Thursday, October 8, 2009
www.msureporter.com
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Giving a reason to retire New program to offer incentives for staff who choose early retirement NICOLE SMITH
editor in chief
The administration is planning for what is projected to be a grim budget deficit for the 2012 fiscal year — a potential reduction range of $6 to $11 million in state appropriation to Minnesota State. “With a reduction of this magnitude, it could mean that we would need to eliminate 60 to 100 faculty/staff positions,” Pres. Davenport wrote in an
email to all faculty and staff on Sept. 23. In an effort to get out ahead in this financial situation, MSU has instituted the Board Early Separation Incentive (BESI), a discretionary program to give incentives to faculty and staff who meet the eligibility requirements for early retirement. Although retirement agreements through the program would go into effect at the end of spring 2010, the savings for
these would not be seen until 2012, the year of the impending deficit. “BESI is primarily to see how many people take advantage of the incentives and what effects that would have on future staffing plans,” Vice President of Finance and Administration Rick Straka said. To get a clearer vision of what MSU’s future financial situation looks like, the administration will have
By the numbers: •
$6 - $11 million reduction range estimated in state appropriation to MSU in 2012 • $4 - $7 billion deficit projected for Minnesota state budget in 2012 • 60 - 100 MSU faculty and staff positions could be cut due to deficit to evaluate the results of the program. According to the BESI criteria, there are three categories of incentives that depend on whether or not administration plans to replace positions. Depending on the status of each individual’s position, a certain percentage
of salary will be negotiated for retirement. Those who fall under category A are members of departments and programs who could see future cuts. These faculty members could be eligible for up to 100 percent of their base salary if their
Reason / page 2
Climbing its way to the top
Toppers named Minnesota State’s official pizza provider LAUREN MEYER
staff writer
After only two years of operation, Toppers pizza is now the official pizza provider of Minnesota State athletics this year, knocking out Papa John’s, who had been on MSU’s campus for six years. The contract between MSU and Toppers started August 2009 and ends July 2010. “Toppers Pizza won the bid against the fierce competition this year for more than just their tasty pizza,” said Kristen Healey, the account executive of Toppers Pizza. Toppers has been closely involved with athletic events on campus, including men’s and women’s
basketball, football and volleyball. It also employs more than 40 MSU students and offers a wide variety of flexible hours for students. “Since we opened in 2007, we have built and maintained a great relationship with MSU,” said Toppers owners Paul and Sue Wilke. “The reason we were selected is because of our intense and passionate involvement in the athletic programs.” Paul and Sue Wilke have lived in Mankato for close to 30 years and, in 2005, decided the wanted to become a part of the pizza industry. After two years of planning they opened their business near Kwik Trip downtown in September 2007.
Top / page 3
wale agboola• msu reporter Toppers Pizza employs more than 40 Minnesota State students.
Debunking the depression myth
Many people with depression often go untreated DANIEL BOETTCHER
staff writer
Depression is not often compared with diabetes or heart disease, but it is a treatable medical illness just the same. According to Family Living Focus, depression is caused by an imbalance of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. The illness may be triggered by external stressors and can be passed genetically in
families. As many as 80 percent of people with depression can have their symptoms successfully treated within weeks. The symptoms of clinical depression may include a consistent feeling of sadness or irritability, a loss of interest in favorite pastimes, changes in sleep patterns or appetite and a decline in academic performance. The key difference between diagnosable depression and a period of
unhappiness relates to the duration of symptoms. More than two consecutive weeks of sadness may indicate a genuine medical condition. “If somebody’s feeling down for a long period of time, and then they’re also feeling a hopelessness where they’re just not coming out of it,” said Gail GilmanWaldner, professor emeritus with the
Depression / page 6
index
ann reichel• msu reporter Editorial...................................4 Voices......................................5 Sports......................................9 Variety....................................11 Classifieds.............................15
Student takes apartment complex to court
One Reporter member reacts to Ratke
MSU football’s special teams
Variety reviews “Zombieland”
Page 3
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Page 2 • Reporter
News
Thursday, October 8, 2009T
REASON Deficit foreshadowing is a complex process depending on multiple variables, like the economy and leadership changes at the state and MnSCU levels continued from 1 positions will not be replaced. Those most vulnerable to minimization or potential elimination of programs, faculty or offerings are listed under category A in the BESI criteria and include programs such as human performance, nursing, music, theatre and dance, marketing, aviation, anthropology and gender and women’s studies. The list was generated by administration based on positions in departments that are consistently below enrollment expectations according to quantitative data and those previously identified for position elimination, among other criteria. “I think it is pretty clear right now [who could be cut],” said Don Larsson, MSU Faculty Association president and English professor. “Just seeing that your program is in category A is a good way of knowing that it is quite possible that might happen.” Category B umbrellas faculty and staff who’s positions will probably be replaced. In this situation, the criteria states the faculty member would
receive the salary difference between their base salary and the probabable salary of his or her replacement. Category C is an open option that serves as a “catch-all” for any other faculty and staff interested in retiring. “This is the category where I have gotten the most questions from faculty,” Larsson said. Common questions relate to individual circumstances such as the potential benefits one could receive, salary incentive agreements and the possibility of deferring retirement for another year, Larsson said. Tuition and appropriation, enrollment levels, results of collective bargaining agreements and salaries to be paid are among the many factors that would play in to making cuts. Straka said the budget is fairly well decentralized, with department heads, deans and vice presidents in appropriate divisions making recommendations that MSU administration may choose to act on. But this deficit foreshadowing is a complex projection that depends on numerous variables.
“Anything that we are anticipating in the next year is just an educated guess right now,” Larsson said. “There are just too many unknowns. In two years, we don’t know what the economy is doing.” Leadership changes, including a newly elected Minnesota governor and MnSCU chancellor (Chancellor McCormick will retire in the next year) are among the many variables to assess, as is the future of the economy. “It is starting to improve but some economists talk about the ‘W’ economy — it goes up a little and drops back down or maybe it will climb faster and higher than anyone expects,” Larsson said. “All of that colors the climate in which all of these things take place.” In order for Inter Faculty Organization members to maximize their benefits, they would have to notify administration of their retirement by Oct. 15, but the official deadline for submitting a BESI is Nov. 16. The number of faculty and staff who take advantage of the BESI and decide to retire is
unknown, but Larsson said he doesn’t believe there will be a large number of retirements this year. “I know that people will take advantage of it, but whether it will be enough to offset the anticipated budget deficit, I just don’t know and I don’t think anybody does,” he said. Straka said, “We don’t think we will have a huge rush of faculty interested in the program,” but added that the administration isn’t trying to pressure anyone to make the decision to retire; they are just making incentives available with the hopes of saving budgetary funds for the future. Both Straka and Larsson said it would be difficult to determine what the future holds until late spring or summer at the earliest, when the legislature sets the state higher education budget. The projected deficit at MSU is part of an estimated $4 to $7 billion state budget deficit for 2012, Davenport said via email. Although the MnSCU Board of Trustees authorized the incentives across the system, individual schools were given
independence to tailor criteria to their needs and budget concerns. “I know and I can say on our campus, our local administration has tried to work very hard with me and the rest of the faculty leadership in how to best announce and shape and roll these incentives out,” Larsson said. Such a large deficit will definitely have an impact on the learning experiences and offerings at MSU, but it is too early to tell what areas of MSU these cuts will hurt the most. Right now, faculty and staff must make individual decisions that impact MSU’s fiscal future and although they are undoubtedly worried about their personal situations, Larsson said many faculty members have deeper concerns for the college. “They are just as concerned about ‘will my leaving help the department or hurt it?’ — their students and the future of their programs,” Larsson said. “I hear that time and again and I think it shows their dedication to the students.”
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Thursday, October 8, 2009
News
Not willing to settle One student takes Highland Hills to court over $215 cleaning charge DANNIE HIGGINBOTHAM
news editor
Upset over what he feels are unfair cleaning charges, one Minnesota State student is taking Highland Hills to small claims court. Tom Williams, a senior majoring in secondary education, said he feels it had gotten to the point in the discussion when it was necessary to bring in a third party. “It was my word and against theirs,” Williams said. Williams said that when he received his initial cleaning bill for $215, he felt the charges were inflated and that he was charged for things that didn’t need to be taken care of. “The first thing I did when I saw the bill was call my roommates to make sure they cleaned the apartment,” Williams said. He was studying
abroad in Tanzania when his lease ended. “Not only did they clean it, but their moms came to help and they said it was cleaner than when we arrived.” Williams said the inspection sheet didn’t go into detail about why they received the charges they did. “There’s one charge that says ‘microwave cleaning, $25’,” Williams said. “It’s really general and there’s no pictures.” One charge that upset Williams was a $50 charge for a bad wall patch that was in his apartment when he moved in. In the middle of his lease, Highland Hills bought the property from Atwood Management and didn’t acquire the inspection sheet from the previous tenant, so Williams requested it to show to Highland. Then, Williams returned to his old apartment with his camera to see if the patch was still there.
“It was kind of awkward,” Williams said. “I knocked on the door of my old apartment and asked if I could see if there was a patch in the wall. The person asked ‘you mean that one?’ and pointed at the patch.” When Williams showed Jean Klosowski, the property manager of Highland Hills, the inspection sheet along with time-stamped photos showing the patch was still there, she forgave the charge. Although Williams claimed he was charged for work that didn’t happen, Klosowski said he was charged only because the bad patch has a dollar value. “Just as an insured may choose to keep a payment from insurance instead of repairing a damaged vehicle, Highland can charge for a bad patch but not repair it,” Klosowski said in a written statement.
Settle / page 7
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TOP New pizza, “Hangover Helper,” helps with those bad mornings continued from 1
Paul and Sue’s have two children, Andy and Chris, are both students at MSU. “Opening this business gave my kids a job through college and allowed me to stay connected with them” Paul said. Toppers tries to keep a sense of humor. Their new slogan is “We come fast, no apologies” and their newest pizza, “Hangover Helper,” has been a hit for students with rough mornings. It includes Canadian bacon, potatoes, onions, green peppers and mozzarella cheese on garlic butter crust. Topper’s offers 17 original house pizzas along with their famous Topperstixs. They also keep everything fresh: Topper’s makes their dough and sauce every morning and no ingredients come from a frozen package or can. Topper’s prides itself on its fast delivery. With 80-90% of orders for delivery, they built
their business in a location to reach nearly 20,000 consumers within a 7-8 minute driving range. The pizza business has always focused their market towards college communities and stays true to their brand by pleasing customers from the age group 18-34. Toppers became a popular hit with MSU students when they gave away free pizza for a year and slices of pizza at a variety of campus events. “College is about having fun and making memories,” Paul said. Maintaining a passionate relationship with the community and their employees is what keeps Topper’s alive, and their connection with the campus has been the main reason for Topper’s success.
Editorial reporter-editor@mnsu.edu
Thursday, October 8, 2009
(507) 389-5454
Impact of projected deficit uncertain Early retirement incentives a smart decision A gloomy projected state deficit is on the horizon for the 2012 fiscal year, so Minnesota State administrators have implemented a new program that gives eligible faculty and staff the chance to retire early with incentives. The Board Early Separation Incentive (BESI) program was a smart decision since it could contribute to significant savings in the future. One of the ways it could help MSU save money is by
freeing up the funds allocated to the hefty salaries of tenured professors and others to hire less experienced, less expensive replacements. But an adequate balance between experienced educators and fresh faces is crucial to sustenance of MSU, so retirements should be assessed with special attention to the impact losing certain staff could have on individual programs. The deadline for the BESI isn’t for another month so there
Letter to the Editor
Someone needs to defend Kyle Ratke and his article, “How to lose a girl in 10 minutes.” I’m volunteering. Yes, that’s right. I’ll take up arms in defending humor from political correctness. It’s because of a relentless obsession in our culture with sexual assault that so many readers saw something nefarious about Ratke’s article. They treated it like a Rorschach ink blot test and projected their worst anxieties onto the canvas. When I read the article I saw nothing more than a humor piece. His article was very tame, especially by comedy standards. Don’t agree with me? Go on YouTube and search for George Carlin’s “rape can be funny” bit.
That’s mainstream comedy. I laughed, and I’m not even prorape or anything. Carlin was extremely offensive. Comedians like him have strengthened the First Amendment by never hiding behind safe jokes. Comedy pushes limits; it finds the line and then crosses it. If it doesn’t, it’s not comedy. (It’s just Dane Cook.) I’ll leave it to the psychologists to explain why, but there seems to be a correlation between humor and offensiveness. Good humor is necessarily intolerant. Very funny jokes demean, insult, belittle, and cut down. Fat girls. Foreigners. Blondes. Pollocks. Arkansas. Mamas. Nevertheless, for every one hundred laughing
is no way to determine how many will take advantage of the incentives, but it is good the administration is giving faculty proper time to process such a difficult decision. After all, those who are eligible for the incentives have likely contributed years of hard work and dedication to the campus and its students. And just as they have become a part of MSU, the college community has become a part of them too. Retiring is a major
life transition, and those who choose to do so this year will be turning the page to a future ample with possibility, but they will probably leave a bit of themselves behind. MSU’s budget seems relatively stable this year thanks in part to federal stimulus money and the cuts made in the spring. But students need to start thinking about the ways in which this economic forecast could shade their college experience.
audience members, there’s always someone silently fuming in the back, some overly-sensitive person who feels slighted. Then comes the inevitable lecture about racism, sexism, or a host of other -isms. How about Michael Richards? Don Imus? Howard Stern? Nobody agrees with what they said but jokes are jokes and if you can’t take them then stop listening. Being offended shouldn’t grant anyone special powers to negate the free speech of another person. Entering the arena of comedy means we forfeit our privilege to political sensitivity. The freedom to say whatever we want is vastly more important than any danger
about inciting intolerance or bigotry in the community. The only standard should be whether a joke is funny or unfunny, not whether it’s respectful or hurtful. If someone disagrees, so be it. However, if someone disagrees and tries to restrict or discourage the speech of others, they become a scoundrel. Lastly, I’ll say it’s been amusing to read all these letters to the editor about the situation. Ratke’s article spawned even funnier responses. Everyone has been very serious and yet very comical.
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OUR POLICIES & OTHER INFORMATION • If you have a complaint, suggestion or would like to point out an error made in the Reporter, call Editor in Chief Nicole Smith at (507) 389-5454. The Reporter will correct any errors of fact or misspelled names in this space. Formal grievances against the Reporter are handled by the Newspaper Board, which can be contacted at (507) 389-2611. • The Minnesota State University Mankato Reporter is a student-run newspaper published twice a week, coming out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Reporter generates 78 percent of its own income through advertising and receives approximately 22 percent from Student Activities fees. The Reporter is free to all students and faculty, but to start a subscription, please call us at (507) 389-1776. Subscriptions for the academic school year are $35.00 and subscribers will receive the paper within three to five days after publishing. • Letters exceeding 400 words may not be accepted. The Reporter reserves the right to edit letters to fit space or correct punctuation. The Reporter reserves the right to publish, or not publish, at its discretion. Letters must contain year, major or affiliation with the university, or lack thereof. All letters must contain phone numbers for verification purposes.
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Voices reporter-editor@mnsu.edu
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Letter from an editor The Reporter’s news editor defends Kyle Ratke and shares her take on the issue I was raised in a very femaleviolence and rape, two major issues centered family. that should be taken seriously. My mom gave birth to me Equal treatment between the sexes when she was 16 and raised me just makes sense — people who on her own when my dad left work hard should get paid what for the navy. We lived with my they deserve. grandma for the first few years of So then, what turns me away my life and she continued to be from feminism? The fact that many a humongous source of love and of the “feminists” I’ve known in support throughout my childhood. my life find gender inequality Even now that I’m in college, she issues left and right and have no always makes sure I’m well-fed and problem with going behind the subscribes to Vegetarian Digest so backs of other people if it can get she can call me and ask me if I’m them ahead. eating a bunch of vegetables I’ve The recent issue over sports never heard of. editor Kyle Ratke’s voices piece In my life I think “How to lose a girl in I’ve figured out some 10 minutes” only makes of the struggles women me take the movement have. I’ve seen my less seriously. For mom come home from those who haven’t been work, angry about a keeping up with the sexual comment her new round of Ratkegate, boss made, and I’ve his piece talked about seen her work crappy things that won’t get minimum-wage jobs chicks at parties. He with the worst hours to advises guys not to support my brother and tickle girls, since they’ll I. I know the problems get the reputation as a Dannie she had dating — it’s creepy guy and it’s only Higginbotham a bit difficult for a gotten him “a bloody single mother of two nose and two assault out in the dating charges.” It was this world, especially with my brother’s phrase that started a discussion disability. Quite frankly, the world on the editorial page about assault isn’t always fair to women. against women. Still, I don’t consider myself a Now, I’m not Ratke’s best feminist. friend, and our interactions are I’m all for preventing domestic pretty much limited to friendly
(507) 389-5454
Voices reporter-editor@mnsu.edu
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
(507) 389-5454
How to LOSE a girl in 10 minutes Sports Editor Kyle Ratke gives guys the heads up about women ... like he has any idea So here’s the scenario guys: There is a girl across the room from you at a party that catches your eye. She’s just your type and you have seen her a few times, but you never have been able to man up and go talk to her. It could be that you have finally had enough looking or the party atmosphere made you feel good about things. But more than likely, it’s the liquid courage you gained from a beer ... or 14. Either way, you have decided to make a move. Your mind is blank. Half of you guys are saying, “Kyle, what’s next? I have gone this far, but I don’t know the next step.” The other half of you turned the page after you saw my mug shot (no offense taken, I do look a little like a creeper). But for those interested, I am here to guide you through this tough time and maybe, possibly, even land you a date with a pretty lady. I can’t tell you what to do exactly, but after much trial and error (by my friends), I can tell you what not to do. The Tickler Let’s say you go over to this girl and things are going smoothly, but you disconnect from each other and go back to the party. You both know each other now, so that’s at least a start. But when you see her next you think it might be funny or flirty to maybe give her a poke or two in the waist or maybe even tickle her. This tactic might have worked back in fourth grade when I used to punch girls that I had a crush on. One assault case and two bloody noses later, here I am still single. Regardless of my past, this is an awful idea. If you are tickling your girlfriend, that’s one thing, but a girl that you barely know is totally different. I received a text from my friend Liv a few weekends ago that describes this all very well and goes something like this: “New article idea: Guys that tickle. What are you, 12 years old and don’t know how to start a conversation? What if I don’t like being tickled? What if it hurts? This guy was trying to tickle me and I was literally in the fetal position in the corner.” Well, here’s your warning guys. I have never been much of a tickler, mostly because I feel like if a girl was insulted she would hit me and I quite frankly don’t like my chances in any kind of fight with another human being. So next time you are about to tickle a girl, envision that she is a bear. Would you tickle a bear? The Dancer Remember that guy at the party last weekend that was dancing all by himself doing provocative dance moves pointing to random girls? Yeah, sorry about that. It was a late night. But seriously, name the last time a guy that danced really well with N’Sync dance moves landed the girl that he was interested in … Don’t worry, I’ll wait. I will quote Katt Williams and say, “Not never.” It has never happened, so stop trying to be Michael Jackson (no disrespect intended) and be a normal person. The only excuse you have for dancing by yourself is if it is past 1 a.m., if you are truly a good dancer (doubtful) or if you live in my house. For those of you that know a man nicknamed Milk on campus, ask him for a few pointers. I am sure he will be glad to help. Another example is when you are casually hanging out with some friends, you decide to start dancing, not aware of your surroundings or who is walking from behind you. Right when you think it’s alright to do a spin move, led by your left arm, here comes a cute girl out of nowhere and you hit her directly in the chest. Not only is this an awful first impression, it will probably be your last impression (sorry Em). I feel like I am still digging myself out of this hole. The Text Machine You got her number! Good job kiddo! But you texted her at 1:14 a.m. and she didn’t respond, what do you do? Why not send her texts at 1:18, 1:47, 2:12 and 4:21 saying things like “hey you still up,” “I kinda like you,” “you’re hot,” and finally “goodnight”. Well, that’s a foul my friend. She is probably sleeping or she doesn’t want to talk to you. What other reasons do you think she has? “Maybe she left her phone at the party or left it in her purse, Kyle.”
conversations around the office nacho machine, but nothing about this kid says “I think guys should hurt women.” Instead, I know him as the guy who, just last week, sat at his desk editing his pages singing along to “Lady Marmalade.” Of course you can never judge a person’s character just by looking at him or her but really, let’s just take his article for what it is: a funny piece by a guy who just can’t seem to get a girl. This is like starting a war over a sneeze. Women have had a hard time in this world and often have to work harder to prove themselves. So do immigrants, refugees from war-torn or poor countries who come to the U.S. and have to start a new life in an unfamiliar setting, or immigrants from perfectly fine and stable backgrounds who have to dispel myths about their upbringing. So do kids growing up in the inner city, with parents who work multiple jobs in order to keep food on the table,
That’s wishful thinking, my friend, and that will get us in trouble. Don’t over analyze the situation, normally things are exactly what they appear to be. The Booze Hound Remember the girl that you gave free shots to and thought you were being a nice guy. Well, likely the girl won’t remember you for the free Karkov, but will instead remember you for being responsible for the puke on her jeans, brand new T-shirt and in her hair. Way to go slugger. The Shadow You are now on talking terms with this girl and you want to make more advances, but remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. There is no need to rush things further, give it time. You don’t have to be following her around the whole night making things awkward. The next morning she was tagged in eight photos from the night before and the funny/creepy thing is you were behind her in every picture. She’ll either be real impressed by all of this dedication or she’ll never talk to you again. I’ll take the latter on this one. Be patient young grasshopper. Play things cool and don’t do anything dumb. I understand it is hard to be yourself when first meeting somebody that you have an interest in, but if you’re not yourself, please don’t be Mr. Creep-nasty. The Red Flags There are a few guys that girls just need to watch out for in general and I decided to give them a fair warning. The guy that recognizes you from Facebook pictures or from your writing on someone’s wall is probably not a guy that you want to associate yourself with. Sure, it’s fine for someone to recognize someone from Facebook, you can’t control it. But my god, please don’t tell them that. That’s like telling your parents that you heard weird noises from their room last night. Ugh, gross. You’re not normal if you didn’t just puke in your mouth a little there— I did. Another is the guy with the extra-small shirt on who should be wearing a large. I have never understood this tactic, I mean sure I could fit into a medium, but I would like to go through my day without sweating profusely and having people see my ribs. The guy that came by himself is obviously a red flag. I have never really never understood this either. But then again, what do we as guys understand? I am going to tell you something, my friends, that may or may not fit in this article: mind battles are ones no man will ever win. Don’t over think things, go with the flow and don’t be a creep. That’s what you should have got out of this article. Well, I am going to go practice dance moves with Milk. Hopefully this helped my fellow classmates. — Kyle Ratke is the Reporter sports editor.
or people who have to deal with illness or disease. There are so many injustices in the world that it doesn’t make sense to waste time on little issues that barely make an impact on the mind of the average person. Assault — especially sexual assault — is a genuine problem on many college campuses, including ours. I’ve had too many friends drugged at parties and heard about too many close calls and I believe this is a real issue. But by focusing on something trivial — like Ratke’s voices — we’re minimizing the true seriousness of rape and violence prevention. Instead of squabbling about a sentence written in a humorous piece by a 19-year-old, let’s move our angry energy back to making the lives of not just women, but people, better.
Page 6 • Reporter
News
MSSA elects new education senator MATT SAUER
staff writer
The Minnesota State Student Association gathered Wednesday to discuss an upcoming “Pie your Senator” event, approve travel funding for the American Society of Engineers and MSU’s Flight Team, and other off-campus concerns. An election was also held for the vacant College of Education seat on the MSSA table. Wednesday’s meeting began with a short address by Walt Wolff, MSU’s interim Dean of Students. Wolff offered his assistance with any studentrelated issues the senate might feel worthy of consultation, citing his desire to help connect students with campus issues. “We’re here to help students,” Wolff said. “If there’s anything [the senate] feels needs more exposure, or would like more student input, feel free to send an invitation.” MSSA’s empty College of Education seat was also filled Wednesday, with Dan Kromer being sworn in after a short voting period. Kromer is an education major, with an emphasis on social studies. “I want to get involved and learn more about what’s happening on campus,” Kromer said. “I’ve been at [MSU] for a few years now,
and have taken a lot away from my experiences here. I’m looking forward to giving back a little.” Kromer expressed his concern with some of the student/teacher involvement in the College of Education. “I would like to see more communication,” he said. “It’s not like students are being ignored by their teachers and advisors, but regular meetings aren’t encouraged enough.” The senate also approved travel budgets for two of MSU’s student organizations. The American Society of Civil Engineers was approved $150 to attend the 139th annual Civil Engineering Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, and MSU’s Flight Team — an organization dedicated to promoting safety, education, and career opportunities in aviation — was granted $1360 to compete in the National Intercollegiate Flying Association’s flight team competition in Dubuque, Iowa. A “Pie your Senator” day was also announced during the meeting, scheduled to take place on Nov. 3. Senators will come in shifts between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to be pied senseless, with all proceeds going to a local charity. The cost of each pie is not yet decided, but is tentatively expected to be around $2.
DEPRESSION People need to pay attention to
themselves and others for noticable mood changes continued from 1 University of Minnesota. The best way to combat feelings of worthlessness, guilt and distractibility is to be proactive. Set realistic goals, break large tasks into smaller ones, maintain a social life and exercise. A healthy diet along with limiting alcohol consumption will also help, since alcohol serves as a depressant and can lower moods. Most importantly, do not keep feelings a secret, confide in a trusted friend or family member. It is especially important to establish a strong support system for new arrivals on the college scene. “When you move into a new environment, college, and especially if you move away from home you’re pretty anonymous, and so it’s kind of like starting over,” GilmanWaldner said. For students, the rigors of academics can be stressful enough. Add to that concerns about choosing the ideal career path, dealing with issues of money or financial aid, potential problems with roommates and the demands of an outside job and it’s easy to see why students can easily become overwhelmed and depressed. Symptoms are often difficult to diagnose in the case of an individual’s life. A roommate, parent or teacher might be the first to recognize the outward signs of depression.
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If a friend or loved one seems to be suffering, don’t be afraid to ask them how they’re feeling. If necessary, encourage them to get an official diagnosis and treatment. Try to engage the person in a positive activity such as walking, playing sports or going to the movies. Treatment is effective for most people and in time they do get better, but the change does not happen overnight. In most cases, mood improves over time, building on a daily basis. “Overall, people need to just be paying attention both to themselves and to other people,” Gilman-Waldner said. “If you’re seeing changes, things that just don’t seem right, don’t hesitate to say something.” There are many treatment options available. A family doctor can refer patients
to professionals such as, psychiatrists, psychologists or mental health counselors who can assess the situation and develop treatment strategies. Offices on campus such as the Counseling Center and Student Health Services provide mental health treatment and can make referrals to off-campus professionals. In extreme cases, law enforcement and the local emergency room may be called to intervene. “In society now it’s more prevalent for people to talk about it, it’s more open,” Gilman-Waldner said. “There’s a lot more resources out there nowadays and I think there’s been a lot more education too.”
Thursday, October 8, 2009
News
MSU’s annual South Asian night to be held Saturday HEATHER MOELLER
staff writer
Minnesota State hosts the celebration of cultures at the 17th annual South Asian Night on Saturday. According to MSU student Yuki Maekawa, South Asian Night has been a tradition at MSU since 1993. The event is the second largest international event in Mankato. Maekawa said the event celebrates the heritage of seven South Asian nations: Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The celebration has two parts, food and entertainment. Traditional foods from each represented nation will be served in the Centennial Student Union’s basement at 6 p.m. The evening’s entertainment will be held in the CSU Ballroom at 7:30 p.m. According to Maekawa, singing, a fashion show of traditional clothing and a dance performance are part of the entertainment. “My favorite part is the dance
performance,” Maekawa said. The dance performance features traditional dances performed by dancers in traditional clothing. Full tickets, food and entertainment, for South Asian Night are $7 for MSU students with a MAVcard and $9 for the public. Tickets entertainment only are $2. Tickets can be purchased at the Kearney International Center, CSU 250, before the event. Tickets are also available at the door on Saturday.
SETTLE Although the claim began as one for money, it became more about principle and respect continued from 3
Still, the issue with the patch led Williams to doubt the other charges, but he said Highland informed him the charges would stick unless he could show proof otherwise. “I informed Highland Hills that if we couldn’t settle [the issue], I would file the paperwork for small claims court,” Williams said. “This was on a Thursday or Friday, and they said they would get back to me Monday. No one called me, so on Wednesday I called them and they said to go ahead and file.” Williams’ court date is set for late November or early December. “Highland’s housekeeping
director has assessed about 800 apartments in the last two years,” Klosowski said. The director’s form lists specific areas, related charges, and a 1-3 rating system, with one as the best and three as the worst. Williams’ apartment was rated a two. She knows what needs cleaning.” “It’s a given,” Klosowski said. “Most residents moving out of their apartment think they cleaned thoroughly, most residents moving in expect a very clean apartment.” She said Highland helps residents avoid charges by giving out lists and suggestions about what to clean and how to avoid charges.
FALL Garage Sale Sale items include: • Computers and Related Items
• Looms with Benches
• File Cabinets
• Floor Scrubbers
• Bookshelves
• Floor Vacuums
• Chairs
• Wurlitzer Baby Grand Piano
• Office Equipment
• Hampton Organ
• Printers
• Misc. Utility Carts
• Desks
• Childcare Moon-Shape Tables
• Wood File Cabinets
• Wooden Stools
• Countertop/Cabinets on Wheels
• Lounge Chairs
• Wooden Bookcases
• Wooden Swivel Chairs
• Climate-tel A/C & Heater
• Wood Desks
• Potters Wheels & Chairs
• Many Miscellaneous Items
Minnesota State University Mankato will have the fall garage sale on Saturday, October 10th from 7:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The location of the sale is parking lot 17 by Wiecking Center on the corner of Malin and Porter or 415 Malin St. For driving directions check out www.mnsu.edu/sale for further information please call Dwight Wallin @ 507-389-2465 or email dwight.wallin@mnsu.edu.
Although the issue began as one about money, Williams said it has become one of principle after speaking to other Highland residents about their own issues. “It’s not a battle cry,” Williams said. “I just think they [Highland Hills] should be held responsible.” Williams also hopes to increase awareness of tenants’ rights and responsibilities and said the lawyer the Minnesota State Student Association provides, Christopher Kennedy, can help students with any questions they might have.
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This pass is only available for currently enrolled college students. The pass is valid (Monday-Thursday), open to close, from late November thru mid-March, depending on the weather. (Pass is not valid Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays or on the following dates: Dec. 26th-Jan. 1st, Jan. 18th, Feb. 15th.) Passes can be purchased at Mount Kato, Scheels All Sports and online at mountkato.com. Students must present a valid college ID and current tuition statement when picking up the pass at Mount Kato, no exceptions! Pass must be purchased by 10/31/09 for the discounted price. Price after 10/31/09 is $129 and $249 with rental.
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Page 8 • Reporter
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Special players on special teams The Mavericks are firing on all sides of the ball — including special teams UP NEXT
Concordia- St. Paul When: 1 p.m. Sat. Where: St. Paul, Minn. KYLE RATKE
sports editor At this time of year in college football, most of the credit or blame is rested on the shoulders of the offense or a defense, and perhaps rightfully so. While the Maverick’s offense and defense have been quite exceptional, there may be one aspect of their game that is overlooked. Whether it’s putting the offense in scoring position or bailing the defense out on a blocked punt, the Maverick’s special team unit has certainly risen to the occasion in their early-undefeated season. “From what I have seen
collectively, we have playmakers,” said freshman kicker Sam Brockshus on the special teams. “We have people that can block punts and really situation. We have Kelvin [Rodgers] that can return and Gerard [DeWet] that can punt.” These three players, including Brockshus, have made fans think twice about turning away during a kick-off or punt. Brockshus is in his first year with the Mavericks and so far he has successfully filled a position that the Mavericks were worried about when the season started. Brockshus received a warm welcome as a Maverick, after hitting a 46-yard field goal in his first game. A week in which he would win the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Special Teams Player of the Week Not a bad first impression. Since then, Brockshus has hit
two field goals in overtime that would defeat NSIC rivals Bemidji State and Wayne State. Brockshus is second among kickers in the NSIC, averaging seven points per game. He is also third in field goal percentage, hitting six out of eight kicks. It is hard to believe Brockshus is having this sort of success when just a year ago he was kicking on a high school field in Spencer, Iowa. “It’s a different atmosphere,” Brockshus said of the college program. “It’s more of a business, but don’t get me wrong, I still have fun. I am glad I have been able to do my part.” The next notable on the list is punter Gerard DeWet. DeWet leads the NSIC in the most important category
Special teams / page 11
dan moen • msu reporter Punter Gerard DeWet is ranked No. 9 in the country by averaging more than 41 yards per punt.
Home never felt so good
TNA star makes a trip back to where it all started DEREK WEHRWEIN
staff writer Shawn Daivari was 15 years old when he started wrestling — not the high school kind, either, but the ramped up, professional, bad guy vs. good guy kind. “I just enjoyed it for what it was,” said Daivari, who now wrestles as the Sheik Abdul Bashir in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. “It’s a hybrid product of all sorts of entertainment. There’s something for everybody to enjoy.” Daivari, along with other members of the TNA roster, will make a stop in Mankato Sunday for a show at the Verizon Wireless Center. For Daivari, who now lives near Houston, the trip to Minnesota is something of a homecoming. The 25-year-old Iranian was born and raised in Minneapolis after his parents immigrated to
the United States in the 1970s. He has a younger brother, Arya, who attends Minnesota State and is also pursuing a professional wrestling career. Daivari himself spent several years with WWE before signing with TNA in 2008. He’s a former X Division champion in TNA and often appears on “TNA Impact,” the company’s Thursday night show on Spike TV. “The biggest misconception is that we’re kind of this underground cult following, like small-time circuit thing,” Daivari said. “People who don’t follow wrestling have no idea how big it is. You can find our DVDs at Best Buy, our video games at Gamestop and our action figures at Wal-Mart. Pro wrestling is a pretty large form of media.” Pro wrestling is also a
media that generally has tried to rebrand itself. Faced with a lawsuit from the World Wildlife Fund, Vince McMahon in 2002 changed the then-World Wrestling Federation (also WWF) to World Wrestling Entertainment. Wrestling is now openly referred to as “sports entertainment” on wrestling shows. Daivari, too, plays up the entertainment aspect of wrestling — specifically, TNA’s wrestling. web photo “Everybody’s going to Daivari has rubbed off on his brother who attends MSU and also has an intersee something they like,” est in pro wrestling. he said. “There’s no way enough to the people doing it. “You learn … to duck tape you’re going to come here and Daivari, who recently yourself back together and not be entertained.” wrestled in Europe, is nursing keep going,” he said. Don’t be fooled, though — a sprained wrist and hyperWhile not as well known as despite the “fake” label long extended elbow. Such injuries, WWE, TNA has established its applied to pro wrestling, what he notes, happen “all the time” Daivari / page 10 goes on inside the ring is real in pro wrestling.
Page 10 • Reporter
Sports
DAIVARI
MSU Men’s Hockey Gameday
continued from 9
FOOTBALL NSIC North School Minnesota Duluth St. Cloud State Bemidji State Mary MSU-Moorhead Northern State Minnesota Crookston
Div. OVR 2-0 5-1 3-0 3-3 2-1 4-2 1-1 3-3 1-2 2-4 1-2 1-5 0-3 1-5
NSIC South School MAVERICKS Wayne State Winona State Augustana SW Minnesota State Upper Iowa Concordia-SP
Div. OVR 3-0 6-0 2-1 5-1 2-1 4-2 1-1 4-2 1-2 3-3 0-2 2-4 0-2 1-5
VOLLEYBALL (NSIC) School Conf. OVR Concordia-SP 8-0 19-0 MAVERICKS 8-0 18-2 Minnesota Duluth 8-0 15-3 Wayne State 5-2 17-4 SW Minnesota State 5-3 15-5 Winona State 4-4 6-13 MSU-Moorhead 3-4 13-7 Augustana 3-4 8-11 Upper Iowa 3-5 12-10 Bemidji State 3-5 6-12 Northern State 2-6 7-9 St. Cloud State 2-6 6-14 Minnesota Crookston 0-7 3-16 Mary 0-8 6-13
SOCCER (NSIC) School Conf. OVR St. Cloud State 5-0-1 6-2-3 Minnesota Duluth 5-1 7-2-1 Concordia SP 4-1-1 7-4-2 Winona State 4-1 7-4 Bemidji State 4-2 8-3 Mary 3-1-1 5-5-2 MAVERICKS 3-2-1 7-2-1 Northern State 2-1-2 4-4-4 Augustana 1-1-3 4-4-4 Upper Iowa 2-3 6-6-1 MSU-Moorhead 1-5 4-6-1 Wayne State 0-4-1 2-8-1 Minnesota Crookston 0-6 2-9-1 SW Minnesota State 0-6 0-9
Thursday, October 8, 2009T
own credentials in the wrestling industry. The company landed a television deal with Spike TV in 2005 and has since attracted such big-name wrestlers as Sting, Kurt Angle, Mick Foley and Booker T. Some, like Sting, were lured out of retirement to join TNA, while others made the jump directly from WWE. Daivari says the companies have their similarities (“It’s two different flavors of the same product,” he said) but notes TNA can be slightly edgier and appeals to an older audience. In general TNA features a younger roster, including “The Phenomenal” A.J. Styles, one of Daivari’s favorite people to wrestle against. TNA also uses a six-sided ring instead of the more traditional four-sided ring. Daivari’s bad-guy character — an outspoken Middle Easterner with anti-American views — tends to draw boos and jeers from crowds. But despite the heckling, Daivari doesn’t mind playing a bad guy. “I like it,” he said, noting he’s actually an introvert. “It’s something I don’t get to do all the time.
Josh Berhow • senior writer
Bowling Green at Minnesota State 7:37 p.m. Friday 7:07 p.m. Saturday Verizon Wireless Center — Mankato, Minn. PREVIEW – The Mavericks host Bowling Green as each team opens regular-season action Friday and Saturday at Verizon Wireless Center. The Mavericks and Falcons each had wins in their exhibition matchups over the weekend. FORWARDS – Kael Mouillierat, Andy Sackrison, Geoff Irwin and Zach Harrison all sat out Saturday’s exhibition game, so this will be their first action of the season. All four are key special teams players for the Mavericks. It will be interesting to see the lines for the Mavericks this weekend. Mouillierat and Irwin played together much of last season, as did Rylan Galiardi and Mike Louwerse. Jerad Stewart, Harrison and James Gaulrapp also saw a lot of time together, and were one of the Mavericks’ top defensive lines. I’ll bet the top two lines get solidified quickly, with the last two mixing and matching players for a while. Something to watch for this weekend: Freshman Tyler Pitlick practiced on MSU’s top power-play unit in Tuesday’s practice, a possible sign of the kind of player the Mavericks think the forward can be. If he stays there it’s a big role for a young kid early, especially considering he came right out of high school and didn’t play juniors. The Centennial graduate is one of the youngest players in the WCHA, and maybe even in the nation. DEFENSE – Kurt Davis and Ben Youds sat Saturday, and both will play this weekend. Davis was a Third-Team WCHA defenseman last season and excels at moving the puck. He’s been paired with Brian Kilburg for most of his first two years, but will be in a new pairing this year with Kilburg graduating. MSU has eight defensemen on the roster this year. Youds, Davis and Channing Boe will be in the lineup, and converted forward Joe Schiller and Cameron Cooper have a good chance too. The final spot might come down to one of two freshmen or Nick Canzanello. IN NET – Austin Lee, Kevin Murdock and Phil Cook all played a period in the exhibition game, and coach Troy Jutting said he probably won’t tell the team who the starter is until this morning. I’ll guess he goes with Lee Friday, but don’t be surprised to see Murdock Saturday. NEXT WEEK – MSU travels to Duluth to face the Bulldogs to kickoff WCHA action. Thursday’s paper will provide an MSU season preview, Gameday, WCHA preview and predictions.
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Thursday, October 8, 2009
Sports
Trying not to look ahead The Mavericks have two matches before facing Concordia
PAT DELANEY
this weekend. Saturday’s match at Winona State will In just a little over prove to be very a week, the Minnesota intense. Winona State State women’s volleyball has always been a big team will have its toughrivalry game for the est match of the season. Mavericks, and the The Mavericks will welWarriors will bring come in conference rival everything they have Concordia St. Paul. The to try to jump out of match could make the the middle of the pack difference between first in the Northern Sun and second place when Intercollegiate Conferthe conference season ence. finishes up. Winona got off to a “Concordia is always slow start, but is comone of the toughest ing off a two matchteams we face,” said winning streak that has head coach Dennis seen their record jump Amundson. up to 4-4 in conferThe Concordia match ence. Winona plays has been circled on the dan moen • msu reporter strong defense led by The Mavericks have two weekends until they play Mavericks calenders sophomore defensive No.1 ranked Concordia - St. Paul. before the season even specialist, Shannon began. However, MSU McGowan who has to MSU. The teams faced each still has two more road twice this season been named other just last week at Taylor matches it will have to take NSIC defensive player of the care of before they welcome in Center. The Mavericks won week. the match convincingly shutthe No. 1 team in the nation. It will be very important for ting out the Peacocks in three MSU will first travel to MSU to come back home still Fayette, Iowa to take on Upper sets. It will be more difficult undefeated after this weekend. this time around, facing Upper Iowa this Friday. The second Next weeks match will have Iowa in its home gym. There match of the weekend will see huge playoff implications is no question that Upper Iowa the Mavericks head to Winona with both teams being highly will want some revenge. to take on Winona State the ranked in the nation. The Mavericks will again following day. “The overwhelming feelface a long bus trip. While it Despite the Mavericks 11ing of defeating those teams match winning streak, Amund- can be challenging for a team is unforgettable,” said senior to step off a bus and play a son still sees plenty of areas defensive specialist Kelly match right away, the MSU to improve on. It will be very Sandstrom. players have made it clear they valuable this weekend for the Two good matches this can’t use that as an excuse. The Mavericks to work on some of weekend will set the stage for team proved it last weekend by their weaker areas. an unbelievable match next winning both matches and they Upper Iowa is no stranger week. will have to do the same thing staff writer
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SPECIAL TEAMS “we looked at a highlight film ... He is so quick and shifty.” continued from 18
for punters, averaging more return and has given whoever’s than 41 yards per punt. What under center for the Mavericks, may be more impressive is the great field position. fact that DeWet is ninth in the Rodgers is the only one who nation in that same category. has gotten national recogniThe Utica, Minn. native tion, being named a secondis averaging more than six team All-American last season. yards than he did last season. That’s what happens when a A season in which he player returns a punt, was still named to the kick and intercepHonorable Mention tion for a touchdown All-NSIC South Divithroughout the course sion team. of a season. Chances are if “He is so impresDeWet keeps up at sive,” Brockshus this pace, he will be said. “I remember getting more than an watching a game on honorable mention my recruiting visit this season. and we looked at Brockshus “Gerard is a great a highlight film of player,” Brockshus just Kelvin returning said. “I have been lucky to punts and kicks. He is so quick see the nations best punters in and shifty.” camps. I would put him right The 2009-10 Mavericks up there.” have gotten off to a quick start, The third member of this and sure, much of it has to talented group of special do with defensive back Jesse teamers, is probably the most Graves and his conference well-known. leading six interceptions or Defensive back and return wideout Vinny Flury and his specialist Kelvin Rodgers team leading five receiving wowed and wooed fans last touchdowns. season returning kicks, punts But remember the special and interceptions for touchteams unit that sets up the downs. While Rodgers hasn’t other sides of the ball. Whether found pay dirt yet, every return it’s a 46-yard field goal, a looks as if he has the chance booming punt in the corner or to. a return for a touchdown, the Rodgers is second in the Mavericks special teams unit NSIC in punt return average. truly is special. He is averaging 14.3 yards per
reporter-arts@mnsu.edu
Variety Thursday, October 8, 2009
T
(507) 389-5157
Stompin’ the hall The ‘ultimate’ athletic club DREW CLAUSSEN
staff writer
photos courtesy of Good Thunder Reading Series Philip Bryant (left) and Carolyn Wilkins will perform a mixture of jazz and poetry tonight in the Performing Arts Center at Minnesota State. SAM CAMPBELL
staff writer
Today, the Good Thunder Reading Series will showcase a blend of artistic fields as writer Philip Bryant and jazz pianist and vocalist Carolyn Wilkins take the stage. It will feature a craft talk at 3 p.m. in the new Ostrander Auditorium and a 7:30 p.m. performance in the E.J. Halling Recital Hall. Wilkins is a professor at Berklee College and has been active in the Boston music scene for more than twenty years. She has toured South America as a Jazz Ambassador for the U.S. State Department and has performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony. Bryant teaches at Gustavus Adolphus College and has been featured in publications such as The Iowa Review, The Indiana Review, The American Poetry Review and Nimrod. He has also published two books, “Sermon on a Perfect Spring
Day” and “Stompin’ at the Grand Terrace: A Jazz Memoir in Verse”. They will be focusing primarily on Bryant’s most recent book “Stompin’ at the Grand Terrace,” which includes a CD compilation of Bryant’s poetry with Wilkins’s jazz. The book is a collection of prose and poems exploring the relationship between jazz and his father’s experience living in the South Side of Chicago. Being a memoir drawn from Bryant’s childhood experience, his language uses rhythm and rhyme to capture the beating heart of the ’50s and ’60s jazz scene. According to Brian Robbins of GlideMagazine.com, “Philip S. Bryant’s ‘Stompin’ At The Grand Terrace’ captures the heart and soul of jazz like no written words have since Jack Kerouac’s ‘On The Road.’” The compilation CD, included with the book entitled “A Stompin’ Suite”, features Bryant’s words to Wilkins’s
music. When asked how the decision came about to do a compilation piece, Wilkins told about their shared childhood and how they had decided at a young age to one day combine their artistic talents. “When Phil and I were kids growing up on the south side of Chicago, we lived about three houses down from each another. Phil and his sister Shaun were my first friends. Sometime around the age of ten, I knew I would become a composer, and shortly thereafter, Phil and I decided that we would write an opera together someday,” Wilkins said in the Blue Road Press. “(The duet) is the direct result of that decision.” To hear Wilkins’ and Bryant’s music for yourself, make sure to come to Ostrander Auditorium today at 3 p.m. for their talk on craft and 7:30 p.m. for their performance in the Performing Arts Center.
Ultimate, originally called Ultimate Frisbee but changed due to a trademark issue, is often described as football with a Frisbee. It is a common game played by college students across the country. Most games are played for fun between friends around campus. But for the Blue Skunks Ultimate Team (the MSU club team), the game is more than just a game, it’s a passion. The Blue Skunks have been a team at MSU since 2003. This year’s team is made up of 12 upper-classmen and 13 freshmen and they compete in tournaments across the upper Midwest year round. Tournaments last two days and the team usually plays eight or nine games per tournament. The team has yet to play a tournament this year, but will
get their season underway with three in October. The style of play in the team game differs greatly from the pick up games played by most students. For starters the rules are followed strictly, but there are no referees, leaving the players to police their own play. “Our game is a lot more organized than pick-up games, and there is far less cheating,” said senior co-captain Kevin Ruda. There is also more strategy. Like football, there are different positions and designed plays and receiver routs. A team usually has three quarterbacks and four wide receivers. Although just because you are a receiver doesn’t mean that you are not allowed to throw. Receivers have the option to keep the tempo up and push the play, or make a short pass to a
Frisbee / page 13
photos courtesy of the Blue Skunks Ultimate team Blue Skunks member Dan Kaler (jumping) catches the Frisbee at a tournament last season at St. Johns University (Minn.).
The united introverts of ‘Zombieland’ NATE BRENNAN
variety editor
photos courtesy of movieweb.com
Who can you trust in the United States of Zombieland? Or more importantly, why do you have to worry about trusting humans in a land filled with zombies? “Zombieland” opens with images of American flags inside abandoned automobiles on abandoned highways in Texas. There are images of burned money, a zombie bride attacking her groom, zombie strippers attacking patrons, zombie children attacking a parent and
a plenty of the corn-syrupy blood we’re accustomed to seeing from zombie flicks. Columbus, the film’s narrator and leading protagonist, says in a voice-over “you can’t have a country without people, and there are no people here.” But that’s not entirely true. There are people in the United States of Zombieland, they are just few and far between. A disconnected trait to the world that Columbus thought he preferred. Prior to the zombie epidemic,
Columbus was already isolated within his own solitary lifestyle. Hell, Columbus was living like a zombie way before the attacks started happening. Even his first zombie experience is representative of his way of life; “The first girl I let into my life and she tries to eat me.” So it’s not especially life changing for him to live in nearly devoid of people. But as the ratio of humans to zombies starts to favor the latter, Columbus realizes what
Zombieland / page 14
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Variety
Reporter • Page 13
Hotel industry to change after ESPN incident NEW YORK (AP) — The hotel industry is reexamining guest privacy safeguards in light of the case of an ESPN reporter who was videotaped nude through the peephole of her hotel room door, allegedly by a man who reserved an adjacent room. "This is a wakeup call for the hotel industry," said Peter Greenberg, author of "Hotel Secrets from the Travel Detective" and CBS travel editor. Court papers say Michael D. Barrett requested and received a hotel room adjacent to ESPN reporter Erin Andrews at the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University. Barrett then allegedly jimmied the peephole of Andrews' hotel door, shot the
videos and uploaded them to the Internet. Until now, requests for adjacent rooms have been handled inconsistently throughout the hotel industry. If you ask for a room next to another guest, some hotels will call the other guest for consent, but many will simply go ahead and book it without confirming with the other party. "There is no consistent policy within individual brands or across the industry," said John Burns, president of Hospitality Technology Consulting in Scottsdale, Ariz. "It is in the hotel industry's cultural DNA to attempt to satisfy guests' 'adjacent room' or 'connecting room'
requests." Such requests are not uncommon from extended families, tour participants and individuals traveling together for work or conventions. "It would not be unusual for a guest who affirmatively seems to know that another guest is registered to ask to be placed adjacent or near another guest and for that request to be honored," said Bjorn Hansen, a professor at New York University's Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management. But Burns said "given the recent focus on this issue, I expect that policies related to handling this request are under consideration both at the property and
brand level." Joe McInerney, CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, confirmed that his organization "sent an advisory to our members asking them to review all their guest privacy procedures and all of their security procedures to make sure their staff are doing everything they should be doing." Another issue raised by the ESPN stalking case is how to stop peeping toms. An online company called PeepHole Security reported a recent surge of inquiries about interior covers for peepholes, including orders from individuals, hotels, and
motels. "Every chain, regardless of size, is going to use this to reevaluate their procedures and whether or not they feel like the peepholes in their rooms are adequate and tamperproof. It's all going to be on the table now," said Walt Baker, CEO of the Tennessee Hospitality Network, which represents about 350 hotels around the state. Bloggers and others posting online about the case suggest that travelers — especially women staying in hotels alone — smear Vaseline on the inside lens of peepholes to prevent anyone from looking in.
Midwest Auto Pro's
FRISBEE Blue Skunks ultimate team begin their seventh Complete Automotive Diagnostics year as the high-flying, Frisbee-slinging Minnesota State Alignments • Suspensions • Brakes Engines • Transmissions club Complete Line of Frame & Auto Body Repair All Models Including Foreign
continued from 12 quarterback. The Blue Skunks have traditionally been a very young team but they feel that they can match up with anyone they play. They practice regularly each week and use the practice time to try and better the team. “Practice is an opportunity to see what others are doing wrong, and teach them how to improve,” said senior team member Neal Boegel. Although the team always wants to win, those interested don’t have to be a good ultimate player or even have played the game to join. “Anyone can join and
m a .
everyone plays,” Boegel said. Ruda joined the team his freshman year, and Beogel joined his sophomore year. Neither had played Ultimate before joining the team. “I just saw some people throwing a Frisbee around and joined them,” Ruda said. “I have always been a fan of sports so I decided to join.” Although teams are competitive while playing each other, there is no hate for the opposing team. All the players play for the spirit of the game, and teams often hang out with teams from other schools while at tournaments.
The Blue Skunks will play between seven to 10 tournaments this season, including a home tournament that will be played during February in Meyers Field house. After the regular season, there are sections, which is played between all teams located in Minnesota. Six teams advance from sections to regionals, played between teams from Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Then six teams advance from regionals to nationals.
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Page 14 • Reporter
Variety
Thursday, October 8, 2009
ZOMBIELAND “You can’t have a country without people, and there are no people here.” he’s been missing in human relationships. To cope with the challenges and differences a life filled with zombies brings, Columbus makes a list to survive zombie attacks by that includes cardio (“the fattest got turned (into zombies) first”) and bewaring
of bathrooms (“when you’re at your most vulnerable, somehow they can smell it”). But as he warily walks the highways toward Columbus to hopefully find the family he always took for granted, he encounters Tallahassee and his Dale Earnhardt number logo
Columbus (Jessie Eisenberg, left) finally lets a girl into his life and she turns into a zombie and tries to eat him.
emblazoned SUV. As the two shotgun-toting non-zombies square off, fearing the other will kill or take advantage of them in some way, it’s apparent that there is a message behind all the unique and comical zombie killings. Much like ultra-serious films such as “Crash” before it, “Zombieland” is about the fear we as people have of truly engaging and interacting with other members of our own society. Try asking the next stranger you see for something as inoffensive as the time of day or their favorite color and you will most likely be responded to with a sense of aggression or fear. “Zombieland” effectively attacks society’s wave of introverted natures and trust issues through its allegorical storyline, showing us images of commercialism, a too-cunning-for-their-own-good duo of sisters and a hilarious cameo by the great Bill Murray that doesn’t end so well for the former “Saturday Night Live”
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star. And even though “Zombieland” is competent at delivering its message, the writer/director manages to keep the film nonpreachy and in the realm of realism (as much as there can be in a zombie movie, anyway), and never delivers a dull moment with its tongue-in-cheek humor. It should be no surprise then that writer and producer of such MTV reality comedy hits as
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“Rob and Big” and “Fantasy Factory” Ruben Fleischer directed “Zombieland.” Normally a résumé stacked with reality television credits would be a huge negative, but the Rob Dyrdek vehicles always seemed to have such an innate and comedic sense of self-awareness that is apparent in his directorial debut.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE & DONATIONS WELCOMED! Selling clean, gently used, affordable furnishings and decor for every room of the house!
Couches, chairs, kitchen and bedroom furniture, lamps, silk arrangements, pictures, bookshelves and hardcover books, home and kitchen accessories, bedding, linens, towels, small appliances, many inexpensive household treasures! OPEN: Tuesday-Friday 10am-7pm; Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday Noon-5pm
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3 WAYS TO GET IN THE HALLOWEEN SPIRIT: 1. Apple bobbing. 2. Pumpkins, Pumpkins, and more Pumpkins 3. Pumpkin Pecan Preserves (perfect for toast). The Mankato Farmers' Market is your source for fresh, local produce, baked goods, and more. Visit us at 1400 Madison Ave. on Tuesdsays, Thursdays: 3:30 - 6:00 p.m. Saturday from 8:00 a.m. - Noon. www.mankatofarmersmarket.com
Great music, good preachin’, Sacred Meal of Bread and Wine. You are welcome. Crossroads is the ELCA Lutheran Campus Ministry At MNSU. We are inclusive – meaning - all are welcome.
5:00 pm Sundays • Dillon & Maywood MIDWEEK MEAL & DISCUSSION: Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m.
GREAT MUSIC!
GREAT FOOD! www.boomtownmankato.com
BOOM PONG! Every Tuesday & Thursday Starting at 10 p.m.
100% Payback for 1st, 2nd & 3rd Places! $5 Per Team
TUESDAYS Great Deals on Schooners!
THURSDAYS Pitcher Night on Long Islands and Draft Beers
LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9TH
69 CENTS with special guest
Zenotone Music Starts at 10 p.m. with no cover!
521 S. Front St. • 625-5090
Classifieds
www.msureporter.com
For Rent
THE TRAIN STOPS HERE! www.collegestationmankato. comFree flat screen in every 5 bedroom. 12/03 WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? www. collegetownmankato.com A community of your own. 12/03 WE’RE NOT YOUR AVERAGE Slumlord. www. rentmsu.net College Houses Available For Rent. 12/03 3 BEDROOM APARTMENT. $725 includes heat, water, off-street parking. Jim @ 507345-2049. 10/20
Thursday, October 8, 2009
For Rent
GLENWOOD TERRACE. Separate bedroom available immediately for 1 male roommate to share 2 bedroom. 10/15 VERY LARGE 4 BEDROOM Apartment W/D, Garage, Central Air. $1100 per month. Jim @ 507-345-2049 10/20
Help Wanted
BARTENDERS WANTED! $250/day potential. No experience necessary. Training available. Age 18+ OK. (800)965-6520 Ext 170. STUDENTPAYOUTS.COM PAID survey takers needed in Mankato. 100% FREE to join! Click on surveys. 1/12
Notices
FREE SHOTOKAN KARATE
CLASSES offered M/T/TH. 6-8 pm. Dance room (HN 225) Beginners are welcome. Need not be a MSU student to join. For info call Brad @ (507) 388-5301. 12/03
(507) 389-1776
Roommates Wanted
GLENWOOD TERRACE. ONE male roommate needed to fill a 2bedroom. Call today 387-1217. 10/15
LIVE MUSIC WEEKEND AT THE
loose moose saloon MONDAY-FRIDAY • 5-7 p.m. All you can eat Taco-Burrito Bar for $3.50 happy hour 2-fers 3:30 - 7:00 p.m. BIG GAME ROOM with Pool Tables, Darts, Foosball, Video Games & More
before or after msu hockey games
TONIGHT! (Thursday)
Live Mic with Midnight Rambler at 8 p.m.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Electric Sky Band
SATURDAY NIGHT: Rain Kings Band
NO COVER CHARGE WEEKEND!
THE GRILL IS OPEN UNTIL MIDNIGHT!!
OPEN MON.-FRI. @ 11am - SATURDAYS @ 3:30 P.M. Right next door to Mettler's Bar & Holiday Inn
507-345-1446 • www.theloosemoosesaloon.com
Page 16 • Reporter
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