Well, this is aimed at really helping the board become more educated about what we do in the academic health space. So it is really a committee about what is the future of academic education, research and patient care at the [University]. So it’s meant to be forward-looking but also a way for board members to become more broadly educated about what we do in the academic health enterprise. After the proposal to merge with [the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview] was declined earlier this year, … is the University still hoping to enter into an agreement like that? So, our relationship with Fairview right now is very stable. We’ve entered into what we’ve called an integrated structure — and we’ll come up with a better name for that soon — which allows … the University of Minnesota Physicians in particular … and Fair view to co-manage some of our assets in the health area. And we think that’s going to be a better partnership, and we’re looking forward to seeing that grow. It will improve the medical school, it will improve the experience of our students and residents, it will improve patient care; and we are in the process of rolling that out. At the last Board of Regents meeting, there were several new alcohol licenses that were approved … but [Coffman] was not recommended … Well, I think probably the primar y reason is that that would be a brand-new license. We currently don’t have a license to serve the
public in Coffman, which, of course, is the student union. So I think there needs to be some more conversation, first off, about ‘Is it a good idea to ser ve alcohol in a student union?’ … And in addition, if you do think it’s a good idea, we need a really robust business plan about where that would be located physically in Coffman and what the profit and loss from it would look like. In your view, is there a place for alcohol sales at Coffman? You know, I’m of two minds about it. I would say I haven’t decided yet on my view on that. There really are pros and cons, and I think we need a robust discussion about what would make sense for that. Frankly, much like the tobacco-smoking ban, I think the community needs to decide collectively what the right thing to do is. The University recently submitted a bonding request … for more than $230 million. What are the chances, do you think, that all of that will
be met by the state? Well, I think historically we don’t get all that we ask for, but this will be … a normal bonding year, and the expectation is that it will be a pretty robust bonding bill all in all, and the University should get a good share of that. In terms of the [TFA] and [CEHD] potential partnership, as you may be aware, that has been a somewhat controversial discussion. … Do you think this [partnership] is a good idea? I think we need a balanced approach. I think [TFA] has some very positive aspects, and I think having that program at the University in collaboration, cooperation or co-existence … with our other teaching programs would be fine. The ultimate decision on this is [CEHD Dean] Jean Quam’s. … I understand the reasons that some people are opposed to it, but in the community, there are a lot of people who are in favor of [TFA], so I think a balanced
approach is something that makes sense for the University. We’re coming into a new academic school year. [What are] some of your top priorities for the coming year, and what changes might students see on campus? It’s a great entering class — once again, the most academically qualified class. We had 43,000 applications for 5,500 spots. It’s a remarkable statement about the [University] and the quality that we have. So, I’m looking for ward to engaging with those students. … I think academically, you’ll see us continue to move towards using technology more effectively in the classroom. You’ll see, I think, more active learning classes. I think you’ll see faculty engaging in those new ways of teaching. So, [there are] great opportunities for students to get a wonderful education at the [University] and take part in the dramatic range of student life that we have available.
EMILY DUNKER, DAILY
President Eric Kaler discusses tuition rates, the new sports complex and expectations for the upcoming year Monday, in his office in Morrill Hall.
August 7-13, 2013
Minnesotans make history, celebrate first same-sex marriages at midnight Same-sex marriages became legal on Aug. 1. BY CODY NELSON cnelson1@mndaily.com
Hundreds of anxious onlookers filled Minneapolis City Hall well past its usual open hours July 31, waiting for a midnight wedding. After exchanging vows 12 years ago, Margaret Miles and Cathy ten Broeke were the first same-sex couple in Minneapolis to finally make their marriage official at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 1. “It’s our constitutional right, our moral right, our American right to marry the person we love,” said Gov. Mark Dayton to a packed crowd at City Hall. Miles and ten Broeke were one of many couples around the state and at the University of Minnesota who celebrated the first day of legal same-sex marriage in the state. As of Aug. 1, same-sex couples can legally marry, and marriages from other states are now recognized in Minnesota. University writing studies professor Laura Gurak married her partner in New York last August. The couple celebrated legal recognition of their marriage with friends at a Minnesotans United party at Wilde Roast Cafe on Wednesday night. Gurak said the “friendly” campaign to legalize samesex marriage helped it become legal after facing a possible constitutional ban just a few months earlier. “It’s been an incredible year,” she said. “Like running a marathon, once you’re up to speed, you kind of keep going.” The University has been a “fantastic” work environment for gay employees, Gurak said. Beginning Aug. 1, University employees with same-sex spouses became eligible for health benefits at the same cost as employees with
BRIDGET BENNETT, DAILY
The Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus performs at Minneapolis City Hall, about an hour prior to midnight, Wednesday.
opposite-sex spouses. University staff member Steff Yorek said having her marriage to her partner, Jess Sundin, legally recognized in her home state is a big change — one that’s hard to process. “I came out in 1991, and I said for years and years that this day was never going to come,” she said. “I’m just excited and relieved.” The couple was legally married in Washington state in March earlier this year, but Yorek said they consider their anniversary to be March 24, 2001 — the date of their commitment ceremony. This month, she said, she’ll be attending a few weddings for friends, many of whom are getting married on the anniversary of their commitment ceremony. “That’s the funny thing, right?” she said. “Yes, the state is recognizing our marriage today, but we got married in 2001.” Thursday’s new law change marks a rapid shift in policy for the state. Last fall, Minnesota voters were the first in the nation to strike down a proposed constitutional amendment ban-
ning same-sex marriage. By the spring, a bill to legalize same-sex marriage was gaining momentum in the state Legislature. Dayton signed it into law in May, making Minnesota the 12th state in the U.S. to legalize same-sex marriage. After a Supreme Court ruling this summer, same-sex marriage is legal in California, bringing the total to 13 states plus Washington, D.C. Although some in the state are still opposed to same-sex marriage, Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, said “they’ll get over it,” adding that she hasn’t personally heard much opposition. Last week, Minnesota for Marriage, the main group that opposed the new samesex marriage law, said it was launching the Marriage Majority Initiative. The group’s aim is to promote state legislative candidates who voted against legalizing same-sex marriage. Kahn represents neighborhoods around the University and supported the bill legalizing same-sex marriage. She attended the ceremonies last Thursday to watch
two of her friends get married — along with hundreds of other friends, family members and elected officials who came to watch Mayor R.T. Rybak perform the state’s first same-sex marriages. “What an amazing night,” Kahn said. “We all expected [legal same-sex marriage] to come, but nobody expected it to come this quickly.” Before the ceremonies began at City Hall, the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus performed, all wearing black T-shirts that read “Marr y Me.” John MacLean, 60, sang with the choir to a jubilant crowd. “It’s finally nice to feel equality with other couples,” he said. When MacLean came out to his family, he said his father didn’t talk to him for years. Although MacLean said society’s perception of gay people is progressing, there’s still room for improvement. “I long for the day when people don’t bat an eye at gay couples,” he said. Emma Nelson contributed to this report.
As health care costs increase, U employees try to save The University is offering premium reductions using a point system. BY HAILEY COLWELL hcolwell@mndaily.com
With health care costs set to rise as the University of Minnesota prepares to comply with the Affordable Care Act, employees are looking for ways to reduce their health care premiums. One way to reduce the amount employees have to pay for coverage is by participating in the University Wellness Program, which awards points for completing healthy activities. If employees ear n enough points, they can save up to $400 on their premiums per year. But despite rising costs, the program is changing its marketing strategy to focus less on potential savings and more on what employees can get out of being healthy, according to the Office of Human Resources. Reducing employees’ premiums if they par ticipate in wellness activities is a good investment on the University’s part because it increases employee morale and retention, said Connie Magnuson, director of the University’s Recreation, Park and Leisure Studies program. Magnuson said although money may be the primary motivator for participation, it’s a step in the right direction because it can prevent employees from incurring long-term health care costs. “If that’s what gets people out and tying their running shoes on,” she said, “then that’s what it takes.”
Finance v. fitness
BRIDGET BENNETT, DAILY
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak marries Margaret Miles and Cathy ten Broeke, with their son between their arms, at Minneapolis City Hall on Thursday at midnight.
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Employees who participate in the program say they appreciate the health benefits, but the savings are a bigger motivator. University horticulture researcher Andrew Hollman said he records the number of steps he takes each day for the Wellness Program’s walking program. His labor-intensive job requires a lot of walking, he said, and he can rack up points easily that way. Hollman, who has two kids, said working out in a gym doesn’t fit his lifestyle — plus, University faculty and staf f members have to pay to use recreational
facilities. Although he values a healthy lifestyle, Hollman said the program’s greatest incentive is its potential to reduce his health care premium. “If you really need the wellness,” he said, “you’re gonna be looking for wellness regardless of whether or not the University’s offering it.”
“If that’s what gets people out and trying their running shoes on... then that’s what it takes” CONNIE MAGNUSON Director of the University’s Recreation, Park and Leisure Studies program
Kinesiology lecturer Nicole LaVoi said she already lives healthy, and logging into an online account — which is required to earn points — is “burdensome” for her. “Wellness is a lifestyle,” she said. “It shouldn’t be a program.” LaVoi said she takes par t in the Wellness Program because of the financial benefits — which will likely become more important once the University’s new health care costs are implemented, she said. Because her job requires sitting down and reading for most of the day, University Press copy editor Nancy Sauro said she tries to exercise outside of work, but it’s hard to find the time. Sauro said she par ticipates in the walking program to get wellness points but doesn’t see any other reason to count her steps because she can’t fit more walking into her schedule. In the past, the University gave cash bonuses to employees who participated in wellness-based programs, Sauro said. Now, “it feels like you’re being penalized if you don’t get enough points,” she said. Although it’s important for the University to promote healthy practices, Sauro said, the motivation to adopt those practices still comes from the individual. “The University can make it easier,” she said, “but they can’t make you do it.”
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August 7-13, 2013
Growing knowledge Cornercopia Student Organic Farm resides as a place for students to learn about and sell produce. BY EMILY DUNKER edunker@mndaily.com
From the seeds to the final sale, University of Minnesota students are taking a grassroots approach to raising awareness of organic farming. Cornercopia Student Organic Farm started as the unsanctioned sharing of graduate student garden plots in 2004 and is now a nearly selfsustaining, certified organic farm in the middle of the University’s St. Paul campus. Produce from the farm is sold at local farmers markets and to University organizations. Since moving to its current location on the corner of Dudley Avenue and Lindig Street in 2010, the farm has grown to cover nearly 2.5 acres, with plans to continue expanding. Courtney Tchida, student programs coordinator for the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Cornercopia farm manager, has been involved since the
farm was a 20-by-30 foot plot on the corner of Cleveland and Larpenteur avenues. She said increasing support from the University has encouraged her to keep growing. “We’ve already almost maxed out the land that we have,” she said. “[We] asked for more land, and they gave it to us. That’s been really exciting.” The University became involved with the original student initiative in 2005, when the students decided they needed more space for the farm. The University developed curricula using the farm to turn horticulture education into a hands-on experience. “I think that’s a cool perspective that we offer to the academic community,” said Cor nercopia marketing intern and horticulture senior Ben Boo. “This is what tomatoes actually look like, and this is what it’s like to get your hands in the soil. A lot of people in academia haven’t experienced that.” Hor ticulture students begin planting in the St. Paul campus greenhouses in Febr uar y. From May through November, interns and volunteers spend up to 25 hours each week replanting, weeding and harvesting more than 100 varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs.
They also occasionally raise chickens. Produce is then washed, weighed and packaged for sale at a Cornercopia stand at weekly farmers markets on Pleasant Street Southeast and at the St. Paul Meat Lab. Former biomedical librar y employee Dennis Weller said he’s been a regular of the Pleasant Street farmers market for years, and he looks forward to buying his produce from Cornercopia. “This is my favorite stand,” he said. Tchida said the farm’s positive impact on the community stems from its mission. “We’re just going to be for organic and sustainable agriculture and not really against anything,” she said. Cornercopia has always had a strong focus on broadening awareness through community outreach and partnerships with local nonprofits. For five years, students from Gordon Parks High School in St. Paul have been visiting the farm to learn about organic farming. “It’s outreach, it’s education, it’s feeding our local community and it’s research,” Tchida said, “[and] the balance of those four things in the best way we can.”
EMILY DUNKER, DAILY
(ABOVE) Cornercopia volunteer coordinator intern and horticulture senior Caleb Simon, right, and biological sciences junior and volunteer Kristin Sorenson, center, harvest and bag dill at the Cornercopia Student Organic Farm on July 16 on the St. Paul Campus. The farm produces herbs like dill, as well as perennials like mint. “Everything in the perennial area is going to come back or it’s going to reseed itself,” Simon said. “We’re going to get a continuous ebb and flow of crops. They may not be in the exact same spot as they were last year, but we manage it.”
EMILY DUNKER, DAILY
(ABOVE) Cornercopia marketing intern and horticulture senior Ben Boo rubs dirt from the roots of green onions before trimming them at the Cornercopia Student Organic Farm on July 16 on the St. Paul Campus. Interns and volunteers plant, harvest, process and sell all of the produce grown on the farm by hand. “I just had this mindset,” Boo said, “that technology makes everything easier for everybody, but in the case of the food that I like to eat, like fresh fruits and vegetables, you can’t just harvest with a big tractor like corn. It just takes people with hands and with good backs and the desire to work in the field all day.”
EMILY DUNKER, DAILY
(RIGHT) Cornercopia marketing intern and horticulture senior Ben Boo, right, and student program coordinator for the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Cornercopia farm manager Courtney Tchida, center, talk about the scent of fresh dill with a customer at the Cornercopia Student Organic Farm’s stand on July 16 at the Pleasant Ave. Farmers’ Market. Access to local farmers’ markets is key to the success of the farm. “Once you have your market, then you can go for it,” said Cornercopia marketing intern Ryan Murphy. “If you don’t have a market, you can grow all you want, but you can’t move it.”
EMILY DUNKER, DAILY
(LEFT) Cornercopia marketing interns horticulture senior Ben Boo, left, and horticulture graduate student Ryan Murphy harvest rainbow chard at the Cornercopia Student Organic Farm on July 16 on the St. Paul Campus. Boo said the location of the farm in the middle of the St. Paul campus was very empowering to students who still have to work jobs in the city. “They can come to the farm right in the middle of everything and still be part of the University but still get to have that farming experience,” he said.
Editorials & Opinions www.mndaily.com/opinion
The ideal liberal arts major Life experience is necessary in deeply understanding the value in a liberal arts degree.
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TRENT M KAYS columnist
only through working with my hands that I learned what I did — and didn’t — want to do with my life. I appreciate the fastidiousness of manual labor, but I always understood my life as one drawn to mental labor. When people consider what an ideal liberal arts major might look like, they often don’t consider brickwork as an essential part of that major. But, perhaps it should be. Too often we romanticize liberal arts majors into something that simply doesn’t exist anymore. When I speak to some liberal arts majors, they are quixotically romantic, waxing poetic about the Penguin Classics of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” under their arm. Don’t get me wrong; I love classic literature as much as the next person. I believe it can link us to a different perspective and
context of the world. But sometimes, I think that the love of literature so many liberal arts majors exhibit is lacking because it isn’t backed by rough materiality. It’s not about the physical coarseness of life. Tragically, I’m not sure it’s about much reality. Mark Edmundson, a professor of English at the University of Virginia, suggested in the Chronicle of Higher Education last month that the English major “is a path to becoming a human being.” Apparently, other majors are not worthy of humanity. The tone of Edmundson’s piece is typical of a head-in-theclouds mentality, separated from the coarse and challenging nature of life. While Edmundson might believe the “ideal English major” to be one where some become human and others do not, it is starkly contradicted by the realities of life, where humanity is forged through experience. Life is hard, and it can be a terrible experience at times. The English major does many things. It’s important to the liberal arts curriculum, and it does clue people into some richness of human experience. However, the romanticizing of a major
DEATHS IN IRAQ: U.S. & COALITION TROOPS: 4,802 — IRAQI CIVILIANS: 113,823- PLUS DEATHS IN AFGHANISTAN: U.S. & COALITION TROOPS: 3,349 — AFGHAN CIVILIANS: UNKNOWN
does not help combat the realities of the workforce and the world. Coupled with experience, studying English can be more fruitful. While I never was an English major per se, I do understand the indisputable importance of liberal arts. That importance, however, can only fully be understood in contrast to something else. For me, it was manual labor. I did brickwork, concrete pouring, woodwork, landscaping and a whole bunch of other things before, during and after college. The perspective it gave me was tantamount to revelation. It changed my life. So, while Jane Austen’s work changed others, smashed fingers, blinding sweat and immense physical exhaustion changed me. Certainly, I was changed by my liberal arts education. I read Plato, debated ethics and wrote treatises about little-known authors; I still did all this after I gained perspective on the world, and it was necessary for me to truly appreciate and understand the liberal arts. Trent M. Kays welcomes comments at tkays@mndaily.com.
ECONOMICS
A Fed Chair vacancy Janet Yellen should be chosen over Larry Summers as the new chair of the Federal Reserve.
T Maxwell Smith welcomes comments at msmith@mndaily.com.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Bringing divestment to the University
Climate change is a global threat, but the students and alumni of Fossil Free Minnesota are responding right here on our campus. On July 19, we met with University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler to discuss collaboration between the University of Minnesota administration and our campaign. We, in solidarity with students on over 300 other college and university campuses, call on our institution to divest its endowment from the fossil fuel industry. Along with our peers around the world, we have embraced divestment as “one of the few ways available to [student activists] to call attention to the gulf between the risks of global warming and the weak political response to it.” The divestment campaign has grown into a powerful rallying cr y for young people across the country. We are galvanized by this reality: To aver t the catastrophic effects of climate change, we must keep 80 percent of known oil and gas reserves underground. But through funding lobbyists and contributing to political campaigns, the fossil fuel industr y ef fectively silences the climate conversation our countr y needs to have. Moreover, the industry’s profits reflect full exploitation of reserves, a practice fundamentally incompatible with a livable future. In his June 25 address on climate, President Barack
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The Editorials & Opinions department is independent of the newsroom. The editorial board prepares the editorials labeled “EDITORIALS,” which are the opinion of the Minnesota Daily as an institution but not representative of Daily employees’ opinions. Columnists’ opinions are their own.
EDITORIALS
HUMANITIES
ife is tough. When I was a child, my grandfather told me stories of when he served in the U.S. Air Force. One story I vividly recall is how he learned the value of newspapers as insulation. At the time, the Air Force only gave him one thin wool blanket, and he used to get cold at night and couldn’t sleep. Then, he discovered that by stuffing his bed with newspaper, he would stay warm. It’s certainly a lesson in experience — one not exactly found in the pages of great tomes. It is the issue of experience that is at the heart of 21st centur y workplaces. Employers want educated workers who also have experience; however, most workers can’t build experience without having a job. The cycle seems perpetual and disheartening. There are some things that you can only fully understand by doing. This is something I learned when I was younger. It was
August 7-13, 2013
Obama urged Americans to divest, acknowledging the divestment campaign as a strategy with national reach. Students, alumni, Kaler: Follow Obama’s lead, and join us in our call for divestment. Help the University do its par t to rescind the fossil fuel industr y’s influence and open the national political conversation on climate. Obama left the American public with this observation: “The question now is whether we will have the courage to act before it’s too late.” Will the Universityhave this courage? Divesting from fossil fuels would give a definitive answer, yes. Simone Childs-Walker University student
A bipartisan tax plan How impor tant is the FairTax? My answer is another question: How impor tant is the future of the United States? Ever yone decries the rampant par tisanship on Capitol Hill, which gridlocks progress on a host of issues, existential issues. But have you ever tried to carr y on a meaningful conversation with a counterpart across the aisle, politically speaking? Congress reflects perfectly what is happening on Main Street. Those of us who understand the FairTax know that it is truly nonpartisan. Unless and until we can work together, left and right, conservative and lib-
eral, Republican and Democrat, there is no hope for a national future. The FairTax could be the cooperative learning experience that demonstrates how a divided people might come together to solve the most pressing political issues of the day. The second test is closely related to the first. Congress “enjoys” an approval rating among voters approaching single digits, depending on the poll. Some Americans see corruption as the main reason for their discontent. We have come to a point where we no longer respect the institutions and, in many cases, the system of law that has made us great in the past. The FairTax removes the quid pro quo where Congress trades tax favors for campaign funding, personal inside trading tips and swollen personal bank accounts. One need look no further than the fact Congress has refused to release H.R. 25 from the House Committee on Ways and Means for a floor vote for more than 13 years. Professional politicians see the FairTax as killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. We have trudged down the wrong road with the income tax for a hundred years. Recent scandals involving the Internal Revenue Service bring the whole system into startling focus. How important is the FairTax? How important is your grandkids’ future? David Boone Daily reader
his fall, Presid e n t Barack Obama will select the next chair of the Federal Reser ve. Given an o b s t r u c t i o n - RONALD DIXON ist Republican columnist Par ty that will not pass anything remotely Keynesian, Obama must select a successor that will continue to maintain the economy. In the ring, Obama has two choices: Wall Street favorite Larr y Summers or progressive Janet Yellen. Although the president has an extensive histor y with Summers, Yellen’s strengths outweigh Obama’s personal connections. Summers did the most damage in the 1990s. As the secretar y of the treasur y during former President Bill Clinton’s administration, he succeeded in pushing the deregulation of the Glass-Steagall Act. The landmark legislation prevented commercial and investment banks from merging. Unfortunately, the Clinton administration, along with the Republicans in Congress, continued the deregulator y process that began in the 1980s and removed the law from the books. Citigroup is one of the companies to be formed by merger after the 1998 repeal, and Summers now works as a paid consultant there. The consequences were staggering. The deregulation of derivatives — along with other tools and assets used by big banks — is one reason why we entered into a recession and still continue to feel aftershocks today. Yellen predicted many of the economic calamities that began in 2007 when she was president of the San Francisco Federal Reser ve. As chair woman, she would push for keeping inflation up, keeping interest rates low and the program of quantitative easing. Yellen was also named the most accurate economic forecaster by the Wall Street Journal — current Federal Reser ve Chairman Ben Bernanke placed fifth overall. Summers is not the worst candidate Wall Street could produce. However, his deregulator y ideology and the role he played in the destruction of the economy should disqualify him from the position. Moreover, Yellen’s track record would make her a great successor to Bernanke. Ronald Dixon welcomes comments at rdixon@mndaily.com.
Rethinking the Dinky debate Saving Dinkytown doesn’t mean fighting development.
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he debate over student housing development in Dinkytown reached a fever pitch last week when the Minneapolis City Council approved a controversial Dinkytown development previously shot down by a committee vote. The six-stor y, 140-unit apartment complex proposed by developer Opus Group has been vehemently opposed by the group Save Dinkytown, which argues the development and other projects would hurt small businesses and harm the essential character of Dinkytown. While preserving the area’s culture and small business community is important, Save Dinkytown has gone about it all wrong and clouded the truth about the neighborhood and its history. While the House of Hanson was a Dinkytown institution, the area affected by Opus’ proposed development is otherwise unremarkable. By the time the planning committee voted down the project, two businesses had moved and two more were preparing to. At that point, Save Dinkytown wasn’t fighting for character, small businesses or student interests, but vacant storefronts and surface parking lots. “Nothing historic is leaving Dinkytown,” House of Hanson owner Laurel Bauer told the Minnesota Daily last month. Dinkytown has constantly evolved to meet the needs of the University community while remaining an essential part of each generation’s college experience. The House of Hanson is part of that tradition, but so are Dinkytown’s new buildings. The argument over Dinkytown’s integrity is also nothing new; it stretches back decades. In 1970 more than 300 protestors squared off with police, fighting a new fast food restaurant. Four years later, a Minnesota Daily editorial encouraged city planners to “Keep Dinkytown dinky” and be mindful of development’s effect on the community. The Opus project represents healthy, natural growth for Dinkytown. Fighting it — or instating a moratorium on development, as Councilwoman Diane Hofstede has discussed — would not be in the best interest of students or the neighborhood. Save Dinkytown and its allies should work to ensure students’ needs and the integrity of the neighborhood are met in its small area plan, which is being crafted now, rather than fighting development altogether.
A threat to Xcel The city should consider a public energy utility but can’t rush the discussion.
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inneapolis began public hearings Aug. 1 to consider whether the city should leave Xcel Energy and form its own gas and electric utilities. At the hearing, volunteers from Minneapolis Energy Options demanded cleaner energy options sooner rather than later. Though the Minnesota Daily Editorial Board agreed with MEO’s push for studying other energy options in April, the discussion should go deeper. Xcel has been the American Wind Power Association’s top energy provider for the past nine years, with about 12 percent of its energy coming from wind power. Xcel has pledged to bring that up to about 16 percent by 2020. Xcel continually implements energy alternatives, even if it may lag behind some municipal utilities, like Seattle’s City Light. Another obstacle for a public utility is the money. Laura McCarten, regional vice president of Northern States Power, said in a letter to Minneapolis residents that buying Xcel property could cost the city billions. The utility’s headquarters is located on Nicollet Mall and has about 2,000 employees in downtown alone. A city utility plan would be a huge undertaking that needs to be examined realistically. A $250,000 study on meeting Minneapolis’ renewable energy goals will come out in February next year. A November referendum without these facts would be premature and could risk the city’s leverage with Xcel if it fails. Under state law, the city would not be able to establish municipal ownership without voter approval and could be constrained in negotiation authority. However, before any referendum, Minneapolis should be wary of becoming like Boulder, Colo., which is now fighting with Xcel over customers and risks losing support of residents in the early stages of the municipalization process. Locking Minneapolis into another 20-year contract without knowing our options is irresponsible. Like CenterPoint Energy, Xcel must come to the table to have direct conversation with residents if it wishes to continue to represent the city’s energy goals.
LETTERS AND GUEST COLUMNS
The Minnesota Daily welcomes letters and guest columns from readers. All letters must include the writer’s name, address and phone number for verification. The Daily reserves the right to edit all letters for style, space, libel and grammar. Letters to the editor should be no more than 600 words in length. Readers may also submit guest columns. 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 Look for online exclusive Fax: (612) 435-5865 Phone: (612) 435-1578 columns at www.mndaily.com/opinion. Letters and columns to the editor 2221 University Ave. SE Suite 450 @mndailyopinions Minneapolis, MN 55414
EDITOR IN CHIEF TONY WAGNER = EDITORIAL EDITOR ERIC BEST = BOARD MEMBERS WILLIAM BORNHOFT, CASSANDRA SUNDARAM
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August 7-13, 2013
Sports
@MNDAILYSPORTS
FOOTBALL
Athletic secondary fuels expectations The Gophers are trying to build off last year’s success defending the pass. BY JACE FREDERICK jfrederick@mndaily.com
Gophers quar terback Mitch Leidner dropped back in a drill on the first day of fall practice last week and threw an out route to his right, only to have it intercepted and returned for a touchdown by cornerback Derrick Wells. Next up in the drill was quarterback Philip Nelson. He threw almost the exact same ball. His attempt was swatted to the ground by another Gophers defensive back. After practice, Gophers offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover didn’t express concer n for his quar terbacks. Instead, he seemed in awe of the defense. “Those guys are flying around,” he said. “I’m standing back there watching, going, ‘He’s got it open,’ and all of a sudden [the secondary is] gobbling it up.” Minnesota’s of fense lacks the firepower of most other Big Ten teams, so succeeding in the conference will likely require a herculean defensive performance. Last season, the Gophers passing defense finished 12th in the nation, thanks in large part to the play of its secondar y, and despite the loss of graduating star ting cornerbacks Michael Car ter and Troy Stoudermire, coaches and players agree the unit is better entering 2013. “This is the best secondar y that we’ve had since we’ve been here,” said third-year Gophers defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys. One reason for the perceived improvement is the Gophers’ depth at defensive back. The coaching staf f moved Wells to corner this of fseason. He star ted 11 games at safety as a sophomore last year and finished second on the team in solo tackles (46) and pass breakups (10). Junior Cedric Thompson and senior Brock Vereen are the likely star ters at safety. Vereen star ted the final six games of the season last year and considers
Harris u from Page 1
In 1995, Harris started coaching Howard Pulley, a Minneapolis-based team in the Amateur Athletic Union. The AAU is a competitive organization that attracts the nation’s top high school players. He led Howard Pulley’s 17-and-under team to ESPN’s AAU national championship in Orlando in July — the team’s first ever title in the event. His success with Howard Pulley has earned him the honor of coaching for USA Basketball six times. Har ris’ exuberant demeanor on the cour t has been a major influence on his players and a contributor to his on-court success. “He’s really a powerful guy in terms of coaching just because he can really get the most out of a team,” said top local recruit Tyus Jones. “He’s a character.”
“Luv” It’s just another week in the Howard Pulley Pro City League — a summer league that helps players sharpen their skills — for Har ris and his Howard Pulley Academy squad. This team, made up mostly of players from Harris’ AAU team, is participating as it usually does.
himself a leader of the secondary. Wells is probably a lock to star t at one of the cornerback spots, leaving on the opposite side a fourway battle among seniors Mar tez Shabazz and Jeremy Baltazar, junior Briean Boddy and sophomore Eric Murray. Shabazz and Baltazar both saw action in reser ve roles last season. Regardless of who starts, the athleticism of the secondar y will be superior to the Gophers’ other units this season. “The secondar y fits where we need to be in the Big Ten athletically,” said Gophers head coach Jerr y Kill. “There’s some [other] positions that we’ve got to get caught up to that.” Kill said Murray stood out in the spring when he received more reps as a result of injuries to Baltazar and Shabazz. Murray also caught the attention of Vereen. “By the end of the season, ever ybody will know the name Eric Mur ray,” Vereen said in July at Big Ten Media Days. Kill emphasized the need for depth at defensive back because the Gophers will play Nor thwester n and Indiana this year. Both teams feature spread offenses, which could force the Gophers to play their third and four th cor nerbacks more than usual. The entire Gophers defense forced 20 turnovers last season, including 13 interceptions. Nor thwestern led the Big Ten with 29 forced turnovers. Mur ray said the secondar y is looking to force 20 turnovers as a unit this year. He said the defense can focus on creating turnovers because it’s more comfortable this year. “Ever ybody knows where they’re supposed to be,” Murray said. “When you know where you’re supposed to be, tipped balls might come right to you.” The secondar y forced tur novers throughout the first weekend of practice, flying to the ball and disr upting the of fense. Thompson intercepted two passes during the second practice. “This is probably as good a secondar y as we’ll face throughout the year,”
Most players in the city league, which includes cur rent and former Gophers players, are older than Harris’ group of high schoolers. And on this July night, HPA is playing without its two top players, Jones and fellow 2014 recr uit Reid Travis, as both are away at a camp. Har ris’ team doesn’t win many games in this league even when it’s at full strength, but Har ris always keeps his players ready to compete. This after noon, his guys keep the game within 15 points. Harris is coaching just as he does in any big tournament. He is bickering at the referees, yelling at his players, chatting with the opposing team — all while making jokes and smiling. W ith his squad trailing by double digits in the four th quar ter, Harris picks up a technical foul. It’s the first he said he’s received in a Pro City game. To him, it’s clear the referee mistook his lighthearted complaining. To ever yone else, despite his team’s loss, two things become clear about Har ris: He wants to win, and he’s going to have fun tr ying to do it. “I can enjoy myself,” Harris said, “but at the end of the day, the kids have to work hard.” Harris said he got the
EMILY DUNKER, DAILY
Gophers defensive back Brock Vereen practices Friday at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex.
EMILY DUNKER, DAILY
Gophers defensive back Cedric Thompson practices Friday at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex.
EMILY DUNKER, DAILY
Gophers defensive back Eric Murray practices Friday at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex.
Limegrover said. The defensive backs ser ve as a tough early test for the Gophers’ young quarterbacks. “Our defense does so many different things,” said Nelson, a sophomore. “We see the wildest looks, and that’s going to help us out come game time.” Another factor that could help the secondar y is an improved pass rush. Defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman has high expectations and leads a group of defensive linemen that the coaches have praised heading into 2013. “Your best friend in the secondar y is a solid defensive line,” Vereen said at
Media Days. “Ra’Shede is the anchor of that solid defensive line. We’re going to rely a lot on him, and I know he’s up for the challenge.” Ver een said the Gophers’ goal in 2013 is to win a Big Ten championship. While a championship of any sort will be difficult to attain, the presence of a solid secondar y has created optimism entering the season. “When you play defensive back real good, you’ve got a chance to have a good defense,” Mur ray said. “Because when it’s hard to pass, it’s really hard to do anything.”
nickname “Luv” from an old Howard Pulley coach who “loved [Harris’] passion for the game.” Har ris said nearly ever yone calls him “Luv” now, including his players. He said a lot of people don’t know his actual first name. Har ris’ players recognize and appreciate his passion. “He gets us all hyped and excited,” Travis said. “He just brings so much fun to the game of basketball.”
and listen” by Pulley and the other coaches. “I took that as motivation to learn the game and to be able to coach,” Harris said. “I took that with pride and got after it.” Har ris experienced early coaching success on the court, and Pulley took notice. Pulley said occasionally coaches on his higherlevel teams had to miss tournaments, and Har ris would step in and win. “I realized that, ‘Wait a minute, he might have something,’ ” Pulley said. Pulley named Har ris the coach of the top 17-andunder team 10 years ago. He said he’s seen Harris improve as a coach ever y year. Harris has continued the team’s tradition of making the finals of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, the Peach Jam. He was an assistant coach for various medalwinning youth teams for USA Basketball in 2007 and 2009-12. He was promoted to head coach for the Nike Global Challenge in 2013, when he led his team to a bronze medal. “It’s a huge honor,” Harris said of his coaching designations. “I’m humbled by it. I love it. But I feel I’ve earned it, too.” He’s coached many talented players at Howard Pulley, including Jones, T ravis, former Gophers
Coaching journey Harris wanted to be a football coach growing up. He played football for Percy L. Julian High School, a powerhouse on the gridiron in Chicago. Harris won two state championships in high school and said the sport was his passion. But in 1995, when he was looking to finish his coaching license and couldn’t find any open football positions, he was forced to tr y his hand at basketball. “It wasn’t even on the radar,” he said. That year, he was introduced to Rene Pulley, the program director for Howard Pulley. Pulley said he created a third 16-and-under team for Harris to coach. He’s been with program ever since. Har ris said as a newcomer to basketball, he was often told to “shut up
EMILY DUNKER, DAILY
Gophers defensive back Derrick Wells practices Friday at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex.
player Rodney W illiams and NBA player Royce White. His former players said Harris’ coaching philosophy favors offense. “He loves to score the ball,” Williams said. “The only way you’re going to see the bench is if you’re not scoring the ball.”
Balancing act Although Harris is a devoted coach, his time with Howard Pulley is still just volunteer work. Harris received his undergraduate degree in kinesiology and earned his master’s degree in applied kinesiology at the University of Minnesota. He decided to teach physical education for one of the same reasons he coaches: he loves helping kids. He worked in the Osseo and then Robbinsdale school districts for about 10 years before taking an administrative role in the Bur nsville district. He’s now an administrator at Perpich Ar ts High School in Golden Valley, Minn. With many AAU tournaments taking place on weekends in the spring, Harris said he has to take a lot of personal days from work. He said it’s dif ficult to balance his coaching and his professional life, but he enjoys both. “It’s a lot of work,” he said. “It’s a lot of focus.
But again, as far as helping kids, it works out pretty good.”
Building a family Har ris’ coaching job involves traveling with his players across the countr y to tour naments and building relationships with them. “He means a lot to me,” said Jones, who’s known Harris since grade school. “He’s always looking out for me, no matter what it is.” Harris said it’s his job to get his players in front of college coaches so they can showcase their skills. He accumulated a lot of debt while in college, so he preaches the value of scholarships to his players. Both Williams and White said they have stayed in regular contact with Harris since leaving Howard Pulley, and the conversations are often about more than hoops. “We mostly just talk about life,” White said. Rene Pulley said the program is a basketball family — a family Harris greatly values being a part of. “We get a chance to help students, help kids follow their dreams,” Harris said. “We get a chance to create a bond with a group of young men ever y year that lasts forever, so it’s priceless.”
August 7-13, 2013
15
FOOTBALL
Gray shifts focus at 49ers training camp
PHOTO COURTESY OF SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Former Gophers quarterback MarQueis Gray participates in the San Francisco 49ers’ training camp. Gray has played mostly tight end through the first two weeks of training camp.
The ex-Gophers QB said most of his reps have come as a tight end. BY DANE MIZUTANI dmizutani@mndaily.com
Three months after going undrafted, MarQueis Gray said he’s been moving between different positions at the San Francisco 49ers’ training camp with hopes of making the final squad. The for mer Gophers
quar terback said most of his reps have come as a tight end — a position many expect is his best chance to make an NFL roster. Gray signed with the 49ers in late April as an undrafted free agent. He said the 49ers contacted him as the draft was in its final two rounds. “I got numerous calls after the draft, but they were the team that called first,” said Gray, who played for the Gophers from 2009-12. Gray said it frustrated
him initially to go undrafted, but after he signed with the 49ers, his focus was to prove people wrong and play in the NFL. “I just had to take that as motivation,” he said, “and know that I have to prepare that much harder to make it.” His mission of ficially star ted about two weeks ago when the 49ers opened training camp. Gray said his performance has improved since then. He played quarterback
for the Gophers and dabbled as a wide receiver in his first two seasons and late in his senior campaign. Gray never saw time at tight end in college, and he said the position transition has been a work in progress. While Gray has experience at wide receiver, NFL blocking schemes are a little foreign to him. He said he’s mainly focused on his technique in the first two weeks of training camp. “It doesn’t really mat-
ter how big someone is because it’s all about the technique,” said Gray, who’s listed at 6 feet 4 inches and 250 pounds. “That’s something a lot of those guys have taught me, and I see and learn that more each day I’m on this team.” Gray, who was adamant he wanted to be an NFL quarterback, said he’ll play any position to get on an NFL roster at this point. “I have a tight end resume and a quar terback resume now,” he said. “It
really doesn’t matter what position I play in the NFL. I’m just tr ying to make this team and earn a roster spot.” The 49ers will wrap up camp after this week and make the final cuts to the roster soon after that. “It’s hard to say where I stand, but all I can do is work hard and learn from this experience and continue to grow as a player,” Gray said. “If I continue to do that, I know I’ll be a part of the 49ers.”
MEN’S HOCKEY
Stars gather to defend blue line The players helped raise $50K to fund youth hockey costs for military families. BY DANE MIZUTANI dmizutani@mndaily.com
A war m summer afternoon felt a lot like the middle of winter as fans piled into Ridder Arena last week. The stands were packed as 31 current and former NHL players, hockey prospects and U.S. militar y members gathered for a charity game to help suppor t Defending the Blue Line. DTBL is a nonprofit organization that helps childr en fr om militar y families with the costs associated with hockey. It provides families with free hockey gear, hosts hockey camps, plans special events and offers financial aid for registration fees and other costs associated with the sport. The organization raised close to $50,000 at the Ridder Arena event, according to DTBL president and founder Shane Hudella. DTBL has grown since its first year in 2009 and hosts the charity hockey game each year. “We want to make sure ever y child that wants to play has an opportunity to play,” said DTBL spokeswoman Reide Housley. “It’s all about keeping hockey alive.” Notable names on the ice included Minnesota Wild goaltender Josh Hard-
ing, New York Islanders for ward Kyle Okposo and former Gophers players Nick Bjugstad and Nate Schmidt. “It’s awesome ever ything the troops do for us, so it’s ver y easy for me to donate some time to help out,” said Schmidt, who signed with the Washington Capitals earlier this year. Schmidt said the game was less about winning and more about putting on a show for the fans. Still, he said both sides revved up the action in crunch time because no one wanted to lose.
“We want to make sure every child that wants to play has an opportunity to play. It’s all about keeping hockey alive.” REIDE HOUSLEY Defending the Blue Line spokeswoman
Team USA beat Team Canada 10-8 after a backand-forth game. Nine players scored goals. New York Islanders veteran Eric Boulton stole the show with five for Team Canada. Okposo scored three to pace Team USA, and Bjugstad lit the lamp twice. Okposo said he didn’t realize he’d scored a hat trick until he was asked about it after the game.
JAAK JENSEN, DAILY
Former Gophers forward Nick Bjugstad and New York Islanders forward Eric Boulton play during the Defending the Blue Line charity game on Saturday at Ridder Arena.
Housley spoke highly of the players, who she said are the reason DTBL has grown so fast since 2009. She said the charity event gets bigger each year, and she doesn’t see it slowing down any time soon. Harding was the slowest skater on the ice, but he joked about it after the game and said it added another layer to the charity contest. “I feel like any time people can be a part of this as a professional athlete, they need to,” Harding said. “It’s such a little thing for us to do, but it means a lot.”
DTBL CHARITY GAME ROSTER TEAM USA PLAYER Mike Condon Jamie McBain Chris Blauert Danny Kristo Kevin O’Brien Kyle Okposo Jeff Taffe Zach Budish Matt Hendricks Nick Bjugstad Brock Nelson Nate Schmidt Hunter Miska Nate Prosser Joe Finley
AFFILIATION Montreal Canadiens Buffalo Sabres Army National Guard New York Rangers Army National Guard New York Islanders Washington Capitals Nashville Predators Nashville Predators Florida Panthers New York Islanders Washington Capitals Penticton Vees Minnesota Wild New York Islanders
TEAM CANADA PLAYER Darin Janisch Ben Hendrickson Tom Chorske Jimmy O’Brien Stephane Veilleux Jed Leonard Mark Parrish Br yce Salvador Thomas Vanek Rick Erredge Cam LeBlanc Alex Goligoski Kent Patterson Eric Boulton Josh Harding Taylor Chorney
AFFILIATION Army National Guard U.S. Air Force New Jersey Devils Ottawa Senators Minnesota Wild Air Force Academy Minnesota Wild Alumni New Jersey Devils Buffalo Sabres U.S. Air Force U.S. Air Force Dallas Stars Colorado Avalanche New York Islanders Minnesota Wild St. Louis Blues
SOURCE: DEFENDING THE BLUE LINE
16
August 7-13, 2013
A&E EDITOR
Sarah Harper (612) 627-4070, ext. 3237 sharper@mndaily.com
RADIO K TOP 7 1. Ebony Bones “While the People S.L.E.E.P.” 2. Serengeti “West of Western” 3. King Krule “Easy Easy” 4. King Tuff “Just Strut” 5. Kitten Forever “Famous Friends” 6. Weekend “July” 7. Bass Drum of Death “Shattered Me”
ONLINE WWW.MNDAILY.COM/AE
CORRECTIONS
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Beyond Kevin Kling’s wildest dreams Acclaimed local storyteller Kevin Kling returns to the Open Eye Theater for a play about people, pets and untamed wilderness.
Kevin Kling, writer of “Humanimal,” during rehearsal at Open Eye Figure Theater on Monday evening.
BRIDGET BENNETT, DAILY
BY JOE KLEINSCHMIDT jkleinschmidt@mndaily.com
T
welve years ago, a car altered Kevin Kling’s life forever. At the corner of Lake Street and Lyndale Avenue, he clung to life on his motorcycle after a near fatal crash. The accident left his right arm paralyzed. But as the local storyteller rehearsed his latest play in a Wisconsin cabin, Kling said his physical recovery also left him time with his two resilient dogs. “There’s nothing with a more cando attitude in a can’t-do body than a wiener dog,” he said. “I thought if that wiener dog can get up in a pickup truck, I can do that.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN KLING Kling broke through with his two plays “21A” and “Fear and Loving in Minneapolis.”
umanimal” celebrates a crossspecies connection Kling identifies as essential to maintaining sound mental health, the same bond he needed after his brush with mortality. The play takes on poignant philosophical questions about nature with Kling’s signature wit. “We ar e continually pushing ourselves away from nature, considering ourselves above nature,” he said. “It’s to the detriment of our species.” Known for his commentary on National Public Radio, Kling melds autobiography and fable for the animal-obsessed show. Think Jack London laced with a blithe comedic spirit. Joined by frequent collaborators Michael Sommers, Simone Perrin, Jacqueline Ultan and Michelle Kinney, Kling creates a tribute to the chasm between humans and animals. In the latter half of the show, a man attempts to rever t back to a more “wild” existence. Along with the dachshunds, Kling owns two
Kling’s stories in the book point to a long-r unning theme in his works, like “Humanimal” — the desire to exist in two separate worlds. In “The Dog Says How,” Kling manages a disability that renders him navigating a new world. “Disabled” takes on greater meaning under the author’s lyrical wisdom. Using Dante’s definition, the prefix “dis” references the underworld, “a place of shadow and reflection.” Rather than meaning “unable,” he sees “disabled” as a nuanced identity straddling two worlds. “Humanimal” also unites increasingly divided camps. “We coexist with these amazing creatures, and we both have things to of fer each other,” he said. “Humanimal” takes on a spiritual dimension and highlights the mythic and cultural value of embracing the wild. Kling references an Ojibwe tale to explain this unrelenting relationship. “As the chasm of the world was forming and the
“H
horses, also an inspiration for the environmental celebration of “Humanimal.” “Recently I’ve noticed how much I’m fed by the animals, how much it returns me to a place that we seem to have pulled away from,” he said. “Humanimal” joins the list of themed shows Kling has produced at the Open Eye for the past seven years. From politics to religion, his talent for storytelling keeps feeding the local venue. But the play’s not exactly Kling’s first foray into the animal world.
A foot in two worlds
“The Dog Says How,” his 2007 collection of short stories, marks another one of the writer’s bridges between pets and their owners. The book was also Kling’s first after the motorcycle accident. The title refers to a bizar re link between technology and Kling’s wiener dog. When he began using voice-recognition software to type instead of a keyboard, his computer wrote his dog’s bark as “how.”
What: “Humanimal” Where: Open Eye Figure Theater, 506 E. 24th St., Minneapolis When: 7:30 p.m., Aug. 9; 7:30 p.m., Aug. 10; 4 p.m., Aug. 11; 7:30 p.m., Aug. 12; 7:30 p.m., Aug. 15; 7:30 p.m., Aug. 16; 2 p.m., Aug. 17; 2 and 7:30 p.m., Aug. 18 Cost: $20
animals and humans were separating, at the last minute the dog jumped across to be with the humans,” he said. Kling required numerous surgeries to reconstruct his face after the motorcycle crash, but luckily his poetic gift for storytelling never needed medical maintenance. “Humanimal” joins the multitalented artist’s resume of stories to unite two camps, in this case, one animal at a time. “Any touch to nature — any reminder of where we come from — is going to prolong our lives on this planet,” he said. “Once the canary’s gone from the coal mine, you are the canary.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN KLING The acclaimed playwright frequently collaborates with local accordionist Simone Perrin.
August 7-13, 2013
17
ART
Going postal BY JOE KLEINSCHMIDT jkleinschmidt@mndaily.com
Most of Richard Barlow’s recipients have no idea who’s sending mail to them. But when the artist picks someone for his “Daily Bromides” series of watercolors, he sends them one postcard every day for 30 days. “I thought I should send them anonymously to someone so that there’s no chance of them coming back,” he said. The project began as a lark — Barlow accidentally started his handmade art, dedicated to early 19th century photography, on the back of a postcard. After finishing one at the Interlochen Center for Arts, he decided he needed to send it off. “There’s something that I really like about the idea that every day I have to let this thing go,” he said. Though the University of Minnesota alumnus is known for large-scale visual art, the postcard project presented a new opportunity for interaction. “Bromides,” which re-
fers to both platitudes and an early photographic process, gave Barlow a new space for communication. Librarians, philosophers, art critics, writers — all thinkers Barlow admires — have received the stream of postcards in the mail. Although the artist’s five by seven landscapes now hang in the Shoebox Gallery, the project’s impetus was casual. “I was interested in communicating with people outside of this gallery context,” he said. Without the glass barriers of a gallery, Barlow’s anonymous recipients receive a stack of colorful tributes to one of his favorite photographs. William Henry Fox Talbot pioneered the Calotype, an early photographic process using silver iodide and paper. Barlow chose Fox Talbot’s early negative “Reflected Trees” to continually paint, paying homage to one of the first photos ever taken. Trees reflected in a lake appear black and white, a replication Barlow decided to extend.
Local artist Richard Barlow takes his postcards very seriously. WHAT “DAILY BROMIDES” RECEPTION WHEN 8 P.M., FRIDAY WHERE SHOEBOX GALLERY, 2948 S. CHICAGO AVE., MINNEAPOLIS
“I in turn make an image of his image of an image of an image,” he said. Barlow’s affinity for metaconsciousness digs deeper than your uncle’s postcard of San Diego’s skyline. “Daily Bromides” makes the wellworn landscape art genre less of an object of affection — the standard postcard view of a landscape holds little importance for Barlow. “To me, there’s no imminent meaning there for us to discover,” he said. “You go somewhere and buy the postcard view of the place you are to put into your photo album. You have this scenic overview that tells you the right place to look at it.” “Daily Bromides” inspires
PHOTO COURTESY OF RICHARD BARLOW Barlow’s postcards may not depict scenic vistas, but they do offer a new take on one of the first photographs taken.
creativity among its recipients — some hang the collection in a grid and others put them in a pile. When he was on another mail art spree as a Jerome Fellow last year,
Barlow recalls finally seeing the culmination of his postage when a Walker Art Center librarian visited him. “He came to visit my studio, and I had some of
MUSIC
BOOKS
In no rush
Catching fire
Iconic folk singer Tom Rush hasn’t lost a lick.
In “Brain on Fire,” Susannah Cahalan pieces together a lost month in her life after a mind-altering illness.
BY SPENCER DOAR sdoar@mndaily.com
TOM RUSH Singer-songwriter
wednesday
Singer-songwriters are a dime a dozen now, but Rush still occupies a dif ferent landscape, one where his congeniality and knack for stor y-telling reign supreme above the quacks who pick up a guitar and call themselves musicians. Though Rush didn’t pick up a guitar first — he lear ned how to play
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL WISEMAN Tom Rush’s wisdom and ability to enrapture an audience is unquestionable.
the ukulele from an older cousin at the age of 10, an activity that made music fun while he struggled through baneful piano lessons. The guitar came around age 15, something that he took with him to Har vard. After graduating with a degree in English literature, Rush realized that “no one was willing to pay me to read books, but they would pay me to play music.” It’s the type of vaguely tongue-in-cheek comment that characterizes Rush and his music. His interludes, where he might mix philosophizing on the nature of the muse with an oddly humorous stor y about a song for a dead bird, merely add to his legend. In fact, his ability to relax an audience like an older, still-funny, down-toearth comedian is so popular that he sometimes gets requests for his stories. Playing with a band in
Shwayze If you’ve never heard the banal pop-rap stylings of Shwayze and his sometime collaborator Cisco Adler, I don’t know if you’re unlucky or blessed. He’s the kind of walking train wreck of mediocrity that makes for mesmerizing entertainment, a fact recognized by MTV — they gave him a reality show in 2008. His hits, “Corona and Lime” and “Buzzin,’ ” are two ever so slightly different versions of the same tripe, a (hopefully inadvertent) homage to Nickelback. u Where: The Pourhouse,10 S. Fifth St., Minneapolis u When: 8 p.m. u Cost: $10 u Age: 18+
WHAT TOM RUSH WHEN 7:30 P.M., THURSDAY WHERE THE CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER, 416 S. CEDAR AVE., MINNEAPOLIS COST $30-$40 CENTER SEATED SECTION AGES ALL AGES
the ’80s, while fun, prevented his meandering tales from taking full form, resulting in the other musicians “looking fidgety.” So he got away from that. He’s solo again, which allows him to again integrate anecdotes into his performances of such natural sounding songs — a seemingly effortless exercise for Rush. “Song-writing is like coaxing something out of the shadows,” Rush said. “It’s there — you just have to be quiet and listen.”
Susannah Cahalan found two red dots on her arm one morning in February 2009. She figured she had bedbugs like many New Yorkers at the time. After several fumigations and increasing anxiety, Cahalan’s mental state unraveled. She was obsessed. “Looking back, that seemed to be the beginning of these paranoid thoughts that started entering,” she said. The then-24 year old grew increasingly fearful. As the red marks on her arm faded, her paranoia escalated. Cahalan’s symptoms mirrored bipolar disorder or schizophrenia early on, but later the writer’s erratic behavior gave way to violent seizures. Blood and foam spurt out of her mouth at one point, prompting her family to seek a neurologist. During a month-long hospital stay, she was strapped to her bed, and nurses had to tackle and sedate her after she attempted to escape her room. Cahalan documented the experience in her memoir, “Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness,” which is out in paperback this week. Looking back, Cahalan said she still struggles to identify with her old self. “The way I feel about it is that a very close friend went through it,” she said. “It’s not a stranger per se, but it’s not me.” Cahalan consulted doctors, family and friends to piece together “Brain on Fire,” but later realized they left out some grim details. Medical records and surveillance video documenting her stay revealed the grave nature of her madness. Because the young New York Post reporter could not quite come to grips with the disease, Cahalan originally needed to dissociate herself from the writing process. “For the reader, it didn’t work,” she said. “But for me, I had to write initially in third person. That’s how I felt about it.”
Costaki Economopoulos Costaki Economopoulos markets himself as the biggest name in comedy, and he’s probably right. The homepage of his website currently sports an anecdote about how Adrian Peterson makes Economopoulos feel better about himself. Peterson has a severe allergy to shellfish, and Economopoulos doesn’t, so for all of the things that Peterson can do that make Economopoulos feel like a schlub, at least he can eat shrimp! I relate this particular bit of writing because it’s probably on the lower end of what Economopoulos is capable of. u Where: Acme Comedy Club, 708 N. First St., Minneapolis u When: 8 p.m. u Cost: $15 u Age: 18+
PHOTO COURTESY OF SUSANNAH CAHALAN Author Sarah Cahalan returned to her job as a book reviewer for the New York Post only a year after recovering from a rare illness
Cahalan was misdiagnosed several times before she found out she had a rare illness called anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. One doctor quickly pronounced Cahalan was simply experiencing alcohol withdrawal. Another pointed to schizophrenia. Her symptoms, from psychotic behavior to catatonia, eventually led her to Dr. Souhel Najjar. The neurologist closely monitored Cahalan and decided the illness was physiological. When Najjar drew the outline of a circle on a notepad for Cahalan, he told her to draw the numbers of a clock. After she drew one through twelve on only the right side of the clock, Najjar knew he had a clue. “No one with a psychiatric condition would draw a clock like that,” Cahalan said. “It also is proof that the right side of my brain was impaired in some way.” Najjar said Cahalan’s brain was “on fire.” To quench the flames, Najjar quickly put her on a series of steroids and medications to alleviate the swelling in her brain. She re-
friday
“Song-writing is like coaxing something out of the shadows. It’s there — you just have to be quiet and listen.”
BY JOE KLEINSCHMIDT jkleinschmidt@mndaily.com
thursday
With his shock of white hair and matching mustache, Tom Rush looks a lot like Mark Twain. Though he’s a musician by trade, Rush actually has a lot in common with the river writer. For 50 years, the singer-songwriter has held audiences captive with his combination of talent and personality. “I figur ed out early on that if people like you, they’re more prone to liking your music,” Rush said. Mostly due to his 1968 album, “The Circle Game,” which featured songs by Jackson Browne, James Taylor and Joni Mitchell, plus his (now) folk standard “No Regrets,” Rush is regarded as exposing singer-songwriting to widespread audiences. Since then, Rush has released another 19 albums, including his own favorite, 2009’s “What I Know.” They’re guitar-driven pieces, with Rush’s thoughts spilling out in the measures, detailing ever ything from his trouble finding car keys to the nature of romance — all caged in a folksyblues shell. He’s more of a guy relating his life than a singer performing a song.
these cards out among other things. He remembered when they were coming into the librar y,” he said. “They had no idea where they were coming from.”
WHAT SUSANNAH CAHALAN READING WHEN 7 P.M., AUGUST 16 WHERE MAGERS & QUINN, 3038 S. HENNEPIN AVE., MINNEAPOLIS
covered within a year of the diagnosis. “Brain on Fire” weaves a medical myster y with a compelling memoir, a scientific story palpable for most readers. Cahalan’s memory might not fill in all the blanks of her lost month for a truly personal recollection, but the factual tale catches fire in its poignant conclusion. The book sheds light on the harrowing consequences of misdiagnosis. Alluding to the fate she narrowly avoided, Cahalan’s story appeals to the stark difference in treatment of a mental illness. “The care was different,” she said. “It wasn’t overt, but there was a looming threat that they were going to send me to a psychiatric ward.”
Summer Set Summer Set festival, with a lineup of rap, rock and electronica, goes from Friday to Sunday. Really you can pick any one of these days — or blow a wad of cash on a weekend pass — and have a blast. Besides getting to soak in the music of Big Gigantic, Big Boi, Common, Diplo and Passion Pit, you get the chance to camp! There’s an exclamation point there because the forecast looks like nature will comply with the festivities: three days of partly sunny skies and temps in the mid-70s. u Where: Somerset Amphitheater, 715 Spring St., Somerset, Wis. u When: Music starts at 3 p.m., Friday u Cost: $39.50-$375
CULTURE COMPASS BY SPENCER DOAR
18
August 7-13, 2013
The phenomenon of Hollywood déjà vu has been pointed out numerous times, but each time it happens I’m surprised. In 2006, it was “The Prestige” and “The Illusionist;” in 2000, it was “Mission to Mars” and “Red Planet;” in 1998, it was “Deep Impact” and “Armageddon;” the list goes on. But this year, audiences are being treated to not two, but three similarly themed movies. First was Will Smith’s epic bummer “After Earth,” followed by Tom Cruise’s “Oblivion,” and this Friday, audiences get “Elysium.” This time Matt Damon helms the postapocalyptic plotline clad in a bionic suit. It looks to rehash a none-too-subtle version of the poor vs. rich trope. Sign me up for the “yeeech” ride.
Popsicles This is the last Daily issue of the summer, which means it’s my last chance to remind you of the delectable presence of popsicles on this planet. True, they don’t have to be a seasonal treat for the iced faithful, but let’s be honest, there’s a reason why some Dairy Queens close in the winter. So get ’em while the trucks are still roaming the streets, playing nostalgic, out-of-tune melodies. Hell, just fill up an ice-cube tray with whatever sweet liquid concoction you can think of and throw it in the freezer. Once they’ve begun to ice up a bit, throw a halved skewer in it. In a few hours, you’ll have your own brand of ice.
listen
“Elysium”
eat
watch
CULTURE COMPASS BY SPENCER DOAR
GREAT PRETENDERS
“Didn’t It Rain” Hugh Laurie Yes, we’re talking about the incorrigible star of “House,” Hugh Laurie. Maybe you didn’t know he was a blues musician on the side, but Tuesday marked his second studio release, “Didn’t It Rain,” the follow-up to 2011’s “Let Them Talk.” It’s refreshing to see such a talent be so comfortably average in a different setting. I think it’s because it’s hard to divorce the image of actor Hugh Laurie from musician Hugh Laurie. Either way, the album is good primarily because of the Copper Bottom Band, Laurie’s backing group. Reasons it’s worth a peek: “The Weed Smoker’s Dream,” which doesn’t have Laurie’s vocals on it, and his cover of Dr. John’s “Wild Honey.” His rendering of lyrics like “I’m a jack-of-all-trades” and “I am the one who’s gonna get all the fun done,” are so marvelously amusing.
the cover band beat
MUSIC
A solid foundation Local supergroup BluPrint has found a comfortable place by putting a twist on the Top 40. BY SPENCER DOAR sdoar@mndaily.com
It’s a common problem for musicians: How do you keep cover songs sharp in the face of so many others trying to do the same thing? For Chazz Reed, that problem prompted him to gather up a group of established Minnesotan musicians and form BluPrint. The goal? Reworking popular songs for greedy audiences. “How many times you heard ‘Brick House’ or ‘Play That Funky Music’ or Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition?’ ” Reed asked. “It seemed like ever ybody had the same songs, same words.” Reed had watched and listened as sampling became a standard practice in the music industr y, citing how Diddy reworked classics into new material in the 1990s. But why not incorporate samples with live instrumentation during per-
WHAT BLUPRINT WHEN 9 P.M., EVERY THURSDAY WHERE MINNESOTA MUSIC CAFE, 449 PAYNE AVE., ST. PAUL COST FREE
formances? And why not let that be the main dish? Joined by local studio pros with resumes chockfull of big names like Stevie Wonder, Prince, Ray Charles, Cameo and Marvin Gaye, Reed and BluPrint set out to do just that — a sor t of live version of mash-up maestro Girl Talk. “Now all the bands in town are doing [what we do], but we were one of the first,” Reed said. “I’ll wear that crown silently.” For five years they’ve held court at the Minnesota Music Cafe, chopping the likes of Lenny Kravitz, JayZ, Bob Marley, Ice Cube and Erykah Badu into new arrangements, Reed rapping and singing depending on the song’s need. “It’s funky, familiar and so fun,” Reed said. “Staying
Chazz Reed drew up the BluPrint.
fresh is easy.” Given that the bands mantra is “doing it to you in
yo’ earhole,” a reference to a George Clinton lyric, it’s extremely easy to see how
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHAZZ REED
Reed’s enthusiasm is genuine. Look for the unveiling of
a new hybrid of Aerosmith and David Bowie at the Minnesota State Fair.
MUSIC
Cashin’ in The Church of Cash is Minnesota’s go-to source for worshipping the music of the Man in Black. BY SPENCER DOAR sdoar@mndaily.com
Jayder Kalk strings a thread between three ver y dif ferent styles of music: opera, ska and the songs of Johnny Cash. It’s an eclectic musical journey that’s taken Kalk around the world and back, singing and playing bass and guitar. He inadvertently rekindled a love for Johnny Cash some four years ago, and now he plays locally with the Church of Cash, a tribute band that’s been gathering a statewide following over the past three years. Kalk cut his teeth early on verse, first as a five-yearold on his parents’ farm and later as an opera student at
Minnesota State UniversityMoorhead. He linked up with friends who were ska fans in 1995, forming 3 Minute Hero. Their local success (they won a Minnesota Music Award) propelled him into getting involved with skapunkers Warsaw Poland Bros. and later touring internationally with Go Jimmy Go, a throwback island ska band based out of Honolulu. But when you live “on an island, while only playing with a band that size, you can wear people out,” Kalk said. “I wanted to play all the time.” So Kalk went solo, playing ever ything from new wave to rock and reggae. “I noticed ever y time I played Cash, people lifted their heads,” Kalk said. “I star ted Church of Cash and became instantly successful with the guys coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan who hadn’t heard much American music [in a
while].” When Kalk moved back to Minnesota, he reformed Church of Cash, linking up with fiddler Crista Bohlman, bassist Dan Arlig, drummer Pete Boulger and guitarist Jonathon TeBeest. Kalk has a deep voice that naturally lends itself to Cash songs, and the fiddle of Bohlman adds a nice twist to some of the classics. “My old man was a big Johnny Cash fan; he’d always be singing it for me,” Kalk said. “When I started Church of Cash, I realized I already knew a lot of his songs.” They have a repertoire of some 100 songs, but Kalk is quick to point out that a recent anthology of Cash music contained some 800 tracks and that sometimes aficionados come out to shows asking for “superdeep cuts” that leave Kalk and company baffled. He’ll have to learn some more if he wants to reach
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHURCH OF CASH The pulpit may change, but the gospel stays the same for Johnny Cash cover band Church of Cash.
his eventual goal of taking the group to a “Vegas-like level — dressing the part with a solid hour-and-a-half set.” It’s an odd comment about the future from Kalk, who also goes on at length
to express that he doesn’t try to emulate Cash. Trying or not, Kalk does the voice and music of Cash justice, revitalizing a legend’s canon with aplomb. The Church of Cash
plays at Lee’s Liquor Lounge on the first Thursday of every month, as well as brunch at Hell’s Kitchen on the first Saturday of every month. For more info, go to churchofcashmusic.com.
August 7-13, 2013
Classifieds
19
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EMPLOYMENT KinderCare on Huron is hiring FT/PT staff for all classrooms! (Infants, toddlers, and preschool)Flexible scheduling, benefits, and tuition reimbusement available! Please come in and pick-up an application,525 Huron Blvd SE Minneapolis MN 55414 Deja Vu is hiring entertainers for day & night shifts. Flexible hours, great for students have cash everyday you work. Full & P.T. hours, you pick your own schedule, no experience needed. Apply in person or at dejavu.com 612-333-8130. must be 18+ BARTENDING! $300/Day potential No Exp Nec, Training available. Age 18+ OK. 1-800-965-6520 xt114 Fab caregivers needed in NW sub! Must lift 70lbs, be NS, have DL. $12.25 pinkglitter81@gmail.com Love People??!!Love Cleaning??!!Love Dogs??!! Hip Dog Daycare is seeking Dog Handlers!! Please apply at 821 2nd Ave N, Mpls MN 55405. You can get directions off our website at www.downtowndogsminneapolis.com! Mustang Tavern just north of campus off of 35W is opening in August and we need Servers and Bartenders.We are searching for candidates with positive & friendly attitudes that are upbeat and energetic. Must allow for nights and weekend availability. Experience is preferred, but not required!!Please email Justin@CoFission.com to receive an application or call 612.867.7585.
Content Writer Wanted Foodcart Media, a Social Media Agency, is looking for a contract writer(s) to find, report and write 300-500 word stories Monthly on tech, digital strategies and social media. leo.bogee@foodcartmedia.com
EMPLOYMENT
HOUSING
HOUSING
UNIVERSITY POSITIONS
Rose Hill Apartments 1 & 2 Bed Avail., close to St.Paul/Minn. campus, short walk to #3 bus 651-644-4823 or toni.rosehill@gmail.com
DINKYTOWN
Landcare Student Workers Must be UofM student, starting FT immediately, PT during school year. Sat-Wed or Wed-Sun. 7am-3:30pm $8.25/hr.Go to http://z.umn.edu/landcarestudent
SERVICES Ask Elenute. Relationship/dating coach with >25 years professional experience. 1:1 in person for women. Free 30 min. intro session. 612-379-3316
HOUSING *Free first month’s rent w/ lg 1 bedroom lease!* Studio, 1 br, 2 br Avail 9/1 4 blks to U. 813 University Ave SE. Hdwd flrs, french doors, wifi, garage, Pics: www.813university.com Call for more details 612-379-1843 CLASSIC CITY APTS Dinkytown/Stadium Village AVAIL FALL 2013 Rooms: Studios, 1 BR, 2 BR Check our website at www.classiccityapartments.com Call 612-623-1888 for appt. Email: info@classiccityapartments.com WHY share a room when you can stay in an apt for around same price???
Sandy Hill Apartments Large 1 and 2 br, large patio and gar, heat inc, avail now, www.sandyhillapartments.com, 651-775-0511
UNFURNISHED APARTMENTS Studio, $650, month to month lease, DT MPLS, close to W Bank, full kit, full BA, walk in closet, call Grant 612-221-1322
DINKYTOWN 1112/1114 4th St SE 1BR for $795/mo. avail 9/1 2BR for $995/mo. avail 9/1 Call Bryce 612.481.1676 2 Bed, 710 13th Ave SE, $950 + elec., 651-635-9336 3, 2, 1 BR’s avail 9/1 Crpt, A/C, ldry, secure, pkg, $720 and up, heat pd 612237-6941 www.uofmhousing.com 4 bed/2 bath, central AC, off st. parking, call Jake: 612-600-9101
Dinkytown House 5-6 bed/2 new baths, 2 1/2 blocks to U of M, security system, updated kitch, lg basement rec room w/laundry, fully insulated, high efficient furnance/central air, totally remodeled, good carpeting, high-speed wireless/ cable in all rooms, modern enclosed/locked/fenced patio w/ bike rack, exc. maintenance, reasonable rent offer, avail: 9/1/13-14 call Charlie: 612-210-5342 Dinkytown, 615 15th Ave SE, 1 BR $675$725, Free pkg, avail 9/1, turne327@umn.edu, 612-331-4398 DINKYTOWN 1 bed apart., $600/month crpt, AC, call: 952-935-4942 Lg. 3 bed/2 bath central air/AC, great rental rates call Jake: 612-600-9101 DUPLEX & HOUSE DINKYTOWN 2BR $975 9/1 1225 8th St Se 612-310-6137
HOUSING STADIUM VILLAGE Lrge 4BR house, $1600, avail 9/1, ldry, A/C, water, furnished, short walk to U, off st prkg, 651-895-4436
ST. PAUL 1022 Manvel (St. Anthony Park), 2BR, $800, no pets, avail 9/1, 651-635-9336 Falcon Heights Larpenteur near Snelling ns, sunny 1 br $675 2 br $715 ht pd, beau. hwf, gar. av. 1 mi to St.p camp. on busline free avail 6/1 wifi 651-645-1322
COMO SE Como, 4+ BR, 2 BA, 1.5 kit, dw, ldry, deck, gar. 651-226-1094. SE Como, 3 BR dplx, $900 + util, ldry, kit. 651-226-1094. SEComo 5+BR/2BA/2 Kitch, DW/LDRY, GAR+ PK, $1600 + util, avail 9/1, 651-226-1094
ROOMMATES WANTED Seward, furn, eco, CA, NS, Lndry, On bus & Lightrail, off st pkg. $450 includes utilities. Kathy 612-305-0940
Fall leasing: 4 bed/2 bath starting at 570. Lease by the bedroom, call 651-644-8400. Girl Roommate wanted, 1 bed avail, $500 + half utilities, call 612-819-9371 Looking for roommate 800 SE 4th St Minneapolis, MN Spacious apartment, if interested contact Laura Haller @ 612-386-3187
Steven Eighmey
20
BACKTALK sudoku
horoscopes
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. Visit mndaily.com to see the solution to today’s puzzle.
8/7/2013
July 31-August 6’s solution © 2013 Michael Mepham. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.
August 7-13, 2013
Today’s Birthday (8/7): Launch your creative whirlwind this month, with Mercury in Leo. Enjoy the limelight! This year revolves around home and family, focusing on domestic bliss. Your social life provides fun.
To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Written By Linda C. Black
Aries (3/21 - 4/19): Today is a 7 — Economic, political and religious structures face opposition. Declare your passions.
Libra (9/23 - 10/22): Today is a 7 — Your community calls to you. Group efforts produce results, and new opportunities arise. Discover a powerful bad guy’s weakness.
Taurus (4/20 - 5/20): Today is a 6 — Bullies and overlords get challenged. Make your voice heard, even as you get into domestic details and household decisions.
Scorpio (10/23 - 11/21): Today is a 7 — Attend to new career opportunities and goals. Compete for higher status. There’s still a way to win. Stay attentive. You’ll be held accountable.
Gemini (5/21 - 6/21): Today is a 7 — The transformation of corruption and greed becomes newly possible. Study the situation. Explore. Discover solutions.
Sagittarius (11/22 - 12/21): Today is an 8 — Travel, philosophy and cultural expansion have your attention. Plan your itinerary. Find a way to make it pay for itself.
Cancer (6/22 - 7/22): Today is a 9 — You can make extra money. Keep it practical. Get cooking, and preserve your efforts. Do the numbers, and stash the surplus.
Capricorn (12/22 - 1/19): Today is a 7 — Sensuality takes the stage. A lack of funds could threaten your plans. Wheeling and dealing may be required.
Leo (7/23 - 8/22): Today is a 9 — You’re stronger and more confident during this period of personal focus. Inspire rather than demand.
Aquarius (1/20 - 2/18): Today is an 8 — You’re in the partnership groove. Consult with experts. Handle negotiations and decisions. Delegate. Teamwork takes you higher.
Virgo (8/23 - 9/22): Today is a 6 — Your focus becomes more introspective. Something is coming due. Retreat from the world, and handle what’s needed.
Pisces (2/19 - 3/20): Today is a 9 — The pace gets hectic, and the work just keeps coming. Get creative to gather facts.
August 7-13, 2013
overheard Professor: “Bigger is better in regards to a lot of things, but it is particularly important when we talk about habitat.”
—Unknown
Girl: “What about this pizza place?” Guy: “That’s beyond our drunken interests. You must never go there, Simba.”
—Duffy’s Dinkytown Pizza
Girl: “Why do girls have to have sex with everything?!”
“It ignores agents that would oxidize your grandma”
—Smith Hall
“Tonight is my last night as a freshman because I will finish my bottle of Karkov.”
—Stadium Village
“You’re wearing white pants. Good for you, you don’t have your period!”
—Outside Library Bar and Grill
—Outside Coffman Union
Girl: “I asked my Magic Eight Ball app if I should have another glass of wine. ‘Certainly,’ it said. It’s a keeper.”
—Dinkytown
What did you overhear? 4Post submissions on the “overheard at U of M Facebook group. 4Visit mndaily.com and look for the “Connect with the Daily” box on the homepage. 4Email submissions to overheards@mndaily.com.
crossword
FOR RELEASE AUGUST 7, 2013
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
ACROSS 1 Shaving product “by Mennen” 5 Deep voices 10 “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” film 14 Talk too much 15 Class clown’s bit 16 Give __: care 17 Hearty har-har 19 Low-lying area 20 Surpasses 21 Qualified for the position 23 Profs’ protégés, briefly 24 Prefix with trooper 25 Its 2014 games will be held in Sochi, Rus. 26 National Geographic’s first natural one appeared in 1914 31 The Cavaliers of the ACC 32 Average amount 33 Cape near Cod 34 Savor the sun 36 Halfhearted 39 Legend with rackets 42 “Silent” president Coolidge 44 Other, in Oaxaca 46 Slippery one 47 Group on “The West Wing” 52 Carpooling letters 53 Loses luster 54 Hawaiian tuna 55 Do impressions of 57 “All kidding aside” 61 Fifth-century pope 62 Container that holds two generous glasses of wine (as well as a double dose of this puzzle’s theme?) 64 Month following Av 65 Pension law acronym 66 Soon 67 Method: Abbr. 68 Device used before applying 1-Across 69 Ilk
8/7/13
By Michael Dewey
DOWN 1 French cleric 2 Move a muscle 3 Powder mineral 4 Can, after “is” 5 Where there’s no hair apparent 6 Literary collections 7 VW preceders? 8 Show exasperation toward 9 Suzuki with 10 MLB Gold Gloves 10 Bean-based beverage 11 Indian Ocean arm 12 Long homer, say 13 Valedictorian’s big moment 18 Hanker (for) 22 Sitar music 24 Like some 13Downs 26 Babe in the woods 27 Egg cells 28 Lewd 29 Otto I’s realm: Abbr. 30 Genetic material 35 Kit __ Klub: “Cabaret” setting
July Tuesday’s 31-AugustPuzzle 6’s Puzzle Solved Solved
(c)2013 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
37 “__ now or never” 38 Ideal wheels 40 Playboy nickname 41 Rivendell dweller 43 Mother of Helen of Troy 45 Milo of the movies 47 Makes pass, as time, with “away” 48 Hardly handsome 49 __ and yon
8/7/13
50 1998 PGA Player of the Year Mark 51 Pageant toppers 56 Lean 57 “Should that be true ...” 58 iPod mini successor 59 “__ one, think that ...” 60 Camper’s shelter 63 Fashion’s Claiborne
Visit mndaily.com to see the solution to today’s puzzle.
dr. date Dr. Date,
So college is all about trying new things and meeting new people, right? Well, I had the ingenious idea of going to the extreme and became pen pals with a girl from Poland. Yes, 4,732 miles away, 7 hours apart. At first, I didn’t give much thought to her at all. I mean, how could it even be possible to fall in love with someone so far away, right? Well, life has its cruel way of toying with me, and now I’m missing my pen pal like crazy, like I have known her for my entire life. We Skype and now talk almost every day online for hours (no, she’s not part of the secret sadistic organization from Hostel). After we discovered how much we had in common, we just became so close, and I can’t stop thinking about her now. She has expressed the same feelings for me, and this is what kills me these days. We’re obviously in love (even though we’ve never said it). Now, I know a lot of people will tell me I’m such an idiot for believing that such a childish fantasy will ever be realized between us, but everything we have told each other, all the things we talk about, it just seems too perfect to ever fall apart. She really believes that we have something “magical” after what I have managed to do for her even though we’re 4,732 miles apart (but that’s a whole ’nother story!). But the worst feeling ever is that I can’t be with her in person until the next three years are over (grad school commitments...). So, long story short, I just want to know how the hell to stop missing her because that’s all I think about these days. I really like this girl, but it’s like my mind is stuck on the pause button, and I can’t get her out of my mind because she’s so far away that I can’t get out all the emotions by spending just one day with her. Sorry for exploding on you like this, but I would just appreciate a little wisdom from Dr. Date, my hero.
—Polish Problems
#PolishProblems,
Even in this globalized world of digital
pen pals, your case feels extreme. I can see feeling very close to this woman, but you use the word “missing,” as if you once were with her and now you’re separated. Are you really missing her? Or are you just choosing to fixate on this as a distraction from other problems or anxieties in your life? I mean, heck, how functional can you be on a day-to-day basis when you’re so obsessed with someone you’ve never met? In order to regain control of your heart and dick (and life), you have to confirm that she feels the same way you do — for all we know, she thinks of you as a very expressive American friend who makes masturbation more fun. Idea 1: Save up for a quick visit to Poland. I know you’re busy and have a threeyear plan, but how about a little jaunt the summer before grad school? Idea 2: You say you’ve never said “I love you.” Test that out. Idea 3: Help her fly out here. Last resort? A chill pill the size of a horse tranquilizer. Maybe just take a horse tranquilizer. Or relax naturally by thinking about the fact that if this is meant to be, then it will be, and three years of waiting will seem like nothing in the long run ... especially if you keep doing the extreme Skype stuff, heh.
—Dr. Date
Dr. Date,
I went out with this girl from work last week. I think we had a pretty good time, but now I’m not really sure how to act at work, if I should be flirty and open about it or if I should try and maintain a level of professionalism. I’ve never really been in this position before and don’t want to mess up a good thing we have going
—Work Flirt
Pro Flirt,
You should be professional in the workplace no matter what. Keep the love talk confined to your time off.
—Dr. Date
Need relationship advice? Email Dr. Date at drdate@mndaily.com.
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August 7-13, 2013
Student loan deal reached
Loans
u from Page 1
bill caps the rate at 8.25 percent. The interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans doubled to 6.8 percent on July 1 after a slew of proposals to avoid the rate jump failed in both the House and the Senate. A retroactive plan, the measure will lower the rate on loans taken out at the higher rate since last month’s increase. University student and Minnesota Student Legislative Coalition chairman Matt Forstie said the compromised plan is “disappointing” because it’s not “optimal” for students. “The good part of this is that this deal ensures pretty low rates for students this year before the school year star ts,” he said, “but the dark side of this is that it sets us up for a really dangerous situation as soon as three or four years down the road.” The new plan passed the House 392-31 but was met with opposition from some, including Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., who said he voted against the measure because it will likely increase the cost of school over time. “We are undercutting the future oppor tunities of America’s children and compromising our economic vitality with the bill passed today,” Ellison said in a statement. University Director of Student Finance Kris Wright said she’s excited Congress has found a longterm solution that has floating interest rates with a cap. “I do think there needs to be a balance between taxpayers and students, and interest rates are part of that,” she said. “You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.” Although the University didn’t of ficially lobby
for any student loan plan, school of ficials have supported market-based plans like this one in recent months. Wright said she thinks the caps on interest rates are reasonable for students and that it’s unclear if changes in the economy will raise interest rates. “Obviously there are some pros and cons to all the approaches,” she said. Rep. John Kline, RMinn., who sponsored the House bill, said in a July 31 statement he was glad both parties compromised on a long-term solution based on the market. “Changing the status quo is never easy,” Kline said in the statement, “and returning student loan interest rates to the market is a longstanding goal Republicans have been working toward for years.” The Senate passed its version of the bill on July 24 in an 81-18 vote. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., voted for the bill, which he said was “the best deal possible” in a press release. “I still believe we need to address college affordability in a comprehensive way,” Franken said in the release, “and I intend to keep working on this issue because students shouldn’t be saddled with insurmountable debt when they graduate.” Mike Schmit, president of the University’s Minnesota Student Association, said he’s concerned about rates increasing to the maximum 8.25 percent. Schmit, who has taken out subsidized and unsubsidized Staf ford loans to pay for school, agreed this was the best deal Congress could have made right now. “Personally, I would have liked to have seen an extension of the 3.4 percent subsidized rate, because that’s locked in,” he said, “but again, I don’t know if we could have done anything better.”