September 1, 2020

S T U DE N T RU N N E WS SI NC E 1926

TUESDAY • SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

Free COVID-19 testing available on campus this week JENNA PETERSON NEWS EDITOR Minnesota State University, Mankato president Richard Davenport announced Saturday that a free COVID-19 testing site will open in Myers Fieldhouse on campus this week.

The testing will be available for all MNSU students and staff as well as Mankato community members.

This precaution is being taken to help keep everyone safe and stay on campus for a successful school year.

In order to keep track of the COVID-19 cases on campus and to know what precautions to take, there is a safety level chart the university is following. MNSU has moved down to the yellow zone after only residence hall movein and one week of classes.

The Minnesota Department of Health will be helping with this event in order to con-

Nurse practitioner Debbi Hinderliter, left, collects a sample from a woman at a coronavirus testing site near the nation’s busiest pedestrian border crossing in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

trol the number of COVID-19 cases both on campus and in the city. With the testing

being free, there is a limit to the number of people who will be allowed to be tested.

The wonders of Minneopa

President Davenport is encouraging people to pre-register with the link

provided in his email.

The testing event comes in response to the increasing case numbers throughout the state that took place in August.

According to the CDC website, Minnesota has increased its number of cases by 5,566 within the past seven days.

By comparison, Blue Earth County gained 10.1 more cases from Aug. 9 to Aug. 15.

Junior Kristin Olson was tested earlier in the summer because of her job and her experience was much like other people’s. After connecting with Mankato Clinic, she was able to schedule an appointment for the same day.

Olson described the clinic as, “clean and empty,” with all workers inside the clinic using appropriate PPE gear and allowing one patient in at a time until they

COVID page 2

Football player faces charges JENNA PETERSON NEWS EDITOR

MOHAMED SEKKAT STAFF WRITER The Land of 10,000 lakes has been offered a lot more than just lakes by mother nature.

Have you heard of Minneopa State Park? If you haven’t, and if you’re a fan of spending time outdoors, this is your lucky day.

Minneopa State Park is

IN THIS ISSUE:

Photo by Kjerstin Hall/MSU Reporter

home to the largest waterfall in southern Minnesota, and to a herd of the biggest mammal in North America the Bison.

This State Park in total has an area of 58 acres and has two access points; the first access point is off County Highway 69 leading

you straight to the breathtaking sight of the waterfall.

On this side of the park, you can hike a half-mile trail that leads you in and out of the basin of the waterfall

FALLS page 2

Photo courtesy Maverick Athletics

a decision to make. They can either graduate at the end of the semester in December as they have planned, or they can continue their education at the University and play in the spring and fall, using up their last year of athletic eligibility.

Minnesota State Associate Director of Communications Paul Allan and football head coach Todd Hoffner are currently gathering more information and have no comment at this time.

PAGE PAGESPORTSTO AREDO CANCELLED THEATRE TO STAY OPEN WHAT STOMPER’S page 14 page 19 6 10 AROUND CAMPUS CINEMA RETURNS

PAGE STUDENT GOV’T PRESIDENT

TIKTOK BAN - page ON COVID-19 42

A member of Minnesota State University, Mankato’s football team is facing charges in South Dakota for driving under the influence after he was involved in a crash that sent one man to the hospital Aug. 23.

According to the Brookings Register newspaper, Brayden Thomas, a standout defensive end, faces charges of DUI, careless driving and operating a vehicle without headlights.

According to the Register, Thomas’ vehicle hit a pickup driven by Mark Daniel Olson of Sioux Falls on I-29 near mile marker 132.

Both cars sustained damage. Thomas was uninjured while Olson was transported to a Sioux Falls hospital.

Thomas is currently enrolled in classes and is set to graduate in December. Due to his last season being canceled by the pandemic, Thomas and other graduating seniors have

2 • MSU Reporter

News

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

First direct Israel-UAE flight lands in Abu Dhabi amid deal ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Star of David-adorned El Al plane flew from Israel to the United Arab Emirates on Monday, carrying a high-ranking American and Israeli delegation to Abu Dhabi in the first-ever direct commercial passenger flight between the two countries.

The Israeli flag carrier’s flight marked the implementation of the historic U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between the two nations and solidifies the long-clandestine ties between them that have evolved over years of shared enmity toward Iran.

With the U.S. as matchmaker, Israel and the Emirates agreed earlier this month to work toward normalization, which would make it the third Arab nation to have full relations with Israel, after Egypt and Jordan. Unlike those two nations, Israel has never fought a war against the UAE and hopes to have much-warmer relations.

The American delegation included President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, as well as national security adviser Robert O’Brien. Israel was represented by national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and other top officials.

At an airport ceremony in Abu Dhabi, Kushner called the visit a “historic breakthrough” and expressed hope this “will be the first of many” such flights.

“There is great urgency between the people of both countries to break down old barriers, to get to know each other, to form new and hopefully very deep friendships,” he said.

State television in Abu Dhabi broke into its broadcast to show the airplane on the tarmac and aired the comments of all officials, including Ben-Shabbat, who spoke in Ar-

abic and Hebrew. No Emirati officials spoke at the ceremony.

“We came here in broad daylight and before the eyes of all in a plane bearing the flag of Israel along with our American friends,” Ben-Shabbat said. “Israel and the UAE have much in common. Our region is full of challenges and threats. But we have the strength and the ability to stand against them.”

The El Al flight, numbered LY971 after the UAE’s international calling code number, flew into Saudi Arabian airspace shortly after takeoff and later passed over the capital, Riyadh. That marked another historic first for Israel and signaled acquiescence by the kingdom for the UAE’s move.

“They were very gracious to allow us to fly over their airspace, which they’ve never done before, for an Israeli commercial plane,” Kushner said.

He said he would be traveling to Saudi Arabia after the visit. Kushner and other officials have said they hope more Arab nations will follow the UAE in establishing ties with Israel, even without a peace agreement with the Palestinians.

Saudi King Salman, along with other Gulf Arab leaders to varying degrees, maintain their boycotts of Israel in support of Palestinians obtaining an independent state. Any regular flights between Israel and the UAE would require Saudi clearance to be profitable.

Otherwise the three hour, 20 minute flight would have taken more than seven hours.

The plane was decorated with the the words for peace in Arabic, Hebrew and English above the pilot’s window.

The Israeli delegation will stay in the capital, Abu Dhabi, for one night before returning home on El Al flight LY972, a reference to Israel’s

COVID

Continued from page 1 were in a separate room.

Everyone who showed up to the clinic had to wait outside in their cars before being checked in for their appointment.

“The test itself was much like they described it would be,” said Olson. “The swab felt like it was going into my sinuses, weird enough.”

It took only 48 hours for Olson to receive her results. She was also happy to note that the test was covered through her insurance.

Senior Amber Edick said she started to show symptoms one day, and after calling the Mankato Clinic the next

day she was able to schedule a same-day appointment.

Edick talked about the test itself as, “feeling like it was touching my brain.”

Edick was also able to get her test results in a timely 24 hours. She said her insurance covered some of the COVID-related services, but not all of them.

If you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms or have been exposed, it’s important to take advantage of the free testing and reserve your appointment.

international calling code.

Private jets have earlier flown between the two nations as part of covert talks, and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways flew cargo freighters to Israel before to deliver coronavirus aid to the Palestinians. But the high-profile flight Monday looked to place a solid stamp on the surprise Aug. 13 White House announcement of Israel and the UAE establishing ties.

Since then, telephone calls were connected, and the UAE’s ruler issued a decree formally ending the country’s decades-long boycott of Israel. Some Israeli firms have already signed deals with Emirati counterparts, and Monday’s visit is expected to usher in further business cooperation.

The UAE has touted the deal as a tool to force Israel into halting its contentious plan to annex parts of the West Bank sought by the Palestinians for their future state. It also may help the Emirates acquire advanced U.S. weapons systems that have been previously unattainable, such as the F-35 fighter jet. Currently, Israel is the only country in the region with the stealth warplanes.

The Palestinians, however, have fiercely opposed the normalization as peeling away one of their few advantages in moribund peace talks with Israel. Palestinians have held public protests and burned the UAE flag in anger.

Photo by Kjerstin Hall/MSU Reporter

FALLS

Continued from page 1 from where you can see water drop down from a height of 50 feet. This trail also contains an active Beaver colony.

The second side of this park is right off Highway 68 and takes you straight to the Bison Range.

On this side of the park you will be able to take a leisure drive through the Bison Range and get a close-up look at the herd.

Visitors can also drive up to the historic Seppmann

Grist Mill. This mill is names after a German immigrant from the 1800s who became a stonemason in Blue Earth County. With the help of some people, he was able to build the mill that stnads tody.

It is also highly recommended to pack a picnic lunch for you and your friends to enjoy out at the prairie or right by the waterfall, that is up to you to decide! Don’t hesitate, go check it out!

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

News

MSU Reporter • 3

Trump wades into racial tensions with visit to Kenosha, Wis. WASHINGTON (AP) — Claiming the mantle of the “law and order” candidate, President Donald Trump is offering himself as the leader best positioned to keep Americans safe, a day after Democratic rival Joe Biden assailed him over the deadly protests that have sprung up on his watch.

Trump is diving head-first into the latest eruption in the nation’s reckoning over racial injustice with a trip Tuesday — over the objections of local leaders — to Kenosha, Wisconsin, which has been riven by protests since the Aug. 23 shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, seven times in the back by police. Trump has defended a teenage supporter accused of fatally shooting two men in Kenosha last week and accused the former vice president of siding with “anarchists” and “rioters.”

Wisconsin’s Democratic governor, Tony Evers, who deployed the National Guard to quell demonstrations in response to the Blake shooting, pleaded with Trump to stay away for fear of straining tensions further. The White House said the president was expected to meet with law enforcement and tour “property affected by recent riots.”

“I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing. I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together,” Evers wrote in a letter to Trump.

Trump insisted his appearance could “increase enthusiasm” in Wisconsin, perhaps the most hotly contested battleground state in the presidential race, as the White House said he “wants to visit hurting Americans.” He was expected to take credit for calling in the National Guard — an act taken by Evers — and for surging federal law enforcement to the city to restore the peace. The White House said Trump was not going to meet with Blake’s family.

“I am a tremendous fan of law enforcement and I want to thank law enforcement,” Trump told Fox News in an interview Monday night.

“They’ve done a good job.”

Trump suggested that some police officers “choke” when faced with challenging situations and compared them to golfers who “miss a 3-foot putt.”

Biden, in his most direct attacks yet, accused Trump earlier Monday of causing the divisions that have ignited the violence. He delivered an uncharacteristically blistering speech in Pittsburgh and distanced himself from radical forces involved in altercations.

Biden said of Trump:

President Donald Trump speaks at a news conference in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

“He doesn’t want to shed light, he wants to generate heat, and he’s stoking violence in our cities. He can’t stop the violence because for years he’s fomented it.”

Trump, for his part, reiterated that he blames radical troublemakers stirred up and backed by Biden. But when he was asked about one of his own supporters who was charged with killing two men during the mayhem in Kenosha, Trump declined to denounce the killings and suggested that the 17-year-old suspect, Kyle Rittenhouse, was acting in self-defense.

After a confrontation in which he fatally shot one man, police say, Rittenhouse fell while being chased by people trying to disarm him. A second person was shot and killed.

“That was an interesting situation,” Trump said Monday during a news conference Monday. “He was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like, and he fell. And then they very violently attacked him. ... He was in very big trouble. He would have been — you probably would’ve been killed.”

Biden saw Trump’s impact far differently, accusing the president of “poisoning” the nation’s values.

In a statement after Trump’s news conference but before his Fox News remarks, Biden said: “Tonight, the president declined to rebuke violence. He wouldn’t even repudiate one of his supporters who is charged with murder because of his attacks on others. He is too weak, too scared of the hatred he has stirred to put an end to it.”

Trump and his campaign team have seized upon the unrest in Kenosha, as well as in Portland, Oregon, where a Trump supporter was shot

and killed, leaning hard into a defense of law and order while suggesting that Biden is beholden to extremists.

Trump aides believe that tough-on-crime stance will help him with voters and that the more the national discourse is about anything other than the coronavirus, the better it is for the president.

In the interview with Fox, Trump insisted that if he were not president, “you would have riots like you’ve never seen.”

In Pittsburgh, Biden resoundingly condemned violent protesters and called for their prosecution — addressing a key Trump critique.

“It’s lawlessness, plain

and simple. And those who do it should be prosecuted,” Biden said. And he leaned on his own 47-year career in politics to defend himself against Republican attacks.

“You know me. You know my heart. You know my story, my family’s story,” he said.

“Ask yourself: Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters? Really?”

The former vice president also tried to refocus the race on what has been its defining them — Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic that has left more than 180,000 Americans dead — after a multiday onslaught by the president’s team to make

the campaign about the violence rattling American cities.

Worried Democrats, including some inside his own campaign, have pushed Biden to deal with the violence head on and at greater length, though he had previously condemned it. With Trump pounding the issue in his convention speech, which was then followed by more bloodshed over the weekend, many in Biden’s party, still shell-shocked by the 2016 loss, urged Biden to get ahead of the rare issue that has broken through the national focus on the pandemic.

4 • MSU Reporter

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

FALL 2020 EDITOR IN CHIEF:

MAXWELL MAYLEBEN maxwell.mayleben@mnsu.edu

TikTok’s forced sale benefits corporations, not consumers

MADISON DIEMERT

madison.diemert@mnsu.edu

MAXWELL MAYLEBEN EDITOR IN CHIEF I love TikTok. The app has provided me with hours upon hours of entertainment that rivals that of Vine and even YouTube. The one minute-long limit to each video gives creators enough just enough time to make innovative and interesting content, while still being extremely consumable on a large scale.

The app has come under much scrutiny lately due to its ties with the Chinese government and fears of data mining, propagating the Chinese government, and censoring anti-Chinese rhetoric.

The Trump administration aims to ban the app’s usage in the United States, due to these purported security threats.

There is one caveat; the app won’t be banned if purchased by an American company.

This is madness.

If we follow this from a free market train of thought, which I am often keen to do, then we as people agree to use the app, and if we were uncomfortable with the dangers that it may face, then we can choose to not use it.

Additionally, if another, larger company came along and decided to purchase TikTok on their own volition, then they should be free to do so.

We as consumers have chosen that we are okay with the “risk” and continue to use the application.

Where I find issue is that the selling of the app does not solve the original problem of security concerns. It simply

NEWS EDITOR: Jenna Peterson jenna.peterson-3@mnsu.edu SPORTS EDITOR: Mel Stramm merle.stramm@mnsu.edu A&E EDITOR: Kolby Spomer kolby.spomer@mnsu.edu WEB/PHOTO EDITOR: Mansoor Ahmad mansoor.ahmad@mnsu.edu ADVERTISING SALES: Calli Seston 507-389-5451 calli.seston@mnsu.edu Anna Lillie 507-389-1063 anna.lillie@mnsu.edu Kali Andriano-Allard 507-389-6765 kali.andriano-allard@mnsu.edu BUSINESS MANAGER: Jane Tastad 507-389-1926 jane.tastad@mnsu.edu

takes the power of data mining and propaganda away from a Chinese-controlled entity and gifts it to a U.S. run company.

Why not instead of replacing one unethical corporation with another, use the powers that the government has to create regulations on mining consumer data. This

would mean that ethical behavior is upheld by all companies, whether they are foreign owned or domestic.

The way I see it, the government can’t have it both ways. They need to decide if TikTok is a danger to the American public, and if it is, outright ban it. If Tik-

Tok is not dangerous, then they should not interfere and force the sale of the company.

The very idea of the government forcing a business to sell to another business is unethical and anti-American, and we as consumers should not stand for it.

“What do you think about TikTok?” Compiled by Maxwell Mayleben

EVERETT FITZSIMMONS, FRESHMAN

DEVIN SCHMITZ, FRESHMAN “I’m hardly on the app.”

“I think there are way too many pansies on TikTok.”

EMILY NIERENGARTEN, FRESHMAN “I’m not obsessed with it, but it’s fun to watch.”

AUDREY JOHNSON, FRESHMAN

SYDNEY NINKE, FRESHMAN

“I just like trying to get famous off of comments.”

“I mean it’s entertaining to watch, but I’m not really a social media person.”

ADVERTISING DESIGN/ PRODUCTION MANAGER: Dana Clark 507-389-2793 dana.clark@mnsu.edu

• If you have a complaint, suggestion or would like to point out an error made in the Reporter, contact Editor in Chief Maxwell Mayleben at maxwell.mayleben@mnsu.edu.

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 studentrun 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.

THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THE MSU REPORTER ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OR STUDENT BODY.

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

News

MSU Reporter • 5

Students left out of the first stimulus check, what about the next?

CHRISTIAN LOHRENZ STAFF WRITER Naturally, one of the last things students want to think about in their second week of school is money. However, given the circumstances this semester is under, it is a hard subject to avoid. Whether you are a first-year student moving into the dorms or a returning student, the job market is in flux here in Mankato.

For some students who are at odds, it seems there is a need for a kind of intervention.

In April, Congress moved the first stimulus bill into action. To the dismay of many,

the first stimulus bill skipped over children who were over 16, college students under the age of 24, or “non-resident aliens” which at the time excluded international students. There has been continued discussion in Congress for the need of a second bill for several months, yet there has been no action.

Why hasn’t congress passed a bill granting a second round of stimulus checks? Well the answer won’t surprise you. Republicans and Democrats have had a difficult time coming to any kind of an agreement on the ramifications of the bill.

Democrats have been pushing

for a larger relief fund near the price range of $2.4 trillion, ($1 trillion less than the first bill). Republicans have found this cost far too high and have looked to negotiate passing a more watered-down bill before the August recess. Their suggested bill would be less than $1 trillion but would exclude funding to many of the areas Democrats feel need funding, such as the US Postal Service.

Now where does this leave college students? In the times of COVID-19, social distancing, and continued limited capacity businesses, how are students supposed to get money? “I’m able to donate plas-

ma currently” stated Hunter Theisen, fourth year Mechanical Engineering student at MNSU “but setting aside time to work this semester is going to be hard.” It seems the bill in question would offer a huge benefit to students, whom under the Democrat proposal would be likely to receive the full $1,200 with a capacity of three dependents. The Republican bill offers the same $500 for dependents within the family without a max per family.

Congress will break on Labor Day and will reconvene later in September. Recent news suggests that due to their several trillion-dollar

difference it is unlikely that a bill will get passed before this break, which kicks the can down the road. It seems that the stage has been set for very intense debate when they reconvene in mid-September.

Being that this is a high publicity election year though, some believe that this whole issue may get pushed and pushed until after the election, which would result in a great struggle from numerous families across the country, and several students at MNSU.

Minnesota officials warn against gatherings amid case growth MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota health officials warned Monday against social gatherings ahead of the Labor Day weekend following a visit from a top White House COVID-19 adviser as case growth continues to accelerate.

White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx met with state officials Sunday as part of a series of nationwide visits to asses states’ pandemic response. Health Commissioner

Jan Malcolm said Birx cited the state’s case growth and community transmission as concerns, and urged action before the weather turns colder and people spend more time indoors.

“We have not improved, and that was Dr. Birx’s big concern and big message to us and big question to us,” Malcolm said on a call with reporters. “The greater metropolitan area here in Minnesota stands out to the federal government as one of the few

urban areas that has not seen cases decrease in a concerning number of weeks.”

The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Minnesota has risen over the past two weeks from 7.2% on Aug. 16 to 9.08% on Aug. 30, according to data from The COVID Tracking Project.

Malcolm said the positivity rate showed cases are increasing faster than the testing rate for the first time, and new cases per 100,000 have climbed above the national average.

The state’s infectious diseases director, Kris Ehresmann, said state officials have seen good compliance with masks and social distancing in grocery stores and other retail settings, but informal gatherings statewide are contributing to significant community spread. Outbreaks have been linked to 29 social gatherings like parties, weddings and funerals in August, and more than 500 cases have been linked to social events since June.

“There’s a whole range of different types of activities that have been associated with cases, and some of them are outside and some of them are not but the bottom line is it’s situations in which people are not following the guidance,” Ehresmann said. “If you’re not following the guidance, that is what really leads to transmission.”

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6 • MSU Reporter

News

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Bored after classes? Need a

Here are some great hangout spots near ca

Want to shoot some hoops with-

out having to reserve a court at the Rec Center? This place is perfect for COVID er

B-Ball. Being outside, it is a safe and fun place to enjoy the outdoo and get active.

Get into nature at Rasmussen Woods is just down the hill from campus on Stoltzman Road. This park highlights the most enjoyable activities when being outside — there are hiking trails, a wildlife viewing spot, and a nature center.

The park is open to the public yearround to help you spend your desired time outside.

If you’re looking to spend some time studying while also wanting to enjoy the nice weather, the lawn outside Memorial Library is the perfect place. There are trees spread out across the lawn for you to set up your hammock and do some homework or relax. Don’t have a hammock? Grab some friends, food and a blanket and enjoy the weather with a socially distant picnic.

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

News

MSU Reporter • 7

break from the dorm room?

ampus to check out and meet new people!

Another perfect place on campus to relax is the PA Lawn. The Marso-Schmitz Plaza is a great to set up a hammock, work on homework, relax or watch pickup volleyball games. Students can check out a volleyball from their dorm’s front desk and play as much as they’d like on the court. This is a great way for students to meet new people.

-

e

s ra

e ors

Looking for something fun to do?

Look no further than U Square.

In this strip mall located across from Taylor Center there are numerous food shops to kick all of your cravings, whether it be something sweet or something spicy. Catch a flick at the reopened AMC movie theatre

8 • MSU Reporter

News

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Detroit turns island park into COVID-19 memorial garden DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit island park was transformed Monday into a drive-thru COVID-19 victims memorial as policy makers across the U.S. moved forward with plans to reopen schools and public spaces.

Hearses led processions around Belle Isle Park in the Detroit River, where more than 900 large photos of local coronavirus victims provided by relatives were turned into posters and staked into the ground.

As the death toll continued to rise around the world, officials announced plans to bring children back to school in Rhode Island, allow diners back inside New Jersey restaurants and let fans watch football inside an Iowa college stadium.

New COVID-19 cases were linked to travelers on vacation in Europe and the head of the World Health Organization cautioned against opening societies too quickly. Nearly 1,000 inmates at a Tennessee prison tested positive.

More than 847,000 people worldwide have perished from the virus and more than 25.3 million have contracted it, according to Johns Hopkins University — figures experts say understate the true toll due to limited testing, missed mild cases and other factors.

D E T R O I T COVID VICTIMS The pictures in the Detroit park showed those who died of COVID-19 during better times: Darrin Adams at his college graduation; Daniel Aldape catching a fish; Shirley Frank with an Elvis impersonator; and Veronica Davis crossing the finish line at a race.

They had “dreams and plans and a story,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said at the park. “They weren’t finished yet.”

Detroit’s director of arts and culture, Rochelle Riley, said officials hope the memorial will “wake people up to the devastating effect of the pandemic” and also “bring some peace to families whose loved ones didn’t have the funerals they deserved.”

LABOR DAY Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, said Labor Day weekend will be key in determining whether the U.S. gets a “running start” at containing the coronavirus this fall.

Fauci said Monday he has a “great deal of faith in the American people” to wash their hands, practice social distancing, wear masks, avoid crowds, and congregate outside during the weekend celebrations.

He said it’s important

A procession of vehicles drive past photos of Detroit victims of COVID-19, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020 on Belle Isle in Detroit. Families have a chance to take one last public look at their lost loved ones in the nation’s first citywide memorial to honor victims of the pandemic.

Mourners will join 14 consecutive funeral processions to drive past nearly 900 large poster-sized photos of their loved ones staked around the island. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

to avoid a surge in coronavirus cases like those seen after the Memorial Day and July 4th holidays.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL President Donald Trump’s new pandemic adviser, Dr. Scott Atlas said he believes college football should be played this year even though many universities have canceled all fall sports.

Atlas, appearing with Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Monday in Tallahassee, said stadiums have plenty of room for distancing.

“The communities of college towns depend on these activities,” Atlas said.

Iowa State said it will allow about 25,000 season-ticket holders to attend that team’s opener in Ames against Louisiana-Lafayette on Sept. 12 , despite rising COVID-19 numbers in Iowa.

Iowa State Athletic director Jamie Pollard told fans in a letter that they will be required to wear face coverings and that tailgating will be banned.

Pollard asked that fans respect others’ wishes for distancing.

The decision came as Iowa continues to struggle with the virus spreading in several counties.

BACK TO SCHOOL In Rhode Island, all but two public school districts have been given the go-ahead to resume in-person classes when schools reopen in two weeks.

Only Providence and the Providence suburb of Central Falls did not meet metrics required for reopening. The two cities have had the state’s highest coronavirus infection rates.

Gov. Gina Raimondo said reopening schools is not risk-free but that she

expects children will return to the classroom.

COLLEGE CLOSING In Northern California, California State University, Chico has switched to online the limited number of in-person classes it was offering.

The move came after at least 30 people tested positive for the coronavirus three days after the fall semester started.

University President Gayle Hutchinson said students in campus housing must leave by the weekend.

R E S T A U RANTS OPENING In New Jersey, indoor dining with limited capacity will resume at restaurants Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced.

Restaurants will be allowed 25% capacity under the new rules, which includes maintaining social distancing between tables.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS The United Nations chief said the pandemic has deepened inequality between men and women and reversed “decades of limited and fragile progress on gender equality and women’s rights.”

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said during a virtual town hall meeting on Monday that 70 to 90 per cent of healthcare workers are women but only 30 percent have decision-making roles, He also said the pandemic has also impacted physical and mental health, education, and employment.

“Today, millions of teenage girls around the world are out of school, and there are alarming reports of an increase in teenage pregnancies in some countries,” he said. “We know from the Ebola outbreak

in West Africa that when teenage girls leave school, they may never return.”

TENNESSEE PRISON OUTBREAK Nearly 1,000 inmates at a Tennessee prison have tested positive for COVID-19, corrections officials said.

Officials tested 1,410 inmates at South Central Correctional Facility late last week after several inmates and staff began showed symptons, the Tennessee Department of Correction said in a statement.

As of late Monday afternoon, 974 of the inmates had tested positive while another 189 results were pending for the prisoners housed at the lockup run by private prison company Corecivic, the statement said.

FEDERAL PRISON VISITS The federal Bureau of Prisons will begin allowing inmates to have visitors again in October, nearly seven months after visits were

suspended at the 122 federal prisons across the U.S., according to a memo obtained

by The Associated Press.

The visitation plan — detailed in a memo to senior bureau officials on Monday — instructed wardens to “immediately begin developing local procedures to reinstate social visiting.”

Social visiting is scheduled to begin no later than Oct. 3.

Physical contact will be prohibited, according to the memo.

Inmates and visitors would be required to wear face coverings and visitors would have their temperatures taken and would be questioned about whether they have shown any coronavirus-related symptoms.

EUROPE VACATION INFECTIONS British authorities said 16 coronavirus cases have been linked to a flight that brought U.K. tourists back from Greece.

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Tuesday, September 1, 2020

News

MSU Reporter • 9

New focus for campaign: Will Biden or Trump keep you safer?

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The battle over who can keep Americans safe after recent deadly protests has emerged as the sharpest dividing line for the presidential campaign’s final weeks, with Joe Biden on Monday condemning the violence and President Donald Trump defending a supporter accused of fatally shooting two men.

While the president blamed Biden, his Democratic foe, for siding with “anarchists,” Biden, in his most direct attacks yet, accused Trump of causing the divisions that have ignited the violence. He delivered an uncharacteristically blistering speech and distanced himself from radical forces involved in altercations.

Biden said of Trump: “He doesn’t want to shed light, he wants to generate heat, and he’s stoking violence in our cities. He can’t stop the violence because for years he’s fomented it.”

Trump blames radical troublemakers whom he says are stirred up and backed by Biden. But when he was asked about one of his own supporters who was charged with killing two men during the mayhem in Kenosha, Wisconsin, he declined to denounce the killings and suggested that 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse was acting in self-defense.

After a confrontation in which he fatally shot one man, police say, Rittenhouse fell while being chased by people trying to disarm him.

“That was an interesting situation,” said Trump. “He was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like, and he fell. And then they very violently attacked him. ... He was in very big trouble. He would have been — you probably would’ve been killed.”

Trump’s refusal to condemn the shootings could add to tensions in Kenosha when he visits Tuesday. He’s going despite pleas from Wisconsin’s Democratic governor to stay away for fears of sparking further tumult.

In Kenosha, the National Guard has been deployed to quell demonstrations in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man.

Trump said his appearance could “increase enthusiasm” in Wisconsin, which is a hotly contested battleground state in the presidential race.

Biden saw Trump’s impact far differently, accusing the president of “poisoning” the nation’s values.

In a statement after Trump’s news conference comments, he said: “Today, I traveled to Pittsburgh to explain how the president was making America less safe — on COVID,

on the economy, on crime, on racism, on violence — and reiterated my clear message that violence is not the answer to any of these problems. ...

“Tonight, the president declined to rebuke violence. He wouldn’t even repudiate one of his supporters who is charged with murder because of his attacks on others. He is too weak, too scared of the hatred he has stirred to put an end to it.”

In Pittsburgh, the former vice president also tried to refocus the race on what has been its defining theme — Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic that has left more than 180,000 Americans dead — after a multi-day onslaught by the president’s team to make the campaign about the violence rattling American cities.

Biden himself has largely remained near his home in Delaware to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but he stepped out in a new phase of his campaign on Monday, making a speech in Pittsburgh and a brief stop at a local firehouse.

Trump and his campaign team believe that the more the national discourse is about anything other than the virus, the better it is for the president. They have seized upon the recent unrest in Portland, Oregon — where a Trump supporter was shot and killed — and Kenosha, leaning hard into a defense of law and order while suggesting that Biden is powerless to stop extremists.

Biden rejected the charge, firmly decrying the clashes.

Set aside Monday were his lofty appeals about the “soul of the nation,” a staple of his usual stump speech, replaced by an urgent call for action and and his fierce accusation that Trump was a “toxic presence in this nation for four years” who was “poisoning the values this nation has always held dear, poisoning our very democracy.”

The president and his team continued to hammer away on what they believe is a powerful electoral argument, contending that Biden is in thrall to leftist forces and emphasizing chaotic protest images they believe could send worried suburban and senior voters back to Trump’s column.

“Just watched what Biden had to say,” Trump tweeted soon after the former vice president concluded his remarks in Pittsburgh. “To me, he’s blaming the Police far more than he’s blaming the Rioters, Anarchists, Agitators, and Looters, which he could never blame or he would lose the Radical Left Bernie supports!”

Biden has been pushed by worried Democrats — including some voices inside his own

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at campaign event at Mill 19 in Pittsburgh, Pa., Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

campaign — to deal with the violence head-on and at greater length, though he had previously condemned it. With Trump pounding the issue in his convention speech, which was then followed by more bloodshed over the weekend, many in Biden’s party, still shell-shocked by 2016, urged the former vice president to get ahead of the rare issue that has broken through the national focus on the pandemic.

But Biden didn’t just play defense, he went on the attack.

Following up his Democratic convention address, in which he didn’t mention Trump’s name, Biden on Monday invoked Trump’s name 32 times, directly assailing the president in remarks that seemed intended to silence worries in his party and the Beltway’s chattering class. He pulled no punches about the violence.

“It’s lawlessness, plain and simple. And those who do it should be prosecuted,” Biden said. And he leaned on his own 47-year career in politics to defend himself against Republican attacks.

“You know me. You know my heart. You know my story, my family’s story. Ask yourself: Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters? Really?”

He declared that even as Trump is “trying to scare America,” what’s really causing the nation’s fear is Trump’s own failures.

“You want to talk about fear? They’re afraid they’re going to get COVID, they’re afraid they’re going to get sick and die,” Biden said.

For months, Trump has tried to distract from the pandemic, and at times he seemed to receive slight positive bumps in support when

touting the possible economic recovery. But other attempts to change the narrative with cultural wedge issues fell flat, including a defense of Confederate monuments, and polling suggested that Trump was far out of step with the Black Lives Matter movement, which enjoyed wide public support.

Though a law and order push backfired when the president cleared Lafayette Square, near the White House, of peaceful protesters in early June, the Trump campaign has seized on the violence as a means to drive up Biden’s negatives and bring home dis-

enchanted suburban voters.

The former vice president’s speech Monday appeared to jump-start the general election campaign a week ahead of its normal Labor Day kickoff, as both Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, will begin venturing out despite the pandemic. Biden, who may make his own visit to Wisconsin this week, has missed the glad-handing of a traditional campaign and managed to have a brief moment of retail politics when he delivered pizzas to Pittsburgh firefighters.

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10 • MSU Reporter

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

ART, MUSIC, FOOD, MOVIES, SPORTS, GAMING, & ALL THE REST

Stomper’s Cinema remains open

Student Events Team keeps movie goers happy amidst pandemic AMANDA FILREIS STAFF WRITER These are interesting times we are living in to say the least. There have been multiple changes made in a variety of areas, the movie theater is no exception.

For the Stomper’s Cinema events that take place pretty much every weekend evening.

Movies would be screened in the auditorium located in the Student Union, with free admission for the students.

While the core has stayed the same when compared to the experience of last year, things have to change to match what’s needed at the time. Some of the more obvious ones are wearing masks during the events, staying six feet away from others, and screens placed in front of the concession stands.

Cinema specific alterations involve buying tickets in advance to ensure that the new capacity limit isn’t exceeded among other reasons.

When entering the auditorium, tickets have to be shown before entry can be permitted.

The amount of people that can be in the auditorium at a time has naturally decreased. Before the beginning of the cur-

Stomper’s Cinema is now open for MNSU students following COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines. This photo was taken before the pandemic. (Photo courtesy of Student Events Team)

rent semester, the school had removed some of the seats in said screening area to ensure a minimum of six feet between

viewers was met.

The selection of the movies they present has also been impacted. One of the things

the team has to keep in mind during the meetings is what their licensing provider has available for them. Rights are

CINEMA page 11

Otto Rec Center’s new social distancing restrictions MEL STRAMM VARIETY EDITOR Minnesota State University’s Otto Recreation Center is officially open, but certain changes have been put in place that might throw returning students for a loop.

Instead of students being able to walk through the gate and scan their MavCard for access, access to Otto Rec must now be gained via an online reservation system.

To use the facilities (including the field house, pool and rec center) students can simply go on the Campus Rec website (mankato.mnsu.edu/university-life/campus-recreation) and book a time slot a day in advance. The registration system also generates automatic email reminders and calendar invites to make personal scheduling easier.

In order to adhere to state capacity regulations, the weight room was split up into two parts: the north and the south weight room, with each

being treating as its own room for capacity purposes.

The university installed new flooring as well as 11 new pieces of workout and cardio machines in the space formerly used as a TV lounge. Machines in both weight rooms are kept far enough apart to allow for social distancing. The capacity for the south weight room as well as the upstairs cardio area is currently at 25 people, while the north room holds 11.

The courts and track in Myers Field House are also open to students for booking time slots. Also, Campus Recreation is able to offer group exercise classes.

As of right now, most classes are held outside since the inside capacity is only at eight students per class. Students must also register online for these classes. The group exercise schedule is set for the first six weeks of classes in order for Campus Rec to stay flexible.

For students who can’t come to campus, Pennington

Photo courtesy of Campus Rec’s Facebook page

Hall is currently in the process of becoming Zoom friendly.

Using Zoom, students who live off-campus can take part in exercise classes remotely.

Campus Rec also offers online workout videos on YouTube.

In terms of sanitary changes, Campus Rec is following university regulations for social

OTTO page 11

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Variety

MSU Reporter • 11

Chadwick Boseman, who embodied Black icons, dies of cancer LOS ANGELES (AP) — First Chadwick Boseman slipped on the cleats of Jackie Robinson, then the Godfather of Soul’s dancing shoes, portraying both Black American icons with a searing intensity that commanded respect.

When the former playwright suited up as Black Panther, he brought cool intellectual gravitas to the Marvel superhero whose “Wakanda forever!” salute reverberated worldwide.

As his Hollywood career boomed, though, Boseman was privately undergoing “countless surgeries and chemotherapy” to battle colon cancer, his family said in a statement announcing his death at age 43 on Friday. He’d been diagnosed at stage 3 in 2016 but never spoke publicly

about it.

The cancer was there when his character T’Challa visited the ancestors’ “astral plane” in poignant scenes from the Oscar-nominated “Black Panther,” there when he first became a producer on the action thriller “21 Bridges,” and there last summer when he shot an adaptation of a play by his hero August Wilson.

It was there when he played a radical Black leader — seen only in flashbacks and visions — whose death is mourned

by Vietnam War comrades-in-arms in Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods.”

“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much,” his family said.

“It was the honor of

CINEMA

Continued from page 10 required to show any movie. During the Student Events Team weekly meetings, a selection of ten or so movies are brought in and voted on to help narrow down the candidates. Normally popular movies that haven’t yet been released for home release are the ones to be chosen. Due to recent events, things have become more complicated. Even getting the recent string of throwbacks has become trickier. Studios currently aren’t able to create & release new films as they have in the past.

When looking at the concessions, the only product that’s truly altered in anyway is the popcorn. The popcorn was popped fresh during the events during the previous years. As of now, the popcorn they sell has to be premade in bags that are seemingly larger than they

were before.

“These changes are necessary but tricky sometimes,” commented Lily Koch, Student Events team member, when asked about her thoughts about the current state of affairs.

The changes don’t seem to have an impact student’s decision to attend. The price is just right for them. Especially since it’s much cheaper when compared to other movie theater franchises.

It does take some getting used to but it’s perfectly understandable. Better safe than sorry as the saying goes.

“We try to keep things as normal as possible,” stated team member Will Keebler, “As long as you got your mask and ticket, you should have a nice time.”

OTTO

Continued from page 10 distancing. That means masks need to be worn unless you are actually exercising (exerting yourself) in the appropriate areas. While students are expected to clean their own areas, facilities management has increased cleaning in high-risk and high-use areas.

As of right now, intramural sports are supposed to take place. Sports will probably be

limited to softball, four-onfour volleyball, and singles sports such as golf or tennis.

The rock wall will remain closed until a solution for sanitization can be found, since it is such a high-touch area.

Anyone with questions regarding Otto Rec Center use and safety can call 389-6125.

his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.” Boseman died at his home in the Los Angeles area with his wife and family by his side, his publicist Nicki Fioravante told The Associated Press.

Boseman is survived by his wife and a parent and had no children, Fioravante said.

Born and raised in South Carolina, where he played Little League baseball and AAU basketball, Boseman graduated from Howard University in Washington, D.C. He wrote plays, acted and directed in theater and had small roles in television before landing his breakthrough

A portrait of the late actor Chadwick Boseman as the character T’Challa in the 2018 film “Black Panther” is held by a participant in a news conference celebrating his life, Saturday, Aug. 29. 2020, in Los Angeles. Boseman died Friday at 43 after a four-year fight with colon cancer. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

role.

His striking portrayal of the color-line-demolishing baseball star Robinson opposite Harrison Ford in 2013’s

“42” drew attention in Hollywood and made him a star. A year later, he wowed audiences as Brown in the biopic “Get On Up.”

12 • MSU Reporter

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