November 14, 2019

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LATE WEEK THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019

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SERVING THE UMN COMMUNITY SINCE 1900

ADMINISTRATION

MEDICAL SCHOOL

Gabel hires new provost for UMN Rachel Croson will be the second-highest ranking official in the University system.

BY DYLAN ANDERSON danderson@mndaily.com

All Medical School faculty must follow policies by fall 2021.

Medical School aims to reduce burnout

BY NATALIE CIERZAN ncierzan@mndaily.com

The University of Minnesota Medical School passed several new polices last month to prevent students from being overworked.

The Academic Workload Task Force — composed of students, administrators and faculty from the Medical School — proposed policies that will be in effect by fall 2021. These policies include a 60hour student workload maximum, level designations for classes and more schedule flexibility.

“What we are trying to do is create a curriculum that will optimize a student’s ability to develop into a great physician. Part of

Emma Lierdahl, a second year medical student, utilizes the biomedical library in Diehl Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 13. (Kamaan Richards / Minnesota Daily)

that involves paying attention to issues that have traditionally led to burnout or inattention to ones’ wellness,” said Robert Englander, associate dean for Undergraduate Medical Education.

Under the new policies, students will work a maximum of 60 hours a week. Previously, students averaged an 80-hour work week.

Medical School classes will require a level one or two designation. Level one classes require in-person attendance, while attendance for level two classes is optional. Time between classes will be reduced to allow students more schedule flexibility. Before, class-

es had long gaps between them, which made the days longer.

Research suggests the amount of short-term memory used up by information storage, known as cognitive load, is a problem in the pre-clinical phase of medical education, Englander said.

When someone takes in too much information, that information either becomes jumbled or lost.Because of this, Medical School faculty wanted to determine if a student’s workload was reasonable or not, Englander said.

“It would both allow them to acquire and apply the incredible amount of knowledge that is required to be a physician and also

respect their ability to attend to their wellness and hopefully mitigate their burnout,” he said.

Burnout is a problem in the medical field across the country, Englander said. It affects students, residents, faculty and practitioners.

One of the theories surrounding burnout is that the workload feels unattainable to students, said Anne Pereira, a member of the task force and the assistant dean of curriculum in the Medical School.

That’s why the task force began developing a plan to u See MED SCHOOL Page 3

HEALTH

New mental health space to open on West Bank campus The clinic will have three to four counselors and will be somewhere in or near Wilson Library.

BY EMILY SIZEN esizen@mndaily.com

To help students who spend a majority of their time on the University of Minnesota’s West Bank campus, Boynton Health will soon open a new mental health space for easier access to services.

The space will mirror Boynton’s mental health clinic on East Bank but on a smaller scale, with three to four counselors available to meet with students. While the space has no official location yet, it will likely be within or near Wilson Library, said Maggie Towle, interim vice provost for student affairs and dean of students. The

goal is to have the space completed by early spring semester.

“We know there’s a need over there on the West Bank for mental health services,” Towle said.

West Bank currently has several programs to support student’s mental health, including the Let’s Talk program, which provides drop-in informal consultations for students. Additionally, the University Law School created a Welcome and Wellness Room last year, giving students a space to de-stress and take a break from school.

Towle said the next steps are finalizing the location and estimating the renovation cost. The project will be funded by Boynton Health.

The Office for Student Affairs is collaborating with University Services and Boynton Health to complete this project.

“It has been a fabulous effort

Students walk past Wilson Library on West Bank on Wednesday Nov. 13.

(Sydni Rose / Minnesota Daily)

from students, staff, faculty and deans to really make this happen,” Towle said. “It’s really enjoyable to have everyone come together on something as important as

RESEARCH

BY NATALIE RADEMACHER nrademacher@mndaily.com

A University of Minnesota researcher is using a novel concept to conduct research: miniature labs.

Rather than bring materials to a laboratory for analyzing and testing, Peter Larsen is transporting the lab into the field. Called a “mobile lab,” Larsen and his fellow researchers are using the tool to more efficiently conduct tests and analyze data. They are hoping to convince others to integrate mobile labs into their own work.

Larsen developed the mobile lab while at Duke University and brought the concept with him when he came to the University of Minnesota in 2018.

u See MENTAL HEALTH Page 3

u See PROVOST Page 3

STATE GOVT.

Lawmakers visit campus to assess University infrastructure needs

Mini labs make science mobile for University researchers Over the summer, U researchers used the labs to test Lyme disease in the field.

supporting our student’s mental health.”

Towle said she first learned

Rachel Croson will be the next executive vice president and provost at the University of Minnesota, pending Board of Regents approval.

In a systemwide email on Wednesday, President Joan Gabel heralded Croson as representing “the very best of the academy,” saying she brings “an extraordinary breadth of talent, experience, and strategic acumen” to the secondhighest ranking job in the system.

The hire ends a more than seven-month long process to find the University’s next chief academic officer who will replace current Provost Karen Hanson. Coming from Michigan State University where she serves as dean of the College of Social Sciences, Croson spoke to her experience with collaboration and interdisciplinary research at a public forum on campus last month.

“I firmly believe that the way to do good interdisciplinary research is to have collaboration amongst strong disciplines,” Croson said.

“You need to take people who are experts in their fields and induce them to work together in ways that create new insights.”

Amy Pittenger, chair of the Faculty Consultative Committee and co-chair of the search committee that chose Croson as a finalist, said the FCC is excited to work with Croson.

“It’s the breadth of what she’s done and the kinds of roles she has played in multiple different disciplines that is really positive,” Pittenger said.

With degrees in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University, Croson has held administrative positions at Michigan State and the University of Texas at Arlington. She has been a professor at various institutions since 1994.

Pittenger said because of the significant role the provost has and the decisions Croson will make, the hire directly impacts all aspects of students’ academic life.

Croson will have oversight of all levels of academics throughout the system, including promotion and tenure, research and academic programs, and faculty development.

Gabel said in the email Croson will oversee all Twin Cities academic units and work to “advance greater impact for our students, state, and beyond.”

In the email, Gabel thanked Hanson for her help ensuring a smooth transition as Croson joins the University. Hanson originally announced her intent to retire over a year ago, before agreeing to stay on as the University transitioned to Gabel as president.

Smith Hall and the Child Development Center were stops on the tour ahead of the session.

BY TAYLOR SCHROEDER tschroeder@mndaily.com A blacklegged tick used in research on tick-borne pathogens at the University of Minnesota crawls across a petri dish in the Hodson Hall tick lab on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016. (Joe Sulik / Minnesota Daily)

For a week over the summer, Larsen and a team of researchers brought the lab to Itasca State Park to study ticks and genetic variations of Lyme disease.

The entire lab fits neatly into two suitcases. The mobile lab contains the tools used in a normal lab, such as a thermal cycler and incubators, just miniature.

While out in the woods, the researchers were able to use the mobile lab to screen different tick samples and sequence DNA while on location. They had results within 12 hours when the process usually takes days.

Normally, the researchers would collect samples out in the

field and transport them back to their lab, where they are then sent out for testing. The mobile lab cuts down the large amount of time it usually takes to conduct these tests.

“This is very cutting-edge,” said Laramie Lindsey, a postdoctoral student in Larsen’s lab. “It makes things very streamlined.”

Analyzing and testing the data on the spot also preserves the integrity of the samples collected, which is something that can be compromised when samples are transported long distances, Lindsey said. u See LYME Page 3

State lawmakers toured campus Tuesday to get a look at the University of Minnesota’s infrastructure needs.

The University’s capital bonding request, unveiled at the first Board of Regents meeting of the academic year, asks the Legislature for $317.2 million to go toward various projects across University campuses. Bonding money will be allocated during the upcoming legislative session, which begins in February.

The University’s request includes holdovers from last year when the Legislature did not pass a bonding bill. Bonding bills are typically passed in even-numbered years, although previous odd-numbered years have often seen smallerfunding asks.

Twin Cities campus requests would go toward replacing the Child Development Building, and the

Chemistry Undergraduate Teaching Laboratory and designing a new Clinical Research Facility.

Requests on the Duluth campus would help renovate A.B. Anderson Hall.

“We’re proud to be a leader when it comes to undergraduate education,” said David Blank, head of the chemistry department. “Our department has more members of the Distinguished Academy of Teachers, which is the highest award the overall system gives to teachers than any other department. It also frustrates us because we are limited by our space.”

Of the request, $200 million would also go toward Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement projects, which address various maintenance projects across the University system.

Competition for bonding money is high, said DFL House Caucus Committee Administrator Coordinator Jenny Nash. The University was only one stop during the 15 days the House Capital Investment Division has spent touring the state pre-session. u See BONDING Page 3

VOLUME 120 ISSUE 22

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019

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CAMPUS EVENTS CALENDAR FRIDAY

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7 - 9 p.m. in the Great Hall 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Bruininks Enjoy a buffet dinner, then vote for the View student presentations with an most talented student performance. eye toward gender diversity in tech.

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY

Thursday, November 14, 2019Vol. 120 No. 22

An Independent Student Newspaper, Founded in 1900.2221 University Ave. SE, Suite 450, Minneapolis, MN 55414 Phone: (612) 627-4080Fax: (612) 435-5865 Copyright © 2019The Minnesota Daily. This newspaper, its design and its contents are copyrighted.

1914 The religious leader Seikh-ul-Islam declares a holy war on behalf of the Ottoman government, entering the empire into World War I. HISTORYCHANNEL.COM/TDIH

City ordinance would assist renters displaced by building delicensings The proposal would give aid in scenarios like Prime Place, but has a limited scope.

BY MOHAMED IBRAHIM mibrahim@mndaily.com The City of Minneapolis may soon financially support displaced tenants while they search for new housing.

Authored by Ward 4 City Council member Phillipe Cunningham, the ordinance would give the city a role in helping displaced renters find new housing. City officials and tenant advocates say the policy will add to the “toolbox” of the renters’ protection measures.

Under the policy, introduced to the City Council last week, the city would

provide three months’ rent to tenants who are displaced if their building’s rental dwelling license is revoked or the building is condemned at no fault of their own. Tenants would receive financial assistance the day they are ordered to vacate or within seven days after the action is final, whichever is sooner.

Cunningham said the City Council “languishes” over revoking rental licenses because while property owners are held accountable, tenants lose their housing in the process.

“This is just to ensure that as much as possible we are providing vulnerable renters with the kind of safety net that’s needed in order to get them out of unsafe [and] unsanitary housing, and into housing with

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

BY JASMINE SNOW jsnow@mndaily.com

The U.S. begins to leave the Paris Climate Agreement Earlier this month, the United States began its formal exit from the Paris Climate Agreement, a process which will be completed Nov. 4, 2020 — a year from the official announcement.

According to NPR, the Trump Administration has officially notified the United Nations of its plan to leave the PCA. The decision comes more than two years after the President first announced his intentions in June 2017.

Jessica Hellmann, director of the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment, said the agreement was drafted and signed as an international effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions and prevent the overall global climate from increasing more than 2 degrees Celsius through action and policy.

Hellmann said that, as one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, the United States’ departure from the Agreement was not promising for the future of the planet.

“We are the biggest player in the world,” she said. “We are single-handedly responsible for the largest amount of greenhouse gas emissions that have been emitted to the atmosphere and we are, still today, one of the largest emitters every single day of the year.”

Currently, the U.S. is the only country of the nearly 200 that signed in 2016 to withdraw. The PCA’s language was engineered to make leaving difficult, according to NPR. Conflict between Syria and Turkey Following a month of closed-door depositions, the House of Representatives began public impeachment hearings on Wednesday.

The House voted on Oct. 31 to formalize the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump’s alleged misdealings with the Ukraine.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. announced the official inquiry in September. Since then, six Democratmajority committees have been investigating the president, with the Intelligence Committee at the lead. The Judiciary Committee will determine whether or not the articles of impeachment will be presented to the entire House, per USA Today.

According to ABC News, there have been no official comments on the exact articles that House Democrats plan on drafting, but various obstruction and abuse of power charges have all been considered. Of course, what is drafted will depend on what is found during the inquiry.

Larry Jacobs, political science professor at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, predicts the rest of this process will be full of the “bitter partisanship” in voting and “fiery moments” during the hearings.

“There’ll be a lot of big headlines because will be the first time you can actually hear these witnesses,” Jacobs said. “Bottom line, the build up next week is going to be fireworks, and grab your popcorn because it’s going to go on for at least another month.”

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Late last month, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced that the platform would be banning political advertising from its site. Dorsey announced the initiative on Oct. 30 through a thread of tweets on his public account.

“We believe political message reach should be earned,” Dorsey tweeted. “A political message earns reach when people decide to follow an account or retweet. Paying for reach removes that decision, forcing highly optimized and targeted political messages on people. We believe this decision should not be compromised by money.”

Critics have drawn a comparison between Twitter and Facebook. Facebook has come under fire recently for its policy of not fact-checking or removing similar political content, according to CNBC. But some on Dorsey’s thread criticized the move as an attack on free speech.

“I think [the ban] cut off the ability of some smaller campaigns to have access to a platform they can afford … So much political news moves through Twitter,” said Christopher Terry, professor of media law at the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “Even if it’s a paid access, you’re potentially cutting off a source of information or a resource that people might rely on.”

The official policy is set to be announced on Friday and will go into effect on Nov. 22, according to Dorsey’s tweets.

dignity,” Cunningham said.

Eric Hauge, executive director of Minneapolis tenant advocacy group HOME Line, said the organization often hears from clients who are fearful of being displaced if they report issues with the property. The policy will help vulnerable renters report their landlords without fear of retaliation or displacement.

“Not everybody is in an equal position — the power imbalance in the tenantlandlord relationship is deeply weighted in one direction,” Hauge said. “Simply because they’re concerned about their housing stability doesn’t mean that should have an impact on the conditions that they’re living in.”

Bill Dane, a senior staff attorney for the University

of Minnesota’s Student Legal Service, said while their office does not see many cases of student displacement due to landlords’ rental licenses being revoked, they regularly assist students who were displaced for other reasons.

A prominent example, Dane said, was when Prime Place apartments, rebranded as The Arrow, failed to complete construction on time in 2017, leaving more than 200 students without housing.

“We take a lot of pride in the fact that no students were left homeless in that circumstance,” he said in an email.

Hauge said the ordinance is a good first step and another tool for renters, but it should be expanded to include all types of displacement,

including eviction and development. While the policy would cover the rent, it is not sufficient to pay for all other costs associated with finding a new home, he said.

“It’s costly to get a new security deposit, first month’s rent, application costs and fees, and transportation to get around and find a place,” Hauge said. “It can add up to way more than three months when you’re facing displacement due to no fault of your own.”

The ordinance will make its way to the City Council’s Economic Development and Regulatory Services committee on Dec. 3, where it will receive public input.

The policy will then go before the City Council on Dec. 13 and take effect in June 2020, if approved.

Marcy-Holmes creates new safety committee following recent crimes

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The previous issue incorrectly stated the date a satellite would be sent into orbit. The satellite will be in orbit in january.

Vic Thorstenson, president of the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association, speaks at a safety committee meeting on Monday, Nov. 11. (Parker Johnson / Minnesota Daily)

Street safety and communicating emergencies are primary focuses.

BY TAYLOR SCHROEDER tschroeder@mndaily.com

The Marcy-Holmes neighborhood is addressing recurring safety issues and concerns in a new committee.

Following a series of violent crimes and emergency community meetings, the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association hosted an inaugural safety committee meeting Monday night at First Congregational Church. Neighborhood residents, city officials and landlords gathered to discuss concerns over street safety during early morning hours and gaps in communication with different residents.

“Now we can have meetings that can be broken up into communications, infrastructure and lighting for this task force. I just need people to know about what we can do and what our limitations are both financially and structurally,” said MHNA director Chris Lautenschlager.

S u g g e s t e d i m p ro v e ments brought up by neighborhood residents at the meeting included additional street lighting in problem areas and wider-reaching notifications of safety

threats when they occur from the Minneapolis and University of Minnesota police departments.

“Our MPD communications infrastructure is completely separate from Marcy-Holmes’ and the city’s communication infrastructure, which is why it feels so highly inefficient,” said Ward 3 City Council member Steve Fletcher, who attended the meeting.

Community members had repeatedly suggested forming a safety committee at past meetings. Since January, the neighborhood has held four emergency meetings in the wake of highprofile violent crimes.

Marcy-Holmes has formed different safety committees in the past, Lautenschlager said. Lack of energy, time and availability caused the last Marcy-Holmes safety committee to discontinue about seven years ago.

“Not to suggest crime numbers are different in any particular way, but the momentum or the energy around this is a lot more than I’ve felt in [time] I’ve been involved,” Lautenschlager said.

Violent crime has increased in Marcy-Holmes, according to Minneapolis Police Department crime data. The number of violent crimes from January to November has climbed 26 percent in 2019 compared

to last year. In 2018, there were 73 instances of violent crime. This year, the number increased to 92.

Marcy-Holmes residents are not alone in tackling their safety concerns.

R e p r e s e n t a t i v e s f ro m Steven Scott Management also attended the committee meeting.

Steven Scott Management is the property owner of a 6th Street apartment building, which has been cause for neighborhood concern. Multiple crimes have taken place at or near the apartment. In September, a man attempted to abduct a resident in the back parking lot early in the morning. In October, an early morning homicide occurred several blocks from the apartment.

Next steps for the committee include selecting a committee chair in January, Lautenschlager said.

Muhammad Abdurrahman, a resident of MaryHolmes and a creator of safety app ClutchSOS, said he feels optimistic about the efforts put forth by the community.

“I’m glad people are still here. It’s not just, ‘oh something bad happened, so we’re coming’ and then nobody comes [to the safety meetings] again.

We’re still coming, people still care,” Abdurrahman said. “I’m hoping we have a sustained interest to make things better.”

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Thursday, November 14, 2019

Med School u from Page 1

emphasize student wellness and balance, she said, also saying that success hinges on communication between faculty about the amount of work they are assigning to students.

“Each individual course doesn’t have a lot of access to see what other courses are asking of the students,” she said.

According to Pereira, Medical School faculty need to be on board with a central structure that oversees workloads.

Student voices are a pivotal part of the task force, Pereira said. They help create the policies that affect themselves and faculty in the medical school.

Medical student Tobias Donlon said he became involved in the task force because he felt overwhelmed by the workload he experienced.

“I think it’s kind of just barely doable if everything is going well. People run into challenges if something isn’t going the way it needs to go,” he said.

But the new policy is not just beneficial to students, Donlon said.

“I think part of it is helpful [to] instructors to kind of help them identify the most highyield material to cover,” he said.

Provost u from Page 1

In a July interview, Hanson said she has considered returning to teaching, but is leaning toward pursuing work in her field of philosophy.

Mental health u from Page 1

about the effort to create a mental health space on West Bank over the summer. She heard representatives from multiple West Bank colleges were discussing the issue of mental health services on the campus.

West Bank representatives began meeting over a year ago to discuss mental health resource accessibility.

Erin Keyes, the Law School’s

Medical School faculty do not want to reduce how much content they are teaching because of the content’s importance, but instead are trying to teach more effectively, Donlon said.

Medical student Emma Leirdahl agreed that classes were teaching too much content at once.

“All of the information is important, but at the current state it’s just so much,” she said.

University medical students want to be the best clinicians they can and, by reducing workload, problems like burnout and overload will be reduced too, Leirdahl said.

“I think [the Medical School is] doing a really good job in listening to us,” she said. “They’re really getting on the right track here.”

“Each individual course doesn’t have a lot of access to see what other courses are asking of the students.”

Lyme u from Page 1

“The mobile lab provides ... mobility as well as flexibility and accessibility to these new technologies,” said Kenwyn Shriner, a graduate student who worked in Larsen’s lab over the summer through a scholar’s program.

Along with making research more time-efficient, the lab allows researchers to gather samples in remote places they otherwise would not be able to.

In August, Larsen took his team and the mobile lab to a remote jungle site in Malaysia.

They worked with a university there and were able to collect data and analyze samples on the spot.

Larsen said this analysis normally would have been difficult to do because the

material collected would need to go back to Minnesota for testing.

Being able to transport the lab around the world opens up research in regions that may not have developed infrastructure to do things like preserve samples and transport them long distances for testing, Shriner said.

As part of the effort to promote the concept of the mobile lab, the team gave researchers and students from Malaysia their own mobile lab and taught workshops on how to operate it.

Those involved with the work said there has been a lot of interest from other researchers in the lab.

“This is an exciting time,” Larsen said. “As this miniature tech becomes available, it opens up many opportunities for discovery and collaboration.”

“This search process provided me an invaluable opportunity to learn so much more about our University,” Gabel said in the email. “As my first, and most significant hire to date, I’m confident Dr. Croson will help us advance from great to greater.”

Current bonding requests from the entire state total about $5.3 billion and more than 300 projects, according to Minnesota Management and Budget. Other projects seeking funding include highway and storm tunnel repairs.

Megan Gunnar, director of the Institute of Child Development, said maintenance issues at the facility can sometimes impair research. For example, electrodes, which are bound to subjects with adhesive to gather data, can begin to slide off of subjects during particularly warm days due to a lack of central cooling in the building.

This forces researchers with the ICD to move certain projects to other buildings rather than keeping all the research centralized.

In his final proposal in 2018, former Gov. Mark Dayton fully funded the University’s $238.5 million ask and included an additional $60 million.

But the state only funded about one-third of the University’s request in the final bill.

“It takes a lot of effort, collaborating with the [House Capital Investment Division] chair and getting on her priority list. It takes a whole team to come up with a bonding package that will pass,” said Rep. Connie Brenardy, DFL-New Brighton, chair of the House higher education committee.

assistant dean of students, said they saw a need for increased support for student mental health and heard from students that there needed to be additional resources.

“There are so many barriers in terms of psychological barriers and timing barriers,” Keyes said. “The more impediments you put between the student in need... the more likely that student will not get help.”

Emily Curran is a firstyear law student who said she regularly uses the law

school’s Welcome and Wellness Room. She said that having more spaces for mental health would help students on West Bank who do not have free time in their day to travel across campus.

“I know that counseling services exist on East Bank, and even though it seems silly that, you know, we’re really not that far away, West Bank and East Bank, it feels pretty far” Curran said. “I do think something here on West Bank would help a lot of West Bank students.”

Law student Bree Crye also said they frequently use the Welcome and Wellness room and that they believe additional spaces would benefit all students.

“Nowadays, everyone is trying to destigmatize mental health and mental health needs, and it’s finally getting more of the attention that it deserves,” Crye said.

“I think that having more access to those resources is great. It could really make a difference for a lot of students [and] a lot of people.”

ANNE PEREIRA assistant dean of curriculum in the Med School

Bonding u from Page 1

Suicide rates in Minnesota have increased in recent years Deaths by suicide increased by 56 percent in MN from 2000 to 2017

BY GWIWON JASON NAM gnam@mndaily.com

University of Minnesota researchers released a report last month showing an increased rate of suicide in Minnesota and around the country. Using their findings, researchers hope to increase awareness on the rising suicide rates and help inform other work on the subject.

Although Minnesota’s suicide rate is the 14th lowest in the country, the state’s rate increased by 56 percent from 2000 to 2017, according to the report. For comparison, the national rate increased by around 35 percent in the same time period.

The report was created by researchers from the State Health Access Data Assistance Center, a multidisciplinary health research center focusing on state policy in the University’s School of Public Health. One of the center’s goals is to provide data that can inform or evaluate state policy decisions.

Other organizations have done related research before, but these researchers took a different approach by comparing trends among states.

“We also look at trends and differences across the states since state health policy is really kind of the focus of the work that we do,” said Colin Planalp, a lead author of the report and senior research fellow of SHADAC. Death by suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, according to Marizen Ramirez, an associate professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences in the University’s School of Public Health.

The report found that all but three states —

Delaware, Maryland and Nevada — saw statistically significant increases in suicide rates during the studied time period.

“Without recognizing that suicide is a problem and a growing problem, there’s no way that our country and our state can really get a handle on the problem and reverse this trend,” Planalp said.

For the report, researchers pulled together data to study what is happening at the national level for different demographic groups.

Ramirez, who was not involved with the report, emphasized the importance of prevention work to reduce the increasing suicide rates.

“We are in the world of prevention, and there’s much that needs to be done in terms of identifying effective prevention strategies that really can support people who are at risk for suicide,” Ramirez said.

Ezra Golberstein, an associate professor in the Division of Health Policy and Management, said it is important to make sure mental health services are more readily available to people when they need them.

“I think that there are some things in general that are good things to do, like trying to improve access to mental health services for everybody,” Golberstein said.

He said in order to build state policies that address the increase in suicide rates, researchers need to understand the causes of these trends.

Having policies, such as making mental health services more accessible, is good in general and may have the additional benefit of potentially slowing down the increasing rates, Golberstein said.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255

Sports WRESTLING

Patrick McKee learned his skills from his brother, and now he’s teaching others Brothers Patrick and Mitch McKee are reunited this wrestling season.

BY NOLAN O’HARA nohara@mndaily.com

Wrestling has been a part of Patrick McKee’s life for as long as he can remember.

McKee started wrestling when he was three years old, just weeks after his older brother Mitch got involved in the sport. After seeing Mitch go to practices, he wanted to know what wrestling was all about, so he went too, something his mother was not entirely excited about. As one might expect, she was worried about her three-year-old, 30-pound son participating in such a physical sport.

Yet, Patrick excelled, getting better and better before becoming a standout athlete in high school. He would go on to be a three-time state champion, earning three all-state and two All-American selections.

Then he joined his brother, competing at the University of Minnesota.

“We’ve always been on the same team and went to the same club growing up, so it definitely seems right for him to be on the team,” Mitch McKee said.

Patrick’s success has continued into college. He got off to an excellent start to his redshirt freshman season, landing a pin within the first minute of his first career dual, and becoming one of five Gophers to be crowned champions at the Bison Open.

While Patrick remains dedicated to the sport and keeps his expectations high, personal success is only a small part of the importance wrestling plays in his life. He has

Redshirt freshman Patrick McKee competes at the Maturi Pavilion on Friday, Nov. 1. (Kamaan Richards / Minnesota Daily)

also taken the opportunity to use his knowledge of the sport to educate the next generation of wrestlers.

“It’s always really fun going and coaching because I get to make my own practice plan, get to warm these kids up and try different things. It’s really cool,” he said.

Patrick started coaching when he was a senior in high school. He and Mitch go across the state, from their hometown of St. Michael all the way

up north to Brainerd, wherever they can go to help younger wrestlers find their footing.

“Wherever I get contacted to coach, I’ll go. I’ll go anywhere across the state, as long as I get to spread some knowledge,” Patrick McKee said. “I really love giving back to the little kids and giving back to programs that I’ve either wrestled for or competed against.”

Coaching gives Patrick and Mitch a chance not only to

train better physical wrestlers, but also train them in ways more valuable than sport.

Sports have always been a means of teaching life lessons, and both Patrick and Mitch understand the impact they have on the kids goes beyond the sport. They want to be like the mentors they had growing up, ones who helped them get to where they are now.

“You understand that what you’re teaching them is more than just wrestling,” Mitch

McKee said.

Sunday was the last time Patrick will coach until after nationals, but he will still be making an impact. The kids he coaches love to see him compete and they often come to his duals.

“The kids will be like, ‘I saw your match the other day, good job!’” he said. “It’s really cool to hear that they’re watching us. It shows you really got to be a good role model, on and off the mat. All these

little kids are watching you, so you got to do the right thing.”

On the mat, Patrick hopes to replicate his early season success, showing younger wrestlers they can accomplish anything they put their minds to.

“I don’t have any short expectations,” he said. “I want to go make a loud statement right away, make the finals of the NCAA, win a national title this year in Minneapolis, and I believe I can do that.”

4

Sports

SCOREBOARD NOV 12

Men’s Basketball Minnesota: 56 Butler: 64

UPCOMING NOV 14

Women’s Basketball vs. Milwaukee 12 p.m.

Volleyball

vs. Wisconsin 8 p.m.

NOV 15

Women’s Cross Country NCAA Midwest Regional 10:30 a.m.

Men’s Cross Country NCAA Midwest Regional 10 a.m.

Women’s Hockey vs. Bemidji State 6:07 p.m.

Wrestling

vs. Rider University 7 p.m.

Men’s Hockey vs. Penn State 7 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs. Utah 8 p.m.

NOV 16

Football vs. Iowa 3 p.m.

Women’s Hockey vs. Bemidji State 6:07 p.m.

Men’s Hockey vs. Penn State 7 p.m.

Volleyball

vs. Michigan 7 p.m.

NOV 17

MNDAILY.COM

MN DAILY

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Gophers mix both new and old faces to replace Kenisha Bell Minnesota is tasked with replacing Bell, who averaged 18.5 points per game.

BY BRENDAN O’BRIEN bobrien@mndaily.com One of the major questions coming into the 2019-20 season for the Minnesota women’s basketball team was how the team would fill the void left by former star Gophers guard Kenisha Bell.

In her three seasons as a starter at Minnesota, Bell was durable and a successful scorer, starting in at least 30 games each season while averaging 18.5 points per game over that stretch. On top of that, Bell provided the Gophers with a reliable point guard to control the pace and run the offense.

But two games into the season, head coach Lindsay Whalen seems to have found the answer in three of the guards on the roster: Jasmine Brunson, Jasmine Powell and Sara Scalia.

Brunson is no stranger to Gophers women’s basketball, being one of four seniors on the roster this season. Brunson played in 93 games in her first three seasons and has started 42 of them. While she has not been the primary scoring option for Minnesota, Brunson has become the Gophers’ main floor general, starting in both games and successfully driving to the basket so far in this early season.

Powell and Scalia, on the other hand, are both

Guard Sara Scalia drives towards the hoop at Williams Arena on Sunday, Nov. 10. The Gophers defeated Vermont 90-58.

(Nur B. Adam / Minnesota Daily)

fresh faces from Whalen’s recruiting. Powell has come off the bench in her first two games as a Gopher and provided an offensive spark with her ability to weave through traffic to get to the basket. She particularly impressed against Vermont in the second game of the season, leading the team to a 90-58 victory with a team-high 19 points and four assists. After the game Sunday, redshirt junior Gadiva Hubbard had high praise for the freshman.

“She did good. I’m so

proud of her,” Hubbard said. “She was aggressive attacking, and literally it’s just the stuff she does in practice all the time, so I’m glad it’s carrying over in games.

Scalia, a native of Stillwater, Minnesota, has also taken on a small share of point guard duties for Minnesota in games and practice. With players who drive to the basket like Brunson and Powell, Scalia complements those two with her three-point shooting. In a small sample size

this season, she has made three of her six attempted shots from behind the arc.

When asked if Scalia was ready for the college basketball stage, Whalen and Brunson had no doubt she would be.

“Nothing has seemed to affect her or bother her,” Whalen said. “She’s just kind of got that moxie. She’s played in state championship games last year against Hopkins. She played in a really high level in summer basketball in AAU ... so she’s definitely

not afraid of the bright lights.”

“I was definitely proud of her,” Brunson said of Scalia. “She’s one of the hardest workers on this team. You’ll always find her in a gym. I was really happy for her. She was fearless.”

The three guards and the rest of the Gophers will look to build off the win this past Sunday with two home games this week. Minnesota will host Milwaukee on Thursday at 12 p.m. and Arizona State on Sunday at 3 p.m.

Wrestling

Daktronics Open All day

FOOTBALL

Women’s Basketball

Minnesota ready to change the narrative

vs. Arizona State 3 p.m.

Source: Gophers Athletics.

Times and scores accurate as of time of publication.

The No. 7 Gophers head to Iowa for a tough test against a ranked opponent.

BY NICK JUNGHEIM njungheim@mndaily.com On Nov. 12, 1904, less than a week after Theodore Roosevelt was reelected for a second term as president of the United States, Minnesota defeated Wisconsin 28-0, improving to 9-0 on the season.

Not until last Saturday, nearly 115 years later, did the Gophers replicate that feat.

In head coach P.J. Fleck’s third season, No. 7 Minnesota continues to defy the odds.

Their 31-26 victory over then-No. 5 Penn State last weekend was the latest triumph in a season full of improbable and, in some cases, unprecedented success. For Fleck, the program’s history has no bearing on what it can achieve moving forward.

“I’m sure there were some people on the final drive who said, ‘Here we go again,’” Fleck said after the Penn State game. “We have to let go of all that ... we have to change at some point. I think this team has proven that as we continue to move into the future we don’t have to keep saying things like that.”

This season, the Gophers owe much of their success to a high-powered offense, headlined by receivers Tyler Johnson and Rashod Bateman. Against Penn State, Bateman became just the second Gopher to ever record over 200 receiving yards in a game. His 203 yards receiving were a TCF Bank Stadium record.

It’s not just the pass catchers who are performing at a high level.

Minnesota also features a resurgent offensive line, an experienced stable of running backs and the reigning Big Ten offensive player of the week in quarterback Tanner Morgan. Against Penn State, Morgan’s 18-20

Wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell carries the ball at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 9. The Gophers bested the Penn State Nittany Lions 31-26 to remain undefeated. (Kamaan Richards / Minnesota Daily)

passing performance was instrumental to pulling off the victory. It was the second time he threw for a completion percentage of at least 90% in a game this year. The only other quarterback to accomplish that in NCAA history was Florida State’s Jameis Winston during his Heisman-winning 2013 campaign.

“It definitely stacks up there,” Morgan said when asked if Saturday was his most complete game of the season. “I think that we were really prepared.

[Offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca] did a great job of getting us prepared and showing us what Penn State does.”

In the past 12 months, the Gophers’ list of accomplishments includes a plethora of feats the program has not achieved in generations.

Dating back to last season, Minnesota has earned 11 consecutive victories, the

second longest winning streak in the Big Ten behind Ohio State (15). With the victory against Penn State,the Gophers have won 11 straight games for the first time since winning 18 in a row between 1939 and 1942.

“That’s our goal ... to just change the narrative,” said redshirt sophomore Antoine Winfield Jr. “I think we did that today.”

That 1939-1942 streak ended with a 7-6 loss against Iowa Pre-Flight, a navaltraining academy based on the University of Iowa campus during World War II. While that opponent may be unfamiliar to today’s fans, their home field, Kinnick Stadium, is all too familiar and will serve as the site for Minnesota’s next game.

This weekend, the Gophers travel south to Iowa City, Iowa, a place where they have not won since 1999. The Hawkeyes have

earned four consecutive victories in the series overall, a fact Minnesota knows well.

“We look at the different rivalries and the history,” said senior Winston DeLattiboudere. “Coach Fleck does a really good job of teaching us the history and significance of the rivalries. But we’re just excited to go out there and play together as a team, as a family.”

Over the years, Kinnick Stadium has proven to be a nightmare for teams with championship aspirations in November. The Hawkeyes used last-second field goals to upend No. 3 Penn State and No. 3 Michigan in 2008 and 2016 respectively. Both teams were undefeated before heading to Iowa City.

Two years ago, a 5-3 Iowa team routed a 7-1 Ohio State squad 55-24. The Buckeyes were ranked No. 6 at the time.

If Minnesota can earn its

first win in Iowa since the turn of the century, even more history awaits. One more victory would mark the first seven-win Big Ten season in Gophers history. It would also place the Gophers one victory away f ro m c l i n c h i n g t h e i r first spot in the Big Ten Championship game in Indianapolis, where they would have a chance at their first conference title since 1967. While it is exciting for fans to think about what could be, players are only focused on the next step in the process.

“We’ve done a lot of things we haven’t done in a while,” said senior Carter Coughlin. “We’re going to keep that same mentality, and trust me when I say this week, we are going to practice harder than we’ve ever practiced. We’ve got our eyes fixed on the goal, which is going 1-0 in the Iowa season.”

5

MNDAILY.COM

MN DAILY

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019

CULTURE

A&E’S WEEKEND GUIDE

BY LIV MARTIN

Already yearning for the holiday season?

We’re with you.

Check out these local events if you’re an art aficionado or just looking for some gifts for loved ones.

FRIDAY:

Yarborough Fundraising Art Show

Massage therapist Loana “Coca” Vladislav sets up a massage table at the University Recreation and Wellness Center on Monday, Nov. 11. Vladislav is known as “Grandma Coca” and has been working at the U for 20 years. (Nur B. Adam / Minnesota Daily)

Massages and relaxing remedies with the University’s resident ‘Grandma-ma’ Meet the University Recreation and Wellness Center’s massage therapist, Grandma Coca.

7 - 11 p.m.

2745 Bloomington Ave S., Minneapolis $5, plus an additional $3 for alcoholic beverages for 21+

SATURDAY:

BY KSENIA GORINSHTEYN kgorinshteyn@mndaily.com

Spending an hour in a room with Ioana “Coca” Vladislav pretty much goes like this: a conversation that hits an endless number of subjects, intertwined with jokes about aspects of her life.

She introduces her white cane as her boyfriend while laughing. If you wanted to restock some of your makeup, she’s got you covered there, too. “I’m a Mary Kay consultant now,” she said, proudly.

Vladislav is a University Recreation and Wellness Center massage therapist.

If you ask anyone at the Recwell to point you to her office, they do so without hesitation.

“She refers to herself as our ‘Grandma-ma’ and she has given me boy advice before,” said Elizabeth Odness, a junior studying kinesiology.

Vladislav, who is “35” years old, grew up in Romania and was an active athlete. She was a gymnast, ran track and field and bowled. At the same time, she learned to play chess and several musical instruments as part of her school curriculum. She's legally blind, but has an enhanced sense of touch.

“You cannot only study, you have to have something extracurricular,” said Vladislav of her time in school. “I love chess to death but it's so boring when the other person takes a long time to move.”

She began learning these skills in second or third grade, she said, and it added to her love of learning which gave her a holistic view of the world.

“We learned so early because they wanted to develop the brain, develop critical thinking, develop the future for how to teach blind kids,” Vladislav said.

If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at traditional Eastern European cooking, Grandma Coca will detail any of her recipes for you.

Give her any subject and she'll always have something to say about it.

“She could talk for days,” said Justin Stacey, a sophomore studying economics.

“One time [another student worker] was walking with her and she bumped into one of the machines and was like ‘What is this nonsense?’”

She came to the University

Head over to the newly renovated Yarborough Association space this Friday for a fundraising, art show and pop up event. There will be live DJ sets, live piano, coffee cocktails and a chance to see the print studio. If you love supporting local business and artists, this is the evening event for you.

Yard & Yarn Fiber Arts Market

When some people come in, they are very stressed out. You have the option to have a quiet place here, or let’s talk.

I have to respect that because someone can come in and say, ‘I have a test in two hours I want to relax.’ They want their mind to be free."

IOANA “COCA” VLADISLAV University Recreation and Wellness Center massage therapist Top, massage therapist Loana “Coca” Vladislav gives an impromptu hand massage to student Emily Clarke at the University Recreation and Wellness Center on Monday, Nov. 11. Below, Vladislav poses for a portrait at the University Recreation and Wellness Center. (Nur B. Adam / Minnesota Daily)

of Minnesota in 1999 to work at Boynton and moved to the Recwell in August of 2018.

She became a certified massage therapist in the U.S. in 1990 and has had her own private practice since then, which she still operates in Eden Prairie.

“When I came here 30 years ago, I had to find a job,” Vladislav said. “I went to around 300 chiropractors and none of them hired me when they found out I had

good experience because you can take their business that way. So anyway, I was mad at them and I opened my own business.”

After opening her business, Vladislav came to the University to take classes in history and American Indian studies. A friend who was working as a massage therapist at Boynton approached her and asked if Vladislav wanted to take over her job.

Vladislav happily provides

her massage therapy services to students and Recwell members every day. While she massages you, she explains what she’s pressing down on, which muscles of yours seem tight and how you might be able to remedy that a little on your own.

“When some people come in, they are very stressed out. You have the option to have a quiet place here, or let’s talk. I have to respect that because someone can

come in and say, ‘I have a test in two hours I want to relax.’

They want their mind to be free,” she said.

“But all the kids — I want them not to whine.”

Grandma Coca, whose nickname ironically translates to “baby doll,” is students’ “campus grandma.”

She’ll offer you homemade borscht and life advice when you need it, but in the end, she’ll definitely tell it to you straight.

Check out the best offerings from talented contemporary textile and fiber artist across the state of Minnesota in one spot. Local makers working in the areas of crochet, dressmaking, knitting, macrame, quilting, sewing and weaving will be showing off their best work. If you’ve been looking for a funky, crocheted wall hanging, new threads for your wardrobe or want some advice on knitting from pros, then stay in the loop about this event.

11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Textile Center, 3000 University Ave. SE, Minneapolis Free

SUNDAY:

Urban Growler Holiday Market Looking for a chill holiday shopping experience (for once)?

At Urban Growler, Minnesota’s first womanowned micro brewery in Minnesota, there will be more than 20 makers showcasing artisan gifts. With beer in hand, browse the selection of jewelry, ceramics, woodwork, homewares, giftables and more this Sunday.

2 - 7 p.m.

Urban Growler Brewing Company, 2325 Endicott St., St. Paul Free

6 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019

MN DAILY

MNDAILY.COM

Editorials & Opinions

COLUMN

Good allies don’t abandon allies

Soldiers don’t do it.

President Trump just did.

Uma Venkata columnist

A

merican forces abandoned Kurdish allies in Syria in October, breaching their trust after years of Kurdish sacrifice and leaving them exposed. This erratic American behavior overseas is not atypical since the beginning of Trump’s presidency, but every American should know that this is no small matter. Our actions hurt our allies and our reputation shrinks with every betrayal like this one.

American troops were present in Syria and working with Kurdish forces in 2015.

Americans were there to combat ISIS with help from Kurds. American forces also worked to prevent the spread of the Assad regime, an established adversary to the United States; and to limit Iran and Russia, backers of Assad, in their regional influence. Since 2015, ISIS had lost all of its territory in Syria. The most that remained of ISIS were sleeper cells and sympathizers.

The key to the success in the fight in Syria against ISIS has been the Kurds. The Kurds are an ethnic group, the fourth-largest in the Middle East, but the largest with no defined state of their own. This automatically makes them a vulnerable minority wherever they are. Kurds are mostly spread out over Iraq, Iran, Syria, Armenia, and Turkey. The Kurds are enemies to ISIS as much as the U.S. is, and they have proven to be such reliable allies to American forces that some Kurdish tactical calls were de facto commands for Americans.

That’s a high level of trust. American troops lost six lives in this most recent conflict, while Kurds lost 11,000, with 24,000 casualties. Throughout Trump’s presidency, he has been hinting at pulling American troops out of Syria, but that has consistently been

prevented by American military command because it would be a violation of our responsibility to our allies.

But on Oct. 6 of this year, Trump got on the phone with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. There is a Kurdish group called the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, that commits atrocities and is a terrorist organization in the eyes of Turkey. Erdogan equates the PKK to the Kurds who the U.S. has been working with for years. They are not the same—the PKK are not American allies, nor are they working with Americans in Syria in the fight against ISIS—but Erdogan does not care to differentiate. He wanted to bring Turkish forces over the border into Syria to attack the Kurds there. Trump, unlike the previous American diplomatic M.O. of finding a middle ground where we protect our Kurdish allies from Turkish offense, easily conceded to Erdogan’s plans. That same day, he announced that American forces were to withdraw from Syria. Defense Secretary Mark Esper worked with Trump to deliver these plans quickly.

There was essentially no time to prevent it, unlike Trump’s previous attempts to back out of Syria. Two days after American troops left, Russian troops were on Syrian ground and Turkish troops were murdering Kurds. The U.S. had stepped aside to make way for its own adversaries.

Active-duty military in Syria had already considered how to handle an American withdrawal previously. The conclusion was that it was indefensible. There would be essentially no way we could have a clear conscience leaving Kurdish allies. This is still the case. A room full of military and intelligence personnel and veterans could not defend our betrayal of the Kurds once we did withdraw, and they had never advised it in the first place. Trump has never gone to war, and even after years as Commander-in-Chief he has evidently no earthly idea what soldiers do. So it’s possible that the American public cannot lucidly expect Trump to grasp the magnitude of relationships he has broken between American soldiers and Kurdish allies. But we, the public, might understand that magnitude. As Americans, we have a responsibility to do.

CARTOON BY ROBERT MCGRADY

Uma Venkata welcomes comments at uvenkata@mndaily.com.

EDITORIAL

Hey Co-Star, how am I feeling today?

A look at how our generation is cutting ties to conformed religions and downloading apps in place of praying to Gods.

W

hile scrolling through your Twitter feed, you are far more likely to stumble upon someone’s astrology reading for the week than you are to find a prayer for someone’s loved one. Likewise, you’ll find tarot cards next to the scrunchies at Urban Outfitters more times than you will find Bibles, Torahs and Qurans in their book section.

This wave of practicing a less conventional belief system can be attributed to our technology-driven society’s constant need to be related to and connected with others.

Every tweet about Mercury entering retrograde and how it’s totally killing the mood for the day connects us with others on a platform where even people who don’t believe the stars control your emotions are able to find humor in your content.

The low-entry bar for belief systems like astrology and divination allows people to apply aspects of them into their lives at their own discretion. It doesn’t require as much involvement as actively participating in a congregation or other religious bodies. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center found that, in general, social

media has the ability to bring completely different people together. Apps that provide birth charts, tarot cards and other elements of astrology fall under that umbrella. They can appeal to a non-religious demographic and provide a sense of belonging and spiritual structure that some people may seek, while also appealing to those active in religious communities. You can check your horoscope before going to church on Sunday mornings or incorporate it into your daily routine. For the most part, it’s completely user-controlled, and people enjoy having that freedom and duality.

Another Pew study found that the amount people who converted to a non-Christian faith had risen “1.2 percentage points” from 2007 to 2014. Our generation’s ties to using organized religion as a sense of guidance are dwindling. Now we are seeing more room for unconventional means of spirituality.

Generation Z has proven to be more curious than the last. Most of us are taught about the same religions all throughout our educational careers. But it is only human to want to venture off and find our own answers to the world’s questions. As we approach the end of our adolescence, we give in to our rebellious nature. We go against what we once knew to be true and have a strong need to find answers for ourselves. We would rather come to conclusions on our own instead of being taught how we should perceive things. We are constantly trying to find new ways to observe the world around us.

Believing in something for faith or for the pure sake of being relatable is unimportant, rather the reliance on objective ideas has the ability to connect people and further drive curiosity. The concept of religion once seemed taboo to talk about with others openly, but now by actively trying to learn things we do not fully understand, we are able to discover things about ourselves and our community.

COLUMN

The news story that nobody’s talking about Minneapolis Police Union head Lt. Bob Kroll is married to prominent reporter Liz Collin. But you wouldn’t know from what they say.

T

Jonathan Ababiy columnist

elevision stations have never been very good at covering the Minneapolis police.

In 2014, in what Vanity Fair dubbed as “… the Most Pathetic News Story of the Week,” a retired police officer told KSTP that thenMayor Betsy Hodges flashed gang signs in a picture with a black constituent. The picture?

A photo of the two standing with each other, one arm over each other’s shoulder, pointing at each other. The pointer finger was a “gang sign,” the officer said.

This week, WCCO publicly cemented its own dishonesty with a conflict of interest.

In a profile of outgoing Minneapolis Police Union head, Lt. Bob Kroll, the Star Tribune’s Libor Jany noted a curious fact: Kroll is married to WCCO-TV anchor and reporter Liz Collin. Their relationship has not formally been disclosed to the public.

Collin has reported on a number of stories related to the Minneapolis police. According to a January 2018 compilation of tweets made by local freelance reporter Becky Zosia Dernbach, Dernbach found out about their relationship in June 2017.

The list of stories that Collin has reported is unnerving, given her relationship to one of the most powerful and public police officers in the state.

In June of 2017, Collin reported on the legal team of Jeronimo Yanez, a St. Anthony Police Officer who was acquitted of his manslaughter charges in the death of Philando Castile.

Collin described how a legal defense fund from the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association was paying for Yanez’s lawyers. The

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MPPOA is separate from Kroll and Yanez’s union, but two Minneapolis police officers sit on its board of directors. Kroll later defended a Minneapolis police officer in the media in a similar case to Yanez’s.

In perhaps a more flagrant conflict of interest story, Collin reported a “look back” on Janee Harteau’s five-year stay as the chief of Minneapolis police. Harteau had been requested to resign by Mayor Hodges, who one year earlier, called out Kroll for “jackass remarks.” Kroll even started selling “#jackass” t-shirts. Somehow, despite this complex web of connections, WCCO allowed Collin to give the recap on what Harteau’s tenure was like.

None of these articles contain any notices about conflicts of interest, yet they were on TV and have sat online since.

When the Star Tribune’s Jany asked Kroll about his marriage, Kroll told him that “...he’d no longer talk to the Star Tribune if it reported they were married.” This is funny because Kroll is a loud guy who loves the spotlight. He frequently butts heads publicly with mayors and blabbers to a national audience on Fox News. He even stood on stage with President Donald Trump at his rally in Minneapolis.

This kind of conduct contrasts with another recent conflict of interest case in Minnesota journalism.

In January 2018, MPR learned that the host of one of its popular weekday morning shows Tom Weber was in a relationship with then-DFL state representative and candidate for lieutenant governor Peggy Flanagan.

To avoid a conflict of interest, MPR took Weber’s show away from him and reassigned him to work that did not involve politics. A couple of months later, Weber left MPR. As City Pages put it in 2018, “In the #MeToo era, it’s nice to see a prominent media figure lose his on-air gig for a good reason. The best one: He “fell in love.”

But, Collin and Kroll were never upfront with the public about their relationship, even though both are prominent figures in Minnesota media. This is in opposition to what public journalism is about. Journalists and public officials can marry whoever they want, but they should be transparent with the public. Weber and MPR did the right thing. Collin and WCCO haven’t.

Jonathan Ababiy welcomes comments at jababiy@mndaily.com.

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

THE EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS DEPARTMENT IS INDEPENDENT OF THE NEWSROOM

7

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019

MN DAILY

HOROSCOPES

Today’s Birthday (10/28): Take advantage of your golden touch this year. Discipline with communication pays fine rewards. Express, communicate and connect this winter for booming results, shifting your journey to another destination.

Financial changes next summer motivate a breakthrough that expands your boundaries. Savor precious moments together.

MNDAILY.COM

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 7 — Double-check the data. Don’t take on more than you can do by the deadline or risk burnout. Stick to practical priorities and avoid stirring up controversy.

Libra (9/23 - 10/22): Today is a 7 — Stick to short-term objectives and local trips. Travel barriers become apparent. Most pitfalls are obvious, but some hide. Slow down and smell the roses.

Taurus (4/20 - 5/20): Today is an 8 — A financial obstacle may block the road. Avoid arguments about money. Focus on short-term objectives and practical details. Find less expensive alternatives.

Scorpio (10/23 - 11/21): Today is an 8 — Compromise on a cash-flow challenge. Postpone buying unnecessary stuff. Hunt for efficiencies.

Adjust the budget to suit an unexpected expense.

Gemini (5/21 - 6/21): Today is a 9 — Take care of yourself. You may feel temporarily overwhelmed.

Postpone what you can. Prioritize basics like good food, hot water and ample rest. Travel later.

Sagittarius (11/22 - 12/21): Today is a 7 — Wait for a better time for important talks. Communication barriers present themselves. Disagreements over priorities slow the action. Listen and consider.

Cancer (6/22 - 7/22): Today is a 6 — Slow down and sidestep a conflict of interest. Find a quiet place to hide away from crowds or chaos. Clean up messes, meditate and rest.

Capricorn (12/22 - 1/19): Today is a 6 — Slow down to avoid accidents or injury. Physical obstacles line the path. Moderate your pace to suit the terrain. Prioritize basics: health, wellness and work.

Leo (7/23 - 8/22): Today is an 8 — Support your team. Someone’s going through a challenge.

Strengthen basic infrastructure. Harness resources and allocate them where needed. Pull together.

Aquarius (1/20 - 2/18): Today is a 7 — Don’t take risks, especially regarding family, love and romance. Consider someone who needs you. Distractions abound. Keep showing up despite barriers.

Virgo (8/23 - 9/22): Today is a 6 — A short-term barrier inserts itself between you and a professional objective. Avoid hassle or fuss. Reinforce structural weakness. Make a mess now for later beauty.

Pisces (2/19 - 3/20): Today is a 7 — Better safe than sorry with a domestic matter. Don’t put money down until you’re sure about the purchase.

Research and plan upgrades carefully.

DR. DATE Dr. Date,

Alas, my college career is coming to an end. After five long years of struggle, I’m graduating this semester and despite my fear of the real world, I’m pretty excited to leave classes behind.

Except for one class — the one with the secret love of my life. I’ve fallen head over heels for this guy in my program. My major is pretty small, so I’ve known him for a few years, but last year I realized he was even cuter than I thought. We’ve hung out together to study a few times, but it was always with other people and never romantic, so I doubt he thinks of me that way.

Before I leave the University forever, I want to tell him how much I love him and ask him out. I’m hoping for an adorable rom-com feel, but can’t think of what to do! How do I tell him we need to date without being super creepy?

–Lost Love

Dear Lost Love,

Congratulations on graduating! Now let me crush your dreams before the real world can. Rom-com ideas are really only cute if both people are into each other, otherwise it comes off as weird. Also, you want to tell him you love him even though you’ve never been on a date or shown any romantic interest?! That’s DEFINITELY weird.

Don’t worry, this can still be an adorable story to tell your kids. But instead of planning an elaborate scavenger hunt with a ring at the end, slip him a cute note about how you wish you hadn’t waited this long to ask, but you’d love to go out sometime. If he refuses, you at least won’t have to see him again, but if he says yes, try not to be too overbearing and go out for coffee.

Who knows, maybe one day you’ll both being crying over your student loan debt together!

–Dr. Date

Dr. Date,

Ever meet someone and know you connect? You laugh at each other’s jokes, have deep conversations about life and want to go back to their apartment to talk for hours? You know you’re meant to be in their life forever?

Yeah, me neither. But I did hook up with this guy on Grindr last week and had a mediocre time. I awkwardly laughed at his “you’re young enough to be my son!” comment and took a $40 Uber back from his house in Edina (what can I say, I’m into rich old white men!) after some boring sex.

However, I left my prized possession behind — my too-expensive Juul. I treat that thing like my child and would normally never part with it, but like I said, BORING sex. I was too eager to get out of there.

I would be content never seeing this guy again, but I seriously love that Juul and can’t really afford to replace it right now.

My question is: Should I hook up with him again and be reunited with my baby, or take the L and hope I can buy a new one soon?

–Juulian

Dear Juulian,

Oof, I’m sorry for your loss.

Unfortunately, you might have to leave your Juul to die a peaceful death in Edina.

From what you wrote, sounds like a roundtrip Uber is $80, which would probably be better spent on a new vape. Don’t waste your time having mediocre sex when you could take this as a learning experience — AKA learning which of your friends are cool with you borrowing theirs or loaning some money. Use this as an excuse to upgrade or consider quitting, I guess?

–Dr. Date

Dr. Date is a satirical advice column dissecting real-world situations. Want advice from the love doctor? Email Dr. Date at drdate@mndaily.com

SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

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

11/14/19

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

Last issue’s solution

Last Issue’s Puzzle Solved

© 2019 Michael Mepham. Distributed

by Tribune Media Services.

All rights reserved.

8

Thursday, November 14, 2019

UMN researchers battle ‘zombie cells’ and fight off age-related diseases Senescent cells, or “zombie cells,” are tied to many agerelated diseases.

BY HANA IKRAMUDDIN hikramuddin@mndaily.com University of Minnesota researchers published a scientific review last month on a type of cell that can lead to age-related diseases in hopes that their findings will lead to healthier and fuller lives.

Senescent cells — also known as “zombie cells” because they are damaged and unable to die — are tied to a myriad of age-related diseases and conditions like osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and even general feelings of frailty. The scientific review, which was a collaboration with researchers worldwide, pointed out that while the field including senescent cells is expanding, some foundational knowledge surrounding these cells is still unclear.

“The intention [was] to gain consensus across the field, about how to define senescent cells, and then how to find them in an animal or in a person, because the definition is very loose at this point,” said Laura Niedernhofer, a contributing author to the scientific review as well as the director for the Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism at the University.

Researchers said the advancement of this field, likely, will not prolong people’s lives. However, the elimination of these cells will allow individuals to lead healthier lives with less hospital care

ILLUSTRATION BY HAILEE SCHIEVELBEIN

or age-related diseases.

Niedernhofer said centenarians, or people who live to be 100 years old, give proof that this is possible.

“And so how do we turn all of us into somebody who ages just as beautifully as they do?” Niedernhofer said, pointing not to how long centenarians live, but to their lower medical bills and fewer health complications as they age.

Senescent cells are not

all harmful. In fact, many help to repair wounds and aid in growth while the human body is developing.

“In general, we think of them as being very bad … and that’s why we want to target them with drugs and clear them to slow the onset and progression of age-related diseases and aging itself. But there’s also what we call ‘sort of good senescent cells,’” Niedernhofer said.

Stairwell could link to Dinky Greenway

Notably, the “good” senescent cells naturally remove themselves over time.

Similar to the targeted senescent cells, the function and use of these cells are currently poorly defined.

Specifically, attempting to address age-related diseases holistically through the removal of senescent cells is relatively new in the medical field.

“We can use genetic tricks to target those cells

Another group quickly scared the suspects off after the assault.

A sexual assault was reported in Marcy-Holmes early Sunday morning, according to a campus-wide alert sent Tuesday.

Plans for a stairwell recently resurfaced after they were first introduced in 2014.

BY EMMA DILL edill@mndaily.com

Plans to make a bike trail running through Dinkytown more accessible could be moving forward.

The city of Minneapolis first proposed a stairwell connecting Fourth Street Southeast to the Dinkytown Greenway below in 2014, but it was never constructed.

Plans for the stairwell have recently resurfaced, prompting students, University of Minnesota officials and others to consider the impacts of the stairwell for pedestrians and cyclists in Dinkytown.

“One thing I wanted to see if I could help make happen is to provide better access for students to get to the Dinkytown Greenway,” said Minneapolis Park and Recreation District 1 Commissioner Chris Meyer. “Because right now, you can’t get to the Dinkytown Greenway from Dinkytown.”

Funding for the project could come from park dedication fees, which developers pay based on the

number of living units and commercial spaces they build. Neighborhoods can use park dedication fees for a variety of green space projects. This helps ensure that people living in higher density areas, like Dinkytown, have access to green space, Meyer said.

Meyer said the stairwell would benefit students living in or near recent developments in Dinkytown.

“I wanted to try to do something close to where the new construction is and the Greenway is the closest green space to the construction,” he said.

The University received plans last week for a potential stairwell, which would be constructed on school property.

Monique MacKenzie, the University’s director of Campus and Capital Planning, said that while the University recognizes the need for increased access to the path, more discussions with stakeholders are still needed.

“We are not opposed to making the connection,” MacKenzie said. “We just need to see more detail to understand how it’s going to work and make sure we’re not causing impact.”

The University is concerned about the design of the stairwell, which could put pedestrians into the path of bikes and may cause potential safety issues, MacKenzie said.

In addition, the University operates an electrical facility nearby, which could be affected by the construction of the stairwell, MacKenzie said.

Meyer addressed the proposed stairway project at a Minnesota Student Association meeting last month.

MSA sent out a campus-wide email last week to gauge support for the measure, said MSA communications team member Katy Briggs in an email.

“We decided to include this initiative in the allschool email to test support for it, and we did receive a few messages in favor of advocating for a stairwell,” the email read.

Meyer said that recent staffing changes in University administration, including the addition of President Joan Gabel, may give the new proposal momentum.

“We may be more successful this time around since there are those new people looking at the issue,” Meyer said.

said Paul Robbins, associate director for the University’s Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism and co-author of the review.

“I do think that we’re progressing in the clinic faster than the basic sciences keeping up with it,” Robbins said. “As we do the clinical trials there’s going to be more and more questions we have to go back to the bench to address.”

Sexual assault reported in MarcyHolmes early Sunday morning

BY JASMINE SNOW jsnow@mndaily.com

A runner passes the possible site of a new stairway connecting the Dinkytown Greenway to the intersection of Fourth Street Southeast and 15th Avenue Southeast on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

(Emily Urfer / Minnesota Daily)

and eliminate them ... getting rid of those cells could potentially be an intervention for [age-related] conditions,” said Nathan LeBrasseur, who works with senescent cells at the Mayo Clinic as a consultant in the Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering.

Research on senescent cells in humans began earlier this year and is still being developed. The field is moving extremely quickly,

The incident took place at the corner of Seventh Street Southeast and 12th Avenue Southeast at 1:30 a.m. The two male suspects were described as having a heavy build and were scared off shortly after the assault by another group.

This is the second SAFE-U alert regarding crime in Marcy-Holmes in the last week. On Saturday, a victim was robbed in Dinkytown by a group of four to five suspects. This is

also the third all-campus alert of the semester sent out about sexual misconduct on campus. One incident was reported in September and the other was reported in October.

The victim described both of the male suspects as having a heavy build.