October 24, 2019

THURSDAY OCTOBER 24, 2019

MNSU hosts sixth annual U-Lead Conference

advice for just that.

The session was run by Kyle Edwards, an MNSU student, who is also the president of Mental Health Mankato. He discussed how being a student leader, it is hard to have good time management.

When students struggle managing their schedules it becomes simpler to deal with stress and sleep deprivation.

Solutions of how to contain a better schedule were shared with the attendees of the session.

In the session, the topic of healthy leadership played a big role. Healthy leadership pertains to a person’s full health, mental and physical.

Edwards passionately spoke out on making sure we are being aware of other peo-

THOMAS BOWMAN STAFF WRITER The sixth annual U-Lead Conference took place on Tuesday.

The annual U-Lead Conference has become one of the largest leadership development opportunities for students on campus. It also involves more student groups as collaborators than almost any other event. Some of the groups working with the event were Fraternity & Sorority Life, Student Events Team, Student Government, among others.

Students were encouraged to meet and chat with other students and presenters. Attendees had the opportunity to check out two different breakout sessions from among 18 choices.

Let’s face it, student leaders can be busy people. Try-

Keynote speaker Bobby Audley speaks to students during the sixth annual U-Lead Conference held in the Centennial Student Union Ballroom Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019 in Mankato, Minn. (Jack Linell/MSU Reporter)

ing to balance multiple roles - students, leaders, friends, employees and numerous

other rolws. It is stressful and can weigh people down. Students need to be able to take

care of themselves. The idea of the session was to help raise awareness and provide

U-LEAD page 5

Mankato Marathon raises more ECHO Food Shelf helps fight hunger and stigma than $24,000 for charity MICHAEL MCSHANE NEWS EDITOR

MARIA LY STAFF WRITER

Cardio was not the only thing making gains at this year’s Mankato Marathon!

Five charity organizations raised a cumulative $24,000 during the Mankato Marathon that went on last week.

The two-day marathon, saw an attendance of 5,000 runners overall for the event.

Of the thousands of runners, there were a select few who ran as champion runners for select number of charities chosen for the marathon.

Champion runners were able to gain entrance into the Mankato Marathon to run in the event for free to support the five charities.

The charities for the marathon included the Committee Against Domestic Abuse, Leisure Education for Exceptional People, the Mankato YMCA-STRIDE, Boys & Girls Club and Project for Teens.

Erin Wellman, who works

Ellen, a student at Minnesota State University, Mankato, says ever since she started college, she’s been hiding a secret from her family, friends and colleagues.

Her secret is that she is food insecure. From the start, she was on her own as her parents were not able to offer her any help financially.

Ellen said, “I didn’t have a job for a while when I first started college, and money was really tight. Even when I got a job, I just couldn’t make enough money to afford things, especially food.”

Ellen, who works in retail, doesn’t get enough hours or money as she struggles to pay for her new apartment which has a higher rent and other expenses such as tuition. College has been a barrier for her as she struggles to find time to work as her classes are scheduled with

A participant runs through the countryside during the 10th annual Mankato Marathon Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019 in Mankato, Minn. (Mansoor Ahmad/MSU Reporter)

for Mankato Family YMCA says she was astounded when she learned about how much YMCA had made in donations during the marathon.

Each charity had four runners each running with YMCA’s

runners raising $6,553.

“Each runner had set a goal of $1,000,” Wellman

CHARITY page 2

IN THIS ISSUE: Voter Disenfranchisement.......................... Page 2 Larry Schnoor Invintational......................... Page 5 Women’s Soccer Preview............................ Page 9 Annual Drag Show.................................... Page 10

weird gaps in between or at inconvenient times.

Ellen, when asked what her lowest point was, said, “I remember, there was one night specifically last January or February, I remember driving home from work and wondering if I had enough coins, and if I could find enough coins in my car to go buy some ramen from the store so I could eat.”

Ellen is not alone, as many college students at MNSU and in Mankato struggle with food insecurity on a daily basis.

Blue Earth County has the third highest poverty rate in the whole county and state.

According to the 2018 U.S. Census, the percentage of persons living in poverty in Blue Earth County was 16.3% compared to the national average of 11.8%.

Deisy De Leon Esqueda,

ECHO page 3

WEATHER OUTLOOK: THURSDAY (10/24)

H: 43 L: 28

FRIDAY (10/25)

SATURDAY (10/26)

H: 52 L: 34

H: 57 L: 35

SUNDAY (10/27)

H: 44 L: 26

MONDAY (10/28)

H: 41 L: 23

PRECIP. CHANCE:2%

PRECIP. CHANCE: 1%

PRECIP. CHANCE: 5%

PRECIP. CHANCE: 11%

PRECIP. CHANCE: 15%

Chilly with periods of sun.

Plenty of sunshine.

Sunny.

Cooler with clouds and sun.

Cold with clouds and sun.

Have a story idea?

Email News Editor Michael McShane

michael.mcshane@mnsu.edu

2 • MSU Reporter

News

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Voter disenfranchisement discussed at MNSU HELLEN AKINYI STAFF WRITER The Modern Day Voter Disenfranchisement event was hosted and organised by the Women’s Center on campus.

Paris Hatcher, who was the speaker of the event had a lot to say. She majored in Women’s Studies and got her Bachelor’s Degree from East Carolina University and proceeded to get her Masters in the same field at Clark Atlanta University.

She talked about the Stacy Abrams campaign. Abrams was a black American woman who ran for Georgia’s governor seat in 2019, and according to Hatcher, with her book of facts, Stacy won.

Brian Kemp, who was the opponent and also the Secretary of the State at that time, supposedly rigged the election. “Facts do not lie,” said Hatcher.

Hatcher took the audience back to the 1850s leading up to 1920s. In 1865, when the civil war had just came to end it was still a controversial era, from institutional racism to housing and educational racism, not to mention the fact that black people were not allowed to vote.

After taking her time explaining that, she came back to the present, asking where we are and what our options are in terms of elections, and how many exercised that right, keeping in mind that black women were legally allowed to vote less than 100 years ago in 1965.

As there is very little diversity in the candidates running for various offices, more and more rules keep being created. This will lead to many

Prasad Pol | MSU Reporter

candidates not being eligible to run for office.

There is also less than 20%

“With 2020 elections right by the corner, Paris urged us to participate.” youth turnout on elections, and this shows how the youth cares less on things that matter.

In the 2016 elections, 94% of black women voted for Hillary Clinton while more than 53% of white women voted for Donald Trump.

As much as there’s always a large voter turn out when it comes to black women, they

CHARITY

Continued from page 1 said. “It was a hope for many of them to exceed that.”

Project for Teens raised the most out of the charities with a total of $7,300 raised during the marathon.

Becky Brudwick, a champion runner for Project for Teens, spoke about why she both ran and supports her charity. She said, “I support Project for Teens because investing in our youth is an investment in our community.”

This was Mankato Marathon’s 10th year running and is considered a qualifier for runners to get into the prestigious Boston Marathon which takes place next April.

barely get investments. Most voter acquisitions, which is how much money is needed

The Mankato Marathon catered to all age ranges and showed the Mankato community’s dedication to physical fitness but also to charitable organizations as well.

Next year’s Mankato Marathon will have completely different charities sending in their own champion runners hoping to beat this year’s impressive donation.

to take one to the polling station, is for white women.

According to some statistics, new American majority

include the Latin Americans, black Americans, young people and single or unmarried white women, hence they are in charge of a high percentage of the results.

With 2020 elections right around the corner, Hatcher urged the audience to participate. She said it really doesn’t matter who we vote for, but we should go ahead and turn out.

While not all of us are eligible to vote, we can still be able to participate in one way or the other, either by driving people to the polling station or assisting anyone at the polling lines and offering

some refreshments, we can still be part of the elections.

She finished by stating some of the things she wishes to see in the 2020 elections which included a diversity in candidates, a nationwide off day during the election day, protection of voters during the election, secured and verified technology to be used in the elections and free and fair elections.

This was an informative session and hopefully, in 2020, more people will, in one way or the other, be able to participate and practice their right.

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Thursday, October 24, 2019

MSU Reporter • 3

News

ECHO

Continued from page 1 the Manager of the ECHO Food Shelf in Mankato, said, “We have a high poverty rate, and because of that we’re going to have a high food insecurity rate as well.”

ECHO food shelf wants to help resolve food insecurity by providing residents of Blue Earth County food assistance.

Esqueda said, “Our main goal is to be able to provide emergency food assistance to families who are having a rough time or just to anyone who needs it.”

The process for receiving help from ECHO Food Shelf is simple, as all one would have to do is fill out an application during open hours.

Once that is done, based on the application and current needs, the person is then eligible for certain programs the food shelf has to offer.

The main program is their regular food program that a client can utilize once a month and pick up items such as dried goods, canned goods, eggs, meat, bakery, bread and fresh produce.

The application takes an average of five to 10 minutes to fill out, and a half hour after to get the food that you need.

Ellen who uses the food shelf was almost moved to tears during her first visit. She said, “I went in with one little bag, not expecting much, but there was so much, I got so much from them. And honestly, I wanted to cry. I was so overwhelmed.”

She continued, “Ever since I moved out from my parent’s home and not really being able to afford food, always having bare cupboards, having my roommates, looking at them having full cupboards and seeing their parts of the fridge always full and mine pretty much empty, to be able to fill it up a little bit, it was overwhelming.”

Esqueda says that the number of college students attending the food shelf has risen in the last five years.

She said, “I don’t think we realize what’s going on in our environment and how things are not the way they used to be. I think when you look at a college student you see someone who is vibrant and who is healthy and capable of getting a job, but it doesn’t just come down to that, there’s so many other factors that play a role in it. For us, here at the food shelf, whether we see a senior citizen, or see a college student, they’re going to receive the same service, they’re going to see

A volunteer at the ECHO Food Shelf stocks the produce aisle before opening Monday, Oct. 21, 2019 in Mankato, Minn. (Maria Ly/ MSU Reporter)

the same help.”

Esqueda said, college students using food shelves is

clients coming through the door thinking that. We don’t want that to be a barrier for

“There’s always that stigma of what are people going to think of me if I use the food shelf.” relatively new as many don’t realize how many college students struggle with food insecurity.

Part of that is due to stigma of having food insecurity and getting help from resources such as a food shelf.

Ellen said she herself still has this stigma today. She said, “I didn’t tell anybody how much I was struggling, and even now, I signed up for SNAP, I haven’t told my parents, I haven’t told my roommates, I haven’t told anyone that I signed up for it. Even going to the food shelf, I know there’s nothing wrong with needing help, but even going to the food shelf, I walked in there and I was just embarrassed. I kept thinking I hope no one that I know shows up. I didn’t want anyone I knew to know that I was there.”

Esqueda wants people and students to know to not have that stigma be a reason to not receive help from the food shelf and other resources.

She said, “There’s always that stigma of what are people going to think of me if I use the food shelf. We don’t want anyone thinking that, we don’t want any of our

them to come here and access food.”

Despite the stigma, Ellen feels like her life has improved

after finding out about resources that can help her get food and learning about others in the same situation.

She said, “I guess I didn’t realize, that it wasn’t just me who was having this problem.

I thought there was something I was doing wrong and that it was my fault, but after realizing how big of a problem it is for so many people, it makes me feel a lot less alone in it.”

College students are known for the stereotype of being broke and starving as they are often seen surviving

on the bare minimum often eating ramen every day. Although it is a stereotype, it’s a reality that many face.

Ellen said, “Me and a lot of people, you go into it thinking, I’m not going to be that stereotype, but you fall into it so fast, way faster than you realize. Obviously not everybody falls into that situation, but for the majority who do struggle with food insecurity I feel like that’s a part of it. You go in saying, I’m going to be just fine, and lo and behold, two weeks later, you don’t have anything to eat.”

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4 • MSU Reporter

Thursday, October 24, 2019

FALL 2019 EDITOR IN CHIEF:

The Nintendo Wii is the best console for dorms

MADISON DIEMERT

507-389-5454 madison.diemert@mnsu.edu

MADISON DIEMERT

madison.diemert@mnsu.edu

CARLEY SONJU STAFF WRITER Gaming consoles are found in almost every college student’s room, whether they live on campus in the dorms, off campus in apartments, or commute from home.

Some students even have more than one console in their room. Xbox and PlayStation are the two main consoles that more serious gamers own, but for the students who want to play games to socialize with others while in college, these are not the best option.

Nintendo came out with the Wii in October 2011. That being said, it is a much older gaming system, but the games for Wii are the most user-friendly for people of all ages. Anyone can catch on to the controls very quickly, whereas on a PlayStation or Xbox they can be a little bit more tricky. They also encourage you to interact with people in person, making them much more entertaining. The Wii is the best gaming console for college students to have in their dorm or apartment.

One of my favorite games to play with my friends in the dorms is Wii Sports. Playing baseball or bowling against one another with some friendly competition is so much fun, and it brings us together as friends and helps us escape from our same daily routine.

NEWS EDITOR: Michael McShane 507-389-5450 michael.mcshane@mnsu.edu

Photo courtesy of Flickr

With most multiplayer games on Xbox or PlayStation, split screen is not an option, so they are just played online in separate rooms.

over what the Wii offers.”

Another freshman Hannah Sorum answered, “I prefer the Wii over any gaming console because the Wii has

“Anyone can catch on to the controls very quickly, whereas on a PlayStation or Xbox they can be a little bit more tricky.”

Most Wii games can be played with up to 4 players using 4 remotes, which is perfect for allowing large groups of people to all have a chance at the fun.

I asked a couple students their opinions on what their favorite gaming console is.

Jorie Ziegeldorf, a freshman, disagreed with me. She said, “My favorite gaming console is a Play Station because I like the games Play Station offers

many games that can be played with multiple people in the same room. Some games involve being active and competitive which make it really fun.”

Another entertaining aspect of the Wii is creating your own Mii. Miis are the characters you create that are then featured as the players in games like Wii Sports, Wii Play, and Wii Sports Resort. You can create a Mii that

looks like yourself, or you can create other characters who may not look like anyone you know. This brings even more of a connection into the game, and when you’re playing against your friends, you can see their Miis in the game too.

I grew up playing the Wii with my family, especially my younger brother. Some of my fondest memories are playing Mario Kart, Just Dance, and Wii Sports as a family. I appreciate how socially focused the Wii was designed to be and having friends in college who all grew up having a Wii makes it much more fun to play.

If you don’t have a Wii, get some friends to pitch in and buy one with you. It is a great investment to make and is a great way to create lasting memories in college.

“How many video game consoles do you have?”

Compiled by Max Mayleben

TERRY MOORE, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING “Three.”

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MIRANDA STARR, RPLS

SUHIRJA KUMAR, PSYCHOLOGY

“I have about four.”

“Three.”

“I have a Nintendo Switch and PS4.”

“Not a fan.”

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Thursday, October 24, 2019

MSU Reporter • 5

News

MNSU Speech and Debate team hosts Larry Schnoor Invitational MARIA LY STAFF WRITER MNSU’s Speech and Debate team hosted their annual 2019 Larry Schnoor Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 19.

The Larry Schnoor Invitational is in honor of professor emeritus Larry Schnoor, commemorating his contributions to the forensics community.

Katie Brunner, the director of MNSU’s Speech and Debate team, said, “Larry is lovingly named in our community as the godfather of forensics, not only was he the director here for many years, but he is highly involved in the forensics community and the American Forensics Association, which is one of our national tournaments.

He has a lot of influence and has been a huge name in our community so it’s an honor for us to say that he comes from Mankato.”

Over 50 competitors gathered together from 11 different schools around the Midwest to compete in 12 different events such as po-

etry, informative speaking, persuasion, etc.

The invitational has a different theme every year some fun and some formal.

In the past, they had a Frank Sinatra theme where Schnoor himself performed a Frank Sinatra song to the audience during the award ceremony.

They even had fun trophies to

This year they wanted to do a fun theme with student’s in the team gathering together to brainstorm and plan.

Brunner said, “What we have done in the past is bring it to the students. This year, we allowed them to make little committees and meet amongst themselves, and they usually vote on the

theme. All of it is student driven.”

This year’s theme is “SemiSchnoor-mal Prom”. Students in the team decorated Armstrong hall with cheesy highschool prom decorations, volunteers dressed up in prom attire, and two students voted by the competitors were

elected as prom royalty.

Student volunteers at the event also wanted to make sure the invitational was as accessible as possible.

Samantha Scholl, a volunteer at the invitational and member of the speech team, said, “We ensured the content warnings were in place for potentially triggering topics as often as we could, plus we had a quiet room in case anyone needed to take a break from the stress.”

Since MNSU’s speech and debate team was hosting the invitational, only students who are novice competitors were allowed to compete.

In poetry interpretation, MNSU students Ladna Abader and John Sandstede placed in fourth and fifth respectively. In both prose interpretation and program oral interpretation, Annie Ward placed in second.

Brunner said, “We’re very excited. We had one of our talent grant students compete, it was her very first tournament, and she was one of the poetry breaks. Now

she’s really fired up to put together a duo interpretation event with one of our other students. I think that the first tournament is really essential.”

Students who placed in first to sixth place were awarded a miniature gold prom queen figurine. Teams and individual sweepstakes got to take home trophies to display proudly in their cases to their universities.

MNSU got to come in full force in the swing invitational, the “Mustang Stampede”, hosted by Southwest Minnesota State University and co-hosted by MNSU on the following Sunday, Oct. 20.

The Mavericks Speech and Debate Team placed second in overall team sweepstakes at the tournament with nine students placing in numerous categories.

The team got to take home a purple cowboy boot which currently sits proudly in Brunner’s office in Armstrong Hall to showcase their achievement and hard work.

“Leadership is not about title or position,” said Audley.

“It is about how you make around you feel.”

Energy is the attitude you initially bring to your team or organization. Energy is about creating a space for your teammates to thrive, create, and contribute in a meaningful way.

The session helped define

energy as it pertains to how you show up in the world, give the tools for building better relationships, and find a life balance that helps one to be their best in academics, professional and personal life.

It is extremely insightful being able to understand how to be a good leader. How to work together, take care of

others in a community, and taking care of yourself.

If someone walked into that event, their walk turned into a confident stride on the way out.

Over 50 competitors gathered together from 11 different schools around the Midwest to compete in 12 different events such as poetry, informative speaking, persuasion, etc. hand out as they gave martini shakers with Schnoor’s face super imposed onto Sinatra’s Last year, the invitational did themes in commitment to the university’s goal of the sesquicentennial such as the theme “legacy” where they honored MNSU speech alumni.

U-LEAD

Continued from page 1 ple’s mental health.

“What kind of stigmas are we bringing by pressuring people into labels?” asked Edwards.

After the breakout sessions, students were able to attend the keynote presentation. The keynote presentation was “Heart of a Leader”, presented by Bobby Audley.

Audley is a nationally rec-

ognized team-building and group dynamics facilitator and speaker that is able to bring a group in through his ability to connect to life. Audley started his career working in higher education as a leadership specialist.

The ideas presented in the keynote presentation discussed different ways to motivate oneself.

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6 • MSU Reporter

Where to Worship

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Where to WORSHIP SERVICE AT 10:30 A.M.

354 Carol Court North Mankato, MN 507-345-7451

www.riverridgekato.org

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Where to Worship

MSU Reporter • 7

Worship SUNDAY WORSHIP 9:30 a.m.

ALL ARE WELCOME!

8 • MSU Reporter

Thursday, October 24, 2019 Have a story idea or a comment?

Minnesota State University, Mankato

EMAIL

Sports Editor Andrew Neururer

andrew.neururer@mnsu.edu

MSU football has its eyes set on 8th victory Mavericks to battle the Golden Eagles on the road in Crookston MEL STRAMM STAFF WRITER This upcoming Saturday, the undefeated Minnesota State football team will travel to Grand Forks, North Dakota to face off against Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles.

After last week’s 74-17 blowout against the University of Mary, the Mavericks should have no problem dominating yet another team.

To date, MSU has never lost against the Golden Eagles and surely won’t do so this week, as Crookston is currently one of the last teams in the NSIC ranking and has lost all seven games to date.

In their last match in 2017, the Mavericks stomped on the Eagles with a 56-19 win.

Looking at the stats, we can expect nothing but another great victory and for MSU to extend their winning streak to eight.

Seniors Ryan Schlichte, Shane Zylstra and Nate Gunn will once again be the players to look out for in this upcom-

ing game. If the game turns out to be another easy win, however, there is a high possibility to see some more experimental plays and younger players taking the field.

The Mavericks are currently averaging 39.9 points and 508.0 offensive yards per game, as well as 299.0 rushing yards, while only allowing for 53.9 yards in defense.

Besides record holder Gunn, who’s tallied 923 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, freshman Kaleb Sleezer has been able to gain 338 yards and three touchdowns this season.

At this point the question on everyone’s mind is not if we will make an appearance at the NCAA Tournament, but rather who they will be possibly facing in a championship game scenario in McKinney, Texas in December.

Currently on top of the NCAA ranking with MSU are Valdosta State, Tarleton State, as well as Ferris State, who the Mavericks took the loss against in last year’s semi-final during the tournament.

Minnesota State quarterback Ryan Schlichte (5) looks to pass the ball during the first half of a football game against the University of Mary at the Blakeslee Stadium Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019 in Mankato, Minn. (Mansoor Ahmad/MSU Reporter)

Maverick men’s hockey aims for sweep over Chargers ANDREW NEURURER SPORTS EDITOR Minnesota State Mavericks men’s hockey will travel to Alabama to take on conference opponent, Alabama Huntsville Chargers.

On the season, the Chargers are 0-4 and will be looking to pick up their first win. Alabama Huntsville played UMass Lowell in their first two games and lost by a combined score of 8-2. They then took on Omaha, where they lost by a combined score of 11-1.

When the Mavericks took on the Chargers last season, they won the first game 6-1 and the second 4-0. They would later meet in the WCHA First Round and won both of those games by a combined score of 7-1.

On the season, the No. 2 ranked Mavericks are 3-0-1 – coming off a series against North Dakota. MSU has had a lot of offense to start the season, already scoring 15 goals in four games.

Minnesota State forward Lucas Sowder (21) looks to score the puck during the third period of a hockey game against the University of North Dakota at the Mankato Civic Center Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019 in Mankato, Minn. (Mansoor Ahmad/MSU Reporter)

Freshman Lucas Sowder is currently leading the team in points with seven, grabbing two goals and five assists.

The leading goal scorer is a familiar face for Maverick fans, senior Marc Michaelis

is coming off a team-high 19 goals last season and is well on his way again this year with four.

Other point leaders are senior Ian Scheid and freshman Nathan Smith, who each

have four points.

The game will be taking place Friday and Saturday night.

On the women’s side of things, they enter the weekend with a record 2-4-2

record.

The Mavericks haven’t had an easy last six games, going

HOCKEY page 9

Thursday, October 24, 2019

MSU Reporter • 9

Sports

Women’s soccer preview: Vetter reflects on season AARON YOUNG STAFF WRITER The Minnesota State women’s soccer team is nearing the end of the season with five games remaining in the regular season.

This weekend they hit the road to play Northern State on Friday and Minnesota State Moorhead on Sunday.

They are currently on a fourgame winning streak.

Sophomore forward Jenny Vetter, who has been the MVP for the team this year, reflected on her individual and the team’s performance this year, also looking ahead to this weekend.

Vetter, discussing her pregame routine, eating habits and outfits, said, “I also try to give myself energy during the warm up by having fun, yet being focused too, especially on the days when I’m maybe not feeling as energized as I usually do.”

Vetter and the team are on a roll as of late and when it comes to expectations, they had big ones at the beginning of the year.

“Our goal as a team is always to win the conference, the conference tournament, and make a deep NCAA run.

I think we are at a good pace to do all of these after our win against Bemidji,” said Vetter.

With their performance

Minnesota State forward Jenny Vetter (4) shoots at the goal during the second half of a soccer game against St. Cloud State University at the Pitch Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019 in Mankato, Minn. (Mansoor Ahmad/MSU Reporter)

so far this year, this goal is a real possibility to be accomplished.

This all starts at the individual level and for Vetter, that means growing every day.

“Last year I learned a lot and grew into who I was as a player, as well as adapted to the college game,” said Vetter. “This year I knew I could

make an impact for our team and I wanted to help us win, in any role I might be put in.”

In their first game, Minnesota State travels to Aberdeen, South Dakota to face Northern State. Last year, the Mavericks beat the Wolves 1-0 in the only meeting between the two that season.

The forward explained the

Kirksey ended the game with a rebound short of a double-double as he brought in 11 points and nine rebounds.

Sophomore Tre Baumgardner finished with 10 points and five rebounds and sophomore Kelby Kramer produced an all-around game, putting up six points, eight rebounds and four blocks.

MSU was able to hold onto a lead of 18-17 at halftime, but the Salukis were able to come into the second half

even stronger, resulting in a win for them 56-41.

Saluki freshman Marcus Domask and senior Eric McGill led Southern Illinois, each scoring 17 points, while Domask also brought in 10 rebounds for the double-double.

Minnesota State will open its regular season Friday, Nov. 8, when they face off against Washburn at the NSIC/MIAA Crossover in Kansas City, Missouri.

challenge of being on the road and how it affects her overall life, including her team.

“Going on the road is always tough, with the stress of missing school, long bus rides, and being out of your normal environment. As a team we always want to come out with a win and

being on the road may come with a few more challenges but the mentality stays the same,” said Vetter.

This game is followed up

by Minnesota State Moorhead, who are coming off a loss from 1-0 Augustana.

The Mavericks will be looking to extend their winning streak on the road.

Men’s basketball falls in its first exhibition game JENNA PETERSON STAFF WRITER On Tuesday, the Minnesota State Mavericks men’s basketball team traveled to Carbondale, Illinois to take on the Southern Illinois Salukis for an exhibition contest.

Even though both teams put up a long and hard fight, the Mavericks fell short of the Salukis and lost 56-41.

Maverick senior Cameron

HOCKEY

Continued from page 8 up against No. 2 ranked Minnesota and No. 9 ranked teams of Minnesota Duluth and Ohio State.

MSU matched up well last weekend with the high ranked Big 10 team of OSU, tying both games 1-1 and 3-3. The team hasn’t won since they opened the season against Rensselaer.

Things will get easier for the Mavericks as they travel up the road to take on the

St. Cloud Huskies. On the season, St. Cloud is 2-4 and currently on a two-game losing streak.

Freshman Kelsey King comes into the weekend leading the team in points, all six of them coming from assists.

Following her is leading scorers junior Mariah Gardner and sophomore Claire Butorac, who have three goals each. Garnder has one

more assist than Butorac, giving her the slight edge in points.

Goalies Abigail Levy and Calla Frank enter play with the same record of 1-2-1.

However, Levy has the slight edge in save percentage with .922.

These games will take place Friday and Saturday afternoon in St. Cloud.

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10 • MSU Reporter

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Annual Drag Show entertains and educates a sold-out crowd ALYSSA BUNDE STAFF WRITER The auditorium is packed, rainbow-colored lights shine above, and the energy is electric as the Fall Gender Bender Drag Show is about to begin. MNSU’s LGBT Center welcomed back Miss Victoria Deville and her fellow queens from the Twin Cities.

The show also included MNSU student performers.

David Gardner, the director of MNSU’s LGBT center on campus sat down with me to explain the process of making an event like this occur. The drag show has been around for a plethora of years, Gardner estimated 10-15 years. The director also stated performers range from queens from the city to the local area. However, Gardner stated they try to encourage student performers to participate in the show as they are typically a fan favorite because of “peer to peer encouragement, and because you always want to root for the person you see on a day to day basis.”

The show began with Deville going through some

rules and reminding the crowd to be respectful to not only the performers but to one another as well. Deville also humorously added that donations are accepted because “it’s expensive to look this cheap.”

In between the exuberant performances and playful banter, the sense of community amongst the queens was evident. However, it was showcased even more when Twin Cities performer Crystal Belle explained that she had forgotten all of her costumes and necessities, but the whole group had graciously offered up their costumes for the show. Belle joked that without that support the crowd would have been left with a “bald guy in underwear.”

Perhaps a personal favorite performance from the show was one of the queens dressed as a glittered crab lip-syncing to Arianna Grande’s “Side to Side”. The performer scuttled side to side and snapped along with to the beat with her costume’s claws.

This was MNSU student Taylor Oeltjenbruns third year attending the show. He

The master of ceremonies prepares to bring out the acts for Mankato’s annual Fall Gender Bender drag show at Ostrander Auditorium. (Andrew Bravo/MSU Reporter

explained that each show was uniquely different and therefore, not one was better than another.

MNSU student Cerra Watkins, when prompted on which performer was her favorite, explained that she “liked them all in different ways.” Watkins continued explaining her appreciation for the variations of music performed, from Hannah Montana to more popular Arianna Grande songs.

However, despite the fun

and glitz of the event, there were serious conversations interjected throughout. Deville brought up the Mankato Chick-Fil-A and their controversial actions regarding the community LGBTQ. She explained, “I know their sandwiches are amazing…I wouldn’t know I’ve never had one. But what I will tell you is that they take large amounts of their money and put it into action to use it against us [the LGBTQ community] anyway they possibly can.”

Talking after the show Deville further described her aggravations with Chick-Fil-A and expressed her seriousness on protesting against the business. She even stated to “let her know if anything ever happens with it” because she would “come down fully dressed in drag to support.”

Despite the seriousness of

DRAG page 12

Students impress with Conkling’s newest gallery

AP Photo

LIDIA VASSAR STAFF WRITER The Conkling Gallery in Nelson Hall is currently showing a number of sculptures by students. Keep an eye out for it while in the area, it’s hard to miss!

When you walk in you’re welcomed by some pieces

that use wood as a medium.

They have a very familiar feel to them, like you’d find them at your grandma’s. Some incorporate pieces of fabric textiles, which just add to the homely aesthetic. The sculptures all play on space and perspective, with one angle giving you a much different picture than another. Walking

around the room and looking at the pieces from a variety of directions is more rewarding than any still photograph of the sculptures could be.

The variety between sculptures was really fantastic, with no two students making similar pieces. Contrasting the wooden sculptures were some three-dimensional

multicolored foam pieces, displayed on the wall. The texture looked very touchable (don’t worry, I didn’t), and the pieces flowed with gravity, stretching down the wall.

Taking advantage of the space you’re given and using it in ways that highlight your work are very important things to consider when creating art, especially if it’s going to inhabit a 3D space.

Space not only has to do with the materials and their volume, it has to do with the voids between the components. One of the sculptures, made of wood pieces cut to the shape of countries, showcased snapshots of the histories while using space in a way that alluded to the shape of a globe while maintaining a more two-dimensional puzzle form.

Color and texture can alter the way shape and space are perceived. There were sculptures that used tires (presumably car tires) as a

medium. The grooves in the rubber added a direction to the movement of the piece, despite it being static. The silhouette, too, was dynamic. On the other side of the room is a piece that is very bright, but feels very set in place and stable in its environment. Constructed with textured white columns, it holds a variety of fantastically colored fixtures.

A multicolored frozen ooze, maybe a plaster of sorts, held up by wire. Rainbow watermelon forming a carefree arch. Vibrant strings with geode-looking suspensions. The variation within the sculptures in this exhibit makes it that much more fun.

The process of constructing sculptures like these seems, to me at least, to be a fun exercise in additive (or maybe subtractive at

ART

page 12

Thursday, October 24, 2019

MSU Reporter • 11

A&E

Ask Jenna

JENNA PETERSON STAFF WRITER

“I keep watching The Office for eight hours a day.

How do I stop doing this and socialize more?”

Your weekly horoscope ALYSSA BUNDE STAFF WRITER Aries Mar 21-April 19 Today will be a productive one, so grab your morning coffee and get to work. Don’t be afraid to ask those around you for assistance as you will likely need it. Avoid slacking off today, that paper or project isn’t going to write itself, and staying in the library until 2 a.m. isn’t doing your health any favors.

Taurus April 20-May 20 You’ve had plenty of options and while it’s felt overwhelming it’s important to remind yourself that it’s better than only being offered one path. However, understand that no matter which path you decide to follow there will always be hurdles to jump.

Gemini May 21- June 20 You’ll have many ideas circulating your brain today, direct that energy into a project. Be sure you choose something that’s feeding your energy and not draining it. Start doing what you love, not what you think you have to do.

Cancer June 21-July 22 Let loose young Cancer, you’ve been so up-tight and it’s time to laugh and be with friends. The road ahead isn’t going to get easier but

working on your mental state might make it more bearable.

Get off your phone, engage with others in class or wherever you may be.

Leo July 23-Aug 22 You may feel sluggish today but there is no time for this, you and those around you have work to do. Encourage others to succeed and your positivity will come back to you. Make sure that classmate or coworker is doing okay. With weather shifting so is everyone’s spirits.

Virgo Aug 23 -Sept 22 Don’t get too caught up in drama today, if you sense tension...run! Focus on the little joys of life. Have you taken the chance to appreciate the trees changing colors or the lack of snow? When is the last time you called an old friend or family member?

Libra Sept 23-Oct 22 Times are changing Libra and it’s easy to reject these changes, but you have to roll with the punches! People’s roles around you are shifting and don’t be surprised when someone close to you tries to break their usual mold.

Scorpio Oct 23-Nov 21 You’ll be surprised by a new perspective today.

Reconsider that class or task you thought was pointless.

What can you gain from it?

How can you make it worth

your time?

Sagittarius Nov 22-Dec 21 A lot has been erupting around you and today is the day to sit back, revaluate, and try to create a solution.

You’ve had a cloud hanging over your head for a while now and it’s time for it to pass. Be clear and determined with your intentions.

Capricorn Dec 22-Jan 19 You’ve been growing bored with your surroundings and today it’s time to address these feelings. You cannot continue pretending, so spice up your conversations, sign up for a fitness class or hit up a friend you haven’t seen in a while.

Aquarius Jan 20-Feb 18 Shoot your shot, today is the day. Obviously just staring at that person in class hasn’t been effective! Whether it’s a romantic interest or a possible new friend, invite them to hang out sometime this week. Your communication and social areas in life are looking good.

Pisces Feb 19-Mar 20 You cannot fix everyone’s problems. Those close to you have been struggling and while it can be tempting to constantly lend a hand you have to let them be self-sufficient. When they inevitably ask for you help stand your ground.

DRAG

ART

Continued from page 12 times) art. Of course, stick a deadline on anything and it becomes that much more painful. If I had all the time in the world I’m sure this article would do the sculptures more justice.

Seeing all these works of art really made me want to join the sculpture course.

Executing creative ideas in a way that communicates with other people is no

TEXT: JOESLIQ Keystone

themselves, “I’d say just take your time. The moment will feel right when it’s right and when you see other people walking around being themselves, just know that will be you someday. Maybe right now isn’t the safest moment so it doesn’t have to be right now.”

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the few that wasn’t lip sung.

She explained she chose to sing Dianna Ross because of her strong love towards the artist and that to prepare for a show she listens pump up music while doing her makeup.

Avocado also offered advice to fellow students struggling to come out or find

small feat, but when you’re moved by something I think you naturally want to try your hand at it. Maybe in a future semester.

If you’re someone who is similarly pulled to artwork, make sure to stop by the Conkling Gallery for a fun little journey into other people’s minds.

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Continued from page 12 the topic the show seamlessly bounced back to its light-hearted mood as soon as the next performer sashayed to the stage.

Student performer Alec Otto, or her stage name Avocado, discussed that this was her second time participating. One of Avocado’s performance was one of

In all honesty, watching The Office always sounds like a good idea to me, and many nights I’ll watch it before going to bed. At times it gets to a point where it’s routine for me to turn on the TV and start watching the series, but there always comes a point where I need a break from Michael Scott’s constant “That’s what she said” jokes and Jim and Dwight’s childish pranks. Instead of watching the show, I’ll get out of my room and see what my roommates are up to, and either I’ll do homework with them or we’ll go out and get food. If it’s the weekend,

we’ll go out around town or visit other friends. Other things that could be done to avoid the long and brain-engraving theme song is to check out what is happening around campus and town. If you have the MavLife app on your phone, and if you don’t already you should download it, on the home page there is an events tab that shows you everything that is happening on campus, from arts and entertainment to sporting events. There is also a Clubs and Organizations tab that makes it easier for new and returning students to find ways to meet new people with similar interests and to get more involved on campus. I personally have used this app to communicate with other people and to see events on campus that I normally wouldn’t hear about.

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