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Minnesota State University, Mankato
Saturday Panel to provide clarity on health care
Esteemed panelists answers questions on three health care systems ELISE KONERZA
news editor
Being in the prime years of 20-something and above, health care may appear as a distant decision in the latter years of life. But is it really too far out to think about? Glen Peterson, Professor Emeritus of Rehabilitation Counseling, disagrees. This election season, voters not only have to choose to either retain a leader or choose a new leader, but also bear in mind the question of health care. Peterson asks that students don’t just consider “short-term” circumstances in the voting both. He exampled that some day you will have children, or someday you will have to find the right care for your aging parents or grandparents. The three health care system options that are presently proposed will potentially be the deciding factor of your income being affected by taxes, your well being, your family’s well being, the nation’s welfare of the economy, and the well-being of others. All who are interested in learning about the three most prevalent and different health care options can attend a forum featuring three esteemed panelists who will speak about each option for a new health care system. The Public Informational Forum on Options for Structure of our Health Care System is Saturday, Sept. 22 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Centennial Student Union, Center Ballroom. Dr. Lynn Blewett, a Professor at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health in the Division of Health Policy and Management is the first presenter and will represent the Affordable Care Act, or as some deem it – Obamacare. Blewett directs the State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC). This research and policy center focuses on supporting state efforts to
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Hoffner’s defense attorney requests copy of videos in child pornography case MEGAN KADLEC
editor in chief
• web photo “The ACA upheld by the Supreme Court on June 28 now requires student insurance plans to add prescription benefits, increased coverage and free preventative care.”
monitor and evaluate programs to increase overall access and coverage. She heads a new project to provide technical assistance to ten states committed to the implementation of the ACA. The ACA also takes in a Patient Protection plan that aims to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable health care and in the process will create a transformation within the health care system in order to contain costs. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has determined that the act is fully paid for and provides coverage for more than 94 percent of Americans who otherwise might not have been able to afford a surgery or certain procedure. It has been calculated that the goal can be achieved while staying under President Obama’s $900 billion established limit claiming a reduction in deficit over the next ten years. Forbes contributor, Merrill Matthews, still sees a plethora of flaws in the system, which contains new taxes. Some of these taxes include a 10 percent tax on tanning services. Several
other taxes included in the ACA will hit the middle class, which many have argued the government has left in the dust and forgotten about. Some Americans argue that this could create a nation of takers. The Mercatus Center at George Mason University has reported that about one-third of households in America already receive Medicaid or food stamps and that if Medicare, Social Security and unemployment are added into the mixture – nearly half of all households will be receiving a check in the mail from the government. Second panelist, former U.S. Senator, David Durenberger, will present a privatization option that looks to reduce or eliminate the role of government by transforming Medicaid into block grants. Senator Durenberger is founder and current Chair of the National Institute of Health Policy at the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis while serving on the Kaiser Commission on
Health care / page 7
Todd Hoffner’s defense attorney will be allowed to have a copy of videos to be used as evidence in the ongoing child pornography case involving the Minnesota State University, Mankato football coach. During a motion hearing last week, Jim Fleming, Hoffner’s attorney, challenged Assistant County Attorney Mike Hanson. District Court Judge Krista Jass ruled in favor of Fleming this week. Fleming requested that the defense be granted a copy of the videos in question. Hanson denied Fleming’s request, stating that making copies of child pornography is a direct violation of state and federal law. Hanson also argued that Fleming should not have access to the videos in question because it is contraband material and might cause the children further embarrassment. This argument was deemed invalid by Jass, who stated that the videos should not be considered contraband in Fleming’s possession, because it is not considered contraband if it remains in Hanson’s possession. Also, she said that it was unlikely Hoffner’s children would be embarrassed any further simply by allowing the defense to watch the videos. Fleming saw the videos after Hoffner was arrested and charged with two felonies: one count of using minors in a sexual performance and one count of child pornography possession. The content in question was found on Hoffner’s universityissued cell phone after he brought it to the IT department to be fixed. Found on the device were three videos, taken between June 26 and Aug. 8. The videos depict images of Hoffner’s three children, ranging
HOW TO SPEND YOUR SUMMERBY IN THE MANKATO HOW MINNESOTANS WILL BE AFFECTED NFL LOCKOUT PAGE13 9 PAGE
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from age 5 to 9, dancing naked and in some cases, fondling themselves and exposing their buttocks. There is an adult male voice that can be heard in the first video’s audio that was identified as Hoffner’s. Another video depicts an adult waking up one of the girls to use the bathroom, the camera focusing on the girl’s underwear as she walks to the bathroom. Hoffner’s wife came out at a press conference Aug. 27 stating that the videos were nothing more than innocent family moments. “[Our children] love to have fun; can be silly and like to be photographed and videoed. Our children love to dance and play,” Melodee said. “We have a lot of fun with them. In fact, they make us laugh quite a bit. The videos described in the complaint against my husband are just that – nothing more.” Jass said that it would be unfair if the prosecution had access to the questionable videos and the defense did not have the same access. The central argument for the defense, according to Jass, is that the videos in question are not pornography. Whether or not the videos are pornography under Minnesota law will be the main debate throughout the trial. In order to obtain copies of the videos, Fleming will be required to sign a protection order stating that he will not distribute the content. Any witness who is asked to watch the videos will have to sign the same agreement. When Hoffner was originally arrested on Aug. 21, police officials confiscated another cell phone and two computers from Hoffner’s residence. Investigators said that no other evidence of child pornography was found when these devices were searched.
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Disney travels MSU graduates hold to MSU family benefit Saturday Extends knowledge of customer service in seminar
ERIC PERRINE
staff writer
Minnesota State University, Mankato will host the upcoming Disney Institute’s Quality Service seminar; this visit marks Disney’s first to Minnesota in nearly 10 years. The seminar, which is a two-day event, was brought to MSU by Jean Clarke, Coordinator of Continuing Education for the office of Extended Learning. The idea to bring Disney’s “training arm” to MSU reached fruition after research revealed that the institute traveled outside of its Disney World location to present their seminars, according to Clarke. Normally, the seminars are one-day events; however, Disney has included a second day for MSU faculty and staff. “I went out and did a little research and saw that they travel the country and do these one-day seminars, Clarke said. “So, I thought, why not bring them to Mankato.” Hosts of the Disney Institute can choose from six different seminar categories, which include: leadership excellence, selection training engagement, quality service, brand loyalty, creativity and
innovation and business excellence. The business excellence seminar incorporates aspects of each of the other four categories. Disney also performs healthcare workshops, as well, according to Clarke. Like any other business, MSU is the business of customer service, which is why the office of Extended Learning chose the Quality Service seminar. Disney approaches each of its employees, from upper-management to “cast members,” who are regular, theme-park employees, with the same customer-service training, who then extend friendly and helpful customer service to theme-park attendees. “The main reason we chose that topic is, as we talked as a group, every person who works in every organization has a customer of some sort,” Clarke said. “You know, those of us who work here, students are our customers.” Registration for the event was a joint-effort between MSU and Greater Mankato Growth, which is the Mankato Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development organization, according to the
Disney / page 7
MOLLY HORNER
staff writer
Two Minnesota State University, Mankato graduates and extraordinary parents have an unfortunate situation. On Sept. 29 a group of friends of the family have planned a Taco Feed and Beer Bust at Buster’s Bar and Grill to help support and raise money for the Hadfield family. Melissa and Nick Hadfield have two children. Their first child, Brady, 4, has a rare disease, Neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAIT) causing him to have a seizure before he was born. This caused damage to his brain, impacting his Optic Nerve and causing him to not fully interpret what he is seeing. Brady has experienced seven brain surgeries to assist in draining fluid, inserting and maintaining the brain shunt, or small passage that allows movement of fluid from one part of the body to another. Their second child, Maddie, 1, was born with Congenital Heart Disease. Just hours after being born she was rushed to the operating room to begin her first heart surgery. She has had 18 surgeries, seven of which were open-heart surgeries. Nick is currently a Special Education teacher at Annandale high school and Melissa is at home tending to the 24-hour
• courtesy of the hadfields Approximately 9 in 1000 are born with a congenital heart defect like Maddie’s.
care that Brady and Maddie require. “The Hadfield family is the sweetest, nicest and most deserving family in the entire world,” Samantha Hedwall, Women’s Center Assistant Director at MSU, said. Both Melissa and Nick were involved with the Greek community at MSU. Melissa was in Gamma Phi Beta and Nick, Sigma Chi. Hedwall a fellow graduate with Melissa said everyone at MSU has wanted to help in any way possible. “Melissa came to a Gamma Phi summer meeting and came up with the beer bust benefit. She settled on 51 of the Gamma Phi Beta girls to sell 10, $15
Army sergeant Did you know? Students can now killed in Afghan- text book call numbers istan attended to their phone! MSU in ‘06 Ask how at the
MINNEAPOLIS (A.P.) - An Army sergeant from Indiana killed in Afghanistan spent time at a Minnesota college. The Star Tribune reported 26-year-old Sgt. Kyle Osborn lived in Gage Residence Hall at Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2006. The Department of Defense reported Saturday Osborn now of Lafayette, Ind., died Thursday in Muqer, Afghanistan, after his unit came under attack from small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment at Camp Ederle in Vicenza, Italy.
Library's Reference Desk on 1st Floor.
• web photo
tickets in which all the money goes directly to the cause,” Stacy Helm, Marketing/Business Administration major at MSU, said. With all the donations from the Greek community, Theatre, MSU Development, Institutional Diversity and more, MSU shows their great support for the We Heart the Hadfields Benefit. “University dining has helped a lot with getting the meat which was our most expensive thing,” Hedwall said. “Bands along with Buster’s are devoting all this time, they really want to raise as much as they can for this family and everything is at cost.”
Hadfields / page 7
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Ed/Op
reporter-editor@mnsu.edu | (507) 389-5454
CHRIS HOUCK
staff writer
It’s election year again. Soon people will be bustling into their voting booths and will determine the fate of the campaigns that have been constantly barraging our television screens, radios and websites for the past few months, finally putting us out of the misery of experiencing the endless slew of those advertisements. In all the swarms of people who will cast their vote this coming November, it is the college age group that has historically been least represented in age demographics. They’re simply not going out to vote and it’s easy to see why. According to the United States Census Bureau, only about 44 percent of people within the age of 18 to 24 years of age voted in the last presidential election and only 18 percent voted in the congressional elections in 2010. A reason that I keep hearing that fellow students and people in their 20’s won’t vote is because they say that they don’t believe that their vote will really matter. And once the gravity of
JOsh erhardt, senior political science “More money is being spent on this election than ever before and that is a threat to democracy.”
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Voting: Small act Big impact Showing support for issues guides political leaders a single vote comes to reality, it’s seen that a single vote in Minnesota is one out of of 5.3 million people in the state. And in a presidential election, a candidate winning Minnesota would garner only 10 Electoral College votes out of 538. One vote seems so microscopic to those numbers. Despite the efforts of such organizations as Get Out the Vote and Rock the Vote, there still seems to be a disparity between the younger generation and going to the polls. The fact is that casting a single vote will almost assuredly not affect an entire election and is not worth its loss of people’s time and productivity. With college students’ lives as busy as they are with juggling school, jobs, internships and social lives, it really is hard to make the case that anybody in that age group should put aside their life for a while in order to cast a single vote that will most likely not have an effect on the elections. It can also be frustrating to have such a small field of candidates to choose from in a two party system, which usually totals to the staggering amount
of only two people for voters to choose from. An old episode of The Simpsons touched on the shallowness of available candidates when it is revealed that aliens had disguised themselves as Bill Clinton and Bob Dole in the 1996 elections and the townsfolk said that they’d vote for a third party, as to not vote for those two. “Go ahead,” one of the aliens quipped before bursting into maniacal laughter. “Throw your vote away.” It is unfortunate, that in the midst of all the political advertising, doing individual research on a candidate will yield a better picture of their character and policies than what they present to the public. For example, the attack ads that bombard television during the presidential election focus solely on a handful of issues that either candidate has touched on. The public is presented with a narrow viewpoint and it becomes difficult to decide whose agenda agrees with an individual the most. Whichever way you look at it, the age group of most college students is the least represented in the government due
to the lack of voters deciding the election. It is obvious that no one will be able to hold an office and be able to completely please their entire populous, so people seem generally put off by putting someone in office that they know they disagree with on certain issues, especially young voters. I’m not saying that everybody needs to put everything down and rush to there nearest polling place on Election Day. Believe me, I would much rather stay at home and avoid homework, than drive to a government building during my
• web photo According to the Fair Elections Legal Network, only 22.8 percent of eligible voters under 30 voted in 2010.”
“What do you know about the election so far this year?”
alyssa handevidt, junior spanish/special education “I want whoever is going to make our country and economy better to win the election.”
emmanuel ifonlaja, senior community health/graphic design “I feel that however much is being spent doesn’t matter as long as the right man wins... Obama!”
free time. I’m saying that if there is an issue or a topic of interest that anyone feels is a pressing need to support, then, as miniscule as the contribution would be, voting is one way to support it. If anyone is for or against gay marriage, stricter voting laws or what president they’d support, then this year’s election is one way to attempt to help their cause, if they feel it’s worthwhile to support. A vote will be counted, if not completely heard, in issues the voters want to change in their country.
Olumide ige, sophomore engineering/technology “I don’t follow it because I don’t like politics, I’d rather just skateboard.”
Compiled by Lela Magxaka
rhonda gibson, masters of fine arts in creative writing “I don’t trust Mit Romney and his ability to relate to the average man.”
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Thursday, September 20, 2012
News
Reporter • Page 5
Say ‘I do’ in style
Tunnel Vision
Mankato Bridal Show sets exhibition date for Sunday
MSSA discusses future projects at MSU
CHRIS HOUCK
staff writer The MSSA meeting got underway on Wednesday, with new news of the school’s upcoming building projects, technology, and another addition to the student senate. Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Vice President for Finance and Administration, Rick Straka spoke in front of the senate, detailing future projects for the university, including an underground, but naturally lit, tunnel to connect the Centennial Student Union to the library. The project will include an amphitheater and is expected to be completed by fall of next year. Bryan Schneider, Director of Technical Services in Minnesota State Mankato’s Office of Information and Technology Services, highlighted some of
• courtesy of the committee of the mankato bridal show The 2008 US Census says the average age for a first marriage is 25 for women and 27 for men. MOLLY HORNER
staff writer Many students may say that Minnesota State University, Mankato is not only just an education or a degree. MSU is a shared experience with other people before we begin our lives in the real world. As we graduate and leave the university, there comes a time when many of us will want to tie in those memories with a wedding event, possibly here in Mankato. Mark the date for Sunday, Sept. 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the Fall Mankato Bridal Show at the Verizon Wireless Civic Center. The Bridal Show is free to the public and will provide exhibitors and sponsors for countless new wedding trends. “Different venues show what couples do together like their first date, shared interests, their proposal, there’s so many ways they can say something about themselves,” says Darcy Sullivan, co-coordinator of the KDOG Mankato Bridal Show. “We try to have enough variety at our show, something here that they may never even think of.” Melissa Thate, cocoordinator of the KDOG Mankato Bridal Show, and Sullivan have put together 12 Wedding Shows together. This will be their first show in the Verizon Wireless
Center, along with Mankato Bridal Show’s first fall show, which they’re hoping for as much success as their January shows. “On a super cold day at the MSU Ballroom, there were brides that were wrapped around the building waiting in line for the January Bridal Show,” Thate said. At the Fall Mankato Bridal Show, make sure to stop by the AmericInn Hotel & Conference Center booth. With many out-of-state couples choosing to host their wedding in Mankato or ones planning for their big day, the AmericInn & Conference Center may just hit dead-on. The AmericInn has a lot to offer such as hosting a rehearsal, reception, gift opening and lodging offered all on-site. “This hotel accommodates weddings for up to 250 people. We see about 50 weddings per year and about 60 percent primarily are MSU graduated couples that have met here in Mankato and come back to tie in this wedding event,” says Carmen Sook, Director of Sales and Events, “Family and old college buddies all together, it’s a great weekend and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.” The AmericInn is a “one stop shop,” and also has a partnership with Boomtown, Johnny B’s, Weggy’s, and
Jake’s Stadium Pizza. With the AmericInn Hotel & Conference Center being recognized of being a part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, a new sister hotel, Courtyard by Marriot Hotel & Event Center is opening as well. The new Courtyard by Marriot, also exhibited at the Mankato Bridal Show, is located within the River Hills Mall Complex at 901 Raintree Road, Mankato, and will open October 1. “This year we had 9 of our 50 wedding groups from out of state coming back to Mankato (where the couple met) to host their wedding reception,” Sook said, “A lot of out of state couples like Alaska and Montana, met at MSU and came back to get married, they took up almost our whole entire hotel.” When you come to MSU, almost anything you would need is in walking distance, which ties in why MSU graduates enjoy to come back to celebrate such big events. “The Bridal Show is such an important event, one place to go get ideas, talk to local vendors and face to face interaction of what the trends are,” Sook said. “It’s also fun for us to walk around to see what local venders are doing here in Mankato.”
the new services the school is offering. One service Schneider discussed is the introduction of MavAPPS, which is a remote desktop service that allows authorized users to run university software remotely over broadband Internet. The software is available for use, but has a limited number of available spots for students. The Runoff Election for the Crawford senate seat also took place during the meeting. First year student, Lauren Kasmatka was pitted against second year student Jerica Thompson. They both presented their case to the senate as well as answered a series of questions from the senators. At the end of the senate’s voting, Thompson emerged as the winner and was immedi-
MSSA / page 7
Wagon Wheel Cafe 609 South Front Street • Mankato
625-9604
QUIT and WIN
University of Minnesota
The Quit and Win research study has come to Minnesota State! Quit smoking for the month of November and you could win a trip to the Caribbean or gift card equivalent! Deadline for entry is Sept. 26, 2012
Check it out today! www.quitandwin.umn.edu
The MSSA will be holding an election for the following positions:
• College of allied health & nursing (2) • MARGARET PRESKA (1) Elections will be held Tues., September 11th 8:00AM-6:00PM Online at www.mnsu.edu/voting Candidacy Application Deadline: Friday, September 7th, noon Application Available Online: www.mnsu.edu/mssa
Page 6 • Reporter
Where To Worship
Thursday, September 20, 2012 T
WHERE TO WORSHIP First Lutheran Church 1114 W. Traverse Road St. Peter, MN 56082 www.flcstp.org Bethlehem Lutheran, ELCA It's ok to dress casual for church. Jesus did.
Sunday Services 8:15 & 10:45 am Wednesday - 6 pm
Worship Services at: 8:30 & 10:30 a.m. Sundays 7:00 p.m. Wednesdays We are an ELCA, Reconciled in Christ Congregation.
Mankato United Methodist Churches Belgrade Avenue UMC Hilltop UMC Centenary UMC The Korean Fellowship
Pastor Jay Dahlvang Pastor Collette Broady Preiss 720 S. 2nd St. 507.388.2925 www.bethlehemmankato.org
www.mankatounitedmethodists.org
SERVICE TIMES:
Sunday: 8:30 am................Family 9:45 am..........Traditional 11:00 am... Contemporary - Excellent Bible-based teaching - Choice of music styles: - Contemporary includes full band playing relevant worship songs - Traditional includes organ and hymns 1250 Monks Avenue - 345-4011 On the corner of Monks Avenue and Balcerzak Drive. Close walking distance from MSU! Give Bethel a try and see if it can be your 'church home away from home'! Come - just as you are - now is the time to worship.
Services:
Saturday: 5:30 pm contemporary Sunday: 8:00 am traditional 9:30 am contemporary 11:00 am contemporary Wednesday: 7:00 pm contemporary
Young Life Support (YLS) times:
Wednesday: 5:45 pm
with dinner served at 5:00 pm
Sunday: 9:30 am
Made For More? St. Thomas More Catholic Newman Center
Sunday Mass
www.hosannamankato.com
8:00 & 10:30 am
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Adults 9:30 - 10:15 am Children 9:30 - 10:30 am
EVENING PRAYER Tues. & Thurs. 5:30 pm
7:00 & 9:00 p.m. | Ostrander Auditorium Plus... Bible Study, Daily Mass, Adoration, RCIA, Retreats, Counseling and more.
Find us on the web at: www.catholicmavs.org www.facebook.com/catholicmavs
CROSSROADS CAMPUS MINISTRY crossroadsatmnsu.org
MONDAYS
302 Warren Street 507-388-1969 stjohnsmankato.org
WORSHIP: Wednesday @ 7pm Free Meal @ 6pm
Sunday
Free Yoga Class at 7:00pm
@ 10am & 7pm
TUESDAYS
Lunch 4 a Buck 11:00am-1:00pm
WEDNESDAYS Worship at 8pm
STUDENT-LED BIBLE STUDIES ALL WEEK
WHERE DID THE BIBLE COME FROM? Led by Pastor Tammy
105 Hosanna Dr., Mankato (507) 388-1766
SUNDAY WORSHIP
Kitty-Corner from McElroy
wednesday nights 5:15-6:15 at Crossroads
625-6779 lcmcrossroads@gmail.com
507-382-3981
Thursday, September 20, 2012
News
Reporter • Page 7
HEALTH CARE “This essentially would mean that health care is not free.”
DISNEY “Like any other business MSU
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Greater Mankato Growth website. Those attending Monday’s full-day seminar registered through Greater Mankato and Tuesday’s 90-minute seminar for MSU faculty and staff registered through the University’s Human Resources department. Clarke handled the registration for faculty and staff who wanted to attend the full-day seminar. “We actually partnered with Greater Mankato Growth, which is kind of like the chamber here in town,” Clarke said. “We partnered with them and they handled the majority of the registrations for the day. I took care of all the faculty and staff who wanted to come to the full-day session. And then the one-and-a-half-hour session, human resources took care of that.” Monday, Sept. 24, the first seminar will take place in the Centennial Student Union Ballroom and Tuesday, Sept. 25 in the Ostrander Auditorium. Ballroom attendance was limited to 350 attendees by Disney and 200 in the auditorium. Seminar attendees will learn skills ranging from consistent delivery of customer service to ways of measuring customer needs, perceptions and expectations, according to the MSU website. Registration fees were dependent on when attendees registered for the seminar. An early-bird rate of $349 was available for those who registered before Sept. 5. Anyone who registered between Sept. 5 and Sept. 21 paid $449. And same-day registration is
Medicaid and the Uninsured. Block grants are embraced by House Republicans in tackling costly issues with the health care system debate. Block grants would transform the Medicaid program that covers 50 million poor and disabled Americans in efforts to reduce federal spending. Turning Medicaid into block grants, or federal lump-sum payments to states, has raised questions that democrats argue could result in a loss of coverage for millions of people. Although, states would have some freedom to run the program as they deem fit, states would be appointed to pick up the costs beyond federal allotment of block grants. Dr. Dave Dvorak, will present the single payer approach. Dvorak has earned his Medical Doctor degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical School. He subsequently earned the Master of Public Health degree at the University of Minnesota. Dvorak has been an active member and speaker with the Minnesota Chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program, an organization advocating for the unified single payer system. Single payer health insurance would allow numerous and different entities to pay insurance premiums into a pool of money. This money is put into a fund to pay the health bills of a group of people. Australia, Canada, England and several other countries have already implemented the single payer system however because of the pooled funds, long waiting lists have been a problem in these countries. This essentially would mean
that health care is not free; however, health care would be more affordable and there would be no chance of being denied treatment because of the common case of lack of coverage. Single payer system includes fewer health care professionals, yet more patients with no specialized care on types of plans such as co-pays, and out of pocket expenses. Instead, everyone will have to wait in line to be seen, which could cause a patient with stage one cancer to develop stage two cancer. Each system raises a variety of questions for a diverse group of people with different backgrounds and needs. Questions from the audience will be answered by each speaker following their presentation, with a final 50-minute open floor question and answer session directed toward all of the panelists. “The objective of the panel is to provide a clear picture of what these three different approaches will do for you and where they might come up short,” Peterson said. Peterson said the forum is not looking for a debate but would rather take an informational approach instead of advocacy. “The information provided will set an objective, non-partisan description for the options of making health care available and affordable for them, their families, and for their fellow students,” Peterson said. Face it; in five years or so, you’ll be booted off your parents’ health insurance, and then what? Staying informed on the health care debate reserves a chance for the betterment of personal and family health care at an economically just rate.
Let us be your designated driver! Local & Long Distance Call for a quote!
is the business of customer service.”
continued from 3
continued from 5 ately sworn in and sat with the senate throughout the rest of the meeting. Homecoming Chair, Will Malloy, spoke about MSU’s upcoming events for next week, which are listed on the school’s website. There are events scheduled throughout the week, including about 300 tickets available for the kick-off event on Sept. 24, “Yell Like Hell featuring Eric Hutchinson.” MSSA President, Soyal Shrestha commented on students smoking on campus despite the act being banned at the outset of 2012. While there is no official punishment, President Shrestha was open for enforcement suggestions.
HADFIELDS continued from 3
You can get your Beer Bust Benefit tickets from the Gamma Phi Beta community. Otherwise tickets are available at the door the day of the event. The We Heart the Hadfields benefit will help raise money for a special cause along with special guests, a good night, gold dust and Docta Jones at Buster’s located at 1325 Madison Ave., Mankato. “It will have a really good turnout because the Greek community is a big part of the university,” Helm said. “It’s also a great time during homecoming to do this cause.”
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available for $499. A group rate is also available for $299 per person for organizations that send three or more people, according to Clarke. Minnesota State was required to pay Disney an undisclosed amount to perform the seminars. The registration fees collected go toward offsetting that cost. An attendance of 150 people would allow Extended Learning to turn a profit. The money earned goes toward future courses, topics and continuing education type workshops. Disney’s only stop while in Minnesota is MSU. The contract between Disney and MSU states that they will not perform another seminar within 60 miles of MSU for six months before or after MSU’s seminars. This clause stops other universities or businesses from taking potential attendees from MSU. No Disney movie characters attend the seminars. However, Disney did provide MSU with 75 Mylar balloons for decorating the events with the condition that MSU donate them to local children’s organizations following the seminars, following suit of their customer appreciation ideology. “They did send us 75 Mylar balloons, Clarke said. “Part of their criteria is then after the event we have to donate them to a local children’s organization. So, we’re going to be bringing the balloons from here to the Mankato Clinic and the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota.”
MSSA “While there is no punishment, President Shrestha was open for enforcement suggestions.”
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Page 8 • Reporter
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Thursday, September 20, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
A&E
THURSDAY’S A&E CALENDAR Another Editor’s Thought, Album Release, and Destroying the new Resident Evil Film
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An Editor’s Thought
EMRE K. ERKU
a&e editor
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W
omen drop your rabbits and men put away your Lubriderm dispensers, the weekend is once again upon us, and its time to get wild and wicked. This week has been, like many others, a grueling routine of good and bad grades, partner-less sex (if you’re single), bottom-shelf coffees and Budweiser’s for breakfast. But since the week has been bland and self-deprecating, the weekend should consist of the complete opposite. Instead of memorizing price elasticities and figuring out how to use AutoCAD, crack open a lager, crank the music up and embark upon an incredible adventure. From the keggers down the hill to the puke-covered parking lots of College Town, there is a lot to accomplish in only one Mankato weekend. And take it from yours truly – there never is enough time. Let’s start with Thursday’s guidelines for a fun night. After the last class of the day and after the last tedious obligation is finished, grab your friends for pitchers and the juiciest roast beef sandwiches in town at Johnny B’s. Relax with ice-cold Micholob Golden Light or Bud Light pitchers and watch Thursday Night Football on one of the many flatscreens neatly decorated on the wall. Then, when the beer is at its last
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drop and the delicious Real Roast Beefs are in crumbs, pay your bill (tip well) and walk down to Stadium Spirits Liquor Store for some well-priced cases and bottles. The purchase shall then lead to pre-game rituals. This time around, shoot back something a little different – something that complements the changing weather. Fill up the kitchen counter shot glasses with a tasty drink that’s a smooth swallow: Duck Farts. A Duck Fart consists of ½ portions of Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey, Baily’s Irish Cream and Kahlua Coffee Liqueur, and its like drinking a melted caramel cream desert that gets better with every shot. So, in moderation, drink this devil down to keep the spirits up. Then, in a few rounds time, descend towards the bright lights of downtown Mankato. Tonight, forget about attending any bar besides Red Sky Lounge – not that all the others are bad or anything – its just that the new age folk styling’s of the band Useful Jenkins and the light, feel-good rock-n-roll forms of the band Medicine for the People will be tearing up The Lounge with their sets. These two bands are ideal for a lovely evening of dancing and swallowing down $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon pounders and Grain Belt Premium Bottles. And who knows, with the warm-hearted music in the air and the cheap beer in everyone’s system, one can find a new, passionate relationship with another. If not, then it was never meant to be, and a nice Kato Cab ride home to a clean-sheet bed will suffice. Tell yourself a nice bedtime story, close your eyes, and then drift into dreamland. Friday is a bigger day. In the college life, when we wake up, we all suffer from a nation-wide epidemic that sweeps through every campus: hangovers. Why are they so prevalent and why does the headache in constant pain after a night of full-fledged fun? Besides Mavericks with majors in the medical field, who knows and who really cares? The best cure for such encounters is more food and drink. Now, either self-cooking is needed, or a trip back to the bar is in store for a feeding and drinking session. But screw spending more money on bar tabs so early in the day. Instead, create your own feast with the help of your roommates, a feast that consists of eggs, bacon and Bloody Marys. This is the best way to do so: With the help of 1 liter of regular Smirnoff Vodka, Campbells Tomato Juice, dashes of hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper, drops of lemon juice, and stalks of celery, you can produce an amazing Bloody concoction. Alongside that, make however kinds of eggs desired, fry up some bacon, and it should be a fitting Friday morning meal. Afterwards, your hangover will subside and you’ll be ready to paint the town red all over again. Treat Friday afternoon like a hip-hop concert, since the one and only Kanye West released a new album this week entitled Cruel Summer. So buy it, throw it on blast in the middle of your living room, and swing around to Kanye’s new beats. Do this for the next four hours while playing game after game of presidents and assholes, and prepare for yet another barhopping night on the town. Refer back to last weeks edition of An Editor’s Note for insight to Mankato’s bar scene.
Page 10 • Reporter
A&E
Thursday, September 20, 2012T
New Album By Plastician: Start, Select, Reset EP
EVAN O’CONNOR
contributing writer
I
t’s no secret dance music has distinguished itself as a major player when it comes to the music of today’s youth. Producers are being held in high regard – rock-star status even. Since 2009, dance music has started to dominate the U.S. underground dance scene and now has made its way to the top of the charts. Music festivals like Electric Daisy Carnival, Electric Zoo, Ultra Music Festival and Electric Forrest have become some of the most popular for music diehards to attend. While the boom of dance music may seem new to many of the 25-and-under age group, it’s been around for nearly three decades. Those who have dived in to the gritty genre known as dubstep are aware of the producers Rusko, Excision, Datsik, Zeds Dead, Bassnectar and even Minnesota’s own, Vaski. Characterized by the chopped
brings a different take to a once diverse genre. Born Chris Reed, Plastician hails from London. He began DJing at 16, producing at 18, and released his first track in 2002. Now 30, he is considered to be a true innovator for the dubstep and grime genres. A fair warning to all those who listen to the EP; it’s very bass heavy. If you don’t use headphones or speakers with decent low end, you’re only hearing half of the song. Plastician’s opening track “Bad Like Us” featuring Doctor contains • web photo the vibe many present-day up half-time beat and masdubstep fans are accussive bass lines, it’s a genre tomed to. Right out of the that may sound slow begate, Doctor brings his top cause of the drum patterns, reggae mc-ing to the table but packs enough energy while the opening syntheto get a crowd of 50,000 sizer energizes the listener; people dancing and moving preparing to make a madtheir bodies in whatever dash through bass drum fashion they deem approkicks and choppy snares. priate. Dubstep has fallen This high-powered track into this funk of making is perfect for any headlinthe songs very glitchy and ing DJ to open their set distorted. The shrieking with. Simply put, the song noises are extremely overcaptures your attention and used in present day producprepares you for the rest of tions –straying far from the the EP. London underground that it Hearing the next track, dominated for the majority “Retro,” will be a bit surof the 2000s. prising; it’s the “Bad Like Today, I present to you Us” instrumental. I highly the Start, Select, Reset EP encourage listening to the by Plastician. Released song in its entirety. by the Brooklyn-based record label Trouble & Bass on Tuesday, this EP brings dubstep, grime and UK garage music back to its roots. Thundering low-frequency bass lines, sparse hi-hats and synthesizers that evoke thoughts of Michael Myers from the Halloween movies are prevalent, but each track
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With the vocals removed, you are brought on a rollercoaster ride. The four on the f loor beat shines through. You can interpret the inf luence by a lesser-known genre called “Baltimore Club” or “Bmore” (think hip-hop drums chopped in to a house music beat). When the vocals are no longer present, you are listening to a new track entirely. As the third song “Senate” starts, we are transported to the London underground that birthed, nurtured and groomed dubstep. A violin sample that resembles the spine-chilling Jaws theme song grabs you by the ears. “Senate” is peculiar to many, but it is nonetheless enticing. A true tribute to the underground from where the bass-heavy genre was hatched. “Pwned,” the fifth track off the EP, gives listeners the simplicity of dubstep. Here, all we have is a halftime drum pattern, some sounds that propel you into a 16-bit video game and then the bass line – the bass being the key element. One might think that the ground is beginning to splinter and crack from the low frequency rumbles. In all honesty, it’s just plain cool.
Now, Doctor is brought back to emcee the second-to-last song, “Rebel Music.” Plastician is utilizing futuristic synths that resonate throughout your speakers. While there is that definitive “wub” that so many dubstep fans adore, it’s relaxed enough to take a Sunday drive to. The vocals provided by Doctor are that of a preaching Rastafarian. They’re as follows: “All I want to do is to make the music play. Can you hear my pain? ‘Dis a rebel music, rebel music, rebel music, rebel music, ‘dis a rebel music. Can you hear my cry? Music give me life; do it ‘till I die. ‘Dis a rebel music, rebel music…” There isn’t much I don’t like about the Start, Select, Reset EP. Plastician hits this one out of the park. It has all the elements of what I would consider the roots of dubstep and grime. Not surprising though, given that he has been at this for over a decade. You can hear Plastician every Sunday from 3 – 5 p.m. CST on Rinse FM, where he, or a guest artist, will DJ for the two hour slot. Happy listening!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
A&E
Reporter • Page 11
Resident Evil Becomes its Own Worst Enemy
ANREW SIMON
B
staff writer
y this point in the game, the film series Resident Evil has the loosest of connections to its video game parent, so there’s really no point in criticizing the movies for its faithless adaptations. And with Resident Evil: Retribution now the fifth cinematic adventure for Alice (Mila Jovocich) fighting the evil Umbrella Corporation after a zombie plague turned the earth, audiences know exactly what type of movie they’re going to get when they pay for their ticket – fighting, slow motion, incoherency, and a overwhelming sense of fun. Unlike its predecessors, however, Retribution emphasizes the first three points to a near unbearable level, and commits the most heinous of action/adventure sins: it becomes mind-numbingly boring. The short version of where Resident Evil is - if none want to suffer through Alice providing a five minute expository monologue chronicling the last four movies – Alice is the only person to have gelled with the Umbrella virus on a genetic level, giving her superhuman powers and near invincibility. Since the anomaly of Alice and her powers, Umbrella have been unable to capture her, thus what remains of them have aimed to replicate that success by mass producing clones. By the conclu-
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sion of the fourth movie, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Alice had been robbed of her powers, with her and a handful of survivors about to be under attack by a legion of Umbrella Corp weapon-powered helicopters and soldiers. Retribution “attempts” to follow this narrative. Inspired is one word to describe the opening five minutes of Retribution. Umbrella’s attack on Alice and the survivors is
shown in reverse slow motion to an epic, hard rock music that would fit right at home in 300, making for some truly interesting visuals and the hope that writer/director Paul W.S. Anderson just might have another entertaining movie on his hands. Unfortunately that excitement is short lived as the film jumps to a different narrative thread, which we follow with no understanding of the what and why of the situation, and then when it’s sufficiently bored with that, decides to hop onto yet another new thread. Thirty minutes in, when audiences should know everything they need to know to fall into a story, they are still in the dark. The thinnest of notions concerning a plot is revealed, but the movie is interested in more slow motion fight scenes that are not remotely well choreographed or all that interesting to watch, and because the filmmakers have failed to make anyone actively care about what’s happening on screen. We don’t care why Alice is fighting or, let alone, if she makes it out alive because – as mentioned but barely touched upon in the movie – Alice is full on human this time around.
There is simply so much wrong with Retribution that it’s staggering this script made it to the production stage. This screenplay offers barely passable explanations for what unfolds in the first thirty minutes, but then decides it’s time to move onto the next mediocre action sequence. It introduces new and re-introduces old characters, but doesn’t bother to do anything significant with them. The story dictates that Alice becomes a mother of sorts to a deaf girl, and miraculously Alice displays a talent she’s never shown before: she can engage this child in sign language perfectly, without previously having any need to do so with anyone in her life. Characters are resurrected – even a bad guy from Afterlife returns but now has a new motive. Why? A poor script can at least become endurable with decent actors, but unfortunately, the only good ones here are marginally used, and the rest are mind-numbingly atrocious. Leon, a new character to the series, is played by Johann Urb, possibly doing everything in his power to be nominated and secure his winnings at
next year’s Razzie awards. Sienna Guillory returns as Jill Valentine from Afterlife, but every word she speaks falls completely flat, becoming borderline hilarious in its atrociousness, the movie’s true train wreck that one simply can’t look away from. Nothing makes sense from a narrative standpoint, and the performances from anyone not a regular in the Resident Evil universe are ridiculously bad. The trademark slow motion is far too overused, making the action scenes numb and without engagement, and most of all, its ninety minutes of embarrassment. Love them or hate them, the first four Resident Evil movies had some element a viewer can enjoy, making it a worthwhile venture. Here, it’s a shameful waste of resources, time, and money. When the inevitable box office returns demands a 5th sequel, let all fans of cinema hope that writer/director Paul W.S. Anderson vows to send this series off with style and substance, and finally, mercifully end it if Retribution is an indicator of the type of quality fans can expect from this series.
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Thursday, September 20, 2012
Sports
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T
THIS WEEK IN MAVERICK SPORTS: THURSDAY (9/20/12) NO EVENTS SCHEDULED
SUNDAY (9/23/12) all day MEN’S GOLF @ Husky Invite allday WOMEN’S GOLF @ Mustang Invite 1 p.m. WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. MSU-Moorhead
FRIDAY (9/21/12) 7 p.m. VOLLEYBALL vs. Northern State
MONDAY (9/24/12) all day MEN’S GOLF @ Husky Invite
SATURDAY all day all day 1 p.m. 1 p.m. 4 p.m.
(9/22/12)
MEN’S GOLF @ Husky Invite WOMEN’S GOLF @ Mustang Invite FOOTBALL vs. MSU-Moorhead WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Northern State VOLLEYBALL vs. MSU-Moorhead
TUESDAY (9/25/12) NO EVENTS SCHEDULED
FOR MORE COVERAGE OF your favorite Maverick TEAMS VISIT: MSUMavericks.com
Mavericks go 2-1 in tough stretch; knocks off No. 2 Concordia-St. Paul
MSU volleyball breaks a 13-game losing streak to the Golden Bears and beats them for the first time since 2002 in five sets tuesday night. TIGE HUTCHESON
staff writer
shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Chelsea Fogarty (far) and Courtney Steinhauser (near) certainly had their hands full this past week against two ranked opponents in the NSIC.
Even with six teams in the most recent AVCA Coaches Poll, the No. 12 Minnesota State University, Mankato volleyball team (8-3) proved over the weekend and on Tuesday night just how wide open the NSIC really is. The Mavericks began play on Friday against one of the newest teams in the NSIC, the University of Sioux Falls. The Cougars entered the weekend 8-1 and had a lot of momentum that carried them to a quick start. Sioux Falls jumped out to an early two set lead, putting the Mavericks on the brink of a loss early on with 25-23 and 25-20 set victories. But MSU bounced back and withstood the early run. Chelsea Fogarty (18 kills) and Courteney Steinhauser (17) got things going on offense as the Mavericks rallied back and, with three straight set wins (2518, 25-15, and 15-8), came from behind to nip the Cougars 3-2. Jill Storlie also added 12 kills for the Mavericks. Fogarty led MSU’s defense with 19 digs while Kelli Elhardt added 17. Freshman setter Ellie Van De Steeg connected the dots on offense, finishing with a match-high 63 assists. But the NSIC took its toll the following night. Saturday night saw the No. 4 Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs visit the Taylor Center for a classic battle of two of the
conferences’ premier volleyball programs. After being swept by No. 2 Concordia-St. Paul the night before, the Mustangs came out with something to prove, jumping out to an early lead and never really looking back as SMSU swept the Mavericks 25-22, 25-19, and 25-19 on Saturday. Fogarty and Steinhauser led the Mavericks again on offense with 11 kills apiece while Van De Steeg again paced MSU with 33 assists. The Mustangs entered the game as one of the most statistically explosive offenses in the country and lived up to the bill. Senior hitter Mary Groth led the Mustangs with 14 kills while freshman Abbey Thissen added 11. Common sense would say that if Concordia-St. Paul swept Southwest Minnesota and Southwest Minnesota State swept MSU, Tuesday night’s MSU-Concordia game looked to be an all but official loss, right? Not so fast. In a breakthrough game, MSU turned heads on Tuesday night, knocking off the Golden Bears in a five set thriller 25-23, 26-24, 13-25, 18-25, and 15-11. The Mavericks jumped out to a quick two set lead over Concordia, including a huge 26-24 victory in the second set. Kayla Berning came up big for the Mavericks in the set, finishing with six kills including the eventual dagger. But the Golden Bears stormed back, taking the next
two sets 25-13 and 25-18, sending the match into a fifth and final set showdown. The Mavericks took advantage early, running the score up to a 12-5 advantage at one point before Steinhauser’s kill sealed the victory at 15-11. Four Mavericks finished the match with kills in double digits. Chelsea Fogarty led the team with a match-high 20 with Berning (13), Tiana Runck (12), and Steinhauser (10) also making big contributions. Kelli Elhardt and Samantha Dale both shared the load on defense, finishing with 13 digs apiece, and Van De Steeg continued her strong play with 59 assists. After a wild week of NSIC volleyball, I do not envy the committee that has to pick the new AVCA Coaches Poll. It’s clear that, right now, the NSIC is stacked with very talented teams that are just beating up on each other, and it’s becoming very difficult to tell who the front runners really are. In the end, teams like Concordia and Southwest will probably remain on top, at least for another week, due to past history and traditions, and #3 Minnesota Duluth will probably slide by due to their record resulting from lack of a real test so far. But in the NSIC, it’s far too dangerous to count anybody out. And as of Tuesday, the record at least shows that the MSU volleyball team is definitely for real.
Opinion: 2-0 vs. 0-2, where do they stand? The NFL is currently two weeks through their 17-week season and 12 teams stand undefeated or winless. The Reporter answers the simple question, where will they go from here?
JOEY DENTON
staff writer
After two weeks in the 2012 NFL regular season, there have been upsets and let downs by a lot of teams in the league. There are 12 teams that are either 2-0 or 0-2 and even though it’s only the beginning of the season, a lot of NFL fans got to see if a team is the real deal or having a slow start. After looking at the 2-0 teams in the standings, you have to think to yourself, is this team legit or did they just
have two good weeks? Will this team make the playoffs or will their fire burn out? Let’s start off with one of the trickier teams to look at: The Philadelphia Eagles. The “Dream Team” gave up the ball nine times in their first two games and they came out with victories in both. Even though their first victory was against the (0-2) Cleveland Browns, quarterback Michael Vick threw four interceptions and still came out with a 17-16 win. What was even more impressive was the fourth quarter comeback the Eagles
had against the Baltimore Ravens in week two. This team has the skills and talent to win the division, but they don’t keep control of the ball. Their season will end after week 17. The three teams that are no doubt a legit contender for the postseason are the Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers. Even though the Falcons division is clearly up for grabs for all four teams, to me the front-runner should be Atlanta. I haven’t seen such an explosive offense in a dome since “The Greatest
Show on Turf” featuring the 2000 Super Bowl Champions St. Louis Rams with Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce. There isn’t a more explosive offense in the NFL with Matt Ryan throwing to Julio Jones, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez. Not to mention they have Michael Turner taking the hand offs. The Texans and 49ers are pretty similar when it comes to game style. Both teams have top-notch defenses that can stop the run and they both possess a well-bal-
anced offense between running and passing. The 49ers have already proven they can take the top teams in the NFL as they defeated Green Bay at Lambeau Field in week one and the Detroit Lions in week two. The one 2-0 team that is surprising to me is the Arizona Cardinals. We have already seen quarterback Kevin Kolb play, and I wasn’t impressed. Also, how they defeated the New England Patriots in New England is beyond me. If they
NFL / page 13
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Sports
Reporter • Page 13
Lockout 101: A Minnesotan’s guide to the NHL’s latest work stoppage RYAN LUND
staff writer
By now we’ve all heard the news, the National Hockey League is set to become the latest professional sports league to lock out its players. Again. Having learned exactly nothing from the black hole that was 2004, the billionaires are arguing with the millionaires over who deserves the revenue from your nine-dollar arena cheeseburger . and thirty-dollar t-shirt, and so far they’ve shown no signs of slowing down. These are trying times for Minnesotans, we hail from the so-called “State of Hockey” after all. So put down the Grain Belt, step away from the ledge and for god’s sake put that Timberwolves jersey back in the closet. The NHL might be missing in action, but there’s still plenty of
action to be found for Minnesota hockey fans that know where to look. So with that, let’s break down the essentials of this latest work stoppage. Season Ticket Holders
The Wild have gained approximately 4,000 new season ticket holders since signing hometown superstar Zach Parise on July 4, and they’ve instituted a policy intended to keep those new investors from jumping ship. As a college student, odds are that you don’t own season tickets. Your parents, however, might have taken the plunge without your consent. They’ll want to pay attention. According to an email signed by Wild COO Matt Majka, sent to all Wild season ticket holders and obtained by The Reporter, the Wild are prepared to offer hockey fans two options during
the lockout. The first option is simple. Season ticket holders who desire a refund can contact their account representative, who will “initiate the refund process for the value of any cancelled games which are not rescheduled.” In short, the Wild with refund the initial value of your tickets on a game-by-game basis. You’ll get your money back in the same state in which it was put in your account, with one installment for every game missed. However, the Wild are also offering a second, much more attractive option. For those that don’t want to receive incremental checks, for the next six months the Wild are offering extra incentives for season ticket holders to leave their money with the team. The Wild will offer season ticket holders a fixed 10 percent annualized interest rate (APR) on
the dollar value of their tickets should games be missed, and make no mistake, games will, at least in this reporter’s opinion, be missed. To the average fan, this means that leaving your tickets untouched will generate a credit to your account equal to the value of every game missed, plus 10 percent interest. It’s the equivalent of depositing your money in a bank that offers 10 percent interest, only this bank writes its checks in hockey and keeps its balance in pucks. Sign me up. By comparison the Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings are offering a similar deal at a rate of 5 percent, while the ultra-popular Chicago Blackhawks are offering just 2 percent. These might be trying times for Wild fans, but Minnesota fans can’t be faulted for trying to make a little money while they suffer.
As it turns out, the NHL isn’t the only hockey league worth watching in North America, in fact some would argue that it isn’t even, the most entertaining. The Canadian Hockey League has been supplying the NHL with the vast majority of it’s prospects since 1975, and is seen by many as a perfectly viable alternative to the NHL. The CHL serves as an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian major junior hockey leagues, the Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. QMJHL fans were watching Sidney Crosby light the lamp for the Rimouski Océanic long
games. With running back Jamal Charles, tight end Tony Moeaki and safety Eric Berry coming back off season ending injuries, it will take a few weeks to get back to game speed. If Matt Cassel can get back to his 2011 season stature, this team will get things back together and compete with the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos for the
NFC West Division title. Some of these 0-2 teams are no doubters they will sit at the bottom at the end of the season, like the Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns. The Raiders have a new head coach in Dennis Allen, their fifth new head coach in six seasons, and all three teams are on rebuilding seasons.
The CHL
NFL continued from 12
are going to have a chance to make the playoffs, Kolb needs to lead this team until Jon Skelton comes back. They will have a big test this weekend as Vick and the Eagles come to the desert. According to Chase Stuart from the New York Times, “since 1990, only 22 of the 184 teams (12 percent) that started the season 0-2 ulti-
mately made the playoffs.” Looking at some of the 0-2 teams, there are some teams that could add to that 12 percent. I know the New Orleans Saints have had a bad offseason with a lot of distractions, but minus Jonathon Vilma for six weeks and head coach Sean Payton, this isn’t a 0-2 team. This may not be a play-
off team only because they play in a competitive NFC South, but this team won’t be scrapping the bottom of the NFL standings this year, 7-9 at worst. With their fairly easy schedule and the talent returning from injury, the Kansas City Chiefs have no reason they shouldn’t be able to come back after two dismal
College Hockey While the CHL has its supporters in the United States, the NCAA is still the drug of choice for American hockey fans that have grown tired of the squabbles of certain so-called professionals. Minnesota is home to five different Division I men’s ice hockey teams, those that compete at the highest level of college competition. The University of Minnesota, winners of five NCAA titles, have been thrilling hockey fans for a century, while 2011 NCAA Champion Minnesota-Duluth are just a not-so-quick drive up 35W. And while the CHL might draw many of the world’s top prospects, the NCAA has been no slouch. NHL stars like Toronto’s Phil Kessel, Chicago’s Jonathan Toews, Colorado’s Erik Johnson, and Minnesota’s Zach Parise are all products of Division I college hockey, while St. Louis Blues captain David Backes once called Mankato his home. The sky might have fallen on the NHL for the third time in recent memory, but that doesn’t mean that Minnesota has lost its moniker. We’re still the State of Hockey, and while an orgy of greed may have thrust the sports highest level of competition into a state of limbo, fans can take heart in the fact that other options exist, and that hockey will still be played this season, well outside the realm of salary caps and broken hearts.
Where to Turn?
Web Photo The NHL lockout is looming. If that is the case, The Xcel Energy Center will have to stay empty to until the state high school hockey tournament comes to town in March.
before he was thrilling the Pittsburgh faithful, while recent no. 1 overall NHL Draft selections like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov have been featured prominently on CHL teams.
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Page 14 • Reporter
Sports
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Roy joins T-Wolves hoping for a second chance Former Portland Trail Blazer Brandon Roy rejoins the squad for a second time. TIM FAKLIS
staff writer
FOOTBALL NSIC North School Mary Minnesota Duluth Bemidji State St. Cloud State Minot State MSU-Moorhead Northern State Minnesota Crookston
Div. Conf 0-0 3-0 0-0 3-0 0-0 1-2 0-0 1-2 0-0 0-3 0-0 0-3 0-0 0-3 0-0 0-3
NSIC South School Wayne State MAVERICKS Sioux Falls Augustana Winona State SW Minnesota State Concordia St. Paul Upper Iowa
Div. Conf 0-0 3-0 0-0 3-0 0-0 3-0 0-0 2-1 0-0 2-1 0-0 1-2 0-0 1-2 0-0 1-2
VOLLEYBALL (NSIC) School
Conf. OVR
Minnesota Duluth Winona State Minnesota Crookston SW Minnesota State Concordia St. Paul MAVERICKS Wayne State Mary MSU Moorhead Augustana Northern State St. Cloud State Bemidji State Sioux Falls Upper Iowa Minot State
3-0 3-0 3-0 2-1 2-1 2-1 2-1 2-1 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 0-3 0-3 0-3
12-0 11-2 7-3 9-1 8-2 8-3 8-3 2-8 9-3 7-4 6-5 5-6 3-7 8-4 6-5 3-9
Everybody likes a feel good story. Brandon Roy has been just that since he entered the league out of Washington back in 2006. Most scouts had him slated as a guy that was ‘good at everything, but not great at anything’. That was held against him to the point where after the Minnesota Timberwolves took him sixth overall, they instantly traded him for Randy Foye (and cash considerations) the pick immediately after him. At the time, it seemed like a good move for the Wolves. Oops. Time can determine a lot of things. One of those things would have to be that Kevin McHale hasn’t made a smart draft pick as a GM since 1999 (miss you Wally World), so while I was undeniably happy about the acquisition of Randy Foye, I kept my guard up throughout the offseason. Then they began their rookie campaigns. Roy won rookie of the year, but Foye was right behind him. Both of them managed to make the All-Rookie First Team in 2006. Once year two began, it was all over. Portland had won. Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. Those are the only two names from that era that, in my mind, were clearly superior at the shooting guard position over Brandon Roy during his prime years in Portland, putting up stellar numbers on a team that was the up-and-comer of the time. Many saw the Blazers, with their core of Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden, Travis Outlaw and the rest of the potential-filled talent of the Blazers, and placed them on their radar. Then, sports tragedy struck. The Blazers were essentially hit with the bubonic plague of all injury bugs. Nobody was safe. Roy, Aldridge and especially Greg Oden got hit with injuries over the years and the team never really recovered from it. Oden is virtually a ghost after a while, just trying to find a place to go and a team to call home. Outlaw has become somewhat of a journey man, Aldridge is still there doing his thing, but
the group he grew up with is completely depleted. After that season, Roy was forced to retire, much to the amazement and sadness of the Blazers organization and fans alike. A year went by and with it came the worst year the Blazers have had since drafting Roy. They made their first attempt at his replacement in the 2012 draft, by selecting Damian Lillard out of Weber State, who can score with the best of them, more similar in playing style to Randy Foye than Brandon Roy. Obviously, in an NBA Draft, that means virtually nothing, but the comparison is without a doubt intriguing. Most people know by now that Roy has decided to come out of retirement. From there, a flock of teams called him, most notably the Warriors, Timberwolves and Bulls. Whether it was the money that Minnesota offered, the amount of playing time he would likely get off the bat, Rick Adelman’s presence, or a combination of the three, Roy decided to go with Minnesota and join up with Ricky Rubio, Kevin Love and the rest of the Timberwolves. One thing that could halt any chance of a fun, exciting, movie contract-worthy comeback would be if Roy re-injured his knees. With a set of platelet-rich plasma therapy, something that has picked up a bit over the years and something that players, most notably Kobe Bryant, have been advocating as a method that works. It’s hard to just go off of Kobe’s testimonial, though, as he is basically the Iron Man of the NBA at this point. He has played through broken bones, twisted ankles and even sexual assault accusations.
The fact of the matter is, Brandon Roy has had injury concerns, just because he is saying he feels better doesn’t necessarily mean he is fixed. They’re more than likely getting an old Brandon Roy, who can do some of, but not all of what he used to do. That is still not what he’s saying though. To this point he is still claiming that he is able to play at a high level. But it really trickles down to the question he asked: Will he be the same? As mentioned, Roy thinks so. “The thing I’m most excited about is that over the past couple of years with the injuries I have been limited with things, but this summer I have been able to improve and keep working on my
game.” His confidence gives me confidence. I think he can do it. Could my prediction be wrong? Yeah, it probably is wrong. I’m a Wolves fan; the team that had the brightest young duo of the mid 90s broken up over money, the group that managed one run out of the first round of the playoffs, despite having Kevin Garnett for 12 years. But then again, maybe we’re due for some good luck to come our way, who knows? It may not be the case, but mentally, nothing is going to stop Brandon Roy. Whether he can physically keep going is what’s worrisome. But we have to root for him. You can’t not root for a guy in a spot like this. Everybody likes a feel good story.
web photo Brandon Roy was a Timberwolf once, for about 10 minutes, but now he is back and trying to help the squad anyway he can.
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Make Sure Your Event Is Noticed In The Reporter’s Upcoming Edition of MSyou MSyou is a special issue of the Reporter that features personality profiles of MSU students, faculty and staff! Our next MSyou issue will be published on Thursday, October 18th, 2012, so get ahold of a Reporter Advertising Rep and reserve your spot today! Deadline to reserve an ad in the fall issue of MSyou is October 9th by noon.
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Page 16 • Reporter
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Thursday, September 20, 2012