March 19, 2015

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Minnesota State University, Mankato

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Furry friends gather in Hearth Lounge Exotic Animal Show brings students and wildlife within arms reach.

YUSEONG JEON Staff Writer The Exotic Animal Show, an event hosted by the Special Events committee of IMPACT, took place Tuesday, March 17 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Centennial Student Union Hearth Lounge at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Students who participated the event had a time to hold the animals and take pictures with them and join an educational presentation about the animals’ life story from experts.

The animals included the American Alligator, Chinchilla, Hedgehog, Burmese Python,

Fennec Fox, Geoffroy Cat, Mindy the Monkey, Macaw Scarlet and Serval Cat. “There were a wide range of different animals that people don’t usually see, especially in Minnesota,” said Kelsey Pedersen, the chairperson of the Special Events committee of IMPACT. “The animals are not dangerous at all. All the animals are rescue animals. For instance, the alligator was like somebody’s pet in Florida. I know this snake is a Burmese Python, and those are really calm and they all are in captivity so they all are pretty much like house trained as much as wild animals can be,” Pedersen continued.

Photos by Yohanes Ashenafi With the assistance of handlers, students were able to interact with several exotic animals, and learn about them during the educational presentation.

Participants were able to pet the animals in person during the event.

“There can only be one animal out per trainer so only one or two animals can be out of the time, they will kind of like be up and talking about it stuff and after that people come up and look at it and take pictures with the animals and everything,” Pedersen said.

Dayton updates MnSCU money

“The animals are not going to be unattended so again if people are worried about safety, there is always going to be someone who is in control, who knows what they are doing with the animal so basically it’s kind of educational so people come and learn about the animals, their lifestyles, their habitats and everything, and also they can come and take pictures with them and might get to hold of them and stuffs,” Pedersen said.

The Exotic Animal Show was

different types of animal groups, we went with this,” Pedersen said.

The event was free and open to the public.

IMPACT is the student programming board of the Centennial Student Union run by students with advising from staff in the Student Activities office.

The Special Events committee presents students with a wide array of fun and exciting events and programming.

Animal Rentals has been in

provided by Animal Rentals, a company that rents out animals for special events.

“They did bring this group, I think, two or three years ago. We weren’t initially going to go with this group but they worked out best for us and they had the most variety of different kinds of animals so after doing research on

the business for more than 100 years. It is a family owned and operated business since 1907.

They believe in the togetherness of humans and animals and their mission is to educate people about our world’s animals and to protect and save domestic and exotic animals.

Increased education funds, grants part of updated budget.

JAMES HOUTSMA Editor in Chief Governor Mark Dayton proposed an updated budget plan for the state of Minnesota this week that includes additional spending on education and health care. As part of the $444 million increase overall, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is slated to receive an extra $142 million in funding.

The additional funds come as an effort to help freeze undergraduate tuition at Minnesota colleges for the next two years. $20 million of that money is also intended for increasing student grants.

INSIDE:

This news comes after Dayton refused any additional money towards MnSCU in his budget proposal two months ago in an attempt to encourage a resolution to ongoing conflict between MnSCU and university union leaders over the education plan “Charting the Future.”

The two sparring sides officially ended their feud over the plan at the beginning of March.

“The funding Governor Dayton has recommended will help our colleges and universities protect the programs that prepare our graduates to meet the needs of communities across the state and protect access to higher education by holding

down tuition,” said MnSCU Chancellor Steven Rosenstone in a press release.

Increased funding to MnSCU was one of many alterations Dayton announced recently, including tax breaks for working families and those with children in K-12, a funding boost for the state’s fugitive apprehension unit and a bump in the Minnesota Family Investment Program.

The supplementary budget comes as a result of Minnesota’s $1.9 billion budget surplus, which has divided state legislators in how to redistribute the money.

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2 • MSU Reporter

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Thursday, March 19, 2015

Conkling Gallery features Environmental Exhibition Photographic exhibit focuses on people fulfilling their dreams.

YUSEONG JEON Staff Writer Minnesota State University, Mankato graduate student William Eilers will have a photography exhibition titled “Environmental Portraits” for his master’s thesis exhibit from Monday, March 16 through Wednesday, March 25 in MSU’s Conkling Gallery. Eilers gave an artist’s lecture at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 16 in the Conkling Gallery, welcoming the audience and greeting them one by one personally.

Eilers, a graduate student in the fine arts program at MSU as well as an instructor in the Photography Program at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount, Minn., has been a photographer for 25 years but he came back to school for his second master’s degree in art about three years ago.

“It was a big change to move from commercial art to fine art,” Eilers said. “What I was looking for was change in my work, and I took my work out of the studio and more out into the street.

Part of an artist’s challenge is to be authentic that is to say to be true, to have their voice heard, so

Photo by Yohanes Ashenafi

I really had to ask myself what was important to me and what kind of message did I want to get across to people who will be reviewing my work.”

“And the message that was important to me was that I find technology sometimes disturbing, it doesn’t help us as much as we think it does, I think life is too busy and people are parasocial sometimes rather than really social, I think the world can

be disconnected and it can be a tough place to be in,” he continued, conveying the message that these are the inspirations for him to make a change to environmental portrait.

Eilers also said he was able to focus on people becoming what they want to be in life. Many of his pictures are about people trying to become what they want to be and often that is through work, involving using tools or

their hands.

“Hands are really interesting because sometimes with our faces, our faces show one message but hands are also tell us a lot about how we really feel and that is important part of the portrait.

So that’s kind of a nutshell summary of how I got started it with this particular project.”

For his “Environmental Exhibition,” he described, “The environmental portrait project

focuses on the way that physical identity is shaped by cultural institutions like family, school, church and work. Cultural institutions that people belong to lay a large part in defining the image that they project with respect to their clothing, posture and overall affect. These photographs also pay attention to people’s hands and the tools and artifacts that they hold dear. Tools have significance directly linked to the primary activities in life, but beyond this, hands become an integral extension of the personality and likeness in this portrait collection. Behind the scenes is an ethnographic backdrop, a landscape if you will, which gives context and added dimension to faces, hands, tools, and social identity.”

He also wrote that he learned “to respect the interdependent relationship between the viewers, the photographer and the subject.”

Eilers’ exhibit is free and open to the public and his work will be on display during the gallery hours, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday through Friday.

LEARN AND TELL US WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT

CHARTING THE FUTURE AT OUR

CAMPUS GALLERY WALK FRIDAY, MARCH 20TH, 2015 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Centennial Student Union Hearth Lounge Information about Charting the Future: Charting the Future is an initiative that encourages MnSCU colleges and universities to solve problems, create opportunities for students, increase revenue and reduce costs. On March 20, Minnesota State Mankato will be hosting a Gallery Walk, an open house-style, informally structured engagement session for students, faculty, staff, and community members to provide input into evolving ideas from the four implementation teams: Academic Planning and Collaboration, Competency Certification & Credit for Prior Learning, Education Technology and Information Technology Systems Design. The Gallery Walk will enable presenters to improve their work through the use of feedback from multiple sources. Attendance is open to everyone. Seasonal beverages and treats will be provided.

Website: www.mnsu.edu/ctf You can also share your ideas and thoughts by using MyIdeas@so.mnscu.edu or using #ChartingTheFuture on social media.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

MSU Reporter • 3

News

African Night to Showcase Authentic African Culture Students and community members invited for food, music, and more.

-LUKE LARSON lStaff Writer , - The African Student Asysociation is eagerly organizing ethis year’s African Night, to be oheld this Saturday, beginning at -7 p.m. The event, according to sorganizers, will be a showcase sof all regions of the African constinent, featuring dances, poetry, eacting performances, a fashion oshow, drumming, and more. Tratditional African food, including nrice, chicken, plantains, and sa-mosas will be served from 4-6 tp.m. Organizers are anticipating sroughly 800 will attend. , “I think it’s the best African hnight in all of Minnesota,” says -Muriel Meboe, a treasurer for dthe African Student Association.

“People come from everywhere djust for this night.” t The event is being put on by -the African Student Association e(ASA), a group founded in 1981 that exists, among other things, dto provide a community for Afkrican students on campus and to -educate the Mankato commu.nity about African culture.

The ASA holds a meeting every Friday at 4 p.m. in the Heritage Room of the CSU. These meetings, which usually are cen-

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tered around games, are attended by around sixty students each week. African students on campus come from a wide variety of countries including, but not limited to, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, and South Sudan. But, as ASA treasurer Estelle Tachago notes, the ASA is not just for African students.

“The beautiful thing is that not only African students come to the Association for meetings,” she says. “People who are not African come and they enjoy it.”

Meboe says she would like it if still more non-Africans participated and stresses the openness of ASA to students of all cultures.

For the ASA, the event is a

way to showcase authentic African culture from across the continent and to present the group’s present and future goals. This year’s theme, “This is my Africa”, is meant to stress the fact that what African means to each individual African is different.

The ASA will also use Saturday’s event as an opportunity to announce the winner of its

scholarship.

“We just started it this year,” says Christina Tchatchouang, the president of ASA. “It’s a scholarship offered to any participating ASA member.”

ASA organizers emphasize that the event is meant to dispel stereotypes and generalizations that are made about the continent and to showcase authentic African culture in all of its uniqueness and beauty.

“Africa has been hurt so much by the Western media in how it has been portrayed. Africa is not all about diseases and wars and civil strife,” says Richard Armah, president of the African Student Organization for Development and Progress. “We have a unique culture, we have a unique landscape, beautiful weather, and wonderful people.

I want us to be known for these things.”

Tickets for the event, $8 ahead of time and $10 at the door, are being sold today in Myer’s Fieldhouse from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. as well as tomorrow in the CSU at the same time. They may also be purchased online on the ASA’s Facebook page.

4 • MSU Reporter

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Language study for a brighter future Why learning a new language is worth the difficult journey.

Minnesota State University, Mankato

SPRING 2015 EDITOR IN CHIEF: Schuyler Houtsma........ 389-5454 NEWS EDITOR: Rae Frame.................. 389-5450 SPORTS EDITOR: Derek Lambert.............. 389-5157 A&E EDITOR: Chelsey Dively..............389-5227 ADVERTISING SALES: Mac Boehmer............. 389-5097 Jase Strasburg.............. 389-1079 Jacob Wyffels..............389-6765 Allie Bigbee................ 389-5609 Brandon Poliszuk......... 389-5453 Amber Masloski...........389-1063 Sam Rosenzweig..........389-5451

YUSEONG JEON Staff Writer

I recently decided to start learning German, which will be my third language. However, until I decided to learn the new language for sure, I hesitated to start learning it because I know it takes a lot of time and effort.

I assume most people are afraid of learning new language because it takes forever to learn new language until people can actually communicate with native speakers. Even though they can reach a point where they can make a conversation and understand most of the language, they can never compete with native speakers unless people learn it when they are young.

As for me, I have one more reason why it took me so long to even decide to learn new language. It has been only about one year since I moved to America and I am still learning English.

Even though I can speak fairly good English, I sometimes feel very insecure about my English compared to native speakers.

Compared to them, I have limited amount of vocabulary and the idea I should keep learning new words, expressions and keep

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practicing them forever makes me frustrated. In other words, I felt I had no space to learn another language in a situation where I am sometimes struggling with English as well.

However, I determined to learn another language because I learned a very important lesson from my experience in America through myself and international friends who can speak more than one or two languages: Language is power and learning a new language never hurts. I am still on the process of figuring out what I want to do in my future, but the one thing I am sure about is that I want to be a person who is useful and who can contribute to society. I realized knowing many languages could be an answer.

Although I have studied English quite a long time since the time I was in my country, my

experience in America is very valuable because I began to learn practical English that people actually use in their daily lives and it led me to a point that I make a conversation with people and also I can communicate and interact with them. I believe if I keep striving to learn German patiently, someday I will be able to make the same achievement in German.

In addition, I think knowing English is not enough nowadays because everybody can speak English as society grows globally and internationally. To be more competitive in job fields, I think knowing more than two languages including English would be beneficial when it comes to seeking a job.

Some people who decided to learn new language might be struggling with how to even

start learning it. In fact, I was quite confused about which material and tool I should choose to learn German. I found out there are cool websites and apps that people can easily learn new languages without buying books or going to academy to get a language lesson. I found an app with Google and it is very organized to learn new language step by step and I think it is very effective as well without feeling stressed out or pressure.

Although I am aware that it will be quite challenging to learn German while still learning English at the same time, I believe it will make myself more marketable someday if I don’t give up in the middle.

BEN OJIKA, SOCIAL WORK

THOMAS VANG, UNDECIDED

“I would like to learn Spanish through audio.”

“I would like to learn Spanish through people who speak the language.”

• If you have a complaint, suggestion or would like to point out an error made in the Reporter, call Editor in Chief Schuyler Houtsma at 507-389-5454. The Reporter will correct any errors of fact or misspelled names in this space. Formal grievances against the Reporter are handled by the Newspaper Board.

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

“What language do you want to learn and how do you want to study it?

SUNNY SHRESTHA, COMPUTER I.T. “I’d love to learn French and Spanish if I can. I’d prefer to learn among native speaking friends in a gathering rather than a class.”

POLICIES & INFORMATION

KATHLEEN SCHLOBOHM, CREATIVE WRITING/ART “I’d like to become fluent in ASL. I spend lots of time in the Deaf community and with signing people to sharpen my skills.”

Compiled by Yohanes Ashenafi

LUIS YANEZ, SPANISH “I’d like to learn how to speak French by taking a class at college.”

Thursday, March 19, 2015

MSU Reporter • 5

News

Are dress codes crossing the line?

One student examines the role apparel plays in professional life.

NICOLE SCHMIDT Staff Writer

code. Maybe there doesn’t have to be a hidden sexist agenda behind every single dress code.

Maybe the school actually has the student’s best interest in mind, which is exactly what I think this school in Des Moines was trying to show. Since these

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students would be attending an academic event, it is smart to be told dress appropriately at this type of event, not sexist.

It’s surprising to me that these smart students even needed to be told what to wear. Shouldn’t it be obvious not to show up in

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MSU

Repo

rter

A recent letter from Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines has renewed the never-ending conversation of dress code and sexism.

The front of the letter was a congratulatory memo inviting a select number of students to the Scholastic Achievement Assembly. The back of the letter contained a dress code for the event.

The guidelines instructed men to wear dress pants and shoes, along with a shirt and tie.

Men were also told to have no facial hair, no earrings, and to be classy. The women, on the other hand, had far more text but about the same amount of rules. This included fingertip-length skirts, no shoulders or cleavage showing, dress shoes, and to think modestly.

However simple this may seem, dress codes always seem to turn into something about sexism. It clearly offended some

of the girls at Dowling, and probably others around the U.S. One female student tweeted a picture of the letter, with the caption “This is what institutional sexism looks like.”

But why? Why is this so offensive to some people? And why do I not feel wronged like so many other women when an institution attempts to enforce a dress code?

I went to a private high school with a dress code like the one given to the Dowling girls.

And this was on the daily, and not just for a fancy scholastic event. Despite this all, I rarely grumbled over not being able to wear short-shorts and leggings, and certainly never accused my school of being sexist.

How do I feel so differently than some of the girls at Dowling on the dreaded dress code issue?

First of all, the words “sexist” and “sexism” are thrown around so often by people who don’t even know what they even mean.

Sexism is “the belief that one sex is naturally superior to the other and should dominate most important areas of political, economic and social life.” Telling students to dress modestly for an academic even is not implying that men are superior to women, and therefore is not “sexist.”

Secondly, I think that maybe a dress code is just that. A dress

Spotlight

As a child, Dr. Heather Elise Hamilton (pictured right with Nora) thought she would grow up to be a Jedi. When that fell through (the force is not strong in her), she got a BA in philosophy and a PhD in drama (the next best thing). On the East Coast, Heather was the Director of Theater at the Wolfeboro NH Area Creative Arts Center, served on the board of The Sandwich Players, and was an adjudicator and workshop leader for the NH Educational Theater Guild.

She taught Shakespeare for the Gradu-

ate English program at PSU and was a regular adjunct in their theatre program. Heather has directed and acted in plays on both American coasts, playing major characters in close to forty productions over the last decade. She was the recipient of the NH Theater Award for Best Professional Actress in 2004 for her work as Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing. Last summer an Andreas Grant allowed her to travel to Turkey as part of CESRAN International’s Global Peace Workshops, where she studied how to use theatre to promote peace. A published author, her research interests include social justice and theater, and theatre in conflict zones.

wore a V-neck while speaking on immigration, he has already started on the wrong foot. The examples could go on, but the point is that women are not the only ones subjected to judgment based on apparel.

Imagine if a company sent out a dress code to only the women, demanding they wear fishnet tights, skirts no longer than the fingertips, and only spaghettistrap tank tops around the office.

That would be sexist because it would force women to dress as a one-dimensional sex symbol that puts forth an indecent image of themselves in the business world. They would be hindered to make the best impression possible on clients, giving the suit and tie wearing men a superior image and a clear advantage. If you refer back to the definition of sexism, it fits the mold.

After all of this, the point is that appearances matter. What you wear is the first thing people see and judge you by. Call it unfair or call it stupid, but it’s the world we have lived in, are living in, and will live in for a long time.

So if the shoe fits, wear it— wear it as long as it fits the dress code.

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DR. HEATHER ELISE HAMILTON Compiled by Nicole Schmidt

a short skirt for women, or jeans for men?

Through it all, some argue that women should be able to wear whatever they want and not be judged on it, but in the real world neither sex gets to do or wear whatever they want without some type of judgement.

Look at prominent, revered women in powerful positions around the world wear: figures like Michelle Obama, Hilary Clinton, and Kate Middleton all dress according to these guidelines.

Imagine the uproar if Mrs. Obama walked in to the State of the Union Address wearing a short skirt and a tank top, or Kate Middleton wore jeans and a t-shirt to an important reception.

I would be willing to bet that both of these women have many stylists telling them what is appropriate to wear to each event they attend.

Women forget that it’s not just females who need to be outfit-conscious, either. If a male walked into an interview for Apple wearing flip flops, a bro tank, and jean shorts, the reaction would be just as negatively perceived by the interviewer if a woman walked in wearing jeans and a tank top. If the president

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6 • MSU Reporter

News

Thursday, March 19, 2015

MSU Photo Moment: Health from a social perspective Christensen Farms One student compares cultural influences on medication and illness.

Lecture countries have their own. While American physicians might diagnose someone as obese, other countries might perceive them as wealthy or just a larger person.

Even such things as alcoholism might just be the average person in their culture’s regular intake of alcohol.

Our country is all about just taking a pill and not worrying about it. Have a headache? Just take a few pain relievers. Have a small cold? See the doctor for a prescription of antibiotics.

Pills, whether they are an overthe-counter drug or a rigorously tested pharmaceutical drug, are everywhere and can be seen as overused.

But there is a fine line between not needed and needed drugs. I personally come from a long line of clinically depressed ancestors. Whether it is an unfortunate mixture of genes determined to be a dominant factor or just a bunch of people who are a bit more pessimistic than the average person is a difficult answer to pin point. While I know that without anti-depressant medication, a lot of my family members wouldn’t be as happy and healthy as they are now, many people don’t see depression as an actual sickness—just a sad person who needs to cheer up.

I’m not going to try and change their opinion because they may think that a drug addiction is an illness, while I don’t. Just as my

AMANDA HINDE Staff Writer

What is an illness to our country? Obesity, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), depression, anxiety are a few, but are these actually illnesses or not?

I’ve spoken with many people who are diagnosed with these medical issues, but some other countries believe things like chronic sadness or anxiety are just everyday things that people live with.

The U.S. has it’s own “culture bound syndromes”, while other

Photos by Yohanes Ashenafi “A Legacy of Entrepreneurialism – Providing Food to a Growing World” was presented

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opinion is mine, theirs is their own.

One student offered their opinion on culture bound syndromes in America: “I think some things like obesity and ADD can be helped, but with other methods. And while illnesses such as depression and anxiety need pills, most people with depression and anxiety end up kind of relying on their medication… I don’t think you should rely on pills for the rest of your life there are other things you can do to help; exercise, therapy or counseling, reading, talking about it with friends and many other things.”

The student, who takes anxiety medication herself, says that some prescriptions can help people through difficult times in their lives.

“After last fall semester, I ended up needing to take a prescription to control my anxiety.

This is only a temporary thing and I don’t plan on taking the medication for the rest of my life.

College is a really stressful time of a person’s life and sometimes you need a little help to cope.”

If you or someone you love is struggling, take it in stride.

While there is much discussion surrounding medication and health in America and beyond, everyone should have support in seeking a happier, healthier life.

T

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• Book Swap!

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Enter the Free Drawing for Five Little Free Libraries!

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Soup and Bread Lunch Available - $5

Reduce waste. Bring your own coffee mug.

Sliding Scale Admission Fee $5 — $50 (more if you can, less if you can’t)

For more information contact Lisa Coons, lcoons@ssndcp.org or 507-389-4272

Thursday, March 19, 2015

MSU Reporter • 7

News

e Georgia church leader rasing donations for new plane

s

Group seeking more than 67 million for brand new aircraft to replace old jet.

VALISA FAIR r Staff Writer

r A Georgia megachurch pas- tor is hoping to be blessed to fly high in the sky, in luxurious - style. t Creflo Dollar, who is the e preacher at the Atlanta-area d World Changers Church Intere national, asked members to dod nate to Project G650, a campaign - to buy a $65 million Gulfstream d G650 airplane. The church said r it needs 200,000 people to give u at least $300 (or more) to fund y the 18-passanger luxury plane. g This information was prey sented Friday in approximately a six-minute video on the Creflo - Dollar Ministries website. t The project page featuring p n

the video and information on the fundraiser had been taken down from the church’s website, but those wishing to donate are still able to do so on the church’s gift page.

The project isn’t limited to member donations, as the site stated that “we are asking members, partners and supporters of this ministry to assist us in acquiring a Gulfstream G650.”

The request goes on to detail that the luxury jet will transport Pastors Creflo and his wife Taffi Dollar and members of the Dollars’ church around the globe to help them spread the gospel.

The video included parishioners, a pilot, and even the President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, advocating on behalf of

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the pastor.

The brand-new Gulfstream is “the biggest, fastest, most luxurious, longest range and most technologically advanced jet — by far,” the company says on its website. It lists an asking price of $67,950,000 for a G650.

The Gulfstream G650 can fly eight passengers and four crew members, according to gulfstream.com.

On the video, the pastor explains past incidents involving his former 1984 model jet, which has been in service for more than three decades: The right engine went out when going to Australia, but the plane was able to safely land at its destination due to the experience of the pilot

and crew. During another trip, mechanical failure caused the jet to skid off a runway in London while his wife, Taffi Dollar, and their three daughters were aboard.

Dollar said that after those incidents, he “knew that it was time to begin to believe God for a new airplane.”

The Gulfstream G650 would comfortably allow the ministry make its way around the world.

“A plane is a vital part of the mission of our ministry,” the promotional video for the plane project said.

In the goal to gain donations, Dollar’s site states, “We need your help to continue reaching a lost and dying world for the Lord

Jesus Christ. Your love gift of any amount will be greatly appreciated.”

Dollar claims he makes no money from his ministry, and instead gains wealth from personal investments and outsidechurch activities, such as his horse-breeding company called Dollar Ranch and his 30 published books. He also charges up to $100,000 for a single speaking engagement.

Dollar held his first service in front of eight people in an elementary school cafeteria, but the ministry grew quickly and the church moved into its current 8,500-seat sanctuary in 1995.

MEET THE AUTHOR OF "PERFECTLY GOOD WHITE BOY" Carrie Mesrobian An Interview with Carrie Mesrobian Friday, March 20, 2015 1:00 PM Memorial Library, ML45 Sponsors: Library Services, English Department and Maverick Visual Productions For more information: http://libguides.mnsu.edu/mesrobian-perfectly-good-white-boy

8 • MSU Reporter

News

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Combating intolerance with theater in Germany Journalists use Hate Mail to combat racism in the media.

BIELEFELD, Germany — Yassin Musharbash, a leading German journalist with Jordanian roots, pulls out some recent “fan mail” and starts reading on the stage.

“We want to be informed by knowledgeable compatriots, not by foreigners,” the 39-year-old quotes from a letter-to-the-editor that landed at the prestigious Zeit newspaper.

Gasps turned to incredulous laughter as he continues: “Musharbash is an Islamist who is secretively involved in jihad. He is trying to weaken the defensive forces of the West from inside.”

Musharbash is among a troupe of German journalists with immigrant backgrounds who have been touring with a show called “Hate Poetry” that has sold out across the country.

The show explores the growing rancor against Muslims in Germany by revealing hate mail filled with clichés and abuse — and seeks to combat it with humor.

The journalists, none of them professional actors, confront prejudice head-on in the show.

But they also use irony, poking fun at the stereotypes by appearing on stage dressed like migrant workers from the 1960s or disguised as radical Islamists wearing caftans and face masks.

an who saw the show. “It’s is a great way of simply countering the hatred with laughter.”

There are an estimated four million Muslims living in Germany — a country of 80 million.

Most are children or grandchildren of Turkish guest workers who came in the 1960s when Germany recruited foreign workers for the country’s booming postwar economy.

Most have found a place in society, speak German as their native language and contribute to society in myriad ways. But many ethnic Germans still have problems with the fact that Germany is increasingly diverse — a society where more than 15 million citizens claim foreign roots.

Photos Courtesy of the Associated Press Despite achievements, immigrant communities themselves Spectators watch the ‘Hate Poetry’ show in the Theaterlabor in Bielefeld, Germany. A troupe of German journalface problems — adding com- ists with immigrant backgrounds have put together the traveling show “Hate Poetry” addressing cliches and plexity to the tensions. Chil- racist prejudices by reading out the hate mail they’ve received from their readers. dren of immigrants fare worse in school than their ethnic Ger- Europe’s diverse Islamic popu- performers mingle with the him.

“One should not be deceived man counterparts, according to lation. In the wake of the terror, audience. Getting down off government statistics, and the Musharbash and his colleagues the stage, they offer salted sun by Western-clothed Muslims,” overall unemployment rate is far have noticed a big increase in flower seeds — a popular snack she reads, to howls from the brought to Germany by immi- crowd. “Just because they’re not higher. Immigrants are under- hate mail.

Journalist Ebru Tasdemir grants from the Middle East — wearing a headscarf, it doesn’t represented in fields like teaching, academia or journalism. started the show three years ago and ask viewers to choose which mean they’re not fanatics.”

By exposing the hatred, Unlike the United States, Ger- after she saw a writer friend’s journalists presented the most there’s a measure of liberation many does not have affirmative hate mail on Facebook: “We outrageous hate mail.

“Why is a foreigner allowed and catharsis: “We’re just throwaction programs. It is difficult to dissected it, marked the spelltell whether poor results are a re- ing mistakes with a virtual red to write in Germany about Ger- ing all the hatred back into orsult of prejudice, underperform- pencil,” Tasdemir recalled. “And mans?” reads out Deniz Yucel, bit,” said Musharbash, the son of ing communities or a combina- then I asked her: Why don’t we the son of Turkish immigrants a Jordanian father and German who was born in Germany mother. do this on stage?”

There is no clear profile for and writes for die tageszeitung “We’re having a lot of fun the readers who send hate mail, newspaper. “This guy has no with this show,” he said. “And the journalists say. It comes from idea about soccer ... Even Hitler we’re experiencing a lot of soliall over the country, from all knew more about soccer.” darity, which is great.”

Judging from the audience’s kinds of people.

But that doesn’t mean the in“We get mail from students, applause, Yucel’s hate mail sults have lost their sting. teachers and professors, Ger- scored high marks for the insult “For us, the best day will be mans, German-Turks, Kurds, factor. But Mely Kiyak, a col- when we no longer have to make Nazis, people saying they’re left- umnist and daughter of Kurd- hate poetry.” ists, Christians, atheists,” Mush- ish immigrants, may have edged arbash said. “Anybody, really anybody.”

The journalists share the hate mail not only to shock the audience — but also to entertain.

The troupe sits on the stage behind a table overloaded with Turkish and German flags and items stereotypically associated with migrants — including plastic bags from discount market Aldi and bunches of garlic that immigrants smell of under the We also do delivery through tion of both.

Many Germans say that Mus- German stereotype. The troupe Speedy Singh's Delivery • 507-779-4596 lims simply refuse to integrate. smoke and drink plenty of chamAnd in the past few months, pagne during the long perforGermany has seen a backlash mance, further eroding Muslim against Muslim immigrants, stereotypes.

The entire ensemble is made with tens of thousands of Germans marching in weekly rallies up of seven writers or Turkish through Dresden and other cities and Arab backgrounds and two protesting the perceived Islam- moderators, although not all of ization of Europe, though the them tour at the same time. In Bielefeld, a group of four was on numbers have waned recently.

1511 Madison Ave. Recent deadly terror attacks stage, swinging to Middle Eastin Paris and Copenhagen add a ern pop tunes as a guest worker Mankato, MN 56001 further challenge — deepening is heard rapping in broken Ger507-625-2300 suspicions against Muslims as man about his miserable life in a whole, even though the jihad- Germany. www.indiapalace.org Throughout the show, the ists are only a tiny minority of

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“We’re being abused not for what we are writing, but for who we are or for who these people think we are,” Musharbash told The Associated Press in an interview before the show. “Apparently there are some people out there who have a big problem that writers with Middle Eastern names work for serious German newspapers.”

The attempt to promote tolerance through theater appears to be working.

“I would have never expected anybody to write such things ... I guess I was a bit naive,” said Ute Grave, a 55-year-old saleswom-

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MSU Reporter • 9

News

Bird-friendly renewable energy proposal Proposed wind farm could protect endangered species.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A company that for years has been planning a wind turbine farm in an area of southeastern North Dakota where endangered birds nest and fly over is proposing changes that might help reduce potential harm.

The proposed move to fewer and larger turbines is the latest development in a project that state Public Service Commissioner Brian Kalk says “has a storied past.”

EDF Renewable Energy received a state site permit in June 2011 for a project consisting of up to 100 1.5-megawatt turbines.

The company, which was called enXco Development Corp. at the time the $400 million Merricourt Wind Power Project was announced, is now proposing 75

2-megawatt turbines.

The proposed revision would reduce the project area by half, to 17 square miles in McIntosh and Dickey counties.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be studying the proposed changes as part of an ongoing assessment of the project’s impact on the environment and on two endangered species of birds, said Kevin Shelley, state supervisor for the federal agency’s Division of Ecological Services.

The proposed wind farm area is on the edge of the whooping crane migration corridor. Piping plover might be at even higher risk because of the amount of habitat in the area suited to the birds, Shelley said.

In 2013, the project caught

wikimedia.org A Whooping Crane, which has a migration corridor in the area.

the eye of the American Bird Conservancy, which along with other groups called for a tougher environmental review. That won’t happen unless the initial study determines it’s warranted, Shelley said.

EDF Renewable Energy wants to use the newer, larger turbines “to make use of the best available technology,” but the company also hopes it will address the bird issue, said Chris Sternhagen, development manager in Minneapolis.

“We ultimately believe it should be lower risk because there are a smaller number of turbines,” Sternhagen said. “Until we run models and do analysis, we can’t say one way or another.”

The uncertainty of the wind farm’s impact on whoopers and plovers is one of the reasons the project is taking so long to materialize.

EnXco had planned to work on the wind farm with Xcel Energy, but the Minnesota-based utility dropped out of the project in April 2011 in part over fears that it would harm endangered birds. EnXco unsuccessfully sued for breach of contract and is still seeking a buyer for the power that would be produced by the wind farm.

“We’re not going to make the investment in the construction cost until we have secured (a buyer) for the power,” Sternhagen said.

In the meantime, the company is working with Fish and Wildlife on developing a habitat conservation plan to address the bird issue as it pursues an optional federal permit that would shield it from potential fines should an endangered bird be killed.

If Fish and Wildlife does not grant the permit, it will not doom the project. However, “they’ve got a big decision to make if that’s the outcome,” Shelley said.

The state PSC, which needs to approve the change in turbines, is holding a public hearing in Ashley on Thursday. Kalk said the group welcomes the input of

federal wildlife officials but that it won’t be the overriding factor in the commission’s decision.

Whether EDF eventually gets the optional federal permit would be more of factor if the company reaches a deal to sell power from the wind farm to a utility the PSC regulates, Kalk said.

“I would want to make sure ratepayers aren’t at risk if something goes wrong,” he said.

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An unbreakable double take!

Two rave reviews of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

LORIEN MEGILL Staff Writer On March 6, Netflix premiered the 13-episode first season of new show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (the show was originally set to debut on NBC, but after time passed without a premiere date the show was sold to Netflix, and already has a second season order). The show follows Kimmy as she embarks on a new life in New York City after being released from the underground bunker that she was held in for 15 years as part of a doomsday cult. While the premise hardly sounds like comedy fodder, it’s created by 30 Rock writers and show runners Tina Fey and Robert Carlock (and one of the supporting characters is played by 30 Rock actress Jane Krakowski), and as a die-hard 30 Rock fan I was excited to give it a watch. And I was glad that I did.

The writing is quick and familiar stylistically to that of 30 Rock (although the storyline is totally different and the outlook is a little bit more optimistic).

The cast as a whole is strong and well-rounded: broadway veteran Tituss Burgess plays Kimmy’s roommate and Carol Kane brings her decades-long comedy experience to the role of Kim-

of Ellie Kemper as the titular Kimmy Schmidt. Kimmy is optimistic and at times incredibly naive. In this quest to understand

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MARSYA STORM Staff Writer

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the world she’s in and move on past the trauma of living in the bunker, Kemper as Kimmy is often hilariously funny, but she

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my’s zany landlady Lillian. Jane Krakowski is Kimmy’s wealthy, socialite boss Jacqueline Voorhees. Initially Jacqueline seems a lot like a slightly older, more settled version of Krakowski’s character Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock, but as the season progresses Jacqueline is given more depth and sincerity while still giving Krakowski plenty of material to play with. But the standout performance for me was that

for her part has spent so long in her insulated, wealthy world that she has no idea how the rest of the world lives (one example of this

never struck me as silly. A lot of this comes from the smart writing, but without Kemper’s committed, believable, and layered portrayal of Kimmy the quality of the writing wouldn’t nearly be as well accomplished.

I found some of the best exchanges to be those between Kimmy and Jacqueline. Kimmy is naive about much of the world and what it means to be an adult living on your own. Jacqueline

occurring when she throws away an unopened bottle of water that Kimmy has just refused). These two different forms of naiveté make for an excellent contrast and allow for them to alternate who the straight man in their comedic setups is, as each finds the other ridiculous in different situations. The show also makes good use of big-name guest stars that pop up in unexpected places throughout the season.

As is often the case with beginning shows there are a few things that still need to be ironed out as it fully finds its footing.

For instance, Tituss Burgess’s subplots often feel less connected to the show overall, so even though Burgess is always entertaining and a pleasure to watch, there isn’t always enough impact or character development; and Jacqueline has a somewhat confusing and problematic backstory that is revealed early on and picked up again at the end of the season. But with an ear-worm theme song, a strong cast, and consistently funny and compelling writing, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was an overall delightful watch and I am already eager for season two.

Netflix has done it again. This month Netflix originals like Orange is the New Black and House of Cards were joined by Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and I’ll just come out and say it: if you haven’t watched it yet you’re missing out.

Created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, both behind 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt follows Kimmy Schmidt, a woman who had been held captive in an underground cult for the past 15 years of her life. The series opens with Kimmy and the three fellow “Mole Women,” as the media calls them, being rescued from the bunker and the story goes from there as Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) attempts to take on New York and the world’s changes.

Determined to find a place to live and somewhere to work, Kimmy, within the first episode, meets several of the other characters who make the show so incredibly entertaining. Her search for housing leads her to future roommate and best friend Titus (Tituss Burgess) and eccentric landlord Lillian (Carol Kane) while her search for a job results in becoming a sort of nanny for super-rich house wife Jacqueline (Jane Krakowski). All three of these characters have their own antics and dilemmas - Titus is a struggling actor while Jacqueline seems to go through a neverending identity crisis – and they, along with Kimmy’s constant use of ‘90s vernacular, make the show a true riot.

Despite its sometimes-heavy content and sentimental moments Unbreakable is undeniably a comedy and will no doubt

have you laughing more than you have in a long time. Each episode is full of cringe-worthy situations and fantastic flash backs as Kimmy works to not just survive but thrive in New York and deal with what she experienced in the bunker as well.

Ellie Kemper is remarkable as Kimmy and she is able to keep the use of “things people don’t say anymore” fresh and amusing from the first episode to the last.

Guest stars, including Nick Kroll (Kroll Show) and Dean Norris (Breaking Bad), are a constant joy throughout the show as well.

As amazing as Unbreakable is no show is perfect, but even the negatives seem to be positives in a way. Yes, Jacqueline’s teen daughter is a little too snobby to tolerate but how Kimmy deals with her makes it all okay.

Some of the situations get a bit repetitive but the characters and their portrayals keep the laughs rolling. When it comes to the theme song I can almost guarantee you that it will get stuck in your head but that’s okay as well. As far as intro themes go, it’s just as, if not more than, inspiring as the Pokémon theme.

At 13 episodes the ending does feel rushed but considering the journey experienced in the earlier ones it is easy to forgive.

While you may be sick of hearing about it Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is worth all the hype and it’s worth your time as well. I just suggest planning ahead and setting aside an entire Saturday afternoon before starting because, since the entire season is up on Netflix, binge watching is near impossible to avoid.

12 • MSU Reporter

A&E

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Viggle makes shows more rewarding Free television app offers a pay-per-view experience.

JENNA VAGLE Staff Writer Watching television is a social norm for most college students around the country. It keeps us in the know about current events, it replays the classic cartoons from when we were kids, not to mention, it’s just entertaining and lets us ignore

the responsibilities we should be doing. We’re considered consumers when we watch these shows. We pay for the provider.

The time we spend watching TV should be rewarded, not wasted.

There should be a system where we get something in return for watching these shows. Luckily, with the Viggle app, we can!

Viggle rewards one point for

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every minute a live show, primetime show, rerun or movie is played when connected to a cable provider. Users earn bonus points for live specials such as Dancing With the Stars and The Voice. When users check in, they can choose the music option and match music for 100 points for each song match. Other features and ways to rack up point include, interactive games, music purchases and videos in app and online.

Viggle allows users to set reminders for popular shows. It connects with the calendar and reminds users of the next airtime. Then, they sit down, check in, watch the show and start to earn points.

When enough points are accumulated, users can choose from a wide range of shows, movies, music, books, merchandise, products, and deals on travel, health, beauty, automotive and shopping. Viggle teamed up with M-GO, a online source to stream movies and TV shows for a low cost. With Viggle, users can use points they’ve earned instead of accumulating a higher balance on their credit card.

The cool thing about this app is that you get rewarded for doing something you’re already doing. All you do is check in, Viggle recognizes what you’re

dottech.org

watching or listening to, gives you points for every minute you’re connected and then gives you free stuff when you get enough points. That’s literally all you have to do. Whenever you’re consuming media, check it and point it at your TV screen.

It’s free to download on the app store. Connect with Facebook or create an account. Then, head

over to viggle.com or look under the rewards tab in the app to see what can be redeemed. Over $19 million in rewards have been redeemed thus far. Viggle was the winner of the 2013 Social TV Awards for Best Check-In and Loyalty, Best Ubiquitous Sports Social TV Award and Best Check-In and Loyalty Sports Social TV Award.

Carrie Mesrobian to visit MSU

Young adult author displays her latest book on campus.

LORIEN MEGIL Staff Writer This Friday, March 20, from 1-2 p.m., young adult author Carrie Mesrobian will speak in the MSU’s Memorial Library’s Casual Learning Lab (ML 45).

This event is free and open to the public, and live streaming will be provided by Maverick Visual Productions and Library Services at http://portal.stretchinternet. com/mnsuadmin/.

Mesrobian will be discussing her most recent book “Perfectly Good White Boy.” This novel centers around Sean Norwhalt’s senior year in high school and the choices he makes as he stands on the border between childhood and adulthood. Mesrobian will read a passage from her book, and then MSU Assistant Professor of English Geoff Herbach will interview Mesrobian regarding the book and her writing process. There will

also be the opportunity for those in attendance to ask Mesrobian questions of their own.

Mesrobian’s received a variety of accolades for her debut novel, “Sex and Violence,” including the 2014 Minnesota Book Award for Young People’s Literature, a nomination for Young Adult Library Services

lisa.baures@mnsu.edu. To learn more about Carrie Mesrobian and her books, visit www.carriemesrobian.com.

This event is sponsored by Library Services at Minnesota State Mankato and the Department of English, part of the University’s College of Arts and Humanities.

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MSU Reporter • 13

A&E

This War of Mine review Inspired by true events, it’s not your usual game.

MATTHEW EBERLINE Staff Writer This War of Mine is not your typical war game. There are no flashy weapons, exploding helicopters or blockbuster cut scenes. You won’t find any battle-hardened marines, quick scope insta-kills, or prepubescent teens cussing you out with nonsensical insults about your mother. Instead, This War of Mine explores a side of war rarely depicted in video games, opting for a civilian viewpoint, and presents a much grittier and more subdued experience. The goal here is simple: survive.

Inspired by the Siege of Sarajevo (a siege during the Bosnian War that lasted from 1992-1996), This War of Mine puts the player in control of a small group of civilians looking to survive the conflict through any means pos-

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sible. Much of the game unfolds in the battered ruin your characters call home. With crumbling walls, shattered ceilings, and no heat or running water, the place is hardly livable but it works.

During the day, snipers make travel virtually impossible— forcing your characters to stay in the relative safety of their humble abode—while running out for supplies in the middle of the night is rarely any less perilous.

While you wait for the sun to set, your characters have the option to construct various tools, including lock picks, shovels, and crowbars, as well as improvements to the building such as a stove and a rainwater collector, among others. This is also the time when your survivors need to eat and patch up their wounds, so proper planning and rationing of food and medical supplies is paramount. As the game progresses, you also need to manage each character’s various mental or emotional states as the war and hostile living conditions will quickly drive them into depression and despair.

While the daytime sequences help to hammer home the game’s

“war is hell” message, it quickly becomes a tedious and monotonous cycle broken up only by the constant threat of dwindling food and the need to gather more supplies.

At night, you have the option of sending one of your survivors to scavenge for supplies in another part of town, while the rest of your ragtag group can either sleep or stand guard over your supplies. While wounded or sick characters recover best if they sleep through the night, it’s best to have at least one person stand guard as nightly raids are a common occurrence and more than once I would return from a night of scavenging to find one of my characters had been severely injured in a scuffle.

Scavenging is perhaps the most interesting part of the game, as this is often where the real danger occurs. While the game only offers a handful of unprotected areas to explore in the beginning, later excursions will require you to tackle increasingly difficult areas as supplies begin to dwindle across town. Buildings such as supermarkets or hospitals are often under heavy guard by armed

bandits and hunting for supplies in these parts can quickly turn into a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Other locales are less dangerous, but still inhabited. At one point in my play through I found myself sneaking through an old dilapidated house inhabited by an elderly couple, and choosing whether or not to rob them of the supplies I so desperately needed was no simple task. At other times you may encounter various characters who come to you for help or who wish to join your group. While it’s easy to jump at the chance to help some-

one, factors such as limited food and medical supplies add weight and a sense of urgency to every decision. Ethical dilemmas such as these are what make This War of Mine such an interesting and compelling game and the decisions you make will leave a lasting impact on not only yourself, but also the characters under your control.

While This War of Mine is certainly a unique and compelling experience, it’s far from cheery and often becomes more depressing than fun. But that’s the point. In a medium populated primarily by macho military

shooters, This War of Mine provides a fresh and serious take on the subject of war; a subject that is glorified and sensationalized all too often in games like Call of Duty and Battlefield. While it is certainly not for everyone, This War of Mine is a title that deserves to be played through at least once, if only to add a little perspective to your next team death-match session.

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14 • MSU Reporter

A&E

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Twenty One Pilots soars to the top Upcoming indie band releasing new album this May.

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CHELSEY DIVELY A&E Editor This week the band Twenty One Pilots, known for their hit “Holding On To You,” released a new fan track called “Fairly Local.” In 24 hours the fan track reached #1 on the iTune’s Alternative Chart, top 10 on iTune’s overall chart, and top 5 on the

Billboard Twitter Chart. The new single serves as a teaser for their upcoming album Blurryface, which will be released May 19 and an official single called “Tear In My Heart” will be released April 6.

They’re an up and coming band known for their blood and guts lyrics on battling depression which is clearly displayed

in hits like “Migraine,” “Fake You Out” and “Ode to Sleep.”

They’re also known for their upbeat downer tracks, fast rhythmus with serious lyrics. It’s a mixture of hip-hop, indie, and punk, it’s unlike anything else you’ve heard. They’re previous album, Vessel, is highly successful and fans expect a great deal from Twenty One Pilots with

their sophomore album.

The band consists of the duo Tyler Joseph, who is the lead vocals, plays the piano, and writes the songs and Josh Dun who plays the drums. Their Blurryface World Tour will begin in the UK in May and continue to North America this fall. They will land in North America Sep. 8 in Washington D.C. and will be in St. Paul on Oct. 29 at Myth.

With them for the North American tour will be the band Echosmith, known for their hit “Cool Kids.” The tickets for the tour go on sale on Friday March 20 at 10 a.m. local time. For more ticket-

ing information go to twentyonepilots.com Since Vessel was released the band has quickly gained famed by being named an MTV Artist to watch and live performances at the AP Music Awards, 2014 MTV Movie Awards, and Late Night with Seth Meyers. They were also named #1 by the Alternative Press’ 10 Essential Albums of 2013. Vessel has sold of 300,000 copies in the past two years, and 1,000,000 singles.

If you’re looking for a unique one-of-a-kind band check out Twenty One Pilots and their new upcoming album.

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Thursday, March 19, 2015

Follow the Reporter on Twitter @MSU Reporter or Like Us on Facebook facebook.com/msureporter

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Could 2015 be a down year for March Madness?

With The Kentucky Wildcats looking to complete an undefeated season on their way to a National Championship, this year’s March Madness could lack any true Cinderella runs to the Final Four.

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March Madness leads to the end of the road for four teams, the Final Four in Indianapolis.

LUKE LONIEN Staff Writer The number one team in the nation is 34-0 and is on their way to be 40-0. The Kentucky Wildcats are deeper than any other team in college basketball, and when you bring a team that is this good defensively into the big dance, they have a great shot at cutting the nets down in Indianapolis.

As I look at the bracket and make my yearly picks, I struggle to pick anyone other than Kentucky. They are that good. But there are also those “Cinderella”

teams that absolutely destroy brackets like VCU, Mercer, Florida Gulf Coast, and the big name schools that people have counted out. I may have had St. John’s beating Connecticut in the second round last year, needless to say it didn’t work out for me.

Every year we sit and hope that our teams win, but it never goes the way we plan. Now, Kentucky is the favorite to win the Championship, but there are some other teams that are not going to back down to Kentucky.

My favorite picks other than Kentucky are as follows.

It pains me to say it as a

Golden Gopher fan, but this year’s Wisconsin Badgers team is very good. Frank Kaminsky is playing great basketball, they don’t make mistakes, and they play the most boring brand of basketball that always works.

They are a great team and I cringe as I write their name into the Final Four of my bracket.

Arizona doesn’t get the credit they deserve because of they play on the west coast, but this team has the second best shot at knocking off Kentucky. They match-up well in terms of size and athleticism so Kentucky will not overpower them. The only problem? They share a

bracket with Wisconsin. These two teams could battle it out in the Elite Eight for the second straight year, where Wisconsin won last year.

Virginia had the displeasure of playing a talented North Carolina team in the ACC semifinals, but this Virginia team is better than last year’s and plays a stout defensive game. A team this talented defensively will be a big worry for every team they play in this tournament.

And there’s also Louisville.

Yes Louisville, how great of a narrative would this be? Two Kentucky schools battle it out for all the marbles. If I am Kentucky I really don’t want to play Louisville. Louisville will get up to play an in-state rival and have Montrezl Harrell to try and battle it out in the Championship with Kentucky.

Duke is a team that can never be counted out. Jahli Okafor is a man. This team’s starting five is just a talented as Kentucky and they have Coach K, which is always a bonus. This is a very talented offensive team and if they can hit their shots they would cause a lot of havoc for Kentucky.

Potential upsets to watch for?

While I don’t believe that there will be as many upsets this season with a very top-heavy tournament, here are some upsets to look at in the second round.

No.12 seed Buffalo over no.

5 seed West Virginia. I never really like picking no. 5 versus no. 12 games, but this one just seems to be an upset I like.

Buffalo and West Virginia both play at a very fast pace, but West Virginia is dealing with some injuries that could cause them to drop this game to the Bulls.

No. 11 seed Texas over no.

6 seed Butler. Butler has some quality wins this year including North Carolina and Georgetown, but the Longhorns are

loaded with talent. Isaiah Taylor can make plays while Myles Turner and Jonathan Holmes are capable scorers for Texas. Butler is great on the glass, but the match-up favors the Longhorns.

Davidson, the no. 10 seed, over no. 7 seed Iowa: Davidson has a small lineup with a 6-7 center. They have four dominate guards including Tyler Kalinoski, they are a great shooting team that hardly turns the ball over. If Davidson is hitting shots, the Hawkeyes would have a lot of trouble keeping up.

Aaron White is a talented player, but they struggle shooting. I’ll take Davidson in this matchup.

It is the most exciting time of the year for sports fans, with 9.2 quintillion ways to fill out your bracket. While the craziness is evident, this season may not be as crazy with a dominant team like Kentucky leading the way.

Of course, there is still the excitement of challenging friends in bracket competitions, but it’s hard not to feel like this year’s crop of teams has the potential for any monumental upsets, miracle runs to the title game, or an underdog story where fans everywhere hop on one team’s bandwagon in hopes to see them pull off something great.

While there are a handful of teams capable of giving Kentucky a decent game, and any team would be happy to reach the Final Four, the focus for this year’s tournament will be Kentucky, and whether or not they can pull of and undefeated National Championship season.

With that being said, if any team in the tournament is capable of ending Kentucky’s season, especially before the Final Four, it would certainly ruin brackets everywhere, but would be quite the story. The round of 64 begins today, with the Elite Eight beginning March 28th, and the Final Four on April 4th.

16 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Offseason moves has National League shaping up for a great season of baseball TOMMY WIITA Staff Writer

The National League in Major League Baseball has had a World Series winner come out on top five of the past seven seasons. Most fans would say the American League is still the dominant league, due to the use of a designated hitter and pitchers that can handle them. The National League, though, has a lot to offer this season.

Will the San Francisco Giants claim their fourth title in six years? Can the Washington Nationals finally make further progress when it comes to October baseball?

What can the young Chicago Cubs bring to the table in 2015? All these and more are further looked at in this 2015 National League preview.

The talk of the NL Central is what is cooking at Wrigley Field. The Chicago Cubs have a surplus of young, incredible talent that is sure to get more Cubs victories moving forward. They also added Ace Jon Lester to be the leader of a rotation that could possibly be the weakest part of this squad. First baseman Anthony Rizzo could have a breakout season, as Rizzo has captured the hearts in Chicago already.

Prospects Jorge Soler, Javier Baez and top prospect in the organization Kris Bryant will be the fun ones to watch. Bryant may not make the team out of Spring Training, but so far the third baseman is leading all hitters in homeruns with 6, just over two weeks into March. Some are having huge expectations on Joe Maddon’s club, but it will all depend on how quickly the youngsters adjust to big league ball.

The St. Louis Cardinals look to be the safe favorite heading into the season, as they made not many but key moves during the offseason.

They added right fielder Jason Heyward into their already potent batting lineup, bolstered the bullpen with signing free agents Matt Belisle

and Jordan Walden and finally look more balanced across the board. Adam Wainwright will lead the rotation, and Cardinal fans should take notice that the ace is getting a little old now at 34 years old.

Pitchers Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez will surely pick up Wainwright if he slacks, as the Cardinals have a deep rotation as is. Another item of importance to point out is AllStar catcher Yadier Molina showed up 20 pounds lighter to Spring Training camp this season, which could help him remain healthier longer this season. It will not be a walk in the park, but the Cardinals should be towards the top of the Central Division towards season’s end.

As for the team in Wisconsin, it may be a bleak season for the Milwaukee Brewers.

After trading their prominent ace in Yovani Gallardo to the Texas Rangers, the Brewers rotation looks as shaky as it has ever been. Matt Garza, Kyle Lohse, Wily Peralta, Mike Fiers and Jimmy Nelson look to be the starting five this season. The Brew Crew should generate some offense for some time though, as they still have heavy contracts on Ryan Braun, Carlos Gomez, Jonathon Lucroy and Aramis Ramirez. Look for this team to perhaps trade some of their assets by the end of July, as it is unlikely they will stay in competition with a tough Central Division.

The Reds of Cincinnati have a lineup that looks promising, with young speedster Billy Hamilton leading off. First baseman Joey Votto is looking to regain his 20102011 form, where his batting average hovered around .300 to .325 and he hit a combined 56 homeruns with 216 runs batted in. Since those two seasons, Votto’s numbers have decreased significantly, only hitting 44 homeruns in the past three seasons combined. The rotation has its own question marks this season as well, with Homer

Web Photo The San Fransisco Giants celebrating their 2014 World Series Championship last fall.

Bailey underperforming last season and Tony Cingrani struggling.

Can Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake carry the loads?

Cather Devin Mesoraco is the catcher for years to come in Reds territory, as he will be fun to watch this upcoming season. The Reds might hang around for as long their offense takes them, but their starting rotation will have to perform over expectations if they want some October baseball.

The favorite to challenge the Cardinals for the division title this season are the Pittsburgh Pirates. They may have the best infield and outfield in all of Major League Baseball.

If the newly acquired Korean shortstop Jung-ho Kang pans out for the club, the lineup may be detrimental to any big league pitching staff.

The outfield is led by 2013 NL MVP centerfielder Andrew McCutchen, with Starling Marte in left and the

young Gregory Polanco in right. The rotation has barely changed over the past few seasons, still led by Francisco Liriano, Gerrit Cole and Jeff

Locke. The Pirates brought back veteran A.J. Burnett, and hope Vance Worley can con-

NL PREVIEW • Page 18

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MSU Reporter • 17

Sports

Broadmoor Trophy on the line this weekend The remaining four teams of the Western Collegiate Hockey association will battle it out in St. Paul this weekend in hopes to being crowned the conference tournament champions.

DEREK LAMBERT Sports Editor With the college hockey regular season wrapping up two weekends ago, and the firstround of college hockey playoffs concluding last weekend, we move to conference tournaments this weekend before the NCAA Tournament field is set.

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s conference tournament is seeing a homecoming of sorts this season.

The WCHA Final Five was played at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul from 2001-2013, before moving to Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich. last season. This year, the Final Five returns to the X for the first time since the college hockey realignment, and the tournament field includes some familiar faces, though this should be a much different tournament than last season’s.

Minnesota State is the reigning Broadmoor Trophy winners as the 2014 Final Five Champions, as well as the 2015 MacNaughton Cup winners as the WCHA regular season champions. The Mavericks rank no. 2 in the nation and are a favorite to win this weekend’s tournament. MSU has collected a 27-7-3 record this season, which sets a program record for single-season wins during the Division I era, and making it to the X this weekend marks their third consecutive Final Five appearance. The Mavs carry one of the deepest lineups in the nation, which will be on display this weekend.

Senior Matt Leitner, a AllWCHA First-Team selection, leads the Mavericks in scoring for the fourth consecutive season, followed by junior Bryce Gervais. Leitner’s 32 assists are good for sixth in the country, while Gervais’ 26 goals are second best nationally. Gervais was selected to the All-WCHA Second-Team, while his 26 goals is just three shy of the MSU single-season record of 29.

Another key for the Mavs will be their goaltending.

WCHA Goaltender of the Year Stephon Williams has been stellar between the pipes for the Mavericks. The junior from Fairbanks, Alaska ranks as the third-best goaltender in the country behind a .923 save percentage and a 1.67 goals against

average. Williams will have to carry that play into this weekend as the Mavs look to repeat as the Final Five champions.

Michigan Tech returns to the Final Five for the first time since 2012, after having their best season in over 30 years. The Huskies rank no. 4 in the nation and are a lock for the NCAA Tournament, which will mark their first appearance since 1981.

MTU has the highest win total in the country, posting a 28-8-2 record this season, including 121-1 over their last 14 games.

Led by WCHA Player of the Year, senior Tanner Kero, the Huskies have one of the most potent offenses in the country.

Along with Kero, Tech has two offensive threats in Alex Petan and Malcolm Gould, who were selected to the All-WCHA Second-Team. But like the Mavericks, the Huskies boast a goaltender who could take them deep into the postseason.

Jamie Phillips ranks as the no. 2 goaltender in the nation, and has held his opponents to 1.61 goals per game. Phillips has been the most consistent player for the Huskies night in and night out, starting in 36 of Tech’s 38 games. Though the Huskies were defeated by MSU three times in four meetings this season, they are still seen as a favorite to win the Broadmoor Trophy this weekend.

Bowling Green State University is making their second consecutive Final Five appearance after falling to MSU in the 2014 semifinal game. The Falcons have been a pleasant surprise, much like Tech. After having a respectable but nonetheless unimpressive season in 2013-2014, the Falcons have pieced together a great season. BGSU compiled a 23-10-5 record heading into the tournament, and rank no. 9 nationally. Their no. 12 ranking in the NCAA pairwise rankings gives them a good chance of making the NCAA Tournament regardless of this weekend’s Final Five, but the Falcons surely don’t want to take any chances.

WCHA All-Rookie selection Brandon Hawkins leads the Falcons with 30 points on the year for a squad that gets scoring from all four lines. On the back end, junior goaltender Tommy Burke has seen the majority of

WCHA FINAL FIVE • Page 19

Web Photo Minnesota State with the Broadmoor Trophy last season as the Final Five champions.

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18 • MSU Reporter

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NL PREVIEW “Will the San Francisco Giants claim their fourth title in six years? Can the Washington Na- W tionals finally make further progress when it comes to October baseball? What can the young Chicago Cubs c bring to the table in 2015? ” continued from 16 tinue his success he had late last season. The future looks bright in Pittsburgh.

In the NL West, of course, the San Francisco Giants are the talk of the division. They continue to make it through each season without much fanfare, but when it hits October nobody catch touch this club. Madison Bumgarner is only 25 years old and he already has three World Series rings as the staff ace, the young Buster Posey is an annual MVP candidate, most of the lineup has remained intact, except for losing Pablo Sandoval to the Boston Red Sox, and they signed Casey McGehee to be his replacement at third base. However, it could be quite a blow if McGehee does not produce like he did in 2014.

They missed out on the Jon Lester and James Shields free agency sweepstakes, which could have their team sitting atop everyone else if they would have acted on it. Yet still, this club will be tough to handle throughout the regular season and into the playoffs.

The Los Angeles Dodgers made the news this offseason for trading their longtime leader Matt Kemp to the San Diego

Padres. With that happening, it frees that log-jam that has been in the Dodgers outfield for a while now. Andre Ethier and Carl Crawford will hopefully see more playing time due to it.

Howie Kendrick was acquired as their new second baseman, but they had to trade a top pitching prospect to get him. Time will only tell if that was a good deal or not. With three injuryprone starters behind MVP Clayton Kershaw in Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy and Brandon Beachy, the rotation may be a little shaky at times during the season. With the Dodgers trading young pitching talent, they are confident they can win now with what they have. Right fielder Yasiel Puig should be on the highlight reels for most games this season.

The San Diego Padres undoubtedly made the best moves during the offseason, as they acquired outfielders Matt Kemp from the Dodgers, Wil Myers from the Tampa Bay Rays and Justin Upton from the Atlanta Braves. They also signed starting pitchers James Shields and Brandon Morrow to add on to a rotation that contains Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross and Ian

Kennedy.

San Diego has the talent for a playoff roster, but what now will be looked at is the how the team chemistry will flow. Lots of new faces in new places, and the Padres have not made a playoff appearance since 2006. The bullpen was not addressed in the offseason, as it appears they are comfortable with closer Joaquin Benoit and crew to man the late innings. This team could be a sleeper, as they will need to mesh nicely to compete against the other California teams in this division.

For the Arizona Diamondbacks, this season could offer some looks into their future if anything at all. Archie Bradley will most likely start the 2015 season in AAA, but he is something to be excited if you are an Arizona baseball fan.

With saying Jeremy Hellickson or Josh Collmenter being the “aces” of this year’s rotation, it may be a tough season to get through. They did sign third baseman Yasmani Tomas, one of the many Cuban signings this offseason. Tomas should be the most exciting player to watch this season down in the desert, as there is not much to see this

season. Expect the possibility of outfielder Mark Trumbo being dealt towards the trade deadline, especially since his numbers have been declining for the past three seasons.

When will Troy Tulowitzki have the chance to experience playoff baseball on a yearly basis? That is what Colorado Rockies fans ask frequently what seems to be every season.

Yet again, it was a mediocre offseason for the Rockies front office, as their biggest signing was starting pitcher Kyle Kendrick.

The infield is solid in Colorado from first to third, as it is Justin Morneau, DJ LeMahieu, Troy Tulowitzki and Nolan Arenado.

Wilin Rosario should be a good catcher for years to come, and the outfield looks fast and powerful with Corey Dickerson, Charlie Blackmon and Carlos Gonzalez. The offense will always score runs in the Mile High city, but pitching will keep this team towards the bottom of the division, The NL East may be the most lopsided division when it comes to a winner, as the Washington Nationals could be crowned the winner a month into the season.

Signing former Cy Young

NATIONAL GUARD 5x7.5

Award winner Max Scherzer was the big news this offseason, and adding newly converted second baseman Yunel Escobar into the offense. The Nationals have a very balanced lineup, with the young Phenom Bryce Harper aiming for a breakout season.

The rotation could be considered one the best in baseball, as joining Scherzer are Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez and Doug Fister.

All starters could be towards the top of any rotation in baseball, and the weak National League East may struggle scoring runs against them. Some are picking the Nationals for the World Series, but as history shows with this team you have to escape the first round of the playoffs first, no matter how many wins you tally in the regular season.

The usual favorite Atlanta Braves may have taken a step back in 2015, as they look to be rebuilding for the future now.

They have traded assets to the team like Justin Upton and Jason Heyward and have looked elsewhere for replacements.

NL PREVIEW • Page 19

Thursday, March 19, 2015

WCHA FINAL FIVE

continued from 17 minutes in net, while freshman Chris Nell has also seen his fair share of action between the pipes.

The Falcons have seen a season of ups and downs, but have a pair of key wins over Tech and MSU that show they could contend for a championship this weekend without much surprise.

Ferris State University is a team that it should come as no surprise that they’re playing for the Broadmoor Trophy, but it seems as if it is a bit surprising.

The Bulldogs won the MacNaughton Cup in 2014 before falling in the Final Five title game to MSU last season. This season has been a bit different for FSU, though.

After a seven game losing streak through January, the Bulldogs were able to go 7-1-1

MSU Reporter • 19

Sports

over their final nine games to finish 18-19-2 heading into the weekend. While they sit outside the top 20 in the national rankings and come in at no. 34 in the NCAA pairwise rankings, FSU is capable of stealing a pair of wins this weekend to keep their season going.

The bright spot on this Bulldog roster is senior goaltender C.J. Motte. Motte was an AllWCHA First-Team player last season and made the third-team this season. Despite the lack of help he’s had in front of him this season, he has still posted respectable numbers with a .923 save percentage and a 2.04 goals against average.

As a senior, Motte will have to play his best to keep his collegiate career and the Bulldogs’ season going. The Bulldogs’

only chance at making the NCAA Tournament this season would be to win the Final Five this weekend. This would be quite a feat to have for teams in the Tournament for the WCHA, a conference that was seen as far inferior to the Big Ten and National Collegiate Hockey Conference after the college hockey realignment prior to last season.

Fans of these teams and the WCHA will be treated to fast paced, high-quality hockey this weekend in St. Paul, and regardless of who takes home the Broadmoor Trophy on Saturday night, there will be two teams playing in the NCAA Tournament from the WCHA for certain, and as many as four.

Bowling Green State University Falcons National Ranking: 9 Conference Finish: 3 Record: 23-10-5 Key Players: Brandon Hawkins (16-14-30), Matt Pohlkamp (8-1725), Tommy Burke (2.09 GAA, .922 sv %) Ferris State University Bulldogs National Ranking: NR Conference Finish: 6 Record: 18-19-2 Key Players: Gerald Mayhew (11-12-23), Matt Robertson (6-17-23), C.J. Motte (2.04 GAA, .923 sv %) Minnesota State University, Mankato Mavericks National Ranking: 2 Conference Finish: 1 Record: 27-7-3 Key Players: Matt Leitner (9-32-41), Bryce Gervais (26-9-35), Casey Nelson (7-25-32), Stephon Williams (1.67 GAA, .923 sv %) Michigan Tech University Huskies National Ranking: 4 Conference Finish: 2 Record: 28-8-2 Key Players: Tanner Kero (19-26-45), Alex Petan (14-24-38), Malcolm Gould (14-17-31), Jamie Phillips (1.61 GAA, .938 sv %)

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NL PREVIEW “The NL East may be the most lopsided division when it comes to a winner, as the Washington Nationals could be crowned the winner a month into the season..” continued from 18 They signed former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Nick Markakis this offseason to man right field, and they signed journeyman Jonny Gomes to play left. With the move into their new stadium, the Braves are certainly not where they want to be. With Freddie Freeman and Julio Teheran being the only players worth mentioning, it looks like Atlanta has a legitimate chance of finishing in one of the last two in the division.

An intriguing team to watch in this division will be the New York Mets. Ace Matt Harvey will be returning and all eyes are for the “Dark Knight” to pitch as well as he once did before his injury. The pitching will be solid, and the offense has potential to knock in enough runs. They added veteran Michael Cuddyer to and John Mayberry Jr to fill some offensive holes in their lineup.

Their minor league system has more to get excited about, as Matt Harvey is just the beginning. If New York can improve in all areas this season with offense and pitching looking better, they may have a chance for a run for at least a wild card spot by the time fall comes.

After signing Giancarlo Stanton to an ultra-mega contract this offseason, the Miami Marlins went out on a spending spree and got starting pitchers Mat Latos and Dan Haren, second baseman Dee Gordon, third baseman Martin Prado, first baseman Michael Morse and right fielder Ichiro Suzuki. That is a lot of new faces for a team

with ideas of changing their latest woes. They have completely flipped the team into something that could be pretty enjoyable to watch, as the offense should produce more runs, especially homeruns. We have seen some success with these kinds of moves in the past. The only question is can everyone stay healthy?

To say the Philadelphia Phillies are not the same team as they were in 2008 when they won the World Series would be a vast understatement. This team is looks confusing. They traded long-time Philly shortstop Jimmy Rollins, outfielder Marlon Bryd and have been crying out to some team in the league to take the rest of Cole Hamels’ contract. There is too much to work on in the neighborhood of brotherly love these days. Ryan Howard is aging and has maybe a couple years left.

Chase Utley is getting up there in age. The Phillies have some talent in the minor leagues, but there is still a lot of time until they get a crack at the big leagues. For now, Philadelphia will have to endure some long summers at Citizens Bank Park.

With the offseason moves some of these teams have made, it should be an interesting and exciting season of baseball in the National League. While the Giants have built somewhat of a dynasty, there is plenty of entertainment for baseball fans elsewhere in this division.

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20 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Thursday, March 19, 2015