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July 13, 2016

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SUNNY HIGH 87° LOW 63°

U OF M

MINNEAPOLIS

ST PAUL

SUMMER EDITION

JULY 13-JULY 19, 2016

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT MNDAILY.COM

THE DEATH OF PHILANDO CASTILE

THURSDAY: Diamond Reynolds stands with a raised fist after speaking to a vast crowd that gathered outside of the J. J. Hill Montessori School in St. Paul on Thursday.

IN AFTERMATH, CITY JOLTED Decried by President Obama and Gov. Mark Dayton, the fatal police shooting of St. Paul man Philando Castile has provoked calls for justice by many community members.

SATURDAY: Chapter president of the Minneapolis NAACP, Nekima Levy-Pounds addresses those at a rally in support of Philando Castile at Loring Park on Saturday. PHOTOS BY LIAM JAMES DOYLE STORY BY MINNESOTA DAILY STAFF

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n the span of 36 hours, two fatal shootings of black men — one, Alton Sterling from Baton Rouge, La., the other, Philando Castile of St. Paul — left the countr y in a state of stirring dismay. Then, a retaliator y shooting by a heavily armed sniper in downtown Dallas left five police officers dead. What had been a peaceful

march aimed at spotlighting police violence quickly whipsawed the nation — intensifying the worries and frustrations of many Americans over racial disparities, officers’ use of excessive force and open-carr y laws. “When incidents like this occur, there’s a big chunk of our fellow citizenr y that feels as if, because of the color of their skin, they are not being treated the same. And that hur ts,” President Barack Obama said in a statement after arriving

THURSDAY: Taye Clinton, age 11, listens as a series of speakers address the crowd that rallied outside of the Minnesota Governor’s Residence on Thursday.

in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday. “This is not just a black issue. It’s not just a Hispanic issue. This is an American issue.” Michelle Phelps, a University of Minnesota criminology, law and deviance professor, said the shooting of Castile was “deeply disheartening.” “Because police of ficers are sor t of on guard and because we have this … deep histor y of racial tensions … there [is] sor t of this per vasive ‘us versus them’ between the police and many black

communities,” she said. In Minnesota, the death of Castile led to a spate of protests across the T win Cities, with protesters anchoring their demands for justice and officer accountability at an encampment outside of Gov. Mark Dayton’s Summit Avenue residence. Castile’s shooting comes nearly eight months after the fatal shooting of Nor th Minneapolis resident

TECHNOLOGY

u See CASTILE Page 8

BOARD OF REGENTS

At heart lab, anatomy gains new perspective Housing crunch focus of regents

Begun in 1997, Dr. Paul Iaizzo’s Visible Heart Lab is now at the forefront of 3-D-printing.

Regents mulled a $99M dorm renovation and backed a leasing agreement with two complexes.

BY DAVID CLAREY dclarey@mndaily.com

Megan Schmidt didn’t plan to join the University of Minnesota’s Visible Hear t Lab, but once she began work there as part of her Ph.D. program, she was sold. “I would basically do any sor t of research to be in this lab,” Schmidt says. The lab, which Schmidt describes as friendly and collaborative, has contributed to cutting-edge medical projects since its start in 1997. Earlier this year, principal investigator and leader Dr. Paul Iaizzo and a team of his researchers 3-D-printed a heart replica, which was used for a surgeon team’s practice before a complicated surgery. “I have one of the coolest jobs on the planet. … You get motivated because you u See HEART Page 11

BY KEVIN BECKMAN kbeckman@mndaily.com

ALEX TUTHILL-PREUS, DAILY

University medical student Maria Seewald works with a team of students to run tests on a living swine heart at the Visible Heart Laboratory in the Mayo Building on Friday.

To keep up with an undergraduate population projected to grow by nearly 3,000 by 2021, the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents considered two proposals Wednesday to expand and upgrade housing options, both on and off campus. The proposals include a nearly $100 million renovation of Pioneer Hall and the leasing of apartments for student housing at two nearby apar tment complexes for almost $8 million a year. Debate over how to house more students — especially second-year and transfer students — on campus or in u See PIONEER Page 4

VOLUME 116 ISSUE 124


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Wednesday, July 16, 2016

Daily Review

THIS DAY IN HISTORY 1985 Prince Charles and Princess Diana officially open Live Aid, a worldwide rock concert organized to raise money for the relief of those affected by famine in Africa. HISTORYCHANNEL.COM/TDIH

DINKYTOWN Wednesday, July 13, 2016 Vol. 116 No. 124

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 Andrew Kent Business Operations Officer akent@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 Joe Kellen A&E Editor jkellen@mndaily.com Liam Doyle Multimedia Editor ldoyle@mndaily.com Ellen Fee Copy Desk Chief efee@mndaily.com Lee Murphy Assistant Copy Desk Chief lmurphy@mndaily.com Maddy Bremner Visuals Editor mbremner@mndaily.com Max Fulton Chief Page Designer mfulton@mndaily.com Jackie Renzetti Campus Editor jrenzetti@mndaily.com Nick Wicker City Editor nwicker1@mndaily.com Hannah Weikel Breaking News Editor hweikel@mndaily.com =

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MADDY FOX, DAILY

Al’s Breakfast in Dinkytown serves a full house of patrons on Tuesday morning.

STATE REPORT VENTURA PETITIONS FOR REHEARING IN 2014 DEFAMATION CASE MINNEAPOLIS — Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura is petitioning for a rehearing of a federal cour t’s decision to toss out a $1.8 million verdict awarded to him in a defamation lawsuit against the estate of “American Sniper” author Chris Kyle. Ventura’s attorney, David Olsen, filed the petition Monday appealing the June decision by the 8th U.S. Circuit Cour t of Appeals. It ruled, in par t, that Olsen should not have suggested during the 2014 trial that insurance bought by the memoir’s publisher would cover a defamation award. Ventura’s attor ney argues that the ruling placed too much emphasis on those comments. Ventura, a former SEAL and ex-pro wrestler, said Kyle’s claim that he punched him at a California bar in 2006 for offensive comments about SEALs ruined his reputation in the tight-knit SEAL community.

PRESIDENT CALLS FAMILY MEMBERS OF TWO MEN KILLED BY POLICE ST. PAUL — President Barack Obama has made phone calls to the family members of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, two black men killed in separate police shootings last week that sparked protests around the country. White House spokesman Josh Ear nest says Obama offered condolences during the calls, which he made aboard Air Force One as he flew to Dallas on Tuesday to par ticipate in a memorial for five police officers killed during a protest Thursday. Castile’s mother, Valerie Castile, says she was ecstatic to get the president’s call. Her son was killed during a traffic stop in Minnesota. A day earlier, Sterling was killed by police in Louisiana. Valerie Castile’s brother, Tracy Castile, says his sister was invited to the memorial for the slain officers but chose to stay in Minnesota to focus on her son. ASSOCIATED PRESS

STATE BRIEFING

BY ELIANA SCHREIBER eschreiber@mndaily.com

University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler has received a positive review from the school’s Board of Regents. The board’s brief 2015-16

performance report — prepared and discussed in closed-door meetings — mentioned “challenges during the past year.” However, it said regents believe Kaler is committed to addressing these issues as he enters his sixth year at the University. “By nearly ever y objective measure, the University is successfully delivering on its mission,” the board’s report said. “President Kaler deser ves credit for the

University’s tremendous and sustained success under his leadership.” The report was prepared by a committee made up of board Chair Dean Johnson, Vice Chair David McMillan and Regent Laura Brod. To complete the review, the committee gathered feedback from regents, University officials, faculty leadership and students. “Overall, we believe President Kaler’s performance

has been commendable,” Johnson said. Regents said Kaler overcame significant challenges in the past five years, adding that he has done much to advance the school’s mission. Kaler — a chemical engineer by trade — came to the University in 2011 after a stint as Stony Brook University’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

Three consecutive Severe storms batter assaults hit U area small communities in Sunday morning Minnesota, Wisconsin BY HANNAH WEIKEL hweikel@mndaily.com

A string of assaults occurred in rapid succession early Sunday morning near the University of Minnesota campus. All three incidents happened on or near the intersection of 17th Avenue Southeast and University Avenue Southeast at about 2 a.m., according to a campuswide timely warning email. The first victim was allegedly assaulted after he told a group of about 20 males to get off his lawn, according

to the email. The group then walked down University Avenue Southeast and assaulted a second victim. About five minutes after the first two assaults, a smaller group of five males assaulted three victims in that same area. Only one victim, from the third assault, required medical attention. The suspects of the third assault were seen leaving the area in a black Subaru. Detailed suspect descriptions were not available, according to the alert.

Castile’s family vows lawsuit over shooting BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ST. PAUL — The family of a black Minnesota man fatally shot by a police officer during a traf fic stop is planning to sue over his killing. TV judge Glenda Hatchett is the attor ney representing the family of Philando Castile. She said Tuesday that there will be a lawsuit over the 32-yearold’s death last week in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights. Hatchett did not say

EXTENDED WEATHER FORECAST THURSDAY FRIDAY HIGH 71° HIGH 79° LOW 59° LOW 61° Mostly cloudy

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Board of Regents completes Kaler’s performance report President Kaler recieved positive feedback in a brief annual review.

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whom the family intends to name as defendants or other wise elaborate on the suit. An of ficer fr om the neighboring St. Anthony police force shot Castile during a traffic stop that remains under investigation. Castile’s girlfriend streamed the immediate aftermath of the shooting live on Facebook in a video that prompted protests around the countr y, including in Dallas, where five of ficers were killed Thursday.

SATURDAY HIGH 81° LOW 64° Partly sunny

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LITCHFIELD, Minn. — Storms carrying tornadoes, torrential rain and powerful winds damaged homes, deposited a snowplow in a tree and flooded highways in north-central Minnesota and northern Wisconsin. Audrey Schoenberg took shelter at a restaurant in Litchfield, Minnesota, after a tornado Monday flipped her home off its foundation. “I’m numb. I’m numb. I don’t know really what I do feel right now. It’s quite a shock to see that everything is gone,” she said. Authorities said the tornado damaged up to 20 homes in the area. Keith Johnson, the mayor of Litchfield about 70 miles west of Minneapolis, said there was serious damage, but that no one was injured. “I’ve lived in this town 52 years and I’ve never seen a storm like this in our community,” Johnson said. Diane Kelbing told KARE-TV that she and her husband raced to their mobile home park shelter when they heard the tornado warning siren. “Well, the garage is gone, the shed is gone, the snowmobile trailer is gone. We’ve got a snowplow in the tree,” Kelbing said. Fifty residents were removed from the Hilltop Health Care Center in nearby

SUNDAY HIGH 84° LOW 65° T-storms

Watkins after the home lost part of its roof. The American Red Cross said it is assisting the evacuees. Law enforcement also reported a tornado touchdown around 6:30 p.m. Monday, 3 miles east of Rockville, in Stearns County, Minnesota, according to the National Weather Service. The storms also washed out sections of highways in northern Wisconsin and closed other roads. Wisconsin emergency officials said in a news release 33 people were trapped on Michigan Island in Lake Superior. The release didn’t offer any other details but said as of midmorning 20 people had been rescued and rescue efforts were still underway. A Wisconsin Emergency Management spokeswoman referred questions about the situation to the Iron County Sherif f ’s Depar tment. A message left with that agency wasn’t immediately returned. The storms also damaged or destroyed 85 boats at Saxon Harbor in Iron County, state emergency of ficials said. The Ashland County Sheriff’s Office urged against travel in the county because many local roads were flooded. Sections of U.S. Highway 2 and state Highway 13 south of Highbridge were closed Tuesday.

MONDAY HIGH 86° LOW 67° Partly sunny

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EDITORIAL STAFF Jared Hemming Editorials & Opinions Editor jhemming@mndaily.com Anant Naik Senior Editorial Board Member anaik@mndaily.com BUSINESS Catherine Vaught Retail Sales Manager cvaught@mndaily.com Emma Dahlgren Creative Director edahlgren@mndaily.com FINANCE Grace Meyer • Controller gmeyer@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 through 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 15,000 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.


Wednesday, July 13, 2016

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Police accountability petition advances A City Council committee received a proposal that would require police to carry professional liability insurance. BY RYAN FAIRCLOTH rfaircloth@mndaily.com

A petition to place a police insurance amendment on November’s ballot was approved at a Minneapolis City Council committee meeting Monday. Though the measure requires another step of council approval before it’s placed on any ballot, the proposal — backed by the Committee for Professional Policing and more than 7,000 signatures — would require ever y Minneapolis Police Department officer to carr y professional liability insurance. Under the amendment, Minneapolis would pay the base rate of the insurance. But if misconduct or lawsuits cause premium overages, the of ficer responsible would pay out of pocket. This contrasts the current system, where the city budgets for lawsuits against police officers and covers their settlements, said Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality. “The city literally budgets for police brutality,” she said. Gross — also a Committee for Professional Policing board member — said the proposal would make police less likely to misbehave. “The beauty of it is that it provides huge incentive for police not to engage in that conduct,” she said. Gross said about 150 of 850 Minneapolis police of ficers are “problem

of ficers” with at least five complaints. She said the proposal would affect these officers primarily, not the of ficers who haven’t engaged in misconduct. “We really see [misconduct as] centered around certain particular officers, and it’s a shame because in our meetings, we literally know the names of these officers,” Gross said. Liability insurance could target officers with a history of misconduct, said Michelle Phelps, a University of Minnesota criminology, law and deviance professor. “There would be real costs for officers who were involved with multiple use of force charges … and that would help to weed out some of the folks on the force … who’ve had a histor y of being more aggressive,” Phelps said. Still, she said she is unsure of its ef fectiveness given a lack of research. Lt. Bob Kroll, president of Minneapolis’ police union, said he thinks the proposal has problems. “To some, it may seem like a great idea, but when you drill down into the feasibility … it’s not ver y well thought out,” he said. He said a liability insurance requirement would violate a state statute and police labor agreements, which require municipalities to defend officers from damages. It could also be difficult to find an insurance company for the project, Kroll said, because various rates

Precarious calm in South Sudan’s capital as foreigners flee BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

JUBA, South Sudan — Embassies and aid organizations in South Sudan were tr ying to evacuate staff from the capital, Juba, on Tuesday as a precarious calm settled over the city following several days of deadly clashes. “Several hundred people have already been killed, including civilians seeking refuge. Some of the civilians killed were reportedly targeted based on their ethnicity,” the U.N. special adviser on preventing genocide, Adama Dieng, said in a statement Tuesday. South Sudan’s government has said at least 272 have been killed, including 33 civilians, in fighting that broke out Thursday night with gunfire between opposing army forces that raised fears of a return to civil war. President Salva Kiir and former rebel leader, First Vice President Riek Machar, declared separate cease-fires Monday night. Militar y trucks drove up and down Juba’s roads with megaphones Tuesday, ordering soldiers back to barracks. Bodies were seen sprawled on Juba’s dir t streets. In some areas, the cor r ugated metal, sticks and other materials that once were shops or homes had collapsed. Tattered cloth waved in the breeze. While the U.N. said the cease-fire in Juba appeared to be holding, it was “hugely worrying” that the fighting appeared to have spread outside the capital, the U.N. human rights office in Geneva said Tuesday. The U.S. Embassy, Doctors Without Borders and the International Medical Corps were among organizations pulling out their staf fs from South Sudan. Private char tered planes flew foreigners out of Juba’s reopened airport Tuesday, as regional carriers including Kenya Airways had cancelled flights there. The U.S. Embassy said Tuesday night it was organizing flights out of the countr y “for all United States citizens wishing to

leave.” Japan dispatched militar y aircraft to evacuate its citizens. Uganda will send troops to Juba to evacuate its citizens, said Ugandan army spokesman Paddy Ankunda. South Sudanese nationals tr ying to escape the capital were prevented from doing so by authorities, according to a security worker in Juba who insisted on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press. The United Nations said about 36,000 people have been displaced since the fighting began last week and called the humanitarian situation “grave.” Aid groups warned about the lack of clean water for the tens of thousands of people sheltering in various sites around Juba, as water tankers have not been able to make deliveries. Inside a crowded U.N. camp, people tried to pursue their daily lives behind shiny coils of razor wire. The fighting in Juba has severely threatened a peace deal signed last year between Kiir and Machar to end a civil war that had killed tens of thousands since late 2013. The agreement brought them and their supporters into a transitional coalition government in April. In the latest fighting, gover nment troops have lined up tanks and fired on a U.N. base where tens of thousands of civilians are sheltering, according to witnesses. At least eight civilians in the U.N. camp were killed in the crossfire. Gover nment of ficials have repeatedly accused the civilians inside the U.N. bases of being rebels or rebel supporters. T wo Chinese peacekeepers with the U.N. mission were also killed. The gover nment also overran one of Machar’s two bases in Juba, deploying helicopter gunships and tanks against opposition forces carr ying only light arms. Some 35 of Machar’s bodyguards were killed in the latest clashes, said opposition militar y spokesman William Gatjiath.

would be needed to cover of ficers with dif ferent duties and risks. “Of ficers … incur different amounts of liability,” he said. “Basically, your 911 patrol of ficers would be the most expensive to insure, and that would go up by the frequency of contacts.” H e a l s o s a i d pol i c e could become overly cautious with the added stress, and this would cause of ficers to be less proactive on the job. “They’re going to be ver y, ver y hesitant to involving and engaging in anything,” Kroll said. He said he doesn’t think voters who want “good police protection” will want this amendment passed. “Of ficers that don’t do anything aren’t going to get complaints,” Kroll said. “Officers that are the ones that are out there digging and doing aggressive police work are going to get complaints.” Still, despite the concer ns, Phelps said she thinks the proposal is a good starting point toward improving police-community relations. “I think this mechanism would help to solve that problem,” she said. “It would help solve the problem of there not being real consequences for use of force.” But Phelps acknowledged proper use of force depends on the situation. “We want police officers to be proactively engaged. … We want them to stop people when they’re comm it t in g wr o ng d oi n gs , ” she said. “But what we don’t want is police stopping masses of people on

KELSEY CHRISTENSEN, DAILY

Minneapolis City Clerk Casey Carl tells the Health, Environment and Community Engagement Committee that Communities United Against Police Brutality obtained the set amount of signatures to put the requirement of Professional Liability Insurance on the upcoming ballot at a Minneapolis City Council committee meeting on Monday.

demographic characteristics alone for really lowlevel stuff, [and] then those situations escalate.” Gross said she also disagrees with the concern officers will be less proactive. She said the liability insurance method has helped control misconduct before, like in medical professions. “It’s an old concept; it’s just the novelty of it is applying it to policing,” Gross said. But because of the legal conflict, Kroll said he doesn’t think the city will vote to put the amendment on the ballot at its final vote. The City Council hasn’t set a date for its final vote but could vote as early as August. Kroll said if the city puts the measure on the ballot, the police union will file

POLICE LIABILITY INSURANCE PROPOSAL The proposal would require all Minneapolis police officers to carry liability insurance. The city would pay for base insurance, but if officer-involved misconduct or lawsuits caused the insurance premium to go up, the officer responsible for the increase would have to cover the additional cost. The petition was received and deemed valid at a City Council committee meeting Moday. The proposed charter amendment will now go to the City Council for a vote. SOURCE: MN DAILY REPORTING, MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE

an injunction against the proposal, adding he thinks there’s enough evidence to show it violates state statute. If the injunction isn’t granted, he said the union would initiate an expensive PR campaign against the amendment. Regardless, Kroll said people who want hardworking police will vote against

the amendment. But Gross said she’s confident the amendment will be passed if put on the ballot, considering an overwhelming positive response to the proposal. “I feel like … 10 or 15 years from now, people are going to say, ‘What? Why didn’t we do that before?’ ” she said.

Body recovered from Mississippi River ID’d as University employee Tibetan community members expressed concern with police handling of the case. BY AARON JOB ajob1@mndaily.com

A man found dead in the Mississippi River Saturday has been identified as Rinzin Dorjee according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office. Dorjee, 55 — a University employee — was reported missing by a coworker late Thursday night, according to a campus-wide public safety alert. On Friday, about 80 people gathered at the University of Minnesota Police Depar tment to request updates and more information on the case, said activist Jigme Ugen. The gathering took place after members of the Tibetan community found Dorjee’s wallet and shoes during a search of their own; community members

wondered why police had not been searching more extensively, he said. “The community asked police to help search the river. The police did a little bit of search, but the community ended up doing most of the search. The police were gone,” Ugen said. “They said they were difficult to arrange and that the boat has to come from the sheriff and all of these complications.” During the gathering Friday, UMPD Chief Matt Clark decided to star t a search with a K-9 unit and a boat sweep at 9 p.m., Ugen said. “It’s a bit disheartening when the community needed to do such action to get some sort of urgency from the police,” Ugen said. Ugen said he had tried contacting Minneapolis

Ward 2 City Council Member Cam Gordon several times but was unsuccessful. In a Facebook response to a post by Ugen, Gordon said he will review what went wrong with UMPD and the county, adding that “it appears [the county] could have and should have been sent out earlier.” “We really exhausted a lot of resources in trying to find him during that time,” said UMPD Lieutenant Troy Buhta. “It’s a tough time for family, and they’re really tr ying to grasp onto something, hope for the best — as were we.” In an emailed statement, University spokesman Tim Busse said, “Of ficers followed investigative practices related to a missing person report and worked closely with the family, law enforcement partners, Mr. Dorjee’s employer, and University depar tments in an effort to locate Mr. Dorjee.”

According to a tweet from UMPD, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Of fice recovered a body Saturday evening. Dorjee’s body was found about 100 yards south of the Short Line Bridge, but the cause of death is still under investigation, according to the medical examiner. UMPD had found blood at Dorjee’s workplace and said he may have been injured in the safety update Friday. A sur veillance video shows Dorjee walking toward the intersection of Fulton Street Southeast and Ontario Street Southeast, according to the email. “I know for sure that these figures of authority would have handled the entire situation differently if those af fected weren’t people of color immigrants with English as second language,” Ugen said in a Facebook statement posted Saturday.

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Wednesday, July 13, 2016

U outreach displays science’s diversity The U’s Market Science program attends local farmers markets to make scientific research more accessible for children. BY DAVID CLAREY dclarey@mndaily.com

Minutes after looking at fruit through a microscope, elementary students Athena and Bear BlinSchauer were ecstatic. “It’s cool,” Athena said. “It’s so cool,” her brother, Bear, added. The pair are frequent attendees of Market Science, a University of Minnesota outreach program that takes place at local farmers markets. University students and faculty who volunteer for the program say the goal is to pique the curiosity of children by making scientific research more digestible. The weekly sessions — held primarily at Midtown Farmers Market — feature activities like making poultices or peering through microscopes at fruit. “We’re there explaining science in ver y simple terms and not dumbing it down in any way, just talking about ver y simple concepts,” said co-founder Mohamed Yakub. Yakub said the event of fers an oppor tunity for researchers to share their work, which he said doesn’t come often. In addition, he said, the program is meant to make science more accessible for kids of all backgrounds. “We’re tr ying it a little dif ferently than [is] commonly done,” said coordinator Beth Fallon. “We are going to a place that is not about science to talk about science.” Fallon said more than 3,000 people visited their stand last year. “People, in general, want to know more about how the world works, and you acutally have a chance to ask an

expert about it, right there at the market,” she said. Midtown Farmers Market manager Miguel Goebel said the community has embraced the program. “The response has been really receptive and positive,” he said. “It gives kids something to look forward to when they’re coming to the market because there’s so many dif ferent cool things that they can participate in.” While the activities are designed to appeal to kids, adults have taken to the activities as well, said John Benning, who leads sessions. “The parents will come over, and they seem to really enjoy talking to active researchers and finding out what exactly is a scientist,” he said. Benning said that one of the main goals of Market Science is to encourage anyone who is interested in science to pursue it. He said that too often people picture a white male working over a microscope when they think about science. “We’re trying to kind of break that image and show that a scientist can be anyone … and even beyond just ethnicity and gender, what scientists do,” Benning said. “Just the breadth of what science is is really incredible. It’s really just a way of processing the world that is open to anyone, really.” As a child, Yakub said he overcame misconceptions about science himself, which is par t of what inspired him to start Market Science. “I am African American, but I am Indian descent. When I was growing up, my parents expected me to be a

MADDY FOX, DAILY

University student Stephanie Erlandson works at the Market Science tent at the Midtown Farmers Market on Saturday.

doctor, because that’s what science is,” Yakub said. When Yakub entered college, he learned about the different possibilities of science outside of engineering and medical school. This led him to pursue a degree in biology and then a Ph.D. in plant biological sciences. “And so I wanted to share [the different paths for science] with other kids who may not know that,” Yakub said. “I just want them to have an idea of what they can be, and they need not be a white man to accomplish those.” He said Market Science chose its location and staff with a goal to increase diversity in science. “It’s in south Minneapolis — there’s a lot of diversity in both race and

economics,” Yakub said. “And we try to have women in our group; we tr y and have folks of color in our group to show everyone can be a scientist.” Along with other cofounders, Yakub applied for a mini-grant from the Institute on the Environment in spring 2014. After it was accepted, the program launched the following summer. Yakub said part of the inspiration to start the project came from seeing candid discussions of religion on the street. “We were fr ustrated because we realized no one talks about science in a way to the general public,” he said. “We didn’t want to scream it out, but we wanted to talk it out to

“We’re trying to ... show that a scientist can be anyone … and even beyond just ethnicity and gender, what scientists do. Just the breadth of what science is is really incredible.” JOHN BENNING Session leader

people out and about on the streets.” Par t of that fr ustration, Yakub said, ties into the politicized nature of science in today’s culture. He hopes that the program communicates science as an field wor th discussing. The program is now funded with grants from the University’s Institute on the Environment and the

College of Biological Sciences, Yakub said, but he has also applied for multiyear grant from the state, which could expand the program. “Depending on what avenues it goes, there are a lot of graduate students and young faculty who want to be out there,” he said. “I forsee this continuing for a long time in the near future.”

Board mulls solutions to housing concerns ‘Far and away the Pioneer u from Page 1

University housing has persisted for more than a year as regents and University administrators have str uggled to agree on the best way to address the shortage. School leaders and officials have expressed their desire to house more students on campus or in University residences. Having students in such housing beyond their first year, they say, boosts GPAs and graduation rates.

Pioneer Hall Renovations

While Pioneer Hall was revamped in 1977 and has undergone repair and maintenance since, no major work has been done in the past 15 years. The hall — completed in 1932 — is par t of the University’s Superblock, a quar tet of University housing that caters to mostly freshman. The outdated dorm doesn’t meet cur rent building codes in several areas, is not handicapped accessible and needs upgrades like ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical system replacement and bathroom renovation. University staf f pr esented the Board’s Facilities, Planning and Operations Committee Wednesday with options for renovating Pioneer Hall, which ranged from just fixing deficiencies to completely removing Pioneer to building a new residence hall. Regents also considered an option to add a $22.8 million, 850-seat dining facility to more effectively ser ve all 2,800 Superblock residents. All told, the proposal would be $99 million. The University’s recommendation calls for a $76.2 million renovation to maintain the building’s character and bed capacity. Other options range fr om $15.5 million for

“If at some point it becomes clear that we need to spend a significant amount of money, I would want to spend that money on new housing.”

COST OF OPTIONS FOR PIONEER HALL RENOVATION

$105.25 MILLION

$76.2

$81.7 MILLION

MILLION

MICHAEL HSU Regent

$51

MILLION

$34.95 fixing the cur rent building’s deficiencies to $105.25 million to demolish and build a new hall. If the new dining hall is include d, th at num b er reaches $130 million. Regent Michael Hsu said he would like to see the lowest-cost fixes at Pioneer, saving significant costs for building new housing in the future to increase the University’s capacity for campus living. “If at some point it becomes clear that we need to spend a significant amount of money, I would want to spend that money on new housing,” Hsu said. “A hundred million dollars later, I would expect that we would have more University housing as opposed to the same or just a little bit more.” Regent Thomas Devine said money for the renovations would come fr o m U nive r sity H o u s ing and Residential Life cash reser ves funded through student housing fees. If Pioneer were to be r ebuilt or significantly remodeled, Devine said, housing fees would most likely have to increase over three to five years on top of the 3.6 percent increase included in University President Eric Kaler’s 2017 budget. Regents are expected to vote on a final option in September.

Master lease agreement

By 2021, the University hopes to add another

MILLION

$15.5 MILLION

$2.85 MILLION

Mothball

Extend Extend Renovate Maintain useful life useful life existing character (low est.) (high est.) structure and capacity SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

1,000 beds to accommodate 90 percent of firstyear classes, 25 percent of retur ning second-year classes and 10 percent of transfer students, said Vice President for University Ser vices Pam Wheelock during a repor t to Regents Wednesday. To help achieve this goal, Regents approved two leasing agreements with the nearby Keeler and Radius at 15th apar tment complexes. The idea to use privately owned apar tment complexes to solve a lack of available University housing was first proposed last year. Regents and administrators say the nearly $8 million a year leasing doesn’t af fect the University’s debt, helps retain students in schoolmanaged housing and is quicker and more flexible than on-campus dorms. “ We c a n d o a l e a s e much faster than build,” said Regent Thomas Anderson. “If we can go in and get a good enough master lease so that we can lease them at appropriate rates for our students and turn them into quasi-residence halls, I think that’s good for ever yone.”

Maintain Demolish character and build and new capacity+ BOARD OF REGENTS

Beginning in late August 2017 and continuing until the summer of 2022, the University will lease 164 beds in 44 furnished apar tments from Keeler Apar tments and 772 beds in 200 fur nished apar tments from Radius at 15th. The apar tment complexes are leasing to the University at a discount, enabling the school to cover staf f operations costs and keep rent the same for students, Wheelock said. The cur r ent plan is for 11.5-month leases that could accommodate students if they choose to study abroad. The University will pay an annual rent of about $1.3 million to Keeler Apar tments and about $6.5 million to Radius at 15th, funded through student housing fees. Regents said the leases would be pay-as-you-go, and the University would not have to bor row any money or subsidize from other funds. “I don’t think it’s the University’s intent to make money on these master leases,” Anderson said. “I think it’s our intent to find the best possible rate for the students.”

best’: Sanders finally endorses Clinton BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PORTMOUTH, N.H. — W ith hugs and handshakes, Ber nie Sanders endorsed Hillar y Clinton for president on Tuesday and emphatically told his supporters their “political revolution” must now turn to electing his Democratic former rival. Sanders bestowed his long-awaited suppor t before a boisterous New Hampshire crowd, declaring he wanted to make it “as clear as possible as to why I am endorsing Hillary Clinton.” He congratulated her for securing enough delegates to win the Democratic nomination and vowed to do ever ything he could to help her defeat Republican candidate Donald Trump. “This campaign is not really about Hillar y Clinton, or Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders, or any other candidate who sought the presidency. This campaign is about the needs of the American people and addressing the ver y serious crises that we face,” Sanders said. He added: “And there is no doubt in my mind that, as we head into November, Hillar y Clinton is far and away the best candidate to do that.” As Sanders delivered the endorsement just two weeks shy of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Clinton offered a huge smile, embracing him as they raised their arms in unity. The former secretary of state said the final four months of the campaign would be “much more enjoyable” working alongside Sanders and echoed her campaign slogan, “We are stronger together.” During much of her remarks, Clinton embraced many of Sanders’ causes, vowing to oppose trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, fight to raise the federal minimum wage — adopting Sanders’ tone, she called it a “star vation

wage” — and overhaul the campaign finance system. “These aren’t just my fights. These are Bernie’s fights. These are America’s fights,” Clinton said. Democrats have coalesced around Clinton’s candidacy since she defeated Sanders in primaries last month in California and five other states, helped along by endorsements from President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and others. In a high-profile rally last month, Clinton was embraced by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a liberal stalwart popular with Sanders’ followers. Sanders has spent the past month seeking to influence the par ty’s platform for the Philadelphia convention and promote electoral reforms including allowing independents to participate in future primaries. He called the platform “the most progressive” in history and hailed steps to create a $15 an hour minimum wage, prevent Wall Street malfeasance and address climate change. The event at a Por tsmouth high school sought to project Democratic unity before Republicans formally nominate Trump next week in Cleveland but some Sanders’ supporters in the crowd did not appear to be ready to move on. Chants of “Bernie” broke out in the gymnasium while opening speakers addressed the crowd, prompting Clinton’s faithful to chant, “unity.” When Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Clinton supporter, told the audience, “We need to elect Hillary,” some Bernie suppor ters stood and shouted, “No,” which was followed by chants of “Hillary” in the crowd. “It’s like he’s giving up if he endorses her,” said Steve Rand, a hardware store owner from Plymouth, New Hampshire, before the two candidates took the stage. He added: “She stands for everything that I am against.


Wednesday, July 13, 2016

5

U student drives Xcel pollinator initiative A new seed mix is likely to save Xcel money and reduce amounts of carbon in the atmosphere. BY AARON JOB ajob1@mndaily.com

While interning for Xcel Energy last summer, Jeremiah Cunningham found a solution to a problem the company didn’t know they had. Cunningham, a University senior studying construction management, realized the company’s seed mix — planted around parts of their energy-grid infrastructure — wasn’t attracting many pollinators. He suggested a more native mix, and the change stuck. Earlier this month, Cunningham said, Xcel planted the new pollinator-friendly seeds for the first time at its substation near Monticello, Minn. The company will also be planting the seed at several other substations this summer, he said. “My internship was pretty boring sometimes because I just sat in my truck in the middle of nowhere,” Cunningham said. “That’s really where it star ted, when I was out sitting at a substation and actually saw a butterfly fly around … probably two acres of dried grass in the middle of nowhere that nobody cared about, and [I] thought there had to be a better way to do it.” Xcel Energy has chiefly used MnDOT 250 — a general roadside seed mix — to reseed areas surrounding their power-grid fixtures, according to officials. “It’s [our] basic seed, called ‘ditch-mix.’ It’s a good mix of seed for stabilizing and low maintenance and really easy to af ford and easy to find,” said David Butler, the superintendent of civil construction at Xcel Energy and Cunningham’s super visor during his internship. Butler said he worked closely with Cunningham, often visiting him at constr uction or restoration sites to get updates on progress. One day, he said, Cunningham questioned him about Xcel Energy’s choice in seed mix.

University of Minnesota student Jeremiah Cunningham poses for a portrait outside of Xcel Energy in downtown Minneapolis.

“He said, ‘Hey David, we put this down because it follows the state’s [guidelines], but it doesn’t provide many pollinators much flowers. … Can we look at changing that?’” said Butler. “I said, ‘Great idea.’ I gave him a few names and numbers and told him to just dig around, talk to people [and] figure out how.” After many phone calls and consultations, Cunningham said, he analyzed costs, testing and implementation strategies before pitching the idea to the higher-ups. Cunningham said the work wasn’t par t of his internship duties, but he thought of the greater benefits pursuing a project like this could afford. The prairie grass seed is better for pollinators — usually insects that transfer pollen from flowers of the same species — according to Mike Evenocheck,

International tribune rejects China’s claim to South China Sea BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — An international tribunal rejected China’s extensive claims in the South China Sea in a landmark ruling Tuesday that also found the country had aggravated the seething regional dispute and violated the Philippines’ maritime rights by building up artificial islands that destroyed coral reefs and by disrupting fishing and oil exploration. While the decision is seen as a major legal declaration regarding one of the world’s most contested regions, China immediately rejected it as a “farce” and the true impact is uncertain given the tribunal has no power of enforcement. While the findings cannot reverse China’s actions, it still constitutes a rebuke, carrying with it the force of the international community’s opinion. It also gives heart to small countries in Asia that have helplessly chafed at China’s expansionism, backed by its military and economic power. “The Philippines strongly affirms its respect for this milestone decision as an impor tant contribution to ongoing efforts in addressing disputes in the South China Sea,” Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay said in Manila, calling on “all those concerned to exercise restraint and sobriety.” Former Foreign Secretar y Albert del Rosario, who helped oversee the filing of the case, said the r uling underscored “our

collective belief that right is might and that international law is the great equalizer among states.” Del Rosario stressed that it was important for the ruling to be accepted by all. “For the sake of maintaining international order, it is imperative that the Award and clarification of maritime entitlements be accepted by all relevant countries - without exception - so that we can work together on how remaining issues can be peacefully resolved,” he said. Six regional gover nments have overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea, waters that are rich in fishing stocks and potential energy resources and where an estimated $5 trillion in global trade passes each year. The disputes have also increased friction between China and the United States, which has ramped up its militar y presence in the region as China has expanded its navy’s reach farther offshore. White House spokesman Josh Earnest reacted to the ruling by encourage all parties to “acknowledge the final and binding nature of this tribunal.” Earnest spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One as President Barack Obama was flying to Dallas. He said the United States was not a claimant in the case and that it seeks a peaceful resolution to disputes and competing claims in the region, while preser ving the U.S.’s ability engage in the freedom of navigation and commerce.

a sales manager at Prairie Restorations Inc., a company which specializes in ecological restoration. “Pollinators in general have taken a huge hit due to loss of habitat,” Evenocheck said, adding that the lack of pollinators ultimately affects food crops. “You need to look at planting prairie grass because it stems global warming in a huge way. … Our biggest carbon sinks are our Great Plains, and we’ve turned them all into agriculture,” Cunningham said, pointing to the substantial amount of land Xcel owns under their transmission lines, which stretch for nearly 20,000 miles. If fully implemented, Cunningham said, the switch to the native prairie seed could remove a substantial amount of carbon from the atmosphere every year. While Xcel Energy

officials didn’t release exact costs, they said the new seeding mix is more expensive but that they expect better fiscal returns in the long run. “Eventually, we’ll do a comparison, you know — apples to apples, star t to finish and see what the full cost and full impact are,” said Butler. “In the long term, we’re expecting it to save us money. I can’t say how much, but in a 10- to 20-year period, it’s going to require less maintenance.” Cunningham said he estimates about 10 substations will either be planted or replanted with the pollinator-friendly prairie mix this year in Minnesota. If the mix works out in the substations this summer, Butler said, Xcel may plant the mix in Wisconsin and also along transmission lines. Butler said Cunningham’s contributions were

MADDY FOX, DAILY

“This situation with Jeremiah is an excellent example of what can happen with an internship when the old guard status quo [says], ‘This is the way we’ve always done things,’ and the intern comes in and asks, ‘Well, why?’” PETER HILGER Faculty director, construction management program

far more than what was expected. “This situation with Jeremiah is an excellent example of what can happen with an inter nship when the old guard status quo [says], ‘This is the way we’ve always done things,’ and the intern comes in and asks, ‘Well, why?,’” said Peter Hilger, the faculty director of construction management at the University. This week, Cunningham was fi n i s hi n g u p

constr uction on Xcel Energy’s new corporate offices downtown as an assistant project manager for OPUS, a local constr uction company, he said. “Here’s how one small idea at one location can blossom, literally, into a wide-ranging idea for Xcel,” Hilger said. “The success remains to be seen, but all indications are that the research Jeremiah did set them on a course to make it successful.”

Board, Fairview end merger talks U physicians and Fairview hoped to share benefits, including clients and technology. BY ELIANA SCHREIBER eschreiber@mndaily.com

After nine months of negotiations, a merger between University of Minnesota Physicians and Fairview Health System was nixed last week. The University’s Board of Regents last Wednesday terminated a letter of intent from last October that would have combined the two health care providers in an attempt to share benefits, including UMP specialists gaining a larger client base from Fairview, as well as University medical specialists and technology being at Fairview’s disposal. The University of Minnesota Physicians’ — the group that oversees University doctors’ private practice — Board of Directors voted to terminate their

letter of intent, ef fective July. 1. University President Eric Kaler said the board gave Fair view its final offer on Jun. 8, with significant compromise for both sides. Fairview’s Board of Directors rejected the proposal Jun. 29. For many board members, an integrated health system would greatly benefit the community, physicians and faculty, Kaler said. “Regardless of what happens with this current effort, Fairview will remain a critical partner of the University,” he said at the meeting. In an emailed statement, a Fair view spokeswoman said the two institutions will continue to work together and that cur rent agreements between the University, University Physicians and Fairview remain intact. “Our Board was not

confident that the new organization would be able to realize the overall vision and original goals of the integration,” the statement said. The current af filiation between Fair view and the University will remain intact, he said, despite the organizations’ inability to agree to terms to merge under the M Health name. “We believe that the agreements on the table are fair,” said University of Minnesota Physicians CEO Dr. Bobbi Daniels at the meeting. Daniels said the agreement would have improved the medical school’s research, clinical care and overall education and said she was disappointed to see negotiations fail. Some regents expressed similar frustrations. Regent Richard Beeson said the failure of the merger comes after hundreds of hours of negotiation. “I am angry with … this

“Regardless of what happens with this current effort, Fairview will remain a critical partner of the University.” ERIC KALER University president

last-minute withdrawal from Fair view,” he said. “[It’s] something that’s been in the works a long time.” While Regents voted unanimously to kill the letter of intent, Regent Patricia Simmons said she is hopeful for relations with Fairview in the future. “This would be wonderful,” she said. “We are still people who hope that the right thing happens here.” Meger talks between the University and Fairview from a previous takeover proposal stalled in 2013.

Dallas police took steps to mend rift with minorities BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DALLAS — When Micah Johnson opened fire on Dallas police in an act of vengeance against white of ficers, he was attacking a department whose chief has been lauded across the country for taking bold steps to root out bad cops and repair relations with minorities. Police Chief David Brown, a black man who pushed through the reforms despite resistance from the rank-and-file, boasted at a news conference Monday that crime, police shootings and

excessive-force complaints against the depar tment have all dropped dramatically on his watch. “This is the best department in the countr y, and I’m proud to be associated with the men and women of the Dallas Police Department,” he said. Johnson, a black Army veteran who ser ved in Afghanistan, killed five officers in a sniper attack Thursday that he portrayed as payback for the fatal police shootings of black men last week in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and near St. Paul, Minnesota. The attack ended with Johnson blown

up by a bomb delivered by a police robot. No evidence has come to light to suggest that the 25-year-old Johnson had a grudge specifically against the 3,400-officer Dallas Police Department. “Dallas PD is paying the price for problems elsewhere around our country,” said Mohamed Elibiar y, a former Texas-based Department of Homeland Security adviser. Carlyle Holder, president of the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice, had been holding up the Dallas Police Department as an example of

a law enforcement agency effectively addressing the problem of racial disparities in police work. “That’s what made the killing of those officers so much harder to take,” he said. Brown became chief in 2010, taking over a department that a generation ago had one of the highest rates of civilian shootings in the country. In 2012, his efforts to heal the rift between police and the black community took on greater urgency when the killing of a black man by a white officer triggered widespread protests.


6

Editorials & Opinions

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

EDITORIAL

The killing must stop In a nation roiled by racial injustice, we must enact change.

LIAM JAMES DOYLE, DAILY

Protesters hold hands during a group prayer outside of the St. Anthony Police Department, where they rallied demanding justice for Philando Castile on Sunday.

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police officer killed Alton Sterling for selling CDs outside his friend’s storefront. Philando Castile was met with the same fate for complying with an officer. Never have the foibles of a racially biased law enforcement system seemed so clear. Yet, we uttered those same words after the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Akai Gurley and Freddie Grey — the list unfurls with each passing day. And now — after law enforcement of ficers killed the 123rd African American in the United States this year — we are again confronted by the increasingly onerous racial inequities of our society. “Would this have happened if the driver and passengers were white? I don’t think it would’ve,” Gov. Mark Dayton remarked in a press conference on Thursday. “All of us in Minnesota are forced to confront that this kind of racism exists.” For some activists, community members and allies of the Black Lives Matter cause, Dayton’s comments are reassuring

— especially for those who see lawmakers as insular and highranking state of ficials as complicit in the corrosive, state-sanctioned violence against the black community. Outside his Summit Avenue residence on Thursday, Dayton apologized for the death of Castile. With the crowd’s growing clamor for justice, Diamond Reynolds — Castile’s girlfriend — rejoined, “I don’t want you guys to be sorr y; I want y’all to be more careful.” “You’ll get justice,” Dayton responded. But more often than not, calls for justice fail to reverberate in the courtroom. As with the acquittal of Cleveland patrolman Timothy Loehmann — who fatally shot 12-yearold Tamir Rice in 2014 — the United States’ criminal justice system has continually proven itself as a bulwark against police prosecution. We want change; we are discomfited by our countr y’s injustices — the prison-industrial complex that destroys black families, our constant flir tation with “broken window” policing — but promised change has not yet been attained. As a nation,

that is our curse. “It was my son today, but it could be yours tomor row or yours the next day,” Valerie Castile, Philando Castile’s mother, told community members at a vigil outside of J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet School on Thursday. For a community 46 million strong, our countr y has failed to provide necessar y protections. We must disenthrall ourselves from this civic injustice. In countries like Nor way, Iceland and New Zealand — where police of ficers refrain from using arms — order is maintained through de-escalation, not retaliation. In small U.S. locales — like Las Vegas — substantive police reform has achieved success. Four years ago, Las Vegas brought de-escalation measures to the forefront of its policing mindset. In 2014 — when the Justice Depar tment reviewed the city’s reforms — it found that training and oversight had led to a decline in police shootings. But for a militaristic, trigger-happy police culture, reform only solves par t of the problem.

Under the European Convention for Human Rights, police of ficers can only fire their weapons if it is “absolutely necessar y.” In the U.S., however, police of ficers follow an atavistic principle — shoot if there is a “reasonable” perception of danger. And because the word “reasonable” allows police officers to use their own biases to judge conflict, prejudices about par ticular groups beget unjust casualties. There are solutions available that can begin to amend rampant police bias, distr ust and force. On Saturday, nearly 500 protesters gathered to protest the death of Castile on Interstate 94. For many, the occupation was an act of poetic justice. In the 1960s, the highway’s construction displaced thousands of African Americans and erased Rondo neighborhood — once St. Paul’s most populous, vibrant African American community — from the map. Amid a sea of clenched fists, the community’s protest on Saturday sent a power ful, transhistorical message. But, while poetic justice can mend the soul, it can’t fix a broken nation.

Bouquets in honor of Philando Castile sit outside of J.J. Hill Montessori School, where he worked, on Thursday, July 7.

LIAM JAMES DOYLE, DAILY


Editorials & Opinions

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

7

VIOLENCE

LETTER TO THE Exposure to harsh realities: worth the cost? EDITOR Striking the balance between fully grasping tragedy and rubbernecking is difficult.

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t seems as though this summer has been filled with tragedy. The past couple months have seen the deadliest mass shooting in the United States, an airport attack in Istanbul, a massive suicide bombing in Baghdad and, more recently, the questionable killings of black men by police in Minnesota and Louisiana, as well as a retaliatory ambush of officers in Dallas. As events like these are increasingly captured on multiple high-quality cell phone recordings, I question how we should act to treat this evidence respectfully yet promote awareness. Diamond Reynolds, the woman who livestreamed the aftermath of the police shooting of her boyfriend, Philando Castile, in Falcon Heights, Minn., said that she “wanted everyone in the world to know” and bear witness to the atrocity. She said she wanted to “put it on Facebook and go viral for the people could see. … [and for] the people to determine who was right and who was wrong.” Yet, in a baffling move running counter to her intentions, Black Lives Matter Minneapolis posted a request on its Facebook page that people “stop sharing the video of our sibling

JASPER JOHNSON columnist

shot in Falcon Heights. It is traumatizing.” This was met with mixed responses: Indeed it is traumatizing, but, after all, isn’t the point to acknowledge and spread awareness of the disturbing role race plays in policing? Seeing such a video may propel otherwise unknowing people into action. In response to these viral videos, Facebook clarified their policies and will now allow violent, normally banned content like videos of these shootings if such content “raises awareness.” It’s a difficult debate. While we should expose ourselves to the harsh civic realities, it’s easy to feel jaded or desensitized as horrific videos of senseless murder continue to pile up. For example, some friends of mine study incidents of violence in their work, and they say that constantly being exposed to it desensitizes them to the violence, which is unsettling. Ultimately, each person needs to

“While we should explose ourselves to the harsh civic realities, it’s easy to feel jaded or desensitized ...” understand their limits and how they personally respond when witnessing disturbing material. Personally, I err on the side of exposing myself to upsetting material in an attempt to best grasp the reality and gravity of certain events. I study and work in international conflict and terrorism, so many of my assignments often deal with violence. However, we shouldn’t pass judgment on those who acknowledge that they’re sensitive to upsetting material; it’s important to know how much violence you can view while still attempting to understand the events. It’s critical that we recognize that people interpret tragedy differently. That being said, I think a societal discussion on the best practices for sharing such videos on social media is necessar y. Jasper Johnson welcomes comments at jjohnson1@mndaily.com.

2016 U.S. GUN VIOLENCE Total gun-related incidents: 28,188 Total number of deaths: 7,267 Total number of mass shootings: 182 Data compiled by gunviolencearchive.org

Comments on “When perception goes south”

Rusty Shacklefort via mndaily.com

These comments have been edited for grammar and clarity. CONTACT THE EDITOR Jared Hemming jhemming@mndaily.com

Helen Teague welcomes comments at hteague@mndaily.com.

COMEDY

Laughing matters in tough times In the face of horrific violence across the country, comedians heal one another at open mics.

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mog Cutter is easy to miss, a little East Hollywood hole in the wall. It was still relatively early for the open mic, so I sat quietly in the dark while the woman sporting clear frames laughed with her cohost over a sound check. One by one, young stand-ups filed in, yanking aside the makeshift plastic drape of a door to expose a brief strip of light from the dusk outside. Names were drawn, and we began. I was number 22. Comics never pass up stage time — that’s a given. But add in a tragedy, and the fervor is doubled. They flock to a three-minute spot to make sense of their feelings or as a simple act of protest. In the wake of recent racially motivated police brutality, these stand-ups still sought out the stage to commune, grieve and sort through it all. Comics lined the walls, some standing and some seated, but all eyes centered on whoever was up. Everyone performing addressed the events in some fashion, often with a wink of self-deprecation that we should be so lucky to comment from afar. I improvised a riff describing my workplace earlier that day as a

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Policing in Falcon Heights Falcon Heights is home to University of Minnesota’s St. Paul Campus, the State Fair and major thoroughfares Snelling Avenue and Larpenteur Avenue. Hundreds of diverse visitors and drivers pass through every day. We should prioritize their safety. According to its 2015 report, the St. Anthony Police Department (which the city contracts for law enforcement) sees “active enforcement of traffic laws” as central to crime prevention, and it accounts for some 80 percent of arrests. But studies and repor ts suggest that traffic stops can be stressful for both officers and civilians and can escalate into violence. We rely on police to protect public safety from, for example, drunk drivers. But issuing citations for minor infractions, such as a broken taillight, is not wor th risking loss of life, as it happened with the

“B

rother, brother there’s far too many of you dying / Who are they to judge us simply because our hair is long / Don’t punish me with br utality / Talk to me, so you can see…” These prophetic words are excerpts from the lyrics of Mar vin Gaye’s song, “What’s Going On?” The song was released in 1971 but could just as easily have been released in 2016. During the ensuing 45 years, no substantive or intentional transformation has occurred in our countr y. The state of Minnesota and our entire nation have never been able to address the cyclical nature of the racial fissures leaving us historically traumatized. The root problem of today’s deadly police force goes far beyond the unconscionable trigger-happy actions of any one police of ficer or, for that matter, any single police precinct. The problem is hundreds of years old, and it is one the state of Minnesota is long overdue to address. Minnesota has a long standing systemic and cyclical histor y of countless unaddressed and unhealed racial traumas that reach back to the bir th of this nation. Minnesota’s racism has changed its face from decade to decade, but not its ugly core.

“The problem is hundreds of years old, and it is one the state of Minnesota is long overdue to address. Minnesota has a long-standing systemic and cyclical history of ... racial traumas that reach back to the birth of the nation.”

DAILY DISCUSSION “You keep talking about all this stuf f you’ve seen. Why don’t you just come up with your own opinions? Nothing is that black and white. You seem to just believe cer tain things because you think you’re supposed to.” Welcome to the human race. I mean that sincerely. I assume since you’re writing in the student newspaper, [you’re] probably either a junior or a sophomore. You’ve spent the last two or three years of being at this university being “progressively minded.” You read the right blogs, echo the correct opinions, follow all the new trends. Your sense of social responsibility is cuttingedge. You know the next big rights movement before it happens. The fact that you were willing to pick a fight with your family over the oddness that is “cultural appropriation” speaks to this fact. But it’s […] come at a cost of self. Make no mistake, any ideology, any like-minded group of people can be cult-like. Echo the wrong thing, and suddenly you’re being called out. Many think this is exclusive to fundamentalist religions and compound dwelling fanatics. Not all cults wear white robes. Not all of them drink Kool-Aid. But they do demand conformity. They demand obedience. They demand submission. They demand self-less behavior.

Reflections on Minnesota by a sixth-generation black Minnesotan

shooting of Philando Castile. The Falcon Heights city council should consult experts at the University as part of a serious study of policing. Sarah C. Chambers Minnesota Daily reader

Shootings: hate, fear and ignorance are the real enemies The violent and tragic events played out this week from Minnesota to Texas and magnify a troubling churning of our civil society. It’s more disturbing because it comes now through social media, easily transmitted to everyone on the planet with a smartphone. The horrific live Facebook video of the shooting of Philando Castile, narrated by his girlfriend, brought all of us face-to-face with the dark reality of violence on our streets.

THE EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS DEPARTMENT IS INDEPENDENT OF THE NEWSROOM

KATE MCCARTHY columnist

group of white people seeing how hard they could collectively ignore something. Stand-up is a great act of resistance. Just to speak about where we stand is enduring, powerful and possibly the beginning of agitation. In fact, the police brutality letter-writing campaign I attended a few days later was organized and widely attended by comedians. We do what we can to feel less alone and more impactful. Los Angeles is a lonely and flawed city in a similarly fashioned country — one whose pent-up problems are reaching a boil. Leaving Smog Cutter that night, however, I felt a little bit more assured that we’d be okay as long as there were spaces to speak up, mourn, truly hear each other and move for ward together. Kate McCarthy welcomes comments at kmccarthy@mndaily.com.

But we should remember our citizens and public servants are not the enemy. The violence that seems to be feeding on our social fabric is fueled by ignorance, fear and hatred. And it is not up to the police, the county attorneys or the citizen group advocates to make it all go away. It’s up to all of us. It’s a daunting task. How did two people, officer Jeronimo Yanez and Philando Castile, end up in a violent confrontation that resulted in a universal tragedy? Yanez was a respected and community-minded police officer lauded and recognized at his alma mater Minnesota State University. Castile was a much beloved cafeteria worker at a St. Paul Montessori school, where children and staff alike say he went out of his way to help anyone. Violence is the symptom. Ignorance, fear and hate are the problems. They can only be overcome with understanding, love and respect.

People in our society are suf fering from the af fliction of “historic amnesia.” Americans are robbed of any meaningful social or historical context for the interracial police abuse and violence routinely visited upon black, brown, poor and mentally ill Americans with seeming impunity. By ignoring this reality, inequity, injustice and violence will sadly remain the norm, just as it has been for all of our nation’s histor y. Until black life is valued to the same extent white life is by members of law enforcement, the criminal justice community and by Minnesota elected officials, the question of legitimacy of the police and their actions will remain, particularly among black folks who are routinely stopped. Regularly scheduled race and equality training should be mandator y for all law enforcement of ficers, all governing bodies, local, state and federal employees and ever y individual elected to hold public office. Histor y is about context. It’s about connecting the dots between the past and present, exposing tr ue American histor y and making histor y accessible and relevant to a much broader audience. The goal of black histor y, descriptively synonymous with American histor y, is to expose the larger community to the rich heritage, culture, contributions and histor y of African Americans; doing so can eliminate the racial barriers that divide us as a nation. Roxanne Givens Minnesota Daily reader

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Wednesday, July 13, 2016

LIAM JAMES DOYLE, DAILY

Pastor Thomas Mite, accompanied by his nephew Damarion, age 5, speaks to a crowd of community members outside of the Minnesota Governor’s Residence on Thursday, July 7.

Fatal shooting spurs protest, division Castile u from Page 1

Jamar Clark roiled Minneapolis. Last November, police shot and killed Clark, 24, after a tussle between him and the officers.

Leaders call for investigation

“They shot him” A Facebook Live video — recorded by Diamond Reynolds, Castile’s girlfriend — depicts the gruesome after math of last Wednesday’s shooting. In it, Castile, 32, collapses in his seat, visibly bloody, as Reynolds relays what has happened; in the foreground, an of ficer stands outside the driver’s side window, still aiming his gun at Castile. The video has since been viewed 5.6 million times on Facebook as of Tuesday evening. Around 9:05 p.m., Castile, Reynolds, and her fo ur - y e ar - o ld daugh t er were pulled over at the intersection of Larpenteur Avenue and Fr y Street in Falcon Heights, during a routine traf fic stop for a broken taillight. In her live recording, Reynolds said Castile had told the of ficer he was licensed to carr y a firearm; he then gave the cop a forewarning as he pulled his ID from his pocket. In tur n, the of ficer shot Castile in the ar m four times. “They shot him — he shot him three times because we had a busted tail light,” Reynolds says in her video. Castile was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center and pronounced dead at 9:37 p.m. “He don’t deser ve this,” Reynolds said in the video. “He’s a good man; he works for St. Paul Public Schools. He doesn’t have no record of anything.” In a Thursday press release, the BCA, which is investigating the shooting, identified Jeronimo Yanez as the of ficer involved in the shooting. Both Yanez and the other of ficer on the scene, Joseph Kauser, have been placed on paid administrative leave. In a 2015 repor t, the St. Anthony Police Depar tment stated that their patrol division aims to suppress and deter criminal activity through active traffic law enforcement. In 2015, the city issued 2,410 citations, 661 of which were for traf fic-related offenses. Thomas Kelly, Yanez’s attorney, told the Associated Press on Monday that his client pulled Castile over because he matched the description of an armed robber y suspect. Kelly did not elaborate on

LIAM JAMES DOYLE, DAILY

Valerie Castile, mother of Philando Castile, is embraced after speaking outside of J. J. Hill Montessori School in St. Paul on Thursday. Castile was an employee of the school, where he worked as a cafeteria supervisor.

EVENTS IN ST. PAUL FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF PHILANDO CASTILE Larpenteur Avenue & Fry Street Site where Philando Castile was fatally shot

LARPENTEUR AVE. W

SNELLING AVE.

On Thursday, Dayton and many members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation urged the U.S. Depar tment of Justice to investigate Castile’s death. Dayton also called upon the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to conduct its own investigation. In a statement, Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., echoed these sentiments, saying, “Although the investigation is just beginning, I ask the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to release any and all videos related to Philando Castile’s shooting as soon as possible. The public deser ves transparency in the pursuit of tr uth and justice.” O n F r i d a y, R a m s e y County Attor ney John Choi said he was unsure if he would appoint a grand jur y to decide whether charges are filed against the officers involved in the shooting. Choi’s office will review the case once the BCA has finished their investigation. Earlier this year, Hennepin County Attor ney Mike Freeman for went a grand jur y in the shooting of Jamar Clark; his of fice later decided not to indict the of ficers involved in the death of the 24-yearold. At Saint Paul Public Schools, where Castile was an employee and alumnus, colleagues remembered him as amicable and cheer y. “Kids loved him. He was smar t, over-qualified. He was quiet, respectful, and kind,” said one coworker in a press release issued by the district Thursday. “I knew him as warm and funny […]. He wore a shir t and tie to his super visor inter view and said his goal was to one day ‘sit on the other side of this table.’” Castile graduated from St. Paul Central High School in 2001. Since 2002, he worked for the school district in the nutrition ser vices depar tment. In 2014, he was promoted to cafeteria super visor at J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet

School in St. Paul.

UNIVERSITY AVE. W

JJ Hill Montessori School Community gathers for a vigil in memory of Castile

MARSHALL AVE.

SUMMIT AVE.

Interstate 94 At about midnight, 50 arrests were made during an occupation of I-94

Minnesota Governor’s Residence Dayton’s Summit Avenue Residence, site of ongoing occupation

ST. PAUL West Grand Avenue & Dale Street South At about 4 a.m., another 50 arrests were made near Grand Avenue and Dale Street

SOURCE: MN DAILY REPORTING

the specifics of the case, insisting that Yanez responded to the presence of a gun, not Castile’s race. Castile’s family said they intend to file a lawsuit in the death of the 32-year-old in a press conference Tuesday. While a

defendant has not yet been named, Glenda Hatch ett — the family’s attorney — said she intends to aggr essively pursue justice. “We’r e going to sue whoever’s responsible,” she said.

Racial bias comes into question Outside of his St. Paul residence on Thursday, Dayton decried the actions of police, saying he believes Castile’s death to be part of a per vasive issue of

unaccountability among police officers. “Would this have happened if the driver and passengers were white? I don’t think it would’ve,” he said. “I’ve heard in the last few hours from ver y distinguished African


Wednesday, July 13, 2016

9

LIAM JAMES DOYLE, DAILY

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton emerged briefly from his residence where community members gathered on Thursday and spoke personally with the family of Philando Castile.

American men and women who recounted to me how they’ve been pulled over, singled out and treated ver y differently because of their race.” Dayton and Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Mona Dohman said the state will continue to evaluate and improve training procedures for law enforcement officers. Dohman also said she has instructed the BCA to make this investigation its top priority. On Friday after noon, the Falcon Heights City Council held an emergency meeting, passing two measures, the first to allocate funds up to $50,000 for the city administrator to use in the case of protests, and the second to hire a public relations consultant for the city. Leaders from St. Paul’s chapter of Black Lives Matter renewed their interest in meeting with Falcon Heights mayor Peter Lindstom to discuss policing protocol in the city. Thursday after noon, Nekima Levy-Pounds, Minneapolis NAACP president, lead protesters in a chant outside the Governor’s Mansion, yelling, “No justice, no peace. Prosecute the police.” “There is a system and a culture that says it’s okay to be anti-black on the job,” she said.

In the aftermath, a community grieves

Thursday afternoon, on the University of Minnesota’s campus, a “healing, centering” discussion was held at Coffman Union, led by Minnesota Student Association President Abeer Syedah. Students and faculty expressed frustration and fatigue over the fatal police shootings of Castile and Sterling. Though students said Dayton’s pointed statements and the nation’s reaction to the deaths of Sterling and Castile were more measured and meaningful than other responses to fatal police shootings — like that of Jamar Clark — their skepticism of a system riddled with distrust remains. “Silence is not helpful. People are realizing they have to speak out,” said Amelious Whyte, chief of staf f to the University’s Vice Provost for Student Af fairs. “Maybe that’s what moved the governor to come out and speak his mind.” Later Thursday evening, about 2,000 demonstrators marched from the J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet School to the governor’s mansion, chanting, “Black lives matter,” and “I am Philando.”

At the school, protesters were sanguine, circum stance s aside , b u t their mood took on a more confrontational tone at the gover nor’s mansion, where cries of “do something” drowned out Dayton’s address to protesters outside his residence. “I came out because I might be next,” said Jiksa Tafara, an attendee. “I don’t think [police are] here to protect people.”

TIMELINE OF EVENTS Wednesday, July 6

9:05 p.m. A St. Anthony Police officer shoots Philando Castile during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights. 9:37 p.m. Castile is pronounced dead at Hennepin County Medical Center. 10:45 p.m. St. Anthony Police Department’s interim police chief, Jon Mangseth, holds a press conference.

Thursday, July 7

Frustration and arrests

Demonstrations continued into the weekend, as hundreds gathered in Loring Park Saturday — just one rally among a wave of demonstrations since last week — rallying for changes to the criminal justice system and increased accountability among police departments nationwide. Rachel Lovejoy, a protester at the rally Saturday, said she was attracted to the event because of its message. “The rally is about atonement for past mistakes and reaf firming our commitment to right the wrongs that have been committed,” she said. Also in attendance at the rally was the Minnesota Immigration Rights Action Committee. “We’re standing for justice … [MIRAc tries] to show suppor t for anyone str uggling with racism,” said Brad Sigal, a volunteer with MIRAc and protester at the event. Sigal said the Castile shooting was shocking but nothing new, noting the histor y of oppression African Americans have faced in the U.S. He said shootings and violence — like that against Castile — must cease. “The only way it’s going to stop is if people organize and demand change,” Sigal said. Later Saturday evening, hundreds of protesters staged an occupation of Interstate 94, blocking the highway’s east- and westbound lanes near the Lexington Avenue exit in St. Paul. I-94 was closed from approximately 7:30 p.m. Saturday night until about 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning due to the protests. After repeated attempts by the police to calm protesters, tension rose between the two parties, said Steve Linders, public information of ficer for the St. Paul police depar tment. Of ficers used smoke and marking rounds in an attempt to disperse crowds. Police of ficers confronted demonstrators who threw rocks, bricks, bottles and fireworks at them, Linders said. Over the course of the

LIAM JAMES DOYLE, DAILY

Aaron Allen of St. Paul cried out chants alongside other protesters in a march following a rally outside of the St. Anthony Police Department, where demonstrators demanded justice for Philando Castile on Sunday.

1:45 a.m. Investigators clear the shooting scene. 2 a.m. Demonstrators gather outside Gov. Mark Dayton’s Summit Avenue residence in St. Paul. 10 a.m. Minneapolis’ NAACP president, Nekima Levy-Pounds, facilitates a press conference at the governor’s mansion. 10:30 a.m. Dayton emerges from his residence to address protesters, calling for a federal investigation into the shooting. 3 p.m. Dayton formally engages the media, responding to questions about the shooting. 5:30 p.m. Community members gather at J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet School for a vigil to remember Castile. 9:50 p.m. The Minneapolis Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension identifies Jeronimo Yanez as the officer involved in the fatal shooting. He and officer Kauser, who assisted, are placed on administrative leave.

Friday, July 8 1 a.m. The scene outside the intersection of Summit Avenue and Oxford Street becomes more hostile as police wear riot gear. 10 a.m. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi says he hasn’t decided whether a grand jury will make the decision to file charges against the officers involved in the shooting of Castile. LIAM JAMES DOYLE, DAILY

Police guarded I-94 just west of St. Paul in the early morning on Sunday, after hundreds of occupying protestors were eradicated from the interstate highway.

occupation, 50 people were arrested. Another 52 were cited and released later that morning as they marched through St. Paul near Grand Avenue and Dale Street. The unrest — which left 21 police of ficers injured — was immediately denounced by Black Lives Matter Minneapolis, politicians and community leaders. Black Lives Matter said the violence was due to agitators among the demonstrators and that throughout the night the group repeatedly pleaded for protesters to remain peaceful. “We ar e and always have been committed to nonviolent, peaceful protest[s],” the group said in a Facebook post. At a press conference on Sunday mor ning, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Chief of Police Todd Axtell condemned the events. “We will not tolerate this in the city of St. Paul. … What happened last night and early this mor ning

does a disser vice to those that have lost their lives this last week,” Coleman said. Axtell said the St. Paul police department has had a long and proud tradition of allowing peaceful protesters their First Amendment rights. “Protesters last night turned into criminals, and I’m absolutely disgusted by the acts of some — not all, but some,” Axtell said. For ty-seven, including some University students, have been char ged by Ramsey County in connection with the I-94 demonstration. In a statement Tuesday, American Civil Liber ties Union of Minnesota Executive Director Charles Samuelson said the charges — gross misdemeanors for most — is too extreme and called for charges to be dropped. “These charges appear to be based on the actions of what most par ties, including a St. Paul Police spokesperson, agree were outside agitators,” he said

in the statement. “The vast majority of the demonstrators were peaceful and spoke out against violent action by a few.” In the wake of Castile’s shooting, concerned community members echo the waves of protest around the countr y, from Denver to Georgia to Baton Rouge. “I’m tired of people feeling unsafe,” Levy-Pounds said at a rally on Saturday. At Dayton’s Thursday mor ning pr ess confer ence, the governor apologized for Castile’s death. Amid clenched fists, and a growing clamor for justice from the crowd, Reynolds rejoined, “I don’t want you guys to be sor r y; I want y’all to be more careful.” “You want justice; you deser ve justice; you’ll get justice,” Dayton said. Dylan Scott, Hannah Weikel, R yan Faircloth, Raju Chaduvula, Nick Wicker, Christopher Aadland and Eliana Schreiber and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

12:30 p.m. The Falcon Heights City Council holds an emergency meeting; measures were passed to allow the city administrator to pay up to $50,000 to manage emergency affairs. The Council also votes to hire a public affairs consultant. Leaders of St. Paul’s branch of Black Lives Matter pledge intent to discuss policing measures with the mayor of Falcon Heights.

Saturday, July 9 The attorney representing Yanez says the shooting was not motivated by race. 4 p.m. Protesters congregate in Loring Park to stand in solidarity after the death of Castile. Protesters are encouraged to wear red shirts to symbolize the blood shed in countless policeinvolved shootings. 7 p.m. Demonstrators march onto Hennepin Avenue toward downtown Minneapolis. 9:30 p.m. Hundreds of protesters occupy Interstate 94 late into the evening. Tensions rise after officers use inert smoke and marking rounds to disperse crowds. Some protesters throw rocks, bricks and bottles at officers. Police arrest more than 100 people.

Sunday, July 10 9 a.m. St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell respond to the events on I-94. Axtell calls the actions of protesters a “disgrace.” 12:40 p.m. In a statement, Dayton describes the I-94 occupation as “unlawful and extremely dangerous.” SOURCE: MN DAILY REPORTING


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Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Greenway information project falters Kiosks and signage pose questions for University neighborhoods. BY RAJU CHADUVULA rchaduvula@mndaily.com

After two years of preparation and designs, a Dinkytown Greenway project has stalled. The Connecting U Neighborhoods project, designed to build kiosks and direction signage for users of the Dinkytown Greenway, sputtered because it has no single owner to maintain it and look after insurance. The project, led by the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association, began in 2014 after the Greenway opened. Chris Lautenschlager, MHNA interim executive director, said the association ran the project from the beginning to promote the Greenway. Financed by the Good Neighbor Fund, the project would create signs and kiosks for Greenway users to find their way, locate nearby businesses and restaurants and promote the Greenway. With about $50,000 from the GNF, Lautenschlager said, the MHNA hired a third par ty to design navigational signs and kiosks over two years. The project would help travelers find their way to dif ferent University of Minnesota neighborhoods and businesses, said Richard Lang, designer at Visual Communications, the group that designed the kiosks. “Most neighborhoods are not immediately on the Greenway or business district,” Lang said. Ted T ucker, original member of the MHNA Greenway project board, said the goal was to connect all neighborhoods involved. Once designs were completed, Lang said, meetings were held with community members to decide from a number of possibilities. At the meeting, attendees also decided someone would need to take over maintenance and insurance for the project. MHNA looked to University representatives, T ucker said, but they seemed hesitant and said ownership wasn’t par t of their plan. Lautenschlager said

MADDY FOX, DAILY

The Dinkytown Greenway’s funding is in question after a two-year struggle to convince the University of Minnesota to put up signs on the path that would tell users of the Greenway their location. The University does not want to be liable for damage to the signs.

KIOSK AND SIGNAGE DESIGN

PLANNED SIGNAGE AND KIOSK LOCATIONS Signs approved by Minneapolis Public Works Signs requiring U of M approval Signs requiring further analysis by public works Kiosks requiring U of M approval Future kiosks (when funding becomes available) Business District ID banners requiring U of M approval Gateway signage

RENDERING OF PLANNED KIOSKS AND SIGNAGE PROVIDED BY RICHARD LANG, DESIGNER WITH VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS

MHNA can’t take on the role because the insurance costs are beyond their budget. He said the Greenway itself hardly enters Marcy-Holmes, and MHNA already put work into designs for the project. Throughout the design stage, no one asked who would take ownership, said Jan Morlock, president of University of Minnesota Government and Community Relations.

“The University can’t take ownership because the signs are not University proper ty,” Morlock said. She said a third par ty will likely need to take ownership. In the meantime, no kiosks or signs are being built. Lautenschlager said since the project stalled, MHNA wants the Minneapolis City Council — including Ward 2 and 3 Councilmen Cam Gordon

SOURCE: RICHARD LANG, DESIGNER WITH VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS

and Jacob Frey — to push the project forward. Gordon, who championed the Greenway in 2013, said the council would need to make room

in its budget to take ownership of the project, but it would be an asset to the Greenway. Still, MHNA negotiations with the University

continue. Tucker said the kiosk project is a good candidate for Good Neighbor Fund dollars, as it would connect business and residents.

Protest follows 4th Precinct shooter’s bail hearing More than 30 people protested a hearing for one of the 4th Precinct shooters. BY RYAN FAIRCLOTH rfaircloth@mndaily.com

Protesters attended a bail hearing Wednesday, July 6, for Allen Scarsella, one of the men who shot five community members at a 4th Precinct protest following the fatal police shooting of Jamar Clark. Scarsella claimed self-defense in the shooting, which caused renewed protests at the Hennepin County Government Center. Judges ultimately denied reduced bail because they said Scarsella poses a threat to the public. During the protest, Wesley Martin, one of the shooting victims, said he didn’t want Scarsella to get a reduced bail, and feared a larger, mass shooting could occur if he was released. “If [they reduce] his bail, I won’t understand. … I would have so much pain in my body because there [were] grandmas, grandpas, uncles, children, moms, dads out there, and if us five could not stop them, there would’ve been another mass shooting like San Bernardino,” Martin said. The defendant currently faces charges for assault and rioting with a dangerous weapon. But Martin said he thinks these charges are insufficient, and that Scarsella should be charged with attempted murder. Michelle Gross, Communities United Against Police

“There should be absolutely no way that he should be allowed to get away with a selfdefense claim when they posted ... the intentions to go stir things up.” MICHAELA DAY Protest organizer

Brutality president, agreed with Martin and said the premeditation of the attack should’ve resulted in an attempted murder charge instead. “They aren’t being charged with hate crimes; they aren’t being charged with terrorism,” said Peter Vankoughnett, an organizer with Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar. “If these guys were Muslim, they’d be convicted for life on terrorism charges right now.” Protester Taylor Johnson, who works in downtown Minneapolis, said he found Scarsella’s self-defense claim “laughable.” “I wanted to show up to make sure that people that do things like this, that show up to peaceful protests with guns … and put it on the internet, quoting Batman movies, and then expect to get off and say it was self-defense — it wasn’t self-defense,” Johnson said. Organizer Michaela Day, who was at the 4th precinct an hour after the shooting, said she also thinks there

KELSEY CHRISTENSEN, DAILY

Devonne Mayweather, right, embraces Wesley Martin at the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis on July 6. Black Lives Matter Minneapolis and other supporters joined Martin, who was shot by Allen “Lance” Scarsella last November during protests at the 4th Precinct, before attending the bail hearing for Scarsella.

should be no self-defense claim, since the shooters took a video of themselves on the way to the protest and posted it on social media. “I think it’s completely bogus,” Day said. “There should be absolutely no way that he should be allowed to get away with a self-defense claim when they posted numerous times and numerous days the intentions to go stir things up.”

During the hearing, the defendant’s lawyers argued against the bail set at $500,000, and said Scarsella should have a reasonable bail because he had no history of behavioral problems before the shooting. But Prosecutor Judith Hawley asked the judge to decline the bail request, because she said Scarsella is dangerous to the public. U l t i m a t e l y, J u d g e

Hilar y Caligiuri determined the $500,000 bail was appropriate to address these risks, and denied the motion. “I think it was the cor rect decision,” Gross said. “I think that Mr. Scarsella is clearly a danger to the community. I think he belongs in prison or in jail at this time, and he should stay in jail … pending the trial.”

Gr oss said the pr otest’s turnout helps show the state that people are invested in this case. “It’s impor tant for the state to understand that there’s a lot of people in the community that are invested in this … decision, and are going to be watching the cour ts ver y closely to make sure that some measure of justice happens,” she said.


Wednesday, July 13, 2016

11

U study finds unemployed far from jobs One remedy the study suggests is implementing a rideshare program. BY AARON JOB ajob1@mndaily.com

Many qualified jobseekers in the metro area remain unemployed because they can’t find transpor tation to work, a new study found. The study, published by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies and released to the public late last month, found urban workers are often qualified for entr y-level jobs but have no way of reaching those jobs in the suburbs. Additionally, the study found that urban workers often lack qualifications for jobs close to them — creating what the researchers have coined a “spatial and skill mismatch.” “So our r esear ch is looking to lay out an approach to reconcile those mismatches by coordinating transit planning, job training and job placement ser vices,” said Andrew Guthrie, a research fellow at the University’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs and one of three coresearchers who authored the study. Researchers analyzed high-demand occupations in the Twin Cities, their historical locations and where job-seekers lived, Guthrie said. When qualified applicants get to potential jobs, it puts employers in a bind as well, said Oriane Casale, assistant director of the Labor Market Information Of fice at the Minnesota Depar tment of Employment and Economic Development. “If they are missing a car in our current system, the bottom line is that they need to have reliable transpor tation. If you can provide that with transit, then you are giving them a similar advantage that having a car would have,” said Frank Douma, director of the state and local policy program at the Humphrey School. The researchers also simulated Metropolitan Council proposals for a transit network in 2040 to tr y finding future locations where demand and transit

A 535D bus bound for Normandale Community College pulls into the I-35W and 46th Street Station on Tuesday.

intersected, Guthrie said. W ith the simulation, the study found that the future transit cor ridors would help workers from Nor th Minneapolis — where the mismatch is concentrated — reach more jobs. “Transit plays a role in connecting disadvantaged workers with job opportunities, but it could be even more ef fective if ef for ts to get workers to the jobs they need were better coordinated with ef for ts to give them the skills they need for those jobs,” Guthrie said. While evidence from the simulations showed promise for str uggling areas, researchers said, a “last mile” problem remains. “Getting people quickly and efficiently across town on a light rail line to a transit station within a mile or two of their workplace is great, but then they have to get that last mile or two in — in an often unfriendly suburban street environment,” Guthrie said. Ef for ts to curb this

TOP 20 OCCUPATIONS, ALL INDUSTRIES

ALEX TUTHILL-PREUS, DAILY

CONCENTRATIONS OF JOB VACANCIES AND UNEMPLOYMENT 5%

LEGEND Job vacancies Unemployed workers 0 - 0.5/acre 0 - 0.5/acre 0.5 - 1/acre 0.5 - 1/acre > 1/acre > 1/acre MPLS/STP Metro/commuter rail lines Planned metro lines Planned metro lines

SOURCE: UMN CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION STUDIES

Job vacancy data from 2011-2014 and unemployment data from 2009-2014

Retail salespersons Food preparation and serving workers Registered nurses Customer service representatives Cashiers Home health aides Sales representatives Waiters and waitresses Personal care aides Nursing assistants Laborers and freight, stock and material movers Computer systems analysts Software developers, applications Truck drivers Marketing managers Sales representatives, except technical Maids and housekeeping cleaners Hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists Stock clerks and order fillers Licensed practical and vocational nurses

transit-less “last-mile,” which Guthrie said is often difficult for traditional buses to navigate reliably, are turning to nonconventional ways of transportation. “That calls for things like district shuttles, hopefully with some par ticipation on the par t of the employer … even car and bike-sharing programs,”

3% 3% 2% 2% 2% 2% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%

Guthrie said. “Even possibly par tnerships with ridesharing companies to get that commuter the distance from a transit station to their actual workplace.” He said that he thinks employers and local gover nments should play a mor e critical r ole in these ef for ts than they

SOURCE: UMN CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION STUDIES

traditionally have because they are the ones who need workers and who chose to locate where they did. “It’s going to come back to the Met Council because the Met Council kind of does both of those. They do transpor tation

planning, and they also have a role in economic planning,” Casale said. “Because if [transpor tation is] not there, employers are not going to be able to find the workers they need, period, and end of conversation. That’s where we’re at right now.”

At heart lab, anatomy gains new perspective

ALEX TUTHILL-PREUS, DAILY

ALEX TUTHILL-PREUS, DAILY

3-D-printed hearts aid in research at the Visible Heart Laboratory in the Mayo Building on Friday.

Dr. Paul Iaizzo, principal investigator of the Visible Heart Laboratory, works with a team of students to run tests on a living swine heart at the Visible Heart Laboratory in the Mayo Building on Friday.

Heart

procedure,” he said. The lab began 3-Dprinting models three years ago, Iaizzo said. “Basically we’ve been taking the hear ts and scanning them to make images, and then we can create the digital models,” he said. “Once you’ve created the digital models, you might as well tr y and print ’em.” JingJing Zhu, an undergraduate student in the lab, said an experienced researcher can complete the 3-D scanning and preparation for a 3-D-printed hear t in 24 hours, but first tries can often take months.

u from Page 1

can help a lot of people,” Iaizzo said. The lab focuses on isolated hear ts of large animals. Iaizzo and his team can rig up an animal hear t — keeping it alive for several hours — and study its live functions — something no other lab in the world regularly does, Iaizzo said. About 45 researchers — ranging from undergraduates to Ph.D.s — collaborate on individual research projects, Schmidt

said. Iaizzo regularly plays music in the lab, and researchers joke that if countr y music comes on, the reanimated pig hear t will die, Schmidt said. When she star ted, Schmidt only knew basic high school anatomy, but now she researches the hear t’s electrophysiology. The sociable nature of the lab — where ever yone goes by their first name — drew her in, Schmidt said. “I tried to call him Dr. Iaizzo for about a month,” she said. “Then I just gave up.” Earlier this year, the lab used their 3-D replicas in a clinical setting for the first

time, something Iaizzo said may become more common in the future. When a patient needed a new aortic valve, the surger y team had hesitations about the intricate procedure. Iaizzo and his team 3-D-printed a replica of the patient’s hear t, allowing the surgeons to study the hear t and determine what device the patient needed. “It just helps; it’s another way to have it right there in your hand,” Iaizzo said. “I think it really helped the clinical team gain confidence in what device they were gonna use, and some confidence to proceed with the

The lab has printed hundreds of models, Iaizzo said, allowing doctors to study hear ts that are larger in scale. “[The doctor] can have a better perspective and study all the nuances of that anatomy,” he said. Iaizzo invited his brother-in-law, Mark Hjelle — an engineer at Medtronic — to see the work he had been doing on guinea pig hearts in 1997. “They said ‘that’s cool,’ but we should be able to do that with large, mammalian hearts,” Iaizzo said. From there a par tnership with Medtr onic began; the medical

techonology company now suppor ts the lab through research contracts. Iaizzo said working with students is one of the main highlights of his time at the lab. “It’s the fun par t about the job; it’s really working with the young mind and talent that keeps things moving for ward,” he said. For Megan Schmidt, it’s Iaizzo collaborative spirit that keeps her motivated. “I can ask Paul anything, anytime,” she said. “He’s all about getting his students to succeeed in what he’s tr ying to do.”


12

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Sports

@MNDAILYSPORTS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Gopher alums adjust to pro careers

Minnesota alums Rachel Banham and Amanda Zahui B. are learning to become professionals in their first and second WNBA seasons. BY CARISSA POLO cpolo@mndaily.com

Rachel Banham had her season ended by an injur y in 2014 after playing just 10 games. After 15 games with the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun, the team announced Friday that Banham has again encountered a seasonending injury. If Banham’s journey this time around is anything like the first, though, she could have little trouble getting her game back. “She just showed what you can do if you persevere through a tough time,” said Gophers women’s basketball head coach Marlene Stollings, Banham’s former coach. “It’s just absolutely incredible.” Banham’s professional journey started when she was drafted by the Connecticut Sun fourth overall in April. “It was really cool. I was super excited,” Banham said. “I remember feeling super emotional. I wanted to cry a little bit, but I kept it together.” Banham began her career with the Sun one month after being drafted and has been learning ever since. She scored 13 points in her WNBA debut and averaged 3.7 points per game for the Sun through 15 games. Banham was named Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year in June to cap off her historic college career. She said receiving the award

SAM HARPER, DAILY FILE PHOTO

Former Minnesota guard Rachel Banham looks up the court while shielding the ball from Northwestern guard Ashley Deary at Williams Arena on Jan. 20, where the Gophers won 95-92.

was one of the happiest moments in her life. The award was no surprise to Stollings, who said Banham did her par t to earn a special place in the

conference and the game as a whole. “If you look at all the spor ts in the Big Ten, there are some incredible gymnasts who move on to

be Olympians. Volleyball always goes to the Final Four,” Stollings said. “So when you realize that they decided to choose Rachel, I think that speaks volumes

as to what she did on a national scale — not just for the U but for women’s basketball. She brought a lot of attention back to the game,” Stollings said.

Banham’s professional numbers are small compared to the ones she posted during her career at Minnesota, and now she’ll face a 4-to-6 month journey of surgery and rehabilitation, according to the Sun. However, Banham said she wasn’t looking to start as a standout player and sees the process as an incremental one. “I just want to improve,” she said before her injur y. “Increasing what I can do is a factor in the team I’m on now and whatever team I’ll be on in the future. I just want to continue to be better in the game.” Former Minnesota center and 2015 second overall draft pick Amanda Zahui B. is also adjusting to professional life after leaving college as a sophomore. Zahui B. debuted with the Tulsa Shock and is a member of the New York Liberty this season. Zahui B. is averaging 8.5 minutes and 4.1 points per game with the Liberty. Zahui B. retur ned to Minnesota to make her first career start with the team June 29 against the L ynx. She scored a career-high 17 points. “I think they have an innate desire to be successful and the drive to be the best,” Stollings said of her former players. “And usually with competitors at the collegiate level, that’s the quality that separates them from the other players.”

TRACK AND FIELD

Two alumni earn qualification for U.S. Olympic team Two members of the men’s track and field team earned a qualification, three women’s track and field athletes have yet to qualify. BY JACK WHITE jwhite@mndaily.com

Two former Minnesota men’s track and field team members have qualified for the U.S. Olympic team. Ten days and 18 events after the star t of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in

Eugene, Ore. — where 12 current or former members of the Minnesota men’s and women’s track teams competed — Gophers alumni Ben Blankenship and Hassan Mead realized their Olympic dreams. The Gophers had a large contingent of athletes at the

meet. Half of those competitors advanced to the final rounds of their events. Redshir t senior Sean Donnelly was the first to represent Minnesota during the second half of the meet. Donnelly threw a ninth-place 68.96 meters in the hammer throw qualifier July 6 to advance to the final later that day. Donnelly had the shortest throw in the final round at 67.44 meters and was

unable to qualify for Team USA. The meet marked Donnelly’s last as a member of the Gophers, where he ear ned All-American honors. Donnelly said he’ll take some time to recover but is already looking forward to the trials for Tokyo 2020. “[I’ll] take a month or so of f,” Donnelly said. “[I plan to] relax, let my body heal up, let my mind get fresh again. All I’ve

Minnesota’s Harun Abda competes in the 800-meter run Feb. 15, 2013, at the University Field house.

been thinking about is to see how I’m going to do on [the trials] for almost a year now. Time to relax and recover.” All-American Hassan Mead was the next to compete and represent Minnesota as an alumnus in the 5,000-meter run. Mead finished in 10th place with a 13:48.81 in the qualifying round to advance. Mead cut 13 seconds of f his original time in

JAAK JENSEN, DAILY FILE PHOTO

Saturday’s final, finishing second overall and punching his ticket to the Olympic Games for the first time. Hassan’s fellow AllAmerican and former Gophers r unner Ben Blankenship closed out competition on the men’s side in the 1,500-meter race. Blankenship took first place in the event semifinals to move on to the final race Sunday. Blankenship ear ned Rio qualification by finishing third in the final, qualifying by less than half a second. Minnesota’s two men’s alumni are the first to qualify for Team USA since 1992 when cur rent head coach Steve Plasencia and Ron Backes represented the school. No cur rent or former members of the women’s track and field made the cut for the U.S. national team, despite two advancing to their final events. Graduated redshir t senior Jess Lehman finished in 12th place in the heptathlon. Lehman’s finish helped her qualify for the Thorpe Cup, an international competition between the United States and Germany. Alumna Gabriele Grunewald took 12th place in the 1,500-meter final, her fourth race of the trials. Junior Nicolle Murphy fell shor t in the javelin throw at the U.S. Trials. Murphy’s throw of 56.35 meters earned her a personal record and fifth-place finish. The mark wasn’t enough to qualify for Team USA, but Murphy said she was satisfied with her training for the meet. “My first two years I was competing after the regular season in the U.S.A Championships and [more], and I didn’t compete as well as I should have,” she said. “I know that I prepared myself a lot better this season with practicing a lot by myself and practicing outdoors.”


Wednesday, July 13, 2016

13

GAMING

Catch of the day Team Mystic forever — what about you? BY SOPHIA VILENSKY svilensky@mndaily.com

O

n Sunday mor ning, the grounds surrounding Coffman Union were uncharacteristically silent, save for the casual dog-walker enjoying the solace of a quiet campus stroll. A group of about 10 people milled about. They looked to be in their early 20s; a few wore Pikachu backpacks. Moving slowly in a pack, they stared at their phones — an image of the quintessential, tuned-in millennial that thinkpieces love to pick. All of a sudden, one glanced up. “There’s a Nidoqueen over there!” he screamed, pointing toward what looked to be some nicely manicured shrubbery. They flew. “Pokemon Go,” a new game for Android and iOS mobile devices, was released July 6 after being announced last September. The app is an augmented reality game in which players — trainers, as they are called in the Pokeverse — can find and capture Pokemon in the “real” world using their smar tphones’ cameras, clock and GPS. Once a certain level of expertise is reached within the game, trainers declare

a team — red for Valor, blue for Mystic or yellow for Instinct — and can use the Pokemon they have captured to battle and control “gyms,” which are most often located at common city landmarks. Twin Cities locals Tylor Oberstar-Cline and Nathan Walton downloaded the app as soon as it was released. They decided to make a Facebook event inviting their friends to hang out on the University of Minnesota campus on Sunday morning, searching for Pokemon and capturing the campus’ eight gyms for their team. Not even thinking about it, they made the event public, and by Saturday evening more than 1.5 thousand people had expressed interest in attending the meet-up. Oberstar-Cline and Walton sat on Coffman’s front steps feverishly discussing the game with a couple others — few of which had met prior to that morning. Among these people was Justin Mestler, who started playing Pokemon games at age six. “[The meet-up] started as kind of a joke,” Walton’s friend Ellie Metz said, a Wisconsin native who extended her stay in the cities to attend. “You don’t joke about Pokemon,” Mestler said. Around 10:30 a.m., a

half-hour after the event’s slated start time, Walton and Oberstar-Cline decided it was time to up the ante. Walton stood on top of the Coffman Union steps; people stared up at him with their phones out and ready as he made the announcement that it was time to split into teams. The group, which had been working together all morning to capture rare breeds, was suddenly divided. Valor and Mystic members discussed game plans under their breath, careful that the two Instinct team members did not overhear. The groups set off across campus in search of gyms, water bottles in hands. Diverging from traditional video game formatting, “Pokemon Go” requires trainers to physically get up and walk around in order to play. “Who needs a Fitbit? I’m going to lose at least three pounds today just doing this,” Mestler said. Because trainers are forced to explore their surroundings, it’s not rare for two people who are playing to strike up a conversation, often deciding to pair up and capture some Pokemon together. “I met a guy in his 40s and his kid,” I overheard someone say. “We all ran around together for like 45 minutes.” People are not afraid of

WHERE TO CATCH ’EM ALL Training gym locations on campus

Rare Pokemon found on campus

RARE POKEMON Tauros in the Mall RARE POKEMON Abra outside of Applebee’s

RARE POKEMON Nidoqueen behind Coffman Union

RARE POKEMON Dratini in Superblock

SOURCE: POKEMON GO APPLICATION, LOCAL “POKEMON GO” TRAINERS

going out of their way for a rare catch; detours mean nothing if the possibility of taking over a gym exists. Searching for the deeper meaning as to why the game is such a phenomenon, I asked Mestler to explain some key history to me. He couldn’t remember much off the top of his head — he watched the show so long ago. “You don’t remember the details … just how you felt,” Mestler said, capturing an Abra on the first try as he spoke. As the day went on, rumors swirled. People talked of trainers trespassing into backyards to catch a Voltorb. Someone heard that a cop had pulled a friend of a friend over for texting while driving — only to find out she was playing the game. The officer decided to download the app himself after further explanation. The St. Paul Capitol, which is currently closed for renovations, has a Pokemon gym inside it. The public is not currently allowed inside the building, yet within 24 hours of the app’s release someone somehow had control of the locale. Google Maps data is synced with the app, with local landmarks serving as places for trainers to congregate. Businesses have also caught onto the popularity of the app. Post-release, Sencha Tea Bar in Stadium Village created a line of four drinks — three for each color team and one “Pikachu drink” so folks from opposing teams could come together to enjoy tapioca bubbles on common ground. As the event quieted down, people congregated to Sencha for a pick-me-up. The app is a battery drainer, so the business had provided power strips across the floor. An instrumental Pokemon soundtrack played softly in the background. At the counter, a girl ordered the Valor drink — a strawberry-cherry concoction. “What? That’s not our team!” “But it sounds good!” I asked barista Josh Suwaratana why the business is offering these drinks. Is it because they knew they’d make money off of thirsty trainers? “Honestly … we’re just all playing it too,”

MADDY FOX, DAILY

A group spent time collectively wandering campus, capturing Pokemon on their phones during a University of Minnesota “Pokemon go” meetup on Sunday.

MADDY FOX, DAILY

A screenshot from the game “Pokemon Go,” where, through the use of augmented reality, a wild Pokemon named Pidgey can be seen next to the Goldy Gopher statue outside of Coffman Union.

Suwaratana said. At 1 p.m., everyone came together once again to hear the outcome of the day. As it stood, team Mystic had control of six of the campus’s gyms. Valor and Instinct each had one. Though batteries were

running low, the day was far from over. Another meet-up was coming together at the Mall of America, and trainers were eager to follow tips from earlier in the day. You know how the saying goes — they “gotta catch ’em all.”

MUSIC

Moody teens Minneapolis rock band Teenage Moods will be returning to live performance. BY JOE CRISTO jcristo@mndaily.com

T

eenage Moods’ music is wellknown in Minneapolis and across the country, but their story is not. The current incarnation of the band started when singer Gordon Byrd met bass player Jillian Schroeder soon after arriving in Minneapolis. The group took off in 2007. “I met Jillian through Ragstock and ’zine stuff,” Byrd said. “It all kind of happened at once when I moved back from Colorado, living in my van [and] doing a one-man band.” The singer-songwriters of the ’60s, along with ’90s altrock hero Kim Gordon, are influences on the group’s dissonant, pop-laden rock. “I met Gordon at a house

show nine years ago,” guitarist Kyle Sobczak said. “He turned me on to tape culture and all sorts of cool stuff that I love to this day. It left an impression on me and my music.” Teenage Moods has gone through a few personnel mix-ups. The current lineup includes guitarist and backup vocalist Kyle Sobczak and drummer Nikki Eskola. Being close as a band is vital to their identity. “We are teamwork-oriented, flowery, G-rated sweetness,” Eskola said. “Jillian has always done some amazing artwork for the band, and she makes every new project feel special in some way.” The band is primarily a musical outlet for Byrd and Schroeder; they are the two core members of the band and are primarily responsible for songwriting duties.

A&E EDITOR

Joe Kellen jkellen@mndaily.com

The band initially started as a duo. Once they released their first record, “Grow,” things began to change. “When we wrote ‘Grow’ we ended up ‘growing’ two new members of the band,” Schroeder said. Since then Teenage Moods has had singles released on Matador and local label 25 Diamonds. Right now, the band is focusing on playing live. “I can speak for everyone when I say we’d all enjoy doing this long-term and on a larger scale,” Eskola said. “Playing to a lot of people — isn’t that what every band wants?” The band is currently writing their next album. They hope to release it before the year ends and tour extensively in the spring. When discussing the identity of the band, Byrd is

RADIO K TOP 7

PHOTO COURTESY OF TEENAGE MOODS

Minneapolis band Teenage Moods hopes to release a new album this year.

reflective and tacks on his own thoughts on “growth.” “The purpose of this project for me is to get the music outside of my head and

1. Whitney, Golden Days 2. Deerhoof, Life is Suffering 3. Mitski, Your Best American Girl

watching my friends grow within it,” Byrd said. “I’ve watched Jillian grow; I’ve watched Nikki grow. Kyle never stops getting better at

4. Let’s Eat Grandma, Sax in the City 5. Jay Arner, Earth To Jay 6. Cellular Chaos, James Baldwin 7. Danny Brown, When It Rain

music. Half of it is the qualities of the people involved, and the other half is the quality of those people as musicians.”


14

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

CULTURE to CONSUME /

By Sophia Vilensky

Watch this:

Eat this:

Follow this:

“Mustang”

Cafe Latte’s fruit cobbler tart

@tasteofstreep

Nominated for best foreign film at this year’s Academy Awards, “Mustang” centers on a group of sisters growing up in a conservative Turkish town. Director Deniz Gamze Ergüven announced she was pregnant at the time of filming, causing the lead producer to quit in belief that the film would be a disaster. Even in her “state,” Ergüven managed to beautifully and brutally capture girlhood and the trials and tribulations that come with it. I was lucky enough to catch the film during its quick run at the MSP Film Society earlier this year, but it was just released on Netflix. Thank the goddesses.

Cafe Latte is good anytime, but berries happen to be in season right this instant. Thus, it is very important that you make a point to go and treat yourself as soon as possible. If you’re not into fruity desserts, get the restaurant’s famous turtle cake. That is no doubt the most obvious tip ever, but it’s been proven time and time again.

Meryl Streep: Good. Nicely shot pictures of food: Good. Meryl Streep in nicely shot pictures of food? Yeah, alright. This Instagram account is dedicated to nothing but editing Meryl Streep into photos of food, but it’s no cheap clickbait. The photos are beautiful, tasteful and well curated. In one post Streep lounges dramatically inside a Babybel cheese on top of a silk background. In another, Miranda Priestly becomes one with a cannoli. What art movement is this? Someone please tell me because I need to buy a coffee table book.

FOOD

College kitchen: in season Out with asparagus. In with arugula. BY SOPHIA VILENSKY svilensky@mndaily.com

F

lorals for spring are so passe, but summer produce encapsulates the season time and time again. Here are some simple recipes to make the most out of your next farmers market haul. At some points, I felt like these recipes were almost too easy — how could something so simple end up so tasty? The fact of the matter is that wholesomeness and home-grown ingredients need not be fancy to be delicious — why say “julienne” when you can just “chop?”

The first step for dinner — grab some cash and head to your local market (I found most of my produce at the L yndale Farmers Market). While you’re checking off your grocer y list, grab some blueberries. They’re so good right now — no recipe needed.

Fresh pea and mint salad 2 cups water 1 cup shelled green peas (about 1 pound unshelled) 6 cups trimmed arugula 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shaved fresh pecorino cheese Bring water to a boil. Add peas, and cook for one minute. Drain and plunge peas into ice water, then re-drain. Combine peas, arugula and mint in a large bowl. Add lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss well and sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately. This r ecipe is fr om “Cooking Light.” Very little cooking is involved in its creation; the salad is light. Green beans or snap peas can be used instead of fresh peas if they aren’t available on a given day, and you don’t need as much dr essing as you think you will. The sweeter the pea, the better.

Rhubarb pie

Two pie crusts 1 1/3 to 2 cups sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 4 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped into half-inch pieces 1 1/2 tablespoon cold butter Small amount of ice water Sugar to sprinkle on top

SOPHIA VILENSKY, DAILY

Rhubarb pie.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine sugar and flour in large bowl. Mix lightly through rhubarb. Pour into cr ust-lined pie pan, and dot with butter. Cut slits in top pie

c r u s t , c o v e r, s e a l a n d flute. Lightly brush top of cr ust with ice water, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the crust is browned and filling begins to bubble through the slits. This recipe is cour tesy of a yellowed edition of the “Betty Crocker Cookbook,” and my grandmother — the queen of finding fun uses for extra sugar. I used store-bought pie crusts to save time, but a bunch of great and easy r ecipes for homemade cr usts can be found online. Use more sugar in the filling depending on how sweet you want your pie — I’m always pretty pleased with 1 1/3 cups and a side of vanilla bean ice cream.

SOPHIA VILENSKY, DAILY

Roasted brussels sprouts.

Roasted brussels sprouts 1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts (or a farmers market carton) 3 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; freshly ground if possible Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Chop off the ends of the sprouts, and remove the yellow outer leaves to make ’em real pretty. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange on a tray, and stick them in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Ye a h … t h a t ’ s t h e whole recipe. Yum.

SOPHIA VILENSKY, DAILY

Fresh pea and mint salad.

FILM

Celluloid daydreams Weisman Art Museum to show family movies and local artists on film stock. BY JOE CRISTO jcristo@mndaily.com

M

ovies help capture faded memories. Much like celluloid film stock — now considered outdated by many — intimate, impactful film is a rarity. Tonight, the Weisman Ar t Museum will feature an event entitled, “Movies at WAM.” This event will focus on how film and art interact with time and memory. The first half of the night will feature home movies brought in by community members. Movies of five minutes or less — on any film-based medium, including VHS, 8mm and 16mm film — will be screened. The second half of the night will center on local filmmakers and the projects they have been working on. “Most of the ar tists work with various prints of film,” project curator Sam

Hoolihan said. “So we are looking to show a form of art that is geared towards the artist.” This event features movies printed on film stock. Now that digital is the main medium for visual storytelling, film has gone the way of the gramophone and the Walkman. “[Film] is a lot more fun to work with,” Hoolihan said. “There are a lot more challenges and limitations imposed, which I think gets people really excited about working through it.” Hoolihan, an adjunct professor at Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the University of Minnesota, is a filmmaker himself. For him, teaching has been fruitful in many unexpected ways. “I really enjoy teaching,” Hoolihan said. “But I also feel like it’s an opportunity to continue learning. I find I just really value getting to meet new, young artists.” One young ar tist who

CULTURE COMPASS /

will be showing her work is Kelsey Bosch. Bosch’s work, “Countdown,” concerns a trip to Iceland she took last fall. “It cycles through three shots, and as they cycle, they become faster,” Bosch said. “I was thinking about human versus geological time and how we are starting to see them converge.” Bosch, like many of the filmmakers, works in both digital and film mediums. But for this project, she felt film fit better. “The graininess of the Super 8 lends itself to distance spectatorship,” Bosch said. “When I was filming the glacier, I was on a glacier hike tour. I made the group stop for four minutes. I could feel tension building because the rest of the group wanted to move on and see more. More of what? They were consuming their experience so rapidly and without depth.” How artists interact with time is a large part of what

this event is about. For Bosch, this is a theme in which she is well-versed. “I see my work’s importance in its resistance to the speed at which culture operates,” Bosch said. “I see it as a reprieve from this exhaustion — a demand for time and reflection.” The way in which modern culture and time collide is also paramount to understanding film’s place in the artist’s toolbox. “You can trace an artist’s choice of medium to commercial availability,” Hoolihan said. “Usually, once there is a commercial technological advancement in a form, artists adopt the older, less-used, cheaper form. Financial constraints aside, artists are always trying to capture the warmth of time or timelessness.” Along with stressing the under utilized medium of film, the exhibition is meant to introduce the community to filmmakers they might not know about.

ALEX TUTHILL-PREUS, DAILY

University graduate Tyler Lauer feeds his film reel through a projector at the White Page Gallery for a prescreening on Monday.

“There are a lot of really wonder ful local ar tists,” Hoolihan said. “Some may work in a more experimental way, but people will be able to take away tips on how to develop a craftbased process.” While the event is geared toward the educational understanding of art,

its primar y purpose — a reflection on nostalgia and a desire to unearth hidden treasures — is a bonus. “It’s going to be ver y cool,” Hoolihan said. “These movies are like old little time capsules. Sometimes families have only seen them once. They can reveal surprises. Secrets.”

By Sophia Vilensky

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Lumières Françaises

“Pokemon” social and hunt

Bastille Day block party

Bent on showcasing francophone narratives and documentaries from around the world, this weeklong MSP Film Society program kicks off on Friday with “Silvered Water, Syria Self Portrait” at 3 p.m. There will be a second showing of most films, but be sure to catch those on the top of your list early on — tickets sell fast.

Because I know you have it downloaded, the next big “Pokemon Go” meetup is scheduled for Saturday at Lake Calhoun. Bring some friends, rent a paddle boat and catch that one Pokemon that likes to hang out in the center of lakes (Is there one? I have no idea what I’m talking about, but it’ll be fun anyway).

Performers will take to both the stage and street this Sunday to celebrate Bastille Day. Beloved French restaurant Barbette (my very favorite) is hosting the event, and the lineup is full of local favorites. Need more convincing? The event’s tagline will woo you: “Cake will be served.”

Where St. Anthony Main Theater, 115 Main St. SE, Minneapolis Hours 3 p.m. Cost Tickets are $10 per film, $7 for students and film society members

Where Lake Calhoun, 2707 W. Lake St., Minneapolis Hours 10 a.m. Saturday Cost Free unless you run out of Pokeballs

Where Intersection of Irving Avenue South and Lagoon Avenue, Minneapolis Hours 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday Cost Free


Wednesday, July 13, 2016

15

CROSSWORD LosAngeles Angeles Times Times Daily DailyCrossword CrosswordPuzzle Puzzle Los JULY 7, 13,2016 2016 FOR RELEASE JULY

Editedby byRich RichNorris Norrisand andJoyce JoyceLewis Lewis Edited

HOROSCOPES Today’s Birthday (7/13): Share the love this year. Begin a two-year period of home and family growth and development this summer. Breakthroughs in communications, tech and networking lead to new educational directions.

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

Aries (3/21 - 4/19): Today is an 8 — Collaborate on family accounts. The next three weeks look excellent for conversation, with Mercury in Leo. Creative writing can be fun.

Libra (9/23 - 10/22): Today is a 9 — Bring home the bacon today and tomorrow. Teamwork gets the word out over the next three weeks, with Mercury in Leo. Meetings go well.

Taurus (4/20 - 5/20): Today is a 9 — Dress things up with a little glamour. The next three weeks (with Mercury in Leo) are especially good for family meetings and discussions.

Scorpio (10/23 - 11/21): Today is a 9 — Follow personal dreams today and tomorrow. New opportunities arise over the next three weeks (with Mercury in Leo), to teach and to learn.

Gemini (5/21 - 6/21): Today is a 9 — For the next three weeks, with Mercury in Leo, it’s easier to learn, express and get your message across. Communications channels are wide open.

Sagittarius (11/22 - 12/21): Today is a 6 — Concentrate on rest and clean-up today and tomorrow. Opportunities to teach and to learn arise over the next three weeks.

Cancer (6/22 - 7/22): Today is an 8 — Following your heart can get lucrative. For the next three weeks, with Mercury in Leo, it’s easier to make money. Don’t be tempted to spend it all.

Capricorn (12/22 - 1/19): Today is an 8 — Inventory shared resources and assets over the next three weeks, with Mercury in Leo. Communications lead to profitable collaborations.

Leo (7/23 - 8/22): Today is a 7 — Taking care of others improves your self-confidence. You’re even more clever and strong over the next three weeks, with Mercury in your sign.

Aquarius (1/20 - 2/18): Today is an 8 — Pursue career opportunities over the next few days. Partnership is key. Communicate, negotiate and delegate for the next three weeks.

Virgo (8/23 - 9/22): Today is a 7 — Tie up loose ends and finish old business over the next three weeks, with Mercury in Leo. Forgive, even if you don’t forget, so you can move on.

Pisces (2/19 - 3/20): Today is a 9 — Launch an adventure over the next two days. Discuss decisions with the entire team over the next three weeks, with Mercury in Leo.

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ByJeffrey Gail Grabowski By Wechslerand Bruce Venzke

Accompany 74Film for whichto the depot, say Jessica Lange 5won Pours herinto firsta carafe Oscar Gp. with many 86Plus specialists 9 __ cup Chore need 107Inventor’s AARP concern 118Stock Washington 129“Try this” ballplayer 16 “My Fair Lady” 10lyricist Unconventional ’50s-’60s types 18 People mover 11“Norma Cross, in__” Costa 21 Rica on a 22 Square 12muffin Point on a rake 13Relative Cat scanners? 23 of a 18puffin Gratis 22What Heave-ho 24 many a 24countdown __ OFF 5TH: clock discount store does 27Suffix Jauntydenoting tunes 28 28resemblance Tropical hardwood 29 Support garb 30 for drivers 29Gp. “Beetle Bailey” 33 Military dog aircraft 30hold Diana of “The 35 Bit of a cheer Wiz” 36 31Org. Longregulating (for) 32vaccines “The Impaler” of 37 __ school Romanian 38 Needing history to be 33bailed Sphinxout city... or 27-,in 37where Voice 20-, heard 45and 51-Across “California may be found Dreamin’”

Thursday’s Puzzle Solved Last issue’s solution Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

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38Supports March Madness 39 a cause concerns 40 dilettantish 40Most Supporters’ votes 42 of 43Opposite Key with two postsharps: Abbr. 43 in 45Qantas Sourceshub, of fine itineraries wool 45 of the golf 48Site Traditional George Bush pencil’sW. lack 49presidential Footwear insert 50library Nanas, often 46 53Eco-friendly Start of a fitness wheels motto

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54Antarctic Puccini opera 47 explorer 55Shackleton “And wrinkled lip, 49 Force and __ of cold 52 Pilot’s alphabet command”: ender “Ozymandias” 53 tradition 56Wedding Unforeseen 54 MIT center?: obstacle 57Abbr. Lounge around 57 bubble 58__ Saucony 58 Record label for competitor 59P!nk Corduroy 59 Something feature to up to 63look Peke’s squeak

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

DR. DATE Dear Dr. Date,

I feel weird saying this, but I’m 21 years old, and I don’t “get” sex. I’ve only been sexually active for the past half year or so, and I thought by now I would finally understand why everyone likes it so much. The truth is, though, that the handful of times I’ve tried to do the deed have been confusing and not particularly pleasurable. My first time was with a friend from class, and a few other encounters happened with some guys I met through Tinder. Each time, I figured it would be somehow different — better — than the last time, but so far no luck. At this point, I basically feel like avoiding sex. What do you think is wrong with me? I get that I started having sex later in life than many other people my age, but I’m starting to think I just have a low sex drive or something. I’m worried this will make relationships difficult for me, so any help would be appreciated, Doc.

—Stalled Stalled,

I’ll tell you what I kept telling myself when I was post-breakup, listening to Drake

at 3 a.m. with two empty bottles of Malbec: What you’re feeling isn’t fun, but there’s nothing wrong with you. Bodies and sex are weird AF, and your journey to discover how the two interact in your own life takes time. Although it definitely is possible that you just don’t have a high sex drive, what seems more likely is that you just have a lot of figuring out to do. It’ll probably get better with time, and more importantly, it’ll likely be easier with someone you’re actually comfortable with. It takes time to get to the right level of trust and comfort to make sex an enjoyable experience for many people. And just like a career in “Pokemon go,” it might feel dumb and confusing (and it kinda is sometimes) but it just takes some exploring and figuring out. Focus on spending time with someone and becoming attracted to their personality (and vice-versa), and likely some better sex will follow. Drake meant it when he said he likes when his sweetie wears sweatpants and skips makeup because it means they’re hella comfortable around each other.

Or, like, he just has a sweatpants fetish.

—Dr. Date

Dear Dr. Date,

My girlfriend and I have been dating for a while now, and we want to spice things up in bed to keep things from getting stale. Neither of us are particularly adventurous in bed, so I’m looking for a low-key way to keep things interesting — in other words, no hardcore kinky stuff, OK? My girlfriend has been talking dirty during sex more often, and I’m pretty into it so I decided I would try it for myself. But when I try it out, it just feels forced and completely un-sexy. So I’ve got the problem of wanting to participate in more dirty talk, but I’m just really bad at it. I’m starting to feel like this just isn’t my game, but I want to keep trying. Do you have any tips for upping my game?

—Talk Dirty 2 Me Talk Dirty 2 Me,

Dude, just because you’re not playing by the same rules doesn’t mean you can’t play the game. How you think someone

like Young Thug not only exists but prospers? You just need to bring something to the table that you didn’t know people needed. The key here is to use alternatives to the classic filthy talk in bed. You may like how your partner talks dirty to you, but you have options to respond with not only words but also movements and sounds. Let your body do some talking for you so that there’s less pressure on your sailor speak. But for those times when you do wanna say something, I’ve got a short list of alternative bed talk to keep things spicy between you and your sweet slayer: “I really like when you [insert action you enjoy].” “You’re a beautiful person. Aw.” “I’m from the future.” “Oh my god we’re both consenting to sex and a mutual dislike of vaping.” “It’s ludicrous that Drake’s first No. 1 single wasn’t ‘Marvin’s Room.’” There’s a little something to get started with. If none of those work, you can always just blurt out various “Game of Thrones” spoilers in a sensuous voice.

—Dr. Date


16

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Umbra Search digitizes thousands of pieces of African American history

The web archive includes materials from colleges and musuems across the nation. BY JESSICA HART jhart@mndaily.com

Eighty feet underground, in a cavern built into the Mississippi River bluffs, the University Archives houses thousands of historic materials. For curious reseachers, archival materials can be reviewed in a reading room at the Elmer L. Andersen Library. But now, the University is working to make its African American history collections readily available online. The website, called Umbra Search, originated at the University and now includes materials from colleges and musuems across the country. Launched in March 2015, the site is now in its beta form and has 406,213 items available for public access from more than 1000 U.S archives, museums and libraries. “Umbra is an attempt to bring out of the libraries all the materials that libraries all over the country have digitized that document different aspects of African American history and culture so you don’t have to travel,” said curator Cecily Marcus. The Givens Collection of African American Literature features more than 12,000 rare books dating back to

1773 as well as archival collections of African American writers. The collection includes books with original covers, some signed by authors dating prior to the Emancipation Proclamation, Marcus said. The collection was named after Archie Givens Sr., an African American entrepreneur and philanthropist whose family established a foundation that gave scholarships to African American students to go to college, Marcus said. Marcus said she hopes Umbra will give students a chance to examine primary resources and engage in African American narratives not often taught in the classroom. “We hope that by providing access to historical letters … to important African American singers or politicians or regular people who were involved with the NAACP or with the civil rights movement … that people will not only develop a greater interest in this history but also have a means to explore it more deeply,” Marcus said. Entire collections can’t be uploaded to Umbra because of funding issues; researchers decide what to include on the website based on demand

ZACH BIELINSKI, DAILY

Georgetta Wuo, a University student and archives assistant, returns and retrieves materials from the Givens Collection of African American Literature in the archives located 80 feet under the Elmer L. Andersen Library on the West Bank campus on Monday.

for materials. Umbra will also digitize archival documents that its staff thinks has a profound research value, Marcus said.

Activist Malala addresses Kenyan refugee camp BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DADAAB, Kenya — Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai visited the world’s largest refugee camp on her 19th birthday Tuesday and voiced concern that Kenya’s plans to close it could create “a generation lost.” The gover nment announced in May that it plans to close the camp in eastern Kenya near the Somali border by the end of the year, citing it as a security liability. Malala said returning any of the more than 300,000 refugees to Somalia, which is still plagued by extremist violence, should be voluntary. “They should not be forced to move,” the advocate for girls’ education said in an interview with The Associated Press. “As we all know, the camp is going to be closed down soon, so I want to make sure that these girls don’t become a generation lost, and there are alternative facilities for them to continue with their

education,” Malala said. If the camp is closed and its residents are moved to Somalia where there are few schools, the “girls will be without education,” she said, noting that at least they can get an education in the schools inside Dadaab. Malala urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to take his time in deciding on the fate of the camp and take into consideration the need to provide education. Dadaab has existed for 25 years, and for many of the refugees there, the sprawling camp is the only home they have known. There are established houses for longtime residents, while newcomers make do with improvised huts of thorn branches and other materials. One refugee, Rahma Hussein, said that when her family returned to Somalia, “things changed dramatically. There was no peace, there was no security, and even if you go to learning centers you fear that when

and which time you will be bombed.” Kenya has been plagued by numerous attacks from the Somali extremist group al-Shabab that have killed scores of people since 2011, when Kenya deployed troops to Somalia against the militants. The Kenyan government alleges that attacks were hatched in Dadaab. The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab has vowed to continue attacking Kenya. Kenyatta has said repatriations from Dadaab will be voluntary and humane. The international community has urged caution and warned against forceful evictions. U.N. security in the camp on Tuesday did not allow the media to speak with refugees other than the ones who met with Malala. Malala said she came to the camp to draw attention to the global refugee crisis, saying that each year on her birthday, she chooses a region where girls’ education is neglected.

“When we’re in the caverns looking for materials or pulling books that a researcher has requested, it’s kind of an endless thrill. There are al-

ways materials … that I didn’t know we had or books that I didn’t know existed,” Marcus said. “It’s inspiring, but it also makes you think, ‘How do

we bring these materials out from an underground cavern? How do we make them as accessible as possible?’ ” Marcus said.


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