February 28, 2023

Ukrainian student makes first trip home since Russian invasion

By EMMA JOHNSON News Director

Imagine returning home and being greeted by complete darkness. So was the welcome-home for grad student Dariia Hozhenko.

Over winter break, Hozhenko returned Ivano-Frankove, a city in Western Ukraine. A missile- damaged electric grid –which caused a nationwide power outage – wasn’t the only change Hozhenko witnessed.

“A lot of people are still staying without heat, electricity and water and my family is not an exception. A mandatory curfew is active between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.,” Hozhenko said. “You can feel straight away that it is a different Ukraine.”

During Hozhenko’s stay, a missile strike landed fewer than 500 meters from her house. At the time, Hozhenko’s mother was outside retrieving the family dog. Hozhenko ran outside, pajama-clad and barefoot, to tell her mom to take cover.

“Airw defense system hit the missile strike and debris from both of them fell in the lake near my home,” Hozhenko said. “In our kitchen, we have a tiny food cellar that now serves as a bomb shelter. We stayed there till the end of the air alarm.”

Luckily, her neighborhood had minimal damage.

“We have powerful air defense in my region. I am very grateful to all soldiers who protect my family and my home,” Hozhenko said.

While several million Ukrainians fled their homes, Hozhenko’s mother chose to stay. Despite the honest answer, Hozhenko was not shocked by her response.

“I understand her feelings as it is very hard to leave everything that you have, your entire life, and go somewhere where your future is very blurry,” Hozhenko said.

Since returning to Minnesota State, Hozhenko said she wants to inform people

CSU transforms for Nepal Night

By CARLY BAHR Staff Writer

The Kearney International Center sponsored Nepali Signature Night Saturday by decorating the three levels of the Centennial Student Union to represent the three regions of Nepal and serving traditional food and showcasing live student performances.

The first floor had two stu-

dent-created model monuments depicting different temples in Nepal. According to Nepalese Student Community (NeStCom) President Saurab Maharjan, the monuments’ creation was stalled due to the blizzard closing down campus Thursday and Friday. However, they were completed in time and displayed in their designated “regions.”

“It was a lot of fun, though,” Maharjan said about complet-

ing the monuments Saturday morning.

The basement had the buffet and posters showing pictures and information about the plains region, known as Terai. The other two regions were Mountains, featured in the second-level CSU Ballroom, and Hills, featured on the main-level. The event’s theme was “Ekata,” meaning unity.

The food options included

LILLY ANDERSON • The Reporter

rice, lentils and curry, as well as fried dough balls coated in syrup and served in sweet yogurt called “Gulab Jamun.” NeStCom chose the basement level to serve the food because Terai is “the heart of agriculture in Nepal,” according to the group’s president, Saurab Maharjan. About 25 international student volunteers worked to prepare and serve the food. Ojashwi

NEPAL on page 3 

Student Government advocates on Capitol Hill

By EMMA JOHNSON News Director

Members of Student Government traveled to the state capitol for Students United Advocacy Day Feb. 13 and 14. Students met with legislators to advocate for a tuition freeze, free college and basic student resources.

The tuition freeze proposal is included in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system biennial budget request with this year reaching $350 million. The Tuition-Free College bill passed through the Senate Higher Education Committee. The bill is heading toward the Finance Committee next.

Student Government Presi-

dent Emma Zellmer said a tuition freeze would allow students to know how much they would be paying for the upcoming academic year.

“With tuition up by 3.5% yearly, it makes it almost impossible to budget ahead of time because you don’t even know what you’re going to be paying for the next year. Tuition freeze is really helpful because you will know exactly how much your next year will cost and also helps keep costs low,” Zellmer said.

About 100 other students from different universities such as St. Cloud, Bemidji and Winona also attended. Student Government Vice President Idman Ibrahim said it meant a lot to

Over 500 students filled all three floors of the CSU to celebrate Nepal culture through dancing, game booths and performances.

Photo courtesy of Emma Zellmer

Student Government members traveled to Capitol Hill to advocate for a tuition freeze, basic need resources and rally for free college.

 UKRAINE from page 1

about the war in Ukraine and the pain and sadness people endure.

“All people in Ukraine are living day by day inside of the war in continuous danger,” Hozhenko said. “Russia is still there, still doing their evil things.”

Friday marks one year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Thousands have been killed or injured. Hozhenko knows several who have been killed.

“My neighbor, the father of my best friend, some of my friends, friends of my friends, people from my city. A lot of people who are fighting for freedom are giving their life,” Hozhenko said. “It shouldn’t be like that. It is terrifying.”

Hozhenko said the war has given her strength to share her story and inform others on how they can help Ukraine.

“I became a stronger person who can manage stress and put all of my energy to help those people in need. I met a lot of wonderful people who were ready to help me and are still doing that. I respect and appreciate them a lot,” Hozhenko

Adhikari, a Minnesota State University student from Nepal, said she enjoyed the chicken and rice with Nepali pickles (known as “achar”) and decor that reminded her of home.

“The performances, of course, but I’m also excited to see the booths. They have worked so hard on the monuments and everything and I’ve been hearing about it so I’m also excited about that. The performances are also great, and the food, too,” Adhikari said.

“I am most excited to see the performances and try the food,” said MSU domestic student Sierra Roiger, accompanying Adhikari.

Game booths were also part of the main level itinerary, one of which was hosted by Karan Sreste.

“After a long time I am going to eat some Nepali food, I have missed it. I feel like my home here (tonight),” Srestse said.

The CSU Ballroom doors

Students struggle to engage in lecture

By CARLY BAHR Staff Writer

A growing number of college students report feeling disengaged in class and struggle to retain information learned in lecture, but experiential-based learning could help.

The academic publishing company Wiley released its State of the Student 2022 survey showing 55% of undergraduates and 38% of graduate students struggle to maintain focus in their classes. Similar numbers from the sample of over 5,000 students show a struggle to retain material learned in these courses.

said. “I am grateful for opportunities to be useful for people and help as much as I can.”

She said the war has also given her a deeper appreciation for living in the moment, especially with her family.

“I am very happy to go through a lot of experiences in my life, feel life, valuing each moment of being alive,” Hozhenko said.

Hozhenko mentioned how Ukrainians are in constant need of donations. She said several people not only donate to neighbors and friends, but those in the army.

Hozhenko said she is grateful for the U.S.’s support.

“Ukraine is not asking American soldiers to fight for us. We are asking for the weapons to be able to fight for the freedom of our country by ourselves,” Hozhenko said. “We really appreciate all your help and we are asking you to stand with us in a fight with the pure devil.”

For those looking to donate, they can either go to https://uaccmn.org or https:// secure.givelively.org/donate/ ukrainian-american-home-inc/ support-ukraine.

opened at 6 p.m. for the performance showcase. All of the performances were Nepali inspired, some being modern-fusion and others more traditional, including music, dance and speeches, and ended with a fashion show. One of the performers was Maharjan, who sang three songs and played the guitar accompanied by band members.

“My job is to monitor everything from the top. So I help with monuments, I help with promotions, even decorations. So I’ve been overlooking everything and then helping everyone who needs help,” Maharjan said.

The event went from 4-9 p.m. Signature Nights are hosted every year, excluding those affected by COVID, and are on a rotating schedule with different countries every year. This Signature Night was the first Nepali Night since 2018, during which there were roughly 500 attendees, many of whom traveled, according to Maharjan.

This could be due to the abrupt shift to online learning in March 2020 brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. It could also be that this generation of university students views itseducation as a tool that should directly prepare them for their careers.

Eighty-one percent of students, both undergraduate and graduate, reported in the State of the Student that they feel it is important or very important that they engage in company-led projects that mirror post-college work. The report noted only 30% of institutions incorporate this.

Minnesota State University recently launched MinnPoly, a polytechnic and experiential-based learning program to combat this problem.

Mathematics professor and MinnPoly executive director Brian Martensen said he recognized students have a desire and practical need for real-world experience before graduating.

“For some students, that

fully online model works really well, and for other students that doesn’t work,” Martensen said. “At the same time, students often don’t want to come into a classroom and just be given content or lectured at. So we feel like the right blend is using technology as a resource to connect people and collaborate to get content.”

MinnPoly does industry outreach to connect organizations with students to collaborate on projects for them. These projects have ranged from designing engine components to community assistance for Iron Range communities with aging steam power energy systems.

“Our industry partners are often shocked at what an MSU Mankato student can do,” Martensen said. “From the students’ perspective, it allows students to know that they got an authentic project. This is something they will actually see in the field.”

However, the majority of students are not part of a polytechnic institute. The need to maintain focus and retention then falls on the individual student. Teresa Neubert, Assistant Director of the Writing Center, said she often hears students complaining about lecture-based learning when they use the center’s tutoring services.

“We always tell them that they can’t change their instructor, so they have to figure out how to be more active during class,” Neubert said.

She and the tutors on staff will recommend alternative ways to engage with the material, such as recording the lecture and listening to it while driving or different note taking techniques.

“The main thing is they have to do something in order to find engagement on their own to make it active,” Neubert said.

Photo courtesy of Dariia Hozhenko Dariia Hozhenko (left) and her mother snap a selfie after they reunited when she returned to Ukraine over winter break.

LILLY ANDERSON • The Reporter

Since the pandemic, students have struggled to find ways to engage in lecture. The MinnPoly system allows students to collaborate on projects.

 NEPAL from page 1

DeSantis takes over Disney district, punishing company

A new app to ‘Take It Down’

By BARBARA ORTUTAY The Associated Press

“Once you send that photo, you can’t take it back,” goes the warning to teenagers, often ignoring the reality that many teens send explicit images of themselves under duress, or without understanding the consequences.

A new online tool aims to give some control back to teens, or people who were once teens, and take down explicit images and videos of themselves from the internet.

By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE

The Associated Press

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a bill that gives him control of Walt Disney World’s self-governing district, punishing the company over its opposition to the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law.

The bill requires DeSantis, a Republican, to appoint a five-member board to oversee the government services that the Disney district provides in its sprawling theme park properties in Florida.

“Today the corporate kingdom finally comes to an end,” he said at a bill signing ceremony in Lake Buena Vista. “There’s a new sheriff in town, and accountability will be the order of the day.”

The signing came as DeSantis gears up for an expected presidential run and marks a high-profile legislative victory for a governor whose leveraging of cultural and political divides has pushed him to the fore of national Republican politics.

The takeover of the Disney district began last year when the entertainment giant, facing intense pressure, publicly opposed “Don’t Say Gay,” which bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade and lessons deemed not age-appropriate.

DeSantis moved quickly to penalize the company, directing lawmakers in the GOP-dominated Legislature to dissolve Disney’s self-governing district during a special legislative session, beginning a closely watched restructuring process.

DeSantis and other Republican critics of Disney slammed the company for coming out against the education law, calling it a purveyor of “woke” ideology that inject inappropriate subjects into children’s entertainment.

This month, the governor called on lawmakers to return to the Capitol for another

special session to finalize state control of the district, as well as approve legislation around some of his other key legislative priorities on immigration and voter fraud.

In taking on Disney, DeSantis furthered his reputation as a culture warrior willing to battle perceived political enemies and wield the power of state government to accomplish political goals, a strategy that is expected to continue ahead of his potential White House run.

The feud also reinforced the governor’s brash, go-it-alone leadership style, penalizing a massive employer, tourism driver and political donor in the state over the company’s stance on a piece of legislative policy.

DeSantis, whose book, “The Courage to be Free,” is coming out Tuesday, has moved in recent weeks to expand his political network through fundraisers and meetings with donors, elected officials and conservative influencers, adding to the speculation around his larger political aspirations.

The coming months will be critical to DeSantis as he builds his profile out beyond Florida. He is expected to utilize the coming regular legislative session, which begins next week, to bolster his conservative agenda before he announces his candidacy for president.

The new law changes the district’s name from the Reedy Creek Improvement District to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and subjects it to various layers of state oversight.

Board members were previously named through entities controlled by Disney.

It leaves the district and its financial abilities and debt obligations intact, addressing a chief concern of surrounding governments.

It also prevents people who have worked with or contracted with a theme park in the past three years from serving on the district’s new governing board.

Called Take It Down, the tool is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and funded in part by Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook and Instagram. The site lets anyone anonymously — and without uploading any actual images — create what is essentially a digital fingerprint of the image. This fingerprint (a unique set of numbers called a “hash”) then goes into a database and the tech companies that have agreed to participate in the project remove the images from their services.

Now, the caveats. The participating platforms are, as of Monday, Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Yubo, OnlyFans and Pornhub, owned by Mindgeek. If the image is on another site, or if it is sent in an encrypted platform such as WhatsApp, it will not be taken down.

In addition, if someone alters the original image — for instance, cropping it, adding an emoji or turning it into a meme — it becomes a new image and thus need a new hash. Images that are visually similar — such as the same photo with and without an Instagram filter, will have similar hashes, differing in just one character.

“Take It Down is made specifically for people who have an image that they have reason to believe is already out on the Web somewhere, or that it could be,” said Gavin Portnoy, a spokesman for the NCMEC.

“You’re a teen and you’re dating someone and you share the image. Or somebody extorted you and they said, ‘if you don’t give me an image, or another image of you, I’m going to do X, Y, Z.’”

Portnoy said teens may feel more comfortable going to a site than to involve law enforcement, which wouldn’t be anonymous, for one.

“To a teen who doesn’t want that level of involvement, they just want to know that it’s taken down, this is a big deal for them,” he said.

NCMEC is seeing an increase in reports of online exploitation of children. The nonprofit’s CyberTipline received 29.3 million reports in 2021, up 35% from 2020.

Meta, back when it was still Facebook, attempted to create a similar tool, although for adults, back in 2017. It didn’t

go over well because the site asked people to, basically, send their (encrypted) nudes to Facebook — not the most trusted company even in 2017. The company tested out the service in Australia for a brief period, but didn’t expand it to other countries.

But in that time, online sexual extortion and exploitation has only gotten worse, for children and teens as well as for adults.

Many tech companies already use this hash system to share, take down and report to law enforcement images of child sexual abuse. Portnoy said the goal is to have more companies sign up.

“We never had anyone say no,” he said.

Twitter and TikTok so far have not committed to the project. Neither company immediately respond to a message for comment Sunday.

Antigone Davis, Meta’s global head of safety, said Take It Down is one of many tools the company uses to address child abuse and exploitation on its platforms.

WILFREDO LEE • The Associated Press Gov. DeSantis has signed a bill to give himself control of Walt Disney World’s self-governing district, punishing the company over its opposition to the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law.

ARMANDO FRANCA • The Associated Press

A young man checks his phone by the Tagus river at Lisbon’s Comercio square on a sunny winter day, Monday, Jan. 30, 2023.

TikTok banned on all Canadian government mobile devices

Supreme Court student loan case

By JESSICA GRESKO The Associated Press

The Supreme Court is about to hear arguments over President Joe Biden’s student debt relief plan, which impacts millions of borrowers who could see their loans wiped away or reduced.

So far, Republican-appointed judges have kept the Democratic president’s plan from going into effect, and it remains to be seen how the court, dominated 6-3 by conservatives, will respond.

The justices have scheduled two hours of arguments in the case Tuesday, though it will probably go longer. The public can listen in on the court’s website beginning at 10 a.m. EST.

Where things stand ahead of the hearing as well as what to expect:

debt relief, and 16 million people had already had their relief approved.

By ROB GILLIES

The Associated Press

Canada announced Monday it is banning TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices, reflecting widening worries from Western officials over the Chinese-owned video sharing app.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it might be a first step to further action.

“I suspect that as government takes the significant step of telling all federal employees that they can no longer use TikTok on their work phones many Canadians from business to private individuals will reflect on the security of their own data and perhaps make choices,” Trudeau said.

The European Union’s executive branch said last week

it has temporarily banned TikTok from phones used by employees as a cybersecurity measure.

The EU’s action follows similar moves in the U.S., where more than half of the states and Congress have banned TikTok from official government devices.

Last week, Canada’s federal privacy watchdog and its provincial counterparts in British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec announced an investigation to delve into whether the app complies with Canadian privacy legislation.

TikTok is wildly popular with young people, but its Chinese ownership has raised fears that Beijing could use it to collect data on Western users or push pro-China narratives and misinformation.

HOW DOES THE FORGIVENESS PLAN WORK?

The debt forgiveness plan announced in August would cancel $10,000 in federal student loan debt for those making less than $125,000 or households with less than $250,000 in income per year.

Pell Grant recipients, who typically demonstrate more financial need, would get an additional $10,000 in debt forgiven. College students qualify if their loans were disbursed before July 1.

The plan makes 43 million borrowers eligible for some debt forgiveness, with 20 million who could have their debt erased entirely, according to the Biden administration.

The White House says 26 million people have applied for

The Congressional Budget Office has said the program will cost about $400 billion over the next three decades.

HOW DID THE ISSUE

WIND UP AT THE SUPREME COURT?

The Supreme Court is hearing two challenges to the plan. One involves six Republican-led states that sued. The other involves a lawsuit filed by two students.

A lower court dismissed the lawsuit involving the following states: Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Carolina. The court said the states could not challenge the program because they weren’t harmed by it. But a panel of three federal appeals court judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit — all of

them appointed by Republican presidents — put the program on hold during an appeal. The Supreme Court then agreed to weigh in.

The students’ case involves Myra Brown, who is ineligible for debt relief because her loans are commercially held, and Alexander Taylor, who is eligible for just $10,000 and not the full $20,000 because he didn’t receive a Pell grant.

They say that the Biden administration didn’t go through the proper process in enacting the plan, among other things.

Texas-based U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, an appointee of President Donald Trump, sided with the students and ruled to block the program.

Pittman ruled that the Biden administration did not have clear authorization from Congress to implement the program.

FRANK GUNN • The Associated Press Canada announced Monday it is banning TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices, reflecting widening worries from Western officials over the Chinese-owned video sharing app.

EVAN VUCCI • The Associated Press

The Supreme Court is about to hear arguments over President Joe Biden’s student debt relief plan. It’s a plan that impacts millions of borrowers who could see their loans wiped away or reduced.

Made in China: I’m Moving

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

Alicia Reed Sports Editor Dylan Engel Photo Editor

Midterms should be motivating

Besides finals, it’s the second most dreaded week of the year. Midterms are filled with projects, exams and unnecessary amounts of stress. It can be easy to get swept up in overwhelming thoughts on how to manage your schedule which can end in a mental breakdown.

We, as students, shouldn’t think of midterms as draining. We should think of it as motivating.

Midterms in the spring are more easygoing than in the fall. This is in part to midterms falling right around spring break. Instead of having to return to classes the following Monday, a week-long break awaits us.

We, as students, are aching to go home or on vacation. It’s the only break we students get before summer and the last thoughts we want to be having is when how we’ll turn in discussion posts or finish assigned reading. Having midterms motivates us to study as hard as we can and finish our homework so it won’t be a thought over our spring break.

That being said, besides having a week long vacation, having rewards to look forward to can help motivate students through finals.

After all that effort we go through, it’s important for us to treat ourselves. Whether it’s planning to binge watch a Netflix show or buying your favorite takeout, having something to work toward can motivate you to get work done as soon as possible.

Another benefit to midterms is there isn’t always a lot of work that week. Because midterms are mainly time-consuming projects and endless studying for exams, most professors don’t tack on extra assignments for class to lessen the load of students having to take multiple tests.

While only a few tedious assignments seem to be too overwhelming at times, it lessens the stress when there are fewer worksheets and no new content learned. Having that mindset is critical in making sure that students don’t burn out.

The biggest motivator for students during midterms is the fact that it marks the halfway point for the semester. At times when the homework and tests seem to be too much, it can be nice to have the motivator that us students have overcome several assignments thus far and that we only have a short amount of time left before summer break.

Instead of dreading midterms as the middle of semester “finals,” we as students should think of it as an opportunity of how far we’ve come with our classes and that it’s only a little bit longer. Besides, with spring break around the corner, why shouldn’t we feel motivated as ever?

Pulse

By JULIA LIN Editor in Chief

Last week, I made one of the biggest decisions in my life. I signed my first full-time job contract with KELOLAND Media Group, a news station in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Initially applying for the summer internship position, which many postgraduate students do, I had a phone call that changed my life. After speaking with the executive producer, she encouraged me to apply for the full-time multimedia journalist spot instead.

After the first call, I was absolutely shocked. As a journalism student who has written for print for the majority of her college career, this opportunity was more than I could’ve ever imagined. This would mean I would be an actual reporter on television having the op-

portunity to share people’s stories.

I think a lot of times we as students “lowball” ourselves thinking that we may not have what it takes to apply for our dream jobs. Yet this opportunity showed me that being confident in the work that you’ve published and having confidence in yourself can make all the difference.

Looking back to when I was in high school, I anchored the morning news with my teacher who used to work for KELOLAND. Now starting my journalism career at the same station is an honor.

I remember messaging one of their well-known journalists, Angela Kennecke, and asking her questions about the journalism field. She told me that, when working in journalism, it’s important to be able to write well and have thick skin. Asking her about

Compiled by Amalia Sharaf

what made her passionate about telling people’s stories and sharing her experience ultimately pushed me to pursue journalism.

During my time at MSU and working for The Reporter, I was able to wear many different hats. Starting as a staff writer as a freshman in 2020, covering anything from elections, protests and new COVID policy updates to becoming Variety editor, news editor and sports editor — it’s safe to say I’ve covered a variety of topics. Currently, as the editor in chief at The Reporter, I’ve been able to hone in on many different styles of writing. However, I think this position has been my favorite.

As the editor in chief, your job is to “lead the ship” and make sure everyone else is able to grow and succeed. Uplifting the writers and the

SOTOV, SOPHOMORE

SHUBHAM RANJAN, SENIOR

SUZANNE SKARIA, FRESHMAN

ARUZHAN BETIGENOVA, FRESHMAN

SARON LEMMA, FRESHMAN

BERNARD KODET, FRESHMAN

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

Memories of Wounded Knee reflect mixed legacy after 50 years

Casinos and consulting? Pandemic spurs tribes to diversify

JACONNA AGUIRRE • The Associated Press

By STEVE KARNOWSKI The Associated Press

Tensions that had been smoldering on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota flared up 50 years ago Monday, when activists from the American Indian Movement took over the town of Wound-

her to see others showing up to advocate.

“Seeing faculty and other unions showing up and making sure students have at least two years of tuition freeze was amazing,” Ibrahim said.

Idman said a tuition freeze would be the most beneficial to first-generation and international students.

“When you come into college, you don’t know what to major in, so you take general education classes, but it feels like you have to hurry up to pick a major,” Ibrahim said. “I feel if students would have two years of free college, they would have more flexibility of going into things and deciding what they want to do.”

Basic Needs

One of the basic needs resources students advocated for was menstrual equity. Through her internship at the Women’s Center, Ibrahim noticed the number of menstrual products, raised through fundraising by the President’s Commission Status on Women, is not sustainable.

“If you don’t have enough products, you have to use something else that’s not sanitary. I’ve heard stories where some students will use the bathroom’s paper towels,” Ibrahim said.

ed Knee.

In the view of the protesters, Oglala Sioux tribal chairman Dick Wilson was in cahoots with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and other federal authorities, and used threats of violence to intimidate his critics. But the 71-day occupation quickly morphed into an out-

Students United requested funds to offer free menstrual products to students at all seven state universities. Off-campus senator David Mesta agreed, saying finding alternative ways to have accessible products would benefit MSU students.

“Fundraising is a limited source and that means faculty has to increase their budget. Having funding support would be helpful,” Mesta said. Ending hunger on campus was another issue addressed. With the Maverick Food Pantry seeing over 300 students a week and the cost of food going up, it’s become more expensive and harder to operate. MSU students advocated to free up more grant money through the Hunger Free Campus grant.

Free college

Students also braved the cold and took to the capitol steps to rally for free college. The concept ensures every student has an opportunity to achieve a higher education degree. Zellmer said free college coincides with the tuition freeze.

“If students had two years free, they could work fewer hours to focus on their studies. I work 50 hours a week between three jobs and I still cannot afford college out of pocket. It’s no longer the concept of working really hard during the summer to pay off your next year,” Zellmer said.

pouring of anger with the federal government over decades of broken treaties, the theft of ancestral lands, forced assimilation and other injustices dating back centuries. Two Native Americans died in the fighting, and a U.S. marshal was left paralyzed.

By SUSAN HAIGH The Associated Press

When the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut for three months in 2020, its owners, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, had to reckon with decades of relying heavily on gambling as the tribe’s main source of revenue.

“The fact that the casino revenues went from millions to zero overnight just fully reiterated the need for diverse revenue streams,” said Tribal Chairman Rodney Butler.

The 1,000-member tribe has since expanded its efforts to get into the federal government contracting business,

making it one of several tribal nations to look beyond the casino business more seriously after the coronavirus crisis.

Tribal leaders and tribal business experts say the global pandemic has been the latest and clearest sign that tribal governments with casinos can’t depend solely on slot machines and poker rooms to support future generations.

In Michigan, the MatchE-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, or Gun Lake Tribe, recently announced a 25-year plan to develop hundreds of acres near its casino into a corridor with housing, retail, manufacturing and a new 15-story hotel.

Mesta said free college would help students struggling to pay for and get through college.

“I think having free college could help students be able to get their feet in the door to college and have that accessibility to get there,” Mesta said.

Zellmer noted change is happening quickly.

With the $17 billion surplus expected to increase, there will be money to fully fund the Minnesota State system’s request, something that has never been done. The state only funds a third of the cost of higher education. Despite MSU having the most students out of the seven state universities, MSU gets the least funding per student in the system.

“Typically, we barely get half of it when state statute says the state of Minnesota will fund 67% of the cost of public higher education. The last time that happened was 1999, so it’s about time we start getting back there,” Zellmer said.

Ibrahim said her biggest takeaway was having senators and legislators take time out of their days to speak with students to listen to their concerns.

“They were listening in and making time for us. That’s kind of saying ‘I put you in office.’ This is what we want as students and your constituents,” Ibrahim said.

 COLUMN from page 6

editors and watching them do great things has been one of my most memorable and treasured parts that I will never forget. One of the main reasons I enjoy it is because I knew how it felt as a freshman diving into journalism and being pushed outside my comfort zone. Now I have the pleasure of doing that for others who are willing to try something new or push their writing abilities.

I am so blessed to have this opportunity in my life. I am beyond grateful for everyone who has supported my journey and has pushed me to go the extra mile. I can’t wait for what is next to come in my journalism career. With Sioux Falls only being about two and a half hours away from Mankato, it’s not too far of a move. But first, I have to find a place to live!

SUSAN HAIGH • The Associated Press

Dwain Camp of Ponca City, Okla. speaks Friday, Nov. 16, 2007 in Oklahoma City, during the Oklahoma Indians Survival Walk and Remembrance Ceremony near the state Capitol.

Slot machines at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel, owned and operated by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, are seen in Battle Creek, Mich., Aug. 5, 2019.

 ADVOCATE from page 1

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SPORTS S

Mavericks secure sixth-straight MacNaughton Cup

By KARSON BUELOW Staff Writer

In one of the most dramatic finishes in Minnesota State Hockey history, the Mavericks split their series last weekend with the Michigan Tech Huskies to capture their sixth-straight MacNaughton Cup. This win earned the Mavs the most consecutive title wins by any program in Division I hockey history.

The Huskies took game one of the series 2-0 Friday night on the strength of senior forward Logan Pietila’s two point night. Looking to secure their first title since 2016, the Huskies fell short to the Mavericks as senior forward Cade Borchardt tallied the game-winning goal with 45 seconds left in the third period.

“Just fortunate and really happy for the guys and for all the people that came into the building this weekend,” said Mavericks’ Head Coach, Mike Hastings. “And I’m excited for what the next chapter is gonna be.”

Heading into this weekend, both teams knew this series would be a low-scoring affair as it featured two of the top goalies in the CCHA, in MSU sophomore Keenan Rancier and MTU senior Blake Pietila. Friday night’s contest proved just that as both goalies remained perfect up until the third period.

Freshman forward Kyle Kukkonen got the Huskies on the board at the 3:43 mark of the third period as he buried a juicy rebound off a point shot from freshman defenseman Evan Orr. The Huskies gathered an insurance marker with 1:34 left in the game off Logan Pietila’s empty-net goal.

“I thought we had some really good lucks and just didn’t cash in on them,” said Hastings. “Tip your hat to them; we’re gonna have to regroup and be better tomorrow.”

Being better the next game is exactly what the Mavericks had to do, because Tech’s win Friday-night secured them three points in the CCHA standings and moved them

a point ahead of the Mavericks for first place. The Mavericks needed a regulation win to clinch the MacNaughton cup for themselves.

The goalies stood tall once again

throughout the first period of game two, keeping zeros on the board for both teams. And it looked like the goalies would remain perfect through two periods, before senior

forward Lucas Sowder fired a topshelf snipe past Blake Pietila to give the Mavericks the lead late in the second.

The Mavericks opened the third

period with an early powerplay gift as junior Husky defenseman Brett Thorne was sent to the box for holding. Junior forward David Silye would convert for the Mavericks as he deflected junior defenseman Akito Hirose’s point shot to give the Mavericks a 2-0 lead.

The Mavericks carried all the momentum behind their two-goal lead, but were quickly put on their heels as they relied on Rancier to stop a penalty shot. Senior forward Trenton Ashbrook converted on the penalty shot for the Huskies as he beat Rancier to cut the Maverick lead in half just over three minutes into the third.

With 1:31 left in the game and a loose scramble in front of Rancier, junior forward Ryland Mosely appeared to have tied the game up for the Huskies as he collected the loose change for the game-tying goal. After a prolonged discussion with the officials, Hastings challenged the call on the ice for goaltender interference on Rancier.

The Mavericks, along with several-hundred “officials” in the crowd, were adamant that there was goaltender interference after Rancier appeared to be crosschecked by Ashbrook moments before the goal occurred. But after a lengthy review session, the officials deemed there was goaltender interference and the goal was taken off the board.

The Mavericks once again had momentum after the call was overturned and were gifted a late powerplay seemingly putting the game away. But the Huskies weren’t going down without a fight as Kukkonen made a nifty move around junior defenseman Jake Livingstone and went five-hole on Rancier to tie the game with 1:05 left in the third.

However, the Mavericks still had plenty of time left on the powerplay, where they’d been two for three on the night. Once again, the Mavericks took advantage as senior forward Cade Borchardt went top shelf on Blake Pietila to send

Conference Playoffs: two down one to go

By LUKE JACKSON Staff Writer

The No. 11-ranked Minnesota State Women’s Basketball team heads to the championship game of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament as they breezed past their first two opponents, pushing their win streak to 11 games.

The Mavericks earned the No. 1 seed in tournament play giving them a first-round bye as they finished with the best record in the NSIC South Division.

After resting up and going straight into the second round, they played the University of Mary Saturday. MSU ended UMary’s sea-

son after beating them 81-66. This win was led by Freshman, Natalie Bremer, who recorded her career-high 30 points. This was done with pure efficiency as she shot 76.4% from the field with a mere 23 minutes played.

The game was neck and neck throughout the first two quarters. The Mavs distributed the ball throughout their roster as the first quarter ended with Junior Joey Batt leading the team with four points and three assists with a score of 2121.

The 6:57 mark of the second quarter was the last time the Marauders had an advantage for the rest of the game. The Mavs tied the ball game 31-31 and then went on

a 7-4 run ending the half at 38-35. The momentum going into the locker room translated into the rest of the game as MSU took over. Going into the third quarter, Sophomore, Destinee Bursch, single-handedly brought the Mavs a 9-2 run as she scored all nine points. This brought the first double-digit lead of the game of 47-37 which held for the rest of the quarter.

The Mavericks were able to hold a dominant lead throughout the remainder of the game. The Marauders cut the lead down to single digits once, bringing the score to 70-64 with 3:36 left in the game. MSU responded quickly and

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

MSU Men’s Hockey team splits the series against Michigan Tech with a 2-0 loss Friday, Feb. 24 & 3-2 win Saturday, Feb. 25. Senior captain, Cade Borchardt (bottom right), scored the Saturday game-winning goal, earning the MacNaughton Cup.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

MSU Women’s Basketball team climbs the NSIC tournament ladder after defeating SMSU 100-82 Monday, Feb. 27. The Mavericks compete today at 4 p.m.

CUP on page 13 u PLAYOFFS on page 12u

2023 NFL Offseason: Important Upcoming Dates

By HAYDEN LEE Staff Writer

With the NFL combine among us and Carson Wentz, Bobby Wagner and other players being cut, we have officially begun the NFL off season. If you are a big NFL fan, here are some key dates to look out for in the next few weeks:

February 28-March 6: NFL Scouting Combine — Held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, players from all around the country come together to compete, hoping to raise their draft stock for the upcoming NFL draft.

Players to watch for as a Vikings fan: Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia, Joey Porter, Jr., CB, Penn State, Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa, Jordan Addison, WR, USC, Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina, B.J. Ojulari, EDGE, LSU, John Michael Schmitz, IOL, Minnesota.

There are so many players the Vikings could be looking at taking at #23, I mean, we all know how terrible the defense was, so if you do tune into the NFL Combine, just watch the defensive activities, see who you like the most.

March 7: Tag Destination — Teams must submit their final decisions to either franchise tag a player, where they are bound to a team under certain conditions. One extremely interesting franchise tag candidate to watch this year is QB Lamar Jackson, I just have a feeling all of this drama is going to build up to nothing. The other tag in question is the transition tag, where a team can bind a player to their team for a short period of time while they try to figure out a trade destination.

As for the Vikings, I can’t see them franchise tagging or transition tagging anyone, our biggest free agents are Garrett Bradbury, Alex Mattison, Patrick Peterson, and of course, Duke Shelley. (Irv Smith and Dalvin Tomlinson do not matter.)

March 13-15: Legal tampering period for free agency — This is where teams are allowed to reach out to 2023 free agents’ agents inquiring about contract details and anything else they may need to supply in order to sign their client. From 12 p.m. ET, March 13 to 3:59 p.m., March 15, these agents will be busy, but no deal can be finalized until 4 p.m. March 15.

I don’t know how this will really impact the Vikings, I guess we will find out; follow Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport on Twitter to find out as things keep moving.

March 15: Happy League New Year! The new league year begins at 4 p.m. March 15, where the free agency period begins as

Mavs continue NSIC Champion streak

By ALI REED Sports Editor

Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Indoor Champions is a title Minnesota State’s Men’s and Women’s Track teams have become all too familiar with. This past weekend, the Mavericks bested all teams in their conference, winning consecutive championships on both the men’s and women’s side.

The two-day event left the No. 14-ranked men with their 12thstraight NSIC Indoor championship, scoring 232 points, a program record. The Mavs also now own the longest winning streak in NSIC indoor history, having previously been tied with sister school, Minnesota State, Moorhead, with 11.

The men destroyed the competition, with Augustana being the runner-up, but only raking in 96 points. This was thanks to the Mavs’ dominating performances in a majority of the events, including sprinting, relay and throwing events.

The Mavs swept the top-three spots in the 400-meter dash finals. Freshman Qai Hussey led the herd with a winning time of 48.87 seconds. Senior Rashion Walker came in second place at 49.32, and following right behind in third was sophomore Pontes Da Veiga with 49.36.

MSU also saw themselves control the 60-meter dash, taking the top-two spots, along with the other three spots in the top-six. Sophomore Ezekiel Clark won the race, clocking in at 6.79 seconds, while Steven Marks took second with a time of 6.84.

The quartet of Da Veiga, Walker, Hussey and Marvin Dure set a conference record in the 4x400 re-

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

MSU Track & Field achieved the NSIC Championship titles for both men’s and women’s teams last weekend, with multiple individual champions from both Maverick teams.

lay. They won the race with a time of 3:17.49, the 10th best time in school history.

Entering his sixth and final throw, junior Carter Aguilera released a career-best throw. His throw reached 19.14 meters, just barely passing Concordia-St. Paul’s Eben Mundfrom who’s best was 19.13 meters.

On the women’s side of things, the championships brought them their third-straight win after scoring 216.5 points. Like the men, there was a wide gap between first and second place overall. Augustana was, again, the runner-up with a total of only 95 points.

The No. 1-ranked women’s team dominated the top spots in multiple events, as well. This includes the 2023 NSIC Championship High Point Scorer Award recipient, Denisha Cartwright, as she earned 30 of the total 216.5 points on her own. This would’ve put her in 10th place out of 15 if she competed as her own team.

Cartwright earned her third-consecutive conference title in the 200-meter, extending her school, facility and conference record with a time of 23.79. She also obtained her third-consecutive title in the 60-meter hurdles, as well as her first in the 60-meter dash.

Throwing was also held down by MSU, with senior Lexie Hurst setting an NSIC record in shot put on her final throw. She threw for a mark of 16.11 meters, topping the previous record holder’s 15.83 meters.

MSU’s women’s team seemed to be able to do it all, sweeping the top-three places in the triple jump. Junior Flore Gracia extended her school record with a mark of 12.80 meters to capture first. Freshman Lillian Washington took second with a mark of 12.41 meters, and sophomore Stella Neophytou claimed third at 12.31 meters.

TRACK on page 12u

Mason going for gold at NCAA Tournament

By CHARLIE GROEBNER Staff Writer

In a weekend full of excitement, Minnesota State wrestling once again finds success at the Super Region Tournament. While as a team they placed eighth overall in the tournament, the Mavs saw very good results from many of the members on the team.

Out of the nine wrestlers that suited up for the tournament, four of them placed in the top five or higher and one of them ultimately won his weight class and will move on to the National Tournament.

MSU sophomore Isaiah Mlsna, sophomore Drake Hayward, and Junior Mike Smith fell short in the consolation brackets and could not break into the top five. The case could also be said for MSU seniors Brody Nielsen and Max Villnow who competed in the tournament for the final time. Regardless, they still went on to cheer for the other members of their team. MSU senior Darrell Mason said he was grateful they were by his side.

“It means a lot, I had my boys with me, my coaches, and a lot of

my family and friends from back home cheering me on. They help me to try and be the best I can be every time I am on the mat and be the best competitor that I can be,” said Mason.

While those five men did not have the best tournament runs, there were other exciting moments taking place on the mats. In his Super Tournament debut, MSU freshman Caleb Meunier and Kole Marko each took 4th place in the 149 Ibs and 165 Ibs brackets, respectively. While they fell short of earning a trip to Nationals, it is certainly an accomplishment to build off of going forward. The Mavs also watched as MSU senior Brock Luthens finished fifth place in the 141 Ibs bracket, wrapping up his third and final tournament performance in his collegiate career.

However, the true main highlight of the tournament for the Mavs was at Heavyweight. The reigning and defending Division II champion, Darrell Mason, successfully defended his title. He dominated all four matchups to become a two-time Division II Champion and punched a ticket

to the NCAA Tournament in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The win also has Mason joining MSU Hall of Famers Howard Gangstad, Bob Soulek, and Tony Kenning as the only twotime DII champions. The native of Chicago, Illinois is eager to be competing next weekend, seeing as it is a place close to home.

“Iowa is like a second home to

me, that is where it all started. I grew up in a little town called Iowa Falls about fifteen minutes away from there. I am familiar with the city and it has become a second home like Mankato has. It means a lot to get this opportunity to wrestle close to home and I am looking to go out there and put on a show,” said Mason.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter 285 heavyweight Senior, Darrell Mason (above), punches his ticket to the NCAA Championships.

Awards put an exclamation point on the season

 PLAYOFFS from page 10

went on a 9-0 run which finished off the game.

In the third round, MSU tallied 100 points for the first time against an NSIC team this season in their win over Southwest Minnesota State University Monday. The win came from two things, switching up their hard 1-3-1 zone defense and the depth of MSU’s roster. MSU revolved their defense around SMSU’s ability to hit the three as they lead the NSIC in threes per game. Mankato’s offense also saw six out of their ten players that played hit double digits. Their depth also provided them to stay fresh throughout the game and not tire out.

“Depth is who we are, we believe any player can bring a punch off the bench,” said head coach Emilee Thiesse.

The Mavs started the game with a dominant run as they found themselves with a 22-12 lead with 2:54 remaining in the quarter. Regardless of this lead, it was the Mustangs who finished the quarter on top. SMSU’s Sam Wall led their team on an 11-0 run to end the first 2322. During this run, she hit her 74th three-pointer of the year which set an SMSU school record. MSU found a lead in the second quarter and kept it as they went on a 12-6 run in the first five minutes and ended the half up 48-43.

Wall led the Mustangs with 17 points which came from five threes. Thiesse’s game plan for the Mavs going into the half was to shut her down.

“We can’t lose her, we have to make them finish on two-pointers and not allow open threes.”

By HAYDEN LEE Staff Writer

They say bulldogs aren’t very vicious, but they were able to kill a Maverick last week. The Mavs Men’s Basketball team ended their 2022-23 season with a 17-12 record and fell in the first round of the NSIC Tournament to the University of Minnesota, Duluth Bulldogs.

Two Mavs stood out more than any other this season, and they were awarded with All-NSIC honors for their performance this season. Junior Malik Willingham was named to the All-NSIC First Team, while senior Trevor Moore was named to the All-NSIC Second Team. Malik Willingham led the Mavs in scoring this season with 18.7 points per game on 44.6 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from three point range. He stood out all year, posting multiple 30+ point games, including a career high 41 points against Concordia St. Paul. Malik Willingham was also able to lead the team in assists per game, dishing out 3.6 per night.

“This season, I felt like I was in a role I was natural at,” said Malik

well. The trading period also begins on this day, after all 2022 contracts expire.

This Vikings’ off-season could go a few different ways, and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has a big few months ahead of him. There seems to be some tension building already with players like Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen. It remains to be seen how Adofo-Mensah will handle a passing of the torch, if there needs to be one. For me, I want to see Thielen finish his career here, but I couldn’t care less about Dalvin; his shelf life might be up, we need to start fresh.

As for players we could realistically sign, there are players like IOL Connor McGovern and RB Darrell Henderson Jr., who are

Willingham. “I like to pass the ball, so playing point guard helped me play naturally, even though I can score too. I felt like a whole new person.”

Moore quietly averaged 15 points per game this season, good enough for second on the team. He was a reliable second option this season and scored 20 or more points in 10 games. Moore was also one of four ironmen on the Mavs, playing and starting in all 29 games in his only season as a Maverick. The other Mavs who were able to suit up in every game are sophomores Kyreese Willingham, Tyrell Stuttley and Mason Muller. Kyreese Willingham, who also played the most minutes on the team by over 100, was a pleasant surprise this season. Stepping into a big role at a big time, Kyreese Willingham was third on the team in scoring with 13.2 points per game, and led the team in rebounds with 6.3 per game.

“Everyone on the team put in so much work in the off-season to get where they are today,” said Malik Willingham. “I’m proud of them.”

not exactly high-profile players, but will do a fine job replacing Bradbury and Cook if they go.

Cameron Sutton, CB. New defensive coordinator Brian Flores worked with Sutton in Pittsburgh this season, and with the Vikings abysmal CB room, the 28-yearold Sutton would be a welcome addition to the team.

QB Jacoby Brissett and WR Odell Beckham Jr. Both of these players are kind of longshots, but if Thielen and backup QB Nick Mullens are on the way out, both of these players would fill in nicely. However, they are both likely to get decently sized contracts from other teams, so I doubt the Vikings would shell out a lot of cash to these guys.

K Matt Gay. Greg Joseph is a free agent and he sucks. We need

Muller and sophomore guard Harrison Braudis were named to the CSC Academic All-District Team. To be eligible for the team, the player needs to be a starter or a key reserve with at least a 3.5 GPA at their university. Muller owns a 3.51 GPA and is majoring in Biology, while Braudis owns a 3.72 GPA and is a Finance major. It is the end of the season for the Mavs, but only two will be graduating. Moore and Center Kelby Kramer’s time with Minnesota State is over, but they both played a very important role in the team’s success this year. In four seasons with the Mavs, Kramer played in 94 games, started 87, and averaged 7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2 blocks per game.

“We built life-long relationships here,” said Malik Willingham. “Being a teammate just means a lot to us.”

The Mavs are out for the season, but a majority of the team will be back next year. Until then, they get some time off before they start preparing for next season, where they hope to be back and better than ever.

a new Kicker.

S Eric Rowe. Rowe has played for new DC Brian Flores in both Miami and New England as a versatile secondary player and would be very valuable in a Cam Bynum-esque role.

LB Tremaine Edmunds. Edmunds has been a good linebacker in Buffalo for a couple of years now, but he is still only 24 years old and has been connected to the Vikings recently. He, Eric Kendricks, and Brian Asamoah II would form a great trio of linebackers.

No matter what happens in the coming weeks, I’m sure the Vikings will find a creative way to let us down. However, I am optimistic. Skol.

The score tightened in the third quarter as SMSU found the lead once again. They went and outscored the Mavs 10-4 to make the score 53-52. SMSU’s lead was shot down instantly as MSU went on a 19-10 stretch, Bremer scored seven of those points. MSU had a lead of 71-63 at the start of the fourth and they continued their reign till the end. They tired out SMSU’s offense through relentless defense. This resulted in 29 points on offense in the last quarter of regulation which was done with 66.7% efficiency. The Mavericks shut down Wall’s scoring and held her to four points in the second half. The Mavericks’ focus on hard defense ultimately led to the demise of the Mustangs and the birth of a conference championship appearance for the Mavericks. MSU now has their eyes set on the conference championship game versus Minnesota Duluth Tuesday. UMD is the north division No.1 seed and has the best record in the NSIC of 26-3. The Bulldogs handed MSU their second loss of the season as the game ended 78-75.

“In that game, we dug ourselves into a hole that was too late to dig ourselves out of,” said Batt. “But our resilience is what punches teams in the gut. So knowing that we can use it as motivation for what happened last time.”

If the Mavs find a win it will be their first time ever being crowned conference champions. It will also secure them a spot in the NCAA division II tournament.

TRACK from page 11

What’s next for the Mavs is the NCAA Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach, Virginia, March 10 through March 11. While MSU’s men’s and women’s track teams have shown that they’re the best in the conference multiple times, taking on the best teams in the entire division will be their chance to show what they’re truly made of.

DYLAN LONG • The Reporter

The MSU Men’s Basketball team ended their season with a 17-12 record. 6-3 Junior guard, Malik Willingham (above), accumulated the most points from this season with 485 points as well as achieving 1,000 career points with the Mavericks.

No. 6 Badgers crush Mavericks’ WCHA semifinal hopes

By KOLE BUELOW Staff Writer

Coming off a tough series loss to No. 12 St. Cloud State the week prior, the Minnesota State Women’s Hockey team had their eyes set on No. 6 University of Wisconsin this past weekend for the first round of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament.

The first round of the WCHA tourney is held at the home site of the higher-seeded team in the final regular season standings.

The Badgers earned the third seed in the WCHA this season with 60 points, falling shy of second-seeded University of Minnesota by eight points.

The regular season finale was the decider for Minnesota State’s fate in the tournament, where they eventually landed in sixth after getting swept by St. Cloud, meaning they were set to face the third-seeded Badgers in the first round of the tournament.

The two battled it out this past weekend in their best-of-three series, where the Wisconsin Badgers defeated Minnesota State 3-0 and 1-4 to claim a berth in the WCHA semifinals. With the two losses, the Mavericks finished their season with a 15-20-1 record and ended the season as the USCHO Poll’s “RV,” reserve, as the first team outside of women’s college hockey’s top 15.

Friday night’s contest started off slow for both squads, as both skated into the intermission locked at zero. Wisconsin held a minor shots advantage at the sound of the horn, leading 10-7 over Minnesota State.

As the second period opened, the Badgers opened the frame with a goal off the stick of Kirsten Simms at the 2:49 mark.

Simms’ goal was all the Badgers’ needed to get rolling, as they buried two more pucks behind Minnesota State’s senior goaltender Alexa Berg before the end of the period.

Giving their opponents a three or more-goal advantage in the second period was unfortunately a common theme for the Mavericks toward the end of the season, a feat that happened three games straight starting in their series against St. Cloud on Feb. 17.

Freshman forward Taylor Otremba explained that the team was aware of their second-period blunders, but what they did just didn’t seem to be enough.

“We knew our second period wasn’t good. Coming into Wisconsin our second period hurt us again, but we saw the pattern,” said Otremba. “We saw it, and we knew we needed to change it. We tried shorter shifts to help not get caught in the D-zone but I think we would fall apart after one goal would go

in. On top of that, we started taking more penalties which made the bench shorter for too long.”

Despite knowing they had to do all they could in the final period of play to stay in the game, the Badgers dominated the third period with an 18-5 shots-on-goal advantage. Neither team scored in the period, marking a 3-0 win for the Badgers in the series’ first game.

A lot had to change the following night for the Mavericks if they wanted to keep their season alive, and the Mavs came out firing on all cylinders to make it happen.

Junior forward Sydney Langseth got Minnesota State on the board first Saturday, tapping home a rebound off the Badger goaltender’s left pad at the 17:39 mark to give MSU the 1-0 lead.

The Mavericks held that lead until the 10-minute mark in the second period before Wisconsin tied the game.

Senior Britta Curl found the nylon, which was later followed up by a goal from freshman Laila Edwards just one minute and 23 seconds later to give the Badgers their first lead of the contest.

Wisconsin held that lead for the remainder of the game, finding a quick goal at the start of the third period while adding onto it midway through on the power play.

The final score Saturday was 4-1, sending the Mavericks back to Mankato, eliminated from any further contention in the WCHA tournament and beyond this season.

Despite losing both games this past weekend, Otremba knew the

 CUP from page 10

the crowd into eruption with 45 seconds left in the contest.

The dramatic finish to Saturday’s game ended a 3-2 victory for the Mavericks and propelled them to their sixth-straight MacNaughton cup.

“It was a roller coaster at the end and a fun game,” said Borchardt. “It was a crazy game and it was super

fun.”

With their win Saturday against Michigan Tech, Minnesota State moved into first place in the CCHA and will receive home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. Their first round series is set as the Mavericks will take on Lake Superior State this weekend in a best-ofthree matchup.

Mavericks had played well enough to beat the Badgers. Otremba explained, “The first periods definitely stick out to us. We worked really hard, and made quick changes. That made a really big impact on how we performed.”

Otremba also said, “Our communication in the D-zone was great. Bergy [Alexa Berg] did amazing in the net, talking to our defense and wingers. The team as a whole had great communication and that was huge for us.”

On the bright side, the WCHA released their team of the year members on Feb. 23, and Otrema was honored as a WCHA

All-Rookie Team member.

Otremba explained that she heard from fellow teammate Madison Mashuga about her honor, and that the honor still has not set in yet.

“Shuga actually said it. She was like, ‘congrats! You made the All-Rookie Team!’ And I was like, ‘what!?’,” explained Otremba with a laugh. Otremba continued to say, “I was really speechless at first. I didn’t know what to do because only a couple of girls in the whole WCHA got the honor. I’m just so blessed about it. It is crazy how this year went for me, and I obviously couldn’t do it without my line-

mates. We worked so hard all year. The honor is huge, and it really hasn’t set in.”

Otremba became one of the premier goal scorers for the Mavericks this season, sitting fourth on the team with eight goals on the year.

Otremba also tallied 12 assists on the year, marking a 20-point year for the first-timer. The Lakeville, Minnesota native became the fourth active Maverick and sixth Maverick ever to be named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team under Head Coach John Harrington.

Otremba joins alongside current teammates Jamie Nelson, Calla Frank, Kelsey King and Anna Wilgren as selections to the All-Rookie Team during their first season as a Maverick.

The Mavericks now await what is ahead next season, which as of right now holds a lot of uncertainties with some of their big senior pieces possibly leaving the team for professional contracts or jobs in their major field.

Despite this, Otremba is confident in what the Mavericks are going to have next season, and knows the team can make some noise around the WCHA given the chance.

“Our season went pretty well, but we can do better. We were right up there starting off the season, being in close games with Ohio State and other top teams in the WCHA,” said Otremba. “It’s really hard seeing all year that we were RV, were RV. We were always close, competing with top teams, so it’s hard not getting that recognition for our team.”

“Obviously, we’re a good team,” said Otremba. “We believe in ourselves. Next year will be a good year.”

LILLY ANDERSON • The Reporter

The MSU Women’s Hockey team closes their season with a 15-20-1 record after a two-game loss against the Wisconsin Badgers in the WCHA tournament quarterfinals.

VA RI ET Y

Otis Julius to make pit stop in Mankato

By JOEY ERICKSON Variety Editor

Like a blast from the past, Otis Julius, partnered with Nice Enough Entertainment, is bringing his larger-than-life “Totally Rad 90’s Party Tour” to small town Mankato on March 2. Julius is headlining the event alongside DJ Strawstone to bring locals a rad night complete with live music, special guests, prizes, visuals and covers of everyone’s favorite 90s hits.

Julius is a hip-hop, punk rock artist, and while he’s originally from Idaho, his music has taken him across the country and world. From concert venues in Western Canada to festival stages in Indonesia, Julius has spread his music worldwide, all on his own dime.

The interest in music started for Julius in 2005, when he attended his first Warped Tour, his first ever “real” concert. It was at this concert where the music bug bit him. Hard.

“It blew my mind,” Julius said. I didn’t know this whole culture existed, and it just kind of sucked me in. I was like, ‘Wow, I’ve been totally missing this my whole life.’ It’s been part of my identity, part of who I am, ever since then.”

At the Warped Tour, Julius saw the punk band Emery playing on stage. The band’s loud guitar and booming bass drums played right into his soul, he said, and became one of his main inspirations to start music.

While Julius has strayed from punk and focuses now more on hip-hop, Emery remains one of his biggest influences, alongside Eminem and 50 Cent.

“I accidentally saw (Emery)

at Warped Tour, and they’re my all-time favorite band now,” he said. “I’ve seen them probably

18, 19 times. I was like, ‘I don’t know where this has been in my life, but I need this.’ They’re

what got me into being in my first band.” This is Julius’s first time play-

ing in Mankato. According to one of Julius’s openers, GunnerB, locals should consider going to this concert because it’s something unheard of for the town.

“It’s something completely different for Mankato. There’s a lot of things that go on there, but this is a 90s hip-hop tour. This is something that doesn’t happen a lot, people don’t really tour and hit Mankato. It’s something different for the area,” GunnerB said.

GunnerB is a musician from Worthington who started and grew his career as a rapper in Sioux Falls. His choice to perform in the Mankato tour date is to help in growing his music career.

I feel like (Mankato) is a really big market. And I feel like if you make enough noise in Mankato, you can do something in the (Twin Cities),” GunnerB said.

Despite the plans to grow his career by pushing toward big cities, GunnerB’s main goal is to bring the big scene back to the small towns.

“My goal is to bring people out to Mankato and build a scene out there that hasn’t been there for 20 years now. I remember being very young and hearing about a lot of artists coming out from there, so I want to do that,” GunnerB said.

Other local artists performing at the concert include DJ YuWish and Flow Fanatic, both local Minnesota artists.

Tickets for the concert are on sale now, available for purchase online or at the door, for $15 a piece. The concert is on Thursday, March 2, at the What’s Up Lounge in Mankato.

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ dominates at SAG

By JAKE COYLE

The Associated Press

The unlikely awards season juggernaut “Everything Everywhere All at Once” marched on at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, and even gathered steam with wins not just for best ensemble, Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan but also for Jamie Lee Curtis.

The SAG Awards, often an Oscar preview, threw some curve balls into the Oscars race in a ceremony streamed live on Netflix’s YouTube page from Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

But the clearest result of the SAG Awards was the overwhelming success of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s madcap multiverse tale, which has now used its hotdog fingers to snag top honors from the

acting, directing and producing guilds. Only one film (“Apollo 13”) had won all three and not gone on to win best picture at the Oscars.

After so much of the cast of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” had already been on the stage to accept awards, the night’s final moment belonged to 94-year-old James Hong, a supporting player in the film and a trailblazer for Asian American representation in Hollywood. He brought up the ignoble yellowface history of the 1937 film “The Good Earth.”

“The leading role was played with these guys with their eyes taped up like this and they talked like this because the producers said the Asians were not good enough and they were not box office,” said Hong. “But look at us now!”

Hong added that the cast

of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” wasn’t all Chinese, though he granted Jamie Lee Curtis had a good Chinese name. Curtis’ win was one of the most surprising of the night, coming over the longtime favorite, Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”), who had seemed to be on a clear path to becoming the first actor to win an Oscar for a performance in a Marvel movie.

A visibly moved Curtis said she was wearing the wedding ring her father, Tony Curtis, gave her mother, Janet Leigh.

“I know you look at me and think ‘Nepo baby,’” said Curtis, who won in her first SAG nomination. “But the truth of the matter is that I’m 64 years old and this is just amazing.”

The actors guild, though, lent some clarity to the lead categories. Though some have seen

Photos Courtesy of Gunner Beckering

JORDAN STRAUSS • The Associated Press

Harry Shum Jr., from back left, Jenny Slate, Tallie Medel, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, Michelle Yeoh, Brian Le, Andy Le, from front left, James Hong, and Jamie Lee Curtis pose with the award.

best actress as a toss up between Yeoh and BAFTA winner Cate Blanchett (“Tár”), Yeoh again

took home the award for best female lead performance.

OPINION: Keeping arts in the schools is important

By LAUREN VISKA Staff Writer

When the school board meets and decides to cut the music program, it is because they think that it is not important or that it is the least valuable program. It is also because they are not as educated on how music is important to kids and that it is helpful to them in many ways.

I, for one, would have been deeply impacted if I did not have band growing up.

My whole friend group consists of band people. Not just people I have met in college but many I made in middle school and middle school. They are some of the most incredible people I have ever met and are all very musically talented. I even met my boyfriend through my involvement with band. Learning new things in school after being in band for so long was also super easy. Being in band has improved my memory. I’ve gotten better at math because there is math involved in music. I know, shocking, but it is true. There are numbers, letters and even fractions in music.

Each piece of music has a time signature that specifies its rhythmic characteristics, such as the number of beats in each measure. A time signature has one number at the top and one at the bottom, similar to a fraction. An example is 4/4, which is four beats in one single measure.

There are sections in sheet music called measures. Each measure in music contains an equal number of beats. They are the same as divisions of time in mathematics. Because each note

and rest in music has a specific number of beats, they also have numerical relationships. Musicians must comprehend the significance of particular fractions and notes to count the music correctly.

Even the Greeks found a correlation between music and math. Philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras discovered that varying weights and vibrations could create different sounds. This led to the discovery that the length of a vibrating string, such as one on a violin,

guitar or piano, can control its pitch. The higher the pitch, the shorter the string and the lower the pitch, the longer the string. When struck or plucked, a string half the length of another will produce an octave-higher pitch. Splitting a string into thirds raises the pitch by an octave and a fifth. Divide it into fourths to get even higher — you get the idea. This is known as the overtone or harmonic series, and it is a physics feature that affects waves and frequencies in ways we can see and hear

and ways we cannot.

Throughout history, these mathematical ratios have helped define every intonation system. In other words, we tune our modern instruments using the mathematics discovered nearly 2,500 years ago.

According to research, certain music pieces become more popular due to their mathematical structure. For example, because of its repetitive structure, Pachelbel’s Canon in D, which is used in many weddings each

year, is said to be more popular with people. It is our innate need for rhythm and patterns as humans. That could explain why so much pop music on the radio today is repetitive.

Students from Concordia University’s psychology department conducted a study in partnership with Robert J. Zatorre, a researcher at McGill University’s Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital. This study was put in the ‘Journal of Neuroscience’ in 2013.

They tested 36 musicians on a movement and scanned their brains. Half of them began playing music before they were seven, and the other half at a later age. The two groups had the same amount of musical training.

When a motor skill was compared between the two groups, musicians who began before age seven demonstrated more accurate timing, even after only two days of practice. When comparing brain structure, musicians who started playing at a young age had more white matter in the corpus callosum, a bundle of nerve fibers that connects the brain’s left and right motor regions. The researchers discovered that the younger a musician began, the stronger the connection.

So, school music programs are more than just playing music. It is both educational and fun. Getting rid of music programs can damage students in many ways. If music is the subject they are good at and suddenly gets taken away, it could destroy them mentally and physically.

Cardi B: Court-ordered service ‘the best thing’ to happen

By MICHAEL R. SISAK

The Associated Press

Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B spoke to girls in a police mentorship program Friday as part of what she says has been an eye-opening and emotional week performing court-mandated community service for her role in a pair of brawls at New York City strip clubs in 2018.

The 30-year-old “Bodak Yellow” singer visited an NYPD “Girls Talk” event at the police training academy in Queens and shared what the department said was “her rags to riches story.” She danced with teens and posed for photos.

Cardi B’s plea deal requires her to perform 15 days of community service by March 1 to avoid a 15-day jail sentence.

“I feel like there’s so many people that make y’all probably feel like, ‘This is what’s cool, this is what’s going on, this is what it takes to be lit, this is what it takes to be fire,’” Cardi B told her young audience.

“Sometimes that’s a little bit

of peer pressure like on a girl. Don’t fall into that. You know what I’m saying? Like, be great. Be you. You’re amazing. You’re dope yourself.”

The NYPD posted a video to Twitter showing highlights of the event.

That drew criticism from some people, including a retired police lieutenant, who questioned whether Cardi B was an appropriate role model for children given her sometimes provocative lyrics, criminal record and past admission that she drugged and robbed men while working as a stripper before she got famous.

Cardi B, a New York City native whose real name is Belcalis Almanzar, has been chronicling her community service on Twitter all week. On Saturday, she wrote: “Community service has been the best thing that has happened to me.”

She likened the experience to a spiritual journey that sometimes left her in tears. “Those people that we leave behind they just need somebody to talk and

a lil push and YOU might be able to change their life forever,” she wrote.

In another post, on her way to the police academy, the multiple-platinum selling artist and mother of two complained about waking up early to perform community service before going to the recording studio, but added: “I did the crime ‘I only have myself to blame’.”

Cardi B agreed in September to a conditional discharge just as her case was about to go to trial. She pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges stemming from the August 2018 fights. Ten other counts, including two felonies, were dismissed. Two co-defendants also pleaded guilty.

In a statement at the time, Cardi B said: “Part of growing up and maturing is being accountable for your actions. As a mother, it’s a practice that I am trying to instill in my children, but the example starts with me. I’ve made some bad decisions in my past that I am not afraid to face and own up to. These moments don’t define me and they

are not reflective of who I am now.”

According to prosecutors, Cardi B and her entourage were targeting employees of Angels Strip Club in Flushing, Queens, over an apparent personal dispute. In one fight, chairs, bottles and hookah pipes were thrown

as the group argued with a bartender. She and another employee had minor injuries.

In 2019, Cardi B rejected a plea deal that would have given her a conditional discharge. Prosecutors then presented the case to a grand jury and obtained an indictment.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

The Maverick Machine, pictured above, is the marching band on campus at Minnesota State University, Mankato. The band garners lots of excitement by promoting school spirit. The group performs at all home sports events.

JORDAN STRAUSS • The Associated Press

The Grammy-winning rapper spoke to girls in a police mentorship program Friday, Feb. 24, as part of what she says has been an eye-opening and emotional week.