PHOTOS FROM THE GOPHERS’ HOMECOMING WIN PAGE 2
MNDAILY.COM
EARLY WEEK MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019
SERVING THE UMN COMMUNITY SINCE 1900
STUDENT LIFE
Addiction hits hard for families Addiction poses a challenge to both parents and their children at the U. BY DYLAN MIETTINEN dmiettinen@mndaily.com
Above: Wil Schulz poses for a portrait in front of the University Recreation and Wellness Center on Saturday, Oct. 5. Schulz took on a parental role for his siblings and as a result found the transition to University life difficult. Bottom left: Sara Cummings works at her computer in her apartment on Saturday, Sept. 28. Bottom right: Mia Rose puts makeup on in her home on Saturday, Oct. 5. Rose’s father has battled substance abuse and as a result is genetically predisposed to it as well. (Nur B. Adam / Minnesota Daily)
CITY
The fridge was empty when Mia Rose decided to dig between the couch cushions looking for any change that may have fallen there. She was young — only about 9 years old at the time. Walking hand-in-hand with her younger brother, they made their way to the dollar store to buy lemonade mix, in hopes of setting up a lemonade stand to purchase food for her and her family. But for Rose, lack of food was not her family’s most pressing issue: her father had been addicted to methamphetamine on and off again for more than a decade. It started with a car accident, for which he was prescribed morphine. He then moved onto Percocet and methamphetamine. “I kind of had to grow up fast. It gave me a lot of responsibility and drove me to be successful for my brother and sisters,” Rose said.
Now sober, Rose’s father was one of the nearly 21 million people in the U.S. battling substance abuse disorders. It is a growing issue — admissions into substance abuse treatment facilities in Minnesota increased nearly 4 percent from 2013 to 2016. The impact has been felt on the University of Minnesota campus, though specific resources are limited. There is Recovery on Campus, a student organization for students recovering from addiction. Group and individual counseling services are offered to students, though none are specifically aimed at helping those impacted by addiction. The University’s Care Program, a team of two care managers, aims to help students on an individual case-bycase basis and point them toward specific on- and off-campus resources. Because Rose’s father battled with substance abuse, she is genetically predisposed to as well. “Just as blue eyes can be passed down, so can the propensity for addiction,” said Dr. Lawrence Weinstein, chief medical officer for the American Addiction Centers. “But ... one’s environment is just as important.” u See ADDICTION Page 3
HUMPHREY SCHOOL
Electric bikes to Disciplined U professor set to lead lone capstone course roll onto campus The decision drew swift last year following a University investigation that in spring 2020 concern from students, offoundMinnesota he “more likely than not” many of whom say they Five hundred of the new will not take the class. electric bikes and 1,300 BY DYLAN ANDERSON AND of the existing docked TIFFANY BUI bikes are coming soon. danderson@mndaily.com, BY EMMA DILL edill@mndaily.com
A fleet of black electric-powered Nice Ride bikes will roll into docks on campus and across Minneapolis this April. The electric bikes, which were announced Feb. 7 during an event at the Graduate Hotel, provide riders with a pedal assist that the company hopes will expand ridership. Nice Ride will also increase the number of bike docking stations in Cedar-Riverside and other historically low-income Minneapolis communities. Bill Dossett, executive director of the nonprofit Nice Ride Minnesota, believes the addition of electric bikes will make biking a more viable transportation option for both commuters and tourists. “You won’t have to work as hard, but you do have to pedal,” Dossett said. “You get more assist if you work harder. So, if you’re pedaling up a hill or you’re trying to accelerate, you will get more assist. If you’re going down a hill, you won’t get any assist.” In 2018, a Nice Ride bike in Minneapolis averaged about one trip per day. After the introduction of electric bikes in San Francisco, New York City and Washington D.C., average usage doubled, Dossett said. The company will initially launch 500 electric bikes and 1,300 traditional docked green bikes across the city this spring. During the first few months, Nice Ride will gauge interest in the electric bikes and learn how to keep the bikes charged. Electric bikes require more maintenance than traditional bikes, with batteries that must be manually changed every few days, Dossett said. Dossett said electric bikes are a “stepping stone” for Nice Ride. In the future, customers will return their bikes to charging stations instead of docks. u See NICE RIDE Page 3
tbui@mndaily.com A professor disciplined for alleged sexual harassment by the Humphrey School of Public Affairs is slated to be the sole instructor teaching the only human rights capstone class next spring, leading some students to say they won’t take the class at all. James Ron, a former co-director of the Master of Human Rights program, was disciplined by Humphrey Dean Laura Bloomberg late
violated University sexual harassment policy. Students were notified of the teaching arrangements for capstone classes via email on Sept. 23. The email indicated Ron would be leading the only core human rights capstone class at Humphrey, prompting several students to raise concerns about having to take a course with him. In response, Humphrey Associate Dean Carissa Slotterback sent another email to human rights students less than an hour after the initial announcement was made. u See CAPSTONE Page 3
ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH MAI, DAILY
OUTREACH
FOOTBALL
Gophers’ running attack leads the way in homecoming win Running backs Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks combined for 322 rushing yards Saturday. BY NICK JUNGHEIM njungheim@mndaily.com
Kameron Duncanson, a farmer with the KD2 Farms Partnership and a University of Minnesota alumni, uproots a soybean plant to point out its characteristics on his farm in Mapleton, Minnesota on Friday, Oct. 4. (Kamaan Richards / Minnesota Daily)
As farmers deal with another wet year, UMN aims to help The rainfall, which was the most on record last year, has hurt farmers’ ability to harvest crops. BY NATALIE RADEMACHER nrademacher@mndaily.com
Minnesota has experienced one
of its wettest years yet, which has made it difficult for many farmers to get into the fields and do their job — something University of Minnesota researchers are trying to combat. The Twin Cities just wrapped up the wettest year on record, u See FARMERS Page 3
Entering the homecoming game against Illinois, Minnesota’s ground game ranked No. 126 in the country in average yards per carry, but that weakness turned into a pronounced strength on Saturday. The Gophers rode their redshirt senior running backs to a 40-17 victory while averaging 6.4 yards per carry as a team. The run game proved to be the missing piece Minnesota needed in order to play their most complete game of the season, as they improved to 5-0 and defeated an opponent by more than seven points for the first time this year. “We were running the ball at will,” quarterback Tanner Morgan said. “We were getting a lot of yards, we were dominating the line of scrimmage. In the first half, the Gophers
ran the ball 23 times for 196 yards. Redshirt senior Rodney Smith accounted for most of the production with 146 yards on 12 attempts and redshirt senior Shannon Brooks pitched in with nine carries for 51 yards. Through the first four games, Minnesota’s longest rush of the season was 17 yards. Smith shattered that in the second quarter with a 64-yard gain that set up a receiving touchdown from senior Tyler Johnson two plays later. Brooks added another score later in the quarter on a 21-yard run of his own. “It was relieving to finally have an explosive run,” Smith said. “We’d been close to getting one and to finally get one was exciting.” Increased production from the run game was much-needed for the Gophers as the passing attack struggled early. In wet conditions, Morgan went 4-12 passing in the first half, including an i nterception that Illinois returned for a touchdown. With Illinois loading the box, the Gophers pass game started to u See HOMECOMING Page 4
VOLUME 120 ISSUE 11