October 1, 2020

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

THURSDAY • OCTOBER 1, 2020

Chancellor meets with Student Gov’t for input on president search MAXWELL MAYLEBEN EDITOR IN CHIEF The Student Government meeting was visited by Chancellor Devinder Malhotra and members of the Presidential Search Committee, looking for student input on the new president of Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Malhotra was in a series of listening sessions all day, looking for faculty and student’s insights on MNSU as a university, and what they’d like to see from a new president.

The Chancellor opened the meeting by asking students why they came to MNSU, what they like about the university, and what they would like to see improved on campus.

Several members of Student Government stood to voice their opinions and concerns on matters pertaining to the search for the new leader of the campus.

Many senators including Minahil Khan spoke, advocating for international students

BAILEY BRENDEL STAFF WRITER

Senator Minahil Khan is seen stating concerns relating international students during Chancellor Malhotra’s listening session in Ostrander Hall in Mankato Minn. on Sept. 30, 2020 (Kjerstin Hall/The Reporter)

on campus.

“One thing I really appreciate about our current president is how welcoming he is to international students,” Khan said about President Richard

Davenport.

Khan also spoke to the idea of bringing together both international students and domestic students during orientation. As opposed to the

current orientation system that has both groups split in two.

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Spirit month to replace Homecoming this year JULIA BARTON STAFF WRITER The Minnesota State University, Mankato Student Events Team is the host for this year’s first spirit month in place of homecoming. Due to COVID-19, MNSU will be replacing the traditional Homecoming week with Spirit Month from September 29 to October 31.

This consists of free events and interactive activities throughout the month of October that MNSU students will be able to participate in by using their MavCard or reserving tickets on the Student Event’s Team website, depending on the event.

Members of the Student Events Team who runs the Homecoming Partnerships and Promotions came up with this idea to help keep the Maverick spirit alive amidst the global pandemic.

“We are putting in every measure to make sure students

New mental health bill passes

File photo

are safe and are able to participate with all the activities we have to offer for spirit month,” said Madeline Berndt, a mem-

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ber of the Student Events Team associated with Homecoming Partnerships and Promotions.

Maverick RoundUp was a

DANCE TEAM BACK IN ACTION

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Recently, the Minnesota State University, Mankato Student Government passed a Mental Health Bill in an effort to shine light on the issues of mental health in people between the ages of 18 and 24, the target age of students on campus. Since April of 2020, the Student Government has been working with a nonprofit called CultureChange to change the stigma on mental health at MNSU. According to Senator Minahil Khan, “This initiative will help push and expand Mental health support and training to help students dealing with mental illness.”

This bill will have four main resolutions to start off with, and then will continue to grow as resolutions are solved. The first of the resolutions is that students will receive a free online mental health course. This resolution will help students realize what resources they have on campus to help with their mental health, and it also gives the school some insight on what the student population’s general mental health looks like.

That way the school can find new ways to help the students succeed.

The next resolution is that MNSU will give the opportunity for all faculty and staff to become registered in Mental Health First Aid at no cost.

This resolution will allow employees of the school to be more equipped to help students with their mental health issues.

“We all know that if someone is having a heart attack, we do CPR, but what if someone starts going through a mental illness episode? How can we help them, how can we direct them to resources, how can we see signs of our students struggling. That’s really

HEALTH page 3

COWBOY CARNIVAL ON CAMPUS

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2 • MSU Reporter

News

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Chaotic first debate: Taunts overpower Trump, Biden visions CLEVELAND (AP) — The first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden deteriorated into bitter taunts and near chaos Tuesday night as Trump repeatedly interrupted his opponent with angry — and personal — jabs that sometimes overshadowed the sharply different visions each man has for a nation facing historic crises.

In the most tumultuous presidential debate in recent memory, Trump refused to condemn white supremacists who have supported him, telling one such group known as Proud Boys to “stand back, stand by.” There were also heated clashes over the president’s handling of the pandemic, the integrity of the election results, deeply personal attacks about Biden’s family and how the Supreme Court will shape the future of the nation’s health care.

But it was the belligerent tone that was persistent, somehow fitting for what has been an extraordinarily ugly campaign. The two men frequently talked over each other with Trump interrupting, nearly shouting, so often that Biden eventually snapped at him, “Will you shut up, man?”

President Donald Trump, left, and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, right, with moderator Chris Wallace, center, of Fox News during the first presidential debate Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

“The fact is that everything he’s saying so far is simply a lie,” Biden said. “I’m not here to call out his lies. Everybody knows he’s a liar.”

The presidential race has been remarkably stable for weeks, despite the historic crises that have battered the country this year, including a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans and a reckoning over race and police brutality. With just five weeks until Election Day and voting

already underway in some key states, Biden has maintained a lead in national polls and in many battlegrounds.

It’s unclear whether the debate will do much to change those dynamics.

Over and over, Trump tried to control the conversation, interrupting Biden and repeatedly talking over the moderator, Chris Wallace of Fox News. The president tried to deflect tough lines of questioning — whether on his taxes

or the pandemic — to deliver broadsides against Biden.

The president drew a lecture from Wallace, who pleaded with both men to stop talking over each other. Biden tried to push back against Trump, sometimes looking right at the camera to directly address viewers rather than the president and snapping, “It’s hard to get a word in with this clown.”

Corrections 1. In Tuesday’s issue of The Reporter, there was misinformation about the relationship between Blue Earth County’s DLF and the Greater Mankato and St. Peter Indivisible group.

The Indivisible group does not endorse candidates at any time, and because of this they do not officially work with the DFL. This group decides independently which candidates and events to support and the policies they advocate for.

These practices are not only true to the Greater Mankato and St. Peter Indivisible group, but with all Indivisible groups nationwide. Each Indivisible group across the country is independent and not officially bound to Indivisible national’s specific positions, actions, or tactics. Members of this organization focus on policies instead of parties.

The Greater Mankato and St. Peter Indivisible group would also like to clarify that they are not a student group, but they do encourage students to participate if they’d like.

2. In the last issue, it was stated the Maverick athletics would be honoring their students in the River Hills Mall.

Instead, this will be taking place on the campus mall outside the CSU.

Voting lawsuits pile up across US as election approaches WASHINGTON (AP) — They’ve been fighting in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania over the cutoff date for counting mailed ballots, and in North Carolina over witness requirements. Ohio is grappling with drop boxes for ballots as Texas faces a court challenge over extra days of early voting.

Measuring the anxiety over the November election is as simple as tallying the hundreds of voting-related lawsuits filed across the country in recent months. The cases concern the fundamentals of the American voting process, including how ballots are cast and counted, during an election made unique by the coronavirus pandemic and by a president who refuses to commit to accepting the results.

The lawsuits are all the more important because President Donald Trump has raised the prospect that the election may wind up before a Supreme Court with a decidedly Republican tilt if his latest nominee is confirmed.

“This is a president who has expressed his opposition to access to mail ballots and has also seemed to almost foreshadow the inevitability that this election will be

one decided by the courts,” said Kristen Clarke, executive director of the National Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. That opposition was on display Tuesday during the first presidential debate when Trump launched into an extended argument against mail voting, claiming without evidence that it is ripe for fraud and suggesting mail ballots may be “manipulated.”

“This is going to be a fraud like you’ve never seen,” the president said of the massive shift to mail voting prompted by the pandemic.

The lawsuits are a likely precursor for what will come afterward. Republicans say they have retained outside law firms, along with thousands of volunteer lawyers at the ready.

Democrats have announced a legal war room of heavyweights, including a pair of former solicitors general.

The race is already regarded as the most litigated in American history, due in large part to the massive expansion of mail and absentee voting.

Loyola Law School professor Justin Levitt, a former Justice Department elections official, has tallied some 260 lawsuits

arising from the coronavirus.

The Republication National Committee says it’s involved in more than 40 lawsuits, and a website operated by a chief Democrat lawyer lists active cases worth watching in about 15 states.

Democrats are focusing their efforts on multiple core areas — securing free postage for mail ballots, reforming signature-match laws, allowing ballot collection by third-parties like community organizations and ensuring that ballots postmarked by Election Day can count. Republicans warn that those same requests open the door to voter fraud and confusion and are countering efforts to relax rules on how voters cast ballots this November.

“We’re trying to prevent chaos in the process,” RNC chief counsel Justin Riemer said in an interview. “Nothing creates more chaos than rewriting a bunch of rules at the last minute.”

But there have been no broad-based, sweeping examples of voter fraud during past presidential elections, including in 2016, when Trump claimed the contest would be rigged and Russians sought to

meddle in the outcome.

Some of the disputes are unfolding in states not traditionally thought of as election battlegrounds, such as Montana, where there is a highly competitive U.S. Senate race on the ballot. A judge Wednesday rejected an effort

by Trump’s reelection campaign and Republican groups to block counties from holding the general election mostly by mail.

But most of the closely

watched cases are in states perceived as up-for-grabs in 2020 and probably crucial to the race.

In Arizona, a judge’s ruling that voters who forget to sign their early ballots have up to five days after the election to fix the problem is now on appeal before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

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Thursday, October 1, 2020

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1 government doesn’t just want to talk the talk, they want to take action and help the students of MNSU with their mental health issues in any way they can.

The last resolution includes the school providing telehealth counseling services to enrolled students during times when campus is closed, such as summer break, holidays, or a pandemic.

According to Trenne, “If you’re a student and you are enrolled for the fall semester, but it’s summer break, you technically can’t go to the Counseling Center. Unfortunately, the center doesn’t have enough funding for those not in a class. The only exception is if you’re enrolled in a course for those said breaks.”

This is especially an issue this year, as many students suffered with their mental wellbeing due to the events of COVID-19 and numerous social injustice issues. For many students the counseling center is their only place to go, so making sure it is available to all students at any time is extremely important.

Trenne and the student government don’t want mental health to just be swept under the rug and ignored. Through these resolutions, and many more resolutions to come, they hope to help be part of the solution of the mental health issues on campus.

Senator Cat Nelson spoke to the need for transparency from the University when it comes matters pertaining to students.

“I work at a hospital,” said Nelson, bringing up concerns about COVID transmissions, “and I have avoided coming to campus at all cost because I don’t really know how many people on campus have it.”

Former Student Government president Anisa Omar also was in attendance, advocating for the inclusion and importance of diversity in the president’s cabinet as well as the search committee.

“Looking at it now, it is very

white,” said Omar, speaking about the diversity on the cabinet and search committee, “and their experiences do not relate to the experiences of many of the students of color.”

In response to this, Lauren McCaghren, a member of the search committee said, “We are very proud that 57 percent of our placements are female or persons of color, we have a very long history of placements in that area.”

Several other topics were brought forward at the meeting, including ensuring student voices are heard, challenges facing first generation students, and the on-campus

experience for students during the pandemic.

The Chancellor finished off the meeting by stating how happy he was with the engagement of the students who attended the session.

“It was a delight to talk to you,” said Malhotra, “This was the best session of my last month.”

If you want to make your voice heard on the topic of the new president, you can contact either Steve Barrett or Sheri Sargent. Another option is to fill out a survey located at https://mnscu.co1.qualtrics. com /jfe /form /SV_ 3OhaSbGufve69hz

Chancellor Malhotra is seen on a Zoom call addressing the Student Government in Ostrander Hall in Mankato Minn. Sept. 30, 2020 (Kjerstin Hall/The Reporter)

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HOCO

Continued from page 1 western themed carnival that took place September 29 on the UDC Lawn where students could win prizes such as goldfish and cowboy hats. The event also had bungee trampoline and music.

“I wanted to do something new since this year is more unique with the lack of homecoming, I think the carnival was fun and interactive for the students to participate in,” said Hunter Whitmore, a sophomore member of the team who came up with the idea.

Traditional activities will still be scheduled, such as the lip sync contest (via Zoom) and car smash on campus (Oct. 13-Oct. 15) all with modifications due to COVID-19. There is also a scheduled farmers market (Oct. 1 at 3p.m) lo-

MSU Reporter • 3

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HEALTH

what we ask our faculty and staff to be on the lookout for,” said Student Body President Andrew Trenne.

Another part of this resolution is Mental Health First Aid will also be required for nursing, law enforcement, and education programs.

According to Trenne, “I believe this is something that curriculums should be teaching. Now we have to think, how can we get those students in those programs also trained from Mental Health First Aid and how can we have our future nurses be registered in this.”

This resolution will allow MNSU staff to be more prepared to help their students, and it will help the students be more equipped to help people within their fields after graduating.

The third resolution is The Student Basic Needs Committee will monitor students overall mental health and will report back to the senate if any problems arise.

“We want to tackle and talk about the mental health of our student body since it is increasingly becoming a bigger issue, so how can we assume student government can be better equipped to adapt to talk about all students’ needs, instead of just including how they are important to us,” says Trenne.

This resolution is important as it shows the student

News

cated in Lot 20 that students can drive up to and receive a variety of foods. The Stomper Movie Marathon will also be up and running throughout the whole spirit month.

For those who wish to sign up, the royalty and competition team registration deadline is on October 9. The following day, there will be a Kickball Tournament all day.

The university is taking precautions to ensure their students stay safe and healthy as they require masks and social distancing at every event.

For more information and details on the events for Spirit Month, check out the team’s website at https:// mankato.mnsu.edu/university-life/activities-and-organizations/Homecoming/SpiritMonth2020/.

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4 • MSU Reporter

Thursday, October 1, 2020

FALL 2020 EDITOR IN CHIEF:

MAXWELL MAYLEBEN maxwell.mayleben@mnsu.edu

Latest debate proves one thing: debates are pointless

MADISON DIEMERT

madison.diemert@mnsu.edu

MAXWELL MAYLEBEN EDITOR IN CHIEF During the course of history, debate has been used to discuss and compare the ideas of two or more viewpoints, with the goal of persuading a listener to think a certain way.

The first public and popular debates in US history were between Abraham Lincoln and Stephan Douglas during their campaigns for an Illinois senate seat in 1858. These were widely popular across the country as the topic of slavery was being discussed at length, which, at the time, was an extremely contested matter.

The way the debates were structured between these two men was that one candidate received 60 minutes to speak, then the other received 90 minutes, with a 30 minute rejoinder after for the first speaking candidate.

The first televised debate between two presidential candidates came over 100 years later in 1960 between Republican candidate Richard Nixon and Democrat John F. Kennedy.

During the first televised debate, Nixon and Kennedy were fairly well matched when it came to the content and policy of what was spoken of. In fact, many people who listened to the debate on the radio thought the debate to be a draw, or even declare Nixon the victor. However, those who watched the debate on live television overwhelmingly believed the young, good looking, Kennedy to be the victor.

And therein lies the prob-

NEWS EDITOR: Jenna Peterson jenna.peterson-3@mnsu.edu WEB/PHOTO EDITOR: Mansoor Ahmad mansoor.ahmad@mnsu.edu ADVERTISING SALES: Calli Seston 507-389-5451 calli.seston@mnsu.edu Anna Lillie 507-389-1063 anna.lillie@mnsu.edu Kali Andriano-Allard 507-389-6765 kali.andriano-allard@mnsu.edu Yasir Wedatalla 507-389-5097 yasir.wedatalla@mnsu.edu

lem of modern debates.

As the years went on, debates became less and less about what a candidate said about policy, and more about their “performance” against the opponent.

Importance of “sound byte” phrases became more and more important. These phrases were designed so that they could be published and rebroadcast, showing either the strength or weakness of a candidate.

An example of the quintessential “sound byte” comes from an iconic line from then

president Ronald Reagan, who was running for his second term.

Reagan’s old age had been called into question, as he was, at the time, the oldest president to ever hold office.

Before his opponent Walter Mondale could even bring up the age issue, Reagan quipped, “I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”

While lines like this are entertaining and can be beneficial to the public perception of

a candidate, they are ultimately counterproductive to the point of a debate, which is to compare two candidate’s policy and political position.

In recent years, this decay has become more and more of an issue, culminating in what we saw at the latest presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Vice President Joe Biden.

People are quick to blame both candidates for the unarguable poor demonstration of

DEBATE page 8

“What were your thoughts on the Presidential debate?”

Compiled by Julia Barton

CLAIRE JASINSKI, FRESHMAN

JADE RESNER, FRESHMAN

“Aweful, none of them really said anything.”

“They both acted like children.”

KATE HOLTMEIER, FRESHMAN

SAM THURSTON, FRESHMAN

MATT PONTOW, FRESHMAN

“I watched some of it, it wasn’t really a lot of debating.”

“This debate was childish, I thought it was really bad.”

“It was alarming!.”

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

The Reporter will correct any errors of fact or misspelled names in this space. Formal grievances against the Reporter are handled by the Newspaper Board.

• The Minnesota State University Mankato Reporter is a studentrun newspaper published twice a week, coming out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Reporter generates 78 percent of its own income through advertising and receives approximately 22 percent from Student Activities fees. The Reporter is free to all students and faculty, but to start a subscription, please call us at 507-389-1776. Subscriptions for the academic school year are $55.00 and subscribers will receive the paper within three to five days after publishing.

• Letters exceeding 400 words may not be accepted. The Reporter reserves the right to edit letters to fit space or correct punctuation. The Reporter reserves the right to publish, or not publish, at its discretion. Letters must contain year, major or affiliation with the university, or lack thereof. All letters must contain phone numbers for verification purposes.

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

Thursday, October 1, 2020

News

MSU Reporter • 5

Hospitals feel squeeze as coronavirus spikes in Midwest MILWAUKEE (AP) — The coronavirus tightened its grip on the American heartland, with infections surging in the Midwest, some hospitals in Wisconsin and North Dakota running low on space and the NFL postponing a game over an outbreak that’s hit the Tennessee Titans football team.

Midwestern states are seeing some of the nation’s highest per capita rates of infection, and while federal health officials again urged some governors in the region to require masks statewide, many Republicans have resisted.

Like other states, health officials in Wisconsin had warned since the pandemic began that COVID-19 patients could overwhelm hospitals. That’s now happening for some facilities as experts fear a second wave of infections in the U.S. A record number of people with COVID-19 were hospitalized in Wisconsin. Of those 737 patients Wednesday, 205 were in intensive care, with spikes in cases in northern parts of the state driving up the numbers. The state also reported its highest single-day number of deaths — 27 — raising the toll to 1,327.

Officials at ThedaCare,

a community health system of seven hospitals, said they have exceeded capacity in the COVID-19 unit at their medical center in Appleton, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Milwaukee. It’s started sending patients to other hospitals some 40 miles (64 kilometers) away.

Wisconsin health officials reported 2,319 new infections, bringing the total number to 122,274.

In North Dakota, hospitals are adding extra space amid concerns from employees about capacity. Nearly 678 COVID-19 infections per 100,000 people have been diagnosed over the past two weeks, leading the country for new cases per capita, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

A new Sanford Health hospital unit opened in the capital of Bismarck to add 14 more beds, with nearly half of those for intensive care patients. The space isn’t exclusively for coronavirus patients but could be used to treat them if needed.

Overall, North Dakota has reported 21,846 infections and 247 deaths. There are 89 people now hospitalized.

The upswing has been seen throughout the Midwest. Iowa

In this Sept. 8, 2020, file photo, Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health nurses Crys Kuntz, left, and Sara Nelson confer inside the Bismarck Event Center in Bismarck, N.D., where vehicles were lined up for the weekly drive-thru COVID-19 testing. (Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune via AP, File)

also reported a spike in people hospitalized with the virus, to 390. Last week, the state had the nation’s sixth-highest rate of coronavirus infections per 100,000 people, according to a White House coronavirus task force report dated Sun-

day. It again recommended Iowa require masks statewide, which Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds has said is unnecessary.

Similarly, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, has said he won’t impose such a re-

quirement. The task force report found his state is among the worst in the United States for positive coronavirus tests per 100,000 people, up 15% from a week ago.

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News

Thursday, October 1, 2020

California wildfire evacuees return home to find devastation SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) — Nikki and Kevin Conant returned to their home in Northern California wine country Wednesday to find only the charred remains of their home and burned pieces of the wine barrels they used to repurpose into custom-made art and furniture.

“It was like a part of me is gone, burned up in the fire. Everything we built here, every-

thing we made here is gone,” Nikki Conant said.

The couple, both 52, were preparing to evacuate Sunday when they saw an orange glow in the hills near their Santa Rosa rental home. Within 45 minutes, they could hear the trees crackling and propane tanks exploding as the blaze reached their community.

They jumped in their car, and for what seemed like an eterni-

Kevin Conant and his wife, Nikki, hug after looking at the debris of their burnt home and business “Conants Wine Barrel Creations,” after the Glass/Shady fire completely engulfed it, Wednesday, Sept.

30, 2020, in Santa Rosa, Calif. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)

ty they were stuck in bumperto- bumper traffic.

“I thought we were going to burn alive. I really did. It was horrible,” Nikki Conant said.

Nikki sobbed Wednesday when she spotted her nowburned chicken coop. Her twelve beloved chickens all died in the fire. All the tools for their repurposing business were gone, too.

The Conants are among more than 70,000 people still under evacuation orders in the wine region north of San Francisco where the Glass Fire has incinerated at least 143 homes along with winery installations and other buildings.

Flames were continuing to tear through the region’s rolling pastures and tree-dotted hills, toppling renowned wineries and restaurants.

“Every time we try to construct some control lines, the fire is outflanking us, so we have to pull back,” Cal Fire Chief Mark Brunton said.

Firefighters were also warily watching for “violent” winds expected to return to the Napa-Sonoma area late Wednesday, with continuing extreme heat and low humidity. Red flag warnings of extreme fire danger were to continue into Friday evening.

Officials said they were requesting more fire crews to join 2,000 firefighters battling the blaze that has charred 80 square miles (207 square kilometers) with almost no containment.

Pacific Gas & Electric also cut power to another 3,100 customers in Napa County at the request of firefighters, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported.

Hot weather and the po-

tential for fire damage could stress power supplies as people switch on their air conditioners. To avoid shortages, the California Independent System Operator, which runs the state’s power grid, issued a statewide Flex Alert for 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday. It urged customers to avoid using large appliances during that time and to keep the thermostat at 78 degrees or above.

DEBATE

Continued from page 4 statesmanship, but the fault lies equally in the current debate system.

Each candidate was supposed to be given 2 minutes to speak on very broad and expansive topics.

2 minutes.

And people are surprised when there is little to no substance brought forward at these debates.

There should be a new system put in place that allows both candidates a long form platform to speak purely on policy, and if a debate is necessary, then given adequate time to retort the opposing points.

This would create a much more educated and fair-minded voting population when it comes to election day, as well as reduce the divisive nature of the debate stage as it stands today.

While yes, the debate last night was difficult to watch, with neither candidate leaving voters impressed, we as media consumers must take partial responsibility for creating today’s system of “circus debate” and strive to value the content and policy over the showmanship of a presidential candidate.

Thursday, October 1, 2020

MSU Reporter • 9

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

Dance team begins in person practice, following guidelines SYDNEY BERGGREN STAFF WRITER Unsurprisingly, amidst COVID, many sports teams have had to rearrange their seasons in order to follow guidelines and keep everyone safe, and the Minnesota State University, Mankato dance is no exception. Assistant Head Coach of the MNSU dance team Katie Luu was able to discuss this year’s season.

Luu talked about how the team has been attempting to do virtual zoom practices in order to keep up with their skills. While this was difficult, they made it work for the time being. Last week, the team took to their Instagram account to announce the good news of finally being able to practice in person.

Maverick freshman Kaylee Jenkins stated that getting into practices has been great, but of course there are difficulties that come with it. “It’s a weird and unexpected challenge to practice with a mask on.”

Jenkins described what practices have been looking like, as the season has had to start so late. “Right now we are just working on team

The dance team is seen practicing social distancing during a team practice. (Photo courtesy of the Minnesota State University Mankato Dance Team Facebook)

norms and initiating the freshmen onto the team. I can probably speak for most of the freshmen when I say we are just trying to follow along and hope to survive our challeng-

ing practices.”

As for current goals for the team, Luu stated, “We’re just trying to get into the swing of things for right now. We’re going by each day one at a time,

and if things clear up, we’ll set more detailed goals.”

The dancers have begun working on sideline performances for basketball and football games, which they are

hopeful they will get to perform at.

Looking towards the future, Luu also mentioned the team has already started some preparations for nationals, which will be held in January if it can be done safely.

Jenkins stated the team is prepared for the season to just be practices this year, but they would still love to do their regular season activities, such as sideline performances, competitions, and getting involved in the community.

She also lamented their lack of summer practices and team bonding, but noted that every bit of it has been worthwhile.

“All of the turning, jumping, and acrobatics all while accidentally inhaling your mask and social distancing has been worth it to dance with my team, to learn from my coaches, and to grow as a student both personally and professionally.”

One of the last things Luu mentioned was, “The team has definitely risen to the occasion and is super excited to get going.” The team seems hopeful and ready for the season, no matter how much COVID has affected it.

Cowboy-style carnival kicks off spirit month AMANDA FILREIS STAFF WRITER On Tuesday, Sept. 29, the Minnesota State University, Mankato Student Events Team hosted the Maverick Round Up Carnival to kick off the spirit month celebrations. For admission to this event, all you needed was a free ticket obtained from the Events Team website. It was set up on the Performing Arts Center lawn from 5-8 pm. There were a variety of games students were able to choose from with some great prizes to win.

One of the first events in the carnival was the Power Bunge, where people could do flips while bungee jumping on a trampoline. Right besides that was the Bronco Lasso, where students could win a boot cup for capturing the stuffed rocking horse with a lasso.

Up next was the Ping-Pong Shoot Out. This game had people trying to knock over the ping-pong balls on tiny pedestals using nerf guns, where the prize was balloon swords.

Further down the lineup

A student partakes in a lasso game at the Maverick Round Up Carnival on the Performing Arts Center lawn in Mankato, Minn. Sept. 29, 2020 (Muhammad Ibrahim/The Reporter)

was the Fish Bowl game. To live up to the game name, students could win goldfish if they could score two out of

three balls into the little fish bowls. “It was cool and I love fish. I’m so glad I came,” said MNSU student Chloe Kultgen

after winning a new pet.

Another game participants could choose from was the Hole In One. Players had the

opportunity to win a cowboy hat if they managed to hit the ball in one stroke in the hole.

Guests capped off their visit by grabbing a caricature souvenir from the caricature artist. To help liven up the mood even more, a member of the team created a playlist of country music to be blasted from the speakers.

“I thought it was interesting and was worth my time to come down,” commented MNSU student Weston Ardnt when asked about his thoughts on the event.

The choice of events and prizes were decided by what the Student Events Team members thought would be fun and what was previously popular.

“It’s meant to be a fun event to help brighten up the days of the students who are stuck in the dorms,” stated Hunter Whitmore from the MNSU Homecoming Competitions and head of this particular event. This enthusiasm was certainly noticed by the students.

10 • MSU Reporter

Variety

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Weekly Crossword: We miss sports!

Across 2. MSU soccer plays on the ____ 4. The _____ center is home to MSU Basketball, Volleyball, and Wrestling 5. “You’ll conquer our foes all you Mav’ricks brave and _____” 6. MSU DII Conference 9. Men’s Hockey Head Coach 11. Years the Vikings held training camp at MSU 13. MSU Marching Band called the Maverick _____ 14. How many years has Coach Hoffner been at MSU? 15. The MSU mascot 16. Former Maverick in the NFL (NC Panthers) Down 1. MSU Football Stadium 2. MSU colors are gold and ____ 3. Who did Maverick football defeat with a 81-0 score last season?

7. Men’s Hockey is leaving the WCHA to join the _____ 8. The team that MSU Football was supposed to play this Saturday?

10. Last MSU team to win a National Title 11. The number of NCAA DII National championships has MSU won so far?

12. Women’s Basketball Head Coach

Country star and hit Elvis songwriter Mac Davis dies at 78 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country star Mac Davis, who launched his career crafting the Elvis hits “A Little Less Conversation” and “In the Ghetto,” and whose own hits include “Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me,” has died. He was 78.

His longtime manager Jim Morey said in a press release that Davis died in Nashville on Tuesday after heart surgery and was surrounded by family and friends.

Davis had a long and varied career in music for decades as a writer, singer, actor and TV host and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006. He was named 1974’s entertainer of the year by the Academy of Country Music and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“Thank you, dear Lord Jesus, for letting us know the man to whom you gave the most incredible talent,” said Reba McEntire in a statement.

“He entertained and spread joy to so many people. What a wonderful legacy he left all of us with his music. Mac was

Canada to Denmark. Davis’ most licensed TV soundtrack song, “A Little Less Conversation” reached No. 1 in the UK in 2002 after it was used in a Nike commercial and was featured in the hit movie “Ocean’s 11.”

Davis also helped craft the sentimental “Memories” that was a cornerstone of Elvis’

celebrated 1968 comeback TV special, and two other songs that were key to Presley’s revival: The somber ballads “In the Ghetto” and “Don’t Cry Daddy,” both top 10 singles which marked rare times Presley covered material with any kind of political or social message.

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$$ CALL US $$ Musician Mac Davis performs at the Texas Film Awards in Austin, Texas on March 6, 2014. Davis, a country star and Elvis songwriter, died on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020 after heart surgery.

(Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP, File)

one of a kind. I’m so blessed to have been one of his many friends.”

Born in Lubbock, Texas, and raised in Georgia, Davis was inspired by fellow Lubbock native Buddy Holly, but it was Elvis who gave him his first musical big break. Davis worked as a staff songwriter in Los Angeles for Nancy Sina-

tra’s publishing company when in 1968 Presley cut the funky “A Little Less Conversation,” which Davis had written with Aretha Franklin in mind.

Although it had a little success at the time, the song became a bigger hit after Presley’s death, being covered by more than 30 artists and topping charts everywhere from

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Thursday, October 1, 2020

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MSU Reporter • 11

Art students continue to create amidst pandemic DESTINY KEMPF STAFF WRITER In this time of a global pandemic, Minnesota State University, Mankato’s art department is facing specific difficulties, but they are continuing to thrive.

For example, in order to maintain sanitary precautions, building hours have been shortened as well.

“During a normal semester, we have 24/7 access for students to use Nelson Hall,” ceramics professor Mika Laidlaw said. “We are limiting the use of the lab to the weekday daytime.”

Like most of Minnesota State University, art professors are either limiting the number of students allowed in their classrooms or moving their courses completely online.

This results in the art department having the inability to create a strong, close community between the students.

Professor of Printmaking, Joshua Winkler recalls, “The students really enjoy settling into the printmaking studio during normal times, spending their nights and weekends in the space socializing and

A display of art made by students at MNSU in Mankato Minn. on Sept. 28, 2020 (Prasad Pol/The Reporter)

building a community of artists. Just being in the space and becoming comfortable in the space can really help them figure things out. The pandemic demands that we spend as little time in the studio as possible. This makes it more difficult to foster community and collaboration.”

Faculty member Ellen Schofield recognizes this as well.

“This semester it is much harder to create that same

sense of community. I have been trying to replicate the experience with small group Zoom critiques, but it is hard to replicate those moments where you walk by a classmate simply to chat about each other’s work and brainstorm together.”

Professor of Installation and Drawing, Liz Miller, expresses similar concerns, saying, “I really love getting to know my students, and this

semester I spend less time with them in person… It’s also hard to translate some aspects of art making to an online format.

In my installation art courses, so much of the experience is about site, audience, and teamwork. All three of those elements look very different during a pandemic.”

More importantly, Miller fears art majors are missing opportunities. Under normal conditions, art majors are able

to present their works in public exhibitions and critiques and have in-person guest artists.

Despite all these hardships, faculty members say students are doing a superior job adapting to the new norms of art classes.

“Overall, I’m really impressed with the students,” Winkler said. “I can only imagine the difficulty of being a student right now. It must be challenging to build relationships, socialize, and focus on their classes while the heaviness of the world is so present in their everyday.”

Schofield agrees.

“I have been really amazed by how flexible, tenacious, and engaged everyone has been with the transition,” she said. “I think everyone knows this is not ideal. But there is an understanding that we can get through it. People seem to be putting in great effort and trying their best even though these are challenging circumstances … It’s just delightful for me to see how art students have leveraged their creativity to find ways to keep working during the pandemic.”

Lakers, LeBron roll in Game 1 of finals, top Heat 116-98 LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — LeBron James finally got an easy Game 1 in the NBA Finals.

A very easy one, at that.

Anthony Davis scored 34 points, James had 25 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists and the Los Angeles Lakers rolled past the Miami Heat 116-98 on Wednesday night.

“The bigger the moment, he’s just raising his play,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said about Davis, who was making his finals debut and made it look easy.

The Heat left beaten and battered. Point guard Goran Dragic left in the second quarter and, a person with knowledge of the situation, said he was diagnosed with a torn plantar fascia in his left foot — which obviously jeopardizes his availability for the rest of the finals. And All-Star center Bam Adebayo left in the third quarter after apparently aggravating a left shoulder strain.

“We’re much better than we showed tonight,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “You have to credit the Lakers, and we’ll get to work for the next one.”

Game 2 is Friday night.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 13 points, Danny Green had 11 and Alex Caruso

finished with 10 for the Lakers. They returned to the finals for the first time in a decade and sent a very clear message.

James’ teams had been 1-8 in Game 1 of past finals, with losses in each of the last seven openers.

Not this one.

“We kind of picked it up on both ends of the floor,” Davis said.

Jimmy Butler fought through a twisted left ankle to score 23 points for Miami.

Kendrick Nunn scored 18 points for the Heat, Tyler Herro had 14 and Jae Crowder 12.

“I, and we, are here for him,” Butler said about Dragic. “We know how much he wants to win, how much he wants to go to war and battle with us. And obviously, we love him for that and we want him out there with us. But whatever the docs tell him to do, that’s what he’s got to do. ... He’s got to take care of himself first.”

Adebayo was held to eight points in 21 minutes, and Miami went with subs for a fourth-quarter burst that turned a total rout into something only slightly more palatable in terms of final margin.

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12 • MSU Reporter

Variety

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Photo Feature: Trump visit to Duluth

President Donald Trump visited Minnesota for the ‘Make America Great Again’ rally for his third visit to the state this election cycle at the Duluth International Airport Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020 in Duluth, Minn. Above is the President Trump addressing the crowd. To the right, supporters recite the national anthem before President Donald Trump arrives. On the bottom right, Bob Leslie, a former military of the United States military, salutes the American flag during the national anthem. On the bottom left, David Hecker, a World War II veteran, sits with his grand daughter in his lap.

Photos by Mansoor Ahmad/The Reporter