CAMPUS & METRO
a&e
Football
The president also discussed the potential CBS-CFANS merger.
Bjorn Hunstad, aka Bloomer, approaches the top of the new-school beatboxing scene.
Minnesota is going back to the Texas Bowl for the second straight season.
Kaler talks Markingson case, bowl game
Bloomer’s beatboxing blossoms
u See page 3
Mostly sunny High 2° low -6°
u See Page 8
Wednesday
Space to pray U of M
Minneapolis
st paul
u See Page 11
December 11, 2013
Muslim students find room for their faith
Gophers get opportunity to recruit Texas players
online exclusives at mndaily.com
public safety
State Leg. chimes in on U crime Senators met with law enforcement, students and U officials Tuesday. BY JESSICA LEE jlee@mndaily.com
University of Minnesota and law enforcement of ficials met with state legislators Tuesday at the Capitol to discuss campus safety amid a series of violent crimes in the area. “We feel targeted, and we do not feel safe,” senior Sara Gottlieb said to the panel of state legislators. The Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee held the meeting to hear students’ concerns, allow
law enforcement of ficers to share practices and ensure the state provides ample resources to address the issue. Committee Chair Sen. Ter ri Bonof f, DFL-Minnetonka, said while higher education institutions in metro areas have dealt with fluctuating crime trends for decades, the recent uptick is unique because of the criminals’ boldness. u See legislature Page 4 The U has invested $15 million in campus security since 2004. Related Content St. Paul students have also joined the safety discussion. u See Page 16
Chelsea Gortmaker, daily
Muslim Student Association President and architecture senior Amer Sassila prays in a secluded area in Rapson Hall on Tuesday. by MARION RENAULT mrenault@mndaily.com
S
hortly after noon Friday, the room fell into an intent, reverent silence, interrupted only by the padding of shoeless feet on carpet and the occasional creaking of a door as latecomers trickled in. More than 150 Muslim University of Minnesota students and employees filled the conference room for weekly community prayer on the third floor of Coffman Union at 12:30 p.m. Throughout the week, students can be found spread across campus, tucked in hallway corners or kneeling in open courtyards for their daily prayers. On Fridays, that prayer is meant to be shared. But many say the Coffman space reserved by the Muslim Student Association isn’t enough to accommodate the University’s Muslim population. When hundreds show up for Friday prayer, they sometimes spill out into the hallway, said biology freshman Zoha Khatoon. With a prayer ritual that involves re-
peated bowing and kneeling, Khatoon said they have to stagger their movements to deal with limited space. Most of the time, she said, it’s simply uncomfortable. “It gets really hot,” Khatoon said. “And when you bend over, there’s not enough room to put your whole body down.” The conference room, which is booked in advance for weekly use, and the Al-Madinah Cultural Center’s space on Coffman’s second floor are the only two spaces on campus offered specifically for Muslim prayer. Though the Mayo Memorial Building on the University’s East Bank has a meditation room, there is no official nondenominational prayer or meditation space on campus, said University spokesman Steve Henneberry. As a public institution, the University cannot make any special accommodations for religious groups, in accordance with the Board of Regents’ policy for Equity, Diversity, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action. But some say a nondenominational prayer and meditation space could benefit the entire University community.
“I made myself a little sanctuary. That’s the nice part about being a Muslim: The whole world is a place to pray.” Amer Sassilla Muslim Student Association president
see Prayer page 6
student life
CFANS/CBS Merger
Diagnosed with leukemia in 2010, Connor Cosgrove is starting fresh.
Faculty and staff expressed concerns during listening sessions this week.
Human Rights
U rallies behind alum in prison Shezanne Cassim has been behind bars in the UAE since April. BY T YLER GIESEKE tgieseke@mndaily.com
Tuesday marked University of Minnesota alumnus Shezanne Cassim’s 247th day in foreign custody. He’s sitting in a maximum security prison, and his future remains unclear. Tuesday was also Human Rights Day — a day when students and faculty members again called on the government of the United Arab Emirates to release
Cassim. His next cour t date is Monday, but it has already been rescheduled five times, his family’s lawyer said. “We are constantly worried about Shez,” Cassim’s sister, Shalali Cassim, said at a Tuesday news conference. Shalali Cassim is also a University alumna. “All we want is for him to come home,” she said. Cassim’s suppor ters stood holding “#freeshez” signs at the news conference and read letters of support from elected officials like Gov. Mark Dayton and u See Cassim Page 5 Cassim was arrested after posting a satirical video online.
Cosgrove finishes chemo Staffers wary of lost character BY ROY AKER raker@mndaily.com
BY DANE MIZUTANI dmizutani@mndaily.com
Connor Cosgrove has the most impor tant day of his life stenciled on a sticker in his room. It’s lost some of its adhesive over time, but the meaning has never faded. And now it’s only two days away. After a three-year battle with leukemia, Cosgrove will go through his final chemotherapy treatment Friday. “I’ve literally thought about this day every single day through this entire process,” he said. Cosgrove, a business and marketing education junior, was diagnosed with leukemia Sept. 14, 2010, and Friday marks a new beginning for the 22-year-old. “I’ve heard that it can be very anticlimactic for some,
As the merger of two University of Minnesota colleges undergoes consideration, some faculty and Holly Peterson, daily
Connor Cosgrove, a member of the University of Minnesota football team, was diagnosed with leukemia in September 2010. Cosgrove will have his final chemotherapy treatment Friday.
but I don’t think it will be for me,” he said. “It signifies everything I’ve accomplished and everything I’ve gone through. “I hope they at least give me a sticker or lollipop or something,” he joked. It’s been a long, arduous road for Cosgrove — a road that has forced him to grow as a person. “It’s been a gift in a weird way because I want
more out of my life than I did before,” he said. Cosgrove still remembers the day of his initial diagnosis down to the minute details — the clothes he was wearing, the body language and tone of his doctors, and his parents’ places in the hospital room. u See Cosgrove Page 11 Cosgrove said the cancer has become part of his identity.
staff are concerned about preser ving their colleges’ identities. A task force heard faculty and staf f members’ reactions at listening sessions Monday and Tuesday to the potential merger of the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences and the College of Biological Sciences Some CFANS faculty said a merger would need
to maintain connections with external stakeholders like agricultural companies, and some CBS faculty said they’d want to maintain the college’s higher admissions standards. People from both colleges also questioned the University’s reasoning behind the merger talks. u See merger Page 3 Some are concerned about the colleges’ differing selectivity.
neighborhoods
Como takes on problem properties The neighborhood association is cracking down on absentee landlords. BY ALEX BITTER abitter@mndaily.com
A new initiative by the Southeast Como Improvement Association to identify absentee landlords in
the neighborhood is yielding results, but residents and community leaders say the issue is still prevalent. SECIA members said they hope their efforts will make landlords more accountable to both the community and the city. Katie Four nier, chair of the SECIA Livability Committee, said she and others on the team began
using resident complaints and proper ty sale records published in local newspapers to identify houses that may lack proper rental licenses. The committee then checked the proper ties against Hennepin County records to deter mine whether the u See como Page 4 The issue has come up in focus groups for the Como Blueprint.
volume 115 issue 57
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Daily Review
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
1936 After ruling for less than one year, Edward VIII becomes the first English monarch to voluntarily abdicate the throne. HISTORYCHANNEL.COM/TDIH
VIDEO Vol. 115 Wednesday, December 11, 2013, No. 57
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VERONICA HO, DAILY
Bjorn Hunstad, aka Bloomer, is the next big thing in Minneapolis hip-hop. The recent high school graduate has won various beatboxing competitions across the country and has gained a large YouTube following.
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WORLD BRIEFING
United States-led Pacific trade zone talks end without a deal BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SINGAPORE — The United States and 11 other nations negotiating a free trade zone stretching from Chile to Japan failed to reach a final agreement at talks in Singapore, but indicated they were closing in on a landmark deal. The U.S.-led agreement is a major part of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy shift toward Asia but has been snagged by disagreements between countries on market access, especially for agricultural products, environmental protections and intellectual property. Washington had said it hoped the trade agreement would be completed by the
end of the year. After four days of meetings in Singapore, ministers issued a statement Tuesday saying that “substantial progress” had been made on finalizing the TransPacific Partnership. It said they had identified “potential landing zones” for most of the outstanding issues and would meet again next month. Deborah Elms, a professor at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, said the tone of the statement suggested negotiators have a “pretty clear understanding” of what a final agreement would look like. Elms, who follows the negotiations, said she expected a deal to be finalized in March. Others have
predicted similar. “It’s easy to get a quick agreement: you just drop the level of ambition. There was no temptation to do that,” U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman told repor ters in a conference call after the talks. He said the 12 countries are focused on reaching a “highstandard” agreement. Negotiators are aiming to reduce tariffs on goods and services to close to zero. They are also tr ying to ensure that foreign companies operating in those markets have a level playing field with state-owned ones, and that their products are not counterfeited. The block includes developing countries with large state-owned indus-
tries such as Vietnam and Malaysia as well as rich nations including the United States and Japan. The agreement would encompass around onethird of world trade and 800 million people. Proponents say it should lead to greater economic growth. Any deal will have to be ratified by the U.S. Congress, where Democratic lawmakers in particular are calling for tough provisions on environmental and labor standards and against currency manipulation. To simplify ratification, the Obama administration wants Congress first to pass legislation that gives it authority to negotiate trade deals that Congress can accept or reject but cannot change.
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Uruguay OKs first Europeans rough out national market for new bank rescue rules legal marijuana BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay — Uruguay’s Senate gave final congressional approval Tuesday to create the world’s first national marketplace for legal marijuana, an audacious experiment that will have the government oversee production, sales and consumption of a drug illegal almost everywhere else. The vote was 16 to 13, with the governing Broad Front majority united in favor. The plan now awaits the signature of President Jose Mujica, who wants the market to begin operating next year. Two-thirds of Uruguayans oppose a government-run marijuana industry, according to opinion polls. But Mujica said he’s convinced the global drug war is a failure and feels bureaucrats can do a better job of containing addictions and beating organized crime than police, soldiers and prison guards. “Today is an historic day. Many countries of Latin America, and many governments, will take this law as an example,” cheered Sen. Constanza Moreira, voting with the Broad Front majority. Uruguay’s drug control agency will have 120 days, until mid-April, to draft regulations imposing state control over the entire market for marijuana, from seed to smoke. Ever yone involved must be licensed and registered, with government monitors enforcing limits such as the 40 grams a month any adult will be able to buy at pharmacies for any reason or the six marijuana plants that license-holders will be allowed to grow at home. Congress’ lower house approved the bill in late July, and senators rejected all proposed amendments, enforcing party discipline before Tuesday’s debate to assure the outcome. Former Health Minister Alfredo Solari, a Colorado Party senator, warned Tuesday that children and adolescents will more easily get their hands on pot and that “the effects of this policy on public health will be terrible.” But Sen. Roberto Conde, a former deputy foreign minister with the Broad Front, said marijuana “is already established in Uruguay. It’s a drug that is already seen as very low risk and enormously easy to get.”
BRUSSELS — European Union finance officials spent all day Tuesday roughing out key aspects of a new agency that would clean up broken banks and keep the costs of doing that from hitting taxpayers — but fell short of a firm and final agreement just days before a year-end deadline. “We’ve covered 95 percent of the distance,” Pierre Moscovici, France’s finance minister, told reporters early Wednesday, shor tly after midnight. “I can’t imagine that there’d be a failure.” Of ficials said the talks reached some general agreement on principles, after six months of haggling among their governments. Of ficial comments after ward suggested those understandings point toward a compromise that could give national of ficials more say over what happens to troubled banks than under the original proposal, which put much of the power to decide an insolvent bank’s fate at the European Union level. “We have no formal result on the table” but have made “a huge leap for ward,” was how Lithuanian Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius, who chaired Tuesday’s meeting, summarized what was accomplished. He said there was agreement on “general principles that seem to be acceptable to this or that extent to ever yone.” German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said he and the other ministers hammered out “a general understanding” with many details to be worked out at another finance ministers meeting on Dec. 18. That’s the day before a summit of EU prime ministers and presidents is to seal the entire deal. The European leaders say an agreement must be reached by the end of 2013 in order for the measures to be enacted before the current European Parliament’s term expires in May. The ministers appeared to have moved closer to bridging a key dispute over whether the new banking agency would be backed up with a Europe-wide fund, filled from a financial assessment on banks themselves, or whether the pots of money would remain under national control. Of ficials indicated they found common ground on gradually phasing in a Europe-wide financial backstop. Schaeuble said that money would first flow into “national compartments” and would take 10 years for the full amount of 50-55 billion euros to be collected.
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Wednesday, December 11, 2013
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Kaler talks Markingson case, bowl game The president also discussed the potential CBS-CFANS merger. BY MEGHAN HOLDEN mholden@mndaily.com
The Minnesota Daily sat down with University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler on Tuesday for its monthly Kickin’ it with Kaler interview. Kaler discussed the pros and cons of the potential merger of the College of Biological Sciences and the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, the University’s response to crime in the area and his winter break plans in the last Kickin’ it interview of the fall semester. In Januar y, the task force evaluating the potential mer ger of the College of Biological Sciences and the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences will compile a report detailing the disadvantages and advantages based on public feedback. How will this input af fect the final decision? It’s very important to the final decision. I’m keenly interested to hear what the community thinks about this idea. It’s by no means a done deal, and I’ll take very seriously, and the provost will take very seriously, what the community has to say about the idea. I’ve certainly gotten feedback, both pro and con, from a variety of people as I move around the University and outside the University — so we’ll see what people think. What are the main concerns you expect to hear from internal and external stakeholders? I think the principal concern … is maintaining the distinct undergraduate experience in the College of Biological Sciences and in CFANS. Students in both of those colleges are ver y happy with the experience
that they have, and my impression is that they get a different kind of experience in those two colleges. On the pro side, I hear from faculty who think that the ability to bring subject matter exper ts together across the two colleges will make collaborative research easier and maybe leverage our research agenda more aggressively. So there are certainly pros and cons. The President’s Policy Committee reviewed the tobacco-free campus policy last week, and the policy has been released for public comment. Do you expect the draft to change based on feedback? Well, it depends what the feedback is. I think it’s a very solid draft. I think it’s been worked on for a long time by a lot of people, a lot of the right people, who know about such policies and have looked at policies elsewhere, so I think it’s a very solid draft. But again, the consultative process is there for exactly this reason. … Just as in the college merger situation, I’m eager to hear what people have to say. Was Lou Nanne the first person you and Norwood Teague approached as the lead fundraiser for the facilities master plan? He was the first person that we asked. He is an amazingly loyal Gopher alum and incredibly persuasive. He’s exactly the right guy for this job. It’s extremely difficult to say no to Lou Nanne, and I’m very glad that he found it difficult to say no to us. Crime on or near campus has been a hot discussion; even state legislators are weighing in. How is the University working to fur ther ensure safety?
We work on this ever y day. Our police have logged 180 or 200 hours of overtime. We’ve been in regular contact with the Minneapolis Police Department; we’ve received help from them. We’ve received help from the Hennepin County Sherif f [Richard Stanek], and we’re making progress — there’s been some arrests. The Gopher Chauffeur program has been expanded, and it’s offering lots of rides. MSA has been ver y, very helpful in talking with students about the need to be safe, to be aware of your surroundings, to take advantage of Gopher Chauffeur, to walk in groups and just be aware of the situation that [students are] in. Clearly, safety is a top priority. Being a safe campus is important for many, many reasons, and we’re working hard to get that … The University Board of Regents plans to review ways to improve campus safety at its upcoming meetings Thursday and Friday. Do you believe these changes will alleviate crime in or near campus? This review of campus safety has been scheduled for a long time, so it’s timely, but it certainly isn’t a regent request in response to recent events. I expect [University police Chief Greg Hestness] will review what he’s been doing, and the regents will have a good discussion and perhaps offer some suggestions of things that we could do better. But again, we’ve been putting a lot of effort into our response. The Faculty Senate just passed its resolution to create an independent, external panel to investigate how the institution conducts clini-
Lisa Persson, Daily
University President Eric Kaler discusses campus issues, including the tobacco-free policy and the CBS-CFANS merger, at his Morrill Hall office Tuesday.
cal research on human subjects. What do you think of the most recent developments in the Dan Markingson case? I’m a big believer in shared governance, and so I’m willing to take the advice of the Senate and the panel. ... I think they will find that our review processes are robust and that we do, in fact, protect patients in clinical trials, but there’s been concern raised in how we do that, and so our goal is to air out clearly and very publicly what we do and have a panel of external experts validate that and be sure we are doing this absolutely as well as can be done. It’s certainly resulted as a consequence of a lot of repetitive publicity about the Markingson case, but it’s not a review of the Markingson case; it’s a review of what we are doing now and what we’re going to do moving forward. This is something that began before you were president. What do you
see as your role? My role is to look forward, and as I said, that will be the charge of the panel. Last month, the Council of Graduate Students voted to separate itself from the Graduate and Pr ofessional Student Assembly [in summer 2014]. How will this affect the way the University receives input from graduate students? I think the Office for Student Affairs is working with those groups to see how best to make those communication activities. … I’m eager to hear from our graduate students, and however they want to organize themselves to provide comments and inputs is really up to them. We’re going to listen regardless of the structure that they choose. Do you have any big plans for the winter break? Well, I’ve got to make a little trip to Houston, Texas, for the 27th, so I will go to the bowl game, and I’m
looking forward to that. … [I’ll] probably spend some time with my wife’s family, in Tennessee for New Years and then get back up here shortly after that. Anything else to add? I’m ver y happy that we’re going to a bowl game. I think it’s a great outcome from a good season. I think our coach and his staff and our players should be commended for a good football season. I’m looking forward to a successful end of the semester for all of our students. As always, it can be a stressful time, and people should feel comfor table in asking for help if they need it. We’ve got a lot of mental health services, counseling services, available, so I hope people take advantage of that if they feel the need. I hope our students remain safe and aware of their sur roundings as they’re moving — perhaps in unfamiliar places — as they move through their final schedule.
Weapons watchdog receives Nobel Peace Prize By the Associated Press
OSLO, Nor way — Recalling the “burning, blinding and suf focating” horrors of chemical weapons, the head of a watchdog tr ying to consign them to history accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on Tuesday, as prize winners in medicine, physics and other categories also took bows for their awards. Ahmet Uzumcu, director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said such toxic tools of warfare have an “especially ne-
Merger u from Page 1
CFANS’ Depar tment of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conser vation Biology professor Ray Newman said his depar tment has built a strong rappor t with the Minnesota Depar tment of Natural Resources, which he said would need to continue in a new college. CBS professor Carrie Wilmot said the college could benefit from the relationships CFANS has with external entities. “CFANS has a very strong outreach, so CBS could potentially benefit from understanding that better and perhaps create better dialogue and get out there more in the state,” she said. Because the colleges have different admissions standards, Newman said, combining the two into a single college would require a careful approach. For admissions, the merger would need to either combine both strategies or keep them separate. In CFANS, 22.6 percent of new freshmen this fall were in the top 5 percent of their high school class. CBS had more than double that number at 55 percent. “Why would we want to admit these students that are not as academically accomplished as the ones that typically come in through CBS?” said Jim Cotner, a professor in CBS’ Ecology, Evolution and
farious legacy,” from the trenches of World War I to the poison gas attacks in Syria this year. “You cannot see them. You cannot smell them. And they of fer no warning for the unsuspecting,” Uzumcu said as he collected the $1.2 million award in Oslo on behalf of the group. “And we only need to look at the fate of the survivors of such attacks — people destined to spend the rest of their lives suffering unbearable physical and psychological pain — to understand why such weapons must be banned,” he added.
The OPCW was formed to enforce a 1997 international convention outlawing chemical weapons. It worked largely out of the limelight until this year, when it received its most challenging mission to date: overseeing the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile. The Nobel Peace Prize was announced on Oct. 11, just days before Syria officially joined the OPCW as its 190th member state. “It is, of course, a huge challenge for the OPCW to manage to destroy all these weapons under the
Behavior department. Faculty members also discussed whether a larger, combined college would be better for students. If CFANS and CBS merged into a single college, it would be the University’s third-largest undergraduate college, according to fall 2013 enrollment data. Maggie Kubak, a Career and Internship Services coordinator, said smaller colleges can facilitate better relationships between faculty and students. “They feel more a part of a community oftentimes,” she said. Kubak said the University needs to be careful if it opts to merge the colleges. If the merger is timely and stakeholders feel heard and respected, she said, the outside community will be excited about it. But if it’s a rocky transition, she said, perception could go the other way. The task force has scheduled additional listening sessions this month for staff members, external stakeholders and Extension faculty and staff. “It’s an interesting, open question, and we’ll see where it goes,” Newman said of the merger talks.
work required to merge is worth it. Cotner said he’s noticed faculty raising issues that could be fixed without a merger. “There are a lot of things we could do without wholesale merging of colleges that didn’t necessarily have to be quite as disruptive,” he said. “My feeling is that there’s faculty in general that have their guard up.” Newman said some CFANS faculty members question the University’s motives for the merger. If the University chooses to merge, he said, it must consider all pros and cons. “If it’s really going to build up the biological sciences, that’s good, but then you need to think what that’s going to do to the economics and social science aspects of CFANS,” he said. The task force couldn’t comment on the ongoing listening sessions because they aren’t complete and the panel must remain impartial. Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Karen Hanson outlined why the University is considering a merger in a September news release. “The consideration of such a college is driven principally by the direction of the life sciences, especially around genomics, and trends in research and higher education in agriculture, biological and natural resource sciences,” she said in the release.
Questioning merger motives
At the listening sessions, multiple faculty and staf f members raised questions about why the University is considering a merger, and some asked whether the
conditions of war and chaos prevailing in the countr y,” Nobel committee chairman Thorbjor n Jagland said. “The anonymous inspectors from the OPCW do an extremely impor tant and difficult job.” Both Jagland and Uzumcu paid tribute to the late Nelson Mandela, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with F.W. de Klerk in 1993. Mandela was also honored at the separate ceremony for other Nobel Prizes in Stockholm later Tuesday. Jagland called on the U.S. and Russia to speed up
the elimination of their own stockpiles and urged the six countries that have not signed or ratified the chemical weapons convention — Angola, Nor th Korea, Egypt, South Sudan, Israel and Myanmar — to do so. When the prize was announced, some in Syria lamented that it would do nothing to end the bloodshed inflicted with conventional weapons, a point that Jagland recognized in his speech. An Aug. 21 poison gas attack killed hundreds of people in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta, while tens of thousands have been killed
by conventional arms in fighting between President Bashar Assad’s forces and opposition fighters since the conflict began in March 2011. “On the road to a more peaceful world, however, it is nevertheless important to combat the most monstrous weapons first, the weapons of mass destruction,” Jagland said. The Nobel awards in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and economics were presented later Tuesday by Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf in Stockholm’s Concert Hall.
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Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Study: Sexual ads for cheap goods irk women Women’s distaste for sexual ads may depend on a product’s price. BY NICOLAS HALLETT nhallett@mndaily.com
Women typically don’t respond well to sexual ads for cheap products, but they object less when the price tag is higher. According to a recent study, women’s distaste for sexual ads varies depending on the value of the product displayed: They’re upset and angr y with sexual ads for cheap products but don’t mind sex tied to luxury items. Women generally express spontaneous negative attitudes toward sexual images, but “we thought that the general idea that women reject sex-based ads was too simplistic,” Kathleen Vohs, University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management professor and co-author of the study, said in an email. The study, published Nov. 22, showed 299 participants three 20-second ads. One of the ads, which had “explicit sexual imager y,” showed a watch priced between $10 and $1,250. The
Como u from Page 1
landlords had the correct licenses to rent it, she said. Four nier said they found that some landlords listed their own private residences as rental proper ties or incorrectly classified proper ties to pay lower taxes and avoid inspections. “It denies income to the city, and it annoys people to no end to see somebody tr ying to evade the city’s ordinances,” she said. The committee sent information for six suspected unlicensed properties to the city’s housing inspection depar tment earlier this year, Fournier said. Two of the properties lacked proper rental licenses and faced action from the city, she said.
other ad showed the watch with a picturesque mountain landscape. When cheap products were associated with sex, women repor ted feelings of anger, according to the study. Men, on the other hand, showed no preference either way. University of British Columbia marketing professor and study co-author Darren Dahl said the intimate image used had a man and a woman “engaging” each other on a counter top with his buttocks exposed and her breasts visible. “It wasn’t exploitive, per se, of one gender over the other, because you’d probably get ver y different outcomes [in the study],” he said. Dahl said the advertisement would likely not be published in the U.S. but is standard practice in European countries. Vohs said the varied results between genders can be explained with her sexual economics theory, which says men and women value sex differently. According to the theory, women por tray sex as infrequent, special and rare. They do so because they typically desire sex less
than men do, and it is costlier for them biologically, physically and socially. When cheap products are juxtaposed with sex, it can belittle those values. “That’s the hypothesis,” Dahl said. “With the phenomena obser ved, it makes sense as an explanation at first blush.” Department of Communication Studies Director of Graduate Studies Mar y Vavrus, who studies media representations of gender, said extensive research bears out the idea that gender is fluid, and she dislikes studies that rely too heavily on biological explanations. “That premise is troubling,” she said. “It assumes all women are going to respond the same way.” Some female University students said they weren’t surprised by the results. “It seems more appropriate for super expensive things,” said mechanical engineering freshman Rachel Spatz. Neuroscience sophomore Kayla Pederson said she values sex highly and it shouldn’t be used for advertising, no matter the price of the merchandise. “I understand why
[women] are angr y when things are cheaper,” she said, “because then they feel women are cheap and they can be used that way.” Vavr us said adver tisers compact meaningful messages into shor t ads, which has conditioned society to associate luxur y products with pleasure. “I don’t think it should be understood as just oneway,” she said. “I think that the more expensive desirable product is probably selling sex, too.” The researchers suggested men weren’t bothered because they don’t connect sex with high value. Dahl said research has found that men agree to sex much more quickly than women. “Those types of things aren’t terribly surprising because we all have those stereotypes,” he said. Dahl said they conducted the study because sex is a ubiquitous tactic used in adver tising but is studied less frequently than tactics like humor and fear. “People in North America are becoming more used to seeing sex in adver tising,” he said. “Is it a good thing or a bad thing? That’s a separate question.”
Jill Ruzicka, SECIA’s community liaison and Livability Committee member, said she began checking pr oper ties against county records in March. From an initial list of 46 Como proper ties sold since then, she said, about 10 classifications didn’t acknowledge the properties’ obser ved use as rentals. For example, one owner listed a proper ty as his residence, but the committee verified that he actually lived in Massachusetts, Ruzicka said. Classification problems are widespread, she said, and leave it to the city to pick up the bill for code inspections. “It costs us all money if they don’t get a rental license and their taxes are lower,” she said. Ruzicka said properties with landlords who evade city inspections can be-
come rundown. “We wor r y about students living in dangerous situations and over-occupancy,” she said. SECIA Board Member Natalie Reciputi said problem proper ties remain a top concern for residents. The problem has come up in focus groups for the Como Blueprint, the neighborhood’s small-area plan, and in resident questionnaire responses, she said. “Almost universally, people said badly managed r ental pr oper ties [needed to be dealt with],” Reciputi said. She said the Blueprint, a draft of which will be publicly presented in early 2014, will likely include a section on residents’ concerns about absentee landlords. SECIA members originally planned to dis-
cuss the plan at a meeting Wednesday, but they pushed the item to the new year in order to deal with the area’s trichloroethylene, or TCE, vapor problem. Another recommendation for the Blueprint includes a long-term emphasis on mixed-use housing developments, which Reciputi said may prove easier to manage than individual houses. She said the committee is sending letters to landlords and tenants — including those associated with unlicensed proper ties — to inform residents of city housing codes. Fournier said the committee plans to take the problem a few proper ties at a time. “We are now talking about doing another round of six addresses,” she said.
Violence kills 7 as Argentina celebrates years of democracy BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Many Argentines armed and barricaded themselves in their homes and stores in fear of looting mobs Tuesday as the nation’s celebration of 30 years of uninterrupted democracy was marred by police strikes for higher pay. Politicians struggled to assert their authority over security forces even as they agreed to salar y increases so steep that many provinces won’t be able to pay their debts at month’s end, adding stress to an economy already suf fering from 25 percent inflation. President Cristina Fernandez sought to contain the crisis Tuesday night, charging that anti-democratic elements were tr ying to undo Argentina’s hard-won gains. “We must condemn the extor tion of those who carr y arms to defend society,” she declared. The speech was her first response to a weeklong series of provincial police strikes. As of ficers abandoned their posts, and in some cases allegedly encouraged violence to pressure authorities, many of Argentina’s 23 provinces have endured long nights of chaos as roving groups smashed through storefronts and fought over the merchandise inside. Hospital and political authorities said at least seven people had been killed, including a police of ficer in nor thern Chaco province who was struck by a bullet below his protective vest Tuesday and a store owner whose burned body was found last week in his looted and torched market in Buenos Aires province. The others allegedly died while looting. One young man was electrocuted while stealing from an appliance store in a rainstorm. Another fell off a motorcycle while car ting off a television. A third died in a fistfight over stolen goods inside a ruined store. Hundreds have been
injured and thousands of businesses damaged in the scattered violence. While most officers were back at work after securing new deals, police uprisings continued Tuesday in several cities. Commerce has been shut down in many places, and even some public hospitals have tur ned away non-emergency patients for fear of being looted. With consumer prices soaring, Argentines are accustomed to annual labor protests in which workers threaten chaos if they don’t get their way. But strikes by armed police are more ominous in a country where social chaos, police crackdowns and spiraling violence ushered in the 1976 militar y coup and a world-record debt default in 2001. “This was executed and planned with surgical precision,” Fernandez said in her speech marking the end of the last militar y junta. She claimed many people became unwitting instr uments of extor tion by police who “liberated” areas where looting could happen. “We have promoted the integration of the armed forces into democratic processes, and the same must be done with provincial police, once and for all,” she said. To free up cash for the raises, her Cabinet chief, Jorge Capitanich, announced a three-month delay in payments most Argentine provinces owe this month to the federal government on debts refinanced two years ago. For their par t, police complained that their unions aren’t legally recognized, leaving them illequipped to negotiate for cost of living adjustments. “There are police who are in extreme pover ty,” said Salvador Barratta, who runs an unofficial union of police and prison guards. “Here we police are second-class citizens.” Human rights groups warned against giving in too easily to the security forces’ demands.
Lawmakers, police, University community talk recent uptick in area crime Legislature u from Page 1
University police have issued 14 crime aler ts since the beginning of the semester for crimes, which include two sexual assaults, an attempted kidnapping and many armed robberies. “I think it’s ver y troubling that a handful of thugs have been able to disr upt our community to the degree they have,” University President Eric Kaler said, “and we’re aiming to put an end to it.” V ice Provost for Student Af fairs and Dean of Students Danita Brown Yo u n g t e s t i f i e d a t t h e meeting and said the string of University crimes is wor r ying cur rent and prospective students, though crime on or near the University campus has been decreasing for years. “ We a r e v e r y c o n cerned about the perception that our campus is not safe,” University Ser vices Vice President Pam Wheelock said at the meeting. Gottlieb and sophomore Rachel Sadowsky, both Spanish and Por tuguese pre-med students, said they are concer ned about criminals from outside the campus area targeting students. They created an online petition late last month to increase police presence on or near the University campus. “We’re doing our best to be aware of our surroundings and to maintain our personal safety, but concer n for our security on a daily basis has inter-
rupted the flow of our normal lives,” Sadowsky said.
‘Times are changing’ At the meeting, Wheelock emphasized that crime prevention strategies must evolve with time. With increased rental housing near the University, completion of the Central Corridor light rail and more students carr ying smartphones, she said, law enforcement of ficials need to re-evaluate how they address crime. “It’s just a matter of identifying the trend — which we have — and placing those areas with additional resources,” Minneapolis police Deputy Chief Ed Frizell said. He said he thinks there are currently enough forces on the ground in the University’s surrounding neighborhoods. Hennepin County Sherif f Richard Stanek said that since this time last y e a r, M i n n e a p o l i s h a s seen a 12 percent increase in robberies, reflecting a nationwide trend. He said iPhone, iPad and other mobile device theft, known as “apple picking,” is rising across the countr y and is common on college campuses. “Criminals seek out urban areas where there is a lot of foot traf fic, places where they can get in and out quickly and wher e they have a lot of potential victims,” Stanek said. “Urban college campuses fit with this model.” Ward 5 City Councilman Don Samuels said cellphone theft is a gate-
Chelsea Gortmaker, Daily
University police Chief Greg Hestness testifies at a Minnesota Senate higher education committee meeting about metro campus safety at the state Capitol on Tuesday.
way crime that could potentially open the University to the “predator community.” “There’s vulnerability there that is making the University area a special, lucrative target,” he said. Wheelock said with the light-rail construction nearing its end in spring 2014, the University will experience an increase in traf fic, and campus police will have to adjust accordingly. University police Chief
Greg Hestness said he has met with city law enforcement of ficials to draft a plan to “mesh” city and campus sur veillance. Cameras will be installed at light-rail stops to increase security on Washington Avenue. “We’d like to kind of knit the whole area with the business community in Dinkytown and Stadium Village,” he said. Since 2004, the University has invested $15 million in improving campus
security, including the installation of 1,700 security cameras and additional card access readers for campus buildings. Bonof f said she plans to check back with the University next legislative session to make sure practices are on track. Gottlieb and Sadowsky said the University could take additional steps to bolster public safety on campus, like reducing the response time of Gopher Chauf feur, a campus ride
ser vice, and expanding lighting in campus areas. “We understand that some statistics may say violent crime is down and that we may say that this crime uptick is not unique to the University of Minnesota, but we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard,” Gottlieb said. “We simply cannot continue to let these crimes happen. We need to feel safe.” Meghan Holden contributed to this report.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Tech companies vie to protect personal data By The Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — Even as Silicon Valley speaks out against the U.S. government’s sur veillance methods, technology companies are turning a handsome profit by mining personal data and peering into people’s online habits. The industry’s profit machine has become tarnished by revelations that the National Security Agency trolls deep into the everyday lives of Web surfers. As a result, companies including Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo are becoming more aggressive in their attempts to counter any perception that they voluntarily give the government access to users’ email and other sensitive information. Microsoft’s general counsel, Brad Smith, warned in a blog post last week that the U.S. government’s online surveillance efforts “threaten to seriously undermine confidence in the security and privacy of online communications.” “Indeed, gover nment snooping potentially now constitutes an ‘advanced persistent threat,’ alongside sophisticated malware and cyber-attacks,” Smith wrote. The industr y’s latest salvo came Monday with the release of an open letter to President Barack Obama and the introduction of a new website calling for mor e stringent controls on electronic espionage. The public r elations maneuver escalates a battle that Silicon Valley has waged since early June, when media reports based on internal documents revealed the NSA had fashioned an elaborate system to vacuum up some of the user data that U.S. technology companies collect. “The entire tech industr y has been implicated and is now facing a global backlash,” says Daniel Castro, a senior analyst for the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation,
a Washington D.C. think tank. As part of the tech industr y’s crusade, companies are also going to court and to Congress in an effort to force the government to declassify details of its online investigations. They believe data will show that, in the past five years, information turned over to the government under cour t order has only af fected a small fraction of the more than 1 billion people who use their products. At stake is the trust of massive online audiences that attract digital advertising. As companies collect personal data and lear n more about each user’s interests and habits, advertising becomes easier to sell. The marketing campaigns are particularly important to Google, Yahoo and Facebook, all of which make most of their money from ads. And although Microsoft and Apple make billions from the sale of software and devices, the two companies are also hitching their for tunes to Internet services. “We are now entering a new phase of the Internet that I call ‘data wars,’” says Ethan Oberman, CEO of Internet privacy specialist SpiderOak. “It’s all about who can amass the most personal data because that data has become so valuable that whoever accumulates the most is going to win. If these companies are going to engage in these data wars, the security and privacy of this data becomes of critical significance.” The battle pits U.S. national security agencies against an industr y that has been a bright spot in the countr y’s drear y economy. More than $1.3 trillion in shareholder wealth is tied up in Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Yahoo alone, and the companies collectively employ more than 243,000 people while running services that create thousands of other jobs.
5
Major Network helps students find the best fit The program links undecided students with mentors in several fields. BY KYLE STOWE kstowe@mndaily.com
By the middle of her spring semester freshman year, Alex Tsai knew she needed a change. “I always wanted to major in biology,” she said. “But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it wasn’t for me.” Tsai found that a biology career didn’t line up with her personality. As a sophomore this fall, Tsai joined the Center for Academic Planning and Exploration’s Major Network in hopes of identifying a major that suited her better. Since the program started in fall 2011, it has connected many students like Tsai with mentors to help them find a major that fits them. After meeting with an upper-level physiology student, Tsai finally found the right field for her, and she said she’s set to join the major this week. A 2012 Orientation and First-Year Programs survey found that only 23 percent of incoming freshmen at the University knew exactly what they wanted to major in and did not plan to change their mind. LeeAnn Melin, the director of Undergraduate Student Initiatives who oversees CAPE, said it’s a normal and positive experience for students to explore dif ferent majors after star ting at the University. “One of the most impor tant things for students to remember is not to rush their decision into a major,” she said. “It’s all about finding the right fit.” But University policy mandates students declare a major when they hit 60 credits. If students don’t declare, they risk a hold that prevents them from registering for classes. Melin said that students also risk late graduation if they delay the process.
To address this, the Major Network connects freshmen and sophomores with mentors who have experience in a field and can of fer insight about what a certain major is like. This fall, the network has 27 students who can be matched with 241 mentors representing 60 majors. Communications and political science senior Sarah Leitzke became a Major Network mentor last fall. She meets with students who are interested in learning about both of her majors. After coming to the University as an undecided freshman, Leitzke said she could draw on her own personal experiences of searching for a major to help other students going through the same process. “I know what it’s like to be completely uncomfor table and insecure about what you want to study,” she said. “And I know how beneficial hearing one of your peers’ voices can be.” Junior Kayla Lutteke said she felt pressured to choose a major soon after she started college. “I felt like I was on the clock right when I got to school,” she said. Lutteke said she scrambled to take prerequisite courses for a studio art degree but was always curious about a graphic design major. To look into the graphic design major, Lutteke enrolled in the Major Network. After a mentor told her what the program was like, she opted to pursue that program instead. “Speaking with my mentor gave that push I needed to go for it,” she said. When looking to join the Major Network, students fill out an application that has them identify up to three majors they’re interested in. After joining,
Survey: Major Choices for 2012 freshmen* 7%
35%
2%
12%
Have no idea what they wanted to major in. They need help assessing their interests so that they can choose a major that will complement their passions and strengths.
Think they know what they want to major in but would not be surprised if they change their mind.
Want to major in so many things, they are not sure how they will ever make up their mind.
Have thoughts about what they would like to major in, but they know the University has many majors that they do not know much about, and they want to explore a bit before they decide.
6%
Know what they want to do after they graduate but are unsure which major(s) would be a good fit for their desired career.
2%
Are interested in a specific major but are not sure they could manage the required coursework.
13%
Are seriously considering a couple or a few different majors.
23%
Know exactly what they want to major in and do not plan to change their mind. *Survey conducted with pre-orientation freshmen
SOurce: University center for academic planning and exploration
students can get in contact with mentors and can shadow them or ask questions about their major. For some students, these mentors can be more helpful than academic advisers. Tsai said there can be a disconnection when discussing potential majors with academic advisers, faculty members and other adults because they’re not on the same level with students who experience daily life in a major program. Students can also speak more casually with mentors their own age.
“It’s nice to talk to other students about a major because they’re going through the process right now,” she said. “Other adults can’t give you that perspective.” Lutteke said it’s impor tant for undecided students to use campus resources like the Major Network to their advantage. “It’s not weird if you don’t know what you want to do with your life,” she said. “But it’s up to us to use the programs that the University makes available to help us in our search.”
University rallies behind alum in UAE Red Cross: Central African
Republic death toll over 500
Cassim u from Page 1
Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar. Cassim was arrested April 7, 2013, on charges of threatening national security after he posted a video to YouTube in October 2012 that satirized teenage life in Dubai. Cassim’s supporters are calling the arrest a human rights infraction. “The UAE promotes itself as a modern countr y that adheres to international human rights standards,” Susan Burns, the U.S. counsel to Cassim’s family, said at the news conference, adding that the countr y’s handling of Cassim’s case indicates otherwise. The U.N. General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 as a guiding framework for member countries. Article 19 of the document guarantees the universal right to express opinions freely “through any media.” The UAE joined the U.N. more than four decades ago. Cassim was living and working in the UAE at the time of his arrest, University Human Rights Program director Barbara Frey said. Cassim’s brother, Shervon Cassim, said the family first suspected something was wrong when they stopped getting phone calls from Shezanne. “We are absolutely terrified because we don’t know what’s going to happen in this situation,” Shervon Cassim said. Students are working to spread awareness of Cassim’s imprisonment on social media and have started a petition online that calls on the UAE government to release him. St. Catherine University sophomore Emma Scagnelli
By The Associated Press
Courtesy of the University’s Human Rights Program
University alumnus Shezanne Cassim is in a maximum security prison in the United Arab Emirates.
began awareness work after hearing about Cassim’s predicament from Burns, a mock trial coach at St. Catherine. At the news conference, Scagnelli wore a “Free Shez” T-shirt, as did some of her classmates. “We really want to help add followers,” Scagnelli said. Frey said Twitter users can also tweet their support for Cassim using the #freeshez hashtag. For Scagnelli, the thought of her brother being imprisoned for posting a YouTube video keeps her working to free Cassim. “I think of my brother a lot,” she said. “That’s a scary
thought.” In her experience as a human rights advocate, Frey said more visibility increases the likelihood a country will comply with activists’ demands. “We just want to make sure that the government knows that we’re watching closely,” she said. “We are sending a strong message that we believe that Shez ought to be released at that hearing.” Cassim’s brother said he is hoping for good news Monday — Cassim’s next scheduled court date. “It would mean everything to us,” he said.
BANGUI, Central African Republic — More than 500 people have been killed over the past week in sectarian fighting in Central African Republic, aid of ficials said Tuesday, as France reported that gunmen fatally shot two of its soldiers who were par t of the inter vention to disarm thousands of rebels accused of attacking civilians. Aid workers have collected 461 bodies across the capital of Bangui since Thursday, Antoine Mbao Bogo with the local Red Cross said. But that latest figure does not include the scores of Muslim victims whose bodies were brought to mosques for burial. The government of the predominantly Christian countr y was over thrown in March by Muslim rebels from the countr y’s nor th. While the rebels claimed no religious motive for seizing power, months of resentment and hostility erupted last week in a wave of violence. The French deaths came as French President Francois Hollande arrived for a visit to France’s former colony, heading into the tumultuous capital after attending a memorial in South Africa for Nelson Mandela. The casualties underscore the volatility of the mission to disarm combatants and bring stability to a largely anarchic capital riven by sectarian violence. A mob on Monday stoned to death a suspected enemy in the street, and armed fighters have abducted and killed hospital patients.
Tensions flared again Tuesday as a mob of young men set fire to a mosque in the Fou neighborhood of the capital, Bangui. Smoke billowed from smoldering vehicles nearby, and young men used pick axes and whatever tools they could find to try to tear down the walls of the mosque. Elsewhere, citizens killed thr ee suspected ex-rebels in the Miskine neighborhood of Bangui after the men apparently fired weapons at civilians, residents said. France now has some 1,600 troops on the ground, patrolling neighborhoods and tr ying to disarm militants from the Seleka rebel movement that forced the president into exile and installed President Michel Djotodia as head of state. Djotodia condemned the attack on French forces and blamed former leader Francois Bozize for creating the turmoil, saying his supporters had set the stage for the current crisis. “The current situation is the logical result of what former President Bozize set in motion by freeing prisoners and bandits, distributing weapons of war and machetes in the neighborhoods of Bangui, and inciting tribalism,” Djotodia said.. Bozize was overthrown after a decade in power and his current whereabouts are unknown. The former president maintains it was the ar rival of thousands of rebels who descended upon the capital with arms who created the chaos. The two French troops were part of a team inspecting a neighborhood just over a kilometer (less than a mile) east of Bangui’s
airpor t close to midnight Monday, in preparation for a disarmament operation, French militar y spokesman Col. Gilles Jaron said in Paris. Five to 10 gunmen opened fire on the French patrol, which returned fire, he said. Two Frenchmen were wounded and taken to the hospital where they died. It was unclear whether anyone else died in the clash. Jaron described “sporadic fire” around Bangui and occasional clashes since the French disarmament ef for ts got under way Monday. France has described the program as a key part of its bid to stabilize Bangui, a city awash in weapons after years of rebellions and coups. And France’s defense minister has warned militia groups to disarm peacefully — or French troops will do it by force. “The launching of the disarmament operation of ex-Seleka in the city is an encouraging first stage in the ef for t to secure Bangui,” said Thibaud Lesueur with International Crisis Group, an organization that works to prevent conflict. “From now on they should move to disarm the Seleka combatants who are in the neighborhoods and find the caches of weapons that are still numerous in the city.” Two deaths within days of the operation beginning marks a significant toll for the star t-up of the operation. A total of seven French soldiers have been killed in Mali, another former colony, since the start of a French operation there in January to oust al-Qaidalinked extremists from power in northern cities.
Space to pray 6
Prayer from page 1
‘The whole world is a place to pray’
Mayo Memorial Building Meditation space
Coffman Union Room 236 Al-Madinah Cultural Center
‘Ongoing complaints’ about congregational space
r
ive
In the Islamic tradition, men are required and women are encouraged to pray as a congregation on Fridays. But the room MSA currently reserves seats only 54, according to the Coffman website. “We have so many mosques all over Minneapolis that you can go to,” Ali said. “But on campus, that’s the only Friday prayer that’s provided.” That’s what draws hundreds of Muslim students and University employees to the weekly prayer hosted by MSA, she said. The group now provides two times for prayer — one at 12:30 p.m. and one at 1:15 p.m. — to accommodate the crowd. Sassila said he’s had many requests from students for a bigger space for Friday prayer. It can be dif ficult to make the most of the space they do have, Ali said. While praying, Muslims need to face the direction of Mecca, which happens to be a corner of the rectangular room, so diagonal rows of people don’t fill it efficiently. The fact that men and women need to be separated for prayer aggravates the problem, she said. “[It’s] really narrow, so the guys and girls are really close together,” Ali said. “A lot of girls aren’t coming to this room because they don’t feel comfortable.” MSA has been attempting to address these needs as it secures space for the upcoming semester. The conference room is already booked for 10 of 14 weeks next semester, Sassila said, so MSA will instead rent out Grace University Lutheran Church on Har vard Street Southeast. The group will pay about $50 per week to use the church for Friday prayer. The Coffman space was free. Because of that extra expense, on top of
Washington Avenue Southeast
pi R
Some say non-Muslim students might not be used to seeing others pray in public. “Sometimes it’s uncomfortable for you and for others because they don’t know what you’re doing, and … you don’t want to disturb the peace,” said graduate nursing student Amran Ahmed. “The tricky part is that you have to do your prayers. You have to choose what’s more important, and for me, it’s obviously the prayer.” Mathematics senior Azhar Abdusebur said he sometimes feels the gazes of other students when he prays in public.
Coffman Union Room 303 12:30 and 1:15 p.m. Fridays only
sip
Muslim Student Association Vice President Rima Ali
Meditation, prayer spaces on campus
sis
“We don’t like to complain. If we have to pray in a hallway, we’ll pray in a hallway.”
CHELSEA GORTMAKER, DAILY
Freshman Hussam Alotaibi, senior Omar Alamy, PSEO student Motaz Nashawaty and sophomore Adnan Khan attend a weekly prayer at Coffman Union on Friday.
Mis
Five times a day, obser vant Muslims wash their faces, hands and feet before beginning their prayer and its series of prostrations. The whole process takes only five minutes. “It’s a very informal thing but a very personal thing,” said Nabil Matar, an English professor who teaches a course on Islam each spring. Because each prayer is meant to occur in a cer tain window of time, Matar said he’ll shift the breaks in his lectures so his Muslim students can leave the classroom to pray. But daily prayers are rarely integrated so easily into a student’s hectic schedule, said psychology junior and Muslim Student Association Vice President Rima Ali. Though she tries to make use of AlMadinah’s Cof fman space, Ali said she normally prays in hallways and stairwells. When one of her classes in Folwell Hall last year coincided with a prayer time, Ali said she tucked herself away in a space near the elevators during the few minutes she had before class. “I’d put my coat on the ground and pray on my coat, basically,” she said. But Ali said having to pray in public doesn’t bother her or most other Muslim students. “We don’t like to complain,” she said. “If we have to pray in a hallway, we’ll pray in a hallway.”
“If I pray in an awkward place, people might stare,” he said. “You kind of get used to it after a while. It’s just that people really don’t know what you’re doing.” MSA President Amer Sassila said he prays ever y day at a specific spot in Rapson Hall, where all his architecture classes are housed. Although praying in a group is more rewarding in the Muslim faith, Sassila said, he’s come to find peace in his corner of the Rapson basement. “I made myself a little sanctuary,” he said. “That’s the nice part about being a Muslim: The whole world is a place to pray.”
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
upcoming events that Sassila said will be costly, MSA will request $10,000 in the next student services fees cycle. “We’ve done it before,” he said, “but it hasn’t been done in a while.” Mechanical engineering senior Omar Alamy said space wasn’t such an issue when he began attending Friday prayers as a freshman. “It’s getting really tight,” he said. “I feel like four years ago it wasn’t as bad, but people keep coming.” Sassila said space will always be an issue for practicing Muslims at the University. “It’s always going to be full,” he said. “Even if we got a bigger space, more people would show up, and it’s eventually going to overcrowd.”
the Mayo Memorial Building’s meditation room for her Islamic prayer. Ahmed said she thinks having spaces open to all prayer and meditation has benefits, like learning from others about their faith. “When it’s a meditation room, you bring dif ferent people all in one space,” she said. “It’s a platform for many conversations to happen.” Ahmed said she’d like to see a meditation room on campus, even just for students who want a quiet space to think. “That space can be shared by so many dif ferent people, so many dif ferent religious backgrounds,” she said. “You have a place that is secluded yet open.”
A call for meditation space
3.7% United Methodist
Some say an on-campus nondenominational prayer and meditation space would benefit people of all beliefs. Gar y Sands, a bioproducts and biosystems engineering professor, said he’d like to see a nondenominational space on the St. Paul campus to complement the East Bank prayer space. “As faculty, I have the luxury of my own office [for prayer],” he said, “but it’s not so easy for students of all faiths.” Between her nursing courses, graduate student Ahmed said she often uses
4.9% Jewish
3.5% Lutheran Church 22.5% Other
1.2% Muslim
Breakdown of religious adherents in Hennepin County
23.7% Evangelical Lutheran Church
40.5% Catholic
Mosques near campus Tawfiq Islamic Center Islamic Community Center of Minnesota
Masjid an Nur
35W
Dar Al-Farooq Masjid Al-Furqaan Islamic Center
4
39
Dar al-Hijrah Islamic Civic Center
CHELSEA GORTMAKER, DAILY
Muslim students and faculty gather at Coffman Union for a weekly Friday prayer.
The five Muslim daily prayers
The dawn prayer
Fajr
First ray of light LAYOUT BY AMBER BILLINGS
Sunrise
The noon prayer
Dhuhr Noon
Masjid Omar Ibn Al-Khatab
The afternoon prayer
Asr
The sunset prayer
Maghrib Sunset
94 Masjid Darulquba
The night prayer
Isha
Midnight SOURCES: AHLUL BAYT DILP, SALATOMATIC.COM, CITY-DATA.COM
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Editorials & Opinions www.mndaily.com/opinion
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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.
MENTAL HEALTH
EDITORIALS
Help on the long and winding road
U should move forward with review
Boynton’s proposed text message-based program may help students who battle depression.
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had bad luck with my health growing up. I went through pneumonia, allergic reactions and more rounds of strep throat and stomach flu than I can recall. I vividly remember the fire of strep raging in my windpipe. Yet, the most painful experience I’ve had is fending off depression every day of my life. Depression has hur t me more than broken bones, more than losing a big game and more than any other pain I’ve known. I fought through undiagnosed depression in grade school, but I got help. I still regularly use some coping strategies like relaxation exercises, working out and self-motivation. Along with support from my family and friends, these strategies have worked for me. They’re a large part of why I’m at the University of Minnesota today. Beyond my own experi-
CONNOR NIKOLIC columnist
ences, I recently witnessed a young woman grappling with suicide. A friend of mine and I were walking across the Washington Avenue Bridge late at night last September when I saw a woman sitting on the edge of the bridge, looking down and keeping silent. I remember seeing tears swell in her eyes. I saw the fear and pain of someone who doesn’t want to keep going. A cyclist was talking with her, trying to get her to come down from the edge. Another student had called 911. Within 10 minutes, she was safe in the back of a squad car. I don’t know what became of this woman, but I hope she’s safe. I’m likely not alone in my experience. The 2013 Boyn-
ton Health Ser vice Sur vey Report found that about 8 percent of University students are currently taking medication for depression. About one in five students reported they had been diagnosed with depression in their lifetime. Unfortunately, about three in 10 students reported having unmanaged stress. Boynton recently began planning a new, text messagebased program that allows students to anonymously message a number during a crisis or to just talk to someone. Programs tailored to young adults are necessar y because 18- to 25-year-olds are the most likely to have a mental illness. Those who cannot or will not seek help, treatment or another person could benefit from this program. Regardless of whether Boynton finds funding for the program, I highly recommend that the University continues to direct funding to aid those with mental illnesses like depression. In addition to the struggles students, staf f and faculty fight, Minnesotans may face
DEATHS IN IRAQ: U.S. & COALITION TROOPS: 4,802 — IRAQI CIVILIANS: 115,778- PLUS DEATHS IN AFGHANISTAN: U.S. & COALITION TROOPS: 3,386 — AFGHAN CIVILIANS: UNKNOWN
several months of seasonal affective disorder, or winter depression. Those who battle SAD are par ticularly sensitive to sunlight or not getting enough light. However, little is known about this ailment other than it affects different people in var ying degrees during the winter months due to decreased sun exposure. Compounded with daily stressors (grades, debt, family issues, alcohol consumption, etc.), SAD may be enough to severely trouble a student. Depression is not a pain that I or many of the people who deal with it can describe. With help from Boynton, I hope students, staff and faculty can greater understand and control their mental illnesses and/or emotions. As someone who has both seen and felt the ef fects of depression, I believe that this anonymous texting ser vice would benefit future students on the arduous road of life. It has the potential to save lives in the process. Connor Nikolic welcomes comments at cnikolic@mndaily.com.
STUDENT LIFE
Grading the graders Properly evaluating and discussing a course’s effectiveness is crucial for future students.
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Maxwell Smith welcomes comments at msmith@mndaily.com.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The following two letters are related to a Dec. 2 article, “GAPSA ousts fees member,” which was about the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly’s removal of Willie Willberg from the Student Services Fees Committee. GAPSA removed me from the SSFC last month for questioning its use of funds. Though I was one of the few returning SSFC members, GAPSA President Brittany Edwards said in an email to the GAPSA Assembly that removing me from the SSFC would prevent “a huge potential obstacle” to GAPSA’s fee request. During a GAPSA meeting, discussion focused on an objection I had raised last year regarding the use of student fees to fund hotel expenses for GAPSA Executive Board members during a trip to Duluth. While connecting with Duluth students is an important part of GAPSA’s advocacy mission, I questioned the usefulness of spending student fees money on lodging for the Board. I was not, in general, an obstacle to GAPSA’s fees request. Last year, other SSFC members and I had the job of reviewing every student group’s fee request. We questioned many groups about why they needed fees, what they would do with those funds and how they would benefit all fee-paying students. Almost all of the groups eagerly answered and did well. Some appealed our decision. While GAPSA did not appeal, they clearly didn’t like being questioned. I was removed as a way of intimidating other SSFC members into rubber-stamp-
ing GAPSA’s fees request, following a pattern GAPSA has had for some time. At the beginning of the SSFC process last year, the chair and adviser warned us about GAPSA’s previous efforts to remove SSFC members who questioned GAPSA’s use of money. As a graduate student, I want GAPSA to be well-funded, but I will only vote to fund programs that benefit all University students. GAPSA did not fear my one committee vote; GAPSA feared me asking them to prove that its programs benefit all feepaying graduate and professional students. They also feared that allowing me to do so without retaliation would embolden other committee members to do the same. The policy is clear: The only acceptable SSFC members are those who will vote to fund GAPSA at any level that GAPSA wishes. Willie Wilberg University student
We are fee-paying students representing GAPSA in Duluth in pharmacy and medicine. Until two years ago, University of Minnesota-Duluth fee-paying students were all but ignored and did not receive benefits from our fee. GAPSA President Brittany Edwards took a day off and traveled up by bus with our pharmacy students in the spring of 2012 to visit us. Based on her conversation with us, we decided how meaningful it could be to have time to introduce GAPSA to our students face to face, so we planned a GAPSA Open House to introduce the organization to our
students at the beginning of the year. This is similar to programming offered by our other leadership groups. It also allows us to have a voice in creating the policy platform in the larger student body for the year. Edwards inspired us to take an active leadership role, and we now have a team of people who are regularly involved in meetings via interactive TV and in planning interdisciplinary programming for both programs. We have been active in governance on the University’s Duluth and Twin Cities campuses. We don’t feel that would be possible without face-to-face time with the board and introducing GAPSA to our students. Last year, one of our Twin Cities pharmacy students voiced criticism of this change and chose to ser ve on the SSFC. When he applied again this year, we knew he didn’t respect the first principle of SSFC: “Fee-supported programs, activities and services shall be available to all students assessed the fee.” GAPSA has a voice in deciding SSFC members for a reason: to make sure its students are represented by those choices. Two years ago, a member was removed because she didn’t understand the second-floor situation in Coffman Union. What’s scarier is blindly accepting the slate of candidates. We know Wilberg and don’t find him value-neutral, which is another tenet of the fees committee. It was for these reasons that he was removed. GAPSA Assembly Duluth members
t’s that time of the year when students don long johns and pack two thermoses of coffee to stay warm and awake for a week of allnighters. An ADITI PRADEEP entir e semescolumnist ter often boils down to one big final. Naturally, college kids spend these days focused on exams and assignments. However, while students focus on a good grade, they shouldn’t overlook their educators’ own grades. At the end of each semester, instructors request students to evaluate their performance through Student Rating of Teaching forms. They may seem trivial, but these evaluations are important. The University may use them in decisions about a teacher’s salary, tenure and standing in their college or department. If students have suggestions to improve a class, this is one medium for the discussion. Students should also consider speaking with teachers directly. On those last days of class, students turn their blinders on. They rush to get out of lectures and discussions so they can begin setting up camp at the librar y. However, as important as final exams and assignments are for our future, SRTs may have a broader effect across a department or college. Professors genuinely need that information to ensure that future classes are successful, or at least to adjust a course so future generations of students don’t have a poor experience. The evaluations are for the benefit of the professors, but when filled out responsibly, SRTs could better a course, department or the entire University. Giving constr uctive criticism can keep overly difficult, or even disrespectful, professors in check. These SRTs allow students to hold professors responsible for teaching in a manner that benefits a majority of students. If students are adamant about an idea or recommendation, then they should take the conversation to a teacher. Having an open discussion face to face may mean more than dozens or hundreds of evaluations. I implore educators to take into consideration what students have recommended this week. The learning process works best when both teachers and students are involved. Aditi Pradeep welcomes comments at apradeep@mndaily.com.
After the death of Dan Markingson, President Eric Kaler should allow for a review of University research.
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he University of Minnesota Faculty Senate passed a measure last week recommending a review of University clinical research on humans. While the measure isn’t binding, President Eric Kaler should go for ward with an independent, external review to properly respond to criticism of past University research. The measure, passed in a 67-23 vote, comes in response to the 2004 suicide of Dan Markingson, who participated in clinical trials at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview. An October letter sent to the Faculty Senate from 175 international bioethicists and scholars brought the issue back to the news. Recent media attention followed the letter, including a KMSP investigation and two letters to the editor in the Minnesota Daily from outspoken critics of the University’s reaction to Markingson’s death. University professor Naomi Scheman told the Minnesota Daily the University’s reputation is “crumbling.” The University lost a chance to be proactive regarding its reputation after the publicized Markingson case. With so much negative attention on University research, moving for ward on the measure could restore confidence in our research programs. Though some, including University bioethicists and professors, may want more answers involving Markingson’s death, we should focus on avoiding potential tragedies and unethical behavior in the future. Anything the University can do to prevent unfortunate circumstances like Markingson’s death is beneficial for our research programs. While a review won’t bring Markingson back or provide additional answers to his case, it can serve as a way to improve and move on.
U director shows poor leadership A University Facilities Management director was the subject of a recent KMSP investigation.
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KMSP investigation of Facilities Management Departmental Director Beth Louden was released last month. Louden offers a poor example of how University of Minnesota supervisors should act, especially with money, given recent criticism against the University. Amid a laundry list of financial and personal issues, the investigation targeted Louden’s spending. Her office’s food budget for routine meetings came to $12,299 over two years. The investigation compared the University’s facilities management department to the University of Wisconsin’s, which didn’t spend any money on food. Louden also planned to send herself and nine staffers to Las Vegas for a conference, which would cost nearly $1,400 per person. The average size of groups attending the conference was only five, and none of the Big Ten universities KMSP checked with sent a single person. In an inter view with KMSP, University Services Vice President Pam Wheelock said the University has relied on tuition increases to pay for its programmatic needs. Wheelock told KMSP that Facilities Management has had to cut custodians and that those remaining are cleaning buildings less often. Louden’s budget could have a small but tangible impact on tuition, and Louden’s spending seems irresponsible amid rising tuition and layoffs. The University has been criticized for excessive spending for the last year — from a 2012 Wall Street Journal report on administrative bloat to the Minnesota Legislature’s call for examinations of the University budget. If the University is to make a lasting impact on tuition and administrative efficiency, then its leaders cannot lead by Louden’s example. The University should make sure that students don’t have to pay for their leaders’ poor decisions.
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Wednesday, December 11, 2013
A&E EDITOR
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ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR Emily Eveland (612) 435-5865 eeveland@mndaily.com
CHECK OUT “A&E FAVES OF 2013” PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY. HERE’S A SAMPLE: 1. Pusha T “Numbers On The Boards” 2. Blood Orange “Chamakay” 3. Daft Punk “Doin’ it Right” 4. Disclosure “When a Fire Starts To Burn” 5. Deltron 3030 “City Rising From the Ashes” 6. Rhye “Open”
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MUSIC
Bloomer’s beatboxing blossoms Bjorn Hunstad, aka Bloomer, approaches the top of the newschool beatboxing scene. BY EMILY EVELAND eeveland@mndaily.com
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t various points in his life, Bjorn Hunstad of Moorhead, Minn., has been an actor, a photographer, an artist, a drummer, a pianist, a violinist, a snowboarder and a model. But above all, the 20-year-old Hunstad, aka Bloomer, is a beatboxer. Last Wednesday, Bloomer invited A&E to his new St. Paul apartment, which he shares with his longtime friend and rapper Joshua Evans Turner, otherwise known as Dem Atlas. Atlas and Bloomer met through high school speech tournaments when Hunstad went to Moorhead High School and Evans went to Eagan Senior High School. “Bjorn had this dorky blonde streak through his hair in high school, and I thought that was really cool,” Atlas said. Throughout the interview, Bloomer nervously played with his cellphone, flipping it over in his hands as though seeing it for the first time. “Oh crap, I just have to text my dad quick,” he said in the midst of explaining the local beatboxing scene. “He’s mad. I’m supposed to call my bank.” Bloomer spent the next few minutes texting his father back, mouthing the words under his breath. “Being … interviewed …” For a kid who’s experimented with almost ever y possible artistic enterprise, he remains refreshingly humble. “He’s not walking around with a big head like, ‘Yeah, I’ve got this,’ ’’ Bloomer’s friend and mentor Carnage the Executioner said. “He’s actually willing to practice.” Bloomer said he practices beatboxing about six hours per day, but Atlas swears it’s more. Some said he even beatboxes in his sleep. In the daytime, Bloomer is a delivery driver for American Apparel, which means he’s basically “getting paid to be a beatboxer.” “This cat is always practicing, day in and day out,” Atlas said. “When it’s silent, it’s not really silent, because Bjorn is beatboxing.”
Beatbox beginnings It all started with a book called “Mouth Sounds.” Bloomer’s father gave it to him when he was 9 years old with the words, “Here, annoy your mother.” As time passed, he began mimicking sounds like the sizzling of frying pans and laser beams. Then he gravitated toward America’s favorite anthropomorphic duck. “I used to have a slight obsession with Daffy Duck,” he said. Bloomer remembers having his picture taken with Daf-
BRIDGET BENNETT, DAILY
Beatboxer Bjorn Hunstad, aka Bloomer. WHAT BLOOMER WITH DJ INDECISIVE, MINNIE BLANCO AND KUDO WHEN 9 P.M., THURSDAY WHERE NOMAD WORLD PUB, 501 CEDAR AVE., MINNEAPOLIS COST FREE AGE 21+
fy at Disney World, throwing a Daffy-themed birthday party and wearing Daffy Duck shoes in his youth. Most impor tantly, he mastered Daffy’s voice, which ended up being a common sound in beatboxing. Bloomer star ting taking drum lessons at age 10, which laid the rhythmic foundations. At 14, he heard his brother’s friend beatbox and never turned back. “I’ve beatboxed every day since that day,” he said.
Schools of beatbox thought Bloomer considers himself a new-school beatboxer, meaning his style isn’t solely focused on hip-hop. Instead, it spans different genres like samba, trance and dubstep. “Some of the people in the [new-school] beatbox scene — their lives aren’t even hiphop at all,” he said. The new-school has become more popular with help from YouTube, which allows beatboxers from across the globe to connect and share their skills. Bloomer said the videos he makes and sometimes posts online are like his sketchbook. He watches
Beatboxer Bjorn Hunstad, aka Bloomer, at his apartment in St. Paul on Saturday.
them repeatedly and looks for things to improve. In 2012, Bloomer attended his first American Beatbox Championship in New York. Two months later, he competed in the Midwest Beatbox battle but lost his first round. In May 2013, Bloomer and Dem Atlas took second place in the American Human Beatbox Festival in New York. Most recently, he made it to the quarterfinals in the 2013 Midwest Beatbox Battle, which he said was the biggest beatboxing
battle ever in the United States. “I had literally gone from one week knowing two beatboxers in person to knowing like 80,” Bloomer said of the competitions. He has no plans of stopping anytime soon — his mind is set on ranking even higher this year. But Bloomer is focused on more than his own success. Since graduating from Moorhead High School in 2011, he’s put a lot of work into building a stronger Twin Cities beatboxing scene.
At his last house, Bloomer hosted beatbox jams in his basement every other week, usually featuring four to five beatboxers a night. “I’m trying to get those people to have an outlet,” he said.
The Bloomer flow In just a few years, Bloomer has risen to the top of the local beatboxing scene, joining the ranks of old-school masters like Carnage the Executioner and DJ Snuggles. “I think his development and the speed of his develop-
BRIDGET BENNETT, DAILY
ment is phenomenal,” Carnage said. “I foresee him being one of the great U.S. contenders in beatboxing.” With time, Bloomer has made huge strides in developing his own style, which his friends af fectionately call “the Bloomer flow.” He said his friends no longer notice when he’s beatboxing, because he does it so often. “That’s the thing with beatboxing — you just walk around and have it on you,” he said. “It’s like my breathing.”
FOOD
Best 2013 dishes from Minneapolis restaurants Dig in! BY CALLIE SACARELOS csacarelos@mndaily.com
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oodies of Minneapolis rejoiced during the last year as trendy new restaurants popped up all over town. With a slew of up-andcoming chefs taking the driver’s seat and some of the most innovative guys behind the line reinventing themselves, it appears that most of these restaurants are here to stay.
Raw foie gras Burch Steak House, 1933 S. Colfax Ave., Minneapolis Located at the tip of the Wedge neighborhood, Burch is an upscale steakhouse that also serves hand-tossed pizzas in the basement. But its best dishes are arguably the raw starters. The current menu includes a foie gras crème brulee with orange marmalade, but earlier in the year, the restaurant served a superior version of foie that was simply whipped into a silky cream and served with toasted ha-
zelnuts, lemon and a thin cracker on a clear glass dish. Quality duck liver has such intense natural flavors that the best way to enjoy it is on its own. This sweet and salty mousse melts in your mouth, leaving behind a hint of maple.
Octopus Borough, 730 N. Washington Ave., Minneapolis Borough changes its menu several times a year. Fortunately, octopus is still available, but it’s prepared differently this time around.
Sometimes octopus can be rubbery and unpleasant to chew, but chefs at Borough clearly know what they’re doing. The dish is always tender and soft, no matter what crazy garnish it’s paired with. This year’s best version included jalapeños for heat, a fermented black bean and soy glaze and butternut squash curry to round it out.
Pork belly ramen Umami, 904 W. Broadway Ave., Minneapolis The guys behind Travail make noodles fresh daily.
Their refusal to use day-old noodles means that sometimes they’re making them on the fly on a busy Saturday night. The noodles are served with fatty, tender pork belly glazed in sweet soy sauce, with a light shiitake purée and fresh shiitakes. The kimchi dashi broth brings everything together to create layers of flavor, aromatics and subtle heat.
Savory donut holes Union Restaurant and Rooftop, 731 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis
The opening chef at Union may have moved on to start his own restaurant, but he left a tantalizing treat in his wake. These bacon and shallot donut holes are dusted with powdered apple cider vinegar and ser ved with a melted salty västerbotten cheese sauce. There are enough pastr y balls to share with a friend, but they’re so addicting and easy to pop in your mouth that you might want to get your own order — with an extra side of sauce.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
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MUSIC
Local 2013 albums with a ’90s flair The dream of the ’90s is alive in Minneapolis. BY ALEX BRODSKY abrodsky@mndaily.com
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e all pine for the glamorous days of the ’90s. Today’s 20-somethings fondly remember the Bill Clinton era as a time of jean jackets, Nickelodeon cartoons and boundless hope. Twenty years later, the culture of the decade has gradually crept back into relevance. Locally and nationally, the music of the time has resurged. Almost every aspect
of ’90s music has found its way into one album or another in the Twin Cities. Here’s a list of some 2013 records that fit the bill.
Fury Things — ‘EP 2’ Fury Things’ second release, “EP 2,” harkens back to a time when “alt rock” wasn’t a slur. There’s nothing garage-y about their chunky, upbeat riffs. Without the vocals, you could mistake them for college rock stalwarts Superchunk. You can’t help but imagine a group of scuzzy dudes playing these guitar parts while sporting ripped jeans and
chugging Crystal Pepsi. They embrace the loud-quiet-loud dynamic like it’s going out of style (which it did). The vocals may be more restrained than the alt-rock bands of the ’90s, but the instruments are firmly entrenched in that bygone era.
Hollow Boys — ‘It’s True’ Hollow Boys’ rougharound-the-edges take on shoegaze harkens back to the very early ’90s when My Bloody Valentine’s “Loveless” was first blowing minds. “It’s True” might not be quite as drowned in reverb
as that indie classic, but the influence is still there. The effect-laden guitar sounds, courtesy of front man Ali Jaafar, pay homage to shoegazers of yore. The recording doesn’t do the guitar tone justice. Live, the wall of sound bellowing from his amp replicates the louder moments from “Loveless.”
Sundowners — ‘The Larger Half of Wisdom’
Sundowners pull no pop-punk punches. They’re full of the same piss and vinegar that powered ’90s
acts like The Offspring and Blink-182. Their huge power-pop sound would feel at home on a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater soundtrack. They’ve nailed the subtleties that makes late-’90s pop-punk feel so distinctive: the scruffy voice, the muted power chord riffs and the requisite smarmy attitude. Their boundless energy will make you feel young again.
Poliça — ‘Shulamith’ The dour, low-key R&B of local darlings Poliça conjures up memories of everyone’s fa-
vorite ’90s trend, trip-hop. Their reliance on retro synthesizer sounds gives the entire album a distinctly oldschool electronica feel. The chunky bass synth of “Tiff,” for instance, recalls those of trip-hop forebears Massive Attack. Lead singer Channy Leaneagh’s breathy vocals complete the effect “Shulamith” also features faster tracks like album opener “Chain My Name” and “Torre” that break the trip-hop mold of slow, gloomy tracks. Still, the reliance on drum machines and 808 claps firmly root the record as a byproduct of the ’90s.
FOOD
LIBATIONS
College Kitchen: Breakfast club
The year in beer: 2013 Notable developments from the world of alcohol and those who help you drink it. BY TOM Q. JOHNSON tjohnson@mndaily.com
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innesota’s beer boom is big and getting bigger. Fueled by a desire for better tasting, locally made brews, the movement is changing the law, the economy and the way we think about the cold, wet stuff that comes out of our local pub’s tap. Since the Surly Bill passed in 2011, microbreweries have been popping up like wild mushrooms across the Twin Cities. These days, you’d be hard-pressed to meet a person who doesn’t know someone with a home brewing kit sitting in their garage. It’s been a red-letter decade for the once specialized craft, and 2013 was happy to contribute. Here, collected for you, are some memorable bits of news from around the world of local beer.
Surly breaks ground on its new brewing home In October, the Brooklyn Center brewers of Furious broke ground on their new home in Prospect Park. When completed, the $20 million facility will be capable of producing more than 100,000 barrels of beer each year and will serve its creations on site. The new location should be open for business in late 2014 — heck, you could take the light rail there. Shakshuka is a Middle Eastern dish made by poaching eggs in a thick tomato and pepper sauce.
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ith winter break nearly upon us, it’s time to focus on what’s really important: waking up at noon and spending 45 minutes making breakfast. It’s a proven fact that breakfast is the most delicious meal of the day. Just ask a scientist. It’s also a fact that you college doofuses think it’s hip to skip it. Well, when break rolls around, you won’t have any excuses. Now, I trust that you guys can whip up bacon, eggs, toast and the like, but try branching out with your newfound time. There’s a whole world of breakfast opportunities out there. Serving coffee alongside these recipes is mandator y. Wash down ever y bite of these dishes with that bitter black gold. What’s that? You don’t like black coffee? Put milk and sugar in it for all I care. I’m not the coffee police.
Breakfast crepes There isn’t much separating crepes from pancakes, except that crepes are classy as hell. Wrap ’em around any other food you enjoy, and they magically become fancier. Stuff one full of ham and eggs. Top another with maple syrup and powdered sugar. Or, if you’re so inclined, use strawberries and whipped cream. Have the time of your life. The batter keeps in the fridge for a couple of days, so feel free to make it ahead of time. 2 eggs 3/4 cup milk 1/2 cup water 1 cup flour 3 tablespoons butter, melted
friday
Combine all ingredients in a mixing
Shakshuka Shakshuka does not seem like the most obvious breakfast dish, but bear with me. It’s a Middle Eastern dish consisting of eggs poached in a spicy, thick tomato sauce. It’s got the necessar y breakfast components, and the spicy tomatoes clear out your sinuses like nothing else. Most importantly, you can make it with ingredients you have lying around the house. Ser ve with toast to round it out. 4 eggs 1 16-ounce can of diced tomatoes 1/2 onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced 1 tablespoon cumin 1 teaspoon paprika Salt and pepper Olive oil Sauté the onions, garlic and jalapeño in a large, straight-sided fr ying pan until tender. Pour in the canned tomatoes, juices and all, along with the cumin, paprika and about 1/4 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Taste the sauce, and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Dig small wells in the sauce, and crack the eggs into them. Cover the pan, and let simmer until the eggs are cooked — about 10 minutes. The tops of the eggs should be entirely white and slightly firm to the touch.
Christmas of Swing Much like today, 70 years ago American troops were overseas and weren’t able to spend the holidays with their families. Thankfully, charitable groups like the United Service Organization brought celebrity performers and a little holiday cheer to servicemen and women. This led Minnesota’s own singing sensation, the Andrew Sisters, to become synonymous with both WWII-era entertainers and the face of the USO. The History Theatre brings back its sound along with Danny Kaye, Bing Crosby and Abbott & Costello in this truly classic holiday production. u Where: History Theatre, 30 E. 10th St., St. Paul u When: 8 p.m. u Cost: $30-40
saturday
BY ALEX BRODSKY abrodsky@mndaily.com
need to get in there with your hands. Coat a non-stick pan with butter. Add about an ounce of batter, and tilt the pan to cover it evenly. After about 30 seconds, flip and cook for another 10 seconds. Use a spatula if you’re lame. Toss it in the air if you want to look like a cartoon chef.
Ser ve alongside lightly toasted naan or another soft bread.
Drop biscuits and sausage gravy I do not believe any human being has ever turned down biscuits and gravy. It’s a breakfast with universal appeal. There’s no shame in using pre-made Pillsbur y-style biscuits. It’s lazy but delicious, which, generally speaking, is the best kind of delicious. For a vegan alternative, use onions, garlic and mushrooms instead of sausage and replace the milk with vegetable broth. 8 breakfast sausage links 1/4 cup flour 2 cups milk 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper In a skillet, fr y the breakfast sausages until entirely browned. Remove them, saving all the fat and browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Over low heat, gradually whisk the flour into the fat until it forms a smooth, white paste. Mix in the milk, salt and pepper. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, continually stirring. Boom. Delicious gravy. 1/2 cup flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup butter 1/2 cup milk Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the butter and milk. The dough should no longer crumble. Add more milk if it seems too dr y. Using a spoon, drop clumps onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake until golden brown — about 15 to 17 minutes.
An Unscripted Minnesota Holiday Imagine the plotline of a holiday TV special. The town’s annual winter celebration is in full swing, and everyone is on track to enjoy yet another perfect Christmas. But oh no! There’s a villain in town who wants to ruin everything. Now the town must come together and save Christmas. “An Unscripted Minnesota Holiday” is an improvisational twist on a holiday classic: The audience names the town, creates the holiday and selects who will be the hero of the evening. To add to the chaos, a different guest actor plays the villain every evening, and the show is a musical, with all songs improvised on the spot. u Where: Bryant-Lake Bowl, 810 W. Lake St., Minneapolis u When: 7 p.m. u Cost: $13 in advance with a Fringe button or student ID; $15 at door
A new, women-owned-and-operated Twin Cities microbrewery The microbrewery community has long been a boys’ club. Enter Urban Growler, whose founders used 2013 to raise money to help break the gender barrier by the end of the year. Expect to be sipping their righteous suds any day now.
St. Paul changes regulations to allow more taprooms Until June, taprooms in St. Paul were relegated to industrial parks. Not so after the City Council’s 7-0 vote on a measure that expands the ability of taprooms to open in mixed-use neighborhoods.
Summit updates its logos Speaking of St. Paul, the capital city’s largest brewer revamped its logo in Februar y, flattening its iconic hops and barley icons and ditching the serifs in favor of blocky white text. Some hate it, some love it, but the beer’s still the same.
That one pedal pub tipped over that one time
sunday
Spend your winter break time wisely. bowl. If you don’t own a stand mixer, you’ll
BRYNA GODAR, DAILY
Remember that? While rounding a corner near the Stone Arch Bridge this summer, one of the push-powered drinking vehicles that Minneapolis loves to hate toppled over, sending two to the hospital.
The first light of a distillery boom (fingers crossed) The sheer danger involved in distilling highly flammable and possibly poisonous drinking alcohol has kept many amateurs out of the game. Besides, until 2011, there was an annual $30,000 state fee for anyone looking to turn their mountain still into a legitimate business. But hark! Microdistilleries like Loon Liquors, Lost Falls and Mill City Distilling are beginning their grumblings. In a state with only one microdistillery, it’s a welcome change for the thirsty.
Cider city At its soft opening in November, Sociable Cider Werks became the first hard cider taproom in Minneapolis. Sociable Cider plans to sell both hard cider and something called “apple graff”— a fruity combination of apple cider and malt. Sounds like a sweet idea.
The Santaland Diaries This satirical account of working as an elf at Macy’s during the holiday shopping season is perfect for any Scrooge who looks at Christmas and sees commercialism and overconsumption. The script is adapted almost verbatim from New York Times best-selling author David Sedaris’ essay of the same title. His snarky and irreverent observations about Christmas merriment, bratty children and the absurdity of Santa Claus brings about a different kind of “holiday cheer” that will leave you in stitches. u Where: The Cowles Center, 528 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis u When: 12 p.m. u Cost: $29
CULTURE COMPASS BY CALLIE SACARELOS
10
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
My family used to own a two-tape VHS compilation of Christmas cartoons from the 1930s and 1940s that we watched yearround. I recently discovered that most of the cartoons are available on YouTube. My personal favorites are “Christmas Comes But Once a Year” (1936), “Santa’s Surprise” (1947) and “Somewhere in Dreamland” (1936). They’re a short and sweet breath of fresh air from tired childhood classics like Charlie Brown and Rudolph.
Sledding This is a pastime that never gets old but is often forgotten as we trade in our practical one-piece snowsuits for pretty scarves and fashionable-but-freezing pea coats. Good sledding weather conditions are rare, so round up your warmest gear, and buy a cheap sled from the hardware store now so you’ll be ready to go. It’s nice when the sun is out, the wind is calm and a fresh layer of snow ensures that you won’t careen out of control on a giant ice hill. Columbia Golf Club in Northeast has one of the steepest hills in the city, and for you lazy folks, Theodore Wirth Park offers a tow rope. I grew up going down the Town and Country Club hill just east of the Lake Street Bridge. The north hill is for families, and the south hill is where all the snowboarders and cool kids go to break their necks.
bake
Old Christmas cartoons on YouTube
do
re-live
CULTURE COMPASS BY CALLIE SACARELOS Christmas cookies Ever yone has their favorite Christmas cookie, but Peanut Butter Blossoms are a sure crowdpleaser. They’re easy to make, they have the per fect combination of Hershey’s Kisses and peanut butter, and they look fancy. There are tons of recipes available online, and the instr uctions are simple. The trick is to pull the cookies out of the oven a minute or two before they’re finished and press the Hershey’s Kiss into the middle before popping them back into the oven for the final minute. This gives the outside of the kiss a gooey center
THEATER
Business as usual in ‘The Receptionist’ Dark & Stormy invites audiences over for a little fun at the office. BY JOE KELLEN jkellen@mndaily.com
S
wivel chairs, cubicles and fluorescent lights are spectacularly mundane, and playwright Adam Bock’s “The Receptionist” embraces them all. Ben McGovern, the director of Dark & Stormy Productions’ version of the play, was excited by the potential for boredom from
the start. “Something banal in real life becomes interesting just by the fact that we’re witnessing it,” he said. McGovern figured that the best way to play this material was to place the cast and spectators in a real office in Minneapolis. The audience observes general office behavior for a significant chunk of the play. “The audience becomes a guest in the real world,” he said. Sally Winger t, who plays the receptionist Beverly Wilkins, said it’s been challenging to capture the
sense of busywork. “There is something immediately accessible to the experience of an of fice,” she said. “Everyone’s dealt with a receptionist.” Of course, the play isn’t all about answering phones and dealing with coworkers. “The Receptionist” takes a dark turn when the office is visited by someone from the central branch — played by associate artistic director Bill McCallum — requesting to speak with Wingert’s absent boss (Harry Waters Jr.). The tone transitions from deadpan humor to
an exploration of corruption, whom you can trust and what it means to be complicit in evil. “The Receptionist” focuses on what we hide not only from our colleagues, but also from ourselves. “It demands a cer tain culture and a denial of your outside-of-the-of fice life,” McCallum said. “You’ve got to behave a certain way to fit the protocol.” Artistic director and performer Sara Marsh wants Dark & Stormy to continue producing site-specific material as a way to invite audiences into a space that they
may never have considered fit for a play. “The immediacy of it is so exciting,” she said. “It’s right in front of you; there’s no hiding behind anything.” Besides attempting to draw new faces to the theatergoing public with a site-specific work, Dark & Stormy focuses on bringing the next generation of artists into the spotlight. The company lists the University of Minnesota’s own Mar y Shabatura as one of its advisor y board members. Marsh said Shabatura and other young
WHAT “THE RECEPTIONIST” WHEN 7:30 P.M., DEC. 11-JAN. 4 WHERE TRAFFIC ZONE CENTER FOR VISUAL ART, 250 N. THIRD AVE., SUITE 500, MINNEAPOLIS COST $15-25
local artists are indispensable to the future of the scene. “It’s an incredible learning experience,” she said. “I want to work with the best of the best.”
ICE SHOW
THEATER
Mickey, Donald and Goofy skate: Your Disney childhood memories on ice
Guts: 2013’s bravest theater
The Disney on Ice “Passport to Adventure” show skates into the Xcel Center in a wandering mishmash of your favorite Disney films. BY TOM Q. JOHNSON tjohnson@mndaily.com
M
ickayla Lindberg spent most of her youth laced up in skates. In high school, she earned the U.S. Figure Skating Association’s most challenging freestyle certification at the Duluth Figure Skating Club. It took hours of practicing in the cold rink, but all that time earned her a gig as an ensemble skater for Disney on Ice. Traveling with the show is the per forming skater’s equivalent to being in the Olympics. It’s immensely competitive, glamorous and in the top tier of the industr y. “Par t of what’s great about working in a Disney production is being able to play characters I’ve loved since I was a kid,” Lindberg said. “This is my first time in an actual major show. ... When I heard the news that I had made the show, I was so incredibly happy.” The current Disney on Ice show, called “Passport
to Adventure,” takes viewers on a meandering tour of some of Disney’s greatest hits. Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, Donald’s girlfriend Daisy Duck and Goofy grab their suitcases as they “travel” around the rink on a thinly veiled but much appreciated hook to sing all your favorite songs. You get Peter Pan in London, Simba and Mufasa in Africa, and Ariel in an undisclosed location somewhere under the ocean. Like ever ything Disney, the colors and music are bright and cheerful and the characters show their emotions in nonstop expressive gestures that even the kids in the nosebleed seats can see. The tour lasts for just less than a year — from the time the skaters began practice at the Disney facility in Florida this summer to their last show in mid-2014. Life on the road suits Lindberg just fine, and she said she’s lucky to skate without a “head” — the Styrofoam masks that cover the faces of anthro-
WHAT DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS “PASSPORT TO ADVENTURE” WHERE THE XCEL CENTER, 199 W. KELLOGG BLVD., ST. PAUL WHEN TIMES VARY, THURSDAY– SUNDAY COST $18-71
pomorphic characters like Mickey Mouse. Disney has been performing their “on Ice” series since the early ’80s, with “Passpor t to Adventure” being only one of many iterations of the show. The show’s staying power isn’t a mystery to Lindberg. “On skates, you can move in ways that aren’t possible,” Lindberg said. “It’s that gliding and floating that help make the show so magical.” Lindberg is not completely sure what she’ll do after this Disney on Ice tour ends. She has plans to become a dental hygienist, but before she’s set on that path, there’s still one more role she’d like to pursue on ice: playing the role of a Disney princess. “It’s what ever y girl dreams,” she said.
The Twin Cities provided the world with compelling and challenging material in 2013 — hold on to your armrests, people. BY JOE KELLEN jkellen@mndaily.com
I
t’s been a hell of a year — a sentiment you’d probably expect a list like this to make — and an incredible amount of both boring and fascinating theater came through the Twin Cities. Let’s focus on the positive. It’s a new year, and there’ll be a whole lot to complain about in ’14. For now, let’s take a look at the theater that baffled, astounded and unapologetically broke down conventions. The following are in no particular order, and yes, yes, yes to all of you — this list misses plenty of awesome stuff. Let’s start.
“Cartooon” When: March 2013 Where: In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater A favorite of PuppetLab 2013, Steve Ackerman’s piece literally exploded onstage. What made “Cartooon” stand out was its feisty main character, Tummy da Talking Turtle, and his unending battle with his nemesis, Crackjaw the alligator. Ackerman’s visual work was always crescendoing, starting with small pits of piranhas and tiny fist fights. By the end of the piece, the stage was crushed by an enormous Christmas-lit anvil, a giant tongue “licked” the audience and a group of frantic puppeteers made the whole thing go boom. All of the insanity was narrated by Ackerman’s hi-
lariously verbose stage directions, lending an authentic and goofy feel to the largerthan-life energy of the piece. Any show willing to go as far as “Cartooon” deserves to be recognized, and it’s being remounted at Heart of the Beast this January.
“The Clumsy Man” When: November 2013 Where: Open Eye Figure Theater This surreal envisioning of Hans Christian Andersen’s mind was both jarring and stimulating. Michael Sommers’ trademark aesthetic was put to fantastic use here, satisfying all of the senses. “The Clumsy Man” began with a tray of cookies, beverages and paper crowns. Audience members were invited to eat with members of the theater and, in the middle of the revelr y, were interrupted by the resplendent Kimberly Richardson. Her portrayal of Andersen was balanced by moments of wildness and delicacy. Watching Richardson, Sommers and musician Dan Dukich wade through the swamp of the storyteller’s cerebrum was hypnotic. The combination of puppetry and choreography created an environment that was uniquely Sommers’ and took audiences into a deeply weird circumstance — something too few plays accomplish.
“Ich, Kürbisgeist” When: October 2013 Where: Red Eye Theater Sibyl Kempson’s revenge play is not of this world. “Ich, Kürbisgeist” follows an unfortunate village and the inevitable attack of a pumpkin spirit, all while detailing the village’s odd and mys-
terious past. Written in an entirely made-up language with events that range from rapture to random time travel, Steve Busa and company bit off a lot to chew. Thankfully, it was just enough of a mouthful and pushed the envelope while asking an oftoverlooked question: What’s possible to put on stage? Is it too much to cover our space with pumpkins? Hell no! What about giving the stage manager a vocoder to simulate the eerie voice of an undead spirit? Of course not. In fact, let’s add some strobe lights and sound design suitable only for the apocalypse while we’re at it. The biggest achievement here is that none of it is random or simply for the sake of craziness — this is the world of Kempson’s play. The creators were honest about what the work was, and because of it, they make the list.
“How To Be a Korean Woman” When: September 2013 Where: Guthrie Theater Confessional, hear tfelt and raw, Sun Mee Chomet’s solo show caught her at the height of her powers as a per former. Her intensely personal stor y of returning to South Korea to find her birth parents created a vulnerable environment in the Dowling Studio that allowed Chomet to truly connect with her audiences. The courage it took to tell this story gives the production great merit, but what made the piece outstanding was Chomet’s dedication to the fluidity of the characters and her spot-on writing. Watching her perform was a kaleidoscopic journey into emotional catharsis, and it was clear the show wouldn’t let you go until it was good and ready.
MUSIC
Hip-hop memories: 2013 BY SPENCER DOAR sdoar@mndaily.com
Attempt on Rick Ross’ life Gotta go all the way to January for this one, but it was pretty notable when Ross crashed his Rolls in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., after being subject to a hail of bullets from unknown assailants.
Big Apple beef with Trinidad
PHOTO COURTESY OF FELD ENTERTAINMENT Disney characters ham it up around the world in Disney’s “Passport to Adventure.”
Trinidad Jame$ recently came under fire for telling an audience that New York rap is slippin’ and Atlanta runs things now. He should have known it would spark a Twitter firestorm. Maino, among
other notables, was pissed.
Runnin’ jewels with Killer Mike and El-P In a year of hip-hop overshadowed by “Yeezus” and “Magna Carta Holy Grail,” a lot of great albums slipped through the cracks. That was a tremendous disservice to Killer Mike and El-P’s collaboration “Run the Jewels.” Check the title track, “Job Well Done” and “Banana Clipper” for something a wee bit different. Another great option: Danny Brown’s “Old.”
Method and Redman’s expensive chiefin’
It’s been more than a de-
cade since “How High” hit theaters, but that doesn’t mean Meth and Red have cut back on the reefer. Earlier this year, the duo Instagram’d a blunt made/ wrapped in 24-karat gold — as if we needed proof that they’re still living the high life.
Waka falls out with Gucci It’s hard to tell who did what to whom, or even what this whole beef is actually about, but let’s just say that there’s trouble in paradise — that is, if you feel comfortable equating the Brick Squad fellas and their lives with paradise …
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Sports
11
@MNDAILYSPORTS
STUDENT LIFE
Cosgrove nears final cancer treatment Cosgrove u from Page 1
His mother, Shelly Cosgrove, stood at the foot of the bed while his father, Kevin Cosgrove, sat in a chair next to him. When the doctors walked in, Cosgrove said he could tell immediately that it wasn’t good news. “They just kind of dropped the bomb,” he said. “It was a feeling of immediate numbness.” Cosgrove said it took him a while to accept the illness, but he said once he did, he used it as a tool to make a difference. He has helped with various foundations in the past three years and has become a spokesperson of sorts for those with cancer. “I’m 56 years old, and I haven’t done a fraction of what he’s done in his life,” Shelly Cosgrove said. “It’s been a long process, but he has made the most of it. There would have been no other way for him to get through it without helping others through it.” A normal leukemia treatment timetable takes about three years — six months of heavy-duty treatment and two and a half years of monthly treatments. Brandon Haney, one of Cosgrove’s best friends, was in the room the day Cosgrove was diagnosed. He said the diagnosis was shocking at first, but he tried not to bring it up much when the two were together. “I would just tr y to be a friend there to get his mind of f of it,” Haney said. “We would play video games and just do stuff we would do in our apartment
AMANDA SNYDER, DAILY
Connor Cosgrove runs onto the field on Senior Day at TCF Bank Stadium on Nov. 23.
— just it was in a hospital room.” Cosgrove said he had his shar e of bad days throughout his threeyear battle with leukemia. Haney said he’s seen his friend on some of those days, but he said Cosgrove always took it in stride. “He was definitely the rock through it all,” Haney said. “He was always the strongest person with everything and always the most
positive one.” Shelly Cosgrove has missed only two of her son’s treatments. She and Kevin Cosgrove will both be there Friday for the final treatment. She said it will be surreal walking out of the hospital Friday afternoon. “It is scary because it’s like, ‘How do we move forward now?’ ” she said. “This has been our focus for the last three years.” The buildup to his final
treatment has been long awaited, Cosgrove said, but in a way, he doesn’t know if he’s ready for it. “[Leukemia] will always be a part of who I am in my past and in my future, but to have it not be a part of my present will be a relief,” he said. “It’s also terrifying at the same time because it’s all I know.” Shelly Cosgrove said although it was tough to see her son with cancer, it’s hard
to imagine life without it. “There is a lot of bad that has happened, but I believe the good that has come out of my illness … is so much greater than the bad,” Connor Cosgrove said. Haney said Cosgrove’s attitude during the last three years has influenced him. “It definitely gave me a new perspective on life,” Haney said. “It’s hard for me to ever complain about anything in my life now, be-
cause whenever I’m having a bad day, I know it’s nothing compared to what he’s gone through.” Cosgrove still has to finish his last cycle of medication, but after Friday, he never has to go in for another treatment. “I know this Friday will be the best day of my life,” he said. “I’ll be smiling all day because it’s more than just a final day of treatment for me. It’s the start of my new life.”
FOOTBALL
Gophers get valuable opportunity to recruit Texas TEXAS BOWL PREVIEW
VS MINNESOTA
SYRACUSE
5 p.m., Dec. 27 in Houston
MINNESOTA: Minnesota will play in Houston for its bowl game for a second straight season. The Gophers lost to Texas Tech 34-31 last season in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas and finished the season 6-7. The Gophers went 8-4 (4-4 Big Ten) this season but finished it with losses against Wisconsin and Michigan State. Still, Minnesota posted its best finish in 10 years and defeated then-No. 25 Nebraska 34-23 on Oct. 26. The Gophers are 3-1 all-time against Syracuse. They beat the Orange 17-10 last season at TCF Bank Stadium and 23-20 in 2009. SYRACUSE: Syracuse finished the regular season 6-6 and earned bowl eligibility with a last-second win against Boston College on Nov. 30. Orange first-year head coach Scott Shafer led his team to a 4-4 mark in its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Syracuse opened the season with losses against Penn State and Northwestern, both of whom the Gophers beat this season. Orange quarterback Terrel Hunt led Syracuse in passing, and running back Jerome Smith added 840 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM
Minnesota is going back to the Texas Bowl for the second straight season. BY NATE GOTLIEB ngotlieb@mndaily.com
On Dec. 27, the Gophers have an opportunity to win their first bowl game since 2004 when they travel to Houston to battle Syracuse in the Texas Bowl. The weekend also gives Minnesota the chance to gain a recruiting edge in Texas, one of the most prolific high school football states in the nation. In the class of 2014, 12 of the top 100 recruits hail from the state of Texas, according to Rivals.com. And the Gophers’ presence in Texas for the second straight year could benefit the team. “It’s great for us in recruiting,” said head coach Jerry Kill. The Gophers currently have 12 Texans on their roster and have received com-
mitments from class of 2014 recruits Connor Mayes and Everett Williams. Mayes, a Van Alstyne, Texas, native, is a three-star recruit and the 10th-rated center in his class, according to Rivals. Mayes stands 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 320 pounds. He helped Van Alstyne High School to a 7-5 record this season. His older brother Alex is a freshman offensive lineman for the Gophers. Williams, a Mansfield, Texas, native, is a two-star recr uit, according to Rivals. He’s a 6-foot-2-inch, 220-pound linebacker who recorded 10 sacks for Mansfield High School this season. Several other Texans are also considering the Gophers, according to ESPN. Syracuse, Minnesota’s bowl opponent, draws less heavily from Texas. The Orange has just one Texan on its roster. Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer indicated that he’ll be focusing more on the game
AMANDA SNYDER, DAILY FILE PHOTO
Minnesota running back David Cobb protects the ball from Western Illinois on Sept. 14 at TCF Bank Stadium.
than recruiting while in Houston. “[Those] people in Texas are probably staying in Texas,” he said. “Those coaches try to keep their kids in Texas if they can.”
Notes 4Kill was one of five Division I coaches selected as a 2013 Regional Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association. Kill earned the Region 3 honor and was the only Division I coach with a program outside the top 10 to receive the award. 4Minnesota will wear white helmets with maroon caging and a maroon stripe down the center during the bowl game. The helmets have the phrase “Brick by Brick” written on the back. 4Gophers junior running back David Cobb is from Killeen, Texas, a city about 200 miles from Houston. He said it’ll be fun to play in front of the home crowd after a breakout season.
ICHIGO TAKIKAWA, DAILY FILE PHOTO
Students cheer for the Gophers against Western Illinois on Sept. 14 at TCF Bank Stadium.
4Minnesota hasn’t yet announced when student ticket packages will be available. The University will give priority to students who purchased season tickets, according to an athletics department email
sent Sunday. 4While many experts speculated that the Gophers would face Texas Tech in a bowl for a second straight year, the Red Raiders will instead play No. 16 Arizona State in the
National University Holiday Bowl on Dec. 30. Jack Satzinger contributed to this report.
@DailyattheBank
12
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
MEN’S BASKETBALL
VOLLEYBALL
Senior guard Austin Hollins eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in Minnesota’s win.
trip to Sweet 16
BY JACE FREDERICK jfrederick@mndaily.com
The Gophers will battle Stanford, and if they win, they could face Penn State.
preps Gophers blow past SDSU Minnesota for fifth straight Tuesday night was the first time Rick Pitino saw his son Richard Pitino coach the Gophers at Williams Arena. While much of the early attention was on the Hall of Fame head coach’s attendance, Austin Hollins later stole the show. The senior guard finished with a game-high 20 points and 14 rebounds as the Gophers (9-2) beat South Dakota State (4-7) 75-59. “He was awesome,” Gophers head coach Richard Pitino said. “I thought he was so good tonight.” It was a big night for Hollins. He broke the 1,000-point mark for his career on a driving layup with about three minutes left in the game, making him the 38th player in Gophers history to reach the mark. “He’s had a great, consistent career,” Pitino said. “He’s going to go down as a really good Gopher, and I think he’s got much better basketball ahead of him.” Hollins said reaching the career mark on a night when he and the team played well was a bonus. “It feels good to reach that milestone and have a well-played game and get a win,” he said. “It’s been a long journey to get to this point. It means a lot.” The Gophers outrebounded South Dakota State 40-30 — an important achievement for a relatively small team that’s struggled on the glass this season. Hollins set the tone in the rebounding department as well — especially early. He grabbed 11 of his 14 boards in the first half. “He was tipping them to himself, [and] he was highenergy in the first half,” junior guard DeAndre Mathieu said. “He’s high-energy all the time. We’re used to it now.” Pitino emphasized to Hollins the importance of improving his rebounding before the season. He told him the Gophers needed him to get seven or eight rebounds a game. And Hollins has r esponded. He averaged only 3.2 boards last season, but after his dominance on the glass Tuesday night, he’s averaging 7.4 rebounds per contest through 11 games — an impressive number for a 6-foot-4inch guard. “I put in a lot of work in the offseason,” Hollins said. “It’s really starting to pay off.” Pitino wasn’t surprised by
BY DAVID NELSON dnelson@mndaily.com
CHELSEA GORTMAKER, DAILY
Gophers guard Austin Hollins plays against South Dakota State on Tuesday night at Williams Arena. MINNESOTA 75, SDSU 59 South Dakota State Minnesota
28 31 36 39
— —
59 75
FT Reb M-A O-T Ast PF 2-2 3-12 2 2 1-2 0-5 5 4 5-5 1-3 2 1 0-0 1-3 3 2 0-0 0-0 2 2 0-0 0-1 0 2 0-0 0-0 1 0 0-0 0-0 1 0 1-2 2-4 0 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0-0 0-0 0 0 9-11 8-30 16 14
Pts 16 9 15 8 2 2 0 2 5 0 0 59
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE Player Dykstra Larson White, C. Carlson Bittle Devine Broman Horstman Heemstra White, J. Jacobsen Total
Min 28 32 36 39 32 2 7 3 19 1 1 200
FG M-A 6-10 4-10 4-11 3-8 1-7 1-2 0-1 1-1 2-4 0-0 0-0 22-54
MINNESOTA Player Min Osenieks 17 Eliason 25 Hollins, Au. 30 Hollins, An. 31 Mathieu 28 Smith 24 King 20 Walker 13 McNeil 8 Ahanmisi 4 Total 200
FG FT Reb M-A M-A O-T Ast 4-6 0-0 1-2 2 4-5 2-2 3-12 1 7-16 4-4 5-14 3 3-11 1-1 3-4 8 4-9 4-5 0-1 2 2-6 0-0 0-2 3 1-2 0-0 1-1 1 1-3 2-2 0-2 1 1-2 0-1 0-0 0 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 27-62 13-15 15-40 21
PF 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 4 2 0 15
Pts 8 10 20 8 15 6 2 4 2 0 75
Hollins’ improvement on the glass. “It’s almost disturbing how easy he is [to coach],” Pitino said. While junior center Elliott Eliason notched a doubledouble and junior guard Andre Hollins added eight points and eight assists, the night belonged to Austin Hollins. He was taken out of the game with a little more than a
VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW
CHELSEA GORTMAKER, DAILY
Gophers center Mo Walker plays against South Dakota State on Tuesday night at Williams Arena.
minute to play, and fans gave him a standing ovation as he walked off the court. “I don’t think Austin Hollins gets enough respect,” Pitino said. “When you talk about the face of our team, [people would] say it’s Andre
Hollins. … “I think we’ve got two faces, and that’s Andre and Austin Hollins. ... Austin’s a tremendous player, and he’s only getting better.”
@DailyintheBarn
NBA
Love leads Timberwolves past Detroit BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — The Detroit Pistons are building their franchise around a talented frontcourt. On Tuesday night, the Minnesota Timber wolves gave them some tips on how that’s done. Kevin Love had 26 points and 16 rebounds, while Corey Brewer and Nikola Pekovic combined for 29 points as the Timberwolves routed the Pistons 121-94. The Timber wolves didn’t dominate inside, matching Detroit’s 44 points in the paint, but the Pistons str uggle to win games if they don’t have a major advantage in the post. “We were trying to make them take outside shots,” Timber wolves coach Rick Adelman said. “They made a lot in the first quarter, but our whole point is transition defense, getting back and trying not to give them anything near the basket.” As it often does, forcing the Pistons to shoot jumpers tur ned their of fense into chaos. Detroit hit just 38 percent of its outside shots, and 29 percent from 3-point range. In the meantime, the T imber wolves were shooting almost 50 percent from 3-point range and took 33 free throws to
Detroit’s 16. “They are such a hard team to defend, because they can score in so many ways,” Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks said. “Once they get scoring, they almost never stop, so you have to keep scoring with them. We had a couple stretches where we either tur ned the ball over or missed a few shots in a row, and that let them get away from us.” Love only played 30 minutes, sitting out the fourth quarter with the big lead. Detroit was unable to stop him inside, outside or on the break. Several of his seven assists came on his trademark 70-foot outlet passes off missed shots. “He’s a unique player, because he can sit down on the block and score against you, and then he can step out and hit 3-pointers,” Cheeks said. “On the other end, he’s grabbing rebounds and hitting those passes over the top on the break. He hit a few of those against us, and that’s an easy basket.” Love missed Minnesota’s loss to Miami on Dec. 7 to attend the funeral of his grandmother. He had “RIP Grandma Carol” written on his shoes Tuesday, and said he was playing with a little extra incentive.
After battling through the first two rounds of the NCAA tour nament, the Gophers will face of f against No. 3 Stanford on Friday in the Sweet 16. Minnesota almost didn’t make it this far after Colorado gave the Gophers a scare Saturday. Senior outside hitter Ashley Wittman said the reminder of a single-elimination tournament was good for the team. “We really had to battle and get into the competitive spirit,” Wittman said. “It’s one and done, so seeing that we can pull out a [five-set match] with a win just shows … we’re not going to back down from anything.” That idea of battling back in the face of adversity is not new to the Gophers. Minnesota battled through the gauntlet of the Big Ten this year — a conference that produced seven of the 16 teams left in the NCAA tournament. That fight helped the Gophers prepare. “It’s always tough at this point — not in terms of the schedule or whatever but just the caliber of the teams,” said head coach Hugh McCutcheon. While Minnesota could potentially face two teams ranked in the top three in the nation, the Gophers won’t have to worr y about playing in an unfamiliar place. The Gophers competed in the Bluegrass Battle in September, so they should feel comfor table in Kentucky. “I think we’re really lucky to have the opportunity of already playing
in Lexington and playing at the University of Kentucky,” senior middle blocker Tori Dixon said. “We got an overall feel for the environment there, which is a really big advantage.” Minnesota will need that advantage Friday night against Stanford. Similar to the Gophers, the Cardinals played through a grueling conference schedule in the Pac12 and boast a 17-3 record. Stanford led the conference in hitting percentage, blocks, kills and opponent hitting percentage. “They have a ver y high volleyball IQ,” McCutcheon said of the Cardinal. “They manage the game well, they play with some good speed at the pins … and they have a couple of good [middle blockers] that can hold their own.” Dixon and freshman middle blocker Hannah Tapp are tasked with limiting the production of Stanford’s middle blockers. McCutcheon said that despite Tapp’s youth, she tr usts Tapp against anyone in the countr y. “Hannah’s done a remarkable job this season of tr ying to develop into … an elite collegiate middle,” McCutcheon said. “She’s much better now than she was a few weeks ago.” McCutcheon also said the entire team has shown similar improvement over the last couple weeks. Minnesota car ries a six-match winning streak into its Sweet 16 match with Stanford, and it will need to continue to show improvement in order to make it seven straight wins.
“She’s suppor ted me since I was a baby, so I wanted to make sure and do something special for her tonight,” he said. Kevin Martin added 18 points for Minnesota, which finished with six players in double figures. “We did a great job of pushing the ball,” Minnesota guard Ricky Rubio said. “We had fun out there, and we were aggressive. That got us to the line, and then Kevin (Love) just does everything for us.” Brandon Jennings had 20 points for Detroit, but Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond were held to a combined total of 18 points and 10 rebounds. “They had won four of their last five games, so we knew we had to jump on them early and not let up,” Love said. “We had a big run and then kept the game in double digits. That really shows our leadership and maturity throughout our lineup.” The Pistons have relied heavily on their frontcourt this season, but didn’t have the advantage in that matchup against Minnesota. Love, Nikola and Brewer had 37 points in the first half, seven more than Detroit’s Dr ummond, Josh Smith and Monroe. The
Timber wolves had a 28-26 edge on points in the paint, usually Detroit’s biggest strength, and made 17 free throws to just one for Detroit. “I’m not going to complain about the free throws, because that’s part of the game,” Cheeks said. “They were more aggressive than we were, so they got to the line.” That was good enough to give the Timber wolves a 64-51 halftime lead, even though both teams had shot just over 52 percent from the field. Detroit trailed by as many as 17 points in the third, but going to a zone defense helped them cut the margin to 86-75 late in the quarter. Martin hit two 3-pointers to make it a 17-point lead, and Minnesota was up 96-77 going into the fourth quarter. With a fourth game in five nights coming Wednesday in New Orleans, Cheeks conceded early in the final quarter, emptying his bench as Detroit fell farther behind. “We have to forget this and get ready to play tomorrow,” rookie Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said. “They just spread us on defense by hitting 3s, and then they threw the ball inside for easy baskets. It’s tough to stop that.”
NO. 1O MINNESOTA
NO. 7 STANFORD
MICHIGAN STATE
NO. 2 PENN STATE
6 p.m., Friday and 3 p.m., Saturday in Lexington, Ky.
MINNESOTA: After sweeping Radford and beating Colorado in five sets, the Gophers move on to the Sweet 16, where they will take on Stanford, which is ranked third in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. Minnesota is 6-0 on neutral courts this season. Last weekend, the Gophers were led by seniors Tori Dixon and Ashley Wittman, who combined for 57 kills and 36 digs in the two matches. STANFORD: This is the 33rd straight season the Cardinal have been to the NCAA tournament. Stanford swept its first- and second-round opponents at home to move on to the Sweet 16. With only two players below 6 feet tall, Stanford brings plenty of height to its game. The Cardinal also feature five players who average 2.7 or more kills per set, giving them a variety of ways to attack opponents. MICHIGAN STATE: The Spartans have the tall task of trying to beat Penn State in their Sweet 16 matchup. Michigan State defeated the Nittany Lions on the road earlier this season in a five-set thriller. Senior outside hitter Lauren Wicinski has led the Spartans throughout the season, with 4.47 kills per set and 0.44 aces per set. PENN STATE: The top-ranked team in the Lexington regional — Penn State – has lost only twice this season. The Nittany Lions led the Big Ten in several categories, including hitting percentage, blocks and opponent hitting percentage. Penn State is the favorite to advance to the Final Four. SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM
CHELSEA GORTMAKER, DAILY
Gophers middle blocker Tori Dixon spikes the ball against Radford in the first round of the NCAA tournament at the Sports Pavilion on Friday.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Classifieds
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EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT
$13/hr Full time/part time RECEPTIONISTS for office bldg DT Mpls next to the Metrodome. Greet visitors, handle in-coming calls, must have good customer service, and have excellent fluent English speaking skills. between 7:30am-5:30pm M-F. Call Veena 612-321-0000
Production and Packaging Positions at Franklin Street Bakery. Please send resume to
humanresources@franklinstreetbakery.com
or visit our web site http://www.franklinstreetbakery.com/ careers.html $10-$12/hr
HOUSING
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DINKYTOWN
DINKYTOWN
*It’s Time To Rock and Roll and Get This Show On The Road* Dinkytown Rentals Showcase of Homes, New Lodges, Houses, Duplexes available for 2014 Whatever you’re looking for, big or small, we should have it here. 2014 should be quite a year! 612-378-2413 dinkytownrentals.com
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Events HAVE AN EVENT YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROMOTE IN THE DAILY? Submit your event to have it featured here for free. If you would like your event promoted here, go to mndaily.com/contact and fill out the provided form.
UPCOMING EVENTS What: I AM MPLS! Who: Sarah Edwards When: 6–11 p.m., Thursday; show starts at 7 p.m. Where: Aria, 105 N. First St., Minneapolis Price: $15 I AM MPLS!, the acclaimed fashion/variety show celebrating the talented and creative people of the city, returns Thursday. The multifacted event integrates comedy, music, fashion and art to form an entertaining evening based on locally grown creative pride. Conceived by Twin Cities-based stylist and event producer Sarah Edwards, I AM MPLS! is an eclectically vibrant celebration of who we are, what we do and the common bond that ties us to our fair city.
What: Blackfish documentary showing Who: Marine Biology Club When: 6:30 p.m., Thursday Where: Coffman Theater, Coffman Union Price: Free — suggested donation of $2 Blackfish is a new documentary profiling the abuses toward marine animals, particularly orcas, in captivity at SeaWorld. It focuses on Tilikum, a captive male orca who has killed three people since being taken captive. This event by the Marine Biology Club hopes to promote awareness about this issue and to educate many people who are not aware of how harmful captivity is to large marine animals such as whales and dolphins.
What: California Dreamin’ Open Studio Event in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District Who: The artists of the California Building When: 5–9 p.m., Friday; Noon–6 p.m., Saturday Where: California Building, 2205 California St. NE, Minneapolis Price: Free Meet artists in their studios, see fresh work, engage in lively conversation, enjoy refreshments and perhaps add to your art collection. Visit www.californiabuilding.com for more information.
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Wednesday, December 11, 2013
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.
12/11/13
Yesterday’s solution © 2013 Michael Mepham. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.
Today’s Birthday (12/11): What do you most want this year, for yourself and others? Notice limitations, and dissolve them with partnership. Share resources for mutual gain. Take actions that forward your dream.
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 — Business thrives with discipline and respect (Jupiter trine Saturn). Changes a level up affect you positively.
Libra (9/23 - 10/22): Today is a 6 — Kick it into high gear. Get professional bids. Don’t assume you know all the answers. A lot hinges on accurate reporting.
Taurus (4/20 - 5/20): Today is a 5 — Professional plans move forward, but watch out for a financial downturn. Changing your mind is part of the creative process.
Scorpio (10/23 - 11/21): Today is a 7 — Nourish yourself with food, rest and kindness. Allow yourself treats and incentives to work at maximum productivity.
Gemini (5/21 - 6/21): Today is a 5 — You may abruptly switch gears. Phone a relative. Insider advice helps solve a family problem.
Sagittarius (11/22 - 12/21): Today is a 7 — A brilliant revelation gets just lovely. Don’t expect thanks, though. Whether or not you encounter resistance, savor the results.
Cancer (6/22 - 7/22): Today is a 5 — An amazing discovery awaits. Learn from someone who’s been there. It’s not a good time to travel.
Capricorn (12/22 - 1/19): Today is a 6 — Make a decision intuitively. Share behind closed doors. Checks arrive. You can do more than you thought.
Leo (7/23 - 8/22): Today is a 6 — A brilliant idea concerning money comes to you. Your list may be shorter than you think. Study before buying. Get down to business quickly.
Aquarius (1/20 - 2/18): Today is a 7 — An unexpected windfall could present itself; you could get something you’ve been wanting.
Virgo (8/23 - 9/22): Today is a 7 — Your skill is improving, and holdings are gaining value. Borrow what you need. Explore without neglecting responsibilities.
Pisces (2/19 - 3/20): Today is a 7 — Accept a challenge, and stir things up. Look at yourself differently; try on a new role. Dress the part. Consult an expert. Follow through on your plan.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
overheard “It’s surprising how much porn there is on the Internet!”
—Centennial Hall
Person 1: “Graduate this winter?” Person 2: “Yeah, but I still haven’t found a job yet!” Person 1: “Keep looking.” Person 2: “It makes me happy that I’m done, but my student loan is $30k.” Person 1: “That’s the average loan for students these days.” Person 2: “WTF!?” Person 1: “You’ll be fine.”
—Outside McNeal Hall
Gandalf the Grey: “YOU SHALL PASS!”
—Willey Hall
[Guy plays upbeat music] “Man, I could booty dance to this all day.” [Turns to girl next to him] “Don’t you just want to booty dance to this!?”
“I’m going to be the best little hooker ever!”
—Centennial Hall dining hall “My balls are frozen!”
—Superblock
“Tonight, I’m going to walk the fine line between blacked out and obliterated.”
—Recreation and Wellness Center “We’re all three wearing pants!”
—Territorial Hall
Person 1: “Oh my God, I’m so cold.” Person 2: “Ha, good thing we have a fireplace!” Person 1: “OMG, I’m going to stick my feet in the fire!” Person 2: “... You can’t do that.”
—Smith Hall
—Comstock Hall ballroom
Campus Connector driver: “What’s the Washington Avenue Bridge Circulator?”
—Campus Connector
Professor: “If horses weren’t such big farters, they would explode!”
—St. Paul campus
“Can I hit her with a wrecking ball?”
—Biology class
“I feel like a walking snowman.”
—Hanson Hall
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 DECEMBER 11, 2013
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
ACROSS 1 __ Husky 9 Shoot for, with “to” 15 Like poisonous mushrooms 16 *Colonial imposition that led to a “party” 17 *After-school chum 18 “I __ a clue!” 19 Fun-with-bubblewrap sound 20 Sign of success? 21 Sweetie 22 Novelist Hunter 24 Dropped in 28 *FedEx, for one 32 Simple 33 Sty fare 34 Prince Valiant’s boy 37 *Wrestling move 41 Record producer Brian 42 Tract for Heathcliff and Cathy 44 Any Elvis number 46 *Some like it hot 53 Direct opposites 54 Receiving customers 55 Wild party 56 Sportscaster Costas 59 Hwy. 60 7-Up, in old ads 63 “Whoa! Do that somewhere else!” ... which hints at what can be shared by the beginning and end of the answers to starred clues 65 *Summary of atlas symbols 66 Notice in passing? 67 Cheers up 68 They’re often displayed on a cart DOWN 1 Nursed 2 Under Cupid’s spell 3 “Help me out, will ya?” 4 Eponymous ice cream maker 5 Salty spots on margarita glasses
12/11/13
By Rick Papazian
6 Steel beam 7 Midrange voice 8 Wedding column word 9 Where telecommuters work 10 Deck coating 11 __ dog: conditioned reflex experiment 12 Meteor tail? 13 Was published 14 Telephone no. add-on 21 Courtroom VIPs 23 Beak 24 One-eyed monster 25 Repulsive 26 Nobel Prize subj. 27 Confiscated auto 29 Actor Kilmer 30 Laramie-toCheyenne dir. 31 Big truck 34 Prefix with dextrous 35 Colorful horse 36 Kid’s punishment 38 Bullfight “All right!” 39 USN officer 40 Sephia automaker 43 South African antelopes
Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved
(c)2013 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
45 Ike’s WWII arena 47 Seat of County Kerry 48 School writing assignments 49 “So what” 50 Racket 51 Sharp comeback 52 “The __ in view; draw up your powers”: “King Lear”
12/11/13
56 Actress Neuwirth 57 Elevator name 58 Dugout rackmates 60 Thurman of “Kill Bill” 61 ’60s-’70s arena, briefly 62 PC component 63 Word on U.S. currency 64 Repent
dr. date Dr. Date,
A girl, 21, single, never dated, never kissed. Problem? I think yes. Needing help! What am I doing wrong? Diagnose me, please!
—Virgin Forever?
Lonely Island,
It’s not a problem, unless you make it one. You actually have more options than most at this point, since I’m assuming you don’t have any STDs. Not that “most” people have STDs or anything … Before we begin, I’d like to give you a piece of advice: Don’t run around telling people you’re a virgin just yet. Unfortunately, a lot of guys will take advantage of that information. Keep it to yourself until it comes up. Have you actually tried to date, or are you just now emerging from two decades of hibernation? If it’s the former, you’ve gotta tinker with your approach. Wipe the drool off your face before asking someone out. Don’t tuck your shirt into your underwear. Brush your hair. Now go beyond that. What are your interests? If you’re a Pokémon Master, you’re probably not going to have much luck at a dive bar. Look for people who share similar interests. Duh. Otherwise, you know, refine your masturbation skills and keep truckin’.
—Dr. Date
Dr. Date,
My boyfriend just decided to tell me that he applied to be in the Peace Corps. For two years. We didn’t talk about it — I had no idea he was even interested in the Peace Corps. He won’t find out for a
while where he’s going, but it could be anywhere. He told me he won’t really be able to leave his post for the entire two years, but he did say I could “maybe come visit.” What’s going on? We’ve been together for almost three years, and I feel like I deserve better than having this sprung on me. We’d been talking about moving in together after graduation, but it’s pretty clear that that’s not going to happen.
—Left Behind
War And Peace,
Young’uns are unpredictable, my friend. We’ve got restless, adventurous hearts, and some of us are more inclined to act on our impulses than others. The problem is that he didn’t talk to you about it beforehand. I’m assuming he waited until the last minute to avoid hearing anything that might deter him from joining the Peace Corps and running off for two years. Still, that was a super shady thing to do, especially considering how long you two have been together. A much longer discussion needs to happen. Lay your feelings on the table so you at least feel heard. I can’t promise it will change anything, but it’ll leave you more at ease if you speak up before he leaves. And who knows — it could just be a fleeting thing. Maybe he’ll wake up tomorrow with another grandiose idea. Is he just looking to escape? Lay those feelings on the table!
—Dr. Date
Need relationship advice? Email Dr. Date at drdate@mndaily.com.
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Wednesday, December 11, 2013
St. Paul students want in on safety talks Some students say St. Paul isn’t given sufficient attention with Universitywide safety issues. BY HAILEY COLWELL hcolwell@mndaily.com
With most attention on the University of Minnesota area’s recent increase in violent crime focused on Minneapolis neighborhoods, students on the St. Paul campus are looking to get more involved in safety talks. Though the area around the Minneapolis campus has seen more crime this fall, some students say St. Paul is often left out of campus-wide discussions, and they’re looking to be more active with safety initiatives for the smaller campus. The College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences Student
Board recently passed a resolution to begin developing a safety program that would reach out specifically to St. Paul campus students. “We don’t want to have to wait for something to happen,” said Kyle Meagher, secretary for the CFANS Student Board. R ylee Ahnen, an of ficer with the board and a CFANS student senator, said there has been frequent discussion about campus safety within the Minnesota Student Association, a group he works closely with. “It just kind of seemed like the St. Paul campus was being a little underrepresented in those discussions,” Ahnen said. St. Paul may not always seem on the same playing field when it comes to “Minneapolis-centric” discussions like safety, said Bill Ganzlin, CFANS Student Services director and adviser to the student board.
The most recent crime alert for an incident on the St. Paul campus was sent to the University community in July 2010, when a student was assaulted in the early morning. Still, Ahnen said the student board wants to be “proactive rather than reactive” about campus safety measur es and pr event crime. The CFANS Student Board isn’t pointing fingers at the University or MSA for St. Paul’s past underrepresentation in campus discussions, Ahnen said. Instead, he said, board members are tr ying to lead the campus’ safety efforts and start a dialogue between the two campuses about how they can work together. Ahnen said the students plan to create a group to help teach safety on the St. Paul campus and advocate for specific changes in the future that could make the campus safer, such as in-
stalling more street lights or asking for a stronger police presence. Establishing the task force would involve reaching out to students from the College of Biological Sciences and St. Paul student groups, Ahnen said. He said the student board hopes to start forming the task force before winter break.
“We don’t want to have to wait for something to happen.” KYLE MEAGHER secretary for the CFANS Student Board
University Ser vices communications director Tim Busse said the St. Paul campus is equipped with the same standard security devices found on the Minneapolis campus, like card-
swipe door access and police patrols. Because the St. Paul campus area hasn’t experienced the same recent crime as Minneapolis, the University has not had to respond with a large increase in patrols, Busse said. In terms of long-term campus safety plans, he said, University Services is looking into adding more card-swipe entrances and security cameras on both campuses. Busse said the campus security escor t program receives only a couple of calls per night from the St. Paul campus, a number that hasn’t increased much this fall. Because the St. Paul campus doesn’t historically have a student group that communicates concerns to the greater student body, Ahnen said, the CFANS Student Board is preparing to step into that role. Meagher said the group
is also looking to better connect with student government and other University entities to make sure St. Paul students are considered. “Our influence may be greater than we think sometimes,” Meagher said. Interior design sophomore Samantha Klapperick lives on West Bank but takes all of her classes on the St. Paul campus. Klapperick said she has noticed students on the St. Paul campus taking more safety precautions lately, and one professor added an alternative final time for students who don’t want to travel to campus at night. “Once it starts getting dark, people will start leaving campus,” she said. Though St. Paul students might not be as recognized when it comes to safety discussions, Klapperick said, she thinks they have the right to be involved. “They’re still all University students,” she said.