January 26, 2017

TOP HEADLINES INSIDE:

MALL FOR SOMALI RESIDENTS PROPOSED IN PHILLIPS PAGE 3

■■ U scientists’ drug could prevent blood loss

SOME HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT AN EXISITING MALL.

■■ Decline in flu shots rates at U mirrors nation

Researchers want to commercialize the drug for EMTs. PAGE 3

This year, Boynton has administered 16,033 shots. PAGE 8

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U OF M

MINNEAPOLIS

ST PAUL

LATE WEEK

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT MNDAILY.COM

JAN. 26-28, 2017

DINKYTOWN

LEGISLATURE

Lawmakers question U’s priorities Some legislators are concerned the U’s $147.2M budget request reflects wants, not needs. BY RYAN FAIRCLOTH mchao@mndaily.com

Some state lawmakers are concerned that the University’s priorities are backward in its $147.2 million budget request. The University requested the state funds from the Minnesota Legislature for initiatives to retain faculty and staff members, improve retention and graduation rates, expand research and restore health training ser vices, among others, in its biennial budget request. At a Tuesday House higher education committee meeting — the same day Gov. Mark Dayton recommended the University receive $96.8 million of its request — some legislators questioned the school’s spending priorities. “There seems to be less … emphasis on actually holding or decreasing student tuition,” said Rep. Abigail Whelan, R-Ramsey at the meeting. “I just see a u See REQUEST Page 10

GREEK LIFE

U fraternity to be investigated over allegedly penning racist, sexist note Women on “The Bachelor” were described in racist, sexist terms by some Delta Chi members. BY DAVID CLAREY dclarey@mndaily.com

CARTER JONES, DAILY

Will Harris carries a pot of coffee while Dean Schieve reads the paper and wife Mary scrolls through her phone in Al’s Breakfast on Monday. Dean said he’s been coming to Al’s since he was a student in 1987.

At Al’s, new owners, same ol’ breakfast traditions A former University of Minnesota student, Alison Kirwin, and Doug Grina are now co-owners of the six-decade-old Dinkytown mainstay. on 14th Avenue Southeast, alongside co-owner, Doug

BY ANDREW HEISER aheiser@mndaily.com

O

Grina. The switchup comes after previous co-owner, Jim

n her 22nd birthday, Alison Kirwin stepped

Brandes, retired in October after more than 40 years at

into Al’s Breakfast to visit a friend who

Al’s.

worked at the tiny Dinkytown haunt — it

But don’t expect a major overhaul of the restaurant

was 1996, and Kirwin was a student at the University of

—Kirwin said the transition in leadership has mostly in-

Minnesota.

volved behind-the-scenes adjustments that won’t affect

With an employee absent that day, Kir win volunteered to help with some of the eatery’s responsibilities.

“I would say most things from the customer perspec-

Now, two decades after her dishwashing days, Kir-

tive won’t change,” Kirwin said. “Al’s is successful partly

win has taken over ownership of the compact institution

A University of Minnesota fraternity will be investigated by its national headquarters after it allegedly used racist and sexist remarks to describe contestants on a reality TV show. In a list allegedly written by some members of the University’s Delta Chi chapter, terms like “slut,” “chink,” “nice tits,” “cake face,” “greasy,” “possible nigger lover,” “chubby knees” and “tard wrangler,” among others, were attributed to cast members of the popular ABC dating show, The Bachelor. The chapter’s president, Marshall Heitkamp, declined to comment and referred questions to Delta Chi’s national office. In an emailed statement, Marquez Brown, the fraternity’s associate executive director, said that the national leadership, chapter leadership and alumni advisors u See DELTA Page 3

the culture of Al’s.

because we don’t change.”

u See AL’S Page 8

STUDENT ISSUES

Study says affluent grad students remain wealthy The report reinforces concerns over income, racial disparities in graduate-level education. BY DAVID CLAREY dclarey@mndaily.com

A new repor t examining graduate school disparities shows well-off students, well, stay well-off. While there are more people enrolling

ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT

in graduate school, students from higherincome families pursue higher-paying graduate degrees, according to a report released earlier this month by the Urban Institute, a nonprofit that researches social and economic policy. “What this study is focused on is that [graduate degree financial returns] var y tremendously by what type of degree you get,” said Sandy Baum, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute. Much of the discussion on disparities in

higher education centers on undergraduates, she said. “The reality is that it also differs quite a bit for graduate school,” Baum said. “One of [the] things we’re finding is there’s very little attention to graduate students.” The study also found other trends in graduate program enrollment. More male, Asian, and affluent students are enrolled in higher- paying, upper-level u See WEALTH Page 3

Coyle discusses fallout from football sex assault scandal The Daily talked with AD Mark Coyle for the first time since P.J. Fleck’s was hired in January. BY MIKE HENDRICKSON mhendrickson@mndaily.com

For the first time since sexual assault allegations led to the suspension of Gophers football players, the firing of their coach and the hiring of a new one, University of Minnesota Athletics Director Mark Coyle sat down with the Minnesota Daily Monday. Coyle discussed the recent controversy surrounding the football team and the firing of Tracy Claeys . ELLEN SCHMIDT, DAILY

University of Minnesota Athletics Director Mark Coyle discusses recent events such as the football team’s boycott and new football coach on Jan. 23 at TCF Bank Stadium.

What has P.J. Fleck done in the two weeks since he was hired that has

impressed you? Nothing. I knew he would have great work ethic ... He and his staff have been recruiting non-stop. He put together a staff very quickly. When we had a chance to sit down and inter view him, those were all things he talked about. He was very organized, very plain and thought out, and he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. How do you feel about the public’s reception to him? … I mentioned at the press conference when we hired him, he has a lot of authentic energy and passion and I think people can resonate with that. I think people, they see that when he’s being interviewed, they see him when he’s talking, but then when u See COYLE Page 8 VOLUME 117 ISSUE 33

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Thursday, January 26, 2017

Daily Review

THIS DAY IN HISTORY 1788 Captain Arthur Phillip guides a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding Australia. HISTORYCHANNEL.COM/TDIH

ST. PAUL Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017 Vol. 117 No. 33

An Independent Student Newspaper, Founded in 1900. 2221 University Ave. SE, Suite 450 Minneapolis, MN 55414 Phone: (612) 627-4080 Fax: (612) 435-5865 Copyright © 2016 The Minnesota Daily This newspaper, its design and its contents are copyrighted. OFFICE OF THE PUBLISHER Dylan Scott Editor-in-Chief dscott@mndaily.com (612) 435-1575 Elizabeth Luke Business Operations Officer eluke@mndaily.com (612) 435-2761 NEWS STAFF Chris Aadland Managing Editor caadland@mndaily.com Allison Dohnalek Managing Production Editor adohnalek@mndaily.com Emily Polglaze Sports Editor epolglaze@mndaily.com Jack White Assistant Sports Editor jwhite@mndaily.com Sophia Vilensky A&E Editor svilensky@mndaily.com Alex Tuthill-Preus Multimedia Editor atuthill-preus@mndaily.com Maddy Fox Assistant Multimedia Editor mfox@mndaily.com Haley Hansen Copy Desk Chief hhansen@mndaily.com Sheridan Swee Assistant Copy Desk Chief sswee@mndaily.com Harry Steffenhagen Visuals Editor hsteffenhagen@mndaily.com Cedar Thomas Visuals Editor cthomas@mndaily.com Brenna Bast Chief Page Designer bbast@mndaily.com Jackie Renzetti Campus Editor jrenzetti@mndaily.com Ethan Nelson City Editor enelson@mndaily.com Nick Wicker Policy Editor nwicker1@mndaily.com Jessie Bekker In-Depth Editor jbekker@mndaily.com Lucy Carey Social Media Manager lcarey@mndaily.com =

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Rachel Takazawa watches as Rod Dockter putts the ball into Hole 16 at Can Can Wonderland in St. Paul on Thursday, Jan. 16.

EASTON GREEN, DAILY

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STATE REPORT FANS PAY RESPECTS TO MARY TYLER MOORE IN MINNEAPOLIS MINNEAPOLIS — Fans in Minneapolis are paying tribute to actress Mary Tyler Moore, whose popular 1970s show was set in Minnesota’s largest city. Moore, who played a TV producer on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” died Wednesday at 80. In downtown Minneapolis, fans laid flowers at the base of the statue showing Moore smiling and tossing her cap in the air, as she did in the show’s opening credits. Some fans also imitated the hat-tossing or posed for selfies in front of the statue, which is temporarily indoors during Nicollet Mall construction. Thirty-five-year-old Nichole Buehler (BYOO’lur) of Minneapolis said her first instinct after hearing Moore had died was to find the statue and pay her respects. Buehler says for people in Minneapolis, seeing their city captured on TV “was a big deal.”

LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER CALLS FOR IMPROVEMENTS ST. PAUL — A new report from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says the upper Mississippi River is in good shape, but the water quality quickly degrades as it flows toward the Twin Cities. The lower Mississippi River needs major improvements to reduce pollution, according to the report. “The patter n that we found is that the water quality in the Upper Mississippi, from the headwaters down to about the St. Cloud area, is really very, very good,” said Dana Vanderbosch, manager of lake and stream monitoring with the state pollution control agency. “But then, south of St Cloud, and into Minneapolis, the water quality really starts to degrade, and the river life isn’t as healthy.” While the nor ther n stretch of the river flows largely through forests and wetlands that help filter out pollutants, the lower stretch receives more polluted runoff from farms and urban development, Minnesota Public Radio News reported. ASSOCIATED PRESS

NATIONAL BRIEFING

Nebraska lawmaker quits after unsavory Women’s March retweet BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LINCOLN, Neb. — A Nebraska state legislator known for his blunt, occasionally offensive manner, who was fined for having cybersex using a state computer, resigned Wednesday after he retweeted a comment that implied participants at a women’s march were too unattractive to be sexually assaulted. Republican Sen. Bill Kintner announced at a news conference in the state Capitol that he would step down from the seat he has held since 2012. He made the announcement less than an hour before Nebraska lawmakers were scheduled to

Idaho man admits to fed. hate crime in gay man killing BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BOISE, Idaho — An Idaho man has agreed to plead guilty to a federal hate crime in the death of a gay man in exchange for a chance at a 28-year sentence instead of life in prison. Kelly Schneider, 23, acknowledges in court documents he lured victim Steven Nelson to a remote area and used steeltoed boots to kick Nelson roughly two-dozen times while Nelson begged for his life. The plea agreement document filed in Boise’s U.S. District Court on Wednesday outlines the details of the crime. On April 27, 2016, according to the document, Schneider posted a solicitation for sex on Backpage.com, along with a shirtless photo of himself. Nelson responded to the posting, and the two met that same night. Though Schneider took Nelson’s money, the two didn’t engage in any sexual acts, according to the plea agreement. “Before the encounter, the defendant told his friends that he was not gay and would not let anyone who was gay touch him,” U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson wrote in the plea agreement. Schneider contacted Nelson and agreed to meet him at a local Wal-Mart parking lot. There, he asked Nelson to drive to an isolated wildlife area outside of town for a romantic encounter. Unbeknownst to Nelson, however, Schneider planned a robbery and had two of friends lying in wait at the wildlife area in case Nelson resisted. Schneider began beating Nelson as soon as they arrived, and Nelson never resisted, according to the plea agreement. Instead, he volunteered his ATM number and begged for his life, saying, “Please don’t kill me. Take whatever you want,” Olson wrote. As Schneider’s friends remained hidden, Schneider kicked and beat Nelson while taunting him with a gay slur. Then he stripped Nelson and left him at the wildlife area, driving away in Nelson’s car.

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debate whether to expel him — the first time the Legislature would have taken such an action in recent history. Kintner said he received many calls from constituents urging him to stay, and that he was resigning even though he was worried it would “be hailed as a victory to the progressive and aggressive liberal movement.” The Republican — who previously enjoyed support from his conservative allies, despite his penchant for inflammator y comments — described his last four years in office as “frustrating” and acknowledged that senators likely had enough votes to remove him. “To paraphrase Richard

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Nixon, you won’t have Bill Kintner to kick around anymore,” he said. He did not apologize for his social media faux pas and left the press conference without taking questions. Kintner, of Papillion, retweeted a comment Sunday by conser vative radio personality Larry Elder that mocked three women pictured with signs protesting Donald Trump’s comments about touching women inappropriately. Above the photo, Elder wrote: “Ladies, I think you’re safe.” Kintner’s office later released a statement saying: “By retweeting a message, I was not implying support for putting women in fear of

their personal safety. I took down the retweet as soon as I became aware that it was being misconstrued.” Kintner’s resignation won’t go into ef fect until Monday at 12:01 a.m. Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer said he has asked Kintner not to participate in any more floor debates or votes. Scheer, a fellow Republican, said he appreciated Kintner’s decision to step down and spare the Legislature the “toil and disruption” of a vote to expel him. He said he met with Kintner Tuesday night and again on Wednesday morning, but declined to elaborate on what they discussed.

Case dropped against man jailed for 25 years BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — After spending a quarter-centur y in prison on a conviction that got overturned, Johnny Hincapie was waiting to hear whether he’d finally be cleared of suspicion in an infamous tourist killing. He got both a yes and a no Wednesday. Prosecutors said they’d dismiss rather than retry the 1990 case, yet they emphasized they still think Hincapie was involved in a subway mugging that ended with the deadly stabbing of Utah tourist Brian Watkins as he tried to protect his parents. But even if not declared innocent, Hincapie said he’s “overjoyed.” “I can finally, now, put this behind me and not ever have to worry about this, looking back, ever again,” the 44-yearold said, his voice breaking, as he left court with his family. He’d been freed since his conviction was tossed in 2015. To Hincapie, who said he was beaten into a false confession as an 18-year-old Colombian immigrant, the case was a blatant injustice the legal system refused to acknowledge for decades. For prosecutors, it illustrated the difficulties of trying to get a decades-old, once-tossed conviction again. “While we continue to believe that Hincapie’s confessions were both voluntary and truthful” and he participated in the fatal attack, “it is unlikely that a new jury can be convinced of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt,” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Eugene Hurley III wrote in a court filing released Wednesday. Witnesses’ memories have faded, an important prosecution witness — Watkins’ father — has died, and a new witness came forward to say Hincapie played no role in the attack, Hurley noted. Another witness and a co-defendant also have vouched in recent years that Hincapie wasn’t involved. Hincapie’s lawyer, Ron Kuby, said prosecutors should have shown “at least some expression of uncertainty, of doubt, of humility” about the case. Watkins’ mother, Karen, declined to comment on the developments when reached by phone later Wednesday, saying she was only then learning of them.

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EDITORIAL STAFF Grace Thomas Editorials & Opinions Editor jthomas@mndaily.com Anant Naik Senior Editorial Board Member anaik@mndaily.com BUSINESS Catherine Vaught Retail Sales Manager cvaught@mndaily.com Emily Vermeulen Creative Director evermeulen@mndaily.com CORRECTIONS The Minnesota Daily strives for complete accuracy and corrects its errors immediately. Corrections and clarifications will always be printed in this space. If you believe the Daily has printed a factual error, please call the readers’ representative at (612) 627–4070, extension 3057, or email errors@mndaily.com immediately. THE MINNESOTA DAILY is a legally independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and is a student-written and student-managed newspaper for the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus. The Daily’s mission is: 1) to provide coverage of news and events affecting the University community; 2) to provide a forum for the communication and exchange of ideas for the University community; 3) to provide educational training and experience to University students in all areas of newspaper operations; and 4) to operate a fiscally responsible organization to ensure its ability to serve the University in the future. The Daily is a member of the Minnesota News Council, the Minnesota Associated Press, the Associated Collegiate Press, The Minnesota Newspaper Association and other organizations. The Daily is published Monday and Thursday during the regular school year and weekly during the summer, and it is printed by ECM Publishers in Princeton, Minn. Midwest News Service distributes the 13,000 issues daily. All Minnesota Daily inserts are recyclable within the University of Minnesota program and are at least 6 percent consumer waste. U.S. Postal Service: 351–480.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

3

Warsame proposes new Somali mall The councilman hopes to open a new mall cooperatively owned by residents. BY RAJU CHADUVULA rchaduvula@mndaily.com

V illage Market, a vibrant collection of shops geared toward the needs of Somali-American residents, may soon have competition. A new plan from Ward 6 Minneapolis City Counc i l m a n A b d i Wa r s a m e , proposes to build another mall for Minneapolis’ Somali community after several years of complaints waged against V illage Market, which is located on 24th Street in the Philips neighborhood. In the plan, residents and entrepreneurs would cooperatively own the new mall, so the power of shopkeepers and tenants doesn’t rest entirely in the hands of a few landlords, Warsame said. While the mall’s location hasn’t been determined, it would be located outside of a residential area so that traf fic wouldn’t be a problem, he said. The existing mall, Village Market, is owned by Omar Sabri. “If Mr. Warsame wants to open a mall, I think it is a great idea,” said Basim Sabri, Omar Sabri’s brother. Omar Sabri could not be reached for comment. Warsame said he has received several complaints

about the mall’s unstable infrastructure and issues around maintenance — problems that have been only somewhat resolved after pressure from the city, he said. “ Yo u s h o u l d n ’ t b e forced to change … you should do those things anyways,” Warsame said. Since 2010, the mall has been cited nearly 200 times for violations, he said. For many residents, the mall’s location isn’t convenient. Located in the middle of a residential area, the area has increased issues with traffic and littering, Warsame said. Although Basim Sabri and his company, Sabri Proper ties, have no financial holdings with the Village Market, he said the market does better than how it is nor mally portrayed. Pr oposing a mall is easy, Sabri said, but managing one is difficult. “Am I per fect? Is my brother perfect? Of course not, but we tr y to do better,” Sabri said. On Monday, the city denied permits to complete constr uction of a porch, citing doubt in Sabri’s good faith. Sabri had already started construction without a permit. While issues persist, the mall remains a staple for the local Somali comm u n i t y. T h e t w o - f l o o r building is fille d wi t h shops that sell goods specific to Somali-Americans needs. “[The mall] functions

“[The mall] functions more as a cultural center ... We need a place where everyone feels welcome.” ABDIRAHMAN KAHIN Afro Deli owner

more as a cultural center,” said Abdirahman Kahin, owner of Afro Deli, an East African restaurant with a location formerly on the West Bank. “We need a mall where ever yone feels welcome.” Mohamed Jama, chair of the West Bank Community Coalition, said the mall proposal is “a fantastic idea.” Citing the cooperative aspect of the new mall, Jama said it would allow the mall to help up-and-coming entrepreneurs in the Somali community. W ithin the next six months, Warsame said he hopes to have plans drawn up and a location set for the mall. “We want to make sure that there’s an alternative mall … one that is cleaner and meets the safety and maintenance standards,” Warsame said. Kahin, too, said a new mall would be better for residents, since they would get to choose where they go. “I’d be happy to see a new mall … I’d be one of the first tenants,” Kahin said.

U researchers receive funding for drug therapy The drug could help first responders lengthen survival time after accidents. BY NEHA PANIGRAHY npanigrahy@mndaily.com

A drug that could help first-responders prevent blood loss during traumatic injuries will soon undergo trials at the University of Minnesota. Scientists from the University’s Duluth and T win Cities campuses are researching Betahydroxybutyrate and melatonin — commonly referred to as BHB/M — a drug therapy that helps slow blood flow, extending sur vival time for those in accidents. Researchers are hoping to commercialize the drug to be used in emergency medical settings. “Blood loss therapy is in critical need because ther e has been no advancement in 100 years,” said Dr. Lester Drewes, a principle investigator of the drug research. N o r m a l l y, g l u c o s e

helps coagulate blood. It takes 13 steps to be completely metabolized in human bodies, using lots of oxygen along the way. Unlike glucose, BHB/M uses much less oxygen and requires fewer steps to break down, speeding up coagulation, said Drewes. BHB/M is a unique compound — commonly found in gophers — that provides an alter nate source of energy for cell metabolism, Drewes said. After obser ving that hiber nating gophers use BHB/M to slow down blood flow, the research team decided to apply the principle to humans, she said. Although it is unclear how exactly the dr ug works in humans, the r esults have pr oven it to be an ef fective method in speeding up metabolization, Drewes said. Beginning studies on BHB/M began 10 years ago, and after initial funding, research was conducted on small animals, like rats. As BHB/M showed promising results in rats,

the researchers received more funding from the University and from outside sources, Drewes said. The drug has also been tested on larger animals like pigs, which are an excellent model, as they have biological systems similar to humans. The dr ug was submitted as a blood loss therapy to the Food and Drug Administration last year and has yet to be approved, said Dr. Greg Beilman, a trauma surgeon and another principle investigator who originally developed the drug therapy in 2005. Because of an increase in funds, the group will have resources for toxicology research and reagents used in the experiment, Beilman said. And as of late November, the project had received $2.5 million in an effort to commercialize the drug, he said. “As a trauma and army surgeon for nearly 25 years, I have a burning desire to come up blood loss therapies,” Beilman said. The research team will star t clinical trials on humans within the next year.

Study finds that wealthy grad students often pursue higher income careers Wealth u from Page 1

degree programs such as law or medicine than other groups. At the same time, female, black, and less- affluent students are enrolled in master’s programs more often, which usually pay less. The study found that black students go on to pursue graduate degrees more often than other racial and ethnic groups, but they are disproportionately enrolled in master’s programs and for-profit institutions. “I think we should worry about people spending a lot of money to get master’s degrees that end up not doing much for them,” Baum said. Academics have long been concer ned about graduate education disparities, but studies like this one help quantify the problems, said University of Minnesota’s Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate

Education Scott Lanyon. “I think one of the things that this study … helps identify is that it’s not simply a case of focusing in on admissions policy,” he said. “We need to be thinking about ways we can address this long before the admissions process.” Last fall, the University’s graduate admissions office started implicit bias training at each of its schools, he said. But alleviating these issues goes beyond admissions policies and takes lengthy periods of time, Lanyon said. “You can’t allow yourself to get discouraged because you don’t see a massive change in [diversity] within a year,” he said. “It has to really be a priority for a long period of time.” A similar study published in 2013 on race and ethnicity in science and engineering studies found under representation of minorities across all

education levels. Eliminating these disparities can have far-reaching impacts, said the study’s author, Howard Garrison, director of public affairs and policy for the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, If women or minorities are in research positions, he said it is more likely they’ll approach problems their communities face, which are often understudied. “We’re asking the public to support scientific inquir y, and the public needs to … see scientists as people like them,” Garrison said. Baum said it’s important to acknowledge the depth of the disparities. “We should understand this is very important, and it makes a very big difference in people’s lives,” she said. “There are serious differences that persist, not just at the door of college, but long after, based on where you come from.”

CHRIS DANG, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Clothes sit on display in a store on Tuesday at Village Market in Minneapolis.

CHRIS DANG, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Owner Nimo Naalin poses for a portrait inside her store on Tuesday at Village Market.

Delta u from Page 1

were aware of the note allegedly penned by current members. “The comments made in this document are vulgar, inappropriate and do not represent the Delta Chi Frater nity, our membership at the University of Minnesota, nor our culture as an international brotherhood,” he said in the statement. “Chapter leaders, in collaboration with their alumni advisor y team, will also conduct a judicial board process to review this circumstance and hold anyone accountable to actions that violate the values and expectations of Delta Chi.”

He also said the frater nity is working with the University’s Office of Equity and Diversity to help with equity, diversity and sensiviity education. A picture of the list appeared in a now-deleted tweet by a female University student who hosted a viewing par ty where five members of Delta Chi had the document, City Pages reported. While the original tweet was deleted, it was saved by another student, according to City Pages. The list also included the contestants’ names, ages and occupations, among others. Matthew Sumera, University Of fice for Student Af fairs spokesman, said the frater nity is talking with the office’s

Multicultural Student Engagement unit about educational training. “The University of Minnesota is awar e of recent allegations involving members of the Delta Chi frater nity regarding inappropriate notes taken about contestants on the popular TV Show ‘The Bachelor,’” James Ehr mann, University Of fice for Frater nity and Sorority Life program director, said in an emailed statement. “We condemn all for ms of discrimination among our student population, and are using this situation as an oppor tunity to have educational conversations with the chapter, and all our community members, about these issues.”

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Thursday, January 26, 2017

SHOPPING

Reading time If Magus Books and Herbs was to receive its own tarot reading, symbols of instincts and success would be in the cards.

MADDY FOX, DAILY

Psychic Holly Burns sits at a table in Magus Books and Herbs awaiting customers to give readings to on Wednesday. Magus, located in Dinkytown, offers a variety of spiritual services to the Minneapolis community. BY KATIE LAUER klauer@mndaily.com

T

he Fool tarot card isn’t what it sounds like. The card can represent someone who follows life’s path and trusts the journey — exactly how Holly Burns star ted working as a psychic at Magus Books and Herbs. When Burns heard her name whispered outside her ear in 2005, she didn’t initially

realize what that voice was. One year later, she sought out a psychic who told her it was her “spirit guide.” Flash forward 10 years. Another whisper: “Go do readings for a job.” After a friend suggested the Dinkytown store, Burns was hired on the spot. Burns says that in her psychic role, she acts as a translator between what she hears from her spirit guide and her clients. She utilizes tarot cards as a form of sign language.

“I act as an interpreter to the all-knowing realm,” she explained. That same translating of the universe is what fellow reader Lily McNamara can be found doing at Magus. McNamara, however, has been in touch with this other realm since childhood. “I was born with my gift,” McNamara said. “I was talking to spirits before I was talking to anyone else.” McNamara says she enjoys the respect and community that shop

MADDY FOX, DAILY

Merchandise sits on display at Magus Books and Herbs on Wednesday. Located in Dinkytown, Magus offers a variety of spiritual services and goods to the Minneapolis community.

owners Mela Amara and Liz Johnson have fostered at Magus. “We’re all about supporting every spirituality under the sun, and we are not here to judge,” Amara said. “We support and encourage selfexploration and expansion.” W ith the mission to shine light and expand horizons, the store tries to cater to all religions and practices. They have books about Buddhism and ceremonial magick, and statues of Ganesh

and Anubis. “It’s a place where many communities intersect,” Johnson said. One pr oduct in particular triumphs — herbs. All 600 types of their renowned herbs ar e displayed in jars along Magus’ main wall. Strawberr y leaf spindle tree, witch hazel, sweet gum fr uit, frankincense and rose hips are just a few of the labels that master herbalist Johnson has compiled over the years.

Despite yearly ef for ts to cull the collection, it continues to grow. “[We tr y to give new people] a lot to explore and also give the people who are ver y seasoned and have been doing this for a while something new to chew on,” Johnson said. Consoling any worries about their ever-growing collection at Magus, Johnson quoted original owner Roger Williamson with a laugh, “If you don’t see it, you don’t need it.”

POETRY

Q&A: Minneapolis poet Sun Yung Shin A&E sat down with the groundbreaking local poet to talk research, Trump and the magic of 26 letters. BY JOE CRISTO jcristo@mndaily.com

O

nce in a while we come across a talented writer who is able to meld and marry classic artistic ideals with prevailing, progressive views. Local poet and teacher Sun Yung Shin has won the Asian American Literar y Award — an award from the Minnesota State Ar ts Board — and a Jerome Foundation Award. Her body of work deals with weighty topics that disrupt the canon and ideals on gender, race and class. I know you have a different story than the average Western canon writer. Could you explain a bit? I am a transnational transracial adoptee. I was born in Seoul, South Korea, was adopted and grew up in Chicago. I don’t have a typical Asian-American immigrant experience in terms of growing up with actual immigrants. I was the only person of color in my immediate family, so I grew up in a multiracial environment. Your work deals a lot with some of these identities. How do you approach these themes? Poetry is often about being cognizant in the world and observing the living life.

“Poetry is often about being cognizant in the world and observing the living life. I like to think that writing becomes a set of problems that seem onsolvable, or can’t be thought through in ordinary ways.” SUN YUNG SHIN Poet

I like to think that writing becomes a set of problems that seem unsolvable, or can’t be thought through in ordinary ways. [These problems] often turn into a lasting poetic project or help me question things in art. I tend to do a lot of reading or research before I start certain kinds of poems. Would you say Minneapolis is a place that thinks about the intersections of identities? It doesn’t make sense to work or write as if people are just one thing and do not exist at different types of complicated or conflicted crossroads of competing interests. I don’t want to oversimplify things. Minneapolis is great about that. The artists and activists of color here are such a power ful group of people and are extremely supportive and creative. What are your thoughts on the [state of the country] and how that affects your art? I switch between feeling like we’re in an elegy and

“Creating poetry and art is important to me because I didn’t see my own experience in any mainstream art form.” EASTON GREEN, DAILY

Minneapolis based poet Sun Yung Shin poses for a portrait outside the Roosevelt Library in Minneapolis on Jan. 21.

A&E EDITOR

Sophia Vilensky svilenksy@mndaily.com

RADIO K TOP 7

SUN YUNG SHIN Poet

1. GREG GREASE, Frequencies 2. CITY COUNSELOR, If I Must 3. DR. WYLIE, Addikt

feeling — as someone from another divided countr y whose leader is being impeached right now — that this is the struggle of humanity without the veil. We usually hide behind this veil because it’s easier. But this is reality. If we are dealing with authoritarianism in a naked form, we can be a lot smarter and proactive about fighting back. How has poetry provided a respite in difficult times? What does poetry mean to you? Creating poetry and art is important to me because I didn’t see my own experience in any mainstream art form. I know that when I work I’m opening a new narrative. I think art functions differently than any other form of discourse in that it obviously privileges aesthetics, beauty and pleasure. But these can also be ethical and moral because one presentation of what is beautiful is inherently an ethical stance. Art has helped me see that I can reflect my own experiences and tell my own story — or use my imagination to tell someone else’s. The fact that you can make an infinite amount of visions with 26 letters is pure magic. Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

4. L’ORANGE, Consider 5. TERRY MALTS, Gentle Eyes 6. RUN THE JEWELS, Panther Like A Panther 7. ZULUZULUU, Back Stabbers (The O-Jays Cover)

Thursday, January 26, 2017

CULTURE to CONSUME /

5

By Joe Cristo, jcristo@mndaily.com

Watch this:

Listen to this:

Stream this:

“La La Land”

“Oczy Mlody” by The Flaming Lips

“Insecure”

Ignore what everyone has been saying about this movie — the negative reaction is either baseless or impacted by how successful the movie has been thus far. It’s well-written, incredibly directed and one of the most original movies in recent memory. The movie is about jazz, but it’s still good.

The Flaming Lips haven’t been good in years … if they ever were at all. I’m recommending this record so you can contextualize the fall of what’s considered one of the best rock bands of the 21st century. The album title is a joke, and — except for a few fleeting melodies and hooks — so is the music. Just look to the final song on the album, it features Miley Cyrus in her worst work to date.

Over winter break I managed to find time to watch the HBO television dramedy “Insecure” — it’s explosive. I usually don’t bite for things that are over-hyped, and the popular notion that something is good simply because it reflects diverse voices seems flawed. But then there are shows like “Insecure,” where traditionally-marginalized voices are emphasized with talented writing and even more talented directing.

PLACES

Review: ‘Yes, you can’ at Can Can Wonderland This artist-renovated warehouse feels like a lively combination of carnival and sculpture garden. BY KATIE LAUER klauer@mndaily.com

C

an Can Wonderland — an ar tistcreated mini golf course/ arcade/bar/ adult playground — opened earlier this month in St. Paul’s Hamline-Midway neighborhood. Arriving at the slightly creepy warehouse, I immediately thought I was lost. The spooky factor only increased when inside , red ar rows provided the only direction through the winding halls. As soon as you get to the main room, however, the slight eeriness is worth it. My brain couldn’t focus on just one thing: A waisthigh, neon carousel was on my left, the walls were covered in bright graffiti and two bars flaunted chur ning hot chocolate and fluffy cotton candy. I felt like Charlie in the chocolate factor y. While mini golf seemed like the logical place to begin, there was a waitlist to star t putting. This wasn’t wor risome — it of fered time to explore. Around the back, more than 20 classic pinball and older arcade games made me wish I had brought a pocketful of quar ters. Also hidden away was

One drink in particular is aptly named “That Carrot Drink.” The rum and sherry drink is served with edible dirt made out of Oreo cookies and chocolate graham grackers.

EASTON GREEN, DAILY

Colin Moynihan puts his ball down Hole 4: Squirrel Scrambler at Can Can Wonderland in St.Paul on Jan 16.

Cardboard Adventure — a life-sized for t to wander through. Be prepared for darkness, small spaces and potential cardboard cuts. I felt 7-years-old again. When the time finally came to explore the 18-hole course, I felt like I was walking around the

sculpture garden. Can you hit your ball past a rotating fabric tornado that goes all the way up to the ceiling? Yes, you can. Can you try to knock your ball up into the mouth of a giant fiberglass lizard with glowing eyes? Yes — yes, you can.

Each hole is a new adventure created by a local ar tist with themes ranging from the St Paul Saints to “Gramma’s Living Room.” I was honestly stumped by how some of the features were created. Soon, time on the green turned to time spending

green. Without a “proper” kitchen, Can Can Wonderland’s menu is right out of an amusement park. They had nachos, mini donuts and sandwiches galore. I opted for the Bahn Mi hotdog, because “why not?” While the $9 dog wasn’t filling, it was delicious. The operation’s two

bars ser ve your standard fare, but their cocktails are something else entirely. Cer tain drinks include edible sand, sparklers and something called “smoked dragon’s blood.” One drink in particular is aptly named “That Carrot Drink.” The r um and sher r y drink is ser ved with edible dir t made out of Oreo cookies and chocolate graham crackers. The beverage is garnished with tiny plants and ser ved in a mini gardening pot. Tasters said the drink of fered a strong, ear thy taste. Though the $14 price tag seems a little high, you’re paying for novelty. The live band helps cure sticker shock. Even on a Thursday, the war ehouse echoed with laughter, “wows,” and the occasional expletive. From grandparents to grandchildren, the energy

NETFLIX

Review: “A Series of Unfortunate Events” Step aside, Jim Carrey. There’s a new Count Olaf on Netflix. BY MADDY FOLSTEIN mfolstein@mndaily.com

S

creen adaptations of your favorite children’s series can sometimes ruin beloved childhood memories — I’m looking at you, “Percy Jackson & The Olympians.” Other times, though, if you’re lucky, these adaptations can help you rediscover a cherished story. Netflix’s episodic adaptation of Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events” does just that. Upon watching the eight episodes available on Netflix, I was surprised to remember just how smart the series is. The adaptation closely follows the plot of the original book series. The three Baudelaire orphans —

While I’m not one to expect perfection when it comes to matching screen adaptations to their original literary sources, I appreciate Netflix’s commitment to the content and aesthetic of the original series. Violet, Klaus and Sunny — are forced to live with various guardians after the mysterious death of their parents. Count Olaf, their first guardian, is after the Baudelaire’s sizeable fortune and will stop at nothing to get the money. While I’m not one to expect perfection when it comes to matching screen adaptations to their original literary sources, I appreciate Netflix’s commitment to the content and aesthetic of the original series. And the world Snicket created — one that is equal

CULTURE COMPASS /

parts whimsy and horror — translates well to television. The str ucture of the show itself plays better than the original 2004 film adaptation with Jim Carrey. Netflix devoted its season to the first four books of the series, splitting each book into two sections to create eight total episodes. This allows the adaptation to dive fully into Snicket’s world of strange characters and dark humor. Snicket, played by Patrick Warburton, is one of the best parts of the show. Acting as

CURTOSY OF NETFLIX MEDIA CENTER

Louis Hynes, Malina Weissman and Neil Patrick Harris in “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”

narrator, he dissects the language and clichés that the characters use. His delivery is perfectly deadpan. Neil Patrick Har ris plays Count Olaf wonderfully with twisted charm and dark intent. Throughout the series, Count Olaf plays various characters in order to inser t himself into the Baudelaires’ lives without being caught.

Each character feels goofy and distinct from Olaf, but Harris will drop the farce at a moment’s notice, skillfully reverting back to the cunning, twisted nature of his main role. There are many lessons to be learned from “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” The intricacies of language and grammar, for example, are important.

As the Baudelaire children encounter various challenges and perils from the adults they are supposed to trust, they learn to trust their own instincts because, yes — children can understand the world around them. And, perhaps most impor tantly, Neil Patrick Harris should always play the bumbling villain.

By Joe Cristo, jcristo@mndaily.com

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Aaron Carter at The Pourhouse

The Drinkin’ Spelling Bee at 331 Club

Boy Kisses Comedy at Universe Games

This Friday, come dance with me to that one Shaq song. Aaron Carter, the child star we all know and love, will be playing his greatest hits for throngs of middle-aged women. Honestly, just give Aaron a few bucks because I heard he’s broke and could use the cash.

You read that right: An adult-themed spelling bee at one of the best venues in town. Even better, each word you spell right gets you a free beer. The winner ends up with an entire beer tab for the night. As a past spelling-bee champion, I’m reluctant to share the stage with amateurs — but with free booze involved I’ll probably be there.

How many times must I say it? Do yourself a favor and see the best Minneapolis comedy group, Boy Kisses, for free this Sunday. Each show has a different theme and features some of the best unexplored comedy talents in the Twin Cities. Be sure to get there early though — seats run out fast.

Where The Pourhouse, 10 S. 5th St., Minneapolis Hours 7 p.m. Cost $20

Where 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. N.E., Minneapolis Hours 7 p.m. Cost $8

Where Universe Games, 711 W. Lake St., Minneapolis Hours 7:30 p.m. Cost Free

6

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Sports

@MNDAILYSPORTS

MEN’S HOCKEY

Pitlick shaping up to have productive season

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Emma May takes on a bigger role for Gophers in sophomore campaign WOMEN’S HOCKEY PREVIEW

VS NO. 5 MINNESOTA WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday/3 p.m. Saturday

ST. CLOUD STATE WHERE: St. Cloud, Minn. SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

May made her first career starts last series and tallied 32 saves in two games. BY TOMMY SLETTEN tsletten@mndaily.com

CARTER JONES, DAILY FILE PHOTO

Gophers forward Rem Pitlick skates into the Michigan zone on Jan. 13 at Mariucci Arena.

The rookie has been playing with top scorers Justin Kloos and Tyler Sheehy. BY DREW COVE dcove@mndaily.com

In a fiercely competitive battle of in-state teams, there’s no better stage for one of Minnesota’s most promising young for wards to show his potential. Gophers for ward Rem Pitlick is one of just a few freshman who gets playing time regularly. He came to the team with a lot of promise, which is translating well to the collegiate level with the Gophers — and something he hopes to continue this weekend in the the North Star College Cup tournament. “I’m a freshman, but I understand what it means,” Pitlick said. “[The participants are] a bunch of Minnesota teams, and I think anybody — it doesn’t really matter if you’re a senior or a freshman — I think you want to show who’s the best in Minnesota, so obviously it means something to each individual guy on our team.”

No. 6 Minnesota (14-62) will star t the weekend against No. 2 MinnesotaDuluth (15-5-4) Friday. “We want him shooting,” said head coach Don Lucia. “He had a couple of good chances last weekend [at Wisconsin].” Pitlick put on an offensive clinic in the United States Hockey League in the 2015-16 season and led the league in points with 89 points in 56 games. The next highest only reached 66 points, giving Pitlick a 23-point cushion for the scoring title. This season, the Plymouth, Minnesota native has three goals in 20 games with 11 assists and has passed the puck quite a bit. “I still think that’s an area I need to work on,” Pitlick said. “Whether it’s getting open more or just really focusing on shooting the puck more … It’s definitely an area of focus, and it’s still a work in progress, but I’m sure I’ll get there.” Pitlick is heeding his coach’s advice and starting to work more shots into his game. He had four shots in Saturday’s loss to Wisconsin, good for a second-best tie on the team. The for ward became

MEN’S HOCKEY PREVIEW

VS NO. 6 MINNESOTA

NO. 2 MINNESOTA-DULUTH

WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday

WHERE: Xcel Energy Center

VS NO. 6 MINNESOTA WHEN: 4 or 7 p.m. Saturday

TBD: NO. 20 BEMIDJI STATE OR ST. CLOUD STATE WHERE: Xcel Energy Center SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

more comfortable with the college game all season, which could be in part due to the pedigree of his linemates. Pitlick has skated on a line with forwards Justin Kloos and Tyler Sheehy for most of the season. The trio is Minnesota’s most potent offensive line. “[Pitlick] complements me and Sheehy really well because he can get in the play and disrupt it,” Kloos said. “He’s going to score a lot of goals in college … whether that starts this weekend or in a couple of weeks.”

The line has 29 of the 83 goals for Minnesota this season, and 44 of the team’s 144 assists. The freshman is playing with two of the top-50 scorers in the nation, who serve as examples of how to score in the college game. “I think we’re a group of players that have a lot of hockey sense,” Pitlick said. “I think we understand the game … We’re all likeminded players, and it’s just a matter of keeping things going, and hopefully I can add a little bit more [of a] scoring touch to the line.”

One of the most common mantras in the hockey world, “goalies are weird,” rings true in Minnesota. While Emma May is not the oddest, her extra of flair and quirk is why her teammates love and respect her. “We love her anyway,” defenseman Sophie Skarzynski joked. “To be a goalie you definitely have to be a little weir d … Emma brings a consistent, positive ef for t and energy to practice ever y day.” May, a sophomore from Eagan, Minnesota, earned herself a star ting role for the Gophers after two successful star ts last weekend against Ohio State at home. She got her first win Friday and made 25 saves in a 1-1 tie with Ohio State Saturday. The Gophers lost in six rounds of a shootout 2-1. The games were only her second and third appearances in net for Minnesota. However, May is more than just what you see between the pipes. She has a larger-thanlife personality and loves spending time with all of her teammates — even the “weird” ones. May said that she and her fellow goaltenders, Sidney Peters and Serena D’Angelo, all have dif ferent types of personalities. “I am more of the singing, dancing type, so I’m the one who gets shushed a lot in the locker room, or told to sit down,” May said. “I just like to r un around the locker room and pump ever yone up,

do ever ything I can to get ever yone ready and pumped for the game.” May isn’t all fun and games, though. She intends to major in spor ts marketing and business. She is already making big moves outside the locker room. She hasstarted her own nonprofit, It Stops Now, an organization dedicated to stopping cyberbullying. May also works as an inter n with the Minnesota W ild. She is on the promotions team and helps handle game day operations. “I help set up games in between periods. One time I didn’t have anyone to do one game, and I had to call my dad up and say, ‘I know you’re at the game, you’r e doing it,’” May said. “He was not too excited, but it’s a lot of fun. I get to interact with a lot of people and hear their stories.” May hopes to work in fan analytics for a hockey team post-graduation. “I love spor ts and would love to stay in it. Anything that has to do with computers and accessing fans, talking to people,” she said. “I’m a ver y outgoing person, so I love hanging out and talking to people.” She star ted goaltending during her U12 year after she discovered that she didn’t like playing defense and thought that she would only have to sit in the net as a goalie. Her brother Eli, who plays hockey for Augsburg, helped suppor t her through her career, as well as her teammates over the years. “My brother pushed me to get better and tr y as hard as possible,” she said. “I think goalie just kind of ended up being what I wanted to do with my life, and how I want to spend my time on the ice.”

WRESTLING

Wanzek thriving in third year, back at 165 pounds The redshirt junior went down a weight class for dual season and has 20 victories. BY KYLE STEINBERG ksteinberg@mndaily.com

After one season at his dream school, Nick Wanzek wasn’t sure he wanted to wrestle anymore. Wanzek, then a redshirt freshman, had been forced to drop down a weight class to 165 pounds — and the transition wasn’t going well. “I was young; I didn’t cut my weight ver y well,” he said. “I star ved myself, dehydrated myself; eventually I broke … that was probably one of my lowest seasons.” An Inver Grove Heights

n a t i v e , Wa n z e k w a s a three-time state champion at powerhouse Simley High School before deciding to wrestle for the Gophers. His Gophers career got of f to a blazing star t during his first two dual matches as he defeated two ranked wrestlers in succession. It was clear Wanzek had the talent to compete at the collegiate level, but as the season wore on, the weight class change took more of a toll, said Head Assistant Coach Luke Becker. “When you’re a young kid, you don’t necessarily understand all the little things that it takes [to make weight],” he said. “I think the weight kind of wore

WRESTLING PREVIEW

VS NO. 12 MINNESOTA (5-3. 4-2 Big Ten) WHEN: 12 p.m. Sunday

PURDUE (8-3, 3-2 Big Ten) WHERE: West Lafayette, Ind. SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM

down on him a little bit.” Wanzek finished the season 16-12 — respectable, but a far cr y from the promise he showed early in the season. Something needed to change. Luckily, four-time AllAmerican Logan Storley graduated, which opened up a spot at 174 pounds. Wanzek jumped at the oppor tunity in his second season. “I wanted to rediscover my passion for the spor t,” he said. “Once I got up [to 174] it was a lot better- a lot more fun. I got a lot more out of practice.” It showed on the mat. Wanzek looked like a different wrestler than the season before. Victories in his final four dual matches —including an upset of then No. 4 Zac Brunson of Illinois — catapulted him into the NCAA tournament. “I think it was a big step for him,” Becker said. “Being on the big stage [in the NCAA’s], I think that will definitely help him out this year.” Now a redshir t junior, Wanzek is back at 165 pounds — this time with a level of comfortability. He is ranked No. 15 in

CHRIS DANG, DAILY FILE PHOTO

Nebraska’s Dustin Williams takes on junior Nick Wanzek at the Sports Pavilion on Friday. The Gophers lost 11 - 21 against the Huskers.

the nation, and his four victories over ranked opponents are the most of his career. Wanzek didn’t hesitate to acknowledge the benefits of a challenging first year after seeing the high points of success. “I’ve learned a lot,” he said. “I look back now at my fr eshman year and think ‘Wow, I could have been much more success-

ful.’” Wanzek’s tremendous ef for ts in three weight class jumps have not gone unnoticed by teammates. “[Wanzek] works hard; he does ever ything right,” said Gophers captain Michael Kroells. “He’s not a guy who’s going to yell or anything like that.” As one of the Gophers’ older wrestlers, Wanzek has taken on a leadership

role within the team and believes his experience can help younger wrestlers faced with similar challenges. “Being young, I was on the team that was ranked number one in the nation; I learned a lot [from that team],” he said. “I’ve been around the block a couple times and now I want to share my experiences with the guys below me.”

Editorials & Opinions

Thursday, January 26, 2017

COLUMN

COLUMN

From the small town hustle to big city bustle Adjust your social expectations when you move into the big city. TAYLOR SHARP columnist

S

ometimes I feel like there’s nothing to do in Minneapolis. It’s a bulging smorgasbord of culture and opportunities, sure, but this town’s activities are so different from the hijinks I experienced in Austin, Minnesota. There, weekend fun comprised of eating cheese curds at Culver’s and pushing old tires down a slide. I’ve come to accept these small, simple activities. In my mind, a good time comes from, say, sitting around a bonfire getting ash in my face. Bonfires are dif ficult to find in Minneapolis, though. And sticking around my city apartment is not an option. I need something more substantial than my friend and I spending ten minutes deciding if a stain on the wall looks more like Maine or Michigan and spending another ten pushing a couch in front of it (the carpet is thick so it was hard to push). You’re probably saying, “Taylor, Minneapolis is exciting and fun. Why the hell are you such a nincompoop?” First, wow, you’ve got a mouth, and secondly, I’m realizing that in this city it’s necessar y to be unsure about the outcome of cer tain events or activities, especially if it’s totally dissimilar to the familiar pleasantness of high school movie night. The coolness of the T win Cities really only presents itself when I inser t myself into it, keeping connected with diverse people and checking events pages. Though I have nothing against lazing around, the Twin Cities are active and exciting if you realign your assumptions of “a good time.”

The #OptimisticChallenge inspires joy for its viewers On Chance the Rapper, #BlackBoyJoy and staying positive in the face of adversity.

I

n an increasingly gloomy social and political climate, the newest viral challenge is a rare act of optimism. On Jan. 12, Jay Versace — a teenage comedian who gained acclaim on Vine — tweeted a video of himself and some friends joyfully dancing to an R&B track. The song was “Optimistic” — a 1991 single from local Twin Cities ensemble Sounds of Blackness. The video was captioned “2017 GOT ME FEELING LIKE,” and featured the four teens enthusiastically grooving to lyrics like, “No matter how hard reality seems / Just hold onto your dreams,” and “Don’t give up and don’t give in / Although it seems you never win.” The two-minute-long video has garnered over 140,000 likes and 87,000 retweets. One Twitter user dubbed it the “#OptimisticChallenge.” The trend gained more traction days later, when Chance the Rapper tweeted a video of himself,fellow ar tists KYLE and SuperDuperBrick and two other friends doing the challenge. Back in August, Chance tweeted a picture of himself posing at the VMA’s with the caption “#BlackBoyJoy.” The hashtag blew up, and soon other young, black men shared pictures of themselves being carefree and happy in a countr y that often criminalizes and targets them. A happy, carefree attitude is typical of the hip hop wunderkind; when Chance raps, it often sounds like he’s smiling. He wrote a hit song about his love for

KATHRYN SCHULTZ columnist

his grandmother, and don’t even get me started on his verse in “Ultralight Beam.” The socal media hashtags #OptimisticChallenge and #BlackBoyJoy inspire black youth to counter static, harmful stereotypes, and allow them to add breadth to their individual identities. These types of self-expression are undeniably powerful; the hashtags aren’t just fun trends: they’re political statements. The uplifting power of these trends give people of color a channel to display self-love and hopefulness, which is important to recognize and praise in a political climate over whelmingly saturated with oppression. With all of this in mind, the #OptimisticChallenge is decidedly not for white people, including myself. We can dance to “Optimistic” — it’s a really good song — but participating in this trend isn’t for, or about, us. Instead, be inspired by the act of being joyful in spite of ever ything, use your privilege to actively fight structures of racism and discrimination and do what you can to promote joy. In a culture that revolves around technology, it’s easier than ever to share ideas with millions of people, which make movements bigger and faster. Let’s suppor t the ones that promote positivity. As the song says: “Keep pushing on and don’t you look back.” Kathryn Schultz welcomes comments at kschultz@mndaily.com

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

letters@mndaily.com Fax: (612) 435-5865 Phone: (612) 435-1578 Letters and columns to the editor 2221 University Ave. SE Suite 450 Minneapolis, MN 55414

Helen Teague welcomes comments at hteague@mndaily.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR I have had an extremely difficult time accepting that Donald Trump has been elected President of the United States. I have lain in bed sleepless many nights these past months, panic-stricken and inexplicably guilt-laden. I have wiled away countless hours poring over ar ticles about the Electoral College, the Voting Rights Act, the international standards of election integrity. I have combed the archives of Change.org petitions and signed many. I have scoured and re-scoured voting maps by state, by county, by ever y demographic subdivision imaginable. And still, I cannot fathom how, albeit via a dubious election process that may have suf fered significant Russian inter vention, we have elected Donald Tr ump President of the United States of America. I can see how some people would vote for him — extremists, the misguided and the (informed or misinformed) Hillar y Clinton haters — but it is totally unfathomable how some 63 million people could

EDITORIALS Collaborations may lead the way in healthcare

A

llina, one of Minnesota’s largest health care providers and Aetna, one of the United States’ leading health care insurers, recently announced the construction of a Minnesota-based insurance company providing commercial coverage to Minnesotans. This marks the beginning of a partnership with little precedence, where both provider of health care and insurer collaborate. In the past, most health care ventures have largely been at the insurance level. Mergers between health care insurance providers have been a trend, though in the case of Aetna and Humana, the merger was blocked by federal agencies, on the basis that the $37 billion deal would raise prices for consumers. With the expected repeal of the Affordable Care Act, though, it’s not possible to completely determine the future of these ventures. Despite the seeming innovation of Allina and Aetna’s commercial venture, it is important for state agencies to remain cautious. While the deal will largely bolster competition within Minnesota’s market of health insurance providers, it may also bring up issues that could diminish the quality of care to patients. First, by providing a new avenue to obtain health care, the new company — which hasn’t been formalized yet — will likely improve competition. By increasing the supply of health care insurance packages, theoretically, the cost of insurance should go down. This is the same reason why health insurance mergers are opposed by the government: Allowing one corporation to establish control over a region allows them to set prices at whatever level they want — and with issues of health, they know people will pay.

“While the deal will largely bolster competition within Minnesota’s market of health insurance providers, it may also bring up issues that could diminish the quality of care to patients.”

Taylor Sharp welcomes comments at tsharp@mndaily.com

This Old House

7

actively go to the polls and mark a ballot indicating that Donald Trump is the person they want — they choose — to be the leader of our countr y, to hold a position of extreme power in the world, to control and utilize a ver y strong militar y arsenal, to have a huge hand in shaping the course of human existence on Earth. How could so many people elect to give these responsibilities — and more — to a man so unquestionably unqualified and unfit, so morally bankrupt, who embodies so many negative qualities. But then many of the flaws Trump possesses do coincide with negative stereotypes about U.S. politics, economics and culture; Unquenchable avarice, boundless ar rogance, violent intolerance, contempt for the poor, willful ignorance to fact, a sense of entitlement to lay waste to the world for personal gain, ingrained discrimination and a machismo that tries to justify ever ything from sexism to harassment to outright assault. Some 63 million people intentionally chose him as the person they want to be

THE EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS DEPARTMENT IS INDEPENDENT OF THE NEWSROOM

the president of our countr y. A man who lacks any experience whatever in foreign policy, militar y ser vice or strategy or public office of any kind. And what experience does he have? He has a lifetime of experience in finding ways to get other people’s money, and filling his own coffers, and those of his class of the elite ultra-rich. He has extensive experience in exploitation. One thing that has helped me start to wrap my head around this election is following Krista Tippett’s work at On Being, especially the Civil Conversations Project, which seeks to create and foster a space for authentic, respectful conversation, where people endeavor to communicate with, listen to and understand each other. Dan Shafto Wilderness Guide Minneapolis

Editor’s note: The second part of this letter will continue in Monday’s issue of the Minnesota Daily.

However, the merger does come with a risk. If the health care provider is tied down to one health insurance company, issues relating to conflict of interest could diminish the primar y focus — care. Doctors who are part of the Allina system may think about their affiliation with Aetna when treating a patient on a dif ferent health insurance package. While there hasn’t been concrete evidence to suggest this will occur, it’s a possibility that cannot be ruled out. In addition to the drawbacks, this deal also spotlights a key issue in which Minnesota has made impor tant strides. Recently, in his State of the State address, Governor Dayton announced his plan to expand MinnesotaCare access to all people in the state. This expansion will drive down commercial cost while also providing a public option to anyone who cannot afford health insurance. This news comes in the same week that a landmark study, published in the prestigious New England Jour nal of Medicine, announced that repealing the Affordable Care Act, nationally, will cause the death of approximately 44,000 people — showing the clear impact that health insurance has on one’s livelihood. While many of the details have yet to be solidified in either of these plans, what’s abundantly clear is the progressive health care agenda that Minnesota has supported. With the dream of universal health care slowly withering with each day President Trump maintains control of the Oval Office, we hope that Minnesota can be a shining beacon where health care is affordable for all people.

2017 U.S. GUN VIOLENCE Total gun-related incidents: 3,942 Total number of deaths: 1,025 Total number of mass shootings: 23 Data compiled by gunviolencearchive.org EDITORIALS & OPINIONS DEPARTMENT Editorials represent the voice of the Minnesota Daily as an institution and are prepared by the editorial board. CONTACT THE EDITOR Grace Thomas jthomas@mndaily.com

LOOK FOR ONLINE EXCLUSIVE COLUMNS AT WWW.MNDAILY.COM/OPINION

@MNDAILYOPINIONS

8

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Al’s Diner: Same breakfast, new owner Al’s u from Page 1

Al’s has kept it’s intimacy since Al Bergstrom founded the restaurant in 1950. A single counter r uns the length of its abbreviated space, which encourages conversation among diners and employees. “We really get to interact with people instead of taking the order and moving on,” Kirwin said. Al’s began as a working man’s breakfast spot when Dinkytown was a major railroad hub. Workers would buy meals with prepaid tabs that continue to live in stacks of yellow booklets behind the counter. Some diners still pay this way. “We think it’s a good idea for parents to buy them for kids in college so that

they’re not just spending money on beer,” Kir win joked. As the University campus expanded, Al’s began seeing a mix of students and businesspeople. With weekend tourists, as well as regulars, the 14-seat establishment can ser ve up to 200 patrons in a single morning. It’s all about the people, said M. R. Ciatti, who has worked at Al’s for almost 30 years. Developing friendships and meeting new people keep Ciatti’s job enjoyable, she said. “[It’s] definitely not the dirty dishes,” she said. The atmosphere is bustling most mornings, and a line forms before 8 a.m. on a typical day. A maximum of five employees must work ef ficiently in the tight space to keep Al’s humming. Their methods are well-

tested, and many customers are familiar with the way the restaurant r uns from repeated visits. Skeeter Bur roughs, who does tech suppor t and works with the marching band at the University, has eaten at Al’s since he was a student in 1991. He said the restaurant hasn’t changed since the first time he visited, but he counts that as par t of its charm. “I can’t get restaurant pancakes anywhere else,” he said. Al’s still brings in plenty of first-timers along with veterans, Kirwin said, adding that people have passed down their dining traditions through generations of Al’s customers. Many people have become attached to the place, making it par t of their life and contributing to Al’s histor y, like

CARTER JONES, DAILY

Quinn Collins pays his server, Will Harris, at Al’s Breakfast on Monday. Harris, a University alum, has worked at Al’s for six years. “I’m not using my degree because I enjoy working here so much,” Harris said.

when a family took their Christmas pictures there, or a newlywed couple went straight to Al’s for a post-wedding breakfast,

Kir win said. “The biggest challenge coming into it right now is going in and taking over what someone else has

established,” Kir win said. “I’m honored that I get to own this little place that means so much to so many people.”

Coyle talks about football program in wake of scandal Coyle u from Page 1

you have a chance to meet him in person, he’s been so great … he’s been to Gopher basketball games; he’s been to other events here on campus. When he goes and people have a chance to interact with him, I think they see that, how genuine he is, how authentic it is … Part of the reason he came here, as you said, was to help change the culture. It’s only been two weeks, but has anything been done yet to change that culture? I think his actions. I think, again, people see his excitement, his passion to be here … I know he’s had a chance to be around with the team, spend some time with the team. When he came here, the first thing we did was meet with the team so we had a chance to interact with some of those students. Again, we’re all defined by our actions. I think people have been very excited with what they’ve seen and it’s been a positive impact for everybody. And you had a chance to meet with the team when Fleck met with them? I introduced coach Fleck to the team and then coach Fleck met with them. I thought it

was very important for coach Fleck to have his time with the team as a new coach so I just introduced the coach and I dismissed myself from the room. There was a big divide between the administration and the players during the boycott. Have there been any talks with them since to fix the divide? As I talked about before, ever ybody was frustrated. Players were frustrated, I was frustrated … due to student privacy laws, there’s a lot of things we can’t talk about and that created a lot of frustration and misunderstanding. I had a chance to talk to some of the students on that team. I’m very thankful for how they’ve responded … What was your initial reaction to the boycott? … Our goal is to provide a great experience for all of our students and make sure they have a great experience here. My thought was to make sure we do everything we can to help everybody understand what’s going on, what we can and cannot talk about … What happened in between the boycott getting announced and ended? It was communication … everything happened so quickly ... [We] just had a chance to communicate with each other, learn with each

other and where we’re coming from and trying to work together, and I was very thankful that our student-athletes made the decision to come back and play in the bowl game and what a great experience it was for our student-athletes, a great win over a good Washington State football team, so it was exciting. When Claeys was fired and Fleck was hired, you said he was here to change the culture. What about Fleck makes him right to change it? … We wanted to shake the tree. We wanted to create a new excitement, a new energy. I think, again, when you meet coach Fleck […] he has a lot of excitement and passion. I think that’s very authentic. I think people respond to that, so I think coach Fleck can come in here, he can work with our studentathletes who have been welcoming him and working with him and we’ll move our program forward. There were a lot of reasons given out for Claeys firing. Was there any one big reason? No. I had a chance to evaluate the program six months, seven months since I’ve gotten here … it was a long-term decision for our program to move forward in a different direction.

What was the feedback from the public on the Claeys firing? I think the great thing about Minnesota is we have a very passionate fan base … when I talk to people, when I interact with people, you hear all different types of thoughts and comments. There’s no question. People are excited about coach Fleck and the future of our program has me excited. Is there anything you could’ve done differently to avoid the boycott situation? No doubt ... you have to communicate, make sure you have constant communication, and I think with me being new, you have to earn trust. You have to develop relationships with people and I can tell you the lesson I take away from it is that you can always learn something. You can always communicate more, be more communicative with your staf f, your students, your coaches and those are things we’re going to take away from it. When players ended the boycott, they said they would do things to bring exposure to issues of sexual harassment. Have you seen anything from them yet? I’ve had a chance to talk to

students on that team. Again, we’ve talked about how we do want to make change. We want to make positive change, and I look forward to working with them and working with our campus on that. This is not only an athletic department, it’s a campus … What would that positive change entail? I think those are all things that we need to define together. I think it’s important not for this person to say what it should be or that person to say. I think collectively we need to decide together and with campus, what can we all do to make this a great learning experience for all of us moving forward. Back in 2015, it was revealed that a University Title IX administrator raised concerns about the football team’s culture. Are there any plans to address those concerns? I wasn’t here in 2015. I apologize. I’m not sure … Concerns have been brought up again over how the football team defended the suspended players. Are there any plans to address that? … We have a phenomenal student-athlete development group on campus within our athletics department

… called our life skills program where we work with our students, and I think we need to take a look at. When we have people come in and when we have people speak to all of our student-athletes … is that message getting across? Do our students understand what this means, what that means? I think you always have the time to look back and reflect on how you do things and are we connecting with students. Do we have the right content? The right messaging? Those are things we’ll evaluate. Any plans to increase that teaching? Well, sometimes more volume is not the answer. The answer might be reviewing what we do now, and is it effective? Are we reaching those people? That’s what we first have to understand is hey, some of the things we’re doing, what is working, what is not working? How can we improve it? That may mean more. I don’t know. It may mean less. I don’t know. I do know we want to be effective and we want to be ver y intentionally consistent with our messaging with our 700 student-athletes. Editor’s Note: This Q&A has been edited for clarity and length.

Vaccination rate drops slightly from last year BY SAMIR FERDOWSI sferdowsi@mndaily.com

Flu vaccination rates have fallen at the University of Minnesota — mirroring a nationwide trend. While many exper ts say annual vaccination is the most ef fective way to stave of f the flu, Boynton Health has administered 2,000 fewer vaccines so far this flu season compared to the last two years. And though many cases go undocumented, studies have found that U.S. college students are vaccinated at a rate of 8 to 39 percent, according to a 2016 report by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases . The same repor t found that college students miss an average of eight days or more while ill with the flu. Acr oss the countr y, vaccinations declined slightly from 147.8 million during the 2014-2015 season to 146.4 million in 2015-2016, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show. So far this season, 144.6 million shots have been administered. Exper ts say a variety of factors may be contributing to the decline at the University and nationwide. Though this flu season was the first since the CDC discontinued FluMist — a nasal spray offered as an alternative to the shot

— it likely hasn’t af fected numbers on campus since it is mainly used for children, said Dave Golden , director of public and health and communications at Boynton. At the University, 521 FluMists and 18,474 shots wer e given during the 2014-2015 flu season, and 409 FluMists and 18,340 shots were given in 20152016. This year, Boynton has administered 16,033 shots, which Golden said falls below the norm for this time of year. Boynton moved flu shot clinics from Wednesdays to Fridays, when there are generally fewer people on campus, Golden said. A d d i t i o n a l l y, p e o p l e may think they don’t need the vaccination because of the recent lack of severe flu seasons, he said. Others, especially college-aged people, may underestimate the disease’s impact, said Kristin Nicho l, medicine professor at the University. Nichol has done multiple studies on influenza and similar diseases on college campuses. In a 2008 study co-led by Nichol, about 24 percent of college students who didn’t get vaccinated became ill with the flu or similar diseases. “I think oftentimes students underestimate the impact influenza can have on life,” Nichol said. “The recommendations

to universally vaccinate ever yone are relatively new … especially with college students.” Still, Golden says, it’s more impor tant for college students to get vaccinated to protect others who have weaker immune systems. “By getting a flu shot, yes, there is a good chance you’re going to reduce the chance that you’re going to get influenza, but also a great chance you won’t infect somebody else who’s vulnerable. That’s the big thinking behind these vaccines,” Golden said. “It’s a public ser vice.” Some people may decide not to get vaccinated because of its relative reputation for inef fectiveness compared to other immunizations, said Michael Osterholm , regents professor and director of the University’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. “It’s World War II technology. The way we make flu vaccines today, or in other wor ds, the par ts of the virus we use to immunize people with, is the ver y same technology we devised in the 1940s to make the vaccine. We surely need better flu vaccines,” Osterholm said. Still, Osterholm said people should get the vaccine because it decreases the likelihood of the illness.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

CROSSWORD Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle FOR 2016 FORRELEASE RELEASEDECEMBER DECEMBER10, 7, 2016 Edited Edited by by Rich Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

CLASSIFIEDS The Minnesota Daily must approve all ad copy and reserves the right to request text changes, reject or reclassify an ad. Advertisers are responsible for the truthfulness of their ads. Advertisers are also subject to credit approval. Corrections are accepted until 2 p.m., Mon.-Fri., by calling 612627-4080. To cancel an ad, call 612-627- 4080. In order to ensure proper credit, cancellations must be made by 1 p.m.; otherwise the ad will appear in the following day’s paper and be charged accordingly. HOUSING Sandy Hill Apartments 2 BR, large patio, heat/water & garage incl., high speed internet/cable ready. Available 2/1/17. www.sandyhillapartments.com (651) 775-0511

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1/26/17 12/10/16 12/7/16 Early Week’s Puzzle Solved Friday’s Puzzle Solved Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

By Peterson and Patti Varol By Doug Matt Skoczen

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©2016 ©2016 Tribune Tribune Content Content Agency, Agency, LLC

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12/10/16 12/7/16

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SUDOKU Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk.

1/26/2017

Early Week’s solution © 2015 Michael Mepham. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

9

10

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Lawmakers question U budget priorities Request u from Page 1

lot of dif ferent areas for investing and adding faculty and adding dif ferent programs.” At the meeting, Rep. Gene Pelowski, DFL-Winona said the University needs to better ar ticulate any negative outcomes associated with the school not receiving the entirety of its funding requests. “Unless … the University of Minnesota can show a consequence to not getting these requests, their requests then have to be characterized as

wants and not needs,” he said. Rep. Ilhan Omar, DFLMinneapolis, who r ep r esents the University area, asked about student debt, administration costs and the standing of the University’s medical school. She said she’s heard concer ns over the status of the medical school because of its ranking decline. “[The medical school] is one of my highest priorities at the University, and it’s an endeavor that the gover nor has dedicated significant interest in,” University President Eric Kaler said in response. The University didn’t’

p r e s e n t i t s b u d g e t r equest at the meeting, but instead told legislators about its budgeting process and impact on the state of Minnesota. University administrators also brought attention to the decreased state funding for the school over the last 20 years. “We continue to look for ways to diversify them and suppor t the mission of the [University], but there’s been a t r emen d ou s c h a n g e i n those underlying operation and maintenance funds between tuition and state suppor t,” said Brian Burnett, University senior vice president for finance and operations at

the meeting. State appropriation made up nearly 40 percent of the school’s budget in 1989, while tuition contributed 12 percent, he said, adding that those two categories have “converged, if not flipped as you head into 2017.” Kaler also addressed last month’s football team sexual assault controversy, the ensuing buyout after former head coach T racy Claeys was fired and the hiring of new coach P.J. Fleck. While the costs associated with the football scandal have generated concer n among some, Kaler assured legislators no tuition or state dollars

would be used to cover the costs. Lawmakers in the GOP-controlled state House and Senate have yet to release their budget recommendations for the University. In a T uesday statement, Kaler thanked Dayton for the r ecommendation, which is nearly 66 percent of its request. “I am grateful for the Gover nor’s pledge to advance student success, increase access to healthcare across Minnesota, translate research for the state’s common good and maintain af fordability for Minnesota’s students and families,” he said in

the statement. University of ficials will present their budget request to the Senate’s higher education committee next Tuesday. The University has also requested over $245 million this legislative session for Higher Education Asset Preser vation and Replacement projects and six other infrastr ucture initiatives. Earlier this month, Dayton recommended that the school receive nearly $155 million of that request. The House and Senate haven’t released recommendations for that request. Max Chao contributed to this report.

Groups get cash under Adjuncts may recieve controversial program benefits between terms The funding comes from a program that specializes in anti-radicalization. RAJU CHADUVULA rchaduvula@mndaily.com

Two Minneapolis nonprofit organizations have received grants from Building Community Resilience — a controversial program that has been the focus of protests and criticism in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Earlier this month, Heartland Democracy and Ka Joog — both youth- and community-focused groups — received a share of the $10 million doled out nationally to 31 groups around the U.S. through the program. BCR, which is intended to create community and social programs to keep youth out of terrorist organizations, launched in 2014 in Minneapolis, Los Angeles

and Boston. It has been subsequently criticized for stigmatizing Muslim youth. Both organizations were awarded grants under the focus of “developing resilience” to radicalization. Ka Joog was awar ded $499,998, and Hear tland Democracy received $165,435. Mar y McKinley, executive director for Heartland, said the organization works with youth who are experiencing problems with community and family — whether it is drugs or violence — through individualized programs. “We’re not ‘de-radicalizers,’” she said. “We’re a civic engagement organization.” Ka Joog’s executive director, Mohamed Farah, could not be reached for comment. In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said the awardees were selected for their devotion to countering recruit-

CVE GRANT PROGRAM

BY THE NUMBERS

$165, 435 AWARDED TO HEARTLAND DEMOCRACY

$400,000 AWARDED TO LIFE AFTER HATE INC

$499, 998 AWARDED TO KA JOOG $647, 546 AWARDED TO AMERICA ABROAD MEDIA

$10 million TOTAL AMOUNT AWARDED TO GROUPS IN 2016

SOURCE: HOMELAND SECURITY

ment from extremists, like ISIL and neo-Nazi groups. “In this age of self-radicalization and ter roristinspired acts of violence, domestic-based ef for ts to counter violent have become a homeland security imperative,” he said in a statement. Heartland Democracy is the first-ever organization to create a rehabilitation program for a defendant in a terrorist case —Abdullahi Yusuf, who was one of two Minnesota men charged in 2014 with conspiring to provide support to ISIL. McKinley said Heartland Democracy is still working with Yusuf, having created a special curriculum and program to help him and his family. McKinley said the money will be used to create new programs with experts who can work with youth who feel disconnected from their identity or community. Last year, a protest of 200 people was held in Cedar-Riverside against BCR, which was formerly known as Countering Violent Extremism McKinley said the program received criticism early on due to the way it was defined and introduced at the federal level. “I can just continue to do what I do. I don’t work for the FBI or spy on people,” McKinley said. Patrick Johnston, a University of Minnesota-Morris graduate who now works as a political scientist for the RAND Corporation — a policy think tank — said the government should heed the criticism the program gets. “Mixed signals perceived in local communities are a concern when you are trying to implement this kind of policy,” Johnston said. The success of the BCR program lies in its guarantee that the people it helps will be protected and won’t be used as informants or as intelligence assets, Johnston said. The program was quite innovative when first introduced, Johnston said, since it was focused on rehabilitation, unlike other counter extremist programs. “[But] going for ward,” Johnston said, “more money needs to go into researching the roots of radicalization and seeing what the best method or program to implement before actually implementing it.”

The financial impact of these benefits on the state is likely to be minimal. RILYN EISCHENS reischens@mndaily.com

After nearly six years of pressure from a faculty advocacy group, updated unemployment insurance guidelines from the federal government may make it easier for adjunct faculty to collect benefits between academic terms. Activists say this change — the first of its kind since 1986 — will ease financial strain on part-time instructors who are often employed on a semester-to-semester basis. And state government officials say they aren’t concerned about additional costs as a result. The guidelines, published in December 2016, specifically mention higher education and states in which “the use of part-time instructors … has increased significantly” since the last set of guidelines came out. The new recommendations also note that adjuncts’ contracts and employment offers are often contingent on funding, enrollment, program changes and other factors. Jason Stahl — lecturer at the University of Minnesota’s Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development — was a graduate student at the University from 2001 to 2008. He worked as a teaching assistant,

graduate instr uctor and research assistant to support himself financially. But after completing his degree, Stahl struggled to find a full-time teaching position. He was unemployed from August 2009 to August 2010. Many people told him that he wouldn’t qualify for unemployment insurance that he ended up not applying, he said. “If I wasn’t married and had a wife who had a stable income, I have no idea what I would’ve done,” he said. “It would’ve been terrible.” Stahl said this situation isn’t unique. “I definitely have had many conversations with people who are on ver y tenuous employment at the U, people who are on semester contracts, and then summer comes around and they lose all pay and benefits,” he said. About six years ago, the New Faculty Majority — an organization that advocates on behalf of contingent faculty — formed a national coalition of faculty unions. This coalition pushed for the federal government to update its unemployment insurance guidelines to include part-time instructors, said NFM president and executive director of the NFM Foundation, Maria Maisto. Many schools were obstr ucting instr uctors’ applications to prevent their unemployment taxes

from increasing, and some state agencies wer en’t following federal guidelines consistently, despite a 1989 California court ruling that part-time faculty qualified for benefits, she said. For example, Maisto said she worked at two different schools in Ohio and applied for unemployment at both. One school contested her application, and the other didn’t, even though her employment circumstances were exactly the same at each institution, she said. “Adjuncts oftentimes really, really desperately need the funds in the summer because they don’t get paid,” she said. “We want them to understand that this is their right … as citizens, and we also are trying to keep the colleges and universities honest.” Minnesota state government of ficials aren’t concerned about the extra costs with the update. Monte Hanson, media relations director for the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, said the financial and administrative impacts will be minimal because Minnesota’s unemployment insurance program is already so large. The program ser ves more than 180,000 people each year and paid out more than $853 million in benefits last year, so it’s unlikely that the change will create problems in terms of payments, he said.

DAPL protesters deliberate options BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CANNON BALL, N.D. — Most of the demonstrators who gathered on the North Dakota plains to oppose the Dakota Access oil pipeline declared victory and departed their snowy protest camp last month after the Army announced it would halt the project. Now that President Donald Trump’s administration is pushing to complete the pipeline, the few hundred protesters still living on the wind-whipped prairie must decide what to do — accept the likely defeat and leave, or stay and keep fighting. Some vow to remain, but Trump’s action seems unlikely to spark a major rejuvenation of the depleted camp of people who dubbed themselves “water protectors.” Dan Hein, a 43-year-old Ohio man who has been living at the camp since September, was packing Tuesday to go home. “I knew this was coming,” he said. But Gena Neal, 43, who came from Oklahoma, said she was staying, even if protests remain subdued. “We are proving action by just being here,” she said Wednesday as snow swirled around a dozen people, many wearing donated ice grippers on their shoes. Tr ump on T uesday signed an executive action ordering the Army Corps of Engineers to quickly reconsider its Dec. 4 decision to stop the construction to

allow time for more environmental study. Before the project can be finished, builders need permission to lay pipe under Lake Oahe, a Missouri River reser voir from which an American Indian tribe draws its drinking water. The tribe at the center of the protests, the Standing Rock Sioux, says the pipeline threatens its water and cultural sites. Developer Energy Transfer Partners disputes that. The Oahe segment is the last major piece of the four-state pipeline designed to move North Dakota oil to a shipping point in Illinois. It was not clear when the Corps will act on Trump’s memorandum. Local law enforcement agencies geared up for a possible resumption of protests after Trump’s action, but no major incidents materialized, the Mor ton County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday. There have been more than 625 arrests in the region since mid-August. Clashes and arrests tailed of f dramatically in recent weeks after the tribal council told the protest camp to disband because of the Dec. 4 decision, the harsh winter weather and the need to get the area cleaned up before spring flooding. At the camp’s peak, several thousand people were packed into a half-mile square, living in teepees, tents, buses, motor homes and semi-permanent

wooden str uctures. One occupant set up a portable radio station. Others established a school for children in a large tent. Today, fewer than 300 people remain on the federal land along the confluence of the Cannon Ball and Missouri rivers. The school and radio station are gone. The site is now dotted with abandoned tents, and many of the teepee tarps have been taken down, leaving only bare frames. The ground is covered with ice and several feet of snow that have buried abandoned vehicles and piled up against buildings that were left unfinished. Even with its diminished population, the camp remains under constant surveillance from law enforcement officers and National Guard soldiers perched on nearby bluffs and in aircraft making regular flyovers. Hein still believes in the cause but is resigned to leaving. “People have dedicated months of their lives to this and now they’re telling us to leave,” he said. “If they don’t want your help, what are you going to do?” Not ever yone feels that way. Cindy Lou, a 55-yearold New Jersey woman who has been at the camp since October, said she and her husband will stay or “all of this would be for naught.” The tribe is planning to focus on a cour t battle in distant Washington, D.C., against any reversal of the Dec. 4 decision.