November 21, 2013

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Minnesota State University, Mankato

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Going green to save the environment MSU is taking environmentally friendly steps to ensure a healthy earth.

HANNAH KLEINBERG Staff Writer If you’ve walked through campus, you can see that the university has taken great strides toward being eco-friendly. From water re-

fill stations to recycled straws and cups, Minnesota State, Mankato is taking action in the fight to save our Earth.

Through the past few years, our dormitories have taken steps in the right direction as well, and are becoming more eco-friendly ever year.

Water bottle fillers are just one of the many ways in which the dorms have taken charge, though they’re probably the first thing that comes to mind.

Beyond McElroy, Crawford and Preska, these sights can be found throughout the campus, in nearly every building in the university. In the dorms, however, they’re located in the lobbies, though students have made many efforts to try and have them installed on every floor because they’re such a convenience. These refill stations made it possible to save 20,000 plastic bottles from landfills a month in the residential hall alone.

In the dorms, you’ll also find separate bins for different materials, such as glass, papers, and traditional waste.

This is done in conjunction with the Integrated Waste Management System (IWMS), in which large varieties of recyclable material is picked up on a routinely basis by MSU Residential Life employees and processed. Also, in every floor of every dorm, there are recycling bins located right next to the garbage can, providing an easy way for students to go green.

Trash in the residence halls is also sorted, processed, and turned into burnable pellets, which are then used as energy for over 50,000 homes. Less than 4% of our university’s trash goes to a landfill.

Motion-activated lights are installed in every community floor kitchen and lounge of the residence halls.

Smart ways to conserve electricity in the dorms include unplugging chargers when not in use, turning off the lights when you’re not in your room, and hibernating your laptop frequently.

The dorms have started using “Ink Jet” printer cartridges in effort of being eco-friendly, brand names Canon, Lexmark and Hewlett Packard. Apple product recycling isn’t available yet, but they’re working toward that.

Collection sites for empty printer cartridges include the Computer Store, Building Services, and all of the residence halls.

It’s highly encouraged that you help as well, and turn in any of your empty “Ink Jet” cartridges to any of these locations, or to the front desks of any residence community.

MnSCU adopts new strategies to increase access, affordability and excellence Six recommendations made by three workgroups to be cornerstone of new education plan for colleges and universities in Minnesota.

REECE HEMMESCH Editor in Chief The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities’ (MnSCU) Board of Trustees voted Wednesday in favor of adapting a set of recommendations for the 31 colleges and universities to help increase collaboration to improve access, increase affordability and better serve students, a few of the key cores of the system.

These recommendations come after a long and tumultuous effort from three workgroups, Education of the Future, Workforce of the Future and System of the Future after being asked

by MnSCU Chancellor Steven Rosenstone to recommend ways for colleges and universities to contribute to the prosperity of the state back in November of 2012.

These three groups were to take in the fact that changes in technology were in place as well as the economic and demograph-

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ic changes of the state. These groups met nine times between December 2012 and May 2013, creating draft recommendations, which were presented to the board in June 2013.

Since then, 5,400 faculty, staff and students of MnSCU provided feedback for the recommendations and finally set forth six ideas to increase access, affordability and excellence. They are as follows: • Dramatically increase the success of all learners, especially those in diverse populations.

• Develop collaborative academic planning that advances affordability, transferability and access.

• Certify student competencies and accelerate degree completions through credit for prior learning.

• Expand the use of technology to deliver high quality online courses as well as technology enhanced instruction.

• Deliver comprehensive

workplace solutions to build employee skills • Redesign financial and administrative models to reward

collaboration, drive efficiencies and strengthen access to an extraordinary education for all Minnesotans.

All educational verbiage aside, MnSCU’s recommenda-

MnSCU • Page 2

Web Photo The MnSCU Board of Trustees and Chancellor Steven Rosenstone (first row, second from right) believe these new recommendations will improve the system’s core values: affordability, excellence and access.

BETRAYAL FALL CAR CARE HITS MSU - PAGES - PG. 5-87

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Knowing how to navigate finals week can save you emotionally and academically Helping out around the community and visiting sources of help can assist you in making it through finals week.

PRATAKSHYA BHANDARI Staff Writer

If you have looked up the calendar recently and suddenly realized that there are only three weeks of the semester remaining, you are not alone. Time flies by, even in a greater sense when you’re trying to fit a lifetime’s worth of work into one semester. With finals approaching, and the weather getting colder, the streets are emptying while one can hardly find an empty computer at the library anymore.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, there will be a lot to eat, lots of shopping and a lot more work to be done before finals.

While this is my first semester at MSU, as a junior, I have worked through my share of final weeks and know a thing or two about handling stress. Lack of sleep only aggravates stress but a few sleepless nights are

inevitable, especially if you are a freshmen and haven’t learned a trick or two about planning ahead of time for the volume of work you will be dealing with during finals. To those under more pressure than they can handle, this would be a good time to stop by the relaxation center at Student Health Services. This could also be a good time to start a new hobby, such as attending the Zumba/Yoga classes that meet every week. If the pressure is so much that you feel like the walls around you are crumbling, visit the counselling center, the decision could be the difference between restoring sanity and miserably failing the semester.

While it may seem like a bad idea at first to do anything but study during finals, it might actually do more good than harm to get out in the community and get involved.

There is a lot happening during the holidays, from food drives to free turkey dinners to donation drives for toys, food

and clothing. The Kiwanis holiday lights display begin from Nov 29 at Sibley Park and they are looking for volunteers to put up the millions of lights they plan to display throughout the month of December. The Community Engagement Office (CEO) is organizing the giving tree, a program where you can sponsor a Mankato area child whose parents are struggling financially.

Feeling like you have given something back to the community might just be the morale boost you need right before finals week. Of course, when you think about it, there is still the entire week of Thanksgiving before finals. Planning ahead is good, so is relaxing a little because, well, it is a time to be thankful and appreciate all that is good in life.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

MnSCU “These groups were to take in the fact that changes in technology were in place as well as the economic and demographic changes of the state.” continued from 1 tions call for collaboration in all facets of the system, which could ultimately improve affordability. It also calls for new technological practices to be in place to insure the proper and best form of education to its students and to redo the financial models, once again to improve affordability, all done under the motto, “Changing the future for a prosperous Minnesota.”

That statement is well put, considering college students in Minnesota are now succumbing to more student debt when leaving college than any other state in the USA, mainly due to state support being cut, leading to increased reliance on tuition.

“Our colleges and universities are committed to providing access to an extraordinary education for all Minnesotans, to being the partner of choice to meet workforce and community needs across our state and to delivering the highest value/most cost effective education in the state,” MnSCU Chancellor Steven Rosenstone said. “To deliver on these commitments and effectively deal with the challenges facing higher education

requires bold, new strategies and changing the way we work together. Forging deeper collaboration among our colleges and universities represents a tremendous opportunity for improving the way we serve students and communities across Minnesota.”

The theme from these recommendations all fall under the category of building a better Minnesota, not just a better education system. It seems as though it all goes below the MnSCU system, but considering 85 percent of MnSCU students are residents of the state and 80 percent of graduates go on to stay in Minnesota and pursue careers or continue their education, the target is spot-on.

“Meeting the workforce needs of both rural Minnesota and the metro area is vital to our continued economic health,” Trustee Alex Cirillo, a retired 3M executive said. “Increasing collaboration among our colleagues and universities and deepening our partnerships with business and industry are keys to ensuring our academic programs are in alignment with the needs of each region of the state.”

Thursday, November 21, 2013

MSU Reporter • 3

News

MSSA meets to discuss Minnesota man safety, increased room sentenced in rape case and board rates Much was discussed at the weekly MSSA meeting, which took place yesterday. Extended until around 6:30pm, the meeting had a lengthy agenda, including reports from Senators that represent residential halls and academic colleges.

Starting with open forum, Scott Boyd, representing Information Technology Services, discussed upcoming website changes for the current students page. The new page will incorporate MavJobs, MavSync, the class schedule builder, and other new features. ITS noted that the website is in the beta stage, with plans to launch the site next semester.

StarID, discussed by Boyd and additional members of ITS, noted the plethora of benefits that will come with the change.

They mentioned the ability to access wi-fi and other services no matter what campus the student is on, as well as the added security benefits that come with using StarID. 4,400 students have already registered their StarIDs, and all students are encouraged to register before winter break.

Any questions about StarID can be addressed by ITS. Student Health Services will

be having a new event from February 6th to February 10th, during which students will be asked to sign a pledge saying that they will abstain from alcohol and binge drinking entirely for the scheduled weekend. There will be events on campus, as well as incentives given to students for completing the pledge. Local bars and restaurants will be serving free non-alcoholic beverages for sober-cab drivers to help students stay true to the pledge.

Senator Rebbeca Wegscheid led a discussion on RHA and their findings about room and board rates. Wegscheid discussed the different options RHA evaluated and discussed in relation to updating the different res halls. The overall increase in fees will be around 3.6% if the plan is found to be suitable. More information is available online at http://msumankatostudentlife. orgsync.com/org/residencehallassociation Mychael Ihnat was sworn in as a new Senator for Graduate Studies, with officer reports from President Collins, Vice President Shakespear, and Speaker Madsen that followed. Collins discussed his experience at the MSUSA delegates last weekend, emphasizing that MNSU is doing a good job of retaining admission rates, but also contending that the university must focus on im-

proving the knowledge shared in classes. Collins explained, “We are a global minded university, that’s where we need to be.”

Senators Kovac, Wegscheid, Conlon, Eberline, and Deppa each discussed the needs of their constituents. Issues ranged from the pedestrian experience in Preska mentioned by Senator Conlon, to the strides of the Aviation department and their goal of getting new accreditation discussed by Senator Kovac. Kovac, who is studying to become a pilot, mentioned that the department is redesigning a room to allow space for a new flight simulator on campus.

IMPACT requested $3,276.14 to send students to the regional National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) conference.

There was a lengthy discussion on why the proposed amount of money was needed, but the majority voted for the allocation to pass. A motion proposed to implement a preferred name function on D2L was unanimously voted on.

The final motion was to discuss whether MSSA supported the increase in room and board rates. After a long and heated discussion, MSSA was split on the matter, but the motion was passed with the majority voting to oppose the increased rates.

18-year-old was sentenced after pleading guilty to first-degree sexual contact.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota man has been sentenced to more than 25 years in prison for raping a woman he had previously burglarized.

Eighteen-year-old Curtez Deshawn Graham of St. Paul was sentenced Tuesday.

Prosecutor C. Ryan Tennison said in court that Graham “earned every day of this lengthy prison sentence.”

Defense attorney Murad Mohammad says Graham never minimized or deflected his behavior.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports Graham pleaded guilty Sept. 30 to first-degree criminal sexual conduct, firstdegree burglary and kidnapping.

Authorities say Graham was on furlough from prison when he removed an ankle bracelet that monitored his whereabouts, returned to the home of his prior burglary victim and raped her.

The victim told police that Graham was mad with her because she sent him away for 14 months.

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Email the Editor in Chief: reporter-editor@mnsu.edu

Studying abroad provides a solid experience MIKELL MELIUS Staff Writer Fall semester is coming to an end and many MSU students are registering for spring term.

The stress of getting into certain classes is something many students are going through. While we are all on the mind set of making sure our general classes are covered, that we’ve chosen a minor and are thinking about our futures, let’s think about another option that can give any college academic career a boost; the option of studying abroad.

While studying abroad is a concept many are aware of, it’s not an opportunity that many are taking advantage of. Showing a future employer that you went out of your comfort zone and lived in a different country for a period of time is definitely a plus.

It is an experience that you can’t put a price tag on, or can you?

For my technical communications class I had to type up a research paper covering a specific issue. I chose how studying abroad is not being utilized by enough college students. I conducted a survey consisting of 100 college students and the number one reason many students chose not to study abroad is because of the cost.

A semester of tuition at Minnesota State University, Mankato is $3,778.89, and that is only if you take the minimum amount of credits to be a full-time student, 12-18. A semester of classes in Florence, Italy for the spring of

2014 is $3,975. As you can see, the difference is on a couple hundred dollars. The cost of studying abroad has definitely been exaggerated, and just like semester at MSU, there are tons of scholarships and financial aid students can apply for.

The Elizabeth and Wynn Kearney International Center at MSU, located on the second floor of the Student Union, offers a variety of scholarships and financial aid information. Advisors at the International Center help students through the entire process and make sure they are on top of everything that goes into studying abroad.

If the cost comparison and scholarship availability still doesn’t have people convinced,

maybe the experience will. College is the time to have these experiences. Once graduation comes and you have a full-time job, travelling is something that might not be an option. Studying abroad gives you the opportunity to travel with a good reason, for your college education.

Elise Konerza, a mass media student at MSU, studied in Spain during the summer of 2012.

“I wanted to have a change, to explore the world before graduating and devoting my life to work,” Konerza said, explaining why she chose to study abroad.

“I felt more out of my element than ever before, but I loved it and embraced it because I knew that once I got back into the states, my study abroad experi-

ence would be over.”

Konerza chose to study abroad in Spain because she has a Spanish minor.

“The most beneficial thing I received from studying abroad is that I am more of a quick thinker in Spanish. I can use more words and terms to my advantage and I know how to speak with a lisp for people who use that in Spain,” she said.

Konerza used studying abroad to enhance her specific academic choice, her Spanish minor.

Every college student should consider the option of studying abroad. Whether it is for a year, a semester, or a couple weeks, the experience and knowledge acquired will last forever!

STAFF FALL 2013

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Reece Hemmesch.......389-5454 NEWS EDITOR: Sam Wilmes..............389-5450 SPORTS EDITOR: Joey Denton.............. 389-5227 VARIETY EDITOR: James Houtsma.......... 389-5157 ADVERTISING SALES: Natasha Jones........... 389-1063 Mac Boehmer............389-5097 Parker Riesgraf.......... 389-1079 Brandon Poliszuk.......389-5453 BUSINESS MANAGER: Jane Tastad............... 389-1926 ADV. DESIGN MANAGER: 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 Reece Hemmesch at 507-3895454. The Reporter will correct any errors of fact or misspelled names in this space. Formal grievances against the Reporter are handled by the Newspaper Board.

• The Minnesota State University Mankato Reporter is a studentrun newspaper published twice a week, coming out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Reporter generates 78 percent of its own income through advertising and receives approximately 22 percent from Student Activities fees. The Reporter is free to all students and faculty, but to start a subscription, please call us at 507-3891776. Subscriptions for the academic school year are $55.00 and subscribers will receive the paper within three to five days after publishing.

Web Photo MSU students have the opportunity to travel abroad, including Sydney, Australia, shown here.

“Would you ever consider studying abroad?”

ANDREW MANLER, FRESHMAN ENGINEERING “I think it would be cool to visit Europe to see and live with other cultures.”

Minnesota State University, Mankato

MEGAN MALONEY, SENIOR HUMAN BIOLOGY

BEN STEWART SENIOR, MICROBIOLOGY

“Yes, it would be fun to experience new cultures and explore.”

“Yes, if I can afford to.”

ASHLEY HUSTING, SENIOR THERAPEUTIC REC “No, not now but in the future.”

• 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.

Compiled by Yohanes Ashenafi

CHER YANG, SENIOR ENGINEERING “No, because I am anxious to graduate!”

Thursday, November 21, 2013

News

MSU Reporter • 5

The fall of religion ALEX KERKMAN Staff Writer I am not a religious person. I was raised Lutheran, was baptized and confirmed, and used to attend church every week while I was still living at home. Eventually, though, I lost my faith. I’m not saying that my beliefs are correct (and to tell you the truth I can only hope I’m wrong) but that is where I stand.

I don’t want to persuade people to follow my way of thinking.

In fact I think faith is a beautiful thing. Those who have it should be encouraged rather than discouraged. However, one clear cut fact remains: we as Americans, especially those who are college aged, are slowly becoming less and less religious.

In 1990, studies showed that about eight percent of the American population described themselves as having no religious beliefs or practices. In 2008, this number increased to 15% of the American population, including one third of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29.

A generation ago this was not the case. Both of my parents grew up religious (my father Catholic, my mother Lutheran).

Back in the 1960s, had someone tried to explain that they weren’t religious, or didn’t believe in God, they most likely would have been ridiculed or shunned.

So why is today’s generation trending in the opposite direction?

Some people are sick of all the scandals and bad side of religion.

I have one friend who grew up heavily catholic, but after more and more stories of abuse broke

out in the church she denounced her faith.

I understand why people would lose their faith over something like this, but it is important to focus on the good sides of faith as well. If we held all Christians to the actions of the Westboro Baptist Church, or all Muslims to the Taliban, the world would be a very sad place indeed.

For those who want to write off religion all together, it is important to remember some accomplishments that religion has given us.

Johannes Gutenberg was the inventor of the printing press.

The church helped fund the printing press through its printing of bibles, and allowed the invention to move throughout the world.

The writers of the Declaration of the Independence, perhaps one of the most important documents of the modern world, took ideas from many past written works, including the Bible and the Ten Commandments.

I am not trying to convince anyone to become religious or to abolish it all together. As long as your beliefs don’t call for everyone to follow the same thought process as yourself, I am ok with it.

However, it is important to remember the good that religion has done for the world, along with the bad. More importantly, it is important to remember that whether we are Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Atheist or even Pagan were all human beings who have the right to practice any religion, or nonreligion we so choose.

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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Missouri executes white supremacist killer

Joseph Paul Franklin, a white supremacist who targeted blacks and Jews in a cross-country killing spree from 1977 to 1980, was put to death Wednesday in Missouri, the state’s first execution in nearly three years.

Franklin, 63, was executed at the state prison in Bonne Terre for killing Gerald Gordon in a sniper shooting at a suburban St. Louis synagogue in 1977. He was convicted of seven other murders, but the Missouri case was the only one resulting in a death sentence. Franklin has also admitted to shooting and wounding civil rights leader Vernon Jordan and Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt, who has been paralyzed from the waist down since the attack in 1978.

Mike O’Connell, a spokesman for the Missouri Department of Corrections, said Franklin was pronounced dead at 6:17 a.m.

The execution began more than six hours later than intended, and it took just 10 minutes.

Franklin declined to make a final statement. Wearing black rimmed glasses with long hair tucked behind his ears, he swallowed hard as five grams of pentobarbital were administered.

He breathed heavily a couple of times then simply stopped breathing.

Guards closed the curtains to the viewing area while medical personnel confirmed Franklin was dead.

“The cowardly and calculated shootings outside a St. Louisarea synagogue were part of Joseph Paul Franklin’s long record of murders and other acts of extreme violence across the country, fueled by religious and racial hate.” Gov. Jay Nixon said in a statement read to reporters

by George Lombardi, director of the Department of Corrections, after the execution.

Franklin’s lawyer had launched three separate appeals: One claiming his life should be spared because he was mentally ill; one claiming faulty jury instruction when he was given the death penalty; and one raising concerns about Missouri’s firstever use of the single drug pentobarbital for the execution.

But his fate was sealed early Wednesday when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a federal appeals court ruling that overturned two stays granted Tuesday evening by district court judges in Missouri.

The rulings lifting the stay were issued without comment.

Franklin, a paranoid schizophrenic, was in his mid-20s when he began drifting across the country. He bombed a synagogue in Chattanooga, Tenn., in July 1977. No one was hurt, but soon, the killings began.

He arrived in the St. Louis area in October 1977 and picked out the Brith Sholom Kneseth Israel synagogue from the Yellow Pages. He fired five shots at the parking lot in Richmond Heights after a bar mitzvah on Oct. 8, 1977. One struck and killed Gerald Gordon, a 42-year-old father of three.

Franklin got away. His killing spree continued another three years.

Several of his victims were interracial couples. He also shot

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and killed, among others, two black children in Cincinnati, three female hitchhikers and a white 15-year-old prostitute, with whom he was angry because the girl had sex with black men.

He finally stumbled after killing two young black men in Salt Lake City in August 1980.

He was arrested a month later in Kentucky, briefly escaped, and was captured for good a month after that in Florida.

Franklin was convicted of eight murders: two in Madison, Wis., two in Cincinnati, two in Salt Lake City, one in Chattanooga, Tenn., and the one in St. Louis County. Years later, in federal prison, Franklin admitted to several crimes, including

the St. Louis County killing. He was sentenced to death in 1997.

In an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Monday, Franklin insisted he no longer hates blacks or Jews. While he was held at St. Louis County Jail, he said he interacted with blacks at the jail, “and I saw they were people just like us.”

He has made similar statements to other media but has denied repeated interview requests from The Associated Press. Franklin’s attorney Jennifer Herndon said his reasoning exemplified his mental illness: He told her the digits of the AP’s St. Louis office phone number added up to what he called an “unlucky number,” so he refused to call it.

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Emotions run high, real in Betrayal MIRANDA BRAUNWARTH Staff Writer Betrayal is in the midst of relationships in the upcoming Studio show Betrayal at Minnesota State University Department of Theatre and Dance, Wednesday.

The show is directed by Rusty Ruth, a Graduate Student at MSU. The show runs from Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Earley Center for Performing Arts in the Andreas Theatre.

The play begins in the present with the characters Jerry, played

by BFA acting candidate Carter Allen, and the woman of his previous affair, Emma, played

by BFA acting candidate Amanda Forman. Emma is married to Jerry’s best friend, Robert, played by BFA acting candidate Ben Stansy. Emma and Robert’s marriage is breaking up so she seeks out former lover, Jerry to help her out.

Jerry learns that Robert has known about the affair with Emma for four years. The audience sees clues of Roberts’s knowledge of the affair as the show progresses.

Betrayal then differs in that it goes backwards in time, revealing lies, deception and problems in this very strange love triangle.

Ruth says the cast has been in rehearsal for a month and has grasped the “Pinter Pause”, giving a distinct realism to the show.

“The show has been kept very natural since it was lauded for its realistic quality,” Ruth said.

“Though it depicts an affair, the play is not overly moralistic nor does it glorify the act. This is very powerful since it gives the audience the power to choose whether or not they agree with the character’s decisions.”

The show is not just a love triangle comments Ruth.

“The play is also about selfbetrayal” said Ruth, “I think this aspect makes the play much more evocative and universal since there are times in everyone’s lives that self-betrayal interferes with happiness.”

Ruth makes it clear that Betrayal is a realistic drama. However there is a hopeful quality at the end of the show as well as select moments of comedy.

Ruth adds he is “blessed to work with such a talented group

of actors.”

Actor Ben Stasny who plays Jerry adds the show is “fascinating because you want to hate and love the character all at the same time.”

“Some more than others,” Stasny added.

Stasny adds “it is a very natural piece with relaxed dialogue but the tension and emotions are still very present.”

Betrayal was written by Harold Pinter, who grew up in East London and, in his childhood, experienced the bombing of WWII. It is said that Betrayal was based upon his own affair that occurred between himself and another married women, while he became friends with his lover’s husband.

Pinter wrote a total of twentynine plays including some of his more known plays The Birthday Party, The Caretaker, The Homecoming and Betrayal. As well, Pinter wrote screenplays, directed plays, acted in plays, was a poet, as well as a political activist.

To buy tickets, stop at the box office in the Earley Center for Performing Arts for 4:00-6:00

Photo Courtesy of Mike Lagerquist

p.m. Monday through Friday or visit www.mnsu.edu/theatre/.

The theatre asks that you men-

tion any special accommodations you may need.

More theaters, please Mankato is getting a horde of new restaurants but has potential with a long overdue theater upgrade.

JAMES HOUTSMA A & E Editor Drive around Mankato and you’ll see several new establishments in the process of being raised. Spoiler alert, a great many of them are restaurants.

Just recently, Mankato’s population hit the 50,000 mark, which means the additional government money that comes with that status is now hitting us like a sack of potatoes (sadly, a more literal comparison probably couldn’t be made).

Madison Avenue can already be seen from space with its sheer mass of eating establishments (at least 20 in a 2 mile stretch) but soon it will be an even brighter star with the addition of a Hardees, Panda Express and Marco’s Pizza nearby to supplement this town’s caloric craziness, led by our unmatched amount of Subways and Taco Johns’.

Meanwhile, we still have

two movie theaters that divvy up wide releases on the 14 total screens in town (only about nine of which are up to par). If anything could use an update, it’s Mankato theater situation.

Mankato has a strange and varied history when it comes to movie theaters. The Maverick 4 Theater downtown in the Mankato Place Mall survived for several years showing discounted movies before closing its doors in 2011. 2006 saw plans arise for a new theater to be built near Kohls but quickly went nowhere.

Even with updates in seating and technology between the two theaters, this town’s future in the movie viewing business has hit a hard standstill.

Yes, it’s true that not as many people go to the theater to see movies anymore and there’s now Netflix and awesome TV shows for people to enjoy in their homes but maybe with a little

James Schuyler Houtsma • MSU Reporter AMC theater in the Eden Prairie mall has been a regular destination for moviegoers looking for variety in films.

shift in focus that can change.

Instead of providing folks more of the same to compete with our two established movie theaters, Cinemark and Carmike, if we looked towards providing movie options that the people

of Mankato or any surrounding area don’t already have, this town could be the artistic powerhouse of Southern Minnesota.

There’s no chance that anyone in the area will have trouble finding a place to see The Hunger

Games: Catching Fire or any similar blockbuster. But that has never been a problem, has it?

What has been is the lack of venues showing quality limited release movies within 100 miles

THEATERS • Page 9

8 • MSU Reporter

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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Arrow more pointed than ever ANDREW SIMON Staff Writer Nearly a year ago, the first eight episodes of The CW’s Arrow, then enjoying its series premiere run, were reviewed by The Reporter and equated as such: “suffering from still finding its footing, falling into formulaic storytelling instead of serial, the show is nonetheless strong enough because of the thrilling work by star [Stephen] Amell.”

For a show in its freshman run, Arrow’s first ten episodes was the show on a sort of learning curve, falling into predictable and clichéd storylines and emphasizing the soap opera elements to a terribly extravagant extent.

But then something happened.

The series found its footing and hasn’t lost it since. A dark and challenged hero, unexpected twists and stories, ever-changing character dynamics, DC universe Easter Eggs, and a relentless pace – there’s a reason many newcomers have come onboard the Arrow bandwagon since the first season debuted on Netflix a month ago and it’s the very simple reason that this series is so damn good.

Season two picks up weeks after “The Undertaking” and Malcolm Merlyn’s plan to wipe the Glades off the Starling City map.

Part of the glades is in chaos and Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) has lost someone dear to him, renouncing the hood of the vigilante in favor of isolation. However, with the increase of gun dealers, copycat vigilantes and a new, mysterious girl in black leather defending the Glades, circumstances reluctantly call Oliver back into action. With his return, he’s determined to find out who the woman is and forge a new path of justice. But his ex-flame, Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) is putting all her efforts into catching the vigilante and she’s coming uncomfortably close to doing just that.

Arrow is seven episodes into its sophomore season and there isn’t a hint of a drop in quality from its first year to its second.

Rather, the show is moving forward at a mind-boggling super speed, running through material that, on other shows, would develop over three or so years.

There is a sense of confidence that they know every beat of where this story is going in season two and the writers have thrown so many juggling acts in the air that there are so many delicious possibilities to explore in the remaining fifteen episodes.

The storytelling has been top notch. Oliver’s self-imposed isolation after suffering a loss and having that inspire his new nonkilling credo is a stroke of genius reminiscent, in some ways, to Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy, of which this series has been heavily inspired by before (a line from Batman Begins, “be mindful of your surroundings”, even makes its way into an episode that just happens to feature the League of Assassins, the quasi-same organization Bruce Wayne trained under). The surprising inclusion of Black Canary this early in the Arrow run also provides one of the biggest series shockers that is too brilliant to ruin here, but it’s nice that even in this day of age where spoilers run rampant online, a show can still deliver a genuinely shocking surprise.

Supporting characters are still given their due. Oliver’s friends and teammates in the struggle to win back Starling City, John Diggle (David Ramsey) and Felicity Smaoke (Emily Brett Rickards), have had some truly fantastic beats to work with. Diggle’s fixation in avenging his brother’s death, murdered by the elusive Deadshot, brings him face to face with the killer in an emotionally charged episode which highlights Diggle’s strength and honor. Felicity’s witty retorts and sense of right and wrong (not to mention her sizzling chemistry with Oliver, which may or may not turn into something romantic -- this is, after all, a CW show) help guide Oliver’s moral compass. Together, these are three enormously strong characters and a fully functional unit working in unison.

Web Photo

For as much fun, action, and humor there is in the series, there’s also darkness, and lots of it. The island flashbacks, an integral part of the non-linear Arrow storytelling, is beginning to shed light to what events transformed Oliver into a killer and a survivor. Season one island flashbacks successfully showed the progression of self-centered-richboy-turns-serious-and-nuanced, while season two seems interested in pushing him to the edge and torturing him. As Oliver tells Diggle and Felicity in episode four (easily one of the series highlights) when he was on the island it was “five years where nothing good happened”, and his sorrow is visualized by the brutality of these island flashbacks.

Other interesting storylines

being juggled about include Oliver and his sister Thea’s mom, Moira Queen (Susanna Thompson), in prison and being held accountable for the catastrophe of “The Undertaking”. Arrow doesn’t work all that well in a court-room setting, but there’s enough personal stakes to make this an interesting development.

Thea’s boyfriend, Roy Harper (Colton Haynes), forms an alliance with the hood to become his eyes and ears on the streets, which is an interesting piece of storytelling without turning Roy into a full-fledged sidekick.

Starling City is in chaos and Oliver’s mission to save the city from itself is even direr and seemingly impossible than before. Some shows suffer a sophomore slump but Arrow shows

no signs of stopping. This type of quality, especially on a CW show, is astounding. The series continues to be lots of fun, has greatly nuanced characters, boasts some of the best fight choreography on television right now and, for fans of the comic books, there’s plenty of characters and name drops from the DC universe to wet a fans appetite. With the introduction of The Flash on the horizon in Arrow and the recent news of the Marvel/Netflix deal, it’s a good time to jump on a superhero bandwagon because there’s nobody that does it better than Arrow.

Arrow season 1 is streaming on Netflix, available on DVD/ Blu-Ray now, and airs on The CW 7:00, Wednesdays.

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Thursday, November 21, 2013

MSU Reporter • 9

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THEATERS “Even with updates in seating and technology between the two theaters, this town’s future in the movie viewing business has hit a hard standstill. Yes, it’s true that not as many people go to the theater to see movies anymore and there’s now Netflix and awesome TV shows for people to enjoy in their homes but maybe with a little shift in focus that can change.” continued from 7 of here. Films from this year like Before Midnight, Much Ado About Nothing, The Way Way Back, Blue Jasmine, Dallas Buyers Club and 12 Years a Slave all have received acclaim and arguably represent the best of what cinema has to offer in 2013 alongside Iron Man, Despicable Me, Hunger Games, and Man of Steel, aka our biggest releases.

Yet, if you live in Mankato, you’re far more likely to see one set of those films within a stone’s throw of their release dates. If you’re really itching to experience the first group on screen, best grab you gps and keys because you’re in for a drive up to the cities.

I’d make a crack about how you have to drive to Nebraska to see Alexander Payne’s new film, Nebraska, but I’m certain they don’t have it either.

Yet, judging by how movies like 12 Years a Slave and Silver Linings Playbook cracked the top 10 at the box office while

they were in just over 1000 theaters across the country, there definitely appears to be substantial interest in going to see limited releases. There simply needs to be venues to supply the demand.

With a new theater akin to that of the Landmark theater chain, which specializes in showing limited releases on time all across the country, Minneapolis included, not only would we be providing the theatergoers of Mankato with something they can’t see anywhere else within an hour’s drive, the same will apply for every nearby town.

People coming in from Waseca, New Ulm, St. Peter and Rochester to see the latest Coen Brothers film might actually be a justifiable reason for our new eatery uptake.

Similarly, the Alamo Drafthouse theater chain concerns itself with the supreme moviegoing experience, providing ultra-comfortable seating, a

wide variety of dining options and closely monitored auditoriums so that Texty-Sue or Sigher McLoudmouth don’t ruin your time at the movies, something that we don’t have here (ask me about my awful experience at Life of Pie – I dare you).

Heck, even if Mankato got an AMC chain just like the one in Eden Prairie, we’d still gain an

extra 8-14 screens, decent concession prices and maybe even an impressive IMAX screen, all of which would not go amiss here.

We’d even have enough screens to show the smaller releases.

Cheaper prices alone apparently wasn’t enough to keep people’s interest in theaters here and what we have now is not enough in todays movie age, so

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10 • MSU Reporter

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Young Mavericks gain experience and leadership throughout their 2013 campaign The Mavericks put up a lot of fights in the NSIC and finished their 2013 season 13-15 overall and 8-12 in the conference.

LUKE CARLSON Staff Writer

The last round of regular season action for the Minnesota State University, Mankato volleyball team ended in defeat after the Mavericks went on the road to Duluth and St. Cloud this last weekend and dropped both contests to their interconference foes.

The Mavericks had their first match of the weekend on Friday night hosted by the No. 3 University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs.

After the Bulldogs jumped out to a 7-2 lead early in the first set, the Mavericks managed to battle to within three points of the home team’s lead to bring the match to 10-7 in favor of the Bulldogs. The Mavericks would end up being outdone by the home team’s .421 hitting per-

centage, dropping the first set by a score of 25-17.

The Mavericks made the second set a close one after they came out with fire and took a 4-1 lead early. The two teams battled neck and neck all the way to a 15-15 tie before the Bulldogs once again broke out offensively. UMD went on a 10-3 run to rout the Mavericks and take the second set by a score of 25-18.

Sophomore outside-hitter Chandra Honebrink tallied four kills for the Mavericks in the set.

In the third set of the night, the visiting Mavericks were outdone by UMD as the Bulldogs took the 3-0 match sweep with a 25-14 final set win. Even though the Mavericks recorded 10 kills in the frame, including three from Honebrink, they committed nine attacking errors and had a .029 hitting percentage.

On the night, the Mavericks

David Bassey • MSU Reporter This squad showed its resilience throughout the season with eight match wins coming in the fourth or fifth set compared to their opponents’ four.

had 31 kills while hitting .091.

Honebrink led the offense with 10 kills on the night, while sophomore setter Ellie Van De Steeg contributed 28 assists. Freshman defensive-specialist Haley Fogarty led the Maverick defense in the match with 20 digs on the evening.

It was then off to St. Cloud for the Mavericks on Saturday evening, when they rolled into town to take on the St. Cloud State Huskies for their last regular season match of the year, and it would prove to be an exhilarating one.

In a tight and intense opening round of action, the two teams looked to be evenly matched right up to the end with nine tie scores and two lead changes.

It wasn’t until the Mavericks and Huskies were all tied up at 23-23 that the Huskies overcame the visiting squad and took the first set by a score of 25-23.

Freshman middle-blocker Krista Hassing led the way for the Mavericks in the set with five kills and a .444 hitting percentage.

Just like the UMD game, the Mavericks jumped out to a lead in the early goings of the second set over the Huskies. After taking that 4-2 opening lead though, MSU ended up trailing much of the rest of the set before falling to a 2-0 set deficit when the Huskies took the middle set 25-21.

The Mavericks remained resilient going into the third set of the night when they held an early 7-6 lead, but once again, the Huskies would take control of the set after gaining the lead at 15-14.

The home team maintained that lead en route to a 25-21 set win, claiming the 3-0 match sweep over the Mavericks.

Overall on the night, the Maverick offense was paced by junior outside-hitter Tiana Runck with 11 kills. Hassing followed up as the only other Maverick who reached double-digit kills with 10. Attacking errors was once again a theme for MSU after they committed 25 of them in the match with only a .128 attacking percentage.

MSU finishes the season with a 13-15 overall record and a record of 8-12 in NSIC conference

David Bassey• MSU Reporter The Mavericks had multiple players develop into team leaders, such as sophomore setter Ellie Van De Steeg (Above), and look to build around them next season. Van De Steeg finished the season with 1,098 assists in 102 sets played.

play. The Mavericks finished 7-7 at home at the Taylor Center and 4-7 on the road, while going 2-1 at neutral sites.

The Mavericks outpaced their opponents on offense with 12.9 kills per set and 12.1 assist per set compared to 12.0 kills per set and 11.1 assists per set from their opponents. However, the Mavericks were unable to outdo their opponents in attack percentage with only a .202 mark compared to their opponent’s .241.

The Mavericks also had more aces on the year than their opponents (133 to 123) and had more total digs and digs per set.

Meanwhile, attacking errors and blocking errors were where MSU struggled, with the Mavericks committing 611 attacking errors to 442 by their opponents and 50 blocking errors to 38 by opponents.

Honebrink and Runck led the way for the Mavericks on offense, contributing 304 and 260 kills, respectively, on the year.

Both players also led the team in individual attack percentage,

with Honebrink hitting .247 and Runck a team-leading .291. Van De Steeg led the Mavericks in assists on the season with 1098 total assists and 10.8 assists per set.

On defense, Hassing contributed 51 total blocks to lead MSU on the year, while freshman outside-hitter Syndey Geisness followed up with 42. Fogarty led the defensive backfield with 295 total digs and 4.1 digs per set on the season.

The Mavericks will say goodbye to two seniors this school year with defensive-specialist Briel Hendricksen and Libero Kelli Elhardt set to graduate in the spring.

With that said, the Mavericks will welcome back their leaders in Honebrink, Runck, and Van De Steeg for the 2014 season. All heading into their second years, Hassing, Fogarty, Geisness, and defensive-specialist Rissi McNallan are the players to watch as this young and talented team gears up for another campaign next fall, hungry for more.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

MSU’s own “Bash Brothers” Starting in Wisconsin Rapids, Josh and Casey Nelson shared a dream of playing Division I Hockey, and now in 2013 they have achieved that dream wearing the same uniform.

DEREK LAMBERT Staff Writer

If you take a look at the Minnesota State University, Mankato men’s hockey roster, you’ll find three Nelson’s listed. Casey Nelson is a freshman defenseman, Jordan Nelson is a freshman forward and Josh Nelson is a senior defenseman and assistant captain for the team. While Jordan shares the same last name, he’s the odd Nelson out as Casey and Josh are brothers.

The brothers hail from Wisconsin Rapids, Wisc. and took identical paths in reaching their dream of Division I hockey. Both brothers played three seasons in the North American Hockey League, one of the best junior hockey leagues in the country.

Josh started out with the Marquette Rangers before playing two seasons with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, while Casey played for the Alaska Avalanche before ending his junior career with the Johnstown Tomahawks.

There have been many cases where a set of brothers played for the same collegiate program, but not too often do you see brothers playing on the same team at the rsame time at such a high level.

Not only are their parents proud, but probably more relieved that they only have to travel four hours or so to watch their sons play at the same time, as opposed d to traveling across the country. n “From a family perspective it’s very convenient that Casey and I are finally playing . in the same part of the country again, let alone the same team” U said Josh. “My parents are able n s d 5 n

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MSU Reporter • 11

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to travel to just one destination to see the both of us play, versus when I was in Fairbanks or Casey being in Johnstown.”

Being three years apart in age, the brothers only played together once before this season. It was back at Lincoln High School when Josh was a senior and

Casey was a freshman.

Over the course of his career as a Maverick, Josh has been a staple on the blue line. A defenseman who is reliable on the back end but also has a great deal of offensive ability able to contribute up front. Casey’s game mirrors Josh’s playing style very closely.

“I look up to him not only as one of the captains, but I like the way he plays,” said Casey, “ I like to somewhat follow how he plays and try to recreate some things to help out with my play.”

While Josh has been out the past few weeks with an injury, Casey has seen increased ice time, including top power play minutes. Much like his brother has played as a Maverick, Casey plays with confidence beyond his

years and has been playing like a veteran instead of a rookie. While being brothers on the same team can be great, one might assume there is some brotherly competitiveness that goes on as well.

“I don’t think there is much competitiveness between us as defenseman,” Josh said. “If anything I think we may encourage each other and help the other become more competitive and demanding of ourselves.”

Being the older brother, Josh was instrumental in Casey’s hockey career.

“I gave him advice telling him to be patient waiting for a scholarship, and that if he just keeps working hard and taking care of his job, the rest would eventually fall into place,” said Josh. “I also gave him advice as to what college coaches may want to see out of him, or what he could work on getting to the next level.”

With the success Josh found in hockey, it gave Casey the determination needed to achieve the same goals and reach the ultimate dream.

“He has been a role model for me all through the ranks of hockey” Casey said. “When he went and played juniors, that’s what I wanted to do, when he got the chance to play D1 hockey, I wanted to achieve that very same goal.”

Although Josh is in his final season with the Mavericks, Casey is just getting started and hopes to follow in his brother’s footsteps as a Maverick.

Josh recorded five goals and nine assists from the blue line last season, helping the Mavs to their first NCAA Tournament appear-

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David Bassey • MSU Reporter Last season, one of the Nelson brothers, Casey (above), scored 10 goals and 22 assits for the Johnstown Tomahawks, and this season he’s put up two points in 10 games for the Mavericks.

ance in ten years. Casey has appeared in all ten games for MSU this year, recording a goal and an assist thus far, while being paired with sophomore defenseman Jon Jutzi on the back end.

“We always have major family support and, if I need anything, he’s who I go to here,” Casey said when asked what their favorite part of being on the same team is.

“Watching him succeed and grow as a person and a player,” Josh replied.

Interestingly enough, both of the Nelson brothers said that their least favorite part of being on the same team is having the same last name.

“He gets the nickname Nelly, and I had to get a new one,” said Casey. “They call me Junior now.”

Casey and Josh may only have a few months left as teammates, but this surely won’t be a season they forget about. Before, they were bonded as brothers for life, but now they are both Mavericks for life.

The Nelsons and the Mavericks head to Bowling Green this weekend to face the Falcons, who they split with two weekends ago.

Another important conference series, the 4-6 Mavericks look for a sweep to get back to .500 on the year and build towards a winning season.

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12 • MSU Reporter

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Thursday, November 21, 2013