April 25, 2023

Film screening speaks on mental health

By JOEY ERICKSON Variety Editor

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among college students, with approximately 1,100 suicides taking place on college campuses annually. About 40% of people know of someone who has attempted suicide, and 25% know of someone who has died as a result of it.

Despite this, the topic remains taboo. Minnesota State’s Center for Rural Behavioral Health, partnered with suicide survivor Emma Benoit, is working to break that stigma.

MSU’s Center for Rural Behavioral Health held an event Monday in hopes of educating attendees on suicide, its effects and how to prevent it. The occasion included a film screening of a portion of “My Ascension,” by Emma Benoit, as well as a panel afterwards aiming to answer any potential questions.

Thad Shunkwiler, director of the Center for Rural Behavioral Health, says that although the conversation is an unpleasant one to have, it still must be had so that more can be educated about the growing problem of suicide in young adults, and be made aware of available resources.

“It’s unfortunate that we even have to have these conversations. But the reason that we are

is that we are seeing an increase in suicidality and completed suicides, particularly among young people. Our campus isn’t immune to that,” Shunkwiler said.

“My Ascension,” the film screened at the event, covers Benoit’s story of surviving a suicide attempt in her teens that left her paralyzed from the waist down. The incident propelled Benoit on a mission to use her

pain and recovery to help others find hope.

That hope, according to Shunkwiler, is the most powerful tool when it comes to building, maintaining or repairing one’s mental health. To him, the power of hope is the main theme behind the film, and the driving force behind the event.

“It’s OK to not be OK. When people are in that place where

International Students’ unique experience at

MSU

By JULIA LIN Editor in Chief

Transitioning to a new city independently, let alone a country, is a difficult feat for anyone. With over 1,700 international students enrolled at Minnesota State from roughly 100 different countries, the Kearney International Center is one of the first stops for international students.

MSU is ranked ninth in the nation in international student population among master’s institutions according to the Open Doors Report. One of the main reasons for that is affordability.

suicide is something they’re thinking about, it’s awful. It’s oftentimes a very hopeless place. And I think Emma’s story shows in a very powerful way, the power of hope,” Shunkwiler said.

After the screening, a panel consisting of many mental health professionals assembled to answer any possible ques-

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Naloxone training teaches students how to save a life

By CARLY BAHR Staff Writer

You see someone overdosing in public. Do you know how to keep them until first responders arrive?

Friday a Community Overdose Prevention instructor led a Naloxone Training event, where attendees learned how and when to administer the medication— commonly known by the brand name —Narcan, to reverse an opioid overdose.

Attendees received a free Naloxone kit with three doses and learned how and where to get more at Naloxone access points in the community. This event was free and open to the public in Ostrander Auditorium.

The event, put on by the Minnesota State University Women’s Center which part-

nered with Christian Family Solutions (a Naloxone Access Point in Mankato), was organized by graduate students Ashley Jaxel, BriShaun Kearns and Kim Lohse among others, and led by community trainer Stephanie Jordan.

According to Lohse (who uses they/them pronouns), they and some of their peers took the training through Stephanie prior to organizing this event. Part of the training was focused on teaching about opioids like fentanyl being laced in other drugs, leading to unintentional overdoses from Xanax, cocaine and THC cartridges, as well as Xylazine, known by the colloquial “Tranq,” which is growing in popularity in the region, according to Jordan.

Lohse said it is alarming

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“Our price point is attractive to socio-economic classes around the world. We are safe. It’s a big little city,” Jacy Fry, Director of Kearney Center for International Student Services at MSU, said.

Affordable, yes However, financial struggles remain.

“I think students are finding themselves in some financial crunches, and just getting used to the new environment,” Fry said. “The pandemic has done some damage to different cultures and economies across the world so maybe their currency isn’t exchanging quite as well as it used to.”

One barrier international students face that domestic students don’t is workplace limitations. Full-time students are allowed to work on campus for a maximum of 20 hours. With campus wages varying, financial hardship can still be an obstacle.

Destined Sehgbean, an international student from Liberia, is an advocate for international students among his peers and aims to educate those who may not know much of what international students experience daily.

“We need to have these kinds of conversations so that you can understand international students and their unique perspective,” Sehgbean said. “A lot of domestic students didn’t know that international students can only work on campus.”

Limited to work opportunities, many international students rely on friends or family to help fund their education. Aside from work, food in-

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

LILLY ANDERSON • The Reporter

Emma Benoit (right) survived a suicide attempt as a teen, and has made it her mission to share her story and inspire hope to anyone. Dr. Patrick Bigaouette (left) and Dr. Lisa Hardesty further provided advice on mental health.

Attendees at the Naloxone training event received a free naloxone kit with three doses. The event was free and open to the public in Ostrander.

Undergrad researchers showcase findings at the symposium

By AMALIA SHARAF Staff Writer

The 25th Undergraduate Research Symposium hosted by the Undergraduate Research Center took place Thursday at Minnesota State. Over 80 undergraduate students showcased their research, scholarly and creative activities.

The URS is an annual event for undergraduate students to present work they’ve done in their fields during the academic year.

“It’s an opportunity for the students to show what they’ve done and to share that with their friends, classmates, family and teachers,” said Tebbe. “It’s an opportunity for other students to see what they can do and participate in a more accessible presentation opportunity.”

According to Tebbe, URS presentations covered a variety of topics such as biology, engineering, sociology and more. This year visitors were able to join the oral and poster presentations as well as participate in the view of the art exhibition and short documentary film in Ostrander Auditorium.

Senior student Shamsi Taghiyev presented his documentary on URS.

“The research is about the reconciliation and healing process of both Native Americans and the descendants of European settlers that reside here on U.S. soil,” said Taghiyev. “I did this work because of the similarity of that to my background and history with my family. I felt the connection and wanted to dive in and be a part of something bigger toward that matter.”

The research in the Computer Science, Engineering & Technology (CSET) field was presented by junior Cole Shoenbauer and Marcho Handoko, who has since graduated. According to the students, their research has the potential to be another security system for digitally stored data.

“Our research is on mouse base continuous authentica-

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tions. Starting the process of getting help can be a daunting process, but the panel aimed to break down that barrier, offering listeners access to mental health resources and more.

“Oftentimes people may not be aware of what’s available or they may be intimidated about starting that process of asking for help. So I think anytime you can put a face and a person behind a title, it often breaks

tion. It’s repeatedly pulling a user based on their input to detect whether a user is genuine or not,” said Shoenbauer. “So instead of doing just a basic password, you also have continuous authentication that is continuing to check while you’re using the program that you are the genuine user and not someone else trying to hijack a person’s system.”

Another research in the CSET field was done by senior Delaney Conrad, who tried to determine if machine learning models were able to tell if an image is real or fake, which she thinks is important in rising Artificial Intelligence times.

“I think there’s an urgent need to try to detect and know if the content that we are seeing is not real,” said Conrad.

Conrad said the experience was well worth her time.

“There were areas of it that I was surprised were challenging. Just some of the data cleaning and processing, and then learning new code that I hadn’t been exposed to,” said Conrad. “But overall, the process has been fulfilling and it’s been fun to present. Challenging but worth it.”

Senior Olivia Haefner researched payday lending and its impact on low-income neighborhoods. According to Haefner, the research started as a class project and became more interesting to investigate during

down those barriers,” Shunkwiler said.

Even if just one person at the event retains the message and takes it home with them, Shunkwiler considers the panel a success.

Some of the resources available on campus at MSU include the Counseling Center, Student Health Services, and campus security.

“The only way you move

the process.

“It wasn’t really of interest until we started learning about it because I knew nothing. I didn’t even know what this was until we started talking about it in class,” said Haefner. “But once I figured it out, it was sad how people can get trapped in this. And while talking to people it was sad to hear their experiences. They were still very positive people but they struggled through a lot because they got stuck in this. I think it needs to be brought to attention more.”

The organizational team, as well as URS participants, said they find it useful to participate in undergraduate research and present their work. Kaylee Engel, Graduate Assistant for URC, said she believes this experience will help students.

“I think it gives students a lot of skills that they can carry on either to graduate school, to their career or just in life in general,” said Engel. “And I think it helps to build the confidence of students and knowing that they can take ownership over a big project like that, be able to successfully do it and to carry that on with them in life.”

For those who missed presentations but are still interested to see them, URC uploaded presentations, posters and videos from presenters on the Symposium platform.

For additional information, email urc@mnsu.edu.

through emotional difficulty is through talking about it. Understandably, this is one of the more difficult things to talk about. The power of this event is that you’re going to hear from people who have suffered loss from suicide, and share their story, normalize that story, and encourage more people to access help and to seek help when they need it,” Shunkwiler said.

Ethiopia leads the international student population with 314 students as MSU ranks ninth nationally in international student population among master’s institutions, according to the 2022 annual Open Doors Report.

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security and the culture shock regarding the American diet also come into play.

“When you’re an international student you’re in a new environment, and you have difficulty getting the food you’re used to,” Sehgbean said.

Hosting cultural nights put on by students from that country monthly, MSU also hosts the annual International Festival in the fall.

“I know that international students are eager to get to know American students. They didn’t come here to just hang out with students from their own country,” Fry said. “I wish more people would take that chance and talk to them, introduce yourselves, welcome them here. You might find a new friend.”

To combat the newness an international student might face attending the second largest university in the state, KIC partners with many departments on campus that seek to include international students in campus life and the community.

Language barriers in the classroom also can be daunting for new international students.

“I see that international students don’t participate much in class because they feel like they don’t have the right voice to say or add as much as the American students,” Sehgbean said. “The purpose of being in the U.S. is to learn and to interact. Many international students come from countries that speak different languages so that barrier can create feelings of insecurity, and anxiety.”

Understanding that their experience is different than the average domestic student’s is a message Sehgbean wants to spread. Aspiring to become an immigration lawyer one day, he said he believes that his experience coming to America can help him connect with others like him.

“I understand the different challenges that immigrants go through here getting permanent resident status and getting citizenship. I want to help people in my cycle to get the help they need to stay in the U.S.,” Sehgbean said.

File Photo

The Undergraduate Student Symposium offered students the opportunity to showcase their works they’ve been working on all semester.

After Alabama birthday shooting, hope and frustration

1 dead in Oklahoma college shooting, suspect in custody

Three days after gunfire at a Sweet 16 birthday party killed four young people and injured 32 more, some critically, victims’ relatives and officials expressed hope that investigators may be nearing an arrest and also frustration about police silence on the case.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency announced Tuesday evening that multiple law enforcement agencies, including local police and and the FBI, would hold a news conference the following morning to discuss the case, further heightening anticipation of a

to hear about fentanyl being found in illegal THC cartridges, which are “very common,” due to their portability.

“I think we are at an age where people are particularly vulnerable to trying new substances,” Kearns said. “We know that young adults are kind of in an age where they are alone, trying new things and substances. This region has a lot of substances that may knowingly or unknowingly have fentanyl in them, and I think that is why this training is pertinent to this community.”

Jordan said using drugs that do not cause opioid overdose symptoms can still lead to a need for Naloxone because they can be laced with fentanyl.

“If you come into a situation and you think this person only uses cocaine or only uses methamphetamine but you’re seeing all the symptoms that we’re talking about right now, give them Naloxone. You’re not going to cause their situation to

potential breakthrough.

The shootings Saturday night rocked the small town of Dadeville, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) southeast of Birmingham, and families suddenly found themselves planning memorials and burial services instead of graduation parties or college move-ins.

A relative of one teen killed in the shooting told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the family, which has been briefed by officials, understands that the investigation is progressing.

“They are working very hard and are adamant about apprehending those who are re-

be any worse than it already is, and chances are pretty high the overdose is caused by fentanyl and not the other substance,” Jordan said.

Fatal opioid overdoses increased in Minnesota by 43% from 2020 to 2021, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Bystanders can help prevent these deaths if Naloxone is administered in time.

First-year students Emily Hodge and Elizabeth Flatum were in attendance.

“I loved the training,” Flatum said. “I knew some information beforehand, but not much.”

Hodge said she now feels “more confident” with the idea of administering the medication to someone.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m 100% certain, but definitely more confident on how to do it,” She said.

The kits are packaged in a brown, resealable pouch with a QR code for a video tutorial on how to administer Naloxone,

Advertiser via AP

sponsible for the tragic event,” said Amy Jackson, whose cousin KeKe Smith was among the dead.

Dadeville Mayor Frank Goodman said Tuesday that police had established a new command center behind a church, but it was not immediately clear if it was connected to the shooting.

He also said a lack of information from police about where the investigation stands has been frustrating for many.

“They hadn’t told us nothing yet. They are not releasing anything,” Goodman said when asked.

as well as information about the Steve Rummler HOPE Network, a nonprofit organization that assembled and provided the kits. Inside are three sealed syringes and three one-milliliter, single dose vials of Naloxone. There are also latex gloves, alcohol prep pads, a plastic face shield to aid in sanitary rescue breathing and printed instructions with diagrams.

Christian Family Solutions will provide overdose response kits and fentanyl substance test strips during their business hours without asking for names. Narcan nasal spray was approved by the FDA in 2023 but supply is limited due to product shortage.

The kit’s instructions identify overdose signs as “slow or shallow breathing,” gasping or “weird snoring” when sleeping, change to pale, blue or gray tone in skin, “slow heartbeat, low blood pressure,” and not waking up or responding to rubbing knuckles on their sternum.

By SUE OGROCKI and SEAN MURPHY The Associated

A man shot to death a 20-year-old student Monday at Rose State College in Oklahoma, according to police, who reported no other injuries after the campus was briefly put on lockdown.

Midwest City Police Chief Sid Porter said the suspect surrendered upon being approached by officers after the shooting near the center of the 13,000-student campus. The two-year college is just outside Oklahoma City.

In a statement, police identified the suspect as Brandon Morrissette, 30, who faces a first-degree murder charge. It was not immediately clear

whether he had an attorney Monday night.

Porter said the victim and Morrissette’s wife, who is also a student at Rose State College, were walking out of a building when they were confronted by the gunman. The victim, who police did not immediately identify, was pronounced dead on the scene. Porter did not provide any other details about what might have led to the shooting.

Kevin McCormack, a student from the suburb of Choctaw, said he was meeting a friend on campus when he heard gunfire. He said they looked over and saw a man hitting the ground, next to another man holding a gun and a woman who was trying to calm him down.

Jake Crandall/The Montgomery

SUE OGROCKI • The Associated Press

Community members embrace during a prayer vigil at First Baptist Church in Dadeville, Ala., on Sunday, April 16, 2023. A deadly shooting happened late Saturday night at Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio in downtown Dadeville.

Law enforcement officers from various agencies mill around following a shooting at Rose State College, Monday, April 24, 2023, in Midwest City, Okla.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Press

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UN and West berate Russia’s top diplomat over Ukraine

DA to decide on Georgia probe charges

By KATE BRUMBACK The Associated Press

The prosecutor in Atlanta investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies illegally meddled in the 2020 election in Georgia said Monday she expects to announce charging decisions in the case this summer and urged “heightened security.”

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis wrote in a letter to county Sheriff Pat Labat that she expects to announce the decisions sometime between July 11 and Sept. 1. She said she wanted to give Labat time to coordinate with local, state and federal agencies “to ensure that our law enforcement community is ready to protect the public.”

beyond that call.

By EDITH M. LEDERER

The United Nations chief and representatives from Western nations berated Russia’s top diplomat as he chaired a U.N. meeting Monday, accusing Moscow of violating the U.N. Charter by attacking Ukraine and occupying part of its territory.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov responded by defending his country’s military action and accusing the U.S. and its allies of undercutting global diplomacy, the foundation of the United Nations, which was created to prevent a third world war.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called cooperation among the U.N.’s 193 member nations the organization’s “beating heart” and “guiding vision,” and he warned the Security Council that global collaboration is under the greatest strain since the creation of the United Nations in 1945 on the ashes of World War II.

Tensions between major powers are at a “historic high” and so are the risks of conflict “through misadventure or miscalculation,” he said, pointing first and foremost to the war in Ukraine.

The U.N. secretary-general and the ambassadors of the U.S., Britain, France and their allies all pointed to the U.N. Charter’s underlying principle requiring all countries to sup-

port the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every nation — which Russia violated by invading its smaller neighbor on Feb. 24, 2022, and illegally annexing several regions.

Russia convened the ministerial meeting on making “multilateralism” — when countries work together — more effective through the defense of the U.N. Charter, calling it the high point of its month-long presidency of the Security Council. It has been the most contentious presidency in the memory of longtime U.N. diplomats and officials, and Monday’s meeting added to the antagonism.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called Russia a “hypocritical convener” of the meeting whose “illegal, unprovoked and unnecessary” war in Ukraine “struck at the heart of the U.N. Charter and all that we hold dear.”

Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward said the world has seen “what Russia’s idea of multilateralism means for the world” — the trampling of the U.N. Charter and a war that has brought unimaginable suffering to Ukraine and been “an unmitigated disaster for Russia, too.”

The 27-member European Union called Russia’s attempt to portray itself as a defender of the U.N. Charter and multilateralism “cynical.”

“Open-source intelligence has indicated the announcement of decisions in this case may provoke a significant public reaction,” Willis wrote in the letter, adding that some could involve “acts of violence that will endanger the safety of our community.”

As leaders, they need to be prepared, she wrote, adding that her team would be in touch to talk about arrangements.

The letter was first reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which reported that letters were also sent to Atlanta’s police chief and the head of the Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency.

The Atlanta Police Department confirmed receipt of a letter from Willis and said it would “continue to monitor the potential for unrest throughout our city.”

“We stand ready to respond to demonstrations to ensure the safety of those in our communities and those exercising their First Amendment right, or to address illegal activity, should the need arise,” a department statement said.

Willis has been investigating whether Trump and his allies broke any laws as they tried to overturn his narrow election loss to Democrat Joe Biden in Georgia.

She opened the investigation in early 2021, shortly after a recording of a phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was made public. In that call, Trump suggested the state’s top elections official could help “find” the votes needed to overturn his loss in the state.

It has become clear since then that the scope of her investigation has expanded far

Trump, who last fall announced a 2024 bid for the White House, already faces criminal charges in New York. A Manhattan grand jury in March indicted him on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payments to a porn actor during the 2016 presidential election.

New York police had said ahead of his arraignment there that they were ready for large protests by the former president’s supporters, who believe any charges against him are politically motivated. And while hundreds of onlookers, protesters, journalists and some politicians did show up, fears that unruly crowds would cause chaos ultimately proved unfounded.

Meanwhile in Washington, federal grand juries are investigating efforts by Trump.

JOHN MINCHILLO • The Associated Press Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, serving as the president of the Security Council gavels in a meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

The Associated Press

BRYNN ANDERSON • The Associated Press Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis poses for a portrait, Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in Atlanta.

Proud Boys viewed themselves as ‘Trump’s army’

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and LINDSAY WHITEHURST The Associated Press

Ready for “all-out war,” leaders of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group viewed themselves as foot soldiers fighting for Donald Trump as the former president clung to power after the 2020 election, a prosecutor said Monday at the close of a historic trial over the U.S. Capitol insurrection.

After more than three months of testimony, jurors began hearing attorneys’ closing arguments in the seditious conspiracy case accusing Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio and four lieutenants of plotting to forcibly stop the transfer of power from Trump to President Joe Biden.

The Proud Boys were “lined up behind Donald Trump and willing to commit violence on his behalf,” prosecutor Conor Mulroe told jurors. “These defendants saw themselves as Donald Trump’s army, fighting to keep their preferred leader in power no matter what the law or the courts had to say about it.”

The prosecution’s words underscore how the Justice Department has worked throughout the trial to link the violence on Jan. 6, 2021, to the rhetoric and actions of the former presi-

dent. Prosecutors have repeatedly shown jurors a video clip of Trump telling the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” during his first presidential debate with Joe Biden.

Tarrio is one of the top targets of the Justice Department’s investigation of the riot that erupted at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Tarrio wasn’t in Washington, D.C., that day but is accused of orchestrating an attack from afar.

One of Tarrio’s lawyers is expected to address jurors on Tuesday when the trial resumes for a second day of closing arguments.

Defense attorneys say there’s is no evidence of a conspiracy or a plan for Proud Boys to attack the Capitol.

Nicholas Smith, attorney for former Proud Boys chapter leader Ethan Nordean, said prosecutors built their case on “misdirection and innuendo.”

Smith accused prosecutors of repeatedly playing the clip of Trump from the debate to try to manipulate jurors.

“Does that prove some conspiracy by the men here?” Smith asked jurors. “We all know it doesn’t.”

Seditious conspiracy, a Civil War-era charge that is rare and can be difficult to prove, carries a potential sentence of up to 20

years in prison. The Proud Boys also face other serious charges.

Mulroe said a conspiracy can be an unspoken and implicit “mutual understanding, reached with a wink and a nod.”

The Justice Department has already secured seditious con-

spiracy convictions against the founder and members of another far-right extremist group, the Oath Keepers.

But this is the first major trial involving leaders of the far-right Proud Boys, a neofacist group of self-described “Western chau-

vinists” that remains a force in mainstream Republican circles. The foundation of the government’s case, which started with jury selection in January, is a trove of messages that Proud Boys leaders and members privately exchanged.

ALLISON DINNER • The Associated Press

Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio wears a hat that says The War Boys during a rally in Portland, Ore., Sept. 26, 2020. A federal jury is set to hear closing arguments in the historic trial of Proud Boys extremist group.

Made in China: What is normal?

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

Alicia Reed Sports Editor Dylan Engel Photo Editor

How to survive finals week

Here we are, T-minus one week until the worst week of the semester arrives. It’s always crazy how fast the weeks fly by after reaching the halfway point of each semester. All that’s left between us and summer time are final projects and final tests. Whether you saved all of your work until now or you are caught up or even ahead, we as students should do our best to not be stressed.

While the grades you receive in each class can be heavily influenced by your performance on the final, it’s important to not let the pressure get to you, as stress can impact your execution. This is much easier said than done, but there are a number of things you can do to help control your stress upon the end of the semester.

This first one sounds simple and kind of stupid, but sometimes all you have to do is breathe. I’m not saying just default breathe as you normally would, though that is important. One of the best tricks to calm anxiety and stress is to control your breathing

A lot of the time when we are anxious, we actually breathe incorrectly, causing stress to worsen. Taking slow, deep breaths can slow down your nervous system and reduce your body temp and anxiety.

Another great way to keep your mind at ease during these last weeks is to take breaks to relax and do things you enjoy. While your assignments and tests may be your main focus, making it seemingly impossible to think about anything else, it’s important to find the time to take care of yourself.

If you only focus on school, it’s going to wear you down mentally and physically. Taking moments out of your day to just sit back and do something that brings you joy, even if it’s something like sleeping, will only refresh your mind and give you the energy you need to succeed.

The last one may seem obvious, but it’s important to remember not to overdo it. Make sure you take the time to study beforehand, but don’t over-study. Making sure you know the content is important, but if that’s all you’re doing the week or two (however far in advance you start) before, you will drain yourself.

On the other hand, it’s also key to not procrastinate for too long. Be sure you are still giving yourself enough time to learn the content, so you don’t overwhelm yourself. Simply put: find the balance.

These last two weeks can be difficult for many people. What’s most important is that you remain confident and try your best.

Pulse

By JULIA LIN Editor in Chief

I was never a good writer. During my time in high school, it never came naturally to me when we had to write papers. I was never the most creative and definitely never the most grammatically correct. People who know me or have ever met me will say I talk a lot. However, I’m not known to talk deeply about personal topics and definitely not the one to share them on a public forum. I started this column to share my experience dating as a young Asian American woman in her 20s with the headline, “Is this normal?”. As a college student seeking love, or whatever they call it now, obviously, I was on all the typical dating apps. I found out quickly that three out of five times many pickup lines were racially motivated. This was new for me. Some comments were funny, some not, and some were down-

right prejudiced. I learned quickly that men view me very differently than I view myself.

When working for a college newspaper you get in the habit of writing and sometimes thinking “No one is going to really read this.” I was wrong. Within my first week of writing my first column and personal testimony, I was met with good, and bad reactions. Some in-person feedback thanked me for sharing my story, and some in-person feedback dismissing my very personal experience calling it “I bet it is so difficult being you.” Needless to say, publishing a personal piece was one of the scariest and most vulnerable things I’ve done thus far. I was told early in life any publicity is good publicity. And if you make people talk about what you wrote, then you’re doing something right.

I didn’t stop there, throughout the academic year I continued writing my

column every Monday. Some pieces are better than others but this is a parallel of my life. Not every day do I feel inspired to get on a soap box and talk about serious social issues topics. I used this platform to discuss my personal life and used it to commentate on hot topics in the news. I used this column for advocacy and to raise awareness of oppression among the Asian community. I also used this column to simply document how I felt in this temporary stage in my life. Like a diary open for all to read, I had the privilege of sharing a piece of my life with you.

I am thankful that I work for a department that allows me to share my thoughts and feelings. I am grateful for those who supported me and pushed me to be vulnerable. And to those who have messaged me with kind words about my columns, you truly make my day and are part of the reason why I have a newfound love for writing.

“What are your thoughts on finals?”

Compiled by Dominic Bothe

BRIAN CHHUOY, FRESHMAN “I

CATO MELANDER, SOPHOMORE

DJ BELISLE, SOPHOMORE

KATHERINE JACOBSEN, SENIOR “Ready

LAINE AEILTS, SENIOR

ORNELLA MALM, SENIOR “Sucks but

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

Amazon Indigenous woman wins Goldman environment prize

39 bodies dug up in cult investigation of pastor in Kenya

By FABIANO MAISONNAVE The Associated Press

When Alessandra Korap was born in the mid-1980s, her Indigenous village nestled in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil was a haven of seclusion. But as she grew up, the nearby city of Itaituba, with its bustling streets and commercial activity, crept closer and closer.

It wasn’t just her village feeling the encroachment of non-Indigenous outsiders. Two major federal highways paved the way for tens of thousands of settlers, illegal gold miners and loggers into the region’s vast Indigenous territories, which cover a forested area roughly the size of Belgium.

The influx posed a grave threat to Korap’s Munduruku people, 14,000-strong and spread throughout the Tapajos River Basin, in Para and Mato Grosso states. Soon illegal mining, hydroelectric dams, a major railway and river ports for soybean exports choked their lands — lands they were still struggling to have recognized.

Korap and other Munduruku women took up the responsibility of defending their people, overturning the traditionally all-male leadership.

Organizing in their communities, they orchestrated demonstrations, presented compelling evidence of environmental crime to the Federal Attorney General and Federal Police, and vehemently opposed illicit agreements and incentives offered to the Munduruku by unscrupulous miners, loggers, corporations, and politicians seeking access to their land.

Korap’s defense of her ancestral territory was recognized with the Goldman Environmental Prize on Monday. The award honors grassroots ac-

tivists around the world who are dedicated to protecting the environment and promoting sustainability.

“This award is an opportunity to draw attention to the demarcation of the Sawre Muybu territory,” Korap told The Associated Press. “It is our top priority, along with the expulsion of illegal miners.”

Sawre Muybu is an area of virgin rainforest along the Tapajos River spanning 178,000 hectares (440,000 acres). Official recognition for the land, or demarcation, began in 2007 but was frozen during the far-right presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, which ended in January.

Still, the Munduruku people celebrated a victory in 2021 when the British mining company Anglo American gave up trying to mine inside Indigenous territories in Brazil, including Sawre Muybu.

Studies have shown that Indigenous-controlled forests are the best preserved the in Brazilian Amazon.

Almost half of Brazil’s climate pollution comes from deforestation. The destruction is so vast now that the eastern Amazon, not far from the Munduruku, has ceased to be a carbon sink, or net absorber of the gas and is now a carbon source, according to a study published in 2021 in the journal Nature.

Korap, however, knows that land rights alone don’t protect the land.

In the neighboring Munduruku Indigenous Territory, illegal miners have destroyed and contaminated hundreds of miles of waterways in search of gold, even though it was officially recognized in 2004.

Now Brazil’s new govern-

ment has created the country’s first Ministry of Indigenous Peoples and more recently mounted operations to drive out miners. But Korap remains skeptical of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. She sees his actions as contradictory, noting that while he advocates for forest protection, he also negotiates trade deals with other countries to sell more of the country’s top exports — beef and soybeans — which are the main drivers of deforestation in Brazil.

“When Lula travels abroad, he is sitting with rich people and not with forest defenders. A ministry is useless if the government negotiates our lands without acknowledging we are here,” she said.

Other Goldman Environmental Prize recipients this year are:

— Tero Mustonen, a university professor and environmental activist from Finland, who led the purchase of peatland damaged by state-sponsored industrial activity.

—Delima Silalahi, a Batak woman from North Sumatra, Indonesia, who organized Indigenous communities across the country to advocate for their rights to traditional forests.

—Chilekwa Mumba, a Zambian community organizer who has fought for and won compensation for residents harmed by copper mining before the UK Supreme Court.

—Zafer Kizilkaya of Turkey, a marine conservationist and conservation photographer who established Turkey’s first community-managed marine protected area in the Mediterranean.

—Diane Wilson, an American shrimp boat captain.

Thirty-nine bodies have been found so far on land owned by a pastor in coastal Kenya who was arrested for telling his followers to fast to death.

Malindi sub-county police chief John Kemboi said that more shallow graves have yet to be dug up on the land belonging to pastor Paul Makenzi, who was arrested on April 14 over links to cultism.

The total death toll is 43, because a further four people died after they and others were discovered starving at the Good News International Church last week.

Police have asked a court to allow them to hold Makenzi longer as investigations into the deaths of his followers con-

tinue.

A tipoff from members of the public led police to raid the pastor’s property in Malindi, where they found 15 emaciated people, including the four who later died. The followers said they were starving on the pastor’s instructions in order to meet Jesus.

Police had been told there were dozens of shallow graves spread across Makenzi’s farm and digging started on Friday. Makenzi has been on hunger strike for the past four days while in police custody.

The pastor has been arrested twice before, in 2019 and in March of this year, in relation to the deaths of children. Each time, he was released on bond, and both cases are still proceeding through the court.

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ERIC RISBERG • The Associated Press

The Associated Press

Korap, from the Brazilian Amazon, has been awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for her work fighting against illegal mining and large-scale projects aimed at facilitating soybean exports in the Tapajos River Basin.

Police and local residents load the exhumed bodies of victims of a religious cult into the back of a truck in the village of Shakahola, near the coastal city of Malindi, in southern Kenya Sunday, April 23, 2023.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SPORTS S

Mavs come up short in NSIC Championship

By LUKE JACKSON Staff Writer

Minnesota State Mankato men’s golf team brought home bronze in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championship Sunday.

The 54-hole event at Adams Pointe Golf Club in Blue Springs, Missouri, brought them third place with a final score of 900 among the five Mavericks that played.

Jack Klimek’s performance throughout the tournament was the biggest contributor to their podium finish. Klimek finished two under par which tied him in second place individually with a score of 219. Putting was his key to success.

“I’ve always taken a lot of pride in working on my short game and it certainly helped me this week,” Klimek said. “I was putting really well and really confident on the greens. With my short game clicking, it took some pressure off my iron game.

Klimek notched 11 birdies throughout the weekend which led the team. Klimek maintained a scoring average of 3.08 on par-3s while also achieving an average of 4.13 on par-4s.

This can also be attributed to his previous knowledge from the NSIC Preview three weeks prior.

“One of my biggest takeaways from the conference preview

was to understand where to miss around the greens and where to position myself on the greens,”

Kliemek said. “If you miss the wrong spots on the golf course, you will be punished. It was my main

Culture embodies

By MOHAMED WARSAME Staff Writer

The Minnesota State Women’s Rugby team is built on its camaraderie and closeness as a group.

Vice President and team captain Payton Hedderman credited the amount of time they spend together on a weekly basis for making the squad a close knit group. The Mavericks practice two or three days a week and have games or tournaments almost every weekend, with many of these games and tournaments requiring a long drive.

“After games we also all hang out to celebrate how we played, or just to have fun together. Because of this, we end up spending four to five days together a week. We usually get pretty close. Next year we actually have four players from the team living together in one house, and another three players all living together in an apartment. Overall, we typically get an amazing group of people that get along really well,” Hedderman said.

Although the team consists of a lot of young players, they don’t shy away from leadership roles. Something that makes this women’s team unique is that they get help from alumni when they need it. The current coach of the team is a player who graduated last year.

focus coming into the conference championship to just hit as many greens as I could.”

As a team, resilience shined through. The tournament was played in 29-degree weather and

25-mile-per-hour winds.

“Saturday was one of the coldest days I’ve ever experienced,” head coach Alex Schmitz said. “Just the mental toughness and strength to go out there and try to put a good

round together is, you know, really hard. But the guys did very, very well.”

Klimek also touched on resiliency throughout the tournament.

“I am proud of the way I continued to grind and keep a short memory when mistakes happened. As a team, I am proud of the way we never gave up and continued to keep our heads held high.”

Hogan Ordal shot one over par which closed his season off in ninth place among the NSIC’s best. He was able to put down four birdies in his last round.

This included a streak of three straight birdies on the ninth, tenth and eleventh holes. On top of this, senior Ben Laffen finished off his career in 17th place. This included nine birdies which were the second most on the team.

The team set a goal this season to be conference champs but ultimately came up short.

Although they fell short, the team saw improvement from last season which gives them a step in the right direction.

“At the end of the day, our goal was to win the NSIC Championship,” Schmitz said. “We took fifth last year and this year third. If we can continue the trend and jump up two more spots that mean a championship. Even though we didn’t win this year it was a really good season. We learned a lot this year and got a lot accomplished.”

Minnesota State women’s rugby

“More specifically with the team dynamic, we have the older players as leaders on the team that help lead practices, or who are very good at talking to players oneon-one to help drills make sense,” Hedderman said.

The most recent tournament the Mavs competed in was in Mankato April 15. Competing teams included Gustavus, Duluth, Carleton, Winona and Bemidji. MSU’s team was responsible for making sure the lines were painted on the field and replacing pads on the goal posts. They also had to hope the unpredictable Minnesota weather cooperated. Along with the tournament going to plan, the Mavs emerged as winners.

“Overall the tournament was a great success. We didn’t have very good weather, but all of the teams played great! Mankato had the privilege to get to play Winona State in the finals, and won. We as a team were very impressed and overly joyed with this win, and the great rugby that was played,” Hedderman said.

The accepting nature and embracing of different people is something that makes rugby unique to Hedderman.

“I have loved the diverse and accepting community that Rugby is. People on our team now, and people I have met that played Rugby,

While

are very kind and helpful people. The last couple weekends we had a person that played in 2002-2006 just show up at our games and was super supportive, they even brought water on the field and ox-

ygen cans to us during the game,” Hedderman said.

Hedderman says being around women who have different bodies and who embrace who they are has helped her with her own insecuri-

ties.

“Once I joined the team I was around these beautifully strong women. Women who looked different than me, but loved and

Courtesy MSU Athletics

Minnesota State’s Men’s Golf team placed third out of ten teams at the NSIC Championship held in Blue Springs, Missouri. The 54-hole event signified an end to the Maverick’s season.

Courtesy Mankato Women’s Rugby

being a relatively young group, Minnesota State’s Women’s Rugby team is focused on building a great culture from the ground up.

A historic season comes to an end Sioux ‘Falls’ to Mavs baseball

Courtesy MSU Athletics

Minnesota State’s Women’s Tennis team fell 4-0 to Augustana in the NSIC tournament championship game Sunday. A historic season comes to an end at the hands of a historic team.

By HAYDEN LEE Staff Writer

It’s puzzling to think that a team with a 15-2 record is already done playing for the season, but that’s exactly what’s happening for Minnesota State tennis.

The Mavs put together an incredible season — one of its best in school history — but fell 4-0 to the Augustana Vikings in the finals of the NSIC Tournament.

The Mavs played two matches before their ultimate game with the Vikings.

First up in the first round was Southwest Minnesota State.

The Mavs swept the Mustangs Friday morning to pick up their first win of the tournament, 4-0. To begin the day and the tournament, the Mavs swept the doubles matches to win the first point of the match.

Chiara Carnelutti and Freia Lawrence were able to win their No. 2 doubles match 6-0 while McKenna DeMarce and Elizabeth Felderman brought home a 6-1 win in the No. 3 doubles match, clinching the point.

As a result, Lois Page and Avery Stilwell were not able to finish

 RUGBY from page 9

owned it. I have always been around people who thought skinnier was better, even if it wasn’t healthy. But now, I was able to see that my body was strong and that no matter the size I was, I was a

their match, as the Mavs had already clinched the majority of the points.

In the tournament, there was no time to be wasted, so all the Mavs needed to secure the win and finish their match was three more wins from the singles matches.

Carnelutti, DeMarce and Daria Podmogilnaia swept their singles matches, sealing the 4-0 win for MSU. Their next match was immediately revealed to them: University of Mary.

Again, the Mavs won two doubles matches to take the first point of Saturday’s match.

Page and Stilwell were able to finish their match this time, winning the no. 1 doubles match 6-4, DeMarce and Felderman won 6-2 in the no. 3 doubles match and Carnelutti and Lawrence went unfinished.

DeMarce was then able to win the first of three Maverick points in the no. 6 singles match, Podmogilnaia won in the no. 5 singles and Lawrence swept the no. 2 singles match. This left Page, Carnelutti and Stilwell unfinished.

Wrapping up the matches they were supposed to win was the easy

strong healthy human,” Hedderman said.

As the spring season winds down, the goals of the team going into the fall season include, becoming eligible to play in the national tournament and get a top

part, but now it was time to face the team they have been preparing all year for: Augustana; the two seed taking on the one seed.

The NSIC Tournament Championship. This is what the Mavs were preparing for.

Unfortunately, the Mavs did not get out to a great start. Page and Stilwell fell 6-1 in the No. 1 doubles match, but DeMarce and Felderman rebounded by winning the No. 2 match 6-4.

However, Lawrence and Carnelutti were unable to win the No. 3 match, and the Vikings took the first point.

DeMarce was the first Mav to go down in the singles matches, losing the No. 6 match before Stillwell also was not able to win in the No. 4 match.

Finally, Podmogilnaia was defeated in the No. 5 singles match to seal the win for the Vikings. Page, Lawrence and Carnelutti were not able to finish their matches.

Only one team gets to go out with a win, and unfortunately it was just not meant to be for the Mavs. They end their season with a 15-2 record and take second place in the NSIC.

16 or higher ranking in the nation. “Even if we don’t get enough to play at nationals, I would just love to get some new players and help our team grow their skills and just have fun,” Hedderman said.

By CHARLIE GROEBNER Staff Writer

It appears the wakeup call has been rather effective for Minnesota State baseball.

Following the team’s short stay at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, the team picked up another sweep on the road over the University of Sioux Falls.

Entering the contest, the Mavs looked to build momentum after a difficult loss to Augustana a few weeks ago. While they picked up a win against the SMSU Mustangs, their stay was short due to weather delay, after which they headed to Sioux Falls.

Entering game one of a Sunday double header, things started out alarming for the Mavs. USF infielder Tyler Cate stole home to give them one run in the first in-

ning. USF then stole another base off pitcher Nathan Culley to put the Mavs down 2-0 early.

However, the Mavs finally broke through after an error allowed Hunter Ranweiler to score an unearned run. The New Ulm native then knocked a single to right field allowing both Louis Magers and Ryan Wickman to score, giving the Mavs the lead.

Before the side was retired, Aiden Byrne launched a sacrifice score to give the Mavs a 4-2 advantage. While the Cougars responded with another RBI double, it wasn’t enough as the Mavs took game one with a final score of 4-3.

Following a short intermission, game two turned into a high scoring affair.

Byrne homered to left to open the contest.. While the Cougars

WAKEUP on page 11

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

The Minnesota State’s Men’s Baseball team sweep a three-game series win against the University of Sioux Falls over Sunday and Monday.

OPINION: Aftermath of the Rodgers trade

NFL players risk betting on football

By ROB MAADDI The Associated Press

NFL players aren’t permitted to bet on football despite the league embracing gambling and capitalizing on a multibillion-dollar industry through partnerships with casinos and sportsbooks.

That’s one policy that can never change because it would destroy the sport’s credibility. Everyone knows the rules. It’s part of mandatory annual education and training sessions for rookies and all players, staff and officials. It’s also included in player manuals, and there are signs in every locker room reminding players and staff that no personnel may bet on NFL games.

By MOHAMED WARSAME Staff Writer

After weeks of negotiations, the much anticipated trade that sends four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets has been completed.

The trade package consists of: the Jets getting Rodgers, the 15th pick in the 2023 NFL draft and a 2023 fifth-round pick. The Packers get the 13th pick in 2023, a 2023 second-round pick, a 2023 sixth-round pick and a conditional 2024 second-round pick that becomes a first-round pick if Rodgers plays 65% of the plays this season.

The quarterback follows in the footsteps of another legendary Packers quarterback that got traded to the Jets after 15 seasons of starting, Brett Favre.

I already touched on the Rodgers and Jets side of things a number of weeks ago when the QB first made it public his desire to be traded to the franchise. Please go read it on the Reporter website. Here are some people that I think this trade most affects.

Matt LaFleur

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has had a red-hot start to his coaching career. LaFleur has a record of 47-19 in his four seasons as head coach. The “boy-genius”

that was a part of that now famous Washington Commanders staff under Mike Shanahan that included the likes of, Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay and Mike McDaniel. He has gotten a lot of deserved praise since he was hired. LaFleur revitalized the career of Rodgers by helping him win backto-back league MVPs in 2020 and 2021, after Rodgers had a few down years prior to his arrival. As unfair as it may sound, now we get to find out how good of a head coach LaFleur really is. Having a future hall of fame QB can mask your flaws as a coach. There’s nothing wrong with that, but in crucial moments, a team needs their head coach to make the difference in those spots. Unfortunately for Packer fans, Lafleur has been unable to make that difference in certain playoff games. His first two seasons saw the Packers go to the NFC Championship game and lose. In 2020, they got molly-whopped by the 49ers 3720. In 2021, they lost a close game to the Buccaneers where LaFleur made a huge blunder by not going for it on fourth down when his team was down eight late in the fourth quarter. Perhaps the most disappointing playoff loss in the LaFleur era came in 2022 at the hands of the 49ers again in

“The NFL has always maintained a robust integrity and compliance program underpinned by policy, education, monitoring, and enforcement,” league spokesman Alex Riethmiller told The Associated Press in an email Monday. “We regularly assess and continue to enhance our programs to ensure these components remain well-suited to protect the integrity of our game. We provide gambling policy education/training to all players, coaches and staff at the 32 clubs as well as NFL league personnel and other stakeholders (e.g., vendors). In total, we educate

responded with an RBI, the Mavs proceeded to go full throttle in the third and fourth. Eleven runs scored to make it a score of 12-1 at the midway point. However, the Cougars didn’t go away easily. They went on a tear in the sixth to cut the lead to 12-

more than 17,000 people a year on our gambling policy.”

Still, several players in the past year tried to get away with betting on football games only to end up with indefinite suspensions.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has emphasized protecting the integrity of the game while the league and its owners have been cashing in since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018, setting the stage for legalized

11 entering the top of the eighth. A home run from junior Adam Weed and rock-solid pitching gave the Mavs the win to cap off game two. In the final game of the series, the Mavs started the first inning with an RBI single from junior Mikey Gottschalk, a ground out RBI from Magers and a two-

sports betting to spread outside Nevada.

It may seem hypocritical on the surface, especially because teams are now permitted to have physical sportsbooks operate on game days starting this season.

The Washington Commanders opened the first in-stadium sportsbook in January, the Arizona Cardinals and the New York Giants and Jets have sportsbooks outside their venues. All NFL employees are prohibited from entering or using any sportsbook during the season.

run homer from Jackson Hauge. While the Cougars responded with an RBI double to make it 4-2, the Mavs scored seven runs to take an 11-2 lead. The Cougars tried to rebound with four more in the third and sixth innings,but the Mavs put on another clinic with five more runs to give them a 16-6 victory.

REX ARBOGAST • The Associated Press Aaron Rodgers salutes the fans after a game against the Chicago Bears. Rodgers is leaving behind his legacy in Green Bay and heading to the bright lights.

MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ • The Associated Press Detroit Lions defensive back on special teams, C.J. Moore, reacts after running out of bounds on a fake punt during the second half of an NFL football game.

RODGERS on page 12

WAKEUP from page 10

US sports bets boom, internet gambling is slow to expand

By WAYNE PARRY

The Associated Press

While two-thirds of the country now offers legal sports betting, only six states offer online casino gambling, confounding industry hopes that the rapid growth of sports betting would also bring internet casino wagering along with it.

Speaking Wednesday at the East Coast Gaming Congress in Atlantic City, industry executives and legislators from gambling states offered various explanations for why internet gambling has yet to expand beyond a handful of eastern states.

Internet gambling is legal in New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia; Nevada offers on-

the Divisional Round. Shanahan schooled LaFleur once again and the 49ers somehow won that game in Lambeau Field after failing to score a touchdown on offense. LaFleur now has the task of developing Jordan Love and keeping the storied franchise competitive without a superstar at QB.

Jordan Love

While LaFleur may be responsible for developing him, the burden to go out on the field and fill the boots of Rodgers rests on Love’s

line poker but not casino games.By contrast, 33 states plus Washington, D.C. offer legal sports betting.

“It’s a mystery to me why we have 30 or so states that have sports wagering, and only six that allow I-gaming,” said Lloyd Levenson, an attorney who represents many Atlantic City casino companies.

“You have to scratch your head as to why.”

Shawn Fluharty, the minority whip of the Werst Virginia House of Delegates, said the disparity is surprising because internet gambling brings in much more money than sports betting does. He said in his state, it takes three months of sports betting revenue to match a single month of online casino revenue.

Some in the gambling industry,

shoulders. The Packers shocked the world in the 2020 NFL Draft when they selected Love with the 26th overall pick. This indicated the Packers were preparing for life after Rodgers. Due to Rodgers winning two consecutive MVPs after they drafted Love, he never sniffed a chance at becoming the starter. Apart from mostly garbage time minutes, the only start Love has had in his career thus far was when Rodgers missed a game due to testing positive for COVID against the Chiefs in 2021, where he was atrocious. In 2022, Love showed for the

as well as in state houses around the country, continue to fear that authorizing internet gambling will cannibalize revenue that would otherwise go to brick-and-mortar casinos — even though the experience of states like New Jersey has shown that not to be the case. in 2022, up more than 21% from a year earlier. Atlantic City’s nine casinos won nearly $2.8 billion from in-person gamblers, an increase of 9% from the previous year.

Indiana state Sen. Jon Ford said his state tried unsuccessfully to pass internet gambling this year, an effort that was at least partly undone by an analytical report from legislative researchers that worried that online gambling would eat into revenue from brick and mortar casinos to an unacceptable extent.

first time in his career real promise at being a NFL starter. This came in against the Eagles in a game where Rodgers was injured and had to leave the game. He came in and looked composed. Love completed six of nine passes, threw a touchdown and had a passer rating of 146.8. With Rodgers out the door, Love now has the chance to show why the Packers traded up to get him in the first-round of the draft. He has a lot to live up to as Packers fans have enjoyed nearly three decades of excellent QB play. AFC East former Alabama QBs

Now that Rodgers has joined the AFC East, this puts Mac Jones and Tua Tagovailoa on notice. With Josh Allen being the king of the division, Rodgers immediately leapfrogs Jones and Tagovailoa as the second best QB in the division. It’s hard to compete to make the playoffs when you have the third and fourth best QBs in your division. Luckily for the Patriots and Dolphins, they have plenty of help for their QBs. The Patriots of course have Bill Belichick and his consistently good defense. Jones will now have a “real” offensive coordinator

in Bill O’Brien, after the trainwreck that was Joe Judge last season. The Dolphins have a wizard as their head coach and play caller in Mike McDaniel, to go along with a track team they have at wide receiver, with guys like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. They’ve also put in the work this off-season to improve the defense by trading for Jalen Ramsey. Both QBs have the help to compete and will have to have good seasons to prove they are the longterm solutions at the QB position for both franchises respectively.

WAYNE PARRY • The Associated Press

Slot machines are controlled by gamblers over the internet at the Hard Rock casino on Feb. 10, 2020, in Atlantic City, N.J. Panelists at a casino industry conference.

 RODGERS from page 11

VA RI ET Y

Shattering the silence of sexual assault

By MERCEDES KAUPHUSMAN Staff Writer

Walking around public grounds in the dark is a privilege women generally fear.

In order to regain entitlement, the Women’s Center at Minnesota State will end the academic year with its annual event, “Take Back the Night,” 5-7 p.m. Tuesday in Ostrander Auditorium.

Mai Ker Thao, graduate assistant at the WC for its violence awareness and response program, organized the upcoming event alongside several other advocates.

“A lot of women go throughout their life being told to be afraid of the dark, being told to watch the way they dress; just being told that from a young age, a lot of women empathize with feeling like they’re to be treated as nothing more than sex objects,” Thao said. “Take Back the Night is a great event to come and feel the support, come and feel that you’re believed, and come and feel that your story is validated.”

The event will consist of an hour and a half of programming, involving five different advocates, each representing different backgrounds, as well as a march.

“We really wanted to focus on getting those who attend to

really understand the impact of sexual violence, especially the impact across different communities, which is why we put a heavy emphasis on learning about different organizations, learn about advocates here, and learn about culturally specific resources,” Thao said.

The Committee Against Domestic Abuse, or CADA, has a representative informing college students about its resources and role as a domestic abuse treat-

ment center in Mankato.

The Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, or MNCASA, has prevention program coordinator, Hunter Beckstrom, speaking from a male’s perspective about how men are involved in the equation and why its important for them to be involved in advocacy.

A speaker from Transforming Generations, an organization that works with predom-

inantly Hmong and Southeast Asian individuals will talk about the importance of having organizations available for all kinds of cultural backgrounds.

BriShaun Kearns, graduate assistant at the WC, will reach both Native Americans and African Americans, and verbalize how women within these groups have historically been fetishized and treated as sexual objects.

Lastly, Liz Steinborn-Gour-

ley, director of the WC, will educate students on how to report crimes of sexual assault, what takes place from there, and everything the campus provides for victims.

The night will end with a march, where everyone will walk together as one, supportive unit, chanting phrases such as, “shatter the silence.”

“It’s one of those events where you will really feel the love and the support and people who believe in you, will listen to you, and who will be there to understand where you’re coming from,” Thao said. “Even if they can’t understand it on a personal level, they’ll still be able to understand it in an empathetic way.”

Thao also provides a list of tips to support survivors when necessary, including the following: avoid judgments, offer support, offer to be there if they seek medical attention or plan to report, be patient, avoid putting pressure on them to talk about something they are not ready to do yet, check in periodically, and remind them you care about them and believe them.

All are welcomed to join the Women’s Center and its team of advocates Tuesday to stand strong against sexual assault on MSU’s campus, and communities all over the world.

Tiesto ‘drives’ new pop album the wrong way

By EMMA JOHNSON News Director

With summer right around the corner, bass-pumping anthems are needed to keep the party going all night long. People want style, beats and addictive tunes that will top the charts and keep them entertained.

Famed DJ and musical artist Tiesto dropped his seventh studio album, “Drive,” on Friday. Known for electronic pop tunes, Tiesto has made several tunes that have racked up impressive streams. With a simple album cover of a bedazzled race car helmet with his name embossed on the sides, it screams wealth, glamour and good times. However, the cover’s shine is brighter than the tunes inside.

With several star-studded collaborations, “Drive” sounds like it would be the album of the decade. “The Motto” featuring Ava Max, “10:35” featuring Tate McRae and “Hot In It” featuring Charlie XCX brings exhilarating vibes to keep listeners on the dance floor all night long. With explosive beat drops

and glittering lyrics, it’s part of the playlist at the club everyone is dying to get into. The three songs are contained in the first half of the album, making listeners assume the remainder of tracks are the same.

However, the rest of the songs fall flat.

Collaborating with the Black Eyed Peas, Tiesto transformed one of their hits “Pump It Louder.” The classic 2000s song already has nostalgic club energy. The so-called remix is slower, but even with how loud the bass is, nothing can top the original song. “All Nighter” and “Learn 2 Love” have jazzy synths, but the franticness of the two sounds similar. “Bet My Dollar” follows in a similar fashion, but Freya Riding’s powerful lyrics show redemption. “Lay Low” has echoing gospel tones better fitted for a cathedral looking to pump up its weekly mass instead of playing to the masses.

What made the album miss the mark was the delayed release. Some artists move an album back a month or two

Courtesy Mai Ker Thao

Take Back The Night, put on by the Violence Awareness and Response Program, aims to show support for victims and survivors of sexual assault.

Experience dances inspired by Nepal and Afro-Cuban Day of Service honors Maverick volunteers

By LAUREN VISKA Staff Writer

The semester is ending. Classes are focused on projects and final exams. Students are worried about final grades. Need something to take your mind off of stress?

Consider the Spring Concert by the Minnesota State’s Department of Theatre and Dance Department.

Performances are 7:30 p.m. April 27-28 and 2:00 p.m. April 29, featuring student choreography, design, and performance. (Tickets are $10 at regular price, $9 for seniors ages 65 and older, children under 16, and groups of 15. For MSU students, it’s $5.)

The concert has eight dances choreographed by two faculty members, three students and two Andreas Guest artists.

One of the artistic directors, Daniel Stark, said the department likes bringing in guest artists for students to learn from.

“Every year, we have some money to bring in people, and that’s from chatting with faculty and students. We look at people out there doing interesting work that we think would be good to have come to campus and work with our students, as well as entertain our audiences with something they maybe haven’t seen before,” said Stark.

 REVIEW from page 13

to polish it to perfection, but Tiesto chose to stagger songs throughout the last three years. The popular gym and rave anthem “The Business” dropped as the lead single in 2020. “The Motto” dropped in 2021 while “10:35,” “Hot In It” and “Don’t Be Shy featuring KAROL G” dropped in early 2022.

One of the guest artists brought in for this concert is Kieron Sargeant. He worked on a dance called, Rebirth.

It is a fusion of contemporary dance and dance traditions of the Caribbean.

In addition, one of the dancers in the show, Nicole Daggett, said that learning this kind of dance was a new experience.

“I’ve taken classes with more Afro-Cuban dance styles but never in that style. It’s always something I was like, ‘Oh, I’ve never done that before. I want to try it. See how it is.’ That’s been cool to experience and try out for the first time,” said Daggett. “Working with guest artists is always good, and it’s always a privilege just to work with different people in the field.”

This dance includes student work. Parisha Rajbhandari, currently getting her MFA in dance and choreography, choreographed one of the dances in the show. It is called “Displaced.”

In this performance, Rajbhandari examines what happened after the earthquake that shattered central and eastern Nepal, her native country, and caused an estimated 2.8 million people to be displaced.

This was her first time choreographing a dance for a concert like this, and this dance is one of her favorites of the show.

By the time the full album dropped, “Drive” only had five out of 12 tracks yet to be released. When the most popular songs are released months or years in advance, it lessens the anticipation of what’s to be expected. It lets fans become acquainted with the hits and reduces the potential for multiple chart-toppers as the songs have been out for a while.

“It was hard to start because I never intended it to be that way. But a lot of different things, from music to just a lot of things coming up, pushed it to become that piece. A lot of collaborating with movers, dancers and movement coming from all of my experiences in life sparked that piece of life,” said Rajbhandari. “It’s not my favorite part because it’s very heavy, but at the same time to see it come alive and choreography is a big deal.”

Students are encouraged to come to the show. Unfortunately, the department spends the whole spring semester working on this for only four performances.

Daggett said she encourages students to see the show and says there will be a wide variety of dances for everyone.

“I feel like dance concerts are something that not a lot of people get to experience; it’s a whole new experience for everybody here at school,” said Daggett. “We have Afro-Cuban, tap dance, a contemporary movement that’s very contemporary and contemporary ballet, in our concert. We have a big group dance and solo dances.”

Students can go to MSUTheatre.com to learn more about the show or how to get their hands on tickets.

By KENDALL LARSON Staff Writer

The Maverick Day of Service, which happened on Saturday April 22, was a day to celebrate all the graduating service leaders and introduce the service leaders for 2023-2024. The day consisted of the volunteering students doing service work through various agencies and returning to campus for the ceremony and food.

Karen Anderson, the assistant director for community engagement, said, “Every year, we graduate students that have done amazing volunteer work, and they go out into the community to do good things. And that’s really what the event is about.”

These students volunteer every year to go out and work

around the community; recognizing this dedication is part of the day.

“We just want to make sure that we recognize the unsung heroes. We have this day to celebrate the people who go about doing things behind the scenes that you never think about,” said Anderson.

“Even though I definitely did not go into volunteering for the recognition it feels really good to be acknowledged,” said Hannah Minet the outgoing president for Mavs in Action.

The Maverick Day of Service is valuable for students because it brings them together and gets them involved with the community.

“I think it’s just a great way to bring different members of

SERVICE on page 15

With Tiesto’s long-standing success, it’s a shame to see fun summer hits go to waste. Instead of running to the dance floor, this album serves as background music at an L.A. cocktail party. Tiesto better don that studded helmet of his and race back to the studio to provide the album we deserve to dance the night away to.

Courtesy Minnesota State Mankato Theatre & Dance Department

PHEDIAS PIERIDES • The Reporter

The 2023 Spring Dance Concert is at 7:30 p.m. on April 27 & 28 and at 2:00 p.m. on April 29. Tickets are $10 regular price, $9 for seniors ages 65 and older, and $5 for MSU students.

Just as students volunteer to help the community, students participate in an Earth week event on campus to promote biodiversity.

Star Bam Margera charged with punching brother

Barry Humphries dies at 89

By ROD McGUIRK The Associated Press

Tony Award-winning comedian Barry Humphries, internationally renowned for his garish stage persona Dame Edna Everage, a condescending and imperfectly-veiled snob whose evolving character has delighted audiences over seven decades, has died. He was 89.

His death in the Sydney hospital, where he spent several days with complications following hip surgery, was confirmed by his family.

“He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit,” a family statement said.

“Jackass” star Bam Margera punched his brother in the face during an altercation at their home in the Philadelphia suburbs, then took off on foot, Pennsylvania State Police said Monday in announcing criminal charges.

An arrest warrant was issued for Margera, 43, and police said they were looking for him.

State police said they were called to the Chester County home in response to a reported domestic disturbance shortly before 11 a.m. Sunday. Margera’s brother, Jesse Margera, told police that Bam Margera

 SERVICE from page 14

our school together and help our community. I feel like it also brings awareness to our group, and it helps more people get involved and get back to the community,” said Olivia Hall, the next president for the Mavs in Action.

“I think the Maverick Day of Service is important because it brings people together. It helps us impact both our campus community and the greater Mankato area, which I think is an opportunity that not a ton of students get,” said Minet.

Minet and Hall both have a passion for volunteering and helping their communities.

“I’ve been volunteering since I was really little, and it’s something I’m really passionate about. When I learned about Mavs in Action, I knew I wanted to get involved with them,” said Hall.

“I started volunteering at

had pounded on and kicked his locked bedroom door that morning, and punched him in the eye, nose and ear during a later confrontation in the kitchen, according to court documents.

Jesse Margera said he’d also found a threatening handwritten note signed “Bam,” a police affidavit said.

Margera, who also starred in the MTV reality series “Viva La Bam,” fled the property on foot through dense woods before troopers got there, the affidavit said.

Bam Margera is charged with simple assault, harassment, and four counts of terroristic threats.

(Minnesota State) in the second semester of my sophomore year. I volunteer because I have a huge passion for it. Being able to help the community and people around me and knowing I’m making a difference is fulfilling,” said Minet.

Beyond helping the communities around Mankato, volunteering on the Maverick Day of Service can be an introduction into working with Mavs in Action.

“It’s definitely helped me make connections and grow in leadership. I know so much more about how this college works than I ever would have known if I wasn’t involved,” said Minet.

To get involved with Mavs in Action or other volunteering experiences, you can reach out to the Community Engagement Office at Community. Engagement@mnsu.edu or stop by their office in CSU 173.

”With over 70 years on the stage, he was an entertainer to his core, touring up until the last year of his life and planning more shows that will sadly never be,” they added.

Humphries had lived in London for decades and returned to native Australia in December for Christmas.

He told The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper last month that his physiotherapy had been “agony” following his fall and hip replacement.

“It was the most ridiculous thing, like all domestic incidents are. I was reaching for a book, my foot got caught on a rug or something, and down I went,” Humphries said of his fall.

Humphries has remained an active entertainer, touring Britain last year with his one-man show “The Man Behind the Mask.”

The character of Dame

Edna began as a dowdy Mrs. Norm Everage, who first took to the stage in Humphries’ hometown of Melbourne in the mid-1950s. She reflected a postwar suburban inertia and cultural blandness that Humphries found stifling.

Edna is one of Humphries’ several enduring characters. The next most famous is Sir Les Patterson, an ever-drunk, disheveled and lecherous Australian cultural attache.

Patterson reflected a perception of Australia as a Western cultural wasteland that drove Humphries along with many leading Australian intellectuals to London.

Humphries, a law school dropout, found major success as an actor, writer and entertainer in Britain in the 1970s, but the United States was an ambition that he found stub-

bornly elusive.

A high point in the United States was a Tony Award in 2000 for his Broadway show “Dame Edna: The Royal Tour.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the celebrated comedian.

“For 89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone,” Albanese tweeted, referring to the melancholic and rambling Stone, one of Humphries most enduring characters. “But the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry. A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift.”

British comedian Ricky Gervais tweeted: “Farewell, Barry Humphries, you comedy genius.”

TODD WILLIAMSON • The Associated Press Margera punched his brother in the face during an altercation at their home in the Philadelphia suburbs, then took off on foot, Police said.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ROB GRIFFITH • The Associated Press Australian actor Barry Humphries, dressed as Dame Edna Everage, speaks to the media ahead of her farewell show “Eat Pray Laugh!”