October 21, 2021 by MSU Reporter

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Campus resources ready to battle food insecurity News Director

Food insecurity is a fact of life for students on many college campuses, and Minnesota State University is no different. If you need food, there are resources on campus to help. One such resource is the Maverick Food Pantry, which opened last winter in Carkoski Commons. Carlo Meyer, the GA at the Maverick Food Pantry, explained what

the process looks like for students to receive food. “We give food to students once a week. They can order online and we have all of our inventory online. We have non-perishable goods, perishable goods, meat, eggs, and milk, stuff like that. They [the students] can just order online if they come to the pantry and sign up,” Meyer stated. Besides food, the pantry has toiletry and personal care items FOOD on page 3 u

By MAX MAYLEBEN Editor in Chief File photo

By JENNA PETERSON

Students United advocates for the students of MinnState

The Maverick Food Pantry is open three times a week.

HOUND HUGS

MNSU students pet a therapy dog at the Hound Hugs & Kanine Kisses event in the Centennial Student Union Wednesday evening. Volunteers with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs bring lovable dogs every third Wednesday of the month to help relieve the stress of students. Photo by MADDIE BEHERENS • The Reporter

Robilotta headlines U-Lead Conference at MNSU By CLAIRE BRUNEAU Staff Writer This year’s 8th annual U-Lead Conference at Minnesota State University, Mankato featured James Robilotta,

a professional speaker whose goal for the night was making personal, professional and leadership development skills available for all students in attendance. Robilotta introduced the

audience to the importance of leading imperfectly. He said the value of leaders being authentic makes all the difference. His main points for the night involved authentic leadership. “We as humans can’t learn things from people that are perfect, we can only learn things from people that are imperfect,” he said, moving on to ask the question, “So,

how do we lead through our slip ups, our struggles, our own stories?” People need to own who they are before they can be real with other people, he said. Later in this session, Robilotta had people work on their teamwork and communication skills. In his words “Everyone here deserves to feel seen, U-LEAD on page 3 u

While the Minnesota State University, Mankato Student Government advocates for the student voice at the campus level, the non-profit organization, Students United is the official voice for Minnesota State University students within the system at the local, state, and national level. The people that are represented by the organization are students who attend Minnesota’s seven state universities including Bemidji State University, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Metro State (St. Paul/ Minneapolis), Minnesota State University-Moorhead, St. Cloud State University, Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall and Winona State University. This past April, MNSU students Emma Zellmer and Arnavee Maltare were chosen as the state and vice state chair respectively of the organization. This is a rare occurrence, as both positions are typically filled by students of different universities. Each year, Students United puts out a list of priorities that they aim to address from year to year. This year’s priorities were released in mid-October, with the organization aiming to address several problems faced by students within the system. One of the main focuses is the goal of achieving “Equity 2030”, an initiative created to reach equity within the MinnState system by the end of the decade. To help reach Equity 2030, Students United has decided this year to include Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, or “JEDI” for short. “We plan to do multiple things around Equity and inclusion that would be through students and with the students,” said Maltare, expressing her excitement UNITED on page 3 u

2 • MSU Reporter

News

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Cruz pleads guilty to 2018 Parkland school massacre ASSOCIATED PRESS Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty Wednesday to murdering 17 people during a rampage at his former high school in Parkland, Florida, leaving a jury to decide whether he will be executed for one of the nation’s deadliest school shootings. Relatives of the victims who sat in the courtroom and watched the hearing via Zoom broke down in tears and held hands across families as Cruz entered his pleas and later apologized for his crimes. “Today we saw a cold and calculating killer confess to the murder of my daughter Gina and 16 other innocent victims at their school,” said Tony Montalto. His daughter was 14 and sitting outside her classroom when Cruz shot her at close range numerous times. “His guilty pleas are the first step in the judicial process but there is no change for my family. Our bright, beautiful, and beloved daughter Gina is gone while her killer still enjoys the blessing of life in prison.” The guilty pleas will set the stage for a penalty trial in which 12 jurors will determine whether Cruz, 23, should be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole. Given the case’s notoriety, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer plans to screen thousands of prospective jurors. Jury selection is scheduled to begin on Jan. 4. Cruz entered his pleas after

AMY BETH BENNETT • South Florida Sun Sentinel via Associated Press Gena Hoyer, right, hugs Debbi Hixon during a court recess following Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz’s guilty plea on all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

answering a long list of questions from Scherer aimed at confirming his mental competency. He was charged with 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted first-degree murder for those wounded in the Feb. 14, 2018, attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, located just outside Fort Lauderdale. As several parents shook their heads, Cruz apologized, saying, “I’m very sorry for what I did. ... I can’t live with

myself sometimes.” He also added that he wished it was up to the survivors to determine whether he lived or died. Parents scoffed at Cruz’s statement as they left the courtroom, saying it seemed self-serving and aimed at eliciting unearned sympathy. Gena Hoyer, whose 15-yearold son Luke died in the shooting, saw it as part of a defense strategy “to keep a violent, evil person off death row.” She said her son was “a

sweet young man who had a life ahead of him and the person you saw in there today chose to take his life. He does not deserve life in prison.” Anthony Borges, a former Stoneman Douglas student who was shot five times and severely wounded, told reporters after the hearing that he accepted Cruz’s apology, but noted that it was not up to him to decide the confessed murderer’s fate. “He made a decision to shoot the school,” Borges

said. “I am not God to make the decision to kill him or not. That’s not my decision. My decision is to be a better person and to change the world for every kid. I don’t want this to happen to anybody again. It hurts. It hurts. It really hurts. So, I am just going to keep going. That’s it.” Cruz’s attorneys announced his intention to plead guilty during a hearing last week. Following the pleas Wednesday, former Broward State Attorney Mike Satz recounted the details of the murders. Cruz killed 14 students and three staff members on Valentine’s Day 2018 during a seven-minute rampage through a three-story building at Stoneman Douglas, investigators said. They said he shot victims in the hallways and in classrooms with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, sometimes returning to the wounded to kill them with additional shots. Cruz had been expelled from Stoneman Douglas a year earlier after a history of threatening, frightening, unusual and sometimes violent behavior that dated back to preschool. After Satz finished, the judge had to compose herself before she began speaking again, her voice breaking. The shootings caused some Stoneman Douglas students to launch the March for Our Lives movement, which pushes for stronger gun restrictions nationally.

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News UNITED Continued from page 1

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FOOD Continued from page 1 available for students to grab. The pantry relies on donations from various sources. “We have a number of people who donate to us,” he said. “Cub gives us a lot of food and Second Harvest also gives us a lot.” Meyers said more students on campus has resulted in a large increase in demand. “It was around 30 (students) a week to start and we’re doing around 300 a week now,” he said. “We’re hoping to expand to 600 a week in the next couple of months.” Meyers said he and other volunteers hope to end the stigma around not only the Maverick Food Pantry, but food pantries in general. “I just want to make sure the stigma isn’t there about coming,” he said. “I want every student to be aware that they can do it. There’s no income requirement or anything to come in.” The Maverick Food Pantry is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. A second option for students to look at is the Campus Cupboard, located in the Lutheran Campus Ministry-Crossroads by the Performing Arts Center. Campus Cupboard Coordinator Becky Mink said their pantry differs from others. “(Here) you don’t place an order and then pick it up; we let you shop yourself,” she said. “It’s a little more dignified for the clients. They get to choose exactly what they want.” With the influx in students living on campus and attending in-person classes again, the cupboard is seeing more students walk through the doors. “Last year at this time we were serving 138 students. This year we are serving 310 students,” she said. “We were concerned that not enough students were taking use of the food shelf, so I went to the community events fair in the beginning of the semester

and it took off from there. Once kids learned about us they started telling other people.” In addition to food, Campus Cupboard has offered cooking classes in the past to help show students what kinds of meals they can make out of the items they pick out. This allows students to not only learn how to cook, but also to utilize what they have in front of them to make a balanced meal. For students looking to get an extra meal during the week at the campus Dining Hall, the Swipe Out Hunger program is perfect. This program started last fall and was created to be a shortterm solution for students. Karen Anderson, Assistant Director for Community Engagement for MNSU, is one of the members behind the creation of this program, along with some students. “Our student body Vice President Kara Svercl was very interested in this program, and this was her Senator project,” Anderson commented. “During that time she did the research for it and she worked with Swipe Out Hunger on the national level, she worked with Sodexo here locally, she worked with me,” she said. “She thought it was a logical next step for us to be working on this. We were already working on food insecurity in general with Campus Kitchen, so this was the next step.” This program, although new, is gaining traction and acknowledgment from students. “So far, we received a pool of 4,075 and we have 2,689 (swipes) remaining to distribute for the year. I think last year we launched it and people were a little scared of signing up and then suddenly the word got out amongst their friends that they were getting swipes,” Anderson noted. Each of these food pantries encourages students to stop by and grab any items they may need throughout the year and are working towards ending the stigma around food shelters.

to address the issue, “really focus on them.” The organization is utilizing new tools in order to find out how best they can advocate for students in this area. “Students United is trying to collect data that will be really helpful for them and useful for them to come up with more options and ideas to do something around campus,” said Maltare. Another priority that the vice chair is excited to tackle is sexual misconduct. “I think a lot of people don’t open up if they have been a victim or a survivor of something like this, and

U-LEAD Continued from page 1 heard and respected.” When talking one on one, Robilotta addressed students struggling with self confidence. “I think we need to be very careful on who we let write our story,” he said. “You need to know that you are the one that holds the pen to write your story to your own life. But, oftentimes and especially for someone who struggles with self confidence issues, they can tend to let other people write their story for them. They let other people tell them what they should do or could do. Seeing what other people look like and thinking that’s what I

MSU Reporter • 3 these cases don’t come up,” said Maltare voicing her concerns on the matter. According to the Students United website, they seek to work at the federal level to push for reforms in Title IX to align with their values, such as an affirmative consent (yes means yes) standard. Zellmer and Maltare will be doing campus visits to all of the colleges and universities within the system in order to get a holistic view of who they are representing. “We go to student governments because the student body president is our board member,” said Zellmer, “however, this year I am really making an effort

to reach out to all students.” Zellmer is looking forward to gaining a wide perspective on the campuses. “I am really looking personally to see what the student experience is like at these different universities,” said Zellmer “my experience at Mankato, the largest university is going to be much different than the smallest university.” Students United will be hosting a virtual advocacy conference Nov. 20. This event will include speakers and workshops focused on advocacy. Any student who is interested in this event can register at the Students United website.

should look like.” Robilotta finished up his speech talking about how to help fix this problem, whether it be for ourselves or for other people. “I think we need to catch ourselves and others when we see each other spiral, and put ourselves into shame holes,” he said. “We need to give ourselves advice that we often give to others, which is that they are deserving. That they are deserving of love, and respect, and time, and grace. What would happen if we started saying that to ourselves?” Clare Kasten, a senior studying RPLS resource management, said she attended having high hopes for the conference.

“I watched a video of him speaking before, so I was very excited to listen to him,” stated Kasten, going on to explain her excitement for the speaker’s attendance, “he’s very engaging and he’s got lots of good ideas and good things to say,” Casten stated. Anna Thevenot, a senior studying mass media, noting her prior history listening to Robliotta’s wife, said, “I’ve seen his wife speak on multiple occasions within the last four years and I think she is amazing. She always talks about him, so of course, loving her work, I wanted to see him speak as well. If he were to come back I would 100% come back without a doubt. I got more out of this hour than I have all year.”

4 • MSU Reporter

News

Efforts drag on to free 17 missionaries kidnapped in Haiti

JOSEPH ODELYN • Associated Press People protest for the release of kidnapped missionaries near the missionaries’ headquarters in Titanyen, north of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Efforts to win the return of 17 members of a U.S.based missionary group and a local driver stretched into a fourth day Wednesday, with a violent gang demanding $1 million ransom per person. The group seized includes five children aged from 8 months to 15 years, although authorities were not clear whether the ransom demand included them, a top Haitian official said Tuesday. Sixteen of the abductees are Americans and one Canadian. The Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries said it would hold a day of fasting and prayer for its missionaries Thursday. “We, along with government authorities, continue to work hard to bring them home safely,” the group said. “This time of difficulty reminds us of the ongoing suffering of millions of Haitians. While our workers chose to serve in Haiti, our Haitian friends endure crisis after crisis, continual violence, and economic hardship.” The FBI and other U.S. agencies were “part of a coordinated U.S. government effort” to free the missionaries, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday, though officials from Haiti, the U.S. and the church group involved were silent about sensitive details. A wave of kidnappings has added to the other miseries besetting the Caribbean nation. At least 119 people were kidnapped in Haiti for the first half of October, according to the Center of Analysis and Research of Human Rights, a local nonprofit group. It said that in addition to the 17 members of the missionary group, a Haitian

driver was abducted along with them, bringing the total to 18. The Haitian official, who was not authorized to speak to the press, told The Associated Press that someone from the 400 Mawozo gang made the ransom demand Saturday in a call to a leader of the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries shortly after the abduction. “This group of workers has been committed to minister throughout poverty-stricken Haiti,” the Ohio group said Tuesday, adding that the missionaries worked most recently on a project to help rebuild homes lost in a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck southwestern Haiti on Aug. 14. The group was returning from visiting an orphanage when it was abducted, the organization said. The rash of kidnappings led to a strike Monday that shuttered businesses, schools and public transportation — a new blow to Haiti’s anemic economy. Life was largely back to normal on Wednesday, but unions and other groups vowed to organize another strike next week, and sporadic protests erupted Wednesday in Port-au-Prince over the lack of fuel, with gangs blamed for blocking gas distribution terminals. Dozens of moto taxi drivers zoomed around one Delmas neighborhood, setting barricades of tires on fire and throwing rocks across roads to block them. “We want gas for work! If we don’t find gas, we’re going to shut down the country completely!” they yelled. “(Prime Minister) Ariel Henry, if he cannot run the country, he must go!” Similar protests erupted the day before.

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Health problems tied to global warming ASSOCIATED PRESS Health problems tied to climate change are all getting worse, according to two reports published Wednesday. The annual reports commissioned by the medical journal Lancet tracked 44 global health indicators connected to climate change, including heat deaths, infectious diseases and hunger. All of them are getting grimmer, said Lancet Countdown project research director Marina Romanello, a biochemist. “Rising temperatures are having consequences,” said University of Washington environmental health professor Kristie Ebi, a report co-author. This year’s reports — one global, one just aimed at the United State s — called “code red for a healthy future,” highlight dangerous trends: — Vulnerable populations were subject to more time with dangerous heat last year. For people over 65, the researchers calculated there were 3 billion more “person-day” exposures to extreme heat than the average from 1986 to 2005. — More people were in places where climate-sensitive diseases can flourish. Coastline areas warm enough for the nasty Vibrio bacteria increased in the Baltics, the U.S. Northeast and the Pacific Northwest in the past decade. In some poorer nations, the season for malar-

TONY AVELAR • Associated Press In this Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020 file photo, a jogger runs along McCovey Cove outside Oracle Park in San Francisco, under darkened skies from wildfire smoke.

ia-spreading mosquitoes has expanded since the 1950s. — In 2019, air pollution from small particles killed about 3.3 million people worldwide and about onethird of that came from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas, which is also responsible for climate change. “Code Red is not even a hot enough color for this report, ” said Stanford University tropical medicine professor Dr. Michele Barry, who wasn’t part of the study team. Compared to the last Lancet report, “this one is the sobering realization that we’re going completely in the wrong direction.” In the U.S., heat, fire and drought caused the biggest problems. An unprecedented Pacific Northwest and Canadian heat wave hit this sum-

mer, which a previous study showed couldn’t have happened without human-caused climate change. Study co-author Dr. Jeremy Hess, a professor of environmental health and emergency medicine at the University of Washington, said he witnessed the impacts of climate change while working at Seattle emergency rooms during the heat. “I saw paramedics who had burns on their knees from kneeling down to care for patients with heat stroke,” he said. “”And I saw far too many patients die” from the heat. Another ER doctor in Boston said science is now showing what she has seen for years, citing asthma from worsening allergies as one example.

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Thursday, October 21, 2021

News

Bus bombs kill 14 in Syria capital; shells elsewhere kill 10

SANA via AP In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian security officers gather around a burned bus at the site of a deadly explosion, in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Two bombs attached to a bus carrying Syrian troops exploded in Damascus during the morning rush hour Wednesday, a military official said. Fourteen people were killed in the attack, one of the deadliest in the capital in years. While the Syrian government’s decade-long conflict with insurgents continues in parts of the country, including the rebel-held northwest, bombings in Damascus have become exceedingly rare since President Bashar Assad’s troops pushed opposition fighters from the capital’s suburbs in 2018. Shortly after the Damascus bombings, government shells landed in a rebel-held town in northern Syria, killing at least 10 people, four of them children. The attack, part of the government campaign to regain control of areas still in opposition hands, was the worst violence in the region since a truce in March last year was negotiated by Turkey and Russia, allies of the opposition and Syrian government, respectively. The bloody day in Syria shook a relative calm that had taken hold in the war-torn country in recent months. While the conflict remains unresolved, a decade later, military activities have subsided. Forces of President Bashar Assad now control much of Syria after military support from allies Russia and Iran helped tip the balance of power in his favor. U.S. and Turkish troops, meanwhile, are deployed in parts of the country’s north. The explosions in Damascus, which also left several wounded, happened at a busy intersection near a main bus transfer point where

commuters and schoolchildren typically converge. After the blasts, Syrian state TV showed footage of smoke rising from a charred bus as soldiers hosed down the vehicle and onlookers flocked to a nearby bridge to watch. A little known group calling itself the Qasioun Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the bombs were attached under the bus. It added in a short statement posted on social media that attacks in government-held areas will continue in retaliation for “massacres committed against our people in the liberated north.” In rebel-held northwest Syria, rescue workers reported 10 people were killed, including four children and a woman, in government shelling of a town in the last rebel enclave in the country’s northwest. U.N. Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator Mark Cutts described as “shocking” the reports of the shelling that hit a market and roads near schools as students were heading to classes. Besides the four children killed, their teacher also died, according to UNICEF, the U.N. children’s agency. “Today’s violence is yet another reminder that the war in Syria has not come to an end. Civilians, among them many children, keep bearing the brunt of a brutal decade-long conflict,” the agency said. The attack was one of the most violent since the 2020 truce in the northwest, which has been repeatedly violated. Government forces often vow to take territories still out of their control. In recent years, attacks in Damascus such as Wednesday’s have been rare. One of the last major explosions to take place was in 2017.

MSU Reporter • 5

Official wrongly fired in Flint water scandal ASSOCIATED PRESS The only Michigan official fired in the Flint water catastrophe likely was a “public scapegoat” who lost her job because of politics, an arbitrator said in ordering $191,880 in back pay and other compensation. It’s a remarkable victory for Liane Shekter Smith, who served as head of the state’s drinking water office when Flint’s water system was contaminated with lead. She was removed and then fired in 2016 and subsequently faced criminal charges in one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history. Shekter Smith was dismissed while engineers in her department — the “boots on the ground” in Flint — were suspended with pay before ultimately returning to work, the arbitrator said in a 22-page report obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press. Sheldon Stark said the state had failed to offer enough evidence to justify the firing of Shekter Smith, who had an “exemplary” record in government. The arbitrator noted that Keith Creagh, director of the Department of Environmental Quality, fired Shekter Smith without even speaking to her about Flint or waiting for a state police investigation that exonerated her. “No one ever asked (Shekter Smith) for her story,”

JAKE MAY • The Flint Journal via AP In this Feb. 5, 2018, file photo, defendant Liane Shekter Smith listens during a preliminary examination in the cases of four defendants, all former or current officials from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, in Flint, Mich.

Stark said. “Politics and the need for a public scapegoat helps explain why Shekter Smith might have been terminated when so many others who were directly involved and actually did make” decisions in Flint were not fired, Stark said in his September report. He ordered $166,053 in lost wages before a likely spring 2017 retirement and $25,827 in 401(k) retirement compensation. The state agency, which now is known as the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, declined to comment on the arbitrator’s decision but said an appeal was being considered. A message seeking comment was left for Shekter Smith’s attorney.

“I’m dumbfounded. She was their boss,” said LeeAnne Walters, a Flint resident who is credited with exposing the lead contamination. “The system just spit in the face of every resident who died or was harmed. She should not be compensated for harming people.” Walters took her concerns to Shekter Smith in 2015 but felt “an air of untouchability.” The department defended the firing in a legal brief. “Part of accepting a high-level position in government is also to accept responsibility for oneself and for the actions of those one supervises and accountability for results,” the agency told the arbitrator.

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6 • MSU Reporter

Thursday, October 21, 2021

FALL 2021 EDITOR IN CHIEF:

MAXWELL MAYLEBEN maxwell.mayleben@mnsu.edu

End the stigma around food insecurity

MADISON DIEMERT

madison.diemert@mnsu.edu

Editorial College students have enough on their plates to worry about, and food should be one of the last things they have to stress over. Between going to classes all day, working on the weekends, and staying up late cramming in last minute study sessions, students can sometimes forget to grab a bite to eat. Food insecurity is no doubt an issue students around the world face, but as a college kid not having healthy food in our possession or strictly ingesting ramen noodles every day is far from nutritious. College students should never have to worry about where their next meal is coming from when surrounded by so many resources throughout the campus. Students can feel embarrassed or out of place when going to a food pantry, thinking that if we can afford to go to college, then we should be able to pay for quality groceries. The stigma that students shouldn’t take advantage of these opportunities when in need is ridiculous, not to mention how expensive fresh food is in today’s world. However, there are resources on campus that are decreasing the stigma around food insecurity. In the past year Minnesota State University, Mankato got equipped with a full running Maverick Food Pantry, located in the Carkoski Com-

NEWS DIRECTOR: Jenna Peterson jenna.peterson-3@mnsu.edu MEDIA/DESIGN DIRECTOR: Mansoor Ahmad mansoor.ahmad@mnsu.edu SPORTS EDITOR: Daniel McElroy daniel.mcelroy@mnsu.edu ADVERTISING SALES: Baylee Sorensen 507-389-5097 baylee.sorensen@mnsu.edu

File photo

mons, that encourages students to not shy away from asking for a little extra help. This resource is available to all MNSU students as they offer perishable and non-perishable goods. Having places such as these that students can go to is a great asset to the University. Swipe Out Hunger is another solution to combat the problem of student food insecurity that MNSU has brought to light. Students are able to donate one or more of their meal swipes

at the University Dining Center which is then transferred to a student in need of one. That student then is able to redeem that meal swipe assigned to them and get whatever they desire from the dining hall. The program is planning on donating five meals a week throughout the school year to students in hopes to help those who are struggling to get enough food. Food insecurity is an issue that isn’t talked about as much as it should be. Al-

though it can be uncomfortable to discuss, it is extremely difficult to study or pay attention in class with a rumbling stomach begging you to eat. Understanding that we as students also have real life issues about something as simple as finding healthy foods to eat is important to highlight and talk about. Whether you are a student who is struggling to find food or want to extra spending money on the weekends, students should take advantage of the multiple resources on campus.

“Have you experienced food insecurity in college?” Compiled by Maxwell Mayleben

TAYLOR THEUSCH, SOPHOMORE

MASON MULLER, SOPHOMORE

TRINITY SCHULTZ, JUNIOR

RICHNIGTHDER LAURIE, FRESHMAN

ZEMICHAEL ANDREJAW, FRESHMAN

“Yes, I was worried financially for my next meal.”

“I don’t think I have.”

“No I haven’t. I’ve always had food.”

“No, not at all.”

“Yes, the meal plans are too expensive.”

BUSINESS MANAGER: Jane Tastad 507-389-1926 jane.tastad@mnsu.edu ADVERTISING DESIGN/ PRODUCTION MGR.: Dana Clark 507-389-2793 dana.clark@mnsu.edu

• 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 21, 2021

News

MSU Reporter • 7

Ex-Minneapolis cop to be resentenced in death of 911 caller ASSOCIATED PRESS A Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman after she called 911 to report hearing a possible sexual assault behind her home is set to be sentenced on a lesser charge after his murder conviction was overturned in a case that drew widespread attention and was fraught with the issue of race. Mohamed Noor was initially convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the July 2017 fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a 40-year-old dual U.S.-Australian citizen and yoga teacher who was engaged to be married. With his 12 1/2 year sentence for murder thrown out, he could be out on supervised release within months following Thursday’s resentencing for second-degree manslaughter. Last month, the Minnesota Supreme Court tossed out Noor’s murder conviction and sentence, saying the third-degree murder statute doesn’t fit the case. The justices said the charge can only apply when a defendant shows a “generalized indifference to human life,” not when the conduct is

directed at a particular person, as it was with Damond. Experts say the ruling means the third-degree murder conviction against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin likely also will be tossed out but that would have little impact because Chauvin was also convicted of a more serious second-degree murder charge in the May 2020 death of George Floyd. He was sentenced to 22 1/2 years. Noor testified at his 2019 trial that he and his partner were driving slowly in an alley when a loud bang on his police SUV made him fear for their lives. He said he saw a woman appear at the partner’s window and raise her right arm before he fired a shot from the passenger seat, across his partner, to stop what he thought was a threat. Noor’s remaining manslaughter conviction carries a sentence ranging from 41 to 57 months, with a presumptive sentence of four years, under state sentencing guidelines. His attorneys, Tom Plunkett and Peter Wold, have asked for a 41-month term, saying the low end of the

LEILA NAVIDI • Star Tribune via Associated Press In this Friday, June 7, 2019 file photo, Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor walks to the podium to be sentenced at Hennepin County District Court in Minneapolis.

range would reflect Noor’s good behavior behind bars and the harsh conditions he’s faced during several months in segregation from the general prison population. Legal experts expect prosecutors to seek a sentence at the top end of the range.

Noor, who was fired after he was charged, has already served more than 29 months. In Minnesota, defendants with good behavior typically serve two-thirds of their prison sentences and the remainder on supervised release. If Noor receives the presumptive

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Thursday, October 21, 2021

Mavs make playoff push against Vikings By KOLE BUELOW Staff Writer Blowing out the less difficult matchups and struggling to win the difficult ones seems to be the unfortunate truth so far this season. The Minnesota State football team might as well be undefeated up to this point of the season based on the magnitude of dominance they bring against bottom conference teams, yet when it comes to the top teams, they struggle to finish the job. The Mavericks are 3-0 when playing bottom half teams in the NSIC, but only hold a 2-2 record against top half opponents. It does not help that the Mavs lost to two teams who have received top 25 recognition from the AFCA coaches poll, but it does become concerning when the team was ranked No. 2 at the start of the year. Expectations were high for Minnesota State coming into the season, and it may just be the pressure of being one of the top programs in the nation that has them struggling to win tough matchups up to this point. However, it is crunch time now. After losing to Wayne State on Oct. 9, the Mavericks are done with this whole losing thing. Heading to Fayette, Iowa this past weekend might be the fuel the Mavs need to start winning tough games, as they defeated the Peacocks of Upper Iowa convincingly,

MANSOOR AHMAD • The Reporter Kaleb Sleeer returned to play for the Mavericks in their 58-0 win over the Upper Iowa Peacocks.

58-0. Offense, defense, and special teams were clicking on all cylinders against Upper Iowa, seeing the defense come up with two interceptions, the offense scoring seven touchdowns, and special teams hitting a field goal and returning a punt for a touchdown. If the Mavs can bring the same determination to Blakeslee Stadium this weekend for what might be their toughest matchup of the year, they can prove it is time to call them legit again.

Augustana is the opponent for Minnesota State this weekend, a tough interconference opponent where the Vikings find themselves in first in the NSIC, and the Mavericks, fourth. Augustana is currently 6-1 overall this season and defeated No. 23 Wayne State in their past contest to remain No. 22 in the AFCA coaches poll. The Mavericks and Vikings hold an almost even game split when playing each other, dating all the way back to 1931. The Mavs currently

hold the Minnesota State-Augustana split 27-23, and will look to push their win total to 28 this weekend for Family Weekend. Minnesota State has also not lost to Augustana since 2010, holding a nine game winning streak against the Vikings with a chance at making that number double digits. One thing the Mavs have going for them is the certainly obvious home field advantage each team brings to the table in the teams’ history. When at home, the Vikings

and Mavericks combine for a 33-14 record in which the Mavs are 18-7 seeing their last home loss to the Vikings in 2003. After getting their NSIC home game winning streak snapped by Wayne State earlier this year, the Mavs do not have that to worry about anymore and can now focus on maintaining home dominance against Augustana. The Vikings are certainly a tough matchup for the Mavs, but after seeing a convincing win against Upper Iowa this past weekend, the Mavericks are certainly not going to be counted out. Along with the win, Minnesota State got to see their starting sophomore running back Kaleb Sleezer hit the field for the first time since late Sept. Sleezer was Minnesota State’s leading rusher in touchdowns and yards before going down with an injury, but finally saw some action against the Peacocks where he rushed five times for 39 yards and caught one pass for 32. If Sleezer continues to get healthy before their matchup with the Vikings, the Mavericks might be able to see him return to full form on gameday. Minnesota State and Augustana are set to compete this weekend, Saturday, Oct. 23 for Minnesota State’s family weekend at Blakeslee Stadium.

Soccer looking to extend win streak and take over NSIC lead By DANIEL McELROY Sports Editor After a four game homestand, the Minnesota State soccer team is ready to head back out on the road to take on Minot State and UMary. This will be one of the toughest weekends the Mavericks have in NSIC play, taking on the third NSIC ranked Minot State (9-3-1, 8-1-1 NSIC) and fifth NSIC ranked UMary (7-3-3, 6-2-2 NSIC). Following their sweep over the weekend and extending their win streak to seven games, the MSU Mavericks squeezed their way into the rankings at No. 25 in the United States Coaches Top 25 Poll.

Minot State is coming off their most disappointing weekend of the season, getting their nine-game win streak snapped in a 4-0 loss to Augustana University, followed by a 0-0 double overtime tie to Wayne State. The momentum is all in favor of the Mavericks, with a lethal offense and a great goalkeeping committee. Jenny Vetter is having the best season of her career, averaging over a goal per game and is tied for the fourth most goals in Division II soccer. Vetter also nabbed her second consecutive NSIC Offensive Player of the Week award. The Mavericks roster the best goaltending tandem in

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter Jenny Vetter (4) earns her second consecutive NSIC Offensive Player of the Week award, and is on her way to a career season.

the conference between Mackenzie Rath and Clare Longue-

ville. Ava Blackney has seen her share of play as well, play-

ing in two games for 43 minutes. Minnesota State leads the NSIC in goals allowed with just .69 goals allowed per game, while Rath leads all individual goalkeepers with a .427 goals against average. The Mavs goalkeepers will be put to the test against Minot, with the Beavers rostering Sofia Lews, who ranks third in the NSIC in goals with 8, averaging .615 per game. While UMary is ranked a tad lower in the standings, it still won’t be an easy task. UMary gets to play on their home turf after coming off two losses against Wayne State and a tough Augustana team.

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Sports

Eriksson Ek’s hat trick lifts Wild in OT

MSU Reporter • 11

Volleyball hits the road

MANSOOR AHMAD • The Reporter

JIM MONE • Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS Joel Eriksson Ek and the Minnesota Wild put on quite a show for the first full house at Xcel Energy Center in 19 months. The Wild were overwhelmed with gratitude for their off-the-ice help, from start to finish. Eriksson Ek had a hat trick, batting in an airborne puck to tie the game with 59 seconds remaining in regulation and winning it on a power play in overtime to stun the Winnipeg Jets 6-5 in a raucous home opener on Tuesday night. Eriksson Ek scored the equalizer just 15 seconds after an empty-netter by Jets center Mark Scheifele was wiped out by an offside call on Kyle Connor that came from a replay challenge recommended by video coaches Jonas Plumb and T.J. Jindra. “Neither one of them will take any credit if you talk to them, but it was a great call,” Wild head coach Dean Evason said. Instead of taking a twogoal lead to the locker room, the Jets were suddenly on their heels as the Wild finished the third period with an 18-5 shots advantage. “Just one of those things with a little attention to detail by me. Just stay onside and you win a game,” said Connor, who had two goals and an assist to fuel an eight-point night for Winnipeg’s newlook first line minus Blake Wheeler while the captain is sidelined by COVID-19. Josh Morrissey was called for holding Kirill Kaprizov near the midpoint of overtime, giving the Wild a 4-on3. Eriksson Ek scored on a 3-on-1 rush to beat Connor

Hellebuyck, who has given up 14 goals in three losses to start the season. “That’s the way hockey goes. It’s going to test you. It’s going to push you, but those guys have fight,” Scheifele said. Hellebuyck stopped 38 shots. Cam Talbot made 25 saves for the Wild, none bigger than the denial of Logan Stanley on a 2-on-1 right before Eriksson Ek’s winner. Mats Zuccarello had two goals and two assists, Marcus Foligno scored on a power play with 4:58 left in regulation and Kaprizov had three assists for the Wild in this spirited renewal of the Central Division rivalry with the Jets. The Wild got goosebumps on the bench as the crowd roared approval during a third period stoppage, more than happy to have their fans fully behind them again. They played with an even deeper purpose than usual in honor of the late Tom Kurvers, their assistant general manager who died of cancer in June. The Wild played a tribute video for Kurvers before the game, and his presence was felt throughout the night. “You’ve just got to believe that there’s a guardian angel over you tonight, and Tom really had our back,” Foligno said. Wheeler, who tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss at least three more games. was replaced at right wing by Andrew Copp, who had a goal and two assists. Scheifele notched two assists. Pierre-Luc Dubois had the tiebreaking goal early in the third period and Morrissey also scored for Winnipeg, which lost leads of 1-0, 2-1, 3-2 and 5-3. “That’s a hard fought,

good battle on the road,” coach Paul Maurice said. “We’ll take chunks of it, just not that last minute and a half.” The first game between these teams in 653 days was as feisty and frenetic as ever, as if both sides were trying to make up for the lost time to the pandemic-tailored 202021 season that had the Jets facing only Canadian teams. Kaprizov was penalized for roughing halfway through a Wild power play in the first period, and as soon as he returned from the box he began tussling with Dubois. Right after Eriksson Ek sneaked a wraparound past Hellebuyck to tie the game at 2 shortly before the first intermission, Foligno and Brenden Dillon dropped the gloves. Foligno used a kung-fu-style jump kick to jump start the fight and skated off the ice to a rousing ovation. Zuccarello was credited with the strangest goal of the game when an ill-fated poke check by Hellebuyck caused the puck to glance off Morrissey and tie the game at 3 late in the second period. The Wild nearly took the lead in the closing seconds when Jonas Brodin’s whack was smothered by Hellebuyck’s stomach. Ryan Hartman pushed it in, but the officials ruled the play dead and disallowed the goal. “That’s the way a hockey game should be,” Zuccarrello said, “especially with the fans back.” UP NEXT The Jets play Anaheim on Thursday in their home opener. The Wild host Anaheim on Saturday, as the Ducks wrap up a four-game trip.

The Minnesota State volleyball team (11-8, 6-5 NSIC) is setting their eyes on a tough weekend ahead of them, taking on No. 14 Southwest Minnesota State (15-4, 7-4 NSIC) and Sioux Falls (12-7, 7-4 NSIC). This weekend will be the Mavericks first weekend on the road since the beginning of October, when Minnesota State got swept by Minnesota-Duluth and St. Cloud. The Mavericks have historically not been so good against the Mustangs, holding a record of 13-24 since 1994. Over the last 20 meetings, the Mavericks are just 4-16, although Minnesota State did win last time the two teams went face-to-face in a 3-0 sweep at the Taylor Center. Southwest Minnesota State has a phenomenal defense, leading them to the top 15 in the rankings. The Mustangs lead the NSIC in opponent hitting percentage, opponent assists, and opponent kills. The Mustangs also rank third in the NSIC in blocks with 2.32 per set, just one spot ahead of the Mavericks, who average 2.26 blocks per set. Minnesota State needs to be wary of the Mustang’s services, rostering Rachel Fink and Meg Schmidt who are first and second in the NSIC in service aces with 31 and 30 total aces, respectively. Angela Young is another face to watch out for on the court, ranking fourth in the

NSIC in points, averaging 4.52 per set. Despite having a fantastic 11-0 start to their season, The Mustangs have gone just 7-4 in conference play, bringing them to just sixth in the conference standings. SMSU is coming off a weekend where they had both contests go to five games, and dropped both of them against Winona State University and Upper Iowa University. With the Mustangs dropping five of their last six contests, the Mavericks are sitting with pretty good odds to pull off an upset. Then, Saturday the Mavericks will travel to Sioux Falls to take on the Cougars, a team who sits just one spot above the Mavericks in the NSIC standings. The two teams have a short history with each other, with the Mavericks having a 6-5 record since 2012. The last time the teams met was in Mankato in 2019, when the Mavericks swept the Cougars in a seemingly close NSIC battle, 3-0 (25-20, 2520, 25-23). The Mavericks are hitting their stride lately, going 3-1 in their last two weekends. Maiah Edgington leads the Mavericks in kills with a whopping 189, while Jessica Nelson is behind her with 138. Senior libero Mara Quam leads the Mavericks in digs by a huge margin with 321, good enough for fifth in the NSIC. She also broke the Mavericks school record last weekend for all-time career digs.

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12 • MSU Reporter

Sports

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Mayfield out with shoulder injury, Keenum starting ASSOCIATED PRESS Baker Mayfield had to surrender to the pain. Cleveland’s starting quarterback, who has played the past four weeks with a torn labrum in his left shoulder, will sit out Thursday’s game against the Denver Broncos and backup Case Keenum will start. “I feel very ready. I’ve been ready,” said Keenum, who hasn’t started since 2019 with Washington. “You can say, ‘You don’t have to get ready if you stay ready’ and I’ve been ready since I got here.” The Browns (3-3) announced the switch on Wednesday, ending speculation about whether Mayfield would try to push through an injury to his non-throwing shoulder that he suffered last month and has worsened in recent weeks. “Case Keenum will be our starter tomorrow night and we have full confidence in him to lead us and do the things necessary to put us in position to win,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Baker fought really hard to play, he’s a competitor and obviously wants to be out there but just couldn’t make it on a short week. “We know he will continue to do everything in his power to return as quickly as possible.” Mayfield was limited in practice on Tuesday, when

PHELAN M. EBENHACK • Associated Press Case Keenum (5) looks for a receiver during the first half of a preseason game against the Jaguars.

he said he still expected to play. However, with this being a short week, there wasn’t enough time for the swelling in his shoulder to go down and it was decided early Wednesday for him to rest, ending Mayfield’s streak of 53 consecutive starts for Cleveland. The loss of him means the Browns’ entire starting backfield has been wiped out by injuries. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, the NFL’s top running back tandem, will sit out with

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calf injuries. Cleveland could also be missing star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. due to a shoulder injury, and starting offensive tackles Jack Conklin (knee) and Jedrick Wills Jr. (ankle) haven’t practiced this week and could be game-time decisions. “It’s always a great challenge,” Keenum said when asked about missing key players. “That’s what this league is about. Nobody’s at 100%. After Week 1, nobody’s playing at 100%. That’s the way it goes. That’s the hard truth,

that’s why it’s a grown man’s league.” On Tuesday, Mayfield was still planning to play despite a shoulder tear that was affecting his play and sleep. The 26-year-old underwent an MRI on Monday and the results were examined by a shoulder specialist, Dr. Orr Limpisvasti, the team physician for the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, who agreed Mayfield should rest. Mayfield needs the swelling in his shoulder to go down first before he can strengthen

the injured area. By sitting out against the Broncos (3-3), Mayfield will have some extra time because the Browns don’t play again until Oct. 31 against Pittsburgh. The 2017 Heisman Trophy winner hasn’t missed a game due to injury since 2013 when he was a walk-on at Texas Tech. “He is a tough, tough, tough, tough dude,” Keenum said on a Zoom call. “He fought through some serious pain just to practice and just to get going a little bit. ... It’d take a freight train to keep him out of the game, and I’m assuming that’s what it did because that dude plays through some serious pain. “It’s impressive to be around. It’s inspiring. I know the guys feel the same way.” Mayfield has been wearing a harness to stabilize his shoulder since getting hurt on Sept. 19 while trying to make a tackle against Houston after he threw an interception. He said Tuesday that the pain in his shoulder had increased after it twice popped out in Sunday’s loss to Arizona. Mayfield’s completion percentage has plummeted in recent weeks and he had three turnovers — two fumbles and a pick — against the Cardinals. Keenum has made 62 career NFL starts, most recently for the Washington Football Team in 2019.

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Sports

MSU Reporter • 13

A look into week 7 of fantasy football in the NFL By KOLE BUELOW Staff Writer Just like that, our 2020 stud players seem to be back in true form. After seeing a multitude of weeks where players seemed to be performing far under expectation, it is convincing to see them put up a respectable amount of points for the first time this season. Who am I specifically talking about? Easy, Titans’ wide receiver AJ Brown and Bills’ wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The two players have been quite atrocious compared to their amazing fantasy football performances last year. Brown and Diggs both finished top 12 in PPR fantasy wideout rankings last season, but have both been truly lackluster up to this point in the season. Last week, Brown was able to put up a solid 16.1 points on seven catches while Diggs tallied 23.9 on nine catches and a touchdown. The two were basically upwards of 20-point locks last season, and now, finally show true form for the first time this season. If you are still scared about their fantasy output going forward this would be a great time to sell them high, but I’d much rather keep these guys from here on out. If you are looking for your next player who might be struggling but should rebound quickly, look at Fal-

WADE PAYNE • Associated Press Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown, center, is congratulated by tight end Geoff Swaim (87) after Brown scored a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals n the second half of an NFL football game.

cons’ wide receiver Calvin Ridley. Ridley came in as the wide receiver five last season, in PPR formats of course, averaging 18.8 points per game with now Titans’ receiver Julio Jones beside him. Ridley is only the wide receiver 48 so far this season, and with the same quarterback and offense, it is only a matter of time before he explodes like the others. If you can go and buy Ridley low now before it happens, you will be happy what he can

bring to the table going forward. As far as running backs go it has not been the same story. Instead, it would be great to look at some guys that are awesome holds before they truly explode in value in the final stretch of the season. One guy that comes to mind right away is Broncos’ running back Javonte Williams. Williams has been an absolute beast when given the chances, but currently splits backfield touches with veter-

an Melvin Gordon. It is clear Williams will become the lead back of the Broncos nearing the end of the season, and with a run heavy offense, his value will sky rocket before we know it. An awesome strategy for acquiring low-end but high upside running backs is by adding them into bigger trades where they hold almost no value. A great guy to pickup will always be Williams, but by his side are handcuff-style running backs all across the

league. Some of these guys include Chuba Hubbard, Alexander Mattison, Tony Pollard, and more. What makes them great handcuffs is their immediate value when the starting running back of the team is hurt. Hubbard is a prime example for that so far this season, with Christian McCaffery out on injured reserve. Hubbard receives almost all of the backfield touches for his team, and the case would be the same for the others when given the chance. If you can get them as lower values in a trade, they will become great values in a hurry if the starter goes down. Streaming defenses is a great way to go in fantasy football. With bye weeks underway, it is a better time than ever to take advantage of that strategy. Per usual, teams playing against the Jets, Dolphins, Jaguars, Falcons, and Texans are all great options for streaming your defense. The Baltimore Ravens are the top team in the AFC with a 5-1 record, taking on their division rival Cincinnati Bengals, who earlier in the season barely scraped their way past the Jaguars. The Bengals are coming off a 34-11 win against the Detroit Lions, but you should not expect a game of similar domination against a tough Ravens squad coming up in week 7.

REPORTER PICK ‘EM • WEEK #3 #7 BRONCOS @ BROWNS

PANTHERS @ N.Y. GIANTS

N.Y. JETS @ PATRIOTS

CHIEFS @ TITANS

WASHINGTON @ PACKERS

FALCONS @ DOLPHINS

BENGALS @ RAVENS

LIONS @ L.A. RAMS

EAGLES @ RAIDERS

TEXANS @ CARDNALS

BEARS @ BUCCANEERS

COLTS @ 49ERS

13 GAMES

SAINTS @ SEAHAWKS

WEEK #7

DANIEL MCELROY Sports Editor

BYE WEEK TEAMS:

KOLE BUELOW Sports Writer

BUFFALO DALLAS JACKSONVILLE L.A. CHARGERS MINNESOTA PITTSBURGH

MAXWELL MAYLEBEN Editor in Chief JENNA PETERSON News Director MANSOOR AHMAD Media Director DANA CLARK Ad Design Mgr. BAYLEE SORENSEN Ad Sales Rep. ROBB MURRAY Editorial Consultant

STANDINGS After Week #6

1ST PLACE Kole Buelow

Overall (64-30) Last Week (11-3)

2ND PLACE Dana Clark

Overall (62-32) Last Week (12-2)

3RD PLACE Daniel McElroy

Overall (59-35) Last Week (7-7)

4TH PLACE Baylee Sorensen

Overall (57-37) Last Week (11-3)

5TH PLACE (TIE) Mansoor Ahmad Overall (56-38) Last Week (11-3)

6TH PLACE Maxwell Mayleben Overall (53-41) Last Week (8-6)

7TH PLACE Robb Murray

Overall (50-44) Last Week (9-5)

LAST PLACE Jenna Peterson

Overall (46-48) Last Week (7-7)

14 • MSU Reporter

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Students share fashion around the world By LILLY SCHMIDT Staff Writer

Photos by DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter MNSU students walking the catwalk in the CSU ballroom celebrating their culture through clothing during the International Fashion Show. and events like these.” Although she enjoys school here, her heritage is impactful and deserves to be appreciated

DYLAN ENGEL • The Reporter

Minnesota State University, Mankato hosted an international student fall party and fashion show Saturday, Oct. 16. Bhavani Nainala, an international student at MNSU wore her cultural dress, representing India at the event. She enjoyed the fashion show, saying her favorite part was, “definitely wearing my cultural outfit. I don’t wear that a lot here.” Nainala was representing one of 14 cultures who walked the runway. Ahmed Sadek is a graduate assistant who helped set up the event. He explained, “We are having a fashion show and performance night for all of our students in the theme of a DJ night.” Sadek expanded upon the brainstorming for the event. “We always try to find new ways to engage with our international students to make them feel part of a global community,” Sadek said. “We were thinking of what we could do in the month of October to celebrate fall beginning. And we thought that dancing is always fun. Given that we have people from over ninety-something countries here at MNSU, we thought that we could do a DJ night where people can play their songs and people can just jam to it.” Nainala said she chose MNSU because of the opportunities. “My major is bio technology, so there’s a lot of research opportunities,” Nainala said. “It’s very affordable. They have scholarships, opportunities for international students,

“Landfill: Elegy for the Santa Maria Valley” by photographer Brett Kallusky in Conkling Gallery in Nelson Hall.

and expressed, which she was happily able to do at the event. Victoria Nwogo represented MNSU’s Nigerian popula-

tion at the fashion show, and listed her favorite part as, “Just having fun and it gave us an opportunity to display our

Minnesota-born artist featured in Conkling By SYDNEY BERGGREN Staff Writer

Brett Kallusky, a Minnesota-born photographer currently teaching at UW River Falls, is hosting an exhibition in Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Conkling Gallery inside of Nelson Hall until Oct. 29.

“I’d been invited to be a visiting artist by professor Areca Roe sometime pre-pandemic, like spring of 2020, not to have an exhibition but just to come down and talk about my work,” said Kallusky. “Obviously COVID derailed this. I reached out to Areca this summer after the senior gallery ex-

culture.” She viewed the event as a success. Similarly, Sheryam Ranjan, FASHION on page 15 u

hibition about coming down to visit and she retorted by asking me if I wanted an exhibition. It was an unexpected but welcome offer.” The exhibit didn’t take Kallusky very long to put together, “I’ve been working on this body of work for a long time and it’s in the process of being published in a book. It was a super quick turn around from the offer of the exhibition to getting the work on the wall.” Kallusky’s exhibit is “Landfill: Elegy for the Santa MaCONKLING on page 15 u

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Variety

David Byrne says audiences seem ‘thrilled’ to be in theater

MSU Reporter • 15

“Fall” in love with these new songs for the ultimate playlist

ASSOCIATED PRESS Since returning to Broadway’s “American Utopia” after the pandemic pause, David Byrne has noticed a few things about his audience: It seems younger, a little more diverse and people are juiced to see live entertainment again. “They’re thrilled, just completely thrilled, to be in a theater, seeing a show, hearing music,” he said. “It’s like, ‘wow, did we miss this or what?’” “American Utopia” had its formal reopening at the St. James Theatre on Sunday, although there were a few weeks of previews. The music and dancing, performed by a barefoot troupe that operates without wires, is the same as before the break. The theatrical concert is a call for hope, connection and reaching utopia. Byrne has made a few changes to his monologues to reflect the times. Some of the change in the audience composition might be due to Spike Lee’s filmed version of “American Utopia,” which streamed while the live show itself was dark .“I can sense that there are audience members who are not as familiar with the Talking Heads songs we play,” he

FASHION Continued from page 14 another MNSU Indian representative, also enjoyed the event, “We get to see a lot of cultural dresses from other countries and see people present their countries.” International students are also looking forward to their festival later this semester.

CONKLING Continued from page 14 ria Valley”, which is also the name of the book his art will be published in. “The body of work is a prolonged look at a specific landfill in the Santa Maria Valley in California,” said Kallusky. “It frames how it relates to us as consumers and also to the environment as a whole and the impact that we have on it.” “I think environmental issues are becoming more and more pertinent; we look at the landscape as a way of reflecting our use of it and where we fit within it,” Kallusky elaborated on his subject. “For better or for worse I think right now it seems to be a re-

JORDAN STRAUSS • Associated Press Adele released a new single “Easy on Me” featuring a soft piano. ANDY KROPA • Associated Press Musician David Byrne performs at the Broadway reopening of “David Byrne’s American Utopia” at the St. James Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021, in New York.

said. “They’re coming to see it as a show, and they’re taking it all in — not simply as music fans but as people who are seeing a show. They have to absorb it and process it in the same way that they would with any musical where they don’t know all of the songs ahead of time.” Russians to stay off work for a week as virus deaths rise White House details plans to vaccinate 28M children age 5-11 UK encourages booster jabs, resists new virus restrictions COVID-19 and pregnancy: Women regret not getting the vaccine

Quickly in the show, he addresses what has kept people away. “Thank you for leaving your homes,” he says. “I used to say that in the old world and it had a different meaning. But many things have changed,” He references COVID-19 in some of his other monologues. “Because of the nature of the show, because I talk directly to the audience and I’m not a character in a play, I have the opportunity to address a little bit of what we’ve all been through,” he said in an interview.

Sadek shared how the fashion show is leading up to the festival, “This is a new thing that we were trying out. This is kinda like the prequel event to the international festival in November, where more than 50 nationalities are going to be present.” The festival is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 14 from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. in the Centen-

nial Student Union Ballroom. The event will include food booths, entertainment, workshops, and more. Ranjan is planning to attend the November festival as well, and encourages others to come. “I would say to embrace your culture, have fun, learn about other cultures, and see what’s out there in the world,” said Ranjan.

ally present topic regardless of where we’re from or our economic backgrounds or social-political beliefs. All of it is overcome by the realities of what we’re doing.” Kallusky’s inspirations are atypical of many artists, he said. “A lot of artists will tend to look inward for their work, whereas for me what has always inspired me is looking outward and interacting with the world in a way that I wouldn’t necessarily have the opportunity to do otherwise,” said Kallusky. “Part of my practice,” he noted, ”is to push myself outside of what I would consider to be a comfort zone or a place where I feel like I know what

I’m doing, to really be open to the idea of exploration and failure. At the end of the day I think that’s probably why this project has taken so long, because I work really slowly as an artist. I don’t have a quick turnaround time; I’m very methodical and slow and I like to sit with things for a long time. I think my inspiration comes from that meditative quality of contemplating what I’m looking at.” Kallusky’s exhibition, appearing as a carefully constructed stream of consciousness along the Conkling Gallery walls, tells the story of the connections between us, and the landscape. It can be visited from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. until Oct. 30.

By EMMA JOHNSON Staff Writer

It’s that time of year again. The playlists of summer filled with upbeat, pop-filled sunshine beats give way to fall playlists of cool, laid back songs. Songs that fit the theme for fall should be time for reflection and contemplation. Catchy beats with lyrics that embody the colorful tones of the leaves are streamed through speakers. These six fall songs are the perfect combination of feels and heartbreak to have an amazing fall. Adele is the queen of taking the average girl participating in “hot girl summer” to transition into “sad girl autumn” in a snap. Her latest single “Easy on Me” promises that her upcoming album, “30”, will be full of soulful songs full of broken hearts. “Easy on me” is about someone who tried to change themselves for a relationship and the adjustments they needed to take along the way. The gentle piano and Adele’s voice makes it the essential song to add to your playlist. To lighten up the mood, Disney darling Bridget Mendler’s “The Fall song” can make you feel all the fall feels. This throwback song, while talking about catching feelings for a fall crush, incorporates common fall activities such as snuggling up with a cup of hot cocoa and enjoying the cool air. If you want to be reminded of your childhood days or want to get yourself in the mood for finding someone to be your holi-date, this is the perfect song for you. Don’t think that up and coming artist August Royals song, “Blue Football” is about cheering on your favorite sports team. This song is about falling into drug addiction and trying to

pull yourself out before it’s too late. Royals’ voice counteracts the dark lyrics, making it a great song. The beat is similar to the tone of Glass Animal’s song “Heat Waves,” one of the most popular songs of the summer. For those lazy autumn mornings, Ruel’s song “as long as you care” covers that. The 18-year-old songwriter talks about being on the road away from his love and that despite all of the “bright lights and red eyes” that he encounters, he will always care about his love. The simple guitar and drums allow Ruel’s vocals the spotlight. Whether lounging around in bed or driving down a leaf-covered road, this is a must-add song. With Halloween around the corner, instead of listening to songs about goblins and witches, listen to something really scary: the potential of being ghosted. Jeremy Zucker sings about having a past love try to come back into his life after he’s long moved on in his song “Ghosts.” This song, has an R&B vibe that makes driving around and belting the lyrics a blast. Fall is the time for reflection and growth, and this song captures that feeling, making it relatable to everyone. Bastille’s underrated gem “Things we lost in the fire” is the best way to wrap up your fall playlist. Popularly known for their song, “Pompeii”, this song shares the story of a couple who have fallen out of love, yet they equally contributed to the downfall. While the lyrics sound sad, the tempo is upbeat and dance-worthy. After all the slow sad songs listed, “Things we lost in the fire” brings the catchy upbeat feels back.If you add these songs to your playlist, you are guaranteed to find new tunes that spark your feelings and get you dancing.

16 • MSU Reporter

Variety

Thursday, October 21, 2021

KEEP KALM: KANINE KISSES

MNSU freshman Allison Weeden gets kissed by a therapy dog at the Hound Hugs & Kanine Kisses event in the Centennial Student Union Wednesday evening. Volunteers with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs bring lovable dogs every third Wednesday of the month to help relieve the stress of students.

Photo by MADDIE BEHRENS • The Reporter

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