February 25, 2014

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Minnesota State University, Mankato

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TUESDAY

TUESDAY L: -9

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Partly sunny H 86 WEDNESDAY Mostly sunny H 86 & colder L 66 & breezy L 66 H: 12 L: -9

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

THURSDAY L: -18

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Mostly sunny H 86 & frigid L 66

A whole new ballgame MSU’s newest $31 million construction proposal for outdoor facilities could boost the university’s athletic department to the top of Division II.

RDG Planning and Design The new proposal from RDG Planning and Design would make for a complete overhaul of the outdoor sites, including major renovations to Blakeslee Stadium, the MSU Baseball Complex, along with constructing a new soccer field and an indoor turf practice bubble.

SAM WILMES News Editor Minnesota State University has proposed a $31 million construction project that, if done, would upgrade and reconfigure the outdoor athletic facilities as compatible to the goals and commitments of the University as indoor facilities recently erected on campus.

MSU Athletic Director Kevin Buisman is viewing this possible expansion as beneficial to the future of the MSU athletic department.

“It’s a finishing piece of the puzzle,” Buisman said.

“A lot of our recruits come from advanced programs, places that oftentimes have artificial turf already installed. The expansion will only help with this.”

Buisman also cited the concessions and bleachers as needing improvements to continue MSU’s continued rise to the upper echelon of Division II athletics.

Although the occupants of

INSIDE:

what Buisman cites as average to below average outdoor facilities have been extremely successful as of late, Buisman contends that additions will only help the University’s athletic success and the recent success was in spite of the facilities, not because of.

Buisman cites the indoor facilities as some of the best in Division II and the Taylor Center as being held in favorable esteem to numerous Division I facilities.

The next phase of the plan will be a capital plan for fundraising, what Buisman calls a gauging of the interest of critical aspects of the plan.

Based on the time line of Myers’ Field House renovations and the journey ahead, Buisman expects an 8-10 year window during which this project can get done.

Since the arrival of Myers Field House, Otto Recreation Center and the Taylor Center in 2008, Minnesota State has described their indoor athletic facilities as some of the best in the region for a Division II program.

The arrival of the facilities has facilitated the school to host several national events, as well as help take care of the needs of local athletes and students.

Outdoor facilities, however, still need help. Despite its being named the 2013 Field of the Year, according to the university, Blakeslee Stadium is in need of a major overhaul.

The 52-year old field is feeling its age and its foundation is beginning to crumble; major renovations are needed.

The baseball, softball and track and field complexes are in need of repair as well as the women’s soccer field, which is described by the university as not suiting the needs of the players and fans.

This proposal began in July when a committee of athletic department coaches and officials on the renovation plan, RDG Planning & Design, an Ankeny, Iowa company, was selected to come up with a master plan.

Buisman expressed gratitude

to the contributions and efforts the company provided.

“RDG did excellent work, very thorough,” Buisman said.

“We’re really pleased with the work they did and provided and hope this is a good step moving forward.”

The study focused on the other 15 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference universities and four similar universities in the Midwest to see how the university compared.

Suggestions made in the final report, which has already been presented to the President’s University Cabinet and the Minnesota State Foundation Board, suggests two options regarding the configuration of Blakeslee Stadium and the potential sites of a new soccer field, maintenance facility and indoor practice bubble.

The football field, while a staple of campus for over 50 years, is in need of significant renova-

PROPOSAL • Page 5

Caribou coming near campus

REPORTER STAFF REPORT A new Caribou Coffee location is reportedly coming to campus soon.

The Minnesota-based coffee company is looking to add their third location in Mankato. The new Caribou looks to open in University Square after filing a bid in mid January with Fargo Moorhead Builder’s Exchange.

The building being sought, the former home to Verizon Wireless and Starbucks on the corner of Warren Street and Stadium Road, is already being cleared out and prepping for the next business to come in.

The new Caribou will be utilizing the drive-through window that was part of the Starbucks.

Sources site the new coffee shop is aiming for an opening sometime in April, just in time for finals week. More info on the campus Caribou will be revealed as soon as it is made available.

MSU BASKETBALL WINS NSIC TITLE - 9

Yohanes Ashenafi • MSU Reporter ED/OP

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2 • MSU Reporter

News

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Annual Pan-African conference slated for this week ALEX KERKMAN Staff Writer Minnesota State University, Mankato will host noted scholar Molefi Kete Asante as keynote speaker at the 38th annual Dr. Michael T. Fagin Pan African Student Leadership Conference, which will be held at 7 pm on Friday in the Centennial Student Union ballroom.

The theme of this year’s conference is “The Power of Education in Advancing the Pan African Community.” The conference will run from Thursday through Saturday on MSU’s

campus.

Asante, a professor in the Department of African American Studies at Temple University, founded the first PhD program for African American Studies in 1986. Asante, who has written more than 70 books and 400 articles and is the founding editor of Journal of Black Studies, will be able to heard by everyone free of charge.

Asante received his doctorate from UCLA at the age of 26 in 1968 and was named a full professor at State University of New York at Buffalo by age 30.

Asante has been recognized as

one of the 10 most widely cited African Americans. He has also appeared on a handful on wellknown news programs, such as The Today Show, 60 Minutes and MacNair-Lehrer News Hour.

Along with his own notable accomplishments, Asante is also the father of M.K. Asante, author and director of films such as 500 Years Later and The Black Candle.

In addition to Asante, other speakers during the conference include Amos Otis, CEO of SoBran INC; John Register, associate director for the community

and veterans’ programs of the U.S. Paralympics, Lissa Jones, a radio host from the Twin Cities and Raymond AsomaniBoateng and Johnson Afolayan, faculty members at MSU. The Pan African Student Leadership Conference was founded by Dr. Michael T. Fagin in 1977. According to the conference’s website, its main goal is to provide an intellectual forum for academics and students with posters, paper presentations and panel discussions of the history, culture and contemporary issues confronting the development and future of Pan

Africanism.

Last years’ conference keynote speaker was the honorable Judge Greg Mathis, the star of the award winning syndicated television show “Judge Mathis.”

The theme of the conference was “Accepting and Valuing Diversity in the Pan African Community.”

The Pan African Student Leadership Conference will bring a close to this years celebration of Black History Month at MSU. The event is sponsored by various colleges and departments throughout MSU.

MSU to show documentaries on civil rights movement HANNAH KLEINBERG Staff Writer In celebration of Martin Luther King’s March on Washington for jobs and freedom, the Library Services of Minnesota State University, Mankato have scheduled the screenings of two documentaries that mark the history of the Civil Rights Movement.

Both of these events will be free of charge and open to the public, MSU student or not.

Prizes of parking passes for Lot 4 (the visitors’ pay lot) will be

eligible for the first 50 community attendees who come to either program.

The first documentary to be shown will be “Slavery by Another Name,” on February 25th.

It will take place from 4 to 6 PM and will be in the Ostrander Auditorium, located in the Centennial Student Union.

“Slavery by Another Name” examines African American history between the Civil War and World War II. Proceeding the film, an assistant professor from the Department of History, Angela Jill Cooley, will

open a discussion concerning the topics presented in the documentary.

The second documentary, “Abolitionists,” will take place on March 6th between 4 and 5:30 PM in the same location.

This film shows the anti-slavery movement through dramatized reenactments of the lives of people who existed during that period. MSU professor and department chair of the Department of History, Lori Lahlum, will follow the film showing and open a discussion.

Both of these films are part of

a four-film documentary series called “Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle.” This series highlights the history of the Civil Rights Movement and was established through the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The two remaining parts of this documentary set, “The Loving Story” and “Freedom Riders” will also be show on our campus in the fall of 2014 and will be a part of the university’s common read program.

These films are sponsored by the Library Services, the Kessel

Institute for Peace and Change, the Department of History and Dr. T. Fagin’s Pan African Student Leadership Conference.

All that the “Created Equal” and its public programs have become are all thanks to a major endowment from the National Endowment for the Humani-R ties, in effort of its “BridgingS Cultures” initiative and also in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of Americano History. For more informationt about these pursuits, visit gild-H m erlehrman.org and neh.gov. p l t i t w

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

MSU Reporter • 3

News

University decision leaves student stranded PRATAKSHYA BHANDARI Staff Writer The student wakes up to a city blanketed in snow. She has lived in Minnesota long enough to be able to tell when the snow is fresh and when it has been laying and melting and freezing in a cycle. All around her, she hears that a blizzard is on its way. She has apparently lived in Minnesota for so long that she knows a “blizzard” is just a little extra wind and a little extra snow. How bad could it be, she wonders. She gets on the bus and heads over to her early morning class.

At 1:34 p.m., she receives an email that the University is cancelling all evening classes starting at 6 p.m. The email also says that the University, however, is open and functioning and all

staff members should report to work as scheduled. The student does not have evening classes scheduled on Thursdays. In spite of being a student, the second portion of the email is more of her concern. She is scheduled to work that evening. Blizzard or not, work is work, she tells herself. “As long as the buses run and I can get home, who cares if the world is falling apart outside,” she assures herself.

At 3:23 p.m. the student receives another email. This time there is an announcement that the City of Mankato is cancelling bus services from 6 p.m. on. This email concerns her.

She wonders if this constitutes a “weather related emergency.”

Then she remembers that she is reading the email on a computer right in the building where she works. There is simply no ex-

cuse to not be at work. If it’s bad enough for buses to be cancelled, everything must surely close before 6 p.m. She assures herself that if it is a concern for her, it will be a concern for the University too. They are aware that I exist, she tells herself.

It is 5 p.m and she is still working. She looks at confused faces all around her. Students are lining up at the door to take the last bus home. Since the “last bus” could be any bus now, everyone is desperate to get home.

The student steals a quick glance at her email to see if the University has allowed “staff” to leave along with the students. She can still make it on the last bus.

At 6 p.m., the student, along with her coworkers, watch exasperatedly as the last bus leaves the building, packed to its last bit with students who aren’t staff

for the day. They are simply students, who have no classes and were soon going to be safe in their cozy homes.

At 7 p.m., the building is ghostly silent. It is a moment of truth for everyone who hasn’t somehow made it home by now.

The University is still open and functioning. It isn’t a question of having a bus to ride back home anymore.

It is a question of getting home at all. Driving is no longer a privilege. In a blizzard so bad that the City of Mankato had to pull buses off the street, cars are about as reliable as cell phones running on low battery.

At 8 p.m., the building comes back to life again. This time, it is with people scrambling to find a way home. The superheroes are wondering if they can walk through the blizzard. The des-

perate ones are calling for help, praying their help will not need help five miles out of home. The really desperate ones are trying their vague luck with a taxi.

Hoping there is at least one taxi driver brave enough to take the blizzard head on. And strong enough to win.

It is 9 p.m. and the student is waiting, along with others, who have been waiting on their own, waiting for the shuttle that the functioning University could not provide, waiting for the taxi that may or may not arrive, waiting for friends and family who, at this point, might be stranded somewhere under tons of snow, waiting for courage to walk through the blizzard, most of them thinking of a last resort by now, in case this one fails.

In the mid-term push for academics, free time needed

RYAN BERNDT Staff Writer

Last semester, I wrote an opinion article on student apathy and it’s role on our campus.

However, it wouldn’t be fair of me to state that apathy has no place on campus. In fact, I believe the opposite, students need time to relax and settle down if they are truly to understand themselves and their role in our world.

I’m not trying to get deep here, but it would be paradoxical for me to accuse others of being lazy. Who can honestly say they don’t like sprawling in bed and spending the afternoon watching Netflix? Who can honestly say they are better than other people for being more “active” on campus? Being “active” should be a subjective term; not every student wishes to achieve the same goals as their peers.

When I was a freshman living in the dorms, there was this preconceived notion that one must be a “leader” in order to excel through the collegiate experience. Take a brisk walk through campus, and you’ll notice that statement resonates throughout MNSU. Posters are spread across billboards offering opportunities for you, the student, to engage in a leadership project or partake in leadership exercises.

These will often include a seminar featuring a guest speaker no one has ever heard of, some form of manual labor, and hopefully

free food. At the end, you shake a few hands and feel like you’ve changed the world.

This is a waste of resources and time for our University.

There needs to be a greater push for academic pursuits rather than extra-curricular opportunities. I don’t know why it’s so hard to grasp the notion that not everyone wants to be a leader; that not everyone wants to spend time going to these events, seeing the same people over and over again.

We do not want to be pressured into becoming leaders, but rather, have the resources to expand our mind to better understand the world around us.

Take, for example, an engineering major vs. a political science major. Now, both may have the same seemingly underlying goal of graduating and finding a good job, but the paths leading to that goal might be very different.

The field of engineering requires students to set strict study times; one will need an unparalleled amount of self-discipline to excel in the field. There is no absolute emotion to portray to excel in the realm of science.

Political science majors, on the other hand, aren’t judged solely on knowledge of their field or the time the put in to projects.

In the realm of political science, experience, connections, and personality will get you further than just studying different law cases in the library.

Thus, it makes sense for poli. sci. majors to aim higher in lead-

ership positions, get their name out there, and try to directly change the campus.

As author Tanith Lee once wrote, ““It was not apathy. It was an intelligent disinterest in those things that could have no bearing on one’s existence.”

It’s not the people don’t care,

it’s that people don’t have the time to waste. College should, first and foremost, be the pursuit of academic knowledge that can later be translated into job skills.

If a student wants to watch some movies after spending a few grueling hours going over schematics, why shouldn’t they?

At Highland Hills, our location is everything!

We don’t need leaders to make change. We don’t need leadership to excel in life. We, as students, deserve to spend our free time doing whatever we want, no matter how meaningless or apathetic it may be.

Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses.

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014 Follow the Reporter on Twitter @MSU Reporter or Like Us on Facebook.com/ msureporter

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Spring Break on the horizon readies students for fun A trip to the warm beaches of Florida awaits a long-awaiting Minnesotan.

MIKELL MELIUS Staff Writer It’s February in Minnesota.

We just experienced a huge snowstorm, the roads are far from desirable and according to chief meteorologist for Minnesota Public Radio Paul Huttner, this is the coldest winter Minnesota has experienced in 30 years, which means that many of us college students have never experienced a winter this cold, ever. So, with all of this wrapped up into one frozen burrito and with March rapidly approaching, only one thing really makes sense; Spring Break.

I am in my fourth year of college and every year I’ve watched my friends go on spring break trips. I have never been able to afford it so every year I stay in Minnesota, working, relaxing at home, and living vicariously through my friends’ Facebook photos. This year I decided to make a change. I realized I am almost done with school and was hell bent on being able to cross “Go on a Spring Break Trip” off my college bucket list.

So, I first talked my roommate into going on this adventure with me, not a hard task. We then discussed where to go and easily decided on Panama City Beach, Fla. To make the trip more affordable we invited along some other friends and booked a hotel room at SeaHaven Beach

Hotel, located right on PCB. We knew we wanted to road trip instead of flying since it will be cheaper splitting gas between multiple people than each of us buying roundtrip plane tickets, plus if we road tripped to PCB I could cross off another thing on my college bucket list, “Take a Road Trip with Friends.”

With all of our trips’ main plans taken care of the only things left are minor details; what we will bring, what places we want to stop at on the way, the food, of course the liquor, but for me lays another minor detail, how my spring break trip will be original and something to remember for years to come.

Spring break at PCB has many stereotypes. One thinks of foam parties, wet t-shirt contests, music concerts and, of course, lots of drinking. My dilemma is that I am only interested in about two of these things, and neither of them involves being covered in suds while surrounded by hundreds of people or participating in a contest that degrades women, so by elimination you can probably assume my two interests.

I am not the only person concerned about the stereotypes of spring break at PCB. This past weekend I told my father about my plans for spring break and of course he had many concerns. I started rattling off all of the ways I plan on staying safe,

sticking with a group, drinking lots of water, yada, yada, yada, until I had him convinced that everything will be okay. After we had the safety issue under control he quickly changed his concern to what my recreational activities will be while on spring break. Even my father had these stereotypes of spring break at PCB. I reassured him by saying that I will not take part of anything that I wouldn’t want to tell him about and he laughed.

After this conversation with

ZAINAB HAMZA, GRADUATE STUDENT IT “ I’m going to work on my thesis and other school projects in Mankato, .”

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my father I realized that part of me does want a stereotypical spring break. I want to road trip with my friends, I want to stay in a hotel for a week, with no worries besides what I will have to drink and if I should go parasailing that day or jet skiing.

I want to meet new people from all over the country, but most of all I want to have the stereotypical “Spring Break Trip” with my own twist to it and on my own terms. Let’s see how it goes.

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POLICIES & INFORMATION • If you have a complaint, suggestion or would like to point out an error made in the Reporter, call Editor in Chief Reece Hemmesch at 507-3895454. 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.

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“What are your spring break plans?”

MUSA DARBOE, JUNIOR BIOLOGY “I’ll be working.”

Minnesota State University, Mankato

TIANTIAN HAN, FRESHMAN ACCOUNTING “Visiting the Twin Cities.”

BRANDON NEETE, SOPHOMORE MATH “No plans, probably stay on campus.”

• 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.

Compiled by Yohanes Ashenafi

ADAM ALVARADO, JUNIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT “Going to California and stopping at other places on the way.”

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

MSU Reporter • 5

News

PROPOSAL “The seats don’t have backs, the coaching boxes and press box aren’t considered big enough to be functional, the scoreboard could be upgraded, the ticket booth is considered substandard and the chemicals, fuels and vehicles behind the grandstand are seen as posing a potential serious threat.” continued from 1 tions. Safety issues are in place that haven’t been fixed.

The concrete façade of the stadium lies eerily close to the field. There are no hand-rails in the aisles and the cement steps become slippery when there is snow or rain.

The seats don’t have backs, the coaching boxes and press box aren’t considered big enough to be functional, the scoreboard could be upgraded, the ticket booth is considered substandard and the chemicals, fuels and vehicles behind the grandstand are seen as posing a potential serious threat.

The report details two potential solutions: construction of a new stadium surrounding the field or the construction of a new stadium at the corner of University property at a cost of $12.8 million.

Although the report states that building a new stadium around the existing playing field would save a million dollars, the inability to share facilities and construction delays would make those savings a wash.

The proposed new stadium includes a 4,000-seat grandstand on the home side, including a team locker room, game support facilities, rest rooms, concessions and a team room for the soccer program.

A press box tower would be constructed on top, including press and game-day operations and private suites, which would be open to soccer for use on game-day and press operations.

The soccer facility, known as “The Pitch” would move from the south end of the property to Practice Field No. 1 just to the west of Blakeslee Stadium. The project, which is estimated to cost $2.2 million, would have a 300-seat grandstand built on the east side and an artificial playing surface that would serve as a practice and a game venue.

Lights, a video scoreboard and a sound system would be new features. The field would also be surrounded by a fence that will corral errant balls.

The soccer field would be a close distance from the football complex, allowing for shared rest rooms, and concessions.

On the west side, a film tower would be built to help the soccer and football programs. The football program’s Practice Field No.2 would be just to the west.

Last season served as an example of the problems natural grass can bring. Minnesota State had to move a conference tournament game to the Shattuck-St. Mary’s complex in Faribault after a couple of inches fell on the field. On turf, the snow could

have been pushed off and the game could have been hosted.

On the visiting side, a 2,000 seat grandstand would house a locker room, with the possibility of it being subdivided when used by high schools. A visitor’s locker room would also be erected for the baseball complex, located just to the south.

A hill similar to the current one would be created behind the south end- zone.

If followed through, the football team would likely be displaced for a year. A temporary home stadium hasn’t been chosen yet. The creation of a new stadium would also likely mean the installment of artificial turf, meaning Minnesota- Crookston would be the only Northern Sun school still playing on natural grass.

A new stadium would share the same responsibilities Blakeslee Stadium currently holds.

Other athletic fields on campus would also see significant upgrades. The baseball stadium is proposing a 500-seat grandstand, backstop and dugout improvements, a building that would house concession areas and a locker room, game-day and press operations area field lights and an upgraded sound and video board system.

According to Minnesota State baseball coach Matt Magers, work will begin after this season on mesh netting and walk-in dugouts as well as a brick backstop, as opposed to current dugouts that are below field level.

The softball field would see $1.1 million in improvements.

The backstop and playing surface would see an upgrade.

Lights would be added and a video scoreboard would be installed, giving the complex more of a collegiate look.

The home dugout would see a new rest room, with expanded team rooms and batting cages.

The new grandstand is projected to hold 500 fans.

The new track & field faciility hosted it’s first event in 2012, but a grandstand was absent. The proposed improvements pegged for $1.4 million includes permanent seating for 1,200 fans, lights video board, a press box and sound system, providing the facility an opportunity to attract state and regional competitions.

Throwing areas would be located on the south end of the track.

The tennis courts would be to the west of the current site, which would be torn up. The current site doesn’t serve as competitive ground, instead it is used for education and recre-

ation purposes.

The maintenance building that houses equipment, fuels and fertilizer, would be relocated to the north of the softball complex, which would likely cost $2.7 million. The new building would be 12,000 square feet, a 2,000 square foot expansion.

Smaller maintenance buildings would be located across campus.

An indoor turf practice facility is included under this proposal. The bubble would reside at the site of Practice Field No.

3 and the present-day tennis courts.

The facility would cost $6 million for the bubble and $187,500 for upgrades to Practice Field No.2 located between the soccer stadium and the indoor facility.

The bubble would serve as a practice area in case of inclement weather, an issue in the past few falls, which have seen their seasons run into December and spring sports that start significantly sooner than when practice fields would allow.

Congestion at Myers Field House would be relatively eased for intramural and recreational activities and a is planned for joint use by the community and university.

An additional $1.7 million is being proposed for other upgrades, including parking, pedestrian circulation and landscaping.

The look and functionality of the complex would improve by lighting, paving and wayfinding improvements.

MSU Reporter Archives Blakeslee Stadium’s grandstand is need of major improvements with insufficient press box space, back-less seats and no handrails in aisles.

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Fifteen years after Columbine, more questions remain Common misconceptions and errors remain in one of the deadliest shootings in US history.

SAM WILMES News Editor Fifteen years after one of the worst school shootings in American history, Columbine, misconceptions, speculation and errors in judgment remain on the motives of the two shooters, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.

The findings of the FBI in the years following the April 20, 1999 Columbine High School shooting would portray a picture far darker than even the most disturbing images produced by bullying, a reason pegged by the media in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Harris served as the ringleader while Klebold served as a follower, someone who saw himself as a loser and not worthy of love.

Harris and Klebold never had plans for Columbine to be solely a school shooting. On the day of the shooting, the two had placed heavy propane tanks in the cafeteria. They would wait until lunch hour, when hundreds of students and staff would be eating lunch.

Were the propane bombs to have gone off, at least 500 people would have been destroyed in the blink of the eye. The two teens had arrived late and set up their car in the parking lot directly in front of the cafeteria to revel in the looming terror.

Once they had learned of their botched attempt, they entered the school and began opening fire on anyone and everyone.

Harris, an extremely trou-

bled teenager, was a diagnosed psychopath. This runs directly against public perception of a bullied youth pushed to the edge by the hands of a bully.

Harris and Klebold were actually bullies, not solely the bullied. Harris spoke proudly of calling younger members of the school “fags” and his desire to kill freshman so they would know who was “boss.”

Amazingly, the same reason why Harris had hatched and carried out the plan would be the same reason why the death toll didn’t rise any higher.

Psychopaths get bored easily.

Upon entering the library, Harris and Klebold had the perfect opportunity to up the death toll they were obsessed with. Harris, however, wasn’t solely interested in killing. He wanted the victims to scream, he wanted the opportunity to laugh.

As the cops circled the parameter, Harris began to get bored.

The two set up their dream scenario- they wanted to unleash gunfire on the cops and go down in a blaze of glory.

Ultimately, they would end up killing themselves in the same room that they had unleashed devastation on innocent kids.

The signs of what was to come seemed far too many to miss. Some of Harris’ journal writings were too gruesome to believe. He spoke of the raping of women- his sick fantasy and his comparing them to animals.

In a journal entry dated April 12, 1998, Harris described his

plans for the human race.

“No one is worthy of this planet, only me and who ever I choose, there is just no respect for anything higher than your fucking boss or parent. Everyone should be shot out into space and only those people I say should be left behind,” Harris said.

This god-like description of himself is a common trait for a Psychopath, according to various media sources.

He spoke of his addiction to the video game Doom. He wanted the world to come down to a doomsday scenario, where only the strongest could survive, a Natural Selection of sorts.

That was Harris’ fantasyhis fundamentally flawed belief of the concept. He spoke of his hatred of everyone, from the elderly to Black people to country people to the disabled.

We can’t comprehend this kind of anger, hatred and pure evil because Psychopathic people have no empathy, the only emotion they feel is usually anger.

Klebold was a depressive.

He lacked the courage to ever approach any of his crushes, he had a quick fuse and spoke of his desire to kill himself.

He even had the chance to end the shooting before it had began.

Klebold had alerted Brooks Brown, a friend, that Harris had been operating a web site dedicated to his plans of destruction and anger.

Brown’s mother had filed a report with the Columbine Po-

lice Department of that and other incidents that involved Harris.

Unfortunately, the police department failed to respond in a timely manner related to the web site.

Although Harris and Klebold had been apprehended in connection to an electronics robbery, Harris showed the calmness and charisma typical in a Psychopath. He fooled the judge, his anger management counselor and others.

Klebold on the other hand came off as unmotivated and not charming. He was painfully shy, a perfect tool for a far more cunning mind to mold to his wants and desires.

Describing this tragedy as being caused by bullying is disrespectful to the victims of the crime.

Paying attention to the real causes- psychopathy and depression, can lead to more of a focus on these two major issues. FBI hostage team members change their negotiation tactics if they learn that the holder has Psychopathic tendencies.

Having stricter gun laws would help. Unfortunately, this isn’t the only step needed. More mental health awareness and attention to the details unfortunately missed fifteen years ago can help in a future circumstance where lives may be at stake.

Web Photo Eric Harris (left) and Dylan Klebold (right).

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

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8 • MSU Reporter

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

ANNUAL PUBLIC HEARING

Parking & Transportation Policies, Budget, and Capital Improvements Wednesday, March 5, 2014 Armstrong Hall 316 • 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

HEARING DOCKET:

1) Opening statement establishing ground rules for Annual Public Hearing on Parking & Transportation Policies, Budget and Capital Improvements.

2) Introduction of volunteers serving on Parking Advisory Committee and the independent Parking Citation Appeals Board.

If you cannot attend the public hearing, please email your comments or concerns to david.cowan@mnsu.edu by 10 a.m., March 5th.

Constituency

Parking Advisory Committee

Parking Citation Appeals Board

Administration or Excluded or MAPE (Minnesota Assn. of Professional Employees)

David Cowan, PAC Chairperson

Kyle Snay (MAPE)

Classified Employees

Patrick Pearce (Alternate – Julie Dornack)

Stef Regenold

IFO Faculty Association

Autumn Hamilton

Bonnie Shult

Student Association

Zak Silker (Off-Campus)

Peter Piotrowski

Student Association

Rebecca Wegscheid (Residence Halls)

Karson Kueger-Grant

MSUAASF (Minnesota State University Association of Administrative & Service Faculty)

Mike Lagerquist

Kate Hansen, Board Chairperson

Ex-officio Nonvoting – Student Financial Services Representative

Jodi Orchard

Not Applicable

Ex-officio Nonvoting – Parking & Traffic Services Coordinator; Parking Citation Appeals Board Liaison

Sue Edstrom

Sue Edstrom, Appeals Board Liaison

Ex-officio Nonvoting – Planning & Construction Department Liaison

Chris Hoffmann

Not Applicable

Ex-officio Nonvoting - Residential Life Office

Cynthia Janney

Not Applicable

Ex-officio Nonvoting - Residence Hall Association President

Rebecca Wegscheid

Not Applicable

Ex-officio Nonvoting - Minnesota Assn. of Professional Employees (MAPE)

(Vacant)

Not Applicable

Ex-officio Nonvoting - Minnesota Management Assn.

(MMA)

(Vacant)

Not Applicable

Ex-officio Nonvoting – University Scheduling

Shirley Piepho

Not Applicable

3) Proposals for Change • 7 Year Capital Improvement Plan for summers 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.

• Proposed Income and Spending Plans for 2014-15 - $1,555,516 Income Forecast; $1,213,616 Spending Estimate.

• 3% rate increase proposed for permits. Annual 3% rate increases are tied to 7-Year Parking Capital Improvement Plan.

• Additional 5¢ per credit hour added to existing 85¢ mandatory “Green Transportation Fee.” The $15,000 estimate generated from the 5¢ increase would help cover costs of a 30 minute earlier start-up time (7 AM instead of 7:30 AM) for Routes 1, 8, and 9 (Stadium Heights). Earlier start will help spread out the demand that now hits at 7:30 AM. Student riders with 7:30 AM classes will be better served by the buses.

• New 410 stall parking lot (designated 'Lot 2') to be divided into 47 Golds (North Curb) and 363 Dark Greens (west curb of Ellis Ave. South) near new lot would lose 15 stalls, east side would be turned into Gold Permit parking.

4. Open forum for input from public.

5. Adjourn the Annual Hearing on or before 1:30 PM.

www.mnsu.edu/parking/hearing

MSU Reporter • 9

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

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Mavericks repeat as conference champions For the seventh time in the last nine seasons, the Minnesota State University, Mankato men’s basketball team has found its name at the top of the NSIC conference standings.

David Bassey • MSU Reporter Senior guard Gage Wooten (right) had a typical Gage weekend scoring in double digits (11 and 13) and grabbing five boards on Friday and eight on Saturday.

LUCAS RYAN Staff Writer In a turn of events that was nearly identical to last year the Minnesota State mens basketball earn their second-straight regular season conference championship and seventh in the last nine years.

Entering the final game of the regular season, the Mavericks were on pace to finish in a tied with Winona State as atop the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Champions. However the Mavericks earned sole possession of first place after ending the season riding a ninegame winning streak while Winona lost its regular season finale.

The Mavericks finish the regular season with 25-4 record overall, while posting a 19-3 mark in the NSIC. MSU’s nine game winning streak is the longest of the season. With the most important games still to come,

the Mavericks have built some momentum that they hope to carry into the post season.

“We got to take care of business when it is this late in the season. You never want to lose when it is at the end of the season. Those four away games were tough, but you know we are a tough team and we showed it,” senior forward Tanner Adler said.

The Mavericks won their eighth and ninth straight game over the weekend with a 103-101 win over Sioux Falls Friday and a 78-66 win over Southwest Minnesota State Saturday.

Friday the Mavericks got the win in a tightly contested contest against Sioux Falls that came down to the final shot. MSU’s starters accounted for 95 points including a career-high 27 points from Senior Forward Connor O’Brien.

Junior forward Assem Marei recorded his 15th career double-double with 21 points and

13 rebounds while Junior Zach Monaghan added 21 points and nine assists, just missing the double-double.

In the final two minutes of the game the Cougars went on an 11-3 run to pull within on point of the Mavericks with 5 seconds remaining. However, the Mavericks were able to pull out the win after the Cougars’ attempt at a game tying layup rattled out as regulation time expired.

Saturday the Mavericks earned their ninth-straight win and the regular season conference championship after earning a 12-point win over Southwest Minnesota State. Adler led the MSU offense with 22 points, including a four three-pointers.

Marei finished with 16 points and six rebounds, while Monaghan notched 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

“We knew we needed a win and we came out and just ‘D’ed up and hit our shots and ended up winning.” Adler said.

With the regular season in the past, the Mavericks will begin what the hope is a long

post-season with the NSIC Tournament. The tipoff the tournament Wednesday when they host Minnesota Crookston in the first round at the Taylor Center with opening tip set for 8 p.m. Minnesota Crookston is an eight seed while the Mavericks has earned the top seed in the tournament.

Minnesota Crookston enters the tournament with 4-12 record overall while finishing 3-11 in the NSIC. The Mavericks should come into the game with the confidence from the 82-55 win over Minnesota Crookston less than two weeks ago. However the main focus for the Mavericks going forward will continue to be the fundamentals and things that they can control.

“We just got to focus on defending rebounding and playing together and if we do that, the sky is the limit for us,” The winner of Wednesday game will play the winner of Augustana and Northern State in the quarterfinals Saturday in Sioux Falls.

Arnold Bagamba • MSU Reporter The Mavericks have played behind their floor general in junior point guard Zach Monaghan (left) throughout the whole 2013-2014 regular season.

10 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Wisconsin bests Mavericks in two-game series

Mavericks finish regular season on 10-game winning streak

Arnold Bagamba • MSU Reporter

LUKE CARLSON Staff Writer

Arnold Bagamba • MSU Reporter

The no. 20 Mavericks completed the streak with an 82-72 win over Sioux Falls and an 89-58 victory over the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State.

JOEY DENTON Sports Editor Teams that will make a run for the NCAA championship trophy aren’t necessarily the teams with the best record; it’s the teams that heat up before the post season commences, and the Mavericks are one of them.

With two wins this past weekend, the no. 20 Mavericks end their NSIC regular season tour on a 10-game win streak just five days from the first round of the NSIC tournament. After taking an 82-72 victory over the Sioux Falls Cougars on Friday, the squad dismantled the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs 89-58.

The Mavericks, who finished the regular season sharing the third spot in the conference standings with Concordia-St. Paul, traveled to Sioux Fall, S.D. on Friday. After trailing 43-33 at halftime, a compilation of runs took place, including a 32-13 run 10 minutes into the second half.

The Cougars brought their deficit back down to four with 4:35 remaining, but the Mavericks made the stops with they needed to and came out with the W.

All the Mavericks needed on Saturday night was a big run, and they got it. When trailing 9-5 early in the first half, the squad put up 20 unanswered points and never looked back.

“It was just an all-around team effort,” junior forward Jamie Bresnahan said. “We built our momentum in the first half and kept it going in the second.

Everyone stepped up, everyone did their part to get a good team win.”

The Mavericks’ shooting troubles were left at Minnesota, Crookston from last weekend as they shot 49.1 percent from the floor, including 9-for-20 from behind the arc and 26-for-30 from the line. Senior forward Ali Wilkinson led the Mavericks offensively with a team-high 14 points and three assists. Bresnahan was right behind her with 12 and grabbed five boards while going 2-for-2 from behind the arc.

Sophomore forward Lexie Ulfers came off the bench and supplied 9 points to go with her three assists and three swipes.

Even though both opponents

BASKETBALL • Page 11

The Minnesota State, Mankato women’s hockey team unraveled this past weekend as they dropped their last two contests of the regular season to No. 2 Wisconsin at All Seasons Arena.

In a dual opportunity to improve their situation in the standings, the Mavericks utterly failed at producing anything more than a sputter of offense. The home team gave up eight total goals

and produced only two of their own in 5-1 and 3-1 drubbings by the Badgers.

On Friday night, MSU saw its four-game unbeaten in regulation streak come to an end. Wisconsin came out guns-a-blazing to kick off the final weekend of the regular season.

At 5:44 of the first period, Wisconsin sophomore forward Rachel Jones stuffed her own rebound into the right side of the goal past Mavericks senior goaltender Danielle Butters to put the

Badgers up 1-0. Towards the end of the opening period at 14:02, another second chance attempt was put through Butters’ pads by Wisconsin junior Brittany Ammerman for her team-leading 22nd goal of the year.

The Mavericks retaliated in the second period. After a lonely puck found its way into the Wisconsin defensive zone from a partial clearing attempt by MSU, Wisconsin senior goaltender

HOCKEY • Page 11

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MSU Reporter • 11

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HOCKEY “On Friday night, MSU saw its four-game unbeaten in regulation streak come to an end.” continued from 10

Alex Rigsby tried to clear the puck out along the boards. But MSU senior forward Kelsie Scott swooped in and intercepted the clearing attempt and beat Rigsby high on the right-hand side at 7:24 for an unassisted tally to cut the Badgers lead in half.

The 2-1 score from the second held up until the final 10 minutes of regulation when Wisconsin broke the game wide open. Badgers senior forward Madison Packer took advantage of a Maverick turnover and beat Butters high and off the crossbar on a shot from the slot at 11:11.

Junior forward Blayre Turnbull then put the game away for Wisconsin with back-to-back shorthanded tallies at 12:34 and 15:37 to make it 5-1. Despite giving up five goals, Butters was stellar most of the night for the Purple and Gold, stopping 45 of 50 shots and denying the Badgers on four power play chances.

On Senior Day and in game number 400 in MSU women’s hockey history, Saturday’s season-ending tilt was written in similar fashion as the night previous. d The first period saw close ,and intense action on the ice as tneither team could manage to ydraw first blood. The Mavericks -had two power play chances but gthe Badgers defense and their freshman goaltender Ann-Renee nDesbiens stood firm. Butters, ystarting in her last regular sea-son game as a Maverick, turned aaway all 11 Badger shots in the ,period. r At 4:49 of the second period, Wisconsin tallied a five-on-three power play goal after MSU re-

ceived back-to-back penalties for high-sticking and too many players on the ice. Sophomore defenseman Courtney Burke beat Butters with a slap shot from the blue line that found its way inside the right post, putting Wisconsin up 1-0.

MSU struck even with Wisconsin at 2:05 of the third period when Scott and sophomore forward Katie Johnson teamed up with a flurry of passes before feeding the puck to fellow senior forward Lauren Barnes who was lurking behind the Wisconsin net. Barnes then snuck around to the goalmouth and tucked the puck past Desbiens to knot the game at one a piece.

It was not long after however, that Wisconsin’s offense ignited and retaliated with goals from freshman forward Sydney McKibbon at 6:54 and sophomore forward Erika Sowchuk just 10 seconds later to put Wisconsin in front 3-1. Despite a strong effort by the Mavericks late in regulation, the Badgers held on for the 3-1 victory.

In her last regular season appearance, Butters shone brightly despite taking the loss. She recorded a game-high 41 saves for the Mavericks while stopping four of five Wisconsin power plays (seven of eight on the weekend). The Maverick offense was denied on all three of its power play opportunities.

Despite the disappointing losses this past weekend, the Mavericks do get a chance to compete in the WCHA Playoffs by virtue of league rules. The Mavericks now sit at 12-21-1 overall, including a 7-20-1 re-

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cord in conference play, and are in seventh place in the WCHA to end the year. That record is good enough for a seventh seed placement and a round one best-ofthree game date against the No. 2 seeded Badgers once again this coming weekend.

MSU will have its work cut out for it as it goes to face a

No. 2 Badgers squad that it has not beaten this season, with the Badgers taking all four regular season contests between the two squads. After receiving solid goaltending from Butters and backup sophomore goaltender Erin Krichiver the last few games, it will be up to the Maverick offense to forge a chance to

compete against Wisconsin after submitting only four goals in its last three games.

This time the Mavericks will head to Madison, Wis. to face the Badgers. The puck drops for the first round of WCHA Playoff action this Friday evening at 7:07 pm at LaBahn Arena.

Arnold Bagamba • MSU Reporter

BASKETBALL continued from 10 were on the struggling side of the NSIC, the Mavericks have beaten 10 NSIC teams in a row, which has been quite the task.

“Through the 10 games we have really taken steps forward and we know defensively what we need to bring every game and how that translates into our offense,” Bresnahan said. “I think that’s what is really going to help us going into the postseason.”

Not to mention it’s quite the

momentum booster.

“It’s a whole lot of momentum. It’s good momentum going into conference play,” Bresnahan said. “This what we grind out all season for and this is what we needed to have going in there, bouncing off our last loss and having 10 wins going into this is something we really need behind us.”

“March Madness” will actually start in February for the Mavericks, playing their first

round of the NSIC tournament at home against the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Tip off is at 6 p.m., and the Mavericks know what they need to do to keep this streak going.

“We just have to focus on our defense,” junior guard Ashley Olson said. “We know offense will come so we’ve just got to focus on pushing the ball and getting those stops in the end.”

12 • MSU Reporter

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MSU Reporter • 13

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

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507-389-5157

Final 2014 Oscar Predictions

LEGOs win and Heroes return

Web Photo Fan favorite series Heroes will return in 2015 in miniseries form.

ANDREW SIMON Staff Writer Web Photo

JAMES HOUTSMA A& E Editor BEST PICTURE Who Will Win: Too close to call between American Hustle and 12 Years a Slave Who Should Win: 12 Years a Slave The Academy has a clear choice to make here: reward fluff or recognize importance. It’s not the first time this choice has come into play.

American Hustle is a fun movie that screams Oscar bait by letting its acclaimed cast go wild and do whatever they damn well please. It’s a fun movie for that reason alone and it may be what’s throwing off critics and Academy members alike who think it has any more depth beyond that.

Meanwhile, 12 Years a Slave is an unflinching look at a topic we as Americans would rather shy away from. Not only is it a movie that veers into required watching territory, it’s a pretty great film at the core.

The race between these two is neck-and-neck, with the preceding Screen Actor’s Guild Awards

going the way of Hustle, while the Producer’s Guild and BAFTAs went for 12 Years a Slave.

Gravity is still in the mix but seems destined for wins in technical awards and director.

Come Monday morning, this could be the category that makes or breaks the ceremony as a whole.

BEST DIRECTOR Who Will Win: Alfonso Cuaron Who Should Win: Alfonso Cuaron Gravity was a five-year ordeal for Alfonso Cuaron, one that made for a pretty mind-blowing movie. There’s a crazy amount of symbolism going on in the film but you’d be forgiven if you didn’t notice anything beyond the stunning visuals of space. Cuaron is generally attributed with being the guiding light of the film, all aspects of this lovechild centering around him, and most awards up to now have recognized that.

BEST ACTOR

Who Will Win: Matthew McConaughey Who Should Win: Leonardo DiCaprio McConaughey has performed a coup on the category previously thought to be a lock for Chiwetel Ejiofor. His drastic weight loss in Dallas Buyers Club coupled with his impressive lineup of films this year is just the kind of comeback story the Academy loves.

But it’s honestly going to make puppies cry if McConaughey takes home an Oscar for one great year of roles as opposed to Leo DiCaprio’s best role yet.

DiCaprio’s sheer presence in The Wolf of Wall Street is brilliant, mastering three hours of snappy dialogue and showing a hidden talent for physical comedy. The irony here is that DiCaprio’s most award-worthy performance to date is the one where he threw caution to the wind and didn’t try for one.

BEST ACTRESS

OSCAR PREDICTIONS • Page 14

MOVIES | Celebrating three weeks as the #1 movie in North America has its perks. The LEGO Movie, produced for a paltry sum of $60 million (by Hollywood standards) has been a rousing success, scoring $181 million domestically since its release, so naturally a sequel has already been greenlit. Warner Bros. has hired Jared Stern (Mr. Popper’s Penguins) to pen the screenplay, and reportedly have locked in a May 26, 2017 release date for the sequel. LEGO Movie directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller will likely return in a producing capacity, but the director’s seat remains vacant.

The Indonesian action film The Raid is one of the most celebrated films of the last decade, and American company Screen Gems, who acquired the remake rights years ago, is now actively developing it. Reportedly, Patrick Hughes (Expendables 3) will take the helm of the adaptation, with a script by Brad Ingelsby (Out of the Furnace), and are seeking Chris and Liam Hemsworth for starring roles.

The original The Raid followed a S.W.A.T. team entering a building that is the gangster hub of the entire city, tasked with bringing in the leader, whose domain is at the very top of the building. The floor-by-floor climb becomes perilous as they face bullets and

swords by the buildings inhabitants. The Raid 2, directed by Evans, is slated for limited North American release next month.

Other notable projects currently in prep: 20th Century Fox and Ride Along director Tim Story are developing Diplomats, a movie based on the friendship between ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are adapting another big property, this time from an upcoming nonfiction book. Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo and the Battle that Defined a Generation, written by Blake Harris, is set for release this August, based on the big Nintendo vs. Sega wars of the 90s. Sony Pictures has tapped Rogen and Golberg to write/direct the movie adaptation.

TELEVISION | The CW channel has already locked in a number of series renewals.

Arrow, the channel’s top rated program, will return for a third season. The Vampire Diaries, another ratings success, heads into its sixth season, and Supernatural hits ten years on the air next fall with its season ten commission. New series Reign and The Originals have also been renewed for second seasons to debut fall 2014. The fate of Beauty and the Beast, The Carrie Diaries (season finale already aired), Hart of Dixie, and The Tomorrow People remains undecided.

MOVIES/TV • Page 15

14 • MSU Reporter

A&E

OSCAR PREDICTIONS “DiCaprio’s sheer presence in The Wolf of Wall Street is brilliant, mastering three hours of snappy dialogue and showing a hidden talent for physical comedy. The irony here is that DiCaprio’s most award-worthy performance to date is the one where he threw caution to the wind and didn’t try for one.” continued from 13 Who Will Win: Cate Blanchett Who Should Win: Amy Adams Cate Blanchett is a treasure to acting and her performance as a social climber coming apart at the seams in Blue Jasmine has been getting rave reviews. The SAG awards, Golden Globes and BAFTAs have all seen eye to eye on this and Blanchett’s win is something of a foregone conclusion.

It might just be due to the film and its performances being a huge letdown, but Amy Adams shines like crazy in American Hustle. Unlike her co-stars, Adams creates a character and carries through on it while keeping things reeled in. It’s a refreshing turn from another great actress and the one performance in the film worthy of praise.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Who Will Win: Jared Leto Who Should Win: Heck, why not Jared Leto Like recent years, Best Supporting Actor this year is packed with more great performances than you can shake a stick at.

Every nominee turns in a performance that is showy or a breakthrough and nearly every performance is worthy of the win.

But given that Jared Leto has won practically every precursor award this season, his drastic transformation into a transsexual AIDS patient in Dallas Buyers Club is assured towards a win.

No surprises here.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Who Nyong’o

Will

Win:

Lupita

Who Should Win: Not Jennifer Lawrence Lupita Nyong’o’s turn as Patsy, the tormented favorite slave of Epps in 12 Years a Slave, is heartbreaking. It’s the role of a

lifetime for a relative newcomer and Nyong’o has her moment in the sun. She’s just one of the great performances in the category that come off as organic, like June Squibb in Nebraska and Julia Roberts in August: Osage County. On the other end of that spectrum is Jennifer Lawrence’s performance in American Hustle, one of several actors in the movie who is left run wild and leave any actual characterization behind.

BEST ORIGINAL & ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Who Will Win: Original – Her Adapted – 12 Years a Slave Who Should Win: Original – Nebraska Adapted – The Wolf of Wall Street Spike Jonze has already taken home a Golden Globe for his smart, intuitive script for Her, as well as a WGA award. It’s no shocker, really, because it is such a good script. However, just as much cleverness, heart, satire and wit can be found in Bob Nelson’s script for Nebraska, all of which embraces a degree more of subtlety.

Meanwhile, John Ridley’s adaption of Solomon Northrup’s memoire, 12 Years a Slave, is riveting and carries societal importance. It would clearly be the best choice if not for the whip-smart comedic writing found in Terrence Winter’s adaption of The Wolf of Wall Street, another film that’s no less relevant to today’s society.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE Who Will Win: Frozen Who Should Win: Frozen Not that it’s a tough race in this category but saying Frozen is a lock to win seems like a pretty sure bet. The retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Snow Queen has won over critics and general audiences of all ages, and is closing in on a billion dollars worldwide. No disrespect to oth-

er nominees like The Wind Rises and The Croods (conversely, with all the disrespect towards Despicable Me 2) but Frozen is here to snow on your parade.

BEST VISUALS Who Will Win: Gravity Who Should Win: Gravity Much like Life of Pi last year and Hugo the year before, Gravity has been the favorite in most of the visual categories since it was released. The mind-numbing visual effects are a lock for a win and cinematography has a hefty shot at gold too. Smaller categories like Best Costume will probably go to a film like American Hustle and Best Makeup seems like an award destined for Dallas Buyers Club, but at the end of the night, Gravity will be the reigning king of visuals.

BEST SCORE Who Will Win: Steven Price, Gravity

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Shahs of Sunset closes third season curtain MADELINE ZAFFT Staff Writer Season three of The Shahs of Sunset will be coming to a close Tuesday night at 9 p.m. The hit Bravo TV show follows around a group of wealthy Persian friends while they go through triumph and drama.

Part two of the reunion will wrap up with the cast members Reza, Mike, Lilly, GG, Asa and MJ answering viewer questions and questions of host, Andy Cohen. This season wasn’t short of silly and catty drama but it was coming in strong with individual revelations. A few of those personal struggles came to the surface when Reza, Mike, GG, MJ and Asa took a trip to Turkey. Asa and Reza faced the truth when Turkey was the closest they could get to their home- Iran. Asa, being a political refugee and Reza being Gay, the Turkish border was the closest they could get. Lilly decided to opt out of the trip because of a past fight that left her feeling like none of the cast members were her true friends.

Part one of the reunion also took a focus between the friendship between Mike and Reza who recently took a new endeavor of being business partners.

When the partnership didn’t turn out as planned, their friendship started taking a turn for the

worst. The bull was taken by the horns during part one when they were questioned about what exactly went wrong in their partnership. We will find out where their friendship and partnership stands during part two. On the other spectrum, this season GG and MJ have been on a friendship roller coaster, one episode they are best friends and the next they are vicious enemies.

It came out in part one of the reunion that although they fight and hit each other below the belt sometimes, they love each other like family and so they fight like family. Not only did we see more of GG fighting with MJ but also with her sister. When her sister stayed friends with MJ, GG felt betrayed by her true blood. This season Asa tried to stay out of the pointless drama and was very focused on her new product of “Diamond Water.”

Another cast member that was all about her career this season was member Lilly Ghalichi.

Ghalichi focused on her swimsuit line and hair extension line and didn’t seem too concerned about if the other cast members were with her or against her. Tonight questions will be answered and reconciliations may happen.

On BravoTV.com you can find a convenient spot with all the casts social media and follow along with them as they watch the reunion too and see their reactions.

Only 1 Mile Away From Campus!

Who Should Win: Steven Price, Gravity The score to Gravity is like a third character of sorts. With the absence sound in a space environment, Stephen Price’s score steps it up to become the harbinger of doom as deadly space debris is hurled about. All the other nominees get the job done but the score to Gravity goes above and beyond.

BEST SONG Who Will Win: Let It Go

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Who Should Win: Let It Go Come on. Like you haven’t been singing this out loud for months. The cornerstone tune of Frozen has become some kind of cultural phenomenon, and for good reason. There’s a freeing quality to the song that can connect with everyone on some level, which it apparently has.

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

MSU Reporter • 15

A&E

Veteran comedy writer, director Harold Ramis dead at 69

MOVIE/ TV “The CW channel has already locked in a number of series renewals.

Arrow, the channel’s top rated program, will return for a third season. ” continued from 13 In the most surprising, and unnecessary, TV news of the week, on Friday NBC announced Heroes Reborn, a 13-episode mini-series “event” that will continue the legacy of the channel’s fleeting success series, Heroes, for 2015. Heroes, created by Tim Kring (Crossing Jordon, Touch), centered on a group of seemingly normal people as they develop superpowers, and choose between helping the world with their gifts, or shunning it. The first season was a runaway success, both across the board ratings and critics-wise, but as the series continued, the creativity plummeted and by the fourth and last season, even the diehards fan welcomed its demise. Kring is back to produce the new mini-series, although NBC is keeping details under wraps concerning any if at all return appearances from Heroes actors, or what exactly the plotline will center around. A digital series will launch prior to the premiere of Heroes Reborn, to introduce, or re-introduce, characters and its mythology.

“Caddyshack.” ‘’National Lampoon’s Animal House.” ‘’Ghostbusters.” ‘’Groundhog Day.” ‘’Stripes.”

Those titles are some of the most beloved and widely quoted comedy classics of the last thirty years. They’re also Harold Ramis’ filmography.

Ramis, the writer-directoractor who quietly and often offscreen created an unparalleled and hugely influential body of laughs, died Monday. He was 69.

He suffered for several years from an autoimmune disease that caused inflammation and damage to his blood vessels, and died at his home in the Chicago suburbs, surrounded by family and friends, his talent agency said.

His rattled a modern comedy world Ramis helped build. His legacy as a father figure to generations of comedians was appropriately captured in Judd Apatow’s “Knocked Up,” in which Ramis was cast as Seth Rogen’s father, he said, “because we all saw him as the dream dad.”

“Harold Ramis made almost every movie which made me want to become a comedy director,” Apatow said. “These films are the touchstones of our lives.”

Chevy Chase, whom Ramis directed in “Caddyshack” and “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” called him “a great man who shunned unnecessary Hollywoodtype publicity.”

“It was Harold who acted out and gave me the inspiration for the character of Clark Griswold,” Chase said Monday. “I was really copying Harold’s impression of Clark.”

Admittedly lacking the dashing leading-man looks of some of his peers, Ramis was memorably

nebbish: curly haired, gangly and bespectacled. He played Ghostbuster scientist Egon Spengler (naturally, the one with all the ideas), and Bill Murray’s Army recruit buddy in “Stripes.”

But Ramis, a Chicago native and early member of the improv comedy troupe Second City, was a far larger force behind

pushed against institutions: the college dean of “Animal House,” the country club members of “Caddyshack,” the drill sergeant of “Stripes.”

He was known to have a spiritual pull, on full display in the wry but earnest existentialism of “Groundhog Day” (1993), in which Murray re-lives a day

Photo Courtesy of Associated Press

the camera. He co-wrote and directed “Caddyshack,” ‘’Groundhog Day,” and “Analyze This.”

He also helped pen “Meatballs,” ‘’Stripes” and “Ghostbusters.”

Ramis could be reasonably credited with making more people roll in the aisles from the late ‘70s to the early ‘90s than most anyone else. Murray, Ramis’ frequent collaborator, said in a statement: “He earned his place on this planet.”

With a Baby Boomer antiestablishment bent, Ramis — who escaped Vietnam service, he claimed, by checking every box on the medical-history form —

until he finally gets it right. His “Ghostbusters” co-star and Second City mate Dan Aykroyd said: “May he now get the answers he was always seeking.”

The son of Chicago shopkeepers, Ramis was born Nov. 21, 1944, in Chicago. After graduating from Washington University in St. Louis, he briefly worked in a mental institution. He often said, seriously, that the experience helped prepare him for working with actors.

Ramis would help recalibrate the epicenter of American comedy at Second City, which he joined in 1969. He was soon fol-

lowed by many of his later collaborators: John Belushi (“Animal House”), Murray and Akroyd. In 1976, he became head writer for the Canadian-based comedy show Second City Television, or SCTV. Chicago, he later said in the book of interviews “And Here’s the Kicker,” conditioned him to living “slightly on the outside of the mainstream.”

“New York and L.A. were the real centers of culture in America, and we were kind of a sideshow,” said Ramis. “There’s always more comedy in being alienated than in fitting in.”

He soon moved on to bigger projects — the legendary 1978 comedy “National Lampoon’s Animal House.” With Murray as the comic lead, the Second City alums paired up for numerous projects: 1979’s “Meatballs,” 1980’s “Caddyshack” and 1981’s “Stripes.”

Perhaps the most well-known of their collaborations was “Ghostbusters.” Ramis helped write the 1984 movie, in which he stars commonsense member of a group of parapsychologists who try to catch ghosts.

“The best comedy touches something that’s timeless and universal in people,” Ramis told The Associated Press in a 2009 story about the 50th anniversary of Second City. “When you hit it right, those things last.”

His last hit was “Analyze This,” the therapist comedy starring Billy Crystal and Robert DeNiro. Some of his last efforts (2000’s “Bedazzled,” 2009’s “Year One”) were notable flops.

A third “Ghostbusters” has long been rumored, but was yet to materialize in any substantial way.

Ramis is survived by his wife, Erica Ramis; sons Julian and Daniel; daughter Violet; and two grandchildren.

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