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THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021
KATO’S TIME IS NOW
The Mavericks men’s hockey team will play the St. Cloud Huskies in semifinals at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh Pa.
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When it comes to supporting Mavs hockey, students don’t puck around By ASHLEY OPINA Stafff Writer It became clear why the land of 10,000 lakes is also dubbed “the state of hockey” when three of the four teams that advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four hailed from Minnesota. And if there is one thing Minnesotans love more than hockey itself, it is the pride that comes with living up to their state’s nickname. This year students at Minnesota State University, Mankato were filled with that pride as they watched the Mavericks defeat the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in a 4-0 shutout last week, securing a spot in the Frozen Four along with University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, the St. Cloud State University Huskies and the University of Massachusetts Minutemen. “My friends and I went crazy when they won against the U,” says MNSU junior Taylor Dubej, who
watched the game on TV with a group of friends. “We [the Mavericks] are advancing to the Frozen Four which is a super big deal.” Senior Hogan Greenwood says he was also excited to see the Mavericks beat the Gophers and advance to the Frozen Four. “I was so happy for everyone,” he said. “It’s been tough for the Mavs with never being able to win a game in the NCAA tournament and now they’re headed to the Frozen Four.” Junior Mike Scholl said watching the previous game got him excited to keep watching. “I really saw them come together and play as a team,” he says. “That’s what allowed us to win.” Dubej, Greenwood and Scholl said they’ve been hockey fans since they were kids. They’ve been loyal Mavericks fans since freshman year. “I’d go to almost all the Mavs games before COVID-19 started,” says Dubej. He says he plans to head downtown to grab a bite to eat while
watching the Frozen Four with some of his friends. With COVID-19 restrictions loosening, Dubej and others can watch the big game at popular bars and restaurants in town such as Buffalo Wild Wings, Rounders and the 507 (which is reportedly booked solid Thursday for that reason). To encourage students and fans to watch the game with the 507 staff, the bar is offering deals all night long, including 99-cent BOGO appetizers and drinks for all to enjoy. Hockey fans need only show their server that they follow @barstoolkato and @the5o7 on Instagram. Other local bars are getting in on the action by offering their own game day deals. Pub 500 will begin their watch party at 4 p.m. with their full event menu, full bar, and their gathering special, consisting of four pulled pork sandwiches, a pound of fries, and a pitcher of pop for $20. Customers can exchange the pop for beer at an additional $5 charge.
Johnny B’s has its own drink specials lined up for the big game. There will be $3.25 domestic taps, $3.50 Captain Morgan’s, and $4 rail drinks. Students who prefer to stay on campus and watch the game in the comfort of their own home are able to do so as well. The University will be hosting a watch party of its own that includes a fan guide. Information for this party can be found at msumavericks.com/frozenfour. As for Greenwood’s and Scholl’s game-day plans, both say they expect to watch the Frozen Four at home. “My game-day prediction is that we win 4-2,” says Dubej. “I predict the Mavs will advance.” With their predictions made, all three students offer the team some encouraging words. “Let’s go boys,” chants Dubej. “Let’s bring some hardware to Mankato.”
2 • MSU Reporter
News
The fight’s not over, social justice continues
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By JULIA BARTON Staff Writer
S. Lee Merritt, a leading civil rights activist, spoke about continuing the fight for social justice at Minnesota State University, Mankato’s 45th Annual Dr. Michael T. Fagin Pan African Conference Tuesday. Merritt shared his experience as a person of color and his thoughts about racial injustices. One question asked during the discussion was how to mitigate burdens the COVID-19 pandemic had put on Black owned businesses. “I think the answer is always going to rely on unity,” he said. “If we are supporting Black businesses, make it intentional to support startup businesses and circulate
the Black dollar within the Black community as often as possible, then we can show up for our communities in that way,” Merritt said. In regards to social injustices, the Derek Chauvin trial currently taking place was heavily discussed in the conversation. This is a case involving the death of George Floyd during his arrest in May of 2020. When asked how this situation might affect future law enforcement officers this is what was shared. “The Chauvin trial going on right now will demonstrate some consequences that will serve as a deterrent for bad acts among law enforcement. I’m hopeful that a new diversity of applicants will join the law en-
JUSTICE on page 10
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Thursday, April 8, 2021
The Freedom Georgia Initiative builds a new life for Black friends and families By JENNA PETERSON • News Director On Tuesday afternoon the Minnesota State University, Mankato’s 45th Annual Dr. Michael T. Fagin Pan African Conference continued its panel by steering the conversation to The Freedom Georgia Initiative. This initiative, founded by Renee Walters and Ashley Scott, was created to help Black people live in a land that protects them from climate harm and food insecurity. The initiative also focuses on innovation and technology. Finding the land that would sustain the mission took time, but Walter and Scott were able to travel all around in order to find the perfect spot that would sustain the mission. After dedicating hours upon hours scouting out the right land, Walter walked up on 96.71 acres of land and thought, “We knew. We saw the land and just knew.” This was when the founders knew they had to stop making excuses, but instead start making action to match their words. “We need to protect our community for future generations,” Scott said. The mission of the initiative was to help Black families heal from racial trauma and economic instabilities they have been experiencing, especially in the pandemic. Scott commented on the importance of this project as, “We need to thrive, not just survive.” She said that when everyone unifies and collaborates together they can create a safe space for everyone, which is essential to the initiative. Creating this project wasn’t simple and took lots of work between Walters and Scott, as well as anyone who believed in Freedom, Georgia. The two founders worked with what they had and built up from it. Their hard work and advocacy turned heads and made people come to help out in any way they could.
Courtesy photo Walters and Scott pointed out that any teamwork and help is welcomed and appreciated. “The diversity of voices gives you more knowledge to move forward,” Scott stated. To make this dream become reality, the Black Achievement Fund has been an essential aspect of the initiative. This fund helps Black people follow through the projects it brings to the table, whether it be scholarships or investments. (To learn more or make a donation visit baf.solutions.) Reaching out to friends and families, as well as the Black Achievement Fund, they helped Freedom, Georgia be lifted from the ground up. The group has also recognized that this community isn’t complete without the help of businesses to provide jobs, access to resources, and to allow them to be a functioning town. Many of these businesses helping Freedom, Georgia are ones that are Blackowned, women-owned, veteran-owned and BIPOC-owned, as stated on the organization’s website. To make all of this possible, Walter and Scott connected with their local government through town meetings. “Get to know your community. Go to town meetings and make connections within your local government. These are the people who will help you if you put in the effort,” Walter commented.
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Thursday, April 8, 2021
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Expert: Chauvin never took knee off Floyd’s neck area
MSU Reporter • 3
‘You can’t just stop’: Breonna Taylor’s mom continues to fight for justice
ASSOCIATED PRESS Officer Derek Chauvin had his knee on George Floyd’s neck area — and was bearing down with most of his weight — the entire 9 1/2 minutes the Black man lay facedown with his hands cuffed behind his back, a useof-force expert testified at Chauvin’s murder trial. Jody Stiger, a Los Angeles Police Department sergeant serving as a prosecution witness, said Wednesday that based on his review of video evidence, Chauvin applied pressure to Floyd’s neck or neck area from the time officers began pinning Floyd to the ground until paramedics began to move him to a stretcher. “That particular force did not change during the entire restraint period?” prosecutor Steve Schleicher asked as he showed the jury a composite of five still images. “Correct,” replied Stiger, who on Tuesday testified that the force used against Floyd was excessive. Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson countered by pointing out what he said were moments in the video footage when Chauvin’s knee did not appear to be on Floyd’s neck but on his shoulder blade area or the base of his neck. Stiger did not give much ground, saying the officer’s knee in some of the contested images still seemed to be near Floyd’s neck, though he agreed his weight might have shifted at times. In other testimony, the lead Minnesota state investigator on the case, James Reyerson, initially agreed with Nelson that Floyd seemed to say in a police body-camera video of his arrest, “I ate too many drugs.” But when a prosecutor played a longer clip of the video, Reyerson said he believed what Floyd really said was “I ain’t do no drugs.” Chauvin, 45, is charged with murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death May 25. Floyd, 46, was arrested outside a neighborhood market after being accused of trying to pass a
Court TV via Associated Press In this image from video, witness Jody Stiger, a Los Angeles Police Department sergeant testifies as Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill presides Wednesday, April 7, 2021, in the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis.
counterfeit $20 bill. A panicky-sounding Floyd struggled and claimed to be claustrophobic as police tried to put him in a squad car, and they pinned him to the pavement. Bystander video of Floyd crying that he couldn’t breathe as onlookers yelled at Chauvin to get off him sparked protests and scattered violence around the U.S. Nelson has argued that the now-fired white officer “did exactly what he had been trained to do over his 19-year career,” and he has suggested that Floyd’s drug use and his underlying health conditions are what killed him, not Chauvin’s knee, as prosecutors contend. Fentanyl and methamphetamine were found in Floyd’s system. Breahna Giles, a state forensic scientist, testified Wednesday that pills found in the SUV Floyd was driving contained methamphetamine and fentanyl. Another witness, forensic chemist Susan Meith, testified that remnants of a pill found in the back of the police squad car also contained methamphetamine and fentanyl. Earlier testimony revealed that that pill contained DNA from Floyd’s saliva.
Darron Cummings• Associated Press By SYDNEY BERGGREN Staff Writer
The MNSU Pan African Conference was rounded off with a powerful and emotional visit from Tamika Palmer, mother of the late Breonna Taylor. This session of the conference was hosted by MNSU Director of African American Affairs Kenneth Reid, MNSU Professor of Management Angela Titi Amayah, and Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Henry Morris. This session was led by Stacy Wells, Mankato Public schools’ new Communications Director. Wells and Palmer’s discussion felt natural, as Palmer was in her home with a tribute to her daughter hung on the wall behind her.
When asked about herself, Palmer didn’t have much to say. “I’m Breonna Taylor’s mother. That’s all I think I am anyways. But I’ve become so much more in this fight trying to get to justice,” Palmer stated. When talking about her late daughter, however, she seemed to perk up. “She was just full of life,” Palmer said. “She loved family, loved being around her friends, loved to travel, but loved to be home playing board games and eating with family over anything.” At age 26, Breonna was working in two area hospitals as an ER technician and was hoping to go back to school to become a NICU nurse.
BREONNA on page 9
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4 • MSU Reporter
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Thursday, April 8, 2021
Student Gov Update Senator Spotlight: Margarita Ruiz By BAILEY BRENDEL Staff Writer
Online tuition differential fees and student engagement in the classroom were among the many topics discussed at this week’s Minnesota State University Mankato’s Student Government meeting. Vice President for Finance and Administration Rick Straka said the University is holding conversation about putting the online differential fees currently assessed per class and per credit hours and adding it to students’ base tuition. The University is looking into this due to students not having a choice of attending classes online or in person depending on availability. Currently, the University charges $4.50 extra per credit for online courses. Online materials, such as D2L, are paid for by using the online differential fee, even though it is also used by students who attend class in-person. The University is proposing a 2.5% increase in this differential charge, which would generate $2.5 million in revenue to cover the cost of dispersing the increase across all base tuitions. Martin Jacarusso with Maverick Adventures, spoke about their recently completed “Behind the Lens” outdoor photo contest. This event resulted a lot of community participa-
tion , with winners put on display. Next to present was VP Mark Johnson with the IT solutions. “Over 14,600 students and faculty are involved in multifactored identification on their online tools like email, social media, and other services,” Johnson said. As the semester ends, IT solutions encourage students to change their passwords to help get the services they may need over the summer. Sen. Paula Bejerano is working on online classroom abilities and accommodating students who need this program. Bejerano is also looking to increase online engagement between students and instructors. Sen. Rediet Abera has been working on reviewing how advisors are working within the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Department. “I found that students only contact their advisors during class registration time,” she said. “Students should be looking to their advisors more often.” Sen. Siene Haq is working to come up with better communication methods and more chatrooms between students and professors. Since Haq joined the senate in the middle of the semester, it has been hard to make substantial progress in her project.
By BAILEY BRENDEL Staff Writer
Off-Campus Senator, Margarita Ruiz is an Applied Sociology senior at Minnesota State University, Mankaot who dedicates her time to bettering the lives of students at the University. As Ruiz holds this position within the Student Government, she is also on the Student Basic Needs Committee. Outside of the Student Government, Ruiz has participated in College of Democrats in the past. Ruiz decided to become a Senator for various reasons. “There are a lot of voices on campus that I feel are not always heard. It’s important that you take a stand on behalf of people who can’t necessarily speak up for themselves. Being a part of Student Government is a really good opportunity for me to get more involved with campus. I never felt a really close connection to campus and until I joined.” Being a member of Student Government allows its senators to create projects to improve campus life. Ruiz is taking this opportunity to its fullest potential with her project. “I’m the Chair of the Student Basic Needs Committee and I’m hoping to let the University know that the efforts we are currently working on are important. Some of these include food insecurity and
FABIO CASTEL GARCIA • The Reporter Current Off-campus Senator Margarita Ruiz in the Student Government office
mental health issues, as many students face these problems.” Ruiz also emphasized that the upcoming student government and University President pay attention to these issues and are brainstorming solutions. When talking about her biggest takeaway she has learned from the Student Senate Ruiz said, “There are a lot of issues on campus that need strong voices to help address them. Since I am a senior I won’t be joining the student government next year as a senator, but I’m hoping whoever is reading this can feel empowered enough to try student government. I’m hoping they try to work at some of these issues that really need strong voices.” Ruiz pointed out other ad-
vantages to joining this student-led organization. “You get to meet a lot of awesome people who are also really dedicated to helping the campus community and making it overall a better place for students. It’s a great experience to get your hands dirty figuratively and actually address these issues that affect the student population.” Moving into her future, Ruiz is glad that being involved in the Student Senate has given her the opportunity to improve her public speaking skills and teamwork skills. When working with many people in the Senate and around the community, it gives her a good leg-up on how to do group work and reach out to people she needs to get in contact with.
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Thursday, April 8, 2021
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MSU Reporter • 5
Empowering Mavericks take on Stud Gov elections uncontested By MAXWELL MAYLEBEN Editor in Chief
For the first time in the viewable past, the Minnesota State University, Mankato Student Government president and vice president elections will go uncontested. Up for the president is current at-large senator Reauna Stiff. She came to MNSU from a small town in Illinois, following a family member who had attended neighboring schools. Stiff joined Student Government during her sophomore year in a vacancy election for an off-campus senator position. She subsequently elected and continued to work as an off-campus senator until being elected into her at-large position. At her side vying for vice president is current Student Government Senate Speaker, Kara Svercl. Svercl joined the governing body two years ago with on-campus food insecurity a priority. During her time as a senator, Svercl brought a new program called “Swipe-Out Hunger,” aimed to quell the large amount of food insecurity on campus.
MAXWELL MAYLEBEN • The Reporter Presidential candidate Reauna Stiff (right) and Vice Presidential candidate Kara Svercl (left) are going into elections on Monday and Tuesday of next week uncontested.
The two are running under the same party name as they did last year called “Empowering Mavericks.” While they are running with the same name, the platforms have been newly created for this year’s election.
A large stance heavily held by Stiff is advocating for issues facing off-campus students such as parking and off-campus housing complexes. In regard to parking, Stiff intends to expand the Free Lot by creating a new student fee
for everyone attending campus. This is a response to over congestion within the FreeLot, making it difficult for off-campus students to make it to class without paying for a permit. Stiff also intends to focus
on off-campus housing. “I’ve talked to people who don’t get any response when they talk to their housing managers,” Stiff said. “I’ve talked to students who can’t find affordable housing.” Stiff aims to organize town hall meetings with housing managers as a place for students to air grievances and increase transparency. Another main platform of Empowering Mavericks this year is to address student basic needs, such as food insecurity and homelessness. Empowering Mavericks includes in its platform a “Basic Needs Hub,” with the intent of centralizing different services offered to students. “Mankato students do have a lot of resources, but they are scattered across the whole University.” said Svercl, speaking to the need for a centralized location. “That makes it difficult for a student in crisis to get what they need.” A new food pantry was created last year, with a similar goal to fight food insecurity and provide for students’ basic needs. Svercl said, “The basic needs hub is a basic progres
6 • MSU Reporter
News
Brazil’s Bolsonaro ignores calls for lockdown to slow virus
Thursday, April 8, 2021
Texas investigating abuse allegations at migrant facility
SILVIA IZQUIERDO • Associated Press
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A man looks at the camera as he eats a meal donated by the Leao Xlll Foundation amid the pandemic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, April 7, 2021
ASSOCIATED PRESS Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Wednesday there would be “no national lockdown,” ignoring growing calls from health experts a day after the nation saw its highest number of COVID-19 deaths in 24 hours since the pandemic began. Brazil’s Health Ministry registered 4,195 deaths on Tuesday, becoming the third country to go above that threshold as Bolsonaro’s political opponents demanded stricter measures to slow down the spread of the virus. “We’re not going to accept this politics of stay home and shut everything down,” Bolsonaro said, resisting the pressure in a speech in the city of Chapeco in Santa Catarina state. “There will be no national lockdown.” Brazil’s conservative president also defended the use of so-called early treatment protocols, which include anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine. No scientific studies have found the drug effective to prevent or treat COVID-19. The number of deaths in Chapeco linked to the virus has finally come down after some very difficult weeks. Intensive care units had surpassed capacity, forcing authorities to transfer infected patients to hospitals in other states. Last month, the city implemented some restrictions on the economy for two weeks, but Bolsonaro attributed Chapeco’s recent success to the use of early treatment protocols, newspaper Estadão reported. In an open letter published Tuesday in newspaper O Globo, the Brazilian Association of Collective Health, which counts nearly 20,000 members, called for a three-
week nationwide lockdown. “The serious epidemiological situation that is leading to the collapse of the health system in several states requires the immediate adoption, without hesitation, of strict restrictive measures,” the statement said. Intensive care units in most Brazilian states have an occupation rate above 90%, though figures have been stable since the past week. The Supreme Court is ruling today on the reopening of religious buildings nationwide. Many local authorities decided to ban large religious gatherings in spite of a federal government decision to label them as part of essential services. “There is no Christianity without community life,” argued Brazil’s solicitor general André Mendonça, an evangelical pastor, before the Supreme Court on Wednesday. “True Christians are never willing to kill for their faith, but they are always willing to die to guarantee freedom of religion and worship.” The preliminary results of an ongoing study involving 67,700 healthcare workers in Manaus, where a more contagious variant of COVID-19 was detected this year, seemed to confirm earlier findings that China’s Sinovac vaccine is effective against the virus. The press release published Wednesday mentioned a 50% efficacy rate after the administration of just one of the vaccine’s two doses. The study has not yet been published or peer reviewed. Several health experts consulted by The Associated Press said it was not possible to properly evaluate the preliminary findings without access to the study’s methodology and full results, but all agreed to say that it was promising.
Texas child welfare officials said Wednesday they received three reports alleging abuse and neglect at a San Antonio coliseum that is holding more than 1,600 immigrant teenagers who crossed the southern border. It is the first time state officials announced they are investigating such allegations at one of the emergency facilities the U.S. government has quickly set up in Texas amid a sharp increase in crossings of unaccompanied youths. A county official who also volunteers at the San Antonio site, the Freeman Coliseum, said the nature of the allegations do not align with what she has seen in multiple visits to the facility. Child welfare officials would not reveal details about who made the allegations, but Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said his understanding was that they came from someone who had been inside the facility. One of the allegations include sexual abuse, but no further details were provided. Other allegations include insufficient staffing, children not eating and those who tested positive for COVID-19 not being separated, Abbott said at a news conference that he quickly arranged outside the facility Wednesday evening. For weeks, Abbott has joined Republicans in criticizing the Biden administration for the handling of the migration challenge at the U.S. southern border. “This facility should shut down immediately. The children should be moved to better staffed and better secured locations,” Abbott said. Bexar County Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores, who has been inside the facility as both an elected official and volunteer, said the teenagers are offered three meals and two snacks a day and anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 is put in a separate area far from other children. She toured the facility with Abbott after his press conference and said he
LM OTERO • Associated Press In this Wednesday, March 17, 2021, file photo, Texas Gov Greg Abbott speaks during a news conference about migrant children detentions, in Dallas.
asked staff questions that included COVID-19 testing protocols. “I wish the governor had done his tour before the press conference when he politicized children,” said Clay-Flores, an elected Democrat. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement that it could not comment on specific cases but “has a zero-tolerance policy for all forms of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and inappropriate sexual behavior.” The allegations were received by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Spokesman Patrick Crimmins said he did not immediately know if the state had received other abuse or neglect allegations at emergency sites for migrant youths in Texas. HHS has rushed to open large sites to house migrant children across the Southwest amid a sharp increase in crossings of unaccompanied youths at the southern border. The agency’s lack of capacity as border crossings were rising at the start of the Biden administration has led to children sometimes waiting for weeks in overcrowded and unsuitable Border Patrol facilities.
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Virginia becomes first Southern state to legalize marijuana
MSU Reporter • 7
Summoning Seniors: Big new push to vaccinate older Americans
Virginia became the first Southern state to legalize marijuana Wednesday, as lawmakers voted to approve Gov. Ralph Northam’s proposed changes to a bill that will allow adults to possess and cultivate small amounts of the drug starting in July. Northam sent the bill back to lawmakers substantially changed from the version that squeaked out of the General Assembly in February. The amendments lawmakers agreed to Wednesday would accelerate the timeline of legalization by about three years, well before retail sales would begin, a move that’s been cheered by racial justice advocates. “The time has come for our state to legalize marijuana. The amendments ensure that while we’re doing the complicated work of standing up a commercial market, we aren’t delaying immediate reforms that will make our Commonwealth more equitable for all Virginians,” House Majority Leader Charniele Herring said in urging her colleagues to approve the governor’s changes. Democrats said the bill was a matter of urgency, a necessary step to end what state figures show is a disparate treatment of people of color under current marijuana laws. Northam’s amendments cleared the House 53-44 with two abstentions during a one-day session held for the purpose of putting the finishing touches on the year’s legislation. In the Senate, lawmakers deadlocked 20-20 and Democratic Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax broke the tie, voting to approve the changes. The final version of the legislation would allow adults 21 and up to legally possess up to one ounce (28.3 grams) of cannabis without the intent to distribute beginning July 1. It also would allow the home cultivation of up to four plants per household beginning July 1. Public use of the drug will be prohibited. “This is not going to generate some ganjafest at Jiffy Lube pavilion out in the
ROGELIO V. SOLIS • Associated Press
ASSOCIATED PRESS
STEVE HELBER • Associated Press Virginia State Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Richard Saslaw, center, along with Sen. John Cosgrove, R-Chesapeake, left, talk with new Sen. Travis Hackworth, R-Tazewell, during the Senate reconvene session at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, April 7, 2021.
parking lot, because that is smoking in public. Just like you can’t drink in public, you can’t smoke in public under this,” Democratic Sen. Scott Surovell said. The bill lays out the complex process of creating a new state agency to oversee the marijuana marketplace, with sales beginning and regulations taking effect on Jan. 1, 2024. Many parts of the bill dealing with the regulatory framework will have to be reapproved by lawmakers next year. The possession and cultivation pieces will not. Republicans, who overwhelmingly opposed the bill when it initially went through the General Assembly, railed against the latest version, citing several reasons. GOP Del. Chris Head called the bill “a train wreck.” “The hard-fought compromise that barely made it out of this chamber and over to the Senate has just been discarded. And why is that? It’s because some activists want marijuana legalized and they want it legalized now, consequences be damned,” he said.
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ASSOCIATED PRESS The first hurdle was getting on the bus. Seventyfour-year-old Linda Busby hesitated outside a community center where older people were loading up to go get the coronavirus vaccine. “I was scared, I’m not afraid to say that,” Busby said Wednesday after getting her shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after encouragement from a staff member and her brother. Busby’s hesitance is just what the Biden administration and its allies in the states are combating, one person at a time, as the White House steps up appeals to seniors to get inoculated. The vaccination rate for this top-priority group is reaching a plateau even as supplies have expanded. About 76% of Americans
aged 65 and older have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccines since authorization in December, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the rate of new vaccinations among the group most vulnerable to adverse virus outcomes has dramatically slowed. It’s a growing source of concern, not only because of the potential for preventable deaths and serious illness among seniors in coming months but also for what it could portend for America’s broader population. “I want to make a direct appeal to our seniors and everyone who cares about them,” President Joe Biden said Tuesday, citing “incredible progress” but declaring it’s still not enough.
8 • MSU Reporter
Thursday, April 8, 2021
SPRING 2021 EDITOR IN CHIEF:
MAXWELL MAYLEBEN
McElroy- We need to support our Maverick sports
maxwell.mayleben@mnsu.edu
MADISON DIEMERT
madison.diemert@mnsu.edu
Opinion By DANIEL MCELROY Sports Editor
Athletics is one of the greatest college experiences that is offered to students. For some, it’s the sole reason they chose our school. For others, it never even crossed their mind. But something that every student at Minnesota State University, Mankato has in common is, we’re all Mavericks. Whether you play on the football team or are watching from the bleachers, we’re all in the same boat. Maverick athletics is a staple of our school and the surrounding community that needs and deserves our support now more than ever. The Maverick men’s hockey team has touched down in Pittsburgh to compete in their first Frozen Four competition in the program’s history. The team of student athletes have been tested for COVID-19 countless times, been uncertain about what their week will look like and can change completely at any given moment. The only Division I sport that our school has to offer is in the process of making history for our school in a year that no one will ever forget. Hockey isn’t everything, though. The student athletes, from basketball and wrestling to baseball and softball, have to live with the same realities of a COVID stricken world. We even have to deal with student athletes not getting to play an official season in soccer, volleyball, and football, after all of the work that is put in every
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
single day for their teammates, coaches, and classmates. All of these sports under the Maverick athletics program
McKay and Quincy Anderson earning honors including the Hobey Hat Trick finalist and the NSIC All-Conference First
“Maverick athletics gives students a chance to represent our school” deserve the support and respect for all of the hard work and dedication that they display. Maverick athletics gives students a chance to represent our school all throughout the United States. With students like Dryden
Team, respectively, it’s the least we can do as their classmates to support our teams. They are giving us the opportunity to be nationally recognized as one of the best athletics schools in the country. When life returns to nor-
mal as much as possible, athletics events can be some of the best memories students have of this school. For students who were attending MSU in 2018, the Mavericks against the Bowling Green Falcons WCHA Postseason Finals was one of the most energetic, memorable, and electrifying games the Mavericks have ever been a part of. When Minnesota State scored two goals in under the last two minutes after being down 2-0, followed by Nick Rivera scoring the game winning goal in overtime, whatever I felt in the arena at the time was indescribable. You knew that you were surrounded by a community who have the same love for our school.
“How do you show support for the Maverick athletics?” Compiled by Kjerstin Hall
KALLIE CHRISTENSON, FRESHMAN “I follow their social media accounts.”
COLTON MANDT, SENIOR “I used to go to the football games.”
HANNA SACK, FRESHMAN
CARTER NELSON, SENIOR
OLIVIA KOESTERS, FRESHMAN
“I’ll watch their games online since we can’t go in person.”
“I would attend as many games as possible, go Mavs.”
“I wear my Mav gear to show support.”
Baylee Sorensen 507-389-5097 baylee.sorensen@mnsu.edu Olivia Haefner 507-389-1079 olivia.haefner@mnsu.edu 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, April 8, 2021
News
Letter to the Editor: Do away with Online Differential For those of you who are unaware, currently, if you were to take an online course, it would cost $36.25 a credit. This means if you were to take just a three-credit online course, it would be $108.75. This is on top of standard tuition, student fees, and course fees. Currently, the university administration is asking Student Government to support an additional 2.5% increase to tuition (which would be roughly $95 dollars) to remove this per credit fee fully. As Student Government President who also heavily campaigned on this issue, I am fully in support of this request. While the 2.5% would increase our student costs by about 95 dollars, it would make it cheaper to take an online class. Under this proposal, if you were to take even just a three-credit course that is online, you would be paying less than under the current system. The money you save also increases the more online courses you take. The online tuition differential has been something I have been fighting for the past two years in Student Government leadership. While it is easy to say, “That means tuition would go up, so I don’t support it!” You have to look at the online differential from another point of view. The impact a per-credit fee has on working students who HAVE to take online courses or students not in Mankato or even in the United States. Additionally, we don’t get to choose the delivery method in some cases. The University sets the delivery method, and students are not asked what they prefer or want but instead asking the faculty what they like. Some faculty I have talked to didn’t even know the financial impact that they force onto students when choosing a course delivery method. The point I am making is nobody benefits under the current system. The way I describe the online differential (and even basic course fees) is an app on your phone that you pay to download and when you use it, many of the features of it are behind a paywall. As students, we already pay to be here, so we shouldn’t have to pay more to take a course being offered. Other Minnesota State Institutions are also having similar discussions, like Minnesota State University, Moorehead, and Metropolitan State University, whom both are asking their students to support an 8%
Courtesy photo and 11% increase, respectively. Ours is much smaller at 2.5%. This after reducing expenses currently under the current system, which was a request we made to the University. While our University is seeking a 5.5% tuition increase (3% base tuition and 2.5% for the online differential), it is still much cheaper than our peer institutions who are going much higher. We also have an opportunity to again make online courses more affordable instead of a per-credit fee. The bottom line is now the perfect time as a student body to finally do away with the online differential to increase transparency in costs, get rid of a discriminatory per credit fee, and make online courses (which are becoming more common) more affordable for our students.
MSU Reporter • 9 JUSTICE continued from page 3 “She was confident,” she said. “Everybody loved her, everybody loved to be around her. She had this smile that would just light up a room.” Wells and Palmer briefly discussed a new exhibit at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky that honors Breonna. “Part of the exhibit has two flags up with a star for every person who was killed by gun violence.” The exhibit features the original Vanity Fair painting of Breonna, done by portrait artist Amy Sherald. Wells asked Palmer what she learned in this past year. “Oh, it’s all over the place, the things you learn,” she said. Palmer touched on corruption, victimization, how much people will strive to find a reason behind the needless violence. “To actually be the person whose life has been turned upside down by this is crazy,” she said. “I haven’t had the time to breathe.” In trying to find justice for Breonna and other victims, Palmer’s seen progress she feels good about. “We got Breonna’s law passed, which is a ban on noknock warrants and makes police have to use body cams,” she said. Palmer continued, “There has to be more accountability.
We have to continue to make those calls and write those letters and figure out what doors to knock down next.” While taking a moment to reflect, Palmer stated, “Even when this is over for me, I don’t get to walk away. I’ll continue to push for accountability.” She then took some time to remember the great things about Breonna. “Breonna changed the world. I always knew that she would be great, but never did I imagine to this magnitude,” said Palmer. The pair remained quiet, allowing the audience to consider their words. “On one hand, I hate that Breonna was the sacrifice, but on the other hand? I don’t know another person that would have been better for the job.” “So how do we move on from this in a way that we really truly are honoring Breonna Taylor?” Wells asked. “We don’t. We can’t, it’s not done. There’s still so much work to do. We have to keep pushing for those changes. We’re not asking for a special favor, we’re asking to be treated equally,” Palmer said. “I don’t feel hopeful, but I’m not tired either. Something will come.” A recording of the webinar is available on MNSU’s website.
- Andrew Trenne Student Body President
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China warns Washington not to boycott Winter Olympics ANDY WONG • Associated Press
Biden to unveil actions on guns, including new ATF boss
Thursday, April 8, 2021
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ANDREW HARNIK • Associated Press In this Sept. 25, 2019, file photo Giffords Law Center Senior Policy Advisor David Chipman speaks at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on assault weapons on Capitol Hill in Washington.
ASSOCIATED PRESS President Joe Biden is preparing to unveil a series of executive actions aimed at addressing gun violence, delivering his first major action on gun control since taking office. Biden on Thursday will also nominate David Chipman, a former federal agent and adviser at the gun control group Giffords, to be director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to senior Biden administration officials. Biden has faced increasing pressure to act on gun control after a spate of mass shootings across the U.S. in recent weeks, but the White House has repeatedly emphasized the need for legislative action on guns. While the House passed a background-check bill last month, gun control measures face slim prospects in an evenly divided Senate, where Republicans remain near-unified against most proposals. Biden will be joined by Attorney General Merrick Garland at the event, and most of the actions will come from the Justice Department. Biden is expected to announce tighter regulations requiring buyers of “ghost guns” to undergo background checks. The homemade firearms — often assembled from parts and milled with a metal-cutting machine — often lack serial numbers used to trace them. It’s legal to build a gun in a home or a workshop and there is no federal requirement for a background check. The president’s plans were previewed by a person familiar with the expected actions who was not authorized to publicly discuss them. Senior administration officials confirmed that the Justice Department would issue a new proposed rule aimed at reining in ghost guns within 30 days, but offered no details on the content of the rule. The Justice Department will also issue a proposed rule within 60 days tightening regulations on pistol-stabilizing braces, like the one used by the Boulder, Colorado, shooter in a massacre last month that left 10 dead. The rule would designate pistols used with stabilizing braces as short-barreled rifles, which, under the National Firearms Act, require a federal license to own and are subject
to a more thorough application process and a $200 tax. The Justice Department will also publish model red flag legislation within 60 days, which the administration says will make it easier for states to adopt their own red flag laws. Such laws allow for individuals to petition a court to allow the police to confiscate weapons from a person deemed to be a danger to themselves or others. And it will begin to provide more data on firearms trafficking, starting with a new comprehensive report on the issue, which the Biden administration says it hasn’t done in over two decades. The president will also announce investments in community violence intervention programs, which are aimed at reducing gun violence in urban communities, across five federal agencies. Administration officials hinted there may be more to come from the administration on guns, calling the round of executive actions “initial steps” that were completed under Garland’s purview within the first few weeks of his tenure. The ATF is currently run by acting Director Regina Lombardo. Gun-control advocates have emphasized the significance of the ATF director in enforcing the nation’s gun laws, and Chipman is certain to win praise from them. During his time as a senior policy adviser with Giffords, he spent considerable effort pushing for greater regulation and enforcement on ghost guns, reforms of the background check system and measures to reduce the trafficking of illegal firearms. Prior to that, Chipman spent 25 years as an agent at the ATF, where he worked on stopping a trafficking ring that sent illegal firearms from Virginia to New York, and served on the ATF’s SWAT team. Chipman is a gun owner himself. He also is an explosives expert and was among the team involved in investigating the Oklahoma City Bombing and the first World Trade Center bombing. He also was involved in investigating a series of church bombings in Alabama in the 1990s. He retired from the ATF in 2012. Chipman and a White House spokesman both declined to comment.
China’s government warned Washington on Wednesday not to boycott next year’s Winter Olympics in Beijing after the Biden administration said it was talking with allies about a joint approach to complaints of human rights abuses. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson rejected accusations of abuses against ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region. He warned of an unspecified “robust Chinese response” to a potential Olympics boycott. “The politicization of
sports will damage the spirit of the Olympic Charter and the interests of athletes from all countries,” said the spokesperson, Zhao Lijian. “The international community including the U.S. Olympic Committee will not accept it.” Human rights groups are protesting China’s hosting of the games, due to start in February 2022. They have urged a boycott or other measures to call attention to accusations of Chinese abuses against Uyghurs, Tibetans and residents of Hong Kong.
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Biden open to compromise on infrastructure, but not inaction
EVAN VUCCI • Associated Press
No timetable for withdrawal of troops after US, Iraq talks
MSU Reporter • 11
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SUSANNAH GEORGE • Associated Press In this Sept. 8, 2016 file photo, a U.S. Army soldier guards a position at Camp Swift, northern Iraq.
ASSOCIATED PRESS The mission of U.S. forces in Iraq has shifted to training and advisory roles, allowing for redeployment of combat forces remaining in the country, U.S. and Iraq delegates said Wednesday, after a third round of strategic U.S.-Iraq talks. Statements issued by both sides, however, said the timing of such a redeployment would be determined in upcoming technical talks, without specifying when they would take place. They also stressed the need for continued security cooperation. The talks — held virtually because of the pandemic — began in June under the Trump administration. Wednesday’s round, the first under President Joe Biden, centered on an ar-
ray of issues, including the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq. Iraq had requested the latest round, partly in response to pressure from Shiite political factions and militias loyal to Iran that have lobbied for the remaining U.S. troops to leave Iraq. Participants included U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale, and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hassan. A State Department statement following the talks said that with increasing capacity of Iraqi security forces, the mission of U.S. and coalition forces “has now transitioned to one focused on training and advisory tasks, thereby allowing for the redeployment of any remaining combat forces from Iraq.”
President Joe Biden drew a red line on his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan Wednesday, saying he is open to compromise on how to pay for the package but inaction is unacceptable. The president turned fiery in an afternoon speech, saying that the United States is failing to build, invest and research for the future. “Compromise is inevitable,” Biden said. “We’ll be open to good ideas in good faith negotiations. But here’s what we won’t be open to: We will not be open to doing nothing. Inaction, simply, is
not an option.” Biden challenged the idea that low tax rates would do more for growth than investing in care workers, roads, bridges, clean water, broadband, school buildings, the power grid, electric vehicles and veterans hospitals. The president has taken heat from Republican lawmakers and business groups for proposing that corporate tax increases should finance an infrastructure package that goes far beyond the traditional focus on roads and bridges.
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Jordan king doubles down on sedition claims against brother ASSOCIATED PRESS Jordan’s King Abdullah II addressed the unprecedented public rift within the royal family for the first time Wednesday, portraying it as an attempted sedition involving his half-brother that had been “nipped in the bud,” but caused him anger, pain and shock. The monarch appeared to be doubling down on the allegations against Prince Hamzah, a former crown prince, while at the same time trying to reassure Jordanians that the nation was returning to business as usual. But even if the current crisis is eventually defused, major challenges loom for the Western-allied monarchy as it confronts growing internal dissent. Wednesday’s statement, presented by a newsreader on Jordan TV, dealt with the internal crisis that erupted over the weekend when Hamzah was confined to his home and accused of being part of a plot to destabilize the kingdom. Hamzah has denied the allegations, saying he was simply calling out long-running corruption and mismanagement in the kingdom. “The challenge over the past few days was not the most difficult or dangerous to the stability of our nation, but to me, it was the most painful,” he said. “Sedition came from within and without our one house, and nothing compares to my shock, pain, and anger as a brother and as the head of the Hashemite family, and as a leader of this proud people.” Abdullah also suggested that there was continued control over Hamzah’s movements. The prince, who has not been seen or heard from in days, was “with his family at his palace, under my care,” the statement said. There was no sign that authorities have released up to 18 other detainees, including members of one of the powerful tribes on which the monarchy has historically relied.
News
Thursday, April 8, 2021
EXPLAINER: What to know about the Amazon union vote count ASSOCIATED PRESS Amazon is known for quick delivery. But finding out whether Amazon warehouse workers voted for or against unionizing is going to take some more time. The final day for the nearly 6,000 workers in Bessemer, Alabama, to cast their ballots was more than a week ago. But it could still take a few more days — or longer — to tally all the votes before the outcome is known. The vote itself has garnered national attention because of the potentially wide-reaching implications. Labor organizers hope a win in Bessemer will inspire thousands of workers nationwide — and not just at Amazon — to consider unionizing. For Amazon, it would mean a big blow to its profits and could alter its business operations. Here’s what we know about the vote: ___ WHAT DO ORGANIZERS WANT? Besides higher pay, they want Amazon to give warehouse workers more break time and to be treated with respect. Many complain about their back-breaking 10-hour workdays with only two 30-minute breaks. Workers are on their feet for most of that time, packing boxes, shelving products or unpacking goods that arrive in trucks. ___ WHY IS THIS HAPPENING NOW? Labor historians point to two reasons, the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement. Workers feel betrayed by
JAY REEVES • Associated Press In this Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, file photo, Michael Foster of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union holds a sign near an Amazon facility where labor is trying to organize workers in Bessemer, Ala
employers who didn’t do enough to protect them from the virus. At the start of the pandemic, for example, Amazon workers held walkouts because they said they weren’t given protective gear or told when coworkers tested positive for the virus. The Black Lives Matter movement, meanwhile, has inspired people to demand to be treated with respect and dignity. Most of the workers in the Bessemer warehouse are Black, according to organizers. The last time Amazon workers tried to unionize was in 2014, when a small group of mechanics working at a warehouse in Delaware tried to organize. But that effort was ultimately voted down.
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___ WHAT’S AMAZON’S RESPONSE? Amazon argues the Bessemer warehouse, which opened about a year ago, created thousands of jobs with an average pay of $15.30 per hour — more than twice the minimum wage in Alabama. Workers also get benefits including health care, vision and dental insurance without paying union dues, the company said. ___ HOW ARE THE VOTES BEING TALLIED? Since March 30, the Na-
tional Labor Relations Board, which is overseeing the process, went through the votes with representatives from Amazon and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. Names and signatures were reviewed, but not how those workers voted, which will be done afterwards in an anonymous tally. Voters put their ballots in two envelopes to keep the vote secret. Amazon or the retail union could contest those votes for various reasons, such as the person no longer works at the warehouse or has a job title that disqualifies them.
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Thursday, April 8, 2021
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UK advises limiting the usage of AstraZeneca in under-30s amid clot
MATTHIAS SCHRADER • Associated Press In this Monday, March 22, 2021 file photo medical staff prepares an AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine during preparations at the vaccine center in Ebersberg near Munich, Germany.
ASSOCIATED PRESS British authorities recommended Wednesday that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine not be given to adults under 30 where possible because of strengthening evidence that the shot may be linked to rare blood clots. The recommendation came as regulators in the United Kingdom and the European Union emphasized that the benefits of receiving the vaccine continue to outweigh the risks for most people — even though the European Medicines Agency said it had found a “possible link” between the shot and the rare clots. British authorities recommended that people under 30 be offered alternatives to AstraZeneca. But the EMA advised no such age restrictions, leaving it up to its member-countries to decide whether to limit its use. Several countries have already imposed limits on who can receive the vaccine, and any restrictions are closely watched since the vaccine, which is cheaper and easier to store than many others, is critical to global immunization campaigns and is a pillar of the U.N.backed program known as COVAX that aims to get vaccines to some of the world’s poorest countries. “This is a course correction, there’s no question about that,” Jonathan Van-Tam, England’s deputy chief medical officer, said during a news briefing. Van-Tam said the effect on Britain’s vaccination timetable should be “zero or negligible,” assuming the National Health Service receives expected deliveries of other vaccines, including those produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
EU and U.K. regulators held simultaneous news conferences Wednesday to announce the results of investigations into reports of blood clots that sparked concern about the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The EU agency described the clots as “very rare” side effects. Dr Sabine Straus, chair of its Safety Committee, said the best data was from Germany, where there was one report of the clots for every 100,000 doses given, although she noted far fewer reports in the U.K. Still, that’s less than the clot risk that healthy women face from birth control pills, noted another expert, Dr. Peter Arlett. The agency said most of the cases reported were in women under 60 within two weeks of vaccination, though it was unable to identify specific risk factors based on current information. Experts reviewed several dozen cases that came mainly from Europe and the U.K., where around 25 million people have received the AstraZeneca vaccine. “The risk of mortality from COVID is much greater than the risk of mortality from these side effects,” said Emer Cooke, the EMA’s executive director. Arlett said there is no information suggesting an increased risk from the other major COVID-19 vaccines. In a statement, AstraZeneca said both UK and EU regulators had requested their vaccine labels be updated to warn of these “extremely rare potential side effect(s).” “Both of these reviews reaffirmed the vaccine offers a high-level of protection against all severities of COVID-19 and that these benefits continue to far outweigh the risks,” it said.
ELECTION continued from page 5 sion of the work that our campus is already doing with the food pantry.” the more than 20 students running under the Empowering Mavericks party is current off-campus senator Joey Novak. Novak is in his first year at MNSU, and is running to be re-elected for his position as off-campus senator.
“I live within the res life halls,” said Novak, speaking to why he is running for re-election, “and a lot of the issues that I have noticed specifically pertain to these halls.” Novak seeks to create a safety net next year for students who continue distance learning that he calls “WiFi Protections.”
“I want to make it so that if an individual is unable to reach a deadline for homework because there is a WiFi outage that it is possible to be granted an extension,” said Novak. The elections will be held online Monday and Tuesday of next week.
MSU Reporter • 13 JUSTICE continued from page 2 forcement,” Attorney Merritt shared. As an attorney who has handled high profile cases Merritt talked about his experience when trying to create change from within the justice system itself. “If you don’t have someone opposing you then you probably aren’t making any real progress. In fact, without struggle there is no progress, and I think that this is evidence that we are making progress and moving toward our goal,” Merritt said. Working toward change locally and nationally is something many students and faculty at MNSU highly prioritize. Merritt shared how people within the community can help on a local scale. “I think local organizations are absolutely critical for this movement for Black people. If they can continue to attract youthful energy into their organizations and grow while also responding to the crisis in their communities, that is ide-
al,” Merritt stated. Merritt has accomplished many notable things during his time as an attorney which include advocating for the first murder indictments of officers in the state of Texas in over 40 years. His office has led the way in reform in which the state is notorious for its failure to prosecute police officers. Kenneth Reid, co-chair of the conference, said, “The murders of black and brown people around the United States by police officers is disproportionate and unacceptable, we must do more about it.” Other topics of discussion during his time included how to overcome barriers due to COVID-19 as a person of color, the current state of social justice, his personal experience with creating change within the justice system and what communities can do to grow in the direction of equality.
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MAVS GO TO WAR The Mavs will take on the Huskies in Frozen Four at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh By DANIEL MCELROY• Sports Editor It’s a feat that the Minnesota State University hockey program has never accomplished before, let alone finding a win in the first round. Throughout the country, Maverick fans will be celebrating the teams first ever trip to the NCAA Frozen Four in Pittsburgh, Pa., where they will take on the St. Cloud State Huskies for a chance at the National Championship. The Mavericks overcame a third period 3-1 deficit in the opening round against Quinnipiac, winning a 4-3 overtime thriller. Then, they took a clean 4-0 win against the University of Minnesota Gophers in the regional finals to punch their ticket to Pittsburgh, where they will face their second Minnesota team in the tournament. Since 1985, the Minnesota State Mavericks are 23-35-8 against the Huskies, where the Huskies took the win in the last matchup at the first game of the Mariucci Classic. The Huskies took down the Mavs by a score of 7-2 in December of 2019, the last time a team scored more than five goals against Minnesota State. The Huskies display a 19-10-0 record on the season and lost against North Dakota in the NCHC Championship game by a score of 5-3. St. Cloud earned the No. 2 seed in the Northeast Region, where they took on Boston University in the first round.
NCAA Photos The Mavericks men’s hockey team took the ice at the PPG Paints Arena Wednesday morning in Pittsburgh, Pa. The Mavs will take on the St. Cloud Huskies in the first semifinal of the 2021 Frozen Four Thursday.
Mavericks sweep Wildcats, head out west By DANIEL MCELROY
Red hot Mavericks travel to Minot By KOLE BUELOW • Staff Writer
Sports Editor
The Minnesota State softball team began their road trip on Tuesday this week when they traveled to Winona to take on the Warriors in a doubleheader. The Mavericks came home with a sweep on the road, winning the first game 3-1, and ending the first game early with an 11-2 win in the fifth inning. In game one, Madi Newman got the Mavs on the board first with a two-run home run, batting in Hannah Hastings following her single to left field in the second inning. Minnesota State made it 3-0 in the third inning with leading hitter, Torey Richards, batting in Carly Esselman from second base. Winona State attempted to rally back in the final inning and managed to get the bases loaded and even score a run through a sacrifice fly, but succumbed to the loss with Mackenzie Ward striking out the final two batters.
St. Cloud took down the Terriers in a convincing showing where they won by a score of 6-2. The next day, they faced off against the top two team in the nation, Boston College. After allowing a goal to Minnesota Wild prospect Matt Boldy in the first period, the Huskies scored three unanswered goals in the second period, followed by an empty net goal to seal the 4-1 win at the end of the third period. The Mavs have plenty of tools to manage the Huskies in this all Minnesota matchup in the likes of Dryden McKay, the finalist for the Richter Award, awarded to the top performing goaltender in college hockey, and a Hobey Hat Trick Finalist, awarded to the top performing individual in college hockey. Ryan Sandelin has also shown up big for the Mavericks lately, scoring the overtime game-winning goal in the first round against Quinnipiac, and recorded a goal and an assist on the game-winning goal against Minnesota. Sandelin will have a bit more of a reason to push through to the finals, for a chance to play against Scott Sandelin, the Minnesota-Duluth head coach. Otherwise known as to him as, dad. The Frozen Four consists of three of the five Minnesota teams to make it into the tournament, with Minnesota-Duluth rounding out the Minnesota teams as they take on UMass in their side of the bracket.
Maverick Athletics
Ward pitched all seven innings for the Mavericks, striking out 13 batters, allowing just four hits, and improved her record to 9-2 on the year. Hannah McCarville led the team at the plate going 2-for-3 in the win.
WEST on page 21
After a great two-win double header against Southwest Minnesota State this past tuesday, the Mavericks baseball team is headed to Minot, North Dakota to play Minot State this weekend. The Mavericks and the Beavers sit first and third in the NSIC standings, so we should expect a great matchup Saturday and Sunday. Minnesota State has struggled in the past against Minot State, only winning three of the last eight meetings between the teams in the past three
years. The Mavericks do, however, look to build onto their resume as they were ranked No. 19 in the nation just under two weeks ago. The Mavs are currently 17-2 overall with a 14-1 conference record. They have never lost at home so far this season, seeing their only two losses at opposing fields. They should look to build upon their away record at Minot State this weekend. The Beavers are currently 9-5 overall on the
RED HOT on page 21
16 • MSU Reporter
Sports
Tiger Woods was driving more than 80 mph when he crashed
Thursday, April 8, 2021
Augusta National plays through debate over Ga voting law
CURTIS COMPTON • Associated Press
ASSOCIATED PRESS
RINGO H.W. CHIU • Associated Press In this Feb. 23, 2021, file photo, a crane is used to lift a vehicle following a rollover accident involving golfer Tiger Woods, in the Rancho Palos Verdes suburb of Los Angeles. Authorities said Wednesday, April 7, Woods was speeding when he crashed leaving him seriously injured. Ringo H.W. Chiu
ASSOCIATED PRESS Tiger Woods was driving more than 80 mph — nearly twice the posted speed limit — on a downhill stretch of road when he lost control of an SUV and crashed in a wreck that seriously injured the golf superstar, authorities said Wednesday. Sheriff Alex Villanueva blamed the Feb. 23 crash outside Los Angeles solely on excessive speed and Woods’ loss of control behind the wheel. The athlete will not face any citations for his third high-profile collision in 11 years. “The primary causal factor for this traffic collision was driving at a speed unsafe for the road conditions and the inability to negotiate the curve of the roadway,” the sheriff told a news conference. Woods was driving 84 to 87 mph (135 to 140 kph) in an area with a speed limit of 45 mph (72 kph), Villanueva said. No one else was hurt, and no other vehicles were involved. The stretch of road is known for wrecks and drivers who frequently hit high speeds. Due to the steepness of the terrain, a runaway truck escape lane is available just beyond where Woods crashed. There was no evidence that the golfer tried to brake, and investigators believe Woods may have inadvertently stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake pedal in a panic, said sheriff’s Capt. James Powers, who oversees the sheriff’s station closest to the crash site. Woods was wearing a seat belt at the time, and the vehicle’s airbags deployed. He told deputies that he had not taken medication or consumed alcohol before the crash, sheriff’s officials said. Detectives did not seek search warrants for Woods’ blood samples, which could have been screened for drugs or alcohol, or his cellphone. Authorities said there was no evidence of impairment or of distracted driving, so they did not have probable cause to get warrants. Investigators did search the SUV’s data recorder, known as a black box, which revealed the vehicle’s speed. “I will continue to focus on my recovery and family, and thank everyone for the overwhelming support and encouragement I’ve received throughout this very difficult time,” Woods wrote. Documents show that Woods told depu-
ties he did not know how the crash occurred and did not remember driving. At the time of the wreck, Woods was recovering from a fifth back surgery, which took place two months earlier. Woods, who is originally from the Los Angeles area, had been back home to host his PGA tournament, the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, when the crash happened. He was driving an SUV loaned to him by the tournament when he struck a raised median in Rolling Hills Estates, just outside Los Angeles. The SUV crossed through two oncoming lanes and uprooted a tree, striking it at 75 mph (120 kph). Jonathan Cherney, an accident reconstruction expert and retired Irvine, California, police detective, said the sheriff did not explain a fundamental part of the case: Why was Woods driving so fast? “To just blanket it with an unsafe speed violation is the easy way out,” said Cherney, who walked the crash site. “We still are missing the key factors that kind of explain why or how this whole sequence of events began.” Cherney questioned whether Woods may have fallen unconscious at some point, citing the lack of evidence of braking, steering or anything else to suggest the driver was “aware of what’s going on or attempting to avoid the crash.” He also said investigators had enough probable cause to seek blood samples. Woods is in Florida recovering from multiple surgeries, including procedures to repair two broken bones in his lower right leg with a rod in his shinbone. He also has screws and pins in his foot and ankle. The 45-year-old athlete has never gone an entire year without playing, dating back to his first PGA Tour event as a 16-year-old in high school. He had hoped to play this year in the Masters tournament, which begins Thursday. Rory McIlroy, a four-time major golf champion who lives near Woods in Florida, said he visited Woods last month and found him to be “in decent spirits.” “When you hear of these things and you look at the car and you see the crash, you think he’s going to be in a hospital bed for six months. But he was actually doing better than that,” McIlroy said Tuesday from the Masters.
While a tempest brews outside Magnolia Lane over Georgia’s voting rights law, Augusta National would prefer to keep the focus on blooming azaleas, pimento cheese sandwiches and tricky greens. That strategy has served the home of the Masters well in previous debates over efforts to keep out Black and female members. So, it was no surprise when Chairman Fred Ridley played through any attempt Wednesday to ensnare his club in another contentious issue. “We realize that views and opinions on this law differ, and there have been calls for boycotts and other punitive measures,” Ridley said during his annual State of the Masters news conference on
the eve of the opening round. There was never any doubt Augusta National would take a different path than Major League Baseball, which yanked this summer’s All-Star Game from Atlanta to show its displeasure with new voting restrictions that were signed into law two weeks ago by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. Opponents say the law is designed to reduce the electoral power of people of color after a record turnout last November, fueled by absentee and early voting, led to Joe Biden becoming the first Democratic presidential candidate since 1992 to carry the Peach State. Then, in a January runoff election, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff unseated a pair of GOP incumbents in Georgia to effectively swing the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.
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Reds keep rolling, hit 4 HRs to back Castillo, sweep Pirates ASSOCIATED PRESS The names might not ring out like Rose, Morgan, Bench and the Big Red Machine. But Tyler Naquin, Nick Castellanos, Jonathan India and these Cincinnati Reds are breaking loose for runs in bunches. Naquin hit another leadoff homer and the high-scoring Reds kept rolling, backing Luis Castillo to rout the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-4 Wednesday for their fifth straight win. Coming off their first playoff appearance in seven years, the Reds have started a season 5-1 for the first time since 2016. “The determination to win games is there,” Reds manager David Bell said. “And by no means do I sense any sort of letup. Guys are way too smart for that. They know what’s ahead of us.” Their 56 runs are the most in Reds franchise history through the first six games of a season. The 1976 team with Morgan, Rose, Bench and Tony Perez scored 51 en route to a second straight World Series championship. The Pirates absorbed the brunt of Cincinnati’s rampage this week, outscored 30-8 in the threegame series sweep. “We’re definitely ready to get out of Cincinnati,” manager Derek Shelton said. Naquin jumped on Chad Kuhl’s first pitch for his second career leadoff home run, and second in as many days. He became the first Reds batter with leadoff home runs in consecutive appearances since Eddie Milner on June 2425, 1984. A day after hitting two homers and driving in seven runs, Naquin started the Reds toward another romp by keying a five-run first inning. “I’m really happy for Tyler,” Bell said. “He’s getting some opportunities here early and he’s absolutely made the most of it and been a big part our first week.”
Sports
MSU Reporter • 17
In firm conditions, Masters in November a distant memory ASSOCIATED PRESS No one needed to see the colorful blooms at Augusta National to realize this will be a much different Masters than the last one. It was the color of the greens. They were yellow. On Wednesday. The excitement of the first major of the golf season was mixed with no small measure of trepidation about the test Augusta National might present this week without intervention and a little precipitation. Fred Couples, who played his first Masters in 1983 and is competing for the 36th time, played a practice round Wednesday with Rory McIlroy. “Rory said it five times: ‘Have you ever seen the greens like this on Wednesday?’ And five times in a row I said, ‘No,’” Couples said. “He was laughing. So I think if it stays like this, come even Friday, Saturday, Sunday, I mean, honestly, a 70 or 71 will be a heck of a score.” A score like that would have meant getting lapped in November, when the Masters had to take an autumn date after it was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dustin Johnson played conservatively along the back nine because he had a big lead, and he still finished with a record score of 20-under 268 to win by five shots in the lowest-scoring Masters in history. “I’ve seen some young guys this week have a slight-
GREGORY BULL • Associated Press Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, tees off on the fourth hole during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament on Wednesday, April 7, 2021, in Augusta, Ga.
ly deer-in-the-headlights look because they’ve walked out on a couple of those greens and they’ve seen the color of them and they’ve felt the firmness,” Paul Casey said. “You can see they’re kind of going, ‘Whoa. This is a whole different animal.’” Still to be determined is what the weather has in store for the rest of the week. The sun has added that scary shine to the putting surfaces starting with the Augusta National Women’s Amateur on Saturday — the winning score was at 1-over par. Scattered storms are in the forecast the rest of the way.
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For the the 13 players who played the Masters for the first time in November, it’s like starting over. “November is a Masters that we’ll probably never see again,” Webb Simpson said. “You know, flying hybrids, 5-woods, 3-woods to the hole and the ball stopping. It’s good to forget about that because that’s not our normal Masters. It’s in a way relearning the nuances.” Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau dropped balls left of the 10th green Wednesday morning to play chip shots to potential hole locations. Mickelson is a three-time
Masters champion and a wizard with the wedge. After his second shot, he looked over at DeChambeau and said, “Boy, it’s tough when it’s dry.” So much about the Masters will be so different, minus expectations of the usual suspects — a little more noise from at least some spectators. Johnson won the Saudi International for his only victory in six starts this year, though he has been in a bit of a funk the last month. No one is suggesting the green jacket he won in November should come with a footnote given the conditions. He was that much better than everyone else.
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Sports
Athletics and Braves winless, Tatis on IL, Paxton out
Thursday, April 8, 2021
Canucks: 21 players test positive
DARRYL DYCK• Associated Press ASSOCIATED PRESS
JED JACOBSOHN• Associated Press Oakland Athletics watch from the dugout during the sixth inning of the team’s baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, April 6, 2021.
ASSOCIATED PRESS Both winless teams in the majors are defending division champions. After finishing first in the AL West last year, the Oakland Athletics (0-6) have matched the worst start in franchise history. The 1916 Philadelphia Athletics also began the season with six consecutive losses. “It (stinks) to start this way but we know how good we are,” A’s starter Chris Bassitt said. “It’s just embarrassing right now.” Over in the National League, the Atlanta Braves are 0-4 following a three-game sweep in Philadelphia and a 6-5 loss Tuesday to the virus-depleted Nationals in their delayed opener. “I don’t think anybody is too worried,” new Braves pitcher Drew Smyly said. Atlanta, coming off three straight NL East titles, gets two chances Wednesday to win for the first time in 2021. Max Fried is scheduled to start the first game of a doubleheader in Washington that will feature back-to-back seven-inning games. Oakland tries to stop its early skid at home against NL Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer and the World Series champion Dodgers. Bauer struck out 10 and took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of his Los Angeles debut at Coors Field last week. Jesús Luzardo pitches for the A’s. SHIPWRECK James Paxton’s return to Seattle didn’t last long. Paxton exited the first start of his second stint with the Mariners because of a forearm strain Tuesday night after throwing just 24 pitches against the White Sox. He will have an MRI on Wednesday. The 32-year-old lefty spent the last two seasons with the Yankees after playing his first six for Seattle. He rejoined the Mariners in February on a one-year deal worth $8.5 million, with the chance to earn an additional $1.5 million in performance bonuses for games started. Paxton had surgery in February 2020 to repair a herniated disk and remove a cyst from his back. He went 2-3 with a 6.64 ERA in five starts for New York last year before being shut down with a left forearm flexor strain. He said this problem was less painful, which
has him optimistic. “It’s just frustrating. I feel like for me it’s kind of been one thing after another,” Paxton said. “Hopefully I can catch a break and stay healthy.” WAITING GAME Now that Fernando Tatis Jr. has been placed on the injured list, the San Diego Padres hope their electrifying shortstop won’t be sidelined too long. Tatis should be able to avoid surgery on his left shoulder, the team said a day after he slightly dislocated it taking a hard swing. An MRI on Tuesday showed a slight labral tear and the Padres put the 22-year-old Tatis on the 10-day IL. General manager A.J. Preller said the club wasn’t ruling out anything, including Tatis’ possible return when he’s eligible. According to Preller, doctors said another partially dislocated shoulder could occur again but playing this season wouldn’t put him at long-term risk. “Everybody was very confident that surgery wasn’t the answer at this point in time,” Preller said. “We can keep him on the field here this year and be able to put him in a spot where he can be successful and not be in pain and we’re not doing any kind of long-term damage.” Tatis experienced left shoulder discomfort twice during spring training, once after sliding headfirst into home plate and again several days later after making a backhand play and throwing to first. Tatis signed a 14-year, $340 million contract on Feb. 22, the longest deal in big league history. WOO HOO FOR BADDOO! Tigers rookie Akil Baddoo is off to a smashing start in the majors. The 22-year-old outfielder homered Sunday against Cleveland on the first pitch thrown to him in the big leagues and then hit a grand slam against Minnesota on Monday. On Tuesday, the rookie entered as a pinch-runner, stayed in to play the outfield and delivered a game-ending single in the 10th to beat the Twins. “That feeling right there is the best feeling. We won, so I want that feeling every time,” Baddoo said.
The NHL’s Vancouver Canucks say 25 members of the organization have tested positive for the coronavirus, including 21 players. The team was shut down last week, and it’s uncertain when it will play its next game. In a statement attributed to team doctor Jim Bovard and infectious disease doctor Josh Douglas, the Canucks say the COVID-19 cases stem from a variant of the virus that was traced by Vancouver Coastal Health back to one individual contracting it in a public setting. Four staff members also tested positive for the virus, another player is considered a close contact, and the entire team remains in quarantine. The Canucks had a
league-high 18 players on the COVID protocol list Tuesday, the second most all season behind only the New Jersey Devils’ 19 on Feb. 8 and 9. The team says 18 roster and three taxi squad players tested positive, and those on the taxi squad do not have to be listed publicly. Vancouver has had additional players added to the protocol list the past six days since Adam Gaudette was its only player on the list on March 30-31. Gaudette was joined in the protocol by Travis Hamonic on April 1, with the numbers jumping to seven players the following day. The Milwaukee Brewers are going to start allowing tailgating again outside American Family Field before home games.
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Sports
Nike suspends Deshaun Watson sponsorship of amid allegations
MSU Reporter • 19
Olympic torch relay removed from streets of Osaka, Japan
KIM KYUNG-HOON• Associated Press ASSOCIATED PRESS
ERIC CHRISTIAN SMITH • Associated Press In this Jan. 3, 2021, file photo, Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson walks off the field before the team’s NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans in Houston.
ASSOCIATED PRESS Nike has suspended its endorsement contract with Deshaun Watson amid allegations of sexual assault and harassment against the Houston Texans quarterback. “We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and have suspended Deshaun Watson,” Nike said in a statement released Wednesday. “We will continue to closely monitor the situation.” Watson has been accused of sexual assault or harassment in lawsuits filed by 22 women. One of those women, Ashley Solis, said Tuesday during a news conference that she was assaulted and traumatized when she tried to give
Watson a massage in March 2020. The Associated Press usually does not name victims of sexual assault, but Solis has chosen to publicly identify herself. Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, has called the allegations “meritless” and questioned the claims against Watson, alleging they were made following a failed attempt to blackmail his client. The Houston Police Department said last week it was investigating Watson after someone had filed a report with the agency about Watson. Tony Buzbee, who represents the 22 women, said it was not Solis but another of his clients who filed the first report with police. The NFL has been in contact with Buzbee during its own investigation.
The Tokyo Olympic torch relay will not run through the streets of Osaka prefecture next week because of rising COVID-19 cases. The move is a setback for Tokyo organizers, who began the relay two weeks ago from northeastern Fukushima prefecture with 10,000 runners planning to crisscross Japan over the course of four months. The Olympics open in just over 100 days on July 23. In a last-minute change of plans, organizers said in a statement Wednesday that runners and the torch will be involved in some event in an Osaka city park on the days when the relay was to cross the entire prefecture. That was to be April 13-14. “Given the circumstanc-
es, the Osaka prefectural authorities today requested Tokyo 2020 to hold the Osaka segment of the Olympic torch relay in Expo ’70 Commemorative Park rather than on public roads,” Tokyo organizers said in a statement. The statement said the Osaka segment would be conducted in the park “for all torchbearers who wish to run there.” It also said “no spectators” would be admitted either day. The ordeal of keeping the relay on track reminds of the giant problems that are likely when the Olympics and Paralympics take place with a total of 15,400 athletes from more than 200 countries entering Japan. They will be joined by tens of thousands of other officials, judges, media and broadcasters.
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Thursday, April 8, 2021
Cratering Blues running out of time to salvage season ASSOCIATED PRESS Craig Berube stood back and watched his St. Louis Blues practice battle drills so he could see how players handled the situation amid a seven-game losing streak. Anyone looking in from the outside can spy a team in deep trouble. Berube’s Blues have lost 12 of their past 14 games and are running out of time to salvage their season and make the playoffs. Less than two years since going on an improbable run to win the Stanley Cup, St. Louis has a brutal schedule down the stretch and faces an uphill climb to even qualify for the NHL postseason. “We’re in a hole right now and we’ve got to scratch and claw our way out of it,” Berube said Tuesday. “I know this group cares, and things aren’t going well right now. But to get out of it, you’ve got to keep believing and keep working and keep competing and stick together. That’s the only way you get out of it.” The Blues woke up March 6 second in the West Division before this freefall started and now sit five points back of the final playoff spot with 18 games to go. That’s not an impossible margin to erase, but 14 of the final 18 games are against one of the top three in the West: Vegas, Colorado or Minnesota. “We’ve got tough games and great opportunities, and obviously the teams we’re playing
JEFF ROBERSON • Associated Press St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube, left, talks with his team during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Vegas Golden Knights Monday, April 5, 2021, in St. Louis.
throughout the end of the year here are the teams we’re going to have to get through to reach our goal,” center Tyler Bozak said. “It’s going to be fun. We all love playing meaningful games, and obviously these ones mean a lot.” They’ve meant a lot for some time, and the Blues have squandered plenty of chances already. They’ve been outscored 25-8 during the seven-game skid, evidence that they can’t get a goal or a stop when they need it. Injuries have hamstrung the Blues, from playing with-
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out top defenseman Colton Parayko since mid-February to losing grinding forward Oskar Sundqvist and depth defenseman Carl Gunnarsson to a season-ending knee injuries. But Berube still expects the leadership group and core players to lead the way out of this slump. “That’s what those guys get paid to do is score goals and to do the right things on a nightly basis,” he said. “We’re not getting that, so it’s tough to win. It’s the same thing when I talk about the goaltending. You need saves, and we’re not getting enough of them.”
That falls on goaltender Jordan Binnington, who came out of nowhere to win the Cup in 2019 and was an All-Star last season. Binnington ranks 39th in the league with a 2.77 goalsagainst average and 43rd with a .904 save percentage. Asked what he needed to do better, Binnington said: “Just make a couple more saves. Same approach: Prepare the best way you can and focus and give the team a chance to win.” Berube wants to see Binnington’s — and the whole team’s — swagger back, but
the 27-year-old doesn’t think he ever lost it. “I always have swagger,” Binnington said. “Sometimes I just do my job and make the saves I’m supposed to make, sometimes you do more and you want to win those games 1-0, 2-0. I always want to play hard and have fun doing it.” It’s not much fun for the Blues right now and won’t get any better if they don’t find their game quickly. Some of the cast has changed, including captain Alex Pietrangelo leaving for Vegas in free agency, but this is a similar roster to the one that won the Cup, so there’s belief inside the locker room that not all is lost. “We have such a great group in there, and if there’s a group that’s going to turn it around, this is the group to do it,” Parayko said. “We’re sticking together. We’re going to make progress. We’re going to push. ... I have no doubt this is the group to turn it around.” PLAYOFF RACES The Blues aren’t the only team trying to make up ground with a month to go. The Philadelphia Flyers are outside the playoff picture in the East, the Western Conference-champion Dallas Stars in the Central and the Calgary Flames in the North. Philadelphia lost to Boston on Tuesday night to fall five points back of the Bruins for the final spot in the East and plays them again Saturday. Dallas gets four games against last-place Detroit in mid-April.
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Sports
MLB moves All-Star Game to Denver’s Coors Field
DAVID ZALUBOWSKI • Associated Press Players take part in batting practice as a light rain descends on Coors Field Tuesday, April 6, 2021, before the Colorado Rockies host the Arizona Diamondbacks in a baseball game in Denver.
ASSOCIATED PRESS Atlanta, you’re out. Denver, you’re up. Major League Baseball swiftly moved the All-Star Game to hitter-friendly Coors Field on Tuesday after pulling the Midsummer Classic from Atlanta over objections to extensive changes to Georgia’s voting laws. Coors Field last hosted the All-Star Game in 1998. The game will be held July 13. “We appreciate their flexibility and enthusiasm to deliver a first-class event for our game and the region,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “We look forward to celebrating our sport’s best players and entertaining fans around the world.” MLB decided to move the game from Truist Park in Atlanta in response to Georgia voting changes signed into law by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp on March 25. Critics, including the CEOs of Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola, have condemned the changes as being too restrictive. The Georgia laws includes new limits on voting by mail and greater legislative control over how elections are run, amid a push in Republican-led states to reduce voting options
after former president Donald Trump made baseless claims of widespread fraud in last year’s election. Democratic state officials in Colorado have touted their state’s mail-in voting system, which began in 2013, for its ease and accessibility. In the November election, there were more than 350 ballot drop boxes around the state along with a ballot tracking system that allowed voters to trace their votes as they were accepted and counted. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold praised the MLB decision, crediting it to the state’s “national gold standard for elections.” “We’ve got the most accessible and secure elections in the country, and are grateful that MLB is giving us the opportunity to showcase how elections can be!” Griswold said in a statement. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said at a news conference that the state had expressed interest in hosting a game down the road, but when given the last-minute opportunity, Denver was able to make plans quickly. They already had a blueprint for handling hotels, event space and security.
MSU Reporter • 21 WEST continued from page 15 When the Mavericks moved on to the next game, they wanted to get to work right away, starting with the Mavs connecting on four pitches and scoring two, taking an early 2-0 lead. In the top of the second inning, Sydney Nelson drew a four pitch walk, followed by Esselman singling down the right field line. Sydney Nielsen came up to bat and struck a three-run home run off a 2-2 count. The Mavericks took the lead 5-0 with plenty of game left to be played. The runs kept on coming in the third inning with Nelson hitting a solo home run on the second pitch she saw. MSU connected on four more hits and two walks in the fourth while scoring three, extending their lead even further to 9-0. In the last inning, Nielsen homered for the second time in the game, making it an 11-0 game. Winona attempted a come-
back in the bottom half of the inning, but only managed to score two, ending the game 11-2. Following the pair of wins, the Mavericks improve to 15-4 on the year, while holding a 4-2 record in conference play. After a few days of rest at home, the team will head out on the road this weekend to take on Wayne State in Nebraska this Saturday, followed by Augustana the next day in a pair of doubleheaders. Since 1986, the Mavericks are 34-9 against the Wayne State College Wildcats, taking home a sweep in the last doubleheader the teams played in 2019. Wayne State currently sits in last in the NSIC standings with an overall record of 3-17, and an 0-8 record in conference games. They will also take on Augustana University, as the Vikings sit at second in the NSIC standings with an overall record of 17-3 and an NSIC record of 5-1.
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RED HOT continued from page 15 season. They do bring to the table a great conference record in 7-2, which is good enough to sit just below the Mavericks and Minnesota Crookston in third place. Senior outfielder Joey Werner continues to be a force to be reckoned with in the batter’s box. He bats a monster .420 batting average with a team-leading six home runs and 28 RBIs to go with it. When talking to Mavericks baseball coach Matt Magers in a phone interview this past week, he was able to explain Joey’s impact to the team in a great manner. He said “Joey brings a lot of leadership and experience to the team. He
knows the game so well he’s almost like an extra coach.” When speaking on his batting performances this season, Magers said “He’s been absolutely great at the plate. He can do everything, from hitting for power to base hitting to bunting.” Werner will look to continue his dominance against Minot State this weekend. The Mavericks also bring to the table a great pitching group, led by Senior starter Jon Ludwig and Senior closer Hunter Even. When asked about Ludwig, coach Magers said, “He throws the baseball hard, and he is someone who younger players look up to.”
Ludwig and Even lead the Mav pitchers so far this season, earning five wins and five saves respectively. With two big series coming up against the third and second ranked teams in the conference, coach Magers explained, “Everyday is the same for us. We look at what we can do to better ourselves each and every day. We gotta throw strikes and be good at defense and make plays.” After their series this weekend against Minot State, the Mavericks will head to Crookston, where they will look to maintain first place in the NSIC standings.
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Sports
Arizona parts ways with Sean Miller amid NCAA investigation
Thursday, April 8, 2021
Curry, Warriors use furious finish to hold off Bucks 122-121
ANDY NELSON • Associated Press
ASSOCIATED PRESS Arizona had stuck by men’s basketball coach Sean Miller through an NCAA infractions investigation that stretched nearly four years. When the school didn’t extend his contract beyond next season, it became clear a decision would need to be made. The wait came to an end Wednesday when the school announced Miller was leaving after 12 seasons and associate head coach Jack Murphy will serve as interim head coach. “We’re evaluating the overall position of the program, and that includes on-court and off-court elements,” Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke said. “When you step back and evaluate where the program
is, we have incredibly high standards to have success on and off the court. We evaluated it and we decided at this time it’s the appropriate time to make a change so we can restore and rebuild the overall status of this world-class basketball program.” The NCAA issued a Notice of Allegations last year and the case is currently going through the Independent Accountability Resolution Process. Arizona issued a self-imposed postseason ban this year and finished 17-9, 11-9 in the Pac-12. Miller became the third Wildcats coach to reach 300 wins with the program and went 302-109 in 12 seasons. Arizona reached the Elite Eight three times, won five Pac-12 regular-season titles and three Pac-12 Tournament titles under Miller.
JEFF CHIU• Associated Press Milwaukee Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo, left, tries to control the ball against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Tuesday, April 6, 2021.
ASSOCIATED PRESS Stephen Curry’s tender tailbone much-improved, the two-time MVP led one of those furious finishes that defined Golden State during recent years and all those NBA Finals runs. Kelly Oubre Jr. converted a pair of free throws with 7.7 seconds left to give Golden State the lead, and Milwaukee missed at the end as the Warriors held off the Bucks 122121 on Tuesday night. Curry knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:06 to play on the way to 41 points with five 3-pointers as his team came back late and worked until the final buzzer to snap a threegame losing streak.
“Honestly, I’m enjoying the night. You could see a lot of emotion tonight from everybody,” Curry said. “We all knew how much we needed this, and you want to maintain that joy and energy and hopefully come Friday, Saturday put together two really good performances and give yourself a chance to win and sustain that.” Curry and his coach, Steve Kerr, shared an extra-long hug afterward and exhaled. Jrue Holiday scored the go-ahead basket after his offensive rebound with 29 seconds left. Andrew Wiggins’ driving dunk with 1:59 to play made it a one-point game, then Golden State got a defensive stop before Kent Bazemore put his team ahead the next time down.
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Thursday, April 8, 2021
MSU Reporter • 23
Johanson unlocks nature in mythological artwork in Conkling By SYDNEY BERGGREN Staff Writer Third in Conkling Gallery’s series of MA exhibitions this spring is Connor Johanson, who’s show will remain in the Gallery until April 16. This showcase allows Minnesota State University, Mankato Masters of Arts students to display pieces they have created throughout the program. “I’ve been drawing since I was a kid, like most people do,” Johanson said. However, his interest never wavered. “I started reading about natural history and dinosaurs, and then got into mythology and folklore, stuff like that. That kind of kept me drawing until I got up to college and got more serious about it.” Coming to Mankato to pursue art was an easy choice for Johanson. “I’m from southeast Minnesota, so it’s not too far. Plus, my dad teaches psychology at Winona State University, so I get free tuition. But the art dept has been really supportive and I don’t think I would be doing this without their support.” Johanson’s exhibition is titled “Mythology of Uncertainty”. Its point, he said, is to “focus on the human and natural environment, that relationship, and how we imagine what the natural environment is like.” Johanson moved out of his comfort zone with this exhibit as well by creating a 3D piece that sits on the floor in the middle of the Gallery. “I tried to work some environment into the space, and this medium is one I’m not used to.” Despite this difference in artwork, Johanson was excited to try something new. “I did this piece mostly because I was kind of bored of painting and
Photos by FABIO CASTEL GARCIA • The Reporter
drawing. At this point I had spent all of my time doing it, and I just wanted to try something different.” Johanson referred back to his time spent reading about ecology and biology, and pulled from those readings to inspire this piece. Additionally, he wanted this 3D piece to read well alongside another favorite of his, a colorful and immersive painting of a tree titled “Dead Tree and Lichens”. Most of Johanson’s pieces consist
of water color layers, then ink, then acrylic on top. “The newer ones, the floor piece, and the large tree, I think, are more successful with you imagining yourself in the pieces. The ones with figures are more confrontational. Sort of like looking up and then looking down at the ground as well, the decaying of the tree relating to the decaying of the leaves.” Johanson’s favorite part about the exhibit was the process of gathering and organizing it, he said.
“I’ve never had a solo show before, so there was a lot of learning and gathering ideas. Just putting it together was a great experience.” Johanson’s exhibit is one filled with color, curiosities, and natural elements. Those who wish to see it are free to visit the Conkling Gallery weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you wish to see the show but cannot attend during regular hours, contact the department at 507389-6412.
Cooking in the Kitchen with Sydney: Enchiladas By SYDNEY BERGGREN • Staff Writer I’ve made some pretty good recipes while writing this column, but I haven’t yet enjoyed one quite as much as these microwave enchiladas. Not only is this recipe effortless to make, but it’s something completely different compared to typical microwave meals. With only four ingredients this recipe can make the dorm-cook feel a lot more like a professional chef. This recipe can easily serve about two people and can also be doubled to serve more. Whether for a sick friend, a suite gathering, or a hangout in your lounge, this recipe can be amazing to accommodate multiple people, and it’s pretty easy to serve too. I do provide a recipe for enchilada sauce, which I got off of flippindelicious.com. Even though the recipe is enjoyable, I’d recommend finding the sauce premade, as it will probably be smoother than using spaghetti sauce. However, I know that it may not be the easiest ingredient to find, especially since I was only able to find mine in a little bag.
Enchilada Ingredients: • Approx. 1 cup Enchilada sauce • Shredded Cheese • 4-6 small corn tortillas • Fillings: grilled chicken (shredded or diced), corn, beans • • • • • • •
Homemade Enchilada Sauce 1 cup spaghetti/tomato sauce 1 tsp Garlic powder 1 tsp Basil 1 tsp Oregano 1 tsp Cumin 2 tsp Chili powder Salt and Pepper
Directions: Microwave tortillas until soft, around 30 seconds. Spread enchilada sauce on the bottom of a microwavable dish, preferably glass, until the bottom is completely covered. Mix desired fillings with most of the remaining enchilada sauce and desired amount of shredded cheese. Fill each enchilada with 2 spoonsful of filling and roll. Place seam-side down in dish. Spread remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Microwave for 6-7 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling. My biggest piece of advice for this dish is to make sure the tortillas get completely covered in enchilada sauce. If they aren’t, they will get crunchy in the microwave, which isn’t really the goal with enchiladas. Otherwise, this meal is a simple one, aside from ensuring that you don’t fill the tortillas to the point that they can no longer be rolled properly. Additionally, try to use a glass dish. This isn’t the end of the world, but they will cook faster and more evenly.
24 • MSU Reporter
Variety
Will the Oscars be a ‘who cares’ moment as ratings dive?
CHRIS PIZZELLO • Associated Press In this Feb. 26, 2017 file photo, host Jimmy Kimmel speaks at the Oscars in Los Angeles. Some people watch awards shows out of love, others because they love to hate.
ASSOCIATED PRESS George Bradley used to love watching the Academy Awards. The 28-year-old Brit now living in San Diego would stay up late back home just to tune in. Though he’s now in the right time zone, he’s just not interested, and that’s due primarily to the pandemic. “The rising dominance of the streaming services has taken the gloss off the Oscars for me,” he said. “You just don’t get the same warm fuzzy feeling from when you recognize a movie from the silver screen.” Whether you watch out of love, because you love to hate or have given up like Bradley, awards shows have suffered since the coronavirus shuttered theaters and shut down live performances. But the ratings slide for awards nights began well before Covid-19 took over. For much of this century, the Oscars drew 35 million to 45 million viewers, often just behind the Super Bowl. Last year, just before the pandemic was declared, the hostless telecast on ABC was seen by its smallest audience ever, 23.6 million viewers, down 20 percent from the year before. The pandemic-era Golden Globes a little more than a year later plummeted to 6.9 million viewers, down 64% from last year and barely besting 2008, the year a writer’s strike forced NBC to air a news conference announcing winners. Last year, pre-lockdown, the show had 18.4 million viewers, according to the Nielsen company. In March, Grammy producers avoided the Zoom awkwardness of other awards shows and staged performances by some of the industry’s biggest stars — to no avail. The CBS telecast reached 9.2 million viewers, both television and streaming, the lowest number on record and a 51% drop from 2020, Nielsen said. John Bennardo, 52, in Boca Raton, Florida, is a film buff, film school graduate and screenwriter, and runs a videography business for mostly corporate clients. This year is a nogo for the Oscars. “I love the movies and aspire to be on that very Oscars stage receiving my own award some day,” he said. “I watch each year and take it in, enter contests where I try to pick winners and try to see all the films. But something has changed for this year.”
For starters, he hasn’t seen a single film nominated in any category. “Maybe I’ll watch `Zach Snyder’s Justice League’ instead. It might be shorter,” Bennardo joked about the Oscars show. Like other awards shows, the Oscars telecast was pushed back due to pandemic restrictions and safety concerns. The show had been postponed three times before in history, but never so far in advance. Organizers last June scheduled it for April 25, as opposed to its usual slot in February or early March. Count that among other driving forces behind Oscars fatigue. Another, according to former fans of the show, is having to watch nominated movies on small screens and keeping up with when and where they are available on streaming and on-demand services. It’s been one big blur to some. Priscilla Visintine, 62, in St. Louis, Missouri, used to live for watching the Academy Awards. She attended watch parties every year, usually dressed all the way up for the occasion. “Definitely the shuttering of the theaters created my lack of interest this year,” she said. “I didn’t get any sense of Oscar buzz.” Not all diehards have given up their favorite awards show. In Knoxville, Tennessee, 50-year-old Jennifer Rice and her 22-year-old son, Jordan, have for years raced to watch as many nominated films as possible. In years past, it was their “February Madness,” she said, and they kept charts to document their predictions. She even got to attend the Oscars in 2019 through her work for a beauty company at the time. “My other two children, ages 25 and 19, have no interest in the Oscars. It’s just something special for Jordan and I,” Rice said. “The Oscars actually push us to watch movies that we may have never picked. I’m not as excited this year, but we’re still trying to watch everything before the awards ceremony.” As real-life hardship has intensified for many viewers, from food insecurity and job disruption to the isolation of lockdowns and parenting struggles, awards shows offer less escapism and razzle-dazzle than in the past, often relying on pre-taped performances and Zoom boxes for nominees. In addition, data shows little interest among younger generations for appointment television in general.
Thursday, April 8, 2021
Dining Center Favorites By RAMIRO VINAN VEGA • Staff Writer From stir fry, to salad bar, to halal steaks, there’s an array of diverse food options for students at Minnesota State University, Mankato to pick from at the dining hall. “It’s always a surprise what you are going to get that day. Even if there is nothing that catches your eye or appetite, you can always get a deli sandwich,” says freshman Chris Nyland with a smile while enjoying a chicken sandwich. Since the construction of a new university dining hall a couple of years ago — for those who remember the infamous old Carkoski — dining services has switched from buffet style to a la carte, fresh meals and expanded its menu. According to the dining hall Executive Chef Tim Born, “Around a thousand customers visited the dining hall every day before COVID-19 happened, with lunch time, between 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., being the busiest time.” As we are now living in a world of COVID-19, the dining services have to limit the number of people allowed into the building in order to follow the CDC health restrictions. Chef Born and his team of 30 dedicated members still manage to offer customers cuisine from around the world. “I am very proud that our dining hall is the biggest continuous dining hall of Minne-
sota. Our Bacon and Macaroni grilled cheese, which will be served next Monday, is featured in food magazines, which we’re all proud of.” Students also tend to enjoy the meals in the dining hall as student worker Munir Colpan shares. “The themed days and nights are probably my favorite thing about the dining hall,” Colpan said while eating lunch with his fellow students Eyad Herz and Moustafa Abdelaziz. Abdelaziz adds, “The calories count is definitely very helpful as well when you are watching your intake.” Herz agrees, “Healthy and halal options are one of the best things the dining hall has done, and these should be expanded.” The group of students suggest in consensus a larger variety of food will improve the dining experience. For example, more coffee options for coffee drinkers like Abdelaziz, or more tea options for students like Colpan. Looking back on the popular meals, Chef Born cracks up, “Pasta-based meals are probably one of our most popular meals. In other words, it runs out the fastest.” Chef Born points out how through the years students have been eating more from the salad bar. “This is a positive note. People choosing to eat healthier is always a bright thing.”
HELP WANTED Looking for people to work in a concessions stand at a busy softball complex in North Mankato.
Must be willing to work evenings and weekends May through Labor Day weekend. Come join us for fresh air and a fun environment. Call 507-351-4033 for more information.
Thursday, April 8, 2021
Variety
Japanese internment art pulled from eBay auction after protest
MSU Reporter • 25
Celeb zookeeper Jack Hanna diagnosed with dementia
DAN HALLMAN • Associated Press
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BRIAN MELLEY • Associated Press In this Feb. 17, 2020, file photo Lori Matsumura visits the cemetery at the Manzanar National Historic Site near Independence, Calif.
ASSOCIATED PRESS The auction of a series of sketches purportedly drawn by an artist at the Japanese internment camp at Manzanar was canceled Tuesday after groups protested it was offensive and immoral to profit off the misery of incarcerated people. The auction was halted by eBay hours before it was to conclude after company executives met with Japanese American groups who called the sale “hurtful, and a degrading reminder of the mass roundup and incarceration.” “It’s seems unethical and immoral to put this artwork up on eBay to the highest bidder,” said Shirley Higuchi, author of “Setsuko’s Secret: Heart Mountain and the Legacy of the Japanese American Incarceration.” “When you sell artwork created during an oppressive time for money ... that’s against what our society feels is moral.” In a letter to eBay, the Japanese American National Museum and Japanese American Citizens League and other groups cited the current wave of attacks on Asian Americans in the U.S. that has escalated recently. “Sales of our history are never a good thing but are especially hurtful now, when we hear cries to ‘go back to your country,’ exactly what we were told during World War II,” they wrote. Japanese American groups also got a New Jersey auction house to halt the sale of a much larger collection of internment art in 2015. In that case, hundreds of pieces were turned over to museums that com-
memorate the forced internment of more than 110,000 people of Japanese descent for more than three years on the dubious claim they might betray America in the war. The artwork for sale on eBay were 20 pencil sketches from 1942-1943 with the name Matsumura written at the bottom, along with the word Manzanar. The drawings depict mostly what appear to be Japanese landscapes, including one of Mount Fuji. The groups suggested the artist could be Giichi Matsumura, the subject of a series of stories first reported by The Associated Press about a Manzanar prisoner who died in a storm while sketching and painting in the high Sierra in the final days of the war. Several Matsumura families were held at the camp 180 miles (290 kilometers) north of Los Angeles. Lori Matsumura, the granddaughter of Giichi who recently reburied her grandfather’s remains after a hiker unearthed his skeleton in 2019, thought the sketches could be by her late father, Masaru, or another family member. The name printed in block letters was similar to the way her father signed high school reports. Arts and crafts created in the 10 Japanese internment camps have often resurfaced later at yard sales or auctions. Some people abandoned their works when they left camp because they could carry little and had nowhere to go, while others stored it in attics or garages to be discovered later, said Bernadette Johnson, superintendent at the Manzanar
National Historic Site. If the artwork was by one of her relatives, it could have been in a trunk of her grandmother’s mementos that her aunt kept, Lori Matsumura said. The collection, however, was lost to the family after the aunt died in 2019, and the house was the subject of a legal dispute with her aunt’s partner that was settled for an undisclosed sum. Lori Matsumura had discovered the auction Monday, day six of the weeklong bidding, and entered an $82 bid to try to win the works. The price had climbed to over $470 when the sale was yanked by eBay. After the groups contacted eBay, the company removed the auction because it violated an artifacts policy prohibiting the sale of items from government or protected land, spokeswoman Parmita Choudhury said in an email. Matsumura had a mixed reaction to the sale being halted. “I feel I may never see those sketches again,” she said. “It depends how the seller reacts.” Higuchi said eBay would contact the seller and put one of the groups in touch to try to obtain the collection. The seller, listed as sunsetderby in Sharon Springs, New York, said the works came from the Japanese family of a former girlfriend in the 1980s. The seller would not name the girlfriend in a follow-up message and said the full name of the artist was unknown. The seller said they weren’t violating eBay’s policies and said other major auction houses had sold similar art.
Celebrity zookeeper and animal TV show host Jack Hanna has been diagnosed with dementia and will retire from public life, his family said. In a news release Wednesday, his family added that it’s believed he now has Alzheimer’s disease that has quickly progressed in the last few months. The 74-year-old Hanna was director of the Columbus Zoo from 1978 to 1992 and still serves as its director emeritus. “Dad advocated for improved wildlife habitats and focused on connecting the community with animals,” the statement signed by his three daughters said. Hanna continued to be a spokesperson for the Ohio zoo until he retired in 2020.
Hanna is also well-known for his live animal demonstrations on talk shows hosted by Johnny Carson, David Letterman and James Corden, increasing the profile of the Columbus Zoo and leading to massive attendance increases over the years. Hanna, who always wore khakis on every television appearance and in photos, hosted the popular syndicated TV show “Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures” from 1993 to 2008. He also hosted “Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild,” which started in 2007, and “Jack Hanna’s Wild Countdown” until last year. “While Dad’s health has deteriorated quickly, we can assure you that his great sense of humor continues to shine through,” the statement said. “And yes, he still wears his khakis at home.”
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26 • MSU Reporter
Variety
YA sci-fi thriller ‘Voyagers’ doesn’t quite take off
Thursday, April 8, 2021
Godzilla vs. Kong- delightfully bad Opinion By MAX MAYLEBEN Editor in Chief
LIONSGATE • Associated Press This image released by Lionsgate shows Tye Sheridan, left, and Lily-Rose Depp in a scene from “Voyagers.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS The most surprising thing about “ Voyagers,” a scifi thriller about a group of young adults who have been tasked with travelling to and repopulating a new planet, is that it isn’t based on a Young Adult book series. Writer and director Neil Burger, who was also behind the “Divergent” films apparently decided to cut out the Intellectual Property middleman and make his own YA statement. That said, it does borrow heavily from quite a few other sources, with shades of “Lord of the Flies,” “The Giver,” “Ender’s Game,” “Euphoria” and any number of space madness films. With a cast including LilyRose Depp, Tye Sheridan, Fionn Whitehead, Chante Adams, Archie Madekwe and Quintessa Swindell, nicelooking production design and a fast-moving plot, it’s a very watchable film. It also unfortunately suffers from the same problems as some of its IP-brethren —- it is dreadfully serious, fails to make the audience care very much about anyone involved and feels like it’s the first book in a series when all is said and done. Set in the near future, “Voyagers” dumps vague information about earth’s deteriorating condition and a plan to send a group of people to another planet to start life anew. Since the journey is 86-years-long, it’ll be the grandchildren of the initial explorers. So they genetically engineer a group of racially diverse, suspiciously attractive geniuses for this first generation and shoot them off into space as young kids with only Colin Farrell’s Richard there to raise and monitor and counsel them. What could possibly go wrong with this terribly hasty plan? Well, it certainly doesn’t
help that a few years into the journey Whitehead’s Zac and Sheridan’s Christopher discover that they’re all being drugged to suppress their hormones and keep everyone semi-robotically focused on the mission instead shacking up with their crewmates. When they decide to stop taking the blue drink that it’s been hidden in, Zac turns immediately into a feral sex predator with an obsessive focus on Depp’s Sela. Soon enough everyone stops taking “the blue” and after Richard is hurt in an accident and there’s no supervision anymore, the ship devolves into a chaotic jumble of raging hormones, power struggles and paranoia and “The Lord of the Flies” parallels really start to take over. There’s even a Piggylike character and a moment where a riled-up faction of the crew starts chanting “Kill!” Oh, the crew also starts to wonder whether there’s an alien aboard, as if there wasn’t already enough. “Voyagers” has lofty ambitions and big, cliched questions about purpose, but one of the main problems is that it doesn’t do a great job of establishing its own characters. Part of that is likely due to “the blue” which makes everyone docile and emotion-free, but even after they stop taking it, the few characters who get personalities are painted with such broad strokes that there’s nothing to hold onto. Only Zac gets a real transformation, but there’s also no nuance to him. He’s a bad guy and a potential rapist with no discernable charisma, and it’s totally unclear why any portion of the crew would choose to follow him instead of the level-headed Christopher. Also, while the crew is quite racially diverse, 95% of the film is still laser focused on four white leads.
Cheese and schlock are things that rarely hit the big screen these days. The movies are filled with either thoughtful dramas with sights set on an Academy Award or the 100th superhero movie of the year. So few and far between are films that know exactly what they are and play right into that goofy goodness while not taking itself too seriously. “Godzilla vs. Kong” almost hits the nail right on the head. Key word… almost. While the first movie of the franchise, “Godzilla”, seemed to try and base the feelings in some form of reality, with “Breaking Bad”’s Bryan Cranston delivering a heartbreaking opening scene, the newest movie is layered with about as many stock characters as you can count including mustache twirling villains, a teen adventure team, and a disgraced scientist. While the plot of “Godzilla vs Kong” is absolutely outrageous, so is the premise. There is a certain extent that the viewer can “buy in” or suspend their disbelief. However, this movie tends to ask too much of the viewer in that regard. Most of that comes from the overly expositional dialogue that seems to plague every single scene, due to the over complicated plot. Almost all of the charac-
AP News ters involved are unbelievable and overacted. This may be due to the poor screenwriting which revolves around explaining the plot, rather than developing character, but nonetheless, makes the movie difficult to watch. The worst offenders of shoehorned characters are by far Millie Bobbie Brown’s character and friends. Brown is accompanied with a fellow teenager played by “Deadpool 2”’s Julian Dennison and a conspiracy theorist played by Bryan Tyree Henry. Throughout the movie, these three take up an inordinate amount of screentime, while adding absolutely nothing to the overall plot. This, on top of the fact that while they are on screen, they have the chemistry and charisma of chipped paint, adds up to a fair amount of cringing. There are surprisingly two characters whose rela-
tionship is actually compelling, the little girl and Kong. Without going too deep into why, it is very clear that their relationship is believable and, to an extent, actually touching. But to the reason that anyone actually wants to see the movie… the battles. The battle sequences are where this movie really hits its stride. They are cheesy and fun, while at the same time, intense and exciting. The back and forth fighting of the behemoths is immensely enthralling, as the entire movie, you are unsure who will actually prevail. So, as stated in the headline for this review, “Godzilla vs. Kong” is delightfully awful. Technically, there are few things that make this film “objectively good”, however, it is hard to argue the visceral feeling of excitement that comes with two iconic characters duking it out on such a large scale.
Thursday, April 8, 2021
Variety
Former Vice President Mike Pence memoir set for 2023 release
MSU Reporter • 27
With outdoor concert, Lincoln Center starts path to return
MARY ALTAFFER • Associated Press
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHRIS JACKSON • Associated Press Vice President Mike Pence speaks during a memorial service for the late Air Force Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager in Charleston, W. Va., on Jan. 15, 2021.
ASSOCIATED PRESS Former Vice President Mike Pence has a book deal. His autobiography, currently untitled, is scheduled to come out in 2023. “I am grateful to have the opportunity to tell the story of my life in public service to the American people, from serving in Congress, to the Indiana Governor’s office and as Vice President of the United States,” Pence said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the outstanding team at Simon & Schuster to invite readers on a journey from a small town in Indiana to Washington, DC.” According to Pence’s agent, David Vigliano, “all major publishers” competed for the book, and the deal was worth “well into seven figures.” A top editor from a rival publishing house confirmed that amount. The editor was not authorized to discuss negotiations and asked not to be identified. Simon & Schuster announced Wednesday that it also signed Pence to a second book but did not immediately provide details. Pence is the first major Trump administration official to have an announced deal since the president left office in January, although former White House advisor Kellyanne Conway and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are among those reportedly working on books. At this time in 2017, former President Barack Obama; former first lady Michelle Obama; former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden; and former Secretary of State John Kerry were among the recently departed Obama administration officials who had agreed to book deals. Several top publishing executives have told The Associated Press that they were not interested in a Trump memoir, citing the siege of the US Capitol on Jan. 6 by Trump’s supporters. Publishers also have expressed wariness about other members of the Trump administration, worrying about a backlash from readers, authors and employees. A Pence memoir will likely be subject to similar tensions the former Vice President has faced since he refused then-President Donald Trump’s demands that he help overturn the election results. Among Democrats and others who opposed Trump, Pence is widely seen as Trump’s loyal and complicit ally. Meanwhile, Trump supporters, and Trump himself,
denounced him for not intervening Jan. 6 in Congress’ formal certification of Biden’s presidential victory. The certification — which Pence had no power to change — was delayed for hours after hundreds of Trump supporters, some chanting “Hang Mike Pence,” stormed the U.S. Capitol. Simon & Schuster Vice President and Publisher Dana Canedy said that Pence’s book would be “revelatory,” without specifically saying whether he would address the events of Jan. 6. “Vice President Pence’s life and work, his journey as a Christian, the challenges and triumphs he has faced, and the lessons he has learned, tells an American story of extraordinary public service during a time of unrivaled public interest in our government and politics,” Canedy said. “His revelatory autobiography will be the definitive book on one of the most consequential presidencies in American history.” A Simon & Schuster spokesperson declined comment on what Pence planned to say about Jan. 6, and referred back to Canedy’s statement. The signing of Pence comes three months after Simon & Schuster dropped a book by Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, who had supported the rally in Washington which preceded the overrunning of the Capitol. Simon & Schuster has published several anti-Trump books over the past two years, including former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s “The Room Where It Happened” and niece Mary Trump’s “Too Much and Never Enough.” Its other authors have included Trump supporter Sean Hannity; the candidate Trump defeated in 2016, Hillary Clinton, and Trump himself. Pence’s book deal continues the former vice president’s re-emergence since January. On Wednesday, he launched an advocacy group, Advancing American Freedom, which will promote the Trump administration’s record and could serve as a springboard for a Pence presidential run in 2024. The advisory board includes anti-abortion rights advocate Marjorie Dannenfelser and Ed Meese, who was President Ronald Reagan’s attorney general, and such former Trump administration officials as Conway, economic adviser Larry Kudlow and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.
On a sun-splashed portion of Lincoln Center, with 120 health care workers listening in neatly arranged rows of folding chairs, members of the New York Philharmonic made an initial return to concerts Wednesday, 13 months after the novel coronavirus pandemic decimated their season. A brass quintet and a horn quartet with flute Mindy Kaufman beamed as they played a 90-minute lunchtime concert in Hearst Plaza. “It’s so beautiful to have culture back in New York City,” Mayor Bill de Blasio told the crowd. “We live through our artists, our musicians. If we ever needed that at any points in our lives, it’s now. So the music you’re going to hear is also part of our
healing. It’s also part of our hope that we’re going to find a way forward.” The Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera and Broadway theaters were darkened on March 12 last year by the pandemic. The Philharmonic launched some bandwagon concerts across the area last Aug. 28 but had not performed for an audience at Lincoln Center for more than a year. It hopes to resume subscription performances in September, around the time the Met plans to open if the opera company can overcome expired and expiring labor contracts. The Philharmonic will relocate to Alice Tully Hall and the Rose Theater because of construction at David Geffen Hall expected to finish in September 2022.
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28 • MSU Reporter
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Thursday, April 8, 2021
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