January 23, 2014

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Backes named to olympic team EMMA DEPPA Staff Writer David Backes, a former hockey player for the Minnesota State University, Mankato Maverick men’s team, will be a part of the 2014 Olympic men’s hockey team.

Backes, a member of the Maverick hockey team for three seasons (2003-06) ended his career with 46 goals and 73 assists, totaling 119 points in the 115 games he played for the Mavericks.

Assistant Coach of the MSU Mavericks men’s hockey team Darren Blue remembers him fondly. “As a hockey player he knew he would continue to grow as a player because he was responsible as a student, to his team, and to his position,” Blue said.

“He was consistently the hardest worker, and was always doing extra things to improve as an individual and to help the team

improve.” Backes’ achievements bring lots of positive energy to prospective Maverick hockey players and help with player recruitment.

Coach Blue said that it helps back the program and prove that the MSU men’s hockey program is very successful.

The 29 year old is now in his eighth season with the St. Louis Blues of the NHL and leads the team as their captain. Thus far in the season, he has 16 goals and 14 assists in the 35 games he has played in. This is not Backes’ first time being named an Olympian.

He played on the 2010 U.S. Olympic team where he helped the team earn a silver medal. He was also a player on the U.S. World Champion teams in 2007 and 2008. This year he will travel to Sochi, Russia for the 2014 Winter Olympics to fight for the gold.

Web Photo David Backes (Front) will take part in his second Olympics next month with team USA.

Proposed building on MSU campus takes hit at capital MSU suffers a setback as continued improvements to campus are proposed.

ALEX KERKMAN Staff Writer Don’t be surprised if a brand new building pops up on campus in the near future.

Minnesota State University, Mankato’s latest change could come in the shape of a brand new $25.8 million dollar Clinical Sciences Building. However the project took a step backwards after Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton released his bonding recommendations for 2014. MSU’s proposal was excluded from the list.

MSU President Richard Davenport has promised to continue to work with Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Chancellor Steven Rosenstone to look for sources of funding for the program from local legislators and in the health and medical community despite the setback.

The building would greatly benefit the university, in particular

INSIDE:

Mark Dayton

the College of Allied Health and Nursing, by producing a number of future health care professionals while also providing services to thousands of state residents and clients.

“A new Clinical Sciences Building is vital to the local and regional communities that we serve. There are thousands of cli-

ents who will benefit from this new facility,” Davenport said.

The $25.8 million dollar bonding request from Minnesota State University, Mankato was one of 24 capital investment projects that were submitted, with the projects adding up to a $155.9 million price tag.

The Clinical Science Building will most likely be constructed directly east of Ford Hall and north of the Taylor Center along Warren Street. The 55,717 ground square feet building would be home to six departments; Dental Hygiene, Family Consumer Science, Health Science, Human Performance, Recreation Parks and Leisure Services, Speech Hearing and Rehabilitation Services, and the school of Nursing, which are all presently scattered throughout 8 different facilities on campus.

The new building would allow for the implementation of new programs, with focus on youth

and aging populations within rural settings. Selected graduate programs that are able to expand would be allowed to offer doctoral programs, according to the university.

While the Clinical Science Building was left off of Governor Dayton’s list, he did support bonding upgrades to the city’s Verizon Wireless Center. President

Richard Davenport

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Davenport was pleased with the governor’s support for the Wireless Center’s upgrades.

“The University has been a strong supporter of the City of Mankato’s bonding request,” Davenport said. “Those improvements will directly benefit the Minnesota State Mankato’s hockey programs as well as city growth and economic growth in the region.”

If the project fails to receive funding in the next two years, it can be updated and resubmitted to Minnesota state legislation for budget approval again in 2016.

Among recent major infrastrructural changes to be completed to MSU’s campus include the demolition of the Gage Residence Hall towers, and underground pathway from the MSU Memorial Library to the CSU in 2013, and the construction of Preska Residence Community in 2012.

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2 • MSU Reporter

News

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Fall grants given to help students complete projects Students gain professional experience helping companies around the area.

SAM WILMES News Editor More than 65 projects have been funded by fall grants, involving 101 graduate students and 47 faculty mentors by the Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Undergraduate Research Center.

The URC grants fund projects that are engineered by undergraduate students, making an original, creative or intellectual effort in a particular area.

Awards provide students financial support and make the purchasing of necessary supplies possible.

Three kinds of grants are available, including the Minnesota State Foundation grant, consisting of a $1,000 student stipend and $1,000 for supplies.

A NorthStar STEM Alliance award will also be given, as well as Undergraduate Research Center grants, consisting of a $500 student stipend and $500 for supplies related to the projects.

Civil Engineering Professor Stephen Druschel is wary of the skills employers are looking for and the skills the scholarships can foster. “Companies want students who are self directed, responsible and willing to do things before they are told,” Druschel said.

Freshman and Sophomores typically conduct the research made available by the scholar-

ships. Students typically dedicate about 100 hours to the projects, which normally revolve around two government organizations: the Department of Transportation and the Department of Natural Resources.

The process normally begins in September when Druschel lets students know of the potential opportunity. Students then express interest in conducting a project. Druschel then explains the different project options available.

Students are required to submit a three-page proposal describing the importance of their potential project, including the budget, the method, anticipated outcomes and a bibliography.

Clients for the projects include profits and non-profit organizations. Blue Earth County and the City of Mankato are two of the clients.

Groups typically work around 500 hours for the project. Value for the work normally exceeds $20,000.

Sophomore Isabelle Race has already seen the benefits related to the scholarship. Race worked in the Zumbrota River area last year after significant flooding impacted the area.

Race went into town and talked with flood victims on how they were impacted. “It helped me relate the math part with real-world events, working with people,” Race said.

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Race, a Civil Engineering Major, interned with the Department of Health over the summer.

She tested wells and sampled with water, fulfilling her desires of working with the environment.

She hopes for a government job after graduation so job security wouldn’t be an issue.

Associate Professor of Psychology Kevin Filter knows the impact the projects have on a resume.

“A research project really shines on a student’s resume, particularly in my field of psychology where many of our

students are competing for admission to graduate programs,” Filter said.

“The scholarships for this program are important because they allow students to do their research the right way rather than having to cut corners to save on costs.”

Fourth-year art major Tyler Schrandt will be making origami forms on a large scale all while using modular origami, Schrandt will be assembling individually folded pieces of paper to create a single geometric object, all while not using adhesive.

Mika Laidlaw and Elizabeth

Miller, faculty members in the Department of Art will be assisting Schrandt.

Director of undergraduate research Marilyn Hart knows the impact these scholarships have.

“The grant application process is an essential component of supporting undergraduate scholarly activity, providing students the opportunity to thoroughly consider their proposed project and providing necessary funding,” Hart said.

“The URC hopes these experiences will inspire students and create scholars.”

Web Photo Isabelle Race (Far left) and others helped an area require from floods as well as provide professional experience in their field of study.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

MSU Reporter • 3

News

Five little-known tips to keep you warm this winter At this point in the year, we are all true Minnesotans who can now adapt to the cold, but here’s some extra helpers to keep you warm in the frigid weeks to come. next time you step out.

Avoid Cotton It’s 2014, and most of our clothes center around cotton, but if you have the means, switch to wool during the winter months.

Wool actually whisks moisture away from your skin when you sweat, keeping you dry and ultimately warmer during the day.

According to Business Insider, cotton holds the moisture inside so when you sweat, cotton absorbs it, turning your body into a frozen puddle that will eventually make you feel even colder.

Web Photo With southern Minnesota temperatures again looking more like an arctic shelf, these tips could make the difference between going to class and going back to bed.

REECE HEMMESCH Editor in Chief The horrific stretch of winter is on us, even if it felt like it had already passed over break.

The section of time at the end of January and the beginning of February can be as chilling as they come in this region, even though spring is inevitably on its way.

We all know the routine by now: grab the coat, put on a pair of boots and some gloves and we can just about face any kind of cold while walking to class at 10 a.m. More recently, the amount of traffic seen outside on cold mornings like this one makes me even more assured that our state can withstand just about any type of weather. Seriously, if we can handle the cold, what’s a little rain or sun going to do to ruin our day?

So even though I do not feel that anyone on campus absolutely needs it, here are some littleknown facts gathered about staying warm during these tepid times that many people are probably unaware of.

A Hat is not as protective as you think Andrew Maynard, a University of Michigan professor has disproved the old theory that if

you set out with nothing but a hat on in sub-zero temperatures, you will stay warm because 70 percent of a person’s body heat escapes through their head.

Maynard sees this as false, and credits body-heat loss in relation to “how much skin is exposed, not which part of the body you’re exposing.”

Wearing a hat will definitely keep you warmer than venturing out without one, but a winter hat and your North Face vest will not do you any good just because the body heat from your head will not be released.

In conclusion, put on a hat, but don’t depend on it.

Layer up It’s 15 below zero outside, yet when you enter your classroom in the basement of Armstrong Hall, it’s almost 70 degrees and quickly your covered in sweat; so the simple idea is to rock a t-shirt with your big, fluffy parka over the top of it so that the second you come inside you can drop all your layers quickly for your own comfort. The fact of the matter is that many thin layers will do more damage to keeping the cold out of your body than one big coat will do.

Simply, the more layers you put on, the more your body will be insulated. So even though

you might be dripping with sweat by the time that class finishes up, grab a long sleeve, a sweatshirt and a smaller coat

Avoid using too much energy outside It may seem 100-times worse to mow the lawn in the blistering heat of summer than to layer up and shovel the driveway in the cold, but doing the latter can add a lot of wear to your heart.

Exercise that is unfamiliar, such as pushing a car or shoveling snow in the cold could give you a heart attack, on top of making other medical conditions worse.

It may seem awful outside shoveling snow and your brain is probably telling you just to push through it and get it over with,

but take a rest while doing so for about 10 minutes and drink fluids with it as well. Even though it may not seem like it could happen in cold weather, dehydration takes the same form no matter what the temperature is.

Sitting alone makes you colder It sounds a little ridiculous, but scientists at the University of Toronto have actually discovered a correlation between body temperature and the social atmosphere one places his or her self in. These scientists found that social exclusion can actually make you feel colder than if you were spending time with friends and fraternizing, which conversely warms you up.

It may seem like draping yourself in that monster blanket and huddling up in your room under the warm air vent may seem like the best attack to staying warm, but go out and talk to someone and the feeling will be multiplied.

Again, these tips will not guarantee warmth during this time of unfriendly weather, but with temperatures falling more negatively than positively in the next week, they can’t hurt.

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Full Spectrum Lights are available on the 2nd Floor of the Memorial Library

4 • MSU Reporter

News

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Oxfam study finds global wealth disparity at epic levels Report finds extensive inequality on a global scale, describes potential economic meltdown over the issue.

SAM WILMES News Editor Oxfam has released a report on income inequality and its conclusions are eye-opening.

The wealthiest 85 people on earth now hold as much wealth as more than three billion people worldwide. The news comes as world leaders prepare to meet in Davos, Switzerland to discuss the widening income gap.

The 3.5 billion that compromise the bottom half of the income inequality gap own about $1.7 trillion, accounting for 0.7 percent of the world’s income.

The World Economic Forum says that income inequality will be the biggest issue in the next decade.

President Obama recently has spoken at length about it. According to Oxfam, the United States is the main perpetrator.

The richest 1 percent’s net worth has increased by 150 percent since 1980 while the bottom 90 percent of the country has become poorer.

Oxfam has several recommendations to help with the widening gap. Among them, the organization calls for progressive taxation, a commitment to provide a livable wage to workers, governments to provide universal social protection, education and health care.

Oxfam warns of the potential hazards of extreme wealth con-

centration.

“Widening inequality is creating a vicious circle where wealth and power are increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few, leaving the rest of us to fight over crumbs from the top table,” said Winnie Byanyima, executive director of Oxfam.

Oxfam found that since the late 1970s tax rates for the world’s wealthiest people have fallen in 29 of the 30 countries surveyed.

Oxfam also reported that the wealthy have about $21 trillion in U.S. money unrecorded in offshore accounts, out of the reach of government officials.

Oxfam placed the majority of the blame for rising inequality on the wealthy elite.

“Wealthy elites have co-opted political power to rig the rules of the economic game, undermining democracy and creating a world where the 85 richest people own the wealth of half of the world’s population,” the report read.

The report estimates that $110 trillion, approximately half of the world’s monetary supply, is held by about 1 percent of the world’s population.

Oxfam also warns of the potential for social unrest related to inequality.

“This massive concentration of economic resources in the hands of fewer people presents a significant threat to inclusive

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political and economic systems,” Oxfam said.

“People are increasingly separated by economic and political power, inevitably heightening social tensions and increasing the risk of societal breakdown.”

In the report Oxfam pointed to the case of India, where the amount of billionaires increased by 10 times from a decade ago.

Oxfam cites a regressive tax

structure as the main culprit.

“Around the globe, Oxfam works to find practical, innovative ways for people to lift themselves out of poverty and thrive.

We save lives and help rebuild livelihoods when crisis strikes.

And we campaign so that the voices of the poor influence the local and global decisions that affect them,” Oxfam’s mission statement reads.

“We work directly with communities and we seek to influence the powerful to ensure that poor people can improve their lives and livelihoods and have a say in decisions that affect them.”

“In all we do, Oxfam works with partner organizations and alongside vulnerable women and men to end the injustices that cause poverty.”

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Thursday, January 23, 2014

MSU Reporter • 5

News

Preventative measures needed to fight robbery Simple tips need to be used to ensure that the belongings you hold dear don’t become the possessions of someone else.

ASHLEY GERKEN Staff Writer

Being a student, I have no time to deal with the threat of robbery. Home Alone procedures would take hours, but students need to spend that time socializing, studying and sleeping.

Many students also have no money, Some feel the need to rob homes, apartments, students and cars to make up for the lack of money. While theft is common in a college community, Minnesota State UniversityMankato security can help anyone out on campus.

Blue emergency poles are also located around campus.

Push the button for help when in a dangerous situation.

The best way to deal with a robbery is to prevent one. Many techniques can be used to make - sure the safety of the body and - possessions stay with the owner. t First, take pictures with all r of the more valuable items in e case of a robbery, so there is evit dence of who the items belong to. Check locks to see if they are s in working order. Never leave a d hidden key outside of the home. d Second, don’t show flashy t things or money in a wallet. If someone at the bar is opening

their wallet to buy everyone a drink, someone else might be watching and even follow that person home from the bar. Stay in well-lit and populated places.

Don’t walk alone.

Get rid of the boxes that hold big purchases instead of leaving them outside. People will know if there is a brand- new TV in the home if the box is left on the curb. Also, bring valuables inside from the car. Cover the items up if there is not a chance to bring them inside.

Car alarms are also helpful to scare off people trying to break into your car.

Don’t hide everything valuable in the bedroom either; spread them around in different areas. The bedroom is usually the place a robber will target the most.

Leave cars in a lit parking lot. While picking a house or an apartment to live in, ask if there is a high crime rate or if there are cameras in case of one.

When people use preventative measures, it sometimes still doesn’t stop the robbery from happening. If it happens, try to remember the face of the person.

Hand over whatever they are asking for and do not fight back.

Act in a calm manner instead of a nervous or weak state. Find a phone and call 911 after the robber has fled the scene. Many girls can buy Tasers now, or, more commonly, pepper spray.

MNSU also offers women’s selfdefense classes.

However, if the person is trying to kidnap you, fight back right away. Call 911 anytime there is uncertainty with someone suspicious or if someone is following you.

Third, if there is knowledge of being gone in advance, ask

a neighbor to watch over the house, apartment, car, pets or anything of any value being left behind.

Always keep electronics, like a cell phone, charged in case of an emergency.

Web Photo

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6 • MSU Reporter

Thursday, January 23, 2014 Follow the Reporter on Twitter @MSU Reporter or Like Us on Facebook.com/ msureporter

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

More respect needed for a hallowed holiday EMMA DEPPA Staff Writer Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister, but is mostly remembered as a humanitarian, activist and leader of the African-American Civil Rights movement. He is one of history’s most recognized figures, especially for his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. For all of these significant reasons, he is remembered and honored on the third Monday of every January, an observed federal holiday since 1986.

In 1994 the National Martin Luther King Jr. Service Day legislation was passed on the federal level, making it not just another holiday, but a day set aside for service work.

This legislation encourages American citizens to get out and engage in community service in commemoration of all that MLK did in his lifetime.

The Obamas are notable participants in the MLK Service Day, as every year they spend the day volunteering at places such as soup kitchens and homeless shelters.

Though there are those who spend this day serving less privileged Americans, there seems to be a different trend in college students every day.

On January 20th, 2014, the Kentucky Friend Chicken restaurant was full, the liquor stores started running low on forties of beer and the streets smelled of marijuana. Why? Because many

college students across the country figured the best way to celebrate the life of MLK and the day off of school would be to eat fried chicken, get drunk, and smoke weed.

In fact, “#MLKaseRace” was trending on Twitter, a play on words indicating the widespread choice of young adults to participate in a “case race” to finish their 24 beers before their friends in “honor” of Martin Luther King Jr. This unhealthy and dangerous practice is also extremely disrespectful and degrading to Martin Luther King Jr. and the efforts made to promote civic engagement. If MLK were alive to see this, he would be ashamed.

MLK is quoted as saying “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” For goodness sakes, it’s one day per year! I like to think that my generation, Y, will be one to bring social change and improve our country, but after seeing the actions and posts on social media I am truly appalled.

For those of you who did not waste your Monday and brain cells on such nonsense, good for you! You are making the future brighter. For those of you who did, it’s not too late to step up and make a difference! Community service is a fun and easy way to contribute to society. You can do it with a group of friends, as a date, or by yourself. This can be as simple as walking a dog for the humane society or picking

up garbage outside, to a weekly commitment like volunteering as a mentor for the YMCA Brother/Sister program. If you aren’t sure how to get involved in the Mankato community, check out the MSU Community Engagement page for ideas and volunteer programs!

One last quote from Martin Luther King Jr., should inspire you to get off your bum and

make a difference. “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

Start living, everyone! Nothing is more rewarding than knowing that you did something to make a positive impact on the people who need it.

“I worked almost all day for double pay.”

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• 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.

Web Photo Martin Luther King Jr. in his famous 1963 “I have a Dream” speech.

“What did you do for Martin Luther King Jr. Day?”

NARDOS TESFAYE, NURSING

Minnesota State University, Mankato

• 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.

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Thursday, January 23, 2014

MSU Reporter • 7

News

Widening income gap puts American economy at risk As the difference between the haves and have-nots continues to grow, an MSU writer ponders why we continue to let this happen.

Governor Scott Walker’s dismantling of union power in Wisconsin has given great momentum to union-busting schemes.

Why should politicians care?

Sixty-six percent of senators are millionaires and 41 percent of U.S. House members also belong to the club. Being wealthy isn’t a crime.

Right-wingers wrongly claim that leftists hate wealth.

However, too much wealth accumulated by too few can strangle an economy. That was true before the Great Depression and remains true today.

Redistribution — no matter how small — is called socialism by carping critics. The redistribution of wealth from the wealthy via taxes is decried as un-American.

My god, when will it end?

Many executives on Wall Street that used tricky derivatives to fool investors out of millions of dollars didn’t spend days in jail- instead, they received millions that were given as settlement packages upon removal.

It will be extremely difficult to see substantial economic growth until we can lessen the income gap.

Perfect equality in terms of outcomes will never happen, nor should it. However, the amount of inequality that is tolerated in this country is ridiculous.

When will the cries of socialism finally be squelched by the needs of the many who have been shut out of the American dream?

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Call to learn more! 507-387-5620 Web Photo Wealth inequality continues to be a pressing issue in America.

SAM WILMES News Editor A new report released by Oxfam earlier this week has brought to light the foremost issue of our time: The amount of wealth held in a few hands and the massive gap between the very few rich and the many poor.

The problem has grown significantly since many politicians only pay attention to the needs of the wealthy elite and the lobbying power that their money can buy.

The U.S. economy has spun out of balance and threatens the foundation of our economic system.

More than 40 percent of Americans don’t even consider it to be a problem.

The startling news that the richest among us have gained so much while the middle class and poor have lost should be an eye-opening experience to those that have doubted the necessity of unions and bargaining rights.

Unfortunately too many people are easily duped by the classic diversionary tactics that give the right cover to weaken the economy.

It’s easy to win a straw man’s argument by decrying any form of taxation on the upper class as socialism or class warfare.

Class war — conducted by alleged conservative forces — has been going on for decades.

Union representation has decreased by a substantial amount since the 1970s, which is a main reason for the gap. Union workers comprised 24.1 percent of the

workplace in 1979. Union representation was down to 13.9 percent in 1998.

Too few Americans think unions and negotiated benefits help them.

A recent Rasmussen poll found that 44 percent of Americans are in favor of unions and 45 percent are not. While unions are not perfect, it’s strange that so many fail to appreciate organized labor’s contribution to a strong economy.

The top 1 percent of American households owned 34.7 percent of the wealth in 2007. In that same year, the bottom 40 percent only owned 0.2 percent.

Wealth inequality of this scale hasn’t been seen since before the Great Depression.

Unfortunately too many in this country don’t see it this way.

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8 • MSU Reporter

News

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Threat about attacks on Winter Olympics considered a hoax Those thinking twice about heading to Sochi should have no problems, officials say.

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Threats to a string of European Olympic offices are reviving a question that has haunted preparations for the Winter Games next month: Is it safe to go to Sochi?

European Olympic authorities, whose countries have faced terrorist threats and attacks in the past, largely shrugged off the new menacing messages as a hoax, a marginal phenomenon that security experts say is common ahead of big events.

Some members of the U.S. Congress aren’t so sure. They say Russia isn’t doing enough to assure that athletes will be protected at the Feb. 7-23 games, happening not far from an Islamic insurgency that Russia’s huge security apparatus has struggled for two decades to quell.

Russia may run greater risks in towns outside the tightly controlled Olympic zone.

Suicide bombs last month a few hundred kilometers (miles) away have increased concerns, and an Islamic warlord has urged his followers to attack

the Sochi Olympics, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s pet project.

The threats reported Wednesday appeared to be more anodyne.

They were first revealed by Hungarian sports officials, who announced they had received an email in Russian and English threatening Hungarian athletes with terrorist attacks.

The International Olympic Committee insisted it takes credible threats seriously, but “in this case it seems like the email sent to the Hungarian Olympic Committee contains no threat and appears to be a random message from a member of the public.”

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said he remains confident in Russia’s Olympic organizers.

Talking to reporters in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, he said: “Security is always a matter of concern, not only in the Olympic Games but at every big event, whether it’s sport or any other. That is unfortunately the world we are living in.

“But we are very confident and we know the Russian authorities together with their many partners internationally are doing everything to organize the games in a safe and secure way.”

The Hungarian Olympic Committee said it had received a message from the organizers of the Sochi Games saying: “Threat described in the email sent to your address is not real.”

It turned out that Olympic committees from several other European countries, including Britain, Germany, Italy and Austria, had received similar messages but hadn’t publicly reported them.

Wolfgang Eichler, spokesman for the Austrian National Olympic Committee, said the email was a hoax that officials had seen before.

“It’s a fake mail from a sender in Israel who has been active with various threats for a few years,” Eichler told Austrian news agency APA. “It’s been checked out because it also arrived two years ago.”

Germany’s national Olym-

pic association, the DOSB, also said it had received “several times the same mail with unspecific, general warnings” and it had sent it onto security officials.

“We are not aware of any threats that have been deemed as credible being directed toward our delegation,” British Olympic Association spokesman Darryl Seibel told the AP. “Organizations such as ours receive email correspondence all the time — some of which seem to lack in credibility.”

A spokeswoman for Switzerland’s Olympic committee said similar threats were common so close to the Winter Games and athletes and officials would base their travel plans instead on the assessment of security officials — not on threats.

Across the Atlantic, some are viewing the Sochi Games with more trepidation. Members of Congress expressed serious concerns Sunday about the safety of Americans at next month’s Olympics in Russia and said Moscow needs to cooperate more.

While FBI Director James Comey said earlier in January that the Russian government “understands the threat and is devoting the resources to address it,” the U.S. has offered air and naval support to the Russian government as it conducts security preparations for the Olympics.

The U.S. State Department

has advised Americans at the Olympics to keep vigilant about security because of potential terrorist threats, crime and uncertain medical care.

By contrast, the French Foreign Ministry for example has not issued any particular terrorism warnings for travelers to Sochi, and a French official said Wednesday that the government has seen no reason to adapt its advice for now.

All national Olympic committees “take security seriously and a number travel with their own security. It is not unusual to see the USA expressing greater concerns than other nations,” said Andrew Amery, who oversaw security for the 2012 London Olympics, noting that the U.S. sends one of the largest teams and many of the top sponsors are American companies.

Amery said intelligence services will be crucial to the games. “It is not unusual to see an increase in hoax calls during the build up to such events and the security agencies will be prepared for them. I do not feel this increases the risks in Sochi and am confident that the security agencies are wellplaced to assess these threats.”

Russia has responded to the Islamic threat by introducing some of the most sweeping security measures ever seen at an international sports event, including an estimated 100,000 police, army and other security forces.

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Thursday, January 23, 2014

MSU Reporter • 9

News

One dead in Purdue University shooting; student in custody PU student Cody Cousins surrendered to police minutes after allegedly shooting and killing another student at the West Lafayette, Ind. campus Tuesday.

Photo Courtesy of Associated Press Police evacuate students from the Electrical Engineering building after shots were fired on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014, on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. Officials at Purdue University say one person has been killed in a shooting at the campus classroom building.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — A Purdue University engineering student opened fire inside a basement classroom Tuesday, killing a teaching assistant and prompting officials to put the campus on lockdown, police and the university said.

Cody Cousins, who is believed to have targeted Andrew Boldt inside the Electrical Engineering Building, surrendered to a police officer within minutes of the attack, Purdue Police Chief John Cox said.

Investigators were trying to determine a motive for the shooting, which happened around noon on the campus in West Lafayette, about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis. No one else was injured.

“This appears to be an isolated and intentional act,” Cox said.

Boldt, a 21-year-old senior and teaching assistant from West Bend, Wis., died at the scene. Cousins, a 23-yearold senior, who according to police has addresses listed both in Warsaw, Ind., and

Centerville, Ohio, was being held on a preliminary charge of murder Tuesday night at the Tippecanoe County Jail.

Students described a chaotic scene on the campus.

Sophomore Nick Wieland told the Journal & Courier that he was in a basement classroom adjacent to the one where the shooting occurred.

“I heard a couple (shots) and then I heard a man scream,” Wieland said. “Then the last few kind of trailed off as I got under my desk. . (I was) just very scared. That’s what I felt the entire time.”

Julissa Martinez, a freshman in nursing, told The Associated Press that she was in a psychology class on another part of the campus when she received the text alert from university officials telling students to seek shelter.

She said her professor briefly kept teaching, then stopped lecturing so students could contact people to let them know they were safe.

“He tried to get everything under control because people

were freaking out,” Martinez said, adding that students were nervous because there was a lot of speculation about the severity of the situation.

The shooting was reported at 12:03 p.m. and Purdue officials issued the campuswide text alert shortly afterward.

Cousins was taken into custody outside the engineering building within minutes of the shooting.

Around 1:15 p.m., the university texted students to tell them there was no ongoing threat on campus and that normal operations would resume in all buildings except the engineering facility.

But the university later announced that classes were being suspended through Wednesday. Special counseling services were being offered to students at several sites around campus.

Purdue Provost Tim Sands said the university’s president, Mitch Daniels, was on a weeklong school trip to Colombia but would be cutting his travel short. He was expected to

return to campus Wednesday.

Sands, who in June will become president of Virginia Tech, where a 2007 campus shooting left 33 dead, said Purdue will offer assistance to those who need it.

“We’ll provide whatever services we can to assist our students, our faculty and our staff in coming back to a sense of normality,” he said.

Boldt was an Eagle Scout who graduated in 2010 from Marquette University High School, a Jesuit school in Milwaukee. He spent two summers interning for John Deere in Silvis, Ill., according to his LinkedIn profile.

Family members of Boldt could not be reached for comment Tuesday night. Relatives of Cousins also could not be reached.

Jean Morrell, Boldt’s high school calculus teacher, recalled that he would frequently stay after class to talk to her about math concepts, robotics and his dreams of attending Purdue, Morrell’s alma mater.

“One thing I remember fondly: He was curious. He loved to talk about complicated problems, how these math concepts applied in real life, but also about the beauty of mathematics,” she said. “I’m cautious about using the word brilliant because it gets thrown around so much, but as far as

mathematics he had a brilliant mind.”

The Rev. Warren Sazama, the high school president, remembered Boldt as a likable, kindhearted student who excelled in school and came from a good family. Sazama said the family was especially concerned about how Boldt’s youngest brother, a senior at the same high school, would deal with the tragedy.

“The parents are obviously very much in shock,” he told AP. “The mother said, ‘You don’t expect to get up in the morning and expect your son to be one in a million for a tragedy like this to happen.’”

Boldt made such a mark on his teachers that they bestowed upon him one of the school’s top honors: They made him a member of the honor society. That means the faculty viewed him as a role model for qualities including intellectual excellence, religiousness and commitment to justice, Morrell said.

“Andrew Boldt was a young man who had the potential to make the world a better place.

He was a phenomenal young man,” Morrell said, her voice cracking. “He had a great mind but he also had a great heart. I’m just sad he won’t get an opportunity to realize his dreams, to make his contribution to the world.”

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10 • MSU Reporter

News

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Dietician discusses ways to eat healthy, save money Gonzalez calls for moderation, fewer calories in the quest for fitness.

MIRANDA BRAUNWARTH Staff Writer A new year, new semester and new schedule- the perfect time to implement a new snacking and eating routine in your diet with help from Registered Dietitian Erin Gonzalez.

After a winter break of yummy cookies and ham, the New Year can be a great time to make a resolution to be conscious of healthy snacking and get in the habit of sticking to it.

Gonzalez, who teaches Intro to Nutrition at MSU and works at the Mankato Clinic in the Diabetes and Nutrition Center, has helpful tips that can help you keep those resolutions and eat healthy.

While most students grab things in a quick fashion, that may not always be the healthiest options, Gonzalez talks about how having a campus meal plan and a buffet may not always be the

best option for students who don’t know when to stop or which options are the healthiest.

Gonzalez says she notices that often students are looking for something quick, easy and convenient.

Gonzalez stresses that balance in a student’s diet is a huge factor to healthy eating, “Protein becomes a main factor” Gonzales said.

Gonzalez refers to balance by eating a snack that is packed equally with carbs, proteins and fats, as these will keep you full longer.

For example, Gonzalez says with Greek yogurt you get double the protein of regular yogurt, which keeps you full longer.

Some of Gonzalez’ favorite snacks for on the go include eating yogurt with a cup of berries or granola toppings. She mentions wrapping string cheese around deli turkey and having fruit on the side. Gonzalez said hummus is always a good option with veggies.

Gonzalez said that even on a budget students can make balanced snacks and meals. According to Gonzalez, while macaroni and cheese is fine, it’s not balanced. “Adding frozen veggies or chicken makes it a more balanced meal,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez has a list of options for snacks that are quick grab and go and can help you get through the day without feeling hungry, as well being healthy. Gonzalez contends that, in general, 150200 calories is appropriate for people sticking to a diet below 2000 calories.

Below are some of those options and different calorie intakes: 150 calories: - ½ whole grain English muffin topped with 2 teaspoons peanut or almond butter.

- 1 slice whole grain bread topped with 1 tablespoon reduced fat cream cheese and a teaspoon of honey.

200 calories: - 10 ounce skim latte; 16 almonds

- 1 ounce baked tortilla chips dipped in ¼ cup salsa; 1 piece reduced fat string cheese.

250 calories: - 1 slice whole grain toast topped with ½ avocado, and sliced tomato - ¾ cup Greek yogurt topped with ¾ cup berries and 2 ½ tablespoon chopped pistachios.

According to Gonzalez, it’s important to be consistent with structuring meals. “It’s all about having a diet that has balance, moderation and variety,” Gonzalez said.

Some students have expressed the desire to eat healthy to coincide with the start of the semester. MSU student Corey Monson said she was trying to write down the ingredients in healthy recipes and buy them a week at a time to help stay on track.

“A daily meal plan worked wonders for me and I hope to keep up with a weekly shopping trip and daily meals” Monson said.

Morgan Romero expressed her hope to be better at packing

fl healthy lunches and snacks. “Ib am trying to pack a lunch and tryt to always have a fruit or veggies and my bottle of water,” Romerog t said.

Romero adds that she hopes toe cut down spending on unhealthya food by not bringing money on r her walk to campus.

Romero admits that bringingd money is an enabling ingredientt w to get Taco Bell.

Gonzalez said that you shoulda still enjoy the foods you love, butr make sure you think about mod-f eration. For example, she saysa that to be healthy you should stay away from empty calorie foodsa c and beverages.

She said that doesn’t mean youc can’t drink pop. “In moderationz pop is fine, once a week [or so]t is not a big deal,” Gonzalez said. g Although it’s ok in moderationB she also suggests staying awayt from fast food, fatty food andb processed food in order to main-o m tain a balanced diet.

o

Thursday, January 23, 2014

MSU Reporter • 11

News

Iranian civil war spotlights a brutal regime, way of life

BEIRUT (AP) — Syria’s conflict was sparked by an act of brutality — the detention and torture of schoolchildren who spray-painted anti-government graffiti in a southern city. In the three years since, the conflict has evolved into one of the most savage civil wars in decades.

The atrocities have been relentless. Protesters gunned down in the streets. An opposition singer whose vocal cords were carved out. Beheadings and mass sectarian killings. Barrels full of explosives dropped from warplanes onto bakeries and homes.

It will be hard enough to find a political solution to Syria’s crisis at an international peace conference convening in Switzerland on Wednesday, given the vast differences between the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad and the opposition. But in a nation drowning in blood, reconciliation and justice over the atrocities seem even more distant.

“The ethical and moral fabric of this society has been stretched

to beyond breaking point,” said Amr al-Azm, a U.S.-based Syrian opposition figure and professor at Shawnee State University in Ohio. “For a country to recover from such a traumatic rupture of the very glue that holds it together is not easy.”

In the latest sign of the brutality, three prominent international war-crimes experts said they had received a huge cache of photographs documenting the killing of some 11,000 detainees

by Syrian authorities.

David Crane, one of the three experts, told The Associated Press that the cache provides strong evidence for charging Assad and others for crimes against humanity — “but what happens next will be a political and diplomatic decision.”

In the 55,000 digital images, smuggled out by an alleged defector from Syria’s military police, the victims’ bodies showed signs of torture, including ligature marks around the neck and marks of beatings, while others show extreme emaciation suggestive of starvation. The report

— which was commissioned by the Qatar government, one of the countries most deeply involved in the Syrian conflict and a major backer of the opposition — could not be independently confirmed.

“It’s chilling; it’s direct evidence to show systematic killing of civilians,” said Crane, former chief prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said Tuesday that the United States has focused too strongly on bringing the warring parties into peace talks at the expense of putting “real pressure” on the Assad government to end atrocities and hold to account those responsible.

The group also accused Russia and China of shielding their ally Syria from concrete action at the United Nations.

“The mass atrocities being committed in Syria should be a parallel focus of the peace process,” Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, told reporters Tuesday in Berlin.

For Syria watchers, the de-

scent into the abyss was not inevitable, but the result of conscious decisions by a multitude of players.

“From day one, there was a level of violence used initially by the government in its suppression that was unprecedented,” said Nadim Houry, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa division. “Since the Balkan wars and Rwanda in the 1990s, we have rarely seen a conflict with that many people killed in such a short amount of time.”

More than 130,000 people have died in Syria’s conflict, and more than a quarter of the population of 23 million now live as refugees, either within Syria or in neighboring countries. Fighters who took up weapons against Assad have turned their guns on each other, trapping ordinary Syrians in the violence of two parallel wars.

Protests started in the southern city of Daraa in March 2011 in response to the arrest and torture of high school students who scrawled anti-government

graffiti on the school wall. Security forces responded with brute force, beating and opening fire on largely peaceful protesters, who initially demanded reforms and later moved to seek Assad’s ouster.

Chilling brutality against opposition figures came quickly in the very first months of the conflict. Hamza al-Khatib, a chubby-faced teenager, was arrested at an anti-government demonstration in April 2011 and not seen again until his mutilated body was delivered to his family weeks later.

Popular cartoonist Ali Farzat was severely beaten up and both his hands broken before being dumped on the side of the road after he compared Assad to Libya’s dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

The body of Ibrahim Qashoush was thrown in the Orontes River with his throat carved out for writing poetry and antiAssad songs that rallied thousands of protesters.

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12 • MSU Reporter

Thursday, January 23, 2014

WHE R E TO WOR SHIP

MSU Reporter • 13

Whoever you are, Wherever you are on life’s journey, YOU are welcome here...

First Congregational UNITED CHURCH of CHRIST

Sunday Worship 9:30 a.m.

Sunday School 10:00 a.m.

150 Stadium Ct., Mankato, MN 507-387-6592 Deborah Celley - Pastor

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An Open & Affirming - “God is Still Speaking” - Congregation

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Close walking distance from MSU! - Excellent Bible-based teaching - Choice of music styles: - Contemporary includes full band playing relevant worship songs - Traditional includes organ and hymns

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Lunch 4 $1 Tuesday from 11-1 Worship Wednesday at 8 p.m.

The Pastor Is In: Thursdays 12-1:30 in the CSU Lobby

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Join us for Bible studies, food and other gatherings throughout the week!

WORSHIP SERVICES AT: 8:15 & 10:30 A.M. SUNDAYS 7:00 P.M. WEDNESDAYS We are an ELCA, Reconciled in Christ Congregation.

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Sunday Services 8:15 & 10:45 am Wednesday - 6 pm Pastor Jay Dahlvang Pastor Collette Broady 720 S. 2nd St. 507.388.2925 www.bethlehemmankato.org

14 • MSU Reporter

Thursday, January 23, 2014 Follow the Reporter on Twitter @MSU Reporter or Like Us on Facebook facebook.com/msureporter

Email the A&E Editor: reporter-arts@mnsu.edu

507-389-5157

Hidden gems: Short Term 12 ANDREW SIMON Staff Writer The aggravating thing about films making the rounds at film festival circuits, getting rave reviews and otherwise evaporating from existence until a year later when it finally hits DVD, is the wait. For months, Short Term 12 boasted extraordinarily positive word-of-mouth, won festival awards, and actress Brie Larson shared unanimous acclaim for her work. With Short Term 12 hitting DVD this month, all the press and all the murmurings about the movie prove themselves to be true – this movie is a gem and one of the best pieces of cinema 2013 had to offer.

Grace (Larson) is the lead supervisor of a foster-care facility for at-risk teenagers. There are those under her charge with violent or abused pasts, and those with mental instability or nowhere else to go, and she fights for each of them equally. When

Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever, Justified) enters the facility, a young girl defiant of the rules and having no interest being there, Grace is reminded of a past she’s fought hard to forget and faces a future she’s afraid to live. As she tries to help everyone but herself, Grace pushes her boyfriend and coworker Mason (John Gallagher, Jr., The Newsroom) away, unable to face her realities and dark past.

What’s most interesting and invigorating about Short Term 12 is that, normally, a clever viewer can guess all the layers to its characters and probably figure out the resolution long beforehand and with this movie, the character layers are slowly peeled back, as more and more is revealed. These living, breathing characters hold in facts about their lives until they can’t any longer and their dark secrets come blurting out. This is a movie about damaged people helping damaged people.

Written and directed by Des-

Web Photo Brie Larson in the moving Short Term 12.

tin Cretton, making his feature length debut, it’s clear he has a gift for characterization and his visuals get the audience right in close with them so that they can feel every bit of emotion and become a part of every pause and every glance. The writing is very real, with dialogue that’s genuine and doesn’t betray the writer’s force or talk down to the audi-

ence. Cretton opts for hand held cinematography, which, instead of becoming a nuisance, actually works in its favor to create intensity. For not being a thriller or a horror movie, Cretton does accomplish a good sense of atmosphere in the picture, which is helped with the muted colorization to the visuals.

Brie Larson is every bit amaz-

Web Photo

– the retelling of the notarized Somali pirate incident hit shelves this past Tuesday.

Originally thought to be just a spotlight for performances, Dallas Buyers Club has picked up a lot of steam lately, especially considering its surprise nabbing of a best picture nod. Perhaps due to this surprise success that the November release will finally be playing Mankato as of this Friday at Cinemark Movies 8, just a week and a half ahead of its home video debut.

Judging by the numbers, Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity was easily the most seen best picture nominee. The blockbuster made waves in early October and had enough staying power to stick around for over two months. To celebrate its 10 nominations, Gravity revisited Carmike Stadium 6 for a week. The film is slated to return to IMAX 3D screens on January 31 before its final bow on video, which was just announced for February 25.

Today will be your last day for a while to see Spike Jonze’s Her in Mankato, with the techno-love story officially leaving on Friday.

ing as the reviews have said.

Larson’s portrayal is so nuanced and powerful, where her looks and what she doesn’t say convey more poignancy than the written word. Her exclusion from any high profile award ceremonies is an unfortunate consequence of indie productions barely be-

SHORT TERM 12 • Page 18

Hunting Oscar: where to see the nominees

Best Actor nominee Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club.

JAMES HOUTSMA A & E Editor The Academy Awards – that exclusive club of films that are deemed “best of the year” – are upon us again like a two-monthlong storm cloud. And like any exclusive club, it can seem pretty, well, exclusive. Big film hubs across the country may have the privilege to all the nominees before they’re announced but for many, several of the honored

movies don’t even reach the public consciousness until the actual awards show airs.

To bring some accessibility to this domineering beast, here is where you can currently track down these elusive members of film royalty.

At nearly five weeks in theaters, American Hustle is still hanging out at Cinemark Movies 8. With the film tying for most nominations at 10, it’s safe to think that Hustle has bought

itself a few more weeks on the big screen as audiences come out to see what all the fuss is about. Still, for those who haven’t flocked out to see David O. Russell’s star-studded ‘70s con movie in theaters, the film is tentatively scheduled for a home video release on March 18.

As one of the earliest released among the Oscar contenders, Captain Phillips arrived in theaters in mid-October and left in time for Thanksgiving. Fear not

The film opened in wide release to depressingly low numbers, thus putting it at the head of the line for the theater’s chopping block. Murmurings of a late February/early March video launch are swirling but until something is confirmed, Cinema 6 today is your best bet of finding Her for a while.

Of all the major nominees, only one never truly left limited release. Seemingly content to stay below the radar, Nebraska reached a maximum of 527 theaters across the U.S. and looks to not add any more. Alexander Payne’s Midwest tale will find its way to video on February 25.

One film that did ultimately get lost in the shuffle was Philomena. Finding it’s way to Mankato in mid-December, the true story of a woman looking for her long lost son was buried under a slew of new releases and didn’t stay for much longer than a week. Look for it on video March 4.

One film with surprising longevity has been The Wolf of Wall

NOMINEES • Page 18

Thursday, January 23, 2014

MSU Reporter • 15

A&E

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D battling first-year funk

Web Photo The supermodels/cast of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

ANDREW SIMON Staff Writer With DC legging behind, Marvel has taken the initiative and has crafted a wide network of entertainment platforms to satiate fans and entice viewers with their mythic assortment of characters, thrilling fun and adventure, and wise cracking jokes. Already champions of the comic industry, Marvel has two cinematic ventures under their belt that have grossed over a billion dollars (The Avengers, Iron Man 3) and a just as successful line of superhero films, an indevelopment deal with Netflix to bring to life no less than five streaming-exclusive series based on less widely known characters, and now a moderately successful television series airing on the ABC network, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. After premiering with large numbers, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is at the halfway point of their freshman season and it’s time to check in with how the series is coping with a narrower portion of the Marvel universe, first-year kinks and finding its voice.

Instead of focusing on the organization as a whole, S.H.I.E.L.D follows the exploits of a small team brought together

by Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), thought killed in action in The Avengers, a victim of Loki’s lust for supremacy.

Led by Coulson, his team consists of Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen), the lethal fighter of the equation, Skye (Chloe Bennett), computer hacker extraordinaire, Fitz (Ian De Caestecker), science nerd, Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge), double science nerd and Agent Ward (Brett Dalton), the dashing hero who puts mission first always. Together, they’re tasked with discovering, locating, and managing any objects

that could be a threat or alien and saving the earth on a weekly basis from the many life-destroying plans sparked by megalomaniac sociopaths.

To its credit, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D opens with a brilliant series premiere. Co-written and directed by Joss Whedon, the premiere sets up the series’ signature style – striving for spacious, cinematic visuals, “Mission of the Week” operations, two thrilling, unsolved mysteries, and dialogue that doesn’t take itself too seriously with a penchant for cheeky one-liners.

The series genuinely is a limited extension of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with bright colors and blinding optimism and pushing-the-boundaries special effects. In capturing the essence of Marvel, this series is a resounding success. The writing is top notch, with the entire writing staff continuing the Whedon tradition of cracking jokes, poking fun at clichés, witticisms and loads of word play.

The cast all fit quite well in their roles. By now, Marvel universe veteran Clark Gregg rests comfortably in Coulson’s shoes, delivering his dry wit and schoolboy excitement with equal glee. As the season progresses and secrets spill out regarding his seeming death, Coulson is brought to dark corners of the psyche and Gregg is more than up to the challenge. Ming-Na Wen is ridiculously imposing as the group’s main muscle, although she does have a tendency to strike far too many cartoon-y “action shots”. Unfortunately, Melinda May is a rather robotic character, so Ming-Na isn’t given a lot of juicy material to work with.

As the duo scientists, Ian De Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge are suitably adorable in their respective roles and a mid-

dle episode of this half season allows the two dweebs to go all out on the emotional spectrum in a surprisingly moving charactercentric piece. Next to Ming-Na, the other actor to feel a little off is Brett Dalton, who doesn’t quite cut it as a convincing S.H.I.E.L.D agent, but his knack for physical comedy and line delivery is pitch perfect. Finally, Chloe Bennett is charming and heartbreaking all in one -- the second real star of the series.

Although Agents of S.H.I.E.LD confidently established its format early on, there have still been some road bumps.

The series knows certain elements of what it is, but it still doesn’t seem to own an identity.

Does it want to be a season-long advertisement for the movies?

An expansive view of the organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D? Or a more limited perspective focused on artifacts and a team that continually butts heads? Instead of finding its identity, the show has relied more and more on event tie-ins and stunt casting to bring in viewers. It’s reasonable that, as a shared universe, certain elements of the movies will impact the series and the characters must respond in kind, but there’s a certain false note around it all.

Understandable as the impulse may be, there have been far too many callbacks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the point it can be aggravating, and there’s at least one mention of Coulson’s death per episode to keep the fire raging in his ongoing mystery.

But instead of sparking interest, each reference becomes increasingly more obnoxious. The series wants to be episodic in a ScoobyDoo type of way, where the gang arrives at a mystery, solves it, leaves and learns a little bit about themselves in the process, but the characters and the arcs aren’t strong enough – yet.

Agents of S.H.I.E.LD is still finding its footing but until it confidently knows what it is, the series continues to deliver laughout-loud jokes and witticisms, tense group dynamics, budget-

bursting special effects and a optimistic perspective of a universe where heroes exist and evil will be kept at bay by the selfless actions of a few.

16 • MSU Reporter

A&E

Thursday, January 23, 2014

August: Osage County review Family is therapy.

JAMES HOUTSMA A & Editor August: Osage County is the embodiment of cruelty. No, it’s not meant that it’s an awful film – rather, its entire purpose and tone revolve around people being downright vicious to each other.

And with every insult thrown or secret revealed, the film draws you further into its web of animosity.

When the family patriarch goes missing, the Weston sisters must return home to console their cancer-ridden, drug addicted mother Violet (Meryl Streep).

As the highly dysfunctional family of intellectuals gathers inside the old farm home in the Oklahoma summer heat, the sweltering temperatures eventually cook the toxic vapors out of each person as tensions are pushed to their absolute limit.

Based off the Pulitzer Prizewinning play by Tracy Letts, August: Osage County could very well be a companion piece to Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The claustrophobic, farmhouses in both are home to real atrocities, though the family members in this movie eat each other alive in a much more metaphoric sense.

However, any confusion between the infamous chainsaw-wielding psychopath of slasher lore and Streep’s overly-madeup, gargoyle of a human being could be forgiven.

Letts returns to adapt his own material into a screenplay and

J

Web Photo

has a dream cast to bring it to the screen. Streep is the obvious heavyweight but Julia Roberts steps outside her comfort zone and delivers a stern performance as Barbara, the tough-as-nails daughter. The practical buffet of other actors, including Ewan McGregor, Sam Shepard, Margo Martindale, Juliette Lewis and Chris Cooper, to name just a few, are all in fine form.

Director John Wells does an admirable job of bringing the stage play to life, giving the rural county, both inside the house and out, a character of its own. But

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make no mistake -- this is Streep and Roberts’ show. The delicious wickedness they spew forth at their fellow family members, the people they are supposed to be most civil to, is a sadistic joy.

Better yet, when they set their crosshairs at each other it’s cinematic dynamite, all of which is encapsulated in a series of tense exchanges at the dinner table.

Roberts and Streep deliver

such satisfying, showy performances that it’s easy to forget how underdeveloped everyone else is. Subplots involving McGregor and Roberts’ daughter, a family secret and the ditzy sister’s new man all seem streamlined into a convenient cliffnotes version – likely the result of taking a three hour long stage play and shortening it to a two hour movie, for which it is still one

monologue too long for its own good.

Even with the story shaving off as much as it could, the dialogue retains punch after punch of indecency and it is just great.

Lett’s examination of a practical trainwreck of a family is as magnetic as the actual thing, thanks in huge part to the two lead performances and worth a watch.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

A&E

The Blacklist shows splashes of color

Web Photo

James Spader plots to steal Megan Boone’s wig in The Blacklist.

ANDREW SIMON Staff Writer The biggest success of the fall, The Blacklist, is thrilling and frustrating in equal measures.

Raymond “Red” Reddington (James Spader) is the one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives. When Red gives himself up willingly to the FBI, he has one caveat: he will only speak to Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone), a rookie plucked from her profiler job to work in the big leagues.

Red is willing to work with the FBI to bring down some of the globe’s most notorious criminals, the worst of the worst, that he’s compiled in what he refers to as The Blacklist. Working with, but not controlled by, Red weaves in and out of the FBI bringing down his opponents, all the while Agent Keen and the FBI wonder what his real motive behind his help is, and what does he want with her?

Where The Blacklist works boils down to one name: James Spader. For the role of Red, the producers needed someone who could be charismatic one moment and deadly villainous the next, able to frighten even the hardest person with just a glare and carry a gravitas with every gesture, head tick and word that comes out of his mouth. They’ve found that in Spader. With closecut hair, stylish suits, a very measured speech pattern and unnerving head tilts, Spader carries this show without doubt. He is the Boogeyman. In the season’s best episodes, nine through eleven, Spader’s Red reveals even more layers of compassion and bottomless evil that are simply electrifying to watch. Simply put, Spader is magnificent.

Megan Boone, on the other hand, fluctuates between pass-

able and not-all-that-good. The problem with Boone is that she seems awfully flat with her performance. It doesn’t help that Agent Keen isn’t a particularly well written character. In a day of age where there are strong female characters gracing the television, Keen seems to be a callback to the day of the helpless victim who’s easily immobilized by a boo-boo or some new tragedy, instead of working through it and being the strong character the series needs her to be. It’s not dissimilar to romantic films, where the male is so attracted to the woman because she’s not like all the rest but the viewer sees nothing from her other than a stereotype. That rings true here.

Red is so smitten with her for some unexplained reason but Keen fails to be of any interest.

Not all is bad, however. The show boasts above average writing – although there are moments of absolute logical absurdity – especially with the word play between Keen and Red. As mentioned above, episodes nine through eleven are magnificently compelling, with both characters put in deadly situations. Episode eleven is a highlight for Red as he becomes, in a sense, an angel of death. But the show has reached the time where it needs to start giving answers instead of dangling a handful of mysteries that get mentioned once every three episodes. If successful shows like Breaking Bad have taught showrunners anything, it’s that the aftermath of a revelation can be just as, if not more, thrilling than the reveal itself.

For years, the thought process was that cable shows had less money to splurge and networks had plenty to spend on their ratings-successes. The special effects, the sets and the wigs in

The Blacklist seem to suggest otherwise. Shows featuring the FBI following some deadly Big Bads tend to have explosions, and there are explosions galore here, but each and every one of them look embarrassingly, ridiculously, horribly fake. It’s beyond belief that the directors and producers would allow such dismal effects to stay onscreen, which ruin any of the drama or, in some cases, emotion that big event is supposed to bring out.

The sets, with the exception of the gigantic cage that Red is, er, encaged in in the premiere, are laughably cheap. Some shows on their last breath of life at NBC, like Chuck from several years ago, were anemic with their sets, but with The Blacklist beating out the competition, it would stand to reason they’d invest some money into the visual presentation of the show – not to mention Megan Boone’s blatantly obvious wig which, when saddled with the knowledge she’s wearing a wig, one can’t stop but look at her head and think, “wig!”

The Blacklist is inherently interesting and the first half of its freshman season features enough fantastically cool moments to make it appointment television but there are some glaring kinks that needs to be worked out in these last eleven episodes before its second season airs. There are side characters that are walking stereotypes without an ounce of personality, and the writing needs to greatly improve to be more sophisticated and worthwhile because, at this point, the show would work just as well completely muted and shouldered by Spader’s physical performance.

The Blacklist airs Mondays on NBC at 9 p.m.

MSU Reporter • 17

18 • MSU Reporter

SHORT TERM 12 “This is a movie about damaged people helping damaged people.”

A&E

Thursday, January 23, 2014

OSCAR NOMINEES “Seemingly content to stay below the radar, Nebraska reached a maximum of 527 theaters across the U.S. and looks to not add any more.” continued from 14

continued from 14 ing a blip on any voter’s radar, otherwise, her exceptional work here demands recognition of the highest degree. Younger but with just as much gutso is Kaitlyn Dever, whose knack for comic timing and hundred-yard stares that speak volumes is nothing short of amazing. These two women hold this movie and although there are plenty of sequences that are standout, none are more compelling than when these two actresses speak to one another.

Outperformed by his sensational co-stars, John Gallagher, Jr. nevertheless impresses with his trademark, boyish charm.

Thanks to his two years memorizing the wordy monologues of Aaron Sorkin, Gallagher delivers two excellent stories at the open and close of the movie, both of which are hilarious and encapsulate one of the many elements of the movie – life is tough, and life moves on. He may have the least to do but Gallagher is just as memorable.

Another actor of high note is Keith Stanfield as the seventeengoing-on-eighteen-yea r-old Marcus, a youth with a troubled past who, in one chilling, heartstopping scene, uses rap to deal with his abuse.

There may be more hyperbole in this review than the movie deserves, which could be a fair criticism, but the experience of watching Short Term 12 was an emotional rollercoaster. The characters are all beautifully nuanced, the direction solid in getting close to the characters, the colors muted, the script magnificently concise and bursting with smarts and feels, so it’s difficult to think of the film as anything less than a powerful surprise. I can’t recommend it enough.

Web Photo Her is on the way out for Mankato while 12 Years a Slave and Dallas Buyers Club are just now debuting.

Street. Despite its epic runtime, a gradual decrease in tickets sold and a fair amount of controversy, Martin Scorsese’s wild depiction of excess has remained at Movies 8, raking in the dough until its late March/early April video launch.

After three months of release, 12 Years a Slave is finally finding its way to Mankato. The powerful contender will open this Friday at Movies 8. Likely boosted by its major notice at this year’s awards, the adaption of Solomon Northrup’s agonizing experience

looks to expand to a wider audience before its video debut on March 4.

While neither made it into the best picture race, both August: Osage County and Blue Jasmine are being heralded for their performances. August just recently

expanded into wide release and is playing at Movies 8. Blue Jasmine never reached Mankato in its summertime release but is, as of Tuesday, available on video now.

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MSU Reporter • 19

Thursday, January 23, 2014

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507-389-5227

Mavericks sprint past NSIC opponents After two NSIC victories in Mankato, the men’s basketball team will make its east this weekend to Winona to firmly grasp first place in the conference.

LUCAS RYAN Staff Writer The Minnesota State University, Mankato men’s basketball team has an opportunity to end the weekend in sole possession of first place in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

However the Mavericks will play their rivals Winona State, who a currently tied with MSU for the best record in the NSIC. Winona has had the Mavericks number lately having bested MSU in the last five meetings.

The Mavericks lead the all-time series against the Warriors 8243, but WSU enters the game with narrow victories against the Mavericks the last two meetings, including knocking MSU out of the NCAA Central Regional Playoffs last season.

WSU gave MSU their only home loss this season (10-1 at

home) after the Warriors defeated the Mavericks 78-75 Saturday,

Assem Marei

Dec. 7 in the Taylor Center. MSU was out-rebounded 42-33 despite outscoring the Warriors 40-28 in the paint.

The purple and gold shot 40.2 percent from the field and shot a season low 6-24 three pointers in the game. In the game freshman guard Riley Bambenek led the

Warriors with a season-high 33 points. Both losses in the NSIC this season came in games the Mavericks shot less than 10 freethrows. The Mavericks will want to use their superior forwards to control the game and get to the free throw line.

Marei is arguably one of the best forwards in all of Division ll basketball and will need to contribute for the Mavericks to have a good chance at success. Marei leads the MSU offense with 15.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Marei has the 31st best field goal percentage in the nation, averaging 60.8 percent per game.

“We are going to go in with confidence. (Winona) lost (Saturday) which, they are going to be real hungry on Friday. That means we need to come out and play hard,” Senior Gage Wooten

BASKETBALL • Page 22

Ronald Sejjoba • MSU Reporter Guard Mike Busack has made an early impact coming off his redshirt season, averaging 7.6 points and 3 rebounds per game.

Women’s hockey makes trip to TCF Bank Stadium The Mavericks were fortunate enough to be included in this year’s Hockey City Classic, but the squad came up empty against the powerhouse that is the Minnesota Gophers.

LUKE CARLSON Staff Writer

David Bassey • MSU Reporter The letter C fits well on senior Kari Lundberg’s uniform as she’s compiled 16 points (7 goals, 9 assists) so far this season.

It was a chilly Friday night in Minneapolis as the puck dropped for the 2014 Hockey City Classic at the outdoor rink at TCF Bank Stadium. It was at that point that the Minnesota State University, Mankato Mavericks women’s hockey team started their battle against the No. 1 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Mavericks’ 25th game of the regular season.

In the first ever modern-era NCAA Division I hockey game to be played outdoors in the state of Minnesota, the home team found the back of the net early in the first period. Coming on the Gophers’ only power play opportunity of the opening frame at 5:24, Gophers senior forward Sarah Davis went behind the net in the offensive

zone and fed a backdoor pass to junior forward Meghan Lorence, who buried the puck past Mavericks senior goaltender Danielle Butters, who made 17 saves in the period.

The second period was another furious one, with Butters maintaining the 0-1 deficit for the Mavericks through most of the middle period with 16 more saves. But Minnesota would not be denied when, later in the period, Gophers junior forward Rachel Bona took a centering pass from Davis and slipped the puck in between Butters’ pads with two minutes left in the frame to extend the Gophers’ lead to two.

A minute later, Davis struck again with a power-play goal on a deflected shot off the crossbar that managed to cross the goal line and give the Gophers a 3-0

HOCKEY • Page 22

20 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Thursday, January 23, 2014

North Star College Cup Preview

Minnesota State Mavericks

DEREK LAMBERT Staff Writer After a disappointing weekend in Anchorage two weekends ago, the Minnesota State University, Mankato men’s hockey team rebounded this past weekend heading into a very important tournament. Ferris State University was in town Friday and Saturday night, and the Mavericks let it be known that they can skate with the best of them. Heading into last weekend, Ferris was ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Division I Men’s Hockey rankings. Friday night saw the Mavs explode onto the

score sheet.

With two goals only 17 seconds apart in the first period, the Mavericks skated their way to a 6-2 victory on Friday night. Junior Matt Leitner scored two goals and an assist for a three point night, while senior Zach Lehrke also had a three point night, and captain Johnny McInnis recorded two goals, including the game winner.

The win certainly helped MSU, but the task at hand wasn’t yet complete; Saturday night’s series concluding matchup still loomed.

The Mavs lost Blueger and freshman Zach Stepan for one game, while Motte was ejected, but wasn’t given a game disqualification to sit out an additional game, which was puzzling. Regardless, the Mavs got the sweep and four crucial points, bring-

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ing them to second place in the Western Collegiate Hockey As-

Johnny McInnis

sociation, only two points behind Ferris, who previously held a six point lead over MSU. Looking forward, the Mavericks head to St. Paul this weekend

to play at one of the greatest hockey venues in the country, the Xcel Energy Center. The Xcel is the site of the inaugural North Star College Cup, a tournament for the division one hockey schools in Minnesota to compete against one another, now that they are no longer all in the same conference. This year, the field includes Minnesota State, St. Cloud State University, Minnesota-Duluth, and the University of Minnesota.

Bemidji State will join the tournament next season, with the last place team in this year’s tournament sitting out next year, and this will be the rotating basis that determines the field of the tournament.

“Duluth is finally coming out of league play, Minnesota is coming out of league play, St. Cloud

Ride? Call a 24 ed e -7 N

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is wrapping up a tough league series with Western Michigan,” said Maverick Head Coach Mike Hastings, “and then you’ve got Hockey Day Minnesota this weekend, leading up to the tournament next weekend.”

While many expected MSU to move into the top 20 rankings after sweeping the no. 2 team in the NCAA, the sweep failed to bring them into that exclusive group.

Ferris State, however, dropped down to no. 6 from their previous no. 2 ranking. This weekend doesn’t count for conference points in the standings, but could be huge for rankings, as well as points for the NCAA Pairwise Rankings that hockey uses to determine who makes the sixteen

NSCC • Page 21

Thursday, January 23, 2014

MSU Reporter • 21

Sports

After the University of Minnesota, St. Cloud State and University of Minnesota, Duluth decided to depart from the WCHA, they knew they would miss these great matchups. The North Star College Cup has not only kept these four squads on the same rink, but it puts school pride on the line.

Minnesota Golden Gophers

NSCC

continued from 20

team NCAA tournament. If the Mavericks can beat the also unranked Bulldogs from Duluth on Friday, it will add another win against a fairly decent team to their resume, and will set them up to play either the no.

5 or no. 1 team in the country. A win against Minnesota or St. Cloud would surely launch the Mavs into the rankings and would help them towards making their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

Following the Ferris State series, Mike Hastings said of this weekend’s tournament, “You can expect more of the same,” referring to the fast paced, physical series that MSU experienced over the weekend.

“I think all the teams are extremely excited about going and playing an event like this, number one all the teams being from Minnesota, and secondly these are guys we are used to competing against every year and we have all of them on our schedules down the road.” Hastings continues, “We’re renewing some rivalries that I think are longstanding.”

LaFontaine also expressed his excitement for the tournament.

“Getting the sweep this weekend was huge for us, but we’ve got to work even harder,” he said. “We’d like to get a little redemption up there from last year.”

That redemption he’s talking about, of course, is the 5-1 loss against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Xcel last season for the WCHA Final Five, which was the last game the Mavericks have played in the X. The Mavericks face off at the X on Friday at 4:07 p.m. against UMD, with the Gophers and Huskies dropping the puck at 7:37 p.m. Saturday’s game will be against either St. Cloud or Minnesota at either 4:07 p.m. or 7:37 p.m. pending the results of Friday’s games.

With a record of 17-2-3, including a 7-0-1 record in the Big Ten, the Gophers are the no. 1 team in the nation for the seventh straight week. The Mavericks were swept by Minnesota earlier this year, and in both games the Mavs were outplayed not giving them much of a chance to squeeze out a win. “You know, we played them earlier this year and we weren’t playing our best hockey” said Hastings, “they’re a common opponent, and obviously one of our best.” Depending on Friday night’s game between the Gophers and St. Cloud, the Mavericks could play the Gophers on Saturday night to redeem themselves for the series at Mariucci earlier this year. The Gophers carry a deep lineup, with 11 different players who have tallied ten or more points this season. Led by one of four non-Minnesotans on the team, Sam Warning has 26 points this season and is fresh off scoring a hat-trick on Hockey Day Minnesota against Ohio State last Saturday. Minnesota’s goaltender Adam Wilcox is also among one of the best in the nation.

St. Cloud State Huskies

The Huskies are 12-4-4 and 7-3-2 in the NCHC coming off their first Frozen Four appearance in school history last year, and are ranked at no. 5 in the nation. St. Cloud is led by Blaine, Minn. native Jonny Brodzinski, who led all freshmen in goal scoring in the NCAA last season. Brodzinski has 11 goals and 21 points on the year and is one of ten Huskies who have scored ten or more points this season. Husky senior Nic Dowd, who recently just surpassed 100 career points for SCSU, is not far behind Brodzinski, with 19 points of his own. Goaltender Ryan Faragher has been pretty steady for the Huskies this season, posting a record of 11-3-3 with a 2.27 goals against average and a .912 save percentage.

Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs

David Bassey • MSU Reporter

The Mavs opponent for Friday’s game, the Bulldogs are 9-9-2 overall with a 5-6-1 record in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

While their record may indicate an average team, the Bulldogs play in what is now arguably the toughest conference in college hockey in the NCHC. An advantage to the Mavericks in Friday night’s game may be that the Bulldogs have had trouble scoring this season. Through 20 games, the Bulldogs’ leading scorer is freshman Alex Iafallo with 15 points, and UMD doesn’t have any players with over 10 goals on their roster. Their most steady player may be between the pipes in senior goaltender Aaron Crandall, who holds a .912 save percentage in 15 games played this season.

Hey, did you hear about the fight?

Saturday night featured one of the craziest hockey games I have watched in almost twenty years of being around the game. Junior Jean-Paul LaFontaine tallied two powerplay goals on the night to bring his total goals on the season to a team leading 13. More notably, 11 of those goals are power play goals, which now puts him in sole possession of first in the NCAA in power play goals. McInnis and sophomore forward Dylan Margonari also notched goals in Saturday’s game on the way to a 4-3 victory and the sweep over Ferris.

What set this game apart from others in the past was a line brawl between the two teams. Just under nine minutes into the third period, Ferris goaltender C.J. Motte covered the puck, and a scrum between the two teams followed. All five players on both teams were going at it, and then Motte jumped in and tore the helmet off Maverick sophomore Teddy Blueger. The result was over a 15-minute delay, a bottle of buffalo sauce being thrown on the ice by a fan, and multiple ejections from the game. If you haven’t seen the footage, head to www.sbncollegehockey.com to take a look.

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22 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Thursday, January 23, 2014

HOCKEY “Just like the night before, the Gophers broke out the scoring early in the tilt when Gophers senior forward Kelly Terry caught a pass from senior forward Bethany Brausen and potted the puck into an empty Maverick net after goaltender Butters got caught up in traffic trying to slide back across the crease.”

continued from 19 lead heading into the third period.

Even with another doubledigit save performance by Butters in the ending frame, the Mavericks were thoroughly out-

done by Minnesota, with a goal

by Gophers junior defenseman Jordyn Burns off of a loose puck in the slot that she picked up and roofed over the beleaguered Mavericks goaltender.

Minnesota sophomore goaltender Amanda Leveille finished the game with a 19-save shutout, as the Gophers converted on two of three powerplay opportunities in the game.

David Bassey • MSU Reporter In 26 games, the Mavericks have been outscored 77-49.

BASKETBALL “We are going to go in with confidence. (Winona) lost (Saturday), they are going to be real hungry on Friday.

That means we need to come out and play hard,” Wooten said. continued from 19 said.

The Mavericks will conclude their weekend road trip when they travel to Fayette, Iowa to play Upper Iowa Saturday. MSU defeated Upper Iowa 95-56 earlier this season in the most decisive NSIC-win to this point this season.

Upper Iowa enters the weekend with an 8-10 overall and 6-6 NSIC record. The Peacocks went 1-1 last weekend including a 96-75 win over Southwest Minnesota State. The Peacock offense is led by sophomore guard Joey Woods, who is cur-

rently averaging 15.9 points per game.

Last weekend the Mavericks rebounded from a loss at MSUMoorhead Saturday Jan. 11 with home-wins over Augustana (8477) and Wayne State (76-57) to move their record to 16-3 overall and 10-2 in the NSIC. The Mavericks sit atop the NSIC South Region standings tied with Winona State.

Junior forward Assem Marei led the Mavericks over the weekend, averaging 15 points and 11 rebounds while Seniors Connor O’Brien and Gage Woo-

ten each averaged 14 points per game. Junior Zach Monaghan, who is leading the NCAA Division ll basketball league with 150 assists (7.9 per game,) averaged 11 assists per contest over the weekend. The Mavericks are now ranked 14th in the most recent NABC Poll.

“It feels good. We split last weekend. It was good to comeback this weekend and win two games,” Wooten said. “We just got to keep it up Friday when we play Winona State.”

Butters was a stalwart for the Mavericks even through the 4-0 drubbing, with 47 saves to end the game.

On Saturday afternoon, the Mavericks and Gophers headed down to Mankato to do battle once again, but only this time, it was on the Mavericks’ home ice at All Seasons Arena.

Just like the night before, the Gophers broke out the scoring early in the tilt when Gophers senior forward Kelly Terry caught a pass from senior forward Bethany Brausen and potted the puck into an empty Maverick net after the goaltender Butters got caught up in traffic trying to slide back across the crease.

In the second period, the Gophers would truly flex their offensive muscle. With 6:02 left in the frame, they went on a four-goal tear before the period came to a close, starting with Terry’s second goal of the game off of a redirected slap shot from Gophers sophomore defenseman Milica McMillen.

Another goal by sophomore forward Hannah Brandt, who took the puck coast-to-coast from the Minnesota defensive end at 15:47, preceded a wrist shot goal by Lorence high over the glove side of Butters just 28 seconds later to make it a 4-0 Gophers lead.

Bona completed the scoring tirade for the Gophers by scoring on the power play at 18:47 of the second period by deflecting junior defenseman Rachel Ramsey’s slap shot from the blue line.

The 5-0 Gopher lead turned out to be the end result as neither team could find the goal mouth in the final period of play, with MSU unable to convert on its only power play opportunity and the Gophers missing on a pair of power play chances.

The Mavericks ended the game going zero-of-four on the man advantage, while Minnesota converted on one-of-eight power plays. Butters was again strong in net for the Mavericks, tallying 45 saves. Leveille once more finished with a 19-save shutout for the Gophers.

After the pair of games against the Gophers, MSU falls to 9-17-0 overall on the season with a 4-16-0 conference mark. Meanwhile, the No. 1 Gophers continue to dominate the WCHA with a 22-1-1 overall record and a 16-1-1 conference mark after the weekend against the Mavericks.

Minnesota State continues their season this next weekend when the Mavericks travel to Columbus, Ohio to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes for a twogame set of WCHA action.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

MSU Reporter • 23

Sports

Coach Klanderman accepts coaching job at North Dakota State

and I truly think that’s one of his goals,” Thompson said.

He also has the football I.Q. to fit in the FCS. “He’d bring a vast amount of knowledge about the game. He’s been around it longer than I have been alive,” Thompson said.

Before he purchased a whistle, he lined up as defensive end for the Mavericks from 1997-2001.

He was named to the Academic All-NCC Team and a recipient of the Maverick Achievement award after his senior season in 2001.

After hanging up the pads, Klanderman was given an assistant coaching job before becoming the defensive coordinator six years ago. This would be his first experience coaching the defensive back position, but Thompson knows, “He’s going to be able to teach anyone any position.”

16 years as a Maverick is enough for the defensive g 7 wiz, and now it’s on the l FCS for a new chapter in e his young career. d

JOEY DENTON l Sports Editor , n ‘Once a Maverick, will always ybe a Maverick’ is how most Minanesota State University, Mankato athletes feel when leaving the eUniversity, and that same mesesage concurs with former defen-sive coordinator and defensive tend Joe Klanderman. While he nwill be formulating success for ,the defensive backs at North Daekota State in 2014, the 16-year eMaverick will always bleed purple and gold. s After six seasons of massterminding NSIC opponents, -Klanderman has turned this proegram into a Division II power1house, especially against the run. eThe 2013 season exemplified lthat, finishing fourth in Division eII in rushing yards allowed per tgame with 74.1.

One of his recruits, safety sSam Thompson, will always be dmesmerized by his knowledge on othe gridiron and his dedication. e “He’s definitely the smartest -defensive-minded coaches I have ever met, and that goes for everyone on the staff, but he is the mastermind behind everything,” Thompson said. “He was trying to figure out new things during the summer, the fall, the spring; he didn’t stop. You knew you wanted to please him by showing up on the field because of all the work and effort he was putting in.”

With arguably the best defense Klanderman has had coaching the Mavericks, the 2013 squad finished 14th in the nation in points allowed per game (17.8), tied for 4th in interceptions (22), tied for 7th in turnovers forced (32) and 20th in sacks per game (3). On top of that, basically the whole starting 11 ended up on the All-NSIC South Division defensive squads with seven players making the first team. Almost forgot to mention, he coached the NSIC Defensive Player of

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David Bassey • MSU Reporter Before coaching at MSU, Joe Klanderman was a defensive end for this program from 1997-2001.

team was explosive and nasty.

They played hard every play for the Hammond, Wis. native.

It seemed that in order to wear the same colors as him, his players needed to be explosive and tough, especially at the linebacker position.

“He wants someone who is fast, he wants someone who is quick when playing linebacker,” Thompson said. “They may not be 230 (pounds), but they’re going to be tough, fast guys.”

The other factor is his determination and respect he earns from his players. It wasn’t hard for players to push to their fullest

extent for the former Maverick defensive end. He also earned his players trust in that he will find the winning formula week in and week out, and he got so good at that, all his players had to worry about was executing it.

According to Thompson, he’s a straight shooter and will tell you how it is, but he will also be that guy on campus to come talk to, which will excite NDSU. “He’s also going to bring a great personality, someone people can talk to. Sure you could be a great coach, knowing schemes and alignment, but the main thing in coaching is men better,

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5/1

FEMALE ROOMMATE WANTED: 4 bedroom townhome on Agency Road, $425/ month plus utilities, available immediately, no cats. 507-9953315. 1/28

Joe Klanderman “He’s definitely the smartest defensive-minded coaches I have ever met, and that goes for everyone on the staff, but he is the mastermind behind everything.”

the Year in senior defensive end Chris Schaudt.

How does he do it?

If you had the opportunity to make it out to Blakeslee this past fall, it was a no brainer. The

MAVERICK DEFENSE

The Klanderman Years Year NSIC Rank PPGA

2008

2nd

16.6

2009

2nd

19.4

2010

6th

19.2

2011

5th

19.0

2012

1st

17.9

2013

2nd

17.8

24 • MSU Reporter

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Thursday, January 23, 2014