FOOD COURT PLANNED FOR DINKYTOWN PG 2 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2018
LATE WEEK
THE FOOD COURT WILL INCLUDE 10 RESTAURANTS
MNDAILY.COM
ADMINISTRATION
GABEL: UMN PRESIDENTIAL FINALIST Joan Gabel, a provost at the University of South Carolina, was named on Wednesday.
BY HELEN SABROWSKY & AUSTEN MACALUS hsabrowsky@mndaily.com, amacalus@mndaily.com
COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
Joan Gabel, presidential finalist.
The University of Minnesota Board of Regents selected a lone finalist in the search for the next president: Joan Gabel, who could become the first female president of the University. Gabel, who is currently the provost at the University of South Carolina, was selected by all but one regent in a back-and-forth special meeting Wednesday afternoon. Regent Darrin Rosha was the only dissenter. Several regents said Gabel was the strongest of the three front-runners recommended to the board by the Presidential Search Advisory Committee. “I’m looking for a visionary leader. Someone who can inspire people. Who can bring a vision for this University to take us to the next level,” said Regent Chair David
McMillan at a press conference after the meeting. “I believe that the candidate we’re bringing to Minnesota next week has all those aspirations.” Gabel will visit system campuses for public forums next week. The full board will interview her at its December meeting next Thursday and Friday, with a special meeting the following week to vote on her confirmation. McMillan said the next president could be named before Christmas. Regent Abdul Omari, chair of the presidential search committee, said Gabel stood out for her ability to connect with people. “First and foremost, we’re looking for a certain energy, and she had a high level of energy,” he said. “It was an easy decision to name her a finalist.” All the three of the candidates had “extensive experience” in higher education, said Regent Steve Sviggum at the meeting. However, Gabel was the only front-runner willing to be publicly named with other finalists. The other two front-runners were unwilling to be publicly named unless they were selected as the sole finalist.
A&E
Regents did not identify front-runners, referring to them as “Candidate A,” “Candidate B” and “Candidate C” throughout the meeting. But, multiple regents referred to “Candidate A” as a woman throughout the meeting. “Well, she is a she,” Hsu said in response to other regents asking him to de-identify “Candidate A’s” gender, who was later identified as Gabel. “While I would have loved to have seen a handful of people willing to go public, the search committee delivered to us an extremely talented and broadly supported group of people. Unfortunately only … one of them would take that risk,” McMillan said. Under Minnesota public data laws, candidates’ identities are not public until they are named finalists by the board. McMillan said there was a “delicate balance” between adhering to public data and open meeting laws while protecting confidentiality of candidates. Several regents said the state’s public u See GABEL Page 7
CAMPUS
From Olympic athletes to industry titans, a little-known community is crushing walls.
Anti-Semitic vandalism was found in 17th Vandalism referencing white supremacy and Nazism was reported in 17th Avenue dorm. BY HELEN SABROWSKY hsabrowsky@mndaily.com
JACK RODGERS, DAILY
Ethan Anderson demonstrates a winter climb of the “B2 Bomber” boulder problem on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at Interstate State Park. Interstate is where Anderson first learned to outdoor climb three years ago.
‘SCENDING ‘SOTA BY SAMIR FERDOWSI sferdowsi@mndaily.com
MINNESOTA IS FLAT.
Peaks are mounds and valleys are riverbeds. Yet, in a place where the skyscrapers in downtown reach as high as one can get, one sport has gripped the population with an unconditional allure: rock climbing. Brought here in the late 1980s by a vagabond crew of Minnesotans, rock climbing has stuck. Originally, one could only access limited outdoor ascents in Taylors Falls and Red Wing. Indoor climbers only had a single rope atop a brick wall inside a Roseville outdoors retailer. Now, with a young generation
crushing in a new style, the sport’s landscape is putting on a new face. “Most people have never heard of Minnesota,” said Olympic-bound climber and University of Minnesota graduate Kyra Condie. “Some people say they’ve heard of it but don’t know where it is. ... But, I always make sure to say I’m from here.” Minnesota has erupted into an unrecognized, yet world-class, hub for those in the pursuit of going up.
First pitch: Minnesota’s Base Minnesotans have infiltrated the climbing universe — whether the world knows it or not. With 14 major gyms and counting, nearly 2,000 outdoor routes and Olympic-bound
talent knotted together, the state is on track to reckon with the western U.S. “To me, Minnesota climbing culture is like a giant, unknown underground community,” said world champion and Minnesota-based climber Alex Johnson, who coaches in the Twin Cities. “It’s like we’re here, you don’t need to know about it — but we’re going to keep crushing.” Johnson began her climbing journey in St. Paul, where she made a 20-minute drive to climb at least four times a week in 1997. Now, she’s a professional athlete for The North Face and was the first American to ever win a Bouldering World Cup title on U.S. soil. ‘Scending everywhere from California u See CLIMBING Page 4
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Kalscheur’s hot hand making an impact in freshman season The guard has impressed his coaches and teammates with his shooting skills and drive. BY NICK JUNGHEIM njungheim@mndaily.com
Before the season, many outside the program expected Gabe Kalscheur to serve primarily as a role player for Minnesota. However, just a month into his freshman campaign, he’s proven himself as one of the team’s most valuable weapons. Kalscheur, a freshman from Edina, Minnesota, has started every game for the Gophers this season. Few foresaw Kalscheur getting an opportunity to start immediately, but his stellar play and attention to detail earned him a spot among the lineup. “It’s hard to trust freshmen,” said head coach Richard Pitino. “They do a lot of wacky things. They’re young, it takes time. That’s normal. But with [Kalscheur], he just doesn’t u See BASKETBALL Page 6
A University of Minnesota residence hall was vandalized with anti-Semitic messages last Wednesday. On Nov. 28, members of a Living Learning Community in the University of Minnesota’s 17th Avenue Residence Hall notified staff to the presence of racially biased vandalism in the building that targeted a “community-created poster,” according to an email sent to hall residents. The email described the vandalism as anti-Semitic and containing references to white supremacist and Nazi sentiments. The University does not have information on who was responsible for the vandalism, according to the email. The Charlotte’s Home for Black Women, the Chinese Language and Cultural House, Greek Unity House, Huntley House and u See VANDALISM Page 7
STUDENT LIFE
Students, experts disgruntled by proposed policy The policy would affect how sexual assault investigations are handled on campuses. BY AUDREY KENNEDY akennedy@mndaily.com
Students and experts are expressing concern over a proposed policy released last month from the U.S Department of Education that would change the way sexual assault and misconduct cases are handled at college campuses that receive federal funds. The plan, proposed by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, would change current Title IX policies by limiting the types of sexual assault and misconduct cases schools would be required to investigate and narrowing the definition of sexual harassment. The plan also would give protection to students accused of sexual misconduct by allowing them to indirectly cross-examine their accusers through third parties in a disciplinary hearing. The proposal opened for a 60-day public comment period last week. The University of Minnesota is currently monitoring and reviewing the proposed changes, according to a statement from the University emailed to the Minnesota Daily.
Changing the definition
TONY SAUNDERS, DAILY
Freshman Gabe Kalscheur works to block the ball at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Friday, Nov. 30.
While a draft of the proposal was released in August, Meara Cline, chair of Minnesota Student Association’s sexual assault task force, said the recent release solidified the task force’s concerns about the effects it would have on the University. The proposal seeks to narrow the definition of sexual harassment by requiring the behavior to be “so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it denies its victims the equal access to education that Title IX is designed to protect,” according to the proposal. “At a minimum, it’s insulting to survivors u See POLICY Page 7
VOLUME 119 ISSUE 28