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Faculty Association draws the line on Charting As campus groups around MN drop from embattled plan, MSU faculty group clears the air on recent events.
JAMES HOUTSMA Editor in Chief Tensions between Minnesota university faculty unions and MnSCU Chancellor Steven Rosenstone over the latter’s handling of the education plan Charting the Future have hit a new peak after false claims of mediation between the two groups were announced last week. This news follows the announcement late last Monday, Nov. 3, that faculty unions at Bemidji State University and Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall approved a vote of “no confidence” in Rosenstone’s handling of this plan. The addition of these two universities makes for five of seven faculty systems that have withdrawn participation from Charting the Future, including St. Cloud State, Winona State and Minnesota State University, Mankato. Speaking at an open forum Wednesday, Minnesota State University, Mankato Faculty Association President Mary Frances Visser sought to clear some of the misconceptions being made about the actions of the faculty unions. “As soon as Charting the Future starting being discussed and information on it came out, we
were working with MnSCU to change some of the things about it,” Visser said. “Working quietly, working inside, like you are supposed to do.” While the faculty groups across the state insist they are not opposed to every initiative found in the enigmatic plan, many points of conflict come from the lack of communication in the planning process, which affected their decision to remove themselves from the process in October. “The biggest issue, other than some of the Charting the Future initiatives, was the amount of faculty and student representation on the implementation committees. We asked all along “Can we please have more?” “No.”,” Visser said. “Our contention was that we wanted to be a part of this but we disagreed with some of the things that MnSCU was doing. We really felt we needed more of a voice. We asked for it; we never got it. At that point we decided to pull out.” This sentiment was reiterated recently in a letter to Rosenstone by faculty union leaders, which announced their withdrawal from CtF, stating “…in the end, we believe that our concerns about trust and transparency in the process will not be resolved through participation in that pro-
cess.” As of now, 18 people serve on each of the plan’s implementation committees. Of those 18 people, there is one 4-year faculty member, one 2-year faculty member and one student, which many have called foul on. “Even if some of them [nonfaculty and student representatives on the committee] voted against an issue, they’d still win every time. We feel, as faculty and students in this, that we should have more of a say in what’s going on and we don’t.” Rosenstone’s office issued a statement last Tuesday, responding to the no confidence votes, saying: “We continue to be disappointed that the faculty union leaders are continuing to use this tactic to further their goal of stopping the critical conversations that make up Charting the Future.” But according to Visser and several faculty members present at the forum, attempts to talk with Rosenstone have largely been dismissed, citing instances of unreturned phone calls, a monologue response to a Bill of Particulars in June and flat-out refusals to discuss the plan at meetings. “There has been something of a pattern since Rosenstone has been here of ‘things have been
Chancellor Steven Rosenstone is facing increased resistance in implementing Charting the Future.
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decided, they are going forward,’” said Visser. Among the concerns over t r a n s p a r e n c y, many have been put off by the decision to bring on outside consulting firm McKinsey & Co. – a reported $2 million contract that was largely unannounced by Rosenstone. The consulting firm’s subsequent report on the plan was heavily redacted, faculty reps say, due to trade secrets. “MediationWeb Photo gate,” as Visser refers to it, is Minnesota State Faculty Association President Mary seen as just the Visser hosted an open forum to better explain the situalatest attempt to tion faculty groups are dealing with. force the faculty “We are being characterleadership into a compromising ized as people who do not want situation. Last week, after brief change, and I couldn’t say that phone contact between Rosen- about any faculty that I know,” stone and faculty union lead- Visser said. “I find that comers, the Chancellor’s office sent pletely insulting and an obstrucout a press release announcing tion to continue positive discusplans were in motion to mediate sion on this.” between the opposing groups. Visser stressed not only havProblem was, the faculty lead- ing a fair seat at the decisioners reportedly never came close making table but also making to agreeing to mediate, and the sure students are involved and announcement has been rebuffed represented with the process as among the groups as an attempt well. to turn public perception against The student senate at Metro them. Because of that, the chanc- State University in the Twin Cites of mediation now appear ies is the latest student-led orgascarce. nization to take a vote of no con“Two or three weeks ago, this fidence against Rosenstone. could have been a possible way The Minnesota State Student of solving this, had there been a Association met Wednesday to sincere interest in actually do- discuss their stance on the coning what people do in mediation troversial plan, resolving to not – to talk quietly, in confidence,” support, oppose or withdraw Visser said. “Right now, as far as from Charting the Future at this we’re concerned, that has blown time, but did reserve the right to up. We can not go back and say do so in the future if they feel that we’re going to do that.” student concerns are not being Recent implications about addressed. faculty union intentions have also not been well received.
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Thursday, November 13, 2014
MSU professor invited to meet former first lady Symposium will discuss the needs of rural behavioral health assistance. Nation Association for Rural Mental Health (NARMH), and not to mention his academic work and published articles, have landed him the opportunity not many others can obtain. This invitation-only event is the annual Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy, which brings together leaders and experts in mental health across the nation to target this issue that is sweeping the globe and our nation. Mental illness, or as Mackie calls it, behavioral health, is common throughout the United States. Tens of millions of people each year are afflicted, and only about half receive treatment for their illness. One in four adults (that’s about 61.5 million Americans) are dealing with a behavioral health issue daily. Especially in rural parts of America, more and more people are ignoring their behavioral health needs. That means about half, 9.5 percent of Americans aren’t getting the help they need. Mackie’s focus is rural behavioral health. “Rural areas, too often, lack resources in communities and local caregivers are often even more limited,” Mackie said.
Amanda Hinde • MSU Reporter Dr. Paul Force-Emery Mackie, who will be attending First Lady Carter’s symposium.
AMANDA HINDE Staff Writer As we draw nearer to the last weeks of November, most people on campus are starting to think about approaching finals and registration for the upcom-
ing semester of classes. Not one person, however; Dr. Paul ForceEmery Mackie is getting ready for a very important invitation from the former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. As a professor in the department of social work, his current position as president-elect of the
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p p cartercenter.orgA First Lady Rosalynn Carter, who has been a longtime ambassador of men- a g tal illness awareness. p munities. That’s where NARMH d NARMH’s main goal is to help inform policies and provide comes in. “Rural communities are input about rural behavioral b underrepresented for policy health by reducing stigma and t makers, politically, and for all h increasing providers in rural facets that apply to rural policy,” a communities. The stigma that he continued. behavioral health issues is i So far, NARMH has had suc- a something to be ashamed of is all over our nation, but it’s even FIRST LADY • Page 8 more prevalent in rural com-
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Spotlight: Black Intelligent Gentlemen Exceptional group of men strive for excellence in every aspect. RACHEL LINDQUIST Staff Writer
The Black Intelligent Gentlemen, or B.I.G., is a Recognized Student Organization (RSO) here on campus at MSU. B.I.G. was founded three years ago. The members consist of current students at MSU. B.I.G. is a group where black men are able to have an outlet here on campus. For some, black men are perceived in a negative light and this RSO is here to change the negative to positive, starting with themselves. Abdul Nakumbe, the student president of B.I.G., stated, “the purpose of B.I.G. is to change gAfrican American male students and to help them grow into gentlemen. We want to change perceptions of black males and defy the odds.” This fall semester, B.I.G. has been focused on bringing attention to their RSO. Many plans have been in the making, such as starting a book club, tabling in the Centennial Student Union, and even hosting a breakfast, which will be open to the public 8so people can meet and connect
facebook.com Black Intelligent Gentlemen’s 2012 group. They all are driven to not only better the community, but support one another to better themselves.
with each other. “Our group is open to men of any race or color or background. We encourage questions and attendance to all who are interested,” shared Nakumbe.
A main focus for B.I.G. is getting involved in the community. B.I.G. is looking to be leaders of service. Through service, members are able to not only help others, but even help
L ibr ary B y The N umbers ...
themselves by growing more into the men that they are. Each semester, B.I.G. tries to do at least two to three service community projects. The service project ideas are brought on by
the members themselves and the goal is to impact those in need. This semester for their service community projects B.I.G. plans
GENTLEMEN • Page 8
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Thursday, November 13, 2014
Holistic healing and psychic medium expo Speakers, psychic mediums, healers and more will feature. BROOKE EMMONS Staff Writer The Matrix Media Expo will be featuring a Natural Healing and Psychic Expo this Nov. in
Mankato. On Nov. 15 and 16 at 901 Raintree Rd. there will be an exciting line up of 40 carefully selected exhibitors showcasing
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many different types of natural healing and psychic abilities. Featured will be intuitive readers, which processes, releases, and transmutes energy and feelings like a talk session with a friend. Afterwards, the reader will be able to provide in-depth information about a person’s soul journey and life path. Reiki Healers will also be present at the Expo. This is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. Reiki is based off the idea that all people have an unseen energy that flows through them and causes them to be alive. Another exhibitor that will be present is integrated healing practitioners. They are popular throughout Europe and combines multiple healing systems from psychology, quantum science, kinesiology, life coaching, and traditional Chinese medicine. By taking the best practices from these traditional healing techniques as well as their own methods, integrated healing provides a revolutionary method. There will be many natural
matrixmediaexpo.jigsy.com Alison James, a keynote speaker that will feature on Saturday at the expo. She is a psychic medium and animal intuitive.
beauty vendors at the Expo. Natural beauty is on the rise in homes and Hollywood for its many benefits including being earth friendly, avoiding irritation from chemicals and artificial substances, avoiding irritation from harsh scents, no strange side effects, and overall gentleness that will lead to younger looking skin over the years.
Natural nutritional products are another craze that will be featured at the expo. The effects of eating healthy are numerous, and include lowering the amount of carcinogens in taken, having more energy, weight loss and overall improved health. Holistic jewelry, crystals and
PSYCHIC EXPO • Page 5
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Thursday, November 13, 2014
Winter car care check list Make sure you have the essentials this season.
Another Minnesota winter will soon be upon us, and while this season will entail hot chocolate and snowball fights, it also means that your car will require far more care than normal. Here’s a list of the things you should have checked before the snow hits. Antifreeze: Check coolant level regularly and, if required, top-up with a mixture of the correct type of antifreeze. Your garage should check concentration to ensure adequate cold temperature protection. Battery: The most common cause of winter breakdowns. A m battery more than five years old may struggle in the cold - get it checked and replaced if necessary to avoid the inconvenience of an unplanned failure. Fuel: Keep at least a quarter of a tank in case of unexpected delay. Lights: Check and clean all lights regularly to make sure you can see and be seen clearly. Carry spare bulbs. Tires: Should have at least 3 mm of tread for winter motor-
theautochannel.com With the incoming season, weather can become vicious. Make sure to take extra measures to prevent an accident.
ing. Consider winter tires for improved safety. Check pressures at least every two weeks. Windscreen: Reduce dazzle from the low sun by keeping the screen clean inside and out. Now is a good time to renew worn wiper blades. Screen wash: Use a 50 percent mix of a good qual-
MSU Reporter • 5
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ity screen wash to reduce the chance of freezing in frosty weather. Lock and door seals: Stop doors from freezing shut with a thin coat of polish or Vaseline on rubber door seals. A squirt of water dispersant (WD-40) in locks will help stop them from freezing.
PSYCHIC EXPO “Reiki healers will also be present at the expo.” continued from 4 books will also be available for sale at the event, to help you bring the positives of holistic healing into your life. Main events of the expo will be two highly noted psychic mediums. Alison James will be the keynote speaker on Saturday. She is known as one of the top psychic mediums and animal intuitive. In her presentation, she will display her connections to many different species of animals as well as the divine. She is well known throughout Minnesota and has been featured in the “Best of the Twin Cities” competition. Sunday will feature yet another widely known psychic medium, Robert Baca. He was born with many psychic gifts, but was strongly discouraged from using them. After a near death accident in 2000, the choice of suppressing his gifts was no longer in his hands. He began having visions and messages from spirits. One of the best-known psychic mediums in the Midwest, Baca amazes
his audiences with his connections to the dead. Saturday evening at 7 p.m. there will be a special Harmonic Healing Ceremony including Tibetan singing bowls and mystical magical harmonics. Throughout the weekend there will be many tears as well as much laughter. In the expo, there will be speakers and workshops featuring Crystal and Gemstones 101, Cleansing the Soul Workshop, Healing with Essential Oils, and Intuition on both days of the event. The Expo will be located in the Courtyard by Marriott, which is near Scheels at the River Hills Mall. There will be free parking near the front door. The event admission is $5 for one day or $8 for the whole weekend. The speakers Robert Baca and Allison James require an extra ticket, which are $25 online and $30 at the door.
6 • MSU Reporter
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The limits of cultural acceptance
One international student questions just how accepting Americans really are. YUSEONG JEON Staff Writer
When I first came to America last semester, I was lucky enough to make good American friends in the beginning. Even though my English was not that fluent by that time, my first American friends understood me well, respected my cultural background and tried to help me whenever I had difficulties in school or in other environments in general. I thought they were typical Americans and I was so impressed by their generous attitudes toward international people just like me. Unfortunately, my positive impression on Americans couldn’t last longer. As time went by, it got more difficult to make new American friends. At first, I didn’t understand what the problem was. Americans are nice here in general so at first I felt like I could make plenty of friends. However, after my first few American friends, I just couldn’t make any new
ones. While this was happening, however, I came to make a lot of international friends. I started feel like American’s kindness and politeness were just fake. Americans seem nice but they actually don’t accept other cultures. More specifically, they just don’t care about different cultures. They don’t try to know about other cultures even though Mankato is becoming a hotspot for international society. In addition to a small number of Americans who actually are interested in learning and experiencing different cultures, most Americans just cannot interact with people from various backgrounds. I think the reason most of Americans only care about their culture and their country is for their excessive patriotism. Because of their American pride, it seems that Americans think they don’t have to respect different cultures because they are on top of the world, even though American society is the vast melting pot of diverse cultures. Many international students seem to feel the same way as I feel about Americans. Bethelhem Legasse, from Ethiopia who has been in
Mankato for two and a half years said, “Americans are open to an extent. They would be welcoming with smiles and everything, but they do not understand the true diversity.” “Some people here I came in contact with are still asking me how I lived in Ethiopia, if I could even get ice cream and chocolate or those basic things, even though I have known them for two and a half years,” Legasse said. “Americans think America is the world, not a country,” Legasse continued. Maria Montañez, from Mexico who came to Mankato last semester, also mentioned, “I think Americans here are more open minded than people in Nebraska where I lived for three years. I felt more welcomed here than there. But still, I can’t feel like I am truly welcomed here either. I think that is the main reason why most of people that I get along with are international people.” “International people care about each other and truly understand each other in a situation apart from family and friends,” Montañez explained. In Korea, there is a saying
that ‘the frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean,’ which means a man of narrow views cannot see the world as it is. At first I tried my best to mingle with Americans by having an interest in their culture and lifestyle, but I came to realize that it is impossible to be accepted truly from Americans unless they have a true open mind to us. Instead, I love myself and other international friends with a variety of international experiences around the world because I can broaden my perspective toward the world and learn something in my life from these people whom I can always network and interact with. If Americans here have more attention to international cultures and have an open mind, they would be able to experience something very new and interesting that they haven’t experienced before. Mankato is a microcosm of international society. Americans should change into being more open-minded toward various cultures for the mutual relationship with people from different cultural background in this society.
“Do you feel that Americans in Mankato are accepting of your background?”
NINA XIONG, PSYCHOLOGY “Mankato Americans are oblivious to my cultural background, but I’m sure most are accepting of it. They just need to be willing.”
MARINA XIONG, BIOLOGY “Mankato Americans are starting to accept my cultural background. They are suspicious about it, but willing to know more about it.”
AMIN NUR, AVIATION “No; because not enough people that live in Mankato know enough or are willing to know about my culture.”
HEMANT SAWLE, IT “Yes, MNSU is accepting our cultural and traditions, the university is much more inclined in promoting cultural activities.”
Minnesota State University, Mankato
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FALL 2014 EDITOR IN CHIEF: Schuyler Houtsma........ 389-5454 NEWS EDITOR: Hannah Kleinberg....... 389-5450 SPORTS EDITOR: Joey Denton.................389-5227 VARIETY EDITOR: Rae Frame................... 389-5157 ADVERTISING SALES: Mac Boehmer............. 389-5097 Brandon Poliszuk......... 389-5453 Jase Strasburg.............. 389-1079 Amber Masloski...........389-1063 Allie Bigbee................ 389-5609 BUSINESS MANAGER: Jane Tastad.................. 389-1926 AD. DESIGN/PROD. MGR.: Dana Clark..................389-2793
POLICIES & INFORMATION • If you have a complaint, suggestion or would like to point out an error made in the Reporter, call Editor in Chief Schuyler Houtsma at 507-389-5454. The Reporter will correct any errors of fact or misspelled names in this space. Formal grievances against the Reporter are handled by the Newspaper Board. • The Minnesota State University Mankato Reporter is a student-run newspaper published twice a week, coming out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Reporter generates 78 percent of its own income through advertising and receives approximately 22 percent from Student Activities fees. The Reporter is free to all students and faculty, but to start a subscription, please call us at 507-389-1776. Subscriptions for the academic school year are $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.
Compiled by Yohanes Ashenafi
SUMIT MAHAJAN, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING “Yes, I love to be here. I’ve learned many new things about American culture.”
Thursday, November 13, 2014
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MSU Reporter • 7
A cure to Diversity dinner partisanship? The downside to the twoparty figurehead in politics. LUKE LARSON Staff Writer Now that the election is over, it’s a good time to take our attention off the discouragingly petty and shallow state of modern-day political campaigning and reflect on the fundamental principles of our democracy. Now that we’re in that precious sliver of time between the election and the next round of vicious campaigning, we have an opportunity to question the underlying assumptions upon which our political system is built and not be drowned out by the next scandalous soundbite from the campaign trail. In particular, I would like to focus on a principle of American government that, by its nature, leads to a democratic system that does a very poor job of reflecting the will of the people. It is the concept of “first past the post” voting and it is central to the electoral process in America. The Youtube videos “The Problems with First Past the Post Explained” and “The Alternative Vote Explained” by C.G.P. Grey, which collectively have now reached nearly three million views and provide excellent analyses of the issue through analogy. I would highly
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recommend checking them out when you have the time. “First past the post,” as the first video explains, is the electoral system in which all eligible citizens get one vote and the candidate with more votes than the others wins. It seems pretty harmless, you might be thinking. What could possibly be the issue? The problem, as the videos explain, is that it is largely responsible for the creation of the two-party system. We know from experience the effects of a two-party system: politics become a war between the two sides, who are constantly looking for the next opportunity to gain the upper hand. It is nearly impossible for a third party to gain traction in our system and this is a result of first-past-the-post. The website of the Electoral Reform Society, a British group, explains that third party supporters, realizing that their party will never win elections and not wanting to waste their vote, won’t vote for the candidate they agree with the most, but the major candidate they dislike the least. The video goes on to demonstrate how this funnels such voters into broad political coalitions. They may not support much – or even the majority – of what this larger coalition advocates for, but at least they’re not as bad as the other huge coalition. Third parties act as spoilers, generally stealing more votes from one party than the other. Even if a voter identified most with a small party, that voter would want his vote to act as a spoiler against his/her second choice, which was a large party with a
good chance of winning. This encourages the growth of large parties. By this process, Americans are left with two enormous political entities—the Republicans and the Democrats—which are both strange, incoherent mixtures of a broad array of special interests. These entities are able to effectively push out all minority parties. That’s not to say, as the first video rightly points out, that they themselves are not a minority. They are simply the biggest minorities. A party may have only 30 percent of overall support, but if 30 percent is more than any of its competitors have, that party will be the one with power and others will join out of necessity. Even if, on some particular issue, 70 percent have one view, the view of the 30 percent will take precedence. The video demonstrates that such a situation does not last long, as smaller parties realize they have no chance of victory as small parties, and so they compromise their beliefs and join larger parties. So what’s the solution? Is there a solution, or are we trapped indefinitely in this grossly imperfect system? As a matter of fact, there is a very simple answer to the problem; the second video continues the analogy used in the first video and explains why ranked-choice voting is the antidote to the unrepresentative system of firstpast-the-post. Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank the candidates from favorite to least rather than
PARTISANSHIP • Page 9
Yohanes Ashenafi • MSU Reporter President Davenport and company attended the Institutional Diversity Dinner, which occured on Nov. 7
8 • MSU Reporter
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FIRST LADY “Mental illness, or as Mackie calls it, behavioral health, is common throughout the United States. Tens of millions of people each year are afflicted, and only about half receive treatment for their illness. ”
Thursday, November 13, 2014
GENTLEMEN “A main focus for B.I.G. is getting involved in the
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cess in it’s on going process by holding pre-arranged meetings with members of Congress and federal policy makers; to give information on the needs and concerns of rural community health. They were even involved with Mrs. Carter in the passage of “the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, which ensures that mental illnesses are covered by insurance at parity with other illnesses.” This is just one step towards the goals of Mackie. His first goal is to open more pathways to helping provide service for rural communities by de-stigmatizing. Secondly, to increase the amount of people in rural communities to be able to provide the correct services to those in need. And thirdly, to help with the financial difficulties experienced by rural communities. “Those who need it the most, often can’t pay,” Mackie informed. “It’s harder in smaller communities to get help. Say you park your truck in front of the local county mental health facility and people see your truck there. People then talk of or ask why you were there. It’s hard to stay anonymous or to hide whose getting care.”
People know that they need care, but are choosing to stay out of the public eye and just ignore their problem. This upcoming symposium will be a great next step to getting rural behavioral health issues out and in the public’s attention. “I’m hoping to learn everything I can. The best and brightest minds of behavioral health policy developers are going to be there and talking about behavioral health from across the country, not just my area, of rural health. I also want to be able to offer what I can to the conversation. My professional and collective knowledge on the unique needs of the rural areas needs to be heard.” Mackie is also hoping to further the reach of NARMH by building collaborations with people of similar stances on behavioral health problems. NARMH is finding great success in de-stigmatizing behavioral health from local peer care providers. While they wouldn’t be able to run the clinics or even have special training or licensure, they are effective as support workers. And as being members of those communities that they work in, their act de-stigmatizes and
inspires the ill that they can get back to being healthy even if they are seen at the county mental health facility. Mackie is also collaborating on a book that is coming out soon. This, which is nearing completion, on rural social work practices is co-written by Dr. Kimberly Zammitt, Mackie and one other staff member. A great honor of being invited to the Rosalynn Carter Symposium is getting to meet Mrs. Carter herself and her staff. “Meeting her is a privilege, she is a tireless advocate to improve the quality of behavioral health,” he enthused. She has taken it to an entire new level, there is an incredible amount of work that she has done by bringing together people with unique skills to help inform future policies. A social problem has been identified. “We know there is a need and we know that uniquely to what I represent, rural mental health, it is limited.” If we can get past the stigma, inaccessible care, and payment issues, we can then ask if we have done a good job.
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to clean the streets of Minneapolis, help out at one of the city soup kitchens in Minneapolis, and possibly ring bells in effort to raise money and awareness for the Salvation Army. “We encourage active involvement among our members because we are apart of the community.” Nakumbe explained. B.I.G. meets every other Monday for a few hours. The men discuss multiple topics, such as current events—like voting. They discuss real issues that they experience, like stereotypes that they are exposed to from being black men. Nakumbe was able to not only share information about B.I.G. but also a personal testimony. He shared what he personally likes about this particular RSO, B.I.G. “We hold accountability for one another. We are each other’s mentors. We make sure that we’re each on top of our grades and that we are staying out of trouble. I like B.I.G. because I like to see my brothers succeed.
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I like to know that I am not alone. I like to change the way that we are viewed in not just the community, but in the word. I want to be a positive role model. And I like being black.” B.I.G. meets every other Monday from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Centennial Student Union, room 238. It is open to anyone interested. For more information on the Black Intelligent Gentlemen, you can email the president Abdul Nakumbe, or feel free to visit the website at http://www. mnsu.edu/atoz/rso-archive/details.php?name=B.I.G+(+Black+ Intelligent+Gentlemen) The advisor of the Black Intelligent Gentlemen RSO is Dr. Henry Morris.
Not valid with any other offer. One coupon per vehicle. Valid for Mankato location only. Call for appointment.
1400 Madison Avenue Mankato (507) 625-2851 www.aamco.com
Thursday, November 13, 2014
MSU Reporter • 9
News
PARTISANSHIP “It is nearly impossible for a third party to gain traction in our system, and this is a result of first-past-the-post.” continued from 7 just being allotted one vote to spend on one candidate. When the votes are tallied, rankedchoice voting operates as an automatic runoff election. In a runoff election, a second vote is held with a narrowed list of candidates based on the support they received in the first election in which voters of the eliminated candidates are allowed to support their second
preferences. In ranked-choice voting, extra elections are not necessary because the voters have already expressed their preferences. As FairVote. org explains, the first preferences of all voters are tallied. If no candidate has an absolute majority of over 50 percent (as opposed to a mere plurality, as required in first-past-the-post), the secondary preferences of the
least popular candidate are then taken into account. This process continues until one candidate receives an absolute majority of support. The video stresses that this eliminates the spoiler effect mentioned earlier because a vote for a third party doesn’t mean a vote taken away from the larger, second-favorite party if the third party does not receive enough support.
Get used to lower gas prices NEW YORK (AP) — Those low gas prices on station signs aren’t going away soon, the government says. In a dramatic shift from previous forecasts, the Energy Department predicted Wednesday that the average price of gasoline in the U.S. will be below $2.94 a gallon in 2015. That a 44-cent drop from an outlook issued just a month ago. If the sharply lower estimate holds true, U.S. consumers will save $61 billion on gas compared with this year. Rising oil production, particularly in the U.S., and weak spots in the global economy have led to a sharp reduction in oil prices over the past four months. Not seeing much of a change ahead, the government cut its forecast for global oil prices next year by $18 a barrel to $83. As a result, U.S. drivers will pay on average 45 cents less for a gallon of gas next year compared to this year. Based on expected gasoline consumption, that’s a savings of $60.9 billion. That may not seem like a lot in the context of a $17.5 trillion U.S. economy, but economists
say it matters because it immediately gives consumers more money to spend on other things. Consumer spending accounts for 70 percent of the U.S. economy. “It would be a reversal of the trend over the last few years where consumers can’t stretch a dollar far enough,” says Tim Quinlan, an economist at Wells Fargo. Quinlan says the price of gasoline is one of the three big drivers of consumer confidence, along with stock prices and the unemployment rate. “Lately all three are moving in the right direction,” he says. After falling for 48 straight days, the average gasoline price in the U.S. is $2.92, the lowest since December of 2010, according to AAA. That was also the last full year when the average came in below $3 a gallon. While it’s not unusual for gas to hit its low for the year in late fall, the government is now saying that these prices aren’t just a low point, but instead will be the norm next year. Adam Sieminski, administrator of the Energy Information Administration, the Energy De-
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partment’s statistical arm, attributed the lower pump prices to lower prices for crude oil and weak fuel demand. The EIA did hedge its bet on lower oil prices though, as it cautioned that OPEC could cut production in order to push prices higher. The global price of crude has fallen by $35 a barrel, or 30 percent, since late June and closed at $80.38 Wednesday. Oil production around the world has been strong in recent years. A boom in the U.S. has pushed domestic production up 70 percent since 2008. At the same time, demand for fuels is growing more slowly than expected in Asia and Europe because of weak economic growth. The U.S. economy is faring relatively well, but more fuelefficient cars and changing driving habits are keeping domestic gasoline demand low. The EIA expects demand to fall slightly next year despite the lower pump prices.
What would it mean for government in America if, say, a constitutional amendment mandating ranked-choice voting were passed? It would be a major shift in the dynamics of our politics. Politics in America would look very different than it does now. Third parties would and our Republican and Democratic coalitions could break apart as factions decide that they could succeed on their own. We may see a libertarian party or a social conservative party or a successful Green Party enter the sphere of politics. It would be a chance for issues ignored by our binary system to take center stage. The pro-life voter who is forced to compromise her support of the environment and unions by voting Republican could perhaps find a party to call home in the
new system. The voter who supports universal healthcare would not be forced to support a Democratic party which is okay with the use of drones and further involvement in the Middle East if he found a new party which more accurately reflected his views. Granted, this would not occur overnight as the parties would need time to gain traction. As a sign of progress, the city of Minneapolis, according to its website, is already utilizing ranked-choice voting for its municipal elections. The opportunity to make our democracy more democratic is too easy to pass up. Let’s set an example for the rest of the world and embrace ranked-choice voting.
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10 • MSU Reporter
News
Thursday, November 13, 2014
An open letter to errors Errors aren’t so bad after all. before, misusing punctuation I knew nothing about this time
RAE FRAME A&E Editor Dear Errors, You have been around since my first backwards letters, and as I learn more about both my first and second languages, you seem to show up even more frequently. Sometimes even my own proofreading works against me when an edit leaves some sketchy subject/verb agreement, extra punctuation, or an unexplained quote. Errors, sometimes I think that the more I learn, the more of you I make. Which was a depressing thought—until I realized that I’m making mistakes in languages I couldn’t speak
making such obvious mistakes. Though I am not a pro, and
taken to the pages of the MSU Reporter to show just how much
“I hope a long career of errors awaits me; not because I enjoy being wrong, but because I enjoy learning.” last year. Though I’m not proud of the obvious mistakes that slip through my fingers, I’m learning not to take things so seriously, and knowing that there’s always another production in a few days time really puts things into perspective. Nothing makes a prospective editor more proud than locating an error (be it spelling, grammar, or flow) in a publication that “should know better.” It shocks people to see the pros
do not work for a pro publication, we should still strive to be professional. I have recently realized that I will not always know better, but the only way I can come close is by keeping an open mind and an open notebook. I joined the Reporter as a copy editor when a professor used it as an instructional tool, pointing out our errors to the class. I should think more than one highlighter has been
better we should know. I know, because I own at least one of those highlighters. I applied to copy edit because I knew I could spot the errors, fix the spelling, and make use of that oxford comma. I also applied to copy edit because I was arrogant, thinking I could singlehandedly rid the publication of errors of any sort; instead, I have embarked along a very messy, very beautiful career path that I never intended to wander down.
B I hope a long career of errors S awaits me; not because I enjoy being wrong, but because I enjoy learning. Errors, I hope that the student body feels welcome to wander into my office and give me their feedback on this educational production that should make them feel represented, understood, and entertained. I hope students and faculty know that I am excited to see all these mistakes constructively pointed out by those who can help me learn because there is so much I need to learn. Errors, you have taught me that teachability is more important than perfection, and I cannot wait to learn some more. See you soon, Errors. Rae
Thursday, November 13, 2014
MSU Reporter • 11
News
Downgrade in voter turnout
Worst voter amount in 72 years.
BROOKE EMMONS Staff Writer
Despite attempts to raise voter turnout by various orgat nizations, this year’s midterm election displayed the worst voter turnout in the past 72 years. Efforts to get the American public to vote this year were extensive from national organizations like Rock the Vote, Get out the vote and Paticip8. Traditionally, voter turnout in midterm elections is lower than that of a general election. But, these numbers were especially low. From the last midterm election in 2010 to this election in 2014, eligible voter turnout fell more than 5 percent. This year’s numbers say that only 36.3 percent of eligible voters casted a vote. The only
election to have a worse turnout was in 1942, with a 33.9 percent turnout. Out of all the states, 43 had less than half of eligible voters participate this year. The seven that had above 50 percent participation were Maine, Wisconsin, Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Iowa and Minnesota. Minnesota was ranked sixth most turn out with over half at 51.3 percent. Maine showed the largest amount of votes with 59.3 percent. The lowest was Indiana with 28 percent turn out. The other states with the lowest turn out were Mississippi, Tennessee, New York, Utah and Texas. There are many different factors which affect the voter turn out from election to election. Some of these are electoral competiveness, election type, voting
law, voters, and demographics. One if the reasons why analysists believe the turn out was so low this year is the high amount of disapproval towards the White House. President Barrack Obama faces a massive 54 percent of voters disapproval. An additional 60 percent are unhappy with the direction the country is moving in. Another idea towards why the numbers are so low is the overwhelmingly negative tone in campaigns. Many politicians used the tactic of shaming their opponents instead of projecting their own positive ideas, and this hurt the election greatly. A lack of interest was another major factor. This was a dominant factor in the northern states and amoungst young people. Only 13 percent of this year electorate was a voter from ages
18 to 29. This is a 6 percent drop from the 2012 elections, which had a record high amount of young voters. Of the voters who turned out, the demographics were disturbing. There were 75 percent Caucasian, 12 percent African American, 8 percent Hispanic, 3 percent Asian, and 2 percent other. The voters are changing the ways they self identify. Of those who voted, 36 percent identify as Republican, 35 identify as Democrat, and 28 percent identify as Independent. President Obama has addressed the issue of the low voter turn out in his post-election press conference. He said to the public, “To everyone who voted, I want you to know that I hear you. To the two-thirds of voters who chose not to partici-
moorishamericanews.com Organizations such as Rock the Vote and Particip8 worked tirelessly to goad the young into voting, however statistics were still down.
pate in the process yesterday, I hear you, too.” Work towards improving the election processes is happening for the 2016 elections.
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12 • MSU Reporter
Sports
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Bethlehem Lutheran, ELCA
It's ok to dress casual for church. Jesus did.
Sunday Services 8:15 & 10:45 am Wednesday - 6 pm Pastor Jay Dahlvang Pastor Collette Broady 720 S. 2nd St. 507-388-2925 www.bethlehemmankato.org
ST. PAUL'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH (WELS)
Join us for Worship! Belgrade Avenue United Methodist Church
SERVICES Saturday | 5:30 p.m. Sunday | 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday | 9:15 a.m. | Fellowship & Bible Study Thursday (Summer) | 6:30 p.m.
Learn Jesus' Truth. Live It! Share It! Church Office: Church Message Line: Fax: Dial-a-Devotion:
507-345-7049 507-345-4939 507-345-5756 507-345-4939
304 Monroe Avenue North Mankato, MN 56003 www.stpaulsnorthmankato.com
Sundays: 8:45 & 11:00 a.m. Saturdays: 4:30 p.m. Join us for the Holiday Season!
507-625-3759 325 Sherman St., North Mankato, MN
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We Have Several Spots Still Available! Call 389-5097 For Details!
EVERY SUNDAY @ 8 PM IN OSTRANDER AUDITORIUM
Thursday, November 13, 2014
MSU Reporter • 13
Sports
1210 Warren Street | Mankato, MN 56001 | (507) 387-2521 mankatochurchofchrist.com
First Presbyterian Church MANKATO
Whoever you are, wherever you are on life’s journey, YOU are welcome here...
Worship Services: 10:00 a.m. Sundays Speaker Series: 1st Fridays @ Noon
Sunday Worship 9:30 a.m. | Sunday School 10:00 a.m. 150 Stadium Ct., Mankato, MN 507-387-6592 Dana Mann - Pastor An Open & Affirming “God is Still Speaking” Congregation
First Congregational United Church of Christ www.mankatoucc.org
220 East Hickory Street | 507-387-2160 fpcmankato.org
Crossroads
Lutheran Campus Ministry... Where love and faith intersect Mondays 6-8pm: ManDate- a male fellowship ministry for guys to hang out and enjoy various events together
Tuesdays 11am-1pm: Lunch for a Buck- a tasty and nutritious homemade meal for only $1!
Wednesdays 8pm: Worship at Crossroads- a time to connect to God, to yourself and to each other
A women's group and Bible studies are starting soon! Building open Mondays-Thursdays from 8am-10pm; Fridays 9am-4pm; Sunday nights 4-10pm
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Crossroads is on the corner of Maywood and Dillon Email: lcmcrossroads@gmail.com Website: crossroadsatmnsu.org Crossroads Mankato
Crossroads MSU
14 • MSU Reporter
Thursday, November 13, 2014 Follow the Reporter on Twitter @MSU Reporter or Like Us on Facebook facebook.com/msureporter
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Simplicity shines in Our Town Wilder’s classic work reminds us to embrace life’s little moments. LORIEN MEGILL Staff Writer Last weekend was the opening weekend of the MSU Department of Theatre and Dance’s production of Thornton Wilder’s classic American play, Our Town. The play is divided into three acts, each hitting on different aspects of essentially any person’s life. In the Director’s note in the program, director
Matthew Caron said: “Despite its very specific setting in the fictional town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, in the very specific time 1901, the play examines universal themes that likely account for much of its popularity.” These universal themes such as the mundanity of everyday life, love, and eventually death are allowed to shine through in the minimalistic setting. The
Photos Courtesy of Mike Lagerquist
play opens with a bare stage except for a light in the center, one that is soon carried off by the Stage Manager, played by senior BFA Acting candidate Ben Stasny. The set design remains spare for the duration of the show, with the exception of two ladders, an arch, and a few tables and chairs, the set and props are created in
the imagination of the actors and the audiences. The Stage Manager begins the show by painting the audience a word-portrait of the landscape of Grover’s Corners. Stasny does an excellent job of convincing the audience that he really does see Grover’s Corners, and consequently makes it easier for the audience
to “see” the town as well. Because no props are used, the pantomiming that the actors do - gathering milk buckets, stringing beans, opening doors, etc., - is initially somewhat hard to get used to, but the actors are clearly prac-
THEATRE • Page 15
Interstellar review Barring frequent rough edges, Nolan delivers on majestic space-age adventure. JAMES HOUTSMA Editor in Chief At the risk of sounding like a Nolanite, let me just say that Christopher Nolan is one of the most respectable filmmakers around. Outside the obvious praise of him giving us the hands-down best series of Batman films to date, the hit director is commendable for intelligent, mind-bending stories exploring science and psychology, as well as his preference for practical effects and shooting on traditional 35 mm film. With Interstellar, Nolan turns his focus to space travel, mixing in a heartfelt family drama with profound concepts like wormholes, relative time and gravity. At its best, Interstellar is majestic space odyssey rife with amazing visuals, intriguing concepts and good performances. But at its worst, suffering from a full, disjointed story and criminal pacing issues, Nolan’s answer to 2001 sometimes feels like it hasn’t delivered on its potential.
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A resurgent dustbowl has wiped out all viable crops on Earth except corn, and the future of the human race looks grim. When former pilot and current farmer Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) receives mysterious coordinates from an unseen specter, the struggling father is led to a secret NASA operation headed by a former
colleague to look to answers beyond our solar system. Using a not-too-distant wormhole, a plan has been put in motion to send a team to survey far-away worlds that can sustain human life -- a plan they need Cooper to pilot. Leaving his devastated daughter Murphy (Mackenzie Foy, Jessica Chastain) behind, he embarks for strange new worlds, but can
he ever make it back to Earth and if so, will it even be in his children’s lifetime? Much like Inception, there’s no lack of ambition at play with Interstellar. Space travel isn’t a daring new topic in the film world but the details of Nolan and his brother Jonathan’s story are. It’s beyond admirable that these two can craft an engaging
(well, mostly...more on that later), accessible story using high-concept theories of hard science and, for the most part, make them work in their favor. As per usual, Nolan’s look and sound of Interstellar is top-notch. Despite splitting from mainstay cinematographer Wally Pfister this time out, the look of Interstellar is breathtaking. Space is a surreal experience here, as distant worlds and otherworldly anomalies are brilliantly rendered on screen. If any film is destined to emulate the elaborate visual trippiness of Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey on screen in this generation, this is it. Likewise, frequent collaborator Hans Zimmer largely ditches the booming bass drums and low brass wall of sound for this score in favor of a more spiritual, majestic sound -- complete with pipe organ -- that is invaluable to the emotion of the film. On the topic of emotion, there’s a significant amount at
SPACE • Page 16
Thursday, November 13, 2014
6
Govenaires seek new members St. Peter-based bugle corps developing 2015 season. CHELSEY DIVELY Staff Writer The Govenaires Drum and Bugle Corps in St. Peter have opened some positions for its marching ensemble, seeking people to teach its growing brass, drumline, and colorguard sections. The Corps is already working on its show for the 2015 season, but is seeking applicants for Brass Visual Tech, Drumline Visual/Tenor Tech, Front Ensemble Instructor, and Color Guard Weapons Tech. They’re searching for applicants with indoor or outdoor marching experience who live relatively close to St. Peter. Many of the 2014 staff will be returning to lead the administration, design, and instruction. The staff returning
THEATRE “...The actors are clearly practiced at these actions without objects, making it easier and easier to forget that there isn’t actually anything there.” continued from 13
Top: Benjamin Serrato, Center: Ashley Emslander, Bottom: Jennifer Whitworth. Photos courtesy of Chris Maher
tion Heads Molly Norton and Ruth Boehme, Movement Instructor Carla Bode, Design and Color Guard Consultants Rob Thomas and Jeffrey Peterson. These positions with Govenaires, who are ten time finalists and three time champions in Class A of the Drum Corps Associates, are a great performance opportunity, providing one-of-a-
staff members include: Corps Director Sandee Conlin, Corps Manager John Mayer, Program Coordinator and Music Arranger Bobby Bonslater, Brass Arranger Dennis Argul, Battery Arranger Nick Edwards, Front Ensemble Arrangers Bobby Bonslater and Isaac Sobczak, Drill Design Andy Falvey, Colorguard Design Molly Norton, Brass Caption Head Bobby Bonslater, Brass Instructors Josh Forbord and Wesley Ford, Percussion Caption Head Nick Edwards, Battery Instructor Jack Donovan, Front Ensemble Instructor Isaac Sobczak, Music Consultant Michael Thursby, Colorguard Co-Cap-
MSU Reporter • 15
A&E
kind learning opportunities in a competitive marching setting with the goal of entertaining audiences. If you would like to work with this prestigious and successful musical Corps, please send a cover letter and resume to pc@govenaires.org. Rehearsals are scheduled to begin the weekend of January 1718, with locations and times to be announced in the near future. For more information please go to www.govenaires.org or facebook.com/govenaires.
ticed at these actions without objects, making it easier and easier to forget that there isn’t actually anything there. This minimalism calls for an engaged and active watching from the audience as the imagination of the watcher is required to fully enter into the world of the play, resulting in a more satisfying theatre experience where the audience can almost feel as though they were a part of building this piece of art. The minimalism of the set and props also allows for an unexpected star to shine through: the sound design. The timing of the sound effects to the movements of the actors was so on point that it was almost hard to believe that the sounds were not created by invisible objects. Third year MFA Sound Design candidate Anna Alex has truly created a character all its own in the excellent sound design used through the show. The show views the town
primarily through the filter of the Webb and Gibbs families, and especially through the burgeoning romance and eventual marriage of George Gibbs and Emily Webb. Carter Allen who plays George, and Sophie Jones who plays Emily hit all the right notes as they depict young love. The two are convincingly awkward and sweet and have the audience rooting for them, particularly in a simple scene where they stand on ladders and talk across the “yard” to each other. Our Town runs for one more weekend, with performances November 13, 14, and 15 at 7:30 p.m., and a 2 p.m. matinee on November 15 and 16. This show is a well-done picture of the moments, both bitter and sweet, that make up our lives, and Emily’s memorable quote, “Oh, earth, you’re too wonderful for anybody to realize you,” serves as a beautiful reminder for us all.
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16 • MSU Reporter
A&E
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Sass and Sorcery Image Comics presents fun-filled fantasy comics with a twist. CHELSEY DIVELY Staff Writer The Rat Queens is a comedic goldmine of a comic with endless Dungeon and Dragons (DnD) references and risqué jokes, it’s the epitome of a session gone horribly wrong with the inclusion of the question “why are there always tentacles?” The comic follows the adventuring party of four women: Hannah the snarky mage, Violet the nontraditional dwarf who prefers wine, Betty the Halfling who thinks drugs and candy make a good meal, and Dee the agnostic priestess whose parents worship a giant flying squid. The fantasy element is evident but the modern twist makes it more relatable to audiences, and though
vanishingpointchronicles.com
the comedy is definitely aimed for adults, even those who do not
participate in tabletop gaming could enjoy the quirky nature of
SPACE
“At its best, Interstellar is majestic space odyssey rife with amazing visuals, intriguing concepts and good performances. ” continued from 14
the heart of this film. Nolan is a master of ratcheting up the tension, providing overwhelming stakes to Cooper’s mission (like, say, the fate of the planet) and dire consequences for each mistake. At least part of the reason this works is because of the bond between Cooper and Murph, a more traditional motivation that grounds the movie quite well. Nolan likes to keep his players cool and collected much of the time and McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain oblige, but each are given notable opportunities to cut loose that hit home. So, if all these elements of the film work so well -- including an entertaining final act that starts as a thriller and
ends diving into full-blown science fiction after several overt hints -- why doesn’t the movie as a whole feel overwhelmingly good? It might be due to the fact that there’s a lot of movie going on with Interstellar; too much. To generalize, a great many 3-hour films don’t justify their runtime and Interstellar, at 2 hours and 49 minutes, falls squarely into that camp. The final cut of the movie suffers from frequent sections of dragging while the script is in desperate need of doctoring to smooth out the extended sections of sciencey exposition and explanation, not to mention the somewhat episodic nature of the story as the team visits new worlds and deals with the hurdles each brings. It’s like
Inception but not as good as Inception. In fact, smoothing out is the perfect description of what this story itself desperately needs, especially in editing the script to trim the bloat and get the movie to an acceptable length. There’s a lot to cover with the film’s current story and one can’t help but wonder if trimming one plot thread, planet, concept or character would have helped. Interstellar is a smart film but it’s a rambly smart film when all the pieces are in place for it to be a concise one. Just because the material is epic doesn’t mean the length of the film needs to pump itself up to similar proportions. Because of this, there’s a re-
SPACE • Page 18
the comic. The storyline takes place in a town called Palisade
where different adventuring parties such as the Four Dave’s, The Rat Queens, and The Obsidian Darkness reside as they fill their boredom with bar brawls and wreaking havoc across the town—making a number of enemies that seek their immediate removal. The Rat Queens is owned by the Image franchise, which does a better a better job of breaking away from traditional gender roles and introduces diversity better than some of the mainstream comic franchises. It introduces strong female characters who discuss subject matters other than boys as the comic explores the grounds of friendship, familial ties v.s. individual aspirations, religion, and the social
COMICS • Page 18
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Thursday, November 13, 2014
MSU Reporter • 17
A&E
Big Hero 6 review Latest Pixar film is heartwarming, but is that enough to create a classic?
insidethemagic.net
SHAWN CLOSE Staff Writer Since moving away from traditionally animated affairs and towards 3D animation, Disney Studios has done its best to learn from subsidiary and master of the craft—Pixar Studios.
been working on a robot named Baymax, which is now in Hiro’s possession. After initially being annoyed by Baymax’s clueless and helpful nature, Hiro begins to see Baymax’s usefulness and begins to add modifications to the normally squish robot to make him better suited for his combat-related goals. With the
wikia.nocookie.net
Pixar has produced some of the most financially and critically successful family movies of all time, while still keeping the Disney formula that has made the studio into the multi-billion dollar icon it is today. These oldschool-meets-new-school mashups have produced some recent classics such as 2013’s Frozen or 2010’s Tangled, and unfortunately Big Hero 6 falls short of its lofty predecessors. Big Hero 6 follows the escapades of 14-year-old robotic prodigy, Hiro Hamada, as he attempts to apprehend the man responsible for the death of his older brother, an equally gifted robotics expert named Tadashi. Before his death, Tadashi had
help of the now combat-ready Baymax, as well as a group of Tadashi’s former friends and colleagues, Hiro chases after a mysterious masked figure who might just hold the key to his brother’s death. The first thing you notice about Big Hero 6 is that it is a very good looking movie, the setting—a near futuristic mash up of San Francisco and Tokyo—is simply gorgeous, drawing the viewer in with creativity and detail. The characters are equally well-designed, and are animated with expert care with movement that remains smooth through the most complex scenes. Everything about the visual aspect of the movie is slick, well crafted, and down-
right pretty; but then again, if it wasn’t it just wouldn’t be Disney. A very un-Disney move was the lack of original music, favoring pre-made rock and pop music, which doesn’t take away anything from Big Hero 6 (forcing a musical number where it doesn’t belong probably wouldn’t have been a good move either) but a Disney movie without musical numbers just doesn’t feel right. On the other hand, the story left me with mixed feelings. Big Hero 6 starts off extremely strong in the early scenes as Hiro and Tadashi effectively paint a picture of two brothers who really care about each other, which makes Tadashi’s inevitable death hit with sufficient impact. Medical robot-turned-crime-fighter Baymax is also of special note, being both the source of the movies best comedy and its biggest ‘feels’ moments. He is equal parts clueless friend and lost puppy, trying his best to help Hiro through his morning process, but his lack of human understanding cause charming misunderstandings left and right. The movie starts to fall apart once the villain’s identity is revealed and the movie jumps into ‘chase then fight the villain’ mode. The movie ends on a fairly messy and predictable fight scene, making sure to save time for all the secondary characters to spout their one liners and have their cool guy/gal moment. It doesn’t ruin the movie per say, but Big Hero 6’s rock-soiled set up deserved better than the busy cliché laden ending it got. In the end, Big Hero 6 does its job: it has enough bright colors, fast movement and easy humor to keep kids entertained and enough depth to keep adults engaged. But that’s not enough for a first party Disney feature, they could have/should have done better. Big Hero 6 will sell a lot of tickets and merchandise, and maybe even get a sequel or two, but in the end it will probably
end up with all the other crowdpleasers when it could have been something special. It’s a lot more Monsters vs. Aliens and a lot less The Incredibles, and that’s a real
shame.
Reporter Rating
3 5
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18 • MSU Reporter
A&E
COMICS “The Rat Queens is owned by the Image franchise,
which does a better a better job of breaking away from traditional gender roles and introduces diversity better than some of the mainstream comic franchises.” continued from 16 acceptance of amoral behavior for the sake of comedy. The outfits may not be in any way practical, but the comic portrays the women as legitimate warriors with the capability to take down huge obstacles. Unveiled in the fall of 2013, the series is fairly new has since recieved positive response from viewers but is often overlooked by the general public since it’s not from the two comic monopolies. Everyone knows Batman and Iron Man, and they certainly have some good stories, but who really wants to dig through decades worth of comics to understand the complete history? Rat Queens is new; it’s at an easy place to pick up for beginning comic book readers and possesses gorgeous art from Roc Upchurch. The colors pop off the page, the lines are neat, and the artist isn’t afraid to show blood…or bones jutting out of bodies. While overlooked by the general public, this comic supports humorous and poignant commentary and should be on every-
Thursday, November 13, 2014
SPACE “Nolan likes to keep his players cool and collected much of the time and McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain oblige, but each are given notable opportunities to cut loose that hit home.” continued from 16
imagecomics.com
one’s must read list for the year. Currently, a total of eight indivual issues have been released and a compilation of the first five issues, Sass and Sorcery, has also been released. A second
compilation is underway and sent to be released this coming February that has been titled Far Reaching Tentacles of N’Rygoth.
ally disappointing feel at times in the movie -- like you’re being kept at arm’s length investment right at the moment you’re feeling closest. As mentioned, Nolan’s space epic can be completely engrossing in parts but they’re sadly often followed or proceeded by parts that don’t match up. Far be it to say Interstellar is a bad movie, it’s not. In so many ways it embodies why we go to the movies in the first place: to be transported to far away worlds and see something we’ve never seen before. It even throws in the bonus of making you think a little bit. Sure, there’s a frequent feeling that this good movie could
have been great with more care in scripting and pacing but Nolan’s latest succeeds on visceral entertainment (a screening in true IMAX is a must for film junkies), performances and admiration for making a film about relativity interesting. It may not be the knockout success akin to some of his earlier films or what some of us may have been expecting, but it’s far from something to turn your nose up at.
Reporter Rating
3.5 5
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111 Carkoski Commons, Mankato, MN 56001 Voice: 507-389-1011 or 800-722-0544 MRS/TTY: 800-627-3529 or 711 (MRS/TTY) Fax: 507-389-2687 Email: resife@mnsu.edu A member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. Minnesota State University, Mankato is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity University. This document is available in alternative format to individuals with disabilities by calling the Department of Residential Life at the above numbers.
MSU Reporter • 19
Thursday, November 13, 2014
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DII’s best ready for NCAA tourney
Trevor Cokley • MSU Reporter The Mavericks come into the NCAA Division II tournament fifth in goals per game (2.95) and second in goals against per game (.238) in Division II.
TOMMY WIITA Staff Writer With the 2014 Division-II Soccer Championship tournament getting under way, Minne-
sota State University, Mankato does not have a clear road to the prize. MSU went 21-0-0, the best record attained by any school in Division-II this season. Records at this point do not mean a thing
however, as it should be treated and viewed as if a new season has started with the best remaining teams ready to go head-tohead. Minnesota State will play the
winner of the first round game, which is set to be the no. 4 seed Southwest Baptist University against the number five seed Winona State University. SBU went 16-5 on the season, as WSU went 15-5-1. “We cannot take any game lightly, as this is the time for each team to come out and play”, Head Coach Brian Bahl stated. “What we need to do is take it one game at a time to translate that into success”. Bahl also went on to talk about the talent of the teams that will be considered this playoff tourney. “There are other top-ten teams that are on our side of the bracket, so it will be a challenge getting there.” The Mavericks have Central Missouri (ranked 10th, undefeated but with one tie), WisconsinParkside (3rd, undefeated but with two ties), Saint Rose (6th, one loss and two ties), and East Stroudsburg (2nd, one loss) all on the same side of the bracket. As if that was not enough of a challenge, they also have the defending champions Grand Valley State (11th, two losses one tie) to get though as well. As Coach Bahl has reassured and has had
his team’s mindset be all year however; what matters is the game in front of you. Bahl’s team did beat Grand Valley State at The Pitch earlier this season, 1-0. The Mavericks are certainly a team to fear this season, as they are ranked sixth overall in scoring offense (2.95) and second overall in goals-against average in the country (.238). The stat line is extremely even when it comes to individual play on the Mavericks’ team this season, which has translated into success. They have expressed over and over again it is what the team can accomplish as a whole that will get them where they want to be. “There are very good teams in the central region. We know that no matter who we play it will be a very good but tough game” Junior Korey Kronforst said, who is tied for 12th in the country in goals scored and also leads the team with 15. “There is a lot of talent we are going to face, but we’re ready.” Kronforst and the rest of the ladies know the key that has gotten them where they
WOMEN’S SOCCER • Page 22
Golden Bears knock Mavericks out in 4 sets LUKE LONIEN Staff Writer The 7th seed Maverick volleyball team took the trip to St. Paul to battle the 2nd seed Golden Bears in NSIC Conference Tournament action yesterday. The Mavericks were unable to solve the Golden Bears’ attack, falling to CU 3-1. “I thought we really played well, and Concordia didn’t play bad, it was really an exciting match” said head coach Dennis Amundson. “We kept the ball under control, we served tough, and passed well” said Amundson. Concordia just made more plays that day “They made some big time digs and we had a couple bad runs that cost us a couple of sets”. The Mavericks played a tight set one with Concordia, leading 17-16 late. The Golden Bears then went on a four - point run to take a 20-17 lead. The Mavericks were able to cut the lead down to one, but the Golden Bears took four of the last five points to win the first set 25-21. MSU was able to come out fir-
ing in the second set, building an early 7-2 lead. CU kept chipping away at the Maverick lead, but a mid-set run from MSU, built a 16-9 lead for the Mavericks. The Golden Bears would not back away, as they kept closing in on the Maverick lead, but the Mavericks were able to prevail in the second set 25-21. Tied at 1 set each, the Mavericks jumped out to an 8-2 lead. Concordia kept the set close, closing the lead to two. After the Mavericks extended the lead up to five, the Golden Bears went on a 13-2 run, including grabbing nine straight points, to take a commanding 23-17 lead. MSU dropped the third set 25-18. In the fourth set, the Mavericks again jumped out to an early lead. Trailing 7-2, the Golden Bears were able to cut the lead down to two. CU then took the lead on a quick four point run, to grab a 12-10 lead. The Mavericks were then trailing late in the set, 19-15. They used a 6-1 run to grab a 21-20 lead. After the quick lead, the Mavericks were unable to close as Concordia grabbed five of the last six points to win the set 25-22, and the match 3-1.
Trevor Cokley • MSU Reporter Alice sat on the mushroom, pondering her fate. “One side will make me grow larger and the other side will make me smaller.”
Chandra Honebrink led the Maverick offense with 16 kills, followed up by Krista Hassing and Sydney Powell with 14 kills each. Ellie Van De Steeg led MSU with 49 assist. On the Defensive side for the Mavericks, Haley Fogarty led the team with
12 digs, followed up by Rissi McNallan and Powell with 10 and seven digs, respectively. “The whole team played well. I was especially proud of our passers, I thought they played really well” Amundson said. “Rissi McNallan passed lights
out, dug balls, and served really well. Everyone took swings on the ball. It was a total team effort” Amundson said. The loss puts an end to the Mavericks’ season, putting their record at 16-12 overall and a conference record of 12-8.
20 • MSU Reporter
Sports
Thursday, November 13, 2014
All these Ole’s for Gervais For those who haven’t been to a men’s hockey game at the Verizon Wireless Center, a horn goes off and “Ole” chants start after a Maverick goal is scored. Junior forward Bryce Gervais has started the ole chant many times.
Trevor Cokley • MSU Reporter In just 10 games, Gervais has scored nine goals and recorded five assists.
DEREK LAMBERT Staff Writer Looking at his playing history, Bryce Gervais has always been a goal scorer. After graduating high school, the Battleford, Sask. native went on to play in the tier II junior A British Columbia Hockey League for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. In his first season with Salmon Arm, Gervais posted 29 goals and 51 points in 58 games, then improved the next season to a BCHL leading 42 goals to go along with 33 assists in a season
split between Salmon Arm and the Penticton Vees. After winning the RBC Cup as the Canadian National Champions with the Vees, Gervais headed south to Mankato, Minn. to play his college hockey in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. As a rookie for Minnesota State University, Mankato, Gervais played in all 41 games for the Mavericks, posting eight goals and five assists, respectable numbers for a freshman. In his sophomore season in 2013-2014, Gervais emerged as one of the top guns for MSU, and was play-
ing his best hockey at the end of the season. “One thing I try to do before every game is focus on what makes me good,” said Gervais. “Usually if I’m playing physical and with speed I can get to the puck faster which creates more offense.” After posting eight points in the first 25 games of his sophomore campaign, Gervais got hot and scored 11 goals and 18 points over the final 16 games of the season to double his goal production from his freshman season, and ended up with 16 goals and 26 points on the year. With his breakout sophomore season, the expectations for Gervais to produce this season were higher than they were a year ago, and he has lived up to, if not exceeded those expectations as his success over the second half of last season has carried over into this season. Ten games into the season, Gervais ranks first in not just the WCHA, but the NCAA in points scored with 14. His nine goals have him tied for first in the nation with Bowling Green’s Kevin Dufour, and his four power play goals are also tied for first in the country. Consistency has been the theme for Gervais so far this season, as he has been held pointless in just two games, but has yet to be held pointless in a series. After recording his first career hat-trick in a Maverick sweater two weekends ago at Bowling Green, Gervais was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week. He carried that success into this past weekend when he had a four-point game on Fri-
day night versus Bemidji on two goals and two assists. Gervais isn’t just a goal scorer, though. On Saturday night versus Bemidji State, Gervais saw big minutes on the penalty kill, and set the screen for two of Teddy Blueger’s three goals. He also assisted on one of Blueger’s goals, helping his linemate earn his first career hat-trick. Watching him play, it’s easy to see Gervais’ game is built on speed and tenacity. His greatest asset is perhaps the ability to get into the gritty areas and find himself open. “I try to find open spaces,” said Gervais. “If I’m not open I try to get open. It also helps when you’re playing with some really skilled play-makers like Matt Leitner or Teddy Blueger, they always seem to get you the puck.”
While his quick start this season will keep him on the radar of college hockey fans and opposing coaches, Gervais is trying to keep his attention on getting the Mavericks further in the postseason. So how can the Mavericks do that? “Winning our league,” said Gervais. “Making it to the NCAA tournament and not only making it but winning a few hockey games while we’re there which would push us to our ultimate goal,the Frozen Four.” While the season is still young and there is plenty of hockey left to play, Gervais has established himself as one of the top players in the WCHA this season, and also one of the best in theD C NCAA. S
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Thursday, November 13, 2014
Men’s cross country places 4th
Photo Courtesy of Minnesota State Athletics Senior Ryan Ness (right) was second for the Mavericks with a time of 26:16 in the 8k race.
DENZELL CASTRO-OATS Staff Writer The Minnesota State Men’s Cross Country team placed fourth at the 2014 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship meet held this past Saturday in Wayne, Nebraska. Augustana won the 12 team 8k competition with a score of 22 points. Souix Falls came second, followed by MSU- Moorhead in
MSU Reporter • 21
Sports
at third. Senior Josiah Swanson led the Mavericks coming in at 13th. He clocked in a respectful time of 25:57. Then the Mavericks proceeded to take 17th, 18th and 19th starting with Senior Ryan Ness. Ness was the second Maverick in at 17th overall clocking in a time of 26:16. Junior Matt Longen came in not too far behind Ness with a 26:16 finish earning him the 18th spot then coming Senior Matt Stocker in
of the season was to finish in the top three at the NSIC Championships. On Saturday, we fell a few places short of that goal - but I am satisfied with the outcome regardless,” he says. The Mavericks were only six points shy of cracking third place, which was taken by Moorhead who scored 85 points in the competition. “It was a good team effort,” senior captain Swanson said. “The team and individually are strong and resilient. A long season plays into our favor in that aspect” he goes on to say. The Mavericks would need strong finishes from five individuals in the top 25 in order to gain a top three finish in the competition. “I told the team in the weeks leading up to the meet that we would need four athletes in the top 20 and five in the top 25 to do what was needed to be third.” Ahonen said.
“We did that on Saturday and had some fantastic efforts from our 1-5 runners. Matt Stocker and Ryan Erdman ran very different races, but both stepped up big when needed.” The Mavericks were up against steep competition in Augustana and Souix Falls this weekend who hold the number one and two rankings in the Division II Central region and Moorhead who has eighth. “Moorhead has a strong team this year, and unfortunately they were just a little better than us on Saturday - that is the nature of cross country,” Says Ahonen. But the Mavericks who have the number 9 spot in the Division II central region won’t falter at the challenge before them in the coming week. Coach Ahonen will assemble the Mavericks for a strong finish in the 2014 Re-
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY • Page 22
at 19th with a time of 26:21. And a 24th place finish from sophomore Ryan Erdman rounded out the top five Maverick finishers. A respectful fourth place finish may be approved by many in the tough Northern Sun Conference, but the Mavericks were looking for a top three finish in this year’s competition. Coach Ahonen, who is always pushing for excellence, shares his thoughts on the finish. “Our goal since the beginning
Charlie Abbott • staff writer
Upper Iowa (6-4) at Minnesota State (10-0) 1 p.m., Saturday • Blakeslee Stadium
Recap: Minnesota State University, Mankato improved to 10-0 last Saturday on the road against Wayne State. Quarterback Nick Pieruccini had his best game of the season which comes at a great time as the team is nearing towards the Division II playoffs. Also, the defense pitched a shutout against a Wayne State team that averages 35 points per game this year. This coming week is the final s regular season game of the year as the Mavericks look to continue their momentum rolling against the Peacocks of Upper Iowa and their dynamic passing game. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. History: The Mavericks boast an unblemished record against Upper Iowa in eight previous contests. They have really had the Peacocks’ number as of late, putting up 70+ points in each of their past 2 meetings, while only giving up a combined 14 points in those games. Last year, the Mavericks focused on the ground game and it paid off and then some. They rushed for 526 yards on 9.4 yards per carry, and scored all eight offensive touchdowns on the ground. It was a different story for the Peacocks. Their net yardage rushing was an abysmal -2 yards. They will have to establish the running game early to keep MSU guessing to eventually open up the pass to try and gash the Maverick secondary. Upper Iowa Notes: The Peacocks are 6-4 on the year as they come to Mankato off of a loss to Sioux Falls by a score of 45-21. They gave up 606 yards of total offense in their loss to the Cougars. They failed to get anything going on the ground, relying heavily on the arm of quarterback Cole Jaeschke. Jaeschke recorded 362 yards passing in the loss on 27-48 passing and threw two interceptions as well. He averages 318 yards per game through the air and has 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on a 61.1percent completion percentage on the year. Although they focus on passing, UIU has the conference-leading running back in senior Chris Smith. He averages an astounding 139.2 yards per game to go along with 19 touchdowns, far more than anyone else in the conference. He also leads all players in all-purpose yards per game at Wide Receivers Derek Giesking, Shay Gutman, and Lucas Hefty can all catch the ball, as they are all in the top 10 in yards and receptions for the conference, with Giesking leading all receivers in receptions with 83. He is the all-time leader in receptions at UIU, so look for him to be targeted heavily in this game. “Upper Iowa poses a big threat to us with their passing game. It is crucial that everyone knows their assignments and stays within the game plan,” head coach Hoffner said. “We will know where their best players are at all times within the scheme, but to win this game it will be a team effort.” Prediction: I expect the Mavericks to have possession of the ball for over 35 minutes this game as Upper Iowa has the least time of possession in the conference. They will dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and wear out the UIU defense with a fierce rushing attack in the cold weather. Score: Mavericks 38, Peacocks 14.
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22 • MSU Reporter
Sports
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Mavericks place 7th in NSIC meet
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY “Our goal since the beginning of the season was to finish in the top three at the NSIC Cham- L S pionships. On Saturday, we fell a few places short of that goal-but I am satisfied t with the outcome regardless,” Ahonen o said. w continued from 21
Erin Baker came in at 52nd with a time of 23:57. Freshman runner Mariah Betzler contributed a finish at 65th with a time of 24:21. Jaden Roddick came in at 24:35 earned her a 57th-place finish while senior Kimberly Allan finished in 24:57 giving her a 64th place finish. Freshman Megan Allan came in at 87th with a time of 25:28 and sophomore Maddi Sjelin rounded out the Mavericks with a time of 25:43 giving her a 90th place finish. “The meet went alright,” head coach Jen Blue said. “Going into it we could’ve finish anywhere between four and seven and unfortunately we finished seventh. Losing Sam Soupir and Emily Knapczyk at the start of the season was a hit to us, but the girls have really stepped up despite that.” The course also seemed to be somewhat of a common place for the Mavericks. Being a “hilly” course the Mavs were familiar with, it helped them in that as-
DENZELL CASTRO-OATS Staff Writer It was a fair finish for the women of the Maverick Cross Country team at the 2014 Northern Sun Conference meet this past weekend. After turning in a total of 206 points the Mavericks finished seventh overall. In first was the team of Augustana combining an impressive 48-point finish. Behind Augustana was Minnesota Duluth, followed by Winona State then U-Mary. Finishing fifth was MSU-Moorhead then Northern State coming in at sixth. Senior Marina Paul led the team once again clocking in a time of 22:35 with a 20th-place finish. Junior Stephani Steenhoek finished second for the Mavericks with a time of 23:47 and was 43rd overall in the competition. Freshman Erica Hauf rolled in close behind Steenhoek at 49th with a time of 23:48. Freshman
pect, but it wouldn’t warrant a higher finish. Steenhoek says, “The course consisted of numerous gradual hills, not something we were completely unaccustomed to but I think we were somewhat startled by the difficulty throughout the race.” Freshman runner Hauf was content with the teams overall performance. “A lot of us ran our best times of the season thus far, but I think we all know we can do a lot better than seventh place. It will be interesting to run on the same course again next weekend at regionals,” Says Hauf. As for Blue she still remains confident in her runners as she always has and expects and expects a forthright bounce back going into Regionals. “Paul and Baker have been running strong all year, but Steenhoek, Hauf and Betzler have really stepped up and have been improving each meet. I
gional competition. “In the coming weeks, we will focus on sharpening up a bit, feeling fresh and snappy,” head coach Ahonen said. “Feeling light and fast physically can tremendously help an athletes confidence. We are going to get ourselves physically and mentally dialed for a return to Wayne where we will roll the dice after 7k of the 10k race. Sometimes you have to take a gamble to be successful in this sport.” Regional Championship action will happen Nov. 22nd in Wayne, Neb.
WOMEN’S SOCCER “There are very good teams in the central region. We know that no matter who we play it will be a very good but tough game,” Kronforst said. continued from 19 are, and that is the defensive play. “It all starts with pressure,” Kronforst said. “We have to be sure to have fast pressure starting up [at the top line] all the way to our back line. Our girls are the toughest girls I know and play great defense.” The girls’ journey to the ultimate goal continues Sunday at 1 p.m., and the match will be home at The Pitch. The opponent
VIKINGS @ BEARS
TEXANS @ BROWNS
EAGLES @ PACKERS
SEAHAWKS FALCONS @ @ CHIEFS PANTHERS
BENGALS @ SAINTS
BUCS @ REDSKINS
BRONCOS @ RAMS
49ERS @ GIANTS
RAIDERS @ CHARGERS
LIONS @ CARDS
PATRIOTS @ COLTS
STEELERS @ TITANS
BY E :
RAVENS • COWBOYS JAGUARS • JETS
JOEY DENTON Sports Editor DENZELL CASTRO-OATS Staff Writer CHUCK ABBOTT Staff Writer LUKE LONIEN Staff Writer TOMMY WIITA Staff Writer DEREK LAMBERT Staff Writer
CU R R EN T STA NDINGS (No Picks Were Made Week #10)
t t M r t q n r a R a T j i 5 p i
t p t with be the winner of the Winonai State/ Southwest Baptist game.s The Mavericks have basicallyZ started a whole new season, butt nothing should change with theirt level of play and confidence go-3 ing into the tourney.
R EPORTER PICK ‘EM | W EEK #11 BILLS @ DOLPHINS
k o i D n w
1ST PLACE (tie) Luke Lonien
1ST PLACE (tie) Derek Lambert
2ND PLACE Joey Denton
3RD PLACE Tommy Wiita
4TH PLACE Denzell Castro-Oats
5TH PLACE Walfoort/Abbott
Overall (85-48-1) Week #9 (8-5)
Overall (85-48-1) Week #9 (8-5)
Overall (82-51-1) Week #9 (9-4)
Overall (79-54-1) Week #9 (8-5)
Overall (77-56-1) Week #9 (5-8)
Overall (71-62-1) Week #9 (8-5)
Thursday, November 13, 2014
MSU Reporter • 23
Sports
Vikings midseason recap: Lonien’s take
LUKE LONIEN Staff Writer
Who would have thought at the beginning of the season that our beloved Vikings would be where they are today. The Vikings currently sit at 4-5 coming off their bye week, putting them in third place in the NFC North Division. Their situation could not be more different then what we saw in week one. Week one Matt Cassel was the starting Quarterback and the offense was led by the 2012 MVP Adrian Peterson. Now rookie Teddy Bridgewater has taken over the reigns as starting quarterback and Jerick McKinnon has taken over as the starting running back, as Matt Asiata is also getting more touches. Kyle Rudolph got paid this offseason and has been out for six weeks. The offensive line has been injury plagued all season, including Brandon Fusco, who signed a 5-year, $25 million contract, was placed on injured reserved ending his season. With all of the injuries the team still has been able to surpass a lot of people’s expectations. The Vikings defense has improved greatly since last season, and new head coach Mike Zimmer has been a big reason for that. The Vikings currently are third in the NFL in sacks with 30. They are fourth in the NFL
vikings.com
in pass defense, giving up 213 passing yards a game, a huge improvement from last season’s 287 pass yards a game. In 2013, the Vikings gave up 30 points/game, the most in the NFL. In 2014, the Vikings are 14th in the NFL giving up just over 22 points a game. The Vikings rank ninth in total yards a game, giving up 326 yards a game. Anthony Barr has been quite a surprise for Viking fans. He is second on the team with 58 tackles, and has also chipped in four sacks. An early candidate for Defensive Rookie of the year, Barr has made some game changing plays. He is very
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athletic and can get after the quarterback, but has struggled in pass coverage. I think Barr has a chance to be a very good linebacker for years to come. We have seen some greatness out of Barr already this season, like the strip, scoop, and score for the win against Tampa Bay. He will have to keep improving for this Viking defense to keep going in the right direction. The Viking offense is led by rookie quarter back Teddy Bridgewater, who has shown some really clutch play, but has shown some inabilities as well. Bridgewater is currently completing 60 percent of his passes going for 1,321 yards. He also has three touchdowns and five interceptions. The deep ball has been one of the biggest problems for Teddy. Bridgewater’s development will come with time, but he will have to start clicking with second year wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson has been a little bit of a letdown this season. He has not been able to get open, and struggled making those game changing plays we expected him to make. He has been dealing with an injury
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as well for some of the year, but he is 100 percent now so he must start making plays soon. Greg Jennings is leading the
team in receptions with 35 and receiving yards with 459. The touchdowns have not been there for this receiving core. They will have to step it up on the back half of the season for this team to be successful. Jerick McKinnon has handled the role of primary back so far this year, rushing the ball 90 times for 446 yards, that’s five yards a carry, pretty good for the rookie third rounder. With the improved defense the Vikings the team is at a 4-5 record. Offensively the Vikings have really struggled, even after putting up 41 points against a struggling Falcons defense. The Vikings rank 27th in the NFL scoring 18.7 points a game and 27th with 316 yards per game. Not nearly enough to be successful in the NFL. If the Vikings’ offense can figure out a way to put more points up on the board, there is no reason that this team cannot make a late playoff push.
fantasychief.com The second year man out of Tennessee has caught 26 passes for 308 yards and one touchdwon this season.
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