March 7, 2019

STUDENT GOVT. HOSTS RENAMING PANEL P 2 THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019

LATE WEEK

THE EVENT CAME AMID BUILDING RENAMING EFFORTS

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BASKETBALL

Gophers senior an unheralded leader

Jarvis Johnson was with the team for four years, but never got medical clearance to play.

BY NICK JUNGHEIM njungheim@mndaily.com

In 2015, Jarvis Johnson came to the Gophers as the crown jewel of head coach Richard Pitino’s recruiting class.

Of the five players Pitino granted a scholarship to that year, Johnson had the highest recruiting grade according to ESPN. He was the first Minnesota native who committed to the program under Pitino’s tutelage.

Although he celebrated senior night with the team at Williams Arena for the final home game of the season, the highly-touted recruit never got to suit up for the Gophers on the arena’s signature raised floor.

“Jarvis was the first guy we set out to get in the Twin Cities,” Pitino said. “We felt like we needed him, he fit our style of play, we loved him as a kid. We really worked hard to get him, and unfortunately, he wasn’t cleared.”

Following an incident in eighth grade, during which Johnson went into cardiac arrest and needed to be revived, he was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Team doctors didn’t clear Johnson to play prior to his freshman season at Minnesota, citing health concerns.

Other schools have since cleared players with HCM to participate in games; however,

Minnesota’s medical staff never allowed Johnson to take the court for the Gophers.

Instead of testing the possibility of another school clearing him, Johnson chose not to transfer.

“The main focus was to obviously play,” Johnson said. “But I knew the education here was good, and just the culture around the whole team. I wanted to be a part of something special, honestly. I think we had ups and downs and we made memories that will last a long time.”

Overnight, Johnson’s role and expectations at Minnesota completely changed. In high school, he started on four consecutive state championship teams at DeLaSalle High School, just over two miles from Williams Arena. Suddenly, Johnson had to adjust to supporting his teammates from the bench, a transition that didn’t come easily.

“It was definitely hard to adjust to,” Johnson said. “Especially after playing for so long, just sitting having to watch gave me an ‘itching’ feeling. I had to mature quick.”

Four years later, Johnson thrives in his role of supporting his teammates. He received praise from his coach for his work behind the scenes. “[Johnson] has been a terrific member of our team,” Pitino said. “He’s got great perspective, [he is] great on the bench, great in the locker room, great in the dorms talking to the guys. I mean, he’s a leader in a lot of ways people don’t know about.” u See JOHNSON Page 4

TONY SAUNDERS, DAILY

Senior Jarvis Johnson watches the game at Williams Arena on Tuesday, March 5.

STATE GOVT.

STUDENT LIFE

State bonding may omit U infrastructure

Food assistance sees limited use among students

Walz’s proposal looks promising for University, but lawmakers say the funding isn’t certain.

BY ISABELLA MURRAY imuuray@mndaily.com

While initial proposals by DFL Gov. Tim Walz fund a large part of the University of Minnesota’s infrastructure needs, lawmakers say the school might not be in a bonding bill at all.

Walz presented his capital investment proposal on Feb. 26, which would have provided nearly two-thirds of the University’s $232.2 million bonding request. But Walz’s biennial budget proposal would only cover

around one-third of the University’s $87 million budget request, which officials say will result in tuition increases.

Minnesota Office of Higher Education Commissioner Dennis Olson said the infrastructure funding is a more holistic approach to state higher education.

“Over the last 30 years, there have only been two years that haven’t had a bonding bill,” Olson said. “The governor feels that these proposed bonding investments really kind of complete the total investment.”

Of the $1.27 billion proposal, the portion for higher education is the second-highest expected allocation, with $300 million split evenly between the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State systems.

But lawmakers say a large bonding bill isn’t likely this year, leaving the University with little help from the state.

Sen. David Senjem, R-Rochester, chair of the capital investment committee, said a small bonding bill is likely, but the University may not see any funding.

“We may have a small bill,” Senjem said.

“At least for the University of Minnesota and their bonding projects, along with many many other cities, agencies and so on and so forth, they’re probably going to have to wait until next year.”

Senjem said the Senate capital investment committee estimates it can only allocate $167 million worth of bonding projects.

“Even though there is an option in MyU for people to turn it off, I talked to a bunch of people in the dining halls … and nobody seemed to know about it,” Roughani said. u See PRIVACY Page 3

u See SNAP Page 3

u See BONDING Page 3

One student focuses efforts on the U’s data privacy policy Sina Roughani is a fierce advocate for UMN to change its student records policy.

BY NIAMH COOMEY ncoomey@mndaily.com

TONY SAUNDERS, DAILY

Electrical engineering sophomore Sina Roughani operates one of his three computers in Keller Hall on Thursday, Feb. 28.

During his first semester at the University, Roughani approached students in dining halls and asked if they knew how much information was on the public database. If not, he helped them suppress the information.

BY DYLAN MIETTINEN dmiettinen@mndaily.com

A federal study published in January showed that fewer than half of college students eligible for government food assistance benefits actually use them.

The Government Accountability Office found that of the nearly 3.3 million students who were potentially eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, less than half participated in the program in 2016. The GAO recommended SNAP improve its outreach efforts to support college students.

University of Minnesota fourth-year student Kate Kuehl is one of the many students on campus and around the nation who faces food insecurity. Though Kuehl said she applied for SNAP in the past, she was turned down and didn’t know why.

In order to be eligible for SNAP, students have to be U.S. citizens, work at least 20 hours per week while making less than $1,670 per month or work at least one hour per week with a work study job, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

Rebecca Leighton, a health promotion associate at Boynton Health, said students often do not know about what makes a person eligible for SNAP or how to go about applying. In order to combat this, Boynton Health hosts the Nutritious U Food Pantry, a space where students can get food and fresh produce free of charge once a month at Coffman Union.

According to the College and University Food Bank Alliance, there were 641 food pantries in the United States as of June 2018.

The food pantry addresses a pressing need. According to Boynton’s 2018 College Student Health Survey Report, more than one in six University students report worrying their food would run out before they had money to buy more.

One potential bonus of a program like Nutritious U is that students can retain a sense of anonymity.

PROFILE

Second-year student Sina Roughani hoped to impress his crush last year with an atypical birthday gift — improving University of Minnesota’s student data privacy policy.

The electrical engineering student devoted much of his first semester at the University in 2017 to advocating for a change in the student records policy.

Roughani became concerned when he found information like students’ home addresses and phone numbers were publicly available on the University’s People Search database.

He focuses on student data privacy by helping student government leaders push for less available information online.

By using his computer science knowledge, he discovered weaknesses in the database’s security, and voiced his concerns to President Eric Kaler, University administration, peers and the Minnesota Student Association.

MSA passed a resolution in December suggesting the University publish less student information by default and be more transparent in how the information is being used.

A government study found that food-insecure college students often did not utilize SNAP.

SYSTEM CAMPUS

Rochester campus plans to implement ‘bold’ vision by expanding enrollment, influence With growing demand in health care, the system campus is looking to expand its presence.

BY AUSTEN MACALUS amacalus@mndaily.com

The Rochester campus is the newest of the University of Minnesota’s five-campus system. But after a decade into an innovative approach to higher education, campus leaders are looking to the future with “bold” plans for growth.

The campus, which admitted its first class of 57 students in 2009, aims to expand not only enrollment, but its influence on postsecondary instruction.

Rochester Chancellor Lori Carrell recently presented the school’s long-term planning efforts to the Board of Regents — a vision she describes as the “Bluff Top” view project. Evoking the region’s distinct bluffs, Carrell said planning for the Rochester campus meant “climbing up and looking out into the distance to see as far as we could. What this campus would look like in the future in its very best version: Its most beautiful and

breathtaking view.”

The ambitious plan moves from “bold” to “bolder” to “boldest,” Carrell said. That starts by adding around 200 more students on campus — moving from just over 500 undergraduates to 700 undergraduates by 2021, in addition to a slight increase in the school’s partnership graduate programs. From there, the campus is looking to enroll more than 1,000 students in the coming decade, then 1,500 students and eventually sustain around 2,500 students in total, Carrell said.

With growing demand for health care professionals, University of Minnesota-

Rochester leaders are confident the expansion will pay off. Although it’s a drop in the bucket of the entire University system, the plan is a large jump in growth for the University’s smallest campus.

The school is planning to increase recruitment efforts and four-year scholarships to attract more students. Though it faces some challenges when it comes to space, Carrell said the school can continue to expand the number of students without sacrificing the quality of its education. u See ROCHESTER Page 3

VOLUME 119 ISSUE 44

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY

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

1876 Alexander Graham Bell patents the telephone at the age of 29.

HISTORYCHANNEL.COM/TDIH

Merging health, climate change Faculty members in Medical School push for more education on global warming.

BY JAKE STEINBERG jsteinberg@mndaily.com

When disease ecology professor Meggan Craft asked 15 fourth-year veterinary medicine students how they thought climate change will factor into their future profession, and the responses were what she anticipated.

There were murmurs of heat and weather patterns, decreased habitat and exotic animals at risk.

“When we start, they’re talking about polar bears,” she said. “By the end, we want them to be thinking about how climate change relates to them and their practice.”

Craft is one of several faculty members pushing climate change into the Academic Health Center’s professional programs. They’re called the Climate Champions, and they argue climate change is an essential aspect of modern professional health training, not only because it impacts human health, but also because of health care’s massive carbon footprint.

Global warming has

ABBY ADAMSKI, DAILY

been described as the planet running a fever. Its symptoms, according to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, pose a threat to the health of entire ecosystems. The threat to public health is no less severe, according to The Lancet. The medical journal calls climate change one of the “gravest threats to human health and survival.”

But medical schools have been slow to give it class time, said nursing assistant professor Shanda Demorest. Each professional school has their “champion,” and Demorest is that for the School of Nursing. But

before that, she was a nursing student unsatisfied with how her program sidelined environmental concerns.

“There wasn’t the holistic natural component that I thought there would be,” she said.

As a faculty member, she and eight other “champions” developed curricula on the health impacts of climate change. Starting last fall, they’ve been teaching the material in their own courses and have invited other instructors to discuss the impacts in their classes.

According to a survey of students in the AHC conducted by the student group Health Students for a Healthy Climate, only half of

respondents’ classes included content connecting health and climate change.

“It’s difficult for faculty to be able to justify spending their scholarship time on something that seems political or something that seems social,” Demorest said. “[But] we want them to know that health professionals have a role adapting to and mitigating climate change. This is not just for tree huggers.”

Climate change will intensify existing health problems and create new ones, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A warmer planet will worsen air quality due to pollution and wildfires. That means more asthma and allergens.

More rain will bring more standing water for diseasecausing pathogens to swell.

Diseases will then move to unfamiliar regions.

The number of Lyme disease cases reported in Minnesota increased around 459 percent between 1996 and 2017, according to the Minnesota Department of Health, a change largely attributed to the increased number of ticks.

Health professionals need to be prepared for these impacts in order to provide adequate care, said Demorest.

Providers should also be anticipating the mental health impacts of climate change,

she said.

When people’s homes flood, lose heat or lose air conditioning, “maybe they experience some homelessness because they can’t live in their space anymore. That has mental health implications that don’t always get represented physically or when these patients are seeking care,” she said.

Students are also encouraged to advocate for making their workplaces more energy efficient. The health care industry is responsible for around 8 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Medical professionals are already prepared to have tough conversations with patients, said Health Students for a Healthy Climate co-chair Marie Gilbertson.

“They have the ability, more so than others, to advocate for sustainability in clinical settings.”

They’re also wellequipped to discuss how climate change will affect patients’ health. Nurses are the most trusted professionals in America, according to Gallup. That comes in handy when talking about climate change has become nearly as difficult as discussing a bleak prognosis, Gilbertson said. “Health is a common language.”

Student governments host renaming panel MSA, COGS and PSG met with the panel for renaming campus buildings.

BY MIGUEL OCTAVIO moctavio@mndaily.com

Members of different student government bodies and the task force charged with reviewing the names of four University of Minnesota buildings gathered Wednesday evening.

Minnesota Student Association, Council of Graduate Students and Professional Student Government members hosted a panel with the Task Force on Building Names and Institutional History to discuss renaming efforts on campus. The task force published a final report Feb. 20 suggesting the Board of Regents rename Coffman Union, Nicholson Hall, Middlebrook Hall and Coffey Hall, buildings named after former University administrators who upheld racist or anti-Semitic practices.

“I had the good fortune of being asked to participate in the work,” said task force member and College of Liberal Arts Dean John Coleman, who attended the meeting at

TIMELINE OF RENAMING UMN BUILDINGS After more than a year of work, University administrators have not yet decided on renaming Coffman Union and several buildings on campus.

A Campus Divided: Progressives, Anticommunists, Racism and Antisemitism at the University of Minnesota 1930-1942

AUG. 14, 2017 - DEC. 22, 2017

SEPT. 21, 2017

Start of the President’s and Provost’s Advisory Committee on University History, which is charged with helping to “guide our community’s thinking about the ways in which we shape and are shaped by the history of the University of Minnesota”

Final Report of the President’s and Provost’s Advisory Committee on University History, which outlines five principles to guide First deadline for renaming buildings on campus the task force

FEB. 2018

DEC. 1, 2017

MSA starts Resolution to Rename Coffman

the Whole Music Club. “It was really a privilege to be able to play that role. I do think it was very important work, what we did.”

MSA representatives questioned task force members about their decision-making process, how their backgrounds contributed to the report and what the renaming process would entail.

Coleman said part of the report included reviewing multiple documents and archives to reach a conclusion.

Task force members stressed the influence of student input on the report.

“It’s something that students have a very proactive role in,” said Nikil Badey, MSA’s outreach director. “That very much

Petition to change the name of Coffman receives 1000 signatures

MARCH 6, 2018 MSA passes Resolution to Rename Coffman

MAY 9, 2018 OCT. 4 , 2018

NOV. 15, 2018

Task forces pushes Task force published back deadline again recommendations

JAN. 16, 2019

DEC. 17, 2018

FEB. 20, 2019

FEB. 7, 2019

MARCH 8, 2019

BY IMANI CRUZEN icruzen@mndaily.com

A bill that aims to promote more training for health care interpreters has received pushback from local professionals.

The legislation would provide more resources for interpreters and would rank individuals based on training level. While advocates say the bill would protect patients, some interpreters feel they were not included in the

conversation. Rep. Mohamud Noor, DFL-Minneapolis, met with African-language interpreters late last month to discuss these concerns.

“I want you to invite us, as one voice when you’re drafting this, so that we help you because the purpose is to protect the [patient], the interpreter and the provider,” said freelance interpreter Suad Muse during the meeting. “And you just want to rush it a lot so I’m not happy with that. I’m hoping you hear my voices. I am very angry. As a matter of fact, you left me behind.”

Some interpreters in the African community said the training required by the bill could be a cost burden. An

amendment passed by the House health and human services committee on Feb. 28 lowered the cost of the training.

Michelle Livon, manager of translating service Multilingual Word Inc., said languages like Somali are in the most demand at her agency.

She said the required cost of the the training laid out in a previous version of the bill, which has now been amended, would have made it more difficult for patients to access the interpreters they need.

“But I’m actually quite satisfied that they have made some of the changes that will ensure access,” Livon said. “I think this new version ... does

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EDITORIAL BOARD Ellen Schneider Editorials & Opinions Editor eschneider@mndaily.com Ariana Wilson Editorial Board Member awilson@mndaily.com Hailey Almsted Editorial Board Member halmsted@mndaily.com Kelly Busche Editor-in-Chief kbusche@mndaily.com BUSINESS Kyle Stumpf Sales Manager kstumpf@mndaily.com David Keane Controller dkeane@mndaily.com

MARCH 1, 2019

behavior by former administrators after whom the buildings are named. President Eric Kaler launched the task force on October 2018 after evaluating recommendations made by a University committee last year.

Kaler announced his support to rename the four buildings in an emailed statement addressed to the University on March 1. He is expected to present his final proposal to the Board of Regents on Friday.

The renaming of the four buildings must be approved by the Board of Regents. An announcement is expected before President-designate Joan Gabel takes office in July. Kaler and Provost Karen Hanson are also expected to assign a

SOURCE: MN DAILY REPORTING

permanent Advisory Committee on University History to aid with potential renamings in the future.

Kaler has set temporary names for the buildings pending review: Student Union for Coffman Union; Agricultural Administration Building for Coffey Hall; 216 Pillsbury Drive for Nicholson Hall and West Bank Residence Hall for Middlebrook Hall.

The committee process to rename the buildings is among the longest in comparison to other schools that have undergone similar experiences.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done,” said Coleman. “It was a great group [of] people to work with and inspiring to work with as well.”

State bill could impact local health care interpreters Some professionals worry it could pose a barrier for those entering the field.

EDITORIAL STAFF Max Chao Managing Editor mchao@mndaily.com Christine Ha Managing Production Editor cha@mndaily.com Michelle Griffith Campus Activities Editor mgriffith@mndaily.com Madeline Deninger City Editor mdeninger@mndaily.com J.D. Duggan Campus Administration Editor jduggan@mndaily.com Cleo Krejci Features Editor ckrejci@mndaily.com Drew Cove Sports Editor dcove@mndaily.com Sophie Vilensky A&E Editor svilensky@mndaily.com Ellen Schmidt Multimedia Editor eschmidt@mndaily.com Courtney Deutz Assistant Multimedia Editor cdeutz@mndaily.com Molly Tynjala Copy Desk Chief mtynjala@mndaily.com Bailey Davis Assistant Copy Desk Chief bdavis@mndaily.com Desmond Kamas Chief Page Designer dkamas@mndaily.com Abby Adamski Visuals Editor aadamski@mndaily.com Morgan La Casse Visuals Editor mlacasse@mndaily.com

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President Kaler will present to Board of Regents

Start of the Task Force on Task forces pushes President Kaler expects President Kaler Building Names and Institutional back deadline the task force’s announced support History, which is charged with recommendation of recommendations providing recommendation on before the Board of the names of Coffman Union, Regents meeting in Coffey Hall, Middlebrook Hall and February Nicholson Hall

is a statement to saying student advocacy works.”

Task force member William Jones said they also looked to other schools that have faced building renaming or removal efforts.

“We modeled those reports in our process so they were really influential,” Jones said. “In the naming process, I think there were strong similarities between our University and others.”

Renaming buildings does not mean erasing the University’s history but recognizing the school’s problems and how best to address them moving forward, Coleman said.

The recommendations come after the 2017 “A Campus Divided”exhibit displayed racist and anti-Semitic

OFFICE OF THE PUBLISHER Kelly Busche Editor-in-Chief kbusche@mndaily.com (612) 435-1575 Genevieve Locke Business Operations Officer glocke@mndaily.com (612) 435-2761

do a lot more to ensure access for those communities.”

The bill was originally pushed for by interpreters who wanted to provide more credibility to their field, said Anjuli Cameron, research director with the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans.

Not all languages have terms for certain medical issues, which could put patients in a vulnerable position, Cameron said. The training would seek to address this.

“It requires a high level of skill for an interpreter to explain those issues,” she said.

“Many agencies have gone through that process of putting in training. … The challenge is that not every agency

is doing it, and not every interpreter goes through an agency.”

Somali advocate Abdirizak Bihi helped coordinate an earlier meeting between Noor and interpreters at the Brian Coyle Center in CedarRiverside. East-African interpreters need to be at the table as the bill is discussed, he said.

“We know we want them to be professional, we want them to be highly skilled for the sake of the patients,” Bihi said “But we also want to be careful not to create unnecessary restrictions that might create less equity in health access for the community.”

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Thursday, March 7, 2019

Bonding

Privacy

u from Page 1

u from Page 1

“That can get consumed rather quickly,” he said.

Myron Frans, Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget, told the Minnesota Daily in an emailed statement that Walz is “seriously considering a bonding bill this year.”

However, larger bonding bills are traditionally produced in even-number years.

Republican lawmakers have been critical of the potential bonding package.

“You’ve got a lot of square footage for both of them to maintain. But it’s not a bonding year per se,” Sen. Rich Draheim, R-Madison Lake, said. “We did a lot of bonding the past two years. We’ve got to pay for that. We’re spending over a billion dollars a year on that debt service, and where is this money going to come from?”

Walz recommended $117.7 million of the University’s $200 million for higher education asset preservation and replacement request. His proposal also fully funds the $4.3 million renovations to A.B. Anderson Hall on the Duluth campus.

Walz’s full funding for the $28 million Institute of Child Development facility replacement project is also a significant investment in the University, Olson said.

“It’s certainly a jewel for the University of Minnesota as well as the state, and really a nation-leading program. That was one of the priorities for the governor, in addition to A.B. Anderson hall on the Duluth campus,” Olson said.

Third-year student Kayla Engelstad said she first found out about what information was on the database from Roughani because she often frequented Keller Hall’s Exceed Lab, one of the spaces Roughani would broadcast his message.

“I was kind of surprised especially because of how tech savvy a lot of people around the lab are, but not many people were aware of it. I was kind of shocked that all of that [information] is available,” Engelstad said.

However, Engelstad found many students were not concerned their information was public on the People Search database.

In an effort to demonstrate how poorly secured the database was to administration, Roughani gathered as much information as he could — even using the dark web to request mass amounts of data anonymously.

During a 2017 MSA forum meeting, Roughani presented his findings, concerns and suggestions for improvement.

MSA Representative to the Board of Regents Austin Kraft, the former infrastructure committee director, was present for Roughani’s presentation and noted the knowledge that Roughani demonstrated.

“There was this open discussion and I’ll never forget … this student in the back [had] just a very well organized breakdown of ‘any person can access your email address, your physical address, your phone number,’” Kraft said. “I had only been [at the University] for two semesters, and I didn’t know that.”

While student informa-

SNAP

Although no national database exists that keeps track of nation food insecurity among college students, studies have found that anywhere from 9 to over 50 percent of college students face food insecurity, according to the GAO report.

“The cost of college tuition has increased, while financial aid has gone down,” Leighton said. “This change in the cost of attendance and incomes brings about basic necessity insecurities, like for housing and food.”

People often think food insecurity is synonymous with starvation, but that is not necessarily the case, Kuehl said.

“I’ve seen a lot of people

u from Page 1

“At the food pantry, we don’t require students to give up personal information or even swipe their UCard, so I think that just kind of encourages students to grab food,” said Rafay Hasan, an officer on the food pantry’s leadership team.

Though he said he thinks food insecurity isn’t a “well-broadcasted issue,” Hasan said in the two years since its creation, the food pantry has seen more student use. On average, more than 1,000 students utilize the food pantry to get fresh vegetables, fruits and grains, he said.

Rochester u from Page 1

Growing demand, growing enrollment

Established in 2006, the University of MinnesotaRochester has a unique approach to health-sciences education, with a focus on interdisciplinary learning.

Students work in cohorts, courses have flipped instruction and active classrooms and all undergraduates are required to do research.

Tenure-track faculty provide health sciences instruction, but their primary research is on education innovation, Carrell said.

“One thing about Rochester is that they’re a different type of campus,” said Lincoln Kallsen, assistant vice president for institutional analysis, who has worked with Carrell on the campus’s plan. “It’s just a very different model for instruction and student support. And apparently [it’s] having some success overall.”

Instead of offering a wide array of majors and minors, the campus provides a limited number of degrees — including Bachelor of Science degrees in Health Sciences and Health Professions — that serve as “career pathways” to a variety of health care professions or advanced degrees.

As evidence of success, Carrell pointed to the absence of an achievement gap at UMR, even with the campus’ diverse student body, which consists of more than 60 percent from underrepresented communities.

“Such a startup public University is rather unusual,” she said. “Our way of doing education is different on purpose.”

However, the school is

still looking to show others that their approach to education can work.

“They sort of have grown from nothing,” Kallsen said.

“They are trying a completely different model and trying to see if they can get it to scale.”

Carrell said the school’s plans for expansion match the increasing demand for health care professions. She highlighted data by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, which shows that nearly 30 health care occupations requiring an undergraduate degree are growing by 10 percent more.

That translates to more than 92,000 new jobs in the coming decade.

“We know there’s an incredible workforce demand just in our own region,” she said. “There are grand challenges in higher education … we have this unique privilege at UMR to pilot and test solutions.”

Several regents expressed optimism for the campus’s plans at a meeting last month.

“I think it’s a very unique program. I like the interaction between the faculty and students. It’s very special,” said Regent Randy Simonson at the meeting.

“This really looks good to me.”

Regent Darrin Rosha echoed that support.

“When you think about the University’s unique position, what Rochester is doing and the high level at which it’s doing it, it really exemplifies I think how we differentiate the flagship system and the state,” Rosha said.

However, the expansion doesn’t come without challenges, including the need for additional housing, faculty offices and academic space in the coming years.

TONY SAUNDERS, DAILY

Electrical engineering sophomore Sina Roughani operates a terminal that he uses to capture recorded data from the University’s “people search” in Keller Hall on Thursday, Feb. 28.

tion privacy was already a topic being discussed in MSA and between the student representatives to the Board of Regents, Kraft said Roughani’s presentation added momentum to MSA’s focus on the issue.

“I do know that it put the topic on a lot of people’s radars and influenced the inclusion of it as a component of last year’s [student representative report to the Board of Regents],” Kraft said.

After feeling unsatisfied with the results of his presentation, Roughani decided to reach out to Kaler personally to further advocate for change to the University’s policy.

He said he printed out hundreds of students x500’s in tiny font, and then created a stack of papers encompassing the information of thousands of University students. He had accessed this information through a program he created and left the stack of papers with President Kaler’s secretary.

“I thought that by making a big deal out of it, by just showing how many people are affected, that [it] would spark action,” he said.

Without response from Kaler, Roughani continued researching the issue, comparing the University’s policy to other universities.

comparing [food insecurity] to people starving in Africa.

Starving and food insecurity are two very different things,” Kuehl said.

However, not having a guaranteed supply of food is still an added stressor for college students, Kuehl said.

“When you’re worried about food, it overtakes your mind a lot. When you’re out and about, you can’t just pick up a snack,” Kuehl said. “You just think a lot about food almost excessively. I find when I eat, I almost overeat ... because my body knows [food is] not always around.”

Kuehl said being food insecure makes her life look different from that of other college students. She

doesn’t go out nearly as often as she’d like to with friends, and she doesn’t grab lunch on campus.

She suggested that to better help students facing food insecurity, the student metro pass could be extended from Stadium Village to Prospect Park so students could more easily go to grocery stores that stock fresh food and produce. She also wishes that the University and SNAP would collaborate more to reach out to students.

Leighton said going forward she hoped to address some of the causal factors of food insecurity, such as tuition and cost of housing.

Though Kuehl already has a job lined up after graduation, she said she would

“There are grand challenges in higher education … we have this unique privilege at UMR to pilot and test solutions.”

LORI CARRELL Rochester chancellor

Unlike other campuses, the University doesn’t own any space on the Rochester campus, instead leasing its buildings. “That gives the University of MinnesotaRochester greater flexibility, but it also gives them additional challenges to manage,” Kallsen said.

Several of the University’s leases are expiring in the coming years, Kallsen said, including the building that houses faculty offices, which means the University will have to find new space.

The campus is also looking to add affordable housing for undergraduates in a hot housing market, he said.

But Kallsen said the plans for growth will be made possible from new student tuition.

“We’re pretty confident we can do this without adding significant state resources,” he said. “Most of the revenue growth is going to be just from adding new students.”

Carrell said the campus is optimistic about bringing in more students and putting out more graduates, who not only benefit the state’s workforce, but also provide evidence that UMR’s instruction model is working.

“We have much yet to learn about how to do what we do even better,” she said.

“And UMR gets to contribute to that.”

He found many universities do not publicize the same amount of information as the University of Minnesota.

His work didn’t come without a cost, however, as he began to fall behind in his school work due to his intense focus on the issue.

“I thought that working on this would be so great, because I would bring about so much good change, that I decided to spend a lot more time working on this instead of focusing on my classes,” Roughani said.

Kraft said he hopes to include Roughani in future MSA discussions

surrounding data privacy.

“He’s done an incredible amount of work and he knows his way around the system. ... He absolutely deserves credit for his work on this important technical issue,” Kraft said. “Moving forward, I am hopeful that he can be in on those conversations.”

Kraft emphasized that student data privacy will be an ongoing issue and is something that will take time and consideration.

“It seems like a very straightforward, simple fix, [but] it’s just something that takes more caution than at first glance,” Kraft said.

JASMIN KEMP, DAILY

Muhammad Aqmar Haziq Md Yusoff looks at food at Nutritious U in Coffman Union on Thursday, February 28.

do things differently if she could.

“If I could redo college, I would definitely have

signed up for food stamps the day I got here,” Kuehl said. “It would have made life so much easier.”

4

Sports

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Johnson u from Page 1

Had Johnson been allowed to play, he would have joined an alreadycelebrated group of fouryear players graduating from Minnesota this season. Jordan Murphy, the school’s all-time leader in rebounds and double-doubles, will be remembered as one of the most successful players in program history.

Fellow senior Dupree McBrayer surpassed 1,000 career points earlier this season and has started 91 games for the Gophers as of Tuesday. Though Johnson never got the opportunity to play alongside Murphy or McBrayer in a NCAA game, he fondly remembers their four years together.

“Just to see the accomplishments they’ve made, it’s been fun,” Johnson said.

“It’s been a fun ride. I wish nothing but the best for the both of them. It seems like yesterday we just moved into our small dorms, and now we’re almost out of here.”

Johnson said it still doesn’t feel real that his time at Minnesota is coming to an end, a sentiment his fellow seniors share.

“I definitely look back on and think about a lot,

MNDAILY.COM

MN DAILY

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019

SOFTBALL “Jarvis was the first guy we set out to get in the Twin Cities.

We felt like we needed him, he fit our style of play, we loved him as a kid. We really worked hard to get him, and unfortunately, he wasn’t cleared.”

RICHARD PITINO head coach

knowing that time does fly,” Murphy said prior to the senior day game against Purdue. “This day is already here, something I didn’t really expect to get here this fast. But, it’s here and we have our backs against the wall, and we’ve got to win.”

In order to send the seniors out with an NCAA Tournament appearance, the Gophers will have to finish strong. Following senior night, the team has just one regular season game remaining, a match up at No. 24 Maryland on Friday.

Amber Fiser collects stats and accolades early in the season The junior earned the national pitcher of the week award after last weekend.

BY PAUL HODOWANIC phodowanic@mndaily.com

Junior starting pitcher Amber Fiser began the season for the second consecutive year as the team’s ace and first option. She has certainly pitched up to the responsibility so far.

Fiser pitched in three games over the weekend, pitching seven innings in each. She finished 3-0, racking up 37 strikeouts and allowing just one earned run.

The performance lowered her already stellar 1.79 ERA down to 1.31 and improved her record to 7-4. Her 96 strikeouts for the season rank fourth most in the country.

Her commanding performance garnered national attention as the junior was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week and National Pitcher of the Week.

“It’s a huge credit, the Big Ten had a great weekend

with a lot of upsets … and a lot of strong individual performances,” said head coach Jamie Trachsel. “Just to be acknowledged within the conference was a great honor.

Then on the national stage of course there are very few pitchers who get to be part of an award and recognition like that.”

It was fifth time the Big Ten awarded Fiser the honor and the second time she was recognized as national pitcher of the week.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Fiser said of the awards. “I’ve been working really hard to get to this point and I honestly can’t take all the credit for it. My defense has been making the plays behind me, without them I might not have the one-hitter or those great numbers.”

The defense has committed just four errors in Fiser’s 64 innings pitched this season. Along with the defense, the Gophers are outscoring their opponents 44-17 over her 11 starts.

The humble junior was quick to praise her teammates and coaches when asked

DAILY FILE PHOTO

Amber Fiser pitches against Northwestern on April 15, 2017 at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium.

about the awards.

“For her to acknowledge that, that’s what makes me proud and her being able to handle her success and climbing the ladder and keep herself on an elite stage,” Trachsel said.

Trachsel praised Fiser’s mentality and endurance during the Gophers’ 5-1 victory over No. 19 James Madison.

Fiser struck out 12, allowing just five hits and no earned runs in 122 pitches.

“James Madison in particular is a good team with a feisty offense,” said Trachsel.

“I thought for her to be able to close in those sixth and seventh inning after three days, in the warm weather says exactly who she is, she just found a way to do her job and do it better than her

opponents.”

The Gophers travel down to Texas this weekend to take on Texas Southern and No. 9 Texas. Fiser will almost certainly pitch twice against the top-ranked Longhorns, and will be tasked with taking down a higher ranked team.

Fiser believes there is still a higher gear for her, despite the success and recent accolades.

“I think there’s always another level you can reach, maybe right now it looks like I’m hitting my spots well but there’s always room for improvement with spins and everything,” she said. “Mentality is the biggest thing for me, and I’ve continued to work on that every week.”

MEN’S GYMNASTICS

Eric Nakamura: Comedian, dancer, UMN gymnast Nakamura walked on to the program after a conversation with Mike Burns.

BY PAUL HODOWANIC phodowanic@mndaily.com

Freshman Eric Nakamura was sitting in Spanish class his senior year of high school when he got a life-changing phone call.

On the other end was Gophers men’s gymnastics head coach Mike Burns.

Nakamura left class to answer Burns’ call and for the next hour the two chatted.

They talked about the program, Nakamura’s gymnastics and, most importantly, an open spot for a walk-on on Minnesota’s roster. By the end of the conversation, Nakamura had the spot.

“I literally transferred everything to Minnesota within that class period,” Nakamura said.

Nakamura tore his ACL twice leading up to his recruiting. The injury scared off most schools, Nakamura said. He was headed to the University of Illinois with no guarantees, hoping to fight his way onto the roster. Minnesota offered him a guaranteed spot, which made his choice easy.

The San Diego, California native has adapted well in his freshman season. The team embraced him from the start.

Freshman Eric Nakamura competes in the floor exercise at Maturi Pavilion on Saturday, Jan. 26.

Nakamura made an impact early on in the gym, something neither he nor Burns expected. Burns originally brought Nakamura to the team for his prowess on rings, but has been pleasantly surprised with his routines on the floor exercise. Nakamura was

awarded Big Ten Freshman of the Week after taking the floor title against Iowa and UIC in early February, scoring 14.400. His performance is tied for the team-best score this season with fellow freshman Mike Moran.

“Going into this year

as a walk-on, I wasn’t expecting to do anything for the team,” Nakamura said.

“This would be my year to develop and not really compete. When I started competing more, it was a surprise. I was really happy that the hard work is paying off.”

DAILY FILE PHOTO

In the gym, the ultra-passionate Nakamura admitted he has a temper and can be hard on himself. Burns has noticed it and tried to help him get through the tough times and recognize his accomplishments.

However, outside the gym, Burns sees a different person.

“He’s a bit of a character, he’s kind of doublesided coin in some ways,” Burns said. “He’s got this very super charismatic approach to things and he’s funny and he knows how to laugh. Then sometimes he’s super serious about what he’s doing. It’s good that he can have both sides of that spectrum and get serious when he needs to, but also be lighthearted when he can be.”

Nakamura can frequently be found joking with teammates and taking over the team’s social media on road trips. Something he does to keep himself busy.

“He’s just a goofy kind of guy, he’s fun to be around,” said Danny Yoon, his roommate and teammate. “He’s out here doing his silly dances and getting hyped, just joking around. ... He brings a lightheartedness that makes the environment here a lot better.”

Dancing has been one of Nakamura’s passions since he was younger. He reminisces of his middle school dance battles and hours spent watching dance groups online. He said he has tried to keep dancing in his life by joining a dance collective on campus.

“I’m not a person who can stay still for a while, moving around, dancing and having fun keeps my mind off things,” Nakamura said.

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Ahead of playoffs, U head coach Brad Frost in pursuit of fifth national title Frost has guided Minnesota to four titles in the past seven seasons.

BY ERIK NELSON enelson2@mndaily.com

The heart of the coaching profession is based on the love of the game. For Gophers head coach Brad Frost, his motivation to coach Minnesota is based on more than a passion for hockey.

Frost played for Bethel University in St. Paul between 1993 and 1996. He graduated from Bethel in 1996 with a B.A. in physical and health education and a minor in coaching.

Frost said he knew he wanted to teach and coach as far back as high school.

“I loved athletics and loved being around athletes, and being able to communicate back and forth,” Frost said. “Bethel was a great experience for me as a

DAILY FILE PHOTO

Gophers head women’s hockey coach Brad Frost talks to members of the media after winning the NCAA championship in 2012.

player. With it being faithbased, that’s important to me. Because my experience at Bethel and playing for the hockey team was good, I want to make sure that I give our athletes the same type of experience.”

Frost joined the Gophers coaching staff in 2001 as an assistant to former

Minnesota head coach Laura Halldorson. Frost is in his 12th season as Minnesota’s head coach and won his first national championship in 2012.

Halldorson said she met Frost at a hockey camp in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, about a year prior to hiring him as one of her

assistant coaches.

“His personality was a good complement to our staff,” Halldorson said.

“He’s got an easygoing and fun personality. When I coached, I tended to be more intense, so it was a good blend of personalities.

From a philosophical standpoint, we’re very similar. I thought that was a healthy thing for the team and a good fit.”

F ro s t h a s w o n f o u r NCAA championships, four WCHA tournament titles and six WCHA regular-season titles. His career record is 372-68-31 as of Feb. 23.

Center and team captain Kelly Pannek said Frost constantly tries to improve as a coach.

“As a coach, he clearly gets it,” Pannek said. “He doesn’t stay stagnant in one area or another. He also surrounds himself with great coaches. He’s aware of the team aspect of coaching.

That’s how he’s able to pull different things out of us.

He knows that other coaches will do the same. It’s not just about him but how he’s able to bring others into the equation as well.”

Frost won his 350th career game on Oct. 27 when the Gophers defeated Wisconsin 1-0. He is one of only 10 coaches in NCAA history to win 350 games.

Defender Olivia Knowles said the Gophers respond well when Frost talks to them during intermissions.

“When he gets excited or he has built up emotion and he talks to us in the dressing room, we get motivated from that,” Knowles said.

Some hockey coaches use an intense, in-your-face yelling route to coaching.

Frost said he is the opposite of that.

“I’m fairly composed and fairly calm,” Frost said.

“Teams resemble coaches.

If I’m loud and aggressive on the bench, our players will end up playing that

way. I want them to realize that practices are for us as coaches, but once we get onto the ice for a game, I want them to play fast. I want them to play free and to have fun knowing that mistakes are going to happen but we’re going to learn from them and they’re not going to be chewed out in the process.”

Minnesota will face Minnesota-Duluth in the WCHA Final Faceoff semifinal at Ridder Arena on Saturday afternoon with a berth in the WCHA Final Faceoff final on the line.

Left-winger Nicole S c h a m m e l s a i d F ro s t makes good decisions during games to give Minnesota a chance to win.

“He’s been coaching for quite a while now,” Schammel said.

“Experience is a big indicator of decision making. He’s been in a lot of situations.

He knows when to call timeouts and what to say to players to get them going.”

5

MNDAILY.COM

MN DAILY

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019

RECREATION

CULTURE TO CONSUME

BY KSENIA GORINSHTEYN

Listen to this: Hozier’s “Wasteland, Baby!”

Released last week, this is an album you don’t want to skip. Hozier is finally back with some new music and he’s the happiest you’ve ever heard him. The songs “Nobody” and “Almost (Sweet Music)” have a freedom and sweetness that has not been heard from the artist before. The whole album screams Irish soul music (if that genre even exists), and it will be the only thing you’ll listen to for the next month.

Watch this: Bon Appétit’s “Test Kitchen” videos These videos will definitely make you wish you went to culinary school. The Bon Appétit YouTube channel includes several mini series, including “It’s Alive” with Brad Leone and “Gourmet Makes” with Claire Saffitz. The chefs are all endearing in their own ways; their senses of humor add a layer to the how-to clips.

Eat this:

University Outdoor Program Manager Bryan Karban poses for a portrait at the Center for Outdoor Adventure on Tuesday, Feb. 19.

A&E Explores: From chalk bag to chalkboard This instructor and outdoor enthusiast hopes to inspire the spirit of adventure.

Trader Joe’s Avocado Tzatziki Dip

BY SAMIR FERDOWSI sferdowsi@mndaily.com

This will bring your avocado toast to another level. You could spend all of your extra time topping your toast with arugula, tomatoes or an egg ... or you could go straight to this.

You’ll save time in the morning and your breakfast will be incredibly tasty. The dip is made with Greek yogurt, cucumbers, jalapenos and lemons. What more could you want?

Five days into a Peruvian expedition, he had no map, no human contact and no worries.

Bryan Karban, manager at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Outdoor Adventure, made it home safely and continued to do what he does best: inspire.

Beginning his journey with the COA as a student at the University in 2010, Karban has been a full-time employee since the opening of the University’s climbing wall in 2013. Having graduated with a degree in history and political science, Karban’s time with the COA inspired a different path.

“I like to do any type of human-powered recreation,” Karban said. “If I have to use my body to move myself — whether it be over land, water, up a mountain — I just like the feeling of doing those activities myself.”

With a love for all disciplines of climbing, Karban has

CULTURE COMPASS

BY KSENIA GORINSHTEYN

Friday: “Clay Snowman Making” Dock 6 Pottery is offering you the cutest way to get into pottery: making your own little snowman. Sure, it’s March, but there’s at least a foot of snow on the ground — make it enjoyable!

The clay snowmen are free to make, and Dock 6 will fire your creation for $10 if you want to keep it. In three weeks, you’ll love the memento of the snow and bitter cold.

Where: Dock 6 Pottery, 4206 E. 34th St., Minneapolis When: 2-6 p.m.

Cost: Free to play, $10 to buy your snowman

Saturday: “The Drinkin’ Spelling Bee” If you like free beer and spelling, this event is right up your a-l-l-e-y. The Drinkin’ Spelling Bee follows the format of a traditional spelling bee, but each time you win a round you get a free beer. The winner will get part of their bar tab taken care of and bragging rights for the night. Study up!

Where: 331 Club, 331 13th Ave. NE., Minneapolis When: 7 p.m.

Cost: $8 Ages: 21+

Sunday: Fringe Presents: “Women’s March” In celebration of International Women’s Day, Minnesota Fringe is bringing together five acts generated by women. “Not Fair, My Lady!” from the Minnesota Fringe Festival and spoken word

by Minnesota native Tish Jones are just two of the empowering performances you can catch at the Minnsky Theatre. In addition to improv and poetry, there will be music and a solo play.

Where: Minnsky Theatre, 1517 Central Ave. NE., Minneapolis When: 7-10 p.m.

Cost: $18 at door, $15 in advance

TONY SAUNDERS, DAILY

been an integral figure in the development of the University’s outdoor program. Originally named the “Skiwaxers Club” in the 1980s, the program has turned into an entire University department.

Its main mission, Karban said, is to get people out there.

“Our approach is really to take anyone ... and have them get connected to an experience and have them learn from the opportunity. We see the outdoors as a development of leadership, risk management and residency for all,” Karban said. “Outdoor recreation is just the vehicle we use to get to these larger ideas.”

Whether he’s working with a Recreation and Wellness Center visitor or student employee, the mentor’s mission hits the mark.

“He is very approachable and considerate of anything that might be stressing us out,” said Spencer Krueger, one of Karban’s student employees and an information systems junior at the University. “He goes out of his way to include us on COA trips that have open spots and plans events for all of us.”

Karban’s student stewardship preps the new generation

of outdoor leaders and inspires them for the trails ahead. In fact, this is the most definable feature of Krueger’s boss, he said.

“Brian genuinely wants to make sure everyone can succeed, and is more than willing to help them both personally and professionally do so,” Kruger said.

Having lived in Colorado after school, rock climbed in 10 states and four other countries, and challenged himself with solo treks, Karban takes skills he’s learned and hands them off to his students. As an instructor for three University courses, the grind doesn’t stop.

“My favorite part of being in a class with [Karban] is how well he can dumb down concepts and then reinforce ideas by demonstrating them himself and then allowing us to practice them,” said senior electrical engineering student Dillon Wong. “He is a funny and lighthearted guy, so it makes it easy to learn from him and ask questions at any point.”

From the chalk-laden walls of the RecWell Center to a Peruvian expedition that left him exploring with no human contact (other than a lady

and her dog who served as few-hour hiking buddies), Karban makes sure to find time to himself – he encourages everyone to try it out.

“I try to do one solo trip a year. I joke that if I can’t stand spending some time alone I should then probably check in on my life because others probably can’t stand me either,” Karban said. “There’s a lot of value in solo travel.”

Though not a solo adventure, Karban’s dream climb happened in British Columbia’s Bugaboo Provincial Park, where he spliced hobby and profession into one epic ‘send.

“The Beckey-Chouinard route is one I had wanted to do it since college, I had seen it as my dream climb. The environment is so beautiful and the terrain is big,” Karban said.

The route typically takes climbers two to three days, consists of over 9 miles of hiking and 3,000 feet of scrambling and mixed climbing.

Karban and his climbing partner did it in one continuous 16-hour push.

“I hate carrying heavy gear, so if we can safely do something in a day I usually try to do it. It was a really

soulful climb,” Karban said.

The leader’s tenacity doesn’t stay on the mountain.

Karban aims to spark a new era in the outdoor industry — a space that’s grappled with diversity.

“I think as outdoor rec tries to be more inclusive, we need to be open to more ways of experiencing activities and experiencing the natural world,” Karban said. “We need to be in discussions about this.”

From leisurely sea kayaking to teaching a climbing course at the University, Karban not only encourages students to get outside and try something new, but to think harder about why they’re doing it.

The outdoors don’t demand the newest gear or the need to run the roughest trail.

They encourage struggle and require pliability, it’s that simple.

“In a Mexico national park once, repelling off this climb, there was a truck blaring Mexican mariachi music and a family having a barbecue way down below,” Karban said. “We were both experiencing the outdoors in a way that was meaningful. There’s no right way to experience the outdoors.”

MUSIC

Daniel Volovets strums to the beat of numerous passions The U of M medical student has released his seventh album, titled “Masquerade.”

BY KSENIA GORINSHTEYN kgorinshteyn@mndaily.com

It is easy to get lost in Daniel Volovets’ love for classical music.

In conversation, he frequently brings up famous composers alongside obscure ones, expressing what he admires about each.

The University of Minnesota medical student has been plucking away at a guitar for about 20 years, releasing seven albums throughout that time. He composes and arranges music and teaches the instrument to his own students. He will be graduating in May, on his way to become a psychiatrist.

“I don’t get much sleep,” Volovets said.

But music has never felt like an inconvenience to Volovets. He describes his studies in psychiatry and his work with music as equal passions, not competing hobbies.

“Finding the similarities has been helpful,” Volovets said. “I think there’s an art of medicine and a science of music.”

Volovets’ first guitar was a half-sized cheap, plastic guitar from the Mall of America that his parents bought him when he was about 6 years old.

JACK RODGERS, DAILY

Daniel Volovets, a medical student, plays his guitar at The Bad Waitress restaurant on March 1.

His first serious guitar came to him when he was about 11 years old, in what he says was a “serendipitous find.”

His great-grandmother had found a guitar in a dumpster and called Volovets’ mother asking if they wanted it. She said no, but his greatgrandmother kept it.

The guitar got sat on, cracked and ruined even further until Volovets finally took it in. He held it in his garage before his father realized the guitar was built by a local man named Steven Kakos.

“We called him and he

said that this instrument made its way through many owners and was stolen at some point,” Volovets said.

The family put up an advertisement for it and received no response.

“We said, ‘Well, okay, what do we do with it?’ And [Kakos] said he could repair it for a couple hundred bucks,” Volovets said.

After using the guitar for a few years, Volovets asked Kakos for a new, custom guitar.

Around this time, Volovets began to develop a unique voice with his music. He was still playing classical music,

but he combined it with the brightness of flamenco and Brazilian jazz.

His guitar teacher at the time, Tony Hauser, helped him explore this mix, using the sounds that inspired him during his childhood.

“When I first took him on, I asked a friend of mine who had taught a lot of prodigies, ‘How do you know you have a prodigy on your hands?’”

Hauser said. “He said, ‘Well when he carries the instrument around with him all the time and doesn’t put it down.’ Well, that was sort of [Volovets] in his early years.

He worked hard.”

Volovets came to the University as a PSEO student majoring in music. Around the same time, he released his first album “Watercolors of the World.” The album included pieces that Volovets arranged, as this was before he became more involved in composing.

Once he started composing, Volovets’ music became an even more personal endeavor.

He took sounds and styles he admired from the composers his parents had played in the house while he was growing up. These influences, in addition to music reminiscent of his Russian heritage, are evident on his most recent album, “Masquerade.”

“He has this excellent creativity and this excellent creative drive,” said Cassius Stein, a friend of Volovets’ whom he met during his time as an undergrad at the University. “He keeps the guitar community in the Twin Cities humble.”

When he talks about his craft, the admiration Volovets has for his instrument is entirely obvious.

“The catharsis that you get through music, you can’t find that through anything else,” Volovets said. “For me, that’s been the greatest therapy, too. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I just pick up a guitar. I speak best through music.”

6 THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019

MN DAILY

MNDAILY.COM

Editorials & Opinions

COLUMN

Condemnation of Ilhan Omar is not productive Omar’s recent tweets sparked controversy and this illustrates the double standards she faces.

W

hen Ilhan Omar was voted into Congress, it was a major step forward for our nation and our state. Omar is a Muslim woman of color, and her identity and poALEEZEH HASAN sition in governcolumnist ment breaks several barriers. As a Muslim woman of color myself, Omar is an inspiring Minnesotan voice that creates representation for the Somali and Muslim community.

Despite the barriers that Omar broke before she was voted into Congress, she still faces backlash based on her identity almost daily.

Islamophobic commentary has followed Omar since her first days in government, including the negative reactions to her push to end the headwear ban within the chambers of Congress.

Initially, Omar had the unapologetic backing of the Democratic party. But after Omar made anti-Israel comments, she faced major backlash which was multiplied because of her status as a Muslim woman. Omar’s critics have made Islamophobic comments and have painted her as an anti-Semite.

When white male politicians make controversial comments, they are not immediately attacked for their religion. For example, when then-Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, made comments about white supremacy, his Christianity was not mentioned nor were there posters or pamphlets criticizing him for his religious beliefs.

Omar’s multi-layered identity is one that causes her to receive unparalleled backlash.

I believe this issue brings up a couple problems. First, the view that anti-Zionism is

equivalent to anti-Semitism. Second, the idea that fighting hate with hate is a solution. AntiSemitism is a very real issue worldwide. Despite the xenophobia that occurs toward Jewish people, comments made against the Zionist state of Israel don’t equate to discrimination against Jewish people.

Omar’s comments and tweets were never referring to the religion of Judaism nor to any individual Jews. She simply expressed her issues with Israel as a state. While it is important for all politicians to watch their words, it is also important not to draw conclusions based on one loosely-worded tweet.

Her status as a Muslim does not mean her comments are inherently anti-Semitic. Omar actually seems to have more empathy toward Jews, as she has real-life experience with religious discrimination. Even if Omar’s tweets had been anti-Semitic, which they weren’t, it still does not warrant the hateful and Islamophobic attacks that have been made against her, like the poster outside of the West Virginia chambers that linked Omar to 9/11. Many people are covering up their own Islamophobia by calling Omar an anti-Semite. Omar has since responded several times, by stating she is not anti-Semitic and that she and Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib suffer from their comments being twisted due to their identities.

It is disappointing to see how Omar’s own party is also turning against her in this fight.

Five democrats, including Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, have condemned Omar over a misunderstanding of her statements. This schism within the left is dangerous, and Democrats need to band together, especially now with the next election coming up shortly.

While it is normal and useful for us to be skeptical and critical of our political leaders, we need to do it in an effective way. Attacking anyone based on their religion is unjust. Omar illustrates how far the U.S. needs to go before we can preach any type of equality.

Aleezeh Hasan welcomes comments at ahasan@mndaily.com.

EDITORIAL

University needs better wash stations for students Foot-washing stations were first introduced to the University last year, but they need improvement.

On Sunday, the Minnesota Daily reported 12 new wash stations are available across the University of Minnesota campus where Muslim students can practice Wudu, the ritualistic cleansing of the face, hands and feet before prayer. As it turns out, these wash stations are filthy basins in custodial closets, where many students don’t feel comfortable practicing, according to Daily reporting. We feel the University needs to provide more suitable wash stations that are accessible to all students, regardless of religion.

Though foot-washing practices are important to many religions, they’re particularly important to some Muslim students who practice five times per day, Mohsen Goudarzi, an assistant professor of Islamic studies, told the Daily. Due to the lack of washing areas, many students are forced to use sinks in public restrooms to wash, which is unsanitary and dangerous.

The University first introduced footwashing stations in April 2018. Considered multipurpose rooms, the stations are custodial closets retrofitted with a faucet and drain.

The unwholesome stations are impractical for students because Wudu requires both hands. The stations utilize a handheld hose, plus the water pressure is much too high to be used.

Our University is not the first to implement foot-washing stations. St. Cloud State University introduced stations around 14 years ago, Minneapolis Community and Technical College introduced stations around 12 years ago and Minnesota State University Mankato implemented stations a year later.

The difficulty lies in the separation of church and state. Legally, the University is not allowed to introduce religionspecific washing stations. We realize the University may face opposition and there are obstacles to outfitting spaces for religious practice in a public university. However,

Though we praise the University in this piecemeal action, our diverse student population deserves more than custodial closets. some campuses, like University of MichiganDearborn, have called the wash stations a “health and safety measure, not a religious decision,” according to The New York Times to avoid controversy.

While the University hasn’t received large amounts of backlash, the stations haven’t necessarily received praise. A majority of students don’t feel comfortable or clean when using the wash stations, Samia Abdi, Muslim Student Association student affairs coordinator, said to the Minnesota Daily.

MSA collaborated with Facilities Management in choosing locations for the stations, but not the design. Abdi said they hope to better coordinate with Facilities in the future when it comes to implementing more stations.

Though we praise the University in this piecemeal action, our diverse student population deserves more than custodial closets.

University Services and Facilities Management must address the persistent sanitation issues and provide students with better footwashing facilities. We suggest the University add tiling, decrease water pressure, ensure the washing stations are not being shared with custodial staff and maintain a basic standard of cleanliness. We believe this to be entirely possible and well within the ability of the University to do without tying it to a religious organization.

Moreover, the University should model other universities’ initiatives – including UMDearborn and fellow state colleges. To solve this issue, University officials should look to retrofit multi-purpose wash stations in restrooms for the health and safety of the entire student body.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Why bus fees won’t work to solve bus overcrowding Overcrowding on the campus bus system has been a problem for years with students missing buses, being crammed onto one or recently pushing each other over to get on.

While I agree it is a supply and demand issue, regulating demand by forcing students to pay bus fare is not the solution for a number of reasons.

First, forcing students to pay for the buses will result in lower-income students having to make the decision to walk or take the bus. Those who can’t afford the bus fees will end up having to walk in negative temperatures upwards of 45 minutes to an hour to get to their classes. Secondly, requiring a fee, or even incentivizing students to walk, creates a less accessible environment for students who use the bus system to navigate campus safely and with ease. Finally, by

Robert McGrady welcomes comments at rmcgrady@mndaily.com.

While I agree it is a supply and demand issue, regulating demand by forcing students to pay bus fare is not the solution for a number of reasons.

Our city needs 13 neighborhood wards A new proposal would take away a voice for residents in poorer, more diverse wards in the city.

T

his week, the Minneapolis Charter Commission will consider a new citizen proposal.

The charter commission is similar to a constitutional convention in that it considers petitions and ideas to JONATHAN ABABIY change the City’s columnist charter. Only a ballot question or 13-0 vote in the City Council can change the charter, but the charter commission acts as a first step of the process. Anyone can submit something by gathering enough signatures on a petition.

The “anyone can submit something” aspect of charter commission appears to have taken an insidious turn. Although seemingly a good idea, the citizen proposal on this month’s commission’s agenda is a power grab that dilutes the power of students, minorities and low-income communities across the city. It would concentrate power within the wealthier southwest portion of the City.

The citizen proposal suggests switching the city from a 13 ward and representative system over to system with 9 wards and four

at-large representatives. This kind of system isn’t novel or groundbreaking. The proposal notes that cities like Seattle, Boston and Duluth all have city councils that rely on atlarge representatives.

The proposal has a section devoted to the nuts and bolts of the idea, but the middle section is my favorite. It is where you can see the wolf getting a little fidgety in its sheep clothing. This section is where political consultants make their bread and butter, by stretching and contorting words like plastic putty until they merely give the appearance of meaning.

What I mean is this beautiful sentence: “Ward systems, in which representatives are elected by geographic area, foster parochialism because a representative is accountable only to the voters in their ward.” I don’t see a problem in any part of that sentence, as I sure hope representatives are accountable to the voters of their ward. The proposal tries to tell you a completely normal thing is a problem, but stretches itself too far — it breaks under the sheer tension of its idiocy.

Why would we want to move away from our ward system? What’s wrong with representatives elected by a geographical area doing the completely normal thing of serving primarily the interests of that geographical area?

A laundry list of cities across America sued as a result of the Voting Rights Act can give you an answer to that question. Minorities are kept from power in cities that use atlarge city councils, because a ward system gives every area of the city a representative.

This is how Somalis in Cedar Riverside, although a minority overall in Minneapolis, have representation on the Minneapolis City Council, even if the voter turnout in Ward 6 was around 65 percent in 2018.

Under an at-large system, that could never happen. Majorities can easily game elections through high turnouts and block voting. Southwest Minneapolis’ Ward 13, where stately houses overlook Lakes Bde Maka Ska and Harriet, had a nearly 86 percent voter turnout that same year, much higher than Ward 6’s 65 percent. In addition, Ward 13 had just under twice as many ballots cast in 2018 as Ward 3, even though a 2015 city study of its wards found that Ward 13 was only 3,000 people larger than Ward 3. An at-large system would clearly give affluent wards, like Ward 13, more power than they already have at the expense of residents in poorer, more diverse wards.

Minneapolis’ current ward system protects and amplifies the voices of racial and economic minorities in this city. Allowing the charter to be amended would change that. The proposal is a naked power grab and needs to be rejected.

requiring a fee for the bus system, there is no guarantee for students that the next best option is walking. What if a student decides to drive or take an Uber? While this may reduce bus congestion, it does little for the argument of sustainability, especially since public transportation is one of the most sustainable transportation options.

As a result, the best way to address overcrowding is to not control demand but rather redistribute supply. Focusing on the supply side of the buses could have the same impact when it comes to addressing overcrowding without placing the burden onto students. This redistribution can be done through increasing bus circulations, adjusting frequency, adding more routes, changing routes and increasing bus size. All of these solutions have worked in the past and are all possibilities that the University and student leaders keep in mind when looking toward the future.

There is no one way to address bus overcrowding, nor is just one solution going to work. We as a university need to come together to find a way to address public transportation problems without hurting students.

Erin Deal is a senior studying applied economics.

This letter to the editor has been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.

EDITORIALS & OPINIONS DEPARTMENT Editorials represent the voice of the Minnesota Daily as an institution and are prepared by the editorial board.

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

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

THE EDIT ORIALS AND OPINIONS DEPAR TMENT IS INDEPENDENT OF THE NEW SROOM

Jonathan Ababiy welcomes comments at jababiy@mndaily.com.

7

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019

MN DAILY

MNDAILY.COM

HOROSCOPES Today’s Birthday (3/7): Communication profits this year. Share your affection and kindness steadily. Study to unveil a mystery.

Summer glory for your crew comes before physical obstacles alert you to stop and smell the roses. Follow your heart this winter. Express your creativity and passion.

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 a 9 — You’re getting stronger today and tomorrow. Assert your wishes now. Keep steadily pushing a personal dream forward.

Libra (9/23 - 10/22): Today is a 9 — Collaboration saves time and money. Untangle miscommunications immediately. Let go of outdated assumptions. Check multiple perspectives.

Taurus (4/20 - 5/20): Today is a 7 — Take time off to recharge from a recent flurry of activity.

Consider what is in the past and what lies ahead. Envision long-term possibilities.

Scorpio (10/23 - 11/21): Today is an 8 — Focus on your work and health through tomorrow. Physical routines and practices build strength over time. Nurture yourself with beauty.

Gemini (5/21 - 6/21): Today is an 8 — Strengthen team foundations by showing up.

Share practical resources and valuable talents.

Support each other through a challenge.

Sagittarius (11/22 - 12/21): Today is a 7 — Have fun with people you adore. You’re especially lucky in love for a few days. Charms and enchantments fly. Enjoy the dance.

Cancer (6/22 - 7/22): Today is an 8 — Professional opportunities are worth pursuing.

Show up on time and prepared. Don’t overextend or push too hard. Listen and observe.

Capricorn (12/22 - 1/19): Today is a 7 — Domestic matters are on your mind. Family comes first today and tomorrow. Handle chores and repairs. Clean and organize your crew’s rooms.

Leo (7/23 - 8/22): Today is an 8 — Expand your boundaries. Keep an open mind for how others do things. Listen to someone who has been there and done that.

Aquarius (1/20 - 2/18): Today is a 9 — Express creative ideas through art, writing, images or music. Articulate the story clearly. You’re especially clever at getting to the heart of the matter.

Virgo (8/23 - 9/22): Today is an 8 — Keep building for the future. Handle financial responsibilities, and make plans for growth. Let others know what you’re up to and what you need.

Pisces (2/19 - 3/20): Today is a 9 — The next two days could get lucrative. An older person offers valuable instruction; take note. Your ideas are attracting attention. Stay in communication.

DR. DATE Dr. Date,

Hi, I’m in the Carlson School of Management — add me on LinkedIn — and I have quite the career dilemma ahead of me. In October, I started dating an average guy with above average connections. Things started out great, and, as an added bonus, his dad is higher up in a local employer.

When I recently mentioned I’m searching for an internship, he encouraged me to apply to his company, saying he would pull some strings to make sure I get the job. We are now a few days past the interview, and they will be getting back to me in a couple weeks.

I have one issue: the emotional outlook of our relationship has become pretty bearish from my perspective. I’m heavily thinking of breaking up with my boyfriend in the near future, but I also know this internship could be a great opportunity for me and my blossoming career.

Do I snake my way into a great opportunity? Or do I end things before I potentially take advantage of our relationship?

—Nervous Networker

Dear Nervous Networker,

I think you just inspired everyone at the University to swipe right on Carlson dudes. Gotta get that General Mills internship somehow.

The fact that your boyfriend is pulling strings to make sure you get the job is obviously wrong, but I’m sure you know that. Coworkers won’t love the person who slept with the boss’ son to get the job, and you want your work to speak for itself. So let it! Just because he was the one who encouraged you to go for it — by making an unethical promise, but whatever — doesn’t mean you couldn’t get the position on your own. You’re in Carlson, I’m sure your resume has been looked over by CEOs at networking events.

Instead of worrying about keeping up appearances with him for a job, picture your boyfriend saying, “No, make sure you don’t hire her, she dumped me.” He’ll look immature and I doubt the interviewers will take him seriously, even if his dad is high up in the company. No matter what happens, don’t lead him on — using someone for a job is not #UMNproud.

— Dr. Date

Dr. Date,

I’m not the kind of person to seek advice from strangers, but I’m in a unique position. I find myself repeating a moment over and over in my head from a few days ago. There’s no easy way to say this: my boyfriend told me he wished I would dress up like a banana in bed. Not in a joking way, in a, “Wow, that would be sexy” way. He even started talking about his fantasies, which apparently include “unpeeling” me during sex.

Why would a person want their partner to dress up like a banana? I haven’t been able to look him in the eye since. Anyway, what I really need help with is appearing like more of a fruit to my boyfriend. Any tips?

—Goin’ Bananas

Dear Goin’ Bananas,

Look, everybody’s got a weird thing.

Your boyfriend apparently likes partners who have a lot of potassium. There are worse things!

If you are down to do this, there’s definitely a way you could humor your boyfriend. Just order a banana costume online (trust me, they won’t be available at Victoria’s Secret). With the right amount of sewing skills and/or lying to a tailor about why you want it done, you could totally turn into the lingerie of your man’s dreams. Oh, the things we do for love.

— Dr. Date

Want advice from the love doctor? Email Dr. Date at drdate@mndaily.com

SUDOKU CROSSWORD

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

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

Last issue’s solution

3/7/19

© 2019 Michael Mepham. Distributed

by Tribune Media Services.

All rights reserved.

8

Thursday, March 7, 2019

Students seeking jobs battle hair bias University students have become aware of prejudice around hair texture, type.

BY FARRAH MINA fmina@mndaily.com

Although Nyanna Wright, a third-year student at the University of Minnesota, normally leaves her curly hair out or wears it in a big bun on top of her head, she decided to wear it slicked-back for her Monday interview. She described it as “erring on the side of caution”— something she did to avoid negative stereotypes surrounding textured hair.

Negative stereotypes or attitudes directed toward natural or textured hair is known as hair bias. Many students of color at the University, like Wright, are conscious about hair bias when they prepare for job

fairs and interviews, like the fairs the University held last month.

In professional settings, the bias involves the exclusion of textured hair from what many people perceive as professional, raising questions about how employers view ethnicity, culture and race.

“People still see ethnic hair as ‘ethnic hair comes with ethnic attitudes,’ and a lot of employers try and stay away from that,” said Gennise Wilson, the executive office and administrative specialist at the University’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Program.

Although Wilson was never told she needed to change her hair throughout her career, she said she knew the message was implied. Wilson said she knows people who have faced comments like, “Have you ever thought of straightening

your hair?” or “You would look so much better with straight hair.”

“There are still environments where it is still seen as professional to come in with straight hair,” Wilson said.

“It’s unfortunate, but it’s still there.”

Second-year University student Ramla Mohamud said during trips to hair salons, her sisters were often encouraged to relax or straighten their curly hair.

Because she had straighter hair than her siblings, Mohamud said she was spared the suggestions.

The “Good Hair” Study: Explicit and Implicit Attitudes Toward Black Women’s Hair, which was conducted in 2016 by the Perception Institute, issued a survey and implicit association tests to examine perceptions of black women’s hair.

“A majority of participants, regardless of race, show

implicit bias against textured hair,” according to the report.

Hair relaxing treatments and straightening products are proof that hair bias exists, said MLK academic advisor Melanie Johnson. When she was interviewed for her job, she said she wore her hair slicked back because of hair bias.

When University student Marcus JohnsonLuther grew out his curly hair past his shoulders, a recruiter told him his hair “looked interesting.”

Johnson-Luther cut his hair short a few months ago.

He said since the haircut, it seemed that he was more likely to get called back for an interview. “More [employers] reached out, and I got further into interview rounds,” Johnson-Luther said.

He said that the same companies he had spoken with at job fairs when he

ELLEN SCHMIDT, DAILY

Biology junior Nyanna Wright intentionally slicks back her natural hair for a job interview to avoid hair bias Monday, March 4 at her house in Como.

had long hair now seemed to show more interest in him.

He was sure it was because of the haircut, he said. “Nothing else [had] changed,” he added. “I had the same resume and a [similar] cover letter.”

Wilson said she understands the way she looks at

an interview is the way she is expected to look on the first day at work. “If you come in with straight hair for your interview, you can’t show up on the first day of work with your hair curled because it freaks people out — and it shouldn’t be like that, but it takes them aback.”

Tax program may affect Cedar-Riverside A 2017 federal tax plan has goals of growth but fears of gentrification.

BY MIGUEL OCTAVIO moctavio@mndaily.com

A federal program that incentivizes developers to invest in poorer communities has spurred concerns about gentrification in Cedar-Riverside.

Passed by Congress in the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017, the Opportunity Zones program is an effort to spur long-term development in low-income neighborhood by offering stakeholders a tax break if they invest in the area. The Cedar-Riverside neighborhood is one of 128 census districts in Minnesota eligible for the program as designated by former DFL Gov. Mark Dayton in May 2018.

“I think it’s quite

complicated,” said Ward 6 City Council member Abdi Warsame. “We’re still trying to figure out how it’s going to be applicable.”

City of Minneapolis officials met with the City Council’s Intergovernmental Relations Committee last month to discuss federal, state and local initiatives that may affect the area. No developments under the program were announced for the neighborhood.

Warsame said while more investment may encourage mixed-income housing in Cedar-Riverside, he fears the program may trigger displacement of its residents.

He expressed concerns about developments under President Donald Trump, which he said are “notorious” for undercutting people of color.

“We’re always welcoming investment in our ward,” Warsame said. “But we also want ... to mitigate against gentrification.”

DAILY FILE PHOTO

The Cedar-Riverside neighborhood as seen on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018.

Warsame said high-density in the area may pose a challenge for new developments under the program.

Warsame’s policy aide Ryan SanCartier said the City is only notified of Opportunity Zone projects if investors come forward to seek City funding. Otherwise plans could be made through

private transactions, SanCartier said.

Ward 2 City Council member Cam Gordon echoed concerns about the lack of transparency between investors and the City. He said the program could benefit investors more than the communities themselves.

“The fear is that this

will be used as a tax shelter,” said Gordon. “We provide these incentives but we’re not collecting the money on the other side when we could really have a public discussion about where to invest and what to invest them in.”

But Gordon cited the Minnehaha Crossing development in South Minneapolis, which is expected to bring more affordable housing to the area, as an example of positive development through the program.

T h e n e i g h b o rh o o d could benefit from the program if it is used to finance affordable housing, said David HoffmanDachelet, assets manager of West Bank Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit developer. But he also said there might not be an incentive for developments to build affordable housing

without a requirement to do so.

“If it’s just a tax break to invest in these neighborhoods, then it does look a lot like gentrification,” Hoffman-Dachelet said. “I would just need to see what the public purpose is other than just getting fancy apartments that nobody in the neighborhood can afford.”

Aside from housing, Warsame said job training for residents is needed support for long-term economic growth. To bring jobs to Cedar-Riverside, he said new developments should be a collaborative effort between local trade unions and developers.

“Instead of seeing these people as a liability, we should see them as an asset,” Warsame said. “But just having developers come in and build towers or just use it as a vehicle not to pay taxes defeats the purpose.”

COGS and PSG see more initiative collaboration Some grad student groups and student government are now working together.

BY KAIT ECKER kecker@mndaily.com

Unlike in previous years, the University of Minnesota’s professional and graduate student governments have been collaborating more on projects.

Late last month, the Professional Student Government voted to partner with the Council of Graduate Students on their campaign to destigmatize mental health. This collaboration is one of many the two groups are working on.

COGS invited PSG to take part in the mental health initiative and after technical details were worked out, PSG quickly voted to join the partnership. COGS also invited PSG to partner on a sexual misconduct town hall last month. The groups plan to continue collaborating on issues relevant to both governments, even with the incoming leadership turnover.

In 2015, the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly disassembled and two groups, COGS and PSG, formed in its wake.

Since their creation, they haven’t had much collaboration until now. Toward the beginning of the school year, group leaders say they made conscious efforts to connect and discuss possibilities of collaboration.

“We’ve been happy to partner with them more in the last year,” said PSG President Alanna Pawlowski. “Leadership in each of our organizations has been interested in issues that happen to cut across student populations.”

Pawlowski said both

groups are interested in sexual misconduct and mental health, but other things, like student health insurance, are better handled separately.

“We’ve been [discovering] where there’s enough overlap and enough similarity so that if we partner on advocacy, it can be more effective than us fragmenting efforts,” Pawlowski said. “At the end of the day, we’ve been looking for issues where our advocacy will be stronger together.”

Besides student advocacy, the two groups invite each other to bonding and socializing events, said COGS President Sean Chen. This fall, that included tailgating at Gopher football games.

“In my mind, whenever there’s something that we’re planning or we’re asked to do, I always think, ‘Does this also relate to PSG people?’ If so, I will always reach out to say ‘Hey, PSG are you interested in it?’” Chen said. “We want to have a good relationship so we can always share opportunities when it comes up.”

The two governments are currently working on negotiations with Gopher Athletics to arrange for free tickets to the first home football game for new graduate and professional students, similar to what is offered to incoming undergraduate students.

This last year, President Eric Kaler’s office granted free admission to incoming graduate and professional students, which was a onetime occurrence.

Despite all of the shared advocacy efforts and bonding events, leadership from both groups see the need to remain separate.

“The reality is that our populations are completely different,” said Scott Petty, speaker of COGS. Petty was involved in the Graduate Students

and Professional Students Assembly (GAPSA) when it split, and said he sees the educational experiences of professional and graduate students as very distinct.

Graduate students are at the University for a longer period of time, Petty said, and they study the theory of the topics rather than the application, as professional students do. He also said the career paths of professional and graduate students are very different.

“In many topics we share the same interests and we often collaborate together, but there are things that are somewhat different,” Chen said.

Pawlowski sees student health insurance, stipends and other financial topics as ones that distinguish professional and graduate students as well.

“Despite the overlap on some issues, the interests of graduate and professional students are distinct, and the concerns in the area of advocacy that tend to be most relevant are distinct,” Pawlowski said.

With the two groups remaining separate, leade r s h i p o f b o t h g ro u p s see communication as being key to continuing their collaborations.

This includes sharing research, data and survey results. After the upcoming March student government elections, both groups are planning to keep the communication channels open.

“I hope our two groups will continue to collaborate with each other. I know it’s something that I will certainly stress to my successor and to the leadership that follows,” Pawlowski said. “In prior years, COGS and PSG have not always had the best relationship since GAPSA split, and I think it’s counterproductive to not work together.”