October 18, 2022

received a message from the sun. After reading it, I was enlightened!

Walz visits MSU College Dems

By JULIA BARTON Editor in Chief

Gov. Tim Walz and other DFL candidates visited Minne sota State University, Mankato Thursday aiming to touch on the importance of the youth vote this election.

With no more than a week to plan the event, College Dem ocrats President Storm Novak touched on the climate of this year’s election.

“Get involved in not just the major big ticket elections, but also the small ticket elec tions, because those are the ones where your voice makes the most difference,” Novak said. “It’s important to vote in every single election and engage in your civic duty to participate in democracy.”

Gathering Mankato com munity members and MSU stu dents, the event featured Marcia Stapelton, who is running in dis trict 22B; Jeff Brand running for house district 18A;, Luke Fred erick running for house district 18B, Nick Frentz for senate dis trict 19; and Jeff Ettinger for the first congressional district; and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.

Each candidate voiced their stances on various topics such as climate change, abortion and student loans.

“This is fundamental. What happened with Roe vs Wade, we cannot live having one or two positions where they [the per son elected] could cost you your

health care access, cost women their lives and the freedoms we care about,” Walz said.

“My mother and wife have more rights than my daughter who is 21 has. Think about that.”

Climate change was also one of the main items on the table

this year.

“It’s about damn time,” Walz said. “There is a frustration that it hasn’t been faster and the sense of urgency isn’t there. It is, and the system moves slowly. We need to get re-elected.”

Ettinger alluded to the influx of voters that may take place

this November due to the young voter turnout and proximity.

“Students are in a position to make a difference and we’re hoping that is going to happen,” Ettinger said.

“We’re going to gain 5,000 of those 200,000 votes because of students. They weren’t on

campus [in August] and around Southern Minnesota.”

On Monday, the popular political news site FiveThirtyE ight showed Walz was up by less than 10% over his opponent, Republican Scott Jensen.

Election Day is Nov. 8.

Mavs in Action connects with the Mankato community

By EMMA JOHNSON News Director

Volunteering can be a great way to connect with other peo ple and the community, and help students feel they’re mak ing an impact on others. Mavs in Action (MIA) aspires to do just that.

Mavs in Action is an organi zation based out of the Commu nity Engagement Office that al lows students to plan volunteer opportunities and participate in service projects each week.

Last Thursday, the group gathered together in the Family Consumer Science Education Lab to create and sew mittens for those unable to purchase winter clothing. Other projects MIA has done include making dog toys and making cards for people in hospitals and nursing

homes. Some students want to volunteer, but don’t have the time due to schoolwork and extracurriculars. MIA President Hannah Minet said students who want to volunteer over spring break can sign up for a so-called Alternative Spring Break, which allows students to gain up to 25 volunteer hours.

“[Alternative Spring Break] is low cost because a lot of people travel over spring break, but not everyone can afford it. Students get to volunteer in a group and get to do something good for their soul and the community,” Minet said.

Minet said she started vol unteering during the pandemic when she felt isolated and didn’t have a lot to do. Volunteering helped her have something to do and connect with the communi ty. “I felt like I was doing some

DOMINIC BOTHE • The Reporter

thing good with my time. I feel that if you have free time and you want to help others, why not do it?” Minet said.

Besides meeting others, vol unteering can open doors for a variety of opportunities students can partake in. Before Vice Pres ident Jacob Rangitsch came to MSU, he didn’t do a lot of vol unteering in high school. Now, he’s signed up for several volun teering events and became the Community Service Chair for Sigma Nu.

“I want to be able to say that I can help people and find differ ent ways to provide for people that may be less fortunate than me. It’s been really impactful and rewarding for me,” Ran gitsch said. “I want to be able to say I’ve done everything.”

Students often volunteer in order to get class credit or to add to a resume. Freshman Ashlynn Leskey said students shouldn’t view volunteering as a way to

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

Governor Tim Walz vists Minnesota State University, Mankato to talk with the College of Democrats last Thursday, Oct. 13 in the Heritage room.

Last Thursday, Mavs in Action got together to create mittens for those unable to purchase winter clothing for their weekly service project.

Upward Bound makes education more accessible

By AMALIA SHARAF Staff Writer

When future students are trying to deal with financial issues, a proper way of filing the application documents and meeting the deadlines for enrollment, it can become complicated. Each student has their own experience in enter ing the university and if a po tential student’s family has not previously received higher ed ucation and cannot help with admission, the task of “getting into college” becomes com pletely unbearable.

Upward Bound is a nation wide program designed to help low-income high school stu dents with the potential to be come first-generation in getting their higher education. As the program director George Co rey noted, it is free for school students because it is entirely sponsored by the U.S. Depart ment of Education.

“We happen to have just re cently received another 5-year grant. [Upward Bound’s] goal is to help students better pre pare in high school so that they have more tools to be success ful when they enter college,” Corey said.

Upward Bound helps stu dents not only during the admission period but also throughout the school year. Preparation of documents, col lege selection as well as travel for the development of hori zons is provided to students for an unforgettable experience with the program.

“We provide service to

students both academic year and during the summer. In the summer students live on-cam pus for five weeks and then we travel for a week,” Corey said.

The contribution of the program to the development of students is manifested not only in working with docu ments and getting to know the campus, but also in inter esting classes and traveling. By participating in the summer program, students take certain classes that enhance their aca demic preparation for a new experience of life in college.

In addition to the courses, students are participating in different sports activities and travel to various places in the U.S. During the program, they also attend various cultural events such as theaters, galler ies and more.

“They have some core classes in the morning: math, English, science and foreign language. And then they have elective classes in the afternoon.

In the evening we provide oth er activities that are sometimes just recreational, educational or even a combination of both. We try to explore some music, theatre, and art,” Corey said.

Students of every nation can participate in the Upward Bound program. Usually, stu dents learn about the program from their friends or school ad visors which provides students with many tools for a success ful academic experience.

The summer program can be interesting for University students too. Those who have

URC closes applications for grants

By CARLY BAHR Staff Writer

The Undergraduate Re search Center recently closed applications for the Fall 2022 grant cycle with roughly 70 group applications.

The URC awards selected applicants grants of $750 to $1,000 depending on the suffi ciency of the proposal. The ap plication requires a three-page proposal summarizing what the students hope to do their research on. This includes a budget, their methods for what they are hoping to do and what they think it will contribute to their field.

According to Kaylee En gle, a graduate assistant at the URC, this projection of the foreseen impact of the project is important for getting a submis sion approved.

“People who fund this re search want to know ‘Why is it important?’ ‘Why should our funds go towards this? What’s going to [come] out of it?’” En gle said.

Engle also said the research may not only impact their field, but other fields as well, so the more exhaustive proposals that include a broad scope of their impact are more likely to be considered.

“They also just want to make sure that the student has really put the time in to it and has done the background re view and has thought about what they are going to do for their methods and the timeline so that when they come to the URS they are ready to present their findings,” Engle said.

The Undergraduate Research Center selects applicant grants after stu dents write a proposal that summarizes what research students plan to participate in and how they will use the funding.

The URC provides students with an outlet and resources to create research projects. These projects vary depending on the researchers’ majors and can range in appearance from lab research to art displays.

“We get a lot of science, engineering and technology applicants and presenters, but we’ve been really pushing other majors as well in other colleges. We’ve funded people from art and design [and] social scienc es, so we’re open to all. We’re trying to push that,” Engle said.

Engle is a graduate assistant for the URC who did an under graduate research project in her third year of undergrad. Her project was about the effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on college students’ experienc es, such as the impact on their social and academic wellbeing.

Now, as a graduate assis

tant, she has been helping to answer students’ questions leading up to the application deadline for this grant cycle. She and her colleagues also work to organize the under graduate research symposium, which occurs in the spring, as well as preparing students for the national conference.

“Our different tasks that we have throughout the year kind of depend on what we have going on with the grant cycle,” Engle said. “We’ve been busy answering student questions about those, giving feedback on grants prior to them being submitted, kind of just getting everything organized for that.”

She recommends that groups begin working on their proposal about three to four weeks before presenting. This will ensure groups have enough time to consult with mentors

can save the life of someone with a blood cancer such as leukemia or lymphoma. Be The Match is the national marrow registry that matches transplant donors and recipients through its registry of 22 million potential donors. Because only about 30% of patients can find a fully matched donor within their family, most people in need of a bone marrow transplant are matched through the registry

LILLY ANDERSON • The Reporter

What we know about the Raleigh shooting

By BEN FINLEY, HANNAH SCHOENBAUM and ALLEN G. BREED Associated Press

An avid runner and the mother of three boys. A wom an who was the “rock” of her family and knew everyone in the neighborhood. A Navy veteran whose wedding was two weeks away.

These were among the victims of Thursday’s shooting rampage in North Carolina’s capital city, Raleigh, that claimed five lives and wounded two others.

A 15-year-old boy opened fire, killing a total of five people in the city’s Hedingham neigh borhood and along the nearby Neuse River Greenway, police said.

One of those slain was an off-duty Raleigh police officer who was headed off to work. Another killed was a 16-yearold.

A woman and another Ra leigh police officer also were wounded.

Among the dead were:

NICOLE CONNORS

Connors, 52, was the matri arch of her extended family, the one who “got things done,” her husband Tracey Howard told The Associated Press.

When her father died, she was the one who went to Veter ans Affairs to straighten things out — using “choice words” — to ensure he was buried in a vet erans cemetery, Howard said.

She also left her job in human resources to care for her mother after she had a stroke.

“Anything that had to be done, she was going to do it,”

Howard said. “And she was going to make sure it was done right.”

Connors and her husband liked to get out of the house and explore Raleigh’s restaurant scene.

They had tickets for the next Black Panther film, coming out in November, and planned to go to the North Carolina State Fair.

Late Thursday afternoon, Howard left the house to get food for lunch — he works the third shift — and to buy a light bulb for the porch.

Connors had taken a friend

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to Red Lobster to celebrate her friend’s birthday before coming home.

“She couldn’t have been home more than five or 10 minutes before this happened,” Howard said.

Connors and a neighbor, who was listed among the wounded, were shot, Howard said.

“Her friend was more or less by the driveway like she was about to go home or was on her way home, and my wife was on the porch,” Howard said.

Howard is left to wonder what motivated the shooting.

“It is just a senseless killing,” he said. “People outside enjoy ing the weather, talking. Next thing you know they’re gone. It’s just stupid. It’s senseless.”

Connors’ neighbors said she was always friendly while walk ing her Jack Russell terrier, Sami.

Marvin Judd said Connors was a “sweet person” with a “good heart.”

“And she was always kind and gentle to everybody she met,” Judd said. “She didn’t meet strangers. Everybody was a friend to her.”

SUSAN KARNATZ

Her husband, Tom Karnatz, told the AP that she “was a very loving wife and amazing mother to our three sons. We’re abso lutely heartbroken and miss her dearly.”

Karnatz, 49, was an avid runner who frequented the gre enway where some of the shoot ings occurred.

Two cars parked in the drive way had matching 26.2 stick ers — marking the mileage of a marathon. The license plate of a minivan said “RUNNR.”

In a Facebook post, Tom Karnatz wrote that he and his wife had big — and little — plans together.

“We had plans together for big adventures,” he wrote.

“And plans together for the mundane days in between. We had plans together with the boys. And we had plans togeth er as empty nesters. We had plans together for growing old. ... Now those plans are laid to waste.”

Karnatz had completed the Boston Marathon four times, according to an obituary.

She was a school psychol ogist before pausing to home school her three sons, which “brought her joy, purpose and fulfillment.”

“She was fun, often tickled by quirky humor, and if she got going, would laugh until she cried,” the obituary said.

“She listened without judg ment, provided wise advice when asked, and offered kind words and gentle reassurance to those around her. Her absence is profound in the hearts of friends and family.”

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ETHAN HYMAN • Associated Press

Attendees lock arms together in unity during a candlelight vigil, Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, for those killed and wounded in a mass shooting in the Hedingham neighborhood in Raleigh, N.C., days earlier.

Kevin Spacey testifies about his sex abuse claims: ‘Not true’

Radioactive waste found at Missouri elementary school

By TOM HAYS and LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press

Kevin Spacey testified in a New York courtroom Mon day that he never made a sex ual pass at the actor Anthony Rapp, who has sued, claiming the Academy Award-winning actor tried to take him to bed when he was 14.

Identifying himself as “Kev in Spacey Fowler,” the actor was asked about Rapp’s claims that a then-26-year-old Spacey picked him up like a groom does a bride after a 1986 party and put him on his bed before lying on top of him.

Rapp testified earlier in the trial that he squirmed out from underneath Spacey in the fully clothed encounter before flee ing the apartment, only to have Spacey follow him to the door and ask if he was sure he want ed to leave.

“They are not true,” Spacey said of the allegations.

Spacey said he had met Rapp and another aspiring actor, John Barrowman, back stage following Spacey’s Broad way performance in “Long Day’s Journey into Night.” He said he took them to dinner, to a nightclub and finally to his a studio apartment, where he flirted with Barrowman — who was 19 at the time — but showed no interest in Rapp be fore the two visitors left.

“Anthony Rapp seemed like a kid and John Barrowman seemed like a man,” Spacey said in an account that was backed up by a deposition by Barrowman.

Rapp has testified that he and Barrowman went home immediately after the nightclub outing and that it days later be fore Spacey invited him to the apartment for the first time. He

said Spacey waited for the oth er guests at the party to leave before making a move on him.

Spacey also described his dismay over a 2017 news re port in which Rapp went pub lic with his allegations.

At the time, with the #Me Too movement gaining mo mentum, “The industry was very nervous. There was a lot of fear in the air about who was going to be next,” he said.

He added: “I was shocked. I was frightened and I was confused. ... I knew I had nev er been alone with Anthony Rapp.”

He also told jurors that he never had “any sexual interest in Anthony Rapp or any child. That I knew.”

An emotional Spacey dabbed his eyes as he described being pressured into making a statement saying he didn’t re member anything happening with Rapp, but would be sorry “if” it was somehow true. His managers said “it was the best way to contain “a crisis that was going to get worse” and to avoid being accused of “victim shaming,” he said.

Now, he added, “I regret my entire statement.”

Spacey also was asked if he has been private about his per sonal life over his career.

“I grew up in a very compli cated family dynamic,” he said, explaining that rants by his fa ther when he was a youngster led him to hate bigotry and in tolerance.

“My father was a white supremacist and neo-Nazi,” Spacey said. “It meant that my siblings and I were forced to lis ten to hours and hours of my father lecturing us about his beliefs.”

Spacey called it “humiliat ing and terrifying when friends came over to the house” be

cause he was never sure what his father might say to them or to him.

“Everything about what was happening in that house was something I had to keep to myself. We never, ever, talk ed about it. I have never talk ed about these things publicly ever,” he said.

As Spacey became interested in theater, he said, he endured the screams of his father who “used to yell at me at the idea that I might be gay.”

Spacey’s testimony began two hours after Judge Lewis A. Kaplan threw out a claim of intentional infliction of emo tional distress after lawyers for Rapp finished their presenta tion of evidence.

Kaplan said elements of the claim duplicate Rapp’s claim that he was a victim of assault and battery.

Spacey’s lawyer argued for dismissal of the case on the grounds that Rapp’s attorneys had failed to prove his claims.

Kaplan said the trial can proceed with assault and bat tery claims asserted by Rapp, a 50-year-old regular on “Star Trek: Discovery” on television. He was part of the original Broadway cast of “Rent.”

Spacey, 63, was an Os car-winning actor popular on the Netflix series “House of Cards” when claims by Rapp and others in 2017 abruptly de railed his career.

Rapp was performing in “Precious Sons” on Broadway in 1986 when he met Spacey.

Rapp testified over several days earlier in the trial, which entered its third week on Mon day.

The Associated Press does not usually name people alleg ing sexual assault unless they come forward publicly, as Rapp has done.

There is significant radioac tive contamination at an ele mentary school in suburban St. Louis where nuclear weapons were produced during World War II, according to a new re port by environmental investi gation consultants.

The report by Boston Chem ical Data Corp. confirmed fears about contamination at Jana Elementary School in the Hazelwood School District in Florissant raised by a previ ous Army Corps of Engineers study. The new report is based on samples taken in August from the school, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Boston Chemical did not say who or what requested and funded the report.

“I was heartbroken,” said Ashley Bernaugh, president of the Jana parent-teacher asso ciation who has a son at the school. “It sounds so cliché, but it takes your breath from you.”

The school sits in the flood plain of Coldwater Creek, which was contaminated by nuclear waste from weapons production during World War II. The waste was dumped at sites near the St. Louis Lam bert International Airport, next to the creek that flows to the Missouri River. The Corps has been cleaning up the creek for more than 20 years. The Corps’ report also found con tamination in the area but at much at lower levels, and it didn’t take any samples within 300 feet of the school.

MARY ALTAFFER • Associated Press

CHRISTIAN GOODEN • Associated Press

Actor Kevin Spacey arrives at Federal court for his civil lawsuit trial. Spacey’s facing a jury in a New York City courtroom during a civil trial accusing him of sexually abusing a 14-year-old actor in the 1980s.

Coldwater Creek behind a row of homes at Belcroft Drive and Old Halls Ferry Road in Missouri’s St. Louis County have found significant radio active contamination at an elementary schoolground.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Amazon faces off with union fight U.S Gov says Steve Bannon should get 6-month sentence

By HALELUYA HADERO Associated Press

The startup union that clinched a historic labor victory at Amazon earlier this year is slated to face the company yet again, aiming to rack up more wins that could force the reluc tant retail behemoth to the ne gotiating table.

This time, the Amazon La bor Union and the nation’s second-largest private employ er are facing off in the town of Schodack, near Albany, New York.

Workers at the warehouse there, which employs roughly 800 people according to Am azon, will finish voting in a union election on Monday. The votes will be tallied Tuesday by the National Labor Relations Board.

“There are also a lot of odds against us, but I think there’s definitely a huge possi bility we might win,” said Sar ah Chaudhry, an 18-year old who’s been organizing workers since joining the company two months ago. “I can’t jinx it.”

The face-off near the state’s capitol — one of the most unionized metro areas in the country, according to Union stats.com — marks the third time the ALU is taking on Am azon following its initial win at a Staten Island facility in April.

That victory — the first ever for an Amazon facility in the U.S. — came as a surprise even to those sympathetic to the union’s calls for a $30 hourly wage and better working con ditions for warehouse workers.

But soon enough, challeng es began to appear. A loss at a

Amazon workers and supporters march during a rally in Castle ton-On-Hudson, about 15 miles south of Albany, N.Y. The startup union clinched a historic labor victory at Amazon earlier this year.

second, nearby warehouse in May took some wind out of the union’s sail.

Fractures were exposed when some prominent organiz ers left the group.

Elsewhere, the union lost time and resources attempting to cement its lone win. Amazon has accused the ALU and the NLRB’s field office in Brooklyn of tainting the vote.

In a quest for a redo elec tion, the company filed more than two dozen objections with the agency, triggering a lengthy process that could take years to resolve.

Last month, a federal la bor official who presided over the hearings ruled against the company, which has noted it intends to appeal. During an interview last month, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy also signaled the retail giant could drag the case to federal court.

“Amazon is ready to fight this to the death,” said John Logan, the director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University. “And the problem for the Am azon Labor Union is if you only have one warehouse ... you’re never going to have enough leverage to force the company to bargain.”

The election in Albany of fers the ALU a chance to show its win isn’t a one-off, experts say. Heather Goodall, the main worker organizer in the facil ity, launched the campaign at the warehouse in May, three months after joining the com pany and a month after the Staten Island win.

Her passion for unionizing, she said, came from the death of her son, who committed sui cide six years ago while work ing for a large company.

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press

The Justice Department said Monday that Steve Ban non should serve six months in prison and pay a $200,000 fine for defying a congressio nal subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

The longtime ally of for mer President Donald Trump should serve a hefty sentence because he “pursued a badfaith strategy of defiance and contempt” and he publicly dis paraged the committee itself, undermining the effort to get to the bottom of the violent at tack and keep anything like it

from happening again, federal attorneys wrote.

He has not yet provided any documents or answered any questions, they said.

“The rioters who overran the Capitol on January 6 did not just attack a building— they assaulted the rule of law upon which this country was built and through which it en dures,” federal attorneys wrote in court documents.

“By flouting the Select Committee’s subpoena and its authority, the Defendant exac erbated that assault.”

Bannon’s defense attorneys didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

His lawyer, David Schoen, has said the case would be re versed on appeal.

from page 2

the tension to participate in ed ucational activities can be in terested in applying to Upward Bound to help in providing the best experience for high school students while they explore available resources in univer sity.“[College students] help us

with providing a safe living en vironment in a residence hall, participating in activities and guiding students through activ ities. We also have some of our classes in the afternoon and we often look for people who have a certain talent, who like to teach somebody,” Corey said.

RACHEL PHUA • Associated Press

Editorials represent the opinions of The Reporter editorial board. The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the college, university or student body.

Julia Barton Editor In Chief Emma Johnson News Director

Lilly Schmidt Variety Editor Dylan Engel Photo Editor

The importance of voting

Student loan forgiveness is one the biggest topics discussed among the student population this year. With the Biden-Harris Administration providing up to $20,000 in student loan debt relief is a huge win for anyone who has racked up loans in order to pay for higher education.

We as student should educate ourselves in the conversation on who is our elected officials and what they stand for in this year’s upcoming election on November 8. Important topics that can di rectly impact your future and the potential generations to come is something that those elected have power over.

With Roe versus Wade getting turned over earlier this year, it is clear that those we elected have the final say in what our society allows. Now more than ever it is important to vote for who you wish to have at the table when those critical decisions are being made.

Just like how you’d want the university to consult students when putting in a new facility, you’d want your voice heard and your input on what your representative stands for and makes deci sions for on your behalf.

Your voice is so important. We as students have a unique situa tion as we see what we can do when a whole generation goes to the polls. It is no doubt that the youth or young voter turnouts have major impact in mainstream elections.

Social media is one of the newer tools used to share informa tion and influences thousands about what you may need to know about. More often than you think students get their news from social media. Whether it’s from TikTok, Twitter or Snapchat, the younger generation are on their phones more frequently than any other generation.

Making sure you do your research, is another important aspect when educating yourself on who to vote for. There is a lot of “fake news” in this era as the creation of deep fakes is now something we have to bring into question when listening to a leader.

Comprehending what that candidate stands for and the issues that are at the top of their list is essential when deciding if that person is the best fit to represent you.

It is your civil right to go and vote in the United States. Democ racy is what this nation was built on so being able to cast your say in how our country operates is your right.

The voting procedures are easier than you may think. Your votes can be cast in-person on November 8, or mailed or filed on line. To find voting information and learn where you can vote visit https://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/.

Made in China: The Workplace

By JULIA BARTON Editor in Chief

As someone who will be entering the profession al workplace setting in less than a year, I have started to think about what makes me a unique candidate that stands out.

After looking over my resume and listing all of the things that I think are great points that make me a com petitive candidate, not once do I ever put down, “I’m Asain.” However, it seems to me that the first thing em ployers or colleagues see is my skin color.

As someone who is going into a line of work that is pre dominantly white, I get this comment all the time “oh you’ll get a job no problem since you’ll fill their diversity quota.”

I find this comment in teresting because as some one who received negative

comments about my race throughout my youth, I used to never associate being dif ferent as a good thing. Yet now, it seems that my race is the first thing that people see as a good thing when my re sume pops up. More often than not I see the question on applications that state “what makes you diverse?” or “how would you bring diversity to this or ganization?”

In my opinion, I think diversity goes way beyond what you look like. I’d like to base it on my experienc es, how I’ve interacted with others and how I adapt to any given environment or sit uation. The question “what makes you diverse?” should not be answered by a simple one word answer. For some one who is Asian, yet doesn’t truly identify with her own, it’s odd to make that my sole identity.

Interactions I’ve had thus

far have been eye opening in the workplace. Not only am I a woman in a high level posi tion, but I also am a woman of color.

To anyone on the outside looking in they see me as the poster child of a diverse and inclusive workplace as opposed to the last editor in chief who was a white male.

I wonder why this is, we both grew up in the same city and have almost parallel per sonalities. The only clear dif ference was our race.

My intercultural commu nication course I’m taking right now has been teaching me a lot in regards to how to interact with people from other cultures. Language barriers and different social interactions are something we practice in this course. We even go as far as to partner with someone who goes to school in Japan and get to know about their day to day

Compiled by Ajay Kasaudhan

“Who would play you in the movie of your life?”

“Eugenio Derbez.”

“Martin Lawrence.”

Agency says BTS members will serve in South Korea’s military

Letter to the editor: Young Voters should go Democratic

I am an 80-year-old man who served four years in the U.S. Navy, and I have a mas ter’s degree in education.

Some of you will remember that the Republican candidate for governor of this state urged Republican members of our State Legislature to not partici pate in a special session and to not make any compromises.

One of those items would have been to no longer tax Medicare payments, which both my wife and I would have benefitted from.

However, this letter is in tended to address the young people of this state and nation. Our nation has recently come very close to losing our democ racy (and still could).

Across the world, democra cies are at a very fragile point. (Read what Ursula von der Leyen, president of the Euro pean Commission, says about this.)

National polls indicate that when young people vote, they tend to vote Democratic. How

ever, we also know that most young members of our nation do not read newspapers.

Thus, I am asking you to cut out this letter and share it with young people, encourag ing them to get registered to vote and then encourage their friends to do the same.

No political party can give you everything you want, but your possibilities of getting some of what you desire are better with the Democrats.

What are your interests? Climate change, world affairs, mental health, race relations, gender identity, immigration, abortion and many other top ics will be better served by Democratic leadership.

Please, young people, get registered to vote. Hopefully, you will vote for Democrat ic candidates. If not Biden in 2024, what do you think about Sherrod Brown (with a possible running mate being Stacey Abrams?)

Curtis G. Ericson, Mankato

By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press

The members of K-pop band BTS will serve their mandato ry military duties under South Korean law, their manage ment company said Monday, effectively ending a debate on whether they should be granted exemptions because of their ar tistic accomplishments.

Big Hit Music said the band’s oldest member, Jin, will revoke his request to delay his conscription at the end of the month and undertake the re quired steps.

The six other BTS members also plan to serve in the mili tary and are “looking forward to reconvening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment,” the com pany said in a statement.

No further information on the timing of their service was given.

The band members per formed together in Busan over the weekend in support of the city’s EXPO bid, which will be their last concert as a group un til they finish serving in the mil itary, according to their label.

Hybe Corp., the parent company of Big Hit, said in an email to The Associated Press that each member of the band for the time being will focus on individual activities scheduled around their military service plans.

In a letter to shareholders, Hybe CEO Park Jiwon down

played financial concerns relat ed to the BTS hiatus, saying it has a broad enough lineup of artists, including other popular K-pop groups such as Le Sser afim and NewJeans and West ern performers Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande.

“We have always been aware of the eventuality of mandatory military service, and we have long been making preparations to be ready for this moment,” Park wrote.

“In the short term, individ ual activities for several of the members are planned into the first half of 2023, and we have secured content in advance, which will enable BTS to con tinue their engagement with fans for the foreseeable future.”

The announcement came after Lee Ki Sik, commission er of the Military Manpower Administration, told lawmak ers this month that it would be “desirable” for BTS members to fulfil their military duties to ensure fairness in the country’s military service.

After enlisting, Jin and other BTS members will receive five weeks of combat training be fore being assigned to specific units and duties, according to officials at the Military Man power Administration, who stressed that the singers would go under the same process as other South Korean men.

While South Korea’s mil itary for years had assigned enlisted entertainers to duties related to producing radio and

TV material promoting the military, the “entertainment soldier” system was retired in 2013 following complaints over fairness. Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup said in August that if BTS members join the military, they would likely be allowed to continue practicing and to join with the group for tours overseas.

Whether the BTS members must serve in the army had been a hotly debated issue in South Korea as Jin faced pos sible enlistment early next year. Jin turns 30 in December, the age at which men can no longer delay enlistment.

Other members are current ly between 25 and 29 years old, with Suga turning 30 in March.

Under South Korean law, most able-bodied men are required to perform 18-21 months of military service, but special exemptions had been granted for athletes and artists who excel in certain interna tional competitions that have been tied to national prestige.

The band — its other mem bers being J-Hope, RM, Jung kook, V and Jimin — launched in 2013 and has a legion of global supporters who call themselves the “Army.”

After building a huge fol lowing in Asia, BTS expanded its popularity in the West with its 2020 megahit “Dynamite,” the band’s first all-English song that made it the first K-pop act to top Billboard’s Hot 100.

from page 6

routines. This interaction alone is something that I would say brings diversity to the work place that has nothing to do

VOLUNTEER from page 1

benefit their own life, but in stead to help others.

“I don’t think that volun teering should be viewed in that lens of how can you improve yourself. It’s how you help oth ers by taking a compassionate stance,” Leskey said.

Sophomore Jake Hauser heard about MIA online after searching for a club to join and has attended every meeting so far this year. Hauser said stu

with my particular race. At the end of the day, I want to stand out because of the kind of per son I am and not what I look like on the outside.

dents should volunteer to not only meet new people, but feel grateful.

“It’s one hour a week where I can take my mind off of homework and work on volun teering. It’s a great way of giv ing back to the community and meeting new people,” Hauser said.

For students looking to get connected with MIA, students can attend weekly meetings at 4 p.m. Thursdays in CSU 238.

and create thorough proposals, which will increase their chanc es of acquiring a grant.

“It kind of depends on the proposal and what kind of

planning you need to have,” Engle said.

URC research projects give students a more hands-on ex perience with their studies as they are largely in control of

the focus and actions, as op posed to a guided classroom. The experience also offers net working opportunities with their research sponsors and at the national conference.

EVAN VUCCI • Associated Press

The members of K-pop band BTS will serve their mandatory military duties under South Korean law, their management company said Oct. 17, effectively ending a debate on exempting them because of their careers.

Injuries prove too much as Mavericks fall to No. 2 Gophers

By KOLE BUELOW Staff Writer

Another winless series is in the books for the the Mavericks women’s hockey team, but things look to be trending upward.The team has started its season 0-6-0, despite earning one point in Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) ac tion.

This past weekend was the most the Mavericks have been stretched beyond their breaking point, being out scored by 16 goals by the No. 2 University of Min nesota. Playing three teams with a 16-0-0 combined record to start the season is never easy.

The Mavericks got the worst of it this weekend. Playing without senior de fensemen Charlotte Akervik and Anna Wilgren, Minne sota State was on its back foot from the moment the puck dropped.

Minnesota State head coach John Harrington commented on the absence of his senior defensemen saying,

“We’re talking about two players, one that was one of the last cuts from the US Olympic team, and the other that both played on the collegiate USA national team against Canada this summer,” said head coach John Harrington. “They’re two of our better players.

“We’re with two fresh men and two sophomores on D and a forward playing back on D to give us another D back there. You miss them when you play teams like this and you find out how much they are missed.”

Harrington knows inju ries happen, however, and knows others need to step up in their absence.

“They have to play better and they have to play better as a group to make up for the individual skill we missed. We need to be stronger as a group and we weren’t strong enough today.”

Despite losing the first game 11-0 , the Mavericks knew they could start fresh the next day.

“We’re starting over and we have to reflect on our game: what did we learn? We always talk about how

SPORTS S

MAVERICKS SWEEP

New season, same faces as Men’s Basketball gears up

By HAYDEN LEE Staff Writer

It has been almost eight months since we last saw the Mavericks men’s bas ketball team on the court in Aberdeen, SD. The team is looking to bounce back af ter a tough playoff loss last year to the Northern State Wolves and prove why they should be taken seriously once again.

The Mavericks are re turning all but one starter from the aforementioned playoff game, and are led this year by senior center Kelby Kramer, junior guard Malik Willingham and sophomore forward Brady Williams.

Complete series win against No. 4 Bulldogs

By KARSON BUELOW Staff Writer

Freshman goaltender Alex Tracy backstopped the Minnesota State University Mankato men’s hockey team to a 6-0 win against Minne sota Duluth in his first colle giate start Friday.

On Saturday, senior for ward Sam Morton proved to be the difference-maker scor

ing the Mavericks only two goals in their 2-1 win against the Bulldogs, earning the se ries-sweep.

Friday night’s game got out to the similar slow start that Maverick fans have seen so far this season, which in cluded an early penalty that sent Duluth on the power play less than a minute into the game.

Minnesota State was able to kill off the penalty thanks to a strong effort by junior forward Ondrej Pavel, which gave them momentum.

With just over ten minutes remaining in the first period, junior forward David Silye

finished off a great passing play with a one-timer from the right dot to put the Mav ericks up 1-0 on the power play. And it didn’t take much longer for the Mavericks to get another one.

Just over five minutes lat er, junior forward Josh Groll got his second goal of the sea son off a deflected shot from Silye that went bardown past Duluth goalie Zach Stejskal for the 2-0 lead.

Late in the first peri od, Duluth forward Luke Mylymok was assessed a five minute major penalty for checking from behind

MHOCKEY on page 11 u

Dominance continues against Upper Iowa Peacocks at Blakeslee Stadium

By LUKE JACKSON Staff Writer

The Minnesota State football team remains un defeated against the Upper Iowa Peacocks after Satur day’s game. Since the Mavs started playing the Peacocks in 2004 they’ve won 16 straight.

On the Mavs’ opening drive Matt Jaeger hit a 40yard field goal at the 8:39 mark. MSU was up 3-0 and the Peacocks got the ball back. They started off lousy with offsides on the first play of their second drive.

This was followed by

FOOTBALL on page 12 u

Head coach Matthew Margenthaler is heading into his 22nd season with the team. Margenthaler has guided the Mavericks to a 436-197 record, which has earned them seven confer ence championships and 13 NCAA Tournament appear ances.

“One thing about this team so far that I have been noticing is that they are re ally unselfish,” said Mar genthaler.

With four returning starters, team chemistry and strength in numbers will be important for the team in the upcoming season.

The season officially started Saturday, which means the Mavericks have already begun practice. The team will be without last year’s leading scorer, Quincy Anderson, who transferred to the Division I Murray State Racers after starting in 42 games with the Mavericks. As a result of the change of personnel, Margenthaler said he hopes to push the tempo in transi tion a lot more this year.

“We are very versatile, we have a lot of guys that can do a lot of different things, so we want to use that to our advantage this year,” said Margentaler. “But to do that you have to be a very solid defensive team, limit the turnovers, and rebound the ball well.”

Junior forward Williams will be stepping into a big ger role and has taken it upon himself to be a leader on and off the court.

The Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Men’s Hockey team will play St. Cloud this Friday, Oct. 21 at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 6 p.m.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

The MSU Football team dominated the Upper Iowa Peacocks on Satur day with the final score 43-20.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

“I think my role this year will be to be a great leader for the younger guys. I think that if I can be someone that they can come to when they have questions, that would be my biggest role,” Williams said.

The Mavericks will also be welcoming senior guard Trevor Moore, a transfer from Morgan State Universi ty in Baltimore, who looks to step in and make an impact. Another player to watch for this season will be sopho more guard Tyrese Willing ham, brother of Malik.

“Tyrese is a guy who can do a lot of things for us, and we have a lot of players who could have great seasons this year,” Margenthaler added.

Including the season open er at home against Gustavus Adolphus College Nov. 3, the Mavericks begin the season with four of their first six games on the road, includ ing a cross country matchup against Sonoma State Univer sity in California. This could prove to be tough with the rest of the conference looking to be good competition, but the team is undeterred.

“It is going to be import ant to take it one game at a time. Trying to get out of ev ery weekend with two wins will push us closer to the main goal this year, which would be to make the NCAA tournament,” said Williams. “That’s a big priority for us.”

With a conference cham pionship and NCAA appear ance potentially in store, the Mavericks are looking to come back strong and make a statement. Margenthaler and Williams hope to lead a healthy team with high hopes and a lot to play for this year.

The Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Women’s Hockey team will play St. Thomas this Thursday, Oct. 20 at the Mayo Clinic Civic Center at 6 p.m.

you either win a game or you learn something. What did we learn from today and what can we take into the game tomorrow?”

The mindset change was evident for the team as it put up its first goals of the series. Sophomore forward Alexis Paddington got the Mavericks on the board first in game two, scoring a pow erplay goal in the remaining two minutes of the first pe riod. Paddington didn’t stop there, putting the second tally up for Minnesota State just 24 seconds into the sec

ond period. The No. 2 Go phers’ Olympic talent proved too much for the Mavericks, but two more goal tallies by forwards Sydney Shear en and Madison Mashuga helped Minnesota State walk away with four positives in a weekend of negatives.

The Mavericks now have a short five-day turnaround for their next series, where they will play the Universi ty of St. Thomas in a homeand-home series Thursday and Friday. Minnesota State swept St. Thomas last year in four contests, outscoring the Tommies 13-3.

during a puck-battle along the boards. It would take only two minutes for Minnesota State to capitalize on the pow erplay as junior defenseman Jake Livingstone tapped one in after an indirect bounce off of senior defenseman Andy Carroll’s shot.

After a successful threegoal first period for the Mav ericks, they were rewarded early in the second with an other powerplay that put the Bulldogs down by two skaters for a brief period of time.

Five seconds into the twoman advantage for the Mav ericks, senior forward Cade Borchardt fired one past Ste jskal for their fourth goal of the game.

Later in the second period, Duluth would be given a great scoring opportunity after Mankato took two penalties, resulting in a two-man advan tage for the Bulldogs.

But much to the Mavericks’ delight, they were able to suc cessfully kill off the penalty and gain much more momen tum.

With less than a minute re maining in the second period,

sophomore forward Will Hill man registered his first point of the season with a shot that just barely trickled past Ste jskal for the fifth goal of the game and second of the peri od. The Mavericks kept the

ball rolling heading into the third period forcing another powerplay early.

Morton was able to add to the Minnesota State lead with a one-timer blast from the right circle.

After a goaltending change by Duluth, the game appeared to have settled down for the majority of the period, but it wasn’t until a bit of contro versy arose late in the period.

Junior defenseman Tony Ma

linowski appeared to have ex tended the Mavericks lead to 7-0 after his shot hit the back bar inside the net.

The referee was quick to signal no-goal and explained that he believed the puck hit the crossbar and went directly out. The officials were unable to use video replay to review that goal, as they were told that replay was unavailable earlier in the period due to technical issues.

Minnesota State fans were quick to voice their displea sure as the boos rained down from the crowd, some even throwing beer cans onto the playing surface. The Maver icks went on to win the game by a final score of 6-0. Tracy earned the shutout and win in his first career collegiate start.

Borchardt commented about how the team did and how important it was to stay focused heading into Saturday. “I thought we played a com plete 60 and anytime we do that and stick to our identity we’re tough to play against,” said Borchardt.

“We respect this team a lot

The Minnesota State University, Mankato Men’s Hockey team swept the University Minnesota, Du luth Bulldogs at the Mayo Clinic Civic Center this past weekend 6-0 on Friday and 2-1 on Saturday.

Courtesy of MSU Athletics

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

The 2022-23 Men’s Basketball team is set to play their first game Thursday, Nov. 3 against Gustavus Adolphus.

BASKETBALL from



WHOCKEY from page 10

because they play a similar style to us. I know if we were in their shoes and just got beat like that, we’d come out hungry so we gotta be ready for that.”

Minnesota State start ed out strong in Saturday’s game as they drew a penal ty early and were given the man-advantage. Duluth was able to kill the penalty, but Mankato still controlled the pace of play early.

With 12 minutes left in the first, Morton got his second goal of the weekend as he went top-shelf past Stejskal for a 1-0 lead. The Mavericks were able to hold on to a 1-0 lead through the remainder of the first period.

The first five minutes of the second period saw back and forth action with both teams getting good chances.

With about 12 minutes left in the second period, Du luth appeared to have gotten their first goal of the week end, but the referee called it back due to the puck being played with a high stick.

Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin challenged the offi cials’ call on the high stick, but to no avail.

Roughly two minutes lat er, Morton got his second of the game and third of the weekend with a one-timer from the right circle that put the Mavericks up 2-0.

Early in the third period, Duluth got their third pow erplay of the game as Pavel was sent to the box for hold ing. The Bulldogs converted

on the powerplay as senior forward Luke Loheit fired a one-timer past Tracy, cutting the lead to 2-1.

The Bulldogs dominated much of the third period, but weren’t able to get anything else past Tracy.

With the Bulldogs in Mav erick territory with seconds remaining in the game, there seemed to be some confu sion with the time clock as it kept running after play was stopped.

The time was set to seven seconds and the teams were ready to battle it out one last time.

As the puck was dropped, the Mavericks were able to control and kill the remain ing time that was left.

Minnesota State defeated Minnesota Duluth in game two by a final score of 2-1 and completed the series sweep.

Minnesota State head coach Mike Hastings com mented following the game regarding his team’s efforts and playing on home ice.

“I just think that this has become a very special build ing for the fans and definitely for the players being able to go out and play in front of this group,” Hastings said. “And I just really liked the way we handled the week end.”

With their two wins last weekend against Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State im proves to 3-1 on the season. The Mavericks will be on the road against St. Cloud next weekend.

sophomore defensive end Maven Kretche forcing a strip sack which was then re covered by junior defensive tackle Blake Van Veldhuizen.

MSU had a fast exit going three-and-out after the fum ble and was forced to punt the ball away. The Peacocks yet again had another messy drive. Getting stopped quick ly once again, they opted to punt the ball away.

During the punt, MSU blocked it and tried to scoop it up but it went out the side line of the endzone resulting in a safety.

This made the game 5-0 with 1:45 left in the first and MSU was getting the ball back following the safety. Upper Iowa special teams continued a bad stretch and the Mavs got the ball on their 43-yard line.

Following this, senior Eric Grant had a 22-yard recep tion setting up Nyles Wil liams for an easy nine-yard rush into the endzone.

Five seconds remained in the first quarter and the Mavericks already made their dominating presence known with a score of 12-0.

The Peacock’s offense finally started making plays happen and Isaiah Gray had his sec ond reception of the game which was a 20-yard touch down making the score 12-7.

Next, MSU’s sophomore quarterback 15 Hayden Ekern rolled down the field having two huge rushes. He first scrambled for 17 yards and later ran for a nine-yard rushing touchdown.

The score was set at 19-7 with 5:41 left in the second. At the 1:07 mark Shen But ler-Lawson had a 17-yard rush tallying the score at 267. Then the Peacocks muffed the kick return and the Mavs recovered it.

This resulted in Ekern hav ing one more rushing touch down for 13-yards.

“Hayden had a big game, not only in the first quarter but in the second quarter. Scoring touchdowns and putting a lot of points on the board,” head coach Todd Hoffner said.

“Hayden’s doing a phe nomenal job whether it’s working our run game or getting us into the right plays and protection.

One of the things I thought he did really well was work ing his way through his pro gression and if things weren’t there just running the ball and getting us into crucial first downs in some thirddown situations.”

MSU received the ball after the break. With the first play of the second half, Lawson found a gap wide open result ing in a 75-yard touchdown.

This was ultimately the nail in the coffin. Both teams were able to find the endzone a couple of more times but because of the lopsided game, it didn’t matter. The Mavs ultimately came out on top with a score of 43-20.

Ekern’s first game back off of an injury was last week and they had a good first game back at Blakeslee Stadi um. Ekern split snaps in Sat urday’s win with freshman quarterback Camden Dean.

Both played very well. Ekern went 7-11 in the air and had a strong 76 rushing yards while Dean went 10-13 in the air for 103 yards and 43 yards on the ground. It is evident Ekern had a substan tial role in the win today and the team can look forward to having him back.

Dean was also very prom ising and fans can be optimis tic for his future as a Maver ick, whether it is playing a split role with Ekern or one day finding the starting spot.

The Mavericks took charge of this game and they hope to bring the momentum with them as they have two away games in Sioux Falls, first against Augustana and second against Sioux Falls.

These games are crucial towards the post-season and they hope to carry over this game’s dominance into the next.

The Mavericks who are 5-2 currently are set to play Augustana this weekend in S.D.

Music in ‘Kato blossoms for those who listen

Theatre Department debuts ‘Richard III’

By LAUREN VISKA Staff Writer

Get ready for swords and action as the Minnesota State University, Mankato The atre Program debuts William Shakespeare’s ‘Richard III’ on Oct. 20. This play is full of fight scenes and old, Shake spearean language.

Richard of Gloucester, who is envious and unwell, wants to rule England and thus em ploys trickery and manipula tion to get there. To become King Richard III, he kills his siblings, nephews, and any body who stands in his way.

Dr. Heather Hamilton is the director of this play and is excited for students to see it. She thinks of this play as a warning to people.

By LILLY SCHMIDT Variety Co-editor

brought their sound to Manka to Saturday, Oct. 15. The band played at Hooligans, under the support of Minnesota State Uni versity, Mankato Performance Series and the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

two band members. He said, “Me and my brother started the band about 10 years ago and we’ve been playing in the Min neapolis [and] St. Paul area.”

Burkum described their mu sic as, “Kind of old country and rock and roll influenced; a lot of the same music that maybe the

“Jack has written a lot of our songs, I’ve written some on my own, and then we’ve written some together,” said Burkum.

Quinn said, “If you’re look ing for some good music that you can chill and relax to while still grooving, then I would say

that they’re definitely a good band at checkout. I think all of

This sound has allowed The Cactus Blossoms to travel across the country, and even abroad to Europe and Australia. However, they still love coming back to

“Well, we love this area. We have a lot of old friends in the night, I’ve already met several folks that haven’t seen [us] for a long time, so it’s good coming out here.”

Even if students missed the

Mankato artist Raya Watts goes from Miami to 410 Gallery

By JOEY ERICKSON Variety Co-editor

The 410 Gallery is hosting another local artist’s paintings this month, with a collection called “Tweety and The Toque” by artist Raya Watts. Watts hopped off the plane at Min neapolis-Saint Paul (MSP) with a dream and her yellow tartan plaid overcoat two years ago.

Contrasted to Miley Cyrus’s lyrics, however, Watts moved to Mankato for a relationship. But when the relationship began to flounder, and Cyrus’s melod ic questions of “Am I gonna fit in?” began to hit too close to home, Watts decided to pick up the paintbrush and paint her feelings onto a canvas.

Dark times require bright colors; coping is what got Watts into creating art.

“I had really struggling teen age years… I really wanted to just transmute my feelings into

something beautiful. It’s also good for manifesting positive emotions,” Watts said.

The currently running 410 Gallery showing is inspired by the passing of Watts’ mother. According to Watts, she used the exhibition and the paintings inside them as a way to grow closer to her.

“My mother passed away in 2016, and she really liked Tweety. I didn’t really know her too well so that’s kind of our connection, Tweety Bird,” Watts said. Many of Watts’ other works, aside from her inner workings, are about fem ininity and embracing its divin ity, something that she thinks is looked down upon by the gener al public.

“[My art is] whatever I’m feeling. I also have pretty vivid dreams that I get lots of inspira tion from. I really like the divine

“It’s a warning to make sure that since we have the luxury of getting to choose our leaders, we better choose them carefully and make sure we’re not choosing peo ple who think that facts are optional or that government exists to serve the self,” said Hamilton. “We have this amazing luxury of democra cy, which is a warning about what happens if we don’t take it seriously.”

The play falls ironically close to an important voting season.

Hamilton has wanted to put on this show for a while because of her passion for Shakespearean literature.

“I love all things Shake speare, and this history is so juicy,” said Hamilton. “The TV show ‘Game of Thrones’ is based on this family line, so attaching that dynasty is way more horrible than anything in the book.”

The show’s lead, Grey Robertson, is doing this play for his thesis as a third-year student aiming for his Master of Fine Arts in Theatre degree. But that is not his main reason for doing this show; he likes the challenge of this role and the message the play sends to the audience.

“The message of this play, which I think is just so strong for right now in our world, [is that] there seems to be a running [of] strong men po litical figures. [In] Italy, and here in America, and every where, is this essence for it,” said Robertson. “Strong men characters always come up when things are hard, and they give easy answers. So I think it’s just a really good

DYLAN LONG • The Reporter

The Burkum Brothers have been performing under the band name ‘Cactus Blossoms’ for over a decade now, gaining nationwide notoriety both on and off campus.

JOEY ERICKSON • The Reporter

Raya Watts, originally a Florida native, moved to Mankato two years ago, and much prefers the art scene here in Minnesota.

New Zealand arts funder rejects Shakespeare

By NICK PERRY Associated Press

Is Shakespeare still relevant to today’s students?

New Zealand’s arts council appears to have its doubts after ending funding for a popular school Shakespeare program, arguing it relied too heavily on busy schools, failed to show relevance to “the contempo rary art context” and relied on a genre “located within a can on of imperialism.”

But many have taken issue with the decision by Creative New Zealand, including Jacin da Ardern, the nation’s prime minister — and former student thespian.

“I was a participant in Shakespeare in Schools. I thought it was a great pro gram,” Ardern said.

She said students interested in drama and debate have lim ited opportunities to interact with peers from other schools.

“I was one of those kids. And so I would like to contin ue to see other kids have those opportunities,” she said.

Ardern added that the funding decision wasn’t up to her, or even to the govern ment. Creative New Zealand is funded by taxpayers but is

run independently. The school programs, workshops and festivals have been run for about 30 years by the Shake speare Globe Centre New Zealand. Students can act, di rect make costumes or create a soundtrack. Often the plays are set in contemporary times or have different takes on the originals written by William Shakespeare more than 400 years ago.

The center has been receiv ing about 30,000 New Zea land dollars ($17,000) each year from the arts council, about 10% of its overall bud get.

Dawn Sanders, the center’s chief executive, said the initial rejection last month, which remained in place after a crisis meeting Friday, blindsided her.

“I was gobsmacked and dis gusted,” she said.

She said more than 120,000 students had been involved in the festivals and programs over the years, and many became professionals in theater or film.

Others, she said, had used their acting skills in their jobs, for instance lawyers who were better able to argue their cas es or doctors who developed a more engaging bedside man ner.

statement on that and a great statement against tyranny and despotism.”

Robertson also had to learn how to fight with a sword.

“It was intimidating at first because the play is so big, and you have so much to it – in the history and all these things, and then the language. And then it’s like, ‘there’s gonna be this huge battle scene’,” said Robertson. “I was underwater at that time, and then you start doing it, and things start to come together.”

Cadence Smith, a sec ond-year theatre major, plays the Duchess of York and Henry

 CONCERT from page 13 concert, The Cactus Blossoms’ music is still worth checking out. The band has three albums out for listening; their newest

of Richmond. She likes playing both characters as it is the best of both worlds.

“I think the Duchess is very fun. I feel like I’ve got the best of both worlds because I get to kind of have the fun dress, and I get to play this regal mother,” said Smith. “Then I also get to have a sword because Henry Richmond is the big bad guy kind of the good guy, I guess. He stabs people with swords.”

She encourages students to come to see the show.

“I think it’s great for the spooky season, Halloween sea son; spooky stuff going on,”

titled, “One Day.”

“I would say there’s some thing for everybody out there. If you happen to check out our music, maybe you’ll find that it

said Smith. “If people haven’t seen Shakespeare before, I feel this is a great introduction.”

‘Richard III’ runs Oct. 2022 and 26-29 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 23, 29, and 30 at 2 p.m. in the Andreas Theatre at the Ear ley Center for Performing Arts. Tickets are $17 regular, $15 for seniors ages 65 and older, and children under 16. For MSU students, tickets will be $5.

Students can find more in formation about tickets and other upcoming shows on the MSU website, so they do not miss out on the Shakespeare takeover.

resonates with you,” Burkum said. “We feel very fortunate that there are quite a few peo ple who’ve told us that our mu sic means something to them.”

feminine, sexual expression and such, things that are kind of ‘frowned upon’ in society,” Watts said.

While her paintings are in spired by her own thoughts, she leaves the paintings up to the interpretation of each respective viewer. To her, the painting has a different mean ing and takeaway for anyone that lays their eyes upon it.

“Every one has a different message. They’re kind of all over the place. It’s not one co hesive statement; they’re each kind of unique. It’s more inter pretive, I’d say,” Watts said.

This is Watts’ first official art exhibition. She’s had minia ture showcases here and there around town, but for her, the 410 Gallery choosing to ex

hibit her paintings makes her hopeful for her future as an artist.

“I was at ARTrageous Mankato, and I did a little popup thing there. [This is] my first time having an exhibi tion there at the 410. And next month, November, it’ll be at the Coffee Hag, so that’s excit ing,” Watts said.

Watts plans on staying in Mankato for a bit because she’s really found her place, her people and her passion.

“I’ve been here two years since, and I’ve found my crew, my people. I really would love to paint a mural eventually. I’m happy to be here in Mankato, I feel like the community is real ly good for art.”

The show is open for view ing until Oct. 22.

RICK RYCROFT • Associated Press

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during a press conference in Sydney, Australia. New Zealand’s arts council has decided to stop funding an organization that hosts Shakespeare festivals.

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

‘Richard III’ isn’t MSU’s first time putting on a Shakespearean play. And based on past audience turnout rates and the fun the cast had, it probably won’t be the last.

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THEATRE from

Can the Rock steady the DC universe with ‘Black Adam’?

Activists in court after soup thrown at Van Gogh picture

By JAKE COYLE Associated Press

In Hollywood’s superhe ro era thus far, there has been one particularly conspicuous absence: While a parade of bigname actors have taken their turns donning various span dex suits, Dwayne Johnson — arguably the biggest movie star in the world — has, until now, sat out the trend.

The Rock didn’t really need a cape to prove his powers. The 6-foot-5 260-pound actor was, in many respects, already a superhero in his own right: a skyscraper-climbing hulk, a shape-shifting demi-god, even a bulked-up tooth fairy.

“I was always ready and open to playing a superhero,” Johnson said in a recent inter view. “But it had to be right and it had to feel right. I had been approached before in the past about playing a few super heroes that, ultimately, I ended up passing on. They ended up going to the right actors to play them. I just waited.”

The fates have finally aligned in “Black Adam,” a debut so seamless that it could be called redundant. When Johnson was first trying on Black Adam’s suit, he had the muscle padding removed.

Johnson’s entry to the su perhero business comes at a crucial juncture for the DC Extended Universe, which has been plagued of late by scandal and misfires. Ezra Miller, star of the upcoming “The Flash,” has been arrested twice this year amid reports of troubling behavior (in August, Miller sought treatment for what he described as mental health is sues ). “Batgirl,” a $90 million movie completed for HBO Max, was summarily axed, prompting an outcry over its

atypical cancellation.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has prom ised a “reset” to the studio’s DC operations in an overhaul to implement a more Marvel-like 10-year structure and improve quality. At the fulcrum of these two eras sits “Black Adam,” which opens in theaters Thurs day.

Amid such turmoil, it cer tainly doesn’t hurt to be wel coming in a movie star as pop ular as Johnson, who has 341 million followers on Instagram and is often forced to deflect questions about a possible pres idential run.

But just how much stability can The Rock bring to DC?

“I think the timing is actu ally perfect. What an opportu nity we have,” Johnson said.

“I have been saying for almost years now that the hierarchy of power in the DC universe is about to change.”

Before Johnson, not many saw Black Adam as such an axis-tilting force. The charac ter, an ancient Egyptian created by Otto Binder and C.C. Beck, first appeared in a 1945 issue of Fawcett Comics’ “In DC Com ics” and has generally been portrayed as a supervillain and foe to Captain Marvel (not the Brie Larson one).

More recent treatments have pushed Black Adam more toward antihero status, something the film, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (“Jungle Cruise”), extends. Black Adam, summoned to modern day, is depicted

In one telling scene, Black Adam stops for a moment to watch a television with Clint Eastwood as the Man With No Name — an antihero model for Black Adam.

“He has been my inspiration from day one. My favorite ac

tor and certainly one of my fa vorite directors,” Johnson said. “I’m happy to call Clint a bud dy. That was my way of paying homage to him.”

How Black Adam would be introduced to movie audiences wasn’t always clear. Initially, Captain Marvel, also known as Shazam, and Black Adam were to debut in a movie together.

After the scripting stage, Johnson and others felt the combined launch did a disser vice to Black Adam.

“We did have a template for a really good idea, but ultimate ly both characters required so much space to properly launch them,” said producer Hiram Garcia.

“We were just struggling in terms of bandwidth that the script could hold and in terms of tone, as well. Inherently, as you saw with how the ‘Shazam’ movie came out, that movie is just so differently tonally from how ‘Black Adam’ is.”

“Shazam!” starring Zachary Levi, was a goofy, well-received body-swap hit, grossing $366 million worldwide in 2019 (a sequel is due out in March). The ambitions for “Black Adam” are larger.

The film, made with a bud get roughly twice that of “Shaz am!” also introduces the Justice Society of America, a superhe ro team of Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) and Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell).

“I always felt like it was a matter of convincing our studio partners to try to look beyond the Justice League,” Johnson said.

“I love the Justice League. But when you look past them, you open up the DC bible. There are so many cool charac ters you can tap into.

By SYLVIA HUI Associated Press

Three climate activists ap peared in a London court on Saturday on charges of crim inal damage after protests in cluding throwing soup over Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflow ers” painting in the National Gallery. Two women, age 20

and 21, were charged in re lation to the soup-throwing protest on Friday, while a third was charged over paint sprayed on a rotating sign at the Met ropolitan Police’s headquarters in central London. The three women pleaded not guilty to criminal damage at Westmin ster Magistrates’ Court during two brief hearings Saturday.

EVAN AGOSTINI • Associated Press

Just Stop Oil via AP

Pierce Brosnan, left, Noah Centineo, Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge and Quintessa Swindell attend the world premiere of “Black Adam” in Times Square on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022, in New York.

Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of two protesters who have thrown tinned soup at Vincent Van Gogh’s famous 1888 work Sun flowers at the National Gallery in London, Friday Oct. 14, 2022.