January 31, 2017

The

Minnesota State University, Mankato

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TUESDAY JANUARY 31, 2017

VASA rings in Tet Lunar New Year in CSU Ballroom Student organization celebrates the The Year of the Rooster.

LUKE LARSON Staff Writer Saturday night, the Vietnamese American Student Association (VASA) held a celebration of the Tet lunar new year in the CSU Ballroom. The event was a window into the culture of Vietnam, exhibiting the country’s food, language, dance, music, and art.

One of the first performances was the lion dance. It featured a dancer in a mask along with two other dancers wearing an elaborate lion costume, giving the appearance of a lion wandering around the stage. This, along with the dragon dance, are two characteristic Vietnamese dances.

Several songs were performed in the Vietnamese language. The event’s most popular entertainer was MNSU student Luu Thien Pham who took the stage in a shiny red suit to sing “Diep Khuc.” Audience members gathered in front of the stage to dance along and to present him with roses. He came back later in the show for another performance, this time with duet partner Erika Cao. “I loved every moment of it,” Pham said after the event. “It’s just the hype, the energy from everyone that supported me. They really helped me a lot to perform really well.”

Artwork was on display in the back of the ballroom.

Nhi Nyugen was selling some of her own original work along with traditional folk prints that she brought from Vietnam. Folk prints, she explains, are traditional V ietnamese images

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Photos by Ojaswi Singh produced by two “master families” using traditional paper and homemade inks.

These images often depict fantastical stories or everyday life in a rural setting. Pigs, Nguyen explains, symbolize wealth and the rooster (the “farmer’s friend”) symbolizes hard work. Back in Vietnam, Nguyen’s family gathers together to celebrate the new year and to honor deceased family members during Tet, which she says is the most important holiday of the year in Vietnam.

Throughout the event, the audience had the chance to participate in trivia and win prizes. The emcees posed questions such as “what countries border Vietnam?” and “what is the purpose of the lion dance?” The first audience member to run to the stage and answer correctly was awarded a prize.

Attendees were treated to a meal of rice, chicken and vegetable egg rolls, hard-boiled eggs with pork, chicken salad, bean sprout and pepper salad, fortune cookies, and a dessert consisting of coconut syrup, tapioca, and corn. Chicken was featured on the menu in celebration of the year of the

rooster, which is being kicked off by this Tet lunar new year season.

Thao, Phuong, and Kim are three international students from Vietnam who came to join in the celebration Saturday night. They explain that during the Tet season in Vietnam, they are given ten days off from work and the whole country rests.

“There are no cars or motorbikes on the streets,” says Kim. They explain that the date of the new year varies from year to year and that the

reason it is celebrated now is because Tet comes from a calendar based on the moon, not the sun. An article on Vietnam Online explains that “in the past, Tet was essential as it provided one of few long breaks during the agricultural year.”

Their favorite Tet activities included getting together with family, fireworks, and “lucky money.” Lucky money, which parents present to their children in red envelopes during Tet, seems to be an all-around favorite. Children

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at the event were invited to come up to the stage to collect their very own lucky money.

The emcees presented information in both English and Vietnamese. One of the emcees, Anthony Ho, was pleased with how the event turned out.

“I’m very happy that this show went pretty well,” Ho says. “We spent roughly four months preparing for this event, contacting people, getting the show up, designing and, buying stuff.”

Ho notes that much of the traditional dress used by the performers was brought over to Mankato from Vietnam over Christmas break.

“VASA is really active,” Ho says, adding that it is open to all students, not just Vietnamese students.

“I enjoyed it,” says Isai Morales. “It’s always fun to have new experiences. Not just learn about your own culture, but other cultures. I really hope people come to these events because they’re a great thing.”

According to population statistics provided on www. mnsu.edu, there were seventeen international students from Vietnam as of last spring semester.

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2 • MSU Reporter

LUKE LARSON Staff Writer Last Wednesday’s student senate meeting featured the election of three new senators to vacant seats. One seat representing the College of Allied Health and Nursing was filled and two seats representing Residential Life were filled.

There were four candidates vying for the Allied Health and Nursing seat: Sarah McClain, Griffin Goode, Halimat Abdulganiyu, and Ryan Noah. All four candidates were subjected to interrogation by the senate.

Speaker Fred de Ruiter began by posing the same five questions to each candidate before opening the floor to questions from other senators. His five questions were 1) do you believe that you are capable of fulfilling the duties of senator?, 2) what makes you best qualified to represent your constituency?, 3) what is one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses?, 4) what is the biggest issue facing MNSU?, and 5) what other leadership roles have you taken on?

After three rounds of automatic runoff voting, the field had been narrowed to two final contenders: Goode and Abdulganiyu. In their discussions, the senators expressed enthusiasm for Goode’s prior involvement with MSSA through committees. Abdulganiyu was praised for her vision, practical ideas, involvement on campus, and her call for even more improvement in the quality of the nursing department.

Goode was elected in the fourth round and was immediately given his seat among the senators. Senator Goode, who transferred to MNSU from South Central College, is a third-year Recreation, Parks, and Leisure Services major.

During interrogation, he stressed the importance of communication. He says that the lack of communication between MSSA and the

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student body is a significant issue on campus. He plans to make known his status as a senator to students in the College of Allied Health and Nursing. He said that he wants to work to improve MNSU and his college as opposed to just being “a body in a seat.”

The election to fill the two vacant Residential Life seats featured two candidates: Kyle Mercer and Bryan Beltran. Both are community advisors in McElroy and previously served as floor representatives in the Residence Hall Association.

The senate expressed confidence in both candidates, electing them both. Senator Beltran has been involved with leadership in Chicano Latin-American Student Affairs (CLASA) and Latino Wellness. He made the

Facebook (facebook.com/ avoiceforstudents) page shortly. He mentioned the new University Dining Hall ribbon-cutting ceremony, scheduled for this Friday at 12:30 p.m. More information on that can be found in last Thursday’s issue of the Reporter. He also noted that this academic year’s senate session will come to an end on April 19. He said that he is working to accomplish the goals that he set for himself and urged all members of the senate to do the same. “Make sure you can look back and say that you accomplished what you wanted to,” he said.

Vice president Maria RuizMendez announced in her report that MSSA has met with Integrated Marketing.

MSSA requested a report into how to better communicate with and serve the student

“After the elections, the three new senators recited the oath, thus officially joining the senate.” case that he is a good public speaker and that he will focus on listening to students, even those of differing opinions.

Senator Mercer believes that his experience working with both students and staff as a community advisor makes him well-qualified to serve in the senate. He believes that promoting diversity on campus is one of his top priorities.

After the elections, the three new senators recited the oath, thus officially joining the senate. President Faiçal Rayani invited all the unsuccessful candidates to pursue involvement in MSSA through special committees.

Senator Martin reached out to the new senators, encouraging them to speak with experienced senators to address any questions or uncertainties they may have.

In his report, President Rayani mentioned that a 30-second informative video about MSSA has been completed. It will be posted to the MSSA

body. She noted that a draft for the proposed meditation spiritual room had been emailed to senators and that their input was requested.

She concluded saying that MSSA will soon be entering dialogue with the state legislature and MNSU administration over tuition.

Speaker Fred de Ruiter reminded senators in his report that budget meetings are looming.

The March 15 and March 22nd MSSA meetings will feature department budget presentations. The Student Allocations Committee (SAC) will present its budget narrative on the March 29 meeting and the final budget meeting will be held on April 5. De Ruiter noted that last year’s meeting lasted nine hours. The chair of SAC, Cristian Perez, emphasized the length of the process and asked senators to “be prepared.”

Senators Grace Peterson and Naeemul Hassan presented reports on the

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

opening of the new Clinical Sciences building and the possible reinstitution of the computer science program, respectively.

Senator Peter son explained some of the new technology that the building is equipped with. Those with hearing aids will be able to connect them to a loop in classrooms which will allow them to easily listen to lectures. She also noted that some classrooms are outfitted with monitors that students can post to, which are then visible to their small group. Professors can then select posts to be featured on the central monitor for all the class to see. Peterson clarified that the nursing program’s rooms in Wissink Hall would not be vacated due to the creation of the new building, but rather will continue to be used by the program.

More information on the Clinical Sciences building can be found in last Tuesday’s issue of the Reporter.

Senator Hassan mentioned the progress of his efforts to reinstate the computer science major, which was removed several years ago.

He said that disagreements in vision between the Integrated Engineering (IE) and Information Technology (IT) departments have stalled the project and that senators, unfortunately, should not expect the major to be up and running next academic year. He stressed that student perspectives must not be overlooked.

“[The IE and IT departments] need to see our point of view,” Hassan said. Students and the departments, he said, must come together and say “this is what you need to see, this is what we need to see.”

Hassan also emphasized that patience is necessary so that a high quality program can be established. Senator Hassan also noted that he sees a need for a tutoring room for CSET students and that the CSET dean has expressed enthusiasm in this idea.

The meeting ended with final announcements. It was noted that a seat on the Ethics and Standards Committee is open now that Senator Goode will be leaving to fill his senate seat. The Maverick Adventures pilot program is organizing “Learn to Ski” events at Mount Kato for February 7, 14, and 21 at 6:30 p.m. Those interested can contact david.childers-1@ mnsu.edu.

An open meet-and-greet with students and senators will be held in the MSSA office on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

John Bulcock, Assistant Director for Greek Life & OffCampus Housing, announced that the Student Affairs staff will be taking on MSSA in an annual bowling competition.

Speaker de Ruiter responded, saying “there will be blood.”

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Tuesday, January 31, 2017

MSU Reporter • 3

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Local MNSU students participate in Women’s March protest Thousands march for gender equality in recent worldwide demonstration.

RACHAEL JAEGER Staff Writer On Jan. 16, women all over the country joined in protest to protect their rights. Protesters marched in support of health care, education, and bringing an end to domestic violence, among many other reasons.

Voicing their own strongly held beliefs, two Minnesota State University, Mankato students who had participated in one of the marches agreed to be interviewed by The Reporter.

Annie Krenik, a sophomore majoring in media and film studies, felt overwhelmed with surprise by the welcoming atmosphere of the march, especially toward diversity.

“When I first got there I almost started crying from the sheer number of people!” Krenik wrote in her email. “There were people there of all ages. I saw kids as young as a few months old to people that were in wheelchairs.”

Krenik noted that the Minnesota protest she demonstrated at was split evenly between men and women and included nonbinary individuals as well.

“But that might have just been the area I was in,” Krenik added. “I do believe I

Photo courtesy of The Associated Press explaining what she believed the protest accomplished.

“Not only are we exercising our constitutional right to protest, we are standing up for our rights as well as the rights of the people who cannot stand up for themselves…”

Andrew Grabowska, a recent graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato, agreed that there were about as many men involved in the march as there were women,

“Annie Krenik, a sophomore majoring in media and film studies, felt overwhelmed with surprise by the welcoming atmosphere of the march, especially toward diversity.” saw more men of color there than white men, but that again might have been my position in the march.”

She also observed several groups at the event representing organizations like Black Lives Matter, as well as different LGBT groups from the Twin Cities and students from various colleges. She also added that President Trump’s climate change denial seemed to incite many protesters to march on behalf of teachers and others who work in education.

“I think protesting is incredibly impor tant, especially for college students and other young people,” Krenik said in an email,

but said he thought more women were present.

“Also, in terms of atmosphere, people were very friendly and excited,” Grabowska said. “Everyone was looking around and laughing and praising each other’s signs.”

He said the signs displayed witty jokes at Trump’s expense mixed with demands for women’s equality and other statements outlining immigration policy, environmental protection, and LGBT rights, as well as rainbow flags and umbrellas representing the LGBT community.

One of the most prominent elements of the protest’s

signage that Grabowska noticed was a large white dove carried by several marchers.

He also saw a Christian group carrying a banner. “[It] kinda surprised me because historically, Christian churches have been against LGBT and women’s rights, so I think that’s a good sign,” he added. “I saw no violence.

The only person arrested was a Trump supporter who was pepper spraying the marchers.”

Emma Green, a writer from The Atlantic, encountered pro-life women at the Washington D.C. rally who hadn’t come to protest President Trump but were still attracted to the march’s message of women’s empowerment.

“The pro-life movement is changing,” Green observes in her online article. “Many young activists identify as feminists or atheists and reject a uniform alignment with the Republican party, unlike their Phyllis Schlaffystyle predecessors. Perhaps the Women’s March on Washington is a sign that feminism is changing, too, ever so slightly: a first gathering of a truly ‘intersectional’ movement which makes room for women with diverse convictions, including a moral opposition to abortion.”

Green added in the subsequent paragraph that other women attended the march for the sake of seeking peace through camaraderie.

Others have expressed confusion about the purpose of the Women’s Marches,

wrote Vera Bergengruen, writer for the publisher The McClatchy Company, who claims that some of the perplexity was caused by women pro-lifers being turned away from the protest.

Other women expressed that the protesters had misunderstood Trump.

“Look at his beautiful daughters. Look at the woman he put in charge of his campaign, a woman that has done an extraordinary job,” said Donna Lutz, a 71-year-old Florida woman, pointing out that women who had worked with Trump for years spoke at the Republican National Convention (http:// w w w.m c c l a t c hy d c .c o m / news/politics-government/ article127835724.html).

Lutz said that women have misunderstood Trump and have not given him enough

of a chance by reading what he has said instead of what people have emphasized about his language.

Mirroring Lutz’s beliefs, Jacqueline Anderson from Saint Paul, another woman mentioned in Bergengruen’s article, said that women who are against Trump need to pinpoint what they’re angry about, because that’s all that they sound like—just angry and determined to reject the fact Trump is president.

However, both Krenik and Grabowska expressed their own reasons in no uncertain terms.

“Within the first three days of presidency, Trump has put a global gag order in place that limits women’s access to health care worldwide, removed LGBT rights, civil rights, and health care from the whitehouse.gov website, and froze the environmental protection agency until further notice,” Krenik stated in her email. “The changes that he’s making affect all of us, even if people refuse to believe so.”

“I was marching for human rights,” Grabowska said. “…

Right now our government is not supporting [health care, immigration, or income equality]. Basically, they are, in my opinion, the face of evil.

We’re in a really terrible place and so we are going out of our way to send a message to these people that this is not okay. We need a change.

Listen to us.”

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4 • MSU Reporter

Tuesday, January 31, 2017 EMAIL THE EMAIL THE EDITOR CHIEF: EDITOR IN IN CHIEF:

March for Life: Why the pro-life movement matters

Opinion

RAE MATTHEW FRAME EBERLINE alyssa.frame

matthew.eberline @mnsu.edu @mnsu.edu OR AT reporter-editor OR AT @mnsu.edu reporter-editor@mnsu.edu

STEPHANIE VOGEL Staff Writer We’ve all heard of movements like Black Lives Matter, LGBT rights, and women’s rights. Everyone wants equal rights to live in peace and happiness, but could there be a group of people we are missing? How about the people who don’t have a voice in our society who expect safety, comfort, and protection but can legally be denied it?

These are the unborn, our most vulnerable population.

Since the controversial 1973 Supreme Court case Roe v.

Wade, millions of abortions have taken place, resulting in a third of our generation being wiped out. Protests against Roe v. Wade in favor of protecting life in the womb have taken place annually for 44 years but have been largely ignored by the media.

These protests do not incite violence, riots, anger, or hurt but rather are peaceful and prayerful.

On Sunday, Jan. 22, the anniversary of Roe v.

Wade, thousands of men, women, and children of all ages gathered around the capitol in St. Paul to march and rally for the right to life. 16 students from MNSU attended the march, including two international students. In addition to the rally that took place at the

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Photo courtesy of The Associated Press Minnesota state capitol, people from all 50 states rallied in their own capitol cities on that same day. The largest pro-life march is the March for Life in Washington, D.C., which takes place every year. This year, as a result of the Trump inauguration, it will be held on Friday, Jan. 27, rather than Jan. 22. This national march’s attendance has grown to hundreds of thousands of Americans from every state.

Alyssa Fogarty, an attendee at the March for Life in St. Paul, commented on why she believes the issue of abortion is important to society: “[The unborn] are our future, and each person has a destiny. There is a greater plan for everyone, but abortion is cutting off the opportunity for that person to grow and live out

Pulse

that plan. We could have the cure for cancer right now without abortion, because that person could have been aborted.”

The future is in the hands of those who are young, including the youngest and smallest of us all.

Not only are children’s lives harmed through abortion, the lives of women who abort are harmed as well. According to afterabortion.org, having an abortion increases the risk of cervical, ovarian, and liver cancer, and can result in future complications during labor. Afterabortion.org also states that the psychological effects of abortion are more common, including eating disorders, PTSD, chronic relationship problems, and leading to drug and alcohol abuse. Clearly, an abortion is not healthy for the woman or the child according to these

facts.

Fogarty explains why the pro-life movement matters: “We want the unborn to be safe and to have the right to life. We want women to feel safe. Every time a woman wants to have an abortion, it’s out of insecurity. It could be financial insecurity, she’s not confident in her abilities to be a mother, or fear.”

Fortunately, there are resources right in Mankato to help pregnant women who need counseling or financial assistance. Options for Women is a facility located within walking distance from campus on 1331 Warren St. Their confidential number is 507-624-2229. Birthright is located on 330 Stadium Road, Suite 201B, and their helpline is 1-800-550-4900.

Don’t be afraid to reach out for assistance.

“Which public figure is a role model to you?”

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Compiled by Nicole Schmidt

FRED DE RUITER MATHEMATICS

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“Joe Biden.”

“Oprah Winfrey. She has a wide range of guests and doesn’t judge.”

“Leah Michelle.”

“Emma Roberts.”

“Michelle Obama.”

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

MSU Reporter • 5

News

The importance of a college education in a degree-seeking world

Opinion

MARJAN HUSSEIN Staff Writer Why is going to college important? This is the main question every individual should ask themselves upon completing their high school education. Some parents insist, with good reason, that college should be one’s top priority after high school, arguing that having a college degree helps one find a better job, earn a higher income, and build a better future overall. These arguments have strong and valid points, but what if one were to propose achieving all this without having a college

(CC BY 2.0) by Arno Kleine Schaars various obstacles — none of them simple. However, these challenges are the key to finding out what is really right for everyone as

“College presents individuals with various obstacles — none of them simple.” degree in hand earned by sitting in a classroom listening to a lecturer?

In my perspective, college is essential to truly figuring out who one is and what one wants to do in life. College presents individuals with

an individual. College gives one the opportunity to fully explore one’s interests, giving oneself an understanding of one’s own strengths and weaknesses.

College should be the

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main route anyone takes before setting foot into the real and competitive world.

Learning to deal with adversity is another reason why attending college is of vital importance. Many employers expect their employees to be up to the challenge of delegating various duties with minimal super vision.

College graduates are usually better equipped to deal with adversity and have better resources to keep them at the top of their game.

Jobs are also becoming increasingly competitive, with people boasting

different skill sets competing for the same position. Having a college degree gives one an advantage when being considered for a high-paying job.

Financial responsibility is another benefit of going to college, which goes hand in hand with independence.

During one’s college career one begins to learn a lot of things about personal finance — some of which do not necessarily come from one’s courses. Earning and properly managing money is a critical aspect of anyone’s future success.

The opportunity to meet

people from all over the world is something that most, if not all, colleges afford students. This expands one’s perspective of the world and broadens one’s thinking, creating new multicultural connections, making new friends and perhaps even finding that special someone to call your own. These are all very achievable things one can easily accomplish just by going to college.

Going to college also gives one a fresh start. Sometimes starting fresh by putting away old habits can help one become who they really want to be. College also allows one to get involved in various campus activities, like student government, fraternities, or clubs. College is where an individual can really push themselves to find out where their interests honestly lie.

The personal satisfaction that comes with having accomplished a major life goal, like earning a college degree, is also an outstanding achievement for anyone.

Going to college offers benefits for any person seeking additional knowledge after graduating high school. Knowledge is power, and with power one can do anything — even change the world.

6 • MSU Reporter

News

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Trump ban creates chaos for travelers in, out of the country LOS ANGELES (AP) — From Dubai to Los Angeles, President Donald Trump’s order barring travelers from seven Muslim countries from entering the U.S. has thrown the lives of thousands into limbo.

Middle Eastern scholars who have been studying in the U.S., foreigners planning to visit loved ones living in this country, and others who were outside the United States when the order was issued last week are struggling to find a way in.

Also, some legal U.S. residents and visitors from the affected nations are afraid to leave the U.S. for business or family reasons, fearful they won’t be allowed back.

Meanwhile, attorneys and federal judges are working to clear a path for some of those who were turned away.

One was Sahar Algonaimi, a Syrian-born schoolteacher from Saudi Arabia, who arrived at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport on Saturday on her way to Indiana to care for her elderly, cancer-stricken mother.

Although she had a visa and had visited the U.S. numerous times before, the 58-year-old woman was put on a plane back to Saudi Arabia after authorities persuaded her to give up her visa. An hour after she left, a judge blocked Trump’s order, an act her family’s attorney said would have allowed her to stay.

“Now, unless we can get the government to give her

Photo courtesy of The Associated Press humanitarian parole, she will have to apply for a new visa,” Kalman Resnick said Monday.

“This is just one of many stories from the weekend at O’Hare and all around the country.”

In Dubai, Nazanin Zinouri of South Carolina said she was barred from boarding a flight home over the weekend after traveling to Iran to visit her mother and other family members.

A legal resident of the U.S. since 2010, she has earned master’s and doctorate degrees in this country and works for a technology company. She fears she will lose her job, home, car and pet if she can’t return soon.

“What’s going to happen to my dog? My dog is sick. Is

anyone going to adopt him?” she asked. “Am I going to lose my job forever?”

On Sunday, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said green card holders, or legal permanent U.S. residents, will be allowed to re-enter the country unless there is information indicating the person is a serious threat.

Trump denied his order was to blame for chaos at the nation’s airports over the weekend, instead pointing to computer glitches and protesters. He took to Twitter to argue that swift action on immigrants was important, saying there are a “lot of bad ‘dudes’ out there.”

The president issued a 90-day ban on travelers from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya,

Nearly 9 million visitors traveled to Hawaii in 2016 HONOLULU (AP) — The number of people traveling to Hawaii neared 9 million in 2016 as visitor spending and arrival figures hit records for the fifth straight year, the Hawaii Tourism Authority said Monday.

The state agency said 8.9 million visitors came to Hawaii, up 3 percent from 2015. Tourists spent $15.6 billion in the islands, a 4 percent increase over the previous year.

A recovering U.S. housing market boosted travel to the islands, as have stable oil prices, said Daniel Nahoopii, the agency’s director of tourism research.

“The economy has been pretty strong in the United States mainland,” he said.

The introduction of

new airline routes and service also brought more visitors. For example, last year was the first full year Virgin American operated flights to Hawaii. The airline launched service to the state with routes from San Francisco to Honolulu and Kahului in late 2015.

Travelers from the U.S. West Coast grew 4.3 percent to 3.7 million. Travelers from the eastern part of the continental U.S. climbed 3.7 percent to 1.9 million.

Nahoopii said the industry benefited from relatively stable exchange rates for the Korean won and Australian dollar when it came to international travelers. A slight strengthening of the Japanese yen also helped.

Nahoopii said data

indicates the additional visitors are staying in hotels and vacation rentals.

The number of people staying in hotels climbed 3.5 percent while those staying in rental homes climbed 7 percent, he said.

The state is forecasting continued visitor growth this year, though at a slower pace.

The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism said in November it expected 1.8 percent more travelers to come to Hawaii in 2017. It forecast spending would rise 4 percent.

Tourism authority CEO George Szigeti said the agency is committed to maintaining this momentum in the current year.

Somalia and Yemen. He also suspended the admission of all refugees for 120 days and indefinitely barred refugees from Syria.

Even foreign-born U.S. residents on vacation cruises were affected, as Maysam Sodagari, an Iranian-born biotech scientist from San Francisco learned when his ship returned to port in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after a seven-day sail to the Caribbean.

Sodagari, who has lived in the United States for nine years, said he was pulled aside when he tried to leave the ship with friends. He was questioned for more than an hour by immigration agents who examined his green card and cellphone, scanned his fingerprints and denied his request to talk to a lawyer.

As his interrogation continued, his friends posted about it on social media and more than 1,000 people reached out to him, including those in the office of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Although thousands protested the order in airport demonstrations around the country and civil rights groups and some members of Congress denounced it, Trump supporters say it is needed to safeguard the country.

“We need to know who these people are,” said retired firefighter Charles Lewis of Topeka, Kansas. “I just don’t think this nation is secure. We’re a day late and a dollar short on everything.”

Among those kept out of the country was a California man’s 12-year-old daughter, who was born in Yemen.

Ahmed Ali, a 38-year-old manager of a market in Los Banos, said he had been trying to get a visa for his daughter Eman for five years, and she was finally issued one last Thursday. He had planned to take her to the U.S. on Saturday, but she was barred from boarding a flight in the African country of Djibouti.

“It is racist,” he said of the executive order. “We are being targeted for our nationality and religion.”

Ali, his wife and their two older children are U.S. citizens.

Also barred from returning is Khaled Almilaji, a Syrian doctor who has been attending Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, on a scholarship while he studies ways to rebuild his country’s health system. He said that his pregnant wife remains in the United States.

“It is really sad where the world is going to,” said Almilaji, who risked his life to provide medical care during Syria’s civil war and coordinated a campaign that vaccinated 1.4 million Syrian children.

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MSU Reporter • 7

News

Environmentalists preparing to battle Trump, GOP in court CHICAGO (AP) — The night before Donald Trump’s inauguration, five environmental lawyers filed a federal court brief defending an Obama administration clean-water rule that the new president and his Republican allies have targeted for elimination, considering it burdensome to landowners.

The move ser ved as a warning that environmentalists, facing a hostile administration and a Republican-dominated Congress, are prepared to battle in court against what they fear will be a wave of unfavorable policies concerning climate change, wildlife protection, federal lands and pollution.

Advoc ac y groups nationwide are hiring more staff lawyers. They’re coordinating with private attorneys and firms that have volunteered to help.

They’re reviewing statutes, setting priorities and seeking donations.

companies from damaging streams and to remove some wolves from the endangered species list.

“They’ve wasted no time in doing bad things,” said Pat Gallagher, director of the Sierra Club’s 50-member legal team, which he said is likely to grow as environmentalists increasingly regard the courts as their best option, even though success there is far from certain.

The Department of Justice, which represents the federal government in environmental lawsuits, declined to comment, while the White House did not respond to emails seeking comment. Doug Ericksen, communications director for Trump’s transition team at EPA, said of the environmentalists that he’s “not sure what they think they’re preparing for” but suspects they are stoking fear of Trump as a fundraising tool.

“They’re more concerned

“It’s going to be all-out war,” said Vermont Law School Professor Patrick Parenteau.

“If you’re an environmentalist or conservationist, this is indeed a scary time.”

Trump’s first week in office only heightened their anxieties. He moved to resume construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines that the Obama administration had halted, while signaling intentions to abandon his predecessor’s fight against global warming, vastly expand oil and gas drilling on public lands and slash the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget.

GOP law ma ke r s, meanwhile, introduced measures to overturn a new Interior Department rule barring coal mining

about raising money than protecting the environment,” Ericksen said.

Jim Burling, litigation director for the Pacific Legal Foundation, a nonprofit property rights group that sues regulators on behalf of businesses and landowners, also contended environmental groups were exaggerating the Trump administration’s threat for political and financial gain.

T he g over nme nt bureaucracy is entrenched, Burling said, and, “who happens to occupy the White House hasn’t made that much difference.”

Environmentalists say their fears are justified by the new administration’s antagonism toward government’s role in keeping air and water clean and the planet from

Photos courtesy of The Associated Press Republican state Sen. Doug Ericksen, left, and Democratic state Sen. Kevin Ranker listen to testimony from a climate change skeptic at a hearing in Olympia, Wash. overheating.

Donations began increasing after Trump’s election, “even before the fundraising letters were sent” asking for support to fight the administration’s actions, said David Goldston, government affairs director at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Earthjustice, which has represented the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in its fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline, has about 100 staff attorneys and plans to bring more aboard, said Tim Preso, who manages the group’s Northern Rockies office.

The Chicago-based Environmental Law & Policy Center is adding four attorneys to its preelection staff of 18 and is coordinating with more than a dozen outside attorneys who would file citizen suits against polluters for free if agencies fail to enforce existing rules, said Executive Director Howard Learner.

“We cannot fully substitute and replace the EPA doing its job,” Learner said. “But on the other hand, we’re not going to default to zero if the EPA steps backward when it comes to clean air and clean water enforcement.”

On inauguration eve, five law professors filed a brief in support of a 2015 regulation giving EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers discretion to regulate tributaries and wetlands far upstream from navigable lakes and rivers to protect water quality.

Dozens of states have sued to block the rule — including Oklahoma, led by state Attorney General Scott Pruitt, now Trump’s choice for EPA administrator — saying it gives government too much power over private property.

Shortly after Trump took office, his White House webpage listed the rule among “harmful and unnecessary policies” he would target.

“If the Trump administration won’t defend the rule, I want to stand alongside environmental groups and do what I can to defend (it),” said David Uhlmann, a University of Michigan law professor and former Justice Department prosecutor, who helped file the brief.

Going to court is just one tactic environmental lawyers will use, said Erik Schlenker-Goodrich of the Oregon-based Western Environmental Law Center, which also plans new hires.

They will monitor agencies

for failure to enforce pollution law or cutting corners when writing permits for activities such as oil and gas drilling, he said.

The Sierra Club’s Gallagher, who sued over oil drilling beneath national parks during the George W. Bush administration, said another tactic would be making liberal use of open-records laws to obtain scientific data and other materials that might otherwise be purged. The group already has requested records on climate change from the EPA. “We’re not surprised at what they’re doing, but maybe a little surprised at how fast and furious it’s all happening,” Gallagher said.

“But we were bracing for it and we’re ready.”

88 •• MSU MSUReporter Reporter

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MSU Reporter • 9

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

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Mavericks beat Lakers in impressive sweep Men’s hockey takes two from Lake Superior State over the weekend.

COLTON MOLESKY Staff Writer The Minnesota State Mavericks grabbed their first home sweep since October, as they faced the Lake Superior State Lakers over the weekend.

Friday’s game ended in favor of the Mavericks 4-2, and Saturday’s game went three overtimes before MNSU won, 3-2.

“I thought our demeanor between the first and second [periods] were really good; they just stayed on it,” said Mavericks head coach Mike Hastings after Friday’s win.

“I didn’t think we had a poor period, even though we were down by one.”

While Minnesota State came into the weekend the favorites against a Lake Superior State team that have proven to be a tough matchup. They displayed an impressive, opening two periods

Reporter Archives Freshman Parker Tuomie (pictured) had himself quite the weekend for the Mavericks, scoring one goal in the first game and a game-winner Saturday night. senior goaltender Cole Huggins found his way back into the net. In the opening period, the Lakers were able to

Reporter Archives After a 2-0 weekend, the Mavericks moved into third place in the WCHA standings with 39 total points. Bemidji State (52) and Michigan Tech (48) are the only teams in front of MSU. in Friday’s game against the Mavericks. Friday was also the first time in six games that

capitalize on stifling defense with a one-goal lead scored by the Lakers’ Luke Morgan.

“That first period was hard, can’t fault him for that first goal,” said Hastings on Huggins’ performance. “I thought he made some timely saves that allowed us to stay at two, which allowed us to take a one-goal lead and that’s what you need.”

In the second period, the Mavericks came roaring back in the first three minutes with goals from Zack Stepan and Sean Flanagan to put the Mavs up a score. However, LSSU answered with Josh Nenadal’s score to tie the game.

The third period saw the Mavericks take over the game as they regained the lead off a goal from Park Toumie and his slapper from the blue line.

Later in the period, Brad McClure netted the fourth Maverick goal to build the lead up to two goals.

Minnesota State’s consistent offense was a big difference-maker down the stretch, as they out-shot the Lakers 34-22. Huggins made 20 saves in his first game back in over a month.

On Saturday, the Mavericks and Lakers were back at it with another tight game.

LSSU jumped out to a 1-0 lead within the first five minutes of the opening period from Mitch Hults. The defense of both teams clamped down in the second period, as both goaltenders saw a

combined 18 shots on goal in the period.

“You need your horses to run- your old guys who have been around this and through

ever, a late, offensive push from MSU saw Ian Scheid and Daniel Brickley make it a 2-2 game headed into the final moments of regulation. The goaltenders had phenomenal nights through regulation with LSSU’s Gordon Defiel saving 29 shots and Huggins with 25.

In overtime, the defensive trend continued as both teams were held scoreless through the extra period.

Then came the three-onthree matchup in overtime, which saw the same level of defense. Finally, in the second three-on-three overtime, Parker Toumie was able to bust through the sought defense and nail the game-winning goal to tally up some crucial points for the standings.

“We’re close, that’s a team we’ve been trying to catch for a while,” said LSSU head coach Damon Whitten. “Haven’t had a ton of success, but we’ve made strides to catch them. It’s a good hockey

“‘Sometimes with the young guys, it’s hard to get them to visualize and keep their foot on the gas,’ said Hastings. ‘Especially for us right now and where we are in the standings trying to get on home ice…so great to see the upper-class effort.’”

this time of year,” said Hastings of the senior class.

“Sometimes with the young guys, it’s hard to get them to visualize and keep their foot on the gas, especially for us right now and where we are in the standings trying to get on home ice…so great to see the upper-class effort.”

The third period contained all fireworks. LSSU looked to put the game away with a 2-0 lead off Gage Torrel’s goal early in the third. How-

team and tough place to play.

We’re close, but we must find a way to come out on the other side. I thought special teams obviously hurt us; we had some good power play chances and didn’t bury it… that’s how close it is.”

MNSU will take on Alaska Anchorage on the road next Friday and Saturday, looking to add some more conference wins as the regular season approaches its end.

10 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Capitals, Wild headline NHL first half of play The league includes many other contenders for the Stanley Cup.

COLT JOHNSON Staff Writer Half of the 2016-2017 NHL regular season has passed, and the Washington Capitals and Minnesota Wild sit atop the Eastern and Western Conferences, respectively, and All-Stars gather for the NHL All-Star Game and celebrate its 100th anniversary.

This season’s best players came together in Los Angeles to showcase their skills and pay homage to those selected to the top 100 players of all-time list from 1966 to present-day. Legends like Ray Bourque, Gordie Howe and others met on the same stage Friday, Jan. 25, bring-

Photo courtesy of The Associated Press Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals have struggled to finish off succesful seasons in the past. Could this finally be the year of the Capitals in D.C.? ation on where their season’s expectations currently stand.

Photo courtesy of the Associated Press Minnesota Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk has been everything and more for the state of hockey this season. Will the Wild stay hot come playoff time and finally capture the franchise’s first title?

ing together hockey royalty for the first time. Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Great one’ was named the NHL’s official centennial ambassador, and the All-Star celebrations kicked off with a bang.

With the All-Star festivities over and celebrations ending Sunday night, players and coaches will be taking a hard look at their season up to this point and do some self-evalu-

Since the NHL switched up its divisions in the 2013-2014 season, the Metropolitan Division has been arguably the toughest division in hockey.

Though Washington leads the entire Eastern Conference with 72 points and a 3310-6 record, the Columbus Blue Jackets, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers have all been playing great

hockey and will be a problem come playoff time.

Four of the top-five teams in the Eastern Conference are in the Metropolitan Division. Columbus is second in the East with 68 points and a 32-12-4 record, and the Penguins are tied with the Montreal Canadiens with 65 points. Pittsburgh has played two games less than Montreal however, standing at 30-13-5, while the Habs sit at 29-14-7.

The Rangers are the fifth seed in the East at the moment with 63 points and a 3117-1 record. New York rounds off the teams in the East with 60 or more points. The Ottawa Senators have 58 points in the sixth seed, but they have only played 47 games, which is the least amount of games played by any team in a playoff spot at the All-Star Break.

The Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins take the seventh and eighth seeds, respectively, both with 56 points. The Flyers have played two less games than the Bruins. The Toronto Maple Leafs are only a point out of a playoff spot with 55 points and a 23-15-9 record. Toronto also has played five games less than Boston and three less than the Flyers. Those extra games will be extremely important down the stretch, as they try to make a push for a spot in the playoffs.

Over in the Western Conference, the Wild lead with 69 points in 48 games and a record of 32-11-5. They have been dominating this season on both sides of the ice, with a goal differential of +51 and lead all teams in the West by four points or more. The Chi-

cago Blackhawks are hot on their tail with 65 points, and they have played three more games than the Wild, giving Minnesota some breathing

seven-point cushion between the fifth and sixth seed teams The Nashville Predators are that sixth seed with 56 points and a 24-17-8 record.

The seventh and eighth seeds in the West will be up for grabs. The St. Louis Blues hold the seventh seed and the Calgary Flames hold the eighth; both tied with 53 points. Still seeking a playoff spot are the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks. They also share 52 points, making the last two spots for the West free for the taking.

The top seeds are shaping up to hold their positions as the second half of the season begins. The seventh and eighth seeds in both the East and West are not locked up quite yet, making these next couple of months exciting for many teams. It’s going to take a late-season push and consistent play if they want to make a spot in the playoffs.

Hockey is a funny sport when

“Though Washington leads the entire Eastern Conference with 72 points and a 33-10-6 record, the Columbus Blue Jackets, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers have all been playing great hockey and will be a problem come playoff time.”

room.

The San Jose Sharks and the Edmonton Oilers round off the top half of the Western Conference. Both San Jose and Edmonton have 64 points, but the Sharks have a game lead with one less played than Edmonton. The Anaheim Ducks sit in fifth place with 63 points and a

it comes to the playoffs. No matter the seed, the hotter teams usually find more success when postseason play arrives.

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Tuesday, January 31, 2017

MSU Reporter • 11

Sports

Mavericks remain consistent on the mats Minnesota State remains undefeated in conference play.

JAMES ANDERSEN Staff Writer The Minnesota State wrestling team has found some success this season. They have competed in ten duals and won seven of them. The Mavericks are unbeaten in conference play, thanks to their most recent dual last Thursday against 24th ranked Upper Iowa. The Mavericks pulled off the upset, 25-13.

The Mavericks started off the match with a victory.

Redshirt-freshman Andrew McFall wrestled in his second match of the season.

Competing in the 125-pound weight class, McFall won by decision, 11-5. Sophomore

Photo by Breana Orlando Paul Selman was next up, competing in the 133-pound class. Selman won with ease by a 16-4 major decision.

The next two matches, unfortunately, went to Upper Iowa. Redshirt-freshman Lou-

ie Sanders dropped a close one in the 141-pound weight class dual. Sophomore Daniel Close was pitted against 11th ranked Damian Penichet in the 149-pound class. Penichet won with a 5-1 decision.

The Mavericks held a 7-6 advantage in the dual after that.

The next two duals were split. The 157-pound weight class went to MSU’s Dylan Herman. He secured a pinfall in the third period, giving

the Mavs 13-6 advantage. In the 165-pound weight class, senior Max Bullock lost by major decision against 10th ranked Colbey Vance. MSU would go on to win three of the next four to defeat Upper Iowa. Third ranked and NSIC Myles Brand Award Winner Adam Cooling won his 25th match of the year. The Myles Brand Award is given to athletes who had excellent academic semesters.

Freshman Matthew Blome wrestled up a weight class, 184-pounds, to face Ryan Parmely. Blome was able to fight off Parmely and pinned him in the third period, giving MSU the overall victory.

The Mavericks have now won four straight dual meets and improved to 4-0 in the NSIC. Their next dual will be against Southwest Minnesota State. The first match is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2 at the Taylor Center.

Minnesota State participates in MSU Open Many standouts were on display during this past weekend’s event.

JAMES ANDERSEN Staff Writer The Minnesota State men’s and women’s track and field teams had excellent performances in the Minnesota State University Open and

and Logan Bristol. Curtis earned a score of 4691, which placed him at third, and was a provisional qualifying mark.

The women’s day started off with field events and long distance races. The Mavs distance medley team, who consisted of Megan Allen, Amelia Kjos, Haley Kruger, and Erin Baker, won the race in convincing fashion. They ended with a final time of 11:58.09, which was a provisional qualifying time.

dash at 50.17.

The success would also continue for the women’s sprinters. Karlona Gregory (7.63), Brieanna Puckett (7.72), and Gabi Gaines (7.77) took the top three spots in the 60-meter dash. Gregory’s time was good enough for a provisional qualifier as well.

Sophomore Afure Adah took first place in the 200-meter dash with a provisional qualifying time of 24.92.

Long distance was next up

“For the men, Friday began with heptathlon events such as the 60-meter hurdles, long jump, and shot put. Competing for the Mavs in the heptathlon were sophomores Jack Curtis, Calvin Buesgens, and Logan Bristol. Curtis earned a score of 4691, which placed him at third, and was a provisional qualifying mark.”

Multi. The MSU open was last Friday evening and all day Saturday at the Myers Field House.

For the men, Friday began with heptathlon events such as the 60-meter hurdles, long jump, and shot put. Competing for the Mavs in the heptathlon were sophomores Jack Curtis, Calvin Buesgens,

Saturday started off with the sprint races. On the men’s side, sophomore Vance Barnes placed fourth in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.96. Sophomores Tanner Ogren and Reid Diamond placed second and third, respectively, with times of 22.03 and 22.31. Sophomore John Schuster finished second in the 400-meter

on Saturday. Freshman Austin Yardley finished second place in the 1000-meter run at 2:34.84. Freshman Derek Finsterwalder took fourth place in the 800-meter dash with a time of 1:57.40.

For the women, sophomore Bobbi Patrick took first place in the 600-meter dash with a time of 1:39.03. Mavericks swept the top three spots

for the 800-meter run, led

by Kruger at 2:13.22. Allen (2:14.07) and Sjelin (2:18.46) finished second and third, respectively. Junior Erin Baker finished first in the one mile run with a career best time of 5:06.58.

For the field events on the men’s side, senior Alex Campbell took first place in the long jump at 22 feet, 8 inches. Campbell also finished first in the high jump with a provisional qualifying mark of 6 feet, 8.75 inches.

Junior Sam Udermann made a career-best mark in the

weight throw. His 57 feet, one-inch mark was good enough for first place and a provisional qualifying throw.

The women’s field team had one participant place first.

Senior Brianna Ziolkowski won the high jump with a 5 foot, 7.75-inch mark, a personal best and provisional qualifying standard.

MSU will look to continue their dominance here again next Saturday at the Ted Nelson Classic. It will be hosted all day at the Myers Field House.

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12 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

AFC holds on and defeats NFC, 20-13

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The Pro Bowl has long been more about showmanship than competition. Clearly, that memo missed Lorenzo Alexander.

The Buffalo Bills linebacker could have just sat on a late interception for the win, but instead opted to return the ball 20 yards and then lateralled it to Aqib Talib, who came within 13 yards of the end zone in the AFC’s 20-13 win over the NFC in the NFL’s all-star game Sunday night.

“I was serious about that last drive,” Alexander said.

“You’re playing fast, playing hard, having a good time, but we wanted to win. We took it very serious.”

That much was obviously on the final drive when Alexander, selected the game’s defensive MVP, got tight end Jimmy Graham on a hard hit over the middle as the NFC drove the ball down field for what could have been the rallying game-winning drive. A couple of plays later, the ball went off Graham’s hands and right to Alexander, sealing the game.

But even on that play, the increased competitive spirit

was obvious when quarterback Kirk Cousins stuck with the play after throwing the interception and knocked the ball out of Talib’s hands on a jarring hit to save the touchdown.

While many of the 60,834 had already left Camping World Stadium , those who stuck around saw a thrilling end.

“It was fun and it was competitive,” Alexander said. “It got a little chippy there late in the game, but that’s part of it when you have competitive people.”

In the recent past, the Pro Bowl hadn’t produced a competitive environment. But perhaps the return of the traditional AFC vs. NFC matchup combined with playing in front a larger crowd than when the game was played in Hawaii, amped up the intensity just a bit.

The winners took home $61,000, while the NFC team members settled for $30,000.

“This game was definitely more competitive than last time I played in it. I can say that,” Talib said. “Guys played a lot harder this year.”

The Pro Bowl had been

played the last three years with a format in which teams were drafted among the players by designated captains.

In a first half defined by big plays and key interceptions, the AFC was able to come up with one more play to take a 14-7 lead into halftime and a 20-7 edge early in the fourth quarter.

The NFC should have had 17 points in the first half, but a decision to not a kick a chip-shot field goal and an interception in the end zone denied the squad of points during the first two quarters.

Andy Dalton’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, named the game’s offensive MVP with three catches for 36 yards, put the AFC ahead 14-7 with 1:40 remaining in the second quarter. The touchdown was set up by a 36-yard punt return by the Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill to the NFC 38.

“I thought the level of play was really good. It was really competitive,” said Dalton, the Cincinnati quarterback who completed 10 of 12 passes for 100 yards and one touchdown. “It came down

Photo courtesy of The Associated Press right to the end. You can’t ask for much more than that in any football game.”

It was a relatively low-scoring game that was defined by big defensive stops, which included a goal-line stand when Zach Brown stuffed Dallas rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott at the 1-yard line in the first quarter.

The play seemed to set the tone as both defenses gave up little against the run and put pressure on all of the quarterbacks, which has not always been the case in the Pro Bowl.

“We were having fun, but we were definitely out there competing, definitely play-

ing to win,” said Cousins, who led the NFC on the two fourth-quarter drives that ended with field goals but could not get the ball into the end zone. “Everybody was giving their all on both sides of the ball at the end. It made for an exciting finish.”

New Orleans’ Drew Brees completed 10 of 19 passes for 112 yards and one touchdown to Seattle’s Doug Baldwin to lead the NFC. Kansas City’s Alex Smith, the starter for the AFC, completed six of eight passes for 74 yards, including a 26-yard TD toss to Tennessee’s Delanie Walker early in the second quarter .

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Minnesota State University, Mankato

A&E

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

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Double-take film review: A Dog’s Purpose Drama perfectly describes the relationship between humans and dogs.

DAVID PARPART Staff Writer Warning: This review may contain mild spoilers.

“What is the meaning of life?” “Are we here for a reason?” “Is there a point to any of this?” These are the questions we ask and continue to ask on a daily basis. But in this film, we are looking through a dog’s perspective as he discovers his purpose in life over the course of several lifetimes with several different owners.

Josh Gad, who voiced Olaf in Frozen, voices the dog’s narrative. The film opens up with a litter of newborn puppies, one of them being Gad’s character. Unfortunately, his time as a puppy is shortened after being caught by animal control. He comes back into another litter of newborn puppies and, once he’s old enough, is put up for adoption. A man came to see all the dogs and took Gad out of the kennel, but put him back without fully locking the door.

So, Gad got out and got past the fence of the adoption place until a box fell on him and two grown men notice a box moving across the gravel. The two men take Gad as their own puppy. When they drive into town and get out of their truck to get some supplies, they leave Gad in the truck with no windows cracked or any water. This is where we meet Ethan and his

(CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) by home-ion mom who hear Gad whimpering because of the heat. So, Ethan’s mom breaks the window open and rescues Gad. Gad wakes up to find Ethan and his mom hovering over him, making sure that he’s okay. Ethan’s mom then talks to Ethan’s dad about keeping the dog. Ethan’s dad agrees and this is where Gad’s dog has a new name and his name is “Bailey”. Now, Bailey has a new purpose and it’s to be with Ethan.

Throughout the film, we, the audience, see Bailey and Ethan grow up together until Ethan prepares for college.

Once Ethan leaves, it has become Bailey’s time to leave as well. When Bailey comes back, he’s a new dog, a female dog actually named Ellie. Ellie is a police dog in the K-9 unit with a new purpose in life. Ellie then becomes a corgi named Tino for a woman named Maya. After, he then becomes Buddy, after

reuniting with Ethan, played

by Dennis Quaid, who’s older than when Bailey last saw him.

Though not the first life, the one that stuck with this dog’s spirit the most was his life as Bailey where he was rescued by a boy named Ethan. Ethan was the first human to form a close bond with him and named him Bailey, a name that stuck with this dog’s spirit until the very end.

Despite the TMZ videos and boycott threats, A Dog’s

Purpose still managed to pull in family audiences, which debuted at number two at the box office. A Dog’s Purpose is an awesome movie about a dog’s love for their human.

The movie literally portrays so many different ways that dogs are treated. The movie did an amazing job at building up raw emotion in a short amount of time, very similar to Marley and Me, another movie about dogs. The movie builds a human’s love for their dog and it really portrays how a dog is truly a man’s best friend. This movie is seriously the most incredible, heartwarming, lovely movie and all the dogs are beautiful. This movie describes the mutually beneficial relationship between humans and dogs in a way that reinforces how much these tolerant, playful, and loving companions give to their humans. This film could do a great deal to advance the welfare of dogs and other domestic animals worldwide.

The movie is highly supportive of animals and quite entertaining.

If you’re a person who currently has or ever had a close connection with a canine, A Dog’s Purpose will serve as a validation of feelings.

Reporter Rating

5 5

Despite protests over animal treatment on set, movie still enjoyable.

HEATHER SCHUSTER Staff Writer Warning: This review may contain spoilers.

The controversy behind A Dog’s Purpose started with a video of a German Shepard being forced into raging water and then shows the dog almost drowning while filming the movie. The video clearly shows that the dog does not want to go into the water and then the person pushes the dog in the water anyway. This has caused animal cruelty groups to protest the movie even though the filmmakers claim that the dog was never in any danger.

Despite this controversy, it didn’t alter my view of the movie while watching it. The editing made it look like the dog jumped in willingly. However, people probably won’t focus on it too much because (spoiler) the dog dies shortly after.

The movie is about a dog who questions the point of life while living multiple lives and going through many owners until he returns to his original owner. The theme of the film is what the meaning of life is. What I thought was interesting was that the filmmakers actually answer the question with the dog saying “the point is to have fun, save

someone, and be here now.”

The cinematography of A Dog’s Purpose is creative in that it shows the dog’s point of view. In addition, it shows the emotions of all the characters, not only the dog. The music also shows emotion like when sad music played whenever the dog’s life was going to end. Speaking about the dog, when thinking who the main character is, it is definitely the dog; he is almost like a human in a way they make like a character.

The dog goes through about five lives. The first life is a short-lived one. Then the second life begins, in which the dog is given the name

Bailey and that is where he is with the owner Ethan (played

by Dennis Quad as an adult).

During the dog’s other lives he is trying to get back to Ethan. The dog goes through two other lives until he reaches Ethan. What I like about this storyline is that it creates the idea that somewhere your pet that died is living and maybe someday your pet will make it back to you.

Another thing I thought was interesting was that the dog went through different lives with different owners such as a police officer, a college student/family and a young boy.

Another thing I liked was the humor of the dog, voiced by

Josh Gad, which makes sense since Gad is a comedic actor.

What I thought was cute in this film was the way the dog was being a matchmaker toward the end.

What I did not like too much were the scenes when the dog died throughout his lives because it made me feel sad for the characters.

When you come to see the film thinking it is going to be a happy and end up crying, you are a little surprised with your emotional response.

Reporter Rating

4 5

14 • MSU Reporter

A&E

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Double-take film review: Shyamalan’s Split James McAvoy shines in role as man with dissociative identity disorder.

CALEB HOLLDORF Staff Writer Multiple identities can serve as a deadly weapon of deception, which in Split, proves evident for both Kevin Wendell Krumb and his inner/outer adversaries. In fact, Split shines a whole different light on the clichéd term of being your own worst enemy, as well as what the true potential of the mind can be.

For this psycho thriller, suspense is established in the forefront of the film. In my opinion, this is helpful for M. Night Shyamalan, given the bipolarity of his received directorial career so many movie goers are aware of.

After a small party, a father with the company of his daughter and her two classmates prepare to go home.

The girls climb into the sedan, wait for the father to finish packing the trunk, and a silent stranger nonchalantly takes the driver’s seat.

Casey (one of the film’s three main characters) seems to have already sensed the peril that’s sure to ensue, her wide-eyed face is terrified, yet the two female’s sitting in the back fail to catch on via stating the obvious, “Sir, I think you have the wrong car.”

Proceeding to spray the girls with a sort of knockout spray, Dennis, the first iden-

(CC BY-SA 2.0) by Gage Skidmore tity the viewer is introduced to, takes them to his secluded underground lair, where much of the film is set.

Kevin Wendell Krumb is someone who has what is defined as dissociative identity disorder. Kevin possesses 23 identities with their own psychological and physiological characteristics. The movie revolves around the idea that a twenty-fourth underlying personality is coming to surface, and this serves as the

film’s main driving force.

Seeing someone who has the capacity to achieve multiple phenomena when they see it fit to pull those specific abilities out due to the circumstances of a situation, was a first for me. It was mind blowing how bodily chemistry could be altered based on which identity the mind took on.

The charisma of James McAvoy portraying the story’s primary catalyst does not

Second take: Shyamalan returns to former glory RACHAEL JAEGER Staff Writer Warning: This review contains spoilers.

So I have a confession.

M. Night Shyamalan is my favorite movie director and has been for a long time.

But after The Sixth Sense, he declined in my interest like he did many others. His films just have not lived up to their full potential—until now.

I know many were bothered with Signs, mostly because of the premise that aliens were supposed to be afraid of water, yet wouldn’t be able to live in Earth’s air.

But I did enjoy his use of symbolism, his characters’ developments and the imagination he used throughout it all. To me, the glass of water showed how a simple and coincidental action has the power to resolve life’s complexities and encourage

more faith when you believe you have lost it.

I have a few friends who appreciate The Village (emphasis on few). This is where I started to dislike Shyamalan.

As an audience, we wait for the monsters to be revealed but then we discover that the monsters are actually residents from the nearby city. The city is located not far from where the cult in the woods thrived.

In The Happening, I actually enjoyed the mystery of not knowing what triggered people to kill each other or themselves. When Shyamalan ended with an image of a flower sprouting, I believed it stirred more imagination for a person to reflect on their own life.

But what I see in Shyamalan, he has attempted to explore the impossible and nothing is what you expect it to be, even if you think you might know. He has overworked that formula to

death by throwing in twists that make no sense.

Split contains two distinct storylines that mesh together well. The first shot opens with a scene of a girl standing in the corner and talking on her phone while at a party. Her vehicle has broken down and despite her protests, the father of one of her friends helps her with a ride. But as they settle into the vehicle, an unknown person who approaches from the camera side, knocks the father unconscious.

From there, we wonder who the kidnapper is.

Throughout the movie, Shyamalan stuns his audience by slowly revealing plot twists through use of images and flashbacks instead of springing surprises on us out

SPLIT

page 15

for a moment disappoint, not in the slightest. His acting was done exceptionally well and this film reminds us just what his acting talent is capable of.

In taking on the role of multiple identities, McAvoy performs the little quirks that go into each, making each identity unique to near perfection. For the identity of Hedwig, his scattered braininess epitomizes that of a 9 year-old, especially when he

squats and waddles like a duck. Patricia, a holy mother with a happy fake smile sends eerie tingles down the spine of the viewer. The list goes on and the identities are equally flavorful one after the other.

The assisted young talent from co-actress Anya Taylor-Joy (playing the role of Casey) should also be noted, for her character’s dark past can be felt simply through her hopeless eyes.

There is a puzzle for the viewer to figure out and, with pieces being scattered throughout, the last one is picked up at the end. Split pulls the viewer in with small sparks of awe that ignite a curiosity in the viewer, refusing to go away, even when the credit screen roles.

For the best result of your viewing pleasure, I suggest going into the movie with no expectations. Not saying you’ll be let down if you don’t, but if you’ve seen M. Night Shyamalan’s previous films (The Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable, to name a few), his resume isn’t exactly stacked with the ammunition that is needed to have a sure fire satisfying movie experience.

But I think this film is worth the watch, for it is thought provoking and sticks with you for a couple days.

Reporter Rating

4 5

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Actor John Hurt dies at 77 Oscar nominee starred in Elephant Man, Harry Potter.

Photo courtesy of The Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — The versatile actor Sir John Hurt, who could move audiences to tears in “The Elephant Man,” terrify them in “Alien,” and spoof that very same scene in “Spaceballs,” has died. He was 77.

Hurt, who battled pancreatic cancer, died Friday in London according to his agent Charles McDonald.

Twice nominated for an Oscar for playing the tortured John Merrick in David Lynch’s “The Elephant Man” and for his role as the heroin addict Max in “Midnight Express,” Hurt’s career spanned over 50 years. After minor television and film appearances, his breakout came in 1966 as Richard Rich in Fred Zinnemann’s “A Man For All Seasons,” followed by his portrayal of Caligula in the BBC miniseries “I, Claudius” in 1976.

The wiry Hurt brought gravitas to Alan Parker’s 1978 film “Midnight Express,” for which he received a supporting actor Oscar nomination (he lost to Christopher Walken for “The Deer Hunter”) and an uneasy humor to Kane in Ridley Scott’s “Alien,” immortalized by his disturbing death scene, which Mel Brooks later poked fun at with Hurt’s help in “Spaceballs.”

“It was terribly sad today to learn of John Hurt’s passing,” Mel Brooks wrote on Twitter. “He was a truly magnificent talent.”

Hurt is unrecognizable in perhaps his most memorable role as the lead in David Lynch’s “The Elephant Man.” He endured eight hours in the makeup chair daily to transform into John Merrick.

The elaborate mask prohibited him from sleeping lying down or even eating while

MSU Reporter • 15

A&E

it was on. His would eat his last meal midmorning as the mask was being applied — usually raw eggs mixed in orange juice — and not again until after midnight.

“To be quite honest, the film was misery to make because of the physical problems, so if it’s working I’m jumping for joy,” Hurt said in a 1980 interview. Hurt did score a lead actor Oscar nomination for the role, but lost out to Robert De Niro’s performance in “Raging Bull.”

Hurt was also a prolific voice actor, appearing as Hazel in the animated “Watership Down,” and as Ara-

gorn in Ralph Bakshi’s “The Lord of the Rings.” He also voiced The Horned King in “The Black Cauldron” and provided the narration for “Dogville.”

In the “Harry Potter” films, Hurt played the wand-maker Mr. Ollivander. In recent years, he appeared in notable fare such as “Melancholia,” ‘’Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” ‘’Only Lovers Left Alive” and “Snowpiercer.”

“We’re all just passing time, and occupy our chair very briefly,” Hurt said in a 2015 interview while undergoing treatments for the early stage cancer.

SPLIT Continued from page 14 of nowhere. For instance, Casey’s mind takes us back in time to when her uncle talks to her and her dad about having buck fever. From there, a theme develops of vulnerability and the hunted and its prey.

Shyamalan also plays with the idea of how certain, but specific, situations in your childhood affect who you become as you transition to other stages in your life. If adults have evoked guilt in you from a young age, even if you have a sense of what they are doing is wrong, you have a tendency to hide yourself.

The movie ended with a note on how the broken are strong, which is a really strong resonating theme once you have watched the entire film, especially when you discover a deeper side to the kidnapper’s story. You are conflicted with whether you should feel sorry for him or you want him dead.

Deep inside I had a feverish hope burning inside of me that Shyamalan would make a comeback.

This movie is it.

His ideas were sound in his previous films, but after The Sixth Sense, it felt like he tried too hard to maintain the same

success in his sequential movies, but failed miserably. Split is the movie where I saw he took his time to think through how he wanted his movie angled to convey his themes and emotions. If you have not seen it yet, I would highly recommend that you go as soon as you can, especially if you love thrillers.

During the first two weekends of its showing, Split has scored $101 million internationally on a $9 million budget, according to Terri Schwartz, an Entertainment Editor at IGN. Shyamalan had planned to fit Split as part of Unbreakable when it released Nov. 14, 2000, but he believed that James McAvoy’s character wouldn’t fit because he was playing too many characters.

“I never know what’s going to happen when I get in the room alone and start writing. So that’s the only reason it can’t be a promise. I may fail myself, and I don’t get inspired by doing sequels. What I like is the unknown, when I don’t know what I’m writing,” Shyamalan told Birth.Movies.Death on Jan. 28.

Reporter Rating

5 5

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Interested applicants can fill out application online at www.elmhomes.org or contact Mandy at (507) 835-1146 M-F, 8:30a-4:00p.

AA/EOE.

16 • MSU Reporter

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