January 16, 2014

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Mankato Civic Center, MnSCU among improvements in Dayton’s proposed bill Governor Mark Dayton’s newest suggested bondage bill will see $986 million in repairs across the state, including a few in the Mankato area.

REECE HEMMESCH Editor in Chief Governor Mark Dayton proposed a new bonding bill early Wednesday morning that will render major implications on the state of Minnesota and the southern portion in general. The governor’s plan is to use this new bill to create more jobs in the state of Minnesota while also renewing older facets of the state’s infrastructure which he believes will help boost the state’s economy.

Dayton’s idea is a $986 million dollar investment in infrastructure projects statewide, which he believes will create more than 27,000 jobs in Minnesota. The governor has broken down the spending of this proposal into four main categories, which benefit the regional civic centers across statewide and

downtown twin cities improvements, higher education, roads and bridges and restoration work done to the state Capitol.

“My proposal will put thousands of Minnesotans to work throughout our state,” Dayton said. “This bill gives priority to projects that are ready to go.

Many of them have been delayed for years and are crucial to revitalizing downtown business centers, modernizing MnSCU (Minnesota State Colleges and Universities) and U of M (University of Minnesota) buildings and classrooms, and improving parks roads and local infrastructure.”

Of the four main areas stated before, three will have a direct effect on the southern Minnesota area, including MSU, where

PROPOSED BILL • Page 9

Web Photo Governor Dayton’s plan will see infrastructure changes to facets all around the state of Minnesota, including the Mankato area, where the Civic Center and the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter will see updates.

Suspect still at large after standoff

23-year-old Thomas Kendricks III.

SAM WILMES News Editor

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As of Wednesday morning a suspect remains at large after a standoff occurred in Austin yesterday. The standoff occurred after an armed robbery early Tuesday morning on the two hundredth block of Briargate Road, near All Seasons Arena.

23-year-old Thomas Kendricks III is still on the run after a woman reported that she was near her car when two men that were brandishing weapons approached her.

While she wasn’t injured, her car was stolen. The car was later found in Austin, 80 miles southeast of Mankato, in the 1100 block of 8th street northwest.

According to KEYC TV,

Austin Police Chief Brian Krueger believes that a couple of juveniles may also face charges related to the carjacking, which took place at around 12:30 a.m.

Krueger contends that Kendricks III may be dangerous.

“We’re working with the Mankato authorities to see if we can piece together what happened there, and hopefully the victim can ID the two guys who carjacked her.” Krueger told the Rochester Post Bulletin, Police explained that Kendricks III may not have acted alone in the carjacking.

After finding the car officers set up a zone around the house at 9:30 on Tuesday morning in a standoff that lasted a few hours.

Seven people exited the house during that time.

Three other people were

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found in the residence: a 17-year old male, a 15-year-old female and a 9-year old male.

The 17-year old male and 15-year-old female are expected to face charges. They are currently in custody.

The 15-year old has not been implicated in the high jacking No injuries were reported.

According to KEYC TV, the Austin Police Chief explained that Kendricks III left the scene before officers arrived.

Anyone with information related to the suspect is asked to call the Austin Police Department at (507) 437-9400.

Police were initially looking for two african-American males in their twenties in the taking of the Blue 2007 Nissan Sentra.

Mankato authorities were anticipated to arrive in Austin on Wednesday morning.

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Budget clears the house WASHINGTON (AP) — A $1.1 trillion spending bill for operating the government until just before next fall’s election steamed through the battle-weary House on Wednesday over tepid protests from tea party conservatives, driven by a bipartisan desire to restore painful cuts in domestic and defense programs and show disaffected voters that Congress can do its job.

The bill swept through the House on a 359-67 vote and was on track for a big Senate vote by week’s end. Republicans voted for the bill by a 2 1/2-1 margin, and just three Democrats were opposed.

The measure funds virtually every agency of government and contains compromises on almost every one of its 1,582 pages. It covers the one-third of government spending subject to annual decisions by Congress and the White House, programs that have absorbed the brunt of budget cuts racked up since Republicans reclaimed control of the House three years ago.

Excluded are the giant benefit programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and food stamps that run on autopilot and are increasingly driving the government deeper into debt.

Tea party Republicans, chastened after sparking a 16-day partial shutdown of the government in October in a kamikaze attempt to derail President Barack Obama’s health care law, appeared resigned to the bill.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of opposition,” one tea party leader, Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, said before the vote. “The die has been cast for the next year on budget fights.”

To buy time for the Senate debate, Congress on Wednesday sent President Barack Obama a three-day funding bill in time to avert a scheduled shutdown at midnight. The Senate cleared that measure by an 86-14 vote.

The bill increases core agency spending by $26 billion over the fiscal 2013 year that began Oct. 1, after last year’s automatic spending cuts took them to $986 billion. But it’s $31 billion less than Congress passed last March before automatic cuts known as sequestration took effect.

The Pentagon faces a tight squeeze even as it avoids what would have been another $20 billion wave of automatic cuts.

The Pentagon’s core budget is basically frozen at $487 billion after most accounts absorbed an 8 percent automatic cut last year.

Adding $6 billion to Obama’s war request provides some relief to readiness accounts, however, though active duty troop levels would still be cut by 40,000 to 1.36 million. It includes $85 bil-

lion for overseas military operations, a slight cut from last year.

Domestic programs generally fare better and are kept, on average, at levels agreed to last year before the automatic cuts of 5 percent kicked in across the board. Those broadly applied cuts, called sequestration, were triggered by Washington’s inability to follow up a 2011 budget deal with additional deficit savings.

NASA, the FBI and the Border Patrol all won spending increases at the expense of cuts to the Transportation Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service and foreign aid.

There’s money to repair the iconic cast iron dome of the U.S. Capitol, full funding for food aid for low-income pregnant women and their children, and a $150 million increase over 2013 for high-priority transportation infrastructure projects. Army Corps of Engineers construction accounts get a more than $300 million hike over Obama’s request for flood control, shoreline protection and environmental restoration and other projects.

The bill fills out the budget agreement sealed last month by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the heads of the House and Senate Budget Committees. Murray and Ryan left it to the chairmen of Congress’ appropriations committees, Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., and Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., to work out the details.

The measure changes a RyanMurray provision cutting military pension cost-of-living increases for working age retirees to exempt disabled veterans and surviving spouses from the cut.

The Veterans Administration gets an almost automatic boost of $2.3 billion, almost 4 percent, driven by increased health care costs.

The lowest-common-denominator bill doesn’t contain bigticket wins for either side, but the simple fact that a deal came together was seen as a win for Congress as an institution and its band of 81 appropriators. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, strongly pushed for a deal, even though the end product was a six-inch-high “omnibus” compilation of what was supposed to be a dozen separate spending bills. Presidents and lawmakers alike deride such measures.

The alternatives, however, were to allow automatic spending cuts to strike for a second year and risk another politically debilitating government shutdown.

Democrats celebrated winning an addition $1 billion over last year for the Head Start early childhood education program and excluding from the bill a

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host of conservative policy “riders” advanced by the GOP. “We were able to strip out nearly all the new, divisive riders relating to abortion, contraception, gun control, immigration, implementation of the Affordable Care Act, Dodd-Frank, environmental protection,” said Rep. Nita Lowey of New York, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.

“This is very important to Democrats.”

Some Democrats said they would support it but only reluctantly, complaining that despite some increases, spending for education, health and other programs would still be too low.

“With this bill, we are waist deep in manure instead of neck deep in manure. Hooray, I guess,” Rep. Jim McGovern, DMass., said.

Republicans successfully “zeroed out” funding for highspeed rail, a slap at California Democrats, and they were able

to keep tight limits on the implementation of “Obamacare” and the 2010 Dodd-Frank overhaul of financial regulations.

Civilian federal workers would get their first pay hike in four years, even if it is just 1 percent. The bill contains a familiar provision backed by postal worker unions prohibiting the Postal Service from ending Saturday mail delivery and closing rural post offices even as it hemorrhages money.

Conservatives complained that the bill keeps the money flowing to wasteful programs, but the actual debate was a sleepy affair dominated by the old-school lawmakers who populate the Appropriations Committee.

“What’s this money going for?” said Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif. “It continues funding for the scandalous Essential Air Service that pays to fly empty and near empty planes across the country. It continues

to throw money at all manner of immensely expensive and failed green energy programs and other forms of corporate welfare.”

The much-criticized Essential Air Service, which subsidizes airlines serving smaller rural airports and enjoys support from many conservatives whose districts benefit from its largess, would receive a record budget of $249 million. House-proposed reforms to limit per-ticket subsidies to no more than $500 were stripped out of the measure, preserving service to the average three people a day flying out of Great Bend, Kansas, and the two people who fly out of Glendive, Mont., per day.

The bill also blocks the Federal Emergency Management Agency from increasing flood insurance premiums on people whose homes are found to be in flood zones after FEMA remapping, a strike against changes enacted in 2012.

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4 • MSU Reporter

News

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Jet flight simulator set to open at Wiecking Center in mid-February State-of-the-art simulator to help students in the aviation program.

RYAN BERNDT Staff Writer MSU’s Wiecking Center will be home to a new, stateof-the-art jet flight simulator, which will be installed by February 14th.

MNSU’s College of Education Dean, Jean Haar, announced the addition of the simulator on December 17th.

The device will be acquired thanks to the aviation program’s partner, North Star Aviation, who will own the device once it’s in place.

Aerosim, which is located in Burnsville, MN, focuses on “innovation to create efficiency throughout the entire aviation training continuum.” The CRJ700 Flight Training Device (FTD) will be enclosed, having a visual system that wraps around the student and demands their full attention.

The CRJ700 features a wrap-around visual system, mobile instructor operating station (IOS) and permanently installed HD cameras for session recording and remote viewing.

Aerosim will also deliver Flight Management System Trainer (FMST) and Virtual Flight Deck (VFD) desktop simulation technology for additional ground training instruction and interactive learning. It will also be compliant to Federal Aviation Administration Level five standards.

With the help of the CRJ700, MNSU will get a boost of attention to it’s aviation program, which has already been receiving high marks this academic year.

The Maverick Flight Team,

which features some of the best students in the aviation program, received second place at the NIFA 2013 Region V SAFECON, which was hosted by the University of Dubuque.

“I had a friend from freshman year that was involved with the program,” current student Cameron Zielinski said. “Otherwise I don’t think I would have known about the aviation program. I think it would be a lot of fun to experience what the simulator offers.”

Through partnerships with corporations and local businesses, MNSU’s aviation program offers a comprehensive education in professional flying; with a four year Bachelor of Science degree available, with concentrations in professional flight or aviation management offered.

Students who complete the aviation degree in professional flight will gain their private pilot, commercial flight and other credentials upon graduating. The program focuses on airmanship knowledge, skills and ability while in college to develop professionalism, responsibility, self-reliance and marketable skills for early career progression and provides important experiences which ensure a level of understanding and competency essential to becoming an effective leader in an aviation profession.

“It’s really cool to know our school is actively growing and expanding programs like that.”

Zielinski mentioned. “It’s a University’s job to further the educational experience of all students.”

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Women and men are encouraged to apply. Volunteers do not need to be athletic to volunteer. Volunteers commit to 1 to 2 times per week for 10 weeks. Application deadline is January 23rd.

Application available at: www.mankatoywca.org or contact YWCA at 507-345-4629

Jet flight simulators help students receive a more hands-on learning experience.

Web Photo

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Sodexo named recipient of prestigious award SAM WILMES News Editor Sodexo, the main food service provider at Minnesota State University, Mankato, has been announced as the winner of the 2014 Business Pathfinder Award annually presented by the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Board, a board located in the Mankato area.

According to Sodexo, they have been a leader in promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace.

They tout their long commitment to diversity in its workplace and its philanthropic endeavors.

They say that they see diversity and inclusion as a central management challenge in today’s global marketplace and that understanding how to best leverage a multicultural workforce is imperative for companies across all industries.

Sodexo won first place in DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity List last year.

Sodexo is well known for not only providing the dining services for MSU but for also catering to different businesses and community meetings throughout the area.

The company also explains that they practice the ideals of King through hiring and promoting a unique blend of individuals. They plan on donating the food served at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration.

Executive Director of the Greater Mankato Diversity Council Bukata Hayes and Ethinic Studies faculty member Michael Fagin nominated Sodexo for the award.

According to the University, Fagin is pleased with the role diversity and inclusion is prevalent at Sodexo.

“A major emphasis in the fabric of Sodexo’s organization is the value of inclusion and diversity,” Fagin said.

“The company has distinguished itself by hiring people with disabilities and ensuring equal opportunities for all people.”

Hayes agreed. “The ideals of Dr. King are best exemplified in practice and not rhetoric. Sodexo acts on their belief that all contribute to the workplace and should be valued. ”The Business Pathfinder Award is one of the three Pathfinder Awards that will be presented by the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Board.

The 30th annual celebration will take place on Monday night at the Centennial Student Ballroom.

The celebration will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a social and hors d’oeuvres, followed up by the Pathfinder Awards presentation at 6:15 p.m.. Entertainment

by Nuer Dance Group will be at 6:30 p.m., followed by a presentation at 6:40 p.m. by South Central College President Dr. Annette Parker.

Parker will be speaking about Martin Luther King Jr. Day and how it has positively affected her leadership and life.

Tickets will be $10. Tickets are also available to be purchased in advance at the Greater Mankato Diversity Council, located at 10 Civic Center Plaza.

More information is available

MSU Reporter • 5

News

Olympiad coming to Mankato SAM WILMES News Editor On January 30th, Minnesota State University, Mankato will be hosting the North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad for middle and high school students.

Students will be asked to solve linguistic puzzles, decipher texts and rare languages as well as think in a logical sense during a three-hour examination. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon in Wissink Hall room 291.

No participation fee or registration is required, nor is experience or knowledge in the field of computational linguistics.

On Thursday, March 13th top scorers will compete in a computational linguistics invitational. Winners at that event will represent the continent at the International Linguistic Olympiad.

High school students who want to register or learn more can visit http://www.cset.mnsu. edu/cs/naclo.

Integrated Engineering Professor Rebecca Bates is looking

forward to the experience the day will bring.

“Students really love it- oftentimes they will take it repeatedly!” Bates said. She anticipates that students will come from all over, but especially from the Twin Cities and Mankato areas.

According to Bates, the first year the event was held here was 2009, when two students made it to the national team and she hopes this will happen again this year.

Web Photo

WELCOME BACK STUDENTS!

on the MSU website.

• VOL UN T EERS NEEDED F OR RE A DY T O L E A RN •

Ready to Learn is a home visiting program for new American families. Trained volunteers work with parents to engage their children in developmental activities. The volunteers aid children in kindergarten readiness.

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Library Services is looking forward to helping you succeed in 2014.

6 • MSU Reporter

Thursday, January 16, 2014 Follow the Reporter on Twitter @MSU Reporter or Like Us on Facebook.com/ msureporter

Email the Editor in Chief: reporter-editor@mnsu.edu

An inconvenient truth about global warming

Minnesota State University, Mankato

STAFF

SPRING 2014

MSU writer contemplates the time, money and value of the continuing effort to fight global warming.

SPORTS EDITOR: Joey Denton.............. 389-5227

ADVERTISING SALES: Natasha Jones........... 389-1063 Mac Boehmer............389-5097 Parker Riesgraf.......... 389-1079 Brandon Poliszuk.......389-5453 BUSINESS MANAGER: Jane Tastad............... 389-1926 ADV. DESIGN MANAGER: Dana Clark............... 389-2793

POLICIES & INFORMATION

Controversies abound over Al Gore’s 2007 Documentary “An Inconvenient Truth”

the fact that the Earth has annually been cooling since 1998.

We had a blizzard on finals week last May (although not enough to cancel) and this winter seems like one of the coldest on record.

I wouldn’t mind a few warmer winters myself. And these cold winters aren’t just happening in Minnesota, they are happening all over the country. The nation certainly wouldn’t mind a few warmer winters as well.

There is nothing we can do about global warming. The Earth’s history is chalk full of periods of climate change.

Have you ever heard about the

Ice Age? If you haven’t noticed the Earth warmed up afterward without the help of fossil fuels, aerosol cans or cow farts.

We may have all been a little hasty biting at the global warming scare. I mean we did award Al Gore with two Academy

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Awards for his documentary An Inconvenient Truth only seven years ago. It’s about time we all get over the narcissistic idea that we as human beings actually have some sort of impact in the global climate, the climate of future generations.

Corrections: In Tuesday’s Reporter, the article “Mankato act wins big nationally” said that a member of the band ‘Home Free,’ Chris Rupp, was a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus. Rupp is a graduate of Minnesota State Univeristy, Mankato and is a music alum. The Reporter apologizes for any inconvenience this has caused.

“Do you believe in global warming?”

GRACE HASELMANN, UNDECIDED “Not sure whether I believe in global warming but i’m not concerned about it.”

NEWS EDITOR: Sam Wilmes..............389-5450

VARIETY EDITOR: James Houtsma.......... 389-5157

ALEX KERKMAN Staff Writer Welcome back to MSU everyone. Let me be the first to congratulate you on surviving record lows last week. It got so cold at my house that two pipes burst while my roommates’ jeep was shut down for two days. I used to think that my ancestors had it tough in log cabins, but I quickly found out that suffering through the cold didn’t end with the invention of the furnace. My room hit 50 degrees at one point, despite having the heat on.

Being the geek that I am, I spent last Friday night shivering in my snuggie reading up about past Academy Award winners when I came across the 2007 Best Documentary award winning An Inconvenient Truth. It was kind of hard not to laugh. I took a look into some facts about global warming, in specific terms global warming spending.

This was no laughing matter.

In 2013, the United States of America spent $22.2 billion dollars to help end global warming.

In comparison we spent only $12 billion on border patrol. Of that, $770 million was spent on helping “fight” global warming overseas. This definitely wont be helping the more than $17 trillion bill we owe on the National Debt.

And if all monetary reasons aren’t enough, there is always

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Reece Hemmesch.......389-5454

CYLIE HANKINS, UNDECIDED

STEPHANIE WALDOCH, MARKETING

“I don’t really know if I do or not it could go either way.”

“I do not know if I do or not.”

KYLE FAST, MARKETING “I believe that the increase in greenhouse does and factories have led to global warming.”

• If you have a complaint, suggestion or would like to point out an error made in the Reporter, call Editor in Chief Reece Hemmesch at 507-3895454. The Reporter will correct any errors of fact or misspelled names in this space. Formal grievances against the Reporter are handled by the Newspaper Board.

• The Minnesota State University Mankato Reporter is a studentrun 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 507-3891776. Subscriptions for the academic school year are $55.00 and subscribers will receive the paper within three to five days after publishing.

• Letters exceeding 400 words may not be accepted. The Reporter reserves the right to edit letters to fit space or correct punctuation. The Reporter reserves the right to publish, or not publish, at its discretion. Letters must contain year, major or affiliation with the university, or lack thereof. All letters must contain phone numbers for verification purposes.

Compiled by Arnold Bagamba

JOEY REYNOLDS, CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT “Yes I believe in global warming with all that society is doing on earth to effect it.”

Thursday, January 16, 2014

MSU Reporter • 7

Ed/Op

Civility scene 23: is it really civil?

When one scene promotes self-depreciation, it is tough to see it as civil.

EMMA DEPPA Staff Writer For the last year, MSU’s Civility Campaign has decorated campus in purple and gold, and has helped to advocate for respect among the staff and students. This campaign has continued to live up to its mission of promoting civility by challenging negative behaviors and supporting positive ones.

The campaign has been a personal favorite of mine; as a senior I’ve seen various poster campaigns, but this is by far the most illuminating and inspiring.

Many topics have been covered including cultural acceptance, taking responsibility for honest mistakes, talking about others when they aren’t around, as well as professional civility such as helping colleagues. One example of a Civility Scene is, “When you talk to someone, be present in all senses OR be there in body only—and twiddle away with your gadget du jour”. As long as these vibrant posters have been around campus, I’ve always

looked forward to the next one.

That was until Civility Scene 23 was published.

Civility Scene 23 reads, “When you want to be funny, use self-depreciating humor OR Use humor as a weapon—it only hurts on the receiving end.” I was alarmed when I read this, seeing that using self-depreciating humor was the “civil” thing to do.

On the Civility Campaign’s page, they state, “At Minnesota State Mankato, we believe that civility comes down to treating everyone with respect.

Each of us is responsible for showing civility in our own actions.” This greatly bothered me and brought several questions to mind. Why does “treating everyone with respect” not include self-respect? Why does humor have to be at the fall of someone or something else? If you don’t respect and appreciate yourself, how can you expect anyone else to? For people tend to treat you how you treat yourself. It even states on the “uncivil” side that being on the receiving end of humor hurts, so why would a civility campaign tell us to undervalue ourselves?

Not only is self-depreciation disrespectful to oneself, but is

also a very unhealthy behavior.

In today’s society, many young adults suffer from self-esteem issues, which can develop into mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. The National Institute of Mental Health’s 2011 study on depression in college students found that over 30 percent of college students reported feeling so depressed that it impaired their normal functioning, which is symptomatic of major depressive disorder.

This statistic only includes those feeling severely depressed, and does not include those who have minor depressive symptoms, or self-confidence issues, which I presumably would make that a much higher percentage.

With these startling statistics, how could a self-titled “civility campaign” encourage self-depreciation?

As a huge fan of Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Civility Campaign, I in no way intend to offend those involved or disregard the campaign at all, however, I do feel that something must be done in order to correct this hopefully unintentional misapplication of civility. I urge the makers of the Civility Campaign to consider editing that scene

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to an alternative that doesn’t include undervaluing oneself, or creating the next one to support building others up. Perhaps, “When someone uses self-depreciating humor, remind them of their greatness OR Laugh and take another stab at them.”

Better yet, a Civility Scene could be created that advocates

self-love and appreciation, such as “When you don’t quite succeed, wallow in misery and selfloathing OR Remember your strengths and work on your challenges.” Though civility does typically consist of interaction between two people, showing civility and appreciation to yourself is just as important.

8 • MSU Reporter

News

Thursday, January 16, 2014

UN says pace of Israeli settler attacks up four-fold QUSRA, West Bank (AP) — The annual rate of Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians has almost quadrupled in eight years, U.N. figures show, buttressing claims that Israeli security forces have largely failed to stem the so-called “price tag” campaign in which thugs cut down trees, deface mosques and beat Palestinian farmers.

Israeli leaders have repeatedly denounced such attacks — the defense minister last week branded them “outright terrorism” — and the military says soldiers are under strict orders to stop them.

Still, critics say Israeli governments stacked with pro-settler politicians have often been reluctant to confront settlers, even those seen as a hardline fringe.

“There is not enough pressure from the prime minister, the defense minister, the interior minister to prevent this,” said Gadi Zohar, a former senior army commander in the West Bank.

A dramatic incident near this Palestinian farming village last week highlighted the potential of such attacks to escalate and jeopardize fragile U.S.-led peace efforts. “Price tag” refers to settler attacks on Palestinians in response to army actions against any of dozens of West Bank settlement outposts.

Last week’s events began when troops uprooted olive trees planted on private Palestinian land by settlers from the Esh Kodesh outpost.

Later that day, about 20 Israelis moved toward nearby villages, including Qusra. Palestinians said the settlers damaged olive trees, and were caught by villagers after a stone-throwing clash and held by them for more than two hours before being handed to the army.

Footage of the settlers sur-

rounded by an angry crowd led the TV news in Israel that day, with commentators saying serious bloodshed was averted by Palestinians who shielded the settlers.

Seven Israelis were questioned and placed under house arrest, police said. Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon warned he would show zero tolerance, but Palestinians are skeptical.

So far, there have been at least two cases of vandalism in apparent response to the Qusra incident. On Wednesday, residents of a village in the area reported that the door of a mosque was set on fire and some of the carpet was burned. Graffiti read, “Blood for blood, Qusra.”

The United States quickly condemned the vandalism.

“We believe that such hateful and provocative actions against a place of worship are never justified,” said State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf. “We look to Israel law enforcement officials to quickly investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators of this attack.”

Settlers have damaged hundreds of trees in Qusra, killed 18 sheep, torched six cars and set fire to a mosque in dozens of attacks, said Mayor Abdel Azim Wadi. The village has lost half its lands to settlements.

The mayor said Israeli soldiers either stand by during settler attacks or fire tear gas, rubber bullets and occasionally live rounds at Palestinians if the attacks escalate into stone-throwing clashes. A Qusra man was killed by army fire and dozens were wounded by settlers and soldiers, he said.

Palestinians say “price tag” is part of Israel’s policy of cementing control over the West Bank, the largest of three war-won areas the Palestinians want for a state. They note that Israel has

Photo Courtesy of Associated Press Injured Israeli settlers are detained by Palestinian villagers in a building under construction near the West Bank village of Qusra, southeast of Nablus. The annual rate of Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians has almost quadrupled in eight years.

been providing practical support for outposts even though they were set up without formal government permission.

“Who gives them water, electricity, who gives them security, and paves their streets?” said Qusra resident Abdel Hakim Odeh, referring to the government’s policy toward the outposts. “These gangs are used by the government against the Palestinians.”

Col. Eran Makov, deputy commander of an Israeli army division in the West Bank, said soldiers have clear orders to stop any violence between civilians in the territory. “The policy of the IDF ... is to interrupt and stop every incident when a person attacks another person,” Makov said.

among the settlers commit violence against Palestinians, few soldiers can internalize this and change their behavior,” Harel wrote in the Haaretz daily, saying it’s up to the senior command to set a different tone.

The military has overall authority in the West Bank and soldiers are usually the first to respond to unrest, while Israeli police deal with Israeli civilians, including investigating settler violence.

Indictments were only filed in 8.5 percent of 825 completed police investigations monitored by the Israeli human rights group Yesh Din. In most cases, investigators failed to locate suspects or collect enough evidence, Yesh

ISRAEL • Page 9

Staff: Campus Pastor Wong, Reverend Roger Knepprath, Mark Probst, Vicar Allen Kirschbaum, RA Kody Green

COME EXPERIENCE TRUE BUFFET HEAVEN

ISRAEL continued from 3 COLLEGE NIGHT SUNDAYS|4:30-8PM

He said soldiers can’t be everywhere at once to block attacks and that it’s sometimes difficult to respond rapidly in rocky terrain. In last week’s incident, soldiers responded within 15 minutes, he said.

Makov acknowledged that young conscripts aren’t necessarily trained for policing jobs, but that those who fail to intervene face disciplinary action. The army is still looking into a Palestinian amateur video that appears to show soldiers watching as nearby settlers throw stones at Palestinians, he said.

Israeli military correspondent Amos Harel said the army faces a problem of mindset among young soldiers who view their basic mission as protecting settlers. “When extreme fringes

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Thursday, January 16, 2014

ISRAEL

continued from 8

Din said.

In Qusra and two neighboring villages, residents filed 21 police complaints between 2011 and 2013, but none led to indictments so far, said Yesh Din. Twelve cases were closed, including a February shooting in which 28-year-old Hilmi Hassan was seriously wounded in a confrontation with settlers.

Yesh Din said police were given photos of Israeli civilians who participated in the incident.

Hassan said a settler shot him in the stomach from about 20 meters (yards) away. Hassan was flown by helicopter to an Israeli hospital. There, police questioned him, but Hassan refused to sign a statement, fearing officers were trying to portray him as the instigator.

“If a settler was shot, they would have imposed curfew on the entire area, but when a Palestinian like me is shot, they accuse him of provoking the sets tlers,” said Hassan.

Police did not provide arrest statistics or comment on the Hassan case.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said police have formed special units to deal with “price tag” attacks. A West Bank unit with 30 officers began working a year ago, focusing on surveillance, intelligence gathering and undercover operations, he said.

The army said Palestinian complaints about settler attacks during the annual olive harvest dropped by half, to 20, from 2012 to 2013.

Despite such efforts, U.N. figures show a steady rise in the number of settler attacks.

MSU Reporter • 9

News

There have been 2,100 such attacks since 2006, the year the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) started counting. The annual totals are up from 115 in 2006 to 399 in 2013.

In the past eight years, 10 Palestinians were killed by settlers, and 29 settlers were killed by Palestinians, according to OCHA figures. More than 1,700 Palestinians were injured by settlers or by troops in clashes, while 324 settlers and 37 soldiers were hurt

by Palestinians in confrontations.

Palestinians also initiate violence, including throwing stones at Israeli motorists. In 2011, Palestinians stabbed to death five members of a family, including three small children, in their settlement home as they slept.

The “price tag” campaign first made headlines in 2008, three years after Israel dismantled its settlements in Gaza and four in the West Bank. The government portrayed the unilateral pullback at the time as a tactical move to strengthen Israel’s hold on the rest of the West Bank, but it outraged settlers.

Some settlers devised price tags to deter Israeli authorities from taking down more settlements, particularly the outposts that are home to “hilltop youth,” the most fanatic among the settlers.

Since then, settlers have routinely attacked Palestinian villages whenever the army moves against an outpost. Vandals have broadened their targets to churches, mosques and dovish groups in Israel, as well as Israeli military bases.

PROPOSED BILL “My proposal will put thousands of Minnesotans to work throughout our state,” Dayton said. “This bill gives priority to projects that are ready to go.” continued from 1 higher education is one of the bigger pushes Dayton plans to make in the new proposal. $233 million will go to the state’s higher education system, to ensure that “Minnesota students have access to world-class labs, classrooms, and training for jobs of the future,” according to Dayton’s website.

As for the money allocated towards higher education, a total of $154 million will be for the asset preservation and replacement at MnSCU campuses statewide and for additional infrastructure improvements at 17 MnSCU campuses.

“The Governor’s bonding proposal makes construction projects for higher education a top priority and recognizes the critical role Minnesota’s state colleges and universities play in providing access to an extraordinary education for Minnesotans from all backgrounds and every part of the state,” MnSCU Chancellor Steven J. Rosentsone said of the proposal. “These investments will help ensure that our graduates have the skills needed to keep Minnesota globally competitive. We appreciate the Governor’s support of our students and the communities we serve.”

Another local spot that will receive attention through this bill is the Mankato Civic Cen-

ter, as the proposed total for regional civic centers comes to $104 million, where Dayton has noted $14.5 million for a new addition to the Mankato Civic Center, which houses Minnesota State hockey and other area events. The Rochester Mayo Civic Center, the Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, the Children’s Museum in St. Paul, the St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center and the NorShor Theatre in Duluth are the other centers around the state that will see improvements as a result of the new bill.

The roads and bridges portion will allocate over $79 million to the transportation infrastructure. Of that, a little under half will be for bridge repair and replacements, while the Twin Cities Army and Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) in Arden Hills will see the other considerable chunk.

The governor has also proposed another $200 million in other investments, including $70 million for clean drinking water investments, $54 million for natural resource projects including parks and trails and another $50 million for housing infrastructure and rehabilitation.

As all of the other investments are statewide projects,

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Dayton has also seen fit that the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter will see $56.3 million for remodeling purposes. The MSH is a secure psychiatric hospital that serves those deemed mentally ill and dangerous by the court. The current building in St. Peter replaced the old one in 1982 and is need of repair since its inception.

The final portion of the proposal will be $126.3 million to complete restoration on the state Capitol in St. Paul. The building’s plan for repair has been debated for the past 30 years, but the new bill will see the complete restoration and will finish by 2016.

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News

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Fairness needed in media

SAM WILMES News Editor The 1987 repeal of the Fairness Doctrine by then President Ronald Reagan has opened the floodgates to what we see today: Pseudo-news that comfortably fits what we want to hear; not what we need to hear to be informed.

The fairness doctrine, established in 1949, was enacted by the Federal Communications Commission to open dialogue between opposing sides on public issues. While a noble effort, the Fairness Doctrine was to Reagan a limit on the freedom of expression.

“This type of content-based regulation by the federal government is, in my judgment, antagonistic to the freedom of expression guaranteed by the First Amendment,” Reagan said.

“In any other medium besides broadcasting such federal policing of the editorial judgment of journalists would be unthinkable.”

While right in a certain sense, Reagan’s decision has led to some news outlets being dominated by opinion — MSNBC and Fox News are two prime examples.

In a business that is supposed to be dominated by free-flowing ideas and differences of opinion, we often get jaded, biased and intolerant journalism. The mouthpieces spout intolerance, lies and perfect soundbites designed to make attention- and ratings-grabbing splashes.

Fox News president Rupert Murdoch gave an interview in 2012 in which he explained his reasoning on why he wanted President Obama out of office.

He wanted to save the country from socialism.

Views like this come with the inevitable conclusion of slanting news to your opinion. Opinion needs to be formulated to the facts, not the facts formulated around opinions.

Objectivity is lost and tram-

pled. Without objectivity the fundamental fabric of news is lost.

Commentators like Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck are not newsmen.

They are entertainers. Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz and Keith Olbermann are also not serious journalists. They are propagandists, out to spread a message that like-minded people take comfort in.

This cuts to the core of where we are as a society. People need their opinions challenged. Believing only in the news that confirms the existing views you have can only end in the continuation of inherent biases.

News networks should not devote themselves to 20 second sound bites or lectures against socialism. The truth — delivered without flinching — should be their mission. While many of us don’t agree on issues regarding public importance, the one thing we can agree on is impartial information that is neither tilted to the right or left.

Who cares if the search is boring? Journalists like CNN anchorman Sanjay Gupta and shows like Frontline can deliver insight and analysis that can lead to a more informed citizenry.

The only reason why people find hard news boring is that our attention spans are short. A 15 minute expose on the main elements of the Affordable Health Care or an extended lesson on why the business tax needs to be lowered plunges isn’t a rating’s smash like a shouting match or a quick sound bite.

The truth is often more complicated than what meets the eye.

We need to call our major news channels and let them know that we want and need more from our watchdogs.

The need for balanced news far exceeds the need for ratings and money.

By voting with our remotes we can change the way news is collected and broadcast. We can devote ourselves to the most important quest in the journey of life: The quest for truth — as uplifting and ugly as it sometimes

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Bill O’Reilly and Jon Stewart have become symbols of a divided press.

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Church releasing sex abuse files on Chicago clergy CHICAGO (AP) — The Archdiocese of Chicago said Wednesday it will release 6,000 pages of documents detailing what it knows about decades of clergy sex abuse allegations and how it handled them, calling it an effort to “bring healing to the victims and their families.”

Victims’ attorneys, who have fought for years to hold the Catholic Church accountable for concealing crimes and sometimes reassigning priests to positions where they continued to molest children, said they expect to receive the documents Wednesday afternoon and make them public next week.

The nation’s third-largest archdiocese agreed to release complaints, personnel documents and other files for about 30 priests with substantiated abuse allegations as part of settlements with abuse victims.

“Until there is public disclosure and transparency ... there is no way people can learn about it and make sure it does not happen again,” said attorney Marc Pearlman, who has helped represent about 200 victims of clergy abuse in the Chicago area.

Bishop Francis Kane began a news conference by apologizing for the abuse.

“I have seen firsthand the pain and suffering of the victims and their families,” Kane said. “What we are doing now, I hope that it will bring healing and hope to the people that have been affected by these terrible sins and crimes.”

Archdiocese attorney John O’Malley warned that the documents will be “upsetting.” ‘’The information is painful; it’s difficult to read, even without the benefit of hindsight,” O’Malley said.

The documents are similar to recent disclosures by other dioceses in the U.S. that showed how the church shielded priests and failed to report child sex abuse to authorities. Chicago officials said most of the abuse occurred before 1988 and none after 1996.

Cardinal Francis George, who has led the archdiocese since 1997, did not attend the news conference. But on Sunday he released a letter of apology to parishioners that said releasing the records “raises transparency to a new level.” He also stressed that much of the abuse occurred decades ago, before he became archbishop.

George said all incidents were reported to civil authorities and resulted in settlements.

In fact, the archdiocese has paid about $100 million to settle sexual abuse claims, including those against Father Daniel McCormack, who was sentenced to five years in prison

Photo Courtesy of Associated Press Joe Iacono, 62, who was abused in the early 1960s while he was a student at St. John Vianney Catholic School in North Lake, Ill., holds a photo of him taken in 1960 when he was 9-years-old.

after pleading guilty in 2007 to abusing five children while he was parish priest at St. Agatha Catholic Church and a teacher at a Catholic school. The next year, the archdiocese agreed to pay $12.6 million to 16 victims of sexual abuse by priests, including McCormack.

Files on McCormack will not be among those released; they have been sealed by a judge because of pending court cases, Pearlman said. He said he and St. Paul, Minn., attorney Jeff Anderson will re-release the McCormack documents that they have.

Many of the accused priests are dead, and the documents will include only 30 of 65 priests against whom the archdiocese says it has credible allegations of abuse. That is because settlements that required the disclosures involved just those 30 priests, Pearlman said. O’Malley said the archdiocese will review and develop a process to release documents on the other cases.

Victims and their lawyers said publicizing the documents is crucial to shedding light on how the archdiocese handled accusations against priests and to help victims and the Catholic Church heal and move forward.

Joe Iacono hopes records related to the priest who abused him more than 50 years ago are among those released.

“For me, it’s going to empower me again ... and hopefully

it will help others out there struggling to come forward and get help,” said Iacono, 62, a Springfield resident who was abused in the early 1960s while he was a student at St. John Vianney Catholic School in North Lake, Ill. He said Father Thomas Kelly, who is dead but whom the church has acknowledged abused children, took an active interest in a group of boys, lifting weights with them and inviting them to spend the night at the rectory.

“It was his way of weeding us out and separating us from the rest of the class and making us feel special (so he could) take liberties with us,” said Iacono, who said he tried to forget about the abuse until his daughter was born years later.

Iacono said he also hopes the release “opens the eyes of parishioners ... that we need to hold (church leaders) accountable for their behavior and not allow this to happen again.”

Peter Isely, Midwest director for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said it’s also important for all Chicagoarea Catholics to read the untilnow “hidden” documents.

“It’s physical, material evidence and truth,” he said. “I can’t tell you how important this is to victims of trauma. ... It’s something that can’t be denied and wished away.”

MSU Reporter • 11

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MSU Reporter • 13

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Follow the Reporter on Twitter @MSU Reporter or Like Us on Facebook facebook.com/msureporter

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507-389-5157

Movie and TV news update Sequels pick their dates for years down the line while a slew of shows are announcing the end.

ANDREW SIMON Staff Writer MOVIES | Before Dawn of the Planet of the Apes even hits, 20th Century Fox is pushing forward with a third title in the newly rejuvenated franchise, to be helmed by Dawn director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield), for July 2016.

Speaking of pitching sequels far in advance, Avatar stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana have officially signed on for 2, 3, and 4 of the billiondollar franchise. Production for all three sequels, to be shot simultaneously, will commence this winter in New Zealand.

Fox’s Poltergeist reboot, starring Sam Rockwell (Iron Man 2) and Rosemarie DeWitt (Your Sister’s Sister) will hit February 2015, opposite Fifty Shades of Grey.

Continuing the current slate of remakes and sequels, often

one of the same, Paramount is moving full steam ahead with the fifth Terminator film, Terminator: Genesis. Directed by Alan Taylor (Thor: The Dark World), the film is set for release July 2015, with Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) officially attached to play Sarah Connor opposite Jason Clarke (no relation) as her son John Connor. Time travel shenanigans and the presence of original Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger are all expected for Genesis.

It was announced that screenwriter Simon Kinberg has been charged with adapting the card game Magic: The Gathering into a live action feature for 20th Century Fox. Although fantasy films hardly fare well in a theatrical setting, the attempts at adapting Magic and Warcraft for cinemas are a clear indication of studio intent to capitalize on the Game of Thrones success.

Web Photo

TV | 24: Live Another Day, the 12-episode ninth season/reboot of the 24 franchise that has laid dormant for four years, will debut May 5. The series will set

Jack Bauer (Keifer Sutherland) in London as one of the United States’ most wanted men, with CIA Agent Kate Morgan (Yvonne Strahovski, Dexter)

dead-set on catching him, all the while preventing a terrorist

TV NEWS • Page 14

Most Anticipated Games of 2014

Web Photo A new face comes into the spotlight in inFamous: Second Son.

ADAM MILLER Staff Writer Now that it is 2014, there are 12 full months of amazing games to look forward too. Some of them are scheduled to come out in a month or so, some are

not scheduled until the fall or later and some will more than likely get pushed back to 2015 before we actually get a chance to play them on our consoles or PCs. That will not stop us from desperately waiting and counting down the days until we are able to play the games we are excited

about. With that, here is a list of the most highly anticipated games coming out in 2014 that we know about to date.

Action Adventure: inFamous: Second Son When inFamous first came out on the PlayStation 3, it gave

players the option of playing protagonist Cole McGrath any way they saw fit. You could be a celebrated hero or a terrible bioterrorist -- either way, you got to shoot lighting out of your hand and stop the bad guys. Well, the other bad guys. The game was a well-rounded sandbox game with plenty of side missions and collectables to keep gamers happy and busy.

Now that Cole’s story is done, it is time for a new character with new powers to come into the spotlight. From the trailers and bits of footage they have shown of the game, this new installment got a graphical overhaul that you would expect with the series moving from the PlayStation 3 to the PlayStation 4.

As long as Sucker Punch adds to the series without messing up the formula that made the first two games so much fun, they are sure to have a classic on their hands.

Honorable Mention: Watch Dogs While the premise of using big

brother to fight crime in Watch Dogs is both fresh and new, it is that reason it only gets an honorable mention. This gameplay mechanic can either be in-depth and engaging or it can quickly become gimmicky and boring.

We just have to wait and see.

Role Playing: Dragon Age: Inquisition Gamers can step back into the world of Thedas one more time in 2014 with Dragon Age: Inquisition. Bioware had stated early in development that they wanted to take the best parts of Dragon Age and Dragon Age II and mix them together for the third installment of the series. Fans were excited last E3 when they got a look at the game. In addition to the return of some fan favorites from the first two games into this installment, the Frostbite 3 engine gives the game a graphical quality worth drooling over.

In a game that is all about choice, players had a sigh of relief when Bioware announced

2014 GAMES • Page 14

14 • MSU Reporter

A&E

MOVIE & TV NEWS “The series will set Jack Bauer (Keifer Sutherland) in London as one of the United States’ most wanted men, with CIA Agent Kate Morgan (Yvonne Strahovski, Dexter) dead-set on catching him, all the while preventing a terrorist attack or two. Regarding the longgestating 24 movie, the script is finished and the success of this limited series will determine the future of 24, either in cinematic or television format.” continued from 13 attack or two. Regarding the long-gestating 24 movie, the script is finished and the success of this limited series will determine the future of 24, either in cinematic or television format.

In less than a week, three successful television shows have announced an end date.

FX has confirmed the forthcoming sixth season of Justified, set to premiere January 2015, will be its last. In a joint decision between series creator Graham Yost and FX president John Landgraf, the hope is that in ending the series on a creative peak without unnecessarily prolonging its life, the series will find immortality in positive word of mouth for years to come.

HBO will be saying goodbye to Boardwalk Empire when its fifth and final season airs this fall. As a critical and moderate ratings success, Empire’s creative forces decided to end on a high creative note, as their story has run its course. A series still relatively in its infancy, Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom will shut down after only three seasons, as its upcoming third season will be its last. Expected to de-

but in July like seasons past, creator Sorkin’s schedule is constrained as an in-demand screenwriter and it’s likely his schedule and diminishing ratings are to contribute to an early end. Nevertheless, the news drama has a fun 10-episode run to entertain.

News is a little better for HBO’s Girls. Although averaging meager ratings, the series is a critical success, and never fails to become a series of great debate amongst casual audiences and professional critics alike for its polarizing and controversial portrayals of its female stars in contemporary New York. HBO announced a fourth season renewal for Girls, to air January 2015 for another ten episode year.

The Wachowski Siblings (The Matrix, Jupiter Ascending) are heading to Netflix.

Their new series, being developed with J. Michael Stracynski, is Sense8, said to center around eight people united by a vision while a dark entity aims to destroy them.

The ten-episode series will boast an expansive cast, shoot around the globe, and is set to debut in full late 2014.

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2014 GAMES “While the premise of using big brother to fight crime in Watch Dogs is both fresh and new, it is that reason it only gets an honorable mention. This gameplay mechanic can either be indepth and engaging or it can quickly become gimmicky and boring. We just have to wait and see.” continued from 13 Dragon Age Keep, an online service that will let you input the choices made by the Warden and the Champion so that your previous trips into the world will still affect the outcome of Thedas. Now lets just hope all those important choices does more than just change the colorscheme of the ending.

Honorable Mention: Final Fantasy XV After fifteen core games and numerous spin-offs, the Final Fantasy brand is still going strong. The reason this game gets an honorable mention instead of the title of most anticipated is due to the fact that, if its track record holds, it won’t be out till at least 2015.

Despite setbacks and renaming, the game takes Final Fantasy to a new realm, one that more closely resembles the modern world than any before.

First Person Shooter: Destiny Destiny takes players to a future where the destiny of Earth and the solar system rests in their hands. With customizable characters, loot drops, special

abilities and open world events, Destiny takes a step away from more traditional FPS games that is all about multiplayer online matches. Despite that, the game has huge buzz surrounding it.

There is no one thing in this

thing on everyone’s pre-order list. Even those gamers that are not fans of the genre look at Destiny and get excited.

Honorable Mention: Titanfall If any game is getting as much buzz at Destiny it would be Titanfall. Exclusive to the Xbox One, Titanfall has you running and gunning along side, and inside, giant robots.

Much like Watch Dogs the concept sounds amazing but it all depends on the execution.

Massively Multiplayer Online: Elder Scrolls Online Massively Multiplayer Online games have a way of sucking players into their world for hours on end. So when you consider that may players have spent more than 100 hours in Skyrim, some without even touching the main storyline of the game, it becomes clear why an online version of Elder Web Photo Scrolls is such and obvious fit. game that someone can put their With the entire world of Tamriel finger on and say “there, that is to explore, the game sounds like the thing that makes this game it will be one of the biggest onso attractive.” It is the blend of line game worlds to date. all of these unique elements that is what makes the game some-

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MSU Reporter • 15

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Lone Survivor a victory for Berg and his cast Afghanistan war film breaks the curse with emotionality.

Web Photo Kitsch and Wahlberg are stuck in a tense situation in Lone Survivor.

ANDREW SIMON Staff Writer In the last decade, war films centered in Afghanistan haven’t fared very well. The Hurt Locker, while a critical success, wasn’t financially rewarded, nor was Green Zone, Matt Damon’s picture that arrived and left theaters in a blink of the eye. Lone Survivor, based on a 2007 nonfiction book by Marcus Luttrel and Patrick Robinson of the same name, doesn’t seem to have that problem. Directed by the same guy who brought Hasbro’s Battleship to the big screen, it’s even more of a surprise that Lone Survivor is a riveting, powerful experience.

The film follows the real-life events of four SEAL operatives as they undertake Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan. Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg), Michael Murphy (Taylor Kitsch), Danny Dietz (Emilie Hirsch), and Matt Axelson (Ben Foster) are tasked with a reconnaissance mission to scout and track the movements of Taliban leader Ahmad Shah (Yousuf Azami).

When the team is confronted with the threat of being discovered by three goat herders, they face the choice of letting them go and risk the wrath of the Taliban force upon them or terminating the problem before it escalates.

Things get worse from there.

Written and directed by Peter Berg, Lone Survivor is compelling from the get-go. Opening with footage of real-life SEAL training, it effectively establishes the strength and resilience of these hard-trained men and the love and affection these brothers have for one another. Simple, restrained, and targeting emotion over bombastic explosions and ricocheting bullets, it’s hard to believe this is the same man behind the camera who typically delivers loud blockbusters with expensive visual effects. The action scenes are beautifully choreographed, favoring the popular hand-held cinematography that thankfully doesn’t obscure the visuals but helps in enhancing them. Even the writing is well done, as the much-talked about moral debate about what to do with the three goat herders is unnerving and thought provoking.

A controversial sequence that is respectfully realized.

The cast are all magnificent in their respective roles, small and large. Mark Wahlberg impresses considerably as Luttrell, as his body is thrown through the ringer. By the end, he’s ready to take as many enemies down with him if he has to go. Next to 2013’s Pain & Gain, Wahlberg seems to really be pushing himself as an actor. Ben Foster is equally as impressive as the “no nonsense” guy on the team, Axelson, who comes across as a Terminator

that, no matter how many times he gets shot, keeps getting up and keeps fighting back. Foster has always been a strong actor, and his work here is no different.

Emile Hirsch and Taylor Kitsch are fine, but they make the least impact, save a considerably heroic moment of Kitsch near the halfway mark.

If there’s a main gripe to be had with Lone Survivor, it’s the sacrifice of characterization for the action. The opening fifteen minutes is all the character work that’s granted, and although it’s understandable that there isn’t time or reason for character growth to interfere with the narrative flow once the shooting starts, it’s still an unfortunate reality that makes these characters feel nothing less than cardboard cutouts of military stereotypes.

Harsh criticism, indeed, as each of the actors imbue their performances with their own charm and chops, but when characterization is limited to spouses and brotherly love instead of establishing who these people are as human beings, it leaves a bit to be desired.

Regardless of this complaint, Lone Survivor is a thrilling action film with a surprising emotional center. These characters may not be three dimensional, but thanks to wonderful performances all around, their plight in Afghanistan and the trauma and tragedy comes through the

screen succinctly. Every bullet is felt and the audience becomes a part of the terror as the SEALs examine every tree and every sound as a possible enemy at-

tack. It’s a compelling, emotionally charged representation of a chaotic, tragic situation, and it’s wonderfully brought to life by Berg and his actors.

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16 • MSU Reporter

A&E

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Singles Spotlight A sampling of some recent or overlooked standout singles.

JAMES HOUTSMA A & E Editor “Ordinary Love” – U2 A relatively new release, the latest offering from the Irish rock group debuted last month as part of the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. While the film seems to be struggling to gain traction, the song written with the late South African president in mind is on a roll, and with good reason.

Bono’s delicate opening serenade leads into a chorus that sinks its hooks into you. The rock ballad has a real hopefulness about it from the lyrics to the ethereal base, helped in no small part with The Edge’s iconic guitar sound and producer Danger Mouse’s contributions on synth. With an inventive music video and the Golden Globe for Best Original Song under their belt, U2’s first song since 2010 is an endearing, enticing return to form.

“Givin Em What Love” – Janelle Monae

They

Oh how fitting the title of this song is. The opening track (minus

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a short intro) of Janelle Monae’s The Electric Lady is a jackhammer of awesomeness to your eardrums. The opening line on guitar and bass drives home the rhythm in a hardcore way as Monae enters like an authority figure ready to kick ass. Driving rock lines, stacked harmonization and Monae delivering a killer vocal performance – and that’s all before Prince shows up to do his Princey thing. An epic collaboration if there ever was one to hear, “Givin Em What They Love: is four-anda-half minutes of fun, infectious rock grooving.

“Lonely Street” – Mason Jennings Unlike so many acoustic offerings these days, there’s energy behind Mason Jennings’ “Lonely Street”. The odd combination of melancholy and upbeat, Jennings’ opener to his Always Been album utilizes the most of the acoustic setup and the flow in his vocal line and occasional turns into minor territory create a musically interesting listen as well as a pretty catchy tune.

“Her Favorite Song” – Mayer

Hawthorne

Phat. Not a common word but one that fits Mayer Hawthorne’s latest. The neo-soul tune has some crazy, unexpected electronic sounds working in the background that creates a rather unique song. But looking at the surface, the drum part is infectious, the story in the lyrics is relatable and Hawthorne’s soothing pre-chorus, followed by the female-sung chorus are cathartic.

Like the woman in the song, one can go home after a tough day, throw on headphones and sink right into this great song.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

MSU Reporter • 17

A&E

New on video: The Spectacular Now Lead actors add charm to an otherwise ordinary coming of age movie.

ANDREW SIMON Staff Writer The Spectacular Now, based off the book by the same name

by Tim Tharp, is the latest film by the screenwriting duo of Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber to examine human interaction, love, and a person’s place in the world.

Led by two phenomenal actors in Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley, The Spectacular Now follows Sutter Keely (Teller), that guy who was always the life of the party, the one who preached that every moment in high school was special – sacred even. He lives the perfect life, has the perfect girlfriend, and loves everything and everyone. Unfortunately, it’s this exact lifestyle of his that turns current girlfriend Cassidy (Brie Larson) to ex.

Purging his sorrows in a drunken haze, Sutter comes across Aimee Finecky (Woodley), the bashful nice girl who favors manga and nerdy things. The two strike up a relationship, and eventually, both change and are forced to confront the realities of graduation, growing up, the future and most painfully, relinquishing the spectacular now.

Miles Teller (21 & Over) is one of those actors whose charm is infectious and it’s easy to understand how Sutter seems to get people to gravitate towards him.

Woodley, who mastered the art of delivering flat dialogue and learning how not to act in ABC Family’s Secret Life of the American Teenager, is a revelation.

Cute, awkward and geeky, director James Ponsoldt doesn’t pull a

thought and actions colliding into one and while these characters are opposites, they seem to build off one another and are attracted to the qualities the other possesses and one doesn’t. Without doubt, Teller and Woodley are the

Web Photo Teller and Woodley elveate the material in The Spectacular Now.

She’s All That type of thing where all Aimee needs is hair down and glasses off to be the beautiful girl, Aimee is just shy and lives in her own little bubble of high school that doesn’t typically intersect with Sutter’s.

It’s two different worlds of

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real stars of the film.

The Spectacular Now has won a lot of accolades for its depicting contemporary teenagers authentically. The dialogue is richly accurate, the world these characters inhabit grounded and real as opposed to those ridiculously vi-

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The general idea behind The Spectacular Now is a frequently used topic in teenage dramas. It’s all about coming to terms with an uncertain future, putting behind the juvenile shenanigans of high school and facing adulthood, and ultimately, Now doesn’t offer any

new ideas or insights that makes the film remarkable outside of its authentic depiction of teen life but that accomplishment can get a movie only so far.

There is an interesting notion in Sutter confronting his absent father (Kyle Chandler) and finding in him a mirror reflection of himself but it doesn’t carry that much weight. One idea absent from the finished product that would have benefited the movie greatly was the idea of Sutter’s negative influence in Aimee’s life – he, the life of the party slowly corrupting and eroding Aimee’s niceness. In the film, it’s an idea hardly touched upon but has greater impact in the script, and it’s a shame it’s not a part of the final narrative.

In the end, The Spectacular Now gets a lot right in its representation of teen life and worries, and the script is top notch with its characters, dialogue and story, but one can’t help but feel a general indifference to the movie. It does all these things right and has two fantastic leads that will undoubtedly go on to accomplish great things, but Neustadter and Weber’s script simply doesn’t offer enough new to the plate to make this a highly memorable experience. Nevertheless, if examining the same concepts in a more relatable context is of interest to a potential viewer, Spectacular Now is spectacularly perfect for that.

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brant and glamorous high schools of The CW, and the problems they face are sadly relatable – it has all these fantastic realities that few coming-of-age dramas are able to match, but in the end, it doesn’t amount to much.

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Spring semester starts with WCHA showdown in Mankato

David Bassey • MSU Reporter

Just one week after students came back for school, Mankato will be hosting the best WCHA series of the weekend featuring MSU and no. 2 Ferris State.

DEREK LAMBERT Staff Writer If there were to be a weekend that deserved special attention for the Maverick men’s hockey team, this weekend would be it. After a seven game winning streak earlier this season, the Mavs have lost three of their last four games, including being swept by Alaska-Anchorage last weekend.

While the Mavericks look to get back into a routine of winning, they will have their work cut out for them this weekend when the Ferris State University Bulldogs come to town.

Ferris State has been a quality team in recent years, playing in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association until it dissolved to make room for the Big Ten hockey conference and the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, pushing the Bulldogs to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association with the Mavericks. Only two seasons ago, the Bulldogs made it all the way to the National Championship title game before falling to Boston College.

Ferris is back at it this season, almost guaranteeing themselves a spot in the NCAA tournament with half a season left to play.

With a record of 12-0-2 in WCHA

games this season, they are one of two teams in the nation who have yet to lose a league game, the other being the University of

Zach Lehrke

Minnesota. They also currently carry a commanding first-place lead in the WCHA. An overall record of 17-3-3 gives Ferris a tie with Quinnipiac University for the most wins in college hockey this far into the season, and has propelled them from the number three team in the nation last week to number two this week behind Minnesota.

The Bulldogs don’t have any players who dominate the stat sheet, but rather carry a deep lineup that finds them getting scoring from all four lines any given night. Senior Garrett Thompson leads the way for Fer-

ris with a team high 11 goals and 23 points, while junior forward Justin Buzzeo is right behind him with 22 points on the year. Both players were part of the team that nearly won the national championship in 2012. Aside from Thompson and Buzzeo, the Bulldogs carry eight more players in their lineup that have ten points or more on the year. Junior goaltender C.J. Motte will also be a huge factor in the series as he has started in goal for 21 of 23 games while posting a goals against average of 2.07 and a save percentage of over 93 percent.

The Mavericks on the other hand, have at times found themselves having trouble scoring. As opposed to the ten players the Bulldogs have with double-digit point totals, the Mavs only have seven, and only one player with ten or more goals. Junior forward J.P. LaFontaine, who was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week last month, leads the way for MSU with 10 goals and 20 points, along with eight power play goals which ties him for first in the nation for goals with the man advantage. Trailing LaFontaine is junior forward Matt Leitner, who has 17 points on the year. Both Leitner and LaFonatine were named to the Hobey Baker Award fan ballot this week for the nation’s top colle-

giate hockey player. Although at this point of the season both may seem like a long shot to win the award, if they continue scoring points at the rate they have been the last month, either could find themselves on the top ten finalist list later in the season.

Also notable for Maverick scoring has been the return of senior Zach Lehrke. Before the season started, Lehrke retired from hockey due to a muscle condition, but returned to the team after the first ten games of

Matt Leitner

the season to finish out his senior season. In twelve games since his return, the power play has improved significantly, and he has averaged a point per game on four goals and eight assists.

While the Mavericks seem to

be pacing themselves for second place in the WCHA behind Ferris, they still seem to be a huge underdog in this series. The Bulldogs lead the WCHA with 26 points in 14 league games; the Mavs have 20 points in 16 league games. However, if the Mavericks could steal a game or two from the Bulldogs this weekend it would be crucial for their NCAA pairwise rankings for the NCAA tournament, as well as put them in a better position to fight for the WCHA regular season crown in the second half of the season.

Including this weekend’s series, Ferris has 14 WCHA games remaining on their schedule, the Mavericks have 12, so any points MSU can take from the Bulldogs could close the gap and make for an exciting finish to the regular season.

After spending the last two weeks in Alaska for a 12-day, four-game road trip, the Mavs play at home this weekend in downtown Mankato. With students now back from winter break and the importance of this series, the Mavericks hope to have a large home crowd to push them past the no. two team in the nation. Friday night’s matchup is scheduled for a 7:37 p.m. puck drop, with a 7:07 p.m. start for Saturday night’s series finale.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

MSU Reporter • 19

Sports

Bringing some heat to the tundra The smooth, calm Leslie Frazier has been replaced by a fired up, intense Mike Zimmer.

After a season allowing the most points in the NFL and giving up the second most yards, the Vikings hired a defensive-minded coach to right the ship.

Wednesday the Minnesota Vikings hired ex-Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to be the ninth head coach in the franchise’s history. Zimmer will replace Leslie Frazier, who had an overall record of 21-32 as the head coach of the Vikings.

Frazier was not responsible for a far from ideal situation at the quarterback position, but the ex-defensive coordinator has the head coach of a defense that gave up several game-winning touchdowns in the final seconds and allowed more points than any team in the NFL. The Vikings organization is hoping for a different result this time after hiring another defensive coordinator without NFL head coaching experience to be the next Vikings head coach. Zimmer is a 20-year veteran NFL assistant coach, but has no had head coaching experience at any level.

Zimmer has got a reputation for being a high strung and intense coach, who is not afraid to yell at his players. This will be a big change for players and fans after three-and a-half season with the calm, laidback Leslie Frazier as the Vikings head coach.

Zimmer has been the defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals for the past six years and is a big reason for the development and success of their defense during that time. The Bengals finished the 2013 season third in overall defense and were fifth against both the pass and the run.

The Vikings biggest concern at the moment should be at the quarterback position, but hiring a defensive coach to fix this teams problems on that side of the ball is a step in the right direction. The next step in this process for the Vikings and Zimmer is to hire the rest of the Vikings coaching staff. It is especially important that the Vikings hire an excellent offensive coordinator that can potentially develop the quarterback that will likely be drafted this year.

Vikings have received permission to talk to Browns’ offensive coordinator Norv Turner about becoming the new Vikings offensive coordinator according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Turner remains on the Browns coaching staff though Cleveland recently relieved Rob Chudzinski of his head coaching duties in Cleveland. Zimmer worked with Turner in Dallas. While Turner has had inconsistent results as a head coach, he could bring in a wealth of offensive coaching experience to an offense that struggled last year.

Hopefully in the next couple years the Vikings are able to develop an elite quarterback, but until then the Vikings Super Bowl chances will remain slim. Most head coaches without a franchise quarterback are not successful, so if Zimmer wants to keep his new position for any extended period of time, the Vikings must develop an elite quarterback quickly.

Zimmer got his start in the NFL in 1994 as the secondary coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Zimmer won a Super Bowl his second year in Dallas and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2000. He was

d e e h e e o t A A m r n . , e s s r r

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LUCAS RYAN Staff Writer

a remained defensive coordinator form 2000-2006 including a period of time where Bill Parcels was the head coach of the Cowboys. According to an article appearing in the Star Tribune Zimmer was recently praised by Parcells.

“He’s very competitive, he’s intense,” Parcells said. “I think he’s a smart guy. … Every place that I’ve ever heard that

Web Photo

he’s been, the players really liked him. And yet he doesn’t coddle the players at all. He’s got a good balance with that tough love. I think now he’s got enough experience to handle the players and the big picture and the scouting and the constraints and the things that the league mandates now. He’s got enough experience to where he’d do a good job.”

20 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Thanks for the memories The Hubert H. Humphrey Dome, also known as the Metrodome and Mall of America Field, has seen its last Jared Allen Sack and its last amazing run

by AP, but most importantly it saw its last Vikings game end with a win.

LUKE CARLSON Staff Writer The Viking horn sounded in victory one last time at the Metrodome as the Minnesota Vikings players and coaches trotted onto the field to shake hands with their opponents, the Detroit Lions, before heading off the artificial turf for good. The blaring trumpet signaled the end of an epic and exciting chapter in Vikings history in Minnesota, as well as the beginning of a new era for the embattled pro football organization after a lackluster 5-10-1 season.

After meeting and greeting with other players, winning Vikings quarterback Matt Cassel reveled in the moment. “It was a great win for us today. Obviously, any time you are able to close out play at the Metrodome like that, it’s outstanding,” Cassel said.

Cassel’s pedestrian but consistent numbers were a big reason for the 14-13 win for the Vikings over the Lions on the Sunday before New Year’s. Cassel connected on many key pass plays, going 20-of-33 for 189 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Cassel did a good job of put-

Web Photo The Metrodome is the only stadium in the world to host a World Series, baseball’s All-Star Game, Super Bowl and an NCAA Final Four Basketball Tournament.

ting the ball in the right hands of the offense when it counted, including to rookie wideout Cordarrelle Patterson, who was responsible for both Vikings touchdowns. With one touchdown through the air and another on the ground to cap off a sensa-

Web Photo During a Vikings game, the Metrodome could seat 64,111 NFL fans on any given Sunday. Except for when it collapsed three years ago.

tional 50 yard running play, Patterson showed why he is poised to be the Vikings’ franchise wide receiver. He finished the game with two receptions for 31 yards, two carries for 54 yards, and 51 return yards.

Cassel glowed about what

Patterson means to the team and what kind of player he can become moving forward. “He has tremendous physical abilities.

He’s big. He runs. He has all the physical attributes that you look for in outstanding players. Now it’s just a matter of him playing a

T e little more football and learning B on the field,” said Cassel. i “I think the tape speaks for ito self. Doing the things he is doing h and the only player in the league with multiple rushing, receiving, and kickoff return for touchdowns; I think the sky is the limit for him,” Vikings defensive end Brian Robison said.

Patterson, who set team records for most kickoff return yards, highest kickoff return average, and most rushing touchdowns by a wide receiver in a season, reflected on his experience at the dome. “Coming out with a win today was great. This is a great memory for us to leave the Dome with a win, it couldn’t be any better,” Patterson said.

Besides a close game between two division rivals, the day was also celebrated by tens of thousands of fans and dozens of Vikings alumni who came to witness the last game at Mall of America Field. As many as 6,000 die-hards showed up the evening before the final game to snap pictures of the field, toss footballs around, and peer inside the locker room of their favorite football team.

After the game, Minnesotaborn Vikings cornerback Marcus

METRODOME • Page 22

Thursday, January 16, 2014

MSU Reporter • 21

Sports

Vikings can’t run in a throwing world Even with one of the best running backs in the NFL in their backfield, the Minnesota Vikings need to have a consistent quarterback to improve from 5-10-1. The million dollar question is who?

JOEY DENTON Sports Editor

What do Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Joe Flacco, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers have in common? They are the face of their respective franchise and have at least one super bowl ring

on their hand.

Excluding Roethlisberger, these quarterbacks were also named Super Bowl MVP when their team took the Lombardi Trophy home. See where I’m going here? I hate to say it, but it is the most vital position in the NFL. That’s why every coach, general manager and owner has

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Web Photo The nine-year veteran Matt Cassel came in after both Christian Ponder and Josh Freeman didn’t pan out and threw for 1,807 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

to be on board with whom they choose. No other position requires that.

Nothing against Adrian Peterson, but the Vikings aren’t leaving the cellar of the NFC North with him being the only offensive threat. AP finished the season with 1,266 yards, fifth in the NFL, and that got them to a mediocre 5-10-1 record in a poor conference. Also, let’s not forget, the Vikings put up 48 points, the most points in one game since 1998, against the Eagles in week 15 with AP sitting out with an injury.

Obviously just fixing the quarterback situation wouldn’t put this squad on top of the NFL, especially with a defense that gave up the second-most yards and most points in the NFL this season. But it’s definitely where new head coach Mike Zimmer needs to start.

Looking at the guys on the roster as of yesterday with Matt Cassel, Christian Ponder and Josh Freeman, Cassel seems to be the guy right now. He showed signs of being able to lead this offense down the field but showed inconsistency. He’s improved since wearing purple and gold, but he’s only had one decent season when being the planned guy to start week one. The plus side is he has something to prove.

Between playing behind Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and Tom Brady at New England,

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he’s been trying to prove him- the years of productivity from self to be ‘the guy’ for a football running backs diminishing, it team, and he might get his shot. will only be a year or two beThere are multiple routes to fore AP won’t be an MVP calitake within the next few years in ber back. If that were their plan, developing this offense. If they then the sticking with Cassel or are looking for short term moves, bringing in a back up from anthe team could build around last year’s MVP in AP, but based on QUARTERBACKS • Page 22

Web Photo Before becoming RG3’s backup, Kirk Cousins broke Michigan State’s career passing yards (9,131), Completions (723) and passing touchdowns (66) records.

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Sports

Thursday, January 16, 2014

QUARTERBACKS “Obviously just fixing the quarterback situation wouldn’t put this squad on top of the NFL, especially with a defense that gave up the second-most yards and most points in the NFL this season. But it’s definitely where new head coach Mike Zemmer needs to start.” continued from 21 other squad would be the way to go. Josh McCown first comes to mind. After the Bears signed Jay Cutler for seven years, the Sam Houston State graduate should have teams lined up at the door begging him to bring last year’s 85.1 QBR to their offense. In just eight games played, McCown threw for 1,829 yards, 13 touchdowns and the most intriguing stat—one pick. Granted, he wasn’t seeing the best defenses in the league at times, but Cassel was in the same division and he threw nine.

Who knows when the Redskins will figure out Kirk Cousins’ trade value, but when they do, he too would be a valuable asset. With McCown being 34 years old, Cousins, 25, could be the new face of a quarterbackstarving franchise. He only threw for 854 yards with four touchdowns and seven picks in just five games, but all of that wasn’t on him. The decent receiver the franchise has is the former Colt Pierre Garcon, who had a career year and only caught five touchdowns on 1,346 receiving yards.

Coming from Michigan State, a program with such a balanced offense, Cousins would fit right in. He’s use to working with a great running back and can use their presence to his advantage.

It’s hard not to be in awe with the quarterbacks entering the 2014 draft, but would they follow suit with the ‘fresh five’ 2012 draft with Andrew Luck, RG3, Russell Wilson, Ryan Tannehill and Nick Foles? Who knows, but they are all ‘the guy’ for their franchise for years to come, and ever since the third-round projected Ponder took the 12th overall pick and flopped, Vikings fans can’t stop dreaming for Roger Goddell to name their next franchise quarterback on May 8.

METRODOME “It is really weird to see this thing go. I grew up in Minnesota all my life and I’ve seen the dome all the time.

It’s going to be missed, but I know we have a great stadium coming ahead,” Sherels said. continued from 20

Web Photo Johnny Manziel will bring a spotlight to whichever team drafts him on May 8.

Sherels shared his memories of the dome. “It is weird to see this thing go. I grew up in Minnesota all my life and I’ve seen the dome all the time. It’s going to be missed, but I know we have a great stadium coming ahead,” said Sherels, who also excels at returning punts for the team.

The Vikings will be moving to the University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium for the next two seasons as its new home is built on the site of the Metrodome. Including regular and postseason appearances, the Vikings were 168-92 during their 32-year run at the dome.

But even with their home field set for the near future and a new home to look forward to in a few years, the team itself faces an offseason of uncertainty this spring. Freshly-hired and first time head coach Mike Zimmer will have his work cut out for him with a weak defense to shore up and a very shaky situation at quarterback to find a replacement for.

Zimmer, a former defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys and most recently the Cincinnati Bengals, will join General Manager Rick Spielman and the rest of the organization in finding a new quarterback and many more young draftees in the upcoming entry draft in May. It is a draft that the Vikings must nail to plug the team’s holes and in order to be anywhere near competitive next season.

But despite the future of the Vikings being up in the air, several players remain optimistic and focused on the road in front of them. “Things just didn’t go our way and we didn’t capitalize on opportunities that we were given, so that is something we will have to do during the offseason. We do what we have to do during the offseason to make sure that when those opportunities do arise during games, that we capitalize on them,” Robison said.

Asked if it hurts to see whose playing for the Championship knowing the Vikings are out, tackle Phil Loadholt said “yeah, it is tough and it was a rough year for us. But we have a lot of the right guys here and I think we have something to build on and come back with next year.”

Here’s to hoping that the new regime under coach Zimmer will keep building on top of those right guys such as Patterson, Robison, and of course 2012 MVP running back Adrian Peterson, to put them in the right position to succeed to the best of their abilities. As the Vikings leave the cozy confines of their winter home, they face the unenviable task of finding a new identity.

Teddy Bridgewater is still the best bet to me. Sure, he wasn’t one of the last six Heisman candidates, but he still had great numbers. Standing at 6-foot-2, he threw for 3,970 yards 31 touchdowns and four picks compared to the 6-foot-1 Johnny Manziel, who threw for 4,114 yards for 37 touchdowns and 13 picks. Where Bridgewater really lost was his competition. While Manziel had to play his butt off every week in the SEC, Bridgewater and the Louisville squad competed in the lessen American Athletic Conference. A lot of Manziel’s success came from his ability to also run the football, but it’s the NFL. It’s substantially faster and whether he can make a career of standing in the pocket is what will hover over him till his first

start.

According to Mel Kiper’s mock draft yesterday, the Vikings would take the Louisville phenom.

Bridgewater and Manziel will fight each other through the combine and pro days, and the debate will get heated and old come May, but you can’t count out Blake Bortles from UCF. Standing at 6-foot-4, he took the Knights to a 12-1 record with an impressive 52-42 win over the very talented Baylor Bears in the Fiesta Bowl. His 301 yards with a 65% completion rate, three touchdowns and two picks were added to his season totals of 3,581 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine picks. He could fly under the radar to be the no. 1 pick.

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