Thursday, September 3, 2009
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Minnesota State University, Mankato
A new vision for an old space Riverfront Park will open in two weeks ann reichel • msu reporter Riverfront Park on W. Rock St. in Mankato is set to open Sept. 16.
ERIN ROHRER
staff writer
Five years ago, a vision was made to create a once dreary land into an attractive park full of culture and music. Now, Riverfront Park, directly off the Minnesota River, is just two weeks away from opening to the public. The park may be just what Mankato needs to re-connect with its legacy and cultural values. In 2004, a group of citizens were appointed by the Mankato City Council as the Riverfront Park Task Force. The group was asked to take a closer look at the logistics of the potential park and decide whether or not a new park in Mankato was possible. Not only was it possible, but the Task Force worked so diligently that the official groundbreaking
event for Riverfront Park was just four years later, in September 2008. “The Minnesota River is central to our Mankato heritage,” said Shelly Schulz, Public Information Director of City of Mankato and Mankato Area Public Schools. “People wanted to go back to the river,
of and that’s what the Riverfront Park will do – create a theme of reconnection.” Riverfront Park is not just a classic park full of public restrooms, picnic tables and a playground. It will be the home
Mankato’s only amphitheater, housing more than 1,000 people for festivals and events. City events such as Rib Fest are expected to be relocated to the park, with a large list of events to come. “We’ve had a fair amount of
interest in scheduling Riverfront Park,” Schulz said. “Right now, we are focusing on opening the park and we look forward to working with people interested in using the facilities and amenities at the new park.” Not only will locals have a chance to enjoy Mankato’s newest thrill, but Riverfront
Park / page 6
Picking up the pieces Administration and CAP members try to find solutions to the groups’ concerns DANNIE HIGGINBOTHAM
index
wale agboola• msu reporter MSU President Richard Davenport sits alongside CAP member Ashley Lopez during an open forum held Wednesday afternoon.
Editorial...................................4 Voices......................................5 Sports......................................9 Variety....................................12 Classifieds.............................15
Football preview Sports, page 9
news editor Administration at Minnesota State is attempting to sort out issues and discover the root of Monday’s protest. Members of the campus College Access Program (CAP) held the protest to speak out against what they felt was unfair treatment by financial aid as well as housing issues and concerns about the departmental placement of the CAP program. CAP was recently moved from the Division of Institutional Diversity, under the leadership of Vice President Michael Fagin, to the College of Education and its dean, Michael Miller. “We want to move back to
the Division of Institutional Diversity,” said CAP member Ashley Lopez in Wednesday’s meeting of the Minnesota State Student Association. “The College of Education isn’t the place for us to be.” Members protest the switch because they feel there won’t be enough focus on diversity within the new department. Administration said they moved the program because its focus isn’t just meant to be on diversity; it’s meant to be focus on education for firstgeneration college students and it just happens that many of the students come from diverse backgrounds. Fagin said the relocation
New “Final Destination” fails to impress in 3D
RSO fair deemed a success
Review, page 12
News, page 3
would take place on a temporary basis. “We want to look at how to best serve the students and find the best possible fit for the program,” he said. “The students are in an academic program, so it makes sense to put them in an academic college and see how it evolves,” said MSU President Richard Davenport. “It’s still a new program and we haven’t had a class graduate yet.” The program was implemented in 2006. The biggest concern for many CAP students was the financial situation many of them had been placed in.
Pieces / page 8
LGBT Center director wants to see you at Pridefest Guest column, page 5
Page 2 • Reporter
News
Thursday, September 3, 2009T
Keeping up with book costs
Students are using modern technology to discover new ways to save on increasing textbook prices MATT SAUER
staff writer
Buying books has long been a bane on both the pocketbooks and consciences of college students. A study unveiled this year by Congress shows that the cost of textbooks for college institutions has tripled in the last twenty years, rising in cost about six percent per year. The study notes that these values are consistent with, if not slightly lower, than the cost of tuition in the United States overall, which has grown at a more expedient 7.2 percent each year since 1985. Despite this decreased affordability, the industry’s continual growth has led to a change in the ways students purchase books. From used and loaned books to the explosion of purchases made online through websites like Amazon.com or eBay, students today have more options than ever to provide themselves
with price-minded alternatives to picking a new book off the shelves. Nevertheless, students – at least at Minnesota State – are still feeling dragged down by prices. “I spent $1,100 on books this semester,” said Shandra Crew, a pre-nursing sophomore at MSU. “My dad’s head almost popped off when I told him. I think it was so expensive because most of my classes required new editions this semester. When you spend almost $500 on just two books and still have three classes left to get books for, it adds up quick.” Shandra’s cost this semester also included “extended” course requirements, such as lab books, course CD/DVD’s and in-class remotes, which can sometimes run more than $75 each. Considering many physical science courses require one or more of these extras, the cost of buying
books for a single course can sometimes cost almost as much as the credits themselves are worth. “I went the all-online route this year,” said Jacob Skurns, a political science junior at MSU. “I usually just bought books at the Maverick Bookstore during my other years here. The used ones usually weren’t too bad of a deal, but when I sold some books I’d bought there online I ended up getting almost as much back as I’d paid for them. That sold me on buying and selling all my books online this year.” Many students agree that the on-campus options for buying books are a viable choice for making purchases, but seem to low-ball people when they’re trying to sell their books back. One student also complained about the return policies and business rules associated with bookstores. “They told me I couldn’t
bring my book back, even though I’d made the purchase less than two days before,” said Charlie Jones of his experience with the Maverick Bookstore. “The store’s return policy said that returns are only acceptable until two weeks after classes start. I ended up having to wait to get some books because of a backorder before the teacher decided to just change books. A day and a half after I bought them I took them back, and all they offered was to buy them back for about a quarter of what I paid. Some people were allowed months to return their books, but apparently I only get a day when the store is out of my books.” Aside from the usual avenues of purchases for books, more “high-tech” options are becoming more and more available. The Amazon Kindle, for instance, is a true “e-book” that not only allows its user to read easily but to download new documents directly into
the device. However, the steep $299.99 price tag is enough to steer many would-be buyers away, not to mention the prices of the downloaded books themselves. All is not bad in the domain of book-buying, however. With the passing of the American Recovery and Investment Act, students may soon be able to receive compensation for their expenses during the school year. Starting next year, a new federal law will be instituted that allows students to include book expenses in their tax deductions. Although not all students are eligible, and nobody will receive 100% compensation, the law is considered the country’s first crucial reform on the issue of expenditures during college.
HOME OPENER vs. BEMIDJI STATE 6:00 p.m. Saturday
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2009 HOME SCHEDULE Sat., Sept. 5th Bemidji State * Mankato, MN Sat., Sept. 19th Wayne State* Mankato, MN Sat., Oct. 3rd Augustana * Mankato, MN (Homecoming & Hall of Fame Game) Sat., Oct. 17th MSU Moorhead * Mankato, MN (Family Weekend) Sat., Oct. 24th SW Minnesota State * Mankato, MN * Indicates conference game
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Thursday, September 3, 2009
News
Reporter • Page 3
Recognizing organizations Fraternities, chairities and special interests clubs help add to and enrich overall college experience JENNY POLLOCK
staff writer
Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) are a big part of college life; they fill the time between class and home visits and they help students find people with their same interests. Minnesota State has a huge selection of RSOs on campus. At the RSO fair on Tuesday many of the RSOs had booths providing information about what they do: MSU Swing Dance Club meets most Mondays in the Centennial Student Union Ballroom at 9:30 p.m. It is a free club and to both MSU students and community members. The first half hour is lessons then, the rest of the time is open dancing and Q & A time with the teachers. Occasionally, the
clubs meet other days of the week. This week they will meet Thursday in the Ballroom at 9:30 p.m. The president, senior Ashley McKall, wants encourages people to come try it out. “You do not need a partner or any experience. You could have never ever danced and come to our club,” McKall said. Colleges Against Cancer is an RSO that fights for a noble cause. They organize different fundraisers to help raise money for cancer. Next up is “Bowling for Boobs”. “It’s a fundraiser that raises money for breast cancer,” said member Linda Miller. “It’s a night of fun, food, and bowling.” CAC also organizes tip nights with local restaurants such as TGIF and Blue Bricks where all the tips from that night are donated for their
Thursday
COLLEGE NIGHT
cause. They have meetings in the CSU 9 p.m. Tuesdays. Greek life is another aspect of RSOs. There are seven fraternities and four sororities on campus, all of which have recruitment coming up. Sorority recruitment is Sept. 8-12 in the CSU. There are many components to Greek Life, such as community service, fundraisers, maintaining good grades, weekly meetings, sisterhoods/brotherhoods, social exchanges, All Greek, homecoming, and Greek week. Joe Mittelstaedt a member of Phi Kappa Psi, said, “Phi Psi is a very fun and outgoing group of people. We do lots of things together. Formal was amazing!” Real Talk is a new RSO this year. It is a group of men that meet in the Gage Lounge 8:30 p.m. Thursdays to talk about real issues and God.
The president, senior Anthony Passante, said, “Were a group of college men seeking God in a real way.” Real Talk was started last year but was not a RSO until this year. They have about 20 members and there is no cost to join. Delta Sigma Pi is a professional co-ed business fraternity. “It helps with the transition from college to professional life,” said one member, junior Muheeb Rizvi. There are about 30 members on campus and 200,000 nationally. The group arranges fundraisers, does community service, works on communication skills, host events, helps with networking, and in general prepares members for what comes after college. There are many more RSOs on campus for students
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Editorial reporter-editor@mnsu.edu
Thursday, September 3, 2009
You deserve a break
compiled by Nate Brennan
Monday is Labor Day, officially established in 1894 The school year may only be two weeks in, but lets face it — we could all use a break. Sept. 7 is Labor Day, a federal holiday officially established in 1894 by Congress to recognize trade and labor organizations across the country. Although there is much speculation surrounding its origin, Labor Day was first observed in the U.S. in 1882 as a parade of 10,000 workers in New York City, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This year, more than 150 million Americans make up the nation’s work force. This day symbolizes the economic and social efforts and achievements of American workers. It is a prolific, well-established holiday, honored each year to commemorate the blood, sweat and tears individuals spanning centuries have contributed to our great nation. Through financial
stimulation or economic turmoil, Americans are hard at work. But despite its original intent, the holiday has evolved to encompass a variety of meanings. For some, it marks the start of the NFL football season. For others its meaning runs deeper, signifying the trials and tribulations of economic re-growth and labor movement’s progression throughout the last century. But whether you set up a shrine for America’s hard-working men and women, host a barbeque or just sleep in, the day is yours to do with it what you wish. Although not everyone will get Monday off to enjoy the luxury of the long weekend, those who do should take advantage of it. Monday also marks the unofficial end of summer, so spend some time outside and enjoy the warmth if you can … and relax. You deserve it.
Letter to the Editor
Minnesota State University, Mankato
first day of the Ramadan, at least two billion Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, and all kinds of entertainments from dawn to dusk for the duration of Ramadan. For some, fasting may appear as a form of happiness and of bodily application. Ramadan is a moral lesson for all mankind because it interprets different aspects which are associated with physical health and social behavior. Additionally, most restaurants are closed during the daylight hours. Families get up early for “suhoor” a meal eaten before the sun rise. After the sun sets, the fast is “broken” with a meal known as “Iftar”. Iftar usually begins with dates and sweet drinks that provide a quick energy boost. Fasting serves many purposes. While they are hungry and thirsty, Muslims are reminded of the
suffering of the poor because in this month kings, presidents, rich people and peasants are equal as they fast one time and break their fast the same time. Fasting is also an opportunity to practice self-control and to cleanse the body and mind in this most sacred month. Fasting helps Muslims feel the peace that comes from spiritual devotion as well as kinship with fellow believers. Ramadan keeps its’ focus on self-sacrifice and devotion to Allah. At Minnesota State University Mankato, there are hundreds of Muslim students who are fasting this year (2009) that started on August 22 2009 and will end on September 20, 2009. In this connection, I want to thank some of the professors who understand deeply the meaning of the Ramadan and offer their students an opportunity to
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What are you doing over Labor Day?
Ryan Huntley • Sr • Accounting “Nothing.”
Liz Burnett • Fr • Art Education
Ramadan: the month of mercy and justice Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is the foundation upon which the entire structure of Islam is built. It consists of the confirmation of faith,(Shadada), prayer(Sala d),almsgiving(Zakat), fasting, especially during the month of Ramadan (Soom), and the pilgrimage to Mecca(Hajj). Muslims believe that during the month of Ramadan, Allah, the Almighty God revealed the first verses of the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam to prophet Mohamed beginning with a simple word (Ikra) recite. Ramadan is the ninth month in the Muslim calendar. There is ten days difference each year between the Lunar and Gregorian calendars. For example last year Ramadan started on 1 September, 2008 where as this year started on August 22, 2009. Often the
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break their fasting (Iftar) during evening classes. However, this year the Ramadan is very special to all Muslims as they got a congratulation message about Ramadan from President Barrack Obama. For this occasion, we have to congratulate our Muslim friends at Minnesota State University Mankato for their fasting and say to them (Ramadan Kareem).
“Going home to spend time with my family.”
Lora Duncan • Fr • Mass Comm. “Going home to spend time with my mom because she misses me.”
Fanah Haji Adam Graduate Student Educational Leadership/ Geographic Information System (GIS)
Brian McMahon • Sr • Cognitive Science “I’m DJ’ing a wedding on Saturday and going to the state fair on Sunday.”
OUR POLICIES & OTHER INFORMATION • If you have a complaint, suggestion or would like to point out an error made in the Reporter, call Editor in Chief Nicole Smith 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. • The Minnesota State University Mankato Reporter is a student-run newspaper published twice a week, coming out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Reporter generates 78 percent of its own income through advertising and receives approximately 22 percent from Student Activities fees. The Reporter is free to all students and faculty, but to start a subscription, please call us at (507) 389-1776. Subscriptions for the academic school year are $35.00 and subscribers will receive the paper within three to five days after publishing. • Letters exceeding 400 words may not be accepted. The Reporter reserves the right to edit letters to fit space or correct punctuation. The Reporter reserves the right to publish, or not publish, at its discretion. Letters must contain year, major or affiliation with the university, or lack thereof. All letters must contain phone numbers for verification purposes.
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A date with the dentist Staff writer Steven Piroso’s visit to the dentist was more interesting than he expected
I had the pleasure of getting some cavities done over the summer and I didn’t realize dental assistants could be so hot. I spent hours face up with a drill in my mouth trying not to stare into the eyes of a gorgeous stranger. After an hour of spacing off into the ceiling, I finely tried to sneak a quick a peek and look her in the eyes.
My plan lasted less than three seconds before she noticed and looked back and we shared an awkward moment. I’m sure inside she was thinking “ OK, this dude is looking me straight in the eyes…weird.” and I was thinking “expletive.” I did my best to play it off and just have a blank stare on my face even though my heartbeat was noticeably irregular. After the visit I figured I didn’t really have much to lose so I wrote her an e-mail asking her if she wanted to get some coffee. I thought the e-mail was funny and clever, but I guess she had a different opinion. Dear Attractive Dental Assistant,
I just wanted to let you know how wonderful it was to have my face drilled at Blank Blank Dental. When I first walked in, I was a little skeptical because I haven’t been to a dentist since sometime around my birth. You were very friendly to me and took pictures of my rotten teeth for the dentist to study. When he walked in he said “Alright lets see here…looks like you have 12 cavities. I guess I may retire earlier than planned.” Dentist: “Your insurance will cover for the silver fillings.” Me: “Will my smile look okay with that much silver?” Dentist: “Yeah It will look great. You’ll look like Mr. T’s stunt double.”
Dentist: “ For the bargain price of a thousand bucks… I can do them in white instead of silver.” Reluctantly, I agreed. Dentist: “You have a bit of an overbite too.” Me: “What do you mean?” I was mildly insulted. Dentist: “When you smile you sort of look like sloth from the Goonies. For another small fortune, I could break your face and wire your jaw back. Maybe this way you could look only slightly retarded.” Me: “ No thanks.” All in all it was a pleasure being at Blank Blank Dental. Unfortunately, all of my dental endeavors are over for now. I’m not sure if you remember me— this is Steve, I came in a few days ago to have a loose filling
fixed. Anyway the real reason I write is because you seem to be an interesting and friendly person and I was wondering if you would like to go out for coffee sometime. I promise there is more to me than twelve cavities. I am also jobless, and live with my parents…I mean roommates. J/k. Okay not really…both those things are true but it’s only because I am a full-time student and am trying to graduate early! All jokes aside if you decline I won’t be offended but if you would like to get to know me better just let me know. Steve. She never responded, but at least I got my teeth fixed and another funny moment under my belt.
Guest columnist Jessica Flatequal:
Why you should go to Mankato Pridefest Coming out is one of the hardest things some of us will ever do. I remember the day when I first made the call. I was sitting in my parents’ kitchen. They were still at work and I was waiting for my macaroni to cook. I was browsing the phone book. I don’t remember that I knew what I was looking for. I was just looking, for something. Hoping that something in the phone book might make me feel even a millimeter better. I ran across an interesting listing. Alternative Lifestyle Office. 389-5131. Was that me? Am I that? I wasn’t really sure what “that” was, but I knew “that” wasn’t a good thing. My stomach felt sick, in hindsight maybe I’d say anxious. I don’t remember if I was hung-over, but odds were, I was. It was 1991. Google couldn’t help. I dialed the number. It rang and rang and a brief click… shit. I hung up. I wasn’t ready yet. Star 69 and caller ID weren’t even a glimmer in a phone-scientist’s eye in 1991. I was probably safe. 18 years later, through some miracle of faith, I am responsible for answering that same phone I
called eighteen years ago. The stories, the fear, the isolation, the anger, the terror and anxiety, it all sounds eerily familiar. My tummy hurts every time it rings. Today, the caller is 40 years old. She’s living a life in a town that makes Mankato look like a metropolis, alone and isolated. She’s spending the prime of her life care taking for her elderly mother. She’s playing the good daughter, but doesn’t feel like a good daughter at all. She feels like a sinner, like a terrible daughter. She feels like a liar and a deviant. She’s convinced her family would never understand—that they would never accept her. She’s convinced her God would feel the same. “I came out at 13,” says the caller on the phone. “I’m 15 now.” Unlike me, he actually knows who he is, that he’s gay, but so does everyone else. He’s called a faggot every day at school and feels lucky that’s all they’ve done—at least so far. Every minute he’s not in school, his parents have him locked in his bedroom like some ankle-monitored criminal. No computer, no telephone, no freedom, and definitely no
friends. He’s lonely. He’s angry. Three years to go till he’s free from his parents. He hopes he can last that long. Another day, another call, the stranger on the line is 65. Her kids are grown up and gone, she’s been divorced for two decades. No surprise, the caller’s vocabulary doesn’t include gay or lesbian, let alone transgender. She’s talking basically in a whisper. I think, if she tells me her secret too loudly, everyone in a mile vicinity of her telephone will know. She’s desperate for a word for who she is. She’s desperate to meet someone like her. She’s never told anyone. Today is her day. Today, she got up the nerve. 45. He’s been in and out of treatment for 20 years. He found a story in his NA booklet that resonated with him. The man in the story wanted so badly to wear a dress. He’s a little worried someone might trace the call back to him from the call log on his phone. He asks if maybe, his “situation” might be one of the reasons he drinks so much. He’ll see me on Friday, if he stays out of detox. I know he probably
won’t show, but I really hope he does. 21 years old. Fired from his job for being a “little too out.” 18 years old. Sick of people writing faggot on the dry erase board outside his dorm room. 17 years old. Doesn’t want to go to ex-gay camp. He’s going anyway. 18 years old. Got kicked out of his parents’ house. Doesn’t have a place to live anymore. The shelter won’t take him because he’s HIV positive. Another call. And another… It’s hard to be queer. Pridefest is a special moment in a very long, very heterosexual, year. No matter how “out” you fashion yourself to be, not a day goes by where you aren’t reminded that you are a little bit different, a little bit less than, a little bit queer. Finally, on this special weekend, in this special moment, we find a place where we get to feel completely special, practically equal, and awesomely queer. We celebrate the courage and spirit of every single person who found the strength to come out and live an honest and true life. But maybe even more importantly, we get to be a
beacon of hope for all the folks who called 389-5131 and are too terrified to make their way to Sibley Park, but would love nothing more than to celebrate with us. Maybe they’ll make it next year. In these times, it takes courage to support LGBT lives openly and honestly, and every LGBT person who has the courage to do so, along with our treasured allies, should see themselves as taking part in something larger than any one of us. Let’s look optimistically toward a future when every day, in every community, LGBT people are respected, trusted, and valued. This is what Pridefest is all about. Hope to see you there, September 11-13. In Pride, Jessica Flatequal Director, LGBT Center, Minnesota State University, Mankato Co-Chair, SCMN Pride 507-389-5131
Page 6 • Reporter
News
Thursday, September 3, 2009T
VISION Most of the new park paid for by sales tax continued from 1
wale agboola• msu reporter
Park is expected to bring in multiple people from across the nation. The park will allow for recreational events such as fishing, kayaking and boating in a more accessible manner. There are 60 miles of trails running from Faribault to Rapidan, where endless natural features will attract people to such amenities as Kasota Stone, native plants, beautiful views of the Minnesota River and the traditional Mankato Piece created by Dale Eldred in 1968. Most of the $2.2 million park is being paid for by the sales tax in Mankato. Schulz said the sales tax is very limited and used purposefully for a major event such as this – to keep downtown viable and re-connect
the city of Mankato. Riverfront Park, located at 310 W. Rock St. in Mankato, will open Sept. 16, with a brief flag-raising ceremony in front of the Grand Lawn at 3 p.m. and a celebration to follow. The celebration will be a free event, where music, exhibits and good aura will fill the air.
wale agboola• msu reporter Riverfront Park is a $2.2 million project that is being paid for by Mankato sales tax. The sculpture (above) is located in the park, also the home of Mankato’s only amphitheater.
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Reporter • Page 7
Obama to give speech on healthcare President hopes to gain support, control from Republicans WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will deliver a major prime-time health care address to Congress next week, opening an urgent autumn push to gain control of the debate that has been slipping from his grasp under withering Republican-led attacks. Scheduling of the speech next Wednesday night, just a day after lawmakers return from their August recess, underscores the determination of the White House to confront critics of Obama’s overhaul proposals and to buck up supporters who have been thrown on the defensive. Allies have been urging the president to be more specific about his plans and to take a greater role in the debate, and aides have signaled he will do that in the address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber. The speech’s timing also suggests that top Democrats have all but given up hope for a bipartisan breakthrough by Senate Finance Committee negotiators. The White House had given those six lawmakers until Sept. 15 to draft a plan, but next week’s speech comes well ahead of that deadline. It follows an August recess in which critics of Obama’s health proposals dominated many public forums. Approval ratings for Obama, and for his health care proposals, dropped during the month. White House senior adviser David Axelrod told reporters Wednesday, “We believe this is the best way to kick off the final discussions, the final debate, and bring this thing to a close in a way that is meaningful.” Listeners to Obama’s speech will have “a clear sense of what he proposes and what health care reform is not,” Axelrod said. He declined to offer details of what the president might discuss. Axelrod said earlier that all the key ideas for revising health care are “on the table,” suggesting that Obama will not offer major new proposals. But he may talk more specifically about his top priorities, and perhaps add details to pending plans, to save a high-profile initiative whose defeat would deliver a huge blow to his young presidency. Many advocates of sweeping health care changes — which would include health coverage for virtually every American, greater competition among insurers and incentives to increase the quality of care
instead of the number of medical procedures performed — welcomed the president’s more direct role. Obama and congressional Democrats clearly lost momentum during the August recess, they say, and the president’s high profile and still-considerable personal popularity are needed to change the dynamic. “He’s got to get into the nitty-gritty and embrace very concrete proposals,” said Ralph Neas, head of the National Coalition on Health Care. Richard Kirsch, national campaign manager for the liberal advocacy group Health Care for America Now, said, “It’s really clear they understand they have to provide more presidential leadership, more presidential direction.”
Kirsch said Obama doesn’t have to provide legislative language, but he must detail “the contours of the reform he needs.” It’s far from clear that Obama’s speech will satisfy grumbling liberals. For instance, he consistently has refused to insist on a governmentrun program to compete with private health insurers, a top goal of liberals, even though he says he prefers such an option. Axelrod called the public option important, but stopped short of saying it was essential to a final bill. Several lawmakers say Obama must convincingly show that he can reduce the cost of pending health care plans. Nonpartisan budget officials have said Obama’s proposals
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could increase the federal deficit by about $1 trillion over the next decade. Neas said billions of dollars can be saved by changing health payment practices to discourage unnecessary procedures. He also said insurance and pharmaceutical companies should be required to offer more savings to the nation’s health care system because they will benefit from millions of new customers if greater coverage of Americans is mandated. Such demands could be awkward for Obama. He has praised those industries for the cost reductions — worth tens of billions of dollars over the next decade — they already have pledged to make. Before Obama’s speech to Congress was announced, the
Republicans’ top negotiator on health care indicated Wednesday that bipartisan talks would continue despite White House suggestions that he and another GOP bargainer have not acted in good faith. Jill Kozeny, a spokeswoman for Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, said the accusations were unjustified. She said Grassley and the five other Senate Finance Committee members — half Republicans, half Democrats — will hold their scheduled conference call Friday to try again to reach common ground on a health care bill that could win broad support in the full Senate.
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Page 8 • Reporter
News
Thursday, September 3, 2009
PIECES Each year the federal government requires about 30 percent of students to go through the verification process, though the reasons why a student is chosen are unclear continued from 1 According to the group, 34 CAP members are supposed to be sent home because their financial aid is still in the verification process or because of unpaid bills from the summer session. The number from CAP is higher than the number from Vice President of Finance and Administration Rick Straka. In an open forum held Wednesday, Straka said out of the 64 new members of CAP, 19 of them were required to go through verification from the federal government while five were chosen by the university. 40 of the students didn’t require any type of verification. The figures are from the summer. Information for fall is not yet available. Straka said the figures are different because the financial aid specialist for CAP, Sang Yang, got his numbers from students’ e-services accounts. Students sign consent forms for CAP allowing them access. Straka’s numbers come from official university records.
Each year approximately 30 percent of students are chosen for some form of income verification from the federal government, though the reasons why are not clear. MSU may choose to verify a student because of conflicting information or a claim of zero for income. Miller said the verification process wasn’t the entire whole problem. He also wants to find a way to speed up the general financial aid process for all students, but especially for those from low-income backgrounds. “We want to hire a new financial aid officer dedicated to this population of students to speed the process so they can choose their classes sooner,” Davenport said. “We really need to reach out,” he said. “We didn’t realize the amount of issues students were having.” The administration has begun to form a task force, headed by Fagin, to investigate financial aid issues further. They began the process two
weeks ago, before any of them knew about any issues within CAP. “We are working to bring about some solutions,” Fagin said. Lopez was also concerned about the fact that several CAP members were still living in lounges in the dorms, since one condition of students’ CAP contracts requires them to live in the dorms for two years. MSSA President Murtaza Rajabali pointed out this isn’t just a problem for CAP students; it’s a problem for many students every year. “Within then next week or two, all students should have a
&
room,” Rajabali said. Davenport reiterated that the idea closing the CAP program has never crossed his mind. “The CAP program has been a dream of mine,” Davenport said. “This rumor is false and there is no basis for it.” The biggest lament from the MSSA and MSU administration is that CAP didn’t make any appointments with them to discuss their concerns before staging the protest. CAP helps students from different ethnic and economic backgrounds attend college with provisional admittance based on two-year contracts and yearround advising and tutoring for
participants. It begins with a four-week summer program. Monday’s protest isn’t the only thing putting CAP in the news. According to Wednesday’s edition of The Mankato Free Press, two administration members of CAP have filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against MSU. Tonya Phillips, director of CAP and Dalton Crayton, the program’s retention specialist, claim the university subjected them to harassment, discrimination and retaliation based on their race. Both Phillips and Crayton are black.
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Sports Thursday, September 3, 2009
(507) 389-5227
2009 football season preview
the resurgence of maverick football KYLE RATKE | sports editor
After turning heads with a nine-win season and NCAA tournament berth, the Mavericks’ two-headed monster wants to prove it wasn’t a fluke
photo illustration by dan moen • msu reporter Ryan Fick (left) and Kelvin Rodgers (right) will be a key part on whether or not the Mavericks repeat as NSIC South champions. Fick led the Mavericks in passing last season, while Rodgers was a threat from both returning kicks and at the defensive back position.
Two years ago, the Maverick football team was a mess and finished 4-7. The school made significant changes to the program, one of which included hiring head coach Todd Hoffner. Just one year later, the Mavericks returned many of the same players and it didn’t look as if the Mavericks would improve. A new quarterback was at the helm of the offense in Ryan Fick, and there were doubters. The Mavericks, led by Hoffner, Fick and speedy defensive back and playmaker Kelvin Rodgers, took the Northern Sun Intercollegiate by storm and finished an exceptional 9-3, winning the NSIC Southern Division. It was also just the fourth time the Mavericks qualified for the NCAA Tournament in school history. The Mavericks finished last year ranked No. 23 in the nation, and seem to be building a perennial powerhouse currently ranked No. 10. MSU started its season off by ruthlessly defeating Truman State 31-13, but the Mavericks hope it doesn’t stop there. The team has a goal of improving from last year, which is tough to do when playing in the same conference in the defending national champions (Minnesota-Duluth). “Hopefully we can build on our success and do better than we did last year,” Hoffner said. “That’s always a goal of every team and every program.” Improving is obviously a huge goal of every program, but at the same time, three losses is certainly a thin line. Perhaps for the Mavericks it might not be as thin with returning players on offense such as Fick, receivers Vinny Flury and Chris Nowlin, fullback Ernie Walker and running back Julian Phipps. All players are seniors and will definitely be looked upon for leadership. Fick was a Second-Team All-NSIC South Division player last season and threw for 2,020 yards along with 14 touchdowns. Fick also isn’t afraid to get dirty as he ran for more than 200 yards last season.
Fick shouldn’t have a problem finding receivers as both Flury and Nowlin will be leading the way. Nowlin had 629 yards last year with four touchdowns, while Flury had 55 catches for 715 yards, including seven touchdowns. “To be honest, I am not the best quarterback,” Fick said. “I just kind of manage the game and I find them (receivers) and throw it up. Omaar (Balton) is up there too. Along with Flury and Nowlin, those three are probably the best in the nation. I let them do their thing.” The Maverick offense will also be helped by an arsenal of running backs and a talented offensive line. Phipps, Walker and redshirt freshman Jake Aberg are all expected to make an impact in the backfield. With the offensive line the Mavericks have, it shouldn’t be hard for Phipps, or the others, to make a huge impact on this team. Seniors Mike Zeidler, Andy Schoonover (First-Team AllNSIC South Division), Matt Gray and Adrian Battles have had plenty of experience with each other and are certainly not new to the game of football. “They’ve been playing for four years now together,” Fick said. “They communicate well with each other. I normally expect a guy to be coming after me within five seconds. Sometimes it takes seven or eight for a defender to get to me.” In the 31-13 victory the Mavericks defense bent but didn’t break, holding the Bulldogs offense in points, and putting six points of their own after senior defensive back Kelvin Rodgers intercepted a pass and took it back 60-yards for a touchdown. “Kelvin did a lot to help himself out last year,” Hoffner said. “He is a very gifted and talented young man. He is very explosive and has a play making ability. We do as much as we
Football / page 10
Page 10 • Reporter
Sports
Meet the Mavericks
SEASON PREVIEW “I just try to bring leadership continued from 9 qualities to the team.”
Todays Maverick Vinny Flury • FOOTBALL First thing’s first, do you have the coolest name in MSU athletics? I think I do, Vinny Flury just has a good ring to it. It says here you’re 5-9. I am 5-9, Vinny, can I be receiver for MSU? Ah, yeah. As long as you can catch punts, because that’s what it’s like to catch a pass from Ryan Fick.
Flury
What you’re looking to do after such a great individual season? I want to have 14 touchdowns and be an All-American. What’s your favorite song right now? “Cookie Jar” by Gym Class Heroes along with “In Da Club” by Clyde Carson and Sean Kingston. Those songs are on repeat right now. You should see my dance moves to “Cookie Jar.” Anyways, if you could compare yourself to a NFL receiver who would it be? Steve Smith from the Panthers, no hesitation. What do you think this team is capable of? National championship. We just need some fan support. You caught two touchdowns last year against Bemidji, can we predict three for this weekend? I guarantee three and I will be celebrating with you guys on the hill in the endzone. — Flury was named First-TeamAll-NSIC last season. He led the Mavericks with 55 catches for 715 yards and seven touchdowns.
— Compiled by Kyle Ratke
can to get him involved in the special teams and get him opportunities.” Saying that Rodgers is a “gifted and talented” athlete may be an understatement. Rodgers was a First-Team-All NSIC South Division selection and was named Second-Team AllAmerican. Rodgers had three interceptions last season, one of which was returned for a touchdown. But his real bread and butter is returning kicks — he returned 31 kicks for 841 yards and two touchdowns. “For special teams, we just need to do the same thing we did last year and execute,” Rodgers said. “ I am just bringing my experience level and being a leader. We need to be in the right assignement and staying together, making plays.” Rodgers had four straight games where he brought back either a punt, interception or a kick for a touchdown. He will be leading the special teams unit and the Mavericks are hoping that teams will at least kick to him, though it’s understandable if they don’t. Another huge addition to the special teams unit is freshman kicker Sam Brockshus, who in his game, kicked a 46-yard field goal and was 4-4 in extra point attempts. Brockshus earned the NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week award with his efforts. “Sam did a great job in the first game, but I need to remind everyone that we were 100 percent with field goals in our first game last year. We know know one is perfect.”
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While it is probable the freshman will miss a few kicks this year, the Mavericks couldn’t have asked for a better start from the youngster. Defensively, the Mavericks look as though they are committed to being one of the best in the NSIC. The Mavericks are also bringing back senior defensive tackle Randy Earl, who was named to the Second-Team AllNSIC South Division team last season and recorded four sacks last season. Other returning impact players are senior linebacker Kevin
Klug, senior defensive back Jesse Graves, senior defensive tackle Fred Statz, junior defensive end Michael Robinson and the teams leading tackler junior linebacker Matt McQuiston, who had 98 tackles last season. The season will be built around not just the seniors, but underclassmen as well. “I don’t think it has anything to do with us being seniors,” Fick said. “You just never know when you are going to get the opportunity to go 9-3 again.” The Mavericks hope their opportunity comes sooner rather than later.
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Thursday, September 3, 2009
Sports
Reporter • Page 11
They’re on the road again
The volleyball team prepares to go to Florida, while the soccer team is headed to Colorado PAT DELANEY & LEVI ZIMMER
staff writers
It may only be September but it’s never too early for a getaway to Florida. The Minnesota State women’s volleyball team will travel there this weekend to compete in the Rollins College tournament in Winter Park, Florida. The Mavericks (3-1) will look to continue to build on a good start to their season. The focus will be bringing the same attitude into this weekend that the team has shown in the early parts of this season. “I think we need to go in with the same approach as last weekend,” said junior Amanda Beekman. “We want to bring a positive, competitive attitude.” The rest of the country is starting to notice the Mavericks as well. MSU started the season not being listed on the American Volleyball Coaches Association top-25 poll, but started this week being ranked 18th by the AVCA. The Mavericks are going to want to stay in the rankings if they are going to get back to postseason play. However, with 28 matches still to go, the rankings are not something the team is focusing on that much. “That’s not something we really focus on,” said head coach Dennis Amundson. “We can only control getting better, playing like champions in practice and in the matches.”
At this point of the season MSU is still trying to improve little facets of their game before conference play gets underway. Playing with a quicker tempo and serving more consistently are areas that coach Amundson would like to see improved upon this weekend. The team has seen positive things like quality leadership. With weekends being taken up by long road trips in the early part of the season the team will need their older players to step up and keep all the members of the team at a high morale. “The leadership photo courtesy of Sports Pix has been excellent,” The MSU volleyball team is heading to Florsaid Amundson. “We ida one week after traveling to Nebraska. have players showing leadership in every aspect returning players know this too of the game.” well and do not want to see it This will also be helpful happen again. with early season success. The Mavericks would like While the Mavericks are off nothing more than to have to a good start, the team can’t another good tournament and afford to get over confident. continue to move up in the This is especially true in rankings. This weekend’s preseason play because even matches will be another test. at 3-1, one bad weekend could The Mavericks will take to really hurt a team. the courts for their first match “We’re living proof of of the tournament this Friday what can happen if you don’t at 11 a.m. against Shepherd have a strong preseason,” said University. Beekman. “Last year we didn’t have a strong preseason and it Soccer cost us — you have to know The Mavericks will take that these games matter.” it to the road as they head to Beekman and the rest of the Denver, Col. to trade kicks
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with No. 3 ranked Metro State Roadrunners on Friday. The Roadrunners started their season off similar to the Mavs by capturing the first two games of the season (3-1 over Nebraska-Omaha & 1-0 Angelo State). The Mavs stand in second behind Metro State in the Central Region ranking. The Central Region is one of eight regions the NCAA has designated for Division II women’s soccer. A week of practice is focusing the team for a weekend that could potentially lift them to the upper echelon in women’s soccer . On Sunday the team will face the No. 20 team in the
national poll and the No. 3 ranked team in the Central Region, Regis University. The Rangers also started the season with a 2-0 mark toppling Angelo State 10-0 and Eastern New Mexico 2-0. This trip west is the start of a long road trip. The team will be away from The Pitch for nearly a month. The shadows of Gage Towers will not have any women’s soccer until October 2nd when they host Northern State. “I like the road trips,” said goalkeeper Sheila Reynolds. “It’s going to be exciting.”
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Variety Thursday, September 3, 2009
T
(507) 389-5157
The destination gets final ... again Latest from the precognitive franchise is a waste of time DEAN GORDEN
staff writer
In an act of shameless self-promotion, “The Final Destination” actually incorporates viewing 3D movies into its narrative.
movieweb.com
Used’s latest release hardly art The popular emo band fails to mature on ‘Artwork’ CHRISTIAN HAGEN
staff writer
Teen angst is a marketable emotion. Often in popular culture, angst is stigmatized, ignored and ridiculed. But it can easily be argued that angst is a part of the universal teenage experience and that everyone who has reached an age over thirteen has experienced some symptom of it. What makes angst valuable from a creative perspective is that it can be an extraordinary boon to art. The vast reservoirs of a person’s fragile, youthful depression can sometimes be a surprising view into the soul of a person who has not yet seen the life that may lie ahead of them. However, angst becomes
significantly less potent when it is overdone. And angst becomes significantly less potent and more annoying when it’s overdone while you’re being screamed at by a 27-year-old man. The Used have been one of the more successful bands of their genre for several years now. Starting with its 2002 self-titled debut album, the band has been a flagship of the emo genre, pummeling its eager fans’ ears with hits like “Buried Myself Alive” and “All That I’ve Got.” Known for combining dark (one might say, melodramatic) lyrics with a hard rock sound, the band overlays this with well-crafted melodies, staying true to its ardent following. With its fourth studio effort, The Used has apparently decid-
ed that to grow as a band means to get heavier, messier, darker, and, frankly, shriller. The result is these 11 songs, which are replete with metal drums, thrashing guitars and kicking bass lines that all muddle together very noisily. Singer Bert McCracken switches through what could be called a “range” of voices. There’s the whine-singing, which is usually very quiet and withdrawn, but most often he forgoes this method and chooses between a shout and a scream. Single/opener “Blood On My Hands” features all three of these vocal flavors, if you’d like a sampling. If not, you can just skip around. The songs don’t vary much from
Used / page 13
One of the tag lines from “The Final Destination” marketing campaign states, “Just because you know it’s happening doesn’t mean you’ll see it coming.” But in reality, the fourth installment of the franchise feels all too familiar. Showing a complete lack of imagination, all of the scenes in this film feel recycled and packaged as just another waste of time in the overcrowded teen horror genre. 10 years since its original entry, “The Final Destination” continues to use the same scare tactics and storyline that has lost all of its thrills, only this time hitting theaters with a full 3D experience. But even 3D glasses can’t hide the film’s exhausted plot line and its even less intriguing characters. The film wastes no time resorting back to its played out formula. A group of attractive
Destination / page 13
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Variety
Reporter • Page 13
USED ‘Artwork’ is almost devoid of anything resembling its title track to track. The overall album is, at various points, either too inyour-face to be really artful or too grandiose to be interesting. There are ideas at work that have potential such as the piano-ballad opening to “Kissing You Goodbye,” which could have been heartfelt but instead becomes ham-fisted and ends up simply lacking in imagination. “Empty With You” is probably the album’s best track, but the chorus is so standard that it could fit into any song on the album with just a slight key
change. In terms of lyrics, “Artwork” is almost devoid of anything resembling its title. There are 13-year-old poets around the country who could outclass lines like “So I’ve lost my mind/ But I never really meant to die.” Incidentally, the song “Meant to Die” was, according to McCracken, inspired by the death of actor Heath Ledger. I’m sure the Ledger family is feeling closure at last. All this may sound harsh, bt frankly there’s so little originality or life on this disc,
especially compared to other bands in the same genre. And the best way to view this record is in the context of artists who have done the same things before, but better. The Used is transparently and unsuccessfully copping from several bands, including Circa Survive and Coheed and Cambria. The latter made a similar but arguably more successful hard rock transformation back in 2005. The former features Alex Green, arguably the best singer in the emo genre, and someone who McCracken
DESTINATION Latest in franchise relies heavily on ‘Saw’-like, shock-value violence
continued from 12
clearly wishes he could emulate. The guitar and vocal work at the beginning of “Blood on My Hands” and “Men Are All The Same” even owe a great deal to popular metal acts such as Avenged Sevenfold, who themselves are hardly groundbreaking rock musicians. Similar arguments could of course be made about countless emo, post-hardcore, and screamo bands that aren’t as visible or don’t have the fan-friendly goodwill of The Used. I’m not saying The Used can’t be a good band, or that
they’ve never been and surely there will be a huge listenership for Artwork who will absorb it at length for weeks, months or even years. But I would encourage fans of this genre, and of this band, to explore better alternatives and seek out someone who might actually be pushing the boundaries a bit, or at the very least, allowing themselves to grow up. Because a band that never grows up is like a person who never grows up: immature.
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continued from 12
young teenagers are found sitting at a racetrack with sounds of booming engines flying around them. Within minutes of its opening titles, our established hero, Nick, has his first disturbing vision of gratuitous car crashes and mindless violence, ultimately convincing himself and friends to leave before meeting their certain deaths. This opening sequence showed merit in the original film, catching audiences off guard with a vivid plane crash comparable to the shocking scene from Frank Marshall’s horrifying “Alive” (1993). But after numerous remakes, “Final Destination” has lost any scare it had to begin with.
Also changed from the franchise’s first entry is its reliance on shock-value violence. Pumping up the gore in 3D, the film nearly loses all identity by incorporating the same twisted Saw-like death scenes viewers have been exposed to over the past five years from its fellow franchise stumbling genre-mates. But it’s not until the last 20 minutes of the film that the franchise hits a new low, all but abandoning its brittle story arc. In one of its most desperate acts, the setting for its final sequence leaves the viewer wondering whether they’re watching a feature-film or a commercial for new 3D technology. In the conclusion of the film,
two of the death-defying leading ladies walk into a crowded movie theater to see a movie in (wait for it) 3D. It’s understandable that a film such as “The Final Destination” warrants consideration for a 3D release. But when the film resorts to self-promotion within the narrative (its own conclusion nonetheless), I feel I’ve been compromised as an audience member. Its action and death races can be found in its previous entries and even for loyal fans of the films, death may have finally caught up to the sinking franchise.
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Page 14 • Reporter
Variety
Thursday, September 3, 2009
The Satirist on...
Why Hollywood should keep making movies based on children's toys
NATE BRENNAN
variety editor
This generation has to be in serious consideration for the greatest in filmmaking. After racking up enough box office millions for executive producer Steven Spielberg to finally get his bed down furnished with $100 bills, it’s clear directors such as Michael Bay (“Transformers” franchise) are doing something right. And the intelligentsia in Hollywood has certainly taken notice, producing more and more featurelength films based on
children’s toys. Thus, the children’s toy genre is formed. Some critics with their fancy suits and college degrees like to resort to name-calling when considering these films, saying things like “I don’t know what to say about the acting, writing or directing in ‘G.I. Joe’ because I couldn’t find any” (Peter Travers of Rolling Stone). I, however, commend Hollywood for viewing me as the same prepubescent 6-year-old playing with G.I. Joes in the bathtub. My brain obviously hasn’t developed or my perception of what’s visually and emotionally stimulating hasn’t changed in the last 15 years, so why would Hollywood treat me any differently? I can think of nothing worse than when directors such as Ang Lee, Paul Thomas Anderson and the Cohen Brothers try to make us think by inundating us with hoity toity pieces of art.
Who do they think they are bringing that bull shit to the theatre? I paid $8 to see shit blow up and Megan Fox’s tits bounce in slow motion, not artsy-fartsy dialogues about milkshakes and oil rigs. You show me an Academy Award-winning film abount gay cowboys and I’ll show you a movie no one went to the theatre to see. But show me a kick-ass movie with a blatantly obvious script that features large robot testicles and I’ll show you a movie that made $100 million worldwide in its first day. And not only do these films rake in cash, they teach us so much about gender roles and how to live a progressive and worthwhile lifestyle. For consumerism and overall girl power, there’s “Bratz,” a gripping tale about four friends who struggle to fight through a clique-centered high school and figure out the
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best way to come up with a tacky outfit. For lessons on the essentials to being a woman (shopping, cooking, cleaning and maintaining a 36-24-36 frame), there are numerous “Barbie” movies. So Hollywood, you get
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12 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 1651 www.birthright.org
of Mankato
Benefits:
• 401k • Paid time off • Semi & annual reviews • Health, dental, vision & life insurance
Call or e-mail for an appointment 507-388-5167 or maryd@stadium-heights.com
Call for information
388-5996
Equal Opportunity Employer
LA RGEST SELECTI ON NEA R CA M PUS!
ARISTOCRAT JACK DANIELS 1 LITER VODKA
UV
VODKA
8
9
$ 99
$ 99
EVERYDAY PRICE
FETZER BUSCH & REISLING BUSCH LIGHT 750 ML
$
$
12
99
24 PACK CANS
23
7
$ 99
99
EVERYDAY PRICE
CORONA 12 PACK BOTTLES
$
$ 99 EVERYDAY PRICE
1.75 LITER
1.75 LITER
ALL FLAVORS 1 Liter
7
360 VODKA
1299
AFTER MAIL-IN REBATE
PATRON SILVER 750 ML
$
2999
HUGE CRAFT & IMPORT BEER SELECTION • LARGE WINE SELECTION TOO!
Page 16 • Reporter
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Thursday, September 3, 2009