February 21, 2023

Resistance, resilience and restoration

By CARLY BAHR Staff Writer

The 2023 Pan African Conference’s theme was “Transnational Resistance Resilience and Unadulterated Black Joy.”

The two-day conference, held at Minnesota State, ranThursday through Friday. Henry Morris, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, gave the welcoming address Wednesday followed by a theme elucidation by Interim Director of African American Affairs BalenciaSariah Crosby, an art presentation by students Joy Teah and Love Quetee, live music and a closing address.

Author Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts of “Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration,” gave a virtual keynote address.

The event’s theme was inspired by a quote from educator and writer JJ Bola, “I think about transgenerational trauma a lot, but I think of transgenerational joy more. I would like to think that my ancestors pass on love and joy and happiness, that they knew I would need peace to survive this world, and so they sewed it in my blood.”

MSU Alum Iman Mohamoud said the annual event was bigger in years past and included more non-Black and non-BIPOC attendees.

“The people that I’ve met attended because it’s a requirement. But when I meet people that are non-white they’re coming because they’re interested. They want to be part of this and included but I think the con-

ference would be more beneficial for white people because a lot of this is stuff that I already know and I know my Black and BIPOC friends already know about this stuff,” she said. “If we could get more white people to come to conferences and events like this then I think we could see some change.”

Mohamoud said she attend-

ed every Pan African Conference during her time at MSU, and this year’s theme was in line with a shifting conversation around the Black experience.

“It was always about trauma, which is good to talk about but it’s also good to focus on Black joy because it’s not talked about and we don’t see it as much. It’s not talked about and it’s not

Speech and Debate team place second in tournament

By JULIA LIN Editor in Chief

Minnesota State University’s Speech and Debate team had an eventful weekend taking home second place overall — only 40 points behind the University of Minnesota in the Minnesota Collegiate Forensics Association tournament.

The last time MSU placed this close to the U of M was back in 2013 when the current director of Speech and Debate Katie Brunner was a grad student at MSU.

“It’s a battle every year between the three bigger schools so to take second place is even a bigger deal than I think the people on the team realize,” said Katie Brunner, director of Speech and Debate.

marketed,” she said. “With police brutality and just how we portray and present Black people, it’s always attached with trauma and negative things that are going on.”

Local high school teacher Melissa Lowell attended the conference to “bring more Black joy” into her classroom, where

CONFERENCE on page 7 

MSU security echos protection and prevention tips

By JULIA LIN Editor in Chief

Campuses are the setting of 5% of active shooter incidents and Michigan State University became the 71st mass shooting of 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Barely scratching the surface of the new year, the incident last Monday was the first mass shooting at a U.S. school.

As part of Minnesota State University’s annual Disaster Awareness Week, a presentation informing staff with tips for surviving an active shooter incident was coincidently presented just days after the mass shooting.

Loren Jansen,

emergency

manager and security coordinator, says if your plan is to call 911, you need a better plan.

“What we are looking at is a mindset of awareness, preparation and rehearsal,” said Jansen.

Oftentimes there isn’t a direct connection to the campus of the attacker’s targets.

“Just like this Michigan State incident, no connection (between the shooter and the university). It’s just random,” Jansen said in the presentation.

“It’s a place to go to. It’s a place where people are at, whether it’s the mall, the church or the school.”

Involving blank rounds and going through the motions of

Sweeping both interstate oratory spots and the alternate, MSU students placed in the top three for oratory where first- and second-place individuals will qualify for the national competition in April. Eight students qualified for the NFA national tournament in 22 events.

Freshman Mary Burshem placed first in the oratory category and qualified for the national tournament in Texas later this semester. Her piece about advocating to outlaw corporal punishment is a topic she thinks is worth discussing.

“Talking about it in different states and bringing awareness to it is important. This is something that I am passionate about and can talk about,” Burshem said.

James Ziegweid, placed in five events over the weekend, with his most notable one being impromptu speaking. Participants in that category are given a minute and a half to analyze a quotation and then have to create a five-and-a-halfminute speech on the fly.

Having no prior experience in Speech and Debate before college, he learned to think quickly on his feet and enjoys the ability to advocate for change.

“The power your words

DOMINIC BOTHE • The Reporter

The Pan African Conference allowed attendees to learn more about transgenerational traumas and joy through a variety of panels, conversations and how to bring their lessons into the classroom.

File photo Amidst the shooting at Michigan State last week, campus security had a training on the Run, Hide, Flight preparations to take.

Brazil deluge kills 36; search continues for dozens missing

Michigan State set to resume classes

By JOEY CAPPELLETTI The Associated Press

Michigan State University professor Marco Díaz-Muñoz is still haunted by what he witnessed last Monday night, when a gunman entered his classroom in Berkey Hall, killing two of his students in what he describes as “12 minutes of terror.”

“Those images haunt me. The images of those two girls,” Díaz-Muñoz told The Associated Press.

Arielle Anderson and Alexandria Verner, both juniors, would die that night, Feb. 13. The gunman would shoot six more students during the rampage in two campus buildings. Brian Fraser also would die. Five others would suffer critical gunshot wounds.

but there has to be something good out of it.”

By TATIANA POLLASTRI and ELEONORE HUGHES

The Associated Press

Hundreds of rescuers searched Monday for survivors of landslides and flooding that killed at least 36 people along the coast of Brazil’s southern state of Sao Paulo following a huge weekend downpour.

Worst hit was the city of Sao Sebastiao, where at least 35 were dead. In neighboring Ubatuba a 7-year-old girl was killed. The disaster, in an area famous for beaches flanked by mountains, prompted cancellations in many cities of the Carnival festivities now in full swing elsewhere in the country.

Gov. Tarcisio de Freitas told television network Globo that another 40 people were missing. Nearly 800 people were homeless and 1,730 people have been displaced, his state government said in a statement.

Television footage showed flooded homes with only their roofs visible. Residents used small boats to carry items and people to elevated positions.

A woman who gave only her first name, Mailsa, said she and her husband, daughter and grandson only barely escaped when a landslide destroyed her house in the Juquehy municipality of Sao Sebastiao. The house was partially submerged, parts of it fell away and the rest was left precariously perched on the edge of a hill.

“It was very quick. Either you run or you die,” she said. “It’s not possible to take anything, only your life, which is the most important thing.”

Members of the armed forces joined the search and rescue efforts, aggravated by poor access to many areas after landslides blocked the snaking roads in the region’s highlands and floods washed away chunks of pavement in low-lying and oceanfront areas.

“Our rescue teams are not managing to get to several locations. It is a chaotic situ-

ation,” Sao Sebastiao Mayor Felipe Augusto said on social media late Sunday night.

Augusto said about 50 houses collapsed in the city due to the landslides, and he posted several videos of destruction and search efforts, including one of a baby being rescued by locals lined up on a flooded street.

The highway connecting Rio de Janeiro state with Sao Paulo’s port city of Santos was blocked by landslides and floodwaters. Gov. de Freitas said the damage was so extensive, the highway may no longer exist.

Precipitation in Sao Sebastiao had surpassed 600 millimeters (23.6 inches) during a 24-hour period over the weekend, among the largest such downpours ever in such a short period in Brazil.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited the region on Monday. He observed the damage in Sao Sebastiao from a helicopter and met with Gov. de Freitas at Sao Sebastiao’s theatre, where search operations were being coordinated.

Lula called for people living in the hillside areas to be relocated to safer regions. “Every now and then nature plays a surprise on us, but also many times we defy nature,” Lula said in remarks to reporters in Sao Sebastiao.

De Freitas declared a state of emergency for the hardest-hit cities, including Sao Sebastiao, Ubatuba, Ilhabela and Bertioga, which enables expedited allocation of funds for relief. He said 7 million reais ($1.35 million) already had been released. On Monday, the governor also declared three days of official mourning throughout the state of Sao Paulo.

The heavy rain affected water, electricity and phone services, according to a statement from the state government, which posted on Twitter a video showing 30,000 liters of water being transported to Sao Sebastiao.

Classes are resuming Monday at the 50,000-student university, though Berkey Hall, an academic building, will not reopen. Officials said Sunday that swiftly resuming classes makes sense for the 2 1/2-month balance of the spring term.

“Coming back together is something that will help us,” said Thomas Jeitschko, executive vice president for academic affairs, adding that faculty will have extensive flexibility in how they run their courses.

“We know that everybody heals at their own pace and in their own manner. Getting it exactly right will not be possible,” Jeitschko said at a news conference Sunday. “Coming back into spaces that are familiar, interacting with people who are familiar, is helpful in the process of healing and grieving.”

Díaz-Muñoz said the university had offered to have another professor teach through the end of the semester.

“On one hand, I want to forget it all. But then on the other hand, I think I need to help my students pick up the pieces,” Díaz-Muñoz said. “I think I need to help my students build a sense of meaning. It’s not going to be the same as before,

Some in the community, however, aren’t ready. The editorial board of The State News, the student newspaper, wrote Thursday that they wouldn’t immediately attend classes, saying more time was needed to heal.

Jo Kovach, president of student government, said “students are scared” and will need “flexibility, empathy and options” from their professors.

Following the shooting, parents arrived from all over the state to bring students home, at least for the rest of last week. A petition demanding hybrid or online options for students received more than 20,000 signatures by Saturday.

Jeitschko said students will have weeks to decide whether to take a regular grade or a credit/no credit option, which would not affect their overall grade-point average.

“Let the semester play out. Come back. Try to heal,” he said.

Díaz-Muñoz understands that some students won’t be ready to return, saying that some will still have “the fear of looking over their shoulder and looking out the window, at the doors.”

“There are some kids in my

class that are graduating this semester. And they need this horrific nightmare to have a better ending than the way it ended on Monday,” Díaz-Muñoz said.

Sparrow Hospital said three wounded students remained in critical condition Sunday while one was upgraded to fair and another was listed in serious but stable condition. Interim university President Teresa Woodruff said Michigan State would cover funeral costs and hospital expenses.

Dozens of people have died in mass shootings so far in 2023. In 2022, there were more than 600 mass shootings in the U.S. in which at least four people were killed or injured, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The shots broke out at Michigan State on Monday during evening classes at Berkey Hall and nearby at the MSU Union, a social hub where students can study, eat and relax. Students across the vast campus were ordered to shelter in place for four hours — “run, hide, fight” if necessary — while police hunted for Anthony McRae, 43, who eventually killed himself when confronted by police not far from his home in Lansing.

Police said McRae’s mental health could have been a factor, based on a note found on him.

ANDRE PENNER • The Associated Press Residents leave their homes after flooding triggered deadly landslides near Juquehy beach in Sao Sebastiao, Brazil, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023.

PAUL SANCYA • The Associated Press Mourners leave flowers at The Rock on the grounds of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023.

Biden declares ‘Kyiv stands’ in surprise visit to Ukraine

By EVAN VUCCI, JOHN LEICESTER, AAMER MAHANI and ZEKE MILLER The Associated Press

President Joe Biden swept unannounced into Ukraine on Monday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a defiant display of Western solidarity with a country still fighting what he called “a brutal and unjust war” days before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

“One year later, Kyiv stands,” Biden declared after meeting Zelenskyy at Mariinsky Palace. Jabbing his finger for emphasis on his podium, against a backdrop of three flags from each country, he continued: “And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands. The Americans stand with you, and the world stands with you.”

Biden spent more than five hours in the Ukrainian capital, consulting with Zelenskyy on next steps, honoring the country’s fallen soldiers and seeing U.S. embassy staff in the besieged country. Altogether he was on Ukrainian territory for about 23 hours, traveling by train from and back to Poland.

The visit came at a crucial moment: Biden is trying to keep allies unified in their support for Ukraine as the war is expected to intensify with spring offensives. Zelenskyy is pressing allies to speed up delivery of promised weapon systems and calling on the West to provide fighter jets — something that Biden has declined to do. The U.S. president got a taste of the terror that Ukrainians have lived with for close to a year when air raids sirens howled just as he and

Zelenskyy wrapped up a visit to the gold-domed St. Michael’s Cathedral.

Looking solemn, they continued unperturbed as they laid two wreaths and held a moment of silence at the Wall of Remembrance honoring Ukrainian soldiers killed since 2014, the year Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula and Russian-backed fighting erupted in eastern Ukraine.

The White House would not go into specifics, but national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that it notified Moscow of

Biden’s visit to Kyiv shortly before his departure from Washington “for deconfliction purposes” in an effort to avoid any miscalculation that could bring the two nuclear-armed nations into direct conflict.

In Kyiv, Biden announced an additional half-billion dollars in U.S. assistance — on top of the more than $50 billion already provided — for shells for howitzers, anti-tank missiles, air surveillance radars and other aid but no new advanced weaponry.

Ukraine has also been push-

ing for battlefield systems that would allow its forces to strike Russian targets that have been moved back from frontline areas, out of the range of HIMARS missiles that have already been delivered. Zelenskyy said he and Biden spoke about “long-range weapons and the weapons that may still be supplied to Ukraine even though it wasn’t supplied before.” But he did not detail any new commitments.

“Our negotiations were very fruitful,” Zelenskyy added. Sullivan would not detail any potential new capabilities for

Ukraine, but said there was a ”good discussion” of the subject.

Biden’s mission with his visit to Kyiv, which comes before a scheduled trip to Warsaw, Poland, is to underscore that the United States is prepared to stick with Ukraine “as long as it takes” to repel Russian forces even as public opinion polling suggests that U.S. and allied support for providing weaponry and direct economic assistance has started to soften. For Zelenskyy, the symbolism of having the U.S. president stand side by side with him on Ukrainian land as the anniversary nears is no small thing as he prods allies to provide more advanced weaponry and step up delivery.

“I thought it was critical that there not be any doubt, none whatsoever, about U.S. support for Ukraine in the war,” Biden said.

Biden’s trip was a brazen rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had hoped his military would swiftly overrun Kyiv within days. Biden, a Democrat, recalled speaking with Zelenskyy on the night of the invasion, saying, “That dark night one year ago, the world was literally at the time bracing for the fall of Kyiv. Perhaps even the end of Ukraine.”

A year later, the Ukrainian capital remains firmly in Ukrainian control. Although a semblance of normalcy has returned to the city, regular air raid sirens and frequent missile and killer-drone attacks against military and civilian infrastructure across the country are a near-constant reminder that the war is still raging.

EVAN VUCCI • The Associated Press President Joe Biden walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral on a surprise visit, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, in Kyiv, a year after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Fond remembrances for Jimmy Carter after entering hospice

Building repairs zap COVID relief money

By SHARON LURYE The Associated Press

The air-conditioning gave out as students returned from summer break last year to Jim Hill High School in Jackson, Mississippi, forcing them to learn in sweltering heat. By Thanksgiving, students were huddling under blankets because the heat wasn’t working.

Along the way students dealt with broken showers in locker rooms, plumbing issues and a litany of other problems in the nearly 60-year-old school building.

By JEFF MARTIN and MAYSOON KHAN

Dozens of well-wishers made the pilgrimage Sunday to The Carter Center in Atlanta, as prayers and memories of former President Jimmy Carter’s legacy were offered up at his small Baptist church in Plains, Georgia, a day after he entered hospice care.

Among those paying homage was his niece, who noted the 39th president’s years of service in an emotional address at Maranatha Baptist Church, where Carter taught Sunday school for decades.

“I just want to read one of Uncle Jimmy’s quotes,” Kim Fuller said during the Sunday school morning service, adding: “Oh, this is going to be really hard.”

She referenced this quote from Carter: “I have one life and one chance to make it count for something. I’m free to choose that something. ... My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I can, whenever I can, for as long as I can.”

“Maybe if we think about it, maybe it’s time to pass the baton,” Fuller said before leading those gathered in prayer. “Who picks it up, I have no clue. I don’t know. Because this baton’s going to be a really big one.”

Carter, at age 98 the longest-lived American president, had a recent series of short hospital stays. The Carter Center said in a statement Saturday that he has now “decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention.”

In Atlanta, people, some traveling many miles, made the trip to The Carter Center to reflect on the life of the former president on a spring-like Sunday under a sunny sky.

“I brought my sons down here today to pay respect for President Carter and teach them a little bit about how great a humanitarian he was,

especially in the later stages of his life,” said James Culbertson, who drove an hour to Atlanta from Calhoun, Georgia.

The presidential library was closed in honor of President’s Day weekend, but people were still showing up to walk past the fountains and through the gardens.

David Brummett of Frederick County, Maryland, said he changed his Sunday morning plans when he heard news that Carter was in hospice care.

Brummett paused near a large statue of Carter, where someone had placed a potted plant of purple chrysanthemums at the base.

“Great man, great president, probably under-appreciated by those who didn’t know much about him,” Brummett said. “People should come here to appreciate the life, and the contributions he made both during his presidency and after.”

Margaret Seitter of Atlanta met Carter in the 1980s, when he spoke about foreign relations in one of her classes at Emory University. Seitter and her friend, Larry Goeser, visiting from Florida, were among those paying their respects at The Carter Center.

Both said they were inspired by Carter’s work with Habitat for Humanity, which he continued by helping to build houses well into his later life.

“Definitely want to go build a Habitat for Humanity house in his honor,” Seitter said.

Following Fuller’s Sunday school service at Maranatha Baptist Church, Pastor Hugh Deloach offered prayers for the Carter family, particularly for Rosalynn Carter, the wife of the former president.

The Carters have been married for more than 75 years, making American history as the longest-married presidential couple.

“Lord, especially Mrs. Carter, and God look back on times and years that they’ve been together and Lord just strengthen her in the power of your might as well,” the pastor said.

“There’s been times we’ve been cold, there’s been times we’ve been hot,” said Mentia Trippeter, a 17-year-old senior. “There’s been times where it rained and it poured, we’ve been drowning. We go through it — we go through it, man.”

Like other schools serving low-income communities across the country, Jim Hill has long dealt with neglected infrastructure that has made it harder for students to learn. So when Jackson Public Schools received tens of millions of dollars in federal COVID relief money, it decided to put much of the windfall toward repairing heating and plumbing problems, some of which temporarily caused the school to switch to remote learning.

For poorer school districts, deciding what to do with that money has involved a tough tradeoff: work on long-term academic recovery or fix long-standing infrastructure needs. All told, the federal government has allocated $190 billion in pandemic relief aid to

help schools recover — more than four times the amount the U.S. Education Department spends on K-12 schools in a typical year, and with few strings attached.

An Associated Press analysis of school district spending plans from across the country found that the poorest districts in each state are far more likely than the richest districts to spend emergency relief funds on upgrading their buildings or transportation systems.

Jackson’s academic needs are no less pressing. The majority of students in the district learned virtually for a year and a half during the pandemic and math test scores plummeted by the equivalent of over a full year’s worth of learning, according to Harvard and Stanford’s Education Recovery Scorecard. But school officials didn’t want to miss a rare opportunity to fix infrastructure

issues — some of which date back decades.

William Merritt, the school district’s chief of staff, said the funds gave the district the ability to “provide our students with tools that other students in well-to-do districts have.”

The data in AP’s analysis came from education market research firm Burbio, which reviewed how more than 6,000 districts across the country, representing over 75% of the nation’s public school students, planned to spend their federal relief money. The data covered the final and largest round of federal aid to schools, totaling $122 billion.

The AP found that school districts with the highest percentage of children living in poverty — the poorest 20% of districts in each state — were more than three times as likely as the wealthiest school districts.

JOHN AMIS • The Associated Press Former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church, in Plains, Ga., Nov. 3, 2019.

The Associated Press

ROGELIO V. SOLIS • The Associated Press Jim Hill High School principal Bobby Brown, points out one of the outdated air-condition units that are installed throughout his school.

Record 6,542 guns intercepted at US airport security in ‘22

could be restraining its misinfo fight

By REBECCA SANTANA The Associated Press

The woman flying out of Philadelphia’s airport last year remembered to pack snacks, prescription medicine and a cellphone in her handbag. But what was more important was what she forgot to unpack: a loaded .380-caliber handgun in a black holster.

The weapon was one of the 6,542 guns the Transportation Security Administration intercepted last year at airport checkpoints across the country. The number — roughly 18 per day — was an all-time high for guns intercepted at U.S. airports, and is sparking concern at a time when more Americans are armed.

“What we see in our checkpoints really reflects what we’re seeing in society, and in society there are more people carrying firearms nowadays,” TSA

administrator David Pekoske said.

With the exception of pandemic-disrupted 2020, the number of weapons intercepted at airport checkpoints has climbed every year since 2010. Experts don’t think this is an epidemic of would-be hijackers — nearly everyone caught claims to have forgotten they had a gun with them — but they emphasize the danger even one gun can pose in the wrong hands on a plane or at a checkpoint.

Guns have been intercepted literally from Burbank, California, to Bangor, Maine. But it tends to happen more at bigger airports in areas with laws more friendly to carrying a gun, Pekoske said. The top 10 list for gun interceptions in 2022 includes Dallas, Austin and Houston in Texas; three airports in Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; Atlanta; Phoenix;

and Denver.

Pekoske isn’t sure the “I forgot” excuse is always true or whether it’s a natural reaction to getting caught. Regardless, he said, it’s a problem that must stop.

When TSA staffers see what they believe to be a weapon on the X-ray machine, they usually stop the belt so the bag stays inside the machine and the passenger can’t get to it. Then they call in local police.

Repercussions vary depending on local and state laws. The person may be arrested and have the gun confiscated. But sometimes they’re allowed to give the gun to a companion not flying with them and continue on their way. Unloaded guns can also be placed in checked bags assuming they follow proper procedures. The woman in Philadelphia saw her gun confiscated and was slated to be fined.

Happy Black History Month!

By MATTHEW PERRONE The Associated Press

The government agency responsible for tracking down contaminated peanut butter and defective pacemakers is taking on a new health hazard: online misinformation.

It’s an unlikely role for the Food and Drug Administration, a sprawling, century-old bureaucracy that for decades directed most its communications toward doctors and corporations.

But FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf has spent the last year warning that growing “distortions and half-truths” surrounding vaccines and other medical products are now “a leading cause of death in America.”

“Almost no one should be dying of COVID in the U.S. today,” Califf told The Associated Press, noting the government’s distribution of free vaccines and antiviral medications. “People who are denying themselves that opportunity are dying because they’re misinformed.”

Califf, who first led the agency under President Barack Obama, said the FDA could once rely on a few communication channels to reach Americans.

The FDA’s answer? Short YouTube videos, long Twitter threads and other online postings debunking medical misinformation, including bogus COVID-19 remedies like ivermectin, the anti-parasite drug intended for farm animals.

BRYNN ANDERSON • The Associated Press

KEVIN WOLF • The Associated Press

A television displays a “no guns” sign at the Transportation Security Administration security area. Last year saw a record number of guns intercepted at airport checkpoints across the country.

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf testifies via video during a House Commerce Oversight and Investigations hearing.

FDA’s own reputation

Editorials represent the opinions of The Reporter editorial board. The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the college, university or student body.

Julia Lin Editor In Chief Emma Johnson News Director Joey Erickson Variety Editor

Alicia Reed Sports Editor Dylan Engel Photo Editor

What is President’s Day?

With the two most recent Presidents of the United States being over the age of 70, their ideas are rooted in the past. Having younger voices represent America brings forth new ideas for the future generations and the changes we want to see in the world. With more and more young voters entering the scene, we as students feel that it is important that we feel represented in presidential elections.

Presidents’ Day is a federal holiday and is always celebrated on the third Monday of February. This holiday was created in 1885, originally to recognize the birthday of our first President, George Washington. Now, it’s a day dedicated to remembering our country’s past leaders, and the way their choices have impacted us as a nation.

The switch to Presidents’ Day occurred in 1971 as a part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. Although this was an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the workers of our nation, Presidents’ Day is so much more than just a day off.

This is a day for us to think about who we want to see in office and how their morals align with ours. Our world has gone through drastic changes since the start of the century and some of these changes are better understood by those of a younger age. With the current social issues we are facing now, it would be nice to see how a more youthful president would manage. While we’d never suggest the older politicians can’t do the job admirably, we like to point out the number of younger options available on the national scene.

Current U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, 41, is a graduate of both Harvand and Oxford. He’s a Rhodes Scholar, and spent nearly a decade as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy, and served a tour of duty in Afghanistan. He speaks several languages and was elected mayor of South Bend Indiana. He and his husband have also been outspoken advocates for LGBTQ rights.

One of the youngest members of Congress is Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. While at 33 she is technically too young to be president at the moment, she’ll hit the legal minimum of 35 soon. She’s among the most passionate advocates for issues of income inequality, and was the youngest woman ever to serve in Congress when she was elected at age 29.

Closer to home, we have Sen. Amy Klobuchar. While not exactly young, she’s far younger than the current and previous presidents. She’s shown compassion for student loan and poverty issues, and has the kind of Minnesota grit and kindness that would be used in the White House.

We as young voters should demand that our voices are heard on the national stage. The old generation of politicians have had their time. In a world that’s constantly changing, it’s our turn for some representation.

Pulse

Made in China: Change is bittersweet

By JULIA LIN Editor in Chief

As we are almost halfway through the spring semester at MSU, I’m getting to the part in my college career where I’m starting to get sentimental.

I know I’m going to miss the things I once complained about while I dread entering adulthood in a few months.

As I am on the job hunt and contemplating the different pros and cons of each opportunity, I’ve come to the harsh realization that I’ll never have another summer break, winter break or spring break.

Unless I was going to become a teacher, I might have chosen the wrong occupation.

But regardless of the month and week-long breaks, I think one thing I’ll miss is all my friends and the

connections I’ve made in the MSU community.

As someone who loves sharing other people’s stories and strangers turning into lifelong friends, MSU has given me some of the best memories.

Although it is still a few months away, I am anxious in the anticipation of graduation.

Since I graduated high school in 2020, our commencement ceremony was canceled. I remember watching my name get called on a Youtube live stream as my yearbook photo faded to black.

Not receiving full closure to a big chapter in my life left me with feelings of uncertainty.

This lingered into my freshman year of college at MSU too. No in-person events, no celebratory orientation and no sporting

events. This was a difficult time for me as an extrovert trying to make connections in a time of distance.

Joining The Reporter has been the biggest highlight of my college career.

As a reporter, your job is to talk to people, hear their stories and share them with the world. I’ve quickly learned that not only is it an important job, but it is also so fulfilling when you realize how impactful your words have on someone.

Since my time here, I’ve had many challenges to overcome. Oftentimes I wonder if I am speeding too quickly through a precious time in my life.

However, as someone who never let up on the gas and took any and every class possible, I am going to spend the last few months of my time at MSU cherishing every moment of it.

makes a great leader?”

Compiled by Jade Jackson

“Someone who uses powerful words that make an impact on others.”

“Someone who is compassionate and is willing to put others first.”

“Someone who is fearless and doesn’t let adversity change their focus.”

“Someone who can bring a lot of diversified people together to create a community.”

“Someone who listens to understand and is able to put the needs of others first.”

“Someone who is able to take control of situations and solve problems.”

“What

BROCK UNGER, FRESHMAN

MACY EPP, SOPHOMORE

DRAKE HAYWARD, SOPHOMORE

MACKENZIE PAULSEN, JUNIOR

RUFARO, SENIOR

AVERY KORSCHING, FRESHMAN

Seattle considers historic law barring caste discrimination

By DEEPA BHARATH

The Associated Press

One of Kshama Sawant’s earliest memories of the caste system was hearing her grandfather — a man she “otherwise loved very much” — utter a slur to summon their lower-caste maid.

 CONFERENCE from page 1

she teaches English as a second language. She said she came to educate herself on practices to create spaces for her Black and BIPOC students and for students outside of her classroom.

“Bringing ideas of Black joy and racial justices into all content areas. Math, science, there were a lot of language pathologists today. Finding out how to integrate experiences and joy into different areas, not only in Black spaces.”

 PREPARE from page 1

what to do in an active shooter situation, MSU security plans to partner with Blue Earth County and the city of Mankato’s emergency manager to conduct an active shooter drill during the summer of 2024.

“Practicing is a great learning exercise. It’ll teach us what went right and what went wrong,” Sandi Schnorenberg, director of campus security said.

With most mass shootings ending before the police arrive on the scene and MSU security not armed, their role would be supporting the police department and being the eyes in the sky as intelligence in an active shooter situation.

Equipped with roughly 200 cameras across campus, security would try and locate the

The Seattle City Council member, raised in an upper-caste Hindu Brahmin household in India, was 6 when she asked her grandfather why he used that derogatory word when he knew the girl’s name. He responded that his granddaughter “talked too much.”

Now 50, and an elected of-

MSU sophomore Nana Mensah attended the conference for the first time and said, “I love it so far. I feel included, I feel heard, I feel educated.”

Hailing from Africa, Mensah was interested in discussions about the cultural separation between Black Americans and Black Africans.

“Me, being an African, I feel in the Black community there is a separation between Black Americans and Africans. So, this being ‘Pan African,’ it’s not just a Black American

attacker and inform police of their whereabouts.

Law enforcement’s first priority in an active shooter situation is to stop the attacker. After the campus is secure is when medical assistance would commence.

In implementing the “run, hide, fight” strategy, people are encouraged to educate themselves on something as simple as identifying their exit points.

“Take a few seconds to think ‘If I had to get out of here, where are my exits and where can I go if I had to hide?’ We all need to start thinking about that more,” Schnorenberg said.

Campus security opted into the Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER), which is an 800 MHz statewide talk group that al-

ficial in a city far from India, Sawant has proposed an ordinance to add caste to Seattle’s anti-discrimination laws. If her fellow council members approve it Tuesday, Seattle will become the first city in the United States to specifically outlaw caste discrimination.

thing, every single Black person originated from Africa. To me it feels like one people learning the same thing and growing the same way, that’s what it means to me,” Mensah said. “I had so many questions about why, in the Black community, there is a separate division between Black Africans and Black Americans, and she actually elaborated on it.”

MSU students got free attendance to the annual conference and the public attendees purchased access for $50.

lows emergency groups to communicate and listen to each other on an encrypted channel.

“Having those partnerships has been huge. If they (police) come to campus we want to know and they might not have time to tell us beforehand,” Schnorenberg said.

Regarding prevention, campus security meets with a behavioral consultation team and brings up concerns for specific individuals who display signs of grievance.

“Want to know what is going on with them and figure out how to get them some help,” Schnorenberg said. “We can prepare to run, hide, fight but also we want to identify those people who may commit an act of violence and stop it ahead of time.”

hold and being able to influence your community with your piece is inspiring,” Ziegweid said.

Others who’ve spent many years in Speech and Debate can relate to the benefits of joining a club that draws you out of your comfort zone.

Alex Menne, state champion in prose interpretation, said she has learned a lot about herself during her time on the team.

“The biggest thing is self-confidence. It takes a lot of courage to stand in front of people and talk about vulnerable things and know in the end it’ll all be okay,” Menne said.

Having something for everyone and anyone, Brunner encourages anyone to give Speech and Debate a shot.

“There’s a rumor out there that this is something people can’t do. People start at all levels and here it’s a place for everyone,” Brunner said.

ELAINE THOMPSON • The Associated Press Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant, an elected official in a city thousands of miles from India, has proposed an ordinance to add caste to Seattle’s anti-discrimination laws.

 SPEECH from page 1

Photo courtesy of Katie Brunner

The Speech and Debate team took second place this weekend’s tournament, sweeping in both oratory and alternate competitions.

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SPORTS S

Women’s basketball deemed south division champions

By LUKE JACKSON Staff Writer

One month ago, the Minnesota State Women’s Basketball team was trailing in the conference and needed to win out to secure their place at the top of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The team had the confidence they needed a month ago and worked off it to find themselves in winning positions every game since.

“As long as we keep playing how we did tonight, the south division is ours,” said Guard Destinee Bursch after beating Minot State on Jan. 28.

Saturday’s game brought them the last win they needed, finishing the season on a nine-game win streak. The No.13 Mavericks are now conference champions in the south division and earned themselves a first-round bye in the NSIC tournament as they finished with a record of 23-3.

Both Thursday and Saturday’s games ended in blowouts which has become a growing pattern for the Mavs. Over the nine-game win streak span, the last eight resulted in the Mavs besting their opponents by double-digit figures.

The Mavs hosted their last home game of the season Thursday against Winona State, winning 6542. Their 23 point win margin was the largest win margin they had over their win streak. Also, the 42

points they allowed was tied for the fewest points that their defense allowed all year.

Mankato started off slow, they were neck and neck throughout the first half as neither team gained more than a five point lead in the first quarter. The Warriors ended the half on top with a one-point lead of 26-25.

The Mavericks heated up in the second half and took over. They outscored Winona State 23-12 in the third quarter and found their momentum late as they finished off the game on a 13-0 run. This gave the Warriors their 11th road loss of the season.

Freshman Guard Natalie Bremer was just previously named

the NSIC South Player of the Week, one week prior. Against Winona State, she kept her hot streak rolling as she led the team with 19 points on 56% shooting.

Saturday brought more of the same versus the Upper Iowa Peacocks. It was a back and forth battle throughout the first two quarters. The half concluded with a score of

44-41, Mavericks on top.

In the third quarter, the Mavericks outscored the Peacocks 1912 and gained a double digit lead. This double digit lead was kept up throughout the entirety of the last quarter.

The Mavericks finished strong, 99-82, making it their highest scoring game against a NSIC team this year.

Bremer again, brought the team to victory. She led the team with 21 points and made 69% of her shots. She also had three rebounds, three steals and two assists.

“We are super excited to have a loaded weapon like Natalie,” said Coach Emillee Thiesse. “It is special what she’s doing as a freshman with her unique style of play. She has certainly been catching the eye of probably a lot of people within the conference, but you know, I don’t think it’s a big surprise to any of her teammates. We have seen that from day one.”

There were three other players who had double digit points in the win. Joey Batt found herself with 19 points, Emily Herzberg had 13 and Molly Ihle had 11.

The Mavs now get to rest up while eight other teams battle it out in the first round of the playoffs Tuesday and Wednesday. Mankato will travel to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to begin the tournament in the second round. They will face the winner of the Wayne State versus UMary game.

Record doesn’t matter, basketball tournament begins

By HAYDEN LEE Staff Writer

Playoffs are here and the Mavs have officially played their way into at least one more game before their season comes to an end. The regular season came to an end with yet another split, but luckily they did just enough to buy some more time.

Both games came down to the wire, but the Mavs were able to squeeze out a 67-65 home win Thursday before losing on the road in Iowa Saturday night, 86-84. In the process of Saturday’s loss, junior Malik Willingham was able to score his 1,000th career point, becoming the 42nd Maverick to achieve this feat.

The Mavs end the 2022-23 regular season with a record of 17-11 and a conference record of 11-11. This record booked them a ticket to Duluth Tuesday, as they will take on the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs at 3 p.m.

Looking back, every team needed to bring their A-game heading into the final two games of the season, but Winona State came up just short. In the first half, the game was defined by runs. A 13-2 Mavs run, fueled by seven Malik Willingham points, was able to put them up 18-

10 midway through the first half. This was enough to help the Mavs keep hold of the lead until halftime, but the Warriors made sure that the Mavs didn’t get comfortable, cutting their lead to two points with 40 seconds left in the half. A Trevor Moore three-pointer gave the Mavs a five point lead heading into the locker room, 3227.

At the half, Malik Willingham had 14 points and Moore added 9 more, as the two carried the load offensively. The Mavs shot 37.5% in the first half, trailing the Warriors by just 2.5% despite having the lead.

In the second half, the Warriors finally broke through and took the lead after eight minutes of play, 3736. For the next five minutes, the teams were locked in, as the lead changed three different times before the Mavs were able to claim a 52-50 lead heading into the final five minutes of play.

With 1:16 left to play, the Warriors were able to tie the game at 61, but the Mavs pulled through in their final home game of the year, outscoring the Warriors 6-4 as the game faded away to clinch a 67-65 win.

Malik Willingham scored 29 points in the win, Moore followed

behind with 15, Kyreese Willingham had 10 and Harrison Braudis contributed eight points.

After a Friday with no game, the Mavs took the court in Fayette,

Iowa to take on their final regular season opponent, the Upper Iowa Peacocks. They came out on fire.

Taking a 12-0 lead in the first three minutes, everything was go-

ing right for the Mavs, and Malik Willingham was able to notch six points to score his 1,000th point. Midway through the first half, the

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

MSU’s Women’s Basketball team continues the streak with a 99-82 win over Upper Iowa Saturday Feb. 18.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter MSU’s Men’s Basketball team falls just shy of the win with a 86-84 loss against Upper Iowa Saturday, Feb. 18.

One win away from McNaughton Cup

By KARSON BUELOW

Having not won a game against the unranked Bemidji State Beavers since their magical victory in last year’s Mason Cup final, the No. 12 Minnesota State’s Men’s Hockey team was destined to flip that script. Last weekend, they took on the Beavers at the Sanford Center. Led by freshman forward Christian Fitzgerald’s two goals, the Mavericks defeated the Beavers 4-1 on Friday night before dropping Saturday’s contest 1-2 in overtime.

Both the Mavericks and Beavers got out to a slower start on Friday night as the teams managed 12 shots combined during the first period. The second period seemed slow as well, as neither team got on the scoresheet until the 14:06 mark when freshman Beaver Lleyton Roed snapped one past Maverick sophomore Keenan Rancier.

Bemidji’s lead wouldn’t last long as Fitzgerald picked up a loose puck in front of sophomore Beaver Mattias Sholl and buried it to tie the game at 1-1. Moments later, Fitzgerald picked up his second goal of the period as

 RECORD from page 10

Mavs were able to keep hold of a double-digit lead, 22-9.

Six minutes later, the Mavs still held a 38-30 lead over the Peacocks, but the Peacocks would go on a 12-8 run to close out the half, making the Mavericks sweat a little bit more as they headed into their final halftime of the regular season.

Braudis was on a mission in the first half, scoring 19 points on 8/10 shooting to lead the Mavs in first half scoring, as Malik Willingham dropped in eight points

he crashed the net and potted the loose rebound for a 2-1 lead heading into the final frame.

The Mavericks kept the ball rolling in the third period as senior forward Lucas Sowder picked up his third goal of the season and first since his return from injury. To cap things off, junior defenseman Jake Livingstone added one more goal on a breakaway to give Minnesota State a 4-1 win in game one of their series.

Saturday’s game against Bemidji was quite the opposite from Friday’s in terms of goal scoring.

Bemidji got on the board first in the contest when freshman forward Adam Flemming ripped a shot top shelf past Rancier for the first goal of the game.

The Mavericks would answered back with just over two minutes left in the first as senior defenseman Andy Carroll sprung sophomore defenseman Steven Bellini on a breakaway and buried his first career goal.

Both teams got their chances through the next two periods, but the game remained tied at 1-1 heading into overtime. Both teams were able to get quality looks early in the overtime period, but the real chance came when the

of his own. The Mavs also shot an eye-opening 51.4% as a team in the first half.

Neither team led by more than eight points down the stretch of this game as the teams inched closer to the playoffs. With just under 14 minutes left in the game, the teams were locked at 56. However, in the next four minutes, the Peacocks stole eight straight points to give them the lead midway through the half.

Heading into crunchtime, the Peacocks held a five-point lead, 79-74 with just under five minutes left to play. After a few minutes of

Beavers were gifted a powerplay off a holding penalty by junior Maverick forward David Silye.

Bemidji State was able to convert on the strength of a one-timer blast by senior defenseman Kyle Looft with only 11 seconds left on the powerplay and 15 seconds left in the overtime period. The Mankato native lifted Bemidji State to a 2-1 win over Minnesota State on Saturday night.

Rancier tallied 39 saves on the weekend and is now 10-2 on the calendar year. In addition, the Mavericks secured four out of a possible six points this weekend and now sit two points ahead of No. 11 Michigan Tech for sole possession of first place in the CCHA.

Minnesota State returns home this weekend to host Michigan Tech for the last series of the regular season. In order for the Mavericks to secure the regular season CCHA title, they must get a win of any kind this weekend against the Huskies.

If the Mavericks look for sole possession of first place, they must defeat the Huskies at least once in regulation this weekend. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. Friday and 6:07 p.m. Saturday.

playing catch-up, Malik Willingham finally tied the game at 84 with 1:25 to go.

The Mavs had two chances to take the lead, but their shots didn’t fall. The Warriors capitalized, putting them up 86-84 in what would be the final score.

In an offensive battle, three Mavs came up with 20 points, including Harrison Braudis with 21, and Moore and Malik Willingham with 20 points each.

After a 17-11 regular season, the Mavs are faced with the 20-8 UMD Bulldogs, but forget about records, it’s a new season.

chance efforts not enough as Mavs fall to Huskies

Last

By KOLE BUELOW Staff Writer

A rough series on the defensive front paved the way for the Minnesota State Women’s Hockey team to lose 3-6 and 2-5 this past weekend against St. Cloud State. Tied at 30 points in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) standings, the two women’s hockey programs dueled it out for the WCHA’s fifth seed in the upcoming conference tournament.

Minnesota State got the best of St. Cloud earlier in the year, winning 3-1 and 4-1 at home to earn the season series edge on the Huskies. Coming into this past weekend, all the Mavericks had to do was win once in regulation and they would’ve clinched the fifth seed.

With the No. 12 Huskies de-

fending home ice and looking to avoid a season sweep at the hands of the Mavericks, SCSU spoiled MSU’s hopes of topping off one of their best regular seasons in program history.

Minnesota State got on the board first Friday night, off the stick of junior forward Jamie Nelson. After the Mavericks won a faceoff in the offensive zone, the puck slid out to Nelson’s stick and with a swift motion, Nelson buried it for the first goal of the series.

After that, it was all Huskies who rattled off five straight goals before MSU found one of their own. St. Cloud State’s Klára Hymlárová boosted the charge for the Huskies along the way, tallying two of the team’s five goals.

Despite a power play goal to start the third period for St. Cloud State, the Mavericks found

GOOD LUCK MAVERICKS!

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

MSU’s Men’s Hockey team splits their two-game series against Bemidji State with a 4-1 win Friday, Feb. 16 and a 2-1 overtime loss Saturday, Feb. 17.

Staff Writer

LILLY ANDERSON • The Reporter MSU Women’s Hockey team finished their regular season with a 6-3 and 5-2 series loss at St. Cloud State last weekend.

FALL on page 13 

The NFL: Not For Long

Mavs fall in a heated match

By CHARLIE GROEBNER Staff Writer

Every team has a rival that gets under their skin and they can never coexist. Thus, it causes tensions to rise and tempers to flare no matter the sport. This is the case for Minnesota State’s wrestling team after falling to No. 9 Upper Iowa last Friday. The regular season ends for the Mavs with a record of 5-7 and a four-game losing skid.

Entering the match-up would be a surreal feeling for the Mavs, with it being senior night. MSU seniors Dylan Butts, Gavin Christoffersen, Brock Luthens, Darrell Mason, Brody Nielsen, and Max Villnow all suited up one final time at home. While they will be in action at next week’s Super Region Tournament, the fans at the Taylor Center honored them one last time for all they have gone through.

By HAYDEN LEE

Staff Writer

So, we have just passed the first Sunday since August where there was no NFL football on TV. It might not feel that bad, but this is only the beginning. Soon enough, we will miss seeing the thrills of the NFL season take over our boring Sundays and social media every week.

As of Feb. 20, there are exactly six months and 17 days until opening night in the NFL. Tuesday begins the process of free agency, where teams can negotiate with their own impending free agents before they consider other options. March 13 is the day when the legal tampering period begins, or in other words, free agency starts, but even still, it’s not the same as watching your favorite player take the field.

So what do you do?

Well, believe it or not, there are many other leagues still in season, and they all have something exciting to offer. So, if you are like me, the next six months may be a lot of experimenting and waiting for the Vikings to begin again in August. Here are some other leagues to pay attention to in the meantime.

NBA: Coming off of All-Star weekend, the NBA will not be starting back up again until Feb. 23, but the second half of the season will be one to watch. Most teams have around 24 games remaining in the season, each with their own goal. For championship contending teams like the Bucks, Suns, Celtics, Mavericks or whoever you would like to put in that category, they have very little time to gel for the playoffs.

For teams like the Hornets, Rockets, Pistons, etc. it is an all out suck-fest to see who can land the number one pick and the honors of drafting superstar prospect Victor Wembanyama. If you are a team in the middle, like the Hawks, Timberwolves, Heat, or others, it’s time to experiment, play some young guys, and look to get hot and push to win a playoff series or two, and develop some sort of new culture for the

organization.

NHL: I’m gonna keep it real, I don’t know much about the NHL. What I do know is that my roommates love watching hockey, it gets a lot of people pretty excited, and there are a lot of fights. Sounds pretty fun right?

Apparently, the NHL season goes until April 14, so there is still a lot of time left for teams to establish themselves as contenders or pretenders. I even found out that the trade deadline is coming up, so now would be a great time to start following the NHL as players settle into their new homes and collectively try to push for the Stanley Cup.

XFL: Whatttttttt, the XFL? Yes, the XFL has returned for another season, and just in time. Week one just passed, and many former NFL players and coaches were out on the field again. The XFL is like the NFL, but has a couple of different rules to make it different from the NFL. The most interesting new rule will make a lot more sense if you have ever played Madden’s ‘The Yard.’ That game mode sucks, but you are allowed to throw two forward passes in one play. One behind the line of scrimmage, and then one downfield, if you so choose.

There are a variety of other rule changes, such as new overtime rules, removing the kick extra point, and adding tiered point after tries. That’s not all though, be sure to watch at least one XFL game before the season ends, even if it is like substituting margarine for butter.

MLB: Ah, the most boring and long sports season of all. In my opinion of course. However, with spring training right around the corner, the MLB is going to be ruling the summer once again. Opening Day is March 30, and for the first time since 1968, all 30 teams are scheduled to play their first game on the same day.

There are obviously many more sports leagues that you can follow, but these are some of them that will be ruling the media. Personally, I will be paying a lot of attention to the NBA and XFL, but until further notice, Sundays won’t be the same. Skol.

The opening match was MSU freshman Kole Marko taking on the No. 2 165 Ibs wrestler, Chase Lueherman. While Marko gave Lueherman a tough fight, he lost the decision to give the Peacocks a 3-0 lead. However, the Mavs turned it around after MSU junior Mike Smith defeated UIU junior Scott Kellenberger to tie the match at three apiece.

The third match of the evening was the climax of the matchup, between MSU senior Brody Nielsen and UIU junior Colter Bye. Halfway through, a controversial hold and an eye poke to Bye from Nielsen delayed the match. After a whistle, Bye threw a leg kick at Nielsen but missed. It was then followed by an irate Coach Grimm throwing the challenge after it looked like Nielsen was being pinned, but not counted. While Nielsen went on to win the match,

he was very frustrated afterward.

“I originally weighed in a bit lighter at 174 instead of my usual 184, so I made the choice to move up a class. The kid came ready to brawl and I didn’t understand what was happening with the stops. The only thing I did know was the leg kick got me heated and was bush league,” said Nielsen.

Following their intense matchup, things started to simmer down for both teams. It got worse for the matches as MSU sophomore Tommy Johnson, senior Max Villanow, freshman Isaiah Mlsna, and senior Brock Luthens lost their matches. This put the Mavs in another massive hole as the

Peacocks led 21-6.

Entering the final two matches, freshman Caleb Meunier and sophomore Drake Hayward made sure that they ended on a positive note. Both men were able to pick up wins in their matches to end with a final score of 21-14. After the match, Nielsen gave one final remark as he and the other stepped off the mats one last time.

“I am really soaking it all in, enjoying it with my family, coaches, and teammates. Knowing that this is the end is tough, but I am just thankful for the journey. All the hard work and memories will be what I hold onto long after I am gone,” said Nielsen.

GOOD LUCK MAVERICK BASKETBALL!

REED HOFFMANN • The Associated Press Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and teammates react to the crowd during the Chiefs’ victory celebration and parade.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

MSU’s Wrestling team concludes their regular season with a 21-14 loss against Upper Iowa. Nearly a third of the team are seniors, dualing their last time.

Native Americans grapple with Chiefs

By TERRY TANG The Associated Press

Moontee Sinquah spent only one minute onstage inside the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix during the NFL’s Super Bowl Opening Night. But it’s a minute that will remain unforgettable.

The Native American hoop dancer had never been that close to football players and coaches about to compete in the league’s biggest game. As he and other Indigenous performers sang and danced, they heard elated whoops from Indigenous people in the audience.

It gave Sinquah chills.

“I’m just really grateful that they did highlight our people because I think it’s really important,” said Sinquah, who is a member of the Hopi-Tewa and Choctaw nations. But when he thinks of that inclusion coupled with Super Bowl cameras panning to Kansas City Chiefs fans doing the maligned “tomahawk chop,” Sinquah says that juxtaposition leaves him “perplexed.”

“I think that’s the only thing

 FALL from page 11

their first spark on a power play goal of their own from none other than their leading goal scorer, Kelsey King. In Maverick fashion, the team scored just six seconds later off the stick of junior forward Madison Mashuga.

Although the two goals brought a bit of hope for the struggling Mavericks, the Huskies were able to calm the chaos, not letting up a score for the remainder of the game. SCSU added an empty net goal in the final seconds of regu-

that really bothers me about that whole thing is that, and I don’t know where it came from. And I don’t really fully understand it, but it is almost like a mockery,” Sinquah said.

The Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs embarked on their victory lap Wednesday, with players and fans alike doing the “chop” during a raucous parade and rally.

lation, clinching game one of the series by a score of 3-6.

The following night brought a similar storyline, which found the Huskies with a stretch of four straight goals before a Maverick answer to start the game. SCSU’s senior forward Addi Scribner started things off at the 12:27 mark of the first period and found another to begin the second.

Minnesota State didn’t find an answer for the red-hot Huskies until sophomore Alexis Paddington found her ninth goal of the

Nations: No clarity on neutrality, no Olympics for Russia

Indigenous people are grappling with the national spotlight once again falling on the team’s mascot and fan “war chant” — which they deem racist. This past week in Arizona, where at least a quarter of the land base is tribal reservations, there’s been a complicated mix of delight.

By EDDIE PELLS The Associated Press

season. Paddington assisted on the Mavericks’ final goal of the contest but with a goal from SCSU as well, the Mavs eventually fell in game two of the series 2-5.

Now, Minnesota State will be faced with the sixth seed in the WCHA playoffs and have drawn the No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers as their matchup for the first round. Having fallen victim to a season sweep to the Badgers already this season, the Mavericks will have to muster their best hockey yet if they want a chance at keeping their season alive.

Love Wh er e Yo u Li ve!

The governments of 35 nations released a statement Monday calling on the IOC to clarify the definition of “neutrality” as it seeks a way to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes back into international sports and, ultimately, next year’s Paris Olympics.

“As long as these fundamental issues and the substantial lack of clarity and concrete detail on a workable ‘neutrality’ model are not addressed, we do not agree that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed back into competition,” read the statement.

Among those signing the statement were officials from the United States, Britain, France, Canada and Germany. Those five countries brought nearly one-fifth of all athletes to the Tokyo Games

in 2021. Other countries that had suggested an Olympic boycott was possible if the war continues — such as Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Denmark — also signed onto the statement, which did not go so far as to mention a boycott.

The statement was the product of a Feb. 10 summit in London between government leaders, who heard from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy said Russia athletes had no place at the Paris Games as long as the country’s invasion of Ukraine continues.

The International Olympic Committee is trying to find a way to allow Russians into the Olympics, citing the opinion of United Nations human rights experts who believe Russians and Belarusians should not face discrimination simply for the passports they hold.

MARCO TROVATI • The Associated Press International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach walks in the finish area of the alpine ski, men’s World Championship downhill.

REED HOFFMANN • The Associated Press Fans do the tomahawk chop during the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory celebration and parade in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023.

VA RI ET Y

Indigenous film educates on integrating cultures

By JOEY ERICKSON Variety Editor

Ostrander Auditorium was home to yet another indigenous film installment on Monday, with the screening of “Black Indians: An American Indian Story.” The film aims to explore the issues of racial identity between peoples of both Native American and African American heritage.

“Black Indians: An American Indian Story” depicts what brought Native and African Americans together, what drove them apart, and how these struggles can still persist in the 21st century.

The film is narrated by James Earl Jones, a Black Indian himself.

Megan Heutmaker, Director of Multicultural Affairs, and BalenciaSariah Crosby, the head of African American Affairs, dually headed the film screening.

The month of February serves as Black History Month all across the nation, so choosing a film that shines a light on not only Indigenous people, but Indigenous black people, was of utmost importance to them.

“Jones narrates the film and talks about the African American community and the American Indian community and their connection. The film does an outline of his discovery of his

descendancy but also how these communities have worked together and were pitted against each other,” Heutmaker said.

While each of the indigenous film screenings depict different life stories, they all share a common thread of education and in-

sight that can prove meaningful and worthwhile to its audience. More specifically, the films are chosen with MSU’s American Indian or Indigenous students in mind, ensuring that connections stay close and bonds stay strong within the community.

Even if you may not come from an Indigenous background, Heutmaker thinks that seeing movies that tell stories like these are vital.

“Information is power, and we’re at a place where we’re gaining information all the time.

For me, the more information we can get into people’s hands that can help you think critically, look at things differently, hear different perspectives I’m all into that. I think that’s really important,” Heutmaker said.

After the film screenings, the Multicultural Center offers viewers to sit in for a Q&A session with Heutmaker and Crosby to discuss the film and its message.

“It’s usually just a time for people to talk through or process what we just watched. Usually that’s something myself or BalenciaSariah, or we’ll do. Process through and answer any questions that might come up for people as they watch the film,” Heutmaker said.

A common misconception regarding racism, according to Heutmaker, is that many people deny others’ experiences and perspectives just because they’ve never gone through it firsthand. But just because you haven’t experienced something doesn’t mean it’s not a real problem many others face.

“Often we get trapped in our bubbles, and we lose sight that there’s other perspectives and other lived experiences. And when we make those connections with others, we can help break down some of those barriers between us,” Heutmaker said.

MN Raptor Center bird show draws students in flocks

LILLY ANDERSON • The Reporter

Students watching the latest Indigenous Film Screening on campus at Minnesota State. This isn’t the first screening, and won’t be the last, due to its growing popularity.

Photos by DYLAN ENGEL

Last Thursday, Ostrander Auditorium in the Centennial Student Union was home to a bird raptor show that ruffled the feathers of any student who attended. Student attendees could ask questions and learn about wild birds like eagles, hawks, owls, and others. The event provided students with an educational and entertaining break from their everyday responsibilities.

Minnesota State schools students on school studying tips Furry friends help to de-stress students

By LAUREN VISKA Staff Writer

One thing most college students struggle with is studying. Most want to go out and part or hang out with friends instead of staying home and studying material they will most likely forget on exam day.

Regardless of that, they should still study.

Last week, Sherona Stewart, who works with the Maverick Sucess program, taught a How to Study session for students to learn about different kinds of learning.

This was a part of the Maverick Success workshops that have been going on around campus lately.

Abdurrahman Guantai, the diversity recruitment and retention coordinator within the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access, explained this series of workshops and why

they are happening.

“The Maverick Success workshop is a series of workshops we are hosting revolving around student success. Essentially on campus, we tend to focus on issues that we noticed our students have problems with,” said Guantai. “We were doing a lot of this programming already for one of the in-house programs, and we decided let’s open it up and make it public to everybody that’s already doing it.”

This event was open to students to come and learn what their learning style is.

Kaylee Foley, a junior business administration major, learned that her learning style is a mix of tactile and auditory. Tactile is learning by touching and doing, whereas auditory is learning by listening.

She came to this event to learn how to improve her testing skills.

“I am in a class called operations and supply chain management. When I took my first test, my brain just went blank,” said Foley. “I came here to see what kind of study tips could help me because it is a close note closed book class.”

Foley attended another one of these workshops. She attended the one for test anxiety. She learned a lot at that workshop, which will help her on future exams, and she learned more about herself.

“We learned that there are different types of anxiety and some ways to calm down. We also learned about different symptoms like tightness in your chest,” said Foley.

“I had tightness in my chest [during exams], and I didn’t know it was a sign of anxiety. But when I came, and I listened to her [Stewart], it’s like, ‘oh yeah, that’s what that is.’”

By MERCEDES KAUPHUSMAN Staff Writer

Hound Hugs and Kanine Kisses gathered in the Centennial Student Union to provide comfort for students experiencing stress Wednesday. Lenny Koupal, CSU Communications Coordinator, organizes the recurring event with the help of volunteers.

“It’s the most rewarding thing that I do, as far as seeing the positive end result,” Koupal said.

For as long as a decade, therapy dogs visit campus periodically to socialize with students and decompress from a hectic schedule. The students that attend Hound Hugs and Kanine Kisses often search for relief from a heavy workload, miss their animals at home, or grieve the loss of a pet of their own.

“There’s so many things that these dogs do for students, whether it’s distressing or reminding them of home,” Koupal said.

The certified dogs come from the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, a national organization. Its mission hopes to utilize

special animals to form connections with both young and old, through the smiles and joy that the dogs provide. The volunteers take their dogs to visit various locations outside of campus such as nursing and retirement homes, middle and elementary schools, and daycares.

“These people are amazing. They volunteer their time, they show up with their dogs, and most of the time the dogs just love it because the students are so attentive to the dogs,” Koupal said.

The animals all carry their own personalities and bring something different to the table. Maggie, one of the original dogs, inspired the name of the event because she gives hugs and kisses to visitors. Gracie, a toy poodle, can entertain an audience by jumping through hoops. Van Gogh, an australian doodle, is mellow and responds well to affection.

Van completed his last day of training to become a certified therapy dog at the event. His owner, Victoria Tambornino, adopted two-year-old Van almost a year ago. She stressed the importance of therapy

DOMINIC BOTHE • The Reporter

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

Students gathered in the Centennial Student Union to learn tips on studying for their classes. Some tips learned included the use of flashcards, studying while standing.

Dogs were the center of attention last Wednesday as students gathered in the Centennial Student Union to pet and hug the therapy dogs.

STUDY on page 16 DOGS on page 16 

‘Trustfall’ brings tunes of resilience

By EMMA JOHNSON News Director

After the doom and gloom of the last few years, P!nk’s latest album, “Trustfall” is the bright spot amidst it all.

Following the highly successful 2019 album, “Hurts 2B Human,” P!nk dives into a mix of her old punk-dance roots along with bright, hopeful melodies that ring of brighter days. A blend of pop anthems and melancholic messages, it’s a much-need refreshing break from the music we’ve heard the last few years.

Instantly, listeners are brought in with feels as P!nk powerfully delivers a piano ballad dedicated to her late father. “When I Get There” pens a letter of memories and questions, asking “is there a bar up there” and “is there a place you go to watch the sunset?” Never one to shy away from vulnerabilities, her heart is on her sleeve, but her spirit is in her voice.

To lighten the mood, “TRUSTFALL” urges listeners to not only run into the fire, but to “go where love is on our side.” Bringing the airy pop loyal fans know and love, the song ends with a persuasion to trust the unknown, an echoing chorus of “what if we just fall?” P!nk’s pop continues with lead single, “Never Gonna Not Dance Again.” As long as she has her dancing shoes, P!nk could have everything taken away from her. Funky disco reminds listeners they

Revelers enjoy Carnival street parades

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

can can dance away their troubles and their joy cannot be taken away from them.

More truths are revealed through her anthems “Lost Cause” and “Turbulence.”

The former song is a slow ballad with almost no music, letting her vocals take center stage. Lyrics focus on how any words can be hurled at the singer, but telling her she’s a lost cause when she brings so much kindness to the world. The latter addresses anxiety and panic and how the people we lean on are the constant no matter how difficult the road gets. “The panic is temporary/ but I’ll be permanent” leads into the strength of resiliency and at the end of the day, “it’s just turbulence.”

P!nk dips into country-folk music with a multitude of collaborations. The Lumineers pairs up with P!nk for “Long Way to Go,” a song which considers the difficult conversations before falling in love.

Swedish duo First Aid Kit lends their voices to an acoustic guitar and the promising excitement of young love. The album closes out with a Chris Stapleton collaboration, “Just Say I’m Sorry.” A powerhouse of a melody, the concluding song debates on whether an argument is worth having when you’re in love.

Known for her strong messages and catchy beats, P!nk’s latest album is the weight off of listener’s chest, a beacon of hope and joy leaping from every record.

Hundreds of thousands of revelers took to the streets across Germany Monday to celebrate Carnival dressed up in colorful costumes, amid an abundance of candy, flowers and alcohol.

Popular street parades in traditional Carnival strongholds such as Duesseldorf, Cologne and Mainz in the Rhineland drew huge crowds of locals and tourists alike. Schools remained closed in many regions in the west so children could join the parades.

Many of the processions showcased floats that addressed global political topics with biting sarcasm.

In Duesseldorf, one float titled “Free Iran” was themed with a small cleric struggling

 STUDY from page 15

Foley will take what she learned from these workshops for her future exams. In the future, I am going to make up my own questions. Because a lot of the way my teacher words things, I don’t understand,” said Foley. “So I’m going to reword

 DOGS from page 15

dogs maintaining a certain temperament when interacting with visitors.

“You can grab their ears, their feet, their tail, and they’re not going to react,” Tambornino said.

Beckett, a stoic bloodhound, comes from a lineage of incredible tracking and training abilities. Her owner, Judy Simonsen,

to free himself from the black, free-flowing long hair of a gigantic woman’s head.

them, and then I’m going to make my own practice test.”

Stewart hopes students got a lot out of the event and encourages them to attend other workshops to help their academics.

“I hoped they understood themselves more and now have

has been involved with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs for 20 years.

“Therapy dogs are people’s pets,” Simonsen said. “Well-behaved pets; usually have had some obedience training and ones that show an aptitude for being friendly and visiting with people. Their job is to volunteer and make people happy.”

The event will continue to

the confidence to understand their study styles and the specific things they can do to help study better and get better grades,” said Stewart. “I also think coming to these workshops and learning can help them with their studying and academics.”

take place every third Wednesday of the month and the first day of finals week in the lower level of the CSU. Members of the Alliance of Hound Hugs and Kanine Kisses search for more volunteers and encourage students to attend the event.

“We are always looking for people that are interested in volunteering and have a friendly dog that might be suitable,” Simonsen said.

Another float depicted an oversized, naked Russian President Vladimir Putin.

MARTIN MEISSNER • The Associated Press

A carnival float depicts Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.