March 2, 2023

Flipping the script

Creative programs to be restructured

By EMMA JOHNSON News Director

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is undergoing a big change.

The Minnesota State English Department posted a statement on Instagram Jan. 31 stating “President Inch has mandated the College’s departments be combined or restructured to create new departments.”

The statement said classes and degrees will still be given in literature, rhetoric and composition, technical communication, humanities, linguistics, TESOL and English education.

However, the Art and Design, Creative Writing and Film Studies departments will be combined into one new program.

College of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean Christopher Brown said talks of merging departments started in November after the provost initiated a call for 18 departments to reduce to 10.

Brown said the faculty got together to discuss the potential of coming together to create a program that would help students

get unique interdisciplinary collaborative experiences.

“I met with faculty from different programs and asked each individual to articulate their vision for the program. It was all about how this kind of configuration can really give students those high-impact practices that they probably could not do siloed,” Brown said.

“I believe being in bringing them together eliminates those

obstacles and provides more structure for them to actually collaborate on different projects.”

Despite talks of the merger, the news still came as a shock to some.

Creative Writing Prof. Geoff Herbach said that, when he heard the news, his first reaction was to attempt to deal with how the department would maintain critical courses for writers.

Kearney International Center launches lunch club

By AMALIA SHARAF Staff Writer

The Kearney International Center (KIC) launched a Lunch Club to help students socialize, make connections and, of course, grab some tasty grub.

The club will meet 12:30-2 p.m. Thursdays from 12:30-2:00 p.m. in the International Student Association Office in Centennial Student Union room 256.

Tinbit Assefa, one of the members of Maverick Global Ambassadors (MGA) in charge of running the Lunch Club, said the idea came after a discussion about ways to bring students together.

“Our major is totally intertwined with English. Half of the major is literature and we’re being separated into the new configuration. I was concerned about how would our students navigate that,” Herbach said. “We don’t want to lose the heart of what we do.”

The shock didn’t just hit faculty members; it hit students too.

Junior Isaiah Flolo said he

Criminal Justice internship fair held in CSU

By CARLY BAHR Staff Writer

Applicants for jobs in the criminal justice field are vanishing — a fact evident in enrollment numbers in Minnesota State’s law program. Minnesota State University brought in representatives from law enforcement agencies Tuesday to connect with students on career and internship opportunities for the in-demand field.

The fair had officers and representatives from several Minnesota cities and counties filling the Centennial Student Union Ballroom with tables. The schedule included one-onone discussions with county law enforcement officers, small

group panels and a virtual reality shooting exercise called Practical Shot.

Officer Paul Hill from the Rochester Police Department said they have used VR for target practice in training for the past three years.

“One of our core values is to be progressive, so we’re always looking for the next best thing,” Hill said. “This is more relatable to new officers, because they’re younger and grew up playing video games. But it’s also cheaper for us, too. It doesn’t take as much manual labor to run this as it would to put someone through a scenario with three or four or five people.”

Despite continuous inno-

“Me and Rohit, with help of Alissa Morson, were discussing a couple of ideas, and then we came up with this,” Assefa said. “We thought it is a great way for students to socialize. And there is also the ISA Cafe happening sometimes, so we might as well do the Lunch Club as a substitute on Thursdays. Since we both were working that time.”

Every student on campus is welcomed into the club, which has no specific restrictions to participate.

According to Assefa, anyone who wants to find friends and socialize more may join.

“ISA Cafe is usually serving a couple of snacks like pastries with coffee and tea,” Assefa said. “But then with the Lunch Club, it’s mostly noodles and, I would say, a little bit more heavier lunch, rather than like cafe style.”

Discussion and activity topics will change for every meeting.

MGA members running the club are planning to bring different games and create special themes for each meeting.

“So eventually, we were planning on bringing in a couple of games or we also thought of a small competition or even a topic that students will talk about while having their lunch here. In

EMMA JOHNSON • The Reporter

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is planning on restructuring and combining departments in order to create new opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through collaboration.

DOMINIC BOTHE • The Reporter Students were able to talk with a variety of businesses at the Criminal Justice Career and Internship fair that was held in the CSU Ballroom.

MERGE on page 5 

Greece’s worst-ever rail crash kills dozens, crushes cars

By COSTAS KANTOURIS The Associated Press

Rescuers searched for survivors Wednesday in the mangled, burned-out cars of two trains that slammed into each other in northern Greece, killing at least 38 people and crumpling carriages into twisted steel knots in the country’s worst-ever rail crash.

The impact just before midnight Tuesday threw some pas-

vations in officer training, the field has experienced a decline in applicants over the past decade, meaning recruiting events like these have increased in importance.

Deputy Chris Anderson of the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Department said he has seen the number of applications drop significantly during his career, which changes the recruitment methods.

“It’s a different deal than it used to be,” he said. “It used to be that you got hired wherever you could get hired and if you had to move, you had to move. Now people are more selective.”

The decline in applicants has led some counties to re-evaluate pay and benefits plans.

“If we’re having trouble finding good applicants, one of the ways we can incentivize them is through money,” Anderson said. “At the county, if they look and say ‘Hey we need to fill these positions and we’re not able to,’ they’re more willing to work with benefits and perks and stuff like that.”

Several students at MSU have prepared to submit their own post-graduation applications by gaining experience through internships and partic-

sengers into ceilings and out the windows as their train smashed head-on into a freight train. Emergency workers found several bodies 30 to 40 meters (100 to 130 feet) away from the cars, according to state broadcaster ERT, which said the passenger train was traveling at 140 kilometers per hour (87 mph).

“The glass in the windows shattered and fell on top of us,” Stefanos Gogakos, who was riding in a rear carriage, told

ipating in the MSU’s Joint Opportunity to Learn and Thrive (JOLT) program. JOLT is an experiential course that focuses on juvenile probation and offers shadowing a Blue Earth County officer and mentoring local kids.

“Speaking for myself, I’ve learned a lot just through JOLT alone, on top of the internship I’m currently doing,” MSU criminal justice student Caitlin Beaupre said.

Some students took the fair as an opportunity to explore and compare internship opportunities. Kenzie Nolle has an internship lined up in probation in Saint Paul, but went to the fair to get extra credit points for a class and to explore other options.

“I haven’t committed to any internships yet, so I’m kind of researching other ones and seeing if I’m interested in anything else. The majority of probation is unpaid internships, so it’d be nice to look into the paid internships. We have a mandatory 400 hours in order to graduate for corrections majors,” Nolle said.

Department of Criminal Justice Chair Pat Nelson said this is the second fair the department has had since its separation from the Department

ERT. “My head hit the roof of the carriage with the jolt.”

The train from Athens to Thessaloniki was carrying 350 passengers, many of them students returning from raucous Carnival celebrations. It was not immediately clear what caused the collision. While the track is double, both trains were traveling in opposite directions on the same line near the Vale of Tempe, a river val-

of Government two years ago. The first took place fall semester.

“We are seeing the number of people going into law enforcement and corrections has dropped, probably by about 50%. Students are not pursuing the field quite as much so that means their applications have dropped as well. So, a lot of agencies are hiring right now so that’s why we’re trying to get them in front of our students,” Nelson said.

“We haven’t been adapting as much to the changes in enrollment, but really the changes in the community and the expectations of law enforcement corrections and criminal justice. So, we’ve done a complete curriculum overhaul since 2017 for the law enforcement program, corrections program and criminal justice program to make sure that the students are getting a broader view of their place in the community; and having more tools such as communications, understanding the impact of mental health, understanding different cultures and victims.”

The department faculty are discussing how frequently they will host this career and internship fair going forward.

 LUNCH from page 1

the past three weeks that we had meetings, we have not had a topic. Groups of friends would just come in and so they already know a couple of people there to spend time with. So it’s been going like that, but, for the future, we’ll have some nice ideas,” said Assefa.

MGA members hope that the Lunch Club will become a place for students to have some rest in between classes as well as find new friends and discuss different topics over lunch.

“We hope that in the long term, the Lunch Club will create a closer community for

international students and everyone else as well. Whoever attends it could just gain a better social life and also a better networking system. And mainly it is about entertainment. Just have students here and kind of relax in between classes,” Assefa said.

Every student is invited by MGA members to attend the club meetings whenever they are free.

To learn more about the topic of this week’s event, email tinbit.assefa@mnsu.edu or wait for an announcement in the KIC Instagram profile. Words.

VAGGELIS KOUSIORAS • The Associated Press

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

A crane, firefighters and rescuers operate after a collision in Tempe near Larissa city. A train carrying hundreds of passengers has collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece, killing and injuring dozens.

Students discuss a variety of topics over lunch options through weekly lunch clubs hosted by the Kearney International Center.

TRAIN on page 3 

TikTok sets new default hour long time limit for minors

Stomper’s bookcase hits shelves

By EMMA JOHNSON News Director

Stomper is bringing children stories throughout Mankato.

Starting today, three bookcases will be placed at laundromats around town. The project was started after graduate advisor Crystal Watts moved to Mankato and noticed that children’s spaces at laundromats was understocked.

“Children and grownups often have to exist in the same spaces and to have something geared towards them on their level so that they can continue making memories with family members is important,” Watts said. “I remembered seeing another program in southwest Minnesota and I thought that might be fun to introduce here and it might be great to put it in the hands of students.”

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN

TikTok said Wednesday that every account held by a user under the age of 18 will have a default 60-minute daily screen time limit in the coming weeks. The changes arrive during a period in which there are growing concerns among different governments about the app’s security and ability to alter its algorithm to push certain posts.

The update also mirrors gaming rules imposed on minors in China, where TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is based. In 2021, Chinese authorities issued new rules that barred minors from playing online games for only an hour a day and only on Fridays, weekends and public holidays - an effort to curb internet addiction.

In the U.S., families have struggled with limiting the amount of time their children spend on the Chinese-owned video sharing app. According to the Pew Research Center, about two-third of Americans teens use TikTok.

Cormac Keenan, head of trust and safety at TikTok said in a blog post Wednesday that when the 60-minute limit is reached, minors will be prompted to enter a passcode and make an “active decision” to keep watching. For accounts where the user is under the age

of 13, a parent or guardian will have to set or enter an existing passcode to allow 30 minutes of extra viewing time once the initial 60-minute limit is reached. TikTok said it came up with the 60-minute threshold by consulting academic research and experts from the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital.

There have long been concerns about what minors are exposed to on social media and the potential harm it might do. A report released late last year suggested that TikTok’s algorithms are promoting videos about self-harm and eating disorders to vulnerable teens. Instagram, which is owned by Facebook parent Meta, has also faced similar accusations.

Social media algorithms work by identifying topics and content of interest to a user, who is then sent more of the same as a way to maximize their time on the site. But social media critics say the same algorithms that promote content about a particular sports team, hobby or dance craze can send users down a rabbit hole of harmful content.

TikTok also said Wednesday that it will also begin prompting teens to set a daily screen time limit if they opt out of the 60-minute default. The company will send weekly inbox notifications to teen accounts with a screen time recap.

After presenting the idea to Greater Area Mankato United Way, Lloyd Lumber supplied materials to build the bookshelves and Capstone Publishing donated over 300 books.

Watts reached out to student volunteers to see who was interested. Fraternity Sigma Nu

TRAIN from page 2

ley about 380 kilometers (235 miles) north of Athens.

Authorities arrested the stationmaster at the train’s last stop, in the city of Larissa. They did not release the man’s name or the reason for the arrest, but the stationmaster is responsible for rail traffic on that stretch of the tracks.

Transportation Minister Kostas Karamanlis resigned, saying he was stepping down

decided to step up and take on the challenge. They’re responsible for maintaining the upkeep of the bookshelves, rotating out the books and making sure the shelves are stocked.

The bookcases are located at Stadium Laundry, Laundry Max and The Washboard in North Mankato.

Watts said she hopes student groups step on to run their own bookcase.

“as a basic indication of respect for the memory of the people who died so unfairly.”

Karamanlis said he had made “every effort” to improve a railway system that had been “in a state that doesn’t befit the 21st century.”

But, he added, “When something this tragic happens it’s impossible to continue as if nothing has happened.”

On Wednesday, rescuers turned to cranes and other

“I would love to walk student groups through the process of what it means to partner with other community organizations and to think beyond what it means to be a maverick,” Watts said.

If students wish to get involved, they can head to the Community Engagement Office to learn more.

heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of the trains, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. Many bodies were so badly disfigured that they required DNA identification.

“There were many big pieces of steel,” said Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who said he was one of the first people on the scene. “The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight train.”

For more information contact 507-420-5228 or 1-800-22-UNITE (1-800-228-6483) BahaiTeachings.org

"There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God."

- Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892)

MICHAEL DWYER • The Associated Press TikTok says every account held by a user under the age of 18 will automatically be set to a 60-minute daily screen time limit in the coming weeks amid growing concerns about the app’s security.

The Associated Press

Photo courtesy of Crystal Watts Members of Sigma Nu stand next to a bookshelf they built. These shelves will be placed in laundromats around Mankato.

Comfort in doing things alone

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

Alicia Reed Sports Editor Dylan Engel Photo Editor

Schoolwork isn’t for spring break

Spring break is rapidly approaching and many students are more than ready to take a break from school and decompress, albeit only for a week. Gone are the massive lecture halls with lessons that drone on and on, replaced with sunny beaches and tropical sands that you wish could last forever.

However, teachers are aware of their students’ spring fever. To counteract it, they assign lengthy homework assignments and dangle it over their students’ heads, teasing a due date scheduled for the end of the spring break week.

This fogs the student’s mind, causing them to spend the break worrying about school and finishing their work on time, rather than taking a well-needed, much-deserved break.

School is a lot of work. Not only on a physical level, but on an emotional and mental one, too. The societal pressure to not only attend college, but also do well, can weigh many students down.

On top of that, many students have to balance school work and professional work, picking up jobs to pay for textbooks and rent. This can leave the student tired, overworked, and struggling to find time for schoolwork.

As students, we should do the most with our spring break by doing nothing. As students we deserve time to sit back and relax, and take a break from the everyday stressors of college life.

Taking a spring break vacation doesn’t have to be anything special, like traveling to a beachy tropical country and getting sunburnt. Spring breaks can be anything we want them to be, no matter how big or small. Staying completely horizontal in bed all day watching movies can be just as relaxing as going on vacation to a resort

Opting to take breaks and relax are important for our wellbeing as students, mentally and physically.

For some students, the idea of quitting schoolwork for a week can seem scary. If they stop doing schoolwork, they’re scared that they’ll never be able to start back up again, or that they’ll fall behind.

One alternative to this is doing your homework a bit earlier than usual. In the moment, it might be less than ideal, since you’re doing more homework than usual.

But going into spring break with no assignments weighing on your mind will make it all worth it, and allow you to have a great spring break.

Spring breaks are meant to be spent as a break, hence the second word in the phrase. We as students should acknowledge this, and spend the week relaxing however we feel we need to, because we deserve it.

By ANDREA SCHOENECKER Staff Writer

On my most recent adventure, I decided to go alone. I drove down to Colorado to spend the day in Fort Collins because I saw that it was supposed to be 50 degrees and I had been craving some warmer weather.

I ran errands, went shopping and most importantly spent some much-needed time with myself.

Before moving out to Wyoming, I don’t think I would have gone out on my own the way I have since moving.

I have learned an important thing about myself out here and that is, I find comfort in doing things alone.

There have been a wide variety of things that I have

done alone, from going to coffee shops and grocery stores to driving an hour for warmer weather.

Finding comfort in being alone was not only a goal for me, it is something I saw as an inevitable outcome of moving away from home.

Because of my love of exploring — and because there is so much to see — there isn’t always someone to come with me.

While my roommate and I do so much together, it surprises me how much I am willing to do alone.

I have discovered a sense of independence in the things that I do. It has been quite refreshing for me.

Previously I would have been nervous about going off on my own, but knowing

Compiled by Charlie Groebner

that there is not someone to come with me has somehow made it much easier to ease the tension I used to have inside of myself.

I’ve had the realization that someone won’t always be there when I want to go somewhere, and I’ve let it stop me in the past.

Seeing my personal growth out here has surprised me quite a bit.

I have learned more about myself in these past two months than I have in over a year.

Self discovery is important and something I value deeply.

Although going somewhere alone used to be daunting, it’s reassuring when I get to do something alone because it actively shows me the

“Going

“Unfortunately,

SILAS LEUTHNER, FRESHMAN

“Grand Canyon Islands.”

HEISS, FRESHMAN

NATHAN HARALDSON, FRESHMAN “Watching

ELEANOR MESCHKE, JUNIOR

INGRID STUMO, SOPHOMORE

HALEY MARTINSON, SENIOR

Photo courtesy of Andrea Schoenecker “I

have a new found comfort in doing things alone” -Andrea

Schoenecker

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

 COLUMN from page 4

growth that I am experiencing. The growth from doing something alone is something I’d wished for myself for years; I had become very dependent on others to exist comfortably. I very much needed this mental reset.

I have learned to be alone and, not only that, be comfortable being alone.

 MERGE from page 1

was meeting with the River Whale Review, the student literary journal at MSU, when the news broke.

“It didn’t make any sense when (we first heard the news.) Writing is part of English. I understand that it’s part of the arts, but at the same time, creative writing is about writing literature,” Flolo said.

“It was more of a why scenario we just couldn’t understand at the time.”

A concern among students is whether the merger will affect how students obtain their degrees.

Brown said it would not impact their degree completion as students will graduate with the program they came to MSU under.

Brown said he hopes to facilitate an organic process for the merger.

Currently, Brown said he is working on figuring out the structure for department chairs, reassigning administrative assistants and meeting with each department to address questions or concerns.

“It’s going to take some time and effort to put together departments and programs that will help our students as they move into their future,” Brown said.

Herbach said there are some benefits of merging, one of which is students won’t be required to take extra classes to get both degrees.

“There are students I know who are already working across departments and now there’s going to be a way for them to spend more time together. That kind of energy that comes from collaboration is exciting,” Herbach said.

“We can reach out to future students and say ‘you don’t have to be pigeonholed. You don’t have to do 160 credits in order to get both degrees there if you’re interested in both subjects.’ There’s a place where you can do all of it.”

One idea English Department Chair Nancy Drescher is looking forward to is dual licensure between TESOL and a world language.

The idea came from seeing an overlap between the two programs.

“We cover the same thing in two different ways because we’ve been two separate departments. By coming together, it’s less money and less work for our students while maximizing the work we’re doing,”

I am no longer searching for someone to join my adventures because I am now okay with having myself as my companion.

I would love to get to the point where I am comfortable traveling longer distances, but for now, I am content with smaller adventures, such as driving an hour for warmer weather.

Drescher said.

The creative writing department has already been collaborating with the art and design department on projects.

“We’ve already talked about the possibility of focusing on a graphic novel course. There are already people who are working with graphic designers to get poems they write in class to get posters made,” Herbach said.

Drescher said the English department is working on creating an open bachelor’s degree that offers students several choices as to what they want to declare.

“They can pick an area of emphasis that they would like to focus on, but they can mix and match and get a little taste of all of what we do because I think students who are interested in one are generally interested in the other,” Drescher said.

Drescher said the faculty is there to address students’ concerns and thoughts.

“I think it’s navigating our way through that full range of emotions from very fearful and concerned to the other end of ‘what’s this shiny new thing?’ and everyone in between. We need to listen to all those voices,” Drescher said.

“We’re all on board with making the transition as painless as possible for students.”

Brown says despite potential obstacles, it’s an opportunity to add creativity and innovation to the liberal arts.

“I think we have to continue moving forward keeping up with what’s going on and what’s trending in the world today. I’m optimistic about the potential of this merger, especially in terms of adding more innovative, interdisciplinary aspects that will potentially challenge us all to think deeper,” Brown said.

“It’s going to help individuals and faculty to think outside the box along with the values, needs and vision of this generation of students.”

Drescher said students should reach out to either her or the English department if they have any questions or concerns.

“I would love for students to know they shouldn’t just sit with anxiety no matter whether it’s about this or about a specific class,” Drescher said.

“We’re going to make sure students are able to graduate right when we told them they were going to.”

The new departments will begin July 1.

Supreme Court debates student loans

By COLLIN BINKLEY The Associated Press

Niara Thompson couldn’t shake her frustration as the Supreme Court debated President Joe Biden’s student debt cancellation. As she listened from the audience Tuesday, it all felt academic. There was a long discussion on the nuances of certain words. Justices asked lawyers to explore hypothetical scenarios.

For Thompson, none of it is hypothetical. A student at the University of Georgia, she grew up watching her parents struggle with student loans and will graduate with about $50,000 of her own student debt.

“It felt like people who could never understand why we would want something like this,” she said. “I wanted to be like, ‘Y’all don’t understand. Y’all are focusing on this, but there’s people out here who are struggling to find food for their families.’”

Much of the discussion in Tuesday’s hearing centered on whether states had the legal right to sue over Biden’s student loans plan. But the justices also were scrutinizing whether Biden had the authority to waive hundreds of billions of dollars in debt without the explicit approval of Congress, which decides how taxpayer money is spent.

It’s not unusual for Supreme Court cases to hang on legal technicalities, even in cases of great public interest. Yet to borrowers following Tuesday’s arguments, it felt isolating to hear such a personal subject reduced to cold legal language.

Opponents of the plan to wipe away debt held by millions of Americans have denounced it as an insult to those who have repaid their debt and to those who didn’t attend college.

Thompson was among a few dozen borrowers who camped out in drizzle overnight to get seats at the court for Tuesday’s hearing. Some of the court’s liberal justices sought several times to turn the arguments back to the people who would benefit from the program, pointing out their need for relief. In response, conservatives asked if those who passed up college should pay for those who borrowed money to attend.

For Thompson’s family, years of payments hang in the balance. Student loan payments have been on hold since the start of the pandemic, but they are set to restart 60 days

after the court cases resolve — regardless of the outcome.

Thompson and her father are each eligible for $10,000 in relief, she said. It would move her a step closer to financial stability, Thompson said, and it would eliminate the rest of her dad’s loans.

“It just hurt my feelings a bit,” she said of Tuesday’s arguments. “I just want better for us, you know?”

The mood inside the court — quiet and ceremonious — was a contrast to the atmosphere outside as dozens of activists rallied in support of cancellation. Crowds chanted and listened to speeches from members of Congress, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Advocates took to the podium to share stories about family sacrifices and life milestones deferred because of heavy student debt.

PATRICK SEMANSKY • The Associated Press Arguments at the Supreme Court over President Joe Biden’s student debt cancellation left some borrowers feeling isolated.

This is a unique program and opportunity for students choosing to check out expensive textbooks for a couple of hours at a time in lieu of shelling out large sums of money for the rental, or purchase of a used or new textbook.

Student government is the "lead partner" of the cooperative arrangement which involves the on-campus bookstore vendor, Barnes & Noble Bookstore, and Library Services. Without the direct support of these two partners the program wouldn't be what it is.

SPORTS S

Women’s basketball falls in championship

By LUKE JACKSON Staff Writer

The Minnesota State Women’s Basketball team could not make the comeback they needed in the conference championship game against the University of Minnesota Duluth, snapping their 11-game win streak. Single-handedly, the NSIC player of the year, Brooke Olson, was enough to overthrow the Mavericks as she scorched them with 36 points. This brought UMD their third consecutive NSIC tournament win.

In the first outing versus UMD, the Mavs lost, 78-75. Junior guard Joey Batt said that they “dug themselves into a hole they couldn’t get out of in time,” and that is seemingly what happened once again as the conference championship game ended, 80-74.

Right out of the gate, the Bulldogs left the Mavericks in a world of problems. UMD drained a pair of threes to start the game. Olson hit the first and then Taytum Rhoades hit the second off a fastbreak push.

UMD clamped down on defense and went on a 26-6 scoring run. The Mavs were left discombobulated, missing their shots and letting go of the defense they rely on so much. The game was in UMD’s hands early on.

The Mavs called a much-needed timeout after being down 20 and found some footing. They finished off the first quarter with a score of 28-14 after a couple of stops on defense and a few hit shots.

The second quarter needed a lot

of improvement from the Mavs as they now had to dig themselves out of this hole. It was a back-and-forth battle but the Mavs seemed to start figuring out the Bulldogs.

They cut the lead to only eight points four times but could never break the barrier. Everytime they found themselves getting within the eight-point mark, Duluth struck and brought the lead back to double digits.

The half finished with Ol-

son leading the Bulldogs with 17 points, while the Maverick’s leading scorer, Destinee Bursch, had seven. The score was 42-32 and the Mavericks needed an answer to Olson’s scoring.

Coming out of the locker room after the half, the Maverick defense seemed rejuvenated. Six minutes into the third quarter they held Duluth to four points, and MSU found 10 of their own. They cut the lead to 46-42 but still could not

fully take away the momentum the Bulldogs held. The quarter closed at 59-51 and the Mavericks still had a lot of work to do.

The Mavs continued to improve their defense and were hounding them, giving the Mavs another run. Bursch hit a second-chance three after an offensive rebound from Molly Ihle to cut the score within four.

Directly after, MSU forced a turnover off of their press defense

and Mackenzie Schweim got a layup off the fast break. The lead was cut to 62-60 and MSU had a one-possession game for the first time. After one UMD free throw make, they were still within one possession and UMD relied on Olson to hit a clutch shot to push the deficit. Instead, she got whistled for the first offensive foul of the game. In turn, Emily Russo came up big, hitting a three and tying the game for the first time. The Mavs had a 12-4 run going, but Olson rallied and hit a behind-the-back, reverse layup which ended the run. The Mavs couldn’t bounce back and never found the lead during the whole game. Ultimately, the hole they found themselves in from the first quarter was too big.

Bursch led the team with 25 points on 7-12 shooting. She also shot 90% from the free throw line, hitting nine of the team’s 14. Ten points were left unanswered for the Mavs as they shot 14-24 from the line. Making those could have been the difference maker they needed. Despite the loss, both teams still have the daunting road of the NCAA Division II Playoffs ahead of them. In the tournament, fans could potentially see a rematch between these two teams. Duluth has the Mavericks’ number, but as the saying goes, “It’s very hard to beat a team three times.”

The Mavericks currently sit at four in the central region rankings, while Duluth holds the number two spot. The selection show will take place Sunday at 9:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.

Mavs open playoffs with a date with the Lakers

By KARSON BUELOW Staff Writer

With their dramatic win in game two of last weekend’s series against No. 11 Michigan Tech, the No. 13 Minnesota State Men’s Hockey team will host unranked Lake Superior State this weekend. The series will be a best-of-three matchup, as it’s the first round of the CCHA playoffs. The defending Mason Cup champions are no strangers to said title, having won the conference tournament four times in school history.

The Mavericks closed out the regular season with a convincing 21-12-1 overall record and were 16-9-1 in conference play. Conversely, the Lakers ended with a 9-23-2 overall record and a 8-17-1 record in conference action.

“I think we’re all very aware of where we stand in the nation,” said senior defenseman Andy Carroll. “But we’re looking at this as an opportunity that we haven’t gotten often in recent history.”

Oddly enough, the Lakers have only won nine games on the season but are 7-2 in their last nine games played. To contradict this, since the

turn of the calendar year, the Mavericks are 11-3.

With both teams getting hot at the right time, this weekend will be no easy task for either team. However, the Mavericks hold a dominant edge as they are 28-4-1 all-time against the Lakers, including a 15-2-1 all-time home record with their last home loss coming in 2019.

Though, home ice advantage has been a question mark this year for Mavericks’ Head Coach Mike Hastings’ squad as the team is 10-70 (.588) on home ice this year. But the city of Mankato still packs the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center every game as the Mavs have reached 90 percent capacity or higher 11 times so far this season, including three sellouts.

“Over my career we’ve been able to make this place a hard place to play in,” said Carroll. “Yes we haven’t won as many games this year as we could’ve but we look forward to keeping this place a hard place to play in.”

The last time these two teams met occurred in late January in Mankato, which saw the Mavericks sweep the Lakers by final scores of 3-2 and 3-1.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

Minnesota State’s Women’s Basketball team takes second in the NSIC tournament with a 80-74 loss against #9 Minnesota Duluth.

Junior defenseman Akito Hirose was the standout on the weekend having recorded two goals and two assists in two games.

At this time of the year scoring

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

MSU Men’s Hockey team enters the CCHA quarterfinals as the number one seed. The first matchup is this weekend at home.

Senior spotlight: Alexa Berg

By KOLE BUELOW Staff Writer

Looking down from the crowd at the ice of the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center, no one will look in the net of the Minnesota State Women’s Hockey Team and see current Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-André Fleury. However, you will likely see senior goaltender Alexa Berg

Ever since Berg was a kid, she always looked up to Fleury as she aspired to become the best goaltender she could be. From watching games to highlight videos, Berg was all in on forming her game around one of the NHL’s premier goaltenders.

Berg did so enough that she even got recognition from her coach that she started playing like someone familiar.

“I always studied the way he played when I just started being a goalie,” explained Berg. “It got to a point where I knew how he played so much that when I transferred it into my game my goalie coach was like, ‘You kind of remind me of Fleury right now’,” Berg said with a laugh.

Originally from West Fargo, North Dakota, Berg did not start off playing goalie when she first took the ice as an 18-month-old, but after playing her first game as a goaltender in mites, Berg was hooked.

“I was not a goalie starting out,” said Berg. “When it was my turn to play goalie in mites, cause everyone had to take turns, I ended up getting a shutout.”

On top of a first-time shutout, going to University of North Dakota hockey games also pushed Berg to continue staying in the net.

The weekend following her first shutout, Berg traveled with her family to a UND game, and sure enough, their goaltender also got a shutout. It was meant to be for Berg when it came to being a goalie, and being able to stay on the ice 24/7 only helped fuel her

Spring training is underway

desire.

Berg did not have a traditional path to her career as a Maverick, as she originally committed to playing hockey for Norwich University in Vermont. She played four seasons at Norwich before eventually taking on a role in Division I Hockey as the Mavericks’ goaltender for this season.

Berg has seen a lot of success this season despite being a Maverick first-timer, supporting a .916 save percentage along with a team-leading four shutouts.

Berg has had a lot of ups and downs over the years, but one memory she will always hold onto is a story her grandma always tells her.

“Almost every time my grandma meets or tells someone that I play hockey she always tells this story of when she came to one of my games,” explained Berg. “I had seen her at some point and literally just stopped playing. I turned and started waving while the game was going on saying ‘Hi grandma!’ I had no care in the world about the game going on behind me,” said Berg with a laugh. “My dad was a coach and he was just yelling at me to get back to playing the puck.”

It’s safe to say Berg does not get distracted as easily anymore,

and one thing she can count on helping her stay focused is her pre-game and post-game rituals. It is well-known in the sport that goaltenders have some of the most obscure rituals.

For Berg, she may not have anything crazy to brag about, but good luck talking to her once she makes it to the rink.

“I always listen to the same songs. I always have a blue raspberry sucker. I put my right pads on first, then my left,” said Berg. “But as soon as I get to the rink, I don’t talk to anyone until the game is over. In the locker room everyone is talking and singing, but me. I don’t. I don’t talk until after the game is finished.”

Talk about being “locked in” as a goaltender.

Now that her collegiate hockey career is coming to an end, Berg said her next chapter is undecided. Her dream is to become a physician assistant in orthopedics after college, but she currently has the offer to coach at Gentry Academy and is looking to take on the other half of her dreams of continuing to be surrounded by the game she loves.

By CHARLIE GROEBNER Staff Writer

While the wind and snow slowly start to vanish, a new season brings excitement to Minnesota State. Pitchers, catchers and batters have reported and geared up for spring training. Coming into the year as the reigning NSIC champions, the group looks to defend their title and are shooting for the National title entering the spring season.

Last weekend, the Mavs defeated Lindenwood University in a Saturday doubleheader but lost Sunday’s noon matchup. However, that has not been overly concerning for the Mavs at this point. The goal of spring training is to help get the team ready for when the actual season will begin, in two weeks. Even Head Coach Matt Magers has been focused more on growing closer as a team,

rather than winning meaningless games.

“It’s been exciting to get back after playing inside for a while and just being able to wake up and not see a massive snowstorm. It’s always good to get back to playing and this year, we have so many new guys on the roster. So just being able to go out and have fun down in Missouri before the conference season starts,” said Magers

However, now will be the time to put that newfound desire to the test. While many students get to enjoy spring break, the Mavs will be traveling to Florida for the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The Invitational is a weeklong event that invites over 250 college teams down to compete against other teams from all collegiate levels. This brings MSU

TRAINING on page 9 u

LILLY ANDERSON • The Reporter

Senior goaltender, Alexa Berg, defends the goal til the very end of her hockey career. Berg defended for a total of 609 saves this season.

File photo

The Men’s Maverick Baseball are in high spirits as the team rolls into spring training with a 4-2 start to the season.

Will Kirk Cousins receive a contract extension?

Kevin Durant Suns debut

By STEVE REED The Associated Press

Durant scored 23 points on 10of-15 shooting in his Suns debut, helping Phoenix snap the Charlotte Hornets’ five-game winning streak with a wire-to-wire 105-91 victory Wednesday night.

Devin Booker scored 37 points and Deandre Ayton had 16 points and 16 rebounds in the Suns’ seventh victory in 10 games. Chris Paul added 11 assists.

Durant, acquired in blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 9, showed no lingering effects from a sprained right knee that kept him out of action for more than seven weeks.

We all love to see Kirk in purple, but how much longer will we get the pleasure?

By HAYDEN LEE and ALI REED

Staff Writers

Kirk Cousins is one of the most polarizing players in NFL history, but not the type of polarizing player like Antonio Brown or Odell Beckham. Kirk Cousins is hated by people, and for what reason? Because he is easy to pick on. Think of your cousin, HAHAHAHA see what I did there, who is five years younger than you and will never have the strength to overpower you. That is Kirk. He is constantly picked on but will never fire back because he is too nice and the ultimate male.

Hayden: In a season full of Kirk Cousins hating, one woman has risen out of the ashes to be Kirk Cousins biggest fan. Her name is Ali Reed. Reed is an under qualified sports editor for the Reporter at Minnesota State and she constantly raves about how much she loves the Vikings’ Quarterback. After the Vikings vs. Cardinals game where Kirk Cousins scored a rushing touchdown, Reed nearly burned down her apartment complex because she was trying to cook Cousins soup and mail it to him. She thinks that Kirk Cousins will get a contract extension, and deserves that pay day. (SHE WANTS HIM TO SEND HER MONEY.)

TRAINING from page 8

a chance to go up against some of the best ball players that the NCAA has to offer.

The first opponent that they are scheduled to face is Gannon University. Based out of Erie, Pennsylvania, they are a very respected team in both the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and the NCAA Atlantic Region. While they have had a slow start to their spring training, they are ready to take the next step as a unit.

One of the key men to watch out for in this matchup is Junior Infielder Miguel Vega. The native of Florida, Puerto Rico burst onto the scene for the Golden Knights after riding the bench his first year, notching a .328 batting average, 11 doubles and RBIs. However, his one downfall is that he also

Ali: Hayden Lee, an under qualified sports writer for the Reporter, has no idea what he’s talking about when it comes to my thoughts on Kirk Cousins. Well, he’s not that far off, but I’ve definitely never tried to send him soup. Do I have an insane amount of love for Cousins? Absolutely. However, Lee has failed (as he often does) to explain why Cousins deserves that love.

Imagine hating a quarterback that has crazy good stats and helps his wide receivers like Justin Jefferson put up record breaking numbers in receiving yards. No, we haven’t made it to the Super Bowl under Cousins’ leadership, but last time I checked, only two starting quarterbacks make it to the Super Bowl each year, yet the other 29 who don’t make it never see the same amount of hate.

Will Kirk receive an extension? And how much money does he deserve?

Ali: Cousins is definitely getting that contract extension. Ever since Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell have arrived at the Vikings’ doorstep, something exciting has been in the air. The biggest part of that is their relationship with Cousins, which is quite the improvement from the Cousins-Zimmer era.

And the 34-year-old star fit in rather seamlessly with his new club, also grabbing six rebounds and blocking two shots in 27 minutes.

“I feel like I fit in pretty well,” Durant said. “Everybody out there was trying to make me as comfortable as possible. I just have to keep riding it, man.”

Durant made two 3s, a flurry

can come from anywhere, but Hastings understands that it’s your big names that need to step up and produce, otherwise the road to the NCAA tournament becomes that much longer. The scoring this year has come in the form of junior forward and Hobey Baker nominee David Silye.

Silye leads the Mavericks in goals with 21 and also points with 35. Silye also leads the CCHA in goal and point totals, respectively.

The Lakers counter with junior defenseman Jacob Bengtsson and senior forward Louis Boudon who each lead the team with 23

of mid-range jumpers and showed he still has the burst to get to the hole on a driving left-handed layup for his first basket with the Suns. He also provided a boost on defense, blocking Hornets rookie center Mark Williams twice in the opening five minutes.

Suns coach Monty Williams

points on the season. The only difference lies in the goals column, where Boudon has 10 and Bengtsson has one.

The Mavericks have relied on sophomore goaltender Keenan Rancier since the beginning of their 11-3 run. The Victoria, British Columbia native sits at a .915 save percentage and a CCHA-leading goals-against-average of 1.86.

The Lakers have found the most consistency between the pipes in junior Ethan Langenegger who leads the goaltending trio with a .914 save percentage. Senior Seth Eisele and brother of fresh-

said he doesn’t want Durant worrying about being a team leader, but rather just playing.

“I think there’s too many players in the NBA that get too much pressure to lead,” Williams said. “I just don’t think it’s necessary. It’s my job to lead.

man Maverick forward Adam Eisele sits next on that list with a .909 save percentage.

“At this time of the year we need good goaltending and we need guys to step up,” said Hastings. “This is the time of the year when things happen in a hurry and I think the guys are super excited for that opportunity.”

After a scenario filled last weekend in terms of clinching the MacNaughton Cup, the scenario for this weekend remains simple: win two games. Puck drop is set for 7:07 p.m. Friday, 6:07 p.m. Saturday, and 5:07 p.m. Sunday if necessary.

led his team in errors last season. Even if he is still trying to master the glove, he is an artist when he is up at the plate.

While the competition going into the Invitational is certainly stiff, it is of no concern for Coach Magers. The goal he is looking for this time is simply team building and getting experience. Once they open at home is when the real games start.

“I think the best thing about this trip is getting the guys together, where they’re traveling in the vans, staying in the condos, not having to worry about school. It’s just an atmosphere where they can focus on waking up, playing baseball, and bonding. It helps them get into that routine of getting up and playing baseball while also developing chemistry going forward,” said Magers.

HAYDEN LEE • The Reporter

Chris Carlson • The Associated Press Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant celebrates after scoring during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets.

 PLAYOFFS from page 7

VA RI ET Y

Time flies when you manage it well

By JOEY ERICKSON Variety Editor

On Monday, the Center for Multicultural Equity and Success held another installment of its Maverick Success Workshop, this time teaching students the ins and outs of time management.

As a college student, time management is a critical skill to have in attaining success in school — as well as in one’s professional and personal life. Learning to navigate life’s rough waters and mark off designated time for select events is a tricky but worthwhile skill.

In charge of the event was Sherona Stewart, Minnesota State junior and speaker for the Maverick Success Workshop. For her, time management is key to a sustainable, enjoyable life.

“(Time management is) using effective time management to balance college life academically, and personally while enjoying the process and learning how to adapt to new responsibilities,” Stewart said.

Students have a lot on their plate weighing them down during the school year. Lengthy papers with fast-approaching deadlines lurk behind every corner, and daunting finals peer over their shoulders and breathe down their necks.

This can make it easy for students to feel worn down. According to Stewart, the introduction of time management to an overloaded student’s schedule can fix almost everything.

“It will assist them throughout their life with fulfilling their responsibility, either for current or post college life,” Stewart said. “It also reduces the daily stress because the person is fulfilling their responsibility and is flexible with managing their

time. Students also have time to relax and do extracurricular activities with family and friends when time management is practiced properly.”

Some time management tips to bolster productivity and

eliminate stress include: setting goals, breaking up large tasks into smaller, more manageable ones, and creating a schedule.

Setting goals, daily or weekly, prioritizing what is important, and finding out which daily routine works for you. Understand that every bad or good decision comes with a consequence and time management is a learned skill, so practice becomes perfect,” Stewart said.

By setting goals and eliminating time wasters, students can keep themselves on track. Goal setting should not be a haphazard thing; rather, goals should be based on what the setter can realistically achieve to get the best results.

Creating a schedule can help students set aside time for everything they want to do over the span of a day. Not just homework, but family, friends and alone time as well.

Breaking large, daunting tasks into smaller, more bitesized ones can prove very useful. Staring at a long to-do list or a massive homework assignment can be daunting, but breaking them all down can help students stay motivated to complete them and do their best work.

The Maverick Success Workshop takes place twice every other week, in CSU 201 in the Centennial Student Union.

Anti-black linguistic racism: Ain’t nobody got time for that

By MERCEDES KAUPHUSMAN Staff Writer

More than 10 years ago, a woman uttered the famous line, “Ain’t nobody got time for that,” after escaping a fire in her apartment complex.

The video of Oklahoma resident Kimberly Wilkins received millions of hits on YouTube. However, what was initially seen as comical by many was her use of African American English, or AAE.

R. Danielle Scott, speech language pathologist and assistant professor at Minnesota State, educated students and faculty about African American English in a lecture titled “It’s the AAE for Me: Resisting Anti-Black Racism,” in the CSU Tuesday.

“To understand black language is to understand American history,” Scott said.

African American English developed from slave resistance and African dialects. Although the language comes from a time period of strength and struggle, the use of African American English is often seen as informal in the eyes of the educational system.

Despite the derision it re-

ceives, African American English embodies resilience for Scott.

“It is a language that started because of something tragic, like transatlantic slave trade,” Scott said. “We still use it today, but we’ve kind of taken it back and made it more complex and I think it should be celebrated.”

During her training for speech therapy at graduate school, Scott recalls being ridiculed by her fellow graduate cohort for her use of African American English.

“They would laugh, they would snicker, and I’m like ‘Why are they doing that?’”

Scott said.

Scott had not learned what African American English was until she read an article that validated her language, and gave examples of the words and phrases she was using in class.

“I literally started crying,” Scott said. “I knew it was wrong that they were making fun of me, but I didn’t know why. Ever since then I wanted to learn as much as I can so that I can empower myself, but I knew that I was going to be working with black children in schools so I wanted to empower them.”

Within the media that circulates today, what is thought to be slang spoken by Generation Z

DOMINIC BOTHE • The Reporter

Students gathered in CSU 201 once again for another installation of the Maverick Success Workshop. This week’s theme was Time Management. Other themes include studying tips, stress management and relationship building.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

Dr. R. Danielle Scott, pictured above, hosted a discussion breaking down AAE, African American English, its roots and how it’s affected culture today.

China says TikTok ban reflects US insecurities

Carnival moves to end sex stigma

By LAUREN VISKA Staff Writer

Student Health Services teamed up with the Residence Hall Association Tuesday to host an event for students to learn about the birds and the bees.

This event took place in Preska 126 from 8-10 p.m. There were many opportunities for students to learn about sex and even consent.

The event’s goal was to educate students on sex, consent and resources on campus for them to get any help they need. Brennah McCorkell, the graduate assistant at Student Health Services, said she hopes the event helps eliminate the stigma of talking about sex and sexuality.

tain private user data or to try to push misinformation or narratives favoring China.

U.S. government bans on Chinese-owned video sharing app TikTok reveal Washington’s own insecurities and are an abuse of state power, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday.

The U.S. government “has been overstretching the concept of national security and abusing state power to suppress other countries’ companies,” Mao Ning said at a daily briefing. “How unsure of itself can the U.S., the world’s top superpower, be to fear a young person’s favorite app to such a degree?”

The White House is giving all federal agencies, in guidance issued Monday, 30 days to wipe TikTok off all government devices. The White House already did not allow TikTok on its devices.

TikTok is used by twothirds of American teens, but there’s concern in Washington that China could use its legal and regulatory powers to ob-

propriately and with syntactic error. The backlash that this dialect undergoes from this is considered anti-black linguistic racism, a form of racism intended to de-legitimize black culture.

“We can’t move past that until we actually acknowledge that,” Scott said.

One of Scott’s many speech language pathology students at MSU, Julia McCabe, attended the presentation in support of her professor.

“I thought it was very enlightening and refreshing to hear that she is educating everyone on what we just are learning about in this world. She is starting somewhere, which is a start,” McCabe said. “She’s very approachable and makes you feel comfortable asking the uncomfortable questions.”

Scott has every intention of using African American

Congress and more than half of U.S. states have so-far banned TikTok from government-issued mobile devices.

Some have also moved to apply the ban to any app or website owned by ByteDance Ltd., the private Chinese company that owns TikTok and moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020.

China has long blocked a long list of foreign social media platforms and messaging apps, including YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Washington and Beijing are at odds over myriad issues including trade, computer chips and other technology, national security and Taiwan, along with the discovery of a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the U.S. and its shooting down earlier this month. On Monday, Canada announced it was joining the U.S. in banning TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices.

“I think the comfort with it, like we’ve had students that come in and are just not comfortable with this kind of stigma of sexuality. I think being more comfortable, like realizing it’s okay to talk about these things and important to talk about them,” said McCorkell. “‘It’s just something that society, as a whole, think it’s taboo to talk about sex.”

The event featured a variety of informative booths. For example, the Violence Awareness & Response Program’s theme was consent. It was called the Tunnel of Consent. MK Thao, the graduate assistant for this program, said learning about consent is important.

“Sometimes certain things we don’t think about it on a day-to-day basis. For example, maybe you’re friends with someone and maybe touch-

ing something that belongs to them, and that is something you don’t think about,” said Thao. “No matter what relationship you’re in, whether it’s friendship or an intimate partner relationship, it’s important to understand that as boundaries, and I feel like a lot of people make it awkward. It doesn’t have to be.”

The activities at the event were both interactive and educational. McCorkell said she wanted students to have a little bit of fun while learning.

“It’s not just like lecturing at them or teaching them; it’s doing it in a fun way. We had a balloon pop like they’re trying to be fun interactive activities,” said McCorkell. “We also had a love language luau. Students came in, took their love language quiz, and then got a lei as the prize, and we’re doing them color-coordinated, so people got to see what everyone’s love

languages were.”

There were many prizes for students at this event, such as candy and safe-sex kits.

“Each kit had one condom, a lube sample, and then a sheet on consent as well,” said McCorkell. “We had kissing kits, which had chapstick, mints, things like that.”

There are many resources on campus for students to learn more.

“We have a lot of resources on our Student Health Services. We have a web page with a health guide with information on sexuality and safe sex practices. We also sell condoms at Student Health Services for $1, which students can put on their math card as well,” said McCorkell. “We do presentations on campus, where we go into classes, and we’ll do condom bingo, a physical bingo game, or a Kahoot version. Our clinic does testing for students.”

English in her classroom, and encourages every classroom, as early as kindergarten, to do the same.

“It’s my language so I intentionally use it with my students because it is who I am and I want to be my authentic self,” Scott said. “I’m comfortable in who I am and I’m not gonna make them uncomfortable by showing who they are. I want everyone to be comfortable, but it starts with me modeling that.”

Scott brought light to this issue while celebrating the anniversary of her Ph.D. at the event.

“I have a Ph.D. and I also say, ‘Ain’t nobody got time for that.’ Period,” Scott said. With the intention of further educating the world on validating African American English, the Oxford University Press plans to release a dictionary of African American English terms in two years.

KIICHIRO SATO • The Associated Press U.S. government bans on Chinese-owned video sharing app TikTok reveal Washington’s own insecurities and are an abuse of state power, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LILLY ANDERSON • The Reporter Student Health Services hopes to break the stigma surrounding the conversation about sex on college campuses, using a carnival.