Thursday, March 18, 2010
www.msureporter.com
Minnesota State University, Mankato
A date with Davenport
Students have the opportunity to meet with the MSU president Tuesday NICOLE SMITH
editor in chief
Stationed on the third floor of the Wigley Administration Building, Minnesota State Pres. Richard Davenport knows that his office is “off the beaten track” for students. In an effort to be more visible, Davenport will be working
out of the Minnesota State Student Association office Tuesday and is inviting students to sign up for times to meet with him. “I need to be more connected and I want to know what the students are thinking and experiencing,” said Davenport. “I want students to know who their president is, not just see a
picture of him and never have ever actually seen him.” MSSA President Murtaza Rajabali said the idea came about from the “Got a Gripe?” campaign MSSA does each year, where students had the opportunity to write anonymous comments, concerns or suggestions; many of the students voiced concerns about not ever seeing the president. Rajabali said he had joked with Davenport about swapping
offices, but after further discussion, decided that giving students the chance to sit down with the president in the student government office could really be beneficial. “This is a response to [student] gripes,” said Rajabali. “Sitting up in his office, he is probably working with admin-
istrators, legislators and staff, and doesn’t get what exactly students are doing or what they like or don’t like.” Any student interested can sign up for a time to meet with Davenport at the MSSA office, Centennial Student Union 280. He will also make himself available April 8, and
Davenport / page 9
Taking an unexpected dive
photos by wale agboola • msu reporter
Minnesota State Eric Olson lands in a giant puddle while catching a frisbee outside the Performing Arts Center Wddnesday. The warm weather has melted most of the snow, leaving bodies of water like this one all over campus, but it isn’t stopping students for enjoying the fresh air.
Lending a hand to benefit children in the area
Minnesota State students help kids in the community with toy drives, revamped furniture in parental visitation rooms
BLAINE TAYLOR MARTIN
staff writer
index
blaine taylor martin • msu reporter (from left to right) Senior Casey Peterson, sophomore Diane Meza and Junior David Wilson sort through toys. The Urban Studies community leadership class worked with the Blue Earth Couty Child Services visitation room, where they prepared the space for birth parents to have supervised visits with children in foster care.
Editorial...................................6 Voices......................................7 Sports....................................13 Variety....................................17 Classifieds............................ 23
Brittany Henderson, MSU track star Page 13
Minnesota State has a long history of involvement in the Mankato community. Tuesday, students from professor Janet CherringtonCucore’s community leadership class added another chapter to that history when they refurbished the Blue Earth County Child Services visitation room. As part of their required project management assignment, students worked in groups to revamp the toys and furniture in the room, which is used so supervised visits can occur between children in foster placement and their parents or other relatives. The project was the
brainchild of the Blue Earth County Social Services Task Force Committee. The committee oversees children’s services in Blue Earth County, such as foster care and child protective services. Melodee Hoffner, a volunteer on the committee, acted as liaison between the Blue Earth County and MSU. Originally the project was to go through MSU’s Greek organizations, but after Marilyn Lott, MSU’s director of community engagement sent an e-mail request to faculty and staff, Cherrington-Cucore and her students responded. During the semester students rounded up hundreds of new and gently-used toys,
Children / page 10
Variety profiles rapper Andre Lipse Page 17