May 22, 2013 by MSU Reporter

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Minnesota State University, Mankato

Hoffner Relieved of Duties Embattled ex-coach relieved of administrative position

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

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THURSDAY FRIDAY

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SATURDAY FRIDAY

Walking For A Cause Three MSU students walk to the state capitol to raise awareness for education funding

Web Photo Sam Wilmes

news editor

Web Photo Lucas Ryan

staff writer

Minnesota State University, Mankato’s former head football coach Todd Hoffner has been fired. MSU Media Relations Director Dan Benson has confirmed that Hoffner is no longer on the university payroll. Inter Faculty Organization (IFO) who are representing Hoffner confirmed the former head coach was terminated from the university’s staff. The decisions were based on the events that took place last summer. Last August Hoffner was placed on paid administrative leave after it was

discovered by a MSU employee that his phone contained alleged videos of his children that were considered inappropriate. Shortly after the videos on the phone were discovered, Hoffner was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography. Hoffner pled not guilty to the charges in court. The dispute was presented to Blue Earth County District Court Judge Krista Jass, who dismissed all of Hoffner’s charges. Jass found that the videos were protected by the First Amendment. Jass found no probable cause for the charges.

Hoffner/ Page 2

Three Minnesota State University students walked from Mankato to the state capitol building to raise awareness to funding tied to the University. David Schieler, Michael Hanson and Trevor Granberg participated in the 97-mile walk. Minnesota State University Student Vice President Chris Collins accompanied the walkers in a car. The walk, which took place over a three-day period (Saturday, May 11- Monday, May 13) left Schieler in a tired state. Due to the stress of the walk on his legs, Schieler fell, injured his knee, and required a brace to continue on. This is the third walk to the capitol by MNSU students- the first two were in 2010 and 2011. The trip began with the students walking from Mankato to Faribault- walking through the Sakatah-Singing Hills Trail. Madison Lake, Elysian, Waterville and Morristown were passed. After a 12-hour journey Saturday, students resumed their trek towards the capitol on Sunday- walking to Lakeville,

and staying at the Holiday Inn. Monday brought the final leg of the walk- concluding with a stay at the Kelly Inn in St.Paul. Tuesday brought about the conclusion of the trip- the students met with Governor Mark Dayton and other legislators before heading back that afternoon. The trip ended up being a success in the most important aspect, as halfway through the trip the state legislature ended up agreeing to a $250 million increase in higher education funding, a dramatic increase for a state that currently pays two-thirds less of the average student’s tuition than they did a decade ago. The decrease in funding at not only the state level, but nationally has left students across the country swamped in more than a trillion dollars of debt- more than credit card debt. The students involved in the trip did not want a tuition freeze. They are willing to pay more. According to an article published by The Mankato Free Press, State chair of the Minnesota State University Student Association Moriah Miles is actually willing to pay more than $200 more a semester- granted the

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money be put to the best use. Miles classified best use as the university providing better equipment, providing more internship opportunities and increasing professors salaries. Opportunities abound with more funding. According to the article, students would receive a $1,500 stipend on an internship, of which the school and employer would split the cost. MSU provost Linda Baer expressed her appreciation for the student walk. “I am very supportive of the student walk. It is critical that legislators realize the reality of what their decisions mean for students, citizens and the state,” Baer said. “Adequate funding for public higher education is a requirement for the state, regions and communities to be strongly competitive in the global marketplace. I was very proud of the students for their huge and very visible commitment to support the higher education bill. They are living what they believe through these actions and reflect the best in what citizens do in strong democracies,” Baer concluded.

SPORTS A&E

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INDEX: SPORTS A&E

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CLASSIFIEDS

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Page 2 • Reporter

News

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Jody Arias Asks for Life Term; Jury Deliberates PHOENIX (AP) — Jodi Arias begged jurors Tuesday to give her life in prison, saying she “lacked perspective” when she told a local reporter in an interview that she preferred execution to spending the rest of her days in jail. Standing confidently but at times her voice breaking, Arias told the same eight men and four women who found her guilty of murdering her one-time boyfriend that she planned to use her time in prison to bring about positive changes, including donating her hair to be made into wigs for cancer victims, helping establish prison recycling programs and designing T-shirts to raise money for domestic abuse victims. She also said she could run book clubs and teach classes to prisoners to “stimulate conversations of a higher nature.”Later Tuesday, Arias continued her campaign when Judge Sherry Stephens allowed Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office to set up media interviews. Within minutes, Arias agreed to talk to several media outlets while in jail, even while the jury deliberates her fate. The Associated Press was among those scheduled to talk to her.

Arias became emotional as she displayed for jurors photos of her friends, boyfriends and family members, including newborn relatives she has met only from behind bars. She pleaded with jurors to reject the death penalty for the sake of her family. “I’m asking you to please, please don’t do that to them. I’ve already hurt them so badly, along with so many other people,” she said. “I want everyone’s healing to begin, and I want everyone’s pain to stop.” Arias admitted killing Travis Alexander and said it was the “worst thing” she had ever done. But she stuck to her story that the brutal attack — which included stabbing and slashing Alexander nearly 30 times, shooting him in the head and nearly decapitating him — was her defense against abuse. “To this day, I can hardly believe I was capable of such violence. But I know that I was,” she said. “And for that, I’m going to be sorry for the rest of my life.” Her testimony came a day after her attorneys asked to be removed from the case, saying the five-month trial had become a witch hunt that prompted death threats against a key witness in the penalty phase. They also argued for a mistrial. The judge denied both

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requests. Arias acknowledged the pain and suffering she caused Alexander’s family, and said she hoped her conviction for first-degree murder brought them peace. “I loved Travis, and I looked up to him,” Arias said. “At one point, he was the world to me. This is the worst mistake of my life. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever done.” She said she considered suicide after Alexander’s death but didn’t kill herself because of her love for her own family. Arias said she regretted that details of her sex life with Alexander came out during the trial, and described a recorded phone sex call played in open court as “that awful tape.” “It’s never been my intention to throw mud on Travis’ name,” she said, adding she had hoped to reach a deal with prosecutors before the case ever went to trial. “I was willing to go quietly into the night,” Arias said. The jury paid close attention to Arias as she spoke, their gaze turning to the large screen behind her as she ticked through family photos and explained the stories behind each image. Arias retained her composure throughout much of her statement, pausing occasionally as she apparently cried, but no tears were visible.

Alexander’s family showed little emotion as Arias’ mother, father and sister looked on from the other side of the gallery and cried. After Arias finished speaking, the judge told jurors they could consider a handful of factors when deciding her sentence, including assertions from the defense that Arias is a good friend and a talented artist. Arias displayed her drawings and paintings for the jury during her slideshow. Stephens also explained to jurors that their finding would be final, emphasizing the fact that Arias’ life is literally in their hands. “You will determine whether the defendant will be sentenced to life in prison or death,” Stephens told the panel. “Your decision is not a recommendation.” However, if the jury decides on a life sentence, it will be up to the judge to determine whether Arias should spend her entire life behind bars or have a chance at release after 25 years. The jury heard closing arguments later Tuesday, with def ense attorney Jennifer Willmott citing Arias’ mental health problems and lack of a criminal record among the reasons to spare her life. “The question now before you is: Do you kill her? Do you

kill her for the one act that she did, the one horrible act, or can you see that there is a reason to let her live? Can you see that there is value in her life?” Willmott told jurors. Prosecutor Juan Martinez said that despite Arias’ claims, there were no factors in the case that would warrant a sentence other than death. He implored jurors to look at the “whole panorama” of the case, not just Arias’ statement Tuesday. And he asked them to “do the right thing, even though it may be difficult.” After closing arguments, the jury was sent to start deliberations. They adjourned for the day less than two hours later, and were scheduled to begin again Wednesday morning. Arias initially claimed she knew nothing about Alexander’s June 2008 killing at his suburban Phoenix home. She then blamed masked intruders before eventually arguing selfdefense. Prosecutors contend she killed Alexander in a jealous rage because he wanted to end their relationship and go to Mexico with another woman. Arias’ attorneys also tried without success to withdraw from the case after Arias gave her post-conviction TV interview.

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The Lessons Todd Hoffner Taught Us

Hoffner “The decisions were based on the events that took place last summer. Last August Hoffner was placed on paid administrative leave after it was discovered by an MSU employee that his phone contained alleged videos of his children that were considered inappropriate” continued from 1

Web Photo SAM WILMES

News Edior

With Todd Hoffner’s fate already sealed at Minnesota State University, Mankato, an ugly chapter has been closed in our school’s history. Charges that had brought national attention and widespread judgment, including by myself, had ended with charges dismissed, bringing a sense of quiet guilt and shame. The accusations, which began in August, were brought up in a bad time in collegiate athletics. Earlier in the summer The Freeh report had brought to light Joe Paterno’s seeming indifference to Jerry Sandusky’s sexual assualt of young mensometimes on Penn State’s campus. Our university administrators had to have been on extra high alert- the one thing they weren’t going to be accused of was indifference. While I can sit back and complain at the school administration for being too harsh on Hoffner, child pornography charges, even if dismissed in court, forever tarnish a reputation. The school is not to blame in this situation. If Hoffner would have been found guilty and the school would have kept him as head coach throughout the year, there

would have been backlash from a community already leery of scandals involving child abuse. The school might of lost funding, recruits and the loss of an upstanding reputation in the community. Based on these possible ramifications, the school was only doing what it needed to do to protect itself. When I first learned of the charges, I had thought that this guy was a creep- that he was the vilest of human beings- not only of viewing child pornography, but of viewing his own children in compromising positions. In the nine months since then, I have learned how wrong I and much of the community of Mankato were. Hoffner, who had his charges dismissed in November, couldn’t coach a team he helped assemble- a team that would become one of the greatest in school history. He couldn’t do what he loved- coach football. He and his family had to undoubtedly go through media pressure that even the most attentionseeking celebrity would stay away from. One of the worst aspects of the final result was that, unlike the many games Hoffner coached on the gridiron, there were no winners. While found not guilty, Hoffner

leaves with a bruised reputation and the loss of a job- a job in which he had compiled a 34-13 record in four seasons at the helm. The school leaves this situation with a negative persona, since many feel that Hoffner should have gotten his job back. And, worst of all, Hoffner’s family has to feel violated- violated by the press, violated by people like me, people that judged with no concept of the situation, no concept of our legal systema legal system that entails that we are all innocent until proven guilty. This case also reminds us of why our legal system is the strongest in the world. It reminds us that above all of the emotional and judgmental rhetoric, the law is the only constant current of justicethat we must resist the temptation to judge- that we must, even in the most difficult of cases, treat the accused as we would want to be treated. As we close the window on the Todd Hoffner era, we must never forget what this case taught us about making judgments- because history has a funny way of repeating itself and in the words of George Santayana, “Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.”

MSU, however, did not reinstate Hoffner as head football coach. Instead the university assigned Hoffner to an administrative position in the athletic department. The University made the decision to completely cut ties from the coach earlier this month, even though Hoffner was never charged with a crime. This leaves Hoffner in a tough situation. It will likely be difficult to find a new coaching job after the events that transpired last summer. Since Hoffner was taken off the university’s payroll, both sides have remained relatively quiet on the issue. According to an article in the Mankato Free Press, The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act prohibits MSU officials from giving any other details until the appeals process is complete. Hoffner has also remained silent and has referred all questions to IFO spokesman Connie Howard. Howard has remained confident that the former head coach will prevail in the appeal process. Benson said the Minnesota Data Practices Act prohibits him from giving any further details until the appeals process is complete. The success of the team last season without Hoff-

ner could have weighed into the university’s decision to move on without the former head coach. The football team could have used the situation as an excuse or a distraction, but they didn’t. Instead the Mavericks rattled off 13 consecutive wins before finally losing in the third game of the NCAA Division II playoffs. The reaction to the firing has gotten mixed reactions from students on campus. “I think it is fair just because the way the program succeeded without him,” said MSU student, Matt Daulton. “I think that it might be good to get rid of the distraction and just let the staff in place take over the program.” “I think that if he was not guilty of anything then he should not be fired,” said MSU student Phil Knouft. “The team he had a lot to do with building had one of MSU’s best seasons ever, even with all the distractions.” Regardless of how students feel, the University has made their decision to move forward without the former head coach.

Page 4 • Reporter

News

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Oklahoma Tornado Leaves Dozens Dead

Hundreds hurt in one of the worst tornadoes in American history, Leaving an entire community devastated MOORE, Okla. (AP) — Spotlights bore down on massive piles of shredded cinder block, insulation and metal as crews worked through the night lifting bricks and parts of collapsed walls where a monstrous tornado barreled through the Oklahoma City suburbs, demolishing an elementary school and reducing homes to piles of splintered wood. At least 51 people were killed, including at least 20 children, and those numbers were expected to climb, officials said Tuesday. The storm stripped leaves off trees and left scores of blocks in Moore barren and dark. Rescuers walked through neighborhoods where Monday’s powerful twister flattened home after home, to listen for any voices calling out from the rubble. A helicopter buzzed above, shining lights on crews below. As Monday turned into Tuesday, the town of Moore, a community of 41,000 people 10 miles south of the city, braced for another long, harrowing day. “As long as we are here ... we are going to hold out hope that we will find survivors,” said Trooper Betsy Randolph, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. More than 120 people were being treated at hospitals, including about 50 children. Amy Elliott, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office, said Tuesday that there could be as many as 40 more fatalities from Monday’s tornado. Families anxiously waited at nearby churches to hear if their loved ones were OK. A man with a megaphone stood Monday evening near St. Andrews United Methodist Church and called out the names of surviving children. Parents waited nearby, hoping to hear their sons’ and daughters’ names. While some parents and children hugged each other as

they reunited, others were left to wait, fearing the worst as the night dragged on. Crews continued their desperate search-and-rescue effort throughout the night at Plaza Towers Elementary, where the storm had ripped off the school’s roof, knocked down walls and turned the playground into a mass of twisted plastic and metal as students and teachers huddled in hallways and bathrooms. Children from the school were among the dead, but several students were pulled out alive from under a collapsed wall and other heaps of mangled debris. Rescue workers passed the survivors down a human chain of parents and neighborhood volunteers. Parents carried children in their arms to a triage center in the parking lot. Some students looked dazed, others terrified. JAs dusk fell, heavy equipment rolled up to the school, and emergency workers wearing yellow crawled among the ruins, searching for survivors. Crews used jackhammers and sledgehammers to tear away concrete, and chunks were being thrown to the side as the workers dug. “Just having those kids

trapped in that school, that really turns the table on a lot of t Another school, Briarwood Elementary, was also damaged by the tornado, but not as extensively as Plaza Towers. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin deployed 80 National Guard members to assist with rescue operations and activated extra highway patrol officers. Fallin also spoke Monday with President Barack Obama, who declared a major disaster and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts. In video of the storm, the dark funnel cloud could be seen marching slowly across the green landscape. As it churned through the community, the twister scattered shards of wood, awnings and glass all over the streets. The National Weather Service issued an initial finding that the tornado was an EF-4 on the enhanced Fujita scale, the second most-powerful type of twister. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., forecast more stormy weather on Tuesday, predicting golf ball-sized hail, powerful winds and isolated, strong tornadoes for parts of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana

and Oklahoma. The area at risk does not include Moore, Okla. Monday’s powerful tornado loosely followed the path of a killer twister that slammed the region in May 1999. The weather service estimated that Monday’s tornado was at least a half-mile wide. The 1999 storm had winds clocked at 300 mph. It was the fourth tornado to hit Moore since 1998. A twister also struck in 2003. Lewis, who was also mayor during the 1999 storm, said the city was already at work on the recovery. “We’ve already started printing the street signs. It took 61 days to clean up after the 1999 tornado. We had a lot of help then. We’ve got a lot of help now.” Monday’s devastation in Oklahoma came almost exactly two years after an enormous twister ripped through the city of Joplin, Mo., killing 158 people and injuring hundreds more. That May 22, 2011, tornado was the deadliest in the United States since modern tornado record keeping began in 1950, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Douglas Sherman drove two blocks from his home to help. “Just having those kids trapped in that school, that really turns the table on a lot of things,,he said. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin deployed 80 National Guard members to assist with rescue operations and activated extra highway patrol officers. Fallin also spoke Monday with President Barack Obama, who declared a major disaster and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts. Monday’s devastation in Oklahoma came almost exactly two years after an enormous twister ripped through the city of Joplin, Mo., killing 158 people and injuring hundreds more. That May 22, 2011, tornado was the deadliest in the United States since modern tornado record keeping began in 1950, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Before Joplin, the deadliest modern tornado was June 1953 in Flint, Mich., when 116 people died.

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UPCOMING MAVERICK ATHLETIC EVENTS: SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MAY 25TH

MAY 26TH

BASEBALL vs. Grand Valley State 5 p.m.

BASEBALL vs. Franklin Pierce / Shippensburg TBD

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Baseball team wears hats backwards for second consecutive season

The Maverick baseball squad trounced the St. Cloud State Huskies 17-1 for their second consecutive NCAA Division II Central Regional Championship, giving them a trip to Cary, North Carolina for the Elite Eight.

Courtesy of MSU Athletics REECE HEMMESCH

editor in chief

The 2013 campaign for the Minnesota State University, Mankato has been full of uncertainty to say the least. With snow and rain piling on the Midwest throughout the spring it was questionable whether the team would even have a season, followed by even more doubtfulness as MSU dropped three of six to some lesser opponents in late March to fall behind in the NSIC standings. But when the last out was recorded in the Central Region tournament Sunday, one thing was for certain: MSU would be headed back to the College World Series in Cary, N.C. for the second straight year. This trip to the College World Series will be MSU’s seventh in program history, coming after one of the more dominant pitching performances in recent memory. The Mavericks let up just two runs in four games during the NSIC tournament and five runs in 42 innings during

regions, something starting pitcher Jason Hoppe credits to MSU’s self-assurance on the hill and competition early in the season. “It’s our confidence. We knew at the beginning of the year this was a very good staff,” Hoppe said. “We knew it would be hard to know the starting rotation because we had so many different guys who can potentially start.” The road to Cary was tough for the Mavericks, as they made their way through the NSIC tournament, winning all four games to secure a backto-back conference tournament run and lock up the one seed heading into regional play. From there, it would get even worse. As three teams from the state of Missouri, along with conference-foe St. Cloud State and Great American Conference champion Southern Arkansas made their way to Mankato for the regional tournament, the Mavericks knew their journey would be harsh, but they would remain undeterred. Game one would pin

MSU up with the MIAA champions, Missouri Southern, where Hoppe found himself in a deadly pitchers duel with Lions hurler Brett Abell. By the time nine innings had past, the score still stood at 0-0 and both starting pitchers were still in the game. Through 10, they both still stood strong on the hill. Hoppe would start the 11th for MSU but could not achieve the final out of the inning, handing the ball off to closer Mahlon Zimmerman to take over for the time being. Zimmerman would get the final out of the inning, stranding two on base and keeping Hoppe’s scoreless streak intact, which now stands at 42 and 2/3 innings pitched without giving up a run, dating back to Apr. 7 against Augustana. MSU would get a chance to break the tie in the bottom of the 11th when sophomore Nolan Johnson’s infield single ended up down the right field line off an errant throw and Johnson ended up at third base with

nobody out. Though the Mavs were in a prime position to win, Abell would come back and strike out the next three batters to force the game further and ending his night 11 innings strong, surrendering just five hits and striking out 11. The game would push on further when finally the scoreless streak was snapped off by junior Todd Standish’s bunt single, which scored senior Mike Eckhart to push the Mavericks forward by a score of 1-0. Round two once again headed to extras, as it took MSU 10 innings to stave off Missouri Western State and remain unbeaten. This time it was senior Harvey Martin providing the pitching heroics for MSU, going all 10 innings in the victory and letting up just one run; a solo shot from MWS’s David Chew in the second inning. The game would be tied at one through nine, until junior Stetson Olson’s single through the left side brought in Johnson and sophomore Connor Mc-

Callum to give the Mavericks the lead and help them go on to win 4-1. The only team turning more heads than MSU early was the Huskies of SCSU, who knocked off perennial power Central Missouri 11-2 in the first round and withstood Southern Arkansas 5-4. Then it was time for the two NSIC teams to meet to get to the drivers seat. The Mavericks would only obtain four hits in their third game, but it would be enough as they put-down the Huskies 4-3, coming from a ninth inning walk-off double from senior Lucas Skjefte to score Eckhart and put the Mavericks in a great spot to advance on. The bats were cold the first three games for MSU, but their fourth and final game of the tournament brought in an offensive explosion from the Mavericks, defeating SCSU once again 17-1 to send the Huskies packing and MSU to the College World Series. MSU used 18 hits to

Baseball / Page 6

Page 6 • Reporter

Sports

MSU softball season ends in extras

Despite a 2-0 lead for the Mavs after the first inning, the Winona State Warriors took the Central Regional Championship in extra innings.

JOEY DENTON

sports editor

After fighting to play games with a cold, wet spring and fighting their way back to the NCAA Division II Central Regional tournament, the Minnesota State University, Mankato softball team saw their 2013 campaign come to a close in an extra-inning loss to Winona State in the regional championship. The Mavericks came swinging with a two-run first inning. After senior infielder Abby Sonner and junior infielder Samantha Holien got on base with a single, junior outfielder Anna Cole continued her tear, bringing in both runners on a two-run single. In the bottom of the third, the Warriors would return the favor with two RBI singles, tying up the regional championship at two. The “hefty lefty” junior catcher Lindsay Erickson would put the Mavericks back up 3-2 after bringing in freshman outfielder Tatum Klein with her RBI single in the top of the fifth. It wouldn’t take long before the two teams were knotted up at three apiece with an RBI single by the Warriors in their half of the sixth inning. That would remain the score after regulation and just like a championship between two great teams should be, it headed into extra innings. In the top of the ninth, the Mavericks went three-and-out, giving the Warriors a chance to end their season, and they succeeded. Even though senior pitcher Courtney McKelvogue pitched lights out, throwing eight 2/3 innings and only

allowing 10 hits while striking out one batter, just one too many runs came across the plate. Winona State’s Brittany Stewart lined a single to bring in the regional championship run. For the Mavericks, Cole finished the matchup going 1-4 with two RBIs at the plate and four putouts in the field. Hollen would finish her first season with the Mavericks with a 2-4 day and scored one of the teams four runs. There is a winning tradition that Head Coach Lori Meyer has brought to this program and this year wasn’t any different. The team started out a little shaky, going 2-4 down in Arizona, but once they were back in Midwest, they were back to their winning ways. With a season ending conference record of 19-5, the Mavericks won their second consecutive NSIC regular season title along with The University of Minnesota, Duluth. In Rochester Minn., the squad added a NSIC Tournament championship to their 2013 accolades, after defeating the Beavers of Minot State 2-1. The 40-12 Mavericks marked their third consecutive season of winning more than 40 games. Ever since the core featuring Erickson, junior infielder Kelly Wood, senior Lauryn Morris, Sonner and McKelvogue have been together, winning at least 40 games and winning the NSIC haven’t been goals, they have been expected. This spring, six Mavericks were named to the All-NSIC team with Erickson, Hollen both making the All-NSIC first-team. As Erickson led the Mavericks in batting aver-

Archive Photo

age, she was also a conference best .455 at the plate to go along with her nine homeruns, 45 RBIs and team leading .738 slugging percentage. The North Dakota State transfer, Hollen, finished her first season with the Mavericks leading the way with 47 RBIs and 11 homeruns as she batted .340 on the year. She also showed some speed with 13 stolen bases off of 18 attempts. The second-team is made up of three Mavericks with Cole, McKelvogue and Sonner. Cole posted a .360 batting average in her 49 starts with six homeruns, 40 RBIs and a team-leading three triples. After pitching behind the legend in Kendra Huettl for three seasons, McKelvogue took the ace roll for the Mavericks this season and really made a name for herself. In 202 innings pitched, the righthander finished 25-9 with a 1.39 ERA, 157 strikeouts and only 45 walks. In her 31 starts, she went the distance in 23 of them. Sonner brought a great attitude and leadership to the squad to go with her .348 batting average. As she started in every game, she led the Mavericks with 15 doubles while tallying three homeruns and 33 RBIs. For the NSIC Gold Glove team, Wood flashed her leather all season with only three errors in 127 putouts and 63 assists. As she was able to be productive on the field, she showed some power at the plate with nine homeruns and 30 RBIs to go with a .295 batting average.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

BASEBALL

continued from 5

their advantage, scoring 11 of their 18 runs in the seventh inning to completely silence the Huskies for the last time in 2013. Standish would tally three hits in the victory for MSU including a double, while Skjefte, Johnson, McCallum, Parker Sullivan and Cory Glieden all recorded two hits apiece for MSU. The performance and weekend in general would bring all-tournament honors to Sullivan, McCallum and Hoppe while Johnson took home tournament MVP, going 8-18 in four games with two doubles. Though MSU should be satisfied with heading to the CWS for the second straight year, there is still a hunger in the Mavericks to finish better than last season, where MSU’s prolific run ended in the game to go to the national championship. “Since we were making our goals at the beginning of the season, it has always been to win the College World Series,” Hoppe said. “Being that we were there last year and knowing the competition we will face, I feel our defense and pitching will keep us in the games and even if we get a few runs a game, we’re going to win.” Last years first round matchup for MSU brought in a team from the east coast in Southern New Hampshire, who most had probably not heard of from this area. This time, the Mavericks will square off against Grand Valley State in the first round, a team who silenced MSU over spring break in Winter

Haven, Fla. by a score of 12-0. The Lakers enter the CWS with a 35-17 overall record after taking the Midwest Regional tournament last weekend over Bellarmine. Statistically, GVSU packs a punch at the plate and from the mound as seven starters hit over .300 for the Lakers. One of those powerful sticks is Giancarlo Brugnon, who hit one of his 13 homeruns off of MSU junior Bryce Bellin in the romping over spring break. Kevin Zak and Jamie Potts lead GVSU’s attack at the plate, both hitting .389 on the season with over 10 doubles and 30 RBIs apiece. On the bump, MSU can expect to face senior right-hander Anthony Campanella, who four-hit the Mavericks in March and currently boasts a 1.74 ERA on the season. “They’re going to swing the bats,” Hoppe explained of his new opponents. “We never get 10-runned and it was a shock. Our pitching wasn’t the greatest at the beginning of the season and we’ve all improved a lot so we have confidence in our pitching.” MSU will begin their quest to a national championship Saturday at 4 p.m. from the USA Baseball Complex in Cary. The Mavericks will take on Franklin Pierce or Shippensburg in the second round of the double elimination tournament of the top eight teams in the country.

Are you looking for an exciting and rewarding job? New and valuable experiences? A job that fits your class schedule? The Harry Meyering Center has the job for you! HMC is a non-profit agency committed to helping people with developmental disabilities lead full lives in the Mankato Community. No experience or special skills necessary we will provide paid training for needed skills! As a Direct Support Professional for HMC, you will receive: • Paid orientation and training • Work schedules that consider your class schedule • Excellent wage: $9.18 per hour Monday-Friday and $10.18 per hour on Saturday & Sunday. • Work-site close to campus and on bus route • Valuable and rewarding experience. Currently accepting applications for: • Direct Support Professional Part-time One to three evening shifts during the week; every other Saturday and Sunday (8 hours rotating shifts); plus fill-in & holidays. Contact Harry Meyering Center for more information at 507-388-8972 or apply on line at our website: www.harrymeyeringcenter.org

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

A&E

reporter-arts@mnsu.edu | (507) 389-5157

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QUESTION: Stephen Johnson

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Star Trek Into Darkness Double-Take Review Houtsma and Simon take on the visually stunning, frustratingly illogical sequel ANDY SIMON’S TAKE Star Trek Into Darkness is both amazingly powerful to watch and frustratingly imperfect. It is a difficult criticism to hold to any movie, this ideal of perfection, but the story Into Darkness crafts is one so richly layered with potential and ideas that the execution of it can’t help but feel underwhelming, especially after its superb predecessor blew many away, this reviewer included. Star Trek (‘09) positioned the relatively untested, risk-taking, rules-be-damned Jim Kirk (Chris Pine) in the captain’s seat of the starship Enterprise after defeating rogue, angry Romulans who were into not very nice things, like imploding planets, destroying civilizations and exacting revenge. Into Darkness is about what happens after this tight family is formed and testing its functionality and choices, specifically that of Kirk, whose ego and god complex makes him a dangerous wild card. Add into this equation the super-powered, super-calculating, super-evil John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) and suffice to say, Kirk faces his greatest and deadliest trial yet. Whereas before Kirk only had to outsmart Romulans, here he faces a foe that is more clever, stronger, unrestrained and more resilient than he’s ever encountered. John Harrison is vicious and clearly brilliant as he maneuvers Kirk and everyone around him to do as he wants but there’s something missing in this character, either in the way he was written or the performance. Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) portrays Harrison in this subtle, smirking way, with such restraint in his emotions and physicality, creating a sort of robotic, calculating movement with every muscle twitch and eye movement and when he’s in fighting mode, he lashes out with precision, the right amount of energy spent, but nothing more than necessary. That said, Harrison, for all his intellect and strength, doesn’t have that great of impact as “The Villain.” Perhaps this is due to limited screen time, or

not enough examples of Harrison’s lethality, or an oversight of the script not giving him enough to do. Cumberbatch and Harrison are chilling ideas, but their execution of the character sadly leaves something to be desired. And that, ultimately, is the feeling presiding over Star Trek Into Darkness. By all respects, the movie is visually pleasing and the Enterprise crew is at top form with their performances, so the only thing left is the script. It would be easy to single out frequent love-to-hate scribe Damon Lindelof, whose co-writing credits in Cowboys & Aliens and Prometheus are usually used as Exhibit A of why those movies are inferior products and it may be that accusing Lindelof as the guilty writer has merit, but all three writers, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Lindelof and director J.J. Abrams signed off on the script, so all are equally guilty of why some things don’t work. Amazing performance aside, Kirk’s arc from this reckless captain to a humble man is far too thinly developed and hardly earned, Harrison’s evilness and, to a point, his past, could have used some sprucing up, the pleasing,yet gratuitous Alice Eve underwear scene could be omitted or repurposed and the Peter Weller character comes off as cliché. There’s either too much ease with how things are developed, such as Kirk’s demotion and immediate re-promotion or there are convoluted complications to make things more difficult, like the space jump from Enterprise to another ship, screen time that would serve a stronger purpose in creating drama or furthering character. Regardless of these agreeable or disagreeable criticisms, Star Trek Into Darkness is still wholeheartedly an enjoyable run and boasts some incredible sequences. The aforementioned Harrison vs. Klingon battle royale is sure to be a fan favorite but even more amazing is a mid-warp speed gunfight as an enemy ship plows into the Enterprise and in one of the most stunning shots of the film, forces the Enterprise out of the warp field and into space. There are thrills, there are explosions, there’s a body count

– this is intense filmmaking. And there’s the uncontainable emotion that comes from sacrifice near the climax, as one character croaks out one of the best, most heart-pulling sentences of the year thus far and faces the darkness. Star Trek Into Darkness has its problems and it isn’t the perfect follow-up to Star Trek as was expected, but it’s a worthy sequel, a worthy film; and it attempts to add complexity to its characters and craft an seemingly unstoppable villain. Unfortunately, the film just didn’t fully succeed in the latter. There’s still much to enjoy in this actionpacked sequel, ranging from spectacular warp-drive battles to McCoy’s frequent, “Damnit, man, I’m a doctor, not a [insert other profession here]” mantras as he growls in disbelief of what new crazy plan Kirk has up his sleeve. With J.J. Abrams attached to Star Wars, Lindelof working on an HBO series, and Orci/Kurtzman having their hands in seemingly everything in Hollywood, the date when Star Trek 3 hits cinema is anyone’s guess, but as the Enterprise crew is now fully formed and ready to embark on their five-year mission to explore the unexplored, Star Trek can go anywhere. JAMES SCHUYLER HOUTSMA’S TAKE Nobody killed Star Trek — it grew stale and died on its own after people got bored. Instead what we have here is more akin to a mad scientist digging up its corpse, Frankenstein-ing something together out of the best bits and pieces and supercharging it with a bolt of lightning. And while it certainly has far more basic brain functions, this new being known as Star Trek works entirely on its own. Even if you’re one of the people who thinks the new Star Trek is some kind of desecration, you must admit that the property has never been more popular than it is now thanks to what J.J. Abrams has done with the material. Say what you will about his unmistakable lack of respect for the original show or the loss of

the low-budget, cerebral quality it was originally built upon -- audiences have responded to these new films being popcorn action movies and as popcorn action movies, the new Star Trek films are some of the most entertaining. The danger in 2009’s Star Trek was tense; the threats presented in Star Trek Into Darkness leave you with little time to breathe. One by one, things go horribly wrong and our crew of protagonists is put in mortal peril, displayed in some jawdropping action set-pieces. A visit to the Klingon home planet and several instances of the Enterprise almost kicking the bucket (often piled on top of each other) gets the blood pumping and the nerves on high even more proficiently than the last. Of course, we wouldn’t be all that invested without a cast that continues to knock it out of the park. The banter between the cast members continues to be great. The expanding relationship between Chis Pine’s Kirk and Zachary Quinto’s Spock has some genuine heart and care put into it. Zoe Saldana has more to do in the first hour of this movie than she did in the entirety of the last one. Side players Simon Pegg and Karl Urban continue to absolutely own with relative ease in their roles as Scotty and Bones, respectively. Newcomers Alice Eve and Peter Weller hold their own well but the big addition is no doubt Benedict Cumberbatch as our big baddie who, disappointing as it is to say, was simply really good. The man is a terrific, gifted actor but he’s too good for what they have him doing here. Awe-inspiring action, scene stealing performances and a layered emotional arc are strengths carried over from the first movie that make this series what it is and what’s so appealing about it. And still, what we have here is, at its heart, a big, dumb action movie script that, unfortunately, pushes into a frustrating area of either laziness or idiocy the first movie barely even touched. The reprehensible Damon Lindelof, under Abrams’ hand, delivers the final screenplay that’s built on basic familiarity

of the brand with an overabundance of throw-away fan service moments. The previous Star Trek movie did itself a huge favor by establishing this as a separate timeline, which gave the filmmakers free reign to explore new stories and ideas for future movies. So when Into Darkness’ biggest moments are essentially a louder reworking from a certain previous Star Trek movie, it feels like a huge slap in the face. The first two acts survive on their excitement while the third eventually sinks following a heavy-handed and cheap plot throwback that’s then followed by a big, dumb action movie chase/fight you can only scratch your head over. A strong argument could be made that this new Star Trek is following a parallel path to the two new Sherlock Holmes movies: both the originals, while more action-oriented re-imaginings, retain the spirit of their source material and thrive on the strong chemistry of their main players to make for a fun, exciting update. The sequels, both featuring the series’ most popular villain, still have the chemistry but lose some of the magic that made the source material special, opting more to be a big, dumb action movie. Some plot points from A Game of Shadows and Into Darkness are practically identical. Still, it can’t be said there’s nothing smart about the movie. Into Darkness does make an interesting (dare I say thoughtful) point about why Star Fleet seems so militarized lately and most of the emotional beats between the main characters ring surprisingly true and mature (with the one notable exception), helped out immensely by another fantastic Michael Giacchino score. The old Star Trek isn’t going away, so there’s really no harm in this new creation having its moment in the sun. One can only hope any further adventures will have the drive to boldly go where no man has gone before in the plot department but if it continues to be as strong on visuals and character, we’ll still have one of the best popcorn movie series around.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013 (507) 389-1776 www.themsureporter.com FOR RENT

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We are a loving, fun filled family of 3. Live in western Minneapolis suburbs. We are home study approved. Interested in an open adoption. Open to multicutural adoption. Learn more and contact us at: http://www.adoptingmn. com. 888-446-1143. Email: tomandmaryfrances@yahoo. com. 10/24 SECONDHAND BOOKSTORE & exchange, South Front St. across from Fillin’ Station Coffee house. All types of leisure reading. Browsers welcome. Once Read. 388-8144 Mon-Sat 10 to 5pm. 5/22

Charles Scribner Jr.: “Reading is a means of thinking with another person’s mind; it forces you to stretch your own.” Read the Reporter every Tuesday and Thursday.

Are you looking for a rewarding experience, an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life, then you would be a great addition to our team! LivingLinks is looking for part-time Direct Support Professionals (DSP) to work in group home settings meeting the social and physical needs of individuals facing independent living challenges, while assisting them to achieve their goals and dreams. You will receive on the job training, be involved in consumer’s day to day living, assisting them in their activities, daily cares and meals. You will also be responsible for household duties, medication administration and the documentation of goals and procedures. As you may be driving consumers to and from work and to various community activities, you need to have a valid driver’s license and a good driving record. If you would like to earn $8.48-9.50/hr., have a flexible schedule and can work every other weekend and holiday, then we want you to apply! Stop in and pick up an application at LivingLinks, 1230 N. River Dr., Mankato, or download at www.livinglinks.org. If you have any questions, call Kimberley at 507-345-7458.

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The MSU Reporter is looking for Student Advertising Sales Representatives for next year. We need outgoing students who are comfortable meeting potential clients in person and maintaining communication with them on a weekly basis. Position requires 20 hrs./week during daytime business hours and must have access to a vehicle. Students from all fields of study are encouraged to apply. Stop by the Reporter Office (CSU 293) for an application or for more information.

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"I'm moving off campus. Now what?" COMING SOON: www.livekato.com A great source for tips to help the transition from dorm to off-campus life.

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