April 20, 2023

BANS OFF OF OUR BODIES

Students hosts healthcare rights rally in wake of Supreme Court decision

By EMMA JOHNSON News Director

Chants of “end abortion stigma” and “f–k courts and legislators; we are not incubators” rang out through the CSU mall as students gathered to protest abortion rights.

The rally was held to raise awareness of the Supreme Court’s decision to ban Mifepristone, a drug used to block progesterone, a hormone needed to carry a pregnancy to term. Combined with another medicine, misoprostol, it can end a pregnancy through the first 70 days since the last menstrual period.

Students wore green to honor reproductive justice and listened to information about the potential ban. Members from Gen Action, a group run through Planned Parenthood, spoke on student testimonies on the usefulness of the drug.

Sophomore Avalon Luehman said while it was intimidating for her to speak in front of others, it was important for her to fight for what she knew was right.

“I was scared to go up there, but there are people out there who are going to be way more scared when they are forced into pregnancies. This could affect me, my friends and my family,” Luehman said. “This is a really important issue and going to affect everybody one day.”

Sophomore Deyton Drost said Mifepristone isn’t just used for abortions.

“People that are having miscarriages use this pill as well. They still have to be able to access it to have a safe miscarriage,” Drost said.

In the middle of a sea of red states, Minnesota has become

a safe state where abortion has been legal. Junior Faith Jameson said she feels proud to live in a state where healthcare is easily accessible.

“(Gov. Tim) Walz has made an effort to show that he is in support of abortion. I’m happy to live in a safe state and I’m happy that other people can come here and get an abor-

tion and I never want that to change,” Jameson said.

Jameson said the group demanded continued access to Mifepristone and continued coverage of abortion — medical and surgical — under state insurance.

“We demand continued protections for abortion providers and out of state patients. We de-

mand reproductive justice for all the right to have a child, the right to not have a child and the right to parent children in a safe and healthy environment,” Jameson said. “We demand health care for all. We don’t have reproductive justice until all people can access health care.”

After noticing a group of students wearing “Let’s Go Brandon” shirts watching from in front of Armstrong Hall, political science professor Eiji Kawabata said getting involved in conflict in “constructive, not destructive” ways helps advocate for differences in democracy.

“At least they paid attention. They could have walked on by,” Kawabata said. “It’s a big difference.”

Jameson said the best way to learn more about reproductive justice and rights is to educate themselves as much as possible and listen to those who are willing to share their stories.

“If you know someone in your life who’s passionate about this, just sitting down and having a conversation and listening to people’s stories is such a good way to learn,” Jameson said. “If you know someone who has a personal abortion story and wants to share it with you, just sit there and listen.”

The Supreme Court is waiting until Friday to make a decision on whether the Food and Drug Administration will be approved.

Roiger and Mesta sworn in as the 91st Student Government leaders

By JULIA LIN Editor in Chief

The transition of power commenced Wednesday as Sierra Roiger and David Mesta were sworn in as Minnesota State Mankato’s new Student Government president and vice president.

Voted in by the student body in one of the largest election voter turnouts this year, the pair will host their first official meeting next Wednesday.

Outgoing president Emma Zellmer swore in Roiger as she recapped some of the current student government’s achievements.

“I wanted to set the stage for the future. In my inauguration speech last year, I talked about how the 90th Student Govern-

ment had the opportunity to set the groundwork for the 100th student government,” Zellmer said.

Some of the main projects the Senate worked on include renaming the Lincoln Lounge to Dakota Lounge, advocating for international students’ split-payment plan and fighting for students’ basic needs while combating food insecurity.

The senate passed 17 resolutions in total.

Student Government aims to create a dialogue that includes those from all walks of life to contribute to decision-making.

“I want to remind BIPOC student leaders that you belong, you deserve to be seen and heard even though you are navigating through a system that is not built for you,” outgoing Senate

Vice President Idman Ibrahim said.

Sierra and Mesta said they plan on continuing the work of the current Senate and being an advocate for students at MSU.

“As student leaders, we are not here to do what we ourselves want, but what the student body wants,” Roiger said. “I am here to uplift the voice of all students and push for changes they want to see happen.”

Roiger promised to keep an open door for all during her time as student body president.

“If you disagree with something we are doing, or if there’s something you wish to see us do, please come tell us and let us know so we can work together,” Roiger said.

incoming president and vice president said they aim to

LILLY ANDERSON • The Reporter

Students stood on the CSU Mall lawn and protested to passerby in order to raise awareness of the Supreme Court’s decision to potentially ban Mifepristone, a drug used to aid in abortions and miscarriages.

The

tackle issues students face such as affordability and accessibility on campus.

DYLAN LONG • The Reporter

Sierra Roiger and David Mesta were sworn in as Minnesota State University Mankato’s 91st Student Government president and vice president.

Artificial Intelligence sparks fears over plagiarism

Duster highlights significance of journalism

By EMMA JOHNSON News Director

Minnesota State students got a taste of history and journalism Tuesday.

Author, professor and historian Michelle Duster spoke about her great-grandmother, Ida B. Wells’ childhood, the stories she wrote and the journalism tactics she employed.

Wells gained a reputation as a writer in the late 1800s, advocating for the truth of lynchings in southern newspapers and pamphlets.

Wells’s line “nobody in this section believes the threadbare lie that Negro men assault white women” caused a mob to burn down her newspaper office.

By CARLY BAHR Staff Writer

With finals week fast approaching, some educators worry about students using Artificial Intelligence to do their homework for them.

ChatGPT is an AI tool released in November that allows users to input prompts and it will generate original written language.

The tool scans the billions of Internet pages and uses data to input the next logical word based on the prompt.

It can be used for a variety of tasks such as answering emails, writing advertisements, and even writing code, but some teachers worry about students using the tool to write

their essays for them.

This spring was the first full semester of ChatGPT and it has only escalated in popularity, leading to various payment plans with more features in addition to the free version.

Potential changes to academic integrity policies are currently up in the air across the United States.

Current plagiarism policies are focused on attempts to pass off another human’s work as their own, but this AI could spark a shift in what we view as original ideas, and to what extent does using these resources constitute original work.

Not everyone sees it as a problem, some have compared ChatGPT to other virtual writing assistants like Spell Check

With news becoming politically divided, Duster said the rise of “fake news” can be attributed to the accessibility of around-the-clock news.

“Most people were getting their news at the same time from reading the newspaper or watching CBS, ABC and NBC. Now the news is more siloed to the point where we almost live in different universes,” Duster said. “I feel like people choose their news versus the news being available to everybody.”

Duster’s presentation focused heavily on the tactics Wells used to cover in-depth stories as an activist and investigative journalist.

Wells used journalism data such as numbers and dates to give “statistical analysis.”

Duster said she sees these tactics employed by writers Ta-Nehisi Coates and Michael Harriot.

“Coates wrote a 15,000word essay about the case for reparations that required a lot of investigation as it was like a case study. Harriot does an amazing job of framing facts that make creative arguments on Twitter,” Duster said. “There are some journalists doing really good work that help people understand the context.”

Like her great-grandmother, Duster tells stories that are frequently “omitted, skewed or marginalized.”

Duster said the media needs to not take a “soundbite” approach and go for more indepth reporting when it comes to covering stories for oppressed communities.

“We live in a time period where people feel like they don’t have any attention span of 10 seconds or less, but it’s impossible to tell all perspectives in a multi-dimensional kind of way

through just soundbites,”

er said.

Dust-

Duster said the article she is most proud of was for Ms. Magazine about a man who expressed outrage on a public history project Duster is a part of — a women’s suffrage mural of whom Wells was an advocate.

“Ida tried to help people understand what was going on and the power dynamic that was being abused,” Duster said. “I’m proud of that (article) because I was trying to do what she would.”

Besides writing numerous articles for magazines, Duster has written multiple books. Duster’s recent book “Ida B. Wells, Voice of Truth” is directed toward 4 to 8-year-olds.

Duster said she wanted to write a children’s book about Wells to introduce children to a social justice advocate.

View website for job openings and fill out an application.

PHEDIAS PIERIDES • The Reporter

Professors have to be more diligent in their grading of papers as the Artificial Intelligence app, ChatGPT, is on the rise.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter Author and historian Michelle Duster spoke to students Tuesday about her great-grandmother, Ida B. Wells, and her journalism tactics.

Supreme Court extends access to abortion pill

By MARK SHERMAN The Associated Press

The Supreme Court has temporarily extended women’s access to an abortion pill until Friday while the justices consider whether to allow restrictions on mifepristone to take effect as a legal challenge to the medication’s Food and Drug Administration approval continues.

In an order signed by Justice Samuel Alito on Wednesday, the court indicated it will act by Friday night.

Alito provided no explanation for why the court put off a more lasting decision.

The justices had given themselves a deadline on Wednesday in a fast-moving case from Texas in which abortion opponents are seeking to roll back FDA approval mifepristone. used in the most common method of abortion in the United States

The drug first won FDA approval in 2000, and conditions on its use have been loosened in recent years, including making it available by mail in states that allow access.

The Biden administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, the maker of the drug, want the nation’s highest court to reject limits on mifepristone’s use imposed by lower courts, at least as long as the

legal case makes it way through the courts.

They say women who want the drug and providers who dispense it will face chaos if limits on the drug take effect.

Depending on what the justices decide, that could include

requiring women to take a higher dosage of the drug than the FDA says is necessary.

Alliance Defending Freedom, representing anti-abortion doctors and medical groups in a challenge to the drug, is defending the rulings in calling on the

Supreme Court to let the restrictions take effect now.

The legal fight over abortion comes less than a year after conservative justices reversed Roe v. Wade and allowed more than a dozen states to effectively ban abortion outright.

Even as the abortion landscape changed dramatically in several states, abortion opponents set their sights on medication abortions, which make up more than half of all abortions in the United States.

The abortion opponents filed suit in November in Amarillo, Texas.

The legal challenge quickly reached the Supreme Court after a federal judge issued a ruling on April 7 that would revoke FDA approval of mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortions.

Less than a week later, a federal appeals court modified the ruling so that mifepristone would remain available while the case continues, but with limits.

The appeals court said that the drug can’t be mailed or dispensed as a generic and that patients who seek it need to make three in-person visits with a doctor, among other things.

The generic version of mifepristone makes up two-thirds of the supply in the United States, its manufacturer, Las Vegas-based GenBioPro Inc., wrote in a court filing that underscored the perils of allowing the restrictions to be put into effect.

The court also said the

PILLS on page 7 

ALLEN G. BREED • The Associated Press

The Supreme Court is deciding whether women will face restrictions in getting a drug used in the most common method of abortion in the United States, while a lawsuit continues.

FDA clears extra COVID booster for some high-risk Americans

Consent Carnival to raise awareness

By JADE JACKSON Staff Writer

April 19 is a very special day for Avalon Luehman, Grace Baker, Nicole Daggett, Faith Jameson, and Dreyton Drost. The long-awaited Consent Carnival project they’ve worked on all semester is finally happening.

Drost, a Gender and Women’s Studies major, is an integral part of the project.

“We started talking about this project at the beginning of the semester,” she said. “There are five people in my group, so it is really hard to work on five schedules. We didn’t really get started until about two months ago.”

The Consent Carnival is an event to raise awareness regarding what consent is and what it’s not.

“We are preventing making the carnival depressing. We’re bringing a light to it,” expressed Drost.

By LAURAN NEERGAARD

The Associated Press

U.S. regulators on Tuesday cleared another booster dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for older Americans and people with weak immune systems.

The Food and Drug Administration also took steps to make coronavirus vaccinations simpler for everyone, saying that anyone getting a Pfizer or Moderna dose — whether it’s a booster or their first-ever vaccination — will get the newest formula, not the original shots.

The FDA said those 65 or older can opt to roll up their sleeves again for another booster as long as it’s been at least four months since their first dose of the so-called bivalent vaccine that targets omicron strains.

And most people who are immune-compromised also can choose that extra spring booster at least two months after their first, with additional doses in the future at the discretion of their physician, the agency said.

If the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signs off, those spring boosters could begin within days. The CDC’s advisers are set to meet Wednesday.

“COVID-19 remains a very real risk for many people,” FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said.

It’s too soon to know if younger, healthy people will eventually be offered yet another shot but the extra dose for the most vulnerable is one of several steps FDA is taking to simplify COVID-19 vaccinations going forward.

Here are some things to know: ONE FORMULA

FOR PFIZER AND MODERNA SHOTS

COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives but protection wanes over time and as new, more contagious variants have popped up. So last fall, Pfizer and Moderna rolled out updated “bivalent” boosters that added protection against omicron strains then circulating to the original vaccine recipe. Tuesday, the FDA said that updated formula will be used for anyone getting a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. For unvaccinated adults, that means one combo shot would replace having to get several doses of the original vaccine first.

WHO NEEDS A BOOSTER?

Anyone who’s gotten their original vaccinations but hasn’t had an updated booster yet can still get one. Only 42% of Americans 65 and older — and just 20% of all adults — have gotten one of those updated boosters since September.

“Those individuals certainly could go out and get a bivalent booster now to improve their protection,” Marks said.

SOME PEOPLE ARE AT HIGHER RISK

For many Americans, COVID-19 has become less of a health fear and more of an inconvenience, and masking, routine testing and other precautions have largely fallen by the wayside. But at least 250 people in the U.S. a day still die from COVID-19, and highrisk Americans who last got a dose in the fall have anxiously wondered when they could get another.

Letting seniors and the immune-compromised get an extra booster dose puts the U.S. in line with Britain and Canada, which also are offering certain vulnerable populations a spring shot. It’s a reasonable choice, said Dr. Matthew Laurens of the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

“We want to advocate for consent on campus and raise awareness of sexual assault. We also wanted it to be presented in April because it’s National Sexual Assault Prevention Month. It has been working out perfectly,” said Drost.

The event will contain many mini-games representing consent.

“There are many different organizations that are going to be represented. For example, Planned Parenthood and Student Health Services. We also reached out to Title Nine.”

Drost wants students to know students can reach out to sources on campus for help.

“We just want to advocate for safe sex consent on campus.

We also have a survey to look at the effectiveness of a sexual assault prevention module. We are also going to have students take the survey in person at the carnival to get in-person results,” said Drost.

“It’s important because a lot of people do not know how to draw the line. When someone is intoxicated, they cannot consent, this is important for college kids to understand. We feel this carnival will be a positive step to sexual assault prevention.”

“It’s important for as many kids as possible to be exposed to black women and historical figures because there are so few books that are written about them,” Duster said. Speaking the truth like her great-grandmother, Duster

touched upon how “dangerous” book banning is becoming and the importance of sharing everyone’s stories.

“I’m hoping as a country we can figure out how we can tell our country’s story in ways that are truthful and inclusive,” Duster said.

For those wanting to follow

in Wells’ footsteps, Duster said students should pursue their passions.

“My mom used to say ‘You got to do what you got to do to get where you got to go.’ If you stay focused on what your ultimate goal is, then you can get through the hard part,” Duster said.

ROGELIO V. SOLIS • The Associated Press U.S. regulators on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, cleared another COVID-19 booster dose for older adults and people with weak immune systems.

Courtesy Avalon Luehman Avalon Luehman, Grace Baker, Nicole Daggett, Faith Jameson and Dreyton Drost are hosting a consent carnival as part of a project.

 ADVOCATE from page 2

“It doesn’t matter the title you hold as a leader, but the determination to help others and advocate for change,”

Mesta said. “Take chances and get involved, if I, as somebody who didn’t believe in myself can do this, then everyone can do this too.”

 STUGOV from page 1

Homeowner who shot Ralph Yarl pleads not guilty

By MARGARET STAFFORD and JIM SALTER The Associated Press

The 84-year old man who shot Ralph Yarl when the Black teenager went to his door by mistake pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a case that has shocked the country and renewed national debates about gun policies and race in America.

Andrew Lester walked into the courtroom with a cane and spoke quietly during Wednesday’s hearing, his first public appearance since last week’s shooting.

Authorities say he shot Yarl, a 16-year-old honor student, first in the head, then in the arm after Yarl came to his door because he had confused the address with the home where he was supposed to pick up his younger brothers.

The case is among three in recent days involving young people who were shot after mistakenly showing up in the wrong places.

A 20-year-old woman was killed in upstate New York when the car she was in pulled into the wrong driveway.

In Texas, two cheerleaders were shot after one of them mistakenly got into a car thinking it was hers.

Yarl was shot at point-blank range in the head but miraculously survived the bullet. Only about 10% to 15% of people who are shot in the head survive, said Dr. Christopher Kang, the president of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Some civil rights leaders and Yarl’s family attorney, Lee Merritt, have urged the Department of Justice to investigate the shooting and for prosecutors to charge Lester with a hate crime, with Merritt noting that Yarl “was armed only with his Black skin.

Justice Department officials have not responded to calls seeking comment.

Clay County prosecutor Zachary Thompson said first-degree assault is a higher-level crime, allowing a sen-

tence of up to life in prison, which is more than a hate-crime charge would carry.

Lester remains free after posting $20,000 — 10% of his $200,000 bond — and agreeing to relinquish any weapons and have no contact with Yarl or his family. He also agreed to have his cellphone monitored.

Yarl’s relatives were not at Wednesday’s hearing because they are emotionally exhausted, Merritt said.

Lester’s attorney, Steve Salmon, did not come out of the

courthouse to speak with reporters.

Merritt said Yarl is “completely humbled” by the outpouring of support.

“He says, ‘I don’t know why everyone’s making a big deal out of me,”” Merritt said. “You know, it’s it’s just me, right? It’s not like the president was shot.”

But Eliana Brannlund said it has been rough not having her friend and fellow band member around at Staley High School.

“He always brought a lot of positivity and smiles to our band

class as well as our rehearsals outside of school,” Brannlund said in an interview with The Associated Press.

“I hope people are able to hear about who Ralph is as a person and understand that he is loving, kind and sweet.”

Yarl was shot at about 10 p.m. last Thursday after his mother asked him to pick up his twin brothers at a home on 115th Terrace, Police Chief Stacey Graves has said.

Yarl, who is all-state band member as well as a top student, mistakenly went to 115th Street — a block away from where he meant to be.

When he rang the bell, Lester came to the door and used a .32 caliber Smith and Wesson 1888 revolver to shoot the teenager.

Lester told police he lives alone and was “scared to death” when he saw Yarl on the porch because he thought someone was trying to break in, police said in court documents.

No words were exchanged before the shooting, but afterward, as Yarl got up to run, he heard Lester yell, “Don’t come around here,” the statement said.

Yarl ran to multiple homes asking for help before finding someone who would call the police, according to court documents.

Legal experts expect Lester to claim self-defense and cite Missouri’s “Stand Your Ground” law.

The state is one of about 30 with statues that say people don’t have to retreat when threatened but instead can respond with physical force.

BEN CRUMP LAW • The Associated Press

This undated photo provided by Ben Crump Law shows Ralph Yarl, the teenager shot by a homeowner in Kansas City, Mo. The homeowner who shot him pleaded not guilty, sparking debates about gun polices nationwide.

6 • MSU Reporter Thursday, April 20, 2023

Editorials represent the opinions of The Reporter editorial board. The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the college, university or student body.

Alicia Reed Sports Editor Dylan Engel Photo Editor

Use summer break to relax

Despite a couple odd days of cold, snowy weather earlier this week, it’s safe to say that spring has officially sprung.

The sun is out and shining again for more than a few hours every day, we can finally hang our winter coats back in the closet, and the end of school is only a couple weeks away, inching closer and closer every day.

For many students, however, summer vacation is not a vacation at all; rather, the opposite.

Some students are forced to sign up for summer classes so they can meet their academic goals on time. Some replace their early morning classes with early morning work shifts.

Some still retain the academic stress that plagued them throughout the school year, despite the school year itself being over already.

Even though all their classes are done, the feeling of anxiety still smothers them as they wonder if their GPA is high enough for jobs to take them seriously, or if their transcript is good-looking enough to graduate with honors.

Summer break is right around the corner, and with it comes a well-needed break from school, and all the stress it entails.

Thinking about finals, studying for finals and taking finals weigh heavily on students’ minds, so a break from school, even for a month or two, is much needed to alleviate any possible stress that may arise.

Why would summer break be called a break if we, as students, weren’t meant to take one? If we were meant to be in school yearround, summer classes would be mandatory.

Despite what some may say, taking breaks from the high-stakes environment of higher education isn’t just a good idea, it’s essentially a requirement.

Constantly pushing yourself to write one more paper or finish one more assignment will only lead to burnout, which will only impede your academic progress even more.

Taking the summer off allows us as students to recharge and rejuvenate for the fall semester, so that when summer turns to fall and the school year starts up again, we can rest assured that we’ve set ourselves up for success as best as we can.

Relaxation can come in many forms. Wake up early. Sleep in late. Go to the gym. Stay completely horizontal in bed all day. Spend all day outside in nature. Binge watch your favorite TV shows all day and all night.

Whatever you need to do to eliminate any stress from school and get back in your zone, it doesn’t matter. If you’re doing what makes you happy, you’re getting the most out of your summer vacation.

Pulse

Belfast: Travel

I made the crucial mistake of assuming chances for trips would magically appear on a plate and all I had to do was take it.

I learned from my errors, and though I didn’t take the weekend escapades I eventually hoped for, I made up for it during my spring break and plan to in the weeks I have left of my semester abroad before I return to the United States.

Thus far, I’ve made it to wonderful places such as Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland; Rome, Italy; and Bergen, Norway.

However, not all trips go as planned. I was supposed to spend the first part of my break in Edinburgh, Scotland with my boyfriend. We made the mistake of booking with a cheap and somewhat unreliable airline, and our late-night flight was canceled.

Since we only had a few days booked we had to scrap the trip altogether and learned our lesson with budget airlines and evening flights.

Another issue I’ve run into is accommodation. Even with hours of research, you don’t always know for sure what kind of place you’re walking into — sometimes it’s a rundown “refurbished” house in the middle of rural Ireland, sometimes it’s an apartment with panoramic views of Cinque Terre, Italy. As long

as you don’t run into bedbugs, you just have to grin and bear it if you didn’t pay extra for a refundable booking.

I hope I don’t come across as ungrateful for someone who’s traveled more of Europe than I ever dreamed of. This is not my intention.

The rest of the internet is chock-full of picture-perfect travel, and in an attempt at honest journalism, I decided not to sugarcoat this article.

That being said, I’ve seen many mountains, hiked along raging seasides at the top of stunning cliffs and experienced so much history during my time abroad.

After finals, I will continue my adventures around Ireland, the UK and beyond. This time, however, I will be traveling on my own. With

COLUMN on page 6 

stress?”

Compiled by Lilly Anderson

“How

NEVAEH BRAUCKS, SENIOR

“Hang in my hammock like a caterpillar.”

KAYANE CHILDS, JUNIOR

NOAH THIESFELD, SENIOR “Go on nice long walks.”

NATHAN ZACATE, FRESHMAN “Try

ALLISON BEHSMAN, JUNIOR

“Self-care and taking time for myself.”

Courtesy Alexandra Tostrud

I’ve had the opportunity to visit many beautiful places in Ireland and beyond, including the Cliffs of Moher.

During the application process for Queen’s University Belfast, travel outside of the city was the furthest thing from my mind.

Julia Lin Editor In Chief Emma Johnson News Director Joey Erickson Variety Editor

Letter to the Editor: Scholars Serving Time Letter

to the Editor: Scholars Serving Time

My name is Kayla Lundgren. I am 33 years old. I am currently enrolled in Scholars Serving Time program through MSU-Mankato.

I was not passionate about school as a juvenile. I thought I knew best, and frankly had better things to fill my days with and signed out the day after I turned 16.

It wasn’t until 2019 I found myself incarcerated and pushed myself to obtain my GED.

Attending graduation and shaking hands with the directors and education adminis-

tration I found myself overwhelmed by emotion. I had never felt such pride and accomplishment.

Fast forward 4 years. I have almost completed my first semester of my associates of arts degree. Not only completed but doing very well.

I have applied myself to the best of my ability and my grades reflect my efforts. I want my kids to know that anything in life worth having will only come by working hard.

I do not regret my past and am grateful to be here to speak

dent will be important.”

about all that I have overcome.

I want to say thank you to the coordinators here at Shakopee, as well as Dr. Vicki Hunter, Dr. Matt Loayza, Dr. Kathleen Blue and last but not least Dr. Rachael Hanel for making it possible to further my education.

I will be a better woman, mother and wife because of this program.

Sincerely, Kayla L. Lundgren Scholars Serving Time, Shakopee

Movement, count time, work, etc. It all seems to run together most days. Sometimes I even felt like I was in another dimension with the same routine. Almost like the Twilight Zone.

I feel like I have finally found a purpose. I worked for years in the foodservice kitchen as a cook. Don’t get me wrong; I loved the constant compliments from making a good dish for that day and my takeaway from that is now I can cook for over 300 people and also received my Serve Safe certificate. But that has to be renewed after so long.

tage of this incredible opportunity that you can use forever. What!!

I’m learning so much and very grateful to these fine folks that take sometimes long rides here to help us ladies to reach our potential with compassion. I haven’t experienced that in a very long time.

So with that, I will continue to strive for excellence. I’m also looking forward to getting back out into the community to pay it forward. I want you as students on the campus to remember knowledge is power.

or Grammarly, and many believe the bot’s generic quality writing will be obvious if a student were to pass off ChatGPT’s copy for their own.

However, Minnesota State Technical Communication Prof. Abigail Bakke says educators need to learn this tool for themselves because, although right now the language isn’t perfect, the technology will continue to improve and give more human-like responses.

“I think it’s really important for professors to acknowledge that this exists and that it’s going to be tempting to use it, that it might actually put out really realistic and legitimate responses,” Bakke said, adding that comparisons should be analyzed in class to help students understand its uses and limitations.

“I don’t think that it is wise at this point to ignore it, or completely prohibit it, because students are going to use it anyway,” Bakke said.

“The question for professors is, do you want them to use it in an informed way, or an uninformed way?”

Bakke said she advises instructors not to use AI detectors, as they can be unreliable and “set up an antagonistic relationship between instructors and students,” which will hinder the learning environment.

“I think transparency on the part of both instructor and stu-

PILLS from page 3

drug should only be approved through seven weeks of pregnancy for now, even though the FDA since 2016 has endorsed its use through 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Complicating the situation, a federal judge in Washington has ordered the FDA to preserve access to mifepristone under the current rules in 17 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia that filed a separate lawsuit.

The Biden administration has said the rulings conflict and create an untenable situation

Other professors shared this thought that ChatGPT should be worked into lessons for next semester and beyond, including Professor Matt Connolly, Film Studies, and Professor Kelly Moreland, Rhetoric and Composition.

Connolly said he first heard about the tool in November right before finals week, and said he saw concerns amongst colleagues at this unknown writing instrument.

“It seems like kind of a tricky case,” Connolly said about the conundrum of implementing this into plagiarism policies.

“I’m sure as we sort of get a better sense of the real ins and outs of ChatGPT as a technology, maybe we’ll be able to hone or fine tune those policies a bit more to really target the things we don’t want students to do versus the things that we say are more permissible.”

Moreland said one of her students showed her their paper compared to a ChatGPT generated paper with the same prompt, and the difference, in this instance, was clear to her.

“Because that is my area of expertise, I recognize the names that my students are citing, and I can tell right away that they are seeing the right people and engaging in the right conversations,” Moreland said, adding that this prompt was campus specific.

for the FDA.

In an order issued last Friday by Alito, the court put the restrictions on hold through Wednesday to give the court time to consider the emergency appeal.

If the justices aren’t inclined to block the ruling from taking effect for now, the Democratic administration and Danco have a fallback argument, asking the court to take up the challenge to mifepristone, hear arguments and decide the case by early summer.

The court only rarely takes such a step before at least one

“But, if I had not been working with the student all semester on their project, and checking in consistently on how the writing was going, I probably would not have known that it was ChatGPT. It was a finely written paper, I guess, but it was not to the standard that I know that student can do based on my previous work with them.”

With so much uncertainty about this tool and its implications on the academic and professional world, possibly the most clear thing for students to do now is to hone in their skills to set themselves apart from AI to potential employers.

No matter what educators choose to do about ChatGPT, businesses will continue to use it to efficiently put out content without the time or cost of human labor, meaning it is in students’ best interests to learn what it can do and how they will measure up.

“Lean into the aspects of your writing talent that are specific and nuanced, because those are going to be the skill sets that are going to allow you to say to a potential employer who, in the back of their mind is thinking ‘I can farm out this job to AI,’” Connolly said.

“Here are the things you can bring to the table. Here is the creativity, here is the cultural specificity and sophistication that you are not necessarily going to get with that piece of machinery.”

appeals court has thoroughly examined the legal issues involved.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans already has ordered an accelerated schedule for hearing the case, with arguments set for May 17.

Mifepristone has been available for use in medication abortions in the United States since the FDA granted approval in 2000.

Since then, more than 5 million women have used it, along with another drug, misoprostol, to induce abortions.

After accomplishing that I still felt like something was missing that gave me a purpose. So I decided to further my education by taking advan-

 COLUMN from page 6

the exception of a weekend trip to Dublin, this will be a first for me.

I can only hope that my final five weeks are equal to the rest in unique experiences before I come home.

I’m 48 years old and I’ve learned that no matter how old I am, I am still a part of the future as well as you are.

Terra Campbell Scholars Serving Time, Shakopee

I’ve learned so much about myself during my semester at Queen’s and had an amazing time, but I’m excited to return to life at MSU in the fall and see where the next chapter of my life will take me.

BU Y PA RKING PR IVILE GE S FO R 2023 -24

PARKING “PRIVILEGES” are associated with the VEHICLE PL ATE NUMBER(S) entered in the Pa rking Portal.

NO HANG ING PL ASTIC PERM IT WI LL BE ISSUED All “privileges” purchased will be tied to the plat e. Security vehicles patrol the lots SCANNING ALL LI CENSE PL ATES and issue citations to vehicles not in the proper pa rking area.

SPORTS S

Cihak soars to victory at Wildcat Classic

By MOHAMED WARSAME Staff Writer

The Minnesota State Women’s Golf team were back in action Monday and Tuesday for the Wayne State Invitational. The Mavericks finished in second place with a total team score of 608.

The 10-team event was held at Wayne Country Club, a 5,918yard course that plays to a par-72 in Wayne, Nebraska. The winner of the competition was Augustana. The Vikings beat the Mavs by a whisker, with a total team score of 607.

To go along with an excellent team performance, Junior Anna Cihak is the woman of the moment. Cihak shot a two-under 70 on her way to victory in the Wildcat Classic. The winner of the twoday event started her round rattling off 10 straight pars before registering three straight birdies over holes 11,12 and 13. Cihak finished the competition with six birdies, which tied for second. She also logged 23 pars, which was tied for third.

One of the things that head coach Alex Schmitz credited for her tremendous outing was her ability to stay in the present.

“I would say she hit 85% of the fairways or better and hit probably 14 out of 18 greens in regulation and just stayed in kind of in the present and never got too far ahead of herself,” Schmitz said.

On her way to victory, Cihak didn’t record a bogey until her 17th hole. This led her to not look back and keep her eyes on the prize.

“She gave her opportunity on a lot of holes and capitalized on hitting some good shots and giving herself eight or ten feet for birdie.

I was with her for all three of her birdies and we got a good line and she made a good stroke and they went in,” Schmitz said.

As a team, the Mavs led the competition in scoring on par fours with a 4.26, which was 26-over, six shots better than the runners up

OPINION: Senior spotlight Ali Reed

By ALI REED Sports Editor

Now that I’m out of concussions and into discussions, let me give you the Reporter rundown. From working the front desk, to selling ads, to writing, to now being the sports editor, I’ve really done it all here.

Losing the ability to play sports was one of the hardest transitions in my life. It left me feeling lost and unsure of what I wanted to do with my life. I knew I still wanted to be involved with sports, but wasn’t sure how.

Luckily, I have always had a passion for sports in general. When I wasn’t playing, I was watching and learning. Gaining knowledge about all sports has always been so fun for me. Football and Fútbol will always be my number ones, though.

in that department, Wayne State, which got a 32-over. The squad also finished with the second most pars in the event, 101, while producing the third-most birdies, 17.

A huge feather in the team’s cap will be their performance on day

Maverick baseball strikes back with vengeance

By CHARLIE GROEBNER Staff Writer

Sometimes the best method to unlock a championship team is to experience getting knocked down. This message became crystal clear to Minnesota State baseball in their most recent series against Southwest Minnesota State University.

After a grueling series loss to Augustana, the Mavs hit the road for a doubleheader against the Mustangs.

While a devastating loss from Monday still lingers with the team, all focus is on trying to redeem themselves. Head Coach Matt Magers said that they don’t need massive changes to the gameplan, just to focus this time around.

“I don’t think we really need to adjust; we just need to come out and execute better. We had a lot of opportunities that we couldn’t capitalize off, a lot of two out innings followed by big hits. So, I don’t think we need to change much, other than execute our plan better,” said Magers.

Entering the first game of the double header, it’s clear that the wakeup call worked. Junior outfielder Ryan Wickman launched a three-run homerun in the first to give them an early lead.

During the third, the Mavs pro-

ceeded to shift gear and run up the board on the Mustangs. Five straight runs scored to give them a lead of 8-0 before they reached the midway point.

Entering the fourth inning, the Mustangs would finally end their ice-cold streak with a threerun home run to put them on the board.

However, the Mavs refused to remain content entering the midway point in the game. Sophomore Zach Stroh slapped a singled to right field for an RBI single and Junior Hunter Ranweiler launched a fly out in the fifth to give the Mavs two more runs.

In the sixth inning, Junior Mike Gottschalk singled up the middle for his 22nd RBI and freshman Matthew Fleischhacker would launch a fly out to give the Mavs a final score of 12-3 to complete game one.

Following a short break, the Mavs and Mustangs would gear up for game two. The Mavs would continue to pick apart the Mustangs pitching as Matthew Fleischhacker hit an RBI single up the center for the first score of the game.

It would then be followed by a single from Ryan Wickman to give him two more RBIs and a fielding error that gave the Mavs a 4-0 lead entering the midway point. Unfor-

On top of learning about the sports themselves, I found myself paying attention to the commentators and sideline reporters, thinking of what I’d say or what questions I’d ask. Then one day, I realized that was my calling.

For my first years of college, I didn’t really have a job that would help me reach my goal. If I’m being honest, I didn’t even have a real job; let’s blame that on COVID, for now.

As my bank account was draining and my senior year was looming, I realized it was time to get it together and look for a job that would benefit me and my bank account. I had some experience helping out the Leukemia and Lymphoma society, but that wasn’t going to get me far on its own.

I ended up downloading the “Handshake” app and looked for an on-campus job. The first one that popped up was an Advertising Sales Representative position at the MSU Reporter, “Whatever that is,” I thought. (I seriously had no idea there was an on-campus newspaper here). I applied for the job and got a call from the lovely Baylee Sorensen, saying that she wanted to interview me.

Before the interview even started, I knew I wanted to work at the Reporter. I remember sitting outside of the office because I was 30 minutes early, due to class finishing quickly. As I was sitting outside of the office alone, former Editor in Chief Max Mayleben told me to come on in and hang out. He gave me a tour and introduced me to everyone in the office. I felt so welcomed. On top of that, my interview with Baylee went well and I was hired for the Ad Rep position a week later. I was set to start as RUNDOWN on page 12

Courtesy MSU Athletics

Junior, Anna Cihak, won first place at the two-day Wildcat Classic event in Wayne, Nebraska. The Mavericks finished in second at the invitational collectively.

tunately, their hot streak would be iced after a rain delay put game two on hold. While it is uncertain when

and where the game will pick back up, it will put this week’s conclusion on hold.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

Minnesota State’s Men’s Baseball team returns home with a 12-3 win against Southwest Minnesota State Wednesday afternoon.

Teeing up for conference championship

TenNSIC Championship Time

By HAYDEN LEE Staff Writer

The NSIC Tournament Bracket is set. The Minnesota State Women’s Tennis team is the no. 2 seed and will begin their journey with a matchup against the Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs.

The two seed has not been a goal for the Mavs this season, it has been an expectation. With a 13-1 regular season record, the Mavs are ready to do some damage.

SMSU has played a few more matches than MSU to this point, but their record lags significantly behind that of the Mavs. With a 6-14 record and sitting at the no. 7, the Mustangs are not expected to win, they are underdogs. They will be playing with nothing to lose.

In the last month, the Mustangs have given both the 5 and 6 seeds a run for their money. In both matches, they came down to the final point, but resulting in a win for no. 5 St. Cloud State and no. 6 Winona State.

This season, the Mavs picked up their first win against the Mustangs in four years, 6-1. Statistically speaking, the Mavs should win this game. So, should they move on, they would play the winner of the no. 3 University of Mary Marauders and no. 6 Winona State. Statistically speaking, UMary should win this one, and there would be a no. 2 vs. no. 3 face-off for a chance to inevitably play the no. 1 seed, Augustana.

team has gone on a three-game winning streak.

By LUKE JACKSON Staff Writer

The last tournament of the year for Mavericks Men’s Golf is approaching, the winner will be deemed the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Champions.

Ten teams from the NSIC will travel south once again to Missouri to play at Adams Pointe Golf Club for the second time this year.

The Mavs played at Adams Pointe Golf Club less than a month ago against 19 other teams to preview the course for the NSIC Championship.

Half of the teams that played were NSIC rivals while the other half were non conference teams. The Championship will be a 54hole event spanning from Friday to Sunday only featuring NSIC teams.

Looking back at the preview, the Mavs placed in the dead middle of the pack with a 10th-place finish.

This was also the very middle among the conference teams. The Mavs placed higher than four teams in the NSIC while four other teams placed higher than them. Winona State and MSU tied for 10th.

After the NSIC Preview, the Mavs went on to play at the Mule Invite where they improved drastically. In their last round of golf at The Mule they had a third-round finish which was good enough to

place them in eighth overall.

In this tournament, junior Jack Klimek put the team on his back and placed fifth overall. In his last round, he recorded five birdies which jumped him up 11 spots.

If the Mavs can see this type of performance come from more than one player, the team will be in very good hands.

“If we could have a couple of guys put two good scores together at the same time it would give us some space between the other teams,” Head Coach Alex Schmitz said. “We have a very solid roster top to bottom, we just need everyone to put it all together.”

One thing that will help them put it all together at the NSIC Championship is their new facility that was built in the basement of the Taylor’s Center this winter.

The Mavs fundraised over $11,000 to build the golf program’s first-ever golf facility which features two golf simulators along with a putting green with multiple holes and slopes to give an accurate approach to a true putting green.

They had the opportunity to see Adams Pointe earlier this season and now they can recreate tough shots they saw at the course and learn how to perfect them using the putting green and simulators. This will be a big key to success for the upcoming championship.

The tournament will tee off at 9 am Friday and will crown the NSIC champion.

UMary is a deserving no. 3 seed with a 10-5 record, with their only conference losses being to the no. 1 and no. 2 seed Vikings and Mavs. The Mavs took on the Marauders March 25 in St. Peter, where the Mavs took home a 5-2 victory. In the past four years, each

For the past two years, it has been the Mavs’ turn. Can they break the law of three and advance to the NSIC Match Pointe? If they do, Augustana will most likely be there waiting for them. The Vikings handed the Mavs their only loss this season, and the Mavs need to redeem themselves.

The Vikings have dominated the NSIC for years now when it comes to tennis, and the Mavs are the team that has come the closest to knocking them off of their throne. If it is going to happen, it

has to be this year, as Augustana is also looking to move up to Division I play in the coming years.

From day one, the Mavs knew what they were capable of, and now it’s time to show what they’ve got.

The first round begins at 9 a.m. Friday, April 21 in the neutral location of Sioux Falls, S.D. Should they advance to the second round? The match will take place in the same place just a day later, Saturday, April 22 at 2 p.m. And if the Mavs make it to Match Pointe?

Sunday, April 23, 10 a.m., again in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Courtesy MSU Athletics

The Minnesota State’s Men’s Golf team will compete in the NSIC Championship over the coming weekend.

Courtesy MSU Athletics Minnesota State’s Women’s Tennis team prepares for the NSIC tournament starting Friday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

OPINION: Dray can no longer stay

Sacramento’s Mike Brown Coach of the Year

losing seasons and won a division title for the first time since 2003.

“Accountability has been big since Day 1,” Kings guard De’Aaron Fox said. “When he was hired, I told him that’s the most important thing, I felt like, to me was just being able to hold everybody accountable. … That’s definitely the biggest thing.”

Brown’s victory was the third major event for the Kings in three days. On Monday, they beat Golden State for a 2-0 series lead in their Western Conference firstround matchup.

By TIM REYNOLDS The

By MOHAMED WARSAME Staff Writer

Hey Warriors fans, I am sure you are already aware, but you are down 2-0 to the Sacramento Kings in the first-round of the NBA playoffs.

Yes, the Kings franchise that is making their first playoff-appearance since the 2005-2006 season. That is a reality not many people would not have predicted coming into the season.

Unfortunately, what is not surprising is that the Warriors go into a defacto must-win game Thursday without Draymond Green due to disciplinary reasons.

The NBA announced Tuesday night that Green will be suspended for game three of the Warriors-Kings first-round series. This comes off the back of him getting assessed a Flagrant two foul and ejected in game two Monday, for stomping on the ribs of Domantas Sabonis.

Green is unapologetically himself. Which has been both a good and bad thing for the Warriors throughout their dominant run for nearly a decade. His fiery nature has made him from just a second-round pick, to a two-time defensive player of the year and future hall of famer.

He also tends to live on the edge when he is on the court.

When you live on the edge like he does, there is the risk of teetering over to the side of getting into trouble which Green often does.

Green’s contract situation has been the elephant in the room throughout the team’s season.

When the offseason arrives, he has the power to opt in to a $27.6 million contract for next year, or become an unrestricted freeagent. While Green’s future with the Warriors is up in the air, here are three reasons why I believe this will be his swansong with the team.

Disciplinary issues:

Throughout his career, Green has been ejected twice in the playoffs and been suspended once in the playoffs prior to Tuesday. That suspension was extremely costly for the Warriors as it came in the midst of the Warriors blowing a 3-1 lead to the Cavs in the 2016

NBA Finals. This is just where it came back to haunt the team in the playoffs.

He has hurt his own pockets by paying nearly $1.3 million in fines, according to Spotrac, for the six flagrant fouls and 27 technical fouls he has accumulated in the playoffs over his career.

Other problems that Green has been at the heart of includes, nearly getting into a fight with head coach Steve Kerr in 2016, getting into a screaming match with Kevin Durant in 2018 and punching Jordan Poole before the start of this season on the practice court.

As great a player that Green is, it makes you wonder if they want to deal with his antics anymore.

Aging veterans:

Another major thing for the Warriors to consider whether they are going to offer Green a lucrative long-term deal is his age. The 33-year-old veteran is in his 11th season in the league.

Green has had some injuries and while his defense is still exceptional, he is virtually non-existent as a scoring threat. If the Warriors give him an extension, he would join Steph Curry and Klay Thompson as older stars getting big money as they head into their late 30s.

A ridiculously high payroll:

Along with the max contracts that Curry and Thompson are on that ties them down until the 2025-2026 and 2023-2024 seasons respectively, the Warriors gave out two massive deals before the start of the season. Andrew Wiggins signed a 4-year, $109 million deal, while Jordan Poole signed a 4-year, $140 million contract.

The Warriors payroll and tax penalty in the 2023-2024 season would likely exceed $500 million if Green picks up his player option.

While they have shown the willingness to pay whatever it takes to maximize the opportunity for this group to win over the past several years, they may just decide paying that much may not be worth it anymore if they feel like they aren’t genuine title contenders.

When he was introduced last June as coach of the Sacramento Kings, Mike Brown didn’t make any grand proclamations or wild predictions.

He talked about work. He talked about culture. He talked about winning.

“One of the main reasons I was brought here,” Brown said that day, “was to bring some leadership.”

Ask around, and no coach did a better job leading this season than Brown.

He was announced Wednesday as the unanimous winner of the NBA’s Coach of the Year award, an easy call after his first season in Sacramento saw the Kings make the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

All 100 voters from a panel of reporters and broadcasters had Brown atop their ballot.

“These honors don’t come

around often so you’re very appreciative of them,” Brown said on the TNT broadcast of the announcement. “I’m really appreciative of being in Sacramento. The fans, the city has been fantastic.”

Brown won the award for the second time, adding this trophy to the one he got after he and LeBron James led Cleveland to a 66-16 record in the 2008-09 season.

The other finalists this season were Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault and Boston’s Joe Mazzulla.

Daigneault was second, Mazzulla third, and 14 coaches got at least one vote on the ballots where the selection panel was asked to pick their first-, second- and thirdplace choices.

The Kings were 48-34, the seventh-best record in the league and the first time they were a top-seven team since 2003-04.

They led the league in points per game, had the best road record in the Western Conference, snapped a run of 16 consecutive

On Tuesday, Fox was announced as the inaugural winner of the NBA’s clutch player of the year award. Wednesday brought the coaching award — and Thursday will see Sacramento trying to take a 3-0 lead over the defending champion Warriors.

Brown was there last year with Golden State as an assistant coach, winning his fourth NBA title, all as an assistant — the first under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, the other three under Steve Kerr with the Warriors.

“Everybody in our building just feels so happy for Mike and strongly about what he did for us while he for us while he was here, how much he contributed to our championships here and our culture,” Kerr said before the Kings-Warriors series started. “We miss him, but we’re thrilled that he had this amazing season.”

Brown becomes the 11th person to win the NBA’s coach award more than once, joining threetime recipients Pat Riley, Popovich and Don Nelson, along with fellow two-time winners Gene Shue, Bill Fitch, Hubie Brown, Cotton Fitzsimmons, Mike D’Antoni, Tom Thibodeau and Mike Budenholzer.

SCOTT STRAZZANTE • The Associated Press Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green listens to the crowd after Green stomped on Sacramento Kings’ Domantas Sabonis

DAVID ZALUBOWSKI • The Associated Press

Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown directs his team against the Denver Nuggets in the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 9.

Associated Press

No place like road for visiting teams early in NHL playoffs

 RUNDOWN from page 9

an ad rep in the fall of 2022, but I ended up working the front desk in the office during the spring. Which was nice because I started to get to know everyone and learned more about the paper.

As my final school year approached, it was time for me to start my job as an ad rep at the Reporter. Selling ads in a newspaper may not sound too exciting, but it was really fun for the most part. I got to learn about a lot of businesses in the area and made some of the best friends in my coworkers.

What made me enjoy my time most last semester was when our current Editor in Chief, Julia Barton, said she needed more sports writers. I jumped at the opportunity immediately, selling ads and writing at the same time. It was finally my chance to get my foot in the sports journalism world.

Talking with athletes and being able to share their stories brought me more joy than I could’ve ever imagined. I knew I made the right

decision to become a sports writer, but it left me wanting more. Selling ads was fine, but I knew it wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life.

Halfway through the semester, Julia was searching for a sports editor, and had mentioned the opportunity to me a few times. I was unsure at first because I didn’t want to quit selling ads so soon. However, after a meeting with Julia in November, we came to the conclusion that being the sports editor would not only make me happier, but also set me up for big things after graduation.

Taking the job as sports editor was somewhat intimidating at first, as I was suddenly a woman of authority in a male-dominated field. Not to mention, all of my writers are men, but we’ll touch on my experiences in this position next week. All I can say is, becoming sports editor was the best decision of my life, and I can’t wait to talk about why. Now the sports editor, onto bigger and beditor?

By STEPHEN WHYNO The Associated Press

Home teams have not fared well early in the NHL playoffs.

Road teams won six of eight series openers, including all four in the Western Conference, the first time each of those things has happened at the start of the postseason since 2003.

Every road team won Game 1 Tuesday night, with Tampa Bay coming out on top at Toronto, the New York Rangers beating New Jersey, Winnipeg blowing out Vegas and Seattle surprising defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado.

“Maybe nerves, underdog teams, something to prove has a little bit to do with it,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “A little chip on their shoulder.”

New Jersey’s Lindy Ruff said as a coach he sometimes prefers starting on the road to avoid distractions. Without that benefit, he and the Devils will try Thursday night to avoid an 0-2 hole before the series crosses the river into Manhattan.

The Leafs, Golden Knights and Avalanche face similar challenges.

“Being away, you’re in your little bubble,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Maybe that is something we have to look into when

two of the event considering their past struggles in previous competitions on that day lingering in the back of everyone’s head.

The team showed a lot of mental toughness as they were able to overcome another windy day out on the golf course.

“Paradise Point, the wind came up on us and that kind of got to us and we struggled in the wind. I just think having those couple days outside and the women knowing that, hey, you’re going to

six of eight home teams lose. Maybe they’re caught up in that stuff from the outside getting ready.

It happens, but these guys are pros. I suspect all those home teams will play better.”

Teams that lose the first two games of a best-of-seven series while at home have gone on to win it just 20 times in 105 chances.

LIGHTNING at MAPLE

LEAFS, Tampa Bay leads 1-0 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Expect a lineup shuffle for the Lightning in Game 2 after losing three players to injury in the series opener.

Coach Jon Cooper ruled out Erik Cernak and Michael Eyssimont and said top defenseman Victor Hedman was questionable. Cernak was injured on an illegal check to the head by Toronto’s Michael Bunting, who was ejected and given a three-game suspension from the league on Wednesday. Hedman left with an injury.

Tampa Bay could get a boost with the potential return of gritty forward Tanner Jeannot, the team’s trade deadline pickup who has been out since April 6.

“Everything’s feeling really well, trainers did a great job and I’m feeling good on the ice,” Jeannot said after practicing Wednesday. “Working hard at getting back

have to club up, it’s okay to not hit the same club, or you got to flight the ball down a little bit,” Schmitz said. “Just being confident in playing in the wind and not ever second guessing it made a big difference. Day two was solid and they played very very well in the wind.”

Between the two days, the Mavs remarkably didn’t have a women’s player shoot over a 79. After losing by only one to the best team in the conference, third in the region and 38th in the country, the group is in a good place mentally.

as quick as possible. That’s what we’re always trying to do. All I could do is everything to get back as quick as I could, so we’ll see.”

Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said Ilya Samsonov will again start Game 2 after allowing six goals on 29 shots and getting pulled Tuesday night.

“I don’t think anything surprised us,” Toronto defenseman Mark Giordano said of the opener. “We know what type of team they are. We had some bad, bad moments in the game individually and collectively.”

RANGERS at DEVILS, New York leads 1-0 (7:30 p.m. ET, TBS)

After racking up a franchise-record 52 wins during the season that included just four losing streaks, the young Devils aren’t putting much stock into dropping Game 1.

Players acknowledged early jitters after New York scored twice in the first 10 minutes, a lapse that changed the course of the game on the way to a 5-1 final.

Failing to score on three early power plays, including not registering a shot on the first two, prevented New Jersey from getting any momentum against the more experienced Rangers, who went to the Eastern Conference final last year.

“We were leading by three with two holes to go. So to know that we can have a lead on a team that’s that good, I think the momentum is just going to carry forward,” Schmitz said. “Obviously Anna finishing the tournament at one under par is an unbelievable score on that golf course, in that wind. I think her head and everybody’s head is just in a really good spot.”

The Mavs have their sights set on the NSIC Championship April 28-30. The team hopes to keep the momentum train rolling as they look to finish the season strong.

JOHN LOCHER • The Associated Press Winnipeg Jets right wing Blake Wheeler, center, celebrates after center Adam Lowry (17) scored against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Tuesday, April 18.

SOARS from page 9

VA RI ET Y

Play recovers the lost language of love

By MERCEDES KAUPHUSMAN Staff Writer

Will somebody please take out the garbage?

According to the main character in the upcoming play production, “The Language Archive,” Joshua Lester, this singular line is, “the most important line in the show.”

The production, directed by Hans Bloedel, is a comic drama centered around the dysfunctional marriage between characters Mary and George, as well as George’s professional and personal relationships with his work as a linguist to archive dying languages.

“It’s such a fun script to work with, it’s very poetic, and it’s got a wonderful message: learning to communicate with the people that you love,” Lester said.

The show will ironically display an expert of language who can’t quite seem to effectively communicate emotion with his wife, but things start to change once he encounters a happily married couple who speak a foreign language of love.

Lester has been acting for ten years, with a handful of shows at Mankato State. The plot is centered around his character,

George, who he feels is similar to himself in ways.

“George is a very straightlaced, neat-buttoned kind of man,” Lester said. “He’s very pragmatic, logistical. He’s a bit of a mansplainer.”

The production features a language called LOA, which has a difficult dialect to master. Despite this, the process has gone smoothly for Lester and the rest of the crew.

“The sound designer and the light designer both designed

wonderful pieces,” Lester said. “We have to, as an acting troupe and a design troupe, mix our ideas together, fine tune that process, and boil it down to the point where it makes a cohesive and whole piece.”

Bloedel, who is making his directorial debut at MSU, has explored new themes and different kinds of love with this particular show.

“Our director Hans has been a wonderful and spectacular director to work with,” Lester said.

It is common for directors to want to maintain control and disregard commentary and suggestions from actors they do not necessarily agree with, whereas, Lester says, “Hans is very open to ideas, but still willing to say, ‘okay, let’s take that idea, use the concept of it, but not use the exact idea.’”

The casting crew encourages students and the general public to come out to see this show that will spark all kinds of emotion from the audience. Aside from some strong language, it is a family-friendly production open for all.

“It’ll be fun experiencing having them (the audience) laugh, having them chuckle, having them maybe cry if they feel like it,” Lester said. “I recommend anybody to come see it.”

“The Language Archive” runs Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Andreas Theatre at the Earley Center for Performing Arts on campus. Regular tickets are $10, student tickets are $5, and senior and children’s tickets are $9.

Tickets are available for purchase in the box office open 4-6 p.m. weekdays, online at MSUTheatre.com, or by calling 507-389-6661.

Dogs help students work through their homework

OPINION: Things to think aboutDisney princesses as lunch meats

By JOEY ERICKSON Variety Editor

I’d like to start off this column by saying I’m not very good with time. I was under the assumption that this would be the last Thursday column I’d ever write for The Reporter. As such, I was going to make this last column go out with a bang, ranking the top five Reporter memories I’ve made over the year I’ve worked here.

It was going to be a sentimental one, full of cherished memories, funny moments and unforgettable happenings that the average reader wouldn’t believe if it weren’t for my unwavering, extremely accurate credibility.

But when I looked at the calendar and realized that the month of April doesn’t actually end on Thursday the 20th. I was gobsmacked. Droplets of sweat beaded up on my forehead and raced down my face by the gallon as pure stress completely overtook me.

What will I write my penultimate column on? I can’t show my vulnerability yet. I’m saving that for the last one. The website I use to generate random objects for ranking keeps giving me boring prompts, and I don’t know what a noun is, otherwise I’d come up with them myself!

And then, like a hangry hand to a nearly empty ketchup bottle, the idea struck me: Disney princesses, not as cheeses, but as lunch meats! How compelling!

So as not to anger any of the Disney princesses in the queendom, I will be basing this list off of the princesses I didn’t cover in the last column. That means I’ll be covering Belle, Mulan, Moana, Merida, and Aurora.

Instead of going by alphabetical order, I’ll be listing these princesses based on how strongly I think they’d react to drinking a vodka Red Bull. From least to most reactive, that list would go as follows: Aurora, Belle, Merida, Mulan and Moana. Don’t ask me how I know. The girls that get it, just get it!

Aurora is ham. Period. For those who may not know, ham is a type of meat! Hope this helps.

But on a more serious note, Aurora definitely falls into the

Courtesy Department of Theatre and Dance

Pictured above, a dress rehearsal of the newest installment from the Theatre Department, “The Language Archives.” The show is out for viewing now.

Photos by DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

Volunteers with Alliance of Therapy Dogs bring their dogs to comfort students in need of de-stressing in the Hearth Lounge in the Centennial Student Union. The event is a hit among students, as it happens every month here on campus.

Undergraduate Symposium showcases students’ work

‘Dualing’ Pianos perform at MSU

By LAUREN VISKA Staff Writer

CSU’s Serendipity Music Series brings back ‘Dualing’ Pianos, also known as Scottie Miller and Tom Hunter. The duo played piano and took turns letting the other shine with their bluesy music.

The duo met through Big John Dickerson’s band. Hunter was leaving the group, and Miller came in to play after him. This was in the winter of 1997.

19 through Thursday, May 4.

By LAUREN VISKA Staff Writer

Whether it’s hanging in the halls of academic buildings or posted online for everyone to see, there are many opportunities for students to showcase their work on campus.

One of the best is through the Undergraduate Research Center.

The center supports students and faculty in developing mentoring bonds that allow students to engage in scholarly, artistic and research-related activities. As a result, it fosters a lifetime love of learning, opens doors to fresh perspectives and ignites creativity.

The center will host the Undergraduate Research Symposium, an all-day event starting today. Students from various

fields present and discuss their research with other students and faculty across campus. The day’s events will include poster and oral presentations, panels and a keynote address. There will be an art exhibition that will showcase two students’ work.

The CSU art gallery will have artwork from students as well. The showcase runs through May 4 in the art gallery on the CSU’s lower level, next to Chick-fil-A.

Andrew Schmidt is one of the students whose art will hang on the gallery walls. He got his inspiration from the Russia and Ukraine war. He said his work is usually not so serious, so this was a change from what he’s used to work-

ART on page 15

“Tom went off to do touring with Bernard Allison, and I carried on with Big John Dickerson for a few years,” said Miller. “I never played duo, piano gigs or dueling piano. So this is just a unique pairing I probably would only do with Tom, all because Lenny requested to put something special together.”

Hunter said he likes playing with one other person rather than a big group due to having a little mystery.

“When you’re playing with a group, even if it’s like a blues group or getting into a jazz group, people aren’t really improvising. They’re practicing that stuff over and over,” said Hunter. “They improvise when they make a mistake, but sometimes when you just get someone sitting there or something totally different. You’re forced to do it because you don’t know exactly what’s gonna happen next.”

Miller said he likes playing

at the Serendipity Music Series because he gets to listen to another person and learn.

“I like playing along and listening to what Tom is playing and learning from how he approaches his music and the piano music he’s doing versus how I do it. It’s just little differences and fun,” said Miller. “So I suppose the most fun part of it is the improvisational part. When Tom’s playing a tune and I can come in, and we improvise, and then sometimes we complement each other. When that syncs up, it’s pretty fun because it’s improvised.”

Miller advises those wanting to pursue music as a career to attend MSU.

“Learn your craft, learn your instrument. More timing,

you know, it’s like, if you can, if you’re going to school here and taking private lessons, keep at it, stick through the studying. The more you do upfront, the better,” said Miller. “It just pays off continuously. The older you get, the longer you’re in the music business, your practice and your training.”

Hunter also advises those wanting to pursue music.

“Do it because you love it and do it to make people happier. In the end, I always tell people to try to keep a really good attitude. Yes, it’s really important,” said Hunter. “Don’t get jaded. That’s something that I think is a real trap because there’s a reason for it; I think that you have to be critical to be able to get better.”

PHEDIAS PIERIDES • The Reporter Scottie Miller (above) has been inducted three times into The Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

The CSU Gallery exhibits two undergraduate students’ showcases open from Wednesday, April

meat subcategory called “ham,” mainly because of its color. Ham boasts (and even broasts, if you’re into that sort of thing,) a nice rich pinky color, very similar to the frock Aurora is seen wearing.

What many avid Disney fans don’t actually know is that Aurora’s dress is inspired by ham! Aurora’s well-known frock is famous for changing colors, from pink to blue. Ham does the same thing, if you leave it out for a while!

Belle is bologna. Or Belleogna, if you will! Not just any Oscar Mayer bologna, though.

 PRINCESS from page 13  ART from page 14

ing on. He was seeing the missile attacks. It sent him down an internet rabbit hole of thinking about it all and finding pictures of stuff and people around the world and active conflict zones

“I wanted to do this series of paintings of people in these conflict zones, and each one of these paintings is about four feet tall right now. I think it’s kind of this documentation of these people, and there’s no context around it. So it’s like, ‘Who are these people?’ ‘What are the stories? ‘What’s going on with them?’” said Schmidt. “They’re all based off these pictures of people that

The bologna slices with those little cheese pieces inside them, of course!

I’m sure many of the people reading this expect me to correlate cheese bologna with Belle because cheese is yellow, just like her dress. But the connections are rooted much deeper than that.

Not much is known about the elusive princess Belle. We do, however, know that her birthday is May 6. What else happened on May 6? The Hindenburg Disaster? Yeah. National Crepe Suzette day? Also yes. But that’s beside the point.

Oscar Mayer, prominent

meatseller, has been around for years. What are the first three letters of his last name?

May. When was Belle born? May. Belle, the princess we all previously thought was innocent, is secretly a bologna-monger! The gall!

Merida seems like she’d be a roast beef type of girl, one who could unhinge her jaw and put away a plate of roast beef in a matter of minutes. Specifically, a half pound roast beef sandwich from Arby’s. I encourage you to look up a picture of the sandwich if you’ve never seen it before, if you dare.

Spoiler alert: it’s massive.

Like, an unrealistic amount of meat squeezed between two buns. I thought I was looking at an edited picture, but there really is that much meat in the sandwich.

Mulan would be firecracker shrimp.

Not lunch meat, I know. I can already hear the masses bringing out their pitchforks, to which I respond: I don’t care how big your fork is. You’re still not getting a bite of my food. My mommy said it’s only for me!

The reason Mulan is firecracker shrimp, and not a more tame version, like grilled, cocktail or popcorn, is because of the

Mulan movie’s ending, where Mulan blows up Shan Yu into smithereens while everyone watches and cheers. It’s kind of morbid if you think about it, but alas. Down with the dictatorship!

Our final princess, Moana, would absolutely be chicken.

There’s actually a chicken in the movie itself, named Heihei. It’s a very interesting name for a chicken, but I guess it makes sense. Whenever I go to pick up a 10 piece nugget meal from McDonald’s, I find myself saying his name to get the attention of the cashier so I can place my order. Things to think about.

have gone on social media, and these conflict zones, or what we assumed to be these conflict zones.”

Despite his inspiration being Russia and Ukraine, he moved his focus away from it.

“I kind of expanded away from the whole Russian invasion. It has West Africa, Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. There are two people from Ukraine in it, but the reason I chose it isn’t backstory. It was one of the images I saw on Instagram,” said Schmidt. “It was a train station that had a missile attack that happened. There was a picture

of a dead kid sitting on a park bench. I was just looking at him like, ‘that’s absolutely wild.’That kind of spurred the whole thought process behind it, and that was just more the instigating idea behind it.”

Jonathan Mor’s art is a little bit different than Schmidt’s. His focus is on self-love and intersections of identity, which is the name of his exhibition.

“I’ve interviewed artists locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, just to learn about who they are, what drives them as artists, and how their identity impacts the work they

create,” said Mor. “These are digital prints mounted on foam core and then cut from them. So they’re kind of these interesting little like, blobby figures cut out of foam core, and they will be hanging from the ceiling and various positions. It’s an exhibit space to walk through, with some interactive parts.”

The 70s inspires Mor’s artwork, and students can see that in his work.

“I am a huge FlowerPower guy, but I also have a lot of inspiration from Keith Haring. You can see that in my work as well. It’s pretty influential to

me not only style-wise because I really liked his graphic style, but just the work he did as an activist and an advocate when he was alive is very touching to me,” said Mor. “I would say this is an exhibit for which you will want to be in the space. You want to be able to go and explore these characters and explore these figures. So I hope everyone can participate in the interactive section, just because I think it will make it very interesting for the exhibit overall.”

Students can see both Mor and Schmidt’s artwork until May 4. The reception for this gallery is today from 6-8 p.m.