The
Minnesota State University Mankato
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THURSDAY APRIL 19, 2018
EnduraMark takes Big Ideas Challenge $15,000 given out to four finalists in entrepreneurship competition
EMMANUELLA SHOKARE Staff Writer Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship hosted the final round of the 2018 Big Ideas Challenge venture competition on April 17 in Ostrander Auditorium. EnduraMark won the grand prize of $6,000 for best business plan. Michael Ganzer, Robert Pederson, and Benjamin Lindquist were the entrepreneurs. Their business consists of a refillable, longerlasting, environmentally friendly dry erase marker. There were three categories total. The other two categories were best pitch and, new for this year, an agriculture/food and beverage division. O-Cam—a camera that monitors your food from inside your oven,
David Bassey | MSU Reporter
from entrepreneurs Sherif Bakr and Abdelrahman Elkenawy—won best pitch for $4,000, and Coconut Whisk—a baking company that offers vegan mixes using high-quality, minimally-
processed ingredients, from Bella Lam and Myles Olson—won the agriculture/ food and beverage division prize for $3,000. Coconut Whisk also won the Youth Entrepreneurship Fair for an
additional $200. In addition to the three finalists categories that were were judged on, attendees of the event were given the opportunity to vote for their favorite project. The winner
received the “People’s Choice Award” and an extra $2,000, plus any other prize money they won. Twin Cities Engineering Consulting was the winner of this award. Group members include Stephen Curtis, Tien Pham, Kendall Swenson, Benjamin Lindquist, Robert Pederson. Their idea was providing versatile engineering consulting services to businesses in the Twin Cities area. This is the fourth year the Big Ideas Challenge has been held at MNSU. The Challenge encourages students—both high school and college—and alumni to pursue their dreams to become entrepreneurs through competitions in which the winners/finalists receive a grand prize. The total amount given out in this year’s competition was $15,000. Each group
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Columnist and Pulitzer Prize winner Leonard Pitts Jr. to speak at MNSU
KATIE LEIBEL Staff Writer Columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. of the Miami Herald, will be speaking at Minnesota State University, Mankato Tuesday, April 24 at 6 p.m. in Ostrander Auditorium. The Mass Media Department invited Leonard Pitts Jr. to talk at MNSU for Media Day for the Nadine B. Andreas Lecture. The title of Pitts’s lecture is “The United States of Amnesia: Forgetting African-American History.”
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“I’m talking about the fact that we are a nation that are in a hurry to forget its African American history,” Pitts said. “You’ve got to understand where you have come from to understand and get to where you are going.” Pitts is known for his commentary and opinion pieces on social and political ideas. He has taught as a visiting teacher at prestigious universities in the past and hopes to continue that after he retires from the Miami Herald in the future. “Once I retire at the column, I might want to teach at least part time,” Pitts said. Through his experiences he has knowledge surrounding the subjects of mass media and journalism. He also
knows of the importance of journalism and mass media in the country today. “Truth matters. I think that so called ‘legacy media,’ old school stuff like newspapers and broadcast television news reports, are more critical than they have been,” Pitts said. “Human beings have a very powerful ability to reject facts. This comes into play in a lot of what I write.” As a black man, Pitts has faced racism and ignorance in his line of work. He knows that sometimes people do not believe what does not side with their political biases. Because of this, he has advice for future ethnic journalists and people pursuing mass media careers. “I would give them the
same advice that I give anybody: to get in the door. So, my advice for people of color is to write,” Pitts said. “Before you even get into the position of challenging people’s racist attitudes.” Pitts recognizes his platform as an important way for him to influence and inform many people. Because of this, he takes his platform seriously. “I have been gifted with a podium, a platform, to say things that need to be said. That is an important responsibility and I don’t think that you take that lightly,” Pitts said. “I believe what Spiderman believes: with great power comes great responsibility.” Pitts is not afraid to say
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what he believes. He has always been an opinion journalist.
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86th Student Government sworn in
Surround sound with the Mankato Orchestra
Women’s golf ready for championship
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News Editor Alissa Thielges