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Minnesota State University, Mankato
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TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2017
Minnesota State mourns the loss of two Mavericks Mankato campus saddened by passing of Adam Ellingson and Megan Bening. NICOLE SCHMIDT News Editor The Minnesota State University, Mankato student body will be two less after the deaths of Adam Ellingson and Megan Elizabeth Bening this past week. Adam Ellingson, 20, passed away Jan. 31 due to gastroenteritis complicated by respiratory arrest. Ellingson was a second-year student-athlete in the MNSU baseball program. Megan Elizabeth Bening, 22, passed away Jan. 28 in Rapid City, South Dakota. Bening passed away after experiencing a spontaneous brain hemorrhage while skiing. Those who knew Ellingson and Bening remember the impact they had in all aspects of their lives. Minnesota State Director of Athletics Kevin Buisman issued a statement, saying, “It is with a heavy heart that Maverick Athletics announces the passing of one of its own, as we are deeply saddened by the loss of Adam Ellingson—a second-year student-athlete in our baseball program. In Adam’s relatively short time on our campus and with our program, he had
Adam Ellingson (left) and Megan Elizabeth Bening (right). already made a significant impact and was successful both on the field and in the classroom. Adam modeled the attributes of commitment, passion, and leadership and he will certainly be missed by his teammates and coaches who will honor his memory in moving forward. As an athletic department and University, we extend our
deepest condolences to Adam’s family and friends, and all others affected by this tragic loss.” MNSU head baseball coach Matt Magers also issued a statement, saying, “We are all deeply saddened by Adam’s loss. He represented all of the qualities we look for in a Maverick Baseball student-athlete.”
Bureau 507, Bening’s place of employment, released a statement in light of her loss. “As a team we are shocked by this awful news. We are a mob, a family and within families there is a time for everything, there is a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance! Today we weep
and mourn,” it stated. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her parents, Allan and Jean Bening and her guide dog Cori.” Ellingson joined the MNSU baseball program after graduating in 2015 from Rochester Lourdes High School, where he was a successful baseball and football player. He was a three-year letterman as a catcher and pitcher for the Eagles, and he also captured a Minnesota state high school AAA championship as a member of the Lourdes football team in 2014. Ellingson enjoyed mathematics and hoped to complete a degree in actuarial science. Bening attended Sibley East High School before attending MNSU, where she graduated with a B.S. degree in Computer Information Technology. Bening was also a User Experience Manager at MNSU’s Bureau 507 and was working toward her Master’s degree. According to her obituary, she loved to ski, sky dive, and spend time with her family and friends. Funerals for Bening and Ellingson were held Feb. 4 and Feb. 6, respectively.
New University Dining Hall officially christened at ceremony Vendors and businesses welcomed to MNSU for tasty ribbon cutting.
ALISSA THIELGES Staff Writer The ribbon cutting ceremony for the new University Dining Hall took
place Friday, Feb. 3, officially welcoming all of the vendors and businesses who took part in the construction of the new building. The ceremony began with opening remarks from Minnesota State University, Mankato’s president Richard Davenport, followed by speeches from Dr. David Jones, vice president for student affairs and enrollment
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management; Faical Rayani, student president of the Minnesota State Student Association (MSSA); Alysia Przybilla, student president of MNSU’s Residence Hall Association (RHA); and Cindy Janney, director of Residential Life. To celebrate in a style fit for a dining hall, the ceremonial “ribbon” that was cut was actually a cake in the
MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY MANKATO
shape of a ribbon, created in the dining hall’s own bakery. Many of the speakers mentioned the importance of student involvement in not only the creation process of the dining hall, but also the funding of it as well. The building was funded by a student revenue fund, which consists of money from student’s room and board fees.
“This building could not be possible if it wasn’t for the students,” President Davenport said. “I want to recognize that students have been involved in the design, planning, and financial
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Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Gamma Phi Beta hosts Moonball volleyball tournament
LUKE LARSON Staff Writer The Gamma Phi Beta sorority hosted a “Moonball” volleyball tournament last Saturday in the Schellberg Gym. The competition featured twelve teams, most of which represented other MNSU Greek Life organizations, playing singleelimination matches. The event was organized in order to raise money for Girls on the Run, a cause that works to “inspire
girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running,” according to their website, www.girlsontherun. org. The Moonball tournament is not the first time Gamma Phi Beta has been involved with Girls on the Run. “We train girls from grades three to five for ten weeks to run a 5K,” says Becca Schenck, a member of Gamma Phi Beta who works with the program. “It’s to build their confidence, because so many girls starting around third grade begin to lose their confidence.” “A lot of our sisters will volunteer to be coaches for the Girls on the Run program,”
Photos courtesy of Gamma Phi Beta says senior Haley Severson, the Moonball coordinator. “We really believe in building strong girls [and] we want to build them into being confident women and powerful women.” $600 were raised through the tournament’s team registration alone, in addition to a raffle that was held to generate further proceeds. “100 percent of it” will be donated to Girls on the Run, says Schenck. Severson explains that the Moonball tournament event wasn’t just limited to MNSU. “[Gamma Phi International] encouraged us all to start a new philanthropic event called “Moonball,” and we could choose between a volleyball, basketball, or kickball tournament. Our chapter chose to do
Gamma Phi Beta is pictured above.
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volleyball. It’s our first event on campus,” he said. The name is derived from the sorority’s symbol, the crescent moon, says Gamma Phi Beta member Monica Waite. Gamma Phi Beta announced the tournament’s grand champion as “Phi Kappa Strike,” a team representing the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. Each winner received a Scheels gift card as a prize. After the event, Gamma Phi Beta posted to their Facebook page saying, “Our first Moonball event was a HUGE success! Thanks to all of the teams who participated and people who supported us! We appreciate you so much and couldn’t have done it without every single one of you!”
Continued from page 1 support for this building, this university dining center. So this is their center.” One of the concepts that was key in the design was the idea of “food moving forward,” or “food forward,” according to Davenport. This means that the food being served is prepared right in front of the students. “It’s a big change in the way our students select their food,” Davenport said. “They are eating healthier because they can see all the options that are out there and they can watch all the food being prepared and cut up right in front of them.” Janney “geeked out” during her speech about the building’s sustainability features, which include
composting, LED lighting, daylight harvesting, heat reclaiming systems, variable speed fans and overhead hoods, and the reusing of gray water. She highlighted food waste and composting as one of the areas where the new building has already seen vast improvements in just the first month of operation. “Last year, the old resident dining operation produced 26 bags of trash each day. Big bags of trash, the stuff that would go into the dumpster,” she said. “This university dining center has reduced that daily stream to two bags of trash, plus two bins of pulp organic materials that will get composted.” Janney also stated that more students were eating
in the new dining hall by 2 p.m. every day than had eaten all day in the old building. These “snapshots” capture the success of the project, said Janney. Davenport and Jones emphasized that the modern features and sustainability features make the new dining hall a model for all of other dining halls across the U.S. “I’m not exaggerating,” Davenport said. “I’ve talked to architects and lots of other folks and, believe me, they plan to use this center as an example of a center for the future for institutions around the country. We’re proud that our students led the effort at getting this to us.”
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Tuesday, February 7, 2017
LUKE LARSON Staff Writer Last Wednesday’s student senate meeting began with a moment of silence in honor of MNSU student Adam Ellingson, who died unexpectedly last week. An article in honor of Adam’s life can be seen in this edition of the Reporter. Presentations were then given by Student Events Team, organizers of the upcoming MACURH conference, and Leadership U. Alex Wieland and Bradin Schmidt of Student Events Team gave a recap of the group’s events last semester and a preview of what is to come this semester. Among other events, Student Events Team hosted Inflatable 5K, Taxes 101, Foam Party, and Cosmic Bingo, all of which were considered successes. Among the highlights for this spring semester are an electronic dance music festival, Kato Ninja Warrior, and Stomper’s Film Festival. Student Events Team is a student-run organization. More information can be found at https://www.mnsu. edu/studenteventsteam/. Gracie Smith and Kate Schmit spoke on the upcoming Midwest Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (MACURH) Regional
Business Conference that will be hosted on campus from Feb. 10-12. Smith is chair of the event and Schmit is vice-chair. MACURH is a regional affiliate of NACURH (the National Association of College and University Residence Halls). NACURH’s mission statement, found on www. nacurh.org, is as follows: “As an organization, NACURH empowers, motivates, and equips residence hall leaders by providing them with skills and resources in order for them to excel and positively impact their campus communities.” MACURH organizes three conferences a year. This is the first conference MNSU has been awarded since 2009. Conference activities will take place in the CSU. The keynote speakers will be Carla Blomberg of the Wishes and More Foundation and former champion basketball head coach Angie Lee. Registration is closed for attendance, but many volunteer opportunities were available as of last Wednesday’s senate meeting. The conference will be Dr. Seuss-themed. More information on the conference can be found on its OrgSync page. Stephen Kopelke of Leadership U encouraged RSOs to participate in the “31 question challenge” as a way to “spotlight their organization.” Kopelke explains that Leadership U “offers free leadership training to all MSU students.” Senator and executive board reports were then
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given. Senator Alex Lucier is a member of the President’s Commission on Diversity. He noted that the Commission intends to update MNSU’s diversity statement which has remained unchanged since 2004. He noted that there is also talk of extracurricular diver sit y gr aduation requirements, the idea of a “sanctuary campus”, and a climate study update. Senate vice president Maria Ruiz noted that there are two spots for students on the President’s Commission on Diversity. The senate passed the consent agenda, which included five items totaling $2,050. $400 was allocated to Mudworks for travel to the National Council on Education for Ceramic Arts in Portland, Oregon. $700 was allocated to the Student Art League for travel to various museums in Chicago. $550 was allocated to Sigma Chi for travel to their Province Seminar in Fargo. $400 went to the School Psychology Society for travel to the School Psychology Association’s Mid-winter Conference in Plymouth. A recommended allocation of
$3,000 was removed from the consent agenda for special discussion. The Veterans Club would use the money to offer events for members in the upcoming academic year, including movies, graduation socials, speakers, travel to veterans job fairs, and travel to Veterans on the Hill. The motion passed without opposition. President Faical Rayani stated “there are over 700 veterans on our campus [and] that is well above what I believe a student population should be before services are offered to them. There is a director of Hmong affairs and Latino affairs [and] the numbers of those students are close to 700. Veterans are underserved on our campus.” President Faical Rayani announced that a committee tasked with dealing with the RSO registration process has been organized. President Rayani sent out an email with FAQs regarding the President’s executive order as well as an email with contact information for the Minnesota Attorney General, who has reached out to Minnesota State schools offering assistance
to affected students. Vice President Maria Ruiz went into some depth on President Trump’s executive order which has temporarily suspended travel from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Yemen, Libya, and Somalia. She notes that there are fourteen students on campus from six of the seven countries and that the Kearney International Center is in contact with all of them. She mentioned that President Davenport participated in a conference call with other Minnesota State university presidents and Chancellor Steven Rosenstone. President Davenpor t forwarded a message from Chancellor Rosenstone in an email sent to all staff and students which stated that “in light of the heightened national immigration debate over recent days and weeks, I want to underscore our steadfast commitment to ensuring that our campuses will remain safe and welcoming places of inclusion, hope, and
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Tuesday, February 7, 2017 EMAIL THE EMAIL THE EDITOR CHIEF: EDITOR IN IN CHIEF:
The necessity of the American sick day 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
SPRING FALL 2015 2017 EDITOR IN IN CHIEF: CHIEF: EDITOR Matthew Eberline..................389-5454 Rae Frame.............................389-5454
NICOLE SCHMIDT News Editor Living in Minnesota during the winter is just asking for a cold. Between temperatures dropping below zero and the endless sniffles and coughs in class, getting a bug is almost as common as getting bit by a mosquito in the summer. In fact, more people are getting sick this year as compared to previous years, according to an article from Minnesota.CBSLocal.com. This is very apparent when walking through campus and seeing sniffling students.
NEWS EDITOR: NEWS EDITOR: Nicole Schmidt......................389-5450 Nicole Schmidt.......................389-5450 SPORTS EDITOR: SPORTS EDITOR: Tommy Wiita. ....................................... Luke Lonien............................389-5227 A&E EDITOR: Gabe Hewitt........................................ VARIETY EDITOR: Matthew Eberline................... 389-5157 ADVERTISING SALES: 389-1079 Mark Mitchell........................ ADVERTISING SALES: TravisBoehmer........................389-5097 Meyer.........................389-5097 Mac Brandon Poliszuk....................389-5453 389-1063 Mitchell Favor....................... Josh Crew..............................389-5451 Carter Olson.........................389-5453 Jacob Wyffels........................ 389-6765 Connor Daly......................... 389-6765
(CC BY 2.0) by Leonid Mamchenkov is unique to us at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Americans typically have a stereotype for avoiding sick days in order to be “hard workers” that will not miss a chance to work. This attitude
“Between temperatures dropping below zero and the endless sniffles and coughs in class, getting a bug is almost as common as getting bit by a mosquito in the summer.” When you get sick, classes, work, and everyday activities can seem like a huge task, but oftentimes we find ourselves dragging ourselves to work and class, and this feeling is not something that
has lead the U.S. to be one of the few developed nations that doesn’t have paid sick leave by law, according to an article from BBC News. This is a highly different route for caring for employees as
Pulse
compared to other nations around the world. For example, Sweden, France, and Denmark all offer 25 days of paid leave according to the same article from BBC News. Think about that. 25 days if needed! While working through sickness may sound good in theory and make Americans appear “tough,” one may call into question the efficiency of going to work while sick. We’ve all been there. It’s hard to focus and get work done while sick in the office, and oftentimes we leave feeling worse than if we would have just stayed home to try to recover. Sickness leads to less productivity almost every time. In my opinion, it’s time businesses look at the efficiency of allowing fewer sick days. The health of its
workers is something that shouldn’t be looked at as an area of profit, but rather as an area of real concern and improvement. Not only do sick days need to be reevaluated by businesses, but by people as well. Oftentimes, a sense of guilt from missing or not doing enough is worse than the feeling of being sick at work. While you may feel bad for awhile, your health is more important. Overall, the U.S. needs some work when it comes to sick days, both on the business end and on the psychological end. What do you think about taking sick days? Tweet at us using the hashtag “#SickDayMSU.
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POLICIES & INFO • If you have a complaint, suggestion or would or would likelike to point to point outout an an error error made made in the in the Reporter, Reporter, callcall Editor Editor in Chief in Chief Matthew Rae Eberline Frame atat 507-389-5454. 507-389-5454. The The Reporter Reporter will will correct correct any any errors errors of fact of fact or misspelled or misspelled names in this space. Formal grievances against the Reporter are handled by the Newspaper Board. • The Minnesota State University Mankato Reporter is a student-run newspaper published twice a week, coming out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Reporter generates 78 percent of its own income through advertising and receives approximately 22 percent from Student Activities fees. The Reporter is free to all students and faculty, but to start a subscription, please call us at 507-389-1776. Subscriptions for the academic school year are $55.00 and subscribers will receive the paper within three to five days after publishing. • Letters exceeding 400 words may not be accepted. The Reporter reserves the right to edit letters to fit space or correct punctuation. The Reporter reserves the right to publish, or not publish, at its discretion. Letters must contain year, major or affiliation with the university, or lack thereof. All letters must contain phone numbers for verification purposes. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THE MSU REPORTER ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OR STUDENT BODY.
“What was your favorite Super Bowl commercial?”
Compiled by Nicole Schmidt
THE AMAZING KIRBY MASS MEDIA
KAYLA JENSEN GRAPHIC DESIGN
HANNAH ROSKAMP MASS MEDIA
DEREK HERZOG DANCE
YARI HERNANDEZ SOCIAL WORK
“The Tide commercial.”
“The Melissa McCarthy one for Kia.”
“The Mr. Clean one.”
“Melissa McCarthy.”
“The 84 Lumber one. I liked the immigration theme.”
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
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Trump: Allow those into U.S. who ‘want to love our country’ MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump vowed Monday to allow only people who “want to love our country” into the United States, defending his immigration and refugee restrictions as he made his first visit to the headquarters for U.S. Central Command. Trump reaffirmed his support for NATO before military leaders and troops and laced his speech with references to homeland security amid a court battle over his travel ban on people from seven majority-Muslim countries. He did not directly mention the case now before a federal appeals court after a lower court temporarily suspended the ban. “We need strong programs” so that “people that love us and want to love our country and will end up loving our country are allowed in” and those who “want to destroy us and destroy our country” are kept out, Trump said. “Freedom, security and justice will prevail,” Trump added. “We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism and we will not allow it to take root in our country. We’re not going to allow it.” Trump touched upon various alliances in his remarks, noting, “we strongly support NATO.” He spoke Sunday with
Photo courtesy of The Associated Press NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. A White House statement said the two “discussed how to encourage all NATO allies to meet their defense spending commitments,” and also talked about the crisis in Ukraine and security challenges facing NATO countries. Trump once dismissed the trans-Atlantic military alliance as “obsolete,” and said he would decide whether to protect NATO countries against Russian aggression based on whether those countries “have fulfilled their obligations to us.” Speaking as commander in chief, Trump repeated his promises to defeat “radical
Islamic terrorists” but provided no specifics on any policy changes he wants in the fight against the Islamic State. He complained about media coverage of terrorist attacks, suggesting there were many attacks going intentionally unreported by the media. Asked for evidence to support that claim, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said he would provide a list, but did not do so immediately. Earlier, Trump sat down for lunch with a room full of troops in fatigues from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, as well as senior members of his White House staff.
Super Bowl ads normally avoid politics, but not this year NEW YORK (AP) — Messages about America, inclusiveness — and, yes, even “four years of awful hair” — kept bubbling up in Super Bowl 51 ads from Airbnb, the NFL and a line of personal care products. But there was still plenty of escapism and light humor for those who weren’t into the politics. As the New England Patriots edged out the Atlantic Falcons on the field in Houston, Airbnb touted inclusiveness with an ad showing faces of different ethnicities and the copy: “We all belong. The world is more beautiful the more you accept.” Coca-Cola aired a previously run ad during the pregame show in which people sing “America the Beautiful” in different languages. And Budweiser ran a 60-second spot chronicling co-founder Adolphus Busch’s migration
from Germany to St. Louis in 1857, prompting some critics to start a boycott campaign on Twitter. Even a hair care brand dipped into politics: The “It’s a 10” hair brand indirectly referenced President Donald Trump’s famously unruly do in its Super Bowl spot. It’s tough to be a Super Bowl advertiser, period. But this year, a divisive political climate has roiled the nation since Trump took office in January, making it even tougher for advertisers. Advertisers who paid $5 million for 30 seconds had to walk the line with ads that appealed to everyone and didn’t offend. Some were more successful than others. “Anxiety and politics just loom over this game, so anybody who gives us the blessed relief of entertaining with a real Super Bowl commercial wins,” said Mark DiMassimo, CEO of the ad agency DiMassimo
Goldstein. Several ads aimed for just that. Tide, for instance, offered a humorous ad showing announcer Terry Bradshaw trying frantically to remedy a stain while his antics go “viral” online, with the help of New England Patriot Rob Gronkowski and actor Jeffrey Tambor. WALKING THE POLITICAL LINE “Brands used to worry about whether their ad could be interpreted as right or wrong,” said Kelly O’Keefe, a marketing professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. “Now they have to worry about whether it will be interpreted as right or left.” Plenty of ads walked that
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Trump made small talk with some of the soldiers, discussing everything from football to military careers. “Gonna make it a career?” Trump asked one person. “C’mon, you have to stay,” he urged another. Trump also hailed New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, saying he “cemented his place” in football history after his fifth Super Bowl win Sunday. Trump stopped at the base on the way back to Washington after his first weekend away from the White House. Trump spent the weekend at his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, with first lady Melania Trump, who had not appeared in public since shortly after her husband took office. At MacDill, the president was briefed by CENTCOM and SOCOM leaders. A number of his advisers, including Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Michael Flynn, Trump’s national security adviser, also attended. Trump met with Florida Gov. Rick Scott before delivering his remarks, telling the crowd at CENTCOM that Scott’s endorsement of his candidacy for president “makes him a better friend of mine,” adding that with those who don’t offer their endorsement, “it’s never quite the same.” CENTCOM oversaw a recent raid by U.S. special operations forces on an al-Qaida compound in Yemen, the first military operation authorized by Trump. A Navy SEAL, Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator William “Ryan” Owens, 36, of Peoria, Illinois, was killed, making him the first known U.S. combat casualty under Trump. Three other U.S. service members were wounded in the operation. More than half a dozen suspected militants and more than a dozen civilians were also killed, including the 8-year-old daughter of Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical cleric and U.S. citizen who was targeted and killed in 2011 by a U.S. drone strike. Trump made no mention of Owens or the raid in Yemen during his remarks Monday, but he paid recognition to the sacrifices of American military families and the spouses of American soldiers, vowing his support to those who risk their lives for the country. “We protect those who protect us, and we will never, ever let you down,” he said.
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Tuesday, February 7, 2017
MSSA
Continued from page 3 opportunity for all students and employees.” Ruiz noted that since MNSU is a public institution, it will not be possible to become a sanctuary campus. Ruiz celebrated the success of MSSA’s tabling efforts in the CSU. Eighty-four students came by MSSA’s table and signed up to learn more about MSSA. Ruiz also noted that fifteen delegates from MNSU are needed for this Friday’s upcoming Students United conference. Students United acts as the overarching student government body for all Minnesota State schools. Speaker Fred de Ruiter mentioned in his report that work is being done to replace ISRS, the Minnesota State database system. De Ruiter emphasized that the system is “in severe need of change.” Senator Jon Smith gave an
update on an investigation that is being done into expansion of MNSU security services off-campus. She mentioned that there has been talk of offering the Safe Walk program off-campus, but that the idea may be an unfeasible mess of red tape. Promoters of the proposed expansion of the Maverick Adventures program were asked about their plans for the program. The expansion would greatly increase the amount of services offered by the program and would cost the university $250,000 annually. They argued that Maverick Adventures will help with university retention rates and will provide students with an opportunity to meet new people. They said that the success of the indoor rock-climbing wall has provided inspiration for the establishment of an outdoor
rental program. Once initiated, they plan to promote the program through social media, digital signage, and advertisements on gym workout stations. Maverick Adventures would employ two full-time staff members. It was mentioned that an outdoor rental program existed at MNSU several decades ago, but that it was discontinued when its leader left the university. One major issue that was discussed at the meeting was the question of where Maverick Adventures’ rental equipment would be stored. Options include Pennington Hall and the basement of the new Clinical Sciences building, but nothing has been finalized. Discussion on the planned creation of a meditation space on campus was also held. A motion was passed
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to email a survey to students to gauge their thoughts on the idea. Speaker de Ruiter reluctantly opened the floor to a fifteen-minute open discussion of President Trump’s recent executive order that contained no specific plan of action. The general consensus of the senate was one of opposition to the order. Vice President Ruiz notes that a vigil will be held this Wednesday in opposition to the president’s policies. In an announcement for the vigil sent to all students yesterday, Ruiz wrote that “instead of fear, we come together and light candles in resistance and love. We redefine security as care, support, and protection for each other. We stand in solidarity with our undocumented, DACA-mented, DREAMER, Muslim and refugee students and faculty and the greater community because kindness, dignity, and protection of all
people are at the heart of every Maverick.” University vice president David Jones spoke to the senate saying that a similar conversation of President Trump’s policies is being had in MNSU’s administration. Jones said that there is fear among the administration over how to act. If MNSU were to stand with its values and resist the president’s policies, he said, “there would be consequences.” Jones added that research is being done into what those consequences would be as well as what the impact would be if travel were to be banned from all Muslim countries. In final announcements, it was noted that two campus tour guide positions are open for this summer as well as an internship position for Around Campus Media, the group that puts together the MNSU student planners.
Continued from page 5 line. An NFL spot conveyed what all advertisers hope the Super Bowl becomes: a place where Americans can come together. “Inside these lines, we may have our differences, but recognize there’s more that unites us,” Forest Whitaker intoned in a voiceover as workers prepped a football field and gridiron scenes played. “The Super Bowl is shaping up as a counterpoint to the divisiveness in the United States,” said Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University. Airbnb’s ad was one of the more overtly political, showing a variety of different faces with the tagline “We accept.” Some thought the ad was a hit. “Kudos to them for making a strong statement,” said O’Keefe. But others, such as Villanova University marketing professor Charles Taylor, thought it didn’t have a clear enough link to the brand and risked coming off as a “purely political statement. Budweser drew some criticism for the immigration theme of its ad, including calls on Twitter to boycott the brewer. That fostered debate — and banter — online, particularly over one hashtag that misspelled the company’s name, #boycottbudwiser. Other advertisers took
the safest route possible by re-airing ads they’ve used before — an unusual, though not unprecedented, move. Coca-Cola, Google and Fiji water all aired rerun ads. During the pre-game show, Coca-Cola ran “It’s Beautiful,” an ad featuring people around the country drinking the fizzy beverage and singing “America the Beautiful” in different languages. SURPRISES A debut Super Bowl spot by the “It’s a 10” hair care brand introduced its line of men’s products by joking about Donald Trump’s hair. “America, we’re in for four years of awful hair, so it’s up to you to do your part by making up for it with great hair,” went a voiceover state as black-and-white photos of people with a wide array of hairstyles flashed by. “Do your part. ... Let’s make sure these next four years are ‘It’s a 10.’” Snickers got press by airing a live ad In the third quarter. On a Wild West set, actor Adam Driver seemed not to know the ad was live — and then the set fell apart (on purpose). “You ruin live Super Bowl commercials when you’re hungry,” the ad’s tagline read. “It went by so fast, I almost missed it,” DiMassimo said. “Not sure it was worth the trouble of doing it live.” LIGHT HUMOR PLUS
CELEBS Ads with light humor and stuffed with celebrities were popular. Honda’s ad made a splash by animating the yearbook photos of nine celebrities ranging from Tina Fey to Viola Davis. They make fun of their photos — Jimmy Kimmel is dressed in a blue tux and holding a clarinet, for example — and talk about “The Power of Dreams,” Honda’s ad slogan. “It was a really good message and it was entertaining,” said Mirta Desir, a New Orleans native who works in education and was watching the game on Long Island. The Tide ad with Terry Bradshaw was a hit with some viewers because of the way it tricked viewers into thinking it was part of the broadcast. “It made you think twice,” said Pablo Rochat, watching in Atlanta. “There was funny dialogue and good storytelling.” T-Mobile’s spots — which featured Justin Bieber and Rob Gronkowski dancing , Kristen Schaal in a “50 Shades of Grey” parody and Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg mixing talk about T-Mobile’s unlimited data plan with innuendo about Snoop’s marijuana habit, won raves from some — as did an ad from antioxidant drink maker Bai featuring Justin Timberlake and Christopher Walken.
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MSU Reporter • 7
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
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Minnesota State University, Mankato
Sports Editor Tommy Wiita
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Patriots face unthinkable deficit, win Super Bowl LI Atlanta held a 25-point lead, but Tom Brady and New England had other plans.
COLT JOHNSON Staff Writer New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady solidified his name as the greatest quarterback in NFL history with his record-breaking fifth Super Bowl title – the most ever by a quarterback in a career. Coming into Sunday’s Big Game, New England sat as the heavy favorites to win. The story was set: Brady’s offense and the number-one scoring defense in football against the NFL’s MVP, Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan and the number one offense in football. As history has shown, defense comes up big in championship games, yet that wasn’t the driving force to the Patriots’ victory. In the seven Super Bowls before Sunday’s matchup,
Photo courtesy of The Associated Press New England quarterback Tom Brady showed his excitement after winning Super Bowl LI, his fifth Super Bowl victory, which ranks as the most all-time. second quarter, Patriots’ running back LeGarrette Blount fumbled at Atlanta’s 29-yard line. Atlanta’s Deion Jones recovered the loose ball, and the Falcons offense took over with decent field position. On the ensuing drive, the Falcons drove the ball downfield and scored on a 5-yard touchdown run by Falcons’
“The story was set: Brady’s offense and the number-one scoring defense in football against the NFL’s MVP, Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan and the number one offense in football.” the NFL’s top-scoring defense had won six of the last seven Super Bowls in which the best offense and defense face each other. The odds were on the Patriots’ side before the game started and history has shown to be their friend, but early on in the game it wasn’t looking good for the four-time Super Bowl champions. New England started the game with the ball going three-and-out, punting the ball. The Patriots and the Falcons would trade threeand-outs, punch-for-punch on several drives. Then with about two minutes into the
running back Devonta Freeman, for the first score of the game. Atlanta went 71 yards on five plays for the score and the floodgates opened. The Patriots would immediately go three-and-out again, punting the ball to the Falcon’s 38-yard line. The Falcons went 62-yards on just five plays going downfield, seemingly at will and scored on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Ryan to Austin Hooper. The game was pushed to 14-0 Falcons lead and the Patriots’ backs were against the wall. Brady was back on the field and the Patriots seemed
determined to put points on the board. New England was in Atlanta-territory after a 12-play, 52-yard drive when Brady threw an interception for a pick-six, extending the game to 21-0 Atlanta. With just over two minutes left to play in the first half, the game seemed all but over. New England was able to kick a field goal on the drive after, but with the score 21-3 at half and Atlanta getting the ball back, the game looked to be up in wraps. The Falcons dominated the first half and more of the same was expected to start off the third quarter. After each team punted the ball, the Falcons scored on a 6-yard touchdown pass by Ryan to Tevin Coleman extending the game to 28-3. With little hope left, Brady took the field again ready to take on the biggest comebacks in Super Bowl history. That drive, the Patriots scored on 5-yard touchdown pass from Brady to running back James White. New England’s defense started to show up in the second half, not allowing the Falcons to score on a single drive after that. Not a moment too late, as the Patriots’ offense was settling into a groove as well. The Patriots kicked a field goal and then scored a touchdown on the next two drives, tying up the game with two converted two-point attempts making it 28-28. The Falcons failed to do anything with the few seconds they had left on the clock, so the
Super Bowl went into overtime for the first time in NFL history. New England won the coin toss and began with the ball in overtime. If there’s one thing most NFL teams have ac-
of spreading the ball around, but his main recipients were Julian Edelman and White. Edelman made five catches for 87 yards (including a miraculous catch in the second half), and White caught 14 balls for 110 yards and a touchdown. White also ran for 29 yards and two touchdowns, giving him a total of three for the game. For the Falcons, Ryan threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns, completing 17 of 23 passes. Julio Jones led Atlanta in receiving yards with 87 yards, tight-end Hooper and running back Coleman each came down with a touchdown reception. On the ground, Freeman ran for 75 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Though the Falcons had the lead for the majority of the game, the pressure was too much for them and they collapsed on themselves. Atlanta has a young, talented football team and should
Photo courtesy of The Associated Press James White (left) cut back to score the winning touchdown in Super Bowl LI. The Patriots defeated the Falcons 34-28 in overtime, marking the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history (25 points) and first overtime game in SB history. knowledged, it is to never bet against Brady. In eight plays, the Patriots went 65-yards downfield and scored on a two-yard touchdown run by White to end the game with a walk-off touchdown. Brady finished the game with 466 yards through the air, completing 43 of 62 passes. He finished with two touchdowns, an interception and a quarterback rating of 79.6. Brady did his usual job
have more opportunities to get back to the Super Bowl. It seemed like the Falcons were going to upset history and win their first Super Bowl ever, but the Patriots never quit. The greatest comeback in Super Bowl history happened, and with his fifth title, Brady will go down as the greatest quarterback of all time.
8 • MSU Reporter
Sports
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Men’s basketball heating up COREY YUMAN Staff Writer
The Minnesota State Mavericks men’s basketball team has extended their winning streak to four games in-arow after picking up a set of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) wins this past weekend in Mankato. The Mavs picked up a narrow, five-point victory over Minnesota Duluth on Friday and thumped St. Cloud State by a double-digit margin for the second time this year The Mavericks welcomed the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs to Bresnan Arena on Friday. While Minnesota State picked up a victory that was within two possessions of being a different result, the Mavs only had one five-minute stretch the entire game
in which they weren’t holding the lead or tied. Minnesota State came out firing, as they quickly built an 8-0 lead on their way to a 10-2 run in the first seven minutes of action. UMD’s Luke Harris played a big role in not letting the game get away from the Bulldogs, as he scored all seven of the teams’ points in just over a minutes’ span to bring his team to a 10-7 deficit. MNSU pounded away at the deficit but UMD refused to let go. With just under five minutes left in the first half of action, Harris hit a jumper to tie the game up and 30 seconds later Logan Rohrscheib drilled a three-pointer to give the Bulldogs their first lead. As time ticked away in the waning moments of the first half, the Mavericks couldn’t recapture the lead and UMD headed into the locker room holding onto a 25-22 lead. As the second half got underway, Minnesota-Duluth’s lead proved to not be very stable as a pair of back-
to-back unanswered lay ups from MNSU’s Joey Witthus regained the lead for the Mavericks. Five minutes into the half, UMD’s Kyle Schalow hit a layup that recaptured the lead for the Bulldogs but it was fleeting, as Witthus struck again and Minnesota State regained their lead and didn’t relinquish it in the remaining 14 minutes, picking up a 56-51 victory. Minnesota State’s Witthus was the only Maverick to reach double-digit scoring with 18 points, Jon Fuqua added seven points and 12 rebounds and Cole Harper scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds. Saturday saw the St. Cloud State Huskies come to Mankato for a rematch from earlier in the year. For the second time this season, the Mavericks easily handled the Huskies and picked up a victory in double-digit margins. St. Cloud took the lead to get the game going and the Huskies held on to that for the first three minutes and five
seconds. At that time, Fuqua nailed a jumper to give the Mavericks the lead. The Mavericks would not trail for the rest of the game. Fuqua was not only responsible for the lead, but also gave Minnesota State its first double-digit lead of the game at the 10-minute mark of the first half. Just over
Joey Witthus
three minutes to go in the half, SCSU rallied with a 9-3 run that brought the game within one. Minnesota State
responded with a 7-0 run of their own to head into halftime with a 41-35 lead. St. Cloud State was able to bring the game back within four points with 18 minutes left to play, but the Mavericks went into blitzkrieg mode. With 10 minutes left to play, Minnesota State built a 20-point lead, led by Fuqua and Aarias Austin combining for 25-second half points. Austin also collected eight rebounds in the second half. Minnesota State finished with a 79-62 win. The Mavericks’ Fuqua scored 25 points and had eight rebounds, Austin had 16 points and nine rebounds, Charlie Brown scored 11 points off the bench, and Witthus added eight points and 10 rebounds. Minnesota State (17-7, 12-6 in the NSIC) hits the road again this weekend for a big set of rematches as they take on Upper Iowa on Friday in Fayette, Iowa and Winona State on Saturday in Winona.
Minnesota State splits series in Alaska The Mavericks lost a close one in the first game, followed by a decisive 5-0 shutout.
COLTON MOLESKY Staff Writer The Minnesota State Mavericks took the ice 2,442 miles from home in their away series with the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves. The Mavericks split the weekend series, 1-1. The first game of the weekend was a strange one for the Mavs, as they showed solid offense but had problems finishing at the net. They would ultimately lose 4-3 while outshooting the Seawolves, 4317. This is definitely one the Mavericks would like to have back. Early on, MNSU continued their trend of giving up the lead in the first period when Anchorage’s David Trinkberger fired the puck over senior Cole Huggins’ glove. Nicolas Erb-Ekholm made it a 2-0 game with a power play goal in the second period before MNSU’s shots on goal finally started to have an impact. Daniel Brickley sent a wrist shot into the back of the net, the first goal let up by Oliver Mantha on the day as the Mavs outshot the Seawolves 29-10 through two periods but found themselves down 2-1. “We didn’t have some guys who have been around
to step up tonight,” said Mavericks’ head coach Mike Hastings on game one’s struggles. The sparks flew in the third period as UAA’s Mason Mitchell took back the twoscore game on a give-and-go goal. But MNSU refused to give in, and Sean Flanagan help put them back in the game with a ricochet goal to make it a 3-2 game. However, late in the game, Tad Kozun
Zeb Knutson
finished the game off for the Seawolves on an empty-netter at the 18:07 mark. While Marc Michaelis scored a last second goal on a power play with Huggins out, the Mavs still fell 4-3 despite 40-plus shots on goal. On Saturday, the fortunes
turned for the Mavericks, as they scored first for the first time since January 14 off of a Zeb Knutson back-hander. Then, Brad McClure fired a top-shelf goal past Manthna later in the first period for a 2-0 lead. The biggest difference early in game two was the amount of passes before the shot, as MNSU played less hero hockey and spread the puck around more. This was also evident with how many shots on goal they ended with (27). “Imperative, we’ve struggled with that over the last five to six games,” said Hastings of netting the opening goal for the first time in almost a month. “We’ve made it difficult on ourselves by playing from behind, but Zeb Knutson had a really good start and a really good night.” In the second period, Knutson netted his second goal of the game on another nice feed to him on the right corner of the net that he promptly snuck past AAU to make it a 3-0 lead. The scoring continued in the third period, as C.J. Franklin grabbed an empty-netter to stomp the Seawolves’ hopes of a comeback mid-period. The final goal came on a one-timer from Sean Flanagan to seal the 5-0 win and give goalten-
der Aaron Nelson his second shutout win of the year. Nelson also made 13 saves, as he saw the nod over Huggins Saturday. “I thought the line of C.J Franklin, Michaelis, McClure and Hunterbrinker had a nice game,” said Hastings. “…And Stepan, Knutson, all those are the guys that have been around longest for us and if we are going to have any success going forward we need them to play like they did tonight and I’m really happy for them.”
The Mavs rank third in the conference, securing a playoff berth after Saturday’s win, and the next few weeks prove crucial as they sit seven points behind Michigan Tech, who holds the second place spot. MNSU will take a hiatus this weekend before taking on Northern Michigan at home at the Verizon Wireless Center on February 17.
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Tuesday, February 7, 2017
MSU Reporter • 9
Sports
Mavericks swim and dive team set for NSIC Championships The ladies have finished first or second in all of their meets since Oct. 14.
COREY YUMAN Staff Writer Minnesota State’s swimming and diving team are gearing up to compete in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Championships. The four-day event will begin today in Rochester as the Mavericks prepare to face off against Augustana, the University of Mary, Minnesota State-Moorhead, Northern State, Sioux Falls and St. Cloud State. “We’re looking forward to an exciting week in Rochester,” head coach Nathan Owens said to Minnesota State Athletics. “The NSIC has some truly great teams, so the level of competition should be excellent.” The Mavericks are heading into the championship with a 4-1 record. The Mavericks dropped their opening year match against South Dakota
but proceeded to hammer four straight wins over UWEau Claire, Augustana, and Sioux Falls. In addition to those victories, Minnesota State took first place against UW-Stevens Point and Gustavus Adolphus, at the UW-Stevens Point Invite and in their Winter Break Training Trip. “This is the time of year that many of us are excited and nervous at the same time. It’s when all that hard work and hours spent training hard should pay off. As coaches, we place a big emphasis on making sure that the athletes are well rested and focused as we peak for this four-day prelim/finals meet format,” said Owens. Minnesota State will head to Rochester with multiple women ready to compete in individual events, two relay teams for the four relay events, and five divers for diving events. Tuesday will see the 1,000yard freestyle, 200-yard individual medley, 50-yard freestyle, and 200-yard medley relay events. Wednesday will feature the 200-yard
freestyle relay, 400-yard Individual Medley, 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard freestyle, 1-meter diving, and 400-yard medley relay events. Thursday’s action will include the 500-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke, 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard butterfly, and 800-yard freestyle relay events. Finally, Friday will host the 1,650-yard freestyle, 100-yard Individual medley, 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard backstroke, 200-yard breaststroke, 3-meter diving, and 400-yard freestyle relay events. “It’s fun to see who steps up under the pressure of a big meet against great competition and rises to the occasion. Our team has some very motivated women that have worked hard throughout the season to be at their best for this meet. It will be fun to watch it all unfold,” said Owens. Preliminary trials start at 10 a.m. and finals begin at 6:00 p.m. every day.
Reporter Archives In the 2015 season, the Mavericks were only able to win All-Conference in one category. They are hoping for better success this time around.
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10 • MSU Reporter
Minnesota State University, Mankato
A&E
Tuesday, February 7, 2017 Have a story idea or a comment? EMAIL
A&E Editor Gabe Hewitt
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Film review: The Space Between Us, an interstellar love story Drama touches on communication between people in a digital age. RACHAEL JAEGER Staff Writer The Space Between Us is a sentimental teen science fiction drama that centers around a boy, Gardner Elliot (Asa Butterfield), whose mother died in childbirth shortly after climbing on board a spaceship bound for Mars. Gardner was left with a few defects, the most prominent of them being an enlarged heart that prevents him from thriving in any atmosphere other than Mars. Looking at the overall picture, all the characters had great chemistry and moments tugged at your heart, but it sometimes felt like the plot meandered after a while. However, it does subtly address the contemporary question of technology and how it fits into the relationships we have with others but also it evokes disconnection because of fears. Because Gardner is considered a classified secret, Nathaniel Shepherd (Gary Oldman), the head director of the Mars Mission, locked him in a room on Mars. Because of that, Gardner also lacks social interaction with others except for the scientists around him including his guardian Kendra (Carla Gugino). When he is not talking to his only friend and growing crush Tulsa (Britt Robertson), who lives in Colorado, he builds his own personal robots and stirs the martian soil while gassing his white race car.
Britt Robertson and Asa Butterfield star in The Space Between Us. In the first few scenes we become acquainted with Gardner, it is evident he is bored and wants answers to his questions and wants to discover another life different than what he has. That means a couple major things for him, including meeting the father he’s never met and knows nothing of and experiencing the world on Earth that everyone there seems to take for granted. In the movie, as Gardner first becomes acquainted with Earth, the color variation fascinates him as does the change from the hot and dusty weather he knows on Mars. He embraces the rain and yelps while people stare at him. He puts his hands near a fire beside a homeless shelter and soaks in the heat. He
admires a caterpillar crawling on his finger and all the legs it has. But we’ll have to give Tulsa a break, since she lives with a foster father who is intoxicated and asleep most of the time and she is all but invisible while at school. It has become so commonplace for her that she is numb to it, but jumps into a hypersensitive alert when she meets Gardner. He is so real that he scares her and she is unsure of how to decipher his strange behavior, except that she believes he is lying and just leading her on. He responds that just because something sounds crazy doesn’t mean that it isn’t true. Ironically, when they have this initial face-to-face interaction, he is the only one who acts as
The Associated Press
he truly is instead of how he is expected to act since he doesn’t know any better. On the other hand, she puts on somewhat of a tough front because she is used to others letting her down. But she develops her own confidence when NASA arrives for Gardner and she does not want to give him up. She uses the airplane she built and has been trying to learn to fly as an escape route. The scary side note is that she hasn’t completely mastered her skills yet. There are some touching cinematic scenes as well, such as when Tulsa and Gardner stop at a mountainside for the night while searching for his father. The silhouettes of their faces perfectly align as they slowly dance and start
leaning in to share a kiss. In the background, sparks fly from the fire they have kindled to stay warm for the night. All in all, Gardner is full of adventure to the point where he is fearless. Near the middle of the movie when Gardner is making his own choices, some of which lead to drastic consequences, Nathaniel remarks: “As long as he was just a face on a screen, I could handle it…” It brings into reality the perspective that you cannot live behind closed doors or stay glued to a screen and believe it will keep you safe. In the age where social media is rampant and you can be anyone you want, you also cannot expect to hide behind a facade forever. Eventually, you must emerge because your survival insists upon it because like it or not, we all depend on each other and must work through each other’s shortcomings. If you are searching for a nonstop action plot that traps you in suspense and sets your heart and mind racing as you sit breathless in the dark theater, waiting for what will happen, don’t see The Space Between Us. But if you need a brain break and some time to absorb some relaxation or kindle some inspiration, check it out.
Reporter Rating
3.5 5
Former captive woman hopes new TV role helps the missing Amanda Berry to join local Cleveland station and help find missing people. CLEVELAND (AP) — A woman who escaped a home where she and two others were held captive for a decade is joining a Cleveland television station to bring attention to other missing-persons cases in a daily segment. As the new host of the segment on WJW-TV (http://bit. ly/2kF65UT ), Amanda Berry said she wants to help locate missing people and support their families.
“When I was missing, the people who were looking for me never gave up,” she said. “My wish is that this segment will not only help find those who are missing but offer hope for the loved ones who are looking for them.” The segment will air on news broadcasts throughout the day. Berry, 30, will discuss details of a different northeastern Ohio missing-person case each day and talk about
how viewers can help the families of the missing and the investigators searching for them. Berry, who disappeared a day before her 17th birthday in 2003, has become an advocate for the missing since she escaped her captor’s shuttered home in May 2013 and made a dramatic call to authorities: “Help me! I’m Amanda Berry. I’ve been kidnapped, and I’ve been miss-
ing for 10 years, and I’m here. I’m free now.” Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight had been abused and held by Ariel Castro for years. Berry also had given birth to Castro’s daughter in 2006. Berry and DeJesus wrote a book together about their ordeals. Knight, who legally changed her name to Lily Rose Lee, wrote a separate book about her experience.
Castro, who kidnapped the victims between 2002 to 2004, hanged himself in his cell after he pleaded guilty to a long list of charges and was sentenced to life plus 1,000 years in prison. Berry said her life now is full of normal activities like grocery shopping, dealing with her daughter’s school and appointments, and spending time with family.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
MSU Reporter • 11
A&E
Corruption tour shines unflattering light on graft in Mexico Bus tour gives people an inside look into corrupt government.
Photo courtesy of The Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — Look to your right: There’s the Pillar of Light, a towering monument shaped like a vanilla wafer cookie. A company was allegedly allowed to overcharge the equivalent of millions of dollars for steel used in its construction. Look to your left: A sculpture commemorating 43 teachers’ college students who were “disappeared” in 2014 in the southern state of Guerrero, by police officers allegedly in league with drug cartel thugs and corrupt local officials. This is the newest addition to the ubiquitous openair tour buses crisscrossing Mexico City each day: The Corruptour, which instead of taking folks to historic plazas and churches, shines an unflattering spotlight on the murky world of graft. “The goal is to awaken Mexicans’ consciousness about the problem of corruption, which is so serious and seems to be getting more and more expansive,” said Tania Sanchez, a 44-year-old volunteer guide. “It’s about informing the people who ride about practices of corruption, illustrating it with the places we visit — only in a fun way.” Mexico ranked 123rd out of 176 countries on Transparency International’s 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index, released last month, and people here commonly cite graft as a major concern along with other issues like security. Corruption in Mexico runs the gamut from daily annoyances — a police officer shaking you down for a few bucks to avoid a traffic ticket, a city inspector demanding a bribe not to shut down a business — to shocking scandals involving government contracts worth billions of dollars. The Corruptour first launched in 2014 in the northern city of Monterrey. A week
ago it began offering free, twice-every-Sunday runs through the capital, financed entirely by private donations and with what organizers say was an initial $5,000 budget. During the 90-minute tour, recordings piped through speakers mock the seamy histories behind each of 10 stops. Guides invite passengers to share their own experiences with graft, and to discuss strategies to fight back. They also engage with bemused bystanders along the route, coaxing pedestrians and taxi drivers to join in chanting “No more corruption!” Stephanie Montero, a 34-year-old medical worker from Cuernavaca, recalled how during her social service, “you saw how they gave us medicines that perhaps were not necessary, because
some deal had been done with some company.” Those ended up spoiling, while medicines in daily demand were in short supply, she added. “I think (this bus tour) makes it more visible so that people know about it, and maybe it makes the politicians and the businesspeople who make these sorts of deals feel just a little bit bad,” Montero said. Corruptour’s most notorious element —the so-called White House, a mansion provided to President Enrique Pena Nieto’s wife by a construction company that landed lucrative public works contracts — isn’t actually on the trip. Guides say it’s too far from the starting point outside the National Museum of Anthropology; instead the bus goes to the neighborhood’s edge so passengers get a taste for its fancy homes while they hear about the case. Other “lowlights” include the Social Security Institute, where alleged malfeasance in medical spending is discussed; the national Senate; the Mexico City prosecutor’s office; and the headquarters of the Televisa TV empire’s news division. Many Mexican media outlets rely heavily on government advertising, and critics say that makes them tame entities uninterested in holding the wealthy and
powerful accountable. The concept has also been tried outside of Mexico. In London, a “Kleptocracy Tour” was launched last year to take people to opulent estates owned by Russian oligarchs. In Curitiba, Brazil, there’s a four-hour walking
tour dedicated to a corruption scandal swirling around state oil company Petrobras. And for years, tourists have been shuttled around Medellin in Colombia to visit the former stomping grounds of the late drug kingpin Pablo Escobar.
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12 • MSU Reporter
A&E
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Trayvon Martin’s parents write book on five-year anniversary Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin still feel very close to son’s 2012 death. It wasn’t supposed to take Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin five years to write a book about the death of their son, Trayvon Martin. But their grief has made finding the words unbearable until now. Martin’s parents collaborated to write “Rest In Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin,” published Tuesday by Spiegel & Grau. The book recounts the journey of two grieving parents, thrust into the spotlight by tragedy and on some days, still as close to their loss as the day he died. “The calendar says five years, but it seems like just a few months,” Sybrina Fulton said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I know that we’re still healing.” Writing the book wasn’t a healing experience, but it was therapeutic to know that writing it might help others, Tracy Martin said. “It was hard because we relived this every time we had to go back and write something about it. ... It stayed fresh,” he said. Trayvon Martin, shot to death by neighborhood watchman George Zimmer-
man in a gated community in the central Florida suburb of Sanford weeks after his 17th birthday on Feb. 26, 2012, became a rallying cry for millions of black Americans seeking justice for the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teen. Trayvon Martin would have been 22 on Sunday. His case — propelled by
national news reports and social media — was the predecessor to the Black Lives Matter movement that came in response to similar killings, mostly by white police officers in cities nationwide. Trayvon Martin’s killer, who was not initially arrested, was later acquitted of murder by a jury, further inflaming racial tensions.
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Martin’s parents say the shooting deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Tamir Rice in Cleveland, Walter Scott in North Charleston, South Carolina, and others, have added to their grief. But comforting other parents has helped them heal. Having a black president who identified with their son from a podium in the White
House also “went a long way,” Tracy Martin said. “It meant a great deal for the most influential and most admired president that this country has ever seen mention our son,” he said. “This new administration ... you would hope they would have compassion for families who are losing children to gun violence.”
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