January 10, 2023

Welcome back! Don’t slip behind, it’s only the first week.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2023

Snowy start to spring semester

MSU spends over $49 million from relief funds

By JULIA LIN, ALI REED, ANTHONY KALLBERG and TROY BEEBE Guest Writers

Minnesota State University, Mankato received over $49 million from three state-issued Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) acts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than $22 million went to student aid while the remainder helped the university repair lost revenue of departments.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

After a month of being on break, it’s time for the Mavericks to stampede the campus once again. With plenty of snow coating the ground, students can pick from skating, skiing and sledding, among other winter activities to partake in before the weather gets warm.

Late MSU professor honored with dance studio

By CARLY BAHR Staff Writer

Florence Cobb became the first Black female professor at Minnesota State University in 1968 and founded the dance program. Now, as of December and nearly 30 years after her retirement, the department has named the former Highland Center North dance studio in her honor.

“I think it’s really important to honor her legacy on campus,” said Corrie Eggimann, director of public relations for the MSU Department of Theatre and Dance. “She really advocated for dance for all people, people with different abilities, and so I think it’s really exciting and really important to have that space kind of right in the middle of campus that so many people have access to.”

Before her 2016 death, Cobb studied at Lincoln University, Tennessee State University and Temple University after spend-

ing her upbringing in a “predominantly white neighborhood” in Oklahoma, according to her biography on the MSU website, which identifies her as the “dance founding mother.”

She founded the dance pro-

gram at MSU and established the Dance Education Minor.

The biography says she had a goal to teach Minnesota students about diverse cultures through guest artists, workshops and study abroad trips.

She taught at MSU for over 20 years before retiring in 1990, according to her obituary in the Star Tribune.

She received a special citation at the Twin Cities SAGE awards in 2013 and said in her acceptance speech, “I’ve shared time and space and energy with all of you. And that’s all it’s about on this Earth.”

The studio is in Highland North, on the way to the Myers Field House. The studio, which was already built before being dedicated to Cobb in December, features a mural by the entrance of Cobb in purple with her arms stretched outwards.

Another nearby wall shows the same picture in black and white with a biography about her life and career. These graphics were created by the department’s Creative Production staff, according to their Facebook post about the dedication.

This space was chosen for re-naming because she taught

The state of Minnesota received roughly $565 million in COVID reliev to allocate to 90 state colleges and universities. For MSU specifically, The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Acts were awarded and spent by MSU as of June, 30.

The CARES act allocated $4,544,481 to student aid and $4,544,481 to the institution totaling $9,088,962. The university, however, didn’t know when or if each act was the last one it would receive.

“We didn’t know that any further income was coming after it. So we’ve got to make the decisions based on what is the money that we have available for us here,” Rick Straka, Vice President for Finance and Administration, said.

The second wave of income MSU received was the CRRSA act, which allocated $4,544,481 to student aid and $10,072,791 to the institutions, for a totaling of $14,617,272.

Following that came the ARPA act, which allocated $13,050,951 to student aid and $12,869,589 to the institution, totaling $25,920,540.

Over the three acts, MSU received a total of $49,626,774.

Ultimately decided by the Cabinet, the number one priority in the waves of funding were domestic

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

The Florence Cobb Dance Studio was renamed in early December to honor the late MSU professor. The Highland North studio was where Cobb taught several classes in the late 20th century.

Brazil cracks down post-riot to protect democracy

By DAVID BILLER The Associated Press

Brazilian authorities vowed Monday to protect democracy and punish thousands of supporters of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro who stormed and trashed the nation’s highest seats of power in chaos with striking similarities to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

The protesters swarmed into Congress, the Supreme Court and presidential palace on Sunday. Many have said they want the Brazilian army to restore the far-right Bolsonaro to power and oust the newly inaugurated leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Police broke down a pro-Bolsonaro encampment outside a military building Monday and detained some 1,200 people there, the justice ministry’s press office told The Associated Press.

Lula and the heads of the Supreme Court, Senate and Lower House also signed a letter Monday denouncing acts of terrorism and vandalism and saying they were taking legal measures.

Justice Minister Flávio Dino told reporters police have begun tracking those who paid for the buses that transported protesters to the capital. At the news conference late Sunday, Brazil’s minister of institutional relations said the buildings would be

inspected for evidence including fingerprints and images to hold people to account, and that the rioters apparently intended to spark similar uprest nationwide.

“They will not succeed in destroying Brazilian democracy. We need to say that fully, with

all firmness and conviction,” Dino said. “We will not accept the path of criminality to carry out political fights in Brazil. A criminal is treated like a criminal.”

Rioters donning the green and yellow of the national flag

on Sunday broke windows, toppled furniture, hurled computers and printers to the ground. They punctured a massive Emiliano Di Cavalcanti painting at the presidential palace in seven places and completely destroyed other works of art. They over-

turned the U-shaped table at which Supreme Court justices convene, ripped a door off one justice’s office and vandalized an iconic statue outside the court. The monumental buildings’ interiors were left in states of ruin.

Monday’s arrests came in addition to the 300 held Sunday while caught in the act. But police were noticeably slow to react - even after the arrival of more than 100 buses - leading many to ponder whether authorities had either simply ignored numerous warnings, underestimated the protesters’ strength, or been somehow complicit.

Public prosecutors in the capital said local security forces had at very least been negligent. A supreme court justice temporarily suspended the regional governor. Another justice blamed authorities for not swiftly cracking down on budding neofascism in Brazil.

After his Oct. 30 electoral defeat, Bolsonaro, who has gone to Florida, has been stoking belief among his hardcore supporters that the electronic voting system was prone to fraud — though he never presented any evidence. His lawmaker son Eduardo Bolsonaro held several meetings with former U.S. President Donald Trump, Trump’s longtime ally Steve Bannon and his senior campaign adviser, Jason Miller.

ERALDO PERES • The Associated Press

Protesters, supporters of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro, storm the National Congress building in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023.

Teacher shot by 6-year-old known as devoted to students

undergraduate students and aiding students affected by the pandemic.

Many international students, however, expressed disappointment in the lack of funding set aside for them. Since they were not eligible for the aid set aside in the first two acts, many still experienced hardships.

The university recognized this need for these students and created a pool of funds out of the institutional university money to aid international students.

“We looked at things we could do institutionally, and through the generosity of some of our donors, they helped with this issue and supplement the federal money from the act,” Straka said.

According to the Kearney International Center, up to $140,000 in emergency funds was reportedly disbursed to international students attending the university in 2020, when the pandemic first struck the nation.

Cristobal Ugarte, a second-year international student, received funds from the school in 2020 through the emergency grant created.

grant I got helped me worry less about tuition and let me focus on school,” Ugarte said.

Over half of the recipients of these funds were senior-level students at the time, with nearly three out of four receiving roughly $1,000, according to the Kearney International Center.

Domestic undergraduate students affected were able to apply for relief as well.

Peyton Spehn, a recipient of one of these emergency grants in 2021, found himself with a bill that was “a couple thousand dollars,” something he couldn’t afford, coming from a low-income family and not being able to keep his job when the pandemic began.

Initially with only two options, to either pay his bill for the upcoming semester and be without his own mode of transportation or get his car repaired and sacrifice at least a semester of his schooling.

However, after discovering the university’s emergency grant opportunity, he quickly met with a grant advisor and was able to cover well over half of his car’s repairs, allowing him to stay in school and on track to graduate.

By DENISE LAVOIE The Associated Press

The Virginia teacher who authorities say was shot by a 6-year-old student is known as a hard-working educator who is devoted to her students and enthusiastic about the profession that runs in her family, according to fellow teachers and city officials.

John Eley III, a former member of the Newport News School Board, identified the first-grade teacher as Abby Zwerner, 25.

Zwerner was shot Friday at Richneck Elementary School, authorities said.

Shortly after the shooting, police said Zwerner had life-threatening injuries, but she has improved and was listed in stable condition at a local hospital.

Eley and other city officials met with teachers and the principal at the school Friday and later went to the hospital, where they met with members of Zwerner’s family, including several aunts who also are teachers.

“The family was all educators and said she was excited about doing the job,” said Eley, who was recently elected to the Newport News City Council.

“The custodians and other teachers spoke about how she’s a good teammate, she’s a team player, she loves her children, she’s just an all-around good teacher.”

Cindy Hurst said her granddaughter, 8, is still rattled by the shooting.

She was in Zwerner’s class last year, and told her grandmother she is a great teacher.

“I just hate that this happened,” Hurst told The Virginian-Pilot. “But life as we know

it may not ever be the same — I don’t know.”

Zwerner attended James Madison University, graduating in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies and minors in Elementary Education and Music.

She graduated from JMU’s College of Education in 2020 with a master’s degree in Education.

JMU President Jonathan Alger offered a message of support for Zwerner, her family, friends and fellow teachers, students and their families.

“JMU is prepared to support those impacted by this incident now and in the weeks to come,” Alger tweeted Saturday.

Police Chief Steve Drew said the boy shot and wounded the teacher with a handgun in a first-grade classroom.

He was later taken into police custody. Drew said the shooting was not accidental and was part of an altercation. No students were injured.

Police have declined to describe what led to the altercation or any other details about what happened in the classroom, citing the ongoing investigation. They have also declined to say how the boy got access to the gun or who owns the weapon.

Virginia law does not allow 6-year-olds to be tried as adults.

In addition, a 6-year-old is too young to be committed to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice if found guilty.

A juvenile judge would have authority, though, to revoke a parent’s custody and place a child under the purview of the Department of Social Services.

Mayor Phillip Jones would not say where the boy is being

held.

“We are ensuring he has all the services that he currently needs right now,” Jones said Saturday.

Experts who study gun violence said the shooting represents an extremely rare occurrence of a young child bringing a gun into school and wounding a teacher.

“It’s very rare and it’s not something the legal system is really designed or positioned to deal with,” said researcher David Riedman, founder of a database that tracks U.S. school shootings dating back to 1970.

He said Saturday that he’s only aware of three other shootings caused by 6-year-old students in the time period he’s studied.

Those include the fatal shooting of a fellow student in 2000 in Michigan and shootings that injured other students in 2011 in Texas and 2021 in Mississippi.

Riedman said he only knows of one other instance of a student younger than that causing gunfire at a school, in which a 5-year-old student brought a gun to a Tennessee school in 2013 and accidentally discharged it.

No one was injured in that case.

Newport News is a city of about 185,000 people in southeastern Virginia known for its shipyard, which builds the nation’s aircraft carriers and other U.S. Navy vessels.

Richneck has about 550 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, according to the Virginia Department of Education’s website.

Jones said there will be no classes at the school Monday and Tuesday.

“That money was huge for me. When COVID hit, I was scared of what the next few months would look like. The

“It was a weight off of my shoulders. I was really upset when I thought I’d have to take a semester off of school. I don’t

$5 TICKETS FOR MNSU STUDENTS!

SPRING 2023 PRODUCTIONS:

Marisol February 16-18 & 23-26, 2023

At Home at the Zoo March 1-4, 2023

Something Rotten April 6-8 & 13-16, 2023

The Language Archives April 19-22, 2023

Spring Dance Concert April 27-29, 2023

TICKETS:

Student tickets are only $5 for all productions, and are available online or in the Box Office in the Performing Arts Center with your student ID! Box Office Hours are Monday - Friday, 4-6 p.m.

BILLY SCHUERMAN • The Associated Press

Police respond to a shooting at Richneck Elementary School, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023 in Newport News, Va. A shooting at a Virginia elementary school sent a teacher to the hospital and ended with “an individual” in custody Friday, police and school officials in the city of Newport News said.

New guidance: Use drugs, surgery early for obesity in kids

Grand jury ends probe of Trump

By KATE BRUMBACK The Associated Press

The special grand jury in Atlanta that has been investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies committed any crimes while trying to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia has finished its work, bringing the case closer to possible criminal charges against Trump and others.

NOVO NORDISK • The Associated Press

Children struggling with obesity should be evaluated and treated early and aggressively, with medications for kids as young as 12 and surgery for those as young as 13 who qualify, according to new guidelines.

By JONEL ALECCIA The Associated Press

Children struggling with obesity should be evaluated and treated early and aggressively, including with medications for kids as young as 12 and surgery for those as young as 13, according to new guidelines released Monday.

The longstanding practice of “watchful waiting,” or delaying treatment to see whether children and teens outgrow or overcome obesity on their own only worsens the problem that affects more than 14.4 million young people in the U.S. Left untreated, obesity can lead to lifelong health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes and depression.

“Waiting doesn’t work,” said Dr. Ihuoma Eneli, co-author of the first guidance on childhood obesity in 15 years from the American Academy of Pediatrics. “What we see is a continuation of weight gain and the likelihood that they’ll have (obesity) in adulthood.”

For the first time, the group’s guidance sets ages at which kids and teens should be offered medical treatments such as drugs and surgery — in addition to intensive diet, exercise and other behavior and lifestyle interventions, said Eneli, director of the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

In general, doctors should offer adolescents 12 and older who have obesity access to

appropriate drugs and teens 13 and older with severe obesity referrals for weight-loss surgery, though situations may vary.

The guidelines aim to reset the inaccurate view of obesity as “a personal problem, maybe a failure of the person’s diligence,” said Dr. Sandra Hassink, medical director for the AAP Institute for Healthy Childhood weight, and a co-author of the guidelines.

“This is not different than you have asthma and now we have an inhaler for you,” Hassink said.

Young people who have a body mass index that meets or exceeds the 95th percentile for kids of the same age and gender are considered obese. Kids who reach or exceed the 120th percentile are considered to have severe obesity. BMI is a measure of body size based on a calculation of height and weight.

Obesity affects nearly 20% of kids and teens in the U.S. and about 42% of adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The group’s guidance takes into consideration that obesity is a biological problem and that the condition is a complex, chronic disease, said Aaron Kelly, co-director of the Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine at the University of Minnesota.

“Obesity is not a lifestyle problem. It is not a lifestyle disease,” he said. “It predominately emerges from biological factors.”

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who was overseeing the panel, issued a two-page order Monday dissolving the special grand jury, saying it had completed its work and submitted a final report.

The lengthy investigation has been one of several around the country that threaten legal peril for Trump as he mounts a third bid for the White House.

The decision whether to seek an indictment from a regular grand jury will be up to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Willis spokesperson Jeff DiSantis said the office had no comment on the completion of the panel’s work.

McBurney wrote in his order that the special grand jury recommended that its report be made public.

He scheduled a hearing for Jan. 24 to determine whether all or part of the report should be released and said the district attorney’s office and news outlets would be given an opportunity to make arguments at that hearing.

Since June, the special grand jury has heard testimony from dozens of witnesses, including numerous close Trump associates such as the former New York mayor and Trump attorney, Rudy Giuliani, andSen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Assorted high-ranking Georgia officials have also testified, among them Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

Last month, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection asserted in its final report that Trump

criminally engaged in a “multipart conspiracy” to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 presidential election and failed to act to stop his supporters from attacking the Capitol. The report concluded an extraordinary 18-month investigation into the former president and the violent attack.

Special grand juries in Georgia cannot issue indictments but instead can issue a final report recommending actions to be taken.

Willis opened the investigation in early 2021, shortly after a recording surfaced of a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call between Trump and Raffensperger. During that call, the president suggested the state’s top elections official could “find” the votes needed to overturn his loss in the state.

“I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” Trump had said. “Because we won the state.”

Since then it has become clear that Willis has been focusing on several different areas: phone calls made to Georgia officials by Trump and his allies; false statements made by Trump associates before Georgia legislative committees; a panel of 16 Republicans who signed a certificate falsely stating that Trump had won the

state and that they were the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors; the abrupt resignation of the U.S. attorney in Atlanta in January 2021; alleged attempts to pressure a Fulton County election worker; and a breach of election equipment in a rural south Georgia county.

Lawyers for Giuliani confirmed in August that prosecutors told them he could possibly face criminal charges in the case. The 16 Republican fake electors have also been told they are targets of the investigation, according to public court filings. It is possible that others have also been notified they are targets of the investigation.

Trump and his allies have consistently denied any wrongdoing, with the former president repeatedly describing his call with Raffensperger as “perfect” and dismissing Willis’ investigation as a “strictly political Witch Hunt!”

Willis took the unusual step in January 2022 of requesting that a special grand jury be seated to aid the investigation.

She noted that a special grand jury would have subpoena power which would help compel testimony from witnesses who were otherwise unwilling to participate in the investigation.

her classes in it during her time as a professor in the late 20th century.

She taught a variety of classes in this space and it will continue to be a diverse learning area with different disciplines taught including ballet, contemporary and yoga, according to Eggimann.

The Florence Cobb dance studio joins the Schellberg Gym in campus spaces named

after MSU legacies. According to Eggimann, Cobb and Ruth Schellberg, former chairperson of women’s P.E., were friends during their time on campus.

“Having that studio named after her will help the legacy of the dance program and help the dance program remain a prominent program in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. We really owe to her the founding of the dance program itself,” said Eggimann.

REBECCA BLACKWELL • The Associated Press

The special grand jury investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies committed any crimes while trying to overturn his defeat has finished its work.

Prince Harry’s explosive book hits the stands

By JILL LAWLESS The Associated Press

Prince Harry defended his decision to publish a memoir that lays bare rifts inside Britain’s royal family, saying it’s an attempt to “own my story” after 38 years of “spin and distortion” by others.

Harry spoke to Britain’s ITV and CBS’s “60 Minutes” to promote his book, “Spare,” which has generated incendiary headlines with its details of private emotional turmoil and bitter family resentments.

In interviews broadcast Sunday, Harry accused members of the royal family of getting “into bed with the devil” to gain favorable tabloid coverage, claimed his stepmother Camilla, the queen consort, had leaked private conversations to the media and said his family was “complicit” in his wife Meghan’s “pain and suffering.”

Harry said Camilla had to rehabilitate her image with the British people after her longtime affair with his father and that he was one of the victims of her efforts for better coverage in the tabloids.

“That made her dangerous because of the connections that she was forging within the British press,” he told CBS. “There was open willingness on both sides to trade information.

And with a family built on hierarchy, and with her, on the way to being queen consort, there was gonna be people or bodies left in the street.”

He repeated his claim on ITV that there was “concern” in the royal family about his unborn child’s skin color after he married biracial American actress Meghan Markle, and said the British monarchy should address its attitudes to race.

Harry and Meghan first mentioned the incident during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. They have not identified the family member who expressed concern.

Harry said the episode was an example of unconscious

bias rather than racism, adding that the royal family needed to “learn and grow” in order to be “part of the solution rather than part of the problem.”

“Otherwise unconscious bias then moves into the category of racism,” Harry said. He said that “especially when you are the monarchy – you have a responsibility, and quite rightly people hold you to a higher standard than others.”

He said a recent incident in which a former lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II asked a Black British woman where she was “really” from was “a very good example of the environment within the institution.”

“Spare” explores Harry’s grief at the death of his mother in 1997, and his long-simmering resentment at the role of royal “spare,” overshadowed by the “heir” — older brother Prince William.

He recounts arguments and a physical altercation with William, reveals how he lost his vir-

ginity (in a field) and describes using cocaine and cannabis.

He also says he killed 25 Taliban fighters while serving as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan — a claim criticized by both the Taliban and British military veterans.

Harry told ITV that he cried only once after his mother’s death — at her burial.

He said he feels guilt about not showing emotion when he and William greeted crowds of mourners outside Kensington Palace, Diana’s London home.

In the book Harry blames his family’s stiff-upper-lip ethos, saying he had “learned too well … the family maxim that crying is not an option.” The Associated Press purchased a Spanish-language copy of the book in advance of its publication around the world on Tuesday.

“There were 50,000 bouquets of flowers to our mother and there we were shaking people’s hands, smiling,” Harry

told ITV journalist Tom Bradby. “I’ve seen the videos, right, I looked back over it all. And the wet hands that we were shaking, we couldn’t understand why their hands were wet, but it was all the tears that they were wiping away.

“Everyone thought and felt like they knew our mum, and the two closest people to her, the two most loved people by her, were unable to show any emotion in that moment.”

Harry told “60 Minutes” that it took him over a decade to accept that his mother was dead. He and his brother often discussed the notion that she had gone into hiding and would reappear later.

“I had huge amounts of hope,” he said.

It was only after reading the police report of his mother’s death, seeing photos from the scene and later — at the age of 23 — following the same route into the Paris tunnel where his mother died when her driver

crashed while evading paparazzi that her death became a reality, he said.

“Spare” is the latest in a string of public pronouncements by Harry and Meghan since they quit royal life and moved to California in 2020, citing what they saw as the media’s racist treatment of Meghan and a lack of support from the palace. It follows the Winfrey interview and a six-part Netflix documentary released last month.

In the ghostwritten memoir, Harry, 38, describes the couple’s acrimonious split from the royal family in early 2020, after their request for a part-time royal role was rejected.

Harry contrasts the withdrawal of the couple’s taxpayer-funded security with the case of his uncle, Prince Andrew, who was removed as a working royal over his friendship with the U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Last year, Andrew settled a lawsuit from a woman who accused him of sexually abusing her while she traveled with financier Epstein when she was 17.

Andrew paid an undisclosed sum as part of the settlement, but didn’t admit wrongdoing.

Harry alleges that no one considered removing Andrew’s security despite the “shameful scandal.”

The TV interviews are just two of several given by Harry that are set to heap more pressure on the royal family. He is also appearing on “Good Morning America” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

Royal officials haven’t commented on any of the allegations, though allies have pushed back on the claims, largely anonymously.

Veteran British journalist Jonathan Dimbleby, a biographer and friend of King Charles III, said Saturday that Harry’s revelations were the type “that you’d expect … from a sort of B-list celebrity,” and that the king would be pained and frustrated by them.

PA via The Associated Press

This undated screengrab issued by ITV on Friday Jan. 6, 2023 shows Britain’s Prince Harry, left, speaking during an interview with ITV’s Tom Bradby for the programme Harry: The Interview about his new book.

represent the opinions of The Reporter editorial board. The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the college, university or student body.

Julia Barton Editor In Chief

Emma Johnson News Director

Joey Erickson Variety Editor

Alicia Reed Sports Editor Dylan Engel Photo Editor

Resolutions can start any time

It’s been a week since people around the world pledged to start their New Years resolutions. Whether it was reducing screen time or hitting the gym, everyone was planning to redeem themselves after the restful end to 2022.

However, most people tend to ditch their resolutions not long after the beginning of the year. Most people will shrug their shoulders and say “well, there’s always next year!” before resulting back to their old habits. Instead of waiting over 300 days to start brand new with those goals, we as students, can start those resolutions any time of the year.

While most people tend to stick to the New Year as a clear start to their plans through the “new year, new me” mindset, there truly is no limit as to when you can start your journey.

For example, if your goal is to get better sleep this year, see what your first two weeks of the semester are like and if that goal is attainable with your schedule. If your goal is to eat healthier, check the dining hall’s menu in advance to plan out what you’ll want to eat. Goals don’t have to start on the first of the year, first of the month or a typical Monday.

When people have a minor slip up, it’s easy to procrastinate and fall back into their old habits. Whether they choose to wait another week or even the next year, they consider the slip up to be poor commitment to their goals.

One slip up doesn’t constitute as a failure. Everyone has off days or obstacles that get in the way, but it shouldn’t mean that we lose our motivation or drive to complete our goals.

Additionally, some resolutions may need to be reworked as certain goals work better during different times of the year. If your goal is to get outside more, it’s probably better to get outside during the summer when there isn’t as much snow and cold winds blowing. Around the holiday season when there are plenty of treats around isn’t the best to start a diet when there’s plenty of temptation. Going on a 12 hour road trip without your phone when you vowed to reduce screen time doesn’t sound like such a great idea either. Certain times of the year work better for starting certain goals and that’s okay.

While we, as students, should strive each year to achieve the goals we set for ourselves, we need to be patient and flexible with ourselves in the process of reaching them.

No matter how we get there, as long as we can look back on December 31 and realize that we are different than we were at the beginning of the year, then that deserves a celebration in itself.

Made in China: Julia Lin

By JULIA LIN Editor in Chief

Julia wasn’t always my name. When I was adopted, my birth name was Yoshi, yes, like the big green dinosaur from Mario Kart.

Growing up, I was so glad my parents saved me from the teasing and bullying Yoshi would have received during grade school. When I was younger, I would try my best to hide my Asian-ness in order to fit in with my predominantly white peers.

However, as a young adult, I have learned to embrace my ethnicity and become more curious about my feelings and how I identify. This led me to dive deeper into my experience during

grade school and how I shared my parent’s ethnic history during show and tell in lack of knowing my own. In elementary school when we had to share our family tree and tell all of our classmates where we were from, I would receive odd looks as I told them I was related to Clara Barton and my ancestors were from Germany and Great Britain.

Lin is actually my middle name, as is my mom’s. But she spells it as Lynn, not Lin. She told me that was the Asian way to spell it. My grandma’s first name is also Linda, so I think that had something to do with it.

Other than that, I just like the way it rolls off the tongue. Julia Lin is just short and to the point. It has sort

of an upward inflection compared to Barton.

As someone who plans to break into the broadcast journalism scene, introducing yourself at the beginning and end of a segment is routine. Having a name that is easy and quick to say will make transitions easier and more efficient. I think of it as almost a stage name.

Our names are such a big part of our identity. Each name has a backstory of how they got it, and what it means. I always enjoy talking to my friends about what their names could have been. In my case, my parents were between Julia and Paige. I definitely do not see myself as Paige so I am happy they went with Julia.

“What did you do over winter break?”

Compiled by Dylan Engel

ERIC CARLSON, FRESHMAN

“Hung out with friends from my hometown.”

EVA WEBER, FRESHMAN

“Worked a ton, 5 days a week for 8 hours.”

SAM SLEICHERT,

SENIOR

“Worked, gotta pay the bills. Snowboarding, then went home.”

NATNAEL

KELEMEWORK, FRESHMAN

“Stayed in my homeland in Ethiopia.”

ALYSSA

DOEGE, SOPHOMORE

“Sledding in Sibley Park.”

EVAN TULASHIE, FRESHMAN “Worked out 6 days a week.”

Editorials

Californians cope with more rain, snow, flooding and outages

UN says ozone layer slowly healing, hole to mend by 2066

By SETH BORENSTEIN The Associated Press

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Californians grappled with flooding and mudslides Monday as the latest in a series of powerful storms walloped the state, shuttering schools, toppling trees and leaving tens of thousands without power.

Evacuation orders were issued in Santa Cruz County for about 32,000 residents living near rapidly rising rivers and creeks, said Melodye Serino, the deputy county administrative officer. The San Lorenzo River was declared at flood stage, and video on social media showed a neighborhood flooded with

muddy water surging up to a stop sign. Mudslides in mountainous areas blocked roads, and officials urged residents to stay home.

In Northern California, several districts closed schools because of the storms. More than 35,000 customers remained without power in Sacramento, down from more than 350,000 a day earlier after gusts of 60 mph (97 kph) knocked trees into power lines, according to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District.

The National Weather Service warned of a “relentless parade of atmospheric rivers” —

storms that are long plumes of moisture stretching out into the Pacific and are capable of dropping staggering amounts of rain and snow. The rain and snow expected over the next couple of days come after California has already been walloped by storms that last week knocked out power to thousands, flooded streets, and battered the coastline with high surf.

President Joe Biden issued an emergency declaration Monday for California to support storm response and relief efforts in more than a dozen counties including Sacramento, Santa Cruz and Los Angeles.

Earth’s protective ozone layer is slowly but noticeably healing at a pace that would fully mend the hole over Antarctica in about 43 years, a new United Nations report says. A once-every-four-years scientific assessment found recovery in progress, more than 35 years after every nation in the world agreed to stop producing chemicals that chomp on the layer of ozone in Earth’s atmosphere that shields the planet from harmful radiation linked to skin cancer, cataracts and crop damage.

“In the upper stratosphere and in the ozone hole we see things getting better,” said Paul Newman, co-chair of the scientific assessment.

to 1980 pre-thinning levels until about 2040, the report said. And it won’t be back to normal in the Arctic until 2045.

Antarctica, where it’s so thin there’s an annual giant gaping hole in the layer, won’t be fully fixed until 2066, the report said. Scientists and environmental advocates across the world have long hailed the efforts to heal the ozone hole — springing out of a 1987 agreement called the Montreal Protocol that banned a class of chemicals often used in refrigerants and aerosols — as one of the biggest ecological victories for humanity.

know what my situation would have looked like if not for that grant,” Spehn said.

Students with unpaid balances in the 2020-21 year had those balances forgiven, costing the university roughly $1.4 million.

Other big ticket items include the over 100 MavPods placed around campus costing over $1 million, as well as efforts and technical equipment used to adapt to online learning via Zoom.

Reimbursing students in the dorms, and supplying funds in areas of lost revenue such as the Centennial Student Union and Athletics were also of concern.

Social distancing efforts became mandatory while maintaining a lower capacity than normal in classrooms.

One unique department that had a hard time adjusting to social distancing was the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Corrie Eggimann, director of public relations for theater at MSU, made it work.

“We had to cancel 10 productions in 2020, but by fall of

2020 we were presenting dance and theater performances with masked performers, technicians and audience members at 25% capacity,” Eggimann said.

Wearing clear masks on stage to allow the audience to see their faces, they created innovative ways for those who came to watch to still enjoy the show.

Limiting the number of patrons allowed to attend performances to comply with pandemic guidelines has impacted the attendance post 2022-21.

“In the longer term, a challenge has been bringing audiences back to the theatre. It seems that folks have gotten out of the habit of coming to the theatre- specifically season ticket holders,” Eggimann said.

Currently the theater department is still suffering from decreased audience sizes. Many of their regular patrons are part of older communities who are in more vulnerable health conditions.

Not only are the number of attendees still down, numbers of those enrolling at MSU have also not been what they were prior to 2020.

“We did have the fall of 2021. We were down about 200 new freshmen and transfers,” Straka said. “We are generally in the 2,300 range, or right around there. We have really positive numbers of admission applications for next year. So I’m very hopeful.”

Besides enrollment, topics on the table this year regarding budget season is the likelihood of plans for new buildings on campus.

As for current projects the tunnel/skyway from Highland to Trafton is estimated to be done in January 2023 when students return to campus.

In a year of possibility, MSU needs help from the state legislature to help aid the $350 million project to replace Armstrong Hall. Other plans discussed were the potential for a new football stadium to replace Blakeslee.

“Our primary focus needs to be on Minnesota State, which is Armstrong Hall. Those projects come first, then if there’s money left over to others who would support a football stadium, then yes, it would be great,” Straka said.

The progress is slow, according to the report presented Monday at the American Meteorological Society convention in Denver. The global average amount of ozone 18 miles (30 kilometers) high in the atmosphere won’t be back

The two chief chemicals that munch away at ozone are in lower levels in the atmosphere, said Newman, chief Earth scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Chlorine levels are down 11.5% since they peaked in 1993 and bromine, which is more efficient at eating ozone but is at lower levels in the air, dropped 14.5% since its 1999 peak, the report said.

Applications now being accepted for the 2023-2024 school year for the following position:

Reporter – Editor in Chief

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, February 17th, 2023 at 12:00 p.m.

For more information or to pick up an application, stop in the Reporter Office (CSU 293) or call 389-1776.

KATHLEEN RONAYNE • The Associated Press

NASA via The Associated Press

A tree collapsed and ripped up the sidewalk damaging a home in Sacramento, Calif. The weather service’s Sacramento office said the region should brace for an even more powerful storm system to move in soon.

Earth’s protective ozone layer is slowly but noticeably healing at a pace that would fully mend the hole over Antarctica in about 43 years.

Maverick Textbook Reser ve Program Spring Semester 2023

Anthropology 101 1,2,3,4 9780190057374 Anthropology 4 Anthropology 102 1 9780500293355 Human Past 2 Anthropology 210 All 9781305670402 Archaeology 4 AET 160 1 9781337794039 Automotive Service 3 AET 261, 262 All 9780133799491 Automotive Fuel and Emissions Control Systems 4 Biology 220 All 9781266390296 Human Anatomy 10 Biology 270 All 9780134832302 Microbiology with Diseases by Taxonomy 8 Biology 310/330 All 9780134399416 Principles of Human Physiology 4

Business Law 200 02, 03 9781524999032 Legal Enviorment of Business 4 Chemistry 111 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08 9781260506167 General, Organic and Biochemistry: Study Guide/Solutions Manual 4 Chemistry 111 09-12, 49, 51 9781264064366 General, Organic and Biochemistry 8 Chemistry 111 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,08 9781260506129 General, Organic and Biochemistry 8 Chemistry Finals Final Exams 970804210 The Official Guide: Preparing for your ACS Examination in Organic Chemistry 2 Chemistry Finals Final Exams 970804202 The Official Guide: Preparing for your ACS Examination in General Chemistry 2

Communication Disorders 205 03, 07, 08 9781581212105 Signing Naturally: Units 1-6, Student Workbook 6

Communication Studies 102 All 9781264556946 Art of Public Speaking 6

Counseling and Student Personnel 110 All 9780321979629 Career Fitness Program 4

Criminal Justice 231 1,40 9781285070117 Criminal Law and Procedure 3

Criminal Justice 231 1,40 9781305261488 Criminal Procedure for the Criminal Justice Professional 2

Economics 201 7-9, 20, 40,41 9781264829835 Principles of Macroeconomics 8

Economics 202 05, 20 9781264112289 Microeconomics 4

Economics 207 03, 04 9781337901062 Statistics for Business and Economics 4

Electronic Engineering Tech 113/114 All 9780133923605 Introductory Circuit Analysis 2

Ethnic Studies 101/201W All 9781516546725 Contemporary Perspectives on Ethnic Studies: A Reader 5

Family Consumer Science 100 All 9781544379197 Choices in Relationships 6

Family Consumer Science 101 All 9781619602540 Foundations of Family Consumer Sciences 2

Family Consumer Science 242 1 9781524983772 Nutrition for Health Care Professionals 4

French 202 1 9780357513545 Sur Le Vit - Niveau Intermediate 2

Geography 100 01, 20, 40 9781260430325 Introduction to Geography 6

Geography 101 4 9780134597119 Geosystems 6

Geography 103 1,2,4,41 9781119577607 Human Geography 6

Geography 103 1, 20, 40 9780135116159 Cultural Landscape: Introduction to Human Geography 4

Geography 217 All 9780134758589 The Atmosphere 6

Health Science 210 All 9781584806929 Emergency Medical Response 6 Health Science 225 1 9781337563451 Concepts of Chemical Dependency 3 Health Science 361W 1 9781284065879 Health Communication 4 Health Science 480 1 9781284050196 Essentials of Planning and Evaluation for Public Health 4

History 171 1 9781264088102 Traditions and Encounters, Vol. 2 4

Human Performance 290 All 9781492572350 Foundations of Sport 4

Human Performance 291 1, 2, 4, 5 9781266655135 Concepts of Fitness & Wellness 6

K-12 and Secondary Programs 222 All 9780357518441 Those Who Can Teach 6

Library Various Various 9781433832161 APA (American Psychological Association) Manual: 7th edition 4

Management 230 1 9781337407465 MGMT 11: Student Edition 4

Management 346 04, 05, 06 9781307701432 Operations Management 3

Marketing 210 All 9780357725184 MKTG 13 6 Marketing 317 01, 02, 03 9781412964746 Pricing Stategies 3

Mass Media 260 1 9781516508372 Navigating Visual Culture 8

Mathematics 121/122/223 All 9781133112280 Essential Calculus: 2nd edition 15 Mathematics 121/122/223 All 9781133490975 Essential Calculus Solutions Manual: 2nd edition 13

Mathematics 202 1,2,42 9780134392790 Mathematics for Elementary Teachers 4

Music 102/103 All 9781723426162 Pop Music 3

Philosophy 120W 1,3,4,20,40 9780190058319 Fundamentals of Ethics 6

Physics 101 All 9780321935786 Conceptual Physics 8

Physics 211/212 All 9781119394112 Physics 4 Physics 221/222/223 All 9780135159552 University Physics: 15th edition 6

Physics 280 All 9780471548706 Physics by Inquiry Volume 1 4

Physics 280 All 9780471548706 Physics by Inquiry Volume 2 4

Psychology 101 3 9780357374825 Psychology: Themes and Variations 6

Psychology 211W 03,04 9781285750491 Research Methods:Modular Approach 1

Social Work 212 1,2 9780134695792 Social Work: An Empowering Profession 4

Social Work 215 1,2 9780135168608 Social Work, Social Welfare 4

Sociology 101 01, 03 9780393876970 Terrible Magnificent Sociology 6

Sociology 202 01, 02, 21 9780134427768 Elementary Statistics in Social Research 2

Statistics 154 All 9798765715871 Statistics: Introduction 10

Theatre 100 All 9781260057386 Theatre Brief 10

Theatre 101 All 9781307478853 Acting for Everyone 4

S

Mavs begin new year with sweep against Wildcats

By KARSON BUELOW Staff Writer

After a tough, slow start to the first half of their regular season, the No. 19-ranked Minnesota State men’s hockey team was able to start 2023 off strong with a convincing series sweep on the road against unranked foe Northern Michigan.

Junior forward, David Silye, a name Maverick fans are no strangers to, picked up right where he left off, potting two goals including the game-winner in last Friday’s tilt against the Wildcats. On the contrary, junior forward, Connor Gregga, tallied his first goal of the season in Saturday’s series finale, helping his team complete the series sweep.

Sophomore goaltender, Keenan Rancier, got the nod in net for Friday’s game, hoping to gain a little more consistency during the second half of the season. Rancier was able to do so, as he managed an 18-save performance.

It was the Wildcats that got on the board first in game one, however, as freshman forward, Connor Eddy, ripped a backhander that trickled past Rancier for the all-important first goal of the game. But that lead wouldn’t last long, as Silye scored his team-leading 14th goal on the powerplay to tie the game up at 1-1 heading into the first intermission.

Senior forward, Ryan Sandelin, got the Mavericks ahead just under six minutes into the middle frame as he wired a one-timer from the left circle past the Wildcat netminder for the 2-1 lead. The Mavericks would hold onto that lead for the majority of the second period, but a late goal by senior forward, David Keefer, tied the game up for the Wildcats.

Just over 30 seconds into the final frame, freshman Wildcat forward, Joey Larson, took a costly boarding penalty that put the Mavericks on the pow-

Men’s basketball split weekend

By HAYDEN LEE Staff Writer

Minnesota State opened the new year with back to back games at home in the Taylor Center, where they went 1-1. With a 78-65 win over St. Cloud State and a 7685 loss to Minnesota Duluth, the Mavs now sit at 12-4.

In their first game of the new year, the Mavs came out with energy and desire. Mavs’ senior guard, Trevor Moore,

came out hot with five points in the first five minutes, leading them to an early 10-5 lead.

Staying composed, Moore and the Mavs built their largest lead of the half at 16 points with 10:03 remaining in the first half, 23-7. From there, the Huskies clawed their way back to within seven points at one time, but the Mavs went on a 12-4 run to close out the half, taking a 38-23 lead heading into the locker room.

Moore led all scorers in the

first half with eleven points, while sophomore, Kyreese Willingham, posted 7 points and 5 rebounds. The Mavs shot 45% from the field in the first half, but that was not the main reason for their lead. Between good defense from the Mavs and less than impressive offense from the Huskies, the Huskies shot a putrid 23% from the field in the first half.

In the second half, the Huskies were held in check at first,

SPLIT on page 12 u

Mavericks defeat Lions ahead of first home series

By KOLE BUELOW Staff Writer

The Minnesota State women’s hockey team keeps on rolling.

Coming off an impressive showing over Long Island University in their last series before Christmas where they outscored the Sharks 13-2, the Mavericks followed up the series with another 13-2 scoring advantage this past weekend.

MSU returned to the ice for a two-game series against division one ice hockey’s newest addition, Lindenwood University. The Lions have had a rough entry into NCAA’s Division I, winning just two of 20 games so far this season, but that did not stop the Mavericks from showing up and showing out in St. Charles, Mo. Jan. 6 and Jan. 7. Minnesota State started off the series on Friday with their most dominant showing this season, scoring eight goals while holding the Lions to zero. Several Mavericks shined in the contest, including freshman forward, Taylor Otremba, and junior goaltender, Lauren Barboro.

Women’s basketball loses first home game

By LUKE JACKSON Staff Writer

With one blowout and one failed attempt at a comeback, Minnesota State’s women’s basketball team’s new year has already brought ups and downs.

The women’s basketball team went into the weekend ranked No. 5, with one loss on the season. They hosted the St. Cloud Huskies Friday and No. 23 ranked Duluth Bulldogs Saturday.

Friday’s game started off strong with five different Maverick players scoring in the first quarter, building a lead early of 19-11. Momentum built off the juniors as Joey Batt, Emily Herzberg and Taylor Theusch all had six points early on.

By Halftime, the score was 43-28, as the Mavs were taking full advantage of the Huskies’ abysmal 19 turnovers

in the first half of regulation. Mankato was able to capitalize off of the Huskies lackluster offense, as they created 17 points from their turnovers.

As they continued to create offense from their defensive work, they built the lead more as the game continued. The Mavs took full advantage

of their lead and were never down throughout the whole game. Both teams traded buckets throughout the second half but the Huskies were never able to find the stops they needed.

In the second half, Mankato scored 43 points, while St.

HOME LOSS on page 11 u

Otremba notched five points in Jan. 6’s contest, scoring two goals while assisting on three. Otremba didn’t collect a point the following night, but she now sits tied for fourth on the team for points this season. On top of that, Otremba was recognized for her efforts by being named WCHA’s Freshman of the Week this week, marking the third time she has been nominated for the honor this season.

Despite only playing one of two contests against Lindenwood, Barboro made her mark on the series as well Friday night. Barboro collected her second shutout of the season in the Mavericks’ 8-0 win, doing so after saving all 37 shots she faced.

Once Saturday rolled around, Minnesota State found themselves in a

Kyreese Willingham (above) scored 13 points overall in last weekends game against The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. He was the third highest scorer on the Mavericks for this matchup.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

The Women’s basketball team take their first loss at home Saturday against the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs 78-75.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

erplay early. Silye would take advantage of it as he potted his 15th goal of the season and second game-winning goal of the season.

Minnesota State would tally two more goals coming from freshman forward, Adam Eisle, and junior defenseman, Jake Livingstone, en route to a 5-2 win over Northern Michigan in game one of the series.

Rancier got the start once again in game two of the series as he picked up 22 saves and improved to 2-0 in the calendar year. But once again, the Mavericks were down early in the game as junior forward, Michael Col-

lela, got the Wildcats on the board just over two minutes into game two.

Senior captain, Brendan Furry, was able to tie things up about five minutes later as he snapped a low shot past the Wildcat goalie for his fourth of the season. Senior defenseman, Andy Carroll, got on the board with a powerplay goal early in the second period which gave the Mavericks a 2-1 lead.

The Mavericks were firing on all cylinders when Furry scored just under two minutes later for his second of the game, making it 3-1 Minnesota State. The Wildcats were able to cut the lead to

3-2 with just under eight minutes remaining in the second on the strength of junior forward, Kristof Papp’s, power play goal.

Gregga restored the twogoal advantage just moments later as he collected a loose puck in front of the net and buried it for a 4-2 lead. The Wildcats answered once again in the closing minutes of the period to cut the lead to 4-3 off another power play goal.

The Mavericks and Wildcats dueled it out for a hardfought third period, but a late insurance tally by Livingstone sealed the deal for the Mavericks, leading to a 5-3

from page 9 SWEEP on page 11u

much closer game than the night prior. The game went into the first intermission without a score, but midway through the second, the Mavericks struck first.

Sophomore forward, Jessica Boland, collected the tally, and not far behind her so did fellow sophomore, Alexis Paddington. The game stood at 2-0 going into the final period of play. The Lions made a fighting effort coming out of intermission to try and even out the score.

Lindenwood got a quick goal at the 6:56 mark of the final period, but senior forward Brooke Bryant shut the

door with a goal of her own at 12:14. Only 51 seconds later, the Lions struck again to cut the Mavericks’ lead back down to one.

With 2:25 left to go, Bryant delivered another gut-wrenching blow to the Lions’ hopes with her second goal of the game. Freshman, Whitney Tuttle, also notched a tally less than 30 seconds later, which solidified the series sweep for the Mavericks.

Minnesota State will return home for their first home game since Dec. 10 this weekend, where they will face No. 14 St. Cloud State for the first time this season.

Jim Glogowski to be new head coach at USF

By CHARLIE GROEBNER Staff Writer

As the off-season for football begins, a huge loss will be felt in the locker room, as one of the program’s most valued coaches leaves for a position at a divisional rival.

Dec. 14, MSU Defensive Coordinator and Associate Head Coach, Jim Glogowski, was announced as the new Head Coach of the University of Sioux Falls Cougars. He becomes the 22nd Head Coach in the school’s history, following both a seven-year campaign and a phenomenal 10-3 season.

Considered to be one of the hottest coaching candidates in the NSIC, the former All-American from the University of South Dakota takes a position he considers close to home. While eager for the opportunity for himself and his family, Glogowski still will miss the time that he spent on

the MSU staff alongside Head Coach, Todd Hoffner.

“It truly has been a remarkable seven years here at Minnesota State, this is a special place for both me and my family. Working alongside Coach Hoffner, the assistant coaches, support staff and students has been an honor and privilege,” said Glogowski. “I appreciate all the support Kevin Bausman and the entire administration have provided during my tenure and with the Maverick Football program all the best moving forward,”

During his seven years with the program, Glogowski helped lead the Mavericks to four NSIC championships and made the DII playoffs four out of six years. He compiled a record of 56-10 in the NSIC conference and 64-14 overall during his time. He also played a massive role in 2019, leading the Mavericks to a 14-1 record and an appearance in the DII

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

LILLY ANDERSON • The Reporter

MSU Men’s Hockey team swept Northern Michigan on their home ice. The Mavs play Arizona State this weekend in Tempe, Ariz. Jan. 13 and Jan. 14.

MSU Women’s Hockey team swept Lidenwood in Missouri. The Mavs play St. Cloud at home this weekend.

Jim Glogowski, Defensive Coordinator and Associate Head Coach, for Minnesota State has taken the head coach position for the University of Sioux Falls. He is expected to start during the 2023 season.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

By ALI REED Sports Editor

From a fan in the stands to a weapon on the field, Alijah McGhee, a senior defensive back for Minnesota State looks to take his football career a step further.

Dec. 20, 2022, McGhee took to social media to announce his declaration to the 2023 NFL draft.

“God has a plan for me, and with hard work and determination I will reach my goal. With that being said, I would like to formally announce my declaration to the 2023 NFL draft,” according to McGhee’s post on Instagram.

McGhee has played football ever since he was five years old and views football as his “safe haven.”

Not only is McGhee a player of the game, he has also been a dedicated fan from a young age. When watching football,

he would always look at the players thinking that could be him one day.

“I wanted to follow my dreams and say I was able to give myself the opportunity to do so,” said McGhee.

Throughout McGhee’s life and football career, he feels that his family members are both his biggest inspiration and his biggest supporters.

He credits them for helping him get to where he is today.

“I have a big family and we are very close,” said McGhee.

Upon getting to where he is today, McGhee has plans in store leading up to this year’s draft.

“I am starting my training at the Training Haus in Minneapolis,”said McGhee. “Currently trying to get into the University of Minnesota’s ‘Pro Day’”.

McGhee feels that he would be a top prospect in the NFL draft due to his versatility and coachable attitude.

“What makes me a top prospect would be my ability to do anything on the field,” said Mcghee. “I’m extremely coachable and strive to be consistent.”

Happy to play for any team, McGhee still has his dream team picked out: The Pittsburgh Steelers.

“My first Super Bowl I watched was the Pittsburgh Steelers versus Arizona Cardinals,”said McGhee. “Ever since then, my favorite team has been the Steelers, so I would love to play for them.”

Regardless of what the future holds for him, McGhee is grateful for for everything he has learned and gotten to experience due to football.

“I’m most looking forward to this process and the journey to get there,” said McGhee. “I’m taking everything day by day and being very patient, but high hopes that everything works out. Whatever God has in store for me will be what’s for me.”



championship game. This run awarded him the NSIC Assistant of the Year in the process.

Following the surprising and sudden departure of former veteran Head Coach, Jon Anderson, USF looked to make a splash with their next hire. Glogowski and his family now enter the school with open arms and excitement about the future of the program. Following a respectable 8-3 season, the school looks to build a new identity and standard for Cougar football in the NSIC.

The Mavericks have yet to

Cloud scored 33, giving the Mavs a 25 point victory of 86-61.

Batt was able to put up 18 points and eight steals throughout the game. She led the Mavericks in steals, while nine different players were able to get steals of their own. St.Cloud had 34 turnovers, which created 30 points for the Mavs. Bremer was also able to tally 18 points of her own.

Mankato was unable to bring their momentum from Friday to Saturday, as it brought the women’s team their first home loss of the season, falling to 12-2. The No. 23 ranked Bulldogs came to fight, as they found a way to win in a nailbiter.

At the half, Duluth had the advantage, as the score was 45-37. With 53 seconds left in the third quarter they managed to lead by 16 points

announce who will be taking over his duties as Defensive Coordinator and Associate Head Coach. However, no one can replace the man known as “Coach Glo,” according to Coach Hoffner.

“There are mixed emotions, obviously, with Jim Glogowski leaving MSU to pursue his ambition of being a head coach. We’ve had seven years with ‘Coach Glo’ on our staff. He’s a phenomenal person, a great family man, and an excellent football coach and recruiter. We wish Jim and his family nothing but the best,” said Hoffner.

with the score at 68-52.

From there on, Mankato rallied and their defense showed up. The Mavs held the Bulldogs to zero three pointers in the fourth quarter and only two field goals were allowed as well.

In the fourth quarter,the Mavericks scored 23 of the game’s last 30 points, as they shot 44% from the field. However, it ultimately wasn’t enough.

Mankato’s Emily Russo hit a three to take a last minute lead of 73-70 with 2:40 remaining in the game. The Bulldogs were on a nine minute scoring drought until two free throws came from Duluth, making the score 73-72. Then, Kaylee Nelson was able to get a layup in to give UMD the advantage once again.

The game finished off with Destinee Bursch scoring

 SWEEP from page 10 final. With their series sweep against Northern Michigan, Minnesota State improves to 12-9-1 overall on the season

and 9-6-1 in conference play.

Minnesota State will be back in action this weekend as they head out west for a nonconference matchup with

Arizona State and their first visit to Mullet Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. (local time) for Friday and Saturday.

Fun & Exciting Job! Great Bene ts! Flexible Hours!

One mile south of Mankato on Hw y. 66 www.M ount Kato.com

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

Alijah McGhee takes his football career to the next level as he declares himself for the NFL 2023 draft.

Vikings’ playoff wait finally ends

By DAVE CAMPBELL The Associated Press

Justin Jefferson won the national championship with LSU in his last college game, making this three-year wait for a postseason appearance with Minnesota that much more frustrating for the NFL’s leading receiver.

Four weeks after clinching their division, and more than 32 months after drafting Jefferson, the NFC North champion Vikings have finally entered the playoffs.

“I enjoy those big-platform games, and of course I want to get to that Super Bowl,” Jefferson said after Minnesota’s 2913 tuneup win at Chicago on Sunday. “So whoever’s standing in the way, we’ve got to knock them down.”

With a league-record 11-0 mark in one-score games this season, eight of them after trailing at some point in the fourth quarter, the Vikings have cut their teeth in more than their share of tense situations. This is another level of pressure, though, that Jefferson and several of his teammates have never experienced in purple.

The Vikings (13-4) will host the New York Giants (9-7-1) on Sunday in the wild-card round, the first playoff game at U.S. Bank Stadium since the

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) catches a pass in front of Chicago Bears safety Elijah Hicks (37) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Chicago.

Minneapolis Miracle last-play win over New Orleans five years ago. The last postseason game for the Vikings was a divisional-round loss at San Francisco three years ago.

“You have to have the mindset that, ‘I’m the only person that can stop this play or offensively I have to make this block or this won’t get a touchdown,’” defensive tackle Harrison Phillips said. “So being able to have that for a full 60 minutes or however long it takes, you have to some type of maturity. For our younger players who haven’t had that

experience or even veteran players who never played in the playoffs, that could be a learning curve.”

WHAT’S WORKING

With the excellence of Jefferson, the play-calling by coach Kevin O’Connell and the precision from quarterback Kirk Cousins, the Vikings have a passing attack that’s as dangerous, diverse and healthy as any team in the league. Four players had 60-plus receptions this season, and six players had 25 catches or more. K.J. Osborn has particularly stood out down the stretch.

 SPLIT from page 9 but slowly inched their way closer and closer, cutting the Mavs’ lead to 54-47 with just under 10 minutes left to play. In the next four minutes, the Huskies went on an 11-3 run to take the lead, 58-57. However, the Mavs would take the lead back immediately with a three from Willingham, sparking a 10-0 run for the Mavs to put them back on top, 67-58 with four minutes remaining.

From there, the Huskies couldn’t manage to get back into the game, as they were unable to get within seven points for the rest of the night. With a final of 7865, the Mavericks got their first win of 2023 and looked ahead to the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs the next night.

With 23 wins between the two teams, Bulldogs at Mavericks was leading up to be a highly contested matchup, and it did not disappoint. In the first half, neither team

held a lead larger than six points. A dunk from freshman forward, Malcolm Jones, gave the Mavs their six point lead, 17-11, six minutes into the match.

The Bulldogs fought back to bring the game to a 2323 tie midway through the opening stanza. The teams traded blows, with the game remaining tied at 33 with two minutes left in the first half. However, the Bulldogs grabbed momentum and outscored the Mavs 8-5 to close out the half, giving the Bulldogs a 41-38 lead heading into the locker room.

The Mavs shot 45% from the field in the first half, led by 18 points from the senior Moore. On the other side of the court, the Bulldogs shot a slightly better 48% and were led by Charlie Katona’s 12 points.

The second half began with ten straight minutes of two tough basketball teams struggling to gain an edge,

from

Pray for Damar: Public prayer blitz follows Hamlin collapse

with the Bulldogs leading 6460 with ten minutes left. The Bulldogs would briefly break away from the Mavs, taking a 73-66 lead, but back-toback baskets from Jones and Moore would cut their lead back down to two, 73-71 with just under six minutes left. Unfortunately for the Mavs, the Bulldogs would outscore them 12-5 to close out the game. The Bulldogs won a hard fought match, 85-76.

The Mavs were led in scoring by a career night from Moore, scoring 27 points and going 9-9 from the free throw line. Two other Mavs scored in double figures, as sophomore guard, Harrison Braudis, put up 16 points, and sophomore, K. Willingham, added 13 points as well.

The Mavericks will look to get back on track Friday Jan. 13, where they will hit the road to face Minnesota Crookston at 7:30 p.m.

11

close in the paint with 46 seconds remaining, but Nelson struck again hitting another layup. Her teammate Brooke Olsen finished the game off with two smooth free throws to bring the first home loss

to the Taylor Center for the girls.

The bench for Mankato proved to have more depth with 27 points to UMD’s 13, but they couldn’t contain their starting five’s 65. The Mavericks are now 8-2 in

NSIC play while the Bulldogs are dominating at 10-0.

The Mavs will look to regain their recent momentum with two away games this upcoming weekend playing Minnesota Crookston Friday and Bemidji State Saturday.

By JOHN ZENOR The Associated Press

The intersection of prayer and sports has been especially prominent in the aftermath of Damar Hamlin’s frightening collapse during an NFL game.

All 32 NFL teams have included “Pray for Damar” on their Twitter avatars. ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky prayed for the Buffalo Bills’ safety on live TV. Countless fans and other concerned observers said on social media they were praying, and dozens linked arms outside his Cincinnati hospital.

“In commemorating life or death in sport, people say pray, pray, pray a lot,” said Julie Byrne, chair of the Religion Department at Hofstra University. “I don’t think it reaches the pitch that you have here because of the incredibly dra-

matic circumstances. But it’s a pretty go-to response.”

It was amplified in Hamlin’s case partly because people now can offer instant expressions of prayer or any other reaction on social media. Plus, it was a high-profile “Monday Night Football” game between Hamlin’s Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals with millions watching or getting alerts about the alarming incident on their phones. Hamlin’s heart stopped after making what appeared to be a routine tackle in the first quarter. The second-year pro went into cardiac arrest and was resuscitated on the field.

On Friday, the 24-yearold Hamlin was breathing on his own and able to talk after having his breathing tube removed, his agent said.

JOSHUA BESSEX • The Associated Press

Buffalo Bills fans and community members gather for a candlelight vigil for Bills safety Damar Hamlin on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, in Orchard Park, N.Y.

CHARLES RE ARBOGAST • The Associated Press

VA RI ET Y

MSU gears up for the spring theater season

By LAUREN VISKA Staff Writer

Looking for something to do this spring semester? The MSU Theatre Department is putting on several productions this semester, and they are a great way for students to take a break from classes.

Hans Bloedel, a Minnesota State graduate student, is directing “The Language Archives” which runs later this semester. He thinks students will enjoy this show as there are a lot of different characteristics that happen.

“It’s going to be a really funny story, but also, there are many themes in the show. I want it to be fun and people to laugh,” said Bloedel. “There will be a wide breadth of emotions to experience, and I want to make that accessible to the audience.”

The play focuses on a professor who attempts to compile a recorded archive of native speakers’ languages before those languages perish.

Unfortunately, his wife leaves him because he has lost how to express his love for her correctly while he is preoccupied with his language studies. While working with a foreign couple who speak a language that can only be properly spoken while in love with each other, he starts to learn from his blunders.

Auditions for “The Language Archives” is Jan. 30, and students can find information about it in the Earley Center for Performing Arts. Bloedel en-

courages students to audition if they are unsure about auditioning. Auditioning for shows is open to anyone interested, not just theater and dance majors.

“I don’t care really what your acting experience is. If you feel like you have something to show, I want to see it. The worst I can say is no,” said Bloedel.

“Even if you’re a little apprehensive or have never tried out for this before, that doesn’t matter to me. I would love just sort of to see what you got.”

Another show that hits the stage in February is “Marisol.”

Vladimir Rovinsky, a theater professor at MSU, will be directing it. He describes the show as being a mix of absurdity and magical realism.

“The story starts with this guardian Angel announcing to Marisol that he cannot be her guardian angel anymore because she’s starting a celestial war. And why? Because the world is dying,” said Rovinsky. “This angel knows the Old God is senile and

does not care and needs to be removed for humanity to keep going. So it’s like an epic story, but it’s also very human.”

Auditions for this show happened toward the end of the 2022 fall semester.

“We got a very diverse cast. We have some people from, of course, our theater department, and some dancers. So we have some people from other departments and different representation on stage, which is very exciting,” said Rovinsky. “Because

of the nature of the show, the audition included a monologue and a little movement workshop. So a lot of consideration went into this production.”

“Marisol” will run Feb. 1618 & 23-26.

Some other shows that will be taking place this semester are “At Home at the Zoo,” which begins with Albee’s 2004 play “Homelife,” which reveals Peter and Ann’s rocky marriage, their brutal attempts to communicate and the loneliness within their shared life. The tension rises in the second act when a man named Jerry approaches Peter in Central Park and begins to tell him story after story, probing deeply into Peter’s life and attempting to take the bench for himself.

The second show happening this semester is “Something Rotten.” This is a musical set in London in 1595. Brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are trapped in the shadow of “The Bard,” the Renaissance rock star.

When a local astrologer predicts that the future of theater will involve singing, dancing and acting all at once, the brothers set out to write the world’s first musical.

But, in the midst of the scandalous excitement of the opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that success means being true to oneself.

More information on the upcoming shows can be found on the MSU website under the Theatre Arts tab.

410 Gallery unveils new eye-catching art exhibition

LAUREN VISKA • The Reporter

“Marisol” is just one of the plays in the works for Minnesota State’s Theatre Department. Hitting the stage in February, the show plans to incorporate magical realism and a bit of absurdity to keep the audience hooked.

Photos by DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

“Well, Would You Look At This” is the name of the current art exhibition taking place at the 410 Gallery. The collection is dually spearheaded by Kendrick Daum and Keith Hood, of the Mankato-based group called the “Look At This Project.” The group was the inspiration for name of the art exhibition. Much of their work is created with spray paints, depicting vibrant surrealist images or emotive animals. The exhibition had its opening ceremony Jan. 9 alongside a special performance from DJ Shoba, and runs its two-week tenure at the 410 Gallery until Jan. 21.

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ cast push back against hate, threats

In memoir, Prince Harry says William attacked him

By JOHN CARUCCI The Associated Press

As the cast of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” celebrated the new season, they credited the show’s creator with popularizing drag and expressed concern about the protests and threats to the performance style at the heart of the long-running series.

“RuPaul really brought drag into the mainstream, truly made people aware that it’s an art form more than anything” contestant Marcia Marcia Marcia told The Associated Press at Thursday’s season 15 premiere in New York.

The new season starts Friday on MTV.

“I think everyone was like fine with drag for a little bit,” said the drag queen with the “Brady Bunch”-inspired name.

“And now history is repeating itself and people are speaking out against it, which I think is so silly.”

With a long and rich history, drag — the art of dressing as another gender, often for performance — has been attacked by right-wing politicians and activists who have falsely associated it with the “sexualization” and “grooming” of children.

In recent months, protesters — sometimes bearing guns — have besieged drag story hours, during which performers read books to children.

Bans on children at drag events have been floated.

In late November, a shooter at a Colorado Springs nightclub turned a drag queen’s birthday party into a massacre and was charged with hate crimes and murder.

Another contestant, Jax, said the threats, protests and hate were “disheartening” but

not surprising: “Just like being a person of color, being a minority, growing up in certain communities, it’s something that I’ve had to undergo my entire life.”

“But we always prevail,” Jax added. “We always prevail and we’re always going to come out on top because we’re on the right side of history and we love what we do and we’re not doing anything to harm anybody. We’re just trying to bring love to everything.”

To contestant Loosey LaDuca, as well, this is nothing new: “It is really unfortunate that during this time, drag queens have become the new target. But LGBT people are no stranger to being the, you know, the public enemy.”

Meeting threats with caution is fine, LaDuca said, but “we’ll never be scared.”

Last month, New York City Councilman Erik Bottcher attended a drag story hour in his district.

He filmed and posted video of “dozens of homophobic protesters outside with the most disgusting signs verbally attacking the families and the drag queen.”

Two days later, he said, anti-drag activists vandalized the hallway outside his office and gained entry to his apartment building.

“Two of them were arrested. A third was arrested for assaulting one of my neighbors,” he told the AP at the premiere. “This is all an attempt to intimidate those of us supporting drag story hour.”

Contestant Irene Dubois has a theory about what’s behind the vitriol aimed at drag performers.

“I think a man in women’s

clothing is inherently hilarious just because we’re like, (gasps) ‘That’s not supposed to happen!’” Dubois hypothesized.

“And it’s when the men in women’s clothing stop sort of doing the nudge, nudge, wink, wink and start actually enjoying the way they look in the women’s clothing that people start to sort of say, ‘Wait, hold on, hold on, hold on. You’re supposed to be laughing at yourself. And if you’re not laughing at yourself, we don’t like it.’”

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” judge Ross Mathews paints the progress and regression as “a pendulum swinging.”

“The further we advance and the more that we are embraced, accepted, celebrated that pendulum — they’re going to try to swing it back, to move our movement back,” he says of anti-drag activists.

“But you cannot put this genie back in the bottle. Darling, we are fabulous.”

Marcia Marcia Marcia had a simple message for critics of drag, which she says is “all about fun and expression”: “If you have a problem with those things, I think you need to reevaluate.”

In the end, contestant Princess Poppy hopes that it’s the impact RuPaul has made on culture with “Drag Race” that will prevail.

“I feel like it’s helped a lot of people who don’t really quite understand drag people or gay people or drag queens,” she said.

“They don’t really understand because they don’t really understand what we’re doing. But the show, it humanizes us, and it shows that we’re people, too.”

By JILL LAWLESS The Associated Press

Prince Harry says his brother William physically attacked him during a ferocious argument — one of many startling allegations in a new memoir that includes revelations about the estranged royal’s drug-taking, first sexual encounter and role in killing people during his military service in Afghanistan.

In the ghostwritten memoir, titled “Spare,” Harry said that his brother Prince William lashed out during a furious argument over the siblings’ deteriorating relationship.

The Associated Press purchased a Spanish-language copy of the book ahead of its publication in 16 languages around the world on Tuesday.

Harry recounts a 2019 argument at his Kensington Palace home, in which he says William called Harry’s wife, the former actor Meghan Markle, “difficult,” “rude” and “abrasive.” Harry said William grabbed his brother by the collar and ripped his necklace before knocking him down.

“I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me,” Harry says in the passage, first reported by The Guardian.

Harry says he had scrapes and bruises as a result of the tussle, for which William later apologized.

The allegation is one of a slew in a book that exposes painful, intimate — and in some cased contested — details about the lives of Harry and other members of the royal family.

The memoir is the latest in a string of public revelations and accusations by Harry and Meghan that have shaken Britain’s royal family.

It includes Harry’s assertion that he killed 25 people while serving as an Apache helicopter co-pilot and gunner in 2012 as part of Britain’s military campaign against the Taliban in Afghanistan. He said he felt neither pride nor shame about

his actions, and in the heat of battle regarded enemy combatants as pieces being removed from a chessboard.

Harry spent a decade in the British Army — years he has described as his happiest because they allowed him a measure of normality — before taking up full-time royal duties in 2015.

The book recounts Harry’s decades of disenchantment with his privileged, scrutinized and constrained royal life.

In it he alludes to the book’s title, recounting the alleged words of his father, then Prince Charles, to his mother, Princess Diana, on the day of his birth: “Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an heir and a spare — my work is done.”

While William was destined from birth to be king, Harry, who is fifth in line to the throne behind his brother and William’s three children, has often appeared to struggle with the more ambiguous role of “spare.”

In the book Harry describes his rebellious teenage years. He recounts how he lost his virginity — to an older woman in a field behind a pub — and describes how he took cocaine when he was 17.

Neither Buckingham Palace, which represents King Charles III, nor William’s Kensington Palace office has commented on the allegations.

Harry, 38, and the American actor married at Windsor Castle in May 2018.

Less than two years later, the couple quit royal duties and moved to California, citing what they saw as the media’s racist treatment of Meghan, who is biracial, and a lack of support from the palace.

Since then they have presented their side of the story in an interview with Oprah Winfrey and a six-part Netflix documentary released last month, which recounted the couple’s bruising relationship with the U.K. media and estrangement from the royal family.

JOHN CARUCCI • The Associated Press

DOMINIC LIPINSKI • The Associated Press

Drag performer Loosey LaDuca arrives at the season 15 premiere of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in New York on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023.

Prince Harry, left, and Prince William stand together during the unveiling of a statue they commissioned of their mother Princess Diana, on what would have been her 60th birthday, in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, London, Thursday July 1, 2021.

No foul play in ‘Avengers’ injury Sarah Cooper memoir scheduled for October release

By SCOTT SONNER The Associated Press

The serious injuries actor Jeremy Renner suffered while using a snow tractor to free a snowbound motorist on a private mountain road near Lake Tahoe appear to be the result of a “tragic accident,” the sheriff in Reno said Tuesday.

The 51-year-old “Avengers” star was seriously hurt when he was run over by his own snowcat after using it to free a vehicle driven by a family member that became stuck in 3 feet (0.9 meters) of fresh mountain snow on New Year’s Day, Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said.

An investigation is continuing but there were no signs of foul play or any indication Renner was impaired at the time of the Sunday morning incident, Balaam told reporters.

“At this point in the investigation ... we believe this is a tragic accident,” the sheriff said.

“He was being a great neighbor and he was plowing those roads for his neighbors.”

The accident left Renner in critical but stable condition with chest and orthopedic injuries, according to a publicist and sheriff’s officials who said Renner was flown by medical helicopter about 25 miles (40

kilometers) to a Reno hospital.

About the same time reporters were gathering with Balaam on Tuesday, Renner posted an Instagram photo of himself in a hospital bed and a message, missing an apostrophe.

“Thank you all for your kind words,” it said. “Im too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all.”

Balaam said Renner had used his Pistenbully snow groomer, a 7-ton vehicle he owns, to tow another personal vehicle that had become snowbound on a private road he shares with neighbors.

“After successfully towing his personal vehicle from its stuck location, Mr. Renner got out of his (snowcat) to speak to his family member,” Balaam said.

“The Pistenbully started to roll. In an effort to stop (it), Mr. Renner attempts to climb back into the driver’s seat. It’s at this point that Mr. Renner is run over.”

The sheriff said the snowcat was impounded and is being examined by investigators “for any mechanical failure and why it started to roll.”

By HILLEL ITALIE The Associated Press

The title alone of Sarah Cooper’s upcoming memoir is a hint that she doesn’t plan to flatter herself.

Cooper has a deal with Dutton, a Penguin Random House imprint, to write “Foolish: Tales of Assimilation, Determination and Humiliation.” The comedian, author and actor said in a statement Thursday that she hoped to “inspire everyone to risk embarrassing

themselves.”

“I’m excited to share the story of what it’s like being a Jamaican immigrant trying to succeed in this country and how that can often mean rejecting the things about you that make you, you. It’s about how I realized I wanted to be an actress as soon as I was told I couldn’t sing, and how I rejected that dream for more sensible ones, including trying to find a man on Match.com, working at Google, buying a house and trying to have kids.”

MATT LICARI • The Associated Press

VIANNEY LE CAER • The Associated Press

Sarah Cooper poses for a portrait in the Brooklyn borough of New York, on Monday, Nov. 9, 2020.

Jeremy Renner poses for photographers upon arrival at the UK Fan Screening of the film “Hawkeye,” in London. Renner is being treated for serious injuries that happened while he was plowing snow.