January 17, 2013

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Southern Minnesota Making the considered ‘hot spot’ Grade Minnesota receives ‘D’ for Influenza

Southern Minnesota is the site of the state’s lastest flu epidemic, as country experiences early flu season

grade from Students First

web photo Despite Minnesota’s low grade no state received a grade higher than “B,” while many have questioned the system’s effectiveness. Pictured is the founder of Students First, Michelle Rhee.

ERIC PERRINE

web photo Influenza has hit Minnesota harder than many states. The state has experienced 27 flu-related deaths this year, while citizens are being reminded that the vaccine is not 100 percent effective.

ELISE KONERZA

staff writer High fever, aches, headaches and pain – it’s flu season, and southern Minnesota is welcoming it with rapidly increasing cases of the viral illness.

Southern Minnesota has been designated by the state’s Department of Health as the leading region in the state for influenza-based hospitalization cases per capita.

Yet, it’s not the number of cases that makes this year’s flu virus so dangerous. According to the Minnesota Department of Health weekly

statistics, 23 deaths were confirmed during week one of the flu season. Since then, 27 influenza-related deaths have been confirmed.

What came as a bitter shock to many Minnesotans were the ages of influenza fatalities. One of those being Carly Christensen a 14 –yearold girl and ninth-grader at St. Louis Park High School, confirmed dead last Thursday.

Family members had noted she was a healthy teenager.

The Minnesota Department of Health has reported a hike in flu hospitalizations, but Ruth Bolton, a Mayo Clinic

Urgent Care doctor is hastened to point out this flu season is not any more dangerous than any other.

“Two years ago, more people died than now,” Bolton said.

Health officials say the current vaccine includes three strains of inoculations, two from the A family and one from the B. The A strain has been proven to be more effective than the B. Although the vaccine is not 100 percent effective for everyone, the Health Department and Bol-

Influenza / page 2

staff writer Minnesota has received a D in the 2013 Students First State Rankings on education.

Students First, an organization headed by former Washington, D.C., chancellor of public schools Michelle Rhee, advocates stricter tests for teachers nationwide as a requirement to keep their jobs.

The grades were contingent on three aspects: Elevating teaching, empowering parents, spending wisely and governing well.

Elevate teaching meant to hold teachers accountable for student’s test scores. Other steps, including eliminating tenure and other measures were evaluated. Minnesota received a D plus.

The Empower parents aspect was based on the ability parents were given within states to pursue the best education available for their children. According to the Students First Website, one of their main goals is “to make sure all families have a range of

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high quality schools to choose from, because our kids shouldn’t have to rely on a lottery or the ZIP Code of their home to get a great education.”

Minnesota received a D- in this aspect. Spend Wisely and Govern well is the last aspect taken into consideration. According to the website, this measures the ability of states to be flexible in terms of financing so students can be well-served.

Minnesota received a D- in this aspect.

More than two-thirds of the states either received an overall grade of D-plus or lower. No state received an A, while Louisiana and Florida were the only states to receive B minuses.

Education Minnesota President Tom Dooher downplayed the rankings.

“Minnesotans need to remember that these ratings have absolutely no connection with how well schools educate students. If they did, Minnesota and Massachusetts would be at the top and Louisiana

Education / page 2

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Thursday, January 17, 2013T

EDUCATION “StudentsFirst doesn’t INFLUENZA “It is important to keep your own immune care about that. Instead its report system healthy,” Bolton said. “And sleep, most of us don’t card praises Lousiana for a voucher get enough sleep to stay healthy. program, Dooher said.” continued from 1

continued from 1

wouldn’t be held up as a model,” Dooher said.

Louisiana is ranked 23rd when it comes to education quality in a Quality Counts Nationwide ranking.

“Students from Minnesota and Massachusetts were among the very best in the world in math and science when the results of the prominent Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study were released last month,” Dooher said.

“Students First doesn’t care about that. Instead, its report card praises Louisiana for a voucher program,” Dooher said.

Voucher programs are certificates issued by the government that parents can use to finance a private education for their children.

“Students First has been pushing a narrow, divisive agenda around the country and this report card only represents its assessment of how well politicians have fallen in line,” Dooher said.

Critics like Dooher contend that Rhee is pushing an ideology

that has made her unpopular at the end of her tenure as Washington’s chancellor of schools.

As chancellor, Rhee closed 23 Washington schools, fired 36 principals, and eliminated 121 positions. The moves were part of her goals to increase top to down accountability and to increase focus on helping students.

Rhee also proposed another controversial measure. Teachers making $62,000 annually would receive a $10,000 pay raise if they gave up seniority and tenure.

Rhee is an outspoken critic of teacher tenure.

“I don’t think there is a need for tenure,’’ she said. “Teachers need to understand they are not going to be discriminated against. If they feel they’ve been unfairly terminated, they need to have a process by which they can address that issue. School districts need to ensure firings are not happening in an unfair manner. But all of those things can happen without tenure being in place.”

ton said it is the best method of prevention.

Bolton said the vaccine this season is about 60 percent effective. Influenza shots are available in two forms: nasalspray mist and injections.

Bolton said there really is no difference in the two forms except that the mist contains a part of the virus – which is actually better for the immune system. The problem is that the mist is approved for use in only healthy people ages 2 through 49 who are not pregnant.

“This season more people are getting ill, the little ones from 5 years on up, not so much,” Bolton said.

Bolton attributes southern Minnesota’s heavy hospitalization to living in a tight area with various surrounding institutions, but is hastened to note there are universities all around Minnesota.

This season, flu shots were encouraged right after Labor Day. “We were not shy or wait-

ing around this year, we began giving shots in late August and early September,” Bolton said.

Bolton said the best way of prevention is to get the flu shot and keep exposure at a minimum.

“It is important to keep your own immune system healthy,” Bolton said, “And sleep, most of us don’t get enough sleep and I can’t stress the importance of getting enough sleep to stay healthy.”

For those at home with the flu; do not go out until the fever has passed for 24 hours without the use of Tylenol or any other type of acetaminophen drug. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and if you don’t have a tissue nearby – use your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands.

Always, and continuously, wash your hands and do not touch your face, Bolton said.

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For those looking for a natural at home remedy, there isn’t much one can do, but honey may be your best choice to treat the symptoms, and, of course, a heavy dose of sleep, Bolton said.

“If there were really a natural method everybody would use it,” Bolton said.

However, pharmacists do suggest taking zinc tablets the minute you feel sick.

Bolton said the Mayo Clinic has enough flu shots of both forms to go around, and people are encouraged to get the vaccine if they have not done so already, even if they have the flu right now.

Flu shots are also available at Student Health Services at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Appointments can be made by calling 507-3896276, or online on the Student Health Services website.

For more information visit the CDC, Mayo Clinic and the Minnesota Department of Health websites.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

News

Reporter • Page 3

Popular energy Jack Links brings new drinks linked sponsorships to to health Verizon Center concerns SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The young man stumbled into the emergency room late one night after a house party, saying his heart wouldn't stop pounding and he could barely breathe after downing liquor mixed with energy drinks.

Emergency physician Steve Sun soon found the patient was so dehydrated he was going into kidney failure — one of many troubling cases Sun says he has treated in recent years tied to energy drink consumption.

Sun's changing caseload appears in line with a new government survey that suggests the number of people seeking emergency treatment after consuming energy drinks has doubled nationwide during the past four years.

"Five years ago, perhaps I would see one or two cases every three months or so. Now we're consistently seeing about two cases per month," said Sun, assistant medical director of the emergency department at St. Mary's Medical Center, on the edge of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

From 2007 to 2011, the government estimates the number of emergency room visits involving the neon-labeled beverages shot up from about 10,000 to more than 20,000. Most of the cases involved teens or young adults, according to the survey of the nation's hospitals released late last week by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration..

The beverage industry says energy drinks are safe and there is no proof linking the products to adverse reactions.

Several emergency physicians said they had seen a clear uptick in the number of patients suffering from irregular heartbeats, anxiety and heart attacks who said they had recently downed an energy drink.

"A lot of people don't realize the strength of these things. I had someone come in recently who had drunk three energy drinks in an hour, which is the equivalent of 15 cups of coffee," said Howard Mell, an emergency physician in the suburbs of Cleveland, who serves as a spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians. "Essentially he gave himself a stress test and thankfully he passed. But if he had a weak heart or suffered from coronary disease and didn't know it, this could have precipitated very bad

MOLLY HORNER

things."

The findings came as concerns over energy drinks have intensified following reports last fall of 18 deaths possibly tied to the drinks and so-called energy shots — including a 14-year-old Maryland girl whose family filed a lawsuit after she drank two large cans of Monster Energy drinks and died. Monster says its products were not responsible for the death.

Two senators are calling for the Food and Drug Administration to investigate safety concerns about energy drinks and their ingredients.

Late last year, the FDA asked the U.S. Health and Human Services to update the figures its substance abuse research arm compiles about emergency room visits tied to energy drinks.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's survey was based on responses it receives from about 230 hospitals each year, a representative sample of about 5 percent of emergency departments nationwide. The agency then uses those responses to estimate the number of energy drink-related emergency department visits nationwide.

The more than 20,000 cases estimated for 2011 represent a small portion of the annual 136 million emergency room visits tracked by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The FDA said it was considering the findings and pressing for more details as it undertakes a broad review of the safety of energy drinks and related ingredients this spring.

"We will examine this additional information ... as a part of our ongoing investigation into potential safety issues surrounding the use of energy-drink products," FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess said in a statement.

Beverage manufacturers fired back at the survey, saying the statistics were misleading and taken out of context.

"This report does not share information about the overall health of those who may have consumed energy drinks, or what symptoms brought them to the ER in the first place," the American Beverage Association said in a statement. "There is no basis by which to understand the overall caffeine intake of any of these individuals — from all sources.”

staff writer Minnesota State University, Mankato and the Verizon Wireless Civic Center have been making moves to increase attendance at hockey games with planned renovations to the arena and more promotional activities.

During the earlier years at the Verizon Wireless Civic Center, MSU’s attendance was only an average of 9,686. In 2007, the MSU attendance at the Verizon Wireless Center was the most it has ever been

at an average of 85,388. Now in 2012-2013, the MSU attendance has rapidly decreased to 45,346.

Stomper has been cruising around on an ATV, the pep band is back and advertisers for Jack Links have been at games giving away their delicious, popular product.

MSU and the Verizon Wireless Center are always working towards targeting the audience for the events and even though it is a fantastic place to get together, there’s always room to improve.

The Verizon Wireless Civic

Center has planned many renovations for this summer that will get fans excited.

They will be replacing the ice floor, installing new dasher boards, and remodeling the concession stands. The concession stands will have countless menu changes and they are bringing in a whole new type of food. which will keep the fans and customers coming back.

“The renovations will defiantly improve the customers experience,” said Burt Lyman, Executive Director of the Verizon Wireless Center.

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JUMPING THE GUN

The NRA’s hypocrisy is sickening, in more ways than one

web photo NRA Practice Range, available on most iOS devices, allows users play target practice with various guns, while providing gun safety tips. The game’s antiquated design and the controversial timing of its release have generated criticism throughout the industry.

RYAN LUND

news editor

Guns are not the problem.

Despite being the means through which the lives of 20 young Americans ended in a barrage of lead and blood just days before Christmas, the evidence remains abundantly clear: guns are not the problem.

Just ask the NRA. No, guns are not the problem. Movies are the problem.

Video games are the problem.

News media is the problem.

Or, if you’re outspoken political chauvinist Ann Coulter, immigrants are the problem.

That wasn’t a joke. I wish it were a joke, I wish that such comments were the exception rather than the startling and sickening rule in todays political discourse, but shock aficionados have no problem spouting such hateful rhetoric, not when

there are ratings to consider.

In truth, the NRA and its constituents have rushed to point the finger at a number of major industries, except their own.

And while Coulter’s ridiculous statements hardly bear mentioning, the NRA’s represent another alarming trend; ignoring established research.

To date, no study has ever shown a link at any level between violent entertainment and violent tendencies.

Blaming the video game industry, which has been the model of self-regulated efficiency since Mortal Kombat brought the issue of violence in the medium before congress, is as absurd as it is old-fashioned.

The video game industry has been self-regulating since the early 90’s, when game makers began adopting their own ratings code, a completely voluntary system, after

public outcry over violent games.

Def lecting blame onto the makers of Angry Birds and Grand Theft Auto is simply the latest in Washington’s long tradition of scapegoating, of demonizing popular culture in defense of the true culprit.

Just as rap music, comic books, and rock n’ roll were the cause of the country’s woes in years gone by, we’ve now singled out the latest pastime of America’s youth as the root of all evil.

Instead of choosing to address the issue head on, instead of engaging in meaningful dialogue in an attempt to facilitate change, the NRA has instead chosen to stick its fingers in its ears, ignoring research, facts, and the rest of the world. They are, it would seem, willing to trample on the first amendment to save the second.

And in an overwhelming

show of hypocrisy, the group has chosen to release a game of it’s own as well.

Yes, “NRA Practice Range,” a shooting range simulator, released just weeks after Wayne LaPierre’s controversial condemnation of all-things violent, guns notwithstanding.

In reality, virtually every other industrialized nation in the world has access to the same entertainment products enjoyed by millions of Americans.

The violent crime statistics are far less proportional however, with the United States taking a sizable lead in gun violence and, coincidentally, gun ownership.

I have yet to hear a prominent Washington politician argue in favor of taking away America’s guns, but what harm could possibly come from universal background checks? From limits on highcapacity magazines and the

sort of weapons designed to maximize human carnage?

The NRA, for all of its talk of the second amendment and liberty, serves gun manufactures and lobbies accordingly.

Allowing such a group to dictate public policy not only demeans our democracy, but f lies in the face of everything that our country stands for.

At the heart of it all is the notion that more guns somehow equates with fewer incidents of violence, a notion that has been proven f lawed by the number of countries that balk at U.S. crime rates while touting significantly stricter gun control laws themselves.

According to statistics published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the United States has the highest rate of gun ownership in the world, an average of 88 guns for every 100 people, and is light-years beyond the rest of the world in total gun ownership, with nearly 300 million guns in the hands of civilians.

Those totals would seem to imply that the United States has an unhealthy attraction to firearms, an attraction that has led to a paranoid state of constant watchfulness.

Yes, the second amendment was drafted as a defense against totalitarian government, as a means for Americans to defend themselves from invaders. Those laws however came into existence as a substitute for a professional army, a luxury that the U.S. now enjoys.

While the second amendment is certainly a vital part of our constitution, it is by no means the beast that it once was, and the NRA’s unwillingness to engage in even moderate discourse about potential changes to the amendment is having a sickeningly negative impact on our society.

They make odd patriots then, those willing to so callously destroy the first amendment.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Minnesota lawmakers talk taxes ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — In a prelude to a coming tax debate, Minnesota lawmakers began to pore over bills Wednesday that would apply the state sales tax to online purchases and expensive apparel.

A state Senate subcommittee didn’t take any votes because the Legislature is only starting discussions of how to balance the budget and remake the tax code. With the Capitol now controlled entirely by Democrats, proposals to raise taxes are no longer seen as out of reach. Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton is expected to put sales tax changes on the table when he releases his budget next week.

Of the series of sales tax bills, all from Democratic Sen. Ann Rest of New Hope, the most controversial is one to make clothing sales above $200 taxable.

The sales tax exemption on clothing currently costs the state about $300 million a year. Not all of that would be recouped under the Rest bill because the tax wouldn’t kick in until a clothing purchase exceeds $200, making it hard for finance officials to pin down a revenue estimate. Rest said whatever money comes in could be used to drive down the overall sales tax rate, which stands at 6.875 percent.

She argued that taxing only pricey clothes would help people of lesser means avoid it.

“If you bought an item of clothing for $190 you don’t pay anything,” Rest said. “If you bought an item that cost $210, the sales tax would be imposed on $10.”

Sen. Rod Skoe, DFLClearbrook, said shoppers will easily be able to game the system.

“When I buy a suit the next time I’ll probably just buy a pair of pants and I’ll buy a jacket and I’ll get them both for under $200,” he said.

Republican Sen. Julianne Ortman, R-Chanhassen, said Minnesota stores would lose a marketing advantage for a pittance in return.

Maureen Bausch, an executive for the Mall of America in Bloomington, said the state’s top tourism attraction — luring 17 million shoppers a year from inside and outside the state — would suffer. She said 50 percent of the sales at

the megamall involve clothes.

“If we add this tax on apparel, it will absolutely affect our tourism trade,” Bausch said. “The ability to market Minnesota’s lack of sales tax is absolutely our clear competitive edge. And the word ‘no’ is so important. Once we have to add a percent — whether it’s 1, 5, 10 it doesn’t matter — you can’t use the ‘no sales tax on clothes.’ We lose our competitive edge.”

Separately, Rest has a bill that would offer Minnesota residents a sales tax credit for clothing purchases that could be claimed as part of income tax filing. The credits would amount to $60 for a family of four, but the total amount would depend on a family’s income.

The online sales tax push has more force behind it.

Republicans have backed it in the past, and the major business groups with a Capitol lobbying presence are on board. Supporters argue that it is not a new tax but a matter of compliance because purchasers are technically required to pay the tax, although few do and enforcement is lax.

Roberta Bonoff, CEO of Creative Kidstuff toy stores, said it’s an overdue change in state law. She oversees six stores around the Twin Cities and has an online presence as well.

“A sale is a sale,” Bonoff told the committee. Giving online-only businesses a pass on collecting the tax allows them to offer merchandise at lower prices or entice shoppers with free shipping.

The requirement to collect taxes would apply to businesses with at least $10,000 in sales to Minnesota residents.

The potential state tax collection from the law change isn’t great; a Department of Revenue estimate figures it would raise $4.5 million in the first year.

Some have advocated for a federal fix, but Congress has been slow to act. Major online retailers have sued other states that have tried to enact a tax on their sales and others have broken off ties with in-state solicitors who are involved in e-commerce.

Dayton supports the bill and has advocated for the change as part of previous budget proposals.

News

CHRIS HOUCK

Reporter • Page 5

MSSA

staff writer The first MSSA meeting of the new semester got underway Wednesday night, welcoming back all returning student senators with discussions of projects for this spring, continuing projects from the fall, as well as a visit from university president, Richard Davenport.

President Davenport spoke in front of the MSSA, highlighting the recent trip to China that he and several members of the university took in December in order to improve the status

of global education by giving keynote speeches during his visit there.

Davenport also touched on the status of buildings on campus, stating that Gage towers will most likely be imploded during late spring or early summer.

There was also a mention of a possible new “bubble” building by Davenport, which would increase the amount of room on campus for students to exercise.

Davenport was looking for input on whether or not it would be something the school would

want to fund.

MSSA Vice President David Schieler gave his address to the student senators, speaking about the new textbook reserve program, saying that the program is still growing and is looking for comments or complaints on the issue in order to further improve it.

Senator Sam Turner highlighted the College of Social and Behavioral Science’s continuing efforts to require its international relations majors to travel overseas for a degree in the department.

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Page 6 • Reporter

News

Thursday, January 17, 2013T

Charities worried that new taxes on wealthy will impact donations WASHINGTON (AP) — Charities and nonprofit organizations are worried that new limits on tax deductions for high earners will hurt donations just as charitable giving is starting to rebound from the depths of the recession.

Experts doubt the new limits on deductions will have much impact on giving, but some major nonprofit organizations fear they’re a sign that the charitable deduction is no longer sacrosanct on Capitol Hill, just as Congress is promising a broader effort later this year to overhaul the tax code.

The limits on deductions are part of the new tax law Congress passed on New Year’s Day. They reduce the value of all itemized deductions for individuals making more than $250,000 and married couples making more than $300,000. Advocates are concerned the limits will reduce the tax incentive for people to make donations to charities and nonprofits such as religious institutions, colleges and groups that help the poor.

“The charitable deduction incentive is different than any other deduction or credit in the tax code,” said Sandra Swirski, executive director of the Alliance for Charitable Reform, which lobbies on behalf of donors and private foundations. That’s because the deduction encourages people to give away income, while other deductions and credits encourage people to buy things they can then write off, she noted.

Charitable giving in the U.S. increased in 2010 and 2011, according to the latest data. But it has yet to fully return to pre-recession levels, according to data from the Giving USA Foundation and the Indiana University School of Philanthropy.

Charitable giving by individuals, foundations and corporations topped $298 billion in 2011. In 2007, it was $337 billion, in inflation-adjusted dollars.

The new tax provision reduces the amount of itemized deductions a taxpayer can claim by 3 cents for every dollar of income above the threshold. For example, if a married couple has an adjusted gross income of $400,000, that’s $100,000 above the threshold, so the itemized deductions would be reduced by $3,000.

Itemized deductions cannot be reduced by more than 80 percent, under the provision.

In this example, if the couple had a total of $60,000 in itemized deductions, they could claim only $57,000. If they were in the 33 percent income tax bracket, the provision would increase their taxes by $990.

The provision is a revival of the “Pease” limitation, first enacted in 1990 but phased out in 2010 as part of the massive package of Bush-era tax cuts.

It is named after a deceased congressman, Rep. Donald Pease, D-Ohio, who wrote the measure.

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evidence that the limitation reduced charitable giving in the past, and no reason to think it will have much of an impact going forward. Charitable giving steadily increased in the 1990s, when the economy flourished.

One analysis estimates that, on balance, charitable giving will increase slightly because of the new tax law. That’s because high earners facing the increased tax rates have more incentive to seek deductions, and those deductions become more valuable.

The new law increases the top income tax rate from 35 percent to 39.6 percent on taxable income above $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for married couples. It also increases the top tax rate on long-term capital gains for taxpayers with incomes above those thresholds.

Both provisions increase incentives for people to make charitable donations, according to the analysis of the law by the Urban Institute Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy.

For example, if a married couple has a top income tax rate of 35 percent, a $1 deduction will lower their tax bill by 35 cents. If that same couple has a top tax rate of 39.6 percent, a $1 deduction will lower their tax bill by nearly 40

cents, making the deduction more valuable.

Similarly, the higher tax rate on capital gains increases the incentive to donate securities to charity as a way to avoid those taxes, said Eugene Steuerle, a fellow at the Urban Institute who worked on the analysis.

The Pease limitation, meanwhile, should have a negligible impact on charitable giving because it is based on income, not on the amount of deductions, Steuerle said.

Nevertheless, nonprofits and charities are wary of any provision that could limit the charitable deduction.

“We just know that this change is definitely not going to be helpful,” said Gloria Johnson-Cusack, executive director of Leadership 18, an alliance of CEOs of charities, non-profits, and faith-based organizations. “We don’t think now is the time to be experimenting with a policy that has the potential” to reduce the incentive to donate.

Charitable organizations fear that even more tax changes could be coming as momentum builds in Congress to overhaul the tax code, to make it simpler and more transparent. So far, lawmakers have been wary of publicly targeting any tax break for elimination, to avoid gener-

ating opposition before the process gets started.

Still, interests groups of every stripe already are lobbying Congress to protect cherished tax breaks.

Leadership 18 is part of the Charitable Giving Coalition, a broad group of nonprofit organizations dedicated to preserving tax incentives for charitable giving.

“We are trying figure out the best way to address any kind of changes that they may be talking about that would act as a disincentive,” JohnsonCusack said. “We’re real worried about it.”

Taxes can play a role in how much people donate to charity, but other factors play a larger role, said Patrick Rooney, associate dean of the Indiana University School of Philanthropy.

“When you ask why people why they are donating, taxes are fairly far down on the list,” Rooney said. “The key motivations are really to do things like feed the hungry and house the homeless and to support one’s religious organization or to improve the quality of one’s alma mater.”

“The single biggest factor that would change giving is an improvement in the overall economy,” Rooney said.

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Keeping the Art of DJ Alive ‘3 DJs, 6 Turntables’

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T

urntables may be outdated for listening and playing recorded music to some people, but it’s being kept alive and well thanks to two men in the Mankato area.

Friday night, a birthday party is being thrown for Brian Tackmann (better known as DJ ATack), which will continue Saturday night. Joining DJ ATack on the decks will be long-time champion of dance music in southern Minnesota, Tom Wendinger, who has made a name for himself under the moniker Digital T. Being billed as “3 DJs, 6 Turntables,” Tackmann and Wendinger will be in charge of tune selection on Friday night, while I (OCiE is my DJ alias, if you’re wondering) will be added to the lineup on Saturday (possibly Friday as well, to be determined).

“What I’m most excited for this weekend is having the three of us on stage at the same time,” said Tackmann.

“We’re going to have 6 turntables up and running at the same time, and that’s an element not found in most DJ shows.

I’m excited.”

“There will definitely be a wide variety of stuff played both nights,” says Wendinger.

“Originally, I had Saturday booked for “Planet Rock” (an electronic dance music party hosted • From top to bottom, DJ OCiE caught in deep by Wendinger). I was confocus, DJ aTack scratching away, and tacted by Rudy (Stroup, DJ Digital T utilizing the switchboard owner of Red Sky Lounge) courtesy of Carla-Marie Uber

to see if I could fill Friday as well. I knew Brian’s birthday was coming up so we decided to throw one big bash.” He says to expect lots of “bass heavy” tunes.

I have had the pleasure of sharing the same stage as Wendinger and have done multiple shows DJing with Tackmann; going back-to-back and taking turns mixing over a four hour span. Both DJs bring a different style, but do an incredible job of complimenting each other. Tackmann comes from a top 40 and mash-up background, often merging vocals of popular songs and having underground bass lines getting partygoers moving their feet. Wendinger, on the other hand, has been involved with the dance music scene for years, but started DJing in 2007.

In 2006, Wendinger began working as an intern for the now defunct radio station B96 in the Twin Cities. He worked with disc jockey and radio personality,Peter Parker, while learning the basics of DJing.

The following summer, Wendinger got his own set of turntables and the rest is history.

Tackmann, who turns 31 next week, is an Eau Claire, Wis. native who has been a DJ since 2001 and is showing no signs of slowing down. He began his work as a mobile DJ in the western Wisconsin area, handling mostly high school dances.

He then moved disc jockeying on public radio and found success there. About 5 years ago, Tackmann added turntables to his set up to “challenge himself ” and add another ele-

ment to his arsenal.

Wendinger, 26, started electronic dance music themed nights known as “Planet Rock,” which have been a popular venture over the last few years at the Red Sky Lounge.

The New Ulm native put out a release on Dec. 12 of last year on Beatport titled “The Grimey EP,’’ which features original moombahton tracks (a dance genre which tempos ranging from 108-112 beats per minute) produced by himself and The Kid Vicious, with remixes

by CyKosis, 2Deep and OktoRed. “The EP has been well accepted by a good amount of moombahton DJs. I tried to represent the subgenres of moombahton; moombahcore and the more jump-up style of moombahton,” said Wendinger during a phone interview on Wednesday.

He notes that the 2Deep remix of the title track ‘Grimey’ have gone over “exceptionally well” due

to the fact it’s a trap remix; the newest sensation of dance music.

It has been played at underground raves and the biggest clubs from Los Angeles to New York City. It has been dubbed “trap” because it noticeably takes after the traditional trap genre, a subgenre of hip-hop, made famous by artists such as Three 6 Mafia, T.I. and Young Jeezy; only with an electronic f lavor.

Chopped vocals are found throughout the songs, with rolling hi-hats and massive kick drums and bass than can make any sound system shake.

Both nights of “3 Djs, 6 Turntables” are at the Red Sky Lounge, are 21 plus and free. The parties start at 9 p.m. and go ‘till bar close.

If you’re looking to dance this weekend with DJs who love their craft, the records will be spinning and the drinks will be f lowing.

contributed by Evan O’Connor

Page 10 • Reporter

A&E

Thursday, January 17, 2013T

The MTV ‘Catfish’

TRISH BJERKE

staff writer

Have you ever thought of dating someone you’ve never met before? Like someone who added you on Facebook, from a different state, with zero mutual friends?

This concept doesn’t appeal to most; who would want to date someone without seeing them, hearing them, touching them or even meeting them? Could it really be a relationship if two people had never met?

It’s more common than you think. MTV’s Catfish shows viewers that yes; relationships can exist through cyber space.

To some extent.

Catfish: The TV Show was inspired by Catfish the documentary. In the documentary, Nev Schulman is in a relationship with a woman he had never met before. Megan, the daughter of a woman he met through his art, and Nev fall in love through phone calls and Facebook. Nev desires to meet Megan in real life. He and his brother make a sur-

• web photo

prise visit to Michigan to finally meet Megan. Nev had a feeling that Megan might not be real and he was right.

Megan’s mom, Angela, had been behind the whole thing. She took pictures from a Washington women’s Facebook page, made a fake profile and carried on the relationship.

Angela told Nev that “Megan’s” personality and stories were fantasies; Megan was everything that Angela had wished she was. She also admitted to Nev that Megan had been estranged from the family for many years.

MTV and Nev have now teamed up to help other cyber-daters find out the truth.

The show, which

premiered on Nov. 12, 2012, shows Nev and his friend Max reading hopeful emails from people around the country who need their help. Some couples have been talking for months and some couples have been talking for years. Some couples really take it far and talk about getting married and starting a life together.

The duo then journeys to the person, checking out the profile, text messages and anything else they have received and they begin working to discover if the person is real or a “catfish.” They use background checks; Google image checks and contact Facebook friends to find out whether or not the person is who they say they are.

Nev and Max set up a time for the couples to meet and the results are sometimes shocking.

Every episode is different.

Here are the most shocking ones: Kim and Matt: The two had been talking for over 10 years. Kim was in a relationship with Scott, but Scott knew about Matt.

Kim feels the need to meet Matt before she and Scott take the next step in

their relationship. When Matt finally agrees to meet Kim, she visits him at his home. Matt, who is severely obese, told Kim that he was afraid to meet her because he was insecure with his weight. Kim and Matt are no longer romantic, but they remain friends.

Jasmine and Mike: For two years, Jasmine and Mike had been communicating through texting and Facebook. Mike refuses to speak to Jasmine on the phone, and Nev and Max find this very suspicious. When they arrange for Jasmine and Mike to meet, Mike turns out to be a girl named Mhissy.

Mhissy created this fake profile and phone number to get back at Jasmine for not leaving her boyfriend alone. Viewers were shocked at this ending; who would spend two years of their life continuing on a lie for revenge purposes only?

Kya and Alyx: This one is pretty interesting.

Kya had started out using a fake name and pictures.

After talking to Alyx for a while, she felt the need to confess that she had been lying and Alyx forgave her. They both agree

that they are in love even though they had never met. When Nev, Max and Kya go to meet Alyx, they find out that he is transgender. Alyx, born Dani, is making the transition to become a male. While this would scare most people, Kya accepts it and the two of them continue their relationship.

Tyler and Amanda: This episode premiered this past Monday, and it was mind-blowing. Tyler is attractive, smart and lovable. Viewers wondered, “Why is this guy dating someone he’s never met? He could get anyone he wanted.” The pictures of Amanda show an extremely attractive blonde girl, but when Tyler finally meets her, it turns out to be a man named Aaron who had a crush on Tyler.

If your mind is going a million miles a minute after reading that, check out the show on Monday nights. On a channel that is usually filled with mindless junk, Catfish is the most real and thoughtprovoking show they have.

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

A&E

Reporter • Page 11

Where or When You Can See the Oscar Nominees JAMES SCHYULER HOUTSMA

web editor

The big disconnect with the Oscars since, well, let’s say the beginning of time for the heck of it, is that they’ve gained the reputation of representing the best that cinema has to offer in any given year, yet many of the nominees aren’t even known to the public, thanks to their frantic release schedules. Some aren’t even released in more than 20 theaters in the country. Now that the nominees have been announced, here is all that is known by this commoner about where and when you can see these films close to home.

Of all the nominees for best picture, Amour is easily the most difficult to find. The heartwrenching story of an elderly husband coping with his wife’s declining health and imminent passing was given a very limited release. But then again, not much more was to be expected from a foreign language art film with such a downer of a subject matter

(consider the holiday season and what type of films audiences want to see then). Look for it on video sometime in March or April, but unless you’re willing to seek out the single theater in Minneapolis that is playing it, don’t expect to see it in theaters around here.

Argo, the recent upset winner at the Golden Globes in both Best Director and Best Picture - Drama, is one of the more available nominees to see out right now.

Ben Affleck’s CIA thriller about the efforts to extract six escaped embassy workers in the Iranian hostage crisis opened back in mid-October to great praise all around and enjoyed a long stay in theaters. While it had since left, Cinemark Movies 8 in River Hills Mall has brought the film back for an extended run and is now playing once again. If you’re the patient sort, Argo is set to hit home video on Feb. 19, a healthy five days before the Academy Awards.

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nominee, but it’s available to get acquainted with. The realistic fantasy about a little girl named Hushpuppy and her grounded, yet whimsical journey of self-discovery was technically released back in June, a time when blockbusters ruled the land. While there’s talk that it may return to theaters in a limited release, the best route is to catch it on home video (available now!).

Quentin Tarantino’s “bloody slavery revenge spaghetti western” (a unique category if there ever was one), Django Unchained has been in theaters just over two weeks and is still blasting holes in the box office. Don’t expect Django to break free on home video until late spring/early summer, so until then the movie can be seen at Movies 8.

Singing a similar tune, Les Miserables recently opened alongside Django and has also seen much vocalized praise.

Word on the inter-web-nets is that the screen adaption of the widely popular musical may actually hit home video sometime in March.

But if there is a movie of these nine that the big screen compliments (there are two), Les Mis is one. Les Miserables is currently playing at Carmike Stadium 6.

Life of Pi was a film that seemed to dash out of theaters with haste. Luckily, similar to Argo, Movies 8 has brought Ang Lee’s visually lush adaption of the supposedly un-filmable novel about a young man shipwrecked with a Bengal tiger back for another shot. The perceived frontrunner in the technical categories is coming out on Blu-Ray in early March (the 5th or the 12th depending on who you ask at this point), but this is the other nominee that really springs to life in theaters.

The perceived frontrunner in all the other categories (the major ones), Lincoln, has been no less than shocking in its performance.

Here we are, more than two months since Spielberg’s look at the passing of the 13th amendment opened and it’s now ready for its tenth weekend at Stadium.

How long it can hang in there

is anybody’s guess, but for now Lincoln is still in theaters before its all but confirmed home video debut on March 26.

On a more disappointing note, it does not appear that Silver Linings Playbook will be playing in Mankato in the foreseeable future. Employees at neither theater expressed plans to show it in the coming weeks, with Carmike even stating they once had it lined up but plans fell through.

The only options at this point are driving to another town (Eden Prairie has it, FYI) or waiting for home video, which is a shame because David O. Russel’s sharp yet sweet rom-com about finding a silver lining in all the craziness is really one to see this awards season, or just in general.

And finally, the ever controversial Zero Dark Thirty made its wide release debut last Friday and judging by how it trounced the competition at the box office, the signs look favorable that it will stay in theaters for a while.

Zero Dark Thirty is playing at Stadium 6.

THIS WEEK IN MAVERICK SPORTS:

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Sports reporter-sports@mnsu.edu | (507) 389-5227

TODAY

JANUARY 17TH FRIDAY

JANUARY 18TH SATURDAY

JANUARY 19TH

NO EVENTS SCHEDULED

7:07 pm MEN’S HOCKEY...................................@ Alaska Anchorage 7:07 pm WOMEN’S HOCKEY........................................ vs. Minnesota 8:00 pm MEN’S BASKETBALL....................................@ St. Cloud State 4:00 pm WOMEN’S BASKETBALL..........................@ Minnesota Duluth 7:00 pm WRESTLING....................................................vs. Minot State 7:07 pm MEN’S HOCKEY...................................@ Alaska Anchorage

FOR MORE COVERAGE OF your favorite Maverick TEAMS VISIT: MSUMavericks.com

Wild will rely on fresh faces to take over Western Conference in short 2013 With superstars Zach Parise and Ryan Suter joining the squad in the summer along with up-and-comers like Mikael Granlund, the Wild know they have the talent to compete with the best in the National Hockey League.

RYAN LUND

news editor

When the puck drops at Xcel Energy Center on Saturday, it will have been 199 days since free agent superstars Zach Parise and Ryan Suter put pen to paper and vaulted the Minnesota Wild from postseason afterthought to cup hopefuls.

199 days since Craig Leipold injected the organization with it’s first true shot of hope since the Wild’s miraculous run to the Western Conference Finals in 2003, instantly raising the profile of one of the West’s most embattled franchises.

Finally, after flushing away a staggering 510 regular season games, including a highly anticipated Original Six showdown between Toronto and Detroit, Leipold and company have hammered home a shiny new collective bargaining agreement.

The I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed, new regulations governing lengthy contracts of the sort that made Parise and Suter two of the NHL’s richest men are in place and hurried training camps are already in

session.

And while Leipold may have been at the bitter center of Gary Bettman’s latest work stoppage, trading barbs with Donald Fehr and a resurgent union, his Wild hope to be at the center of a shortened season. A sprint to the finish as teams jockey for playoff positioning over the course of a quick 48-game schedule.

And while the owners may not have won themselves anything but ill will from fans, the excitement surrounding the Wild is building once again as head coach Mike Yeo puts his new weapons to work.

Parise, the prodigal son of Minnesota Hockey, brings his talents home for the first time since 2004, when the son of former Minnesota North Star J.P. Parise left the University of North Dakota to join the New Jersey Devils.

Now, seven years later Parise returns as one of the league’s most prolific scorers, having registered at least 30 goals each season since his sophomore campaign, aside from a lost season in 2011 after a knee injury

sidelined the Devils’ captain.

Parise will likely line up on Minnesota’s top line alongside all-star center Mikko Koivu, and former University of Wisconsin foe Danny Heatley. Collectively the trio form a lethal scoring line, with Parise and Heatley both capable of recording 40 goal seasons, while Heatley has twice hit the 50-goal mark.

2013 will also see the debut of another highly anticipated forward; dynamic Finnish superstar Mikael Granlund.

The ninth overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Granlund is a four-year veteran of Finlands SM-liiga, considered one of the strongest leagues in the world by the International Ice Hockey Federation.

After playing out the remainder of his contract with Helsinki’s HIFK, Granlund made his North American debut with the AHL’s Houston Aeros, pacing the Wild’s top affiliate with 21 points in 21 games.

Granlund is the consensus choice to center the Wild’s second line, where he should provide plenty of secondary

Wild / page 14

web photo Parise and Suter made headlines everywhere around the fourth of July in 2012 when the two decided to take their talents to St. Paul.

Dinged up Wolves need new answer to finish out season

The entire team is plagued with injuries to say the least, so will the Timberwolves respond in the second half of the season to get over the hump and make a possible run to the playoffs?

TIM FAKLIS

staff writer

Towards the end of the lockout-plagued 2011-12 NBA season, Timberwolves fans shared a collective shriek of fear and torment when they saw Ricky Rubio go down, attempting to take a charge on Kobe Bryant. He was clutching his knee and anyone who had seen an ACL injury, while perhaps not admitting it at the time, knew what it was. He had torn his ACL, and the excitement of the Wolves’ first playoff push had come to a sudden and screeching halt.

Even despite the efforts of then-MVP candidate Kevin Love, who also eventually got hit with an injury, the Timberwolves could not get over the

loss of Rubio, and their pursuit of a postseason berth was over.

Once the offseason hit, there was work to be done, and it was done quickly. Long story short, the Wolves ended up with defensive wiz Andrei Kirilenko, rookie sharpshooter Alexey Shved, Rick Adelmanfavorite Chase Budinger and former All Star shooting guard Brandon Roy. The four of them, while not names that were going to light up the major media headlines, got the Wolves nation buzzing in a way that hasn’t been seen since the days Kevin Garnett roamed the halls of the Target Center.

Then, the pushup heard ‘round the world hit Minnesota. Kevin Love broke his hand, supposedly in the midst of a set of knuckle pushups, and

was ruled out of action for two months. With Rubio already out until the holiday season, the expectations of a playoff berth for a team that hadn’t seen that fate since 2004 had dwindled.

Right away, it didn’t seem to completely affect the Wolves.

They got off to a great start, including a big early win against the Brooklyn Nets, giving them their first loss since moving out of East Rutherford. With the contributions of breakout stud Nikola Pekovic, with help from Andrei Kirilenko, Chase Budinger and JJ Barea, the Wolves were looking like a team playing with a chip on their collective shoulder.

The Wolves were on a wonderful start, and sat as high

as fifth best in the Western Conference, but the injury bug caught onto the Wolves, and to this point, they have not recovered.

First, it was Kevin Love’s pushups. Then, it was Brandon Roy re-aggravating his knees, then it was Chase Budinger’s knee, and this is just the month of November. All of them were out for extended periods of time, and to this point, neither Roy nor Budinger have seen the floor since their injuries.

With a weak supply of wing players, the Wolves went out and signed veteran Josh Howard. He stepped in and filled the starting shooting guard role for a small period of time and rather successfully at that, that is until he too had a knee injury, tearing his ACL.

This is the second time he has suffered this injury, only this time it occurred on the other knee. Shooting guard and second-year pro Malcolm Lee, who also spent some time starting at shooting guard for the Wolves, had season-ending knee surgery earlier this week.

Even despite all this, the Wolves somehow managed to stay in the playoff hunt. The early return of Kevin Love, and the return of Ricky Rubio gave the Wolves the spark they needed and despite Love’s rusty play, and Rubio’s minute limit, their presence gave the players and the fans hope.

That hope diminished quickly when Love re-broke his hand after less than a month of service on the court,

Timberwolves / page 14

T

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Sports

Reporter • Page 13

Championship Sunday: Preview and Picks Flacco, Brady, Kaepernick and Ryan, sports writer Joey Denton explains which of these quarterbacks could lead their team to a victory in the Conference Championships and ultimately earn a spot in Super Bowl XLVII. JOEY DENTON

staff writer

This season’s conference title games consist of a classic, but never boring, matchup of two teams who always seem to be playing in the conference championship and on the other side; two young and upcoming teams battle each other to finally have an NFC team besides the Packers and Giants in the Super Bowl.

After seeing the Ravens and Patriots win last weekend, the

first thought that came to mind was, not another Patriots and Ravens game. It seems we have to watch these two play each other in the playoffs every year.

But after last year’s AFC Title game between these two, how can you not get excited?

It’s because every time these two teams meet there’s the same storylines every time. Can Joe Flacco lead this team? Can the Ravens defense stop Tom Brady?

Talking about these two teams gets pretty boring and

repetitive, but watching these two play never is. In their last two meetings, both games came down to a field goal and the Ravens botched the first one, then “made” the second one.

Remember the controversy on the call made by the replacement ref? How was that not an entertaining game? And their last four meetings have been determined by three points or less.

Going back to storylines, these two have always played hard nose and emotional foot-

web photo After 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick led San Francisco to a win over the Packers with his ground and air performance of 444 yards and 4 total touchdowns, the youngster is now expected to take the top off the Georgia Dome and lead his squad to the Super Bowl.

ball and Ray Lewis’ decision to retire makes it an even more emotional game. For Lewis to look across the line of scrimmage and to see Tom Brady under center for all these years there is no way he wants to go out losing to him.

Coming into this game, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco statistically is one of the best post-season quarterbacks on the road with five victories, tied with Eli Manning. But the Patriots are 7-2 in the AFC Championship game and 4-0 at home.

These classic matchups between the Patriots and Ravens have never let any NFL fan down. They have never lacked excitement, emotion and close finishes. The Ravens seem to be the hotter team right now with overtime momentum rolling in to the game, but three things come to mind: Tom Brady, the fourth quarter and Gillette Stadium. Enough said.

On the other side of the NFL playoff bracket, there is a new matchup between the 49ers and Falcons. Both teams possess two quarterbacks who broke out in to stardom and are fun to watch. The big question is which defense is able to contain them?

The Falcons offense resembles a lot of the St. Louis Rams, back when they had Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce. They could spread their opponent’s defense out with athletic receivers on the outside, yet they are able to run right up the middle when needed.

When the 49ers offense was led by Alex Smith they were a great example of a west coast offense, but now it’s Colin Kaepernick’s offense and opposing teams don’t know what they will do. They are one of the best teams at mixing it up and catching defenses off guard.

If the Falcons want to keep the score close in the fourth quarter they need to be able to keep Kaepernick in the pocket, which is easier said than done.

As America saw last weekend against the Packers, if he gets loose, it will be a nightmare for the Falcons.

Since his start on November 19th against the Bears, Kaepernick has already defeated Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers and there isn’t any reason he can’t beat Matt Ryan and the Falcons too.

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Page 14 • Reporter

Sports

Timberwolves continued from 12

web photo With all the injuries taking place in Minnesota’s organization, the Timberwolves have had to rely on the play of Montenegrin center Nikola Pekovic, who is averaging over 16 points a game with eight rebounds.

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and likely will not be ready to play again around April – right before the playoffs. To this point, Ricky Rubio, who began this craze of injuries, is still on a minutes limit, and his lack of exposure to game situations since his injuries are apparent.

The team that was supposed to be competing for a playoff berth, while not out of it by any means, stand at a meek 1618 mark, good for ninth in the Western Conference.

They typically only dress 10 players, when 12 is allowed, simply because there are too many injuries on the roster to dress a complete team.

If the Wolves want to see themselves get over the hump in Love’s absence, a few things absolutely need to happen in the coming weeks.

For starters, Rubio needs to start playing like the Rubio Timberwolves fans saw a year ago. It’s tough for ACL recovering athletes not named Adrian Peterson to do that so quickly, and it may not happen this year, but with Rubio’s basketball IQ, odds are his

Thursday, January 17, 2013 production will improve at the very least in the coming weeks, as he gets reacquainted with the offense.

Secondly, Chase Budinger needs to return as quickly as possible, simply to get another competent body on the floor.

Lastly, a move will need to be made. The only go-to scorer for the Timberwolves at this point is Nikola Pekovic, and he absolutely cannot do it alone.

With Love unavailable, a trade very well may need to be completed. They absolutely need a guy who can put up big scoring numbers who can complement

Wild continued from 12 scoring behind countryman and fellow Finnish Elite League alum Mikko Koivu.

While not yet a lock for opening night, former Denver Pioneer Jason Zucker spent time with the Wild last season and leads the Aeros with 33 points.

Barring any timely injuries, this Minnesota team will look completely dissimilar to the one that pinned it’s scoring hopes

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on Kyle Brodziak and Matt Cullen during last years stretch run, with an influx of new talent ready to lead the Wild into a shortened season.

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Pekovic, preferably a perimeter player to work with Pekovic’s inside presence.

That’s a lot to ask from a team that still manages to stay in the hunt. Considering the circumstances, two games below .500 is probably exceeding expectations, but if Rick Adelman, the players, and the fans want to see playoff basketball once again, David Kahn and the front office will need to get on the phones and make something happen, because as well as the Wolves have played at times this season, it likely isn’t enough right now.

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As a Direct Support Professional for HMC, you will receive: • Paid orientation and training • Work schedules that consider your class schedule • Excellent wage: $9.18 per hour Monday-Friday and $10.18 per hour on Saturday & Sunday.

• Work-site close to campus and on bus route • Valuable and rewarding experience.

Currently accepting applications for: • Direct Support Professional Part-time One to three evening shifts during the week; every other Saturday and Sunday (8 hours rotating shifts); plus fill-in & holidays.

Contact Jami DeVos, HR Director, for more information at 507-388-8972 or apply on line at our website:

w w w. h ar r ym e ye r ingc e nt e r.org

Undergraduate Research Grants are available!

Deadline: Monday, February 4, 2012 at 12:00 pm in MH 265

Student grant writing workshop:

Tuesday, January 22nd 12pm – 1pm CSU 202 Grant applications available at www.mnsu.edu/urc Questions? Contact us at urc@mnsu.edu

Page 16 • Reporter

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Thursday, January 17, 2013