September 17, 2015

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

Depression screening available to students

INSIDE

College can be difficult; it is important to seek the right help.

NEWS:

Could a fox be your next furry friend?

JAMIE KANKAALA Staff Writer Depression is becoming a more acknowledged and accepted illness and people seem to be taking it more seriously as more and more people show symptoms. According to www.nimh.nih. gov, a survey showed that “30 percent of college students reported being so depressed that it was difficult to function.” The same site also states that depression is the third leading cause of death in teens and young adults ages 15-24. Depression is a very serious illness and should not be taken lightly.

With the constant stresses of school assignments, financial issues, work, social problems, etc., it is completely common for anyone to feel upset and overwhelmed at times. However, these things can sometimes become way

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A&E: huffingtonpost.com

too much to handle which can cause someone to feel a loss of interest, experience weight changes, become easily agitated or tired, feel worthless or guilty, or even have thoughts of suicide. According to www.depression. about.com, these are all major symptoms of depression.

If you feel like you might have any sort of depression symptoms or just want to learn more about the illness, Sept. 28 is Depression Screening Day at Mankato State University, Mankato. For enrolled students, the Coun-

seling Center is offering on opportunity for students to walk in for free screening. Students will complete a written questionnaire and discuss the results with a mental health professional. There is no need to worry about judgments because the screenings are anonymous and completely confidential. If you are confused about the signs and symptoms, free educational material about mood and anxiety disorders will be provided as well. The Counseling Center will also be able to connect students to the right

resources if needed. Also, if you have a friend that you are worried about, this may be the perfect first step for their recovery. Do not take depression symptoms lightly. There is no harm in receiving a little help.

The screenings will be held Monday, Sept. 28 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Counseling Center in the CSU, room 285.

Spread the word and help fight the war against depression. If you have any further questions you can email miranda.hellenbrand@mnsu. edu or call 507-389-1455.

5 films every Engineering Major should see

Page 12

SPORTS:

Feature Photo: Diversity Is Happening at MSU (DISH) Fair

“The event, open to Minnesota State Mankato students of every culture and background, will feature a carnival-themed atmosphere that showcases a multicultural art gallery, a live steel drum band, games, prizes and free food.

Participants will learn about what services, events and programs diverse student organizations and departments have to offer.”

--Institutional Diversity

MSU Rugby kicks off season

Page 16

INDEX: Editorial..................................4 Where To Worship......10 A&E.......................................12 Sports.................................16

CONNECT: /msureporter Photo By Trevor Cokley

@msureporter

2 • MSU Reporter

News

Thursday, September 17, 2015

From MSU student to $55 million entrepreneur Fun.com CEO and MSU alum Tom Fallenstein’s success story.

GABE HEWITT Staff Writer MSU alum Tom Fallenstein’s mother stitched him a Super Mario Bros. 3 costume one Halloween during his childhood and he loved it.

He’s now giving others that same feeling at his multi-millionaire dollar costume company Fun.com.

Years later in the early 90s, he and his family started renting out that Mario costume and others his mother made for him and his three sisters.

“All my friends were asking if they could borrow the costumes,” he said.

The family rental service became more successful than they planned in the early 2000s and they began buying third party costumes to rent out. At this time, Fallenstein was a Computer Science student at MSU. He worked in the design department of The Reporter where the head designer at the time showed him tips for building a website. He used these skills to design his first website, flappercostumes.com, that displayed flapper costumes he was selling out of his dorm room. One of his two sisters modeled the costumes for the website.

“At that time, Yahoo! was the main search engine,” he said. “When you searched ‘flapper costumes,’ my website was the only result that came up.”

Fallenstein graduated from MSU in December 2004.

The costume rental business was still a side project and wasn’t pulling in enough for him to live off of. He was at a crossroads. Should he go out and get what he called a “real job” or turn his side business into a full enterprise? In preparation for a potential job search, Fallenstein and his mother went suit shopping.

He showed up at his mother’s house the next day dressed in the suit proclaiming his life to the costume business.

He and his family expanded the side business. What was originally a seasonal business turned into a yearround enterprise. Fallenstein hired an employee to help

him build websites and added several more domains to his business’ front. At one point, there were nearly 250 costumes hanging in his mother’s basement. Walls of the main floor of the house were adorned with photos of the costumes so that walk-in renters could show the family what they were interested in.

In October 2005, Fallenstein’s business became overwhelming. During the Halloween season, he couldn’t keep up with phone calls, emails, online orders and shipping and receiving product. He needed to take the next step.

And so he hired several more employees, including his mother, and moved his operations out of her basement to a 10,000 square foot building.

His next big milestone came in 2008 when he purchased the domain halloweencostumes.com for $1 million. This domain became an umbrella to his other numerous domains and with the success of his business, paid for itself nine months after its purchase. The name of the website gave his business much more flexibility as to what they could sell and that, in turn, increased sales. His business expanded further when he purchased the domains tshirts.com and what would become the umbrella of all his websites and current company name, Fun.com. He couldn’t disclose how much he purchased the fun.com domain for but said it was the most expensive domain he’s acquired.

Fallenstein, Fun.com’s CEO and president, never thought his operations out of his mother’s basement would become what it is today. The company’s main headquarters is located in a 200,000 square foot warehouse in North Mankato. There’s also a satellite location in Burnsville, Minn. A collection of costumes that was once 250 is now over 10,000, the largest in the world.

He hires 150 employees full-time and is looking to hire over 1700 seasonal employees. During a peak day in the Halloween season, the warehouse receives 40,000 orders from around the world.

The headquarters is a pop culture nerd’s dream. Surrounded by life-sized replicas of characters like Darth Vader and Rocket Raccoon, employees often discuss a multitude of topics including their favorite Disney movies. Conference rooms are themed to

fictional worlds like Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland.

The rest of the office space is decorated with countless pop culture trinkets.

“All the people here have something they’re passionate about,” Fallenstein said. “We encourage that. They get to be themselves and enjoy themselves.”

Fallenstein enjoys tapping into his employees’ and others’ passions. He strongly believes his company will get a priceless return from employees finding their passions.

“It is very hard to explain if you aren’t a part of it, but for those who work here it is a very special thing,” he said.

Although much of the company’s sales come from selling product bought from vendors, 25 percent of sales come from product made in-house. One popular item made at Fun.com are replicas of the shoes Marty McFly wore in the future in Back to the Future II. These and over 1,500 products are available exclusively at Fun.com.

Fallenstein is and has always been about executing ideas. Too often, people have ideas but don’t act on them, he said.

“If you have an idea, don’t wait for it. Do it now,” he said.

Although Fun.com is a profitable company, making $55 in revenue in 2014,

Photo Courtesy of Tom Fallenstein

Fallenstein still has competitors like Amazon and Party City. He knew getting into the costume business wouldn’t be easy.

“I could tell you all about the opportunities and the risk,” he said. “As long as I can focus on both and push

opportunity and mitigate risk, we’ll be okay.”

He believes he and his company’s love for Halloween and dressing up is unmatched. His love dates back to the Mario costume his mother stitched for him.

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MNSU.edu/LearningCommunities/CommonRead

Thursday, September 17, 2015

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MSU Reporter • 3

Syrian refugees in desperate search for safety One student uncovers the startling truth behind refugees.

AMANDA HINDE Staff Writer For the past four years war has ripped apart Syria with a vengeance. The resulting wave of migration recently of war refugees is something people in Europe are saying hasn’t been seen since World War II. Millions of Syrians are not only fleeing war in their own country but also fleeing prejudice and overcrowd-

countries, are refusing to help at a more personal level.

While the Gulf countries have donated tens of millions of dollars to help the refugees in such places as Turkey and Jordan many are saying that’s not enough.

On the opposite side of the scale there are countries such as Lebanon who have opened their door so much for the many refugees that at least one in five people in Lebanon is a Syrian refugee. However, as rosy as this all sounds it’s not so rosy in person. Syrian refugees are persecuted everywhere they go, even in the countries granting them asylum. Horrendous living conditions in makeshift refugee camps and food shortages also lead people to take measures into

“As much as people are crying out for help from more stable and proactive countries such as the United States, some are asking why some of Syria’s closest neighbors...are refusing to help at a more personal level.” ed refugee camps. Together with arguing countries on who should be helping more and who should be helping less, has lead to stagnation where there should be action.

Our very own Tomasz Inglot, director of international relations and professor of political science had much to say on the subject of the Syrian Refugee Crisis. Inglot has been a professor at MSU for the past 21 years and was born in Poland. His extensive trips to Europe, as recently as this past July, and first hand contacts through friends in Hungary has given him an angle of the recent crisis better than most here at MSU. “The war has been going on for a while and people have not been leaving in these great of numbers so far,” said Inglot. “In Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey the Syrian refugees have been absorbed, but in places such as Turkey they won’t be able to stay there for very long due to crowdedness.”

As much as people are crying out for help from more stable and proactive countries such as the United States, some are asking why some of Syria’s closest neighbors, explicitly the Gulf

their own hands. With this overcrowding and shortages of basic human necessities in Jordan and Turkey refugee camps many refugees have taken drastic measures to escape. Pictures of the drowned toddler have covered the Internet, giving the Syrian Refugee Crisis its place finally in the forefront.

“People [the refugees] have this idea of Europe being open and tolerant, which is not always the case,” mused Inglot. “Many European countries are very conservative in the aspect of immigrants in their country, let alone people from a country that they know little to none about.”

Elizabeth Lohrenz, the interim recruitment and retention specialist in the Kearney International Center here on campus was open and willing to talk on the subject of the Syrian Refugee Crisis: “My opinion is that this crisis is going to be a long process, many people thought that it would just work itself out but that just isn’t the case right now.”

With Lohrenz’s connection to the International Center she has seen first hand the struggle and problems that

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face international students not only when they come here for school but the process of actually arriving here.

The earthquake in Nepal last April had a large impact on many international students.

Lohrenz said, “We had some many applicants coming from Nepal to come here this fall, but due to the earthquake their plans were put on hold.”

Through all of the horrible stories and images coming from the Syrian Refugee Crisis one of the things standing

out most for Lohrenz is the overwhelming outpouring of welcome and help from people. The images of train stations filled with well-wishers bearing food and clothing fills Lohrenz with the possibility of help being on its way.

“Just seeing that these people are really caring for the refugees and want that they are wanted… even if there is no plan in place right now, I think will make the most difference,” Lohrenz said.

The U.S. government has

recently announced that in the next year, which starts in October, that the U.S. will welcome at least 10,000 Syrian refugees into the U.S. That is a steady improvement of the roughly 1,500 Syrian refugees in the U.S. now since the civil unrest had started in March of 2011. Most of the 1,500 has been allowed in

SYRIA page 9

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4 • MSU Reporter

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Editorial & Opinion

EMAIL THE EDITOR IN CHIEF:

RAE FRAME

Volunteering: It’s more than resume building

alyssa.frame @mnsu.edu

MSU student shares the personal benefits from her Cambodia trip.

OR AT reporter-editor @mnsu.edu

YUSEONG JEON Staff Writer While study abroad programs are very common in college these days as a part of the academic curriculum, volunteering abroad is still considered an unnecessary experience because there are tons of volunteer opportunities out there within student’s home community.

Generally, we do not think we should book a flight out of our pockets and go abroad to volunteer when we can give a hand to people in need in our neighborhood.

That was exactly what I

thought about volunteer abroad, and my opinion had not been changed until a few years ago when I happened to take an opportunity to go to Cambodia.

Before I started studying at Minnesota State University, Mankato, I attended another university back in Korea, the Catholic University of Daegu. The university has a good reputation for providing various diversity-related programs for students and the Overseas Volunteer Program – Me in Others is one of them. Participants in the program are able to select one country – the Philippines, Vietnam, or Cambodia –they would like to volunteer at and are also provided with a flight, accommodation, and food by the school. I applied for the program without any expectation because it was very competitive to get the chance. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to go to Cambodia and help people who desper-

“The experience I had in Cambodia changed my life. I came to know what helping other people feels like, and learned that I can get happiness from it.”

Pulse NAIM RASHID, ACCOUNTING

GRIFFIN GOODE, RECREATION THERAPY

“Mission Impossible.”

“Avengers action films.”

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 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

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Photo By Yuseong Jeon ately needed our help.

The process I took to get into the program, however, is not what I am proud of. Back then, to be honest, I wasn’t really interested in helping people in need. I was going through some tough times because of family-related situations, and I just wanted to get out of my routine for a while. That was the main

reason I applied for the program.

While other students whom I worked with on the ‘Cambodia Volunteer Team’ were very enthusiastic and

VOLUNTEER page 6

“What movie would you like to see at Stomper’s Cinema?”

ASHLEY SCHROEDER, FAMILY CONSUMER SCIENCE EDUCATION “Minions.”

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

• 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.

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

Compiled by Yohanes Ashenafi

UC GEORGE, COMMUNICATION

GEOUANNY ESTRADA, CIVIL ENGINEERING

“Comedians Eddie Murphy and Kevin Hart.”

“Hotel Transylvania 2.”

Thursday, September 17, 2015

News

MSU Reporter • 5

What does the fox say? Make me your pet!

Are foxes set to become the furry friends of the future?

LUKE LARSON Staff Writer Are you a dog person or a cat person? You probably have your answer ready at hand. But have you ever considered that you might be a fox person? No, I’m not talking about your news source preference, but about the furry little woodland creatures known by the scientific

man for Scientific American, despite government discouragement of the study of genetics. Belyaev began selectively breeding foxes for favorable characteristics, hoping that they would eventually become fully domesticated. He succeeded in this goal. Fifty-five years after the project began, the Institute of Cytology and Genetics in Novosibirsk, Siberia is selling foxes that make perfectly suitable pets, displaying many of the friendly characteristics humans love in dogs and cats, according to an article by Dan Nosowitz for Popular Science.

Domesticated foxes, however, remain anything but mainstream. While the average American may not own

“Will foxes take off as a popular pet choice at some point in the future?

As of now, who is to say?

Does it even sound like a good idea?” name Vulpes, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

In your lifetime you may very well find out.

Fox domestication began in 1959 with Soviet scientist Dimitri Belyaev, according to an article by Jason Gold-

a household fox for years to come – if ever – there are people who already have.

They are still certainly within the realm of exotic pets, and may only be purchased for a hefty price tag from Russia, Carol Vizant explains in

publicdomainpictures.net

an article for Fast Company.

Foxes are sold in the United States, according to Nosowitz’s article, but they are of the so-called “tame” variety which were raised in captivity but are not of a domesticated breed and generally have many issues. Even domesticated foxes have some unconventional problems, including incredibly stinky urine and an insatiable desire to dig. Owning a fox is currently legal in Minnesota according to Living with Foxes, a website dedicated to fox ownership.

What is a fox exactly, anyway? Is it more closely related to dogs or cats? According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, foxes are part of the Canidae

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(dog) family. It only makes sense that we would get along well with the cousins of man’s best friend. There is one question that still remains, however: what does the fox say?

Will foxes take off as a popular pet choice at some point in the future? As of now, who is to say? Does it even sound like a good idea?

Sherwin Bothello, a sophomore electrical engineering major from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, has some prior experience with exotic pet ownership.

“I’ve taken care of exotic fish and exotic snakes,” he says, noting that he has even looked into getting a fox before, though he adds that

he “would highly suggest against it.”

“When it comes to foxes, they’re very active creatures, especially at night, so that would be a problem for a lot of families. They have a very specific diet which includes only like specific fruits and some meats. They get allergic very fast. If they’re put in a new environment, they almost always require constant attention; someone has to be in the house looking after them. It’s very difficult to leave them alone, like with a dog or a cat.”

FOX page 9

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6 • MSU Reporter

News

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Feature Photos Continued: DISH Fair

Photo by Trevor Cokley

VOLUNTEER Continued from page 4 full of passion to help people in the country, I was not fully focused on the mission because of my personal situation. I thought it was just going to be an experience I would have away from home for a short period of time. It turned out, however, to be a lot more than that. The experience I had in Cambodia changed my life. I came to know what helping other people feels like and learned that I can get happiness from it.

Our volunteer team went to a small school where all levels of education from kindergarten to high school were combined into one building.

Students from ages 4 to 17 years old were in the school.

They all were wearing different school uniforms because Cambodia receives all kinds of things from other more financially stable countries as foreign aid. Compared to what we were used to, their circumstance made it difficult

for us to imagine how they could live like that; but they were so happy. They welcomed us warmly. They were just so grateful for us coming down to their country to help them.

Our mission was to build a small facility for kindergarten students to receive proper education, and even the little children wanted to help us by giving us water and wiping our sweat. Even though we couldn’t communicate much because of language barriers, they just smiled all the time and enjoyed the time we were there with them. They just seemed so happy and grateful for what they got.

I could not help but feel happy from their innocent and positive energy. They made me realize life is wonderful because it is full of wonders, and they were definitely one of them. They made me ashamed of complaining about small things by showing how happy they

were. The experience completely changed my attitude toward life in general. Life isn’t sad after all. If anything, it is all about happiness. You can be the one who shares happiness with others or the one who rejects it no matter what. The choice is yours.

Since the program lasted only two weeks, I had to say goodbye to the little angels and leave for Korea. However, I was a completely different person when I left Cambodia.

I was not sad or heartbroken anymore. I was full of joy and thankfulness just like the little angels. Since then, I have been trying to contribute to society and help people in need. Volunteering is not just about money or time. It’s about your own happiness.

You will get so much more from helping people that can change your life.

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News

MSU Reporter • 7

GOP candidates hope to step out from Trump’s shadow Front-runners hope to present their case to the American people.

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — The second GOP presidential debate is giving a prime-time stage to long shots trying to prove they’re worthy of attention and to weakened veterans fighting to reassert their viability — all still struggling against the campaign’s phenomenon, Donald Trump.

The billionaire businessman, who has shown striking durability through the summer, will be standing at center stage for the debate Wednesday night at the Reagan Presidential Library in southern California, reflecting his lead in the national polls that determine participation.

As important as Trump’s

poll numbers is the shift in the way he’s now viewed by his rivals and others. No longer dismissed as a summer fling for frustrated voters, Trump is increasingly seen as a candidate who could remain atop the field for months and win some early state primaries.

“He’s in complete, total control of the political battle space,” said Steve Schmidt, a top strategist for Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Still, Trump faces new competition from candidates who, like him, can claim the mantle of political outsider.

Ben Carson, a soft-spoken retired neurosurgeon, has climbed in recent polls and is likely to face more scrutiny Wednesday night than pre-

viously. In the main debate for the first time will be Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard executive and only woman in the GOP field.

Fiorina was relegated to the undercard debate for lower-polling candidates last month but pulled off a standout performance. Since then, she’s been ridiculed by Trump, and viewers will be watching for exchanges between the two.

Fiorina’s promotion left just four candidates for the early contest. Even without Trump on the stage, he was a central topic.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who has been trying to use criticism of the GOP

front-runner to garner attention for his campaign, urged the party to “stop treating Donald Trump like a Republican.”

However, Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator who won nearly a dozen states in the 2012 GOP primaries, said intraparty attacks “please one person — Hillary Clinton,” the Democratic front-runner.

Candidates in the night’s main event were also split between how to handle Trump and slow his momentum.

While candidates with long political resumes largely took a hands-off approach to Trump in last month’s opening debate, both former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker

Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press

have forecast more intensity.

Both of their campaigns are in need of a boost after summer struggles.

Bush has become one of Trump’s favorite targets.

Generally a low-key, policy-focused candidate, Bush has grown visibility irritated

by Trump’s jabs, particularly the real estate mogul’s contention that he is a “low energy” candidate.

Bush is expected to look for spots to target Trump, particularly for Trump’s uneven record as a conservative. Still, Bush wants to preserve space to pitch himself as an optimistic alternative.

“Real leaders are optimists — they show us a better way,” said Sally Bradshaw, Bush’s longtime adviser.

“That’s what Jeb has always done, that’s what he’ll always do. Other candidates won’t change that, regardless of how noisy they are.”

Walker was once a favorite to win the leadoff Iowa caucuses, but his standing has plummeted after an unremarkable first debate and a series of other missteps.

“I think if people are look-

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ing for someone who is truly going to shake things up and wreak havoc on Washington, they want someone who’s got real solutions and someone who is truly tested,” Walker said last week. “I’m the only one on that stage that fits the bill.”

Even if candidates follow through on their pledges to be more aggressive, there are warning signs about that approach. Trump has so far been immune to criticism of his lack of specific policy proposals, his personal attacks on women and immigrants, and his uneven support of conservatism.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who has largely avoided criticizing his fellow candidates, isn’t expected to join his rivals in taking on Trump.

Rubio’s campaign said the senator didn’t see a need to mix things up like other candidates who are “falling” in the race.

Also on stage will be Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who is wellliked among more moderate, business-minded Republicans, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a favorite of social conservatives.

Others in the prime-time debate were Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, the only candidate to directly challenge Trump in the first go-around; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who had a memorable exchange with Paul over national security in the opening contest, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the sole contender to align himself with Trump.

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8 • MSU Reporter

News

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Student Senate Report: September 16, 2015

GABE HEWITT Staff Writer Presentations Assistant Director of Student Activities John Bulcock gave a presentation about collective bargaining. He detailed the chain of command below President Richard Davenport and the different bargaining units associated with them. The MSSA is the bargaining unit for students.

Cara Luebke, Joseph Wolf and Sarah Berns from the Minnesota State University Student Association (MSUSA) gave a presentation about what MSUSA is and how students could become involved. They also detailed issues they’re working on for this academic year including increasing mental health awareness, making textbooks

more affordable and organizing diversity campaigns.

Officer Reports President Mariah Haffield: She will be giving a presentation on Charting the Future at next week’s senate meeting on Sept. 23 in CSU 238 at 4 p.m. Haffield commented on the MSUSA’s negative feelings about not being invited to give a review during Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) Chancellor Steven Rosenstone’s review period. Haffield and Vice President Sam Al-Mohamadi will be meeting with MSU President Davenport before MSSA’s next meeting.

MSSA is partnering with The Herd to hand out rally towels at the MSU men’s hockey game against the University of Minnesota on Nov. 14 at Mariucci Arena.

Vice President Al-Mohamadi: He met with the Homecoming Committee and announced that MSSA will be participating in several events during Homecoming Week.

Al-Mohamadi will be chairing monthly meetings between the city of Mankato and local colleges and universities including MSU. The MSSA and

the Reporter have reached an agreement about publishing senator profiles. Al-Mohamadi will be following up with Library Services about late fees associated with the Maverick Textbook Reserve program.

Speaker Jessica Farah: There will be a public forum titled ‘Where Does My Money Go?’ on Sept. 30 at 5 p.m. in Ostrander Auditorium hosted by MSU Finance and Administration Division Vice President Richard Straka.

MSU is now the largest university in the MnSCU system.

Senator Reports Senator Grace Smith: After receiving suggestions about increasing senator presence in the MSU community, Smith talked with area directors of residential communities and halls about posting photos of residential life senators. She has received the go-ahead from the directors and will now research technicalities and expenses associated with the project.

Senators Maria Ruiz and Faical Rayani: Both senators gave a presentation about MSSA to nearly 1600 freshmen during orientation.

“It’s important that we do

Reporter Archive

this every year,” Rayani said.

“We want to reach these new students.”

Old Business President Haffield referenced the email sent out by MSU President Davenport to students and staff Sept. 16 about the campus’ personal safety program.

“It appeared that a lot of the discussion was on the victim and not on the side of preventing it from the attacker’s side,” she said.

New Business The MSSA unanimously voted in favor of a motion to

defer the discussion of the Maverick Textbook Reserve late fees and Otto Recreation Center summer fees to the Academic Affairs Committee.

A motion to amend the MSSA’s constitution to require members to wear MSSA official polos to weekly meetings will be brought to the Constitution Commission.

The MSSA’s next meeting will be on Sept. 23 in CSU 238 at 4 p.m.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

News

FOX Continued from

SYRIA Continued from page 4 “Germany has planned to take in as many as 500,000 refugees a year for many years to come. Compare that to our 10,000 for just next year, that’s 50 times our projections and they are planning years a head of us. only recently too. But some human rights groups are still not satisfied. People including Inglot have stated that because of past error of the United States in lighting the fuse of what is now a crisis in the Middle East that we should take on more of a responsibility in the matter: “We started the mess and the wars…we had a big hand in this,” he said.

And why shouldn’t we take in more refugees? Germany has planned to take in as many as 500,000 refugees a year for many years to come.

Compare that to our 10,000 for just next year, that’s 50 times our projections and they are planning years a head of us.

Let’s hypothetically just say we match Germany at 500,000 refugees a year for several years and actually let that number of refugees into our country. What would happen? Would our welfare systems collapse under the pressure? Would our trickling stream of job openings narrow ever so more now that we have more competition for our jobs? Inglot doesn’t believe so: “There are Syrian groups in the U.S. already who want their stranded and scared family members to come,

they have the funds and connections to grant them new lives here.”

However, getting the refugees here is an entire different story. Many of the countries that have taken in refugees now complicate the process of leaving their country. If the refugees even make it out of the refugee camps and countries of asylum it’s a long process to even allow them to cross the ocean to the U.S. “We need to have an international plan with those countries that are really committed to peace,” stated Inglot.

“Even if we accept a refugee into our country tomorrow it could still be about two years before they are even allowed into the U.S.” One of Inglot’s friends who is in Hungary now posted a letter on his social media on meeting some Syrian refugees. He wrote, “I’m not writing this as an academic analyst, just as an individual who was exposed to a new and transformative experience.”

He goes on in the letter to write about a few of the people he met, including a newlywed couple who refused any food, saying, “There are people here who are more in need than we are such as playful refugee children who

MSU Reporter • 9

prefer sweet cottage cheese cakes instead of the ones with spinach.”

Also an older man who was a professor of English literature from Damascus who had his papers stolen. Inglot’s friend goes on speaking of how this experience has affected him: “…Another experience: the sight of individuals and families- hundreds of people just laying around in helpless apathy” He also touches on the stark reality of the situation from a first hand view.

“Crowds of tourists occupy much of Budapest…they [restaurants] offer all the exotic food, drinks, and entertainment of the world. ‘Normal’ life is going on- next to the seas of suffering.”

But as bleak as the refugee’s lives seem at the moment, many are holding out hope of a better future. Many are looking forward to the possibility of eventually going back to Syria after the war is over, wishing to help rebuild their country. But with all of the sluggishness of a plan to help or aid coming to the surface, it could be years before any of their plans to see their country again comes to fruition.

page 5

Barsha Shrestha, an information technology major, disagrees: “That would be really cool,” she says, but worries that taking in a fox as a pet could be a dangerous risk, as they are predators and they have very little experience as pets.

“It’s exotic. It’s different,” says junior Cody Robeck, who recalls learning about

Belyaev’s fox breeding experiments in his genetics class for their scientific significance.

“You know, everyone has a dog.”

Who knows what the future may hold?

You may one day play fetch in the backyard with your new fox pup.

The Internet may one day be taken over by funny fox videos.

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10 • MSU Reporter

Thursday, Septe

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MSU Reporter • 11

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12 • MSU Reporter

A&E

Thursday, September 17, 2015

A&E THIS TOP 5 WEEK’S BILLBOARD TRACKS: EVENTS: MUSIC Thursday August 6th IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm 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

“Beauty Behind the Madness” by The Weeknd “Got Your Six”

by Five Finger THEATRE Death Punch

Thursday August 6th IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm IV Play @ Buster’s.......... 9pm 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

“Rodeo” by Travi$ Scott “The Book of Souls” by Iron Maiden

DANCE

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

“WILD (EP)” by Troye Sivan

NEW NOW THIS PLAYING WEEK: IN KATO: MOVIES

Friday August 7th Straight Outta 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. Sinister MUSIC2 Friday August 7th Cattle Decaptation

The Transporter “The Anthropocene Extinction” Refueled Fear Factory “Genexus”

Luke Bryan

“Kill The Lights”

EMAIL THE A&E EDITOR:

EDITOR MUGSHOT MATTHEW EBERLINE

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

MSU theatre hosts blindness workshop Actors gain personal perspective for upcoming play.

JAKE SULLIVAN Staff Writer Sitting before a semicircle of young women, MSU student Megan Bening reads aloud from a children’s book.

Her voice is clear and confident, but her eyes never grace the page. Rather, her fingers glide across the book with startling speed and alacrity. The book she is reading is written in braille, and she is part of a workshop about blindness for the young actresses who are performing in MSU’s upcoming production of The Miracle Worker.

The name Helen Keller has gained household recognition over the years, famous for the young blind, deaf, and mute girl who overcame insurmountable challenges with the help of her teacher, Annie Sullivan. The Miracle Worker tells the story of young Helen Keller, her relationship to Sullivan, and her journey to enlightenment. As many of the characters in the show are either blind or at least partially blind, it was important to director Matt Caron that the show have a sensitivity and,

Photo Courtesy of the Department of Theatre and Dance Megan Bening (at right), who is visually impaired, helped guide Jaclyn Britz down the hallway. more importantly, an authenticity to it in regards of blindness. So important, in fact, that Caron employed the services of Bening and her former teacher, Meredith Tietz, to lead a workshop teaching the actresses who must portray blind characters what it is really like to live without the sense of sight.

“One thing that I like to

do with the plays I direct is to bring in people who have experience with the issue we’re dealing with,” said Caron at the event. “We’re doing more than teaching people how to act and how to be other people. By bringing in qualified resources from the community, we’re not only helping them to be better actors, but helping them to be better hu-

man beings, too.”

The workshop’s participants, ranging from grade school aged girls playing students at Perkins School for the Blind, to senior theatre

THEATRE page 13

5 films every engineering major should see A rundown of engineering and technology related movies.

MARYSA STORM Staff Writer There are quite a few engineering majors offered at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and while this list won’t satisfy each major individually, it does contain a variety of films that all engineers, whether computer or automotive, should sit down and watch at least once.

The Prestige (2006) The Prestige, directed by Christopher Nolan, takes place in the late 1800s and charts the careers of two rival magicians (Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman) and their constant attempts to oneup, thwart, and eventually kill one another. Engineering

can be found in both how the tricks unfold and the fact that electrical and mechanical engineer, Nikola Tesla (David Bowie), comes into play. The magic of engineering is not understated in The Prestige, but if that isn’t enough to get the movie on your list, there’s always the fact that Scarlett Johansson stars in the film as well. So there’s really no excuse not to watch it.

Apollo 13 (1995) Easily the most inspirational film on this list, Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 is a docudrama about the struggle to get three astronauts home after their spaceship suffers severe damage on its way to the moon. The film focuses on the astronauts aboard the space-

comicvine.com Robert Downy Jr. stars as engineer Tony Stark in Iron Man. ship (Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Bacon) along with mission control–specifically Flight Director Gene Kranz

FILM page 15

Thursday, September 17, 2015

A&E

MSU Reporter • 13

THEATRE Continued from page 12 “Her voice is clear and confident, but her eyes never grace the page. Rather, her fingers glide across the book with startling speed and alacrity. The book she is reading is written in braille, and she is part of a workshop about blindness for the young actresses who are performing in MSU’s upcoming production of The Miracle Worker.”

Photo Courtesy of the Department of Theatre and Dance The actors, including Maria Camila Perez (Helen Keller), navigated their way down the hallway in blind simulation goggles. majors Jaclyn Britz and Maria Camila Perez, who play Sullivan and Keller respectively, engrossed themselves in a series of activities and discussions lead by Bening and Tietz. Using goggles that helped simulate blindness (or partial visual impairment, in Britz’s case), the girls attempted to navigate around several rooms and hallways of the Performing Arts Cen-

ter. While there were many successes eventually, they did not come without some trial and error. At one point, Perez went careening into a drinking fountain that she admitted she gets water from everyday, while Britz found her pace slowed to a near halt while attempting to find her way down a hallway she has walked many times every day.

“Even with a place so familiar, it was interesting to see how cautious I became,” said Britz. For every obstacle, though, a new trick or useful tidbit was obtained.

Bening taught the girls techniques such as land marking, a process of using surrounding sounds, wind currents, or other points of interest to orientate herself in new surroundings. She would point

out the faint sound of a piano playing across the hall, and use that to anchor herself in her surroundings. Bening spoke on how she uses techniques such as snapping her fingers subtly upon entering a room to give herself a better idea of the space, using her cane to detect objects in her path, or even her sense of smell to navigate the bustle of everyday life.

“I always joke that I can smell an Apple store when I walk through a mall because it smells like nerd in there,” laughs Bening, who herself is in the Computer and Information Technology department here at MSU. The Miracle Worker itself is a classic in its own regard, having been immortalized in the western theatrical canon, with numerous film adaptations to boot. The stage version garnered multiple Tony awards, while the film adaptation earned Oscars for the performances of Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke. Now, MSU Theatre is bringing the rich tradition of a classic story home. Caron says this training with his actors is not that different from what you might see a big-time Hollywood actor do.

“If an actor is playing a convict, they’ll visit a jail. If they’re in the army, they’ll do a couple of weeks in boot camp.” Last year, while staging a production of A Piece of My Heart, a show revolving around nurses during the Vietnam War, Caron brought

on a veteran nurse to help assist the actresses with a historically accurate viewpoint.

Now, as his production of The Miracle Worker begins production, he feels that his cast is better equipped to tell the story the way it’s meant to be told.

“I recognize my limits as a sighted person to accurately coach [the actresses]. Meredith and Megan are absolutely priceless resources to give to the actors,” says Caron, glancing over his shoulder to where Britz and Perez are still sitting, grilling Tietz for every scrap of knowledge they can.

“I really value theatre as an education tool. Not always to the audience, though... we’re training them to be better humans, not just actors.”

The Miracle Worker performs Oct. 15-17 and 21-24 at 7:30 p.m., and Oct. 18, 24, and 25 at 2 pm. Individual tickets for The Miracle Worker are $16 regular, $14 for senior citizens, youth 16 and under, and groups of 15 or more, and $11 for current Minnesota State University, Mankato students. Season tickets go on sale in August; individual tickets in September. Contact Amanda Dyslin at amanda. dyslin@mnsu.edu for more information on tickets, group ticket sales, student discount packages, and questions about the 2015-16 season.

New art exhibit opens Thursday Mankato gallery to host watercolor artworks.

DEBORA KOUAME Staff Writer Hosted by The Twin Rivers Council for the Arts at the Emy Frentz Arts Guild Gallery, a new gallery exhibit theming watercolors will take place from September 17 to October 14.

The art pieces that will be displayed are the works of senior artists with disabilities from MRCI Workforce.

The watercolor technique

is a painting method in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle.

The term “watercolor” refers to both the medium and the resulting artwork.

Save the date! On Thursday, September 17, from 5:00pm-8:00pm, there will be a reception at The Emy Frentz Art Guild Gallery located on 523 S 2nd Street. This event is made possible by The Twin Riv-

ers Council for the Arts (TRCA); an alliance of local arts and cultural organizations, individual artists, and community members sharing a vision for the arts. The Twin Rivers Council for the Arts takes pride in being a unifying voice by providing services and shared resources to members throughout Southern Minnesota.

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14 • MSU Reporter

A&E

Thursday, September 17, 2015

A retro review of the disaster film, Volcano This 90s movie still manages to entertain after all these years.

WES HUNTINGTON Staff Writer Have you ever thought of a major natural disaster that will threaten mankind? Most of the late 1990s science fiction films dealt with this kind of topic. Volcano is one of those films that deal with a pending natural disaster that will wipe out or devastate the human race. In this case, it is a burgeoning volcano that comes from the La Brea Tar Pits, a natural hot spring in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.

What happens is the molten lava underneath the Pits starts to heat up and sink the tourist attraction overnight.

Early the next morning, the now active volcano starts spewing lava bombs and ash all over the area. Lava follows soon after, destroying every-

Tommy Lee Jones stars in the disaster film, Volcano. thing in its path. Los Angeles Emergency Manager, Mike Roark (Tommy Lee Jones), and a colleague, a geologist,

Amy Barnes (Anne Heche) must try to stop the lava from destroying all of downtown Los Angeles.

“Volcano is one of those films that deal with a pending natural disaster that will wipe out or devastate the human race. In this case, it is a burgeoning volcano that comes from the La Brea Tar Pits, a natural hot spring in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.”

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The acting is excellent, especially from Jones himself. This movie is not one of his better-known films; four years earlier he had won an Oscar for his role in the film adaptation of the popular 1960s television series, The Fugitive, alongside Harrison Ford. Some of the main cast deserves some recognition as well.

Don Cheadle plays Emmitt Reese, Roark’s assistant, and he mainly provides some interesting humorous anecdotes about what is going on around him, especially the destruction caused by the volcano’s lava flow. Like he will say “I can’t believe this [expletive].” Mainly, he is the main control hub for the Los Angeles Office of Emergency Management and mostly he tries to get things ready for Roark to implement to save the rest of downtown Los An-

geles.

However, mainly all of the science talk comes from Heche’s character, Dr. Amy Barnes, a geologist with the United States Geological Survey (USGS). We learn about the tectonic plates that drive our earthquakes and volcanoes and a whole bunch of other natural processes.

The visual effects of the film are really good, especially when you look at cars, buildings, and people being destroyed by the lava. While it is hard to look at people being incinerated by the lava (two examples are the drivers of a fire truck who are burned alive, but you don’t see it; it is only from the reporter in his car and a second example is a transit engineer who sacrifices his life to save the life of a subway driver), it definitely amps up the drama to a whole new level.

The music from renowned composer Alan Silvestri– composer of such films as Forrest Gump, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Back to the Future and its two sequels, and a whole host of others– is excellent and, while barely heard among all of the sound effects and people yelling through the volcano’s eruption, serves as a musical backdrop for all that is going on. You will hear brooding and dramatic music during the destruction scenes and light and mellow music when victory seems imminent or at the end of the film.

Though a similar film called Dante’s Peak (starring better known actors like Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton) released around the same time as Volcano, it serves its purpose as a disaster film of the 1990’s.

Reporter Rating

4.5 5

Thursday, September 17, 2015

A&E

MSU Reporter • 15

Fifth “War of Words” slam held in Nigeria Poetry competition slams corruption, embraces change.

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s young poets hurled words against the injustices plaguing the giant of Africa, from corruption to Boko Haram’s insurgency, in the fifth “War of Words” poetry slam.

Scores crammed into a stuffy space in Lagos, Nigeria’s chaotic commercial capital, as 20 finalists from across the country battled for first place and $500. That’s nearly six month’s pay at the minimum wage.

“Now That Change Has Come,” was the challenge for the competition, suggesting the reforms promised by new President Muhammadu Buhari.

“You have three minutes to bring that stage down,” 13-year-old Oyinkansola Adesewa advised a friend.

Soon Adesewa herself took the stage in a bold pantsuit that she created of green and white swirls echoing the colors of Nigeria’s flag and launched into a poem about how the “national cake” is not divided equally.

Run by the Word Up organization of Olumide Holloway, banker by day and King Olulu on stage, the competition is part of the country’s exploding slam poetry scene. Poetry slams are competitions in which contestants are judged for their content, delivery and

Photo Courtesy of The Associated Press audience response.

“We discovered there’s so much talent that we haven’t even harnessed yet,” he said. “It’s a dream come true for some of those poets, they never really had any platform to actually showcase their work.”

The rousing, rhythmic delivery that the poets use in the slams is similar to rap.

Written to be performed with dramatic flair and body language, slam poetry is becoming a catalyst for literacy beyond textbooks.

Many see the performance art as reviving Nigeria’s tradition of oral history. “Our elders have what you call ‘awi,’ like a praise poem,” Holloway said. “Now it’s coming back.”

Young Nigerians are mak-

FILM Continued from page 12 (Ed Harris)–as they work with the materials they would have onboard to make it home safely. It’s the ultimate form of MacGyvering.

October Sky (1999) Regardless of your thoughts on Jake Gyllenhaal, October Sky serves as a motivating, feelgood film for all aspiring engineers out there. The film is based on the true story of Homer Hickam (Gyllenhaal), a young man who followed his passion for rocketry in the 1950s.

Hickam would eventually go on to work for NASA and while the film has a fulfilling ending, it’s a bit of a bumpy ride to get there.

Prepare to get emotionally involved with this one.

The World’s Fastest Indian (2005) Not to pick favorites, but The World’s Fastest Indian, written and directed by Roger Donaldson, is for all the automotive engineers out there. Based on a true story, much like October Sky, The World’s Fastest Indian is based on the life of Burt Munro (Anthony Hopkins), a New Zealander who used a 1920 Indian motorcycle to set a new land-speed record in the 1960s, a feat he seemed to have accomplished with homemade tires and minimal safety gear. While his lack of pre-

caution isn’t the best example for all engineers out there, his drive and determination is.

Iron Man (2008) There’s no way you guys didn’t see this one coming, so let’s just face it: Tony Stark (Robert Downy Jr.) is the ultimate (fictional) engineer. If movies about kids building rockets or old men building motorcycles aren’t your thing, then Marvel’s Iron Man should do the trick. Stark is handsome, witty, and incredibly smart, so just remember that it’s okay to fangirl over this one. Really, it is.

ing it their own, crafting a tool to condemn rampant corruption, discrimination against women and poor education.

The performances one recent Sunday were visceral, the audience drumming on tables as a poet’s torrent of rhymes built to a crescendo, only to fall to a whisper, hands cupped as if in prayer

during rhapsodies about the power of faith or a woman desired.

“Boko Haram could not blow up anything like she blows my mind!” one contender exclaimed.

Poets clenched fists, wagged fingers, and one spread his arms wide as if the words could make him fly.

Sporting a gold-flecked waistcoat and bright red bow tie, Adetimilehin “Vic’Adex” Inioluwa had travelled five hours and said he spent his last cent on bus fare to compete.

“Those who need to bring back our girls are men, not gods,” he bellowed, referring to the more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram and missing now for more than 500 days. Vic’Adex left the crowd chanting the refrain of his work melding Spartan legend with African revolution.

Bankole Kolawole, a firebrand in a stars and stripes shirt riffed about Nigeria’s graft and the billions and trillions “with wings.”

The victor was Ibukun Ajagbe, a 14-year-old from Lagos, who brought the crowd to its feet with her impassioned ode: “By being that change, I am that change, and I have come!”

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16 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Sports SCORES: FOOTBALL VIKINGS September 14, 3, 2015 2015

Mavericks to battle Marauders

Vikings...........................................3 Mavericks. .............................. 35 UMD..........................................

49ers. ....................................... 20 21

VOLLEYBALL MLB September 15, 11, 2015 2015 Tigers............................................5 Mavericks. .............................. 35 Maryville Twins. .............................................4 University.......... 21

CROSS Cubs...............................................2 COUNTRY Pirates..........................................1 September 20, 2015 Mavericks............................... 35 UMD.......................................... 21 Astros..........................................5 Rangers.......................................6

GOLF

September 11, 2015 Yankees.......................................3 Rays...............................................6 Mavericks............................... 35 Maryville University.......... 21

NEXT UP: FOOTBALL VIKINGS September 20, 12, 2015 Detroit @ Northern Lions State Aberdeen, TCF Bank Stadium SD

VOLLEYBALL TWINS September 17, 2015 Los Angeles Winona State Angles University Taylor Center Target Field

TOMMY WIITA Staff Writer Coming back from their brief one game road trip to Northern State University, the number one ranked Minnesota State Football team returns back home this weekend to take on the University of Mary Marauders. Kickoff will be at 1 p.m. Saturday the 19th. The Marauders have hovered around .500 for ba-

FOOTBALL Page 19

Photo Courtesy of Minnesota State Athletics

Rugby teams kick off 2015 season

CROSS Los Angeles Angles COUNTRY

September 18, 2015 Target Field September 27, 2015 @ Roy Griak Invitational Minneapolis, MN

GOLF

September 19, 2015 Los Angeles Angles September Target Field 18, 2015 @ UNK Invitational Kearney, NE

EMAIL THE SPORTS EDITOR:

EDITOR MUGSHOT LUKE LONIEN

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

SHAWN CLOSE Staff Writer The 2015 rugby season kicked off this Saturday with the All Minnesota tournament in Elk River, with both the Maverick men’s and woman’s team in attendance.

The men’s team traveled with a team mostly comprised of rookies, in the hopes of giving the new members in game experience before inter-school play begins next week.

“The All Minnesota tournament is a great opportunity for us,” states co-caption

Photo by Trevor Cokley Tyler Antony, “nothing we can do in practice compares to playing real games against real competition. Having an opportunity for our new guys to gain this experience be-

fore the season is great for us.”

The Mavericks had a rough start to the tournament, losing two close games, but turned it around with an

RUGBY Page 17

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Sports

MSU Reporter • 17

Men’s golf grabs second place finish Kelton Schmitz’s 231 (+15) earned him eighth place overall ERIC KRIESEL Staff Writer It was an up and down weekend for the Mavericks golf team, leaving the Grand Falls Casino and Golf Resort in Larchwood, IA with a second place finish for the weekend tournament hosted by Augustana University.

The Mavericks had shot a team score of 303 after the first round and found themselves in a great position, tied for first with the University of Manitoba, heading into the final two rounds of golf.

A rough second round for the Mavs’ squad, shooting a team score of 319, all but ended the team’s first place dreams as they allowed University of Manitoba to pull away in the final two rounds finishing the tournament 12 strokes ahead of MSU for first place.

Not all was lost for the Mavericks after day two however, as they posted yet another team score of 303 on the final round and held off a comeback effort from Winona State to finish second as a team on the weekend.

Tommy Bandabur started

Photo Courtesy of Minnesota State Athletics Sophomore Gonzalo Martinez finished in the top 10 overall with a 232 (+16) the weekend off hot posting

the best single round score

RUGBY continued from 16 “The men’s team traveled with a team mostly comprised of rookies, in the hopes of giving the new members in game experience before inter-school play begins next week.” impressive win against inter-league rival NDSU. During the game six separate Mavs’ recorded scores while holding their opponents scoreless.

“This was a late add to our schedule, so a lot of our normal starters weren’t able to attended due to [scheduling conflicts],” explains co-caption Ted Ketter, “so we had to ask some younger guys to step up before they were completely ready. We still have a lot to work on, but I’m happy with how well they played.”

The Mavericks won their next game by forfeit before bowing of the tournament

due to time constraints. The men’s team begins their season this Saturday at St. Cloud.

The woman’s team showed up to the All Minnesota tournament short handed, with only 16 girls attending (a starting side in rugby consists of 15 players). The lack of players didn’t slow down the Mavericks, as they won their first three games before exiting the tournament due to injuries and general fatigue.

“If you enter a tournament, you want to win it,” explains club president Madda Cox, “But staying healthy for the regular sea-

son is more important, we don’t gain anything killing ourselves to win this tournament. Even though we didn’t win the whole thing we won every game we played, and that’s something to be proud of.”

The woman’s team starts their season this Saturday at Duluth.

If you are interested in joining the Mavericks rugby team please contact Tyler Antony at tyler.antony@ mnsu.edu for the men’s team or Madda Cox at madda.cox@mnsu.edu for the woman’s team.

of any Maverick for the weekend shooting a 72(E) his first round.

Saturday was not as nice to Bandabur who shot a second round score of 89(+17), but was able to bounce back in the final round with a 76(+4), finishing the weekend with a total score of 271(+21) good enough for a 19th place fin-

ish.

Kelton Schmitz led all Mavericks with a score of 231(+15) on the weekend; good enough to earn him an eighth place finish overall.

Schmitz among the most consistent Mavericks posting single round scores of 77(+5), 80(+8) and 74(+2) respectively for MSU. Gonzalo Martinez was able to sneak in a top 10 finish after a slow start of sorts when he shot a first round score of 81(+9).

Martinez finished the last two rounds strong posting scores of 76(+4) and 75(+3) as he charged back to finish the weekend off with a total score of 232(+16) good enough for 10th place overall.

Matthew Newman shot a 242(+26) and finished in 29th place for the weekend while Michael Greenberg shot a 245(+29) and finished 36th place to round things out for the Mavericks squad.

Troy Ryynanen of St. Cloud State finished the weekend with an individual score of 221(+5) for the best individual score of anyone in the tournament.

The Mavericks will next travel south to the Hillcrest Country Club in Bartlesville, OK, for the NSU Men’s Golf Classic this weekend as hope to continue the early success they’ve had this season so far.

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

18 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Thursday, September 17, 2015

FOOTBALL continued from 16 “Coming back from their brief one game road trip to Northern State University, the number one ranked Minnesota State Football team returns back home this weekend to take on the University of Mary Marauders.”

Gooden (14 each) and sophomore Evan Perrizo (11) all have more than 10 tackles each.

On the defensive side of the ball, the main focus will be to force turnovers and create pressure. The Mavericks have forced four turnovers in two games, and each turnover has played crucially into changing the momentum of the game.

Marcus Gooden

Connor Thomas leads the Mavericks with 221 rushing yards. sically the past decade, but they should still give Minne-

the season, putting their record at 0-2. It is wishful thinking the Mavericks start fast and never take their foot off the pedal in this one, as the Marauders have struggled to stay consistently successful on both sides of the ball.

When addressing the Minnesota State’s season so far this season, it is important

Connor Thomas sota State a decent challenge on the gridiron.

MSU is coming off a road win against Northern State, 27-10, starting off 2-0 on the young season. University of Mary has been outscored 8923 in their first two games of

Photo Courtesy of Trevor Cokley

Nick Pieruccini

to point out that the Mavericks have been the most dominant when it comes to the second half of play. They have outscored their opponents 31-0 in the last two quarters of play, but they will need to step up in the first half in order to dominate an entire football game.

Senior running back Connor Thomas has continued to have a tremendous season, as he accumulated 173 rushing yards and two touchdowns last week. He is leading the team in rushing yards with 221. The key will be getting the running game going for the Mavericks, so players like Thomas and sophomore quarterback Nick Pieruccini can waltz into the end zone more often than not.

On defense, the Mavericks have senior Josh Gordon leading the attack, with 15 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss and three sacks. Three other players in senior Tyler Henderson, junior Marcus

The Marauders have simply looked ugly playing football in 2015. They lost their first game to the University of Sioux Falls 55-7, and then last week lost their home opener to Upper Iowa University 34-

16.

Dating back to last season, the Marauders are currently on a five game losing streak.

The offense has been sputtering so far, and it should only get more difficult when they face the Mavericks relentless defense this Saturday.

Quarterback Caleb Buck has passed for 216 yards in two games, with one touchdown and two interceptions.

The two running backs have less rushing yards combined than Mavericks’ running back Thomas has total. Adam Woroniecki has 76 rushing yards, while Coleman Olivas has 73. Preston Tescher has been somewhat of an impact on the defense, as he has tallied 16 tackles in two games.

It will take something of a higher power to have the Marauders play up the MSU’s standards, but nothing can ever be counted on as a “for sure” amenity. The Mavericks have played the Marauders from University of Mary three times in their history, and have won every matchup thus far. The latest victory was in 2013, where the Mavericks won in Bismarck, South Dakota 34-21.

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.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Sports

MSU Reporter • 19

Group fitness classes at MSU ERIC KRIESEL Staff Writer Everyone knows that physical activity plays a key role in health, but still only one in three U.S. adults receive the recommended amount of physical activity each week.

Campus Rec now offers residents in the Mankato area a chance to increase that number with exciting group fitness classes for students and non-students alike.

The classes run between 45 and 55 minutes in length and range in difficulty from Total Body Strength workouts to yoga to Latin Dance with a lot in between so anybody is welcome to attend no matter their physical abilities.

Classes started on August 24th and run thru December 4th so you can start avoiding that Freshman 15 or get back into that prime form you used to have when you were a little younger right away Located in Pennington Hall 102 and Highland North 225 the classes are held Monday thru Thursday nights starting at 4:00 p.m. with the last class of the night starting at 8:00 p.m. (except for finals week when the group fitness activities will run on a different schedule).

Also, Gentle Yoga and Yoga for Strength are held Wednesday and Friday mornings starting at 9:00 a.m. in Pennington Hall 102.

One of the classes offered is the High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

HIIT focuses on cardio training that involves cycles of high intensity bursts and

Reporter Archive low to moderate intensity recovery.

The ration is usually 2:1, i.e.

20 seconds of jumps squats and 10 seconds of jogging in place. Class may also include intervals of strength training and tabata formats.

For those looking for a lighter more relaxing work out, the Gentle Yoga class may be for you.

In Gentle Yoga you focus on a slower paced restorative asana (posture) practice with an emphasis on breathing, relaxation and gentle stretching.

All levels of practice are welcome.

There is no need to sign up for any of these classes, just show up and bring clean shoes as our facilities need to be kept as clean and as safe as possible.

These classes are free for any MSU student to attend as well as any Otto Recreation Center or Group Fitness Only

members.

Memberships are offered

by Campus Rec. If you are looking for more information on class schedules, descriptions, memberships or have any other questions check out the website below or feel free stop on in one of the classes to see for yourself.

Class sizes are limited however, so make sure you show up early and get some pre-workout stretching in.

You would hate to pull a hammy!

For more information visit: http://www.mnsu.edu/campusrec/fitness/groupfitness. html

Bridgewater struggles in opener EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.

(AP) — Teddy Bridgewater air-mailed his tight end.

He missed open receivers streaking down the field.

He even checked down on a Hail Mary.

For a player whose biggest strength is supposed to be an unflappable demeanor, the Minnesota Vikings quarterback sure looked rattled in a ghastly season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night.

“This is the first time I’ve really seen him like that,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said Tuesday after reviewing video of the 20-3 defeat.

“Usually he’s got so much composure but he did seem that way.”

Bridgewater completed 23 of 32 passes for 231 yards and an interception.

The statistics don’t look terrible on their face, but watching the performance in real time revealed a quarterback who more closely resembled a jittery rookie than the second-year pro who is supposed to be a key to a playoff run this season.

His interception sailed about 10 feet over 6-foot6 Kyle Rudolph’s head and right into Tramaine Brock’s hands. He held the ball far too long, which contributed to him being sacked five times, and he appeared to have difficulty dissecting the changing coverages of

San Francisco’s aggressive defense.

Highlighting the head-scratching season debut was a sequence at the end of the first half. With 3 seconds left in the second quarter and the ball at the San Francisco 45, the Vikings initially brought out struggling kicker Blair Walsh for a desperation field goal try. But after rethinking things, Zimmer decided to let Bridgewater have one more play only to see him throw the ball to the 19-yard line for a meaningless 27yard completion.

“I missed some easy throws, throws that could set us behind, behind the sticks or plays that could have resulted in big plays,” Bridgewater said after the game. “I’ll just have to try and continue to get better each week.”

The performance by Bridgewater seemed to trickle down to the rest of the team. The defense was gashed for more than 200 yards on the ground, Walsh missed yet another field goal try and Adrian Peterson was a nonfactor in his highly anticipated return to the field.

“I told the team at halftime, I said, ‘I don’t even know who’s out there today.

I don’t know who this team is. I’ve never seen this side of us before,’” Zimmer said.

“Never.”

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20 • MSU Reporter

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Thursday, September 17, 2015