August 28, 2012

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Minnesota State University, Mankato

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THURSDAY TUESDAY

H 64 WEDNESDAY H 895 00 •• LL 00 FRIDAY

H 00 95 • L 00 67

MSU FOOTBALL COACH ARRESTED FOR ALLEGED CHILD PORNOGRAPHY Days away from game day, Todd Hoffner arrested on charges of child pornography involving his own children

MEGAN KADLEC

editor in chief

MSU head football coach Todd Hoffner was escorted off the practice field August 16. The following Tuesday, he was arrested on requested charges relating to child pornography. On Wednesday, he was formally charged with the “use of minors in a sexual performance” and “possession of pornographic work involving minors.”

“When Todd was first placed on administrative leave, we had no idea why,” said Todd’s wife, Melodee Hoffner in a press conference Monday morning. “When Todd was arrested on[Aug. 21], both Todd and I were in complete shock.”

emre erku • msu reporter Todd Hoffner’s wife Melodee voiced the matter as a family affair and that thair children “have not been exploited or abused,” Monday morning in a press conference.

The content in question was found on Hoffner’s university-issues cell phone after he brought it to the IT department to be fixed. Found on the device were three videos, taken between June 26 and August 8. The videos depict images of three children under the age of ten, dancing naked and in some cases, fondling themselves and exposing their buttocks. There is an adult male voice that can be heard in the first video’s audio.

In the videos, the children call the adult male “dad,” and through Facebook photos, Detective Billiar determined that the children in the videos

are Hoffner’s own.

Hoffner’s attorney, Jim Fleming, is arguing that the videos are completely innocent and this should be considered a family matter. “[Our children] love to have fun; can be silly and like to photographed and videoed. Our children love to dance and play,” Melodee said. “We have a lot of fun with them. In fact, they make us laugh quite a bit. The videos described in the complaint against my husband are just that – nothing more.”

According to the Star Tribune, two of Hoffner’s previous employers are reviewing his cell phone and computer records.

This includes the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the University of South Dakota.

Scott Kilgallon, the Athletic Director at the University of WisconsinEau Claire, worked with Todd Hoffner during his time as the University’s Head Football Coach from 1999-2005.

According to Kilgallon, Hoffner did not receive any complaints during his time at Eau Claire.

Kilgallon said that he was shocked by Hoffner’s arrest, but that he was uncomfortable with making any additional comments.

Since Hoffner started at MSU in Jan. 2008, two formal complaints have

HOW TO SPEND YOUR IN MANKATO WOMEN’S SOCCER AND SUMMER VOLLEYBALL PREVIEWS PAGE 5 9

been filed against him, said Carol Stallkamp to the Mankato Free Press.

One, a personnel complaint, was closed without disciplinary action and another is pending.

Hoffner makes $101,000 annually with his coaching job, racking up another $31,000 in fringe benefits. His contract was renewed July 1 for four years. Currently, the University is not disclosing plans for what to do with Hoffner’s employment.

Hoffner could not be reached for comment; his home phone line had been disconnected when

Hoffner / page 3 SPORTS

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INDEX: VARIETY

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CLASSYS

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Page 2 • Reporter

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Tuesday, August 28, 2012T

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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

News

The Preska Residence Residential Life accomodates MSU growth

Samuel Wilmes

staff writer

elise konerza• msu integrated marketing The new Preska Residence Hall houses only 300 students on campus.

Additional housing is envisioned for the future.

Fo r t h e f i r s t t i m e i n nearly 50 years, incoming freshman are living in a new d o r m i t o r y.

Margaret R. Preska r e s i d e n c e c o m m u n i t y, c o m p l e t e d i n J u l y, ser ves 30 0 st udents. t h e 118 , 0 0 0 s q u a r e foot facilit y feat u res semi-suites and renovated st yle housing.

The residence communit y is named after Preska, who was president of t he Un iv e r s i t y f r o m 19 7 9 19 9 2 . D u r i n g h e r 1 3 year tenu re, Preska

presided over a rap i d l y e v o l v i n g u n i v e rs i t y.

She spearheaded pr ivate ef for ts to build Wissin k Hall, A n d r e a s O b s e r v a t o r y, the Ostrander st udent b el l c e nt e r, a mong s t many other accomplish ments.

D r. P r e s k a s a i d some of t he a ccomplish ments she is most proud of were ach ieved du r i ng her tenu re as Vice President of a ca dem ic aff a i r s f r o m 19 75 -7 9.

During this time

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the u n iversit y opened t h e Wo m e n’s C e n t e r, t he L e sbia n G ay B i s e x u a l Tr a n s g e n d e r C e nt e r, a nd m a d e t he Un iversit y a much more welcom i ng place for mi nor it ies.

Preska is also proud of t he evolut i o n o f w o m e n’s s t u d ies. The subject was

Preska / page 8

Reporter • Page 3

HOFFNER “I couldn’t believe something like that would happen so close to home. Obviously my main concern was with the children involved.” continued from 1 attempts were made last week.

Hoffner is married and has three children. His wife works as a guidance counselor in School District #77.

“I am a licensed school counselor, and I am fully aware of the signs and indicators of children who have ben abused,” Melodee Hoffner said. “And I assure you our children have not been exploited or abused – they are healthy physically, mentally and emotionally; and have normal relationships with friends, family, and teachers.”

Many in the MSU community were just as shocked as Hoffner’s wife when they heard the news of the charges against him, though for different reasons.

“I couldn’t believe something like that would happen so close to home,” said former MSU football player Beau Illikainen. “Obviously the main concern was with the children involved.”

Illikainen, a fifth year Communications major, played football at MSU from 2008 to 2010. He transferred to St. Olaf in

2011 to play football under Jerry Olszewski, but later returned to MSU for various reasons.

“I realized that I had lost my passion for college football,” Illikainen said. “I believe I transferred too late, it’s possible things may have been a different had I left before my fourth year of school.”

Illikainen related what he learned through Hoffner during his time in the football program to describe how MSU’s reputation will be affected by the recent charges brought against Hoffner.

“One of Todd Hoffner’s frequently used lines during my time with the team was that one single negative representation of our football program in the community takes ten positive ones to overcome, and his message has merit,” Illikainen. “MSU will need to rebuild its image in the community over time.”

Hoffner’s court date is currently scheduled for Thursday.

This story will be updated as needed, both in print and online.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Ed/Op reporter-editor@mnsu.edu | (507) 389-5454

REPORTER STAFF - FALL 2012

POLICIES & INFORMATION

Editor in Chief: Megan Kadlec (507) 389-5454

• If you have a complaint, suggestion or would like to point out an error made in the Reporter, call Editor in Chief Megan Kadlec at (507) 389-5454. The Reporter will correct any errors of fact or misspelled names in this space. Formal grievances against the Reporter are handled by the Newspaper Board, which can be contacted at (507) 389-2611.

NEWS EDITOR: Elise Konerza......................... (507) 389-5450

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sports editor: Reece Hemmesch.................(507) 389-5227 Variety Editor: Emre Erku........................... (507) 389-5157 ADVERTISING sales: Natasha Jones.............(507) 389-1063 Business Manager: Jane Tastad................ (507) 389-1926 ADVERTISING DESIGN MGR.: Dana Clark....(507) 389-2793

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Staff Editorial: Hoffner Case

When Minnesota S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y, Man kato head footb a l l c o a c h To d d H o f f ner was escor ted of f the practice f ield, ar rested and for mally charged with the use of m i nor s i n a sexu al per for mance and poss e s s io n of c h i l d p o rn o g r a p h y, t h e c o m munity was abuzz with comments, questions and concer ns regarding allegations a g a i n s t Hof f n e r.

Many individuals who have heard about the charges may have for med opinions on the matt e r.

Howeve r, we mu st all remember that we a r e n o t t h e j u r y. We can not for m opini o n s a b o u t H o f f n e r ’s innocence or guilt.

We c a n n o t a s s u m e any thing. The issues in this case fall into a gray area; who is to say that the videos f o u n d o n H o f f n e r ’s u n iversit y-issued cell p h o n e we r e n’t m e r e ly family moments c a u g h t o n v i d e o?

W h o ’s t o s a y t h a t t h e v i d e o s we r e n’t e v i dence of somet h i ng more dist urbing.

As one staff w r iter questioned in an e m a i l t o h is e d it or, “Obviously we, and ever yone else, have

written as much as we cu r rently can at t he moment on [ Hof fn e r ’s] p o s s i b l e g u i l t , but have we explored the possibility that he might be in noc e n t ? T h a t we a r e n’t repor ting on the heinous exploit at ion of ch i ld r e n by a fat he r, but rather on a trialby-med ia i n wh ich Hof f ner has been de clared g uilt y without due proce ss? ” At this point, it is safe to say that no one k nows whether or not Hof f ner is g u ilt y of t he cha rges brought against him, and, until a jur y can t r y him for his sup posed cr imes, we will n o t k n o w.

W hat we can say is that our thoughts are concer ned w it h Hof fn e r ’s f a m i l y : To d d ’s wife and child ren.

Our thoughts go out to them in this diff icult time.

I n t h is t i me of c o n t r o v e r s y, w e s t a n d b e h i n d M S U . We a r e awa re that the excessive a mou nt of med ia coverage by organ izations like ESPN and t he Hu f f i ng ton Post could g reatly affect MSU in a negative m a n n e r . We h o p e t o do whatever we can to combat that possib i l i t y.

We a l s o s t a n d b e h i n d M ave r ick Fo otball, wishing all the players good luck in their upcoming season under the d i rect ion of newlyappointed head coach Aaron Keen.

As repor ters, we hope to cover this issue with dig nit y and respect. That being said, as st udents, we

have never covered such an impor tant cou r t case before.

We h a v e b e e n t a u g h t what to do in sit uations like this, but this is the f irst time we are able to apply those lessons to the r e a l w o r l d . We h o p e that we can do this well.

If you question ou r coverage, please stop by t he of f ice or send us an email.

Any concer ns should be directed to Repor ter editor in chief, Megan Kadlec, who can be reached at 5 0 7. 3 8 9. 5 4 5 4 o r b y e m a i l a t ow n e r- r e p o r t e r @ m n s u . e d u . We will gladly reply to any concer ns, questions or com ments about ou r coverage of this impor tant issue.

How will the current case affect the University?

ELISE KONERZA

news editor

The tenacit y of To d d H o f f n e r , h i s f a m i l y, t h e M a v e rick football team, Minnesota State U n i v e r s i t y, M a n k a -

to and in larger scope the city of Man kato has surely been tested this past week.

Bombarded with overbearing assumptions the case still leaves a lot

to the imagination and asks questions that many might have never imagined asking thems e l v e s . To w h e r e i n our own homes do we d r aw t he l i ne?

It is no place for any outsider to quite decide except within the neutral painted walls of our own home.

Ye t , i t i s w i t h i n that neutrality that choices are made apart from the outside world.

H o f f n e r ’s a t t o rney and wife stand by this affirmation that it is a family m at t e r. I for one agree. Where do you draw the line at capturing some o f l i f e ’s t r e a s u r e d moments and a c h i l d ’s i n n o c e n c e?

It is within those neutral walls that differences raise such questions in

our own homes.

Ye t , b e c a u s e o f such actions the Un ive r sit y w i l l expect a great loss in f u t u r e c r e d i b i l i t y.

It is not just Hoffn e r ’s n a m e t h a t is tormented by the allegations of c h i l d p o r n o g r a p h y, but the University will be labeled as “that case like Pe n n S t a t e .”

In no way is this case directly affiliated with that in Pen n State. MSU off icials took immediate action on suspected criminal behavior and should be applauded.

MSU will likely take a hit to admissions and its cur rent enrollment goal of reaching 17, 0 0 0 s t u d e n t s b y 2 017.

U l t i m a t e l y, I wor r y that car r y-

ing a degree and title as a graduate from MSU will also bring with it the unfor tunate stigma of a child pornography case.

As the football team approaches the begin ning of the season, players will hold a heavy load on their shoulders. It is important that the team plays with a clear head taking on each opponent without the burden of this stigma.

Although, MSU Google hits have risen and not for its most proud reason, we are still the home of t he M ave r ick s exampled on big dreams and stellar students.

T

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

News

Reporter • Page 5

Enrollment by the numbers

MSU plans to increase enrollment in a 5 year plan ELISE KONERZA

news editor

T he Big Id e a s c a mp a ig n hop e s t o m a ke a big i m p a c t on t he s t u d e nt p opu lat ion i n t he nex t f ive ye a r s.

M i n ne s ot a St at e Un ive r sit y, M a n k at o hop e s t o r e a ch a s t u d e nt p opu lat ion goa l of 17,0 0 0 st u d e nt s by 2017. For t he p a st f ive ye a r s t he c a mpu s h a s g r ow n at a s t e a dy r at e of 7.6% i n he a d c ou nt for f u l l t i me s t u d e nt s. Ye t , it i s i mp e r at ive t o q u a n t i f y st u d e nt s a nd i nc r e a s e a c c e pt a nc e i n ord e r t o r e c eive a l lo c at ion s p e r st u d e nt s. “ Wit h t he exc e pt ion of Fa l l 20 0 9, we h ave c on t i nue d t o h ave a mo d e st g r ow t h ,” Br ia n Jone s , t he D i r e c t or of Ad m i s sion s at MSU, s a id .

MSU a d d e d t wo mo d if ie d p ol icie s t o t he c a m pu s la s t ye a r, t he s mok i ng ba n t h at e n a c t e d p r oh ib it e d u s e of t oba c c o p r o d uc t s on c a mpu s , a nd t he Sat i sfa c t or y Ac a d e m ic P r og r e s s p ol icy l i m it i ng a st u d e nt’s GPA a nd c om ple t ion r at e of cla s s e s.

Jone s s a id he h a s not s e e n a d ef lat ion i n a d m i s sion s d ue t o t he s mok i ng ba n ; howeve r, t he a c a d e m ic p ol icy w i l l sh i f t r e t e nt ion r at e but t he t ot a l nu mb e r of st u d e nt s l i kely w i l l not ch a nge.

T he i mp a c t w i l l g r e at ly d e p e nd on t he t i m i ng a nd d e mog r a ph ic t r e nd s. “ T he nu mb e r of g r a d u at i ng s e n ior s i n t he s t at e of M i n ne s ot a i s d e cl i n i ng g r a d u a l ly si nc e 20 0 9 a nd w i l l c ont i nue t o do so t h r ou g h 2017,” Jone s s a id .

T he r e wa s a c ont i n ue d p e r io d of a d e cl i ne d p e r c e nt a ge of h ig h s cho ol g r a d u at e s a nd t h i s i s i n d i r e c t c or r elat ion w it h t he p e r c e nt a ge of i nc om i ng c ol lege s t u d e nt s.

It i s i mp e r at ive for t he Un ive r sit y t o d e t e r m i ne wh ich s t u d e nt s a r e s u c c e s sf u l a nd wh ich s t u d e nt s c ou ld i nd ic at e r i sk s o t h at a d m i n i s t r at or s c a n i nt e r ve ne e a rl ie r t o b e t t e r p r e p a r e for a p o sit ive v i s ible p r omot ion .

A s mo s t job s w i l l h ave a n i nc r e a s e d ne e d for a p o s t h ig h s cho ol d eg r e e, s t u d e nt s a r e lo ok i ng for t he b e s t way t o obt a i n t h at d eg r e e. MSU q u a nt if ie s t he s e nu mb e r s i n t he Un ive r sit y a nd neig hb ori ng cit ie s i n t he Up p e r M idwe s t r eg ion t o i n for m a d m i n i s t r at ion a b out e n r ol l me nt a n a ly t ic s a nd mor e.

T he M i n ne s ot a St at e C ol lege s a nd Un ive r sit ie s s ys t e m ke e p s t r a ck of t he

Enrollment / page 6

office of institutional planning• website The graphs above indicate the amount of new first year students as well as the number of admitted students and enrolled students from 2001-2011.

A BIG

THANK YOU to the 2012 stomper Move Crew Volunteers

2012 Move Crew Volunteers: - Admissions Staff - Alpha Chi Omega - Alpha Sigma Alpha - Alumni Association - Brothers with a Purpose - Campus Recreation Staff - Career Development Staff - Delta Chi

- Delta Sigma Pi - Gamma Phi Beta - IMPACT - Intervarsity - Lambda Chi Alpha - Learning Community Coordinators - Learning Community Students - Marketing Club - Navigators

- PanHellenic Council - Phi Delta Theta - Phi Kappa Psi - Sigma Chi - Sigma Sigma Sigma - Student Activities Staff - Student Health Services Staff - Therapy Club - TKE

Your involvement created an outstanding minnesota state mankato welcome for new students and their families. residential life wishes you a successful year!

Now accepting small dogs!

Beautiful Outdoor Pool

Spacious Apartments

1 & 2 Bedrooms

Rent begins at $382.50/mo.*

FREE Parking on Campus

Heat & Water included

1 Mile from Campus

Laundry Facilities

* Based on double occupancy in 2 Bdr.

Page 6 • Reporter

News

Affordable Health Care Stay on your parent’s health insurance till 26

• web photo The Affordable Care Act has American’s talking, yet there are some positives in exchange for the negatives.

Samuel Wilmes

staff writer

T h e A f fo r d a bl e C a r e Ac t , o r O b a m a ca re as ma ny cr it ics h ave d u b b e d i t , h a s b e e n e x t r e m el y c o n t r ove r s i a l s i n c e b e i n g s ig n e d i n t o l a w

by President Ba rack O b a m a o n M a r c h 2 3, 2 010 , a n d u p h el d b y the Supreme Cou r t on Ju ne 28.

T h e l a w, a l t h o u g h p ol a r i z i n g , h a s m a n y p o s i t i ve el e m e n t s fo r c ol l e g e s t u d e n t s .

A mer icans will no l o n g e r b e t h r ow n of f t h e i r m e d i c a l pl a n w h e n t h e y d e vel o p a m e d i c a l c o n d i t io n o r illness.

Yo u c a n n ow s t a y o n yo u r p a r e n t ’s h e a l t h i n s u r a n c e pl a n u n t i l yo u a r e 2 6 , h el p i n g m a n y s t u dents out who othe r w i s e m ig h t n o t b e a bl e t o a f fo r d t h e i r ow n pl a n .

Insurance compan ies ca n no longer d rop ch ild ren f rom t h e i r i n s u r a n c e p ol i c y b e c a u s e of a p r e - e xi s t i n g c o n d i t io n .

Insurance compan ies ca n no longer h a ve a r e s t r i c t i ve a n n u a l a n d l i fe t i m e

d ol l a r l i m i t s o n yo u r c ove r a g e . T h i s o n l y g o e s fo r “e s s e n t i a l s e r v i c e s ,” a n d e s s e n t i a l i s ye t t o b e d e f ined.

Ac c o r d i n g t o C B S , p e o pl e w i t h p r e - e xi s t i n g c o n d i t io n s w i l l b e p u t i n t o a h ig h r i s k p o ol t h e y w i l l b e a l l owe d t o b u y s u b s i dized i nsu rance. T h is p r ov i s io n h a s ye t t o b e wo r ke d o u t w i t h st ate laws.

S u p p o r t fo r i n d i v i d u a l p r ov i s io n s of t h e l a w i s h ig h - Ac cording to a Kaiser p ol l i n A p r i l , 7 o u t of 10 A m e r i c a n s a g r e e t hat t hei r ch ildl ren s h o u l d b e a bl e t o s t a y o n t h e i r p a r e n t s’ pl a n u ntil they are 26, and 6 i n 10 b el i e ve t h a t wo m e n s h o u l d n o t b e d e n i e d e q u a l c ove rage.

Despite t hese posit i ve p r ov i s io n s a R a s m u s s e n Pol l t a ke n f r o m Au g u s t 18t h 19 t h s h ow s 52% of A m e r i c a n s f avo r r e p e a l i n g t h e l a w, c o m p a r e d t o 39 % w a n t i n g t o u p h ol d i t .

W hy is t here such a d i f fe r e n c e b e t we e n s u p p o r t fo r i n d i v i d u a l p r ov i s io n s a n d s u p -

Healthcare / page 9

Tuesday, August 28, 2012T

ENROLLMENT “MSU hopes to reflect on ethnicities so that students may be privelged with being culturally competent.” continued from 5 he a d c ou nt on a l l c a mpu s e s i n t he Up p e r M idwe st a s a st at i st ic for t hei r ow n r e c ord s.

St at e a l lo c at ion s a r e awa rd e d d i f fe r e nt ly a nd a r e t he p r i m a r y r e a son MSU t a ke s he a d c ou nt of t hei r ow n st u d e nt s.

T he s e a l lo c at ion s h ave d e c r e a s e d d r a m at ic a l ly a s st u d e nt s a r e now r e s p on sible for p ay i ng ove r 70 % of t hei r c ol lege e d uc at ion .

St at e a l lo c at ion s p ay t he r e m a i n i ng 30 % , wh ich MSU hop e s t o i nc r e a s e w it h p r og r e s sive st u d e nt e n r ol l me nt .

MSU i s not a lone i n t he r a c e t o r e c eive st at e a llo c at ion s. T he Un ive r sit y i s c omp a r e s it s el f t o t he M i n ne sot a St at e C ol lege s a nd Un ive r sit ie s Syst e m w it h ot he r u n ive r sit ie s l i ke St . Clou d , D u lut h , Wi non a a nd t he Tw i n Citie s. Ye t t hey wor k t oge t h e r “ t o c r e at e t he wor kfor c e of t he f ut u r e.”

T he D i r e c t or of Ad m i s sion s , Br ia n Jone s s a id t h at e t h n icit ie s at MSU h a s r i s e n by 43% f r om t he fa l l of 2011 t o t h i s fa l l of 2012 . A lt hou g h , Jone s c a n on ly c on f i r m t he ex a c t nu mb e r a d m it t e d t o t he Un ive r sit y. Ex a c t e n r ol lme nt st at i st ic s c a n b e c on f i r me d Se pt e mb e r 10.

MSU hop e s t o r ef le c t on e t h n icit ie s so t h at st u -

d e nt s m ay b e p r iv i lege d w it h b ei ng c u lt u r a l ly c omp e t e nt . Cr e at i ng a r ich i nt e r n at ion a l e nv i r on me nt , h av i ng st u dy a b r oa d op p or t u n it ie s a nd m a n a gi ng t he e n r ol l me nt ef fe c t ively w i l l u lt i m at ely h it u p on one goa l of r ei nve sti ng t o p r e p a r e st u d e nt s for t he g loba l wor k for c e. “ It i s i mp or t a nt t o m a n a ge ou r e n r ol l me nt b e c au s e t he Un ive r sit y’s bu d ge t i s so much mor e d e p e nd a nt on t u it ion t he s e d ays ,” Jone s s a id .

MSU st i l l m a i nt a i n s fo c u s of helpi ng st u d e nt s p r e p a r e t he m s elve s for a b r ig ht f ut u r e a he a d . “ It i s i mp or t a nt t o r e c r u it t he r ig ht st u d e nt s , g ive t he m t he s u p p or t t hey ne e d t o b e s uc c e s sf u l a nd help t he m g r a d u at e,” Jone s s a id , “ En r ol l me nt m a n a ge me nt i s not a l l a b out t he money.”

A p a r t of t he Big Id e a c a mp a ig n s e t out by P r e sid e nt R ich a rd D ave np or t i s t o at t a i n 17,0 0 0 st u d e nt s by 2017. Ut i l i z i ng e n r ol lme nt st at i st ic s w i l l help MSU t o g r a s p a b e t t e r u nd e r st a nd i ng of wh at st u d e nt s’ ne e d s a r e. “ We h ave p a r t ne r s i n t he Tw i n Cit ie s now, a nd we a r e lo ok i ng t o me e t t ho s e st u d e nt s ne e d s i n t he me t r o a r e a d i f fe r e ntly,” Jone s s a id .

Some t i me s l i fe i nt e rve ne s c au si ng a d i s r u p t ion i n a st u d e nt’s choic e i n h ig he r e d uc at ion . A st u d e nt m ig ht ex p e c t t h at t hei r goa l i s some t h i ng el s e a f t e r t wo ye a r s of c ou r s e s a nd eve nt u a l ly d e cid e s t o d r op out or t r a n sfe r t o a not he r u n ive r sit y. MSU’s c omp e t it ive nu r si ng p r og r a m i s a hu ge r e a son st u d e nt s d e cid e t o e n r ol l w it h MSU, ye t a la rge p e r c e nt a ge of t ho s e st u d e nt s a r e not a d m it t e d b e c au s e of how c omp e t it ive t he p r og r a m i s t o ge t i nt o. I nclu d i ng f i n a ncia l c on sid e r at ion s , MSU pla n s t o id e nt i f y r e a son s st u d e nt s t u r n away f r om MSU a nd a sk s , “ How c a n we me e t st u d e nt s ne e d s? ” Jone s s a id .

T h i s ye a r’s new u nd e rg r a d u at e cla s s w i l l l i kely b e s m a l le r t h a n la st ye a r, a lt hou g h la st ye a r’s new f i r st-ye a r st u d e nt cla s s wa s t he s e c ond la rge st i n t he h i st or y of MSU. Ex a c t nu mb e r s c a n not b e c on f i r me d ye t . Jone s f i nd s t he i nc r e a s e a s a m i r r ori ng t r e nd .

D ave np or t s a id i n h i s a n nu a l c onvo c at ion t h at e n r ol l me nt s a r e dow n at mo st u n ive r sit ie s t h i s fa l l , t hou g h MSU i s fa i r i ng b e t t e r t h a n mo st w it h a b out on ly 150 fewe r st u d e nt s e n r ol le d .

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Decommissioned and Displaced Residential Life accomodates MSU growth

News

Police Patrol with a New Set of Wheels

Two new energy-efficient vehicles take the pavements Eric Perrine

staff writer

elise konerza• msu reporter Stadium Heights Residence Community added 250 unites for spaces lost after the decommission of the Gage Residence Hall.

LINDSAY PETERSON

staff writer

The decommissioning of the Gage Residence Hall challenged the Department of Residential Life at Minnesota State University, Mankato to accommodate for students interested in campus residential housing.

More than 85% of new MSU students choose to live on campus. To accommodate for the loss of living quarters, Residential Life will begin to manage Stadium Heights apartment-style housing fall 2012 along with the recent addition of the Margaret R. Preska Residence Community.

The Gage Residence Community was capable of housing 1,100 students within the two 12 story buildings.

When considering that more than 2,700 students moved into campus housing August 23, there was an ample amount of lost space for students.

The Stadium Heights Residence Community is made up of 250 units added as apartment-

style housing offered for MSU students. Units include three individual locking bedrooms, a living area and kitchen.

Each space is completely furnished and utilities are included. Although it is the farthest of the five residential area housing choices, Stadium Heights is conveniently located on the bus route. For MavCard holders rides are free.

The Preska Residence Community is the second campus residence hall community built in the last four years on the University’s campus, making room for 300 students. Julia Sears Residence Community built in 2008 houses 608 students.

The process of leasing space an existing apartments near campus is also underway, according to the Department of Residential Life.

Residents may request a room change at the Department of Residential Life September 10 to 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 pm. The Department of Residential Life is located at 111 Carkoski Commons and is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Reporter • Page 7

T he Man kato Depar tme nt of P ubl ic Safet y pol ice of f ice r s have t wo new e ne rg y- ef f icient police mobilit y veh icles for cit y pat rols.

T he veh icles, or P M Vs , a r e p a i n t e d l i k e the st and a rd black a n d w h i t e s q u a d - c a r, but a re powered by g reen, environ ment a l l y f r i e n d l y b a t t e ries, which produce no har mf ul emissions and are vir t ually silent, according to Shelly Schul z, Man kato public i n f o r m a t i o n d i r e c t o r.

T he t r icycle -st yle veh icles have t he abilit y to cli mb cu rbs up to si x i nches i n height du r ing emergency sit uat ions, reach 29 mph, a nd ca n t ravel 80 m iles before need i ng to be recharged, according to Schulz.

Recharging can t ake place at any elect r ical outlet using an onboard charging system.

New Vehicles / page 8

Each veh icle is manufact u red by the company Xt reme G reen

i n L a s Ve g a s , N e v a d a at a cost of $8,995 pe r u nit, according to Mat t

• courtesy of the mankato police department Each new vehicle costs $8,995 and is powered by an eco-friendly battery.

Page 8 • Reporter

News

NEW VEHICLES “Citizanes of Mankato can expect to see the vehicles in the ‘downtown entertainment district’ toward the weekend when it’s busiest in the area.” continued from 7

We s t e r m a y e r, D e p u t y Di re ct or of t he De pa r tm e n t o f P u b l i c S a f e t y.

“A m a j o r i t y o f i t c o m e s f r o m t h e DW I f o r f e i t u r e f u n d ,” We s t er mayer said. “So much of it is set a side for t hat t y pe of t h i ng.

They made their debut at the Man kato air show i n Ju ne, wh ich was the same day that t hey were received; h o w e v e r, t h e v e h i c l e s lacked the sig nat u re Man kato P ublic Safet y g raphics. “ We h a d j u s t g o t t e n t hem t hat d ay a nd we h a d n’t r e a l l y e v e n h a d any time to get used to them or get our graphics installed on them o r a n y t h i n g l i k e t h a t ,” We s t e r m a y e r s a i d .

“But, we d id use t hem o u t t h e r e j u s t b r i e f l y.”

Despite the hightech, f lashy look that t he veh icles represent, t he pat rol of f ice r s who a r e c h o s e n t o o p e ra t e t h e m d o n’t h a v e t o u ndergo much t raining before t hey a re allowed to d r ive t hem. “ T h e r e’s n o t a whole lot of t r ai n i ng i n v o l v e d ,” We s t e rm a y e r s a i d . “ T h e r e’s a n o p e r a t o r ’s m a n u a l that comes from the manufact u rer with the m a c h i n e s . I t ’s p r e t t y s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d .”

S i n c e t h e r e i s n’t a n y extensive t rai n i ng i nvolved w it h t he veh icle s, a ny pat rol of f ice r has the oppor t u nit y to operate them.

“These will be used by ou r pat rol of f ice r s a n d t h e r e’s n o s p e c i a l of f ice r who t he se a re a s s i g n e d t o ,” We s t e rm a y e r s a i d . “ T h e y ’r e just another option that t he pat rol com ma nder s will utilize as a means o f t r a n s p o r t a t i o n .”

Each veh icle is de sig ned to car r y only one passenger and w ill have to coord inate with each other and reg ular squad cars t he old-fa sh ioned way upon making an ar rest, t h roug h t he r a d io. “ T h e y ’r e j u s t a o n e passenger veh icle, so any ar rests that are made, prisoners who need to be transpor ted w ill have to be t ra ns-

Tuesday, August 28, 2012T

PRESKA “She wanted to be there the first day to meet students. It’s not common for students to meet a former living president. ” continued from 3

p o r t e d i n a s q u a d c a r,” We s t e r m a y e r s a i d . “ T hey’ll coord i nate the way that they do n o w a n d t h a t ’s t h r o u g h r a d i o .”

Cit i ze n s of Ma n k at o can expect to see the v e h i c l e s i n t h e “d o w n tow n enter t ai n ment d ist r ict ” towa rd t he w e e k e n d w h e n i t ’s busiest in that area, a c c o r d i n g t o We s t e rm a y e r. T h e v e h i c l e s w il l al low of f ice r s t o t ravel f rom “poi nt A to point B” in pu rsuit o f r o w d y, d o w n t o w n c rowd s w it hout hav i ng to “peddle really fast ” or “r un really hard to g e t t h e r e .”

“They can be seen most f requently in the dow ntow n d ist r ict on T h u r s d a y, F r i d a y a n d Sat u rday nights when i t ’s t h e b u s i e s t d o w n t h e r e ,” We s t e r m a y e r s a i d . “ We h a v e m o s t our resources in those areas. Those machines will cer tainly be a par t of ou r i nvolve me nt i n t h a t a r e a .”

Si nce t he veh icles work so well i n t he u rban environ ment pat rols w ill also i nclude t h e d o w n t o w n A r t Wa l k and the parking ramps located in the business dist r ict. Elevators in the parking ramps will be utilized to car r y them to the top, which w ill conser ve t he batter y life. “ We’ l l b e u s i n g t h e m to pat rol ou r dow ntow n a r t w a l k , We s t e r m a y e r said. “ T hey work re ally well i n a n u rba n e n v i r o n m e n t . We’ l l b e able to use t hem for some pat rol work i n our parking ramps. One o f t h e t h i n g s t h a t w e’r e able to do to conser ve bat ter y power is t a ke them in an elevator t o t he t op of t he r a mp and then let them come dow n as opposed to having them go up the i ncli ne. So, t here a re lit tle things li ke that w h e r e y o u’r e a b l e t o d o some things to conse r ve some of t he batt e r y l i f e .”

Those who use the wal king paths should also be on the lookout for t he veh icles, as they will maintain a

per iodic, visible presence t here as well.

C u r r e n t l y, t h e D e p a r t me nt of P ubl ic Safet y uses a small t r uck for wal k i ng-pat h pat rols, but wou ld i mplement t he veh icles for a “ q u i c k p a t r o l ,” a c c o r d i n g t o We s t e r m a y e r.

“The crimes on the walking paths are mini mal, but we do li ke to mai nt ai n a visible presence per iodically o n t h e p a t h ,” We s t e rm a y e r s a i d . “ We h a v e a m i n i-t r uck t hat we use c u r r e n t l y f o r t h a t p u rp o s e , w h i c h w e’r e a b l e to car r y some equipment w it h. But, just for a qu ick pat rol, qu ick pass through the area, t h e P M Vs w i l l a l l o w u s t o b e a b l e t o d o t h a t .”

Once the Depar tme nt of P ubl ic Safet y ha s worked out a few “ tech nical issues” the veh icles w ill ma ke t hei r presence k now n.

Cit izens can expect to see t hem out on pat rol i n t he “lat t e r pa r t of Aug u st , f i r st pa r t of S e p t e m b e r,” a c c o r d i n g t o We s t e r m a y e r.

not of fered at MSU u n t i l P r e s k a’s t e n u r e .

Now you ca n major or minor in the subject.

Preska is hu mbled to have her name on the new building.

“I am t r uly g ratef ul to the President and t he boa rd of t r u ste e s ,” P r e s k a s a i d .

President Richard Davenpor t feels there is no one more deser v i ng of t he honor than Preska.

“She has and continues to contribute sig nif icantly to the U n i v e r s i t y,” D a v enpor t said. “She wanted to be there the f irst day to meet s t u d e n t s . I t ’s n o t com mon for st udents t o meet a for me r l ivi n g p r e s i d e n t .”

Ded icat ion of t he Margaret R. Preska residence com munit y will occur on Thursd a y, S e p t e m b e r 2 0 , a t 10 : 0 0 a . m .

The const r uction of t he residence hall wa s a pa r t of more than 50 major const r uction projects that took place on c a m p u s t h i s s u m m e r.

Lect u re halls were opened at the bottom o f t h e Ta y l o r C e n t e ropening more room

for the expandi ng U n i v e r s i t y.

Accordi ng to the Un iversit y web site, $2.2 m ill ion of reno vat ions were made to McEl roy Buildi ngs E a n d F. F l o o r i n g w a s replaced th roughout the building, and the kitchens, lounges and apa r t ments were completely renovated.

T he Carkosk i Dini n g H a l l w a s a l s o e xpanded this summer to bet ter f it the needs of st udent s l iv i ng i n Julia Sears, McElroy and Crawford residence halls. Const r uct ion costs were e s t i m a t e d a t $1. 3 m i l lion dolla rs.

The CSU ballroom also went th roug h a complete renovat ion t h i s s u m m e r. T h e project, with estimated costs at $4.5 m illion, renovated the ballroom and the lobby area with new tech nolog y and the at r ical lighting systems.

Fo r m o r e i n fo r m a tion on const r uction projects that hap pened over t he su mm e r , v i s i t M S U ’s c o n st r uction management web site.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

News

HEALTHCARE “The issue has become first and foremost on the campaign trail.” continued from 6

p o r t fo r t h e w h ol e l a w ? S o m e wo u l d s a y i t i s a m a t t e r of s p e n d i n g ,w h i l e o t h e r s contend t hat t he law i s t o o m a s s i ve , t h a t i t i s g ove r n m e n t i n t r u s io n i n t h e h ig h e s t o r d e r.

C o n s e r v a t i ve s p oi n t t o t h e s i z e of t h e b i l l , ove r 2 , 0 0 0 p a g e s , a n d m a i n t a i n t h a t e ve n t h e p e o pl e w h o s ig n e d i t d i d n’t k n ow w h a t was i n it.

Liberals say t he a m o u n t of m o n e y p o u r e d i n b y l o b b yi s t s i n f l u e n c e s p ol l nu mbers.

Ac c o r d i n g t o T h i n k P rog ress, a prog ress i ve l e a n i n g p ol i t i c a l bl o g , A m e r i c a’s He a l t h I n s u r a n c e Pl a n s p u m p e d $10 2 m i l l io n i n 15 m o n t h s , i n cl u d i n g $ 8 6 m i l l io n t o t h e US C h a m b e r of Com merce- to promote repealing the ACA .

Ac c o r d i n g t o t h e Ne w Yo r k Ti m e s , si nce t he law passed i n M a r c h 2 010 , $2 35 m i l l io n h a s b e e n spent at t ack i ng the l a w, w h i l e $ 69 m i l l io n h a s b e e n s p e n t p r o m o t i n g i t- t h e

A H I P h a s s p e n t n e a rly t wice that amou nt i n 15 m o n t h s .

U p o n p a s s a g e of t h e ACA , D e m o c r a t s a p pl a u d e d t h e l a w as being necessar y fo r t h e wel l b e i n g of e ve r y A m e r i c a n , t h a t ou r cu r rent system is f ract ured, that the s y s t e m f avo r s t h e we a l t h y.

M a n y o n t h e r ig h t contended that the bill amou nted to so cialism, that, in the wo r d s of S a r a h Pa l i n , t h e r e wo u l d b e “d e a t h p a n el s .” D o c t o r s wo u l d b e fo r c e d t o c h o o s e w h o c o u l d l i ve a n d w h o wo u l d d i e .

W h ile there is no evidence to suppor t cl a i m s l i ke t h i s , t h e s e c h a r g e s h ave wo r ke d o n t h e p u bl i c.

A p ol l t a ke n l a t e i n 2 010 fo u n d t h a t 36% of s e n io r s b el i e ve d t h a t t h e i r l i ve s wo u l d n ow b e p u t i n t h e h a n d s of a “g ove r n m e n t p a n el t o m a ke d e c i s io n s o n e n d of l i fe c a r e fo r p e o pl e o n m e d i c a r e .”

T h e R e p u bl i c a n’s t a ke ove r of t h e h o u s e of r e p r e s e n t a t i ve s i n 2 010 w a s p a r t i a l l y

caused by the r uli n g . C o n s e r v a t i ve s energi zed by t he law el e c t e d m a n y r e p r e s e n t a t i ve s w h o vowe d to repeal it.

The issue has bec o m e f i r s t a n d fo r e m o s t o n t h e c a m p a ig n t r a i l , e ve r yo n e f r o m Mit t Rom ney to lo c a l R e p u bl i c a n p ol i t i c i a n s h ave m a d e repeali ng t he law is p r i m i t i ve o n t h e i r t o d o l i s t . R e p u bl i c a n s h a ve t r i e d t o r e p e a l t h e ACA 33 t i m e s si nce its passage.

Democrats are not r u n ning f rom the iss u e e i t h e r. T h e y i n s i s t t hat t he law is a v ict o r y fo r a l l A m e r i c a n s , t h a t t h i s l a w, among others Demo c r a t s f avo r, s t r e n g t h e n s t h e m i d d l e cl a s s .

T h e f a t e of t h e l a w l i kel y r e s t s i n t h e 2 012 el e c t io n s . I f Mit t Rom ney w i ns, a n d t h e R e p u bl i c a n s t a ke t h e Ho u s e a n d Senate, t he law will b e i n s e r io u s t r o u bl e .

If President Obama wins, or if Democrats ke e p t h e S e n a t e , t h e l a w i s l i kel y s a fe u n t i l a t l e a s t 2 014.

Reporter • Page 9

Page 10 • Reporter

News

Tuesday, August 28, 2012T

Mankato City Council Opposes Gay Marriage Amendment The 4-1 vote created mixed feelings Aug. 13

• web photo The gay marriage amendment will place the existing law into the constitution and define marriage between one man and one woman.

ELISE KONERZA

news editor

Mankato City Council opened up to the gay community August 13, voting 4-1 opposing the constitutional amendment that would permanently limit the

freedom to marry for committed same-sex couples in Minnesota.

The vote has caused a lot of stigma for the two abstained votes by Council-

man Charlie Hurd and Mark Frost and one vote against the opposition in accord with Mayor EricAnderson.

“I am greatful for the four who took a stance, they

are champions to me,” Wil Bernstrom said, a student at Minnesota State University, Mankato and founder of the new organization, “Mavericks Vote No.” However, Bernstrom had strong feelings about Mayor Eric Anderson’s decision to take social sides. Bernstrom admits that as an Alabama native that the mayor would at least shake hands and smile rather than vote for the losing team.

Yet, it is the four votes that make Bernstrom satisf ied. He is greatful to have the inclination of acceptance in his own city, and he hopes to make this inclination a reality on Election Day, November 6.

Father Tim Biren of the Catholic Newman Center attended the council meeting out of personal curiosity and visited with atttendees after the vote. He did not gather much of a reaction from attendees, but instead mixed reactions from those aff iliated with religious affairs.

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Some people opposed the amendment while others were in favor. He noticed a large gray area from certain denominations while some people did not fall into a concrete line with what the church represents and believes in.

“From the Catholic church perspective, the churches are concerned with the understanding of the word marriage – it is a Latin word meaning matrimony and motherhood, thus bringing children into the world,” Biren said, “redefining the word is a challenge to defy the value of marriage prioritized between a man and a woman.”

Kate Brickman, the Press Secretary for Minnesotan’s United joins Bernstrom in expressing the necessity of this amendment. Brickman has been happily married for nearly five years and can not imagine being denied her right to happiness with her husband.

“It singles out and ex-

Marriage / page 11

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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

News

MARRIAGE AMENDMENT “Regardless we should be working together to promote peace and harmony for the good of all. ” continued from 10 cludes same-sex couples from the same freedom that I have,” Brickman said.

Brickman’s sister is a lesbian and has just started a family with her partner this past summer. She worries that if the amendment passes it will simulate a message to her nieces and some day her own children, “that their own cousin’s family is less valuable than their own.”

Biren’s concern is the idea of the word “side.” It is exclusive of the other subject, “and regardless we should be working together to promote peace and harmony for the good of all.”

Jessica Flatequal, the director for the LGBT Center at MSU, wrote a letter to the council members clarifying that her and the gay community are humans, “with feelings,” reiterating how personal of a matter it is.

Minnesotan’s United for All Families compiled a campaigned focused on defeating the amendment in November. The Mankato City Council vote also aided to pass a resolution opposing the amendment parallel

with the campaign’s mission.

Brickman clarifies that this amendment would place the exisiting law into the constitution defining marriage as one man and one woman forever shutting down the possibility of the freedom to marry samesex couples in Minnesota.

The only way to overturn the amendment would be by another constitutional amendment and would limit the freedom for the future generation to govern themselves.

Even if the amendment is defeated in the November election, same-sex couples will not be granted the opportunity to marry in Minnesota. However, this opens the doors to greater conversations about the ideals of marriage and who should have the freedom to join such an institution.

Looking at different polls visualizes different sides of the argument Biren said.

One side favors as the other poll disagrees. After the election Biren says the reality is that it is “a close deci-

sion and it can be anyone’s guess,” of the outcome of the amendment.

“Both sides are passionate,” Biren said.

Bernstrom began the student organization “Mavericks Vote No” because the student body has the best chance of making an impression on this vote. He plans to make this impression palpable to the students of MSU from the start of the school year. Students can expect a “visible and strong force” as members will be tabling, aiding students in registering to vote, providing phone banks, and “dorm storms.”

Biren is unaware if religious organizations on campus will be apparent on campus this year before the election. Pastoral groups vary in their beliefs, but speaking for the Newman Center, “We are not going out of our way to get involved politically,” Biren said.

This vote makes Mankato the twelth city overall to oppose this amendment in Minnesota.

Reporter • Page 11

FFA studies electronic use on planes (AP) - It’s going to be a while before airline passengers can use iPads and other electronic devices during the whole flight.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that it is starting a process to study the issue, with a timeline that means it will take at least until March 2013 for a recommendation — and maybe longer for action.

In March the FAA raised hopes that it might loosen rules for electronic devices by saying it would “explore ways to bring together all of the key stakeholders involved.”

Smartphones and tablet computers are common in the passenger cabin, and pilots are using iPads in the cockpit.

But passengers have to shut off electronic devices when the plane is below 10,000 feet because of worries that signals emitted by the devices might interfere with electronics in the cockpit.

The FAA doesn’t actually ban the devices. But it says airlines can only allow devices that have been tested and proven not to interfere with the plane’s electronics. With thousands of devices on the market and new ones coming out each

day, airlines simply ban them all during takeoff and landing.

The FAA will form a committee this fall to study the issue for six months and then make recommendations. The FAA often uses such Aviation Rulemaking Committees when it is considering changes, and their deliberations often last months, sometimes years.

This group will include people from mobile technology companies, airplane makers, pilots and flight attendants, airlines, and passenger associations. The FAA will also ask for public input.

In a written statement, acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said the agency wants “information to help airlines “decide if they can allow more widespread use of electronic devices in today’s aircraft.”

The FAA said allowing cellphone use during flights isn’t under consideration.

FAA spokeswoman Brie Sachse said the members of the new committee have not yet been chosen. She declined to say why the process is taking so long.

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Page 12 • Reporter

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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Sports reporter-sports@mnsu.edu | (507) 389-5227

Upcoming Maverick Sporting Events: WOMENS SOCCER: Fri. @ Truman State FOOTBALL: Thur. @ Minot State VOLLEYBALL: Fri. @ Cal State Monteray Bay Tournament WOMEN’S GOLF: Sun. Maverick Round Up FOR MORE COVERAGE OF your favorite Maverick TEAMS VISIT: MSUMavericks.com

Women’s Soccer looking to repeat after successful 2011 With almost the entire squad back from last year’s NCAA tournament team, expect MSU at the top of the NSIC and the nation.

archive • msu reporter Behind Brittany Henry, The Mavericks went 17-3-3 overall in 2011 on their way to an NCAA tournament apRYAN LUND

sports writer

The Minnesota State University, Mankato women’s soccer team was named the

preseason favorite in the 2012 NSIC Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll on August 15, receiving eleven of a possible fifteen first place votes.

The team responded to the

recognition in familiar fashion, giving up just two goals in their three preseason matchups, including a tie with Division I Creighton University.

MSU followed the

performance with a 3-0 home bouncing the ball in off of the victory over the University left goal post in the 80th minute. of St. Thomas in which three It’s an impressive start for different Mavericks found the a team that suffered just three back of the net. regular season losses in 2011 Junior midfielder Tori en-route to the 2011 NSIC Meinhardt struck first, Championship, before falling in redirecting a pass from senior the second round of the NCAA Brianne West for an easy goal, tournament to Colorado School before fellow junior Courtney of Mines.

Vallarelli picked up her own This year’s squad returns rebound for an early 2-0 lead. much of last years NCAA-bound Forward Korey Kronforst team, including sophomore added a bit of insurance in the goalkeeper Molly McGough final minutes of the and the team’s leading game after a pass scorer, senior Brittany from senior forward Henry.

Brittany Henry sprung Henry finished tied the freshman on a for 26th in the nation clean breakaway. with fourteen goals, Junior midfielder followed by fellow Caitlyn Graboski kept senior Brittany Dooher, MSU’s streak alive with 11. in the team’s final Senior Brianne West Molly McGough exhibition tilt against was a force in her own St. Olaf College, right, recording 13 assists scoring just two minutes into on the season, good enough for the game with a clean strike seventh in the nation. from the top of the box.

The trio shouldered much of St. Olaf junior defender the teams’ offensive production, Susie Jelinek scored just before with no other player on the team the end of the first half, tying reaching double digits in either the game in the 47th minute. category, and will look to lead Neither team would get on an offense that remains largely the board again until the 74th intact following their dominant minute, when senior forward 2011 run.

Nicole Dooher worked her way MSU graduated just three through the box for a goal. seniors last season, forward Fellow senior Brittany Henry Sarah Schellinger, defender sealed the win with another goal just six minutes later, Women’s Soccer / page 14

Fogarty attempting to lead MSU back to the NCAA tournament Chelsea Fogarty returns to MSU in her senior year looking to prime the Mavericks and make her way into the record books.

TIMOTHY FAKLIS

sports writer

Another fall semester rolls around, and with that comes another year for head coach Dennis Amundson and the Minnesota Sate University, Mankato volleyball team that he and his coaching staff have managed to assemble for their 2012 campaign.

Finishing the 2011 season at a 20-9 mark, and losing in the NCAA tournament to the Concordia Golden Bears, marking it the second straight time they have lost to the four-time national champs, the Mavericks come in ranked 20th overall in the American Volleyball Coaches Association, the Mavericks come into this season ranked fifth overall in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, and 23rd in the national preseason rankings.

The Mavericks are one of five teams from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference ranked in the poll, joining Concordia (#1), Southwest Minnesota State (#6), Minnesota Duluth (T-7th), and Wayne State (#12).

They started the season with a 22-practice training camp that led up to the first day of classes for students on August 27th.

The warranting of the rankings comes from some of the players returning from a year ago, led by All Conference member Chelsea Fogerty. Fogarty, a senior outside hitter from Belle Plaine, Minn., earned AVCA All-Central Region Honorable Mention honors after leading the Mavericks in 2011 with 448 kills. Fogarty is now 8th on the all-time career kills list, as she became the ninth Maverick to reach 1,000 career hits.

She has averaged 382 kills throughout her first three years as a Maverick. Finishing third on the team last year with 362 digs (3.23 per set), Fogarty has recorded 852 in her career remaining 148 away from becoming the ninth Maverick to join the school’s 1,000 digs club.

Alongside Fogarty, is seniors Courteney Steinhauser, Kayla Berning, Jill Storlie, and Samantha Dale.

The Mavericks will start the year on the road at the Cal State Monterey Bay Otter Classic Volleyball Tournament in Monterey Bay, Cali. where MSU will face four different opponents to begin their campaign.

They will start their slate of games against Maryville (Mo.) on Friday, August 31st. Their remaining three matches come against Alaska Anchorage later that day, before two games on

Volleyball / page 14

archive • msu reporter Fogarty led the squad in kills last season with 448 which earned her a spot on the NSIC all-conference team.

Page 14 • Reporter

Sports

WOMEN’S SOCCER continued from 13 Marissa Santana, and goalkeeper Brianna Hendricks.

Nine of the Mavericks’ 10 top point scorers will return in 2012, including team leader Brittany Henry, who finished the season with 34 points.

Expectations are already high for the Mavericks, who find themselves among the most experienced groups in the NSIC this season.

MSU led the NSIC in virtually every major offensive category last season. The team recorded 490 shots, 165 points, 56 goals and 53 assists.

Returning sophomore

goalkeeper Molly McGough was dominant in goal last year, registering the lowest goals against average in school history at 0.51, while also recording a conference-leading 14 shutouts.

The Mavericks enter the season as heavy favorites to retain their NSIC title, and will look to their additional experience in what they hope will be another bid for a national title.

The team will look to improve upon last years second round exit when they travel to Kirksville, Missouri Friday to take on Truman State.

VOLLEYBALL continued from 13

Saturday against CSU Monterey Bay and Academy of the Arts.

For Mavericks fans that are waiting to see a home game, they will have to wait until September 14th, when they play a new member of the NSIC in the University of Sioux Falls Cougars, that will begin a set of three home games on campus, all within a seven day period.

Coach Amundson, coming into his eighth season as the MSU head coach, also managed to bring in a plethora of freshmen, seven to be exact. With

that many new faces coming into the mix for MSU it is very likely that most, it not all, of the young, new faces of the Maverick volleyball squad will get plenty of opportunity to make their way into the lineup.

The NSIC is a tough conference to play in, but the Mavericks have proven time and time again that they belong in the top half of the standings. With their combination of veteran leadership, along with new faces, the 2012 is stacked with possibilities.

archive • msu reporter Seniors Jill Storlie and Kayla Berning will be called upon frequently on the front line this year. Berning finished last season with 172 kills while Storlie racked up 364 kills while leading the team in hitting percentage with a .279

Tuesday, August 28, 2012T

Opinion: The future of MSU Football WIth all the off-field turmoil going on, how will they react?

REECE HEMMESCH

sports editor

In 2005, Reade Seligmann, Colin Finnerty and David Adams were nothing but collegiate athletes.

They were three lacrosse players who played for a school that was on the verge of becoming one of the biggest powerhouses in division one lacrosse: Duke University. Duke was coming off a banner year in 2005 in which it finished as runner-up in the NCAA tournament after losing to rival Johns Hopkins 9-8.

That was back when the Duke men’s lacrosse team was nothing but an athletic program.

If you brought up the name to any lacrosse fan, all they could say is that the Dukies were up and coming and ready to erupt, just like all lacrosse in the East Coast during that time.

The squad was gearing up for another run at the title in 2006 when one night and one incident changed everything, an incident that changed the first word that comes to mind whenever anyone thinks of the Duke lacrosse team.

In March 2006, Crystal Mangum, a student at nearby North Carolina Central University made an accusation that during time spent at a party taking place at a house occupied

by Duke lacrosse players, she was raped by three members of the team.

In the following months after the allegation, the Duke

lacrosse team went from suspending its next two games to suspending the rest of the season while the legal events would take place. Twenty-three days after the allegations were made Duke University president Richard Brodhead forced the team’s head coach Mike Pressler to resign.

During trial and after careful examination and DNA testing given to 46 of the 47 players on the team, the court found the three players not guilty. The University did not have any charges brought upon them due to the incident.

Six seasons have passed since the fiasco of 2006 and in that time Duke has long forgotten about its struggles that season. In the last six years they have gone to the NCAA tournament and final four all six years with another runner-up banner coming in 2007 and a national championship in 2010. It has also taken home the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season champions four times and been named conference tournament champs four times as well.

From March to April 2006, sales of Duke University apparel including lacrosse t-shirts within the campus store tripled.

The point here is through all charges brought on to head football coach Todd Hoffner and the negative publicity this school is getting, sometimes these things tend to work themselves out.

Many around the area and state believe that this university’s football team will struggle

for the next few years because of this case. The Mavericks have proved themselves as contenders of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference over the past few years and they without a doubt will continue that role this year and in the next few years as well.

The Mavericks are coming off a 2011 campaign in which they went 9-3 and were victors in the Mineral Water Bowl defeating Northeastern State University 28-14. Their last few years have also featured dominant records and finishes amongst the top of the conference. If the Duke lacrosse squad did not miss a beat in their reign of terror and dominated college lacrosse the years following its scandal, why can’t we?

Southern Methodist University in Texas faced a similar situation in which it football squad received the “death penalty” in 1987 for numerous recruiting violations. Since then the Mustangs have had winning seasons in conference play the last three years and have won two bowl games in the process.

So no matter how the Hoffner case turns out, just remember that it in no way affects this university’s football team, which has one of the biggest followings on campus.

One of the main reasons Duke was able to overcome its scandals was due to its large support of students and members of the community.

Just remember that this university’s football team is down, but they are not out.

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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Sports

Reporter • Page 15

Winners and losers of the 2012 NBA free agency Dwight Howard to the Lakers wasn’t the only big exchange in the offseason. Many of the teams in the league looked to the free agency market to build on for next year.

TIGE HUTCHESON

sports writer

In every offseason, their are winners and losers, with about half of the league fitting into each column.

The 2012 NBA off-season however, has been unique in that, while most of the league’s franchises managed to improve, it was at the expense of a select few teams that became exponentially worse. Some teams sank, some treaded water, and a few sat in the shallow end blowing bubbles wearing water wings.

Take the Los Angeles Lakers, for example. As good as Kobe Bryant is, the Lakers are slowly being forced to come to terms with the fact that Kobe alone isn’t enough to win championships anymore. So instead of paying to stack a couple lower-level all-stars (such as an aging Karl Malone and Gary Payton in 2003), the Lakers got smart and made moves that actually made sense from a chemistry standpoint.

Anytime you can rake in a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and five-time All-NBA First Team center in his prime, you pull the trigger before anyone asks questions.

Somehow, that’s exactly what the Lakers managed to do in acquiring Dwight Howard from the Magic while still managing to hang on to Pau Gasol. It was highway robbery.

But the sign-and-trade for Steve Nash is what makes it all work. Kobe and Dwight Howard are without a doubt one of the best duos in the league, but with Nash, one of the best passers in the history of the NBA and a natural leader, the Lakers’ egos won’t get in the way of a championship run. That’s how you rebuild a team in a hurry.

But according to Newton’s Third Law of Motion, for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, it’s the Orlando Magic. Losing Howard was inevitable and the fact that General Manager Rob Hennigan managed to resist the urge of withdrawing into the fetal position over his superstar’s childlike and reoccurring demands to get out of Orlando is nothing short of

impressive.

It’s hard to hold it against Hennigan for pulling the trigger and finally putting Howard’s era in Orlando out of its misery, but three future first-round draft picks and six players that have never so much as sniffed the All-Star Game just isn’t getting enough in return. But what makes it even worse was the previous trade sending Ryan Anderson, the 2012 NBA Most Improved Player, to New Orleans for Gustavo Ayon. Seriously?

Anderson was the Magic’s second-best player and had improved steadily every year since entering the league. He’s become a poor man’s worse on the boards Kevin Love and would’ve been huge in at least helping to slow down the bleeding from a Howard trade if the Magic had held onto him. But they shipped him away for a backup center nine out of 10 NBA fans have never heard of. That’s how you turn a tailspin into a crash landing.

Speaking of plans not quite coming to fruition, Daryl Morey must’ve cried himself to sleep upon hearing Howard went to the Lakers.

Morey, one of the NBA’s most respected G.M.s, had traded away starters like baseball cards in an effort to clear enough space to offer Howard a sweet contract and put him in Houston Rockets red and white, but forgot to ask Howard if he’d even consider Houston as an option.

Howard never even seemed to entertain Houston as a possibility, yet Morey forced a fire sale and made rash decisions to part with efficient players like Luis Scola and Courtney Lee in a gamble to change Howard’s mind. In the end, Howard ended up in purple and gold, and Houston had to settle and overpay for the ridiculously overhyped Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, a backup center that may be a solid starter, but not for $25.1 million over three years.

Who knows? Maybe Howard will change his mind as a free agent in 2013 and give Morey a call, but as of right now, it looks like a 21 for the dealer. And that, kids, is why you don’t gamble.

The rich got richer and the

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poor got poorer. The defending champion Miami Heat managed to lure Ray Allen to South Beach, who, along with Rashard Lewis, should address some of the champs’ outside shooting concerns.

Signing Allen to the midlevel exception is not only a financial bargain, but kills two birds with one stone by also removing one of the pillars of the “Big Three” from the Eastern Conference rival Boston Celtics.

Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets made out like bandits and somehow managed to win the Dwight Howard trade even more than the Lakers did. Landing All-Star Andre Iguodala for Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, and a future first-round pick represents the largest return on investment in the trade.

Even the Lakers had to give up Andrew Bynum and take on some less-than-attractive contracts. The Nuggets flipped a couple of valuable role players and a future first-round pick for an All-Star that fits their style of play almost perfectly. Way to pick your moment Denver.

Our own Minnesota Timberwolves also made headlines by signing international stars such as Andrei Kirelienko and Alexey Shved of Russia.

There were other winners, New Orleans for grabbing Anthony Davis and Anderson while hanging on to Eric Gordon and losers, Phoenix, who seriously thinks Michael Beasley can somehow help in the rebuilding process, but the only thing that’s almost impossible to dispute is that

there hasn’t been a disparity like this between the top and the bottom of the league in decades.

It’s been a crazy, unpredict-

able off-season that has to have fans even more excited for October 30th than ever before.

archive • msu reporter Dwight Howard and Steve Nash joined Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol in the offseason, making L.A. an immediate contender to win the finals.

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Page 16 • Reporter

Sports

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

MSU football ready to repeat as conference champs The Mavericks excelled last season on both sides of the ball on their way to a bowl win, but this season it will take a new skillset for junior quarterback Jon Wolf to get the Mavericks going.

JOEY DENTON

sports writer

With all of the off the field events occurring the last few days, it’s hard to remember that there is still football to be played for the Minnesota State University, Mankato football team, and acting head coach Aaron Keen is ready to take the reigns.

Just a few days after former head coach Todd Hoffner was escorted off the practice field, the team’s offensive coordinator Aaron Keen was appointed the head-coaching job, and school officials are happy with that decision.

“I think he is doing a great job leading the program,” Min-

nesota State’s athletic director Kevin Buisman said, who has been to a few of the team’s practices this past week, and he noticed the team is definitely ready to move on and play on Thursday.

“The team has responded well. They seemed very focused on moving forward and not making this a distraction and really getting themselves prepared for their first game up at Minot State.”

But Buisman and the athletic department aren’t the only ones who are confident in Keen taking over the head coaching job, the players are also on board with him.

Sophomore running back Andy Pfeiffer, who led the team

in rushing yards with 1,229 yards, thinks Keen has helped the team move on and get ready for some NSIC football “He has done a great job getting us ready to play and keeping us very focused on our upcoming game,” Pfeiffer said.

Last year was Keen’s first season as Minnesota State’s offensive coordinator, and he turned the Maverick’s offense in to a running dominant team, rushing for 167.9 yards per game and 25 rushing touchdowns last season.

Before coaching for MSU, Keen was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks and receivers coach for the University of Omaha-Nebraska. In his three seasons, Keen’s offense scored at

least 30 points in 19 games.

Along with a new head coach, the Mavericks were appointed a new leader of Keen’s offense this season. With quarterback Jon Daniels graduating last year, junior quarterback Jon Wolf will be taking control of the offense.

Wolf spent last season mixing up positions as he lined up as a quarterback, running back, and receiver. As he threw for 45 yards, he also ran the ball 69 times for 348 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Throughout this last spring and fall camp, Keen got a chance to see Wolf, and he saw a lot of improvement.

“He had a tremendous spring and we are hoping he would carry things through the summer and continue to develop continuity and chemistry with his receiving core,” Keen said.

With only 45 passing yards on 16 throwing attempts last season, Wolf will still get that rookie feeling this season taking all of the snaps, and Keen is excited to see how he develops.

“He’s gotten better through fall camp. I’m excited to see what he can do against some-

body who’s wearing a different colored jersey,” Keen said.

After sharing a conference championship and winning a bowl game last season, the team has a lot of optimism, especially due to the fact that the team only graduated seven seniors.

“We are tremendously excited about the potential for this team, and we are excited to get out there and showcase their abilities and hope for a great deal of support this year from the university community,” Keen said.

Defensively, most of the starters are coming back and they displayed how destructive they are defending the pass. Last season, the defense was third in the NSIC in pass yards allowed per game with 169.7 yards per game.

“We have a lot of guys coming back defensively. Coach Klanderman does a great job with our defense and getting those guys to play with high emotion, high intensity and passion for the game of football,” Keen said.

The season is set to open Thursday against the Minot State Beavers in Minot, ND.

archive • msu reporter Junior Quarterback Jon Wolf does not have a lot of experience under center but has proved over the last two years he can be a dual-threat Quarterback in the NSIC.

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THIS WEEK’S A&E CALENDAR

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

A&E

Fashions, Films, Music and Lands of Far Away

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

TODAY’S RIDDLE

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Everyone Must Go to Europe: A Review of the Land Across the Atlantic Pond Y EMRE K. ERKU

a&e editor

ou fly over the Atlantic pond that separates the Statue of Liberty from the Eiffel Tower and in seven or eight hours, two square meals of in-flight mess, three scotches and three under par films, you land in a different world; a curious world. London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome and Istanbul are cities of an omnipresence of in-your-face fashions, elegant restaurants, incredible foods, interesting people, fine beers and wines, art, history, as well as ancient castles and churches. Yes, historical sights are quite fascinating, but that’s not all Europe has to offer and we, as college students, know this. What we really want is to not only experience, but also endure the European way of party, drink, and sexual escapade.

Therefore, it was in the best interest of yours truly to represent Minnesota State University, Mankato in Europe, live to tell about it, and convince our fellow student body to plan their next trips to the insane world of Absinthe drenched cloths blanketing over the EU – an always crazy and peculiar experience.

Earlier this August, I was ecstatic: a three-week adventure to Holland, Turkey, and Greece. My time was about to be fulfilled with antics synonymous to the outsiders travel around the world, and it was going to start with a bang. First stop: Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Amsterdam is for the strong. What I mean by this is if your stamina isn’t seasoned enough for constant indulgence, shoot for a trip to Paris. When I stepped off the exhausting flight, went through customs, and took the downtown destined train that darted through a series of robotic looking commercial buildings in which gradually turned into canals and cute, Holland-style housing, I was in wonderment. By the end of the ride, the city turned into a medieval village inhabited by pubs, coffee shops, cafes, prostitutes propped up in store-like windows like manikins, sex shops and sex shows – paradise for the lewd and wicked, hell for the rest. Not to mention, the ancient churches silently sitting in the middle of it all.

Off the train in the heart of Amsterdam, a quick decision came very easy: hit a coffee shop, ask for the strongest stain of marijuana they have, roll one up, and try to impress the Dutch smokers with American muscle. Oh little did I know what I was getting myself into…

Now, I’m not going to start the argument that American grass is better than Holland grass or viceversa, all I’m going to say is that its like comparing apples to oranges. America utilizes extreme stickiness to its properties whereas Amsterdam carry’s its soil in the aroma – either way, fantastic effects.

I step into a coffee shop named The Bulldog.

The stench of fine smoke hit me in the face with a smooth slap and I turned on a smile. I then traveled down a spiral staircase to where the counter of transactions takes place. I read the menu: 20 euro for 1 gram of bubblegum kush, candy kush, cheese, blueberry this, blueberry that, eight different types of hash, pre-rolled joints. You name it they had it. After I made the purchase things became a little hazy, and I lost my mind to the music being played in the background.

It was extremely hard locating my hotel after leaving the establishment. I was too eager for the coffee shop that I didn’t check into the hotel first.

Big mistake. Signs in Dutch and cobblestone ally way after ally way were all apart of a big maze of aimlessness. And, to top it off, I being under a cloudy judgment induced influence. In what seemed like hours of being lost, I finally gained enough sense to ask a local fellow where my hotel was.

Turned out it was one block away from The Bulldog.

Intel Hotel was the place – comfortable and quaint, located right by the sins of the Red Light District. I decided to take a nap before embarking upon an adventure of the town. I needed my rest for what was to come.

I awoke to an English breakfast at a café down the block. My hungry stomach and watering tongue were satisfied to the flavorful juices of bacon, sausage links, caramel beans, and sunny-side eggs, complemented by pint tap of Amstel. You cannot get Amstel on tap anywhere else in the world. It was a fine meal and beer in its purest form.

An overwhelmingly full stomach can easily be opened back up by yet another trip to the coffee shop, and to one I went. I ordered pre-rolled this time and boy I couldn’t even talk afterwards. They really put care into those numbers, maybe too much care – I was out the door in almost a sweat.

Prostitutes are unfortunately apart of almost every society including the U.S. Amsterdam is one the hubs for prostitution in the world. It’s called the Red Light District. In my intoxicated mind, I took a cruise through it with eyes of extreme amazement. All different types of prostitutes for any of your disgusting preferences – white, black, skinny, thick, big and small – all there for the choosing. If you purchase their services, well, that’s on you. Just remember it’s a very cruel practice at 50 euro a pop.

• web photo

Besides the ugly parts of Amsterdam, there were some of the best pubs that I have ever been to. Beautiful tap beers golden and brown perfected to taste bud bliss served in top-notch fashion. I felt as if I were back in time, drinking like a sailor or a pirate. Many of them were dressed like old wooden ships with brass trim. And, shit, they were all over they place! The end of my stay in Amsterdam dug a giant hole in my pockets.

Luckily, in Amsterdam, there were a lot of street food type style restaurants. Turkish doner shops are the eateries of choice. They’re cheap, tasty and fast. Cafes have everything, too, but are a bit more expansive. I kept more of an open stomach to make room for the drinks.

Pup after pub, coffee shop after coffee shop, and spliff after spliff all wore me down, so I split for Turkey.

Istanbul: big, worldly city with the Bosporus Straight running right through the middle of it.

There are old Ottoman castles, restaurants, and cafes running alongside the banks of the straight. There are also two massive suspended bridges that stretch over the water, connecting the East to the West, Europe to Asia. It felt as if there were zero traffic laws riding in the back of speedy Fiat taxicabs that dipped and dodged between the long streams of cars. It was a sight to see, but I didn’t stay in Istanbul for long. Instead, I traveled to the south of Turkey for a Mediterranean excursion.

Down there the water wasn’t blue, it was turquoise seeable to the bottom, and the water matched the color of the cloudless sky. My uncle owns a Beneteau sailboat, so we sailed from port to port to Turkish and Greek Islands.

With a fresh supply of Efes (Turkish beer) and J&B scotch, lets say my uncle turned me into drunken pirate. Beers during the day, and

European Travels / page 18

Page 18 • Reporter

A&E

Tuesday, August 28, 2012T

“By the end of the ride, the city turned into a medieval village inhabited by pubs, cof fee shops, cafes, prostitutes propped up in store-like windows like manikins, sex shops and sex shows – paradise for the lewd and wicked, hell for the rest.” continued from 17

scotch by night, we’d smell the salt in the air and feel open and free. Dinners at port restaurants were accompanied by the lit up masts of sailboats illuminating in the blackness of the harbors. Sweet white wines and Red fish dinners were washed down back at the boat with the scotch. I’d fall asleep on the boat while it drifted back and forth between the pleasant waves. I’d then wake in the morning to the clearest waters I’ve ever seen, as if the water didn’t even exist. Tiny schools of fish would swim under the hull of the boat, so I’d jump in and their clusters would disperse, avoiding me like I was bomb. Breakfasts included fresh feta cheeses, strong Turkish coffee, and soft breads. I ate while starring off at the clean white rocks of the mountains out in the distance. And after the food, we’d set sail into the sun and continue drinking.

The water would glisten in the rays of the sun, making the sea look like a million flashes of diamonds. It was a sea of diamonds.

And, now, I’m back here in Mankato urging you all to save up and take the trip to the beauties and wonderments of Europe – the epitome of vacation.

August 28 Home Video Releases JAMES SCHUYLER HOUTSMA

staff writer

B

attleship –Poor Taylor Kitsch. He’s not a terrible actor, but because he has starred in two epic, epic bombs, one of them being Battleship. People have equated him with cinematic failure, when it’s really not his fault.

During the annual RIMPAC Naval Exercises, one of the participating ships makes contact with a massive object off the coast of Hawaii. Said item is, in fact, a giant alien ship and is one of four others intent on contacting their home world in order to [insert alien motivation most likely related to resource consumption or world conquest]. It’s up to soon-tobe-discharged lieutenant Alex Hopper and his forces to battle the machinations of this race and destroy the giant barrier they have established around Hawaii.

Perhaps the most positive thing that has been said about Battleship is that it is stupid fun.

Not “stupid fun” like Transformers, as in complete contempt for its audience by wasting most of its time on borderline mentally unstable comedy before getting to the sloppy action. Rather, Battleship has

been described as having awesome visual effects to accompany stunningly inept and clichéd storytelling and dialogue, with bursts of unintended hilarity. As far as crappy summer blockbusters go, Battleship seems to be exactly what it looks like: big and dumb with some possible fun for more undiscerning audiences.

Battleship is now available on DVD/Blu-Ray & VOD, and will be available on Redbox and Netflix September 25th.

Think Like a Man – In a world where Tyler Perry movies have come to represent what black audiences will go see, one movie dares to undermine him.

Based on the best-selling romantic advice book by Steve Harvey, the film follows four couples as the women take a page from Harvey’s book and the men scramble to recover and get one step ahead in the game of cat and mouse.

For the past few years, Tyler Perry has been the most prominent filmmaker to feature movies with primarily black casts. But it’s now to a point where he has become known for being cartoonish and has fallen into the stereotypes he’s created.

Along comes Think Like a Man, a wellmade romantic comedy that doesn’t fall back on buffoonery, has some good gags, and features plausible characters. Anyone hankering for a good rom-com will likely find themselves satisfied by Think Like a Man.

Think like a Man is now available on DVD/Blu-Ray and all rental services.

The Pirates: Band of Misfits – “From the Creators of Wallace and Gromit” should be indication enough to know you’re in for something good.

After the incompetent Pirate Captain (that’s literally the character’s name) plunders the last living dodo, along with Charles Darwin himself, the ship and its crew sets off for London in an attempt to win notoriety. Problem is that the Queen of England has a special hatred of pirates. Needless to say, zaniness ensues.

Aardman Animations, known for movies like Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Wererabbit, Chicken Run, and Arthur Christmas, made this movie. Their signature Claymation and mastery of British wit are two of the best combinations in animation today. Sure, the whole saturation of pirates today is tiring, but if you value entertaining animated movies, The Pirates looks to be one to see.

The Pirates: Band of Misfits is now available on DVD/Blu-Ray and all rental services.

The Lucky One – I don’t know how many more Nicholas Sparks novels have yet to be adapted for film, but it is a number that can’t run out fast enough.

U.S. Marine Logan Thibault, while in Iraq, finds a photograph of a woman and it literally saves his life. Once home, he seeks out the woman in the picture and becomes close to her and her hectic life.

Movies based on Sparks’ books have a tendency to be… kind of shmaltzey. And melodramatic.

And now familiar. If you already knew that and have come to terms with it, The Lucky One probably will satisfy on some level. If not, be forewarned.

The Lucky One is now available on DVD/ Blu-Ray and VOD, will be available on Redbox on September 25, and Netflix will receive it on October 23. Ouch. *VideoOnDemand includes Amazon Instant Video and all cable OnDemand services.

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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

JAMES SCHUYLER HOUTSMA

staff writer

A&E

Reporter • Page 19

“The Super-Heroic, R-rated Summer Rises” [A.K.A.: Revenge of the Contrarians]

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here is absolutely no season to beat when it comes to movies than the summer. Not much beats watching the brightest stars portraying the most iconic characters in the biggest, loudest, most exciting, and most anticipated screen events in the comfort of an air-conditioned theater. Having the down time to do so ain’t bad either. And man, there were things to anticipate this summer, as well as some surprises that cropped up by the end. One genre excelled in almost every aspect (as was expected), one type of movie made an unexpected and profitable comeback, and a slightly frustrating trend among critics and certain moviegoers comes into focus.

If you consider yourself a fan of the superhero movie genre, it’s best just to lose hope for the future because this was probably the high caliber superhero summer to end them all.

The Avengers was a great summer popcorn flick that managed to combine its different franchises and egos near perfectly and, in addition to providing the

pre-requisite great superhero action, was funnier than most comedies. Seeing how it is now the third highest grossing movie ever, worldwide and domestic, I think it’s safe to assume people dug it.

Just when we thought Spidey had expended his big screen welcome, The Amazing Spider-Man swung in and re-invigorated interest. While the motives for the quick reboot were obviously financial rather than creative (due to contractual complexities) and the movie covered a fair amount of ground from the previous origin, Amazing Spider-Man amounted to a more realized and entertaining rendition of the character.

The two leads were very likeable and brought new dimension to the characters, the humor was sharp, and practically every technical complaint from the previous series was improved upon. Most people welcomed this iteration and the seeds have successfully been sewn for a new trilogy.

And last, but far from least, Christopher Nolan brought his Dark Knight trilogy to a stunning conclusion with The Dark Knight Rises. Epic, engrossing, exciting, emotional and other complimentary words that start with the letter E, the movie delivered the character investment, pulse pounding action, amazing IMAX footage, and driven, larger than life storytelling it promised and was an exceptional ending to an exceptional group of films.

But you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who thought any of these movies would perform poorly.

Even The Amazing Spider-Man, compromised the most of the three by fanboy hesitation and being sandwiched right in the middle of the summer competition, managed to pull in over $700 million, worldwide.

Superhero movies dominate just about every summer they occupy and are a sure-fire bet for a successful intake.

One specific movie area that has not been nearly financially reliable, has been the R-rated movie. It’s become outside of the safe and ordinary to rely on restricted movies for business in a time when school is out and studios want films that are open to as many demographics as possible. But something different happened this year: many R-rated movies were released and a handful of them did much better business than anyone was expecting.

Analysts were expecting Ted, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane’s first foray into cinema, to do modest business, considering the popularity of the creator,

the movie’s rating and its release in the heart of summer. They were not expecting the movie to have a $54 million dollar opening weekend and eventually pull in north of $200 million, domestically, and close to $400 million worldwide (the threshold for a movie to be considered an international blockbuster). The positive feedback from audiences and positive word of mouth from critics no doubt helped to keep the gravy train rolling for Ted. Prometheus, Ridley Scott’s return to the sci-fi world he created with the first Alien movie, was met with heavy divisiveness when it hit theaters in early June. Maybe the mixed word didn’t help in the long run but the movie enjoyed a $51 million opening weekend (not that far behind the more inclusive competition it faced that weekend, Madagascar 3) with a respectable $125 million haul in North America and lofty intake from foreign markets lifting it up to a worldwide total of close to $350 million.

At the beginning of summer, it looked as if Magic Mike would slip under the radar. As it turns out, women enjoy watching the opposite sex get their freak on, too. The Steven Soderbergh film, made for a modest $7 million, brought in almost $40 million opening weekend (giving Ted some legitimate competition during opening weekend) and showed staying power in the top 10 for weeks. The total earnings currently sits at $112 million.

This isn’t to say that every R-rated movie this summer did better than expected. That’s My Boy, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and The Watch were shown little to no anticipation from audiences and all floundered out of the gate. What should be taken away from this summer is that if a movie has an interesting premise or good enough word of mouth, audiences will buy a ticket, regardless of what it is rated.

Objectively, this summer wasn’t much different from the norm. Superhero movies and animated sequels (Madagascar 3, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Men in Black 3 (close enough)) made up the brunt of offerings and profits. Pixar tried to heal their image after Cars 2 with Brave, the oft ignored female audience helped make Magic Mike and Snow White and the Huntsman hits. Some movies disappointed (Dark Shadows, The Dictator, The Bourne Legacy), while others totally bombed (Battleship, Total Recall, Rock

Summer Films / page 20

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Tuesday, August 28, 2012T

continued from 19 of Ages), and some previously mentioned flicks surprised.

All in all, nothing this summer would identify it as being amazingly awesome or exceptionally awful. But you’d never know that if you were to seek reactions from people all across the internet.

More so than the summer of the superhero, this summer may go down as the summer of the contrarian. The crop of movies this past four months just might set some kind of record for most consecutive polarizing reactions.

To use Rotten Tomatoes as the main example (not highly recommended), a predictable number, aka just over half of this summer’s movies were deemed rotten or had overall negative reactions from critics. Audience percentages are usually up to 10% higher than critics, and 59% or less on the Tomatometer is the standard for a rotten score. But this summer had a surprising lack of unanimously positive movies. Moonrise Kingdom and The Avengers are the only two movies in the 90% range while The Dark Knight Rises and Paranorman are the only two in the 80% range.

Every other movie with overall positive reactions sits in the 60-70% range.

Movies that end up in this range either consist of mid-range/lukewarm to mostly positive reviews or reviews that are on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Going through individual voices on some of the more divisive movies, it seems apparent that many of them fall under the latter category. To highlight a few: • Fans of Prometheus (73%) were enthralled by the tense sci-fi journey and performances while detractors decried the story for being ambiguous to the point of it becoming sloppy and full of holes.

• Brave (77%) was easily a step up from Pixar’s previous movie and the beautiful animation and stellar voice acting and music were in top form but some found issue with the childish simplicity of the story that seemed unfitting for the

EMILEE STRUSS

usual depth of a Pixar movie.

• Many audiences found The Amazing Spider-Man (73%) to be an invigorating new take on the classic character, but a notable minority were not at all accepting of having the franchise rebooted and didn’t let their voices go unheard.

Maybe the blame falls on the detachment, anonymity, free-reign, and extreme expectations and hype the internet provides, or perhaps it’s because of a certain subculture that rhymes with quipsters, but there seems to be a “can’t please anybody” mentality becoming more prevalent. Battleship and The Expendables 2 are dull, The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises are overrated, Ted is just Seth MacFarlane doing the same old thing, and The Amazing Spider-Man, Total Recall, and Men in Black 3 were made solely for the sake of making the studios money.

While there may be a hint of truth to those statements, and the whole point of film criticism is to hear different opinions to learn new perspectives, it would be unfortunate if moviegoers went further down a path of viewing movies only as something to be utterly disappointed or unimpressed by and decide to utilize criticism for criticism’s sake.

But, like so many things lately, the rhetoric concerning movies has naturally intensified and, with any luck, will become balanced or adjusted to. So, despite the pessimistic commentary, it would be misleading if I were to imply that this summer was a failure.

Despite all financial hardships and tragedies, audiences still came out to support their favorite and most anticipated flicks, made many of them genuine hits, and, going off of polling data and overall reactions, continued to find enjoyment in the movie-going experience. In this writer’s opinion, that may just be the best thing you can ask for.

Fall into 2012 fashion

staff writer

S

pring has sprung, summer has sizzled and now fall is beginning to rise. Fall brings all the excitement of new classes, friends and experiences, and fashion trends. The 2012 fashion forecast is looking deep and sporty with a chance of detachable collars. Here in the great state of Minnesota, we tend to dress ourselves in reflection of the colors we see outside. The trees are our cheat sheets. We dress in brown, orange, yellow, and deep reds. Those are our staple fall colors. This fall, be sure to take the limits off.

Popular colors for fall 2012 are: plum, wine red, navy blue, olympian blue, honey gold, maroon, mustard, cobalt, and emerald green.

These colors are expected to pop up in numerous variations of accessories such as handbags, long necklaces, and hats. Hats have

made a large statement on the Runway. Sporty baseball caps are paired with girly skirts and other ladylike pieces. Other sporty statements are lettermen jackets and perforated tanks. Just make sure with the sporty style to accentuate the ladylike side to balance it out.

Handbags are large and in charge this season. Allow them be outrageous, colorful and mixed with hardware and unlikely materials.

They are the perfect things to jazz up a simple outfit. Also, dabble in different sized handbags.

Details are fun but lets dive into the main stuff.

Popular apparel includes: Cozy knits, reptile print pants, long coats, navy-blue pea coat, leather skirts, and pattern skirts.

as well. Detachable collars can be found on Etsy.com or even DIY for a cheaper route. That is the fashion forecast for Fall of 2012. Whether you are cheering on the Mav’s, sipping tea on a chill day or hitting the books, feel free to take on life with some sensational style.

“Here in the great state of Minnesota, we tend to dress ourselves in the ref lection of the colors we see outside. The trees are our cheat sheets.”

Detachable collars bursting with beads, lace and buttons are also becoming popular. This means collared tops are stepping into the light

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Reporter • Page 21

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Tuesday, August 28, 2012