March 4, 2021

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STUDENT RUN NEWS SINCE 1926

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SAC presents budget recommendations

By MAXWELL MAYLEBEN Editor in Chief

Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Student Allocations Committee presented funding recommendations for student-fee-funded programs to the Student Government Wednesday.

Last year SAC’s budget was $2,738,462. Student program requests totaled $2,749,505, with a .4% increase. The final recommendation from SAC was $2,697,043, which is a 1.51% decrease from last year.

The committee, composed of six members (three of whom are senators), have worked for two months hearing budget requests from fee-funded programs, asking questions, and deliberating.

The committee has been headed up by co-chairs Zachary Wickman and Ogenheneochuko Regha with the intention of supporting departments, keeping the student fee low, and cutting unnecessary spending caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The process of the budget season starts with each department going through their own individual budgets and analyzing what sort of funding they will request from the University.

Then, after budget requests are given, SAC meets with each department to hear their needs and analyze the request. The committee then presents its recommendation to the Student Government, which is what occurred Wednesday night.

During the meeting, CoChair Wickman presented along with Sen. Catherine Nelson, breaking down what each department received last year, their request for this year, and what the committee recommends is allocated in the budget.

Several departments such as Maverick Adventures, Gender and Sexuality Programs, Student Activities Administration Office, Student Government, and Theater, had their request match the recommendation.

Other organizations received less welcomed news of decreases from their requests.

BUDGET on page 2

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THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2021

SHOULD ABE STAY? Native students argue it’s time for infamous statue on campus to go

By ASHLEY OPINA • Staff Writer Whenever Marilyn Allen walks past the famed statue of Abe Lincoln on campus, a dark thought enters her mind.

“The statue is a reminder that I don’t belong here,” the Minnesota State University, Mankato undergraduate says.

In the wake of social unrest, colleges around the nation are renaming buildings and removing landmarks to be more sensitive to marginalized groups such as Black, Indigenous and people of color.

A similar effort is underway at MNSU with the creation of the Buildings and Landmarks Committee.

The committee was tasked by President Richard Davenport and Interim Provost Matt Cecil with the purpose of reviewing building names and landmarks on campus that fail to reflect the mission and values of the university.

Until recently, the university had never conducted a self-assessment of its buildings and landmarks. However, with the removal, relocation, and replacement of public monuments and statues across the nation that served as symbols and reminders of institutional racism, the university thought it was time to do the same.

The committee, although fairly new, has already created a list of impactful recommendations it wishes the university to adhere to within the next year. Among the priorities of that list is a review of the infamous Abraham Lincoln statue located in the Centennial Student Union.

The statue arrived on campus in 1926 after being gifted by Hiram J. Lloyd and fellow alumni.

FABIO CASTEL GARCIA • The Reporter The statue of Abraham Lincoln in the CSU has been on campus for 95 years despite Lincoln’s historical ties with Mankato.

In early years, it was tradition for graduating classes to donate items to the University as a way to commemorate their experience. In 1922, the building that held the items suffered a catastrophic fire, and with it, the items were lost.

With high hopes of rebuilding after a tragedy, Lloyd and other alumni

raised and donated funds to replace the items in 1925. The statue came with the donations and has since resided on campus for almost 100 years.

Since its time on campus, the statue has been used as a casual place

ABE on page 5

Maverick Food Pantry up and running on campus

By JULIA BARTON • Staff Writer Providing food for students in need, the Minnesota State University, Mankato Maverick Food Pantry is now fully open as they encourage students to not shy away from asking for a little extra help.

Currently located in the Carkoski Commons, the food pantry is open three days a week on Monday from 11 a.m to 2 p.m., Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Launching in December of 2020 the

FABIO CASTEL GARCIA • The Reporter

Maverick Food Pantry is run by the Division of Diversity & Inclusion in part-

nership with Student Government and the Kearney Center for International Student Services.

Some items that are available include perishable and non-perishable food as well as toiletries for students such as shampoo, soap, and femine hygiene products.

As for donations, there are ways to donate food items and money to further help out by contacting the pantry at foodpantry@mnsu.edu or calling at 507-389-1557.

FOOD on page 3

2 • MSU Reporter

News

US warns of military response to attack on Iraq base

Thursday, March 4, 2021

House prepares to pass major voting rights, ethics bill

PATRICK SEMANSKY • Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS

NASSER NASSER • Associated Press Ain al-Asad air base in the western Anbar desert, Iraq.

ASSOCIATED PRESS The White House warned that the U.S. may consider a military response to the rocket attack that hit an air base in western Iraq where American and coalition troops are housed. A U.S. contractor died after at least 10 rockets slammed into the base early Wednesday.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack, the first since the U.S. struck Iranaligned militia targets along the Iraq-Syria border last week.

“We are following that through right now,” President Joe Biden told reporters.

“Thank God, no one was killed by the rocket, but one individual, a contractor, died of a heart attack. But we’re identifying who’s responsible and we’ll make judgments” about a response.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki suggested that the “calculated” U.S. airstrikes last week could be a model for a military response. Those strikes were in response to an attack on American forces in northern Iraq earlier in February.

“If we assess further re-

sponse is warranted, we will take action again in a manner and time of our choosing,” Psaki said.

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. contractor “suffered a cardiac episode while sheltering” from the attack and died shortly afterward. He said there were no service members injured and all are accounted for. British and Danish troops also are among those stationed at the base.

The U.S. airstrikes last week, which killed one member of the Iran-aligned militia, had stoked fears of another cycle of tit-for-tat attacks as happened more than a year ago. Those attacks included the U.S. drone strike in January 2020 that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani in Baghdad and set off months of increased troops levels in the region.

Wednesday’s death of the contractor heightens worries that the U.S. could be drawn into another period of escalating attacks, complicating the Biden administration’s desire to open talks with Iran over the 2015 nuclear deal.

The latest attack also comes two days before Pope

Francis is scheduled to visit Iraq despite concerns about security and the coronavirus pandemic. The much-anticipated trip will include stops in Baghdad, southern Iraq and the northern city of Irbil.

The rockets struck Ain alAsad airbase in Anbar province early in the morning, U.S.-led coalition spokesperson Col. Wayne Marotto said. Kirby said the rockets were fired from east of the base, and that counter-rocket defensive systems were used to defend forces at the base.

Kirby said the U.S. can’t attribute responsibility for the attack yet, and that the extent of the damage was still being assessed.

It’s the same base that Iran struck with a barrage of missiles in January of last year in retaliation for the killing of Soleimani. Dozens of U.S. service members suffered concussions in that strike.

The Iraqi military released a statement saying that Wednesday’s attack did not cause significant losses and that security forces had found the launch pad used for the rockets — a truck. Video of the site shows a burning truck in a desert area.

SAC’s recommendation was $95,000. The narrative given by the committee referred to an increase from previous year’s budget cuts, as well as the importance of expanding to new methods of media delivery.

The Student Events Team saw a $5,220 decrease from its request of $115,220. This was largely due to the apparent likelihood of the pandemic’s continued effect on large scale events for students on

ballot access in the name of election security.

“If this were to become law it would be the largest expansion of the federal government’s role in our elections that we’ve ever seen,” said Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill. The stakes are monumental, cutting to the foundational idea that one person equals one vote and could shape election outcomes for years to come. The push comes after decades of court decisions and Republican-championed state laws that have imposed limits that have fallen hardest on key constituencies of the Democratic Party.

The measure, which was all but certain to pass the House in a vote expected Wednesday, has been a priority for Democrats since they won their majority in 2018. But it has taken on added urgency in the wake of Donald Trump’s repeated false claims of a stolen 2020 election.

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BUDGET continued from page 1 The Campus Recreation Equipment Repair and Replacement Fund, which is added to every year to allow for the department to save up for big repairs or new equipment that is needed, saw their request of $20,000 cut in half. The rationale being the equipment usage from last year has decreased.

Another notable decrease was on The Reporter’s budget request. The newspaper’s request was $114,910, while

House Democrats are poised to pass a sweeping elections and ethics bill, offering it up as a powerful counterweight to voting rights restrictions advancing in Republican-controlled statehouses across the country.

House Resolution 1, which touches on virtually every aspect of the electoral process, would restrict partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts, strike down hurdles to voting and bring transparency to a murky campaign finance system that allows wealthy donors to anonymously bankroll political causes.

“Our purpose was to remove ... obstacles of participation for Democrats or Republicans,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday on the House floor. “That’s what this legislation does.”

To Republicans, though, it would herald a massive expansion of the federal government’s role in elections, infringing on states that limit

campus.

The next step in the process is for each program to review the recommendation given by the committee, and decide whether or not to appeal the recommendation.

In the event of an appeal, or if the senate has any further concerns, the program in question would present their case at an upcoming Student Government during the budget hearing on March 24.

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Thursday, March 4, 2021

News

Senator Spotlight: Zahara Osman

By JENNA PETERSON News Director

Becoming involved with Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Student Government helps give students a sense of confidence and allows them to build their communication skills, as noted

by At-Large Senator Zahara Osman.

Osman is an aviation major student who cares deeply about the functionality of other students throughout the University, which is why she joined Student Government.

“I joined because I wanted to advocate for the students and help them with the issues they are facing. I want to voice my opinion on things that matter most to me as well,” Osman stated.

In this organization, Osman has been elected into the role of At-large Senator, meaning she doesn’t have to focus on one specific college, but instead her and the other At-large Senators collaborate with Senators from other sections based on their interests.

Osman is currently working on a few projects that will take a year or two to complete, but are worthwhile.

“Right now I am working with the residential Life Senators to create a new learning community for the LGBTQ+ community,” Osman explained, to help students feel safe in their learning environment.

Other projects include collaborating with the College of Business Senators to cre-

FABIO CASTEL GARCIA • The Reporter

ate and hand out surveys to students. These surveys are created to help professors and the University understand the strengths and weaknesses of the way classes are being taught.

One of the most important questions included in this survey asks students what delivery method of classes they like best, choosing from in person lectures, zoom lectures, or asynchronous.

These answers will then be sent to and discussed by the Academic Affairs.

A last project Osman is working on is designated for the aviation program on campus, since she is an aviation major and can relate to these students.

“I’m working with this department to reconstruct their aviation management program, since these students have pointed out they need to take more management classes. This will take a year

or two, but we want to help these students,” Osman stated.

Student Government isn’t the only thing Osman busies herself with. Along with this, she is the shift leader for Campus Kitchen, community member of Academic Affairs, community member of Student Allocation Committee, board member of the CSU, takes on various roles within Students United, and, in her free time, will volunteer with the Student Events Team.

Osman recommends joining Student Government to anyone who’s pondering on the idea. “I think it’s a great way to get involved and to get to know your school and other opportunities on campus.

It’s also a unique opportunity to grow as a person.”

With all that Osman does to help the MNSU community, she’s proud of the work she and the other senators complete.

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MSU Reporter • 3 GOV continued from page 1 In order to receive items through the pantry, the process is pretty simple. Students will be directed to fill out a form of items they would want and then those responses are collected and analyzed to put together a box catered to their requests.

“I’ve always wanted to help people, especially when it comes to economic inequality. My hope for this food pantry is to help all students from all different backgrounds. I encourage them to ask for help even if that means they have a little extra spending money,” Carrlin Meier, graduate and assistant of the Maverick Food Pantry stated.

“One thing really important that we want students to know is that the more students we can help out and provide food for, the more funding and growth will go into this. We never want students to think they’re not eligible enough to come to us,” Merier continued.

Having partnered with Second Harvest, which is a food supplier through Walmart, the Maverick Food Pantry is able to pick out and purchase items in higher de-

mand with the money donated.

Some items that are more popular include milk, eggs, fresh fruits, and vegetables.

Items like these are more quick to expire than others, making them harder to obtain compared to other non-perishable items such as canned goods.

DeJuan Avant, freshman at MNSU said, “I think it’s great that they are offering this to all students because you never know what some people might be going through.”

The Maverick food pantry will be open during spring break three days a week with normal hours to continue providing their services to students who will be staying in the area.

Upcoming the food pantry is planning on partnering with Cub Foods next week as they plan to donate any extra items to the Maverick Food Pantry.

Looking toward the future the Maverick Food Pantry is just starting their mission and hope to expand and collaborate with other organizations soon.

MICROSOFT MARCH WEBINARS Learn about Microsoft Office 365 apps and tools in a special webinar series throughout March hosted by IT Solutions! Explore resources, watch past webinars, and register for upcoming webinars online at mankato.mnsu.edu/microsoftmarch.

• OneDrive & OneNote, March 15 @ 3:00 PM • Microsoft Teams, March 25 @ 11:00 AM • Apps You Have, But Haven't Heard Of, March 30 @ 10:00 AM Microsoft and Office 365, OneDrive, OneNote, and Microsoft Teams are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Microsoft March (and associated training webinars) is an independent seminar and is neither affiliated with, nor authorized, sponsored, or approved by, Microsoft Corporation.

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4 • MSU Reporter

Thursday, March 4, 2021

SPRING 2021 EDITOR IN CHIEF:

MAXWELL MAYLEBEN maxwell.mayleben@mnsu.edu

On Lincoln: We must listen to marginalized voices

madison.diemert@mnsu.edu

Editorial The Lincoln Statue is a staple of the Minnesota State University, Mankato campus.

It has been around since before our Student Union was even on the top of the hill, meaning the statue has been here for close to a century.

However, with growing concern on what that statue represents, the campus has begun to look into whether or not it should remain a mainstay in our most heavily trafficked building.

The concerns over the Lincoln Statue are most often not arguing against Lincoln’s more well known achievements during the Civil War, rather, the concerns come over why it is located in Mankato.

The biggest thing that ties our 16th president to our community was his actions in the hanging of the 38 Sioux, which is the largest execution in American history.

This situation certainly parallels, yet simultaneously flips the debate of the removal of confederate statues from the south.

The irony, of course, hails from the fact that statue removal is most targeted at those who opposed Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, yet now, the magnifying glass has been turned onto the “Great Emancipator”.

As the University goes to review the choice and placement of the Lincoln Statue, there are several things that need to be considered.

NEWS DIRECTOR: Jenna Peterson jenna.peterson-3@mnsu.edu MEDIA/DESIGN DIRECTOR: Mansoor Ahmad mansoor.ahmad@mnsu.edu SPORTS EDITOR: Daniel McElroy daniel.mcelroy@mnsu.edu ADVERTISING SALES: Anna Lillie 507-389-1063 anna.lillie@mnsu.edu Logan Larock 507-389-5453 logan.larock@mnsu.edu Baylee Sorensen 507-389-5097 baylee.sorensen@mnsu.edu Olivia Haefner 507-389-1079 olivia.haefner@mnsu.edu

The first of which is the tradition and history that the statue has had on our campus. Many alumni will look at this statue with fond memories of college hijinks.

One such tradition was stealing the head off of the statue and returning it days later.

The single most important thing for the University to consider is what the statue represents to it’s students.

For most students, the statue is simply that, a statue.

In fact, almost all incoming freshmen look at the statue

on their campus visits and ask their guides what importance Honest Abe has on the University. The answer is often something short, such as, “He has just always been there”.

However, to those students whose voice may be in the minority, that statue represents a president who ordered a massive execution of Indigenous people.

These are the people that we need to be listening to.

Whether or not the University chooses to keep, relocate, or remove the statue entirely,

there needs to be a cohesive understanding of what the statue represents to the student body, with a large emphasis on those who come from ancestry related to the situation.

The voices of Indigenous people are clearly in the minority, yet they are the most affected by this statue.

This is why it is imperative for us to listen and amplify their voices and hear what they have to say, because to some, the statue is just a statue, but to them, it is much worse than that.

“What do you think about the Lincoln statue on campus?”

Compiled by Maxwell Mayleben

MARYSE LEMVI, SENIOR “I don’t really like it to be honest.”

MADISON DIEMERT

ALYSSA REID, FRESHMAN “I think it’s cool.”

LOGAN SCHAFFER, FRESHMAN

EVAN TAYLOR, FRESHMAN

KAITLYN ERICSON, FRESHMAN

“I mean I think it’s cool.

I’ve walked past it a million times.”

“I guess there are a ton of Lincoln statues across the country.”

“I didn’t even know we had one.”

BUSINESS MANAGER: Jane Tastad 507-389-1926 jane.tastad@mnsu.edu ADVERTISING DESIGN/ PRODUCTION MANAGER: Dana Clark 507-389-2793 dana.clark@mnsu.edu

• If you have a complaint, suggestion or would like to point out an error made in the Reporter, contact Editor in Chief Maxwell Mayleben at maxwell.mayleben@mnsu.edu.

The Reporter will correct any errors of fact or misspelled names in this space. Formal grievances against the Reporter are handled by the Newspaper Board.

• The Minnesota State University Mankato Reporter is a studentrun newspaper published twice a week, coming out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Reporter generates 78 percent of its own income through advertising and receives approximately 22 percent from Student Activities fees. The Reporter is free to all students and faculty, but to start a subscription, please call us at 507-389-1776.

Subscriptions for the academic school year are $55.00 and subscribers will receive the paper within three to five days after publishing.

• Letters exceeding 400 words may not be accepted. The Reporter reserves the right to edit letters to fit space or correct punctuation.

The Reporter reserves the right to publish, or not publish, at its discretion. Letters must contain year, major or affiliation with the university, or lack thereof. All letters must contain phone numbers for verification purposes.

THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THE MSU REPORTER ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OR STUDENT BODY.

Thursday, March 4, 2021

News

ABE: ‘Just remove it’ continued from page 1 for students to meet up, has endured vandalism, and has even had its head removed many times. The head would find its way to different establishments around town, forcing the university to cement it on.

According to MNSU Archivist and Project Coordinator of the committee Daardi Mixon, “Some actions, such as his head being removed, was a statement being made about Lincoln and the statue.”

It became clear over the years that the statue harbors mixed feelings from the Maverick community. Regardless, it has become part of the university’s culture.

“He [Lincoln and his statue] has quite a legacy,” Mixon says. “It’s one that’s pretty divided.”

The division stems from what the statue represents for some. For some in the Native American community, it represents bloodshed.

In 1862, Mankato was the battleground for the U.S.-Dakota war.

Thirty-eight Dakota men were hanged in Mankato as a result of the war, making it the largest mass execution in U.S. history. The execution was ordered by then-U.S. President Lincoln, who brought the list down from 303 to 38.

The effects of it still linger, especially among the Native American students that attend a school located on the grounds where the war took place.

MNSU doctoral student Alex J. Lucier is one of them.

Lucier has been attending the University since 2010, obtaining both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees during that time.

His endeavor to get the statue removed from campus began a few years after he arrived.

“In either 2014 or 2015, myself and another former student presented to the CSU board to ask if they would remove it,” Lucier says, but their request was denied.

Upon conducting deeper research on the statue, he learned that it was gifted by alumni.

“It’s an art piece,” Lucier says. “It’s not some historical monument.”

He believes that the historical significance of the statue is relatively minor in comparison to the complaints brought forth regarding it.

“There are some people in the Native community that are against moving it because it’s a part of history,” Lucier begins. “But in my opinion, it has real effects in the present day.”

When he worked for American Indian Affairs, he led campus tours for prospective students. During which, some students would ask about the relevance of the statue. Most times, Lucier would simply take a different route to avoid the statue and the questions it sparked altogether.

He did not want the presence of the statue to have a negative impact on the enrollment of prospective Native American students.

“Just remove it,” Lucier says. “I get that it has sentimental value, but why should that overshadow the negative feelings a marginalized community

Photos by MANSOOR AHMAD • The Reporter The Reconciliation Park monument (above) lists the names of the 38 Dakota executed at the order of then-President Lincoln in 1862. In the background (and below) is the Silo Art project that depicts Native American people on the silos, photographed in May 2020, before it was finished, during a protest in Mankato.

have with it.”

MNSU graduate student Mallory Glynn was first confronted by the statue after doing a full walkthrough of the CSU. According to Glynn, her reactions towards it were mixed, but none of which were positive.

“I had family on both sides of the war,” Glynn says. “I don’t stand by either side or what either side did.”

She refuses to choose a side because, she says, doing so would mean denouncing one side of her family.

“I can’t warrant that,” Glynn says. “So I agree with Alex in removing it.”

She believes the statue causes too much trauma for Native American students for it to remain. In her mind, the lack of discussion surrounding the statue makes its existence irrelevant.

Allen, president of the Native American Association and Pow Wow Committee, also disapproves of the statue’s presence.

“We have a really great Native American program at this school,” Allen says. “For a Native student to miss out on that because they are discouraged by the statue would be heartbreaking.”

Despite that, she understands why her fellow Native Americans would choose to attend college elsewhere if they had knowledge of the statue

and the history linked to the man it memorializes.

“Imagine walking around your campus and seeing a statue of the man that massacred your people and feeling that hurt every day,” Allen says, speaking from personal experience.

As a Dakota woman with family members who fought and were lost in the war, the effects of it take a toll on her regardless of how much time has passed.

“Dakota people are still exiled from their homeland in Minnesota,” Allen says, noting a result of the war.

She says she understands that not everyone shares the same experiences that she and other Native Americans do, but she believes the Maverick community can come together to find common ground.

MNSU undergraduate student and Vice President of the Pow Wow Committee Clare Carroll says she supports all that has been said by her peers, despite not being Native American herself.

“As an Irish-American, I don’t share the same history with Lincoln or feel the same emotions that Native students do,” Carroll begins. “But I do believe that the statue should be removed.”

Carroll says keeping the statue on campus is not worth the emotional

MSU Reporter • 5 pain it causes the Native American community.

“I don’t think it needs to be here,” she says. “However, if it has to stay, then the whole story needs to be told.”

Like Glynn, Carroll believes that keeping the statue around with no discussion about the history that surrounds it does a disservice to the Maverick community.

“I will be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Indigenous Studies and I’ve learned a lot through my major,” she says. “There is a rich history of Dakota people and other Native Americans here in Minnesota that are never taught but should be.”

If the statue were to remain, Carroll says she hopes that it can educate rather than offend.

The committee wishes the same.

“We identified the Lincoln statue as something we need to take action on in the short term rather than the long term,” says Christopher Corley, MNSU History Professor and member of the committee’s Advisory Team.

The decision was concurred during a committee meeting back in February.

The committee offered four recommendations consisting of the continuation of archival research, proposing options for the statue to Academic Affairs, drafting a campus naming and renaming policy, and advocating for wider representation of marginalized communities.

“We want the diversity of building names and landmarks to represent the diversity of the state,” Corley says.

“As for the Lincoln statue, we will be providing recommendations to Academic Affairs about what to do with it.”

Between now and the end of the semester, the recommendations—which are not yet finalized—will be discussed and reviewed by the committee before being brought to Academic Affairs.

According to Corley, it is too early to publicly discuss whether the removal of the statue will be an option.

However, along with compiling a list of options, the committee wants to take it a step further.

In order to add more inclusivity to the University, the committee plans to implement a way for students to not only voice their concerns about building names and landmarks, but to also advocate for an addition of one or the other.

“Rather than only focusing on the negative requests for removal, the committee discussed the possibility of creating a broader process that includes a request for positive additions,” says Gwen Westerman, MNSU English Professor and member of the committee’s Research Team.

Both Corley and Westerman said that they, along with the rest of the committee, hope to add something new to the university that helps reflect the diversity of its students, faculty and staff.

“We don’t want to just take the bad away,” Westerman says. “We want to add the good as well.”

In doing so, the committee hopes the University becomes a place where people of all backgrounds can be heard and feel seen, beginning with the Native American community.

6 • MSU Reporter

Mavs play final homestand against Tech

By KOLE BUELOW • Staff Writer The Minnesota State men’s hockey team prepares for their final home series this weekend against the Michigan Tech Huskies.

The No. 4 Mavericks remain first in the WCHA standings with an overall record of 16-3-1 and a WCHA conference record of 11-1-0. The Huskies currently sit tied at fourth place in the WCHA with the Northern Michigan Wildcats with a conference record of 7-5-0 and an overall record of 17-8-1.

At the beginning of the year, the Huskies spoiled the Mavericks pursuit of a perfect overall record almost immediately, taking one of the two games the teams have played this year.

The Mavericks lost their first game to the Huskies this year by a score of 3-1 but were able to win game two of the series by a score of 2-0.

Minnesota State continues to be a great team all around this year as they await the WCHA playoffs coming up in the next few weeks.

Julian Napravnik and Cade Borchardt continue to lead the way for the Mavericks in points this year, as they both recently surpassed the 20 point mark on the season in their series against Ferris State just two weekends ago.

Napravnik was able to grow his points lead this past weekend against Bemidji State, as he tallied one goal and two assists bringing his point spread to eight goals and 15 assists on the year.

Closely behind him is Borchardt who currently sits at 20 points on the year with eight goals and 12 assists.

Reggie Lutz has also been great this year for the Mavericks, who continues to show his versatility as a playmaker and a scorer. Lutz has taken the lead in goals for Minnesota State with nine,

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Mavs soccer gets read for tourney

By DANIEL MCELROY Sports Editor

MANSOOR AHMAD • The Reporter In 20 games played, senior forward Walker Duehr (17) has six goals and four assists on the season.

and will look to become the Maverick’s first double-digit goal scorer against the Huskies this weekend.

Dryden McKay looks to become a vital piece for the Mavericks again this weekend versus the Huskies. McKay has been great in the past for the Mavericks against the Huskies posting a 6-1-1 record and .955 save percentage in eight games. He also holds the second highest all-time shutouts by an NCAA goaltender with 24, and looks to extend his number this weekend.

This will be the last season series of the 2020-21 regular season for Maverick’s seniors this year. Mavericks head coach Mike Hastings spoke well of his seniors in a press conference this Wednesday saying, “they have helped this program grow and reach new heights.”

Coach Hastings also noted, “at this time of year, games are going to be won by the little things’’ when speak-

ing on the difficulty of the Mavericks conference this year. “Tech has been on a bit of a roll… we’re going to have to go out there and earn it.”

Michigan Tech posted a 9-3-0 record in February and held a 3 to 1 goals to goals against ratio in their past three games.

During the press conference on Wednesday we also got to hear from senior Walker Dueher on his experiences in the Maverick program. When asked about his slow start to the season with a recent incline in performance, he said, “points weren’t falling but when the points started to come, I was able to find more and more success.”

Dueher also stated, “it’s pretty special to be able to go through it with that group of guys,” when asked about his accomplishments with his fellow senior classmates.

Mavericks travel to Kansas for Emporia State Classic

By DANIEL MCELROY • Sports Editor The Minnesota State University softball team is prepared to travel to Kansas this weekend, where they will play five games in the Emporia State Softball Classic.

The Mavericks will begin their weekend with two games on Friday, the first against Southwest Baptist and the second against Washburn. They will play another two Saturday against Missouri-St. Louis and University of Illinois-Springfield. MSU will round out their weekend with a match against Missouri Southern Sunday morning.

Thus far in the season, the Mavericks are 3-1, taking two wins against Lewis University and split series against University of Minnesota-Duluth.

The Mavericks only have one game in recent history against Southwest Baptist University Bearcats in which MSU took down their opponent 3-0 in the Regional Crossover Invite in 2018.

MSU holds a 10-10 record against Washburn since 1992, but have been the more dominant team in recent years. Since 2013, the Mavs are 6-1 and have outscored the Ichabod’s 48-16 in the seven games. In their last meeting,

MANSOOR AHMAD • The Reporter Junior pitcher Mackenzie Ward

the Mavericks beat out their opponent by a score of 7-1 in February of last season.

Since 1993, MSU has met with the Missouri-St. Louis Tritons a total of five times, and only twice since the turn of the century.

CLASSIC on page 7

The Minnesota State soccer team will begin their spring season tomorrow evening in their home opener against Minot State.

The four time NSIC defending champions and NCAA Elite Eight finalists completed their preseason exhibition matches at the end of February with a 2-0 record.

The Mavericks first win of the preseason came against Northwest Missouri State in a 3-0 win at home, while they took their second win against Creighton in Nebraska.

MSU is 7-1 since 2012 against the Beavers, most recently winning 5-2 on the road. Their only loss in the span was a double overtime battle where Minot State handed the Mavericks their first NSIC loss of the season in 2017.

With a record of 19-4-1 in 2019, the Mavs finished the season at rank No. 5 in the NCAA Division II rankings.

In Minot State’s last season in 2019, they finished with a record of 3-15, 15th in the NSIC standings. They averaged just 0.78 goals per game, and allowed 2.61 goals per game in the 2019 season.

The Beavers scored just 14 goals through 18 games last season, and through three games this season, have scored eight goals.

Later in the weekend, the Mavericks will take on the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears Sunday in the first game of the 2021 Spring Soccer Tournament in the Maverick All-Sports Dome.

Since 2002, MSU is 18-1 against CSP with their lone loss coming recently, in a 1-0 loss in November of 2019. In that span, the Mavericks have outscored Concordia 66-8 in 19 games.

In their most recent matchup, the Mavericks took a 3-0 win in late November of 2019, in the game that secured MSU’s fourth straight NSIC Championship.

In 2019, Concordia-St. Paul finished first in the NSIC regular season with a record of 17-2-2.

The Mavericks will finish out the tournament the following weekend with a game against Upper Iowa Friday, and the championship game Sunday.

Head coach Brian Bahl will lead the team in his ninth season as a Maverick. In his time at Mankato, he holds a 128-18-12 record.

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Sports

Vikings cut TE Kyle Rudolph

MSU Reporter • 7

CS:GO varsity team looks ahead to playoffs

BRUCE KLUCKHOHN • Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS The Minnesota Vikings released two-time Pro Bowl tight end Kyle Rudolph on Tuesday, ending his 10-season run with the team to create a little more than $5 million in salary cap space.

Rudolph is fifth in franchise history with both 453 catches and 48 touchdown receptions. He was due to make $7.65 million in 2021.

By terminating his contract with three years remaining, the Vikings will carry a salary cap hit of $4.35 million in dead money this season.

“A pro’s pro,” QB Kirk Cousins said on Twitter.

“Best hands and the smartest player I’ll ever play with.”

Rudolph, who caught the winning touchdown pass from Cousins in overtime of Minnesota’s win at New Orleans in the wild-card round of the playoffs after the 2019 season, had his usage in the passing game drop off considerably over the past two years as the Vikings leaned hard on running back Dalvin Cook and their top two wide receivers.

Rudolph was the team’s nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2017, 2018 and 2019 for community service.

He and his wife, Jordan, developed a deep fondness for the patients at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital.

CLASSIC continued from page 6 The Mavericks have a 5-1 record against UMSL, losing their most recent matchup by a score of 10-2. At the end of last season, the Tritons held a 12-12 record, until COVID-19 struck and shortened their season. The year prior, they finished with a 35-19 record and won the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship for the second straight year.

Since 1991, the Mavs have played against the Illinois-Springfield Prairie Stars twice, in 1991 and 1994.

MSU won both meetings between the teams and are looking to continue the streak. So far, UIS are 1-8 this year.

Before their season was cut short last year, UIS was 10-8, and finished 29-26 in their last full-length season in 2019.

MSU will find a tougher opponent in Missouri Southern in their final game of the weekend. The Lions are 3-1 on the season and have won the last three of four matchups against the Mavs.

FABIO CASTEL GARCIA • The Reporter

By DANIEL MCELROY Sports Editor

From a small group of gamers in the Maverick Gaming Community, to a varsity program, supported by the University, the MNSU Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team, a first-person shooter game, has finished their regular season in the National Association of Collegiate Esports league with a 4-1 record, finishing in second place in their group, and will enter the playoffs in a winning position.

The CS:GO squad won their first four matches of the year, until they were taken down by Michigan Tech University in what was their

toughest match of the year.

The Mavericks won their first two matches of the season against Trine University and Southwest Minnesota State by scores of 16-10 and 16-3, respectively. They went on to dominate Wayland Baptist University and Eastern Kentucky University, winning each match 16-0. Their run came to a halt this week when they were taken down

by MTU, 16-4.

The captain of the team, Tristan “Stanzell” Pizel, gave some insight to what led to the team’s first loss of the season.

“They didn’t leave us any room for mistakes,” he said.

“They’re probably one of the best teams in the league.”

Pizel is a senior majoring in computer information technology and has been playing in the competitive CS:GO scene since 2016. Pizel has played around 4,000 hours of CS:GO and has reached the rank of Global Elite.

Going into playoffs means the time is now to show up.

“I’m confident my teammates and I will play our hearts out.” Pizel said. “I’m trying to leave my legacy behind and hope it doesn’t fizzle out when I leave,” he said, regarding the season’s end.

The Maverick Esports varsity program is recruiting students to try out for CS:GO, as well as their other titles for next fall. Students can register at esports.mnsu.edu.

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