January 15, 2019

TUESDAY JANUARY 15, 2019

Mankato Makerspace offers space to practice the arts Non-profit organization lends workshop and tools to anyone interested

MARIA LY STAFF WRITER The Mankato Makerspace opened its doors February of 2018 to a vast group of creators offering them a workspace to weld, build, sculpt, paint, and much more.

With the growing culture in Mankato, places like the Makerspace is an evolutionary business that helps and encourage the growth of art and artists here in town.

Joseph Herke, a cofounder and ceramics department shop lead, found that he had no place for ceramics and woodworking after obtaining his undergrad and graduate degree at Minnesota State University, Mankato. With

Photo courtesy of Mankato Makerspace

no place to create and hone his craft, it inspired him to join a group of individuals to get the Makerspace up and running to keep pursuing his deep passion for art.

He states, “It’s very important to have a workspace for artist here in Mankato because it allows people to do their craft and their art.

The whole idea behind this

is making it accessible for everybody. It’s important to support the artists and the art community in Mankato because that’s what enriches us as a community and

actually gives our town some culture. I think it’s important to embrace what people are doing, especially through their work and who these individuals are, because that’s what makes us as a community.”

When becoming a member, benefits outweigh the cost states Herke. “For 50 dollars to come in, you have a roof, you have the space, you have your heating and cooling, and you have access to all the tools. It’s unbelievable!”

Herke continues, “If you pay that (monthly) membership, you’re able to use the wood shop, the metal shop, and the ceramics shop.

They have access to all these different shops, so it allows them to be creative instead of just one specific avenue and apply it to whatever they

MANKATO PAGE 3

Join the MNSU College Democrats this semester

JOSHUA SCHUETZ STAFF WRITER The Minnesota State University, Mankato College Democrats are preparing for an active semester, to say the least.

“We’re planning on having a lot of events this semester,” Emma Fuhrman, the president of the MSU College Democrats, said in correspondence with the Reporter. “For instance, we’re planning some political documentary viewing nights, book readings, writing and calling our elected officials.”

The organization is open to all who support the

Photo courtesy of College Democrats

values of the US Democratic party and its Minnesota wing, the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party. According to the organization’s constitution, some of its goals include

the provision of a learning environment in which issues and policies can be discussed, as well as to assist in the election of Democratic candidates. The first one on the list, though, is perhaps the

IN THIS ISSUE: A day in the life of Stomper Maverick ....... Page 2 Government shutdowns and their effects. Page 6 Mavericks take first place at Invitational . Page 10 Top 10 albums of 2018 ............................. Page 14

most important, reading, “to provide a forum for students who share democratic values with others in the college community”.

Given the results of the midterm election, at least in

the House of Representatives, it would appear that the latter goal has been fulfilled pretty well, at least for the 2018 election cycle.

Fuhrman said that the organization’s priorities moving forward are growth and an eye to the upcoming presidential election in 2020.

“The priorities right now are to continue to grow a large number of College Democrats. Additionally, we will be learning more about potential candidates for the Democratic Party,” she said.

Growth is important for any RSO, especially one involved in politics. Members are not all political science or social science majors either. “We are getting a lot of membership from many different academic

COLLEGE PAGE 2

WEATHER OUTLOOK: TUESDAY (1/15)

H: 36 L: 12 Partly sunny.

WEDNESDAY (1/16)

THURSDAY (1/17)

H: 23 L: 17

H: 24 L: 8

Sun and patchy clouds.

Periods of sun.

FRIDAY (1/18)

SATURDAY (1/19)

H: 14 L: 0

H: 8 L: -5

Considerably cloudy.

Mostly sunny; cold.

Have a story idea?

Email News Editor Madison Diemert madison.diemert @mnsu.edu

2 • MSU Reporter

News

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

A day in the life of Stomper the Maverick MICHAEL MCSHANE STAFF WRITER A school is not complete without its mascot - the physical representation of a school’s passion, energy, and strength. All three of those words combined is what makes up Minnesota State University, Mankato’s very own mascot, Stomper.

Stomper was born in the fall of 1993 during a “Name the Mascot” contest during Homecoming Week. Since its inception, countless nameless students have been behind the eyes of the electrifying steer.

Currently, the unnamed person under the mask has had the pleasure of being

their day to day life as the mascot, whose main role is pumping up the crowd and running around to different locations throughout the large sports facilities before, during and after games.

Surprisingly though, they see the role of mascot as stress free with the positives far outweighing the negatives.

“I’m what you would call an adrenaline junky. So, once I put the head on, the adrenaline starts flowing and I get real excited,” says the anonymous mascot.

There is definitely a certain talent someone would have to have to be the voiceless energetic, anthropomorphic bull during sporting and other events. But the three-year veteran mascot says all you really need to do to succeed at being the mascot is to just be yourself.

Being anonymous behind the mask of a mascot has the perk of being able to mess up now and then and

“The daily routine of Stomper consists of listening to rock music to pump themselves up before heading on the ice to excite the crowd.” the face of MNSU’s pride for 3 years now and has been enjoying being a mascot since their days in high school.

As with all mascots, the current incumbent spoke with the Reporter under the cover of anonymity about their time as Stomper. Speaking about

still get the desired reaction from the crowd. Discussing some moments of his time as Stomper, they tell us just that.

“Nobody knows who you are so everything is pretty much a ballgame if you want to do something crazy. I’ve pulled off every dance move

Maria Ly | MSU Reporter

you could think of and I’m not a good dancer at all, but I whip out the Dad dance so I usually get quite a few laughs,” he said.

The daily routine of Stomper consists of listening to rock music to pump themselves up before heading on the ice to excite the crowd. Once that is over Stomper exits to the locker room, replaces skates with regular shoes and walk around the arena to meet and greet fans.

During this time Stomper will take at least 50 pictures with fans before heading up to “Stomper’s Stomp” to pump up the crowd again and then a frantic cycle of taking pictures and pumping up the crowd begins.

As intense and, at times, tiring job, the current owner nevertheless sees it as a once in a life time opportunity to be as over the top and entertaining as possible and will greatly miss doing it once

they graduate.For the next fortunate person to take the reins, the current Stomper’s

biggest advice is to just be themselves and to not be afraid doing it the first time.

COLLEGE

Continued from page 1 disciplines, including social work, engineering, and graphic design.” Fuhrman said.

Central to Fuhrman’s vision for the College Democrats as an organization is interactions with other RSOs, as well as more involvement in the community at large.

“My vision for this semester is primarily to foster the relationships not only in our organization but also in the community.”

To fulfill that vision College Democrats are also planning on coordinating and collaborating with other RSOs throughout

the semester, including the Council of Social Activists and the Secular Student Organization.

Off campus, the organization will engage in partnerships with various political groups throughout the community including “Stand Up Minnesota, South Central” and “Indivisible”, to name a few.

The College Democrats will host weekly meetings at 8 p.m., in the CSU, Room 202.

The meetings will be held on Mondays. The first meeting is on January 28 and anyone who is interested in joining may attend a meeting.

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

News

MSU Reporter • 3

Trump birth control coverage rules blocked nationwide HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A federal judge on Monday put a nationwide hold on Trump administration rules that allow more employers to opt out of providing women with no-cost birth control.

U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone in Philadelphia agreed with a lawsuit originally filed by Pennsylvania, citing the potential harm to states should the rules be enforced.

Numerous citizens could lose contraceptive coverage, Beetlestone wrote, resulting in the increased use of state-funded contraceptive services, as well as increased costs to state services from unintended pregnancies.

The rules, scheduled to take effect Monday, would change a mandate under 2010s Affordable Care Act by allowing more employers, including publicly traded companies, to opt out of providing no-cost contraceptive coverage to women by claiming religious objections. Some private employers could also now object on moral grounds.

Pennsylvania’s attorney general, Josh Shapiro, called the court ruling a “victory for the health and economic independence of women” and the rejection of a Trump administration move to violate a federal law that requires insurers to cover the services.

“Congress hasn’t changed that law, and the president can’t simply ignore it with an illegal rule,” Shapiro said.

New Jersey later joined Pennsylvania in suing.

In issuing the injunction, Beetlestone wrote in her opinion that the states were likely to win their lawsuit’s claims that Trump’s administration violated procedural requirements for how regulations must be created and that the rules exceed the scope of authority under the Affordable Care Act. The Department of Justice did not say whether it would appeal, saying only that it will “continue to vigorously defend religious liberty.” The Department of Health and

Photo courtesy of Associated Press

Human Services said the rules affirm the administration’s commitment to upholding constitutional freedoms.

“No American should be forced to violate his or her own conscience in order to abide by the laws and regulations

MANKATO Continued from page 1 want to build.”

Along with providing a space, they also have workshops and classes for community members to learn new skills such as ceramics, welding, woodshop, glass torching, crocheting, painting, leather projects, printmaking, etc. Herke says, “Anybody can teach at the Mankato Makerspace.

Right now it’s mostly shop leads and members that are teaching these classes. If you want to teach a class you just have to write up a small proposal and that would just include what you want to teach, what area or kind

of space is needed for that class, and the pricing.”

Mankato Makerspace also hosts an array of events from Tuesday open houses and jam sessions to “Maker Markets” where members can exhibit in the venue for free every last Sunday of each month.

They are also hosting the Midwest Art Catalyst again this year with a party and silent auction with donated art pieces from local and national artists to be sold for a local nonprofit. Coming up in the next month is the Mankato Makerspace birthday party to celebrate

the successful first year of the creative business.

Herke wants everybody to know, “All are welcome. If you are a student, faculty member, or staff member you should come and check it out. If you always wanted to make something but didn’t know how, you can come take a class. If you already know what you want to make, but don’t have a place to make it, come and check it out.”

The Makerspace is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

WELCOME BACK

E N D TS! U T S

governing our health care system,” Health and Human Services Department spokeswoman Caitlin Oakley said in a statement.

On Sunday, a federal judge in California blocked the rules from taking effect in the jurisdictions in the lawsuit before him. Those included California, New York and 11 other states along with Washington, D.C. At issue is a requirement under former Democratic President Barack Obama’s health care law that birth control services be covered at no additional cost.

Obama officials included exemptions for religious organizations.

But the

administration of President Donald Trump, a Republican, sought to expand those exemptions and added “moral convictions” as a basis to opt out of providing birth control services.

The Justice Department has argued that the new rules “protect a narrow class of sincere religious and moral objectors from being forced to facilitate practices that conflict with their beliefs.”

Beetlestone had previously blocked an interim version of the rules in a December 2017 ruling. In November, the Trump administration rolled out a final version of the rule, prompting another challenge by states.

4 • MSU Reporter

Tuesday, January 15, 2019 EMAIL THE EDITOR IN CHIEF:

Resolutions can help start 2019 right Suggestions on begining the new year with positive energy

Opinion

DAVID BASSEY

david.bassey@mnsu.edu OR AT reporter-editor@mnsu.edu

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STEVEN JOHN NDIKUM STAFF WRITER Every year comes with variations of resolutions.

Sometimes we look at the past years we went through, both the successes and the failures, and wish we could go back to those dark paths and shed some light, but time is a factor which moves forward and occurrences which happened within that time frame can’t be changed.

But we always have a chance to change things in the present time frame we are living.

We got into 2019 in a flash, and this is the moment to change the odds and bring more positive energy into our existence. Below is some good energy to enter the year positively.

Develop an attitude of gratitude From both the psychological and physiological aspect, being grateful for what you are and what you have is a self-acceptance tool which contributes to your health.

Robert Emmons. Ph.D. a psychology professor at the

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University of California, Davis, has made the scientific study of “Gratitude, its causes, and its potential effects on human health.”

The foundation of his work and research shows that counting our blessings not only reduces depression, stress and lowers blood pressure, but also can slow down some of the effects of aging.

Become more physically fit You do not have to become Aaron Rodgers to prove your level fitness, nor become a Serena Williams. What’s important is doing something which keeps you fit.

Try connecting with friends who do workouts daily and pick something from them you believe you can keep at

steady, slowly but surely.

Reserve a time frame for a good quality sleep Sleep is the most important thing for the human system.

Some people take it lightly, others don’t joke with their pillows.

Having to rest will help improve your efficiency both at school and at work.

In high school, many teachers who taught me scientific courses believed the best moment to solve physics or math problems is between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. for those who go to bed as early as 9 p.m.

Sleep can reduce some risk factors for heart attacks, strokes, and chronic diseases.

Strengthen relationships Harvard Medical School’s Women’s Health Watch

reports, “dozens of studies have shown that people who have satisfying relationships with family, friends, and their community are happier, have fewer health problems, and live longer.”

I began this article with gratitude. We may have hurt people in one way or the other. Walking towards those individuals and saying, “I’m sorry,” never makes you weak, lame, or a failure; that’s maturity.

Connect with friends, course mates, and family members to walk into this new year with all the confidence of knowing no stone is left unturned.

I wish everyone all the best as we put more resolutions into place to begin the academic year 2019 positively.

SARA WESTEMEIER, ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

“Smiling more.”

“Go to the gym and eat healthier.”

MU’UDI KAHN, BC MANAGEMENT “I’m hoping to get 6-pack abs

by February.”

BRIDGET SCHWICHTENBERG, NURSING “I have no idea.”

POLICIES & INFO

• If you have a complaint, suggestion or would or would likelike to point to point outout an an error error made made in the in the Reporter, Reporter, callcall Editor Editor in Chief in Chief David Rae Bassey Frame at at507-389-5454.

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• The Minnesota State University Mankato Reporter is a student-run newspaper published twice a week, coming out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Reporter generates 78 percent of its own income through advertising and receives approximately 22 percent from Student Activities fees. The Reporter is free to all students and faculty, but to start a subscription, please call us at 507-389-1776.

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THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THE MSU REPORTER ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OR STUDENT BODY.

Compiled by Kolby Spomer

“What is your new year resolution?”

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“Exercising.”

“To get better at photography.”

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

News

MSU Reporter • 5

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6 • MSU Reporter

News

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Requests to bring in child brides OK’d; legal under US

JOSHUA SCHUETZ STAFF WRITER

What are government shutdowns? How do they happen, and what problems do they cause?

Government shutdowns, in the American context, are a consequence of Congress being unable or unwilling to pass legislation that can fund the functions of government.

This can happen because of disputes within Congress, between Congress and the executive, or both.

Shutdowns harm the country in four ways. First, they can cause funding to run out for government services which people rely on, such as SNAP and other social programs, as well as tax refunds.

Second, as a consequence of the lack of funding, federal workers receive no pay, and are either furloughed or have to work without pay until the shutdown is over.

Third, they do significant damage to the economy.

Standard and Poor’s, reports that the 2013 shutdown took over 900 billion dollars out of the economy. We don’t know yet how much damage this one will do, but it will likely be significant, especially given that this shutdown is poised to break a record for the longest in American history.

Fourth, government shutdowns tend to further incline Americans towards an extremely pessimistic and disdainful view of politicians and politics more generally. This is especially understandable given that Congressional salaries, unlike those of, say, servicemen in the coast guard, are not withheld during a shutdown.

This is extremely dangerous, especially in a time when more Americans are toying with the idea that their institutions are irredeemable, and perhaps need to be dismantled altogether.

Shutdowns hurt people, damage the economy lead to the denial of critical services, and worsen an already severe crisis in the trust of government.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of requests by men to bring in child and adolescent brides to live in the United States were approved over the past decade, according to government data obtained

by The Associated Press. In one case, a 49-year-old man applied for admission for a 15-year-old girl.

The approvals are legal: The Immigration and Nationality Act does not set minimum age requirements for the person making the request or for that person’s spouse or fiancee. By contrast, to bring in a parent from overseas, a petitioner has to be at least 21 years old.

And in weighing petitions, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services goes by whether the marriage is legal in the spouse or fiancee’s home country and then whether the marriage would be legal in the state where the petitioner lives.

The data raises questions about whether the immigration system may be enabling forced marriage and about how U.S. laws may be compounding the problem despite efforts to limit child and forced marriage. Marriage between adults and minors is not uncommon in the U.S., and most states allow children to marry with some restrictions.

There were more than 5,000 cases of adults petitioning on behalf of minors and nearly 3,000 examples of minors seeking to bring in older spouses or fiances, according to the data requested by the Senate Homeland Security Committee in 2017 and compiled into a report. The approval is the first of a two-step visa process, and USCIS said it has taken steps to better flag and vet the petitions.

Some victims of forced marriage say the lure of a U.S. passport combined with lax U.S. marriage laws are partly fueling the petitions.

“My sunshine was snatched from my life,” said Naila Amin, a dual citizen born in Pakistan who grew up in New York City.

She was forcibly married at 13 in Pakistan and later applied for papers for her 26-year-old husband to come to the U.S. at the behest of her family. She was forced for a time to live in Pakistan with him, where,

Photo courtesy of Associated Press

she said, she was sexually assaulted and beaten. She came back to the U.S., and he was to follow.

“People die to come to America,” she said. “I was a passport to him. They all wanted him here, and that was the way to do it.”

Amin, now 29, said she was betrothed when she was just 8 and he was 21. The

at the airport and left there after she miscarried.

Another was married at 16 overseas and was forced to bring an abusive husband.

Reiss said immigration status is often held over their heads as a tool to keep them in line.

There is a two-step process for obtaining U.S. immigration visas and

“The approvals are legal: The Immigration and Nationality Act does not set minimum age requirements for the person making the request or for that person’s spouse or fiancee.” petition she submitted after her marriage was approved by immigration officials, but he never came to the country, in part because she ran away from home. She said the ordeal cost her a childhood. She was in and out of foster care and group homes, and it took a while to get her life on track.

“I was a child. I want to know: Why weren’t any red flags raised? Whoever was processing this application, they don’t look at it? They don’t think?” Amin asked.

Fraidy Reiss, who campaigns against coerced marriage as head of a group called Unchained at Last, has scores of similar anecdotes: An underage girl was brought to the U.S. as part of an arranged marriage and eventually was dropped

green cards. Petitions are first considered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS. If granted, they must be approved by the State Department. Overall, there were 3.5 million petitions received from budget years

2007 through 2017.

Over that period, there were 5,556 approvals for those seeking to bring minor spouses or fiancees, and 2,926 approvals by minors seeking to bring in older spouses, according to the data. Additionally, there were 204 for minors by minors. Petitions can be filed by U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

“It indicates a problem. It indicates a loophole that we need to close,” Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, told the AP. In nearly all the cases, the girls were the younger person in the relationship.

In 149 instances, the adult was older than 40, and in 28 cases the adult was over 50, the committee found. In 2011, immigration officials approved a 14-year-old’s

BRIDES PAGE 7

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

News

MSU Reporter • 7

BRIDES Continued from page 6 petition for a 48-yearold spouse in Jamaica. A petition from a 71-year-old man was approved in 2013 for his 17-year-old wife in Guatemala.

There are no nationwide statistics on child marriage, but data from a few states suggests it is far from rare.

State laws generally set 18 as the minimum age for marriage, yet every state allows exceptions.

Most states let 16- and 17-year-olds marry if they have parental consent, and several states — including New York, Virginia and Maryland — allow children under 16 to marry with court permission.

Reiss researched data from her home state, New

state from 1995 to 2012, including 178 who were under 15.

“This is a problem both domestically and in terms of immigration,” she said.

Reiss, who says she was forced into an abusive marriage by her Orthodox Jewish family when she was 19, said that often cases of child marriage via parental consent involve coercion, with a girl forced to marry against her will.

“They are subjected to a lifetime of domestic servitude and rape,” she said. “And the government is not only complicit; they’re stamping this and saying: Go ahead.”

The data was requested in 2017 by Johnson and Photo courtesy of Associated Press

“Some victims of forced marriage say the lure of a U.S. passport combined with lax U.S. marriage laws are partly fueling the petitions.”

Jersey. She determined that nearly 4,000 minors, mostly girls, were married in the

then-Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, the committee’s top Democrat. Johnson

said it took a year to get the information, showing there needs to be a better system to track and vet the petitions.

“Our immigration system may unintentionally shield the abuse of women and children,” the senators said in the letter requesting the information.

USCIS didn’t know how many of the approvals

Student Profile: Nzallah Whong What’s your name?

My name is Nzallah Whong.

Where are you from?

I’m an international student From Zaria, Nigeria.

What is your major?

My major is Aviation Management, a junior.

Why did you choose MNSU? I choose MNSU Because of its affordability and its very good aviation program.

What are your plans for the future?

My plans for the future is too create more jobs in Nigeria and a pletora of companies.

What are your favorite memories of MNSU? I am still making memories at MNSU I do not have a favorite yet.

What is the biggest lesson you have learnt in the classroom?

I have learnt so much from majority of the classes I have taken but the most important lesson would have to be to treat people as humans first before any other thing. I also took some

were granted by the State Department, but overall only about 2.6 percent of spousal or fiance claims are rejected. A State Department representative said the department is committed to protecting the rights of children and combatting forced marriage.

Separately, the data show some 4,749 minor spouses or fiancees received green cards to live in the U.S. over that 10-year period.

The head of USCIS said in a letter to the committee that its request had raised questions and discussion within the agency on what it can do to prevent forced minor marriages.

USCIS created a flagging system when a minor spouse or fiance is detected. After the initial flag, it is sent to a special unit that verifies the age and relationship are correct before the petition

is accepted. Another flag requires verification of the birthdate whenever a minor is detected. Officials note an approval doesn’t mean the visa is immediately issued.

“USCIS has taken steps to improve data integrity and has implemented a range of solutions that require the verification of a birthdate whenever a minor spouse or fiance is detected,” USCIS spokesman Michael Bars said. “Ultimately, it is up to Congress to bring more certainty and legal clarity to this process for both petitioners and USCIS officers.”

The country where most requests came from was Mexico, followed

by Pakistan, Jordan, the Dominican Republic and Yemen. Middle Eastern nationals had the highest percentage of overall approved petitions.

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interesting and informative courses like Gender Women Studies etc. that has shaped my understanding about life and the human nature What are you looking forward to this new semester?

This semester I am looking forward to meeting new people, making lots of friends, being a better person, loving life and taking everything one day at a time.

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8 • MSU Reporter

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Tuesday, January 15, 2019

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10 • MSU Reporter

Tuesday, January 15, 2019 Have a story idea or a comment?

Minnesota State University, Mankato

EMAIL

Sports Editor Kevin Korbel

kevin.korbel@mnsu.edu

Basketball split two in first games of homestand

AARON YOUNG STAFF WRITER The Maverick men’s basketball team split their first two games of a four-game homestand, losing to the Sioux Falls Cougars Jan. 11, and then defeating the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs Jan 13.

The Mavs had their poorest performance of the year against Sioux Falls Cougars when they lost 74-46 to the Sioux Falls Cougars.

The Mavericks couldn’t garner any momentum all game long. Despite good scoring chances, especially from beyond the arc, the Mavericks failed to capitalize.

At the half, the team only had 20 points, and were led by junior forward Cameron Kirksey who had 8 points and 3 rebounds.

A similar story happened throughout the second half, as the Cougars responded every time the Mavericks scored.

It was more lopsided as Sioux Falls outscored MSU

David Bassey | MSU Reporter

almost by 20, crashing any chance of the Mavs coming back as they picked up the victory.

Freshman guard Quincy Anderson led the team with 9 points, followed by Kirksey’s 8 points. Kevin Krieger had 7 points and 8 boards on the night.

In the next game, the Mavericks spun a complete 180 and avenged their loss of Friday night. This time through, it was a matchup against the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs.

Right from the tipoff, it was a back and forth affair as neither team could get the up-

per hand.

It wasn’t until a few three pointers from Kirksey and guard Carlos Anderson did business pickup for the Mavericks.

To cap off the barrage, the Mavericks ended the half with a buzzer beater from Krieger in transition, putting

the Mavs up 48-38.

In the second half, the Mavericks stomped all over the Mustangs.

Beginning with an 8-1 run, the squad continued their beatdown and getting to a 20-point lead.

The team was firing on all cylinders and a slam dunk from Anderson almost blew the roof off the place.

With a commanding lead over the Mustangs, the Mavericks bench came out and got the chance to shine.

After scoring more than 50 points in the second half, the Mavs picked up a huge 10172 win over the Mustangs.

Kirksey led the team with 23 points and added 10 rebounds. Juwan McCloud had 15 points and 4 assists in the victory.

After this weekend, the Mavericks are now 12-4 overall, and 8-2 in the conference.

Up next, the Mavs take on the Bulldogs of Minnesota Duluth this Friday. Then, they take on Huskies of St. Cloud State Saturday, a team which the Mavs hung on the to win, 80-77, in overtime last game in November. It looks to be another weekend of tough matchups for the Mavs going into the weekend.

Mavericks take first place at Minnesota State Invitational

BOBBI PATRICK STAFF WRITER The Minnesota State Mavericks track and field team showed that the winter break didn’t slow down their training efforts in the Maverick Invite held at Myers Field House, as both the men’s and women’s track & field teams finished first in the team’s first home meet of the season Jan. 11.

Many athletes took top finishes in both the field and track events for both squads.

For the women, sophomore throwers Katie Taylor and Morgan Florek took first and third in the shot put throwing competition,

respectively. Taylor finished with a top throw of 16.10 meters and Florek with a throw of 15.61 meters.

In the men’s shot put, junior Connor McCormick and senior Jayme LaPlante finished first and second in the shot put, respectively. McCormick finished with a top throw of 17.30 meters and LaPlante threw a 16.12 meter throw.

In the jumps, junior Elizabeth Brunner took the win for the women in triple jump with a 11.66 meter jump, while on the men’s side, sophomore Deveyon Brown took first in the high jump with a 1.99 meter jump, while in long jump, senior Ryan Kruse won second place with a jump of 6.51 meters.

In the triple jump, senior Victor Ogeka, junior Elijah Calderon-Pitchford, and sophomore Cameron Ramnarine placed first, second, and third to sweep the event.

David Bassey | MSU Reporter

For the track events, many women and men had great performances and times go hand in hand.

In the mile, senior Megan Serratore, freshman Amanda Montplaisir, and junior Josie Braaten took first, second,

and third, respectively.

In the 600-meter run, senior Bobbi Patrick won the event and sophomore Autumn Anderson took second.

On the men’s side, seniors Austin Pasch and Caleb Burke placed first and second in the

mile. Pasch is now ranked as the top miler in D-II nationally with his time of 4:12.55.

In the 600, freshman Drew

TRACK PAGE 11

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Sports

MSU Reporter • 11

NBA: Thibodeau out, Saunders in for the Timberwolves

JOHN LAFOREST STAFF WRITER The days of a team hiring the same person to coach and lead the front office are over after the firing of Tom Thibodeau last week.

New interim head coach for the Timberwolves, Ryan Saunders, captured his first victory against a very good and experienced Oklahoma City Thunder team who has been excelling in the West Conference. Ryan Saunders is the son of longtime NBA head coach Flip Saunders, who recently passed.

Flip Saunders spent 11 seasons also as a coach for the T-Wolves, posting an impressive .521 winning percentage over 819 games.

The team could tell that their coach was ecstatic about his first head coaching game.

Taj Gibson said, “He fed off our energy, and we fed off his energy. We were just trying to get a win for him.”

In the fast paced 48 hours between the time he became the interim Timberwolves coach last Sunday and earn-

ing his first victory last Tuesday, Ryan Saunders said he was trying to limit the amount of time and energy he spent on his constantly buzzing phone.

A few years ago, coaches wanted both roles, and in certain circumstances, they got what they wanted.

The trend had the following coaches: Doc Rivers with the Los Angeles Clippers, Stan Van Gundy with the Detroit Pistons, Tom Thibodeau with the Timberwolves, and Mike Budenholzer with the Atlanta Hawks. All these coaches based on their contracts held power to control personnel movement at a higher level than a head coach with just that job title.

Today, only Rivers remains with the same team – and even he had his president of basketball operations title removed. Rivers the front office executive was skewered for some of his personnel decisions, and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer put Lawrence Frank in charge of basketball operations. Ballmer saw what others see. He said, “It’s difficult for one person to hold both jobs. Then, there is the time and commitment required for each job as well.

Each one is a full-time job, and then some.”

Yes, the Spurs make it work with president and coach Gregg Popovich work-

Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

Ryan Saunders (pictured) has provided the Timberwolves with a well-needed spark to begin his coaching reign. ing side-by-side with general manager R.C. Buford, but the Spurs are the exception and not the rule.

Getting his first head coaching job after owner Glen Taylor fired Thibodeau isn’t ideal timing for Saunders. Prior to the firing of

Thibs, his whole life has prepared him for this moment, even if he allowed a small amount of doubt to creep.

Saunders said, “I think anything in life, you never know if you’re ready until you’re in the situation.”

Saunders and the Wolves

are currently trying to fight their way into the playoff hunt after a rocky start. The west will be tough to make the playoffs for a rookie head coach, but the Wolves have a talented roster, so the team should be in the hunt near the end of the season.

TRACK Continued from page 10

David Bassey | MSU Reporter

Lewison placed third with a time of 1:25.67.

In the next few events on the women’s side, freshman Haley Leger took second in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:25.

In the 400 meter dash, junior Crystal Malone won the event with a time of 59.72.

In the 200-meter dash, the

Mavericks dominated.

Sophomores Khenadi Jones and Mackenzie Woodard grabbed first and second place with times of 26.00 and 26.08.

On the men’s side, sophomore Jacob Wahlers won the 800-meter run with a respectable time of 1:57.30.

While no one on the men’s

side ran the 400, the Mavericks showed up in the 200 meter. The Mavericks took places 1 through 5 and then also took seventh through ninth place.

The top Mavericks in the 200 included Reid Diamond with a time of 22.121, junior Paul Selman 22.125, and sophomore Josh Phelps with

a time of 22.34.

The final event of the night was the 4x400 meter relay, which the lady Mavericks won the event with their ‘A’ team which consisted of Mackenzie Woodard, Crystal Malone, Rose Gaye, and Gabi Gaines. The team ran a time of 4:05.42.

The men won the event

with their ‘A’ team as well with a time of 3:22.48, consisting of Mavericks Jaquez Wilson, Reid Diamond, Paul Selman, and Josh Phelps.

The Mavericks take to the road next Friday to compete in the South Dakota State University Division II invite in hopes to show their talent off on a bigger stage.

12 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Patriots, Saints advance to conference championship on Sunday FOXBOROUGH, Mass.

(AP) — Tom Brady recognizes that there are some who believe the Patriots are nearing the end of their run of unprecedented playoff success.

New England took its first step toward possibly silencing those voices for a little longer.

Sony Michel ran for 129 yards and had three touchdowns and the Patriots beat the Los Angeles Chargers 41-28 in the divisional playoffs on Sunday to earn their eighth straight trip to the AFC championship game.

New England (12-5) will play at Kansas City in next week’s AFC title game. The Patriots beat the Chiefs 4340 in Foxborough in Week 6.

The Patriots finished 9-0 at home this season.

It is the 13th conference championship game appearance by the Patriots during the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era.

“It’s going to be a good game,” Brady said of the rematch with the Chiefs.

“They’re a good team. We played them earlier this year.

I know everybody thinks we suck and, you know, we can’t win any games, so we’ll see.

It’ll be fun.”

The Chargers (13-5) haven’t reached the AFC title game since the 2007 season.

Philip Rivers finished 25 of 51 for 331 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

He is 0-5 in games played in Foxborough, including 0-3 in the postseason.

Brady finished 34 of 44 for

343 yards and a touchdown.

He improves to 8-0 as a starter against Rivers, who drops to 1-8 against New England all-time.

For Rivers, seeing Brady again pick apart the Chargers defense was another reminder that he was competing against one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history.

“He’s up there if not the all-time great, then one of,” Rivers said. “That argument can go on forever. ... Was he rolling at the highest level today? I think we can all agree on that.”

Brady and the Pats look to advance to their third-straight Super Bowl this Sunday.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — When the New Orleans Saints finally found their rhythm, they marched one step closer to the Super Bowl.

Using a dominant ball-control offense and a few gambles that paid off, the Saints got two touchdown passes from Drew Brees and two interceptions from Marcus Lattimore in a 20-14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Brees took the Saints on scoring drives of 92, 79 and 67 yards after falling behind 14-0. Lattimore clinched it when Nick Foles’ pass from the Saints 27 deflected off usually sure-handed receiver Alshon Jeffery with about two minutes remaining. A couple dozen Saints players surged off the sideline toward the end zone in celebration, while Jeffery fell face-first to the turf in agony.

Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

Tom Brady (left) and Drew Brees (right) both lead their teams to victory on Sunday. These two future Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks will be chasing another ring this postseason.

New Orleans (14-3) will host the NFC title game next week against the Rams (13-4).

Los Angeles, which fell 45-35 at the Superdome in November, will try again next week, with the winner going to the Super Bowl. The Saints’ win finished off a sweep of the divisional round by teams coming off byes.

Wil Lutz added two field goals for the Saints, who last got this far in 2009, when they won the Super Bowl.

Philadelphia (10-8) will not repeat as NFL champion; no team has done so since the 2004 Patriots.

“We were going down to win, but I just felt like we beat

ourselves, honestly,” Jeffery said. “Hats off to those guys.”

Eagles coach Doug Pederson thought his team was on its way on that final drive to pulling off another stunning comeback win “It just felt like the momentum at that point was in our favor,” he said. “It’s been that way all season, and we felt like that sort of magic was going to continue.”

This was really two games in one. Philly scored on its first two drives as the Saints could do virtually nothing right.

After that opening period, it was all New Orleans, yet the resilient Eagles kept it

close enough that when Lutz missed a 52-yard field goal with 2:58 remaining, they were only one-score behind.

Foles, the hero of last year’s Super Bowl run, got them in position for yet another late winning score — just like last week at Chicago and last February against New England for the championship.

Then, Jeffery couldn’t handle a second-down pass, and it was over.

Now, Brees and the Saints will face their biggest test of the season, in defeating the Los Angeles Rams at home for a chance to go to the Super Bowl.

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MSU Reporter • 13 Have a story idea or a comment?

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Live music to kick off the semester

Greg Herigges and other performers coming to campus in January

MARK REYNOLDS STAFF WRITER As the holidays fade away and people slowly eschew their New Year’s resolutions, we find ourselves at the beginning of another semester. While the first weeks will surely be hectic, there are many live music events to bring some joy in the chaos.

On January 22, World Music group Greg Herriges and Stella Roma will grace the stage of the Halling Recital Hall in the Early Center for Performing Arts. This event is sponsored by the Minnesota State University, Mankato Performance Series.

“Guitarist, bouzoukist, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer Greg Herriges

Photo courtesy of the MSU Music Department

Guitarist Greg Herriges posing with his several guitars to perfrom on January 22 creates an eclectic mix of music with a unique approach honed by his studies of Asian and other international styles,” a press release by the music department states.

Also, in the Performance Series, singer-songwriters Erik Koskinen and Molly Maher will play their country and Americana music on campus on January 24.

Those who are tired of pop-country and want to experience authentic, raw country music will be impressed by “the state’s best pure country singer/songwrit-

er,” according to Star Tribune music critic Jon Bream.

There are also a ton of excellent local bands playing shows in the area.

On January 19, bands “The Only” and “Alec John and The Sky Surfers” will be playing a show at Buster’s Sports Bar & Grill at 1325 Madison Ave. at 9 p.m. Both bands are incredibly talented young groups that are already performing like professionals.

On January 18, local jazz group “The Snaps” will be playing live at the Coffee Hag at 329 N Riverfront Drive at 7 p.m. “The sextet”, formed by music students at the University, displays extreme virtuosity clearly shows that jazz is alive and well here in Mankato.

For a more casual event, the Student Events Team

MUSIC PAGE 15

“Escape Room” is Hollywood’s latest cash grab First movie of 2019 starts strong, but doesn’t stick the landing Opinion

LUCAS TORBORG A&E EDITOR

“Escape room” is Hollywood’s latest attempt at taking a popular phenomenon and turning it into a cash grab. The escape room craze has gotten so big that you can find one in almost any moderately populated city, but does this justify making a movie based on the entertainment service, or is Hollywood simply running out of ideas?

“Escape Room” is one of the best movies of 2019, it is also one of the only two movies to be released in 2019 so

far—so that is really not saying much. The month of January is notoriously nicknamed dump month since most of the movies that are released are critically panned besides for a few hidden gems.

While Walking into “Escape Room” my expectations were already a little low. However, despite not being a necessarily good movie it is wildly entertaining with a strong premise, somewhat interesting characters, and an amazing set,-- that is until the last 30 minutes.

The film is not completely original as it is in the same vain as movies such as “Saw” and “Cube”, movies that consist of strangers being trapped in a room solving clues in order to escape. “Escape room” often times feels like a PG-13 version

Photo courtesy of The Associate Press

of “Cube” and “Saw” which were known for their immense amounts of blood-shed and gore which ultimately drew in the audience. However, “Escape room” focuses on the actual rooms featuring

amazing set designs to bring in the audience.

The plot consists of six strangers all from different walks of life with traumatic pasts. Each character is sent a puzzle box in the mail by either a family

member or a close aquaintance. Solving the box

ESCAPE PAGE 15

14 • MSU Reporter

A&E

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Golden Globes: Under Pressure “Bohemian Rhapsody” wins best drama at the Golden Globes JANESSA HAMMERS STAFF WRITER As Rami Malek walked down the red carpet at the Golden Globes last Sunday, he would have never guessed that his simple origins as a pizza delivery guy with dreams of becoming a Hollywood star would turn into reality.

The Golden Globes have celebrated films, actors, and film-makers since 1944 and still holds a valuable influence in Hollywood today. With a variety of breakout films this past year including the nominees for Best Picture: A Star is Born, Black Panther, Black Klansman, If Beale Street Could Talk, and Bohemian Rhapsody everyone was on their toes waiting to see which film would be chosen.

The front runners appeared to be “A Star Is Born” starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper and Bohemian Rhapsody starring Rami Malek. Originally directed in 1937 by William A. Wellman, “A Star is Born” is a classic

Opinion

Photo courtesy of theAssociated Press

Rami Malek (Center) as Freddie Mercury in the Golden Globe winning movie “Bohemian Rhasody story of finding fame in Hollywood that has seen many adaptations throughout the years. In addition to being nominated for Best Picture the film was also nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress, Best Director, and Best

Original song ‘Shallow,’ making it an obvious favorite.

Bradley Cooper helped to write and direct the 2018 version so it was expected that he would be a front-runner for Best Actor and Best Picture, little did they know Rami

Malek would swoop in and steal the show. Rami Malek was also nominated for Best Actor and Best Picture for his role as Queen’s lead singer Freddie Mercury in the biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

Bohemian Rhapsody

follows the life of Freddie Mercury from the start of his career with Queen to the eventual disbandment of the group and the legendary concert performed by Queen at the Live Aid charity fundraiser in 1985. But the film pushed deeper than just surface level concerts and partying to delve into why the band disbanded and the issues they faced as individuals. Specifically, the health issues Freddie experienced later in life when he contracted AIDs in the early 80’s and his dealings with the band’s label urging him to go solo and get paid more than his bandmates.

While A Star is Born was chalk-full of A-list stars in the cast, Bohemian Rhapsody was an underdog in casting many lesser-known talented actors, so of course when the stars got snubbed in favor of the underdogs the tone for fellow awards shows was set

GLOBES PAGE 15

TOP 10 albums of 2018

Did your favorite albums make the list? some incredible albums as well, like Pusha T’s spectacular Daytona, or Kid Cudi and Kanye’s joint album “Kids See Ghosts”.

Outside of rap, artists such as Snail Mail and Father John Misty brought some much needed vigor to the rock genre with their records

KOLBY SPOMER STAFF WRITER 2018 is over, and that means every single one of the world’s newspaper publications will be creating some sort of top blank list. Top movies, top albums, top top lists. They are never ending, devoid of any sort of creativity, and serve zero purpose apart from giving both the writer and the reader that oh so sweet validation that we all crave. Here at the Reporter, we are no different. So, here we go.

Top Ten Albums This year was surprisingly great for music. Hip-Hop became overtake Rock as the most popular genre of music, artists like Kanye West and Taylor Swift took hard political stances, and

“Lush” and “God’s Favorite Customer”. Meanwhile Mitski and U.S. Girls created incredible pop albums, “Be

ALBUMS PAGE 15

MSUM STUDENTS, FACULTY & STAFF Mark your calendar for this special FREE EVENT! Mankato Area Lifelong Learners presents a FREE community event, Saturday, January 19th, 2019 at 1:00 p.m.

Ostrander Auditorium in the Centennial Student Union.

A question and answer session will follow.

Lupe Fiasco performing in concert Travis Scott finally dropped “Astroworld”. A lot of great artists dropped extremely well crafted albums, personal albums this year and since we are choosing to highlight just the top five albums of the year, I want to take this next paragraph or so to highlight some of my favorite projects.

Photo courtesy of Flickr

In Hip-Hop, artists like Denzel Curry and Saba proved they were here to stay with intensely personal records that excelled on nearly every front. Earl Sweatshirt and Travis Scott dropped long awaited albums with production quality that rivals some of the genre’s best of all time. Kanye West produced

The presentation will feature Tom Hanson, a 25-year U.S. Foreign Service diplomat, and a worldwide speaker. His topic is the U.S. Election and its effect on U.S. Foreign Policy.

Hanson is Diplomat in Residence at Alworth Institute for International Affairs at UM-Duluth. He is chair of Minnesota Committee on Foreign Relations and co-chair of the ChinaAsia Business Association.

He comes to Mankato from a recent weeks-long speaking tour to the U.K., central Europe, Georgia and the Ukraine.

COME AND LEARN! SATURDAY, JANUARY 19TH AT 1:00P.M. IN OSTRANDER AUDITORIUM

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

A&E

MUSIC

Continued from page 13 hosts “Mocktail Hours” throughout the semester, the first of which is on January 17 at 8 p.m. and features the songwriting brothers “The Icarus Account.”

Mocktail Hours are hosted in the Maverick Bullpen in the lower level of the Centennial Student Union. Along with free music, the event features free billiards, free food and free “Mocktails,” which are

alcohol-free cocktails.

There are many more events happening this semester in almost any genre you can imagine. Supporting local music is a great way to get out and participate in the community, usually at little to no cost.

Keep up with the paper to read about upcoming music and reviews of the shows happening here in Mankato.

ALBUMS Continued from page 14 the Cowboy” and “In a Poem Unlimited”, that deserved a much brighter spotlight than they got. Speaking of pop, Kacey Musgraves’ album “Golden Hour” combined that genre and country in such a unique way that you kind of forget it is a country album at all. Kamasi Washington dropped yet another spectacular jazz album, “Heaven & Earth”, as he continues to reinvent that genre. Finally, in the indie scene Kero Kero Bonito dropped their best album to date with the inventive “Time ‘N’ Place”.

All of those albums were wonderful in their own way, but these five we have chosen to highlight really added something special to music as a whole. So, without further ado…

“Room 25”-Noname Noname crafted maybe the greatest female rap album of all time this year with her amazing, introspective

work on Room 25. Dealing with problems such as legacy and what remains of a person, she was able to create her own space in the genre. Her unique voice and delivery gave her a much needed listenability quality that many of her contemporaries lacked. Her production also really helps paint out the scene her rhymes are trying to create.

“Veteran”-JPEGMAFIA Peggy, as his fans call him, had already found a very loyal fanbase in the underground rap scene before he dropped his incredible album “Veteran” early last year. Since then, largely due to a very positive review from renowned music reviewer Anthony Fantano, he has rocketed into the indie scene as one of their favorite artists.

Is that really deserved? Is the album really that good? Yes.

Yes to both. The album is a little hard to listen to on a first try, but if given time, it grows on you like almost no other. Incredible on all fronts, the album may be the best rap album of the year.

“Dirty Computer”-Janelle Monae After a brief musical hiatus, in which she focused on her acting career, Janelle Monae came back to the music world last year. Sorely missed, her unique perspective as a black LGBT+ artist is at the forefront of her new album. The way she sings about the issues she faces everyday and has faced everyday is admirable, while also being extremely well done from a music point of view.

“DROGAS Wave”-Lupe Fiasco Free of the confines a label creates, Lupe dropped arguably the most important rap album of the year. Dealing with racial issues, the album articulates many problems others have that they cannot discuss themselves. On top of that, he takes the second half of that album to talk about hip-hop as a whole, and what it means to him personally.

“I’m All Ears”-Let’s Eat Grandma As admittedly the most obscure artist listed here, most people don’t know much about the group. From the UK, this dream pop collective creates a vibe few other artists are capable of. Their synth riffs and vocals combine in a way that is definitely not mainstream. Something about this album, be it the actual music or the vocals, keeps you coming back for more.

Looking forward, 2019 should be just as good if not better than 2018 was for music. Hopefully it lives up to this year’s amazing resume.

MSU Reporter • 15

ESCAPE

Continued from page 13 releases an invite to an ominous building hosting its own escape room.

Those who solve all six rooms will be rewarded 10,000 dollars.

Obviously, the escape room is much more real than the contestants thought and one wrong answer and or misstep is deadly. The six strangers must survive each room some of which include a room that is a giant oven and another room that is upside down with each quarter of the floor falling every minute.

The six contestants must work together to

survive while also using hints from their past to escape the rooms and to discover why they were chosen in the first place.

“Escape Room” is the perfect movie to watch if you have time to kill.

The acting is ok, the plot is nothing new, but it has enough mystery and a decent script to keep the audience on the edge of their seat. What “Escape Room” does best is create characters with interesting backstories and questionable motives making it difficult to know who to take sides with.

Nearly every positive

attribute of this movie is wasted by the end. It is obvious that the writers never had an ending in mind for the film, which really makes the movie feel more like a cash grab. The extremely rushed ending creates a slew of plot holes and lacked not only in creativity, but also production.

Overall, “Escape Room” is worth seeing and would have been a great guilty pleasure movie if it wasn’t for its dismal ending.

Reporter Rating

5 5

GLOBES Continued from page 14 as the Golden Globes serve as the kickoff event of awards season in Hollywood.

During awards shows the spotlight is not only on the nominees but also on the presenters and their performances during the awards show. Nicole Kidman was not nominated for any awards this season but was the presenter for Best Drama the category which Bohemian Rhapsody unexpectedly won.

As the cast of Bohemian Rhapsody filed onto the stage to accept the award, Malek was star-struck and wanted

to hug and thank Kidman in his excitement, but Kidman turned away and kept walking off the stage like she was supposed to, leaving Malek snubbed.

In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Malek explains, “I’ve known her (Nicole Kidman) for many years… so I thought I could easily go up and say hi.” In her defense, Kidman explained in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that they have indeed been friends for many years, and that she just did not feel his hand on

her back as they were both in a daze from glitz and glamor of the awards show.

The Golden Globes signify the start to awards show season and tend to set the tone for the rest of the season in terms of what films and actors will win. The winners are chosen by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization that also works with the Oscars to nominate and view films. Cheers to the beginning of awards season starting with a bang.

Spring Student Subscription

www.MSUTheatre.com

Order before February 3, 2019, to get the best seats for the 6 shows this semester by the Department of Theatre & Dance.

Spring Semester Shows • Peter and the Starcatcher • Macbeth • Mothers and Sons • The Hunchback of Notre Dame • Brainpeople • Spring Dance Concert Forms can be completed at the main Theatre & Dance office (PA201), or download online at

MSUTheatre.com

16 • MSU Reporter

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Tuesday, January 15, 2019

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