September 1, 2015

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

Red Cross Blood Drive makes its way to MSU

INSIDE

Squeamish or not, it’s time to consider giving blood.

NEWS:

Hurricane Katrina: 10 years later

NICOLE SCHMIDT News Editor Upward Bound is set to sponsor a Red Cross Blood Drive Tuesday, Sept. 8. The blood drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Centennial Student Union.

If you are willing to give blood, you will be one of the 15.4 million people to give blood this year according to redcrossblood.org.

To make an appointment, you may call 507-389-1211. If you wish to apply online, visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor code for the event MSUUPWARD. If you fail to make an appointment, walk-ins are also encouraged to donate blood.

All participants will receive an emailed coupon for a free haircut at Sport Clips. Who doesn’t want a free haircut?

If you are like me and feel a

Page 5

SPORTS:

redcross.org bit squeamish around blood, you aren’t alone.

Luke Lonien tells of his experience giving blood for the first time: “I felt light-headed right after I finished. They had to flip me upside down and gave me a lot of water. I missed my next class because they wouldn’t let me leave right away, which as a high school student I didn’t mind. It was my only time giving blood,

but I would do it again,” Lonien said.

If you are still on the fence, here are some fun facts to give you that extra push you may need, all of which can be found on www.redcrossblood.org.

Every two seconds (think about that—two seconds!) someone in the U.S. needs blood, and more than 41,000 blood donations are needed every single day.

Also, 9.2 million people donate blood in the U.S. , which cannot be manufactured, every year.

Yes, giving blood can be a bit nerve-racking and scary at first, but before you completely write off the needle, think of all of the lives you will be saving. Through the donations of average people like you, we can give people a chance when they need it the most.

Soccer brings two exhibition wins

Page 11

A&E:

Photo Moment: Foam Party Mad Max: Fury Road Review

Page 15

INDEX: EDITORIAL...............4 SPORTS................. 11 A&E...........................15

CONNECT: /msureporter Photos by Yohanes Ashenafi

@msureporter

2 • MSU Reporter

News

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

From sea to shinning sea: America the Weird International students share insights as to what makes the U.S. different.

LUKE LARSON Staff Writer Our culture is so ingrained in our minds that we often don’t even recognize it. That is, of course, until we immerse ourselves into a foreign culture and realize that many of the customs that we assumed were natural and universal don’t apply anymore.

Anyone who has traveled abroad, especially for an extended period of time, can attest to this experience of culture shock. This was the theme of an event hosted by the MSU International Student Association (ISA) this past Wednesday in CSU 269.

The gathering served as a forum for international students to express their observations, impressions, and prior expectations of the culture of the United States. Students from a wide array of nationalities were represented, including Germans, Brazilians, Malaysians, Indians, and Japanese, among others.

“Since we are here to study, we have to get adjusted to what the [culture is and] how the people behave […]. So, if you’re not getting adjusted, [you] feel more

prezi.com homesick, especially the first month,” says Dolly Baruah, the president of the ISA who hails from Guwahati, India. “I was thinking that we [would] need to go to the university alone and we would hardly have friends [in America], but when we came here, we realized that the Americans [were] the first ones to greet us.”

When she began to make American friends, she says, her homesickness began to disappear.

“I really want the other international students to not feel homesick and to [be able to] cope with the American culture.”

At the event, students discussed a wide variety of surprise discoveries they made about American culture upon arriving here for the first time.

One major theme was the lack of formality, especially in academic settings. Whether it be language used in emails, acceptable classroom behavior, or student-professor relationships, it seems that Americans are exceptionally informal when compared to other parts of the world.

Some students found it especially shocking that some professors prefer to be called by their first name. Standing when the professor enters the room and concluding all emails to your professor with “kindest regards” are customs that sound a little strange to American sensibil-

ities, but which are commonplace elsewhere.

“In one school in South Korea, students may not even step on the shadow of the professor,” says Gyuseon Song, a new student at MSU from Daegu, South Korea. “I was surprised by how nice and helpful the professors here were to me.”

Caio Kaminari of Curitiba, Brazil found American universities themselves to be one of the biggest differences he encountered, especially in their huge investment in school sports teams, which he says simply do not exist back home in Brazil. On-cam-

pus housing was another foreign feature of American universities that he was not used to.

A common theme among those present at the event was the perception of Americans as very friendly.

Baruah recounted her early experiences in the country, saying, “I was really shocked at first […] when I went to the [store] and everybody [would say] ‘hey, how are you doing?’ and I [would think to myself] ‘is he an MSU student? Does he know me? Is he in my class?’ But I love this culture now, because I feel so happy when people [greet] each other [like that].”

Being greeted by strangers in public with a simple “hello” or “how are you?” was a common source of confusion for many other students as well.

“When I arrived here, there was a meeting at the floor and we introduced ourselves and within minutes I had a lot of friends,” says Song. “Whenever [we see each other] in [the hallway] or anywhere, we say ‘hello,’ so that refreshed me.”

Some students, however, observed that while Americans may be very friendly at

AMERICA page 5

Welcome to YOUR Library!

MRCI WORKSOURCE Exciting Retail Opportunity!

MRCI WorkSource is now hiring for a part time Shift Supervisor at the MRCI Thrift Shop in Mankato.

Rewarding opportunity to give back to the community while gaining supervisory skills!

Flexible scheduling – nights and weekends – done by 8:15pm guaranteed!

Apply online at www.mrciworksource.org or call HR at 507-386-5718.

MRCI is an EEO/AA employer.

We're Here To Help!

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

News

MSU Reporter • 3

Sibley Park welcomes new baby donkey Baby animal is sure to be a fun new asset to the farm.

JAMIE KANKAALA Staff Writer A new adorable addition was born into Sibley Farm in Mankato’s Sibley Park Thursday morning around 8:30 a.m. As the owners of the animals waited with anticipation, the mother, Katie, gave birth to a 24-inch, 35-pound black baby donkey. Both Katie and the baby are doing great and the barn is now open to the public after workers allowed Katie some alone time with the new baby.

However, the baby does

mankatomn.gov

not have a name yet and she is believed to be a girl, so hopefully a name will be com-

“As the owners of the animals waited with anticipation, the mother, Katie, gave birth to a 24-inch, 35-pound black baby donkey. ”

TWIN CITIES SERVICES MSP Airport Select Downtown Service (Minneapolis & St. Paul) Train Connections to The Mall of America and Event Centers

ing soon!

Donkeys are known for being very stubborn and very cautious. Owners have to work with the animals and be very patient to gain a donkey’s full trust. According to Shelly Schultz, director of public information at Sibley Park, Katie sure seems to trust the people around her at the farm and her original owners.

This just goes to show how wonderful the owners and staff at Sibley Farm are to their animals.

Sibley Farm is very interesting because it does not

actually own any of these animals. Schultz states that the considerate owners bring their animals to Sibley Farm during the warmer months for the public to view and enjoy. Once winter comes, the owners then bring their animals back home. It is a great way to educate the public on farm animals if they have never seen them before!

Sibley Park has been a great recreation area since 1893 and is very family friendly. Schultz confirms that there is no cost to visitors who want to enjoy the park and see the

farm animals. The only money visitors would have to spend is if they want to spare some change to feed animals with the appropriate food.

Along with viewing the animals, Schulz explains that Sibley Park is a beautiful area for picnics, bike rides, long walks, and other family activities. There are wellness trails for visitors to walk on and even an ice rink during the winter months. Children also have a playground made of farm equipment they can play on and learn about at the same time. Visitors are able to walk through the red barns to view animals such as alpacas, calves, goats, horses, peacocks, and now the new baby donkey. It is truly a fun and relaxing place to be.

If you are interested in coming to visit the new baby or any of the other animals, Sibley Farm is open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. in mid-spring to early fall.

Families and people of all ages are welcome and seem to really enjoy it. The farm has a maximum capacity of 50 people, and it is a non-smoking facility. Sibley Park is located at 900 Park Lane. You can also go to mankatomn. gov to get a closer look at everything they have to offer at this wonderful park.

4 • MSU Reporter

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Editorial & Opinion

MSU vs FAU: education edition One student’s abroad studies offered two different experiences.

EMAIL THE EDITOR IN CHIEF:

RAE FRAME

alyssa.frame @mnsu.edu OR AT reporter-editor @mnsu.edu

FALL 2015 EDITOR IN CHIEF: Rae Frame.............................389-5454 NEWS EDITOR: Nicole Schmidt.......................389-5450 SPORTS EDITOR: Luke Lonien............................389-5227 VARIETY EDITOR: Matthew Eberline................... 389-5157

YUSEONG JEON Staff Writer I stayed in Germany for three months this summer break. I decided to spend my whole summer there mainly to spend time with my German friends, whom I met here at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Most of them go to Friedrich Alexander University (FAU) in Bavaria, one of the German universities that has a partnership with MSU. Since I decided to stay in Germany for the whole summer, I had a lot of chances to go to the FAU campus with my friends.

FAU and MSU are quite different. The difference between these two partnership universities intrigued me because I did a short internship at the Kearney International Center last semester, working for the study abroad department and wanted to go see the partnership school in person.

I think the biggest difference between the two

ADVERTISING SALES: Mac Boehmer........................389-5097 Brandon Poliszuk....................389-5453 Josh Crew..............................389-5451 Jacob Wyffels........................ 389-6765 BUSINESS MANAGER: Jane Tastad............................ 389-1926 AD. DESIGN/PROD. MGR.: Dana Clark............................ 389-2793

Photo by Yuseong Jeon schools is that FAU has several campuses in different locations while MSU has one big campus. For example, FAU has a campus for the Department of Electrical, Computer Engineering, and Technology in Erlangen, and another main campus for the Arts and Humanities and Business departments in another city, Nuremberg. It generally takes 15 minutes between the two cities by car. One of my friends had his lectures on both campuses every other day, so he always had to go back and forth between the two campuses.

The atmosphere of the

Pulse

German school campus was very different from here as well. If MSU along with many other American schools can be called “dry campuses,” FAU can be called a “wet campus.” In fact, not only is the legal drinking age 16 in Germany, but many German universities also allow drinking on campus. This was pretty shocking for me at first, but it seemed normal and understandable culturally there because Germans love their beer. I saw lots of students drinking beers on campus and in the school cafeteria.

The FAU library was also quite different from the one

on our campus. Here at MSU, students can enter the library while wearing a backpack. At FAU, however, students must use lockers to keep their stuff before entering the library and bring an only basket for books and pens in order to prevent the books from being stolen.

The differences I have mentioned so far were merely differences, but when it comes to the school cafe-

SCHOOL page 7

“Where would you like to study abroad?”

POLICIES & INFO

• If you have a complaint, suggestion or would like to point out an error made in the Reporter, call Editor in Chief Schuyler Houtsma at 507-3895454. 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.

• 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 $55.00 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.

Compiled by Yohanes Ashenafi

BRYAN KUE, COMPUTER ENGINEERING

IAN RUSH, AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

SANDY YANG, NURSING

AMANDA DUSTERHOFT, SOCIAL WORK

RIO JONES, BIO CHENISTRY

“Somewhere in Europe.”

“South America.”

“I would like to go to South Korea.”

“Spain.”

“I would love to study abroad in a country in Africa. I would learn a lot from my origins.”

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

News

MSU Reporter • 5

The 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina The Katrina impact on U.S. geography and the lives of people today.

WESLEY HUNTINGTON Staff Writer Ten years ago, on Monday, Aug. 29, 2005, a monster hurricane named Katrina came ashore from the Gulf of Mexico. It caused millions upon millions of dollars in damages in New Orleans and southern Mississippi, and over a thousand people lost their lives.

I wasn’t there to witness the storm first hand, but let me explain my personal reflection on this storm that thrust the issue of global warming into full bore.

I went down to the south Mississippi coast almost one year later. The devastation still was around everywhere we went.

I went on a church mission trip with my father and about a dozen others, and it took almost a full day to get there. When we got there, we stayed in this church which had been converted into a

shelter and distribution center for people still struggling with daily survival after the storm almost a year later. We were down there almost five days.

First, when we got there, we were introduced to a person who was running the place and he told us about a few rules and such.

I remember one thing he told us, “If you hear trains at any point during this trip, that’s us saying ‘hallelujah,’ because that’s supplies for us.” I remember that so well because now whenever I hear trains, that memory of the caretaker still sticks with me.

During the first few days, I was out helping some of my fellow friends in assisting a woman who had lost everything in the storm. She was living in one of those FEMA trailers – she was one of the few lucky ones to get one in those initial weeks after the storm. I wish that in retrospect, I hadn’t done that because all I was doing was taking pictures of us painting and scraping some old paint off of the floors and such.

The last day we were there, I decided that I should help out the food shelf that was attached to the church. It was right next to the sleeping quarters, which were all bunk beds. This food shelf was

boston.com packed with supplies, ranging from simple diapers to food, such as ramen noodles to canned fruits and vegetables.

So, I was tasked with loading up a supermarket cart full of these supplies that they had requested and brought it out to them. That was more rewarding in my opinion than painting a house because helping out a fellow person in need brings so much joy to two people: yourself and the

person receiving it. You feel a sense of reward because you’re helping out and the person receiving it also feels joy because they now have supplies that will probably last them for a week or more.

Finally, there was one thing about the aftermath of Katrina that still confuses me to this day. All of the media was focused on the city of New Orleans, and how some parts of the city were flooded. Almost everyone has forgotten

about southern Mississippi; when Katrina came ashore in those early morning hours, the east side – the most damaging and devastating side of a hurricane – passed right over southern Mississippi.

Why all of the coverage on New Orleans? If you ever

KATRINA page 5

AMERICA Continued from page 2 surface level, forming strong friendships with them can be a difficult and lengthy process.

Kaminari perceives friendships in his native Brazil to be more close-knit than American friendships.

“Brazilian friends are always together and happy,” he says. “Americans are less sociable.”

Differences in sports, weather, and food were also brought up throughout the discussion. Baruah recounted going to her first football game and soon realizing that the game on the field was most certainly not the football she was used to.

Our northern continental climate is perhaps the starkest contrast many international students encounter in Minnesota. For students from places like the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian Peninsula, West Africa, and

Latin America, snow and below-freezing temperatures are often a first-time experience.

Students at the event pointed out a number of unfamiliar customs they experienced in American restaurants. Many were not accustomed to large meal portions, free refills, nor tipping waiters and waitresses.

The change in diet was also a culture shock for Kaminari, as he was not used to America’s relatively spicy flavors and abundance of junk food.

America’s use of non-metric measurement units, such as miles, ounces, pounds, etc., is another unique oddity that was mentioned.

A student from Germany found it strange that taxes are not included on price tags in stores.

The event was a strong testament to the incredible

diversity found in the United States.

“In Brazil, I never met anyone from another country until I was twenty years old,” says Kaminari. “For [Americans], it is normal.”

He adds that he never thought he would ever see the kind of international diversity he has seen during his time here at MSU. MSU does boast an especially large and active international community.

According to the most recent statistics on the MSU website, there was a total of 1,228 international students from a total of 90 countries enrolled for the fall 2014 semester. The top five countries in terms of population were Saudi Arabia (170 students), South Korea (97), India (88), Brazil (81), and Bangladesh (73).

10% OFF with your MavCard THROUGH DECEMBER 2015

6 • MSU Reporter

News

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Photo Moment: Science Engineering & Technology

Photos by Yohanes Ashenafi

KATRINA Continued from

page 5

“I went down to the south Mississippi coast almost one year later. The devastation still was around everywhere we went.” get a chance to watch this, watch a documentary that WLOX-TV in Biloxi created about their side of the media story. It is called Katrina: South Mississippi’s Story. Katrina also brought the issue of global warming to full bore, as evidenced by Al Gore’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Go watch that if you would like to know how global warming influenced

Katrina’s monster strength before it came ashore.

I hope you take the time and reflect on this devastating natural disaster – it is still the largest devastating natural disaster ever recording in U.S. history. Remember the victims, and remember it wasn’t just New Orleans that was devastated.

Need to scrap your vehicle?

$$ C A L L US $$ H Used parts, cars, trucks H Purchasing

all grades of metal H Now Accepting Appliances H Top Dollar Paid (10 miles south on Hwy. 22)

Monday-Friday 8-5

507-524-3735 BANDRAUTOTRUCKSALVAGE.COM

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

News

MSU Reporter • 7

Mankato Pridefest celebrates 14th year Parade, dance, and other events planned for September.

RAE FRAME Editor in Chief “Proud? You Betcha!”

Come celebrate with us at the South Central Minnesota Pride 2015 Mankato Pridefest on September 11 and 12!

This is the fourteenth year that Pridefest has been put on in Mankato. The weekend celebration will feature activities and events promoting visibility, pride, and outreach for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and allied community. All students and members of the community are welcome to come celebrate pride and acceptance in Mankato.

“Mankato Pridefest is an opportunity for the LGBT community, along with our allies, to come out, have fun, network, and be a visible part of the Mankato community,” said Pridefest organizer Jessica Flatequal. “Our festival is aimed at celebrating the diversity of our community and paving a path for other LGBT

scmnpride.org folks to hopefully, in their own time, find the courage to come out, be proud, and know they are not alone.”

SCMN Pride organizes LGBT-friendly events yearround, but Pridefest is the non-profit’s biggest undertaking. The weekend’s festivities include karaoke, a parade, a dance party, and an outdoor festival featuring live music and entertainment at the beautiful Riverfront Park in Mankato.

Pride festivities kick off in downtown Mankato at 8:00 p.m. September 11 with free Queer-aoke hosted by Pub 500. Kato Karaoke will preside over the night’s always-raucous musical antics.

Everyone is welcome to rock the mic and share musical tastes from Adele to Johnny

SCHOOL Continued from

page 4

“I think the biggest difference between the two schools is that FAU has several campuses in different locations while MSU has one big campus.” terias, it can be called a preference and mine is the German one. I really liked the food at the FAU cafeteria, called Mensa, because there were different options every day, all of which were very balanced and tasty. While our main school cafeteria Carkoski Dining Hall is run ‘all-youcan-eat’ so that students can eat all they want with $7-8 on average per meal, I personally don’t like the buffet style because it

causes more food leftovers. However, the German students in FAU paid under €4 per meal, which was affordable for students and the food was delicious and abundant.

Though I was just a visitor at FAU, I hope that both MSU students interested in going there through the study abroad program as well as German exchange students from FAU studying here have found my perspective interesting.

Cash.

Saturday opens with the annual Pride Parade that lines up at 10:30 a.m. and step off at 11:30 a.m. This year, the parade will march down Riverfront Drive from Mulberry Street to the Mankato Pridefest location in Riverfront Park.

The festival begins at Riverfront Park with the parade’s arrival at noon. The all-ages celebration will continue until 5 p.m. with local exhibitors, kids activities, live music, and food vendors. Friesen’s Family Bakery, Jake’s Pizza, Wow! Zone, El Tacazo, The Corn Monkey, and Don’s Crumble Sandwiches will serve refreshments. Alcohol will also be available for purchase for those over 21.

At the main stage, emcee drag diva Gosh Alice Jones

will host a dynamic entertainment lineup. Attendees can relax all afternoon with music from Day Pass, Ginger Bones, and City of the Weak as well as some spectacular Gender Bending performances.

Finally, don’t forget to show off your best moves at the Pride Dance Party 8 p.m. at the Morson-Ario VFW. Tickets are $7 in advance, and can be purchased at the Coffee Hag, starting August 15 or at the festival. Admission is $10 at the door. Attendees must be 18 or older to enter and 21 or older to purchase alcohol.

Pridefest welcomes all LGBT-identified individuals, their families and allies. The 2015 festival is dedicated to one of SCMN Pride’s local business allies, Mankato’s

Friesen’s Family Bakery.

“We were humbled and honored to learn of the dedication,” said Friesen’s owner Tony Friesen. “One of our core principles is supporting our community. Our work with Pride is part of that.”

SCMN Pride’s top sponsors this year are the City of Mankato, the LGBT Center at MSU, Mankato, the Women’s Center at MSU, Mankato, Institutional Diversity at MSU, Mankato, Swanson, Hinsch, And Co., Jeanne Burkhart, and many other community members.

Visit scmnpride.org for more information including a detailed schedule of events, hotel reservations, exhibitor information, directions and maps.

WELCOME BACK STUDENTS !

• Industrial Electrical Work • Commercial Electrical Work • Voice-Data • Fiber Optics • System Integration • Industrial Automation • OPTO22 Product Line

Serving Mankato and Surrounding Areas Since 2001

BLK ELECTRIC 20799 594th Avenue Mankato, MN 507-388-1173

8 • MSU Reporter

News

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Getting a clue at the Minnesota Zoo One student’s trip to the zoo turned out to be wildly fun.

NICOLE SCHMIDT News Editor Minnesota offers a variety of educational places to visit all around the state, such as the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Minnesota Children’s Museum, The Mill City Museum, and much more.

Over the weekend, my sister, brother-in-law, and I decided to take advantage of one of these educational hot spots by going to the Minnesota Zoo. It sounds a bit silly, right?

How could three adults possibly have fun at a place targeting families with small children?

Despite the squeals of overly-excited (or overly-tired) children, it turns out it is quite easy to have a pleasant day at the zoo.

The entrance fee to the zoo was $18 for an adult and $7 for parking. Considering the zoo is a family ordeal. I found this price rather fair

considering young children were free and middle-aged kids were a lesser price than adults, much cheaper than going to an amusement park like Valleyfair.

The Minnesota Zoo is comprised of six different tours specifically designed to feature certain species in that geographical region. According to www.billingsproductions.com, the Minnesota Zoo was actually one of the first zoos to organize by region as opposed to species.

The six featured areas include the Medtronic Minnesota Trail, Northern Trail, Tropics Trail, Discovery Bay, Russia’s Grizzly Coast, and Wells Fargo Family Farm.

Our first stop was the Medtronic Minnesota Trail. It was interesting to see all of Minnesota’s wildlife in one place. I particularly enjoyed seeing our national bird, the bald eagle. Directly beside the viewing area was a comparison of wingspans of different birds. I nearly had the wingspan of a bald eagle (approximately 6 feet)!

We then progressed to the place that held butterflies.

This was a surprisingly fun stop considering we almost skipped this exhibit. We entered through a specific holding chamber to ensure all of our bags were closed and

Photos by Nicole Schmidt Nicole compares her wingspan to that of a bald eagle. Almost!

Photos by Nicole Schmidt

that we knew the rules before entering.

When we finally entered the room, hundreds upon hundreds of butterflies, including cocoons, filled the flowered area. It was a nice breather after seeing the first two exhibits.

Another highlight from the trip was seeing all of the sea life in Discovery Bay. From seahorses to seals, angelfish to starfish, the bay was filled with excitement.

However nice the zoo was, I did get a bit tired about three hours in. Only one food court was present that I saw for resting, and once you were in route on the trail, there was no good place for food and water.

The sandwich, chips, and pickle I received at the food court were excellent, however. It was very fresh and reasonably priced for a big establishment—only $7.99. The pop pushed the price up into the $11 range, but overall it was a pretty nice deal.

Rather oddly, I thought one of the most fun parts was the Wells Fargo Family Farm.

Everyday farm animals scattered the area, pulling at the Midwestern in me. The baby goats always tempt me into buying the 50 cent food— they are so precious!

As the day drew to a close, we made our way to the exit, and the monkeys drew our attention as we passed. Both the babies and the elder monkeys interacted in such a way that was interesting to behold. One baby simply ran around and jumped on the back of other monkeys.

Adults and kids got a kick out of the baby, at which I was happy to see entire families

having fun together.

Overall, the Minnesota Zoo was a great weekend trip, even if I was older than the targeted age. The animals were all rather interesting, and I learned a few fun

facts about species all around the world.

If you would like to go to the Minnesota Zoo and want more information, visit mnzoo.org.

“It sounds a bit silly, right? How could three adults possibly have fun at a place targeting families with small children?”

NOW HIRING! Griffin Support Services, Inc. is looking for staff to support four males in a group home setting. Duties include giving support in all aspects of their residential life including driving, meal preparation, documentation and house cleaning. Must have a valid driver's license/good driving record, and able to pass a background study.

SHIFTS AVAILABLE: • Thursday and Friday: 7am-3:30pm.

• Every other weekend: Saturday 3pm - Sunday 3pm (24 hour shift with sleep overnight).

It would be possible to split this position. The home is one mile south of MSU-M campus at 117 Capri Drive. Compensation: $10/hr.

SECOND LOCATION: We are also looking for someone every other weekend 3pm-11pm (including Friday, Saturday and Sunday) and every Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon/evening.

108 Tundra Court, 1 mile east of MSU-M campus.

CONTACT Leslee Trio @ 507-995-2852 or leslee.griffin@gmail.com or Shelley Gilman @ 507-327-6220

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

News

MSU Reporter • 9

Photo Moment Continued: Foam Party

Photos by Yohanes Ashenafi

AVAILABLE NOW!!

The 3rd annual foam party occurred on Saturday, Aug. 29. SET, previously known as IMPACT, hosted the event

LOOKING FOR LONG TERM OR SHORT TERM LEASE? Hate where your currently living?

2 Amazing 3 Bedroom 1 Bathroom Apartments for Rent!!

Think Safe.

Act Safe.

Be Safe.

Female-Friendly Introductory Pistol and Conceal Carry Permit Class

5 Hour Class for only $190 11:30am, Sat., Sept. 12th 222 E. Walnut Street, Mkto.

REGISTER ONLINE TO SAVE $10 www.MANKATOCCW.com

NOW HIRING: • Bartenders • Wait Staff • Security

Don't be stuck living somewhere you don't like...

Get an early start to happiness!

All Utilities Included with the monthly rent!

Free heat, water, electric, garbage, cable TV, and high speed internet!

Granite Countertops • New Appliances FULLY Furnished • Bedrooms have queen sized beds Living room has leather couch and sofa Private patio • 55 inch flat screen TV We are Pet friendly!

1030 E. Madison Ave. Mankato 507-388-1441

Please contact Gail at 507-381-1084 (River Center Properties) RiverCenterProperties@yahoo.com

10 • MSU Reporter

Advertisement

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

LOT 23 "THE FREE LOT"

ISN'T "FREE" IF YOU GET CITED FOR PARKING ON THE GRASS...

PARKING ON THE GRASS SNAGS YOU A $30 TICKET.

ONE OUTSTANDING $30 CITATION CAN BE DISMISSED IF THE DRIVER BUYS AN ORANGE PERMIT

$136 NINE-MONTH ORANGE PERMIT

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

MSU Reporter • 11

Sports #1 MSU takes on #3 UMD Thursday night

SCORES: VIKINGS August 29, 2015 Vikings....................................... 28 Cowboys..................................14

TWINS August 28, 2015 Twins..............................................3 Astros..........................................0

August 29, 2015

TOMMY WIITA Staff Writer It is that time of year yet again, as the Minnesota State Mavericks football team is ready for another exciting season to kick off. Their first game will be this Thursday, September 3rd against the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs at Blakeslee Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6pm.

The Mavericks open the season with a number one ranking in all of NCAA Division-II, while the Bulldogs are ranked number three in the country. It should be quite the

Twins..............................................1 Astros..........................................4

August 30, 2015 Twins............................................7 Astros..........................................5

Photo Courtesy of Reporter Archives Connor Thomas, left, is back for his senior season. Thomas has the MSU rushing record with 3,231 yards. matchup come Thursday, and a dozy of a first game to get things under way for the 2015 season. This will be the sixth season with head coach Todd

Hoffner at the helm for the Mavs, and his record at Minnesota State has suggested great success as a program (48-14). The Mavericks are

FOOTBALL Page 12

NEXT UP: FOOTBALL September 3, 2015 UMD Blakeslee Stadium

Soccer brings home two exhibition wins

VOLLEYBALL September 4, 2015 University of Findlay Golden, Colorado

CROSS COUNTRY September 27, 2015 @ Augie Twilight Sioux Falls, SD

GOLF September 5, 2015 @ Warrior Invitational Lake City, MN

COREY YUMAN Staff Writer The Mankato State Maverick women’s soccer team is off to another great start! After a stellar year last season, the girls seem to be picking up exactly where they left off.

The Mavericks participated in a scrimmage, and played in their first exhibition games last week on the 22nd and the 23rd. It’s still early, but they are giving fans more than enough reason to get excited for the regular season to start.

In the Mavericks first

EMAIL THE SPORTS EDITOR:

scrimmage they were pitted up against the Grand View University Vikings. The scrimmage lasted three periods,

Photo Courtesy of Yohanes Ashenafi the first one being 45 minutes, and the other two lasting 30 minutes each.

The Mavericks wasted no

SOCCER Page 13

LUKE LONIEN

luke.lonien @mnsu.edu OR AT reporter-sports @mnsu.edu

12 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

FOOTBALL continued from 11 “The Mavericks open the season with a number one ranking in all of NCAA Division-II, while the Bulldogs are ranked number three in the country.” coming off a season where they reached the NCAA Division II Championship, and they are hoping to achieve some unfinished business this season.

The all-time series held with UMD has always been full of great match-ups, as Minnesota-Duluth actually owns the all-time record with

as the junior transfer from Elk Grove, California Darren Walker.

The main focus at the position the Mavericks will have to lock down is junior Beau Bofferding. The Marshall, Minnesota native also plays wide receiver, and is most likely going to be the top target on offense to go to for UMD.

we are all involved on each play,” Hoffner explained. “I’m excited to see what this team can do together this season.”

Minnesota State will have the luxury to get key, returning starters on the squad.

Junior quarterback Ricky Lloyd and sophomore quarterback Nick Pieruccini are back in purple in gold, as both

the all-time leader in rushing yards (3,231) and rushing touchdowns (33) in Minnesota State’s football history entering his senior season.

The experience is everywhere you look, as the Mavericks also have two senior receivers in Bryce Duncan and Kyle Riggott. Riggott last season tallied 368 receiving yards with one touchdown, as Duncan had 302 receiving yards with seven grabs for six.

The defense should yet again be a powerful asset this season for the Mavericks, and they will be led by two senior All-Americans. Defensive end Josh Gordon last season set a Minnesota State single-season record of 17.5 sacks, as he also recorded three fumble recoveries and 82 tackles.

Then there is linebacker Tyler Henderson, who led the team in total tackles with 122 in 15 games.

The Mavericks have a great match-up early on in the UMD Bulldogs, and nothing should be taken for granted. The game will also be nationally televised on ESPN3, so the buzz around the team is louder than usual. Minnesota will have to play smart football consistently to start the season 1-0, and they did just that for just about the entire season of 2014. Maverick football is back, and the better news is there is no easy contest in front of them to get started in 2015.

NOW HIRING:

SERVERS, KITCHEN STAFF, BOUNCERS & BARTENDERS Must be available to work nights & weekends. Experience is preferred, but not necessary.

Applications can be found online at Roundersbar.com

a 20-15-1 mark. “They are a very talented team, as they always are,” Minnesota State Head Coach Todd Hoffner said. “[This season], they have a very good defense, and their quarterback and tailback are very talented individuals.”

The quarterback for the Bulldogs is Junior Drew Bauer, who this season was selected as the 2015 NSIC North Division Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, as well as a member of the 2015 USA College Football Division II Preseason All-American second team.

The Mavericks will have to contain Bauer, who last season totaled up 2,403 passing yards and 25 touchdowns.

The Bulldogs have plenty of young speedsters at the running back position, as well

414 S. Front St. Mankato 507-388-7767

Photo Courtesy of Reporter Archives

Hoffner knows what it will take to win this game, but brings the same mentality into this game as he would for any other. He went on to list what needs to happen to some out on top: “We need to take care of the ball, limit turnovers on our end, force them to make mistakes and capitalize on them, win the field position battle and definitely make the tackles we should on defense, while breaking tackles on the offensive side of the ball.”

Last season the Mavericks won both match-ups with UMD, including a 44-17 drubbing in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Hoffner also went on to talk about the team’s togetherness, and that individuals are not singled out on his teams. “With the whole team competing,

of them presented a wonderful quarterback tandem for the Mavericks. Lloyd threw for 1,728 passing yards with 20 touchdowns, and Pieruccini added 1,306 passing yards with 12 touchdowns. The additional boost the Mavericks get with Pieruccini is his legs, which rushed for 568 yards and seven touchdowns in 2014.

Minnesota State also will get their senior running back in Connor Thomas back, who was as solid as it gets for a tailback in this offense.

He led the team with 1,363 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns.

Out of 15 games, Thomas rushed for over 100 yards in seven of the contests.

Against Minnesota-Duluth, Thomas rushed for 135 yards last season. He is currently

Volt Workforce Solutions NOW HIRING in North Mankato!

Over 50 Positions Available: packaging, shipping and production!

Various shifts available.

9.00 - 10.50 /hr. based on position and shift.

$

$

507-304-6514 or mnmankato@volt.com Volt is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Sports

MSU Reporter • 13

SOCCER continued from 11 “It’s still early, but they are giving fans more than enough reason to get excited for the regular season to start.”

Photo Courtesy of Yohanes Ashenafi

time getting things started.

Senior forward Korey Kronforst scored off a pass from junior forward Kiana Nickel.

Unfortunately for the Mavericks though, the goal would be taken back after a foul was called for offensive off sides.

Grand View struck back quickly, and took the lead after the ball was bounced off a Maverick player, thus scoring their first, and what would end up being their only goal of the game.

The first counted score for

Mankato State would come from a penalty kick by junior forward Dana Savino, thus tying the game. The penalty kick stemmed from a Grandview player getting called for a handball foul.

Kronforst wouldn’t be deterred by the earlier goal being taken away, and scored yet again giving the Mavericks a 2-1 lead just before entering the final period.

The Maverick females saved their best for last. In the third period they pulled

away even further scoring a total of three goals. Freshman defensive layer Mackenzie Fray scored the first, while freshman forward Maddie Raley would chalk up two assists to fellow freshman forward Morgan Cottew who tallied two goals for herself. The Mavericks would walk away from the scrimmage winning 5-1.

The Mavericks would end up playing all four of their goalies. Freshman Taylor Livermore would prove to be

Minnesota State University, Mank ato Office of Campus Recreation

Fall 2015 upcoming Intr amur al Sports registr ation deadlines ACTIVITY

REGISTRATION ENTRY BEGIN OFFICIAL'S DATES FEES PLAY TRAINING

2-Person Golf Scramble (M, W, C) 4-Person Sand Volleyball Tourney (O) Flag Football (M, W, C) Softball (M, W, C) Team Bowling-Monday nights (O) Golf Singles (M, W) Tennis Singles (M, W) Volleyball (M, W, C) Outdoor 7v7 Soccer (M, W, C)

August 24 - September 8 August 24 - September 8 August 24 - September 8 August 24 - September 8 August 24 - September 8 August 24 - September 8 August 24 - September 8 August 24 - September 15 August 24 - September 15

$30 / team $20 / team $60 / team $60 / team $20/team+Lane Fees Green Fees No Charge $60 / team $60 / team

September 11 @ 2pm September 13 September 14 September 14 September 14 Week of Sept 14 Week of Sept 14 September 21 September 21

-- -September 8-10 September 8-10 ---September 15-17 September 15-17

M=Men's W=Women's C=CoRec O=Open

REGISTER ONLINE TODAY! www.mnsu.edu/campusrec ***EACH TEAM SPORT HAS A MANDATORY MANAGERS MEETING. AT LEAST ONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM EACH REGISTERED TEAM MUST BE PRESENT AT THIS MEETING IN ORDER TO AVOID ADDITIONAL FEES*** ***STUDENTS INTERESTED IN OFFICIATING TEAM SPORTS CAN CONTACT: SETH HOSCHEIT at seth.hoscheit@mnsu.edu. PAY IS $9.00/HR., CAN BOTH PLAY & REF IN SPORT LEAGUES***

most valuable, as she had four saves.

The Mav’s would continue rolling on the next day, this time playing in their first exhibition game of the year. The game was played in St. Paul, and pitted them against the Hamline University Pipers.

Unlike their first game, this game took place over three periods, clocking in at 30 minutes each.

Kronforst would show that there is no stopping her, and continued her dominance from the day prior. Kronforst would score the first goal for the Mavericks early on in the first period. When I say early, I mean a mere three minutes into the match up!

It wouldn’t take long for

another Maverick to get in on the action, as defender Sidni Trotter nabbed a goal of her own after an assist from midfielder Julia Zach.

The Mavericks would take an early 2-0 lead, and this proved to be enough. The Pipers were unable to score any goals throughout the game, and got shut out by the high octane Mavericks.

The Maverick women would leave the weekend with two wins, and prepare for their last exhibition game against Omaha Elite Girls Academy the following week.

The team is looking to finish the pre season on a strong note, before heading off into the regular season.

NOW HIRING! Tire Technicians Thank you for your interest in working for the nation's largest independent tire retailer! Discount Tire Company is looking for outstanding people with quality customer service skills and a positive attitude.

Here at Discount Tire, we celebrate the spirit of our people with extraordinary pride and enthusiasm. Our business has been growing for over 50 years and now is the best time in our history to join us. We are opening more locations every year and we are always looking for qualified individuals to join us in our growth. We are a company that promotes from within, both in our retail and corporate operations.

The Tire Technician encompasses Discount Tire Company’s vision, values and goals into the workplace by performing the following duties: • Participates in training including workflow process, safety, job duties and company policies.

• Conducts basic maintenance and cleaning of showroom, service bays, equipment, storage areas, restrooms, breakroom, lobby, counter areas and outside grounds.

• Provides helpful, friendly and responsive customer service while providing accurate and informative product, warranty, all-inclusive pricing, tire and wheel related information and recommendations to customers.

• Attends meetings and have the ability to communicate, if necessary, with all levels of Discount Tire employees, including part-time and full-time store employees, store managers, executives, regional and corporate employees.

Skills/Requirements: • Must excel in a team environment • Must have an upbeat and positive outlook • Must be able to function well in a physically demanding environment • Must be dedicated and reliable Benefits: Medical, Dental, Life/Disability Insurance, 401k, Sales & Service Awards, Weekly Paychecks, Discount on Products and a Company that Cares!

Local candidates only please. No agencies.

Submit resume to MNM_Jobs@discounttire.com or

A member of the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities System. MSU is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity University. This document is available in alternative format to individuals with disabilities by calling the Office of Campus Recreation at 507-389-2500 (V), 800-627-3529 or 711 (MRS/TTY).

Learn more about us by visiting our web-site at www.discounttire.com

14 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Cross country teams geared up for 2015

KELCIE RICHMOND Staff Writer The Minnesota State University, Mankato cross country teams are practicing hard and ready to run right into a top conference spot this season.

Loren Ahonen is gearing up for his third season as the Men’s cross country head coach, and is looking forward to his team consistently improving.

“I’d like to be top three in our conference,” Ahonen said. “Last year I think we were eighth in our region. I’d like to be somewhere fifth to eighth, I think that’s realistic.”

Women’s cross country head coach Jen Blue, who is in her 15th season at MSU, is also hoping to finish in the top three of the conference

Samantha Soupir

and really wants her captains

Photo Courtesy of Minnesota State Athletics

Mathew Longen was named the NSIC Player to Watch in 2015 to step up.

“Samantha Soupir is our lone senior and one of the captains along with Maddi Sjelin,” Blue said. “We have an extremely young team this year, and will look to them to lead the underclassmen both on and off the field.”

Soupir missed all of her junior season due to a stress fracture, but is back and ready for her senior year.

Other key returner’s for the women’s team this year are sophomores Erin Baker and Erica Hauf.

The men’s squad is not as young but lacks depth

WELCOME BACK STUDENTS! The Mankato Golf Club is currently looking to fill part-time positions for experienced servers and 10th tee.

Only experienced persons should apply.

Have a great school year!

Email resumé to: cheryl@mankatogolfclub.com or pick up an application No phone calls please.

compared to the 18-unit women’s team. As a small group, Ahonen would like the 12-member team to unify as the train for their upcoming meets.

“We out-performed what we looked like on paper last year,” Ahonen said. “I’d like to do that again and that’s partially on account of embracing the team aspect and

training.”

The seniors of the men’s cross country team are relied on for direction and support, as they do not have captains this year. In the past they have voted but this year it’s turned into a group effort, especially for the guys who have been around longer and trained with Ahonen for the past two years.

Alex Schoneberger, a senior for the team, is a guy that Ahonen says he can count on.

“He’s just a good, steady, consistent leader,” Ahonen said. “I use him for direction quite a bit.”

Last year the men’s team wrapped up their season with a fourth place finish at the NSIC Championship under Ahonen’s training. While Blue helped the women’s team finish in seventh at the NSIC meet and 11th at the NCAA DII Central Region Meet.

Ahonen hopes for more of a fan turn out this year at the cross country meets and the indoor track meets, as he is also the assistant men’s track and field coach.

“I encourage people around campus to come and check the meets out.”

Ahonen said.

Blue and Ahonen stress that their teams succeed in the classroom as well as perform numerous volunteer projects around the Mankato community.

Both teams have four meets before the NSIC Championships in St. Paul in October. A few weeks after the St. Paul meet they will head to the regional meet in Joplin, Missouri.

Both teams are scheduled for their first meet of the season this Friday, September 4, at the Augie Twilight meet in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

MSU Reporter • 15

A&E Mad Max: Fury Road in review

THIS TOP 5 WEEK’S SPOTIFY EVENTS: TRACKS: MUSIC Thursday August 6th “The Hills” by The IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm Weeknd Friday August 7th IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm Saturday August 8th IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm

“What Do You Mean?” by Justin Bieber

THEATRE

“Can’t Feel My Thursday August 6th IV Play @ Buster’s..........

Face”

by The 9pm IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm Weeknd Friday August 7th IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm Saturday August 8th IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm

“679 (feat. Remy Boyz)” by Fetty Wap, Remy Boyz i09.com

SHAWN CLOSE Staff Writer There has never been a movie that I wanted, no, that I NEEDED to be good more than Mad Max: Fury Road.

I’ve been waiting for this movie to come out for ten years, far enough back that Mel Gibson was still attached

to reprise his role as Max (and when that was still considered a good idea). I stuck with this movie through years of development hell, endless delays, and the absolute destruction of series star Mel Gibson’s credibility. Spending over a decade on the shelf is almost never a good thing, leading to disinterest, compromises, third-party involvement, and ultimately a movie that isn’t nearly as good as it could have been. But Fury Road did everything right in its extended development time, it kept the original director (who also directed the first three Mad Max films and the Madagascar children’s films,

for some reason), the original script, and replaced crazy old coot Mel Gibson with Tom goddam Hardy. They even got an extra 40 million just to shoot more car chases and explosions. How could I not expect the world from this movie? I was worried that I was setting myself up for disappointment. I’ve never had such a hard one-two combo of wanting a movie to be amazing and being given every reason to believe that it would be. So to say that my expectations were high is a huge understatement, but after finally getting to watch Fury Road I can say that somehow my expectations

weren’t high enough.

Mad Max: Fury Road, the fourth movie in the Mad Max series (it is a sequel, not a remake despite the extended time between the release of Fury Road and its predecessor, Beyond Thunderdome, please stop calling it a remake), follows Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) as she attempts to escape tyrannical faction leader Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) along with a group of woman who where enslaved as Immortan Joe’s unwilling brides. As they flee they are pursued

MAX page 16

A review of Star Trek Continues

WES HUNTINGTON Staff Writer Fan films have existed for a long time, ever since Sony invented the first camcorder in 1982 utilizing Betamax tapes during the home video

wars of the era. Millions upon millions of people have used them to create home movies and fan films that can create an expanded universe for some franchises that have such a loyal fan base that they will take anything new for their beloved series. Enter Star Trek Continues, a fan-supported Internet series that seeks to replicate and reproduce Star Trek: The Original Series from its overall feel to its storytelling style of the 1960s. It started in 2013 and as of now, four episodes have been made available, with a fifth slated for the end of

September. The series stars veteran anime voice actor Vic Mignogna as Capt. James T. Kirk, Todd Haberkorn as Mr. Spock, and Chuck Huber as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy. The series also stars Grant Imahara (MythBusters) as Lt. Hikaru Sulu and Chris Doohan (son of the late actor James Doohan) as Scotty, the ship’s chief engineer. A side note: Chris Doohan has appeared as a transporter technician in both J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness.

Look for him in those two films (he has speaking lines in Into Darkness). Also a charac-

ter of note is the Enterprise’s ship counselor, Dr. Elise McKennah, played by Michele Specht, also a veteran of animation voice acting.

It would make sense to review all four episodes that have been made available in order to get a sense of what Continues is like. The first episode that was released was “Pilgrim of Eternity,” on May 24, 2013. The episode is a sequel to the episode “Who Mourns for Adonais?”

TREK page 18

DANCE

“Hotline Bling” Friday August 7th by IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm Drake IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm Saturday August 8th IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm

NEW NOW THIS PLAYING WEEK: IN KATO: MOVIES

Straight Outta Friday August 7th Fantastic Four Compton Goosebumps

Ricki and the Flash Shaun the Sheep Cop Car The Diary of a Teenage Girl Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The Gift MUSIC Friday August 7th

Cattle Decaptation Hitman: Agent “The Anthropocene Extinction” 47 Fear Factory “Genexus”

Luke Bryan American Ultra “Kill The Lights”

EMAIL THE A&E EDITOR:

EDITOR MUGSHOT MATTHEW EBERLINE

matthew.eberline @mnsu.edu OR AT reporter-arts @mnsu.edu

16 • MSU Reporter

A&E

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

MAX Continued from page 15

by Immortan Joe, his horde of cult followers, and his inbreed family members. Max (Tom Hardy), who had been captured by Immortan Joe’s followers, is an unwilling tag-along to Immortan Joe’s group. But Max manages to escape and, seeing no better option, decides to help out Furiosa and her escapees.

Meanwhile, Nox, a fanatical follower of Immortan Joe, is one of the many trying to capture the escaped brides and gain Immortan Joe’s favor. But after several failed attempts, Nox becomes disillusioned with Immortan Joe’s cult and decides to join the escapees.

There is so much that is awesome in this movie that I could just go on forever in a vaguely cohesive run-on sentence, but to avoid that let’s just take this monster of a movie one point at a time.

First off, Fury Road is gorgeous. Everything about the aesthetic is just perfect, from the desolated Australian outback setting, to the cobbled together vehicles, Fury Road nails the iconic Mad Max post-apocalyptic look. Fury Road takes the punk/bondage/biker/thrift store disaster character design that made the first three movies so iconic and recreates it perfectly. The characters don’t just look cool, they look Mad Max cool, which may not sound like a lot but it makes all the difference in the world. Fury Road is shot the way an action movie should be shot, with crisp, clean framing and panning as steady as any action movie I’ve ever seen, with the exception of Hanna,

cinemablend.com

Immortan Joe, the villain of Mad Max: Fury Road. but that movie is something special. As a vocal hater of shaky cam, the smooth as butter camera work of Fury Road gave me just one more reason to love it.

Visuals and audio are like two bands at a concert. It’s nice when one’s good, but the show is so much better when they’re both good, and Fury Road’s audio doesn’t let its visuals down. Fury Road has a score that’s just plain awesome, the perfect combo of energy, danger and scale that draws you into the action while keeping you just a little off center. It’s not just the score that will be music to your ears (I’m really sorry about that). Everything about Fury Road sounds right, the explosions sound better than normal for reasons I can’t really explain and there are enough roaring engine sounds to make any car jockey giggle like a school girl.

I’ve heard the apocalypse, and it sounds wonderful.

Fury Road is a movie populated by some of the craziest, ugliest, most unsettling characters you’ll ever see outside of a cult horror movie, and it’s wonderful. The backbone of any Mad Max movie is the sheer bat shit insanity of its post-apocalyptic residents. It’s what makes it a Mad Max movie and not just a car chase in the desert, and Fury Road delivers in spades.

Nearly every character in Fury Road is interesting, from the main villain to the lowliest extra, think about how rare that is in a movie. It’s a prime example of the ‘show don’t tell’ method of character development. No character in the movie gets more than a few lines of backstory (and often times its less than that) because it doesn’t need it. Instead of getting bogged down in lengthy backstories

and endless exposition, characters are defined by their actions and how they interact with each other. It’s amazing how much you can tell about a character with just fifteen seconds of screen time and a few lines. It’s a sign of really great writing and world building that most modern movies simply don’t have.

If you ever want to see how to do a female lead in an action movie right, Fury Road is exhibit one. Furiosa has all of the strengths of the typical ‘tough girl’ archetype without the usual flaws that make that character normally off-putting. First off, Furiosa being female is never used as gimmick, she is treated as the lead with sincerity. That may not sound like a lot but starting from a place where a female lead in an action movie is treated as the lead in an action movie and not ‘OMG look a female lead, look how

different/sexy/cool/interesting/progressive that makes our movie’ is an important distinction. Second, Furiosa is a strong person, both physically and mentally, but that’s not her only trait. Furiosa is a deep, interesting character that also happens to be a strong and capable person.

She avoids the one note female badass stock (something that is far too common in movies) by being a well written, well-acted character (good writing + good acting = good character, who would have thought?) that’s treated with sincerity, and I cannot stress how important that is.

Third, Furiosa going against typical movie gender norms (see: being a strong, confident person) is not played off for laughs and it’s not used to prop up another character.

There are no scenes where someone hears about Furiosa doing something badass then meets her and says something along the lines ‘But, you’re a WOMAN’ and no scenes of someone hitting on Furiosa, then getting punched in the junk, because undermining your characters for cheap laughs is something a lesser movie does (see: almost every action movie ever made).

Fourth, Furiosa remains a strong, interesting character consistently throughout the movie. It’s so common for a strong, capable female character to fall to shit and get captured by the enemy only for the hero to save them that it’s its own cliché, the Damsel in Distress. The problem

MAX page 19

Staff: Campus Pastor Wong, Pastor Roger Knepprath, Mark Probst, Vicar Chris Johns, RA Jesse Lindloff

1506 WARREN STREET • MANKATO • MN (Look for our electronic sign!)

$10 OFF

$20 OFF

(MINIMUM OF $50)

(MINIMUM OF $100)

ANY PIERCING

ANY TATTOO

307 N. RIVERFRONT DR., MANKATO, MN 56001 OPEN MON.-SAT. 12-8

507-387-6601

www.cactustattoo.com

507-345-4511

WWW.BEACONWELS.ORG

MONDAYS, TUESDAYS & WEDNESDAYS Bible Study (starting week of August 31st)

THURSDAYS $1 Dinner 5:30 pm Chapel at 6 pm with activities to follow

CENTER HOURS: 8am-10pm OFFICE HOURS: Monday-Wednesday, 12-5pm; Thursday 9am-9pm

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

A&E

MSU Reporter • 17

Renowned film director passes away Wes Craven redefined the horror film genre.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s hard enough to redefine a genre once in a career, but horror virtuoso Wes Craven managed to do it twice.

The prolific writer-director, who died Sunday at age 76, ushered in two distinct eras of suburban slashers, first in the 1980s with his iconic “Nightmare on Elm Street” and its indelible, razor-fingered villain Freddy Krueger. He did it again in the 1990s with the self-referential “Scream.”

Both reintroduced the fringe genre to mainstream audiences and spawned successful franchises.

Perhaps it was his perfectly askew interpretation of the medium that resonated with his nail-biting audiences.

“Horror films don’t create fear,” Craven said. “They release it.”

Robert Englund, the actor who brought Freddy Krueger to life, wrote on Twitter that Craven was a “rare species ... brilliant, kind, gentle and very funny man. It’s a sad day on Elm St and everywhere.”

Craven didn’t solely deal in terror. He also directed the 1999 drama “Music of the Heart,” which earned Meryl Streep an Oscar nomination.

But his name and his legacy will always be synonymous with horror.

“He was a consummate

Photo Courtesy of The Associated Press filmmaker and his body of work will live on forever,” said Weinstein Co. co-chairman Bob Weinstein, whose Dimension Films produced “Scream.”

“He was truly an old school director,” Craven’s genre contemporary John Carpenter said on Twitter. “Wes was a great friend, fine director and good man.”

Wesley Earl “Wes” Craven was born in Cleveland on Aug. 2, 1939, to a strict Baptist family. He earned a master’s degree in philosophy and writing from Johns Hopkins University and briefly taught as a college profes-

sor in Pennsylvania and New York, but his start in movies was in pornography, where he worked under pseudonyms.

Craven’s feature debut under his own name was 1972’s “The Last House on the Left,” a horror film inspired

by Ingmar Bergman’s “The Virgin Spring,” about teenage girls abducted and taken into the woods. Made for just $87,000, the film, though graphic enough to be censored in many countries, was a hit. Roger Ebert said it was “about four times as good as you’d expect.”

“Nightmare on Elm

Street,” however, catapulted Craven to far greater renown in 1984. The Ohio-set film is about teenagers, including a then unknown Johnny Depp, who are stalked in their dreams. Craven wrote and directed, starting a franchise that has carried on, most recently with a 2010 remake.

The concept, Craven said, came from his own youth in Cleveland — specifically an Elm Street cemetery and a homeless man that inspired Krueger’s raged look.

Along with John Carpenter’s “Halloween,” ‘’Nightmare on Elm Street” defined a horror tradition where help-

less teenagers are preyed upon by knife-wielding, deformed killers in cruel morality tales. Usually promiscuous girls were the first to go.

“There is something about the American dream, the sort of Disneyesque dream, if you will, of the beautifully trimmed front lawn, the white picket fence, mom and dad and their happy children, God-fearing and doing good whenever they can,” Craven once said. “And the flip side of it, the kind of anger and the sense of outrage that comes from discovering that that’s not the truth of the matter, that gives American horror films, in some ways, kind of an additional rage.”

Director Edgar Wright, who counts Craven as one of his influences, reflected on the legacy of his films in a tribute on his website.

“The first ‘Nightmare’ quickly became a landmark horror movie and what distinguished it then is what still marks it out as a classic now.

It’s the sheer twisted imagination of the premise; the idea of lucid waking nightmares bleeding into the real world makes Freddy Krueger a much more formidable and interesting foe than any of his slasher rivals,” Wright wrote.

WE'RE HIRING OVER 1,700 SEASONAL EMPLOYEES THIS HALLOWEEN! Expires: 10/1/15

• No experience necessary • Flexible scheduling • Fun & friendly atmosphere • Casual dress code

TAPROOM & GROWLERS Tues., Thurs. & Fri.: 4-7pm Sat.: 12-7pm (1pm Tour) Sun: 10am-4pm

18 • MSU Reporter

A&E

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

TREK Continued from page 15 an episode from the second season of the original Star Trek. In this episode, Apollo (played by original actor Michael Forest), returns to demand worship upon the Enterprise, but when someone on the ship dies while lying in Sickbay, Apollo realizes that he doesn’t need worship in order to survive – it has to be an act of sacrifice. It’s a good episode, just not the one that is recommended to watch.

The next episode that was released was “Lolani,” on Feb. 8, 2014. In this episode, an Orion Slave Girl (guest star Fiona Vroom) is found alone on a Tellarite vessel and all evidence points to her killing her master and two aides. She demands that she doesn’t want to be returned to her original owner Zaminhon (played by Lou Ferrigno), but Kirk and the Federation have no jurisdiction over the sale of the slave girls. If you ever want a story that had a powerful message about sex trafficking, this is the one for you. It is a powerful story, and it would have made a fascinating episode had it actually

thefaithgeek.com

Star Trek Continues been produced during the fourth season of the original series in 1969.

The third episode is called “Fairest of Them All,” and was released on June 5, 2014. The episode is a direct sequel to the episode “Mirror, Mirror,” one of the series’ most popular episodes.

It basically tells the story of how the goateed Spock took

command of the I.S.S. Enterprise away from Kirk and the beginnings of how he decided to make his Empire a more civilized place. It is a great episode, full of action and intrigue. It is highly recommended you watch “Mirror, Mirror” first as the opening of “Fairest of Them All” picks up right where “Mirror, Mirror” left off.

The Chiarina Piano Quartet to Perform at MSU The Chiarina Piano Quartet will perform on Tuesday, September 8 at 7:30 pm in the Elias J. Halling Recital Hall of the Earley Center for Performing Arts, 320 Maywood Ave. This event is made possible by the Nadine B. Andreas Visiting Artist Endowment.

The Chiarina Piano Quartet formed in 2010 and consists of violinist Mary Horozaniecki, violist Nancy Nehring, cellist Mark Rudoff, and Minnesota State Mankato piano professor David Viscoli.

Mary Horozaniecki teaches at Augsburg College, Carleton College, and Macalester College.

Mark Rudoff teaches at The Ohio State University. Nan- The Chiarina Piano Quartet. cy Nehring teaches privately in the Columbus, Ohio Xaver Wolfgang Mozart, area in addition to being Piano Quartet in A minor, the principal violist with the Op. 67, Joaquín Turina, and Central Ohio Symphony. concludes with the Piano Additional appearances in Quartet in E-flat major, Op. the region will take place 47 by Franz Schubert. at Augsburg College and Concert admission is the University of Wiscon$12, $11 for students with sin-Whitewater. a valid MavCard. Discount The program features tickets are available online Piano Quartet in G minor, for University students. AdOp. 1 composed by Franz

mnsu.edu

vance purchase is strongly encouraged. Those who wish to purchase tickets online should go to www. mnsu.edu/music.

For more information, call the Performance Series office, (507) 389-5549.

Finally, the recent episode that was released was “The White Iris,” on May 29. This story is completely original – just like “Lolani” was – and it shows how Captain Kirk deals with lost love after a devastating attack on him that leaves him almost dead.

Through dealing with the three separate loves he had that died—Edith Keeler, Na-

kia (an officer on his previous assignment he had dated and who had died from a cloud creature), and Miramanee (a Native American princess he married while in a memory lapse)—he is able to recover and help a new species into the Federation. The sixth doctor from Doctor Who, Colin Baker, guest stars in the episode.

There you have it: a new fan series that you can sink your teeth into. However, if you don’t like Star Trek or haven’t experienced it for the first time, you could probably start off with this fan series.

It’s a good fan series, and if you love Star Trek – and in particular, the original Star Trek – you might enjoy this more than the other one based on the original, Star Trek: New Voyages/Phase II.

Reporter Rating

5 5

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

A&E

MSU Reporter • 19

MAX Continued from page 16

oliverdsw.wordpress.com

The bandits give chase in Mad Max: Fury Road. with the Damsel in Distress is that it takes a strong female character and turns them into a prop for the benefit of another (often male) character, which not only undermines the character but is also bad, lazy writing. Furisoa also avoids the other common pitfall of strong female leads, becoming a love interest, even when it makes no goddam sense. Max and Furisoa do form a relationship, an uneasy alliance based on mutual reliance and respect, but it’s not romantic, because putting in a romantic subplot between Furisoa and Max would have been the worst thing they could have possibly done (doubly so since it would have been completely out of character for Max as well). In the end it turns out that the best way to make a good female character is to make a good character and

not get hung up on the whole female part.

The number one complaint I heard about this movie after it came out was ‘They don’t give enough screen time to Max, the movies named after him and it’s like he’s not even the main character’. First off, he’s not the main character, as I stated in the paragraph above, and yes that was intentional. Second off, if you think Fury Road is supposed to be about Max because his name is in the title, then you’re missing the point. Max’s story was told in the original Mad Max, and despite his name being in the title, none of the other three movies, Road Warrior, Beyond Thunderdome, and now Fury Road, are really about him. In those three movies, Max is an outsider, wandering into another group’s story. He’s a catalyst, a reference point, and a great

character, but its’s not really his story. Fury Road is about Furisoa and the wives trying to escape Immortan Joe’s clutches, not Max rescuing a bunch of helpless damsels.

Max is the Han Solo of the movie, he’s a great character, but it’s really Luke’s story. I also heard people say that Tom Hardy didn’t talk enough. Those people are also missing the point. Tom Hardy played the perfect Max, quiet, self-serving, and badass. Max isn’t supposed to be a chatterbox, he speaks when he needs to and lets his actions speak for him.

My number one fear leading up to the release was that they would tone down all the insanity that makes a Mad Max movie a Mad Max movie.

Fury Road could have been an amazing action movie with sick car chases and a sweet soundtrack, but if it didn’t feel

right I still would have been disappointed. But Fury Road delivered in more ways than I could have imagined. This is a must see, once in a generation movie. Despite all my legacy talk, you don’t need to have seen the other Mad Max movies before Fury Road to enjoy it (you should though, they’re all classics), it’s good on its own. Fury Road avoided all the pitfalls that could

have sank it and came out the other end as the best movie of the year (quite possibly the decade). Everyone should see this movie (except small children), it’s just that good.

FOR SALE

HELP WANTED

4 BED/2 BATH and 6 bed/2 bath house for rent. Across the street from campus. Call or text 507995-5300. 5/20 FIND A PLACE TO RENT ON RADRENTER.COM. Mankato’s Rental Listing Website. 6/17

TACO JOHNS NOW HIRING FOR all shifts. Please apply in person at 2112 N. Borad CT or www.tacojohns.com. 8/20

Reporter Rating

5 5

Classys

20 • MSU Reporter

Advertisement

Tuesday, September 1, 2015