February 24, 2015

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Laverne Cox presents “Ain’t I a Woman?”

Critically acclaimed actress and spokeswoman brings her story to MSU. JENNA VAGLE

Staff Writer

Actress and human rights advocate Laverne Cox gave a lecture on her career and experiences as a transgender woman at her appearance in Bresnan Arena on Wednesday. Critically acclaimed for her role in the Netflix original series, Orange is the New Black, Cox travels around the country for appearances at college campuses just like our own.

“Ain’t I a woman?” was her question for the evening, with a story that highlights her journey as a proud African American trans woman who has faced many obstacles during her life.

Cox spoke about her childhood and said she was constantly bullied; she advocates a world where the community respects a person’s gender orientation, where young people shouldn’t feel like they have to act a certain way, where there is acceptance for everyone.

Cox says that the difficult conversations she had with her loved ones have shaped her into

Photos by Trevor Cokley

the amazing individual she is today, but she wants people to be able to understand their loved ones without those difficult conversations—love is an antidote to shame.

Cox also spoke out against the abuse and violence that affects transgender and gender non-conforming individuals worldwide. High suicide rates and prevalent sexual violence

create an unspeakably unsafe environment for these men and women. Trans women of color make up over 40 percent of LGBTQ murder victims, with eight lives claimed by the unaccept-

able violence in our country in the first two months of 2015.

“So often there’s not a national outcry around it. There’s no rage. There’s no sense of trans lives really mattering,” said Cox. Transgender violence is not just physical; assault takes place every day in many forms. Cox has experienced mental, verbal, and physical violence and wants people to be aware that everyone is first and foremost, a human being.

“I stand here this evening, claiming my womanhood,” Cox said, addressing over 2700 students and community members with passion and poise. Although she spoke about gender identity, her message also applies to anyone who feels lost or misunderstood, with her message reaching out to those suffering from discrimination of any kind: “We’re not really a free society if we have to prove our identity,” she said.

The event was the 11th annual Carol Ortman Perkins Lecture organized by the MSU Women’s Center, LGBT Center and many other campus organizations.

Photos by Trevor Cokley Laverne Cox speaks to a crowd of over 2700 Mankato students and community members.

INSIDE:

TWINS PREVIEW - PAGE 12

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2 • MSU Reporter

News

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Frey Fellowship supports student research MSU student Amy Nguyen to develop wastewater renewal project.

YUSEONG JEON Staff Writer

Minnesota State University, Mankato sophomore Amy Nguyen, majoring in civil engineering, received the Anne and John Frey Climate Change & Sustainability Undergraduate Research Fellowship for her research project.

The Frey Fellowship, a part of a unique scholarship in MSU, encourages students to research on climate change and explore sustainable energy to improve environment, including research on effects on the biota and carbon footprint reduction.

“I actually did not know about it [Frey Fellowship] until my professor told me,” Nguyen said. “I decided to give it a try and got the fellowship.”

Nguyen’s project, titled “Renewable Energy by Methanogenesis through Anaerobic Digestion,” aims to examine how to take wastewater and create future renewable energy sources from it.

According to Nguyen, the goal of her project is to develop the method of changing the methane into renewable source through the wastewater and apply the result to the local wastewater treatment plant.

“My research is about how to improve methane to create energy out of methane, the biogas, from the wastewater.”

Nguyen will present her

Photo by Yuseong Jeon Sophomore Amy Nguyen will dedicate the award to her renewable energy research project.

research at the National Council of Undergraduate Research in April 2015 and at MSU Undergraduate Research Symposium in spring 2016 as well, after developing her examination this year.

“I registered NCUR, and with the result I have got, I want to see what people will think about my research. After that I will just collect opinions of people about my methane and

MOA shoppers undeterred by threats

Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press

BLOOMINGTON, Minn.

— Shoppers at the Mall of America seem undeterred after hearing about a video purportedly made by alQaida-linked rebels that urges Muslims to attack shopping malls. The video specifically mentions the Bloomington shopping mall.

Shopper David Modrynski says he talked with his wife and son about whether to visit the mall after hearing about the video, but concluded they can’t stop living their lives because somebody says

they’re going to do something.

Mary Lamminen, of St. Paul, said while shopping Sunday that she’s more afraid of the cold weather.

Authorities say there’s “no credible” evidence suggesting a U.S. mall attack was in the works.

The threat came in the final minutes of a more than hour long video released Saturday.

Its authenticity could not be immediately verified by The Associated Press.

maybe improve it for the symposium last year,” she said.

“So my expectation is that, even though there is a lot of things I have to be concerned about my research, right now I want to get as much methane as possible from my experiment and to see the best way to create renewable energy,” she continued.

Nguyen’s research advisor is Stephen Druschel, associate

professor of civil engineering and mechanical engineering in the College of Science, Engineering & Technology at MSU. “It was really fun to work in the lab because classmates helped and advised me a lot,” she said.

Nguyen, as a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, presented her former research with her peer investigator at the spring 2014 National

Conference on Undergraduate Research at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, when she was a freshman.

“In my freshman year here, I did other research just for volunteering. And then after that I got hired as a research assistant here during summer. We did a lot of work like analyzing.”

“Next year, I want to be more involved in school activities on campus. Also my future plan is, I want to do more research and get my degree done so I can graduate on time,” she said.

Students majoring in the field of College of Science, Engineering and Technology, who want to develop their experiences on research, can apply for the Frey Fellowship.

The Undergraduate Research Center at Minnesota State University, Mankato encourages students to be engaged in research to increase their academic experiences in college.

Faculty can also participate in the program by helping students as an advisor.

For more information, contact the Undergraduate Research Center at urc@mnsu.edu or email Amy Nguyen at thu. nguyen@mnsu.edu.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

MSU Reporter • 3

News

MSU Photo Moment: Candlelight Vigil

Photos by Trevor Cokley

A candlelight vigil, hosted by several organizations on campus, was held Feb. 11 to promote awareness for suicide and depression and in remembrance of the student who passed away on Feb. 2.

Guthrie names new Artistic Director MINNEAPOLIS — The Guthrie Theater has named Joseph Haj of the University of North Carolina’s PlayMakers Repertory Company as its new artistic director.

The 51-year-old Haj (hahzh) was introduced Tuesday to staff and supporters of the regional

theater in Minneapolis. He replaces Joe Dowling, who is stepping down after 20 years leading the Guthrie.

Haj has been producing artistic director at PlayMakers since 2006, overseeing a schedule of about 10 productions per season.

He has also directed throughout the United States, including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Folger Theater in Washington.

He will take over July 1.

Dowling, the Guthrie’s longest-serving artistic director, oversaw an era that included the Guthrie’s move from its original location near the Walker Art Center to its massive three-stage complex overlooking the Mississippi River.

Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press

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4 • MSU Reporter

News

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Reaping the rewards of a “Passion Project” Designer and illustrator Mikey Burton visits Conkling Gallery.

LISHA KIRPALANI Staff Writer “Project Passion,” the new exhibition in the Conkling Gallery, had its opening reception Feb 16 at 7 p.m., as a follow-up to the new visiting artist lecture in the Ostrander Auditorium.

Mikey Burton, a graphic designer/illustrator, describes himself as a “designy illustrator.” The faculty introducing him as guest lecturer called him a “hybrid of illustrator/graphic designer” after listing off his many accomplishments and the diverse list of companies he has worked with. The work he has done includes designing logos and packaging for brands like Golden Axe Apple Cider,

Converse, and Tumblr and has created illustrations for New York Times, New York Magazine, Real Simple, Playboy and more.

When asked about the compromises he has to make in his designs when working for such big corporations, Burton’s answer was suited to his lighthearted personality: the fact that he gets paid for being a designer is enough and he had never thought of himself as a serious artist, so being a designer seemed more adequate. He mentioned that it was not until recently that he started considering his own voice and the idea of doing things for himself. He also told how staying off social media and getting distracted by his phone were some of the most difficult things about his work—but that he never loses sleep over his work unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Through the lecture, Burton introduced the concept of “Passion Projects,” which means making work for oneself

without a fixed outcome. This is something he started pursuing as his thesis in graduate school at Kent State University, Ohio.

This project was called “New Covers for Old Books” and it was his initiative to make children more interested in reading.

He mostly worked with old classics, like books that questioned authority or books about coming of age. Steven Heller later recognized many of his sketches and images in www.printmag. com. His designs are also available on t-shirts at www. outofprintclothing.com, which is a charity initiative to donate books to children.

His next “Passion Project” kick started after college, as he was getting frustrated about being a freelancer. He created a series of posters, logos, and tshirt designs stating “Freelance Ain’t Free.” This self-powered series of designs allowed Burton to sustain his freelancing career for a while. Another selfgenerated project was “Barrel Body”, which is a project about Burton’s body, where he creates colorful illustrations of the food

he consumes everyday of his life using different techniques.

He chronologically mentions all the companies he has created illustrations and designs for. Some that stood out were his illustrations for Playboy Magazine “Car Castration,” illustrations for New York Times about Obama’s initiative for free college education and the handdrawn bobby pins on 40 pairs of Converse shoes. Although these projects have the clients in mind, his humorous personality seeps through in his portfolio, which can be viewed on his website, www.mikeyburton. com.

Burton has been able to develop his side “Passion Projects” as well as gain experience with big companies in the field of graphic design and illustration.

His love of bears, breakfast food and coloring has made him a successful “designy illustrator.”

Anyone can appreciate Burton’s light-hearted humor and cheerful personality that has translated wonderfully in his illustration and designs.

Photos by Trevor Cokley “Passion Projects” are self-initiated works that are meant to be rewarding to the artist without a fixed outcome.

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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

MSU Reporter • 5

News

Canada allows patients the right to die with dignity Fueled by local cases, ban on physician assisted suicide is repealed.

SHESTON STEELE Staff Writer Physician assisted suicide sparks many arguments across the world, the main concerns being morality and preserving human life. Physician assisted suicide (PAS) is used for terminally ill patients to end their life, usually in a hospital setting, with the aid and supervision of a licensed physician. In these situations, a doctor provides a patient with the knowledge and often the means of committing suicide. This usually includes providing the patient with counselling about lethal drug doses, and prescribing the drug. PAS, also known as doctor-assisted suicide, is often confused with the term “euthanasia.” In the case of euthanasia, the doctor administers the cause of death, most often this is a lethal dose of a drug. Euthanasia is closely related to the term “mercy killing.” In contrast, PAS is at the request and with the consent of the patient with the means of suicide is also being administered by the patient.

Canada has joined the

Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press

the spinal cord. Carter traveled with her family to Switzerland in 2010 to end her life. Grace Pastine, a member of the British Colombia Civil Liberties Association, the group that brought the case to attention, stated, “This is one incredible day. Physician assisted dying is now recognized for what it is

pocratic Oath, written by the World Medical Association in response to the medical crimes preformed in Nazi Germany.

It states, ‘I will maintain the utmost respect for human life.”

While some argue that PAS goes against those values, others see PAS as a way to die with dignity, upholding the values of

against with the consideration of the clause that a patient must initiate the want of assisted suicide. However, this argument could be used in a euthanasia case, since the decision is primarily made for someone who is not able to give their consent by family members and physicians. Recent studies have shown evidence that the legalization of PAS may lead to a decrease in involuntary euthanasia. Following this argument is the concern that one’s “right to die” may become a responsibility, making the vulnerable community more at risk.

Contrary to the building arguments against the practice of assisted suicide, there is also

a wealthy supply of supporting arguments. A main idea is of the cost of health care being reduced; while a person is on life support, or in need of many resources, a terminally ill person can easily create thousands of dollars in health care costs left over for their family to pay once the individual has passed.

Another important argument is that pain can be reduced, both for the patient and their loved ones. With PAS the patient decides independently when to end their life, giving them the opportunity to spend their remaining time with loved ones without the concern of a “when” factor. Being prepared for such an end can help ease pain and gain closure. Dying with dignity is an ideal that most people value. While having the means of ending their own life and deciding when they want to pass, a person is given a release from a slow, painful death that usually accompanies a person’s lack of hope and happiness.

Lastly, without the aid of a doctor, many patients considering suicide, and are declined by physicians due to the laws in place, may commit suicide on their own. They me unsuccessful, as many people are, and cause unnecessary harm to their body as well as their inner self. There is a possibility of a person committing suicide in a more traumatic way, also keeping them from dying with dignity.

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y g

Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press

countries like Switzerland, Colombia, Belgium, and states like Oregon, and Washington that currently allow the legal practice of assisted suicide. The Supreme Court unanimously agreed that denying the practice infringed on the residents of Canada’s rights. The case was brought to attention by a civil rights group on behalf of two woman who have since passed.

Gloria Taylor and Kay Carter were both suffering from degenerative diseases, without the opportunity to choose assisted suicide as a means of release in their home country. Taylor was suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease while Carter had spinal stenosis, a progressive compression of

– a medical service that brings an end, for some individuals, to unbearable suffering.” The court has limited the practice to patients who are consenting adults and are suffering from an incurable, but not exclusively terminal, disease that causes “enduring and intolerable suffering.”

Despite that PAS is at a patient’s request, many people disagree with the legalization and practice of it. The Hippocratic Oath, a widely known Greek medical text that is historically adhered to by physicians, states: “I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked…” Because of that statement, PAS can be seen to contradict the role of a physician. The Declaration of Geneva is a revision of the Hip-

the declaration. Religion also plays a big role in the acceptance of PAS as a legal practice because assisted suicide as well as euthanasia constitutes deliberately killing an individual; this contradicts the moral and ethical values exercised in certain religions. In some cases, it is believed that assisted suicide will not cure the person of their suffering, but instead postpone it until the afterlife. Another hesitation stems from the concern that PAS will encourage prejudice against the disabled.

One idea, commonly referred to as the “slippery slope” argument, suggests that PAS will be used against vulnerable groups because they cannot give their full consent in some cases.

This argument has been fought

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6 • MSU Reporter

Tuesday, February 24, 2015 Follow the Reporter on Twitter @MSU Reporter or Like Us on Facebook.com/ msureporter

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

These halls are made for walkin’ Doing our part to promote a healthy and productive environment.

Minnesota State University, Mankato

SPRING 2015 EDITOR IN CHIEF: Schuyler Houtsma........ 389-5454 NEWS EDITOR: Rae Frame.................. 389-5450 SPORTS EDITOR: Derek Lambert.............. 389-5157 A&E EDITOR: Chelsey Dively..............389-5227 ADVERTISING SALES: Mac Boehmer............. 389-5097 Jase Strasburg.............. 389-1079 Jacob Wyffels..............389-6765 Allie Bigbee................ 389-5609 Brandon Poliszuk......... 389-5453 Amber Masloski...........389-1063 Sam Rosenzweig..........389-5451

JAMES HOUTSMA Editor in Chief

Eons ago, in my freshman year of high school, we had an open lunch policy. When I say open, I mean wide open. Not only were you free to leave the premises, you could basically eat anywhere you could find room in the school.

The school decided to cancel this policy at the end of my first year, and I was one of many who cried “revolution” and contemplated a complete Children of the Corn takeover. What I couldn’t appreciate until years later was their reasoning for this change: this whole practice was thrown out in large part because every day there were students clogging the school hallways, sitting on a filthy school floor, eating, and talking loudly—picture skid row, but with saturated fat instead of meth.

Not only was it gloriously unsanitary in a way only a public school could achieve, it was treacherous to walk over outstretched legs in the halls and painful to listen to the gossip and jabbering from the hallway while you were stuck in class.

While I’m still a little sore that lunch was cut from 40 to 20 minutes, I now understand the logic

BUSINESS MANAGER: Jane Tastad.................. 389-1926

Photo by Yohanes Ashenafi

behind the initial move to clear up the halls.

Fast-forward a confidential number of years to the present, where I am experiencing a profound sense of deja vu in parts of our campus.

As just about any high school senior entering college will realize, MSU is about as different from the high school experience as possible, in so many good ways. This university has a large number of places for recreation and resting around campus, a majority of which allow you to bring and enjoy your food.

Thankfully, this campus has chairs dispersed in about every building, ensuring that students are not eating off the floor like they did during the years of open lunch my freshman year. Not to say we all haven’t tap danced around a sea of legs at least once in buildings where students sit waiting for class to start, but it is generally a slight annoyance

at most.

The majority of students at this university are attentive and respectful in their hallway behavior, but there are certain pockets around campus that, lest I sound like the hallway authority, are due for a reminder in how to behave in a place of study and business.

[An important aside — if you walk in a row of three or more people in the hall and don’t adjust for both oncoming traffic and the people behind you, you’re bad and you should feel bad.]

What’s important to remember is that there’s a place for fun and a place for work. Ideally, students looking for a good time should feel encouraged to meet in lounge areas – places like the CSU Bull Pen -- where everyone can have a fun, productive place to study and grow where some noise is expected.

However, if your place for

fun just happens to be around the workplace of someone else, tread carefully. If your plans include loud music, dancing and stomping, loud talking, blocking the walkways, or percussing on the furniture or walls, it will likely result in campus involvement.

The unfortunate fact is that this kind of behavior affects the work of many people on campus; people who are trying to conduct business or study in their own area feel uncomfortable—it is the responsibility of all students and faculty to promote a positive environment in our school, and some people are not doing their part.

See, hallways aren’t house parties or jungle gyms; you needn’t communicate at the volume of the former or carry yourself like you’re at the latter whilst in them. If nearby classes

HALLWAYS • Page 9

“What distracts you the most while working or studying?”

MAGGIE WALLAC, DIETETICS “People going to and from places.”

JAKE SPATES, ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY “When people and the environment are too loud.”

AD. DESIGN/PROD. MGR.: Dana Clark..................389-2793

POLICIES & INFORMATION • If you have a complaint, suggestion or would like to point out an error made in the Reporter, call Editor in Chief Schuyler Houtsma at 507-389-5454. The Reporter will correct any errors of fact 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.

Compiled by Yohanes Ashenafi

SAMANTHA HOFER, ACCOUNTING

IRENIUS NATIDAO, MECH. ENGINEERING

DULA ABDISA, ACCOUNTING

“Having people obnoxiously talking around you.”

“When studying it irritates me when fellow students chat loudly near my study area.”

“The music in the CSU.”

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

MSU Reporter • 7

News

Target slashes shipping charges due to surge Corporate changes mean you won’t have to buy as much to ship for free.

NEW YORK — Target has sliced its minimum online purchase to qualify for free shipping in half to $25 as the Internet becomes a bigger and bigger sales hub for retailers.

The minimum takes aim at competitors Wal-Mart and Amazon.com, both of which have higher minimums for standard purchases, and could be another step in a slow march among retailers toward eliminating separate shipping fees.

Target said free shipping is now available to all online orders coming from the continental U.S. or from military postal facilities. The company says handling fees may still apply to some orders.

Amazon and Walmart may follow suit or cut their minimums even further, said Brian Sozzi, CEO and chief equities analyst for the research firm Belus Capital Advisors.

“The U.S. consumer now views free shipping as a right,” said Sozzi. He said he thinks retailers will do away with the charges altogether in a few years. They can do that, Sozzi said, because they are building more distribution centers, which makes it easier and cheaper to ship items.

“For now, there has to be a minimum,” Sozzi said in a telephone interview. “Over time, I think you’ll see the companies use their data better and open up more distribution centers, so this minimum won’t be in play.”

Target began offering free shipping for Target.com orders worth $50 or more in June, and it offered free shipping on all items over the holiday shopping season. Target also provides

Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press Despite closing locations in Canada, Target has seen an increase in online sales.

free shipping on most online purchases for shoppers who participate in its REDcard loyalty program.

Amazon offers free shipping in the U.S. for some items when the value of the order exceeds $35, for those without a freeshipping Prime membership.

Customers who order more than $50 worth of merchandise from Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s website can get free shipping if they’re willing to wait six to eight days for delivery.

Target and Walmart also allow customers to have their orders delivered to stores for free.

Marshall Cohen, chief retail analyst for the market research firm NPD Group, said online retailers like Amazon are forcing

companies like Target, which runs physical stores, to change their methods.

“Online (retailers), because of their advantage of generally lower overhead, gives them the ability to change the rules of engagement,” he said. “Now the stores are learning that they have to play by the same rules to keep the consumer engaged.”

Cohen said that eliminating shipping charges will also help online retailers because it will allow them to increase impulse sales. Right now, he said, online shoppers can suffer sticker shock when they see shipping and handling charges added to their bills. If shipping charges go away, consumers will spend more on impulse items.

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Target has been working to win back customers since a 2013 data breach in which hackers stole millions of customers’ credit and debit card records.

Target’s reputation took a hit and the company is facing lawsuits from consumers and financial institutions.

The company announced in January that it will close all 133 of its Canada stores because they were struggling and losing money. Target said it expects to take a fourth-quarter charge of $5.4 billion in connection with the closings.

Shares of the Minneapolisbased retailer fell 30 cents to $76.57 in afternoon trading.

Target stock set an all-time high of $77.75 in January.

can get free shipping on many items, and so can members of services like Overstock.com if their orders are large enough.

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8 • MSU Reporter

News

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Wisconsin’s lawmakers seek Echo Food Shelf Food Drive & Fundraiser to repair stalled funding Highway woes fueled by increase in vehicle efficiency.

Students of Urban and Regional Studies host twoday event at Hy-Vee

mnsu.edu

RAE FRAME News Editor

Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. — Federal aid for Wisconsin highways dropped by 3.6 percent, nearly $28 million, over the five years ending in 2013, according to data obtained by The Associated Press, exacerbating the state’s woes in finding money for road projects.

Wisconsin’s loss wasn’t as large as some of its neighboring states — Minnesota saw a nearly 33 percent drop because of unique circumstances, Michigan an 8 percent decline and Illinois a 6.4 percent dip, according to Federal Highway Administration data. But the drop doesn’t help Wisconsin lawmakers fighting over how to pay for the state’s road work.

Looked at another way, Wisconsin’s dropoff in federal highway money has actually been more precipitous than the five-year figure suggests. Over the past four years, it’s fallen nearly 10 percent from a high of about $833 million to $750.6 million in 2013.

“We have gas taxes, which are stagnant. We have transportation construction costs, which are going up. And then we’ve got federal revenue, which is declining. All of those is a toxic formula,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said.

“We’ve got to take matters into our own hands.”

States rely on aid from the trust fund to cover about 80 percent of work on state highways, U.S. highways and interstates.

Of the $710.8 million Wisconsin received in the 2013 fiscal year, more than half went to state highway repairs, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

About $50 million went to bridge projects.

Asked how the decline in aid has affected projects, Wisconsin Department of Transportation spokeswoman Peg Schmitt would say only that the agency manages and prioritizes projects according to funding.

Created in 1956, the federal highway fund is built through federal taxes on gas and diesel fuel. Congress divides the money among the states through appropriation bills.

More fuel-efficient vehicles on the road over the last five years has led to dwindling tax revenue, forcing Congress to supplement the account with general fund dollars. The latest extension, signed in August, transferred $9.7 billion to the fund. That extension expires in May. President Barack Obama’s administration has proposed a $478 billion bill that would keep the fund going for another six years using money from gas taxes and a new tax on U.S. companies’ foreign earnings.

Wisconsin uses a similar mechanism to fund its share of road projects, funneling gas taxes and vehicle registration fees into a transportation account. But the same dynamics of dwindling taxes afflicting the federal fund have been playing out here as well.

Republican Gov. Scott Walker has supplemented the transportation account with transfers from the state’s general fund and increased bonding.

State DOT Secretary Mark Gottlieb asked Walker in November for an additional $751 million generated through a higher gas tax — the tax has stood at 30.9 cents per gallon since 2006 — and new fees on hybrid and electric vehicle drivers.

Walker, a likely 2016 presidential candidate, instead has called for borrowing an additional $1.3 billion for road projects.

GOP legislative leaders say that’s too much borrowing and they want a long-term solution for road funding.

Vos has proposed raising vehicle registration fees based on mileage driven; registration fees for passenger vehicles have stood at $75 annually since 2008. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, hasn’t ruled out such an increase but has warned that if lawmakers can’t raise more money they’ll have to cut projects.

Rep. John Nygren, RMarinette, is the co-chairman of the Legislature’s powerful finance committee, which will revise Walker’s budget plan before passing it on to the full Assembly and Senate. He said the loss of federal money isn’t “what’s driving the train” on Wisconsin’s transportation funding problems. The solution in Wisconsin will have to be a mix of spending reductions, slowing down projects and what he called “some type of revenue enhancer” constituents will accept, he said.

“If you’re a (lawmaker) from wherever in Wisconsin,” he said, “and you have a choice of the project in your area not happening or maybe a small increase in the registration fee, that’s a decision all legislators are going to have to make.”

Students of Urban and Regional Studies (SURSI) of Minnesota State University, Mankato is organizing a food drive and fundraiser this month to benefit Echo Food Shelf.

A local organization, Echo Food Shelf of Mankato distributes over 100,000 pounds of food per month to households in the Mankato area.

The event will be hosted at two Hy-Vee locations in February. The first day will be held at the Hy-Vee Riverfront location Thursday, Feb 26 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and day two of the fundraiser will be held at Hy-Vee hilltop on

Friday, Feb 27 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

SURSI is seeking volunteers for the drive at both locations. If you are interested in donating your time on either day, please contact Kyle Pringles by Wednesday February 25th. If possible, volunteers are asked to wear MSU apparel to help represent the University.

To sign up for this fundraising event, contact Kyle Pringles at kyle.pringles@ mnsu.edu.

For more information and volunteering opportunities, visit echofoodshelf.org

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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

HALLWAYS continued from 6

News or offices have to ask you to be quiet or have to close their doors, or students around you pack up their books and leave en masse, you are doing the whole “be respectful” thing wrong.

Everyone should be afforded the same opportunity for happiness and success at MSU. With a little mindfulness about where we are and what

MSU Reporter • 9 we’re doing, nobody’s toes have to be stepped on in that endeavor.

10 • MSU Reporter

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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

MSU Reporter • 11

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Follow the Reporter on Twitter @MSU Reporter or Like Us on Facebook facebook.com/msureporter

Email the Sports Editor: reporter-sports@mnsu.edu

507-389-5227

Mavericks pick up two wins on the road Minnesota State Men’s Basketball went into Sioux Falls and SMSU over the weekend, and returned to Mankato with a pair of W’s.

LUKE LONIEN Staff Writer The Minnesota State, Mankato Men’s Basketball team took home two conference wins Friday and Saturday.

“We really carried over the pace we played at last Saturday against Upper Iowa, and we played with more consistency and sense of urgency this past weekend,” said head coach Matt Margenthaler.

MSU opened the weekend traveling to Sioux Falls to battle it out with the Cougars of University of Sioux Falls. MSU came out of the game hot, sinking their first seven shots to grab an early 17-2 lead.

The Cougars would chip away at the early Maverick lead, cutting the lead down to three with 7:31 remaining on the clock when Charles Ward connected on an and-one attempt. The Mavericks would hold the lead until the final minute of the half, when the Ward connected on one of two free throws to give USF a 39-38 lead at the break.

MSU shot 55.6 percent in the first half, including going four of nine from beyond the threepoint line. USF shot 51.9 percent from the field in the first half, along with going 10-of -11 from the charity stripe.

Assem Marei

The second half saw the Mavericks retake the lead early, and never look back. The Mavericks were able to control the tempo of the game, extending their lead to as many as eight.

The Cougars cut the lead to three with 3:56 remaining in

the game, but the Mavericks wouldn’t let them get any closer, as they closed the game out with a 78-73 win.

The Mavericks got a big boost from Seniors Assem Marei and Zach Monaghan. Marei finished the game with an impressive double-double scoring a career-high 34 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, shooting 15of-19 from the field. Monaghan added in 25 points and six assist in the game.

Ward led the Cougars with 20 points, while Mack Johnson chipped in 19 points.

The Maverick defense did a stellar job in forcing 14 USF turnovers, while holding the cougars to shoot just 28.6 percent from beyond the three-point line.

“We played our best team basketball, offensively and defensively this weekend” Margenthaler said.

With the loss, the Cougars fall to an 8-19 record with a 5-16 record in NSIC play.

Saturday was a different story, as the Mavericks put on a show offensively, winning 108-73 at Southwest Minnesota State University. The impressive 108-point performance is the first of the season for the Mavericks.

The impressive performance started with hot shooting in the first half, as the Mavericks pulled out to an early 17-4 lead.

The Mustangs cut the lead to single digits with 9:49 left in the first half, but the Mavericks did not the Mustangs get any closer.

MSU led by as many as 24 in the first half, and finished the first half with a 52-35 lead.

Marei led the Mavericks with 18 first-half points to go along with five rebounds. Freshman TJ Lake finished the half with 14 points for MSU. MSU shot 58.8 percent from the field in the first half, including going four of nine from beyond the arc.

Turner Moen led SMSU with nine points, while Cole Martin added eight points for the Mustangs. As a team, the Mustangs shot 40.5 percent from the field.

The second half was much

Yohanes Ashenafi • MSU Reporter Marei splitting the Winona defense on his way to a two-point bucket.

of the same, as the Mavericks continued to dominate the game, pushing their lead to as much as 34 in the second half. The Mavericks never let the Mustangs come close to getting back in the game, finishing the game with a 35-point victory, 108-73.

Marei led the Mavericks with 24 points, and hauled in eight rebounds. Lake finished the game with 20 points, going four of eight from beyond the arc.

Monaghan chipped in 15 points and nine assist for the MSU. Marei’s performance from the weekend earn him the NSIC South Division Player of the Week for the second consecutive week and fourth of the year.

As a team, MSU shot an astounding 58.3 percent from the field, going 12-of-29 from deep.

The MSU defense was swarming, as SMSU shot 39.4 percent from the field.

Travis Meinders led the Mustangs with 16 points, while Moen added 15 for SMSU. MSU held the Mustangs leading scorer, Joey Bartlett with nine points.

To Mavericks really have to start peaking with the conference tournament just around the corner. “We have to continue playing the way we are and continue to get better.” Margenthaler said. “This team hasn’t peaked yet, and right now is the

time to do that. We have to play like there is no tomorrow.”

With the loss, the Mustangs fall to a 12-16 (8-14) record on the year. With the victory, the Mavericks finish the regular season with a 22-6 (17-5) record, solidifying their spot as the 2nd seed from the South Division in the NSIC conference tournament.

The Mavericks open the conference tournament at home against the number 7 seed from the North Division, Minnesota Crookston. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Taylor Center.

12 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Change has arrived, Twins fans With new faces coming to the Minnesota Twins along with some familiar faces returning, there is plenty of excitement surrounding the club for the coming season.

TOMMY WIITA Staff Writer To put it simply, it has been a rough stretch the past four seasons for the Minnesota Twins.

The club knew changes had to be made to start off in the right direction again, and the biggest changes this off-season was letting go manager Ron Gardenhire who managed the team for 13 seasons.

Paul Molitor will be taking over, as he has established his credibility with the players in the minor leagues with two-time World Series winning manager Tom Kelly being his mentor.

This move comes at a key time, as the Twins have a bunch of young, up-and-coming talent looking to sway the Twins’ woes. Tom Brunansky will return as the hitting coach, as will Joe Vavra as the bench coach.

New additions include Eddie Guardado, who had 116 saves with Minnesota, as the bullpen coach, Rudy Hernandez who spent 14 seasons in the club’s organization was hired as an assistant hitting coach. Neil Allen has been hired as the new pitching coach after spending the past seven seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays. Gene Glynn, a Twins minor league coach, has been promoted to third base coach, and Butch Davis, who spent 20 years with the Baltimore Orioles organization, as the first base coach.

For the 2015 season, the Twins have a pretty good idea of who is going to be playing where.

Behind the plate will be Kurt Suzuki. Suzuki will be hoping to have a season like he did in 2014, as he had career bests across the board with a batting average of .288 to go along with 61 RBI’s, and played in the AllStar game. His career averages suggest a decline this season, as he hit over 30 points better than what was expected last year.

With a decent arm and knowledge of the game, he has been a great replacement behind the plate for Joe Mauer. This season he will be working with more young guys taking the mound as well, so it will be important for Kurt to get them through the rips and grinds of the long season. An item of importance to note is catcher Josmil Pinto may see more reps behind the plate if he shows improvement this spring.

Where did the Joe “Hometown-Hero” Mauer go off to?

The key has been trying to stay healthy for the now 31 year-old, as he played his first season last year away from the catching position, moving to first base.

Injuries once again haunted Mauer’s season, as Joe only appeared in 120 games, but did manage a .277 batting average and 27 doubles. His strikeouts last season were the most of any time during his 11 year career.

Mauer should have a bounce back season however, as it was said earlier in the month by new manager Molitor that Mauer has had one of his best off-seasons in workouts. The former MVP is looking to get back to his All-Star form and batting title competitiveness that all Twins fans have grown accustomed to.

Moving over to second base, Brian Dozier will return. Each season Dozier is becoming more and more of a fan favorite in Minnesota, as the power numbers have steadily increased.

The Homerun Derby contestant of 2014 hit 23 bombs last year, which was the most on the team.

He also raked out 33 doubles and stole 21 bases. Dozier also dazzled in the field, as a Gold Glove could be reachable in the near future for the young star.

Despite a low .242 batting average, he still managed a respectable .345 On Base Percentage.

As long as Brian can increase the batting average and cut down the strikeouts, the Twins might have to sign a long term deal with the 27 year old.

The Twins have a nice dilemma for once at the shortstop position. Danny Santana is coming off a wonderful rookie year, as the young shortstop was second in most categories in rookies behind 2014 Rookie of the Year Jose Abreu. Santana played most of his games in centerfield, and hopefully he will not have to play out there for 2015. Santana looks like the top-of-the-order guy the Twins have been lacking since trading Denard Span and Ben Revere.

Eduardo Escobar will be challenging him for the starting spot this spring however; as Escobar has had the chance to show the Twins he means business. The 26 year old did not see much playing time before coming to the Twins in the Francisco Liriano trade with the White Sox. It should be an interesting spring, as both will fight it out for the position.

Then there’s third baseman Trevor Plouffe. Even missing the final month of the season last

Web Photo Torii Hunter (middle) returns to Minnesota, the team who drafted him in 1993.

year, Plouffe made some strides in many areas to his game. He has slowly but surely become a doubles machine in exchange for his “homerun-or-nothing” ways, as the slugger banged out 40 of them. His defense has gotten better each year as well, as the ex-shortstop has fit right at home in the third base position. He recorded a slightly better batting average than his previous best.

Plouffe is not the guy who will hit .300 consistently, but expect around .250-.270 with some power. The Twins have a talented, young prospect in Miguel Sano who may see some time up in the majors before season’s end. Sano would have already had playing time with the Twins most likely last season if Sano did not get injured and have Tommy John Surgery to end his 2014 season.

In the outfield, the Twins made quite a big headline of this crew in the return of an old friend, Torii Hunter. The twotime All-Star with the Twins will look to cast some leadership on not only the young outfield, but the team as a whole. Hunter was signed for a one-year deal this offseason, and is still productive with the bat. His defense of course has had a steady decline in proficiency, but that is expected from an aging player.

Look for Torii to be the starting right fielder come opening day.

Jordan Schafer was acquired late in the season just to fill roster space for the club last

season, but as it turns out the Twins may want to keep him around. Through only 41 games the young speedster appeared in he stole 15 bases out of 20 tries, setting the tone on the base paths. With his quick ways, the 27 year old will be challenging Aaron Hicks for the centerfield job this season. This might turn into a platoon situation if neither can step up and show they should start. Hicks has gone through many growing pains to start his career, as he ended up

in AA ball last year. Both players have the speed and defense, now it is just about being consistent with the bat. With Hicks only 24 years old, it is his spot to lose this spring training.

Oswaldo Arcia brings a powerful presence to a young Twins lineup. Last season, the 23 year old smashed 20 homeruns but had some troubles with back injuries throughout the year. He

TWINS • Page 14

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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

MSU Reporter • 13

Sports

Race for MacNaughton Cup has WCHA standings tight to the end 1. Minnesota State 23-6-2 (19-3-2) The Mavericks are the no. 2 team in the country, and host the no. 3 team in the country this weekend, Michigan Tech. This series will likely determine this year’s MacNaughton Cup winner, though it may take an additional weekend to crown a champion. With a one point lead over the Huskies, the Mavericks can’t afford to lose any points to Tech this weekend.

2. Michigan Tech 24-7-1 (19-4-1) After starting out 12-0 this season, the Huskies rose to the no. 1 ranking in the country and sat atop the WCHA. After MSU swept the Huskies earlier this season in Houghton, Mich., the Huskies took a back seat to the Mavericks. Now, the Huskies have the opportunity to pass MSU and win the MacNaughton cup, but only if they do not get swept in Mankato this weekend.

3. Bowling Green 18-9-5 (14-7-3) The no. 11 team in the country, BGSU made it as high as no. 6 this season. Eight points behind Tech and seven points ahead of both Bemidji and Northern Michigan, the Falcons are mostly comfortable in third place, barring any dramatic finishes to the season.

DEREK LAMBERT Sports Editor

With two weekends left in the regular season, the race for the MacNaughton Cup as the regular season champions of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a tight one. It’s been a surprising season, to say the least.

Minnesota State University, Mankato has been great all season long, as predicted by coaches and media prior to the season, and rank as the no. 2 team in the nation. Last season’s MacNaughton Cup champion Ferris State have not been able to duplicate that success this year, but their role has been filled.

Michigan Tech seemingly came out of nowhere and enjoyed a rise to the no. 1 ranking in the country earlier this season, while they currently sit at no. 3. They are the only team that still has a chance of tying or passing MSU before season’s end to win the league title. After these two teams it gets a little muddy.

Let’s take a look at what’s on tap for these final two weeks and where these teams stand.

T4. Bemidji State 14-14-4 (10-10-4) 7-2-1 in their last ten games, the Beavers have certainly turned things around after the holiday season. They could squeak into a third place spot, but it seems more likely that they remain at no. 4 and take the final spot for home ice in the playoffs.

T4. Northern Michigan 13-13-6 (10-10-4) Before last weekend, the Wildcats were on 2-7-1 slide over their previous ten games. But then last weekend they went into Bowling Green and came away with a sweep, showing that they can not be counted out. Tied with BSU at 24 points, they’re in the same position where they could steal a third place spot in the standings.

T6. Ferris State 14-18-1 (11-13-0) The Bulldogs won the MacNaughton Cup last season as WCHA regular season champions and started the year among the top 10 in the nation. However, FSU has had trouble continuing that success, and are fighting for home ice for the playoffs instead of a title.

With 22 points in league play, the Bulldogs are two points behind both BSU and NMU. T6. University of Alaska-Fairbanks 15-13-2 (10-12-2) While tied for fifth place in the WCHA and seemingly within reach of home ice for the playoffs, the Nanooks are not. UAF was found guilty of NCAA violations this past fall season and are therefore ineligible for the postseason.

8. University of Alabama-Huntsville 8-20-4 (7-16-1) UAH went 2-35-1 last season, losing their first 15 games before collecting a win, and going another 19 games before they’d win again.

This season, they’ve quadrupled their win total from last season and been playing teams much closer than in the past. While the Chargers are not in a position for home ice for the playoffs, they are in position to make the first round of the WCHA playoffs.

9. Lake Superior State 7-23-2 (6-17-1) The Lake State Lakers focus right now is not to let Anchorage pass them. If they do, they will miss the postseason once again. LSSU has had trouble getting back-to-back wins this year, but if they can manage to do that over the next two weekends against Northern Michigan and Ferris State, they should be able to secure the final spot in the WCHA playoffs.

10. University of Alaska-Anchorage 7-19-4 (4-18-2) The Seawolves made it as far as the WCHA Final Five last season, but this year it wasn’t meant to be. 2-12-1 over their last fifteen games, UAA has seen their playoff hopes continue to dwindle.

Only three points behind Lake State, the Seawolves could make a push for the first round of the playoffs with two good weekends coming up.

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14 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

TWINS “In the outfield, the Twins made quite a big headline of this crew in the return of an old friend, Torii Hunter.” continued from 12 has had a quality winter ball with no injuries however, so hopefully Arcia can be on the field more often than not. Look for Arcia to get some time at the designated hitter spot as well to save on his back. When Arcia is healthy, he is a force. The outfield might be the story of the season for the Twins, as there remains a lot of raw, young talent, led by the veteran Hunter.

Not many know Kennys Vargas’ name, but the 23 year old from Puerto Rico showed signs of dominance in the batter’s box last season, posting a batting average of .274 along with 38 RBI’s in 53 games as a designated hitter. Vargas only played in the last two months of the season, but was a terrific run producer for that time. Most scouts and coaches compare his swing to the Boston Red Sox and ex-Twin David Ortiz. From the looks of it, the Twins are going to hand Vargas the DH duties, and see what the youngster is made of. With him in the lineup with power sticks like Dozier, Arcia, Hunter, Plouffe and the future stars in Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano, this lineup could be top ten in runs for years to come.

Pitching is where things get perhaps a bit more complicated.

This offseason the Twins made a splash in free agency by signing top hurler Ervin Santana to a four year, $55 million deal.

Santana looks to be the ace of a rotation that has struggled in recent years. For his career, Santana has averaged a 14-11 record with a 4.17 ERA, but these numbers do not show how far the righty has improved his arsenal. He is a regular innings eater, as over 200 innings pitched would not be far from the norm. A perennial strikeout pitcher, Santana is just what the Twins needed in that category.

In 2014 there was not a whole lot to write home about with the starting rotation, except for one free agent signing in Phil Hughes. The 6’5” righty had a phenomenal season, as it was best to finally get out from the pressure of playing in the Bronx with the New York Yankees.

Hughes went 16-10 with a minuscule 3.52 ERA, but that is not even the best part. Hughes only walked 16 batters through 209.2 innings pitched while striking out 186, and broke the strikeout to walk ratio record in Major League history. Hughes is hoping to team up with Santana and hopefully become a solid 1-2 combo.

The third spot in the rotation will most likely be given to Ricky Nolasco. Nolasco had an

extremely down year that had to be the most disappointing point for his career. The Twins signed Nolasco in the 2014 offseason to a four year, $49 million deal to bolster the rotation and eat innings like he has always done.

Nolasco instead went 6-12 with a treacherous 5.38 ERA. It turns out he was pitching with an injury all season long, and hopefully 2015 can be a turnaround year. If Nolasco can get back on track, the Twins could have three solid pitchers that will eat innings, in which they have not seen in quite some time.

Kyle Gibson will be the fourth starter most likely, as each season there has been improvement. He was 13-12 with a 4.47 ERA last year, and was unstoppable at home during the first half of the season, but leveled out overall during the second half of the season. Gibson is hoping he can pick up where he left off in the first half of the season. He had a 3.16 ERA in the month of June, and was one of the top performers during that span in the major leagues.

Before the All-Star break, he was 8-7 with a 3.92 ERA. After however, he was 5-5 with a 5.17 ERA. The focus will be consistency for the 26 year old.

The final spot in the rotation will be decided in Spring Training. First there is Mike Pelfrey, who will be entering his final year on his contract. Injuries have plagued most of Pelfrey’s career, as the 6’7” right-hander is 5-16 with a 5.56 ERA with the Twins since joining in 2013.

Pelfrey will have to have an exceptional Spring Training to gain any consideration.

Southpaw Tommy Milone will have a go at it as well, as he was acquired from the Oakland Athletics for outfielder Sam Fuld late in the season. Milone did not see much time with the Twins, as most of the season was spent in the minors. He was 3122 with a 3.84 ERA during his three years with the Athletics.

As it looks right now, Milone may be starting in the minors unless he shows something different this spring.

The two guys who are most likely the front-runners for the final spot in the rotation is Trevor May and Alex Meyer.

Meyer has yet to reach the Major Leagues, as control is something that has been worked on in the minor leagues. Last season with AAA Rochester, the tall, lanky righty went 7-7 with a respectable 3.52 ERA. He also had 153 strikeouts while only walking 64 in 130.1 innings pitched. This season might be the year for Alex to breakout, as

Web Photo Kurt Suzuki in action last season.

he will be tested by Trevor May in spring training. May got the call last season and started nine games for the Twins, but it was not pretty. May gave up 59 hits in 45.2 innings pitched, while walking 22.

Trevor has worked hard this offseason to maybe fix those rookie flaws that were exposed last year. These two young prospects (Both 25) might be the key to success this year at the back-end of the Twins’ rotation. It is most likely that if May makes the rotation, Meyer will start out in the bullpen for the 2015 season. Also, keep an eye on the 20 year old Phenom Jose Berrios, who will most likely start the year in AAA Rochester.

Last season in the minors he had a 2.76 ERA and held batters to a .227 batting average.

All-Star Closer Glen Perkins, who has accumulated 86 saves in three seasons for the Twins, headlines the bullpen. The rest of the bullpen has not really changed, despite going separate ways with Jared Burton and Anthony Swarzak. Perkins, Casey Fien, Brian Duensing, Ryan Pressly, Caleb Thielbar, Michael Tonkin, A.J. Achter, Aaron Thompson, Logan Darnell, Lester Oliveros and newly required this offseason from free agency Tim Stauffer. Stauffer comes from the San Diego Padres organization, and will bolster some depth to the bullpen. He has a 3.87 ERA lifetime in the majors, and possesses great control. The Minnesota bullpen has been decent through these rough times, sometimes even being the only bright spot for them. If their rotation can go deep into games, they will only be better.

There is a lot that could be said for the 2015 Minnesota Twins. They could lose over 90 games again, but that’s unlikely with the improvements and new attitude installed this offseason.

The Kansas City Royals were way overlooked last season, and made it their goal still to get to the World Series back in Spring Training.

ball: there is no clear-cut winner.

For this team, it is a whole new

Expires 4/30/15.

Expires 4/30/15.

beginning.

Expires 4/30/15.

MSU Reporter • 15

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Follow the Reporter on Twitter @MSU Reporter or Like Us on Facebook facebook.com/msureporter

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507-389-5157

Sosin and Diaz lead GTRS

Students learn the importance of language.

LORIEN MEGILL Staff Writer

Last week the MSU English department hosted the Eddice B. Barber Visiting Writer Resi-

thefeministwire.com

dency as part of the Good Thunder Reading Series. Poet Natalie Diaz and fiction writer Danielle Sosin offered one-hour writing workshops each morning Tuesday through Friday, where they worked with small groups on issues of craft and professionalism.

Thursday afternoon Sosin and Diaz gave a craft talk, open to the public but populated mostly by students and faculty. Danielle Sosin, author of the short story collection Garden Primitives and the novel The LongShining Waters, which was the winner of the Milkweed National Fiction Prize, was the first to speak. Sosin talked about inspiration and contrasted a realistic idea of inspiration as something that is sought after and worked for with the romanticized idea that inspiration strikes like a bolt

mnartists.org

from the muse. She said that any element of craft can be used to inspire, for example dialogue or

structure. She closed by reminding listeners that “Inspiration is

POEM• Page 17

Causes and comedy dominate the Oscars Things get serious during the acceptance speeches at Sunday’s awards show, while a comedy pulls a rare move and wins top prize.

JAMES HOUTSMA Editor in Chief Everybody had something to support at Sunday night’s Oscars. The 87th Academy Awards delivered a moderate ceremony where winners brought pressing social issues to the stage while a technically splendid comedy took top prize.

Birdman took Best Picture this year and three other awards after making something of a last-minute push in the race, thanks to its wins at practically all the guild awards and the Independent Spirit Awards. Sunday’s win for Birdman makes it one of a very select few comedies to take home Best Picture.

Director Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu also claimed Best Director for the film, while he and his four writing co-horts (Nicolas Giacobone, Alexandre Dinelares, Armando Bo) scooped Best Original Screenplay away from The Grand Budapest Hotel. Emmanuel Lubezki became a twotime consecutive winner in Cinematography for Birdman after winning last year for Gravity.

But the real action took place

in the acceptance speeches. Several actors and filmmakers took the opportunity to give voice to causes all over the world. J. K. Simmons started things off in sentimental fashion with a kindhearted reminder to appreciate the parental figures in your life during his acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Whiplash.

“If you’re lucky enough to have a parent or two alive on this planet, call them. Don’t text.

Don’t email. Call them on the phone. Tell them you love them, and thank them, and listen to them for as long as they want to talk to you.”

After winning for Best Supporting Actress for Boyhood, Patricia Arquette made an impassioned call for equal pay and rights for women in America.

“To every woman who gave birth to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights.

It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America,” Arquette said to raucous applause.

For her win as a professor with early on-set Alzheimer’s in

Photo Courtesy of Associated Press From left to right: J.K. Simmons, Patricia Arquette, Julianne Moore and Eddie Redmayne .

Still Alice, Julianne Moore naturally drew attention to the plight of those with the disease, remarking “ People with Alzheimer’s disease deserve to be seen.”

Finally, an excited Eddie Redmayne, hot off his win for Best Actor as astrophysicist Stephen Hawking in The Theory of

Everything, followed suite with Moore and dedicated his statue “to all the people around the world battling ALS.” Screenwriter Graham Moore won Best Adapted Screenplay for his script for The Imitation Game and delivered an inspiring speech with personal revelation

and hope for the future.

“When I was 16 years old, I tried to kill myself because I felt weird, I felt different, I felt that I did not belong. I would like for this moment to be for that kid out there who feels like

OSCARS• Page 18

16 • MSU Reporter

A&E

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

The franchise that stole our hearts A look back at the Metal Gear Series and what’s to come.

MATTHEW EBERLINE Staff Writer For decades now, Metal Gear Solid has been a cornerstone of gaming, single-handedly defining the stealth genre and introducing a level of cinematic quality to video game stories comparable to that of film or television. With the fifth (and most likely final) chapter due out later this year in the form of The Phantom Pain, it seems appropriate to take a moment to look at both the history and future of one of gaming’s most influential sagas.

Note: Contains spoilers for multiple titles in the series.

It all started in 1987 with Metal Gear, Konami’s classic action-adventure stealth video game for the MSX2 computer – and later, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) – and the second game designed by the now legendary Hideo Kojima. Metal Gear introduces the series’ main protagonist, Solid Snake, a rookie member of fictional Special Forces unit FOXHOUND who is sent on his first real covert mission. His assignment is two-fold; to infiltrate a fortified mercenary state known as Outer Heaven and destroy an advanced weapon of mass destruction codenamed Metal Gear, a walking battle tank armed with the capability to launch nuclear missiles from virtually any terrain on Earth.

Considered to be the progenitor of the stealth genre, Metal Gear introduced many of the core gameplay mechanics that would come to define the series in later installments (including hand-to-hand combat, on-site weapon acquisition, and the famous alert system), as well as the elements that would define the stealth genre as a whole and influence other stealthbased games, such as Ubisoft’s hit Splinter Cell series. While the game was not an immediate success upon release, it did spawn two sequels in 1990, only

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one of which is now considered to be an official continuation.

The first of Metal Gear’s sequels, titled Snake’s Revenge, was developed specifically for Western markets following the NES release of the original game and was designed entirely without any involvement on Kojima’s part. While the game received positive feedback upon release, it has all but faded into obscurity since the release of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, the official sequel developed by Kojima’s team just a few short months later.

Building upon the events of the first Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake made a number of improvements to the stealthbased gameplay and introduced a complex story with intertwining themes on the nature of war and the dangers of nuclear weaponry. While the game released to favorable reviews in Japan, it wouldn’t see a Western launch until 2005, where it made its debut as part of the extended Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence for the PlayStation 2.

In 1998, Kojima redefined the series yet again with the release of Metal Gear Solid for the Sony PlayStation. Heralded as one of the greatest and most influential games in history, Metal Gear Solid brought the series into the generation of 3D graphics and introduced an impressive new level of quality to video game storytelling, on par with many of the greatest action films in history. Setting the bar for what video games can accomplish, Metal Gear Solid has spawned several sequels since its release, including Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, and the recent Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, the prologue to the upcoming The Phantom Pain. The series also spawned a number of spin-offs and side games such as Metal Gear Ac!d and Metal Gear: Ghost Babel.

thebit.co.uk

Since its inception, the Metal Gear series has been at the forefront of video game storytelling, daring to tackle such mature themes as the nature of warfare and the dangers of nuclear proliferation. Later entries also introduced and examined a number of modern social and technological concerns like the censorship of digital information, the pros and cons of nanotechnology, the ethics of human cloning, and the everchanging landscapes of political doctrine, loyalty, and ideology.

In a medium saturated with superficial stories and wooden caricatures, Metal Gear Solid manages to blend interesting, well-developed characters with a remarkably deep and thematic narrative, and The Phantom Pain shows every indication of continuing this trend.

Set in the year 1984, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will follow the mercenary leader Big Boss (or Venom Snake, as he’s called in this iteration) as he tracks down the mysterious paramilitary organization that attacked his followers and left him in a nine-year coma at the end of Ground Zeroes. Unlike previous entries in the series,

The Phantom Pain will utilize a full open-world environment, similar to the one introduced in Ground Zeroes, albeit on a much larger scale. Metal Gear

Solid V: The Phantom Pain is set to debut sometime later this year, though Konami has yet to announce an official release date.

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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

MSU Reporter • 17

A&E

Member drives driving listeners mad Let the guilt tripping begin.

RAE FRAME News Editor

We’ve grown accustomed to the ditties and repetitive advertising featured on Top 40 stations, we know the drill and our patience is rewarded by the occasional commercial-free hours and weekend countdowns.

Minnesota Public Radio has made friends with its listeners by reducing the amount of commercials they are subjected to while enjoying music on their

I don’t mind the nonstop promotions, what bothers me is the lack of progress and the guilt that gets broadcast for nearly a week (two if you count the week that leads up to the drives). Sadly, I’ve found myself touching that dial, turning on a CD or switching to a different station to avoid listening to what I perceive as an awkward and un-salesman like approach to fund raising.

At this point, I’m refusing to donate on principle.

People love to support their hobbies and local favorites, so why doesn’t it work for me?

Because these member drives depress me, they don’t seem to

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startribune.com 89.3 The Current, a part of Minnesota Public Radio, is one of several medium that rely on member drives for revenue.

classical and contemporary stations. Radio hosts on the Current will often perform verbal endorsements for promotions rather than playing yet another jingle, limerick, or earworm to sell you a product. Listeners really get to know their DJs, and many radio listeners tune in everyday to hear their talk shows, playlists, and countdowns because their commercial exposure is so minimal.

There is, however, a rub.

Things are a little different on minimal advertising stations because all the annoyance gets built up in one week—member drive week.

Because stations like the Current depend so heavily on members (with about 50% of costs covered by one-time and reoccurring donors), the Current and stations like it keep advertising to a minimum by hosting “member drives,” aural telethons that take place roughly twice a year and have an unpleasant effect on critical listeners such as myself.

I don’t mind the call to action,

meet their goals, and they often treat the listening population with a disdain usually reserved for pets that just went potty on the rug.

A common problem seems to be the setting of wild goals— thousands of dollars lost because community members didn’t raise enough to earn a donation match from an outside company and the like. There is nothing more uncomfortable than listening to a host try to shake off losses and stack failing goals on the next day—which adds up to some ridiculously un-achievable numbers. I would rather see (or hear) a station meeting their small goals than failing to achieve flashy, massive goals.

It’s a given that the blessed should give back, but what some stations do not realize is that some people are simply unable to donate—does that mean they should be banned from music? What I dislike about these drives is how the radio hosts drop nonchalant malice towards

listeners. I’ve heard everything from the innocent “have you donated yet?” to the rather abrasive “if you’re not donating, you shouldn’t be listening.” Every year, I think that I should donate, but I’m left with a bad taste in my mouth after hearing just a handful of fund-raising messages.

At this time, I go on hiatus at the first sign of a drive, but there are solutions!

Think little: First $100 pledged? Let’s celebrate! Made it to $1,000? Pop the champagne!

Unfortunately, we the general public don’t think in terms of “every little bit helps,” we want to feel like we made a big difference—we want to see those results. Set smaller incremental goals that will allow the station to show progress instead of waiting for a huge goal to be met at the end of the week.

Get positive: Let’s start announcing these donors (should privacy allow), let’s get more than three testimonies to broadcast, let’s come up with new ways to thank donors rather than criticize those who have yet to contribute.

Change the plan: Listening to my favorite show host chat about a local bar, or car dealership really doesn’t bother me. Maybe resurgence in those classy spoken endorsements could help stabilize the financial responsibility that’s currently being thrust upon listeners (and employ a few live

jingle-singers in the process).

I’m not going to pretend that I know how to run a station, but I know what isn’t sitting well with me. I’m sitting here, checkbook in hand, waiting for the day that

I can bear to sit through an entire member drive without feeling like somehow, I’ve done something wrong.

Expires: 4/9/15

18 • MSU Reporter

A&E

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Star Trek: Shattered Universe A retro game review, a regular blast to the past.

WES HUNTINGTON Staff Writer

Star Trek: Shattered Universe is a great game in concept and name only. This game would be a great game to play only if you were a huge fan of the original series and its films, or if you were fond of a particular episode from the series, unfortunately, that’s where it all ends.

Shattered Universe takes place roughly 30 years after the original Star Trek episode, “Mirror, Mirror,” as Captain Sulu (voiced by original actor George Takei) and the crew of the U.S.S. Excelsior are transported to that mirror universe. In this universe, he and his crew are members of the Terran Empire - first seen in “Mirror,” - and one of their main adversaries is Commander Chekov (voiced by original actor Walter Koenig).

This game was first released in Jan. 2004 for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 consoles, developed by Starsphere Interactive (developers of the original You Don’t Know Jack games), and published by TDK Mediactive.

The game had a rough history from the time it was announced to the time it was finished. After being announced by the original developer, Interplay, (who at the time had the rights to produce games based on the original Star Trek; Activision had rights to the spinoffs) as the final game of its licensing deal in 2001, the game was officially cancelled in late 2001 when Interplay filed for bankruptcy. The game was then re-announced following the lawsuit made by Activision and Viacom, who owned Paramount

took place in the acceptance speeches. Several actors and filmmakers took the opportunity to give voice to causes all over the world” continued from 15

diehardgamefan.com

(then curators of the Star Trek franchise) in 2003.

The game play can be described as cumbersome and hard to use. As Shattered Universe begins, you are ordered to fly and attack upon Chekov,

OSCARS “But the real action

be hard to look at; for example, when you are ordered to destroy a Terran starship, the damage detailing can be seen as crude compared to other games of the genre. The ships you fly – at least from the Terran arsenal –

she’s weird or she’s different or she doesn’t feel she fits in anywhere. Yes you do. Stay weird, stay different.”

Maybe the most visibly moving moment of the night belonged to John Legend and Common’s performance of “Glory” from Selma and their subsequent win for Best Song.

“Selma is now because the struggle for justice is now,” said Legend, noting that there are more black men incarcerated today than there were enslaved in 1850.

As a counterpoint to the serious messages found in several speeches, host Neil Patrick Harris kept things fairly light, hitting home on some gags (opening musical number, Birdman underwear recreation,

seat holders) and slipping up on one or two (predictions box).

One of the biggest surprises of the night was a performance by Lady Gaga of songs from The Sound of Music to commemorate the film’s 50th anniversary.

In a totally unrelated note, the ceremony ran half an hour over schedule.

Ratings indicated that this year’s Oscars were down 10 percent from last year, a similar trend with other awards ceremonies this year.

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who is commanding the I.S.S. Enterprise, without any kind of training mission to have you get used to the controls. Most space fighter simulation games (a notable example of it can be 2000’s Star Trek: Invasion for the PlayStation), always include a training mission to get used to the controls. Once you have mastered them, it is quite easy to get swept up into the action. Familiar Star Trek aficionados will recognize most of the missions, though some will have been changed for the mirror universe.

Throughout the 19 missions you will encounter enemies such as the First Federation (from “The Corbomite Maneuver”), the Doomsday Machine, Tholians and their famous web, a giant single-celled organism (from “The Immunity Syndrome”), and a subspace wormhole (from “The Motion Picture.”)

The graphics can sometimes

should be familiar if you have ever played Star Trek: Starfleet Command Volume II: Empires at War, the last official Star Trek game released by Interplay that was released in 2000.

The cinematics are well done, if you don’t mind Chekov and Sulu’s faces moving quite cumbersome whenever Koenig or Takei speak their lines. Overall, it’s not good, but it could have been much better. In the words of my best friend Ann, who has also played this game, “Oh god, that was awful!” Star Trek: Shattered Universe gets a 3 out of a possible 5.

Reporter Rating

3 5

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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

MSU Reporter • 19

A&E

Retro-review: Spongebob Squarepants: SuperSponge takes us back to the beginning

WES HUNTINGTON Staff Writer

In 1999, Nickelodeon aired a new TV show called SpongeBob SquarePants, and it was instantly successful. It was so successful that two feature films have been produced, numerous video games and other such media. In honor of the newest film, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, this review will look at the 2001 game SpongeBob Squarepants: SuperSponge, that was developed by Climax Group and published by THQ. The game was released in Nov. 2001 for the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance.

The two games are identical, but

with subtle differences. For this review, we will look at the PlayStation version.

SuperSponge takes place in roughly the second season of the television series. As the story begins, it is SpongeBob’s best friend Patrick Star’s birthday, and his gift to him is an autograph signed by their favorite superheroes: Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. In order for Spongebob to get what Patrick wants, Spongebob has to complete several errands for the elderly superheroes. Most of the cast from the television show voice their characters in the game, except for Clancy Brown, who voices “Mr. Krabs” on the series. The replacement voice

actor doesn’t have the usual gruff voice that Brown uses as the character.

The gameplay plays your standard platform jumping-type of game, moving from one end of the level to the other, destroying enemies and avoiding obstacles. Throughout the 15 levels – five chapters with three levels apiece, with a boss at the end of the third level – you must collect spatulas. These are your health meter. Though if you get hit, you lose them and if you get hit without any, you lose a life, just like in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The bosses you encounter range from a giant jellyfish (not unlike the one from the episode

“I’m Your Biggest Fanatic” from the second season of the series), to a nasty looking sea creature with spikes. While from a close angle, the creature may remind gamers of the “Koopa Troopa” mini boss level in each of the eight worlds from Super Mario Bros. 3. The graphics are understandably dated, considering that the PlayStation was the first commercially successful CDbased game console. Some of the graphics, like the nasty sea creature at the end of the 15th level, could be seen as computer generated. The voice acting from most of the main cast is excellent, including Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway as the

titular Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. With its great gameplay, the game can be beaten in fewer than three to four hours of straight playing. The game can be enjoyed by anyone who likes games such as Super Mario Bros. There really isn’t to say much more other than this, other than it could be considered a fun little gem from the otherwise hit-or-miss Spongebob video game franchise.

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20 • MSU Reporter

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