January 12, 2023

MLK day of service at MSU is Monday afternoon.

How TODAY shapes Mavs future

By EMMA JOHNSON News Director

Thousands of students have walked the grounds at MSU, each person with their own unique story. Sharing them with current and past students is a way to bridge the unity of Minnesota State. TODAY magazine connects students, faculty and alumni through covering what MSU is currently up to along with how MSU has shaped alumni post-graduation.

Editor Joe Tougas said that TODAY focuses on finding juicy, interesting stories that have some sense of connection to MSU.

“We’re always looking stories that are interesting to read and would reach anyone, whether they’re an alumni or not. They all happen to have MSU in common, but they’re nonetheless compelling human interest stories,” said Tougas.

A typical issue consists of a student profile, a faculty profile, and a “feature well” that focuses on three to four stories of interesting people or programs.

Senior Director Sara Frederick said a key section is the class notes, a section where alumni can submit notes about themselves at the end of each magazine.

“The class notes is a hallmark of an alumni publication that allows alumni to keep track of their classmates over the years,” said Frederick. “Every time I get a publication, it’s the first thing I flip to so I can see what they’re

doing.”

The magazine is printed once a semester, but the website is updated a couple of times each month. When the magazine is published, Frederick mentioned that out of 135,000 alumni,

over 120,000 receive the magazine.

Tougas said that while the magazine covers stories about alumni, he considers TODAY to be MSU’s magazine.

“It’s a representation of the

energy that surrounds and informs this university,” said Tougas. “I just want TODAY to be representative of the intellectual and social energy of MSU now, moving forward and the myriad of activity that goes on here that’s rather fascinating.”

While TODAY has covered a wide variety of stories over the years, some of their noteworthy ones in the last few years included former President Richard Davenport’s retirement and President Inch’s arrival at MSU.

“We hadn’t had a transition in power in 19 years without a change in leadership. It was pretty cool to be able to do something big for the outgoing and incoming president,” said Frederick.

Frederick said she’s developed a good eye for interesting stories that will appeal to all readers.

“There are alumni who graduated in the 1950s and some who graduated in 2019. You have to think about what it’s going to mean to them and how are they going to relate to it,” said Frederick. “Part of the fun for me is finding those stories that cross generations and tie together the past and present.”

Tougas hopes that those who read TODAY view MSU as a

Friendship Family Program returns at MSU after hiatus

By AMALIA SHARAF Staff Writer

The Friendship Family Program is returning to its work for students at Minnesota State after being stopped for a short period due to difficulties during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The main goal of the Friendship Family program is to provide an opportunity for international students to make friends with an American family off campus, as well as to explore the local culture and share the cultural characteristics of their country.

“We heard statistics that many international students never have the opportunity to even be in an American home and I just think that this is very sad knowing that a lot of people are coming here with the hope of not just getting an education but also learning about another culture,” said the Retention Specialist at the KIC office Kristin Odland. “I hope to help bridge

that gap because most students don’t know how to find an American family to be a friend and vice versa, families usually don’t know how to connect with students.”

At the same time, the Friendship Family program requires at least two personal meetings between the student and the assigned family. This was one of the reasons for the program to suspend its work for a short period.

“When the pandemic was at its peak, it was challenging to match up students and families just because some families were very concerned because people are on different levels in terms of their comfortability with meeting students in person. The office was short-staffed so there just was not capacity to run the program,” said Odland.

The Friendship Family program is aimed at helping students to adapt more easily to a new environment, as well as to

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

James Mackey (left) and Joe Tougas (right), stand in the Wiecking Center printing room holding the latest issue of the TODAY Alumni Magazine of 2023 which features compelling stories of those who have attended MSU.

ASUTOSH SILWAL • The Reporter Retention Specialist Kristin Odland said the goal of the program is to connect international students with families.

Resolution to rename ‘Lincoln Lounge’ passes

By JULIA LIN Editor in Chief

During the Student Government’s first meeting of the new year, a resolution was discussed and passed unanimously regarding the renaming of the “Lincoln Lounge” to the “Dakota Lounge” in the Centennial Student Union.

Put forward by Student Government Vice President of Idman Ibrahim, and seconded by Student Government President Emma Zellmer, the resolution proposed to formally name CSU 108 the “Dakota Lounge.”

This space was informally known as the “Lincoln Lounge” due to the Abraham Lincoln statue that previously resided there.

The statue was removed at the beginning of the fall semester of 2022 and relocated to the basement of the Memorial Library due to Abraham Lincoln’s dark history with the city of Mankato.

“The reason that it was removed equally applies to why this space should not be called Lincoln Lounge in order to honor our indigenous students and also to acknowledge that we are also sitting on Dakota land,” Ibrahim said.

Meeting with Indigenous community leaders and students, Dakota Lounge is what was agreed upon to be named.

“This university has made a

commitment to equity 2030 and closing opportunity gaps among students. In light of that commitment, acceptance and input implementation of this proposal would show students that this

commitment is real and is one step closer to Equity 2030,” Ibrahim said.

Zellmer noted that as a university, MSU is behind compared to other Minnesota State

schools in regard to efforts to recognize Indigenous buildings.

“Bemidji State University has multiple buildings, named after and recognizing the Indigenous community, other state system schools also as buildings named so it’s time that we finally recognize the indigenous community here on our campus, the land that our institution resides on,” Zellmer said.

“There’s no better place than the front and center of our campus. Right outside of Mav Ave in the Centennial Student Union.”

Other senators voiced their support for the resolution.

“It’s a small step and more action is needed by the university, by the organization, by students, by the city, by the states, by the country to improve the material conditions of Indigenous and first nation populations,” said Jordan Mueller.

“We can change all the names we want, but it will not take away the fact that many Indigenous communities are still systematically oppressed and left in poverty.”

Intended to be voted on next week, Senator Douglas Roberts motioned to expedite the voting timeline of the resolution which all but one senator voted in favor of.

DOMINIC BOTHE • The Reporter

Student Government unanimously passes the resolution to rename the “Lincoln Lounge” to the “Dakota Lounge” in the first meeting of the new year.

U.S. to avoid recession as inflation eases up

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABAR The Associated Press

For months, the outlook for the U.S. economy has been a mostly bleak one: Inflation hitting a four-decade high, consumer spending weakening, interest rates surging. Most economists penciled in a recession for 2023.

An economic downturn is still possible. Yet in recent weeks, with inflation showing widespread signs of easing, a more cheerful view has gained traction: Maybe a recession isn’t inevitable after all.

One reason for the tentative optimism is evidence that an acceleration in U.S. wages, which has benefited workers but also heightened inflation, is slowing. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has frequently pointed to fast-rising worker pay to explain why the Fed has had to raise interest rates so aggressively. Fed rate hikes, if carried out far enough and long enough, can weaken the economy so much as to trigger a recession.

On Thursday, the government is expected to issue another mild report on inflation, which would boost hopes that the Fed might decide to pause its rate hikes sooner than has been expected. I

n the meantime, the job market — the most important pillar of the economy — remains remarkably sturdy.

These trends are raising expectations that the Fed might manage to engineer an often-elusive “soft landing,” whereby the economy slows but doesn’t go into reverse and unemployment

rate rises slightly but stays low. It would still mean painful times for many people. But it wouldn’t inflict the widespread unemployment that typically results from a recession.

“All the signs are pointing to a higher, not a lower, probability of a soft landing,” said Alan Blinder, a Princeton University economist who formerly served as vice chair of the Fed. “It may still not be more than 50-50. But 50-50 is looking better than it was a few months ago.”

The most positive sign, Blind-

er said, is the ongoing slowdown in inflation. It has dropped from a peak of 9.1% in June to a still-high 7.1% in November. When the government issues the December inflation report Thursday, economists predict it will show another step down, to 6.5%.

On a monthly basis, prices are expected to have remained flat from November to December — another encouraging sign.

The inflation slowdown stems from a range of factors, including cheaper gas, the un-

raveling of supply chain snarls and smaller profit margins among many retailers.

The national average price of a gallon of gas was $3.27 on Wednesday, far below the $5 peak in mid-June. Average used car prices, which skyrocketed 37% in 2021, have dropped for five straight months. They’re now 3% cheaper than they were a year ago. Clothing prices have declined in two of the past three months. Furniture prices have dropped for three straight months.

In the meantime, consumers are spending less, forcing many retailers to cut prices to pare their inventories of goods.

Online prices have fallen for four straight months from yearago levels, according to Adobe Analytics, particularly for computers, toys and sporting goods.

“The sooner the inflation rate falls,” Blinder said, “the sooner the Fed will ease up, and therefore the less the chance of a recession.”

All that said, there are plenty of threats to a soft landing. As China’s economy reopens from its COVID-19 lockdowns, it may start to absorb more of the world’s oil supply. That could send U.S. gas prices up again.

And while layoffs remain historically low outside of technology companies, that trend could reverse if businesses become anxious again about the economic outlook.

Congress may also struggle to raise the debt ceiling by this summer, which could cause economic turmoil, or a deep recession if they fail to do so.

But for now, a soft-landing scenario is beginning to play out. The slowdown in price increases suggests that the Fed’s seven rate hikes last year have had some effect, though with inflation still well above their 2% target, the officials have made clear they expect to raise their key rate by at least three-quarters of a point more.

Even as the central bank has jacked up its benchmark rate at the fastest pace in four decades, the economy has kept growing and businesses have kept hiring.

Peru’s antigovernment unrest growing daily

By DAVID PEREDA The Associated Press

A police officer on patrol was attacked and burned to death by protesters in the Peruvian region of Puno as the death toll from demonstrations in the wake of the ouster of former President Pedro Castillo rose to 47, authorities said Tuesday.

José Luis Soncco Quispe, 29, was on patrol with a fellow officer in Juliaca, a city near the border with Bolivia and Lake Titicaca, on Monday night when they were attacked by a mob that later set fire to their vehicle, according to police reports.

Soncco’s partner in the patrol car, Ronald Villasante Toque, said the men were “detained and physically attacked by some 350 protesters,” according to the reports.

Villasante was taken to a hospital in Lima with multiple head injuries after being beaten. He said he was unaware of what was happening to his partner.

Prime Minister Alberto Otárola confirmed Soncco’s death in a session of Congress, saying the men were attacked by protesters.

“Police arrived at the scene and found that one officer had been beaten and tied up, and the other, Luis Soncco Quispe, unfortunately had died,” he said.

“He was burned alive in his patrol car.”

Otárola announced a threeday curfew from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. in Puno, and a day of mourning for the fallen on Wednesday.

Peru’s Ombudsman’s Office said that since the protests began in early December after Castillo’s dismissal, 39 civilians had been killed in clashes with police and another seven had died in traffic accidents, as well as the fallen police officer.

The police officer’s death came after the killing of 17 people Monday in Juliaca as protests seeking immediate elections resumed in neglected rural areas of the country still loyal to Castillo.

least 17

NAM Y. HUH • The Associated Press

An economic downturn remains very possible. Yet in recent weeks, with inflation showing widespread signs of easing, a more cheerful view has begun to gain traction: Maybe a recession isn’t inevitable after all.

JOSE SOTOMAYOR • The Associated Press

At

people died Monday in southeast Peru as protests seeking immediate elections resumed in neglected rural areas of the country still loyal to ousted President Pedro Castillo.

Northern California sees more rain while the south dries out

Film helps renew search for 1st Black Navy pilot’s remains

By THALIA BEATY The Associated Press

The film “Devotion” reignited efforts to repatriate the remains of Jesse Brown, America’s first Black Navy pilot, who died in 1950 after having to crash land his damaged plane during the Korean War.

the other heroes of the republic next to his wingman, Tom Hudner.”

By BRIAN MELLEY and CHRISTOPHER WEBER The Associated Press

Storm-ravaged California scrambled to clean up and repair widespread damage on Wednesday as the lashing rain eased in many areas, although thunderstorms led a new atmospheric river into the northern half of the state.

The plume of moisture lurking off the coast stretched all the way over the Pacific to Hawaii, making it “a true Pineapple Express,” the National Weather Service said.

The latest rains were expected to impact only impact Northern California, giving the south a break until more wet weather arrives by the weekend.

At least 17 people have died in the storms battering the state. The figure is likely to rise, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday

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reputation builder.

“There is so much going on here that I think is fascinating, and in some cases, game changing. TODAY amplifies those

during a visit to the scenic town of Capitola on the Santa Cruz coast that was hard hit by high surf and flooding creek waters last week.

A 43-year-old woman who called 911 and said her car was stuck in floodwaters Tuesday was found dead a day later inside the submerged vehicle north of San Francisco, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office. When the search resumed at sunrise Wednesday, divers discovered the car under about 10 feet (3 meters) of water off a rural road near Forestville, the department said.

To the south in the central part of the state, a pickup truck driver and a motorcyclist were killed Tuesday in the San Joaquin Valley when a tree that had been struck by lightning fell on them, authorities said.

More than half of California’s 58 counties were declared disaster areas, the governor

stories and enhances what MSU offers the world,” said Tougas.

For those looking to submit story ideas, they can submit them to today@msu.edu.

said.

The previous storm that began Monday was one in a series that began late last month and repairing the damage may cost more than $1 billion, said Adam Smith, a disaster expert with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Crews worked to reopen major highways that were closed by rockslides, swamped by flooding or smothered with mud while more than 10,000 people who were ordered out of seaside towns on the central coast were allowed to return home.

That included Montecito, a wealthy Santa Barbara County community that is home to Prince Harry and other celebrities where 23 people died and more than 100 homes were destroyed in a mudslide five years ago.

For those wanting to catch up on the latest stories and read web exclusives, go to TODAY’s website today.magazine.mnsu. edu.

Fred Smith, the founder of Memphis-based FedEx, financed the film about Brown because he thought Brown deserved wider recognition, a feeling his surviving relatives share, and lobbied the Trump administration to support the search efforts after consulting with Brown’s daughter, Pamela.

“I’m still determined to try to get Jesse Brown home and put him where he ought to be in Arlington (National Cemetery),” Smith said. “Among

Smith’s daughters, Rachel and Molly, who produced the film, met members of Brown’s family at the 2018 funeral of Hudner, who received the Medal of Honor after attempting to rescue Brown. Hudner returned to North Korea in 2013 in an attempt to locate Brown’s remains, but was unsuccessful.

Jessica Knight Henry, Brown’s granddaughter, said attending Hudner’s funeral at Arlington solidified her grandmother’s desire to have her husband’s remains interred in Arlington. More than 7,500 American military personnel remain unaccounted for in the Korean War, according to the government agency that tracks prisoners of war.

create a sense of family with people who stay in the community of the town.

“I think it helped international students feel a sense of connection with the community outside of just sort of being around people who are all the same age. I know even for me, when I was a student, it was a weird reality when you never see children and older people,” said Odland. “I think it gives a sense of stability and some security if you feel like you know someone off campus that is

established in the community that you can reach out to.”

Students who have registered for the program will have an event that will be dedicated to getting to know the families participating in the program. The event takes place on Jan. 19 in the Bullpen where students can meet the families who have signed up for the program.

“If they can meet someone just naturally through conversation, I can pair them up that way,” said Odland.

According to Odland, fam-

ilies continue to enroll in the Friendship Family program, and therefore places in the program for students are still available. Applications are available under the Kearney International Center on the MSU website.

“Right now we have about 35 families who signed up and also about 35 students so we probably will have room for more students to sign up,” said Odland.

For more details about the Friendship Family Program, reach out to kristin.odland@ mnsu.edu.

NOAH BERGER • The Associated Press

US NAVY via The Associated Press

Floodwaters course through a neighborhood in Merced, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. Following days of rain, Bear Creek overflowed its banks leaving dozens of homes and vehicles surrounded by floodwaters.

This photo provided by the U.S. Navy shows Jesse Brown in the cockpit of an F4U-4 Corsair fighter at an unidentified location.

Court weighs tossing Boston marathon bomber’s death sentence

Brazil authorities brace for an uprising

By CARLA BRIDI and NATALIA SCARABOTTO The Associated Press

Brazil’s capital prepared for the possibility of more violent demonstrations Wednesday by people seeking to overturn the presidential election, with local security officials blocking access to buildings trashed four days earlier by a horde of rioters.

A flyer promoting a “mega-protest to retake power” circulated on social media platforms, particularly Telegram, and urged protesters to turn out in two dozen cities, including the capital. It was unclear how large or violent such demonstrations might shape up to be, but skittish authorities took no chances.

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER The Associated Press

Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s attorney urged a federal appeals court Tuesday to throw out the 29-year-old’s death sentence because of juror misconduct claims just months after it was revived by the nation’s highest court.

Tsarnaev is making a renewed push to avoid execution after the Supreme Court last year reinstated the death sentence imposed on him for his role in the bombing that killed three people and injured hundreds near the finish line of the marathon in 2013.

His lawyers are now challenging issues that weren’t considered by the Supreme Court, including whether the trial judge wrongly denied his challenge of two jurors who defense attorneys say lied during jury selection questioning.

One juror said she had not commented about the case online but had retweeted a post calling Tsarnaev a “piece of garbage.” Another juror said none of his Facebook friends had commented on the trial, even though one had urged him to “play the part” so he could get on the jury and send Tsarnaev to “jail where he will be taken of,” defense attorneys say.

Tsarnaev’s lawyers raised those concerns during jury selection, but the judge chose not to look into them further, they say.

“This case was tried in Boston on a promise ... that despite the extraordinary impact of the marathon bombing on this community,” a through questioning of potential jurors would remove anyone unqualified, Tsarnaev attorney Daniel Habib told the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judges. “That promise was not kept.”

The Justice Department has continued to push to uphold Tsarnaev’s sentence even after Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2021 imposed a

moratorium on federal executions while the department conducts a review of its policies and procedures.

The department has not indicated how long it might maintain the hold, which came after former President Donald Trump administration’s put to death 13 inmates in its final six months.

President Joe Biden has said that he opposes the death penalty and will work to end its use, but he has taken no action to do so while in office.

And the moratorium doesn’t prevent federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty, as they are in the case of a man currently on trial for killing eight people on a New York City bike path in 2017.

William Glaser, a Justice Department lawyer, said the trial judge did nothing wrong in his handling of the jurors. Glaser acknowledged that the jurors made inaccurate statements but said other disclosures they made to the court suggest they were merely misremembering.

“There is no indication in this record that the inaccuracies were the kind of knowing dishonesty that would lead to disqualification,” Glaser said.

But Judge William Kayatta Jr. questioned how the trial judge could know that without looking further into Tsarnaev’s claims.

And Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson told the Justice Department lawyer she found it difficult to see how Tsarnaev can’t at least plausibly claim that the juror told to “play the part” was knowingly lying.

“If, for instance, the Facebook friend had said ‘get on the jury and make sure that the death penalty isn’t imposed,’ it’s hard for me to believe that you wouldn’t be in here arguing the opposite of what you are arguing now,’” she told Glaser.

Some survivors of the bombing who attended the hearing met briefly with Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins afterward outside the courtroom.

Speaking to journalists in Brasilia, the federal appointee who has assumed control of the capital’s security said police were shutting down the main avenue to traffic and limiting pedestrian access with barricades. They are blocking all access to the square that was the site of Sunday’s mayhem, said the official, Ricarado Cappelli.

He said a small area on the avenue has been reserved for peaceful demonstrations, but will be surrounded by police and the national guard and all protesters searched upon entry.

“The right to protest freely will always be respected and cannot be confused with terrorism,” Cappelli said.

Citing the call to action on social media, a Supreme Court justice ordered local authorities in cities across Brazil to prevent protesters from blocking roads

or occupying public spaces and buildings. Justice Alexandre de Moraes also ordered arrests and fines for people and companies who participate or help with logistics and funding.

The nation remains on edge after supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro rampaged through Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace on Sunday, laying ruin to the government’s three most important buildings. Officials arrested or detained some 1,500 people by the following morning, hundreds of whom were sent to prison.

Though there is no evidence of fraud in the Oct. 30 presidential election, the protesters have claimed the true winner was far-right Bolsonaro. He has fired up his base about the vulnerability of electronic voting machines despite independent experts’ assurances they are

closely scrutinized. Bolsonaro also has warned his supporters that the election’s leftist victor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, would impose communism.

The fresh call for an uprising Wednesday sparked concern that the crackdown hadn’t damped the will of radicals. Among those who vow to continue struggling is Daniel Bressan, 35, who traveled some 300 miles from the interior of Parana state to join Sunday’s protest in Brasilia. He was detained by police the next morning, though he denies participating in any of the vandalism.

“A lot of people are going to be afraid to go to the streets and be arrested — I myself fear persecution by the legal system — but I’m not going to stop fighting and I’m not going to get discouraged,” Bressan said by phone from the federal police’s temporary holding center.

JANUARY

Friday (1/13)

7:30AM - 6:00PM

7:30AM - 4:30PM Saturday - Monday (1/14-1/16) CLOSED* Tuesday - Thursday (1/17-1/19) ........... 7:30AM - 12:00 Midnight Friday (1/20)

* Ask a Librarian service available 24/7 at libguides.mnsu.edu/ask

For more information visit: lib.mnsu.edu/hours

FBI via The Associated Press

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was convicted and sentenced to death for carrying out the Boston Marathon bombing attack on April 15, 2013, that killed three people and injured more than 260 others.

ERALDO PERES • The Associated Press

Military police stand guard outside the Supreme Court in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, ahead of expected protests called for by supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

Editorials 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

Ways to wind down without a phone

As a generation that is in the know 24/7 and glued to our devices all day every day, it’s common to have feelings of anxiousness when separated from your device.

Understanding why we feel that way, and how to condition ourselves to take a break once in a while is a freeing feeling that we as students should experience.

First, we should ask ourselves why we feel the way we do when we are separated from our phones.

Is it because we need to know what other are doing 24/7? Is it a safety issue where we feel without our phones, there is no way to seek emergency help?

Or is it because we need to be entertained and stimulated 24/7? The answer could be all of the above and then some.

However, for whatever reason, going device free for just 30 minutes a day can boost your mental health and relieve the stress that our phones tend to cause on the daily.

Shifting your attention to something other than mindlessly scrolling through social media, can actually help your brain wind down and decompress before falling asleep.

Reading a book, meditating and even drawing are a few ways you can wind down before you go to bed that do not require a phone.

These calming exercises can relax the body in ways that can benefit your sleep cycle as well.

Our human bodies have a circadian rhythm which is a natural internal process that tells us when to sleep and when to wake up.

Sometimes when we go on our phones at night before bed, the light from our phone screens is actually telling our body it is light out, therefore can make it more difficult to fall asleep as opposed to doing something without direct light shining at our faces.

We as students should start prioritizing our sleep since we all know being a student isn’t our only role.

Juggling jobs, family and friends is something most of us experience throughout our time in school.

Learning ways to protect your mental health and sleep are crucial, even if it’s just reading a book for 15 minutes before bed.

Semester in Belfast: First 72 hours

By ALEXANDRA TOSTRUD Staff Writer

While the traveling was tedious and my motion sickness threatened to get the best of me, I am incredibly excited to be at Queen’s University Belfast for a semester abroad through Minnesota State University’s Study Abroad and Away program. During my four and a half months here, I will take various English courses for my creative writing program at MSU and gain countless experiences outside the classroom.

As someone who spent most of her 21 years of life in the comfortable, familiar region of the Midwest, saying goodbye to everything I know and hopping on an international journey to Belfast, Northern Ireland, was the hardest thing I’ve ever

done. Prior to last Saturday morning, I’d only used my shiny new passport for a quick trip up to Canada, and a plane ride longer than four hours was only a concept for me.

Most things are new to me here thus far– the accents, the walkable urban environment, the weather. I acclimate to different regions easily, and the 41 F in Belfast feels just as frigid as the subzero temperatures I left behind last week. QUB is a much larger campus than back home at MSU, and I already find myself missing our tunnel systems and skyways.

While my fellow Mavericks in Mankato started class Monday, I will not begin until next week. Students at QUB only take three classes called modules and it takes three years to receive a degree. While other students

from the U.S. studying here this semester are taking classes with professors from their home university, I will be immersed in this learning environment.

Outside of the classroom and in my room, I am in the “quiet living” area of the main student living for QUB. This means that, unlike other international students, I am living with full-time students who are from Northern Ireland. QUB is home to over 3,000 international students, which includes full time, study abroad or Erasmus students from Europe.

Because I only have classes a few days a week, I’m looking forward to using that extra time to make the most of my time in Europe and travel.

I received the Gilman Scholarship for this semester, and this will allow me to do more

“What was the most memorable part of traveling to Rome?”

Compiled by Lilly Anderson

LAUREN VISKA, JUNIOR

“Probably marching in Rome and eating Italian food.”

MATTHEW JENSEN, JUNIOR

“Visiting the historical landmarks.”

MORGAN ANDERSON, JUNIOR

“Marching in the parade, turning to see the Spanish Steps full of people.”

GABRIELLA SANCHEZ, JUNIOR

“I got to try octopus for the first time and seeing the Spanish steps.”

NATHANIEL HYDE, SENIOR

“Marching in the biggest parade I’ve ever been a part of.”

SOPHIE

SEEGAR, JUNIOR

“Getting to play in a parade that’s different from parades in America.”

Photo courtesy of Alexadra Tostrud Queen’s University Belfast is one of the oldest universities in the United Kingdom, founded in 1845.

Federal utility chooses gas plant despite EPA concerns on energy

CES 2023: 10 tech innovations that caught our eye

By TRAVIS LOLLER The Associated Press

The nation’s largest public utility has decided to build a new natural gas plant despite concerns from the Environmental Protection Agency that its analysis of alternatives is faulty and that the project is at odds with President Biden’s clean energy goals.

Tennessee Valley Authority President and CEO Jeff Lyash on Tuesday signed a decision to move forward with a 1,450-megawatt natural gas plant at the site of the utility’s coal-burning Cumberland Fossil Plant, near Cumberland City, Tennessee. TVA plans to retire the first of two coal burning units there by the end of 2026 and plans to have the gas plant up and running before then.

TVA provides power to 10 million people in parts of seven Southern states.

The utility provided the EPA with a final environmental impact statement in early December analyzing alternatives for replacing the Cumberland plant. It compared the costs and benefits of two types of natural gas plants as well as a solar array with battery storage.

The analysis recommended a combined cycle natural gas plant as the preferred alternative. It determined that the solar array would cost $1.8 billion more and could not be completed by the utility’s 2026 deadline.

“Replacing retired generation with a natural gas plant is the best overall solution because it’s the only mature technology available today that can provide firm, dispatchable power by 2026 when the first Cumberland unit retires – dispatchable meaning TVA can turn it off and on as the system requires the power,” Lyash said in a statement Tuesday.

The EPA issued a detailed response to the analysis on Friday, writing that TVA relied on “inaccurate underlying economic information” and “may continue to underestimate the potential costs of the combined cycle gas plant and overstate the cost of solar and storage.”

TVA used a “misleading” measure of comparison to show that solar and storage would be more expensive than gas, according to EPA. TVA also failed to account for the opportunities presented by recent federal legislation providing $375 billion over 10 years for clean energy projects. And TVA failed to consider that the cost of renewables is declining while gas prices are expected to rise, the EPA said.

In addition to the economic analysis, the EPA is critical of TVA’s environmental analysis. The utility found similar greenhouse gas impacts for solar and gas.

When factoring in the social costs of greenhouse gases, TVA found the solar alternative would save $4.8 billion over the “no action” alternative —

that is, keeping the coal plant in place — while the combined cycle gas plant would save $4.4 billion.

But the EPA said TVA used outdated social cost estimates and falsely asserted that there is “legal uncertainty” around the newest estimates.

Although TVA stated that the environmental impacts are relatively close for all alternatives, the utility’s own analysis results in a $3 billion difference between gas and solar over the 30-year life of the project, according to the EPA.

“Moreover, the document does not reflect the urgent need to take climate action” despite TVA’s own strategic plan calling for a “deep carbon reduction,” EPA states.

Biden has set a goal of a carbon-pollution-free energy sector by 2035 that TVA has said it can’t achieve without technological breakthroughs in nuclear generation and energy storage. TVA has set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2035, compared with 2005 levels.

Scientists have warned that failing to meet the 2035 target will only lead to more intense and more frequent extreme weather events, as well as droughts, floods and wildfires.

Teams of meteorologists across the world have predicted there is nearly a 50-50 chance that Earth will hit a key warming mark that international agreements have tried to prevent by 2026.

From electric cars and boats to wireless TVs to the latest phones and tablets, there was a wide range of innovations on display at the CES tech show in Las Vegas last week. Some of it aimed to solve big real world problems. Some of it aimed to make your life more fun. And some of it was just a little out there.

Associated Press journalists spent last week combing cavernous exhibit halls for the most exciting, interesting and unusual tech innovations.

Here’s what caught our eye: MOST FUN WAY TO GET TO WORK

Journalists had fun zipping around the CES Unveiled event on remote-controlled, electric inline skates from French startup AtmosGear. The battery lasts for 20 miles (32 kilometers), said founder Mohamed Soliman, who hopes people will see them as a viable way to commute, like electric bikes or scooters.

“My goal is for everyone to go skating again because it’s so much fun, every time you see people skating you see them with a big smile,” Soliman said.

A waist bag holds the battery and cables connected to the skates. They also can be used as regular skates when they need to be charged or skaters simply want to travel under their own power.

The $500 skates are available for pre-order. The company has taken orders for 150 pairs so far and is aiming for 200 orders to start production.

TECH FOR PETS

Have you ever wondered what your dog would say if it could speak to you? FluentPet promises the next best thing — buttons the company says you can train your pet to push if it’s hungry, needs to go outside or wants to play.

Fluent Pet’s starter kit comes with hextiles, a speaker and six buttons for $159.95. The app does not require a subscription.

than I might have without it.

I am beyond grateful to have this opportunity and I can’t wait to share it with you over the next few months. Whether you are a family member of

mine, a friend, or a classmate, I hope I can encourage you to travel abroad whether for fun or class.

Interested in studying abroad or away through MSU?

Contact the Center for Global

Engagement at ipo@mnsu.edu located on the ground floor of Morris, or reach out to myself with questions about the Gilman Federal Scholarship for studying abroad.

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

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.

C.B. SCHMELTER • The Associated Press

JOHN LOCHER • The Associated Press

Tennessee Valley Authority President Jeff Lyash signed a decision to build a new natural gas plant, despite concerns from the Environmental Protection Agency that goes against President Joe Biden’s clean energy goals.

Ducky demonstrates FluentPet dog communication buttons during the Pepcom Digital Experience before the start of the CES tech show.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SPORTS S

Mavs look to ‘crack the code’ against Huskies

By KOLE BUELOW Staff Writer

The Minnesota State Women’s Hockey team returns to action this weekend for their first home series since playing Wisconsin back on Dec. 9 and 10. The Mavericks are sitting at an even .500 on the season at 1111-0 and have a chance to break above the .500 mark for the first time this season.

St. Cloud State will not be an easy foe to do it against, however, as they rank No. 14 in the most recent USCHO college hockey poll. The Huskies 1310-0 record slightly tops Minnesota State’s 11-11-0, but a 4-1 win over former No. 1 Minnesota is currently holding SCSU inside the top 15.

Minnesota State has struggled against top 15 opponents this season, going 0-10 in those contests. Outside of the top 15, the Mavericks are dominant, winning 11 of 12 games against all other opponents.

MSU is looking for motivation to finally crack the code against the USCHO’s top 15, and freshman defenseman, Lilie Ramirez, explained this weekend might be the time the Mavericks can finally break through.

“Since St. Cloud is up there now and they are the only team we haven’t played, it puts a fire in all of us to get going,” said Ramirez. “We wanna be up

there too. I think we’re all a little mad that the Huskies are ranked, so I think that will help us win.”

To make the stakes even higher for both teams, the Huskies and Mavericks sit fifth and sixth in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association standings, respectively. Depending on the

outcomes, the two could flip places in the standings which would help earn MSU a higher seed in the upcoming WCHA tournament in March.

Shockingly, this will be the first meeting for both teams this season.

When asked about what Minnesota State can expect

ANDERSON • The Reporter

need this win for playoff seeding. We haven’t played them yet, we don’t know how they’ll be a hundred percent, but we know we can win. We need to sweep with them.”

The Mavericks will surely have to be on top of their game for this weekend’s series, and the team will undoubtedly have confidence in doing so after two strong outings this past weekend against Lindenwood University.

Minnesota State arguably had their most dominant game this season against the Lions less than a week ago, where they blanked Lindenwood 8-0 Jan. 6.

Ramirez talked about the team’s success against Lindenwood, and knows the Mavericks will need to stay on top of their game if they want to sweep the opposing Huskies.

from the Huskies, Ramirez explained, “They’re gonna be good. We’re expecting them to be defensively very strong. This week we are really focusing on working on scoring, crashing the net, and having poise with the puck in all areas of the ice.”

Ramirez also went on to say, “Going into it we know we

“We need to keep our speed, and I think the last two series we’ve really moved well together,” explained Ramirez. “We’ve switched up the lines too, and being able to play with different people, I think it has helped us put the puck in the net. We have to keep capitalizing on our chances and this weekend’s series will go our way.”

The Mavericks will face the No. 14 Huskies Jan. 13 and Jan. 14 at 6 pm and 3 pm, respectively. The games will be hosted in downtown Mankato at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.

Taking the ice at Mullett Arena for the first time

By KARSON BUELOW Staff Writer

This weekend, the Minnesota State Men’s Hockey team is set to travel out west to Tempe, Arizona to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils for their first away matchup in program history. In addition. It will be the first time the Mavericks visit Mullett Arena, the brand new home for the Sun Devils, also home to the National Hockey League’s Arizona Coyotes.

The Sun Devils’ new state-ofthe-art facility opened Oct. 12, 2022, and has since been a premier hotbed of sporting events in the state. Despite the energy and atmosphere that Mullett Arena has brought to both the college and professional stages, the Mavericks remain focused and aware of coming back with a possible six points.

“I think we’re all excited to get some nice warm weather,” said junior defenseman, Akito Hirose. “But at the end of the day, it’s a business trip and we’re looking at six points.”

The Mavericks head into this weekend with an undefeated, 4-0-1 all-time record against the

Sun Devils, with their most recent matchup coming during the halfway point of last season, as well. The Mavericks swept the Sun Devils 4-2 and 5-3 during last season’s games in Mankato.

The outlier in that 4-0-1 record was a 2-2 tie that happened in 2018 and also happened to be the last time the Mavericks were on the road against the Sun Devils. Despite the convincing series sweep the Mavericks were able to manage last season, this year’s Sun Devils roster has looked extremely different with the addition of several big-name transfers.

“Coach Powers and their staff do a great job bringing in players and developing them,” said Minnesota State head coach, Mike Hastings. “As a group we’re gonna need to be as complete as we can be, and for us we’re climbing up the hill against a tough opponent.”

One guy the Mavericks have honed in on heading into this series is senior forward and Boston University transfer, Robert Mastrosimone. Mastrosimone, a top-three point scorer for the Terriers last season, also leads the Sun Devils in points so far this season with 25 pts in 23

games. Another big name on the Sun Devils’ roster is none other than former Bemidji State stand-

out, Lukas Sillinger. The Mavericks are no strangers to Sillinger, having played two seasons with

the Beavers and amassing several points against the Mavericks

LILLY

MSU Women’s Hockey team strives for their third-straight two-game series win. They play St. Cloud State Friday, Jan. 13 at 6 p.m. and Saturday 3 p.m. at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.

DYLAN ENGEL• The Reporter

MSU Men’s Hockey team aims to continue their winning streak as they travel this weekend for a two-game series against Arizona State.

Undermanned Mavericks team look to prove their worth Mavs hit the road as they travel north looking to win

By CHARLIE GROEBNER Staff Writer

Classes are back in session, but it has been business as usual for Minnesota State women’s basketball. While their undefeated streak has come to an end, they look to continue their dominance as they remain atop the standings.

Crookston. Currently sitting at 5-3 on the season, the Golden Eagles look to extend their three-game win streak. However, the Mavericks have been a weakness for them as they have beaten them in the last five matchups.

By HAYDEN LEE Staff Writer

The 12-4 Minnesota State Mavericks have unfortunately been bitten by the injury bug recently, with players such as Brady Williams and Malik Willingham missing games this season.

Sophomore, Williams, has been out since Dec. 16 with a bulging disk in his back, according to Mavs coach, Matthew Margenthaler. Junior guard, M. Willingham, is the most recent Maverick to suffer an injury, where Jan. 6, he went down with a knee injury and is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks.

Coach Margenthaler still expressed a lot of confidence in the team and players stepping up due to the unfortunate circumstances.

“I think the nice thing about our group is that we do have really good depth and guys who can step up,” said Margenthaler.

Between Tyrell Stuttley moving into the starting lineup, Malcolm Jones playing well, and Chase Bartlett getting more opportunities, the Mavs will be in good hands while Williams and M. Willingham continue to heal.

Nevertheless, the season continues on and the Mavs will be on the road this weekend, taking on two conference opponents and trying to prove that they are still a top team in their conference.

Friday, Jan. 13, the Mavs

will be in Golden Eagle country, taking on the University of Minnesota Crookston.

From 1994-2018, the Mavs won every single game against the Golden Eagles, and the 24 game win streak during that time is the longest winning streak against any opponent in team history. However, after one loss in 2019, the Mavs rebounded in their next matchup and hold a 25-1 series advantage all-time.

The Golden Eagles are in the midst of a rough season, currently sitting at 1-15, (0-10 in conference play) and have nothing to lose coming into this game. They are led by sophomore guard, Blaize Sagna, who leads the team in points (15.7) and steals (1.3) per game.

As a team, the Golden Eagles’ offense has been shaky this season, averaging just 66.4 ppg and currently post a -15.5 scoring margin, allowing 81.9 ppg to opponents. For a team as beaten up as the Mavs, playing against a statistically subpar defense should allow for some of the newer players to gain some traction offensively. Another thing that the Mavs may try to exploit is the Golden Eagles’ troubles on the defensive glass. The Golden Eagles have allowed opponents to grab 14 or more offensive rebounds in nearly a third of their games, while allowing 8 or more in thirteen of their sixteen games.

“The last seven games have been a bit of a grind for us, and we have let some teams beat us when they shouldn’t have,” said Margenthaler. “That’s a

hard thing to go through, but you have to learn from these things, and I think as a team, we have.”

The following day, Saturday, Jan. 14, the Bemidji State Beavers will be the Mavs’ next challenge. The Mavs have also had their way with the Beavers in the past, as from 1978-2011, the Mavs won 23 straight, good enough for the second longest winning streak against an opponent, just behind the aforementioned Golden Eagles.

However, that was over a decade ago, and there are now new players on both sides. This season’s Beaver team is 10-6 on the year (5-5 conference record), and have been playing good basketball as of late, winning 5 of their last 6. One player to watch out for is John Sutherland, who is averaging 19.1 ppg on 62% shooting from the field, along with grabbing 9.1 rebounds per game.

Aside from the amazing play out of Sutherland, the Beavers boast a trio of players who are shooting above 40% from behind the arc in Brandon Christlieb, RJ Smith, and Kone Mohamed, who also has 21 steals on the year. The Beavers will prove to be a challenge for the Mavs, and a great test for the players taking on new roles during Williams and Willingham’s absence.

“Moving forward, we still have the talent on our roster to win a lot of games and get to all of our goals we set at the beginning of the season,” said Margenthaler.

Coming off a tough loss against the University of Minnesota Duluth, the team sits at a record of 12-2 on the season. However, with all the success that has been going in their favor, they now face a massive challenge going into the final months.

This week, the team prepares to start a four-game road trip as they reach the halfway point of the season. Both teams are in the NSIC, each looking to rise in the standings and make a statement win. While this will be the team’s longest road trip of the season, Head Coach, Emilee Thiesse, is prepared and ready to get the team back on track.

“Big focus for us this week is that we got to be a lot more consistent with who we are, and who we are in terms of defense and intensity, where I think we have had some inconsistency, particularly in the fourth quarter, which showed in the Duluth game,” said Thiesse

Their first stop takes them up north for a Friday night matchup against Minnesota

Following that, the Mavericks will have little time to catch their breath as they once again must get back on the road. This time they won’t need to go far, as they will travel to take on Bemidji State in a Saturday afternoon showdown.

While the Beavers have not seen much success this season, they are still one of the Maverick’s biggest rivals. In their last three matchups, each game would be decided by eight points or less. The Mavericks are 2-1 in the last three, proving to be rather challenging for them.

Despite the challenges, the Mavericks look to rebound after a brutal gut check. hoping to get the ball rolling as they prepare to take on Crookston in their house on Friday night.

“I think Crookston is going to be a great challenge for us, It’s a prime example of a key player that really stirs the drink and gives us the opportunity to work on eliminating those key players and limit them on offense. It’s a great challenge but the big focus is to find out who we are and execute to be the best version of ourselves,” said Thiesse.

in his former years.

Among these two names, the Sun Devils remain loaded with a handful of transfers that bring experience and grit to this newly energized group. The Mavericks will have a tough task on the road, as they continue to be without big names in their own lineup due to injury.

Hastings announced earlier this week that they will be without the help of senior for-

ward, Sam Morton, and sophomore defenseman, Bennett Zmolek, likely for the remainder of the year.

The good news, however, is Hastings listed freshman forward, Simon Tassy, as “dayto-day” as his status improves.

Minnesota State will head out west this weekend as they take on Arizona State in a nonconference matchup at Mullett Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. (local time) Friday and Saturday.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

MSU Men’s Basketball team looks to bounce back into the win column as they play back-to-back away games with their first game against Minnesota Crookston Friday, Jan. 13 and Bemidji State Saturday, Jan. 14.

MSU Women’s Basketball team aims to bring back wins as they travel this weekend to Minnesota Crookston Friday, Jan. 13 and Bemidji State Saturday, Jan. 14.

Senior spotlight: Rose Gaye

By ALI REED Staff Writer

This year marks lucky number 13 of running track for senior sprinter, Rose Gaye. As she has been a part of Minnesota State’s track team for several years, she found that belief is the key to her successes.

“Being a part of the team for so long and going through many adversities has made me think about things differently than I used to,” said Gaye. “More importantly to keep believing, and the moment you stop believing, you’ve got to remember when you did believe.”

Gaye is originally from Africa, then raised in different states around America. However, when it comes to home, she refers to Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Running around for fun has always been one of Gaye’s favorite pastimes. When she was in fourth grade, she realized that running track is a sport. Ever since she came to this realization, she has been a part of a track team.

“I kind of just liked running around for the fun of it and didn’t know it was a sport until the fourth grade,” said Gaye. “I have been running track for about 13 years now, as this year makes it year 13.”

Gaye attended high school at Davies High School in Fargo, North Dakota. As a member of the Eagles’ track team, she was a part of a record breaking women’s team in 2018, where the Eagles scored 222 points at state, the most points scored by a Class A girls team at the state meet. In 2018, she also was awarded the NDHSCA Outstanding Senior Athlete Award and the NDHSAA Powerade Outstanding Senior Athlete Award.

Transitioning from high school track and field to colle-

giate track and field was quite a jump for Gaye, as it is far more demanding and draining.

“High school track only goes for about three to four months, as collegiate track goes on for about nine months before being able to take a break,” said Gaye. “In terms of workouts, high school doesn’t seem as hard now that I look back at it. Some of the workouts in college have made me think about why I chose this sport to begin with.”

Although collegiate track and field is much more taxing than high school, Gaye has shown through her years at MSU that she belongs on the team. During the most recent meet, she competed in two events, placing second in a 4x400 relay race and third in a 400 yard dash.

Gaye was drawn to MSU for track because she felt at home and like she belonged upon her first visit.

“It felt like home away from home when I came on my first official visit,” said Gaye. “It was important that I was in a space that made me feel like I belonged.”

Outside of track, Gaye puts a lot of time into her academics as a psychology major, hoping to shed light on the mental health struggles she faced as an African growing up in America. She plans to continue her academic career in Texas at Graduate School.

“Looking back made me realize how I don’t want another little girl that looks like me to go through the same things and not get the right help they need before it’s too late,” said Gaye.

Gaye has high hopes for herself and MSU’s Track and Field team this season. The Mavericks plan to become back-to-back national champions.

Vikings’ offensive line in flux ahead of matchup with Giants

By BRIAN HALL The Associated Press

When the Minnesota Vikings beat the New York Giants three weeks ago, they allowed plenty of pressure on quarterback Kirk Cousins — including four sacks.

Minnesota was down one starting offensive lineman in the game; center Garrett Bradbury, who missed the Vikings’ final five games of the regular season.

Minnesota’s offensive line is in more flux as the two teams match up again in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday afternoon.

The Vikings are without standout right tackle Brian O’Neill for the rematch and they still have uncertainty at center.

Bradbury (back) could possibly return Sunday afternoon after returning to practice on a limited basis Wednesday.

Backup tackle Blake Brandel, who started three games in place of injured left tackle Christian Darrisaw earlier this season before sustaining a knee injury, was designated to return from injured reserve and is expected to be available Sunday.

“As far as I’m concerned, I’m looking at it like Blake is 100% ready to go now,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell. “We’ll just see how he responds to some real work. We’re going to be full-speed today and padded up tomorrow, so we’ll get to see some real, tangible evidence of what he can do for us Sunday, as well as some other guys.”

O’Neill and Austin Schlott-

man, who started at center for Bradbury against New York, were put on injured reserve last week. The Vikings started third-string center Chris Reed and backup tackle Oli Udoh against Chicago in the regular-season finale.

Bradbury’s potential return would be a boost.

“He’ll practice today in a limited capacity and then we’ll just see how he feels after,” O’Connell said. “I know he’s been feeling really good, it’s been positive reports and kind of the mindset of trying to go this week. But as I’ve said with multiple other injuries this year,

we won’t put Garrett in a position unless we think he can succeed and be healthy doing so, so it’ll be something we work through throughout the week.”

Safety Harrison Smith (knee) and linebacker Brian Asamoah (knee) were also limited in practice Wednesday. Smith was inactive for the regular-season finale against Chicago.

Cornerback Cameron Dantzler Sr. was held out of practice Wednesday due to a personal matter, while defensive lineman James Lynch (shoulder) returned to practice for the first time since being injured against the Giants.

Courtesy of MSU Athletics Senior Rose Gaye begins thirteenth year of track as a sprinter. She looks to get a degree in psychology and attend grad school in Texas.

ABBIE PARR • The Associated Press Minnesota Vikings center Garrett Bradbury (56), guard Ezra Cleveland (72), offensive tackle Blake Brandel (64) and guard Chris Reed (62) talk during an NFL football team practice in Eagan, Minn., Jan. 11, 2023.

VA RI ET Y

Leave bad feelings in the cold this winter

By LAUREN VISKA Staff Writer

Mental health can be a hot topic for college students during the cold winter months.

The sun sets too early, and the darkness shrouding the campus spells out seasonal depression for many, and that’s not including lack of sleep and an overabundance of coursework.

Luckily for them, there are ways on campus for them to help address this.

MSU Psychologist Kimberly Sommers thinks keeping up with mental and physical health is essential for college students.

“Staying healthy and taking care of your mental and physical health throughout the school year is directly related to academic achievement. When someone is out of balance with their sleeping, eating, and movement, it leads to more stress and poorer performance,” said Sommers. “Therefore, we all need to ensure that we are eating not too much, not too little, sleeping, not too much, not too little, and moving, not too much, not too little.”

Even though it may seem like an uphill battle at times to stay healthy mentally, there are easy ways to keep it from declining.

“It’s important to find balance and check in with yourself regularly that you are getting what you need in terms of sleep-

ing, eating, movement, social time, study time, downtime, etc.,” said Sommers.

“Setting up a schedule can be helpful, or even setting and sharing goals with a friend who can be part of your support system and an accountability partner when you need to get back on track.”

There are ways on campus for students to get more information on their mental health.

One is the Counseling Center located in the Centennial Student Union, room 285.

“The Counseling Center provides individual and group counseling, consultation, screening, outreach, workshops, and

online resources to address various mental health concerns,” said Sommers. “We can meet with any student enrolled at MSU, Mankato and help connect them with the resources and supports they may need. To get started with the Counseling Center, we ask students to walk into our office during our screen-

ing times to meet that same day with one of our providers for a screening appointment.”

The screening process may seem daunting to a newcomer, but it boils down to a short interview with a specialist, according to Sommers.

“A screening appointment is about 20 minutes long and focuses on understanding what the student might need and how best we can help meet that need. Sometimes that means someone is referred for individual counseling or referred to a workshop,” said Sommers. “Sometimes, someone would best be helped by a referral to another office on campus or a community mental health resource.”

The Counseling Center also has events throughout the year for students to go to and learn more about their health.

“This spring semester, we will have outreach programming around different aspects of mental health. In January, we will have a week dedicated to providing students with information about depression and coping with the winter blues,” said Sommers. “In February, we will focus on relationships and providing information about healthy relationships and coping with difficulties within relationships.”

For more information, go to the MSU website and click on the Counseling Center tab.

‘M3GAN’ movie toys with redefining the horror genre

By JOEY ERICKSON Variety Editor

The upcoming ‘Barbie’ movie can take a back seat because there’s a new doll taking over silver screens across the country. If you’ve been on Twitter or TikTok at all in the past month, you’ve probably seen lots of chatter surrounding the movie ‘M3GAN.’

The film acts as yet another groundbreaking installment from Blumhouse Productions, the company behind some of the most successful horror movies to date, such as “Get Out,” “Black Phone” and “Ouija.”

The movie ‘M3GAN’ is centered around a doll of the same name, a groundbreaking marvel of artificial intelligence. M3GAN is a life-like doll prototype programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s saving grace.

Unlike other toys, M3GAN could give spontaneous responses to any prompt given or asked of her, breaking through the Uncanny Valley with her alarmingly accurate humanity.

Designed by brilliant inventor Gemma, played by “Get

Out” actress Allison Williams, M3GAN suddenly becomes a big part of her life when she takes emergency custody of her recently-orphaned niece, Cady.

As a fresh mother of a young and traumatized girl, Gemma is unsure and unprepared for the responsibilities of motherhood, ultimately deciding to pair Cady with the M3GAN prototype in an attempt to solve the problem - a decision that will prove to have fateful consequences.

M3GAN will do anything to protect Cady, and nothing will get in her way, even if it means death.

When the trailer first dropped, it immediately garnered reams of traction online. The first teaser, specifically, featured M3GAN chasing a man down. The dim lights in the hallway flickered menacingly before cutting to the face of her target, slowly backing away in fear.

M3GAN stands still, her demeanor menacing. Suddenly, she breaks out in dance, two-stepping back and forth, high-kicking and doing the splits, before continuing the pursuit against her target.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

The Counseling Center, located in the Centennial Student Union, is open five days a week, offering help and treatment for students burdened with the everyday stress of college life.

JOEY ERICKSON • The Reporter

“M3GAN” is another film from Blumhouse Productions, legendary horror movie producers. They’ve produced films such as “Us,” “Get Out,” “The Invisible Man,” and “Black Phone.”

At rehabbed Globes, ‘The Fabelmans,’ ‘Banshees’ triumph Greece’s former king to be buried as a private citizen

By ELENA BECATOROS The Associated Press

By JAKE COYLE The Associated Press

The Golden Globes returned to the air Tuesday with a red carpet flush with celebrities, comedian Jerrod Carmichael as a hesitant emcee and top awards for Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” and Martin McDonagh’s “The Banshees of Inisherin,” as the beleaguered award show sought to rekindle its pre-pandemic and pre-scandal glamour.

Spielberg’s autobiographical coming-of-age film “The Fabelmans” won best drama film and the dark friendship tale “The Banshees of Inisherin,” captured best film, comedy or musical. “Abbott Elementary,” “White Lotus” and “House of the Dragon” led the TV awards.

The Globes’ would-be comeback ended like many Globes ceremonies before it: with a triumphant Spielberg.

For the fifth time, one of Spielberg’s films won a best picture Globe.

Nominated 14 times by the Globes for best director, Spiel-

 HORROR from page 13

Many users online immediately gravitated towards the film, appreciating the elements of horror and camp that the movie was mixing together, an enjoyable meld of science fiction, horror and comedy rarely seen in movies today.

If I had to describe the movie with one word, I would choose “ridiculous.”

“M3GAN” as a movie fills up a kiddie pool with absurdity and splashes around in it, at no one’s expense.

Despite the humor, however, the movie is considerably smart. The undertone lurking beneath the entire film could be

berg also won the honor for the third time.

He began by thanking his three sisters, his late father and his late mother, Leah Adler ( played by Michelle Williams in the film). “She is up there kvelling about this right now,” said Spielberg.

Carmichael kicked off the 80th Golden Globes from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, with little of the fanfare that usually opens such ceremonies.

He plunged straight into the issues that drove the Globes off television and led much of the entertainment industry to boycott the Hollywood Foreign Press Association after the group was revealed to have no Black members. Carmichael opened by asking the crowd to “be a little quiet here.”

“I am your host, Jerrod Carmichael,” said the “Rothaniel” comedian. “And I’ll tell you why I’m here. I’m here ‘cause I’m Black.

“I won’t say they were a racist organization,” he continued before sitting on the stage. “But

they didn’t have a single Black member until George Floyd died. So do with that information what you will.”

McDonagh’s “The Banshees of Inisherin” left with three awards, including best screenplay for McDonagh and best actor in a comedy for Colin Farrrell.

Fourteen years earlier, Farrell won a Globe for McDonagh’s “In Bruges,” which likewise paired him with Brendan Gleeson.

In his remarks, Farrell thanked the playwright, his castmates, his kids and the film’s donkey, Jenny.

On a soggy night following punishing, prolonged rains that have lashed Southern California, the first award went to Ke Huy Quan, the former child star of “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” for best supporting actor in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

A clearly emotional Quan, who had left acting years before directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert cast him in their multiverse tale.

Constantine, the former and last king of Greece, will be buried as a private citizen in Tatoi, the former summer residence of Greece’s royals just outside Athens where his parents and ancestors are buried, the government said Wednesday.

A controversial figure in Greek history, Constantine died in a hospital late Tuesday at the age of 82.

Greece’s monarchy was definitively abolished in a referendum in 1974, and Constantine spent decades in exile before settling in his home country once more in his waning years.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chaired a ministerial meeting Wednesday morning to discuss details of the funeral, with his office announcing the private burial and saying the government would be represented by the culture minister.

Constantine’s family said the funeral service would take place at the Athens cathedral.

It said the exact timing of the service and burial, and the duration the former king’s body would remain in the church, “will be determined at a later time.”

Few in Greece have much nostalgia for the former royal family, but other European royals, many of whom are related to Constantine, are likely to attend his funeral.

Constantine’s wife, Anne-Marie, is the younger sister of Denmark’s Queen Margrethe.

In a statement, the royal palace in Copenhagen said it was “with great sadness” that the queen had learned of Constantine’s death.

“The royal family’s thoughts are currently with H.M. Queen Anne-Marie and the entire Greek family,” the Danish palace said.

Constantine, an Olympic sailing gold medalist and a keen horseman, was an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee, which on Wednesday expressed grief at his death.

“In King Constantine we have lost a great friend of sport,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement. “He was a fellow Olympic Champion and, whenever we met, we shared our passion about sport and discussed our love of Olympism and the life of an athlete.”

The IOC said that as a mark of respect, the Olympic flag will be flown at half-staff at Olympic House in Lausanne for three days.

summarized into one concept: The Turing Test.

The Turing Test is a test of a machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent behavior equal to or indistinguishable from a human being.

M3GAN’s prototype was built to constantly adapt to her environment to ensure the best quality care for her paired subject.

But as her software constantly updated and improved, she developed artificial sentience, an idea that lingers in the back of everyone’s minds in an age of rapidly advancing technology. The movie even prods at this idea in the mov-

ie’s ending, where an innocent Alexa-esque robot lights up and turns towards the camera, before the screen cuts to black.

M3GAN does a great job of making a horror movie that stays within the bounds of its PG-13 rating.

The director didn’t feel the need to rely on prepackaged jumpscares or cheap thrills to scare the audience.

While the movie is scary in some aspects, it is also smart enough to not take itself too seriously.

And honestly? M3GAN is the type of friend that we all need in 2023.

His older sister is Sophia, wife of former King Juan Carlos I of Spain, while the Greekborn Prince Philip, the late husband of the United Kingdom’s late Queen Elizabeth II, was an uncle.

Constantine was one of the godparents of Prince William, the heir to the U.K. throne.

The family, which had ruled Greece from 1863 apart from a 12-year republican interlude during 1922-1935, was descended from Prince Christian, later Christian IX of Denmark, of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg branch of the Danish ruling family.

Constantine was hugely popular in Greece when he acceded to the throne in 1964 at the age of 23, but much of that support rapidly waned with his active involvement in the machinations that brought down the elected government of Prime Minister George Papandreou.

The episode involving the defection from the ruling party of several lawmakers destabilized the constitutional order and led to a military coup in 1967. Constantine eventually clashed with the military rulers and was forced into exile.

When the dictatorship collapsed in July 1974, Constantine was eager to return to Greece but was advised against it by veteran politician Constantine Karamanlis, who returned from exile to head a civilian government.

RICH POLK • The Associated Press

LIONEL BONAVENTURE • The Associated Press

This image released by NBC shows Steven Spielberg accepting the Best Director award for “The Fabelmans” during the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Former King Constantine II of Greece arrives for the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Constantine, the former and last king of Greece, has died his doctors announced late Tuesday. He was 82.

Suspects in XXXTentacion’s death to face trial

By TERRY SPENCER The Associated Press

More than four years after gunmen killed emerging rap star XXXTentacion during a robbery outside a South Florida motorcycle shop, three suspects are now scheduled to go on trial.

Shooting suspect Michael Boatwright, 28, and his accused accomplices, Dedrick Williams, 26, and Trayvon Newsome, 24, could all receive life sentences if convicted of first-degree murder. They are also charged with armed robbery.

They have pleaded not guilty.

A fourth man, Robert Allen, 26, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year and is expected to testify against the other three.

Jury selection is set to begin Jan. 18 and is expected to last three weeks.

The trial is expected to last into March.

In pretrial hearings, the defendants’ attorneys have suggested there were others who had financial and personal motives for killing the singer, including members of his family and other rappers.

“It’s been over four long years in the making. We are excited to take this first step to bringing Dedrick home,” said Mauricio

Circuit Judge Michael Usan rejected last week an attempt by Boatwright’s attorney, Joseph Kimok, to have him declared mentally incompetent to stand trial. He also rejected a motion by the defendants’ attorneys to

try the three separately.

They argued that evidence presented against just one defendant would be prejudicial to the other two. They also argued that each defense attorney could try to establish his client’s

innocence or mitigate his guilt by pointing fingers at the other two suspects — they argued that would unfairly prejudice the jury against the trio. Prosecutor Pascale Achille told Usan that any evidence presented would pertain to all three.

Usan ruled the defense attorneys’ arguments could apply in all trials where there are multiple defendants, but in this case they don’t outweigh the needs of “judicial economy” to not hold three trials if not absolutely required.

XXXTentacion, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy, had just left Riva Motorsports in suburban Fort Lauderdale on June 18, 2018, with a friend when his BMW was blocked by an SUV that swerved in front.

Two masked gunmen emerged, confronted XXXTentacion at the driver’s window and one shot him. They then grabbed a Louis Vuitton bag containing $50,000 cash the singer had just withdrawn from the bank, got back into the SUV and sped away.

XXXTentacion, 20, died at the hospital shortly after. He pronounced his name “Ex ex ex ten-ta-see-YAWN” and was a platinum-selling rising star who tackled issues including prejudice and depression in his songs. He also drew criticism over bad behavior and multiple arrests.

Padilla, Williams’ attorney. The attorneys for Boatwright and Newsome did not respond to emails seeking comment. The COVID-19 pandemic and legal wrangling delayed the start of the trial.

BRYNN ANDERSON • The Associated Press

A fan wears a cross around her neck dangling on a t-shirt in remembrance before she enters a memorial for the rapper, XXXTentacion in Sunrise, Fla. More than four years after gunmen killed the emerging rap star XXXTentacion during a robbery outside a South Florida motorcycle shop, three suspects are about to go on trial.

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